Editor, Times-Union: One of the ways that farmers and friends of farmers help to support the people of the world is by donating animals to people who have limited resources in countries all over the world.
There are even some organizations like “Farmers Feeding the World” that have local support, and provide food as well.
One organization that I find to be most effective is Heifer International, which provides animals to people of small communities and tribes all over the world. Part of the requirement is intense training on the care to be provided for the animals. To provide a continuing benefit, the person receiving a gift animal will in turn give one or more of the animal’s offspring to another person. This model has been very effective, and “World Ark,” the magazine published by the Heifer International organization, is a heart-wrenching example of the good things that come from our small contributions.
One concept taught to those that receive animals is “zero grazing,” which is explained in the summer issue as “a way to raise livestock in a small space keeping them in pens and shelters made from available materials.” “Zero grazing” is done to protect the donated animals from “pests and disease, theft, predators, from harming farmland and vegetation; it prevents unwanted breeding, and allows land to be used for crops instead of grazing.”
When animals are eating and drinking in open places there is the risk of salmonella, which is most often transported by native birds, distributed in their feces, and is spread as the share the open animals’ feed source.
One local farmer is in the process of requesting to raise broiler chickens in a large building. This is done to keep them safe from most of the factors listed above. The business requesting such an animal facility controls the parameters including the requirement that they never have access to any antibiotic, growth additives or other drugs.
Animal waste is no longer considered a by-product, but a highly effective source of nutrition for the soil, so crops can provide healthy growth, which in turn provides nutrition for the animals that eat the products. You will find most people in the food industry preferring a natural flavored nutrition over a synthesized nutrition.
One example is the taste of tomatoes that are grown as a row crop versus tomatoes from a local farmers’ market.
This animal waste is a valuable resource and most farmers realize its great value to those who raise the crops as a food source.
Often the job of providing healthy food and fiber to the world is totally misunderstood. Knowledge of the reasons that we chose the methods we use can help lead to a better understanding. The relationship between those of us attempting to provide food and those who continue to rage about things which have purpose to the local and world community as a source to feed hungry people is neither necessary nor productive.
