I've got lots of news to share, starting with this: Happy cows may produce better milk, but most cows in California aren't happy cows. They are factory farmed cows, like these ones here:
Compare that picture with this one, from the "Real California Milk" ad campaign:
Yet yesterday I passed a billboard for California milk showing a picture of a handful of cows grazing in pasture! What??? How about some truth in advertising, California? More below...
In 2007, California had 2165 dairy farms with an average of 850 cows apiece. This represents significant consolidation since 2002, when they had 2793 dairy farms with 589 cows apiece. In 2007, over 90% of the cows lived on dairy farms that had more than 500 cows. In fact, the largest group of dairy farms - farms with over 500 cows - had an average of 1656 cows apiece. I can promise you, those cows were NOT grazing in pasture for the simple reason that it's impossible.
Statistics are from the 2007 Ag Census. Pictures are from the Cornucopia Institute.
Another dairy feedlot - this one's in Nevada
Calves at a dairy farm in Arizona
Here's the rest of the news:
Yoplait is going rbGH-free. This is a BIG victory! However, it should be noted that while Yoplait is busy patting itself on the back for this, they are a latecomer to the rbGH-free world. Better late than never, Yoplait, but don't pretend you did this because you're altruistic or something. Dannon - you're next!
Monsanto's in the news, pissing me off, as always. The latest? Oxfam is cozying up to Monsanto, buying into their bullshit claim that GMOs can feed the world. Lots more info at the link.
Steven Chu gives us good news and bad news. The REALLY bad news - California agriculture might soon disappear, and so may California cities. The GOOD news? Steven Chu actually takes the climate crisis seriously.
Ron Paul introduced a bill to legalize raw milk. Will it pass? Probably not. It probably won't even get a vote. But it's still cool to know that us raw milk aficionados have a friend in Congress.
By Foot teaches gardening 101: Your weeds have value in building the soil when they break down so don't throw them out!
Sad peanut butter news. The human faces behind the salmonella outbreak are now becoming public, like Jeff Almer's mother. She survived cancer - twice! - but lost her life to peanut butter this past Christmas.
Bush's FEMA distributed tainted peanut butter to storm victims. Of course it did. And the Bush government also sent tainted peanut butter to our troops and to schools. Thank god that bastard is gone. Let's hope Obama can at least keep us safe from our peanut butter.
Ethanol news is bad bad bad. There are now more reasons than ever to oppose ethanol, yet more and more politicians from both sides of the aisle are in love with it. The latest one to sign on is Wesley Clark.
Being an ex-factory-farm-CEO is a great job! Apparently you get over $9 million over 10 years in return for screwing up your company so badly that you had to resign. But that huge severance package didn't come for free - the ex-Tyson CEO has to advise Tyson up to 20 hrs per month for 10 years. What? He put their chicken sales in the tank and they want to pay millions for his advice? I wish my job treated me that well when I screwed up.
Rosa DeLauro proposed a food safety bill. Hooray! Let's hope it can gain some momentum what with the peanut butter in the news.