Ontario Pork focuses on animal, public safety as trial continues

Oct 04, 2016

Activist tells Burlington courtroom pigs are ‘the same’ as dogs

By Jennifer Jackson

Farms.com News Team

As Ontario’s livestock industry continues to follow the trial of the Burlington woman who provided water to a truckload of pigs en route to slaughter in June of last year, the Ontario Pork Producers’ Marketing Board continues to focus on higher-level priorities.

Ontario Pork, which represents some 1,400 producers, stated today that “increasingly animal and public safety is being compromised by protestors.

“In some cases, the actions of protesters have seriously jeopardized the safety of animals, the people transporting them ? and even the safety of the protesters themselves.

“Pork producers, transporters and processors in Ontario strive for continued improvement and are committed to producing food that is responsibly and sustainably raised.

“Individuals have the right to protest, but safety for all parties and food integrity must not be compromised. Ontario Pork respects the legal process currently underway and cannot comment on the specific details of the Krajnc/Van Boekel case.”

Yesterday marked the third day in court for animal rights activist Anita Kranjc, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of mischief.

In front of a packed courtroom Kranjc claimed she was doing the pigs a favor that hot summer day in the city west of Toronto.

“It’s actually criminal to leave a dog in a car on a hot day; pigs are the same,” said Kranjc before some 150 people – mostly supporters – who gathered in the courtroom to witness her testimony.

While owner of the pigs Eric Van Boekel had previously raised food-safety concerns about a potential contaminant being offered to the animals, Kranjc’s defence lawyer, James Silver, described the incident as a good deed.

Kranjc, a member of the Toronto Pig Save group, claimed to have fed slaughter-bound pigs in the same manner prior to the incident without any police interference. She said she interpreted this as “police acceptance.”

The trial will continue on Nov. 1.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.