CATTLEGATE

CATTLEGATE
I learned about this story in the book "Slow Death by Rubber Duck" by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie (2009)

It happened in 1973's on Rick Halbert's dairy farm in Michigan. His 400 cows were becoming increasingly sick. They decreased milk production and they showed some abnormal symptoms, such as hoof growth, hair loss and severe reproductive abnormalities. His veterinarian could not diagnose any disease. Halbert suspected his high-protein feed supplies by Michigan Farm Bureau Services. Halbert was no ordinary farmer – he was a chemical engineer too, and he had worked 3 years for the Dow Chemical Company. He spent $5,000 on his own testing of the feed.

PBB, which is a flame retardant for plastic parts by the Michigan Chemical Corporation, was found in the cow's feed. The same company also sold magnesium oxide to Farm Bureau Services, to add to dairy feed to increase cow's milk production. The PBB was confused for magnesium oxide when the company ran out of pre-printed bags. Between 225 and 400 kg of PBB were accidentally shipped to Farm Bureau Services and mixed with cow's feed.

The source of contamination was identified only 9 months after it entered the food chain. It took another year and a half to track down all the contaminated livestock and poultry. Several thousand farm families and wider public had consumed poisoned meat, eggs and milk in the meanwhile.

A study which has tracked health in Michigan points to the link between the PBB exposure and increased risk of cancers of breast and digestive system and higher rate of reproductive system complications. Five years after the incident about 97% of people in Michigan still had measurable level of the PBB chemical in their bodies.

At that time one of the most popular Michigan bumper stickers read "PBB-Cattlegate Bigger Than Watergate".

Farmer Schmidt

Farmer Michael Schmidt, a 54-year-old dairy farmer, thinks milk is healthier before it is pasteurized. But Canadian health officials do not think so. They think it is not safe. They say it is illegal to sell milk or cream that has not been pasteurized or sterilized.
However, it is legal to drink unpasteurized milk. So farmer Schmidt and 150 other people started the cow-share co-op. Together, they owned 30 cows at Mr. Schmidt's southern Ontario Glencolton Farms. They drank raw milk from their cows. They thought they had right to choose what to put in their body.
One day police raided the farm and Michael Schmidt was brought to court. After three years he was acquitted of 19 charges. Justice of the Peace said in this case Mr. Schmidt did not break the law because he was not selling to the public at large.

What do you think about:
• Michael Schmidt
• Cow-share co-op
• Drinking unpasteurized milk
• Laws regarding consumption of food

Questions for discussion:
1. What kind of food processing do you know?
2. Which food do we preserve to keep it long?
3. What is the most usual way of preserving meet/fish/vegetables /fruit in your country?
4. How do people in your country look after seeds/ reproduction of crops or animals / animal breeds?
5. Which animal or plant species do you know that are at risk of extinction ? What do people do to save those species?

GREEN PRODUCERS

Avalon Orchards
Avalon Orchards, located in Innisfil, Ontario, was established in 1988 with the objective of producing organically grown apples.
Apple growing in Ontario is challenged by diseases, such as apple scab and pests like codling moth.
Varieties that demonstrated high resistance to those were selected to be grown organically.
Approximately 10,000 trees, including Nova Scotia MacINtosh,Nova Scotia Spy, Redfree, Freedom, Prima and Liberty are grown in the orchard..
These varieties have been developed using traditional techniques of cross breeding, and not through genetic modification.
Kaolin clay is used for pest control.
This clay is diluted with water and sprayed on the fruit.
It is the same clay that is used in toothpaste.
By picking time it is normally washed off by the rain.

TASK: Turn the passive forms in each sentence into active.



Circle Sun Farm

In 1999 Circle Sun Farm was revitalized as an organic dairy farm. Now they raise organic beef for ground beef. In addition, they mix their free-range pastured pork with the beef and their own herbs and garlic to make fine organic sausages. They also raise rare breeds and a variety of poultry, all without using any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones or antibiotics.
They care about the land and betterment of the surrounding community.

TASKS:
1. Give your opinion:
a. What is the difference between free-range farm animals and enclosed stock?
b. How does the use of chemicals affect human health?
c. How is the organic farming better for the land and the community?
d. Do you see organic farming thrive in the future?

2. Explain the meaning of these words: revitalize, dairy farm, rare breeds, poultry, pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, betterment, community.