I borrowed this photo from The Udder Side, Click on the photo to read an enlightening post from a dairy cow on Chipotle’s ad.
I’ve been receiving lots of tweets and messages asking for my thoughts on the new controversial Chipotle ad. I shared this post on facebook a few days ago and thought I would share it here as well. Thanks to this nifty new feature on facebook, I can share posts from facebook here and you can comment, like or share. Feel free to join the discussion!
Two of our girls hanging out in their pasture this afternoon.
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Thank you for the insightful comments on the Chipotle video. It is so true that they couldn’t get the same comments if they used actual famers and footage from farms, because it doesn’t exist. We do need to question the reality they believe and continue to answer questions farmers have. This video although isn’t positive toward agriculture is a great way to start the conversation and tell people the truth! Thanks for sharing!
Carrie,
Excellent thoughts! Reading this makes me think, why does Chipotle still serve meat? They take such a hard line against what they perceive as the animal ag industry. I personally know many people who unknowingly buy into their marketing scheme, until we have a discussion about it, but still eat at other places. They do not necessarily buy “natural,” “grass-fed,” or “responsibly-raised” meat. Why does Chipotle continue to push such left-field ideas that really don’t exist?
Just a note, I am not using the “left-field” reference as a political comment, rather a reference to baseball in the fact that it is way out there. Sorry for any confusion.
Chipotle is a customer of Joel Salatins. I don’t know if you know anything about him, but his pork most certainly is “natural”, partially “grass fed”, and absolutely “responsibly raised”. I don’t know who any of their other suppliers are, but Polyface Farm is absolutely open about how they do things there. Take a look at some of the unconventional farms out there, they most certainly DO exist. Educate yourself before you start propagandizing please.
Reblogged this on Cattle Kid Chronicle.
Hi Zach,
While I won’t debate the left sidedness of their idea, the truth is, that idea DOES exist.
Hi Carrie,
Russ Kremer Ida keynote speaker at this year’s ACRES U.S.A. Conference, and the inspiration behind that Chipotle video. Here is a short bio about Russ:
Russ Kremer Farmer, Founder Ozark Mountain Cooperative. Dubbed the “Pope of Pork” Russ Kremer is a fifth generation Missouri diversified pork producer and a driving force in the movement for antibiotic-free livestock. After a near death experience with an antibiotic resistant bacterial infection Kremer contracted from his Yorkshire boar in 1989, he realized the dangers of conventional production and made wholesale changes to his operation. Kremer began to raise pigs the natural, old fashioned way – free roaming, pasture raised, and without pharmaceuticals. He built pig housing out of his own sustainably produced lumber, incorporating deep bedding, natural ventilation, and lots of area for the hogs to move around unrestricted. Rather than confining his hogs in crates, he built paddocks to rotationally graze pigs on meadows and woodlands. Kremer leads a thriving 52 member Ozark Mountain Pork Cooperative, empowering producers to profitably raise healthy pigs without antibiotics. He has cultivated relationships for his co-op brands Heritage Acres and Fork in the Road with major buyers including Whole Foods, Chipotle, Costco, and La Quercia. His farm has been featured in numerous national television and radio programs and in many articles (credit to ACRES U.S.A. For this bio)
Brett, you posted the exact same thing on the facebook page. I don’t think it brings much to the conversation.
Thanks for posting this. I think that the cartoon is a bit sensationalistic in that NOT ALL farmers follow the practices depicted in the add, but there are many that do. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with advertising a product that is made/grown/raised in a more natural way. I also think that the picture at the top of this blog is confusing. a grassy field full of cows is not the industry norm anymore, unless it is an organic farm. Most cows are in freestall barns on concrete. If the cows are housed in crossventelated barns they don’t even get to see sunlight. Im all about promoting farming and being proud of the product that you raise/make/grow, but unless you direct market the simple fact is that the consumer DOESNT know what they are getting.
You know farmer that keep their cows in boxes and inject chickens with mysterious things that make them puff up? I don’t know any farmers like that. I agree that it’s great to promote things grown in a “more natural way” but I would like to see that done without using fear of other choices. The grassy field photo is from a dairy in TN. The photo at the bottom is from our own pasture which I am sure you recognize. The average dairy farm in Wisconsin is still right around 100 cows. A lot of those cows are outside right now. Even the non organic ones.
So many of your arguments for big ag center around how you yourself do things. Lets be realistic though, while you have healthy and happy looking animals, don’t forget how most of the meat in this country is raised. If Chipotle or Panera are trying to source their proteins from farmers who are less reliant on antibiotics and possibly raising their livestock in a more environmentally friendly way, such as the pork producer mentioned above, I say good for them. Why are so many farmers so eager to cling to the status quo? And why so paranoid about these restaurant ads? My impression is that they are anti factory farming, not anti farmer. Change is needed in the agricultural sector, it saddens me that so many are too busy clinging to business as usual that pretty much just puts more money in giant agro-companies pockets than it does the farmer who is doing all the work. We need more Russ Kremers in this world.
I have nothing against the farmer’s Chipotle works with. Same deal as the farmers who raise chicken for Panera. I am all for having more Russ Kremers in the world. But I am not for slamming other production practices.
Yes I base my view points off of what I know on our farm as well as what I have seen on the other farms I have visited. Our farm is very literally the average dairy farm out there. We aren’t the exception to the rule. Why are you so quick to judge a farm that you’ve never stepped foot on?
DairyCarrie,
Don’t tell me you don’t know about CAFO’s and are not familiar with rBST and Tyson’s famous broken-legged over-fed arsenic laced chickens? That would be at best be ignorance on your part and at worst denial.
Lev,
Yes I do know what these things are that you mention. What does that have to do with this discussion?
it is the conversation.Are there any modern ag practices that you would consider not good
I love how you’re taking a different mode of action on this. I admire how you got past the “mad at Chipotle” stage so easily, and have realized that we’re not going to change their perspective. I know that step has been really hard for me. In this past week, I’ve probably given Chipotle way to much attention because their commercial was designed to be controversial and create buzz. Even negative buzz from us is good for them. Keep doing what you’re doing, Carrie!
I agree with you Carrie. I definitely think that more producers should be online sharing their story and saying what they do on their farm. I also agree with not eating at Chipotle. I haven’t eaten there in years.
What you do have to give them is that it is a great marketing ploy, even if we don’t agree. This allows people to step into the “world of pure imagination” and see their hope of better food in the fast food industry. Is it 100% true? No, but it does make you think.
Thanks for what you are doing! I love following your blog and how you ag-vocate!
Hey Carrie,
Love your blog as per usual (nothing new there 😉 ) but I was wondering what the name of the plugin you are using for your FB comments is?
Hey Steph, thanks for the comment. The facebook post embedding isn’t a plug in, it’s a new feature from facebook. If you look at a status on facebook and click the little menu button in the corner, at the bottom there is the option to embed code. Then it’s a copy and paste deal. I had to fiddle with it a little to get it to work but it wasn’t difficult.
Happy blogging!