Don't Fear Your Food: Using Antibiotics as Growth Promotants

This is the last blog post in my series on antibiotics.  If you look back, you'll recall that we have already covered the use of antibiotics to prevent disease and the use of antibiotics to treat and control disease.  Today we'll be talking about the use of antibiotics to promote growth in feeder cattle (cattle that will be slaughtered for meat).  I've pondered for a long time, trying to think of the best way to approach this.  I could approach it from a strictly personal viewpoint, telling you what we do on our farm.  Or, I could approach it from a scientific viewpoint, explaining exactly what these antibiotics do to promote growth within the animals.  I think I'll opt for the middle road, though: I'll tell you what we do, why we do it, and how it works in simple terms.

What Do We Feed Our Cattle?

Here at Ehrenholz Farms, we feed something called monensin to our feeder cattle.  Monensin (also called Rumensin, which is a brand name) is an ionophore and it is fed with the grain (for our cattle either oats or barley).  When we feed it, we have to make sure that we feed the correct ratio of grain to monensin.

When we feed the monensin, we don't just feed pure monensin mixed in with the grain.  I don't even know if it's possible for farmers to get pure monensin (monensin sodium).  The monensin we get is an ingredient in the protein supplement that we feed to the feeder cattle (because protein is a pretty important component of their diets).

The tag that comes with every bag of supplement specifies how much of the supplement should be fed to a calf based on the calf's body weight, and based on how much grain the supplement is mixed with.  For example, the tag tells me the one 300 kg calf should be fed 0.38 kg of supplement per day, and if we were feeding 900 kg barley, we should add 100 kg supplement to the barley and then feed that 300 kg calf 3.8 kg of that mixture.  We don't have nearly enough calves to feed 1,000 kg of feed per day, but we do know that we can mix the supplement with the grain in a 1:9 ratio by weight, so we figure out how much grain we are feeding, and then we know how much supplement to use.  What tools do use to figure that out?  We use good old fashioned pails, a scale, and a calculator (or Dad's head).

A sample of the protein supplement we feed to our cattle and the tag that comes with it to give us feeding instructions.

Why Do We Feed Monensin to Our Cattle?

We feed monensin to our cattle because it helps our calves to be more feed efficient (they grow faster on the feed we give them and use the feed more efficiently, with less waste) and because it has an added benefit of making them more environmentally friendly.  Because of the way it works, monensin also cuts down on the amount of gas produced in the rumen (one of the four sections of a cow's stomach), which may reduce bloat (a potentially fatal condition).

How Does Monensin Promote Growth in Cattle?

As I mentioned earlier, monensin is an ionophore.  Ionophores are classified as antibiotics, but they are not related to human medicine or to the antibiotics we typically use to  treat, prevent, and control disease (although monensin can be used to prevent coccidiosis, a disease that can affect calves of a certain age).

Ionophores work by suppressing certain microbes that live in the animal's rumen.  Since those microbes are suppressed, the microbes that are not affected are able to compete better to increase in number in the rumen.  The microbes that are suppressed are less efficient at breaking down food.  The useful products produced by these microbes are low in energy and carbon (so the animal has less energy and less carbon to use for growth).  The waste product produced by these microbes is methane, which we all know is a major greenhouse gas, and is released by burps and from the rear of the animal.  So what about the microbes that increase while the other ones are being suppressed?  They are far more efficient at breaking down food, putting more energy and carbon into the useful products, and releasing less carbon (and therefore less methane) as waste.  This means the animal has more energy and carbon to use for growing.

How cool is that?!  Not only are there different kinds of microbes that break down food differently, but we are able to control those microbes to help the calves grow more quickly and be environmentally friendly!

I know I probably haven't answered all of your questions on this topic, so feel free to check out the "Further Reading" section and do your own research on this.  And, as always, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me with any questions about how I use antibiotics on my farm.

Further Reading

Explaining Growth Promotants Used in Feedlot Cattle
Worried About Antibiotic Use and Resistance in Cattle?
Canadian Food Inspection Agency: Monensin Sodium
Application of Ionophores in Cattle Diets
The Trials and Troubles of Feeding Monensin to Cattle
Rumensin - Efficacy and Toxicity in Beef Cattle

Dear God, Can We Talk About the Rain?

Dear God,

Can we talk?  To be specific, can we talk about the rain?

Now, I know I prayed for rain last spring.  Lord, you know how much we needed it last year.  The fields were so dry.  We feared that the crops would be scorched and die, if they germinated at all.  Planting season was stressful, you recall, for all the farmers.  Sure, we appreciated being able to get into the fields easily and early, but it was hard to seed to moisture, because there was none.  And when the seeding was done, we prayed.  We fell on our knees and begged you for rain.  The whole community prayed for rain and every Sunday in church, rain was a prominent topic during the congregational prayer time.

Then the fires came.  You know better than anyone, Lord, how many fires burn in the boreal forest just north of my county each summer.  And of course you know better than any of us the important role those fires play in renewing the ecosystem.  But we on earth, we fear those fires, especially when they encroach on our homes.  I don't have to tell you about The Beast, Lord.  That fire crept up on Fort McMurray and the surrounding communities and left devastation in its wake.  You'll recall that I was at a Bible Study retreat at the time.  My family was safe, of course, since we live far away from where the fires were, but there was one girl at the retreat who got the call from her family that they had lost their home.  At the retreat, we all prayed for that family, and we prayed for rain.  Even though I was away from the farm, I was still begging you for rain.  Rain for the crops.  Rain to stop the fires.  Rain to bring hope.

And then it began to rain.  It wasn't enough for the crops.  Nor was it enough to stop the fires.  But it was enough to bring hope.

You remember Lord, probably better than I do, that as time went on, the rain kept coming.  Farmers began to rejoice, because we knew the crops would make it.  Even the fires were brought under control and the residents were allowed to return to their communities.

Still the rain came.  We began to joke that maybe we had prayed too much.  It was getting a bit frustrating to put up hay, because it wouldn't dry.  It just kept raining.

It rained, and rained, and rained.

Then the harvest came.

You blessed my family, Lord.  We got our crops off the fields, as well as all of our hay.  Most of our neighbours were not so fortunate.  Some got their crops harvested late in the year, when the ground was frozen, but as I drive through the county this spring, I can hardly bear to look at the fields.  So many crops are still out there.

We all thought the farmers would just get out into the fields and finish the harvest before planting.  It would be hard, but our neighbours would be okay.

But now, Lord, the rain just keeps coming.  When the rain stops, the snow comes back.  Dad says he's never seen so much mud on our yard.  We're wondering where on earth to put our cattle to get them out of the mud without tearing up the pastures.  And there's no way we'll get into the fields early.  We won't even get into the fields at the regular time.  It'll be a late planting season this year.

I'm trying hard not to complain, Lord.  I know that you are sovereign and in control.  I know that you understand our hurt and worry.  You see me every time I get stuck or fall in the mud (how many dozens of times has that happened this year?  You know the number).  You watched that day I harvested the potatoes in the garden in the rain and mud, throwing half of them back because they had rotted in the waterlogged soil.  You see how the cattle struggle to get through the mud and to stay dry and you see every vehicle that gets stuck in the mud.  You can count the fields that are completely submerged in water and every kernel of grain that has been lost.  Through all of this, you have a plan, though I don't know what it is.

They say this summer is supposed to be hot and dry.  How I want to fall on my knees and beg that it would be so!  But you aren't a short order cook or a weather fairy.  You are so much more than that.

All I ask is that you would work out your will down here on earth.  I know I'm allowed to ask that and I know that you give good blessings to your children.  I also know that often your best blessings come through hardship, because hardship teaches us to rely on you, instead of relying on our own strength.  We've had hardship, Lord.  Could you send the blessings?  Could you let us see your power in our everyday lives?  Could you let our neighbours make it through, even as they trust you for every need?

I'd like the rain to stop, Lord, but I'd rather you send your blessings,
whatever those look like.

In the name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Hope,

Amen.

I got the swather stuck on the first day of harvest last year.  Can you see the water sitting in the barley?

Little Adventure

I wasn't going to write a blog post tonight.  In fact, my late afternoon/evening plans had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the computer.  I was going to spend my hours going through old magazines and newspapers, clipping and sorting the articles I wanted to keep, and throwing out the rest.  A couple hours in, at 5:15 pm, I decided that I had better go check the cows.  It's calving season and I check the cows every few hours.  Now, I have two options I can use for checking the cows.  I can do it the old fashioned way by pulling on my boots and trudging out through the mud to check the cows in person.  Or, I can turn on the television, control the camera that's mounted on the back of the barn, and check out what's happening on the straw pile.

At this point in time, I was feeling pretty sprightly, so I decided that a breath of fresh air would be lovely and optimistically pulled on my boots.  When I got to the calving pen, I saw that #67 - a white heifer that I've been watching extra closely for the past couple of days - was calving.  Or had calved.  I wasn't quite sure.

I'm going to get a bit graphic just now.  Normally I wouldn't do this, but this is a key detail in the story.  When a cow is going to calve, the water bag hangs out of her rear end.  After a cow has calved, the afterbirth hangs out of her rear end.  In some cases, these two things can look quite similar.

When I first saw #67, I thought she had already calved.  The stuff at her rear end looked like afterbirth.  But there was no calf.  That is to say, there was no newborn calf.  #67 was enthusiastically licking (or love-mauling) a two-day-old calf belonging to #212.  Certain that she had calved, I searched carefully all over the straw pack, but found nothing.  I checked in the calf shelters, looked around the perimeter of the hay feeder, examined each and every animal in the pen, and slipped through every inch of mud, but found no new calf.  Well,  I thought, I guess she hasn't calved yet.  I'll check back in an hour.

One hour later I turned on the television.  I didn't feel like slopping through any more mud.  I moved the joystick controller around until I had located #67.  She was alone.  That poor little calf she had been licking earlier had escaped to sleep in peace somewhere.  She had either already calved or had made absolutely no progress.  I moved that joystick all over the place, but there was no new calf.  It was time to call Dad, because I just couldn't comprehend what I was seeing (or rather, not seeing).  I was so sure that this heifer had calved, but there was no evidence.  No calf.

I called Dad and explained the situation.  He said it was probably the water bag hanging out.  He would come as soon as he had finished eating dessert, so I pulled on my boots and sloshed through the slush and mud to go see for myself that there was simply no calf.  I also looked carefully at #67.  That ain't no water bag, I thought. 

My dad arrived and we chased #67 into the barn.  Dad put on his calving suit and a long glove and reached into the heifer.  To his surprise (and my "I told you so") there was no calf in there.  We went back outside and scoured every inch of that calving pen.  Still no calf.

Both stumped, we returned to the barn and my dad reached in again, as far as he could go.  Still no calf.

There was only one more place to check.  It was possible - unlikely, but possible - that the newborn calf had slipped under a high part of the windbreak next to the straw pack, and had slid into the adjoining pen.  We had sort of looked out in that direction earlier, but hadn't seen anything.  We would have to go out into that larger pen and walk around until we found something.  Before we even made it to the the gate, my dad looked way out into the pen, down the hill, and said, "Well there's a new calf!"  Indeed, there he stood, a wet little calf just hanging out with a bunch of cows that are nowhere near calving.

We walked out and checked the calf over.  Dad noted, with some surprise, that the calf appeared to have been licked off.  I wasn't surprised.  I mean, if I was a cow and some warm little wiggly thing had slid into my pen from next door, I'd sure go investigate.  When cows investigate, they often lick.  I figure that calf probably had two or three cows licking him off, while his poor confused mama went around licking calves that weren't hers and waking them from a sound sleep.

Dad carried that little calf back up the hill and into the barn, while I opened gates and doors for him.  #67 was quite relieved to have her calf back, and we left them in the barn to get acquainted.

What an adventure it is to have cows.  What an even bigger adventure it is when they calve!

What If You Were Afraid to Eat?

I hate watching/listening to/looking at food-related advertising.  It seems that every time I come across such advertising, there is an undercurrent of fear within it, and that horrifies me.

At first, I wasn't horrified.  I was annoyed, slightly disturbed, and my blood pressure would rise.  But I didn't want to make too big of a deal about it, so I would detach myself and simply write fact-based blogs, or post true food facts on my farm's social media page.  I did what I could to learn the facts of food production so I could inform myself, forming my own opinions and values and basing my practices on those values.  I also wanted to be able counter any misinformation I might come across in general conversation.  

Recently, though, I came across a study that chilled me.  The more I think about it, the greater my horror is.  The  study takes a look at the effect of food marketing on consumer choices, particularly when it comes to marketing that pits organic fruits and vegetables against conventional fruits and vegetables.  The study concluded that consumers are hearing messages that make them afraid to eat conventionally-raised fruits and vegetables, mainly because the organic marketing questions the existence of pesticide residues, etc. on these products that are raised using conventional methods.  

I already knew that consumers were worried about the safety of their food.  The new part that I learned from the study is what sent chills down my back: low-income families and individuals are receiving these marketing messages along with everyone else, but they can't afford to buy organic produce, so they simply don't buy as many fruits and vegetables as they normally would, which means they are not eating as many fruits and vegetables as they need to.

Think about that.  

People aren't getting the nutrition they need because they think their food is going to make them sick.  Furthermore, they can't access or afford to buy the stuff that marketers say is safe.  But the conventionally produced food isn't going to make them sick!  I know this because I grow crops in a conventional manner.  Yes, there are a few minor practices that I don't agree with and don't utilize, but by and large I know that any food I get at a grocery store is safe.

Somewhere in this world, probably in my own county, in your own city or town, is an individual standing in front of a grocery store produce section and making the decision to just skip buying fruits and vegetables because they can't afford the organic stuff and they are afraid to eat the conventional produce.  

What if that person is someone living on disability, who needs a specific diet to keep healthy?  

What if that person is a young mother who is afraid to feed her children these essential, nutritious foods because her family is on a fixed income and she can't afford the organic produce?  

What if that person is a senior citizen living on a government pension?

What if that person is someone in a remote town with limited access to organic produce?  

What if that person is someone you know?

What if that person is your friend or your family member?

What if that person is you?

I feel sick thinking about this.  Even cleaning out the barn didn't get me calmed down about this.  People are afraid to eat some of the most nutritious foods there are.  What are we going to do about this?

I'll tell you what I'm going to do.  I going to keep writing my blogs.  I'm going to keep learning and informing myself.  I'm going to keep using production methods that reflect my values.  And I am not going to fear my food.

Don't Fear Your Food: GMOs Are Not Evil

I was at a bridal shower recently, sitting at a table with three other women, visiting over our refreshments.  To my left was my friend, who grew up in town, but married a farmer this past summer.  Across the table was my friend's mom, and to my right was another lady from church.  Somehow, we began talking about how so many farmers had been harvesting late into the winter this year, because high moisture levels and too many rainy days had kept farmers out of the fields in the fall.  My friend's mom was wondering if someone might discover that crops left to be harvested in the winter actually have some secret benefit that would make them rather valuable.  Her musings went on until this came out of her mouth: "I don't know, maybe the melting snow and all the rain would just wash the GMOs right out of the grain!"  I just barely managed to keep myself from crumpling onto the table in defeat.  Talking isn't my favourite activity, and I certainly had not showed up at that bridal shower prepared to give a lecture on the benefits of GMOs.  Besides, how am I supposed to refute the myth that GMOs are evil when people don't even understand what a GMO is?

A few weeks after the shower, my mom picked up some gluten-free snacks for me since she knew I was having a guest stay at my place that required a gluten-free diet.  She did well, but I now have certified non-GMO stuff in my cupboards, and we had a conversation about the difference between non-GMO and gluten-free, which highlighted to me the fact that many people just don't know what all these fancy new labels mean.

Well, I'm going to try to give my readers a brief look into the world of GMOs today.  I won't go into deep detail, so please check out the "Further Reading" section if you want to know more.  And if you are wondering how to find reliable information regarding GMOs, check out my blog post, "How to Get Accurate Information."

What is a GMO?

GMO stands for "genetically modified organism."  But what does that mean?!

Genetically modified organisms are organisms (living things) that have been modified (changed) from their original form at the genetic level.  In crops, this is achieved through a certain breeding process called transgenesis, or genetic engineering.

Transgenesis occurs when crop breeders take a trait that is found in another plant, and insert the genes associated with that trait into the crop plant they are wanting to modify.  Crop breeders may also "turn off" genes associated with certain characteristics.  Transgenesis is the modification of specific genes to give the plant traits that naturally occur in other organisms.  The changes are predictable and controlled to affect just that one trait in the plant.

So, are scientists just extracting genes from one organism and injecting them into another one?  No.  The plant breeders find the gene for the desired trait in the plant that has the trait, make a copy of that gene, and use it in the plant they are wanting to modify.

Are GMOs Harmful to Human Health?

No.  Scientific studies have proven the following:

• there is no evidence that GMO foods cause
• new allergies
• gluten intolerance
• cancer
• autism
• poisonings
• any other diseases or conditions
• creating or modifying crops through the use of biotechnology is no more risky than doing so through the use of conventional crop breeding techniques
• there is no difference in the nutrition or composition of GM crops, compared to non-GM crops and there is no difference in our ability to digest them

All GMOs that are approved to be sold for food consumption undergo extensive testing to ensure that they are safe.  Some of the tests include tests for allergenicity, digestibility, and toxicity.

What are the Benefits of Using GMO Technology?

Rather than going into great detail that may bore you, I will simply list a number of the benefits of growing GMO crops.  You can check out the details in the "Further Reading" section at the end of this post.

The use of genetically modified crops

• improves soil health
• reduces food waste and loss
• improves air quality when coupled with sustainable farming practices
• helps preserve water
• increases crop yields, which allows us to use less land to grow the crops
• decreases insecticide use

What GMO Crops are Commercially Available?

The following chart tells you which commercially available crops are GMOs and what the modifications achieve:

Keep in mind that not all apples, potatoes, etc. are GMO.  Only some are.

How Long Have People Been Genetically Modifying Crops?

Farmers have been genetically modifying crops for thousands of years, ever since people began to domesticate crops via selective breeding.  However, only crops that have been improved using transgenesis are considered "GMO".

Are There Any GM Animals?

Yes.  Scientists have been working on modifying the genetics of certain animals.  A while ago, there were Enviropigs, which could digest plant phosphorus more efficiently than other pigs.  They were never in the food chain.

Health Canada recently approved as safe for consumption genetically engineered AquAdvantage salmon, which grow twice as fast as conventional Atlantic salmon.

I know this has been a very shallow look into the deeply complex world of GMOs.  Be sure to check out the "Further Reading" section for more information.

Further Reading

GMO Answers - I just discovered this website.  It is dedicated to answering everyone's questions about GMOs.  How awesome is that?!  Especially helpful is the educational resources page.

"The Farmer's Daughter" - This is a blog from a woman in the United States.  She completes the most thorough research I have ever seen in the blogging world before writing her blog posts.  I consider this blogger reliable.

"Uptown Farms" - This is a blog from another woman in the United States.  She and her husband raise GMO corn (and also sheep - to clarify, the sheep are not genetically modified).  She isn't as big on research, but I love to read about her honest "this is how we do it" approach to informing her readers.

"The GMO Labeling Battle" - This is an article by National Geographic outlining how different members of the food industry are responding to calls for mandatory labeling regarding GMO ingredients.  National Geographic isn't my favourite source for well-balanced information, but this particular article is pretty good for looking at how consumers impact the food industry.

Globe and Mail article regarding Health Canada's decision to approve AquAdvantage salmon.