Would You Like Some rBGH For Your Cereal?

This is an interesting little tid bit from Small Farm Today magazine. It is actually good news, in our opinion, and we pray that this trend does continue.

My awareness was heightened way back when I read a book called The Meat You Eat, by Ken Midkiff. (Please see my blog article on that subject.) In that book the author spent a bit of time on rBGH injections for dairy cows. To put it simply, BGH is a naturally occurring growth hormone in cows called BGH, or, Bovine Growth Hormone.

The Monsanto Corporation came up with a genetically modified version of this hormone. One which will cause a cow to give lots of milk right away. They called it rBGH. The small "r" in the front indicates "recombinant", or genetically altered. In other words, it is a synthetic hormone.

This synthetic hormone is banned in most countries in the world because of it's link to certain types of cancer. Namely, prostate cancer in men, and breast cancer in women. However, it is still being injected into thousands of cows on a regular basis in this country. (For the record, it is interesting to note that this is not the only thing that this country continues to employ, while the rest of the world outlaws or bans it.)

The good news is that there is a grassroots movement against the use of rBGH in this country, and it is starting to have an effect. Monsanto is fuming and I don't really feel for them.
Here are some statistics to give you fuel for the fire:

-California dairies have banned the use of rBGH. They produce 8% of the milk supply in the U.S.
-Retail giant Kroger announced they will be banning rBGH in all of their stores by February 2008. (I don't know if this has happened.)
-All milk produced in Oregon is now rBST free.
-In May, 2007, Publix Supermarkets, with 900 stores in the South, went rBST free in its branded milk products.
-Chipotle and Starbucks agreed to ban rBGH in all of their restaurants/cafes by the end of 2007. (Again, I don't know if this has taken place.)

As you can see, some Americans have gotten fed up with the junk they are being fed and said something about it. It makes a difference and I am glad of it. Monsanto and Cargill and the likes all are out for one thing-profits. This is agribusiness, not agriculture. They have taken the "culture" out of it. Their idea of a farmer is a guy who lives in Manhattan and wears a suit instead of bib-overalls. One who never sets foot on a farm. One who makes six figures or more per year and gets the government subsidies to boot.

I am calling for agribusiness to stop poisoning America. It is time, once again, to get back to local agriculture and support local farmers. Keep talking, they might listen.