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A Meeting of Minds on Welfare of Beef Cattle
Cattle roaming the range are the iconic image of the
American West, but a recent video of abusive animal handling at a California
slaughterhouse has increased public scrutiny of the lives and deaths of beef
and dairy cattle. The Beef Cattle Institute, which Kansas State
University founded in August 2007, had planned the International Symposium on
Beef Cattle Welfare as its kickoff event long before the headlines. The AVMA
became a meeting sponsor because its Animal Welfare Committee recognized a
paucity of forums for rational discussion of beef cattle welfare.
AVMA
Looming Tropical Disaster Needs Urgent Action, According To New Report
A major review shows that the world is losing the battle
over tropical habitat loss with potentially disastrous implications for
biodiversity and human well-being. Tropical forests support more than 60% of
all known species. But up to 15 million hectares of tropical rainforest are
being lost every year and species are being lost at a rate of up to 10,000
times higher than would happen randomly without humans present.
Science Daily
The wet condititions bring more animal health threats
Dr. Tom Van Dyke says the floods and standing water increase exposure to foot
rot, environmental mastitis, respiratory stress, Lepto and internal parasites.
Brownfield Network
Destruction Of Greenhouse Gases Over Tropical Atlantic May Ease Global
Warming
Large amounts of ozone are being destroyed in the lower
atmosphere over the tropical Atlantic Ocean. The significance is that ozone in
the lower atmosphere acts as a greenhouse gas and its destruction also leads to
the removal of the third most abundant greenhouse gas -- methane. It should
lead to improved climate predictions.
Science Daily
Food Scientists Confirm Commercial Product Effectively Kills Bacteria In
Vegetable Washwater
Research conducted by food science faculty at the University
of Idaho and Washington State University indicate that a commercially available
fruit and vegetable wash, when used in a food-manufacturing setting, can
dramatically decrease the number of disease-causing organisms in
produce-processing washwater. That could reduce by manyfold the potential for
cross-contamination within the water by such "gram-negative" bacteria
as Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7.
Science Daily
Diversity Among Bird Populations Found To Reduce Threat Of West Nile
Virus
A biologist and undergraduate student have discovered that
what's good for an area's bird population is also good for people living
nearby.
Science Daily
Floods will cause ripple, not ruin, across US economy
Floodwaters receding into the Mississippi River
and its tributaries will suck billions of dollars out of the Midwest's economy,
though probably not as much as the 1993 flooding that devastated the region.The
impact on U.S. economic growth is expected to be small, but it is difficult to
make accurate estimates because water still stands over farm fields, roads and
in many homes. Forecasts call for more rain across the region through at least
Saturday.
Forbes –
NY
New Invention Effectively Kills Foodborne Pathogens In Minutes
Researchers have developed an effective technology for
reducing contamination of dangerous bacteria on food. The new antimicrobial
wash rapidly kills Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 on foods ranging from fragile
lettuce to tomatoes, fruits, poultry products and meats. It is made from
inexpensive and readily available ingredients that are recognized as safe by
the USFDA.
Science Daily
Flat vegetable economy
slowing debut of mechanized iceberg lettuce harvester
Frank
Maconachy is biting at the bit like a thoroughbred at the starting gate; ready
to hit the field with his latest prime-time invention for the vegetable
industry, a mechanized iceberg lettuce harvester. Western Farm Press
Soaring production costs hit Georgia growers
Rising production costs are consuming most of the profit farmers might
receive from the record prices crops like corn and soybeans are bringing.
Southeast Farm Press
Activists take aim at
nonresearch colleges
Far from the front lines of the nasty fight over laboratory-animal experiments
at large research universities, activists are strategically drawing some
teaching-oriented institutions into the same battle.
Amherst College, Fairfield University, Francis Marion University, and 10 other
institutions, none of which are known for conducting animal experiments,
recently signed a pledge not to subject any research animals to
"severe" unrelieved pain or distress. The pledge was written by the
Humane Society of the United States, which has sent it to a total of 301 presidents
at similar institutions. Signing the pledge was easy, said officials on some of
those campuses, because no such research went on there. And that is just what
the advocacy group is counting on: a wave of no-fuss pledge signings that will
put pressure on larger universities, which do conduct extensive animal
research, to follow suit.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Productivity and Agricultural
Yields
One of the long-term drivers of commodity prices is
productivity gains driven by technological progress. From the late 1700's until
1950, land use devoted to agriculture increased fivefold, in line with
increases in population. But, since 1950, the percentage of the world's land
area used for farming has increased modestly, while the world's population has
more than doubled, from 2.5 billion to 6.6 billion. Today's agriculture
technology means one person is fed by 2,000 square meters (1/2 acre) of
farmland annually, whereas in the 1700-1800's, it took 20,000 square meters (5
acres).
Boomtown Institute
Barack Obama Responds To
BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly Article
I have read
with interest your article on how the upcoming election might impact
agriculture. I disagree with your contention that agriculture is “far down” on
the priority list for both candidates. Agriculture is a very high priority for
me. America must retain its leadership in agriculture and I am committed to
working with farmers and ranchers to achieve that goal. America continues to
have the safest, most abundant and cheapest food supply in the world. Even with
the recent increase in the cost of food, Americans spend only 10% of their
disposable income on food – the lowest in history. America’s farmers and
ranchers are important to the future of our country and I intend to give
agriculture a high priority in my administration.
Cow-Calf Weekly
Packing Industry Struggles Continue
Tyson
announced the sale this week of its Canadian beef operations to XL Foods Inc.
for $107 million in Canadian dollars. Tyson has already closed three other
plants and slipped from No. 1 to No. 3 in terms of beef-slaughter capacity in
the U.S. The stocks of meatpacking plants have been taking a severe hit, but
Tyson stock rose on news of the sale.
Beef Magazine
MPs Fear New Foot-and-mouth Outbreak Over Lab
Security Costs
The escape of foot-and-mouth disease from a
supposedly secure laboratory last year could be repeated without sweeping
changes to the funding and management of facilities for handling dangerous
germs, MPs said yesterday. At least two ageing and neglected laboratories need
urgent investment to ensure biosecurity, according to a Commons select
committee that also said it had been disturbed to learn that ministers have not
yet met to consider the issue.
The
Times
Changes in the Sheep
Industry in the United States: Making the Transition from Tradition
The U.S.
sheep industry is complex, multifaceted, and rooted in history and tradition.
The dominant feature of sheep production in the United States, and, thus, the
focus of much producer and policy concern, has been the steady decline in sheep
and... The slowing of the long-term fall in
range sheep numbers in western states and modest growth in smaller farm flocks
in the East may be cause for optimism.
National Academies Press
Crops dry, prices high
Allen County farmer Dick Crowl counted his blessings as he replanted a soybean
field near Fort Wayne International Airport.At least his fields weren’t
underwater like cropland in central and southern Indiana and in Iowa and
Illinois. Indiana’s corn and soybean farmers alone may have lost more than $800
million in revenues, said Andy Miller, director of the Indiana State Department
of Agriculture.Although heavy rains doused crops in northeast Indiana fields this
year, many area farms avoided the flooding. That narrow escape could generate
huge profits for local farmers. Flood-damage reports helped drive corn future
prices above $7 a bushel this month.
Fort Wayne
Journal Gazette
Ancient Oak Trees Help Reduce Global Warming
The battle to reduce carbon emissions is at the heart of
many eco-friendly efforts, and researchers have discovered that nature has been
lending a hand. They have discovered that trees submerged in freshwater aquatic
systems store carbon for thousands of years, a significantly longer period of
time than trees that fall in a forest, thus keeping carbon out of the
atmosphere.
Science Daily
Sequencing Of Ancient Corn Landraces To Ensure Genetic Diversity And
Resources
Because of its importance as food, the
need to improve yield, and the challenges presented by changing climate, the
maize genome of the B73 cultivar is being sequenced. However, because maize has
a complex genome and many varieties, the genome sequence from just one variety
will not be adequate to represent the diversity of maize worldwide. Mexican
scientists are also sequencing and analyzing the genomes of the ancient
landraces to recapture the full genetic diversity of this complex and adaptable
crop.
Science Daily
Database Shows Effects Of Acid Rain On Microorganisms In Adirondack Lakes
Researchers have long known that acid rain can severely
decrease the diversity of plant and animal communities in fresh water lakes and
ponds. However, little is known about how microscopic bacteria, which form the
foundation of freshwater ecosystems, respond to acidification.
Science Daily
For Finland, the Issue Is Selling
Its Wine, Not Making It
European
Union farm subsidy rules are hampering the ability of wine growers in southern
Finland to sell their small-scale wine production.
NYTimes.com
Can Weeds Help Solve the Climate
Crisis?
Weedy
ancestors of our food crops, some scientists predict, will cope far better with
coming climatic changes than their domesticated descendants.
NYTimes.com
Legal battle divides horse industry
With Weatherford being home to the state’s only licensed equine dentistry
school, the results of the legal battles could have a social and economic
impact ...
Weatherford Democrat,TX,
Industry Embraces Certified Livestock
Transport Training
A relatively new training program for those involved in the transportation of
livestock is being well accepted by Canada’s trucking and livestock industries.
The Pig Site
There's Hope for Feed Grain
Price Relief
A Winnipeg based grain market analyst says the bright light for livestock
producers right now is the anticipated large global wheat crop expected to be
harvested during 2008, writes Bruce Cochrane.
Discovering Hormones and Their
Role in Meat Quality
A team of scientists in Iowa studied how the release of hormones in animals of
agricultural importance can lead to greater efficiency of growth and meat
quality. Their results could reduce the cost of animal production and enhance
profitability for farmers.
The Pig Site
Hog Inventory Up Six
Percent from a Year Earlier
Late Friday
the USDA released it quarterly hogs and pigs report and analysts said it was
hard to find any good news. There is a six percent increase in hog inventory
from a year ago and the breeding inventory was just slightly off, down one
percent. Dr. Ron Plain, Extension Livestock Economist at the University of
Missouri said there are more hogs than the trade was looking for and that will
mean a drag on prices. With prices continuing to challenge producers and feed
costs increasing, how can they respond?
Hoosier Ag Today
Unintended
consequences
(horse slaughter ban)
The unintended consequences of
horse slaughter are beginning to show up across the
U.S. since state laws shut down harvest plants earlier this
year. Trent Loos points out in this segment that horse slaughter is
an option that needs to be in place for horse owners and invites those
that are finding horses dumped in their pastures, put in the their empty
trailers or left at their places of business to let him know of their
specific experiences so lawmakers can be made aware of the problems the exist
and the abuse that takes place when horses become unwanted and have no value
for their owners.
Loos Tales
Flood aid for beef producers
The National Cattlemen's Foundation, in cooperation with the National
Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), has launched a disaster relief effort to
assist farm and ranch families impacted by catastrophic flooding in the
Mississippi River corridor and surrounding areas.
Brownfield Network
AVMA Launches Animal
Welfare Web Section
To Answer Questions, Educate, Serve the
Profession and the Public
To help veterinarians and the general public understand the complexity and
passion behind animal welfare issues, the American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA) launched its first Web section devoted entirely to animal
welfare information.
Animal Ag Alliance
Smithfield Foods Revamps Website
More Responsive to Needs of Investors,
Customers, Consumers and Others
Smithfield Foods, Inc. revamped its corporate Web site, www.smithfieldfoods.com, to create a new look, provide more
useful and engaging information, and ease site navigation. "Our new and
enhanced website responds to the needs of our customers, consumers, investors,
media and other interested parties who want easy-to-find information about our
company," said Dennis Treacy, Vice President, Environmental and Corporate
Affairs for Smithfield Foods.
Animal Ag Alliance
Animal Rights Expert
Warns of Complacency
In a recent article in Nature
Biotechnology, the President of a Massachusetts-based company
indicated that animal rights extremists saw his company as "a softer
target" than other opportunities. He said that prior to being a victim, he
considered the animal rights movement threatening to his business in an
abstract way, like people consider they "might be in an auto accident one
day, too."
Animal Ag Alliance
Prebiotic Potential Of Almonds
Researchers have
identified potential prebiotic properties in almonds that could help improve
our digestive health by increasing levels of beneficial gut bacteria.
Science Daily
Fortified Cassava Could Provide A Day's Nutrition In A Single Meal
Scientists have determined how to fortify the cassava plant,
a staple root crop in many developing countries, with enough vitamins, minerals
and protein to provide the poor and malnourished with a day's worth of
nutrition in a single meal. The researchers have further engineered the cassava
plant so it can resist the crop's most damaging viral threats and are refining
methods to reduce cyanogens, substances that yield poisonous cyanide if they
are not properly removed from the food before consumption.
Science Daily
Climate Change Causing Significant Shift In Composition Of Coastal Fish
Communities
A detailed analysis of data from nearly 50 years of weekly fish-trawl surveys
in Narragansett Bay and adjacent Rhode Island Sound has revealed a long-term
shift in species composition, which scientists attribute primarily to the
effects of global warming. Invertebrates and warm-water species increase while
bottom feeders decrease.
Science Daily
Drought Tolerance In Potatoes
Scientists are studying these varieties to identify the
genes and molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in order to engineer new
drought-resistant crops of potato, as well as other Solanaceous vegetables.
Science Daily
Passports For Penguins: New Technology Lets Biologists ID Large Numbers
Of Endangered Animals
Groundbreaking technology that will
enable biologists to identify and monitor large numbers of endangered animals,
from butterflies to whales, without being captured, is now available. .
Science
Daily
Fisheries, Not Whales, To Blame For Shortage Of Fish
The argument that increasing whale populations are behind
declining fish stocks is completely without scientific foundation, leading
researchers and conservation organizations said as the International Whaling
Commission opened its 60th meeting in Santiago, Chile.
Science Daily
Maize (Corn) May Have Been Domesticated In Mexico As Early As 10,000
Years Ago
Scientists are using new genetic and
microbotanical techniques to distinguish domesticated maize from its wild
relatives as well as to identify ancient sites of maize agriculture. These new
analyses suggest that maize may have been domesticated in Mexico as early as
10,000 years ago.
Science Daily
Pigs Prefer Three Square Meals A Day
Pigs raised in conventional indoor pens
have different feeding patterns from those raised under more natural
conditions. New research shows that while pigs in the wild spend much time
searching for food and eat little and often, the preferred feeding regime for
conventional raised pigs is three meals a day.
Science Daily
EU eases restrictions on
South American meat imports
The
European Union has relaxed restrictions on imports of fresh meat from more
regions of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay after experts determined they have
met regulations aimed at preventing the spread of animal diseases such as foot
and mouth disease."Recently, the competent authorities of Argentina,
Brazil and Paraguay have made considerable efforts to improve the animal health
situation in their respective countries, and in particular as regards foot and
mouth disease," the European Commission said in a statement on Monday,
according to Reuters. Under the revised terms, the Argentine provinces of Neuquen
and Rio Negro can ship various types of meat to the EU; the Brazilian states of
Parana and Sao Paolo can export boneless and "matured" beef; and
Paraguayan ranchers can export the same products.
Meatingplace.com
Deal Is Struck in Montana to
Preserve Forest Areas
A
huge patchwork of privately owned forest in northwest Montana will be
permanently protected from development.
NYTimes.com
A How-To Book for Everything From
Water Filters to Fly Traps
“A
Community Guide to Environmental Health,” took eight years and $1.6 million to
put together, according to its authors.
NYTimes.com
Some Glimmers of Good News in Crop
Forecast
Recent
floods were likely to have damaged the corn and soybean harvest less than feared
and farmers have planted more corn than previously expected, the government
said.
NYTimes.com
Beloved companion or Parisian dinner?
Slaughter ban backfires for U.S. horses
Hugh Country News
Prioritizing Invasive
Species Management
This report
examined how decisions to invest in invasive species management on public lands
could incorporate economic concepts to better gauge the level of social
benefits generated and how optimization models could be applied to produce the
maximum potential gains in ecosystem services. Findings suggested that
management decisions were effectively modeled using GIS-based decision support
tools, providing a means to reveal assumptions and allow greater input by the
public and scientific community into the decision-making process. The
optimization model results suggested that benefits achieved through invasive
species treatment might be improved if multiple ecosystem service benefits were
considered simultaneously when choosing sites and treatment options rather than
choosing options that maximized a particular ecosystem service.
USDA.
Dry weather slowing corn in upper Southeast
Some of the South Carolina corn crop is
being salvaged for silage, while a few other fields are being abandoned and
harrowed. Meanwhile, in North Carolina and Virginia dry weather is slowing crop
progress considerably.
Southeast Farm Press
Cost of feed delays
chicken plant
Rising feed
costs are forcing chicken producer Sanderson Farms to delay -- perhaps by as
much as a year -- plans to build a $126.5 million plant in Kinston. The
decision comes two months after the Laurel, Miss.-based company said it would
build a feed mill, hatchery and plant capable of processing 1.25 million birds
a week. Construction was to begin this summer and wrap up by 2010, adding 1,500
jobs to Kinston, a city in Lenoir County. But surging prices of corn and
soybean meal, the primary ingredients in chicken feed, have made it
increasingly difficult to predict costs, the company said. So it decided to
hold off until prices stabilize.
The (Raleigh, North Carolina) News and
Observer
Floods to cause ripple,
not ruin, in Midwest
Billions of dollars are lost, but the impact on
U.S. economic growth will likely be small. Floodwaters receding into the Mississippi
River and its tributaries will suck billions of dollars out of the Midwest's
economy, though probably not as much as the 1993 flooding that devastated the
region. The impact on U.S. economic
growth is expected to be small, but it is difficult to make accurate estimates
because water still stands over farm fields, roads and in many homes. Forecasts
call for more rain across the region through at least Saturday.
The Charlotte Observer
Mid-South farmers find
crops thriving under ample rain, sunshine
For a
nation groaning under the cost of groceries and fuel, the size of
weather-related crop losses this spring is just another ominous sign. Monday,
the government confirmed for the first time that 2.8 million acres of corn and
soybeans were flooded out or lost in the cold, damp June in the upper Corn
Belt. For the Mid-South, where the best-looking crops in the nation are
thriving under adequate rain and sunshine, the report is, frankly, another
positive in a year that looks so good farmers can barely believe their fortune.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal
'Buy local' effort could
set a record
State
Farmers Market may see its highest attendance as crops lure crowds
If
you're counting on completing your July Fourth feast with a hearty helping of
Carolina corn, strawberries and blueberries from the State Farmers Market,
you'd better get there early. Already, this year has been one of the busiest on
record for the State Farmers Market, and the Fourth of July weekend is always
the busiest of the summer. The Fourth of July crunch is coming during a year
when attendance at the State Farmers Market may very well reach a record.
The (Raleigh, North Carolina) News and
Observer
War spending bill also
aims to rebuild farm fields
Tucked into
a $162 billion war funding bill passed by the Senate this week is $479 million
for two emergency programs that could help farmers and landowners in the flood
ravaged Midwest clear fields and rebuild terraces, grassed waterways and buffer
strips. The supplemental appropriations bill includes $89 million for the
Emergency Conservation Program run by USDA's Farm Service Agency and $390
million for the Emergency Watershed Program administered by the Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
Agriculture Onlione
Soybeans Reach Record as
the U.S. May Cut Production Forecast
Soybeans rose
to a record after the biggest quarterly gain in 20 years on speculation the
worst Midwest flooding since 1993 will cut U.S. production. Corn fell after
dropping by the daily maximum yesterday.
U.S. soybean farmers may reap 96.8 percent of the 74.533 million acres
planted, down from an earlier forecast of 98.1 percent, the Department of
Agriculture said yesterday in a report. The latest estimate included a poll
last week of 1,200 growers in six states hit by floods. The USDA projected
inventories of 175 million bushels before next year's harvest, or 21 days of
usage.
Bloomberg News
Corn Rises to Record on
Concern That Rain May Damage the Crop
Corn
climbed to a record for a second day on concern that more rain and flooding in
the U.S. Midwest may hurt crops, and as demand for commodities increased as a
hedge against inflation.
Parts of northeast Missouri were drenched by more than 8 inches (20
centimeters) of rain over the past three days, and more storms are forecast,
according to a report yesterday by the National Weather Service.
Bloomberg News
IN: State to announce $50
million aid to farmers
State
agriculture and treasury officials plan to announce a $50 million assistance
program for Indiana farmers devastated by this spring's flooding. Estimates show about 9 percent of the state's
corn and soybean crops were flooded.
State Agriculture Director Andy Miller says those fields could cost
farmers more than $840 million in lost revenue.
The Chicago Tribune
House Republicans urge
less corn for ethanol
The
Environmental Protection Agency is being urged to reduce ethanol production
this year.
Almost 50 House Republicans say the energy law requiring production of 9
billion gallons of ethanol in 2008 has pushed up corn prices, hurting
low-income people and livestock producers. The Agriculture Department says 30
to 35% of this year's corn crop is slated for ethanol.
Corn prices are up more than 80% in the past year. This year's crop is being
hurt by flooding in the Midwest and drought in the South. The Agriculture
Department says farmers will harvest 9% fewer acres of corn this year.
WOI-TV, Des Moines, Iowa
Organic acreage up 27
percent in Washington
Organic
farm acreage in Washington grew 27 percent in the latest count, although such
farming remains a mere blip on the agricultural landscape, the Washington State
University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources said. The
2007 estimate of certified organic land statewide was 81,472 acres, up from
64,325 acres in 2006. The number of organic acres has grown 86 percent since
2004, the center said. Organic farming is still small potatoes in Washington,
with about 700 farms growing $144 million worth of products. The state has some
34,000 farms, which in 2006 grew $6.87 billion worth of raw farm products.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Company recalls beef
linked to E. coli
Nebraska
Beef, Ltd., is recalling more than 265 tons of ground beef that may be
contaminated with the E. coli suspected as the cause of at least 40 confirmed
illnesses in Michigan and Ohio, according to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Legal counsel for the
Omaha-based company and Kroger were not immediately available for comment today
about the announcement, which was made late last night. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has labeled
the Nebraska Beef recall a Class I Recall, which means the situation carries a
high health risk.
The Detroit Free Press
What's In The Meat?
Before you
fire up the grill this summer, here's one more reason to make sure those
burgers are well done. A new report from two consumer groups finds flaws in the
government's meat-testing program. Put in place after the E. coli bacteria
scares of the 1990s, the program was designed to bring modern science to meat
inspection. But is it making the grade? What's at stake: In "Hamburger
Hell: The Flip Side of USDA's Salmonella Testing Program," Public Citizen
and the Government Accountability Project analyzed the Department of
Agriculture's own testing records for salmonella bacteria at
ground-beef-processing plants. The report found that 77 plants in 26 states
failed at least one batch of tests. Though many large plants repeatedly
flunked, they continued to ship USDA-approved beef to stores. USDA disputes the
report's conclusions, saying salmonella rates have decreased and that it shuts
unsafe plants.
Newsweek
Say Goodbye To The
‘Crazy Raspberry Ants’
This
particular species of ant is attracted to electrical equipment, for reasons
that are not well understood by scientists. Reports indicate they are notorious
for ruining sewage pumps, fouled computers, and has also caused alarms to
malfunction. According to a recent report, the EPA approved a crisis exemption
to the Texas Department of Agriculture that allows the use of Fipronil, or
Termidor SC to ward off this particular species of ants.
KBTX-TV, College Station, Texas
Georgia scientists focus
on honey bee disorder
Almost half
the bee colonies in the United States died last winter. Many were the result of
a disorder that causes the colony to literally collapse. Using a $4.1 million
grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, scientists at the University of
Georgia hope to find solutions to the problem that is killing bees in 36
states. Delaplane will direct the four-year Coordinated Agriculture Project
(CAP) that is part of a National Research Initiative funded through the USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.
Southeast Farm Press
Bee disappearances could
get worse, House panel told
A record 36
percent of U.S. commercial bee colonies have been lost to mysterious causes so
far this year and worse may be yet to come, experts told a congressional panel
Thursday.
The year's bee colony losses are about twice the usual seen following a typical
winter, scientists warn. Despite ambitious new research efforts, the causes
remain a mystery. The escalating campaign against what's generically called colony collapse
disorder includes more state, federal and private funding for research.
Publicity efforts are getting louder -- a costumed Mr. Bee was seen wandering
around Capitol Hill this week -- and lawmakers are becoming mobilized.
The Chicago Tribune
FL: Superintendent vows
to keep ag programs
Superintendent
of Schools Jim Yancey said last week that agricultural programs will continue
at all high schools and middle schools in the county, despite concerns they may
be phased out due to the state's financial crisis. The issue surfaced last week when it was
revealed there were only six requests for agriculture program courses at West
Port High School and students may be left out. Yancey told Hering, School Board
members and concerned citizens that the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
is mostly to blame for the lack of students entering the program.
The Ocala, Florida Star-Banner
Farm bill details
surfacing
While the
Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 eliminates the three-entity rule for
farmers, it also makes it easier for a spouse to become eligible for payments.
These changes could have a big impact on farmers, “especially when you talk
about the sheer number of farmers who used the three-entity rule,” said Gary
Adams, vice-president, economics and policy analysis, National Cotton Council.
Adams, leading an information session on the 2008 farm bill at Agricenter
International in Memphis, said another significant change is the “tightening
down of means testing,” beginning with the 2009 crop. “Some of our larger
farmers will feel it,” Adams said.
Southeast Farm Press
Soaring production costs
hit Georgia growers
Rising
production costs are consuming most of the profit farmers might receive from
the record prices crops like corn and soybeans are bringing. Higher energy prices, increased demand from
China and India for agricultural production supplies and the weak value of the
U.S. dollar are all factors contributing to higher production costs for farmers
and ultimately higher food prices for consumers, economists say.
Southeast Farm Press
Rains cut Midwest corn
by 1.2 million acres
Midwest
corn producers are reporting losses of around 1.2 million acres to extensive
rains and flooding in June, according to USDA’s June 30 Planted Acreage Report.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported the losses after
re-interviewing approximately 1,200 farmers June 23-25 in the flood-affected
areas. NASS says it will conduct a more extensive acreage update survey during
July. Findings from this study will be incorporated in the August crop
production report. Corn planted area for all purposes is estimated at 87.3
million acres, down 7 percent from last year.
Delta Farm Press
Congress provides $479
million for flood relief efforts
Iowa Sen.
Tom Harkin says the supplemental spending bill passed by Congress Thursday
night (June 26) includes $479 million for emergency conservation efforts for
areas affected by the Midwest floods. Harkin, chairman of the Senate Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, said the funding is needed to help
farmers begin recovery from the flooding that continues to inundate farmland in
Iowa and the upper Mississippi Valley.
Southwest Farm Press
Carbon may be a cash
“crop” for producers
Agriculture
producers may have a crop they can cash in on without having to plant or
harvest anything extra, Texas AgriLife Extension Service specialists said. Dr.
Steve Amosson, AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo, said carbon
sequestration is getting a lot of attention of late. Carbon sequestration is
defined as the capture and secure storage of carbon. It is estimated that U.S. agriculture could
sequester 275-900 million tons of carbon dioxide annually through processes
such as no-till or conservation tillage or rangeland improvement, as well as
reducing methane gas emissions, Amosson said.
Southwest Farm Press
Fuel costs keep fishing
boats at the dock
Shrimp,
crab prices not keeping pace with spiraling expenses
High
fuel prices have accomplished what rough weather and cheap imported seafood
never could -- keeping Sheldon Daniels' trawler fleet at the dock. The soaring
prices are crimping North Carolina's $82 million commercial fishing industry.
Unlike recreational fishing captains, who can pass on a fuel surcharge to
clients, many commercial fishermen are being squeezed by low dockside prices
for catches and mounting fuel bills.
The (Raleigh, North Carolina) News and
Observer
N.C. farmers grow sales
after outbreak
It's
customers such as Erik Will – who turned to local farms to buy his produce
after a salmonella outbreak sickened more than 800 people nationwide – that has
turned the crisis into a boon for N.C. tomato farmers.“First it was the spinach
a few years ago, and now it's tomatoes,” said Will, 32. “It's enough to scare
anyone off. I'm more than willing to pay more and make the trip to a market to
know that what I'm eating is clean and safe.”With North Carolina on the federal
Food and Drug Administration's “safe list,” local growers say they are
profiting from a situation that forced grocery stores to pull tomatoes from the
shelves and left wholesalers with nothing to sell.
The Charlotte Observer
Soaring food prices to
spur agriculture investment
Soaring
food prices will trigger increased investment in agricultural land, notably in
eastern Europe, Brazil and Africa where there is plentiful fallow acreage,
delegates at a conference said on Wednesday.
Rising demand for food as people in emerging economies, such as China, spend
more on improving their diet, signalled further increases in food prices, they
said."We're seeing a revolution in diet across the world," Henry
Boucher, deputy chief investment officer of Sarasin AgriSar fund, told the
world Agri Invest conference in London.
The Guardian (UK)
Plea for Aid to Avert
Starvation
Warning
that rising food and oil prices pose a crisis for the world’s poor, Robert B.
Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, is calling on President Bush and
other leaders convening in Japan next week in an economic summit meeting to
make new aid commitments to avert starvation and instability in dozens of
countries. Mr. Zoellick’s letter, obtained by The New York Times, came with a
lengthy study of the impact of rising prices for food, fuel and commodities on
the world’s poor. He sent the letter as Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda prepares to
host Mr. Bush and six other world leaders in the Group of 8 economic summit
meeting on the northern island of Hokkaido.
The New York Times
Shorter period for crop
payment sign-up
The 2008
sign-up for crop payment programs is underway, but it’s a shorter period of
time because of the late passage of the Farm Bill. John Johnson is deputy
administrator for USDA’s Farm Service Agency, “Typically we start sign up for
DCP October one, and it runs until September 30th a full year. Just shortly
over a month after the farm bill’s passage we did begin sign up for 2008
contracts.” He says the usual late fee of $100 will be waived this year, “So no
late fee but we do have to get all this work done by September 30th so it’s
really important that producers interested in that program to get that
appointment scheduled with their county office and get a date and a time to get
in there and get this done before September 30th.”
Brownfield Network
Smithfield to sell 7
million shares to Chinese firm
Smithfield
Foods is selling 4.95% of the company to Chinese agricultural processing
company, COFCO. The actual share price for the 7 million shares is yet to be
established. Smithfield says it will use the money to repay debt and for other purposes.
One analyst says it will tide the company over until the expected sale to JBS
Swift. As part of the deal, Smithfield will nominate COFCO chair, Ning to be a
member of the Smithfield board of directors. Smithfield will price the shares at the same
time it offers $350 million in senior contingent convertible bonds to the
public. That date is yet to be established.
Brownfield Network
The Indian Summer of
(Political) Love
Both Republicans and Democrats have sought out the Indian vote. It's nice to be
wanted, but reservations await the details.
Daily
Yonder
For Milk, Bread and
Heroes: Kansas Groceries
Most Kansas "cities" have fewer than 1500 residents, all wanting a
local market when they want it. Who's minding the store and how can they hang
on?
Read the story.
Daily
Yonder
At a store near you, low-mileage lettuce
The 24-year-old oversees New England's first large-scale
organic farm dedicated to supplying East Coast supermarkets and restaurant
chains with local greens .
Boston Globe
Thieves target farm
diesel supplies as prices soar
-The cost of farm diesel
is less than the diesel used by truckers and the general public, and thieves
either sell it or use it themselves.
The
Associated Press
Future belongs to
family-run farms
The future belongs to small, local, sustainable family-run farms. If we had any
compassion for Mexico, we would be against importing cheap labor.
Arizona
Republic - Phoenix, AZ
On the Edge of a
Residential Strip, Fear of Feathers
Neighbors
have been protesting the arrival of a slaughterhouse, saying that it will breed
disease and produce noxious smells.
NYTimes.com
Harvest of Injustice:
The Oppression of Migrant Workers.
The FLCs act as coyotes or intermediaries between farm workers and
greenhouses/farms, determining how workers will get to the job, how long they
will work,
Center for Research on Globalization -
Montreal,Quebec,Canada
Making Cheese and Ice
Cream on the farm with Mobile dairy keeps farmers on right path
With dairy farmers often receiving 24p for a litre of milk
that costs 30p to produce, many are going out of business.
COOperative News
Raw Milk At Dairy Farm
Contaminated
A York County dairy farm has tested positive for
listeria-contaminated raw milk again. The state Department of Agriculture said
customers who bought raw milk should throw it out.
WGAL -
Lancaster,PA
Production Costs Prevent Dairy Price
Celebrations for Farmers
Dairy
farmers would like to celebrate June as dairy month by toasting near-record
prices with a glass of cold milk, but they can't afford it. Bill Herndon,
agricultural economist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service,
said skyrocketing production costs have more than narrowed the gap between
profit and loss; they have eliminated it. At the same time, the price of milk
at the grocery story has climbed steadily, averaging near $4.50 per gallon, up
from approximately $2.80 per gallon in 2003, and is expected to remain high
through 2009."Thankfully, farmers are receiving near-record high prices of
just under $20 per hundredweight for milk, but what they earn is more than
offset by feed costs," Herndon said. "Costs for a 16% crude protein
dairy ration have basically doubled from $5 per hundred-weight in the third
quarter of 2006 to almost $10 per hundredweight in the second quarter of
2008."'Less money than ever' . The milk-feed price ratio is the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's benchmark for determining profitability for dairy
farming. Herndon said the ratio in April reached its lowest level since USDA
began using that benchmark in 1985.
Redorbit.com
Hormone use may make dairy farming
greener
Using bovine growth hormones to boost milk production could
help the dairy industry significantly reduce its impact on the environment,
U.S. researchers said. They said supplementing 1 million cows with the growth
hormone recombinant bovine somatotropin or rbST would have the same effect as
removing about 400,000 cars from the road or planting 300 million trees.
Reuters
Micro-loans
aimed at organic dairy farms
Small dairy farmers who've been thinking about going organic
may have a new incentive. MicroCredit-NH,
a program through the New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, is now offering
zero-interest loans for the state's 148 dairy farmers who want to convert to
organic production. Stonyfield Farm
partnered with CROPP, a cooperative of family farmers, to create the Organic
Conversion Fund program. They say it will help ease the up-front costs of
switching to organic production, or starting up an organic dairy.
Concord Monitor,NH
Promise of Biofuel
Clouded by Weather Risks
Recent
storms and floods have highlighted the risks of an economy that has grown more
dependent on corn for fuel.
NYTimes.com
Now
health and safety cut number of holes in salt shakers
Pot-holed
roads, crumbling schools, litter-strewn streets – there’s no shortage of
problem areas crying out for their attention.But councils believe they have
found a better use for their money: reducing the number of holes in chip shop
salt shakers.Research has suggested that slashing the holes from the
traditional 17 to five could cut the amount people sprinkle on their food by
more than half. And so at least six councils have ordered five-hole shakers –
at taxpayers’ expense – and begun giving them away to chip shops and takeaways
in their areas.
Daily Mail (UK)
Preserving US Leadership in Science and
Engineering
A new report from the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences identifies investment factors necessary for a competitive U.S.
research base. The two factors are investment in early-career scientists and
encouragement of high-risk, high-reward research. The report, Advancing
Research in Science and Engineering: Investing in Early-Career Scientists and
High-Risk, High-Reward Research, provides examples of obstacles facing
young researchers and their potentially transformative science and technology
research. One obstacle is a decline in access to grants. The average age for
first-time recipients of primary research grants from the National Institutes
of Health is 42.4 and rising. The success rate for first-time grant applicants
has fallen from 86 percent in 1980 to 28 percent in 2007.
Amacad.org
Time limits on welfare
examined
A new report by MDRC, a public policy research
organization examines the effects of the time-limits that were attached to
welfare benefits in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act. The report details varying state policies regarding
time limits, the number and characteristics of those facing time limits, and
the well-being of families affected by the limits.
MRDC.org
Energy
Prices altering housing choices
The
combination of rising gas and home heating fuel prices are beginning to affect
Americans' long-standing preference for suburban living. Falling housing prices
in many suburbs reflect this trend, and a recent survey of prospective home
buyers finds that more than three-fourths intend to choose an urban location
due to high energy prices. Accordingly, housing in urban areas has retained its
value to a greater extent than those in the outermost suburbs.
NYTimes.com
Cluster
Lessons Learned
What
a difference a few years can make! Reporting on the differences between 2002
and 2008 studies by the Maine Technology Institute reveals an altered picture
of Maine's cluster economy. According to the recent report, unforeseen,
"…clusters have seemingly sprouted up across the state like
mushrooms." Continuous investigation and adjustment to education and
training efforts are key to keeping up with the ever changing cluster economy.
Read Maine's story at http://www.mainebiz.biz/news42057.html.
Southern.org
Harkin to
USDA: Be flexible in disaster decisions
Farmers in
Iowa and other states affected by flooding should not be "penalized"
for having to make decisions dealing with crop losses that could come back to
haunt them when USDA finishes writing regulations for the new farm bill.
Delta Farm Press
Monsanto submits
SmartStax for approval by EPA
Monsanto Company has announced it has submitted documents
and extensive research data for SmartStax, a new insect-protection and weed
control platform in corn, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for
approval.
Delta Farm Press
Vermont
raises raw-milk limits
Vermont
consumers may now purchase up to 50 quarts of unpasteurized milk a day, as long
as they buy it directly from a dairy. Raw-milk sales across the country have
jumped significantly, but 22 states ban the sale of raw milk for human consumption
due to health concerns. And it is federally prohibited from crossing state
lines.
Boston.com
Pa. legislators want
more raw-milk products
Two state
legislators in Pennsylvania would like to expand the list of raw-milk products
that farmers can sell. In addition to raw milk and aged cheese, the legislators
would like to include butter, soft cheese, ice cream, yogurt and other
products.
Senator Brubaker
Raw milk draws customers
Soon after
opening the doors of Freedom Hill Farm in Orange County, N.Y., Rick and Julie
Vreeland were bombarded with people who wanted to buy raw milk. Sales grew from
13 gallons to more than 1,000 gallons last month. Half of their customer base
travels more than an hour to purchase the milk. Raw-milk advocates believe a
wide range of health benefits come with drinking milk raw. But studies have
been controversial; scientists are skeptical, and the government divided.
NPR
Louisiana signs non-corn ethanol law for to promote a better biofuel
The Advanced Biofuel Industry Development Initiative will promote high
yielding non-corn crops that can be grown without excessive irrigation or
application of fertilizers.
Mongabay.com
Fertilizer Cos Seen Boosted By Greater US Corn Plantings
"Although the report temporarily eliminates a worst-case scenario
whereby corn prices could rise further and surpass $10 per bushel, the
situation for the ethanol industry remains difficult with high corn prices
leading to below break- even ethanol production cash margins," wrote
Citigroup.
CNNMoney
Weather Risks Cloud
Promise of Biofuel
The record
storms and floods that swept through the Midwest last month struck at the heart
of America's corn region, drowning fields and dashing hopes of a bumper
crop.They also brought into sharp relief a new economic hazard. As America
grows more reliant on corn for its fuel supply, it is becoming vulnerable to
the many hazards that can damage crops, ranging from droughts to plagues to
storms.The floods have helped send the price of ethanol up 19 percent in a
month. They appear to have had little effect on the price of gasoline at the
pump, as ethanol represents only about 6 percent of the nation's transport fuel
today.
The New York Times
Owners Urged To Have
Horses Vaccinated
45 Cases
Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Confirmed
Florida's agriculture commissioner is urging horse owners to have their animals
vaccinated as the number of confirmed Eastern Equine Encephalitis cases is on
the rise.
Commissioner Charles Bronson said on Wednesday that 45 cases have been
confirmed in the first six months of 2008 in Florida, compared to just 11
during the same period last year.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a viral disease that affects the central nervous
system. It's transmitted by infected mosquitoes.
Miami Herald
AFBF: Food Prices Up Slightly in 2nd Quarter
Retail food prices at the supermarket increased about 3.5% in the second
quarter of 2008, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket
Survey.
Ag Net
First 6 Months of '08
Record for Iowa Rain
The first six months of 2008 are going in the record books for Iowa as the
wettest in 136 years of data keeping, according to state climate officials.
Iowaflood.com
Where Is Your Soil Water? Crop Yield Has The Answer
Crop yield is highly dependent on soil plant-available
water, the portion of soil water that can be taken up by plant roots. New
research has shown that measured plant-available water capacity correlated with
corn yield better in dry years than in normal or wet years. Agreement between
measured plant-available water and estimates was weaker in the claypan soils
than well-drained soils.
Science Daily
Weather Risks Cloud
Promise of Biofuel
The record
storms and floods that swept through the Midwest last month struck at the heart
of America’s corn region, drowning fields and dashing hopes of a bumper crop. They
also brought into sharp relief a new economic hazard. As America grows more
reliant on corn for its fuel supply, it is becoming vulnerable to the many
hazards that can damage crops, ranging from droughts to plagues to storms.
The floods have helped send the price of ethanol up 19 percent in a month. They
appear to have had little effect on the price of gasoline at the pump, as
ethanol represents only about 6 percent of the nation’s transport fuel today.
The New York Times
Owners Urged To Have
Horses Vaccinated
45 Cases
Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Confirmed
Florida's
agriculture commissioner is urging horse owners to have their animals
vaccinated as the number of confirmed Eastern Equine Encephalitis cases is on
the rise. Commissioner Charles Bronson said on Wednesday that 45 cases have
been confirmed in the first six months of 2008 in Florida, compared to just 11
during the same period last year. Eastern Equine Encephalitis is a viral
disease that affects the central nervous system. It's transmitted by infected
mosquitoes.
WKMG-TV, Daytona Beach, Florida
New Web site ranks
supermarkets, labels for humanely raised foods
The World
Society for the Protection of Animals has released a survey ranking 23 U.S. grocery
store chains by the availability of humanely labeled food on their shelves.
WSPA also launched a Web site, eathumane.org, that provides detailed survey
results and explains and rates humane food labels according to their verifiable
impact on animal welfare.
Meatingplace.com
Drought conditions
spreading in lower Southeast
Dry weather
once again seems to be settling in over the lower Southeast as area growers
look to the skies for relief. Even though Florida has been blessed with
rainfall over most of the state, Alabama and Georgia have not been so
fortunate.
Southeast Farm Press
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