Morning Oppo

"ImmoralMinority" (araimondo) 07/20/2016 at 08:53 • Filed to: None

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Much of my legal work is dairy labor issues, which are very unique and unusual. I grew up in the city, and have been endlessly fascinated by what I learn through my work in agriculture. Our dairy industry is in peril in California, which is really sad. These are family farms, which cannot be recovered once lost. Economic pressures that don’t need to exist are killing them, and an uncaring public has been convinced that they torture the cows, and that cow farts are worse for the air than the never ending convoy of trucks that rumble up and down Highways 99 and 5. I have never met more kind, generous, and truly good people than I have in the dairy industry, and I could tell you many stories of their good deeds.

The typical milker earns between $25,000 and $32,000 per year, with a free house and beef for the family. These workers usually have little or no skills, no English, and limited if any literacy. It’s not a bad deal for them, and many use the stability for their families, and often send kids to college and off the farm.

One farmer I know had a worker die suddenly of a heart attack. He told the worker’s wife that she and her children would not have to worry, they would always have a place to stay, and they are there to this day with no rent and utilities paid. Have you ever had a job that would do that for you? These are the stories that do not get told.

I have to go to court today to settle a case for a dairy because it is too fucking expensive to go to trial. The plaintiff’s lawyer is not sure if her client is going to be there because he got arrested and has not been able to make bail. My client has to pay this asshole just to make the problem go away. This system fucking sucks.

Rant over. I could use some cars, Oppo.

P.S. Every hipster city dweller who eats fresh fruit and produce in December while sipping a latte while bitching about agriculture to their shitbag friends can just fuck right off.

Flyboy is FAA certified insane > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 08:59

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Growing up in dairy country, PA I concur. These are some of the nicest people.

So have a farm truck.

Tekamul > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 09:06

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I’m in VT, and our dairy industry doesn’t get a lot of talk, but it’s huge in this state. 70% of our agriculture dollars come from dairy.

People around here are at least smart enough not to complain about it too much.

Svend > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 09:14

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I live in a regional capital which has only 100,000 people, the whole county only has 600,000 people, and although I live in a city, the countryside starts three miles away from the city centre. We also have farmers markets, etc... and so the farming community is very much part of the city community.

When foot and mouth did a few years ago, literally whole farms of livestock had to be culled and burned in massive pits.

Farmers all over the county were hit and the number of suicides went up massively.

Now there is a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork with livestock each having their own passport and although farming doesn’t make as much as it used to the system is a little more geared up for them.

OPPOsaurus WRX > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 09:15

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your people support my favorite activity - grilling and eating cheeseburgers!

its too bad your case can;t go in a different direction. would gofundme or similar work?

AfromanGTO > OPPOsaurus WRX 07/20/2016 at 09:19

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Aka find someone to make the asshole have an accident while locked up.

CalzoneGolem > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 09:22

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Anyone bitching about agriculture can just fuck right off.

OPPOsaurus WRX > AfromanGTO 07/20/2016 at 09:33

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i was thinking more like getting donations to fund the trial but I guess that would work too.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 09:46

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Have a gas guzzling Toyota that makes city dwelling hipsters cry.

Thomas Donohue > Tekamul 07/20/2016 at 09:53

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...and that milk is used to make Ben & Jerrys. So yeah, don’t F—- with the cows up there. Keep them happy. Keep them churning out heavy cream and Cookie Dough and Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Thank you.

As for California, I’m curious as to how the lack of water is affecting milk production.

Chasaboo > OPPOsaurus WRX 07/20/2016 at 09:59

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Not very Kashrut!

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 10:09

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Not just dairy, but almost every person I’ve met who works in farming/agriculture is like that. I grew up in a tiny farming community in the middle of hundreds of miles of fields where a nice summer breeze often carried with it essence of cows and pigs. Spent my fair share of summers as a teenager working various farming jobs. There is one guy who would hire everyone that asked for a job whether there was an opening or not, whether hee could technically afford to or not, he would find something to pay them for.

Hey city dwelling hipsters, good luck continuing your lifestyle, or even surviving, without the amazing people who actually produce your foods. It’s a hard industry to be in and mire mite people choose to leave it every year because everyone else makes it harder and harder to live in.

LongbowMkII > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 10:12

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I've never heard of anyone bad talking small farmers...

Future next gen S2000 owner > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 10:25

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I’m convinced the US would be better off if Texas and California declared their independence.

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 10:29

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Have some cow cars, and keep fighting the good fight.

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 10:34

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I come from a long line of Dairy Farmers (The family dairy farm has been in operation since 1881 at the same place) and I appauld you for your work.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Chasaboo 07/20/2016 at 10:49

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luckily I dont really practice a religion (and i’m not jewish) so I can eat cows, lambs, fish, small children, or whatever else my stomach desires

OPPOsaurus WRX > Thomas Donohue 07/20/2016 at 10:51

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Cherry Garcia

OPPOsaurus WRX > CalzoneGolem 07/20/2016 at 10:52

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lab grown meat is the future....cause of my depression

CalzoneGolem > OPPOsaurus WRX 07/20/2016 at 10:56

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You eat some ham ... triggered.

You eat some beef ... triggered.

You eat some chicken ... triggered.

WiscoProud > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 11:20

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I grew up in northern Wisconsin amongst dairy farms, and my wife’s best friend is married to a dairy farmer now. Its a hard life with almost no time off, and they don’t receive the respect they deserve. Part of the problem is that issues with factory farms are assumed to occur on smaller family farms as well, which may or may not be the case. But someone who lives and relies on the family farm is going to be a lot more accountable for it than someone who just sees it as an investment.

Roundbadge > ImmoralMinority 07/20/2016 at 15:32

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Having grown up in NW Ohio deep in farm country (Neil Armstrong’s home town...how’s that for ‘today in history’?), I can’t star this hard enough.