Making Hay

Martha Stewart’s Vegan Show: “It’s a Good Thing”

 

by Gene

This week marked an important milestone for farm animals. Martha Stewart, America’s domestic icon and the woman who wrote the book on modern living, devoted an entire hour-long episode of “The Martha Stewart Show” (Hallmark Channel, 10 AM ET/9 AM C) to the pleasures and benefits of living a compassionate vegan lifestyle. I was honored to be a part of this groundbreaking show, along with my good friends and fellow vegans Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone, who will serve as the Honorary Chair of Farm Sanctuary’ s 25th Anniversary Gala in Los Angeles on September 24, and health and wellness guru Kathy Freston, author of the New York Times best-seller Veganist.

Millions of viewers watched as Biz showed Martha how to prepare one of his favorite vegan dishes — Seitan Bourguignon — and  told her about how his life changed after visiting the New York Shelter of Farm Sanctuary and looking into the eyes of a cow. They listened as Kathy explained why our bodies are better able to process plant-based foods rather than animal-based ones. With humor, personal anecdotes and factual expertise, Biz and Kathy showed Martha — and the people watching at home across the U.S. — how fun and easy veganism can be.

For my part, viewers were introduced to Persia, the sheep who Martha adopted through our Adopt-A-Farm Animal Project back in February, and the life she’s enjoying at Farm Sanctuary. I talked about the horrific treatment of animals on factory farms and how eating plants instead of animals is the best way people can protect them from this abuse. I told Martha about my dear friend Opie, who I found as a calf dying of hypothermia at a stockyard with a temperature so low it wouldn’t even register on the thermometer. Viewers saw incredible “before” and “after” photos of Opie, who with proper care and support pulled through and grew up to weigh nearly 3,000 pounds and to enjoy a long, happy life at Farm Sanctuary.

When programs like “The Martha Stewart Show” devote valuable air-time to the plight of farm animals and the benefits of veganism, a powerful message is planted in the public consciousness demonstrating that these issues are important and worthy of our consideration.  Stewart has built a media empire based on her uncanny ability to influence the tastes and opinions of consumers. When she speaks about the importance of showing compassion for farm animals, millions of people — many of whom may never have considered these issues before — listen. Some might decide to go vegan right on the spot while others may decide to “lean into” veganism — as Kathy so wisely puts it — by reducing the amount of animal products they consume. All of this is progress and means that less animals will suffer. Martha Stewart’s vegan show was a major event, as a mainstream audience was exposed to compassionate living ideas, and that’s a very good thing.

More Change Possible for Downed Animals – You Can Help

 

By Alison

It all began with the rescue of Hilda, a downed sheep left to die on a dead pile 25 years ago. With a little kindness and compassion, this suffering sheep, who had been callously tossed aside at a stockyard, regained her health and became an ambassador for farm animals everywhere. Ever since Hilda’s rescue, Farm Sanctuary has been dedicated to ending the suffering of animals too ill, injured or weak to stand or walk, and making great strides in changing laws and policies to protect them through our No Downers Campaign. Now, with your help, we have the opportunity to inspire another big step forward.

Like Hilda, more than a million farm animals become downed every year. And, sadly, they are often subjected to extreme abuse and neglect. In 2009, recognizing the enormous potential for inhumane treatment and food safety risks associated with slaughtering downed animals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a rule to prohibit the slaughter of downed cattle and require that they be humanely euthanized at U.S. slaughterhouses. Though this rule was a step in the right direction for cattle, other farm animals, including pigs, goats and sheep, were left unprotected.

Last year, Farm Sanctuary submitted a petition for rulemaking to the USDA requesting that the agency extend the 2009 rule to include other farm animals. What ultimately became a ban on downed cattle slaughter was inspired by an undercover investigation revealing horrendous abuse of downed cows at a California slaughter plant that Farm Sanctuary had also investigated in 1993. Video footage and other evidence showed workers kicking cows, forcefully prodding them with the blades of a forklift, jabbing them repeatedly in the eyes and other sensitive areas, and even forcing water up a cow’s nose to simulate drowning and force the animal to rise. What the USDA has failed to recognize, however, is that countless pigs, goats and sheep are subjected to similar abuse and deserve the same protections.

Because a downed pig, sheep or goat who doesn’t make it to the kill floor could mean a loss in profits, and because, unlike cattle, they are still eligible for slaughter, workers often stop at nothing to force them through the disassembly line. As cited in our petition, slaughterhouse non-compliance reports demonstrate time and again that workers treat suffering downed pigs, goats and sheep with horrific cruelty – shocking, kicking, beating, and dragging them to slaughter. One report details workers allowing pigs to trample a downer in an alley, while others recount downed pigs squealing and struggling as workers beat and kick them. Still more describe ailing sheep and goats being left to suffer without food, water or veterinary treatment. And beyond these non-compliance reports is the extensive evidence Farm Sanctuary has collected first hand while carrying out investigations of our own through the years – starting way back in 1986 when Hilda was rescued and the organization was first born.

It’s time that the USDA recognizes that all farm animals are capable of suffering and that the same basic protections currently afforded to cattle should be extended to other animals as well. Fortunately, we may be one step closer. On February 7, 2011, the USDA responded to our petition by announcing that it will accept public comment on the issue. Now is our chance to show the agency that our nation’s citizens won’t ignore the suffering of downed animals and demand that they extend the rule to include pigs, sheep and goats. Please join us in urging the USDA to take this logical and necessary next step.

Create Change. Join the 2010 Walk for Farm Animals

by Beth Begany

Every fall for the last 20 plus years, compassionate people have walked for farm animals in communities across North America. The number of people and the number of Walks is growing, reflecting the increasing concern about the way farm animals are treated. A record-breaking 75 Walks are already planned in communities across North America!

This year we’ve seen some pretty amazing and heartening movements toward compassion. In California, the tail docking of dairy cows has been outlawed, as has the sale of whole eggs from chickens raised in battery cages. Ohio has seen the voluntary acceptance by industry of modest humane considerations for farm animals as well as the halting of the construction of new battery-cage facilities – all important progress for farm animals.

But there have also been tragedies. One of the most poignant was the release of footage showing workers punching and abusing cows and calves on the Conklin Dairy Farm in Ohio, or the truck accident on I-94 in northern Indiana that left cattle burning on the side of the road. We regularly get calls here at Farm Sanctuary about some situation of outrageous abuse, because it’s happening every day.

Sometimes we can bring these animals to safety, as we’ve done with Jay, and remove these individuals from an industry that regards them as mere objects to be exploited. On a larger scale, we can advocate for better laws that protect farm animals to drive a spike in the cog of factory farming, as we have with Ohio and California this year.

This work is hard. It can feel at times overwhelming, as if we take a step forward only to take a half-step back – which is where the Walk for Farm Animals comes in. Whether you want to celebrate our progress, take a stand against cruelty, meet like-minded people, recharge your activism, educate others, or raise vital funds for Farm Sanctuary, the Walk presents an opportunity to do something positive and productive for farm animals.

Caring is the essence of the Walk for Farm Animals. Walking shows we care. Donating our time and resources shows we care. All of this adds up and sends a powerful message that we will not accept the abuse, mistreatment and neglect of farm animals in our name. It demonstrates the best of our humanity in the face of some of the worst of it.

So, I urge you to get involved in the Walk, whether you register to participate or make a pledge of support.

Remember: We can all contribute in our own way and inspire hope and create change for farm animals.

Important Progress for Farm Animals in Ohio

 

by Gene

Over the past year, more than 500,000 Ohio citizens signed a petition aimed at placing an initiative on the statewide ballot this November to ban cruel factory farming practices. Those signatures gathered by tireless volunteers, many of whom were Farm Sanctuary members, were to be submitted this week, kicking off an initiative battle to be waged over the course of the next several months. However, at the eleventh hour, as it became clear that we had enough signatures to make it on the ballot, agribusiness came to the table and an agreement was brokered by Ohio’s Governor Stickland. Here’s what came of the agreement pertaining to farm animals:

• A ban on veal crates, to be phased out within six years, as outlined in the ballot initiative.
• A ban on new gestation crates in the state after December 31, 2010. Existing facilities are grandfathered, but must cease use of these crates within 15 years.
• A permanent moratorium on permits for new battery cage facilities in place immediately.
• A ban on the transport of downed cows and calves for slaughter, as outlined in the ballot initiative.
• A ban on strangulation and other forms of on farm killing that are not included in euthanasia standards as outlined by the American Veterinary Medical Association and part of the ballot initiative.
• Enactment of legislation establishing felony-level penalties for cock fighters.

This agreement didn’t accomplish everything we would like, as quickly as we would like, but we will continue raising awareness and actively fighting to ban these intolerably cruel systems. And, if agribusiness doesn’t comply with this agreement, we have the option to go back to the ballot with the 500,000 signatures already gathered.

Ohio has been known for its exceptionally weak animal protection laws and, as the second largest egg producer, it is among the most entrenched factory farming states in the U.S., so these developments are especially important. The moratorium on new egg laying facilities includes putting a stop to plans for a six million hen battery cage operation that was in the final stages of approval. And no less than six new gestation crate facilities were in the works in the state. We have driven a spike into the cogs of factory farming and agribusiness leaders are finally coming to recognize that treating cows, pigs, chickens and other animals as mere production units is inconsistent with popular sentiments.

When citizens speak up, change is inevitable. Agribusiness never would have come to the table had it not been for all the volunteers giving their time and commitment to this cause by gathering signatures and gaining endorsements. We are proud to have stood alongside these volunteers as well as several organizations working toward one common goal to end cruel factory farming practices in Ohio. The movement to protect farm animals is gaining momentum, and the reforms announced this week in Ohio will reverberate in Washington, D.C. and send ripples across the United States.

They’re at it Again: The USDA’s Latest Slaughterhouse Violations

 

by Gene

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is under fire yet again thanks to whistle-blower Dean Wyatt. A supervisory veterinarian for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Wyatt testified before members of Congress last Thursday, stating that he has been chastised and undermined by the FSIS for just doing his job. Wyatt claims he was overruled and reprimanded for citing slaughterhouses for violations, including shocking and butchering days-old calves too sick or weak to stand and illegally butchering pigs while they were still conscious. Despite laws and regulations against these practices, the USDA has turned a blind eye toward these egregious abuses.

Butchering downed cattle for food violates USDA regulations. Animals who are too sick or weak even to stand can be ridden with illness and disease, and allowing these incapacitated animals into the food supply poses a danger to human health. Among the ailments that could afflict these sick animals is mad cow disease, which was confirmed in the U.S. in a downed cow in 2003.

The slaughter of downed animals for human food is grossly inhumane. These sick animals are commonly denied necessary veterinary attention and suffer unconscionable cruelties at the hands of slaughterhouse workers who use any means necessary to get these animals onto the killing floor, from kicking and beating to shocking and dragging. Additionally, the idea of animals, whether they are downed or not, being butchered and cut up while still alive is intolerable. This is animal abuse and it must stop. Like cats and dogs, farm animals experience pain and suffering and deserve to be protected from cruelty.

In March of last year, the Obama administration placed a ban on sick and injured cattle entering the food supply. But thousands of pigs, goats and sheep – and cattle, as Wyatt has reported – face this fate every single day. This latest news underscores the need for a federal ban on all downed animals entering the food supply. Tell President Obama and the USDA to end the routine abuse of all downed farm animals, including pigs. Spread the word and sign our Petition for the Pigs today.

A New Decade and Reason for Hope

By Gene

 

The first decade of this millennium has been marked by stark contrasts. Industrialized animal farming continued to expand and gain control over an ever greater share of the marketplace, and the number of animals exploited for food in the U.S. increased steadily, reaching 10 billion per year. At the same time, there’s been growing public awareness and unprecedented opposition to the waste, inefficiency and abuses of animal agriculture. While agribusiness spends billions of dollars to sell its products, bestselling books like "Skinny Bitch" and "Eating Animals" have exposed millions to the harms of factory farming for the first time.

At the beginning of the last decade, no U.S. law existed to prohibit cruel confinement systems, like veal crates, gestation crates and battery cages. In fact, most state anti-cruelty laws exempted farm animals from basic humane protections. But, over the past decade, some states took action to outlaw common factory farming cruelties. Two states passed laws to ban battery cages (CA, MI), five passed laws to ban veal crates (AZ, CA, CO, ME, MI), and seven passed laws to ban gestation crates (AZ, CA, CO, FL, OR, ME, MI). Responding to growing public pressure, Smithfield, the world’s largest pork producer, pledged to phase out gestation crates (2–foot-wide metal enclosures where female breeding pigs are confined for years). We have a long way to go, but as the new decade dawns, we are poised to see additional laws and policies enacted to prevent cruel factory farming practices.

The last decade started with Farm Sanctuary suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to compel the agency to prohibit the marketing and slaughter of downed animals (animals who are too sick or injured even to stand) for human food. By the end of the decade, the Obama administration had locked in a federal ban on slaughtering downed cattle for human food. A similar ban should be enacted to apply to pigs and other species.

The Obama family recently planted an organic vegetable garden at the White House to encourage children to eat more fruits and vegetables, and the USDA established a community garden, dubbed "The People’s Garden," at its headquarters in the nation’s capital. I recently moved to Washington, D.C. to further our work with policy makers to protect animals, consumers and the environment, and promote plant-based agriculture.

We are in the midst of a growing food movement, and I am optimistic about the coming decade. As agribusiness interests convene for meetings to discuss ways to defend their practices, compassionate citizens are picking up steam. Scientists and researchers at leading universities and institutions are issuing reports that decry the many harms of animal agriculture.

At the end of the last decade, for the first time in generations, the USDA’s year-end records showed that the number of animals killed for food in the U.S. dropped. Let’s hope that this is the beginning of a solid trend, along with the increasing number of farmer’s markets, community supported agriculture programs and community gardens across the U.S. We have a long way to go, but there is definitely reason for hope.

Downed Pigs Deserve Better

By Gene

 

Across the U.S., millions of pigs and other animals too sick to stand (commonly referred to as "downed animals") suffer terribly at farms, stockyards and slaughterhouses. They are left for hours or days without receiving proper veterinary care, and they are often dragged with chains or pushed with forklifts. Farm Sanctuary has worked to document and end the abuses of downed animals since 1986, and we’re making progress. Earlier this year, the Obama administration tightened up federal regulations to prevent downed cattle from being slaughtered and used for human food. But, this policy needs to be expanded and applied to pigs and other animals who continue to suffer unnecessarily.

I’ve personally witnessed hundreds of downers callously discarded by the factory farming industry. I videotaped the sow pictured above who, worn out after years of being confined in a 2-foot-wide metal crate, was unable to walk. She was left to suffer in the alleyway at a factory farm amid rows of gestation crates. 

 
  
I’ve photographed countless downed (and deceased) pigs like the above in stockyard and slaughterhouse holding pens, and learned early on through these investigations just how rampant and horrific this abuse really is. Farm Sanctuary has exposed such cruelty time and again and a CNN news report citing a Humane Society of the United States investigation on the topic has recently reminded Americans that there is no reason or excuse to allow this abuse to continue.

  

Like all animals, farm animals deserve to be treated with respect. Please join Farm Sanctuary and sign our petition to President Obama and his administration calling for an end to the abuse of all downed animals. It is critical that we continue to demonstrate widespread public concern about this issue. Thank you!

Incremental Steps for Downers

By Gene

Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture strengthened its policy to prevent the slaughter of downed cattle for human food by closing loopholes that allowed downed cows to enter the human food supply under certain circumstances. This is a positive development, which represents another incremental step towards lessening the suffering and abuse of downed animals (i.e. animals too sick even to stand).

After Farm Sanctuary’s rescue of Hilda, a downed sheep who was left on the “dead pile” behind Lancaster Stockyards in 1986, media exposés about downed animal abuses in the 80s and 90s led the USDA to start a surveillance program to monitor stockyards. The Agency even tried to prosecute stockyards for mistreating downed animals, but that effort ended when a court ruled that U.S.D.A. had no legal authority to address animal welfare at stockyards. The law (i.e. the Packers and Stockyards Act) required stockyards to provide adequate care to maintain the economic “value” of the animals, but if an animal was discarded and considered to have no economic value, stockyards were legally allowed to leave them to suffer and die with impunity.

In the 1990s, we broadened our effort to address the abuse of downed animals at slaughterhouses, in addition to stockyards and auctions. The primary federal law addressing farm animal welfare in the U.S., ironically, is the Humane Slaughter Act. The USDA. has a notoriously poor track record of enforcing this law, but it has adopted some positive positions regarding downed animals over the years, usually because of pressure.

In 2001, Farm Sanctuary brought a lawsuit to end the slaughter of downed animals for human food, citing animal welfare and human health concerns, including the threat of mad cow disease. The U.S.D.A. denied the existence of mad cow disease in the U.S. until December, 2003, when mad cow disease was confirmed in a downed cow in Washington State. After that discovery, our lawsuit was settled in 2004 with the U.S.D.A. agreeing that downed cattle would not be used for human food and banning the delivery of downed cattle to slaughterhouses. But the meat industry was able to insert a loophole during the regulatory process, and a policy adopted in 2007 prohibited downed cattle from being accepted at the slaughterhouse, but strangely allowed cattle who walked into the slaughterhouse but then became downed afterwards to be used for human food. In 2008, an exposé showed a southern California slaughterhouse exploiting this loophole, and violating federal and state downed animal regulations and laws (California enacted a law to restrict the abuses of downed animals in 1994), which led to the largest meat recall in U.S. history. Once again, a light was shined on downed animal abuse, and the U.S.D.A. was compelled to tighten its downed animal rules.

We are pleased that USDA has instituted a strict ban on slaughtering downed cattle for human food, and this policy should now apply to pigs and other animals too. We will keep the pressure on.