Pork, And Other Business

There was a time in what feels like the distant past – a few
months ago – when it was more-or-less optional for a business to
be a member of a business organization, like the Chamber of
Commerce.


But since the arrival of the pandemic and the economic disaster
that’s come with it, there’s now so much uncertainty and so much
red tape to navigate through – from Federal loans to local
ordinances – that most businesses are finding it essential to
turn to business alliances for help.


The Louisiana Alliance of Business and Industry - mostly known by
its acronym, LABI - is Louisiana's official state chapter for
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of
Manufacturers. It’s the state’s largest business organization.


Stephen Waguespack, President and CEO of LABI, spends much of
time lobbying the legislature in Baton Rouge, and Congress in
Washington DC, with a focus mostly on keeping government out of
business – to minimize government’s influence on business. But
now that businesses are struggling to survive this downturn, the
landscape has changed and business is looking for cooperation and
partnership from the State and Federal government. At the same
time, LABI is managing to advance a business agenda through the
legislature that includes changes they have been pushing for for
a long time. 


Now, Pork


You may remember, at the end of April, President Trump signed an
executive order compelling meat processors to remain open to head
off shortages in the nation’s food supply chain. The
unintended consequence of this presidential decree was to make
all of us aware – many for the first time – of just where our
meat comes from. And most of the pictures we saw were not pretty.


This has got a lot of people who don’t want to go so far as
turning Vegan, asking if there isn’t a better way to get meat
onto our table. The answer is, Yes, there is.


Tim Melancon is a 4th generation Louisiana pig farmer. He farms
pasture-raised Berkshire pork on T Moise Farms, in Sunset,
Louisiana, specializing in raising an all-natural product. Tim's
pigs are – perhaps ironically – totally vegetarian. Tim doesn't
believe in additives, or preservatives.


Given a choice, probably every person who enjoys eating pork
would far prefer to eat this kind of product. But it's that kind
of widespread massive demand that has brought about the kind of
industrial scale farming and meatpacking plants we have today.
So, is it possible to have a nationwide, large-scale meat
industry and still observe the kind of care Tim Melancon lavishes
on your farm-to-table product?


See photos from this show by Jill Lafleur, and more, at our
website.  More conversation about Baton Rouge pork (meat,
not politics) is here.


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