30 Percent Less Sodium

It started about a year ago with the little packages of gravies, sauces, and marinade mixes inside of my kitchen cabinet. These were my little secret that added flavor to foods and something that I’d become dependent on.

My adult son started asking me if I knew what was in these little treasures. I replied with an offhanded comment something like “no and I don’t care.” He pulled them out and began reading the nutritional labels out loud to me and was accumulating quite a pile of “junk” as he discarded one after another. Over and over I heard “MSG, Sodium, Modified Corn Syrup, and others I can’t even pronounce”.

By the time he was finished I had no little treasures left and he issued a proclamation of “if you use these I won’t eat what you cook”. I was crushed and feeling the need to defend my little packages.

It was almost like having an addiction as my mind scrambled to find good reasons of why I needed them. My points fell on deaf ears and I knew that I was being ridiculous yet I couldn’t help myself. I’d used these little packages for years, my mother used them, and thought to myself “we’ll see if you eat what I cook or not”.

I blissfully continued to use my little packages and when questioned about it I lied. For over 4 months, I got caught every time I did it and he pushed his plate away saying he wasn’t hungry. This kid was serious and I couldn’t figure out how he knew.

Finally, I took the step away from using my little treasures and my son started eating meals again. Little by little the sauces and gravies were left out of my cooking until they weren’t used at all. I started making my own marinades which wasn’t really that difficult and our taste buds were slowly weaned away from the “junk”.

I was free of my dependency on my little treasures until yesterday. I had a relapse. It was a really busy day and dinner hadn’t been planned. I ran to the grocery store thinking to myself we can have hot roast beef sandwiches with brown mushroom gravy. As I cruised down the aisle with the gravies and sauce mixes I saw a beautiful gravy mix package with bold lettering proclaiming “30 percent less sodium.”
Aha, they won’t know that the gravy came from a package and snatched up three of the little babes. Everyone ate dinner and I’d slipped by without any questions or having to tell a lie. Whew!

Later in the evening I was asked if I thought that the roast beef was a little bit salty. My mind went into overdrive and I blurted out “yes but the roast beef that I bought was ““low sodium””. My son looked up from the magazine he was reading and calmly said “she used those gravy mixes again!” Busted!

How does he do it? He must have built-in radar for my little treasures. Or is it that he might have sensitivities to foods containing high levels of sodium?

I’m back in de-tox again and this time I’m going to kick the habit for good.

National Chicken Council, House Ag Committee Speak

“GIPSA rule would hurt those it would support”

According to an article in Feedstuffs a weekly newspaper for Agribusiness, counsel for the National Chicken Council (NCC) says that the proposed competitive market rule by USDA Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) “will fundamentally change how chicken companies operate especially with contract growers”.

During NCC’s annual conference in Washington DC October 5th and 6th, Gary Kushner, a partner in the law firm representing NCC, said in an opening statement that the rule is an example of a government agency “run amuck”, that it (the rule) goes well beyond congressional mandate and GIPSA’s statutory authority, and accuses GIPSA of “unprecedented” advocacy by lobbying for support of the rule during active comment period.

Apparently on hand, Pete Thompson, a senior staffer of the House Agriculture Committee is attributed as saying that a recent meeting with several supporters of the Rule were under all kinds of misperceptions.

It’s no surprise that NCC’s counsel would say flimsy and negative things about the GIPSA Proposed Rule Change but why is a senior staffer of the House Ag Committee reporting to NCC about meetings or for that matter relaying House Ag Committee business?

Fundamental change is needed in how poultry companies operate and more so in dealings with contract growers. Obviously NCC disagrees. That’s no surprise since NCC represents the companies in the poultry industry.

Now we’re getting down to the nitty gritty! The House Ag Committee apparently is cozied up to the poultry companies and GIPSA is all wrong in representing its constituency, the farmer. This is a perfect example of how government agencies that are put in place to care for and protect the American citizens come under attack by powerful lobby through our legislative branch. It’s no wonder that nothing ever gets done in Washington.

A previous post talks about how contract poultry growers have to do their own lobbying to counter act the power lobby of NCC. Are poultry farmers wasting their time in thinking that talking to their legislators who represent them will bring positive change?

Furthermore GIPSA has the authority to make Rule changes without an ACT of Congress. The proposed Rule change which would put into place much needed protections for poultry farmers doesn’t need Congressional approval. BUT, all of the maneuvering through the Legislative branch and the House Ag committee can exert enough pressure to kill the Proposed Rule Change.

Now we know what happened to the “Government by the People For the People” that our forefathers invoked. It was a beautiful dream but in reality those who have the most money, power, and influence rule the day!

More to come on this subject!

Related Links:
Poultry Farmers Go to DC
Poultry Growers Meet With Lawmakers
GIPSA Proposed Rule

Poultry Farmers Trade Their Work Clothes For City Clothes

A recent press release crossed my desk and I though it noteworthy. Poultry farmers going to Washington DC is not an everyday occurrence or for that matter a yearly occurrence. Not many farmers can afford a trip to our Nation’s Capitol however when something as important as saving their livelihood is at stake many beg, borrow, or steal to make the trip. Poultry farmers don’t have paid lobbyists in Washington, DC.

At issue are the USDA Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) Proposed Rule Change which would give contract poultry farmers a more level playing field in their dealings with the corporate giants that they contract with. As with anything that might take away the massive control exerted over farmer’s, and as you will notice in the press release, the companies are lobbying hard in congress against these new rules.

The Old Farmer Lady’s question is why? If everything is as beautiful in the relationship between companies and the farmers why would the corporate ag lobby congress hard against anything that is beneficial to the farmers?

If you believe statements coming from the National Chicken Council (NCC) the answer would be that they are trying to protect the farmer. I’m sorry but I need to invoke a little bit of common sense here. If the NCC says that they are trying to protect you then you had better tell them no thanks you can take care of yourself. Their idea of protecting farmers is more than likely not for your own good!

Wasting taxpayer dollars, which by the way are not in the bank to spend, a movement by those who would like to kill the Proposed Rule Change suggest that USDA needs to do an extensive economic analysis. In some instances this might be necessary however in this case it is a waste of time and money. This issue is not new and has been studied, analyzed, and scrutinized every which way you can think of. Nothing has changed except for more good farmers going out of business.

Over the past 20 years I can’t count how many times this issue has come to the forefront only to be killed by those who don’t want to see farmers regain control of their farms. Power, wealth, and influence have always been a factor. Since poultry farmers have none of the above it’s not a far stretch of the imagination to figure out why changes have been killed over the years.

Ironically USDA GIPSA has the power to change the Rule. It doesn’t take an Act of Congress to do this. Poultry farmers shouldn’t have to spend a day in Washington, DC knocking on Congressional doors. But alas those with the lobbing power have made it a Congressional issue.

This subject is far from being over and you will read more postings by me. OFL will be taking a hard look at those for and against contract poultry farmers gaining a level playing field in their dealings with corporate giants.

Poultry Growers Meet With Lawmakers

For more information contact:
Mike Weaver CPGAVA 304-249-5347

Poultry Growers Meet with Law Makers

Several members of Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias (CPGAVA) met last Tuesday in Washington with Agriculture Legislative Assistants for several Senators and Congressmen as well as the House Agriculture Committee to solicit their support for new contract agriculture rules that have been proposed by the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) a division of USDA.

These new rules will create a base pay which poultry integrators (companies) cannot take away from as is the current practice under the ranking system by which growers are paid, require contracts for a period long enough for growers to recoup 80% of their considerable investment in their poultry raising facility, make retaliation against growers a federal offense, and many other changes that will bring contract agriculture into the twenty first century.

Mike Weaver, President of Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias, who was one of the participants in the meetings, said that “… the companies are lobbying hard in congress against these new rules because they do not want to lose the control over growers they currently enjoy. Growers are paid just slightly more than what growers were making twenty five years ago and documentation proving that was presented to the legislative assistants who could not believe poultry producers are still abused like this in 2010 Weaver said.

GIPSA released these new proposed rules for comment after meeting all of the requirements for such a release which are extensive. This comment period was initially to end August 23 but was extended until November 22 at the request of the House Agriculture Committee to allow a more detailed analysis of their impact. “A movement is now afoot to require USDA to do an extensive economic analysis which is a typical strategy to attempt to kill these rules…” Weaver said. “We have had a system in place for the implementation of rules such as these for a long time and that procedure has been put into motion. We would like to see that procedure left to take its course without undue political influence…” Weaver said. He also encouraged growers to call their elected representatives and tell them they support these new rules that will help keep growers in business.

Poultry farmers who are not familiar with the changes these new rules will bring about are encouraged to contact Weaver at 304-249-5347 or any member of Contract Poultry Growers Association of the Virginias for more information. Or they can go to the USDA web site at USDA.

Ask Dr. Oz What’s In The Chicken You Eat

The Dr. Oz show yesterday looked at what is fed to industrial chickens that eventually end up in our grocery stores. Focusing on antibiotics and arsenic Dr. Oz zeroed in on antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is not a new issue! Over the past several years individuals and organizations have been demanding a halt to the practice of poultry companies unnecessarily feeding antibiotics to their chickens. Does everyone know that approximately 75% of antibiotics used in this country go to animals feeds?

Little help has come from FDA in regulating the practice and some say it’s because of the massive power and influence the poultry industry has over those who would initiate and enforce regulations. Looking at the other side of the coin, the drug industry is making a fortune selling the antibiotics to the poultry industry. Add the power and influence of the drug lobby and it’s not hard to figure out why nothing gets done.

Going back to the subject of continually feeding antibiotics and arsenic to chickens. Why is it necessary to do this? Renowned experts explain it from a scientific point of view on Dr. Oz’s show.

Having been trapped in the world of contract poultry farming for most of my adult life the explanation is more simplistic coming from the Old Farmer Lady’s point of view.

Cramming animals into an enclosed building with less than a square foot of living space each is a sure way to create a gazillion bacteria and parasites. Adding fuel to the fire, these animals live on top of their own urine and feces for their short-lived life. What can anyone expect from this type of living condition?

The poultry industry creates its own health issues through the method described above and then takes the route of let’s feed drugs to combat it. What is more disheartening is that while I was contract poultry farming, feed would be delivered to our farm containing antibiotics before a new batch of baby chicks arrived.

Don’t go blaming the farmers for using the antibiotics and arsenic. A little known fact is that the poultry company that the farmer is under contract with formulates, mixes, and delivers the feed to the farm.

Under the contract the farmer is required to perform the duty of raising the chicken to a marketable weight. The farmers must perform their duty under the guidelines, practices, and in accordance with the company policies. Simply put, the farmer has no say in what is fed to the chickens. Should the farmer not comply with company dictates the contract is terminated.

Consumers are the deciding factor in what they want to eat. If you want chicken on your plate like Dr. Oz describes then keep on buying it. If you want to know what’s in the chicken you eat then find a local farmer who is raising real free range, antibiotic and arsenic free, under the best humane guidelines, and who isn’t afraid to open up the farm gates and let you come on in for a visit!

Relavent Links:
Dr. Oz – What’s In Our Nations Chickens
Food INC