It seems there is an overflow of good news in the ag industry today.

While you may not see it in your bank account, other areas of the industry are very positive. Take for instance, the legislation being introduced in the House of Representatives and Senate in Michigan.
Just recently they had a hearing on House bills 5127 and 5128, which would ensure that holistic and definitive animal care standards are established in state law for farm animals raised in Michigan, and the standards can be modified with public input to adapt to evolving science.

While this may sound like a bunch of government nonsense, it is necessary to keep HSUS out of Michigan for now. The animal agriculture industry needs to set standards on how to care for animals and produce food for the world, not extremists like the Humane Society of the United States.

One of the most positive aspects of the hearing on these two pieces of legislation was that farmers got involved and the legislators reacted. In my own county producers were alerted to the hearing and asked to get involved.

By the end of the day, our representative, Ken Kurtz, remarked that he thought he had heard from every farmer in Hillsdale County. Because of this, his fence-sitting position was changed, and he hopped off the fence and joined his food-producing constituents!
Our fight with HSUS will continue, but now we have an example of what can happen when we speak up in unison and we feel a boost in confidence that we will be heard.

Have you heard about our latest milk-promoting celeb? R&B star Usher is featured in the ad campaign “Body By Milk.” Usher was recently quoted in a People magazine article to say, “You’ve got to do things like win Oscars and Grammys. But, you’re nothing if you don’t have a milk ad!”

Bodybymilk.com is an online educational resource for consumers from the Milk Processor Education Program, funded by America’s milk processors. I don’t think there has been any more interesting ad campaign for the ag industry than Body by Milk.
What is a state fair without the traditional butter sculpture? The Iowa State Fair is paying tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, by creating a butter sculpture of him.

I honestly have to say I didn’t see that one coming. I wonder which “Michael” they will sculpt?

And the chuckle of the week has got to be the fact that PETA wants to change the Wisconsin license plate. If you travel at all in the Midwest, you already know their license plate says: “America’s Dairyland.” PETA wants to change the Wisconsin plate to “Wisconsin: America’s Cow H***.” (I’ll let you fill in the blanks of the cuss word.)

Why do they want the change? PETA says because cows are impregnated against their will and their babies are torn away at birth, Wisconsin is a terrible place for cows to live.

I wonder if they’ll have better luck with this movement than they did with asking Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream makers to use human breast milk instead of cow’s milk for their ice cream. Some people have too much time on their hands.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.