Interesting Lunch Discussion

[burnt]

At lunch today, we had the privilege of hosting 3 international students from the college that our kids attend. They are young Koreans who are here to study and learn to speak English well since it seems to be the "universal' language of business.

You will seldom see such well mannered young people from our own culture - they literally jumped to their feet with heads slightly bowed when I walked into the room and after introductions, would not sit down until I "gave them permission" to sit after I had taken my own seat.

My daughter has volunteered to tutor a number of Asian students in English and when they learned that she is a farm girl, they wished to see what a Canadian farm looks like. At 150 acres, my farm is very small scale, but representative of the larger scale eastern Canadian farms around us which run from 500 to 5000+ acres.

When they learned that we farm 150 acres, they were completely blown away by the "immense" size of it, slapping their foreheads in disbelief. I made it clear that 150 acres is tiny in Ontario. "Well", they said,"you would be the richest man in Korea!"

The part that got interesting was when the discussion turned to our beef production and the export market. They quickly and enthusiastically came around to the recent Korean protests against U.S. beef being sold in their homeland.

"We don't trust the Americans" was one of their emphatic statements. "They are not honest. They say they do not have B.S.E. but we know they do. They are just quiet about it." (Many hush hush hand motions here) "When Canada finds one, you are open, you do not cover it up. You tell everyone even if it is not good for you. The Americans are not honest . . . ." . . . and on they went, momentarily shedding their usual reserve. Methinks the U.S. has much more than just a little P.R. work to do.

I found it hard to argue against what they were saying. And I will find out if they are willing to put their faith in our system to the test when, for supper, I offer them prime rib from the steer we just got butchered.

Just thought this encounter might be of interest to y'all.

[Oldtimer]

burnt

[Sandhusker]

For NCBA and MRJ's records, did you ask them how much they were paid to say that and by whom?

[Faster horses]

Let me tell you, OT, the FDA is not the answer.

We have worked with them regarding adding products to mineral
and it is time-consuming and very expensive...only to have them
allow an additive in one product and not the other. But you can hand
mix it--nto against the law to do that--they just won't allow the
company to mix it.

FDA is still government. Burdensome, bureaucratic government.

[Oldtimer]

[PORKER]

FEDERAL COURT UPHOLDS BAN ON GENETICALLY-ENGINEERED ALFALFA

Washington, D.C. (September 2, 2008) - In a decision handed down today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has upheld a nationwide ban on the planting of genetically-engineered (GE) Roundup Ready alfalfa pending a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Court determined that the planting of genetically modified alfalfa can result in potentially irreversible harm to organic and conventional varieties of crops, damage to the environment, and economic harm to farmers.

Although the suit was brought against United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); Forage Genetics and Monsanto Company entered into the suit as Defendant-Intervenors. In her opinion, Circuit Judge Mary M. Schroeder held that ìMonsanto and Forage Genetics contend that the District Court disregarded their financial losses, but the district court considered those economic losses and simply concluded that the harm to growers and consumers who wanted non-genetically engineered alfalfa outweighed the financial hardships to Monsanto and Forage Genetics and their growers.î

ìThis ruling affirms a major victory for consumers, ranchers, organic farmers, and most conventional farmers across the country,î said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety. ìRoundup Ready Alfalfa represents a very real threat to farmersí livelihoods and the environment; the judge rightly dismissed Monsantoís claims that their bottom line should come before the rights of the public and Americaís farmers. This ruling is a turning point in the regulation of biotech crops in this country.î

Todayís decision upholds District Court Judge Charles Breyerís earlier ruling of May 2007, in which he found that the USDA failed to address concerns that Roundup Ready alfalfa will contaminate conventional and organic alfalfa. Judge Schroederís decision affirms that USDA violated national environmental laws by approving GE alfalfa without a full Environmental Impact Statement. It also affirms that USDA failed to address the problem of Roundup-resistant ìsuperweedsî that could follow commercial planting of GE alfalfa.

The Center for Food Safety represented itself and the following co-plaintiffs in the suit: Western Organization of Resource Councils, National Family Farm Coalition, Sierra Club, Beyond Pesticides, Cornucopia Institute, Dakota Resource Council, Trask Family Seeds, and Geertson Seed Farms. For more information, please visit www.centerforfoodsafety.org .

[Tex]

[mrj]

Re. the Korean students, it might be interesting to ask them why they missed the fact that the USA has had, and admitted to having had a BSE cow.

Or to show them the protocol (actual, not the fantasyland some claim) for testing, STILL BEING FOLLOWED, which will find BSE if there are an extremely small number actuall in the USA.

The fact that all cattle within the USA which had been imported from Europe and England were killed early in the US battle against BSE and that was not done as effectively in Canada (sorry folks, but it's fact).

As well, there was/is a ban on feeding ruminant by products to cattle in the USA.

There is effective SRM removal in all slaughtered cattle in the USA.

It might be interesting to ask if they knew that any more than they knew the scope and size of the farms in Canada.

It is rather interesting that the so called "Center for Food Safety" isn't really what the name claims it to be.

CFS is a project of the International Center for Technology Assessment, and it's leader was mentored by Jeremy Rifkin, possibly our most noted anti-technologist.

CFS's current focus in large-scale agriculture, specifically, food technology, and receives funding from the organic foodindustry. and often participates in food scare projects managed by a Washington, DC public relations firm.

CFS has earmarks of a blackmarketing campaign, run on behalf of organic and 'natural' foods and runs campaigns trashing biotechnology and conventional agriculture, according to ActivistCash.com.

mrj

[gcreekrch]

If there is a ban on feeding ruminant by-products to cattle, why are you still feeding beef fat and other "accepted" by produts in various feedlot rations and prepared feeds?

[burnt]

[Sandhusker]

Can you guess how much exposure to marketing that MRJ has?

[Tex]