CALF_News_June_July_2020

29 CALF News • June | July 2020 • www.calfnews.net Rawhide Processor by John McDonald 3 Sizes Available! The First Hydraulic Corral and still the Largest! • Pull on highway at speed limit. • Fits through any gate your pickup will. • Stable on uneven terrain. • Wheels on each panel and electric over hydraulic jack eliminates lifting—saves time. • Permanent sheeted adjustable alley. • Frame gates for sorting. • Transport wheels are permanent, no sliding off the axles and rolling out of the way. Rawhide Original Standard Size Rawhide Portable Corral 900 NORTHWASHINGTON ST., ABILENE, KS 67410 785.263.3436 www.rawhideportablecorral.com ethanol production has ground to a halt as oil prices have tanked and transpor- tation of ethanol has all but come to a standstill. After area corn ethanol plants had closed, Hays Feedyard was able to procure milo distillers byproducts from a plant at Russell, Kan. The site at Rus- sell also has a gluten processing facility, enabling them to market more than just ethanol and allowing them to stay open. It is a testament to diversification. Although business is returning to the feedyard, Thompson is deeply concerned about long-term fallout of the coronavi- rus on our society, reaching far beyond the cattle sector. He believes it will be a long while until we can assess the damage done to restaurants and changes in our eating habits resulting from the pandemic. Our entire culture may be on the verge of a monumental shift, and only time will tell. Another dilemma Over the past months, the issue of packer problems has come to light. Packing plants are doubly at risk, with their employee base having severe pandemic-related issues. Many workers are ill or stuck at home, perhaps, with children who are not at school. Additionally, the virus has played a hand in seemingly lopsided price discrepancies reminiscent of the Holcomb fire situation. Cattle going into plants are worth far less than the beef coming out the other side. Thompson said that he is a capitalist, and not opposed to anyone making money. But all cattle feeders need to make money, too. “We need to improve profitability in agriculture,” Thompson says. “The way the world is today, we all need to be well,” he continues. “Social distancing is important, and we all need to do our best to fight the COVID-19 virus. Eventually, we will beat it.”  “Most people don’t recognize we have an RDA for carbohydrates. It is 130 grams per day,” Layman said.“In a good diet, you have five servings of vegetables, two to three servings of fruit and three serv- ings of whole grains.” However, he said French fries are the leading vegetable eaten by Americans, No. 2 is ketchup and No. 3 is lettuce – “or two-thirds of the vegetables we’re eating have no nutritional value. “We don’t need a better plant-based diet, we need a diet with better plants.” He added that while the RDA is 130 grams of carbohydrates,“Americans are eating over 300 grams per day, and no one complains about it,” Layman said.“But when we eat just a little above the RDA for protein, people claim it’s unhealthy.” As with Davis, Layman praised the value of cattle in providing essential nutrition.“Ruminant animals are essen- tial in our environment to provide the amino acids we need,” he said.  PLANT-BASED BLASPHEMY Continued from page 21