[Gasification] BOYCOTT CALLED FOR SOYBEANS

[Greg and April]

I think that there is a misconception here.

Grain was traditionally used to finish off cattle with grass being the main 
diet.


Two things changed this.

The availability of low cost grain, and the meat grading system in the US.

The ability for grain to finish off cattle at a younger age, and the fact 
that there is a belief in the meat grading system that older cattle always 
mean a inferior piece of meat.    This last is so prevalent, that unless an 
meat inspector knows that he is looking at meat that has wagyu genes ( 
cattle with extreme levels of marbling - even in young beef ), he will 
consistently grade it as meat from a much older cattle.


Put together, and it means that farmers/ranchers are using more grain to try 
and get the cattle to market weight as young as possible.

Because grain ( especially corn ) is a high energy food, it causes upset 
with the digestive system of cattle that are eating it in large quantities, 
that leads to sick cattle, so now, not only are cattle fed large quantities 
of food that was not meant for their digestive system, they are now also fed 
large quantities of medication to try and keep them healthy.

Go figure?


Personally I'm in favor of grass fed beef, and buy it when it's affordable. 
I'm also in favor of Perennial Grain.    Grain that you don't have to 
replant year after year, and after grain harvest, you can use it as grazing 
pasture just as you would normal grasses.    Some types can be grown with as 
little as 7 inches of rain.

Here is some information about perennial grain:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropfactsheets/triga.html
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/V1-143.html


Greg H.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Benjamin Domingo Bof" <benjaminbof at yahoo.com.ar>
To: "Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and gasification" 
<gasification at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 6:15
Subject: Re: [Gasification] BOYCOTT CALLED FOR SOYBEANS


Dear Bob Stuart;
  I agree with you 100 %.
  In my matter "Energia limpia o un  futuro incierto" we suggest to custom 
"farinha de milho" an indian product from corn produced by five days 
maceration submersed in water and then dryed fast in hot metal plate.
  This product of corn can solve hunger calamity world over.
   We can eat corn but not alfalfa.
   Perhaps in not far future grasses will replace grains to feed cattle.
   Grasses yield much more than grains.
  Our research about sugar cane bagasse discover how to use they in cattle 
feed. Spraying with calcium hidroxide it "hydrolizes" mantaining five days 
without fermenting. Mixing it with green grasses is possible to breed cattle 
at low cost.
  Regards, Ben