Farming and the Concept of Dominion

Unlike most posts I make on this blog, this post is aimed more at the farming community than at consumers, but if you are a non-farmer, by all means, read on.  It may be interesting to you to listen in on the conversations farmers have with themselves and others.

This blog post started with a pumpkin loaf.  To be specific, it was a vegan pumpkin loaf.

A couple of days ago, I was at a girls' Bible study that I help lead once a month.  One of the girls brought a pumpkin loaf for a snack and proudly told us it was vegan and described how she had substituted flax something-or-other for eggs.  It was a pretty good snack, though I'm not usually a fan of pumpkin outside of pies.

Eventually, I asked the baker why she had made a vegan pumpkin loaf.  She explained that she is vegan (I kind of figured that) and then went on to talk about how she didn't want to be a part of the cruelty and environmental degradation that goes along with animal agriculture.  She didn't actually use those terms, and stated her case in a very open, non-judgmental way, but that's about the sum of it.  She knows full well that I am a beef farmer, and I know full well that she intends no disrespect.  Even so, I had to bite my tongue very hard in order to not launch into a full-on debate with her.  It just wasn't the appropriate time or place.  Instead, I simply put out a tiny bit of information to counter a little of what she had said that wasn't quite accurate, and carried on eating my slice of pumpkin loaf.

This girl had also told me that she had watched a film called Dominion, which had really influenced her view and opened her eyes to a lot of things she hadn't known before.  Rather than berating her for watching a "shockumentary" that probably was made by a bunch of unrealistic weirdos, I decided I'd look the film up and watch it for myself.

I normally don't like to watch such films, but if I'm to counter their arguments, I have to actually know what arguments they are making.  I discovered that the film is free to watch online, so I set it up and watched it in my spare moments over the weekend.

To my surprise, the film did not anger me as such films normally do.  I certainly did not agree with the philosophy of the filmmakers, which seemed to be that animals are on the same level as humans and should just be free, with no human intervention whatsoever.  However, I found that many of the points the film made were accurate.  The film covers a wide range of animals used for food, clothing, entertainment, and research, but focused mainly on animal agriculture.

The overarching criticism made against the various animal agriculture systems was that dignity was denied to the animals.  Watching the undercover videos, I couldn't actually disagree.  My inability to counter the argument was not based on the images I saw, though.  It was based on my knowledge that these were not isolated incidents.

I saw animals crowded together in inhumane conditions, unable to act in a normal manner.

I watched the height of human stupidity as workers repeatedly beat animals, or shocked them over and over again with electric prods to make them move forward or stay still.

I saw hundreds of dead and dying animals given no relief.

I watched workers shouting, swearing at, and mocking the animals.

And I knew these weren't isolated cases.

I have been there.  I have experienced the extreme frustration when that one cow won't go where she needs to go, when the facilities are set up in a way that the cattle just don't want to go past a certain point.  To my shame, I will admit that I have shouted and hit cattle harder or more times than necessary just because I was frustrated, even though I knew it was counter-productive to do so.

We have all been there.

So what do we do about it?  Do we just free the animals and stop eating meat, using feathers for warmth, making shoes out of leather?  Do we refuse to exercise dominion over the animal kingdom?

Should I even own cattle?  Is it okay to be raising those cattle for beef?

No.  For me, that's not an option.  As a Christian, I believe the Bible is the Word of God.  What does God's Word have to say about this?  Let's take a look.

Genesis 1:26-30 (ESV)
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
And God blessed them.  And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."  And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit.  You shall have them for food.  and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food."  And it was so."

Genesis 9:1-5 (ESV)
"And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.  The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea.  Into your hand they are delivered.  Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you.  And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.  But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.  And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man.  From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.""

John 10:11-13 (ESV)
"I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."

1 Peter 1:13-16 (ESV)
"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy.""

Before we go any further, let's just define a couple of words.  To have dominion means to rule over or dominate.  To be holy is to be set apart, different, or unique.

In light of these verses, what does it look like for us to have holy dominion over the animals?  Furthermore, we must ask ourselves, since we have authority, what type of rulers will we be? 

Will I be a tyrant or a benevolent ruler? 

A good shepherd or an uncaring hired hand? 

Are we willing to act in ways that are radically different from the standards, even the best standards, in our industries?

Those questions are extremely general, so let's get a bit more personal.  I'll only address the sectors I'm involved in, but you'll get the picture.

For the beef farmers who want to exercise holy dominion over their herds,

• Are feedlots acceptable places to send our cattle?
• Is it really okay to speed up production through the use of ionophores and hormone implants?
• As cattle grow, how fast is too fast?
• Is it okay to feed our cattle a balanced, grain-based diet, or should they all be grass-fed?
• How do we encourage growth in the beef industry, while protecting the environment?
• Are we training our helpers and hired hands to move cattle efficiently without shouting, kicking, beating, or otherwise stressing the cattle unnecessarily?
• How can we give our hired hands a sense of ownership in the cattle?
• When is the best time for calving, from the perspective of the cows and newborn calves?
• Should we keep smaller herds that can be easily managed by one person or family?
• Should we market our beef directly to consumers, giving them a clearer understanding of the production process?
• Should we be scrutinizing our slaughterhouses to ensure that they train their employees in proper handling techniques and that they utilize humane slaughter techniques?
• How can we allow our stock dogs to exhibit natural behaviour in exploring their territory while ensuring that they don't harass the cattle as soon as we leave the yard?
• How do we best build and sustain thriving ecosystems and habitats for wildlife on our range lands?
• Should our diets be more plant-based?

For the crop farmers who want to exercise holy dominion over the wildlife that interact with their crops,

• Are mono-cultures acceptable?
• Is it acceptable to spray insecticides to kill one pest, knowing they will kill all of the insects they contact?
• Should we be putting more money towards research and development for biological pest controls?
• For larger pests, like gophers and moles, what are acceptable means of control?
• How can we interact with the soil and the ecosystems within the soil in a way that builds them up?
• Should our crop rotations include perennial crops and/or grazing livestock?
• Should we continue to clear land for crops?  Which land is suitable for clearing?
• How are we accommodating large animals with large territories, even as we fence in our fields?
• Are we creating areas where pollinators can thrive?
• Is it acceptable to allow hunting on our lands to decrease the populations of deer and other wildlife that eat our crops?

I don't have answers to any of these questions, not even the ones that pertain to my farm.  I've only been thinking about this for a couple of days, after all.  Maybe just asking the questions is a good place to start.

These are hard questions that aren't fun to think about.  Some of them sound extreme, backwards, economically unsound, or maybe even crazy.  Implementing some of the changes required by some of the possible answers would be extremely difficult.  Just because it might be difficult, though, I don't think we should shy away from this.  I'm pretty sure God expects us to do the difficult things in life if they will bring glory to Him.

As we seek to bring glory to our Creator, we as Christian farmers must continually ask ourselves this one question: "What do I need to do differently as I exercise my God-given dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth?"  Once we've asked this question, we need to be prepared to act on the answers.

Farmer friends, I really want to know what you think about all this.  I don't want to have to figure this all out for myself.  Please let me know what you think, either in the comments, or by contacting me directly.  

Non-farmer friends, please don't judge us too harshly.  You may want to ask why we haven't got this all figured out yet and why a "shockumentary" was necessary to get me thinking about it.  No one has all the answers, but we're working to get there.  Please be patient with us, and send us some encouragement.  There are often days when we could really use some assurance that consumers actually do want us to do better, and will help us get there.
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Where Do Farmers Go For Vacations?

Where do farmers go for vacations?  Lots of places.  Often the same places everyone else goes. 

Sometimes, though, a farmer goes on vacation to other farms.  And they ask the other farmers to put them to work.  And they talk about farming for the whole trip.  It's really fun.

Picture Credit: Peterson Farm Bros.

I took a vacation like that last week.  It truly was a fantastic holiday!  I contacted some college friends I hadn't seen in a while and asked if I could come for a visit.  I told them to put me to work and asked when it was convenient to come.  Once I had a loose schedule set, I packed coveralls, gloves, hats, freshly scrubbed boots, coats, and normal travelling gear into my trusty old truck and hit the road. 

It was a long trip. 

I started in Barrhead and dipped down to Salmon Arm, BC.  There, I found my friend doing chores in the dairy barn.  He got me to help with a few minor tasks and then we chatted in the spacious barn until the vet came to do a herd health check.  The rest of the day was spent watching the vet perform surgery on a cow, doing miscellaneous chores, and having awesome conversations with my friend, his parents, and one of the hired men.  By the end of the day, my clothes smelled like barn and I was exhausted from trying to keep up with my friend (I swear he didn't walk that fast in college...), but it had been a great day!  As a beef producer, my knowledge of the dairy industry is limited, but I've been slowly learning and had a blast getting to see more and ask questions as they came to me.

The very next day, I hit the road again and traveled north to Vanderhoof.  Aside from slushy roads and dreary weather, the trip went well until about an hour west of my destination.  I was travelling through Prince George and glanced down at my speedometer to make sure I was keeping to the speed limit.  It was then that my trusty truck failed me.  The cluster was dark.  I couldn't see anything. 

No speedometer. 

No fuel gauge. 

No temperature gauge. 

No oil pressure gauge. 

No odometer. 

Nothing.  All I could see was my check engine light and airbag light, both of which have been on since I got the truck.  On top of all that, what I did not yet know was that my tail lights were also out.  Knowing I had only one more hour to go (and not knowing that the people behind me couldn't actually see me in the pitch dark of the highways), I decided I would keep going and just follow the speed of the people around me.  After a stressful drive, I finally made it to Vanderhoof.

The friend I was staying with there met me in town and led me to her parents place, where her dad quizzed me on road conditions and then told us how he had just discovered a new way to remove a plastic or rubber hose from a connector.  I am not kidding when I say I wrote it down because it was so brilliant. 

The next morning we dropped my truck off at a busy mechanic shop, apologetically told them that I needed it in two days, and took off on the big tour.  My friend's family owns a cattle ranch and a logging business.  Apparently those two enterprises are commonly found together in that area.  Her boyfriend's family also has a dairy farm, so we toured all three of those businesses in one day.  We started at the dairy, where I donned a clean set of coveralls and washed my boots thoroughly before walking too far into the barn.  Once again, I had some fun learning how dairy farmers do things.  When we had finished there, I washed my boots again and we set off for the ranch.

At the ranch, I met my friend's uncle, who proudly showed me around his corral system and gave me a lengthy explanation of why the corrals were built the way they were.  It was fascinating, as I had never seen a system set up in that particular pattern, nor wooden fences built with 2x4 boards.  My friend finished the tour of the corrals after her uncle returned to the shop to do some work and we went to check out the herd of yearling heifers hanging out nearby. 

Later, my friend's dad led us out to the woodlot they were currently working in and I got a chance to see some of the different equipment used in that industry.  The afternoon concluded with a tour of the various fields and pastures owned by the ranch, which is considerably larger than my own farm.

The next day, I had a break from touring farms as my friend and I toured the town, drove along back roads to see what kinds of farmland we could see, and got lost on a "short" walk through the local bike trails.  We also picked up my truck from the frazzled mechanic who worked overtime and had to try three different times to get the problem fixed.  Ol' Blue is back to being his trusty self again!

After spending three nights and two days with my friend, it was time to head back to Alberta.  Taking the advice of her dad, I left earlier than I had planned and made it through the bad portion of highway while it was still light out, then made it to Grande Prairie in time for a late supper. 

My final day of vacation took me to one more farm, not far from Grande Prairie.  I wasn't able to stay long enough to be useful there, but my friends toured me around the farmstead of the family's large crop farm, showed me their impressive new aeration bins, and fed me some delicious banana bread before I had to hit the road again to come home.

I wish I could explain how much fun this trip really was.  Written out this way, it looks long, boring, and difficult, but it wasn't.  It was thrilling to see and learn new things, to talk with farmers my own age and their parents, all of whom had interesting things to teach me, whether they were showing me how something worked, talking about new innovations, or allowing me to experience industries I don't normally get to experience.  I also had a blast visiting friends I hadn't seen in over a year and catching up on all of their lives.

Me and Mal the Cat at the Vanderhoof dairy farm.
Photo Credit: Tessa Weaver

If you have farmer friends, I highly recommend vacationing on their farms, if they'll let you.  Take your work clothes.  Tell them to put you to work.  And prepare to learn.

How to Teach Your Kids (and Yourself) about Agriculture

This post is aimed mainly at city folks, but I'm sure farm parents will find one or two ideas here that they had not already thought about.  Also note that I am neither a parent, nor an educator, but am merely a farmer who has done a tiny bit of work to help teach my urban relatives a little about agriculture.  Most of the ideas presented here came to me while on the seat of a combine or tractor.

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Have you ever thought, "I wish I knew where to turn to teach my kids (and myself) more about where our food comes from?"  You're in luck!  Today I would like to share a few ideas that you can use to teach your family about agriculture.

1. Visit an Agricultural Museum

In Alberta and other parts of the prairies, we have a rich agricultural history which has helped to shape our culture.  There are a variety of museums and parks that showcase this history.  Some even have family-friendly demonstrations at certain times of the year (haying, harvest, etc.).  Keep in mind that these generally showcase where agriculture has been, not where we currently are or where we are heading.  Still, the history is really neat!

The following is an incomplete list of parks and museums within Alberta that showcase a bit of our agricultural history:

• Reynolds-Alberta Museum (Wetaskiwin)
• ALES Museum at the University of Alberta (Edmonton)
• Fort Edmonton Park (Edmonton)
• Canadian Tractor Museum (Westlock)
• Prairie Tractor Museum (Picture Butte)
• Brownvale North Peace Agricultural Museum (Brownvale)
• Call of the West Museum (High River)
• Pioneer Thresherman's Museum (High Prairie)
• St. Albert Grain Elevator Park (St. Albert)
• Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre (Nanton)

2. Play the Farming Game

Yes, this is a real board game.  It is called "The Farming Game."  Some people have likened it to Monopoly, but it is quite unique.  While it is highly simplified, it can teach basic concepts about the seasons to which farmers must pay attention (there are more than four!), the volatility of markets and weather, and the various choices a farmer needs to make in order to be successful.  My sister and I used to play this game for hours on end as teenagers and even made up our own rules to make it go on longer!

There are also various farm-themed games you can play on a phone or tablet, but I like board games for family-centered learning.

3. Participate in Alberta Open Farm Days

Every year, for one weekend in August, farms across Alberta open up to allow visitors to come and see what farming is all about.  There are various activities, tours, and culinary events that families can attend to learn more about where their food comes from and to talk to the people who produce it.

To learn more, find out which farms near you are open, and to plan your weekend of fun-filled learning, you can visit the Alberta Open Farm Days website.

If you live outside of Alberta, I believe that there are similar weekends in most of the other provinces.

I had the opportunity to talk about feed grain during Alberta Open Farm Days 2017. Photo Credit: Neil Rysavy

4. Visit a Farm

If you don't know a farmer, this can be tricky, but it is a great way to learn directly from the farmer about what happens on a farm.  When approached by someone who truly wants to learn, most farmers are willing to answer any questions you may have, or to direct you to someone who can answer them better (for example, a beef farmer may not be comfortable answering questions about egg production).

For those of you who know a farmer, go ahead and ask if you can bring your family out to the farm for a day to see what goes on.  Just keep in mind that the farmer may put you off for a while if he is in the middle of a busy season.  Busy seasons are not the best time to visit a farm because the farmer is stressed, racing against time, and probably sleep-deprived, and because the farm is usually more dangerous at those times (with more machinery running, or animals near the yard).

For those of you who don't know a farmer, you can check the internet for local farmers who sell products directly to their customers, or who have a farm store.  They are used to customers coming to the farm, are likely open to having you visit, and can probably get you in contact with other farmers, as well.  To find such farms in Alberta, you can check the members list of the Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association.

5. Have Your Child's School Participate in the Classroom Agriculture Program

Suggest that your child's school take advantage of the free Classroom Agriculture Program, which sends volunteers to grade 4 classes across Alberta to give a one-hour presentation to the class, connecting agriculture to their regular curriculum.  I have been one of the volunteers to go to classes and can tell you that it is incredibly fun and the students seem to enjoy it!

6. Use the Internet to Search for Cool Facts

Of course, it is always wise not to use the internet as your number one source of information regarding any topic, but there are some trusted websites you can check out.  You can even look up some cool facts on the internet ahead of time and give your kids a mission to find answers to your questions.  (I just made some top secret missions with links to helpful websites for my cousins' kids).

Some cool things you might learn on the internet include the following:

• What products come from cattle?
• What are the types of farm equipment?
• Where in the world did the different crops originate?
• What is there to know about farm safety?

7. Attend Agricultural Demonstrations

As I mentioned earlier, some museums have demonstrations of antique machinery and old-fashioned harvesting methods.  These can be really interesting to watch.

However, if you are looking for demonstrations of the latest equipment, these exist, too.  Often, equipment dealers with demonstrate some of their latest pieces on a local field (getting a bit of work done for the host farmer, of course).  There are usually coffee and donuts around, too.  To see about attending one of these, stop in at a local ag equipment dealer and ask if they are demonstrating any pieces of equipment soon.  Keep in mind, this only happens during the spring/summer/fall months, which in Alberta is only about half of the year.

8. Attend a Fair or Farm Show

Most counties have a fair every summer and each fair will have varying degrees of agricultural activities for attendees to enjoy.

There are also large farm shows, such as Agri-Trade in Red Deer and Farmfair International in Edmonton, both of which occur in November each year.  These may include livestock shows, equipment and technology demonstrations, and various booths from a plethora of ag-related companies.

9. Plant a Garden

Dig up a bit of that lawn you hate to mow or rent a plot in the local community garden and get planting!  Planting a garden can teach your kids about how plants grow, as well as the work that goes into keeping them alive.  They will learn how to distinguish crop plants from weeds, how to give just the right amount of water, and how to enjoy a bountiful harvest.  They may also learn that the weather sometimes destroys crops.  Be prepared for that.

In addition to planting the garden, you can also work together to learn about the uses of the crops you have planted, how to harvest and store the crops, and how to identify and control pests and diseases associated with each crop.

10. Participate in a County Ag Service Board Tour

Many counties have what is known as an Ag Service Board.  The Ag Service Board does research, provides information and equipment to local farmers, and does a host of other useful things.  Many of them also host an annual one-day tour of various farms, businesses, and research trials in the county.  I have attended several such tours in my home county and usually find that I learn a few new things to take back home with me.  These days are also a great way to visit with local farmers or retired farmers who are also attending the tour.

Younger children may not enjoy such tours, but they can be interesting and fun for adults and teenagers.

11. Read Books that Discuss Current Issues in the Agriculture Industry

There are many children's books that talk about life on the farm (some are more accurate than others).  However, these do not go very deep and children quickly outgrow them.  For older children and adults, there are many books out there that discuss current issues in the agriculture industry.

Reading such books (especially if the authors disagree with one another) can give you an idea of the innate complexity that accompanies all areas of the farm and can give you a richer understanding of current issues.  You may agree with some books and disagree with others.  You may both agree and disagree with an author in the same book, or even on the same page!  These moments of agreement and disagreement are awesome learning experiences if we use them to look at all sides of an issue.

Why not read two or three books together as a family and then discuss the issues the books bring up?  This can be a fun way to keep your kids' minds actively engaged through holiday seasons or summer break.

To get you started, I would like to suggest that you read "The Marvelous Pigness of Pigs" by Joel Salatin and "Seeds of Science" by Mark Lynas.  The perspectives of the authors in these two books are worlds apart, even though they have very similar backgrounds in how they view the world.  I have read both and have found that each book challenged my thinking in very different ways.

12. Read "The Real Dirt on Farming" as a Family

Some absolutely marvelous folks over in Ontario have published several editions of a magazine-type publication called "The Real Dirt on Farming."  You can read it online or order a hard copy.  This booklet is filled with fascinating facts about agriculture!  It also talks about some issues that have people concerned, like the use of hormones and GMOs.  I found this booklet by accident a few days ago and have been fascinated ever since!

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Do you have any ideas of how to teach children and/or adults about agriculture?  Let me know in the comments section below!