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I have had enoughI am truly coming to understand that some of us are in the business of doing God's work. Honestly, we provide the essentials of life for mankind. We do it, often without much concern for profit, simply because we want to improve human life. Why else would anybody be fighting the unbelievable challenges and the steady flow of misinformation that comes out in the mainstream media sources about the work we do? The last couple of articles did catch the attention of the farming community; and, I hope that it will finally motivate more of us to do something other than voice our frustrations in the coffee shop about what people don't know about modern agriculture. I suppose you have heard by now that Bryan Walsh has written a scathing article for Time magazine about modern food production. Let me highlight just three statements that I believe are worth expanding upon: Our expanding girth is just one consequence of mainstream farming. The fact that calories are cheap and abundant to the American consumer is the envy of so many nations whose citizens would love to have half of the food that we waste every day. I might remind you that over 25 percent of the food produced in the United States end up in landfills. We must address the notion that because some individual citizens have allowed themselves to become overweight, they are not responsible for their own personal health but, rather, the efficiency of the farm is at fault. It's that very efficiency that's led to the problems and is, in turn, spurring a backlash, reflected not just in the growth of farmers' markets or the growing involvement of big corporations in organics, but also in the local food movement, in which restaurants and large catering services buy from suppliers in their areas, thereby improving freshness, supporting small-scale agriculture and reducing the so-called food miles between field and plate. I do not apologize that fruit and vegetables or even meats can be produced thousands of miles away from where the consumption is going to take place and delivered cheaper than it can be produced locally. I fully support local food production, but I also fully support people getting an adequate amount of nutrition at the most reasonable price possible--and that is exactly what we have accomplished. Perhaps the growing conditions of some areas should be taken into consideration, as well. We don't grow a lot of citrus here on the Plains. Work in a CAFO is monotonous and soul killing, while too many ordinary farmers struggle to make ends meet even as the rest of us pay less for food. It is easy to talk about people that you don't know. The faceless world of animal agriculture must come out of the barn and introduce themselves to these enquiring minds. I'm sure there are millions of workers in jobs other than CAFO's that consider their tasks monotonous and soul killing, as well. This article is generating a tremendous amount of rage from the agricultural community. Walsh did not include anything new in his biased attack but what he intentionally left out is what upsets me the most. Anne Burkholder, a 1st generation cattle feedlot manager from Cozad, Neb., was interviewed for a full 30 minutes by Walsh. Anne pretty much countered every single negative point that he printed in his article and he chose not to use one single word from her in his story. This is not reporting. It is "agenda journalism" that is aimed at swaying public opinion rather than presenting information. With that in mind, it casts a shadow of doubt on all the information presented in Time magazine. Without question, there are differing opinions about the best method of food production for the future. The most troubling thing about that is that current philosophical food leaders choose not to include the individuals actually involved in the business when discussing and presenting possible options for the future. Walsh had the perfect opportunity and did not include anyone when he clearly had the chance. Michael Pollan, Robert Kenner and Steve Ells have all been touted as experts by the major media sources when it comes to how food should be produced, but they refuse to engage in discussion with people who can hold them accountable for the lies they are telling the public. All four of the individuals I have mentioned have refused to join me on the radio and to discuss the statements they are presenting as facts about agriculture to the American public. The most amusing response came from Michael Pollan's assistant a couple of weeks ago: Thanks for your e-mail and your interest, but, unfortunately, Michael is going to have to pass on your interview request. His schedule is overbooked with speaking, writing, and teaching commitments these days, and he just does not have the time. Best of luck. Here is a guy who pops up every day somewhere in the country pitching his book or the Food, Inc. movie, and I am sure he will be busy promoting this Walsh story. Yet, he doesn't have 50 minutes to join me on the radio to talk about his beliefs. You know it is a matter of choice, priority and desire. He chooses not to visit with the agricultural community because so he can avoid being held accountable for what he says. If we want to continue to sit back and whine about being the victim, we will continue to be a victim. I personally am tired of getting bloody without an opportunity to properly fight back. We must make it our priority to tell the masses of America that these elitists don't care about how or from where your food comes; they simply want to control your food options and happily admit that you should pay more for your food, because cheap food is making you fat. Let's find out how that sounds to the individuals standing in line at the soup kitchen, hoping the pot doesn't run out before they get a warm meal. Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com.
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