[SustainableTompkins] livestock production creates more greenhouse gases ...

[GayNicholson at aol.com]

I did my graduate work in the Dept. of Vegetable Crops at Cornell and  helped 
run the fresh market vegetable trials out at the research farm, and later  
wrote a paper on the history of agriculture in NYS for the state's wildlife  
biologists.  I can attest to New York's status as a major producer of  vegetable 
crops, both fresh and processed.  We used to be bigger in this  sector, but 
lost many of our processing plants to western states and therefore  gradually 
lost our largest acreages of tomatoes, sweet corn, and  beans.  
 
But anyway, yes, our flat and fertile lake plains in the upper half of  
upstate NY and the mucklands in the lower Hudson are excellent for growing  
vegetables and we are still large producers of cabbage, onions, carrots, and  
potatoes.  I am grateful for the return of more vegetable producers -- many  in the 
organic sector.  I think we could use more infrastructure for  processing our 
fruits and vegetables, but perhaps that will come too.  Oh,  and we have always 
been a big producer of dry beans -- supplying Mexico with  black beans!  We 
have a growing number of acres in organic soy production  too.
 
I think most observers recognize that pasture-raised livestock is much  more 
environmentally benign than animals kept in CAFO industrial centers.   It's 
good to support the former over the latter if you eat meat, and this  production 
is suitable to the hilly Southern Tier and mountainous parts of our  state.  
 
I don't think the author of the article was creating a black/white  scenario. 
 The topic of the article was the large amount of carbon  emissions from 
livestock production as compared to other sources of greenhouse  gases -- 
something most people would not anticipate.  And I think it is  useful to let people 
know that simply by decreasing the "meat intensity" of  their diet, they can 
help with climate change -- perhaps more effectively than  making expensive 
investments in a hybrid car or solar panels.  I think this  is an empowering 
message, especially for those of us of modest means.  But  I agree with Erika that 
it's important to educate people about the many  climate-protecting features 
of grass-fed livestock production so that those who  eat meat can make wiser 
choices too.
 
Gay
 
 
In a message dated 3/20/2007 4:44:22 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
tonydelplato at gmail.com writes:

Erica,
I'm confused about your comment about NY being suited for  growing "grasses
and not for vegetable cropping." There's a fair amount and  variety of
vegetables grown around the Ithaca/finger lakes area. The number  of CSA's
seem to be growing and there are some well established organic  farms. Just a
stroll around the farmers' market during the seasons in  Ithaca on Saturdays
& Tuesdays offers quite the cornucopia. I don't  think the original post by
Gay nor my reference to Lappe's work  oversimplifies anything. In fact, I
think they add to the complexity of  what it takes to farm in our region and
beyond. While I think it's  generally best to eat locally grown/raised food
stuff, in season, eating  bananas is okay too.

Most livestock production is problematic  throughout the country, including
what happens in NYS. Factory farms mess  up the air, water and land as well
as relations with neighbors. It gets  awfully stinky being downwind from a
farm with lots of animals. There are  effective ways of raising animals for
food but CU and the USDA generally  support the "big farmers" because that's
where the money and the lobbying  is strongest.

Tony Del Plato
Ithaca





----------------------------------------------------
Gay  Nicholson, Ph.D. 

607-533-7312 (home office)
607-279-6618  (cell)

1 Maple Avenue
Lansing, NY  14882
gaynicholson at aol.com

Sustainable Tompkins 
Program  Coordinator 
w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/) 

Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities
Regional  Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
615 Willow  Ave., Ithaca, NY 14850
agn1 at cornell.edu




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