By special request, today’s blog will not be about pigs but chicken! It’s been more than a year since the USDA announced its “controversial chicken arrangement with China.” This issue is the headline again this week thanks in part to a recent Facebook post by Erin Brockovich.

On the surface this seems like a simple issue: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the current administration will allow chickens raised in this country to be shipped to China for processing, shipped back to America, and then labeled as “grown in the USA.”

So what’s the fuss? Many Americans are concerned about food safety – and rightly so. There has been a push in this country for transparency from farm gate to dinner plate. More and more consumers wants to know how food is grown here. However, the decision to allow U.S.-raised chicken to be processed in China creates more questions about transparency in this process, as well as raises many questions about food safety.

According to an article in the Huffington Post, eventually the USDA will allow chicken raised and slaughtered in China to be imported directly into the United States, despite the fact that:

• A December 2013 USDA audit found that China’s poultry slaughter system is not yet equivalent to that of the United States in terms of food safety practices.
• The New York Times reported that toxic soil and water pollution in some areas of China is causing growing concern over the safety of food produced in that country.
• Bloomberg News reported that at a press conference, one of China’s own food safety officials essentially admitted that his country can’t meet the food safety standards of more developed nations.

If “outsourcing” can happen to U.S. chicken, it could happen to other American-raised meats. I’m concerned about what precedent this sets. As a pork producer, I’m especially concerned about the future of U.S.-raised pork.

The issue of U.S.-raised chicken being shipped to China for processing and then returned to the U.S. for consumption is especially complicated! It appears this decision is motivated by money, so let’s “follow the money and see if we can uncover the motive. I’ve read where the average wage for chicken processors in the USA is $11 per hour; the average wage in China is $1 to $2 per hour.

One can’t read the disparities in minimum wage without thinking about the ongoing debate in this country to increase the minimum wage. (I don’t have enough space to delve deeper into this this angle today, but I certainly want to in a future blog post.) If our workforce loses out to China over an $11 wage, what chance does our middle class have? Remember, the Obama administration has placed an emphasis on helping the middle class!

Another issue this situation raises is confusion over the “locally raised” label. If this chicken is raised locally, shipped to China for processing and returned to your local store, will it be labeled as a “locally” grown chicken? How can we guaranteed that an “organically raised” chicken from the U.S. that’s sent to China for processing will be the same chicken that’s returned to the U.S. for consumption? How “green” is this move? After all, it’s requiring more energy to ship to and from China!

Furthermore, how did the U.S. Department of Agriculture even reach the decision to send U.S. raised chicken to China for processing?

I’m asking a lot of questions today, but as you can see, this is not a simple issue. Regulation can get very complicated: labeling, minimum wages, climate change, even avian flu can be brought in to this issue. Trade between countries can get complicated because one little issue can affect many other issues. I could even start in on school lunches here. If our department of ag is for chickens being processed in China, will this be a part of food our kids eat in school? The food eaten in the schools are not purchased by an American mom from Trader Joes or Whole Foods.

Here’s why Americans should worry about Chinese-processed chicken on their kids’ school lunch tray:

• Rat and other small mammal meat has been sold to Chinese consumers as lamb.
• Chinese poultry supplier provided Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in China with chicken fattened by large quantities of illegal drugs.
• The FDA warned U.S. pet owners not to feed their pets jerky treats from China. Since 2007, approximately 600 dogs and cats in the United States have mysteriously died and approximately 3,600 pets have become ill from eating Chinese pet treats containing chicken or duck.

Does anyone else find it ironic that we don’t want to feed our pets treats from China but we’re going to trust them to process chicken that humans would consume?

More than 300 American farmers rallied July 15 outside the U.S. Capitol building to promote the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). They wanted to call upon the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to raise the RFS volumes for corn-based ethanol that were cut in the final rules for 2016. Final public comments on the proposed RFS changes are due July 27.

“The EPA is worried about climate change, and it’s making a huge push for clean air. Biofuels like ethanol fit so well into their plans, yet on May 29 the EPA announced it wants to reduce 2015 and 2016 blending requirements by at least 20 percent,” says Annette Sweeney, co-chair of America’s Renewable Future campaign. “If the EPA takes such action, it will be breaking the law! The Renewable Fuels Standard was established by law in 2005 and updated in 2007. By proposing new standards, it sounds like the EPA is trying to bypass the lawmaking process.”

As a former Iowa State Representative and chair of the House Agriculture Committee, Sweeney is well versed in political procedure. As a third generation farmer, she understands the importance of production agriculture to both the Iowa and the U.S. economy. She also understands how rules like this could affect each farmer’s livelihood as her family’s diversified farm in North Central Iowa includes corn, soybeans, cattle and fish farming enterprises. Plus, Sweeney understands how our political climate impacts U.S. jobs and investments.

Speaking of investments, Sweeney finds it curious that on June 18 the Department of Energy (DOE) announced it will invest $55 million in advanced research projects to accelerate biofuel crop development. The DOE says it will put another $30 million into “transportation energy resources from the renewable agriculture program to support six projects developing plant remote sensing analysis.”

“Why invest $55 million in biofuel crop development if EPA is jerking the rug out from under ethanol?” asks Sweeney. “Why spend another $30 million to build infrastructure for other biofuel crops when we already have infrastructure in place to produce biofuels? Are agency officials really interested in taking away that market from America and their freedom to choose their fuel? It makes me wonder why is the RFS is really being targeted. Who is pressuring the EPA to make these changes?”

Recent actions by the EPA and other federal agencies make it appear this administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth. The White House announced June 10 the U.S. Department of Ag will spend $7 million on 550 renewable energy projects and upgrades on small farms and businesses and rural businesses.

“What good will it do to invest this money if the EPA cuts the RFS?” asks Sweeney.

Ethanol could help at least three U.S. agencies meet their environmental priorities. It’s seems suspect that only 17.4 billion gallons of ethanol being proposed to be blended into the U.S. fuel supply in 2016 rather than 22.25 required under the Energy Independence and Security Act. Why isn’t corn being considered as a clean alternative fuel under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Power Plan? The National Association of Clean Air Agencies on May 21, 2015, compiled list of 25 strategies that states can employ to comply with EPA’s Clean Power Plan. So why isn’t ethanol a top strategy for states?

“Let’s add climate change into the mix,” says Sweeney. “Biofuels are clean burning, renewable and sustainable. So why aren’t we using more ethanol to fight the climate change if this administration is so concerned about it?”

“I’m not trying to make the RFS a political issue. I’m merely raising questions,” explains Sweeney. “Agriculture should not be partisan. After all, we all eat! Agriculture is key to a strong U.S. economy and that’s also something all Americans – regardless of party affiliation – should be able to agree upon!”

Click here to encourage the EPA to uphold the RFS. Comments are due July 27. Be sure to change the subject line on your email to the EPA and personalize your message.

“The RFS is the only policy trying to level the playing field for renewable fuels,” add Sweeney. “I stand behind the Renewable Fuel Standard and what is right for America I hope you’ll join me! Please send your comments in support of the RFS to the EPA by July 27.”

Lately I’ve been reading many articles about the most common food toxins, hormones in our meat supply and nitrates in our drinking water. How much or how little of something in our food or water supply is a big deal!

A hot topic this year has been nitrate removal from drinking water by the Des Moines Waterworks. Bill Stowe, CEO and General Manager, Des Moines Water Works on April 17 said, “The public health of our community is once again at risk.” That sounds especially frightening, but we can’t take water issues at the surface level.

Nitrate levels in the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers have trended upward during the past 40 years, but the data show little or no change from 1984 to 2014. The data actually shows a slight improvement when measuring from 1994 and 2004, which could indicate that conservation practices voluntarily implemented by Iowa farmers are slowing and capture nitrates before they get into streams and rivers.

According to U.S. regulations, nitrates in drinking water must remain below 10 parts per million. Occasionally levels spike above that limit, and the DMWW incurs added costs to remove these nitrates. In a past blog, I did the math. It cost the average consumer of the DMWW less than $10 per year.

But was even that small cost necessary? According to the EU, there can be 15 parts per million with no ill effects. I have also read that for a baby to get Blue Baby Syndrome nitrates must be as high as 200 parts per million. That amount is so minute! As far as I can find, there has not been a case of Blue Baby Syndrome in Iowa without some other source of nitrate contamination! Millions spent, with no proof of the amount in our water causing any problem. It seems size does matter.

Lately I’m seeing food products, especially milk and beef products, being advertised as “no hormones added.” Here again, this type of advertising can be confusing and even scary. After all, who wants to buy food with “added hormones”?! Interestingly enough, many foods naturally contain higher levels of hormones than beef. Again, size does matter! Shown below is a visual comparing hormone levels across various foods.

What about “chemicals” in your food? It’s true – your food contains chemicals. (Remember the Periodic Table and how all these chemicals make up our world?) However, not all chemicals are bad. For example, Dr. Julie M. Jones points out that cranberries keep very well in the refrigerator because they have a higher level of (naturally-occurring) benzaldehyde than the FDA allows to be added to food. This is just one example.

Consumers also worry about eating food from plants that have been sprayed with pesticides. It’s very difficult not rely on some kind of pest control. Weeds and bugs do happen! A number of marketing tactics have presented organic fruits to be safer, but that is simply not true. In truth, Best Food Facts points out that BOTH organic and conventional farmers use pesticides on their crops.

“It’s the amount of the chemical rather than the presence or absence that determines the potential for harm,” explains Dr. Carl Winter, PhD, Director, FoodSafe Program, Extension Food Toxicologist at the University of California-Davis. “In the case of pesticide residues on food, we can detect them, but generally at very tiny levels. I think consumers are concerned because they’re aware that these chemicals, which have potential toxic effects, show up on foods. However, the levels at which we detect these pesticides are so low consumers have nothing to worry about.”

Most of the chemicals I use are now measured in ounces. Some of the chemicals used in organic are measured in pounds. Nothing wrong with either one because it’s what is left on your food that makes the difference. Maybe size doesn’t matter here!

Remember, your food choices matter. What – and how much – you eat affects your body mass and health. We need a variety of foods to obtain the nutrients our bodies need. Your body needs a certain amount of fat; the non-fat kick we’ve been on has made our bodies crave other types of food that have contributed to our declining health.

Research believed for the last 30 or 40 years has been proven wrong. In early 2015, it was announced that it’s okay to eat eggs because research “shows no appreciable relationship” between heart disease and how much dietary cholesterol a person eats. And the new proposed dietary guideline that calls for a reduction in red meat consumption really isn’t being pushed is for your health… it’s someone’s agenda to fix something that’s not broke. There is a misperception that beef production isn’t sustainable. Also keep in mind, our First Lady pushed changes to the school lunch program based on bad science!

Let’s get rid of this fear of food. No more food fights! Size matters. Common sense matters. Enjoy your food!

Music and patriotism have been an integral part of America since its founding. This spirit lives on through the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, where musicians like Brooke Stevens from Hampton, Iowa, showcase the soundtrack of America’s story.
“We are the goodwill ambassadors of the U.S. Army,” said Stevens, a U.S. Army staff sergeant and bugle player in the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. “We have a unique opportunity to share our music with people worldwide.”

Founded in 1960, the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps brings U.S. history to life. Stevens and her fellow musicians wear distinctive uniforms of red regimental coats, waistcoats, black tricorn hats, white wigs and colonial coveralls patterned after those worn by the musicians of Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army, circa 1781.

In support of the president, the Corps performs at all armed-forces arrival ceremonies for visiting dignitaries and heads of state at the White House. The Corps has also participated in every presidential inaugural parade since 1961.

One of Stevens’ first missions with the Corps involved Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration in 2013. “The Corps is the official escort to the President of the United States, so we were right ahead of the president’s motorcade,” said Stevens, who has served with the Corps since September 2012.

Let freedom ring
Stevens’ spectacular journey to Washington, D.C., from Franklin County, Iowa, started with the Hampton-Dumont school’s concert and jazz bands, where she played the trumpet. She credits her father, Brian, a retired middle school band director, for inspiring her love of music.

“Dad taught me to set goals and follow through,” said Stevens, a four-time All-State Band member. “I also learned that hard work and dedication pay off.”

After graduating from Hampton-Dumont High School in 2002, Stevens earned her music degree in trumpet performance from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006. Then it was on to Indiana University, where she earned her master’s degree in music in 2008 and began working on her doctorate in brass pedagogy and literature.

Stevens also began looking at job opportunities. She was intrigued by the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, which offers more than 500 performances annually and has appeared at NBA games, NFL games including Super Bowl XVI, the Kentucky Derby and the Indianapolis 500.

Since the 70 members of the Corps are active-duty military, Stevens enlisted in the U.S. Army and completed basic training in June 2012 before joining her unit in September 2012. She is stationed at Fort Myer, Va., near Arlington National Cemetery.

“One of my highest honors was playing taps at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” said Stevens, who added that the Corps supports all U.S. Army funerals in the Washington, D.C. area.

While Stevens has always been patriotic, serving with the U.S. Army and Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps makes the 4^th of July especially meaningful, she said. “Experiencing military life and seeing the sacrifices that servicemen and women are making for our country and their families gives me the utmost appreciation and respect for the U.S. military.”

A taste of Iowa
While Stevens travels extensively with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, part of her will never leave Iowa. “I’m proud to be from Iowa and represent the state,” said Stevens, who shares her all-time favorite bar recipe from home.

Last week I got a call from farm broadcaster and writer Ty Higgins, host of Farm & Country. This interview reminded me why I started speaking out for agriculture. Ty gave me an opportunity to talk about crop conditions in our area and to also talk about my pigs.

Of course, Ty and I also had to talk about the weather! (I honestly don’t think people who make a living off the land can have a conversation that doesn’t touch on this subject.) There are many farm fields across the Midwest where too much rain is wreaking havoc on the crop. Fortunately, where I live in North Central Iowa, the conditions are nearly perfect. I have the best looking crop that I’ve seen in 5 years, but I’m saying prayers because weather and growing conditions can turn on a dime!

Ty gave me an opportunity to talk about how much pig farming has changed over the years. When I was a kid, we raised pigs in the pasture. Pigs don’t sweat, however, so they needed help staying cool on hot summer days. Did you know that today’s fair-haired pigs also can get sunburned?

Now I raise pigs in temperature-controlled buildings where there’s no threat of sunburn and where pigs have access to food and water. I’ve shared before how the number of sick pigs and our death loss decreased after we started producing hogs inside. I’ve also that during the 1980s Farm Crisis I supplemented my farming income but starting a construction business that focused on building hog units.

Recently I accepted an opportunity to oversee the remodeling of existing hog buildings and acting as the general contractor for new construction. Making a better, safer place to raise pigs is something I’ve been involved with for decades. We continue to learn and improve the buildings, as well as our methods, as we go along. The same is true for those farmers who only raise crops… we’re always improving. Producing more with less is always the goal.

Technological advancements in agriculture are comparable to what’s happened in the medical field, as I was reminded while making a doctor’s visit. I’ve been battling a sore foot for a couple of months. Being a stubborn old farmer, last week I finally made a doctor’s appointment. The first thing I had to do when I got to the office was complete a stack of paper; more paperwork was required before I left.

Medicine reminds me a lot of farming. It makes use of state-of-the-art technology – and lots of regulation. “State-of-the-art technology and regulation” define modern farming, too. But technology is accepted in medicine! Almost everyone understands that new technology makes people healthier, and as a result of better healthcare and nutrition, our life expectancy has increased.

Penicillin is a great example of a medical breakthrough. It was discovered by accident but has become a miracle worker. But wait. Is penicillin a chemical?! Of course, it is! What about the equipment used in the medical field like X-ray machines? We used to have to wait for film to be developed, but today’s technology provides us with nearly instant results. The same is true for farming: GPS, auto-steer, drones, grid sampling and tissue sampling. All these things can make farming more efficient and “sustainable“!

Just as they are in farming, burdensome regulations are holding back future innovations and inventions. Safeguards are needed, but unnecessary regulations increase the cost of medical services, procedures and even vaccines. Some people are being denied procedures and medicines that could save their lives. This is true in agriculture as many small shareholder farmers in developing countries can access the newest seed technologies, and others in their country are being denied biotech crops like Golden Rice even though it could save millions of lives. The GMO rice has such a huge potential to save lives, but emotions – and politics – keep holding back its potential.

Emotion and politics are directly linked in the United States, too. We enjoy food choice, but a loud minority of people would like to change that. I’ve written before about how confusing food labels have become, and paying more for “hormone-free chicken or turkey” is a case in point. I know there are a group of seed industry officials support federal H.R. 1599 Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act to standardize regulations nationwide.

Choice and common sense are very important to innovation. After all, the medicine field could still be using techniques such as bleeding and leaches!