How big are factory farms?

[Lou]

Another great article from Vox.
I have posted so many articles from Vox. In retrospect, I should have created a thread titled "Another Great Article From Vox

Forty years ago, a facility raising 100,000 chickens per year would have passed for a large factory farm; now more than three-quarters of chickens live on massive complexes that sell more than 500,000 animals annually. These mega factory farms, as some observers have called them, look more like chicken megalopolises. The same pattern holds for other animals raised for food, like cows and pigs.​

How big are factory farms? How mega-sized factory farms took over America’s food system, explained in 9 charts. - Vox

 

[LoreD]

Pig farms are about 35,000. They produce as much poop as a town of 65,000 people. Some of the big dairy factory farms have 15,000 cows.

 

[Lou]

Seems like most of the really good Vox articles are accompanied by really good graphs. Vox's Graphic Department is so good.
What's that old saying? A good graph is worth ten thousand words?

I'm also pleased that they didn't entirely disregard the social justice angle.

"Such high concentrations of animals — and their waste — smell terrible and release hazardous air pollution linked to respiratory problems in the communities in which they’re located, a growing environmental justice issue."

 

[diannethomas877]

Factory farms can vary in size, but they often encompass vast areas of land and house thousands, if not millions, of animals. These industrial-scale operations prioritize efficiency and mass production, raising concerns about animal welfare and environmental impact. The scale of these farms underscores the need for sustainable and ethical practices in modern agriculture.

 

[Lou]

This is by the same author.
So good.

Want to go vegan? Here’s what I gained when I gave up meat for a plant-based diet. - Vox

 

[LoreD]

Remnants of bird flu virus found in pasteurized milk, FDA says​

Remnants of bird flu virus found in pasteurized milk, FDA says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that samples of pasteurized milk had tested positive for remnants of the bird flu virus that has infected dairy cows.

The announcement comes nearly a month after an avian influenza virus that has sickened millions of wild and commercial birds in recent years was detected in dairy cows in at least eight states. The Agriculture Department says 33 herds have been affected to date.

Officials with the FDA and the USDA had previously said milk from affected cattle did not enter the commercial supply. Milk from sick animals is supposed to be diverted and destroyed. Federal regulations require milk that enters interstate commerce to be pasteurized.

Because the detection of the bird flu virus known as Type A H5N1 in dairy cattle is new and the situation is evolving, no studies on the effects of pasteurization on the virus have been completed, FDA officials said. But past research shows that pasteurization is “very likely” to inactivate heat-sensitive viruses like H5N1, the agency added.