Comments on: This is Cheap Meat !!!

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:49:03 +0000

There are new laws protecting market from down cattle being processed at USDA facilities, any cow which has an injury or disease where it becomes lame whether at facility or prior to arrival can no longer be slaughtered. This has its upside, in that with all the recalls etc, from large cattle producers, etc, it allows for more animals to be removed from the process. Downside of this is that it is a blanket item, so if lets say a cow gets injured while loadin gor unloading from a trailer to a slaughterhouse, which does happen, or it breaks its leg on farm in a woodchuck hole, etc, then this whole animal becomes waste as neither the farmer, nor the processor is allowed to utilize it for any other use than for themselves. So it has its ups and downs, I am in agreement with destroying all lame cattle, only because it protects the end user, which is most important, but it does waste these animals, and what they lived to provide, and creates a disposal issue for the farm or the processor. anyhow, just my 2 cents worth, I know some local farmers to me keep some of these that are known healthy, and utilize them for themselves, etc. Most animals from small family farms would never make it to these facilities to begin with. But it is very difficult for a famr like mine who produces small amounts of cattle and pigs to be able to get them USDA processed, and therefore eliminates us from the supply chain, as well as takes us out of the market for making our local products available outside of whole or half animals etc. I do not have a USDA slaughterhouse/processing facility who will take outside work from small holdings within 100 miles of my farm. So I have to take to small USDA slaughter houses, but customer has to then take animal to a custom processor, which makes it so I cannot sell cuts of meat etc, and therefore am completely unable to compete with the producers as shown in the video.
I support the local movement, just be aware that it is very difficult under current laws for the true small family producer to be abel to supply you your steak and hamburger, as we do not have access to the USDA facilities in many parts of this country. I have spoken with USDA, NYS ag and Markets etc, they state they are aware of issue, and it took 20 calls to different people in both agencies to find someone who could even get me a list of possible processors, or slaughterhouses in WNY. So just be aware, although it may not have a stamp the true way to get items where you know they have not been through this type of treatment is to buy from a small farm, and choose to have whole or partial animal processed by a small processor who will allow you to see his facility. The small slaughterhouses, and processors I utilize have 2 – 10 employees and only do 10 – 20 animals in any given week, only downfall is you do not get the USDA label for resale, so the farmer would have to sell you whole animal, but this is the cheapest way to go anyhow, it is more a matter of storage.

By: Meatatarian

Meatatarian — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:19:13 +0000

Most of America can’t afford to choose where their food comes from. Should we let them eat cake?

By: han fung korean restaurant review

han fung korean restaurant review — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:32:03 +0000

The video concentrated quite a bit on the health aspects as well, and it could help explain why the Koreans are also wary of more American beef being introduced in their country. I have no idea if the supplier in the video will be part of that, but if one could do that, the others might as well.

By: Litsa

Litsa — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:53:06 +0000

Great post Thank you! Added the link to this page on twitter…

By: Hettie G.

Hettie G. — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:40:31 +0000

Bacchus Acolyte….
your post confuses me and kinda frustrates me…

i eat meat…in fact, i prefer it. i think it is one of the most delicios things on the menu! i would chose to eat a steak so much quicker than the veggies. i often eat it first, in it’s entirety. so what if we kill animals? cheetahs kill animals. sharks kill people, who’s crying for them? animal kingdom. the way of life. this isnt a post to try to turn people veg, this is to try to get REAL animal rights activists the right thing to fight for. for the humane treatment of animals. not worry about their “feelings”, to make sure they get the full life and right treatment…just the same as throwing a dog you dont want on the highway while your car is still moving. this is to get people to be more aware that their food isn’t being done the way it should.
and im sorry but free roaming cows arent covered in fecal matter. they have ROOM to go somewhere else after they poop. they are human infants that don’t know when they poop. in this specific case(video) cows didnt have somewhere else to go poop and then somewhere else to go laydown. nd the person washing them off, who’s to say that wasn’t the only one they cleaned, since a camera was there. and if they are covered in shit and they get cut for slaughter, the fecal matter could possibly get into the meat and their poop sprouts phsycadelic mushrooms, who knows what it contains when given the fungicide to cut that part out and what not. not saying that it has happened but without the animals getting the proper care and treatment, it has a serious potential threat.

so before you try to be a saracastic wise ass…think.
–Hettie G.

By: Bacchus Acolyte

Bacchus Acolyte — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:27:07 +0000

Oh boo hoo. Poor walking hamburgers or in this case reclining hamburgers. I dont buy the whole argument about downed cattle being more dangerous b/c they sit in poo… all cows do that and it apears in the clip that they are washing them off. These pieces of beef are about to be killed… so they get picked up by a forklift, they are too big to carry and they are too dumb to listen. There has been no evidence of anyone getting sick from the “mistreated” beef so whats the harm?

Truth be told if you eat meat you are a killer and you might as well accept it… embrace it… make it your own. You, as an omnivore, sponcer the killing of children (lamb,veal), the rape of cattle (milk and other dary products), etc. You can not feel guilty for killing these THINGS.

These silly reports are a slippery slope down that dark and terible path that it vegitarianism. BEWARE!

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:30:08 +0000

On top of all of the other comments above, meat raised humanely just tastes better. It is no different than vegetables raised in greenhouses or in gardens. If food comes from a factory it tastes industrial if it comes from a humane environment it tastes fresh. This is true also with milk, eggs etc..

By: winexprt

winexprt — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:59:45 +0000

AMEN nerk!!! Amen.

Simply couldn’t agree more. This has become a nation of desensitized pussies, for lack of a MORE fitting description.

There is a horrendous disconnect as to where what you eat comes from.

By: nerk

nerk — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:22:00 +0000

This was not an isolated incident as stated. It has been going on for years, every where…. I use to work next to a meat processing plant in San Antonio Texas for many years. You could plainly see the sick, downed cows and no one cares. Any adult who eats meat should be part of a lottery that takes turns witnessing or working at one of these plants at least once. Like jury duty. Children should be given tours. The people who work at these places get desensitized and become cruel and uncaring after a while. It is not an easy job for anyone, under the best circumstances. If you have never killed an animal to eat before or witnessed the slaughter, you have no right to eat meat. Period. That steak or burger came from something living. Everyone is guilty for thinking it’s all good if it’s in a neat little package. I’d rather hunt deer.