Oh, no doubt there is a lobbiest or a campain contributor lurking in the halls of power involved here.

Under the guise of consumer protection, this stinks of government running interference on behalf of the big operators.

The end result, if you eat meat, will be that whether or not you take prescribed drugs, you will be ingesting them. Some will see this as a war on organic.

I'm surprised the author didn't write about, or perhaps know about, the Vancouver Island farmer who owns Cowichan Bay Farms, a small poultry operation well-known for highly innovative methods of raising healthy livestock. In response to the new provinicial goernment rules, he is constructing (or has constructed) a million dollar plus slaughtering facility, a huge investment for a small farmer.

He is hoping to attract other small livestock operations to use his facility. It's a way to keep local, healthy farming intact and available to us. I just won't buy that crap manufactured in the huge farm factories of southern Alberta. So funny that the new federal Environment minister is from Alberta.

Anyway, kudos to the Cowichan Bay Farms owner (who's name escapes just at the moment, Lyle Jensen?) for taking this enormous risk. If you care about preserving your access to good food, please urge any small operators in your area to contact Cowichan Bay Farms about this "grass-roots" investment they are undertaking to help small, local, healthy food suppliers remain in business.

What about the family owned small businesses whos Dock is not the required height from the ground. The expense to alter this situation would be enormous. And I understand that if it isn't done they won't be licensed.
I think if the government is going to change things they should be required to offset the expense. Or in the case a a minor infraction that doesn't appear to be a cause of BSE or whatever, there should be an exemption or a grandfather clause.

Trust the government to stick its nose in and screw up a working system. You are far, far more likely to get food poisoning from supermarket meat that's travelled god knows how many kms and been handled by umpteen people than to get it from healthy stock slaughtered by somebody who knows what they're doing on a clean farm. Not to mention that commercial feedlot and mass slaughterhouse conditions are perfect breeding grounds for disease, and produce meat stuffed so full of antibiotics that you might as well be downing pills. Grrrrrr.

I'm surprized that his topic has received a bit of light. Thanks Tyee. The meat industry is certainly under a conspiracy of silence. I think the meat industry has a lot to answer for. The farmers blame the slaughterers and the slaughterers blame the farmers for the rather appalling circumstances our livestock finds itself in. If the new slaughter arrangements are well regulated and those regulations actually have enough teeth to stop practices like dragging cattle off of trucks with forklifts or the abillity to charge farmers who load and sell cattle that are too sick to wallk then we are stepping in the right direction. If not, then it is just another corporate sellout.

Wonderful article. This issue simply isn't getting enough press. Remember, though, that the inspection only pertains to the slaughter, not the processing, so the ground beef example isn't totally appropriate. The main reason for ecoli in ground beef from large plants is that they grind tons of meat at a time. Any contamination and it effects not only a small local area but a large diverse one. In the Cowichan Valley, we have a few small, uninspected kill floors that also do the cut, wrap, sausage, smoking, etc. If they cease the slaughter component, they can carry on after the inspection rules kick in. They only need to upgrade their plants if they wish to continue the kill floor part of the operation. This unnecessary initiative will destroy the small farm livestock industry on Vancouver Island. We have only one red meat inspected plant and they refuse to do custom work and one plant for pigs. Totally unworkable for the small producer. This inspection initiative has absolutely nothing to do with food safety and everything to do with the ability of Canada to continue to export meat products. The only way to turn this around is to generate a groundswell of public support. The consumer must come to realize that this is an afront on the rights of all Canadians to choose what they want to eat. If these trends continue, the Canadian consumer will have to rely on Walmart for all of their nutritional rquirements. Scary thought!

Rhea:

Ammend that to "trust the Liberal government".

Great article, folks. Hope we get a solution.

R. Smiley

Nope, I assign equal blame to all levels, parties and types of government when it comes to bungling and adding unneccessary red tape. It's not limited to the Liberals...it's a characteristic of any government that they do everything they can to increase bureaucracy and decrease efficiency, especially when it comes to lovely vague areas like "food safety".

We're a small, organic operation, but we always had our cattle butchered and processed in a government inspected facility, so there won't be any problems.

Even at that, we can still sell our meat at about half the cost of supermarket prices and quarter of the organic store prices.

However, there are no buyers, so we have to sell most of our organically raised calves at the auction sales, so they can be filled up with growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics and grain in the feedlots, because the North Aamerican public is brainwashed into eating stinking yellow tallow, called marble by the PR hacks.

Then they're surprised why kids, and generally the population, are fat as pigs. Of course they are, because they fill themselves with growth hormones and steroids, but governments wouldn't dare to question the practice, as it wouldn't be "business friendly"

Small farms are under pressure by huckster economists and governments in pay of big business to force them off the land and into cities, but proper butchering is definitely not the cause, or the problem.

If the governments are really interested in public health, and the safety of meat, they first should look at the feedlots and large meat processing plants, nothing but criminal actions against the environment and humanity.

Ed Deak, Big Lake.

Another move to reduce our independence and make us yet more dependent on the Big Corporations-, in this case the big slaughterhouses-, where all the problems with Creutzfeld Jakob and the other diseases facilitated by mass food production really reside.

What was it Ralph Klein said, "Shut up, shoot and shovel."?

Only in this case we should counter that with something more in our own interests. Say, "Shut up, slaughter and cut your own backdoor deals." As much as possible anyway.

Fug 'em.

I think the phrase was "shoot, shovel and shut up". A shame it couldn't applied to most of our politicians and bureaucrats...

I'd far rather deal personally with a farmer/grower I know than buy meat from a government plant. Anyone who hasn't read "Fast Food Nation" is in for a very ugly eye opener on mass food production practices, and especially slaughterhouse standards of safety and cleanliness. I don't buy supermarket meat unless I'm in an insane hurry and can't get to a butcher or better source. Luckily for me, one of our local producers is opening their own store on their farm. Their cattle are organically raised, medication free and slaughtered and processed locally. The problem people like Ed Deak face is that a lot of people prefer to pay less money for unhealthy meats, and then wonder why they get sick. Well, duh! Ed, if you were in the Lower Mainland, I'd buy from you in a heartbeat.

The slaughterhouse we deal with is a small, privately owned operation for local ranchers.

It is government inspected for our and our customers' safety. They butcher our animals, process the meat to the individual customers' specification, freeze it and deliver it anywhere with Clark reefer trucks.

The name is Rodear Meats, located in Beaver Valley, on the owner's ranch, about half hour drive from us. The owners are Dave and Sarah Fernie. We've been dealing with them ever since they opened up good many years ago. Never had the slightest problem.

Such operations should not be put into the same basket with huge meat plants, any more than our operation compared to a feedlot. Anybody can inspect our cattle at any time.

I have no problem with health inspections, as some people are worse pigs than the ones they raise, and some operations are not fit for human consumption. A very good friend of ours, going back for about 45 years, was, the now retired head of the animal microbiology department in Abbotsford. The horror stories he told us were out of this world.

E.g. Many commercial hog farmers routinely feed the pigs' manure back to them to get the most out of the feed. One day a Fraser Valley hog farmer went to the lab with the question on whether he could feed his pigs twice with their own manure? The answer was NO.

If governments are guilty of anything, it is that they permit certain, especially corporate operations, to get away with murder. Mulroney wanted to do away with all inspections, and rely on the "competitive discipline of the marketplace".

If people knew what they're buying in the supermarkets they'd faint, but most don't even care.

Also, as I mentioned, our organic meat is half the price of the supermarket junk and about a quarter of the organic stores, but we're forced to sell at the auctions, as there's virtually no other market for our calves.

Ed Deak.

Fiat Lux, just an innocent question - what good are growth hormones once an animal is grown and ready for slaughter? Are you certain that gov't licensed butchering facilities use this rather expensive hazard on animals when they are sent there when it wouldn't have any effect on its growth at this time? I know it is illegal in Canada to inject growth hormones in dairy cattle (but not in America) - although there is a heinous overuse of antibiotics which induces the rise of antibiotic resistant bugs and this practice is greatly discouraged now. Perhaps because I'm not a meat eater that I don't see how there can be a two-tier system for standards when it comes to selling meat to consumers - whether it goes through a middle man or not. Perhaps if there could be contract or written missive given by the "non-compliant" small farmer who sells the occasional buck that states that the consumer should be aware that the meat was slaughtered in a non-certified facility/farm and is taking responsibilty of any potential health consequence by its consumption.

February 10, 2006

Glen P. Robbins
robbinssceresearch.com

Mr. David Beers

McGrady, Baugh and Whyte

Dear Sirs

I conduct public opinion polls and have done since 1998.

Under the recent Tyee ‘blog-article’ Emerson: The Power and the Tory, a blogger under the name Sammy Samsun has defamed and or libeled me. I do include my polling name and my real name in these blogs.

My polling firm has a history of accuracy in public opinion polling which is irrefutable, and would be considered irrefutable by anyone who reviews our results against real events.

Under the blogsite Pickton Trial: Who were the Victims? I write a little about what I perceive the law to be relative to that particular discussion.

I have a degree in Political Science, however in 1996 a BC Supreme Court Judge Ordered that “I be treated as a lawyer at all times”.

As you know the Tyee is responsible for what is written on its website. In fact, within the blogstream article involving Mr. Emerson, another ‘blogger’ makes reference to the fact that ‘bloggers’ have been kicked off the site, presumably for one indiscretion or another.

Mr/Mrs. Samsun whoever he or she is, (as I am sure you will acknowledge) is playing pretty fast and loose with the Tyee’s assets. Not only is one case of fraud difficult to prove but also 150-200 cases would be impossible, particularly against our history of accuracy, which is virtually unmatched.

I would ask that the appropriate protocols be instituted here including a written apology, and I would expect a banning of the person who wrote the defamatory comments.

Sincerely,

Glen P. Robbins
(604) 942-3757

Ed, just curious - do you ship your meat at all, or deal with any restaurants or resellers? I know of a few grass-fed operations in the interior that freeze and ship beef to customers out of their area, and seem to do okay.

We can ship anywhere, have shipped to Vancouver, which isn't too bad, but it isn't very cheap to certain parts. We're not "registered" organic, because of the costs and hassle involved, but our animals are as organic as can be.

As far growth hormones, steroids and antibiotocs are concerned, some farmers and ranchers are using them, but we don't know of any around here.

The animals, we're talking about calves, are getting shot full when they're loaded on the trucks of the commercial buyers at the auction sales and then every time they change hands. There was an article in the farming paper Western Producer some years ago, where certain animals were followed, as they changed hands from feedlot to feedlot, and received 5-6 times the permitted dosages.

This has been confirmed by scientists, but there are no veterinary inspections at the sales, or at any time afterwards, and animals are not tested on the amounts of chemicals shot into them. Anybody can check this out.

This, according to scientist friends, could be one of the main reasons for the spread of bugs resistant to antibiotics. All so that they can be jammed into huge feedlots, up to 50,000 head at a time, poisoning the environment and population.

Ed Deak. Big Lake.

A mitigating factor in the slaughter of animals is our voluntary adherence to the so-called "animal contract".
Animals we raise are well cared-for and enjoy a decent standard of living, if you will.
(you listening china?)
In exchange we eat them. We also protect them from starvation, predators(excluding us ofcourse), disease and the elements etc.
This story reminds of that poor rabbit women in Michael Moore's Roger and Me.

Interesting. I can understand wanting to keep a closer eye on the big slaughter houses but I think there should be some exceptions for the small farmers. The small slaughter houses or on site slaughterers should not be penalized for the sloppiness of big business. I am reminded of the Avian Flu cases in the Fraser Valley. Again the problem was with the large farms but all the birds were killed. Organic, free range and hobby farmers lost all their birds,including one woman's pet Emu. I would pick up the work truck from a chicken farm in Abbotsford and quite a few mornings I would see coyotes or eagles eating dead chickens out of the compost pile. Even though the chicken farm across the street was shut down due to the Flu, as soon as the emergency was over we stopped spraying down the trucks that were coming and going everyday. If this is what is going on on the farms, what kind of short cuts are the big slaughter houses making?

Family farms and small businesses are the most efficient food and for the most part, also, manufacturing production methods.

This can be proven very easily by accounting the huge costs agribiz and other large scale operations transfer on society, humanity, the ecology and the future.

Some of the environmental problems we're facing today with global warming, depletion, water shortages, starvation, etc. started and accumulated for 150, or more, years. I have some books that comnplained about this 60- 80 years ago, but nobody took notice because of monetary profits.

The present economic accounting methods are only concerned with short term monetary profits, ignoring the transferred costs.

Of course, these fraudulent figures, like the GDP, show "growth", without any deductions of the present and future liabilities. Everything goes on the GDP, nothing comes off. The more disasters and illnesses we have, the bigger the GDP and the happier our economists and politicians.

Until this is changed and correct economic theories are taught in our universities, we'll be going down the hill in every possible way imagineable.

Ed Deak.

when I can no longer buy meat at my local organic farm I will quit eating it period and I suggest people who are concerned about their health should do the same and bring the corporations, the industrial farmers and politicians they own to their senses or bankrupt them in the process.

Consumers do have this option but sadly most don't have the courage to take a stand. My relatives who still raise cattle are trying to do the right thing and getting screwed by these bought and paid for politicians, well maybe they will finally see that their right wing ways are hurting them too but I won't hold my breath! Looks like I will going vegetarian or buying some land to raise my own dam cow chickens and turky.

have to wonder if co-op slaughter houses wouldn't work for honest farmers and ranchers? I would much rather get my meat from a co-op then safeway, I belong to three co-ops now, Nanaimo Vanderhoof and Keating, they are a bit expensive up front at times but in the long run I think they are the way to go, at least they pay a good wage and the profits stay in Canada instead of being siphoned off to american share holders.

would co-op slaughter houses work for honest farmers and ranchers? I would much rather get my meat from a co-op then safeway, I belong to three co-ops now, Nanaimo Vanderhoof and Keating, they are a bit expensive up front at times but in the long run I think they are the way to go, at least they pay a good wage and the profits stay in Canada instead of being siphoned off to american share holders.

As a small time producer I have lobbied the government to make changes to the regulations to accommodate farm gate sales

, changes that won't affect export opportunities, but to no avail.

All of our product is sold directly to the consumer without being government inspected. The reasons for this are probably as varied as the customers but include reasons such as;
• lack of inspection facilities within a reasonable trucking distance, ( 36 hour round trip from the Kispiox Valley)
• religious reasons ( Kosher etc)
• personal and ethical concerns and philosophies
• a serious lack of confidence in the government inspection system
• 100% accountability and traceability
• [B]The fundamental right people have to choose where and how the food they eat is raised and slaughtered!!!

Get involved people. Don't just bitch and moan on sites like this one, bitch loud and long at your elected MP and the ministers in charge ie Pat Bell. It's not just your food source at risk here it's your freedom of choice.

...Are we rolling down hill like a snowball headed for hell? With no kinda chance for the flag or the liberty bell...

Is the best of the free life behind us now, and are the good times really over for good.

Merle Haggard

It's OK everyone! We now have a Conservative government in Ottawa, which is dedicated to the restoration of the rights and freedoms of the individual................