We got the opportunity to choose a topic that we wanted to learn more about; I am passionate about the swine industry growing up on a small show pig operation, but on the flip side of things I wanted to learn more about the commercial and production side. I decided to interview an employ at Maschhoff’s and I also got to observe a site of theirs. A little background information about Maschhoff’s, is a fifth-generation family owned hog operation. The headquarters is in Carlyle, Illinois. They produce enough pork to feed 16 million consumers annually. With going into this research knowing what I did I knew; this was going to be an experience that would open a door of meeting people advocating for this industry with the same passion that I do …show more content…
I have been to confinement operation before, but one on this measure certainly is impressive. The day I got to observe the facility was the day they loaded market hogs that were ready to harvest. Production technicities will load 280 pound hogs on a semi which will hold 160 hogs. Then they will be transported to the JBS plant which is a local slaughter house. While I was there I can tell that this operation truly cares about animal welfare. They were loading hogs the more humane way. While this process is taking place, the confinement building that they are finished out in is a temperature controlled environment to allow them to take less stress off the animals when going through this dramatic …show more content…
This will allow Megan to share her experiences with you and tell the story behind where our food supply comes from. This is where they go above and beyond share the passion to those who will take their position in future generations. For example, Maschhoff’s over the years has gone hand and hand with the National Junior Swine Association, of being a proud sponsor, giving scholarships to those who are continuing their education. Being a part of this program where the exhibitor and membership numbers as high as NJSA is huge for them to get the future advocators that have the passion for the swine industry more involved on the other side of things. I certain know coming from a small show pig operation of farrowing only 40 sows a year and showing them at the local, state and national level is totally different the Maschoff family; where this family has 7500 sows and will have 100,000 wean to market space which means they will raise 5 million hogs a year. Per site they will have 6000 head. Every Monday and Thursday they will get 2000 head to come into the finisher. This is where it becomes a small world; all these hogs come from the gestation operation which is
Schlosser describes the environment of the meat packing plants serving fast food companies in a startling straightforward narrative of his visit through a meat packing plant. He describes a brutal, and sometimes unsanitary environment. The rights of animals are a very broad and complex subject, but Schlosser touches on this as he describes the slaughterhouse floor. He describes animals in various states of disembowelment. Sometimes the animals were dead or stunned; sometimes they were thrashing about wildly in the last throws of death. The slaughter room floor was described as being covered with blood and feces. Employees worked at a furious pace to meet the day's quota. What bothered me most was the fact that this meat is not only prepared for fast food companies but also contracted out to serve our children's schools.
Our nation’s industrial farming has become more than just feeding people; it has become a way for the food industry to make more money as human population continues to grow. Jonathan Safran Foer in his book Eating Animals, illustrates the effects factory farming has had on animals meant for human consumption. Furthermore, Foer asks many questions to the reader on what will it take for us to change our ways before we say enough is enough. The questions individuals need to be asking themselves are: how do we deal with the problem of factory farming, and what can people do to help solve these issues? Eric Schlosser in Fast Food Nation, also illustrates the animal abuse that goes unseen within the food industry as well as Bernard Rollin and Robert Desch in their article “Farm Factories”, both demonstrate what is wrong today with factory farming. Foer gives such examples of employees who work in slaughterhouses giving accounts of what goes on in the kill floors, and stories of employees who have witnessed thousands and thousands of cows going through the slaughter process alive (Animals 231). Namit Arora in the article “On Eating Animals”, as well as Michael Pollan in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, both address some of the issues that animals face once they hit the kill floor. The food industry has transformed not only how people eat, but also the negative effects our climate endures as a result of factory farming as illustrated by Anna Lappe in “The Climate Crisis at the End
A problem that arises from this is that animal abuse can take place without any consequences, simply because it goes unseen. Therefore, the installation of video cameras to monitor behavior inside of farms will help in the process of finding those who are guilty. Undercover videos of the animals being killed in such a brutal fashion only gives the farm a poor reputation, not to mention the ethical issue of animals suffering unnecessarily when euthanasia is available. Incidents similar to the aforementioned will only continue to happen if the government does not step in. Security cameras, proper training of new employees and regular examinations to ensure all FDA regulations as well as animal welfare laws are being practiced should be implemented in farms.
Factory Farming is an increasing industry in the United States. These large farms, which evidently appear to be more like slaughterhouses than the typical farms a person can imagine are located throughout the United States. These factory farms contain animals ranging from chickens, sheep, goats, cows, turkeys, and pigs, they also contain dairy products. The conditions for the animals and the employees of these factory farms are inhumane and vile. Life behind the walls of the factory farm is both unsanitary for the animals and the employees. Employees are forced to endure long hours and poor treatment. Animals in these conditions withstand living in cages and are forced to live in uninhabitable ways.
In his article “Boss Hog: The Dark Side of America’s Top Pork Producer,” (Rolling Stone Magazine, December 14, 2006) Jeff Teitz reports that not only are millions upon millions of pigs being abused and slaughtered each year by America’s largest pork producer, but, in turn, the waste produced by those pigs is polluting, destroying, and even killing others. Teitz begins by revealing that Smithfield Foods, the world’s most profitable pork processor, killed 27 million hogs last year, which is roughly equivalent to the entire human populations of America’s thirty-two largest cities. As Teitz delves deeper into statistics, he explains that more fecal matter is produced from half a million pigs at one Smithfield subsidiary than the 1.5 million
In “The Way of All Flesh” the author Ted Conover describes his experience working as an undercover USDA inspector in a meat packing plant. He shows how extremely grotesque the industry really is by providing numerous examples on the health and treatment of animals, the conditions of the meat, and the health and treatment of the employees. Conover shows the reader what it is really like in the slaughterhouse by using descriptive language. Throughout the article Conover brings up the treatment and the conditions the animals are put in. Conover supports his arguments by appealing to the reader’s emotions, by making the readers feel sympathetic for both the animals and workers.
Every year, an average American will consume approximately one hundred-twenty six pounds of meat. This meat can be traced back to factory farms where the animals are kept to be tortured to turn into a product for the appetite of humans. The terrible treatment these animals are forced to endure is the outcome of the greed and want for a faster production of their product. The industry of factory farming works to maximize the output of the meat while maintaining low costs,but will sadly always comes at the animals’ expense.
We do not take in consideration on where our meat comes from and how they treat the animals. People do not know how the process is from slaughtering a cow to the meat that you buy in your neighborhood market. In the book Foodopoly, Wenonah Hauter argues that there is a misrepresentation on what truly happens in the meatpacking industry, hog industry, the impact on small farmers, and how the working conditions are for the meat packing industry workers.
Visualize growing up with a drunken father. Imagine having to clean up every mess he made and dealing with the anger of his drunken state. Place yourself in Martyn Pig's shoes and experience what he had to go through on the regular. He was forced to grow up with a father who only used him as a ticket to a buzz. Martyn Pig was a victim. Even pushing his at home issues aside and out of the picture, he was still bullied ruthlessly by the other students at his school. Martyn Pig is a victim and has gone through unnecessary stages in his life no child should ever have to experience.
The farmers of long ago took pride in their animals treating them with kindness and care, but today they are kept in small cramp areas with countless other hogs where the ability for movement is often constricted this for the animal causes stress and in turn makes the meat more tough, and sometimes fattier. Some of these animals are filled with hormones that will increase their size making the animals today larger than the ones in the past, but larger doesn’t always mean better. The hormones that they are using can cause illness to some people this unacceptable this is not only unethical, but inhumane to the animal and how they are treated. The small hog farmers are bought out from the big business, but they still allow the farmer to raise the animals under strict guidelines that they must follow this in turn makes the small farmer feel like they “work for the man” and their understanding of the business is often shot down because they have little or no control of their farm they are told how to raise the hogs, how to process them and transport them, but at times they are the ones that have to take the fines if they are not following standing USDA procedures with the big corporation
Steve says, “I met ranchers and farmers dedicated to raising livestock and growing produce using responsible, respectful, and sustainable techniques. By partnering with these producers we have increased the amount of naturally raised meats and responsibly grown produce we purchase exponentially”.
“This is horrible! I can’t even watch this!” Those were my immediate thoughts the first time my eyes were opened to the inhumane animal cruelty on factory farms. Factory farming enables mass production to supply the demands of today’s society but also enables the cruel treatment of animals. We need to end the cruelty and abuse that these animals have to endure at the factory farms because it causes loss to the business, reduces the quality of the product produced, and endangers the health of those who buy the product. We can promote humane treatment of factory farm animals by prevention through education, by enforcing humane laws by being an example of humane animal treatment, and by donating and/or
The purpose of this letter is to express my interest in the internship position with the Tennessee Beef Heifer Development Program. My current status as a member of the University of Florida Livestock Judging team and as a Sophomore Animal Science student with an emphasis in food animal production, make me an ideal candidate for this internship.
The theme of the campaign was “Food to Foster Trust,” which focused on the connection between the consumer and the producer. The theme was short under the five words giving and it helped target the consumers to see how pigs are raised to spark conversation about healthy practices of farm raising. The message was short and to the point. Oink Outings wanted to bridge the gap, and they did by giving the consumer insight. The programming portion of the campaign came when they held booth events and tour participation that took place at ‘Twin Cities Venue. In the venue they held farmers market and community events that was in place to spark interest in the mothers. To help encourage participation, Oink Outings donated one pound of ground pork to the second heartland for each tour participant and questions asked at each booth. Oink Outings produced enough ground pork to feed 1,860 families. In doing so when the event expanded to the next year
The industry is in its growth stage with Monterey, Robina Farms, and Foremost as its key players. With regards to the market, firms concerned with intensive pig-farming hold less than a fourth of the market share. Firms, therefore have room for expansion of operations. With regards to their product, although limited by its nature, there is still room