Joined Mar 2009
283 Posts | 0+
Edmonton, Alberta CANADA
YouTube-proof your farm
Posted on: 3.17.2011 9:52:55 PM Posted by Feedstuffs Foodlink
By Andy Vance
Undercover videos are one of the favorite tools of the radical anti-meat, anti-animal agriculture crowd. From the videos that shut down Hallmark a few years ago, to the numerous staged videos plaguing individual farms in recent years, many of us in agriculture assume it’s only a matter of time before the next sensationalized video hits the internet.
It probably goes without saying that the worldwide web is a dual-edged sword for food producers. On one hand, it gives us an avenue to sell farm-fresh product directly to consumers, an opportunity to tell our story and build our brand and numerous channels to communicate with one another and improve our knowledge, skills and network.
On the other hand, of course, it gives our detractors the opportunity to spread their myths and misinformation outside the traditional media filter.
With that reality firmly in mind, we as farmers and business owners have a responsibility to our customers and the enterprise itself to conduct business in such a way as to never be vulnerable to such malicious attacks.
I must note, of course, that the reason for undertaking the paradigm shift I’m suggesting isn’t simply about protecting the bottom line. More importantly, we need to YouTube-proof our farms and processing facilities because it’s the right thing to do. We have a moral and ethical obligation to treat and handle our animals with the dignity and respect rightly due all living creatures. While I know you and I are on the same page about this, it is important to remind our customers and our critics that we always keep that principle at the forefront of our guiding directives.
Step one in YouTube-proofing your farm or facility is to be beyond reproach. This is an area for zero-tolerance policies. Set down, in writing, your core values when it comes to the standards of operation for your farm. This includes writing a statement of belief about animal care, indicating your belief that all food animals have value and deserve decent treatment. This statement should be something every family member and employee should be aware of, believe in, and agree with. Anyone who can’t buy in to this philosophy should not be working with your livestock.
From your statement of belief should come some basic guiding principles. These include things like using best management practices regarding sick or non-ambulatory animals. These are areas of our business commonly exploited by activists, so they must be addressed up front. By considering how we should deal with potential problems before they arise, we can implement “if, then” scenarios to guide us when an animal goes down, rather than risking an employee making a bad decision in the heat of the moment that turns into a video on YouTube.
These “if, then” discussions are important. I’m convinced that the vast majority of people caught red handed, so to speak, mistreating an animal aren’t necessarily bad people, they just made bad decisions based either on lack of training and understanding, or made bad decisions in the heat of the moment. Moving downer cows is a good example. If a cow goes down, it isn’t necessarily in the animal’s best interest to be left lay wherever she landed. On the other hand, simply getting the skidsteer and trying to nudge and shove her to where she needs to go is a recipe for disaster.
Having a well-thought out plan for what happens in given scenarios not only tells employees how to handle those scenarios, but also gives them some critical thinking experience for situations that occur outside the specifics laid down in your guiding principles.
Involve your employees in designing these “if, then” scenarios. This is important for two reasons. First, it will give you more potential scenarios to consider, because front-line employees may have questions or concerns about animal handling that you’ve not considered yourself. Secondly, involving your team in the process gives them some emotional buy-in. If they are part of the process, they own the process. This is a stark contrast to the boss handing down rules and giving orders.
It should be understood, however, that certain infractions are zero-tolerance situations regardless of what happened or why. Direct cases of animal abuse will not be tolerated for any reason under any circumstances. Anyone caught intentionally or willfully mistreating an animal should be dismissed immediately.
It is important to communicate often and clearly what these zero-tolerance behaviors are, what they look like, and how they can be avoided. It is also critically important to communicate these principles throughout the recruitment and hiring process so there are no surprised for the employee along the way. No one should ever claim ignorance to the farm’s beliefs on animal care and well-being.
This is the first step in many on the road to YouTube-proofing your farm. This is one of the most important steps, so don’t skip it in favor of some quick-fix silver bullet. Chances are, you already model good behavior for your family and employees. It’s time to take those inborn beliefs and share them publically and officially as your farm’s guiding principles.
Posted on: 3.17.2011 9:52:55 PM Posted by Feedstuffs Foodlink
By Andy Vance
Undercover videos are one of the favorite tools of the radical anti-meat, anti-animal agriculture crowd. From the videos that shut down Hallmark a few years ago, to the numerous staged videos plaguing individual farms in recent years, many of us in agriculture assume it’s only a matter of time before the next sensationalized video hits the internet.
It probably goes without saying that the worldwide web is a dual-edged sword for food producers. On one hand, it gives us an avenue to sell farm-fresh product directly to consumers, an opportunity to tell our story and build our brand and numerous channels to communicate with one another and improve our knowledge, skills and network.
On the other hand, of course, it gives our detractors the opportunity to spread their myths and misinformation outside the traditional media filter.
With that reality firmly in mind, we as farmers and business owners have a responsibility to our customers and the enterprise itself to conduct business in such a way as to never be vulnerable to such malicious attacks.
I must note, of course, that the reason for undertaking the paradigm shift I’m suggesting isn’t simply about protecting the bottom line. More importantly, we need to YouTube-proof our farms and processing facilities because it’s the right thing to do. We have a moral and ethical obligation to treat and handle our animals with the dignity and respect rightly due all living creatures. While I know you and I are on the same page about this, it is important to remind our customers and our critics that we always keep that principle at the forefront of our guiding directives.
Step one in YouTube-proofing your farm or facility is to be beyond reproach. This is an area for zero-tolerance policies. Set down, in writing, your core values when it comes to the standards of operation for your farm. This includes writing a statement of belief about animal care, indicating your belief that all food animals have value and deserve decent treatment. This statement should be something every family member and employee should be aware of, believe in, and agree with. Anyone who can’t buy in to this philosophy should not be working with your livestock.
From your statement of belief should come some basic guiding principles. These include things like using best management practices regarding sick or non-ambulatory animals. These are areas of our business commonly exploited by activists, so they must be addressed up front. By considering how we should deal with potential problems before they arise, we can implement “if, then” scenarios to guide us when an animal goes down, rather than risking an employee making a bad decision in the heat of the moment that turns into a video on YouTube.
These “if, then” discussions are important. I’m convinced that the vast majority of people caught red handed, so to speak, mistreating an animal aren’t necessarily bad people, they just made bad decisions based either on lack of training and understanding, or made bad decisions in the heat of the moment. Moving downer cows is a good example. If a cow goes down, it isn’t necessarily in the animal’s best interest to be left lay wherever she landed. On the other hand, simply getting the skidsteer and trying to nudge and shove her to where she needs to go is a recipe for disaster.
Having a well-thought out plan for what happens in given scenarios not only tells employees how to handle those scenarios, but also gives them some critical thinking experience for situations that occur outside the specifics laid down in your guiding principles.
Involve your employees in designing these “if, then” scenarios. This is important for two reasons. First, it will give you more potential scenarios to consider, because front-line employees may have questions or concerns about animal handling that you’ve not considered yourself. Secondly, involving your team in the process gives them some emotional buy-in. If they are part of the process, they own the process. This is a stark contrast to the boss handing down rules and giving orders.
It should be understood, however, that certain infractions are zero-tolerance situations regardless of what happened or why. Direct cases of animal abuse will not be tolerated for any reason under any circumstances. Anyone caught intentionally or willfully mistreating an animal should be dismissed immediately.
It is important to communicate often and clearly what these zero-tolerance behaviors are, what they look like, and how they can be avoided. It is also critically important to communicate these principles throughout the recruitment and hiring process so there are no surprised for the employee along the way. No one should ever claim ignorance to the farm’s beliefs on animal care and well-being.
This is the first step in many on the road to YouTube-proofing your farm. This is one of the most important steps, so don’t skip it in favor of some quick-fix silver bullet. Chances are, you already model good behavior for your family and employees. It’s time to take those inborn beliefs and share them publically and officially as your farm’s guiding principles.
