Wyoming Livestock Laws

Found a good site that list all the Wyoming livestock laws. Everything from branding to stray horses. Click on the link listed on the right hand column.

Beef Safety

The process of Beef safety and cleaning of the carcass to prevent disease:

1. The hide is washed
The hide can easily carry a lot of bacteria
2. Steam Vacuuming
Helps reduce E Coli outbreaks
3. Pre-wash/Organic acid rinse
Further helps eliminate E Coli
JBS Swift first to use this process
4. Double Thermal Pasteurization
5. Thermal organic rinse
Often referred to as TOR
6. Cold Carcass Sanitizer
Prevents microbial growth

Convert Methane from Cattle Manure into Energy

In Greeley, Colorado they are trying to stay ahead of the game and received a $82000 grant from the government energy office to convert the methane produced by cattle into usable energy. There are a couple upsides to this idea one in the long run it could be better for the economy because it will be a never ending source of energy well never ending as long as there are cattle. Also it is better for the environment, methane helps hold heat in the atmosphere which leads to holes in the ozone layer. However methane is not as big of a problem as cars so don't be blaming the cattle for the hole in the ozone that is mostly our doing. In the long run this conversion could also have some beneficial monetary effects. The downside however this can have a domino effect on the agriculture economy. The cost of manure will go up which raises prices for fertilizer for farmers which raises prices for feed for cattle. In today's economy even though it is getting better little by little I do not believe our economy is stable enough to out weigh the cost of this kind of conversion right now. Also the switch can lead to a large loss in jobs from gas, and propane, companies and the new jobs created will probably be less than the amount lost. This is a great idea and Weld county is the best model to practice the effects because almost all economic factors will be involved; however, I think that this project should be saved for a later day or until there is a buffer available to compensate for any losses the agriculture business may endure.

Mad Cow Disease

Mad cow disease causes holes in the brain giving spongy appears which eventually leads to death of the cow. The disease is thought to be caused from a self replacing protein called Prion. The disease cannot be spread from animal to animal contact only consumption of infected animal commonly found in bone and blood meals. Mad cow can be spread to humans which is called v-CJD. However there should be no concern when consuming meat because of the strict requirements for beef producers to keep records of all animals and feed fed to animals. As of now there have been no confirmed cases of v-CJD from US plants however there have been cases in Europe.

E coli Outbreak

The CDC announced an outbreak of E coli in nine states. Most of the outbreaks were traced back to JBS swift beef company located in Greeley Colorado. This particular strain of E coli is found mainly in the ground beef purchased on April 21st or there on after. However the majority of the meat that caused illness was not cooked to the proper degree meaning the ground beef was undercooked. Undercooked meat carries pathogens which is why there are recommended cooking temperatures for ground beef it is 160 degrees Fahrenheit has stated in my previous blog.

Larry King Live

Larry King had a segment on whether beef was safe or scary and basically portrayed beef as unsafe to consume for the family. He did so by showing the cases of ecoli and similar illness caused by beef. Even though there was more than enough evidence proving beef is safe and important to the diet, viewers probably missed this message. The beef industry has very strict regimen that all producers/meat packers must follow actually all animal products like milk all have strict rules on production for the safety of the consumer. Often illness by animal products are caused by the cooks error. Some of the most common errors are not cooking the meat to the proper degree. Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to kill pathogens like ecoli. Also improper storage of meats. It only takes 20min for meat sitting at room temperature to begin to grow bacteria granted not enough bacteria to harm but it is just to make the point that proper storage of meat is very important.

GA Town Hall meeting

At the Ga town hall meeting the NCBA appeared and proved they want to help unite beef producers to help solve issues with in the beef industry. Some of the issues discussed that GA beef producers face today are drought relief, international trade, private property, water rights, market issues, and lastly cattle ownership by packing plants.