Cat's cow-share cow
(Article and photo by Catherine Haug)
While mainstream food production becomes more toxic and inhumane, many farmers and ranchers are looking for a better way. Today the DIL featured an AP story by Matt Volz, about Curt Pate, a 49-year-old Montana cowboy who consulted on the 1998 Robert Redford film “The Horse Whisperer.”
Mr. Pate now turns his talents to showing ranchers a low-stress method of managing cattle. He recently did a demonstration of the old-time, but mostly forgotten technique at the Sieben ranch north of Helena.
You can read the article: Cow Whisperer Aims To Improve Livestock Handling online on the CBS News website.
The article suggests renewed interest among ranchers in this technique was sparked by the online video of cattle abuse on an Ohio dairy farm. You can view this video and learn more at Mercy For Animals. Warning: The video is graphic and greatly disturbing.
As consumers, it is our responsibility to purchase foods from farmers and ranchers who practice humane and life-affirming methods. To do otherwise risks our own health and spiritual well-being. Buy from local food producers you can trust; check out Farm Hands: Who Is Your Farmer? for local, Flathead Valley producers. And demand that local grocers carry more local, humanely-raised foods.