Do y'all think that the sales of blood and bone meal will slow down some in the USA, due to the increase publicity about "Mad Cow" disease?

Interesting point, Captain. Only if it comes out that the manufacturers are adding brain and spinal components to it ("everything but the moo"). That would not surprise me.

Thank the Goddess I'm a vegan

regards

I guess it wouldn't effect my decision to purchase. I'd prabably be assuming it came from healthy cattle, but I guess maybe I should ask if they trust their source? Is there a good way to check this?

I was reading recently that some farmers are getting concerned about animal feeds too. There are several animal feeds out there in the world, as well as in the USA, made from composted bovine parts.

Somebody told me that, even if the Mad Cow scare is real, the blood meal products wouldn't be effected anyway, because most are not made from the brain or bones (spinal column).

Currently there is only one living sick cow out of over 100 million cows in the industry in the USA that has the BSE symptoms. It is under strict USDA controls and security. This doesn't warrant an epidemic yet. However, we know nothing about the already composted sick cows spread all over the world.

I personally believe that those of us that use well managed sustainable practices like hot active composting, cover cropping, and aerated compost teas, none of these deadly diseases should harm us or our crops.

There is living e. coli, salmonella, etc. in our soil under our feet everyday. That is what composting is really all about. Balancing nature and encouraging beneficials and aerobic microbes to outgrow the pathogenic microbes in the soil and on our crops.

Also I read that if the world would start eating and breeding sustainable grass fed cattle, the BSE (Mad Cow) disease would totally disappear from the planet!

Well, in the meantime, that's why I try to live a life of balance, moderation, wisdom, common sense, and then leave the rest to a total faith and confidence in my Lord and His Word for divine protection and safety for my family and friends.

Happy Gardening everybody!

Here's another one of favorite suggestions for N and P sources:

My favorite free nitrogen fertilizer replacement for blood meal is urine or urea. I also like making aerobic teas out of free fish scraps from the local seafood market. Not to mention composted free horse manure.

My second favorite economical phosphorus fertilizer to classic bone meal is corn meal or cracked corn in the 50 lb bags. Actually any ground seed product is a great phosphorus fertilizer, like wheat, oats, etc. Adding a little sugar product like molasses or corn syrup to a tea form or in the soil, will increase microbial growth, digesting the proteins in the corn meal or seed meal, thus lowing the available N to the plant, and raising the available P and K to the plant's roots or foliage, depending if this is a foliar or soil drench. Molasses is also rich in K.

I contacted Whitney Farms about their bone meal. They are an organic supplier of fertilizers, and they did not give me an acceptable answer as to how they insure against using effected cows. Some thing about using 2 year old cows, but there is still the problaem of feed.
I agree with you Captain Compost, the risk is small, but we should all be aware of the problem.

Captain Compost, there is NOT one living cow testing positive for BSE. A sample was taken from a downer (that is a cow-steer that falls down). The rest of that carcass went to market for human consumption.

As yet the only way they can test for BSE is to kill the cow first.

They are still not entirely sure of the disease vector and prions cannot be killed by cooking.

We are avoiding all bovine food and products for now.

Geeez, I hope that Whitney Farms' products are safe since I used their bone & blood meal last year. They say they are organic products, but I don't know if that means the animals used to produce the products were fed an organic diet? That is what I was going on based on my own personal knowledge of how organic meat is raised.

There is a local organic dairy and meat producer in my area, and they were just featured in the paper and saying they have no fear of mad cow affecting their herd since they feed their cattle only organic grains and hay grown organically on their own land or leased land. Their meat and dairy products are certified organic. They are GREAT and their cheese is yummy!

As far as knowing how much mad cow disease is really out there...I am here in Montana, and the entire economy of this state would collapse if mad cow were to actually be a problem. My point of view since the news broke about the cow in the US whose origins were Canada, is that even if there was/is a problem there would be a massive damage contol effort or cover up before the general public would know anything. We are not the only state relying upon cattle dollars to survive. As much as I dislike the industry and what is has done to our rangeland, I would very much fear the result of an outbreak and its potential impact on our wonderful state. Makes you wonder...

Now if only I could trust the cat food that comes out of the US... I'd hate to have to switch the kitties from IAMS to Purina (processed in Montreal)... Purina isn't as healthy for them.

And what about Jell-O? Gelatin is made from animal cartilage -- is that a verboten part of the cow, too? I haven't been following this particular news story (front pages up here have centred around Farrah Khan's murder and the October kidnapping of Cecilia Zhang). And toothpastes? Colgate makes only one purely vegetable-glycerine toothpaste, and Crest doesn't even offer that.

Funny how when the brain gets wasted, so do a lot of other cow parts.

Buy kosher jello or use agar agar.

Captain:
You mentioned blood meal, but what about bone meal? Who is to say they DON'T use everything but the moo (nice one, by the way, spidergt)? What are the chances that this pathogen can be carried and/or spread by infected bone meal? Can you IMAGINE the havoc if this thing jumps species again and somebody's garden starts infecting pets, groundhogs, rabbits, mice and/or any other mammal? I use bone meal primarially to supplement my calcium hogging plants. Got a good replacement for calcium, Captain?

I am a meat eater, and I love beef. Am I the only one TOTALLY FREAKED OUT that the rest of that cow was sent to market? Eeeeeewwwwwwwwwwww! Ick! Blach!

Elfie, Elfie:Know this is off thread, but could you please say why you think the IAMS is better than Purina. I have two cats and have been looking into the quality of Science Diet vs Purina. I've been looking at the senior and low fat versions. Thanks

I am a vet....Shh.
I would recommend that you feed your pets food that is more "natural" Looks at the labels at the pet store....not the grocery store. If it says thinggs like Chicken, turkey fish rather then byproducts you are in better shape. I like Natural Balence, Chicken Soup, Royal Canin, Fromms, Etc.
My pets...all 5 of them are my family. I dont want them to be eating preseritives that are chemical ve the natural ones like Vit. E any more then I want to eat them....except of course Pepsi
Sue

IAMS is better than Purina because it doesn't end up getting batted under the refrigerator.

Seriously: more ash in Purina food than in IAMS food. Ash is bad for kitty kidneys. Science Diet, if I recall, was more expensive, and more vegetarian, than IAMS, as well. Corn-based, thereby causing the kitties to fill up their litter box faster. But what really counts is that the cats eat their IAMS, instead of playing with it.

I'd love to be able to feed my pets natural foods, even raw meat -- but I'm already stretching the budget by staying home to raise the kids, buying fabric to make their "designer" clothes, setting money aside for a new, front-loading washing machine, making organic food purchases, chiropractic visits to prevent debilitating migraines, school pizza days, ballet lessons for DD, pre-school for DS, and all the things I deem important for my family. I go crazy making meals for picky children -- THERE IS NO FREAKIN' WAY I'M GOING TO PUT UP WITH PICKY CATS! X-( My self-esteem can't handle feline criticism. They're lucky I give them natural, corn-cob kitty litter (at 3X the price of clay, I might add).