Post Classifieds
Big time documentaries hurt small farmers
By Lazarus Lynch
On November 14, 2012
Most of America lives in a state of deception.
In this state, millions of Americans are lead to believe a false origin of their food. Many feast
off the white plate of propaganda offered from media about our food system, while local
farmers suffer at the mercy of deceived buyers and scandal mongering.
Two weeks ago, I watched the 2007 documentary King Corn, which focused on the corn
industry in the United States and its effects on beef production.
Afterwards, I was aghast at the thought of eating beef. The documentary portrayed the corn
and beef industries as ethically questionable businesses by scrutinizing their practices and
methods of production.
Ironically, that same week, I endured a nearly two-hour nutrition lecture on the health pros
and cons of eating meat. Suffice it to say, when I was invited to visit a beef farm the Friday of
that week, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to see in action.
Beef farmers Warren and Brenda Bippertt gave a group of hospitality students and me a tour
of their beef farm in Alden. The Bippertts began the tour by addressing a student's question
on the ethical practices of beef production such as using antibiotics on cows.
"Antibiotics are not used unless they have to be used," Brenda said. "Yes, we have to give
antibiotics when it gets to a certain point. If you don't, that's almost inhumane: to not treat
them when they're sick. There's always a withholding on antibiotics so that animal will never
be on the food chain in the allotted time."
Also discussed on the tour was the topic of grass-fed versus grain-fed cattle. Warren Bippertt
said that while grass fed steer cows take a little longer to be ready for market, they pack
higher energy, more protein and more nutrients.
Jean O'Toole, director of public relations and promotions for the New York Beef Industry
Council, clarified the wording by which grass-fed beef is marketed.
"There's a slight difference in the definitions of grass-fed and grain-fed cattle," she said. "All
cattle are grass fed, it's just how they're finished within their last 150 days. That's the
determination of the definition: how the cow is finished."
The media does the beef industry a disservice. Carol Gillis, executive director for the New
York Beef Industry Council said the media monopolizes its attention on negative practices
done by a small population of farms in the United States.
"They'll take things out of context, sensationalize it," she said. "If there's a bad apple they
can find it anywhere."
I do not write intending for you to believe that every beef farm does right by every federal
standard and code of ethics. However, I argue that to make generalizations and assumptions
based on partial information is deceptive.
Eating meat is a personal choice. It is not right to judge the beef industry or any industry, for
that matter, based on two or three farms out of the thousands across the country.
I call upon every consumer to check their information before making choices on whether or
not to eat meat for ethical reasons.
For more information on New York beef production, visit www.nybeef.org.
Lazarus Lynch can be reached by email at lynch.record@live.com.
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