Food labeling to a farmer is probably the best cure for low blood pressure. As part of my conversation with Lance and Heidi Lillibridge, we touched on the topic of labels.

Product of USA

One of the issues the two talked about was the various labels displayed on our food. One label is the, "Product of U.S.A." To you and I that means the animal was raised on American soil. But that is not so, not always.

The USDA says, "With the largest fed-cattle industry in the world, the United States is also the world's largest producer of beef, primarily high-quality, grain-fed beef for domestic and export use. Nevertheless, the United States is a net beef importer, purchasing lower-value, grass-fed beef destined for processing. "

Right now, the processing of meat is an issue in this country, so because we aren't processing, we are probably importing even more meat from other countries. It's not that there isn't meat here, it's just that we aren't processing what we have

And because we aren't processing some of the animals are being put down at on the farms because the meat is now too old to use, or there needs to be room made for the new animals that are arriving. Click to read about that.

After meat reaches our shores, it is packaged here. So when you see meat labeled "Product of USA" what this can really mean is that the meat was brought here, packaged and labeled here. "It's a bunch of hocus pocus" said Lillibridge. "When the meat hits the stores you really don't know where your meat came from," Lillibridge said. He talked to the head of one business and asked if the meat they sell was coming to America or being raised in America. He said he doesn't have a problem with meat coming in from other countries, he just wants honesty in labeling. He would like to see it say, "Country of Origin" on the label. Did it come from Minnesota, the Lillibridge farm or from a farm in Nairobi, Kenya?

I had just assumed that when I go to the store for hamburger it came from the good 'ol U.S.A. but, this is another question those of us buying our meat don't think to ask.

Lillibridge pointed out that we need to be supporting the American farmer. We can do that simply by buying American, all the way down to our burgers and brats.

Now let's talk about...

GMOs-Genetically Modified Organisms

When you hear GMO if you're like me you think "chemicals." GMO has nothing to do with chemicals, but Lillibridge explained that researchers look at things like the corn plants and the DNA of the plants and try to figure out the best features of the plants and try to fuse them together to make the perfect corn stalk. For example, Lillibridge said, perhaps there is a root system that is really strong for the plant and maybe it resists worms. So researchers go into the DNA of the plant and extract that feature to put into the new GMO corn. Maybe there is a plant with a sturdier stalk or larger ears of corn. Researchers bring together the best DNA features to help farmers produce a greater crop, in the quest to feed more people without the need for more chemicals.

With a chuckle, Lillibridge shared a conversation he had with a chemical engineer who thought that GMO meant inserting chemicals into each seed that was planted. So Lillibridge took the opportunity to explain how it really worked. (Could you imagine being the guy that had to insert chemicals into every seed? Talk about carpal tunnel!)

Because of GMO corn or beans or other crops, farmers now use fewer chemicals on their fields than before, thanks to figuring out the DNA of the seeds that are planted. GMOs are not the enemy, but a friend to the consumer.

Next time we'll talk about the label that says, "grass fed" and what exactly does that mean?


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