Gene Baur's Bloggings

Change in the Air

One day after President Barak Obama was sworn into office, the U.S. Senate confirmed his appointee, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, to be the new secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Tom Harkin (D-IA), the Senate Agriculture Committee Chair, commented, "Tom Vilsack's confirmation today signifies new leadership for the USDA, but also a new focus on the issues important to all Americans, including nutrition, conservation, energy and promoting the rural economy."

I’ve written before that Vilsack has a mixed record when it comes to protecting animals and fighting factory farming, but Senator Harkin’s words are encouraging. Let’s hope that the new agriculture secretary truly has a “new focus” and will tackle issues that are “important to all Americans.” The USDA should represent the interests of all U.S. citizens, rather than just those of the agriculture industry at the expense of animals, consumers, rural communities and the environment.

In California, spurred in part by the passage of Proposition 2 (to outlaw certain cruel confinement systems), the state senate is reforming its “agriculture committee,” which will now be called the “food and agriculture committee.” It will include legislators from non-farming areas and it plans to address concerns from stakeholders other than just agribusiness. This could create important opportunities to promote more sustainable policies and promote plant based agriculture in the country’s largest agricultural state. Californian’s should go to the committee’s website, and express their opinions.

For decades, the agriculture industry has acted cruelly and recklessly, and it has controlled legislative committees and government agencies that are supposed to oversee its activities. Industrial animal agriculture is an influential force inside of Washington, DC and state capitols, but its cruel and wasteful farming practices are repugnant, and inconsistent with most citizens’ values and interests. Once exposed, its activities can only be perceived by the wider public as indefensible, and with increasing citizen involvement, change is inevitable.

Goodbye Maya

On the last day of 2008 (December 31), Farm Sanctuary lost Maya, one of our oldest animal residents. Maya lived a long, fulfilling life at Farm Sanctuary and happily outlived Lancaster Stockyards where I found her abandoned in 1987. As a frail young calf too sick to walk, she had been discarded in the stockyard’s unloading dock.

Maya recovered and became our first cow ambassador, initially at a temporary shelter near Avondale, PA, then later in Watkins Glen, NY. For more than 20 years, Maya welcomed and nurtured scores of young calves when they first arrived at Farm Sanctuary. And she remained a caring mentor, even after they grew up. My book, “Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food”, contains a section about Maya.

In her last hours, laying in the cow barn under a blanket, Maya was surround- ed by Larry, Kevin and other bovine friends who she had comforted and welcomed to Farm Sanctuary. They always returned Maya’s affection and friendship and loyalty, and they stayed with her until the end. We’re all better for having known Maya and will remember her always.

Big Problems - Simple Solutions

Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the president of the United States on January 20th as our country faces serious economic challenges, growing unemployment and a failing health care system. Obesity and other health threats are on the rise, and tragically, today’s children have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. We are experiencing global warming and other unprecedented threats to our environment, along with concerns about food security.

But with big challenges come big opportunities and the potential for bold and innovative solutions. Agriculture is among the most significant areas in need of reform, which could profoundly improve the wellbeing of citizens (both urban and rural) and our entire planet. Changing the way we grow food could save billions of U.S. tax dollars each year, create new jobs, help protect precious resources (eg. water), lessen our dependence on fossil fuels, improve our citizens’ health, and reduce the animal cruelty endemic among modern factory farms.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt lived in the White House during the Great Depression and World War II, they planted a garden. This simple solution set an important example of self reliance. Millions followed and “Victory Gardens” sprung up across the country. These helped overcome economic difficulties wrought by a sputtering economy and the war, and produced nutritious, affordable food.

Today, we would benefit from a return to growing Victory Gardens, and the Obamas could help lead the charge. Contact the Obama transition team and encourage them to plant an organic garden at the White House. Check out this website, which is focused on this idea. Also, please consider growing some of your own food. Even if you have limited space, there are options. The United Nations has a program that is helping to promote vegetable growing, especially in drought stricken areas. Check out their website here. 

Our food system is terribly inefficient and painfully unhealthy, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Community based food production can help create new jobs, while growing healthy food. Citizens need to urge our political leaders to support sustainable, plant based agriculture, and we should each strive to obtain healthy vegan food from earth friendly sources (and maybe even grow some or our own). As Mahatma Gandhi said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.”