The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is recalling raw milk and cream produced by Organic Pastures Dairy of Fresno County again. This time the recall is for possible Salmonella contamination. Testing confirmed the presence of the pathogenic bacteria in raw whole milk and raw skim milk. No illnesses have been reported at this time. [node:read-more:link]
"Several foods that are perfectly suitable for human consumption can be toxic to dogs and cats," the researchers wrote in their review, published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science. [node:read-more:link]
What’s believed to be the world’s first test of its type using large unmanned aerial systems for agricultural data gathering in a public-private partnership took place at the Hillsboro (N.D.) Municipal Airport. John Nowatzki, the North Dakota State University agricultural machine systems specialist for the Extension Service, says a May 20 test was the first test of UAS vehicles for agricultural data gathering he’s heard of in the U.S. It is the first in the world, he says. “We’re flying over large areas,” Nowatzki says, noting the footprint of the study corridor is 40 miles by 4 miles. [node:read-more:link]
The Brookings Institution study determined net metering provided $36 million in benefits to all NV Energy customers, regardless of whether they were receiving net-metering credits. The paper largely concludes the benefits associated with net metering outweigh the costs and don’t pose significant cost increases for non-solar ratepayers. Net metering allows solar power users to send excess electricity back to the electric grid in return for rate credits. [node:read-more:link]
Cellulosic ethanol continues to struggle to use inedible crop waste to match ethanol from corn—and fossil fuels. The Project Liberty plant is a multi–$100-million effort to get past the obstacles of food-versus-fuel debates, farmer recalcitrance and, ultimately, fossil fuels. It is also the fruition of a 16-year journey for founder and executive chairman Jeff Broin of ethanol-producing company POET. [node:read-more:link]
The antibiotic resistance factor MCR, which protects bacteria against the final remaining drugs of last resort, has been found in the United States for the first time—in a person, and separately, in a stored sample taken from a slaughtered pig. A 49-year-old woman who sought medical care at a military-associated clinic in Pennsylvania last month, with what seemed to be a urinary tract infection, was carrying a strain of E. coli that’s resistant to a wide range of drugs. [node:read-more:link]
The Moody County Sheriff's Office said a single bolt of lightning killed 21 cows next to a metal bale feeder. [node:read-more:link]
Can anyone imagine trying to manage and direct food safety, occupational safety, or human resources without the aide of written programs and associated recordkeeping in today’s highly regulated environment? [node:read-more:link]
A leading creditor for the egg industry predicts $6 billion of investment must be in order for the industry to meet cage-free demand in the coming years. This will challenge lenders and borrowers. The switch will cost producers about $40 to $50 per bird, or about $6 billion in total to house the needed birds. Coit said about 40 percent of that amount is “net capital need” -- what the industry will need to provide up front -- and the rest is “debt financing” -- what will need to be borrowed. Coit said current market conditions will make lenders hesitant to dive in. [node:read-more:link]
A central Indiana county has approved new restrictions on livestock farms limiting where those farms can be built. The ordinance approved this week by the Bartholomew County commissioners takes effect immediately for concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. CAFOs can be built no closer than a quarter-mile from schools, health care facilities and churches, and 500 feet from residential lots in areas zoned for agriculture. New farms must also be at least a 500 feet from any water well. [node:read-more:link]
