I suggest you read the article in Newsweek. It's on the newsstands now, picture of a Holstein on the cover. Margaret L At 11:51 AM 3/11/01 -0600, you wrote: > I don't know all that much about Mad Cow Disease and I think that the >officials also have a whole lot to learn. I understand that the commercial >beef >market ( and other meat animals) does have a lot of unknowns for the consumer >when they go to the meat counter and even to Mickey D's. I do feel like there >is a up and coming opportunity for the ranchers to have their own local meat >market with the animals they have grown to be sold to the public. If there >is a >test that could be done on healthy cows to confirm no evidence of the dreaded >BSE's this would make his meat "prime" for sure. > >Ranchmama >**************************