WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?HOW DOES IT IMPACT OUR WORLD?

 This is what we think of most of the time when we think about a farm and where our food comes from.

 There are fewer than 2 million farmers. (1 to 129 ratio).  Most of these farms are what we call FACTORY FARMS that are owned by corporations NOT by families.

Factory Farms are facilities known as CAFO, C onfined A nimal F eeding O perations, where thousands of animals are crammed together and raised in a short period of time.

The main animals for these operations are cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys, but this practice has also gone on to other various types of poultry.

Factory farming now accounts for more than 99 percent of all farmed animals raised and slaughtered in the United States. These factories produce “cheap” meat, eggs, and dairy by externalizing their costs.

Has Mountains of Manure USDA estimates that more than 335 million tons of manure are produced annually on U.S. farms, where animal waste decomposes and pollutes the air.

Emits foul odors

Produces Greenhouse gases into the air with large amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous- oxide emissions, which results in climate changes.

Are one of the leading causes of water pollution in the United States. Water pollution from industrial farms results from the storage and disposal of animal waste.

 Video - Factory Farming 1 Video - Factory Farming 1  Video - Factory Farming 2 Video - Factory Farming 2

 There are 40% more factory farmed hogs (7.1 million) than people (5.3 million) in Minnesota.  The number of factory farmed hogs in Minnesota grew 70 percent to 7.1 million between 1997 and  The more than 679,000 hogs on factory farms in McLeod County, Minnesota produce twice as much untreated manure as the sewage from the Houston metro area.  The 7 million hogs, nearly 290,000 beef cattle, 91,000 dairy cows, 9 million egg-laying hens, and 3 million broiler chickens on factory farms in Minnesota produce as much untreated manure as 179 million people -- more than half the U.S. population.

 1930s: Cows were slaughtered at 4 to 5 yrs-old.  1950s: Cows were slaughtered at 2 to 3 yrs-old.  Today: It only takes 14 months for a cow to go from 80 pounds to 1,200 pounds.  The average 1,200 pound cow takes about 35 gallons of oil (nearly a barrel) to raise.  Most cows are fed CORN, not natural grass, their stomachs can’t break corn down easily.  99% of all animals eaten are factory farmed.  2% of factory farms now raise 40% of all animals.

 The Fast Food Industry rise coincides with the rise of the factory farm.  McDonalds and Burger King and others all started in the 1960s and early 70s.

 In 1970, Americans spent 6.2 billion dollars on fast food. Today, we spend over 124 billion.  In 1971, the average woman consumed 1542 calories. By 2000, women consumed 1877 calories. Men: 2450 to 2618 calories.  An extra 10 calories/day = one extra pound of fat a year.

 Fast food contains sugar, high fructose sugar, sodium, and trans fat which contribute to obesity.  TBHQ? Disodium what?? Processed food is an alphabet soup of chemicals, including artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives that might be harmful to your health.

 Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight.  60 million are considered obese.  127 million Americans are now defined as overweight.  1991, 12% obese versus 21% obese in 2001.

 In the United States, the food industry spends more than $33 billion a year to advertise products that are mostly loaded with fat, salt and sugar.  Of that, $12 billion a year is spent on marketing to youth.  According to a 2007 Kaiser Family Foundation study, children aged 8 to 12 viewed an average of 21 food ads a day.  Of those, 34 per cent were for candy or snacks, 28 per cent for cereal and 10 per cent for fast food.  None were for fruits or vegetables.