The point of finding local organic growers is that you know who is raising your food and you have an opportunity to see the conditions that the food is being raised in. Not all growers choose to certify, and as one tomato grower puts it "I could get certified and still do anything I want, there's no way to know, except that you have to decide if you believe me."
That's true of any organic or other operation, anywhere. The difference between a large operation centrally located, and a small local operation made up of people that you can meet and talk to is just that.... people you meet, know, get a feel for and decide you're comfortable with their philosophy of raising food and with the conditions their plants or animals live in. You can go to the farm and see things, talk to people, get to know how they view what they do and view life.
susan
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a wabbit, Fuzzy Wuzzy had a dandelion habit! RIP little Wuz... don't go far.
rockhillmanor wrote: My guess is this is where the dog food companies are going to get THEIR organic meat from the 3 d's that die in these deemed organic feed lots.
How many slaughter houses or auction houses have you been to? I can tell you the ones we use will not allow animals that cannot walk in on their own.
You do a very good job of painting an entire industry with dramatic images from a few bad operators which have been put up as the industry standard. This is what the internet is so good at. I suggest you spend some time at livestock auctions to see for yourself. Go visit some custom butcher houses to buy your meat and then walk around the yard to see how good the animals look. If you dare, go watch the final moments to see how the animal is being treated up until the very end.
Spend a little time reading up on Temple Grandin, her animal science work and industry influence.
Also read upon on this certification organization: Animal Welfare Approved
* This post was
edited 04/19/12 04:55am by BCSnob *
rockhillmanor wrote: Crammed and stinking cattle in jam packed feed lots can be deemed and certified USDA organic. How? They feed organic hay to start them on and are allowed to 'finish them' with grain and call them organic standing knee deep in manure and usually half dead dieing and sick.
It would be nice if you could get your facts correct.
§ 205.239 Livestock living conditions.
(a) The producer of an organic livestock operation must establish and maintain year-round livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of animals, including:
(1) Year-round access for all animals to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, clean water for drinking, and direct sunlight, suitable to the species, its stage of life, the climate, and the environment: Except, that, animals may be temporarily denied access to the outdoors in accordance with §§205.239(b) and (c). Yards, feeding pads, and feedlots may be used to provide ruminants with access to the outdoors during the non-grazing season and supplemental feeding during the grazing season. Yards, feeding pads, and feedlots shall be large enough to allow all ruminant livestock occupying the yard, feeding pad, or feedlot to feed simultaneously without crowding and without competition for food. Continuous total confinement of any animal indoors is prohibited. Continuous total confinement of ruminants in yards, feeding pads, and feedlots is prohibited.
5) The use of yards, feeding pads, feedlots and laneways that shall be well-drained, kept in good condition (including frequent removal of wastes), and managed to prevent runoff of wastes and contaminated waters to adjoining or nearby surface water and across property boundaries.
d) Ruminant slaughter stock, typically grain finished, shall be maintained on pasture for each day that the finishing period corresponds with the grazing season for the geographical location: Except, that, yards, feeding pads, or feedlots may be used to provide finish feeding rations. During the finishing period, ruminant slaughter stock shall be exempt from the minimum 30 percent DMI requirement from grazing. Yards, feeding pads, or feedlots used to provide finish feeding rations shall be large enough to allow all ruminant slaughter stock occupying the yard, feeding pad, or feed lot to feed simultaneously without crowding and without competition for food. The finishing period shall not exceed one-fifth (1/5) of the animal's total life or 120 days, whichever is shorter.
Quoted above are sections that relate to your false claims and I provided a link to the section on livestock living conditions for all to read for themselves.
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