FEFCHAK: Factory Hog Barns, Fires and Morality

FEFCHAK: Factory Hog Barns, Fires and Morality

Postby Oscar » Sun Apr 26, 2015 11:08 am

FEFCHAK: Factory Hog Barns, Fires and Morality

From: John Fefchak
Sent: Sunday, April 19, 2015 4:52 PM
To: VIRDEN EMPIRE ADVANCE NEWSPAPER ; ANNE
Subject: Factory Hog Barns, Fires and Morality.

Views and Voices: (Virden Empire Advance)

Dear Editor.

Modern hog meat production, in which thousands of animals are packed into barns for concentrated feeding operations, has proven to be efficient and profitable but comes with its own set of problems.

From Washington state to North Carolina, federal lawsuits are challenging the livestock industry to change its ways, basing arguments on studies that increasingly show the impact that phosphorous, nitrates and bacteria from fertilizer and accumulated manure have on lakes and rivers, as well as air pollution that can be harmful to respiratory health.

And then, there are also Barn Fires!

That said, I wish to extend a "Bravo" and my congratulations to Anne Davison, a reporter at the Virden Advance newspaper for her recent article, where she both honours agriculture and de-cries factory farming. (Where's the bacon, 10 April.)

I appreciate and recognize that Ms. Davison has gone far beyond the usual with her journalism where very few to-day would dare to tread on such a controversial matter. Her strength of character to bring many important points to the awareness of the public is significant and for that, we should be grateful.

It is long overdue for barn factories to be exposed for what they really are. Death traps, where pigs are helplessly trapped and burned alive! When will mankind realize that this is NOT animal stewardship, it is cruel and abominable treatment.

BARN definition: A barn is defined as a farm building used for housing and sheltering animals. These hog complexes referred to as 'barns' are factories designed to manufacture animals for meat processing for export. In 2007, Manitoba had 1400 hog producers. Now there are 575. We all know this manner of Hog production has become an INDUSTRY. Why, then, is it not regulated as an industry and subject to Environmental Assessment?

Our governments have turned a blind eye to this fact. They allow hog factories to hide, as they do, under the umbrella of normal farming.

Economy trumps and takes advantage of the way that animals are being raised for slaughter.

Let's face some other facts also. Bad ideas and poor operating principles are extremely costly and Manitoba's hog industry is also destructive to the environment, says experts, and the return to small scale, mixed operation farming is needed to combat the influence of industrial hog operations in the province.

You can't raise animals in factories and be environmentally benign, says Joe Dolecki, professor of environmental economics at The Brandon University.

Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi, whose profound spirituality and belief in justice inspired the world, tells us: " The greatness of a Nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated"

Sadly, Manitoba and many other provinces of Canada have failed to achieve this ethical standard, and that, in my view, readers, is "The Heart of the Matter"


John Fefchak,
Virden, Man
204 748 2521
19 April, 2015
Oscar
Site Admin
 
Posts: 9078
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