In the media coverage of Proposition 2's campaign and passage, reporters have made liberal use of puns. Here are a few examples:
Prop 2 . . .
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would crack the state's egg industry
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lays an egg for state producers
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is a study in cage fighting
There were many more, but Jim Downing of the Sacramento Bee came up with what I think is the best pun. In a story published last Saturday, he wrote:
"To a huge majority of California voters, it seems, the chicken does come before the egg."
For the story, Downing spoke to animal welfare expert Joy Mench, an animal science professor at UC Davis. She told the reporter it is unclear whether the risk of salmonella contamination is higher in caged or cage-free systems. Downing also sought comment from Dan Summer, the director of the UC Agricutlural Issues Center. Even if the cage-free movement spreads to other states (as proponents of the initiative intend), he said the California egg industry is facing steep transition costs and some farms will likely go out of business.
The latter third of a 1,100-word article on backyard chickens published today in the Christian Science Monitor was based on information from UC Davis Cooperative Extension specialist Francine Bradley.
The article was a trend piece on growing interest in keeping chickens in urban or suburban settings to supply families with fresh eggs, organic fertilizer and pest control.
Bradley told reporter Maryann Mott that the responsibility taken on when adopting chickens is no different from that for more traditional pets, like dogs and cats.
"If you're going to be the steward of an animal, you should know how to take care of it before you purchase one," Bradley was quoted.
She told the reporter that information on rearing healthful chickens is available from Cooperative Extension offices in nearly every U.S. county.
"We know more about the nutrition for chickens than any other living animal, including humans," she says, "so there's no excuse for not feeding a bird well."
Luke Shapiro with backyard chicken.
As media outlets begin to analyze the impact of Proposition 2's passage, they are turning to UC for information.
The headline of the Los Angeles Times story - "Prop. 2 probably won't hike egg prices" - is based on the report by the UC Agricultural Issues Center about the potential impact of implementing the provisions of Proposition 2. The article, written by reporter Carla Hall, says egg prices probably won't go up because out-of-state farmers, who already supply a third of Californians' eggs -- and could provide more -- are not affected by the new law, so they won't have to change their housing.
The San Francisco Chronicle ran an Associated Press analysis of Proposition 2. It quoted the UC Ag Issues Center report in noting that the new law will be felt largely by the state's egg farmers, whose production last year was valued at $337 million.
The Chronicle article predicted that uncertainty about how Proposition 2 will be enforced means that fights lie ahead over how much room "factory farm animals" should be provided.
UC Riverside poultry specialist emeritus Don Bell was quoted in the AP story about the measure's economic impact.
"It will be the loss of an entire industry in California," he said, according to reporter Samantha Young.
Egg industry faces change.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is in the news today. For example, UPI ran a story about a UC Davis study that determined daily consumption of vegetable juice is an effective way for people to increase their vegetable intake. AgAlert released an article about a UC Riverside scientist's conclusion that fertilizer savings make growing a cowpea cover crop of value even to non-organic farmers.
These are important developments, but somehow it doesn't seem right to go into the details on the day following what has been described as a "momentous" and "historic" election.
For several months, this blog has documented the many UC Cooperative Extension and other ANR comments in the media on Proposition 2, however today, with so many races to cover, the media have so far left UC experts silent on the lopsided victory. (With 95 percent of precincts reporting, the proposition is winning by a 26 percent margin, according to the LA Times.)
Two opponents of the measure have released statements about the proposition's passage. The American Veterinary Medical Association said veterinarians should be included in implementing the new animal welfare standards. Californians For SAFE Food commented mainly on the mechanics of the election in its statement and concluded:
"The special interest group that pushed Prop 2 will now go back to Washington, and leave it to California's farmers, veterinarians, regulators and lawyers to interpret what this poorly-conceived and vaguely-worded initiative actually means for the real people it affects."
The campaign manager for Yes on Prop 2 noted in a statement that proponents have built an "army of the kind" in California.
"Let’s not stop now. Let’s build on this victory," she wrote.
Contented chicken.
The Visalia Times-Delta ran a commentary on Saturday jointly written by the dean of the UC Davis Department of Veterinary Science Bennie Osborne and the director of the UC Veterinary Teaching and Research Center in Tulare James Cullor turning today's decision on Proposition 2 over to the voters.
The article noted that various UC Davis scientists have taken public positions on the proposition, both in favor and against, but that the University of California is neutral.
The School of Veterinary Medicine, the article said, is part of the nation's proud tradition of Land Grant Colleges and Universities.
"We are committed to generating and disseminating science-based information on all issues related to animal welfare, animal health, food safety and the role of animals in society," Cullor and Osborne wrote.
The University, they assured, will continue to foster discussion and research to establish the best animal health care and welfare strategies science can offer.
Contemplative chickens.
