Animal agriculture is a difficult row to hoe
By Carin Ryan
Carin Ryan.
Farming is tough. It’s even tougher considering a farmer relies on Mother Nature to cooperate and provide rain for feed, and the area he farms in has seen less than 10 percent of normal rainfall for the last three years. And to make it even tougher, now that farmer is being forced to deal with the public jumping to conclusions, based on several seconds of gut wrenching video spread all over the local news and social media, compared to his over 53 years of experience. Without speaking to this farmer, I know that those several seconds were some of the worst of his life.
Animal agriculture is a difficult row to hoe. Not only are you dealing with living breathing animals who often have a mind of their own, but you’re dealing with the dynamics of nature, confinement, the health and wellbeing of the animal, public pressure to produce a product desirable to consumers, all this coupled with the hopes that at year’s end, your operation might make a dollar or two.
Removing all emotion from this difficult subject, consider that a farmer or rancher’s commodity (the animal and their byproducts) can only be sold for a profit if they’re a viable, healthy, consumable product. This means keeping the animals in the best shape possible for as long as the animal is under the farmer’s control.
Sheep in our area lamb in the fall which means they’re weaned from their mothers in late winter to early spring. Good mothers can convert most of their existing flesh, and any nutrients fed to them, into milk for their lambs, causing the ewes to appear remarkably thin. Healthy lambs, healthy operation. Like any good and evolving industry, agriculture has seen some specialization, including the area of shearing of sheep. The shearing crews cover large areas and come in once a year during a week that has been scheduled several months or often a year in advance. Rescheduling often causes delays that push shearing into the heat of the summer, exacerbating problems the wool presents – flies that spread disease, comfort of the animal, cleanliness, etc.
Another thing to consider as you’re mulling over this topic, sheep have one of the highest mortality rates amongst animals raised for human consumption. Eight percent or higher losses are not uncommon. Sheep are highly susceptible to disease, greatly affected by weather and stress and often die for unknown reasons.
While I bring up some points that seem crass or inappropriate, my hope is that the reader becomes a more educated consumer. We now live in a society where chicken dinner no longer means going out to the chicken pen, and picking out dinner. We don’t have to own chickens or know the butcher to have chicken dinner. It means a fried chicken prepared from the bag of frozen boneless-skinless chicken breasts in the freezer, or a quick meal after soccer practice at popular chain restaurant, or even the drive through.
Life on the Central Coast is amazing and we are so very lucky to live here. I’m blessed to be from a family who started our ranching operations in 1874. Agriculture generated $861 million in San Luis Obispo County in 2012 alone. We get to see cattle, goats, horses and sheep dotting our hills. We get to see wine grapes growing and the wine industry enhancing our local economy. We are so fortunate to have 112 agriculture commodities produced in our county making us one of the most diverse counties in a state that has lead agriculture production for countless decades. I do not exaggerate when I say that our county and California feed the World.
I encourage you to take a moment to understand what you’re having for dinner and its journey to your plate. I ask that you let the proper authorities do their job and investigate the incident at Heritage Ranch. And please, next time you see something in the news or on social media, take a moment to consider that there may be two sides to the story.
My thanks to the Paso Robles Daily News for the opportunity to write on this topic. My blog titled “A picture may speak a thousand words, but it only tells half the story,” has been viewed over 10,000 times in over 20 countries. The PRDN contacted me to write this op-ed and in doing so, they also pointed out that, in fact, they had tried to contact the owner of the sheep but were unable to reach him for comment. I thank them for this information.
Carin Ryan grew up on a grain and cattle ranch in Creston that her father’s family settled in 1874. Her mother’s family began farming grain in the Independence Ranch area of Paso Robles in the late 1860s. She is currently serving as the Public Relations Director for California Women for Agriculture. She served as the President of SLO County CWA in 2009 and several years as Secretary for Paso Robles Friends of NRA. She currently resides on the ranch in Creston where she helps her family with their cattle operation. Her blog can be found at carinryan.wordpress.com
Thank you for the education! I know how blessed I am to live on the central coast, amongst the livestock, vines and amazing views of the unspoiled hillsides of California. I am thankful for concerned families who notice things like sheep not well and making calls, and for farmers who graze there sheep in my neighborhood. It is a healthy balance. I pray for a healthy balance in nature so we never lose all we should be so thankful for.
Thank you.
Well written Carin, thanks PRDN for publishing the other side.
Thank youl Very well written.
I don't but my husband does. This man needs life in prison. My husband raised sheep all of his life and treats them like family pet. I can not imagine treating any animal in this manner. How could you live with yourself. So sad
Yesterday at 5:45pm · Like
Thank you for providing a well-written and informed article from a ranching perspective.
Well when you have a large operation with thousands of sheep you cant treat them like family pets. You act like he wanted these animals dead. You are out of your mind if you or anyone think that. These sheep are what keeps the bread on his table and also on yours. Of course this is tragic but I also realize this is the largest storm we have had in about a year. Therefore this storm had an effect on his herd that had more of an impact than what was expected.
I lived in Paso for many years and I had the pleasure to meet this basque rancher. One day I got to ride along with him. He starts early in the morning checking animals and hurding them with his dogs. He is in contact via phone with sheep herders and family members all working together. This rancher is a gentle soul, hard working plus a family man. He would give you the shirt off his back. His family is the same way. Definitely two sides of a coin. My heart goes out to him and his family.
Perfect! It's so frustrating when city slickers no nothing about ranching. It's one thing to be concerned but another to take it to a whole another level.
You're a hick like the rest of 'em. Proof is in those videos
Yes these animals like us are "living breathing animals who often have a mind of their own". Like us they certainly don't want to be "used" or killed. We only do so by the force of might and the motivation of greed and gluttony. It's appalling to think what we do to innocent victims in the name of meat, dairy and eggs.
When you start with a necessary evil, and then over time the necessity passes away, what's left?
― Matthew Scully, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
Thank you for writing such an informative and articulate article. We welcome these sheep every year to graze on our property!!
This is a very well-written counterpoint. However, it still irks me that Ms. Ryan (as she did in her blog, which I read as well) assumes members of the non-ag community are completely braindead imbeciles that need to be told what a malnourished, neglected, dying animal looks like. The whole “you don’t understand what you are looking at” attitude makes me irate. I appreciate the tutorial on agribusiness, but I don’t need to be patronized…cheers.
Carin
To start, I would like to applaud you for whole heartedly defending a man, and a lifestyle that you clearly love and respect. It is a breath of fresh air to see a person stand up for what they truly believe is right in a time where so many choose to turn their cheek simply because, “it’s none of their business.”
With that being said, I also am a person who stands up for what I believe is right and this is where the two of us no longer agree on this topic. Although I am willing to concede that your opinions are written based on fact, education and years of life experience, I believe the basis of your argument is focused on the wrong issue. For me, the issue at hand is not Mother Nature and her unpredictable behavior, a lack of education about farming or raising livestock, or even the intentions of the shepherd in question. The issue is the manner in which these animals were treated once all of the previous factors were already in effect.
I am not suggesting that this man had or should have had any control over the weather because no one does. I also do not believe that he had any malicious intent before his herd was effected by the storm. Things happen, animals get sick and sadly, they all die at some point. You yourself, have said that the community you represent treats their livestock as if they are members of the family. But if that is the case, why were these animals treated with so little sensitivity? The videos speak for themselves. I agree he had no control over the weather but he absolutely had control over the choices he made in the aftermath. No creature on this Earth deserves to be tossed into a truck, cold, hungry, and most importantly, still alive, and left to suffer and die a slow death. And for me, that’s where the biggest mistake was made.
In my eyes, shooting them or having them euthanized by a professional would have been more humane and would have spoken volumes about this mans character as a shepherd, and a human being in general. Without knowing him personally, I think it’s safe to say this is an issue of a mans character and morals being brought into question rather than his education, and experience in the agricultural community.
“Character, not circumstances, makes the man.”
Booker T. Washington
Wow, thank you for identifying what type of person you are on a social media website. Typical and I would expect nothing less from someone like you.
Elizabeth, your comment is EXACTLY how I feel! Thank you for posting your thoughts!!
JW-good to hear I’m not the only one:)
It's pretty sad when a city slicker can determine whats right from wrong when the animals owner can not. By the way I grew up with Ranching, consulted a vet and animal science specialist while calling all authorities to try to get these animals help. The owners idea of help was to throw live suffering animals with dead carcuses on top of them. We could hear the bones breaking on these live animals. I saw how they suffered and it haunts me to this day.
Oh and by the way I already had an animal rescue that would have taken the animals. All I needed was the authorities to intervine so that it would have been done legally. This is the man you want to defend? Shame on you, I will pray for your soul. He would rather "dispose" of them than give them to a rescue. I watch these animals suffer and it was the most horrific thing I have ever seen.
Yes but you have to follow the California Penal Code and he should pay for breaking the law, Animal Cruelty is against the law and he should have spent the money to put them down. Stop turning this into a Ranching issue. Paso Robles is full of quality ranchers who would never treat animals in this manner. This is the poor choice of this man and has nothing to do with the quality of Ranching in the Paso Robles area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpOqLPCaY2A
Make sure you watch this video first.
How would you have felt if their were children with us on this day? What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. What would it have done to a child? Notice you have to be 18 or over to watch because of the "disturbing content".
There was no animal cruelty… If there was he would have been fined…
PETA and HSUS are fund raising scams. They don't give a hoot about the actual welfare of animals. PETA and HSUS want to shut down all farming of animals. PETA and HSUS are about Agenda 21.
I agree with elizabeth also. Although this article states it tries to be non bias it is defending a MAN that has broken state and federal laws. A RANCHER would care for the livestock he/she raises even if it is for consumption. i come from a ranching family- matter of fact my grandfather raised sheep. i can personally say i have never seen any animal, in this condition, not considered anything but grossly neglected. my grandfather raised sheep, bred sheep, sheared sheep, and slaughtered sheep- but he also cared for them as if they were a family pet. this included feeding, cleaning, medical attention and shelter. He was a rancher and he treated his animals as they should be treated.
the video files of the care and treatment jb jaureguys sheep endured is documented with many pictures, videos and peoples (including peace officers) first hand accounts. these people know what really happened and what should happen. Expert citizens have commented and remarked on these videos and have stated (with their real names) how these animals were abused, starved and mistreated. In the condition they were in prior to the storm the animals had a doomed future. Shearing them sealed their- they had no chance and were left to die slowly and painfully over months not days. We (people speaking up for the sheep) are not attacking every rancher- we are pulling the veil off of something that should never happen.
ranchers have insurance and government subsidies to assist were losses were too great to sustain themselves. A rancher of 53 years would be- only if there were a profit. Sheep alone can produce wool, milk, meat and can be utilized for grazing for fire control. SLO county at close to $1 billion in agriculture-divided anyway is a profit.
i wanted to add one thing but did not have the space. i have included penal code 599f which shows several laws that were broken and documented on the video of jb jaureguy.
Citation: West’s Ann. Cal. Penal Code § 599f
Last Checked by Web Center Staff: 11/2012
Summary: As used in this section, “nonambulatory” means unable to stand and walk without assistance. This statute prohibits a slaughterhouse that is not inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture, stockyard, or auction shall buy, sell, or receive a nonambulatory animal. Effective July 2008, the law also states that no slaughterhouse shall sell meat from non-ambulatory animals for human consumption. The penalty was also increased from an unspecified misdemeanor to a penalty of up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $20,000 or both.
Statute in Full:
Preempted by National Meat Ass’n v. Harris, 132 S.Ct. 965, 965+, 181 L.Ed.2d 950, 950+, 80 USLW 4139, 4139+, 12 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 883, 883+, 2012 Daily Journal D.A.R. 879, 879+, 23 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 115, 115+ (U.S. Jan 23, 2012) (NO. 10-224)
(a) No slaughterhouse, stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer shall buy, sell, or receive a nonambulatory animal.
(b) No slaughterhouse shall process, butcher, or sell meat or products of nonambulatory animals for human consumption.
(c) No slaughterhouse shall hold a nonambulatory animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal.
(d) No stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer shall hold a nonambulatory animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal or to provide immediate veterinary treatment.
(e) While in transit or on the premises of a stockyard, auction, market agency, dealer, or slaughterhouse, a nonambulatory animal may not be dragged at any time, or pushed with equipment at any time, but shall be moved with a sling or on a stoneboat or other sled-like or wheeled conveyance.
(f) No person shall sell, consign, or ship any nonambulatory animal for the purpose of delivering a nonambulatory animal to a slaughterhouse, stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer.
(g) No person shall accept a nonambulatory animal for transport or delivery to a slaughterhouse, stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer.
(h) A violation of this section is subject to imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(i) As used in this section, “nonambulatory” means unable to stand and walk without assistance.
(j) As used in this section, “animal” means live cattle, swine, sheep, or goats.
(k) As used in this section, “humanely euthanize” means to kill by a mechanical, chemical, or electrical method that rapidly and effectively renders the animal insensitive to pain.
CREDIT(S)
(Added by Stats.1994, c. 600 (S.B.692), § 1. Amended by Stats.2008, c. 194 (A.B.2098), § 1; Stats.2009, c. 140 (A.B.1164), § 141.)
Thank you for the education! I know how blessed I am to live on the central coast, amongst the livestock, vines and amazing views of the unspoiled hillsides of California. I am thankful for concerned families who notice things like sheep not well and making calls, and for farmers who graze there sheep in my neighborhood. It is a healthy balance. I pray for a healthy balance in nature so we never lose all we should be so thankful for.
Thank you.
Well written Carin, thanks PRDN for publishing the other side.
Thank youl Very well written.
I don't but my husband does. This man needs life in prison. My husband raised sheep all of his life and treats them like family pet. I can not imagine treating any animal in this manner. How could you live with yourself. So sad
Yesterday at 5:45pm · Like
Thank you for providing a well-written and informed article from a ranching perspective.
Well when you have a large operation with thousands of sheep you cant treat them like family pets. You act like he wanted these animals dead. You are out of your mind if you or anyone think that. These sheep are what keeps the bread on his table and also on yours. Of course this is tragic but I also realize this is the largest storm we have had in about a year. Therefore this storm had an effect on his herd that had more of an impact than what was expected.
I lived in Paso for many years and I had the pleasure to meet this basque rancher. One day I got to ride along with him. He starts early in the morning checking animals and hurding them with his dogs. He is in contact via phone with sheep herders and family members all working together. This rancher is a gentle soul, hard working plus a family man. He would give you the shirt off his back. His family is the same way. Definitely two sides of a coin. My heart goes out to him and his family.
Perfect! It's so frustrating when city slickers no nothing about ranching. It's one thing to be concerned but another to take it to a whole another level.
You're a hick like the rest of 'em. Proof is in those videos
Yes these animals like us are "living breathing animals who often have a mind of their own". Like us they certainly don't want to be "used" or killed. We only do so by the force of might and the motivation of greed and gluttony. It's appalling to think what we do to innocent victims in the name of meat, dairy and eggs.
When you start with a necessary evil, and then over time the necessity passes away, what's left?
― Matthew Scully, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy
Thank you for writing such an informative and articulate article. We welcome these sheep every year to graze on our property!!
This is a very well-written counterpoint. However, it still irks me that Ms. Ryan (as she did in her blog, which I read as well) assumes members of the non-ag community are completely braindead imbeciles that need to be told what a malnourished, neglected, dying animal looks like. The whole “you don’t understand what you are looking at” attitude makes me irate. I appreciate the tutorial on agribusiness, but I don’t need to be patronized…cheers.
Carin
To start, I would like to applaud you for whole heartedly defending a man, and a lifestyle that you clearly love and respect. It is a breath of fresh air to see a person stand up for what they truly believe is right in a time where so many choose to turn their cheek simply because, “it’s none of their business.”
With that being said, I also am a person who stands up for what I believe is right and this is where the two of us no longer agree on this topic. Although I am willing to concede that your opinions are written based on fact, education and years of life experience, I believe the basis of your argument is focused on the wrong issue. For me, the issue at hand is not Mother Nature and her unpredictable behavior, a lack of education about farming or raising livestock, or even the intentions of the shepherd in question. The issue is the manner in which these animals were treated once all of the previous factors were already in effect.
I am not suggesting that this man had or should have had any control over the weather because no one does. I also do not believe that he had any malicious intent before his herd was effected by the storm. Things happen, animals get sick and sadly, they all die at some point. You yourself, have said that the community you represent treats their livestock as if they are members of the family. But if that is the case, why were these animals treated with so little sensitivity? The videos speak for themselves. I agree he had no control over the weather but he absolutely had control over the choices he made in the aftermath. No creature on this Earth deserves to be tossed into a truck, cold, hungry, and most importantly, still alive, and left to suffer and die a slow death. And for me, that’s where the biggest mistake was made.
In my eyes, shooting them or having them euthanized by a professional would have been more humane and would have spoken volumes about this mans character as a shepherd, and a human being in general. Without knowing him personally, I think it’s safe to say this is an issue of a mans character and morals being brought into question rather than his education, and experience in the agricultural community.
“Character, not circumstances, makes the man.”
Booker T. Washington
Wow, thank you for identifying what type of person you are on a social media website. Typical and I would expect nothing less from someone like you.
Elizabeth, your comment is EXACTLY how I feel! Thank you for posting your thoughts!!
JW-good to hear I’m not the only one:)
It's pretty sad when a city slicker can determine whats right from wrong when the animals owner can not. By the way I grew up with Ranching, consulted a vet and animal science specialist while calling all authorities to try to get these animals help. The owners idea of help was to throw live suffering animals with dead carcuses on top of them. We could hear the bones breaking on these live animals. I saw how they suffered and it haunts me to this day.
Oh and by the way I already had an animal rescue that would have taken the animals. All I needed was the authorities to intervine so that it would have been done legally. This is the man you want to defend? Shame on you, I will pray for your soul. He would rather "dispose" of them than give them to a rescue. I watch these animals suffer and it was the most horrific thing I have ever seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpOqLPCaY2A
Yes but you have to follow the California Penal Code and he should pay for breaking the law, Animal Cruelty is against the law and he should have spent the money to put them down. Stop turning this into a Ranching issue. Paso Robles is full of quality ranchers who would never treat animals in this manner. This is the poor choice of this man and has nothing to do with the quality of Ranching in the Paso Robles area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpOqLPCaY2A
Make sure you watch this video first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpOqLPCaY2A
How would you have felt if their were children with us on this day? What I saw will haunt me for the rest of my life. What would it have done to a child? Notice you have to be 18 or over to watch because of the "disturbing content".
There was no animal cruelty… If there was he would have been fined…
PETA and HSUS are fund raising scams. They don't give a hoot about the actual welfare of animals. PETA and HSUS want to shut down all farming of animals. PETA and HSUS are about Agenda 21.
I agree with elizabeth also. Although this article states it tries to be non bias it is defending a MAN that has broken state and federal laws. A RANCHER would care for the livestock he/she raises even if it is for consumption. i come from a ranching family- matter of fact my grandfather raised sheep. i can personally say i have never seen any animal, in this condition, not considered anything but grossly neglected. my grandfather raised sheep, bred sheep, sheared sheep, and slaughtered sheep- but he also cared for them as if they were a family pet. this included feeding, cleaning, medical attention and shelter. He was a rancher and he treated his animals as they should be treated.
the video files of the care and treatment jb jaureguys sheep endured is documented with many pictures, videos and peoples (including peace officers) first hand accounts. these people know what really happened and what should happen. Expert citizens have commented and remarked on these videos and have stated (with their real names) how these animals were abused, starved and mistreated. In the condition they were in prior to the storm the animals had a doomed future. Shearing them sealed their- they had no chance and were left to die slowly and painfully over months not days. We (people speaking up for the sheep) are not attacking every rancher- we are pulling the veil off of something that should never happen.
ranchers have insurance and government subsidies to assist were losses were too great to sustain themselves. A rancher of 53 years would be- only if there were a profit. Sheep alone can produce wool, milk, meat and can be utilized for grazing for fire control. SLO county at close to $1 billion in agriculture-divided anyway is a profit.
i wanted to add one thing but did not have the space. i have included penal code 599f which shows several laws that were broken and documented on the video of jb jaureguy.
Citation: West’s Ann. Cal. Penal Code § 599f
Last Checked by Web Center Staff: 11/2012
Summary: As used in this section, “nonambulatory” means unable to stand and walk without assistance. This statute prohibits a slaughterhouse that is not inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture, stockyard, or auction shall buy, sell, or receive a nonambulatory animal. Effective July 2008, the law also states that no slaughterhouse shall sell meat from non-ambulatory animals for human consumption. The penalty was also increased from an unspecified misdemeanor to a penalty of up to one year in jail or a fine of up to $20,000 or both.
Statute in Full:
Preempted by National Meat Ass’n v. Harris, 132 S.Ct. 965, 965+, 181 L.Ed.2d 950, 950+, 80 USLW 4139, 4139+, 12 Cal. Daily Op. Serv. 883, 883+, 2012 Daily Journal D.A.R. 879, 879+, 23 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 115, 115+ (U.S. Jan 23, 2012) (NO. 10-224)
(a) No slaughterhouse, stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer shall buy, sell, or receive a nonambulatory animal.
(b) No slaughterhouse shall process, butcher, or sell meat or products of nonambulatory animals for human consumption.
(c) No slaughterhouse shall hold a nonambulatory animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal.
(d) No stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer shall hold a nonambulatory animal without taking immediate action to humanely euthanize the animal or to provide immediate veterinary treatment.
(e) While in transit or on the premises of a stockyard, auction, market agency, dealer, or slaughterhouse, a nonambulatory animal may not be dragged at any time, or pushed with equipment at any time, but shall be moved with a sling or on a stoneboat or other sled-like or wheeled conveyance.
(f) No person shall sell, consign, or ship any nonambulatory animal for the purpose of delivering a nonambulatory animal to a slaughterhouse, stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer.
(g) No person shall accept a nonambulatory animal for transport or delivery to a slaughterhouse, stockyard, auction, market agency, or dealer.
(h) A violation of this section is subject to imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, or by a fine of not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(i) As used in this section, “nonambulatory” means unable to stand and walk without assistance.
(j) As used in this section, “animal” means live cattle, swine, sheep, or goats.
(k) As used in this section, “humanely euthanize” means to kill by a mechanical, chemical, or electrical method that rapidly and effectively renders the animal insensitive to pain.
CREDIT(S)
(Added by Stats.1994, c. 600 (S.B.692), § 1. Amended by Stats.2008, c. 194 (A.B.2098), § 1; Stats.2009, c. 140 (A.B.1164), § 141.)