A confidence booster

[ASRG]

Kato: I think they are washed before they go in the cooler...not before they are skinned?
I'm no expert on this Ecoli contamination, but I though it was inside the stomachs/intestines? Would there have to be a leak onto the carcass, from a cut in the stomachs/intestines?
I suspect that sort of thing can happen at just about any plant? Maybe it is how well you deal with after the leak?

[kato]

I would think E coli on the inside translates to e coli in the manure. And taggy animals are coated in it. If they're not washing them beforehand, IMHO they should be.

Maybe someone with more experience on this could enlighten us?? I've been through a hog plant, but not a big beef plant.

[gcreekrch]

Grassy, there are a few of your capabilities and accomplishments I am very impressed with.

Your willingness to discredit those who do not fit your philosophy is not one of them.

You yourself have bragged about buying cheap bred cows and turning a dollar on them when no one else was buying. Isn't that somewhat the same as NB did with culls?

I don't know what you tell your customers about "grassfed beef production" but I have read your posts about wintering your cattle on barley silage and worrying about losing the "fines" without having a floor in the self feeder.
In my simple little brain "grassfed" and "barley fed" is two differnt things.

I have never met either of the Nillson brothers but have met several of their staff. I think you would have a tough time convincing me they were cheap immigrant workers!
I am aware of where a lot of the plant staff comes from but I doubt they would be there if Canadians were hungry enough to work.

I am not an advocate of bailouts for anyone and not in this case either. It is just damned unfortunate that what could have been fixed with a good mopping has turned into a beaurocractical, media enhanced fiasco.

Nuff for tonight....

[grassfarmer]

Thats rich Dave, you don't like my willingness to
discredit anyone .... then you proceed to try and
discredit me and all that I do. A bit hypocritical.

Yes, I've bought cows when they were cheap - but
there were hundreds and thousands of other ranchers
competing in the same marketplace. Thats free
enterprise business, just the same way as you operate
under. Thats a big difference from being one of two
companies buying over 90% of the cows in the
country.

[gcreekrch]

Didn't realize I was discrediting you when I was only consolidating your own words from internet discussions. You expect the Nilson's to publicly explain their actions, why not explain your own?


There was nothing stopping you, me or anyone else from buying those cows. In fact, you could ask Blair Vold about a guy that wanted to partner up with an Albertan with grass for 1000 young cows to breed back about 2005-6. Plenty of guys that would have rented me $1 a day grass but none with enough intestinal fortitude to share profit a deal. Those $200 cows were worth $800 as breds that fall.

I am a somewhat negative soul myself at times, a contributor such as yourself makes me look inward and ask what can be done to make me less so.



FWIW,I tried not to let the cow buyers profit from this operation during BSE, local burger market used a lot of what we had at a good dollar. Did get caught a couple of times when supply was bigger than demand but I'm still glad someone was there to use them instead of just making wolf bait.