U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance launches how-to video series about farming and ranching

Dec 29, 2014

Videos will include how to milk 1,200 cows and gather 50,000 eggs

By Diego Flammini, Farms.com

Ever wonder what it would look like to care for 7,000 pigs?

If so, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) have released a series of how-to videos to show people who aren’t involved in the agricultural and farming communities how much work farmers and ranchers put in to their days.

People know what farmers generally do, but not exactly how they do it. The opportunity to spend time on a farm alongside a farmer is not one that most people get,” said Randy Krotz, CEO of USFRA. “This new online video series brings the farm to your living room, office, kitchen, classroom, mobile device -- anywhere you are. Americans have so many questions about food production and the first videos in this series can help address some of those by showing just how farmers are growing and raising food.”

The video subjects include how to milk 1,200 cows in Indiana, gather 50,000 eggs in Missouri, care for 7,000 pigs in Illinois, and using trash to help grow crops, also in Illinois.

When farmers harvest their corn crop, shredded corn stalks are left behind. Farmers have learned that leaving this trash - or residue - on the field protects the soil by creating a blanket.

Video: How Can We Grow More Food With Less Impact?

For over two decades, Dr. Mitloehner has been at the forefront of research on how animal agriculture affects our air and our climate. With deep expertise in emissions and volatile organic compounds, his work initially focused on air quality in regions like California’s Central Valley—home to both the nation’s richest agricultural output and some of its poorest air quality.

In recent years, methane has taken center stage in climate discourse—not just scientifically, but politically. Once a topic reserved for technical discussions about manure management and feed efficiency, it has become a flashpoint in debates over sustainability, regulation, and even the legitimacy of livestock farming itself.

Dr. Frank Mitloehner, Professor and Air Quality Specialist with the CLEAR Center sits down with Associate Director for Communications at the CLEAR Center, Joe Proudman.