A Word Of Caution On The Sustainability Movement
A letter to my fellow family farms & ranches:
Sustainability is the buzz word everywhere these days, and here’s an unpopular opinion that will undoubtedly ruffle some feathers - our ranch does not strive to be sustainable. That would be going backwards for us.
From my vantage point, “sustainability” is not a solid representation of the incredible environmental stewardship practices that producers have followed for generations. Instead, it implies we aren’t doing our jobs well, that we are simply trying to maintain our natural resources instead of improve, that we don’t already efficiently feed the world using far fewer resources, and that we won’t do it better until some corporation pays us for it.
The entire movement is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and while it might look promising at first glance, the underlying agenda is quite deceptive. Allow me to explain.
You see, just like animal rights activists don’t really want to improve the welfare of livestock, environmental extremists don’t really care about the land.
Here’s a secret — no matter how many hoops you jump through, you will never, ever be green enough as a producer. You’ll never, ever achieve the moving target of “sustainability” because the goal posts will keep moving, and it will cost you dearly. You’ll give an inch, and maybe even get a little compensation for it at first, but be very careful because all that glitters is not gold.
On this topic, I had a fellow producer tell me one time, “Amanda, either get paid for it early, or wait until these new standards are shoved down your throat.”
I’ll let you guess which route my family plans to take.
Please, I urge my fellow family farmers and ranchers to use discernment on the fine print of these deals, and be diligent in who and what entities get a foothold on your private property. The devil is in the details, so pay very close attention to what is really at stake here.
Because here’s the harsh truth of what’s happening in the long-term — all roads lead to communism. He who controls the land, controls the food. And the easiest pathway to communism is taking independent producers off the land and stripping meat, dairy, and eggs off the dinner table. Are you going to welcome and allow that point of entry into your operation?
I’ll be frank here — hungry people are easy to control. Food supply chain disruptions clearly show our vulnerabilities. And at the risk of sounding like an alarmist, the elite want a world with no cattle and lab slime as your only protein choice. Sorry, Bill Gates, but that simply isn’t going to cut it. Freedom of choice and ensuring that we have access to an abundance of safe, affordable foods in this country raised by independent men and women in rural America is a key component to National security.
So join me in saying, “Oh bull,” to this rhetoric. I’m not afraid to stand alone on this one, but I know there are countless family farms and ranches who see the trouble ahead.
Stand firm, my friends, and refuse to do business with people who worship the creation but not the Creator. Continue to steward the land and manage the natural resources well like you have for generations. The animal agriculture industry is already a success story when it comes to environmental stewardship, and it’s high time we celebrate it and share that beautiful story!
Together in food & agriculture!
- Amanda
P.S. You can shop my "Oh Bull" tees & crews here.