For Mother's day my kids got me the Pioneer Woman's cookbook, and for those of you that don't know - Pioneer women runs a blog and website about being a city girl and mother of four on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma. She is a blast. My family was amazed that I know who she was when I opened my book and even more amazed when I actually cooked the food. But, I really respect her down to earth opinions about her life and how she has adjust to it. I can feel for her - especially when she talks about her husband coming home covered in cow S%$# from working cattle and her love a wrangler butt - after all that was one of the first things that I had noticed about my husband....
But, like Pioneer Woman, I have really come to respect my husbands love of our land and our farm and our children. Given my day job, my husband has had the job of being with our kids most days too. I went back to work with both of our youngest too when they were each three weeks old - and my Farmer feller took our daughter to work cattle the first day and then to the hay field then next. All of my children have been on our farm since they could walk. They know what a squeeze chute is for and when to stay out of fields while Daddy cuts hay. And they love to play in said hay till they get caught...
I think that I have talked alot in this blog about the importance of being political active but now as there are critical issues facing Agriculture in the Congress, I think becoming active for our way of life will be more important than ever. Because, even though our operations are different, I hope that you can tell that both the Pioneer Women and myself are passionate about our homes and farms or ranches in her case. We want our children to have access to this way of life and bills like the CAP and Trade, Immigration issues, and the EPA navigational waters act will affect how we can run our operations and how our families will be able to keep doing what we love. So, if you have a love for your land or like me - have fallen for a fella who has made you in turn change from a "organic loving high heel wearing" girl to well - whatever I am most days - a country doc with farm kids who have a T-ball game tonight... Get out and have an opinion
Showing posts with label Animal Welfare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Animal Welfare. Show all posts
Monday, May 17, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Animal Welfare Questioned in Tennessee...
Well, its happened, then news and animal rights activist have decided that Tennessee needs to be the next target - at least middle Tennessee where I live is feeling the strain. There is legislation in the state at the moment to change the laws that we have dealing with animal cruelty that were written by people that do not understand the current system of legislation that is in play. These same people have been quite vocal in denigrating farmers and the Tennessee Farm Bureau in our lack of sponsorship of these bills. These are poorly written legislation that do little to protect animals, Tennessee already has some of the strictest animal cruelty laws in the nation if they were enforced.
In no shape form or fashion do myself or any decent farmer that I know condone the mistreatment of any animal - neither does the Farm Bureau. For years farmers have been the stewards of our environment and our livestock. In years past, farmers depended on their animals not only for their food but for assistance with producing their crops. Now we depend on our animals for income and in some cases for enjoyment. I take offence when the local new media in our area choose to interview owners of 1-2 burrows and a horse as a farmer instead of a production agriculturist on this issue. Farm Bureau Members believe that whenever someone is found guilty of animal cruelty there should be swift and just punishment in accordance of the law.
Speaking of the law, lets talk a bit about Tennessee's animal cruelty laws since the news is not educating you about it... Today in our state we have two separate statutes on animal abuse.
The first is TCA 39-14-202 Animal Cruelty - passed in 2002 and Farm Bureau worked with the bills sponsors- this deals with intentionally or knowingly torturing, maiming, grossly overworking, failing to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for an animal, abandoning and animal, or transporting and animal in a cruel manner. This law carries a punishment of up to 11 MONTHS & 29 DAYS IN JAIL AND $2500 FINE PER ANIMAL. (It is already against the law in this state to fail to feed and water your animals - it may not being enforced) This law applies to all animal including livestock. A second conviction of this act is already a felony.
The second is TCA 39-14-212 Aggravated Animal Cruelty - this deals with crimes against animals that they merited a Felony charge on the first offence as it presently stands. this deals with crimes such as setting an animal on fire, chopping an animal up, etc. This is due to the fact that persons who are willing to commit these crimes against animals will likely commit crimes against people latter in life. Again Farm Bureau worked with the bills sponsors when it was passed.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund ranks Tennessee animal protection laws in the top tier of 50 states. This Fund was founded in 1979 by attorneys active in shaping the emerging field of animal law, ALDF pushes for stronger enforcement of animal cruelty laws and more humane treatment of animals. The report is release on a yearly basis and ranks based on 14 categories of animal protection laws. BUT we did not hear that on the news.
As a Tennessee Farmer and Farm Bureau member, I am very disappointed in the one sided reported and misrepresentation to the House Ag committee and to the People of Tennessee. the local new media has chose to report that farmers do not care about animal rights when we have a record in this state of being proactive champions for animal rights.
Since 2002 Farm Bureau has actively supported every ethical bill for animal rights as is show by our high ranking to such organizations as the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Farmers want and need healthy animals. We already have good laws to this effect. We need to support and enforce the laws we have. Thanks for listening...
In no shape form or fashion do myself or any decent farmer that I know condone the mistreatment of any animal - neither does the Farm Bureau. For years farmers have been the stewards of our environment and our livestock. In years past, farmers depended on their animals not only for their food but for assistance with producing their crops. Now we depend on our animals for income and in some cases for enjoyment. I take offence when the local new media in our area choose to interview owners of 1-2 burrows and a horse as a farmer instead of a production agriculturist on this issue. Farm Bureau Members believe that whenever someone is found guilty of animal cruelty there should be swift and just punishment in accordance of the law.
Speaking of the law, lets talk a bit about Tennessee's animal cruelty laws since the news is not educating you about it... Today in our state we have two separate statutes on animal abuse.
The first is TCA 39-14-202 Animal Cruelty - passed in 2002 and Farm Bureau worked with the bills sponsors- this deals with intentionally or knowingly torturing, maiming, grossly overworking, failing to provide necessary food, water, care or shelter for an animal, abandoning and animal, or transporting and animal in a cruel manner. This law carries a punishment of up to 11 MONTHS & 29 DAYS IN JAIL AND $2500 FINE PER ANIMAL. (It is already against the law in this state to fail to feed and water your animals - it may not being enforced) This law applies to all animal including livestock. A second conviction of this act is already a felony.
The second is TCA 39-14-212 Aggravated Animal Cruelty - this deals with crimes against animals that they merited a Felony charge on the first offence as it presently stands. this deals with crimes such as setting an animal on fire, chopping an animal up, etc. This is due to the fact that persons who are willing to commit these crimes against animals will likely commit crimes against people latter in life. Again Farm Bureau worked with the bills sponsors when it was passed.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund ranks Tennessee animal protection laws in the top tier of 50 states. This Fund was founded in 1979 by attorneys active in shaping the emerging field of animal law, ALDF pushes for stronger enforcement of animal cruelty laws and more humane treatment of animals. The report is release on a yearly basis and ranks based on 14 categories of animal protection laws. BUT we did not hear that on the news.
As a Tennessee Farmer and Farm Bureau member, I am very disappointed in the one sided reported and misrepresentation to the House Ag committee and to the People of Tennessee. the local new media has chose to report that farmers do not care about animal rights when we have a record in this state of being proactive champions for animal rights.
Since 2002 Farm Bureau has actively supported every ethical bill for animal rights as is show by our high ranking to such organizations as the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Farmers want and need healthy animals. We already have good laws to this effect. We need to support and enforce the laws we have. Thanks for listening...
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Had a half in half day...
Once upon a time in America, people got up and went to work and most everyone worked a fair day for a fair days pay. Oh how far we have come. Now people are more concerned with animal abuse and neglect thanks to the Human Society of the United States then we are with child abuse. I have never seen stories on Channel 4 news talking about all the cases of children in this state being abused and miss treated every day but let there be one bill in the State Ag committee that HSUS disagrees with the wording on and here goes Channel 4 news.
We as agriculturist want to protect our livestock, but I don't want someone deciding that just because I don't feed my cows grain twice a day or my horses alfa-alfa hay instead of grass hay does not mean I am committing a felony. I have turned in 4 different parents for major instances of child abuse since the beginning of the year. Of those, only 1 set of those children have been removed from the home. But let animals be involved and people were online last night volunteering to be the animal police and "get the people hurting the defenceless animals".
Have we as a society lost our minds. I grew up as a Veterinarian's child and grandchild and maybe this has tainted my opinion but sometimes what we do to keep people and our pets alive is more cruel then when my grandfather used to go ahead and euthanize animals that were in extreme pain and untreatable. When did animal become more valuable than people.
As a farmer, I do value my stock. they are expensive animals and if they are hurt or injured we have to get them seen about quickly. They have access to fresh water 24hrs a day 365 days a year. They are fenced out of ponds for their and the environments protection. But, when we get legislation to provide good common sense rules to provide education for animal agriculturist, I hope it can be structured along the lines of Ohio's proactive stance towards animal agriculture. Because unlike the HSUS, I like my beef farm and want my children to be able to be farmers into the next generation.
No other group does as much for the American Economy with so few of people putting into the mix Less than 2% of Americans claim to be American Farmers but we provide...
"The United States exports $43.5 billion in agriculture products and important $26.4 billion in farm products, equaling a positive net trade balance of $17.1 billion." According to www.agday.org
I am proud to be an American Farmer and proud to have friends that are American Farmers... I hope that by our efforts my children will still have a farm to call home.
We as agriculturist want to protect our livestock, but I don't want someone deciding that just because I don't feed my cows grain twice a day or my horses alfa-alfa hay instead of grass hay does not mean I am committing a felony. I have turned in 4 different parents for major instances of child abuse since the beginning of the year. Of those, only 1 set of those children have been removed from the home. But let animals be involved and people were online last night volunteering to be the animal police and "get the people hurting the defenceless animals".
Have we as a society lost our minds. I grew up as a Veterinarian's child and grandchild and maybe this has tainted my opinion but sometimes what we do to keep people and our pets alive is more cruel then when my grandfather used to go ahead and euthanize animals that were in extreme pain and untreatable. When did animal become more valuable than people.
As a farmer, I do value my stock. they are expensive animals and if they are hurt or injured we have to get them seen about quickly. They have access to fresh water 24hrs a day 365 days a year. They are fenced out of ponds for their and the environments protection. But, when we get legislation to provide good common sense rules to provide education for animal agriculturist, I hope it can be structured along the lines of Ohio's proactive stance towards animal agriculture. Because unlike the HSUS, I like my beef farm and want my children to be able to be farmers into the next generation.
No other group does as much for the American Economy with so few of people putting into the mix Less than 2% of Americans claim to be American Farmers but we provide...
"The United States exports $43.5 billion in agriculture products and important $26.4 billion in farm products, equaling a positive net trade balance of $17.1 billion." According to www.agday.org
I am proud to be an American Farmer and proud to have friends that are American Farmers... I hope that by our efforts my children will still have a farm to call home.
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