Environmental ArticlesFish and Dairy Do Not Mix
An Environmental Article from All-Creatures.org

From

NotMilk.com
September 2014

On Thursday, September 11, 2014, the Ottumwa Courier reported that an 860,000 fish kill along 28 miles of pristine waterways near Ottumwa was caused by a massive dairy farm manure spill.

Fish and Dairy Do Not Mix in Ottumwa, Iowa

"How like herrings and onions our vices are in the morning after we have committed them."
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

* * * *

During my twentieth century pre-vegan days of gluttony, I was a big fan of Jewish soul food. One of my favorite Sunday morning breakfasts was herring in sour cream sauce served with thinly sliced onions and rye bread. Invariably, an hour after overeating this dairy-infused fish up to my gills, I would suffer a painful stomach ache. The culinary pleasure was worth the subsequent inevitable suffering.

Ottumwa, Iowa is farm country. If you were a M*A*S*H fan, you know that one of the main characters from the television show, movie, and book of the same name was Corporal "Radar" O'Reilly. Radar's hometown was Ottumwa, Iowa, and he represented all that was wonderful and sometimes naive about rural America.

In 2014, half of the working people employed in Ottumwa were employed by either the Cargill Meat Company or tractor-manufacturer, John Deere. Ottumwa represents all things agricultural in America.

Last week, in place of stomach aches, the good people of Ottumwa suffered massive headaches after learning that fish and dairy do not mix.

On Thursday, September 11, 2014, the Ottumwa Courier reported that an 860,000 fish kill along 28 miles of pristine waterways near Ottumwa was caused by a massive dairy farm manure spill.

After Radar (Gary Burghoff) left the M*A*S*H series, he became the television spokesman for the BP oil company and then opened up an ice cream shop in Hawaii.

*****

"Sometimes it takes a natural disaster to reveal a social disaster."
- Jim Wallis


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