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2017-17/1828/en_head.json.gz/24879 | JAVMANewsSubsectionAABP Coverage
Meeting global food demand
Lecturers say help is needed to reduce hunger
By Greg Cima
Posted Nov. 16, 2011 Improved agricultural technology is needed to decrease world hunger, reduce conflict, and give consumers choices, according to Rob Aukerman, president of U.S. operations for Elanco Animal Health.
Jo Luck, president of Heifer International and one of two 2010 World Food Prize laureates, said that through inspiration and education, people can develop the plans needed to help themselves and their communities produce ample food and improve their lives.
During the 44th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, Aukerman and Luck were among presenters who described the harms of global hunger, the effects of the rising demand for animal products in developing nations, and the roles veterinarians can take in meeting that demand. The meeting was Sept. 22-24 in St. Louis.
About 2,100 veterinarians, students, and other attendees participated in the meeting, which included lectures on antimicrobial residues and resistance, an announcement that the AABP would launch a practice sustainability project (see article), discussions on animal welfare, and educational sessions on large and small ruminant practice.
This cow and herder were photographed in 2010 alongside a road in Kenya, where the U.S. Agency for International Development and partner organizations have worked to develop dairy herds since 1994. Numerous presentations at the 44th Annual Conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners included information on how veterinarians can help meet global food demands. (Photo by Joyce M. Turk)
Aukerman thinks individuals involved in food production need to explain the importance of technologic improvements in food production that do not require increases in land or material inputs. He thinks that agricultural industries might also find that they have allies among environmental activists because of the shared goal of producing food without increased resource usage.
Luck said veterinarians can improve the lives of people in developing nations by sharing their expertise, which can help those with few resources learn from the experiences of food producers elsewhere in the world. She encouraged the veterinarians in attendance to learn about people's hopes and aspirations, inspire them to set agendas, and let them lead and own their projects.
Luck recounted work that helped some Masai farmers establish and grow their dairy cow herds as well as a project in Honduras that developed goat herds while helping turn barren ground into plant-covered terraces. She said that she encountered a young woman while providing aid in Uganda and encouraged her to have dreams and set goals. With livestock aid and encouragement, the woman eventually earned a doctorate in the U.S. and worked for the United Nations.
Jo Luck, president of Heifer International, encourages veterinarians to aid people in developing countries through encouragement and advice yet to let those people set their agendas and own their work. She gave the presentation Sept. 22 at the 44th annual conference of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners.(Photo by Greg Cima)
"You never know what you might say that could change a life," Luck said.
She said that, with some help from veterinarians, farmers in developing countries can be great entrepreneurs.
Heifer International, with about $47 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is working in sub-Saharan Africa on a dairy project to empower farmers to increase production beyond subsistence farming. One or two hectares of land can allow someone to rotate crops, raise animals, make a living, and help others, Luck said.
Joyce Turk, senior livestock adviser for the U.S. Agency for International Development's Bureau of Food Security, said improved living conditions and population growth are driving the increased demand in developing countries for food from animals. While people in developing countries consume more meat overall than those in developed countries, per capita consumption remains higher in developed countries.
Malnutrition kills between 3.5 million and 5.5 million children younger than age 5 annually, Turk said, citing figures from the World Bank. She noted that one West African country, Mali, exports several hundred thousand cattle, sheep, and goats to neighboring countries annually, yet malnutrition affects between 30 and 39 percent of children younger than age 5 in that country. She said in an interview that the exports may be connected with lack of information about the critical need for animal-source foods in the diets of children, particularly for those 2 to 12 years old.
Through 2020, demand for milk is expected to rise 1.8 percent annually in developing countries and 0.2 percent in developed ones, she said. Meat demand is expected to rise 1.7 percent annually in developing countries and 0.5 percent in developed ones.
Dr. Harold E. Amstutz receives a standing ovation at the AABP opening ceremony just before the announcement that nine veterinary students had won scholarships in his name. More than $475,000 has been given through the AABP Amstutz Scholarship program since 1993, when Dr. Amstutz retired as AABP executive vice president. (Photo by Greg Cima)
Although global demand for animal products is increasing, the numbers of U.S. cattle herds and cattle owners will likely decrease until product prices rise enough to support those still in business, according to Dr. David P. Anderson, a professor and extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University. He indicated that skyrocketing animal feed costs, speculative investment in agricultural commodities, and rising incomes elsewhere in the world are among the factors that could increase the prices of groceries, and suggested that substantial increases in food prices could decrease food security in the U.S.
The U.S. beef cattle population has dropped 12 percent since 2007, even though beef exports have been growing, according to information released in late October by Purdue University. Beef prices have risen from $92 per hundredweight in 2007 to $113 per hundredweight in 2011, and prices are expected to top $120 in 2012, according to university figures. Christopher A. Hurt, PhD, an agricultural economist at Purdue, said in a university statement that drought and high feed prices were connected with the reduced population of U.S. cattle.
Turk said in her presentation that meat and dairy products not only provide immediate nourishment but also aid physical and cognitive development.
The World Health Organization estimates that about 22 percent of preschool-age children in West Africa are underweight compared with about 1.5 percent in developed nations.
In an interview, Turk encouraged veterinarians to become aware of the importance of animal-source foods in children's diets, tell others when possible, and recognize that children within the U.S. suffer from malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Imparting that knowledge serves communities, she said. | 农业 |
2017-17/1828/en_head.json.gz/24906 | Bayer Teams Up with the Greater Dallas Pest Control Association to Treat Homes in Need
Wednesday, November 18, 2009Bayer Teams Up with the Greater Dallas Pest Control Association to Treat Homes in NeedThe GDPCA contributes to “People Helping People” for the 13th YearResearch Triangle Park, N.C. – In a struggling economy, giving back to those in need is more important than ever. Bayer Environmental Science was pleased to join the Greater Dallas Pest Control Association (GDPCA) in its thirteenth year of participation in the city of Dallas’ “People Helping People” initiative, a program that partners local companies with volunteer organizations to provide services to families and homes in need. For its part, members of the GDPCA gathered help from all over in the Greater Dallas area to donate their time for pest management at the designated homes. Pest management professionals (PMPs), company managers, and distributors did their part to volunteer. Fifty volunteers met in the morning before being assigned two houses apiece, where they provided a general pest control treatment. This year, Bayer contributed Maxforce® FC Fire Ant Bait to help treat severe infestations in 100 homes.
“Bayer was more than happy to have the opportunity to participate in a program like this, and benefit those in need by doing what we do best,” said Joe Grippi, senior sales specialist, Bayer Environmental Science. “Fire ants are a serious public health pest, especially in Texas. Maxforce FC Fire Ant Bait controls fire ant colonies in less than five day, and these quick results helped residents of the homes live more comfortably in less time.”
This is the GDPCA’s 13th year participating, and the program’s popularity is steadily increasing. Bob Sanford, president of the association, estimated that there was a 25 percent increase in volunteers this year compared to 2008. “I think everyone is hearing more and more about the unfortunate situations people are in due to the economy and they want to give back,” Sanford says. “The members of our association realize that these people are part of our community, and we want to lend a hand.”
For more information on Maxforce FC Fire Ant Bait, visit www.BackedbyBayer.com, or contact your local Bayer field sales representative, Bayer authorized distributor or Bayer Customer Service at 1-800-331-2867. Always read and follow label instructions.
About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 6.4 billion (2008), is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology. The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of more than 18,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries.
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
» Innovation Plus ProgramLast updated:May 31, 2016» Bayer Global» Bayer CropScience Global» Backed by Bayer | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/473 | Texas A&M AgriLife Research
Texas Water Resources Institute
Technical and Special Reports
Break-Even Investment in a Wind Energy Conversion System for an Irrigated Farm on the Texas High Plains
tr116.pdf (3.723Mb)
Hardin, D. C.
Lacewell, R. D.
The purpose of this study was to quantify the benefits of using a wind energy system for irrigation. The value of wind energy was estimated on both a static basis (where the annual value of wind power was assumed to be constant over the life of the machine) and on a temporal basis (where the annual value of wind power was estimated recursively).
The model for static analysis contained two components which were applied consecutively. The first was a linear programming (LP) model for the High Plains region. Production activities were included which allowed both optimal and non-optimal timing of post-plant irrigations, giving the producer added flexibility in the employment of limiting water resources. The optimal irrigation schedule determined by the LP solution was used as input to the second component. A simulation model matched stochastically generated estimates of wind power availability with irrigation fuel requirements (derived from the profit maximizing irrigation schedule) by three-hour time periods throughout a year.
For the temporal analysis, a Fortran subroutine was added to the LP model to operate the model recursively over the life of the wind system and to account for the annual decline of the aquifer. Both fixed and variable costs were included. The basic LP model was applied to develop the benchmark case (i.e., without wind power). The farm operation with wind power was analyzed by applying the LP model with the monthly expectations of wind-generated electricity added.
Two wind machines were analyzed, with rate outputs of 40 to 60 kilowatts (KW). Each was applied to the Northern and Southern Texas High Plains over a range of land and water resource situations. Breakeven investment was estimated at discount rates of three, five and ten percent.
Cropping patterns on the Southern High Plains were dominated by irrigated cotton and were insensitive to changes in crop or electricity prices. On the Northern High Plains, irrigated corn and grain sorghum were the major crops, with acreage reverting to dryland wheat at the higher electricity prices. The cropping patterns in this area were impacted heavily by labor restrictions. Consideration of wind power had little effect in determining optimal cropping patterns.
When wind power was applied to an irrigated farm on a static basis, the set of crop prices applied had little effect on the annual value of a wind system. Value of wind power was increased, but by smaller proportions than associated increases in the price of electricity. Each machine size had a greater value when operated on the larger of the two applicable land units (100 acres for the 40 KW machine and 144 acres for the 60 KW system). The 60 KW system was also tested on the 100 acre unit but returned less per KW than the 40 KW system.
Available wind power in the temporal analysis was less than in the static analysis, thus temporal estimates of wind system value should be regarded as conservative. On the Southern High Plains, break-even investment was decreased slightly from the static analysis. However, in some situations on the Northern High Plains, break-even investment increased. This indicates that the value of wind power could increase as the aquifer declines in some situations. Break-even investment increased by up to 80 percent when the price of electricity was increased by $.005 per KWH per year. The most significant effect of wind power was that it allowed the maintenance of irrigation levels which, without wind power, had been made uneconomical.
These results indicate that, at least in the future when wind system costs decrease and stabilize, wind-assisted irrigation could be an economically viable alternative for Texas High Plains producers. The results are limited by the need for future research regarding the effect of irrigation timing on crop yield as well as some of the long-term characteristics of wind system operation, such as durability and the requirements and costs for system repairs and maintenance.
http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/6259
Technical and Special Reports [423]
Hardin, D. C.; Lacewell, R. D. (1981). Break-Even Investment in a Wind Energy Conversion System for an Irrigated Farm on the Texas High Plains. Texas Water Resources Institute. Available electronically from http : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6259. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/996 | California orders large water cuts for farmers Published
Print California regulators ordered farmers and others who hold some of the state’s strongest water rights Friday to stop pumping from three major waterways in one of the country’s prime farm regions. The order involving record cuts by senior water rights holders in the Sacramento, San Joaquin and delta watersheds followed mandatory water curtailment earlier this year to cities and towns and to farmers with less iron-clad water rights. The targeted waterways provide water to farms and cities in the agricultural-rich Central Valley and beyond. Economists and agriculture experts say growing of some crops will shift in the short-term to regions with more water, so the water cuts are expected to have little immediate impact on food prices. The order applies to 114 entities that have claims dating back to 1914 or earlier. It will force thousands of water users in the state to tap groundwater, buy water at rising costs, use previously stored water or go dry. "It's going to be a different story for each one of them, and a struggle for all of them," Thomas Howard, executive director of the water board, acknowledged. There are several thousand senior rights holders who are at the last to have their water rights curtailed in times of scarcity. It’s the first time since the drought of 1977 that the state has directed a significant number of senior water rights holders to stop pumping because of drought and amounts to the most widespread cuts ever among those with some of the state’s strongest water rights. The state’s water law was built around preserving the water rights of those who staked claims to waterways more than a century ago or have property that abuts the rivers and streams. Water regulators had spared the senior-rights holders until now but warn that still more cuts will be coming for farmers and others in weeks to follow. People ordered Friday to cut back have water rights going back to 1903. Officials say they have rights to an estimated 1.2 million acre-feet for a year — more than a dozen times San Francisco's annual use — but the officials do not know how much the curtailments will save this summer. "We are now at the point where demand in our system is outstripping supply for even the most senior water rights holders," said Caren Trgovcich, chief deputy director of the water board. Farmers and water districts have promised court battles to stop what are the broadest incursions on record to the water allotted to senior-rights holders. Jeanne Zolezzi, an attorney for two small irrigation districts serving farmers in the San Joaquin area, says she plans to go to court next week to stop the board's action. She said her clients include small family farms that grow permanent crops such as apricots and walnuts, and have no back-up supplies in wells or reservoirs. "A lot of trees would die, and a lot of people would go out of business," said Zolezzi. "We are not talking about a 25 percent cut like imposed on urban. This is a 100 percent cut, no water supplies." Jonas Minton, an adviser at the private Planning and Conservation League environmental group, said droughts of this scale are not unprecedented in California. What is different, he said, is that the state has grown to a population of 38 million and has vast acres of farmland to irrigate. He said state bureaucrats or environmentalists can't be blamed. "Today's curtailments are not being done by choice," Minton said. "They're a reaction to the reality of the shrinking water supply." The Associated Press contributed to this report Advertisement | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/1388 | Successful peanut weed control requires ‘all-in-effort’ Apr 25, 2017 COTTON SPIN: Will the boom in U.S. cotton exports continue? Apr 21, 2017 Landmark environmental book influences scientists 55 years after its release Apr 26, 2017 Senate confirms Perdue for agriculture secretary, farm groups respond Apr 24, 2017 Management Climate change may be fueling a new generation of more aggressive weeds
Is global warming fueling a new generation of more aggressive weeds? According to recent research, the answer may be yes. One of the major characteristics of a warming planet is an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Rising carbon dioxide has been shown to help vegetable and grain crops grow more quickly, become more drought-resistant and produce potentially higher yields. Unfortunately, though, the impact of rising carbon dioxide seems to be far more pronounced in the weeds that compete with crops than in the crops themselves. “Weeds are survivors,” said Lee Van Wychen, director of science policy for the Weed Science Society of America. “They can fill various niches and thrive under a wide range of conditions. While we have about 45 major crops in the U.S., there are more than 400 species of different weeds associated with those crops. There is always another weed species ready to become a major competitor with a crop if growing conditions change, such as an increase in carbon dioxide levels.” The impact of rising carbon dioxide levels on weeds can be striking. In a study conducted by Dr. Lewis Ziska of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, weeds grown under urban conditions of warmer temperatures and more carbon dioxide – conditions anticipated for the rest of the world in 50 years – grew to four times the height of those in a country plot 40 miles outside the city, where carbon dioxide and temperature reflected background conditions. So what if there are a few more weeds? Well, Ziska’s research shows that common ragweed plants exposed to higher levels of carbon dioxide dramatically increased the amount of pollen they produced. A doubling in carbon dioxide led to a quadrupling of pollen. Some people are allergic to ragweed pollen, resulting in the “hay fever” response, including sneezing and watery eyes. Additional work by Ziska also suggests that even recent increases in carbon dioxide during the last 50 years may have led to bigger poison ivy plants with a more virulent form of the oil that causes people to break out in a rash. “As the climate and carbon dioxide levels change, we can no longer assume the weed control strategies we used in the past will continue to work,” Ziska said. “Not only are some of the nation’s most invasive weeds spreading, but they are becoming more difficult and costly to control. Understanding the impact of increasing carbon dioxide on weed control is still in its infancy. While researchers explore new approaches, we will need to mix and match the strategies currently available.”
RelatedFieldNET by Lindsay adds irrigation management toolApr 26, 2017It’s time to speak up about drastic changes to an American institutionApr 03, 2017Monsanto launches ‘National Agronomy Week’ April 3-7Apr 03, 2017Texas cotton company bases operation on vertically integrated poultry modelMar 22, 2017 Load More | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/1540 | What is Soil Life?
Rabbits are at the top of the soil life hierarchy.
Soil life is essential to the ecosystem.
Earthworms commonly live in the soil.
Some soil-dwelling archaea and bacteria produce energy through nitrification.
Legumes, like beans, can improve soil.
Images By:
Rusugrig, M. Schuppich, Dusty Cline, Koiquestion, Marco Mayer Last Modified Date: 18 March 2017
There are between 100 billion and 3 trillion organisms in very kilogram of fertile soil, most of it bacteria. The soil is a thin layer of perpetually decaying organic matter that covers much of the Earth. Within the soil, organisms break down dead organisms into their constituent elements, ready to be reabsorbed by plants. Without soil life, new generations of plants would be unable to recycle the biomass of the last generation, and life on Earth as a whole would cease.
Soil life is generally classified by its size. At the top of the food chain are the megafauna, greater than 20 mm in size: moles, rabbits, and rodents. Below them are the macrofauna, ranging in size from 2-20 mm: woodlice, earthworms, centipedes, snails, beetles, slugs, ants, and harvestmen. Then are the mesofauna, ranging in size from 100 microns-2 mm: tardigrades, mites and springtails. The smallest are microfauna and microflora, with a size range between 1-100 micrometers: yeasts, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, roundworms, and rotifers. Even below that are many trillions of viruses, although there is disagreement on whether these mobile genetic elements are truly life. Over many millions of years, bacterial soil life has formed a deep symbiotic relationship with the plants known as legumes (beans, peanuts, alfalfa), growing in their roots and "fixing" atmospheric nitrogen, which is a gas, into solid organic compounds such as ammonia. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria also live independently in the soil in large quantities. This nitrogen fixation is a function crucial to all life which, until the development of the Haber process, only bacteria could perform. Nitrifying bacteria specializes in converting ammonia, the first product, into nitrates, which can actually be used by plants for nutrition.
Depending on the severity of the environmental conditions, soil life may be more or less abundant. When conditions are harsh, such as in Antarctica, the large organisms are the first to go. In what little there is of Antarctic soil, megafauna and macrofauna are absent, but mesofauna is present in the form of springtails.
If you want to see soil life go to work right in your backyard, throw a ripe fruit there and wait a few days. The effects should be noticeable shortly. Ad
What Is Soil Respiration?
What are the Different Types of Soil Organisms?
What are Nitrates?
What is Acid Soil?
What is Soil pH?
What are the Different Types of Soil?
What is a Soil Test? | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/2704 | Meat Market Update | Grilling demand pulls prices higher Apr 20, 2017 Prime and Choice producing more dollars Apr 17, 2017 2017 Feed Composition Tables: Use this to mix your cattle feed rations Mar 21, 2017 2017 Parasite & Pest Management Product Listing Apr 18, 2017 Beef brought to you by
Hereford Youth Awarded $24,750 in Scholarships
KANSAS CITY, Mo. National Junior Hereford Association (NJHA) members were awarded nearly $25,000 in scholarships from the Hereford Youth Foundation of America (HYFA) Oct. 31, 2009, during the American Hereford Association Annual Meeting in Kansas City. Roxane Gebhart, Claremore, Okla., and Nicole Rosencutter, Topeka, Kan., won two of the largest scholarships: the $5,000 Bill and Jo Ellard Scholarships from HYFA. Roxane Gebhart is a junior in animal scicnce/business at Oklahoma State University. Roxane served on the NJHA board of directors and finished her term as vice president in July. She is also in the Air National Guard and plans to attend law school after finishing her undergraduate degree. Nicole Rosencutter is a senior in animal scicnce/pre-vet at Kansas State University. Nicole was the Kansas Polled Hereford Association Queen for three years. She plans to attend veterinary school and practice in Kansas. Another $5,000 scholarship awarded was the Bob and Dolores Call Scholarship. Austin Buzanowski, Pompeys Pillar, Mont., was chosen as the recipient. He is a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering at the University of Wyoming. Austin is active in the Montana Junior Hereford Association, where he served as president for two years. He plans to own and operate an athletic equipment and apparel manufacturing company. Austin also won the $1,000 Gary Bishop Memorial Scholarship. In addition, three $2,500 scholarships were awarded. Cameron Kolinski, Patrick Springs, Va., was given the Bob Kube Scholarship and Ilissa Nolan, Gilmer, Texas, was awarded the Whitehead Ranches/Rocking Chair Ranch Scholarship. Heather Bradford, St. Marys, Ohio, was presented the Owen Family/Tennessee River Music Inc. Scholarship. Cameron Kolinski is a junior at Ferrum College, majoring in agriculture with a minor in education. Cameron is an active member of the Virginia Junior Hereford Association and served as the 2008 Virginia Hereford Queen. She plans to teach agriculture education and continue raising Herefords. Ilissa Nolan is a junior in agriculture leadership and development with a minor in horticulture at Texas A&M University. Ilissa has been active in the Texas Junior Hereford Association, serving many years on the board of directors and two consecutive terms as president. Ilissa plans to continue her education by studying wine marketing in graduate school after finishing her undergraduate degree. Heather Bradford is a sophomore at Purdue University majoring in animal science and plans to also earn a master’s and pursue a career in beef cattle quantitative genetics. She has been an NJHA member and Ohio Buckeye Junior Hereford Association member for 12 years. As a high school student, Bradford received many academic honors. At Purdue she is a 4.0 GPA dean’s scholar, Block & Bridle member and collegiate 4-H member. Also awarded were two $1,250 scholarships. Rossie Blinson, Buies Creek, N.C., was chosen this year’s recipient of the Vanier Family Scholarship, and the Blin Family Scholarship was given to Justin Bacon, Prairie Grove, Ark. Rossie Blinson is a freshman in animal science and ag business at North Carolina State University. Rossie is currently an NJHA director and is serving as communications director/secretary. She looks forward to a career in the livestock industry. Justin Bacon is in his first year at Oklahoma State University, majoring in food science. Justin is an NJHA director and has been active in the NJHA for 14 years. After graduation he plans to attend graduate school and eventually work for a breed association or food company in research and development. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/3623 | aquatic species production ...
Agriculture Management Agriculture Monitoring Aquaculture Crop Cultivation Forestry Horticulture Irrigation Landscape / Garden Livestock Date
aquatic species production News
Research Study on China Aquaculture & Aquatic Feed Industry
Since the reform and opening policies were introduced, aquaculture industry has been growing dramatically. In China, the output of aquaculture was up to 38.288 million MT in 2010 from 1.212 million MT in 1978, and the proportion in the total aquatic products output increased to 71.3% from 26.4%. Aquaculture distribution also changed significantly, from the traditional breeding areas of Yangtze ...
Questions and answers on the new proposal for a regulation on preventing and managing invasive alien species
What are invasive alien species (IAS)? Alien species are plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms that have been transported across ecological barriers such as mountain ranges, or oceans as a result of human intervention, and have become established in an area outside their natural range. About a quarter of these species are brought into Europe intentionally, for their beauty, ...
USSEC Works with Philippines’ Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on its Aquaculture Development Plan
USSEC recently met with the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) in Diliman, Quezon City to learn their plans and program for the country’s aquaculture sector over the next five years. The head of the Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Division presented the newly approved “Comprehensive National Fisheries Industry ...
By U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)
Rainfall changes threaten food production
The UN’s latest State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report warns that rainfall patterns will have changed so drastically by the end of this century that agriculture, forestry and fishing will all be seriously affected. “It will become more and more difficult to harvest crops, rear animals and manage forests and fisheries in the same places and in the same way as before,” says ...
By Climate News Network
Marrone Bio Innovations receives EPA approval of first biological product for controlling invasive mussels in water systems
Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency has approved its latest product, Zequanox, the first biological product available for controlling invasive mussels. Across the U.S. and Europe, invasive zebra and quagga ...
By Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI)
Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI) today announced that the Environmental Protection Agency has approved its latest product, Zequanox™, the first biological product available for controlling invasive mussels. Across the U.S. and Europe, invasive zebra ...
Integrating animal and crop production can reduce nutrient leaching from agricultural fields
Nutrient leaching, the movement of plant nutrients from soil to water, can have negative effects on aquatic ecosystems due to eutrophication, which reduces the oxygen available in water, causing species and habitat loss. Ecological Recycling Agriculture (ERA), which is based on ecological principles and integrates crop production and animal husbandry, may limit this effect. This study ...
Climate change talks mustn`t forget fisheries
Saying that vulnerable fishing and coastal communities around the world will bear the brunt of climate change's impacts, a group of 16 international organizations today have urged climate negotiators to ensure that fisheries and aquaculture are not neglected in ongoing discussions regarding a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. In a policy brief issued today in advance of UNFCC talks in Bonn, ...
Florida Sea Grant highlights aquaculture in new Florida Trend report
Aquaculture, the controlled production of seafood, ornamental fish and other aquatic life, is big business in Florida. In 2012, the state’s producers earned $70 million in cash receipts, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture survey. Worldwide, aquaculture is responsible for about half of all seafood consumed, so this emerging sector of Florida agricultural production holds great ...
By Everglades Research & Education Center
The risks of oxygen depletion and enrichment in aquaculture
Oxygen depletion is a concern on both dry land and in aquatic environments. Dissolved oxygen is present in water and comes from the atmosphere and also photosynthesis by aquatic plants. Dissolved oxygen is necessary to many forms of life including fish, invertebrates, bacteria and plants. Fish and crustaceans obtain oxygen for respiration through their gills, while plant life and phytoplankton ...
By Analox Sensor Technology
Getting the Most out of Aquaculture: Pearls of Wisdom from Farmed Oysters
As global populations rise, so does the demand for seafood. In developed nations, the health benefits of a diet high in fish and seafood are regularly touted. In developing nations, fish and seafood often comprise a large portion of the diet. Aquaculture—farming of fishes, mollusks, crustaceans and plants in an aquatic environment—is a booming business (approximately $119 billion in ...
By American Physiological Society
Fertilizers – a growing threat to sea life
A rise in carbon emissions is not the only threat to the planet. Changes to the nitrogen cycle, caused in large part by the widespread use of fertilizers, are also damaging both water quality and aquatic life. These concerns are highlighted by Professor Grace Brush, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, in her historical review1 of landscape changes around Chesapeake Bay, a large ...
By Springer
Environmental impact research urged for fish farming
More research and sharing of best practice could minimise the environmental impacts of aquaculture, and maximise its potential to alleviate food insecurity, according to a report by the WorldFish Center and the non-profit organisation Conservation International. Almost half of all seafood consumed ...
EPA nixes pumping Mississsippi wetlands dry for agriculture
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is threatening to veto a $220 million Army Corps of Engineers flood-control project in the Mississippi Delta known as Yazoo Pump that environmentalists have long opposed for its adverse impact on wildlife and wetlands. The world's largest hydraulic pumping plant would be used to drain wetlands to open the land up to agriculture. In 2000, the EPA concluded ...
Animal rehabilitation keep (ARK) of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute receives gulf guardian award
The Gulf of Mexico Program recently announced that the Animal Rehabilitation Keep or ARK located at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute in Port Aransas, Texas will receive a Gulf Guardian Award for 2011 in the Civic/Nonprofit Category. The Awards ceremony will be held in conjunction with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Meeting on August 3, 2011, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Ballroom at the ...
Calls grow for action on stalled Amazon reserve proposals
WWF and 33 other NGOs delivered a letter on Tuesday to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva asking him to take decisive action to create new protected areas in the Amazon and Para regions. The letter followed a meeting earlier this month between top government officials and 12 forest residents – also known as extractivists -- whose lives depend on local natural resources in those ...
By WWF International
Warmer Lake Tanganyika threatens East African fisheries
The warming of Lake Tanganyika over the past century has made the lake less productive — posing a serious threat to fisheries, according to a study. The lake temperatures reached their highest levels in the past few decades, said the authors, something that can be attributed to anthropogenic climate change. Although it was known that the ...
Big Fish in the Pond – From U.S. Soybean Fields to Global Aquaculture
You’ve heard the predictions – the world’s population is supposed to climb to a staggering 9 billion people by the year 2050, increasing the pressure on the 2 percent of Americans who farm today to produce food, feed, fiber and fuel. You’ve also heard about many of the efforts your soy checkoff makes to support U.S. soybean farmers in meeting this demand. But did you know ...
By United Soybean Board (USB)
Time for a sea change in ocean management – FAO Director-General
Major changes in how the planet's marine resources are managed and used are needed to safeguard global food security and ensure the wellbeing of coastal and island countries, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva told a group of high level policymakers meeting here today. "We cannot keep using marine and aquatic resources as if they were endless. And we cannot keep using our oceans ... | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/3943 | Wine from the Gobi desert aims at booming market
Mon May 28, 2012 9:17pm EDT Email This Article | Share This Article
By Maxim Duncan
WUHAI, China (Reuters) - As spring warms the sands of the Gobi desert in China's vast Inner Mongolia region, it's not just the local camels who are happy to see the end of a long, cold winter.
Just a few hundred meters from towering sand dunes, workers unearth row upon row of grapevines buried under the sand to protect them from temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit).
These vines are helping fuel a booming Chinese wine industry that has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, as the world's most populous nation grows wealthier and embraces foreign tastes.
Chateau Hansen, which first planted vineyards beside the Gobi in the early 1980s, says the hot, dry summer and plentiful water from the nearby Yellow River make the location among China's best for wine production.
This moderate-sized vineyard near Wuhai city, 670 kilometers (416 miles) west of Beijing, now boasts 250 hectares of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Gernischt grapevines.
"The lowest temperature gets down to below -20 degrees C, but in summer, it can reach 38 or 40 degrees C (102 or 104 F)," said Li Aixin, Chateau Hansen's head of viticulture.
"Here the four seasons are good for the growth of the grapes, but in the winter we need to bury them in the earth" to keep them from freezing.
To raise its profile, Hansen has built a grand European-style chateau, which includes a hotel, and enlisted the help of a French wine expert who acts as winemaker. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/4691 | News Inspiring farmhand born with no hands, arms, or legs
By Lucas Sjostrom
June 13, 2014 | 1:06 am EDT
Chris Koch considers himself to be just another farmer. That’s how his dad raised him; no different than any other child.
With that attitude, it’s no wonder that Chris, born with no arms or legs, has gone on to inspire so many. He has inspired even more through a video released by the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) in late May.
Chris was raised on a farm in Nanton, Alberta, Canada. The OWN video, shot at the picturesque Apricot Lane Farms in California, owned by filmmaker John Chester, shows him driving a tractor, pitching hay, and even older footage of him showing cattle.
Chris continues to work as a farmhand and motivational speaker with the message “If I can…” His Twitter account (@IHopJRWalks) shows pictures of him with calves in southern Alberta and at the helm of John Deere planter and combine near Torquay, Saskatchewan.
He has climbed both the Calgary Tower and CN Tower in Toronto (tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere) for charity, swam in the Amazon River, and even skydived. He drives (although he can’t legally), skateboards, and wakeboards. But, he notes that he can’t swim or run a chainsaw.
The Calgary Herald recently interviewed him on another farm where he works, Mesabi Ranch.
It’s the kind of story that makes you want to make the most out of every day, because Chris does.
The dairy industry is an important economic engine in America. The farm value of milk production is second only to beef among livestock industries and is equal to corn. Milk is produced in all 50 states, with the major producing states in the West and North. Dairy farms, overwhelmingly family-owned and managed, are generally members of producer cooperatives.
USDA’s Economic Research Service finds that major trends in U.S. milk production include a fairly slow and steady increase in production as gains in milk output per cow outweigh declines in the number of cows, and a consistent decline in the number of dairy operations, matched by a continual rise in the number of cows per operation. The USDA Census of Agriculture, released earlier this year shows four of the top five “milk cow counties” are in California with Tulare County leading the way with a reported 490,000. (The other top county is Gooding, County, Idaho).
According to the International Dairy Foods Association, National Dairy Month started out as National Milk Month in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It was initially created to stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus, but has now developed into an annual tradition that celebrates the contributions the dairy industry has made to the world. After the National Dairy Council stepped in to promote the dairy industry June effort, the name changed to “Dairy Month.” Now, many states including California, Vermont and Wisconsin have special events and observances in honor of dairy farmers and the industry.
Dairy is important to health. Through programs like Fuel Up to Play 60, the National Dairy Council provides cutting-edge nutrition information that can be used by people of all ages. You can learn more about the innovative research and promotion activities by visiting the Agricultural Marketing Service website. So no matter where your dairy comes from, thank a farmer. Dairy farming is a labor of love, but it is hard labor, and we thank everyone involved in producing the milk you drink.
- See more at: http://blogs.usda.gov/2014/06/12/june-is-dairy-month-a-time-to-say-thank...
chris koch inspiring farmhand About the Author:
Lucas Sjostrom
Lucas serves as Assistant Editor. Sjostrom and his wife, Alise, are partners in her family’s dairy farm and cheese plant near Brooten, Minn. Jer-Lindy Farms is a 200-cow dairy farm that grows alfalfa and corn for the cows, and apples for bees and humans. He and his wife have a daughter, Lucy. Follow @lucas_dairyherd | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/4707 | End of dry conditions on horizon for Kansas areas
Travel a dirt road just a few miles in any direction from Dan Schweizer's farmstead and the wheat crop is ailing.
Travel a dirt road just a few miles in any direction from Dan Schweizer's farmstead and the wheat crop is ailing.Parched from lack of moisture, some fields are turning yellow, the Reno County farmer said. Head farther south toward the Oklahoma border and there are spots where the wheat isn't growing at all.Yet with harvest approaching in just eight weeks, Schweizer is crossing is fingers. Barring a hailstorm or something else, he is situated in a Garden of Eden."I'm just in the right spot," he said. "The Lord has really blessed us. We've gotten a couple (showers) here and couple there and that has really bailed us out."His fields are part of a small but growing bright spot regarding this year's Kansas wheat crop - among the 31 percent rated good to excellent.Fostered by snow and rainfall in March and early April, that percentage is slowly increasing.However, Schweizer admits he isn't out of the woods yet, as the third year of drought still lingers across Kansas. While adequate topsoil moisture is helping his wheat survive, Schweizer doesn't have to dig down far before he hits dry earth."We're living hand to mouth right now," he said. "I would probably need one more good shower between now and the first of June to make a really good crop."Nevertheless, after three years of drought, there is hope on the horizon.According to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center, the drought will largely improve in the eastern third of Kansas. Drought conditions also are expected to continue but improve across the remainder of the state, expect for the far southwestern corner where the dry spell will persist through at least June."We're getting a lot more precipitation on a more consistent basis," said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska. "Conditions are easing, they are improving albeit slowly."That's good news for producers that stretch across America's middle section, where drought has persisted since the summer of 2010.The drought's impact on the Kansas economy is staggering. The Kansas Department of Agriculture estimates the cost of the 2012 drought at more than $3 billion in crop losses - the loss of production and the price farmers would have received. The 2011 drought cost Kansas production agriculture roughly $1.8 billion, the department estimated last year, along with about $366 million in herd liquidation that year as cattle flooded livestock auction houses by midsummer.Farmers didn't experience the full brunt of the loss, however, since the government paid out more than $1.3 billion in crop insurance indemnity payments for failed commodities last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency.The agency already has covered more than $250,000 for crop losses this year, largely for wheat.Yet, while some areas are improving across Kansas and the Midwest, industry officials expect crop insurance payments to augment in coming weeks where the crop didn't come up or is too damaged to be saved by rain.Earlier this month, Futures International LLC projected that almost 24 percent of the planted hard red winter wheat acreage will be abandoned this year, the most since the 2002 drought.Last year, farmers abandoned about 16 percent of the crop, the agency reported.In the Barber County town of Kiowa, OK Co-op Grain General Manager Steve Inslee said insurance adjusters would be out next week walking the fields to assess the condition."I know there are acres that will be abandoned," he said, but added he didn't know how much.Kansas remains in a moderate to exceptional drought, with 64 percent of the state rated as extreme to exceptional, the highest ratings by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Conditions in Barber County are severe to extreme and Inslee said wheat conditions here are some of the worst in the south-central Kansas region.The area didn't receive the fall rains to get the wheat up, with a good percentage of the crop never sprouting until late winter. Spring moisture has helped some of the wheat to emerge, but the rain didn't do enough "to do any good.""The sun is out and it's already looking dry again," he said after a recent shower. "A lot of the wheat is so immature."More rain is needed to end the drought, Fuchs stressed. About 80 percent of Kansas farmland is short on subsoil moisture - the reserve that is needed to carry crops through the hot summer months.Also, about 80 percent of the state's pastures and rangeland also are in poor to very poor condition, according to the Kansas Agricultural Statistics Service.Eighty-one-year-old Pratt County farmer Carter Barker compared the current conditions to the 1950s.Some farmers are planting more cotton to conserve on water. Others are incorporating more no-till into their operation. Ranchers have had to sell off cattle because of little grass and the dwindling water supply.Barker said his wheat crop last year "was somewhere between poor and worse and the milo crop was worse than that."This year there is more promise as the June harvest nears. About 80 percent of his family's crop has a decent stand."It's only surviving on what is on top," he said of the topsoil moisture.But harvest is fast approaching across south-central Kansas - the heart of Kansas wheat country. A few more showers, at least, are needed to get the combines rolling.Elevator manager Inslee, whose community is typically the first to begin the Kansas harvest, said he and others in the industry can only stay optimistic that weather patterns are changing."We're in year three of the drought here," he said. "We are hoping there won't be a fourth year." | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/4795 | Natural Grasslands Maintain Biodiversity & Produce Tastier Meat
By Bob Ewing Jan 14, 2009 in Food
Cattle and sheep grazed on natural grasslands help maintain biodiversity and produce tastier, healthier meat, according to a study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
A recent study indicates cattle and sheep grazed on natural grasslands help maintain biodiversity and produce tastier, healthier meat,. The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The research, is a part of the Rural Economy and Land Use (RELU) programme, which draws together the social and natural science and concluded that pasture-based farming is good for the environment, the consumer and the producer but needs stronger support from British policy makers if it is to realise its full potential. Detailed analysis of the nutritional qualities of the plant species present on the natural grasslands showed that they provided grazing animals with a richer more diverse diet than the improved pastures used for more intensive farming. And this richer diet translated into tastier meat. The taste panels rated biodiverse beef from cattle breeds such as Longhorn - a traditional breed particularly well adapted to unimproved grassland environments - to be more tender and more flavour intense than meat from conventional breeds. Chemical analysis showed that the meat from animals with a more biodiverse diet was healthier too. Meat from wild-grazed lambs, particularly those grazed on heather, had higher levels of the natural antioxidant, vitamin E, than meat from animals grazed on improved grass land. It also had higher levels of healthy fatty acids including the long chain omega 3 fatty acid, DHA, thought to play a key role in brain development and to protect against heart disease. And higher levels of the anti-carcinogenic compound, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) were found in meat from lambs grazed on moorland and Longhorn cattle grazed on unimproved pastures than in control meat.
Observations of French rural communities where there is a long standing tradition of associating the ecological quality of the land with the quality of the food produced on itwere the inspiration for this study.
Professor Henry Buller of Exeter University and leader of the research team, explains: "Many French farmers actively maintain the biodiversity of their grasslands in order to protect the future of the high quality food produced from it. We wanted to know if this approach could provide a model for more sustainable farming in the UK."
Intensive agriculture dominates the British countryside, however, a growing number of farms are using natural and species-rich grasslands such as salt marshes, heather and moorland to graze cattle, sheep and lambs.
The French have a long history of linking the qualities of a particular area with high value produce through such schemes as the Appellation d'Origine Controlée and more recently through the Protected Food Names legislation introduced in 1993 by the European Union.
The findings from the focus groups in this study showed clearly that consumers are increasingly willing to pay for food with links to natural sounding places. But Britain has been very slow to take advantage of place-based labelling schemes - while France has 52 protected designations for meat products, the UK has only eight.
Both producers and policy makers should give serious attention to the way we label and promote local foods in the UK. There should be targeted support to help groups of farmers to work together to link the natural qualities of biodiverse grasslands to areas larger than individual farms: "The British notion of local has become far too fixed on distance. Locality should be about the quality of the place and the relationship between the agricultural and ecological landscape," he says.
Cattle, Sheep, Meat More news from | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/5316 | GEORGE J. LEFFLER
George J. Leffler, agriculturist and vineyardist residing about nine miles northeast from Stockton, has the distinction of being one of the oldest living native sons of San Joaquin county, where he was born May 16, 1852, at a time when the county presented a very marked contrast in appearance and state of development to its present condition. He had devoted his lif efforts very successfully to farming pursuits, and is one of the best representatives of that class in the county. His home place contains eighty-seven acres, eighteen acres of which is devoted to the cultivation of fine varieties of table grapes, and the rest to general farm operations. About a mile and a half north of this farm he owns another tract of fifty-one and a third acres, which he has also brought into a valuable state of cultivtion.
Mr. Leffler was a son of a well known and influential pioneer citizen of San Joaquin county, who was also named George J. Leffler. This old-time resident, who died in this county December 12, 1875, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, January 1, 1812. At the age of eighteen he came to America. For a short time during 1848-49 he conducted a hotel in New Orleans. In 1852 he came out to California, and after a brief experience in placer mining on the American river he settled, in the same year, in San Joaquin county, near where his son Mr. Leffler now resides, and there continued farming pursuits until the time of his death. He was one of the first men to plant a vineyard of any extent in this locality, having set out ten acres in table grapes in 1869, and he conducted this branch of his enterprise very profitably in connection with general farming. He was a prosperous and enterprising man, and his public-spirited efforts were such as to benefit the entire community. In politics he was a Republican. After he had been in this country some time he returned to his native land and was there married, in 1848, to Miss Fredericka Hecker, who was born in Germany and who survived her husband a number of years, passing away in December, 1901. There were seven children born to them, and six are living: George J.; John F., deceased; Henry G., in San Joaquin county; Francis J., in San Joaquin county; Ernest W., in San Joaquin county; Bertha, residing in Stockton, the widow of Henry Rohrbacher, late of San Joaquin county; and Ernestine F., wife of John guggolz, in Lodi.
Mr. Leffler was reared and educated in San Joaquin county, attending the old district school in his home neighborhood. From youth up he has followed farming, and is one of the public-spirited men who have helped so materially in the upbuilding of his home community. For two years he served as a trustee, and part of the time as clerk, of the Calaveras school district, and in all other local matters he has been willing to lend his aid and influence whenever they were needed. he was married in October, 1877, to Miss Frances S. Bunch, whose father was the late John Bunch of San Joaquin county.
Source: History of the New California Its Resources and People, Volume II
The Lewis Publishing Company - 1905
Edited by Leigh H. Irvine
Return to Biographies Index, Volume II
Return to California AHGP home page
Return to Sacramento County AHGP home page | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/7519 | HomeNewsTop Producer of the Year 2009 Winner: Lon Frahm
Top Producer of the Year 2009 Winner: Lon Frahm
By Sara Schafer
Sara Muri, Top Producer Business & Crops Online Editor
Congratulations to Lon Frahm, a farmer from Colby, Kan. He was named the 2009 Top Producer of the Year during the Top Producer Seminar in Chicago, Ill.
For now, listen in as Frahm describes the honor of winning the award:
The official Top Producer of the Year ceremony (as presented by Greg Vincent, Top Producer Editor):
Now, let's head to the Kansas high plains where Lon Frahm is the sixth generation to manage Frahm Farmland.
Lon, an accomplished pianist and tenor soloist, armed with a business degree from Kansas State University, he has succeeded at the last thing he ever wanted to do when he was a child. In fact, he was devastated – angry and insulted actually – when he received the results of his high school aptitude test. The career best suited for him: farmer.
This 2009 Top Producer of the Year finalist has willingly persevered and he's done that very well. He's built his family farm into a multi-million dollar business in the small town of Colby, Kan., by keeping a close eye on business details. Without question, Lon Frahm is the epitome of a top producer, but he stands out for superior management of employees, whom he credits for much of his success. Though none of his direct family members are involved in the operation on a daily basis, Frahm Farmland's employees are very much part of this family business.
Frahm keeps no secrets from his employees, which surprises many people in this small town and runs against conventional thinking of many in farm country. "I share my financials with all the employees,” Frahm says. "I don't show the actual tax returns, but everything else they know. It creates a lot of engagement and gives them a sense of ownership they wouldn't have otherwise. I think it's a great way to do business. Keeping secrets is a lot of work.”
Business responsibility is very important to Frahm and something he learned at this young age of 28 when his father died of a heart attack. As the oldest of three children, Frahm was charged with keeping the farm together and providing financial security for his mother and two siblings. No small task considering this happened right in the middle of the 1980s farm crisis. Today, his brother and sister are partners in the business, but Frahm is the on-site manager of the farm that has been in their family for six generations.
So, Lon, I believe your grandfathers are extremely proud.
Top Producer of the Year Finalists: Andy and Beth Snider
Top Producer of the Year Finalist: Duncanson Growers
Read more about the Top Producer Seminar
You can e-mail Sara Muri at [email protected]. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/8524 | Industry China inks 10-year potash supply deal with U.S. miner
October 23, 2012 | 4:00 pm EDT
A state-owned Chinese fertilizer company has signed a 10-year potash supply agreement with Prospect Global Resources Inc, guaranteeing China a steady flow of the crucial fertilizer and helping it partially sidestep multinational suppliers.
The deal with Sichuan Chemical Industry Holding (Group) Co SICHAD.UL, worth more than $2 billion, is part of a Chinese trend to partner with small mining companies hungry for capital to develop their land.
Potash is one of the most-important fertilizers for farmers to apply, after nitrogen and phosphate.
"In China we've got a key customer who is really motivated by national food-security issues," said Devon Archer, the Prospect director who helped negotiate the deal. "And securing our first customer was really a breakthrough moment for Prospect."
Prospect's mine in Holbrook, Ariz., is estimated to have the largest potash reserves in the United States with nearly 40 years of supply, but the company has yet to obtain financing or regulatory permits to develop it. The mine is not expected to open until at least 2015.
The Denver-based company, which launched an initial public offering in July and has a market cap of roughly $160 million, can now use the agreement to secure financing to develop the mine. Archer declined to discuss funding amounts or potential financiers, but similar-sized projects have cost more than $1 billion to develop.
China has inked similar contracts with rare earth and uranium miners around the world. With the Prospect deal, the world's largest consumer of potash locks in some of its supply needs ahead of the once-in-a-decade change in Chinese leadership next month.
China has been aggressively negotiating for lower potash prices with Canpotex Ltd, the marketing agency that sells Canadian potash. Canpotex, owned by Potash Corp, Mosaic Co, and Agrium Inc, is one of the world's largest potash exporters.
So far neither Canpotex nor China has been able to agree on a price, and a deal isn't expected until the end of 2012 or early 2013. The Prospect deal gives China some leverage in negotiations as it will be less reliant on Canpotex for supply.
China buys potash through contracts that are generally renewed annually at prices used as a benchmark for spot sales. The country consumes more than 9 million tonnes of potash per year.
At current market prices, the Prospect deal is worth roughly $2.4 billion.
Archer, the Prospect director, declined to discuss the specific price per tonne in the China contract, though he said it was "very competitive and based off the world price."
North American prices at the Port of Vancouver, the main Canadian port for potash exports, hovered under $500 per tonne in September, according to market data released by Potash Corp last week.
China paid $470 per tonne under previous contracts with Canpotex and wants to pay less in future contracts, according to Lazard Capital Markets analyst Edlain Rodriguez.
Mine Development
The Holbrook mine is expected to produce 2 million tonnes of potash annually when online, and China will take at least 500,000 tonnes of potash each year for ten years.
China, which produces some potash domestically but not enough to meet demand, has been buying more than 1 million tonnes of potash each year from Canpotex. It has signed supply deals in the past with producers in Belarus for roughly 500,000 tonnes.
In the contract with Prospect, China has the option to buy more potash, and the company is negotiating with other potential buyers for the remaining potash that will be produced, Archer said.
Prospect plans to hire roughly 700 workers to run the 90,000 acre site in eastern Arizona.
Unlike most potash mines, Prospect's Holbrook mine is relatively close to the surface with reserves roughly 800 feet to 2,000 feet deep.
The mine also is located in the warm Arizona climate, whereas most other potash reserves are in cooler climates in Canada or Russia. Given that Prospect has yet to open the mine, it's not clear what its cost per tonne to produce will be, though the company will have to do less digging.
For instance, Mosaic's Esterhazy mine in Saskatchewan, the world's largest potash mine, is roughly 3,700 feet deep.
Mosaic had to freeze an underground lake and drill through the ice just to reach its potash reserves.
"What we do have at Prospect, which is most important, is the geology," said Archer.
potash minepotash fertilizerchinapotash corpfertilizer About the Author: | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/8525 | Industry Topcon enters agreement with Same Deutz-Fahr
By Colleen Scherer
September 23, 2011 | 9:41 am EDT
Topcon Precision Agriculture (TPA) has announced an agreement with Same Deutz-Fahr (SDF), to produce a new product line for SDF dedicated to precision agriculture.
Topcon is a business unit of Topcon Positioning Systems (TPS), and SDF is one of the leading manufacturers of tractors, combine harvesters, engines and agricultural equipment.
The agreement provides for cooperation between Topcon and SDF's engineering department to develop state-of-the-art precision farming products. The products will be designed for SDF tractors and combine harvesters and marketed with the brand Agroskyâ via SDF's distribution network. Agrosky is SDF's brand of precision farming products.
The partnership will allow the entire range of SDF products to be equipped with precision farming devices, ranging from automatic steering, with precision from +/- 2 cm, to the most sophisticated machine control systems.
Albert Zahalka, president of Topcon Precision Agriculture business unit, said, "Our products represent the company's history of 80 years in the precise positioning business, our overall commitment to excellence, and the integration of our technology for measuring and precision geolocalization systems with electro-hydraulic control of agricultural machines.
"It is our commitment to SDF to provide superior accuracy and reliability with every component we provide." In particular, according to Franco Artoni, SDF's sales, marketing and after sales executive director, "Precision agriculture is becoming increasingly important, especially in the countries of Western Europe where SDF is present on a grand scale. Our company has always believed investment in Research & Development to be strategic and this is without doubt an area of great potential. From the partnership with Topcon we expect to be able to offer our clients precision farming systems that are cutting-edge in the market, always in line with their requirements and technological processes which, in this sector, are constantly changing."
Ivan Di Federico, chief strategy officer for TPS, said, "Automatic steering and productivity measuring and control software are a natural development for machinery that is ever more sophisticated, but also increasingly easy to use and very cost-effective. Our precision systems minimize risks and improve the performance of both tractors and combine harvesters."
The new Agrosky SDF products for tractors and combines will be officially presented at Agritechnica 2011.
precision agriculturetopconsame deutx-fahr About the Author:
Colleen Scherer | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/8737 | The methodology employed in the synthesis report is a comparative analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data provided in the nine sectoral reports 2 on women in agriculture and rural development, prepared within the context of FAO's Programme of Assistance in Support of Rural Women in Preparation for the Fourth World Conference on Women. The data is supported, when available, by additional documentation on the African region, for which the sources are indicated. As the individual sectoral reports reference the data provided in terms of source and year, for the purpose of this synthesis report, national source references are not repeated. A complete list of references, including the national sectoral reports, can be found in the Bibliography.
(2 Benin, Burkina Faso, the Congo, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Sudan, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.)
The preparation of the national sectoral reports represents an innovative exercise in compiling national statistical data on rural women in order to provide an overview of their situation and the constraints they face in each particular country. The reports are equally useful in that they identify gaps in the collection of data disaggregated by gender and thus where further work in this area is required.
However, the present report has several limitations, including variations in the quantity and quality of the information provided as well as the availability of data and the consistency of definitions used, especially over a given period of time. In particular, measuring women's participation in the labour force continues to be problematic all over the world. In Africa, although several countries have taken important steps to include unpaid family workers in the definition of the economically active, others continue to define the economically active as those who earn a cash income. The latter definition excludes a large number of women working in the agricultural sector, and especially in subsistence farming. As the definition of the economically active population varied among the countries examined, there were limitations to the comparability of the data at the regional level.
It is also important to note that the sectoral reports were prepared within a limited amount of time and resources, and therefore the information presented was that which was readily available at the national level. Given these constraints, data may have been omitted on the differences among women within a country as a thorough analysis of all available statistical indicators was not always feasible.
Moreover, given the lack of data disaggregated by gender at the national level, the information included in the sectoral reports may have only covered one aspect or institution and is thus only indicative of a particular situation. For example, in terms of rural women's access to credit, several countries have gender disaggregated data for only one institution. While such data is helpful in gaining an understanding of women's access to credit, a more thorough analysis is required for policy making and planning purposes.
In addition, it is necessary to be cautious when making generalizations about the situation of rural women at the regional level as it often differs not only among countries but also within a country, depending upon the socio-economic and ethnic groups to which women belong and to environmental and other factors characteristic of a particular area.
Despite these limitations, the synthesis report attempts to provide a general picture of the situation of rural women in Africa, focusing on the similarities among countries and identifying those countries which vary strongly from the norm. Overall, the analysis is essentially qualitative given the constraints and limitations mentioned above. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/9151 | Successful peanut weed control requires ‘all-in-effort’ Apr 25, 2017 COTTON SPIN: Will the boom in U.S. cotton exports continue? Apr 21, 2017 Landmark environmental book influences scientists 55 years after its release Apr 26, 2017 Senate confirms Perdue for agriculture secretary, farm groups respond Apr 24, 2017 Marion Berry on Democrat budget plans
David Bennett 1 | Apr 19, 2007
In the thick of marking up a new budget in the House Budget Committee, Rep. Marion Berry said Democrat plans would provide enough funds for defense, rural development and agriculture spending. The east Arkansas Democrat, who sits on the Budget Committee, also said his party's proposals would mean a balanced budget by 2012. “In many ways it's very austere and, at the same time, takes care of the priorities and the important matters before the country,” said Berry in a press conference on March 21. “It will fully fund the defense needs of the country. It will fully fund the needs of our veterans as they return from Iraq and Afghanistan but also those veterans who've been in the system for a long time. “It will provide enough money to write a decent farm bill. I'm very excited about that because that has always been one of my primary concerns. “We feel we've provided enough money to take care of these needs. The good news is we've balanced the budget quicker than the president would. And we've done a fair and honest assessment of the priorities and have taken care of them.” The budget proposal the Bush administration recently brought to Congress “doesn't really (balance) by 2012. He said it did, but it doesn't.” Since taking control of Congress last fall, Democrats “inherited a most difficult fiscal situation. (The budget) also provides for dealing with the alternative minimum tax. We know that's a pitfall beginning next year that's a very serious economic matter.” The Democrat plan doesn't deal with entitlement spending, however. Asked if the country can achieve long-term stability without broaching entitlements, Berry said, “We feel the most important thing is this budget gets us on a glide-path to a balanced budget. That way we won't spend the Social Security and Medicare surpluses anymore. “As Ross Perot used to say, ‘First you stop the bleeding.’ Right now, that's what we're trying to do. We'll do the major surgery after we get the bleeding stopped.” Is it Berry's hope that the extra money Democrats have put into the agriculture budget will help turn back desires by the Bush administration and Senate to tighten program payment limits? “I know the administration proposed some things they consider to be good politics. But those would be terrible policy. “For one thing, it would be impossible to implement it. You'd have to have 100 employees in the FSA offices in eastern Arkansas counties to even come close to implement (their proposals) in a responsible way.” Queried about agriculture spending, Berry said, “There will be a $20 billion reserve set aside in this budget that'll give the committee enough money so they can deal with what we consider the most critical matters at hand: dairy program, peanut program, and, hopefully, a permanent disaster title.” Congress should also focus on “alterative fuels support where we can continue to have necessary technical research and information going on.” Developing such information will “move us into cellulosic ethanol production and begin to get that industry established all over the country, especially in the lower Mississippi Valley.” Before converting cellulose into ethanol becomes standard, there are issues to address. Chief among them is “we haven't perfected the process. And there's no pilot plant that can be shown to people ready and willing to invest in that sort of a production facility. “The first thing we'll do is some research to improve our technology. There's already a lot of technology out there, but it must be centralized and have some order brought.” Loan guarantees will also be provided. “That will help establish production capacity on the ground.” Berry pointed out that after grain is removed from an acre of rice, the feed stocks to produce 270 gallons of ethanol are left behind. “That shows the potential of converting cellulose to ethanol. This is something too powerful to ignore. We intend for this research and loan guarantees to begin to establish such (fuel) production.” Further, bio-fuel production “lends itself to de-centralization. Rather than have a refinery that employs 5,000 in a single, central location and they drive 100 miles to have such jobs, (I envision) a plant in every county with 10 to 100 employees. And these will be good jobs and a positive thing for our communities.” Late last summer, the USDA announced a GM trait had been found in the U.S. rice supply. Berry, who has many rice-farmer constituents, said he's been in contact with the USDA and APHIS (Animal Plant Health Inspection Service) over the GM rice imbroglio. “APHIS is doing an investigation to find out how all this happened. That's coming along really slow and it's frustrating. “Bottom line, though, is (the GM traits are) no risk to anyone, there's nothing wrong with this product.” Even so, U.S. officials “from the secretary of agriculture to the U.S. trade representative to the president of the United States have all failed the American farmer. And they've certainly failed the rice industry in fulfilling their obligation to protect, when the opportunity presents itself, the producers of this country and make it possible for them to participate in a free and open world market. I'm so disappointed I can't begin to describe it. “At some point, we're going to have to be responsible to our own industries in this country. Now is the time for that.” | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/9332 | The Physical Environment: The peoples that are discussed in this study live in the West African country named Burkina Faso. Since independence from France in 1960 to 1983, the country was known as Upper Volta. Following the military revolution of August, 1983, an increasingly anti-French administration attempted to do away with all traces of neo-colonialism, including all French names. The name Burkina Faso, from Mooré and Jula root words meaning "the land of upright and honest men", has replaced the original, geographically-based name. The citizens of Burkina Faso are called Burkinabé.
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country of about 274,200 square kilometers (about the size of the state of Colorado) just south of the great bend of the Niger River and 500 kilometers from the Bight of Benin. To the south along the coast are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin (Dahomey). To the north and northwest lies Mali, and the eastern border is with Niger.
Burkina Faso is an enormous flat plain of red clay soils from 250 to 350 meters above sea-level, broken only by the valleys of the Volta Rivers, the Komoé, and small tributaries of the Bani and Niger Rivers. There are occasional spectacular outcroppings of rock, especially in the north, near Kongoussi and Tikaré, in the center near Boromo and Houndé, and in the west around Orodara. In the center of the country the Mossi Plateau, drained by the White Volta, reaches an altitude of 300 to 450 m. The Mossi Plateau rises, in steep bluffs, above the lower surrounding country. The river dissects the rest of the plain with deep valleys. The major rivers are the Komoé, which rises in the rocky escarpment between Banfora and Bobo-Dioulasso, and the Red, White, and Black Volta Rivers, all tributaries of a large system that drains most of the country. Of these, the Black Volta is the largest, and runs almost year-round. The White Volta is dry much of the year, especially north and west of Ouagadougou. The Red Volta is the shortest and the most intermittent of the three, joining the White Volta just south of the Ghana/Burkina. The Sankara government renamed the rivers Mouhoun (Black Volta), Nakanbé (White Volta), and Nazinon (Red Volta).
Burkina Faso spans three major climatic zones of the Western Sudan: north of a line from Ouahigouya to Dori the Sahel is characterized by very dry desert steppe, with low shrubs, many acacias and baobabs, much sand, and no permanent rivers. This area receives less than 700 millimeters of rain annually. The desertification of the region has been speeded up by the major droughts that began in 1970. South of the line from Ouahigouya to Dori is the "Northern Sudan" climate zone that receives from 1000 mm to 700 mm of annual rainfall. The area consists of open grasslands with scattered stands of shea nut or karité (Butyrospermum parkii), locust bean or néré (Parkia biglobosa), and West African mahogany (Kaya senegalensis), as well as occasional baobabs (Adansonia digitata) and kapok (Eriodendron anfranctuosum) trees. The southwestern quarter of the country is part of the Sudan/Guinean forested savanna area, with occasional thick forest cover and much denser undergrowth than is typical of central Burkina. Although the region receives as much as 1400 mm of rainfall each year, it only supports a population density of about 10 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Rainfall amounts vary considerably from year to year, and since the late 1950's there has been a steady decrease in averages.
As is true throughout the Western Sudan, the annual cycle is marked by a short rainy season that (normally) begins in May and early June and ends in September. In northern areas the rainy season begins later each year. All agricultural activity except harvest is carried out during this period. As in all agricultural areas, including Iowa, farmers are too busy during the growing season to carry out any activities except cultivating. During the long dry season from November to late April, almost no rain falls, however there are occasional showers in April causing some trees to leaf out and marking the time to begin clearing the fields for planting. Once the harvests have been gathered, people are left with a lot of free time to repair equipment and homes, to weave or make pottery, and to stage the elaborate religious festivals and initiations in which masks play an important role. The period of mask activity begins in February among the Mossi, and later, in April among the Bwa and Bobo, and continues until planting time. This is also the hottest time of the year, when the daytime temperature often is over 40o C. (105o F.), and it is not much cooler at night. The landscape is desolate, with grey or red dust and dust-covered vegetation to the horizon. Families retreat to the shade of the family dwellings, and livestock huddle in the sparse shade of the few scorched trees. Dust devils dance across the fields, and as the water level of wells drops, women must walk miles for a muddy bucketful. With the first heavy and frequent rains in June, the landscape is transformed, as roads become lined with dense green walls of millet and sorghum stalks seeming to submerge villages in a sea of vegetation.
The major economic activities in Burkina are farming and herding. The major traditional crops are pearl millet and red or white sorghum. Maize or corn has been grown since its arrival from the New World, as have peanuts and tobacco. Rice is grown in large modern plantations north of Bobo-Dioulasso. Although the Volta Rivers have been important for the rich valley soils they produced, farming has been almost impossible until recently because of the high incidence of fly-borne onchocerciasis or river blindness. The major cash crop is cotton, important since before the colonial period when it was woven into cloth for trade with forest cultures to the south. The French have encouraged the growing of cotton to feed the textile mills near Bobo and Koudougou, often at the expense of food crops, disrupting traditional economic and social patterns. The major exports are fresh green-beans, peas, and mangoes to France.
The Sahel is the center of the livestock industry in Burkina. For a long time Burkina has been the major supplier of beef cattle and other livestock to the Ivory Coast and Ghana, where the tse-tse fly prevented livestock raising. This industry is now threatened by the establishment of livestock projects in northern Ivory Coast.
Although the area lacks significant mineral resources, the valley of the Black Volta River has been a source of gold for centuries. Deposits of manganese were discovered in the far northern Udalan area soon after independence, but foreign investors feel that the amounts are too low to justify the construction of a railway to export the mineral.
Human labor has been an important export that has fueled the economy of Ivory Coast. The railway from Abidjan to Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou was built to carry farmers idled by the dry season to the cocoa plantations and ports of the Ivory Coast.
Traditional subsistence economies, including hunting, gathering and fishing are still important for rural peoples, especially during the dry season. Women gather fruit and leaves of trees that grow in the bush, including wild raisin (Lannea oleosa), karité, and néré. In April and May all of the inhabitants of a community spend several days at nearby ponds harvesting fish with nets and large basketry traps. Each year during the dry season, great numbers of men hunt in the deep bush, forming large circles to drive game toward the center to be slaughtered. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ... 115 Next Administrative Offices:1375 Highway One West1840 Studio Arts BuildingIowa City, IA 52242View Museum LocationsTelephone (319) 335-1727Fax (319) 335-3677Privacy Information Home Chapters Topic Essays Countries Peoples Media About | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/10296 | Virginia ordnance would allow backyard layers
By July 14, the City Council of Harrisonburg, Va. expects a draft of an ordinance that would allow residents to keep egg-laying chickens in their backyards.Members of the Harrisonburg Backyard Chicken Project initiated the change to allow participation in the "organic food security movement," reported the Rocktownweekly.com.The impact on property values and the potential for the spread of disease to commercial flocks have been raised as concerns.
Backyard Poultry,
Poultry Legislation,
Poultry Trends
Committee approves Food Safety Enhancement Act
Chairman Waxman's and Chairman Emeritus Dingell's Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 received approval from the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.The legislation aims to raise FDA's food safety-related authority in the wake of recalls and foodborne illnesses attributable to FDA-regulated products.The bill will next move to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.
Food Safety Enhancement Act,
Food Safety System,
Ohio livestock measure slated for ballot
Ohio farm families joined lawmakers to support a measure that would help ensure animal well-being, consumer choice and the availability of Ohio-grown food, according to a Ohio Farm Bureau Federation release.The Ohio House and Senate Agriculture Committees have passed joint resolutions that will allow Ohio to create a Livestock Care Standards Board to supervise how farm animals are raised.The Ohio House approved the resolution by a vote of 84-13. The measure will be placed before voters in November.
Egg Health,
Egg Production Facilities,
Poultry Legislation
SAI Platform adds new members
SAI Platform (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative), an organization which supports the development of sustainable agriculture, accepted three new companies as members.Novus International, provides scientific animal health solutions,General Mills, the world's sixth-largest food company, andCayuga Marketing LLC, comprising 22 farm businesses, markets milk and became involved with other aspects of dairy production.The new members will be part of SAI Platforms' groups on arable crops, coffee, dairy, fruit, water and agriculture.SAI Platform is dedicated to supporting agricultural practices and agricultural production systems that preserve the future availability of current resources and enhance their efficiency.
Sustainable Agriculture Initiative,
EU approves new rules for animal slaughter
European farm ministers have given their assent to new rules to lessen the suffering of animals during slaughter, Morning Star reported.Slaughterhouses will be required to include animal welfare in their design, monitor techniques for stunning before slaughter and ensure the animals are unconscious when they are killed.The law also requires all staff at the abattoirs to be trained and certified. An animal welfare officer will also be appointed. The rules take effect in 2013.
Animal Slaughter,
Research links temperature, broiler breeder performance
Researchers at the University of Alberta have developed an equation specifying how a broiler breeder's maintenance energy requirement fluctuates as a function of four variables: body weight, weight gain, external temperature and age, according to a Poultry Science Association report.The goal of the research, which has been underwritten by poultry breeding company Aviagen, seeks to optimize reproductive performance of broiler breeders by controlling their growth curves through feed allocations, based on weather forecasts.According to lead researcher Dr. Martin Zuidhof, the team has made progress in quantifying the relationship between feed, body temperature and external temperature, thereby understanding better the energy required by the breeder for growth at various temperatures.Dr. Zuidhof will present the results at the 2009 PSA Annual Meeting, to be held on July 20-23.
Broiler Production,
Poultry Health,
Poultry Industry,
Poultry Science Association
Pilgrim's on track for bankruptcy exit
Pilgrim's Pride reported an operating profit of $16.74 million in May after one of $13.92 million in April. The company is not planning any further cuts in production after reducing output 9-10% earlier this year, a Reuters report said.Pilgrim's Pride is still on track for exiting bankruptcy later this year, according to CEO Don Jackson.
Pilgrim's Pride Chapter 11,
poultry companies,
USDA forecasts increase in broiler production
The latest USDA forecast shows the prices for broiler products are on the rise.Though prices have not reached last year's mark, low production has forced prices to increase. Chick placement for grow-out is on the rise because of high broiler meat prices.The USDA expects rates to reach last year's level by the fourth quarter of 2009.
Poultry Outlook,
Vaccination for IBD recommended
Dr. Herman Block advised breeders to routinely vaccinate broilers to protect them against infectious bursal disease (IBD), while addressing a meeting of broiler producers at Shrewsbury, Shropshire, organized by the Slate Hall Veterinary Practice in conjunction with Lohmann Animal Health.Dr. Block said he found AviPro IBD Xtreme, a vaccine for IBD, induced an earlier and higher sero-response than others. The vaccine, he said, provided protection in disease "hot-spots" and was used on about 60% of the birds.Brigitte Othmar, product manager, Lohmann Animal Health, said trials showed that birds vaccinated with AviPro IBD Xtreme showed the highest number of sero-positive results and protection against clinical symptoms of IBD.
Infectious Bursal Disease,
Poultry Products,
Poultry Study,
Poultry Vaccines
22,000 chickens die in farm fire
On June 19, 22,000 chickens died in a fire in a 300-foot chicken house on McPhail's Chicken Farm in Townville, S.C., according to Upstate Today.The chicken house fire was discovered about 10:30 p.m., but by the time fire officials were able to control the blaze, the chickens had been lost.Farm owner Floyd McPhail said he was using a generator because of a power outage earlier in the day, speculating the possible reason for the fire.An investigation team will return to the farm June 22 to verify the exact cause of the fire.
Poultry Fire,
ARS finds Bordetella hinzii pathogenic in turkeys
Bordetella hinzii was believed to be nonpathogenic in poultry because previous attempts to cause disease in poultry with the bacterium have failed, but Agricultural Research Service scientists announced study results that prove otherwise.Scientists at the ARS examined several Bordetella isolates, including some that had caused 100% morbidity in turkey. Although the isolates had been labeled as B. avium, the scientists found that they were actually B. hinzii, showing for the first time that some strains of B. hinzii can cause disease in turkeys.In a similar study done on chickens no birds developed the clinical disease, suggesting that the pathogenicity of B. hinzii does not extend to chickens.
Bordetella hinzii pathogenic,
Turkey Diseases,
Turkey Growers and Processors,
Turkey Producer
Committee amends, passes food safety act
The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 came one step closer to being enacted after the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed it by unanimous voice vote June 17.H.R. 2749 would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to inspect high-risk food facilities at least once a year and require companies to keep detailed records to help the FDA more quickly trace tainted foods.Although the bill was amended, the American Meat Institute presented new concerns over the bill because of the effect it would have on FDA-regulated products that are used as ingredients in some meat and poultry in addition to setting inspection precedents for the meat and poultry industries. The bill is set to move to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Poultry Community,
Capital restructuring boosts Tyson’s liquidity
Tyson Foods Inc. secured more than $1.7 billion in liquidity as a result of capital restructuring through March this year, according to a news report.Tyson began capital restructuring in September by issuing 22.4 million class A common shares and $458 million in senior convertible notes. The company completed an $810 million high-yield bond offering in March and replaced its revolving credit facility with a $1 billion asset-based lending facility.Tyson says it made improvements in its food segments, especially chicken, by better operational efficiencies, sales volume, product mix and shorter-term contracts with customers.
Study shows economic impact of meat, poultry industry
A study by the American Meat Institute shows that the meat and poultry industry contributes about $832 billion, or 6% of total GDP, to the U.S. economy.It also shows that the industry employs 6.2 million people and pays $200 billion in wages and benefits.Conducted by John Dunham and Associates in New York City, the study also suggests that the industry generates sizeable tax revenues - more than $81 billion in taxes to federal, state and local governments and more than $2 billion in state sales taxes.
Poultry Study
Buffalo gnats pester Mississippi poultry
The buffalo gnats currently plaguing Mississippi prompted David Carter, director of the Adams County Extension Service, to address what poultry farmers can do to combat the insects.Gnats, although typically harmless, have grown so rapidly this summer in the state that they have caused poultry fatalities from toxic shock syndrome, blood loss from bites and, if inhaled, suffocation, according to Carter's article in The Natchez Democrat. Buffalo gnats have also been linked to transmitting leucocytozoonosis.Carter recommended the following:*Provide shelter or move poultry indoors during the daytime (gnats are daytime feeders and do not like enclosures).*Apply permethrin-based, on-animal products labeled for poultry use.*Have a fan blowing on the birds to increase air movement.Carter predicted the gnat population will decrease within the coming weeks since adult gnats only live for three to four weeks and cannot survive the hot southern summers.
Buffalo Gnats,
Poultry Enclosures,
Poultry Safety
Possible divestiture of Merck Animal Health units
Since the March 2009 acquisition of Schering-Plough by Merck and Co. Inc. there has been considerable speculation in the animal health industry regarding rationalization and divestiture. Merck is a 50% partner together with Sanofi-Aventis of France in Merial.The company generated sales of $684 million for Quarter 1, 2009. Revenue from parasiticides for companion animals and food species represented more than 70% of this total. Sales of Merial animal health products worldwide for food animal species including poultry during the quarter amounted to $70 million.It is generally accepted that Sanofi would be the first in line to acquire the Merck shareholding in their joint venture. The Schering-Plough animal health subsidiary arising from the recent acquisition dominates the U.S. market for oocyst-based anticoccidial vaccines but will encounter intensified competition from companies including Merial in the current year. Schering-Plough lacks breadth in either poultry biologicals or pharmaceuticals and would be a natural spin-off. Merging this subsidiary with the existing Merial JV would not seem to offer any strategic advantages or synergy unless as an interim measure to package Merial/Schering-Plough/Intervet. Bayer AG and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH have been mooted as potential purchasers of a consolidated enterprise.Editorial Comment: While the disposition of Merck assets in animal health should not materially affect the poultry industry in the short term, concentration of production, distribution and service among fewer companies would appear to be inevitable. On the one hand this will decrease competition and lead to escalation in prices in an extremely competitive and low-profit margin segment of the pharmaceutical-biologics market. Consolidation will, however, justify expenditure on research and development to produce a new generation of antiparasiticals, biologics and pharmaceuticals required to replace existing products.
animal health,
Animal Nutrition,
China poultry workers show antibody to AI strains
An article in the New England Journal of Medicine online edition, June 11, 2009, reported on the results of a serologic survey of poultry farmers, workers in broiler and pig processing plants and live bird markets in the Guangzho metropolitan area in Guangdong Province of Southern China.Less than 1% of poultry retailers in food markets and wholesalers in live bird markets showed antibodies to H5. In contrast 16% of the retailers in markets and 7% of the wholesalers showed antibodies to H9 avian influenza as did 6% of workers in commercial farms. All three groups were regarded as significantly different on statistical analysis from the general population which served as a control.An antibody response against H5 influenza was not detected in subsistence poultry farmers, workers on commercial swine operations or employees of food markets not in contact with poultry. Although a small proportion of these groups showed from 1.8-2.8% reactor rates, these values were not significantly different from the general population which showed a 1.3% reactor rate against H9.Editorial Comment: The result of the study is consistent with the knowledge that close contact with live poultry either through handling birds or processing in wet markets exposes workers to infection if flocks are excreting influenza virus at the time of delivery. The presence of circulating virus in markets represents a potential for recombinant events which could result in the emergence of strains of avian influenza with increased pathogenecity for humans. Failure to control avian influenza through applying biosecurity and vaccination contributes to endemic infection. H9 strain AI is presumed to be endemic in poultry flocks in the province. Maintaining a live bird marketing system perpetuates the danger of dissemination of virus from poultry farms to the general population.
China Egg Industry,
China Poultry,
Tyson Foods fined $500,000 for worker’s death
Tyson Foods was fined $500,000 and placed on probation for one year in a federal court action on June 12 for the death of Texarkana worker Jason Kelly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration won the maximum fine allowed for a willful violation of worker safety regulations.Kelly was overcome by the hydrogen sulfide gas generated by decomposing poultry feathers at a rendering plant. Five other workers were injured.Tyson Foods pleaded guilty in January saying that the incident was an accident and that preventive measures had been taken to avoid such cases in future.
Tyson Foods Inc.,
CDC's report misleading says NCC
The National Chicken Council said unconfirmed data has skewed the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on foodborne illness.The report suggests that poultry is the single leading cause of outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, held responsible for 21% of the cases. NCC says the data blames poultry for 1,355 out of 6,395 cases. Of these, 741 stemmed from a single incident in an Alabama jail in 2006, which has still not been confirmed to have been caused by poultry. Without this number, poultry would account for 641, or 10.9% of the reported incidents.Steve Pretanik, NCC's director of science and technology, said it was unfair to present a picture that is skewed by a single event and which presents a misleading picture of the safety of poultry.
Pilgrim’s Pride recalls product for undeclared allergens
Pilgrim's Pride voluntarily recalled about 608,000 pounds of buffalo-style chicken wings on June 10 as it could have contained undeclared soy, dairy and wheat allergens.The recalled product is Kroger Fully Cooked Buffalo Style Wings, packaged in two-pound bags, all code dates. These products were sold in Kroger's family of stores nationwide, except for the Fred Meyer, QFC and Ralphs banner stores.Consumers are advised to check their freezers for this recalled Pilgrim's Pride product and return it to the Kroger store for a full refund.Although no illnesses associated with these products have been reported to Pilgrim's Pride, anyone who is concerned about an allergic reaction should contact a physician.
Pilgrim's Pride,
Poultry Consumption,
Poultry Recall
Egg farmers ask for clarification of Proposition 2
The Association of California Egg Farmers has asked the state Legislature to enact clear standards for housing egg-laying hens as the mandates in Proposition 2, a ballot measure Californians approved last year, are vague.Californian egg farmers are not sure how much space they need to provide the hens to comply with the proposition. Debbie Murdock, executive director, ACEF, said the farmers need clear-cut housing standards to determine how they can comply with the law.If the provision is violated, farmers face fines up to $1,000 per violation and/or a jail sentence of up to six months.
ACEF,
California Proposition 2,
California farmers to receive $20 million for air cleanup
A new program, aiming to reduce air pollution, will make $20 million available to California farmers to update equipment to meet current air emission standards, according to The Fresno Bee.The California Air Quality Enhancement Program is run by the Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of a new air quality provision of the 2008 Farm Bill's Environmental Quality Incentives Program.The program will allow agricultural producers to apply for money to help pay to replace, repower or retrofit existing combustion engines.To learn more, visit the NRCS Web site.
Agriculture industry,
Green Practices,
FAO establishes animal welfare 'Gateway'
The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has established a Web site (Gateway) addressing international aspects of welfare of livestock. The Web site is designed to be used by national agencies involved in agriculture, biosecurity and export promotion in addition to the scientific community, NGOs and industry associations.Information on their gateway will include news and press releases, details of congresses, seminars and workshops, recent publications, pending and enacted legislation, codes of practice and links to relevant Web sites.Organizations contributing to the Gateway include:*International Fund for Agriculture Development,*World Organization for Animal Health,*Compassion and World Farming,*Humane Society International,*Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,*International Federation of Agriculture Producers, and*World Veterinarian Association.The editorial board comprising 22 individuals with diverse backgrounds range through law, veterinary medicine, international development, animal behavior and administration. Familiar names include Dr. David Fraser of the University of British Columbia; M. Park of the Humane Society of the United States and Dr. Ian Robinson of the RSPCA.Based on the intended objectives and the composition of the collaborating organizations, the FAO Gateway will provide the U.S. poultry industry with an indication of impending legislation which may impact international trade, welfare, housing and management systems.
Cameco recalls under-processed meat and poultry products
New Jersey-based Cameco Inc. has issued a Class 1 recall of about 79,312 pounds of various fully cooked, ready-to-eat meat and poultry products because they may contain under-processed ham after contacting surfaces of equipment, according to a report by the Food Safety and Inspection Service.The products were produced on May 29 and June 1 and were distributed in Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.The recalled products include cooked ham and turkey products, sold under the Appleton, Bridgford, CV Clear Value, Dean's, El Primero, Fas √ Chek, Food Club, IGA, Lay's Classic Meats, Meijer, Mrs. Stratton's, Pro's Ranch, Red Osgood, Quality Meats, Thank You by Cameco and Valu Time.
Major damages in Washington egg farm fire
About 180,000 chickens were killed in a three-alarm fire that broke out at an egg farm near Stanwood, Wash., on June 2, according to a report in The Seattle Times. The property is owned by the National Food Corp. The fire burned through three large chicken coops which were attached at one end by a connecting structure. The total damage is estimated to be $2.2 million. The Snohomish County officials said the fire was accidental.
Canada reports higher poultry sales in 2008
Sales of poultry products in Canada increased by 13.1% in 2008 compared with the previous year, according to a news report.The combined sales of poultry were CAN$3.2 billion, with turkey selling the most at CAN$2.4 billion. Compared with 2007, there was a 15% increase.The egg sales increased 7.9%, to CAN$823 million.Canadian poultry farms produced 1.2 million metric tons of poultry meat in 2008, of which 85% was chicken.
Canadian Poultry Industry,
Poultry Demand,
Poultry Exports,
Enforcement-oriented OSHA back with appetite for fines
“OSHA is back! The best advice I can give you is get ready,” Larry Stine of Wimberly & Lawson told listeners at the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Hilton Head Island, S.C.Stine said the Occupational Health & Safety Administration, with Jordan Barab appointed as acting OSHA chief, is back with a renewed mandate for aggressive enforcement. OSHA has a big budget and an even bigger appetite not only for fines, but also for stiff monetary penalties that far exceed their their non-punitive stance, Stine said.“Remember those ergonomics standards that the Clinton administration published on their way out the door, and that the the Bush Administration canceled during its first weeks in office? Get ready, they’re coming back. As a matter of fact, that’s the best advice I can give you: Get ready!"Among other advice, Stine said companies should plan ahead and be prepared for OSHA visits. He also advised companies to correct conditions before inspectors enter the premises.
Tyson Foods reports improved chicken sales
Structural changes and modified business practices, along with improved market conditions, have benefitted Tyson Foods' chicken business, according to a news report.Donnie Smith, senior group vice president for poultry and prepared foods at Tyson, said that as a result of such changes, the company's chicken segment will have a stronger Q3 than anticipated a month back. Smith was speaking at the Stephens Inc. Spring Investment Conference held in New York on June 2.However, Smith added that higher input costs and a demand for other sources of protein could affect chicken sales later in the year.
poultry report
Shell eggs broken down 6% from 2008
During April 166 million shell eggs were broken, down 6% from April a year ago, but 3% above the 161 million broken last month, reported the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.Shell eggs broken totaled 637 million dozen during calendar year 2009 through April, down 4% from the comparable period in 2008. To date, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2009 was 835 million pounds, down 4% from 2008.
FAWC guidelines for poultry welfare
In a report released on May 28, Britain's Farm Animal Welfare Council has proposed six principles for the humane slaughter of poultry, according to a news report.FAWC has urged the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs to implement the new guidelines as the current welfare standard before and during slaughter is poor.The guidelines cover the welfare of birds from the time they are hauled from farms to when they are stunned and killed. It suggests poultry handlers be better trained, and to ensure the bird is unconscious when slaughtered.In the UK, over 800 million birds are killed for human consumption annually.
Global Poultry Industry,
Poultry Rendering,
Tyson Foods settles artificial inflation lawsuit with donation
Tyson Foods Inc. has agreed to donate fresh poultry to Illinois food banks in order to settle an eight-year-long lawsuit claiming the company artificially inflated the retail weight of its poultry, as reported in The Associated Press.The company, which has denied any wrongdoing, agreed to resolve the matter out of court to avoid additional costs related to the lawsuit.The case began in 2001 when three individuals claimed that Tyson artificially inflated the weight of poultry products sold between 1997 and 2003 through a cold-water immersion chilling process that resulted in absorption and retention of water under the birds' skin and muscle tissues.Due to a lack of customers providing proof of their previous purchases, the company agreed to donate the unclaimed compensation funds in the form of 1.7 million pounds of fresh poultry to the Illinois Food Bank Association, according to the article.Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson was quoted, "We are pleased the outcome will help feed thousands of those in need."
Poultry Standards,
Report finds AI infectious up to 2 years
Nebraskan researchers found that poultry carcasses infected with avian influenza can remain infectious in municipal landfills for almost two years, according to their report Survival of the Avian Influenza Virus (H6N2) After Land Disposal.Researchers at the Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences and the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln combined their findings to report that AI survived in landfill leachate — liquid that drains or "leaches" from a landfill — for at least 30 days and up to 600 days.The study found two factors that most reduced influenza survival times: elevated temperature and acidic or alkaline pH.
Avian Diseases,
Natural ingredients, irradiation together kill meat bacteria
Food Safety Consortium researchers at the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture found that select organic acids, plant extracts and irradiation combine to make a formidable force against pathogenic bacteria on chicken breast meat, according to an article from ScienceDaily.The researchers reduced E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium in the meat by infusing combinations of organic acids – acetic, citric, lactic, malic and tartaric – into the meat.The use of green tea and grape seed extracts in combination with irradiation and the organic acids yielded the best results, significantly decreasing all the pathogens.There were no significant effects on the chicken's color and texture due to the irradiation, said Navam Hettiarachchy, a UA food science professor who supervised the project."We want to determine the least amount of plant extracts that we can use and the least amount of irradiation dosage to get the best inhibitory effect," Hettiarachchy said.
H1N1 outbreak in West Bengal
A new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been reported in West Bengal according to an article in India's Business Standard.On May 25, deaths of about 20 backyard poultry birds in the rural areas of Uttar Dinajpur in West Bengal were contributed to H1N1. All samples tested by the High Security Animal Disease Laboratory, Bhopal, and the National Institute of Virology, Pune, tested positive for this virus.The outbreak was reported to the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE) on May 28. The animal husbandry department told OIE that curbs on the movement of poultry products, screening and culling of domestic poultry in a 3 km radius around the outbreak spots are in place.
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Natural ingredients, irradiation together kill mea... | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/10325 | Bean Broomrape? (Orobanche crenata)
I spent the weekend in the Cotswolds with my wife and a friend, and this was one of the botanical highlights, Bean Broomrape (Orobanche crenata). It's not native to Britain, and is currently thought to be naturalised only a one site in north Essex. It does turn up in other southern counties however, as here in Gloucestershire. As you might guess from the name, it parasitises legumes (plants related to peas). This specimen, and the hundreds of other plants in the field, was parasitising White Clover (Trifolium repens). No doubt it was a seed contaminant that arrived with the Clover when it was sown.
The corolla with its five flared lobes (2 up, 3 down), each at almost 90 degrees to the main corolla tube, is a key feature apparently. Although on older flowers this was not so obvious. Unfortunately this Orobanche is not included in a lot of the popular picture guides to Britain's plants, so hopefully it won't increase too much in Britain: if it does we may not notice! (And it might become an agricultural pest of other cultivated legumes, as it is in North Africa and other warmer climes).
Red Bartsia
This is Red Bartsia, or Odontites vernus, growing at the edge of a path in Crookes Recreation Ground, Sheffield. It's not unusual to find it on waste ground or trampled path edges, but it is easily overlooked. Like all members of the Orobanchaceae it is parasitic; in this case on the roots of grasses I believe. It's green, so obviously it can still photosynthesize, so we might suspect it is only using its hosts for mineral nutrients and water. However, the line between hemi-parasitism (as here) and holo- or complete parasitism seems to be fairly thin in an evolutionary sense, so it's possible that some sugars are received from the host as well.
A nice plant to look out for in urban situations; I used to see it a lot in Birmingham along the canal in the Edgbaston area. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/11013 | Bill in Congress would help grow sustainable, local farms
April 12, 2013Farm Policy, OEFFA in the NewsLauren By Mary Vanac
Advocates of sustainable farming and regional food systems are applauding the Local Farm, Food and Jobs Act, a federal bill they say has the potential to expand markets for farmers and get more healthy food in the hands of consumers.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, and Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine, introduced the twin bills in the Senate and House early this week, hoping their provisions will make it into a five-year farm bill later this year.
The lawmakers originally introduced their act in 2011. However, Congress failed to agree on a new farm bill last year, extending the previous bill instead.
“Sen. Brown’s bill will boost income and market opportunities for Ohio farmers, secure funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, and invest in the local agriculture economy,” said MacKenzie Bailey, policy program coordinator for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, in a written statement.
The act has 33 co-sponsors — all Democrats — including Sen. Jon Tester from Montana, the Senate’s sole working farmer. More than 280 organizations have endorsed the bill, including Local Matters, Ohio Environmental Council, Slow Food Columbus and OEFFA.
“Local and regional agriculture is a major driver in the farm economy, yet producers face significant infrastructure, marketing and information barriers,” said Ferd Hoefner, policy director of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, in a statement.
“The bill addresses those barriers and makes smart investments that expand economic opportunities for farmers, increase jobs, and improve healthy food access in rural and urban America,” Hoefner said.
The act offers something for each of the seven titles in the farm bill, including proposals addressing crop insurance, farm credit, nutrition, rural development, research and extension, horticulture, and livestock, the sustainable-agriculture coalition said.
It would create an insurance program for diversified and organic farmers who grow crops that are not covered by traditional crop insurance. It also would enable schools to purchase local food, and food-stamp recipients to spend their money at farmers markets more easily, Local Matters said.
In addition, the act invests in sustainable agriculture programs, such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program, that were stranded without funding when the 2008 farm bill was extended, the sustainable agriculture coalition said.
“For an investment of just over $100 million a year, the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act can help a growing sector of the food system flourish,” Hoefner said. That figure compares with $40 million for local food systems in the 2008 farm bill, he said.
Sen. Brown Introduces Bill to Spur Growth in Ohio’s Local Food Systems
April 9, 2013OEFFA Press ReleasesLauren For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Contact: MacKenzie Bailey, Policy Program Coordinator(614) 421-2022 Ext. 208, [email protected]
COLUMBUS, OH – Today Senator Sherrod Brown re-introduced the Local Farms, Food, and Jobs Act (LFFJA) for inclusion in the Farm Bill this year. This bill promotes growth in local and regional food systems by expanding market access for farmers and ranchers and providing research and training in areas that support farm entrepreneur success.
“Sen. Brown’s bill will boost income and market opportunities for Ohio farmers, secure funding for critically important programs that support family farms, expand new farming opportunities, and invest in the local agriculture economy,” said MacKenzie Bailey, policy program coordinator for the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.
Representative Chellie Pingree re-introduced the bill in the House. Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Marcia Fudge from Ohio have co-sponsored the bill.
The bill makes investments and reforms to low-cost programs that have a proven record of supporting Ohio’s organic farmers, farmers’ markets, and small food businesses.
In recent years, farmers’ markets in Ohio and across the nation have grown in popularity, benefiting communities by bolstering the local economy, creating jobs, and providing increased access to fresh, nutritious food. In 2011, Ohio had more than 260 farmers’ markets, which provide low-cost entry points for small-scale and beginning farmers to direct market their products.
The Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP) provides grants to community supported agriculture programs (CSAs) and farmers’ markets to develop marketing information and business plans, support innovative market ideas, and educate consumers. LFFJA invests in and expands the FMPP to include food marketing and changes the name of the program to the Farmers’ Market and Local Food Promotion Program.
In 2012, six Ohio markets received FMPP funding. One such market is the Toledo Farmers’ Market, which used FMPP funding to recruit new vendors, help establish and promote an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) recipients, and build relationships with community partners to leverage additional funding and support. As a result, SNAP sales increased from $500 in 2008 to $50,000 in 2011, the market added 1,000 new EBT customers, overall market sales increased by 20 percent, and the number of vendors at the market grew by 38 percent.
“Thanks to the FMPP funding, we’ve attracted thousands of new customers, increased sales, and built more economically sustainable businesses,” said Liz Bergman, a Toledo Farmers’ Market Manager. “This year has been the best year yet for the EBT program. Word has spread in the community and we now feed more Lucas County residents in need of healthy food.”
The funding for FMPP expired last October and a new round of grantmaking for this competitive program cannot move forward unless funding is reinstated. The LFFJA would authorize $20 million in mandatory funding for the program.
The National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program (NOCCSP) is vital to Ohio’s growing sustainable agriculture sector. It reimburses participating organic producers and handlers for 75 percent (up to $750) of their certification fees, making organic certification affordable, and enabling farmers and processors to meet the growing demand for organic food. In 2011, 251 Ohioans utilized NOCCSP funds, or about 40 percent of the state’s organic operations. NOCCSP, too, has been without funding since last October.
Under Senator Brown’s proposed bill, the NOCCSP’s funding would be reinstated and streamlined under the Agriculture Marketing Agency, making the program operate more efficiently and effectively.
“As a farmer previously enrolled in this program, I have found it quite valuable,” said Ron Meyer of Strawberry Hill Farm in Coshocton County. “Organic certification fees are high. The cost-share program helps me continue to provide fresh and safe food, building the health of humans and the environment.”
The bill makes other important investments in research, training, and information collection, including a national program within the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative for local and regional farm and food systems research and for conventional plant and animal breeding research.
It also addresses challenges that diversified and organic farms have in obtaining adequate insurance coverage by authorizing the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to develop a whole farm risk management insurance product. It also directs RMA to complete the development of an organic price series to allow organic insurance policies to more fairly reflect organic price premiums.
“Sen. Brown’s bill makes smart investments and reforms, provides necessary tools to help address the growing demand for local and sustainable food, and helps to create local agricultural jobs,” said Bailey.
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) is a statewide, grassroots, nonprofit organization founded in 1979 by farmers, gardeners, and conscientious eaters working together to create and promote a sustainable and healthful food and farming system. For more information, go to www.oeffa.org. For more information about the Farm Bill or about OEFFA’s policy work, go to http://policy.oeffa.org/farmbill2012. A ‘climate’ of ecological farmers meet in Granville
April 4, 2013Annual Conference, OEFFA in the NewsLauren Farm and Dairy
By Chris Kick
GRANVILLE, Ohio — More than 1,100 people filled the Granville Middle School Feb. 16-17 to hear about the latest climate in organics and local foods production.
Climate was a literal part of the discussion, as multiple speakers spoke about the ways that cover crops and crop rotation can help reduce global climate change. They gathered for the 34th annual Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association conference — a statewide event.
Jim Hoorman, OSU assistant professor and extension educator, gave a compelling talk about all the different ways climate change could affect agriculture at all levels.
On the plus side, he sees a longer growing season. But it will likely come with increased precipitation events, more insects, heat and heat damage.
A longer growing season means farmers can plant and harvest later. But a better solution, he explained, is to plant and harvest as they’re doing now, while adding more cover crops during the off-season.
Cover crops are a proven way to keep soil and nutrients in place, loosen soil and reduce compaction, and they also are known to absorb and sequester a substantial amount of greenhouse gases — one of the causes of climate change.“We have a tremendous ability to help moderate some of these climate events,” he said.
Hoorman said rain events are going to be more intense. Instead of 1-inch rains, he said to expect 2- to 3-inch rains.He also predicted a continuous shrinking of the planting window, which means farmers will have fewer suitable days to get in and out of fields. He expects advanced tractor technology will help get things done quicker, including robotically operated tractors.
More organic
Hoorman said organic agriculture and cover crops has shown a “tremendous decrease in the amount of fertilizer and herbicides needed,” and predicted the nation will become “more and more organic as time goes on.”
In the afternoon, keynote speaker and Organic Valley CEO George Siemon discussed the success of CROPP — one of the nation’s largest organic farming cooperatives — which he helped to found in 1988.He also talked about the challenges he still sees in the food industry.
“The world needs changed very badly,” he said. “If you don’t acknowledge something, you can never fix it. We’ve got lots of problems in the food world and we need to address them.”
Siemon said he and his partners started the parent company — Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools — to provide some market security for organic producers.
“We really felt that if we were going to have organic food, we needed to have a fair price for farmers,” he said, so they could “know” what they were getting paid, and avoid the ups and downs of the market.
He said he’s concerned that genetically modified organisms — GMOs — have gone too far and pose a threat to organic interests.
Siemon also challenged what he called were “measured attacks” on the organic industry, including the claim that conventional farming feeds the world.
According to Siemon, more people are fed by peasants and gardeners than modern, conventional agriculture.
“The peasants of the world and the gardeners of the world feed us,” he said.
He also questioned whether conventional food can really be considered safe, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration approve chemicals based on risk level — not safety.
“It’s not ‘safe,’” he said. “They never will use the word ‘safe.’”
Siemon said he’s seeing more and more land go into large agribusiness use, which he also criticized.“They’re (industrial farmers) pushing people off the land in bringing in 12-row corn planters,” he said.
From a health perspective, Siemon reminded the audience of the rising rate of obesity and life-threatening diseases — and the potential for good eating to lead to good health.
In a separate talk, Jay and Annie Warmke talked about the health and life benefits they experience from sustainable living, at their Blue Rock Station — a sustainable living center that encourages participants to experience a month of living without energy and money.
Participants cook their own meals in wood ovens, learn to reuse, repurpose and recycle as much as possible.The Warmkes also store up food during good times, so they can be prepared during difficult times.“It’s just amazing what a sense of security it gives you,” Annie Warmke said.
(Read about the service and stewardship award recipients.)
Innovation, cooperation on display at OEFFA conference
April 4, 2013Annual Conference, OEFFA in the NewsLauren Buckeye Farm News
By Seth Teter
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s recent annual conference highlighted dozens of innovative ways to grow food and bring products to market. Many of these efforts emphasized the value of increased coordination among both farmers and consumers.
I talked with a few of this year’s presenters and attendees.
Here’s what they had to say: Organic Valley CEO George Siemon described how farmers have found success working together through the producer-owned cooperative.
“The dream of every family farm is to have it to go to the next generation. And so we know who we want to be, we want to serve the next generation of family farms. And that’s the beauty of a cooperative, is that it does represent or serve the community.”
Hear more from Siemon about Organic Valley’s approach.
Bob Cohen of the Cooperative Development Center at Kent State University shared his thoughts on the feasibility of the cooperative model in today’s business climate.
“Particularly small and medium scale farmers often can’t compete in the marketplace on their own and so they’re finding that by banding together they’re able to negotiate a better price and sometimes create the mechanisms and infrastructure that enable them to be competitive and more profitable.”
Hear more Cohen.
Another example of farmers cultivating unique business models came from Marissa Kruthaup of Kruthaup Family Farm. The farm has a Community Supported Agriculture program where each year customers buy a share of the farm’s products.
“People who are especially concerned about how their food is being grown, they can come to the farm and see where it’s grown and see how it’s grown and interact with us.”
Hear Kruthaup explain how the program works.
No matter the model, Richard Stewart of Carriage House Farm showed how farmers are always pursuing new opportunities. In addition to growing a wide variety of crops, Stewart is working to convert a former gravel mine into productive farmland.
Hear more about Stewart’s unique farm and his progress on this project.
Local, Fresh, Organic Foods in Central Ohio
April 4, 2013OEFFA in the NewsLauren Food Rap
By Paul Andrews
An interview with OEFFA Communications Coordinator, Lauren Ketcham. Click here to listen.
Organic Valley’s George Siemon — a Living Legend in Sustainable Agriculture
April 4, 2013Annual Conference, OEFFA in the NewsLauren The Huffington Post
By Stefanie Penn Spear
While attending Ohio’s largest food and farming conference last weekend, I had the opportunity to sit down with Organic Valley CEO George Siemon. Siemon was the featured keynote speaker at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association‘s (OEFFA) 34th annual conference in Granville, Ohio.
I’m inspired by Siemon’s ability to engage in food advocacy and policy while at the helm of this highly successful business. Organic Valley is an exemplary nearly billion dollar company that shows prioritizing human health and the environment is not only smart business, but vital to creating a sustainable planet for future generations.
SS: How did you get involved in farming and what did you do prior to the formation of the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP) in 1988?
GS: I was your classic back-to-the-lander. I moved to the country and lived close to the land. I got pulled into being a farmer and really enjoyed the traditional wisdom of the older farmers. Then I discovered organic farming. I wasn’t raised on a farm, so I was very excited for something new. I milked cows for about 10 years, but then got increasingly frustrated by the marketing system. It wasn’t rewarding, it wasn’t reasonable and commodity prices didn’t make any sense, so the economic part of it wasn’t satisfying.
At the same time, the 1985 Farm Bill was the last hurrah of what you call a populous farm movement. There was the unloading of manure on the steps of the USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] and the different American radical ag groups, and there was a group in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Farm Unity. After the 1985 Farm Bill had very disappointing results, they felt that they would not get the kind of help they needed from the government. They needed to find ways to help themselves, and the Wisconsin Farm Unity had the idea of starting value-added co-ops which was very pioneering at that time. It just so happened that one of the board members was in our region and he wanted to start an organic produce co-op, vegetable co-op. So, it was really a political activist group that had the idea to start a co-op that would help do what the government was unwilling to do, which was trying to provide farmers with a viable market.
It was a do-gooder concept that started taking root. We started our co-op in 1988. We had tremendous community support from the beggining.
SS: You were a big part of designing the original organic standards. What can you share on how and why they were formed?
GS: Organics is a unique industry in that they actually want more regulations. There were starting to be state laws on the definition of organic and they were conflicting and it was getting to be a mess, so in 1989 we started the process of a national bill. We passed an organic labeling law in 1990 and right away we noticed that organics was a fairly neutral political issue and crosses many stakeholder groups. It was a unique law in that it has the only congressional empowered advisory group in the whole United States government called the National Organic Standards Board. That took a while to get going. Between 1990 and 2002 there was a long period of time to get the standard up and out. It was very challenging to have a program that covered all the commodities.
We have the strictest standard in the world and we should be proud of that.
SS: Local vs. organic, what do you think?
GS: First off, organics is part of the movement of people reconnecting to their food and that’s the good news. Seeing how it affects their lives and so naturally local is part of that same reconnecting to your food. I could never comprehend the local vs. organic because it would seem that if you’re reconnecting with your food and concerned about your food and your local community that you would be concerned about farming organically in your local community and not polluting your watershed. To me it’s a way over played conversation.
There are farmers that farm organically that don’t get certified. That’s a different story. They are still organic, they just can’t use the USDA seal. So to me supporting local chemical farmers vs. an organic farmer, I’m pretty sure that if you look for a local organic farmer you’d find one. You should always support your local people because that’s your local community.
Local is a value that needs to be built on top of organics, not a value instead of organics. It should be organics plus other values because organics only go so far on its value model. It tells you how food is produced. It doesn’t tell you that it was produced locally. It doesn’t tell you if it was produced on a small farm or a big farm, or all the things that you as a consumer may choose to think is important. It’s a consumer choice issue.
SS: What are your hopes for the next five years?
GS: My hope is always about educating the consumer. I’m all for everything we do in Congress and politics but its been a little disillusioning to say the least. Educating consumers and getting them to make choices is to me still our biggest hope going forward. Unfortunately, the economy, the recession or whatever you want to call it, just drove us to this numbing conversation about jobs, jobs, jobs and it has really set us back. I am very excited about the web and how it educates people. I’m very excited about educating young mothers, which is really what drives our business. You can really see a very positive movement out there that keeps going despite all the challenges.
SS: What about the connection between human health and the environment?
GS: Part of my talk today is to at least acknowledge that we have some very serious health issues and we are not connecting it to food enough or the environment, and they are obviously connected. Health has got to take on a preventative basis. We have to start preventing health [problems] versus coming up with these health crisises and part of that is through food. We are not addressing food related health issues near enough.
SS: What are your thoughts on genetically engineered (GE) food?
GS: GE foods have never been regulated. There’s a lack of regulation and there’s a grip of control by the GE community in D.C. that’s pushing bills through. They tried to get a bill passed recently to make it faster yet to get these products through. They are basically being railroaded through. There’s a lot of investment money on the line that hasn’t come to bear yet, so there’s a lot of pressure to get these products out there.
I don’t have much confidence in the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] doing good due process. First thing they should have real regulation and they don’t. Second, we should at least label it. Number one, organic farms need to know they are buying input that is not GE. Number two consumers should know as well.
We started the labeling effort and it has been a very good educational tool. We’ve gone from ground zero to a very impressive position. We are going to have a hard time ever getting through in D.C. But the state label initiatives started up. I don’t think that California was necessarily the best state to start with, but we had a good fight in California and we did really well. The truth is now that one of these states is going to pass a law and it’s going to be disruptive. We’ve actually made big strides, very big strides. I’m very pleased. It looks like Washington state will pass and that will rock the boat because no food processor, me or otherwise, supports state by state laws, because it’s a nightmare for packaging. So we’ve actually gone from no hope to a pretty amazing position in just two years. It’s really exciting seeing us reverse the trend.
SS: So you’re close to becoming a billion dollar company. Where do you see Organic Valley in 10 years?
GS: What’s nice about working for a family farm cooperative is you’ll know where you’ll be in 50 years, which hopefully will be an honest marketing vehicle for their children’s children. It’s kind of neat to know who you want to be in 50 years. Not many businesses can actually say that, but we can. As far as in 10 years, we’ve always been very thrifty and modest but we have to now face the reality that we might have a 19 percent growth rate this year, and that if we were to grow 10 percent starting in 2014, by 2020 we’ll be a $2 billion company. So we’re having to put a different set of glasses on now and look at our reality which has been a fantastic success.
Thanks to Siemon for his hard work and dedication in the sustainable agriculture industry and to OEFFA for their long-standing mission to build a healthy food system that brings prosperity to family farmers, meets the growing consumer demand for local food, creates economic opportunities for our rural communities and safeguards the environment.
Major Grocer to Label Foods With Gene-Modified Content
April 4, 2013Sustainable Agriculture in the NewsLauren The New York Times
By Stephanie Strom
Whole Foods Market, the grocery chain, on Friday became the first retailer in the United States to require labeling of all genetically modified foods sold in its stores, a move that some experts said could radically alter the food industry.
A. C. Gallo, president of Whole Foods, said the new labeling requirement, to be in place within five years, came in response to consumer demand. “We’ve seen how our customers have responded to the products we do have labeled,” Mr. Gallo said. “Some of our manufacturers say they’ve seen a 15 percent increase in sales of products they have labeled.”
Genetically modified ingredients are deeply embedded in the global food supply, having proliferated since the 1990s. Most of the corn and soybeans grown in the United States, for example, have been genetically modified. The alterations make soybeans resistant to a herbicide used in weed control, and causes the corn to produce its own insecticide. Efforts are under way to produce a genetically altered apple that will spoil less quickly, as well as genetically altered salmon that will grow faster. The announcement ricocheted around the food industry and excited proponents of labeling. “Fantastic,” said Mark Kastel, co-director of the Cornucopia Institute, an organic advocacy group that favors labeling.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the trade group that represents major food companies and retailers, issued a statement opposing the move. “These labels could mislead consumers into believing that these food products are somehow different or present a special risk or a potential risk,” Louis Finkel, the organization’s executive director of government affairs, said in the statement.
Mr. Finkel noted that the Food and Drug Administration, as well as regulatory and scientific bodies including the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association, had deemed genetically modified products safe.
The labeling requirements announced by Whole Foods will include its 339 stores in the United States and Canada. Since labeling is already required in the European Union, products in its seven stores in Britain are already marked if they contain genetically modified ingredients. The labels currently used show that a product has been verified as free of genetically engineered ingredients by the Non GMO Project, a nonprofit certification organization. The labels Whole Foods will use in 2018, which have yet to be created, will identify foods that contain such ingredients.
The shift by Whole Foods is the latest in a series of events that has intensified the debate over genetically modified foods. Voters defeated a hard-fought ballot initiative in California late last year after the biotech industry, and major corporations like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, spent millions of dollars to fight the effort. Other initiatives have qualified for the ballot in Washington State and Missouri, while consumers across the country have been waging a sort of guerrilla movement in supermarkets, pasting warning stickers on products suspected of having G.M.O. ingredients from food companies that oppose labeling. Proponents of labeling insist that consumers have a right to know about the ingredients in the food they eat, and they contend that some studies in rats show that bioengineered food can be harmful.
Gary Hirshberg, chairman of Just Label It, a campaign for a federal requirement to label foods containing genetically modified ingredients, called the Whole Foods decision a “game changer.”
“We’ve had some pretty big developments in labeling this year,” Mr. Hirshberg said, adding that 22 states now have some sort of pending labeling legislation. “Now, one of the fastest-growing, most successful retailers in the country is throwing down the gantlet.”
He compared the potential impact of the Whole Foods announcement to Wal-Mart’s decision several years ago to stop selling milk from cows treated with growth hormone. Today, only a small number of milk cows are injected with the hormone.
Karen Batra, a spokeswoman for BIO, a trade group representing the biotech industry, said it was too early to determine what impact, if any, the Whole Foods decision would have. “It looks like they want to expand their inventory of certified organic and non-G.M.O. lines,” Ms. Batra said. “The industry has always supported the voluntary labeling of food for marketing reasons.”
She contended, however, that without scientific evidence showing that genetically modified foods caused health or safety issues, labeling was unnecessary.
Nonetheless, companies have shown a growing willingness to consider labeling. Some 20 major food companies, as well as Wal-Mart, met recently in Washington to discuss genetically modified labeling.
Coincidentally, the American Halal Company, a food company whose Saffron Road products are sold in Whole Foods stores, on Friday introduced the first frozen food, a chickpea and spinach entree, that has been certified not to contain genetically modified ingredients.
More than 90 percent of respondents to a poll of potential voters in the 2012 elections, conducted by the Mellman Group in February last year, were in favor of labeling genetically modified foods. Some 93 percent of Democrats and 89 percent of Republicans in the poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent, favored it.
But in the fight over the California initiative, Proposition 37, the opponents succeeded in persuading voters that labeling would have a negative effect on food prices and the livelihood of farmers.
That fight, however, has cost food companies in other ways. State legislatures and regulatory agencies are pondering labeling on their own, and consumers have been aggressive in criticizing some of the companies that fought the initiative, using Twitter and Facebook to make their views known.
Buoyed by what they see as some momentum in the labeling war, consumers, organic farmers and food activists plan to hold an “eat-in” outside the F.D.A.’s offices next month to protest government policies on genetically modified crops and foods. Whole Foods, which specializes in organic products, tends to be favored by those types of consumers, and it enjoys strong sales of its private-label products, whose composition it controls. The company thus risks less than some more traditional food retailers in taking a stance on labeling.
In 2009, Whole Foods began submitting products in its 365 Everyday Value private-label line to verification by the Non GMO Project.
But even Whole Foods has not been immune to criticism on the G.M.O. front. A report by Cornucopia, “Cereal Crimes,” revealed that its 365 Corn Flakes line contained genetically modified corn. By the time the report came out in October 2011, the product had been reformulated and certified as organic.
Today, Whole Foods’ shelves carry some 3,300 private-label and branded products that are certified, the largest selection of any grocery chain in the country.
Mr. Gallo said Whole Foods did not consult with its suppliers about its decision and informed them of it only shortly before making its announcement Friday. He said Whole Foods looked forward to working with suppliers on the labeling.
Modified crops get boost from budget deal
April 4, 2013Farm Policy, OEFFA in the NewsLauren The Columbus Dispatch
Food and small-farming activists are decrying an addition to the stopgap spending deal that was signed last week by President Barack Obama to keep the federal government operating.
The measure, which had been added to the House version of the continuing resolution, pre-empts federal courts from blocking farmers from planting, harvesting and selling genetically modified crops while their approval status is reviewed.
Monsanto, one of the global companies that produces genetically modified seeds, said in an emailed statement that the point of the addition appears to be “to strike a careful balance allowing farmers to continue to plant and cultivate their crops subject to appropriate environmental safeguards, while USDA conducts any necessary further environmental reviews.”
But activists are derisively calling the rider the “Monsanto Protection Provision” because they believe it gives companies that make genetically modified seeds the ability to keep selling their products in spite of questions about the effects on human health and the environment.
The addition goes back to August 2010, when a federal judge blocked the use of Monsanto’s genetically modified sugar beets after finding the U.S. Department of Agriculture “had not adequately assessed the environmental consequences before approving them for commercial cultivation,” according to The New York Times.
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association “is extremely disappointed that the continuing resolution passed including the dangerous biotech rider,” said MacKenzie Bailey, policy coordinator for the group.
“This unprecedented and egregious effort guts the necessary review process put in place for public safety and leaves consumers unprotected from potential health consequences by introducing untested crops into our food system,” Bailey said in an emailed statement.
“It also leaves organic and GMO-free farmers vulnerable to contamination from understudied and under-regulated genetically engineered crops.”GMO stands for “genetically modified organism.” The term applies to seeds that produce genetically different crops, such as those that are immune to a common weed-killer or certain diseases.
Biotechnology company Monsanto says the genetic modifications improve crop quality and yields. GMO opponents say the crops have not been thoroughly tested to rule out health and environmental dangers.
Genetically modified crops also pose problems for organic farmers. Pollen from modified crops can contaminate organic crops, making them unsalable.
Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments by Monsanto, which claims an Indiana farmer who used second-generation soybean seeds infringed on the company’s patent on first-generation seeds.
Until now, federal courts could halt the production of genetically modified crops until they were properly approved by the Department of Agriculture.
The recent legislative measure requires Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to issue temporary permits to farmers so they can continue to produce genetically modified crops “even when a court of law has found they were approved illegally,” according to Food & Water Watch, a food-policy watchdog.
Vilsack questions the enforceability of the measure.
“Secretary Vilsack has asked the Office of General Council to review this provision, as it appears to pre-empt judicial review of a deregulatory action, which may make the provision unenforceable,” a USDA spokesman said in an email on Thursday.
The measure surfaced last summer during congressional debate about a new farm bill. It drew support from the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Seed Trade Association, American Soybean Association, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council and others.
However, Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, slammed what he called “corporate giveaways,” including the biotechnology rider, in the recent government-funding bill.
Tester, the Senate’s only working farmer, said the rider was slipped into the bill with no debate amid urgency to pass a law to keep the government working.
He introduced amendments to remove the measure and restore a rider that would have helped poultry farmers in their dealings with a handful of large meatpacking companies. However, the amendments weren’t considered.
The activist outcry comes as the national debate about mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods is heating up.
A California proposition to require the identification of genetically engineered ingredients on food labels was defeated by voters last fall. However, labeling campaigns are gearing up in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington, according to Food & Water Watch.
Early this month, the natural and organic grocery company Whole Foods Market committed to labeling GMOs in the food it sells by 2018. A few days later, Hain Celestial Group, maker of organic foods and teas, confirmed its support of increased transparency in the labeling of genetically modified organisms.
“People have the right to know what is in their food,” Whole Foods founder and co-CEO John Mackey told a gathering of customers at his company’s Pasadena, Calif., store, according to Zester Daily, an online news site for food, wine and travel enthusiasts.
Ohio’s organic farmers opt for biology over chemistry
April 4, 2013Annual Conference, OEFFA in the NewsLauren WKSU Quick Bites
By Vivian Goodman
Having a bite to eat could get scary… very soon.
Among potential impacts of the sequester: reduced food safety when federal inspectors are sent home.
But food worries are nothing new. Consumers learning about the harmful effects of pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified organisms have long been demanding healthier, seasonal and local food. To meet that demand, many of our region’s small farmers use biological rather than chemical methods to keep crops healthy and bug-free. For today’s Quick Bite, WKSU’s Vivian Goodman looks at the future for organic farming.
When the federal government first set national standards for organic farms in 1990, there wasn’t all that much consumer demand for fruits, vegetables and grains grown without synthetic fertilizers and insecticides, and meat from animals that don’t do hormones.
Finding new non-chemical methods
Today organic farmers are rotating crops, composting, finding new ways to make pesticides passé, and doing about $55 billion in annual business.
But big agribusiness still rules. Only 1 percent of America’s cropland is organically farmed.
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association’s annual conference drew about 1,100 participants last month, about 100 more than last year’s event. They came on a snowy mid- February weekend from all over Ohio and neighboring states and included farmers, research scientists, food producers, distributors, backyard gardeners and foodies of all kinds.
The root of the matter
Kitty Leathem led a workshop on root vegetables.“I’m known around here as the green chef.”
That’s what they call her at Granville’s farmers market, where it’s easy to find her. Just follow the bee-line to her turnip and rutabaga pies.
The Green Chef calls her workshop “Out of the Dirt and On to Your Plate”
“Because where do root vegetables live?”
In the dirt.
“And of course if you put chemicals on, where’s it going to go?”
Into the plants.
“Right into the plants. Try and eat organic root vegetables.”
There are 90 workshops at the conference; 10 have the word “organic” in the title.
Willing to pay for healthier choices
On average, eating organic costs about 20 percent more. But consumers who have read the works of Michael Pollan and Joel Salatin and seen the movie Food, Inc. don’t mind paying the difference.
“There’s a better environment for organic foods, which is a big part of it,” says George Siemon. He runs the largest organic farm cooperative in the nation. Organic Valley represents farmers in 31 states including 174 in Ohio.
A food system that needs organics
Siemon’s keynote speech at the ecological food conference is titled, “Organic: Changing a Broken System.”
“Part of the broken food system is the amount of control that certain parties have in D.C. So I don’t feel the farm bill is really an honest process that serves our bigger community. … Organics just got hurt badly in the recent farm bill. Anything that was extra, like research on organic farming and other things. got cut to zero.
“Of course we get very little anyway, but that’s the beauty of organics. It’s been very self-starting. … It’s a grass-roots movement, and we’ve done well without the government’s help.”
Siemon’s organic cooperative is in its 25th year. It recently reached $1 billion in annual sales.
Improving but still needs fixing
But he says the system remains broken.
“We have a lot of food-related illnesses and environmental issues and cultural issues that are related to our agricultural practices, and I think it needs to have a better conversation than we have. Organic farming is a wonderful answer for financial viability and care for the land and producing healthy food, … so it’s a real solution.”
But Stanford University came out in September with a report that said organic doesn’t make a real health difference.
“I could challenge that study all day long,” says Siemon. “And of course, we have people who are opposed to us.”
More funding in the pipeline for organic farmers
He believes more financial organizations are willing now to fund organic farms, because of demand from consumers.
“And one of the things our coop has taken great pride in is trying to provide a stable price to farmers and a stable marketplace and bankers recognize that there’s a future here.”
Mike Storer of Columbus-based DNO Distributors couldn’t agree more. He’s in the food conference’s exhibit hall because the grocers and restaurants he serves want more organic food.
In search of Ohio organic farmers
“At this show, what we’re trying to do … is we’re trying to locate some more farmers, specifically Ohio organic farmers. We have a lot more demand than supply right now. It’s really picked up in the last three years.”
Three years ago, he says, “We would … get maybe one or two calls. Last year we started to get dozens and dozens, and this year (there’s) so much demand for organic that we’ve exhausted almost everybody who currently grows for us.”
Another hopeful sign for the future of organic farming: OEFFA last year launched a “farmer’s bank” to provide capital for sustainable agriculture in Ohio. It now has $500,000 going to build the supply of farm-fresh local food for our tables.
And that’s this week’s Quick Bite. Next Friday, we’ll learn the business secrets of a veteran quality grocer.
Monsanto: A Corporate Profile
April 3, 2013Farm Policy, OEFFA in the NewsLauren New report sheds light on the GE seed giant that is major force behind keeping GE food unlabeled
Cincinnati, Ohio—Today, as consumer demand and grassroots efforts grow in support of mandatory labeling for genetically engineered (GE) foods, the consumer advocacy organization Food & Water Watch released Monsanto: A Corporate Profile. Food & Water Watch released the report in Ohio in conjunction with their campaign to ask regulators and lawmakers to mandate GE labeling nationally. Food & Water Watch is working to pass a resolution in the Cleveland calling on Congress, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to give consumers the right to know if their foods have been genetically engineered. The resolution is similar to one passed in Cincinnati last November.
The new report provides a thorough overview of the biotechnology giant that now holds 1,676 patents on seeds, plants and other agricultural applications. Monsanto’s products are grown on over 282 million acres worldwide, including 40 percent of all U.S. crop acreage. The report outlines Monsanto’s history and its undue influence over lawmakers, regulators, academic research and consumers.
“Even though you won’t find the Monsanto brand on a food or beverage container at your local grocery store, the company holds vast power over our food supply,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch and author of the book Foodopoly. “This power is largely responsible for something else we cannot find on our grocery store shelves – labels on genetically engineered food. Not only has Monsanto’s and other agribusinesses’ efforts prevented the labeling of GE foods, but they spend millions to block grassroots efforts like California’s Prop 37 in order to keep consumers in the dark.”
Monsanto: A Corporate Profile provides a deep-dive into Monsanto’s history as a heavy industrial chemical manufacturer; a reality at odds with the environmentally friendly, feed-the-world image that the company spends millions trying to convey. The report offers a timeline of milestones in the company’s history including chemical disasters, mergers and acquisitions, and the first genetically engineered plant cell.
The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA), a nonprofit organization that promotes sustainable agriculture, applauds the new report.
“This report exposes the tremendous influence companies like Monsanto have over our food system and the need for independent research on the impacts genetically engineered crops’ have on the environment, farmland, and consumer health,” said MacKenzie Bailey, OEFFA’s policy program coordinator. “Additionally, policy makers need to respond to overwhelming public demand and require the labeling of genetically engineered foods, which will give consumers the ability to know what’s in their food.”
The report concludes with recommended actions for the federal government to take to rein in Monsanto’s anticompetitive practices and control over agricultural research and government policies. It also suggests steps that regulators should take to better protect consumers and the environment from the potentially harmful effects of GE crops.
Monsanto: A Corporate Profile can be downloaded here: http://documents.foodandwaterwatch.org/doc/MonsantoReport.pdf
Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.
Contact: Alison Auciello, Food & Water Watch, [email protected], (513) 394-6257 | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/11015 | Wheat Research Partnerships and New Varieties On the Horizon--Brett Carver Looks to the Future
Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:09:49 CDT
There are a lot of currents in the development of new wheat varieties on the horizon for producers. Some of those currents are more evident in the board rooms of corporations and university governing bodies and other currents are to be found more in the laboratories and test plots.
Dr. Brett Carver, chairman of the National Wheat Improvement Committee, has a front-row seat into both areas. He spoke with Ron Hays at the recent Commodity Classic in Nashville.
One of the areas of greatest movement appears to be in the relationship between public and private crop research. Carver says those relationships are in a constant state of flux and need to be constantly examined and maintained. Land grant universities and private entities depend upon each other. “We are in an environment where I like to consider it instead of more free and open, more free and responsible. It’s more free and managed. In an IP world, that’s just the way it goes. It’s a more managed environment so I have to become more accountable in the germ plasm I use and the germ plasm I share. And I’m more accountable to those who write my check, basically. But I’m also more accountable to the farmers for them to be able to capitalize on new genetic gains. “This is one area that I’m a little bit nervous about, to be quite honest about it. Because our program whether it’s Oklahoma State University or private programs, are going to have to keep this concept of germ plasm exchange front and center. When you start fractionating that germ plasm pool it becomes more difficult to manage. Carver says there is a lot of movement toward genetically modified wheat varieties, but that may be several years in the future. But he thinks genetic modification technologies have limits. “I think everybody realizes that’s not going to be the only solution. There are so many tricks in our basket that we didn’t have just ten years ago that we now have that we don’t necessarily have to put all our marbles in that one basket. With the advent of molecular genetics now, we’re really kind of jumping on the bandwagon of the human genome project genetics and using that technology. That has really made a difference in the way that we can breed wheat. I think that translates into better varieties just as much as the GM solution will five to ten years down the road.” Some of the new techniques are shortening the amount of time to address problems and modify varieties in less time than it took before.
“We still have a long ways to go, but we’re now using DNA information instead of field information to make selections that I would have never even dreamed of. “One trait we’re just starting to figure out, and we talk about this in Oklahoma all the time, is first hollow stem and how it’s very hard to predict simply going out to the field. And we can measure it but we can’t necessarily predict it. And with the use of molecular markers in addition to that field information we collected all these years, we have a much better predictive system and we are using it, believe me, we are using it.”
Another big trend on the horizon is the partnership between public universities and private companies. Texas A&M recently partnered with Bayer Crop Science. Carver says OSU is certainly paying attention in this area. “We are advancing forward with our eyes wide open. We’re not going through this with tunnel vision. We are looking at and exploring all options that are out there. We have not made any commitments, I can tell you that right now. That doesn’t mean we won’t make any commitments. What we want to do, though, is to be able to capitalize on innovation that we can’t access, also allow somebody who does not have access to germ plasm that we do to perhaps marry those two properties. Until that day comes, we’re going to continue on like we have in the past and utilize the best technology we can come up with on our own and hopefully help the Oklahoma wheat farmer.”
And helping the farmer is what Carver has in mind with the impending release of two of the university’s newest varieties.
“Gallagher and Iba represents, you know we talk about 3G and 4G, this is Duster 2G, basically. It’s the next generation of Duster. And I have spent a lot of time up here in the old noggin trying to think just how we utilize the advantages of Duster without wearing out the advantages of Duster. I think we have a couple of varieties that continue those Duster strengths in a way I think they’re going to be around quite a while. “They are so different there was no way to decide one over the other. And they’re so complimentary that we thought we better come up with a name that will connect these two varieties so that when you hear one name you will automatically think of the other and you start comparing the two. And that’s what I want our wheat growers to think about is how can one of these varieties best serve them.
One of the exciting traits exhibited by one of the varieties is in the area of forage production.
“Yes, the preliminary evidence on Iba indicates it has very good forage production,” Carver says. “That’s not the total package, however. We don’t need just total forage production. We need the ability to produce forage and to bounce back from the consumption of that forage when we pull the cattle off. And I think Iba may have a little bit of an edge over Gallagher in that respect. Still, I don’t have enough information to say that conclusively.”
Carver will get his opportunity to collect more data as seed production was started on both Iba and Gallagher last year. He said Iba will have more seed available due to some last minute tweaking with Gallagher, but he says plenty of foundation seed should be available.
right-click to download mp3 | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/11904 | Brussels, 13 November 2002
Questions and Answers on animal by-products
What are animal by-products?
Animal by-products are the parts of a slaughtered animal that are not directly consumed by humans, including dead on farm animals and catering waste (i.e. waste food originating from restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens) that contains or has been in contact with meat products, whether cooked or uncooked. Some of these products are used in animal proteins like meat-and-bone-meal, fats, gelatine, collagen, petfood and other technical products, such as glue, leathers, soaps, fertilisers etc. The alternative is their destruction, most often by incineration.
What quantity of animal by-products are we talking about?
It has been estimated that humans directly consume only 68% of a chicken, 62% of a pig, 54% of a bovine animal and 52% of a sheep or goat. Therefore, every year, more than 10 million tons of meat not destined for direct human consumption derived from healthy animals are produced in the EU. This material is then transformed in a variety of products used in human food, animal feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and other technical use. For example:
bones, skin and connective tissue such as tendons are used for the production of gelatine which is then used in human food (desserts, gummed candies, marshmallow and prepared meat products), animal feed (coats of vitamins, binders of feed pellet and dogchews), pharmaceutical (hard and soft capsules) and technical use (in the photographic industry for paper coating and as a component in silver halide emulsion coatings, etc).
mixture of bones, meat trimmings and offals are rendered into fats and into animal proteins which are then used in human food, animal feed, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and technical products.
offals and meat trimmings are used as fresh raw material in petfood and pharmaceuticals or, following strict heat treatment (133°C for 20 minutes at 3 bars of pressure) in animal feed.
How are animal by-products regulated on EU level? A new Regulation(1) on animal by-products was just adopted by the European Parliament and the Council and will apply on 1 May 2003. It aims to integrate the animal by-products sector into the "farm to table" approach for food safety as set out in the White Paper on Food Safety adopted in January 2000. It introduces stringent conditions throughout the food and feed chains requiring safe collection, transport, storage, handling, processing, uses and disposal of animal by-products.
It sets up a completely new approach. In the past, raw material of a lower health standard than the one used for human food were permitted for use in animal feeds. For example, animals that died on farm and were unfit for human consumption could enter the animal feed chain. This practice of recycling cadavers and material unfit for human consumption into the feed chain was the main factor in the spreading of the BSE epidemic, but also of other food scandals, such as the dioxin crises and foot and mouth disease. This practice is now prohibited. Classification in categories The Regulation classifies animal by-products into three categories based on their potential risk to animals, the public or to the environment, and sets out how each category must or may be disposed of. Category 1 materials (i.e. animal by-products presenting highest risk such as TSEs or scrapie, residues of prohibited substance e.g. hormone used for growth promotion or environmental contaminants e.g. dioxins, PCBs) must be completely disposed of as waste by incineration or landfill after appropriate heat treatment. Category 2 materials include animal by-products presenting a risk of contamination with other animal diseases (e.g. animals which die on farm or are killed in the context of disease control measures on farm or at risk of residues of veterinary drugs), and may be recycled for uses other than feeds after appropriate treatment (e.g. biogas, composting, oleo-chemical products, etc). Only category 3 materials (i.e. by-products derived from healthy animals slaughtered for human consumption) may be used in the production of feeds following appropriate treatment in approved processing plants.
The Regulation also requires reliable traceability and identification systems of marking for certain materials intended for specific disposal options (e.g. incineration of meat and bone meal) to avoid possible frauds or risk of diversion of unauthorised products into food and feed. Intra-species recycling (cannibalism) ban
The Regulation extends the current ruminant intra-species recycling (cannibalism) ban to other species. Porcine animal by-products cannot be fed to pigs and poultry animal by-products cannot be fed to poultry. Catering waste
While the uses of catering waste in feed for pigs and poultry is not the focus of the Regulation, it is of major concern to nearly all Member States. Hence the Member States agreed last year on a total ban on such feeding practices ("swill feeding to pigs, i.e. liquid feed") in the revised Council Directive on Swine Fever. Such uses of former foodstuffs and restaurant kitchen waste containing meat products were at the origin of a number of major animal disease epidemics including the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK last year, which have led to enormous losses to the farming and non-farming community. The three EU institutions agree on the ban on intra-species re-cycling (cannibalism). Because catering waste fed to pigs may contain porcine material, catering waste feeding will be inconsistent with the ban on cannibalism. It is also not possible to establish clear traceability for catering waste. The adopted Regulation is flexible, permitting a temporary relaxation of the ban on the use of category 3 catering waste in feed. This relaxation will last for a period of not more than 4 years for certain Member States under highly controlled conditions, to be established shortly by the Commission's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, composed of the representatives of the Member States. How do Member States dispose of animal by-products?
Based on data provided by each Member State, the Commission issued a paper on 20 November 2001 giving a snapshot of the situation on the disposal, processing and uses of animal by-products across the Community. The paper, which is available on the website:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/legislation_en.html#by-products
Processing and disposal routes;
Trade/export of processed animal protein and rendered fat;
Collection, transport and rendering costs;
Storage capacity for rendered products and costs;
Incineration, co-incineration and small on-farm incineration;
Burial and/or landfill;
Biogas; Composting and use of processed animal protein as fertiliser; and
Disposal capacity.
How does the new approach deal with processed animal proteins such as meat and bone meal?
Animal by-products are used to produce meat and bone meal. The Regulation does not affect the current EU total ban on the feeding of meat and bone meal to farmed animals, which is a separate issue and remains in force without any date set to terminate it. However, the Regulation establishes clear safety rules for the production of meat and bone meal in case it is ever re-authorised for inclusion in feed for certain non-ruminant species, e.g. poultry and pigs. The new Regulation on animal by-products requires that only animal by-products derived from animals fit for human consumption (category 3) may be used for animal feed. In other words, the same health standards required by EU legislation for human food will be required for animal feed.
In order to guarantee that animal by-products derived from animals unfit for human consumption cannot enter the human food or animal feed chain, the following requirements have been introduced:
complete separation during collection, transport, storage, handling and processing of animal waste not intended for animal feed or human food;
complete separation of plants dedicated to feed production from plants processing other animal waste destined to destruction;
stricter rules for traceability of animal by-products, including the control of movements of BSE specified risk material by a record keeping system and accompanying documents or health certificates, and visual markers for animal proteins and fats intended for destruction.
In practice, food and feed products cannot be derived from BSE suspects, SRM or animals slaughtered over thirty months of age not submitted to a BSE rapid test. All the potentially infected material in these categories is destroyed, eliminating any prospect of it entering the food or feed chain.
Will these controls work and will they be respected?
The Regulation introduces a set of controls, which are as strict as the control established for the food industry. Furthermore, the use of markers for the identification of material unfit for human or animal consumption and the availability of new tests for the detection of prohibited ingredients in animal feed will provide practical instruments for an effective control.
Unfortunately, the possibility of a criminal act can never be ruled out. This applies to the animal feed sector as well as to any other sector such as the food industry. But it lies within the competence of Member States to ensure that the penalties for any non-compliance are sufficiently strict to ensure respect of the Regulation. What is next?
The Commission will now focus on preparing implementing measures (e.g. approval of alternative disposal methods, derogation on intra-species recycling for fish and fur animals, feeding of necrophagous (carrion) birds, etc) as well as a number of transitional measures before the application of the Regulation on 1 May 2003. (1)Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 at : HYPERLINK "http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/legislation_en.html#by-products" http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/bse/legislation_en.html#by-products | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/12355 | 2017 Crop Circle Season Begins in UK
Crop circle season in the UK appears to be underway as the year's first formations were found over the last few days.According to the website Crop Circle Connector, the first official formation for 2017 was spotted in a field in the English village of Cherhill Down on April 16th.The remarkable design, which some observers have likened to a pendulum, appears to align with a centuries-old figure of a white horse embossed in a nearby mountain.On the heels of that formation being found, a second crop circle was discovered two days later in the village of Tarlton.Check out video of the two formations and learn more about the first crop circle cases of 2017 at the Coast to Coast AM website.
George Noory, host of the nationally syndicated program, Coast to Coast AM, says if he weren’t a national radio talk show host he’d be in politics. Contact
CoastZone E-Newsletter
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Tweets by @coasttocoastam | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/12461 | Enter your email above and select the list(s) you'd like to receive information about:
Belcampo Belize
Belcampo Meat Co
At Belcampo, our mission is to craft exceptional, sustainably produced food and make it available on a larger scale than ever before. The land is the heart of everything we do, and our unwavering commitment to act as good stewards of the land is the foundation of all of our operations: organic farms, butcher shops and restaurants, and agritourism destinations.
We love welcoming passionate people to our growing team, and we’re champions for the reprofessionalization of culinary and agricultural jobs.
Belcampo Inc. was founded in 2012 by Anya Fernald and Todd Robinson after years of exploring ideas about how they could best foster the growth of the sustainable quality food movement.
Our family of companies encompass Belcampo Farms where we humanely raise our organic meat, our humane certified processing facility Belcampo Butchery and Belcampo Meat Co. which runs our Butcher Shops and Restaurants—a total of seven locations in California as of March 2017, with additional on the way—and Belcampo Belize, an award-winning, world-class destination welcoming discerning travelers from around the globe.
Belcampo Meat Co.
Anya Fernald Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Read Bio
Anya Fernald brings 15 years of experience building and growing food businesses to Belcampo. Her first job after college was to launch a cooperative of cheesemakers in rural Sicily, from there she moved to direct international microinvestments for the Italian Slow Food Foundation. Upon returning to the US in 2005, she built and ran a produce distribution company and launched Slow Food Nation and Eat Real. Anya then developed business plans via her own company, Live Culture, where she first began working with partner Todd Robinson as a client. Anya has been a regular judge on the Food Network’s Iron Chef since 2009 and also serves as the founding board chair of the Food Craft Institute.
The Belcampo Team
Laura Beaudrow Assistant to the CEO
Laura started her career in the non-profit sector, working for social and environmental justice organizations and most recently, worked with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, International Forum on Globalization and Corporate Accountability International. Laura spent 6 years assisting foundations, corporations, and individuals in conducting thoughtful and effective philanthropy at RPA. Her love of a good meal and passion for building sustainable food systems eventually led her to Belcampo where she provides support to CEO Anya Fernald and other members of the executive team. Nate Morr Chief Operating Officer
Nate has driven operations in mid-scale food businesses with gross revenues up to $40MM for the past 15 years. He served as Vice President of his family’s organic and natural ingredient company, Beta Pure Foods, and then went on to work for SunOpta, where he was the director of social and environmental responsibility, as well as director of global sustainability. Nate helped to start the organic industry’s first sustainability association, and he currently supervises Belcampo’s internal operations in addition to overseeing quality standards and best practices at all levels of the business.
Jonathan Packman Chief Marketing Officer
Jonathan obtained a degree in Environmental Policy at the University of VT. His professional experience includes serving as a Policy Analyst for the EPA, interning at Restaurant Nora, and launching a part-time catering business with a focus on organic foods. Jonathan took the plunge into full time hospitality by earning a Masters Degree in Hospitality Management at the Cornell Hotel School. After earning his degree, he worked in the retail food industry for 15 years taking on leadership roles in marketing, finance, operations and strategy. Jonathan is thrilled to be part of an environmentally-grounded meat-focused business that satisfies his passions for both food and planet.
Belcampo Farms
Rodney Dowse Director of Livestock Operations
Growing up on his family’s hay and cattle farm in Oregon, Rod became intimately involved in agriculture at an early age and went on to get his degree in agricultural business management, with minors in animal science and economics. Since graduation, he’s managed cattle ranches and maintained a small family farm; he’s also explored and developed his passion for livestock management through his involvement and leadership in agricultural organizations like the Oregon Cattleman’s Association, 4H and FFA. At Belcampo, Rod gets to combine his love for production agriculture, his business acumen and his keen consumer insights to make sure we’re delivering the best meat on the market to loyal and enlightened customers. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/12661 | Kraft adds to sustainability efforts
NORTHFIELD, ILL. — Kraft Foods is continuing in its sustainability efforts as it increased its year-over-year purchases of coffee beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by 50% last year. In addition, the company, along with other organizations, joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to announce the launch of a program that will invest $90 million during the next five years to advance the sustainable production of cocoa and cashews in Africa.
"These are two excellent examples of the progress we’re making in advancing the sustainable sourcing of our agricultural commodities," said Steve Yucknut, vice-president of sustainability. "This is a journey, and we still have work to do, but expanding our sourcing of beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms and partnering with the Gates Foundation represents significant steps."
Other sustainability goals include reducing plant energy usage by 25%, reducing plant energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25%, reducing plant water consumption by 15%, reducing plant waste by 15%, and eliminating 150 million lbs of packaging material. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/12940 | PigProgress - Smithfield Foods – ranked by Fortune magazine
Smithfield Foods – ranked by Fortune magazine
Fortune magazine announced that it has ranked Smithfield Foods among America's 500 largest corporations for 2012.
Based on total revenue of $12.2 billion, Smithfield placed 218 among Fortune's top 500 US companies. In 2011, the company ranked 216.
"It's indeed an honour to again be included in the Fortune 500 because, for us, it means our customers and consumers continue to place their trust in our company and our employees," said Larry Pope, Smithfield's president and chief executive officer.
Smithfield Foods was founded in 1936 and has grown from a modest meat packing company located on the banks of the historic Pagan River in Smithfield, Virginia, to its status today as a $13 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer, employing more than 46,000 people worldwide.
According to Fortune, its top 500 companies are ranked by total revenues for their respective fiscal years. Included in the survey are companies that are incorporated and operate in the US and file financial statements with a government agency. This includes private companies and cooperatives that file a 10-K or a comparable financial statement with a government agency, and mutual insurance companies that file with state regulators.
Related website: Smithfield Foods
What will president Trump mean for the pig industry?
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2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/13163 | Archive Home VPR.net Home Commentary Series
« Previous Next » Corn
By Ron Krupp MP3 Download MP3 (HOST) As we begin to enjoy the first sweet-corn of the season, author, gardener, and commentator Ron Krupp observes that America's over-all dependency on corn is really too much of a good thing. (KRUPP) Since the 1970's, corn has taken over America. It all began when Earl Butz, the former Secretary of Agriculture in the early 70's under President Nixon, decided the best thing for U.S. farmers to do was to plant corn from "fence row to fence row." Butz grew up during the Great Depression of 1929. He knew what it meant for people to go hungry. What has occurred since the early 1970's has had major implications for our food culture. Most of today's corn comes from genetically modified seeds and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Corn feeds the cattle that become burgers; high fructose corn syrup provides the sweetening for Cokes and shakes; and corn oil cooks those fries we love to eat. Of the 45,000 items in a supermarket, a third come from processed corn. This contributes to the sad fact that we have become a nation of overweight and fat people.
Isn't it ironic that corn is an ancient grain that was revered for thousands of years by the First Nation Peoples. They called it by many names, including maize. The three sisters - corn, beans and squash - made up the foundation of native American agriculture. Maize is not like any other plant in terms of its amazing diversity. It's more versatile than other grains because it grows easily in soils that receive too much moisture for wheat or too little moisture for rice. While rice grows best in semi-tropical zones and wheat flourishes primarily in temperate zones, corn thrives in both. The Native Americans cultivated rapid-growing varieties in areas as cold as Canada and the highlands of Chile. Inca farmers cultivated it on the terraced sides of the Andean mountains, and Hopi farmers irrigated it and made it grow in the hottest and driest deserts of the United States.
Whereas the Old World grains came from only a few varieties of wheat and barley, the indigenous native Americans developed hundreds of varieties of dent and flint corn, sweet corn, and popcorn. By the mid-eighteenth century, European newcomers to North America had accepted Indian corn as their staple food. They had corn for breakfast, lunch, and supper.
In our own backyard, as late as the 1930's, the history of flint corn and Vermont agriculture are intimately connected. Few people remember when there were husking bees and farm families would go from farm to farm, removing the husks from the Calais flint corn. That's when potluck suppers were part of daily life in the Green Mountains. Potluck comes from the tribal word "potlatch." Considering how radically corn has changed in less than forty years, isn't it time we found healthier ways to sustain this most precious resource?
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2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/13884 | what björn (farmer) thinks...
AoC-, EU- related topics, global governance, NewAgemind-+soulCrimes, books+films, endtimes, ...
also from today (article "Israel - Palestine: what the EU could do against the settlements") (!)
"recommendations made in December 2010 by a score of former European leaders including Lionel Jospin, Javier Solana, Richard Von Weizsäker, Helmut Schmidt, Romano Prodi and Felipe Gonzales wrote in an open letter to European Council President: "We consider it necessary for the EU to end the import of products from the settlements, which are contrary to European labeling standards, as stamped from Israel. "
http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/monde/20121130.OBS1050/israel-palestine-ce-que-pourrait-faire-l-ue-face-aux-colonies.html
björn (farmer)
J.S.:U.S.! same day same place with US-Israel topic
...or: is JERUSALEM a BRASILIAN city???
"Hillary Clinton at Brookings, Arab leaders, Syria and more [Daybook]
Posted by Allen McDuffee on November 30, 2012 at 6:00 am
8:30 Metros Matter to Global Trade and Investment: Strengthening Linkages Between U.S. and Brazilian Cities with Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Former President of Brazil; Javier Solana, Brookings Institute; Richard M. Daley, JP Morgan Chase; Michael Sacks, World Business Chicago; Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles, and more (place: Brookings Institute)
10:00 Attitudes Toward a Middle East in Crisis: Surveys of Arab and Jewish Opinion in Israel with Shibley Telhami, Brookings Institute; Dana Weiss, Meet the Press (place: Brookings Institute)
6:00 Saban Forum 2012—U.S.-Israeli Relations in a Changing Environment(Webcasted Sessions) with Haim Saban, Saban Forum; Martin Indyk, Brookings; Robert Siegel, National Public Radio; Avigdor Lieberman, Foreign Minister of Israel; Tamara Cofman Wittes, Brookings; Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State (place: Brookings Institute) "
America’s perilous pivot
November 28....remember 17 years ago? In 1995 November 28 someone made a treaty with many named "Barcelona Process" (EUROMED)...10 days later he was made Secretary General of NATO during the Yugoslavian War...5 years later he would become GS for CFSP of the EU (filed under No.666) and head of the WEU (with it's bizarre order "rec. 666"), GS of the Council of the EU for 10 years with the goldprize of 666,00 USD at his birthday 2007 July 14 at Wall Street.
Today, on this anniversary, he calls once again for urgent solutions in Middle East. Will we see his comeback soon?
"America’s perilous pivot
Beyond Iran, the volatile situation throughout the Middle East urgently demands solutions
By Javier Solana | Special to Gulf News
Published: 00:00 November 28, 2012
"The Pacific or the Middle East? For the United States, that is now the primary strategic question. The violence in Gaza, coming as President Barack Obama was meeting Asia’s leaders in Phnom Penh, perfectly encapsulates America’s dilemma. Instead of being able to focus on US foreign policy’s “pivot” to Asia, Obama was forced to spend many hours in conversation with the leaders of Egypt and Israel, and to dispatch Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from Asia, in order to facilitate a cease-fire in Gaza.
Of the two geopolitical focal points demanding America’s attention, one represents the future and the other the past. Whereas Asia played an important role in a US presidential election campaign that was marked by often-heated references to China’s rise, the Middle East has kept the US bogged down for decades. In addition to the eternal Israel-Palestine conflict, Iraq’s instability, the Arab Spring, Syria’s civil war, and the ongoing nuclear standoff with Iran all demand America’s attention.
If the Iran crisis were to boil over, the pivot to Asia would no longer be America’s main foreign-policy priority. But if the dispute with Iran is resolved diplomatically, the Middle East might, perhaps, be relegated to a position of lesser importance, as Obama clearly desires. The question, therefore, is whether the US will find itself drawn into another war in a region on which it depends less and less for energy.
Indeed, the revolution in non-conventional hydrocarbons, particularly shale gas and oil, which the International Energy Agency recently predicted would make the US the world’s largest oil producer by 2020, and the top energy producer overall by 2030, will have enormous global repercussions. For the US, energy self-sufficiency is the perfect excuse for a phased withdrawal from the Middle East; freed from energy dependency, America should be able to concentrate on the Pacific.
Although maintaining stable global energy prices and its alliance with Israel means that the US cannot cut itself off completely from the Middle East’s troubles, the shift in focus to Asia began early in Obama’s first administration, with Clinton announcing America’s strategic reorientation even before US troops began withdrawing from Iraq. Following his re-election, Obama’s first foreign visit was to Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia — a choice that cannot have pleased China, as all three are Asean members, while Myanmar was, until it began its democratic transition, a close Chinese ally.
Asia is, of course, experiencing rapid economic growth, but managing the region’s strong nationalist tensions calls for the creation of regional security structures, together with closer economic integration. Complicating matters even more is what US scholar Kenneth Lieberthal and Wang Jisi, the dean of international studies at Peking University, called in a recent paper for the Brookings Institution “strategic distrust.”
Cultivating strategic trust between the 21st century’s leading powers will be fundamental to the international system’s harmonious functioning. But how can this be achieved? As China will be importing three-quarters of its oil from the Middle East by 2020, one step forward would be China’s cooperation in finding solutions to the region’s problems.
Avoiding a showdown
After the January 2013 Israeli elections, Iran will again move to the top of Obama’s foreign-policy agenda. Military intervention in Iran — which itself will be holding a presidential election in June — would incite not only regional, but global, instability. The Arab world, Russia, and China would be forced to take sides, straining global relations between the different poles of power and raising tensions in the Pacific. So China has a large strategic interest in working with the US to avoid a showdown.
Beyond Iran, the volatile situation throughout the Middle East urgently demands solutions. The latest eruption of violent conflict between Hamas and Israel underscores the importance of reviving the peace process. Syria’s civil war, in which a growing number of regional players have become involved, is beginning to look increasingly like a trial run for all-out sectarian war for regional dominance.
Iran’s leaders appear to believe that the US, having incurred extremely high economic and human costs from more than a decade of war, would rather avoid another military intervention. US public opinion seems to confirm this. A recent survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs indicated that 67 per cent of Americans believe that the Iraq war was not worthwhile. Moreover, 69 per cent do not believe that the US is safer from terrorism since the war in Afghanistan, and 71 per cent say that the experience in Iraq shows that the US should take greater care in how it uses force.
But, if Americans seem unlikely to be willing to invest billions of dollars in another dead-end foreign adventure, Iran’s leaders, for their part, are increasingly hemmed in by international sanctions, which are beginning to wreak havoc on the country’s economy. Both sides may believe that their best option — at least for now — is to negotiate.
Peaceful resolution of the Iranian question would help the US to complete its shift toward Asia. China may not wish for that outcome, but its own vital interest in the security of Middle East energy supplies should compel her to cooperate.
After all, another Middle East conflict would poison and distort relations in the region for decades, which would be the worst of all possible consequences — for the US and China alike.
Project Syndicate, 2012.
Javier Solana, former Secretary-General of Nato and EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, is Distinguished Senior Fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution and President of the ESADE Centre for Global Economy and Geopolitics."
http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/america-s-perilous-pivot-1.1110945
painting the good doctor
Painter Hernán Cortés Moreno's answer on painting Spanish politicians:
"Who wore it easier as portrayed and who less? - In the case of these commemorative works no major difficulties of this kind. There was a lot of documentation and overall harmony sought. But do not forget that just as in other cases, when I put a picture of me in a gallery with other artists, I look the difference to appreciate my style, in this, my opponent was myself. After what I've been looking for is a unity, a whole portrait. The play is set, no individuality. At other times, I did have models that have been difficult to portray, for example, Javier Solana. Although he understood the language of painting well, he was very impatient and nervous posing. His portrait is now hanging in the Foreign Ministry." http://www.diariodesevilla.es/article/ocio/1399295/estos/retratos/mi/rival/era/yo/mismo.html
Atlantis - beast out of the sea? or Prospero's books?
2012 nov 12: blatantly depicting 2 horns out of the sea "Fierce femcee Azealia Banks keeps her buzz a’buzzing with the video for ‘Atlantis’– the latest track on her ‘Fantasea’ mixtape to be awarded the visual treatment". But the original beast out of the sea has 10 horns/ beast from the earth (looks like a lamb speaks like a dragon): 2 horns...
aah,in her video at min 0:22: we have her 5x with 2 horns = ten horns:
and from min 1:42 on she is shown wearing and surrounded by lot of EUROS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yj-xBpQ0CI0
10 days later we have:
2012nov22: Catalan publishers reward Javier Solana with Atlantis prize
The former Minister of Culture will be honored Atlantida in the Nit de l'Edició
NEWSPAPER / Barcelona
"The Editors Guild of Catalunya d What will distinguish Javier Solana with the "Atlantis" prize , the prize that the entity awarded each year to a personality who has distinguished by the promotion
of reading and the world of books and for his commitment to defend the culture and defend of intellectual property.
Javier Solana, in an act of the PSOE in 2011. DAVID CASTRO
The former Minister of Culture Spanish, former Secretary General of NATO and head of EU foreign policy will receive the award as part of the 27th Nit de l'Edició , the traditional meal that meets annually to the entire sector but this year will replaced by a ceremony at the Salo de Cent of the Barcelona City Council" (2012 dec 5).
http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/ocio-y-cultura/editores-catalanes-premian-javier-solana-2256215
shaft opening ceremony in London: 2012 june 05.
night of the books in Barcelona: 2012 dec. 05.
"The Opening: Babylon
The Olympic ceremony opened with an orchestra playing Nimrod by Enigma Variations. King Nimrod was the world’s first dictator and as builder of the Tower of Babel he was considered to be the “First and most excellent Master” of the Freemason fraternity. The original “World Order” can be traced back to Babylon where, King Nimrod was rebellious and resentful of God (YHWH), he had a vision of heading a single global government to control the economic, political and religious issues throughout the world. In order to prevent Nimrod implementing a New World Order, YHWH confused the languages causing the citizens to spread out and inhabit new lands, mystery Babylon became fragmented and the concept of a New World Order died.
The Maypole dance was showcased within the first minutes of the ceremony, a traditional folkdance popular in Western Europe. Like so many adopted western traditions, the Maypole dance is ancient pagan worship. This “Fertility Rite” involves the Maypole which represents the male principle (the phallus). The ribbons represent the female principle and the wreath at the top represents the virgina of the goddess. Some researchers believe the Maypole dance can be traced as far back as ancient Babylon.
After the Olympic bell was rung, a song named Jerusalem was sung by a young boy before he was joined by a children’s choir.
“And did those feet in ancient time walk upon England’s mountains green? And was the holy Lamb of God on England’s pleasant pastures seen? And did the countenance divine shine forth upon our clouded hills? And was Jerusalem builded here among these dark Satanic Mills”
The children’s choir continued to sing as men with mutton-chops wearing traditional top hats and black suits gathered around a British meadow. A tree that was raised on a hill before Kenneth Branagh (dressed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a famous British engineer) read from Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
For Shakespeare expert James Shapiro (an English professor at Columbia University), it was a strange choice. “Why you would choose Caliban’s lines as — in a sense — a kind of anthem for the Olympics, I’m not sure. Why give him the lines Shakespeare wrote for a half-man, half-beast”
Magic, through Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, is a theme of the 2012 Olympic Games. A giant figure holding a wand (thought to be Prospero from The Tempest) and a cauldron feature in stadium preparations for the opening ceremony.
The Tempest is thought by most scholars to have been written in 1610–11, and is generally accepted as the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. Scholars have noted the numerous parallels between Shakespeare’s final work and famous occultist Francis Bacon’s final book New Atlantis. (farmer: Javier Solana's mother Nieves Hayat de Madariaga Archibald, Mrs. Mathews (1917-2003) was an Oxford Professor an expert on Francis Bacon)
In The Tempest travelers arrive at an island ruled by Prospero, the Magus who has mastery over all nature, and Prospero’s farewell to his art in the play is the Bard’s farewell to his work. In New Atlantis the travelers arrive at an island ruled by a Society called Salomon’s House (Solomon’s House) which has achieved mastery over all nature. New Atlantis depicts Bacon’s vision of man’s mastery over nature, and this work is a summing up and a farewell to Bacon’s lifework. Both works depict travelers who arrive at an island filled with wonders. In the first case the wonders of science, in the second case the wonders of magic, both of which give mastery over all nature. Bacon, it is important to note, said that science in its higher form is magic. The surface parallels between New Atlantis and The Tempest are obvious. But beneath the surface there are more parallels, and more specific identities between the two works. So many, in fact, that they provide strong evidence for Bacon’s authorship of The Tempest.
As both The Tempest and New Atlantis depict societies ruled over by an elite made gods by virtue of their secret knowledge both works serve to define the occult philosophy of the Rosecrucians, Freemasons and the Illuminati. Bacon’s alleged connection to the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons has been widely discussed by authors and scholars in many books and a very good case can be made for him as the author of all Shakespeare’s plays."
http://worldtruth.tv/illuminati-occult-symbolism-in-the-2012-london-olympics-opening-ceremony/
inside hamas by JS
"The assassination of Ahmed al Jabari, Hamas military commander , has returned to unleash a degree of violence between Israel and Gaza truce unknown from Operation Cast Lead (2008), which claimed the lives of 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis and also left enormous damage.
It's hard to know how this new drama will develop, but will certainly contribute to a clear restructuring of the power structures within Hamas that affect also its relations with neighboring countries, including Israel and the Authority itself Palestine.
The Hamas leadership was exercised from its headquarters located in Syria, and from there he managed relations with the regimes of Iran and Syria, its biggest supporters in the area before the Arab Spring . Leaders of the interior remained in the background in Gaza to defend itself from any attack by Israel.
In recent months there has been a profound change in roles. Hamas leaders inside, in view of the enormous changes in the region, have decided to take the reins of the organization and demonstrate its leadership in the battle against the Israeli occupation. Several factors have contributed to accelerate this change.
By collapsing relations with Damascus, where Hamas maintained its position against Bashar al-Assad, the leading group with the head Khaled Meshal had to leave Syria and even now is scattered by different Arab countries unable to rebuild their base. Moreover, this position against the Syrian Government has done nothing to hinder its relations with Iran.
Power struggles have been exacerbated by declaring Khaled Meshal, current supreme leader, the desire to leave his post. Two candidates have appeared on the scene: Musa Abu Marzouk, based in Cairo, and Ismail Haniya, the current leader of Gaza. A second victory of the supporters consolidate the process of transfer of power in Gaza.
The PLO's decision to vote against the UN General Assembly will recognize her, Hamas provides another possible element to reinvigorate.Israel has indicated that it will oppose by all means to such recognition, coming to withhold taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, to denounce the Oslo Accords and even trying to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas. This position of Israel, be implemented in whole or in part, is a clear beneficiary: faction Hamas and Gaza, in front the occupant.
Gaza leaders have to their credit the recent visit of the Emir of Qatar, the first Arab leader to visit that level the Gaza providing legitimacy and economic resources, probably followed by Erdogan. Also the fact that in a number of Arab countries that had spring -of the Muslim Brotherhood who feels Hamas-rule follower, is invaluable.
In the desire of the leaders of Hamas in Gaza to be spearheading the battle against the occupation lies partly launches bombs to Israel in recent weeks and the response of the Israeli military explosive killing one its most important leaders, Ahmed al Jabari, and enormous damage.They are aware that Netanyahu can not appear weak in its response to Hamas, especially after having convened for January elections, however, are willing to suffer the consequences.
But in the end, Israel will not get what he wants. He failed with the operation Cast Lead , remember that your goal was to end the power of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and greater security. Not solve the security problems in Israel and today is reunited with a stronger Hamas inside Gaza.
As Hussein Ibish writes in Foreign Policy, "Israel can once again win a battle but will lose the war and their best friends in the world."
Hopefully common sense returns through rapid ceasefire. Several countries are mediating right now. I hope to succeed in their purpose, because as you said Efraim Halevy, former head of the Mossad smart, "we both agree that Hamas retains the power, strange as it may seem."
Javier Solana. ESADEgeo President and Distinguished Research Fellow Brookings Institution.
http://internacional.elpais.com/internacional/2012/11/18/actualidad/1353264170_721820.html
"PEDRO Villalar is not surprised that the former High Representative of the Council for Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, is more prevalent today in the Middle East diplomatic stage than his successor, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the most obvious prototype Brussels bureaucrat undoubtedly very gifted but perfectly useless to exercise any initiative that requires leadership and determination. Van Rompuy, the other gray Eurocrat governing our locations with the bombastic president of the Union "nothing less" is the paradigm governing the inanity federalising destinations, but at least this Belgian "no other country could be more asexual and calm" appears in peer meetings and says the banalities of rigor. But Ashton has disappeared, simply. If we apply information seekers, it appears that she is not dead, it participates in some protocol irrelevant but the media and do not deal with it. There is simply no longer circulates in the collective imagination of the European Union. Such evidence discrediting end of Europe to the idea of civil society in our country, which, in addition to such membership blamed the sacrifices imposed on us, observes how the heads of state and government to the EU institutions designated officials planes that are, yes, unable to project any shadow or take the initiative."
from: "Where's Catherine Ashton?"
http://www.diariodemallorca.es/opinion/2012/11/20/catherine-ashton/809188.html
Israel, Syria exchange fire
"By Ariel Schalit, Josef Federman
The Associated Press staff
TEL HAZEKA, Golan Heights — Israeli tanks struck a Syrian artillery launcher Monday after a stray mortar shell flew into Israel-held territory, the first direct clash between the neighbors since the Syrian uprising began nearly two years ago.
The confrontation fueled new fears that the Syrian civil war could drag Israel into the violence, a scenario with grave consequences for the region. The fighting has already spilled into Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.
"We are closely monitoring what is happening and will respond appropriately. We will not allow our borders to be violated or our citizens to be fired upon," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday in a speech to foreign ambassadors.
While officials believe President Bashar Assad has no interest in picking a fight with Israel, they fear the embattled Syrian leader may try to draw Israel into the fighting in a bout of desperation. Israeli officials believe it is only a matter of time before Syrian rebels topple the longtime leader.
The conflict has already spilled over into several of Syria’s other neighbors — whether in direct violence or in the flood of refugees fleeing the bloodshed. More than 36,000 Syrians have been killed in the fighting, according to estimates by anti-Assad activists.
On Monday, a Syrian fighter jet bombed a rebel-held area hugging the border with Turkey three times, killing 15 to 20 people, according to a Turkish official. Separately, eight wounded Syrians died in Turkey, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
Potential Israeli involvement in Syria could be far more explosive. The bitter enemies both possess air forces, tanks and significant arsenals of missiles and other weapons.
Although the Israeli military is more modern and powerful, Syria has a collection of chemical weapons that could wreak havoc if deployed. Fighting between the countries could also drag in Syria’s close ally, the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah, or Islamic militant groups in the Gaza Strip on Israel’s southern flank.
Israeli political scientist Dore Gold, an informal adviser to Netanyahu, said neither Israel nor Syria has any interest in escalating the fighting...." more at:
TIME FOR A VISIBLE HAND? – COMMUNICATING FINANCIAL CRISIS AND GLOBAL GOVERNANCE
article: Time for a visible hand?
also from today (article "Israel - Palestine: wha...
J.S.:U.S.! same day same place with US-Israel topi...
Atlantis - beast out of the sea? or Prospero's boo... | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/13901 | Indian Farmers Produce Record Amounts of Crops, Without GMOs
By Shana Lebowitz Indian Farmers Produce Record Amounts of Crops, Without GMOs
Greatist News examines and explains the trends and studies making headlines in fitness, health, and happiness. Check out all the news here.
For years, much of the news to come from India’s farming regions was dismal. The country was facing an agrarian crisis, and thousands of farmers were committing suicide in the face of dwindling economic prospects.Now it seems the farmers’ luck has turned. The UK newspaper The Guardian recently ran a feature on the “rice revolution” in India, where people have been producing record amounts of rice as well as wheat, potatoes, and other crops. What’s more, they’ve done it without the help of expensive genetically modified (GM) seeds, instead using a technique called System of Rice Intensification (SRI).What’s the Deal? Since the 1980s, many Indian farmers have purchased GM seeds (mostly seeds for Bacillus thuringiensis, or bt cotton) from big biotech companies such as Monsanto. These seeds supposedly increase the amount of crops produced while reducing the need for pesticides.But for many farmers, GM seeds can be more trouble than they’re worth, and some media outlets have cited the rising cost of GM seeds as the reason for the rash of suicides among impoverished farmers. The New York Times reported that the seeds cost between 700 and 2,000 rupees, or $38 per packet, which is about three to eight times the cost of non-GM seeds. What’s more, some regions where farmers use bt cotton have actually reported significant declines in productivity.That’s why it came as somewhat of a shock when one farmer in Bihar, India grew 22.4 tons of rice on one hectare of land in 2012, breaking the world record for crop yields. Around the same time, farmers in nearby villages produced unprecedented amounts of potatoes and wheat. How did they do it? They’d all swapped GM seeds for the SRI method, which involves transplanting very young plants into fields, placing them far apart from each other, and keeping the soil dry. Next year, the state of Bihar plans to invest $50 million in SRI.Why It MattersThe development of a new, successful agricultural technology is welcome news for Indian farmers, who face the possibility of even more expensive GM seeds in the near future. Monsanto is currently on track to win a Supreme Court case that would allow the company complete control over its seeds, meaning it could charge any price for them.Experts have suggested that India transition to organic and eco-friendly farming methods in order to increase yields and reduce costs. Beyond financial difficulties, critics across the globe have spoken out against the use of GMOs for years, citing possible ill health effects ranging from allergies to altered DNA in the people who eat them. In response to these concerns, the Indian government passed a bill last month requiring all packaged foods containing GMOs to be labeled.Of course, it’s possible these new agricultural technologies won’t work well for mono-crop agriculture (growing a single crop every year on the same land). On the other hand, it’s possible the tables may turn, and Western farmers may ultimately gain new insights into the most effective farming strategies from the East.Do you think countries, including the U.S., should invest in SRI? Should GMO foods be labeled? Let us know in the comments below or tweet the author directly at @ShanaDLebowitz. Share Pin It Tweet Text News and Trends
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2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/13939 | Straight off the farm Bayonne Farmers’ Market is thriving by
By Al Sullivan Reporter staff writer Hudson Reporter
Jul 31, 2013 | 3274 views | 0 | 69 | | HUNGRY FOR FRESH – People flocked to the Bayonne Farmers’ Market looking for straight-from-the –farm produce.
“I decided that some snacks aren’t as healthy as they claim to be, so I decided to make my own,” said Peggy Samuels of Hoboken-based Green Acres, who was one of the nearly 20 vendors doing business at this year’s Bayonne Farmers’ Market.Like a number of vendors, Samuels is offering a variety of goods that help people make their own cakes or cookies, although she provides a number of samples to help entice those who stop by.This is her third year in Bayonne, although she said she has taken part in other similar markets elsewhere in Hudson County, such as the three markets in Jersey City. While not a professional cook, she said she grew up around cooking and has a number of healthy snacks that people can make.“If you’re going to binge, then binge on something healthy, not junk food,” she said.While the Bayonne market is one of her latest ventures, she said she hopes to expand eventually to farmers’ markets elsewhere such as the Union Square market in New York City or perhaps some of those markets that come on line around the holidays.The third year up and runningOn this hot day in late July, Lauren Dellabella—founder and organizer of the Bayonne Farmers’ Market, could not be found.This was highly unusual since this is a woman who does nearly everything, from setting up signs on Broadway to making sure everything is set before the market opens on Tuesdays at 2 p.m.Megan Januska, coordinator for the City’s Special Improvement District, fills in for Dellabella, making the rounds to ensure that everything is operating as it should.But Januska said nobody can take Dellabella’s place, and the only reason Dellabella isn’t here on this particular Tuesday is because she is doing a photo shoot for Campbell’s Soup for a magazine, part of Dellabella’s other life as a culinary consultant. Dellabella has been in the culinary field for more than 20 years, working for food companies and food magazines, and has been active as a freelancer and a culinary consultant. Januska said that on this Tuesday, all but two vendors showed up—and these few weeks have been particularly hot as customers and vendors hunker down under white tents to ward off direct sunlight.This year the farmers’ market got an earlier start than last year, kicking off on May 7. While this allowed residents to get more vegetables early, a cold spring kept down many crops so there were fewer choices in the beginning.“But everything’s here now,” Januska said.While the onset of cold weather will determine when the farmers’ market will end, Januska said it will most likely continue until the end of November.As in previous years, the Bayonne Farmers’ Market has drawn vendors from throughout the state, from as near as Hoboken and as far away as Asbury, NJ.Januska said that the popular vendors include the lemonade stand, Dr. Pickle, and X-Calibur knife and scissor sharpening. Owner Scott Jennings said that people have to find him at the far end of the market and then return later with their implements. His craft is far less common than in the past when local stores used to do it, so people find it a real service, Januska said.Fresh produce is provided by two farms, Iona Hills Farm from Hackettstown and Ort’s Farm from Long Valley.The market is affiliated with Jersey Fresh, which is part of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. According to the state’s Department of Agriculture, New Jersey farmers grow some of the best produce in the country. But it often does not get into local grocery stores and restaurants. New Jersey has been trying to make its produce more accessible through a program called “Jersey Fresh,” which was initiated by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture in 1984 and has gained momentum as farmers and communities like Bayonne get involved.Always something newJanuska said a new element has been added to the market this year, something called CSAs which are a kind of farm stock. Customers buy shares and then get a portion of the produce. “Some send in their orders and come pick them up later, or come to the market to fill their bags of fruit and vegetables,” Januska saidSome of these vendors do more than one farmer’s market, since many, such as Bayonne’s, operate one day a week.Central Valley Farms offers a variety of eggs, cheeses, and vegetables not found at other vendors. Mike Faace, who worked for the farms since 8th grade, said mozzarella cheese is the biggest seller.Randy Patrizio of Gourmet Nuts and Fruits of Hanover, said he’s been at the Bayonne Farmers’ Market for three years, and that business this year is about the same as last. Though he sells a variety of products, people tend to want three or four items.“Sometimes, we have to bring more boxes,” he said.The farmers’ market is open every Tuesday from 2 to 7 p.m. in the parking lot near the city’s mini-golf course between 23rd and 24th Streets on Del Monte Drive. For more information call (201) 436-5057.Al Sullivan may be reached at [email protected]. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/15056 | Wolcott Historical Society News - August 2010
In this edition, I will move onto the farms in the South West District of the town. This district includes farmland that is located in the Woodtick and Frisbie School area and west to Wolcott Road. On the 1868 map, some of the early family names in this area were Brown(e), Bement, Hough, Rose, Hall, Tuttle, Minor, Munson, Merrill, Welton, Nichols, Higgins, Todd, Frisbie, and Upson. The farms that I will discuss in this district are Bock, Echo, Wakelee, and Warner Farms.
Back in December 2009, I wrote an article about the Woodtick section of town highlighting an early manufacturer Gustave Cornelis. I stated that the Cornelis House was located at 292 Woodtick Road and was owned by Bill Gniazdowski Jr.; that information was incorrect. The Cornelis House was taken down in the late 1950s or early 60s and was located across from the Woodtick Reservoir. The house that I said was owned by Cornelis was the Bock Farm house and located at 292 Woodtick Road just south of Frisbie School. However, Mr. Cornelis did sell the Bocks some of the land that made up their farm. The Bock Farm is where Bill Gniazdowski Jr.'s 60-acre Echo Farm is located today. The original house was built around 1895 and is located in the back of the house. The larger gambrel roof section in the front of the house was built around 1913 by Mrs. Bock's brothers, the Schindler's. Bill's father and mother purchased the run-down farm from Mrs. Bock in 1935 and turned the property into a large turkey farm from 1940 to 1942. Then from 1943 to 1945, chickens covered this farmland. After raising poultry for five years, Bill Gniazdowski Sr. decided to raise hogs for a short period of time, but was not allowed to bring in any type of garbage to feed them, so he moved that venture to Naugatuck. Finally, he raised beef cattle on the farm from 1949 to 1962. He had 110 cattle in the herd. In 1962, the Gniazdowskis decided to slow down, so they began to lease their largest field to the Wolcott Baseball Association in exchange for the payment of property taxes. This ended in 1986, "after the Association and the Gniazdowskis were sued over a 1984 incident in which a boy broke his leg while playing on the field."
In 1978, Bill Jr. gave up his career as an insurance adjustor to take over the farm from his parents. Bill Jr. and his dad built a new barn around 1979 on the original foundation of the old barn. Then he began planting 15 acres of blueberries, about 9000 bushes, on the land with the help of his family. Today the farm still houses fields of blueberries, but there are also five greenhouses filled with hot house hybrid tomatoes, lettuce, and bedding plants, as well as several fields of other produce such as squash, cauliflower, and peppers to sell to local farm markets and local residents from his farm stand. It's wonderful to see this working farm thriving in our town.
In 1737, Ebenezer Wakelee acquired several hundred acres of land in the area of the Wolcott/Waterbury town line that covered what is now Sharon Road in Waterbury and north on Wolcott Road to Tosun Road, as well as west toward Lakewood Road. The Wakelees had a granite quarry on the boundary of their property where the Waterbury dump was located at the top of Industry Lane. The Wakelee property was referred to as the "Big Plains" region. The house that Ebenezer Wakelee built stood a short distance away from the Almus Wakelee house that is still located on Wakelee Road; it was erected between the years 1882 to1885. Almus (grandson of Ebenezer) and his wife, Harriet were buried in the back yard of that house.
Just north of the Mona Lisa Restaurant was another Wakelee house that was demolished several years ago. Jonathan Bement, who was the son of Almus and Harriet Wakelee, built that house in 1842. This area was the general location of the Wakelee Farm, which included dairy and hay barns, chicken coop, icehouse, blacksmith shop, milk house, horse barn, and wagon shed. Almus was the great grandfather of Robert A. Wakelee, who was a selectman in our town for 33 years on and off from 1912 through 1959, and lived in the Almus Wakelee house during his lifetime.
His son, Robert C. Wakelee, was born in 1907 and grew up on the Wakelee Farm. He gives a vivid description of life on this farm in his autobiography Me & My Pa. He stated that in the year he was born, 1907, his father had about 12 to 14 milking cows that gave him enough milk for a 400-quart milk route in Waterbury. His dad would be up early in the morning milking the cows and was the "fastest milker around." He would carry a 10 or 15 quart milk can onto the customerÕs back porch, dip a one-quart dipper into the can, and pour the milk into mason jars or any other containers that the customer left for him. Robert C.'s description of life on the farm indicates that this daily work included every family member. He later built a greenhouse on his property on Wolcott Road and ran that business for most of his life. Over time, much of the Wakelee land was inherited by family members and sold off or developed into residential and commercial properties.
Bordering the Wakelee property to the south, opposite Sharon Road was the Warner's Dairy Farm; their house was on the corner of Lakewood and Wolcott Roads in Waterbury. They also had a poultry farm, which was located where Highland Manufacturing is found today. Ken and George Warner ran these farms. Warner's property ran all the way to the top of Long Hill Road in Waterbury. That property was sold in the mid 1900s for the development of a housing project called "Warner Gardens."
Next month, I will discuss Willow Brook Dairy on Tosun Road and the Munson and Norton farms found in the South West district of our town. Remember to visit our Farm display at the Wolcott Country Fair in August.
If you have pictures or information about any Wolcott farms, please contact me at 203-879-9818 of email me at fjgtdg at gmail.com
(Information for this article was taken from The History of Wolcott, Connecticut from 1731 to 1874 by Samuel Orcutt, 1986 Historic Resources Inventory by Paul Loether, and Wolcott, Connecticut 175th Anniversary 1796-1971 by John Washburne, Old Wolcott by Rose Wakelee Badger, Wakelee Genealogy pamphlet, Me and My Pa, Autobiography of Robert Charles Wakelee, a July 1989 article in the Waterbury American by Daniel Petersen, and interviews with Eloise Mayo Packer of Florida, Bill Gniazdowski, and Ray Dolinger of Wolcott.)
Our Schoolhouse Museum is open by appointment only during the winter, spring, and summer months. Anyone interested in visiting the Museum, please call Loretta Leonard at 203-879-4310 or Flo Goodman 203-879-9818. Our meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at the Old Stone School on Nichols Road at 6:30 PM.
Gniazdowski's house and barn on Woodtick Road 1936.
Hogs grazing on the Gniazdowski's Farm in the 1940s.
Turkeys feeding in front of an old barn on Gniazdowski's Farm.
Florence Edith Porter Wakelee on the farm with horse.
Almus Wakelee House built between 1882-1885.
Jonathan Bement Wakelee Sr. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/16443 | Washington alfalfa undergoes GMO testing
Hay exporters say rejection of a Washington state shipment because it contained genetically-modified alfalfa is probably a localized problem, not an industry-wide concern.
Published on September 12, 2013 5:11PM
Eric Mortenson/Capital Press
Longtime hay exporters Rod Van Orman, left, and Ron Anderson, of Anderson Hay & Grain Co. in Ellensburg, Wash., say proper testing is required to avoid problems with genetically-engineered alfalfa. Although approved in the U.S., some overseas customers don’t want to buy it, they say.
Buy this photo Washington state agriculture officials expect test results Friday to show whether an alfalfa hay shipment rejected by a broker contains genetically-engineered material.An eastern Washington grower reported in August that hay he intended to export was turned away after a broker’s test showed it had traits of “Roundup Ready” alfalfa. The grower, who was not identified, intended to grow conventional alfalfa and bought seed for that purpose. State Department of Agriculture researchers took samples of the seed and the hay produced from it, and expect to complete testing Friday at a Yakima seed lab, department spokesman Mike Louisell said.If the seed and hay test positive for GE material, the investigation could broaden into whether the seed was incorrectly labeled or was misrepresented as conventional alfalfa, Louisell said. Various media outlets reported the seed was produced by Forage Genetics, based in Idaho, but Louisell could not confirm that.If the tests are positive, the state agency will contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review the results and possibly take over the investigation, Louisell said.“It would be their call to go further with the investigation,” he said. Although approved for use in the U.S. in 2011 and also approved in some export nations, some individual dairy farms or beef operations overseas do not want to buy genetically-engineered alfalfa.The news broke as many growers were assembled in Salem, Ore., for the annual National Hay Association convention. Growers contacted at the convention said they weren’t aware of the situation, but acknowledged the public concern over genetically modified products must be taken seriously.“It’s such a sensitive issue,” said Rod Van Orman, operations manager for Anderson Hay & Grain Co., based in Ellensburg, Wash. “If one guy has a problem, it creates a problem for the rest of us.”Company chairman Ron Anderson, who began exporting hay to Japan in the early 1970s, said his company routinely tests hay it raises itself and buys from other growers throughout the Northwest.“When you ship to other countries, you’ve got to know what’s in your hay,” Anderson said.The Center for Food Safety, a persistent opponent of biotech food and forage crops, said the “contamination” is a result of the government’s willingness to accept industry’s assurances of safety.“For nearly a decade, Center for Food Safety has vigorously opposed the introduction of GE alfalfa, precisely because it was virtually certain to contaminate natural alfalfa, among other severe environmental and economic harms,” Executive Director Andrew Kimbrell said in a prepared statement.The group considers the Washington incident in the same light as the discovery this past spring of unapproved genetically modified wheat plants in an eastern Oregon field. Japan and Korea temporarily suspended purchases of soft white wheat from the Pacific Northwest after the finding, which remains under investigation by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.That comparison was rejected by Beth Nelson, president of the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, based in St. Paul, Minn.“That’s a completely different thing,” she said. “GE wheat has never been approved for sale in the U.S., but Roundup-Ready alfalfa has been deregulated in the U.S. and deemed safe by APHIS .”Nelson said her alliance supports the use of biotechnology, which allows growers to have a choice in what to produce and what market to grow for.The alliance also has developed Best Management Practices that have been adopted by major suppliers of alfalfa seed. Genetic purity standards set a 5 percent threshold for the adventitious presence of off-types, one of which is genetic engineering. The threshold for certified seed is 2 percent, “and we don’t expect to get to zero.”Pacific Northwest hay and straw have been hot commodities in the past few years as demand and price increased due to an expanding export market and drought that reduced the harvest elsewhere. In 2011, hay was Oregon’s third leading crop, with $638 million in gross farm sales, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/16447 | Industry ‘Curtailments’ and other woes tighten Calif. supplies
By Kate Campbell, California Farm Bureau Federation
Facing severe drought, California farmers and ranchers are bracing for an increasing flow of bad news about water supplies.
State officials said last week they're preparing to curtail diversions to holders of certain water rights; federal authorities said they have no immediate plans to increase the "zero" allocation for most of their farm water customers; and a new report detailed the pressure surface-water shortages have placed on California groundwater basins.
The State Water Resources Control Board said it is preparing to curtail water diversions from watersheds that drain into the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, the Tulare Lake Basin, and the Russian and Eel rivers.
In times of shortage, state water law says if there's not enough water for all water right holders, the most junior will be curtailed before restrictions are imposed on more senior water right holders. Seniority is determined by the type and age of the water right.
Riparian water rights are generally the most senior rights, followed by older appropriative rights and then newer rights. Any water supply remaining in the watershed after appropriative water rights are shut off must be shared on a "correlative basis among riparian users."
In most watersheds where curtailment is likely, the water board said notices will go to post-1914 water rights holders beginning in May; thousands of individuals and water agencies hold such rights, although it is not clear how many will receive the curtailment notices. Holders of pre-1914 rights are also expected to receive curtailment notices, later this year, and it's anticipated that supply this summer and fall won't meet all riparian demands, requiring riparian users also to reduce or stop using water.
Given the dire shortages expected in coming months, the water board said after curtailment, it expects to allow limited diversions for public health and safety needs where no other water supply is available.
"We encourage management of water supplies to protect public health and safety, but we also must emphasize the need for adequate food production," said Danny Merkley, water resources director for the California Farm Bureau Federation. "Having healthful, local food available is a big part of ensuring human health and safety."
Also last week, the state Department of Water Resources' final snow survey of the year found more bare ground than snow, with snow water content at only 18 percent of average for the date.
Reservoir levels are also a concern, officials said. The state's largest reservoirs—Shasta, Oroville and New Melones—stood at about 65 percent of average for the date, while San Luis Reservoir was at about half of average.
Merkley noted that although Don Pedro Reservoir on the Tuolumne River stood at 73 percent of average, less water is available from that source today for human needs than in the severe drought of 1977, when the reservoir actually held less water. This discrepancy in supply flexibility, he said, illustrates the problems of operating under current environmental laws and regulations.
Officials at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the Central Valley Project, said last week they don't know "when or if we'll be doing another (water) allocation announcement."
Economic losses in the billions of dollars are anticipated due to the zero water allocation for CVP agricultural contractors. The Friant Water Authority said its contractors are preparing for a "financial and social calamity," as they prepare for the first-ever call on Friant water to supply San Joaquin River exchange contractors and honor their historic river water rights. The agency said all-out efforts continue to seek an emergency solution to the water cutoff.
The state's citrus belt—Fresno, Tulare and Kings counties, where the bulk of fresh-market citrus is grown on about 50,000 acres—faces estimated losses of $3 billion. Many farms do not have access to groundwater or other alternative water sources, and some orchards are being pushed out.
"It is incredible that a system created to preserve agricultural production in this state is being leveraged to service environmental needs at greater levels than are necessary, while agriculture is left to go dry," said Joel Nelsen, president of Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual.
In another development, DWR released a report on groundwater basins with potential shortages. The agency said the report will form the basis for future state actions to address gaps in monitoring and oversight of groundwater resources.
Groundwater provides about 40 percent of the state's water supply in an average year and can provide close to 60 percent of the supply during a drought. Some areas rely 100 percent on groundwater for municipal and agricultural purposes.
"This kind of dependence creates vulnerabilities in our communities and underscores the need to increase surface water infrastructure," Merkley said.
Since spring 2008, the report noted, groundwater levels have dropped to record lows in most areas of the state—especially in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay region, the southern San Joaquin Valley, and the South Lahontan and South Coast regions. In many areas of the San Joaquin Valley, recent groundwater levels are more than 100 feet below previous historical lows, the report said.
The DWR report concluded that the greatest concentration of recently deepened wells occurred in the fractured-bedrock foothill areas of Nevada, Placer and El Dorado counties, while the Kaweah and Kings sub-basins had the greatest number of deepened wells in an alluvial groundwater basin.
The groundwater report is available at www.water.ca.gov/waterconditions.
Curtailment information by watershed is available at www.swrcb.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/drought/analysis/.
(Kate Campbell is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at [email protected].)
californiadroughtfarmersranchers About the Author:
Kate Campbell, California Farm Bureau Federation | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/17229 | University-developed omega-3-rich ground beef available soon
February 4, 2013 by Greg Tammen
Thanks to Kansas State University research, part of a healthy diet can include a hamburger rich with omega-3 fatty acids.
Jim Drouillard, professor of animal sciences and industry, developed a technique that enriches ground beef with omega-3 fatty acids—fatty acids that have been shown to reduce heart disease, cholesterol and high blood pressure. The enriched ground beef is named GreatO Premium Ground Beef and is being sold through Manhattan, Kan.-based company NBO3 Technologies LLC. It will be available mid-February at select retailers in Buffalo, N.Y., and expand to leading retailers and restaurants nationwide later this year. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish and plant oils. The U.S. currently does not have a recommended daily intake of omega-3s, though many doctors and nutritionists recommend between 1,200-1,600 milligrams daily, depending on a person's age and health. A quarter-pound hamburger made of the enriched ground beef has 200 milligrams of omega-3s and tastes the same as regular ground beef, Drouillard said. This makes the ground beef an alternative for people who want to add or increase their omega-3 fatty acids intake but do not want fish or supplements to do so. "As a society, Americans' consumption of fish, especially fish that contributes to these omega-3 fats, is quite low compared to other proteins," Drouillard said. "Reasons for this include cost, access to fish and personal preference. Americans do, however, like hamburgers. So if we can give people a hamburger that is rich in omega-3s, it's an alternative form of a product that they already eat and does not require a lifestyle change, which is difficult to make." The health benefits of omega-3s are not limited to humans. Studies show that dairy and beef cattle with an enriched diet of flaxseed and other omega-3 rich grains have fewer respiratory diseases. The cattle also have higher fertility rates, which helps offset infertility among dairy cattle. The technology to enrich ground beef with omega-3s is a spinoff of flaxseed research Drouillard began in 1998. Drouillard and his students studied flax for several of its omega-3 fatty acids that may suppress inflammation and reduce diabetes in cattle. Research showed that omega-3 levels dramatically increased in the cattle as more flaxseed was introduced into their diet. Keeping the omega-3s from becoming saturated fats in cattle's digestive system is a challenge, however. Microorganisms in the rumen—the largest chamber in the cow's stomach—modify most of the ingested fats and turn them into saturated fats. This causes ground beef to have low levels of omega-3s. Christian Alvarado Gilis, a doctoral candidate in animal sciences and industry, is researching how to improve omega-3 levels in cattle diets to further enhance the fat profile of beef. Gilis is from Chile. According to Drouillard, substituting omega-3 fatty acids for saturated fats does not change the ground beef's flavor. "Knowing that there are a lot of desirable flavor characteristics associated with the fat in beef, we performed tons of sensory panel tests with Kansas State University's meat science faculty and with the department of human nutrition throughout the years to ensure that the flavor is not compromised," Drouillard said. "We found that our panelists were never able to detect appreciable differences in the flavor profiles of the omega-3 rich beef and non-omega-3 beef, even though the fats are quite different." The owners of NBO3 Technologies LLC have worked closely with Drouillard in developing the concept, and after more than a decade of research on improving the enrichment process, have started to distribute omega-3 enriched ground beef to retailers and food vendors. The ground beef is part of the company's line of omega-3 enriched foods, which includes pork, chicken, cheese, milk, butter and ice cream. It will be the first ground beef to carry the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's seal of approval for containing omega-3 fatty acids. Todd Hansen, CEO of NBO3 Technologies LLC, said consumer response has been positive in test markets. "We have to leap two hurdles with GreatO Premium Ground Beef, which are that the omega-3 fatty acids are really in the beef and that it doesn't change the flavor," Hansen said. "Based on our consumer response, we've cleared those hurdles. We really believe in the health aspect of this product and are using the slogan 'When Every Bite Counts' to emphasize that. I can't wait for consumers to have it available to them."
Explore further: Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking
Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking
Omega-3 fatty acids may help to reduce the physical harm caused by smoking, according to a new study presented at the World Congress of Cardiology.
High percentage of omega-3s in the blood may boost risk of aggressive prostate cancer
The largest study ever to examine the association of dietary fats and prostate cancer risk has found what's good for the heart may not be good for the prostate. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/17325 | The Art of Winemaking in America
Grapes Into Wine
As the first to write a basic book in English on winemaking from the winemaker s point of view, Philip Wagner has long been considered an authority on the subject, and his book American Wines and Wine-Making has become a bible for small producers and home winemakers in this country. Now, in this completely new version of that classic, Mr. Wagner takes into account the many dramatic changes that in recent years have revolutionized the American wine scene. With the knowledge that comes from his own experimentation, Mr. Wagner discusses the new, successful hybrids that have now made it possible to grow wine-producing grapes in far more areas of the United States than used to be considered feasible. Once again he covers all the basic technical information, including recent developments important to the small commercial winery and to the home producer from the choice of the right vines to the vintage itself, the care of the new wines, and finally the bottling of the wine: red, white, and rose, sparkling and sweet. There is a new chapter on concentrates for the growing number of people who want to make wine but are not close to a source for suitable grapes, or haven t the space to work with fresh materials. Mr. Wagner describes what concentrates are, how they are made, what the characteristics are of different types, and what to expect. There are specific instructions on procedure and on the necessary (and unnecessary) equipment. In addition, Philip Wagner s introductory chapters on the evolution of the wine grape, on European winegrowing, and on the contemporary scene throughout the United States provide an excellent guide for the consumer, as does his concluding chapter on tasting and using wine. Peppered throughout with a wealth of historical and anecdotal material as well as down-to-earth experience and full of the author s appreciation of wine and winemaking as a way of life this book is not only a useful guide but delightful and rewarding reading."
Buy The Art of Winemaking in America book by Grapes Into Wine from Australia's Online Independent Bookstore, Boomerang Books.
Industrial chemistry & manufacturing technologies
Industrial chemistry
Winemaking technology
Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
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Author Biography - Grapes Into Wine
PHILIP M. WAGNERwas born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1904. Most of his career has been in newspaper work with theSunpapers of Baltimore as editor ofThe Evening Sunand subsequently ofThe Sun.A taste for wine led him into winemaking and then into grape growing and experimenting with new hybrid varieties that could be cultivated under American conditions. Then he and his wife, Jocelyn, established a grapevine nursery and in 1945 a small commercial winery whose red, white, and rose wines became well known, especially in the Baltimore-Washington area. Mr. Wagner served repeatedly on the wine jury of the annual California State Fair at Sacramento, where virtually all the superior wines of California were reviewed and graded, and twice as resident Regents Lecturer at the University of California; recently the French government has honored him by naming him anOfficier du Merite Agricole.HisAmerican Wines and Wine-Makingwas published in its original form in 1933, and was followed byA Winegrower s Guidein 1945.He died in 1997 at the age of ninety-two." | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/17514 | ALIN Wins YoBloCo Awards 2014 News and Events ALIN News ALIN Wins YoBloCo Awards 2014
The Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) is among the nine (9) winners of the Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards). ALIN emerged the best in East Africa region in the Institutional category through their blog Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV), thus winning Euro 3,000.
The winners were announced on July 17, 2014 during the cocktail dinner organized at the International Fin4Ag Conference at Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Youth in Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards) is organized in the framework of the Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and Agriculture Rural Report and Youth in the Information Society (ARRYIS) project, in collaboration with FARA, Yam-Pukri, CAFAN, African Youth Foundation (AYF), African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE), Secretariat of the Pacific Community/ Pacific Agricultural and Forestry Policy Network (SPC/PAFPNET) and e-Agriculture.
YoBLoCo aims to put into limelight successes and issues faced by youth engaged in agriculture, in urban and rural areas; and to encourage the production of information and the use of new information and communication technologies by young farmers groups and organizations interested in the youth in agriculture question.
Apart from the above awards, ALIN has also been privileged to win Access to Learning Award of $1 million in 2011 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for providing knowledge and information through a variety of innovative channels in remote communities throughout Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, UNESCO-IPDC Prize for Rural Communication in 2012 for its efforts to improve communication for rural communities in developing countries and the ICT innovation for Social Equity and Poverty Reduction Award in 2012.
At the organization level, ALIN has a network of Maarifa (Knowledge) centers spread across the region to facilitate technology uptake and project implementation. ALIN has a professional team of individuals who support project development and implementation. In 2011, the Regional Director Mr. James Nguo was selected an Ashoka Fellow, (https://www.ashoka.org/about) a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs - individuals with innovative and practical ideas for solving social problems.
ALIN has successfully piloted SOKO+ (http://sokoplus.sokopepe.co.ke/) online platform in Ng’arua Kenya and has received further support from Ford foundation to further scale up the operations throughout East Africa. More News Articles | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/18207 | Home | Titles | Authors | Categories | Narrators | About UPA | Contact | Search
What Is Landscape? Saving Seeds, Preserving Taste
A World to Live In
At the Chef's Table
Savory Suppers And Fashionable Feasts
Empire of Vines
Rural Free
Animals as Domesticates
FarmingFood/AlcoholEnvironment
Spies/IntelligenceArchaeology
A Revolution Down on the Farm The Transformation of American Agriculture since 1929
Paul K. Conkin
Approximately 12 hours
UnabridgedDownloadable edition:
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Book published by University Press of Kentucky
At a time when food is becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the world and food prices are skyrocketing, no industry is more important than agriculture. Humans have been farming for thousands of years, and yet agriculture has undergone more fundamental changes in the past 80 years than in the previous several centuries. In 1900, 30 million American farmers tilled the soil or tended livestock; today there are fewer than 4.5 million farmers who feed a population four times larger than it was at the beginning of the century. Fifty years ago, the planet could not have sustained a population of 6.5 billion; now, commercial and industrial agriculture ensure that millions will not die from starvation. Farmers are able to feed an exponentially growing planet because the greatest industrial revolution in history has occurred in agriculture since 1929, with U.S. farmers leading the way. Productivity on American farms has increased tenfold, even as most small farmers and tenants have been forced to find other work. Today, only 300,000 farms produce approximately ninety percent of the total output, and overproduction, largely subsidized by government programs and policies, has become the hallmark of modern agriculture. A Revolution Down on the Farm: The Transformation of American Agriculture since 1929 charts the profound changes in farming that have occurred during author Paul K. Conkin’s lifetime. His personal experiences growing up on a small Tennessee farm complement compelling statistical data as he explores America’s vast agricultural transformation and considers its social, political, and economic consequences. He examines the history of American agriculture, showing how New Deal innovations evolved into convoluted commodity programs following World War II. Conkin assesses the skills, new technologies, and government policies that helped transform farming in America and suggests how new legislation might affect farming in decades to come. Although the increased production and mechanization of farming has been an economic success story for Americans, the costs are becoming increasingly apparent. Small farmers are put out of business when they cannot compete with giant, non-diversified corporate farms. Caged chickens and hogs in factory-like facilities or confined dairy cattle require massive amounts of chemicals and hormones ultimately ingested by consumers. Fertilizers, new organic chemicals, manure disposal, and genetically modified seeds have introduced environmental problems that are still being discovered. A Revolution Down on the Farm concludes with an evaluation of farming in the twenty-first century and a distinctive meditation on alternatives to our present large scale, mechanized, subsidized, and fossil fuel and chemically dependent system.
Paul K. Conkin is Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History at Vanderbilt University. He is the author of numerous books, including The State of the Earth, The Southern Agrarians, and When All the Gods Trembled.
“This book should be recommended reading for students and teachers of agriculture. Furthermore, those working in production agriculture will likely find the book very provocative.”
—Choice“This cogent, thorough history should prove fascinating for anyone interested in the changing landscape of American agriculture.”
—Publishers Weekly“As interesting as the personal tale is, however, what is even more useful is Conkin’s concise, carefully written discussion of the major changes in American agriculture since 1929.”
—Journal of Illinois History“This important book explores a recent revolution in American history that substituted technology for people and animals in farming and greatly increased output. Paul Conkin tells this tale in his own way, drawing upon his personal involvement in the story as well as the relevant scholarship and the basic documents.
—Richard Kirkendall“This book is an accurate and straightfoward account of agriculture in America down through the years, spiced with the on-farm experiences of the author himself. All the important farm issues and views about them are discussed in a format that is handy and easy to read. Perfect for the new student of agriculture who needs a quick but detailed introduction to farming history in the United States.”
—Gene Logsdon“Conkin’s book certainly springs forward and can be read in a manner that encourages the reader to gain a comprehensive understanding of the topics addressed. What is more, his book is truly interesting to anyone interested in the history of farming or the history of rural America.”
—North Florida News Daily“This book provokes thought, and ideally it will provoke reflection and a study that addresses the social costs as well as the industrial gains made during the greatest industrial revolution in the history of the United States, the agricultural production revolution.”
—Ohio Valley History“For a generation of students who know little about the agricultural past, Conkin’s book will provide an important and well-rounded overview.”
—Agricultural History“Conkin provides a masterful survey of the major agricultural legislation of the 1930s, noting that the long-term effect of these programs continues to invite curiosity.... a friendly, approachable work on agricultural history ... a map to new ways of thinking about the past and planning for the future.”
—Arkansas Historical Quarterly“Clearly written and organized, Conkin’s book will appeal to anyone interested in farming and the agricultural economy.”
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2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/18575 | Agricultural Marketing in India
Marketing, Trade, and Aid – Marketing and Marketing Services INDIA
The agricultural marketing system in India operates primarily according to the forces of supply and demand in the private sector. Indian Government intervention is limited to protecting the interests of producers and consumers and promoting organized marketing of agricultural commodities. In 1991 there were 6,640 regulated markets to which the central government provided assistance in the establishment of infrastructure and in setting up rural warehouses. Various central government organizations are involved in agricultural marketing, including the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, the Food Corporation of India, the Cotton Corporation of India, and the Jute Corporation of India. There also are specialized marketing boards for rubber, coffee, tea, tobacco, spices, coconut, oilseeds, vegetable oil, and horticulture.
A network of cooperatives at the local, state, and national levels assist in agricultural marketing in India. The major commodities handled are food grains, jute, cotton, sugar, milk, and areca nuts. Established in 1958 as the apex of the state marketing federations, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India handles much of the domestic and most of the export marketing for its member organizations.
Large enterprises, such as cooperative Indian sugar factories, spinning mills, and solvent-extraction plants mostly handle their own marketing operations independently. Medium- and small-sized enterprises, such as rice mills, oil mills, cotton ginning and pressing units, and jute baling units, mostly are affiliated with cooperative marketing societies.
In the late 1980s, there were some 2,400 agro processing units in India in the cooperative sector. Of all the cooperative agroprocessing industries, cooperative sugar factories achieved the most notable success. The number of licensed or registered units remained at 232, of which 211 had been installed by March 1988. During the October 1987-September 1988 sugar season, 196 cooperative sugar factories were in production. They produced nearly 5.3 million tons of sugar, accounting for about 57.5 percent of the country’s total production of 9.2 million tons. The National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories ( India ) rendered advice to member cooperatives on technical improvement, financial management, raw materials development, and inventory control.
In the early 1990s, the cooperative marketing structure comprised 6,777 primary marketing societies: 2,759 general-purpose societies at the mandi (wholesale markets in India ) level and 4,018 special commodities societies for oilseeds and other such commodities. There were also 161 district or central societies covering nearly all important mandis in the country and twenty-nine general-purpose state cooperative marketing federations. The total value of agricultural produce marketed by cooperatives amounted to about Rs54.2 billion in FY 1988, compared with Rs18 billion in FY 1979. The total value of food grains handled by marketing cooperatives increased from Rs5 billion in FY 1979 to about Rs11.3 billion in FY 1986.
The Indian Ministry of Agriculture’s Directorate of Marketing and Inspection is responsible for administering federal statutes concerned with the marketing of agricultural produce. Another function is market research. The directorate also works closely with states to provide agricultural marketing services that constitutionally come under state purview.
Under the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marketing) Act of 1937, more than forty primary commodities are compulsorily graded for export and voluntarily graded for internal consumption. Although the regulation of commodity markets is a function of state government, the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection provides marketing and inspection services and financial aid down to the village level to help set up commodity grading centers in selected markets.
By the 1980s, warehouses for storing agricultural produce and farm supplies played an increasing role in government price support and price control programs and in distributing farm commodities and farm supplies. Because the public warehouses issue a receipt to the owners of stored goods on which loans can be raised, warehouses are also becoming important in agricultural finance. The Central Warehousing Corporation, an entity of the central government, operates warehouses at major points within its jurisdictions, and cooperatives operate warehouses in towns and villages. The growth of the warehousing system in India has resulted in a decline in weather damage to produce and in loss to rodents and other pests.
Most agricultural produce in India is sold by farmers in the private sector to moneylenders (to whom the farmer may be indebted) or to village traders. Produce is sold in various ways. It might be sold at a weekly village market in the farmer’s own village or in a neighboring village. If these outlets are not available, then produce might be sold at irregularly held markets in a nearby village or town, or in the mandi . Farmers also can sell to traders who come to the work site.
The Indian government has adopted various measures to improve agricultural marketing. These steps include establishing regulated markets, constructing warehouses, grading and standardizing produce, standardizing weights and measures, and providing information on agricultural prices over All India Radio (Akashvani), the national radio network.
The government’s objective of providing reasonable prices for basic food commodities is achieved through the Public Distribution System, a network of 350,000 fair-price shops that are monitored by state governments. Channeling basic food commodities through the Public Distribution System serves as a conduit for reaching the truly needy and as a system for keeping general consumer prices in check. More than 80 percent of the supplies of grain to the Public Distribution System is provided by Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh.
The Food Corporation of India was established in 1965 as the public-sector marketing agency responsible for implementing government price policy through procurement and public distribution operations. It was intended to secure for the government a commanding position in the food-grain trade. By 1979 the corporation was operating in all states as the sole agent of the central government in food-grain procurement. The corporation uses the services of state government agencies and cooperatives in its operations.
The Food Corporation of India is the sole repository of food grains reserved for the Public Distribution System. Food grains, primarily wheat and rice, account for between 60 and 75 percent of the corporation’s total annual purchases. Food-grain procurement was 8.9 million tons in FY 1971, 13.0 million tons in FY 1981, and 17.8 million tons in FY 1991. Food grains supplied through the Public Distribution System amounted to 7.8 million tons in FY 1971, 13.0 million tons in FY 1981, and 17.0 million tons in FY 1991. The corporation has functioned effectively in providing price supports to farmers through its procurement scheme and in keeping a check on large price increases by providing food grains through the Public Distribution System. | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/18705 | North Platte Bulletin - U.S. okays sale of meat plants to Brazil owners Full Site View
Agriculture - Ag News
U.S. okays sale of meat plants to Brazil owners by George Lauby (North Platte Bulletin) - 4/2/2013
The way is cleared for JBS, a Brazil company, to buy two more Canadian owned packing plants, including one in Omaha. On March 26, the U.S. Department of Justice closed its anti-trust investigation of the proposed acquisition of two XL Four Star Beef slaughtering plants. By closing the investigation without taking any anti-trust enforcement action, the Justice Department has blessed JBS' merger proposal, observers say.When the merger is complete, JBS will have a slaughter capacity in the United States of nearly 28,500 head per day -- making it by far the largest beefpacker in the U.S. as well as the world.And, JBS is already the largest cattle feeder in the U.S., and as the largest cattle slaughterer, it will control the largest share of the wholesale U.S. beef market, said Bill Bullard of R-CALF USA, a watchdog group of U.S. cattle ranchers. "It is now clear that the Obama Administration is afraid to interfere with the Brazilian monolith's plan to strip independent cattle producers of a competitive marketplace and to ultimately capture the live cattle supply chain away from independent U.S. cattle producers and feeders,” Bullard said. Bullard said this is a recipe for a wholesale corporate takeover of the U.S. meat supply chain and monopolization of the meatpacking industry.In October, JBS bought the XL Foods beef plant in Alberta, Canada, that was at the center of an E. coli outbreak and the largest beef recall in Canada.The plant slaughtered one-third of the cattle in Canada. It closed in September after the e-coli outbreak, but reopened in December on a reduced capacity, according to a news report on ThePigSite.com. The XL plant once slaughtered about 25,000 bulls a year, but bull slaughter stopped in September and has not resumed there. JBS also owns a packing plant in a beef plant in northern Utah and under the latest merger, will take over a plant in Nampa, Idaho. JBS is also the owner of Swift Beef Company, which operates a packing plant in Grand Island. Bullard: Bush was betterIn 2008, the Justice Department under the George W. Bush administration successfully initiated antitrust enforcement to block JBS from acquiring the U.S.’s fourth-largest beef packer, National Beef Packing Co., Bullard said. It was the first time since the 1920s that the government took an anti-trust action against a meat-packing merger, Bullard said. "We were hopeful that action signaled the end to decades of lax antitrust enforcement and the beginning of a renewed awareness for the importance of preserving competition for independent cattle producers," Bullard said. "Competition is the best form of regulation,” he said, “and the Justice Department is supposed to preserve competition by preventing mergers that reduce competition through the creation of monopolies.” Like this story to send to your facebook | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/18722 | Farm bill’s expiration lamented
October 10, 2012Farm Policy, Sustainable Agriculture in the NewsLauren The Toledo Blade
By Jon Chavez
Without fanfare, the 2008 farm bill expired Sunday night and while the effects of not having a farm bill won’t be devastating immediately to Ohio’s farmers, it could get to that point if one isn’t passed before year’s end, experts said.
“We’re at a really critical point without one now. We’re going to be at a dire point if we don’t get a new bill by the end of the year,” said Yvonne Lesicko, senior director of legislative and regulatory policy for the Ohio Farm Bureau in Columbus.
The great fear, said Roger Wise, a Fremont-area farmer and president of the Ohio Farmers Union, is that any new farm bill before year’s end will undoubtedly be passed by a lame-duck session of Congress, meaning there will be no great incentive to pass a bill that truly meets farmers’ needs.
“I don’t think it will be as good as it can be had we got it before the Sept. 30 expiration just because of the nature of lame-duck Congresses. But if we don’t get it soon, there could be dramatic effects on farmers, nutrition programs, and even national security issues,” Mr. Wise said.
Congress adjourned Sept. 19 without renewing the existing farm bill. Both houses of Congress had proposed a replacement bill, but they were far apart on unifying legislation with the House proposing a bill with $35 billion in cuts to meet budget deficit restrictions and the Senate proposing cuts of $23 million.
Either way, cuts were going to happen, Ms. Lesicko said, but Ohio farmers were hopeful a bill could be crafted that still met the needs of farmers without making drastic reductions. But Congress adjourned without passing an extension and with it now in recess until after the Nov. 8 election, there is no telling when the matter will be taken up again.
In the meantime, several programs paid for by farm bill funding are expiring.
First on the list is MILC, or the Milk Income Loss Contract program, which compensates dairy producers when domestic milk prices — which can be volatile — fall below a specified level. MILC payments will be made through November, but after that, dairy producers are out of luck.
Next to go is the Specialty Crops program, which could affect all northwest Ohio fruit and vegetable growers and specialty nurseries. The program provides block grants to help organizations and individuals pay for research, assistance, and marketing for specialty crops and floriculture businesses.
Also to expire shortly due to lack of funding is the Conservation Reserve program, which encourages farmers to convert highly erodible cropland or environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as grasslands or shade trees.
The CRP program has been particularly effective in northwest Ohio to control flooding and promote wildlife.
“It’s all kind of starting now as these programs start to expire and we’ll get progressively worse as we continue to go,” Ms. Lesicko said.
At an undetermined point, theU.S. Department of Agriculture won’t be able to enter into new trade contracts, which will hit Ohio farmers particularly hard and hurt programs designed to promote trade of commodities such as corn, wheat, and soybeans, Ms. Lesicko said. “It’s any person’s guess as to what might happen,” she added.
For now, monies to help offset this summer’s drought disaster are covered, and payments to several northwest Ohio counties listed as disaster area will go to farmers as scheduled. And overall, the 2008 law that expired on Sunday covers all of 2012’s crops.
“It’s next year that we’re worried about,” Mr. Wise said.
The Farmers Union president said he believes funding levels in existing programs in the 2008 farm bill are likely to be reduced in whatever replacement bill gets passed either this year or early next year by the new Congress.
“I see consequences of not getting this done early and it’s difficult to tell how they’ll manifest themselves. I think a lot of programs will be cut or consolidated,” Mr. Wise said.
“The thing about farm legislation is it’s generally an investment. It’s money that creates a return,” he said. “For example, it’s said that you reap $7 for every $1 that will be spent in the nutrition program.
“Generally, a farm bill is a safety net for farmers so that in poor years those farms can remain in business. Farmers only plant and harvest once a year, yet they have to provide for 12 months a year,” Mr. Wise said.
Contact Jon Chavez at [email protected] or 419-724-6128.
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2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/20411 | Home > Resources > Corporate Profiles
Tyson Foods, Inc.
Management at Tyson Foods, Inc. is focused on three primary goals: maintaining a strong balance sheet, growing value-added product sales in North America and growing its poultry business in international markets such as Brazil, China, India and Mexico. The need for a strong balance sheet is a reflection of the volatility that has plagued global commodity markets since 2008. Whether it is due to increased global demand for commodities or a limited supply due to drought, Tyson Foods is focused on liquidity. Speaking this past May at the BMO Capital Markets Farm to Market Conference, Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer, said the Springdale, Ark.-based company must maintain a lot of liquidity to work through the volatile commodity markets. He added that the company needed to remain flexible in order to invest in capital expenditures on the current business in order to improve efficiencies. He added that a strong balance sheet also opens the door to acquisitions, but noted that Tyson Foods is “not at a point to where we have to acquire to grow.” Debt reduction has been a goal and Tyson Foods has reduced its debt from a net debt ratio of about 55% at the beginning of 2002 to 20.5% at the end of fiscal 2011. Mr. Smith said the situation puts the company in a better position to respond to changing fundamentals in the animal protein sector, even in times of challenging market dynamics. Product innovation is also a key to company growth. Management has made it a priority to create new products for new channels and new product categories. Areas of interest include convenience stores, where Mr. Smith said in May that there is less than a 5% chance a customer will walk out of a convenience store with a Tyson product. “That’s a huge opportunity for us,” he said, and added that the company is eager to penetrate alternative retail channels such as drug stores, dollar stores and even small, regional grocery chains. With regards to international growth, Tyson Foods is cultivating new markets taking the long view by establishing production. By 2014, the company anticipates having three million birds under its control in China; two million birds in Brazil; and 500,000 birds in India. The company is currently processing approximately 2.7 million birds per week in Mexico. In early August, Tyson Foods announced its financial results for the first nine months of fiscal 2012. Net income during the period equaled $398 million, equal to $1.07 per share on the common stock, and a decline compared with the same period during fiscal 2011 when the company earned $635 million, or $1.71 per share. The 2012 results were affected by a pre-tax charge of $167 million related to an early extinguishment of debt charge. Sales for the first nine months of fiscal 2012 were $24,905 million, which compared with $23,862 million for 2011. “Grain costs have been increasing significantly and rapidly, largely the result of the on-going U.S. drought,” Mr. Smith said on Aug. 6. “While we ultimately expect to pass along rising input costs, these costs, coupled with continued soft demand are likely to pressure earnings in 2013.” Most Popular | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/22688 | You are hereHome » Blogs » Marcia Ishii-Eiteman's blog
"Golden Rice" not so golden
Last month, a few news outlets carried a story about Filipino farmers trampling a test plot of genetically engineered (GE) “Golden Rice.” The news triggered a swift avalanche of more stories and opinion pieces, with ample space devoted to Golden Rice proponents’ harsh accusation that skeptics and critics are holding back a desperately needed, promising technology and, in so doing, are causing children’s deaths around the world.
We’ve seen all this before: both the promises that ultimately fail to deliver, and the attempts to silence those asking important questions. Why, after 30 years of research and millions of dollars poured into development of this supposed miracle seed, are we still talking about Golden Rice?
In reality, there is no new news here: Golden Rice is no closer to solving the complex societal and public health problems underlying micronutrient deficiencies than before (I’ll get into that below). We are simply getting bombarded again with the same broken promises from industry and the same prickly defensive reaction from GE scientists that play out in the mainstream media with some regularity. Having written on this topic years ago, I share Marion Nestle’s frustration with the “broken record” nature of this old argument.
But can it deliver?
Golden Rice is promoted as a technological intervention that can reduce Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD), a type of malnutrition that can cause blindness, stunting and even death. The yellow-tinted rice is touted as a way to help vulnerable populations fight VAD by delivering beta-carotene, a carotenoid which, under the right conditions, the body can convert into Vitamin A.
Can Golden Rice really accomplish this laudable goal in an efficient and effective way, or at least contribute enough to the battle against VAD to justify its expense? In considering this, it's important to get to the bottom of the following questions:
After storing and cooking, will there be sufficient carotenoid levels left in Golden Rice to have an impact?
How much remaining carotenoid will actually be "bioavailable" for already malnourished bodies to convert?
And are there likely, unintended health and safety risks associated with consuming Golden Rice?
We don’t know the answers to these questions, in large part because the necessary studies have not been completed (two flawed and controversial studies notwithstanding). Or if they have been conducted, they have not been published or released for public and independent scientific scrutiny. What we do know suggests that there are still pretty significant hurdles to be overcome by the Golden Rice developers, if their product is to have any relevance.
The bigger problem with the narrow technical fixes favored by the biotech industry and lab scientists, however, is that they fail to take into account the complex underlying social, economic, political and cultural drivers of micronutrient deficiencies and malnutrition.
So far, Golden Rice has swallowed up millions of research dollars over the past two decades and filled our media outlets with hype — but has failed to deliver. This failure is particularly harmful when one considers the enormous opportunity costs of the effort: diversion of attention, precious resources and support away from the established solutions that really work.
Although not nearly as glitzy as Golden Rice’s high-tech, lab-based genetic manipulations, the everyday, on the ground solutions to VAD and other micronutrient deficiencies continue to make considerable headway. Significant progress in many countries has been reported by the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition, UNICEF, the World Bank, USAID and other agencies, with success attributed to the use of vitamin supplements, fortification of foodstuffs (sugar, flour, etc.) and home gardens to diversify diets and enable lasting community-based solutions. But these solid, inexpensive workhorse solutions get scant attention in the media.
There’s also a larger political context to keep in mind: farmers’ access to land, seed and water, the influence of pesticide and biotech seed companies over national agricultural research and extension, and global trade agreements that influence the price of export commodities all strongly influence the ability of a family to grow, sell and buy food. So multi-tiered efforts to address malnutrition must also be backed by sustainable and equitable trade and development policies. This in turn requires that the farmers themselves, and social movements that are demanding and creating just and viable solutions on the ground, need to be in the forefront of these debates.
The politics of story-telling
The “Golden Rice will save children’s lives (and how dare you stand in the way)” message is a particularly heated version of one that has been getting lots of play in the mainstream media these days. The insidious problem with the media’s facile uptake of this industry frame is that it silences — rather than encourages — debate. And it sets up false choices: either you swallow our technical fix, despite its failure to deliver on its promises, or you consign millions to misery and death.
Fortunately, we do not have to fall for this. We can think for ourselves and examine the story behind the story. And we can draw our own conclusions.
p.s. For an incisive dissection of how the interests of powerful industry players and philanthrocapitalists have converged in ways that continue to push narrow and inappropriate GE “solutions” to complex problems, see Sally Brooks’ pieces, here and here. For many more critiques, see the list of resources provided by GM Watch here.
Marcia Ishii-Eiteman
GEgenetic engineeringGolden Rice
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Marcia Ishii-Eiteman is director of PAN’s Grassroots Science Program and a Senior Scientist with a background in insect ecology and pest management. Her campaign work focuses on supporting and strengthening agroecology movements and policies in the U.S. and globally, in addition to challenging corporate control of our food and seed systems. Follow @MarciaIshii | 农业 |
2017-17/1829/en_head.json.gz/22931 | Ozark Fruit and Garden: The Pomegranate puzzle
Tart and seedy pomegranates are one of my favorite winter holiday season fruits. Up to now, I had only seen two pomegranate shrubs – one in Albuquerque, N.M., and the other in a container at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The common pomegranate, Punica granatum, is winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-11 while the dwarf pomegranate, Punica granatum var. nana, is winter hardy to USDA Zones 7-11.So you must understand my surprise when I was told that there was a pomegranate shrub living outdoors in Mountain Grove. Mountain Grove is presently in USDA Hardiness Zone 6. What’s more is that it has been living here for three years and this year it is showing many lovely blooms. Bunny Brown, a local plant enthusiast, planted a pomegranate at her house after she received a start from a relative who lived in Arkansas. “I wasn’t sure what it would do since I had never seen a pomegranate around here, but I thought I would give it a try,” says Bunny. She did admit to covering it up with a blanket when the winter temperature drops very low.The Missouri Botanical Garden reports that the species will not produce any fruit when grown in areas such as St. Louis (although some cultivars such as Nana may fruit). The plants require dry, arid conditions with temperatures in the mid 90s to produce fruit. Bunny noticed one flower last year, but has not seen it produce any fruit as yet. We will have to see if the flowers turn into fruit this time.Pomegranate comes from the Latin words pomium (apple) and granatum (many seeded). They are multi-stemmed deciduous shrubs that grow 6-20 feet tall and are native from southern Europe to northern India. Pomegranates have traveled to put down roots in other warm, dry places including parts of the southern U. S. In these places the orange-red flowers bloom throughout the summer and develop into round, yellow tinged with red, rind fruits 2-4 inches in diameter. Inside the rind you find fleshy, juicy, sacs (arils) that surround the seeds that are edible. The fruit is also used to produce grenadine, a syrup used to flavor drinks.So we are positively puzzled over this Mountain Grove pomegranate and will be watching it from now on. Will it survive the next winter? Will it bear fruit? Only time will tell. | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/14517 | Land Bank economist says agriculture ‘will innovate, adapt, overcome’ Apr 24, 2017 The good and bad of new executive order for agriculture Apr 25, 2017 Scale insect is causing widespread Louisiana wetland damage Apr 25, 2017 Cotton Incorporated focusing campaign on comfortable cotton Apr 24, 2017 Conner says time is ripe for farm bill ‘reforms’
Forrest Laws | Jan 04, 2008
Some people see a glass half empty; others, one half full. Acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner, clearly a member of the former camp, thinks it’s time for Congress to seize on a glass full of high prices and “reform” farm programs. With market prices are at or near record levels for most of the major commodities, some economists are predicting net cash farm income could exceed $85 billion in 2007, an increase of $18 billion over the previous year, Conner notes. “This kind of success does give us an opportunity, we believe, to enact some reforms that are necessary for us to maintain the strength of the farm economy we are seeing today,” Conner told the Agribusiness Club of Washington, whose members include the Washington lobbyists of the major commodity organizations. “That is our goal, ladies and gentlemen: To maintain this strength and not have it simply represent a peak followed by a cliff, that some would have us believe, will come immediately after.” Apologizing in advance in case he offended any of the commodity organizations with his comments, Conner said the farm bill that passed the Senate by a vote of 79-14 a few days before he spoke “falls far, far short of where we need to be.” He called both the farm bill passed by the House last July and the bill approved by the Senate in December “fundamentally flawed.” (Both Houses passed their respective bills by the highest margins in many years.) “Neither one provides the kind of reforms that we believe represent forward-looking farm policy at a time of record strength in our farm economy,” said Conner. “If we can’t help agriculture become more market-driven and competitive now, when farmers are enjoying the kind of economic times we have today, we have to ask: Is there ever a time?” Conner repeated Bush administration claims that the House and Senate versions of the farm bill would raise taxes to pay for expanded programs for the first time since 1933. “I can’t imagine a time when we have $85 billion of net farm income to be talking about this being a good time to taxes.” According to administration analysts, the Senate bill would increase taxes by $15 billion to pay for farm bill programs, including a new $5-billion permanent disaster assistance program that would allow Congress to avoid having to fight with the administration over ad hoc disaster relief. Administration officials have also said the Senate bill contains $22 billion in “unfunded commitments and budget gimmicks,” although Senate leaders claim their bill would cost $2 billion less than the farm bill proposed by the administration in January 2007. “The House bill also relied upon tax increases of $7 billion to fund certain farm bill priorities while claiming an additional $5 billion of illusionary savings by changing the timing of payments. And of course all of these illusionary savings do not change one dollar of federal government obligations. (House leaders have said their $7 billion would come from closing tax loopholes that allow foreign corporations to move their earnings offshore to avoid U.S. taxes and increased royalties from offshore oil drilling. Such practices as the former are permitted under reciprocal agreements with foreign governments. The secretary also criticized the House and the Senate for failing to significantly lower the adjusted gross income eligibility ceiling that currently bars farm program payments to individuals with an AGI of more than $2.5 million. Both the House and Senate bills reduce the adjusted gross income ceiling but not to the $200,000 level recommended by the administration. “We estimated that our change would remove about 38,000 of the wealthiest Americans from our farm program rolls,” he said. “We’re simply saying we shouldn’t take middle income tax dollars and give it in the form of an income support payment to the richest Americans. Conner said Congress could save more than $1 billion by the change. “I continue to be amazed at the opposition there has been to this. I believe we risk jeopardizing our entire agricultural safety net in the future unless we are willing to say to the richest Americans, "No. Find other means.” He also criticized the House and Senate for increasing the loan rates and the target prices on nearly half a dozen crops, although the changes were sought by a number of commodity organizations. “Simply put, that is trade-distorting, and we are going to hear about it from our WTO trading partners,” he noted. “Is there anyone in this room who thinks we will not pay an enormous price internationally for this action? And all because a few farm groups who have long-standing policies favoring higher loan rates.” Conner cited the days-earlier announcement of an opinion by a WTO Compliance Panel suggesting that changes to the U.S. cotton program were insufficient to bring the United States into conformity with the new WTO standards. He pledged to continue to defend U.S. farm programs, including the cotton program, against WTO challenges. “We have worked to bring our programs into full compliance with our WTO recommendations following the original cotton case, and we believe that our support and our export credit guarantee programs are consistent and in line with our agreements with the WTO.” For those reasons, he said, President Bush’s senior advisors are recommending he veto the farm bill unless significant changes are made in the House-Senate conference committee that will be convened to resolve the differences in the two versions of the bill. “We need a farm bill that will allow us to make continued progress in areas like conservation, renewable energy, food and nutrition programs as well,” he said. “All this year we’ve made the case to significantly expand the funding for research and development of renewable energy, particularly as it relates to cellulosic ethanol.” He acknowledged that renewable energy sources have come under criticism in recent weeks for supposedly increases feed and food prices, claims that have been refuted by farm groups such as the National Corn Growers Association. “Let me just tell you, I don’t think there’s been one moment of waiver from the people you talk to out on the ground,” said Conner. “There’s strong support of our country producing more of our energy from sources here at home. That has not wavered one bit in the countryside.” The House and the Senate bill recognize this, he said. “Chairman Peterson actually provided more than what we recommended, and we appreciate that effort. The Senate added a strong energy title as well. So we need to give them a lot of credit for recognizing that vision for the future.” Senate leaders from farm states have acknowledged the administration’s displeasure with the bill but say they believe they can prevail. “Passage of the farm bill in the Senate was a big victory,” said Conrad “But we face tough negotiations with the House and an administration that is unfriendly to rural America.” email: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/14728 | SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 81
S. M. True, Jr.
WHEREAS, S. M. True, Jr., former president of the Texas Farm Bureau, passed away on May 15, 2012, at the age of 88; and
WHEREAS, The son of Snoden Maddox and Nettie Belle Stalcup True, S. M. True was born in Goree on July 8, 1923, and raised on a farm; in 1933, his family relocated to the Snyder community near Plainview, and he graduated from Plainview High School before enrolling and attending classes at Texas Tech University; when World War II intervened, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a carrier-based night fighter pilot; and
WHEREAS, Following the war, Mr. True returned to Hale County and began his career as a farmer; active in the Hale County Farm Bureau for a number of years, he went on to serve on the board of directors of the Texas Farm Bureau; he was elected president of the Texas Farm Bureau in 1982, and in his 11 years in that post, he made an indelible mark on both the organization and on the greater agricultural community; he oversaw the creation of the TFB AGFUND, which has since become a nationally recognized agriculture political action committee; along the way, he earned a reputation as a passionate advocate for Texas farmers and an effective consensus builder; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his work with the Texas Farm Bureau, this esteemed Texan was appointed to the Governor's Task Force on Immigration and Agricultural Development, the Joint Committee on Farmworker Insurance, and the Texas Family Farm and Ranch Advisory Committee; he served on a multitude of agriculture and farm insurance boards, including that of the American Farm Bureau Federation, which honored him with its Meritorious Service Award; among his numerous other accolades were his induction into the State Fair of Texas Heritage Hall of Honor and his recognition as a Distinguished Texan in Agriculture by the Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and
WHEREAS, Mr. True shared more than six rewarding decades with his wife, the former Anna Jean Roberts, whom he married in 1946; the couple were blessed with a son, David; over the years, Mrs. Roberts frequently accompanied her husband to many Texas Farm Bureau events across the state and beyond; and
WHEREAS, During his lifetime, S. M. True contributed immeasurably to Texas agriculture, helping to preserve the livelihood of countless farmers across the state, and his legacy will be a continuing source of inspiration for all who knew him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 83rd Legislature, hereby pay tribute to the memory of S. M. True, Jr., and extend sincere sympathy to the members of his family: to his son, David True, and his wife, Linda; to his grandchildren,
Blaine True and Larissa True; to his brother, Riley True, and his wife, Margaret; to his sister, Ona Belle Stephens, and her husband, Bill; to his nephew, Mark True, and his wife, Mary; to Eric Plumlee; to Ahmet and Gonul Yilmaz; and to his other relatives and friends; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this day, it do so in memory of S. M. True, Jr.
________________________________ President of the Senate
I hereby certify that the above Resolution was adopted by the Senate on January 30, 2013, by a rising vote.
________________________________ Secretary of the Senate
________________________________ Member, Texas Senate | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/14846 | On the moo-ve: testing for spatial agglomeration economies in the U.S. dairy industry
by Rutt, Matthew E.
The geographic distribution and structure of the U.S. dairy industry have changed considerably during the last 30 years with larger herds representing an increasing proportion of the nation’s overall dairy cow inventory and producing a greater share of the milk. Geographically, the migration of dairies from traditional production regions to states formerly unfamiliar with dairy production has transpired with the greatest increases in Federal Milk Marketing Order marketings occurring in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas and Southwest Kansas since the 1980’s. This study seeks to define the factors influencing the dairy location decision applying spatial econometric techniques.To examine the effects of county-specific demographic, environmental, and market factors as well as to test for the influence of spatial agglomeration economies on the geographic distribution of the U.S. dairy industry, a spatially explicit, county-level model of the dairy production sector was developed. Quantities of milk marketed through the Federal Milk Marketing Order during the month of May for counties in 45 states during 1997 and 2002 were specified as a function of natural endowments, business climate, production resource availability, milk price, and market access. The model was estimated according to spatial autoregressive (spatially lagged dependent variable) and spatial Durbin (lagged dependent and independent variables) specifications accounting for the censored nature of the dependent variable and heteroskedastic errors. Based on RMSE, the spatial error model was selected to make out of sample predictions for 2004. The change in milk marketings between 1997 and 2002 was regressed on the 1997 independent variables using non-Tobit versions of the same models with limited success.Results indicated a small but statistically significant presence of spatial agglomeration effects in the dairy industry in both 1997 and 2002 and revealed changes in the degrees of influence of several variables between the two periods examined. Population and the wages of agricultural workers became significant in 2002, while the elasticities of feed availability diminished, consistent with an increase in western-style dairy production. Interestingly, the spatial parameter decreased from 0.052 in 1997 to 0.028 in 2002 suggesting spatial agglomeration economies had a diminishing role in determining the amount of milk marketed in a county.
School:Kansas State University
School Location:USA - Kansas
Keywords:dairy spatial agglomeration location decision economics agricultural 0503 | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/14985 | Open land falling to the plow
In the last four years, 37,000 square miles of prairie and wetlands were converted for crops, analysis finds. By
Josephine Marcotty Star Tribune
August 6, 2012 — 10:53pm
Maria Baca, Prairie in Minnesota
Prairie and other natural landscapes have been plowed up at an unprecedented rate across the nation's midsection since 2008, especially in the corn belt -- which includes Minnesota and the Dakotas -- according to an analysis released Monday by a leading conservation group.
Between 2008 and 2011, some 37,000 square miles of grasslands, wetlands and shrublands were transformed into cropland across the nation, said the study by the Environmental Working Group, which uses data analysis to try to influence public policy on public health and conservation issues.
In Minnesota, where half the total land mass is devoted to corn and soybeans, 2,000 square miles of native grassland and wetlands were converted to row crops, the study said. In the Dakotas, a major breeding ground for aquatic birds and grassland species, an area twice that size was plowed up for crops.
Ken Cook, president of Environmental Working Group, said that the land conversion has been propelled by record high commodity prices, demand for ethanol, and by crop insurance programs that guarantee profits for farmers, even on marginal land.
That means less habitat for wildlife and more water pollution from agricultural runoff, he said.
"Land is being plowed up that hasn't been plowed up for a generation," he said during a briefing on Monday. "Farmers are planting in ditch rows and planting up against river banks and the damage is severe."
Eyes on new farm bill
The situation will accelerate if a House version of the new farm bill is approved. It does not require farmers to follow good conservation practices on their land in order to obtain taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance (the Senate version does).
Congress could take up the bill as early as September.
"There is a very, very strong correlation between those parts of the country where we are seeing the greatest loss of habitat, and those parts of the country where the government is providing the greatest amount of insurance subsidies to farmers," said Scott Faber, the group's vice president of government affairs.
Farm commodity and crop insurance groups did not respond to requests for comment on Monday, but they have urged Congress to sever the link between subsidy programs and farmers' choices about land management. In Minnesota, farm groups say that agricultural conservation practices have improved dramatically in recent decades, and that farmers have the greatest incentive of all to be good stewards of the land.
Crop insurance subsidies in the next federal farm law are expected to replace price subsidies and other programs protecting farmers from severe financial risk.
Crop insurance initially was designed to cushion farmers from the multitude of risks that come with making a living off the land, primarily weather. But now, about 80 percent of the nation's crop insurance policies are revenue policies, protecting farmers from weather, drops in prices and yield losses.
It shifts the risk of losses from farmers to taxpayers and insurance companies. Farmers paid $4.2 billion in premiums last year, while taxpayers shelled out $7.4 billion, including at least $94 million for Minnesota farmers.
'Good farmers ... bad rules'
Critics say the safety net gives farmers an incentive to farm where they shouldn't -- where it is too dry, too near water or too likely to erode -- because they are protected from revenue losses.
"A lot of good farmers are playing by bad rules," said Cook.
"It's a problem for fish and wildlife, but also for consumers who are paying to have their water treated before they can drink it."
It also means that many declining species, such as the prairie chicken and swift fox, have less critical habitat, increasing the chances that they will end up on the endangered species list, said the Defenders of Wildlife, which co-authored the report.
Faber said that while the trend was apparent from California to New York, the greatest concentration was in the Great Plains, where the corn belt is moving north and west. It includes huge swaths of land in such drought-stricken central states as Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
The data for the report came from the federal Department of Agriculture, which collects satellite data about land use across the country.
Analysts did not have comparisons prior to 2008. But in the 20 years before 2008, the amount of cropland remained fairly stable, said Faber.
Josephine Marcotty 612-673-7394
CONVERSION TO CROPLAND Farmers have converted more than 23 million acres of prairie, grassland and shrubland into land for crops since 2008, a new study says. Nearly three-fourths of the land is in 11 states, including Minnesota. They are:
Texas 3.08 million acres
South Dakota 1.94 million
Iowa 1.51 million
Nebraska 1.50 million
Oklahoma 1.45 million
Illinois 1.40 million
Minnesota 1.34 million
North Dakota 1.31 million
Missouri 1.27 million
Kansas 1.20 million
Wisconsin 1.14 million
Source: "Plowed Under," study by the Environmental Working Group and Defenders of Wildlife. READ MORE To read the report, go to www.startribune.com/a1606 [email protected]
marcotty
Mounds View Schools foundation receives $750,000 gift from local family
The record-breaking award was announced Friday morning.
"Freeways are dangerous places, especially at night." | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/15018 | Follow @thecattlesite News & Analysis Features Markets & Reports Sustainability Knowledge Centre Directory Events Our Shop NewsNew Director-General for Agriculture and Rural Development 04 April 2013 EU - The Commission has decided to make Jerzy Bogdan PLEWA Director General of the Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate-General (DG AGRI). The appointment takes effect on 16 April 2013. Mr Plewa, who is 58 and a Polish national, is currently Deputy Director-General in DG AGRI, responsible for Rural Development and Sustainability Policy. Before that he was Deputy Director-General in charge of international affairs in DG AGRI.
Mr Plewa graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology in 1978. He finished his PhD in 1982, and worked on research at the School of Life Sciences in Warsaw becoming Associate Professor. He also served as a member of the Supervisory Board of the Bank of Food Economy, and Adviser to the President of the National Bank of Poland with responsibility for farm-sector analyses. From 1995 until 1997, he was a Director in the Polish Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development.
From 1997 until July 2004, Mr Plewa was Under-Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development, where he was responsible for negotiations on agriculture issues with the EU, other countries and international organisations. During that time, Mr Plewa was also chief negotiator on agricultural affairs in the team negotiating Poland’s accession to the European Union. | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/16183 | Photo courtesy of Sarah on Flickr
What You Need to Know About the Potential Monsanto Merger
The world's biggest seeds company might soon be part of a billion-dollar merger.
Jessica Suss
The chemical company Bayer has made an aggressive move towards taking over Monsanto, the infamous U.S. seeds company. While it may seem boring, it’s actually vital that you know what’s going on. Our agricultural world is suffering, even though it might not be readily apparent. Though the industry has been chugging along for millennia, most of that growth was made possible by the farming of arable land.
Now that we are pretty much out of said land, the best way to make a profit is to be as productive and efficient as possible. Companies like Monsanto have come about as a result of this push for efficiency – genetically modified crops that use less water and are insect-resistant are a mainstay of ensuring profit. But as efficiency increases, margins contract, and now consolidation is one of the few options left to the agriculture industry. Hence, the bold move of Bayer.
Why is this important? Well, for one thing, if the merger goes through (and that is a big if), 75 percent of the global crop market will be in the hands of only three companies. If Bayer takeover happens, the companies would have an annual revenue of more than $67 billion and would become the world’s largest seed and crop chemical provider. They would control about 28 percent of the world’s pesticides, 36 percent of U.S. corn seeds, and 28 percent of soybean seeds, according to Dow Jones, citing Morgan Stanley estimates.
Photo courtesy of OccupyReno MediaCommunications on Flickr
Antitrust issues (laws that prevent monopolies with the intention of promoting corporate competition) could also derail the merger. The crop science division at Bayer has businesses in seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control, which could complement Monsanto’s own seeds assets.
So basically why is this important? Because only three companies would have total control over the agricultural industry. Sure, there would be a few other voices in there, but they would be drowned out by the noise of $67 billion in revenue from Monsanto-Bayer alone.
Will it affect you? Maybe, but probably not. There will likely be some overlap in product (since Bayer also has business in seeds) which could result in some redundant products being taken off the market. It might even reduce the price of products, thanks to a lower operating cost. But nothing is official yet – antitrust and anti-GMO advocates alike will fight this tooth and nail. Until then, remember to support your local farmer’s market. | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/17664 | ABOUT TNUVA
Tnuva – Israel’s largest food manufacturer Tnuva was established in 1926, when the moshavim and kibbutzim decided to coordinate and unify all stages of processing, producing and distributing fresh agricultural produce.At first, Tnuva distributed only fresh milk for drinking and later on also dairy products . In the early 1930s, as it became more established, Tnuva began marketing additional fresh farm produce: eggs, poultry, vegetables and fruits. Tnuva developed parallel to the development of the Jewish community in the country, and following the establishment of the State of Israel played an important role in the growth of Israel’s economy. Hundreds of refrigerated trucks transporting fresh produce, bearing the Tnuva logo, made sure that every city, town and village across the country were reached every day, throughout the year. Over the years, Tnuva became an inseparable part of the day-to-day life of every child, family and household in Israel. In the ’50s and ’60s the concept of “Tnuva children” became popularized as an expression symbolizing healthy children enjoying sound, natural and tasty nourishment. For a detailed historical survey, visit the Tnuva Museum website. (Hebrew)
Tnuva’s marketing and innovation revolution
In 1996, a new management was nominated at Tnuva, which set itself the goal of refreshing Tnuva’s look and turning it into a business focused on the consumer and capable of participating in the marketplace under modern market conditions.A new management headed by CEO Arik Reichman introduced during the 1990's a series of revolutionary reforms, among them: a marketing and branding reform, a quality and innovation reform, and a consumer service reform.The marketing section was positioned as the spearhead of Tnuva’s business activities, targeting, identifying and developing consumer needs, and operating the various Tnuva units to answer those needs. The branding of Tnuva was placed at the forefront of the marketing activity, with clear and distinctive values, coupled with a realistic consumer promise. Tnuva, with all its divisions and with the Dairy Group in particular, has built and enhanced an integrative marketing section which includes a consumer arm enabling it to investigate, analyze and understand the consumer and the market, and a research and development arm aimed at realizing the dreams. The marketing section plans and designs Tnuva’s branding strategy, and builds its marketing and planning strategy, advertising and sales promotions. Tnuva’s logistic section enables quick daily access to every one of thousands of points of sale spread throughout the country. Tnuva has launched dozens of brands and hundreds of new products, has created new standards of quality and innovation and has enthralled thousands of Israeli households through the advertising language that accompanied the brands’ launching. The “Tnuva” brand has become a hallmark and guarantee for quality which has earned the trust of the general public, which chooses Tnuva year after year as the number 1 food brand in Israel. The revolution in quality and innovation was expressed by establishing a quality assurance unit, a strict supervisory system utilizing advanced production and quality assurance technologies enabling mass production in short time spans while ensuring the quality and uniformity of the product.As an inseparable and extremely important part of this section, Tnuva has established the “dairy line”, a consumer telephone service center. The center allows consumers to maintain direct contact with Tnuva, offer suggestions, voice their complaints and provide comments, all of which receive attention and a speedy response. Today, Tnuva is a modern and dynamic organization, operating according to a clear strategic vision and set objectives, an organization with a powerful backbone. BACK TO TOP ^
Acquisition of Tnuva by Apax and Mivtach Shamir In March 2007 a Tnuva conference was held when a decisive majority of votes approved the process of selling Tnuva to private investors. On January 7, 2008, the sale was finalized and is considered one of the most complex deals in the history of the Israel economy. The distribution of holdings (indirectly) in Tnuva following the sale is: Apax Private Equity Foundation (56%), Mivtach Shamir (a company listed on the TASE - 20.7%) and the Kibbutzim Holdings Entity (23.3%), composed of the kibbutzim’s regional economic corporative societies (20.3%) and others. Zahavit Cohen, the CEO of Apax Israel, stated that as a result of completing the deal: “We have acquired one of the country’s most powerful businesses ”. Meir Shamir was appointed Chairman of Tnuva following the completion of the acquisition, and after several months Zahavit Cohen replaced him as the Group’s Chairperson.Several months following the completion of the deal Arik Reichman left Tnuva, after having led Tnuva through the stormy years to its status as the country’s leading food group.With Reichman’s departure, Liad Cohen was appointed as CEO. Liad Cohen began his work at Tnuva in 1995 as an economist and served in a range of management roles in the group, among them VP Sales and Distribution in the Dairy Group, and CEO of the Dairy Group from 2001 to 2007. Liad Cohen acted as Tnuva CEO up to July 2009. On July, 2009 Arik Schor was appointed as Tnuva's CEO. BACK TO TOP ^
Growing up in an Israeli home
In 2010, Tnuva launched a new branding under the slogan “Tnuva, Growing up in an Israeli home”, focusing on the icon of a home. Consumer surveys indicated that Tnuva is perceived as a leading company whose products are an integral part of the product portfolio in the Israeli consumers' home. In addition, it was also found that the icon of the home is perceived by the consumers as one of the most powerful and leading icons in Israel and is strongly identified with Tnuva. Apparently, there is an emotional motif linking Tnuva’s history to Israeliness, the Israeli home. Tnuva launched a tactic of strengthening its leadership while formulating a strategy based on the value of “growing up in an Israeli home”. As part of this move, three of the Dairy Group’s core products (milk, cheese, cottage cheese) were linked as the “home brand” and the products were branded in a new and uniform design language. BACK TO TOP ^
Quality Policy Tnuva is committed to a policy of high and uncompromising quality. Accordingly, the activity of Tnuva’s dairies is accompanied by the testing services of chemistry and microbiology laboratories located in each of the dairy sites.The laboratories accompany all the activity carried out in the dairy, beginning with the stage of receiving raw material (including receiving milk from cowsheds that market milk to Tnuva), through the entire production and filling process up to the packaged product at the end of the shelf life. The tests carried out in the laboratories are based on Israeli standards, appropriate international standards, or on test kits approved by designated bodies such as the AOAC.It should be noted that the laboratory in the Rehovot dairy was licensed in November 2009 for the ISO 17025 standard and is the second food plant laboratory in Israel to be licensed for this standard.For the list of test methods and standards on which the main tests are carried out in Rehovot, click here.
The social protest – the cottage protest
In June 2011 a consumer protest against the cost of living in Israel began. Tnuva's cottage cheese was positioned at the forefront of the struggle. The strong link of Tnuva's cottage cheese with values of home, family and Israeliness, together with its daily presence over the years in most of the homes in the country – caused the protest leaders to select it as the protest’s icon. In addition, Tnuva cottage cheese was perceived as the “most typical Israeli” product and consumers relate to it as “our” cottage cheese.The course of action of renewed branding beginning in 2010 simply enhanced the emotional association that the consumers felt towards it, and so Tnuva cottage cheese turned into the protest symbol and catalyst in the struggle to reduce consumer product prices in Israel. Like the cottage cheese, “Tnuva” and the group itself, are strongly linked with the world of content of the home, family and Israeliness. This was an additional reason to place Tnuva, as the dairy market leader, at the center of the consumer protest. Following the crisis and the public debate over the rising prices of food products, Tnuva led a demand to hold a true discussion in the government on the subject of the “value chain”, which is the supply chain (cowsheds, dairies, retailers) on the way from milk production up to its marketing on the shelfTnuva was the first in the economy to lower prices as a result of the protest. Following the announcement of a sweeping boycott of all its products, in October 2011 Tnuva took a unilateral and first-time step in the country, and reduced the prices of 50 of its various dairy products by 15%. The value of lowering prices to the consumers was about 125 million shekels, of which 62% was financed by Tnuva. Tnuva’s Chairperson, Zahavit Cohen, resigned from her position, and for the first time, and as an act of transparency towards the consumer public, Tnuva’s financial reports were published, although it is a private entity not traded on the stock exchange. BACK TO TOP ^
In March 2015, a deal to transfer control of Tnuva Group from the Apax Fund and Mivtach Shamir Company to Bright Food Group was concluded.Bright Food has a publically traded subsidiary named Bright Dairy, which will be the actual indirect controlling owner of Tnuva.Bright Dairy specializes in developing and manufacturing a variety of dairy products and is a leader in the market for luxury dairy products produced in China.
Bright Food Group
Bright Food Group is an international food and beverages company, based in Shanghai. The Group is the second largest food group in China and holds the complete food chain – from agriculture, through food production and up to retail businesses. Bright Food owns several companies in various fields around the world, and is focused upon growth and significant investments in research, development and technology.The vision of Bright Food Group (including the Bright Dairy Company) is to become a leading food conglomerate with international brands that will be the next big thing in the global food market.The Bright Food Group is committed to the continued success of Tnuva in the Israeli food market and to loyally serving the Israeli consumer. The strength of Bright Food, which derives from its being an international conglomerate, will enable Tnuva to grow via its introduction into new global markets. The synergy between the two companies will enable important cooperation in the fields of innovation, research and development.Tnuva – the best in the world – each morning anew. | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/17923 | Dundee Sustainable Technologies Inc. Development in Fertilizer Business By Marketwired .
July 14, 2014 05:01 PM EDT
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/14/14 -- Dundee Corporation (TSX: DC.A) is pleased to announce that its approximately 86% controlled subsidiary, Dundee Sustainable Technologies Inc. ("DST" or the "Corporation") (CSE: DST), the developer and owner of proprietary technologies to serve the natural resource sector with environmentally friendly procedures, is announcing its commitment in the fertilizer business.
DST has obtained patents for the production of sulfate based fertilizers. These processes are providing a new way to the industry of producing potassium sulfate ("SOP" or K2S04) and potassium magnesium sulfate ("SOPM" or K2SO4.2MgSO4). Both products are accompanied by the production of salable hydrochloric acid as a by-product.
Sulfate based fertilizers are applied at sowing time, where ions are adsorbed in the soil and remain available and protected against leaching. The growing need to do more with less, and the sulfur deficiency in particular crops have led to an increase use of sulfate based fertilizers, while excess use of chloride based fertilizers (potassium chloride or "potash") reduces nutrient uptake and yield quantities, water soluble sulfate fertilizers such as SOP and SOPM are the most effective for growing crops.
The growing market for sulfate based fertilizers along with depleting natural sources of chloride-free potassium creates a great opportunity for DST to develop its patented processes.
DST has analyzed a project to build a plant for the production of SOP using potash and sulfuric acid. Moreover, DST has received interest from a North American distributor that is ready to market the production of 50,000 tonnes per year of SOPM and could also be interested in SOP.
The current market conditions and specific demands from the fertilizer market are opening a window of opportunities to launch projects that would lead to the construction of fertilizer plants. DST's technology allows for SOP and SOPM to be produced below current market price with profit margins preliminary estimated at $410 per tonne for SOP and $225 per tonne for SOPM.
The National Research Council of Canada granted DST a $50,000 subsidy for the assessment of its fertilizer technology.
About Dundee Sustainable Technologies, a company controlled by Dundee Corporation
The cyanide and mercury free gold extraction process developed by DST, has been recognized as a "green technology" for which DST has been awarded $5,700,000 in grants to date for a demonstration plant, presently under construction in Thetford Mines Quebec of which $700,000 has been provided by the Government of Quebec and $5,000,000 by the Government of Canada through the Sustainable Development Technology Fund. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in mid-January 2015.
Over the last ten years DST has tested over 50 different gold deposits, both oxide and sulfide ores at the lab level and at its pilot plant. These tests have, consistently achieved gold recoveries in excess of 90%, using chlorination instead of cyanide. In addition, the tailings from the process are inert from toxic substances and as result meet environmental norms. An engineering study completed within the last 12 months supports DST's claim of having operated a pilot plant showing a gold extraction yield higher than 90% using a closed-circuit chlorination process.
ABOUT DUNDEE CORPORATION
Dundee is a public Canadian independent holding company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "DC.A". Through its operating subsidiaries, including its newly created London-based Merchant Bank, Dundee is engaged in diverse business activities in the areas of its core competencies including investment advisory and corporate finance, energy, resources, agriculture, real estate and infrastructure. Dundee also holds, directly and indirectly, a portfolio of investments mostly in these core focus areas, as well as other select investments in both publicly listed and private companies.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release contains forward-looking statements that address future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward- looking statements as a result of numerous factors, some of which may be beyond the Corporation's control. These factors include: results of exploration activities, general market and industry conditions, and other risks disclosed in the Corporation's filings with Canadian Securities Regulators.
Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Corporation's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Corporation expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Depending on exploration results and available financing, the Corporation may at any point modify its work program.
The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.
Dundee Corporation
Ned Goodman | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/20129 | To end hunger, global policy can’t be ‘business as usual’
Timothy A. Wise, republished from Global Post
International food prices have fallen since 2008, when agricultural commodity prices doubled, pushing millions around the world from bare subsistence to hunger and raising the number of food insecure people to nearly one billion.
Is the crisis over, then? Far from it, according to Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. As he told the UN Human Rights Council earlier this month, global policymakers have yet to address the structural causes of the crisis. In particular, they have failed to recognize that industrial agriculture is not the ultimate solution to global hunger — and that it is, instead, part of the problem.
In part, De Schutter drew his conclusions from his official mission to Malawi last year. As I toured the country last month, it was easy to see what he saw: the promise and allure of hybrid seeds and synthetic fertilizer, as well as their limits.
De Schutter took over as Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food six years ago, as the global food crisis was breaking. His UN mandate is to advance the “progressive realization of the right to food,” and he has been a tireless advocate at a critical juncture for global agricultural and food policy. He will hand over his mandate to an as-yet-unnamed successor in April, and he used his final report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to deliver a sweeping assessment of the progress to date and the daunting challenges ahead.
His message was upbeat but firm: “The eradication of hunger and malnutrition is an achievable goal. Reaching it requires, however, that we move away from business as usual.”
Twentieth century food systems ‘have failed’
Unfortunately, most global policy responses to the 2008 food crisis have strayed little from business as usual. They have been too influenced by business — particularly multinational agribusiness — which profits from a food system that is over-reliant on fossil fuel-based agricultural inputs.
To his credit, during his tenure, De Schutter has been willing to ruffle some corporate feathers while arguing for greater investment in small-scale farmers who produce food sustainably.
In his final report as Special Rapporteur, De Schutter calls for a 21st century approach that replaces last century’s focus on increasing yields with high inputs of improved seed, synthetic fertilizer, and other technologies with one that stresses equity, resilience, and sustainability.
“The transition to agri-food policies that support the realization of the right to food requires major political efforts to restructure support around agro-ecological, labor-intensive, poverty-reducing forms of agriculture,” De Schutter writes in the report. “The food systems we have inherited from the twentieth century have failed.”
I encountered the debate over high versus low-input agriculture everywhere I went in Malawi. Here is a very poor sub-Saharan African country, landlocked and densely populated, but with a government deeply committed to helping small-scale farmers grow most of its staple foods, particularly maize. Still, Malawi and its farmers are reliant on imported fertilizer and imported seed technologies that neither small farmers nor the government can afford.
Malawi is on a classic high-input treadmill that keeps the people and their government running, but getting nowhere. The farmers are subsidized by the government to use imported inorganic fertilizers and hybrid seeds from outside companies like Monsanto. Sometimes they get higher yields — but not if they can’t afford extra fertilizer, which the seeds require. If the subsidies run out, the farmers can’t afford the seeds or the fertilizer.
Even though food security has improved in the short run with fertilizer-induced yields — and this is no small achievement in such a food-insecure country — farmers run hard to stay mostly in place.
For Malawi’s government, this treadmill is even more daunting. The country can’t import the expensive fertilizer without adequate foreign currency, which it can only get by exporting more goods. Unlike the United States, most poor countries can only import as much as they can export. The country’s main exports are agricultural goods, mainly tobacco. But tobacco prices fell in 2011, and suddenly Malawi had no dollars to pay for imports.
The solution? Import less, including fertilizer, but export more, even though you don’t have the fertilizer to produce more. The reality is unavoidable: Run faster!
Unfortunately, this treadmill is only going to pick up speed. Last year, the government committed itself to the G8 countries’ New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, a private-sector-led agricultural development scheme, with hopes of drawing foreign investment for export crops like sugar and African palm.
Foreign investors in the New Alliance are promised land and public financing for irrigation, among other things. Irrigation requires foreign currency, not just for the equipment, but also for the imported fuel to run the pumps. Malawi may come out of the New Alliance with more investment and more foreign currency, but only if the projects are successful, only if the investors stay, only if – the conditionals go on.
De Schutter has been critical of the New Alliance, arguing that small-scale farmers are being left out of such arrangements. Africa represents the last continent for industrial agriculture to conquer, he told the Guardian: “There’s a struggle for land, for investment, for seed systems, and first and foremost there’s a struggle for political influence.”
Promising alternatives
The New Alliance may focus too much on business (as usual), but since 2008 we have seen some promising alternatives to corporate-led development. One of them will come soon to Malawi.
In 2009, international donors launched the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), which pools international donor contributions for agricultural development. Recipient countries and civil-society representatives help set project priorities. One of the top priorities they’ve set is supporting sustainable smallholder food production, particularly by women, who represent the majority of developing country farmers.
So far about $1 billion has come into GAFSP, with strong US support. The Malawian government will soon launch a $46 million GAFSP project to build and rehabilitate irrigation for small-scale food production.
This type of work couldn’t look more different from New Alliance projects. It involves small-scale farmers, the majority women, in producing not export crops but food. The project promotes food crops like rice, beans, and cassava that enhance diversity in both diets and fields. Diverse crops help rebuild natural soil fertility, reducing the need for imported fertilizers.
An explicit aim of the project is to encourage the self-organization of farmers into cooperatives, a prerequisite for achieving both economies of scale and infrastructure management.
When one of the project’s coordinators told me about integrating farmers into “value chains,” he was not talking about those dominated by multinational firms. He was talking about Malawian businesses involved in processing and distributing foods in the domestic market.
This is not business as usual. It is the kind of public investment that can sidestep the development treadmills, ensuring that the impressive efforts by Malawian farmers and their government move the country forward.
And it is a concrete step toward what the De Schutter calls “food democracy” — a model that focuses more on farmers and their governments and less on business.
March 24, 2014 | Posted in: Uncategorized | 3 Comments » 3 Responses to “To end hunger, global policy can’t be ‘business as usual’”
To end hunger, global policy can’t be ‘business as usual’Survive Food Crisis – Do you need to read it? | Survive Food Crisis - Do you need to read it? says: March 29, 2014 at 4:57 pm […] TripleCrisis This entry was posted in Survive Food Crisis and tagged can’t, Global, Hunger, Policy, usual’, ‘business. Bookmark the permalink. ← Investor Treaties in Trouble […]
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Andrew MacMillan says: July 14, 2014 at 2:36 am In a recent article, published by IPS, I have tried to make the case for higher food prices, linked to reliable social protection, as a possible driver for hunger reduction, as well as cuts in food waste and over-consumption. http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/06/higher-food-prices-can-help-to-end-hunger-malnutrition-and-food-waste/
If you like what I am saying, you may wish to reprint the article.
Andrew MacMillan (joint author with Ignacio Trueba of “How to End Hunger in Times of Crises (2nd edition) ISBN 978-178035-596-2)
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2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/20460 | Guide to Heritage Hog Breeds
Wallow around with these five heritage hog breeds.
A couple of Tamworth boars take a look over the sty door.
R.P. Lawrence/Minden
Once an essential part of any diversified farm, pigs have played an important role in agriculture – providing meat, fat, leather, bristles and more – for millennia. Some experts say pigs were domesticated as early as 11,000 B.C., and you’d be better off asking the question of where domestication didn’t occur than asking where it did. On the farm, pigs were often extensively managed and expected to forage for acorns, glean fields after harvest, consume dairy and brewery waste, and eat windfall fruit from orchards.Not so long ago, hundreds of pig breeds were kept busy in backyards and on homesteads across the country. However, as the pork industry moved toward ever leaner and longer carcasses, increased production efficiencies, and confinement operations, many historic breeds fell out of favor. Today, fewer pig breeds remain, and many are dwindling in number. However, plenty of these pig breeds are perfectly suited to the small holding or homestead.
In the spirit of summertime barbecues, or “pig-pickin’s” as they’re called in the South, let’s explore some historic hog breeds and the unique histories, flavors and personalities that are influencing the rebirth of the sustainable agriculture movement. Gloucestershire Old SpotStatus: CriticalNoted for its distinctive white coat with black spots, the Gloucestershire Old Spot (GOS) pig looks like the Dalmatian of pig breeds. The breed (pronounced Glos-ter-sheer) originated in Gloucestershire, England, in the 1800s. They often were found on small farms where they were the “pig of all trades” used for cleaning excess whey from cheese making, harvesting windfall apples from the orchards, and gleaning the residue from the cider press. The breed’s reputation as an excellent grazer and forager earned it nicknames like “Cottage Pig” and “Orchard Pig.” Known for its meat with a flavor to savor, the pig became wildly popular in Great Britain during the first half of the 20th century. Gloucestershire Old Spots were imported into the United States, but their popularity never reached a level as high as the United Kingdom. After World War II and the shift to industrial food production, the breed lost popularity in both Britain and the United States. Today, thanks to their great maternal skills, friendly dispositions and self-sufficiency, the Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs are making a comeback. Though boars reach mature weights of more than 600 pounds and sows average about 500 pounds, they are good-natured and relatively easy to handle. The breed is an ideal option for the farmer or homesteader looking for delectable meats from pasture-raised pigs. TamworthStatus: ThreatenedFor the hobby farmer considering raising pigs, Tamworths offer an ideal blend of hardiness, good temperament and great taste. Historically, Tamworths lived a rugged, thrifty life of foraging for grubs, roots and berries. Years of selection for this outdoor lifestyle have led to a long, lean, athletic hog with strong legs and sound feet. Today, Tamworths are once again finding their niche. Their amicable personalities are hard to beat, and sows make prolific, terrific mothers. The long, chiseled snout of the Tamworth makes it a four-legged rototiller, perfect for turning the soil and preparing the ground. Despite their large size of 500 to 600 pounds, Tamworths are very active, so be sure you have the proper enclosures to keep them from roaming too far around the farm. Large BlackStatus: CriticalThe Large Black pig is just what its name suggests; a large-framed hog with a solid black coat. The Large Black gained “superstardom” in England during the late 1800s, and by 1900, it was the most numerous of the English pig breeds. The breed was valued by small-scale producers for the succulent pork and bacon it produced on little more than pasture and forage. The breed was imported to countries around the world, but as with most heritage pork breeds, it fell out of favor in the 1960s as the pork industry shifted to more confinement and industrial operations. Mature Large Black boars weigh 700 to 800 pounds, and sows reach 600 to 700 pounds. When working in the fields, foraging and rooting, these pigs wear their version of safety glasses. The animals have lop ears that fall forward over their faces, protecting the eyes but sometimes causing sight impediments. Because of the increased interest in pasture-raised pork, Large Black hogs are beginning to be recognized as a great choice in pastured management systems. HerefordStatus: WatchAn American original, the Hereford is a medium-size hog breed that is unique to the United States. The breed was developed in Iowa and Nebraska during the 1920s from Duroc, Chester White and Poland China stock. By 1934, 100 animals were identified as the foundation stock for the breed, and the National Hereford Hog Record was formed to promote the new hog breed.As its name suggests, the Hereford hog has a color pattern of vibrant red and white, similar to that of Hereford cattle. These pigs are versatile and adaptable. They can tolerate a wide variety of climates, and are often commended by owners for their docile personalities. Because of their gentle nature, Herefords make an excellent choice for 4-H projects. Mature Hereford boars weigh about 800 pounds, and sows reach about 600 pounds. Today, the breeding population of Hereford hogs is increasing, with the breed being most popular in the Midwest and Plains states. Red WattleStatus: CriticalLarge yet mild-mannered, the Red Wattle hog is a breed that small-scale producers and homesteaders should consider. The exact origin of the breed is not certain, but the name that graces the pages of history is that of H.C. Wengler. In 1965, Wengler set out to find the red, wattled hogs he remembered from his youth. The pigs were thought to be extinct. Wengler searched high and low, and in the early 1970s, he found some wattled hogs in a wooded area of eastern Texas. After several generations of selective breeding, the “new” Wengler Red Wattle hog was born. In the early 1980s, Robert Prentice located another line of red, wattled hog that he developed into the Endow Farm Wattle Hogs.Today, the Red Wattle is waddling back into the limelight. The culinary world’s recent love affair with the juicy, well-marbled, lean meat the breed produces has led to a growing interest in the breed. As the name implies, the Red Wattle is a red hog with a fleshy wattle attached to each side of the neck. The wattle serves no real function. The breed’s color ranges from shades of red, to some with black specks or patches, to some animals that appear nearly black. Sows make excellent mothers, farrowing litters of 10 to 15 piglets. Red Wattles typically weigh 600 to 800 pounds, but may grow as large as 1,200 pounds depending on the line. Carolina born and raised, Jennifer Kendall resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, Bassett Hound and Orange Tabby, and dreams of one day owning some of these heritage breeds. 123
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Grazing Management: Keys to a Well-Fed Flock | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/20943 | Desert locusts
Low levels of food production
Erratic rainfall
Low education levels
Overview Although one of the region’s more stable countries, Senegal remains a low-income, food-deficit nation with an estimated population of 11.6 million. In 2006, Senegal moved up one place on the UNDP Human Development Index and now ranks 156th out of 177 countries.
Malnutrition levels are persistently high, (16.4 percent chronic malnutrition in children under the age of five) partly due to poor dietary habits, poor sanitation, and low levels of literacy and nutritional awareness among women. Chronic malnutrition is twice as high in rural than in urban areas. The prevalence of iron deficiency at levels over 70 percent in women and children under 5 years is of serious concern. Only 26.3 percent of rural households have access to iodised salt, which is essential for the prevention of goitre.
The law provides for free education and government policy declares education to be compulsory for children ages 6 to 16. However, many children do not attend school due to lack of resources or available facilities. Access to education remains a concern particularly in the regions of Kaolack and Fatick, where the gross enrolment rates (GER) remain well below the national average. In the 2005-2006 academic year, more girls than boys were enrolled in primary school for the first time ever. However, high female illiteracy rates (44 percent) and school drop out rates of 30 percent affect mostly rural girls in vulnerable areas.
Due to subsistence agricultural practices, environmental damage and recurring natural disasters such as the 2004 locust invasion, sustainable food security for the poorest and most vulnerable is not yet an achievable goal. Around 50 percent of households are affected by poverty and devote up to 48 percent of household expenditures on food. Poverty levels are particularly acute in rural areas, where access to basic social services, such as health and education, is inadequate.
According to a recent WFP vulnerability analysis and mapping (VAM) study, 46 percent of households in Senegal are vulnerable to food insecurity, with 20 percent considered as highly vulnerable. The post-conflict region of Casamance is particularly vulnerable, with poverty rates among the highest in the country and more than 49 percent of households considered as vulnerable to food insecurity.
While the Peace Agreement signed in 2004 by the Government of Senegal and the separatist movement MFDC formally ended two decades of separatist fighting in the Casamance, the situation in the region remains tense with sporadic violence causing continued displacement. There are currently an estimated 6,500 Senegalese refugees in The Gambia and around 1,200 are still displaced within the Casamance region, following conflict in Fogny.
Currently, a number of refugees who sought shelter in Guinea-Bissau and internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in the region of Ziguinchor are returning to their villages in Casamance on the Guinea-Bissau border. In areas where no assistance is available to returnees, their sustainable reintegration continues to be hampered by limited social infrastructure and services and the presence of mines that prevents them from resuming farming.
WFP Activities WFP assists almost one million people through its Country Programme (CP) 2007-2011 focusing primarily on nutrition, education and crisis prevention activities. The programme reaches pre/primary school children in rural areas; pregnant and lactating women who participate in nutrition awareness sessions; and vulnerable people from highly food insecure rural households.
Government partner capacity building in the development and management of food security and crisis prevention programmes is a cross-cutting aim.
The objectives of WFP’s Country Programme are to:
support implementation of the Government’s programmes for eradication of malnutrition among children under 5;
improve children’s access to quality basic education;
improve access by vulnerable groups to food security and improved managementof natural resources.
In addition, WFP provides assistance to aid post-conflict recovery to 380,000 beneficiaries in the Casamance region through its 2005-2007 Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) that aims at:
increasing the ability of the target population to handle shocks and meet food needs by strengthening local primary production;
mitigating unemployment faced by vulnerable urban population groups, particularly women;
enhancing access to literacy and life-skills programmes, especially for women and adolescents;
increasing attendance at WFP-assisted primary schools for children from vulnerable groups.
WFP support is targeted to the poorest and most food insecure areas of Kaolack, Fatick, Tambacounda, Kolda and Ziguinchor, identified according to poverty and vulnerability criteria established by a Vulnerability Analysis Mapping (VAM). | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/20964 | Gaviotas: Village of Hope
A search for answers in Colombia leads two activists into the unpredictable world of Gaviotas.
For three decades, the village of Gaviotas has worked to build a sustainable, imaginative community in the eastern savannahs of Colombia. They have planted 20,000 acres of pines, creating shade and soil that has nurtured the return of hundreds of species of native plants and animals.
Photo by Christian Casillas
Seth BidermanChristian Casillas posted Mar 30, 2010
We first learned about Gaviotas, the legendary sustainable Colombian village, in 2004, while working in our home state, New Mexico. The two of us helped found a group called La Mesita, “the small table,” composed of three educators, a renewable energy scientist, a water-rights attorney, and a community organizer. We decided to start a project that would involve teenagers in organic agriculture and renewable energy in Ribera, a rural village in the north of the state. We believed that reviving northern New Mexico’s agricultural and cultural traditions could help the region confront both its environmental crises, like unsustainable water use, and its deepening social problems, such as rural drug abuse and teen pregnancy.
A member of our group brought us a copy of journalist Alan Weisman’s book, Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World.
“This is what we’re trying to create,” she said. “This village proves it’s possible.”
All of us took turns tearing through the book, spellbound by the story of a visionary man named Paolo Lugari and the remarkable group of scientists, students, Guahibo Indians, and cowhands who had succeeded in creating a resilient community amid the barren soils, shifting politics, and sporadic violence of Colombia’s eastern savannahs.
The book’s stories of innovation and perseverance inspired us as we moved forward. Our project convened scientists, educators, farmers, builders, and youth for a six-week, hands-on institute, where participants taught permaculture and organic farming, helped build an off-the-grid, energy-efficient house, and handcrafted a working wind turbine. The pilot project ran for two summers, but we were unable to maintain funding, and our colleagues went their separate ways.
It wasn’t until five years later that the authors of this piece had the chance to visit Gaviotas. We had wondered if it held clues that could have moved our New Mexico project forward. Then by coincidence, the two of us ended up in Colombia at the same time.
We contacted New York Times correspondent Simon Romero, a fellow New Mexican who had grown up near the site of the La Mesita summer institutes. Romero had long wanted to report on Gaviotas. With his help, we arranged a one-day tour with Lugari.
Village of Surprises
The night before our visit, we all met up in the busy city of Villavicencio, gateway to the region of savannah known as los llanos. Over steaks and Colombian pilsner, Paolo Lugari captivated us with impassioned conversation that ranged from subjects like the brilliance of Leonardo da Vinci to the failure of Western education.
Founder Paolo Lugari gives a tour of the community's agricultural fields. Considered a model of sustainable development, Gaviotas grows its own food and runs a successful pine-resin factory in the middle of the harsh Colombian savannahs.
He was just as energetic the next morning at daybreak in Villavicencio’s tiny airport as he pointed out the black Gaviotas dot on a wall map, and told us to expect the unexpected.
“In Gaviotas,” he said, “one lives in a state of perpetual surprise.”
Ninety minutes later, we began to understand what he meant, as our tiny Cessna airplane descended over Gaviotas. We’d read Weisman’s account of the village’s reforestation projects—Caribbean pines had created shade and soil that nurtured the regrowth of hundreds of species of native flora and fauna. But nothing prepared us for the sight of 20,000 acres of dark green trees bursting impossibly from the acidic savannah soils.
A small group of Gaviotans met us on the airstrip and invited us onto a broken-down minibus, towed by a tractor that ran on biofuel produced in the village. The tractor hauled us into the forest, where the Gaviotans demonstrated how they collect pine resin with little more than an axe and a plastic bag. Between the pines was their new fuel crop, African palms. But the Gaviotas palm plantings looked nothing like the massive, monocropped rows of palms we’d seen outside Villavicencio. Gaviotans mimic nature by keeping the forest diverse, one palm to every 10 pines, interspersed with fruit trees and native plants.
The bus headed past a full-sized dirigible, constructed on-site to monitor forest fires, and into the village. There we watched children pump drinking water from depths of over 100 feet. The award-winning Gaviotan sleeve pump has allowed residents to stop using the contaminated shallow water sources around the village.
We paused at the community kitchen, which produces hundreds of meals a day using an energy-efficient stove that burns wood thinned from the forest. We then followed Lugari into one of the resident’s simple homes, so he could show us the passive cooling system and demonstrate that water from the bathroom faucet was scalding hot, thanks to the rooftop solar water heater the Gaviotans had manufactured themselves.
The longest stop on our tour was in the economic heart of Gaviotas, its pine-resin processing and packaging factory, which now generates almost 80 percent of the community’s revenue. Here, cartloads of resin are brought from the forest and distilled for use in making varnish, paints, and adhesives. The entire factory runs on renewable energy. Steam used for processing the resin is created in a boiler fueled by sustainably harvested wood, while the generator and tractors operate on African palm oil or recycled vegetable oil from Bogotá mixed with pine turpentine. Many of the residents’ motorcycles run on a gasoline and pine-turpentine mix.
We kept our eyes open for some lesson we could bring back to New Mexico, a secret to Gaviotas’ success. Our first clue came from an offhand comment we overheard in the factory. Lugari asked a foreman how work was proceeding on a project to use byproducts from the resin processing to pave the muddy roads. The foreman gave an inconclusive report.
“Excellent,” said Lugari. “We’ll proceed A.V.V.”
“A.V.V.?” we asked.
“Allí vamos viendo,” he explained. “We’ll see what happens as we go along.”
The response seemed nonchalant, but it represented an approach that has been fundamental to the village’s longevity. Everywhere we looked, we saw examples of how the Gaviotans had encountered obstacles, gone back to the drawing board, and “surprised” themselves by discovering a way to adapt. The very building in which we stood, for example, had been a solar hot-water panel factory before shifting markets and government policy forced Gaviotans to search for a new product. Gaviotans’ efforts to grow their own food had led them through experiments in hydroponics, use of organic fertilizers, and African goat-herding. The beautiful glass and steel building that was once a fully functioning hospital was converted into a research laboratory and then a water-purification and bottling plant.
It became clear to us that most of the successes at Gaviotas were not a result of brilliant planning but of a trial and error process, replete with wrong turns and detours.
Gaviotas showed us that there is not an orchestrated march toward a finished product—there is only the process, the unpredictable evolution of strategies and ideas.
The Flow of Ideas
Back in Bogotá, we looked for more clues to Gaviotas’ success as we met with Dr. Jorge Zapp, the 67-year-old scientist who served as unofficial technical director of Gaviotas in the 1970s and 1980s.
After leaving Gaviotas, Zapp spent years as a technical evaluator for the United Nations Development Program, and we asked him how Gaviotas had influenced international development projects elsewhere in the world.
Author Christian Casillas helps operate a Gaviotas drinking water pump.
Photo by Seth Biderman
Zapp said Gaviotas never had a formal plan for disseminating solutions or technology. But ideas flowed in and out of the community through “natural diffusion.” He rattled off a list of appropriate technologies pioneered in Gaviotas and adopted in projects “from Patagonia to Maine.” There was the double-action water pump, a simplified cement and chicken-wire building technique, and pioneering work in low-cost hydroponics. Gaviotan solar water heaters have been installed atop buildings across Colombia. A brick-making press—not invented by Gaviotans but proven viable when they used it to build their factory, hospital, and homes—became a key tool in the reconstruction of cities across Latin America leveled by natural disasters.
But the real lessons of Gaviotas aren’t about technology. “What was spread in large part,” Zapp said, “was that people learned to believe in their own abilities.”
Gaviotas demonstrated to the world how effective it is to involve ordinary people in creating their own technologies and solving their own problems.
Case in point: A Peruvian government official visited Gaviotas in the early 1980s and took note of the village’s nutritional program, which provided a daily glass of fortified milk to each child. The official brought both the idea and Gaviotas’ collaborative approach back to Lima. Instead of creating a top-down government program, he helped mobilize poor mothers to prepare and distribute the milk themselves. The program ultimately empowered thousands of women through the popular movement known as Vaso de Leche. The nutritional practice spread, and with it the Gaviotan emphasis on community participation.
Zapp’s experiences at Gaviotas led to a turning point in his work. He left what he calls the “priesthood of science,” in which experts deliver knowledge to “the masses,” and committed his life to helping people develop their own solutions. In Zapp’s definition, development means renewing one’s faith in the collective intelligence of humans.
Making Space for Creativity
We came away from our visit to Colombia with a new understanding of what it looks like to address environmental and social problems in a sustainable, inclusive way.
Lugari made it clear that Gaviotas is not something you can replicate. He’d visited organizations and ecologically friendly towns around the world. But none combined all the essential ingredients he feels are necessary for sustainability. Security concerns, shifting national politics, and financial constraints have hamstrung efforts to create larger versions of Gaviotas elsewhere in the savannah.
A mural of Gaviotas village.
We spoke with Alan Weisman, who confirmed Lugari’s assessment. Weisman has received thousands of inquiries about Gaviotas from professors, energy experts, high schools, international NGOs, and even a dance company in Oregon. “People constantly tell me,” Weisman says, “that the place just gives them hope.” But Weisman knows of no one who has started a Gaviotas replica.
Lugari never intended for Gaviotas to serve as a blueprint for sustainable development, or even a clearinghouse of appropriate technologies. Instead, he wanted to show the world that it was possible to live sustainably by drawing on local resources, or as he describes it, living within the “economy of the near.” And he has done so by staying faithful to two principles: allowing space for adaptation and creativity, and ensuring that everyone, not just “experts,” is involved and empowered.
To realize our New Mexico vision, we’ll need to embrace Lugari’s principles and release our grip on our plans. We are now exploring ways to collaborate with others and expand our summer institute into a year-round “school.” We envision a place where youth work with community members and create their own new strategies and technologies, searching for the imaginative “surprises” that our own little corner of New Mexico so desperately needs.
Interested? .
Seth Biderman and Christian Casillas wrote this article for America: The Remix, the Spring 2010 issue of YES! Magazine. They were born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Biderman is a teacher and writer currently based in Colombia. His work has appeared in New Mexico Magazine, the Santa Fe Reporter, and The New York Times. Casillas is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California-Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group.
An Interview With Paolo Lugari, Founder of Las Gaviotas | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/21838 | Previous PostBored with Apples? Try One of These 7 Delicious Rare Cousins InsteadNext Post5 Billionaires with Ties to Agriculture—and Why They Do It One Of The Country’s Biggest Urban Farms Will Be Built In Detroit
By Dan Nosowitz on November 3, 2015
via Recovery Farms
Detroit's urban farming possibilities aren't a secret; there is nowhere else in the country with an infrastructure as big as Detroit's that contains so much city-owned or delinquent land. Farmers are stepping in from all over the place; the planners behind one project hope to eventually create the world's largest urban farm. But Detroit's mayor just found announced an even newer and bigger project: a $15 million, 60-acre urban farm.
We don’t really need to go into the history of Detroit and its current state, right? All that really needs to be said, when we’re talking about urban farming, is that the Detroit area has an excellent climate for seasonal agriculture, and that the city proper has plenty of available land. And that’s where the aptly, if slightly pessimistically, named Recovery Park comes in.
Michigan has more than 50,000 farms, the vast majority of which are single-family-owned. The city of Detroit has a huge excess of land, at the moment: without any prospective buyers, land often reverts to what NPR calls “a quasi-governmental agency” called the Detroit Land Bank Authority. The city also retains the rights to abandoned property. Some of those properties are sold at absurdly low prices to hopeful youngsters who want to try their hand at turning a $500 house into something livable. But many others sit in limbo, without a purpose or any likely buyers.
One surprising growth industry in the city is urban farming. Recovery Park, a nonprofit, confusingly runs a program called Recovery Park Farms, which is a for-profit. Anyway, Recovery Park and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced last week an ambitious plan to create a 60-acre urban farm (35 acres of which comes from the government, through the Detroit Land Bank Authority) to be settled not with new houses for people but greenhouses and hydroponic systems for specialty produce. Recovery Park already operates a pair of smaller urban farms, growing vegetables like radishes, greens, and edible flowers and selling them to restaurants in the city.
This plan is trickier, partly because Detroit doesn’t actually have $15 million to give to Recovery Park to set up an urban farm. The Detroit News reports that Recovery Park has $1 million of that already and will have to somehow raise the remainder to achieve its goals, which include 120 employees (60 percent of whom will have to be from the Detroit area). It’ll be a tricky process; the land Recovery Park has will have to be cleared of any houses still on the lots, and the new headquarters (the currently defunct Chene-Ferry Market) will need a complete renovation.
But the land is secured, and the project has the approval of the mayor, which means full steam ahead! Or partial steam ahead, maybe. Either way, Recovery Park plans to break ground in spring 2016.
One Of The Country’s Biggest Urban Farms Will Be Built In Detroit | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/22488 | Cover Crops Gaining Momentum with Farmers
By Amy Kort
Iowa farmers are continuing to implement new conservation practices on thousands of acres to reduce the loss of nutrients to surface waters under the state’s nutrient reduction strategy, which was adopted in 2013.
In 2015, farmers planted cover crops on 472,000 acres, a 35 percent increase from the previous year, according to a new estimate from the Iowa Learning Farms.
The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy indicates that cover crops are one of the most effective practices available at reducing the loss of nutrients. They are also one of the only practices proven to reduce both nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, because they take up nutrients during the fallow time between harvest and planting and also protect the soil surface from erosion.
Forty percent of respondents to a survey by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) said they used cover crops for the first time last year, while 52 percent said they’ve been using cover crops for fewer than five years. In addition, 77 percent of the more than 800 respondents said they’re planning on using cover crops again.
“Even though they are early in the process, farmers are showing a commitment to trying the practice and expanding acres as they get the hang of it,” said Matt Lechtenberg, water quality initiative coordinator at IDALS. “There is a large effort, in partnership with many organizations, to advance cover crop adoption in Iowa. These groups are hosting field days, often led by farmers, to provide local information on the best ways to manage cover crops.”
The survey indicated farmers on average planted about 40 more acres of cover crops than for which they received cost-share. On average, farmers seeded 148 total acres to cover crops while receiving cost-share for an average of 107 acres. Motivation to use cover crops included preventing soil erosion (90 percent), building organic matter (69 percent), improve soil health (68 percent), and improve yields/profitability (47 percent).
The most popular types of cover used include winter-hardy grass (77 percent), brassica (turnip, radish, rapeseed) at 18 percent, and non-winter hardy grass (oats, spring wheat) at 11 percent. As far as their approach to cover crops, 34 percent of respondents said they’d start on small amount of acres and add more acres every year, 58 percent said they use cover crops for erosive potential and 26 percent said they use cover crops to supplement livestock feed.
Sixty-one percent of survey respondents said they seed the cover crop post-harvest. Fifty-five percent said they use the drill method, followed by aerial application prior to harvest at 37 percent.
Kort is a freelance writer in Ankeny.
https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/Cover-crops-gaining-momemtum-with-farmers | 农业 |
2017-17/2656/en_head.json.gz/22856 | UN agency forecasts record harvests, more balanced commodity marketsPhoto: UNMISS/James Sokiri
13 June 2013 With an expected record harvest and calmer markets, global cereal prices could ease, the United Nations reported today, predicting more balanced food commodity prices for the 2013-2014 marketing year. The biannual Food Outlook published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that countries are estimated to spend $1.09 trillion to import food this year, hovering near last year’s level but 13 per cent below the record in 2011.
The greatest changes to the import bill costs of importing animal-protein products, which includes meat, dairy and fish, may increase as much as eight per cent to around $543 billion, dependent on larger volumes of imports as well as prices, particularly for dairy products and fish.
These increases to the bill could likely be offset by anticipated lower international prices for sugar and vegetable oils, as well as on beverages such as coffee, tea and cocoa.
The UN food agency said its Global Food Consumption Price Index has registered little movement since the end of last year, in contrast to the volatility of earlier months. Meanwhile, record harvest prices are due to force global grain prices lower, the agency predicted, balancing out trade. Cereal harvests forecast is expected to surge to a record 2,460 million tonnes in 2013, pointing to “a more comfortable” cereal supply-and-demand balance in the new season, according to the report.
This year’s forecasted cereal production could be 6.5 per cent up from last year’s reduced level, FAO reported, supported by higher global wheat output, rice production, and a sharp expected rebound in maize harvests and use, particularly for feed and industrial purposes, in the United States. “Based on current supply and demand prospects, by 2014, world cereal inventories could register an 11 per cent recover to 569 million tonnes, the highest level in 12 years,” the report cited. The resulting world trade in cereals is expected to reach 306 million tonnes, similar to this season’s level.
Also, global fish production is likely to reach a new record level in 2013 topping 160 million tonnes for the first time, as world fish prices continue to rise. “Buoyant demand in developing countries for has driven world aquaculture production to new heights,” authors of the report said, adding that consumption is down in the traditional markets.
Fish for direct human consumption will also increase significantly during 2013 as a smaller share of captures is destined for fish meal production. On a per capita basis, global fish consumption is approaching 20 kg a year. Prices on a number of farmed species, such as salmon, shrimp and selected bivalves, have risen sharply, according to the report. Demand for meat production is expected to grow more in developing countries, with the global outlook remaining modest. Meat prices have been historically high since early 2011. World meat production is forecast at 308.2 million tonnes in 2013, a modest increase of 4.3 million tonnes, or 1.4 percent on 2012. While producers in many countries continue to face high feed prices, these started falling in 2012, and could further diminish in 2013. World trade in dairy is expected to expand, but not by much due to limited supply. International prices of dairy products registered strong growth during the first four months of 2013, particularly in March and April, and high prices are expected for the next few months. The main cause of the price surge was a steep fall-off in New Zealand's milk production. Sugar production is expected to rise in 2012-2013 by 2.8 percent to 190 million tonnes, surpassing consumption for a second consecutive season. The surplus is likely to hover around 6.5 million tonnes. Increased production in Brazil, United States, Australia and China is anticipated to offset declines in India, the EU and Thailand.
This year’s Food Outlook has a special report on quinoa, coinciding with 2013 having been declared the International Year of Quinoa by the UN General Assembly.
“World demand is expected to keep growing vigorously in the coming years, driven primarily by developed countries, where expenditure on healthier and natural foods is on an upward trend,” the report said.
Food prices to stay high as productions dips, UN agency reports in 10-year outlook
FEATURE: UN’s mission to keep plastics out of oceans and marine life
Strong partnerships key to unleash full potential of industrialization, senior UN official says
UN-led conference to mobilize global action to avert 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Yemen
UN and World Bank sign new partnership to build resilience for the most vulnerable
New UN guidelines to make international trade in plants and seeds safer | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/174 | Why being a foodie isn’t ‘elitist’ A great article in the Washington Post on why caring about good food is not elitist:
Why being a foodie isn’t ‘elitist’
By Eric Schlosser, Published: April 29
At the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting this year, Bob Stallman, the group’s president, lashed out at “self-appointed food elitists” who are “hell-bent on misleading consumers.” His target was the growing movement that calls for sustainable farming practices and questions the basic tenets of large-scale industrial agriculture in America.
The “elitist” epithet is a familiar line of attack. In the decade since my book “Fast Food Nation” was published, I’ve been called not only an elitist, but also a socialist, a communist and un-American. In 2009, the documentary “Food, Inc.,” directed by Robby Kenner, was described as “elitist foodie propaganda” by a prominent corporate lobbyist. Nutritionist Marion Nestle has been called a “food fascist,” while an attempt was recently made to cancel a university appearance by Michael Pollan, author of“The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” who was accused of being an “anti-agricultural” elitist by a wealthy donor.
This name-calling is a form of misdirection, an attempt to evade a serious debate about U.S. agricultural policies. And it gets the elitism charge precisely backward. America’s current system of food production — overly centralized and industrialized, overly controlled by a handful of companies, overly reliant on monocultures, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, chemical additives, genetically modified organisms, factory farms, government subsidies and fossil fuels — is profoundly undemocratic. It is one more sign of how the few now rule the many. And it’s inflicting tremendous harm on American farmers, workers and consumers.
During the past 40 years, our food system has changed more than in the previous 40,000 years. Genetically modified corn and soybeans, cloned animals, McNuggets — none of these technological marvels existed in 1970. The concentrated economic power now prevalent in U.S. agriculture didn’t exist, either. For example, in 1970 the four largest meatpacking companies slaughtered about 21 percent of America’s cattle; today the four largest companies slaughter about 85 percent. The beef industry is more concentrated now than it was in 1906, when Upton Sinclair published “The Jungle” and criticized the unchecked power of the “Beef Trust.” The markets for pork, poultry, grain, farm chemicals and seeds have also become highly concentrated.
America’s ranchers and farmers are suffering from this lack of competition for their goods. In 1970, farmers received about 32 cents for every consumer dollar spent on food; today they get about 16 cents. The average farm household now earns about 87 percent of its income from non-farm sources.
While small farmers and their families have been forced to take second jobs just to stay on their land, wealthy farmers have received substantial help from the federal government. Between 1995 and 2009, about $250 billion in federal subsidies was given directly to American farmers — and about three-quarters of that money was given to the wealthiest 10 percent. Those are the farmers whom the Farm Bureau represents, the ones attacking “big government” and calling the sustainability movement elitist.
Food industry workers are also bearing the brunt of the system’s recent changes. During the 1970s, meatpackers were among America’s highest-paid industrial workers; today they are among the lowest paid. Thanks to the growth of fast-food chains, the wages of restaurant workers have fallen, too. The restaurant industry has long been the largest employer of minimum-wage workers. Since 1968, thanks in part to the industry’s lobbying efforts, the real value of the minimum wage has dropped by 29 percent.
Migrant farmworkers have been hit especially hard. They pick the fresh fruits and vegetables considered the foundation of a healthy diet, but they are hardly well-rewarded for their back-breaking labor. The wages of some migrants, adjusted for inflation, have dropped by more than 50 percent since the late 1970s. Many grape-pickers in California now earn less than their counterparts did a generation ago, when misery in the fields inspired Cesar Chavez to start the United Farm Workers Union.
While workers are earning less, consumers are paying for this industrial food system with their health. Young children, the poor and people of color are being harmed the most. During the past 40 years, the obesity rate among American preschoolers has doubled. Among children ages 6 to 11, it has tripled. Obesity has been linked to asthma, cancer, heart disease and diabetes, among other ailments. Two-thirds of American adults are obese or overweight, and economists from Cornell and Lehigh universities have estimated that obesity is now responsible for 17 percent of the nation’s annual medical costs, or roughly $168 billion.
African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be obese than non-Hispanic whites, and more likely to be poor. As upper-middle-class consumers increasingly seek out healthier foods, fast-food chains are targeting low-income minority communities — much like tobacco companies did when wealthy and well-educated people began to quit smoking.
Some aspects of today’s food movement do smack of elitism, and if left unchecked they could sideline the movement or make it irrelevant. Consider the expensive meals and obscure ingredients favored by a number of celebrity chefs, the snobbery that often oozes from restaurant connoisseurs, and the obsessive interest in exotic cooking techniques among a certain type of gourmand.
Those things may be irritating. But they generally don’t sicken or kill people. And our current industrial food system does.
Just last month, a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that nearly half of the beef, chicken, pork and turkey at supermarkets nationwide may be contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria. About 80 percent of the antibiotics in the United States are currently given to livestock, simply to make the animals grow faster or to prevent them from becoming sick amid the terribly overcrowded conditions at factory farms. In addition to antibiotic-resistant germs, a wide variety of other pathogens are being spread by this centralized and industrialized system for producing meat.
Children under age 4 are the most vulnerable to food-borne pathogens and to pesticide residues in food. According to a report by Georgetown University and the Pew Charitable Trusts, the annual cost of food-borne illness in the United States is about $152 billion. That figure does not include the cost of the roughly 20,000 annual deaths from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
One of the goals of the Farm Bureau Federation is to influence public opinion. In addition to denying the threat of global warming and attacking the legitimacy of federal environmental laws, the Farm Bureau recently created an entity called the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance to “enhance public trust in our food supply.” Backed by a long list of powerful trade groups, the alliance also plans to “serve as a resource to food companies” seeking to defend current agricultural practices.
But despite their talk of openness and trust, the giants of the food industry rarely engage in public debate with their critics. Instead they rely on well-paid surrogates — or they file lawsuits. In 1990, McDonald’s sued a small group called London Greenpeace for criticizing the chain’s food, starting a legal battle that lasted 15 years. In 1996, Texas cattlemen sued Oprah Winfrey for her assertion that mad cow disease might have come to the United States, and kept her in court for six years. Thirteen states passed “veggie libel laws” during the 1990s to facilitate similar lawsuits. Although the laws are unconstitutional, they remain on the books and serve their real purpose: to intimidate critics of industrial food.
In the same spirit of limiting public awareness, companies such as Monsanto and Dow Chemical have blocked the labeling of genetically modified foods, while the meatpacking industry has prevented the labeling of milk and meat from cloned animals. If genetic modification and cloning are such wonderful things, why aren’t companies eager to advertise the use of these revolutionary techniques?
The answer is that they don’t want people to think about what they’re eating. The survival of the current food system depends upon widespread ignorance of how it really operates. A Florida state senator recently introduced a bill making it a first-degree felony to take a photograph of any farm or processing plant — even from a public road — without the owner’s permission. Similar bills have been introduced in Minnesota and Iowa, with support from Monsanto.
The cheapness of today’s industrial food is an illusion, and the real cost is too high to pay. While the Farm Bureau Federation clings to an outdated mind-set, companies such as Wal-Mart, Danone, Kellogg’s, General Mills and Compass have invested in organic, sustainable production. Insurance companies such as Kaiser Permanente are opening farmers markets in low-income communities. Whole Foods is demanding fair labor practices, while Chipotle promotes the humane treatment of farm animals. Urban farms are being planted by visionaries such as Milwaukee’s Will Allen; the Coalition of Immokalee Workers is defending the rights of poor migrants; Restaurant Opportunities Centers United is fighting to improve the lives of food-service workers; and Alice Waters, Jamie Oliver and first lady Michelle Obama are pushing for healthier food in schools.
Calling these efforts elitist renders the word meaningless. The wealthy will always eat well. It is the poor and working people who need a new, sustainable food system more than anyone else. They live in the most polluted neighborhoods. They are exposed to the worst toxic chemicals on the job. They are sold the unhealthiest foods and can least afford the medical problems that result.
A food system based on poverty and exploitation will never be sustainable.
Eric Schlosser is the author of “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” and a co-producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary “Food, Inc.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-being-a-foodie-isnt-elitist/2011/04/27/AFeWsnFF_story.html
May 1st, 2011 | Traveler | No Comments | About The Author | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/830 | Home » Government Affairs » Federal Legislation » Animal Welfare in Agricultural Research Endeavors (AWARE) Act
Background: Animal Cruelty Exposed at Federal Facility
In January 2015, The New York Times released a shocking front-page exposé detailing horrific examples of animal abuse at the US Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska. MARC is a government laboratory within the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.
Cruel and callous experiments involving pigs, sheep, and cattle have been routinely conducted under the guise of research to improve profits for industrial agriculture. Newborn lambs were left alone in fields to die from exposure and predation; a young cow died from injuries after she was forcibly restrained and bulls were allowed to continuously mount her for hours; pigs were locked in steam chambers until they eventually died; and at least 6,500 animals have been starved to death at this particular facility. These are only a small sampling of the atrocities known to have occurred there.
Using Taxpayer Money to Support Dubious Research
MARC is one of 40 facilities operated by the Agricultural Research Service that conduct experiments involving animals. Since 2006, close to $200 million has been spent on the MARC facility alone, according to a USDA report submitted to Congress during the budgeting process. Asking American taxpayers to bankroll private industry research and development that involves shocking animal abuse represents an egregious breach of the American public’s trust.
Although MARC is the USDA’s premier animal research facility, the scientific value of its experiments in animal production is dubious, at best. A letter signed by 43 members of Congress to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack decries the lack of “meaningful and useful results” from MARC. The letter expresses dismay that MARC’s research is done “to maximize profits for agribusiness but at a terrible cost and with no real benefit. The experimentation has been for naught and the animals have suffered and died needlessly.” This letter echoes the concerns of individuals within the meat industry who have questioned the merits of the bizarre and extreme experiments that go on at MARC. During congressional hearings on USDA’s budget and activities, legislators on both sides of the aisle expressed alarm over what transpires at MARC and called for greater accountability.
USDA Is Not Providing Proper Oversight
Although the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) specifically exempts farm animals “used or intended for use for improving animal nutrition, breeding, management, or production efficiency, or for improving the quality of food or fiber,” MARC is expected to adhere to the AWA standards of humane care. Unfortunately, although the USDA is responsible for enforcing the AWA, the department has not been effectively managing its own research involving farm animals.
In response to the scandal and subsequent public outcry, Secretary Vilsack directed his staff to craft an updated “animal welfare strategy plan.” However, it is clear that more immediate and concrete action is necessary to ensure that abuses at federal research facilities testing on farm animals do not occur in the future.
The Solution: The AWARE Act
The cruel treatment of animals at MARC is unconscionable. It has been allowed to continue in large part because of the glaring gap in the AWA that allows federal research facilities like MARC to torture farm animals with impunity.
The Animal Welfare in Agriculture Research Endeavors (AWARE) Act would close the loophole in the AWA that excludes farm animals used in agricultural research at federal facilities from basic animal welfare protections. Passing the AWARE Act would NOT hinder legitimate research. On the contrary, requiring federal facilities such as MARC to adhere to certain minimum standards of humane care would benefit research by ensuring that protocols are carefully thought out and followed. Better care of animals reduces extraneous variables and, in so doing, yields more reliable results.
Federal LegislationSafeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act
Laws & Other Measures | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/1211 | SOURCE: Agrium Inc.
Agrium to Acquire Cargill's U.S. Ag-Retail Business
CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - July 06, 2016) - Agrium Inc. (TSX: AGU) (NYSE: AGU) announced today a binding purchase agreement between its Crop Production Services ("CPS") and Cargill AgHorizons (U.S.) ("Cargill") for the acquisition of 18 Ag-retail locations with annual revenues of over $150-million. The outlets are located across the northern U.S. Corn-Belt region, in the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. "This acquisition demonstrates our continued focus on growing our North American Ag-retail business, particularly in the highly desirable U.S. Corn Belt. The locations are in regions where we currently have a limited presence. This acquisition will allow us to capitalize on synergies related to the introduction of our proprietary products and services, and leveraging our extensive distribution network," commented Agrium's President and CEO, Chuck Magro. "We welcome the Cargill Ag-retail employees to the Agrium family and are excited to bring our agronomic expertise and quality products and services to growers in this important agricultural region," added Mr. Magro. Roger Watchorn, group leader of Cargill's North American agricultural supply chain, said: "Cargill will focus on being the world's leading merchant of grain and oilseeds. We remain steadfast in our commitment to help farmers succeed by ensuring they remain competitive in the global market and being as efficient as possible in getting products from origins to destinations." The sale does not involve Cargill's Canadian crop input retail business. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and regulatory clearances. The transaction is expected to close by the end of third quarter of 2016. About Agrium Agrium Inc. is a major producer and distributor of agricultural products and services in North America, South America, Australia and Egypt through its agricultural retail-distribution and wholesale nutrient businesses. Agrium supplies growers with key products and services such as crop nutrients, crop protection, seed, and agronomic and application services, thereby helping to meet the ever growing global demand for food and fiber. Agrium produces nitrogen, potash and phosphate fertilizers, with a combined wholesale nutrient capacity of over nine million tonnes and with competitive advantages across all product lines. Agrium retail-distribution has an unmatched network of over 1,400 facilities and approximately 3,800 crop consultants. We partner with over half a million grower customers globally to help them increase their yields and returns on more than 50 different crops. With a focus on sustainability, the company strives to improve the communities in which it operates through safety, education, environmental improvement and new technologies such as the development of precision agriculture and controlled release nutrient products. Agrium is focused on driving operational excellence across our businesses, pursuing value-enhancing growth opportunities and returning capital to shareholders. About Cargill Cargill provides food, agriculture, financial and industrial products and services to the world. Together with farmers, customers, governments and communities, we help people thrive by applying our insights and 150 years of experience. We have 149,000 employees in 70 countries who are committed to feeding the world in a responsible way, reducing environmental impact and improving the communities where we live and work. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties as well as various assumptions and business sensitivities, including those referred to in the MD&A section of the Corporation's most recent Annual Report to Shareholders as well as those risk factors described in the Corporation's most recent Annual Information Form, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, estimates, forecasts and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, business and financial prospects, financial multiples and accretion estimates, future trends, plans, strategies, objectives and expectations ,completion of the retail transaction as contemplated and the ability to successfully integrate the new assets into our existing retail business in an effective manner, general economic, market and business conditions, weather conditions, crop prices, the supply and demand and price levels for our major products, governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities, including changes in government policy, changes in environmental, tax and other laws or regulations and the interpretation thereof. Agrium disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:Investor/Media Relations:Richard DowneyVice President, Investor & Corporate Relations(403) 225-7357 Todd CoakwellDirector, Investor Relations(403) 225-7437 Louis BrownAnalyst, Investor Relations(403) 225-7761 Contact us at: www.agrium.com
Plastics and fibers | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/1852 | Agriculture and Food Supplies: Year In Review 2006
Martin Gill,
Philip Paarlberg
Bird flu reached Europe and Africa, and concerns over BSE continued to disrupt trade in beef. An international vault for seeds was under construction on an Arctic island. Stocks of important food-fish species were reported under threat.Agricultural Production and Aid
Food ProductionWorld grain production in the 2005–06 crop year was 2,012,000,000 metric tons, which was a decline of about 1.6% from the previous year. World wheat production fell 1.4%, and the production of coarse grain (corn [maize], barley, oats, sorghum, rye, millet, and mixed grains) was 3.7% lower. Offsetting the production declines for wheat and coarse grains was a 3.8% expansion of rice output. The decline in wheat production was concentrated in the European Union, North Africa, and India. Weather adversely affected coarse-grain crops in the United States, Argentina, Mexico, the EU, North Africa, and Russia, while China’s production showed an improvement. Rice production in India, Pakistan, and Thailand rose substantially, and the only major rice-trading countries that experienced a decline in output were Brazil and the U.S. For the 2006–07 crop year, world production of grain was forecast to decline an additional 1.8%. Global wheat and coarse-grain production were forecast lower, but rice production was expected to rise. Global coarse-grain production was forecast to be 1% lower, and world rice output was forecast to be one million metric tons greater, with most countries repeating their 2005–06 outputs.For the 2005–06 crop year, world oilseed production rose 1.8% to 388 million metric tons. Production in the 2006–07 crop year was expected to rise another 1.8% as U.S. soybean production recovered from a decline in 2005–06. The output of crops in South America expanded in 2006, and 2007 crops were forecast to increase further.With global grain consumption increasing, ending stocks were expected to continue to fall. Global stocks fell 3% during the 2005–06 crop year. A major factor for the decline in coarse-grain stocks was the expectation of expanding demand for ethanol made from corn. Several new production plants were planned to start operation in the U.S. in 2007. The U.S. farm price for corn started rising in the summer, when reduced output together with the anticipated expansion of ethanol production began to affect markets.Food Aid
Several African countries faced food emergencies as crop problems in 2005 led to shortages in early 2006. Acute drought in northern Kenya, southern Ethiopia, and Somalia placed millions of people at risk of famine. Later in the year unusually heavy rains caused extensive flooding in the region and hindered the distribution of food aid. Zimbabwe continued to suffer the effects of its aggressive land-reform program, which had caused a collapse in agricultural output. One-half of the population of Zimbabwe—once an agricultural exporter—was relying on international food aid. The food crisis in the Darfur region of The Sudan continued, and an estimated four million people were in jeopardy. Chad and the Central African Republic also had large numbers of people who were facing starvation.A boy examines a sack of grain at a food-aid distribution centre in northern Kenya in September. …APAgricultural PolicyDoha Development RoundThe Doha Development Round of trade talks under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) tottered and finally collapsed. At the December 2005 ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, attending countries had agreed to complete a framework for the liberalization of agricultural trade by the end of April 2006. The deadline was extended to the end of June, but by late July progress still had not been made, and the talks were officially suspended. The United States had offered to make substantial reductions in its domestic price support, but the cuts were to be made from its WTO spending ceiling and not from actual subsidy outlays. Other countries argued that the U.S. would not in fact be reducing its agriculture subsidies, since subsidy outlays by the U.S. had been well below its spending ceiling. The United States in turn was displeased over its market access to the European Union and less-developed countries. Although they had offered reduced import barriers, the U.S. felt that the reductions were insufficient. Other problems in the Doha Development Round included disputes over how many products could receive special exemptions from import-barrier reductions and disagreements in defining which countries should be considered less-developed and therefore entitled to special treatment.Genetically Modified Food
The production of genetically modified (GM) food remained controversial but continued to expand, with the total area planted to GM crops growing at double-digit rates. By 2006 GM crops were being grown in more than 20 countries on more than about 100 million ha (250 million ac). It was estimated that one-half of the world’s soybeans, one-quarter of its corn, and one-tenth of its cotton were GM crops.Clusters of genetically modified papayas ripen on a farm in Laie, Hawaii, in January. Though still …AP Images
Name That Surgery
In 2006 the WTO ruled against restrictions that the EU had placed on the approval of GM crops. The United States, Argentina, and Canada filed a complaint with the WTO in 2003 about EU rules that had effectively banned imports of GM crops since 1998. After a series of postponements, a final ruling against the European ban was issued in September.In July U.S. officials learned that unapproved GM rice had been found in rice supplies for the commercial market. The EU responded by demanding that long-grain-rice imports from the U.S. be tested and certified. Japan banned long-grain imports and threatened to ban other types of rice imported from the U.S. Additional concerns about inadequate controls of GM plants and products were raised by a study in Oregon that found genetically modified creeping bentgrass, developed for possible use on golf courses, in the wild as far as 3.8 km (2.7 mi) from its test plots. (See Life Sciences: Botany.)International Seed BankIn June construction began on the Svalbard International Seed Vault, which was intended to safeguard the seeds of the world’s food plants in the event of a global crisis. The secure facility was being built into the side of a mountain on Spitsbergen, the main island of the Svalbard Islands, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. The site was chosen for its cold conditions and permafrost, which would help preserve the seeds in the event the vault’s cooling systems failed. The vault, endorsed by more than 100 countries, was being built by Norway in coordination with the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Scheduled for completion in 2007, the vault would house up to three million varieties of plants; individual countries were to provide the seed samples to be preserved.On June 19 five Nordic prime ministers gather at Longyearbyen, Spitzbergen, Nor., to mark the …APAnimal Diseases
Avian influenza caused by the highly pathogenic virus H5N1, which had caused outbreaks in several Asian countries starting in 2003, continued to spread via migratory birds, and the virus reached Western Europe and Africa in early 2006. Although avian influenza infected wild birds, it did not infect commercial poultry in Europe. As a precaution, many free-range-poultry producers moved their birds indoors to avoid contact with wild birds. The H5N1 strain was transmissible to humans who came in contact with live infected birds, and humans infected by the virus had a mortality rate greater than 50%. Although cooked poultry was not considered to pose a risk of infection to humans because the heat of cooking would kill the virus, the consumption and trade of poultry meat in Europe were negatively affected by the avian-influenza outbreaks.Several countries lifted trade bans that they had imposed on Canadian and American beef in 2003, when bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease) was found in a cow in Canada and another in the United States. A complicating factor in the reopening of the beef trade was the fact that cases of BSE continued to appear. The U.S. reported one case of BSE in Alabama in March, and Canada reported several cases during the year. Japan, which had been a top importer of North American beef, announced in December 2005 that it was reopening its market to the United States and to Canada. Trade in U.S. beef was halted in the following month, however, because one American exporter had allowed shipment with backbone matter, which was prohibited under the rules that had been negotiated. After further talks, shipments resumed in July. South Korea, which had also been a top importer, indicated that it would again allow American beef into its market. South Korea reopened its market in October, but trade was soon disrupted after a bone chip was found in a shipment.In February foot-and-mouth disease appeared in Argentina, and about 4,000 head of cattle were destroyed to contain it. Several countries canceled imports of Argentine beef.Trans FatThe consumption of trans fat—primarily in the form of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils in foods—had been blamed for contributing to obesity and coronary heart disease. (Hydrogenation is a process used for converting vegetable oils into solid or semisolid fats and improving their shelf life.) U.S. labeling requirements for the trans-fat content of packaged foods came into effect in January, and food manufacturers and restaurant chains were taking steps to eliminate trans fat from their products. Kentucky Fried Chicken, for example, announced that by the end of April 2007, it would replace partially hydrogenated vegetable oil with low-linolenic soybean oil, which does not need to be hydrogenated. The production of low-linolenic soybeans and special varieties of other sources of vegetable oil was expected to increase as demand continued to grow for substitutes to partially hydrogenated oil.Philip PaarlbergFisheriesCommercial fisheries figures published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization indicated that in 2004, the latest year for which figures were available, the total production for the world’s capture fisheries increased by 4,476,324 metric tons, or 4.95%, from the 2003 figure. Marine capture fisheries recorded a 5.27% increase, 4,293,818 metric tons over the 2003 figure of 81,494,385 metric tons, while freshwater inland capture fisheries recorded a 2.02% increase, to 9,218,605 metric tons. World aquaculture continued to grow, increasing by 7.48% in 2004 to reach a total production of 45,468,356 metric tons. Overall, the world supply of fish showed a 5.66% jump over 2003 to 140,363,237 metric tons.In 2004 China was still the world’s leading fishing country, recording an 0.82% increase in total catch to reach 16,892,793 metric tons, a figure that, when added to China’s aquaculture production of 30,614,968 metric tons, dwarfed the next nearest producer. (For Production Trends for the Top 10 Catching Nations, 1995–2004, see Graph.)The anchoveta (Peruvian anchovy; Engraulis ringens) recovered strongly, recording a 72.14% increase in catch over 2003 and contributing to a 57.96% increase in Peru’s total catch. (For Catch Trends for the Top Five Caught Fish Species, 1995–2004, see Graph.) The Japanese anchovy, however, decreased by 14.02%, dropping from fifth to seventh position among the top 10 species caught. Atlantic herring and largehead hairtail moved up. Also of interest was the rapid increase (331.12%) in the catch of jumbo flying squid (Dosidicus gigas) in the previous five years. Capelin continued to show a decline.Growing concerns about overfishing and marine pollution culminated with the publication in Science magazine in November 2006 of a report from a 13-member international team of ecologists and economists. The group, which comprised researchers from four countries and investigated worldwide catch data for the past 50 years, predicted the collapse of the world seafood supply as early as 2048. Cod and tuna were two fish identified as under threat, and concern was expressed for the state of marine ecosystems generally. Other reports during the year pinpointed stocks of Mediterranean bluefin tuna and orange roughy as particularly worrying. On the positive side, some types of Chilean sea bass, which in the past had been severely threatened, were again declared sustainable; global trade in caviar from wild sturgeon was proscribed; and New Zealand announced plans to ban destructive bottom trawling in large portions of its exclusive economic zone.At the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), held in June in the Caribbean country of Saint Kitts and Nevis, member countries, vigorously lobbied by Japan, narrowly voted in favour of eventually abandoning the 20-year-old worldwide ban on whaling, although a three-fourths majority would be required actually to overturn the moratorium. On October 17 Iceland announced that it would take 9 endangered fin whales and 30 minke whales by the end of August 2007, its first commercial whaling activity in more than 20 years. Iceland thus joined Japan and Norway as the only countries defying the IWC ban.Martin GillThe Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica
More about Agriculture and Food Supplies: Year In Review 2006
3 References found in Britannica ArticlesAssorted ReferencesEthiopia
(in Ethiopia in 2006)
(in India in 2006: The Economy.)
(in Ukraine in 2006)
IntroductionAgricultural Production and AidFood ProductionFood AidAgricultural PolicyDoha Development RoundGenetically Modified FoodInternational Seed BankAnimal DiseasesTrans FatFisheries
Martin Gill and Philip Paarlberg
https://www.britannica.com/topic/agriculture-Year-In-Review-2006 | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/3263 | STATE QUIZ
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Double click any word in document for definition.
Texas State Cotton Gin Museum
Burton Cotton Gin & Museum
Texas State Cotton Gin Museum: Burton Cotton Gin & MuseumLibrary of Congress: Historic American Buildings SurveyNortheast Elevation
The Burton Cotton Gin & Museum became the Lonestar State's official cotton gin museum when Governor Rick Perry signed House Concurrent Resolution No. 71 on June 19, 2009.
"The Burton Farmers Gin represents the turn of the century revolution of cotton ginning from a labor intensive operation to the system gin which was powered by a single engine. It represents a mechanical age before the industrial use of power, and is the oldest surviving example of Robert Munger's concept of an integrated system of processing cotton from the wagon to a completed bale."
("Burton Cotton Gin & Museum")
In 1997 Governor George W. Bush signed House Concurrent Resolution No. 228 declaring cotton to be the official fiber and fabric of the State of Texas.
H.C.R. No 71
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The State of Texas has customarily recognized a variety of official state symbols as tangible representations of the state's historical and cultural heritage; and
WHEREAS, The Burton Cotton Gin & Museum, in Burton, Washington County, is home to what is believed to be the only restored gin of its time period in the United States that remains in its original building, on its original site, and that operates with equipment that was in the facility when the gin closed; beyond its uniqueness, this plant represents a significant chapter in Texas agricultural and economic history; and
WHEREAS, First grown in Texas by Spanish missionaries, cotton became an important source of income in the state in the 19th century and has remained a significant part of the state's economy; Texas has led the nation in cotton production in almost every year since 1880, and the state's annual cotton harvest today constitutes approximately a quarter of all the cotton raised in the United States; the largest cash crop in Texas, cotton has been designated the official State Fiber and Fabric; and
WHEREAS, Beginning in the 1870s, cotton culture in Texas expanded dramatically: between 1869 and 1879, the number of bales produced in the state rose from approximately 350,000 to more than 800,000, and by 1900 the number of bales reached more than 3.5 million; this soaring volume placed a heavy strain on the existing gins and their mode of operation; even if steam engines were used instead of animals to power the gin machinery, manual labor was still needed to shift the cotton from one operation to another, and as cotton harvests increased, impatient farmers were forced to wait in ever longer lines at the gin; and
WHEREAS, To cope with the upsurge in production, Robert S. Munger, of Mexia, devised a radically new process that became known as system ginning; over the period from 1883 to 1892, he created pneumatic technology that would move the cotton in a continuous manner, directly from the wagon to the gin stand and then to the baling press; modern-day cotton gins still use the process that he pioneered; and
WHEREAS, Though highly successful, Mr. Munger's technology was too expensive for a single individual to install, and so local farmers would establish associations to build system gins; in 1913, a group of Burton agriculturists, most of them German Texans, incorporated to construct and operate the Burton Farmers Gin; designed by the Lummus Cotton Gin Company, the gin relied on Mr. Munger's pneumatic system, together with special air-blast equipment to doff lint from the gin saws; and
WHEREAS, During the 1920s, the mechanization of cotton harvesting necessitated the addition of still further machinery at the Burton gin, in order to remove the increased volume of trash from the seed cotton; the total power requirement then exceeded the capacity of the gin's original steam engine, and the latter was thus supplanted in 1925 by a Bessemer Type IV diesel engine with 125 horsepower; after that engine failed in 1963, it was replaced by an electric motor, though the diesel engine was repaired and kept as a standby power source; and
WHEREAS, The Burton Farmers Gin operated from 1914 to 1974, by which time cotton production in the area had almost wholly given way to the raising of livestock; efforts by local citizens to preserve the gin and return it to its 1930s condition began in 1986; as part of the initial phase, the complete gin records, which chronicle cotton production and sales by area farmers as well as the history of the physical plant, were indexed and archived; later, staff from the Smithsonian Institution assisted with the restoration of the gin's Bessemer engine, the "Lady B," which is considered to be "the largest operating internal combustion engine of [its] vintage in the southern United States," and one of the "few, if [indeed there are] any, engines of this age and horsepower in operation outside of a museum"; and
WHEREAS, Today, the Burton Farmers Gin constitutes the main structure in the nine-acre complex known as the Burton Cotton Gin & Museum; the gin itself is open for tours year-round and is activated twice a year, during the Cotton Gin Festival in April and the First Bale Celebration in October; listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Burton Farmers Gin has also been designated a Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission and a National Historic Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; and
WHEREAS, A key element of the cotton industry, gins were once a fixture in countless rural Texas communities and a fundamental part of their local economy; today, the Burton Cotton Gin & Museum evokes that earlier time and offers a rare window into a critical technological advance, one that continues to benefit the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas hereby designate the Burton Cotton Gin & Museum as the official Cotton Gin Museum of Texas.
Texas State Cotton Gin Museum: Burton Cotton Gin & MuseumPhotograph: Jerry Winfield. Used with permission.Northeast Elevation
Because the Burton Gin & Museum was named the official gin museum of the State of Texas by Concurrent Resolution, it is not listed in the Texas Statutes.
Only a small number of Texas' myriad symbols have been actually adopted by an act of the legislature and written into the Texas Statutes.
State Flag
State Song
State Tree of Texas
State Plays
Official Texas Tejano Music Hall of Fame
Sources...
"House Concurrent Resolution No. 71." Texas Legislature Online. The State of Texas, 19 Jun 2009. Web. 16 Nov 2011. <http://www.legis.state.tx.us/billlookup/History.aspx?LegSess=81R&Bill=HCR71>.
"The Burton Farmers Gin." Burton Cotton Gin & Museum. Burton Cotton Gin & Museum, n.d. Web. 16 Nov 2011. <http://www.cottonginmuseum.org/Gin.htm>.
Burton Cotton Gin & Museum:
Website of the official cotton gin museum of the State of Texas.
Cotton Ginning:
The Texas Historical Association: Handbook of Texas Online.
Cotton Gins in Texas:
Vintage Postcards - Series One - From The Will Beauchamp Collection.
Texas Cotton Ginners Association:
Official website.
More symbols & emblems:
Complete list of official Texas state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.
Bale o' CottonKaren Gerhardt Britton
Bale o' Cotton: The Mechanical Art of Cotton Ginning,
by Karen Gerhardt Britton. 160 pages. Publisher: TAMU Press; 1st edition (November 1, 1992) Bale o' Cotton: The Mechanical Art of Cotton Ginning offers a unique blend of fact and folklore about cotton ginning, the process that takes cotton from the field, separates fibers from seeds, and packages the lint into a bale for shipment to market. It traces the development of the industry, the equipment, and the techniques of this integral facet of American life from its English beginnings in 1793, through its heyday in the American South, to its present technological peak.
Out of the long days spent in the gin plant, a rich oral tradition developed, which included a broad sense of general history and an understanding of worldwide markets, an appreciation for the music of the machine (especially the steam engine), legendary individuals, and a folklore based on practical jokes. But the language, traditions, and cultural practices that developed around the cotton gin are now rapidly becoming extinct as modern technology eliminates the risks, inventiveness, and close working relationships between ginners and machines.
Inventing the Cotton GinAngela Lakwete
Inventing the Cotton Gin: Machine and Myth in Antebellum America,
by Angela Lakwete. 248 pages. Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (August 12, 2005) In Inventing the Cotton Gin, Lakwete explores the history of the cotton gin as an aspect of global history and an artifact of southern industrial development. She examines gin invention and innovation in Asia and Africa from the earliest evidence to the seventeenth century, when British colonizers introduced an Asian hand-cranked roller gin to the Americas. Lakwete shows how indentured British, and later enslaved Africans, built and used foot-powered models to process the cotton they grew for export. After Eli Whitney patented his wire-toothed gin, southern mechanics transformed it into the saw gin, offering stiff competition to northern manufacturers. Far from being a record of southern failure, Lakwete concludes, the cotton gin—correctly understood—supplies evidence that the slave labor–based antebellum South innovated, industrialized, and modernized.
Winner of the 2004 Edelstein Prize given by the Society for the History of Technology.
Ginning CottonA. L. Vandergriff
Ginning Cotton: An Entrepreneur's Story,
by A. L. Vandergriff. 293 pages. Publisher: Texas Tech University Press (December 15, 1996) His first job was in a cotton gin at the age of nine. As an octogenarian, A. L. Vandergriff still had not lost his commitment to advancing technology in the industry he loved. Ginning Cotton: An Entrepreneur's Story offers an opportunity to follow the technological advancements in the ginning and processing industry made by a cotton legend. "Vandy" developed many of the most revolutionary engineering innovations of this century, and in this volume he explains the technology and the historical context of its development. To know the story of the development of modern cotton ginning, you need to know Vandergriff's story. "When I started in the gin business in 1937, there were six different companies manufacturing and selling gin equipment. Today, only three remain. I have been Executive Vice-President of one, President of the other, and the third one's main product line is of my design."
The Lost Cotton Ginsof Central TexasJack Howell
The Lost Cotton Gins of Central Texas,
by Jack Howell. 148 pages. Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing (October 25, 2010) A full-color photographic tour of more than 40 abandoned cotton gins in Central Texas serves as a vehicle to examine the history of cotton production in Central Texas, and its rise and fall as an economic driver in the region.
Short histories of controversies, attempted monopolies, and technical advances in cotton production are given, along with discussions of how these have continued into the present. An aside even shows that extraterrestrials may have an interest in Texas cotton.
CottonStephen Yafa
Cotton: The Biography of a Revolutionary Fiber,
by Stephen Yafa. 416 pages. Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 27, 2006) In the tradition of Mark Kurlansky's Cod and Salt, this endlessly revealing book reminds us that the fiber we think of as ordinary is the world's most powerful cash crop, and that it has shaped the destiny of nations. Ranging from its domestication 5,500 years ago to its influence in creating Calvin Klein's empire and the Gap, Stephen Yafa's Cotton gives us an intimate look at the plant that fooled Columbus into thinking he'd reached India, that helped start the Industrial Revolution as well as the American Civil War, and that made at least one bug—the boll weevil—world famous. A sweeping chronicle of ingenuity, greed, conflict, and opportunism, Cotton offers "a barrage of fascinating information" (Los Angeles Times).
CottonBeverly Lemire
by Beverly Lemire. 192 pages. Publisher: Berg Publishers (April 15, 2011) This book explores the fascinating history and present-day practices associated with cotton. This is a story of commercial and cultural enterprise, of the ties and tensions between East and West, of technological and industrial revolution, social modernization, colonialism and slavery. Cotton's history mirrors profound global transformations. And cotton remains one of the most significant mass commodities today.
Cotton's track record on labor conditions in factories and plantations has tarnished its history and reputation, even as cotton clothes became the hallmark of modern industrialized society. Cotton expressed popular fashions and popular politics in dynamic ways. Yet cottons also take other cultural forms and are part of vibrant craft traditions in many parts of the world. This book explores the history, impact and ongoing life of this hugely influential textile.
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2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/4604 | Vol. VI, No. 3
CRMP Projects in the South Fork Trinity River
Revegetation Workshop Informs Resource Conservation Professionals
Grass Valley Creek Watershed Restoration Manual
Unique Partnership for Watershed Analysis Undertaken
New Uses for Spoiled Sand
Keeping Cattle In--and Out
Employee Feature: Christina Veverka
The South Fork Trinity River Coordinated Resource Management Plan (CRMP) group has been very active this year coordinating and sponsoring erosion-control projects in the South Fork Trinity River watershed. These projects reflect the CRMP’s emphasis on innovative partnerships to get on-the-ground sediment-reduction projects implemented. This is in line with the CRMP’s stated goal of developing and implementing “a coordinated resource management plan for the recovery of fisheries and economies” in the South Fork Trinity River Basin.
The road into Hidden Valley
Ranch was washed out by
the storms of winter 1997.
The stream crossings and roads in the Post Mountain subdivision were inventoried by the RCD in 1996. Road surfaces in Post Mountain will be upgraded by the installation of rolling dips to improve drainage and reduce sediment delivery. Poorly drained roads often erode when water runoff washes away road surfaces themselves. A few culverts will also be upgraded to withstand higher flows during serious storms.
Other projects were undertaken at the request of two private land owners in the South Fork--Hidden Valley Ranch and River Spirit--to repair damage to roads inflicted by the January 1997 storms. In some places, entire sections of road on these properties were washed out where culverts plugged and water ran down the road for extended distances. Similar upgrades to culverts and road surfaces discussed above are being undertaken by the RCD on these properties because of the direct impact sediment from road crossing failures has on the South Fork Trinity River. Both properties are located adjacent to the South Fork Trinity River itself, so sediment delivery to the river is potentially very large when erosion does occur.
One project involves the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) working closely with Simpson Timber, a CRMP participant, on their private lands in the Pelletreau Creek watershed. The project will upgrade undersized culverts, which tend to plug and fail with high storm flows, causing road fill to enter the creek as sediment. The NRCS provides designs and technical support for the Trinity County Resource Conservation District (RCD), which is implementing the project.
The ground was laid for this effort in Pelletreau Creek watershed by the Northwest Emergency Assistance Program (NEAP), which provided funds to inventory roads and assess the need for culvert upgrades at stream crossings. NEAP is a program to provide assistance and training to displaced fishermen in the wake of serious declines in fisheries habitat. Over the years fish stocks have fallen in watersheds throughout the northwest as a result of habitat degradation and harvest management. NEAP was initiated in 1994 by the Clinton Administration to provide relief for fishermen impacted by this decline.
In another project, the RCD has been working with Post Mountain Public Utilities District (PUD) to reduce sediment delivery in the Post Mountain area. Sedimentation from eroded roads has the potential to enter tributaries to Rattlesnake Creek and work its way into the South Fork Trinity River, adversely affecting fisheries in this important spawning and rearing habitat.
River Spirit also lost part of its road
due to the storms of winter 1997.
All of these projects reflect the CRMP's philosophy that people who "live, work, and recreate on a given piece of land are the people who are most interested in and capable of developing plans for its sustainable use." "Sustainable use" also includes reducing impact to streams and rivers by controlling sediment, which seriously affects fish habitat, as sand from upland sources covers the bottoms of watercourses. Spawning fish need course, gravely river bottoms to lay their eggs. Because fine sand coating river bottoms does not allow water to circulate freely, eggs laid in sand suffocate, further reducing the number of already threatened fish populations in creeks and rivers around the North State. The CRMP welcomes opportunities to create partnerships between private landowners such as Simpson Timber, Hidden Valley Ranch, and River Spirit and local, state, and federal agencies in order to meet the needs of all parties involved and to protect and enhance
valuable resources in the process.
Return to This Issue's index.
Participants in the Revegetation
Workshop get hands-on expereince in
the Grass Valley Creek Watershed.
On June 6th the RCD presented a one-day workshop on the revegetation techniques utilized in its restoration work in the Grass Valley Creek watershed. The workshop was directed towards natural resource professionals who are involved in restoration projects, with interested participants coming from such agencies as the US Forest Service, AmeriCorps, California Department of Forestry, and the National Park Service. Several private consultants also participated.
The workshop consisted of a morning lecture session where basic revegetation techniques were presented, including seeding, mulching, fertilizing, and planting. Dana Sandifer, Revegetation Coordinator for the RCD, described the process of collecting native seeds, cones, and acorns, as well as establishing a small-scale native plant nursery. Christina Veverka, the RCD Revegetation Manager, described the use of hardwood cuttings such as willow stakes for revegetating riparian areas, as well as the monitoring program that is currently being used to evaluate revegetation projects. In addition to the workshop itself, all participants received a draft of the Grass Valley Creek Restoration Project manual, which will be available to the public by the end of this summer (see below for details).
In the afternoon the workshop participants went to visit the RCD’s native plant nursery adjacent to Indian Creek, and they continued on to the Grass Valley Creek watershed to practice some of the techniques they had learned during the morning session.
The responses from workshop participants were quite positive, with most finding the workshop informative and useful for the restoration work they are implementing in various parts of Northern California.
Grass Valley Creek Watershed
Restoration Manual
The RCD and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service have completed a draft version of the
Grass Valley Creek Watershed Restoration Project:
A Study in Large-Scale Restoration for review
and comment by other agencies and individuals
involved or interested in the project. The manual is
intended to document all aspects of the large-scale,
multi-year restoration project undertaken in
Grass Valley Creek watershed, a tributary historically
known to deliver large amounts of sediment
to the mainstem of the Trinity River. This manual is
an historical account of the restoration project
and summarizes what has been learned to-date and
prescribes treatments for the conditions found
in this watershed. The RCD has been involved in this
project for over five years, but studies, inventories,
and other solutions such as sediment catchment
dams and basins have been part of an ongoing
fifteen-year project intended to reduce the amount
of sediment entering the Trinity River from
Grass Valley Creek.
It is hoped that the final version of the manual will be
completed by August. We are providing copies
to those interested at the cost to make copies--$15.
Please give us a call if you are interested in
receiving a copy of the manual.
A Watershed Analysis is currently underway to study the Smoky Creek and East Fork tributaries of the South Fork Trinity River. This watershed analysis includes several aspects unique to the process. One significant way this project is different is that it is a joint undertaking of the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the South Fork Coordinated Resource Management Plan, and it combines specialists from a diverse array of agencies and organizations who work together as an inter-disciplinary team. Team members are drawn from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the RCD, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Humboldt State University, and Pacific Watershed Associates, as well as the USFS, which typically undertakes such projects alone. Several private consultants, including a Registered Professional Forester, are also involved in the project.
The project is unusual also because it seeks to analyze past, present, and future desired conditions of two watersheds, instead of one. The interdisciplinary team decided that a watershed analysis of both these areas was feasible because they are adjacent watersheds and share many characteristics.
Watershed analysis seeks to understand the “human, aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial features, conditions, processes, and interactions” (ecosystem elements) in a watershed. The process is not undertaken, however, to merely gather as much information about a watershed as possible. Watershed analysis is “issue driven” and is conducted in order to provide information for management decisions at a later date. As part of the process, the analysis team makes recommendations for future management activities, which include “ecologically sustainable programs to produce water, timber, recreation, and other commodities.” Because of the sensitive nature of the East Fork and Smoky Creek watersheds, the interdisciplinary team is identifying restoration opportunities to highlight as part of its recommendations for future management activities.
The importance of restoration in these key watersheds is underscored by the fact that the project is funded through the Trinity River Restoration Program. Watershed analyses are usually funded and undertaken by the USFS alone. This unique partnership was envisioned by the USFS in order to speed up the analysis process. The participating agencies and contractors have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to produce high-quality work in a short amount of time.
Cheat Sheet for Acronyms
CRMP
Coordinated Resource Management Plan
Northwest Emergency Asistance Program
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Public Utilities District
RC&D
Resource Conservation and Development Council
USFS
One component of watershed analysis is public input during the process. Several public meetings were held to discuss planning and in-progress work for the analysis. The public can provide valuable insights and information not readily available to the interdisciplinary team. Particularly valuable are first-hand accounts from landowners and long-term residents of the study area, which can provide information onthe watersheds, particularly information related to human use of the area historically.
The watershed analysis is slated to continue into August, with a draft copy of findings and recommendations delivered to the USFS later during the summer. If you have any questions or comments on the watershed analysis, or if you are interested in attending future public meetings, contact Jim Spear at (530) 623-3991 or Scott Brennan-Smith at (530) 623-6004.
Note: All quotes for this article are from Ecosystem Analysis at the Watershed Scale: Federal Guide for Watershed Analysis
The site at Clark Springs
ready for sand spoiled from
Grass Valley Creek Watershed.
The RCD recently found a home for unwanted sand. The sand is decomposed granite sediment that is periodically dredged from catchment ponds near the mouth of Grass Valley Creek and elsewhere in the watershed. The RCD has done quite a lot of work over the years, implementing measures to prevent the sediment from entering the Trinity River, which degrades fish habitat in the river.
Sediment ponds at the confluence of Grass Valley Creek and the Trinity River, known as “Hamilton Ponds,” as well as other sediment ponds throughout the watershed, are designed to catch and hold sediment to prevent its further migration downstream into the Trinity River. The ponds do exactly what they are designed to do but fill up with sediment in the process, particularly after large storms, such as those we saw in January of this year. The ponds have to be dredged of accumulated sediment to remain effective.
The ponds have been filling more slowly in recent years as upstream sediment reduction efforts in the watershed have proven more and more effective. Nevertheless, The Hamilton Ponds have to be dredged every year or two. In the past, dredged sand has been “spoiled” (deposited) on flats near the ponds and seeded with grasses to keep them in place. These flat areas have filled up over the years, and the RCD, with the assistance of the Trinity County Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council’s Scott Eberly, has found some creative ways to use the sand.
One such recent project, The Clark Springs Beach project, used decomposed granite to replenish the sand swimming beach on Trinity Lake near a boat ramp and campground just off Highway 3, past the Stewart’s Fork confluence with Trinity Lake. The beach is part of an upgrade of facilities at the Clark Springs site (approximately 17 miles north of Weaverville), which also includes a bath house and parking as well as the boat ramp, campground, and beach. The RCD is administering the contracts for the project and the US Forest Service will be the on-sight coordinator for construction. The RC&D is a co-sponsor and is coordinating the project. The contract for hauling the sand was put out to sealed bid in May, and Yingling Construction was awarded the contract in early June.
Clark Springs is the first of three proposed projects to restore beaches on Trinity Lake. Two other potential sites for spoiling decomposed granite sand are the Tannery Gulch and Hayward Flat campgrounds.
Decomposed granite sand
awaiting use for Lee Fong Park
volleyball court.
Trinity Lake was developed for recreation back in the 1970's following the construction of Trinity Dam, but wave action over the years has washed away sand previously deposited along the shore. The new beaches will thus have to be periodically re-stocked with sand to maintain ideal recreation conditions. Hughes Management, a concessionaire responsible for collecting fees and maintaining facilities at Trinity Lake, will be responsible for long-term maintenance of the beaches.
In another project, the Weaverville/Douglas City Parks and Recreation District arranged to have 300 cubic yards of decomposed granite transported to Lee Fong Park in Weaverville to provide a base for the volleyball court. Such uses for the sand are seen as "win-win" solutions to the sedimentation problem in Grass Valley Creek: the sediment is prevented from impacting fish habitat in the Trinity River and benefits the citizens and visitors of Trinity County by enhancing recreation projects around the county.
Return to this issues index.
This spring the RCD completed construction of cattle-exclusion fencing on a ranch alongside Rush Creek, near Lewiston. 2,200 feet of barb-wire fence was installed on the west side of the creek, which has lush riparian vegetation, a haven for many species of plants, birds, and animals.
The “Ranch,” as it is known, is owned by Genie Hardt, who operates what she calls a “bunk and biscuit” (bed and breakfast) inn as part of the ranch’s operations.
Ms. Hardt contacted the RCD with a request for the fencing because she wanted to prevent her 26 head of cattle, which typically trample vegetation alongside streams, from entering the riparian area along the creek. The riparian zone is still in a very pristine condition--heavily canopied—with lush undergrowth and the soothing sound of rushing water.
The new fence along Rush Creek
is designed to keep cattle away
from the riparian area.
The RCD undertook the project because a healthy canopy of streamside vegetation is important for maintaining suitable habitat for salmon and steelhead, which require the cool water temperatures provided by shady streambanks to survive. Funding for these projects was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Jobs-in-the-Woods financial assistance program. Related riparian enhancement or restoration projects, including cattle-exclusion fencing, have been undertaken in Hayfork Valley for the same reason.
The 160-acre ranch is significant also in that it lies below the burned area on Brown’s Mountain and is comprised of very unstable decomposed granite soils, which are subject to high rates of erosion. Because of the 1994 Brown’s Mountain fire, increased runoff from storms has diverted a small creek, “Snow Gulch,” into a meadow on the Ranch and created other erosional and sedimentation problems characteristic of this type of soil.
The Ranch and the RCD, in conjunction with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, are currently investigating sediment-reduction measures on the property to reduce or eliminate sediment delivery to Rush Creek, which would reach the mainstem of the Trinity River and impact salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat just below Trinity Dam.
In the meantime, the potential for destruction of stream-side vegetation by cattle has been averted by the installation of the fencing along Rush Creek.
Featured Employee: Christina Veverka
What do restoration ecology, competitive mountain bike racing, and world travel have in common?
Christina Veverka, the RCD’s Revegetation Manager is as interested in fun and adventure as in plant ecology. Christina brings a sense of humor and serious dedication as a professional to the working climate of the RCD.
Christina started working for the RCD in March of 1996 as an ecologist/botanist and was promoted to Revegetation Manager in December of that year. As head of the revegetation program, Christina is responsible for planning and monitoring progress on the RCD’s revegetation program in Grass Valley and Indian Creeks, as well as in Hayfork. She also does quite a bit of writing, creating technical reports and articles on revegetation and restoration ecology. One of her assigned roles is to write the plant ecology sections of the East Fork/Smoky Creek watershed analysis currently underway (see the related article in this issue).
Christina has made several presentations to professional organizations and at conferences regarding the revegetation efforts the RCD has implemented in Grass Valley Creek watershed. With Dana Sandifer, she also planned and presented the June Revegetation Workshop the RCD held at the Victorian Inn (see the related article in this issue.)
Christina races down
a slope on the LaGrange Classic
bike race track.
Christina has long been interested in plants in general and in restoration ecology specifically. She received Bachelor's and Master's degrees in biology from the University of San Diego and Idaho State University, respectively. Her decision to specialize in restoration ecology is embodied in her master's thesis on the subject. She is particularly interested in the valuable role native plants can play in restoration ecology: "Natives are crucial for restoration because they have evolved with local site conditions and are uniquely adapted to the local environment. In using natives one is maintaining biodiversity, which contributes to the long-term health of local ecosystems." Exotic plants may out-compete natives in the short run, but fail to provide suitable habitat and healthy development to other species in the area in the long run.
Working with plants has suited her need to be outside much of the time, and this need is further met by her personal interests, which include mountain biking and travel.
Christina has been a serious cyclist for about two years, and has begun mountain biking competitively during the past year. She took second place in the Sport division of the LaGrange Classic here in May of this year.
Christina spent two months backpacking in New Zealand this past winter where she explored the native plant communities of that country, hiking in lush, evergreen forests, alpine grasslands, and dense beech forests. She has also traveled to Central America, Thailand and Nepal, Alaska, the Caribbean, and Europe.
Whatever she does, Christina loves most to be outside. This is the thread that runs through her interests, whether they be personal or professional, and her commitment to enhancing the beauty and health of the world around her is part of her love of the outdoors.
Return to the Trinity County RCD Home Page | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/4717 | Industry NRCS invests in conservation for Mississippi River health
By USDA NRCS
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the investment of $59 million this year from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the health of the Mississippi River basin, making a total of approximately $289 million for the initiative that reduces nutrient and sediment run-off.
"The Mississippi River basin is an example of how voluntary conservation practices in small watersheds can help improve a larger system," said Vilsack. "This initiative provides an opportunity for farmers and ranchers to voluntarily do their part and get recognized for it, while also continuing to build on the success of our producers, partners, and other state and federal agencies whose combined efforts have made significant progress toward reducing nitrogen and sediment runoff in the Mississippi River Basin."
More than 640 small watersheds across 13 states are part of the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, which is in its fourth year. Through cooperative conservation partnerships, NRCS works with hundreds of local organizations and conservation experts to focus funds to help the greater efforts of water quality improvements in the river.
By using a partnership approach, resources are targeting to the most vulnerable acres in the watershed with the most sediment and nutrient losses. Producers and landowners work with NRCS to begin voluntary conservation practices to improve water quality, restore wetlands, enhance wildlife habitat and sustain agricultural profitability in the basin.
Previous conservation on cropland in the upper river basin reduced edge-of-water sediment losses by about 61 percent, nitrogen by 20 and phosphorus by 44, according to NRCS' conservation effect s assessment project, showing how effective conservation is for the basin's health.
In addition to its vital role in providing drinking water, food, industry and recreation for millions of people, NRCS has identified the basin as a top priority due to water quality concerns, primarily related to the effects of nutrient loading on the health of local water bodies and, eventually, the Gulf of Mexico.
usdanrcsmississippi rivernutrientrun-offfertilizernitrogenwater qualityAgriculture About the Author:
USDA NRCS | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/4718 | Industry Rabobank: Decreasing commodity prices will slow farmland values
By Rabobank
September 19, 2013 | 4:35 pm EDT
Investment in U.S. farmland is still competitive with alternative investments, but the era of extremely low interest rates and extraordinarily high commodity prices is drawing to a close, according to a new report from the Rabobank Food & Agribusiness (FAR) Research and Advisory group.
“We’ll likely see lower commodity prices this year, but they aren’t going to be low enough long enough to substantially impact land values over the coming year or so,” says report author and Rabobank Food & Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR) senior analyst, Sterling Liddell. “In the short term, strong farmer balance sheets and high rental rates will support current levels. However, decreasing commodity prices will keep the values from accelerating as rapidly as they have been.”
The report, “Land Values Peaking Out—But Not Down,” finds in the medium term, the single greatest risk to U.S. agricultural land values is looming higher interest rates. Interest rates have been increasing through the first half of 2013, but based on the current Federal Reserve policy, a significant increase isn’t expected until 2014 or 2015.
“We are entering an era where planning how you’re going to pay for your land is likely to become as important as planning for marketing your crop,” notes Liddell.
The report forecast finds a decline in land values in the central U.S. of 15 to 20 percent over the next three years. In the Western and Southeast U.S., the decline will be less marked than in the Midwest. The key determinant in the susceptibility to land value changes is an area’s reliance on grain and oilseeds. While an increase in interest rates will have a similar impact on agricultural land values throughout the country, the amount of change will depend on the type of crop production and proximity to urban areas. Central U.S.
Since the four dominant commodity crops (corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton) compete for the same acres in the Midwest, Plains and Delta regions, global grains/oilseed prices will be key factors in determining land values. As global stocks grow, prices will drop, leading to some decline in values over the next two to three years.
Corn led the ramp-up in commodity prices and the associated increase in ag land values. As such, if corn were to fall below 4.50/bu for an extended period of time, a significant decrease in land values could follow. Western U.S.
Vernon Crowder, senior analyst with FAR, co-authored the report and notes that in the Western U.S. agricultural land values are expected to move in the same direction as those in the Midwest. “The changes seen in land values in the West, especially those in California, should be less dramatic than that of the rest of the country,” said Crowder. “This is due in large part to the diversity of crops grown in the region.” Orchards, vineyards and irrigated land in the Western U.S. have seen extreme increases in land values due to strong market prices and growing export demand. Interest rates will be the primary determinant of any decline in the value of farmland, but the strength of the U.S. dollar is also important due to the rate of exportation for many commodities produced in the Western U.S. A stronger U.S. dollar will negatively impact exports.
The Southeast U.S. has seen a modest appreciation of irrigated cropland, as it weathers a severe drought. Florida in particular is in the midst of a difficult era, due in part to weather, disease, increased competition from imports and influence of the struggling housing market leading to a lack of appreciation of farmland value.
Expected increases in interest rates and declines in major cash commodities will lead to a difficult medium term, especially if commodity price declines lead to a reduction in land rents.
farmlandlow interest ratesfarmland valuesrabobankfarmers About the Author: | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/4993 | Corn-based caution
The energy bill passed by Congress and signed Wednesday by President Bush recognizes, at long last, the need to develop alternative fuels that can wean the United States from its heavy reliance on oil.But the legislation's emphasis on a massive expansion in the production of corn-based ethanol deserves a close and careful look from state and federal policymakers.The nation's current production of corn for ethanol already is having negative impacts on the environment and the economy. Before doubling that output, as called for under the energy bill, state and federal officials should research, analyze and deal with the likely consequences.For example, the recent expansion of corn farming in the Midwest, in response to higher prices triggered by ethanol production, has been linked to a spreading "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.That's because growing corn involves the heavy use of nitrogen-based fertilizers. The nitrogen then runs off the cornfields and into the Mississippi River, and eventually reaches the Gulf.Many scientists believe that the nitrogen contributes to the dead zone -- a nearly 8,000-square-mile patch in the northern and western Gulf that is so depleted of oxygen that fish and other sea life either flee the area or suffocate.Some researchers are concerned that the dead zone will continue to expand as the demand for corn grows, The Associated Press reported this week.For the sake of the Gulf and the streams and rivers that pass through the Corn Belt, federal and state officials should explore ways to reduce the use of fertilizer and to divert or contain the runoff.Raising pricesThe high price of corn -- it now sells for $4 per bushel, up from about $2 in 2002 -- also is having a detrimental effect on the economy in general. Farmers are motivated to grow more corn rather than other crops, which lowers the production of those commodities and boosts their price. The rising cost of corn-based feed is raising the price of beef, chicken and other meats. The widespread use of corn sweeteners is pushing up the costs of many processed foods.And humanitarian groups lament that, with more corn going to fuel the nation's cars, less is available to help feed the world's hungry.The negative impacts of the corn-to-ethanol boom, then, argue for an acceleration of efforts to use other materials -- such as straw, tree trimmings, plant waste and even garbage to produce ethanol.The ethanol issue is of critical interest to Florida. Gov. Charlie Crist has enthusiastically embraced the production of plant-based fuels as an alternative to fossil fuels.Crist issued a statement praising the new energy bill, which, he said, "could give Florida's sugarcane and citrus industries a tremendous economic opportunity to come to the forefront in ethanol production."Visions of sugarcaneThe value of sugarcane, citrus and other plants as biofuel sources could indeed rise, especially if the impacts of corn-based ethanol prove too costly. But growing Florida sugarcane, for example, has exacted an environmental toll. Witness the degradation of the Everglades, in part from cane field runoff. So Floridians should be cautious about ethanol's "economic opportunity."Caution is also advised regarding an ethanol partnership with Brazil promoted by former Gov. Jeb Bush and encouraged by Crist. Both Bush and Crist support lowering the tariff on Brazil's sugarcane-based ethanol. But concerns about possible environmental degradation should apply to Latin American producers as well as domestic ones.The energy bill's embrace of alternative sources, including ethanol, is a step away from the overreliance on oil and toward greater energy independence. But Americans, and Floridians in particular, need to ensure that they don't step from one set of intractable problems into another. | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/5381 | News United Fresh celebrates McEvoy's extensive career
By Chris Koger
January 11, 2017 | 7:50 am EST
NEW ORLEANS — Friends, colleagues and family members heaped praise on Bruce McEvoy as the United Fresh Produce Association honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
McEvoy’s 50-year career, the last 22 at Seald Sweet International as president and now a government relations consultant, also includes seven years on the United Fresh board. He was United Fresh chairman in 1999-2000.
At the Jan. 10 award dinner, United Fresh president and CEO Tom Stenzel said McEvoy has touched many areas of the industry, from the grower side, to importing and exporting, and even international diplomacy.
“Bruce, for 50 years, has been involved in helping lead our industry,” Stenzel said. “You’ve made your mark on this industry, so thank you for all you’ve done.”
Over half of those years, McEvoy has been active in United Fresh programs and leadership.
“I’m sincerely honored, and almost don’t know what to say,” McEvoy said. “It’s far beyond any expectations that I have. … To be acknowledged in front of your peers, you probably can’t ask for anything more in life.”
McEvoy stressed that United Fresh’s success comes not from individuals like himself, but the industry working together. He listed early efforts on the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and recent work on the Food Safety Modernization Act as examples of the industry working together.
“Everything I think I’ve done in recent years, it’s not me, it’s a team,” he said. “It’s people that have a special talent in different areas of government, (not) just one person.”
Several speakers at the dinner focused on McEvoy’s expertise in globalization at different companies he’s worked for, including Seald Sweet CEO Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, who McEvoy hired. Traveling extensively with him, Sotomayor-Kirk said McEvoy was highly respected by the growers and marketers in the counties they visited.
“I’m eternally grateful to you for the guidance and leadership you have shown me,” she said. “You’re a true inspiration on behalf of our company, the industry and from me personally, thank you.”
In a video played at the event, Hein Deprez, executive chairman of the board for Belgium-based Univeg, which purchased Seald Sweet in 2011, also praised McEvoy’s global-minded business acumen.
McEvoy’s sons Bruce and Randolph, and his brother Jerry, spoke of his dedication to the industry.
“He loves this industry, he really does,” Bruce McEvoy Jr. said. “He’s brought a terrific amount of energy and passion to the industry. I think he’s given a lot, and received a lot from all of you.”
Jerry McEvoy said his brother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008, has responded in the way he does with a business goal: once he sets his mind on it, he does everything possible to make it happen. Beyond his personal fight aganst the disease, Bruce McEvoy is chairman of his local Alzheimers/Parkinson’s association, is involved in national fundraising efforts.
McEvoy said people facing the disease have to take control of it, but keep a sense of humor, and be active.
“In my work with the association, I go to all the exercise classes as well, I don’t just say, ‘What if you try this and see how this works,’” he said. “Whether its boxing or dancing, you have to be a part of it.”
The Packer named McEvoy Produce Man of the Year in 2000, and he was included in the inaugural Packer 25 list of industry leaders.
McEvoy lauded United Fresh and the United Fresh Start Foundation for increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables through the Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools prgram, which traces its origin to first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative.
Sotomayor-Kirk said Greenyard Foods, which merged with Univeg in 2015, is donating a salad bar to the school of McEvoy’s choice, in honor of his Lifetime Achievement recognition.
Also at the dinner, United Fresh announced it is donating its third salad bar to the International School of Louisiana, in New Orleans. School officials attended the dinner, and foodservice director Melissa Boudreaux said the program has increased fresh fruit and vegetable consumption at the schools.
Stenzel announced a new program that goes beyond the salad bars, with a goal of increasing consumption by students beyond the school environment. Starting this spring, United Fresh plans to award 10 grants of $2,500 each to community programs that promote produce consumption by school-age children.
Stenzel said the salad bar program is making a “big difference,” and the association wants to reach children not just at school, but after school hours, on weekends and during the summer break.
united freshunited fresh start foundationsalad barsBruce McAvoyawards About the Author:
, News Editor
News editor Chris Koger has been with The Packer since joining the paper as a staff writer in 2000. Since then, he has also been markets editor and sections editor; he became news editor in October 2006.
He assigns stories and photos for the weekly paper and works with writers and other editors in the news room to ensure The Packer’s website is updated.
Before joining The Packer’s staff, Chris worked at daily newspapers across Kansas, covering everything from the cops and courts beats to government, health and school news in Dodge City, Hutchinson, Salina and Lawrence.
He graduated from Kansas State University in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and mass communications. View All Posts | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/5689 | GLOBE Foundation
Suite 404 - 999 Canada Place
V6C 3E2
How green was my Vertical Farm?
- By: GLOBE-Net Staff Courtesy of
By 2050, 80% of the earth’s population will live in cities and 3 billion more people will need to be fed. The simple fact is we are running out of available land to grow enough food to feed them. If we can’t grow our cities outward to find more arable land, the only solution is to grow them upwards. This may change the way we design cities forever.The problem is real and immediate. Even by most conservative estimates of demographic trends, population growth will require more land than is available to grow enough food to feed them using traditional farming practices. Over 80% of the earth’s land suitable for raising crops is already in use according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and while much of this land has been laid waste by poor agricultural management practices, even its recovery will not be sufficient. Urban agriculture is not new. Throughout the ages, city dwellers have grown food in whatever free space was available or in rooftop gardens. In ancient Rome and in Persia aqueducts carried mountain water to support intensive city-based food production. Visitors to the ruins of Machu Picchu still marvel on how water was used and reused to grow vegetables in this inhospitable mountain fortress. Victory gardens during World Wars 1 and 2 were used to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs in the US, Canada, and UK to reduce pressure on food production needed to support war efforts.Today, rising food prices and growing urban poverty have sparked a new interest in community gardening in many cities, where abandoned inner city properties have been turned into productive food growing assets. Urban farming has taken root in Detroit, New York, Vancouver, and many other cities around the world. Many have asked, could we make our cities more sustainable - even food self-sufficient - if the need to grow food locally was included into every stage of urban design and new building construction - from drawing board to decor? The answer is simply that, while it will help, it will not be enough. A whole new concept of urban land use for farming will be required to accommodate another 3 billion people, and an entirely new approach to indoor farming using cutting-edge technologies must be invented.This is where the concept of the vertical farm comes in. The Vertical FarmThe vertical farm is a theoretical construct whose time has arrived, for to fail to produce them in quantity for the world at-large in the near future will surely exacerbate the race for the limited amount of remaining natural resources of an already stressed out planet, creating an intolerable social climate, notes Dickson Despommier of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University in an essay on The Vertical Farm. Despommier noted in another article that he told his students to 'forget about money, space and time, and design a building that will feed and hydrate 50,000 people a year.' I wanted individuals to eat 2,000 calories a day and drink water created by evapotranspiration' he said.That is where the idea took root and the design parameters of the vertical farm began to take shape. It is estimated that one vertical farm with an architectural footprint of one square city block and rising up to 30 stories (approximately 3 million square feet) could provide enough nutrition (at 2,000 calories/day/person) to comfortably accommodate the needs of 10,000 people employing technologies currently available. Greater yields per square foot are theoretically possible, though additional research will be required in hydrobiology, engineering, industrial microbiology, plant and animal genetics, architecture and design, public health, waste management, physics, and urban planning. The vertical farm could grow fruits, vegetables, grains, and even fish, poultry, and pigs. But more than growing crops indoors, it would also generate its own power from waste and clean up its own sewage water for reuse. Cities already have the density and infrastructure needed to support sky farming, and super-green skyscrapers could supply not just food but energy, creating a truly self-sustaining environment.Despommier estimate one acre of vertical farm could be equivalent to as many as ten to twenty traditional soil-based acres, depending upon which crop species is considered. And growing food close to home would lower significantly the amount of fossil fuels needed to deliver it to the consumer, not to mention that required for ploughing, applying fertilizer, seeding, weeding, harvesting, etc..The concept of faming in three dimensions could eliminate many of the external natural processes that confound the production of food, since crops will be grown indoors under carefully selected and well-monitored conditions, insuring an optimal growth rate for each species of plant and animal year round.The advantages of vertical farming include:- Year-round crop production - Elimination of agricultural runoff - Significant reduction of fossil fuels for farm machines and crop transportion - Better use of abandoned or unused properties - No weather related crop failures - Improved sustainability for urban centers - Conversion of black or gray water to drinking water - Provision of energy back to the grid via methane generation - Creation of new urban employment opportunities - Reduction of infection transmission risks - Control of vermin by using restaurant waste for methane generation Many vertical farm designs have been brought forward; a veritable feast of vertical farm concepts is available at 'The Living Skyscraper: Farming the Urban Skyline' produced by Blake Kurasek of the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. An example of a Sky Farm proposed by Gordon Graff for downtown Toronto’s theatre district is shown below. It has 58 floors, 2.7 million square feet of floor area and 8 million square feet of growing area, which can produce as much as a thousand acre farm, feeding 35,000 people per year. Entrepreneurs in Las Vegas announced plans earlier this year for the world’s first 30 story farm, and various proposals have been brought forward for New York, Seattle (mixed farm-residential design), and Toronto.In reality, a vertical farm is more likely to appear first in a country where arable land is already in short supply, such as Japan, Iceland, or Dubai. Despommier is convinced the first vertical farm will exist within fifteen years - and oil money could very well build it.Simple, but not easyThe simplicity of the concept and its potential advantages do not outweigh other issues associated with urban agriculture, including those which are overlaid with social equity concerns. Urban agriculture is often focussed on meeting the needs of the urban poor. In developing countries most urban agricultural production is for self-consumption.Marshalling the investment capital and the technologies needed to create a viable (and profitable) vertical farm is every bit as complicated as securing financing and basic inputs for traditional agriculture, except the existing panoply of farm and crop subsidies likely would not come into play. Adding the social equity dimension (i.e. feeding the urban poor) raises many more bottom line issues that could discourage many investors. City Governments can helpCity governments have an important role to play to make urban agriculture a reality. Through such means as tax relief, equity partnerships, access to free land, supportive zoning changes, relaxation of by-law restrictions, etc., as well as assuming responsibility for collateral side issues such as poverty reduction and social equity, city governments can set the stage for demonstration projects that would be needed to prove the conceptual and technical feasibility of vertical farming.Just as many cities are now acting to facilitate waste-to-energy demonstration projects (e.g. for example Plasco Energy received property-tax exemptions from the City of Ottawa, which is a partner in a test waste-to-energy plant to be tested in that city), so too will adjustments be required to bring a full scale demonstration vertical farm project into being. The City of Vancouver has taken an important first step in promoting urban agriculture. Though not on the scale of high rise farms, plans for the redevelopment of the Southeast False Creek area of the city include regulatory and zoning changes designed to promote community-based food production. The Urban RevolutionThe concept of cities feeding people goes far beyond questions of technical feasibility and urban land management. To feed an additional 3 billion people, most of who will be living in cities, will require nothing less than a revolution in our concepts of urban form and in the economic systems that support agriculture, energy, transportation, housing, industry and social welfare. Even Despommier acknowledges this. 'The first buildings would have to be subsidized, with energy incentives and tax incentives, 'he says. 'We’re talking about the equivalent of engineering a Saturn rocket.'Despommier has been contacted by scientists and venture capitalists from the Netherlands to Dubai who are interested in establishing a Center for Urban Sustainable Agriculture. He estimates it could take a working group of agricultural economists, architects, engineers, agronomists, and urban planners five to ten years to figure out how to marry high-tech agricultural practices with the latest sustainable building technology.But before we see blocks of vertical farms in cities and towns around the world, much more work is required. The greening of our cities is inevitable, but it will not come easily. Hopefully the urban revolution will not be as destructive to the environment as was the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries.
fish farm harvesting machine
vertical farm
indoor vertical farming
vertical urban farming technology
vertical farming technology
farm floor
indoor farming
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pig farm floor
How a new way of thinking about soil sparked a national movement in agriculture
For three weeks every month, Ray Archuleta captivates audiences with a few handfuls of soil. He begins with two clumps, dropping them into water. The soil from a farm where the soil isn’t tilled holds together, while the tilled soil immediately disperses, indicating poor soil structure. Next, volunteers from the audience — mostly farmers and ranchers — pour water over a soil that grew a variety of crops, and it runs right through. A sample of tilled soil that grew only corn is like a brick, and...
Changing climate changes soils
Varied predictions for soil organic matter as climate changes
The hottest months. The snowiest winters. Catastrophic floods and droughts.
Climate change impacts lives across the world in drastic and unpredictable ways. This unpredictability also extends to the more subtle – yet still important – effects of climate change.
For example, it is uncertain how climate change will affect soils and their ability to support productive farms or healthy natural ecosystems.
In a new study, researchers used...
3 Great Ways to Use Your Farm Drone During the Off-Season
You may havefinished up your 2016 harvest, or perhaps getting a jump start on planning for the 2017 growing season, but think twice before putting away your farm drone for the winter. Just because you’re not actively working in the field does not mean your quad-coptershouldn’t play an active role in your off-season operations.
Here are some great ways you can use your farm droneto augment and accelerate your post-season processes — leaving you with more time to enjoy the off-season and getting...
5 Essential Farm Implements For Smallholders
What are your top tools or farm implements that make life as a smallholder that much easier? What’s on your Christmas wish list or gets regular use around your plot? We asked our team to share their essential implements and have created the Farm Tech Supplies Top 5 List of Farm Implements!
If you have a trusted piece of farm equipment you couldn’t do without, share a photo on our Facebook page and tell us why!
Farm Tech Supplies Top 5 List of Farm Implements
These are the tools we think every...
Sustainable Farm Practices for Rice Farming
Rice is the third-largest crop production, after sugarcane and maize. The main producers of rice are the nations of China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. Rice is a staple crop. More than half the people in the world, about 3.5 billion people, rely on its production. Not only is rice a key source of food but it is also good source of income for many smallholder farmers.
The Challenges of Rice Production
After the decades of remarkable production, the rice yield has slowed down. The rice yield potential...
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2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/5690 | Program designed to help prepare for droughts
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Federal agencies will provide better and more accessible information about matters such as long-term weather prospects and soil moisture levels under a program designed to help communities prepare for future droughts and respond more effectively when they happen, Obama administration officials said Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will lead the initiative, which grew out of a series of regional forums held in response to the 2012 drought, the most severe and widespread in more than 70 years. It covered more than two-thirds of the continental U.S. and caused more than $30 billion in losses from crop failures, wildfires and other ripple effects.
'We were very aggressive in responding to the drought but all of it was after the fact,' Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview with The Associated Press. 'We made money available for technical assistance after the fact. We provided disaster loan assistance and extended grazing aid after the fact. We purchased surplus product after the fact.'
With droughts likely to become more frequent and widespread as the climate warms, 'we have to adjust to this new normal and we have to understand what it means to be proactive instead of just reacting,' he said.
Vilsack was announcing Friday the creation of the National Drought Resilience Partnership, which also will involve the Department of Interior, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Administration. The goal is to help communities and individual farmers, ranchers and others whose livelihoods are particularly vulnerable during low-water periods to be ready and cope.
'We want to harness the federal government's best tools and science and get that information out there ... so we can say to people earlier, 'Hey, drought is on the way. Let's discuss options where we can help,'' said Jason Weller, chief of the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
In 2014, the partnership will focus on developing a one-stop website where people will be able to find information scattered across the vastness of the bureaucracy - often 'bits and pieces in some nook and cranny' of a database that many people don't know exists, said Kathryn Sullivan, NOAA's acting administrator.
The government has a website, www.drought.gov, which provides links to some material on drought conditions, weather outlooks and available resources. The new site will be more extensive - with information on a wide variety of topics, from best-management practices for farmers to the latest scientific findings on a plant's water cycle, and user-friendly ways of determining what data is needed and how to find it, officials said.
Also next year, each agency in the partnership will designate one official as the go-to person whom state and local officials can contact for information and assistance during droughts.
The partnership also will select one place in the West that has been hit hard by drought for a test case in developing a locally tailored 'drought resistance plan' that could serve as a model for other communities, Vilsack said.
Another 2014 project will be upgrading the network that monitors soil moisture content, a crucial drought forecasting tool. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will improve its information collection techniques to better help farmers decide which crops to plant or determine how to graze livestock based on local conditions, Vilsack said.
'If you're a manager of an irrigation district or a municipal water system, you're going to get more timely and accurate forecasts as to what future water availability will be so you can manage your overall water supply,' Weller said.
Soil moisture is difficult to measure over wide areas, requiring numerous sensors and measurements, Sullivan said. Experiments are underway with satellite technology that could improve the system.
crop production program
agriculture weather protection
plant watering system
agriculture satellite technology
crop planning tool
satellite crop management system
satellite crop management
Computer model helps with early prediction of mycotoxins in grain
Increased mycotoxin contamination
Climate change will likely result in increased contamination of grain with mycotoxins (toxins from fungi). Early prediction of the growth of these fungi can help farmers make effective choices regarding the use of fungicides, the best harvest time and other aspects. This strategy can reduce the risk of crop failure and help to prevent contamination of food and feed with mycotoxins.
Customised advice
The e-toolbox is part of the European project MyToolBox. The aim of the...
El Niño set to have a devastating impact on southern Africa’s harvests and food security
Southern Africa is currently in the grip of an intense drought that has expanded and strengthened since the earliest stages of the 2015-2016 agricultural season, driven by one of the strongest El Niño events of the last 50 years.Across large swathes of Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, and Madagascar, the current rainfall season has so far been the driest in the last 35 years. Agricultural areas in northern Namibia and southern Angola have also experienced high levels of water...
Europe rejects GM crops as new report highlights 20 years of failures
All 19 government requests for bans of GM crop cultivation have gone unchallenged by biotech companies, pathing the way for two thirds of the EU’s farmland and population to remain GM-free [1]. The growing opposition to GM crops coincides with a new Greenpeace report reviewing evidence of GM environmental risks, market failures, and increased pesticide use [2].
Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterbergsaid:“Over the past 20 years, GM technology has only been taken up by a handful of...
As seas rise, saltwater plants offer hope farms will survive
On a sun-scorched wasteland near India`s southern tip, an unlikely garden filled with spiky shrubs and spindly greens is growing, seemingly against all odds.
The plants are living on saltwater, coping with drought and possibly offering viable farming alternatives for a future in which rising seas have inundated countless coastal farmlands.
Sea rise, one of the consequences of climate change, now threatens millions of poor subsistence farmers across Asia. As ocean water swamps low-lying plots, experts say many...
OSU Extension: Acorn Poisoning a Potential Threat to Cattle, Sheep
The increase in this year’s fall acorn crop means that livestock producers who have oak trees in their pastures need to be on the lookout -- acorns from these trees could cause kidney failure in their animals, particularly in cattle and sheep.
Acorn poisoning can be a significant issue for producers, especially in feeder calves that are more susceptible to developing kidney failure after ingesting acorns, saidStan Smith, an Ohio State University Extension program assistant in agriculture and natural...
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2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/5912 | Home » Library & Store » AWI Quarterly » 2011 Spring
AWI Quarterly » 2011 Spring
Industrial Chicken: Sowing Breeds of Despair
Industrial chicken farming - whether for meat or egg production - is notoriously inhumane. Chickens raised for meat live in crowded, windowless barns, induced into a state of semi-torpor, while those raised to lay eggs are stuffed into cramped cages, existing under conditions so stressful they have their beaks mutilated to prevent pecking each other to death.
If Unfit to Travel, Farm Animals Should Avoid the Voyage
The number of beef and dairy cattle exported from the U.S. in 2010 to countries other than Canada and Mexico more than quadrupled over the previous year. Live animal exports are up dramatically, especially cattle, as countries like Turkey and Kazakhstan try to establish breeding herds.
Reducing Anxiety for Rabbits in Research
Rabbits can be affectionate companions. They are not, however, naturally predisposed to feel at ease around humans. In a laboratory setting, in particular, being approached and subsequently scruffed by an unfamiliar human is likely to induce fear and stress responses - and possibly skew research data.
The Downside of Cuteness
The goggle-eyed, photogenic slow loris is paying a high price for its comical and cuddly appearance; people want to get their hands on one.
Coyote Kill Quashed in California
In January, the City Council of Arcadia, California voted unanimously to cancel a contract with a private wildlife removal firm to snare and kill coyotes within the city. Public outcry against the contract - which cost the city $30,000 a year and resulted in the death of 20 coyotes - prompted the council to hold a special "study session" and, ultimately, to terminate the program.
Atlanta Piano Dealer Strikes Wrong Note with Illegal Ivory
The owner of an Atlanta piano import/export company was sentenced in March for illegally smuggling internationally protected elephant ivory into the U.S. Pascal Vieillard and his company, A-440 Pianos, were each ordered to pay $17,500 and given three years probation, with the condition that all imports by the company will be monitored for the duration of the sentence.
South Atlantic Oil Spill May Doom Endangered Penguins and Other Wildlife
A major spill of heavy fuel oil from a wrecked freighter has fouled the waters surrounding one of the world’s most important bird nesting sites on a remote South Atlantic island. On March 16, the Oliva, a Maltese-registered cargo vessel carrying a load of soybeans from Brazil to the Philippines, ran aground and sank off Nightingale Island.
Zimbabwe Chooses Dead Animals Over Golden Eggs
The Zimbabwe National Wildlife Authority, in March, auctioned off sport hunting packages for big game to local and foreign hunters. The packages include rights to kill elephants, lions, hippos and leopards.
Grim Anniversary: Eighty Years of ADC Act
The Animal Damage Control Act (ADC Act) was signed into law in 1931. The 80th anniversary of its passage this past March was hardly a cause for celebration; rather, it is an anniversary of mourning for each one of the millions of coyotes, foxes, wolves, bears, mountain lions, bobcats, badgers, Canada geese, cormorants, black birds and other animals labeled as "pests" who have been killed since this Act came into force.
Analyst for Animal Welfare: Mary Lou Randour, Ph.D.
Her parents told her that they noticed it about her when she was quite young - around four years old. They characterized their observation this way: "We should have bought you a soap box." Some would call her opinionated, or even stubborn. Luckily, the times changed and these kinds of people became known as "activists."
Safe Havens Help People and Pets Escape Abuse
At times it may seem difficult to locate the "win/win" in a situation. Not so when it comes to recognizing the link between animal abuse and domestic violence - and using it to combat both.
The Elephant in the Living Room - Exposing Exotic Pet Ownership in the US
The Elephant in the Living Room is a compelling documentary that examines the little-known yet widespread problem of exotic pet ownership in the U.S. - in particular the practice of making pets out of dangerous wild animals such as lions, tigers, elephants, bears and venomous snakes.
Kids & Animals: Drawings from the Hands and Hearts of Children & Youth
Animal behavior expert Marc Bekoff, in partnership with Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots program and the Children, Youth and Environments Center at the University of Colorado Denver, has produced a colorful new online book in which young children express how they feel about animals and the natural world.
Bones of the Tiger: Protecting the Man-Eaters of Nepal
Hemanta Mishra, a field biologist with the Nepalese government, offers an extraordinarily detailed account of against-the-odds efforts to save the tigers of Nepal.
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2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/6012 | Posted on October 12, 2015 by Sampson Independent Hemp holdspromise forN.C. farmers
Opinion North Carolina lawmakers cooked up an appetizing bit of sausage in the closing days of their marathon regular session last month, though the process used to make it left us feeling a little queasy.
Senate Bill 313, which is awaiting Gov. Pat McCrory’s signature, clears the way for farmers to grow industrial hemp after obtaining a permit from a state study commission. The bill also rewrites the N.C. Controlled Substances Act to distinguish hemp from marijuana.
The move is a leap forward for agriculture, already our state’s No. 1 industry. A versatile and sustainable crop, hemp is grown for its fibers, which are used to make paper, rope, building materials and clothing.
Hemp grows without the use of chemical pesticides and the plant even filters out toxins already in the soil, according to the North American Industrial Hemp Council, an advocacy group. The United States banned its cultivation “based on its biological connection to marijuana,” the council notes, a blunder that shows ignorance of plant science.
Though the crops are cannabis cousins, hemp contains only infinitesimal amounts of the THC found in marijuana that creates the drug’s psychoactive effect. Smoking hemp will not produce a “high.” It is grown by farmers for commercial use, not by users of medicinal or recreational marijuana.
The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, which marked the U.S. government’s first step to regulate the drug, lumped hemp in with marijuana for no good reason. The feds followed suit with the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, and state legislatures largely mirrored the congressional template in their own drug laws.
Hemp is not, as some would suggest, a Trojan horse that will inevitably lead to the wholesale legalization of marijuana. It is a cash crop grown throughout the world, and struggling farmers throughout North Carolina deserve the opportunity to see it sprout in their fields.
Linking hemp and marijuana was a knee-jerk reaction based on misinformed public sentiment rather than science. Allowing industrial hemp cultivation corrects that mistake.
In its first iteration, SB 313 was an innocuous bill introduced to add five more specialty license plates to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles’ already long list of customized tags. The full text was replaced with the unrelated hemp bill as a House Rules Committee substitute on Sept. 28.
Rules Chairman David Lewis, R-Harnett, is a farmer and farm equipment dealer. We’re sure he understands the value and importance of industrial hemp. A stand-alone bill would have been preferable, but the ends may yet justify the means.
Though the practice of hollowing out a bland bill and using it to pass legislation that might not survive full debate is common in the General Assembly, this legislative legerdemain undermines the function of representative government and deprives residents of the chance to weigh in.
The sausage-making isn’t pretty, but the end result in this case is palatable. We urge McCrory to sign the bill and add hemp to North Carolina’s agricultural roster.
Commentary from The Richmond County Daily Journal, a Civitas Media, LLC newspaper.
Commentary from The Richmond County Daily Journal, a Civitas Media, LLC newspaper. RECOMMENDED FOR YOU | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/7254 | A new way to make machinery Apr 19, 2017 Tobacco purchasing should be based on value, not price Apr 03, 2017 Some Georgia growers wanted to talk soybean weed control, most didn’t Apr 10, 2017 Caledonia: Where prisoners have grown their food for 125 years Apr 04, 2017 Florida research shows metalized bed covers can reduce methyl use
Chuck Woods University of Florida | Mar 15, 2006
With the federal ban on most uses of methyl bromide, University of Florida scientists are searching for alternatives to the widely used soil fumigant that is essential for the production of fruits, vegetables and ornamentals in Florida and the nation. The fumigant, which controls soil pests and weeds, was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in response to the Montreal Protocol international treaty because the chemical harms the Earth's ozone layer, reducing its ability to protect the planet from radiation. Only a few emergency uses of the fumigant are still permitted. “Finding a replacement that will be as cost-effective as methyl bromide is proving to be difficult, but we do have some promising new materials and approaches to help growers protect their crops and the environment,” said Jim Gilreath, a professor of horticultural sciences at UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. He said many fumigants such as Chloropicrin, Telone C-35, Inline and Vapam are being evaluated, alone and in combination. Recent tests showed that a combination of Telone C-35 and Tillam herbicide produced good results on tomatoes, but the manufacturer of Tillam went out of business, and the product is not currently registered for use. “As we continue to look for alternatives for methyl bromide, we have found that the use of new virtually impermeable film and metalized film covers on plant beds allow growers to reduce their use of the fumigant by as much as 50 percent,” he said. “When it comes to holding or keeping fumigants in the soil, these high-barrier mulch films are far superior to conventional polyethylene mulch films that have been used by growers for the past 30 years.” Gilreath, who leads the soil fumigation research program at UF's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, said his research findings were quickly adopted by growers this year. Almost every tomato farm in Florida is now using metalized film on some part of its acreage along with the one- half rate of methyl bromide. “In fact, several of the larger tomato producers shifted all of their acreage to metalized film in the Southeast — from Florida to the Delmarva peninsula in Virginia — based on results from our research,” Gilreath said. “Growers have been very satisfied with the results and plan to continue using the highly retentive films.” He said the savings in the cost of methyl bromide — along with more equitable distribution of limited supplies of the fumigant and reduced impact on the ozone layer — have made this approach very successful. Gilreath, who works in cooperation with Joe Noling, a professor of nematology at UF's Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, and Dan Chellemi, a pathologist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Horticultural Research Laboratory in Fort Pierce, said they began testing different types of films about eight years ago in an effort to reduce the need for methyl bromide. “Two years ago, we began working with metalized films because they also reduce the movement of silverleaf whiteflies and viruses they transmit,” he said. “We tested the metalized films with methyl bromide and a product called Inline, which is Telone C-35 mixed with an emulsifier so that it can be injected through drip irrigation lines in the plant beds.” In each case, application of methyl bromide and Inline in conjunction with metalized film greatly increased retention of the fumigant in the plant beds, providing effective control of soil-borne pests, especially hard-to-control weeds such as nutsedge, he said. Effective nutsedge control was obtained with 175 pounds of methyl bromide per acre under metalized film, which was superior to that obtained with 350 pounds of fumigant per acre under conventional polyethylene film. “While it is possible to use either metalized or virtually impermeable film to reduce methyl bromide application rates by one-half, success involves more than just laying the film over the plant bed and reducing the amount of the fumigant,” Gilreath said. “Success requires close monitoring of the fumigant delivery system to make sure that the gas is applied uniformly in the bed through all three gas knives.” He said non-uniform application guarantees poor fumigant performance at any rate, and the downside results can be even more dramatic with reduced rates of methyl bromide. Before trying rate reductions, growers should modify their fumigation equipment to allow better control over uniformity of flow, which can mean the difference between success and failure. Meanwhile, until an effective replacement for methyl bromide is found, growers are also relying on critical use exemptions granted by the United Nations Environmental Programme on a year-to-year basis. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association is currently seeking exemptions for producers through the 2006 and 2007 growing seasons. | 农业 |
2017-17/2657/en_head.json.gz/7460 | Backyard fruit trees grow in popularity locally
Fall Home
As with vegetable gardens, having a few fruit trees in the yard allows homeowners to grow some of th
As with vegetable gardens, having a few fruit trees in the yard allows homeowners to grow some of their own food, which has become a popular trend, according to local experts. Doug Eaton of Bob's Trees in Galway said interest in apple, pear, cherry and other fruit trees has increased in the past five or 10 years as homeowners look to supplement the food they buy. "I think it has something to do with the economy and people wanting to be more efficient with their money," he said. "But growing things to eat is also a great family activity and I see more people getting back to simple activities they can do with their children." Chuck Schmitt, resource educator with Cornell Coooperative Extension in Albany County, agrees with Eaton. "We're seeing a lot more people starting with gardens and then stepping up to fruit trees ," he said. "Our master gardeners get 6,000 calls a year from local people wanting help with gardens, trees and even house plants." He said the weather in the region can be perfect for fruit trees , vines and bushes, but some years are not as good as others. "This year we had a great growing season," he said. "We had good temperatures, but we could have used a little more rain in August." He said gardeners who watered their plants and trees have been rewarded with high yields. Kerry Mendez is a landscaping consultant who deals mostly with perennial plants. She said as she goes into yards in the region, she has noticed a lot more fruit trees , especially peach trees . "I think some people have been intimidated by the idea of pruning and whether the trees would get too big, but a lot of homeowners seem to be more willing to try lately," she said. "The fruit trees go a lot with the whole idea of edible gardening." She said she has many flower beds on her property, but last year she decided to plant a couple of fruit trees herself. "I bought an apple tree and a pear tree for my own yard but I didn't know whether they would produce anything," she said. "I was very surprised and pleased when the pear tree had tiny fruit this year." She said the trees are espaliered, or flat trees , meant to grow against a wall or fence and therefore take up very little space. "To be honest, I grew them because I thought people visiting my gardens would find them interesting, I was really happy to get pears," she said. "The apple tree hasn't done anything, yet." slow start Eaton, of Bob's Trees , said it's not unusual for a tree to take some time to produce a significant amount of fruit . He said fall is the perfect time to plant fruit trees , but don't wait too long. "Waiting until November isn't really recommended," he said. "Some of the mistakes in planting the tree include planting too deeply or not making the hole big enough to let the root spread out." He said a little organic fertilizer and lots of water are recommended immediately after the tree is planted. "Most of the trees being offered now are semi-dwarf varieties so they don't take up much room. If they flower and are pollinated the spring after they are planted, you can expect some fruit . Just don't expect a lot at first," Eaton said. Sam Yachup is a volunteer master gardener with Cooperative Extension in Albany County and he does a great deal of backyard growing, including a number of fruit trees . He said he moved into his New Scotland home on five acres in 1999 and since then he has been adding trees and garden rows as his main hobby. "This was a wonderful year for fruit ," he said. He said peach trees died out after about 10 years, so a landowner who wants a steady crop of peaches should plant a tree or two every couple of years. "I have four trees that are quite young, a couple that are 6 and two that are about 8 years old," he said. "You have to stagger the plantings or be willing to wait when the old one dies off." He said he lives near an apple orchard and so he hasn't planted any apple trees , but he has a wide variety of raspberry plants and about 30 grape vines. "We just grow for ourselves and friends. If we have a bad year, we have a bad year.It's really just a hobby," he said. Bill Schwerd, the executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Saratoga County, said dwarf variety of trees are a good fit for small yards. "There is a great interest in fruit trees and our experts urge homeowners to buy from local growers who will have stock that can handle our cold temperatures," he said. "There are a lot of new varieties that are easier to grow and produce very tasty fruits ." View Comments
Inside a unique, modern Charlton home
Fall Home: Synthetic turf a tempting option
Fall Home: Colder weather is coming, but kale plants don’t care
FALL HOME: Many mysteries at family's Scotia home
FALL HOME: Ornamental grasses still looking good
FALL HOME: Spruce up the house for holiday guests
FALL HOME: Caterers offer recipes, decorating ideas
FALL HOME: Prepare your vegetable garden for next year
A 16-page special section with features and ideas for the home
Simple maintenance can make patio sets last longer | 农业 |
2017-09/4531/en_head.json.gz/21429 | Award of Distinction
Excellence in Extension
Excellence in Industry
Excellence in International Service Award
Excellence in Regulatory Affairs and Crop Security
Ruth Allen Award
Hewitt Award
Hutchins Award
Keen Award
Syngenta Award
APS > Membership > Awards > Excellence in Extension > Edward A. Brown
Edward A. Brown
Edward A. Brown was born on November 12, 1948, in Bremerhaven, Germany. He received his B.S. degree in general agriculture in 1972 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in plant pathology in 1975 and 1979, respectively, from the University of Georgia. Dr. Brown organized the first formal extension plant disease clinic at the University of Georgia and was a diagnostician from 1975 to 1979. He accepted a faculty position with the University of Georgia as an extension plant pathologist for turf, forestry, and shade trees in 1979. He was Georgia Extension Program Coordinator for Plant Pathology from 1991 to 2001. Dr. Brown retired October 2001 as professor emeritus. Dr. Brown established a nationally respected outreach program on diseases in turf and forestry/shade trees. He made major contributions to the health of Georgia’s trees and was instrumental in developing educational materials and executing Dutch elm disease control program standards for the United States and Georgia’s principal cities. His work in confirming the presence of dogwood anthracnose in Georgia and his invitation from the U.S. Forest Service to coauthor a publication on dogwood care and management led to the distribution of more than 500,000 copies of this publication throughout the East coast. He received the 1991 U.S. Forest Service Centennial Conservation Award for his contributions in dogwood anthracnose control. There are an estimated 1.3 million acres of turf valued at $858 million with the economic revenues of the golf industry of $1.84 billion in Georgia. Dr. Brown has been extremely successful in evaluating research results and disease-control recommendations to reduce disease losses, while minimizing pesticide use to limit environmental impact. He has served as chair of the Turf Commodity Committee at the University of Georgia. He was chair of the 1996 Olympic Soccer Site Advisory Committee that provided the United States and the world one of the best-ever world-class soccer facilities. Dr. Brown is an active member of the Program Committee of the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association and also serves as Green Section Committee member of the United States Golf Association and advisor to the Augusta National Golf Club Masters Tournament. Dr. Brown has served on the National Initiative Committee for Georgia in food quality and safety as well as water quality. He chaired the Georgia Pesticide Use and Safety Committee and developed a water-quality exhibit that won national recognition as the Educational Water Quality Effort for 1995 by the American Society of Agronomy. Dr. Brown coordinated the first Pesticide Container Recycling Program in Georgia in 1992, which has become a significant annual educational effort involving 60 counties, resulting in more than 250 tons of containers being chipped in 1999. This effort was the catalyst for Dr. Brown to organize and promote the Georgia Clean Day Program with the Georgia Department of Agriculture to collect canceled or suspended pesticides from farms in Georgia. This effort has resulted in the disposal of 100 tons of agricultural canceled or suspended pesticides from Georgia counties since 1994. Today, the Georgia Legislature funds both these efforts. He served on the Pesticide Applicator Steering Committee and Endangered Species Committee for Georgia and has done extensive work with Georgia’s 4-H Long Range Advisory Committee. He has served on the Georgia Extension Publications Task Force and on the Extension Publications Review Committee and served for three years on the Affirmative Action Review Team for the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. Dr. Brown served as president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer of the Georgia Association of Plant Pathologists and on the board of directors and chair of the State Membership Committee of the Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents. Dr. Brown served as advisor to the Agricultural Chemicals Association of Georgia and advisor to the Georgia Crop Improvement Association. Because of Dr. Brown’s dedication to agriculture, he chaired the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Unity Tour Committee to acquaint new faculty with the breadth of agriculture in Georgia and how the college integrates its academic and extension programs to support and impact agriculture. Dr. Brown was chair of the APS Illustrations of Plant Pathogens Committee and served as a senior editor of APS PRESS from 1989 to 1992. His interest in creative education techniques has led him to acquire funding of $1,000,000 to develop Distance Diagnostics Through Digital Imaging in Georgia. He established 60 diagnostic imaging sites in county extension offices with microscopes, dedicated computers, and disease diagnostic literature to deliver grass roots-generated plant pathology education to improve the profitability and sustainability of agriculture. This database programming and technology has been deployed in Texas through Texas A&M, Illinois through the University of Illinois at Urbana/ Champaign, Alabama through Auburn University, Louisiana through Louisiana State University, and Hawaii through the University of Hawaii. He continues to be instrumental in the development of the Center for Internet Imaging and Database Systems, which employs a project manager and three dedicated full-time programmers. Dr. Brown has conducted more than 550 conferences, workshops, seminars, and training sessions, where more than 516,000 people have been taught the latest methods of disease diagnostics and control. In addition, he has authored more than 132 publications and has been an invited lecturer 35 times in 13 states. Dr. Brown received the Achievement Award from the Georgia County Agricultural Agents Association in 1987 and 1989. In 1994, he received the Distinguished Service Award from The National Association of County Agricultural Agents and Georgia Agricultural County Agents Association and chaired the Education Committee for the 2002 National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting. In 1992, the University of Georgia recognized Dr. Brown’s contributions in public service programming by awarding him the Walter B. Hill Distinguished Service Award. That same year, he was recognized with the highest award the university can bestow on a public service faculty member, Walter B. Hill Distinguished Service Fellow, equivalent to distinguished professor. In 1999, Dr. Brown was awarded the University of Georgia Agricultural Alumni Award for Excellence. He also received the Georgia Golf Course Superintendent Association’s Distinguished Service Award and the Georgia Turfgrass Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Get ALL the Latest Updates for CHANGING LANDSCAPES OF PLANT PATHOLOGY. Follow APS! © 2017 The American Phytopathological Society. All rights reserved. Contact Us - Report a Bad Link | 农业 |
2017-09/4531/en_head.json.gz/23340 | Children Face Dangers On Farms, But Not From Farmwork By Nancy Shute
Mar 12, 2012 TweetShareGoogle+Email Most farm injuries come when children are playing or visiting, not working.
Farms may conjure an image of a pastoral landscape, with children running and frolicking in green pastures. But farms do come with their own dangers. And there's plenty of argument on what should be done to ensure the safety of children who live or work on farms. About 84 children die each year in accidents on farms, according to a new study, and 26,570 are injured. Because those injuries are usually severe, they come with high price tag — $1.4 billion a year, the study found. For anyone who's spent time on a farm, it's not hard to imagine a child killed by falling off a tractor, being crushed in a combine, or suffocated in a grain silo. But the vast majority of the cases – 86 percent of the deaths and 71 percent of the injuries — were not work-related. Many of them weren't unique to farms, either. They included falls, accidents with ATVs or other vehicles, assault, and suicide attempts, according to the study, which was published today in the journal Pediatrics. Injuries on farms are more serious and costly than injuries in other places for both children and adults, according to Eduard Zaloshnja, the study's lead author. He's an economist with the Pacific Institute for Research and Education in Beltsville, Md., who analyzed data from the census and the federal Childhood Agricultural Injury Survey from 2001 through 2006. "There are more hazards in agricultural settings," he told The Salt. "There is machinery around, there are animals around, so that makes a more hazardous environment for people, especially for kids." About 1 million children live on farms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which lists accidents with tractors and other machinery, motor vehicles, and drowning as leading sources of fatal farm injuries to people under age 20. These new injury numbers square with earlier estimates of the risks to children; what's new here is the dollar figure attached. It's sure to add fuel to an ongoing controversy over what kind of work children should be allowed to do on farms. Last fall, the U.S. Department of Labor proposed new regulations to try to prevent injuries that would bar teenagers from driving tractors, four-wheelers, riding mowers and other machinery before age 16, as well as working around animals. (Here's Peggy Lowe's report on the proposed regs.) The federal government is now reworking the proposal after withering criticism from farmers and educators. The critics noted that the rules would bar teenagers from using electric drills in vocational agricultural classes, and from learning many key elements of running a farm – and how to do them safely. And the regulations wouldn't tackle the majority of the injuries and deaths, which happen on farms to children who aren't working. Farms have been getting safer for children, says William Field, a professor at Purdue University who studies agricultural health and safety. Children who grow up on a working farm catch on quickly to the hazards of farm life, he says. More typical is a case where a child visits a farm, takes a ride on a tractor, falls off and is run over. "A lot of these cases involve a grandfather taking a grandchild for a ride in the field," he told The Salt. "Those are some of the most depressing, sad circumstances." Still, he sees the current push for regulation of farm children's lives as a social disconnect. "There's this tremendous push to be paternal over farmers, as if somehow they're too dumb to take care of themselves. This language comes from people who have never been in agriculture, who don't live on a farm and understand the complexities of living there." The largest dangers facing his ag students at Purdue, he says, are the same as those facing any young adults. One-third of his students this year don't know how to swim. "I have five children," Field says. "My 16-year-old son, he drives the tractor and feeds the cows hay." He worries about that, he says, just like any farm parent would. "But I actually worry more when my son goes to a youth event in a van with 10 to 12 kids, with a driver I don't know."Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. TweetShareGoogle+EmailView the discussion thread. © 2017 WKNO FM | 农业 |
2017-09/4531/en_head.json.gz/23503 | Industry Has ethanol lost its license to drive corn market?
By Stu Ellis, FarmGate blog
March 22, 2012 | 11:01 am EDT
In the initial depths of the recession, agriculture was performing well, thanks to the demand for grain, and in particular for corn because of the demand for ethanol. The ethanol mandate was creating demand for corn and prices kept rising, pushing commodity markets to new highs nearly every month. Ah, those were the good old days. Now the bloom is off the rose. Gasoline demand is down, the blend wall is pushing ethanol demand down, and corn prices are not as strong as they once were. Was Little Orphan Annie correct in assuming “The sun will come out tomorrow?”
When the Congress approved the Renewable Fuel Standard, conventional wisdom said by this time we would be consuming 150 billion gallons of motor fuel annually and a 10% ethanol blend would necessitate 15 billion gallons of ethanol, which would require nearly 5 billion bushels of corn. But the recession dampened the upward demand curve, and now the current thinking is the need for only 13.4 billion gallons of ethanol to meet the demand. That has reduced the demand for corn and batted back the price from the nearly $8 high. The goal of 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol may be a footnote in an economic history book.
There are a number of dynamics working for and against ethanol today as a product that will remain integral to the agricultural economy, says Bob Wisner, biofuels economist at Iowa State University. In his recent newsletter Wisner says domestic ethanol use will be about 11% below the 15 billion gallon ceiling in 2015, when cellulosic ethanol was supposed to kick in and supply the nation with its voracious appetite for motor fuel. He indicates 2015 may see about 3 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol produced because the industry has had a much slower start to economic efficiency than expected. But in the meantime, lower demand for gasoline means less demand for ethanol, regardless of its source and less profitability means reduced efforts in reaching the goals. And he says the US ethanol industry will be capable of producing much more than needed if gasoline demand drops further, either because of the recession or increased fuel efficiency.
The blend wall, which is the ceiling for ethanol demand, could be raised with the use of E-15 or E-85, but there are major problems, mostly related to the lack of pumps at service stations and the reluctance of the auto industry to warrant the use of higher ethanol blends. That not only retains the blend wall but stifles the demand for cellulosic ethanol. While EPA has been giving indications it will expand its approval of E-15 that may have little impact if distribution is non-existent. Wisner says the future of the ethanol industry is keyed on the production and distribution of advanced biofuels, which do not include ethanol made from corn. That will be capped at 15 billion gallons of basic ethanol. While that seems like the biofuels market is mature for corn growers, Wisner says there may be an opportunity from advanced biofuels, with the conversion of corn to biobutanol.
Biobutanol is considered a “drop-in” fuel, since does not required a specific blend percentage, can be transported in trucks or pipelines with regular gasoline, and have a much closer combustion and mileage performance to gasoline than does ethanol. While the octane rating of biobutanol is less than ethanol is more than gasoline, but while the energy content of ethanol is only 66% of gasoline, the biobutanol energy content is 90% of gasoline. The corn market should benefit, since biobutanol will be an added product and not replace ethanol. We are likely in the early days of biobutanol, since production costs are not yet established, and Wisner says only 2-3 ethanol plants are being converted to biobutanol plants at this time. He says, “If it proves to be competitive with ethanol and regulatory issues can be resolved, biobutanol may contribute significantly to future growth in value-added demand for corn.”
Summary:Part of the steam lost in the corn market has resulted from the leveling off in the demand for corn by ethanol refiners. This slowdown came from ethanol reaching the maximum of 10% of the nation’s motor fuel supply, then the demand for motor fuel declining because of the economy. However, biobutanol, which is an advanced biofuel that can be made at ethanol plants with some modification, has the potential to replace gasoline without a limiting percentage blend. Its octane rating is higher than gas, its energy content is higher than ethanol, and it provides better mileage than either ethanol or gasoline.
ethanolmarketcorn About the Author:
Stu Ellis, FarmGate blog | 农业 |
2017-09/4531/en_head.json.gz/26065 | At the annual general meeting on the Maple Producers Association of Nova Scotia held at the Dr. Carson and Marion Murray Community Centre in Springhill on January 17, 2009, Art and Marguerite Hodgson of Wyvern, Cumberland County were inducted into the Nova Scotia Maple Hall of Fame.
Arthur Clyde Hodgson was born on March 25, 1930. He grew up making maple. Art’s forefathers made maple syrup in the late 1800s. Families from Wyvern and Farmington congregated in a community encampment in what became known as Hodgsons’ woods. There they would make the year’s supply of maple sugar for their domestic use. Blackened stones and ashes from the old fire pit can still be found in the woods.
The Hodgson maple operation commenced in 1902. Art’s grandfather (Aaron) had acquired title to the property. Together with his son (Art’s father True), they built a maple camp and a retail operation. Business flourished. Horses and bob-sleds were used to collect the sap and the operation grew to 5,000 kettles with two teams and 10 men.
A new camp was built in 1940 on the site of the old camp. In 1960, a modern 5’×16’ Grimm evaporator was installed.
Marguerite came on the scene in 1958 and she quickly became an active partner.
It was during the early 1960s that the famous maple sugar stirring apparatus was developed. It consisted of a wooded framework placed over a large tub of cooked sugar. It had a beater with a number of wooded blades and was rotated by turning hand cranks on each side of the apparatus.
In 1976, a new camp was built beside the house in Wyvern. The sap had to be moved from the sugar bush to the new camp, so tubing was installed in the woods and two mainlines were erected to carry the sap from 6,000 taps over one mile, all downhill, to the camp.
This move to roadside where there was electricity prompted Art to update the sugar stirring apparatus. He used the rear-end differential from a 1930s pick-up truck and converted it to run on electricity. He also adapted an old dairy butter churn to stir maple butter and added a pre-heater hood to the evaporator. A reverse osmosis machine was purchased in 1981. It was one of the first reverse osmosis machines used in Nova Scotia.
Art’s son Michael took over the operation in 2000 and still taps some or all of the woods when he is able.
Throughout his life, Art was a keen supported of the maple industry in Nova Scotia. He rarely missed a field day or an annual meeting, and he made many friends in the maple industry. He served as a MPANS director. He was an early adopter of new technology in his maple operation.
Arthur Hodgson passed away on April 19, 2005 and is missed within the industry and his community.
Members of the Maple Producers Association of Nova Scotia are very pleased to induct Art and Marguerite Hodgson into the Nova Scotia Maple Industry Hall of Fame.
Return to the Maple Hall of Fame
2017 – Kevin McCormick | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/483 | Now that ain't hay! Farmer thrives amid suburban sprawl
By Mike Spellman
Harold Bergman, 94, of Hoffman Estates, waits on a customer who wants to buy hay at his barn.
Mark Welsh | Staff Photographer
Harold Bergman, 94, looks over his 38 acres of farmland, which has been in his family for decades. He now uses it to grow hay and straw for local horse farms and Arlington Park.
Harold Bergman, 94, operates the heavy machinery to harvest the hay crop on his property as a worker scoops up the bales and stacks them on the wagon.
Harold Bergman, 94, of Hoffman Estates puts up the closed sign on the outside of his house, notifying customers to come back at another time to buy straw or hay, as he heads off to church.
Published: 9/22/2010 12:00 AM | Updated: 9/22/2010 7:21 AM
A few miles to his south sits one of the busiest shopping malls in the suburbs. A couple of blocks to his east, the hustle and bustle of Harper College shows the new school year is underway.
But pull into his short driveway off Algonquin Road in Hoffman Estates and up to Harold Bergman's barn and it's like being transported back in time. A tranquil, simpler time.
Rectangular blocks of hay are stacked floor to ceiling in the old structure. The main door frames a view of the 38-acre field that produced that harvest.
"This is about all I've got room for," says Bergman, at age 94 the oldest farmer in Cook County, surveying his harvest and overseeing customers as they pull up to load their pickup trucks with bales of hay. "I got this idea about 30 years ago. The fact that there are horses that need hay - it seemed like a good idea. This has worked out pretty good."
Has it ever.
One of the few hay farmers in an area heavily populated with horses, he finds business is usually pretty good. A lot of that business comes from trainers at Arlington Park looking to replenish their supply. A quick call to Bergman, and it's mission accomplished.
Dressed in a pith helmet and sharp as can be, Bergman is always there to help.
"Arlington is racing and if there's anybody that wants to stock up on hay, well you've got to tend the store," he said. "Any daylight hours."
He's been keeping those hours for most of his 94 years. Helping his family run what was then a sprawling dairy farm for most of his first 50 years will do that to a fellow. "When you spend the early part of your life milking dairy cows, you start early in the morning and somehow you just don't get over it," he said. "You wake up, that's all. You don't need an alarm clock."
Just the sun.
"I wait for it to get light," he said. "There's nothing going on in the dark."
But once that yellow orb hits the horizon, it's go time for Bergman, who, until recently, not only operated the tractors but helped lift and store the hay. Now he relies on volunteers to do most of the heavy lifting. "For a long time my wife and I did it alone," said Bergman, whose younger brother Bernie, 92, is a part-time dispatcher at a trucking company in Palatine. "Then the heart started to give out a little." And then when Elsie passed away, "suddenly it lost its glamour."
But still he perseveres.
And while the world around him travels at breakneck speed, his life remains on the same steady cadence as he makes his way to and from his home on the same lot, a home that was built in 1852. "My grandfather built the house," he said with a gleam in his eye. "I was born in that house, so I've lived here all my life." It's where he raised his children, Stephen and Georgia. Bergman briefly got away from farm life when he went into teaching high school agriculture classes in Chili, Ind.
But a call from his ailing father changed everything.
"Back to where I started," he said with a laugh. "But this is what I like to do."
Just how much longer he'll do it is very much up in the air.
"My son and nephews think I've farmed enough and they want to sell the place," Bergman said. "They have that big sign on the corner. But there are no buyers now. They got the idea just a little too late, that's all."
But if one day soon the farm is gone and the land developed, don't expect Bergman to get melancholy about it.
"Oh no," he said. "That's progress. Change what you can, and what you can't, accept."
Either way, Bergman is quite content with the life he's lived.
"Sure," he said with a smile. "I did the best I can." | 农业 |
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The African August House to set up a Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security
09 May 2016 The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have acknowledged the need to respect, protect and fulfil the fundamental human right to food and optimal nutrition in Africa. During extensive deliberations at the Second Ordinary Session of the Fourth Parliament, the Parliamentarians agreed to establish a Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food and Nutrition Security. Recognizing their role as custodians of political commitments, the Parliamentarians have agreed to work with FAO to ensure food and nutrition security for all in the Continent. The President of the Pan-African Parliament, Hon. Roger Nkodo Dang in his...
Building a Business Case for the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems. 09 May 2016 How do we ensure that agricultural investment contributes to the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition rather than jeopardizing it?9 May 2016, Rome. How do we ensure that agricultural investment contributes to the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition rather than jeopardizing it? The members of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) intensely negotiated for two years to address this particular question. Their answer came in October 2014: By adopting the Principles for Responsible Investment for Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI). The voluntary CFS-RAI is the first international multi-stakeholder agreement that defines responsible investment in agriculture (including forestry and fisheries) and food systems....
FAO to support agricultural development in Kuwait 22 Apr 2016 FAO has agreed to support Kuwait formulate a partnership programme for agricultural development aimed at enhancing the country’s aquaculture and water sectors, tackle livestock diseases and boost technical skills.
FAO Regional Conference boosts Africa Solidarity Trust Fund
08 Apr 2016 Calls for renewed vision and expanded Africa-for-Africa cooperation and South-South Cooperation8 April 2016, Abidjan - Results achieved through Africa Solidarity Trust Fund (ASTF) financed projects are adding momentum to the vision of Africa- Africa cooperation to achieve food security across the continent. The fund, which was set up in 2012, is widely seen as an innovative mechanism for mobilizing resources from one African country for the benefit of another, promoting intra-Africa collaboration, also known as South-South Cooperation. Since 2013, contributions have reached $40 million, with Equatorial Guinea and Angola being the major financial contributors. To-date, the fund has allocated $ 34.5 million to 15 regional programmes and national projects which are being...
Products from the global South reaching the bistros of Autogrill
05 Apr 2016 Partnership of FAO with the Italian multinational company takes offBolivian quinoa, spices from Cambodia and cocoa from Ecuador are but a few of the products coming sourced from small farmers in the global South that will now be sold in the bistros of the Italian and French roadside eatery chain Autogrill, , thanks to a partnership with FAO.The initiative was announced today by Autogrill Chief Executive Gianmario Tondato Da Ruos during a ceremony held in the presence of Andrea Olivero, the Italian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. "We are glad that, thanks to the partnership with FAO, we can help small farmers around the...
FAO and China launch new South-South Cooperation Program in Democratic Republic of Congo
04 Apr 2016 Will boost agricultural output and food security, improve management of natural resourcesApril 2016, Rome - FAO, China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed a two‑year agreement worth almost USD 1.5 million aimed at increasing food and nutrition security in the conflict-ravaged African nation. The deal establishes a new South-South Cooperation (SSC) partnership which will make Chinese technical advice and expertise available to the country's agriculture sector. It was developed via the FAO-China South-South Cooperation (SSC) Programme, which was created in 2009 and an additional funding boost from China last year. SSC projects help developing countries share and transfer knowledge and expertise among themselves, so that innovations...
Chinese experts push yields up in Namibia
01 Apr 2016 April 2016 - Watermelon grafting technology was introduced showing high yields in Mashare and Etunda. Agricultural production experts from China assisted local farmers to implement various techniques for substantially improved yields.
Farm managers and agricultural extension officers are one of the many Namibians who are getting technical experience and know-how from Chinese experts, following the successful implementation of the 2014 tripartite agreement between Namibia, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN and China, on the South-South Cooperation (SSC) programmes.
Small-scale farmers and agricultural enterprises are benefiting directly through hands-on training and on-farm demonstrations. Namibia was allocated US$1.5 million from China...
UN urges stronger, coordinated international response to address El Niño impacts
23 Mar 2016 Climate event has affected 60 million people; impacts set to increase at least until end of 201623 March 2016, Rome - The United Nations has called for a stronger response by governments, aid organizations and the private sector to address the devastating impact the El Niño climate event is having on the food security, livelihoods, nutrition and health of some 60 million people around the world. The appeal came at a meeting organized in Rome by four UN agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the World Food Programme (WFP). FAO and Ankara University expand cooperation
25 Feb 2016 FAO and Ankara University are expanding their collaboration under a new Memorandum of Understanding signed recently by the two institutions.
Training and capacity development, raising awareness of global food security issues, and technical support to national and regional projects are the three main areas where the organizations will work together. Knowledge and good practices on food and nutrition security, sustainable management of natural resources and rural development will be shared by the partners.
“All of our foreseen activities serve the national priorities set forth in the FAO Country Programming Framework for Turkey, FAO’s strategic objectives, and our regional initiatives,” said Yuriko Shoji,...
Women and Youth at the forefront of forum to promote integrated rural development through South-South and Triangular Cooperation
12 Feb 2016 12 February, 2016, Brussels - The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), have wrapped up a symposium pledging to build new partnerships to empower women and youth.
The two-day event saw governments, civil society, private sector and development partners debate the key issues of jobs and entrepreneurship, with a special focus on how the mechanisms of South-South and Triangular Cooperation can help bring about change in developing countries across the...
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2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/1061 | Ernst: An easier way to get farm-fresh produce
Eric Ernst
It's difficult to build a market for fresh, locally grown crops.They may taste better. They may be healthier. They may conserve energy in using less fuel for shipping. But, we've gotten too accustomed to shopping at the big retailers where one-stop shopping is more convenient, and produce is cheaper.Here's an encouraging sign, however, for those of us who need a little push to buy local.Worden Farm in Punta Gorda, an 85-acre organic grower that's been in business since 2004, has ramped up its delivery system.Once a week, it will cart boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables to pickup locations from Fort Myers to Nokomis. Individuals sign up in advance for the food to be delivered for 20 weeks from Dec. 7 through April 18.Each box will feature at least 10 different items, depending on what's in season at the farm. "It's a great way to get produce directly to the public," farm co-owner Eva Worden says.Even in Englewood. For the first time, Englewood residents will not have to drive to a farmers market in Sarasota to buy locally grown produce.Instead, they can retrieve it from 3 to 5 p.m. each Wednesday at the Englewood-Cape Haze Chamber of Commerce building on Indiana Avenue. Executive Director Jon Bednerik has already caught the spirit. "I may have to put on my coveralls and straw hat for the folks picking up their orders," he says.This type of off-the-farm delivery system is nothing new. It's being used, with varying degrees of success, around the country.But it's uncommon in Southwest Florida. For instance, Florida West Coast Resource, Conservation and Development Council, a nonprofit that grows and sells organics at two farms in Manatee County, offers only one weekly offsite pickup: at WSLR Radio in Sarasota.Executive Director Danny Smith calls the Worden approach a model for the state.Worden Farm started in 2004 with two sites. This year, it will deliver to 20 locations, including additional new ones in North Port and Murdock. Eva Worden says she expects to sign as many as 400 pickup customers.For consumers, two shortcomings stand out.First, availability determines selection, and each box is likely to contain items the buyer would not normally choose.Second, fresh produce, especially organic-grown produce, isn't cheap. A subscription for the pickup boxes costs $660, or $33 a week. And it has to be paid in a lump sum by Oct. 1. No refunds after that.Granted, anyone who patronizes small businesses expects to pay a little more, which should be offset by more personalized service and the knowledge that you've directly helped your neighbor and the local economy."And if the infrastructure comes together, it will also help local producers, and they'll be able to lower their prices," says Sarasota County Cooperative Extension agent Robert Kluson.As for having to accept fruits and vegetables you wouldn't ordinarily eat, maybe that's not so bad. We could all broaden our horizons a little. The Worden website, wordenfarm.com, suggests recipes for each product.OK, maybe we're not ready for a kale-tofu casserole, but sunflower buds sound almost palatable — with enough butter.Eric Ernst's column runs Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Contact him at [email protected] or (941) 486-3073. | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/1217 | Potash Ridge Corporation TSX : PRK
OTCQX : POTRF
Potash Ridge Reports First Quarter 2014 Financial Results and Provides Update on Its Blawn Mountain Sulphate of Potash Project
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 8, 2014) - Potash Ridge Corporation ("Potash Ridge" or the "Corporation") (TSX:PRK) (OTCQX:POTRF) today released its first quarter financial results. 2014 Q1 Financial Results
The Corporation reported a net loss for the first quarter of $0.2 million ($0.00 per share) compared with a net loss of $1.0 million ($0.01 per share) for the first quarter of 2013. A total of $2.6 million was incurred on Blawn Mountain Project (the "Project") activities in the first quarter compared with $3.6 million on project activities for the first quarter of 2013. The Corporation closed the first quarter of 2014 with cash and cash equivalents of $5.5 million and had accounts payable and accrued liabilities of $0.9 million.
The Corporation's first quarter unaudited Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis are available at www.sedar.com.
Key Project Highlights of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2014
Various studies undertaken by the Corporation's consultants have established premiums growers are willing to pay for sulphate of potash ("SOP") over muriate of potash ("MOP") for certain key crops due to yield benefits, and also the market demand potential for SOP in various key markets. These studies indicate that growers are willing to pay significant premiums, and that the demand growth potential in key markets is robust. During the quarter, the Corporation initiated discussions with various purchasers and users of SOP in North America, all of which have indicated a severe supply shortage. This supply shortage is expected to persist, given limited growth potential using existing SOP production processes. The impact of the supply deficit, and the willingness and ability of growers to pay a significant premium for SOP over MOP is evident when comparing prices. In North America, average realized SOP prices were approximately US$670/tonne for the first quarter of 2014 compared with approximately US$690/tonne for the same period in 2013. By contrast, North American MOP average realized prices declined to approximately US$250/tonne during the first quarter of 2014 from approximately US$363/tonne during the same period in 2013. The average realized price for SOP is currently approximately 170% over the average realized price for MOP.
In February 2014, the Corporation filed its groundwater discharge permit application. The permit is expected in the second quarter of 2014.
In March 2014, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers confirmed the Corporation's findings that no jurisdictional waters or wetlands will be impacted by the Project and, accordingly, a "Department of the Army Permit" is not required for the Project. Following receipt of this confirmation, no further federal permitting issues are expected as it pertains to the Project site.
On March 24, 2014, the Corporation converted its Exploration Agreement with the Utah State School and Institutional Land Trust Administration ("SITLA") into a Mining Lease. Concurrent with the exercise of the Option, the Corporation entered into an agreement with SITLA, whereby the upfront payment requirement of US$1,020,000 upon conversion was replaced with an initial payment of US$200,000 plus five equal semi-annual installments of US$164,000 commencing in March 2015. Interest will accrue on unpaid installments at an annual rate of 5.75%.
The Corporation has initiated discussions with a number of independent engineering firms regarding the upcoming feasibility study for the Project. It is expected that the feasibility study contract will be awarded by mid-year, subject to receipt of additional financing by the Corporation. The scope of additional metallurgical test work required for the upcoming feasibility study has been determined and proposals are being obtained from metallurgical testing firms to carry out this testing program. The test program will include variability testing, continuous testing and testing at vendor facilities, with the objective of obtaining process guarantees.
The Corporation is advancing discussions towards securing build, own, operate type arrangements for various infrastructure aspects of the Project, such as the electricity transmission line, a natural gas pipeline, short-line rail and load-out facilities, sulphuric acid plant and water treatment plant.
Several initiatives are currently underway that are expected to result in the achievement of various key milestones during 2014 and beyond
The Corporation continues to advance its permitting strategy: The water rights application, submitted jointly with SITLA in late 2012, is currently being reviewed by the Utah Division of Water Rights. The approval of this application is anticipated during the second quarter of 2014; The Corporation filed an application for a large mining permit with the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining in late 2013, and it is anticipated that the approval of the application will be received in mid-2014; and Air monitoring data was collected over a one-year period that ended in October 2013. Modeling for the air permit application will continue in parallel with the feasibility study. Various commercial discussions currently underway with respect to infrastructure and marketing initiatives are expected to conclude with signing of commercial arrangements with third parties. The Corporation is targeting to raise approximately US$25 million for the feasibility study phase and near term working capital requirements. The Corporation currently expects that this additional funding will bring the development of the Project to the beginning of the execution phase and the commencement of detailed engineering, assuming receipt of a positive feasibility study. A number of strategies to raise this additional capital are currently being pursued. About Potash Ridge
Potash Ridge is a Canadian based exploration and development company focused on developing a surface alunite deposit in southern Utah called the Blawn Mountain Project. It is expected to produce a premium fertilizer called sulphate of potash and a possible alumina rich by-product. Located in Utah, a mining friendly jurisdiction with established infrastructure nearby, the Project is expected to produce an average of 645,000 tons of SOP per annum over a 40 year mine life. A NI 43-101 compliant Prefeasibility Study completed in November 2013 by Norwest Corporation demonstrated that the Project is both technically and economically viable. The Prefeasibility Study, entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report Resources and Reserves of the Blawn Mountain Project, Beaver County, Utah" dated effective November 6, 2013 is available on SEDAR. Potash Ridge has a highly qualified and proven management team with significant financial, project management and operational experience and the proven ability to take projects into production.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation's expectations regarding future growth, results of operations, performance and business prospects. These forward-looking statements may include statements that are predictive in nature, or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and can generally be identified by words such as "may", "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "guidance" or similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent the Corporation's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the future financial or operating performance of the Corporation and its subsidiaries and its mineral projects; the anticipated results of exploration activities; the estimation of mineral resources; the realization of mineral resource estimates; capital, development, operating and exploration expenditures; costs and timing of the development of the Corporation's mineral projects; timing of future exploration; requirements for additional capital; climate conditions; government regulation of mining operations; anticipated results of economic and technical studies; environmental matters; receipt of the necessary permits, approvals and licenses in connection with exploration and development activities; appropriation of the necessary water rights and water sources; changes in commodity prices; recruiting and retaining key employees; construction delays; litigation; competition in the mining industry; reclamation expenses; reliability of historical exploration work; reliance on historical information acquired by the Corporation; optimization of technology to be employed by the Corporation; title disputes or claims and other similar matters. If any of the assumptions or estimates made by management prove to be incorrect, actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such assumptions include, but are not limited to, the following: that general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties remain favorable; that agriculture fertilizers are expected to be a major driver in increasing yields to address demand for premium produce, such as fruits and vegetables, as well as diversified protein rich diets necessitating grains and other animal feed; that actual results of exploration activities justify further studies and development of the Corporation's mineral projects; that the future prices of minerals remain at levels that justify the exploration and future development and operation of the Corporation's mineral projects; that there is no failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; that accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry do not occur; that there are no unanticipated delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing or in the completion of future studies, development or construction activities; that the actual costs of exploration and studies remain within budgeted amounts; that regulatory and legal requirements required for exploration or development activities do not change in any adverse manner; that input cost assumptions do not change in any adverse manner, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Corporation's Annual Information Form (AIF) for the year-ended December 31, 2013 available at sedar.com. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
Potash Ridge CorporationLaura SandilandsManager of Investor Relations416.362.8640 ext. [email protected]
Potash Ridge Corporation | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/1630 | From faith came help for hungry
Excess grain became famine aid
Rural Revival By: Laura Rance Posted: 06/15/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: Tweet Post Reddit ShareThis Print
This article was published 14/6/2013 (1353 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The 1970s were a time of plenty on many Manitoba farms, but that wasn't a good thing.Farmers were harvesting decent crops, but the grain wasn't moving. On-farm inventories were high and cash flow was poor. Some rural businesses even resorted to a circle barter system, allowing farmers to deliver grain to the local feed mill in exchange for credit at local hardware or furniture stores.
Even more frustrating for southern Manitoba farmers was hearing news reports of people dying from hunger in faraway places such as Bangladesh and parts of Africa when their bins were filled to overflowing.Was there no way for them to get some of that unsellable, unmovable food to the people who needed something to eat?What grew from that discussion is a story of faith. But it is also one of pragmatic, hard-nosed business acumen.When Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), the relief agency, first looked into the question raised by some of its supporters, the answer was no; there was no mechanism in place for a farmer in Canada to send food to a starving person in Africa.MCC's John Wieler sat down with Art DeFehr, a Winnipeg businessman with experience working with the MCC in Bangladesh, Len Siemens, then the associate dean of agriculture at the University of Manitoba, and grain-industry employee David Durksen to explore options.What emerged in 1975 was a food grain bank based on the Biblical tradition of storing food in times of plenty for distribution when times weren't so good. The concept allowed farmers to donate their surplus grain and know that grain would go overseas to feed the hungry.It was unwieldy, impractical and it shouldn't have worked. But it did, largely because it gave farmers on the Canadian Prairies a direct connection -- a sense of community -- with the people they were helping.In 1983, four more churches joined the effort, forming what is now known as the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Thirty years later, the bank is owned and directed by no less than 15 Christian-based organizations, a co-operation between churches that more than a few observers have mused is an accomplishment in itself.These members use the bank as their vehicle for delivering famine relief and development support through denominational partners in recipient countries.The CFGB has vastly outgrown its original unwieldiness. In early days, elevators were designated as CFGB delivery points on specific days for farmers to deliver their donations. That soon morphed into in-kind matches at port for what the farmer delivered in the country. The dollar value of donations brought in matching aid from the Canadian government at a ratio of four to one.The original food bank concept was a product of "tied aid," which until recently meant that a country's aid donations had to be sourced from its own farmers. The CFGB actually led the effort to "untie" Canada's food aid. The donated grain is sold for cash, which is used to purchase grain from where it's most economical and appropriate to local circumstances.It could have been the beginning of its demise, as that severed the direct connection between Prairie farmers and the world's hungry. Instead, the CFGB's modern fundraising efforts have served to strengthen local communities on the Canadian Prairies.It is now, in effect, one of the largest farmers in Manitoba. There are 5,500 acres -- the equivalent of four average-sized farms in Manitoba -- devoted to community growing projects every year. Local farmers, businesses and other volunteers donate land, resources and time to produce a crop sold for the bank.Harvest bees typically involve dozens of volunteers and have become a place for farmers and non-farmers alike to interact over some good food served beneath the Prairie sky.From that initial question, the CFGB has grown into a leading voice on food-security issues in Canada. As it hosted a celebration and and a conference on fighting hunger this week, it was a comment in a letter from one of the founder's daughters that set the stage for its future."Thanks for helping us to remember it is always possible to help," she said.Laura Rance is editor of the Manitoba Co-operator. She can be reached at 204-792-4382 or by email: [email protected]. Read more by Laura Rance. | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/2798 | U.S. Department of Agriculture - FY 2000 Testimony The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) appreciates the opportunity to provide written testimony on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2000 budgets for the research and education programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).The ASM is the largest single life science organization in the world with more than 42,000 members who are scientists and administrators working in academic, governmental and industrial institutions worldwide. ASM members are involved in research on problems related to human health, the environment, agriculture and energy. Microbiological research is directly related to food and agriculture in the areas of foodborne diseases, new and emerging plant and animal diseases, soil erosion and soil biology, agricultural biotechnology, and the development of new agricultural products and processes. The mission of ASM is to enhance the science of microbiology to better understand basic life processes and to promote the application of this knowledge for improved health and for economic and environmental well-being.Agricultural research provides one of the best returns on investment of federal dollars. It is often stated that American citizens have access to the safest, most nutritious and affordable food and the highest-quality fiber than anywhere else in the world. Research in agriculture has played a large role in making that statement possible. The agricultural industry, however, continues to face an array of challenges, including the threats of new and emerging diseases, public concern about food safety and the industry's impact on the environment, not to mention an increasing global population. It is critical that research provide assistance in responding to these challenges. Congress provided a measurable increase in funding to agricultural research in FY 1999-the first such increase in years-and we encourage you to build upon that support. The investment into agricultural research not only benefits the agricultural industry but also the health and well-being of every American citizen.As a member of the Coalition on Funding Agricultural Research Missions (CoFARM), a coalition of professional societies and organizations involved in formulating research directions and needs for agricultural research, the ASM supports its funding recommendations for USDA Research, Education and Economics (REE). CoFARM's recommended increases over FY 1999 appropriations for each agency within REE are: 1) a $112 million increase in discretionary funding for the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service; 2) a $58 million increase for the Agricultural Research Service; and 3) a $6 million increase for the Economics Research Service.Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension ServiceThe ASM strongly supports competitive research and believes that the federal government should provide more opportunities for scientists to compete for federal research dollars across all agencies. The National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program (NRI) within the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) supports fundamental research on key agricultural problems including food safety, plant and animal genetics, and water quality. The ASM urges the Subcommittee to support the President's request of $200 million for the NRI. This is a significant increase in funding for the NRI, but it still is far short of the authorized amount of $500 million.The ASM is also pleased to see the President's continued support for the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS). This competitive grants program was created in Section 401 of the Agricultural Research Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998. IFAFS differs from the NRI in that it provides $120 million in fully offset mandatory funding for research and extension projects that are multi-disciplinary and applied in scope and target critical and emerging agriculture issues. ASM urges the Congress to support this critically needed infusion of research money.While ASM is pleased to see the substantial increase for the NRI and the support for IFAFS, we are disappointed in the President's recommendation to significantly cut formula funds. Formula funds provide the foundation for research and extension programs at land-grant universities. It is through formula funds that the land-grant system can respond immediately to unanticipated disasters such as a disease outbreak in plants or animals. Therefore, we support CoFARM's recommendation to increase funding for research formula funds by $13 million (6%) and for extension formula funds by $24 million (8%) over FY 1999 appropriations.Agricultural Research ServiceThe Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the in-house physical and biological science research agency within USDA. The ASM supports CoFARM's recommendation to increase funding for ARS by 7 percent in FY 1999.The threat of new and emerging infectious diseases requires immediate attention. U.S. agriculture is experiencing severe problems caused by new and reemerging infectious diseases in plants and animals. Changes in agricultural practices, population growth, climate, microbial evolution, animal migration, and international trade and travel are all factors in the threat of introducing new plant and animal diseases into the U.S. agriculture system. The lack of knowledge to effectively manage and control new and reemerging infectious disease often leads to serious consequences such as reduced crop yield and unacceptable quality. Billions of dollars are lost through trade embargoes, quarantines, and the destruction of agricultural fields to control the spread of disease. The President's budget requests $8.1 million for ARS to address infectious diseases in plants and animals. The ASM encourages the Congress to provide $30 million to the research of infectious diseases. We believe this amount is still below the level actually needed to enable an adequate response to infectious disease threats against plants, animals, and ultimately, human health.Additional research is needed on emerging diseases in the area of plants made transgenic for resistance to an insect (Bt) and/or resistant to herbicides. Plants have been showing susceptibility to diseases, especially viruses, which may not be in their non-transgenic counterparts. Identifying, managing and understanding the transmission of these diseases are essential to ensuring the viability of agriculture.USDA Food Safety InitiativeWithin the President's budget, there is an increase of $34.8 million for the food safety initiative. The ASM is encouraged to see that the President has recommended an increase of more than $25 million between ARS and CSREES for food safety research and education. Much of this money is targeted toward research to prevent, detect and control microbial pathogens. This research is vital to ensuring the health and well-being of American consumers, and the ASM urges the Congress to match or exceed the President's support for food safety research.USDA's National Food Genome StrategyMicrobes are involved in all aspects of agriculture-from beneficial uses of microbes in food (i.e. yogurt, cheese, bread, beer and wine) to pest controls to the spread of disease in plants and animals and the contamination of the food supply. Studying the genomes of agricultural microbes could lead to the development of new technologies to provide improved foods and better pest control to protect the nation's crops, to reduce the incidence of plant and animal disease, and to ensure a safer food supply. While the USDA plans to use some of the funds from the NRI to study microbes, the ASM recommends that greater federal resources be allocated to study microbial genomes.In addition, the USDA should collaborate with other agencies such as the Department of Energy's microbial genome program which looks into energy-related microbes and does not study human pathogens. This interagency effort will provide a comprehensive study of microbial genomes maximizing efficiency without duplicating scientific effort.USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceThe Animal Care Unit within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is mandated by law to regulate and enforce laboratory animal care. APHIS must be in a position to verify that it has conducted adequate and timely inspections of research facilities involved in animal research to ensure the health of laboratory animals and to allay public concern.Animal Care is currently being challenged to expand their responsibilities for enforcing laboratory animal care for additional species. However, due to current, inadequate levels of funding, the number of field inspectors has declined from 88 in 1991 to 70 by the end of FY1999. Funding for Animal Care has been stagnant since 1991. The ASM urges the Congress to provide $13 million for the FY2000 appropriation for Animal Care. This increase of $3.8 million simply allows Animal Care to increase its field inspectors to 100, which is the essential number of personnel to ensure compliance at more than 10,000 animal facilities. It also allows adequate training of inspectors, follow-up inspections for non-compliance, and upgrading equipment to improve and expedite inspections. 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2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/3108 | Wind biggest factor in high ET rates Written by Gothenburg Times Friday, 29 June 2012 14:24 LINCOLN—Summer has just begun, but some areas across the state already resemble those of late summer.
And the problem isn’t just in Nebraska. All across the Great Plains, drought is starting to take hold just as corn crops are about to come into pollination—a critical time for water.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows the western two-thirds of the state in a moderate drought.
And even though the northeastern quarter of the state is not in a drought, Al Dutcher, state climatologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, said, “If it doesn’t rain, things are going to get ugly.”
So far in eastern Nebraska, based on the indicators used in the Drought Monitor, precipitation has been sufficient enough to keep crops stress at minimum so far.
“If we keep getting precipitation, I don’t expect any deterioration of conditions. However, we are entering a high water use period for corn and subsoil moisture levels are below normal in this region because of our dry fall and spring.”
This means eastern Nebraska could easily be moved from normal to a severe drought in a couple of weeks.
Dutcher said a big problem is high evapotranspiration rates across the state.
ET rates are determined by temperature, wind, relative humidity and solar radiation.
With temperatures above normal, high winds, high solar radiation and low relative humidity earlier this week, the combination makes it hard to keep up with corn’s moisture demands, even with irrigation.
Dutcher said the biggest factor has been the wind.
Wind demands moisture, causing corn plans to start rolling their leaves to conserve moisture.
“A 10-mile-per-hour wind usually can be offset by the corn’s canopy,” Dutcher said. “But anything faster than that increases the airflow through the full canopy and subsequently increases surface evaporation and transpiration. When ET values get above .40 of an inch, it is difficult for corn to physically move that much water through its leaves.
“Everything is working to conspire against vegetation this year and plants are using water quicker than normal.”
He said alfalfa, wheat, pasture grass and even trees that vegetated out in March of this year are a whole month ahead in the growing season and have been using water for an additional month this year.
“We are seeing July type conditions in June pastures,” he said.
Dewey Lienemann, Extension educator in Webster County, said most prairie hay fields in south central Nebraska did not develop sufficiently to allow for a cutting at this time, and those that did cut the hay found a dramatic drop from last year.
In addition, alfalfa fields in dryland conditions provided from half to two-thirds of normal first cuttings and second cuttings were non-existent.
“The alfalfa fields just seem to be sitting there dormant,” he said. “There may be some new growth with the moisture, but without additional moisture with this heat and wind, it will likely be limited.”
Dutcher said in corn, “we have not seen too early of development because it essentially got planted when it was supposed to.” The crop insurance deadline of April 11 made it so many farmers did not start planting until after that date.
“If we would have seen a lot of early planted corn, the situation right now would be much more extreme on the corn crop,” he said.
Dutcher said the part of Nebraska experiencing the worst of the drought is the Panhandle, especially the central Panhandle and Scottsbluff area. In addition, the Sandhills were upgraded to a moderate drought by the U.S. Drought Monitor this week.
As far as the future forecast, after June 22 precipitation chances diminish.
“We are really being dominated by an upper ridge,” Dutcher said. “However, the good news is that a lot of times, we can get some pretty tremendous thunderstorms in this type of scenario as parts of eastern Nebraska did last week when it got 2.5 inches of rain.”
The Climate Prediction Center’s 30-day forecast indicates all of Nebraska should experience above normal temperatures. They also are indicating below normal precipitation for the eastern two-thirds of Nebraska, east/southeastward through central Illinois, Dutcher said.
The highest probability of below normal precipitation has been assigned to the eastern one-third of the state. Even though, western Nebraska has not been assigned a precipitation tendency for July, the U.S. Drought Monitor outlook for the next three months shows little relief. It also indicates areas currently depicted as experiencing normal conditions, will likely experience drought conditions within the next three months.
Dutcher said a big factor in the forecast is what the winds will do.
“The worst case scenario will be 100 degree temperatures and 30-mile-per-hour winds,” he said.
He said this dry weather also means an increased risk of dry lightning strikes, which were responsible for fires in Colorado. He said there already have been some dry lightning strikes in the Panhandle.
“With dry, burnt pastures, those strikes can rapidly build a significant fire,” he said. “It is important to be aware of fire danger, especially as we go into the Fourth of July holiday.”
To stay up-to-date on the latest drought conditions, visit the U.S. Drought Monitor at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/. The latest Drought Monitor is released each week on Thursday. | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/3309 | http://www.michigansthumb.com/news/article/New-research-facility-will-focus-on-technology-7302693.php
New research facility will focus on technology, production, profits
Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, April 1, 2009
RICHVILLE — State Rep. Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) will speak at the opening of the Saginaw Valley Research and Extension Center at 9:30 a.m. on Friday in Richville. The new state-of-the-art facility will focus on using new technology to ramp up production for Michigan's dry bean and sugar beet industries.
"This is a great development for our farmers and workers in the Thumb," Brown said. "The work from this facility will enhance our strong farming legacy and allow our area farmers to provide more Thumb-area products to Michigan and the rest of the country. Increasing the tools available to our farmers will help grow the industry by creating more local jobs and opportunities for economic growth."
The facility is intended to bring together scientists, agri-businesses and growers and producers to work along with Michigan State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers to advance these and other agricultural industries in the region.
The 250-acre facility is located at 9923 Krueger Road near Frankenmuth. The bulk of Michigan's dry bean and beet production is located in the Saginaw Valley and Thumb area, placing the facility near the center of the production region. It replaces the 120-acre Saginaw Valley Bean and Beet Research Farm located south of Saginaw.
Leroy and Virginia Schluckebier have donated their interest in the old facility for Michigan State University to sell, with the proceeds going toward developing the new facility.
"People like Leroy and Virginia Schluckebier serve as an example for everyone on caring for the greater good," said Brown, who will be presenting a special tribute to the Schluckebiers. "Their generosity shows how deeply they care for their community and the agricultural industry, which plays such a key role in everyday life. I take my hat off to them."
The focus of the farm will be to introduce new technologies to increase yields and maximize profits. Work will also focus on developing varieties to improve quality, disease resistance and growth habits, as well as weed control, tillage, fertility, entomology, pathology and plant breeding. | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/3657 | With almonds' rising revenues, land values soar
This Aug. 10, 2010 file photo shows almonds ready for harvest in Hilmar, Calif. In 2011, for the first time ever, the value of the California almond crop surpassed the state's iconic grape industry to move into second place, behind dairy _ making almond producing land one of the highest priced and most sought-after in the region. The demand for almonds is driven largely by the newly-minted money-spending middle classes in China and India. (AP Photo/Al Golub, file)
By GOSIA WOZNIACKA
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Bill Enns, a central California real estate agent specializing in farmland, fields dozens of calls every week from potential buyers. Many want almond, pistachio or walnut orchards -- or any land suitable for growing nut trees. This summer in Merced County, Enns brokered the sale of 1,200 acres of open ground lacking a good source of water. Listed at $12,500 per acre, the land attracted dozens of buyers and sold within a month for a whopping $15,000 per acre. The buyer will plant it with almond trees, a notably water-intensive crop.
"It was one of the highest sales per acre that we've seen for that kind of land," said Enns, vice president of the Farm Lands Department at Pearson Realty. "We've seen some numbers that would just blow your mind." In recent years, farmers in California's Central Valley have seen record-high revenues, buoyed by high demand for fruits, nuts and vegetables in the U.S. and abroad. Investors both foreign and domestic have taken notice, buying up farmland and driving up agricultural land values in a region with some of the highest residential foreclosure rates.
California's almond industry, which grows about 80 percent of the global almond supply and 100 percent of the domestic supply, saw the most dramatic growth -- powered by strong demand from new money-spending middle classes in India and China. The growth has prompted a rush for almond-growing land and pushed almond land values through the roof.
Farmland prices have been mostly rising for the past decade throughout the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But over the past three years, despite the recession, they reached record highs.
"A lot of people thought values in farmland would drop like the values in housing," said Allan Barros, a Fresno-area appraiser. "But the sellers ... sat on their properties and farmland values didn't budge. Everybody gave a sigh of relief."
Then land values went sharply up, Barros said, pushed by rising agricultural revenues. In this region with the highest farm receipts in the nation, prices for most commodities rose dramatically. Revenues for almonds and walnuts increased by 30 percent between 2010 and 2011, and revenues for grapes rose by 20 percent, according to the USDA. California's agricultural exports during that time grew by more than $3 billion.
In 2011, for the first time, the value of California's almond crop surpassed the state's iconic grape industry to move into second place, behind dairy, as the state's top commodity. Almond producers increased their productivity and their orchard sizes, and shipments more than doubled over the past 10 years, according to the California Almond Board. During the 2011-2012 crop year, California farmers brought in $3.9 billion in revenue.
Almonds also became the top export, outpacing dairy and wine, mostly due to increased demand from Asia and a weak dollar, almond producers say. Two-thirds of the almonds produced today are shipped overseas.
Real estate experts say farmers and other investors wanting to cash in on that growth quickly cleared the inventories of available nut land. With little else to buy, they ripped out vineyards and other crops to plant almond orchards. Almonds -- which grow from Red Bluff to Bakersfield -- increased by over 100,000 acres since 2008, to 760,000 total bearing acres today, according to the Almond Board.
Scarcity of available almond land is also pushing some investors to plant trees in areas with a poorer water supply or less appropriate soil. Since nut trees take several years to mature, time will tell whether the risks were worth taking, said Barros, the appraiser.
New investors range from local farmers trying to expand their orchards to international companies seeking high returns on prime almond farmland, experts say. Pension funds, insurance companies and retirement funds also are investing portions of their portfolios into agriculture. Olam International, a Singapore-based commodities supplier, farms 7,000 acres of almonds in California.
Nut land -- almond, pistachio and walnut -- is now the highest valued type in every county throughout the valley, according to the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers' California chapter. In Fresno County, almond land was valued at up to $18,000 per acre in 2012, and pistachio land at up to $25,000 per acre. That's higher than citrus, grape, or tree fruit land --and much higher than the $7,200 average per acre farm real estate value in California last year, according to the USDA.
Putting money in farmland pays off, said Biff Ourso, portfolio manager at the New York-based financial services firm TIAA-CREF, because it can generate an income and appreciate over time. But it also brings much-needed diversification. "Farmland doesn't behave in the same pattern as other traditional asset classes," Ourso said, which means it reduces the risk for investors in case of a market downturn.
Investing in agriculture is attractive in the long term, he said, because of the growing world population, expanding middle classes and the fact that farmland is a finite resource. The company -- which manages about 140,000 acres of farmland in the U.S., including almonds in California -- leases its farm properties to farmers.
Local almond operators say heightened interest from investors spells out a bright outlook.
"There's lots of excitement in the industry," said Jim Crecelius, CEO of Montavista Farming Company based in Hanford.
Crecelius, an almond farmer, also processes the nuts for investors throughout the Valley and markets them in Asia. "We have never been able to completely supply every almond that our customers need," he said. Some worry that the almond investment boom could lead to overproduction and hurt local farmers. "Everybody in the industry is continually asking: are we in a bubble or is this a change of economies?" said Chuck Nichols, who farms over 1,000 acres of almonds and pistachios in Tulare and Kings counties. "We don't know the answer to that." Subscribe to Get Home Delivery for as low as $1.50 per week | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/3756 | Almond Board describes new projects funded by assessment increase Feb 15, 2017 Governor Brown’s never-ending drought emergency Feb 21, 2017 Delayed first irrigation can improve walnut tree health, yield, quality Feb 15, 2017 ABC invests $4.7 million for next gen almond farming, sustainability Feb 16, 2017 Strange bedfellows as EWG updates database
David Bennett 2 | Jun 11, 2010
If they want to get out in front of the debate, farmers should know that not only is jostling over the next farm bill beginning early, so is the building of coalitions that hope to influence the legislation’s direction. Proof of this came during a May Environmental Working Group (EWG) press conference — with representatives of the Center for Rural Affairs and, somewhat oddly, the libertarian Cato Institute in tow — to announce an update of its controversial farm subsidy database. Updated database The EWG database now contains traditional crop subsidy and crop insurance information from 2009. “The upshot is that taxpayers have sent $245 billion in payments to participants in subsidy and crop insurance programs … between 1995 and 2009,” said Craig Cox, head of agricultural programs for EWG. “Of that total, $213 billion is for a combination of commodity subsidies, disaster payments and crop insurance subsidies.” The 2009 data “reaffirm the heavily skewed distribution of payments we’ve come to expect year after year. Over the 15-year period (1995 to 2009), the top 10 percent of recipients got 74 of the subsidies. In 2009 alone, the top 10 percent got 61 percent of the subsidies — about the percentage it’s been at for the last few years.” Heaping praise on the EWG database, Sallie James, policy analyst for the Cato Institute, said she “can’t think of anything in the last decade, or so, that has changed the terms of the debate as much as the information in the (EWG) databases. … It’s fantastic.” James, speaking “from the point of view of a limited government/free market/individual liberty perspective” said that agricultural subsidies “are fiscally irresponsible. That’s certainly always true. But, right now, when the federal government is bleeding red ink, there are simply no excuses for these programs to go unreformed. … There’s been no excuse for a long time.” Farm subsidies “stifle innovation in entrepreneurship and encourage farmers to farm to the program rather than to what the market says is warranted,” continued James. “I can’t think of any program in Washington that makes less sense to me than this one. As a libertarian, there are plenty of them that fit that description.” Despite EWG calling for a shift of subsidy funds to conservation efforts — not doing away with government spending — James said “this is a really good area for EWG and the Cato Institute, which may not seem like natural partners, to come together. Those of us in favor of limited government see this as a great area for reform.” The subsidy database helps “us with those efforts.” James also said the Tea Party might be welcomed into the mix. The vocal movement “sweeping the nation talks about ‘limited government’ and ‘get the government out of my business.’ I would really hope that so-called conservatives and Republican leaders that talk about the need for government to get out of people’s lives would agree that (reaches) to farm programs, as well as other areas.” While the jury “is still out on it as a broader phenomenon” James said it may help reform efforts to tell the Tea Party movement “that ‘smaller government’ means ‘smaller government in all areas, not just areas that don’t affect (you), personally.’” While its representatives didn’t shoot down James’ inclusive leanings during the conference, EWG later released a document skeptical of Tea Party leaders who have accepted agricultural subsidies. Rural revival? Picking up on a theme being pushed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Chuck Hassebrook, executive director of the Center for Rural Affairs, said federal farm policy hasn’t been effective in revitalizing family farming or rural communities. One reason is “essentially, we have a farm program that says ‘the bigger you get without limit, the more money you get from the federal government.’ “As long as that’s true, three other things can be true.” First, said Hassebrook, “the program will do at least as much to help the largest farms bid land away from smaller operations and drive their neighbors out of business as it does to keep family-sized farms on the land.” Second, “the federal government says to big, expansion-oriented farms, ‘every time you add an acre to get more money from the government it virtually guarantees that … farm program benefits get bid into higher land prices.’ At the end of the day, it’s really not farm operators who benefit, but landowners. And, increasingly, the landowners are landlords who benefit in the form of higher cash rents.” Third, “when we spend this much money on such perverse purposes as subsidizing the biggest farms to drive their neighbors out of business, we don’t have the money left to invest in the things that will create a better future in rural America.” Crop Insurance Crop insurance is also an EWG target. “Any small decreases in subsidy payments experienced because of high crop prices have essentially been wiped out by increases in the cost of crop insurance,” said Cox. Those “go up when crop prices rise.” Congress has made crop insurance more attractive to producers in a number of ways. “Mostly, that’s by making it less expensive for producers to participate in comparison to the benefits they may receive.” The government cost is tied to three things, claimed Cox. “First, it’s tied to the crop insurance premium paid by taxpayers instead of the farmer. Second, administrative subsidies go directly to crop insurance companies. Third, whatever share of the ultimate crop losses are the responsibility of the taxpayer rather than the crop insurance company.” All three “are largely tied to the price of the underlying commodity, or commodities, being insured. So, the run-up in crop prices has also contributed to the run-up in the cost of the insurance program.” As currently designed, crop insurance “has many of the same flaws as countercyclical programs. … It needs a very hard look. How much risk are taxpayers picking up? What are the implications of that? What sort of incentives does that create? Is this really a level playing field or is the way these insurance programs are structured inordinately subsidizing a handful of crops? Clearly they do — four major commodity crops account for 80 percent of the crop insurance subsidies.” Safety net Is there any form of agriculture safety net acceptable to EWG? “EWG has argued for years that there is a need for a safety net to tide farmers through bad times that occur through no fault of their own,” said Cox. “We all know that farming is a risky business because of weather and pest problems and the potential for serious crop losses, no matter how good a manager a farmer is. We increasingly know that modern-day markets are much more volatile than they used to be — in large part because we’ve connected the price of commodities to the price of oil through our biofuels policy.” For those reasons, “we think there’s a need for a legitimate risk-management tool that helps farmers through a bad patch. Our current maze of programs couldn’t be farther away from what we see as a legitimate safety net. We want a net that doesn’t favor one crop over another. We want a net that doesn’t favor one type of farming operation — or one scale of operation — over another.” In regards to revenue assurance, “in some ways we’re already there. In the crop insurance program, here were more acres under the revenue assurance option than under the yield option.” “Needless to say,” said James, “I wouldn’t support revenue assurance, either. We’ve seen through finance what happens when you socialize losses but privatize gains. Farming is a risky business, but so is hedge fund ownership — and I don’t support a safety net for them, either.” email: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/4089 | Get updates on important news and legislation from the Agriculture Committee.
follow this committee Roundtable with Sen. Aubertine, Sen. Valesky Gives Farmers a Voice Darrel J. Aubertine
Matthew Critz (far left) of Critz Farms (www.critzfarms.com) discusses with Sen. Aubertine (far right), Assemblyman Magee (center right), and Sen. Valesky (center ) how the Farm Labor Fair Practices Act would hurt his farm, put farm workers out of work, and force many of the workers themselves to move elsewhere.
Event at SUNY Morrisville draws farmers to discuss issues, concerns and share ideas
WATERTOWN (October 15, 2009)—State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today continued his ongoing discussion with farmers, hosting a roundtable discussion with farmers, processors, and academics interested in protecting and growing New York’s agriculture industry.
Assembly Agriculture Chair William Magee and Sen. David J. Valesky of Oneida joined Sen. Aubertine to listen to the farmers and take their interests back to Albany and give farmers a stronger voice in state government and policy. “New York cannot afford to lose another industry. Make no mistake: Agriculture is an industry and it is the foundation of our economy,” Sen. Aubertine said. “Farms create wealth, and do so in the surrounding communities. Yet too often in discussions about revitalizing our economy, agriculture is set aside as though it is something different. Everyone who was here today recognizes that a strong agricultural economy will rebuild the overall economy. That’s why we’re here. These roundtables and the hearing we’ll hold to wrap everything up are intended to make sure that farmers have a voice, a seat at the table.”
“These roundtables are very helpful to us as we put together our agenda and policies for the end of this year and into next year,” said Sen. Valesky, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We held this forum today to listen to the farmers and others in the agriculture industry to get their input. It’s important that we put our farmers and the agriculture industries of New York at the top of our priorities.”
The Senator has been working with New York Farm Bureau statewide to organize these events and make sure that a cross section of farmers from each community is represented. The Senator toured farms in Western New York and Long Island recently and met with farmers to discuss their issues. As the only active farmer in the Legislature, Sen. Aubertine is committed to raising the profile of agriculture as an economic development tool to help rebuild our economy. “I think it’s great to see Albany come to our communities and listen to our concerns first hand, but we just want to be sure that once we’re done talking, we need action,” said Debbie Windecker, a dairy farmer from Herkimer County who is also with the United States Dairy Farmers and Friends. “We’re spiraling out of control in agriculture and our consumers are in jeopardy with what’s going on. We all need to speak out and see what we’re eating and read labels. We need to protect our food integrity and our domestic supply. We lose our food—we lose our country.”
“Just like all of us, the Legislators are trying to figure out how they can help in a pragmatic and quick fashion. This is a very pressing issue and it’s so important to this state,” said Raymond W. Cross, Ph.D., President of Morrisville State College. “If we don’t address our food issues, our labor issues and our import issues, which are all interrelated, so our food is safe, our production is secure and our economy is strengthened, we’re in serious trouble. I appreciate the efforts of Sen. Aubertine, Sen. Valesky and Assemblyman Magee for listening to our issues, and understanding how they can carry them to Albany..”
“I really appreciate the opportunity to talk to Senator Aubertine and have Assemblyman Magee and Senator Valesky here to hear our thoughts from the agricultural sector and see what we see as the problems affecting our way of life,” said Darrell Griff, president of Madison County Farm Bureau. “I thought it was a really good discussion and we covered a lot of different areas, not just dairy issues. We discussed many solutions that in and of themselves, are not the solution, but an avenue to an end.”
These forums will gather input on a variety of issues, including efforts to promote local agriculture and buy local campaigns, the current dairy crisis, and the proposed farm labor bill. Farmers today stressed the need for relief to assist dairy farmers by reducing regulations, eliminating stop and hauling fees, getting the federal government to enforce laws on the books to cover farmer costs, and taking bold steps to battle imports of MPCs and caseinates. Issues raised also included consumer education, country of origin labeling, and food safety concerns relating to imports of products from China and other countries with lower standards for production. Farmers also spoke about the damage the Farm Labor Fair Practices Act would have, driving farms out of business either from the increased costs or a lack of available labor because of the impact the bill would have on workers.
“This is a continuation of the discussions I’ve had with farmers in my home district, through Farm Bureau and across the state,” Sen. Aubertine said. “Not since the Great Depression has the need for economic growth and job creation been greater and we cannot lose sight of the fact that our farms have always been a stable foundation from which to create jobs, but that foundation is eroding. We need to protect and grow our farms and agricultural industries. That the truth is that our farms are where real wealth is created and not one cent of wealth is created on Wall Street. Wealth changes hands there, but it’s not created there. It’s created on our farms.”
As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Aubertine has repeatedly stressed that a sound economic future for New York State must start with agriculture and that economic development efforts cannot overlook the importance of farms to our rural communities. He has sponsored bills intended to increase demand for raw milk and cut costs for farmers, lobbied federal lawmakers to take action on milk prices, promoted agriculture as a means to meeting our energy needs in the future, and worked to both pass legislation and also lift regulations so more local farm products are on kitchen and school cafeteria tables across New York. Following is a list of dates, locations and times for remaining roundtables and the concluding hearing:
· 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., October 20, in Tompkins County at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 615 Willow Ave., Ithaca
· 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., October 21, in Wyoming County at the American Legion, 89 Liberty St., Warsaw
· 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., November 10, in St. Lawrence County at the Waddington Village Hall, 46 Maple St., Waddington
· 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., November 12, in Oswego County at the Granby Community Center, 812 County Route 8, Fulton
· 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., November 17, in Schoharie County at SUNY Cobleskill, Bouke Hall, Ballroom
· 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., November 19, in Jefferson County at Jefferson Community College
Agriculture, Health, Transportation
2009-2010 Session Report of the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources January 10, 2011
RURAL FUTURES: Summer 2010 by the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources October 22, 2010
Aubertine: OBPA Will Get $1.2M for Port Access Road | 农业 |
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HersheyArchives@30-21: Insight into Mr. Hershey: The Wallace Research Collection
August 10th, 2015 in Hershey Gardens, Hershey History, Horticulture, Milton Hershey | No Comments »
Milton Hershey, unlike his contemporary Henry Ford, never wrote a memoir and did not court attention from the public or the press. Hershey was rarely interviewed and as he preferred to communicate via telephone and telegraph rather than through letters or memorandums he leaves little of a paper-trail. So without an extensive written record to document Mr. Hershey’s decisions and motivations what evidence do we, as researchers, use to understand him and his decision-making process?
Fortunately, oral history interviews assist archivists and researchers in filling documentary gaps. Hershey Community Archives has an active oral history program, however for information about Milton Hershey’s personal life and character we often refer to the papers of Paul A.W. Wallace. Wallace was a professor at Lebanon Valley College who was hired to research and write a biography of Mr. Hershey in the 1950s. Although Wallace’s manuscript was never published it and his research files are a rich historical archive.
Paul A. Wallace, ca1954
Wallace, working in the 1950s, was able to interview Mr. Hershey’s contemporaries; his business associates, those he employed, and those who interacted with him in the community. Oral history interviews with Mr. Hershey’s employees reveal he was interested in big picture ideas and did not concern himself with the details of a project.
Hershey’s horticulturist, Harry Erdman, provided a typical example of Mr. Hershey’s decision-making process in his interview with Wallace. In 1935 and 1936, J. Horace McFarland, a nationally known leader in the city beautiful movement who was active in the American Rose Society invited Mr. Hershey to meet with him. McFarland wanted to persuade Mr. Hershey to assist in funding a public rose garden in Washington D.C. The two men made plans to meet when the Pennsylvania State Federation of Garden Clubs would meet in Hershey in April of 1936.
After McFarland and Milton Hershey’s initial meeting, Mr. Hershey attended the Garden Federation dinner meeting as a guest of McFarland who was the keynote speaker. McFarland took the opportunity to publicly ask Milton Hershey for financial support of a National Rose Garden. According to Erdman, he and Mr. Hershey had previously discussed establishing a garden on a piece of land just south of The Hotel Hershey. Milton Hershey’s reply to McFarland’s request was:
Well, we have been planning a Garden of our own; and, before we give that amount of money for the politicians to play with, we better spend some of it at our own place and see what interest people take in it.
Erdman learned all of this the next day when Milton Hershey called him to a meeting at his apartment in High Point. In his interview, Erdman related how quickly Mr. Hershey made the decision to establish the Hershey Rose Garden.
[Please note the audio has not been restored. A transcript of the audio is below.]
The decision was then before 9 o’clock the following morning, after this dinner, I’d stake it out and let him know when I had it staked out and then look it over with him to see if it was too large or wasn’t large enough. Several days later, I had started to plot with stakes what I thought should be the proper size to start with and asked Mr. Hershey to go up and look it over and he immediately agreed it was alright to go ahead with it. The Rose Garden was expanded gradually over the next few years and in early 1941 Milton Hershey was considering how to develop the adjacent land east of the garden. After 20 minutes of heated onsite consultation between Erdman, engineers, real estate developers, and farmers the land was deemed inappropriate for farming or a housing development. Mr. Hershey then turned to Harry Erdman and said “All right, Erdman, Go ahead, make a garden out of it. We’ll make an awful lot of other people happy.”
Erdman asked if Mr. Hershey wanted to see a plan or cost estimates.
I asked him at that time if he wanted an estimate of what the cost was going to be – if he was giving me the entire plot? ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘it’s no good for farming so take it all.’
‘Do you want an estimate of what the cost is going to be?’
‘No, go ahead,’ he said, ‘if it gets too big I’ll stop you, but I haven’t stopped you yet have I?’ I said, ‘no you haven’t.’
This anecdote illustrates how Mr. Hershey developed the goals and relied on others to execute his vision. He was a leader who relied on capable, talented individuals who operated independently of his influence. While he oversaw all of the operations and had ultimate authority, he placed a great deal of faith in others to execute the day-to-day operations. As Erdman explained to Wallace with regard to the initial landscaping of the community:
Question: What about Mr. Hershey’s influence? Did [landscape architect Oglesby] Paul draw up the plans according to Hershey’s specifications or did he just say he wanted everything landscaped, go to it?
Erdman: From my experiences with Mr. Hershey of course this is 25 years later, I doubt very much if Mr. Hershey made any specific plans or gave any specific details. It looked very much as if he told them he wanted nice planting and something of that sort and what he wanted done and it wasn’t specifying any particular names of plants or any particular location. He left that up to the architect to do so.
The oral history interviews in the Paul Wallace Research Collection contain details about Mr. Hershey that would otherwise be unknowable; providing insights into Mr. Hershey’s personality and character. Mr. Hershey chose not to tell his own story, but fortunately others told stories about him.
#HersheyArchives@30
Audio clips courtesy of Milton Hershey School Department of School History.
Welcoming Spring in Hershey: Easter Flower Shows
April 3rd, 2010 in Horticulture, World War II | No Comments »
Hershey’s first conservatory, ca. 1910
Greenhouse at High Point Mansion, ca. 1909-1918
One of the highlights of Hershey’s Easter season were the flower displays presented each spring in conjunction with Easter. First presented in Milton Hershey’s private greenhouse in 1909, the displays grew more elaborate each year and expanded as new conservatories were built.
The conservatories were open year round and were a popular destination in the winter months. The Hershey Press provided detailed reports of the flora displayed in the greenhouses. During the colder months the greenhouses were filled with the many palms, rubber trees, ferns and that were placed throughout Hershey during the warm months. In addition the greenhouses were used to propagate bedding plants such as coleus, geraniums, and begonias that would be planted throughout the community in its many flower beds.
The Easter displays quickly became an annual tradition in Hershey. The event, initially held on Easter afternoon and later expanding the the entire week before Easter, drew thousands of people to see elaborate displays of blooming Spring blooms and other flowers.
The fifth annual Easter Flower Show was held in 1913, the town’s 10th anniversary. Both conservatories were opened for visitors on Easter Day from noon to 6 p.m. The flower variety was impressive, including Chinese baby primroses, California poppies, red aftrican daisies, lilies and cyclamens as well as hundreds of tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils. In addition the the elaborate floral exhibits, guests were treated to the fun of seeing tropical birds, fish and even the zoo’s alligators who were housed in one of the conservatories.
Hershey Zoo conservatory (now part of ZooAmerica Desert animal exhibit), ca. 1916 The show was enlarged in 1914 with the addition of a new conservatory located in the Hershey Zoo. The lower level of this conservatory served as winter quarters for several zoo animals.
In 1917 the show was further expanded when the old laundry (future Zoo entrance building) was repurposed as a Horticultural Hall.
Hershey Greenhouse, ca.1931-1940
The show was discontinued in 1918 and it was not reestablished for several years. In 1930 Hershey constructed a new expansive greenhouse. With the new structure, Hershey was inspired to reestablish the Easter Show tradition. It is uncertain when it was restarted. The first reference to the revived Easter Flower show appears in a 1935 issue of the Hotel Hershey Highlights. The article also mentioned the success of the 1934 show. The Flower Shows continued throughout the 1930s. The last show was held in 1942 and was discontinued the following year because of wartime restrictions.
Easter Flower Show, Hershey Greenhouse, ca.1931-1942
Recent Postings Hershey Area Art Association: A Splash of Color in Hershey
Hershey Improvement Company: Build or Buy a Home in Hershey
Cultivated for Pleasure: History of Hershey Conservatories
Hidden collections: Hershey Senior Citizens Writing Project
Accession 200608: Snavely Family Papers
Creating a Legacy: Milton S. Hershey’s trust fund for Derry Township public schools
HersheyArchives@30-31: West Hershey
HersheyArchives@30-30: Hershey Chocolate-the Great American Chocolate Bar
HersheyArchives@30-29: What’s New?
HersheyArchives@30-28: The Wonderful World of Chocolate: Hershey’s Chocolate World
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2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/5614 | Local Meat for Foodies
By Pamela Hunt-Cloyd,
It all started last year, when I tried and failed to find a local turkey for Thanksgiving. I defined “local” as raised and processed entirely in San Diego County. This year, I decided to find local meat. I was up for anything: steer, chicken, lamb, turkey. Even buffalo would do.
It would be an understatement to say I had a tough time. Several local butchers told me that local meat didn’t exist because there were no United States Department of Agriculture approved and certified slaughter facilities in San Diego County. Chefs told me they used local beef and poultry and then explained that “local” meant from Brandt Beef, which is raised in the Imperial Valley, or Niman Ranch, which is headquartered in Alameda and buys from ranches all over the country, including Northern California. Vegetable farmers told me they hadn’t heard of anyone raising animals for eating. It seemed impossible. And that’s what I reported in the Reader’s October 7 “Restaurant Issue 2010.” I wrote that local meat didn’t exist in San Diego County. “It’s a shame,” Jay Porter wrote on his blog, the Farm and the City, after reading my article, “because there might be people in San Diego who are thinking about looking into eating better food or local food, who then read some phoned-in nonsense and erroneously decide there’s no point in even asking for good food.” Porter is the founder of the Linkery restaurant in North Park and generally known as the go-to local-food guy. When I contacted him, Porter told me that he serves local, sustainably grown food because it tastes better. “It’s a richer experience. It’s healthier, and it helps make our community stronger socially and economically.”
Curtis Womach, who began raising chickens commercially after taking a ranching course in Colorado from Holistic Management International, laughed when I told him I was looking for local meat. “Did you write the article Jay talked about on his blog?” he asked, and then laughed again. “You know, it is kind of impossible to find local meat. I only know of one other person doing this.” When I ask him why so few farmers are raising poultry in San Diego, Womach says, “I don’t know why San Diego is behind the rest of the country.” Then he adds how hard the business is. “I have had problems with [chicken] health and with predators. And just the daily efforts of raising them. I sell at the Hillcrest farmers’ market, and feeding is every day. There is never any rest.” Womach has about 1500 chickens that he raises on 12 acres of pasture in Boulevard. Unlike free-range chickens — which may never see the outside of a barn or a pen despite technically having “access” to the outdoors — pasture-raised chickens can roam in a grassy area all day. “When they are out to pasture, the chickens can take dust baths and they eat leaves and bugs and grass,” says Womach. “They have a more varied diet than most other commercial chickens. They have room to run around.” Tamara Hartsten and Carl Hempel of Descanso Valley Ranch are the “other” San Diego poultry farmers Curtis told me about. “Our son got Carl the book Omnivore’s Dilemma [by Michael Pollan], and it had a huge impact on Carl,” Hartsten says when I ask her how they got involved in growing pasture-raised chickens. “After reading the book, Carl said, ‘I want to be a rancher.’” Hartsten adds that Hempel is an artist and understood the concept of bringing his wares to market. They sell their Label Rouge chickens at the Little Italy and Rancho Santa Fe farmers’ markets. “I don’t know why more people aren’t doing this. It’s strange.” Hartsten tells me she can barely keep up with the demand. “But it’s a good time for us to be in the business.” Poultry growers with fewer than 20,000 birds who only sell their poultry within California to restaurants, household consumers, hotels, and boarding houses can qualify for an exemption from bird-by-bird federal and state inspection during slaughter and processing. Although these farmers are not exempt from the Poultry Products Inspection Act and from meeting Food Safety and Inspection Service and United States Department of Agriculture regulations, they do not need to take their birds to a USDA-certified slaughterhouse to be processed.
The situation is very different for the beef industry, which is more closely monitored. The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates the production and sale of all meat in this country, and to sell beef in California, the animal must have been slaughtered in a USDA certified and approved facility. Most agree that the biggest hurdle to raising beef in San Diego is the absence of such facilities for the small producer. Zero facilities exist in San Diego County. “Processors are few and far between, which makes it difficult for smaller ranchers and farmers,” says Dena Leibman of Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, a nonprofit organization funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Pete Kennedy, a lawyer for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, explains, “Some of the USDA slaughterhouses only take the meat from big operations. It’s not worth their while to service the local producers. And if you do find a USDA house, it’s often two to three hours away and you stress the animal. From what I’ve heard, that affects the meat. Also, there are many reports of producers getting meat back from the slaughterhouse that isn’t from their animal.” Nathan Rakov, who owns Happy Tummy Farm, raises cage-free Cornish cross chickens that have access to pasture on his 50-acre farm in Alpine. Currently, he has about 600 chickens, and he is ramping up to sell about 500 chickens a month, many to local restaurants such as A.R. Valentien in the Torrey Pines area and Stingaree in downtown San Diego. He also has about 15 pigs on his farm, but he is unable to sell his pork locally because there is no local USDA certified and approved slaughterhouse nearby. To sell his pigs currently, he has to sell the live animal to an individual and then arrange for a custom slaughterhouse to kill the pig and process the meat. The problem with this is that it is difficult for a single person or family to use all of the cuts of pork available. Restaurants can more easily use the entire animal for a variety of dishes, but because of the current USDA regulations, Rakov cannot legally sell the pork he slaughters to them. Continued on the next page >
More stories by Pamela Hunt-Cloyd
Rimel’s Rotisserie — May 19, 2015
Live Butchers — Live! — Nov. 5, 2008
Mystery meat — Dec. 4, 2003
Cattle to Stomach — March 18, 1999
Visduh
Nov. 20, 2010 @ 9:11 a.m.
Up into the early 90's there was a local, USDA inspected slaughterhouse. It was Talone's in Escondido. The place was still there, last time I looked. But in recent years I read reports that it was a custom slaughterhouse for those who brought their own animals in, such as goats and sheep. Back when it was processing cattle on a daily basis, it sold beef from a retail sales room. I don't know just what sort of beef it sold then, but I suspected much of it was dairy cow beef that came from local dairies such as Hollandia and a number of others in the San Luis Rey valley. (They are nearly all gone now.) If so, that sure wasn't restaurant quality beef, nor any sort of gourmet fare. It is very odd that in a county with a population of over 3 million, there isn't a single slaughterhouse remaining.
Nov. 20, 2010 @ 10:27 a.m.
Same thing happened where I grew up east of Los Angeles. The once-plentiful dairies are gone, the land is worth too much anymore. Sad testament to changing times. And without dairies, I reckon there's no need for slaughterhouses.
Nov. 20, 2010 @ 1:44 p.m.
Big agriculture works very hard to put the little guys out of business. One of the reasons I do not eat meat is the manner in which the animals are treated prior, during, and after the horrific process of raising them for consumption. The small slaughterhouses cater to the small farmers who humanely raise their animals and these places provide a far less traumatic slaughter. A few books, The Omnivore's Dilemma and Fast Food Nation come to mind, provide the back story as to why and how the USDA manipulates our food to the point of being criminal and why they want to eliminate small slaughterhouses. I would suggest to anyone who cares about their food and how it gets to their plate to read these books. You will be horrified. But most people in America do not give a sh*t about anything other than getting more food for less money.
WalMart's big selling point is that they sell food for less than just about any other grocer, butcher or dairy. If you love agribusiness and Chinese made artifacts, you'll welcome WalMart into your city. Hmmm. San Diego just made it hard for Walmart to open its supercenters that sell food. Any disconnect here?
I find that many things are cheaper at Walmart, but not all. For some reason dog food is always 10% less at my local Stater Bros. Always.
And someone made the comment about the bakery-Walmart has AWFUL bakery/bread products. They must use low quality ingredients. I also find their dairy products higher than the local grocey, but at least the dairy is the same manufacturer, so the qaulity is the same/consistant.
DO NOT buy bread/cake/any baked goods at Walmart from their bakery..........
No, I buy the 40# Pedigree small chuncks dry food, which I usually mix with regular rice that I cook. I then add in chicken broth on top to mix everything and that is their basic chow menu.
Have either of you seen the "make it yourself" dog food videos that use a meat grinder?
Nov. 22, 2010 @ 12:14 p.m.
No, I do know a person who does make her dog his own food, using raw foods. But I have never seen a DIY video on dog food.
Joe Poutous
Dec. 3, 2010 @ 9:29 a.m.
"And Homegrown Meats just introduced grass-fed beef hot dogs."
I want to try those dogs!
RCCP81
Dec. 10, 2010 @ 2:47 p.m.
According to Iowa Meats Farm/Siesel's anyone who wants to find local meat is not a REAL foodie. I get their Newsletter and the December Newsletter and attacked this article and anyone who doesn't want animals to suffer or want to help their community and the environment by buying locally. Here is what they said:
In the November 18th issue of the “Reader”, there was a lengthy article called “Local Moo, Local Cluck For
Foodies”. The author attempts to explain why “local” meat products aren’t available here in San Diego.
Although she does a fair job of doing that, it’s apparent that neither she, nor the people she interviews, have a true
understanding of what it takes to produce the kind of meats we want in the center of our table. What they say sounds
good, but it ignores reality.
When talking about beef, they equate “local” and “grassfed” with “good”. They ignore the four elements for tender,
flavorful beef. They are youth, inactivity, proper feed, and proper aging. It’s all rational, logical, and posted on our website
for the world to see!
We have seen this lack of true understanding in articles, blogs, and posted comments on review websites. It
prompted us to coin a new phrase: “FAUX (as in phony) FOODIES”. By definition, these are people who learn the
terms, but don’t know what they mean! They are the “culinarily correct”. They don’t appreciate food, they talk about it!
This is why we really, really appreciate all of you. You, like us, are the true foodies. Your knowledge and understanding
are what make this whole thing work. You keep us on our toes and always make us strive to do things better
and better. | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/5781 | UPM Raflatac partners with WWF South Africa to support sustainable wine production and conservation in the Cape winelands
Page Content(UPM Raflatac, Tampere, April 30, 2015 at 15:00 EET) - UPM Raflatac has joined forces with WWF South Africa to support conservation work within the South African wine industry. The main aim of the project partnership is to promote sustainability in the wine industry supply chain - from farm production to packaging - with the overall outcome of supporting responsible environmental production and long-term conservation of the unique Cape Floral Kingdom. This outstanding plant kingdom - commonly referred to as fynbos (Afrikaans for fine bush) - is a globally recognised biodiversity hotspot and a World Heritage Site. The Cape Floral Kingdom is found nowhere else on Earth and yet is under increasing environmental pressure from urban and agricultural expansion and poor land management practices. Since nearly 95% of South Africa's wine production occurs in the Cape Floral Kingdom, this small but richly biodiverse area has been put under serious strain in the Cape winelands with the remaining natural areas fragmented and poorly managed. Over the past ten years, good production practices and conservation has been achieved by encouraging wine producers to set aside conservation worthy areas of their land that are home to endangered natural habitats and vegetation. These well-managed natural areas then create corridors between farms in order to allow pathways for wildlife, such as the elusive Cape leopard, and unique indigenous vegetation to flourish. WWF-SA's work with the wine sector is also committed to promoting environmentally responsible agricultural practices. Partnering with industry, WWF works to minimise wine producers' on-farm environmental impact and improve effective management of natural areas including land restoration, protection of freshwater resources, control of invasive plants species and effective fire management. This ten year journey has already seen more than a third of the South African wine industry commit to conservation, better production practices and industry-wide regulation of responsible production and environmental certification. Looking forward, WWF is now working to maximise conservation best practice through an exclusive Champions in Conservation programme which is available to all producers interested in leading and pursuing best practice. It also supports industry-wide environmental certification to maintain the assurance of good production practices and a philosophy of continual improvement towards WWF's Champions in Conservation category. Says Inge Kotze, WWF-SA Sustainable Agriculture Programme Manager, " WWF is proud to work alongside UPM Raflatac in maintaining the strong awareness of environmental sustainability that is well established in the sector, and continuing to lead best practice around the importance of environmental sustainability along the full wine supply chain, from growing to harvesting, labelling to packaging." WWF supports UPM Raflatac's leadership role in demonstrating best practice in the wine industry supply chain through their environmentally-friendly packaging offering and will join UPM Raflatac in promoting FSC certified products as responsible choices for use in the packaging, labelling and printing of wine industry products. "UPM Raflatac has been developing initiatives to reduce its impact on the environment for many years and we're very excited to be involved where we can to promote environmental good practice within the wine industry. Through this initiative we can support the wine sector to work in harmony with the environment, whilst enhancing their long-term business viability. In addition, the long-term conservation and preservation of this globally unique region of the world will be assured, this ensuring the wine industry's contribution to our natural heritage continues for generations to come," says Lee Unsworth, General Manager, UPM Raflatac South Africa. For further information, please contact: Lee Unsworth, General Manager, UPM Raflatac South Africa, tel. +27 31 710 1750 Inge Kotze, WWF Senior Manager: Sustainable Agriculture, tel. +27 21 657 6600 This press release will be available in other languages on our website at www.upmraflatac.com UPM Raflatac is one of the world's leading producers of self-adhesive label materials. We supply high-quality paper and film label stock for consumer product and industrial labelling through a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. We employ around 2,800 people and made sales of EUR 1.2 billion (USD 1.5 billion) in 2014. UPM Raflatac is part of UPM - The Biofore Company. Find out more at www.upmraflatac.com . UPM and WWF have a long history of co-operation. The two organisations work together in a number of both national and international projects to promote the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources. WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. UPM Through the renewing of the bio and forest industries, UPM is building a sustainable future across six business areas: UPM Biorefining, UPM Energy, UPM Raflatac, UPM Paper Asia, UPM Paper Europe and North America and UPM Plywood. Our products are made of renewable raw materials and are recyclable. We serve our customers worldwide. The group employs around 20,000 people and its annual sales are approximately EUR 10 billion. UPM shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. UPM - The Biofore Company - www.upm.com PublishingPageContent 2 | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/6787 | Lt. Gov. Spends the Day With Bees Print Email Details Published: 05 June 2011 Thursday, Lt. Governor Phil Scott worked another shift on his "Vermont Everyday Jobs" tour alongside some rather intimidating co-workers: tens of thousands of bees.
Scott worked with Michael Palmer of French Hill Apiary in St. Albans, who's been in the bee-raising business for more than 35 years. Palmer trained the "new-bee" Lt. Governor on safe bee handling techniques, and showed him how to make up mating nucleus colonies, or "mating nucs," which help to start new hives. In this process, part of each hive is split off into a smaller box without their queen, and a new queen cell is introduced the following day. When the queen hatches, she flies off and mates, and returns to the nucleus hive to lay thousands of eggs. Palmer's thriving business is focused primarily on raising bee stock for other Vermont and New England beekeepers. In the past, most would purchase bees raised in southern states, but those colonies would often not survive the winter. So in recent years, more and more beekeepers are looking to purchase local stock that's well-suited to the area's climate.
"The best way to guarantee quality bees is to raise your own," Palmer said. "In our business, buying locally carries a huge advantage."
Lt. Governor Scott was amazed at how methodical the job was - from patiently scanning a wooden frame, teeming with worker bees, to spot the queen in the bunch; to keeping careful track of which boxes had already been sorted and which ones still had their queens.
"It's an involved process, and one I knew very little about," Scott said, "so it was really interesting to be a part of it. I'm not sure I could go to work every day expecting to get stung, though. I only got stung a few times, and it's not that bad, but with your hands right in the hives, you're always expecting it."
Palmer appreciated the opportunity to talk with the Lt. Governor about what's needed at the state level to support Vermont agriculture and the Vermont brand. They also discussed some of the challenges faced by beekeepers in particular - from marketing honey through local retailers, to inspections, to protecting their stock from diseases and predators.
"It's great when a business owner has the chance to show someone like the Lt. Governor what we do every day, instead of having to make that connection while you're testifying before a legislative committee, and trying to educate people at the same time," Palmer said. "I appreciated Phil taking the time to get to know our business."
About Lt. Gov. Phil Scott's "Vermont Everyday Jobs" Initiative
Lt. Governor Phil Scott started his "Vermont Everyday Jobs" initiative to promote Vermont businesses and highlight the hard work that Vermonters do every day in all areas of our economy. By finding out firsthand, and in a hands-on manner, what it takes to make Vermont businesses work, the Lt. Governor will gain a better understanding of what state government can do to help those businesses work better. The tour will also help to facilitate relationships and ongoing dialogue between Vermont business leaders and their representatives in state government.
In previous "Vermont Everyday Jobs," Lt. Governor Scott has worked with violin-maker Doug Cox in Brattleboro, taught second grade at Union Memorial School in Colchester, built a solar tracker at AllEarth Renewables, checked lift tickets at Stowe Mountain Resort, worked in the Emergency Department at Porter Hospital, worked with a Green Mountain Power line team, and changed oil at Vermont Quicklube. New on the Site | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/7527 | GE crop research funding; World Malaria Day; Bayer explosion; Atrazine; and more...
Apr 22, 2009 -- Andrew Olsen
Home › PAN Updates
PANUPS
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A Weekly News Update on Pesticides, Health and Alternatives
See PANUPS archive for complete information.
Alert - Tell Congress: Get GE research out of foreign aid
Experts brief Congress on safe malaria solutions
Bayer's 2008 West Virginia explosion 'could have eclipsed Bhopal'
US adds carbamates to list of pesticides that endanger salmon
Atrazine lawsuit goes public
Endosulfan spill in Uruguay kills cattle
A new bill before the U.S. Senate stands to completely overhaul the way the U.S. offers food aid and agricultural development assistance to the developing world. The Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act (Senate bill 384) aims to reform aid programs to include a stronger focus on long-term agricultural development, and restructure aid agencies to better respond to crises. The Lugar-Casey bill also mandates funding for genetically modified crop research as a major component of its food security strategy. “However laudable the intentions of the bill," Dr. Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, Pesticide Action Network Senior Scientist, notes, "its GMO provision is more likely to boost profits for US biotech companies, while doing nothing to reduce the hunger, poverty and vulnerability of small farmers around the world.” Food First argues that this bill is part of a coordinated roll-out of the “new Green Revolution”—a project driven largely by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). AGRA is one of the Gates Foundation's multi-billion-dollar flagship grantees known for its aggressive promotion of GMOs. In response to Gates and AGRA, African farmers are mobilizing to reject GMOs; their views are presented in The Oakland Institute’s Voices From Africa. The science backing civil society concerns continues to grow: in addition to a series of recent landmark UN reports concluding that agroecological farming practices are better equipped to feed the world than industrial farming and GMO technologies, a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists documents the failure of genetic engineering to increase U.S. crop yields. Meanwhile, in his G8 speech in Italy
over the weekend, U.S. Ag Secretary Vilsack persisted in calling for more biotechnology to feed the world.
shareMORE - Act now to strip the GMO provision from the Global Food Security Act | Digg This
In an April 22 Capitol Hill briefing marking World Malaria Day (April 25th), experts called for increased U.S. support for safe and sustainable malaria control solutions in Africa and around the world. The briefing, co-sponsored by Senator Edward Kennedy, the American Public Health Association, Pesticide Action Network North America and other organizations, highlighted malaria control programs that are winning the battle against the deadly disease in Africa and Latin America. “Safer strategies that don't involve spraying the inside of people’s homes with pesticides exist, and are already being used in communities throughout Africa to combat this terrible disease,” said John Githure, Head of the Human Health Division at the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology in Kenya. Dr. Githure, who traveled to Washington for the briefing, presented examples of successful community-based approaches including larval control, use of bednets, environmental management and other integrated vector management techniques. Also presented at the briefing was a declaration produced by a gathering of researchers and NGO experts from eleven African countries in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania earlier this month. The African experts expressed “serious concern” about the growing use of DDT for malaria control in Africa, despite a specific mandate from the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants to reduce reliance on DDT and work toward its ultimate elimination. They outlined steps African governments must take to meet this goal, and how the global community can help. As a persistent pesticide, DDT is targeted for a global ban by the 163 governments that have ratified the Stockholm Convention because it is toxic, accumulates in the bodies of humans and other animals, and lasts for decades in the environment (see PAN Germany's new report:
DDT and the Stockholm Convention - PDF). The treaty allows short-term use of DDT for malaria control, and urges the international community to help countries battling malaria quickly find and adopt safer alternatives.
shareMORE - Act now: Tell the U.S. to support safe malaria solutions | Digg This
In August 2008, an explosion killed two workers and injured eight other people at the sister plant to the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal. The Institute, West Virginia plant, now owned by Bayer CropScience, manufactures methomyl to produce the carcinogenic insecticide thiodicarb (Larvin). The explosion occurred close to a tank that held up to 40,000 pounds of methyl isocyanate (MIC), the same gas that leaked in Bhopal. Local citizens have been fighting for public disclosure about the explosion and the potential threat to their community. At an April 21 hearing, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce heard a staff report suggesting that, if the 5,000 pound chemical vessel the explosion threw into the air had landed on the MIC tank, "'the consequences…could have eclipsed the 1984 disaster in India,'" according to The Charleston Gazette. "Evidence obtained by the committee demonstrates that Bayer engaged in a campaign of secrecy by withholding critical information from local, county and state emergency responders; by restricting the use of information provided to federal investigators; by undermining news outlets and citizen groups concerned about the dangers posed by Bayer's activities; and by providing inaccurate and misleading information to the public," the report also says. "'I think it’s finally time to ask whether it makes sense to allow Bayer to continue producing and storing such massive amounts of this highly toxic chemical," Congress member Henry Waxman said. On April 23, the Chemical Security Board will be holding a public meeting in Institute about the incident. The Gazette recovered documents showing that Bayer had been worried that such a meeting would generate bad press for the company, and used obscure maritime laws in the name of “public
security” to postpone the meeting from it’s original date months ago. "'Our goal with People Concerned About MIC [a local group] should be to marginalize them,'" wrote a Bayer public relations consultant: "'Take a similar approach to The Charleston Gazette.'"
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For the second time in six months, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has responded to lawsuits brought in 2001 by Earthjustice, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations and Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) calling for mitigation to salmon poisoning from 38 pesticides. In an April 20 announcement, NMFS added three carbamate pesticides -- carbaryl, carbofuran and methomyl -- to a list that already includes three organophosphorus pesticides -- malathion, diazinon and chlorpyrifos. Carbamates "can kill fish outright in certain concentrations and impair the ability of fish to smell, swim, avoid predators and grow," the Associated Press reports. "But the biggest effect is the harm to aquatic insects that salmon rely on for food, said Angela Somma, who heads the service's endangered species division." The agricultural pesticides are threatening the survival of 22 species of endangered Pacific salmon and steelhead, and appear to cause damage as well form synergistic effects with other chemicals. "'Overall, we think this is a huge step forward in ensuring that salmon and steelhead are protected from these poisons,' said Joshua Osborne-Klein, an attorney with Earthjustice....But 'we don't think it goes quite far enough.'" While NMFA recommends spray buffer zones of 600 to 1,000 feet for aerial spraying around salmon waters, "the agency didn't call for 20-foot vegetative strips near streams, which help filter out the pesticides as they near the water. 'That's the only thing we have to catch the pollutants from moving into our waters,'" said Aimee Code of NCAP. The vegetative buffer was recommended in November when findings on the three organophosphates were
issued. The U.S. EPA has a year to implement the recommendations; 31 more pesticides are under review as a result of the 2001 litigation.
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On April 21, Steve Tillery of the St. Louis, Missouri law firm of Korein Tillery, announced (PDF) that "the threat of the herbicide atrazine to our environment and the health of every citizen of America.... 'is much bigger than a case in a court of law. This issue belongs in the court of Public Opinion; the people deserve and have a right to demand clean and uncontaminated water.'" In August 2004, Korein Tillery filed a complaint against six manufacturers of atrazine on behalf of Holiday Shores Sanitary District (west of Edwardsville, Illinois). The grounds were that the weedkiller "is harmful to humans as consumed through dietary water...at a level of less than three parts per billion." "It is important to note," Tillery says, that the Maximum Contaminant Level goals for atrazine have "been set at 3 parts per billion (ppb) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who believes that this level of protection does not cause health risks to public water systems." The defendants, led by Swiss agrichemical giant Syngenta which manufactures some 90 percent of atrazine worldwide, moved to dismiss the case, "in part because Plaintiffs sought damages for water contamination falling below EPA contamination guidelines." In July 2008, the Illinois Circuit Court denied the companies' motions and ruled the plaintiffs could proceed. The cases are currently pending in the Third Judicial Circuit of Illinois. In announcing the public campaign, Tillery added: "'We’re calling on the manufacturers of atrazine to protect the public and clean-up their mess.'” A 2007 article in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health challenged claims of 6% yield increases from the use of atrazine and cites findings of "only a 1% yield effect." Despite this evidence, says
Kathryn Gilje, Executive Director of Pesticide Action Network North America, "Syngenta has been very aggressive about keeping this chemical on the market in the U.S., even as the European Union, including Syngenta's home country, effectively banned its use due to ubiquitous and unpreventable water contamination."
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On April 9, 2009 in Guichon, Uruguay, a crop duster experienced mechanical problems and spilled an unknown quantity of endosulfan onto a pasture where cattle were grazing. According to La Republica, by the next day already more than 50 cattle were dead after ingesting contaminated grass. Hundreds of fish, birds, and reptiles have also died, and residents are afraid that the reservoir that provides drinking water to the town may also be contaminated. "This is just the latest in a long series of tragedies that this pesticide has caused around the world. Fortunately, momentum is growing for a global ban, so that incidents like this will soon be a thing of the past," said Karl Tupper, a scientist with Pesticide Action Network North America. Endosulfan is now banned in 60 countries, including the E.U. and neighboring Colombia, and has been nominated for listing under the Stockholm Convention as a persistent organic pollutant that would be banned globally. The pesticide is still used in the U.S where the Environmental Protection Agency is currently reevaluating its registration.
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2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/7624 | History of Saskatoon berriesBack in the Day…Historically, the Saskatoon was a popular and widely used plant among many North American Indian tribes. The berries were a staple food, often the only kind of fruit available, and many Indian tribes held ceremonies and feasts to celebrate the beginning of the Saskatoon harvest.Every part of the Saskatoon bush was put to good use!The berry was eaten fresh or prepared in a variety of ways – steamed and mashed, made into cakes and dried into a brick-like consistency where pieces could be chopped off as needed and added to soups, stews or boiled to reconstitute them.Young shredded shoots, mashed dried berries and dry leaves were used to make tea and dried Saskatoon Berries were a common item of trade.Several parts of the shrub, including the roots, bark, stems, twigs and even the berries, were used medicinally to help treat many different ailments.The wood of the Saskatoon bush was perfect for making arrows and other tools, basket frames and crosspieces for canoes.Saskatoon berries were also popular with the European explorers and settlersOften the only fruit available to early prairie settlers, Saskatoon Berries were an important food source to victims of drought and depression in the 1930's.The green fruit were crushed and used to treat diarrhea and juice from the ripe berries was used as a laxative and to treat stomachache.European settlers used the wood to make umbrella handles and fish poles.The first commercial Saskatoon orchards were established in the early 1970's, and though it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of the total acreage of Saskatoons planted to date, it is known that a large portion of the orchards are U-pick operations for customers seeking berries for personal use. Back to Top | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/7806 | Desertification a threat to Africa’s development
Submitted by web.ar on 2 October 2012 Exclusive interview with Luc Gnacadja, head of UN desertification conventionAuthor: Africa Renewal
“The good news is at the grassroots level,” says Luc Gnacadja.Photograph: UN Photo / Evan Schneider
Arable land is vital for Africa, both as a key asset for farmers and, together with vegetation, to help store carbon that would otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that by 2030 Africa will lose two-thirds of its arable land if the march of desertification — the spread of arid, desert-like areas of land — is not stopped. As global leaders met in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to hammer out fresh commitments on green growth, desertification was recognized as a threat to sustainable development. Two decades ago, the first “Earth Summit” in Rio gave birth to three conventions, including the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Luc Gnacadja, the executive secretary of the UNCCD, gave this exclusive interview to Africa Renewal’s Busani Bafana on the sidelines of the Rio+20 Summit.
20 years on, has the world delivered on the UNCCD?
Yes and no. Yes, because when you look at the convention there are a number of requirements and commitments. Developing country commitments were to establish action programmes to address desertification, avoiding and restoring degraded lands and mainstreaming this into national poverty alleviation and development. Developed country parties were to provide financial support and technology transfer for certain country parties to implement those national programmes. Most of the developing country parties affected by desertification have established their national action plan, so that aspect of the commitment has been made. But the failure is that plans will not go to the fields and roll back desertification, it takes implementation. Unfortunately developing countries in Africa, for instance, have not succeeded in reflecting desertification in their plans for poverty eradiation, food security or development.
Because the issue of desertification is in ivory towers in the ministries in charge of it. Desertification is more than planting trees. Desertification is first and foremost avoiding the misuse of the land, such as inappropriate use of fertilizer, the use of some crops that are not appropriate for the land, or the type of tillage that denudes [land].
In the last decade the least developed countries have experienced an average of 5 per cent GDP growth. However, this growth has not alleviated poverty or generated food security because it has not been generated using land that is often the sole asset of the poor. To deliver on poverty alleviation, we must ensure that we help the poor use the asset — land — sustainably. Africa has the potential to become a global engine for sustainable development.
Is there political will to roll out sustainable land practices?
You know, the will should be measured, especially political will. I measure political will by government investment in setting their commitments into motion, and in that regard there is a lot more governments can do. Think about the Maputo declaration to invest 10 per cent of budgets into agriculture, but [only] a few of the countries have met that. When you consider that Africa is the continent suffering the most from food insecurity, you wonder how the priorities are set. Political will calls for African governments to check their medium-term investment plans. I wish to see more coordinated investment that will address adaptation to climate change while at the same time maintaining and preserving biodiversity.
Commitment is good, but where is the action?
Governments may have had an excuse that 20 years ago they did not yet know how to monitor and measure desertification. But now they know because the science is there. Scientists have put on the table 11 indicators that not only assess the status of the land, but assess trends in the improvement in land degradation and these are globally accepted.
According to the FAO, 25 per cent of global land is highly degraded and there is only 10 per cent of land being improved. To feed 7 billion people today and 9 billion tomorrow, we need to meet 50 per cent demand of food, 45 per cent demand of energy and 35 per cent demand of water. If you take only the demand for food, we need additional farmland the size of South Africa, 120 million hectares. Where are we going to find them? That is why we need to come out of Rio+20 not with business as usual, but with a decision for business as unusual.
The good news is at the grassroots level. There are amazing success stories. We ought to reflect these success stories into our policies and institutions to enhance and measure them. Tanzania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have provided some success stories. Malawi, a country perceived to be unable to feed itself, broke new ground.
Are you hopeful that in the next 20 years we will have changed course?
I am someone who believes that where there is no hope, life is not worth living. We must craft the hope that we want to live for. That is why we came to Rio. Let us not commit to lip service but to something we can monitor. We cannot wait for Rio+40 for results. We need that clear mandate to monitor land degradation and we hope this will be decided on at Rio+20.
Topics: environmentclimate changedesertificationAfricaRio+20View the discussion thread.
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2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/9105 | Food Stamps and The Cuts That The Agriculture Committees Must Make
You are hereHome / RESEARCH / Food Stamps and The... Food Stamps and The Cuts That The Agriculture Committees Must Make
by Dottie Rosenbaum
Some agricultural commodity groups have suggested that the House and Senate Agriculture Committees meet their $3 billion reconciliation instruction by cutting each program area that the Committees control in proportion to that area’s share of overall Agriculture Committee spending. These groups have circulated documents showing that under this approach, the Food Stamp Program would be reduced by $1.7 billion over five years and bear 57 percent of the cuts in the House, and $2 billion over five years (bearing 67 percent of the cuts) in the Senate. The purpose of this proposal is clear — to shift the majority of the cuts from farm-related programs to food stamps. [1]
This self-serving proposal assumes that the task at hand for the Agriculture Committees is a simple matter of arithmetic that does not entail any setting of priorities. But priorities are inevitably involved. And it should be noted that the proposal these commodity groups are pushing departs sharply from the priorities in the President’s budget. Moreover, the proposal is sharply inconsistent with the position these groups took in 2002, when the Farm Bill was being considered and the Congressional budget made money available for increases in Agriculture Committee programs. These groups did not suggest in 2002 that the increases be distributed proportionately, but rather that the lion’s share go to farm programs.
In his budget, President Bush proposed $9 billion over five years in cuts in Agriculture Committee programs.
The President proposed that 7 percent of these cuts come from the Food Stamp Program, which serves the neediest and most vulnerable people in the nation and provides them, on average, with $1 per person per meal.
The Congressional budget resolution subsequently shrank the overall cuts in Agriculture Committee programs from the $9 billion that the President proposed to $3 billion. The proposed cuts in Agriculture Committee programs were thus reduced by two-thirds. Yet the commodity groups are now proposing to triple the food stamp cut the President proposed. Under their proposal, cuts in areas outside of the nutrition programs would be 85 to 90 percent smaller than the President proposed, while the food stamp cut would be about three times larger than the President proposed. The commodity groups’ argument that the cuts should be proportionate to each program area’s share of overall Agriculture Committee spending is, as noted, inconsistent with the positions these groups have taken in the past. In 1996, when the Food Stamp Program was cut by almost $28 billion over six years, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the commodity groups did not argue that farm programs should take a proportional share of the overall cuts.
Nor did the commodity groups argue in 2002 that spending increases under the 2002 Farm Bill should be distributed proportionally. In 2002, the Food Stamp Program received 9 percent of the increase in federal resources the Congressional budget made available for Agriculture Committee programs that year. Farm programs received more than 70 percent of the increases. (The remainder went primarily to conservation programs.)
A Sounder Approach
Instead of an approach that would have the cuts be “proportional” to spending, the Agriculture Committees should follow the President’s priorities and look to the Food Stamp Program to contribute 7 percent of the $3 billion reconciliation instruction. This would amount to $200 million over five years.
As noted, President Bush proposed $9 billion over five years in cuts in programs under the Agriculture Committees’ jurisdiction, of which 6.7 percent (or $600 million) would come from the Food Stamp Program. If, consistent with the President’s priorities, the cuts to the Food Stamp Program constituted 6.7 percent of the $3 billion in savings that the Agriculture Committees must produce, the farm and other non-nutrition programs under the Committees’ jurisdiction still would be cut by only one-third as much as the President proposed ($2.8 billion rather than $8.4 billion).
It may be noted that in developing its estimate that the President’s proposals would save $9 billion, the Congressional Budget Office (whose numbers are the ones that matter for the budget reconciliation process) did not include any savings for the President’s proposal on “payment limitations” for agricultural subsidies. CBO explained that this proposal was not described in sufficient detail in the President’s budget for CBO to develop a precise cost estimate of it. The Office of Management and Budget estimates that this proposal would save $845 million over five years. If the “payment limitation” proposal were included in the calculations, the food stamp reductions would likely account for 6 percent of the total savings that the President requested in Agriculture Committee programs rather than 7 percent.
Most Food Stamp Cuts from 1996 Remain in Effect; Commodity Cuts Reversed Also of note is the fact that the Food Stamp Program has been cut much more sharply than farm programs over the past decade. In 1996, the Food Stamp Program was cut by almost $28 billion over six years as part of the 1996 welfare law, according to CBO, with the cuts reaching 20 percent by the sixth year. A significant portion of these cuts came from across-the-board benefit reductions that affected nearly all recipient households, including families with children, the working poor, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Eligibility also was severely curtailed for legal immigrants and unemployed childless adults.
Since 1996, Congress has enacted several pieces of legislation that have moderated some of the most severe food stamp cuts, but about two-thirds of the cuts enacted in 1996 remain in effect.
By contrast, the 1996 Farm Bill, known as the Freedom to Farm Act, was estimated to decrease federal spending by $2 billion over seven years. CBO estimated that the policy changes would increase spending by almost $5 billion in the first two years and decrease spending by almost $7 billion over 1998 through 2002. Those savings never materialized, however, because the Congress subsequently approved more than $20 billion in additional spending in “emergency” legislation in order to address perceived problems in the 1996 Farm Bill and to reverse cuts in farm programs included in that bill, in most cases before the cuts ever took effect.
When Adding Funds, the Agriculture Committees Have Not Used a Proportional Approach
In 1998, Congress enacted the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act (AREERA), which reauthorized and expanded agricultural research programs, made changes to crop insurance programs, contained cuts to the Food Stamp Program, and used a portion of the savings from those cuts to restore eligibility to some legal immigrants who lost eligibility in 1996. According to CBO, on net, food stamp spending was reduced by $2.4 billion over 10 years, while other programs were expanded. (The food stamp cuts contributed more than three-quarters of the overall savings in the bill, while the food stamp restorations accounted for only one-third of the spending that these savings financed.)
In addition, as just noted, in the years between the 1996 and 2002 Farm Bills, Congress passed $20 billion in “emergency” farm legislation to address perceived problems in the 1996 Farm Bill. This process reached its culmination with the passage of the 2002 farm bill, itself. The Food Stamp Program received nine percent of the increases in that bill, while agricultural programs received 71 percent, a share that far exceeded their share of total spending under the Agriculture Committees’ jurisdiction.
Farm Programs Have Not “Saved” the Government Money Since 2002
Some who lobby for agricultural subsidy programs have argued that these programs should not be cut because they have saved the federal government money since 2002. This assertion is not correct.
Outlays for farm programs in recent years may have been lower than CBO projected at the time the 2002 Farm Bill was enacted, but such variances occur all of the time in entitlement programs and do not represent budgetary savings.
Because they cannot see into the future, CBO and OMB estimate the cost of new entitlement legislation based on projected conditions in a typical or average year in the future. Actual spending in any given year almost always turns out to be higher or lower than projected, as a result of factors such as market conditions, climate, and the state of the economy.
Farm programs may have cost less than anticipated during the last few years. However, they could cost more than forecast in future years if market conditions change.
Moreover, food stamp spending fell twice as much after 1996 as the CBO and OMB estimates had predicted. These reductions resulted from the booming economy in the late 1990s, various administrative changes that made food stamps less accessible to the working poor, and the unforeseen effects of changes in welfare programs that led to a substantial decline in the percentage of households eligible for food stamps that actually applied for and received them. These large reductions in food stamp costs did not count as budgetary savings. The parallel development in farm programs over the past few years does not represent budgetary savings either.
Food Stamps are Working Efficiently and Are Not Growing Out of Control
After unemployment insurance, the Food Stamp Program is the federal benefit program most responsive to swings in the economy. Food stamp participation and costs have grown since 2000, primarily because of the economic slowdown that turned into a recession in 2001. This growth, however, followed six years of continuous declines in food stamp participation and costs.
The net result is that over the past ten years as a whole, federal food stamp costs have grown no faster than the inflation rate.
Between 1995 and 2005, food stamp expenditures grew at an average annual rate of 2.6 percent. The rate of food price inflation over that period, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, also was 2.6 percent.
The Congressional Budget Office forecasts that over the next 10 years, from 2005 to 2015, the average annual growth rate in food stamp costs will be only about 2 percent a year. This, too, is very close to the projected rate of food price inflation.
Nor has the Food Stamp Program contributed significantly to the return to deficit spending. Between 2000 and 2005, increases in food stamp spending accounted for less than 1 percent of the swing from surpluses to deficits that occurred over those years. [2]
Food Stamp Error Rate at All-time Low
Finally, the Food Stamp Program is both effective and efficient. Program integrity has improved dramatically in recent years. Food stamp error rates are at an all-time low.
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows that more than 98 percent of food stamp benefits go to eligible households. In other words, fewer than two percent of benefits go to households not eligible for food stamps. The GAO report confirms that states and USDA have made remarkable strides in recent years in improving program integrity.
In testimony before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee this year, Eric Bost, the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services said, “In fiscal year 2003, the most recent year for which data is available, we have once again achieved a record level of Food Stamp payment accuracy with a combined payment error rate of only 6.63 percent. This is the fifth consecutive year of improvement, lowering the error rate by over 4 percentage points and making it the lowest rate in the history of the program.”
In June 24, 2005, USDA announced that the food stamp error rate for fiscal year 2004 had again set a new record low of 5.88 percent. The national error rate is now below 6 percent, which until recently was a level that automatically qualified states for enhanced funding based on exemplary performance.
The combined payment error rate of 5.88 percent for 2004 is the sum of the overpayment error rate and the underpayment error rate. The underpayment error rate measures errors in which eligible, participating households received fewer benefits than the program’s rules direct. Some portray this combined error rate as a reflection of the dimension of excessive federal expenditures due to errors. This is incorrect since the combined error rate includes underpayments that save the federal government money. The combined payment error rate is the result of summing (rather than netting) the overpayment and underpayment error rates.
In other words, to calculate the combined payment error rate, USDA adds together the overpayment error rate, which currently is approximately 4.5 percent, and the underpayment error rate, which currently is about 1.5 percent, to reach a combined error rate of about six percent. The net loss to the federal government, however, (i.e., the benefits lost through overpayments minus those saved by underpayments) is only three percent.
The Food Stamp Program has rigorous systems in place to ensure program integrity. Every applicant must be interviewed and provide documentation of income and other circumstances. All aspects of eligibility are reviewed by a trained state employee. In addition, state Quality Control staff conduct a full investigation of a statistically valid sample of cases each month to ensure that the state employees do not make errors. Subsequently, USDA federal staff re-review the state reviews. These reviews are the basis of the state-level and national error rates that USDA reports and uses to impose fiscal sanctions on states for poor performance and to award bonuses for exemplary performance.
By contrast, applicants for farm subsidies simply file a plan stating their intention to farm. At the end of the year, they receive payments based on the plan. USDA reviews only a small fraction of the plans to determine whether the farming operations were conducted in accordance with the approved plans. In an April 2004 report, the GAO found that only about 1 in 700 cases were actually reviewed to ensure that the applicants were involved in farming activities. (347 reviews out of 247,831 subsidy recipients.) GAO concluded that “USDA is not effectively overseeing farm program payments. That is, USDA does not review a valid sample of farm operation plans to determine compliance and thus does not ensure that only eligible recipients receive payments, and compliance reviews are often completed late. As a result, USDA may be missing opportunities to recoup ineligible payments.”
GAO itself conducted an examination of 86 of these USDA reviews and found that in almost one-third of the cases, “some recipients appeared to have little involvement with the farming operation.” The GAO report criticized USDA for catching only five percent of the apparently improper payments. [3]
According to USDA, the average overpayment to an ineligible food stamp household is only about $150 a month. [4] By contrast, the amount of a farm subsidy overpayment can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. The GAO reports that in one of the cases in which it found partners who appeared not to be actively engaged in farming and therefore eligible for subsidies, the subsidy should have been reduced by $90,000 for each partner found to be ineligible.
By mid-September the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are expected to comply with the Congressional Budget resolution and recommend policies that cut programs in their jurisdiction by $3 billion over five years. The President recommended reductions in Agriculture Committee programs that are three times this size ($9 billion over five years). He proposed that 7 percent or these savings ($600 million) come from the Food Stamp Program.
The Food Stamp Program is operating effectively and efficiently and has achieved the lowest error rates on record. Congress enacted deep cuts in the program in 1996, the majority of which are still in effect. Comparable cuts were not made in agriculture programs. In addition, since 1996, when Congress has made funding available for increases in Agriculture Committee programs, food stamps has received only a small share of those funds. In crafting legislation to comply with the $3 billion reconciliation instruction, the Agriculture Committees should follow the President’s priorities and look to the Food Stamp Program to contribute 7 percent of the total.
[1] For this paper we assume that any cuts to nutrition programs would come from the Food Stamp Program. The Child Nutrition programs, including the School Lunch and Breakfast programs, are the only other major mandatory nutrition program under the jurisdiction of the Agriculture Committee in the Senate. In the House these programs are under the jurisdiction of the Education and the Workforce Committee. A major reauthorization of Child Nutrition programs was completed just one year ago, and it is not likely that Child Nutrition programs will be reopened as part of this year’s reconciliation process.
[2] This calculation compares the change in food stamp spending over the 2000 to 2005 period as a share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the change in the surplus/deficits as a share of GDP over the same period. See CBPP: “
Cuts to Low-income Programs May Far Exceed the Contribution of These Programs to Deficit’s Return
[3] See U.S. General Accounting Office, Farm Program Payments: USDA Should Correct Weaknesses in Regulations and Oversight to Better Ensure Recipients Do Not Circumvent Payment Limitations, GAO-04-861T, June, 16, 2004.
[4] See U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Impact of Food Stamp Payment Errors on Household Purchasing Power, March 2005.
Topics: Food Assistance
More from the Authors Dottie Rosenbaum
Areas of Expertise: Food Assistance | 农业 |
2017-09/4532/en_head.json.gz/9169 | Co-op to raise farmer milk premiums
One of Britain's leading retailers is to increase the premium it pays to its farmers for their milk.The Co-operative Group said it would pay producers a total price of 29p per litre.The announcement comes as farmers across the country held demonstrations on Thursday night outside processing plants to protest at the problems in the dairy industry.Dairy farmers are furious about cuts of up to 2p a litre in the amount they receive from major milk processors and many fear the shortfall will force them out of business. The action is the latest in a series of protests by farmers who are angry that they are to be paid less for their milk than it costs to produce it.Steve Murrells, chief executive of Co-operative Food, said: "We have a track record of supporting British farmers, and we recognise the importance of ensuring a long-term, sustainable future for British dairy farmers. We have been in continual discussions on this issue with the National Farmers Union and we have listened to their concerns."We are taking this action to help alleviate the immediate pressures that farmers within the Co-operative Dairy Group are facing. Going forward, we are committed to finding a supply model that is sustainable for the long-term future of our dairy farmers."Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers Union, welcomed the move.He said: "We are encouraged by the positive step taken by The Co-operative today in ensuring that its farmers will be paid a fair price for their milk. Their recognition of the real difficulties being faced by British farmers this summer and commitment to support them through these difficult times is to be applauded."But whilst this is an important move, all retailers must move to a sustainable funding model for the dairy industry."The premium Co-operative Dairy Group farmers receive will rise to 2.57p per litre with immediate effect and to 4.27p per litre from August 1, following processor reductions. | 农业 |
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