A few weeks ago, I was asked to participate in a briefing with The Motherhood on family farms, food safety and safe animal practices titled Food Produced from the Heart.
As you know, we are 3rd generation dairy farmers and I help to raise our 150 calves. It keeps us busy and we are thankful for good employees. My sons LOVE living on the farm and would like to spend all day at the barn. I have been wanting to write about our life on the farm, so this is a perfect little introduction for you!
This briefing was with the National Pork Producer’s Council, so while we don’t raise pigs, I know the heartbeat of a farmer is to take care of their animals the best they know how. And if they don’t know…they will find answers.
We take good care of our animals and keep them comfortable in different temperatures, their pens are cleaned daily and they receive the best care we can give them.
No one know the countless nights that you are up caring for the animals that are sick or you are keeping them warm. And since we take care of the calves, sometimes there is more of that because they are like babies and their health can turn at any moment. The first few weeks of life are critical.
Our calves are raised in a calf barn (not enclosed, since we live in the south), not in hutches. The first 2 weeks is spent in a square pen with dividers so I can keep a close eye on them and to separate them from any illness being spread. They are bottle fed and watched closely. You know my love of essential oils? Guess what? My calves get them in each bottle to give them a healthy start.
After that, and if they are healthy and growing well, we move them to the other side where they are in a group of calves their age and are on automatic feeders. Their ear tag allows them to eat the appropriate amount for their age and it is spread throughout the day.
They move through the calf barn with the calves their age until they are weaned and then go to the pasture across from the barn after they are 3 months old. It is amazing how fast they grow!
While in the barn, we keep them well bedded with straw and sawdust to keep them comfortable. It is changed regularly and they have fresh water and feed and the eating area is washed down multiple times to keep all areas clean. (The farmers in the briefing do not use straw for bedding, but we have found it to be an excellent choice in our situation.)
We calculate what we feed them to make sure they are getting what they need~ the correct amount of vitamins and minerals so they can grow healthy and strong. We have a nutritionist that calculates the needs.
I know the high standards of cleanliness that we have. The stringent measures that we take to keep our animals clean and healthy. Farmers often get a bad rap, but they love their animals and land. Because really, no one who is doing this to get rich wants to go out in the middle of the night in a freezing rain to put up a bunch of cows that broke the fence. No one. You have to love it.
So, the briefing was held with 2 farmers and a veterinarian who are also moms. It was an interesting time to hear how other farmers care for their animals
Fun facts about farms:
- 97% of farms in America are family-owned.
- Pork farmers have reduced their carbon footprint by 35% over the past 50 years.
- Pork farmers use 41% less water than they did 50 years ago.
- All antibiotics used on the farm are approved by the FDA after they undergo a rigorous review for safety to animals, humans and the environment.
- FDA sets withdrawal periods – the time between the last dose and when an animal can be sent to market – for all antibiotics.
- Pork farmers abide by Pork Quality Assurance® Plus – a program that provides pork farmers, and their veterinarians with the principles and guidelines for responsible antibiotic use.
I don’t like to use medicine unless necessary in my home or on the calves and always reach for natural solutions first. But there are times that it is necessary for both. I think people have the impression that farms are pumping animals full of antibiotics and hormones. That is not true.
The fact above about the FDA setting withdrawal periods is true. Each bottle has a set withdrawal period…you can’t send the animal to a sale or market or we can’t include her milk with the others during that period. We add extra weeks to that for an added safety net.
Did you know that if we did send animals and they are found to have medicine in their system that we are in BIG trouble? As in, we can’t sell milk kind of trouble with the US Department of Agriculture. The animals are tested to make sure guidelines are being followed. Why would farmers risk it? They don’t. Detailed records are kept on each animal.
And farmers eat and drink what they raise and what is sent to market. They want to do the best for their families and the consumers.
Other interesting things that we do and was mentioned in the briefing:
When our animals are sick ~ babies or grown, they are separated from the rest of the herd so whatever sickness is going on will not spread.
We work very closely with our veterinarian and This is our first step to healthy animals and goes a long way to not having to use antibiotics at all.
Our pregnant animals are kept separate and the cows enjoy a nice big pasture. They are checked several times a day.
One question asked at the briefing…
Do you think that there is any miscommunication about antibiotic-free meat?
Every drug that we administer has a FDA withdrawal period (meaning the time between the last dose and when an animal can be sent to market) that we make sure to pay strict attention to. We also keep a close record of all antibiotics that have been administered. The thing is, all meat is antibiotic-free! The labels are technically correct, but they can be confusing. Consumers sometimes think that restaurants or stores without the “antibiotic-free” stickers are selling meat that still has antibiotics in the meat – and that’s not true.
Some Farming and Pork Lingo:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): A federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responsible for protecting public health and safety through the control and prevention of disease.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): A federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services responsible for protecting and promoting public health through regulation and supervision. FDA approves all human and animal health products.
- Finishing (grow): The growth period (14 – 16 weeks) between the nursery and market. A finished hog will weigh 240 – 260 lbs. (market weight).
- Hog: A standard term for growing swine.
- Judicious antibiotic use: How farmers use antibiotics responsibly: working closely with their veterinarian, obeying strict FDA guidelines, etc. Farmers use antibiotics judiciously to keep the potential risk extremely low of developing antibiotic resistant bacteria that is harmful to humans.
- Sow: A female pig that has given birth to a litter of piglets.
Farmers can’t farm the way they once did and feed America and the world. Many things are shipped out of America. We can’t have all of our cows on open ranges. Times are different, land is scarce where we live. We do the best we can, as do most farmers. This is a passion and it is in their blood…it is usually passed down through the generations.
Want to visit those who participated in the briefing?
How about you? Are you a farmer or do you raise your own animals?
I participated in this program on behalf of the National Pork Producers Council. All opinions are my own.
