Lesson 2: How Does Your Garden Grow? Meat and Milk Production

How is Meat Produced? Corporate Controlled Corporate Controlled - Huge Corporations Process about 80% of Meat in the U.S. o Tyson o Cargill o Swift & Co. o National Beef Packing Co. o Five Rivers o Pilgrims Pride o Butterball

Use of Antibiotics in Meat Production Used to prevent infection in animals. Used to prevent infection in animals. Makes animals gain weight faster. Makes animals gain weight faster. In June 2010: In June 2010: - FDA* urged meat producers to stop using antibiotics - Public Health Issue - May cause resistance to antibiotics in humans

FDA – Food and Drug Administration The U.S. organization responsible for regulating human and animal medications, tobacco, the food supply, medical devices, cosmetics and dietary supplements.

Large Corporate or “Factory Farms” Linked to Inhumane Treatment of Animals

Food Poisoning Experiences

Safety Issues With Meat Production Contaminated food causes: Contaminated food causes: - 48 Million Illnesses - 128,000 Hospitalizations - 3,000 Deaths Annually Linked to unsanitary conditions in industrial food plants. Linked to unsanitary conditions in industrial food plants. E. coli bacteria is the most dangerous E. coli bacteria is the most dangerous - Found in ground meat

Greeley, Colorado ,000 pounds of beef were recalled 380,000 pounds of beef were recalled JBS Swift Beef Compan y JBS Swift Beef Compan y

Greeley, Colorado 2002 Recalled 19 Million pounds of beef. Recalled 19 Million pounds of beef. Con-Agra Con-Agra Multi-state recall Multi-state recall

August 2011 Cargill pulled 36 million pounds of ground turkey Cargill pulled 36 million pounds of ground turkey Caused salmonella Caused salmonella - Found in chicken, turkey and eggs Caused at least 1 death and 77 illnesses Caused at least 1 death and 77 illnesses Largest recall in history Largest recall in history This strain of salmonella is resistant to anti-biotics This strain of salmonella is resistant to anti-biotics

Mad Cow Disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or BSE) Neurological disorder in cattle Neurological disorder in cattle Results from feeding cattle meat-and- bone meal from infected animals Results from feeding cattle meat-and- bone meal from infected animals In 2010, 184,500 cases of mad cow disease were reported In 2010, 184,500 cases of mad cow disease were reported Three cases were identified in the U.S. Three cases were identified in the U.S.

The Meatrix

How is Milk Produced? Produced by a handful of multi- billion-dollar companies. Produced by a handful of multi- billion-dollar companies. - Many are European owned - Mega-dairy farms  Dean Foods owns 40 brands of dairy - $10 billion dollars a year - Own Silk and Horizon dairy in Colorado

Dairy Farms Can Give Cows Artificial Hormones Artificial Hormones - Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)  GMO Artificial Hormone  Artificially increases milk production by 10-15%. Antibiotics Antibiotics Highly concentrated feed Highly concentrated feed

Most Cows Raised on Factory Farms No grass No grass May have 20,000 cattle on a farm May have 20,000 cattle on a farm Close quarters Close quarters Life Expectancy is only 3-4 years Life Expectancy is only 3-4 years - Compared to 20 years raised in a pasture

FOOD FACTS Dairy cow farms dropped from 648,000 in 1970 to 75,000 in Dairy cow farms dropped from 648,000 in 1970 to 75,000 in Total dairy cows fell from 12 million in 1970 to 9.1 million in Total dairy cows fell from 12 million in 1970 to 9.1 million in The average herd size rose from 19 cows in 1970 to 120 cows in The average herd size rose from 19 cows in 1970 to 120 cows in Milk production doubled from 9,751 in 1970 to 19,951 in Milk production doubled from 9,751 in 1970 to 19,951 in Average milk production per farm increased twelvefold.