Annotated Bibliography
Sandra Brown
DeVry University

Annotated Bibliography Kiernan, B. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.globalaginvesting.com/news/blogdetail?contentid=1479 Bill Kiernan is discussing the breakdown of how cows digest the food that they eat so we in turn can digest them. He goes on to say that cows were never meant to eat consume corn to make them fatter at a faster rate. The cows become sick by eating corn which causes the farmers to inject the cows with antibiotics to fight the contamination of E-Coli in the beef. Kiernan also goes on to say that this genetically changes the way the meat is produced. Basically it changes the healthiness of the meat and causes it to be unhealthy for human consummation. Bill Kiernan is the director of GAI Research & Insight. His research into the production of agriculture and the consummation of beef is very well documented in his research. Kiernan discusses the key points of my paper. For example when I stated that I had to find out where the meat had come from and how and why was it altered. Later in my paper I discussed how speaking with a butcher I found out that the beef was not grass fed, but corn fed which Kiernan discussed in his search for why some of us become sick and others do not. We must always make sure to read labels on the beef that we purchase and consume if we want to be healthier.
DiGiuseppe, G. D. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.americancattlemen.com/articles/corn-fed-vs-grass-fed
This article discusses the prospective of the farmer. Many farmers believe that all the information out there is contracting itself. One article states that grass fed beef is the best beef full of Omega-3 fatty acids but then the other article says that the beef is lean and does not contain much fat. Researchers from Texas A&M also stated that the grass fed beef is not as healthy as they would like for us to believe. Farmers stated that even though the grass fed cows were healthier the meat was still higher in saturated trans-fat. The article also went on to say that the corn fed or grain fed cows are equally in the same situation. They are fed antibiotics, but according to farmers they are closely monitored to not allow the cows to become sick.
The article also goes on to say that researchers from California State University in Chico and the California Cooperative Extension Service completed a three decade study on grass fed vs. grain feed beef. What they discovered is that grass feed beef was better in saturated fat and lower in cholesterol. But it is also very low in fat content it possesses a grassy taste. Grain fed beef tends to be produced more effectively. So the decision to eat grass fed or grain fed beef is totally your preference.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Aug 2013. <http://www.mspca.org/programs/animal-protection-legislation/animal-welfare/farm-animal-welfare/factory-farming/cows/beef-cattle.html>.
In my paper I discussed the difference between factory farms and grass or grain fed beef. I located an article that discusses how the animals seem to live when they are raised on factory farms. Factory farms tend to raise large quantities of animals mostly cows, pigs, turkeys and chicken all of them indoors. The reasoning behind it is to produce larger quantities of milk, eggs, at the lowest price possible. There seem to be a large variety of artificial means are used to maintain the health of the animals production. The main drugs used to keep the animals in prime condition are antibiotics, vitamins and growth hormones.
The distinct difference between factory farms is that the animals are housed in close quarters with animal waste and the real possibility of deal animals in such a small space cause lots of ethical issues. It has long since been recognized that the techniques on raising and sustaining the animals are very cruel to the animals. Many countries have debated on the cruelty of how animals are raised on factory farms. Many say that the animals are under stress and kept in such close confines that they tend to attack each other. Many farmers will disagree with CDC and believe that their animals are healthy and their animals are being treated humanely and have no disease. But the FDA does not believe this to be the case and have been monitoring these types of farms closely.
Center for Food Safety | Issues | Factory Farms | Press Releases | FDA Announces Antibiotic Reduction Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved from
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement saying that they would be limiting the use of antibiotics in food producing animals. The FDA believes extended use of antibiotics in animals tends to lessen the immunity of fighting off antibiotic resistant organisms. The FDA believes this will create a sea of change in how antibiotics are uses on animals. Their plan is to encourage the industry to voluntarily eliminate the use of the antibiotics in animal within three years.
Once the FDA releases the rule the public will have 90 days to reply to the order. The FDA’s reasoning behind this decision is that antibiotics are used for human consummation to fights illness, but in animals they are strictly used on healthy animals which in turn makes the immunity in humans that much less resistant to antibiotics. Most of the antibiotics produced in the US are made for producing animals. The FDA received several responses on their plan to get rid of the use of antibiotics in animals. They were unsuccessful in withdrawing all the antibiotics, but at least they are drastically limited. Raising Your Own Beef for Food - Homesteading and Livestock - MOTHER EARTH NEWS. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/raising-your-own-beef-for-food-zmaz02amzgoe.aspx#axzz2cIm3ohnt
There has been much speculation on if you could raise your own cow and grow your own beef. Well this article that I located is a great example of just that. Pat and Sheila Kinley own and operate Sunny Side Meats. It is almost like a mom and pop butchering business for small scale farmers, gardeners and homesteaders. No one really thinks about this as a lucrative business but Sunny Side Meats does quite a lot of business to the point that they are overwhelmed and have started turning people away. They most take care of people who don’t use hormones are antibiotics. The meat and Pat and Sheila raise is by far healthier than the meat that is purchased in the stores. They have a 20-acre farm that is growing popularity as the days go by. This is the best solution for people who are tired of the way the FDA has regulated farmers and factory farm owners. This way insures that your family is eating the best possible meat because it was raised by your standards and not the government.