WeWork, a company which provides shared office spaces, announced it is going vegetarian. It is taking meat and poultry off the menu for their nearly 6,000 staff members at company events and during work travel. The company also shared their interest in taking it a step further and potentially going vegan, saying it will evaluate its consumption of seafood, eggs and dairy.
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all; treat others like you would like to be treated; always be respectful – these are all basic rules I learned growing up. Unfortunately, some people have forgotten these simple gestures and need to listen to R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Aretha Franklin on repeat.
Jargon gets thrown around quite a bit in agriculture. The farmers, ranchers and people who grew up on the farm understand the lingo, but not everyone grew up on a farm. In fact, less than two percent of today’s population is directly involved in food production. That leaves about 98 percent of us trying to decipher ag lingo, so here’s a cheat sheet…
Sure, today’s family farmers aren’t always standing outside that romanticized red barn, but that doesn’t make them any less of a family farm.
As children build snowmen and parents curse the wind while clearing snow off their vehicles, farmers and ranchers are making sure their animals stay comfortable.
We’ve all heard the word sustainability, but what does it really mean? For farmers and ranchers, it’s a promise to future generations.
Many of today’s farms may be larger than farms of the past, but the farms are also have better animal care practices, enhanced nutrition and housing. Indoor housing protects animals from predators, disease and extreme weather.
It’s lights, camera, action for America’s farmers and ranchers – whether they auditioned or not. Films are popping up on the big (and small) screen, putting animal agriculture under increased scrutiny. These films often claim they are “shedding light” on the agriculture industry, but they usually leave out the true story.
Consumer demand is powerful. It can be the champion of a company’s success or the culprit of their failure.
Last year’s Stakeholders Summit focused on taking action to secure a bright future for animal agriculture. Well, it’s that time of year again and we want to know what you did to take action! Did you talk to people in your community, start a club or teach a lesson at a local school, join social media to start advocating, invite neighbors to your farm or something else to help secure a bright future for our industry?
HB 3799
Description:
Relating to the advertising and labeling of certain meat food products.
Status: Introduced 3/7/2019
Pending
HB 1081
Relating to a study regarding the prohibition of dairy farming in certain areas of the state
Description:
Would require the Texas Animal Health Commission to conduct a study regarding the current risk level for bovine tuberculosis in certain states determined by the Commission to be infected or at high risk for bovine tuberculosis. By 9/1/2014, the Commission must submit a report of the findings to the Department of Agriculture and others listed.
Status: Effective 6/14/2013
Passed
Pass Date: 6/14/2013
HB 1643
Description:
Would add a concentrated animal feeding operations to the list of facilities that drones are prohibited from flying over.
Status: Effective 9/1/17
Passed
Pass Date: 6/15/2017
HB 1819
Relating to liability for injuring a trespassing sheep or goat
Description:
Would make a person with a fence that is insufficient who kills or wounds a head of cattle, horse, goat or sheep liable to the owner of the animal for damages.
Status: Effective 9/1/2013
Passed
Pass Date: 6/14/2013
HB 334
Relating to the establishment of the Texas Livestock Care Standards Advisory Committee
Description:
Would establish a 16-member Texas Livestock Care Standards Advisory Committee. The committee would be required to research and develop standards governing livestock and poultry care, food safety, local food availability, food affordability, and best farm management practices for animal well-being.
Status: Introduced 11/19/2010; Died in Committee
Failed
SJR 22
Right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife amendment
Description:
Would amend Aricle 1, Section 34 of the Texas Constitution to include that people have the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife, including the use of traditioal methods, subject to laws and regulations to conserve and manage wildlife and preserve the future of hunting and fishing. Would also state that hunting and fishing are preferred methods of managing and controlling wildlife.
Status: Enrolled 5/20/2015; Died in Chamber
Failed