Factory Farms - Tourist Attraction

[Guest guest]

U.S. Factory Farms ­ So Bad They're A Tourist Attraction

Consumer Group Brings European Farmers to United States Dairies

WASHINGTON - September 29 - Food & Water Watch welcomed farmers from

France, Spain, and Germany this week for a first hand look at the

environmental and public health consequences of factory farm dairies

in three states ­ Michigan, Oregon and Washington.

³U.S. factory dairy farms are so bad they¹re a tourist attraction,²

said Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive Director. ³European

farmers touring U.S. factory dairies and communities will take home a

snapshot of what European agriculture could become if farmers and

their governments aren¹t careful.²

Factory farms have been linked to health problems for farm workers and

neighbors, and contaminated water and air in surrounding communities.

The stench alone can ruin rural communities, as residents rush to shut

their windows and bring their children indoors when the wind shifts.

These communities have been fighting lonely, uphill battles against

operators that take advantage of lax enforcement of zoning and

environmental laws.

³In a 16 mile corridor we have dairy operations dumping five times the

amount of raw sewage as that produced by the entire population of

Seattle onto our fields,² said Helen Reddout, president of Community

Association for Restoration of the Environment in Yakima County,

Washington. ³Contaminated waste on our fields is dangerous as we can

see in the California spinach case. "

" The U.S. EPA and state agencies turn a blind eye to the air and water

pollution caused by giant dairies and other factory farms, " explained

Hauter. " Rural communities and U.S. consumers deserve better. "

³It¹s sad that when there¹s so much in Oregon agriculture that is

right, we become known to the international community for operations

like the Threemile Canyon Farm complex, that don¹t represent the

agriculture we value in our state,² said Kendra Kimbirauskas, a

regional consultant with the GRACE Factory Farm Project.

Factory farming can also affect the health of consumers far from the

dairy. According to the American Public Health Association (APHA), the

overuse of antibiotics for livestock is creating antibiotic-resistant

bacteria that threatens human health. An estimated 70% of antibiotics

used in the United States are for promoting growth and preventing

disease in food animals.

" We wanted to see U.S. factory dairies because big agriculture

interests plans to export the factory farm model to Europe and replace

our traditional family dairies, " said Cabaret, a French dairy

farmer and member of the French farmers union Confederation Paysanne.

³Europeans want sustainable, chemical free, and humanely raised dairy

and meat products ­ not factory farm pollution. "

Industrial agriculture companies have dramatically expanded their

operations in parts of Europe in recent years, transforming the

landscape from one of numerous small family farms to one of giant

animal confinement facilities. The European Union is considering

reforms to its Common Agricultural Policy for dairy that could

potentially drive European dairy farmers out of business and towards a

model similar to the U.S system. Food & Water Watch supports efforts

to encourage local food production through numerous sustainable family

farms instead of an industrialized model that relies on factory farms.

³Showing just how bad it is in Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties is one

way to advocate for stronger laws here as well as to make sure

Europeans don¹t weaken their laws to allow these horrible facilities

to move into their communities,² said Lynn Henning, Sierra Club CAFO

Water Sentinel and a leader of the Environmentally Concerned Citizens

of South Central Michigan.

###

© Copyrighted 1997-2006

www.commondreams.org

[Guest guest]

Do you have the link to this article so that I can put it on my

website? Thanks!!!

" Sharon son " wrote:

>

> U.S. Factory Farms ­ So Bad They're A Tourist Attraction

>

> Consumer Group Brings European Farmers to United States Dairies

>

> WASHINGTON - September 29 - Food & Water Watch welcomed farmers from

> France, Spain, and Germany this week for a first hand look at the

> environmental and public health consequences of factory farm dairies

> in three states ­ Michigan, Oregon and Washington.

>

> ³U.S. factory dairy farms are so bad they¹re a tourist attraction,²

> said Wenonah Hauter, Food & Water Watch Executive Director.

³European

> farmers touring U.S. factory dairies and communities will take home

a

> snapshot of what European agriculture could become if farmers and

> their governments aren¹t careful.²

>

> Factory farms have been linked to health problems for farm workers

and

> neighbors, and contaminated water and air in surrounding

communities.

> The stench alone can ruin rural communities, as residents rush to

shut

> their windows and bring their children indoors when the wind shifts.

> These communities have been fighting lonely, uphill battles against

> operators that take advantage of lax enforcement of zoning and

> environmental laws.

>

> ³In a 16 mile corridor we have dairy operations dumping five times

the

> amount of raw sewage as that produced by the entire population of

> Seattle onto our fields,² said Helen Reddout, president of Community

> Association for Restoration of the Environment in Yakima County,

> Washington. ³Contaminated waste on our fields is dangerous as we can

> see in the California spinach case. "

>

> " The U.S. EPA and state agencies turn a blind eye to the air and

water

> pollution caused by giant dairies and other factory farms, "

explained

> Hauter. " Rural communities and U.S. consumers deserve better. "

>

> ³It¹s sad that when there¹s so much in Oregon agriculture that is

> right, we become known to the international community for operations

> like the Threemile Canyon Farm complex, that don¹t represent the

> agriculture we value in our state,² said Kendra Kimbirauskas, a

> regional consultant with the GRACE Factory Farm Project.

>

> Factory farming can also affect the health of consumers far from the

> dairy. According to the American Public Health Association (APHA),

the

> overuse of antibiotics for livestock is creating antibiotic-

resistant

> bacteria that threatens human health. An estimated 70% of

antibiotics

> used in the United States are for promoting growth and preventing

> disease in food animals.

>

> " We wanted to see U.S. factory dairies because big agriculture

> interests plans to export the factory farm model to Europe and

replace

> our traditional family dairies, " said Cabaret, a French dairy

> farmer and member of the French farmers union Confederation

Paysanne.

> ³Europeans want sustainable, chemical free, and humanely raised

dairy

> and meat products ­ not factory farm pollution. "

>

> Industrial agriculture companies have dramatically expanded their

> operations in parts of Europe in recent years, transforming the

> landscape from one of numerous small family farms to one of giant

> animal confinement facilities. The European Union is considering

> reforms to its Common Agricultural Policy for dairy that could

> potentially drive European dairy farmers out of business and

towards a

> model similar to the U.S system. Food & Water Watch supports efforts

> to encourage local food production through numerous sustainable

family

> farms instead of an industrialized model that relies on factory

farms.

>

> ³Showing just how bad it is in Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties is one

> way to advocate for stronger laws here as well as to make sure

> Europeans don¹t weaken their laws to allow these horrible facilities

> to move into their communities,² said Lynn Henning, Sierra Club CAFO

> Water Sentinel and a leader of the Environmentally Concerned

Citizens

> of South Central Michigan.

>

> ###

> © Copyrighted 1997-2006

> www.commondreams.org

>

[Guest guest]

It was a news release from: http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/about/press/press-release-factory-dairy-farm-tour/?searchterm=factory%20farms

Food and Water Watch organization seems to have some pretty good information! What's your blog addy?SharonOn 11/28/06,

Charity wrote:

Do you have the link to this article so that I can put it on my

website? Thanks!!!

[Guest guest]

I don't have a blog but, i do put links to great articles on my

website. I try to collect research on health, nutrition, or anything I

find useful to farming on either summarize it or link to it from my

website. It's still a work in progress and I have much more info that I

still need to get on there but, I've got a good start on it.

www.FamilyFarms.com

> >

> > Do you have the link to this article so that I can put it on my

> > website? Thanks!!!