Apology

Tobina+1 · February 19, 2008, 11:51:39 PM

I'd like to personally apologize to everyone who eats American Beef and watched the video last week on the slaughter plant debaucle in California. I would also like to apologize on behalf of the millions of farmers and ranchers and others who make our living on raising healthy, happy livestock so as to provide healthful, safe meat to our own families and families of all consumers in the United States. I apologize for crying with you as we watched the horrific scenes play out on TV, and not being able to comfort your children with words to make them understand that is not how we treat our animals. I apologize that I can't invite every single one of you to come visit my own ranch, or a ranch of one of my friends in the industry, and show you how important it is for us to treat our livestock with respect and kindness. I apologize that the punishment that will hopefully be brought down upon those people in California who own, work, and inspect the facility won't be harsh enough to make up for all the pain they have caused you and me and the livestock industry. I apologize that the next time you walk through the grocery store and pause at the meat counter, that I cannot erase the images you'll have in your head. I hope that you will accept my apology, and the apology of all my beef industry friends, and that you will have faith in us to restore your faith our product. I also hope that you do not take out your doubts and fears caused by this horrible incident on the rest of us who depend on the health, safety, care, and happiness of our livestock that provide our livelihoods. Thank you.

Wilma · February 20, 2008, 08:14:59 AM

Tobi, thank you for reassuring us as to the safety of the meat we buy. I know and I hope that everyone else does to, that this is not the norm of the meat industry. I also don't think it was necessary to be quite so graphic with the photographs. The media has a responsibility to report to us any dangers to our health, but I don't think they have to use scare tactics to inform us. Anyway, thanks, Tobi. I appreciate your reassurrance.

Diane Amberg · February 20, 2008, 09:23:41 AM

Thank you Tobina. Apparently none of that meat made it to Delaware, or so we were told. We know it was a sickening but isolated case.

Roma Jean Turner · February 20, 2008, 09:55:47 AM

Thank you Tobina for your concern and reassurance. I heard this on the news, but haven't seen the footage or followup. My first thought was that this company is perhaps ran by people whose only background is making money, but no personal background with the land and creatures who inhabit it. I grew up around farmers. My stepdad raised cattle and had a slaughter house. The people who actually raise cattle and work them on the land, have always, in my experience also had a great love, respect and concern for their care. This is one reason why I have worried so much about family owned farms and ranches being taken over by big business. I can assure you, as long as Steak & Shake has burgers, I'll be eating them.

Tobina+1 · February 20, 2008, 05:23:58 PM

The saddest and scariest part of the whole incident... that plant was one of the suppliers of meat for the SCHOOL SYSTEM! That's what's so frustrating... the school system just takes the lowest bidder on supplying the meat, and this is what happens! Fortunately, in Kansas (so the news said), school systems get an X dollar amount of money for food, and it's their own responsibility to purchase from wherever they want. So hopefully in Kansas, they have chosen more wisely.

Lookatmeknow!! · February 21, 2008, 07:32:04 AM

I was sickened too. My husband, his grandfather, and uncle have a farm at west of town. We raise cattle and know how important it is to treat them with respect. We have feeder cattle right now. I can tell you from the time that he spends taking care of them, that the these people who did this have no respect for animals. I was not raised on a farm, but was raised in a small rural community. I don't really know to much about taking care of cattle, but have learned alot the past 15 years that my husband and I have been together. We take pride in sending our feeder calves to the sale looking great!! We know that others at the sale want good quality beef and we aim to sell it to them. We also have a very good relationship with the owners of the sale barn that we sale the animals, too. We know that they take good care of them while they are in their hands. It is such a shame that the people that it hurts the most are the small business famers and also the consumers. Those people that did this weren't hurt as much as were or even you were. They were probably given a small fine and a slap on the wrist. That is what is so depressing about this whole thing. Also the media just reports the bad things, such as these. They should really show the good about the beef industry, but do we ever see that in the media. NO!! We hear and see all the bad! But there is not much that I can say or do to change that or I would try. I dislike that it always seems to be at the being of the year when things like this happens, too. Because we usually sale the feeder calves towards the first of the year, after we have been feeding and weaning them to get them ready to sale. It seems like the market always takes a blow!!

But I just want to reassure everyone out there that almost all the farming operations that I have seen or know of around Howard do take pride in their livestock. They want to produce the best quality beef that they can. They do this because they LOVE what they do!! They have the knowledge and understanding to do so!! So realize that the people that did this are just uneducated people that have no pride in their job, their business or themselves!!

Tobina+1 · February 25, 2008, 10:08:25 AM

The plant was closed for business and a lot of meat was recalled (at the expense of the plant). Hopefully, this was more of a financial blow, rather than just a slap on the wrist.

Another bad part of this whole situation, is that the guy who took the video (associated with Animal Rights), took the video right to the media, instead of reporting it to the proper authorities. This guy was out for attention for himself. I hope he also gets some sort of punishment.

Lookatmeknow!! · February 28, 2008, 07:30:14 AM

I hope so too!! Don't you think that he deserves something?

I am all for animal rights, but does that man think that going to the media helps the animals???

I don't!! If he would have went to the proper people that would have been better for everyone. I personally don't like to see that kind of stuff on T.V. Do they think that we don't know that things like this happen?? I know they do!! Do I like it? NO, but would rather see a rancher get praise for the good that they are doing for us. Do we hardly ever see the media present how most of the ranchers take so good of care for their cattle??? NO!! I least I haven't. But that is the media for you!!