If passed, the constitution would prevent people near or downwind from hog confinement facilities from getting laws passed to clean the air and the stink. Thus far, scientific support is tentative for the claim that these air pollutants are the cause of the headaches and other illnesses plaguing folks living near these things. Until such evidence is "established," the Missouri Constitution will prohibit our representatives from making laws to protect us. This will be a triple-whammy for family farms - struggling against these behemoth agricorporations, losing the fresh air and environmental quality that's part of family farm heritage, and watching the value of one's land plummet in the cloud of pollution.

People need to understand that a constitutional amendment is pretty tough to change once passed. It puts handcuffs on our elected lawmakers, constraining them. That's sometimes a good thing (life, liberty, etc). But it's an extreme measure where ordinary legislation should be the venue of choice.

Myself, I don't want corporate greed enshrined in my state's constitution.


This is in reponse to my recent request for assistance in stopping HJR 86.  If you need to refresh, check the last update.  RP also provided the following link http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills101/bills/hjr86.htm

News Update.   Check out the pasture requirements for organic dairies.  http://www.cornucopia.org/category/cornucopia-news/   

Factory Farms in the Ocean? 

http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2359

Here is a good video for Vit B12 and Vit D3 and many other health items.. 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/02/13/david-wolfe-interview.aspx

The Weston A. Price Foundation has issued the following press release about the "Health Starts Here" low-fat, mostly vegetarian marketing program at Whole Foods Markets.

http://www.westonaprice.org/WHOLE-FOODS-PROMOTES-MILITANT-VEGETARIAN-AGENDA.html

Remember to call on Monday.

that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra

HJR 86, the Bad CAFO Bill, to be on House Floor Monday.
If You Have Not Called, Please Call TODAY!
If You Have Called, Please Forward This Email To As Many People As Possible & Please Ask Them To Call.
Please Call This Weekend or As Early Monday As Possible.
 
*HJR 86 would de-regulate much of corporate agribusiness in Missouri at the expense of Missouri's Family Farms, Rural Communities and Local Democracy. 
 
*Please See Action Alert Below.

Please Forward!!!
Constitutional Amendment Could Take Away Local Control & State CAFO Standards
Call House Members & Tell Them to Vote NO on HJR 86!
(See House of Representatives Below)
 
Representative Tom Loehner has introduced House Joint Resolution 86 (HJR 86), which would change the Missouri Constitution and could have unintended and far-reaching consequences regarding local control and even our current state CAFO standards. 
 
This Bill Could Come to the Floor Monday...
Please Call Now!!!
Please call (phone numbers listed below):
Your Own Representative,
Rep. Tilley, the Majority Floor Leader (the person who makes decisions about what comes to the House Floor),
Rep. Richard, the Speaker of the House,
Rep. Loehner, sponsor of HJR 86,
& Any Other Representative You Have a Relationship with.
Talking Points for HJR 86 (Bill Language Below):
HJR 86 could stop the state from regulating CAFOs.  HJR 86 includes language stating that "it shall be the right of citizens to raise domesticated animals in a humane manner without the state imposing an undue economic burden on animal owners". 
HJR 86 could stop counties from passing health ordinances to protect their citizens from the negative impacts of industrial livestock operations.  HJR 86 includes language that "No law criminalizing or otherwise regulating crops or the welfare of any domesticated animals shall be valid unless based upon generally accepted scientific principles and enacted by the general assembly". 
HJR 86 is not simply a new law, but proposes an amendment to the Missouri State Constitution.  This means that any unintended consequences of this language would be cemented into the state constitution and would over-ride any current statute or future action of the state legislature.
Representative Loehner should change the language of HJR 86 to clarify the purpose of the bill.  The current language is too broad and creates the possibility of too many far-reaching consequences for independent family farmers, local control and the ability of elected representatives to respond to the citizens of the state.
House Joint Resolution 86:
 
Article I, Constitution of Missouri, is amended by adding one new section, to be known as section 35, to read as follows:
 
Section 35. That agriculture which provides food, energy, and security is the foundation and stabilizing force of Missouri's economy. To protect this vital sector of Missouri's economy, it shall be the right of citizens to raise domesticated animals in a humane manner without the state imposing an undue economic burden on animal owners. No law criminalizing or otherwise regulating crops or the welfare of any domesticated animals shall be valid unless based upon generally accepted scientific principles (This could mean anything as scientific principles seem to change based on how much money is involved)  and enacted by the general assembly.  (And that depends which party is in control)
 
Representative Tom Loehner: (573) 751-1344
Representative Steven Tilley: (573) 751-1488
Representative Ron Richard: (573) 751-2173

Now some fun.  

Want to learn about the e-coli?

http://www.about-ecoli.com/

here is a great video that was on YES’s web site.  I think you will enjoy it.

Truly sorry that I was not able to be here when you delivered the beef, but absolutely wanted to provide feedback.

First, with the half-hog that we purchased, I must say that we are quite pleased, though we have not yet eaten a significant portion.  I have sampled the bacon, sausage, chops and a roast and have been duly impressed.  Never had bacon smell so "bacony" before.

Beef is, however, my preferred meat.  This past weekend, I finally got to tear into a steak.  I recently purchased a new grill which I am still trying to figure out as it is much hotter and consistent than my last.  Grilled a couple of rib-eyes and unfortunately they were certainly well-done.  I was amazed at how tender a well done steak was able to come out...with no seasonings whatsoever, they tasted great.

Last night, I achieved my goal of a medium rib-eye to perfection and was not disappointed.  The flavor and tenderness were near perfect.  Will say that I chose the rib-eye because, of the better cuts, this is my least favorite as I prefer the leaner cuts.

Also, the hamburger...I cannot believe how lean it is..which is a good thing in my book.

Very happy I made this decision...even though it was essentially made in a day and well before I had intended to make it.  Probably the best quick decision I have ever made.

• 
  
  Here’s another Jerry Brunetti video.  You’ll learn a lot.  This guy is really smart. He's an animal nutritionist.  He survived cancer and he is sharing things learned.  You may want to share this with someone who is facing a similiar challenge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na6jopSorlM
  
  The following is a news release by R-Calf's, Dr. Max Thornsberry.

Billings, Mont. – Country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meat has become the law of the land, and you’d think a pig had been stuck with a knife considering all the squealing coming from the multinational beef packing industry and its trade associations.

The U.S. was the last country in the Western Hemisphere without some form of COOL for meat. COOL never would’ve come to pass here unless consumer groups had joined the fight. A few thousand independent cattlemen were no match for the millions of dollars raised by those opposed to COOL, mainly the beef packing industry and grocery store groups. Once millions of consumers became incensed about melamine in their dog and cat food, COOL became a reality. 

Well, it wasn’t quite that simple, but almost.

The mandatory COOL law was written to accommodate trade with our neighbors. “Born and Raised in Canada, Slaughtered in U.S.,” or “Born in Mexico, Slaughtered in U.S.,” are legal, proper labels. Initially, the packing industry simply labeled all meat products “Product of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.” 

A simple ‘North American’ label, but it misleads consumers when it is applied to beef that is exclusively of U.S. origin and does not provide consumers with their right to exercise choice in the marketplace.

Wendy’s restaurants proudly advertise their hamburgers are made from North American beef. The North American label is a mixed label and is not what Congress intended for beef produced from cattle born, raised and slaughtered in the United States of America.

Packers like Tyson Foods labeled their beef with a mixed North American label. Yet, once forced to actually label red meat properly, several packers placed the origin label in such small letters it takes reading glasses to actually read it, if you can even find it.  

Until meatpackers begin to properly distinguish beef from U.S. cattle from the beef from Canadian or Mexican cattle with a conspicuous and legible label, the marketplace will not function properly and the benefits of COOL cannot materialize. If COOL was implemented as the law is written and if USDA would enforce the rules as Congress intended, consumers would be able to exercise choice in the marketplace, and the demand created by their choices would determine the relative value of cattle from the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Unfortunately, these relative values for domestic and imported cattle are being arbitrarily decided by the multinational packers that are politically motivated to destroy COOL.

These packers are now making it difficult for Canadian and Mexican cattle to receive the mixed label (cattle imported from Canada and slaughtered in the U.S. are eligible for a mixed label that states “Product of Canada and U.S.”). This has prompted Canada and Mexico to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO). U.S. cattlemen who feed Mexican steers are being discounted by the packers, if the packers even choose to buy them. This is going on even though the beef from those cattle is eligible for a mixed-origin label that includes both the U.S. and Mexico.

While all this is happening, USDA does nothing – by design, I think. USDA did not support COOL, and I believe, is setting up COOL for a complete failure. If this occurs, beef will be generic in the U.S., and the U.S. consumer will have no idea where their beef originated in the world and no choice as to which country’s beef they choose to cook for their family’s dinner. 

The long-range goal of the huge multinational food corporations is to acquire food anywhere in the world where it can be produced for the least cost, where cheap land and cheap labor can be exploited. We have seen in this country what “too big to fail” has wrought in the financial industries. Do we really desire to turn over food production to multinational corporations? 

There basically is only one industry left in Rural America sufficiently dispersed to provide nearly every rural community with the opportunity to generate new economic activity. That industry, the independent U.S. cow/calf sector, produces a new set of wealth each spring. If this sector fails, grocery stores will be full of food from around the world, and the average American will have no choice as to which country’s beef her family consumes. 

It will be generic beef. 

Another BPA story.  http://health.msn.com/nutrition/customize-your-diet/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100253605&gt1=31065

More beef recalls.  http://www.ecoliblog.com/2010/01/articles/e-coli-outbreaks/why-the-silence-of-the-steaks-when-will-the-public-be-told-the-extent-of-the-recent-e-coli-o157h7-outbreak/index.html

Did you know our crops are now ruining South  America?

http://www.feedingfactoryfarms.org

FDA news.  http://www.anh-usa.org/new_site/?p=2212

super.  looking forward to the hot dogs.  We had a turkey tonight.  It was perfect.  We had guests over and they said it was the best turkey that they have eaten.   Paige

p.s.  The first hamburger we had from your beef, we had without buns.  I tasted it and had major deja vu back to my grandparents farm 40-45 years ago.  I felt like I was tasting my grandparents beef again.  What a fun surprise!  I also know that means it is really, really great safe beef!  Thanks for caring to have the very best!  Thanks Syvena

Artificial Sweeteners are Toxic

That’s right.

There are more reasons to avoid artificial sweeteners than just their impact on your brain and waistline. In fact, there’s enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book -- which is exactly why I wrote Sweet Deception.

When I first started studying natural medicine I did not know which was worse, regular soda or diet soda, but after careful review the answer became very clear that although sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup needs to be avoided like the plague, it is still less damaging to your health than artificial sweeteners.

Take aspartame, for instance. The phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond and increases dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism.

Furthermore, the aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point they will quickly die. Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers.

Then the ester bond in aspartame is broken down to formaldehyde and methanol, which have their own toxicities. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been linked to cancer.

A recent study also found a two-fold increased risk of a decline in kidney function among women who drank two or more artificially sweetened beverages a day.

This just adds to the growing list of serious health risks from consuming these toxic substances, which are deceptively marketed as though they are safe and even healthy!

Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst harming the health of those who take their misguided advice.

Why Mercola has become the number one on line resource for medical information.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/19/Top-12-Mercola-Predictions-That-Came-True-Part-1-of-4.aspx

Have a problem with gout?  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/19/Five-Steps-to-Overcoming-Gout-Naturally.aspx

Good OCA information . http://www.organicconsumers.org/usda_watch.cfm

Here is an audio on the limitations on organics.  http://www.zshare.net/audio/71608586998b4a03/


that's it from the hill.  Art and Debra   

 Here’s why I get Mercola’s email news letter. 

http://www.mercola.com/forms/rankings.htm

More information on cell phones.  http://emf.mercola.com/sites/emf/archive/2010/01/12/Real-Reason-Cell-Phone-Use-is-Banned-on-Airlines.aspx

For those interested in school lunch improvement efforts, here is a good article I found from YES magazine.  http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/smarter-school-lunches?utm_source=wkly20100115&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=descr_mrMahoney

Vit D added to milk.  Which kind are they adding?  There is a huge difference between D2 and D3.  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/16/Dont-Rely-on-Fortified-Foods.aspx

More on high fructose corn syrup.  Very interesting that Europe has sugar in their soda.  Those who have watched the Utube video (recent breezy hill update)  will appreciate this. http://food.change.org/blog/view/why_are_we_fat_and_ill_the_answers_in_the_coca-cola

Nice pictures. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/19/Stunningly-Beautiful-Photos-Part-II.aspx