Organic Beef Matters

News from Alderspring Ranch, with an occasional rant about American agriculture

Glenn’s Response to the mRNA Vaccine

Ruminations & Newsletters / by / 45 Comments

Dear Friends

I’m often taken aback at how informed our patrons are. In the last few weeks, we’ve received many inquiries about mRNA vaccines being manufactured for livestock.

Information surfaces regarding mRNA veterinary vaccine use on a daily basis, as the mRNA tech surrounding vaccine is relatively new. Although the idea has been around a long time (nearly 50 years) and there have been some small scale tinkerings with the use of mRNA in vaccine for decades, only recently has the methodology become widespread when large drug companies started releasing bulk quantities for the prevention of COVID-19 in humans.

For most of the last century, animal vaccines fell into two categories. The first is modified live virus (MLV) and killed virus vaccines. The MLVs use the well-established technology of injecting live virus that is able to replicate when injected, but it has been altered so that the virus will not cause clinical disease. Antibodies are then trained to recognize the real virus by the altered one, thus ensuring a halt of disease progression. Killed virus is injected in much larger quantities to provide sufficient antibody training.

The second is through toxoid vaccines, one of the most widely used being the tetanus toxoid. It’s not the tetanus bacteria that causes illness and death; instead it is the toxin secreted by it. The harmless tetanus toxoid is a manufactured substance that emulates the natural toxin without the poisonous effects. Antibodies are ‘trained’ by the manufactured toxoid to bind to the actual toxin and neutralize disease causing effects.

But all that may change. Emerging mRNA technology is likely to be the new source of vaccines for many of these diseases. The process has received an unprecedented amount of refinement as a result of COVID-19, and the technology is now mainstream. In addition, pharmaceutical companies say that it will be cheaper to produce mRNA vaccines than the current MLV and toxoids. Governments appear to be wholeheartedly supporting it and even fast tracking funding to get these vaccines online. As a result, pharmaceutical companies are moving forward very quickly to apply the tech to animal vaccines as well.

When researching this subject, I found it very clear that no company is yet offering mRNA animal vaccines on the open market. First of all, no one drug company has laid claim to be the first to produce it, or put methodologies in place that would allow for mass production. Second, I found many articles (some very recent) stating that the grant process is still ongoing. In other words, animal pharmaceutical production companies are just now getting money to explore the new technology for all classes of livestock.

On paper, the mRNA process is fairly simple to grasp: Laboratory created genetic material (mRNA—abbreviation for messenger ribonucleic acid) is injected into the body. It then serves as a code of specific instructions to cells about how to manufacture a protein (or even a part of one) that mimics the shape characteristics of the virus. That protein then triggers the antibody immune response in the body that fights the real virus.

There have been some preliminary mRNA vaccine tests on mice, mink and black-footed ferrets. So far, results appear promising. But what if the animals vaccinated happen to be the ones we eat? Are there possible complications?

It’s the unknown that people are concerned about, and that falls into two areas.

  1. Is the vaccine (or mRNA) persistent in meat? Will humans be ingesting mRNA genetic code material via consumption of vaccinated beef, pork or lamb?
  2. Is the vaccine safe in the long term for livestock? Or will it cause subsequent health complications that may then compromise our animal protein food supply?

These are valid questions. They certainly get my attention.

First, Unknown number 1: Most of the research surrounding this idea of persistence after ingesting mRNA indicates that it is not persistent. FDA/USDA will most likely require 30 or more days withdrawal of treated animals from entrance to the food supply. In other words, no animal can be slaughtered for human food until those minimum time frames have been met. Most mRNA research indicates that denaturing of the genetic material occurs within several days of vaccination. If it so happens that somehow mRNA material remains intact through ingestion, most scientists argue that mRNA is fairly fragile and would not survive the acidic environment of the stomach.

Potential problems with this train of thought: what if the researchers are wrong? What if the genetic material is persistent and can even survive ingestion and digestion? Research has definitely been wrong. Also, an interesting side-note is that the Chinese are currently testing an ingestible mRNA vaccine; human test subjects take it orally. If mRNA vaccine and genetic material can survive this digestive process, why not via ingested and digested animal muscle tissue?

Bottom line on vaccine persistence? We don’t have all the facts.

But here’s a fact: I, Glenn Elzinga, writer of this article and rancher and owner of Alderspring Ranch, have no interest in eating mRNA vaccinated animal products. Simply put, I will not eat them.

Due to the unknown side effects of mRNA vaccine use in animals destined for human consumption and the lack of long term studies to dispel our concerns, we’ve determined that we will not be consuming mRNA vaccinated animal products if the use of these vaccines becomes commonplace in the future.

Unknown number 2: As with the application and CDC recommendation surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine, pharmaceutical companies and government experts are saying that animal mRNA vaccination is completely safe for livestock.

Potential problems with this: again, we don’t really know, especially since there is a complete absence of long term studies on mRNA vaccines in general. Furthermore, we have no record of widespread use of needle injection of isolated genetic material into livestock. There are no short or long term studies specific to this.

On Alderspring, we do not administer any vaccines for viral infections. I should note here that everyone I know in the conventional cattle industry vaccinates for viral disease. We don’t. We’ve seen no difference in the wellness of our cattle from not vaccinating. Actually, our annual percentage of animals requiring veterinary care has dropped after we stopped using viral vaccines 12 years ago.

We’ve elected not to use viral vaccines in our herd. These vaccines often require multiple administrations for efficacy, and there is stress on the animal any time they are restrained (whether in a chute or doctoring out on pasture) to administer the dosage. As a result, we feel that the negative effects of the stress far outweigh any potential benefits (if any) associated with the use of viral vaccines. We try to limit handling our cattle as much as possible so they are able to live a relatively stress-free existence and reap the health benefits associated with that.

With most of our cattle, we do administer a once-in-a-lifetime shot that provides immunity from bacterial infections. The class we vaccinate for are known as clostridia bacteria. They often reside in fairly indestructible cysts or spores in the soil. Animals can come down with a life-threatening infection if exposed (we have lost animals from clostridia disease). Some of the most common bacteria that can cause illness and death in cattle are diseases with common names such as redwater, blackleg and tetanus.

One more thing you should know about the how of our bacterial vaccination: we give the shot no less than 12 months before we slaughter a beef to ensure that any and all residue has left their system.

Unlike mRNA vaccines, these bacterial vaccines have a long track record of actual use (some for over 50 years of little change in the manufacture of these vaccines). And we have firsthand experience in seeing their effectiveness. It’s a pretty minimal vaccine regimen compare to what most cattle ranches embark on; we know several ranchers that vaccinate the same animals 3 times a year with viral vaccines (compared with our once in a lifetime issuance of a bacterial one).

Since eliminating the use of viral vaccines from our herd, we’ve actually observed fewer instances of our cattle requiring veterinary care.

There is currently very little discussion in veterinary pharmaceutical circles to change the technology of dealing with bacterial disease from modified live (also killed) or toxoid to one of mRNA. I got a toxoid tetanus shot a few weeks ago after a ranch injury at the local state health clinic. If human toxoids are still in vogue for bacteria, it is unlikely that animal toxoids and MLVs would come first.

However, we on the edge of our seats watching for that change, although in the short term, it looks like viral vaccine use will remain front and center. There is more ubiquitous use of viral vaccines in the cattle industry, especially since many virals require several shots per year, and that pattern seems unlikely to change in the near future.

The question still begs an answer for the cattle and their wellness. Is the bacterial shot that we now use necessary? I do know it would have saved the lives of those we lost to bacterial disease. Since it is not an mRNA shot, we still will administer it. But if indeed we are stuck with only being able to give an mRNA shot, I’m thinking the risk of an untested vaccine in our herd will outweigh the risk of disease contraction.

So, at this point, knowing that we don’t know much about mRNA vaccines, I would say that if all available vaccines became mRNA origin for our cattle, we would no longer administer vaccines to the herd. That’s a lot of cattle. Today, that number is around 650 that we would no longer ever inject with any vaccine.

It’s risk management. And that is what husbandry always involves. You make choices. We love these animals, and it is always an evaluation of risk. Here are some examples of weighing that risk:

-Should we calve in the winter to get better calf weights in the fall (nearly all our neighbors do)? (We don’t, because it is very labor intensive and therefore costly. Newborn calves freeze in the cold, and that means we need to be there. Instead, we found that by calving in the spring, cows can manage calving on their own.)

We’ve moved our calving window to late spring and have seen a multitude of positive outcomes associated with this decision. Our cows are able to calve on their own for the most part, the calves are healthier and happier, and there are almost no instances of disease in calves and cows.

-Will the grass provide them with all the vitamins and minerals they need? It appears as though it does—we don’t feed or inject minerals).

We have found that the vitamins and minerals available in the grass our cattle consume on the home ranch and on the range is sufficient to meet their nutritional needs for optimal health.
We don’t have a vitamin or mineral program; the only supplementation our cattle receive in addition to their forage-only diet is Redmond salt (which is wholly compliant with USDA standards for organic certification).

-Will they (the cattle) know enough to stay away from poisonous plants? (They do. They often graze next to grass-like poisonous plants. I don’t know how they know, but they do).

-Do we need to apply an organic fly repellant material to the backs of the animals to keep flies off them, or should we entrust them to eat medicinal plants and lick themselves to provide their own solution to flies? (They do self-medicate, and on summer range pasture, they are almost fly-free).

We don’t administer any pour-on insect repellants on our cattle. We’ve found that when we provide them with a diversity of forage, they are able to self-medicate with plant compounds that naturally repel flies.

So you see, it is not black and white. But we believe God, the Maker, put in these animals the ability to deal with disease, provided that we offer the husbandry to allow it to happen.

Happy Trails,


Glenn


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Sofia Ferraro

    I am glad that you stand against this new mad hold sistema that is in place to kill us
    I will support you guys more and more
    Buying the meat
    Because o chose to not do the mRNA and the flu v
    I am and o will be always be against something make the world sick
    And them more rich
    I hope more people will open up to the reality

    Reply

  3. Mark & Helene Grosman

    Thank you for this clarification and well thought out response to concerns. We whole heartedly agree with your assessment and are quite pleased. Appreciate all that you and your family do for all of our families.

    Reply

  4. Marian Neevel

    So so appreciative of this thoughtful approach and transparency. I am a customer for life. Me and my family are very fortunate to be connected to you. Like so many issues these days, one must consider details known and unknown and weigh possible consequences. You are a wise man Glenn. I assume your committed family will continue this legacy so that we can be assured we are eating the best meat!
    Many thanks, Marian. PS My sister, Margaret Currin does the ordered for both of us

    Reply

    • Glenn Elzinga

      Hi Marian. Sorry it took me over a week to get back on here and approve comments. We appreciate you so much for being a partner and a customer. I don’t know if I’m wise, but I always think about what’s right by our customers, and the land, and the animals themselves. I am watching my daughters develop a similar view, and I hope that they are my legacy.

      Reply

  5. Sara Reilly

    Thank you, Glen. I know many people who have been worried about this issue, will be interested in reading about your ideas, and in supporting and eating vaccine-free beef.

    Reply

  6. Lori

    I am a devoted Alderspring customer of several years. Glenn, your authenticity, transparency and commitment to doing ranching the right way is sadly almost unheard of these days. My family and I appreciate you and your family and Alderspring Ranch more than I can possibly convey. Thank you for being our trusted rancher.

    Reply

  7. Dave

    Thank you! Even Dr.Robert Malone who was instrumental in developing the mRNA technology says these vaccines should be halted immediately. I just hope as a producer that sells to the public that you are able to hold the line.

    Dave Malone
    Loyal customer

    Reply

    • Glenn Elzinga

      Thank you, Dave! I appreciate your long term partnership!! (Sorry to take so long to log in here and respond to comments!). Our organic certification does, I think, give us some protection from being forced to use these vaccines. Right not we have to justify any vaccines we use (show mortality, show that a disease is common in our area), which to me is the right way to make decisions about which, if any, vaccines should be used on animals (or people, for that matter).

      Reply

  8. Carol Ann

    God bless you and the heart you give to caring for these animals in the way He wants you to! We also appreciate your bold spirit that we can trust to stand for what is good and right…”Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths; where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6:16. It’s clear Who you ride for! Happy trails…

    Reply

  9. Michelle

    Thank you for taking the time to look into this and sharing the information. It is good to hear how little you do vaccinate and how you would choose not to vaccinate at all if they all became mRNA. It is hard to find “clean” beef these days.

    Reply

  10. Rodney

    I thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom with us. It greatly helped to reduce some of my fears that we face in today’s culture. The more informed we are, we can make better decisions. Thank you for your effort and time in writing this article.

    Reply

  11. Balzoa

    All I know for sure is that young people in general, and young athletes in particular, are experiencing an alarming increase in “sudden, unexpected” deaths. There is mounting evidence that the one thing these cases have in common is they’ve all taken the covid-19 mRNA vaccines. These vaccines have been widely touted as “safe and effective,” but the effective element has been shown conclusively to be an outright falsehood. As for the “safe” element, not enough is known, but the trend is concerning.

    As for using the mRNA vaccines on livestock, I’d give it a few years of observation before I committed. Today there is so much fraud and duplicity that even a one-eyed man on a galloping horse can see it.

    Reply

  12. Lorna

    Literally brought tears to my eyes. Your love and respect for the animals and their creator shines through all you do and we all reap the benefits of your hard work and willingness to make hard decisions and assess risk responsibly.

    Reply

  13. Carolyn

    Hi Glen, Thank you for this very thoughtful article and for keeping us informed. There are many safety issues with mRNA technology. There is mounting research showing serious health problems in an alarming number of recipients of the Covid 19 shots. I agree with you. I won’t eat meat from mRNA injected animals. I’m glad to know you are committed to raising beef as nature intended. I will be a life long customer.

    Reply

  14. Shirley

    I am so very glad you decided to write on this timely topic! This new mRNA technology is far from being tested for safety…even for humans. And now, the cash hungry pharmaceutical companies want to gouge out more money to inject it in our animals! I will never eat any meat from any animal that had been injected with this. You are so spot on when you say that Mother Nature and our good Lord gave humans AND animals all that we need to survive and be healthy, if only we don’t corrupt nature with artificial herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, antibiotics and artificial/synthetic/untested shots. It’s bad enough that the CDC now has a mandatory “schedule” of vaccines for our children to the tune of 72 before the age of 18!😝How can their little immune systems handle all that!
    Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do…so that we can enjoy the “fruits of your labor” – your delicious, nutritious, organic beef. I also want you to thank your friend in Bristol Bay, AK for proving the excellent salmon!
    I wish more people could partake and understand what you and your family (and ranch hands) are trying to do❣️

    Reply

    • Gary Dirks

      Glenn, Thank you for following up on the mRNA livestock issue. It is a critical issue for today and the future since the big pharma companies seem so hell bent to continue the manufacture of vaccines with this technology which has enough uncertainty to cause serious concern for all those concerned about their health. With all the vaccinated athletes worldwide having deadly to serious health problems it seems extremely prudent to be aware and concerned.

      Reply

  15. John Madany

    Glenn,
    I appreciate your caution regarding mRNA vaccination. I was recently listening to a veterinary education podcast and they were talking about how mRNA vaccines may be better than traditional vaccines. MRNA does not contain an adjuvant. I’m always paying attention for information that is shared in advertently. That sounded like an admission that adjuvants commonly used in standard vaccines are toxic. Adjuvants are supposed to improve the immune response.

    That substantiates your decision not to vaccinate against viral infections.

    The mRNA vaccinations have been pushed on humans. The technical term for use of mRNA by injection is “transfection“. You don’t hear the term transfection much because the media tries to make you think it is a safe technology by giving it a familiar trusted name vaccination.

    Reply

  16. Leo Younger

    Thank you all for the thoughtful comments. Thank you to Glenn for sharing this welcome statement of policy with us.

    Reply

  17. Tom & Lisa

    Appreciate this article, Glenn, and your clarity on your own position. “I, Glenn Elzinga….have no interest in eating mRNA vaccinated animal products. Simply put, I will not eat them.” We are in hearty agreement!

    Reply

  18. Julene Jacobsen

    Thank you so much for this article! I agree with you and support you in your decision to not vaccinate with an untested mRNA vaccine. We love the beef from Alderspring and thank you for all you do!

    Reply

    • Glenn Elzinga

      Thank you, Julene. I know we have shipped many boxes to you. Thank you so much for being a long time partner with us!!

      Reply

  19. Nancy Battaglia

    Thank you Glenn for writing about this. I am relieved to hear that you will not be vaccinating your animals with this mRNA vaccine! As you wrote, they are doing just fine with all that they are consuming naturally. You, your family and all the Alderspring crew are amazing and compassionate people and we are so thankful for all you do!

    Reply

  21. Steve Heil

    So very happy to hear Glenn!!! Thank you and your whole family for providing a safe product for the public to consume! You have a customer in me for life! All the best!

    Reply

  22. Monica Lammle

    Hello there Glenn and all of you at Alderspring,

    I was oh-so-very relieved after reading this post! I just can’t tell you how much our family appreciates your discussion on this important matter and even more so, you’re stance and decision about it. We absolutely love your beef and have a deep respect for your regenerative ranching practices, commitment and integrity. You can absolutely taste the delicious difference (it’s huge!) and being able to enjoy knowing how nutritious your beef is when eating is a treat in itself. Many thanks and much gratitude to you!

    Reply

  23. Margaret Gaspard

    Glenn,
    I really appreciate you writing on this topic. I was very concerned about ingesting beef from cattle that have been injected with MrNA vaccines. They were supposed to be safe for humans in prevention as well and that has proven to be untrue. People are dying suddenly etc etc. I do not want to eat any beef that uses this sort of mrna shot. I would be concerned about any cattle being injected with this sort of technology. The covid vaccines have affected reproduction in humans why wouldn’t it effect the reproduction efforts in cattle. We are all mammals. I can’t believe this is one more thing I would have to worry about, having my food source manipulated with a shot that in the end could harm me. But in the end I’m thankful for your article and your honesty on this topic.

    Reply

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