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Agriculture News

No organic standards violations fround at Aurora Dairy

Biz Journal | Posted on September 28, 2017

A federal agency that investigated whether Boulder-based Aurora Organic Dairy was complying with federal standards for organic products said Wednesday that officials found no violations and were closing the case. The investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program (NOP) was sparked by a May report by the Washington Post that raised questions about whether the nation’s regulatory system ensures that products labeled organic are truly organic.

 


'No place for hate in the dairy state’

Madison | Posted on September 28, 2017

Immigrant advocates make economic argument against bill that would ban sanctuary cities. At a “people’s hearing” in the Capitol on Wednesday, immigration advocates offered many reasons to oppose a bill that would ban sanctuary cities.Some spoke about their experience as undocumented immigrants. An Appleton resident who has lived in the country without documentation for 19 years talked about raising her five kids to be good citizens.“(It’s) unjust to my American children to have their mother sent away,” she said.But the main argument from immigrants, faith leaders and farmers at the gathering was economic: the bill would be devastating to state’s dairy industry, they said.


The post-antibiotic era is here, now what?

WIRED | Posted on September 28, 2017

 

Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is both natural and inevitable. By the luck of the draw, a few bacteria will have genes that protect them from drugs, and they’ll pass those genes around—not just to their progeny, but sometimes to their neighbors too. Now, computational epidemiologists are finally getting the data and processing to model that phenomenon. But no one’s using these tools to predict the end of the antibiotic era—because it’s already here. Instead, they’re focusing their efforts on understanding how soon resistant bacteria could be in the majority, and what, if anything, doctors can do to stop them.


More than 20 Kansas communities interested in poultry plant

Leavenworth Times | Posted on September 28, 2017

With plans for a poultry plant near Tonganoxie on hold, more than 20 other communities in Kansas have expressed interest in the project. That is according to Heather Lansdowne, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Agriculture.Officials with Tyson Foods announced Sept. 5 plans to build a $320 million facility south of Tonganoxie. But this past week, a company official said those plans are now being put on hold.The poultry complex would have included a processing plant, hatchery and feed mill. Tyson Foods officials said the facility would have employed about 1,600 people.From the time of the Sept. 5 announcement, the project faced opposition from area residents who expressed concerns about the possible environmental impact. They also expressed concerns about the plant attracting migrant workers and how that may impact the community.


Wisconsin Dairy News: Happy Cows

edairynews | Posted on September 28, 2017

“A really happy cow is either eating, or laying down, or in the milking parlor being milked. And one of the things we’ve done with the university – The Dairyland Initiative, is look at how many hours a day that our cows lay down, and doing things that we can do to improve and make that number larger,” said Breunig. Dr. Nigel Cook, Director of the Dairyland Initiative, has been working for a decade to help dairy farmers improve housing conditions to make cows more comfortable.“It was really a vehicle to make sure producers that wanted to build a facility had the information they needed to do the best possible job,” said Dr. Cook.A recent study focused on easing cow stress and creating a comfortable resting place. If a cow is resting, she’s ruminating and producing milk. The study also compared different bedding materials and found that cows laying on sand are more comfortable and rest longer.


“Drowning In Grain”- Reuters Special Report on the Global Grains Glut

Farm Policy News | Posted on September 28, 2017

Reuters writer Rod Nickel reported yesterday that, “On Canada’s fertile Prairies, dominated by the yellows and golds of canola and wheat, summers are too short to grow corn on a major scale. “But Monsanto Co is working to develop what it hopes will be North America’s fastest-maturing corn, allowing farmers to grow more in Western Canada and other inhospitable climates, such as Ukraine.“The seed and chemical giant projects that western Canadian corn plantings could multiply 20 times to 10 million acres by 2025 – adding some 1.1 billion bushels, or nearly 3 percent to current global production.” Mr. Nickel explained that, “A global grains glut is now in its fourth year, with supplies bloated by favorable weather, increasingly high-tech farm practices and tougher plant breeds.”


Cargill acquires Southern States feed

Farm and Dairy | Posted on September 28, 2017

Cargill has closed on its agreement to acquire the animal feed business of Southern States Cooperative. The deal was announced in early August and closed Sept. 22. Under the agreement, Cargill purchased the assets of Southern States Cooperative’s animal feed business, including seven feed mills and its portfolio of products, brands and customer and supplier relationships.


U.S. meat company in 'pink slime' case launches fund for ex-workers

Reuters | Posted on September 28, 2017

The South Dakota meat processor that sued ABC News over the characterization of its top-selling product as “pink slime” in TV news reports has set up a $10 million fund to help former employees and communities affected by the plants it closed in 2012, it said on Wednesday. The privately held Beef Products Inc sued ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co, in 2012, saying ABC defamed the company by using the term “pink slime” and accusing it of making errors and omissions in its reporting.


Startup taps corn stover to make livestock feed at $20 million Iowa plant

Des Moines Register | Posted on September 28, 2017

A young company plans to build a $20 million demonstration plant in Osage that will turn corn stalks, cobs, husks and other crop residue into feed for dairy and beef cattle, local officials say. Stover Ventures plans to begin building the plant on 10 acres in Osage Northwest Industrial in the second quarter of 2018 and launch production in early 2019. Stover Ventures plans to produce "a highly digestible feed" that costs less than alfalfa or soy hulls. "The eco-friendly process also extracts powerful antioxidants for use in multiple industries," including skin care, nutraceuticals, and food and beverage production, Stover Ventures says.The company, formed in 2015, is a partnership between Ag Ventures Alliance Cooperative and Cellulose Sciences International of Madison, Wis.


American Royal helps kids learn about agriculture

KCTV5 | Posted on September 28, 2017

Kids from all around the metro are getting the chance to learn about agriculture at the American Royal this week.  From miniature donkeys to rodeo entertainers, thousands of kids are learning more about where their food comes from.“And they get to experience 40 different exhibits that teach them about agriculture through agriculture and fun, interactive activities," said American Royal President and CEO Lynn Parman.Inside Hale Arena, kids can climb on tractors and get their questions answered by Kansas State University veterinarian students.“If you add all the schools up, we’ll have close to 6,000 kids," Parman said.


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