While I was attending the Cattle Industry Summer Conference someone said to me that one of the biggest dangers facing livestock producers in this country are the animal rights activists. I don’t know about you but it seems to me like they’re getting more aggressive and I guess fooling a lot of people out of their money in the process. They sure seem to spend a lot of it. Although livestock production is one of these whackos favorite targets I’d say it’s a lot broader than that. Just check out Spira/Grace sometime and surf through all the websites and organizations they’re connected to and support. Examples include, Sustainable Table, The Meatrix, FactoryFarm.org, Eat Well Guide and there’s a lot more if you click on through. If you’re not aware of what they’re doing then you should be. I’d love your take on what they’re doing online to reach consumers and if you think that’s having any impact on your business. Hopefully you’ll see the need to invest in some online tools to be part of the conversation that’s taking place whether you like it or not.
This post was inspired by yesterday’s release by Food and Water Watch (another whacko group) of an interactive Factory Farm Map. Is your’s on the list? They’re the same group that released a report recently titled, “Rush to Corn Ethanol Is No Farm or Fuel Solution.” I read through that one. It makes a bunch of wild unsubstantiated claims, raises questions that aren’t answered and when they actually do point to science they admit positives about ethanol production. Unfortunately it’s the kind of sensationalist junk the mainstream media likes to pick up on.
I sure wish we could get some more of their creativity channeled into communicating facts and not just emotion from people who may even be well meaning in their intent but just don’t have the knowledge or experience to know what they’re talking about. I’m being generous I know. The reality is that a lot of people behind these groups have an agenda which includes things like population control. I guess the animals would be better off if it wasn’t for us people. Me, I’m a Person who likes to Eat those Tasty Animals.
The latest innovation in the cotton industry merges two integral processes to offer growers a more efficient production of cotton. And more growers can get their hands on the technology too. 
“Our engineers made sure that the Module Express fit with existing cotton production practices, with no additional handling, logistics or costs,” Haggard says. “That’s especially important when you consider that many of today’s cotton growers are also gin shareholders… ginning Case IH modules and traditional modules together is a seamless operation. A modern cotton gin that produces 60 ginned bales per hour will be equally maximized while ginning the Case IH module,” Haggard says.
Farmergy held a webinar today with U. S. Congressman John Shimkus who gave an energy bill update to start things off. 
It’s only days until the 2007 Agricultural Media Summit. I’m heading that way on Friday. From what I’ve heard we’re at about 568 registered! Let’s all give Diane Johnson fits and have about 500 more show up as walk-ins. Now that would be cool. Demand to go on Saturday’s tour too. I’ll be there to take the picture.
It looks like things are cooking at 
Joining the agriblogging ranks is Rich Schell, author, attorney and writer on food and agriculture from the Chicago area. Rich is “the immediate past president of The Chicago Farmers, taught Law for Illinois Agricultural Entrepreneurs at Joliet Junior College and has spoken at the Illinois Organic Production Conference, Illinois Specialty Growers, World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Organic Trade Association.”
Farmers now have a new revenue stream to tap into courtesy of 
They’ll be saluting agriculture on the west coast very soon. Any announcement that contains phrases like “menu of local produce and bold red wines” catches my attention. So check out the 
area. It’s all about the journey. Celebrating the highs and the lows, the ups and downs and all the decisions in between.”