Western producers, take the bull by the horns

Seems like a no brainer. If we want our meat safe , track it and label it. A natural win for both cattlemen and the consumer who will readily support the American rancher. But this really hasn't been done until now, but leave it to West to do it the best. Revolutionizing the coffee culture is small potatoes compared to how Western livestock producers could change the meat industry with their Northwest Pilot program. Despite the digging in of some pretty big bureaucratic heels over country of origin labeling, livestock producers in seven Western states, &. Washington ,Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah , Nevada and Hawaii went ahead and initiated their own pilot program to track livestock from birth to death using bar codes, ear tags, radio frequency and other methods. The Northwest Pilot Program, plans to track at least 75 percent of those enrolled and that also will include dairy and sheep over the next three to four years. Our Western livestock producers have taken this bull by the horns and should be applauded for implementing change in the livestock Industry. Source: Forbes. Com 01.20.2005