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2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/20811 | COTTON SPIN: Will the boom in U.S. cotton exports continue? Apr 21, 2017 USDA announces 2017 cotton loan rate differentials Apr 18, 2017 With new farm bill looming, next agriculture census critically important Apr 17, 2017 2020 Strategic Plan Positions Peanuts for Optimistic Future Apr 19, 2017 Crops>Corn Groups partner to bolster food security in India
The Agricultural Innovation Partnership (AIP) is being launched by India and USAID under “Feed the Future,” the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative. Jennifer Shike, University of Illinois | Mar 11, 2011
Could you live on $1.25 per day? In parts of India — specifically the less developed states of the Indo-Gangetic Plains — living on less than $1.25 per day per capita is a harsh reality. People in this region face problems of hunger, poverty and child malnutrition.
According to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), agricultural development is a proven engine of growth that reduces global hunger and poverty. That is why Cornell University, in partnership with the University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES); the University of Georgia; Ohio State University; Tuskegee University; the University of California-Davis; John Deere; Tata Chemicals Ltd.; and Sathguru Management Consultants, have been awarded a $9.6 million grant from USAID to undertake a five-year project working with Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to increase agricultural production and food security in northern India.
The Agricultural Innovation Partnership (AIP) is being launched by India and USAID under “Feed the Future,” the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.
Schuyler Korban, director of ACES Office of International Programs, said, “We are pleased that this AIP project has been selected for funding by USAID-India, as the U of I has had a long history of capacity building in agricultural higher education in India. India is among the fastest-growing economies in the world. We are eager to work with our AIP consortium partners to help the agricultural sector in India where food and agriculture are critical for the well-being of all citizens of this highly populated country.”
Gary Robbins, USAID-India Director of Food Security, said that AIP is part of President Obama’s initiative to end global hunger and poverty.
Goal is to increase ag production
“As part of the strategic partnership between the United States and India, both countries have agreed to intensify our collaboration to increase agricultural production, develop efficient marketing systems, and reduce malnutrition for a sustainable and inclusive Evergreen Revolution,” Robbins said.
The consortium will strengthen the capacity of state agricultural universities by revising university curricula to include important issues such as market-led demand and the potential impact of climate change on agriculture. The consortium will also develop and pilot innovative Extension models to improve the expertise of agricultural graduates in their provision of management and agri-technology support to farmers as they move away from subsistence farming. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our Illinois faculty to be actively involved in this project,” said Prasanta Kalita, lead faculty member for the U of I on this project and professor of soil and water resources engineering. “Our main involvement will be to help develop new-generation academic curriculum for Banaras Hindu University that will be transferred to other similar universities in India while actively engaging in research and Extension initiatives for managing and utilizing natural resources, and providing guidance in establishing a center for teaching excellence.”
More than half a century ago, the U of I began a long-standing educational partnership with Pantnagar University in India — creating the land-grant model in India and laying the foundations for feeding a hungry country. Most recently, members of U of I’s ACES Global Academy took part in a 14-day immersion experience in India to study the food value chain systems there. Three of the academy’s members — Mary Arends-Kuenning, Hao Feng, and Mindy Mallory — also met with faculty at BHU.
The ACES Office of International Programs at the U of I promotes the most effective use of faculty, department, college and external resources to support and strengthen the international dimension of the college's research, teaching, and outreach activities. | 农业 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/20923 | JAMES HENRY POPE
James Henry Pope, of Lodi, has made an enviable reputation as a fruit grower in his locality of San Joaquin county. On his beautiful homestead of some sixty-five acres he has thirty acres devoted to the raising of peaches, and thirty acres more given up to the grape culture, producing fine table grapes of the Tokay variety, while the rest of his place is in alfalfa. Mr. Pope is a progressive and enterprising man in all his undertakings, and the steady progress and success which he has won indicate the persistence and energy of his character.
Though not a native son of this state, Mr. Pope has practically lived here all his life, and is in all senses of the word a typical Californian. He was born in Washington county, Arkansas, August 29, 1858, a son of Benjamin S. and Rebecca A. (Eddlemon) Pope, both native Tennesseeans. In 1861 the father brought his family across the plains, in true emigrant fashion, with ox and horse teams, direct to San Joaquin county, settled near what is now Lodi, and was there engaged very successfully in agriculture until his death in 1894. His wife survived until October, 1903. Of their children there are the following living: William H., in Stockton; James Henry and Thomas A., in San Joaquin county. Benjamin S. Pope was a worthy, self-made man, thoroughly respected in every community where he made his home. He was a Republican in politics, and a member of the United Brethren church at Woodbridge.
Being three years old when he arrived in California, Mr. Pope grew to manhood and received his education in San Joaquin county. After taking up the serious activities of life he was for some time engaged in general agricultural pursuits, but of recent years he has devoted himself exclusively to fruit growing, wherein he has made his best success.
Mrs. Pope's maiden name was Miss Saloma Avery, a native daughter of San Joaquin county, her father, Demas Avery, being an early settler there. Mr. and Mrs. Pope have five children: Edward H., Perry A., Rosa L., Demas A. and Alma S. Mr. Pope affiliates with Court Mokelumne No. 135, Foresters of America, and he has passed all the chairs in the local court. In politics he is a stanch Republican.
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 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/21228 | Search View Archive NewsNature & Science
Bonanza Cranberry Harvest Has Island Growers Seeing Good Red
Mark Alan Lovewell
Thursday, October 30, 2008 - 8:23pm
The stock market may be seeing red on Wall street this autumn, but here on the Vineyard there is a bright future in cranberries. On the Island and across southeastern Massachusetts, it is a banner year for cranberries, both wild and cultivated. Cranberry Acres in Vineyard Haven has harvested 100 pounds of cranberries, compare d and managed by the Vineyard Open Land Foundation. Executive director Carol Magee credited the organization’s long-term efforts toward restoring the old bog. Work has included soil improvement, new plantings and weeding, all done organically. “Our cranberries have had time to grow and now produce,” she said. Those who attended the Harvest Festival several weeks ago at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury saw some of the cranberries. “We sold out quickly, and we had orders for another 38 pounds,” Ms. Magee said. “I was really pleased that there was extraordinary interest.”
The open land foundation bog is visible from Lambert’s Cove Road. This year Ms. Magee said a lot of effort went into weeding. She hopes to expand the bog to three acres in the years ahead. The site is marked by an 1880s wooden building once used for processing cranberries, near the edge of the road. In Aquinnah, the tribe has a more hands-off approach to nurturing their indigenous plants, and none of their cranberries are for sale. Bret Stearns, director of natural resources for the tribe, said: “The tribe doesn’t want any commercial influence in their cranberry bogs. That means no damming, no drainage sluiceways, no pumps for water. But they have allowed me to use hand and mechanical methods to give the plants the best advantage to grow. That includes removing contributing problems.”
Over the past year, the tribe removed invasive plants that were competing for sunshine and nutrients, including scrub oak, vines, catbrier, Russian olive and spotted knapweed. Frequent rainfall throughout the summer contributed to ideal growing conditions, not just for cranberries, but for all berries and fruits, as well as mushrooms. Timothy M. Boland, executive director of the Polly Hill Arboretum, cited one more factor. “We had dry weather during the pollination period in May. The bees were active. It is easier for the bees to transport pollen that is dry. Other pollinators helped, too,” he said, adding: “This has been one of the best seasons for the high bush blueberry and all the berries. We’ve seen a bumper crop of hollies.”
While the open land foundation cranberry crop sold out long ago, Ms. Magee said they have been importing organically grown berries from their cranberry consultant Robert Keese of Cranberry Hill Farm in Plymouth. The berries are for sale at Morning Glory Farm. Part of the proceeds go to help the foundation cranberry project. Mr. Stearns said the tribe keeps no numbers, but he knows the members have been pleased with this year’s crop. On Tuesday, a group of youngsters from the tribe’s after-school project had no trouble finding cranberries on tribal lands. It took just a few minutes to fill a basket. The tribe owns 458 acres in Aquinnah, including 202 acres at Lobsterville. All tribal members are allowed to pick the berries. “People walk away with their desired amount,” Mr. Stearns said. Julie Schaeffer, ecologist for the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, said cranberries abound in some small spots on the land bank’s 103-acre Gay Head Moraine. Not all the land is open to the public. Wild cranberry bogs can be found in other spots on the Island, including Chappaquiddick. Many are on private property. Cranberry Acres remains the only site on the Island where the bog is visible from the road. Mr. Stearns said he has received a federal grant to build an environmentally-friendly road drainage system to the intersection of West Basin and Lobsterville Roads. “One of our issues with the cranberry bogs is we can’t have hydrocarbons draining into a sustenance area. We will rework the roadway so that the water goes into the ground and not directly into the bog,” he said. The project is expected to cost $50,000 and work could begin as early as this winter. Mr. Stearns said he estimates there are at least 20 acres of cranberry bogs scattered about the tribal lands. Ms. Magee, who has been working on the project since she took over as director in 1996, said she too will be applying for grants this winter to renovate the cranberry processing building. “It is a historic landscape,” she said. Comments
Home page Vineyard NotebookTo keep up with the news sign up for our free twice-a-week email, the Vineyard Gazette Notebook. View archive » © 2017 Vineyard Gazette Advertise with the Gazette | 农业 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/22294 | DuPont Pioneer names VP of agricultural biotechnology
DuPont Pioneer announced today that Neal Gutterson has joined the company as vice president of agricultural biotechnology. Gutterson previously worked for California-based Mendel Biotechnology Inc., where he was most recently president, CEO and a board member. He has more than 30 years of experience in plant biotechnology and is a named inventor on more than three dozen patents and pending patent applications. "Neal brings extensive biotechnology and business leadership in the seed and crop protection industry to this integral role for DuPont Pioneer," said Paul Schickler, president of Johnston-based DuPont Pioneer. Gutterson holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science with a major in chemistry from Yale University. He currently serves on the board of trustees for CIMMYT, an international agriculture sustainability organization, and also has served eight years on the food and agriculture section governing board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization. | 农业 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/22590 | Zebras vs. cattle | Not so black and white
African ranchers often prefer to keep wild grazers like zebras off the grass that fattens their cattle. But a new study by Kenyan and University of California at Davis researchers shows that grazing by wild animals doesn't always harm, and may sometimes benefit, cattle.
The results are published in a recent issue of the journal Science.
"Although savanna rangelands worldwide are managed on the premise that cattle and wildlife compete for food, there is little scientific information to support this assumption," said Wilfred Odadi, a researcher at the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya and a co-author of the paper.
"When we look at the effect of wildlife on cattle, we find that they sometimes do suppress weight gain by cattle, but also sometimes enhance it," said Truman Young, a plant scientist at UC Davis and lead author of the paper."Generally the decision has been to exclude wild animals, but we're saying that things are not that simple," Young said. "The finding that wildlife has a positive effect on cattle growth and production during times of plenty adds new insight into the role that facilitation plays in natural communities," said Saran Twombly, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research.
"Results from this study also speak directly to the critical importance of biodiversity in maintaining natural ecosystems," Twombly said. The researchers enclosed 10-acre plots of savanna rangeland with fences to exclude wild animals - principally zebras.
Then they weighed the cattle grazing either with or without wild grazers to measure how much weight they put on at different times of the year, which is the bottom-line for ranchers. Odadi and colleagues found that during the dry season, grazing by wild animals reduced weight gain by cattle, but in the wet season, cattle actually put on more weight when they grazed alongside wildlife.
The explanation is that during the wet season, grass can grow long and become rank, inaccessible and poor in nutritional value. "When the grass grows very fast and is at risk of becoming rank, having zebras is beneficial," Young said. "They are more than willing to knock back the rank grass."That means higher-quality, fresher grass for the cattle. It's not yet clear whether there is a net benefit over a whole year or series of years, Young said, because conditions can vary considerably from year to year. Ranchers are beginning to explore additional ways to control rank grass, such as controlled burns.
"From a management perspective, the positive effect of wildlife on weight gain by cattle during the wet season suggests that wildlife conservation is not necessarily detrimental to, and can be compatible with, cattle production," Odadi said.
"Our findings provide further evidence that biodiversity conservation and economic development can be simultaneously achieved in human-occupied savanna landscapes."
Other co-authors of the paper are Moses Karachi, Egerton University, Kenya, and Shaukat Abdulrazak, National Council for Science and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya. The work also was funded by the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, the African Elephant Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the International Foundation for Science. | 农业 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/22845 | Tobacco purchasing should be based on value, not price Apr 03, 2017 Caledonia: Where prisoners have grown their food for 125 years Apr 04, 2017 How a blueberry family won and lost against a punishing situation Apr 05, 2017 90 percent of South Carolina’s peach crop destroyed Apr 02, 2017 Peanuts rival fruit as good source of health-promoting antioxidants
Tim Lockette University of Florida | Feb 09, 2005
Peanuts are often thought of as a high-fat food, but party goers can feel a little better about reaching for the roasted nuts. Not only do peanuts contain the so-called “good” kind of fat, but University of Florida researchers have found they also are high in a wide variety of helpful antioxidants, rivaling the fruits often sought out by health-conscious consumers. “When it comes to antioxidant content, peanuts are right up there with strawberries,” said Steve Talcott, an assistant professor of feed science and human nutrition at UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “We expected a fairly high antioxidant content in peanuts, but we were a bit shocked to find they're as rich in antioxidants as many kinds of fruit. Talcott and other UF researchers tested the antioxidant content of a dozen different peanut varieties in a study published recently in an issue of the journal Food Chemistry dated May 2005. Antioxidants are chemicals that block the aging effects of free radicals — unstable molecules naturally occurring in the human body that damage living cells. The damage caused by free radicals has been linked to heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and macular degeneration of the eye. The growing reputation of antioxidants has led an increasing number of people to include more fruits in their diets, particularly those that are orange in color, because such foods have been found to be rich in the health-promoting chemicals. Vitamins A, C, and E are recognized as antioxidants and polyphenols — a family of chemicals commonly found in foods — also have strong antioxidant properties. Peanuts are a good source of Vitamin E, but in the past they typically have not been considered an antioxidant-rich food, largely because of a lack of data on their polyphenol content. Now UF researchers have found that peanuts contain high concentrations of polyphenols — chiefly a compound called p-coumaric acid. And they found that roasting can increase the level of p-coumaric acid in peanuts, boosting their overall antioxidant content by as much as 22 percent. “If you compare them (peanuts) to other foods people think of as rich in antioxidants — mostly fruits and berries — peanuts come out somewhere in the middle,” Talcott said. “They're no match for the foods at the top of the scale, such as pomegranate, but they do rival other foods that people eat just for their antioxidant content.” Talcott said roasted peanuts are about as rich in antioxidants as blackberries or strawberries, and are far richer in the chemicals than fruits such as apples, carrots or beets. The findings add to the growing reputation peanuts are getting for their healthy benefits. “We already know from previous studies that including peanuts and peanut butter in a healthful diet can lower cholesterol, help people lose weight and prevent type 2 diabetes,” said Kristen Ciuba, a nutritionist for the Peanut Institute, a non-profit organization in Albany, Ga., funded by the peanut industry. The UF researchers' findings were part of a broader study designed to measure the nutritional differences between traditional peanut breeds and the growing number of high oleic peanuts now available. Oleic acid is monounsaturated fat, part of a family of chemicals sometimes referred to as “good” fat. A diet rich in oleic acid is believed to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the chance of heart disease. In recent years, UF and a handful of other universities have bred new peanut varieties that have higher-than-average levels of oleic acid. High-oleic peanuts also have a far longer shelf life than other peanuts, largely because oleic acid doesn't oxidize as rapidly as other kinds of fat. Talcott and his fellow researchers thought that the peanuts' high antioxidant content might be responsible for that effect, but their tests showed no significant differences in antioxidant content between high-oleic and traditional peanuts. | 农业 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/22989 | California State Water Project boosts irrigation allotment Apr 18, 2017 Even with effective synthetic alternatives Sulfur remains a relevant tool for controlling powdery mildew Apr 12, 2017 With buds pushing in late March, start of San Joaquin Valley wine grape crop follows normal timing Apr 12, 2017 Walnut growers responsible for ensuring clean water use on operation Apr 05, 2017 Closed-door sessions are not secret
Forrest Laws | Apr 19, 2003
Being a journalist, I have to admit I get suspicious when someone on the public payroll holds meetings behind closed doors. So I would normally be sympathetic to a question raised by Reuters correspondent Chuck Abbott during Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman's March 28 press conference. Actually, it was a two-part question — which journalists are famous for asking when they don't think they will be invited to ask another one. The first part dealt with how much impact this year's disaster program would have on crop plantings given that signup would not begin until June 6. Then Abbott asked: “How much credibility do you believe Congress and farmers will attach to the report that's being drawn up by your Payment Limits Commission, considering the commission is doing all its work in secret? I've already had some people say to me they think it's just a stacked deck that will favor producers.” Coincidentally or fortuitously, Veneman had invited Keith Collins, USDA's chief economist, to sit in on the briefing. Collins chairs the Payment Limits Commission. For openers, Collins said, Congress exempted the Commission from the Federal Advisory Committee Act when it created the panel in the 2002 farm bill. Thus, the commission does not have to give public notice or invite the press to its meetings. “I think Congress contemplated that this is an area of some interest and sensitivity,” he said, “and the commission wanted to be able to talk with people who implement or enforce or audit payment limitation cases. Members simply felt they would get more frank opinions from those people if members of the press weren't sitting there.” Collins said he wouldn't characterize the commission's meetings as secret, likening them instead to work sessions where members are trying to analyze what exactly payment limits do for or to farmers. “They are interested in public comments, and that's why the commission held a public comment period,” he said. “They're free to talk about what they're doing as commissioners, and hopefully soon the commission will have a report which will help people better understand what payment limits are all about.” The commission received more than 100 letters during the 30-day comment period that ended in mid-March, he said, adding that the commission will continue to take comments even though the 30 days have ended. Those who think the commission should come down on the side of tighter — or less stringent — payment limits are likely to be disappointed, according to Collins. “They're not leaning in any particular direction,” he said, “but are trying to understand the effects of farm program payments and what the effects would be if those payments were limited. That's what Congress asked them to do so that Congress will understand what the effects would be.” Am I sympathetic to Abbott's question? No, I'm more appreciative that commission members have not allowed Ken Cook and the Environmental Working Group to turn the deliberations into a media circus, generating a lot of heat and little light. That, in itself, should give farmers hope for a more balanced commission report. e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/23115 | Archive for the ‘legislation’ Category
New Zealand suspends imports of melons treated with demethoate
Posted in legislation, Pesticides, Phytosanitary on April 14, 2017|
Leave a Comment » The Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture and Water Resources has released an Industry Advice Notice (IAN) advising that New Zealand has suspended imports of Australian rockmelons and honeydew melons that have been treated with dimethoate. This suspension is effective immediately.
Summary of changes and key points:
The New Zealand National Plant Protection Organisation has advised that, effective immediately, they will no longer be accepting consignments of rockmelons or honeydew melons that have been treated with dimethoate.
The suspension includes consignments that are currently in transit.
The department will not be issuing certification with EXDOC endorsement 1646 for rockmelons or EXDOC endorsement 3576 for honeydew melons.
Exports sourced from pest-free areas are still permitted.
source: foodprocessing.com.au
CPM-12 adopts a record number of new tools for protecting plants from pest spread
Posted in Emerging/invasive pests, legislation, Phytosanitary on April 11, 2017|
Leave a Comment » This week we’ve been reporting from the 12th session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures, which successfully drew to a close, having produced concrete tools to support plant protection through the adoption of 25 International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). Under the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS […]
via CPM-12 adopts a record number of new tools for protecting plants from pest spread — The Plantwise Blog
Republic of Korea: 12th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures
Posted in legislation, Phytosanitary on April 11, 2017|
Leave a Comment » The 12th Session of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures opened today in Incheon, Republic of Korea. This is significant as it is the first time that the event is being hosted outside of Rome by a member country of the International Plant Protection Convention. This year’s theme is “Plant Health and Trade Facilitation”, so this topic […]
via Landmark Phytosanitary meeting CPM-12 kicks off in Incheon, Republic of Korea — The Plantwise Blog
Could we eradicate the boll weevil again? Maybe not
Posted in Insects, legislation on July 30, 2016|
Leave a Comment » Jul 27, 2016 by Forrest Laws in Farm Press Blog
It was interesting to read the commentary from my colleague Hembree Brandon quoting Mike McCormick, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, on the impact of the boll weevil.
That’s because my family has its own boll weevil story. In 1926, my grandfather left St. Francis County, Ark., and moved 50 miles north to get away from the pest. No one knew how to control it, and it was literally eating them out of house and home.
They returned two years later after someone determined they could kill the boll weevil by spraying or “dusting” with insecticides such as calcium arsenate, also known as Black Annie.
McCormick’s comments about the dispersal of families in his part of Mississippi due to the pest came at a meeting of the Mississippi Boll Weevil Management Corporation and Farm Bureau Cotton Policy Committee where they celebrated another weevil-free year.
A hunting trip and the far-reaching impact of a tiny insec
Those familiar with the industry know cotton farmers raised millions of dollars and coupled that with government funding to eradicate the boll weevil from all but the southernmost part of the Cotton Belt. (It’s too bad we can’t build a wall to keep the boll weevil south of the border.)
The irony is that if the boll weevil was as prevalent today as it was in the 1980s, there’s no guarantee cotton producers and entomologists could eradicate the pest.
For openers, the political will needed to unite all the disparate elements of agriculture and government to fund such a program may no longer exist. And there’s the possibility malathion, the insecticide that was the workhorse of the boll weevil eradication effort, would not be available to complete it.
EPA is currently conducting a review of several organophosphate insecticides, including chlorpyrifos (Lorsban). There are concerns the use of EPA’s “water model” to determine the impact of chlorpyrifos rather than real-world scientific data could spill over into reviews of other OPs such as malathion.
Public health officials are worried about the latter because malathion is used extensively in mosquito abatement programs. Canceling the registration for a product that could be critical to battling the Zika virus would be a significant loss to fearmongering by environmental activists.
For more information on cotton issues, visit www.cotton.org.
Philippines: Ruling on GMO use draws ‘concern’ from IRRI
Posted in Biotechnology, legislation on December 17, 2015|
Leave a Comment » Economy
Posted on December 10, 2015 08:24:00 PM
Supreme Court ruling on GMO use draws ‘concern’ from rice institute
THE LOS BAÑOS-BASED International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has expressed “concern” after the Supreme Court (SC) suspended the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO) on Tuesday.
A rice farmer prepares for planting. — AFP
In a statement sent to BinessWorld, the IRRI expressed reservations about the ruling, concern it said was based on “the best scientific knowledge and evidence.”
Yet, in response to BusinessWorld’s queries how it affects the development of better rice varieties at the institute, the statement read: “We, of course, remain committed to abiding by the laws and regulations of the Philippines and of every country in which we do collaborative research.”
As soon as the institute obtains the full copy of the SC decision, it said it will read it carefully “to take stock of all implications” on biotechnological research.
One of the products that may be affected by the SC’s unanimous Tuesday ruling is Golden Rice, a genetically engineered variety developed at the IRRI.
The rice strain was designed to produce beta-carotene (pro-vitamin A) and address vitamin A deficiency, which may lead to blindness and thousands of deaths among children.
“It is the poorest and most vulnerable groups, especially women and children, whose health and well-being are most negatively affected by the scourge of micronutrient deficiency,” the IRRI noted.
The SC en banc, voting unanimously on Tuesday, expanded the Court of Appeals’ writ of kalikasan order that permanently stopped the field trials of Bt talong, a GM eggplant engineered with a bacterium to deter pest insects.
Besides affirming the stopping of Bt talong testing, the SC halted the use, testing, propagation, commercialization and importation of GMOs after it nullified the Department of Agriculture’s regulating GMO use.
It ordered the use of GMOs “temporarily” stopped until the Agriculture department promulgates new rules that will more sufficiently comply with the country’s biosafety framework and international protocols.
The SC in that decision cited the lack of scientific certainty in stopping GMO use, saying that it had to rule in the benefit of the environment amid the lack of safety guarantees.
Greenpeace Philippines, which petitioned the end to Bt talong trials, hailed the decision as a “victory for the Filipino people” but did not issue a statement. — Vince Alvic Alexis F. Nonato
Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) management program
Posted in Emerging/invasive pests, IPM, legislation, Viruses, tagged CCGMV, Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV) on April 14, 2015|
Leave a Comment » http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-07/ntch-quarantine-sign-on-mitchell-curtis27-farm/6373242
“Nothing has changed” for Katherine melon grower after virus declared impossible to eradicate
NT Country Hour By Daniel Fitzgerald
A Katherine melon grower says “nothing has changed” for his farm after the Northern Territory Government declared a plant virus cannot be eradicated.
The Department of Primary Industry (DPI) recently stepped back from trying to eradicate Cucumber Green Mottle Mosaic Virus (CGMMV), opting instead for a management program.
The virus, which affects cucurbits like melons, pumpkins, zucchini, squash and cucumbers, was found to have spread from quarantine zones and is now confirmed on 21 properties across the Northern Territory.
Mitchell Curtis grew melons near Katherine until his farm was found to be infected with the virus and put under quarantine restrictions last year.
While the DPI is still putting together a formal plan for management, Mr Curtis said as far as he understands, the move to management will not change anything for his farm in the short term.
“Basically for us, nothing has changed,” he said.
“Most of it is structural at this stage and once they work that out, we might be able to plant crops, not cucurbits, but plant crops here in 12 months.
“Going from eradication, to management leaves a lot of questions to be answered, like whether we can send [cucurbits] down south from an area that’s been infected, what we have to do to stay clean if we do grow here; all those sorts of things to put certainty back into our orchard, so that we can actually grow melons again, all have to be answered.
“It may take us around 12 months to do that, to go and liaise with other states and work on the problem [of] whether or not we can grow in areas and stay clean with some protections in our growing process, or whether we can’t.”
The Territory’s Minister for Primary Industry, Willem Westra van Holthe, confirmed last week Northern Territory farmers growing cucurbits on land not infected with CGMMV are still able to sell their produce interstate with a Plant Health Certificate.
Mr Curtis said the declaration that CGMMV cannot be eradicated ensured the nature of the Northern Territory melon industry has changed irreversibly.
“I think there’s some big questions over Territory melons, I think that’s to do with people not understanding what this virus is,” he said.
“There are a lot of viruses in melons, this is another virus that we have to learn to manage.
“Once we’ve learnt how to do that and the fear has gone out of what this virus does and how it can affect our growing processes and all those things, I think the name of the melon industry in the Territory will be just as strong as it has been.”
Mr Curtis leased a plot of land from the Northern Territory Government to grow melons on this year, but to his “absolute horror” he found the land was already infected with CGMMV.
“It certainly indicated the problem we thought we had under control was not,” he said.
“It put some big question marks as to how it got there and what’s spreading it as [the land is] about 40 kilometres from the infected area on Fox Road and its about 30 kilometres from [the infected area at] Edith Farms.”
However Mr Curtis said he believes the virus can be safely managed and controlled.
“We’ve got to keep the thing in perspective so that we understand that small areas in the Northern Territory are infected, but there’s a lot of other areas that are quite safe to grow melons and deliver them with no virus,” he said.
“We’ve got to make sure we don’t taint the whole Territory.”
Push for biodiversity to have deeper role in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Posted in Biodiversity, legislation, Policy, tagged biodiversity, habitat loss, sustainable development on November 18, 2014|
Leave a Comment » Image credit: Adrian Evans /
-The draft SDGs ignore biodiversity’s effect on food, health and poverty
-A holistic approach is critical, UN meeting hears
-Participants pledge to double biodiversity-related funding for poorer nations
Biodiversity is moving up the global development agenda, following a major meeting of policymakers at the 12th Conference of Parties (COP12) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
With countries working on setting the next targets after the Millennium Development Goals, biodiversity is already included as one of the proposed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the UN draft working document agreed in July.
However, the current draft does not acknowledge biodiversity’s effects on global issues such as health, poverty and food security.
These effects took centre stage at the event in Pyeongchang, which was attended by around 3,000 delegates from 6-17 October.
“If we tackle poverty, inequality and environmental issues in separate silos, we can’t succeed. We have to have holistic approaches,” said UN Development Programme boss Helen Clark.
Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, executive secretary of the CBD, told environment ministers and other delegates that its 2010 biodiversity plan was critical. “We will not be able to achieve sustainable development if we do not implement the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity,” he said.
The plan estimated that US$150-440 billion a year was needed in biodiversity-related financial flows to reverse species and habitat loss, compared with the US$50 billion a year in 2010 being spent worldwide.
At the beginning of the COP12 event, the UN released a report showing progress was lagging on biodiversity goals known as Aichi targets set out in the CBD’s 2010 biodiversity plan.
For example, the key target of halving the rate of biodiversity loss, backed by a US$2.2 billion fund created at the 2010 COP meeting in Nagoya, Japan, is nowhere near being reached, according to projections in the Global Biodiversity Outlook 4 (GBO4) report.
At a separate high-level meeting that took place on 16 and 17 October, ministers of the environment signed the so-called Gangwon declaration, pledging to double biodiversity-related funding for developing countries and maintain this level until 2020 to reach the Aichi biodiversity conservation targets.
Despite opposition from some larger developing countries, including India and Brazil, which cited budget constraints and the need to hold richer countries to their funding commitments, the meeting agreed that signatories should “mobilise domestic resources”. This breakthrough clause, unusual in UN documents, will mean that national budgets should give more priority to biodiversity issues.
Other areas falling well short included stemming species loss, habitat destruction, overfishing and pollution. And it seems that such declines as well as pressures on habitats are only growing, said Derek Tittensor, senior marine biodiversity scientist at the UN Environment Programme. “We’re making some effort, but, at the moment, we’re not seeing the benefits,” he told SciDev.Net.
“There has been an increase in resources and that is projected to continue into the future — that’s partly what has come out of the COP12 meeting in Korea — but the big question is whether that will be sufficient to arrest the decline in the state of biodiversity that we observed and projected,” he added.
Others, however, were more optimistic. GBO4 “is just a starting point”, said Anne-Hélène Prieur-Richard, acting executive director of international biodiversity research programme DIVERSITAS. “Some of the targets are very far from being able to be achieved by 2020. However, we also know there are lags between the time of starting actions on the ground and the time you get the fruits of them,” she told SciDev.Net.
‘Pyeongchang road map’
“It is my strong belief that these decisions will enable us to turn many of the indicators in GBO4 from yellow to green.”
Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, CBD In total, the meeting adopted 33 decisions referred to collectively as the ‘Pyeongchang road map’.
Among the decisions was an agreement to establish a technical expert group to examine how synthetic biology products should be regulated. COP12 agreed that risk assessment and regulations must tally with the ‘no-harm principle’ that activities avoid damaging the environment of other states or areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
But the highlight of the meeting, according to delegates, was the entering into force of a treaty signed four years ago that opens up access to genetic resources and a mandatory fair sharing of the benefits derived from them.
The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits arising from their utilisation to the CBD came into force on 12 October after the 50th ratification.
– See more at: http://www.scidev.net/global/biodiversity/news/biodiversity-deeper-role-sdgs.html#sthash.P1rHT8Ki.dpuf
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2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/23589 | Animal Identification and Meat Traceability Updated January 18, 2007 Geoffrey S. Becker Specialist in Agricultural Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Animal Identification and Meat Traceability Summary Many animal producers support establishment of a nationwide identification (ID) system capable of quickly tracking animals from birth to slaughter. While they believe such a system is needed to better deal with animal diseases or meet foreign market specifications, some consumer groups and others believe it also would be useful for food safety or retail informational purposes — and that the program should be able to trace meat products through processing and consumption. However, despite years of effort on at least an animal ID program for disease purposes, many contentious issues remain unresolved. For example, should it be mandatory or voluntary? What types of information should be collected, on what animal species, and who should hold it, government or private entities? How much will it cost, and who should pay? Following the first U.S. report of a cow with BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or “mad cow disease”) in late December 2003, the Secretary of Agriculture promised to take the lead in implementing an animal ID program capable of identifying all animals of interest within 48 hours of a disease discovery (BSE or other). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has committed, through FY2006, $85 million to this effort, and all states now have systems for registering animal premises. Some industry groups and lawmakers have criticized USDA for moving too slowly and/or not providing a clearer path toward a universal ID program. Others believe that USDA’s progress to date simply reflects the deep divisions among producers and other interests over the many unresolved questions. A few livestock producers oppose any effort to establish broader programs, fearing they will be costly and intrusive. The 109th Congress was asked to address these issues. A provision in the House-passed USDA appropriation for FY2007 (H.R. 5384) would have conditioned another $33 million in spending for animal ID on publication in the Federal Register of a “complete and detailed plan” for the program, “including, but not limited to, proposed legislative changes, cost estimates, and means of program evaluation.” However, a House floor amendment to prohibit all ID program funding was defeated by a wide margin. A final FY2007 appropriation had not been passed by mid- January 2007, and USDA programs were operating under a continuing resolution. Other bills included H.R. 1254, the National Farm Animal Identification and Records Act, H.R. 1256, to limit animal ID information disclosure, and H.R. 3170, creating a private Livestock Identification Board to oversee the program. The continuing differences over animal ID make it more likely that the topic will be part of the 2007 debate over a new omnibus farm bill. This CRS report will be updated if events warrant. Contents Overview ....................................................1 What Are Animal Identification and Meat Traceability?...............1 Reasons for Animal Identification and Meat Traceability...............2 Commercial Production and Marketing Functions................2 Animal Health............................................2 Food Safety..............................................2 Country-of-Origin Labeling..................................3 Existing U.S. Programs.........................................3 Animal Health............................................3 Marketing ................................................4 Need for Improved ID Capabilities................................4 Development of a National Plan..................................5 Early Steps...............................................6 USDA Takes the Lead......................................6 USDA’s First Draft Strategic Plan.............................7 USDA’s Animal ID “Guiding Principles”.......................7 USDA’s April 2006 Implementation Plan.......................8 USDA’s Current Thinking...................................8 Status of Premises Registration...............................9 Private Sector Plan?........................................9 Other Selected Issues..........................................10 Mandatory or Voluntary?...................................10 Costs and Who Pays.......................................10 Liability and Confidentiality of Records.......................12 Industry Structure.........................................13 Foreign Trade Concerns....................................13 Legislation ..................................................15 Animal Identification and Meat Traceability Overview U.S. animal agriculture wants to improve its ability to trace the movement of livestock from their birthplace to slaughter. Some advocates also want such traceability to reach all the way to the final consumer. Is a national system needed? Should it be mandatory? What would it cost, and who pays? The livestock and meat industries have discussed these questions for some time, and an industry-government working group was developing a national animal identification (ID) plan for livestock disease tracking purposes. The group stated that the health of U.S. herds was “the most urgent issue” and “the most significant focus” of its proposed plan.1 National interest intensified in the wake of such developments as the discovery in 2003 of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or “mad cow disease”) in North America, and ongoing concerns about bioterrorism. Debate over a law requiring retail country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for meats and other products also has fueled interest in increased animal ID capabilities (but was not a focus of the industry- government working group). In 2007, the need for, and design of, an animal ID program will be a topic during debate on a new omnibus farm bill. This report covers animal ID and, to a lesser extent, meat traceability. However, traceability, and the somewhat different but related concepts of “identity preservation” and “product segregation,” also pertain to other agricultural products (e.g., grains) and issues (e.g., genetically modified, or GM, crops; the labeling of GM foods; and the production and labeling of organic foods). Several sources cited below, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service (ERS) and Choices articles (see footnote 1) and a 2002 Sparks study (see footnote 5), cover traceability in more breadth. What Are Animal Identification and Meat Traceability? Animal ID refers to the marking of individual farm animals, or a group or lot of animals, so that they can be tracked from place of birth to slaughter. Many producers already know, and keep records on, the identities of each animal. In addition, many animals have been identified as part of official disease eradication or 1 National Identification Development Team, U.S. Animal Identification Plan, December 23, 2003, p. 2. Other sources for this section include USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), “Traceability for Food Marketing & Food Safety: What’s the Next Step?” in the January- February 2002 Agricultural Outlook; Elise Golan and others, “Traceability in the U.S. Food Supply: Dead End or Superhighway?” in the June 2003 Choices magazine; and interviews with various USDA and animal industry officials. control programs. However, no nationwide U.S. marking system, backed by universal numbering and a central data registry, is in place yet. Animal ID is one component of meat traceability. Traceability is the more comprehensive concept of tracking the movement of identifiable products through the marketing chain. An extensive form of meat traceability is the ability to follow products forward from their source animal (i.e., birth or ancestry), through growth and feeding, slaughter, processing, and distribution, to the point of sale or consumption (or backward from the consumer to the source animal). Traceability can be used to convey information about a product, such as what it contains, how it was produced, and every place it has been. Animal ID and meat traceability are not themselves food safety, animal disease prevention, quality assurance, or country-of-origin labeling programs. However, they may be important components of such programs. Reasons for Animal Identification and Meat Traceability Commercial Production and Marketing Functions. Animal producers and food suppliers already have at least some capacity for tracing products. Many farmers and ranchers keep track of individual animals and how they are being raised. Traceability can help them to identify and exploit desirable production characteristics, such as animals that can grow more rapidly on less feed or that yield a better cut of meat. Universal bar codes on processed food, including many meats, are widely used for tracking. Traceability helps to coordinate shipments, manage inventories, and monitor consumer behavior. Some consumers prefer meat (or eggs or milk) from animals raised according to specified organic, humane treatment, or environmental standards. Traceability can help firms to separate, and keep records on, these unique products to verify production methods. However, in the commercial market, producers benefit (and will provide such products) only to the extent that demand exists. Animal Health. Animal ID can help to track down more quickly the source of diseases in U.S. herds (or flocks) in order to determine their origin and cause, eradicate them, and prevent their spread. In the growing global marketplace, surveillance and containment, aided by a traceability system, can both reassure foreign buyers about the health of U.S. animals and help to satisfy other countries’ sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import requirements. When used in animal health programs, ID and tracing systems are likely to have both commercial and regulatory dimensions. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is the lead federal agency charged with protecting U.S. animal populations from diseases and pests. APHIS works cooperatively with foreign and state animal health authorities and with the private sector in such efforts. Food Safety. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for protecting the public against unsafe meat and poultry. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the safety of all other foods and also regulates animal feeds. Both collaborate with APHIS and other federal and state agencies to protect the food supply from the introduction, through animals, of threats to human health, such as tuberculosis; the four major bacterial foodborne illnesses, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli O157:H7; and the human form of BSE, a very rare but fatal one known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). Generally, when local health officials can link an illness to a particular product, firms and their regulators have been able to trace that product back to the processor and/or slaughter facility. It is more difficult and costly, though technically feasible, to determine which particular animals, herds, or flocks were the source of the problem. A rigorous traceback and animal ID system would not prevent safety problems (process controls, testing, and other science-based food safety regimes are intended to do that), but it could facilitate recalls, possibly contain the spread of an illness, and help authorities stem future incidents, according to some analysts. Besides building public confidence in the U.S. food safety system, improved traceability may enable firms to limit their legal and financial liabilities, it has been argued. Thus food safety also has both commercial and regulatory dimensions.2 Country-of-Origin Labeling. Section 10816 of the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107- 171) requires many retailers to provide country-of-origin information on a number of raw products, including fresh and ground beef, pork, and lamb (produce, seafood, and peanuts also are covered). USDA was to implement the requirement by September 30, 2004; until then COOL was voluntary. However, the consolidated FY2004 omnibus appropriation (P.L. 108-199) postponed mandatory COOL for two years for all covered commodities, except farmed fish and wild fish, to September 30, 2006. Congress postponed it again, until September 30, 2008, in the FY2006 agriculture appropriation (P.L. 109-97). Once the 2002 COOL law is implemented, meats labeled as U.S. origin would have to come from animals that are born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States. The COOL law prohibits USDA from establishing a mandatory ID system to verify country of origin, but it does permit USDA to require persons supplying covered commodities to maintain a “verifiable audit trail” to document compliance. Some analysts have concluded, therefore, that COOL could spur efforts to trace red meats3 back to their birth animals. (Poultry is not covered by the COOL law.) Existing U.S. Programs Animal ID dates back at least to the 1800s, when hot iron brands were used throughout the West to indicate ownership. The methods of (and reasons for) identifying and tracking animals and their products have evolved since then and, as noted, are employed for both commercial and regulatory purposes. Animal Health. By the mid-1900s, APHIS and its predecessor agencies were using tags, tattoos and brands more widely, mainly to identify, track, and remove animals affected by disease outbreaks. Current ID methods include ear, back, and tail tags; neck chains, freeze brands, and leg bands. Some producers use radio frequency 2 See CRS Report RL32922, Meat and Poultry Inspection: Background and Selected Issues, by Geoffrey S. Becker; and CRS Report RL32199, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or”Mad Cow Disease”): Current and Proposed Safeguards, by Sarah A. Lister and Geoffrey S. Becker. 3 See CRS Report 97-508, Country-of-Origin Labeling for Foods, by Geoffrey S. Becker. ID (RFID) transponders with information that is read by scanners and fed into computer databases. For interstate swine movements, mandatory ID requirements have been in place since 1988 for disease control purposes. Most hogs are tracked by group, not individually, and most slaughter plants can identify the owners of the animals under this system. Sheep moved across state lines also are required to be identified. Brucellosis is a highly contagious and costly disease mainly affecting cattle, bison, and swine. Once it was common in the United States, and uniquely numbered brucellosis ID tags were routinely found on animals, with information that they had been vaccinated and/or tested. Today brucellosis has largely been eradicated in commercial U.S. herds. APHIS also has eradication or control programs for tuberculosis, scrapie in sheep, pseudorabies in swine, Texas fever and scabies in cattle, and several poultry diseases, including Exotic Newcastle Disease (END). In each of these programs, APHIS has established rules and procedures to identify and track animals, herds, or flocks back to their origin, if necessary. Marketing. Government-coordinated programs have been established for other purposes besides animal health. For example, a voluntary process verification program operated by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) “provides livestock and meat producers an opportunity to assure customers of their ability to provide consistent quality products by having their written manufacturing processes confirmed through independent, third party audits,” according to AMS. USDA Process Verified suppliers can have marketing claims such as breeds, feeding practices, or other claims verified by USDA and marketed as “USDA Process Verified.” Other programs employing varying levels and types of traceability include the domestic origin requirement of all suppliers of USDA-purchased commodities and products used in such programs as school lunch and food distribution to needy4 families and institutions, and the national organic certification program. Need for Improved ID Capabilities Together, the above activities might be viewed as a national ID system, but there are significant gaps. Generally, as disease programs succeed, fewer animals receive tags. The animal ID working group reported that fewer than 4 million U.S. calves (about 10% of the total) were being vaccinated for brucellosis and tagged (only female calves are vaccinated). Also, existing ID programs may provide only limited information — for example, not all of an animal’s movements between the farm and slaughterhouse may be documented.5 None of the programs were set up to denote place of birth, analysts say. Although U.S. regulators and producers usually can locate where a product was processed or the movements of many farm animals, it can be tedious and time- consuming, taking weeks or months in some situations. That’s because the different 4 For more information, see the AMS website at [http://www.ams.usda.gov/]. 5 National Identification Work Plan (November 2002 version). Also see Sparks Companies, Inc., Linking the Food Chain: Sharing Information and Verifying Sources, Materials, and Processes Across Traditional Boundaries, November 2002 multi-client study. animal ID and traceability systems now in place have been implemented independently of each other, may be “paper trails” which take time to follow, have divergent and sometimes conflicting purposes, and collect disparate types of information, according to industry experts. The limitations of existing animal ID were tested after several U.S. cases of BSE emerged. The first case, in December 2003, was a Holstein dairy cow with a metal ear tag containing an identifying number. That helped authorities to more quickly trace its likely movements and origin, to a herd in Alberta, Canada. Dairy farmers often have more extensive information about individual animals for milk production, breeding, feeding, and related purposes. However, six weeks later, U.S. authorities announced that they had ended their BSE field investigation after identifying only 28 of 80 cows that had entered the United States from Canada with the BSE cow. An international expert panel, asked by USDA asked to review its handling of this first U.S. BSE case, warned that USDA’s failure to find every animal “is a problem faced by all countries which do not have an effective animal traceability system.” It encouraged “the implementation of a national identification system that is appropriate to North American farming.”6 Announcing the end of an investigation into the second U.S. BSE case (in a Texas-born cow that died in November 2004), Secretary Johanns again lamented the lack of a national ID system: the investigation “would have taken far less than two months” if a system were in place, a significant matter “because a number of trading partners have been reluctant to make decisions until the investigation is complete.”7 Investigators also were unable to trace back earlier locations and herdmates of a third BSE case, an Alabama beef cow found in February 2006, at a time of delicate market-reopening discussions with both the Japanese and Koreans. Development of a National Plan Work toward a coordinated national animal ID system began in earnest in the early 2000s with the formation of the National Food Animal Identification Task Force, facilitated by the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA). This evolved into a larger, joint industry-government-professional effort whose principal goal was the ability to trace animals of interest within 48 hours of an animal disease problem. USDA eventually assumed the lead in planning the system, and has provided funding toward its establishment. Despite — some say because of — USDA’s direction, some livestock producers and their organizations complained that the Department was beset by indecision, progressed much too slowly, and/or had sown 6 Secretary’s Foreign Animal and Poultry Disease Advisory Committee’s Subcommittee. Report on Measures Relating to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States. February 2, 2004. Animal ID was one of a number of its policy recommendations. 7 Transcript of August 30, 2005, technical briefing with Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns and others, accessed at [http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/bse/bse.html]. considerable confusion about what type of program was evolving.8 On the other hand, USDA’s actions may simply have been reflecting the continuing divergence of opinion within animal agriculture itself over the best policy approach. A number of producers also were becoming more vocal about what they viewed as a threat to the privacy of their farm and financial records, particularly out of concern that participation in animal ID could become mandatory. Early Steps. The NIAA-facilitated work by the National Food Animal Identification Task Force led to a draft plan presented to, and accepted by, the U.S. Animal Health Association (USAHA, representing state veterinarians and allied industry groups) in October 2002. USAHA next asked APHIS to organize a government-industry team (named the National Identification Development Team) to develop a more detailed animal ID system, using the work plan as a guide, including a timetable, for presentation at and approval by the USAHA meeting in October 2003. The task force utilized more than 100 professionals from approximately 70 agencies and organizations, led by an eight-person steering committee. A “U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP)” published in December 2003 stated in part: “Maintaining the health of the U.S. animal herd is the most urgent issue for the industry and is the focus of the plan.” A key goal has been the ability to identify all animals and premises potentially exposed to a foreign animal disease within 48 hours of its discovery. The plan called for recording the movement of individual animals or groups of animals in a central database or in a “seamlessly linked” database infrastructure. APHIS roles would be to allocate premises and animal numbers, and to coordinate data collection, to be used for animal disease purposes only. The proposed work plan envisioned by USAIP had first called for all states to have a premises identification system by July 2004. Such a system could identify individual animal premises (e.g., farm, feedlot, auction barn, assembly point, processing plant) and provide each with a unique ID number. Among other steps in the plan, all cattle, swine, and small ruminants were to possess individual or group/lot identification for interstate movement by July 2005. All animals of the remaining species/industries were to be in similar compliance by July 2006. USAIP stated that animal ID should be available for “all animals that will benefit from having a system to facilitate rapid traceback/traceout in the event of disease concern.” USDA Takes the Lead. As this last draft USAIP was being published, BSE was discovered in a Washington state cow. Then-Secretary of Agriculture Veneman announced, on December 30, 2003, a series of initiatives aimed at restoring public and foreign confidence in the safety of U.S. beef and cattle. One of these initiatives was to be the accelerated implementation of a verifiable system of national animal identification. 8 See for example: Food Chemical News, February 13, 2006; Food Traceability Report, February 2006; and Cattle Buyers Weekly, January 23, 2006, and December 5, 2005. In April 2004, USDA announced its “framework” for a national system, and then transferred $18.8 million from its Commodity Credit Corporation account to APHIS to begin implementation. On June 16, 2004, USDA provided nearly $12 million of the total for cooperative agreements with states and tribal governments, to begin registering premises and to conduct research and data collection.9 USDA asked Congress for, and received, approximately $33 million for its animal ID activities in each of FY2005 and FY2006. Another $33 million request for FY2007 was pending in late November 2006 (see “Legislation” at the end of this report). By August 2005, all states had the capability of registering animal premises; by late November 2006, they had registered more than 332,000 premises, out of an estimated 1.4 million sites with livestock and/or poultry, according to USDA. The Department’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS) “builds upon aspects of the USAIP and is the program that USDA is moving forward with in implementing national animal and premises identification. USDA will continue to seek industry input as the NAIS progresses,” it declared. USDA’s First Draft Strategic Plan. On May 5, 2005, USDA had released for public comment a draft strategic plan, including timelines, for achieving a nationwide program. For example, the draft had proposed requiring stakeholders to identify premises and animals according to NAIS standards by January 2008, and requiring full recording of defined animal movements by January 2009. USDA stressed, however, that formal rulemaking would precede any mandatory program if it became necesssary. USDA’s Animal ID “Guiding Principles”. With criticism mounting over the pace and direction of USDA’s efforts, officials apparently modified their thinking on a national program. On August 30, 2005, Secretary Johanns announced four “guiding principles” for a national ID system: !It must be able to allow tracking of animals from point of origin to processing within 48 hours without unnecessary burden to producers and other stakeholders. !Its architecture must be developed without unduly increasing the size and role of government. !It must be flexible enough to utilize existing technologies and incorporate new identification technologies as they are developed. 9 USDA in fact had been funding animal ID pilot projects for several years. For example, the National Farm Animal Identification and Records (FAIR) Program, administered by the Holstein Association USA, Inc., developed a database identifying animals on thousands of dairy and livestock farms, most of them in Michigan. USDA also was funding ID pilots in Michigan for cattle tuberculosis; in Wisconsin for the Animal Identification and Information System (“A-II”) for all species; and in several other states. !Animal movement data should be maintained in a private system that can be readily accessed when necessary by state and federal animal health authorities. This latter point was perhaps the most significant. It appeared to signal USDA’s awareness of growing concerns among many producers regarding the collection and use of what they view as their private production information. Subsequently, federal officials revealed that they were now contemplating not a single tracking system, but rather “a metadata repository that USDA would develop and maintain; this potentially will allow us to work with multiple databases collecting information on animal movement.”10 In the event of a disease incident, APHIS would send inquiries only to those databases with relevant information on those particular animals, officials explained. USDA’s April 2006 Implementation Plan.11 On April 6, 2006, Secretary Johanns unveiled a plan outlining what he characterized as an “aggressive timeline for ensuring full implementation of the NAIS by 2009.” The timeline included “benchmarks for incrementally accomplishing the remaining implementation goals to enable NAIS to be operational by 2007,” the Secretary noted. As he had indicated in the past, the national system would be a series of state or privately held databases that USDA could tap in the event of an animal disease event. USDA’s Current Thinking. In November 2006, USDA distributed a draft “user guide,” which, it stated, is “the most current plan for the NAIS and replaces all previously published program documents, including the 2005 Draft Strategic Plan and Draft Program Standards and the 2006 Implementation Strategies.”12 The document seeks to assure producers that USDA will not require them to participate in the program, and that it is bound by law to protect individuals’ private and confidential business information. The draft user guide describes three successively greater steps toward full participation, if a producer chooses to do so: !Premises registration, which can be done through state (or tribal) animal health authorities; !Animal identification, accomplished by obtaining USDA-recognized numbering tags or devices from representatives of authorized manufacturers; !Selection of an animal tracking database (ATB) that the producer will use to report animal movements. 10 Clifford, John R., APHIS Deputy Administrator, Announcement to National Animal Identification System Stakeholders, January 26, 2006. This announcement references an October 16, 2005, stakeholder meeting held in Kansas City, Missouri. 11 The Secretary’s comments, and a copy of the plan, National Animal Identification System (NAIS): Strategies for the Implementation of NAIS, April 2006, was formerly posted at the APHIS website on animal ID. 12 APHIS was accepting comments on the draft user guide until January 22, 2007; it was posted at its NAIS website: [http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/index.shtml]. Among other noteworthy aspects of the evolving NAIS, as described by the guide: !Animal species to be covered will include cattle and bison; poultry; swine; sheep and goats; cervids such as deer and elk; horses and other equines; and camelids (e.g., llamas and alpacas). Household pets and other animals not listed here are excluded from NAIS. !Animals that typically are moved in groups or lots — such as hogs and poultry — would not have to be individually identified. !Only animals that enter commerce or that commingle with animals at other premises (like sales barns, state or national fairs or exhibits) would be identified. !The ATBs will be privately held and managed. !Producers do not have to pay for premises registration, but they would be responsible for the cost of ID devices. Status of Premises Registration. As of mid-January 2007, APHIS reported that approximately 348,000 premises with animals had been registered in one of the available databases. This represented nearly a fourth of the estimated 1.4 million livestock and poultry farms in the United States (based on 2002 Census of Agriculture data). Registration rates vary widely among states: in December 2006, for example, Idaho was at more than 95% and Indiana was at more than 70%, while13 Kansas was at 11% and Texas was at 12%. Private Sector Plan? The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) in 2005 had announced that it would take the lead on a privately-held ID system that could track cattle and other animal species. The United States Animal Identification Organization (USAIO) formed under NCBA auspices in January 2006. USAIO is “... managing the industry-led animal movement database in accordance with the NAIS and is working with every segment of the animal industry and animal health authorities to provide an effective, efficient, and inexpensive database for the NAIS.”14 Some Members of the House Agriculture Committee also called on USDA to implement a private sector-based system. Complaining that the department had so far failed to consider a private system, these members noted: “This is unfortunate because experience suggests that private-based systems have allowed other nations to implement ID systems swiftly and inexpensively while still maximizing the benefit to producers and the utility for government regulators.”15 Not everyone has endorsed the private approach. R-CALF United Stockgrowers of America, representing some cattle producers, issued an August 31, 2005, statement asserting that protecting U.S. animal health has national security and public accountability dimensions that should not be ceded to the private sector. 13 Premises registration data is updated regularly on the APHIS animal ID website. 14 NCBA, [http://www.beefusa.org/NEWSAnimalIDTalkingPoints25023.aspx]. 15 July 20, 2005, letter to Secretary Johanns signed by Representative Goodlatte, then Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and six other Committee Members. Other Selected Issues Mandatory or Voluntary? The original USAIP draft plan did not explicitly call for a mandatory program. The USAIP website had stated in part: “Ultimately there needs to be full compliance for the system to work as effectively as it should.” Until recently, USDA’s approach had been to first work on a voluntary system and then reassess the need for making some or all aspects of it mandatory. However, according to the Department’s latest thinking on the NAIS (see above), “Participation in NAIS is voluntary at the Federal level.... The NAIS does not need to be mandatory to be effective.” Others, including many state animal health officials, reportedly disagree. At meetings in October 2006, the National Assembly of State Animal Health Officials and the U.S. Animal Health Association’s livestock committee each approved a recommendation that, as a step toward a national system, USDA make animal ID16 mandatory for all U.S. breeding cattle. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer advocacy group, also has pressed for a mandatory national system and criticized USDA for its “lack of commitment to getting a viable system in place.”17 Costs and Who Pays. An animal ID system will incur a variety of costs, such as for tags or other identifying devices and their application; data systems to track animals; and any government administrative expenses. To date, cost estimates of a national system have varied broadly — and are not directly comparable. This disparity is a reflection of estimators’ differing assumptions and of the varying designs of the programs being considered. For example, the earlier USAIP draft estimated that once a national ID program is fully in place, costs might approximate $122 million annually, with ID tags accounting for nearly $100 million of that amount. In the earlier years of the plan during the implementation phases, system development costs would be higher, but18 ID tag expenses lower. These estimates apparently are for the cost of a multi- species plan. Elsewhere, the “National FAIR Fact Sheet” estimates that its cattle program would cost $540 million over a five-year period. This would include the costs of initial tagging of all newborn bovines and subsequent tagging of animals as movements warrant. The first-year cost would be $175 million, FAIR also estimated.19 As the extent of traceability increases, so do likely costs. Animal ID prior to slaughter, and product tracking after slaughter and processing, generally are available (and are often used), industry observers agree. However, the meat industry essentially has argued, notably in the context of COOL, that linking the two systems will be 16 “USDA Urged to Move on Mandatory Animal ID,” Food Traceability Report, November 2006. 17 Food Chemical News, February 13, 2006. 18 USAIP, December 23, 2003, table, p. 45. 19 Communication to CRS, March 30, 2004. difficult and costly. Industry officials said new costs will be incurred in identifying and segregating animals, physically reconfiguring plants and processing lines, and labeling and tracking the final products. Several studies have estimated total industry COOL costs for the cattle and beef sectors alone at between $1-$3 billion; others have estimates above and below this range.20 One company estimated a minimum investment of $20-25 million per plant to ensure compliance.21 Others challenge these costs; a recent study estimated COOL recordkeeping costs for all covered commodities (produce, seafood, and peanuts as well as meats) at $70-$193 million annually — less than one-tenth of a cent per pound based on U.S. consumption.22 A related policy question is who should pay. Producer groups suggest that government should share costs with industry. Without at least some public support, the burden could be passed to farmers and ranchers in the form of lower prices for their animals, and/or forward to consumers in the form of higher meat prices, they argue, adding that the industry would become less competitive. USAIP observed: It is well acknowledged that costs associated with the USAIP will be substantial and that a public/private funding plan is justified. Significant state and federal costs will be incurred in overseeing, maintaining, updating, and improving necessary infrastructure. Continued efforts will be required to seek federal and state financial support for this integral component of safeguarding animal health23 in protecting American animal agriculture. It could be argued, on the other hand, that the need to control federal spending should take precedence over public funding for an animal ID program, and that the industry, a primary beneficiary, should shoulder most if not all of the costs. Certain animal ID bills introduced into the 108th and 109th Congress proposed appropriations for a program; some also proposed financial assistance to producers to help them comply. USDA’s November 2006 draft user guide (see above) calls for shared expenses among the federal government, states, and industry, with producers paying for ID devices themselves. It estimated the cost to be $1 for each visual ID tag, $2-$3 for devices with radio frequency transponders, and $15-$20 for electronic ID devices that are injectable (e.g., for horses). USDA did not provide cost estimates for 20 Testimony of Keith Collins, USDA Chief Economist, before the House Agriculture Committee, June 26, 2003. 21 Testimony of Ken Bull, Vice President for Cattle Procurement, Excel Corporation, before the House Agriculture Committee, June 26, 2003. 22 VanSickle, J., and others, Country of Origin Labeling: A Legal and Economic Analysis, International Agricultural and Trade Policy Center, University of Florida, May 2003. However, the analysis assumed that documentation only of imported products is required by COOL; domestic products would be presumed to be of U.S. origin. 23 USAIP, December 23, 2003, p. 2. As noted, the Administration requested and received $33 million to work on animal ID in both FY2005 and FY2006. A request for the same amount in FY2007 was pending in Congress in July 2006. participating in the tracking databases. It said that these costs could vary depending partly upon whether producers chose to use these privately maintained databases for additional services. (An example might be birth/age/process verification which some buyers might request to back a labeling or marketing claim.) In Canada, which has far fewer cattle than the United States, the cattle ID program was developed and implemented for less than $4 million (Canadian dollars), according to an official there. The total annual cost of the program since then has been approximately C$1 million per year, including database management, communications, and other administrative costs. Producers buy the tags from retailers of farm supplies, veterinarians, and other industry organizations, and pay for their own tagging and recordkeeping. The cost of bar-coded ID tags ranged from C$0.80 to C$1.60 each. Canada is now moving to an RFID system, with an estimated cost of approximately C$2.00 per animal.24 Liability and Confidentiality of Records. Some producers are concerned they will be held liable for contamination or other problems over which they believe they have little control once the animal leaves the farm. On the other hand, documentation of management practices, including animal health programs, can help to protect against liability because they can prove where animals came from and how25 they were raised. Another issue is whether producers can and should be protected from public scrutiny of their records. The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) entitles members of the public to obtain records held by federal agencies. Some producers are concerned, for example, that animal rights extremists might use FOIA to gain information collected by USDA to find and damage animal facilities. However, the law exempts from FOIA access to certain types of business information, such as trade secrets, commercial or financial information, or other confidential material that might harm the private provider of that information. The evolving ID system would limit government’s role to obtaining disease information only. “Animal movement records will be securely held in animal tracking databases owned, managed, and controlled by the private sector or the States,” USDA’s November 2006 draft user guide states. “Animal health officials will only request animal movement information from these databases when there is a risk to animal health — such as an outbreak of avian influenza, brucellosis, or tuberculosis.” 24 Personal communication with Julie Stitt, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, January 12, 2004. At a September 15, 2005 House Agriculture subcommittee hearing, Ms. Stitt stated that the RFID tags were costing $2.20 to $3 (Canadian dollars). House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture, National Animalthst Identification Systems, 109 Cong., 1 sess., Serial No. 109-16. Canada had about 16.3 million cattle and calves in July 2006, compared with about 105.7 million in the United States. 25 Clemens and Babcock. Still, some in the industry worry about government intrusion into their business practices generally. That is why they prefer the use of a private third party, rather than USDA, to collect and maintain animal data (and why others want no new program). Any agreement between USDA and a private entity would have to clearly stipulate the conditions for use of the information, they assert. Several proposed bills have called for more explicitly shielding animal ID data from public scrutiny.26 Industry Structure. How might traceability costs affect the industry’s ability to produce an economically competitive product, and which segments could bear most of the costs? It has been argued that, as more tracing requirements are imposed, large retailers and meat packers will exercise market power to shift compliance costs backward to farms and ranches, making it even more difficult for the smaller, independent ones to remain in business. Larger, more vertically integrated operations are more likely to have the resources and scale economies to survive, some have argued. On the other hand, if traceability costs forced big meat plants to reduce line speeds, “... smaller plants with slower fabrication speeds may be better equipped to implement traceability to the retail level and may find niche market opportunities,” Clemens and Babcock wrote. Foreign Trade Concerns. Improved traceability is viewed as important for maintaining foreign market access. According to the November 2002 version of the National Identification Work Plan, “Other countries are rapidly developing systems that are already being used as technical barriers to trade. These systems are rapidly becoming the world standard. To avoid the loss of international markets, the United States needs to be consistent with the animal tracking systems of our international trading partners.... As our export potential grows, the need to quickly trace suspected foreign or emerging diseases will be more important than ever.” When Canada in May 2003 discovered BSE in one of its cattle (but before the United States found its own case seven months later), Japanese officials said they would require proof that beef shipped from the United States was not of Canadian origin. Japan had been the United States’ number one foreign market, purchasing 36%-37% of all U.S. beef exports in recent years (USDA data). (Japan also has been the top importer of U.S. pork.) This Japanese requirement had complicated U.S. deliberations on whether and when to reopen its own border to Canadian beef and/or cattle and other ruminants. Hoping to satisfy Japanese demands for verification of origin, the department unveiled in August 2003 a new “Beef Export Verification” (BEV) program as a voluntary, user-fee funded service. Exporters desiring to sell beef to Japan could request certification from AMS.27 However, after the December 23, 2003, USDA announcement of a U.S. BSE cow, Japan was among the many countries suspending imports of U.S. cattle, beef, and related products. 26 For more discussion of the liability and confidentiality issues, see The National Agricultural Law Center, Animal Identification — An Overview, A National AgLaw Center Reading Room, at [http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/readingrooms/animalid/]. 27 For details, see [http://www.ams.usda.gov/bevprocedures.pdf]. After two years of often difficult negotiations, the Japanese market briefly reopened in late 2005 for some U.S. beef, if it was from plants meeting special Japanese requirements and so certified by AMS.28 The agency also widely offered such export verification (EV) services to U.S. plants seeking to meet the import specifications of other countries besides Japan, and this EV continues. The Japanese in January 2006 again blocked all U.S. beef after finding some ineligible beef products (i.e., veal with bone) from one of the EV certified plants. Exports of some beef products to Japan again resumed later in 2006 (the Koreans in late 2006 ostensibly opened their market to some U.S. beef as well).29 Separately, an international team that had examined Canada’s BSE response emphasized the need for mandatary ID, and the team observed that the lack of such a system prior to Canada’s adoption of one in 2001 “contributed to the need for extended [herd] depopulations.” Some 2,800 animals there were killed. The European Union (EU), where BSE cases have been concentrated (most in the United Kingdom), now has extensive mandatory programs.30 All cattle born or moved across EU state lines as of 1998 must be tagged with a unique registration number. EU states must maintain computerized databases that note births, movements, and deaths, among other information. As of January 1, 2002, all EU beef products must have labels indicating the country or countries where the animal was born, raised, and processed, including reference numbers tying the meat to an animal or group of animals, and to individual slaughterhouses. Other obstacles already keep most U.S. beef out of Europe. However, other beef importers and exporters are moving toward national ID, and some toward meat traceability, generally starting with cattle. Japan instituted full traceability for its domestic beef industry, largely in response to its first BSE cases. In December 2001, Japan began tagging all beef and dairy cattle and developed a database to track each animal’s birth and movement. Canada can identify most individual cattle. Although Canadian cattle movements per se do not have to be documented, each animal must receive a unique tag when it leaves its herd of origin, which is collected at slaughter. The compulsory animal ID program, which applies to all bovine and bison, began in 2001. Officials assert that their program provided much of the information on Canadian cattle movements in both the Canadian and U.S. BSE investigations (although some critics 28 For example, one of the requirements is that only beef from cattle of 20 months or younger is shipped. Roughly 70% of the 32-35 million U.S. cattle each year have been 20 months of age or younger, although verifiable age records may only be available for anywhere from 10% to 25% of cattle, according to estimates by USDA and others. 29 As noted, EV is considered voluntary, even though it has been widely viewed as a minimum prerequisite for access to the Japanese and other foreign markets. 30 Sources for this section: Roxanne Clemens and Bruce Babcock, “Meat Traceability: Its Effect on Trade,” in the Iowa Ag Review, winter 2002; and Sparks, Linking the Food Chain. argued that data gaps made the program less effective than it could have been in identifying all suspect animals).31 Australia, like Canada another major U.S. export competitor, has a system to identify all cattle, and uses carcass and boxed meat labeling procedures that, it claims, can trace meat back to the animal’s origin. Australia has been moving toward a fully integrated program linking animal electronic ID devices, product barcoding, and a central electronic database. New Zealand has implemented cattle ID. Legislation USDA has claimed broad authority, under the Animal Health Protection Act (AHPA; 7 U.S.C. 8301 et seq.) to implement an animal ID program, presumably making new legislation unnecessary. Some, however, believe that the AHPA might limit USDA’s options. For example, does it empower the Department to require producers to report data to a private entity? Several bills have been offered in recent years aimed at clarifying USDA’s authority and/or spelling out what type of program should be established. Congress also has played an important role by providing funding for animal ID and placing conditions on use of that funding. A number of policy options, possibly including legislative alternatives introduced in the past, are expected to be discussed in the 110th Congress. A likely venue for these discussions is House and Senate Agriculture Committee work in 2007 on a new omnibus farm bill. The new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, for example, has been the chief sponsor of legislation (including H.R.th 1254 in the 109 Congress) to mandate a program. In the 109th Congress, several animal ID bills were offered. H.R. 1254 would have amended the AHPA to require USDA to establish a mandatory program for all farm-raised animals, and authorized federal appropriations to fund it. Another bill (H.R. 1256) would have amended the AHPA to exempt certain information collected under an animal ID program from FOIA disclosure. Meanwhile, H.R. 3170 would have established a privately governed Livestock Identification Board to create and implement a mandatory system. With regard to funding, both the Senate-reported and House-passed versions of the USDA appropriation for FY2007 (H.R. 5384) would have funded the Administration’s budget request for another $33 million for animal ID development. However, the House version conditioned use of the money on the Secretary first providing the House Appropriations Committee with a “complete and detailed plan” for the program, “including, but not limited to, proposed legislative changes, cost 31 The program is administered by the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency, a nonprofit industry agency, with oversight by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Website: [http://www.canadaid.com/]. A Canadian Sheep ID Program began January 1, 2004. Canadian and Australian officials testified extensively on their respective ID systems at the House hearing on September 15, 2005. estimates, and means of program evaluation, and such plan is published as an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register for comment by interested parties.” The accompanying House report (H.Rept. 109-463) expressed concern about the ID program’s progress and transparency. The accompanying Senate report (S.Rept. 109-266) asked the Government Accountability Office to review USDA’s steps toward establishment of a program, and it also emphasized that the Department should work with private industry on animal ID. The House and/or Senate reports also directed that various amounts be allocated to a number of specified ongoing ID pilot programs. Final action was uncertain as of mid-January 2007; USDA and its programs were operating under a continuing resolution at that time. During the full House’s consideration of H.R. 5384, a floor amendment by Representative Paul to prohibit all funding for the animal ID program was defeated by a vote of 34 to 389. Withdrawn, on a point of order, was a King amendment to create a mandatory but privately administered animal ID system. The amendment paralleled his bill (H.R. 3170) to do the same. In the 108th Congress, a number of proposals to establish animal ID programs were introduced but not passed, including S. 1202/H.R. 3546, the Meat and Poultry Products Traceability and Safety Act of 2003; S. 2007/H.R. 3714 [Section 5(b)], the Ruminant Identification Program; S. 2008, the National Farm Animal Identification and Records Act; H.R. 3787, also titled the National Farm Animal Identification and Records Act; H.R. 3822, the National Livestock Identification Act; and S. 2070/H.R. 3961, the United States Animal Identification Plan Implementation Act. In the 107th Congress and the first session of the 108th Congress, much of the debate over the costs and benefits of expanded animal ID and meat traceability occurred within the context of COOL. Panels of both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees held hearings on COOL implementation. In reviewing the COOL issues, lawmakers learned more about how animal ID systems could be used for other purposes, most notably to find and eradicate animal diseases like BSE. They also were exposed to more of the trade implications surrounding animal ID in particular and meat traceability in general. The agriculture committees also have held hearings on animal ID specifically.32 Although most animal industry lobbyists generally appear to agree in concept on the need for a national plan, a consensus on its key elements is still evolving. New developments regarding the BSE situation, unforeseen outbreaks of some other potentially devastating animal disease, or some act of bioterrorism are examples of events that might propel further action. 32 See, for example, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Development of a National Animal Identification Plan, 108th Cong., 2nd sess., S.Hrg. 108-606; and House Committee on Agriculture and the Subcommittee on Livestock and Horticulture, Thethnd Development of USDA’s National Animal Identification Program, 108 Cong., 2 sess., Serial No. 108-24. | 农业 |
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Impact of water scarcity on food security a priority for Near East and North Africa meeting
New initiative eyes role of regional cooperation to enhance agricultural water management
Conservation and management of water resources is crucial to food security.20 February 2014, Rome - Water scarcity is one of the most urgent food security issues facing countries of the Near East and North Africa (NENA), with fresh water availability in the region expected to drop by 50 percent by the year 2050, said FAO, as ministers of agriculture and national officials prepared to tackle the issue at a meeting of the organization's highest regional governing body. Participants in the 32nd FAO Regional Conference for the Near East (NERC-32), to be held from 24 to 28 February, are set to discuss a new Regional Water Scarcity Initiative, launched by FAO to support member countries in identifying strategies, policies and practices that promote sustainable solutions to water scarcity and related food security problems. Per capita fresh water availability in countries of the Near East and North Africa has plummeted by two-thirds over the past 40 years, heightening concerns over the degradation of water quality and the impact of climate change. Demographic trends are adding urgency to the issue: Chronic undernourishment in the region is estimated at 11.2 percent, based on the 2010-2013 reporting period, while the population continues to grow at 2 percent, almost twice the global rate. Farming and other agricultural activities consume more than 85 percent of available rainfed, irrigated and groundwater resources, and the demand for agricultural products is expected to grow amid burgeoning urban populations and increased exports. "Agriculture must be central to our responses to the challenge of water scarcity in the Near East and North Africa Region. Agriculture is by far the largest user of water in the region, but it is also fundamental to our survival and long-term resilience, accounting for some $95 billion in added value to regional economies," said Abdessalam Ould Ahmed, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa. "The region has made significant strides in two decades in developing its water usage and storage capacities, but there is still much work to be done to improve water efficiency in agriculture, protect water quality, and address challenges related to climate change," Ould Ahmed added. Conference participants are expected to offer guidance on priority areas for action, such as improving governance and institutions; giving more voice to farmers and other non-state stakeholders; and boosting efficiency in water use, both within and across national borders. More than 60 percent of the water resources used by countries in the region comes from outside of national and regional boundaries. Pilot initiative The pilot phase of the initiative, which was launched in June 2013, in six countries (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia and Yemen) began reviewing the current status of water availability and use and the potential for further agricultural production; identifying and ranking options for future food supply in terms of both their economic and water-requirement costs; and, looking at the performance of agriculture water management and relevant policies, governance and institutional issues. Work done under the initiative will encourage countries to learn from success stories in other countries to improve management and the use of rainfed, irrigated and groundwater systems through an innovative approach that includes: The creation of a broad consensus on the water reform agenda among all involved stakeholders. The acknowledgement of farmers' role in prompting a shift in the way water resources are used and managed. The involvement of the private sector as the actual manager of the food value chain and the supplier of the latest available technologies. The establishment of partnerships which are action-oriented and results-based. The development of tools to concretely measure results and collect evidence to support policy-making and decision-making processes. Regional perspectives The upcoming Conference, whose theme is "For a resilient and food secure region," will be the first of a series of meetings to be held in 2014 in each of the organization's five operational regions. The agenda will also focus on the state of food and agriculture in the region and related issues like food losses and waste along the production-to-consumption chain; enhancing gender equality; and, other approaches to improving agricultural and rural development prospects. The Regional Conferences meet every two years, bringing together ministers of agriculture and high officials of Member States from the same geographic region on challenges that transcend national borders and priority matters related to food and agriculture. NERC 32 will include a three-day meeting for Senior Officers from 24 to 26 February, followed by a Ministerial Meeting on 27 and 28 February.
Related linksFact Sheet: Water ScarcityRegional Water Scarcity Initiative: Towards a Collaborative Strategy FAO Regional Conference for the Near East and North AfricaRegional Office web siteMember countriesAudioInterview with Pasquale Steduto, Deputy Regional Representative, Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa and FAO Representative in EgyptReadCoping with water scarcity - an action framework for agriculture and food securityAustralia's model for successThe Regional Water Scarcity Initiative report encourages NENA countries look globally to learn from examples of institutional reform, such as that of Australia’s National Water Initiative. Australia’s reform plan was based on an inclusive process of study and debate. Among the reforms it called for were: returning all water systems to sustainable levels of extraction; water entitlements for all with legally-enforced water-sharing plans; trading of water rights; support to communities where irrigation supplies are reduced; investing in knowledge about water; building water management capacity; and, improving water-data collection.ContactMidhat MakarMedia Relations (Rome)tel: (+39) 06 570 52627 [email protected] RucciRegional Office (Rome/Cairo) (+39) 06 570 57024(+39) 339 443 [email protected] WilkersonMedia Relations (Rome)(+39) 06 570 56302 [email protected] Contact us Terms and Conditions Scam Alert Report fraud Employment Procurement Governing Bodies Office of the Inspector General Evaluation Legal and Ethics Office FAO Departments and Offices Agriculture and Consumer Protection Economic and Social Development Fisheries and Aquaculture Forestry Technical Cooperation Regional Office for AfricaRegional Office for Asia and the PacificRegional Office for Europe and Central AsiaRegional Office for Latin America and the CaribbeanRegional Office for the Near East and North AfricaCountry Offices
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2017-17/0276/en_head.json.gz/24786 | / Euphorbia characias 'Wulfenii' Euphorbia characias 'Wulfenii' Mediterranean Spurge
Euphorbia characias 'Wulfenii' Mediterranean Spurge
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Packet Size:20 Seeds Qty:
The Edwardian garden designer Gertrude Jekyll described this sun-loving, evergreen shrub as 'one of the grandest of all plants', Euphorbia characias Wulfenii are the perfect plant to create structure throughout the year in the perennial border. This handsome euphorbia has upright stems clothed with whorls of fleshy, mat grey-green leaves that lend the whole plant a textural quality that is unparalleled. From March to June the plants are topped with broad cylindrical heads of intense chartreuse-green flowers with bronze 'eyes'. The plant forms a natural rounded shape, and brings structure and an architectural quality to the garden, while the colour and texture offer almost endless contrast possibilities. Euphorbia characias originates from the Mediterranean, where it is found on dry rocky slopes and scrub land. These low maintenance plants are equally at home in a contemporary minimalist or gravel garden. They are very tolerant of drought, are hardy to minus 15°C (5°F) and can resist high salinity so are very suitable to a maritime garden. Sowing: Sow in late spring to early summer.
Soak the seeds for two hours in warm water before sowing. Euphorbia plants do not like root disturbance, so it is best to sow the seeds in place of growth or to use deep plugs or pots. Grow at 20 to 26°C (68 to 78°F) . Be patient, germination is generally very slow, it may occur in two to three weeks at but sometimes can take a few months.
Sowing Direct: Sow directly where they are to grow, once temperatures have risen and the soil has warmed. Sow on the surface of the soil and keep damp but not wet. Sowing Indoors: Surface sow the seeds into plugs or small pots using a good seed sowing mix or well drained soil and cover seed with vermiculite, do not exclude light.
Prick out each seedling as it becomes large enough to handle, transplant into larger pots to grow on. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out. Plant 30cm (12in) apart in sun and ordinary well drained soil. Cultivation: Euphorbia need full sun to partial shade, with a well-drained soil mix. The plants should be well watered and be allowed to dry before watering again. The plants are native to poor soils and do not need fertiliser or excessive water. Too much of either will provide lush growth but at the expense of flowers. Although it can be strongly evergreen through winter, each stem is biennial, so will produce leaves in its first year and flower in its second. Once the stem has produced a flower it should be cut right back to its base or to a point where there is new growth emerging, in midsummer. This will make way for lots of new, fresh shoots
Prune the old stalks in June, be careful to cut back only second year branches, almost as soon as they're removed, lots of fresh new shoots will appear. Plant Uses: Borders and Beds. Cut Flowers. Cut Flowers: To produce longer lasting cut flowers, sear the cut ends over a flame or dip them in boiling water. Caution:
As with all members of the Euphorbiaceae, plants and seed are toxic if eaten.
When working with spurges, plants should be handled with care, especially when sap is showing. Always wear gloves since the milky sap is poisonous and a potential skin irritant. The latex is corrosive to the skin and can cause burns or dermatitis. Origin: Two main subspecies are found in different regions of the Mediterranean Basin. These often overlap in the western areas of distribution: E. characias subsp. Characias is found from Portugal to Crete, while E. characias subsp. Wulfenii from Southern France to Anatolia.
Nomenclature: Euphorbia has a long history as a medicinal plant, it was known to Theophrastus (371 - 287BC). The genus was named after Euphorbes (50BC - AD23), the personal physician to the Numidian King Juba II, who is said to have discovered the toxic and curative potential of the white and milky sap in the plant.
The word Euphorbus derives from the Greek eu meaning ‘good’ and phorbe meaning ‘pasture or fodder’ thus giving the meaning ‘well fed.’ Some sources suggest that Juba was amused by the play upon words and chose his physician's name for the plant because of its succulent nature and because of Euphorbus' corpulent physique. The species name characias is derived from Xaraxias, which is the ancient name that Dioscorides referred to it by in the first century A.D. The subspecies was named Wulfenii as a tribute to Professor Wulfen, a distinguished scholar and botanist especially of the Eastern Alps. Many plants bear the species or subspecies name "Wulfenii" in his honour.
Euphorbias have also been given the common name ‘spurge’ from the Latin expurgare ( French espurgier ) meaning 'to purge', as the sap of herbaceous euphorbias used to be used as a purgative, a laxative.
The Natural History (Latin: Naturalis Historia), an encyclopedia published circa AD77-79 by Pliny the Elder says: "The tithymalos (spurge) is called by our people the ‘milk plant,’ ('Herba lactaria') and by some persons the ‘goat lettuce’.
It belongs to the enormous genus of Euphorbia which includes such plants as the traditional holiday poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), common garden spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias), and quite a few species of cactus look-alike plants, such as Euphorbia neriifolia.
Euphorbus was the Greek physician of Juba II, the King of Mauretania. Juba was educated in Rome and married the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra. Euphorbus was interested in botany and had written about an African cactus-like plant he had found or which he knew about from the slopes of Mt. Atlas which was used as a powerful laxative. That plant may have been Euphorbia resinifera which, like all Euphorbias had a latexy exudate. Euphorbus had a brother named Antonius Musa who was the physician to Augustus Caesar in Rome. When Juba heard that Caesar had honoured his physician with a statue, he decided to honour his own physician by naming the plant he had written about after him. One species of Euphorbia, E. regis-jubae, was named in honour of King Juba II.
Botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus in the physician's honour. Franz Xaver Freiherr von Wulfen (1728-1805) was a botanist, zoologist, mineralogist, alpinist, and Jesuit priest. Born in Belgrade, son of the Austrian lieutenant field-marshal, Christian Friedrich von Wulfen. His mother, née Mariassy, was a Hungarian countess.
Franz's education took place at Kaschau Gymnasium in present-day Košice, Slovakia. When he was 17, he joined a Jesuit school in Vienna and following his graduation he became a school instructor (chiefly of mathematics and physics) in Vienna, Graz, Neusohl, Gorz, Laibach (Ljubljana), and from 1764 Klagenfurt.
After the Suppression of the Society of Jesus in the 1760s he remained in Klagenfurt until his death. By 1763 he was officially a priest. From his twenty-second year he devoted himself to botany. The upland and valley flora of the Eastern Alps was his chief study. To find specimens, Wulfen frequently hiked up the Grossglockner. and was a pioneer in exploring the Austrian Alps. At 3,798 metres above the Adriatic (12,461 ft), the Grossglockner is the highest mountain of Austria, In 1781, he published his studies in the well-illustrated Plantae rariorum Carinthicae (Rare Plants of Carinthia). He made numerous trips to the south (on many occasions to the Adriatic Sea) and to the north as far as Holland.
Wulfen died at the age of 76 years. He was a distinguished scholar and botanist especially of the Eastern Alps. Many plants bear the species or subspecies name "Wulfenii" in his honour.
characias
Wulfen's Mediterranean spurge
Mediterranean Spurge
Albanian spurge
Intense chartreuse-green flowers
March to June Height
1.5m (5ft) if left unpruned Spread
1.5m (5ft) if left unpruned Position
Full Sun to Partial Shade.
Sow in early spring to early autumn.
Be patient, germination is generally very slow | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/24 | Home > First AfriCAN Climate Award and Event
First AfriCAN Climate Award and Event
The winner of the first AfriCAN Climate Award, themed on Awareness raising about climate change in Africa, is Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu, Executive Director of the Smallholders Foundation for his innovative project Climate Change on Air.
With financial support from the World Bank, Nnaemeka and his team created a series of educational radio drama plays to help millions of Nigerian farmers understand the science of climate change.
Successfully combining scientific research with creativity and innovation, the project strengthened the climate risk management capacity of over 5 million smallholder farmers across 5 states in south-eastern Nigeria. Many have been inspired to set up local micro-projects for climate change adaptation and mitigation, helping to secure their livelihoods and household incomes.
In the words of Professor Mary Scholes, Chair of the Award Evaluation Committee, 'the Jury was impressed with what Nnaemeka has achieved, truly serving the the vulnerable and the marginalised'.
Watch video:
On the air: A radio station just for farmers Nnaemeka was invided to present his project and receive the Award on the occasion of the first AfriCAN Climate event, jointly organised with AfricaAdapt in Dakar (Senegal).
The workshop Agriculture, Climate Change and Corporate Social Responsibility was attended by senior officials from the Senegalese Ministries of Environment, Industry and Agriculture. It featured presentations by leading Senegalese academics including Professor Bienvenu Sambou, director of the Institut des Sciences de l'Environnement (ISE) at the Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD).
A wide range of issues were addressed in different panel sessions, with the focus always on ‘good practice’ and concrete action that can help farmers adapt to the affects of a changing climate.
Workshop proceedings can be accessed here
Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu at the AfriCAN Climate workshop in Dakar, Senegal | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/2423 | Broadcast Advisory
Watch this video on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpmByo-OS2o Video to broadcast or embed for media web pages is available at http://yousend.it/NJq7bm. This video will be available for download indefinitely. For questions, contact Minerva Baumann 575-646-7566. Headlines
Jornada Experimental Range celebrates 100 years of rangeland research
Writer: Jay Rodman, 575-646-1996, [email protected]
When New Mexico achieved statehood in January of 1912, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was already 50 years old. In May of that year, an executive order signed by President Taft designated a large tract of what had previously been public-domain lands in the Jornada Basin as the Jornada Range Reserve. Now known as the Jornada Experimental Range, or simply "the Jornada," it was established within USDA's Bureau of Plant Industry. Research on the adaptability of Criollo cattle to the conditions of the Jornada Basin is one research focus at the USDA/ARS Jornada Experimental Range near Las Cruces. (NMSU photo by Jay A. Rodman) The use of small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for rangeland monitoring is being explored from a site on the 230,000-acre Jornada Experimental Range northeast of Las Cruces. (NMSU photo by Jay A. Rodman) Entrance sign to the USDA/ARS Jornada Experimental Range northwest of Las Cruces. (NMSU photo by Darren Phillips) The motivation for this action was widening recognition of, and concern about, rangeland degradation in the region. The reserve was established to demonstrate science-based solutions to address this degradation.
At the time, the parcel of nearly 200,000 acres northeast of Las Cruces was controlled by rancher Charles Turney, who held the water rights and ran livestock on it. According to Kris Havstad, currently the supervisory scientist at the Jornada, Turney was interested in rangeland research and agreed to cooperate in the establishment of the experimental range if he were allowed to continue his grazing, The other key player in this arrangement was E.O. Wooton, a long-time professor at the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now New Mexico State University. He had recently moved to Washington, D.C., to work as an agricultural economist for the USDA. He had been documenting the deteriorating state of rangeland in the area for a number of years, and some of that work had involved Turney and the lands he grazed. In his new position, Wooton was largely responsible for arranging the creation of the Jornada. He also returned to the area to become the first USDA superintendent of that rangeland research enterprise.
Today, the research mission of the Jornada continues, with staff based on the campus of what is now New Mexico State University - in a USDA Agricultural Research Service building named for E.O. Wooton. "The first research that was done here was really about how we manage livestock on these landscapes to maintain and sustain them," said Jeff Herrick, a senior soil scientist, speaking about the history of the Jornada. Havstad concurred: "It was felt that it was really important to try to figure out what the capacity of these lands was in order to produce food and fiber, and that a research program had to be established here in New Mexico to help answer questions about how to utilize these resources for food production and to reverse the problems associated with degradation."
This is what ranchers in the early 1900s needed to know, in order to avoid overgrazing and to have healthy land that could get their herds through periods of drought.
The research at the Jornada still includes a livestock component - a herd of Criollo cattle, a hardy Spanish breed still common in Mexico, is being tested for adaptability to Jornada Basin conditions - but the scope of rangeland research has broadened considerably, as have their research partners and clients.
For one thing, Herrick said, rangeland management practices have changed with technology. Whereas regulating stocking rates was originally the main tool for protecting the land, scientific and technological advances in the middle of the 20th century led to research on to how to protect and restore rangeland through the use of herbicides and machinery in the battle against invasive shrubs. Livestock management research remained important, but the emphasis shifted to controlling undesirable species. In the latter part of the century, there was recognition of the importance of understanding the processes at work on the rangeland. Scientists sought explanations rather than just evidence that certain possible solutions were more effective than others, and the focus shifted to ecological research.
"We strongly believe that we really can't manage these landscapes without an understanding of how the water, nutrients, seeds, plants, and animals all interact," Herrick said.
In 1982, NMSU's 60,000-acre Chihuahuan Desert Rangeland Research Center adjoining the Jornada became the site for the National Science Foundation-funded Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research program. The Jornada Experimental Range later became involved, as well, and the Jornada and NMSU scientists conducting research through the 30-year series of LTER grants are linked into a whole network of researchers at other LTER sites across the U.S.
The latest development, one that is beginning now, is a push to better integrate the long-term ecological research with agricultural research. The USDA/ARS has formalized the Long-Term Agro-Ecosystem Research network, and the Jornada has been identified as one site of this LTAR science program. It joins nine other existing long-term research sites around the country in this network. This news was shared publicly at the recent International Dryland Symposium, "Learning from Legacies, Sustaining the Future," sponsored by USDA/ARS and held in Las Cruces. Among other things, the symposium was a celebration of the Jornada Experimental Range's Centennial.
One of the benefits of a century of research on the Jornada, and its involvement in the 30 years of the LTER project, is the accumulation of a multitude of long-term data sets. These data, and data collected at a few similar sites, offer scientists wonderful opportunities to find answers to problems of long-term land change. "If you think about it, a lot of things happen not slowly over time, but at particular points in time, maybe every 30 or 40 or 50 years," Havstad said. "If you think about the drought we've been experiencing recently in the United States, people compare it to the drought of the 1950s, or the drought of the 1930s. So we're now able to look back not only at what's been happening the last few years under our current drought conditions, but we have data from the 1950s and from the 1930s, and we can make these kinds of comparisons and get a sense of how things might be similar or how things might be different."
These data sets include climate information, such as temperature, rainfall, rainfall chemistry and evaporation rates, as well as soil information, vegetation dynamics and changes in land cover, erosion and changes in soils, and prevalence of various animals, including small mammals, spiders and birds.
These data sets are now being made available through the Internet to scientists around the world.
One of the most exciting research projects at the Jornada Experimental Range parcel involves the use of small unmanned aircraft for remote sensing. The team on this project is essentially mapping the terrain in great detail, using digital cameras on their GPS-guided low-flying airplanes. The images and video are transmitted to the ground station, where they are processed using special software. This approach offers the promise of much more thorough monitoring of the various elements of rangeland vegetation. Herrick says he and his colleagues are excited about how the fundamental research they are doing is being integrated into the work of land managers, be they governmental entities like the Bureau of Land Management or nongovernmental groups and individuals. To facilitate the application of their research findings to specific rangeland management problems, the Jornada is working toward the establishment of "a land management resource center that would allow us to more directly address the needs of the agencies in a timely fashion," Herrick said.
"What we hope to do with the future establishment of a center is to provide an organization that would be based on the latest available research, but would be even more responsive to the immediate needs of land managers." The global nature of the Jornada enterprise manifests itself in several ways. In addition to worldwide sharing of data and research results through their website, conferences and publications, a number of Jornada scientists and other staff members spend time in other countries, including ones as far away as Africa, China and Mongolia, helping build capacity in rangeland research and management. And the Jornada Experimental Range draws scientists from many nations, particularly ones where similar rangeland ecosystems exist. "The mission of the Jornada is still about achieving healthy landscapes, but now that mission is global and applicable to many different users and purposes," Havstad said.
For more information about the history, mission and work of the Jornada Experimental Range, go to http://jornada.nmsu.edu/ Online Publications | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/5243 | Home For Managers: Socioeconomic Results Go to> For Managers: Streams Lakes Wetlands Integrated Catchment Modelling Socio-economic analysis
The socio-economic work has involved collating large amounts of material from disparate sources in selecting sub-catchments. Significant networks have been built with local stakeholders and national experts and it is clear that there is strong interest in the thematic challenges that WP6 in particular and REFRESH in general, set out to address. More important, the intensive consultation of stakeholders promotes an important aim of the project, namely to co-construct water management solutions which are not only effective (in terms of compliance and costs), but are also feasible both economically and socially, and thus have a strong chance to be actually adopted in the demonstration catchments. This particular analysis of WP6 is expected to promote a new approach on the selection of mitigation and adaptation interventions at local scale across Europe.
Furthermore, the policy implications of WP6 findings are considered important for agricultural policy and especially for Pillar 2 agri-environmental measures, which represent a very significant proportion of EAFRD funds dedicated to rural development. WP6 findings point out to four important policy rules, which if applied, are expected to enhance policy efficacy.
The first policy rule is to “express policy targets in the units used by the targeted environmental standard”. This will force policy makers to an ex-ante assessment of their proposed policy with science based nutrient transport models.
The second policy rule is to “climate change proof” the policy. Policy designers should ensure that, due to the long term commitments of agri-environment programmes, the proposed measures will continue to achieve compliance under expected changes such as climate and land use changes, and will continue to be cost effective, i.e., they will continue to achieve compliance with the lowest possible cost. This will force policy designers to proposed mitigation measures that are “climate change proofed”, i.e., will achieve cost efficient compliance under changing future conditions. Thus, measures would be designed in a way to allow transition to a stricter abatement level if changes are unfavourable or to looser abatement if changes are favourable with the lowest cost. This can be achieved by using science based nutrient transport models that simulate nutrient concentrations under changed environmental conditions. Thus, farmers would be a priori informed that, if conditions change, they will have to adopt transitional measures.
The third policy rule is to “unravel and flag all wider and associated benefits”. If a proper benefit assessment is carried out, especially for WFD related agri-environment programmes, the habitats and biodiversity non-use values should be measured and the target population should be expanded outside the limits of the local population and the benefits due to use values. The fourth policy rule is to “take account of disproportionality and affordability effects” and establish firm grounds for possible departures from the Polluter-Pays-Principle.
The main socio-economic and wider societal impacts of work done under WP7 to date is that stemming from the dissemination of Project results to the stakeholders concerned with management of freshwaters. In the final year of the project a major effort was undertaken to ensure that the research output reached target stakeholders in an accessible way (during stakeholder meetings, science-policy interface events, through policy briefs, newsletters and summary leaflets) to maximise potential uptake and therefore impact. With the key messages for management and policy delivered directly to those responsible for making and implementing policy we believe we the work done in REFRESH has the potential to provide managers with ways to improve implementation of the Water Framework Directive and policy makers with suggestions as to how the design of the Directive might be improved during the next stage of its revision. More detailed dissemination are described below. | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/8016 | Great Rosarians
of the World™
GROW West
Great Rosarians Blog
Contact Us This site is dedicated to the Great Rosarians of the World™ Annual Lecture Series. Please contact Clair Martin at [email protected] for information.
GROW West is held each February at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. Significant contributors to the world of roses are honored, as are remarkable gardens. GROW East is held each June in New York City. Events include the Great Rosarian lecture, garden tours, and recognizing the Great Rosarians Hall of Fame Gardens. Great Rosarians of the World™ XIV
The Great Rosarians of the World XIV West will be celebrated at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California, on Saturday, February 1, 2014. The program will be held in the Ahmanson Room in the Botanical Center.
This year's honoree is Danielle Hahn, owner of Rose Story Farms in Carpinteria, California. Dani, her husband and family founded Rose Story Farm on a 15-acre parcel in a side canyon just off the 101 Freeway in Carpenteria in 1998. They currently grow 25,000 rose bushes of 120 different varieties with a solid organic focus for the cut flower trade and the local Santa Barbara and Montecito market. She has successfully combined her passion for roses into a small business that combines her love of rose growing and her personal contacts in her upscale market. Dani has proven the viability of the small boutique rose nursery and small organic farm and provides a wonderful example for the future of the industry. She has managed to provide her clients with beautifully grown, fragrant, and colorful blooms while expanding to offer educational tours which help educate her audience with the knowledge to grow healthy roses successfully. Danielle Hahn is being honored as the 2014 Great Rosarian for her work developing a strong example for the small organic rose growing farm and her willingness to share her love of the rose with everyone she meets. Great Rosarians of the World™ XIII In 2013, we honored two outstanding Rosarians, Dr. Walter H. Lewis and Malcolm Manners, whose work has promoted the growing of roses and extended our knowledge of roses.
Dr Walter H Lewis
Malcolm Manners
Great Rosarians of the World™ XII The speaker/honoree for GROW XII was Alain Meilland of Meilland International, the legendary French rose company that boasts six generations of family ownership and management. The dates for GROW XII were January 21-22, 2012. The Saturday program was a workshop and panel discussion on pruning and growing Old Roses in Southern California using sustainable horticulture. M. Meilland's program was on Sunday, January 22, at 2:00 pm. The program was held in Friends' Hall, across from the main entrance at the ticket booth at the Huntington.
M. Meilland was also honored in New York in June 2012 as part of a weekend of Great Rosarians of the World™ XII festivities. “Because we rose breeders are always looking into the future, always hoping that this year’s cross-pollination will yield exciting results for rose lovers to enjoy eight to ten years from now, we must be optimists. Like Papa Meilland and like my rose-growing-and-breeding ancestors before them, I still get a tremendous burst of enthusiasm each spring when I see our new crop of seedlings peeking through the soil in our research greenhouses.”—from the Preface of Meilland, A Life in Roses by Alain Meilland
Founded in 1850 by gardener Joseph Rambaux, Meilland International has been managed by six generations of Meilland family rosarians. At the age of 18, Alain Meilland took the helm in 1958 upon the death of his father. The business operates today out of the Domaine de Saint André in Le Cannet-des-Maures, Le Luc en Provence, Var, France, with branches all over the world.
The company has distinguished itself throughout the years with wonderful roses, perhaps the most famous being "Peace," the beautiful light yellow to cream hybrid tea with crimson-pink edges. Developed prior to World War II by Francis Meilland (Alain Meilland's grandfather), he sent cuttings to friends in Italy, Turkey, Germany, and the United States just before the German invasion. The Conard Pyle Company propagated the rose during the war and announced it in the United States on April 29, 1945, the day that Berlin fell, heralding the end of the war in Europe. Delegates to the inaugural meeting of the United Nations later in 1945 were given Peace roses along with a note that read, "We hope the 'Peace' rose will influence men’s thoughts for everlasting world peace". Peter Beales, English rose grower and our first Great Rosarian honoree, said in his book Roses: " 'Peace', without doubt, is the finest Hybrid Tea ever raised and it will remain a standard variety forever".
It is estimated that more than 50 million plants of "Peace" can be found throughout the world.
In 1948, Meilland was the first company in Europe to receive a patent on a plant for their "Rouge Meilland® var. Rim 1020". Currently, they hold more than 1,000 patents worldwide and 800 trademarks. Francis Meilland was a champion for Plant Breeders' Rights and legislation to protect hybridizers' intellectual property.
Other well-known varieties developed by Meilland International include "Pierre de Ronsard®", "The McCartney Rose®", and "Papa Meilland®". Each year the Meilland research team, which includes Alain Meilland, Michèle Richardier and Jacques Mouchotte, initiates breeding programs yielding between 5 and 8,000 hybrids or crosses, representing 100,000 to 120,000 flowers artificially fertilized between April and the end of July.
The Great Rosarians of the World™ lecture series was founded in 2001 to honor and celebrate the men and women who have contributed to our understanding and love of our National Flower the Rose. Originally presented at The Huntington in late January the program was expanded to the east coast in 2007 where it is repeated in New York City in early June. Over the years we have had the unique opportunity to hear a broad selection of the greats of the rose world, men and women of the caliber of Peter Beales, Ralph Moore, Roger Phillips, Miriam Wilkins, Wilhelm Kordes, David Austin, and Marilyn Wellan.
The lectures and workshops are designed for everyone from novice to experienced rose growers to learn more about the flower we all love. It is also a great place to meet fellow gardeners and exchange tips on growing roses.
Details of the Great Rosarians weekend can be found on the GROW West page.
Copyright (c) 2012. Great Rosarians of the World™. All Rights Reserved. | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/8296 | When Benjamin Franklin said "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", he was referring to the fact that he had just attached a lightning rod to his house.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943) was a lauded American botanist who made many important agricultural discoveries. Through his research, he found more than 300 uses for peanuts and over 100 uses for sweet potatoes.
In 1895 an audience gathered in Paris to watch the first-ever motion picture film. The movie was of workers leaving the Lumiere factory at Lyn. Louis and Auguste Lumiere invented the cinematography that was used.
Only about one-eighth of a tree's original volume is sold as timber once it's cut down. Half the tree is left in the forest; a quarter is lost to sawdust, slabs and edgings; and, one-eight becomes shavings and machining residue.
Among reptiles, the tortoise is one of the longest-living with a life span of between 116-152 years, depending on the species. A fin whale is next on list living 116 years as well.
Most people do not spend their whole night dreaming. In fact, they only dream during the part of the sleep cycle known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement). The 2009 movie, Avatar, made more money than any other movie in history. It earned 2.8 billion at the box office.
The cashew, that rich nut that lots of people love, is actually not a nut; but, the seed of the cashew tree. Threfore, people who are allergic to nuts may not be allergic to cashews.
People better think carefully before getting a tattoo. In the United States 24% of the population has a tattoo; but, 17% of those decorated folks are thinking about getting a tattoo removed.
Although more famous for inventing the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell also invented the metal detector. Instead of finding treasures on the beach, its first purpose was an attempt to find the location of the bullet in the body of US president James Garfield. Posted by | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/21721 | Review from the New York Times "The heroes and villains in "The Future of Food,"Deborah Koons Garcia's sober, far-reaching polemic against genetically modified foods, are clearly identified. The good guys, acknowledged in the film's cursory final segment, are organic farmers along with a growing network of farmers' markets around the United States that constitute a grass-roots resistance to the Goliath of agribusiness and the genetically engineered products it favors. The bad guys, to whom this quietly inflammatory film devotes the bulk of its attention, are large corporations, especially the Monsanto Company, a pioneer in the development of genetically engineered agricultural products. In recent years, Monsanto has patented seeds that yield crops whose chemical structures have been modified to ward off pests.The film poses many ticklish ethical and scientific questions:Since genetic material is life, should corporations have the right to patent genes? What are the long-term effects on humans of consuming genetically engineered food, which is still largely unlabeled in the United States? Can the crossbreeding of wild and genetically modified plants be controlled? Might genetically engineered food be the answer to world hunger?And finally, could the reduction of biodiversity, which has quickened since the introduction of genetically modified plants, lead to catastrophe?The film's answers to these five questions are: No. Possibly damaging. Probably not. Probably not. Possibly.In each case, the movie outlines the pluses, the minuses and the imponderables. But the overall attitude of Ms. Garcia, the widow of the Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, might be summed up with the scolding slogan "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature."Much of the film is devoted to Monsanto's prosecution of Canadian farmers on whose property the company discovered traces of its patented Roundup Ready canola seed, which is genetically engineered to kill pests. Though the seed had drifted accidentally onto the farmers' land, courts ruled that they had violated Monsanto's patent and were liable for damages.The film begins with a capsule history of agriculture going back more than 12,000 years but concentrating on the 20th century. It traces the development of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the rise and fall of the green revolution, its morphing into the gene revolution, and the implanting of natural bacterial toxins into the cells of corn. Can wheat be far behind?In the mid-1990's, Monsanto, the DuPont Company and others bought the seed industry. Monsanto alone spent $8 billion investing in the notion that, as the film bluntly puts it, "whoever controls the seeds controls the food."Monsanto has even developed a "suicide seed" that makes crops kill themselves after one planting. What might happen, the film wonders, if this seed mixed with wild seeds?The movie wags its finger at the hand-in-hand relationship of multinational corporations and big government. One of the film's more unsettling revelations is its identification of the connections between Monsanto and top government officials who have been board members, consultants and executives for its subsidiaries. As a result, the movie insinuates, the government has little interest in underwriting research into the promotion of biodiversity and other alternatives to the economic goals of agribusiness.The movie ends on a tentative upbeat note. It visits farmers' markets where the organically grown tomatoes look so inviting you want to pluck them off the screen and slice them into your own scrumptious B.L.T. We see whole-earth-style advocates carrying signs that read, "Our children are not lab rats." Goliath, we are assured, still has a way to go before trampling all the Davids armed with slingshots.View Part1 here: Posted by | 农业 |
2017-17/0277/en_head.json.gz/24357 | A Short History of the USDA
Until the mid 1800s, many states vehemently opposed central planning for agriculture, though George Washington unsuccessfully called for the creation of a Board of Agriculture for the dissemination of educational information. Thus, until 1861, schools of botanical research were supported by state funds and private universities. The Hatch Act of 1887 transformed the Bureau of Agriculture, which was established in 1862 by Lincoln, into the Department of Agriculture and made the Commissioner a Secretary of Agriculture and a member of the president's cabinet. This act opened agriculture in the United States to the whims of Congress and lobbyists and was the beginning of an era of greatly expanded federal powers. Originally an organization devoted to research, today the USDA governs the way millions of Americans are fed daily, controls what food is available for our purchase, and decides what crops receive federal funding. Originally, the Bureau of Agriculture's intended role was to increase crop production and promote new research discoveries. The first Commissioner of Agriculture, Isaac Newton, had a yearly budget of less than $90 thousand which enabled him to hire four scientists (entomology, chemistry, statistics, and horticulture) that oversaw all of the nation's farms. The Hatch Act authorized federal funds for the development of agricultural research at land grant colleges (colleges of agriculture set up on tracts of government-owned land, begun in 1859 and further spurred by the Morrill Act). Only four years later, every state had a land grant college and was hiring personnel, often at the demand of political bosses whose goal was to maximize production for export. Only 6 years later than that in 1897, the USDA employed nearly 2450 people with an annual budget of $3 million. Calls for socialization of farming came as early as the late 1800s: federal legislation against farm foreclosures, long-term loans at low interest, nationalization of railroad and telegraph systems, and government warehouses for storing grain in order to receive government loan credits for the crops' retail value. Many of these ideas were eventually incorporated into Roosevelt's New Deal programs. But until the early 1900s, the USDA was mostly focused on research and discovery, financing agricultural exploration in foreign lands, and hiring botanists trained to search for new plants and varieties that would launch new agriculture in the US. But by the early 1900s, the focus of the USDA shifted to food inspection. By 1907, the Pure Food and Drug Act enforced milk pasteurization, meat inspection, and enacted an inspection system for foods sold by interstate commerce. Regulations for better sanitation and fewer adulterated food products were called for by the chief chemist of the USDA. By 1912, the USDA's appropriation of federal funds had reached $24 million. During 1920-1929 farm prices dropped and operating costs increased, with many areas of the country experiencing significant drought. The same decade saw the annual budget of the USDA increase to $150 million as the organization moved toward price supports for crops, begun by Herbert Hoover. When Roosevelt was elected, he called for new farm policies within a week and offered subsidy payments for reducing crop and animal production. With the addition of the school lunch program and FDR's New Granary, the USDA budget grew to $279 million in 1932, then ballooned to $1293 million in 1939, at that point with nearly 80,000 employees. Although acreage of American's farms was cut back, increasing yields per acre outpaced the acreage cutbacks. Farm organizations once committed to independence and skeptical of government programs became convinced that government could solve their problems, and became lobbyists for more federal funding. High operating costs, low prices, and technology developments spurred the consolidation of farms. In 1933, beginning with FDR, the era of the "Farm Bill" began. Every five to seven years, Congress passes a complicated set of legislative acts, known as omnibus legislation and dubbed the "Farm Bill" with each farm bill receiving a separate name. By 1959, the USDA was paying more than $2 billion for crop-reduction subsidies because of overproduction -- ironically spurred by the research of USDA scientists. Government handling and storing of these surplus farm crops, begun by FDR, cost the federal government $482 million in 1959. Costs for handling and storing farm crops increased to $2.8 billion by 1983. By 1984, 120 years after its inception, the USDA had grown to nearly 136,000 employees and was four times as large as the State Department and seven times as large as the Labor Department. The annual budget of the USDA averaged $30 billion. Roughly half of it was allocated to food stamps and the school lunch program, begun in the FDR era. Between 2002 to 2007, roughly 2/3 of the Farm Bill was allocated to food stamps and the school lunch program and the overall budget spun wildly out of control at roughly $45 billion per year. Despite the fact that the 1996 Farm Bill (the "Freedom to Farm" Act) was intended to eliminate subsidies altogether, roughly 40% of the 2007 wheat crop, still subsidized by the federal government, is held in government storage bins. The original purpose of the USDA, research, consumed only 2% of the USDA annual budget during this time period. Regulation of the food supply, the second adopted purpose of the USDA in the early 1900s, also received only 2% of the USDA annual budget. The costs of the entire farm bill to the American taxpayer, including farm "support" and nutrition programs, both of which were not adopted until the early 1930s roughly 70 years after the inception of the USDA, now make up a staggering 96% of the annual Farm Bill budget. The projected Farm Bill budget for 2008 onward is expected to be $60 billion annually.
I've looked up some of the legislation which brought the USDA into being through the action of President Lincoln. I've often wondered if it would not be well to have a Blue Ribbon Commission study of the whole question of the objectives and purposes of USDA in the years of Abraham Lincoln, then trace the history of more recent developments and determine the future possibilities of the USDA. -- Ezra Taft Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture, in personal correspondence to Robert West Howard.
Howard RW. 1985. The Vanishing Land. New York: Villard Books. 307 p.
Imhoff D. 2007. Food Fight: A Citizen's Guide to a Food and Farm Bill. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 137 p. Contact FA/RM | 农业 |
2017-17/0278/en_head.json.gz/1516 | Late harvest means motorists will see more farm vehicles on roads
The late harvest this year means motorists need to be more careful because of the presence of slow-moving farm vehicles on the roads.
Jewels Phraner
The late harvest this year means motorists need to be more careful because of the presence of slow-moving farm vehicles on the roads."Because of the planting delays caused by heavy spring rains this year, farmers will have a very limited time in which to harvest their crops in order to get them in storage before the first frost," said Tom Jennings, the acting director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. "So it's more important than ever that motorists be alert for slow-moving vehicles and share the roadway until the harvest is complete."There have been 1,751 crashes involving farm equipment since 2001, resulting in 37 deaths.Jim Rumbold, who owns a 700-acre in rural Medina Township, said he's been in one accident while he was driving a sprayer."I won," he said, laughing. "I drove away with a flat tire, and he got towed."Farmers also are required to get overweight permits during the harvest season. The permits allow farmers to be between 10 percent and 20 percent over the legal weight so they can make fewer trips between their fields and elevators."In the fall, the biggest thing is that people will come flying up behind a wagon with a 10- or 15-ton truck. Those only go about 15 miles per hour. When a 3,000-pound car smacks into the back of a 15-ton truck, there's not much you can do. You can't get out of the way," Rumbold said. "And you can't really go any faster. The manufacturer sets the pace on the machines we use."Illinois farmers are waiting patiently to begin this fall's harvest as fields continue to dry out after the nearly record-breaking rainfall.The harvest is running about three weeks behind last year's for two reasons: Farmers planted their crops later than usual last spring and cooler August temperatures and the winter weather extended the life of the plants, which is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Patrick Kirchhofer, manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau.In a Sept. 12 report, the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Springfield predicted Illinois' corn crop would yield 172 bushels per acre this year, which is three bushels lower than last year.Soybeans would yield one bushel less than last year, at 42 bushels per acre.Even though yield predictions haven't been made since the rains, Kirchhofer didn't think it would affect the yield."The saying is 'rain makes grain,'" he said. "So fields that didn't get flooded out should be fine."Despite the late harvest and the possibility of poor quality of crops, consumers should not be affected, according to Darrel Good, a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.Jewels Phraner can be reached at (309) 686-3196 or [email protected]. | 农业 |
2017-17/0278/en_head.json.gz/2470 | Bacarra
Derived from the Provincial Seal of Ilocos Norte where the town is located.
Carabao & Plow:
Symbolizes the 2 basic factors of production which are of paramount importance in attaining the fondest dreams of the people to become active, viable, self-reliant, and productive.
Tobacco & Garlic:
Represent the 2 major agricultural cash crops of the people thereby attaining self-suffiency.
Leaning Tower:
Strength and sturdiness of its people to withstand challenges of life in the passage of time. It also expresses dignity of labor.
Symbolizes the incessant love for peace, justice, equality, and tranquility, the purity of heart and open mind of the people of Bacarra to march towards progress. It also depicts the fervent hopes and prayers of the people to reach their goals in their pursuit for economic recovery through productivity and self-reliance.
Represents the basic race which the people take pride in the cultivation of the soil through their own sweat and blood. | 农业 |
2017-17/0278/en_head.json.gz/2652 | Dry weather forecast to leave crops thirsty
Update: November, 23/2015 - 09:01
| El Nino will last until next spring, the season when winter crops are harvested, and is expected to usher in higher-than-average temperatures. — Illustrative Image
HA NOI (VNS) — El Nino will last until next spring, the season when winter crops are harvested, and is expected to usher in higher-than-average temperatures, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
As a result, northern provinces are likely to face a water shortage and a warm harvesting season for winter-spring crops, the centre said.
El Nino is the warm phase of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (commonly called ENSO) and is associated with a band of warm ocean water that develops in the central and east-central equatorial Pacific. It is the longest El Nino period in the past 50 years, said experts from the centre.
The amount of rainfall in the central area could be 30 to 60 per cent less than average. Unfavourable weather has sharply affected crop productivity since the beginning of the year. A serious drought in central areas rendered 49,000ha of agricultural land unsuitable for cultivation.
The area in which summer-autumn rice was planted in northern provinces shrunk by 1.3 per cent compared with previous years, and the area of the winter crop shrunk by 13.6 per cent as of the beginning of November.
Tran Xuan Dinh, deputy director of the Crop Production Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told the Kinh te do thi (Economics and Urban) newspaper that this year's winter-spring crop is expected to face a water shortage.
To minimise the consequences, Dinh said localities should give instructions about climate change and make farmers aware that they will face a warm season and drought so that they can plan accordingly.
Localities should change their crops and plant a variety of different crops.
For instance, with warm weather, the farmers should use a short-term rice variety and cultivate it at the beginning of February next year.
The Directorate of Water Resources asked provinces and cities to outline plans to cope with drought, namely plans to closely monitor water levels in ponds and rivers.
Pham Khanh Ly, deputy director of the Department of Aqua culture under the Directorate of Fisheries, said the department has also instructed farmers to start breeding fish a month earlier than usual, beginning next month.
The breeding density will be decreased by 10 per cent in order to prevent diseases caused by water shortages and overcrowding.
The Ha Noi People's Committee has asked districts to establish plans for the winter-spring crop that are suitable with the present water condition.
Farmers should use a plant variety that needs little water to ensure productivity, Ly said, adding that irrigation systems should be operated regularly to remove water from the Hong (Red) River. — VNS | 农业 |
2017-17/0278/en_head.json.gz/2752 | Reader's Choices: 10 Greatest Beef Innovations May 28, 2011 10 ways to cut cattle feeding costs Nov 23, 2015 Cover crop cocktails are more than a salad bar Feb 15, 2017 Producers impacted by wildfires encouraged to come and get hay Mar 14, 2017 House Votes to Keep Estate Tax
National Cattlemen's Beef Association is still pushing for repeal. Aug 02, 2012
The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to extend the current tax code for another year. This includes keeping the estate tax, known as the death tax, at its current level of 35% for estates worth more than $5 million per individual and $10 million per couple.
Tackling the death tax is the top priority for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The death tax directly affects family-owned small businesses, such as farms and ranches, because of the burden it places on families hoping to pass their business on to the next generation.
NCBA, AFBF say the "death tax" is an unnecessary burden on family farmers.Even though full repeal of the death tax is the top priority for NCBA, Kent Bacus, associate director of legislative affairs, says the plan passed by the House today is a step in the right direction.
“The good news is that the House-passed tax package provides a continuation of current estate tax relief through 2013. NCBA encourages both the House and Senate to keep the estate tax provision in any final tax package,” said Bacus.
If Congress fails to act by the end of 2012, the death tax will revert to a $1 million exemption level at a 55% tax rate.
“Most farmers and ranchers would trip the $1 million threshold on land values alone. Land values are through the roof and all of the assets it takes to operate a farm or ranch, including livestock, farm machinery and more, would hit the majority of farm and ranch families throughout the country,” said Bacus. “This is not a tax on the wealthy. We must find permanent relief or risk taking land out of production agriculture, threatening our ability to provide food for U.S. consumers and abroad.”
The House is scheduled to discuss the future of comprehensive tax reform on Thursday.
“If Congress is serious about comprehensive tax reform, it must provide permanency in the tax code and provide permanent relief from the death tax. Farmers and ranchers already face unpredictable conditions such as the weather and input costs, but the tax code should not be an unpredictable situation they should face,” said Bacus. “Until full repeal of the death tax can be achieved, at minimum, Congress should maintain the current estate tax relief.” The American Farm Bureau has also voiced concern about the tax. To learn about an AFBF report on the topic, click here. 0 comments Hide comments | 农业 |
2017-17/0278/en_head.json.gz/3384 | Cantaloupe UPDATED: Jensens face federal criminal charges in cantaloupe case
By Coral Beach
September 26, 2013 | 3:45 pm EDT
For additional details on this case, please see "Growers likely to stand alone in cantaloupe deaths case"(UPDATED COVERAGE 6 p.m.) Federal charges against cantaloupe growers Eric and Ryan Jensen mark the first time produce and food safety experts recall criminal charges against a grower in relation to a foodborne illness outbreak.
The Jensen brothers surrendered to federal authorities Sept. 26 in Denver, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney John Walsh. A Dec. 2 trial date is set for the case. The brothers each posted bonds of $100,000 and were released, said Jeffrey Dorschner, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Denver.
This Jensens are each charged with six misdemeanor criminal counts related to the 2011 cantaloupe-related listeria outbreak that killed at least 33 people and sickened 147 in 28 states.
The case marks the first time Bob Whitaker, chief scientific officer for the Newark, Del.-based Produce Marketing Association, recalls growers facing criminal charges in an outbreak.
“It has always been out there as a possibility,” he said.
Whitaker said the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 prohibits food marketers from sending product to the marketplace that has an adulterant, and pathogens are considered adulterants. However, legal activity aimed at growers surrounding foodborne outbreaks in produce have been limited to civil lawsuits, he said.
Similarly, Seattle food safety attorney Bill Marler, who represents dozens of people sickened in the 2011 cantaloupe outbreak, said the criminal charges are not the norm.
“In 20 years of food safety law experience I do not recall a grower facing federal criminal charges in relation to an outbreak,” Marler said.
The Denver U.S. Attorney’s staff visited Marler’s offices in 2013 and collected copies of the attorney’s files on Jensen cantaloupe-related deaths.
If convicted on all six misdemeanor criminal counts, each of the brothers face a maxiumum of six years in prison and $1.5 million in fines each. The charges are for allegedly introducing adulterated cantaloupe into interstate commerce and aiding and abetting.
Special Agent in Charge Patrick Holland of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office, said in the U.S. Attorney’s news release that “the filing of criminal charges in this deadly outbreak sends the message that absolute care must be taken to ensure that deadly pathogens do not enter our food supply chain.”
The case against Jensen Farms
Court documents in the case say the cantaloupe growers knew their fruit was possibly contaminated and that it needed to be washed before being packed and distributed.
The case information states the Jensens bought used potato packing equipment from Pepper Equipment Co. in May 2011. The Jensens had Pepper Equipment modify the packing machines so a pan could be attached to allow the cantaloupes to be bathed in a chlorine spray.
However, according to the case information, the Jensens did not hook up the spray wash.
“Investigation by the FDA and the Center for Disease Control determined that the defendants failed to adequately clean their cantaloupe” the government’s information states.
“Their actions allegedly resulted in at least six shipments of cantaloupe contaminated with listeria monocytogenes being sent to 28 different states. Ten additional deaths not attributed to listeriosis occurred among persons who had been infected by eating outbreak-related cantaloupe.”
Jim Gorny, PMA’s vice president of food safety and technology, is quoted in government’s case information against the Jensen brothers. He was senior advisor for produce safety at the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the time of the outbreak and the federal investigation.
“According to James Gorny, … Jensen Farms significantly deviated from industry standards by failing to use an anti-microbial such as chlorine in the packing of their cantaloupes during the summer of 2011,” the case information states.
“Gorny added that the conveyer used in the process spread contamination and essentially ‘inoculated’ the cantaloupes with listeria monocytogenes. Dr, Gorny opined that the Primus Labs subcontractor that conducted the pre-harvest inspection of Jensen Farms was seriously deficient in their inspection and findings.”
National Editor Tom Karst contributed to this report.
jensen farmscantaloupelisteria outbreakfederal criminal chargesjim gornybob whitaker About the Author:
Coral Beach
Coral Beach joined The Packer newsroom in February 2011, bringing more than 30 years of experience at daily newspapers, trade magazines and online publications. Beach earned a bachelor’s of science degree from the University of Kansas School of Journalism in 1982.
e-mail: [email protected] phone: 913-438-0781 Follow @@Coral_TheBeach | 农业 |
2017-17/0291/en_head.json.gz/24069 | Directory of Ontario Stewardship Councils: The Directory of Ontario Stewardship Councils provides a listing of all current and former Stewardship Councils (based on the program formerly operated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry). The Directory was created to share vital information about the work of Ontario stewardship councils to restore and enhance the environment in which they live.
Granting Resources: Looking for funding for your organization or projects? This scan of granting resources for stewardship and environmental activities was created for SNO by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. It lists both public and private sources of funding and is current as of October 2015.
Nest Box Videos: These videos were developed by Ducks Unlimited Canada to show how to assemble, install and maintain nest boxes.
Assembly | Installation | Maintenance
Environmental Farm Plan Videos: These videos were developed by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association to support the 23 areas addressed in the Environmental Farm Plan workbook.
Working along the Shore 2014: This is a professional’s guide to healthy shoreline management for Lake Simcoe. It was produced by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Dufferin Simcoe Land Stewardship Network to help landowners to protect and restore their shorelines, re-establish native plant communities and shoreline buffer areas, and incorporate plantings into shoreline stabilization design.
The Environmental Bill of Rights at 20 – Your Environment, Your Rights: This booklet introduces you to your rights under the Ontario Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). The EBR affirms that Ontarians have a right to know about —and have a say in — decisions that affect the environment. The law also created a set of tools to support public participation, transparency and accountability in the Ontario government’s decision-making process. The booklet celebrates 20 years of achievements under the EBR, and offers inspiring stories of Ontarians whose use of the EBR has helped bring about real change.
Greening Your Grounds 2013: This workshop tool kit for urban landowners was developed by Toronto and Region Conservation but can be adapted for use in other Ontario watersheds. It is a resource for landowner workshops, focussing on landscaping for stormwater management.
Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide 2013: The Centre for Land and Water Stewardship (CLAWS) at the University of Guelph, working in partnership with Conservation Ontario and the Stewardship Network of Ontario, recently completed an update to the Rural Landowner Stewardship Guide. The update includes new content to ensure relevance to changing environmental priorities in Ontario.
Online Stewardship Directory: This online Stewardship Directory (hosted by the Land Stewardship Centre) helps community stewardship groups, organizations, businesses and government connect with each other to share their experiences and lessons learned in stewardship and natural resource management.
A Practitioner’s Guide to Climate Change Adaptation: This guide was published by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources in 2011. It was developed to help those in Ontario’s natural resource sector to respond to and prepare for climate change. It introduces the concepts of climate change adaptation, vulnerability, and risk. It also describes vulnerability and risk assessment tools and techniques, and a framework that can be used to support adaptive management in a rapidly changing climate.
A Land Manager’s Guide to Conserving Habitat for Forest Birds in Southern Ontario 2011: This guide was produced by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to provide practical information to help interested landowners enhance habitat for forest birds by implementing favourable land use practices. This will help to reverse negative trends and ensure that common species remain common. | 农业 |
2017-17/0291/en_head.json.gz/24690 | Jessica DamianoLifestyle•Columnists Garden Detective: Nassau Cooperative Extension's rocky path to funding
By JESSICA DAMIANO [email protected] +
Master gardeners busy planting at the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County's East Meadow Farm. Photo Credit: Peter Franzoni, 2013 advertisement | advertise on newsday
Jessica Damiano
Jessica Damiano is a master gardener and journalist with more than 25 years experience in radio, television, print and online media.
She has worked on Newsday's interactive endeavors since 1994, and currently is Deputy Editor overseeing Newsday.com's Lifestyle and Entertainment coverage.
Jessica enjoys toiling in her garden -- a never-finished work in progress -- and helping local gardeners solve their horticultural problems in her Garden Detective column, which appears every Sunday in Newsday. The Garden Detective blog was awarded a Press Club of Long Island Society of Professional Journalists Online Features Reporting Award.
Jessica lives in Glen Head, NY, with her husband John, daughters Justine and Julia, dogs Maddie and Miguel, and a whole bunch of perennials, vegetable plants and weeds.
Ask a question Show More
email twitter I've been a journalist for more than 25 years, Newsday's garden columnist for more than seven and a master gardener for about six. I owe the latter notch on my belt to the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County, which accepted me into its program in 2007 and then vigorously educated me -- not in the ways of pretty flowers and landscape design, but in entomology (the study of insects, some with piercing, sucking mouthparts!), plant disease epidemiology, botanical Latin and -- the bane of my existence in those days -- fertilizer math.
But due to steep and continued budget cuts since 1999, the Extension office's own existence is now in danger.
The acorn-Lyme connection, plus mulch fires
A weed by another name — It’s a buttercup
Advice on yellow arborvitaes and more
April in the garden: A chore for every day When to uncover the fig tree; keeping cats out of the garden
The Master Gardener program's roots date back to the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, who in 1862 signed the Morrill Land-Grant College Act. For every senator and representative each state had, the act granted the state 30,000 acres of public land. Proceeds from the sale of that land were to be invested in a perpetual endowment that would support the creation of colleges in each state that would, in turn, educate people in agriculture and mechanical arts. We were, after all, an agricultural country in those days.
Over the years, the 42 land-grant colleges have faithfully honored their obligations, teaching farmers about marketing, cooperatives and beneficial practices such as succession planting, and teaching farm women about proper nutrition, canning and preserving, sewing and furniture refinishing. These services helped many families survive the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Birth of modern program
In 1972, the Washington state system launched a program to train local volunteers to answer questions from home gardeners, free of charge. The idea caught on and spread across the country, and the Master Gardener program was born. Today, the land-grant colleges, which are still honoring their end of the bargain, have county extension services that "extend," or reach out, into their communities, and continue to build upon the services that began during the Civil War. Master gardeners test and analyze home gardeners' soil, answer their questions over the phone and give community lectures about plant diseases, integrated pest management and gardening methods. In addition, the 4-H Youth Development program runs summer camps and enrichment programs that focus on character building and life skills for youths, and the Family and Consumer Sciences branch still teaches community members about nutrition, child-care and food preparation.
New York's land-grant college is Cornell University in Ithaca. It has county extension offices all over the state. As you might expect, the university has highly regarded animal sciences, agricultural and plant sciences programs. It also created and maintains Cornell Plantations and the F.R. Newman Arboretum on its campus. Both are open to the public, free of charge. Last month, I headed to Cornell to retrieve my daughter Julia from the three-week sustainable animal husbandry program there. Naturally, I paid a visit to the mother ship.
A jaunt to Cornell Plantations
Home and GardenReader-submitted garden photos
Irene Lekstutis, landscape designer at Cornell Plantations and a Valley Stream native, spent the better part of her morning showing me around the 14 botanical collections she has overseen for the past 12 years. There are gardens devoted to wildflowers, poisonous plants, vegetables, tea plants, rhododendrons, ground covers and herbs, among others. My favorite, The Robison York State Herb Garden, comprises 17 themed beds that feature more than 500 varieties of herbs. There's also a unique Bioswale garden, which was designed to clean and slow the flow of stormwater runoff from the parking lot. Here, a garden landscape composed of strong-rooted hardy plants and grasses is impeccably maintained by staff members, who were busy mulching on the morning of my arrival.
Tweets from https://twitter.com/Newsday/lists/lifestyle-columnists
The plants used in this space are mostly native and include switch grass (Panicum virgatum), sneezeweed (Helenium), Joe Pye weed (Eupatorium), American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) and winterberry (Ilex verticillata). And the best part for us gardeners is that every plant is labeled with its common and botanical name. Tags staked into the soil under herb plants also note their intended uses.
Botanical gardens, in general, are spaces dedicated to displaying collections of plants. They are nicely arranged, and visitors typically view the beds up close and gravitate toward the individual plants that comprise the whole. In our own gardens, however, the goal usually is to showcase, well, the garden. We aim for curb appeal, and it's the overall aesthetic that draws us in.
At Cornell Plantations, the whole is at least as good as the sum of its parts, and Lekstutis and her staff can be credited with most of the curb appeal there, with the remainder of the honor going to the expansive space allocated to the Plantations, which allow for adequate distance viewing. In all, there are 100 acres in the arboretum, 3,400 acres of natural areas that include bogs and meadows, and 35 acres of botanical gardens. On approach, one can appreciate the gentle curves of the garden beds, the strategic transitions of color and texture, and the colorful vistas framed by curved tree branches. In short, these gardens are beautiful.
Extension imperiled on LI
Home and GardenOddball fruits, vegetables to grow
Back home on Long Island, President Lincoln's vision is imperiled. The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County, which runs a diagnostic clinic and display gardens at East Meadow Farm and has offices in Jericho, has seen county funding cut by nearly 97 percent since 1999, when Nassau provided $1.3 million. In 2005, the funding was down to $430,000, and in 2013 it's $45,000. The Extension is seeking a return to 2005 levels.
"Without county funding, Extension stands to lose much, if not all, of its state matching funds," said Laura Hunsberger, the Extension's executive director, adding that full-time staff has been cut by more than 50 percent over the past three years.
Nassau County Extension employs roughly 125 people. About 100 of those are seasonal part-timers at the 4H camp in Riverhead, which is more or less self-sufficient, according to Hunsberger. There are only 13 full-time employees at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Hunsberger credits the 260 master gardener volunteers with doing "all of the legwork" at the farm and in the community, work she estimates is worth $140,000 annually.
Having done some volunteer work for the Extension myself, I can attest that it's a bare-bones operation consistent with its nonprofit status: Employees work on standard-issue, utilitarian metal desks; master gardeners manning the phone help line look things up in books, not on computers; and there are no cushy perks. Hunsberger said the organization just wants to continue to operate the East Meadow Farm and offer the community services it's been providing since 1914.
To help contain costs, the extension has had 16 closures this summer, with unpaid furloughs for employees not on the federal payroll. Without restored county funding, Hunsberger believes more layoffs will occur, followed by permanent facility closures, with East Meadow Farm likely the first to go.
Home and GardenIndoor, outdoor planting containers
At the Aug. 5 meeting of the Nassau County Legislature, Extension representatives expressed opposition to the absence of annual budget line-item funding, which would give the Extension leverage for applying for grants at the state and federal levels. Since then, Hunsberger said, the Extension has been "working to educate the legislature about the benefits of our programming and impacts."
A dedicated line-item allocation in the county budget would secure the necessary funding to continue extension operations, she said, adding, "as the organization approaches its 100th year, it is almost certainly its last without appropriate budget funding by the county."
Norma Gonsalves, presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, who secured the initial funding for the farm and championed the process to grant Cornell use of the property, said "there will be a line in the budget," but conceded, "it won't be in the amount they are looking for."
Gonsalves noted that she has "made recommendations with the parks commissioner and requested an additional $30,000 in county funding on behalf of the Extension" in the next budget. That brings the total amount allocated to $105,000. She acknowledged the Extension needs more, but said "it's a start," and added that there is the potential for more funds to be allocated in the future.
For now, she said, "We are continuing that effort. The farm is extremely important to me."
Cornell Plantations, 1 Plantations Rd., Ithaca
Hours: Open every day from dawn until dusk, year-round
Home and GardenCraft your own clay pots
Contact: 607-255-2400. Call ahead for scheduled group tours; "drop-in" tours are also available.
East Meadow Farm, 832 Merrick Ave., East Meadow
Hours: Grounds and display gardens open daily from dawn until dusk, year round; Walk-in diagnostic clinic open Tuesdays through Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. (also Thursday evenings from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.)
Contact: 516-565-5265 (Dial extension 7 for the garden help line, which has the same hours as the walk-in clinic.)
Garden Detective: Slime mold is harmless but preventable
Home design tips, trends and more | 农业 |
2017-17/0291/en_head.json.gz/24826 | Tobacco purchasing should be based on value, not price Apr 03, 2017 Caledonia: Where prisoners have grown their food for 125 years Apr 04, 2017 How a blueberry family won and lost against a punishing situation Apr 05, 2017 90 percent of South Carolina’s peach crop destroyed Apr 02, 2017 brought to you by
Peanut research dollars desperately needed to continue current production momentum
Paul Hollis 1 | Mar 09, 2012
Farmers who have been growing peanuts for several decades probably never imagined a day when they could plant varieties so genetically superior that 3,000 pounds per acre would be considered an average yield, or that they could make more than 3,000 pounds per acre in a drought-plagued year.
But all of these advantages that have been so painstakingly gained can quickly disappear without proper funding for research. Driving home this message was the purpose of a “town hall discussion” hosted by the Georgia Peanut Commission during the recent Georgia Peanut Farm Show.
Peanut research, or the possible lack thereof, should be a concern of everyone involved in the industry, says Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission.
“We’re staring something in the face that we can’t hide from and that we can’t forget,” says Koehler, who added that the cross for the most popular peanut variety now being planted — Georgia-06G — was made 12 to 15 years ago. “We can’t rest on our laurels and sit still.”
Peanut yields have been climbing for the past five years, but the evidence is compelling that this momentum will stop if the issue of research funding isn’t addressed quickly.
John Beasley, University of Georgia Extension peanut agronomist, says he and others involved in peanut research have been very fortunate to have received financial support from the Peanut Commission. “We depend on that support for research,” said Beasley. “One-hundred percent of the dollars I use to run my Extension and research programs in peanut agronomics comes from grower check-off dollars.”
Scott Angle, dean and director of the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, is candid when discussing the budget situation at hand. “We’ve had a tough couple or three years, and our funding is down 26 percent,” says Angle. “We’ve had to make some very difficult choices, and when people have left, their positions have remained vacant, with those funds going back into the Georgia state treasury.”
An example of this is that the University of Georgia currently doesn’t have a peanut research or Extension entomologist on staff. Other positions also have suffered, including that of a plant physiologist.
The National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Ga., has been hit hard by budget cuts as well. Its director, Marshall Lamb, says the lab has lost two research agronomists, a plant physiologist and a peanut geneticist and breeder, all in the past year alone.
Part of an education is learning the challenges that you face, says Koehler, and the peanut industry has to face full-on the challenge of research funding. He explains that thanks to research, it took only about 26 months to add a high-oleic trait to the Tifguard peanut variety. Without that research, it would have taken several more years.
“It’s like super-charging the breeding program. But to do that, we have to find funding for it, and I don’t know where it’s coming from. We had a referendum last year and tried to increase the Commission assessment by $1. For some reason, people starting thinking that money was going to promotion. If we don’t continue this research, where will be 10 years from now?”
The initial investment for advances in peanut production like the Georgia-06G variety and the Peanut Rx disease risk index was made 10 to 12 years ago, says Koehler, and more research dollars are needed to continue the progress.
“We’re going to have to do this ourselves, because we can’t depend on the government to do it right now,” he says.
Glenn Heard, a southwest Georgia peanut producer, says there’s a lot at stake in continuing and increasing peanut research funding.
“My years are limited, but we need to do this to take care of the next generation of farmers,” says Heard.
TAGS: Peanuts 0 comments Hide comments | 农业 |
2017-17/0291/en_head.json.gz/24966 | Donate Search this site: Who we are
Purchase for Progress
Learn, Learn And Learn, Experts Recommend
Laura Melo
— 9 September 2011
Members of the TRP visit the Cooperative of San Marcos Las Pozas, one of the farmers’ organizations benefiting from P4P in El Salvador.
Sustainability, the value of learning from practical experiences and the importance to focus on building the capacity of the farmers’ organizations were some of the key issues raised by the P4P Technical Review Panel during its third annual meeting held in El Salvador from 5 to 8 September 2011.
SAN SALVADOR -- The TRP, a panel of nine experts from academic institutions, development agencies, implementing and government partners, provides high level independent advice and expertise to WFP on the implementation of the P4P pilot across the 21 countries. The El Salvador meeting brought together the TRP members as well as a number of external observers including farmers, private sector grain buyers, representatives of the Centro American Agriculture Council, FAO, UN Woman, and WFP staff involved in the implementation of P4P in Central America and Africa.
Almost three years into the implementation of P4P, this was a time to take stock of what has been achieved and advise on adjustments to ensure that the initiative reaches its goals. “This meeting reminded us that is critical that P4P goes beyond meeting indicators or interventions at the field level, but rather it has a greater goal of generating knowledge that could be shared and used by all of those participating in the value chain of cereals and legumes, including government and partners”, said Miguel Garcia of Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.
Participants prioritized the opportunity for learning that P4P offers. The recommendation is for P4P to shift its focus from its specific targets to the understanding of why such targets can or cannot be achieved. According to the TRP, the lessons learned also offer relevant material for P4P to have a greater role in the policy dialogue. WFP and partners are developing a significant body of knowledge to make a significant contribution to the policy dialogue on issues related to market development and smallholder agriculture. The TRP cautioned against the risks of a potential expansion of the project to involve new farmers organizations over the next two years. Instead, it recommended focusing on continuing strengthening the farmers’ organizations currently involved and ensuring that they are truly equipped to operate in formal profitable markets by the end of the project. This recommendation was part of the discussion on the sustainability of the initiative, which was also considered a priority.
Sustainability of what is being achieved with P4P and what will happen to farmers’ organizations once the project comes to an end is, indeed, of major importance to all involved. Adilio Aguera, one of the farmers benefiting from P4P provided a relevant insight when he said that getting funds for a project was not what P4P was about. For him the most important contribution of P4P to the farmers’ organizations was to enable them to learn about how to earn, invest and manage funds. That was, according to Adilio, the main contribution that P4P brought to them and a critical contribution to ensure that the farmers’ organizations continue to operate and provide services to its members. Permanent Members of the TRP: 1. Christopher Dowswell - Sasakawa Africa 2000
2. Riikka Rajalahti - World Bank 3. Dave Tschirley - Michigan State University
4. Jamie Anderson - International Fund for Agricultural Development 5. Lydia Kimenye - Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa
6. Marta Valdez - OXFAM
7. Maximo Torero – International Food Policy Research Institute 8. Miguel Garcia - Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
9. Shukri Ahmed - Food and Agricultural Organization Thanks for reading this story. Please tell others about it.
Author: Laura Melo
Laura has been with WFP since 2001. She has served in Africa, HQ and Latin America but is now a Country Director in Cuba. | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/658 | Blog Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables Produces Local, Organic Food for the Masses
Posted in Farms & Gardens on Mon, 02/22/2010 - 8:01am by lee - There’s nothing typical about Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables, located in Rushford Vilage, Minnesota.First, there’s the farm land itself. According to owner Jack Hedin, Featherstone's 150 acres are some of the best vegetable-growing land in Minnesota, and yet they are surrounded - like so many roads and farms across the country - by industrial corn and soy beans. (“The land is good for vegetables, but it’s also good for corn,” Jack concedes.) When I ask other Rushford Village residents where the farm is located - a process I repeat several times during my 60 frustrating minutes driving up and down Highway 30 - they say things like “I don’t know, unless it’s that organic deal down the road,” as though what’s going on at Featherstone is unusual, not quite understood by the neighbors - which is, in fact, the case. “I don’t know why they think of us as the organic farm,” Jack wonders, “rather than the vegetable farm. Nobody else is growing vegetables anywhere around here.”Then there’s Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables itself - a medium-sized farm that produces and sells organic food to Twin Cities restaurants, co-ops, Chicago area markets, and more than 800 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) members each year. Featherstone is working towards becoming carbon neutral within five years [see Jack's note below for clarification], and Jack shows me both the electric powered tractor Featherstone's custom-built electric tractorthey’re working on and the geothermal tubing to prove it (there’s also a plan to purchase solar panels, but the cost means they’ll have to wait for now). Featherstone employs 35 people during the peak season, and 10 people year round. “We had a meeting last week and created our org chart,” Jack says. “We’re too big for me to do everything and make every decision. We’ve got a great team, and if you’re going to employ quality people to lead parts of your business, you can’t just let them go every winter.” Featherstone keeps its year-round employees busy building greenhouses on the farm, fixing machinery, washing and packing stored vegetables - even selling firewood.Then there’s Jack Hedin himself, a Yale-educated organic vegetable farmer who had an op-ed published in the New York Times, runs one of the most successful organic farms in Minnesota, conducts “visioning sessions” with the Featherstone team, speaks fluent Spanish, and knows Michael Pollan personally. Did you get all that?Jack is a warm host, offering me a generous bowl of his wife Jenni’s delicious minestrone soup and a cup of tea when I arrive. There’s lots to talk about, and I do my best to keep up with Jack as we tour his farm. The big elephant in the room is the farm’s size (we could, very definitely, fit a big elephant in the room), and Jack and I discuss what it means to - literally - grow a local, organic food business without selling out.“There are trade-offs and compromises,” Jack tells me. Like the thousands of gallons of diesel fuel that still power the farm, for example, and the need for organizational charts to make sure the Featherstone team stays focused. Jack is adamant that his goal is to grow the market for local food, not just to grow his own farm. He talks a lot about making sustainability replicable, rather than scalable, and when we discuss whether or not he’d like to double his farm’s output, Jack’s answer is a quick and definitive “no.” Featherstone is, according to its founder, almost as big as it should be: too much bigger and Jack won’t be able to manage it all himself; too much smaller and the farm would start to lose its economy of scale.Jack wants to see more organic farmers provide more affordable food to more people, but his idealism is tempered with a heavy dose of realism. He knows that one bad CSA experience can turn someone off for life (how many people are willing to pre-buy their vegetables for a second year if the first year wasn’t so good?), so he’s constantly looking for ways to make his CSA program better and more engaging.Featherstone's greenhouse, in process.To that end, Featherstone’s CSA program (of which the MN Governor’s Residence is a customer), will undergo a series of changes this year. New CSA Coordinator Margaret Marshall is updating the farm’s website, and together with Lanesboro legend Peggy Hanson, she plans to launch a series of social media initiatives, including videos, recipes, blog posts, and tweets, all in an effort to delight and engage Featherstone’s customers.As we walk around the snow-covered farm, Jack describes the intricacies of running a successful business that sells to restaurants, co-ops, Whole Foods, and consumers directly. The complexity of the operation requires an eye for detail, a passion for good food, a crystal clear vision, unending flexibility, and a whole lot of work. The cooler needs to be kept at 56 degrees, the truck needs its engine block heater plugged in overnight, the greenhouses need to be assembled in time to get vegetables growing before the spring, the Wedge needs the right amount of carrots, the strawberry festival has to be on time, and so on.Jack and the Featherstone team wouldn’t have it any other way.Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables offers $20 off the purchase of a CSA share as part of Simple, Good, and Tasty's Local Food Lover program.Lee Zukor is the founder of Simple, Good, and Tasty. Email him at [email protected]. Tags: whole foods chicago, sustainable farm, rushford village, rushford mn, peggy hanson lanesboro, organic vegetables mn, organic minnesota, Organic Food, organic farm, ny timesm featherstone, mn organic, minestrone soup, margaret marshall, Local Food Mn, local food co-ops, jack hedin, Greenhouse, governors residence, good food, firewood mn, featherstone fruits and vegetables, featherstone farm, CSA, community supported agriculture, co-ops mn
Mon, 02/22/2010 - 10:01am I became a Featherstone Farm CSA member last year for the first time. It was terrific and I plan to do it again this year.
Mon, 02/22/2010 - 5:04pm We did Featherstone's Winter share for the first time this year and will be doing the summer one this year. We really enjoyed the winter share and are looking forward to getting our summer boxes!
Thu, 02/25/2010 - 10:10am This note from Jack clarifies Featherstone's quest to become carbon neutral: "I'm humbled by your glowing account of our farm, but I also feel the need to clarify one thing that I may have inadvertently misrepresented on your visit. Our goal is to have the summer warehousing and infrastructure part of our business off the grid- and therefore carbon neutral- within 5 years. That would leave still many aspects of our farm (tractors, fieldwork, transportation, winter energy) as carbon emitters, and a source of future reduction plans. We will be participating in a research project this year with 2 researchers from the University of Chicago, mapping our farm's energy use and carbon footprint, to get a baseline from which to measure future progress." PARTNERS | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/3372 | / Muhlenbergia lindheimeri
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri
Lindheimer's Muhly Grass
Packet Size:20 mg Average Seed Count:100 Seeds Add to Wishlist
Muhlenbergia lindheimeri has become increasingly popular since the 1980s. Back then, a grass garden would have been considered absurd. Now, however, gardening with grass is the ultimate in cool. Gardeners appreciate the soft colour palette, their pleasing textures and sense of movement they bring to our gardens.
Lindheimer’s Muhly is a warm-season grass that has a strong vertical form and an upright, fountain-like habit. The effusive, arching, blue-green foliage grows to around 90cm (36in) tall. In autumn the fine textured, rounded clump sends forth slender, perfect-for-cutting inflorescences on upright stems some 60cm (24in) above. The long, open Calamagrostis-like panicles are coloured in muted purplish grey tones, aging to an antique silver and festoon the winter landscape. Whether headlined as a sophisticated specimen or grown en-masse, this stunning Muhlenbergia is prized for its dependable clumping form and vertical form, its height and adaptability. Hardy to -23°C (10°F), it is as good by the coast as it is in desert conditions. Tolerant of many different types of soil including heavy clay, it thrives in any well-drained soil as long as it gets enough sun and will tolerate heat as long as it gets adequate moisture. Easy to grow, undemanding, and extremely ornamental, once established an early spring hair cut is all that they need. Muhlenbergia lindheimeri is native only to the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. This area was maintained as savannah grassland up until the mid-1800s. Although it’s now uncommon in its native range, it has become an increasingly popular landscape plant. Gardeners are fast coming to appreciate the charms of Muhlenbergia. Very few cultivars have come to market, and only a few are widely commercially available, perhaps because the species are so outstanding. Sowing: Sow in spring or in autumn. Sow seeds into trays or large pots containing a good quality seed compost or potting soil. Sow thinly, if you sow them too thickly, you risk the seedlings developing fungal diseases or growing spindly. Do not cover the seed with compost as light is required for germination, just tightly press the seeds into the earth.
Moisten the seeds, cover the container with a clear plastic dome or put it in a clear plastic bag so the seeds remain moist. Keep at temperatures of around 15 to 20°C (60 to 68°F). Put the container in indirect light away from the sun, germination should take place in two to four weeks. After the seedlings appear, remove the cover and place them where they can get plenty of sun and maintain a temperature of around 15°C (60°F) until the seedlings are established. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them to a one-litre pot containing gritty compost. They will form a bushy plant and be ready to go into the garden in summer. Space at 60 to 90cm (24 to 36in) between plants. Cultivation: Muhlenbergia is a beautiful warm-season grass that forms a neat, upright clump with fine blue-grey foliage. It produces attractive, plumes in autumn and goes dormant in the cold season. It continues to be attractive in the winter landscape. For appearances sake, cut this fast-growing plant to the ground in late winter or early spring before new growth appears to remove the brown leaves and spent flowers. After pruning, add a small amount of fertiliser to the soil around the plant.
It grows best in fertile, well-draining soil and needs ample irrigation in the summer to maintain a lush appearance. It is hardy and is tolerant of high salinity but does not like to be waterlogged in winter. If it is sat in water through the winter it will die so make sure drainage is good as you plant the small plants into the garden. A handful of course grit into the planting hold will help with drainage. If you have clay, sandy soil, or other poor conditions, add a healthy amount of organic matter to the soil.
Seed Collecting: If you would like to collect seeds, they grow on the fine, branched inflorescences or plumes of flowers that are half as long as the rest of the plant. They are best collected in late autumn just as the wispy plumes lose their silver colour. If you carefully comb the seeds with your hands from dried plumes, you won’t destroy their good looks. Collect into a paper bag and sow as soon as possible. Plant Uses: Borders, naturalistic and perennial planting. Specimen or focal point, Cut or Dried Flower arranging. Origin: The genus Muhlenbergia contains over 150 species, and approximately 65 are native to North America, the majority of Muhlenbergia make their home in the southern U.S. and Mexico. According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Texas, Muhlenbergia lindheimeri is native only to the Edwards Plateau of central Texas. This area was maintained as savannah grassland up until the mid-1800s. Although it’s now uncommon in its native range, Lindheimer’s Muhly has become an increasingly popular landscape plant. Nomenclature: The German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber (1739-1810) named the genus Muhlenbergia after one of the first early-American scientists. Gotthilf Heinrich (Henry) Ernst Muhlenberg (1753-1815) was American born but returned to his ancestral Germany for schooling and later returned to America. He was an ordained Lutheran minister but devoted his free time to the study of the botany. The G.H.E Muhlenberg pressed plant collection now resides at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Pennsylvania. This assortment of fungi, molds, lichens, mosses and more is considered a national treasure.
The species name lindheimeri is after Ferdinand Jakob Lindheimer (1801-1879). He is often called the father of Texas botany because of his work as the first permanent-resident plant collector in Texas. Lindheimer is credited with the discovery of several hundred plant species. His name is used to designate forty-eight species and subspecies of plants. In 1879 his essays and memoirs were published under the title Aufsätze und Abhandlungen. Lindheimer's plant collections can be found in at least twenty institutions, including the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the British Museum, the Durand Herbarium and Museum of Natural History in Paris, and the Komarov Botanic Institute in St. Petersburg.
Pronounced muh-len-BERG-ee-ah lind-HY-mer-eye. It has the common names of Lindheimer's Muhly and Big Muhly, which distinguishes it from other species which are generally smaller. Additional Information
Muhlenbergia
lindheimeri
Hardy Perennial
Arching plumes of fine blue-green leaves Natural Flower Time
Late summer and well into winter. Foliage
100cm (39in) Spread
100cm (39in) Spacing
60 to 90cm (24 to 36in) Position
Full Sun prefered
Fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Season
Good autumn colour Category Navigation: | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/4557 | DLA Ejournal Home | QBARS Home | Table of Contents for this issue | Search JARS and other ejournals Early Spring and Summer in the Society Test Garden Crystal Springs Island
By Ruth M. Hansen
The Test Garden began awakening from its Winter's sleep about the middle of February. We had had a wonderful normal mild, rainy winter until January, then one night the temperature suddenly dropped to 10 degrees above zero. Thus, in one night, plants wich had struggled to recover from the 1955 freeze took their last breaths and expired. Fortunately this extreme temperature lasted a relatively short time and by the middle of February we all felt that Spring was definitely here to stay. R. mucronulatum (Fig. 26), the lovely deciduous harbinger of Spring, made its debut on the 26th of February. It is always a welcomed sight to see the rosy-lavender flowers after a cold, wet winter.
Fig. 26. R. mucronulatum
R. Henny photo
Fig. 27. R. 'Naomi' Group at Crystal Springs Test Garden.
Following in quick succession through the month of March were R. 'Praecox', sutchuenense, calophytum, lutescens, leucaspis, 'Cilpinense' and 'Conemaugh'. R. 'Praecox' never fails to attract visitors to the South-end of the Island but the really big show for March is put on by R. sutchuenense var. geraldii from the 15th to the end of the month. This rhododendron stands about 8 feet high and has a spread of about 10 feet. It is literally covered with rose-colored flowers which have a deep purple blotch in their corollas. This magnificent plant puts on a one-man show which is well worth anyone's time to make a special visit to see, but unfortunately it blooms so early that few people ever have the opportunity to enjoy it. R. calophytum follows in about a week or ten days and is a plant almost as large as R. sutchuenense. In the smaller varieties one may find R. 'Cilpinense', 'Conemaugh' and leucaspis blooming in the rockery. Noticeably absent from this year's blooms were R. haemaleum, floccigerum, 'Bric-a-brac' and moupinense. These were a few varieties badly damaged by the 1955 freeze, but we hope by next year their flowers can be once more enjoyed.
During the months of February and March the volunteer workers of the Portland Chapter were busy putting in a foundation planting around the Coolhouse. As the Test Garden is now seven years old, many of the original plantings were becoming overgrown and needed thinning; so here was an opportunity to utilize some of these plants without having to move them across the lake to the peninsula, which serves as our expansion area. The rhododendrons selected for transplanting were all large, specimen plants and it took not only the five or six man crew but the help of a jeep in a few instances to do this job.
Another improvement to the Coolhouse was the painting of the Exhibition area, or porch, as it might be called. This was done in a soft gray green color which blends well with the natural outside surroundings and the corrugated plastic of the Coolhouse.
This spring, for the first time, ground Fir Bark (Pseudotsuga taxifolia), was spread over most of the hybrid beds, as a mulch, in preference to sawdust. This was done primarily because of the eye-appeal to the visitor. The ground bark being of a dark brown color and of finer quality than sawdust gives a beautiful well groomed appearance to the ground. This was applied to the beds about two inches thick and will serve as the year's mulch for the plants.
The tender varieties of rhododendrons housed in the Coolhouse have done very well this spring. They were in bloom from the latter part of February through early May and the fragrance from their flowers was almost over-powering. It is difficult for visitors to realize that these leggy looking plants, for the most part, grown in pots or tubs are true rhododendrons and the fact that they are delightfully spicy in fragrance is another hard to believe fact. R. taggianum, nuttallii, lindleyi, victorianum and rhabdotum, to name a few, were especially noteworthy due to their large tubular flowers and heavenly fragrance.
The Portland Chapter Show was held in the Exhibition part of the Coolhouse, May 19th & 20th and for those who served at the Information table, during this time, they were more than grateful to have their table set up inside the Coolhouse away from the chilling breeze which is usually prevalent this time of the year. Benches were also provided in the Coolhouse for visitors to sit and rest out of the wind.
Our blooming season this year was almost a full two weeks early and by Show time the Test Garden was really between the mid-season bloom and the late bloom. Whether our severe winters of the past five years have had any effect on the blooming periods of the rhododendrons is not for me to say; however we have all noticed that after a severe winter the blooming time is sometimes advanced about two weeks, which is in contrast to the normal assumption. This un-seasonal flowering of the rhododendrons makes it extremely difficult to send out accurate information as to when the Garden will be at its best.
This year R. 'Naomi' and its varieties which are located on the main curved path at the South end of the Island were magnificent. (Fig. 27). These are all plants over five feet in height, well rounded and beautifully shaped, their color ranging through the pastel shades of pink and pink suffused with yellow. They were at their peak of bloom on Mothers Day and delighted thousands of visitors. They were indeed the pin-up girls for the Test Garden this season and, we believe, the most photographed plants on the Island.
One of the main highlights of the season was to have been a tour of the Test Garden by the delegates to the National Convention of the Men's Garden Club of America which was held in Portland, June 10th to 13th. The Island had been groomed to a point of being immaculate. The week before members of the Portland Chapter had spent almost all day Saturday and most of Sunday picking off dead blooms from the rhododendrons so the garden would look its best to the visitors. Unfortunately this convention took place during the week of the Portland Rose Festival and we always have rain during Festival week. It never fails; so we had rain, not the gentle, soft kind but that which comes down hard with a determination to soak every molecule of soil clear down to China. On Thursday June 13th. seven members of the ARS waited for the delegates of the MEGA to show up for their scheduled tour of the Island. After a very heavy shower three bus loads of not too expectant delegates arrived. The shower was over, but everything was dripping. Needless to say it was a hurried tour and doubtless a rather disappointing one as very few plants were left in bloom and these widely scattered. Possibly the outstanding ones were 'R. Ladybird' and 'R. Bonito' both of which were over on the peninsula and therefore unnoticed by the visitors. Normally such varieties as 'Albatross', 'Lodauric', 'Azor', 'Mrs. Donald Graham', 'Margaret Dunn', 'Arthur Osborn' would all be in full bloom at this time, but not so this year. They were either all through blooming or so far gone that one could just get an idea of their color and past glory.
The main activities in the Test Garden are now over for another year. The rhododendrons have all been dead-headed and the new growth is lush and green. All in all the Test Garden had a very successful year regardless of the fact that everything was about two weeks early. The rhododendrons bloomed beautifully and performed admirably and the Garden was more lovely at its peak than ever before.
URL: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JARS/v11n3/v11n3-hansen1.htm Last modified: 08/05/14 16:18:43 | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/5866 | Agribusiness blog From our experts Contact us Get in touch or find a branch South Australian beef producer named 2015 Rabobank Young Beef Ambassador
Owner and manager of Raven Limousin & Limflex beef stud Jason Schulz from Field, South Australia has been named the 2015 Rabobank Young Beef Ambassador.
Mr Schulz, 32, received the accolade at the Rabobank QCL Beef Industry Achievers dinner held last night in Rockhampton as part of Beef Australia.
The 2015 Rabobank Young Beef Ambassador program is an initiative supported by Beef Australia aimed at recognising young, forward-thinking and high-achieving beef producers, providing a scholarship to partake in the prestigious Rabobank Farm Managers Program.
As a third-generation beef producer, Mr Schulz says he felt honoured and humbled to accept the award at the national beef industry exposition surrounded by many leaders in the sector.
“It’s an exciting time for the Australian beef industry and I would like to arm myself with the skills and knowledge to make the most of the opportunities that come our way – the opportunity to undertake the Rabobank Farm Managers Program as part of this award will invaluable to me,” Mr Schulz said.
“Despite my relative youth, I have been managing our farm for 15 years and it has been dry and challenging on many fronts – the current beef strong prices are new territory for me and its reassuring to see our hard work pay off and see the industry in good shape.”
Mr Schulz manages his family farm business in South Australia’s Upper South East region, with his wife Penny, working in conjunction with his mother Joanne.
“We decided to start our own stud in 2008, Raven Limousin & Limflex, due to our keen interest in breeding beef cattle,” he said.
“We have utilised the best genetics possible and reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer, to build our seedstock herd to the point of having our first auction sale in 2014 with 30 bulls. We produce stud beef bulls, stud females, semen/embryos, as well as breeding first-cross ewe lambs sold as breeders.”
Raven Limousin & Limflex has a reputation for producing high quality, well-finished livestock, utilising the best genetics possible.
Mr Schulz holds an impressive array of industry titles and responsibilities. He was previously the state chairperson for Angus Youth, a committee member of the SA Angus Committee and has competed in various junior judging competitions. He won the National Angus Youth Junior Judging Competition in 2006 which awarded him a scholarship to study with the University of Illinois and a place on its intercollegiate meat judging team touring the USA in 2007.
In 2009 Mr Schulz received the Peter Olsen Fellowship, awarded by the South Australian Agricultural Bureau, which provided him with a bursary to travel to the USA in search of new genetics for his family beef stud.
But, Mr Schulz’s achievements have not come without life’s challenges.
“My leap into farm management and ownership was not ‘textbook’,” Mr Schulz said.
“In 2000 while I was completing my final year of high school, my father suddenly passed away. It was a tough time for my family but there were two directions to take – sell the farm and move on, or continue running the farm and have the best crack at farming we possibly could.
“This meant having to alter my plans of studying at university before returning to the farm but I don’t regret my decision and further study will always be a future option.”
Mr Schulz’s determination has helped him to grow the family beef herd while maintaining the quality and integrity of a sheep enterprise, as well as undertaking several infrastructure improvements to the property.
“The success of our farm business is not just about those doing the day-to-day tasks, we also have a three-year old son, Heston, who already tells people that he is a farmer, so it’s in my interest to do all I can to make the right decisions for the future viability of our business,” he says.
“Being the Rabobank Young Beef Ambassador will definitely be a step in the right direction.”
Designed to strengthen the operational and strategic skills of emerging farmers, the Farm Managers Program is modelled on the highly-respected Rabobank Executive Development Program, a long-standing business development course for leading Australian and New Zealand farmers. Participants take away new skills and techniques with a commercially-driven perspective on farm management to put systems and structures in place to manage growth.
2015 marks the 10th year of Rabobank’s Farm Managers Program, with more than 300 young farmers from across Australia and New Zealand graduating from the program since its inception in 2006.
Rabobank state manager for Queensland/Northern Territory Brad James said Mr Schulz was a compelling and well-deserving recipient of the Ambassador award.
“Jason is extremely driven and has a proven track record of success in his previous endeavours – we believe he will continue to develop his skills professionally to give back to the industry he is most passionate about,” Mr James aid.
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world's leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 115 years' experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 41 countries, servicing the needs of approximately 10 million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1600 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand is one of Australasia's leading rural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region's food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 94 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Denise Shaw
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525 Email: [email protected]
Jess Webb
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Phone: 07 3115 1832 or 0418 216 103
Email: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/6238 | Evidence of Early Agricultural Exports from Pelham to England in the 1840s
During the 1830s and 1840s, the rural Town of Pelham was beginning to awaken from its decades-long slumber following the devastation inflicted on it as part of the infamous "Neutral Ground" during the Revolutionary War. The population of the town was finally beginning to grow at a healthier rate. Its population in 1830 was 334, up 18% over its population of 283 in 1820. By 1840, its population had grown an additional 136.2% to 789.
During this period, there seem to have been a host of efforts by Pelhamites to move beyond simple subsistence farming to broader agricultural, marine, and industrial pursuits. For example, during the 1830s, a solar salt manufacturing plant was built in Pelham. See Mon., Sep. 01, 2014: Solar Salt Manufacturing Plant Built on City Island in the Town of Pelham in the 1830's. Likewise, during this time, the oyster harvesting and planting industry began to grow in Pelham as did a host of related service industries such as shipbuilding, sail making, and the like. During the 1840s, one enterprising Pelhamite -- according to The New York Journal of Commerce -- developed a substantial apple orchard of about twenty thousand apple trees and began exporting his apples to London. Robert Pell reportedly spent years developing a massive orchard of apples known as "Newtown Pippins."
Also known as the Albemarle Pippin, the Newtown Pippin is an American apple developed in the late 17th or early 18th century. Although still cultivated on a small scale, it no longer holds the popularity it once did. According to one account:
"The Newtown Pippin is typically light green sometimes with a yellow tinge. It is often russeted around the stem. The flesh is yellow and crisp. The flavor is complex and somewhat tart, and requires storage to develop properly; some sources ascribe to it a piney aroma. Green and yellow varieties are sometimes distinguished but it is not clear that they are in fact distinct cultivars. It is one of the best keeping apples."
Source: "Newtown Pippin" in Wikipedia -- The Free Encyclopedia (visited Apr. 9, 2017).
The fact that the Newtown Pippin is one of the best "keeping apples" is likely what prompted Robert Pell to raise them for export to London. He reportedly used special tree-trimming techniques and the application of "the best manures" to bring his Newtown Pippin apples "to unusual size and excellence." Pell reportedly harvested the apples and packed them into barrels rather than moving them by cartloads so the fruits would not be jostled and bruised. Pell harvested up to 4,000 barrels of apples from his orchard and sold them, wholesale, for $6 a barrel -- earning $24,000 per season (about $1.125 million in today's dollars). The London merchant to whom Pell sold, in turn, sold the apples in London for $21 a barrel. The London merchant who bought Pell's apples and resold them in London wrote to Pell and said "the nobility and other people of great wealth had actually bought them by retail at a guinea a dozen; which is some forty-five cents an apple."
For a time in the 1840s, Pelham was becoming quite the agricultural export center -- at least for Newtown Pippins. . . .
Detail from Untitled Folk Art Painting of Apple Pickers in an
Orchard by Arie Reinhardt Taylor. NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.
"Apple Trade. -- The New York Journal of Commerce has the following statement:
Robert Pell, Esq., of Pelham, Westchester co., has an orchard of twenty thousand apple trees, all bearing Newton Pippins [sic; should be Newtown Pippins]. By trimming and the application of the best manures, he has brought the fruit to unusual size and excellence. The apples are picked and packed in barrels without being rolled or jolted in carts, and so arrive in the very best order for shipment. Last year they were sold in London at twenty-one dollars a barrel, and the merchant to whom they were consigned wrote the nobility and other people of great wealth had actually bought them by retail at a guinea a dozen; which is some forty-five cents an apple.
Mr. Pell has from three to four thousand barrels of the apples this year, which are sold as fast as they arrive in market, at six dollars a barrel, and are all shipped to England. It is quite a business for one of our commission merchants to dispose of the produce of this noble plantation. The American apple, take it all in all, is the most valuable fruit which grows on the earth. We undervalue them because they are so abundant; and even many American farmers will not take the trouble to live like an English lord, though the trouble would be very little."
Source: Apple Trade, Huron Reflector [Norwalk, OH], Oct. 21, 1845, p. 3, col. 2 (Note: Paid subscription required to access via this link). Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."Labels: 1844, 1845, Agriculture, Apple, Apple Orchard, Farm, Newtown Pippin Apple, Orchard, Robert Pell
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2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/7268 | Coriander Previous Next
Up Home Coriander is difficult to grow because it goes to seed so quickly. The trick is to have it growing in lots of different places and to keep putting out more seeds. It is really only useful as a garnish, especially on stir fries, so I often don't bother too much with this one.
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), also commonly called cilantro in North America, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southwestern Asia west to north Africa. It is a soft, hairless, foetid plant growing to 50 cm tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical, with the petals pointing away from the centre of the umbel longer (5-6 mm) than those pointing to the middle of the umbel (only 1-3 mm long). The fruit is a globular dry schizocarp 3-5 mm diameter.
The name coriander derives from French coriandre through Latin “coriandrum” in turn from Greek.
All parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh leaves and the dried seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander is commonly used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, South Asian, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine.
The leaves are variously referred to as coriander leaves, cilantro (in the United States, from the Spanish name for the plant), dhania (in the Indian subcontinent, and increasingly, in Britain), Chinese parsley or Mexican parsley. The leaves have a very different taste from the seeds, similar to parsley but "juicier" and with citrus-like overtones. Some people instead perceive an unpleasant "soapy" taste and/or a rank smell. This perception is believed to be a result of an enzyme that changes the way they taste cilantro, a genetic trait, but has yet to be fully researched.
Coriander foliage
The fresh leaves are an essential ingredient in many Vietnamese foods, Asian chutneys and Mexican salsas and guacamole. Chopped coriander leaves are also used as a garnish on cooked dishes such as dal and many curries. As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving. (Though in some Indian and Central Asian recipes, coriander leaves are used in huge amounts and cooked till they dissolve into sauce and their flavour mellows.)
In Peruvian cuisine, the leaves are used in a great number of traditional recipes, and are known as "culantro." The seeds have also recently been incorporated into newer recipes.
Coriander leaves were formerly common in European cuisine but nearly disappeared before the modern period. Today Europeans usually eat coriander leaves only in dishes that originated in foreign cuisines, except in Portugal, where it is still an essential ingredient in many traditional dishes.
The fresh coriander herb is best stored in the refrigerator in airtight containers, after chopping off the roots. The leaves do not keep well and should be eaten quickly, as they lose their aroma when dried or frozen.
The dry fruits are known as coriander seeds or coriandi seeds. In some regions, the use of the word coriander in food preparation always refers to these seeds (as a spice), rather than to the plant itself. The seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed, due to the presence of the terpenes linalool and pinene. It is also described as warm, nutty, spicy, and orange-flavoured. They are usually dried but can be eaten green.
If the spice is bought (or picked -- it can be grown in a home garden) whole in a non-dried form, it can be dried in the sun. Most commonly, it is bought as whole dried seeds, but can also be purchased in ground form. When grinding at home, it can be roasted or heated on a dry pan briefly to enhance the aroma before grinding it in an electric grinder or with a mortar and pestle; ground coriander seeds lose their flavour quickly in storage and are best only ground as needed. For optimum flavour, whole coriander seed should be used within six months, or stored for no more than a year in a tightly sealed container away from sunlight and heat.
Coriander seed is a key spice (Hindi name: dhania) in garam masala and Indian curries, which often employ the ground fruits in generous amounts together with cumin. It also acts as a thickener. Roasted coriander seeds, called dhana dal, are also eaten as a snack. It is also the main ingredient of the two south indian gravies: sambhar and rasam.
Outside of Asia, coriander seed is an important spice for sausages in Germany and South Africa (see boerewors). In Russia and Central Europe coriander seed is an occasional ingredient in rye bread as an alternative to caraway. Apart from the uses just noted, coriander seeds are rarely used in European cuisine today, though they were more important in former centuries.
Coriander seeds are also used in brewing certain styles of beer, particularly some Belgian wheat beers. The coriander seeds are typically used in conjunction with orange peel to add a citrus character to these styles of beer.
Coriander roots are used in a variety of Asian cuisine. They are commonly used in Thai dishes.
Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iranian folk medicine. Experiments in mice support its use as an anxiolytic. Coriander essential oil showed a delay in E. Coli growth, suggesting possible agricultural anti-bacterial applications.
Coriander seeds have also been used to prepare a traditional diuretic in India . The diuretic is prepared by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin seeds. The extract is then cooled and consumed as a diuretic.
Coriander is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean area, and in southwest Europe. Some believe its use began as far back as 5,000 BC, and there is evidence of its use by the ancient Egyptians. In the Bible, Exodus, chapter 16, verse 31, it says "And the house of Israel began to call its name Manna: and it was white like coriander seed, and its taste was like that of flat cakes made with honey".
Thought to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans as a meat preserver, coriander seems to have been cultivated in Greece since at least the second millennium BC. In Linear B tablets, the species is referred to as being cultivated for the manufacture of perfumes, and it appears that it was used in two forms: as a spice for its seeds and as a herb for the flavour of its leaves. This appears to be confirmed by archaeological evidence from the same period: the large quantities of the species retrieved from an Early Bronze Age layer at Sitagroi in Macedonia could point to cultivation of the species at that time (Fragiska, 2005).
Coriander seed and leaf was very widely used in medieval European cuisine, due to its ability to make spoiled meats palatable by "masking" rotten flavours. Even today, coriander seed is an important ingredient in many sausage products.
Coriander was brought to the British colonies in North America in 1670 and was one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers.
Similar plants
Eryngium foetidum has a very similar taste to coriander and is also known as culantro. Vietnamese coriander leaves have a similar odour and flavour to coriander. Bolivian Coriander, or quillquiña, has been described as "somewhere between arugula, cilantro and rue". Popular Culture
On the animated series, Metalocalypse, Skwisgaar Skwigelf is allergic to cilantro. The popular DC Comics character Starfire's real name ("Princess Koriand'r") was adapted from the herb by writer Marv Wolfman. The main character of a book "I, Coriander" a fantasy story set in 17th-Century London published in 2005 by author Sally Gardner | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/7720 | Young Greeks return to the land Posted by Madhava Gosh under Cows and Environment Leave a Comment (Wait until gas hits $6 a gallon in the US and local agriculture starts to be competitive with imports.)
Author: Sarah Stolarz
With youth unemployment at over 50 percent, prospects in Greece are bleak for those just about to embark on their careers. Food will always be in demand, though, so some are taking up farming.
Applications to the American Farm School, situated just six kilometers from Greece’s second largest city, Thessaloniki, went up three fold in 2011. That figure will double this year.
The school’s director, Panos Kanellis, attributes the surge in interest to the country’s financial crisis “A lot of youngsters are wondering whether they will be able to find another solution – an alternative in farming,” he said.
Many young Greeks have a patch of land inherited from an elderly parent or grandparent. What was once viewed as an unwanted hand-me-down has, for some, become a vital opportunity.
“The general tendency for a ‘return to nature’ or nostalgic notions of returning to the ‘roots of Greece’ used to be a kind of rhetoric,” said the American Farm School’s director of enrollment, Elli Konstantinou. “Now it’s a necessity.”
Greek youth are looking for viable options
New reasons to till Historically, the farm school’s applicants had been children of farmers from the surrounding countryside, but now more and more city kids are expressing an interest: a sign that the tables are turning for this formerly unpopular career.
“To be honest, it was not my first choice,” admitted Thanos Bizbiroulas, who is in his first year studying for a degree in precision agriculture, “but in the current conditions it seems like the right choice,” he continued.
Fellow student Vangelis Evangelou agrees that prospects are looking up for the profession. “Young people thought that the future would be working in an office,” he said, “but now they know they were wrong and they are going back to farming.”
Rich history
The American Farm School was founded over 100 years ago by a Christian missionary, at a time when northern Greece was still under Ottoman rule.
Today, it boasts some of the most high tech facilities in the country. The Omega-3 egg, for example, was developed in their labs. The school has also been active in educating the local community and was responsible for introducing turkey meat to the region in the 1970s.
The activities on campus contrast starkly to the agricultural sector as a whole in Greece. President Panos Kanellis can trace the decline back several decades, when Greece joined the European Union. “Due to the subsidies the EU was giving, many Greeks decided to give up or to let others farm their land – mostly illegal immigrants,” he lamented.
A study by the Pan-Hellenic Confederation of Agricultural Associations has shown more promising signs of life since the financial crisis hit. It revealed that the farming sector had grown by 32,000 jobs between 2008 and 2010 – mostly filled by Greek nationals.
According to Elli Konstantiou, Greek farming still has a long way to go. “We trained farmers to become lazy,” she commented. “We ended up importing crazy things like lemons and tomatoes. Now we should retrain in a more educated way, with a focus on entrepreneurial spirit.”
That spirit is already visible in Greece with schemes like the “potato movement,” which allows producers to sell directly to consumers in a mutually beneficial arrangement.
The American Farm School, which offers programs from kindergarten to college, is not just for farmers in the making. High school student Demitra Hina is majoring in journalism here, but feels reassured that her extra-curricular education will stand her in good stead should plan A fail.
“No matter how much the taxes are increased or the salaries are decreased, if you have knowledge of farming and produce food on your own, you won’t feel the influence of the economic burden as much,” she said. “You can always, at least, survive.”
Editor: Kate Bowen | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/16120 | Contact DURANGO HERALD - Aug 22, '07 PRODUCED WITH PASSION "Heart and Soil" documentary celebrates local food and farmers. By Karla Sluis. A few generations ago, most people knew how to produce dinner from seeds and animals, today not so much. "One hundred years ago, everyone was self-sufficient with cows, a garden,chickens" said a farmer in a new Durango area documentary. "Now we depend on 90 percent of our food being shipped in, and that has changed the face of agriculture." Following growing interest in "localvore" eating habits, Durango filmmaker Mara LeGrand hopes to re-educate people about the origins of dinner. Her documentary "Heart & Soil" centers on the importance of buying and growing local food. It shows the landscape and lives of farmers in the Southwest, along with farmers markets and farm to school programs. The project began as a simple local TV piece on the Durango Farmer's Market. After LeGrand began going behind the scenes at the farms, she discovered more. "There was so much to learn and see" she said. "The farmers here aren't country bumpkins. They are wise and guirky and informed. There's a lot of awareness and collective consciousness." A promotional clip of the film showed many scenes and people Duragoans may recognize. Including shots of the Durango Farmers Market. Jeff Mannix with his longhorn cattle, and farmers working at Regional Agricultural Supply. "I'm not going to get rich growing food" said a RAS farmer in one clip. "It's just the right thing to do." The film will be shown as a sneak preview Sunday to honor local farmers. LeGrand said. It's not a true premiere because she is working to get the documentary into "green" film festivals and recoup the $20,000 and 14 months spent filming. The film "may have a life in the education system, after the festivals," she said. The film touches on topics that are controversial in modern agriculture, such as water rights, shipping methods that burn fossil fuels and corporate livestock farms. But LeGrand said she worked to keep the tone positive. "I want to support community and not create divisions. I don't want cattle ranchers who have been here for generations to be perceived as villains." LeGrand, a resident for 16 years, formerly owned an Ayurvedic health retreat in town with a holistic approach to nutrition. Her background frames a personal view of farming. "I think the film shows small-scale, sustainable farms as the answer to a changing industry. People in the film speak about how the land is generous, how they're connected to the plants, how farms are a cycle of life." LeGrand, a former photojournalist, said making "Heart & Soil" was a challenge. "Video is different." It's about getting audio right, and there was a lot to pay attention to. You think about snapping pictures,but you have to hold the camera longer to capture the full range of expressions. But the film is not just talking heads. There's lots of lively activity." LeGrand also has done screenwriting and helped other people create films. She went through the documentary process on a fukn she was a writer and public health worker on in Nepal. The film explored an East-meets West approach to food, herbs and medicine. "Heart & Soil" took on a life of it's own for LeGrand. I came from a background of nutrition and the helping people restore their health through the nourishment and healing power, nature brings. But I didn't know I was going to make a film about that. It just evolved. I think when we're paying attention, we are called to do things." Sneak Preview. The local-food documentary "Heart and Soil" will be shown at 6:30p.m. sunday at the Smiley Theatre, 1309 East Third Ave. in Durango. There will be a panel of local speakers after the film. Tickets......... ©2007-2008 Skydancer Productions, LLC | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/22128 | Seed farming: The sesame solution
Description: Santos Machado takes off his baseball cap and wipes the sweat off his brow. It’s early August and Machado is lying on his back on the dirt driveway of his 3½-hectare farm in León, Nicaragua, halfway underneath his sembrador – a large seed and fertilizer dispenser meant to be hitched behind a pair of oxen. Date: 01 August 2008
Author: Greg Amos
Source: BC Business
Santos Machado takes off his baseball cap and wipes the sweat off his brow. It’s early August and Machado is lying on his back on the dirt driveway of his 3½-hectare farm in León, Nicaragua, halfway underneath his sembrador – a large seed and fertilizer dispenser meant to be hitched behind a pair of oxen. He takes a breather before torquing a wrench to make adjustments to the machine. Fruit trees shade the yard from the hot midday sun while a half dozen pigs loiter nearby in a swale of cool mud. The sound of Machado’s two young children, helping their mother grind coffee beans, can be heard from inside the family’s partially walled home. Machado is getting ready to plant a new sesame crop. In a few days, he’ll use the sembrador – bought with help from a Canadian-funded aid project called Produmer – to plant seeds for their future.
Machado is one of more than 800 Nicaraguan farmers being helped by this unglamorous but progressive initiative – one that’s showing measurable results and attracting investors and philanthropists from across North America. Produmer is managed by the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), a not-for-profit organization, and gets funding from private investors and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Its focus is small – the tiny sesame seed – but its ambitions are large: to bring financial independence to farming families who have been frequent victims of indiscriminate natural disasters and unforgiving world markets. Produmer takes a different approach than that of a typical development project, where money and technology are dumped into countries without collaborating with the people meant to benefit. Instead, it hinges on the idea that poor farmers are perfectly capable of taking responsibility for improving their own lives – so long as they can access the necessary cash, equipment and training.
As far as needy locales go, Nicaragua is near the top of the list. While the World Bank reports that the country’s economy is slowly growing and stabilizing, it remains one of the poorest countries in Central America, with the third-lowest per-capita income in the Western Hemisphere. Almost 70 per cent of rural Nicaraguans still live in poverty. Farmers have worked at organizing themselves here, bartering collectively in co-ops to gain some leverage when they sell their goods, but many still distrust the handful of exporting companies that dominate their commodity markets. Bank loans that could allow them to grow out of their dependent positions are extremely hard to come by.“It was eye-opening how these people are denied funds,” says John Toews, owner of Oakhill Enterprises, an Abbotsford home-building company, and an investor in MEDA’s work. He took part in a MEDA-sponsored tour of Nicaragua in early April, visiting rural communities north of León. “These are hard-working, family-oriented people, and sesame seeds are their main income.” Toews invested $25,000 into MEDA’s microfinance program, which enables farmers to access small loans for equipment and training, and he expects to net a seven per cent return in five years. (Ninety-seven per cent of MEDA’s microfinance loans have been repaid.) MEDA holds that a business-like approach is better than straight charity – a key reason why the organization has attracted the support of private investors such as Toews.
MEDA has been doing development work in Nicaragua since 1990 and started the Produmer project specifically to assist farmers in 2001. After four years of working with various crops, MEDA determined that sesame was the best fit for the people, the land and the economy. Produmer program director Keith Poe, an American raised in Nicaragua, knows first-hand that sesame is a hardy crop that can tolerate fierce rains and poor soil and has a strong natural resistance to pests. “Sesame is something that will last forever here because it’s easy to grow and it doesn’t take much money to start,” he says. It takes a lot of manual labour, he adds, but requires neither irrigation nor vast tracts of land and can be grown where coffee can’t. It bucks the trend of industrialized agriculture by suiting the land it grows on, and small growers benefit the most from it.The grain arrived in Latin America from Asia via Spanish conquistadors and is now found wherever hamburger buns, sushi or tahini exist. The worldwide sesame market is sizeable and growing rapidly, driven by the expanding middle class in India and China and a growing international appetite for hamburgers. Worldwide trade was valued at $850 million last year, up 70 per cent since 1993. In 2006 Nicaragua’s sesame industry exported 3,000 tonnes within Central America and to Japan and Europe.
Since 2001 MEDA has managed to convert $2.8 million in CIDA money into training and development for Nicaraguan sesame farmers, with the goal of keeping them prosperous in perpetuity. But to get the benefit out of sesame, funding and expertise had to get into the hands of farmers. According to CIDA’s head of aid in Nicaragua, the agency turned to the Mennonite organization because “there was no local agency that could provide sesame farmers with comprehensive support.” (Another reason for the hands-on approach is that corruption is endemic in Nicaragua: the country ranks 123rd out of 179 nations in Transparency International’s 2007 Corruption Perceptions Index.)
Farmers under Produmer boosted their production of conventional sesame by 68 per cent between 2006 and 2007, although those gains took a heavy hit from Hurricane Felix. But it’s not a project for the unmotivated: those who don’t buy into the methods taught in Produmer’s classrooms are cut off from further assistance. So far, about 24 per cent of the initial farmers have been turfed. The 825 who remain are scattered over 300 kilometres of coastal plains, punctuated by half a dozen dormant volcanoes, and last year their gross incomes went up 24 per cent. That’s the kind of return Toews says he wants from his investment. “It’s important the money helps other people, rather than just having it grow for myself,” he says. “Microfinance is not there to make money on the backs of the poor.”
In the village of Malpaisillo, three hours down a pothole-ridden highway from León, farmers such as Carmelo Silva plant their sesame seeds using oxen and local labourers. As a result of Produmer’s training, Silva now plants only certified seeds, which guarantee a high yield and which buyers welcome as a sign of quality. “Buyers don’t even bother offering low prices for my crops anymore,” he says with a smile. After weeks of 15-hour days in the field, Silva will harvest his plants by machete, pile the stalks together in clusters, whack the sun-dried seeds out of their pods and sell them to a buyer pre-arranged through his co-op.
Luis de la Cruz Sotelo, the soft-spoken president of the farmers’ co-op in Las Lomas, in northwest Nicaragua, is equally upbeat. “It’s 100 per cent easier to make money now,” says Sotelo, 49. Twenty years ago, he scraped by on rented land, but today he owns several acres and adds more land each year. Rather than focusing on creating value-added sesame products – which would depend on Nicaragua’s unstable manufacturing infrastructure – Produmer is helping farmers establish a stable niche in the sometimes volatile global sesame markets now dominated by China, India and Myanmar (Burma). One way to do that, as Sotelo discovered, is to go organic.“If you want to sell, you go conventional. But if you want to keep your money, you go organic,” says Sotelo, referring to the lower costs of pesticide-free production and higher prices fetched by the organic product. The three-year wait for certification made for some lean times, he says, but it was worth it: Sotelo and other organic farmers saw their incomes soar by 69 per cent between 2005 and 2006. Hugo Ramon Moreno, a Nicaraguan agronomist working for MEDA, points out that the new techniques are making a difference, as he tours farms around León. “Farmers weren’t using their land that well, the seeds were of low quality and chemical products were destroying the land,” he says. “Now Produmer is providing us with an answer for all these problems.”
This is the kind of slow and steady progress many foreign aid projects assume the rural poor won’t wait for, says a Vancouver expert on international development. “There may be a perception that the poor don’t think about the future,” says Hisham Zerriffi, an assistant professor at UBC’s Liu Institute for Global Issues. “But a stakeholder is not just some farmer who sits back and receives foreign aid, then goes back to doing what he did before.” Zerriffi says MEDA carefully considered the amount of time farmers are willing to forego present value in favour of future cash flow and financial stability. By providing the farmers with classroom and in-the-field instruction on how to properly plant, thin, fertilize and control weeds, Zerriffi says, the project also avoids a “technology dump” problem, which occurs when foreign aid agencies pick up and leave after introducing new technology. Having provided training specifically on growing sesame since 2005 – training that augments farmers’ traditional knowledge – Produmer has, according to Zerriffi, established a succession plan for when the project ends, likely near the end of 2008.
Nicaraguan farmers have received foreign aid before, but success on this scale is new, and some sesame farmers fear the end of MEDA’s involvement as advisor, advocate and agent. They feel it will be difficult to tap into the competitive world sesame market without MEDA’s assistance. At the 2006 Baking Association of Canada conference, a Nicaraguan delegation was unable to wean Canadian importers away from cheaper conventional sesame from India. That said, MEDA’s $3-million microfinance treasury will remain after Produmer is gone, with the goal of growing into a stable source of financing far into the future. Larger institutional investors are also starting to come on board.
Indeed, the Nicaraguan farmers have already proven they can weather the most severe of storms. Last September’s Category 5 Hurricane Felix (and ensuing rains) destroyed some 31 per cent of the sesame fields planted under Produmer – and yet many farmers still turned a profit due to the higher quality of plants that survived. Now they’re using the funds to invest in their futures by buying equipment, building sturdier homes and sending their children to school. In a country with a history of disasters, both acts of God and man-made, it’s only natural for there to be some trepidation about the future. But as they begin to take over their own finances, technology and training, farmers such as Santos Machado, Carmelo Silva and Luis de la Cruz Sotelo are starting to believe that they can make it on their own.
Greg Amos is a 2007 graduate of Langara College’s School of Journalism and the first winner of the CIDA-Langara Journalism-International Development Scholarship, which provided funds and support to research and write extensively on Canadian international development abroad.Please click here to view original article. | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/23311 | Climate Policy Initiative and University of Palangka Raya Support Indonesian Forest Production and Protection Program with Funding from the Norwegian Government
June 28, 2013 JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Today, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), a global advisory and analysis organization, and the University of Palangka Raya (UNPAR), announced an analytical program to support the sustainable oil palm pilot project in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Production and Protection program is funded through an initial three-year, $1.6 million grant from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
CPI and UNPAR will use the funds in partnership with local stakeholders to support the Government of Central Kalimantan’s vision for strong green growth underpinned by a high-yield, low environmental-impact oil palm sector.
Research will be conducted locally by teams at a new Centre of Excellence, based in the Faculty of Agriculture at UNPAR, in close consultation with communities, businesses, and government decision makers, to identify options that increase agricultural productivity, expand the use of degraded lands, and protect high conservation value areas. The initiative’s first three-year phase will focus on building robust evidence and technical capacity to support government-led efforts to implement its plans for a sustainable oil palm sector. By focusing learning around a pilot project, the initiative aims to demonstrate piece-by-piece what it takes to de-risk investments in oil palm across entire landscapes and ensure that communities, local decision makers, businesses, and small holders all benefit from economic growth and development.
“Through this partnership with Climate Policy Initiative, UNPAR hopes to develop a model for achieving Central Kalimantan’s goals of strong economic growth for businesses and communities, while protecting valuable natural resources, that can be used for a model for other regions in Indonesia,” said Dr. Yusurum Jagau, Dean of Agriculture. “We look forward to working with CPI to provide robust analysis that will support Central Kalimantan’s Green Growth Strategy, increase output of its most important agricultural product, palm oil, relocate palm oil production onto suitable low-carbon lands, and maintain critical natural resources necessary for future economic development.”
The program builds from a foundation that includes Central Kalimantan’s action plan for green house gasses, REDD+ strategy (Strategy to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), the province’s groundbreaking regulation on sustainable palm oil, and the Governor’s own roadmap to achieve sustainable palm oil. The Governor of Central Kalimantan has also created a working group consisting of government, business, academia, and civil society representatives who will advise the local government on policy to achieve green growth with palm oil.
“The right policies and programs are essential to drive investment in ways that optimize Indonesia’s natural resources and underpin long-term growth and prosperity,” said Thomas C. Heller, Executive Director of CPI. CPI’s Indonesia program is led by Jane Wilkinson, an expert in climate finance and REDD+, who has lived and worked in Indonesia.
Central Kalimantan is one of Indonesia’s largest provinces with 7.75 million hectares of forest and some of the largest expanses of tropical peatlands in the world. These areas are not only home to Indonesia’s unique biodiversity but they also provide ecosystem services such as fresh water and livelihoods to communities, and maintain a substantial carbon stock.
As a first step in the analysis, CPI has published a summary of natural capital assessment, which may inform spatial planning in the region. For more information, visit www.ClimatePolicyInitiative.org and www.UPR.ac.id
University of Palangka Raya is the first and oldest state university in Central Kalimantan. UNPAR provides policy and technical support to the Central Kalimantan provincial government, including through the development of policy briefs that led to the province’s sustainable palm oil regulations and the Regional Action Plan for GHG Mitigation.
Climate Policy Initiative is an analysis and advisory organization that works to improve the most important energy and land use policies in the world. An independent, not-for-profit organization supported in part by a grant from the Open Society Foundations, CPI has offices and programs in Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, and the United States.
Climate Policy Initiative
Email: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/24578 | John Kufuor helps transform Ghana into a model for African agriculture Former President John Kufuor cut the number of hungry people in half through by using innovative ways to help farmers. By
Dana Drugmand, Nourishing the Planet
Former president of Ghana John Kufuor recently was awarded the World Food Prize for his work in dramatically improving food production in his small Africa country, where the number of hungry people was cut in half.
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of In a report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, former President of Ghana John Kufuor describes the incredible transformation his country underwent during the first decade of the new millennium. Under Kufuor’s presidency, the number of hungry people in Ghana was cut in half. The poverty rate, which had been at 51.7 percent in 1991, had shrunk to 26.5 percent in 2008. Ghana’s transformation over the past decade has made it one of the more politically stable countries in Africa, and, as President Kufuor writes, Ghana has “made some of the greatest progress in reducing hunger, poverty, and malnutrition.”Kufuor, a recently announced recipient of the 2011 World Food Prize, served as Ghana’s democratically elected president from 2001-2009. In the opening of the report, titled “Ghana’s Transformation,” he writes, “When I became Ghana’s President in 2000, my country needed solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and a host of other problems.” Recommended:
Kufuor found agriculture to be a catalyst for these solutions. Agriculture is critical to Ghana’s economy, as some 60 percent of the country’s population depends directly on rural agriculture. Kufuor’s administration worked to harness an agriculture transformation to strengthen the nation’s economy.
Ghana is the world’s second-largest exporter of cocoa, and under Kufuor’s administration, cocoa production in Ghana doubled between 2002 and 2005. The government helped educate cocoa farmers on best practices and increased farmers’ share of the international export price from 40 percent up to 70 percent as an incentive to increase production.In addition to increasing crop yields, the government helped transform agriculture in Ghana by supporting irrigation, improved seeds and crop diversification, building feeder roads, silos, and cold stores for horticultural crops, and making tractors more affordable for farmers. The government also helped increase school enrollment by launching a program to give schoolchildren a daily hot, nutritious meal made from locally produced food.In the end of the report, Kufuor highlights the need to empower farmers and fight widespread global hunger. “But in a world as technologically advanced as ours, widespread hunger is not justice. Farmers must be transformed by educating and empowering them.… A healthy and happy future for mankind demands such farmers because food is the most basic of needs. It decides not just the health of individuals but also the health of communities.”Dana Drugmand is a research intern with the Nourishing the Planet project.To purchase your own copy of State of the World 2011: Innovations that Nourish the Planet, please click HERE. And to watch the one minute book trailer, click HERE.• This article originally appeared on the blog Nourishing the Planet, produced by the Worldwatch Institute.
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Will sky-high cocoa prices lift West African farmers? | 农业 |
2017-17/0292/en_head.json.gz/24768 | IUFUniting Food, Farm and Hotel Workers World-WideTata Pulls out of Singur but Struggle Continues for Rural Poor Posted to the IUF website 13-Oct-2008 Share this article.
Sustained protests by agricultural workers, sharecroppers and small farmers have forced Tata Motors to abandon planned production of its low-cost Nano automobile on prime farmland seized by the state government over 2 years ago in Singur, West Bengal, near Kolkota (click here for background). With the still unfinished Singur site under seige and over a dozen states competing for the project, Tata Motors on October 7 signed an agreement with the state government of Gujarat to locate production on land near Ahmedabad.
To read the press reports (Indian and international), the mass protests were hastily organized by the Trinamool Congress Party, opportunistically riding a wave of primitive anti-industrialism as the plant neared completion. But since May 2006, agricultural workers, sharecroppers and small farmers have resisted the state "Left Front" government's project to evict some 6,000 poor families from 420 hectares of farmland to make way for the ultra-cheap "people's car". The government, for its part, has not hesitated to label the grassroots leaders - including the IUF-affiliated agricultural workers' union PBKMS - as agents of US imperialism, becoming more strident in its calumnies as the movement showed its staying power and capacity for mobilization in the face of massive repression. Tata has finally abandoned Nano production in West Bengal, but it hasn't abandoned Singur. The struggle continues, and it is important to set the record straight.
Neither PBKMS nor its trade union allies, nor the broad based (and rigorously non-party) Save Farmlands Committee which grouped the mass resistance are opposed to industry. All recognize the vital need for industrialization and job creation in manufacturing. The issues at the heart of the struggle have rather concerned democracy, transparency and the defense of agriculture and rural livelihoods. Once Tata Motors definitively declared that it was pulling out of Singur, the abundance of offers it received from rival state governments proved what the citizens of Singur have maintained from the outset: that it was easily possible to find a site for motor production which would not destroy productive agricultural land and the livelihoods of tens of thousands. Tata demanded and received 420 hectares, though only a tenth of that was required for the factory. The factory would have employed 2,000 workers, while many thousands of Singur residents still stand to lose their land and livelihood, including agricultural labourers, marginal peasants, sharecroppers, cottage industry and other rural workers. Tata still holds the land, which was leased for a pittance, a fraction of what Tata is paying in Gujarat. The West Bengal government is insisting that the land must be used for industry, justifying their plans by the fact that a number of farmers have received financial compensation. Singur's rural poor therefore continue their struggle for justice.
Farmers owning some 40% of the land seized for Tata have continued to reject conversion to industry and are refusing compensation. The proposed compensation schemes for sharecroppers and landless agricultural workers, the majority of whom are women, are ridiculously inadequate. And land on which industrial construction has already taken place must be restored for agricultural production. Safeguarding farmland from industrial pollution is also an urgent priority. The Singur struggle offers a unique opportunity for democratic negotiation to determine the conditions under which farmland is utilized - as a public good, in defense of rights (including the right to food), or in defense of profit for the few. Historically, small producers and the landless have been ruthlessly eliminated, enclosed and expropriated using violence, physical and economic, to make way for industry and agribusiness. Singur now offers the possibility of a democratic alternative.
On October 14-15, a delegation from Singur including PBKMS will be meeting with the President and Prime Minister of India to present the case for government support for that alternative. PBKMS and the Save Farmlands Committee are demanding: the return to farmers who have rejected compensation of all land and its restoration to fertile condition
decent compensation for the loss of land and livelihood to sharecroppers and landless rural workers
safeguards to protect fertile agricultural land in Singur and its surrounding areas
You can support their struggle - now and in the days to follow - by clicking here to send a message of support to the federal government of India. Copies will automatically be sent to the government of West Bengal and to Tata Motors. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/634 | TAIPEI AIR STATION
Hsinchu 新竹市 Home Intro The Aandahl Family of Hsinchu
This beautiful valley near Chutung, east of Hsinchu, shows the very best of rural Taiwan in the 1950s. The terraced rice paddies are flooded as the green rice plantings take root. They have only recently been transferred from a seedling paddy to the main paddies. Several farm house clusters dot the valley so richly framed by the hills in the background. Following a very successful land reform program in the early 1950s, many farmers now owned their own land. Farms were small and the maximum holding for any one individual was limited to 5 acres. In northern Taiwan, where this photograph was taken in c.1957, two rice crops per year were the norm. In southern Taiwan, where it was much hotter, three rice crops per year could be grown.
A typical Taiwan farm yard scene near Nantou, south of Taichung, taken of June 28, 1955, as the rice in the foreground matures to being nearly ready for harvesting. Farm house complexes had living quarters and sheds to store farming tools and animals as well as a large flat and hard courtyard area, either dried mud or concrete, that was used to dry the harvest on. This farm also had a water wheel, likely for irrigation purposes as the rice paddies required a lot of water. Most rural communities had electricity, as evidenced here by the utility poles.
The first stage of the rice growing process was to plow the paddy fields. Here a young boy guides a water buffalo pulling a single plow to prepare a paddy field for planting. After plowing, the field would then be flooded and smoothed out to accept the new rice seedlings which would be transplanted from a starter paddy. This photograph was taken c.1956 near Hsinpu, a small rural town located to the north and east of Hsinchu and famous for its oranges.
This photograph taken in 1957 of the upper portion of the large coastal plain in Ilan county in northeastern Taiwan shows the flooded rice paddy fields in their initial stages of growth after planting. Toward the coast to the right side of the photograph is a train headed toward Toucheng station to the north of Ilan city. In the background off the coast of northeastern Taiwan is Turtle Island. Only some 68 miles (110km) beyond this coastline is located Yonaguni Island, the westernmost island in Japan and part of the Ryukyu chain that includes Okinawa. Not many people know that a part of Japan is closer to Taiwan than mainland China 90 to 110 miles across the Taiwan Strait from the western side of the island. Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895 to 1945.
Harvesting was a largely manual process. Women generally cut the mature rice at the bottom of the stalk just above the ground. Men then put the rice stalks into a foot powered threshing machine that removed the grains of rice from the stalks. The stalks were then bundled to be further used in wide variety of ways. In the background of this photograph, taken in 1958, is the new Lutheran church in Chutung, east of Hsinchu, that was featured in the Other Churches section.
Home Intro Next | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/858 | Biotech benefits ag, environment, consumers
The public readily accepts biotechnology in science and medicine, but when it comes to agriculture it's a different story. Biotechnology has brought numerous benefits to farmers and consumers, and thousands of studies support the safety of food from GMO crops. But many people don't understand the technology. Carol Ryan DumasCapital Press
Published on March 1, 2014 7:40PM
Last changed on March 3, 2014 10:08AM
BURLEY, Idaho — Technology is accepted in every aspect of people’s lives, and biotechnology has been widely used and accepted in science and medicine for years.But when it comes to biotechnology in agriculture, the public — due to its growing disconnect from agriculture — is frightened that food is being altered, said Nancy Vosnidue, Monsanto’s scientific communications manager, during the 2014 Idaho Hay and Forage conference in Burley on Friday, Feb. 28.But food from genetically modified crops is exactly the same as food from conventional crops, she said.Biotechnology isn’t new to agriculture. It has been researched for 30 years, and genetically modified crops have been grown commercially for 18 years, with zero food-safety issues, she said.“Everything we eat today (is) the product of some sort of mutation,” she said.Resin for cheese making and yeast to make bread and beer are produced using biotechnology, which is simply putting one organism into another, she said.Biotechnology is the same tool used to create insulin for diabetics. Human DNA sequence is inserted into a particular strain of E. coli bacteria to produce the synthetic insulin, she said.Crop biotechnology is an extension of plant breeding, which has been taking place in some fashion for centuries. In the 1700s, farmers and scientists were cross breeding plants for new traits. In the 1940s, researchers used mutagenesis through chemicals and radiation to alter the makeup of seeds. In the 1990s, the first GMO crops were introduced to the marketplace, she said.Biotechnology is just a faster, more precise process of plant breeding and is one of the only ways the world is going to produce more food, feed and fiber for a growing middle class and a growing population, she said.Genetic modification is a well thought-out process, thoroughly researched and tested. It’s safe and healthy and provides a reliable food supply. It takes about 13 years, $125 million and extensive studies by USDA, the Environmental Protection Agency and academia to bring a GMO seed to market, she said.Consumers aren’t asking how biotechnology works; they’re asking if it is safe, she said.Thousands of academic studies on food from GMO crops support the safety of those foods, which is the most regulated and tested thing in society, she said.Today, GMO crops are grown on about 4 billion acres worldwide since 1996 and are approved for planting or importing in 63 countries. Biotechnology has improved yields and, in some cases, nutrition, she said.Increase in yields for GMO corn, cotton and soybeans has been phenomenal. Between 1996 and 2011, corn production increased 195 million metric tons, soybeans increased 110 million metric tons, and cotton lint increased 15.9 million metric tons in the U.S. alone, she said.Maintaining those yields with non-GMO seed would require almost 40 million additional acres, the amount of total farmland planted to major crops in Illinois and Indiana combined, she said.With more people to feed and less arable land per capita, biotechnology is crucial to agriculture. Climate change, bringing pests and weeds to new areas and water shortages and excesses, will also add to the need for farmland to become more productive.At the same time, environmental concerns are growing, and biotechnology reduces the use of herbicides and pesticides and agriculture’s carbon footprint, she said.At the end of the day, Monsanto and other biotech ag companies are enabling agriculture with safe, affordable, sustainable production of food, she said. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/1529 | California State Water Project boosts irrigation allotment Apr 18, 2017 Even with effective synthetic alternatives Sulfur remains a relevant tool for controlling powdery mildew Apr 12, 2017 With buds pushing in late March, start of San Joaquin Valley wine grape crop follows normal timing Apr 12, 2017 Walnut growers responsible for ensuring clean water use on operation Apr 05, 2017 DWR named ‘Climate Action Leader’
The California Climate Action Registry (CCAR) has named the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) a “Climate Action Leader.” CCAR is a non-profit organization formed by the state of California to serve as a voluntary registry to encourage GHG emissions reductions. CCAR member organizations earn the recognition by calculating, disclosing, and independently verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “The governor (Schwarzenegger) has made it clear that state agencies must lead by example in the battle against climate change,” said DWR Director Lester Snow. Measuring and verifying DWR’s carbon footprint is a major first step in achieving significant reductions in carbon emissions, Snow says. “DWR is absolutely committed to minimizing the carbon footprint of its operations and has an aggressive plan in place to meet greenhouse gas reduction goals,” Snow said. DWR voluntarily measured its 2007 GHG emissions which totaled 3.24 million metric tons. The majority of DWR’s GHG emissions come from the power to operate the State Water Project (SWP), which delivers water to 25 million Californians and irrigates 700,000 acres of agricultural land. In a given year over half of the power used by the SWP to deliver water comes from zero-carbon hydroelectricity. DWR is taking aggressive actions to reduce its carbon footprint, including equipment and pumping refurbishments to increase efficiency, the inclusion of additional renewables into the power portfolio of the SWP, and other activities. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/2117 | In defense of organics
Deputy Editor Radha Marcum
When Michelle Obama planted an organic garden at the White House this spring—and President Obama appointed organic-advocate Kathleen Merrigan as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture—organic farmers and food activists let out a collective cheer. What victories! And yet, listening to friends, coworkers, and the media over the ensuing months, it was clear to me that there is still a great deal of confusion—dare I say hesitancy?—over organics. Reports on food safety, disquieting environmental news, a rough economy—even the inspiring local-food movement sweeping the U.S.—make choices complicated.
If all of the noise leaves you a bit befuddled, you’re not alone. Every week as I navigate the aisles of the local natural foods store, I consider the effects on personal and environmental health—and the ethical implications—of the many foods my family and I love. Should I buy organic if it isn’t locally produced? Is it worth the extra cost? Seeking a clearer picture, I reached out to experts in the field. What did they think about some of the tough issues and prevailing skepticism surrounding organic? And does organic really live up to its promises? Here’s what I learned.
ORGANIC \OR-GA-NIK\
of, relating to, yielding, or involving the use of food produced with the use of feed or fertilizer of plant or animal origin without employment of chemically formulated fertilizers, growth stimulants, antibiotics, or pesticides. Source: By permission. From Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary2009 by Merriam-Webster, Inc. (merriam-webster.com).
The assumption: Organic is not budget-friendly. It’s “elitist.”
While it will always be hard for most of us to justify dropping $16.99 on a jar of organic almond butter, shoppers have so many more choices than they did a decade ago, says Laura Batcha, director of marketing at the Organic Trade Association. “You can find a ‘value’ option without ever leaving organic,” says Batcha. For example, private-label products such as those in the Whole Foods 365 Organic or Safeway’s O Organics lines offer organic at a lower price than name brands. And many organic companies now offer deals through organic coupons. (Check out Delicious Living's coupon portal.) And if you’re truly strapped for cash, try honoring organic just for the “dirty dozen." See The New Dirty Dozen.
Beyond the price at the checkout stand, it’s shortsighted to ignore the hidden cost to the environment and your health that comes with conventional agriculture, says Jake Blehm, director of operations at the Rodale Institute, a nonprofit that studies organic farming techniques and the effects of organic farming in the U.S. and other countries. “When a pesticide is sprayed, it kills bugs, then it kills fish, it gets into drinking water, and it eventually affects our health,” he says. Most surface waters are now polluted and agriculture is the number one polluter, says Mark Van Horn, Director of Organic Farming at the University of California–Davis. “We’re losing a lot of pollinators [such as native bees, butterflies, moths, and beetles]. It’s possible that’s because of pesticides,” Van Horn says.
Those environmental and health costs aren’t reflected in the price of synthetic pesticides, Blehm explains, and therefore they aren’t reflected in the price of conventionally grown foods. Looked at this way, he says, organic food is actually cheaper. “When regular milk is $2.99 and organic is 35 cents more, you have to ask: What’s it worth to you, to your kids, to not be getting sublethal doses of pesticides?” says Blehm. See Pesticides and Your Health.
Still, in terms of availability and affordability (why some dub it “elitist”), organic does have growing to do. “We need to engage with urban gardeners and farmers and policy action groups to ensure that low-income neighborhoods are able to grow, buy, and sell organics,” says Bob Scowcroft, director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation. “We need to work across cultures, in multiple languages, to understand each other’s needs.” This is starting to happen, he says. We’re beginning to see urban planners, food security activists, organizations devoted to hunger and obesity issues, and organic activists working together.
The assumption: “Sustainable,” “natural,” “organic” … it all means the same thing.
Buzzwords like natural and sustainable tend to get lumped in with certifications, such as organic or cruelty-free. But natural and sustainable, as well as other terms like local, lack adequate definition and have little, if any, regulation to back them up. “USDA Organic is something you can trust because you can define it. The organic standards [set by the National Organic Program] are uniform,” says Batcha. As for local, “it can mean ‘made in the USA’ or it can mean it’s grown across the street. It’s totally subjective,” says Myra Goodman, co-founder of Earthbound Farm based in San Juan Bautista, California.
Perhaps because USDA Organic-certified products have gotten well into the mainstream in recent years (even Walmart has become a significant purveyor of organic goods), and because organic is big business (organic food and beverage sales reached $21.2 billion dollars last year, according to Nutrition Business Journal) some at the heart of the organic movement feel standards are too easily weakened by big business or that government regulations don’t go far enough to address current food-system woes, asking questions such as: Should relatively large-scale organic producers (the so-called “big box” operations) still be considered organic? What if cows aren’t let out to pasture or, worse, workers aren’t paid fairly? And can organic products imported from other countries be trusted?
“Organic deserves this kind of citizen inquiry, and we should feel good that there are whistle blowers out there,” says Scowcroft. “If someone is cutting corners, let’s shed light on that.” But he underscores that organic, unlike many others, is a regulated term. “You have a pretty clear idea of how that food was grown and what you’re eating.” See “A Brief History of Organic.”
The assumption: In terms of the environment, it’s more important to buy local than to buy organic.
The reality >>
Thanks to author Michael Pollan’s eye-opening Omnivore’s Dilemma and a host of other books about local eating, food miles are on everyone’s minds these days. And for good reason: On average, food travels 1,300 to 2,000 miles from farm to plate. But choosing local alone can’t solve our fossil-fuel and CO2 woes, say researchers. Only 11 percent of a food’s carbon footprint is tied to transport. The remainder is almost entirely associated with growing, processing, and packaging the food, which in the case of conventional agriculture includes copious amounts of fossil fuel-derived fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides.
Organic farming takes those nonrenewable petroleum products out of the equation (instead it relies on cover crops and organic fertilizers to boost productivity, and nonpetroleum-based pest and weed management tools). But newly published research from the Rodale Institute points to an even bigger potential environmental benefit of organic farming: carbon sequestration.
Looking at nearly three decades of research, Jeff Moyer, farm director of the Rodale Institute and Chairman of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), and other scientists such as David Pimentel at Cornell have found that healthy, microbe-rich soil bolstered by organic farming methods has the ability to remove CO2 (the most prevalent greenhouse gas) from the air—and lots of it. “By increasing and replenishing biodiversity in the soil we can sequester carbon at a greater rate than we originally thought possible,” says Moyer. An acre of organic cropland can take approximately 7,000 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year. Multiply that by the 434 million acres of U.S. cropland and it becomes the equivalent of eliminating emissions from 217 million cars (nearly 88 percent of cars in the U.S. today).
How does dirt become a carbon-sequestering tool? By using cover crops, organic compost, and chemical-free pest and weed control practices, organic farming actively builds biodiversity in the soil. In fact, if you took the microscopic fungi living in a teaspoon of soil from organically managed farmland and placed them end-to-end, the resulting chain would stretch hundreds of yards, says Moyer, many times more than conventionally farmed soil, which has been bombarded with synthetic pesticides and highly concentrated nitrogen. The fungi and other living organisms abundant in organic soils naturally pull carbon from the air and store it in the soil where it is retained for decades. Scientists have found that, at worst, some Midwestern soils have gone from 20 percent carbon to between 1 and 2 percent carbon in the last 60 years alone.
The bottom line, carbon aside? “Just because a food is local doesn’t mean it wasn’t sprayed with chemicals,” says Scowcroft. “Those chemicals are local to somewhere,” he says. “There are thousands and thousands of chemicals not being used on organic farms.” (See Pesticides and Your Health for an update on some of the worst offenders.) “Chemical companies are very much in favor of the local movement because it takes the focus off of how the food is grown,” says Moyer. “We’d like people to support local farmers,” he says. “At the same time, we want those farms to be organic. Let’s have a voice in how those farms are being managed.”
Source URL: http://deliciousliving.com/agriculture/defense-organics | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/2211 | Farming and Fracking Don’t Mix: A Farmer Speaks Out
By Kai Olson-Sawyer |
Tweet Caption Natural gas exploratory well from Maverick Video Productions.
Natural gas exploratory well on the property next door to Greg Swartz's Willow Wisp Organic Farm. Photo and video from Maverick Video Productions. Gallery photos courtesy of Greg Swartz. Imagine that you live on a productive, award-winning 12-acre organic farm. The 50-plus vegetables and herbs you grow depend entirely on the uncompromised health and integrity of your soil, water and air. You've invested so much time and sweat, not to mention money, into the farm that reflects your values, including your respect for the natural world.
Now imagine that a natural gas well is set up in plain sight from your front porch on a neighbor’s adjacent property. This rig is exploring for natural gas with the intent to use the extraction method called high-volume, slick-water hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The process blasts open fissures in underground shale-rock formations by injecting a high pressure combination of fluids, chemicals and proppants (each company’s formula is a closely guarded secret including some known carcinogens like benzene), causing the fossil fuel to flow to the production well. From years of studying fracking, you know that the gas and oil companies' claims of safety and minimal environmental impacts are suspect because wherever fracking goes, human health risks and pollution tend to follow.
Greg Swartz, owner of Willow Wisp Organic Farm, doesn’t need to imagine this scenario because he and his family are embroiled in this situation. His farm, located a few miles from the Delaware River in northern Pennsylvania, places him squarely in the middle of a heated debate taking place not just in the state, but throughout the country. What further complicates matters for fracking in that region is the great Delaware River Basin provides drinking water to over 15 million people in cities like New York City, Philadelphia, Allentown, Camden, New Jersey, and many other smaller localities. The Delaware River Basin Commission, a four-state, five-member body that governs the river and basin, currently has a fracking moratorium while they complete a final set of rules on the extraction process for this extremely sensitive watershed.
I mean, after several years of looking into this, my basic conclusion is this: That high-volume slick-water hydraulic fracturing and food production are not compatible land uses. You can’t have the two coexisting; it doesn’t work.
The debate raging around fracking is very familiar to Greg: Fracking offers a potential economic boost, particularly for landowners, like some of his neighbors, who have signed leases with natural gas companies, but carries with it potential health and safety hazards and environmental degradation. As a landowner and a productive farmer, Greg knows the intrinsic value of his land, air and water for his livelihood now and into the future.
Listen to my interview with Greg as he shares his experiences, his deep commitment to his farm, his views on the fundamental role of property rights in the debate and his concern about the specter of fracking that threatens the very existence of his farm. Below you can get a taste of our compelling conversation. You can also download a podcast of the full conversation or the full transcript. Also, see a video interview of Greg Swartz on his beautiful farm, courtesy of Maverick Video Productions.
What are the concerns that you have with fracking, being that it’s on your doorstep, and with regards to your land, particularly as a productive organic farmer?
Yeah, I mean, after several years of looking into this, my basic conclusion is this: That high-volume slick-water hydraulic fracturing and food production are not compatible land uses. You can’t have the two coexisting; it doesn’t work. And here are the reasons: First of all, there is a significant risk of surface water and groundwater contamination, both during drilling processes as well as the hydraulic fracturing as well as during the movement of the fracking wastewater. There are massive amounts of contaminated water that is involved in this process; anywhere from three to five million gallons per fracked well. So in terms of the actual penetration of the earth, the mixing of the different strata of the earth, and then the injection of these unregulated chemicals into the earth, there is so many possibilities for A, human error; B, human – how do I say it, error on purpose, I'm not quite sure what the right way to say that is.
It must really concern you as a farmer yourself and then also as an organic farmer where you really have high standards and meet certifications and that sort of thing. So how is the potential fracking on an adjoining property affecting buyers of your produce right now, or shares of CSA, that sort of thing?
Yes, right now we haven’t had that impact. I did hear, kind of through the grapevine, a little bit of people starting to be concerned last year with the drilling of this test well. But again, it wasn’t fracked so it didn’t quite hit that threshold. So when it actually happens, there’s two things that are going to happen. There may be the customer fallout, but more likely than that, before that point is, I have to make a decision about the safety of the food that we sell. And even before that I have to make a decision about it being safe to live here for myself, my wife, and my two and a half year old son. And it’s going to be really hard to identify what that threshold is.
You know, two years ago, just before we invested another six figures in infrastructure here on the farm, my wife, Tannis and I had that conversation. It was either, we get out now, right this minute, don’t do anything else here and leave. Or we invest that six figures, do it for as long as we can, and while we're doing it, fight as much as we can to regulate this thing. So here we are, we've invested a bunch of money, a lot of time, a lot of the assets are not recoverable. Some of the things, like a tractor, we can bring that with us. But investing in our soil, which is the core principle of organic farming, we can’t take that with us. We can’t take a fence with us, etc. You know, we definitely put stuff down that we can’t take, but we just made the decision that we had to do it. We have to, we are here, we've got to do it. We've got to grow food for our community. Each of us have invested many, many years, more than a decade in the community. We have strong connections, great friends, strong business connections. You know, it’s our home, it’s the right place to be and we weren’t willing to walk away. All of that said though, we're still kind of like on the edge, like at any time, once the regulatory landscapes changes, once they actually, once the gas companies get everything in a row and start drilling, we're going to have to make that choice and do it, and leave. And I don’t think our neighbors really get it.
Greg Swartz’s list of notable hydraulic fracturing watchdog organizations working to protect the Delaware River and River Basin: Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Damascus Citizens for Sustainability
Catskill Mountainkeeper
© 2011 GRACE Communications Foundation
fossil fuels groundwater heroes nexus wastewater water quality water regulation Responses to "Farming and Fracking Don’t Mix: A Farmer Speaks Out"
whats crohns disease
04.21.2012 We are a bunch of volunteers and opening a brand new scheme in our community. Your site offered us with useful info to work on. You’ve performed a formidable activity and our whole neighborhood shall be thankful to you.
Kai Olson-Sawyer
05.18.2011 @ Adron and Mary - Thanks for commenting on what must be a difficult subject for you. As a PA native with family still residing in the state, I know that fracking is THE local issue commanding attention. This is particularly true in your area which is bei
Adron and Mary
05.17.2011 We are experiencing the exact same dilemma, being growers five miles south of Dimock PA with a two and a half year old daughter. This is a great injustice and after all of the concerned growers and consumers go to Vermont to escape the experiment what wil
05.14.2011 Oh, Greg... I am so sorry. I remember how happy and excited you were when you bought fenceposts from us to fence the land to start your farm! Oh, how I wish that those fenceposts could keep pollution from invading your farm, but, I know that, once on the surface and in the atmosphere and water, this filth contaminates us all! That’s why I, too, am working to end the practice of hydrofracking world-wide and usher in the age of energy from renewable resources. Thanks so much for sharing your story.
Mark Zeslitz
05.13.2011 Thanks so much for your thoughts on this important issue
05.12.2011 @ Tara - I, too, am very interested in hearing from landowners that sign mineral right leases with oil and gas companies. In the interview, Greg mentions his neighbor’s beliefs and rationales for natural gas extraction on his property. What it comes down Tara
05.12.2011 It would be interesting to hear the other side of the story from the land owner that allowed the Natural Gas company to perform fracking on their property. Do they know the understand the concern?
05.12.2011 On my recent comment correction the last word :fracking it printed frocking as I fat fingered the keyboard
05.12.2011 That’s really terrible- I pray that ppl increase environmental awareness relying more on solar energy and wind energy. Food comes first since it consists of the basic 3 human needs: food clean and pure+ clean drinking water+ safety. All else on the pyramid consists of greed rather than need. I will remember to light an incense of prayer for the success in setting the ignorant mind of some to a greater common sense. Humans in that respect can be less cognizant of survival than certain animal species. Keep the faith and hopefully the stupor will be slapped out of them by Divine Law and a permanent halt put to fracking
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Farming and Fracking Don\'t Mix: Farmer, Greg Swartz, Speaks Out
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/2405 | ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM
Sustainable Biosphere
Obama & Renewable Energy
Solar & Wind Power
Carbon Emission Initiatives
Alternative Renewable Fuels
Organic Agricultural Products
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children
Native American Proverb
There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew. Marshall McLuhan, 1964
It is not the strongest of the species that survives,
nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. Charles Darwin
ONE BIOSPHERE ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM
WE EMBRACE ALTERNATIVE RENEWABLE FUELS AND GREEN SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
OUR STORY One Biosphere is an alliance of people and organizations who are united to preserve the quality of our global environment through our forum and publications, education, advocacy, research and communications among our members and partners.
Agriculture and Biodiversity
The relentless increase in human population on the globe, which is predicted to reach 8 billion by 2025 will have a fundamental impact on biodiversity due to the need for food, water and other resources, thereby, straining our natural resources. Building the infrastructure to support the global population will reduce biodiversity. More intensive agricultural production will reduce genetic diversity of crops and livestock. The geographic spread of agriculture in developing countries with an increase of over 100 million hectares by 2030 will include lands of high biodiversity value.
Genetic resources and the control of ecosystem services impact agriculture, which depends upon biodiversity. Agriculture is a primary cause of genetic and species loss and alteration of natural habitats. In order to meet increasing global food requirements, we will need greater efficiency and geographic spread of new expertise. Farmers need greater efficient use of inputs, including more efficient breeds and crops, agrochemicals, energy and water. We will also need to convert wider land areas to cultivation. The risk is that these changes may negatively affect biodiversity. Reduced diversity in agricultural ecosystems may threaten the ecosystem forces required to support agriculture, including pollination and increases in soil nutrient levels.
The globalization of agriculture and quick-fix agricultural policies are primary causes of the reduction in species and ecosystem services. In particular, globalization causes major changes in the location and methods of food and other agricultural commodity production. Global demand for high value commodities such as soybeans, palm oil, coffee, cotton and biofuels has generated widespread habitat conversion and ecosystem withdrawal. The extensive change from diverse, small farms to large-scale mono culture enterprises continues apace. Moreover, globalization has concentrated and stepped up production on productive lands, thereby slowing the rate of deforestation. The concentration of modern agriculture on the most productive soils has resulted in rejection of marginal agriculture and speeding forest recovery in many countries.
Links Between Biodiversity and Agriculture
Agriculture is defined broadly to include crops and agro-forestry products, livestock and managed fisheries production. There are roughly 270,000 known species of higher plants, of which about 10,000-15,000 are edible and 7,000 are used in agriculture. However, increased globalization has reduced the varieties used in agricultural systems. For example, only 14 animal species account for 90 per cent of all livestock production and only 30 crops dominate global agriculture and provide roughly 90 per cent of the calories consumed by the world's population. Despite its critical importance in supporting civilization, agriculture is the chief driver of genetic erosion, species loss and conversion of natural habitats around the world.
Cultivated and wild biodiversity provide services necessary for agriculture. Agricultural producers such as commercial, small farm, pastoral and agro-forestry systems use these services. For example, nitrogen-fixing legume trees are used in maize farming systems of Africa to assist local farmers to increase maize production without investing in fertilizers. Environmental benefits are also derived through carbon sequestration and firewood production.
One mode of increasing agricultural production is through habitat conversion. Several hundred thousand km2 of land have been converted to agricultural use in the tropics. However, a large proportion of this land is of marginal use for agriculture. This creates an inefficient use of resources resulting in degradation of land and ecosystem services. Roughly 1.5 billion humans or 1/2 of the world's total work force and 1/4 of the global population either work in agriculture or their economic survival is linked to it and women make up the majority of agricultural workers. When agriculture on marginal lands is decreased and these lands are managed, ecosystems recover. For example, forests have expanded in parts of Europe, North America, Japan, China, India, Viet Nam, New Zealand and Latin America.
Satisfying global food requirements involves serious challenges and will require either greater efficiency or more land to increase agricultural productivity. Efficiency tends to be achieved by concentration upon only a few varieties. This approach is usually achieved by increasing inputs, particularly technology, agrochemicals, energy and water. These inputs generally create negative impacts on biodiversity.
On the other hand, agriculture may be extended to new land areas through habitat conversion. Agricultural expansion involves converting land for the cultivation of major commodities such as soybeans in Latin America and the Caribbean, palm oil and rubber in Asia and the Pacific and coffee in Africa, Latin America and Asia. It is exacerbated by the introduction of new export markets. In Brazil, the land area for growing soybeans for export to China grew from 117 000 km2 in 1994 to 210 000 km2 in 2003. During that period, world consumption of soybeans and soybean products doubled. This trend continues unabated.
The prime agricultural biotechnology innovation during the past 20 years has been the use of transgenic or living modified organisms to provide new attributes in different crops and breeds. The technology is relatively new and major research and funds are being invested to create value for human well-being and business value. Research has concentrated upon reducing the effect of pests and diseases. Scientists have established that genetic modification may lessen the need for pesticides and herbicides to grow crops including cotton and maize. Global production of genetically modified crops (GMO), including maize, soybeans and cotton has been estimated to include almost 1,000,000 km2.
The use of GM crops has become quite controversial, particularly in relation to the indeterminate impacts on ecosystems through naturalization in the landscape and human health. There are concerns about how GM crops will impact poor people whose lives depend on traditional agricultural practices. Further research, monitoring and laws are required to ensure negative impacts are avoided. Protocols on Biosafety have been adopted under the CBD to develop a global framework for managing and regulating living modified organisms.
Great attention has been given to the impact of climate change on agriculture. Concerns include the timing of growth and maturing of crops, and the impacts on pollinators, water resources and the distribution of rainfall. Other issues involve changes in market structures, yields for different crops and strains and the impacts of intense weather events on traditional methods and economies. In some areas, particularly where low temperature is an inhibiting factor, agricultural productivity could improve with global warming. In other areas, where water and heat are restrictive factors, productivity may be seriously reduced.
Changed production practices and loss of diversity in agro-ecosystems may damage ecosystem services required to maintain agriculture. Although some crops that supply a significant proportion of the world's food staples do not require animal pollination such as rice and maize, the decline of pollinators will have long-term consequences for crops that serve as important sources of nutrients and minerals, including fruit trees and vegetables in many parts of the world.
Genetic attrition, loss of local species and loss of cultural traditions are often closely intertwined. While rates of genetic attrition are not well understand, attrition often occurs during the transition from traditional to commercially developed varieties. In crop and livestock structures in the developing world, genetic attrition reduces subsistence farming options for lessening the impact of environmental change and lessening vulnerability in marginal habitats or agricultural systems that experience acute weather conditions such as arid and semi-arid lands of Africa and India.
Implications for Agricultural Technologies and Policy
Agricultural research and development has made advances in integrating conservation and development to alleviate biodiversity loss, reverse land degradation and improve environmental sustainability.
Innovative agricultural practices enhance production and at the same time conserve native biodiversity. Biodiversity-positive practices by integrating trees on farms (agro-forestry), conservation agriculture, organic agriculture and integrated pest management facilitate the sustainability of production sites. Agro-forestry offers an excellent opportunity for achieving biodiversity conservation and sustainability in production sites in 3 ways: (a) reducing pressure on natural forests, (b) providing habitat for native plant and animal species and (c) serving as an effective land use in disjointed sites.
Integrated land management approaches offer ecosystem flexibility through communication procedures that engage and empower farmers, support local institutions and create options for value-added income. These advances offer prospects for restoring degraded lands to enhance habitat connectivity and ecosystem processes. In the tropical forest margins, where slash-and-burn farming is a major cause of deforestation, knowledge of land-use dynamics has helped to identify practical options that are profitable for small-scale farmers and at the same time environmentally sustainable.
A major challenge to global implementation of these approaches is the lack of policies that integrate rural and agricultural policies with the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Natural resource management and eco-agriculture innovations must be amalgamated with long-term biodiversity and ecosystem needs.
Substantial plant genetic resource collections for food and agriculture are maintained internationally through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system. These institutional gene banks safeguard germplasm (inherited qualities of an organism).
Farmers contribute at the local level to maintain viability of diverse species through innovative partnerships including scientific research group and local communities. For instance, in Peru, this approach generates income for the farmers while conserving genetic variability and helping improve local ecological knowledge.
Agricultural Policy Options and Governance Initiatives
Local and community initiatives are essential to support agricultural efforts to maintain biodiversity. Community initiatives are problematic because they are based on localized diversity, instead of homogeneity and mass production. Development of accepted standards and certification of production methods offers producers stronger influence and value in the global market.
More progress is necessary to institutionalize a multi-faceted approach to production systems and monitor its effects. Techniques advocating reduced pesticide or herbicide use need to be adopted in more countries and the importance of ecosystem services by ecologically oriented agricultural systems is being adopted slowly. Increased research and adoption of techniques such as integrated pest management may reduce chemical usage while providing biodiversity conservation services. Remedial measures to restore productivity to degraded lands are not implemented on the scale required. The ecosystem approach provides a framework for practices such as riparian buffer systems to support biodiversity conservation, and assist in water management.
Legislation and policies regarding land tenure and land use practices are essential to adopting biodiversity methods and technology options in agriculture. It is essential to adopt practical solutions to reduce the impact of agriculture on biodiversity within supportive policies that cover commercial and small-scale agricultural production.
Continuing international negotiations address imbalanced markets, subsidies and property rights that impact agricultural land uses. It is essential to implement agreements creating tangible impact on biodiversity and agriculture, especially in developing countries.
Organic Agricultural Products - Coffee & Cocoa Plantations
Organic agricultural products, such as bird-friendly coffee and cocoa plantations that promote self-sustaining production, are examples of sustainable products. Coffee and cocoa are global commodities. Shade grown coffee refers to the way coffee has been traditionally farmed. For generations, coffee shrubs have been planted in the shade of tall trees so that traditional coffee plantations constitute excellent environments for birds and other forest-dwelling wildlife.
Over the past 4 decades, 1/2 of the traditional Latin American shade-grown coffee farms have been converted to sun coffee farms to increase production. This newer method requires clearing the shade trees and growing coffee plants under virtually maximum sun conditions. These requirements also necessitate use of agro-chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to compensate for the effects of eliminating the shaded agro-forestry environment.
Sun coffee may create higher yields and more profits for farmers. Coffee farmers feel pressure to abandon the traditional growing practices. Unless these farmers can earn higher short-term gains from traditional coffee cultivation, there is minimal incentive for them to maintain refuges for biodiversity.
Monoculture of coffee in a farm causes pests such as the coffee bean borer to multiply. Large amounts of pesticides and insecticides such as benzene hexachloride and copper fungicide are used to control the pests and leads to pesticide contamination of the coffee beans. Because of the high pesticide use, many coffee bean supplies do not meet the U.S. EPA coffee standards and coffee has become one of the highest chemically treated crops in the world. There have been chemical poisoning cases among farm workers and due to the high production costs, many farmers cannot survive growing coffee.
Shady growing conditions create a cooler setting so the growth of the bean is slower, thereby creating a denser, harder bean which coffee experts prefer for quality coffee. Coffee grown in shady conditions has improved acidity, aroma, body and aftertaste. As more consumers demand shade-grown coffee and pay more to enjoy better tasting coffee, these ecologically sensitive farmers are rewarded in their marketplace. Hence, for supporting these ecologically beneficial practices, the farmers and consumers appreciate that they are facilitating bird conservation, a healthy environment and the livelihood of many small-scale farm owners.
Shade coffee plantations provide habitat for migratory birds, many insects, orchids, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and other inhabitants of tropical forests. Shade trees provide nutrients and suppress weeds, thereby eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers and herbicides and lowering farming costs. Farmers may harvest shade coffee and a variety of fruits, firewood, lumber and medicines from the shade trees. These products make farm families less vulnerable to coffee price fluctuations on the world market.
Self-sustaining products must be cost-effective in the local and broader marketplace and comply with international trade regulations and other requirements. These policy areas must also be amended to recognize the priority of environmental needs.
Worldwide, large cocoa plantations are suffering from fungal and viral diseases and insects. These large farms are carved out of rain forests, which exposes the cocoa tree to full sunlight and makes them vulnerable to disease and pests. In addition, clearing of the rain forests to plant more cocoa trees removes a multitude of bird, lizards and insect species.
Costa Rica, Brazil, other parts of South America and West Africa have experienced cocoa crop devastation from fungus and black pod disease that may cause a 75% crop loss. These diseases threaten to wipe out the cocoa industry. Sustainable farming of cocoa has been carried out on many small farms in the cocoa tree's natural habitat under partial shade of the rain forest. These small cocoa farms do not utilize pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers to keep the trees healthy.
As cocoa trees are returned to the natural shade of the rain forest, the biodiverse ecosystem returns and sustains cocoa trees, together with the species of plants, animals and insects that protect them from diseases. Researchers, conservation groups and the chocolate industry believe that increasing the number of sustainable farms, rather than creating more costly and unsustainable plantations, will satisfy the world-wide demand for chocolate.
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/2628 | U.S. Department of Transportation Reinforces Commitment to No New Regulations for America's Agricultural Community
By: Ray LaHood
Date: Aug. 10, 2011 Location: Washington, DC The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today that it has no intention to propose new regulations governing the transport of agricultural products. The agency also released guidance designed to make sure states clearly understand the common sense exemptions that allow farmers, their employees, and their families to accomplish their day-to-day work and transport their products to market. After hearing from concerned farmers earlier this year, FMCSA initiated this review to make sure states don't go overboard in enforcing regulations on agricultural operators, and to ensure consistent access to exemptions for farmers. No regulations will be proposed for any new safety requirements or changes to the rules governing the transport of agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies to or from a farm. "We have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking farmers who feed our country and fuel our economy," said Secretary Ray LaHood. "Farmers deserve to know that reasonable, common sense exemptions will continue to be consistently available to agricultural operations across the country, and that's why we released this guidance." This guidance -- which does not impose any new rules on farmers -- follows the Federal Register public notice which FMCSA issued on May 31, 2011, asking farmers, farm organizations and the public to give input on the agency's longstanding safety rules.
"We want to make it absolutely clear that farmers will not be subjected to new and impractical safety regulations," said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari. "The farm community can be confident that states will continue to follow the regulatory exemptions for farmers that have always worked so well."
"FMCSA is pleased with the input we've received from the agricultural community and members of Congress. We received about 1700 comments and the vast majority called for us to preserve the guidance that leaves states to carry out the farm exceptions as they have for many years." said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. "We want to make crystal clear that we are not imposing any new regulations."
Earlier this year, farm groups came to FMCSA with concerns that some states might not allow exemptions to Commercial Drivers License (CDL) requirements for certain farm operations using "crop-share" leasing.
When FMCSA investigated, there appeared to be wide differences among states in how the "for-hire" and related agricultural exceptions were being applied. In order to ensure consistency, FMCSA asked state officials to cease all new entrant safety audits on farmers engaged in "crop-share" leasing and issued the public notice soliciting input that would provide insight on the complex use of farm equipment on public roads. The guidance released today, which is based on that input, clarifies three critical issues:
* Interstate vs. intrastate commerce. Since the difference between the two has been determined by the U.S. Supreme Court and other Federal courts, FMCSA has limited flexibility to provide additional guidelines. The Agency has concluded that new regulatory guidance concerning the distinction between interstate and intrastate commerce is not necessary. Generally, the states and the industry have a common understanding on this point. To the extent that fact-specific questions arise, the Agency will work with the States and the industry to provide a clarification for the specific scenario. * Commercial Driver's License. Federal regulations allow states to make exceptions to Commercial Driver's License (CDL) regulations for certain farm vehicle drivers such as farm employees and family members, as long as their vehicles are not used by "for-hire" motor carriers. Some states have questioned whether this exemption applies to drivers who work for "crop share" or similar arrangements. FMCSA's notice includes guidance to ensure consistent application of the exemption. After considering the public comments, the Agency has determined that farmers who rent their land for a share of the crops and haul their own and the landlord's crops to market should have access to the agricultural CDL exemptions given by the states. * Implements of Husbandry. In a perfect world, farm vehicles would only operate on farms, while commercial trucks would operate on public roads. The reality is that farm equipment that is not designed or intended for everyday use on public roads is often used for short trips at limited speeds. This creates a gray area for classification. After considering the public comments, FMCSA has determined that most States have already adopted common sense enforcement practices that allow farmers to safely move equipment to and from their fields. In areas where farm implements are common, the enforcement community and the agricultural community have achieved a mutual understanding of which safety regulations should apply to farm equipment on their public roads.
FMCSA is committed to the safety of our highways and the long-term success of America's agricultural industry. To learn more about federal safety regulations that impact the transportation of agricultural products and equipment, please visit the FMCSA website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
Source: http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/fmcsa2411.html | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/2780 | Farm families need to plan for next generation
More and more, woman are returning to the farm — and taking charge. This is part of the generational shift agricultural economists talk about.
Published on November 1, 2013 12:11PM
Buy this photo Molly Pearmine McCarger returned to the family farm after a stint teaching. Marie Bowers returned to her family’s farm after working in agricultural finance.So did Macey Wessels, who managed a blueberry farm and processing plant.More and more, women are returning to the family farm and taking charge.This is part of the generational shift that agricultural economists talk about. As America’s farmers grow older — the average age is 57 — the younger generation must pick up the mantle. As the older generation considers passing along the family farm, all options must be considered.These days, daughters can be as likely to take over the farm as the sons.That’s as it should be. Farms are businesses that require knowledge of agriculture, finance, mechanics and many other fields. Whether that person is male or female is beside the point. Farming is an equal-opportunity profession.One of the most difficult problems facing any farm family can be summed up in a single word: succession. That’s when a farmer approaching retirement age faces the question of what to do with the farm. Sometimes the farm has been built from scratch. Other times, it is a multi-generational operation. Either way, the farmer, along with the family, need to come up with a plan for the next generation. In some families, the custom called for the oldest son to take over the farm. In others, the son — or daughter — with the most interest was designated. In some others, each child received an equal share of the farm.These and many other alternatives emerge during a discussion of succession plans. Almost all of them can have pitfalls if all the aspects are not considered. For example, a farmer may give an equal share to each child with the provision that one of them will buy out the others. But if the plan is not properly drawn up, the child still on the farm may have to take out a loan or sell part of the farm to do that. In some cases that can put the farm in a precarious financial position.In still other cases, there’s no plan at all, and family members, under the worst of circumstances, must figure out what to do.But just as no two families are the same, no two succession plans are the same.Whether a daughter or a son ends up on the farm, all family members must be on board and treated fairly. Marketplace | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/2942 | New tree fruit association will expand services
HomeLegal & RegulatoryTradePeopleMarketingNewsGeraldine WarnerDecember 2014 IssueNew tree fruit association will expand services Growers’ advocate ends 42-year career 2014 Silver Apple Award goes to Jerry Haak New tree fruit association will expand services
Jon DeVaney will represent the industry in the legislative arena. Geraldine Warner // Nov 28, 2014 // Legal & Regulatory // Marketing // News // People // Trade Jon DeVaney
The new Washington Tree Fruit Association plans to expand its services to the industry, says President Jon DeVaney, who will be busy working on legislative affairs in the state capital of Olympia in the coming session.
The merger of four organizations will be complete when the association absorbs the Washington State Horticultural Association after the annual hort meeting in early December. The Washington Growers Clearing House Association, Yakima Growers-Shippers Association, and Wenatchee Valley Traffic Association merged at the end of August.
The association’s annual budget will be $1.5 million, which is about $250,000 less than the combined budgets of the organizations it is replacing. It will be funded by dues of 3/4 cent per 40-pound equivalent box on apples, pears, cherries, and soft fruit. Packers will remit the dues directly to the association. Growers will not be able to opt out of paying dues, though they can ask to be removed from the mailing list.
“To have growers automatically be members, unless they choose not to be affiliated by saying, ‘Take me off your list,’ means we maximize the political influence by saying we represent all the growers of the industry, and all the packers, and all the marketers,” he said.
DeVaney said the new association will not just maintain services that the other organizations provided but will improve on them. He expects that the association will provide more data to producers and expand its educational role. It will also play a more proactive role in state legislative and regulatory affairs so that it’s not just pushing back on issues that could have a negative impact, but is asking for improvements to rules and regulations.
Ranie Haas joined the staff in October in the new position of director of regulatory and industry affairs. DeVaney will head the legislative effort, working—at least for the first session—with Jim Halstrom, a longtime contract lobbyist for the Hort Association, and Dave Ducharme, lobbyist for the Growers-Shippers Association in Olympia.
“I’ll spend some time on going to Olympia to identify priorities and explaining the industry’s position on issues that come up,” he said.
DeVaney, 43, has considerable experience in legislative affairs. He grew up in Washington’s Kitsap County and finished high school in Kennewick, where his parents still live. He has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in history at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
“I was in a PhD program, and then I realized that was a good route to unemployment,” he said. “The academic job market was not that strong.”
In 1995, while DeVaney was pondering over what else he might do, Doc Hastings was elected to the House of Representatives from Washington’s fourth congressional district. DeVaney got a job first as an intern and then as a legislative assistant with Hastings in Washington, D.C., and transferred to the Yakima, Washington, district office in 2000.
Two years later, he joined the staff of the Northwest Horticultural Council as director of legislative and regulatory affairs. He left in 2003 to rejoin Hasting’s staff and help run George Bush’s re-election effort. In 2005, he took a political appointment as Washington State’s director of Rural Development, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency’s many programs included building farmworker housing, helping to build rural infrastructure, and providing loans to businesses to produce value-added agriculture products.
“But, all good things come to an end, including presidential administrations,” DeVaney said, “And 2009 was not a good time to be a Republican or unemployed.”
Hastings had been appointed a ranking member of the House’s Natural Resources Committee, so DeVaney returned to work at Hastings’ office in Washington, D.C., though his home was in Yakima. His wife, Karen, who was caring for their two young sons, was not interested in relocating to the capital. When Keith Mathews left as manager of the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association, DeVaney successfully applied. He was appointed president of the Tree Fruit Association last summer.
DeVaney said state legislators need to be aware that the tree fruit industry is a huge benefit to the state’s economy and not one they should take for granted. If they make policy decisions that harm the industry, many thousands of jobs could be in jeopardy.
He’s concerned about how the legislature plans to pay for education and road maintenance, for example.
“They’re looking for billions of additional dollars to fund education and other priorities,” he said. “Our industry can’t easily absorb a lot of additional costs when we’re trying to market a large crop in a competitive environment.
“If they make regulations that are difficult or expensive to comply with, we could find ourselves at a competitive disadvantage very quickly and lose a lot of market share. International and domestic consumers love our products, but they’re sensitive to price.”
He’s particularly concerned that the state might increase gas taxes to compensate for a shortfall in revenues because of more fuel-efficient vehicles or introduce a carbon cap-and-trade scheme or carbon tax. About 97 percent of Washington’s apples are shipped out of state.
He pointed out that the industry has become even more reliant on trucks for shipping fruit to market since rail capacity has been declining at the same time as crop volumes have been increasing.
“Having the transportation to move that crop is very important,” he said. “It’s a concern because we’re not easily going to switch to electrically powered vehicles.” •
Ranie Haas joins new association
Ranie Hass
Ranie Haas has joined the Washington State Tree Fruit Association as director of regulatory and industry affairs. She will focus on how the various state agencies are implementing regulations that impact the tree fruit industry.
Haas grew up on an orchard in Wapato, Washington. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from Central Washington University in 1997, she worked at Congressman Doc Hasting’s office in Yakima for six years. She then worked in hop purchasing for Anheuser-Busch and most recently was a sales assistant for Washington Fruit and Produce Company.
By Geraldine Warner|2014-11-28T15:19:03+00:00November 28th, 2014|December 2014 Issue, Geraldine Warner, Legal & Regulatory, Marketing, News, People, Trade| About the Author: Geraldine Warner
Geraldine Warner was the editor of Good Fruit Grower from 1992-2015. During her tenure, she planned and prepared editorial content, wrote for the magazine, and managed the editorial team.
Read her stories: Story Index Related Posts
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Good Fruit Grower2017-04-19T13:35:13+00:00How to manage weeds and nitrogen in organic orchardsApril 19th, 2017|0 CommentsManaging weeds and maintaining nitrogen in organic apple production is an expensive and labor-intensive task.
In short, it isn’t easy. Organic growers everywhere struggle to adequately
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/4755 | Oregon vineyards ponder impact of 2013’s record downpour
Oregon's wine grape harvest was marked by a record downpour, but this is an industry where bad conditions often result in good quality.
By Eric MortensonCapital Press
Published on November 26, 2013 9:53AM
In the world of wine making, it’s a matter of faith that bad conditions produce good wine. Rocky soil? Makes the vines work harder to produce grapes, which in turn are like successful kids rising above their hardscrabble beginnings.If that truism holds, the heavy rain that pelted Oregon’s vineyards in late September could make 2013 a fine vintage. Maybe.“In the end, you don’t know until the wine gets into the bottle,” said Charles Humble, spokesman for the Oregon Wine Board, a semi-independent state agency that handles marketing, research and education projects for the industry. That uncertainty is the “beauty and the bane” of growing grapes and making wine in the state, he said.From a pure tonnage standpoint, Oregon growers may have set a new record, passing the 50,000 tons of grapes harvested in 2012. Humble said harvest numbers are incomplete and growers he’s spoken to are all over the map: Some report a flat line compared to last year, others up to a 20 percent gain. A complication: Some of that tonnage gain probably comes because grapes absorbed water during the record rains of late September.“Was it challenging? Yes,” said Oregon State University professor Patty Skinkis, a viticulture specialist who conducts research in conjunction with the state’s growers. But like the vines themselves, adversity can bring out the best in growers and winemakers.“You can’t afford to be lazy,” Skinkis said. “The more challenging it is, the more work you have to do.”Oregon’s international wine reputation rests largely on its pinot noir, which makes up more than half of the state’s grape acreage and is known for the technical difficulties it presents in the vineyard and winery. It is at the heart of an industry that has grown to 905 vineyards, 545 wineries, about 13,500 jobs and $3 billion in annual economic activity, according to the Wine Board.It’s a big deal in Oregon agriculture, in other words, and its 2013 performance could turn out to be interesting. The account of Amity grower David Beck, who operates Crawford Beck Vineyard with his wife, Jeanne, is an example of the complications involved.By mid-summer, Beck said, conditions were “warm and beautiful,” the grapes were developing ahead of pace and an early harvest seemed likely. A bit of rain in early September didn’t hurt, as it had been so dry. Then came the forecast for heavy rain in the last week of the month, and some of Beck’s winery clients ordered a quick picking. Crawford Beck harvested about a third of its grapes before the deluge.“That fruit was really beautiful, stunningly gorgeous, as perfect as it could be,” Beck said. “To me, the flavors were just perfect.”Then the heavens opened, dropping 2- to 6-inches of rain in a matter of days, depending on location. Portland, Salem, Hillsboro and Astoria set new records for September. Grapes absorb water at the point where stem meets berry, which can cause swelling and splitting and opens the door to botrytis, a bunch-rotting fungus.The race was on. “The day after the rain stopped, we started harvesting,” Beck said.“We were able to scramble,” he said. “For the most part we had enough labor to get the grapes in and avoid a moldy disaster.”The long, hot summer that preceded the rain made the difference, he said.“If we had not had the long warm spell, the grapes simply would not have been ripe enough,” Beck said. “We would have had to leave grapes out there hanging to get more flavor.”Heavy rain also can dilute sugar in grapes, reducing the alcohol content and changing the flavor. It’s too early to tell how the wine will turn out, but Humble of the Wine Board said Oregon winemakers have learned “tricks and techniques” over the years to deal with grape permutations.The early word on the 2013 vintage, after tough conditions? “Delicate.” | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/7039 | The NCR-SARE listening sessions serve as an opportunity to bring together people with differing viewpoints within a community of place to share their perspectives of sustainability and agriculture. NCR-SARE’s listening sessions are conducted by the Circle of Sustainability, a committee of NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council. Reports resulting from the listening sessions serve as a respected information source on the status and prospects of sustainable agriculture and as such guide the Administrative Council that directs the NCR-SARE competitive grants and other programs.Conducting a Listening Session Requests for listening sessions are accepted and reviewed continuously. Requests should include:
A description of the community or communities that will host the sessions in terms of NCR-SARE’s definition as “… a social grouping of people living in a definable geographic area with a definable agricultural ecosystem”. Typically one listening session event may include two or three gatherings in separate locations in order to capture the different communities in the location. These have been three-hour facilitated gatherings with 20 to 80 community members present. An explanation of the sustainability issues that are of particular concern to the host community, recognizing that sustainability has economic, environmental, and social dimensions. An assessment of the community’s long term opportunities and goals for sustainability in terms of the environment (air, soil, water, energy, biodiversity), the local economy (function and viability of production and distribution systems), and the social structure and function (food security and safety, health, cultural diversity, generational structure, sense of place and history, retention and growth). A description of the local organizing team who will help make arrangements for the listening sessions.
Listening session requests will be forwarded to relevant state NCR-SARE PDP coordinators, who will contact the local organizing team and, for listening sessions that are selected, will serve as liaisons between NCR-SARE and the local organizing committee. The local organizing team and NCR-SARE Circle of Sustainability members share responsibility for planning listening sessions, with coordination facilitated through teleconferences throughout the planning process. There are limited funds available through NCR-SARE to reimburse expenses for facility rental and refreshments associated with the listening sessions. Requests for listening sessions, or questions about the sessions, should be directed to [email protected] with “Listening Session Request” in the subject line, or mailed to the NCR-SARE office at 1390 Eckles Ave, Suite 120, St Paul, MN 55108.Past Listening Sessions NCR-SARE has conducted several sets of listening sessions. The goal of those listening sessions has been to improve NCR-SARE’s understanding and knowledge of sustainable agriculture from the perspective of these communities.
In 2008, listening sessions were conducted with seven First Nations in North Dakota and South Dakota. Click here for a summary. In 2009, listening sessions were conducted in the rural communities of Bingham Lake and Clarkfield in southwestern Minnesota. Click here for a summary. In 2010, listening sessions were conducted in three communities in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Click here for a summary. In 2011, two listening sessions were conducted in cooperation with the North Dakota Grazing Lands Coalition, South Dakota Grassland Coalition, and Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition at locations in North Dakota and Nebraska. Click here to view the flyer. Click here for a summary. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/8729 | About us > Board of directors Board of directors
Our Board of Directors and the standing committees which report to the Board provide strategic direction and oversight for our program and operations. Board members bring experience in management, agriculture, radio broadcasting, development communications, finance, legal counsel and – last but certainly not least – fundraising.
The committees provide specific direction and also help staff to implement some of the activities directed by the Board.
Kevin Perkins, Executive Director and Secretary
Doug Ward, Chair
Charles Marfull, Vice-Chair
Nancy Brown Andison, Treasurer Directors-at-Large:
Bernard Pelletier
Caitlynn Reesor
Glenn B. Powell
Heather E. Hudson
Jacqueline Toupin
Jean Christie
John Morriss
John van Mossel
Liz Hughes
Rick Gallop
Sarah Andrewes
Kevin Perkins has been the Executive Director of Farm Radio International since May 2006. Prior to joining Farm Radio, Kevin was the Director of Programs for Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief (CPAR) in Toronto. Between 1997 and 2004, Kevin turned his attention to his own Toronto neighbourhood, establishing the ACCESS Riverdale Community Loan Fund and leading the Riverdale Community Development Corporation as the Executive Director.
Doug worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 28 years as a radio producer, station manager, regional director and vice president. He was on the team of producers that started CBC Radio’s long-standing program “As It Happens”. Later, he directed CBC’s northern operations, emphasizing the recruitment and training of native northerners. Since 1988 he has served on the board of Inter Pares, a Canadian international social justice organization. He joined the board of Farm Radio International in 2001, and has been Chair of the board since September 2002.
Charles Marful, Vice-Chair
Charles is the Director of Human Resources for Ernst & Young’s Tax Practice. As the leader of the Tax People Team, he oversees the design and implementation human resource development strategies and initiatives. In addition to a career in human resources management, Charles has significant international experience. He was AIESEC’s Regional Development Officer for Africa in 1986/87, and a Working Group Chairperson for the International Conference on Sustainable Development in Tokyo. In 2002, he co-facilitated a workshop in Accra, Ghana, on Developing an Indigenous Leadership Model for Africa. He serves on two Boards in addition to Farm Radio International’s: Youth APEEL, a development initiative for youth in the Peel Region of Ontario, and GLOKAM, an international NGO that provides medical and health assistance to African Countries
Nancy Brown Andison, Treasurer
Nancy is a former management consultant for IBM in Toronto, and specializes in change management, program design and evaluation, and agriculture and agri-food industry programs and policies. Nancy has a family farming background and remains active in her parents’ family farm business. She holds a B.Sc. (Agriculture) from University of Guelph, and a MBA from Queen’s University.
Bernard is a research associate and project manager at McGill University, where he obtained his PhD in 2001. His research interests focus on the development of research methods (quantitative, participatory) for studying complex social-ecological systems. For his PhD research, he studied the effect of smallholder farming practices on soil quality and maize yield in Malawi. Bernard was also involved in various community development projects in Africa (Ghana, Malawi) as a project supervisor with Canada World Youth and as a volunteer with WUSC. He also worked as a consultant for the CECI in Haiti. He was the McGill project manager of a 3.5 year DFATD- and IDRC-funded food security research project in Kenya (2011-14).
Caitlynn lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where she works as the writer, host and producer of a popular agriculture radio show called Call of the Land. It is broadcast by 27 radio stations across Alberta. Prior to taking the helm at Call of the Land, Caitlynn was the writer, host and producer of The Agri-business Report, a one hour daily radio program broadcast by CFCW. Caitlynn is strongly connected to and respected within the agriculture and agricultural communication field in Canada. She has been recognized with a number of awards and is frequently invited to make presentations, emcee events and give media interviews.
Glenn grew up on a small farm near Paris, Ontario where the family raised Jersey cattle, laying hens, and turkeys for the year-end festive market. He graduated from the Ontario Agricultural College, B.Sc.A.(Animal Science) in 1962 and was employed as a provincial government agricultural extension agent. Glenn later joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as a farm commentator and there began a career in journalism and communications that was very much influenced by the founder of FRI, George Atkins. Glenn and George worked together for many years and remained lifetime close friends. As a National Reporter for CBC Radio News, Glenn travelled extensively throughout Canada, the United States, Mexico and Western Europe – including one assignment to Western Samoa where he served as lead trainer for rural broadcasters of the South Pacific. Today, Glenn continues to work as a freelance writer and communications consultant.
Heather is Professor of Communication Policy at the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and formerly founding director of the Telecommunications Management and Policy Program at the University of San Francisco. She also served as Coordinator for Evaluation and Learning Systems of IDRC’s Acacia Initiative in sub-Saharan Africa. Her work focuses on applications of information and communication technologies for socio-economic development, regulation and public policy issues, and policies and strategies to extend affordable access to new technologies and services, particularly in rural and remote areas. She is the author of many articles and several books, and has planned and evaluated communication projects in North America and more than 50 developing countries and emerging economies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific as well the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe. Awards include two Fulbright Fellowships, a Sloan Industry Fellowship, and IEEE Distinguished Lectureship. Heather holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Stanford University in Communication Research, J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin, and Honours B.A. from the University of British Columbia.
Jacqueline has 30 years of experience as a communicator, journalist and broadcaster dedicated to issues of development, rural and hinterland regions, peace and conflict, human rights and health, in particular women’s and children’s health. She has a wealth of experience in radio and TV production (on air, writing, technical operation and producer) as well as radio training, including with First Nation communities in Canada’s north. She also spent three years in Mozambique training journalists at Radio Mozambique, and trained local broadcasters in East Timor during the United Nations’ UNTAET mission. She also brings expertise in communications and web-based social media development, having worked on media and advocacy work for the World Health Organization in Geneva. Jacqueline is fluently bilingual in English and French and can converse in Portuguese and Spanish.
Jean has worked with civil society organizations for over four decades, in Canada and internationally. Except for a short foray into the domestic not-for-profit sector in Canada, her paid work has been international in scope. She served as the Executive Director of Inter Pares in the 1980s, the Director of International Liaison for the Rural Advancement Foundation International (now the ETC group) in the 1990s, and as Executive Director of the Voluntary Sector Forum in the early 2000s. Since then, she has been engaged as a consultant by a wide variety of civil society organizations. She has a special interest in the relationship between organized citizens and their governments, and in the role of civil society organizations in government and multilateral policy processes.
John has spent most of his career in agricultural communications and publishing, including as a freelance writer, director of information for the Canadian Wheat Board, publisher and editor of the Manitoba Co-operator, and publisher and editor of the Farmers’ Independent Weekly. He is now associate publisher and editorial director of Farm Business Communications, Canada’s largest agricultural publishing group, which includes titles such as Country Guide, Canadian Cattlemen, Grainews, the Manitoba Co-operator, and Alberta Farmer. He has received an award for his coverage of Canadian food aid projects in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and in 2012 received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to farm journalism.
John has worked for over 30 years in international development and environmental programs. He has considerable Africa experience, including the last 13 years focused on governance and sustainable development/climate change programs. Currently he is a senior consultant for ICF Marbek (Ottawa) where he has recently managed a five-year climate change adaptation project in Nigeria. As a private consultant, John has worked several clients including CARE, Commonwealth of Learning, the Canadian Coalition for Climate Change and Development, Development and Peace, Development Workshop (Angola), Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT), One Sky and Greenpeace International. Earlier, John was a senior consultant with GCSI Inc, (Ottawa) where he was the operational manager for two multi-year climate change adaptation projects (Nigeria and the Caribbean), participated in World Bank environmental projects and prepared environmental reports for Canadian clients. Prior to 1999 John worked for CUSO for 18 years, including 6+ years as Country Director (Botswana) and Regional Program Coordinator (Zambia). He has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Waterloo) and a Master of Arts – public administration/innovation, science and environment (Carleton).
Liz has worked for the CBC for more than 35 years. She has a wealth of experience in radio, television and online formats, and as a reporter, producer, executive producer, managing editor, bureau chief and most recently as a senior director of CBC News. Throughout her career she has been as a passionate advocate for local news. Liz was one of the first internal consultants at the CBC, applying her expertise in change management to some of the biggest and most complicated change projects in recent decades. She also led the CBC’s leadership training department, which took her to South Africa before the country’s first post-Apartheid election to train radio journalists and editors. Liz lives with her family in Vancouver, but developed her lifelong appreciation of farmers while growing up in rural Quebec, south of Montreal.
Sarah is a Vice President at Hill & Knowlton, Canada’s industry leader in public relations, public affairs and strategic communications. Sarah has over 12 years of communications experience during which time she has worked with many leading Canadian companies in the agriculture and food, professional services, financial services, technology and other sectors. Sarah holds a bachelor of arts degree from Carleton University and a public relations certificate from Humber College of Applied Arts and Technology. The eldest grandchild of Farm Radio International founder, Dr. George Atkins, Sarah first learned about the organization watching her grandparents stuff scripts into envelopes destined for fara way places.
Rick spent the first 20 years of his career in Canada in marketing and advertising. An interest in health lead him to the not-for-profit sector as President and CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, a position he held for 16 years. He was awarded Marketer of the Year in 1994 by the American Marketing Association and the Biomedical Science Ambassador Award by Partners in Research in 2003. He is the author of the G.I. Diet and several subsequent titles, including a cookbook and special editions for diabetes and menopause, which together have sold over 2 million copies in 23 countries. He was formerly a Board member of the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada and is currently a Board member of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario.
RT @IchRoush: #EarthDay Reading: From Pac NW to Kenya, #landrights matter for #climatechange: https://t.co/yjbwogWDXU… https://t.co/AOp57o2z7i, 23 hours agoRadio for trees: Bridging the gap between knowledge and practice in Uganda https://t.co/H1AVbil5AG #radio4change… https://t.co/hHjzHgAm0V, Apr 22RT @bviglia: .@foris_io has a mission: make the #agriculture world more #sustainable with #IoT #tech: https://t.co/GGejvjF9YK via @techrepublic #earthday, Apr 22Follow us on Twitter Barza WireSérie d’enjeux : La chaîne de valeur agricole du manioc en Tanzanie – la productionIssue Pack: Cassava value chain in Tanzania—productionApprentissage audio, adapté : Projecteurs sur le Talking Book (Livre enregistré)Audio learning, adapted: Spotlight on the Talking BookGuide pratique pour la radiodiffusion : Comment animer une discussion en groupe efficace Stay in Touch Sign up for Farm Radio International's eNewsletter and stay up to date with all of our work and events. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/10316 | Wednesday, 11 February 2009 17:24 A stockyard lost: Cattle farmers round up support for new auction
Written by Julia Merchant
How far would you drive for $100?
That’s the dilemma Haywood County cattle farmer Neal Stamey faces each time he hooks his trailer up to his pickup truck, loads up the cow or cows he’ll sell that day, and makes the 100-mile round-trip trek across the state line to a cattle auction in Newport, Tenn. There, a bidder will snap up Stamey’s animals, hopefully for a fair price. If Stamey’s brought only one cow, he’ll be lucky to make $100.
“There’s not enough money in the cattle business to have to haul cattle 100 miles to sell them,” Stamey says. “You can’t afford $150 bucks of gas for one cow.”
Since the closure of the only regional livestock market five years ago, these far-reaching auction houses are the only viable option Western North Carolina cattle farmers have if they hope to make a sale. The financial burden of the journey has forced an increasing number of cattle farmers out of business.
But now, the local farmers have asked for the state’s help to stop that decline with the construction of a state-of-the-art livestock market in Haywood County — a move that could prove crucial to preserving the region’s rural heritage and landscape.
In recent years, North Carolina lost more farms than almost any other state.
“Our concern is to keep producers in business, and keep all this land in farming,” said George Ivey, a Haywood County farming advocate. “In many cases, if you sell off the cattle, the only thing you’re growing there are houses.”
A blow to farmers
Livestock is a surprisingly big industry in this region. More than 3,000 farmers in 19 western counties keep cattle, selling off 80,000 each year. Haywood County leads the region in the number of cattle farmers, with 500 farmers that raise nearly a quarter of the region’s cattle.
But the total number of cattle in this part of the state has been on a decline since the region’s primary auction house, located in Asheville, shut down five years ago. Most farmers now trek to markets in Tennessee South Carolina, and Georgia.
“Historically, we’ve had markets here in WNC, and it’s been tough without them the last several years,” said Bill Teague, director of the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville.
The lack of a market, coupled with a severe drought that has gripped the region and led to skyrocketing hay prices, has led many cattle farmers to get out of the business altogether.
“A lot of people just quit and sold,” both their cattle and farms, said Lyman Bradley, a Jackson County cattle farmer.
“You’ve had the loss of a reliable and local market, and that’s enough to drive some people out of business,” agreed Ivey.
The situation has been helped a bit with the re-opening of a 1960s-era livestock auction in Canton, today run by Ed Johnson, a Madison County farmer. The auction was re-opened a year ago, and it’s seen some success.
“Before Johnson opened the auction, most everyone had to go out of state,” Bradley said.
But the facility is outdated and small, lacking the capacity that the former Asheville market had. A recent auction there featured 18 cows for sale — an impressive number given the icy, chilly conditions that day, but still far below the 800 to 900 cattle that were auctioned off each week at the Asheville market.
A large livestock market, “is something we need drastically,” Stamey said.
Big shoes to fill
Market advocates estimate it would cost $2.5 million to $3.5 million to construct the type of livestock market that will bring buyers — and in turn, competitive prices — to the region’s cattle farmers.
Initially, they wanted to build a slaughterhouse, but then realized they needed to lay the groundwork by providing a place where farmers could sell their cows.
The proposed market will be located in the heart of Western North Carolina cattle farming country along I-40 at the Haywood-Buncombe County line.
The first round of funding for the market — $500,000 for construction planning — will come out of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund. The trust fund was created following the lawsuit against Big Tobacco and used to help tobacco-dependent regions find another economically viable way to make a living. Essentially, one industry that has all but vanished in WNC could help another embattled industry survive.
“Our primary purpose is to improve the quality of life by increasing the income for the family farmer, and hopefully be able to replace the loss of income that occurred with the loss of tobacco,” said L.T. Ward, chairman of WNC Communities, the organization through which the Tobacco Trust Fund grant has been funneled.
Stamey, a cattle farmer, said that’s exactly how the trust fund money should be used.
“This is not taxpayer money — this is money the tobacco industry made before it was put out of business,” Stamey said. “In surrounding states, they’ve put that money back in agriculture, and we deserve some of that money.”
The parallels between tobacco and livestock are many, and both played a vitally important role in sustaining families in WNC. Just as families kept a small tobacco crop to supplement their income, many also kept a few cows — and that number has increased since the tobacco buyout.
“Tobacco used to be a good cash crop for a lot of farmers,” said Ivey. “With that gone, more people have turned to cattle to recover some of that income they used to get from tobacco.”
Stamey says beef cattle, like tobacco, has long played an important role in Haywood County. “In the past, tobacco and cattle have been big industries here,” he said.
Stamey’s parents kept a few cattle, and Stamey himself continued that tradition, though his full-time job was at the the paper mill in Canton.
The cows “sort of help supplement your income,” Stamey said. And there are several advantages to raising cattle. Cows can graze on hillslides unsuitable for crops, and they’re easy enough to tend to, requiring a feeding every three days in the winter and none in the summer, when they can be left on open pasture.
Stamey says he, like others, continues to keep cattle not just for some extra income, but also because it’s in his blood.
“I reckon it’s sort of like fishing. If you ever get hooked on it, you just keep doing it,” Stamey laughed.
By building a new livestock market where farmers can sell their cows easily, those involved hope to preserve a way of life in Western NC and possibly attract a new generation of farmers.
“You’re not going to get as many young people in the cattle business if they don’t have somewhere to sell them,” Stamey said.
Besides preserving mountain heritage, market supporters predict that a new livestock auction will have more tangible economic benefits.
First and foremost, the new facility will benefit farmers — not only by saving them the cost of transporting livestock long distances, but also by earning them more money on each sale.
“A viable market will attract buyers that are willing to pay higher prices,” said Ward. At a recent presentation of the livestock market plans, Ward promised a group of cattle farmers: “You will have more money in your pockets when you complete those transactions.”
Officials hope the new market will also generate jobs, and in turn, that employees will put their money back in the local economy. Ward predicted an increase in the number of livestock produced. That could bring more industry that centers around livestock, such as veterinarians.
Additionally, a portion of $1 from the sale of each cattle will go to fund the state’s Beef Checkoff program, which goes to market and promote N.C. beef products. The state misses out on that money when its cattle are sold out of state.
Pushing out private industry?
Some in the cattle industry don’t support the proposed market, particularly operators of existing markets who feel like the state is pushing them aside and out of business.
“That’s not what the (tobacco trust fund) money is for, to build a facility to compete with private industry,” said Al Eatmon, who runs a cattle auction in Shelby.
However, a state report that analyzed the need for a livestock market in WNC found that the Shelby market attracted less cattle than the closest out of state markets, though it’s one of only two in WNC.
Ed Johnson, owner of the cattle market in Canton, says advocates of the new market have ignored the effort he has made to help farmers by opening up his operation last year.
“They told me, if you don’t get this open, some of us will lose our farms,” he said.
Johnson has sacrificed to keep his operation open for the farmers who rely on him — he hasn’t pulled a paycheck in three months. He says just $10,000 would go a long way toward making needed repairs to his facility, and help it become a viable market.
“This works. We can make it work,” he said.
Johnson questions why the state is choosing to spend millions on a new facility rather than helping out an existing operator like himself.
“They’re looking to help out the local guy, yet they’re wanting to spend $3.5 million on a new market,” he said.
Randy McCoy, a Macon County cattle farmer and frequent patron at Johnson’s auction, said the money the state wants to spend is excessive.
“I don’t know if they have enough cattle in the area to spend that kind of money on a stockyard,” he said.
The state’s report did find that there aren’t enough cattle in WNC to sustain two competing markets. Ward said the plan to build a market was already in motion by the time Johnson opened his, and that the new market is targeting the 40,000 cattle currently being sold at auctions out of state, not the ones Johnson is selling.
“I’ve spoken to Johnson to clarify that we are not creating a market to try to take his market,” said Ward. “On the other hand, we will not be able to direct the producer, and if they emigrate from him to our market,” there’s nothing the state can do, he said.
Ward said Johnson is welcome to throw his name in the hat along with other operators interested in running the market. WNC Communities, the recipient of the grant that will help build the market, plans to lease the facility to a private operator at a low cost.
Ward said the state’s study showed that most cattle farmers support the new livestock market, and that benefiting the farmers is the ultimate goal of the market project. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/11121 | COTTON SPIN: Will the boom in U.S. cotton exports continue? Apr 21, 2017 USDA announces 2017 cotton loan rate differentials Apr 18, 2017 With new farm bill looming, next agriculture census critically important Apr 17, 2017 2020 Strategic Plan Positions Peanuts for Optimistic Future Apr 19, 2017 Irrigation efficiency will be key challenge
Ron Smith 1 | Oct 05, 2009
Improving irrigation efficiency for agriculture will be the crucial challenge for the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center as it begins its second century of service to West Texas farmers and ranchers, citizens and industries. “We have to get all we can from every drop of water we use,” said Jaroy Moore, resident director of the Lubbock, Texas, station that has been a force for agricultural innovation since 1909. The Research and Extension Center celebrated that 100-year milestone recently. Texas State Senator Robert Duncan echoed Moore’s assertion that water will be the key to continued profitability for agriculture in the region. “We have to preserve sustainable agricultural irrigation in West Texas,” Duncan said. “We must come up with producer oriented solutions. We need collaboration to solve problems.” Duncan said the Texas High Plains plays too significant a role in not only the Texas economy but also in the nation and the world. “This area grows one-third of the nation’s cotton and one-third of its grain sorghum,” he said. Balancing science and economics will be a key. “The Ogallala is a different aquifer,” he said. “It does not recharge fast enough to keep up with the pressure from irrigation agriculture. So we have to come up with ways for producers to manage water more efficiently without losing profit. “We can’t expect producers to make the initial investments in a crop and then cut back on water.” He said similar thinking that got the boll weevil eradication program on track will be critical to solve agriculture’s irrigation issues. “Boll weevil eradication got off to a rocky start,” he said. “But when growers got involved it worked. We can do the same with water.” Duncan said he does not envision a time when the state will take over managing groundwater resources. “Local control is the state’s preferred method.” That’s one reason the city of Lubbock built Lake Allen Henry, he said. City officials realized the important role agriculture plays in the region’s economy and decided to use a reservoir for city water supplies, leaving groundwater for agriculture. Duncan said he hopes “common sense will prevail” at the federal level to maintain water laws that are not overly restrictive. “How much water can we take out of the aquifer?” asked Dr. Michael McKinney, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. “Senator Duncan has asked that question and it is the right question,” he said. “This is a Texas problem.” McKinney said agriculture is an important part of the Texas A&M name, part of its heritage and part of its future. “Agriculture is as relevant as it can be.” He said the Lubbock station has seen many changes in 100 years. “This center is a prime example of the importance of public and private partnerships. This center epitomizes the land grant system providing teaching, Extension and research for the common person.” He said scientists at the station have “made profound differences in the health and well being of Texans. Farmers are more effective and more efficient. Only 2 percent of the population now feeds the world. “I trust the next 100 years will be as successful as the first 100.” Jim Schwertner, member of the Board of Regents, said the collaboration between the research center and Texas Tech University is a key to that success. “I hope the collaboration continues and the focus remains on agriculture. Agriculture has the brightest future ever. The world has a lot of people who need to eat.” email: [email protected]
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/11263 | California State Water Project boosts irrigation allotment Apr 18, 2017 Even with effective synthetic alternatives Sulfur remains a relevant tool for controlling powdery mildew Apr 12, 2017 With buds pushing in late March, start of San Joaquin Valley wine grape crop follows normal timing Apr 12, 2017 Walnut growers responsible for ensuring clean water use on operation Apr 05, 2017 Sunkist to extend global view
Dan Bryant | Mar 05, 2005
Sunkist grower-members are beaming about their improved returns for 2004, but Jeff Gargiulo, president and chief operating officer of the citrus marketing cooperative, says future performance will be driven by a new, broader vision. Sunkist payments for 2004, distributed among its 6,000 members in California and Arizona, rose about 11 percent as revenues exceeded $975 million, up 3.5 percent over 2003, from sales of 71 million cartons, 3 million less than the prior season. At its 111th annual meeting, held recently in Visalia, Calif., Gargiulo, who is marking his fourth year at the helm, said Sunkist's mission has always been the highest possible returns for members. The vision for the next 10 years, however, is based on strategies for a stronger presence in the international marketplace, particularly with enhanced brand recognition through more logo “impressions” on every package or piece of fruit sold. “Other well-known brands,” he said, “spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year in advertising and marketing. We don't have that kind of money, yet we continue to make the brand more distinctive with premium quality fruit.” Notable in that approach is Sunkist's successful sourcing of lemons and oranges from Chile and South Africa into Japan and Hong Kong and navels from Australia into Canada. The result of the year-round supply was a positive consumer response to additional products, while Sunkist held on to its retail shelf space with premium branded citrus. Berry business Sunkist also sold one million trays of strawberries in a limited deal with Coastal Berry last year and is now exploring other ways to continue in the berry business. Gargiulo said he is often asked why Sunkist is moving into offshore sourcing of citrus and marketing non-citrus fruit. In answering, he pointed to what's going on in European markets showcased by the massive, international Fruit Logistica produce show, which he said is four times the size of the Produce Marketing Association's annual show in the U.S. Although Dole, Chiquita, Driscoll and other prominent U.S. brands were represented at the recent exhibition in Berlin that draws buyers from everywhere, he said Sunkist was not an exhibitor but plans to be there in the future. “We need to look at these opportunities, figure how we will execute them, and bring the bacon back home. Hopefully, it will affect our cost structure and get more brand impressions out there,” said Gargiulo. “There are a lot of changes in our world, and we have to understand what's going on in Europe, and in China and the rest of Asia.” Courting markets The immediate course of action, he said, is to re-focus on quality, with the reasoning that any sustainable brand has to earn and hold a reputation for unique quality. “The growers and packers who will be around in 10 years are the ones who produce quality.” Sunkist, he said, will do its part by continuing to build on marketing of quality fruit by courting export markets and ramping up already high standards for inspection and food safety. It is diversifying with specialty citrus, such as Clementines, a marketing innovation for it in 2004, as well as new products, including Sunkist Fun Fruit, a line of bagged, ready-to-eat, fresh products for school food service. David W. Krause, Orange Cove, Calif., grower and Sunkist chairman, credited much of the success of the 2004 season to industry unity, led by Sunkist, as demonstrated by the California Citrus Growers Association (CCGA), an effort to improve grower returns. Sunkist has been a principal in CCGA, formed in 2003 for member cooperatives to share information and better coordinate marketing. A generic advertising campaign, a first for the industry, was launched this season. Funded by the industry and managed by Sunkist, it is centered on the Sunkist brand. Other CCGA members are the Central California Orange Growers Cooperative, Sun Pacific, United Moonlight Citrus Association, and Corona-Citrus Heights Orange and Lemon Association. Consistent supplies CCGA, which represents 85 percent to 90 percent of the California citrus industry, is also dedicated to voluntary higher standards of fruit quality and timely deliveries to suit market demand. Gargiulo said CCGA was not only a success in 2004 in improving grower returns but also in providing consistent supplies of high-quality fruit for consumers. And produce buyers also benefited, he added. With orderly supplies, week-to-week, “they gained confidence with citrus and by gaining confidence they are willing to sell more.” Although Mother Nature took kindly to the 2004 crop, the present crop has several problems, Gargiulo said. “While lemons are in good shape, oranges are bigger, there's more of them, and they are not as pretty. We've had some freeze, a lot of rain, and the fruit will not last as long. So it is a more difficult crop to manage, and that may be, in some ways, more of a test for CCGA. But things are going along pretty well.” Gargiulo is bullish on the future for citrus. “Someone asked me if I would plant oranges. Yes, I would plant oranges. I think oranges have a future in California. I think we have a future for specialty citrus, and although we do have potential for lemons, they are more open to competition from imports than oranges.” | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/11586 | After Dinner Speakers Comedians Conference Facilitators Keynote Speakers Motivational Speakers Personal Appearances Awards Hosts Browse All Topics Browse All Speakers Blog About Us FAQs Meet The Team Videos Contact Tel: +44 (0)20 7607 7070 Fairtrade is the best hope for India's tea producers
The Chamraj estate in Tamil Nadu is thriving thanks to the Fairtrade Foundation - but the same cannot be said for the south Indian tea industry
The price of basic farm commodities has been hammered over the past 40 years, placing unbearable pressure on farmers.
At the bottom of the food chain are smallholders. With processors, brokers, auctioneers, speculators and retailers all taking a cut, there is little left to pay the producer. The situation adds to the rural poverty endured by a third of the world's population.
It is why 15 years ago the Fairtrade Foundation started. The idea is to offer growers a minimum price to make production cost effective and then pay a premium on top, to be invested in social projects – normally education, health, environment, energy and pensions. How and where money is invested is decided by a committee elected by co-op members or workers on an estate or plantation.
The Chamraj tea estate in Tamil Nadu, south India, was one of the very first to be certified. The estate used to be run by the family who founded the Hoare merchant bank in London. It is now owned by Indians. It produces 40,000kg of green leaf and 10,000kg of black leaf each day from what is the biggest factory in the Nilgiri hills, the main tea-growing region of south India. Nearly 8% of sales are Fairtrade. It exports 85% of its tea to Germany, Japan and the US, among other markets.
In 15 years the Fairtrade premium has bought a new school block with computers and laboratories, several school buses and a doubling of children in schools. Workers on tea estates are automatically housed but when they retire they often become homeless. The premium has paid for an enhanced pension that enables former workers to build a new home. It has also paid for a doctor at the local hospital and for modern medical equipment, which is used by people from miles around.
Chamraj is thriving but the same cannot be said for the south Indian tea industry. For most of the past decade prices have been so low many businesses have gone under.
The director of Chamraj, Titus Pinto, said: "Sixteen tea companies were abandoned in Kerala and a few gardens [estates] in the north. Owners just vanished because they couldn't produce tea and sell above the cost of production. So there was no money coming in.
"And the workers lost their jobs. The workers couldn't afford to send their children to schools. So children who were supposed to be at school started working, sometimes at very low salaries. The workers were deprived of some of their benefits [but] they were not made homeless. They could stay on the properties but they couldn't leave because they had no money to go and buy a house somewhere else. So they were trapped."
More than 15 million people in the developing world rely on tea for a living but currently only 10% of what is sold in the UK is Fairtrade. The next year will see the beginning of an ambitious strategy to see half of tea bought in Britain become Fairtrade.
"Even though the price of tea has risen since 2002, producers today still receive only half of what they did 30 years ago for their crop," Harriet Lamb, the foundation's executive director, said. "The reality is that the tea trade continues to keep the poorest people in the supply chain – the growers and pickers in developing countries – in poverty. Without the promise of a fair price for their harvest, tea producers have little hope of change in the future."
The tea industry in south India
South India produces 200m kilograms of tea, with half going for export. In the past, the region exported much tea to the Soviet Union and then to the newly created Commonwealth of Independent States but, in the late 1990s, the rouble currency crisis and attendant economic fallout meant orders dried up. Since then, south India has been on a mission to improve the quality of its tea to penetrate American, European and Chinese markets.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7607 7070 Fax: +44 (0)20 7700 8847 [email protected] It has been a pleasure to work with Helena and Speakers Corner. Rockspring PIM (LLP) Footer Logos Home Latest News Disclaimer/Privacy Contact Us Advice & FAQs About our Speaker Bureau Copyright Speakers Corner 2016 | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/11657 | U.S. GRAINS COUNCIL: HOW CANCELLATION OF TPP MAY IMPACT AGRICULTUREJan. 30, 2017Source: blog by U.S. Grains Council
Newly-inaugurated President Donald Trump has already followed through with key campaign promises related to trade policy - moves that have rightfully caused concern among grain farmers whose price is being supported by robust export sales of this year. Early this week, the Administration announced it would aim to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. Monday, the president signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement negotiated with 11 other Pacific Rim countries. These moves are intended to pave the way for new negotiations. However, in the short term - and coming soon after serious trade policy issues with China - they could severely curtail U.S. grain farmers' market access globally and open up existing export markets to new levels of competition. TPP was the product of years of work and dedication on behalf of negotiators and stakeholders and stood to eliminate 18,000 taxes and barriers blocking the free flow of goods to 40 percent of the world's consumers. The agreement also contained much more than just tariff reductions. Modernized rules of trade and sanitary/phytosanitary chapters were huge steps forward, and TPP was the first such trade agreement to address biotechnology. NAFTA, enacted more than 20 years ago, is a landmark trade success story for U.S. agriculture, particularly grains. Over the past two decades, U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico tripled and quintupled, respectively, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. One in every 10 acres on American farms is planted to feed hungry Canadian and Mexicans. According to the most recent numbers available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico is the top market for U.S. corn while Canada ranks as the ninth largest customer. Mexico is also the second largest customer for U.S. distiller's dried grains with solubles and U.S. sorghum and a leading buyer of U.S. barley. In the 2015/2016 marketing year, U.S. exports of corn to Mexico and Canada totaled more than 14 million metric tons, a record high in the tenure of NAFTA, valued at $2.68 billion. The U.S. Grains Council is working with the National Corn Growers Association, its additional sister grower associations and others in the agriculture community to follow and assess the proposed next steps by the Administration. Moving forward, these groups will aim to work with the Administration to maintain and expand the benefits of existing or new trade dialogues, be they bilateral or multilateral. More about NAFTA from the Council is here; more about TPP from the Council is here. Tweet | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/12856 | Ag Minute: World Soil Day Today
A treasure trove of life-sustaining food, pharmaceuticals, clothing, and much more lies just beneath us. The source of this treasure: the multitude of tiny organisms, minerals, and water that combine to make up that miraculous resource called simply “soil.”There is nothing simple or humble about soil, however, said Gary Pierzynski, professor and head of the department of agronomy at Kansas State University.“Soil should be treated like royalty by all of us – protected and nourished,” Pierzynski said. “Soil is a finite natural resource and cannot be replaced in our lifetime once it is lost to dust storms, water runoff, or pollution.”The value of soil as a precious resource is being celebrated internationally today as World Soil Day, Pierzynski said.World Soil Day has been held every year since 2002, when the International Union of Soil Sciences made a resolution proposing its creation.The purpose of the worldwide celebration is to draw attention to this vibrant, non-renewable resource that surrounds all of us on land, said Chuck Rice, K-State university distinguished professor of agronomy.“Looking at the soil from a broad perspective, there is not much of it – just a few inches to a few feet in depth over most of the Earth’s land. And once it is lost, we’ll have lost it forever. The soil is literally a thin line between prosperity and peril for all of us,” Rice said.“Soils provide much more than just the essential basis for food production, he said. “Soils play a role in sustaining human health and the environment. Soils are home to billions of living organisms, yet only a small fraction has been studied. These organisms are a source of antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs.”Most people probably associate soil with plant life or construction foundations, Pierzynski said. Those functions provide tremendous value to all Kansans.In terms of plant life and agriculture, perhaps few regions of the country derive such immediate benefits from a healthy and productive soil resource than the Central Plains and Midwest, he said.“People throughout the country and world depend on soils, along with water, to produce food and fiber. But it’s in the states where agriculture drives the economy that we see the biggest economic benefit from these finite resources,” he said. “We have a lot at stake in protecting our soil in Kansas. Every time we have a dust storm or see our soil flowing into surface water, we see our economy as a state take a hit.”Agriculture is the largest economic driver in Kansas, valued at more than $33 billion, according to the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s most recent Farm Facts. The productive nature of soils in Kansas is a major factor in this economic engine.The KDA report also states that in Kansas, there are 52,320,102 acres of land. Farmland accounts for 88.6 percent of all Kansas land. More than 28 million acres in Kansas are devoted to growing crops and nearly 16 million is pastureland for grazing animals.“All of this illustrates the economic importance of the soil to the Kansas economy since soil is the foundation of agriculture. Once our valuable topsoil in Kansas is lost, it takes millions of years to generate more of it,” Pierzynski said.Worldwide, the value of plant life and soil organisms to produce valuable chemical compounds that benefit human and animal life adds even more to the value of soils, Rice said, adding that everyone in Kansas can do their part to help protect the state’s valuable and non-renewable soil resource.“Those directly engaged in managing soil resources as part of their business can use practices that will keep the soil from being lost to erosion or pollution. Those in agriculture can protect or increase organic matter, practice conservation tillage and good grazing practices to help prevent wind and water erosion, use terraces and other conservation measures, and keep the soil covered with plant growth or residue year-round as much as possible,” Rice said. “Those in the construction and mining industries can treat the soil they manage as a treasured resource and make sure it remains viable for future generations.”“Those not directly involved in soil management through their work can help protect the resource by not allowing soils in urban areas to become contaminated by pollutants and by taking steps to keep soil from washing into storm drains,” he added.The non-farm community can also help in World Soil Day efforts by realizing the value of land that is protected by vegetation and conservation measures, and appreciating the efforts of others in keeping the soil protected, Rice said.The good, productive soils in Kansas, such as the Harney silt loam, the state soil of Kansas, evolved over thousands of years under prairie grasslands, and with good stewardship will keep providing economic benefits to the state for thousands of years to come, Pierzynski said.For more information on World Soil Day 2013, see: http://www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership/gsp-events/detail/en/c/206930/. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/13072 | Trudeau says Canada will stick with its dairy policy Apr 21, 2017 Mexican official ready to start NAFTA talks Apr 19, 2017 Trump promises to restore U.S. dairy exports to Canada Apr 19, 2017 A new way to make machinery Apr 19, 2017 2020 Strategic Plan Positions Peanuts for Optimistic Future Apr 19, 2017 Featured
COTTON SPIN: Will the boom in U.S. cotton exports continue? Apr 21, 2017 USDA announces 2017 cotton loan rate differentials Apr 18, 2017 With new farm bill looming, next agriculture census critically important Apr 17, 2017 Syngenta #RootedinAg contest accepting entries Apr 19, 2017 New peanut marketing lingo offers acronyms, headaches
Ron Smith 1 | Sep 04, 2003
I recently attended a meeting in which I learned about the new peanut program. And I use the term “learned” loosely. But, since I was there and many of you were unable to attend, it being in Florida, which is a fur piece from Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, I thought I'd try to explain some of the nuances of the way you're going to have to market peanuts. First let's review the old system. For starters, we had allotments and established prices for what farmers grew on their allotments. Then the government changed its mind about allotments and switched to quota, which meant you either had inherited or bought a certain number of pounds that you could plant on your farm, even when you had allotments. You could produce more than you had quota for, if you were a mind to, but the set price for quota was better than $600 per ton and the set price for those other peanuts was about $125, give or take a few. Now these other peanuts, which some farmers had because they simply made too good a crop and couldn't even help themselves from busting their quota, were called, at one time or another, non-quota, which makes sense, or additionals, which also makes some sense if you consider that these peanuts were over and above what you had quota for and were usually priced so low they hardly deserved to be named at all. A lot of producers made non-quota peanuts work, however, simply because they could grow lots of them and pretty cheaply and they generally did a stand-up job of selling them on contract before they put a plow in the ground. The government, being the government and apt to change something simply because it could, switched the program around about every chance it got and made it so a farmer in one county could transfer his quota to a farmer in another county and not get jailed for it. That's when a bunch of peanuts ended up in West Texas and a bunch left the central and eastern parts of the state. But even then folks could still plant quota and get a guaranteed price. Or they could plant non-quota and get a non-guaranteed price. That system rocked on for a few years until the government, still being the government, decided to do away with quotas and let every Thomas, Richard and Harrison plant peanuts if they wanted to, and they could participate in a special government program — if they had a base. I never did understand that base business so I will not attempt to explain it. The upshot of this last change, however, is that peanut farmers no longer have an absolute guaranteed price of better than $600 per ton for quota or whatever they could get for non-quota. They do have a target price of $355 per ton. But they can grow a lot more peanuts, if they have base enough and time. And this is where it gets confusing. You thought it was already messed up, didn't you? Well it gets worse. Now farmers have to look at a pocketful of possibilities. For instance, the price of peanuts is linked to the National Posted Price, NPP. From that, the government, being the government and being able to do things like this, set a loan rate, LR, which currently is $355 per ton. But growers may also qualify for a loan deficiency payment, LDP, and a Marketing Loan Gain, MLG, but a lot of that has to be approved by the Farm Service Agency, FSA, which has forms to fill out, CCC-709 or FSA-111, depending on whether the grower sells the peanuts himself or turns them over to a Certified Marketing Association or CMA. The CMA does all the FSA paperwork for the grower, which is a good thing. They also explain all the acronyms, which is an even better thing. Oh, I almost forgot, they also get a direct payment or DP, which I always thought was an abbreviation for double play, but I could be wrong. And all this time farmers need to be aware of hanging onto their beneficial interest so they qualify for all those acronyms. Finally there is the MLB, the NFL and the NBA, which are only loosely associated with peanuts since you can buy a little bitty bag of in-shells at their various stadiums and arenas for about $5 for 37 peanuts. So, in a nutshell, so to speak, here is how it works: A peanut farmer produces peanuts on his base, which I will still not try to explain. He can then get his LR, which is based on the NPP, and maybe get a buyer premium (BP), along with the LDP and a MLG, and a DP after he fills out CCC- 709. Or he can use a CMA, fill out a FSA-111 and let CMA take care of the LR, the NPP, the LDP, the MLG, and the DP and send the products along to the MLB, NFL and NBA, where I'll plunk down some hard earned cash to procure beneficial interest in about 37 peanuts and munch while I contemplate the universe. Y'all don't need to thank me. e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/13269 | The National Grange opposes the National Bio Agro Defense Facility
Filed under: Blogging, Business, Butner, Economy, Environmental, Government, Green, Local, Media, Nature, NBAF News, News, North Carolina, Opinion, Politics, Public Health, Raleigh, Uncategorized by butnerblogspot April 28, 2008
Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Leroy Watson, Legislative Director for the National Grange. If you are unfamliar with the National Grange they have worked tirelessly over the years to give rural America a voice while protecting traditional values and interests of small communities across the country. Here is a excerpt from their about page.
“The National Grange is the nation’s oldest national agricultural organization, with grassroots units established in 3,600 local communities in 37 states. Its 300,000 members provide service to agriculture and rural areas on a wide variety of issues, including economic development, education, family endeavors, and legislation designed to assure a strong and viable Rural America. It was formed in the years following the American Civil War to unite private citizens in improving the economic and social position of the nation’s farm population. Over the past 137 years, it has evolved to include non-farm rural families and communities”.
The topic of our conversation was a recent press release from his organization, opposing the National Bio Agro Defense Facility. While speaking with Mr Watson I communicated my concern for Butner and North Carolina. He indicated he understood the communities concern because of the fact that “the deadly pathogens the facility (NBAF) would study, could affect every farm within a 75 mile radius”. The details of the press release are as follows:
National Grange Opposes Mainland Research Facility
For Immediate Release April 17, 2008
(Washington, DC) – In a strongly worded letter to Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, the National Grange, the nation’s oldest general farm and rural public interest organization representing family farmers and rural citizens, expressed its opposition to the development of a Foot-and-Mouth Disease research facility on the United States Mainland. Currently this disease research is accomplished on an isolated island laboratory in New York’s Long Island Sound, far away from U. S. livestock, and thus minimizing the risk for a catastrophic outbreak, which would devastate our domestic livestock industry. The research accomplished includes vaccine and drug development, testing of imported animals, and professional training.
The Bush administration is proposing additional highly sensitive research at a new National Bio Defense Facility on the U. S. mainland near hundreds of thousands of livestock. Proposed sites for the new laboratory include the states of Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, and Mississippi. The National Grange strongly believes any outbreak containment would be more successful at the existing isolated facility than at a proposed mainland site. The Foot-and-Mouth virus, which does not affect humans, is nonetheless, highly contagious and can be carried by breath, clothes, and vehicles. Ed Luttrell, National Grange President stated, “Bio-security will always be an issue on the mainland so placing a new research facility on the continental United States greatly increases the risk of a catastrophic outbreak. Consequently the National Grange recommends renovating the existing facility to obtain the security necessary to perform higher-level research such as viral transfer from animals to humans rather than building a new facility on the continental U. S.” Proponents of a new mainland facility say modern safety rules at labs are sufficient to avoid any potential outbreak. But incidents in Britain have demonstrated that the foot-and-mouth virus can cause remarkable economic havoc, and that the virus can escape from a facility. An epidemic in 2001
devastated Britain’s livestock industry, as the government slaughtered 6 million sheep, cows and pigs. Last year, in a less serious outbreak, Britain’s health and safety agency concluded the virus probably escaped from a site shared by a government research center and a vaccine maker. Other outbreaks have occurred in Taiwan in 1997 and China last year and in 2006. The United States has not had an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease since the 1920s.
Thank goodness there are organizations such as the National Grange, willing to voice their opposition to the NBAF. Clearly there is more to the debate and yet public opinion is being ignored. Shareholders vying to bring the NBAF to North Carolina would have us believe the agricultural community supports such a facility but as indicated by the National Grange not everyone is blinded by the lure of research dollars, some organizations protect rural communites while others sell them out to the highest bidder.
To read the actual press release go here. Advertisements
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Visit NC’s own Prodigal Farm April 2008 | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/13544 | Agribusiness blog From our experts Contact us Get in touch or find a branch Rural women gather in Yarra Valley to celebrate International Rural Women's Day
A gathering of progressive and inspiring rural women was held in the Yarra Valley last Thursday, with the group enjoying a luncheon to celebrate International Day of Rural Women hosted by agribusiness banking specialist, Rabobank at Helen's Hill Estate.
Providing a rare opportunity for like-minded rural women to come together, the day showcased the crucial role women play in their businesses, communities and families, and how leading by example provides young women with role models when considering a career in agriculture.
Featuring savvy businesswoman, Katrina Myers from Barham Avocados, Ms Myers shared her passion for the family business, her community and her region and how important these events are to “surround yourself with positive people and share knowledge to learn from one another.”
Run as a Q & A session by Rabobank's business programs manager, Nerida Sweetapple, Ms Myers gave insights into running a multi-generational business, which includes her mother, Debbie Warne and her husband Tim, and their three young children.
The family farm, ‘Horseshoe-Bend’ at Barham in the western Riverina, has been in the family for four generations, with Ms Myer’s parents planting their first tree 40 years ago. Avocados are now the core business, with 200 tonnes of fruit produced each year and plans afoot to increase production further.
"I have always loved farming and feel grateful that Tim and I made the decision to return to the family farm five years ago," Ms Myers said. "But farming is like any other business, you have to be innovative or you won't survive."
Ms Myers, who is strongly focused on differentiating her product by connecting with consumers, said you can have the "best product in the world but if people don't know about it – it doesn't matter.”
"You can have the best wheat, the best avocados, the best carrots, but with the marketplace the way it is, you have to find a way to stand out from the crowd,” she said. “And for us, this has meant selling our value-proposition directly to our consumers, which is all about our delicious fresh produce that is pesticide free, and grown with love and picked by hand.”
"Consumers want to know about the food they are buying, so we love sharing our story with them, which is not only a story about us, but our region and community."
To engage with their consumers, Ms Myers said they have direct and regular contact
through their strong social media presence, sharing content @BarhamAvocados on Twitter and at facebook.com/barhamavocados.
“We also post a blog on our website and send out an online newsletter, which encourages consumers to engage with us directly,” she said. “Farm tours have also proved to be a fun way to see our operation first-hand, while the farmers markets give us regular contact with those in the local area.”
With Ms Myers committed to promoting her community, she was instrumental in establishing Red Gum Food Group (RGFG), which represents local producers passionate about promoting the Koondrook-Barham region as a food bowl.
Incorporating Barham’s avocados as well as olives, citrus, pork, wine, walnuts, lamb and garlic – the group hosts monthly farmers’ markets as well as events and festivals.
Ms Myers, a strong advocate for women in agriculture, says much of her inspiration has come from her mother and grandmother – two strong, successful women.
“My grandmother has received an OAM in recognition of her community service, while my mother single-handedly ran the business for 10 to 15 years after the passing of my father.”
For women considering a career in agriculture, Ms Myers suggests “doing your research to find out where the gap in the market is, and then looking at what other small producers have done to get themselves going – as anything is possible”.
Rabobank helps facilitate this process by running a series of sustainable business initiatives, including farm exchange programs to give city students a taste of life on the land, financial women’s workshops and mentoring programs as well as, business management programs for up-and-coming farmers as well as, established operators.
Celebrated on October 15 each year, International Day of Rural Women is an initiative of the United Nations, which celebrates the important role that women play in enhancing agricultural and rural development worldwide.
Denise Shaw Head of Media Relations Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Phone: 02 8115 2744 or 0439 603 525 Email: [email protected] Skye Ward | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/15097 | California State Water Project boosts irrigation allotment Apr 18, 2017 Even with effective synthetic alternatives Sulfur remains a relevant tool for controlling powdery mildew Apr 12, 2017 With buds pushing in late March, start of San Joaquin Valley wine grape crop follows normal timing Apr 12, 2017 Walnut growers responsible for ensuring clean water use on operation Apr 05, 2017 Regulatory>Legislative Supreme Court will review crucial biotech seed patent case
The Court's decision to review Bowman v. Monsanto Co., has created substantial discussion in agriculture regarding the scope of patent rights for agricultural biotechnology.
What really has the agricultural law community talking is the planting of seeds not "saved" by the farmer from the previous growing season, but rather the purchase of seeds from a grain elevator (known as commodity seed). A. Bryan Endres, University Of Illinois | Dec 03, 2012
The U.S. Supreme Court receives approximately 10,000 petitions per year asking it to review a particular dispute--called a petition for a writ of certiorari or petition for "cert."
As the Court cannot possibly hold an oral argument and decide each requested case, it usually selects the most critical 75-80 cases per year, with the term starting in October and running through the following summer.
Lawyers anxiously await the Court's decision on which cases it will hear and then speculate as to why it may or may not have accepted "cert" in a particular case and what this may mean for that area of law going forward.
Although agriculture undoubtedly is an important part of our national economy, it is relatively rare when the Court grants cert on a case directly involving agriculture.
The Court's docket tends to be congested with issues relating to the grand social challenges of the day, e.g., health care, affirmative action in higher education, freedom of speech, and balancing individuals' privacy rights with the needs of the police, to name a few topics on the Court's agenda for the 2012-2013 term.
The Court's decision to grant cert in Bowman v. Monsanto Co., therefore, has engendered substantial discussion in the agricultural law community regarding the scope of patent rights for agricultural biotechnology.
In Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980), the Court affirmed the ability to secure utility patents on "living" things such as microbes.
Life science companies quickly realized that many of their novel inventions, such as genetically engineered seeds, could qualify for utility patents. This provided an additional layer of intellectual property protection beyond trade secrets or plant variety protection certificates.
In J.E.M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred, Inc., 534 U.S. 124 (2001), the Court further affirmed that genetically engineered seeds could qualify simultaneously for both plant variety protection certificates and utility patents.
This provided agro-biotech companies an important means to protect their return on research investment by excluding the ability of competitors to appropriate their novel technology and incorporate it in their own seeds.
On the other hand, seed companies were left with a problem of how to prevent entrepreneurial farmers from saving this seed embedded with new (and expensive) technology. The "First Sale Doctrine" of patent law provides that once a patented product is sold, the new owner is free to make use of that product however he/she best sees fit.
For example, if I buy a patented chair, I could use it to sit on, or stand of top of it to reach into the top of my kitchen cabinets. And when I am done with the chair, am free to sell it to whomever I want, at any price I want and they are free to do whatever they want with that chair.
First sale rights?
The owner of the patent, after the "first sale" to me, has extinguished the patent rights in that particular chair. I could not, however, take that patented chair, reverse engineer the patented technology in the chair, and then manufacture and sell my own version.
The difference is that the patent rights are exhausted in the specific chair I bought, while the patent laws exclude me from making copies of chairs on my own to sell to others.
But what about "self-replicating" products such as soybeans? If I buy a bag of soybean seeds from the seed dealer, I obviously intend to plant them and create more seeds--that is, after all, the point of farming. Yet the readers of farmdoc certainly understand that farmers cannot save and replant soybean seeds year to year.
And what about the First Sale Doctrine? Would that not allow the purchaser of the seed to make whatever use they want of the seed pre- or post-harvest similar to the patented chair example?
The answer, at least under current law, is no. In simplest terms, one does not "buy" the patented seeds, but rather purchases a license from the patent holder to use the patented technology embedded in the seed itself. This is a limited-use license that places restrictions on the license holder's use of the seed, e.g., no saving seed for replanting the next growing season.
This is a well settled area of law as multiple courts have upheld limited use licenses that restrict seed saving. See Monsanto Co. v. McFarling, 363 F.3d 1336 (Fed. Cir. 2004); Monsanto Co. v. Scruggs, 459 F.3d 1328 (Fed. Cir. 2006).
Commodity seed controversy
What has the agricultural law community talking, however, is the planting of seeds not "saved" by the farmer from the previous growing season, but rather the purchase of soybeans from a grain elevator (known as "commodity seed") and the subsequent planting of those seeds. The seeds were "sold" by the original farmer to the grain elevator without restriction, and thus the question is whether the prohibition against planting commodity seeds applies to the subsequent farmer.
A federal trial court in Indiana, as well as the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, DC, ruled in favor of the patent holder--Monsanto. See Monsanto Co. v. Bowman, 657 F.3d 1341 (Fed. Cir. 2011). The court avoided applying the First Sale Doctrine, holding that even if the patent rights in the commodity seed are exhausted by the authorized sale to the grain elevator, once the second farmer plants the commodity seed containing the patented technology and the next generation of seed develops, this farmer has in essence recreated the patented item without permission from the patent owner--a type of patent infringement somewhat similar to the example described above of building copies of the patented chair. See id. at 1347-48.
In many respects, the Court of Appeals' ruling in Bowman last year conformed with the general understanding of how patent law applies to agro-biotechnology and generated little discussion.
So why would the U.S. Supreme Court, especially in light of the thousands of petitions for cert it receives each year, decide to look further into this particular case? Are the justices looking to solidify intellectual property protection for self-replicating patented products such as seeds? Or do they think intellectual property rights may have "gone too far" and that post-sale restrictions included in technology use agreements need to be scaled back?
The Supreme Court has not yet set a date for oral argument and briefs by the parties are due to the Court over the next two months. Until the Court rules, however, one can only speculate if or how the intellectual property rules may change with respect to genetically engineered seeds.
At this point one thing is clear--a reversal by the Supreme Court and narrowing of intellectual property rights could have a significant impact on agricultural innovation and production practices.
What this would mean for the agricultural community with respect to productivity and farm overall profitability is an even longer term question.
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/16398 | Citrus growers lose $441 million from California freeze
The early December freeze in California's Central Valley caused $441 million in crop losses as about 30 percent of navel oranges and 40 percent of remaining mandarins were lost, according to an industry group.
Tim HeardenCapital Press
Published on February 3, 2014 11:15AM
Icicles hang off oranges as growers use water to help keep the orchard warm during freezing weather on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, in Del Rey, Calif. The California Citrus Mutual reports steep damages in some areas as a result of the freeze. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, MARK CROSSE)
Buy this photo SACRAMENTO — Citrus growers lost about $441 million in revenue because of the early December freeze in California’s Central Valley, as about 30 percent of navel oranges and 40 percent of remaining mandarins were destroyed, an industry group estimates.Lemons fared slightly better, as only 20 percent of that crop was destroyed, the Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual reported Feb. 3 after extensively examining orchards throughout the valley.The state’s citrus industry has spent $49 million using wind machines and irrigation equipment to protect the valley’s $1.5 billion crop from frigid overnight temperatures that lingered Dec. 3-11 and returned on several nights since then.“It’s shaping up to be a challenging year for growers, who are coming off the freeze and going into a drought year,” said Bob Blakely, CCM’s director of industry relations. “In some ways it’s uncharted territory.”Blakely said about 90 percent of growers have purchased crop insurance which will cover the costs of continuing to farm, but “that doesn’t leave any room for extras,” he said. And in areas where water is available, it may become more expensive, he said.Effects from the freeze were uneven, with some varieties and some areas being hit harder than others, Citrus Mutual officials have said. Kern County, for instance, has seen a greater degree of damage because of the timing of the freeze and the amount of fruit that was still on trees.Mandarins were wiped out in some parts of Kern and Madera counties, while other areas saw damage as great as 50 percent, Citrus Mutual chairman Kevin Severns explained in a news release.“Among the (growers) who were completely frozen out, some of those have already taken the fruit off and sent it to the juice plant,” Blakely said.About 20 percent of the mandarin crop had been picked before the freeze hit. Among the remaining mandarins, the equivalent of 4.7 million 40-pound cartons were lost, meaning $150 million in lost revenue, CCM reported.In addition, the equivalent of 22 million cartons of navel oranges were destroyed, causing $260 million in lost revenue, and 1 million cartons of lemons were lost, equating to a $24 million loss, according to Citrus Mutual.Prices for oranges in the supermarket may increase slightly, but the industry is wary of raising prices to the point that consumers turn to offshore citrus or other types of fruit, CCM president Joel Nelsen said in the release. The freeze will likely shorten the harvest season, which could end in mid-May rather than early summer, industry officials have said.OnlineCalifornia Citrus Mutual: http://www.cacitrusmutual.com | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/17153 | What Does Organic mean?
Short answer: organic farming is a holistic approach to growing crops without synthetic inputs like pesticides and fertilizers. Organic farmers work in harmony with nature to build healthy, fertile soil, and a naturally balanced eco-system. Conventional agriculture relies on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, many of which are unhealthy and all are made with fossil fuels.
Each year brings more studies showing the link between pesticides and major nervous system problems in humans, most recently attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Finally, scientists and consumers are paying attention to these reports.
So Why Buy Organic?
To keep chemicals and poisons off your plate.
Most synthetic fertilizers are carcinogenic, and children are far more vulnerable to pesticides than adults. The food choices we make impact all children’s health – now and in the future.
To help save energy.
On average, food today travels over 1,000 miles from a farm to plate. If we all ate just one meal of local and organically raised meats and produce, we could reduce our country’s oil consumption by leaps and bounds.
To support local farm families.
Most organic farms are independently owned and operated family farms of 100 acres or less. The USDA’s 2012 census showed a loss of about 95,500 farms since 2007. In 1900, 40 percent of the U.S. population farmed. As of 2000, less than 2 percent do. When you buy direct from local farms, you’re re-establishing a time-honored relationship.
To avoid genetically modified organics, or GMOS.
Genetically Modified Organisms are organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The first widely-grown genetically engineered crops contain genes from bacteria and plant viruses that make them resistant to several insect pests and herbicides, and now GMOs can be found in more than 75 percent of our food supply. They’re a growing concern for many consumers, researchers, and farmers—and so are the pesticides that accompany them.
To support a true economy.
Organic food may seem more expensive than processed and big-farm foods, but not when you look at the hidden costs we pay in taxes in the form of federal subsidies, hazardous waste disposal, and environmental damage. When you calculate the true cost of your grocery store head of lettuce, does it cost 59 cents or two or three dollars?
To preserve biological and genetic diversity.
Rather than growing only produce chosen to withstand packing, shipping, and long shelf life in a store, local organic farms grow many varieties to provide a long harvest season, and the best flavors and nutrition. Many varieties they grow are passed down through multiple generations. This helps preserve genetic diversity that may be needed even more in the future as our climate changes.
To ensure that there will be local farms in your community
So future generations can have access to nourishing, flavorful, and abundant food. Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil which eventually leads to the nourishment of the plant and, ultimately, our plates. By supporting sustainable farming practices, you help reverse topsoil erosion.
The Environmental Working Group has put together a GREAT guide to help shoppers pick the least toxic fruits and vegetables.
TED Videos
“What’s Wrong with Our Food System?” 11-year-old Birke Baehr presents his take on a major source of our food — far-away and less-than-picturesque industrial farms.
“How I Fell In Love with a Fish.” Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu.
Animal Welfare Approved: Health Benefits of Pasture-based and Grassfed Farming
Some conventional fruits and vegetables have more pesticides than others. Learn which ones here.
Wonder what the term “local food” means? Choice Magazine tackles the topic from all angles.
Sustainable Agriculture Research Education (SARE): “What Is Sustainable Agriculture?”
What Does Local Mean?
Looking For A CSA?
Deciphering Labels
How to Buy From Farmers | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/17232 | Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
List of SIDS
Global Multi-stakeholder SIDS Partnership Dialogue
High-level Roundtable on Innovative Partnerships
First meeting of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS
Second meeting of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS
Ministerial Meeting on Food Security and Climate Adaptation in Small Island Developing States Coordination mechanisms
Executive Committee of Economic and Social Affairs Plus (ECESA Plus)
Inter-Agency Consultative Group (IACG) on SIDS
CSD-16: SIDS Special Day
Statements & Presentations
Statements & Presentations (2)
Programme for SIDS Special Day 2008
The SIDS Day 2008 on the 16th session of the CSD addressed the special concerns of SIDS relating to issues under the review for the further implementation of the Mauritius Strategy, in respect of this cycle's thematic issues of land, agriculture, rural development, drought, desertification and Africa. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General Mr. Sha Zukang called for building resilience in SIDS through adaptation and capacity building, which require multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder efforts. Many delegates highlighted the vulnerability of SIDS to climate change and its impact on food production and human livelihood, and the need for resilience-building strategies, early warning systems and risk management. An Agro-Industry Exhibition was organized and launched, in an effort to demonstrate the rich potential and the range of products from agriculture and rural enterprise in SIDS. The SIDS Day also featured a number of partnership and side-events. Division for Sustainable Development, UN-DESA | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/17455 | Home Opinion Out of the attic
Out of the attic
August 12, 2010 1747 Share on Facebook
Located along the Potomac River on the north side of Alexandria, Bellevue was home to Alexandria merchant William Hodgson and his wife, Portia Lee, beginning in 1801. The 17-acre property had a house, kitchen, dairy, stables and other outbuildings. They raised their own vegetables and, at times, also grew cherries and collected wild blackberries. But it was under the ownership of John Slater that Bellevue became well known for its production of fruits, vegetables and flowers. Slater, an awarding-winning horticulturist who had worked with William Yeates of Yeates Gardens, acquired Bellevue around 1840 and successfully developed greenhouses to grow flowers and other plants there. Among the vegetables Slater grew and sold were asparagus, lettuce, peas and tomatoes, and his vegetable production continued during the Civil War. He also cultivated Catawba grapevines, roses, dahlias and strawberries, which received rave reviews. In 1845, a local paper remarked that Slaters were the finest strawberries we have seen this year and show his great success as a horticulturist. They are not only very large, but finely flavored, and really almost as good to look at, as they are to be eaten. Bellevue remained in the Slater family for multiple generations and a descendant described the house, seen to the left of the greenhouses in this photo, as having a wide main hallway and a porch with pillars. The house, which faced the river, suffered significant damage in a storm in the early 1900s. The property was later developed, and today, the eastern side of Slaters Lane is surrounded by a power plant and high rises. Out of the Attic is provided by the Office of Historic Alexandria. TAGSatticofoutthe SHARE
tweet Alexandria Times Staff NO COMMENTS | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/17480 | Organic Eprints: An Information Resource for Organic Agriculture
Brian Baker, Independent Consultant
Researchers, farmers, Extension educators and others who are looking for open access publications on organic farming and food systems can find them on Organic Eprints.
Organic Eprints is an international online archive of papers and projects related to research in organic food and farming. The archive is administered by the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS) in Denmark, in cooperation with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) in Germany and Switzerland. A network of 24 editors is in charge of the entries.
The archive began in 2002, and the collection has grown steadily to more than 13,000 entries. Contributions represent work conducted on all arable continents and in over 50 countries.
While most of the available articles describe European research, expanding the content to include more research from around the world will benefit the organic agriculture research community. The archive offers researchers a way to increase the impact and citations of their publications, and it makes publications available to those who do not have full access through a library. It also increases the discoverability of papers that are difficult to find, such as conference papers and other grey literature.
To register in order to upload content and save searches, visit the registration page. For more information, contact the archive administrator Ilse A. Rasmussen at IlseA.Rasmussen (at) icrofs (dot) org. Before submitting their work, authors should be aware of the copyright issues surrounding each publication. The Organic ePrints Open Access and Copyrights page is a good place to start. For more information about Organic Eprints, view an online leaflet published by the International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems.
References and Citations
Organic Eprints [Online]. International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture. Available at: http://orgprints.org (verified 2 June 2013).
Organic Eprints (leaflet). International Centre for Organic Food Systems [Online]. Available at: http://icrofs.dk/fileadmin/icrofs/Diverse_materialer_til_download/orgprints_leaflet.pdf (verified 15 June 2015).
eOrganic 9664 | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/17654 | Dried fodder
The purpose of the common organisation of the market in dried fodder is to stabilise prices by introducing aid schemes and laying down detailed rules for trade with non-member countries. It will remain in force until 31 March 2008.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1786/2003 of 29 September 2003 on the common organisation of the market in dried fodder [See amending acts].
From 1 April 2008, all products that fall within the scope of this Regulation will be covered by the common organisation of agricultural markets.
The products concerned are meal, pellets and other presentations of lucerne, sainfoin, clover, lupins, vetches and other similar artificially heat-dried fodder products; lucerne, sainfoin, clover and certain other sun-dried and ground pulses; protein concentrates obtained from lucerne juice and grass juice and dehydrated products derived from concentrates.
The marketing year starts on 1 April each year and ends on 31 March of the following year.
Aid scheme
The aid amounts to €33 per tonne and is granted for processed fodder, provided that its maximum moisture content is between 11% and 14% and its crude protein content in dry matter is not less than 15% or 45%, depending on the product concerned.
For each marketing year, the maximum guaranteed quantity (MGQ) is set at 4 960 723 tonnes of dehydrated or sun-dried fodder. Where the quantity of dried fodder produced in the Community exceeds the MGQ during a marketing year, the amount of aid is reduced in those Member States whose production has exceeded their guaranteed national quantity (GNQ). This is done in order to remain within the limits of the planned budget.
Processing undertakings that have applied for aid and whose entitlement has been recognised may receive an advance of €19.80 per tonne, or €26.40 per tonne if they have lodged a security of €6.60 per tonne. The advance may be paid before entitlement to aid has been established if a security equal to the amount of the aid plus 10% is lodged.
Member States must make the necessary arrangements to ensure that the processing undertakings comply with the Community provisions on dried fodder.
By 31 May of each year, Member States are to notify the Commission of the quantities of dried fodder that were eligible for aid in the previous marketing year.
Trade with non-member countries
The rates of duty in the common customs tariff apply to dried fodder products.
When trading with third countries, it is forbidden to impose charges having equivalent effect to customs duties or to apply quantitative import restrictions or measures having similar effect.
Safeguard measures can be taken if the Community market is likely to undergo disturbances due to imports or exports.
Except where the Regulation provides otherwise, the rules on state aid as laid down in the Treaty are applicable to dried fodder.
Member States are to notify the Commission of the measures taken to implement the Regulation.
The Commission is assisted in implementing the Regulation by the Management Committee for Cereals (FR)
By 30 September 2008, the Commission must present the Council with a report on the dried fodder sector, drawn up on the basis of an evaluation study and dealing, in particular, with the development of areas of leguminous and other green fodder, the production of dried fodder and the savings of fossil fuels achieved. If necessary, the report is to be accompanied by appropriate proposals.
Regulation (EC) No 1786/2003
OJ L 270, 21.10.2003
Amending act(s)
Regulation (EC) No 583/2004
OJ L 91, 30.3.2004
Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EC) No 1786/2003 have been incorporated into the basic text. The consolidated version (pdf) is for reference purposes only.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 382/2005 of 7 March 2005 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1786/2003 on the common organisation of the market in dried fodder [Official Journal L 61 of 8 March 2005].
This Regulation sets out the eligibility criteria for aid, the duties of processing undertakings and purchasers, the procedures for carrying out checks and the specifications for contracts, delivery declarations, aid applications and payments.
See consolidated version (pdf). | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/18690 | Immigration Hot Topic At Agriculture Convention
Posted: Wed 6:04 PM, Jan 17, 2007
| Updated: Wed 8:14 PM, Jan 17, 2007 For more than five decades, the Western Colorado Horticultural Society's convention has served the agricultural community in a variety of areas, but this year, there's one topic on everyone's minds is something that has become vital to the survival of agriculture -- migrant labor.
According to Greg Walcher, who owns land on the Western Slope but works in Washington D.C. as a consultant, says research shows Colorado is the fastest growing state in the U.S. for illegal immigrants, but the lawmakers confronting the problem lack the knowledge to tackle it.
"They've never dealt with illegal workers and they don't know what motivates them," Walcher said.
What does motivate migrant workers is money, as approximately $20B is wired to third world countries every year from the U.S.
However, because new immigration laws have made it harder to get in and out of the country, workers who are simply trying to support their families find themselves in an unwanted situation.
"They wind up staying, then they try to bring their families and become part of a huge national problem," Walcher said.
Farmers say there needs to be a blending of ideas between securing our borders and a part time worker program that works, but they add that until that happens, migrant labor, illegal or not will continue to be utilized. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/19435 | « Beware Amish Heaters
Pelosi = BS »
USDA Pretends to Kill NAIS
USDA Signals NAIS is Dead
Max Thornsberry
After a long-fought six-year battle, independent cattle producers have finally succeeded in stopping the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), which was an onerous plan conceived by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and promoted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), domestic and multinational ear tag companies, as well as multinational meat packers and their closely aligned trade associations.
The battle was extremely lopsided. USDA had millions of dollars of taxpayer money — over $140 million to be precise — to develop and promote NAIS and to persuade state departments of agriculture and cattle industry trade associations to recruit as many independent cattle producers as possible into the ill-fated NAIS program. According to the Web site www.usaspending.gov, the National Cattlemen’s Foundation, part of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), received over $2.1 million from the federal government in 2008 to promote NAIS.
Armed with millions of dollars and six years worth of joint government and processing-industry planning, how did NAIS get stopped?
The answer is that NAIS was stopped by the persistent, relentless pressure applied by a handful of non-conventional organizations that exclusively represented the interests of cattle farmers and ranchers, not the interests of the industrialized sectors of the U.S. beef supply chain. This was a David versus Goliath battle in which David won and the interests of independent cattle producers came out on top.
These recent victories by independent cattle producers, with far less political clout and economic power than their conventional beef industry trade association counterparts, strongly suggests that there remains a genuine reason for hope that independent cattle producers can reverse the present course of their industry — a course that is fast leading toward more and more corporate control over the U.S. cattle industry by beef packers that are capturing control over the live cattle supply chain, just as they have already captured control over both the poultry and hog supply chains.
The beef packers are now focusing their efforts on the feeding sector of the cattle industry by purchasing more and more feedlots (JBS recently purchased the nation’s largest feedlot company, Five Rivers Ranch Cattle Feeding, L.L.C.) and gaining increased control over the fed cattle market through the use of new cattle procurement tools, such as certain marketing agreements and formula-type contracts that effectively reduce the competitiveness of the fed cattle cash market.
As with every major policy issue victory, the real work begins now.
Now that NAIS has been scrapped, a new program needs to be developed to achieve improvements in the United States’ ability to quickly contain and control animal diseases. Independent cattle producers must remain directly involved in the development of this new program to ensure that it does not infringe upon their rights and privileges as did NAIS.
It is encouraging that when Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced he was going to pursue a new approach to animal disease traceability, he also announced that the U.S. must strengthen its import controls to prevent the introduction of animal diseases at our borders. This is a high priority for independent cattle producers who intrinsically understand that we cannot continue importing diseases like BSE, bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis if we desire to maintain our industry’s reputation of producing the healthiest cattle in the world — a reputation that is the U.S. cattle industry’s competitive advantage in both the domestic market and the global market.
I encourage every cattle producer to take a new look at the relatively new organizations that have amassed uncanny successes for independent cattle producers despite seemingly impossible odds. Each of the organizations that brought us to where we’re at today is not likely to lead us in a new direction. But some of these new organizations will and they need your support to continue winning their fight to restore for the U.S. cattle industry the opportunity for U.S. cattle producers to maintain independent and profitable cattle-producing businesses all across the United States.
The future of the U.S. cattle industry is in your hands and will be determined by which organization you choose to support.
The NAIS that USDA was attempting to force down the throats of independent U.S. cattle producers, utilizing our own tax dollars, would have completely changed the way cattle farmers and ranchers do business.
While obtaining a premises ID number — the first step to a nationwide NAIS — required no effort, the second and third steps in the onerous WTO-mandated system would have been costly, difficult, and, I believe, would have generated rebellion on the range. Reporting the movement of every animal, once it left its birth farm of origin, was a completely unworkable system for producers, especially those operating in our most populous cow states, where the average cowherd size is 30 to 40 mother cows.
Imagine having to get your cattle in a chute, read the tags electronically, and report the numbers to USDA every time you moved a set of calves to another pasture, your Dad’s place, or sent a group of calves to the sale barn. Not only were you going to be required to read the tags electronically, but you were going to be required to report the tag numbers to the appropriate authorities within 48 hours of that movement, or you would be out of compliance and subject to enforcement fines: A range rebellion in the making, and completely unnecessary for a first world country like the United States.
At least for the time-being, the government has listened to the people. A spike has been driven into the heart of a one-world government’s dictatorial rule.
Maybe our Constitution is not dead?
Tags: Corruption in Government, Destroy Small Farms, Dump NAIS, fascism, Government collusion, NAIS - About Control, NAIS kills competition, Oppose NAIS, USDA Not Trustworthy, USDA Pretends to kill NAIS, Vilsack
This entry was posted on February 10, 2010, 3:28 pm and is filed under Codex Alimentarius, NAIS. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. 1 Comment #1 by Esbee NE TX on February 27, 2010 - 8:44 am Quote Past history is doomed to be repeated unless we learn from it. Apparently the USDA has no regard for history such as the Stalin-made Ukrainian famine of the 1930’s, as they continue to force NAIS on American livestock owners. Under Stalin, millions of farm owners/worker/families were forcibly starved to death, shot by soldiers, sent to concentration camps because they did not want to give up ownership of their lands. They could not even eat what they grew, because it ALL went to the global market. The modernization and globalization of Russian farms took a heavy, tragic toll. Those collective farms lie in ruins today as the idea just did not work!!! Nor will NAIS! | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/19933 | A guest post by:
P.N. Sampath Kumar,
Cochin Ship Yard, Kochi (India)
Not very long ago, in our villages, when farming used to be our main vocation, there lived a kind of livestock, Buffalo.
This lazy looking cattle, unlike its cousins, a cow or a deer, doesn’t converse with you with its eyes and erected ears. It has a skin that matches much with the muddy waters where it always desired to be in. The set of hones conveyed that it is always on an ‘attack’ mode.
No wonder, Yama, the god of death, chose him to be his vehicle. Devi Durga (Mahishasura Mardhini) is portrayed as the killer of “Mashisha Asura” (A devil in the guise of a Buffalo). In Kerala, Lord Ayyappa is said to have killed ‘Mahishi’, the buffalo demon, who distracted the Rishis from their rituals.
Its milk is avoided for religious rituals and in ayurvedic formulations. Local dialects have many examples of abusive phrases synonymous with Buffalo, to address someone who is lazy and insensitive.
Somewhere, man tamed him to work in the farm to plough and subsequently for milk. Possibly taming them happened much later than the Cow. Initially those who domesticated it would have been comparatively uncivilised and hence possibly this animal continued to be the paraya livestock.
Pakistan has a considerable amount of Buffalo wealth. Those days, down south, “Ravuthars”, a group of Tamil speaking Muslim community, travelled across the remote villages in Kerala, engaged in trading buffalos amongst other things and popularised it in the villages. The divinity associated with cow among Hindus would have prompted Muslims to take up Buffalo rearing.
With all these taboos associated with this animal, it too formed part of festivities in some parts of our country. During one of those ONAM days, in central Kerala, just before the muddy paddy fields are prepared for planting, Pothottam (buffalo race) is celebrated, though on a low key basis now a days.
For a farmer, working in the field, this is an important day. The rituals are held outside the house where the animal is tied to a tree after it is washed and garlanded applying sandalwood and other decorations. After the short prayers and other offerings including alcohol to the gods, the animal is fed with the food items including alcohol. The rituals are well supported by drum beats.
Once lunch is finished, it is time for the buffalo to be taken to the village ground. It is a huge task to untie the animal and guide it to the venue. It needs five six people on either side of the big rope to manage and guide the already hyped animal. The rituals would be reminding it of its feral origin.
There are at least half a dozen such groups assembling at the grounds. The community heads meet there, exchange pleasantries and reaffirm the leadership of the chieftain, who subsequently sits on the top of a tall stone seat, a throne and conducts durbar. In the evening they come back in a procession dancing to their traditional tunes. It is difficult to make out whether they are elevating the animal or reducing themselves to the animal. Whichever way, it is recognition to the friend ‘Buffalo’ who partnered with them in the field.
When milk started selling in big cans, house to house, and cow’s milk became scarce, people in towns opted for buffalo milk. Its rich fat content made it an instant hit amongst the tea shop owners, the main consumers of milk in a town, and buffalo milk started selling at premium though the by-products, mainly butter, was often sold at a discount.
When bullock carts were ruling our roads, buffalos enjoyed better status elsewhere. In East and South East Asia, it was used only as propulsion in carts and for ploughing farmland.
Veterinarians classify them into two types, the ‘riverine’ and ‘swamp’. Riverine is the lactating breed found throughout Indian sub continent whereas the swamp variety, dominant in the East Asia and south East Asia is a power house to propel and till the farms.
The water buffalos that we would have encountered in our childhood would have been the low yielding swamp varieties which always loved to be submerged in mud. The black and white photo albums of yester years by any photographer would be incomplete without having in it a photograph of a herd of water buffalos led by a peasant boy on the back of one of them with a long stick in his hand. No visitor to a village those days would have missed the sight of village boys travelling on the back of a buffalo.
Thanks to the white revolution. Cross breeding of local varieties with high yielding ‘Jaffarabadi’ and ‘Murrah’ varieties produced a new genesis of a hybrid variety, resulting in increased milk production. 60% of total milk produced in India and around 70% in Pakistan are from Buffalos. It will be surprising to know that India is the highest producer of buffalo milk constituting about 65% and together with Pakistan, it constitutes more than 85% of world production. We earn considerable money from dairy products. Yet, it is pity that we are unable to develop an international brand for our Paneer (cottage cheese) and Kowa. Italy is the only country outside Asia, which boasts of their water buffalo rearing tradition. Their pride, the Italian mozzarella cheese, available world over, is made of water buffalo milk. It is another surprise that they have less than 1% share of the total buffalo milk production in the world. Italians are said to have set high standards for the genetics, breeding and hygiene in buffalo rearing. But it is doubtful if our buffalos can stand the so called ‘hygiene’.
But the problem with cross breeding is that it created a generation of cattle without a genetic identity having low immunity level and inability to cope up with the extreme climatic conditions. Their maintenance became a burden to the farmers whereas the traditional low yielding variety produced high quality products with lesser care, though lower in volume. Farmers attempting to milk the water buffalos with the assistance of dummy calves made of straw and stuff like that has been a regular sight in our villages. The calves have high mortality rate when domesticated.
As in any other sphere, technology eliminated these living tractors from the fields and roads. But occasionally, during our long train journeys, we get as a surprise, visuals of a farmer ploughing the fields with a set of water buffalos, singing a song, often coupled with the rich smell of fermented mud, ready to take seeds and saplings into its womb. We jump out of ecstasy. The poor farmer would not have heard the proverb in Malayalam meaning “it is useless to chant ‘veda’ into the ears of a Buffalo”. He believes that buffalos enjoy his song? It was interesting to note a cultural tip given to the visitors to Thailand in one of the tourist websites as follows:
“Water buffalo are called “kwai” in Thai. It is extremely rude to refer to a person as a ‘kwai’ because water buffalo have a reputation for being stupid and stubborn.”
Painfully, we still maintain the same primitive attitude towards this very useful animal across different cultures.
He deserves some more dignity. Posted by | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/20218 | Reader's Choices: 10 Greatest Beef Innovations May 28, 2011 10 ways to cut cattle feeding costs Nov 23, 2015 Cover crop cocktails are more than a salad bar Feb 15, 2017 Producers impacted by wildfires encouraged to come and get hay Mar 14, 2017 Grau Heads Cattlemen's Beef Board
New Mexico rancher will chair the Cattlemen's Beef Board in 2012. (Video) Jason Vance 1 | Feb 10, 2012
Last Saturday at the 2012 Cattlemen's Convention and Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn., it was determined that Wesley Grau will continue to serve the cattle industry as chairman of the Cattlemen's Beef Board. About six months ago, Grau as chairman-elect became acting chairman for the remainder of the year and is now serving his term as the Cattlemen's Beef Board chairman. He says the last six months has been interesting to say the least. "But the neat thing about it is that as many diverse opinions as there are, there's a lot of common ground in agriculture," Grau said. "We've been able to bring those common interests together and expand upon them and things are running along fairly well." A cow-calf and seedstock producer from Grady, New Mexico, Grau and his brother, Lane, operate Grau Charolais Ranch, where their primary business is genetics. The operation markets its cattle all across the United States, Canada and eight states in Mexico.
Grau considers the beef checkoff a key part of the industry's success. He says that when you consider there are about 22 times more mouths to feed outside the U.S. as there are inside our borders, the value of those marketing efforts in 80 countries around the world really hits home for him.
"We've got to remember the good things our checkoff does, researching and promoting the nutritional benefits of beef to today's consumer, about our more than 29 lean cuts of beef, and about the fact that beef is one of the best brain nutrients that we have," Grau said. "It's a challenge, especially mentally, for me to "keep all the guns" pointed in the same direction. From that we'll get our common ground and move forward from there."
To watch Grau discuss his goals for CBB in 2012 and some of the issues that will require attention in the coming year, use the video player on this page. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/20391 | Whole Shiitake Mushrooms - dried
.88 oz / 25 g Double click on above image to view full picture
The finest donko grade. Small, young, tightly curled shiitake are treasured for their thick caps and spectacular flavor. Grown on oak logs in a natural forest habitat, hand harvested and sun-dried. A revered health food. Research indicates shiitake's unique polysaccharides may help to stimulate immune system strength. Rich in vitamin D and fiber, and a good source of niacin B3. Mushrooms are the only vegetable source of vitamin D and only the dried are a rich source. Details
Eden Shiitake Mushrooms are oak log grown on the 'shii' tree Pasania cuspidata or Quercus cuspidata, two species of central and southern Japan. Logs are cut in the fall at about eight inches in diameter. Spores are inserted in drilled logs are placed in pine forests for an ideal amount of sun, shade, and moisture. In about eighteen months shiitake emerge. They grow until the logs have largely decayed, usually four or five years. Eden Shiitake Mushrooms are hand harvested when mature. The cap is thick, round, and tight. These are the finest grade of shiitake and are called 'donko'. Donko grade has the flavor that made shiitake the culinary star they are. Hand picked Eden Shiitake are slowly dried enhancing their savory, sparkling flavor.
Mushrooms are the only vegetable source of vitamin D. They contain the sterol ergosterol a precursor of vitamin D2, much like beta-carotene is a vegetable precursor of vitamin A. When exposed to light ergosterol is converted to vitamin D2. All mushrooms are a source of vitamin D2, but shiitake contain much more. The common button or white mushroom contain less than 1% daily value (DV) vitamin D per serving.Eden Eden Dried Whole Shiitake are an excellent source of vitamin D with 25% DV per serving. They are a good source of niacin B3 and fat and sodium free. According to the FDA, "Low fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables (foods that are low in fat and may contain dietary fiber, Vitamin A, or Vitamin C) may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors." Eden Shiitake Mushrooms are and excellent source of fiber providing 20 percent of the daily value (DV). "Also, "Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of hypertension or high blood pressure, a disease associated with many factors."
Shiitake mushrooms Lentinula edodes are highly valued as food and tonic in the Far East where their cultivation began over 1,000 years ago. Shiitake are the second most common edible mushroom in the world after the white button mushroom. Shiitake have long been recognized as a health food, a quality attributed in part to their abundance of complex carbohydrates known as polysaccharides. Lentinan and lentinula edodes mycelium (LEM) are two polysaccharides in shiitake that scientists find contribute to building and maintaining a healthy immune system. Shiitake are believed to have anti-viral properties and support healthy liver function. Shiitake counteract the effects of excess salt and animal food.
Soak Eden Shiitake in cold water for two to five hours before cooking for maximum softness and flavor. Remove the tough tip of the stem and use it to flavor soup stocks and sauces or discard them. The soaking water can be saved for soup stock, or added to a recipe when additional water is called for. Slice the cap thinly, or quarter and dice it. Use as you would fresh shiitake or other fresh and dried mushrooms in stir fries, soups, stews, gravies and sauces. It can also be used to make Shiitake Tea, a macrobiotic home remedy. Try using Eden Shiitake in place of beef or bouillon cubes in French Onion Soup or in place of chicken in rice, noodle, and vegetable soups. Its sparkling flavor delights. Additional Info
Whole Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula Edodes) | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/20994 | Feb 2004 - Contents PDF Share
Forum—Local Research, But Everyone's Watching
The Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), commonly called the medfly, is one of the world's most destructive agricultural pests.
Also with the potential to cause a large amount of damage to agricultural crops are the melon fly, oriental fruit fly, and Malaysian fruit fly, all foreign to the United States. These four species can turn more than 400 different fruits and vegetables into maggot-infested inedible mush, including citrus, eggplant, guava, loquat, mango, melon, papaya, passion fruit, peach, pepper, persimmon, plum, star fruit, tomato, and zucchini.
The only place these four fruit flies have become established in the United States are the islands of Hawaii, where the flies have devastated local farms, large and small, and necessitated heavy use of chemical pesticides on many crops.
Many fruit fly control techniques being used around the world have their genesis in research that the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has carried out in the Pacific since the 1950s. Hawaii has been infested by exotic fruit flies since the late 1800s, and it has been an ideal test location for development of control methods because there is no chance of further spread.
Techniques such as more effective species-specific lures and baits, improved ways of producing sterile male fruit flies released to short-circuit the breeding cycle, new biocontrols such as augmentative releases of parasitic wasps, and more effective crop management techniques have all come from ARS's U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii. But until recently the techniques developed there had not been put to work in a systematic package to deal with Hawaii's own fruit fly problem.
Now, use of these techniques has come home to Hawaii in an ARS-led program called the Hawaii Area Wide Fruit Fly Integrated Pest Management (HAW-FLYPM) program. ARS teamed up with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the University of Hawaii to put together a program of techniques to control medfly, melon fly, Malaysian fruit fly, and oriental fruit fly and to help Hawaiian farmers implement it.
Just 4 years under way, the HAW-FLYPM program is already having tremendous success. Hawaiian farmers who have adopted the integrated pest management plan are finding they can cut chemical pesticide use by 75 to 95 percent and grow crops they had once given up on because of fruit fly damage.
Hawaiian growers couldn't be more pleased, but they aren't the only ones who may benefit from this success. Many people are keeping an eye on the work. California, Florida, and Texas, in particular, have a keen interest in the program's ability to control fruit flies.
California is especially attentive. Keeping medfly out of California has cost nearly $500 million during the past 25 years. And that figure is a drop in the bucket compared to the more than $1.4 billion annual loss estimated for California if medfly were to become established there. These losses would come from lost markets, export sanctions, treatment costs, and reduced crop yields.
By keeping abreast of the Hawaii fruit fly program, California could gain valuable information about how to make control measures more effective to deal with their periodic outbreaks. The state could also gain access to new technology, such as better baits and traps.
Just as important to California is whether or not Hawaii will seek to export more fruits and vegetables as its fruit fly infestation comes under control. Hawaii is the only state under quarantine for fruit and vegetable export because of exotic fruit flies. California will want to ensure new Hawaiian exports don't pose additional danger.
Just as other states are interested in how well the HAW-FLYPM program is doing, so are other countries. Researchers and officials from Australia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, South Africa, Taiwan, and Vanuatu are checking out the ARS-led program. They are watching the HAW-FLYPM program as a model for fruit fly suppression.
Countries, especially along the Pacific Rim, are adopting areawide pest management to suppress fruit flies by closely interacting with program scientists in Hawaii.
Fruit flies often spread through imports of produce. With increasingly global trade, all countries are seeking the most effective tools to deal with these pests—whether it is controlling them at home or keeping them out in the first place.
Eradicating fruit flies, especially invasive species, in one country won't completely solve its problem if it is just going to get fruit flies right back from another source.
Of course, it is also to Hawaii's and the rest of the United States' benefit if other countries control fruit flies at home. A decreased chance of fruit fly invasion can only provide better protection for U.S. agriculture. This makes the exchange of expertise and research essential to a fruit fly-free future.
Roger Vargas Coordinator ARS Hawaii Area Wide Fruit Fly Control Program U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center Hilo, Hawaii
Robert M. Faust ARS Senior National Program Leader Field and Horticultural Crop Entomology Beltsville, Maryland
"Forum" was published in the February 2004 issue of Agricultural Research magazine. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/21769 | Environment & Science AGRICULTURE REPORT - December 18, 2001: Clementines/Medflies - 2001-12-17 December 17, 2001
AGRICULTURE REPORT - December 18, 2001: Clementines/Medflies - 2001-12-17
This is the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT. The United States Department of Agriculture has banned the import of clementine oranges from Spain. The action was taken after live Mediterranean fruit fly larvae were found in some of the imported fruit. American officials also banned sales of Spanish clementines in seventeen states where the weather is warm enough for the insects to survive. The ban also is in effect in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Agriculture Department suspended imports after larvae were found in Spanish clementines in Maryland, North Carolina, Louisiana and California. Clementine oranges have become increasingly popular in the United States in recent years. Some Americans give the small, seedless fruits as gifts during the holiday season. The Mediterranean Fruit Fly is also known as the Medfly. It is one of the world’s most destructive threats to agriculture. It leaves its eggs in more than two-hundred different kinds of fruits, nuts and vegetables. The female fruit fly can produce as many as one-thousand eggs in her lifetime. She usually leaves her eggs in fruit that is still on the tree. She makes holes in the skin of the fruit and leaves two to six eggs in each hole. Larvae develop from the eggs. The larvae eat their way through the fruit, causing it to drop to the ground. The larvae later dig holes in the ground. When they come out, they are adult Medflies. The Mediterranean fruit fly lives in warm climates. Scientists believe the Medfly developed in west Africa. Long ago, it spread to northern and southern Africa, southern Europe and Asia. The United States has no established Medfly populations. So agriculture officials work hard to prevent the spread of the insects from other countries. Medflies can destroy a complete crop unless farmers use methods to control the insects as soon as they are known to be in the area.There are several methods to control Medflies. Farmers often spray chemicals to kill the insects. Several other insects can destroy Medfly larvae. Another method of control involves the use of male Medflies that come from eggs treated by radiation. The treated flies cannot reproduce. Farmers also use special traps to control Medflies. These devices use smells to trick the flies into entering the traps. This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow. Back to top | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/22182 | Insect Scout wheat fields for brown wheat mite
By South Dakota State University
May 10, 2013 | 2:30 pm EDT
Brown wheat mites (BWM) have been confirmed in several sites in western South Dakota. These spider mites belong to the family Tetranychidae, the same mite family as the two-spotted spider mites. They also do well in dry conditions, says Ada Szczepaniecassistant professor, SDSU Extension entomologist.
"The lack of moisture likely contributed to outbreaks of these mites on wheat. BWM populations will decline rapidly if it rains; another good reason to hope for some moisture to aid the wheat crop this year," Szczepaniec said.
BWM are small (1/16 of an inch), round, dark-colored mites with long pair of front legs. Szczepaniec explains that BWM can attack several crops but they can be particularly troublesome on small grains planted in the fall.
"These mites feed on the plants during the day, and spend the nights in the soil at the base of wheat plants. This is also where the mites lay their eggs, on particles of soil at the base of the plants," she said.
These mites prefer arid conditions but do not do well in very hot temperatures, and they will enter diapause (i.e., inactive, 'resting' period) during the summer. The mites over-summer as white eggs in the soil; they will hatch when temperature and moisture levels are adequate, and females from that generation will lay red eggs.
"This is relevant because if most of the red eggs are already hatched and white eggs are present, this indicates that the population is in natural decline and chemical treatment may not be economically sound. If, on the other hand, most of the red eggs are not hatched, the mites are likely to keep increasing in numbers. A good 10X hand lens will be sufficient to see the eggs," Szczepaniec said.
Scouting for these pests is recommended during mid-afternoons on calm days. Because heavy BWM infestations are rare, Szczepaniec says there is not a well-defined threshold for management.
Chemical control is recommended when at least several hundred mites per row-foot in the early spring. Szczepaniec says this decision should be made cautiously because these mites are associated with drought-stressed plants.
"If it rains, the BWM populations will decline; if it does not, the crop yield may be already affected by the drought and managing BWM will not affect it," she said.
Taking note of the eggs may be helpful in management decisions as well: if white eggs are present and most of the red eggs have hatched, BWM populations are in decline and treatment is not recommended. If chemical control is deemed necessary, products containing dimethoate or chlorpyrifos are recommended.
brown wheat miteswheatspider mites About the Author: | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/22747 | All About Beans
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A generic name given to various plants in the legume family. There are three stages of bean development, based on the maturity of the bean that determines how the bean is used. The first stage is when the bean is immature and the bean (or seed) and the pod are both very young and tender. This is the stage when the bean and pod are both eaten, either raw or cooked, and they are referred to as fresh, baby or snap beans. During the second stage, the bean begins to mature. The pod is tough but the bean can be removed from the pod, just like peas, cooked for a short period of time and eaten. Beans at this stage are referred to as fresh-shelled beans. The third stage is the point at which the pod and bean have dried on the stalk and the bean moves freely within the enclosed pod. The bean is then taken out of the pod that is to be discarded, and the bean can then be stored for future use in a variety of food dishes. At this stage the bean is referred to as a shelled, dry shelled, or dried bean. Many beans are also available as a canned or frozen product.
Fresh Beans
Uses: They can be eaten raw or cooked to different degrees of tenderness and eaten as a side dish. They can also be added to many different food dishes including salads, casseroles, soups, stews, and stir-fries.
At Their Best:
Green and wax beans are available throughout the year but are at their best quality and price during the summer and early fall. Chinese long beans are also available throughout the year with peak season being during the summer and early fall also but these beans are more limited to where they are produced because they are sensitive to cold temperatures.
The fresh beans that do not have edible pods are available for a limited time. Fava beans in late spring to early summer, lima and cranberry in the middle of summer to early fall, and edamame beans are available summer to early fall.
How to Buy:
When buying, check for freshness by bending a bean in half. If the bean is fresh, it will snap in two rather than bend. The beans should be slender, straight, brightly colored, and free of blemishes and rust spots. Select beans that are similar in length. Slender, short beans indicate that the beans are not mature and if they are thick and the beans can be seen through the pod they are over mature. Over mature beans will be tough and stringy.
Fresh beans that do not have the edible pods should have a tightly closed pod with bulges showing the beans inside. Feel beans to be sure they are firm. Pods should still be fresh and not show signs of drying. If the beans have already been shelled, they should be plump with no signs of shriveling.
Storage: Beans should be stored in a cool place. If they are not going to be used for 2 or 3 days, store in a perforated bag in the crisper area of the refrigerator. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They are best if eaten shortly after harvesting. Do not wash until ready to use. If beans are not going to be used within 5 days, they can be frozen or canned to preserve. They should be preserved the day they are harvested for best results.
Fresh shelled beans should be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Store for 1 to 2 days.
Cranberry Beans
Fresh cranberry beans are sometimes available during the summer in local markets. The pod and beans are marked with red streaks. The pods are not edible but the beans make a good side dish or they can be added to other cooked dishes, such as stews and soups.
Dragon Tongue Beans A type of snap bean that is similar to the green bean with an editable pod, except the pod is flatter and has purple colored strips running down a cream background. This bean can be eaten raw or served as a vegetable dish, providing a very distinctive and noticeably tasty bean flavor.
Edamame Beans - Edible Soybean
A fresh immature soybean sold in the pod. The soybean is harvested while it is still green and provides a bean that has a mild sweet flavor. The bean is removed from the pod before it is eaten. The pod is not edible. They can be served as a side dish, a snack, or used as an ingredient for salads, soups, casseroles, couscous, rice, pasta, and other food dishes. When cooked, the fresh beans are often placed in water, in their pod, and when the water boils, they are simmered for 5 minutes before being removed from the pod and served or added to other foods. Edamames are available throughout the year as a frozen product but can be found fresh occasionally in Asian markets, natural food stores and produce markets.
A young green snap or vine bean measuring an inch or more in length. The bean is shelled from the pod before eating. As a fresh bean, they can be added to salads, vegetable dishes, pasta, soups, and a variety of main dishes. Fava Beans are also available dried.
Goa Beans
A type of bean that is very high in protein and has a flavor that is similar to a cranberry bean with a hint of green bean. The entire plant is edible from the roots to the leaves and the seeds. The texture of the bean is similar to a starchy green bean. Goa beans are found in specialty produce markets and are also known as winged beans.
Also known as runner bean, snap bean, or string bean, green beans are long and slender, with green pods that are edible. These beans are one of the most popular and readily available of the fresh beans. When preparing, the cap is typically detached or snapped from the bean pod and it may then be broken in half or kept whole for cooking. Haricots Verts Beans
A small snap green bean that is long and straight in shape, tender in texture, yet crisp and very tasty. It is also referred to as a baby French green bean. The name is often confused with the haricot bean, a small white dry bean commonly used to make baked beans.
Italian Flat Bean A light green or purple bean that is similar to a common green bean except that it is flatter. They can be substituted with green beans in most recipes. Italian flat beans can be eaten raw as a side dish or added as an ingredient in other dishes. Do not overcook, this may cause the beans to become soft and mushy. Italian Flat Beans may also be referred to as Romano beans, snap beans or simply Italian Green Beans.
Lima Beans Fresh lima beans have bright colored pods, which snap when bent. The pods are not edible. The beans have a sweet flavor and tender texture. They have a smooth, flat shape and are light colored. Their colors range from light beige to light green. The greener the beans are the better flavor they have. Lima beans that have more greenish color to them are more tender and have a better flavor. A large variety called Fordhooks is also referred to as butter beans. There is also a small, milder tasting variety called baby lima beans. Fresh lima beans should generally be cooked before eaten. The only type that should be eaten raw would be very young tiny beans.
A long Chinese bean that can measure from one to three feet in length. They have a mild taste similar to string beans and are light green or dark green in color. The light green beans have a sweater flavor than the dark green beans and both can be cooked in the same manner as string beans. When using in stir-fries or other dishes, the beans should be chopped up before adding.
Purple Wax Beans
A type of snap bean or string bean that is very similar to a green bean except for the purple color. This bean is picked at the early or immature stage of development when it is tender, sweet and crisp, and eaten with the pod on. The wax bean can also be yellow in color and is referred to as the yellow wax bean.
A Wax Bean is a snap bean that is a golden yellow or purple colored version of the green bean. It is harvested and eaten during the early stage of maturity, when it is tender, sweet and crisp. It is also referred to as the yellow or purple wax bean.
Dried beans need to be cooked before they are consumed. Before they are cooked they most often require soaking. They are served as a side dish or added to other dishes, such as soups, stews, chili, casseroles, and salads.
Dried beans are available throughout the year and most are found near the rice in most food stores. Some can be found in health food stores and specialty markets.
When purchasing bulk beans look for beans that are firm and uniform in size and that are not split, broken, or shriveled. Also check beans for tiny pin-hole markings, which is an indication of insect damage. Purchase dried beans in a store that has a fairly good turnover of beans so what you are purchasing is fresh. If beans are packaged, avoid packages that are damaged.
Dried beans can be stored up to a year at room temperature in an airtight container. The older the beans are the longer they will take to cook so do not mix new beans with old beans when cooking. This will cause uneven cooking.
If storing cooked beans, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cooked beans can also be frozen for future use. Spread cooked beans out evenly on a baking sheet and then place in the freezer until frozen. Then remove from the freezer and place in an airtight container. Return to the freezer and when needed, the beans will be ready to add to your dish, remove only the amount that you need. The frozen beans can be stored in the freezer for 5 or 6 months.
A small, oval bean, reddish-brown to maroon in color, and native to China. It is usually sold in a dried form, but can also be purchased as a paste or flour. It has a sweet taste and is used in many Asian dishes, but is especially useful and flavorful in desserts.
Anasazi Beans
A dried bean considered to have originated in New Mexico as a traditional Native American food for over a thousand years. This bean, which has a dark red and white color, is a relative to the pinto bean. When cooked, the bean becomes light beige or pink colored and provides a meaty texture with a mild flavor that is somewhat sweet tasting. Uncooked beans can be stored in glass containers for up to a year, while cooked beans should be refrigerated and can last for up to a week. This bean may also be referred to as a cave bean, a New Mexico cave bean, a New Mexico appaloosa, the Aztec bean, and Jacob's cattle bean.
A popular type of small bean with a cream-colored flesh and black skin that has a slightly sweet flavor and a mealy texture. Black beans can be dried or sold precooked. They are also known as turtle beans.
Black-Eyed Peas (Cowpea)
A type of legume that originated in Asia, but is also grown in the southern United States. It is an oval-shaped bean, ivory in color with a small black spot, referred to as the "eye." The "eye" is where the bean is attached to the pod and may also be yellow, brown or red in color. It has a pea-like flavor and a firm texture if not overcooked. This bean is available as a fresh or dried bean to be used in soups, side dishes and casseroles. The southern states in America have a popular dish known as Hoppin' John that uses the cowpea as the key ingredient. This bean is also known as a cowpea, or a black-eyed cowpea.
A white oval dried bean with a thin skin and mild flavor. It is also known as the white kidney bean and is available canned or dried. If Cannellini beans are unavailable, white navy beans or Great Northern beans can be substituted.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Chickpeas Baby Chickpeas
Also known as a garbanzo bean, this legume is a round, tan-colored bean with a slightly nutty flavor. It is used as an ingredient in soups, salads, side dishes, pasta dishes, and dips as a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian, Spanish, and Latin-American cuisine. It is also ground and processed into garbanzo bean flour for use in baked goods. It is also often roasted into a nut-like form and used as a snack and as and ingredient in the Middle Eastern dish, falafel. Dried or canned chickpeas are readily available in most food stores. Baby Chickpeas, which are about half the size of regular chickpeas, can be found in large well stocked food stores.
Corona Beans
A very large, broad white bean, common to Italy, but not commonly grown in many regions throughout the world. Similar in appearance to a large lima bean, it is a very meaty bean that becomes much larger when cooked. As a dried bean it is used in soups, stews, and served as a side dish.
A dry shelled bean that has a large, knobby beige pod with patches of red. The inside of the bean is cream-colored with red streaks and provides a delicious nutlike flavor. Cranberry beans must be shelled before cooking. The red color tends to fade as they are cooked. They are also known as an Italian Borlotti. Pinto beans can be used as substitutes or if necessary, red kidney beans.
A large green snap or vine bean measuring an inch or more in length with an inner bean shaped like a kidney bean or oversized lima bean. Fava Beans can be purchased fresh or dried. When using dried beans, it is best to use beans that have been split so that the very tough skin is easier to remove and the cooking time will be faster. As with any dried bean, soaking is required to re-hydrate the beans before they are cooked.
Flageolet Beans
A variety of bean often considered being an immature kidney bean, about a half-inch in length, with a pale green color. They can be purchased fresh in some markets, canned, or dried. Flageolet beans are small oval dry shelled beans that can be white (flageolet blanc), black (noir), yellow (jaune), red (rouge) or green (vert) in color. They are also referred to as fayot or chevrier vert beans and are considered a good complement to roast leg of lamb. Dried beans must be soaked before they are prepared.
Great Northern Beans
A white, kidney-shaped bean with a mild flavor that is available dried or canned. It can be useful in baked bean dishes and soups. When Great Northern beans are unavailable, white kidney beans or navy beans are good substitutions.
A dried kidney shape bean that is reddish brown in color, strong flavored and has a slight mealy (powdery) texture. The beans can be cooked as their own dish or can be added into other dishes, such as chili, casseroles, refried beans and salads. They are available dried or in cans, precooked. Dried beans require soaking before cooking.
A flat, light green, kidney shaped bean that has a mild flavor and soft texture. They are available fresh in the shell, dried, frozen, and can processed. Fresh Lima Beans in the shell can have the beans removed by breaking the stem and pulling down to remove the string, which opens the pod so that the beans can be removed by running a finger along the inside of the pod. This bean is commonly referred to as calico, Madagascar, or butter beans and is available as baby or mature beans.
Lupini Beans
A large dried bean that is round in shape, white in color and similar to a fava bean. Both a sweet albus and bitter albus variety of this bean seed are grown for consumption, however, the bitter albus if not soaked may be toxic. Native to Italy, the bitter bean is soaked overnight and often marinated to remove the bitter taste that is due to higher levels of alkaloids contained in the bean. When soaked, the alkaloids leech from the bean into the water. It is also known as albus lupin, white lupin, European white lupin, or tremmocos. In addition to being a food source, this bean is ground into a powder to be used as a facial scrub in Mediterranean countries.
Marrow Beans
A plump looking dried bean, common in Italian cooking, that is white in color and round in shape. When cooked, this bean has a creamy, meaty texture that provides a flavor that is somewhat similar to smoked bacon. It is a bean that goes well with braised meats, soups, stews, or when served as a side dish. Great northern or navy beans can be substituted when necessary however, they do not provide that same size or flavor provided by marrow beans.
A small bean, very common in India, that provides a good source of protein when cooked as a food dish. Pronounced as "moat" this bean is oblong in shape, small in size and light tan to brown in color. The inner meat, which is golden yellow in color, provides a earthy and somewhat nutty flavor for main dishes, side dishes or snack food (sev) made with this bean. Generally the moth bean is eaten as a sprout or as a dhal (also known as dal) which is a hulled bean. Whole beans which have not been hulled, are also consumed and require soaking prior to cooking. They should remain in water for at least 8 hours after which they can be drained, placed in fresh boiling water, and cooked for 15 minutes or longer. The hulled beans, or dals with the husk removed may not need soaking and require shorter cooking times. Other names for this bean include dew bean, haricot, mat, mot, muth, and papillon.
A tiny, round dried bean (about 1/8 inch in diameter) with a thick outer skin that may be green, brown or black in color. When peeled, the inside of the bean provides a golden yellow or mustard-colored, soft-textured meat that is somewhat sweet in flavor, tender when cooked and easily digested. Originating in India, the bean is referred to as Yellow Mung, Yellow Split Mung or Moong Dal, where it is often used to make curries and a food dish referred to as "Dal."Mung beans are prepared as whole, peeled, or split for use in pilafs, soups, stews, and bean dishes. They are also ground for use in flours and as an ingredient for various food mixtures. When made into flour, the starch in the ground bean enables it to be used to make a very thin noodle known as bean-threads or cellophane noodles. The flour also is used to make breads and sweets. Another common use for this bean is to produce transparent bean sprouts, which become a crunchy and flavorful ingredient for salads, egg dishes, stir-fried dishes, and sandwiches.
A pea-sized, off-white, oval shaped legume, which is also called the Yankee bean. Its name comes from the fact that it has been a staple food for the U.S. Navy since the middle 1800's. This bean is also referred to as the Boston bean, fagiloi, haricot blanc (white), or the pearl haricot bean. It is a common ingredient used in soups, salads, bean dishes (canned pork and beans), and chili. Cannellini, flageolets, great northern, or dry lima beans could be good substitutes when necessary.
Pink Beans
A variety of legume that is small and oval-shaped, pale pink in color, and grown throughout the world. The bean pods are picked when they are young and tender and then dried for use in a variety of food dishes. The pink bean is most often used for soups, stews, rice dishes, refried bean dishes, and chili con carne, providing a rich, meaty flavored bean with a somewhat powdery texture. Also known as Habichuelas Rosadas in Spanish, pink beans can be substituted for or added with kidney and pinto beans in any recipes requiring the pink beans.
A mealy-textured bean that has a blotchy brown and tan colored skin. The oval shaped bean makes a good refried bean and is used in other dishes, such as beans and rice, chili, soups and stews. They are available dried or precooked in cans. Dried beans must be soaked to re-hydrate before using. Red Beans
Small, dark red beans that have a slightly sweet taste. They are available precooked in cans or dried, which require soaking to rehydrate. These are popular beans to use in Mexican dishes, such as refried beans. Also referred to as small red beans.
Scarlett Runner Bean
A variety of bean, which is also referred to simply as a Runner Bean that can be eaten as a fresh green bean, a fresh podded bean or a dried bean. With a flavor similar to a butter bean, the Scarlett Runner Bean can be harvested when young to be eaten as a green bean, however the outer flesh may be somewhat fibrous and rough in texture depending on the age of the bean. While fresh, the inner bean can be removed from the pod and eaten like a sweet pea, providing a distinctive nutty bean flavor that goes well with other vegetables, mushrooms and casseroles. Or, the bean can be dried and prepared for soups, stews and bean side dishes. As the plant develops and grows, the Scarlett Runner Bean provides an enjoyable reddish-orange flowering bud which can be used to garnish salads.
Dried Yellow Soybean
Black Soybeans
A nutritious legume that is round in shape, small in size, and very versatile as an ingredient for a variety of foods and food dishes. Fresh soybeans are green in color while the dried soybeans are either yellowish-tan or black in color. They can range in size from as small as a pea to almost 1/2 inch in diameter. Soybeans are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Black soybeans, common in Asian cooking, have a slightly sweeter flavor than yellow soybeans which have a bland bean flavor. The dried or mature bean is used to make a variety of products, such as tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, and snack foods. Although it is not a popular cooking bean, because of its bland flavor, it can be presoaked and then used as an ingredient for soups, stews and casseroles. Soaking the mature bean improves the flavor and decreases the amount of time required for cooking. Dried soybeans and soybean products are widely available in supermarkets and health-food stores. Soybeans are also referred to as soya, soya bean, soja, or soi.
Stuben Yellow Beans
Although it is not yellow in color, this bean does have a multi-colored look, displaying reddish brown and black hues over a white background. Much like a calypso bean in size and a spotted appearance, the Steuben Yellow Bean keeps its coloring and shape after it is cooked, providing a mealy-textured oval-shaped bean for soups, stews, salads, and mixed vegetables. Common throughout Maine, the Steuben Yellow Bean is often used to make Maine baked beans, a popular East coast bean dish. The Steuben Yellow Bean is also referred to as a Steuben Yellow-Eye bean, a Butterscotch Calypso bean, a Molasses Face bean, and a Maine Yellow-Eye bean.
Fresh Bean Preparation
Fresh bean preparation basically involves cleaning and trimming the beans. The less the bean is cut the sweeter and crisper is will be. Cutting the beans lengthwise, French Style, should be done on older, more mature beans only.
Wash beans under cold water until free of dirt. To prepare for cooking, snap off the stem end of the bean.
The stem end can also be cut off with a knife. The opposite end can also be cut off but it isn's necessary. The beans can be left whole or cut at an angle into smaller sections. Fresh Bean Cooking
Fresh beans can be cooked using several methods, such as boiling, steaming, stir-frying, and microwaving. When cooking fresh beans, use as little water possible and do not overcook to retain the bright color and tender-crips texture of the bean. Several cooking methods are explained below.
Add approximately an inch of water to the bottom of a saucepan. Add salt and bring the water to a full boil. Add the beans to the boiling water.
Allow the water to come to a boil again and then lower the heat so that the beans are simmering.
Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, taste testing after 5 minutes. Beans should be a tender crisp when done. If not done when testing, cook for 1 to 2 more minutes and check again. When beans are done to the desired tenderness, they can be served immediately or if they are going to be served later or added to a cold dish, they should be place in ice water or ran under cold water to stop the cooking. Beans can be served with just salt and pepper for seasoning or they can be complemented by the addition of melted butter, herbs and lemon juice. They can also be added to soups, stews, stir fries, casseroles and salads.
Note: If an acidic ingredient, such as vinegar or lemon juice, is added to the cooking water, the beans will lose their bright color. Acidic ingredients should be added after the beans have been cooked so that their color is preserved.
Add enough water to the pot so that it is below the bottom of the steamer basket when it is placed in the pot. Bring the water to a full boil using a high heat. Place beans in the steamer basket and place the basket in the pot over the boiling water, making sure no water is coming up through the holes in the steamer. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until beans are tender-crisp. Remove steamer basket from pot and prepare beans for serving. Stir-frying
Cut beans into 1 inch pieces or leave them whole. To stir-fry 1 lb. of green beans, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil to the wok or deep-sided frying pan. Heat oil until very hot and then add the beans to the hot oil. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. For added flavor add some onion and garlic. Stir-fry until beans are tender crisp. Serve while hot. Fresh Bean Tips
When preparing beans, cut them as little as possible for the best taste and a fresh crisp texture. When boiling, steaming, and microwaving, use the least amount of water possible with the least amount of cooking time. Do not overcook. Do not overcrowd the beans in the pan, the fewer the better. Do not cook more than one pound in a pan. If cooking more, use separate pans. The beans will cook faster and have better flavor. Green beans can be cooked ahead of time and stored up to a few days if desired. Cook until crisp-tender using your method of choice. Rinse in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Store refrigerated, wrapped in plastic or sealable bag for up to 4 days. Note: Green beans will continue to cook when you remove them from the heat so if you are not going to serve them immediately it is important to rinse them with ice cold water to stop the cooking process and then reheat quickly just before serving. You can try to undercook them if they are going to set for a period of time without rinsing in cold water but this method may make it hard to control them being done just as you like when serving. If the green beans have been cooked ahead of time, reheat them just before serving, using the least amount of cooking time as possible. Dried Bean Preparation
The many varieties of dried beans are prepared for cooking in basically the same manner. They are first cleaned and then presoaked to cut down on the amount of cooking time. Use lukewarm water when rinsing and soaking dried beans. Cold water may cause the beans to toughen. Follow the steps below for cleaning and soaking.
Cleaning Dried Beans:
Spread dried beans out in a single layer on a white kitchen towel or a light colored work surface. Check for and discard any dirt, tiny stones, and damage beans. After checking through the beans, place them in a strainer and rinse thoroughly under lukewarm water. Long Soaking Method
After the beans have been cleaned, place them in a large pot or bowl and cover with 2 to 3 times the volume of cool water. They should be allowed to soak for six to eight hours at room temperature. At least once during the soaking time, it is a good idea to pour off the water and add fresh. Pouring off the water the beans have been soaking in will help to get rid of some of the indigestible complex sugars that cause flatulence (gasiness). Pour off all the water from the beans when they are done soaking. Do not use this water to cook the beans. Place the beans in a strainer and rinse with cool water before cooking. Quick Soaking Method
After the beans have been cleaned, place them in a large pot and cover with 2 to 3 times the volume of cool water. Over medium high heat bring the water to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Cover the pot and allow beans to stand for 1 hour. Pour off all the water from the beans when they are done soaking. Do not use this water to cook the beans. Pouring off the soaking water will help eliminate some of the indigestible complex sugars that cause flatulence (gasiness). Place the beans in a strainer and rinse with cool water before cooking. Soaking Tips:
When soaking beans, some may float to the top along with some loose skin. This is an indication that the beans are old and contain little moisture. Skim any beans or particles off the surface and discard them. Do not soak or rinse beans in warm or cold water. The water should be just cool. The cold water has a tendency to toughen the beans. Do not add salt to the soaking water because it will toughen the beans outer layer and not allow the bean to absorb moisture. Dried Bean Cooking
There are several methods that can be used to cook dried beans. Cooking times will vary depending on the variety, size and age of the beans. Realize that dried beans will double in size after soaking and then tripled in size after cooking. One cup of dried beans will equal three cups cooked.
Flavorings, such as herbs, onions, celery, and carrots, can be added to the water to enhance the flavor of the beans. Salt, sugar and any acidic ingredients, such as vinegar, citrus juice, or wine, should not be added until the beans are almost tender. If added at the beginning of the cooking process, they will harden the skins on the beans and prevent them from absorbing the necessary liquid to soften them.
Shown below are several method for cooking dried beans.
Drain and rinse soaked beans before adding to the cooking pot. Do not use a pot that is made from a reactive type metal, such as aluminum. The beans can take on a metallic taste when cooked in this type of pot. Add beans to the pot and cover with lukewarm water or unsalted broth until the level is about 2 inches above the beans. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the water to help reduce the amount of foaming. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer until tender. COOKING NOTES: Do not allow beans to boil rapidly, which will cause them to burst. If the beans are foaming, skim off the foam and discard. If the level of water gets low, add more boiling water to get the level back up. Gently stir beans while they are cooking but keep the stirring to a minimum to prevent bursting the skins and having the beans become mushy. Small beans may take from 30 to 45 minutes, where medium size beans may take 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add salt at the end of the cooking time when the beans are almost tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the variety and dryness of the beans. Do not overcook and allow the beans to become mushy. When tender, remove from the heat and allow them to set in the cooking liquid while they cool so that they do not dry out. Baked
Drain and rinse soaked beans before adding to the pot. Gently pour beans into a pot that can be used on the stove top and in the oven. It will also need to have a lid. Preheat oven to 325°F. Add enough fresh lukewarm water until the level is 3 inches above the beans. Add desired flavorings. Place the pot on the stove top and bring it to a boil. After it comes to a boil, cover and place in the preheated oven. Bake until the beans are tender but not mushy, approximately 40 to 60 minutes. Baking time will depend on the variety and dryness of the beans. When tender, remove from the oven and allow them to set in the cooking liquid while they cool so that they do not dry out. Pressure Cooked
Drain and rinse soaked beans before adding to the pressure cooker. Place beans in the pressure cooker but do not fill the cooker more than half full to allow for expansion of the beans. Salt has to be added at the beginning of cooking because the pressure cooker cannot be opened while it is cooking the beans. The pressure in the cooker keeps the salt from softening the beans. Add approximately 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the pressure cooker to help reduce the foam that can clog the steam vent. The steam vent may need to be pressed occasionally so that it will let off steam and unclog the vent. After the pressure builds up in the cooker, the heat should be reduced to medium pressure or 15 pounds per square inch. Cook beans from 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the variety and age of the beans. Pressure cooking reduces the cooking time by almost half of the standard time of cooking on the stove top or baking. The disadvantage of using a pressure cooker is that once it is at the proper pressure for cooking the beans, the cover cannot be removed to check cooking progress. It makes it hard to determine if the beans are done to the proper tenderness so there is more of a chance that the beans will be undercooked or overcooked.More Beans >>
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/22943 | California State Water Project boosts irrigation allotment Apr 18, 2017 Even with effective synthetic alternatives Sulfur remains a relevant tool for controlling powdery mildew Apr 12, 2017 With buds pushing in late March, start of San Joaquin Valley wine grape crop follows normal timing Apr 12, 2017 Walnut growers responsible for ensuring clean water use on operation Apr 05, 2017 With labor crisis: Food supply facing perfect storm
Harry Cline | Nov 18, 2006
The “perfect storm” as a result of a decade of failed federal immigration/farm labor reform policy is brewing and about to make landfall in the fields where America gets its food supply. According to a pair of ag labor experts speaking recently at the 25th annual Agribusiness Management Conference in Fresno, Calif., it is shaping up to be a storm of Hurricane Katrina proportions as Congress has once again faltered in addressing an issue that has far reaching implications for not just agriculture, but the workforce of America as well. Washington, D. C., labor attorney and former Fresnan Monte Lake said while the immigration reform issue has swirled around agriculture for a decade, America's construction and service industry face the same fate as agriculture unless meaningful immigration reform that includes a guest worker program is not soon enacted by Congress. An estimated 90 percent of workers in all three industries are immigrants, most illegal and from Mexico, and as many as 90 percent of them are using forged documents to work in the United States. Lake said immigration reform for the past decade has focused almost exclusively on enforcement and has failed to adequately address the need for an effective guest worker program and what to do with the 12 million illegal immigrants already in America. The “best” the federal has come up with to this point is to approve the building of a 700-mile fence to keep illegal immigrants from crossing a 2,000-mile border. California State University economics professor Bert Mason, an expert in immigration policy and farm labor, called the wall a “sorry state of federal policy that is the only thing elected officials can come up with” to address one of the major issues in American society today. What is ironic about the wall, compared to the Berlin Wall and the Great Wall of China, is that if and when it is ever built, it may be even more worthless than it is now being characterized. Mason warned that the labor supply from Mexico may soon disappear with a dramatically declining birth rate in Mexico and an improving economy that entices workers to remain in Mexico rather than try to cross a border that has turned into a war zone. Today the American-Mexico wage ratio is $8 to $1, but the Mexican economy is improving and the discrepancy is narrowing. Mason does not believe it must be balanced to reduce illegal immigration to keep Mexicans from crossing the U.S. border looking for work. “There is no second generation of farm workers,” said Mason, explaining that children of illegal immigrants born in the United States are not becoming farm workers. And neither are the children who cross the border with their farm worker parents. “I do not know which country will supply the next generation of farm workers,” but it will not be Mexico, Mason said. And California needs farm workers, even in this era of rapidly advancing agricultural technology. The demand for farm workers has not dwindled in the past 25 years. Reports of labor shortages have been widespread this year in California, down 45 percent or higher. Crops went unharvested due to labor shortages. Mason said California still needs about 400,000 farm workers each season. This represents about a third of the U.S. farm worker work force. Technology and a shift away from row crops to higher value, more labor intensive crops has changed where workers are needed. They are no longer needed to hoe cotton where Roundup Ready cotton technology has replaced hoe crews with herbicides. The same is becoming true in the raisin industry where labor demands are among the highest of any California crop. Mason says 40 percent of the raisin crop is now harvested with at least some mechanization. However, there are other, newer crops requiring more labor. Some of these “hot crops” are raspberries, blueberries and pomegranates. Tree fruit and table grape crops still needs harvest labor. All vegetable crops are hand harvested. It takes 30,000 labors to harvest strawberries and spinach alone. Increasing year-round demand for fresh fruits and vegetables is also putting more demand on labor. Growing consumer demand for organic crops will also tax the ag labor force because there is more hand labor involved in producing organic crops than conventionally-grown crops. California agriculture has been detailing its plight to the federal government and Congress for a decade. However, it has largely fallen on deaf ears, said Lake. Congress has spent billions bolstering border security and “it has not worked,” said Lake. “Enforcement alone will not solve the problem.” A workable guest worker program is needed. The current H2A guest worker program is too cumbersome to meet the needs of perishable crop producers, said Lake. The House and Senate both passed immigration reform legislation this year. The House version focused entirely on enforcement. The Senate bill included enforcement, but it also addressed the worker issue. The bills went to conference committee before the general election. Lake was not optimistic meaningful reform would come with a lame duck Congress after the election. “We have been talking about this for a decade. It is not something that has impacted California alone. It is truly a national crisis,” Lake said. The only question is will the perfect storm be a Katrina or will Congress step in and do something to solve the problem. “There are labor shortages from New York to California.” | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/23130 | Antimicrobials are widely used in livestock production to maintain health and promote growth, contributing to the spread of drug-resistant pathogens in both livestock and humans. CDDEP developed the first global map of antibiotic consumption in livestock (Van Boeckel et al., PNAS) and conservatively estimated that 63,151 tons were consumed in 2010. According to these estimates, China, the United States, Brazil, Germany, and India are the largest consumers, collectively consuming about half of the global total. Based on current trajectories, CDDEP estimated that total consumption by livestock would increase by 67% by 2030, nearly doubling in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The main drivers will be growth in consumer demand for meat and other livestock products in middle-income countries and a consequent shift toward large-scale farming operations where antimicrobials are routinely used. Recent country-level estimates and projections through 2030 are included in ResistanceMap.
Est. Consumption in 2010
Projected Change in Consumption in 2030
Comments? Click here to let us know what you think of ResistanceMap | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/23308 | Substantial Decrease In Lignin Content Biology Essay
Cell wall digestibility is considered to be regulated with differences in G and S ratios where lignin abundant in G-unit has more crosslinked areas than lignin augmented with S-unit (Boerjan et al. 2003; Abramson et al. 2010). Since F5H is the chief enzyme in producing S-lignin, its over-expression led to an increase in S-lignin while its down-regulation resulted in lignin essentially composed of G-units (Stewart et al. 2009). S/G ratio could be enhanced by the down-regulation of HCT or C3H genes as they reduced the synthesis of G-lignin (Ralph et al. 2006; Wagner et al. 2007; Hoffmann et al. 2004; Coleman et al. 2008). On the other hand, enhanced S/G ratio could be obtained by COMT down-regulation as it leads to the assimilation of 5-hydroxyconiferyl alcohol (Vanholme et al. 2008; Fu et al. 2011). In transgenic alfalfa, down-regulation of C4H, HCT, C3H, CCoAOMT and COMT reduced the lignin content while down-regulation of F5H and CAD did not have any effect on the lignin content (Baucher et al. 1999; Guo et al. 2001a,b; Reddy et al. 2005; Shadle et al. 2007). Down-regulation of CCoAOMT and COMT, in Poplar, led to a reduction in lignin content while the down-regulation of CAD and up-regulation of F5H did not change the lignin content (Petit-Conil et al. 1999; Jouanin et al. 2000; Huntley et al. 2003; Lapierre et al. 2004). Transgenic tobacco lines independently modified for CCR or CAD were crossed and those hybrids that included only one allele of each antisense transgene displayed a normal phenotype with a remarkable decrease in lignin content (Chabannes et al. 2001). To understand the role of laccases in lignifications, Berthet et al. (2011) down-regulated LAC4 and LAC17 in Arabidopsis and observed that the resulting plants had lower levels of lignin leading to enhanced saccharification efficiency. They also observed that the deposition of G lignin could be influenced by disturbing LAC17 (Berthet et al. 2011).
Manipulation of transcription factors Genes in the lignin pathway are also regulated by R2R3-type transcription factors which have the MYB DNA binding domain (Stracke et al. 2001; Rogers and Campbell 2004). Manipulation of these transcription factors has significant effect on lignin content and composition. In transgenic tobacco, overexpression of Antirrhinum majus, AmMYB308 and AmMYB330 led to the down-regulation of 4CL, CAD and C4H (Tamagnone et al. 1998) while overexpression of Eucalyptus, EgMYB2 down-regulated the transcription of CCR and CAD and regulated both biosynthesis of lignin and secondary cell wall synthesis (Goicoechea et al. 2005; Legay et al., 2007). On the other hand, EgMYB1 was found to be a negative controller of CCR and CAD in the lignin pathway (Legay et al., 2007). Pinus taeda MYB4 (PtMYB4) was also overexpressed in transgenic tobacco and augmented the deposition of lignin by modifying the expression of lignin biosynthesis genes (Patzlaff et al. 2003).
In maize, ZmMYB31 and ZmMYB42 were identified as down regulators of COMT (Fornale et al. 2006; Sonbol et al. 2009). A.thaliana plants overexpressing ZmMYB42 had a reduced growth rate and decreased fresh weight (Fornale et al. 2006). Its overexpression also reduced the total lignin content, and modified the lignin composition by increasing the H-lignin and G-lignin while decreasing the S-lignin leading to the overall decrease in the S/G ratio (Sonbol et al. 2009). Transcription factors like SND1, SND2, NST1 and their homologs (Zhong et al. 2006, 2008; Hussey et al. 2011) act as master switches by regulating genes early in the lignin pathway and affect growth severely making them unsuitable for genetic manipulation of lignocellulosic biomass. The overexpression of PvMYB4 transcription factor, a lignin repressor which binds to the AC elements, in genetically modified switchgrass reduced its recalcitrance (Shen et al., 2012). Arabidopsis AtMYB4 and AtMYB32 also acted as repressors of the lignin biosynthesis pathway (Jin et al., 2000; Preston et al., 2004). The most desirable phenotype for lignocellulosic biomass has been demonstrated in transgenic rice by the overexpression of Arabidopsis transcription factor SHINE which increased the cellulose content, decreased the lignin content and changed the lignin composition without altering the biomass of the transformed plants (Ambavaram et al. 2011). Therefore, genetic manipulation of genes and transcription factors can be used to develop varieties with the desired phenotype for the production of cellulosic biomass.
Manipulation of regulatory factors and developmental genes that regulate lignin A role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the developmental biology of plants has been established (Aukerman and Sakai 2003; Palatnik et al. 2003). miRNAs regulate transcription factors and may possibly enhance biomass yield, modify lignin structure and composition, reduce recalcitrance and other such characteristics important for biofuel production (Fu et al., 2011a; Zhang et al., 2006). Being less lignified, the immature plant material demonstrates variation in accumulation of biomass and may be able to decrease the recalcitrance (Chuck et al., 2011; Poethig, 1990). miRNA such as the one encoded by the maize Corngrass1 (Cg1) gene, that belong to the miR156 class, target the SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING LIKE (SPL) family of transcription factors and support the development of juvenile morphology with reduced lignifications in the cell wall (Rhoades et al., 2002). This Cg1 gene has been constitutively expressed in poplar and switchgrass (Rubinelli et al. 2012; Chuck et al., 2011). In both cases, it modified the content and composition of lignin along and also had a severe effects on the plant structure. Similar results were also obtained when PvmiR156 was over-expressed by the introduction of the fragment of the OsmiR156b precursor in switchgrass (Fu et al., 2012).
Gibberellins have been associated with diverse growth and developmental processes ranging from seed development to flowering (Cowling and Harberd 1999). Overexpression of Gibberellin 20-oxidase (GA20ox) in tobacco resulted in an increase in biomass with higher levels of lignin (Biemelt et al. 2004). This increase in lignin might be the result of up-regulation of genes in the lignin pathway (Israelsson et al. 2003). To change the lignin content of the biomass, dwarfing might also be of use as it shifts the biomass allocation from the stem to the leaves (Gressel, 2008). Mutant GA20ox, responsible for the dwarf and high yielding varieties of food crops in the green revolution (Ashikari et al. 2002; Spielmeyer et al. 2002) did not have any pleiotropic defects other than semi-dwarf stature. Taken together down-regulation of GA20ox genes will decrease lignin along with moderate decrease in biomass. Similarly, repressors of gibberellin synthesis can also be manipulated to modify lignin with slight reduction in biomass (Zhao et al. 2010). Overexpression or down-regulation of homeobox genes like ARK1 affect lignin content but these genes are important for the development of the plant and have deleterious effect on the survival of the plant and are therefore not suitable for genetic manipulation.
Consequences of lignin modification The consequences of the lignin reduction or modification are dependent on which gene in the lignin biosynthesis pathway has been manipulated. A decrease in the amount of lignin or alteration of the lignin configuration will significantly increase the accessibility and digestion of the cell-wall carbohydrates, cellulose and hemicelluloses during fermentation leading to more proficient production of biofuels (Casler, 2012; Vogel and Jung, 2001; Bouton, 2008). Reduction in lignin also reduces the severity of the pretreatment and enzyme requirements, and increase the energy that is available to microorganisms that conduct fermentation eventually leading to significant reduction in the costs of biofuel production (Fu et al., 2011). The reduction of CAD activity in transgenic CAD-RNAi maize plants led to higher accessibility and more efficient breakdown of cell-wall carbohydrates resulting in an increased biofuel production (Fornale et al. 2012). In transgenic switchgrass, silencing of CAD improved the release of glucose after cellulase treatment (Saathoff et al., 2011) while down-regulation of COMT enhanced ethanol production, required less harsher pretreatment and lesser dosages of cellulose (Fu et al., 2011). Increase in the number of tillers and enhanced saccharification efficiency was observed in transgenic switchgrass overexpressing the PvMYB4 (Shen et al., 2012). Down-regulation of 4CL activity decreased the lignin content, led to vessel cell wall collapse and stunted growth in transgenic tobacco plants (Kajita et al. 1997). Silencing of 4CL influenced the carbohydrate metabolism leading to enhanced galactose content in Pinus radiata (Wagner et al. 2009) and enhanced the availability of carbohydrate release for biofuel production in switchgrass (Xu et al. 2011).
In most cases, the modification of lignin biosynthetic genes not only impacts the lignin content and composition but also affects plant growth and development significantly (Jones et al., 2001; Nakashima et al., 2008; Vermerris et al., 2010) while others did not exhibit such negative consequences (Chabannes et al., 2001; Jackson et al., 2008). Plants lacking lignin tend to be dwarfs, sterile, more susceptible to infections, and incapable of standing upright (Bonawitz and Chapple 2010). Down-regulation of ZmMYB31 in transgenic Arabidopsis produced dwarf plants which exhibited decreased lignin content without any change in its composition (Fornale et al. 2010). Overexpression of PvMYB4 in transgenic switchgrass also displayed a similar decrease in plant stature (Shen et al., 2012). Plant with reduced activity of C4H,C3H, HCT, or CCR commonly demonstrate a modest to extreme dwarf phenotype as compared to plants lacking CAD and COMT (Franke et al. 2002, Hoffman et al. 2004; Reddy et al. 2005; Bonawitz and Chapple 2010). The difficulty in water transportation, or absence of a necessary phenylpropanoid-derived compound or buildup of lethal pathway intermediate may be possible causes of dwarfing in these plants. The association between disturbance of monolignol biosynthesis and dwarfing will be imperative for justifying the negative effects of genetic manipulation of lignin biosynthetic pathway for the production of biofuels (Bonawitz and Chapple 2010). When linked with a significant enhancement in saccharification efficiency, moderate alterations in the growth pattern may be acceptable but extreme dwarfism may not be agronomically feasible (Chapple et al. 2007; Chen and Dixon 2007; Bonawitz and Chapple 2010).
Genes encoding CAD are up-regulated in response to pathogen infection (Tronchet et al. 2010) indicating a role of lignin genes in disease resistance. On the other hand, down-regulation of gene encoding HCT had increased tolerance to fungal infection and drought, and exhibited dwarfism (Gallego-Giraldo et al. 2011). To minimize the effect of lignin modification on plant development and biomass, control of lignin level and the expression of transgene(s) in specific tissues only is necessary. Modifying the composition of lignin or incorporating novel genes that are able to sustain the many important functions of lignin along with enhancing its degradation and digestibility during fermentation or similar complex strategies may be required to avoid biomass reduction (Grabber et al. 2008). Hence, detailed and comprehensive knowledge of lignin biosynthetic enzymes is necessary to improve the quality of the feedstock without compromising plant fitness. Although a number of genes in the lignin biosynthetic pathway have been manipulated and transgenic plants and mutants obtained, they haven’t been fully characterized warranting a need to further study them to better understand the effects of these modifications on the assembly and regulation of the lignin biosynthetic pathway (Anterola and Lewis 2002). Solving this puzzle will not only be critical for completely exploiting plant-derived renewable resources but also in recognizing the role played by lignin in vivo (Bonawitz and Chapple 2010).
The existence of lignin and the complexity of cell walls makes the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass more complex than starch. Lignocellulosic biomass can become economically viable only if the production costs are below the cost of using fossil fuels. Though biomass are available at low cost, steps such as pretreatment and processing increase the cost of biofuels making them unprofitable. The ongoing research on lignin modification and manipulation has demonstrated that lignin content can be reduced, degradability of lignin can be increased by improving the accessibility of cellulases for digestion of cellulose, and the lignin composition can be altered in a way that pretreatment can be decreased or even excluded.
It has also been shown that lignin can be tailored to a certain extent without considerable loss of biomass. However, most of these studies have been limited to greenhouses and the actual test of these plants with altered lignin production mechanism under field conditions has not been investigated. Field trials will bring a whole new aspect to the growth of these plants as will their exposure to various biotic and abiotic stresses, weeds and pathogens. Even as more research is conducted to sort out the issues with negative effects of lignin manipulation, the indications are that this is the right track and lignin manipulation is the key to successful adoption of lignocellulosic biofuels. Similarly, along with lignin manipulation, efforts towards the manipulation of cellulose and hemicellulose may be anticipated in the future for more synergistic impacts. To achieve this, plant biologists, microbiologists, biochemists, agronomists and breeders need to make collaborative efforts to formulate the most favorable solution to improve the conversion efficiency and sustainability without compromising the quality and yield of the biomass (Chapple et al. 2007). Essay Writing Service
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2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/23654 | About Hawaiian Crown
Hawaiian Crown™ uses traditional plant selection and breeding methods to develop plants that produce premium quality Hawaiian Crown™ Sweet Gold Pineapple™ and other specialty crops. We then produce these crops on our own family farm and partner with other independent farmers in Hawaii to grow Hawaiian Crown™ products.
We are one of the few remaining pineapple producers in Hawaii and the leading supplier of super premium pineapple under the Hawaiian Crown™ Sweet Gold™ brand.
We started collecting, selecting, and breeding over 20 years ago and, in recent years, came up with an excellent line of proprietary low-acid, super-sweet pineapple. Our goal is to allow consumers to experience “the true flavor of field ripe pineapple, the way pineapple is supposed to taste”. We have since expanded our vision to include other Hawaiian specialty products with the same emphasis on quality and flavor under the Hawaiian Crown™ brand.
The Hawaiian Crown™ brand represents all the values and ideals that matter most to us as a family farm in Hawaii. Here in the islands “ohana”, or family, is the basis of who we are and is a key element of how we interact with each other, our employees, our farming partners and our customers in order to be successful in our island home.
It is very important for us to differentiate ourselves not just in terms of the quality of our products, but also in the way we grow the crop and treat the land. We strive to use less chemicals and more sustainable farming practices than volume-based corporate farms. The love and respect for the “aina”, the land, and the appreciation that we have for the life and culture here in Hawaii are important aspects of how we run the business day-to-day.
Our wish is not to grow into a large corporate farm for the sake of business, but to grow to help keep Hawaii’s land, and ultimately its beauty, alive in agriculture. If Hawaii continues to only “plant” houses instead of supporting sustainable crops, we risk the chance of polluting our water, covering our soil with concrete, and forever destroying the one thing that can keep Hawaii “Hawaii” – the aina.
This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Award No. 2007-39537-18540 and the Economic Development Alliance of Hawaii. (http://hawaiibounty.com/)
About our Founders
Friends for more than 40 years, Craig Bowden and Tom Menezes had always wanted to farm together, but after graduating from Kalani High School and the University of Hawaii, they went their separate ways. Then, in recent years, they decided to find a way to bring the Hawaiian Crown™ Sweet Gold™ Pineapple to consumers and Hawaii Pineapple Company was established. Together with Craig’s wife of many years, Lisa, they finally realize their dream.
As President and Managing Member of Hawaii Pineapple Company and Hawaiian Crown, R. Craig Bowden has benefited the company with his broad and technical knowledge of business and production agriculture. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Tropical Agriculture at the University of Hawaii, and with over 30 years of experience working with small and large scale agriculture production, he has a very clear understanding of production and a focus on quality. As a former Group Operations Manager for a major pineapple producer, Craig also contributes extensive expertise in pineapple operations.
After leaving the sugar and pineapple businesses, Craig worked for Driscoll Strawberry Associates in California and then left to start his own produce consulting and food safety auditing business in 1999. Although most of his work was on the mainland, he still kept ties to Hawaii by coming to the islands to perform audits and consulting with local companies. His long term vision was to one day return to Hawaii so he could help to keep Hawaiian land in agriculture. He finally sold the food safety business, allowing him to return and focus on the family farming operation.
Partner and VP of Administration, Lisa Yamaguchi Bowden, was born and raised in Honolulu, and after graduating from Punahou School, she went to the University of Hawaii to study Nutrition. However, because Craig’s career took them to Kauai, Arizona, the Philippines, Florida and California, she was finally able to complete her college education, changing to a double major in Marketing and International Business at Florida International University. While in California, she helped write several patents and worked with Craig on their many businesses. She still continues to be at his side in all of his endeavors, including a leading postharvest technology company in California and the farming businesses in Hawaii. Her dream was always to return to Hawaii and allow their daughter the same wonderful schooling and lifestyle that she and Craig grew up with. So when the pineapple acreage became more than an “expensive hobby”, they jumped at the chance to sell one of their California businesses and move “home” to expand the farm. Her hope is to help keep agriculture alive in the islands, and by using a minimal amount of chemicals, pesticides and no genetically modified plant materials, the land would be preserved for generations to come.
Hawaii Pineapple Company Senior VP of Operations and Partner, Tom Menezes, has degrees in Tropical Agriculture and Plant Pathology from the University of Hawaii. With more than 30 years of experience in production, breeding, research, and farm management of tropical crops in Hawaii, Tom’s extensive expertise includes collecting and breeding pineapples (and ornamental bromeliads), taro, & cacao. He has also co-authored several research papers on gingerroot, taro and cacao with members of the University of Hawaii. Prior to helping to establish Hawaii Pineapple Company, he worked for a local pineapple company, the USDA, and for the last 20 years has run his own successful banana & tropical crop farm and nursery on the Big Island. Sweet Gold™ Pineapples are the result of his hard work, patience, collaboration with Craig, and a singular focus on achieving his goal to find a unique Pure Hawaiian Pineapple with great flavor and low acidity while maintaining a high quality fruit. | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/24239 | Climate change hits coffee industry Sunday, September 18, 2011 22:38
A farmer inspects her coffee plants. Photo/FILE Global warming has increased the spread of pests in key farming regions with coffee exports facing the strain from the berry disease. Scientists at the Nairobi based International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) predict increased incidences of coffee berry borer in coffee zones over the next 40 years due to changing climatic patterns.The incidence of coffee berry borer, a small beetle recognised globally as the most destructive of coffee pests, will be higher in central and eastern regions of the country, the key producers of the country’s export coffee, states ICIPE.Even small increases in temperature will lead to serious consequences on the number of generations, as well as the latitudinal and altitudinal range of the borer, adversely affecting coffee production in East Africa and parts of South America.” ICIPE said in a statement released last week.This report comes as a shock to government that has been mulling plans to revive an industry that once served as the country’s foreign exchange earner. Fluctuating temperatures and rainfall, the hallmarks of climate change, have already led to the spread of thrips (tiny insects known to destroy coffee beans by puncturing and sucking up their contents) in the coffee growing districts, lowering farmer’s output. “There is serious thrips outbreak in most coffee regions which is likely to worsen after the end of the cold (July, August) season,” Dr Joseph Kimemia, managing director of the Coffee Research Foundation, said in an industry alert issued in July.In spite of the good international prices government statistics indicate that coffee production dropped by 22.2 per cent in 2010 to 42,000 tonnes, leading to forex earning of Sh16 billion compared to peers like tea (Sh97 billion) and horticulture (Sh78 billion).
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While the coffee prices have remained higher in the international market in the first half of this year, production decline has persisted in Kenya with deliveries to the marketing board declining in the first quarter of 2011 by 28 per cent to 11,300 tonnes.Of late, farmers have alarmingly been abandoning coffee and turning their plantations to real estates, citing corruption and mismanagement that has undermined confidence in the industry.The National Economic and Social Council, the country’s top policy organ wants the government to fight corruption and mismanagement in the industry to prevent farmers from abandoning coffee for other ventures .“The council noted that coffee production has continued to decline while global prices are favourable and recommends that Kenya’s comparative advantage be leveraged to provide farmers with more incentives,” NESC said in a press release issued after the full Council meeting held on September 10.The government may however have to rethink the proposed incentives as the ICIPE study encourages investment in climate adaptation measures to cushion the industry from further losses.The first ever global map of future distribution of the coffee berry borer drawn by ICIPE scientists and colleagues from the UK, US and Germany indicate that most of today’s coffee growing zones will not sustain the crop in coming years. The study says Africa’s arable land will shrink by 60 to 90 million hectares by 2050 as the impact of climate change sets in. “Moreover, soil conditions at higher altitudes might not be suitable for Arabica coffee under the anticipated high temperatures,” the scientists said, adding that shade trees should be introduced in coffee plantations to improve microclimate that favours the growth of coffee. [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/24793 | Tobacco purchasing should be based on value, not price Apr 03, 2017 Caledonia: Where prisoners have grown their food for 125 years Apr 04, 2017 How a blueberry family won and lost against a punishing situation Apr 05, 2017 90 percent of South Carolina’s peach crop destroyed Apr 02, 2017 Ag markets in uncharted territory
Paul Hollis | Oct 25, 2007
When talking about farm policy, it’s important to understand that in times of exploding demand, the current farm program will work, any farm program will work, and no farm program at all will work, says Harwood Shaffer of the University of Tennessee Agricultural Policy Analysis Center. “The key questions are, will current conditions continue, and are high prices the future for production agriculture?” said Shaffer, speaking at the recent Southern Agricultural Outlook Conference in Atlanta. “Particularly, we need to look at the explosion in demand for corn for ethanol in the near-term policy context,” says Shaffer. “We’re talking about tight crop markets for many crops, and we’re really in unchartered territory. Looking at the traditional stocks-to-use ratio, the markets like to keep corn at between 10 and 20 percent. When USDA came out with their baseline in February, they had us running for 10 years at about 5 percent, and we had a hard time believing that’s what would really happen. It seemed very unrealistic. “Each time in the past, when we’ve gotten down into that territory, markets have responded. Things have turned around very quickly and we moved out of that 4 to 8-percent territory.” The corn market, he says, is undeniably tight. “With the ethanol market, corn has taken acres from beans, so beans are somewhat tighter, or tighter than they otherwise would have been in the United States. And the wheat market is tight particularly because there have been some crop problems in the rest of the world, and the availability of feed wheat is low, which has increased the pressure for corn as a feed grain,” says Shaffer. It’s obvious, he adds, that there is furious competition for acres. “The questions are which crop will win out, how will corn maintain its acres, how are beans going to gain more acres, and what will happen with the wheat crop? We have high prices for all of these crops.” With high prices and tight supplies, there’s also an increased risk of production shortfalls, notes the economist. “If we look at the USDA baseline, we have had strings of years when the carryout stocks were projected to be 6 percent below utilization instead of the typical 10 to 20 percent. In five of the past 10 years, we have seen a production shortfall of 300 million bushels from the previous year. Obviously, our production this year exceeded the baseline. But if you have tight supplies and a 300-million bushel shortfall, they begin to put a tight bind on the market. If we’re down at about 5 percent and we lose 300 million bushels, we could end up with $6 or more per bushel for corn,” says Shaffer. Looking at the long-term policy context, he says, it’s important to remember that production will respond to price signals, and that U.S. farmers are not the only farmers in the world who see those prices. “We hear talk about yield gains in corn and soybeans, and we hear people talking about the fact the average corn yield in the United States could exceed 200 bushels per acre — there’s even talk of 300-bushel-per-acre corn. We once thought that 110 bushels per acre was an outlandish notion. “We have acreage in Argentina, Brazil and other countries around the world with savannah land that could bring in large amounts of cropland. Brazil could bring in 300 million acres of production — more than the total U.S. cropland. That hangs over the market whenever we talk about policy. Our greatest longer-term risk, at least price-wise, is in terms of acreage and yield. These will be increasing not just in the United States but worldwide. American farmers once were the only ones with access to new technology. But it is now available to most farmers anywhere in the world,” he says. If $6 corn is realized, then acreage shifts will occur in the short-run, says Shaffer. And in the longer-run, there will be investments that increase acreage and yields. “High prices will bring more resources into production. With $3 to $4 corn, the same thing will happen at a somewhat slower rate. We like to think that $3.50 corn will stay here forever, but there’s a significant downside risk that it might not happen and we might see $1.85 corn again.” Looking at the international corn supply, Shaffer says Mexico is talking about a 400-million-acre increase in its corn production. “Argentina is talking about a 20-percent shift from soybeans into corn. Brazil is talking about 230 million bushels of additional corn in its second crop, and 80 million bushels are to be exported. We could see up to 150 million bushels exported. We also see an increase in acreage in Canada. “When it comes to exports, there could be a decreased need for corn going from the United States to other countries. Production will respond to price signals. We have the yield gain and acreage. The issue we need to focus on is that we have a significant possibility that chronic over-production will return. “If we bring in large amounts of land for this short-term high price, it will take a long time to wring out that excess acreage. Acreage can come in quickly, but it generally goes out extremely, painfully and slowly,” he says. Agriculture is different from other economic sectors, says Shaffer. “On the demand side, when we have lower food prices, people don’t go from eating three to four meals per day to take up the excess supply. The aggregate intake of food remains relatively stable over very long periods of time. “Agriculture also is different from other economic sectors on the supply side. With low crop prices, farmers continue to plant all their acres. Farmers plant because they’re hoping other farmers 100 miles away will have a drought — they have to plant on that basis. If that drought occurs and they didn’t plant, then they have nothing to sell. The only way to participate in the market is to plant.” Farmers don’t and can’t afford to reduce their applications of fertilizer and other yield-determining inputs, he says. “They’re going to put those on because once they’ve made a commitment, as long as they can cover the extra cost with extra production, they will put it on.” With low crop prices, some resources exit agriculture, says Shaffer. The resource that may exit is farmers, but the determinant resource that doesn’t change is land — it doesn’t exit the market. New producers might take over the land and increase production on the land, but the land usually stays in as a resource.” A chronic problem in agriculture, he says, is that technology typically expands output faster than population and exports expand demand. And much of that technology is paid for by U.S. taxpayers. “The common economic formula is that low prices cure low prices. Consumers should buy more, producers should produce less, equilibrium will return, prices will recover, and the problem is solved. But in agriculture, lower prices don’t solve the problem. You have little self correction on the demand side and little self correction on the supply side.” e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/0293/en_head.json.gz/25194 | Where It StartedThe first CSA in Pennsylvania, Kimberton CSA garden was started in 1987 by Kimberton Waldorf School, interested members of the community, and the original farmers, Barbara & Kerry Sullivan. These parties were looking for ways of doing business that would best support the local community and local agriculture and provide for the needs of everyone involved, including those of our environment. Along with the members' support, the Sullivan's invested a significant amount of their own capital to start the CSA garden and lease land from the school. Although initially conceived of as more of a Co-op in nature, the CSA was set up as a simple sole-proprietorship. This put the responsibility for the CSA on the shoulders of the Sullivans. Erik and Birgit Landowne
Andrew Turner and Frank Kurylo
How We Got Here After 15 years of service, the Sullivans sold all the moveable assets of the business to Birgit Landowne, who had worked as an intern at Kimberton CSA for two prior years. Since history has an odd way of repeating itself, Birgit and Erik tended the land for another 15 years, after which they passed the CSA down to two of their previous interns, Andrew Turner and Frank Kurylo. Meet Our Team | 农业 |
2017-17/0294/en_head.json.gz/2963 | Agriculture, finance and technology: what can Africa learn from India? IFMR KM
http://www.developmentoutlook.org/2015/12/agriculture-finance-and-technology-what.html
This blog is written by PLAAS Researcher Emmanuel Sulle, based out of University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Emmanuel recently visited IFMR LEAD's KGFS project based out of Thanjavur as part of the ATAI fellowship grant received by our organization from MIT. This blog is written based on his observations from the field.
As one of the earliest countries to implement the Green Revolution in agriculture in the early 1960s, India has many lessons to offer to Africa both in terms of its successes and challenges. These lessons can be harnessed through continued research on some of the key drivers of such successes, including access to finance and agricultural technology adoption.
This blog post is based on my firsthand experience in Thanjavur District, Tamil Nadu State, South India supported by the Harvard University and IFMR LEAD doctoral fellowship grant. The grant facilitated Thomas Ferreira of Stellenbosch University and myself to spend two weeks in Thanjavur as part of the research exchange program embedded in the Agricultural Technology Adoption Initiative (ATAI)-funded research project. The ATAI-funded project assesses the impact of financial services for the rural poor on agricultural technology adoption. The fellowship was designed to provide an opportunity for PhD students from sub Saharan Africa to acquire first hand experience and learn how the ATAI-funded project was designed, implemented on the ground and what are the expected outputs and outcomes.
Harvard University & IFMR LEAD Doctoral Fellows - Emmanuel Sulle (Left), Prof. Christopher Robert of Harvard
Unv.(centre) and Thomas Ferreira (Right) in Thanjavur. Photo by S. Sharma
The ambitious ATAI research project combines several research methods to ensure the collected and analyzed data is comprehensive and accurate, able to influence decision-making processes, and be used to engage in academic debates. For example, one complex approach uses soil testing — a method that is underutilized in many research projects that seek to understand the technology adoption in agriculture because it is expensive, complex, logistically complicated and time consuming. Yet, soil testing is the most appropriate way to provide a real estimation of the level of fertilizer use among the studied farmers and the type of soil resuscitation measures required in a particular area.Public policy is a recipe for successThere are no doubts that public policy is critical in encouraging change in any rural society. The work of Djurfeldt and others have shown that the successes of the Green Revolution were due to the agricultural revolution process being state-driven, with clearly stipulated roles for the private sector and inclusion of smallholder farmers in the process.
Irrigated rice field adjacent to the
public dam in Kasanadu Village. Photo by E. Sulle
Green Revolution policies were deliberately tailored to include smallholder farmers, and the inclusive nature of the policy gave states and the government the legitimacy to implement such policies successfully. These pro-poor based policies are still in practice in many states in India, such as the Tamil Nadu State, which has a number of public policies aimed at empowering rural communities through state-funded agricultural schemes providing irrigation and rural electrification infrastructure. The ongoing expansion of these projects is evident. During our field visits, we observed a number of road constructions taking place, water canals and water logging boreholes established for smallholder farm irrigation.Since markets and the prices for agricultural yields are key determinants for agricultural intensification, the government of India ensures that farmers receive fair prices for their crops. Therefore, in the villages we visited, both rice and sugarcane farmers received at least the minimum price set by the government, reducing the risks of middlemen exploiting smallholder farmers in rural areas.However, since farming is incomplete without agricultural inputs and technologies, both the government co-operative banks and private microfinances provide loans in rural settings. From our interviews and discussions, we learnt that farmers who take loans from the cooperative banks pay an interest rate of seven percent per loan if they pay their loans within 12 months (they pay 10%-12% if they fail to meet the 12-month deadline). In areas where the cooperative banks are not available, people access loans from microcredit institutions at an interest rate of 29.98% per annum or 26.8% per month.The common document that people use to secure loans is the Land Record Certificate. The amount of loans offered depends on ones’ land size. Most of these loans are used to purchase agricultural inputs (seeds and fertilizers), agricultural machinery and irrigation equipment. In circumstances where the farmer fails to repay the bank or microfinance loan, at least the farmers we interviewed are aware that they will not lose the land used as collateral, as there are safeguards embedded in the land ownership laws in the country to protect the smallholder farmers.In addition, the loan repayment rate is high in the Tamil Nadu state because people believe that repaying a loan is part and parcel of their social norms. This was evident in Pulavankadu Village where we visited one of the rural microcredit agencies in the state - the Kshetriya Gramin Financial Services (KGFS). At the branch, we were told that the repayment rate was about 99.9%. In fact, it was reported that among 1200 outstanding loans, only one loan had defaulted. These findings, however, cannot be generalised all over India, and it remains unclear to me why in other parts of India the incidences of farmer suicides are on the increase as indicated in the recent article by Charan Singh and C L Dadhich, and yet this is not the case in Tamil Nadu.Farm size and wealth influence the use of technologiesThe farmers we interviewed in Madam Village raised concerns about their farm sizes being too small and scattered, thus limiting their chances to access expensive farming equipment such as cane harvesters. They were also concerned about the prices of fertilizers. In India, the fertilizer subsidy is applied differently to various types of fertilizers, forcing poor farmers to apply or buy Urea, which is highly subsidized by the government, while the wealthy farmers with capital apply complex fertilizers such as NPK and earn more yields.Moreover, corruption cases are reported in the government programme to provide subsidies for agricultural equipment such as weeders and harvesters. There are allegations that some or most such equipment does not reach the targeted poor small-scale farmers because local politicians give more to their relatives and big farmers who give bribes in exchange. What can India offer to Africa?Lessons of what worked, what did not work, how and why it worked in India, are critical to sub-Saharan Africa, since there are many internally and externally driven agricultural transformation initiatives. From my field observations, it is clear that Indian and sub- Saharan African farmers share common problems, while diverging in other areas, so things that work in India may not necessarily work in Africa.Like many sugarcane small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, Indian farmers depend on private or government regulated mills as markets for their produce. However, most private mills in sub-Saharan Africa (for instance, in South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique) are fully privately owned and there are only a few mills and estates in which the government owns a small share. All the mills in India and sub-Saharan Africa share some boundary limits within which the mill can purchase sugarcane and within which other mills cannot be established. In Tanzania, the current regulations require all sugarcane producers on estates and outgrowing within a 40 km radius to sell their sugarcane to a registered miller. No other mill and buyers are allowed in this radius, giving total control to the miller over the sugarcane producers. All these are provided in the respective country regulations.But unlike small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, Indian sugarcane farmers have good irrigation infrastructure which is highly subsidised by the state, and access to credit services from cooperatives. The government also sets the minimum price for all agricultural produce, and again, farmers can sell their cane to private juggeries if registered mills do not harvest their cane. Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are often lacking such services, with some exceptions in South Africa.But importantly, the ATAI-funded research findings on the use of fertilizers in India will be crucial for African countries where there is a dire need to increase public and private funding for research and development. For instance, after my field trip in India, I conducted field research in Tanzania’s southern highlands where there is high rainfall and use of chemical fertilizers. Already, the private agribusiness in the area has raised concerns about the high levels of soil leaching and inappropriate use of fertilizers, which are occurring because the supply and use of fertilizer is not accompanied by the necessary education to farmers, nor evaluation and monitoring of the impact of chemical fertilizers.Context matters
In deciding and judging the success or failure of any public policy, specific context matters. Therefore, any successes and challenges that India has recorded may not be easily applicable in sub-Saharan Africa. This is because, as research has shown, the outcomes of Green Revolution policies depend on how a particular country promotes and institutes agricultural intensification because government policies and actions directly influence its own institutions, the private sector, market conditions, and other infrastructure related to the agricultural sector.The experience of using public policy to shape the Indian agricultural sector shows how complex international agricultural trade could be. From these experiences, it is obvious that smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa need significant investments in research and development, as well as in public infrastructure: roads, irrigation canals, finances and extension services.The Indian experience also exposes the limitations of introducing Green Revolution models in an African context, in the absence of wider institutional, policy and funding support. Small-scale African farmers who receive almost zero subsidies, and with poor government investment in agriculture, can barely or not at all, compete with those of India and other countries where agricultural infrastructure is highly subsidised.
This post was written by Emmanuel Sulle and first appeared on PLAAS.
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2017-17/0294/en_head.json.gz/3678 | COCONOMICS
Health nuts are guzzling coconut water faster than aging palm trees can produce it Written by
Consumer Class
Asian countries will need to work to keep the taps of coconut water flowing. (Getty Images/Buddhika Weerasinghe)
The world’s supply of coconut water—along with the myriad foods, oils, cosmetics, fibers and fuels made from coconuts—could be under threat. The United Nation’s Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Nov. 1 that global demand for coconut products is outpacing the rate of production in Asia, where about 85% of the world’s coconuts are grown.
As world-wide consumption of all things coconut has jumped over the last decade, Asian countries have seen their exports of the commodity explode. At one point last year, exports from the Philippines, the world’s second biggest coconut producer, had grown over 400% from the year before. Between 2009 and 2012, exports of coconut oil from Asia have grown about 3% a year, according to the Asian Pacific Coconut Community, an Indonesia-based organization that represents coconut growers. Now, coconut water and milk, used in drinks and health products, make up 30% of global coconut consumption, according to the UN.
That growth could hit a wall if Asian countries don’t figure out a way to boost productivity. FAO representatives said that consumption for coconut products is growing more than 10% a year, but production in Asia is increasing by only around 2%. The problem? Most coconut trees in Asia—where many of them were planted just after World War II—are over the age of 50 and losing their productivity, the FAO said. (Coconut palms are the most productive between the ages of 10 and 30.) Today, the average harvest in Asia is about 40 coconuts per tree annually, whereas younger trees can potentially yield between 75 and 150 coconuts, according to the agency.
Falling coconut productivity matters not only for health nuts worried about their electrolytes. Millions of small farmers across South and Southeast Asia depend on the fruit. In the Philippines, the commodity contributes as much as 5% to the country’s GDP and is its largest agricultural export. In India, the coconut industry contributes an estimated 83 billion rupees ($1.3 billion) a year to the economy, according to K. Muralidharan, director of the Coconut Development Board. | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/7641 | GIPSA issues final rule on suspension of bird deliveries
One of the most interesting parts of the GIPSA (Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration) final rule that was published in the Federal Register on December 9, 2011 is the discussion of comments that were received by GIPSA in response to the proposed rule, published on June 22, 2010. In making that statement, we admit that our tastes in reading material would not make the New York Times Best Sellers list, but that makes the comments no less interesting for those of us who have an interest in agricultural policy. A full copy of the full rule is available at http://www.gipsa.usda.gov/Federal%20Register/fr11/12-9-11.pdf.
The section discussing the comments that were received by GIPSA follows a brief introduction, a background section that explains the rationale for the making of this rule, and a summary of the provisions not being finalized—we discussed those provisions in the previous column. It also follows a listing of the rules being finalized by GIPSA.
Originally the proposed rule allowed for a 60-day comment period, ending on August 23, 2010. In response to requests to extend the comment period, the final date for comments was extended to November 22, 2010. During that 150-day period over 61,000 comments were received. In addition because two United States Department of Agriculture/Department of Justice “Workshops on Competition in Agriculture” were held during the comment period, “the Secretary [of Agriculture] announced that any comments made in those forums would be considered comments on the rule.”
The comments included in the December 9, 2011 final rule only deal with the 4 sections being finalized at this time and the analysis of the costs and benefits of the final rule. Because the discussion of comments and GIPSA’s response to the comments run over 5 pages, we will highlight only the comments and responses on the section on the suspension of delivery of birds in this column.
This section “indicates the various criteria the Secretary may consider when determining whether a live poultry dealer has provided reasonable notice to poultry growers of any suspension of the delivery of birds under a poultry growing arrangement. These criteria include, but are not limited to, a written notice at least 90 days prior to suspension, written notice of the reason for the suspension of delivery, the length of the suspension of delivery, and the anticipated date the delivery of birds will resume.”
Comments Received on Bird Delivery Suspension Rules
“GIPSA received several comments in favor of this provision. The comments generally said that growers were struggling financially because there was too much time between flocks and too few flocks. One comment stated that growers need 90 days to make financial arrangements to mitigate the effects of a reduction in cash flow caused by a suspension of deliveries…. In addition, many growers agreed this would cause a reduction in the use of extended layouts as a form of retaliation, usually with no notice, for arbitrary reasons or to force upgrades.
“There were a few opposing comments from live poultry dealers, stating that forcing them to work with a terminated grower for 90 days would put their birds at risk. They argued that suspended growers have no incentive to do a good job with their last flock and may even abandon their operation putting the birds at risk. Also, growers who are suspended because of poor flock management would put the birds at risk and cause the live poultry dealer to receive inferior product. An additional concern was for the safety of the live poultry dealer’s employees from physical threats following the suspension of deliveries.
“Other comments opposed the rule saying it did not give live poultry dealers the flexibility they needed to adjust to market conditions. For example, live poultry dealers may need to suspend the delivery of birds when the demand for product suddenly falls. There are times when a business forecaster cannot know 90 days ahead of time that the company will need to curtail production. Certain grower specific reasons would make it practically impossible to give 90 days’ suspension notice, they said.
“One comment suggested the exact date of re-delivery following suspension may be impossible to determine. They said GIPSA should change the requirements for suspension of delivery notices to say the notices did not have to state the date deliveries would resume.
“A commenter suggested bankruptcy be added to the list of emergency situations for which live poultry dealers might see a waiver of the notice requirement in subsection (c) of the proposed rule.”
GIPSA Response
In its response, GIPSA clarified that this section dealt only with the suspension of delivery and not terminations. The agency also wrote that “this section is a list of criteria the Secretary may consider in determining whether reasonable notice of suspension of birds has been given; not a list of prohibitions.”
They also wrote “with respect to concerns that providing a notice of suspension while the grower was in the midst of raising a flock would risk grower neglect or nonperformance, we feel poultry growing arrangements generally have other terms related to animal welfare or neglect that could be exercised to address this concern. Therefore, we decided not to adjust the section based on this comment. Similarly, threats against live poultry dealer employees can be addressed through other contract terms or reporting such actions to local law enforcement.
“Some commenters suggested live poultry dealers could not plan 90 days in advance because of changes in the market. Considering the fact live poultry dealers coordinate the production process from the hatchery to slaughter, we believe planning is generally possible under the 90-day timeframe. Within this timeframe, live poultry dealers would usually know with some certainty what their production needs were for the current flock under production. A 90-day notice period would obligate a live poultry dealer to place at most one additional flock after the current flock. Finally, the rule provides a criterion to consider in determining whether a live poultry dealer’s ability to provide notice has been impacted by a variety of unforeseen emergency situations.
“While we agree the exact date that flock deliveries will resume may not be known, this final rule only establishes some criteria to be considered, and does not impose a specific requirement. Additionally, the rule discusses the ‘‘anticipated date,’’ which implies some level of uncertainty and adjustment if conditions change. We generally feel providing an idea about the length of the suspension is an important part of these criteria and included this in this final rule. With respect to bankruptcies as emergencies, there have been bankruptcies of live poultry dealers in recent years and we agree these events do create emergency situations. We included bankruptcy among the list of unforeseen emergency situations that the Secretary may consider when determining whether or not reasonable notice has been given for suspension of delivery of birds.”
What becomes clear in reading this material is the importance of the time that producers took in responding to the proposed rule. In some circles it is felt that industry has had an outsized impact on the rulemaking process compared to producers, but we find no evidence of this in the administrative portion of the rulemaking process. Rather than looking at the work of GIPSA personnel in the rulemaking process, dissatisfied producers should look at Congress to see the impact that the industry has had on the rulemaking process—14 of 18 sections were not finalized in the current rule as the result of a last-minute addition to a must-pass piece of legislation.
The sections on additional capital investments criteria, reasonable period of time to remedy breach of contract, and arbitration follows a similar pattern that summarizes the various types of comments that were received by the agency and the GIPSA’s response to the comments. In the next column, we will deal with the comments and response with regard to arbitration and the section on regulatory impact analysis.
Daryll E. Ray holds the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Policy, Institute of Agriculture, University of Tennessee, and is the Director of UT’s Agricultural Policy Analysis Center (APAC). Harwood D. Schaffer is a Research Assistant Professor at APAC. (865) 974-7407; Fax: (865) 974-7298; [email protected] and [email protected]; http://www.agpolicy.org.
1) Full attribution to Daryll E. Ray and Harwood D. Schaffer, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN;
2) An email sent to [email protected] indicating how often you intend on running the column and your total circulation. Also, please send one copy of the first issue with the column in it to Harwood Schaffer, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, 309 Morgan Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996-4519. | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/8488 | May Flowers Bloom In Cornell Exhibits
By Nancy MattoonJapanese Horicultural Catalog, Iris Kaempferi,Yoshinoen-Garden, no date, Tokyo.(All Images Courtesy Of Cornell University Libraries.)Now that Spring has finally sprung, Cornell University Library offers up two related online exhibits to inspire gardeners, and those who simply love flowers and plants. The first exhibit centers on the life of Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858-1954), described as "Botanist, horticulturalist, plant breeder, traveler and plant explorer, outstanding teacher, astute and successful administrator, lobbyist, rural sociologist, prolific writer and superb editor, environmentalist, philosopher, photographer, poet, and visionary." The second show centers on the collection of seed catalogs he began, which was curated for decades by his daughter, Ethel Zoe Bailey.Ethel Zoe Bailey and Liberty Hyde BaileyOn A Plant CollectingExpedition in Panama, 1931.Liberty Hyde Bailey: A Man For All Seasons highlights the myriad accomplishments of the founder of Cornell University's College of Agriculture. Raised as a Michigan farm boy, Liberty Hyde Bailey graduated from the Michigan Agricultural College with a degree in botany. After working with the renowned botanist Asa Gray at Harvard, he returned to Michigan to teach horticulture and landscape gardening. Bailey began his career at Cornell as chair of Practical and Experimental Horticulture in 1888. In 1904, he secured funding for the new College of Agriculture and was the dean of that school for the next decade. Four years later, president Theodore Roosevelt appointed him Chairman of The National Commission on Country Life.Manual of Everything for the Garden,Peter Henderson & Co., New York, 1902.Bailey retired from Cornell in 1913, but continued his scientific, practical, and philosophical pursuits, and made his home in Ithaca for the rest of his life. He was the editor of The Cyclopedia of American Agriculture (1907-09), the Cyclopedia of American Horticulture (1900-02), and of a series of manuals for students on the subjects of agricultural science and gardening. He was the founding editor of the journals Country Life in America and the Cornell Countryman. Bailey essentially dominated the field of American horticultural literature in the early decades of the 20th century, publishing 65 books and editing hundreds more, and writing at least 1,400 journal articles and scientific treatises. He even published a volume of pastoral poetry. He was instrumental in starting agricultural extension services, the 4-H movement, and the nature study movement, and is considered the father of rural sociology and journalism.Vick's Garden and Floral Guide,James Vick's Sons,Rochester, New York, 1904.The second exhibit, Mail Order Gardens, is based on materials from the Ethel Z. Bailey Horticultural Catalogue Collection. According to the exhibit, "Shortly after Liberty Hyde Bailey came to Cornell in 1888, he requested catalogs from seed and plant dealers throughout the world. These were to furnish a record of plant introductions, keep up with trends in the business of horticulture, document the sources of all available plants and seeds and to serve as a reference for Bailey's writings." The collection now numbers over 136,000 items, which have been used by researchers in the fields of economics, statistics, history, botany, horticulture, and gardening, to name just a few. The collection has been particularly valuable to students of historic gardens, and is considered one of the finest sources of information on seeds and plants in the United States.Vilmorin-Andrieux & Cie.,Printemps, Paris, 1898.The catalogue collection is just a small part of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, created in 1935 when Bailey donated his library, herbarium, and horticultural catalogs to Cornell. Although the seed catalogue collection was begun by Bailey, it is named for his daughter, Ethel Zoe, who was "for many years his able assistant and collaborator." Ms. Bailey curated the catalog collection for an astounding seven decades, from 1913 until her death in 1983 at the age of 93. She graduated from Smith College in 1911 with a degree in zoology, and was "a respected botanist in her own right."Manual of Everything for the Garden,Peter Henderson & Co., New York, 1887.Ethel Zoe Bailey was a co-author of Hortus, considered "the standard reference for plants cultivated in the United States and Canada," and edited the first eight volumes of Gentes Herbarum. Additionally, she accompanied her father on his botanical expeditions to China, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, and assisted him with the researching, editing, and writing of many of his most important works, including Bailey's Manual of Cultivated Plants and The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. The seed catalogue collection, which bears her name, reflects "cultural and social values, alterations in language, demographics, and changing technologies, both in agriculture and printing," as well as being the source of many spectacularly beautiful images.__________
Cornell University Library,
Ethel Zoe Bailey,
Liberty Hyde Bailey,
Seed Catalogues
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FAO-led symposium on agroecology opens in Budapest
Agroecology a key tool in transition to sustainable food systems
FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva speaking at the Agroecology Symposium in Budapest, Hungary. 24 November 2016, Rome -- This week in the Hungarian capital, FAO convenes decision makers, experts, civil society organizations and others for three days of discussions on the concept of “agroecology.” Nearly 200 participants from over 40 countries across Europe and Central Asia will examine current practices in agriculture and food systems, identify opportunities for innovation, and consider how agroecology can be scaled up to help countries achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals. Agroecological farming considers interactions between natural and human systems so that farmers can derive the full benefits that ecosystems have to offer for sustainable food production -- for example through nutrient cycling, natural regulation of pests, soil and water conservation, and carbon sequestration. The aim is to develop food systems that are more sustainable and resilient, and that reduce or eliminate the need for external inputs, such as herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. Agroecology also aims to stabilize yields, supporting family farmers in particular, and strengthening the economic viability of rural areas. FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and Hungarian Minister for Agriculture Sándor Fazekas, representing the host country, set the tone with their opening statements this morning. Graziano da Silva informed the meeting that two years ago, FAO had initiated a global dialogue on agroecology involving a wide range of stakeholders. This week’s symposium in Budapest – the first in the context of Europe and Central Asia – is part of a series of region-focused consultations including Latin America, Africa and Asia since 2015. “I am particularly pleased to open this Symposium after just having returned from Marrakech, where I participated in COP 22,” Graziano da Silva said said, noting that "There is an increasing recognition of the importance of agriculture and food systems for sustainable development." "Investing in sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture is fundamental," according to the FAO Director-General, who stressed that, "Agriculture can help us tackle climate change, poverty, and food insecurity at the same time -- agroecology can be a concrete option in addressing these challenges.” In this context, Graziano da Silva announced the imminent launch of the “Agroecology Knowledge Hub,” a dedicated agroecology website. Knowledge and innovation are key to achieving sustainable food systems, he said, adding that the future of agriculture is not input-intensive, but knowledge-intensive. In the transition towards sustainable food systems, agroecology seeks to create innovative mechanisms not only for food production, but also for food distribution and consumption. The Symposium will foster exchanges of knowledge, and help create an environment for collaboration and innovation. “Agroecology is key in ensuring sustainable growth,” said Hungarian Minister for Agriculture Sandor Fazekas in his opening statement. “It is a prerequisite for sustainable agriculture, protection of biodiversity, sustainable natural resource management and supporting rural development,” he added. Fazekas added that the main goal of the Symposium is to bring together the knowledge and experience already available among experts. “Agroecology will lead us to solutions for the most urgent global challenges of our time,” he said. “All that we are aiming for can be achieved together if we cooperate and align our actions, including member state governments, civil society actors, private and scientific organizations. FAO is an advocate and supporter of this, as evidenced by today’s conference.” The Symposium will also aim to identify government initiatives and key entry points for agroecology in national policies and common European policies. Approaches to agroecology are as diverse as the region itself. In countries such as Switzerland and Hungary, agroecological approaches are well established, and France has taken steps to engage the majority of its farms in agroecological methods by 2025. In other countries, agroecological approaches could be enhanced. The agroecology symposium -- taking place Nov. 24-25 -- is organized by FAO, hosted by the Government of Hungary, with the support of the Government of France.
Related linksRegional Symposium on Agroecology -- Europe and Central AsiaAgroecology knowledge hubAgroecology & Family farmingPhotos from the eventRegional Agroecology Symposium on FlickrContactFAO Media Relations Office(+39) 06 570 53625 [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/9029 | 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 How a blueberry family won and lost against a punishing situation Apr 05, 2017 Peanut insect control recommendations changing
Paul Hollis | Mar 18, 2008
As peanut growers ready themselves for another production year, they’ll find a few changes as far as recommendations and new materials for insect control, says Ron Weeks, Auburn University Extension entomologist. “The main change is the addition of Dimilin to our list of peanut insecticides this year,” says Weeks. “This can be helpful for some growers, and if you produce cotton, you’re already familiar with the product. It’s an insecticidal growth regulator. Obviously, it’s not a broad-spectrum type of insecticide — and it doesn’t provide a quick contact kill.” For peanut growers, Dimilin offers some protection at the end of the season for insects such as the velvet bean caterpillar, he says. “If you’ve grown soybeans before, you might have used it at the end of the season for velvet bean caterpillars and loopers. It’s more of a preventative than a curative treatment,” says Weeks. In peanuts, especially in past seasons, some producers in Alabama have seen a generation of velvet bean caterpillars moving in at about mid-August. “And particularly lately, since we’ve carried our harvest season into November in the past couple of years, we’ve seen more of these insects moving in. And if we have an extended season, they will continue to move north,” he says. On peanuts, Dimilin also will work to some degree on other foliage feeders such as corn earworms and fall armyworms, although it is not generally recommended for a threshold population of fall armyworms in peanuts. “We generally say that if we make those preventative applications starting around 95 to 100 days after the peanuts reach full-size growth, they quit putting on new foliage. We put out an application and maybe make a repeat application about two to three weeks later. We’ve seen a reduction in foliage loss on peanuts from a minimum of about 10 to 15 percent just for the lower limbs. And in some areas where you have high populations of velvet bean caterpillars, you can reduce the foliage loss by about 50 percent,” says Weeks. Some growers, he adds, get busy at the start of peanut digging season, and the worms move into fields. “As they’re moving from one field to another, growers forget to scout their fields. Then, they’ll go into a field to look at it and check for maturity and find it already has been defoliated. Peanuts don’t invert very well when they don’t have leaves on them,” he says. The Extension Service, says Weeks, is recommending Dimilin for foliage feeders. “On the label, you’ll also find lesser cornstalk borers and a couple of other things, but we’re not recommending this material for those. We’ve looked at Dimilin for five or six years — repeat application during the season in dry years and in non-irrigated fields — and we haven’t seen a yield enhancement or an effect on lesser cornstalk borers,” he says. There is a three application maximum of 24 ounces per acre for Dimilin, says Weeks. “For most velvet bean caterpillar control, the 2 to 4-ounce rate is all you need,” he adds. Mustang and Mustang Max also are labeled for use on peanuts now, says Weeks. The products are similar to pyrethroids such as Karate that already are labeled on peanuts, he says. Performance is about the same and the insects controlled are about the same as the other peanut pyrethroids, he says. Consero is a combination material that was labeled last year for peanuts and other crops, he says. It is a combination of Prolex and Tracer. This is a two-container mix with maximum rates of 1.5 ounces for the Prolex component and 2 ounces for the spinosad or Tracer component. “If you get into high populations of some of the hard-to-kill worms like loopers or beet armyworms, this will be a good product for those situations,” says Weeks. Another change that occurred this past summer was a Section 2ee label for Lorsban 15G in the Southeastern states, he says. “It basically allows a sequential application. We already were allowed the maximum rate of material for Lorsban. If you have an extended drought period, and populations of lesser cornstalk borers are coming in quicker, the previous label might have allowed a second or third generation to hit you before you could re-apply. This allows a minimum of 10 days up to a 30-day period after the first application to repeat it if you’re in an extended drought or if the lesser cornstalk borer generations are out there.” The three-cornered alfalfa hopper has become a hot topic in peanut production in recent years, says Weeks, and no one seems to be able to come up with a reason for their increasing severity. “There’s one opinion that changing from conventional to conservation-tillage has caused this insect to be more of a problem. Also, the fact we’re using other at-plant insecticides might be a factor. In trials where I’ve compared Temik and Thimet for thrips control, Temik is giving us longer residual control and we’re having better control against three-cornered alfalfa hoppers in our Temik plots compared to our Thimet plots. “Thimet is giving us lower levels of tomato spotted wilt virus in some cases, but Temik is giving us longer residual control and it’s controlling three-cornered alfalfa hoppers. We’re seeing more Thimet used for thrips control and that may be why we’re seeing more three-cornered alfalfa hoppers.” The University of Georgia, explains Weeks, has done away with the threshold treatment levels for three-cornered alfalfa hoppers in peanuts. Previous recommendations called for treating if you found one per 6 foot of row more than 75 days until harvest or one per 3 foot of row 25 to 75 days before harvest. You didn’t need to treat at all if you were at about 25 days to one month before harvest. “Last year, they discovered this was not a workable threshold because they were treating throughout the season, and at the end of the season, they were not seeing that much damage in some of those situations. So we’re going back to square one. We recommend that you treat based on the number of three-cornered alfalfa hoppers — what I call an active infestation. If you’re seeing girdled stems in June or July, maybe up until the first of August, you probably need to treat. And if you’re seeing immatures out there, you’ll probably get enough damage from them and the adults that you need to make an application. “Basing treatments just on adults in some cases may be reasonable, but these insects are so mobile, they fly in and out of the field, and it depends on the time of the day whether or not they’ll be there. It also depends on what is around the field as far as refuges. It’s difficult to determine.” e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/9074 | Follow @thecattlesite News & Analysis Features Markets & Reports Sustainability Knowledge Centre Directory Events Our Shop NewsPresidential Commission Calls for More Ag Research Funds18 December 2012 US - A high-level report on agriculture research funding has been issued by the White House Office of Science and Technology, underscoring the importance of farming to the domestic economy and the global population.The President’s Council on Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) issued the report, which focused on the need for agricultural preparedness and the existing US research infrastructure.
Noting the emerging and evolving threats to agriculture production, the paper makes the case for additional and re-balanced funding for research programs dedicated to agriculture.
It also calls for an additional $700 million in annual funding for agriculture research, which a report co-chair said is justified because agriculture research funding has been flat for decades.
The report prioritizes the top seven challenges facing agriculture. Managing new pests, pathogens and invasive plants is at the top of that list, and the paper singles out Ug99 wheat stem rust as an example of an evolving and potentially devastating new pest.
To capture the maximum “innovation potential” from government funding for ag research, the report urges a re-balancing of how that research is funded to focus more on competitive grants and de-emphasize research that overlaps with that done in private industry.
However, without additional resources, moving away from the current balance of funding at USDA could prove risky for crops like wheat that do not benefit from the levels of private research funding devoted to corn and soybeans.
Plant research takes long-term, committed funding and special expertise, and much of the innovation available to farmers from wheat research still comes from the public system.
Despite additional private money into the crop in recent years, wheat research being conducted by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is still fundamental to wheat’s viability as a US crop and food source for consumers around the world.
The full PCAST report and a webcast of the report’s release event are available here. TheCattleSite News Desk Feed/Nutrition/Forage, Policy and Regulatory, General Share This | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/9547 | Home Flyer
CareersHomeCareers
It's more than a living. It's a life. UFA is a member-owned agricultural co-operative dedicated to the prosperity of Alberta's rural communities. It's also an extensive farm and ranch supply operation and petroleum distribution network. It all adds up to a multi-billion dollar organization, with more than 110,000 members, a network of Farm & Ranch Supply stores and petroleum locations, and a Calgary-based headquarters. We need your skills and expertise to help us keep growing. We offer work/life balance, competitive pay and benefits, learning and development opportunities, and a career at the heart of the western way of life. Now that's rewarding. Our Culture
Since its founding in 1909, UFA has grown from a small, local co-operative to one of the largest in Canada. But we haven't forgotten our roots. Founded on the principle that we can achieve far more together than as individuals, we know that great things happen when we share a single vision and roll up our sleeves to get the job done.
Our rural roots and co-operative spirit also mean people and family come first at UFA. We know there's more to our employees than their jobs. We pride ourselves on hard work, we recognize the value of a challenging career and opportunities for growth, and we know what you do on your own time is just as important as what you do on ours. UFA is more than just a place to work – it's a place to make a life.
Our Core Purpose
As an agricultural co-operative, our core purpose is simple: to improve the economic and social well-being of our agricultural owners and members. We do this by enabling our members' businesses, protecting their investments in the co-operative, and promoting and investing in rural communities. It's why UFA exists, and inspires everything we do.
Where Do You Fit In?
With operations in agriculture and petroleum, UFA offers a wide range of employment opportunities. The diversity of our business includes staff in our Farm & Ranch Supply stores and petroleum locations; an outbound sales force that serves customers directly at the farm gate; and centralized support functions including Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance and Accounting, Marketing and Communications, Supply Chain, Co-operative Relations, and Environment, Health and Safety. The breadth of work experience available means there's a challenging, rewarding career waiting for you at UFA.
AgriBusiness It starts with a state-of-the-art distribution centre in Edmonton, and connects to a network of Farm & Ranch Supply stores, fertilizer plants and crop supply locations. This is how we supply our customers with the products and services they need for their businesses Petroleum Operations Our petroleum network extends across western Canada, providing Cardlock facilities, bulk fuel deliveries and premium brand lubricants to our agricultural and commercial customers. The wide range of petroleum products we offer keep our customers on the road and running smoothly.
A career at UFA. Now that's rewarding.
Be part of a business with a purpose UFA is about more than the bottom line; it’s about improving the economic and social well-being of our members.
Share the co-operative spirit Support local communities and the rural way of life.
Work close to home With locations across western Canada, you can work in the community you love.
Balance life and career Work in a place where a rewarding, challenging career doesn’t mean sacrificing other aspects of your life.
Grow your skill set Enjoy growth and development through coaching, mentoring, broad work experience opportunities, training and educational support.
Get ahead without leaving the company UFA’s wide range of operations means plenty of opportunity to advance your career or move into a new one. View current job postings | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/10156 | Nation & World Online Exclusives U of I research collaboration addresses post-harvest loss Aug 22, 2012
By Leanne Lucas
University of Illinois Extension News Writer
The Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss is funding research collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (U of I) and three universities in Brazil to measure and document postharvest losses of soybeans and corn. Significant amounts of food are lost every year to postharvest waste, and the problem takes on global implications when studies show this lost food could meet the minimum annual food requirements of millions of people. Grace Danao, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) at the U of I, is administering the grant from ADM. Richard Gates and Kent Rausch, professors in ABE, and Marvin Paulsen, professor emeritus in ABE, are also investigators with the project. The Brazilian partners include the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), the Universidade Federal de Goias (UFG) and the Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso-Sinop (UFMT-Sinop). This group is committing resources toward the activities in the form of faculty time, graduate and undergraduate support, and materials and supplies. The project has three components. The first is an effort to determine the extent and cost of harvest losses for farmers in the major soybean- and corn-growing states. The second component is studying transportation and storage losses to develop guidelines for proper handling, transportation, and storage of soybeans and corn. The third component to the study is testing and analyzing costs of implementing effective structures for on-farm storage, in particular silo bags.
Marvin Paulsen is leading the harvest loss measurement team, with collaboration from Francisco Pinto (UFV), Darly G. de Sena Jr. (UFG) and Rodrigo S. Zandonadi (UFMT-Sinop). The team visited eight farms in Brazil in February to measure losses of soybeans during harvest season, and 11 farms in June to measure losses of corn during harvest season.
“It’s important to measure loss at each step during harvest in order to understand total loss contributions,” Paulsen said. “We measured pre-harvest, combine header, and threshing and separating losses using a standard method developed by EMBRAPA.” [EMBRAPA is a state-owned company affiliated with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.] The team also estimated yield in both crops. In soybeans, losses as a percent of yield went from a low of 1.4 percent to a high of 5.7 percent, or 0.88 to 4.45 sacks per hectare. In corn, losses as a percent of yield went from a low of 0.33 percent to a high of 3.64 percent, or 0.6 to 5.3 sacks per hectare.
“U.S. guidelines say if total crop losses are less than 3 percent, you’re doing pretty well, but over that usually means you need to take time to stop and make adjustments to reduce them,” said Paulsen. In both corn and soybeans, Paulsen said those adjustments could be as simple as slowing the speed of the combine and lowering the header. In both harvests, the combines with the highest losses were also running with the header high and at an advanced speed.
Paulsen said a large combine can easily harvest 4.5 hectares of soybeans an hour. “If the operators slowed down and saved two sacks per hectare, reducing those losses would theoretically save nine sacks an hour,” Paulsen said. “At $28.60 per sack, that would be about $257 an hour. That’s a tremendous savings to the enterprise.”
Francisco Pinto, a member of the research team from Universidade Federal de Viçosa, added: “There has been much speculation about the amount of grain lost during harvesting in Brazil. The numbers found in this first year of measurements shows some farmers are doing a very good job adjusting their combines. Others still have room to improve their harvesting process. However, the key point is to understand that without the research to determine these measurements, it would be impossible to make effective and efficient decisions.”
Grace Danao and Rich Gates are the lead investigators studying transportation and storage losses. “Traditionally, soybean and corn production was in southern Brazil, and everything was exported from ports in the south,” said Danao. “In the last 20 years, production has moved north, and transportation has become an issue.”
Only 10 percent of the country’s road network is paved, and more than 60 percent of agricultural production is transported by truck.
“Losses during these long hauls have not been well documented,” said Danao, “and it will be interesting to see if we can correlate particular segments of these roads [and their conditions] to losses, or if losses occur because the trucks are filled over their capacity.”
Danao said they are working on using an instrumentation system that monitors temperature, moisture, air flow and carbon dioxide buildup in grain in trucks during transportation. “We want to measure not only quantity losses, but quality losses as well,” Danao said. “We want to measure the nutritive quality of grain used for animal feed and how those properties change over time.”
Danao said they are also studying the most common storage system used in Brazil, commercial elevators called graneleiros. Graneleiros are flat storages about 100 meters long and 50 meters wide, with a large V-shaped bottom made of concrete. Aeration is difficult to engineer and operate efficiently. The proper sizing of fans and ducts, and placement of ducts, must be practiced to maintain consistent air flow throughout the bed of grains.
“As production has increased, they have had to scale up their storage facilities,” Danao continued. “We would like to assess the basic graneleiro and design, evaluate how current practices in filling and managing deep silos and graneleiros contribute to kernel damage, and compare air-flow measurements to designed air flow and assess adequacy and efficiency of aeration operations.”
The third component of the study is designing, testing and analyzing the costs of alternate structures for on-farm storage, said Danao. “Only 17 percent of the small farms have adequate grain storage,” Danao said. “In Argentina and Paraguay, silo bags have been found to be a great temporary on-farm storage option. In Brazil, many farmers leave their corn in the field to dry, but they still don’t have a way to store it. Silo bags may offer a temporary storage solution that allows the farmers to hedge and sell their corn at a higher price.”
Danao said they also hope to partner with a facility such as a beef cattle operation. “They need to store a lot of grain for their feed mill,” she said. “A side-by-side study of storing corn in a silo bag or in a structure allows us to compare to see if the quantity and quality of the nutrients and grain is different.”
The entire project is ongoing, and Danao said the team hopes to be able to demonstrate low-cost and efficient strategies that can be adopted by small and large producers in the next three to five years.
From the Aug. 22-28, 2012, issue
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2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/10466 | Industry Top U.S. farm lender worried by drought, politics
By Christine Stebbins and Peter Bohan, Reuters
U.S. agriculture has plenty of financial reserves to get through the worst drought in more than 50 years, the top regulator of U.S. farm banks says. But Leland Strom, chief executive officer of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), said the drought now affecting more than half of U.S. counties has set off alarm bells across the government as grain prices soar, livestock and ethanol and dairy producers are squeezed, and food inflation fears rattle economic planners. "This has a potentially longer term impact because of that 3, 4, 5 percent rise in food prices," Strom told Reuters in an interview, referring to recent food inflation estimates by the U.S. Agriculture Department and Federal Reserve. "I don't think it's very often that Treasury officials talk inside the halls of the Treasury about agricultural issues every day. But I think they are doing that right now." Strom, who took over leadership of FCA in 2008 just months before the U.S. financial crisis shook the economy, has guided the government-sponsored entity (GSE) to its strongest financial position in history. FCA oversees the Farm Credit System (FCS) -- a network of 85 banks and associations across the country with $180 billion in loans that account for about half of all lending to U.S. farmers. FCS has also built up a capital reserve of $32 billion. But Strom, whose term ends on Oct. 13, said that looking ahead he was concerned about the climate - both the political and the environmental. This summer's stalemate in Congress over finishing a new five-year U.S. farm bill does not bode well for negotiations on big tax hikes and spending cuts due at year's end, especially with the November election hardening postures in Congress, he said. "I know the staffs of the ag committees are supposedly back in Washington working furiously while all the members of the chambers are out on the August recess," Strom said. "They have got 12 or 13 legislative days on the calendar between now and the election. That's not a big time window for them to finish a farm bill." The current farm bill expires on Sept. 30. "For farmers and ranchers the only thing they really ask for is: give us certainty so we know and can plan to put in this coming fall's wheat crop, plan for next spring's corn and soybean crop, rice crop. Give us some idea of certainty," said Strom, who owns a farm in northern Illinois. He said farm bill politics injects more doubt for investors following the first U.S. federal debt downgrade last year. "When I look at the European Union debt situation and our fiscal cliff looming here at the end of this year and what potential market disruption could occur down the road, I'm quite concerned as a regulator that we need to get our house in order in the U.S.," Strom said. FCS raises funds through debt securities, not deposits, so Strom is worried that foreign and domestic investors will hammer U.S. securities including GSE notes if Congress does not act. "The lame duck is going to be a perilous time for our economy and agriculture," Strom said of post-election talks. SYSTEM RISKS? Strom, a Republican appointee of George W. Bush in 2006, has generally earned high marks from both parties in Washington. FCS's robust earnings and financial strength have stood in stark contrast to its fellow GSE's, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But Strom said the farm boom of recent years - fed by exports and ethanol, which has boosted farm land prices to new records - has been aided by extraordinarily low interest rates. So he worries that any sudden rise in rates would hurt farm finances. A sudden policy change on ethanol, now under political attack for causing soaring corn prices, is another worry. But Strom did not expect any ethanol changes before the election. "It's a discussion that is going to keep churning," he said. "If we go into next year with a drought still biting at the Midwest, I'm not sure how they can go on and not do something." Strom said FCA was carefully monitoring farm land loans but banks and farmers were much stronger now than when the last farmland bubble "popped" in the 1980s. "Underwriting standards have been tightened. The system is not exposed to a downward draft in land prices," Strom said. "Land prices could certainly come down. Our estimates are they could come down 20 to 30 percent in value before you start to see some stress emerge in the lending sector." Strom said he was touring Farm Credit banks this week to review loans in drought areas. Lending for livestock, dairy and poultry producers and for grain hedgers were specific areas being examined. FCA has made nine corrective "enforcement actions" on lenders in the last four years to address loans, he said. "Being a regulator is not a popular job," Strom said. Asked about weather risks, he declined to say whether crop insurance should be a required part of collateral. But Strom said an outlook for a third straight year of declining U.S. corn and soybean yields meant the time had come for climate change to be considered more seriously in farmer planning and budgets. "There's obviously going to be no avoiding the fact that we had the warmest July on record, the hottest summer probably in last three-four months on record," Strom said. "Dialogue is going to unfold and it's going to tie into things like global water supplies." He cited aquifers and irrigation in the central and southern Plains and Midwest as one area of concern. "The agricultural sector needs to engage in that discussion with a tone that says OK let's not dismiss it as simply the climatologists trying to scare the populace," said Strom. "Let's engage in laying out a plan that if this is long term issue, how do we deal with it?" he said. "We are just at a threshold in the ag community of engaging in a positive mind set and say let's be at the table in this discussion." (Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)
bankingagriculture About the Author:
Christine Stebbins and Peter Bohan, Reuters | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/10997 | COTTON SPIN: Will the boom in U.S. cotton exports continue? Apr 21, 2017 Conservation cropping systems, crop rotation focus of Rolling Plains study Apr 24, 2017 Successful peanut weed control requires ‘all-in-effort’ Apr 25, 2017 Mexican official ready to start NAFTA talks Apr 19, 2017 Fruit & Vegetable growers testify
Doreen Muzzi | Nov 10, 2003
“While we believe that the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 did take a step in the right direction for the produce industry, we believe that there are additional areas where the federal government can assist in maintaining the competitiveness of the produce industry,” says Tom Stenzel, president of United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association in Washington, D.C. Testimony at the hearing before the House Livestock and Horticulture Agriculture Subcommittee covered the gamut of domestic policies that affect the U.S. produce industry. Subcommittee Chairman Robin Hayes, R-N.C., says the testimony will be used as a template for the next farm bill discussions. "The Livestock and Horticulture Subcommittee held this hearing to hear from witnesses on a variety of critical issues including implementation of programs in the 2002 farm bill, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and the 2001 economic assistance package which included specialty crop state block grants,” says Hayes. “The produce industry strongly supports the development of farm policies that sustain financial stability and viability of our nation’s agriculture industry while maintaining appropriate flexibility for our producers,” said Stenzel. “While the perishable nature of our products present unique challenges and highly volatile markets, the industry has not relied on traditional farm programs to sustain itself. Rather, we have relied on the economics of supply and demand,” he says. “However, many of the economic stresses inherent to other commodity sectors are impacting the fruit and vegetable sector, as well as other issues unique to our industry.” In the produce industry, Stenzel says, the balance of trade has shifted, and import numbers now exceed exports. “It is vital that the U.S. government provide the tools necessary for domestic producer to remain viable in a global marketplace.” John McClung, president of the Texas Produce Association in Mission, Texas, takes it a step further saying, “It is impossible to talk about domestic agricultural policy in Texas without understanding the impact of imported fruits and vegetables.” “The United States is increasingly dependent on imported food. In the Texas Produce Association that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and for many producers it’s a very good thing,” McClung says. “We have very few sizable growers and/or shippers of vegetables in the association who are not increasingly involved in growing in and importing from Mexico. “For many in the industry, imports absolutely represent an opportunity, and the future of the younger generation. Some have given up growing in the United States, and produce or source only from Mexico.” What that also means, however, is that while larger, better-funded entities are able to take advantage of new opportunities, smaller growers are unable to participate and ultimately suffer the consequences. “These family farmers, many of whom have been on the same land for generations, just do not have the resources to compete in the global arena,” McClung says. “If Congress believes it is in the social, cultural and national security interests of this country to have an abundant domestic food supply and to keep these producers on the land, then domestic policy must reflect those convictions.” According to Stenzel, any future agricultural policy must maintain the planting restrictions for fruits and vegetables on program crop acreage so these producers will not be forced to compete with acreage enrolled in direct commodity assistance programs, and federal funds going to production on those acres. In addition, special arrangements should not be made for producers that wish to produce both fruits and vegetables and program crops, he said. Direct government payments that may impact planting decisions, viability of a market, and displace commodities in other areas of the country are not acceptable to the produce industry, he says. “The produce industry decided during farm policy discussions in 2000 and 2001 that fruit and vegetable producers were not interested in direct commodity payments that have resulted in over production and distorted land values for traditional row crops.” Instead, Stenzel says, broad based federal programs that allow for targeted efforts that support the competitiveness of the local specialty crop production base are needed. e-mail: [email protected] | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/11623 | Bio Fertilizer Bio Fertilizer Search Hydrophonic Hydrophonic Hydrophonic Hydrophonic
Hydrophonic Hydrophonic Growing - Hydroponically means feeding your plants all the nutrients they require.
Hydroponic growing medium does not contain nutrients, so the nutrient solution must contain everything the plants need to survive and thrive.
These hydroponic nutrients have been tested by thousands of hydroponic gardeners across the country and have been found to be among the best you can buy.
Indoor Gardening and Hydroponics -
What are the benefits of hydroponic growing? - Cultivating plants hydroponically is an easy and environmentally sound way to grow a wide variety of healthy plants.
It offers numerous benefits over growing in soil:
Plants grow up to 50% faster because they have easy access to food and water.
Plants become vacation-proof and neglect-resistant as rockwool retains water so well, you only need to water every three to six weeks.
Plants can tell you when to water, because they droop before wilting and damage occurs.
The absence of a buffer in the growing medium means plants get all the nutrients available (they don't remain bound up as occurs in buffered mediums like peat moss and coco fiber).
Little or no pesticides are necessary.
Plants start our in a disease-free medium.
If disease occurs, it may only affect one plant, not a whole row.
You use smaller containers, because the roots can grow throughout the media without being root bound.
Hydroponics Is Simple - Plants don't use soil; they use the food and water that are in the soil.
Hydroponics basically is growing plants without soil because it is simply a more efficient way to provide food and water to your plants.
Soil's function is to hold nutrients and anchor plants' roots.
In a hydroponic garden you provide your plants' roots so they have easier access to the food and water.
In a soil garden, food and water are randomly scattered; plants have to expend a lot of energy growing roots to find them.
In a hydroponic garden, the food is dissolved in the water so it goes directly to the roots.
The plants will grow quicker and be ready for harvest sooner because their growth will be above the surface, not under it.
Since the root systems will be compact and not competing for food and water, you may also have many more plants in a given space.
- Hydroponics Is Not New - Hydroponics has existed in different forms for thousands of years.
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon used hydroponic techniques.
Today hydroponic installations can be found in all 50 states and many countries around the world.
In fact, in colder climates, a majority of vegetable and flower crops are grown hydroponically.
Hydroponic Nutrients and pH - Hydroponic nutrients are a key factor in indoor gardening.
A complete and balanced formula is an essential consideration in getting the most from your hydroponic system.
In soil, it's hard to know how much or how little of the essential elements exist or if they are present at all.
Since your plants will be growing in an inert medium that doesn't provide any nutrients, your hydroponic nutrient solution must contain not only nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, but also include all the trace elements.
Nutrients ratios are commonly noted as N-P-K numbers representing different percentages of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium, the three main elements (but not the only ones) required for plant growth.
pH Monitoring - pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline your hydroponic nutrient solution is.
The pH scale goes from 0-14, with 0-7 being acid, 7.0 being neutral, and 7-14 alkaline.
Most plants prefer the pH to be in the 5.5 to 7.5 range; beyond this, some nutrients become less available for your plants to absorb.
Most tap water is in the 7.0 to 8.0 range.
Hydroponic nutrients are typically acidic and, when mixed in tap water, usually drop the solution into the proper range.
Monitoring pH periodically is a good idea to help ensure optimum nutrient availability.
Hydrophonic History - The Past
The Present Hydroponics, the growing of plants without soil, has developed from the findings of experiments carried out to determine what substances make plants grow and the composition of plants.
Such work on plant constituents dates back as early as the 1600s.
However, plants were being grown in a soilless culture far earlier than this.
Hydroponics is at least as ancient as the pyramids.
A primitive form has been carried on in Kashmir for centuries.
The process of hydroponics growing in our oceans goes back to about the time the earth was created.
Hydroponic growing preceded soil growing.
But as a farming tool, many believe it started in the ancient city of Babylon with it's famous hanging gardens, which are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and was probably one of the first successful attempts to grow plants hydroponically.
The floating gardens of the Aztecs of Central America, a nomadic tribe, they were driven onto the marshy shore of Lake Tenochtitlan, located in the great central valley of what is now Mexico.
Roughly treated by their more powerful neighbors, denied any arable land, the Aztecs survived by exercising remarkable powers of invention.
Since they had no land on which to grow crops, they determined to manufacture it from the materials at hand.
In what must have been a long process of trial and error, they learned how to build rafts of rushes and reeds, lashing the stalks together with tough roots.
Then they dredged up soil from the shallow bottom of the lake, piling it on the rafts.
Because the soil came from the lake bottom, it was rich in a variety of organic debris, decomposing material that released large amounts of nutrients.
These rafts, called Chinampas, had abundant crops of vegetables, flowers, and even trees planted on them.
The roots of these plants, pushing down towards a source of water, would grow though the floor of the raft and down into the water.
These rafts, which never sank, were sometimes joined together to form floating islands as much as two hundred feet long.
Some Chinampas even had a hut for a resident gardener.
On market days, the gardener might pole his raft close to a market place, picking and handing over vegetables or flowers as shoppers purchased them.
By force of arms, the Aztecs defeated and conquered the peoples who had once oppressed them.
Despite their great size their empire finally assumed, they never abondoned the site on the lake.
Their once crude village became a huge, magnificent city and the rafts, invented in a gamble to stave off perverty, proliferated to keep pace with the demands of the capital city of Central Mexico.
Upon arriving to the New World in search of gold, the sight of these islands astonished the conquering Spainards.
Indeed, the spectacle of an entire grove of trees seemingly suspended on the water must have been perplexing, even frightening in those 16th century days of the Spanish conquest.
William Prescott, the historian who chronicled the destruction of the Aztec empire by the Spaniards, described the Chinampas as "Wondering Islands of Verdure, teeming with flowers and vegetables and moving like rafts over the water".
Chinampas continued in use on the lake well into the nineteenth century, though in greatly diminished numbers.
So, as you can see, hydroponics is not a new concept.
Many gardening writers have suggested that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were in fact an elaborate hydroponic system, into which fresh water rich in oxygen and nutrients was regularly pumped.
The world's rice crops have been grown in this way from time immemorial.
And also the floating gardens of the Chinese, as described by Marco Polo in his famous journal, are examples of "hydroponic culture".
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic records dating back to several hundred years B.C. describe the growing of plants in watre along the nile without soil.
Before the time of Aristotle, Theophrastus (327-287 B.C. ) undertook various experiments in crop nutrition.
Botanicalstudies by Dioscorides date back to the first century A. D. The earliest recorded scientific approach to discover plant constituents was in 1600 when Belgian Jan van Helmont showed in his classical experiment that plants obtain substances from water. He planted a 5-pound willow shoot in a tube containing 200 pounds of dried soil that was covered to keep out dust.
After 5 years of regular watering with rainwater he found the willow shoot increased in weight by 160 pounds, while the soil lost less than 2 ounces.
His conclusion that plants obtain substances for growth from water was correct.
However, he failed to realize that they also require carbon dioxide and oxygen from the air.
In 1699, John Woodward, a fellow of the Royal Society of England, grew plants in water containing various types of soil, the first man-made hydroponic nutrient solution, and found that the greatest growth occurred in water which contained the most soil.
Since they knew little of chemistry in those days, he was not able to identify specific growing elements.
He thereby concluded that plant growth was a result of certain substances and minerals in the water, derived from enriiched soil, rather than simply from water itself.
In the decades that followed Woodwards research.
European plant physiologists established many things.
They proved that water is absorbed by plant roots, that it passes through the plants stem system, and that it escapes into the air through pores in the leaves.
They showed that plant roots take up minerals from eithr soil or water, and that leaves draw carbon dioxide from the air.
They demonstrated that plants roots also take up oxygen.
Further progress in identifying these substances was slow until more sophisticated research techniques were developed and advances were made.
The modern theory of chemistry, made great advances during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, subsequently revolutionized scientific research.
Plants when analyzed, consisted only of elements derived from water, soil and air.
The experiments of Sir Humphrey Davy, inventor of the Safety-Lamp, had evolved a method of effecting chemical decomposition by means of an electric current.
Several of the elements which go to make up matter were brought to light, and it was now possible for chemists to split-up a compound into it's constituent parts.
In 1792 the brilliant English scientist Joseph Priestley discovered that plants placed in a chamber having a high level of "Fixed Air" (Carbon Dioxide) will gradually absorb the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.
Jean Ingen-Housz, some two years later, carried Priestley's work one step further, demonstrating that plants set in a chamber filled with carbon dioxide could replace the gas with oxygen within several hours if the chamber was placed in sunlight.
Because sunlight alone had no effect on a container of carbon dioxide, it was certain that the plant was responsible for this remarkable transformation.
Ingen-Housz went on to establish that this process worked more quickly in conditions of bright light, and that only the green parts of a plant were involved.
In 1804, Nicolas De Saussure proposed and published, results of his investigations that plants are composed of mineral and chemical elements obtained from water, soil and air.
By 1842 a list of nine elements believed to be essential to plant growth had been made out.
These propositions were later verified by Jean Baptiste Boussingault (1851), a French scientist who began as a mineralogist employed by a mining company, turned to agricultural chemistry in the early 1850s.
In his experiments with inert growing media.
By feeding plants with water soulutions of various combinations of soil elements growing in pure sand, quartz and charcoal (an inert medium not soil), to which were added solutions of known chemical composition.
He concluded that water was essential for plant growth in providing hydrogen and that plant dry matter consisted of hydrogen plus carbon and oxygen which came from the air.
He also stated that plants contain nitrogen and other mineral elements, and derive all of their nutrient requirements from the soil elements he used, he was then able to identify the mineral elements and what proportions were necessary to optimize plant growth, which was a major breakthrough.
In 1856 Salm-Horsmar developed techniques using sand and other inert media, various research workers had demonstrated by that time that plants could be grown in an inert medium moistened with a water solution containing minerals required by the plants.
The next step was to eliminate the medium entirely and grow the plants in a water solution containing these minerals.
From discoveries and developments in the years 1859-1865 this technique was accomplished by two German scientists, Julius von Sachs (1860), professor of Botany at the University of Wurzburg (1832-1897), and W.
Knop (1861), an agricultural chemist.
Knop has been called "The Father of Water Culture".
In that same year (1860), Professor Julius von Sachs published the first standard formula for a nutrient solution that could be dissolved in water and in which plants could be successfully grown.
This marked the end of the long search for the source of the nutrients vital to all plants.
This was the origin of "Nutriculture" and similar techniques are still used today in laboratory studies of plant physiology and plant nutrition.
These early investigations in plant nutrition demonstrated that normal plant growth can be achieved by immersing the roots of a plant in a water solution containing salts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), which are now defined as the macroelements or macronutrients (elements required in relatively large amounts).
With further refinements in laboratory techniques and chemistry, scientists discovered seven elements required by plants in relatively small quantities - the microelements or trace elements.
These include iron (Fe), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), boron (B), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and molybdenum (Mo).
The addition of chemicals to water was found to produce a nutrient solution which would support plant life, so that by 1920 the laboratory preparation of water cultures had been standardized and the methods for their use were well established.
In following years, researchers developed many diverse basic formulas for the study of plant nutrition.
Some of these workers were Tollens (1882), Tottingham (1914), Shive (1915), Hoagland (1919), Deutschmann (1932), Trelease (1933), Arnon (1938) and Robbins (1946).
Many of their formulas are still used in laboratory research on plant nutrition and physiology today.
Interest in practical application of this "Nutriculture" did not develop until about 1925 when the greehouse industry expressed interest in its use.
Greenhouse soils had to be replaced frequently to overcome problems of soil structure, fertility and pests.
As a result, research workers became aware of the potential use of nutriculture to replace conventional soil cultural methods.
Prior to 1930, most of the work done with soilless growing was oriented to the laboratory for various plants experiments.
Nutriculture, chemiculture, and aquiculture were other terms, used during the 1920s and 1930s to describe soilless culture.
Between 1925 and 1935, extensive development took place in modifying the laboratory techniques of nutriculture to large-scale crop production.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Dr. William F.
Gericke of the University of California extended his laboratory experiments and work on plant nutrition to practical crops growing outside for large scale commercial applications.
In doing so he termed these nutriculture systems "hydroponics".
The word was derived from two Greek words, hydro, meaning water and ponos meaning labor - literally "water-working".
His work is considered the basis for all forms of hydroponic growing, even though it was primarily limited to the water culture without the use of any rooting medium.
Hydroponics is now defined as the science of growing plants without the use of soil, but by use of an inert medium, such as gravel, sand, peat, vermiculite, pubice or sawdust, to which is added a nutrient solution containing all the essential elements needed by the plant for its normal growth and development.
Since many hydroponic methods employ some type of medium that contains organic material like peat or sawdust, it is often termed "soilless culture", while water culture alone would be true hydroponics.
Today, hydroponics is the term used to describe the several ways in which plants can be raised without soil.
These methods, also known generally as soilless gardening, include raising plants in containers filled with water and any one of a number of non-soil mediums - including gravel, sand, vermiculite and other more exotic mediums, such as crushed rocks or bricks, shards of cinder blocks, and even styrofoam.
There are several excellent reasons for replacing soil with a sterile medium.
Soil-borne pests and diseases are immediately eliminated, as are weeds.
And the labor involved in tending your plants is markedly reduced.
More important, raising plants in a non-soil medium will allow you to grow more plants in a limited amount of space.
Food crops will mature more rapidly and produce greater yields.
Water and fertilizer are conserved, since they can be reused.
In addition, hydroponics allows you to exert greater control over your plants, to unsure more uniform results.
All of this is made possible by the relationship of a plant with its growing medium.
It isn't soil that plants need - it's the reserves of nutrients and moisture contained in the soil, as well as the support the soil renders the plant.
Any growing medium will give adequate support.
And by raising plants in a sterile grwoing medium in which there are no reserves of nutrients, you can be sure that every plant gets the precise amount of water and nutrients it needs.
Soil often tends to leach water and nutrients away from plants, making the application of correct amounts of fertilizer very difficult.
In hydroponics, the necessary nutrients are dissolved in water, and this rululting solution is applied to the plants in exact doses at prescribed intervals.
Until 1936, raising plants in a water and nutrient solution was a practice restricted to laboratories, where it was used to facilitate the study of plant growth and root development.
Gericke grew vegetables hydroponically, including root crops, such as beets, radishes, carrots, potatoes, and cereal crops, fruits, ornamentals and flowers.
Using water culture in large tanks in his laboratory at the University of California, he succeeded in growing tomatoes to heights of 25 feet.
Photographs of the professor standing on a step ladder to gather in his crop appeared in newspapers throughout the country.
Allthough spectacular, his system was a little premature for commercial applications.
It was far too sensitive and required constant technical monitoring.
Many would-be hydroponic growers encountered problems with the Gericke system because it required a great deal of technical knowledge and ingenuity to build.
Gericke's system consisted of a series of troughs or basins over which he stretched a fine wire mesh.
This in turn was covered by a mulch of straw or other material.
The plants were placed on this mesh, with the roots extending downward into a water/nutrient solution in the basin.
One of the main difficulties with this method was keeping a sufficient supply of oxygen in the nutrient solution.
The plants would exhaust the oxygen rapidly, taking it up through the roots, and for this reason it was imperative that a continuous supply of fresh oxygen be introduced into the solution through some method of aeration.
Another problem was supporting the plants so that the growing tips of the roots were held in the solution properly.
The American Press made their usual, and many irrational claims, hailing it the discovery of the century, in the most outlandish manner.
Aftr an unsettled period in which unscrupulous promoters tried to cash in on the idea by peddling useless equipment and materials, more practical research was done and hydroponics soon became established on a sound scientific basis in horticulture.
With recognition of its two principal advantages, high crop yields and it's special utility in non-arable regions of the world.
In 1936, W. F. Gericke and J. R. Travernetti of the University of California published an account of the successful cultivation of tomatoes in a water and nutrient solution.
Since then a number of commercial growers started experimenting with the techniques, and researchers and agronomists at a number of agricultural colleges began working to simplify and perfect the procedures.
Numerous hydroponic units, some on a very large scale, have been built in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Israel, Japan, India, and Europe.
In the United States, without much public awareness, hydroponics has become big business, more than 500 hydroponic greenhouses have been started.
Dr. Gericke's application of hydroponics soon proved itself by providing food for troops stationed on non-arable islands in the Pacific in the early 1940s.
The first triumph came when Pan American Airways decided to establish a hydroponicum on the distant and barren Wake Island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in order to provide the passengers and crews of the airlines with regular supplies of fresh vegetables.
Then the British Ministry of Agriculture began to take an active interest in hydroponics, especially since its potential importance in the Grow-More-Food Campaign during the 1939-1945 war was fully realized.
During the late 1940s, Robert B. and Alice P. Withrow, working at Purdue University, developed a more practical hydroponic method. They used inert gravel as a rooting medium.
By alternately flooding and draining the gravel in a container, plants were given maximum amounts of both nutrient solution and air to the roots.
This method later became known as the gravel method of hydroponics, sometimes also termed nutriculture.
In wartime the shipping of fresh vegetables to overseas outposts was not practical, and a coral island is not a place to grow them, hydroponics solved the problem.
During World War II, hydroponics, using the gravel method, was given its first real test as a viable source for fresh vegetables by the U. S. Armed Forces.
In 1945 the U. S. Air Force solved it's problem of providing it's personnel with fresh vegetables by practicing hydroponics on a large scale giving new impetus to the culture.
One of the first of several large hydroponics farms was built on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic.
Ascention was used as a rest and fuel stop by the United States Air Force, and the island was completely barren.
Since it was necessary to keep a large force there to service planes, all food had to be flown or shipped in.
There was a critical need for fresh vegetables, and for this reason the first of many such hydroponic installations established by our armed forces was built there.
The plants were grown in a gravel medium with the solution pumped into the gravel on a preset cycle.
The techniques developed on Ascension were used in later installations on various islands in the Pacific such as Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
On Wake Island, an atoll in the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii, normally incapable of producing crops, the rocy nature of the terrain ruled out conventional farming.
The U.S. Air Force constructed small hydroponic growing beds there that provided only 120 square feet of growing area.
However, once the operation become productive, it's weekly yield consisted of 30 pounds of tomatoes, 20 pounds of string beans, 40 pounds of sweet corn and 20 heads of lettuce.
The U.S. Army also established hydroponic growing beds on the island of Iwo Jima that employed crushed volcanic rock as the growing medium, with comperable yields.
During this same period (1945), the Air Ministry in London took steps to commence soilless culture at the desert base of Habbaniya in Iraq, and at the arid island of Bahrein in the Persian Gulf, where important oil fields are situated.
In the case of the Habbaniya, a vital link in Allied communications, all vegetables had had to be brought by air from Palestine to feed the troops stationed there, and expensive business.
Both the American Army and the Royal Air Force opened hydroponic units at military bases.
Many millions of tons of vegetables produced without soil were eaten by Allied Soldiers and Airmen during the war years.
After World War II the military command continued to use hydroponics.
For example, The United States Army has a special hydroponics branch, which grew over 8,000,000 lbs.
of fresh produce during 1952, a peak year for military demand.
They also established on of the worlds largest hydroponic installations, a 22 hectare project at Chofu, Japan.
It became necessary to use hydroponics in Japan because of the method of fertilization of the soil by the Japanese.
It had been their practice for many years to use "Night Soil", containing human excreta as a fertilizer.
The soil was highly contaminated with various types of bacteria and amoeba, and although the Japanese were immune to these organisms, the occupying troops were not.
Covering 55 acres, it was designed to produce both seedlings and mature vegetables for American occupation forces.
It remained in operation for over 15 years.
The largest hydroponic installations up to that time were built in Japan using the gravel culture method.
Some of the most successful installations have beeen those at isolated bases, noteably in Guyana, Iwo Jima and Ascention Island.
After World War II, a number of commercial installations were built in the United States.
The majority of these were located in Florida.
Most were out of doors and subject to the rigors of the weather.
Poor construction techniques and operating practices caused many of them to be unsuccessful and production inconsistent.
However, the commercial use of hydroponics, grew and expanded throughout the world in the 1950s to such countries as Italy, Spain, France, England, Germany, Sweden, the USSR and Israel.
One of the many problems encountered by the early hydroponics pioneers was caused by the concrete used for the growing beds.
Lime and other elements leached into the nutrient solution.
In addition, most metal was also affected by the various elements in the solution.
In many of these early gardens, galvanized and iron pipe were used.
Not only did they corrode very quickly, but elements harmful or toxic to the plants were released into the nutrient solution.
Nevertheless, interest in hydroponic culture continued for several reasons.
First, no soil was needed, and large plant population could be grown in a very small area.
Second, when fed properly, optimum production could be attained.
With most vegetables, growth was accelerated and, as a rule, the quality was better than that of soil grown vegetables.
Produce grown hydroponically had much longer shelf life or keeping qualities.
Many of the oil and mining companies built large gardens at some of their installations in different parts of the world where conventional farming methods were not feasible.
Some were in desert areas with little or no rainfall or subsurface waters, and others were on islands, such as those in the Caribbean, with little or no soil suitable for vegetable production.
Big commercial American headquarters in the Far East have over 80 acres devoted to vegetable units, to feed landless city dwellers, while various oil companies in the West Indies, the Middle East, the sandy wastes of the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara Desert, operating in barren areas, especially off the Venezuelan Coast at Aruba and Curacao, and in Kuwait have found soilless methods invaluable for ensuring that their employees get a regular ration of clean, health-giving greenstuff.
In the United States, extensive commercial hydroponics exist, producing great quantities of food daily, especially in Illinois, Ohio, California, Arizona, Indiana, Missouri and Florida, and there has been a noteworthy development of soilless culture in Mexico and neighboring areas of Central America.
In addition to the large commercial systems built between 1945 and the 1960s, much work was done on small units for apartments, homes, and back yards, for growing both flowers and vegetables.
Many of these were not a complete success because of a number of factors: Poor rooting media, the use of unsuitable materials, particularly in constructing the troughs used as growing beds, and crude environmental control.
Even with the lack of success in many of these ventures, however, hydroponic growers the world over were convinced that their problems could be solved.
There was also a growing conviction in the nimds of many that the perfection of this method of growing food was absolutely essential in light of declining food production and the worldwide population explosion.
Recent surveys have indicated that there are over 1,000,000 household soilless culture units operating in the United States for the production of food alone.
Russia, France, Canada, South Africa, Holland, Japan, Australia and Germany are among other countries where hydroponics is receiving the attention it deserves.
In addition to the work being done to develop hydroponic systems for the production of vegetables, however, between 1930 and 1960 similar work was being conducted to develop a system to produce livestock and poultry feed.
Researchers had found that cereal grains could be grown very rapidly in this manner.
Using grains such as barley, they proved that 5 pounds of seed could be converted into 35 pounds of lush green feed in 7 days.
When used as a supplement to normal rations, this green feed was extreemely beneficial for all types of animals and birds.
In lactating animals, milk flow was increased.
In the feed lots, better conversion rates and gains were achieved at less cost per pound of grain.
In breeding stock the potency of males and conception in females increased dramatically.
Poultry also benefitted in many ways.
Egg production increased while cannibalism, a constant problem for poultrymen, ceased.
Here again, however, in developing a system that would produce consistently, a number of problems arose.
The early systems had little or no environmental control, and with no control of temperature or humidity, there was a constant fluctuation in the growth rate.
Mold and fungi in the grasses were an ever-present problem.
The use of thoroughly clean seed grain with a high germination ratio was found to be absolutley essential if a good growth rate was to be achieved.
Nevertheless, in the face of these and other obstacles, a few dedicated researchers continued to work to perfect a system that could produce this nutritious feed continuously.
With the development of new techniques, equipment, and materials, units became available that were virtually trouble free.
Many of these are in use today on ranches, farms, and in zoos all over the world.
Hydroponics did not reach India until 1946.
In the summer of that year the first research studies were commenced at the Government of Bengal's Experimental Farm at Kalimpong in the Darjeeling District.
At the very beginning a number of problems peculiar to this sub-continent had to be faced.
Even a cursory study of the various methods which were being practised in Britain and in America revealed how unsuited they were for general adoption by the public of India.
Various physiological and practical reasons, in particular the elaborate expensive apparatus required, were sufficient to prohibit them.
A novel system, of which practicability and simplicity must be the keynotes would have to be introduced if hydroponics was to succeed in Bengal, or in fact ever to prove of widespread value to the people of this part of Asia.
Careful appraisal of salient problems during 1946-1947 resulted in the development of the Bengal System of hydroponics, which represented an effort to meet Indian requirements.
One object guided all the experiments carried out; to strip hydroponics of it's complicated devices and to present it to the peiple of India and the world as a cheap, easy way of growing vegetables without soil.
Now in India, thousands of householders raise essential vegetables in simple hydroponic units on rooftops or in backyards, the Bengal System has far more than proved itself, as being usefull in the most adverse conditions.
Numerous letters of appreciation from as far afield as the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Holland, Israel, Japan, Germany, Algeria, the Pacific, South and East Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South America, Burma, the Seychelles, Formosa, and those of the West Indies, have testified to what a large extent this object has been appreciated by the public, throughout the world.
Why use hydroponics when we have plenty of land if we would only develop, and by means of better cultural practices, including manuring, improve it? And then the cry: But hydroponic yields are after all no better than those which could be obtained under ideal soil conditions! Both of these commetns call to mind a remark attributed to Charles II (King Charles II, British monarch (1660-1685)).
Emphasizing the difference between himself and his brother, the Duke of York (afterwards James II), Charles is reported to have said: "Jamie would if he could, but I could if I would".
Critics of soilless culture fall into these categories.
They generally overlook the fact that to improve the soil of India, or of any other country, so as to make it perfect, will take 50 to 100 years.
Where, after all, can ideal soil conditions be obtained? Greenhouse culture, using earth beds, is at the best a warisome and expensive affair, involving periodic sterilization and it is only under such conditions, employing glass, that anything approaching an ideal soil can be produced, even after a long period of time.
And after the first crop begins to mature, alas the balance is again upset.
An article in Forbes magazine, entitled, "Food Supply - Will Help from Science Come in Time?" calls hydroponics the "most spectacular current breakthrough" yet, for solving the world's food problems.
An article in the Los Angeles Times, entitled, Hydroponics: A New Chapter in Food Technology, states for the past several years, hydroponics has been refined to the point where it is now a commercially viable way to grow food.
Reading the unresearched accounts in the media, leads on to believe that hydroponics is a recent development in scientific technology which will save the world from starvation.
Yes, it may very well help save the world from a food shortage, but it is hardly a new scientific development.
In fact, the first plants on the earth were grown hydroponically.
More than half of all plant life today is growing with hydroponics.
And the healthiest, most nutritious plants in existance are hydroponic plants.
I speak of the plants growing in the body of water, which covers over 70% of the earth's surface - our oceans.
There is no soil in the ocean.
Plants draw all their required nutrients directly from the most complete hydroponic nutrient solution available - sea water.
Among the well-known institutions which have contributed so much to the establishment of the soilless cultivation of plants as a practical proposition are, the Universities of Illinois, Ohio, Purdue and California in the United States; The University of Reading, in Great Britain, famous for it's pioneering work in new cropping techniques.
Canada's Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa, as well as the internationally famous and important firm of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., which undertook the adaption of hydroponics to British conditions.
Other pioneers of hydroponics were the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, New York; the New Jersey Agriculture Experiment Station; the Alabama Polytechnic Institute; and the Horticultural Experiment Station, Naaldwijk, Netherlands.
Hydrophonic Bio 2017 | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/11860 | FruitFruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains the plants seeds. Fruits include acorns, cucumbers, tomatoes, and wheat grains. However, the word fruit commonly refers to the juicy, sweet, or tart kinds that people enjoy as snacks. Popular fruits include apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, and strawberries.
Fruit Classifications Hortculturists classify fruits into three groups, based on temperature requirements for growth: (1) temperate fruits, (2) subtropical fruits, and (3) tropical fruits. Temperate Fruits Temperate Fruits must have an annual cold season to grow properly. They are raised chiefly in the Temparate Zones, the regions between the tropics and the polar areas. Most temperate fruits come from Europe and North America, but Asia and Austrailia also have major producing areas. The principal temperate fruits are apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, and plums. In addition, most small fruits, which grow on plants smaller than trees, are raised mainly in the Temperate Zones. They include blueberries, cranberries, grapes, raspberries, and strawberries. Subtropical Fruits Subtropical Fruits require warm or mild temperatures throughout the year but can survive an occasional light frost. They are grown chiefly in subtropical regions. The most widely grown subtropical fruits are the citrus group, which includes grapefruit, lemons, limes, and oranges. Oranges, the leading citrus crop, are grown throughout the subtropics, from southern Japan to southern Europe. In the United States, Florida produces by far the most oranges. Citrus crops are also raised on some farms in the tropics, but the somewhat cooler climate of the subtropics produces better-tasting and more attractive fruit. Other subtropical fruits include dates, figs, olives, pomegranates, and certain types of avocados. Tropical Fruits Tropical Fruits are raised mainly in the tropics and cannot stand even light frost. Bananas and pineapples, the best-known tropical fruits, are grown throughout the tropics, and much of each crop is exported. The majority of other tropical fruits are consumed locally for the most part. They include acerolas, cherimoyas, lichis, mangoes, mongosteens, and papayas. How Fruit Grows Almost all species of fruits grow on plants that have a woody stem. Such plants are trees, bushes, or woody vines. Fruits that grow on trees include apples, cherries, lemons, limes, oranges, and peaches. Most small fruits grow on bushes, but grapes come from woody vines. Bananas and strawberries grow on plants that have a soft, rather than woody, stem.
Preferred Methods of Growth Fruit crops, unlike most other crops, are not grown from seeds. Plants grown from seeds may vary in many ways from generation to generation. But growers strive to produce plants that will bear fruits of uniform type, appearance, and quality. Such fruits bring the highest prices when marketed. Fruit plants produce fruits of uniform quality if grown vegetatively- that is, from certain parts of desirable plants, such as stems, buds, and roots. The part that is grown develops new tissues and new parts identical to those of the parent plant. Vegetative Growth Fruit plants are produced vegetatively in three main ways: (1) by grafting, (2) from cuttings, (3) from specialized plant structures. Most fruit trees are produced by grafting. In this process, a bud or piece of stem from one tree is joined to a rootstalk from another. The resulting tree will have most of the same characteristics as the tree from which the bud or stem was taken. However, the rootstalk may determine such characteristics as the size and productivity of the new tree. Go back to Assignment #2 | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/12259 | Jonathan Fairbanks and Clyde Edwin Tuck
Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri
Early and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens
GEORGE N. HAUN. There are many things which the modern husbandman is learning that his ancestors also, mayhap, tillers of the soil, did not know, or think they needed to know. We of today, in order to get the greatest results from our labor, must know, among other things, what kind of soil we are working, must know the difference between soil-forming material and soil-forming agencies. The importance of distinguishing between these two groups of factors is apparent to the close observer. The tendency in the past has been to attach great importance to the former to the neglect of the latter, and this has resulted in classifying together soils of very dissimilar character, simply because they were derived from the same rocks or from rocks which have been formed in the same manner. One of the younger farmers of Greene county who is making an effort to properly understand advanced problems of agriculture in all its phases is George N. Haun, of Wilson township, and as a result he is making a pronounced success as a general farmer.
Mr. Haun was born at Willard, Murray township, Greene county, Missouri, November 2, 1881. He is a son of Newton W. and Nellie (Beal) -Haun. The father of our subject was a native of Tennessee from which state he emigrated to Missouri in an early day and began farming in Lawrence county, but remained there only a short time, when he sold out and purchased a farm in Greene county, near Willard. The mother of our subject was born, reared and educated near Springfield, and the parents of our subject were married in Greene county. To this union nine children were born, namely: Andrew, deceased; Daniel lives in Willard; Mattie is deceased; William lives near Willard; May is the wife of H. F. Emerson; Walter lives at Willard; Ella is the wife of William Tatum; George N., of this review; Laura is deceased. Newton W. Haun, father of the above named children, grew to manhood in Tennessee, where he attended school and where he engaged in mercantile pursuits for a while and there he was first married, but his wife survived only a short time, and it was not long thereafter until he came to Missouri.
George N. Haun grew to manhood on the home farm and received his early education in the schools of Murray township, and when nineteen years of age he entered the State Normal school, taking a two years' course in the common branches, after which he went to Kansas and spent a summer on a farm, returning to his home at Willard the following year and began his career as farmer in Murray township on the estate left by his father who died in 1890. This place consisted of one hundred and sixteen acres, being a part of the old homestead. He got a good start here and in February, 1910,sold out and purchased one hundred acres in Wilson township, where he now resides and is making a success as a general farmer and stock raiser, having a productive and well-kept farm and a good set of buildings.
Mr. Haun was married, December 22, 1907, to Juanita Staley, a daughter of Weldon E. and Angie (Evans) Staley. Her father was a son of Alfred and Lucinda (Brower) Staley, and was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, July 9, 1840. His father represented his county in the Legislature of North Carolina, and was a very prominent member of that body. In 1847 his parents moved westward, making the long overland journey to Clinton county, Missouri, and in 1849 settled in Greene county, this state, where Weldon E. grew to manhood and has since resided. His father died in 1852. Weldon E. Staley spent his boyhood days on the farm and he began life for himself as a merchant at Cave Spring, which business he followed successfully there until 1878, and since that time has devoted himself exclusively to farming and stock raising, starting in Cass township with one hundred and ninety acres, and, prospering by good management and close application, he has added to his holdings until he now owns about three hundred acres of valuable land, constituting one of the most desirable farms in the northern part of Greene county, where he is regarded as a substantial and worthy citizen and is a man of influence for the general good of his community. He and Angie C. Evans were married, January 21, 1861. She is a daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Evans, a honored old family of Greene county. Her parents were also natives of North Carolina, and were among the early immigrants to Greene county. To Weldon E. Staley and wife ten children have been born, named as follows: William W., commonly known as "Major;" Mollie, Dollie, Fannie, J. Horace, Joseph A., Katherine, Bunch E., Effie, and Jaunita, the latter the youngest and the wife of the subject of this sketch.
To Mr. and Mrs. Haunt two children have been born, namely Edward Staley, and George Robert.
Politically, Mr. Haun is a Democrat, and he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church at Walnut Springs.
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2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/12537 | Maintaining cotton's momentum in the Mid-South Apr 21, 2017 As farm income drops, young farmers take hit Apr 14, 2017 John Bradley: Still leading the innovation charge Apr 13, 2017 This Week in Agribusiness, April 22, 2017 Apr 22, 2017 Dairy-based package wraps
Food-packaging products made from dairy ingredients could provide an alternative to petroleum-based packaging products, according to a chapter written by Agricultural Research Service scientist Peggy Tomasula for a new book, “Dairy-Derived Ingredients: Food and Nutraceutical Uses.” The book was written by an international team of contributors and published by London-based Woodhead Publishing in October 2009. It serves as a guide to new developments for the dairy and nutraceutical industries, as well as researchers in those fields. Tomasula works at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pa., where scientists are developing strong, biodegradable dairy-based films that are better oxygen barriers than petrochemical-based films. Tomasula leads the center’s Dairy Processing and Products Research Unit. Most food packages are made of multilayer films that are thin, continuous sheets of synthetic polymers. But consumers and food retailers are concerned about the waste generated during the manufacture of such packaging. Many, it seems, are interested in replacing petroleum-based packaging with biobased packaging. Tomasula’s chapter in the new book is titled “Using Dairy Ingredients to Produce Edible Films and Biodegradable Packaging Materials.” The chapter focuses on films made from dairy proteins, with an emphasis on those based on casein and whey, the major proteins found in milk. It also covers research efforts to improve the proteins’ mechanical and barrier properties so that these natural materials eventually could be used in a variety of future applications. As a dairy ingredient, casein shows good adhesion to different substrates. But while casein is an excellent barrier to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and aromas, it is a weak barrier to moisture. Because the water-soluble nature of those proteins poses a challenge, much of the research on edible casein films to date is directed toward improving their water-vapor-barrier properties. More information on the book can be found at www.woodheadpublishing.com.
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2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/12586 | - National measures for the improvement of marketing structure and organization for agricultural, forestry and fisheries products
92. The Conference considered the Director-General's note on National Measures for the Improvement of Marketing Structure and Organization for Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Products (C 57/19). It felt that this was a valuable statement on a subject which had hitherto received less than due attention. The importance of marketing in the development of agriculture, fisheries and forestry and in consumer welfare was given special emphasis. This field was one to which increasing attention should be given both by Governments and in the FAO Regular and Technical Assistance Programs.
93. In many ways marketing presented problems even more challenging than those of production. Whereas few would fail to appreciate recommendations leading to an increase in production efficiency, the value of measures to improve efficiency in marketing was not always so well understood. Yet the relatively small proportion of the price paid by the consumer that was actually returned to the primary producer was a continuing grievance. Much of the difference went to pay for services valued by consumers, but in many countries there was evidence that wasteful and inefficient handling of farm, fishery and forest products and unsatisfactory market organization added much to this spread between producer and consumer prices. The Conference stressed that reductions in the cost of marketing were one of the best ways to improve farm incomes because in this way it could be done without a corresponding increase in consumer prices.
94. In many areas this general problem was intensified by rapid urbanization, by the steady growth in the demand for better quality and a greater variety of goods as a result of increasing consumer incomes, and by the need to provide enlarged marketing facilities to handle the output of new production developments. All these factors contributed to emphasize the importance of effective and flexible marketing structures as a means to agricultural, fishery and forest development and better nutrition.
95. The Conference noted that it was characteristic of the marketing problems of countries undergoing accelerated economic development that they arose simultaneously all along the line from the planning of production for sale, through the various wholesale and marketing phases, to retail distribution. These various phases were so closely interrelated, and the difficulty of breaking through this inter-dependence had been so great, that in many parts of the world relatively little had been done to improve and modernize marketing organization and procedure. Improvements in any one of the various marketing phases usually required corresponding improvements in other phases.
96. The Conference recognized that a basic difficulty was the large number of small independent enterprises involved in the production and marketing process. Many farmers, fishermen and forest owners, for example, were not able to achieve the uniformity needed in their products for them to be handled economically and presented to consumers in an attractive form. Similarly, the assembly of small saleable quantities from predominantly subsistence producers presented problems of organization and an uncertainty in supply that hampered economical marketing.
97. At the other end of the marketing chain, the small scale of operations and unsatisfactory organization of business enterprises in the retail phases of marketing added greatly to operating costs. There was an efficient scale of operation for each enterprise, given the techniques and equipment available in its environment, but because of institutional obstacles and lack of knowledge and capital, many did not attain it. Detailed surveys had shown that irrational handling charges and local monopolies and malpractices also often added much to the cost of marketing.
98. Likewise, the processing and wholesaling phases were often unsatisfactory, not only because the inefficiencies at preceding and subsequent stages hindered the introduction of improved handling, packing and processing methods, but also because of inadequate storage, transport and communication facilities.
99. All this prevented produce from reaching the consumer cheaply with unimpaired quality, augmented the cost of marketing by technical inefficiencies and substantial waste, and reduced the flow much below that desirable and possible. The high cost of marketing kept returns to primary producers low and reduced their ability to improve their own efficiency.
100. The additional functions that producers, processers and distributors of agricultural, fishery and forestry products were called upon to undertake as a country developed, required capital investment in equipment and facilities. Where the number of enterprises was large and their size small, and where credit institutions were inadequate, sufficient capital to finance needed warehouses, processing plants, vehicles and boats, containers and other equipment was rarely available and often excessively costly. In addition, operating capital for the marketing of perishable produce was especially difficult to obtain.
101. The Conference emphasized that another characteristic obstacle to efficient marketing in less developed countries was that existing marketing structures and organizations did not allow those participating in the marketing process to operate with sufficient knowledge of all the facts This. too, was in part due to the large number of small enterprises involved. Ignorance of marketing conditions on the part of producers and traders might restrict production and consumption, especially of perishable protective foods.
102. The Conference considered that in order to meet consumer demand for perishables at lower prices a closely integrated marketing system was essential. Planting, harvesting, packing and handling, grading, preservation, transport, cold storage and retail distribution must all be carefully interrelated to minimize delay and wastage. This was especially necessary for fresh fruit and vegetables, milk, meat and fish.
103. Initially private enterprises might be reluctant to invest in modern processing and distribution facilities. Where no other solution was forthcoming, it might be advisable for the Government to promote the establishment and operation of key facilities, which subsequently might be leased or sold to private operators or co-operatives.
104. The establishment of commodity marketing boards, with powers to introduce quality grades and improved marketing procedures, set up unified purchasing and sales organizations, etc., was another approach that had often led to substantial accomplishment, particularly in export marketing.
105. Projects to solve the marketing problems attendant upon a highly fragmented production pattern were still largely experimental. The replacement of the merchant money lender, who combined the provision of credit with the assembly of produce from small farmers, forest owners or fishermen, by a less exacting but no less efficient substitute had been the subject of many investigations and proposals. Many countries considered that a logical alternative would be the multi-purpose cooperative society able to combine the functions of the village shopkeeper under one management. Progress in this direction had been hampered by the lack of executive staff with the necessary marketing education and business training. It was noted, however, that many countries, in Africa and South East Asia especially, were persevering with co-operative development programs with the objective of assuring to most farmers an alternative credit and marketing agency within a practicable distance, thus limiting the danger of local monopolies. The Conference urged FAO to study further the possibilities of co-operative marketing in the light of the difficulties experienced.
106. Sale by personal inspection was more difficult as marketing became more complex and it was therefore essential to establish weights and measures, grades and standards in order to facilitate sale by accurate description. The Conference considered that the provision of the market information, grading, certification, inspection and other services involved could be co-ordinated most effectively with the aid of a central marketing department staffed with trained marketing specialists. It was noted that specialized courses were now being arranged in some countries for personnel entering the Government marketing service. There was also a need for marketing extension work and training in business practices and practical marketing for those engaged in actual commercial operations.
107. The special importance of improving the marketing of fishery products was stressed by a number of countries in view of the perishability of the product and the considerable distances that often separated producer and consumer. Several countries reported that progress had been made in the intro. auction of improved marketing schemes and facilities.
108. It was noted that excessive fragmentation of producing and processing units also raised specific marketing problems in the field of forestry. These could be met by the adoption of appropriate handling techniques and cooperative organization.
109. The Conference agreed that pilot projects, if preceded by an adequate investigation, were a useful approach to marketing reorganization. If limited to a small area, such projects should enable the necessary attention to be given to all phases of the marketing process, within the limits of available capital and managerial and technical skills. Extension of successful pilot projects was likely to be much easier than the implementation ab initio of large-scale marketing reorganizations. It was considered that in setting up such pilot projects maximum advantage should be taken of existing trade facilities.
110. The Conference noted the measures for the improvement of marketing structure and organization that were being taken in many countries and in a variety of fields. In order to take more advantage of this accumulating experience the Conference agreed that periodic regional meetings of marketing personnel would be valuable. The meetings might coincide with regional Training Courses insofar as financial limitations permitted, and thus serve an instructional purpose in addition. Recognizing the usefulness of such meetings the Government of Iran issued a formal invitation to countries of the Near Eastern region to participate in a technical conference of marketing specialists in Teheran in June and July 1958. The Governments of Japan and India also offered to accommodate marketing trainees from other countries. The relevance was noted of progress in those countries to the problems of other areas where similar conditions prevailed.
111. Appreciation of the effective contribution made by FAO to marketing improvement programs was expressed by many countries. Particular emphasis was laid on the work of Technical Assistance Advisers in the countries, on the Fellowships Scheme and on the continuing value of training programs organized under FAO auspices. The Conference felt that a continuing program of meetings and courses might be an efficient way of focussing experience on the specialized problems in the different regions and of training an expanding cadre of marketing specialists. In this connection it recommended that FAO undertake further study of measures to improve national marketing systems. The importance of FAO assistance in the promotion and guidance of research on marketing problems characteristic of the less developed countries was also emphasized.
112. The Conference accordingly adopted the following Resolution:
Resolution No. 11/57
Marketing of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Products
Considering that accelerating economic development calls for more farm, fish and forest products to meet consumer demands and nutritional standards, with an increasing proportion of perishable goods, and that, in many countries, this involves important changes and additions in the production-marketing structure, including a transition from subsistence to commercial production;
Considering further that advance in this direction is obstructed because many closely interrelated aspects of agricultural production and marketing must be improved and modernized in balance with one another, and that progress in this field can often best be made if first attempted in local, but comprehensive pilot projects;
Considering also that there is scope for better use of accumulating marketing experience and specialized skills by promoting contacts among the staff engaged in marketing development programs in the various countries and that this can be achieved through periodic regional meetings which might be combined, where possible, with training courses for managerial and technical staffs;
Urges Member Governments to make adequate provision for marketing work in their development programs and to give due attention to balancing increases in production for sale with corresponding improvements in marketing, processing and transport organization and facilities;
Recommends that Member Governments should consider undertaking local pilot projects to test the value of a comprehensive approach to problems requiring the integration of production, assembly and distribution;
Further urges them, in order to make the best use of accumulating marketing experience, to collaborate in periodic regional meetings combined, where convenient, with the training of specialized personnel;
Requests the Director-General to assist in these undertakings to the extent that funds are available both under the Regular and the Expanded Technical Assistance Programs, and particularly by organizing regional meetings and training centers.
Nutrition and food policy including education in nutrition and home economics
113. The Conference considered the Director-General's memorandum on the above subject (C 57/18). The first of the objectives of FAO as stated in the Preamble to its Constitution was to raise levels of nutrition, implying that the success of national and international policies to develop food production and improve its distribution should be judged by what they achieved in providing a better dier for the mass of the population. While many governments had shown increasing interest in nutrition during recent years, and while the need to take account of nutritional principles in developing food policies had been emphasized repeatedly at various FAO regional conferences, the basic objective of better nutrition was not always kept in view in formulating and implementing national plans for economic and social development which covered food production and distribution.
114. The feet that many governments were planning food production as part of broader plans for development offered good opportunities for linking food policies with the aim of better nutrition. The rapid increase in population now taking place in most parts of the world made it urgently necessary that nutritional requirements should be estimated as accurately as possible and taken into account in formulating food supply targets. The increasing trend towards urbanization and industrialization in hitherto mainly agricultural countries raised new problems of food supply and nutrition. Finally, people all over the world were demanding better standards of living and higher levels of nutrition. The Conference emphasized that these and other considerations reinforced the importance of putting into practice without further delay the nutritional principles underlying the work of FAO.
115. The Conference recognized that inadequate purchasing power was the major obstacle to achieving the goal of better nutrition. The special chapter in the Director-General's report on the State of Food and Agriculture 1957, reviewing the factors influencing food consumption emphasized once again the association between nutritional improvement and general economic development. The Conference paid particular attention to the study of the influence of income. as derived from household consumption data. It expressed the view that this type of study appeared a very promising field, especially in connection with the preparation of economic development plans. The Conference therefore stressed the importance of intensifying work on factors influencing food consumption, through the assembly of basic data and the improvement of methods of analyzing consumption trends.
116. But while substantial improvement in food consumption could be expected only as a result of increases in real income. especially that of the poorer sections of the population in underdeveloped areas, the Conference emphasized that a good deal could be done to improve nutrition pending a general raising of living standards. For example, it was possible to improve to some extent the diet of the poorer and most vulnerable groups in the population through the subsidized or free distribution of foods of high nutritive value. Again, much could be done to teach people to make better use of limited incomes and resources through education in nutrition and home economics.
117. A further important point was that increasing income did not necessarily result in the consumption of a well balanced diet and the solution of all problems of nutrition. A rise in income might sometimes mean a greater use of more sophisticated but less nutritious foods, and extra purchasing power was not necessarily used for food but rather for other services and goods. Indeed, problems of nutrition were by no means confined to the underdeveloped countries and occurred even in economically advanced countries, where they might be associated with over-consumption as well as with under-consumption.
118. The effective association of nutritional objectives with food policies called for the existence of appropriate nutritional services and national organizations. There was still a lack of well trained nutrition workers in many countries, though during the last ten years their number had substantially increased. Nutrition services and organizations either did not exist or were inadequately staffed and equipped and were hence incapable of providing the necessary guidance and leadership. Again, the results of nutrition research often did not bear fruit in the field of application because of lack of effective contact between nutrition workers and authorities concerned with food and agricultural policy.
119. The Conference recalled that the Hot Springs Conference had strongly advocated the establishment of national nutrition organizations, where these did not exist, concerned with the improvement of nutrition through coordinated national action, recommending that they should be composed of authorities in health, nutrition, economics and agriculture, together with administrators and consumers' representatives; that they should be provided with adequate funds and facilities for the efficient conduct of their work and have the authority to bring their recommendations to the attention of the public and to those agencies of government which dealt with agriculture and the framing of economic and social policy. The Hot Springs Conference also recommended that governments should reexamine and, if necessary, reorganize existing agencies and review legislation concerned with health, agriculture and nutrition to the end that food and nutrition policies may be effectively carried out.
120. During the early years of FAO the question of national nutrition organizations had been discussed at various conferences and recommendations supporting their establishment had been made. However, a different type of body, namely, the FAO National Committee, had come into existence to serve essentially as liaison committees between FAO and its Member Governments. Among the duties of the FAO National Committees was the preparation of the periodic progress and program reports to FAO referred to in Article XI of the Constitution. These reports were intended to record the progress made by Governments towards achieving the objectives of FAO, with special emphasis on the raising of nutritional levels. Article XI reports had not, however, in general provided such information, probably because many governments had not established national nutrition organizations of the type recommended at Hot Springs, and, where such organizations existed, had not assigned to them the task of collaborating in the preparation of Article XI reports.
121. National nutrition organizations themselves had often been ineffective and had failed to survive. Among the reasons for this had been the lack in some countries of trained nutrition workers to provide necessary leadership, a point referred to earlier. Another had been the absence of clearly defined functions, adequate funds to carry out required investigations and sufficient authority to influence national policies and programs. The Conference therefore considered that the aim of orienting food policies towards better nutrition would be facilitated by the establishment of national nutrition organizations with recognized functions and authority as well as adequate funds and facilities. In addition to exercising their primary function of nutritional improvement through co-ordinating national action, they could also undertake the associated task of assessing changes in levels of nutrition and reporting periodically to FAO on the progress achieved.
122. While the proposals put forward at Hot Springs might serve as a general guide, the precise arrangements adopted to attain the cod in view would differ from country to country in accordance with administrative convenience and local conditions. The essential aim was to influence the framing of national policies in the agricultural, economic and social fields so that these took account of nutritional concepts. This could be achieved by the adequate representation of the nutrition organization in the policy planning organizations. Alternatively, and especially where a nutrition organization as such was not available, personnel trained in nutrition could be closely associated with the planning organizations. The Conference stressed that, whatever arrangement was made and whatever procedure was adopted, it was essential that the planning organizations should be assisted regularly and continuously by nutrition workers specialized in the food and agricultural aspects of planning for economic and social development.
123. Clearly, in developing food policies. nutritional principles had to be considered in the light of numerous agricultural, economic and social factors. They must not, however. be ignored in reaching final decisions. Another point of importance was that the satisfaction of full nutritional requirements could not be attained at once or in the near future in many countries and must therefore be reached through successive stages. Furthermore, in planning domestic patterns of food production in relation to national consumption objectives, due consideration must obviously be given to external sources of supply.
124. FAO could help Member Governments in raising levels of nutrition but the necessary action was the responsibility of the Governments themselves. A member of Governments had asked FAO during recent years for nutrition experts to assist them in relating food policies to the nutritional needs of their peoples. The Conference hoped that FAO would be of increasing assistance in this field.
125. The Conference adopted the following Resolution:
Nutrition and Food Policy, Including Education in Nutrition and Home Economics
The Conference Regretting that the objective of raising levels of nutrition, the first of those stated in the Preamble to the Constitution, is not always kept fully in view in developing national food production and consumption policies;
Believing that the increasing efforts of many Governments to plan food and agricultural development as part of broader plans of economic and social development offer enhanced opportunities to link such policies with the aim of better nutrition:
Recommends that Member Governments:
1. Take due account of the nutritional needs of their populations in formulating and implementing policies and plans relating to food production and consumption, including international trade in food;
2. Establish, where these are needed, national nutrition organizations along the lines recommended by the Hot Springs Conference, providing them with adequate authority and means to influence such policies and plans. or make other appropriate arrangements to achieve the same objective, and
3. Include in their periodic progress and program reports to FAO (Article XI Reports) an account of the steps taken to raise levels of nutrition and the progress achieved: and
Requests the Director-General:
1. To give on request increasing assistance to Member Governments in developing food policies and plans based sound nutritional priciples, and
2. To report to the next regular Conference Session on the extent to which national food policies are being oriented towards better nutrition for the people, taking into account not only local food production but also international trade in food.
D. 1960 world census of agriculture
126. The Conference reviewed the Director-General's plans for the 1960 World Census of Agriculture. It noted that, in carrying out the recommendations of the Eighth Session, the Director-General had submitted a Draft Program for the 1960 Census successively to five regional meetings and, finally, to a meeting of international experts in Rome to complete the Program. In taking note of the Program as completed in accordance with its directives, the Conference expressed its appreciation of the work performed and of the co-operation received from the United Nations and other international agencies in completing the work.
127. It welcomed the changes in the Programs compared with the 1950 World Census, in keeping with post-war developments in the organization and structure of agriculture. It noted with satisfaction that social aspects of agriculture were included in the new Program, in accordance with the wishes of the General Assembly of the United Nations and of the Economic and Social Council. It expressed the view that, while international comparability of certain results was an important objective, the Program must be adapted primarily to meet the countries' own needs. It therefore welcomed the greater flexibility of the 1960 Program.
128. The Conference stressed that this increased flexibility would have its maximum value only if it took full advantage of the more numerous features of agricultural structure and organization common to individual regions rather than to the world as a whole. It was therefore necessary for FAO, in line with the recommendations of the meeting of census experts in Rome, to hold further consultations in the different regions to prepare regional programs within the framework of the World Program. In this way the main items of importance to the world as a whole, the characteristics common to individual regions and the contrasts between one region and another would be fully brought out. The Conference noted that these further consultations would make use of existing regional bodies, avoiding duplication of effort, and would not require additional resources.
129. It was suggested that FAO might, in their further consultations, attempt to obtain a clarification of the concept of "holding" and also information on ownership of holding, the pattern of land tenure and the relationship between owner and holder, and other social characteristics. Information on related activities of the agricultural population outside agriculture proper, e.g. cottage and other rural industries and seasonal employment, was also considered very important. There was a need for collecting information on occupations allied to agriculture. It was considered important, however, that the census questionnaire should not be overloaded. Such additional information might be investigated by special sample surveys.
130. The Conference reaffirmed the importance of FAO's work in promoting the 1960 World Census of Agriculture and reemphasized the desirability of a full participation by all countries. In this connection, it noted with satisfaction that a number of governments had already announced their intention to participate and would inform FAO of their census plans and of any assistance they might need.
131. The Conference endorsed the emphasis given by FAO to the importance of sampling techniques in census taking. It felt that the use of sampling would enable many countries that did not participate in the 1950 Census because of lack of funds or personnel for a complete enumeration, to obtain reliable data at small cost. It would also enable advanced countries to enlarge the scope of their census programs to cover topics more difficult than those contained in the FAO Program. Sampling would also facilitate the preparation of advance estimates of important census results not otherwise available until well after the census was completed. It was not, however, suggested that sampling methods could fully replace a complete agricultural scheme. The Conference welcomed the studies being prepared by FAO on the application of sampling to census taking and recommended that these studies, as well as Vol. 2 of the 1950 World Census Report dealing with census methodology, should be made available as early as possible to assist those countries taking the census before 1960.
132. It was recognized that participation in the World Census Program depended in many cases on the extent to which assistance would be provided to countries, especially under the Expanded Technical Assistance Program. The Conference therefore welcomed the joint efforts being made by FAO and the United Nations Statistical Office to promote the world agriculture and population censuses through joint training centers and documentation. It approved the proposal to set up jointly with the United Nations two training centers in 1958, one for Asia and the Far East and one for Latin America, and two more in 1959, one for the Near East and one for African countries in collaboration with the Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa South of the Sahara (CCTA). Some countries expressed the hope that consultations and training programs could be completed by early 1959. The Conference expressed its appreciation of the offer of the Government of Japan to act as host to the proposed training center in the Far East.
133. The Conference noted that tabulation often accounted for as much as half of a country's total expenditure on a census, and that many less developed countries had had difficulty in organizing and completing the tabulations for the 1950 Census of Agriculture, as well as for population censuses. The Conference therefore welcomed the series of studies on data processing by manual and punch card methods at present being prepared jointly by FAO and the United Nations Statistical Office. and recommended their early completion and distribution for use in the 1960 Census. Moreover, it was desirable that FAO should develop a program for providing direct advice and assistance to those countries requesting help in their census tabulations. The Conference strongly recommended that facilities should be made available for training census officials in the problems and methods of census tabulation, in collaboration, if practical, with the International Computation Center of UNESCO and the Statistical Office of the United Nations. Indeed, in view of the importance of training technicians in underdeveloped countries in tabulation methods over the whole field of statistics, including censuses, the Conference expressed the hope that FAO would develop, together with the UNESCO Computation Center a continuing program for training in data processing methods.
134. The Conference noted that a number of less developed countries expressed interest in having their census data tabulated centrally by electronic computors, provided the confidential nature of the data were safeguarded under international supervision and provided important savings in costs and time were made. The Conference recognized that in many countries statutory and other considerations precluded the release of the original data to outside bodies. Nevertheless it felt that, if a sufficient number of countries were willing and able to release their data for central tabulation, this form of direct assistance to Governments could be of great value. The Conference therefore recommended that the Director-General should explore the possibilities in this field.
135. The Conference adopted the following Resolution
1960 World Census of Agriculture
Takes note of the Program for the 1960 World Census of Agriculture prepared in accordance with Resolution No. 21/55 of the Eighth Session, and further notes that the group of international experts on the Census Program convened in Rome has also recommended the preparation of regional programs;
Approves the Program for distribution to Member and Non-Member Governments,
Recognizes that many countries experienced difficulties in planning, taking and tabulating the 1950 Census;
Emphasizes the importance of, as well as the economies to be obtained from, the application of sampling in the various aspects of censuses;
Reaffirms the desirability of a wider participation by countries in the 1960 World Census of Agriculture than in the 1950 Census; and
Requests that the Director-General within the limits of funds available:
1. Arrange for discussions at regional meetings with a view to preparing regional census programs within the framework of the World Program;
2. Complete and publish his studies on the uses of sampling in agricultural censuses and on data processing methods for use in the 1960 Census Program;
3. Organize jointly with the United Nations Statistical Office regional training centers on censuses;
4. Organize special training centers on tabulation for the countries whose statistical services are less developed, in collaboration with the United Nations Statistical Office and the International Computation Center of UNESCO;
5. Explore the possibilities for central tabulation of census data by electronic equipment for those countries which desire such a service;
6. Mobilize available resources of both the Regular and the Expanded Technical Assistance Program, so as to ensure that essential assistance is provided to the countries in their forthcoming censuses.
Urges Member Governments:
1. To plan carefully all aspects of their forthcoming censuses, to co-operate fully in the FAO Program and to take every advantage of the assistance made available by FAO through training centers, experts, fellowships and census publications;
2. To inform FAO of the plans for and progress of their agricultural censuses, and of their questionnaires and instructions as soon as possible.
Requests the Director-General to submit to the Tenth Session of the Conference a full report of the steps taken and the work done by him to promote the 1960 World Census of Agriculture, and also a review of the progress made by governments in the planning and preparation of national agricultural censuses within the framework; of the FAO 1960 World and Regional Agricultural Census Programs. | 农业 |
2017-17/1154/en_head.json.gz/12815 | Organic Valley Farmers: Heroes in the Fields
Here’s a look at the passionate farmers behind the Organic Valley brand.
By Umut Newbury
By the late 1990s, Frantzen had moved to an entirely organic hog operation.
PHOTO: ORGANIC VALLEY/CARRIE BRANOVAN
Tom Frantzen, New Hampton, IowaTom Frantzen’s main motivation to go organic was quality of life — for both the humans and animals involved.He already had started rotating crops and reducing pesticide use on his 335-acre cattle and hog farm. “It wasn’t a big jump for me at all,” Frantzen says. “It was a business plan that supported the quality of life we were looking to achieve on the farm.”By the late 1990s, Frantzen had moved to an entirely organic hog operation. He was instrumental in helping to launch Organic Valley’s Organic Prairie brand, and he remains a key supplier of pork to the cooperative.“If you take the life of an average confinement hog, he’s seen little else but stainless steel and concrete walls,” Frantzen says. “My pigs, they’re born in the summer, outside. Later, they are in a hoop building with fresh air, sunshine and fresh bedding every two or three days.”
Travis and Amy Forgues, Alburg Springs, VermontTravis Forgues grew up on a family dairy farm near Vermont’s Lake Champlain, but he did not have any plans to get involved in the business.Travis and his high school sweetheart, Amy, married in 1995 and bought the house next door to his parents, so they could start a family. “We didn’t come back here to farm, we came back for family,” he says. Going into farming was still not financially viable for the couple — they worked at different jobs in Alburg Springs for two years, before going to a meeting about organics. “I realized then that the farm was already organic because Dad wasn’t fond of pesticides or antibiotics. All we had to do was buy organic grain,” Travis says.So at age 23, barely out of college, Travis and Amy became organic dairy farmers with 200 acres near the Canadian border.In 1999, they joined Organic Valley — becoming one of the first Vermont farms in the co-op. Travis and his father, Henry, continue to milk 80 cows, while Amy and the children take care of the young calves. “I didn’t sign up for this to make a truckload of money,” Travis says. But they are making enough now that staying on the farm will be an option for their children, Emma, 8, Gabriel, 6, and Molly, 2. “We are so happy we made the move,” Amy says. “Organics have changed this farm from what was a struggle for two families to a comfortable living.”Travis and Amy are hardly the youngest farmers in the cooperative. “We have more and more young people coming in,” Travis says. “The next big thing for Organic Valley will be ‘Generation Organic,’ an educational program for the next group of organic farmers.”Harry and Billye Lewis, Sulphur Springs, TexasFor Harry Lewis, owner of a 287-acre dairy in northeast Texas with his wife, Billye, and son, Wynton, organic farming is not a new concept.“What people don’t understand is that we have been using synthetics for only the last 50 years,” he says. “For thousands of years before that, we had done it organically.” Harry says that’s how his father farmed when he first received the land through a federal grant to grow food for U.S. soldiers involved in World War II.“My father had Grade B milk, he rotated crops and he was self-sufficient — he raised veggies and had a creek with lots of fish in it,” Harry says.In 2002, Harry went to an Organic Valley recruitment meeting with a tape recorder, which he accidentally left behind. When he got home, Organic Valley’s George Siemon and Wayne Shaker were at his doorstep with the recorder. While they were waiting, they had surveyed Harry’s land, which for decades had been farmed without herbicides or pesticides. The two men told Harry it would be easy to certify the farm as organic. “Something in me said, ‘This is it, this is the right thing to do,’” he says. By 2005, Harry’s herd and land were certified organic. His cows’ milk is now sold under the “Texas Pastures” label in all major cities in Texas.“When I give out milk samples, I treat them like rare wine and tell people to check out the bouquet,” Lewis says. “The flavor of the milk is the flavor of the diverse grasses on the pasture.”Read more: To learn about the ideas and operations behind Organic Valley, read The Organic Valley Farmer Cooperative. 12 | 农业 |
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