Cage-fight: Rep scrambles to stop California from imposing its egg laws on other states

http://www.foxnews.com ^ | june 19, 2013 | William La Jeunesse, Dan Gallo

[lowbridge]

Should California tell farmers throughout the country how to run their farms? Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, says no.

"It's exactly what our founding fathers wanted to avoid," King said.

But the rural-state lawmaker is concerned over California's strict laws on egg producers and other farmers as a result of Proposition 2, a ballot initiative passed by voters in 2008. The law requires egg producers to increase their cage size to more than 200 square inches, more than triple the industry recommendation. As a result, farmers from other states must comply with California hen cage standards if they wish to sell their product in the Golden State.

If they don't comply, they can't do business there.

But not if King has his way. He's proposed an amendment to the pending farm bill in Congress which would allow farmers in other states to sell eggs in California without having to comply with the state's law.

[xzins]

Knowing California, they’ll pass a law requiring you to purchase 4 dozen a week, and then they’ll pass a cholesterol law forbidding your eating more than one a day.

:>)

[9YearLurker]

Of course there’s a lot about farming that I don’t think the state should be regulating. But as I said before, there have been widespread, almost industry-wide, abuses of animals in a couple of sectors and yes, I believe the state should have animal cruelty laws where they are warranted.

[KittenClaws]

"...There will be an abundance of cheap eggs everywhere but California.

That would be called "standing by the principles the people of California voted for". Assuming the issue really is the treatment of animals, not cheaper eggs.

[P-Marlowe]

Clearly the unregulated market let dreadful treatment of chickens and pig, especially, become the norm. I am in favor of basic humane-treatment laws, and the state is a fine level for implementing them.

I tend to agree with you. There is this corporate mentality which has infected the agriculture industry and especially the livestock industry where cruel and inhuman treatment of the animals that are used as food for Americans and the world is the norm.

Whenever possible I buy cage free eggs and whenever I can afford it I buy grass fed beef. If the livestock "industry" treated these animals with respect before slaughter, then clearly the price of meat, cheese, milk, etc. would go up by 20% or more. But then the profit margins for those who raised the cattle and chickens would go up as well as there would be higher demand and shorter supply.

But most farms these days are owned by pencil necked geeks who view these animals as nothing more than entries in their ledgers.

[9YearLurker]

Same here.

When I was working in the family farm back in the day, the workers were animal lovers who endeavored to take good care of the herd. We drank nothing but raw milk and thought ourselves lucky. Since then darker practices have come into the industry, instead of having hordes of high school and college kids eager to work immigrants are now deemed vital, and the view is that backlash against raw milk food poisoning would somehow taint the regular dairy industry—so its sale should not be permitted.

[xzins]

But most farms these days are owned by pencil necked geeks who view these animals as nothing more than entries in their ledgers.

Not in my county here in Ohio. There isn't a single agri-giant represented here. All either own or rent their own when it's 1000 acres or less, and we have a number even smaller, not to mention a thriving Amish community. Most are soy, wheat, beans, dairy, hogs, but they're doing it on their own.

Grass fed beef is not necessarily an indicator of a well-treated steer. And the meat of those who supplement with corn is far superior; those animals have real foundation to them. And they're the ones that the restaurants seek. If you can, find some corn fed Charolais. I thought it the best beef I'd ever eaten in my life. Angus shines Charolais hooves as far as I'm concerned.

You can go on Tyson's site and get some idea of the arrangement they have with their growers. I don't know of a Tyson grower in our area, but I wouldn't swear there aren't any.

[P-Marlowe]

Ok, where can I get the kind of beef grown in your county? Is there some way to determine that I am getting small farm well fed beef that isn’t raised 1000 steers to an acre in some commercial steer factory?

[1010RD]

They do all the time with their goofy regs and licensing requirements. It’s the whole reason the Commerce Clause exists - to make America on giant free trade zone.

[xzins]

Sure. There's no farmer I know that won't take a steer to a butcher/slaughterer with your name attached. If they're small enough to do that, then they're generally pasturing and corn feeding. And in most cases, a drive to a local butcher is less than a drive to a stockyard, so they gain by it. You pay market price on the hoof to them, and then the butcher's price to him. We generally see 55-60% of the hoof weight in the freezer.

Just as an aside, in most of Germany in my 7+ years there, I didn't see the cattle. They mostly are in feed lots (barns). A feed lot doesn't necessarily mean a mistreated cow any more than an apartment dweller means a mistreated human being.

One group of cows I did see there, and it's a neat memory, was on one of our visits to the series of Mad Ludwig castles, when we visted Neuschwanstein to see the castle which Disney modeled his after. We were awakened by a cowherd driving his cows through the middle of town while heading toward some high pasture. Cowbells, hooves on cobblestone, the Alps in the background. Thought I was in Sound of Music.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Industry standards may be published or regulations published but how food reaches the table still remains a mystery to most consumers. Furthermore, many operations (especially corporate entities) don’t really care to have their operations scrutinized by the public because it DOES detract from the ‘family farm with a sunrise coming up over the barn’ like they print on their labels and cartons. Check out a 250,000 bird operation some time . . .

[WorkingClassFilth]

I can personally vouch for Jack Daniels distillery, too. At lest I could about 30 or more years ago. Nowadays, not so much.

[WorkingClassFilth]

I said as much myself in other posts. Just sayin’ that high density bird operations suck and I want nothing to do with their philosophies or practices.