Re: Barb Glen’s column, “ Appreciate animals for their animal attributes, Opinion, Nov. 11.
I know from readingThe Western Producerand talking with my farming friends, both meat and grain producers, that they are struggling. Many work off farm to sustain the family. Most are heavily in debt.
I read many articles about how big companies control the farming industry. Farmers can no longer save their own seed, but have signed contracts with multibillion-dollar companies like Monsanto.
Most small slaughter plants have now been closed, leaving two major corporations in control of the slaughter industry not just in Canada but in North America. …
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And yet farmers continue to fight against and attack the groups that support sustainable farming and humane handling practices.
I, for one, do not want to see the end of small privately owned farms. I want to support them and I do whenever possible. I am not against eating meat. I am against the incredible cruelty that corporations have built into the system to get the food on my plate.
And please do not tell me that those systems are necessary to feed the hungry people of the world. First of all the hungry are increasing in the world, not being fed by these “superior agricultural practices.” Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger.…
I believe the reason animal farmers are getting so nervous is because deep down inside they know the truth and are afraid of admitting it. They have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into their operations and fear losing their investment. If they only realized that the majority of people in the humane movement are actually trying to save the farmer, they would see that they have an ally, not an enemy.…
Farmers, wake up and smell the coffee. You are helping to destroy the environment and yourself and in the end will have nothing to show for all your hard work. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So let us sit down, find some common ground and have a discussion on how to bring sanity back to farming.
Theresa NoletPenticton, B.C.
