Food Safety - Understanding how farmers raise healthy food for our families

HOW SAFE IS OUR FOOD, REALLY? THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL ESTIMATES THAT 1 IN 6 AMERICANS, OR 48 MILLION PEOPLE GETS SICK FROM FOOD-BORNE ILLNESSES EACH YEAR...ALARMING STATS! IN THE NEXT PART OF OUR CONTINUING SERIES ON FOOD AND FAMILY TIES, WE EXPLORE FOOD SAFETY, AND CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION STARTED BY COMMON GROUND, A GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZATION WHOSE GOAL IS TO FOSTER CONVERSATION AMONG WOMEN. JOINING US TODAY IS DAWN CALDWELL, A VOLUNTEER WITH COMMON GROUND, AND A RANCHER FROM NEBRASKA. GOOD MORNING. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. I'M THRILLED YOUR HERE, YOU'RE A RANCHER? I AM A RANCHER AND IT'S FUN TO COME TO TOWN. WELL, YOU'RE IN A BIG CITY NOW. YEA, BIG DIFFERENCE FROM HOME. WELL TELL ME WHAT A RANCHER DOES? YOU KNOW WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME LOOKING AFTER OUR CATTLE AND WE MAKE A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT ULTIMATELY WILL END UP ON THIS PLATE RIGHT HERE, SO WE MAKE A LOT OF GENETIC DECISIONS, A LOT OF NUTRITIONAL DECISIONS, A LOT OF LAND STEWARDSHIP DECISIONS AND IN THE END, IT BECOMES YOUR BEEF, THAT'S YOUR DINNER. ITS REALLY IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND IT'S REALLY ON THE TOP OF YOU'RE MIND. IT IS AS WELL AS FOOD SAFTEY AND I KNOW A LOT OF WOMEN HAVE QUESTIONS AS THEY DO THIER GROCERY SHOPPING. WHAT SHOULD I BUY? HOW DO I KNOW WHAT IS SAFE OR WHAT ISN"T? SO HOW DO WE KNOW FOR SURE IF IT IS SAFE? YES, WELL FROM A COMMON GROUND PERSPECTIVE, I WANT TO SAY DON'T FEAR YOU'RE FOOD. WHAT WE AS FARMERS AND RANCHERS DO IS EVERYTHING WE CAN POSSIBLY TO MAKE SURE YOUR FOOD IS SAFE. WE ARE OVERSEEN BY THE GOVERNMENT THE FORM OF THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION OR THE FOOD SAFTEY INSPECTION SERVICE ON DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES WITH EVERYTHING WE DO. WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ON OUR FARMS BECAUSE WE'RE FEEDING OUR FAMILIES THE SAME THING AND SO WE GO TO THE GROCERY STORE JUST LIKE YOU DO. WE DON'T EAT JUST WHAT WE GROW AND SO IT'S PRACTICES AND IT'S METHODS AND IT'S GIVING INJECTIONS IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT ON THE ANIMAL, SO WE DON'T DAMAGE YOUR FOOD DOWN THE ROAD. OK, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT I'VE ALWAYS WONDERED. HERE'S NUMBER ONE, WHY DO MEAT, CHICKEN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS USE ANTIBIOTICS? YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT YOU AND I. WE'RE HUMANS. WE'RE BIOLOGICAL AND WE GET SICK AND OUR DOCTOR PRESCRIBE US ANTIBIOTICS TO GET BETTER. SURE. SAME THING WITH OUR VETERINARIANS WHO WE HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH, THEY PRESCRIBE ANTIBIOTICS FOR OUR ANIMALS AND SO WHEN WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THOSE ANIMALS COULD BE VERY SICK OR ARE VERY SICK WE NEED TO TREAT THEM AND GET THEM BETTER SO THAT YOUR MEAT IS BETTER DOWN THE ROAD. I DON'T WANT TO EAT MEAT FROM AN ANIMAL THAT HAS BEEN SICK FOR ANY EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME. SURE. SO, THE REAL MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT OUT REGARDING ANTIBIOTICS IS WE CAN'T SELL AN ANIMAL THAT HAS ANTIBIOTICS IN IT'S SYSTEM. IF THERES ANY RESIDUE THATS SHOWS UP IN THE MEAT WE DON'T GET PAID FOR IT. OK. WE'RE WORKING HARD TO EARN A LIVING AT WHAT WE DO. WE DON'T DO IT JUST FOR A HOBBY AND IF WE DON'T GET PAID FOR THAT ANIMAL THAT'S MONEY THAT WE CAN'T PUT IN THE BANK AND CAN'T PAY OUR BILLS AND CAN'T FEED OUR FAMILY. OK, NEXT QUESTION. THIS IS A BIG ONE. ORGANIC VERSUS NON ORGANIC. QUESTION OF THE DAY. OH MY GOSH, WHICH AT THE END OF THE DAY I GO TO THE STORE AND IT'S ABOUT MONEY. IT IS VERY MUCH ABOUT MONEY. YES. I BUY WHAT'S ON SALE, YA KNOW... BUY ONE GET ONE FREE. ...I BUY WHAT'S DELICIOUS. EXACTLY. AND WHATS COLORFUL AND WHAT WILL MAKE MY KIDS HAPPY THAT NIGHT... AND WILL NOT DESTROY MY WALLET. ...OTHER THAN A CANDY BAR. YES ABSOLUTELY. SO LET ME ASSURE YOU, ORGANIC VERSUS NON ORGANIC. BOTH EQUALLY NUTRITIOUS. THEY ARE? YES! OVER FOUR HUNDRED STUDIES OUT NOW THAT CAN ASSURE YOU, NUTRITIONAL VALUE IS EXACTLY THE SAME. NOW I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT GROWING METHODS FOR ORGANIC VERSUS NON ORGANIC. THOSE ORGANIC PEOPLE HAVE SOME VERY STRICT CERTIFICATIONS THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH WITH WHAT THEY ARE ALLOWED TO USE AND NOT ALLOWED TO USE. AND NON OGANIC HAVE MORE OF WHAT WE CALL A CURRENT CONVENTIONAL METHODS AND SO WE BUY VEGETABLES WITH CONFIDENCE AND, YOU KNOW IT'S GOOD. A VEGETABLE IS A VEGETABLE. A VEGETABLE IS A VEGETABLE. THE CORN THAT GOES INTO THE COWS MOUTH, IS THE CORN THAT GOES INTO THE COWS MOUTH. IT'S OK. I LIKE THAT. OK, HERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION, THE QUESTION THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME...THE CHEMICALS THAT ARE USED ON FRUITS AND VEGGIES. YES, WELL THEIR THERE. I DON'T LIKE EATING BUGS, SO I DON'T MIND THAT THEY USE SOME CHEMICALS TO REMOVE INSECTS OR PREVENT FUNGUS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, JUST RINSE IT. WARM TAP WATER OR COLD... NO SOAP? ...YOU DON'T NEED SOAP AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO END UP WITH SOAP RESIDUE... THIS IS TRUE. ...AND I DON'T LOVE SOAPY TASTE IN MY FOOD SO, SO NO. JUST SIMPLY WATER WILL RINSE IT AWAY, THAT'S ALL YOU NEED. MUCH OF IT IS PROBABLY GONE ANYWAY FROM EITHER IRRIGATION OR THE RAIN. BUT... JUST A PRECAUTION. ...JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, YUP SNEAK THAT GRAPE AS YOUR GOING THROUGH THE GROCERY STORE, I ALWAYS DO, BUT FRUIT FOR YOUR FULL MEAL IS GOOD TOO. RINSE THE VEGETABLES BEFORE YOU CUT THEM. AND I WILL TELL YOU SOMETIMES MY DAUGHTER WILL GRAB THE GREEN APPLE AND SHE'LL BITE INTO AND I'M "LIKE (GASP)... ABSOLUTELY. ...AND I'M LIKE WELL JUST KEEP EATING IT. YOU KNOW, MY GRANDPA JUST RUBBED IT OFF ON HIS PANTS, RIGHT OFF THE TREE IN THE ORCHARD AND WE ATE IT AND I KNOW VERY WELL HE HAD SPRAYED THOUSE TREES BEFORE THAT. COMMON GROUND, THIER DOING A LOT, TELL US ABOUT IT AND WHAT YOUR DOING AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SPREAD OUT? COMMON GROUND IS SUCH A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL MOVEMENT AND SO WE'RE REACHING OUT TO CONSUMERS. WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING ON OUR FARMS IS WITH THE BEST INTENT AND WE'RE CONTINUALLY TRYING TO GET BETTER AT EVERYTHING WE DO. BUT WE'RE JUST COMMUNICATING ABOUT HOW FOOD IS GROWN. YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, WE HAVE RECIPES ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL, SO YOU CAN GET ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW FOOD IS PRODUCED AS WELL AS FIND SOME GREAT RECIPES AND MEET SOME FARM WOMEN AT FINDOURCOMMMONGROUND.COM. THANK YOU AND YOU KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO EDCATE US BECAUSE THERES A LOT OF MISCONCEPTIONS OUT THERE AND IT'S GOOD TO CLARIFY. THERE ARE... AND I JUST REALLY LOVE THAT WE CAN REASSURE WOMEN, HOPEFULLY, THAT'S OUR HOPE..."I'M HERE, I'M A MOM JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE"...AND IF YOU JUST USE GOOD HANDLING PRACTICES WITH YOUR FOOD, GET YOUR MEAT TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE, WASH YOUR VEGETABLES, YOU'LL BE JUST FINE. MEDIUM RARE. MEDUIM RARE IS THE BEST. (LAUGHING). THANK YOU DONNA. AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN HELP FIND OUR COMMON GROUND AND JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION ON FARMING AND FOOD SAFETY, YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE THE BALANCING ACT DOT COM AND THAT'S HOW I LIKE MY MEAT...MEDIUM RARE.