What a year for animal owners in Ohio

The hsus has blown the whole thing way out of hand, and uniformed society beleives nearly everything the hsus pukes out. You do realize that the hsus probably stages and doctors alot of the films that they show to society to make it look about 10x’s worse than it really is. This is the way the hsus works. If you don’t like the current methods of slaughter then raise your own meat slaughter it yourself. Then and only then you will find that that is no “real” way to slaugther anything “humanely”. Death is death; so get out of your soap box and raise your own food.

First of all let’s cut to the chase. Temple Grandin has wonderful ideas, they have been embraced for years by many farmers. What you say is that everyone wants this “how about farmers in Ohio listen to what their customers have to say” — so what you are proposing is that we look at the supply and demand method to see if indeed customers want what you claim. Why don’t you take a moment to look some information like that up. How about you call a few dozen stores, in fact. I did and here is what I heard probably 8 out of 10 times…the store was pressured into carrying a larger selection of food that includes organic and special meat products – but here’s the kicker….even though people voiced concern and wanted this – the stores are selling the items marked down (before they expire) and many times throwing out the stuff because people don’t BUY it. So if you go by the supply and demand method then it’s just not there. Additionally – Ohio already has standards in place for humane slaughter…this isn’t about humane slaughter, which is some great HSUS idea you swoopedin on – it is about letting afarmers farm their way…this is their bread & butter and they aren’t going to do anything to harm their income. Humane slaughter has nothing to do with it…it is about caring for the animals. Quite watching those spplice videos and maybe you’ll see that for yourself!

im sorry but the HSUS wants you to think the animals are confined. Lets see i was almost tempted to take pics of a dairy farm near me. Funny thing, every one of those cows were outside in GRASS. oh my gosh they actually go outside. Yes they actually do get to go outside. Happy looking cows, then the next farm i seen dairy cows WAITING to go back into the barn to be milked. GHEE they really looked abused. HA HA.

My husband said i should have taken pics of them to show the hsus what really a dairy farm is like instead of what they think it is like/

Erica you know full well that State Issue 2, which created the OHIO Livestock Care Standards Board was a cynical attempt by ag interests to preempt any meaningful reform. I don’t doubt that Ohio is capable of handling their farmers themselves. But it was business as usual in Ohio until ag got scared that HSUS was coming and funded Issue 2. So now farmers may have to follow some minimal, very minimal standards of decency in their treatment of the animals in their care. Get over it. If you can’t farm humanely then get another line of work.

“The HSUS then reached out to the Ohio Farm Bureau to start a dialogue about phasing out certain confinement practices. The Ohio Farm Bureau refused to negotiate, being the corporate shills they are. Instead, the Ohio Farm Bureau with the financial backing of industrial ag pulled an preemptive maneuver by getting a constitutional amendment (Issue 2) on the ballot,
which they hoped would stymie any meaningful reform.”

Let’s see….in YOUR opinion this is how it went down. And because they don’t want HSUS involved with deciding our farming policies and practices that makes them corporate shills.

Here is what the board is supposed to do:
“Ohio farmers strongly support the proposal to create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board because it will ensure animal care is top of mind for all farmers and keep regulatory control of Ohio’s farms where it belongs–in the state

It allows the people of Ohio to vote for an Ohio solution to animal care issues — one that puts the decision making for livestock care and local food production in the hands of Ohio consumers and Ohio experts in farming, animal well-being and food safety.

It is important that changes suggested for the entire agriculture community be carefully considered by Ohio experts and supported by science, fact and data.

Through Issue 2 farmers are taking an unprecedented lead in the nation. Being responsive to the consumers they serve, Ohio farmers are taking a proactive stance to provide for informed, responsible decisions about food and animal care issues in the state through creation of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. ”

Want more info on it – go to http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Ohio_Livestock_Care_Standards,_Issue_2_(2009)

Ohio has been very firm in the fact that they do not want an external interest group telling us what to do in our state (HSUS).

You additional state “cynical attempt by ag interests to preempt any meaningful reform” Really? Cynical attempt…at meaningful reforms? Yes it was done to keep HSUS out of Ohio – but it appears that HSUS took it as an invitiation to come on in and put their changes in place…which is in stark contrast to what the board was set up for. Which is part of the reason why Kasich & Zehringer are going to be looking over the “changes” that HSUS put in place in Ohio. The voters of Ohio already spoke and said they don’t want outside influence by passing Issue 2, but then Strickland met with HSUS to create a backdoor deal that had nothing to do with what Ohio voters agreed to.

Joe, the ballot initiative and agreement with the Farm Bureau does not affect farrowing crates. Those are the crates where sows go in after they have had the piglets to keep them from crushing the piglets. These crates are not affected. What is affected is gestation crates, the crates for the pregnant pigs before she has had piglets. These are the crates so small she cannot stand up, lie down, turn around or spread her limbs comfortably. Many animal welfare scientists including Temple Grandin have called for the phase out of these crates.

You asked about compromise. The agreement is much weaker than the ballot measure in several respects. The main one concerns battery cages for hens. The initiative would have required battery cages be phased out in seven years. The agreement only bars new battery cage operations from coming into the state. It says nothing about battery cages in existing operations, which can go on using them forever. This is a major point as there are currently 27 million laying hens in the state in battery cages, which the HSUS and many other feel is an inhumane way to house chickens. One practical effect this is having is that it is keeping a huge battery cage operation from Iowa from coming in and setting up a 15 million hen operation in Union County. Most of the residents of that area including me want this operation kept out.

You also bring up the famous “slippery slope” argument. This is nonsense. The reforms the HSUS is proposing — phase out of three specific types of intense confinement — are modest and supported by a majority of people. If the HSUS wants to campaign for another set of reforms, it will have to bring a NEW ballot measure, get 500,000 MORE signatures, and run an expensive time consuming campaign AGAIN. Believe me, the HSUS has other things to do than continually push new measures in the same state, and even if it did do that, you can vote against it then. If the HSUS puts a measure to outlaw meat on the ballot, I’ll join you in voting against it. But at the rate we are going, it will be sometime in the 25th century before that happens.

Amy – I do NOT see how you can say it was supported by the majority of people….I can name many, MANY people who do not and will not support it, especially due to the HSUS’s involvement in it. Why do you think Strickland was voted out of office…the Buckeye Compromise was a good part of that reason. Many Ohioans do not want to be told what to do – especially not by a group like HSUS. We created a board in Ohio to handle our agriculture issues and make needed changes. HSUS took advantage of this new group and tried to push through their agenda without majority vote. I say let HSUS bring on the battle and try to put something on our ballot in 2012. Meanwhile I can’t wait for Kasich & Zehringer to get their hands on the Buckeye Compromise and start making changes based on their experts opinions!

Those are your answers not from HSUS. As you so admittingly put on the blog, you are not HSUS. Want the truth, and yes, the questions are from Humanewatch.org, go to HumaneWatch.org.

amy, your answers are dancing around the questions, I consider them lies,there not strait answers, there hsus answers thats phoney, we know better.

“suzy’ those are fair and strait forward questions, way weren’t they a
nswered,we kwow why, it would expose the hsus’s intentions thats why!!!
No good intentions!!

Personal attacks are different than industry-wide attacks. We have deleted or edited comments on both sides that use name-calling or inappropriate language. Your comment that was deleted previously was not necessarily deleted because of the line you quote here, but for what came after it. All we ask is for a little civil discourse, here, folks.

Okay, Suzanne..NOW we can see things clearer..Not to be off-topic or rude, several of us have noticed occassional tendencies that appeared anti-farm in your comments. Without meaning to be rude, I would like to take this time to point out that you are somewhat “out-of-touch” with us farmers. You consider animal-rights attacks on us farmers “industry-wide” attacks…Let me make this VERY plain-WE FARMERS CONSIDER THESE ATTACKS EXTREMELY PERSONAL-PERIOD!!!!

Our farms are not just “businesses”-they ARE our life-part of our soul. That VERY much includes our animals. Our farms are where we raise our children and teach them about all aspects of life-from the joy of births, the struggles within life, and the sad part of death. This is NOT ONLY for animals, but for us humans as well. There is not enough room here but suffice it to say there is much more on this subject…Animal rights groups are INVADING not only our privacy-but our ENTIRE LIVES. Please open your eyes and see this…to us-it is NOT just an attack on our industtry-it is an outright attack on our families, souls, beliefs, and our characters.

While I can truly understand your “refereeing”, please understand that you have misjudged something that we take differently-these AR attacks ARE personal-not just “industry” attacks.

I tend to agree – the AR people have gone so far as to say we are animal abusers….just because we don’t support their position. So why is that allowed on this comment list?

the pigs are born in the farrowing crates, thier not born and then put into them.

That’s fine, but the point is that the humane farms initiative affects only gestation crates, not farrowing crates, and the compromise gives farmers 15 years to phase them out. That is a very long time. Even brand new equipment lasts only 15 years. If this goes back to the ballot, the original initiative allows only seven years.

You are correct in that HSUS does not support any of the local Humane Societies. Originally at HSUS conception there was a 60/40 split with the local Huamne Societies…but as time has gone on and HSUS has become more popular and one of the most stable, in a financial sense, animal organizations (based on their 2009 tax returns they are sitting on MILLIONS of dollars). I do know that they have a hand full of places they operate – there were taken over as the HSUS began to envelope other animal organizations within their ranks. Occassionally they have given “grants” to shelters – but those instances were few and far between. The only TRUE support that is offered to local shelters is in becoming a “shelter-partner” with HSUS. Unfortunately – being a shelter partner seems to be more one-sided and that the HSUS benefits more from this partnership – they charge shelters a whopping $25k to do a shelter evaluation, which is something they should be doing free of charge…each dollar the- shelter spends cuts into their operating costs and as a result decrease the number of animals they can proved shelter for….which in turn results in more deaths because they don’t have the funds to provide care for the animals. It is a vicious cycle – and in my opinion an unneccessary burden to place on our already stretched shelters. The only time I see support – it in NEVER in any financial way – but they will argue on behalf of shelters that the shelters HAVE to euthanize animals – which we are finding is NOT true because there are many shelters/rescues adopting the no kill philosophy and proving that by changing mindsets we are able to decrease the amount of animals killed and find homes for the other thousands of animals in their care. So it is fair to say the while they do not financially support shelters – they do support the shelters methods and over use of euthanization to control animal populations rather than pushing for shelters to change their way of thinking and encouraging them to work with their communities to save more animals. In my opinion IF HSUS actually went back to the 60/40 split instead of giving themselves high salaries and utilizing the majority of their funds to promote legislative action – it would help take some of the financial burden off of the shelters and allow them more wiggle room where they can make needed updates to their facilities and be able to work more on saving the animals instead of having to decide which ones to kill today.

By the HSUS “using” the Humane Society in their name and showing the commercials of abused & neglected animals – they are misleading the general public into thinking that the money they send in is actually going to the shelters that do the hands-on caring of animals. So when people hear that their local Humane Society is struggling financially these people in the community are trying to figure out why this is the case when they send in their donations monthly to HSUS and the HSUS “claims” to have 11 million supporters – so the general public thinks that with so many supporters giving the same amount (roughly $20 a month) that would mean the HSUS gets $275 million yearly…and with the 60/40 split it would equal $165m/$110m….just imagine how many animals could be helped with that!

Actually numerous newspapers carried the vist of Mr. Pacelle himself last Feb. He came to Ohio and Told the Gov/OFBF that it was either his way or the ballot way. That is far from “productive conversation”, that is strong armimg. If you want someone to work with you, don’t come into their house and start demanding your way.

It’s not that farmers are inhumae to their animals, we all know there a animal abusers out there but not every farmer is one. If the industry is so bad then why video from only 1 farm? Why did MFA have to splice in video from farms that weren’t even in Ohio for their grand Veal video? If MFA, HSUS, OHF and the rest are so concerned about Animal Welfare, and know all about the abuse, why not report it to USDA, ODA? Why go tell the local sheriff, all they are going to do is report it USDA and/or ODA, who oversee AGRICULTURE. They don’t report it because it doesn’t exist, the abuse isn’t there.

The livestock standards board was created in 2009 when Ohioans voted to establish the board on the principle that animal welfare in Ohio should be determined by Ohio authorities and not outside activist groups like HSUS, which is an activist group headquartered in Washington, D.C., that advocates be vegetarianism. You can read further about it here: http://www.feedstuffs.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=F4D1A9DFCD974EAD8CD5205E15C1CB42&nm=Breaking+News&type=news&mod=News&mid=A3D60400B4204079A76C4B1B129CB433&tier=3&nid=B6A8023426CF4801AF53E076C14291B5

So, yes it was created to keep HSUS out of Ohio…but AFTER Ohioans voted on the group and put it in place….HSUS still wasn’t happy and that’s when they decided to do their dirty behind the scene deal. Meaning – HSUS took advantage of Ohio forming a group to keep HSUS out of Ohio instead of allowing our new board do their jobs and set the standards where Ohioans want it to be! Why would anyone in a manily ag state want HSUS involved in any of their dealings…especially when we’re losing some 700 farms a year already!

ya and it,s brain washed urban city type people that vote for prop.2 they don’t have no idea of what they voted on because of hsus’s brain washing on tv commercals. Isn’t that right???? Answer me.

the truth is that they are spliced and the people that are taking the video are just as guilty as the person actually mistreating these animals. They are standing their and allowing to happen. Not even contacting the farm owner. Shame on the hsus.

“How many times are animal abuse enablers, rationalizers and apologists going to be able to repeat the “spliced video” fairy tale and not be ashamed of that?”

First – it’s completely uneducated of you to start off your attck with the logica that if someone doesn’t agree with you then they must be an animal abuser. I am so sick of that. Unless you have proff to back of claims that all the people who disagree with HSUS are animal abusers then it seems to me that you are guilty of harrassment.

Second – there is nothing to be ashamed of. HSUS uses spliced videos all the time. In fact if you watch some of them you’ll notice the same “farms” being shown in multiple videos…..maybe you should do some digging around and you’ll see this for yourself instead of just going by what you hear out of HSUS’s mouth!

Never it is the truth!

Erica, neither the ballot initiative nor the compromise will penalize all farmers. The compromise will only affect farmers who use gestation crates or veal stalls, and it gives them 15 years to phase out gestation crates, which is a very long time. The equipment only lasts 15 years. It gives them 7 years to phase out veal crates, which is what the American Veal Association also recommends. The compromise does not affect farmers who use battery cages because there is no phaseout. There is only a moratorium so new battery cage operations can’t come into the state and do to other people’s property what Park Farms did to Mary Gibson’s. And if you don’t use veal crates or gestation crates, you are not affected.

Second, the humane farms initiative WAS democracy at work. Thousands of volunteers across the state gathered over 500,000 signatures in just three months, a state record. Strickland brokered the compromise because he did not want a nasty campaign battle breaking out in the middle of his re-election campaign. If Kasich scraps the agreement, thousands of volunteers are ready to go back for more signatures, put the initiative on the ballot, and campaign for its passage.

Third, the slippery slope argument that you and so many others bring up is ludicrous. Let’s say for the sake of argument that the HSUS is trying to get its foot in the door to push for more reforms. Currently it has agreed to 15 years just to phase out gestation crates, and no phase out of battery cages. These are VERY modest steps. What’s next? 20 years to phase out beak trimming? 25 years to phase out tail docking? 30 years to phase out disbudding? Please. At this rate it will be the year 2500 before they can propose the meatless petless society you are so worried about.

Besides, if the HSUS did want to propose further reforms, it would have to come back to Ohio, organize thousands more volunteers, run another campaign, and get 500,000 more signatures. Believe me, the HSUS has other priorities than to push one ballot initiative after another in the same state. These initiatives are very costly, and although it’s a large organization, the HSUS does not have the budget to pay for that.

Finally, the reforms they are proposing right now are very modest and supported by the majority of Ohioans. The reason the HSUS has traction is that most people support what they are proposing. But if they were to propose something more radical in the future, they would lose this popular support. And if they put a proposal to outlaw meat or pets on the ballot, even I will join you in voting against it.

I am witnessing childish arguments on both sides of this equation. It is sad that none of you saw the hell that my family has been put through as the result of the look the other way for a livestock operator with deep pockets. If all Farm Bureau members were going through what we have there would be no Farm Bureau. It is too bad as an organization Farm Bureau chose the side of the poultry operation of Park Farms instead of taking the position who was there first and persuaded Park not to destroy the peaceful enjoyment of our home. As my neighbor remarked prior to moving away from the problems, we no longer have homes, only shelters. Welcome to the world of the caring livestock industry.

Mary it is not fair to judge ALL by what one group has done. If you were unsuccessful in getting someone to listen to you – it would be because the recent government in Ohio was supportive of what was going on. I think you will find things change when the new Gov & Jim Zehringer in general get involved. Have you tried to contact either person directly and speak with them about what is happening? I would also look inot zoning….because it could be that some of your local lawmakers changed zoning to allow Parks to move in that area. My suggestion to you is that you need to go through the proper channels – and I would rely heavily on the new government officials taking over in January to do this…as you can tell the out going officials backed agreements made without constituents opinions in mind.

Erica, I hate to disappoint you, but I have not responded to every post here (just look) and didn’t know about this one until someone messaged me. Of further disappointment to you, I did not start Stop Humanewatch (though I love whoever did), and I’m not a paid employee of the HSUS, just a donor and supporter who helped collect signatures during the first campaign and will do it again if I have to.

Obviously not all of the signatures will be valid, which is why we collected 500,000, well over the number needed, and we will collect even more next time. (We also won’t need as many next time because the turnout for the last governor’s election was smaller.) Sure, go tell people your “truth.” I spent time with each and every person who signed to show them the exact wording of the ballot measure and answer any questions. Frankly, it’s a lot of hard work, but I’ll do it willingly for the simple reason that I think animals should be able to stand up, lie down, turn around and spread their limbs. That’s all. And when most people see what the ballot measure actually entails — not the petless, meatless bogeyman you like to put out there — they sign. Like it or not, most people care the welfare of animals, even animals used for food.

As for having a lot of time on one’s hands, you are hardly the person to talk. If I’m not mistaken, Stop Humanewatch did an analysis that showed you are by far the most frequent contributor to HumaneWatch. You are also the most frequent contributor on this page and likely many others. Tell me, where do you get that kind of time?

“whoever” loves you back!

Hmmmm….maybe I’m paid to sit at a computer and respond to stuff like this every day? Maybe I have a vested interest in these things and care enough? Maybe I am doing all I can to get the word out that HSUS is NOT what they lead people to believe they are? Go ahead and speculate on it….I feel so honored that SHW did a “numbers run” and I got in their top 15 (but just now found out that I am the most frequent comtributor – yeah me!)…like I said before – “so glad that I am irritating people to the point that the keep my name in their mouth.” That means I’m getting under people’s skin – and the only way that is possibly is if me speaking out is causing problems for them. Everyone can keep speculating about me….and wondering who I am and what I am. Ohioans are taking their state back from ANY grasp of the HSUS. Until HSUS practices what they preach – humane action on behalf of our animals….ALL of them….then I am going to continue. I’d love to get to sit down with Wayne and explain it all to him…but since I can’t I’ll speak on behalf of the millions of animals KILLED every year – you know the same sad, abused, mistreated animals that HSUS shows on their “$19 a day and you can help animals like these” commercials. As long as HSUS continues to accept that dogs & cats have to be killed – when in actuality they don’t – I’ll continue to speak out.

Sorry that should read $19 a month NOT a day…

and then hsus and peta say a rats life is as valuble as a human childs life,you know animals are people too, I say BS to that! now you hsus people on hear try to denie that quote from hsus, thats plain stupid, don’t the rest of you good people agree?

You do understand that the money you donate does not ALL go to help any animal. You do understand that wayne himself said he wishes there were no domesicated animals. You do understand that Stop humane watch is a bunch of idiots that want you to send all of your money to the H$U$ and NOT your local shelter.
I have read both pages and SHW is one of the most goofiest pages i have ever read.