Another farm under siege article

[Red_Barn]

[QUOTE=D_BaldStockings;8635416]

I would not be surprised if the farmer told people that crops and animals are production, not decorative, at the beginning of the tour.
Or perhaps not, because if it is a farm that would be the default option for anything that lives on the place that isn’t human or housepet.

‘Animal Farm’ it isn’t. Nor should people EXPECT that it is a petting zoo: it isn’t.

.[/QUOTE]
Yet this guy’s entire marketing plan very much implied a petting zoo - hence the protest.

Here, for example, is the text of Mrs WhatsIt’s petition:

Minnie has been the resident cow at Benners Farm for over 2 years. She is used as the face of the farm for all their educational programs, birthday parties and festivals…the events are too numerous to name. Updates are posted about her on their instagram account…and with good reason…she is quite personable and has been a wonderful animal ambassador for the “farm”. The public’s impression was to believe that this was a resident cow but now are being advised she is being slated for slaughter. Please support Minnie and support this petition.

https://www.change.org/p/benner-s-farm-save-minnie-the-cow

And please note the word “farm” in quotes. This woman isn’t nearly as stupid as the OP’s story makes out.

[RodeoFTW]

Oh well now this makes things look completely different. Like seriously? Why would you have an Instagram and do updates on a cow you were going to slaughter? That’s pretty dirty and extremely misleading to the public. Either it’s food or it isn’t. Can’t be friend and dinner. No parent wants to have to explain why Minnie is missing at the next birthday function or 4th of July open house. That’s not fun, and I don’t think these people are /that/ out of line for being upset or starting a change.org.

However, death threats are never appropriate.

[Red_Barn]

^ Exactly.

I think this guy was simply trying to make a buck off these people, and now the whole thing’s come back to bite him - exactly as one would expect.

The sad thing is that there really are a great many small, sustainable farms that need community support in a big, big way. Maine is full of them, and I respect these farmers very much. The absolutely last thing these good people need, however, is this kind of idiotic publicity.

[RodeoFTW]

“Our newest farm friend! Welcome
sweet girl…we’re in looove!?” That is just one of many examples of what the Benners have publicly posted about Minnie since her arrival at their “working farm” where visitors can pay to have their child’s birthday party or to just visit with Minnie and the other animals. While they don’t lie when asked, they are very deceptive in their outbound marketing referring to Minnie as their friend and professing their love for her. Never has the heart emoji been used more than in posts the Benner’s write about Minnie devised to lure paying customers to their place of business ; customers who mostly would not otherwise patronize such a place. So either they are guilty of deceptive marketing which helped line their pockets OR if their own words about the love they have for Minnie and their amazement at her sweet disposition are genuine , then they are guilty of the most cruel act of betrayal and that is to earn an animals love and trust to then, with the same hands that have only ever shown Minnie gentleness and kindness, lead her toward what will be a confusing ,terrifying , and painful journey to slaughter. Despicable on all fronts. Minnie -nor any living being for that matter -doesn’t deserve such a cruel fate."

Totally understand why parents would be upset.

We have Greenfield Village out here in MI and there is a working farm there. They raise and slaughter pigs, etc etc have working draft horses and plow ox but none of the food animals have public names or get Instagram fame. This guy should have known better. Food animals have to be anonymous to the public eye or people do get upset.

[Red_Barn]

Holy mackerel. That’s absolutely barf-worthy.

:lol:

I think I might just sign that petition myself.

[RodeoFTW]

That’s what I was thinking. I mean, seriously? If they were seriously calling the cow their ‘friend’ and gushing about how much they loved her on social media to get attention, they pretty much deserve the heat they’ve been getting (outside of death threats). I wouldn’t want to take my non-existent kids to a place like that.

[roseymare]

I am still not outraged.

[D_BaldStockings]

“…devised to lure paying customers to their place of business; customers who mostly would not otherwise patronize such a place.”

Oh, the evil profit motive of farmers.
Sorry, I don’t ‘buy’ that farmers should keep large animals normally raised for meat and milk WITHOUT the expectation that they can eat them at some future date, even if they allow paying strangers to come to their property for an educational visit or party.

Petting and kindness to production animals that will eventually die and be eaten is not cruel to the animals.
It isn’t cruel to the people learning about them either.

-At least we know City folk will not want to bring their children to real working farms.

I vote they put a disclaimer on all their sites, media, farm signs, etc.
stating that
“all animals are production animals that support the farm with their lives and their eventual deaths; we tolerate no unkindness to them while they live.”

[I]“So either they are guilty of deceptive marketing which helped line their pockets OR if their own words about the love they have for Minnie and their amazement at her sweet disposition are genuine , then they are guilty of the most cruel act of betrayal and that is to earn an animals love and trust to then, with the same hands that have only ever shown Minnie gentleness and kindness, lead her toward what will be a confusing ,terrifying , and painful journey to slaughter. Despicable on all fronts. Minnie -nor any living being for that matter -doesn’t deserve such a cruel fate.”

[/I]Wow.
So it is OK to believe that the journey to slaughter will be painful and terrifying.

A handled animal, a petted animal, a trusting animal is far less stressed and should not be in pain during transport. Confused, yes. Terrified? doubtful.

This cow was most likely supposed to be slaughtered on farm. That is more humane than even taking a dog to the vet to be euthanized.

I used to be surprised at the arrogance of those who think they know best.
Not so much, lately.

[pluvinel]

[QUOTE=roseymare;8635642]
I am still not outraged.[/QUOTE]
Ditto…the people name their cow…use it to illustrate farming to the community. They make no bones that the cow is destined for the freezer. That’s the reality of livestock farming. People need to understand that the shrink-wrapped steak on the grocery shelf may have once had a name.

Perhaps a re-read of Animal Farm is in order.

[RodeoFTW]

That’s not the problem most people have with it, though. Most of the complaints were about false advertising. Like, once again, why would you do Instagram updates on a cow who is supposed to be a ‘working/food animal’ and gush about how much you love her and how special she is unless you were trying to give people the illusion that she’s a pet/ambassador? It’s pretty dirty. I mean, if they want to raise animals for food, most people can’t going to complain about it, but don’t then bring the cow over to bond with kids during birthday parties like she’s a pony or something.

>_>

Food animals should be treated like food animals to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Especially when you claim to be ‘educational’.

[D_BaldStockings]

The ‘second article’
http://www.bedlamfarm.com/2016/04/18/minnie-and-kimberly-and-the-benner-farm-pt-2-what-does-it-mean-to-be-free/

[I]"Many animal rights groups have become little more than politicized fund-raising millions. NYClass, the animal rights group that has spent millions of dollars trying to ban the carriage horses, cannot name one single animal they have rescued or saved with all of their millions. They have instead showered politicians, lobbyists and marketers with money.

Everyone who loves, lives with, or works with an animal is in danger of losing their civil rights. Think about it. Once they get the horses and the cows and the ponies and the elephants, they will come after you and your dogs and your cats and the horses in your pasture. They will tell you how they must live, how they must die, what they can and cannot do. They will take them away from you because they seem to hate humans as much as they claim to love animals.

To them, you have no rights.

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure the ability of citizens to participate in the civic and political life of society in peace and freedom. They ensure freedom of thought and conscience."[/I]

[MistyBlue]

They opened their farm to the public because they were asked to do so, so adults and children can see what real farming was like in person.

They’ve never advertised as a petting zoo…or ay type of zoo. They’ve only ever put themselves forward as a learning experience for people to come learn how a REAL working farm life is and what it takes to farm. Even their “about” page on their website states they grow organic vegetables and raise a variety of animals for self sufficient living.

If the general public is either so far removed from what an actual real working farm is…or if they’re so Disney-fied as to believe that if the public is able to come onto a working farm and pet the animals with names there then that means the working farm is now a Petting Zoo solely for their feel-good entertainment purposes and it’s perfectly fine for the general public that had the opportunity to learn about something they obviously don’t know anything about to then lambast that owner all over heck and creation because it hurt them in their feels that a food animal has a name and that the owners loved her before her humane end.

Seriously sad…and more than a bit horrifying that anyone with an IQ higher than lettuce would support or endorse a public attack of someone doing exactly what they said they’re doing and it upset them.
MANY food animals have names. Not a dairy in my area that every ear-tagged and number cow doesn’t also have a name. And guess where those cows go when they’re no longer producing?
The ONLY crime here was that poor couple allowing the general public on their land and offering learning courses for people who wouldn’t have had the chance otherwise.

[Altermyne]

[QUOTE=Red Barn;8635536]

And please note the word “farm” in quotes. This woman isn’t nearly as stupid as the OP’s story makes out.[/QUOTE]

oh please. I never thought she was stupid, just a bleeding heart. looks kinda hard at Red Barn.

[Red_Barn]

That’s an awful lot of very lofty text to justify . . . fraud.

:lol:

Very impressive, CotHers.

[MistyBlue]

[QUOTE=RodeoFTW;8635653]
That’s not the problem most people have with it, though. Most of the complaints were about false advertising. Like, once again, why would you do Instagram updates on a cow who is supposed to be a ‘working/food animal’ and gush about how much you love her and how special she is unless you were trying to give people the illusion that she’s a pet/ambassador? It’s pretty dirty. I mean, if they want to raise animals for food, most people can’t going to complain about it, but don’t then bring the cow over to bond with kids during birthday parties like she’s a pony or something.

>_>

Food animals should be treated like food animals to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Especially when you claim to be ‘educational’.[/QUOTE]

So your personal opinion that if you name an animal, say you love it and let children pet it then it’s a dirty trick and mean and whatever to then eat it?

That food animals cannot ever be loved, cared for, named or have children allowed near them?

That’s got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard so far this year.

[Altermyne]

@RodeoFTW;8635653

That’s not the problem most people have with it, though. Most of the complaints were about false advertising.

no, they didn’t want the cow butchered. It wasn’t about advertising. Their feelings were hurt.

Like, once again, why would you do Instagram updates on a cow who is supposed to be a ‘working/food animal’ and gush about how much you love her and how special she is unless you were trying to give people the illusion that she’s a pet/ambassador?

because they do love her? She is special? And she’s still a food source?

It’s pretty dirty. I mean, if they want to raise animals for food, most people can’t going to complain about it, but don’t then bring the cow over to bond with kids during birthday parties like she’s a pony or something.

bond at a birthday party? When these kids will likely never see this bovine again? I am agasted at the crazy being shown on this board. I expect it from the gen public but not here.

[D_BaldStockings]

[QUOTE=RodeoFTW;8635653]
That’s not the problem most people have with it, though. Most of the complaints were about false advertising. Like, once again, why would you do Instagram updates on a cow who is supposed to be a ‘working/food animal’ and gush about how much you love her and how special she is unless you were trying to give people the illusion that she’s a pet/ambassador? It’s pretty dirty. I mean, if they want to raise animals for food, most people can’t going to complain about it, but don’t then bring the cow over to bond with kids during birthday parties like she’s a pony or something.

>_>

Food animals should be treated like food animals to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Especially when you claim to be ‘educational’.[/QUOTE]

it is your plan that food animals should not be petted, named, of known. Not farmers.

Many farmers know each and every animal on their place. Especially small farmers. They treat them well - what you might call ‘as pets’ up until the moment their lives are ended. They LIKE the animals.

The farmer chooses when that end will be, just as any ‘pet’ owner eventually chooses when their animal’s life will end.

The difference is that the farmer sets the date at the beginning of the interaction, while the ‘pet’ owner expects to come close to the natural end of life. Close, but not past the beginning of suffering and horribly painful decline. At least most of the time.

Unless, of course you feel production animals do not deserve kindness, affection and human interaction during their shortened lives…

[Altermyne]

[QUOTE=MistyBlue;8635666]
So your personal opinion that if you name an animal, say you love it and let children pet it then it’s a dirty trick and mean and whatever to then eat it?

That food animals cannot ever be loved, cared for, named or have children allowed near them?

That’s got to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard so far this year.[/QUOTE]

I am astounded by the thought process of both of the posters supporting this woman

[Altermyne]

[QUOTE=D_BaldStockings;8635671]
it is your plan that food animals should not be petted, named, of known. Not farmers.

Many farmers know each and every animal on their place. Especially small farmers. They treat them well - what you might call ‘as pets’ up until the moment their lives are ended. They LIKE the animals.

The farmer chooses when that end will be, just as any ‘pet’ owner eventually chooses when their animal’s life will end.

The difference is that the farmer sets the date at the beginning of the interaction, while the ‘pet’ owner expects to come close to the natural end of life. Close, but not past the beginning of suffering and horribly painful decline. At least most of the time.

Unless, of course you feel production animals do not deserve kindness, affection and human interaction during their shortened lives…[/QUOTE]

thisthisthis! Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

[SuzieQNutter]

We have a herd of meat cattle. Yes they have names. Yes they come when called. Yes we feed them and talk to them.

The first was called Sansey as he was a cross between a Santa Gertrudis and a Jersey. Yes I took time to feed him twice a day.

Yes I enjoyed Sansey Steaks, Sansey Sausages, Sansey Sandwiches, etc, etc, etc.

Hubby goes one better when friends asked what the name of the cow is they are looking at he says, “Oh that is ****,” and tells them it is the same as their own name.