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On one hand, but on the other…..

Jan 22, 2015

By Harry Siemens

Let me tie to separate events, things together that are really very far apart.

Orion Samuelson, farm broadcaster and my mentor still going strong at 80 years plus working full time and then some at WGN Chicago Radio and often, too from his condo in Scottsdale, Az.

Orion has watched, as I have the transitioning taking place in agriculture, particularly in animal production and husbandry. The reason these two things even enter onto the same page is because they are so different, and both arrived in my email the same day.

In Canada, I’ve watched and written often about changes in how hog farmers will be raising pigs in the next decade, especially as it pertains to sows and sow crates.

I’m all for treating animals fairly, but in this instance it is the people and organization who in some states of the U.S., and to a lesser extent in Canada are driving some of these changes.
Orion says it happened in New Jersey the day after Thanksgiving attracting a great deal of attention across the country in the pork-producer community and in the animal rights community.  Governor Chris Christie, for the second time in two years, vetoed a bill that would have banned the use of gestation crates for sows in the state of New Jersey.

In Canada, an industry-wide committee came up with a new code of practice for pigs that will make that transition happen over here.
While affecting hog farmers and many pigs in Canada, especially those who have to build new barns to accommodate the new housing rules and regulations, in New Jersey it wouldn’t affect many people or many pigs because there are 300 hog farms in the state and their annual production is about 9,000 hogs.  Compare that to the state of Iowa where there are 6,000 pork industry families producing 20-million hogs a year. Maybe that is why, before the Governor took action on the bill in New Jersey,  Iowa Governor Terry Branstad called Governor Christie and urged him to veto the bill, says Samuelson.

What really caught my attention is what Governor Christie had to say. He did the right thing by finding out from pork producers what they think before he vetoed the bill.  The Governor said “. . .the bill is a solution in search of a problem and a political movement masquerading as substantive policy and it should be left to the State Board of Agriculture.”

The President of the Humane Society of the United States, HSUS, says, “This veto shows cynical political calculation from the Governor and an obvious capitulation to special interests, rather than leadership or humanity”.
Orion says the Governor chose to follow the dictates of special interests in Iowa. “Well, pork producers in Iowa, that’s you!”

Remember HSUS, those people who ask so many people, often those who don’t have very much to give to their local causes of setting up pet shelters. Remember that HSUS was on the other side of the issue with the hog farmers, well I most certainly do. While collecting money to help poor homeless animals, their goal is really to shut down animal agriculture, and stop anyone from eating meat.
The HumaneWatch organization now reports HSUS sends $26 million to the Caribbean, but little to pet shelters

“The deceptively named Humane Society of the United States only spends 1 percent of its budget on grants to help local organizations care for pets,” says HumaneWatch. “But HSUS can afford to send $26 million—the equivalent of 20 percent of its budget—to offshore hedge funds. It’s a case of putting tax shelters ahead of pet shelters, and it comes on top of the $25.7 million HSUS put into the Caribbean in 2012.”

Just to make sure you don’t think I’m opposed to local pet shelter, this Christmas season, if you are so inclined, make sure your friends and family know to avoid this rip-off of a charity and support their local pet shelters instead.
One more thing - in Canada the industry-wide committee put together regulations that will benefit the animals, the producers, and satisfy the animal activists for a little while. At least the industry has come control of their own destiny.

Source: SiemensSays