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Ohio
May See A Second Proposed Constitutional Amendment On Farm Animal Welfare
Not surprisingly, a group called Ohioans for Humane Farms has requested a
petition initiative certification from the Ohio Attorney General that could
place a second proposed constitutional amendment on farm animal care before
Ohio voters this fall. The proposed constitutional amendment goes beyond the
expected prohibitions on confinement of pregnant pigs, laying hens and veal
calves that farm animal welfare advocates have advanced in other states. The
current petition requires the newly created Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board
“to adopt certain minimum standards that will prevent the cruel and inhumane
treatment of farm animals, enhance food safety, and strengthen Ohio farms.”
Cattle network
USDA
meets with NE commissioners on regional food
Vermont Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee says he and his counterparts from
New England are talking with the U.S. Department of Agriculture about how to
develop regional food systems.
Boston Globe
Missouri
contests ruling on factory farm buffer zone
A judge’s ruling in a lawsuit created a two-mile buffer around the historic
site to keep it out of range of a proposed factory farm. But now Missouri wants
to eliminate the buffer around the site — which is protected by the state.
Attorney General Chris Koster appealed the ruling.Koster says his decision to
appeal the case is based in part on his concerns that the ruling could create
chaos if it is allowed to stand. Already, he said, too many local officials
have the authority to create buffers for factory farms. The judge’s ruling
would mean 400 circuit and associate circuit judges can also decide, Koster
said. Missourians would be better off with state control as opposed to local
control in this particular situation, he said.
Kansas City Star
Towns
aim to establish farming zone
Enterprise area would help preserve agricultural land. In such areas, farmland
owners can enter into individual agreements with the state that their land
remain in farm production for at least 15 years in exchange for annual tax
credits ranging from $5 to $10 per acre.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bill
would establish standards for honey in Wis.
Standards for selling honey in Wisconsin would be established under a bill
making its way through the Legislature. The proposal would prohibit labeling a
product as honey unless it meets certain standards established by the state's
Department of Agriculture.
Chicago
Tribune
Canadian Food Agency Puts the Kibosh
on American Horse Export for Meat
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued the health requirements
for all horses bound for slaughter in Canada. The requirements posted on
the CFIA website state, “Effective July 31, 2010, it will be mandatory for all
CFIA inspected facilities in Canada engaged in the slaughter of equines for edible
purposes to have complete records for all animals presented for slaughter.”
horsebackmagazine.com
Grants expand
Texas Wine Industry
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today announced the Texas Department of
Agriculture is accepting applications for its Wine Grape Investment Grant
Program from farmers wishing to expand existing vineyard operations by at least
five acres or start new ones.
Southwest Farm Press
Bill establishes
special category for Tennessee milk
Tennessee dairy farmers are hoping to get a boost from legislation that was
unanimously approved by the Senate. The measure sponsored by Republican Sen.
Mike Faulk of Kingsport passed 26-0. The legislation would establish a category
of milk called "Tennessee Prime Milk," of which at least 80 percent
is produced in Tennessee.
Capitol Press
ID:Lands agency
recommends boosting timber harvest
The
Department of Lands aims to increase timber harvests from state land by 16.5
percent annually, in hopes it will increase jobs and revenue to schools. That
could result in 525 new jobs and up to $15 million in additional revenue
annually. Rep. Jim Patrick, a Republican from Twin Falls, questioned if
boosting the supply of lumber coming from Idaho forests, coupled with a
slumping economy and depressed construction, would further erode prices.
Capitol Press
Iowa
Department of Agriculture May Have to Absorb Big Budget Cut
Ag department's budget would be same as it was in 1994. Iowa Department of Ag
may have to eliminate 50 positions. Ag Secretary Northey also points out that
the state agriculture department has already experienced five layoffs and has
currently has 44 open positions, which is over 10% of the department's
workforce. "If the governor's proposal is implemented we will need to
reduce staffing by approximately 50 positions," says Northey.
Wallace's Farmer
Former Montana
lawmaker tapped as Salazar adviser
A former Montana state senator and wildlife commissioner has been tapped as
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar's senior adviser for the Northwest. Missoula
attorney Steve Doherty served 12 years in the Montana Senate and chaired the
Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission from 2005 to 2009.
Capitol Press
The
Monthly National Legislation Report
Or access state and local bill related to animals through the AKC website.
MNL report
Future
Trends in Animal Agriculture proceedings available.
California
To Measure Methane To Pinpoint Emissions
California plans to install a network of computerized monitors to measure
methane emissions from regions that are home to dairy ranches, farms and landfills.
Those include the farm fields of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and
landfills in the Los Angeles basin."What we'll be able to do is to find
the identity, the location and the strength of methane emissions within the
state," said Jorn Herner, scientist at the California Air Resources Board.
Cattle Network
Hope
Returns After Year Of Steep US Dairy Losses
Only months ago, dairy producers were slaughtering an average of 50,000 dairy
cows a week because a milk glut made it impossible to sell their milk for what
it cost to produce. Now, with prices improving, dairy farmers are reversing
course, saying they'll produce as much milk as possible this year.
Cattle Network
How Can
Farming and Ranching Survive?
Farmers and ranchers have become a minority! Approximately 2% of the U.S.
population is involved in farming or ranching. The majority of our population
doesn't know when, where or how their food gets to them. They expect it to
magically be there when they need it.
Cattle Network
Bill
encourages schools to buy food from local farms
A bill making its way through the Legislature would try to make it easier for
farmers in Massachusetts to sell their fresh produce to the area's schools.The
bill, which passed the House yesterday, prohibits junk food in public schools,
and an amendment to the bill calls for research to be done on what local food
is available and what schools are interested in.
Wicked Local Norfolk
Budget cuts —
Extension, research
“In the university system, opportunities for advancement were not very
rewarding and many talented individuals moved to the private sector. Instead of
finding solutions for producers, the university employee must spend a great
amount of time trying to find funding.”As the lackluster economy puts a
stranglehold on state budgets and officials search for places to make cuts, one
target of the ax is agriculture programs, including Extension.Some were potentially
draconian. Michigan was threatened with a 44 percent cut in funding for
Extension and research stations after narrowly escaping elimination through
line item vetoes. In October, however, the governor approved a budget that
included the programs.
Delta Farm Press
Be
prepared for dairy to go up….or down
Dairy markets continue to disappoint. While cash cheese prices have been
hanging around the $1.50 range, Class III futures have been sliding.
Brownfield Ag News
Lack of
national strategy threatens Canadian food sovereignty, P.E.I. agriculture
federation told
A national strategy that champions domestically produced food over foreign
imports must be developed or Canadian farmers could become little more than
glorified gardeners running petting zoos, says a leader with the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture.“Food sovereignty is going to become a critical issue
in Canada and we have to ask ourselves: ‘Do we want to be beholding to other
nations for our food?’” said Grant Etsell during the P.E.I. Federation of
Agriculture’s annual meeting here on the weekend.
The (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)
Guardian
SPCA
looked at dairy farm before video's release
The Finger Lakes SPCA was investigating reports of animal abuse at Willet Dairy
in the town of Locke before an animal rights group released a video Tuesday
allegedly showing farm employees abusing and neglecting cattle.Carol Russell,
executive director of the Finger Lakes SPCA, would not comment on the specifics
of the investigation but said dehorning or docking cattle tails would be
illegal if the practices intentionally caused pain.That requires talking to
veterinary professionals who can testify to whether or not certain practices,
such as docking a tail, are painless depending on the age of the cow and at
what age certain practices should be considered painful and illegal.
auburnpub.com, Auburn, NY
They tried to explain dairying to ABC News
But the network chose to emphasize the negative with last week's broadcast.
Dairy Herd
CBS News antibiotic piece to air next week
A two-part piece on antibiotic use in food-animal production is planned.
Dairy Herd
Handling difficult media interviews
One industry spokesperson shares tips on how he prepares for media interviews.
Dairy Herd
Ohio Farm Bureau responds to HSUS power grab
Animal-rights activists seek to undo Ohioans' overwhelming passage of Issue 2
last November
Dairy Herd
Alert:
HSUS Seeks Initiative To Regulate Ohio Producers
“The enabling legislation hasn’t passed; the board hasn’t been appointed and
the first discussions on what Ohioans find acceptable haven't been held. And
yet, HSUS is saying, in effect, Ohioans got it wrong,” said Jack Fisher, Ohio
Farm Bureau Executive Vice President in an official statement.
Animal Ag Alliance
National Milk's Radical
New Dairy Plan
Finally. Jerry Kozak, National Milk Producers Federation president and CEO, has
started talking publicly about his organization's proposal to revitalize U.S.
dairy policy for the 21st century.
Ag Web
Our Dependence on
Foreign Vitamins
Recent increases in vitamin D prices are evidence of what can happen when
competition in the marketplace is eliminated.
Ag Web
California Records Net
Loss of 109 Dairies for 2009
Higher-than-average feed costs, consistently low prices paid to producers, and
the numerous herd buyout programs all contributed to the loss of dairies
operating in California last year.
Ag Web
NJ
Governor Christie signs executive order to help gaming industry
Executive Order 11 creates a New Jersey Gaming, Sports and Entertainment
Advisory Commission charged with issuing recommendations to fix New Jersey’s
gaming industries.
Jackson NJ Online
We Decided
to Sell the Herd
The federal pricing system creates regional disparities that pit farmers
against each other in national policy debates. No one wins in this setting —
not the farmers and not the consumers who depend on them for fresh, healthful
dairy products.
Daily Yonder
Veal
group adopts state of ethics, code of conduct
The American Veal Association has adopted a statement of ethical principles and
a code of conduct to articulate the industry's commitment to humane handling,
ethical conduct and sustainable production methods.
meatingplace.com
Control Runoff From Your
Farm – or Else
Learn how to control water runoff from your farm, or the government will force
you to make changes in your business.That's one message resonating from the
latest battle over runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. The same regulations bay
area farmers may face could be visited on other U.S. farms. By the end of 2011
Virginia, would be expected to reduce its nitrogen runoff into the Chesapeake
Bay by 3.39 million pounds, and reduce phosphorus runoff by 470,000 pounds. To
achieve these goals, the following will be required: 119,000 acres of cover
crops planted; 12,500 acres of reforestation; 9,000 acres of stormwater
management controls; 10,000 acres of forest buffers; 258,000 new acres of
nutrient management control; 13,000 feet of agricultural stream restoration;
233,000 pounds of wastewater nitrogen reductions; and 126,000 pounds of
wastewater phosphorus reductions.
Farm Futures
OR:Lobbyists
blast lawmakers
Agricultural lobbyists have called out Oregon lawmakers for introducing
big-impact policy bills in the Legislature's one-month supplemental session. "There
are 200-plus pieces of legislation being introduced," said Tammy Dennee,
executive director of the Oregon Wheat Growers League.
Capitol Press
CA: DWR predicts
further limits on water deliveries
A draft report by the state Department of Water Resources says future water
deliveries will suffer more than previously expected from the impacts of
current environmental rules and projected climate change. The report shows a
"continuing erosion" of the state's ability to maintain its water deliveries
from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Capitol Press
Pork
producers study footprint
Pork producers are identifying ways to reduce their carbon footprint, but more
than 25% of the matter depends on retailers and consumers. Manure management
plays a large role in carbon emissions, transportation plays a minor role,
processors are efficient and more than 25% of pork's footprint occurs at the
retail store and home levels.
Feedstuffs
HSUS Gets
Some Bad Press
The HSUS has recently come under fire from the Sportsmen's and Animal Owners'
Voting Alliance, which says that HSUS's lobbying on national and state levels
likely surpasses the boundaries set by its nonprofit status under the IRS code.
SAOVA also cites a “conflict of interest” by Michael Markarian, who serves as
HSUS's chief operating officer as well as president of an affiliated lobbying
charity, the Humane Society Legislative Fund. HSUS reported that it spent about
$4.2 million on lobbying out of a total budget of nearly $100 million in 2008.
The independent nonprofit charity watchdog group American Institute of
Philanthropy gave HSUS a C- based on the percentage of money the organization
spent actually running its programs. The group also penalized HSUS for paying
excessive salaries to its top executive. Money given to organizations that
actually worked with animals totaled just $450,000. That’s half of 1 percent
NPPC.org.
OMG cattle
wandering in fields
HSUS:Please
make an emergency gift today to our Disaster Relief Fund.
I arrived here in Haiti from across the border -- despite a flat tire,
overheated engine, and two aftershocks -- and am seeing firsthand the total
devastation left behind in the wake of last week’s earthquake. Tent cities
everywhere are teeming with tens of thousands of people now homeless.And amid
all this human suffering, there’s something else: Animals are suffering, too.
Will you please support our efforts to help with a special gift right now? The
entire nation is overwhelmed by a lack of basic necessities -- adequate food,
water, shelter, and medicine…the conditions for animals are still
deteriorating. In our short time here, I’ve seen cattle wandering through
fields and stray dogs by the roads. With food and water in short supply, it is
only a matter of time before these animals -- especially the injured -- come
under threat of dehydration, starvation, and disease.
Humansociety.org
National Milk's Chris
Galen Responds to Nightline Dairy Segment
Many in the dairy business had been awaiting ABC News's investigation into the
alleged evils of dairy farming. Dairy Today had a30-minute sit-down interview
with investigative reporter Brian Ross.
Ag Web
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Deer farming may
soon be under Department of Agriculture's control
The Ohio House and Ohio Senate are looking into changing the regulation of deer
farming from the Ohio Division of Wildlife to the Ohio Department of
Agriculture.The Division of Wildlife is not taking the potential change
lightly.HB 410 and SB 225 want to take away the regulating of captive cervids
(whitetail deer and other deer) from Division of Wildlife, which has been
monitoring hunting preserves since 1953 and deer propagators since 1994, and
transfer the authority to the Department of Agriculture.
The Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio)
Senate:
Keep state out of bake sales
Bake sales, chicken barbecues, fish fries, and other charitable food sales
would be safe from state health inspections under a bill on its way to the
state House of Representatives. The state Senate passed the bill unanimously.
The bill is in response to a cease-and-desist order delivered last spring at
St. Cecilia Church in Rochester, near Pittsburgh. Church officials said
volunteers were cutting slices of homemade pies to sell at a fund-raising event
when a state food-safety inspector warned them that selling baked goods made in
an unlicensed kitchen is illegal.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Gothic kittens" case could lead to changes in Pa.
animal cruelty laws
A woman in Pennsylvania reportedly is being charged with animal cruelty for
docking the tails and piercing the ears of several kittens to sell them as
"gothic kittens" on eBay. The woman's lawyer said the state's animal
cruelty laws do not say "anything about you can't pierce or dock a cat's
tail," and that the case likely will result in the state's animal cruelty
laws being amended.
United Press International
N.C. officials propose allowing pets at outdoor dining areas
Maybe it's not so bad to bring Fido when dining at outdoor tables at North
Carolina restaurants. Health officials are proposing a rule to allow pets to
come to the table at outdoor restaurants as long as they don't go inside or
contaminate the food.
WTKR-TV (Norfolk, Va.)
FL:Rural
folk oppose high-tech corridor
Allowing huge high-tech businesses to move into the county's rural areas is
just too extreme, some residents told The Planning Commission staff.The
Interstate 4 Green Tech Corridor should be limited to the urban areas in either
Tampa and Temple Terrace or Plant City, they said.And if it will only take
1,000 acres to create the corridor, Hillsborough County should not be including
12,000 acres in its plan to lure high tech businesses to the area, said Terry
Flott, director of the Seffner Community Alliance.
The Brandon (Florida) News and Tribune
Utah
governor's office cashed coal company check on same day permit application was
fast-tracked
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's campaign aides cashed a $10,000 check from a coal
company on the same day that he met with the company to hear complaints about
delays in the permitting of a strip mine. State regulators at the meeting
listened to Alton Coal Development LLC's pleas and "agreed to fast-track a
decision approving the mine near Panguitch, despite opposition from
residents,"
The Associated Press/Rural Blog
In
rural Mississippi, dreams of a green car fleet
Here in this Mississippi Delta county, they are waiting for the return of the
slender man in the elegant suit -- the one who spoke, in a heavy Chinese
accent, of a promise that couldn't have been more welcome or fashionable.It was
the promise of a new green industry, with hundreds of green jobs. His name is
Xiaolin "Charles" Wang, a 43-year-old native of Hunan, China, and CEO
of the fledgling GreenTech Automotive Inc. He hopes to build a billion-dollar
hybrid and electric auto plant here on 1,500 acres of pancake-flat delta
farmland, in what was once one of the most depressed settings in the rural
South.
The Los Angeles Times
San Diego homeowners struggle with housing restrictions on pets
Many homeowners as well as renters in San Diego are being denied insurance
because of the breed or weight of their pet dogs. Insurers point to a joint
study issued several years ago by AVMA and the CDC assessing dog bites in
deciding which breeds are restricted, even though the CDC has issued a
statement saying the study does not "identify specific breeds that are
most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making
decisions
San Diego Reader
Yellow Tail Wine Gives
Money to HSUS
Sportsmen Urged to Voice Protest.The Australian maker of Yellow Tail Wine has
pledged $100,000 to the HSUS, the nation’s largest anti-hunting organization.
This partnership offers further proof of HSUS’ work to spin its animal rights
message in a way as to seem mainstream.As HSUS states on its website: the HSUS
has paired with [yellow tail] for the "tails for tails" program.
Through the end of March, you'll see special [yellow tail] displays bearing The
HSUS name and logo in stores across the country.Through "tails for
tails," [yellow tail] is donating $100,000 to support us and our programs
to help animals, including our Spay Day Online Pet Photo Contest.”Alerted to
this relationship, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) immediately contacted
the American distributor of the wine, W.J. Deutsch and Sons Ltd., and urged
them to ask Yellow Tail to sever its relationship with HSUS.“This wine maker
has fallen into the same trap as other companies who donate money to HSUS,”
said Bud Pidgeon, president of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “They believe
they are helping animals in shelters when in fact they are funding an agenda
from an animal rights group that is largely divergent from the vast majority of
Americans.”
New Jersey Hunter
Study fails to link
saturated fat, heart disease
The saturated fat found mainly in meat and dairy products has a bad reputation,
but a new analysis of published studies finds no clear link between people's
intake of saturated fat and their risk of developing heart disease.
Reuters
U.S. soldiers send pets to temporary care while overseas
He was relieved when he found Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pet, a volunteer
organization that helps men and women in any branch of the armed forces find
temporary homes for pets. It is one of several pet foster programs that offer
such free help to military personnel.
ABC News/The Associated Press
Hope
on the farm
John Rosenow does what rural development experts say needs to be done to create
jobs and grow the economy in rural areas.He’s expanded with value-added
components to his Buffalo County dairy farm, created new products, and now
employs 53 people. Plus, he’s a member at a cooperative that’s operating its
own small cheese plant, employing 53.
That’s the kind of economic activity that Rick Terrien, executive director of
the Iowa County Economic Development Corporation, envisions.
Dunn County News
Waiting
for Water on Ruleville-Drew Road
How hard is it to get water in some parts of rural America? Ask the residents
along the Ruleville-Drew Road in Sunflower County, Mississippi. They've been
waiting seven years.
Daily Yonder
Vilsack:
Rural America is in need of renewal
After a year as the U.S. secretary of agriculture, I've reached two
conclusions: Most Americans do not fully appreciate the work and sacrifice of
the farmers and ranchers who produce the food and fiber that keeps all of us
alive, and an overhaul of our approach to economic development in rural America
is long overdue.
Des Moines Register
Beyond the USDA: How other government agencies can support a
healthier, more sustainable food system
A report on federal agencies and their role in administering programs, grants
and regulatory oversight that affect food. This agency-by-agency review covers:
food safety regulations, community economic and housing development, health
education, food procurement, labor standards, trade negotiations and
transportation infrastructure.
IATP.org
EFSA
Reports on Causes of Campylobacteriosis
A European Food Safety Authority report confirms that poultry meat is a major
source of human cases of campylobacteriosis. EFSA's Biological Hazards Panel
has adopted an opinion on the extent to which broiler meat contributes to human
cases of campylobacteriosis. Experts conclude that the handling, preparation
and consumption of broiler meat may directly account for 20 to 30 per cent of
human cases of campylobacteriosis in the European Union.
The Poultry Site
AFIA urges Oprah
Winfrey to Air Alternate Program about Food.
Oprah Winfrey is encouraged to give her viewers a more complete picture of the
wonders of most all modern food production in a letter sent by the American
Feed Industry Association. The letter by AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman
was sent in response to the Jan. 27 edition of "The Oprah Winfrey
Show" that featured journalism professor and author Michael Pollan and
actress Alicia Silverstone.
Agrimarketing.com
Couric,
CBS news explore antibiotic use for livestock
The CBS Evening News is set to aired a two-part story Feb. 3-4 on antibiotic
use in livestock and poultry production. The series focused on CBS anchor Katie
Couric’s visit to Koch's Turkey Farm in Tamaqua, Pa., which raises free-range
and antibiotic-free turkeys. The segment also may include footage on Applegate
Farms, a New Jersey producer of antibiotic-free, ready-to-eat foods including
deli meats, bacon and hot dogs
Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers.
U.S.
sets sights on stimulating broadband access for rural areas
The federal government on Tuesday brought the broadband segment of its massive
$787 billion economic stimulus package to St. Louis. The two agencies charged
with distributing $7.2 billion to improve high-speed Internet for rural and
low-income Americans hosted a daylong informational workshop in Eureka. The
fifth of 10 such events scheduled around the nation drew participants from
across the Midwest.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Trainer
Rick Violette on the future of racing
They can't afford to participate in an industry where they have zero chance of
economic survival. “It is hard enough to make ends meets in this business. As
it is, 90 percent of horse owners lose money every year.
Albany Times Union
University
of Richmond Law School Student Reviews HSUS
The Myth of the Humane Society of the United States. I recently viewed a
commercial for the Humane Society of the United States. It contained footage of
pets suffering from abuse. The footage was intended to tug at the heartstrings
of anyone with half a heart. In addition to the animal footage, the commercial
featured the lady from Just Shoot Me asking the viewers to commit to a $19
monthly pledge to help save these animals from abuse and neglect. While most
local animal shelters scrimp and scrape to collect enough funds to cover
overhead, the HSUS has a healthy budget of well over $100 million. The bulk of the
balance was spent on fundraising, campaigns, lawsuits, propaganda, and those
people that stand outside the D.C. Metro who stop you and ask "Do you have
a minute to talk about saving animals?"Deception notwithstanding, the HSUS
has cornered the market on the animal rights movement.
Law.Richmond.edu
Is
kosher better for the planet?
I usually buy organic, sustainably raised meats, but sometimes when I can't
find them, I get kosher meat instead. Does that make environmental sense, or is
the stuff approved by rabbis just as bad as anything else?
The Washington Post
Rules
Worth Following, for Everyone’s Sake
Michael Pollan’s new book, “Food Rules,” is an easy-to-digest guide to health
and eating that could do almost anybody good.
NYTimes.com
Russia’s
Evolution, Seen Through Golden Arches
When
McDonald’s entered the Soviet Union 20 years ago, it had to supply its own
ingredients. Now the last one — burger buns — has been turned over to the
private sector.
NYTimes.com
Dairy-based
package wraps
Food-packaging products made from dairy ingredients could provide an
alternative to petroleum-based packaging products, according to a chapter written
by Agricultural Research Service scientist Peggy Tomasula for a new book,
“Dairy-Derived Ingredients: Food and Nutraceutical Uses.”
Western Farm Press
Comprehensive
report disputes cancer-meat link
A comprehensive report about the epidemiologic evidence surrounding cancer and
consumption of red meat and processed meat was released to the cattle
industry's human nutrition research committee.The report states that all
available evidence from epidemiological studies of a cancer-red meat/processed
meat link "is not supportive" of a causal relationship, said Dr.
Shalene McNeill, NCBA executive director of nutrition research.
Feedstuffs
More Agriculture
News
Cattle
Blood Used in Treatment Experiments
A South Dakota bio-tech firm is using blood byproducts from cattle to develop
new ways of treating injured soldiers on the battlefield.IKOR aims to use
hemoglobin from cattle as its raw material to develop blood replacement
products for injured soldiers, Tye says. The goal is to heal their wounds more
quickly and effectively, partly because the products can help deliver oxygen to
the wound.
Beef Magazine
Conference
Proceedings for the Southern Dairy Conference are available
Discussions on state of the Dairy Industry, supply management, sustainability,
nutritional and health benefits of dairy food and more are available on line
now.
Southern Dairy Conference
Farm
Subsidy Battles: A Fighter Looks Back
Mariann Fischer Boel is preparing to step down as Europe’s agricultural
commissioner after five years of struggling to cut back the most generous farm
subsidy system in the world.
NYTime.com
If beef producers were to give
advice to industry officials, what might they say?
January is meeting month for agricultural producers. At most of these meetings,
industry officials and other experts offer advice to producers.What advice and
reminding might farmers—beef producers in particular—give to industry experts,
especially those that primarily represent segments of the beef and livestock
industry? They would say, the livestock industry is being challenged on issues
ranging from BSE and E. coli O157:H7 to antibiotic use, air and water quality
issues, animal identification and traceback, COOL, and the conditions under
which animals are being raised.
Ag Policy
Deadly horse disease outbreak affects 12 states
The Texas Animal Health Commission has identified a South Texas ranch as the
source of an outbreak of equine piroplasmosis that reportedly has affected 12
states, including Indiana, Alabama and California. Of the 364 cases confirmed
as of Jan. 20, 289 have been traced to the Texas ranch, which has ordered a
quarantine of its more than 300 horses.
The Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
View
from Across the Pond
Farmers and ranchers produce corn, milk, hogs, beef and lots more. But we all
know that they also produce other things that are incidental to these farming
enterprises.Things like; the farming landscape, community values, food
security, and "heritage" are deemed to be positive. But they
sometimes also produce negatives e.g. air pollution, degraded soil and excess
pressure on wild species or natural habitats. These "incidental"
products may be described as "public goods" and there has been a
debate raging about "good" and "bad" public goods for
decades.
Meatingplace.com
Expect
A Massive South America Soybean Crop
U.S. soybean growers have benefitted recently from grower misfortunes in South
America to increase their export market share, but that may come to an end
soon, says Chad Hart, Iowa State University agricultural economist.“All the
current indicators point to the potential for record South American soybean
production,” he says
Corn and Soybean Digest
Would
a farm reality show help teach consumers?
It is an established fact that American agriculture needs to do a better job of
communicating with the non-farm public, but how to accomplish this is a matter
of considerable debate. I would like to suggest the ag industry try sponsoring
a television reality show. They are inexpensive to produce and, judging from
the number of them that are on the air, they are quite popular. The show should
have the goal of helping viewers understand what life is like on a farm and
what farm families do every day. In order to accomplish this, the show would
have to combine elements of the programs Lost, Survivor, Super Nanny, Dirty
Jobs, Fear Factor, The Apprentice, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, and The
Simpsons.
Hoosier Ag Today Alberta
farmers face 'critical situation'
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, adding plenty of spring rain is
needed to quench dry soils and prevent drought conditions seen last year.
Edmonton Sun
|
Ag
Committee Leaders React to President's Budget
Senator Blanche Lincoln, pledges to stand up for farmers and ranchers and all
of rural America by opposing cuts in President Obama's proposed budget. According
to Lincoln, "This proposal places a disproportionate burden on the backs
of farmers and rural communities. While I too believe we must reduce the
federal deficit, we must all share in this responsibility."
Hoosier Ag Today
Vilsack:
$26B Agriculture request a freeze
The US Agriculture Department's $26 billion request for fiscal year 2011
"essentially freezes" discretionary programs,
UPI.com
President Asks Congress
To Cut Crop Subsidies
President Barack Obama asked Congress to slash crop subsidies to "wealthy
farmers" and to pare federal support for crop insurance, moves estimated
to save $10 billion over 10 years. The White House also requested a 25 percent
cut, to $1.2 billion, in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. It
shares the cost of controlling runoff from fields and feedlots. The
green-payment Conservation Security Program would be cut by roughly $1 million
and enrollment held to 12 million acres in fiscal 2011 instead of 12.8 million
acres.
cattle trader
USDA's
New Budget Proposal: What Is Increased And What Is Decreased?
The 138 page budget message that will be conveyed to the House Agriculture
Committee confirms expectations and contains some surprises.
CattleNetwork.com
Obama
budget cuts farm programs
Obama’s attempt to control government spending (pegged at over $1.5 trillion
for this year) would mean payment cuts not only to large farmers (more than $2
billion over a decade) and agriculture-related insurance (some $8 billion over
a decade) — but also, to the consternation of some environmental groups, would reduce
the growth of conservation programs.Crop insurance has been on the Obama
administration’s radar for months.
Delta Farm Press
ERS
awards grants to establish centers of food assistance research
The Economic Research Service has
awarded grants to establish two research centers in the Research Innovation and
Development Grants in Economics (RIDGE) Program.
USDA
Conservation
cuts concern groups
Despite proposed Obama Administration budget cuts, conservation is promoted and
practiced with help from other organizations.
There is, however, concern about proposed Obama Administration budget
cuts. At the same time that President Obama was proposing his budget, USDA
Undersecretary Harris Sherman was telling the National Association of
Conservation Districts annual convention that many federal programs will have
to live with frozen or lower budgets.
Brownfield Network
Budget
proposal undermines farm safety net
The National Cotton Council said that President Obama’s FY2011 USDA budget
ignores the extensive changes to production agriculture support that were
embodied in the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.
Southwest Farm Press
USDA
funds healthy urban food initiative
USDA
announced a $900,000 grant to the Wallace Center at Winrock International,
Little Rock, Ark., to run the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center
to increase access to healthy, affordable foods, including locally produced
agricultural products, to underserved communities. "This ambitious effort
will create a national center to help establish local and regional food systems
and get healthy food into low-income communities, which are important
components of USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative," said
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Meatingplace.com
Record amount of money
spent in rural Neb.
The U.S. Agriculture Department says a record amount of money was given to
programs to help rural Nebraska last year.About $209 million from USDA funds
were invested, more than half of it for housing. About $74 million went to
infrastructure such as and water and wastewater treatment, and about $21
million went toward business and energy.The aim of USDA Rural Development is to
help to communities provide access to affordable and essential utilities such
as electricity and telecommunications.
KCAU-TV, Sioux City, Iowa
Obama export plan
nudges farm trade agenda
U.S. farm exporters are relieved that trade has finally made it on to President
Barack Obama's agenda, although his new goal to double U.S. exports in five
years might be a little too much to hope for.After a year when farm exporters
wondered aloud whether the administration even had a trade policy, Obama linked
export growth to job growth. He also promised an initiative to address deep
distrust many American hold toward trade pacts, viewed as sapping manufacturing
jobs from the United States.
Reuters
U.S.
officials frustrated by China’s pork stance
The top trade official for the National Pork Producers Council was in China
last week.Nick Giordano met with U.S. and Chinese government and private sector
representatives on a host of trade-related issues. Topics included China’s continued reluctance
to import U.S. pork because of H1N1 flu concerns and its refusal to take pork
from pigs given ractopamine That’s a feed additive widely used in U.S. pork
production to promote leaner meat.In December, China announced it would lift
its H1N1-related ban on U.S. pork, but it has not yet begun accepting imports. Phil Seng, president and CEO of the U.S. Meat
Export Federation, says China is simply using H1N1 as an excuse to halt imports
while it increases its own pork production.
Brownfield Network
Feingold
says ag can make more cuts
Senator Russ Feingold, a member of the Senate Budget Committee says while the
President’s budget does make some attempts to rein in spending, we must do
more. The Wisconsin Democrat says some of those cuts can be made in
agriculture.He has proposed a cap on irrigation subsidies at 960 acres and/or
$500,000 in gross income, he says that would save $4.4 billion over ten
years.He proposes a reduction in crop insurance subsidies along with increasing
the federal share of risk to 20 percent for a $2.1 billion savings over ten
years.
Brownfield Network
USDA
economist lays out climate change concerns
A USDA
economist says agriculture can and should play a part in the climate change
discussion. Jan Lewandrowski, with the agency’s Climate Change Program Office,
says the climate is changing, however he says the consequences aren’t all bad
for agriculture. It’s a mixed bag because, he says, the northern and eastern
parts of the U.S. are in for longer growing seasons and adequate precipitation.
However, he feels being part of climate change mitigation is the thing to do.
Brownfield Network
Fewer
Than 1% of U.S. Farms Are Organic, USDA Says
Fewer than
1% of American farms are organic, and generated $3.16 billion in sales in 2008,
the USDA found in its first in-depth survey of organic farming.The USDA said
that it tallied 14,540 organic farms and ranches that were either certified by
the USDA or exempt from those rules because their annual sales fell below
$5,000.While organic products have been one of the hottest growing areas in the
supermarket, the USDA survey found that they were still a tiny enterprise in
the farm belt. In its 2007 agriculture census, the agency counted a total of
2.2 million U.S. farms of all types and sizes using 922 million acres of land.
The Wall Street Journal
Mixed
reaction greets Obama's USDA budget proposals
The Obama
administration found a bit of support across the aisle for part of its USDA
budget proposals. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the
Finance Committee, said he wasn't sure he liked a proposal to lower the payment
limit on direct payments from $40,000 to $30,000, but he's more inclined to
support another idea, lowering eligibility for all farm program payments to
individuals with adjusted gross income from farming of $500,000 or less.
Currently the AGI cap is $750,000.Grassley told reporters that when it comes to
lowering the cap on direct payments, "I haven't studied the impact of
that. I think it could be a negative. But it's very much a positive on trying
to tighten up payments to higher income people."
Agriculture Online
Renewable
Energy
Wind
farms creating blackout zones for aviation radar
Wind turbines may be seen by governments across the land as a power source for
the future, but a group of Canadian engineers could hold the key to ensuring
that the clean energy system doesn’t end up causing an aviation disaster. As
wind farms sprout up around the world, but aviation specialists are raising
concerns that the giant turbines create blackout zones for air traffic control
radars.
Vancouver Sun
Microbes
produce fuels directly from biomass
Researchers have developed a microbe that can produce an advanced biofuel fuel directly
from biomass. Deploying the tools of synthetic biology, the researchers
engineered a strain of E. coli bacteria to produce biodiesel and other
important chemicals derived from fatty acids.
Science Daily
Could
generating energy from waste be the answer?
Scientists are helping to find answers to one of the most difficult problems
facing the world today: generating energy without accelerating climate change
or harming food production. Researchers are investigating biofuels generated
from wastes. These are seen by many as the 'green alternative' to using fossil
fuels.
Science Daily
Brazil
Shortfall Affects Ethanol Production
It’s being reported that Brazil has failed to produce enough sugarcane to meet
its own ethanol demand. As a result, Brazil will be forced to rollback its
ethanol blend from E25 to E20. In response, Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis has
stepped forward with a warning that U.S. public policy should not make America
dependent on Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. He says "It makes no sense to
become dependent on any foreign source of energy.
Hoosier Ag Today
Report: US will fail
to meet biofuel goals
An
administration task force on energy says the United States is not likely to
meet a congressional mandate to produce more biofuels.
Capitol Press
Brazil,
Royal Dutch Shell to make the largest investment in the history
of biofuels,
The agreement is to establish a 50-50 Brazilian ethanol joint venture with
Cosan which will own 4,500 retail stations, sugar, ethanol, fuel distribution
and power generation, and the Shell aviation fuel distribution business. The
companies said that they plan to increase the venture's ethanol production
levels from 529 Mgy to 1323 Mgy, which would make the venture one of the top
three ethanol producers in the world.
Bi0fuels Digest
Poet
Files Lawsuit in California Lawsuit
CARB introduced that standard that could make it difficult for the U.S.
industry to access what is a growing 1-billion-gallon ethanol market in
California, as the LCFS classifies corn ethanol as a higher-carbon fuel.Many
ethanol-producing states sell ethanol to the California market, and ethanol
plants generally add value to the price of corn. In Nebraska, for example, the
Nebraska Corn Board said that 27 percent of Nebraska ethanol is shipped to
California. Poet LLC filed the lawsuit as a result of a public information
request made with CARB in August 2009 by ethanol advocacy group Growth Energy.
DTN
Obama
Administration reorganizes US biofuels policy, leadership, rules in sweeping
change
The administration issued a sweeping new set of rules and directives regarding
US biofuels policy, including the release of the revised Renewable Fuel
Standard from EPA, and a new set of “Lead Agency” assignments to support
first-generation biofuels while driving the development and commercialization
of advanced fuels, with a forces on drop-in fuels for aviation and ground
transportation.The announcement followed 14-page report from the Biofuels
Policy Working Group — chaired by Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, Energy
Secretary Chu, and EPA Administrator Jackson — that found that US biofuels
targets for 2022 will not be met – as the 2010 cellulosic ethanol targets will
not be met – unless the US government undertakes to re-organize its development
effort.
Biofuels Digest
Senators
oppose EPA on greenhouse gases
Farm organizations are welcoming the decisions of the chairman and ranking
member of the Senate Agriculture Committee to support a Senate resolution
opposing EPA’s plan to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
through the Clean Air Act.A total of 138 commodity and agricultural
organizations have signed a letter circulated by the National Cotton Council
that endorsed a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act.
The resolution was introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.Senate
Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Ranking Member
Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., have agreed to cosponsor the Murkowski resolution and
offered their support for legislation to block EPA’s attempt to regulate
greenhouse gases under an endangerment ruling.
Delta Farm Press
Ethanol
demand key to grain prices in 2010, U of I economist says
Demand
for ethanol probably will be the deciding factor for prices and planting this
spring, a University of Illinois farm economist said.Both corn and soybean
prices have fallen in the last three weeks, since the U.S. Department of
Agriculture reported a larger corn harvest than expected in 2009 and in
anticipation of a “monster” soybean crop in Brazil, said Darrel Good. “The
challenge for some is going to be if they want to plant corn where they had
corn last year,” Good said, noting that a wet spring and fall resulted in one
of the latest harvests in decades last year.
The State Journal-Register(Springfield,
Illinois)
Solutions
to climate change: Using trees and grasses to capture carbon and produce energy
A unique research project in the UK is investigating how coppiced trees and
grass crops can be used both to generate renewable energy and to trap carbon in
the soil over the long term.
Science Daily
EPA
rules ethanol green enough for fuel mandates
The Environmental Protection Agency on
Wednesday released its final rule for putting the 2007 energy law into effect.
The EPA announcement, timed with a White House push for more energy
independence, makes it clear that both corn ethanol and soy-based biodiesel
will lower greenhouse gas emissions enough to be in the fuel mix as the nation
ramps up to using 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022.The EPA's final rule
for the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2) found that ethanol's carbon footprint
is at least 20% lower than gasoline, a requirement of the Energy Independence
and Security Act of 2007. And soy-biodiesel meets the requirement of being 50%
greener than diesel fuel.
Agriculture Online
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