Money To Burn

Boy, it must be nice to have all that money to burn on a facility designed and built by Dr. Temple Grandin.<br />n<br />n<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2006/03/05/news/business/45-stock.txt">Facility will handle livestock peacefully</a><br />n<br />n<blockquote>A new livestock handling facility that will have curved chutes, round pens and other stress-reducing innovations will be built this year at Montana State University's Northern Agricultural Research Center near Havre, said Superintendent Gregg Carlson.<br />n<br />nBased on the recommendations of an international expert whose autism gives her insights into handling livestock more peacefully, the facility will give producers in Montana and surrounding states an opportunity to see and evaluate modern working facilities and new technologies to benefit their operations, Carlson said.</blockquote><br />n<br />nIt sure sounds like an awful expensive and complicated facility for 300-400 cow operation. Most cattle producers can't afford such complicated systems. Don't get me wrong, Dr. Temple Grandin designs cattle working facilities that are just wonderful but to convert over to one is so expensive as to be cost prohibitive.<br />n<br />nThey hope to start building it June 1 and hope to be done by Oct 1. Damn it's taking them a long time to build this. That just tells me how expensive it must be. I could completely rebuild my facility in less than 2 weeks if I wanted too. Don't get me wrong, I can't afford to, but it sure wouldn't take that long.<br />n<br />nThen look at all the special, expensive, things they have to do for National Animal Identification System (<acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym>).<br />n<br />n<blockquote>Boss said the new facility will use thick plastic walls instead of steel in areas where the ear tags will be read.<br />n<br />n"The reader area will be made out of high density polyethylene, much like the new cutting boards in kitchens today — very strong and reducing the amount of interference with the radio frequency," he said.</blockquote><br />n<br />nBoy, that's real handy isn't it. Redesign your whole facility for <acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym> convenience, but they tell me it will cost no significant amount of money. What, do these special plastic corrals grow on trees free for the taking? I don't think so! If you are a government sponsored entity you just get money to burn so burn they do. Just more Government propaganda about the supposed great deal <acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym> is. That <acronym title="National Animal Identification System">NAIS</acronym> freight train will kill all us cattle producers yet. Just give the Government enough time.<br />n<br />n<b>Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves. Eric Hoffer</b><br />n<br />