11/02/2009 07:14AM
From a USDA press release: “The Vermont Agency of Agriculture was notified by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) late Wednesday afternoon of alleged animal welfare violations at the (Bushways Slaughterhouse facility in Grand Isle, Vermont) facility.
11/03/2009 09:57PM
Ohio voters have delivered a victory to large farm operators, approving a new industry-dominated board to oversee livestock care.
11/02/2009 07:03AM
The following statement is attributed to Chip Lines-Burgess, President of the American Veal Association (AVA).
11/03/2009 11:29AM
The U.S. dairy industry needs to shed an additional 200,000 head of
cattle to return to what an Ohio State University Extension dairy
economist refers to as a “state of normalcy” where production is more
in balance with domestic demand.
11/02/2009 12:59PM
Two deaths and 26 other illnesses may be linked to fresh ground beef that has been recalled because it might be contaminated with E. coli bacteria, a federal health official said Monday.
11/04/2009 09:55AM
Drip…drip…drip: the fall of dropping water wears away the stone. So it goes with shaping public attitude and policy. If you repeat something often enough it must be true (not!), thus politicians are always coached to stay “on message."
11/03/2009 08:27AM
As of Oct. 5, 2009, El Nino was still present across the equatorial Pacific Ocean with sea surface temperatures at least 1° C above average and expected to strengthen, lasting through the winter. This increases our probability of having a cool, wet winter
11/05/2009 10:50AM
As consumers increasingly aim to make environmentally responsible food purchases, they need to base their decision on sound science. However, according to a presenter at the 71st Cornell Nutrition Conference held in Syracuse, N.Y., the ‘intuitively correct’ food choice is often the least environmentally friendly option.
11/02/2009 04:14PM
The Canadian Press reports an inaccurate email claiming to be from an
Alberta cattle-feeding group asks Canadians to boycott McDonald’s for
buying a majority of its beef from South America.
11/02/2009 10:31AM
Spurred by increased demand for organic milk, organic milk production
has been one of the fastest growing segments of organic agriculture in
the United States. Between 2000 and 2005, the number of certifi ed
organic milk cows on U.S. farms increased by an annual average of 25
percent.
11/04/2009 01:11PM
The Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) U.S. Crude Oil, Natural Gas, and Natural Gas Liquids Proved Reserves, 2008
reports that proved reserves of crude oil fell by more than 10 percent
in 2008, primarily because of low end-of-year prices used to estimate
proved reserves, even though discoveries of crude oil rose for the
third year in a row.
11/03/2009 09:17AM
Ohio voters will decide today whether to adopt a constitutional
amendment that would create a 13-member Livestock Care Standards Board.
Issue 2 was drafted by an Ohio agricultural coalition in response to
threats from the HSUS to dictate
how food animals are housed and handled through legislation and/or
other ballot measures.
11/04/2009 01:47PM
U.S. hay prices down $1 from last month.
11/03/2009 01:11PM
Live cattle futures on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME)
were up on Monday. Short covering, a weaker U.S.
dollar, higher cash cattle, and gains in the Dow-Jones and other
outside markets were supportive.
11/03/2009 03:25PM
The Southern US has been inundated with rain over the past two months. The Mississippi River corridor has been particularly hard hit by the excessive rains.
11/03/2009 10:27AM
The USDA today announced the award of more than $17 million in grants
to 29 institutions to address the needs of beginning farmers and
ranchers and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S.
agriculture.
11/02/2009 07:49AM
Boats have been used in the search for a livestock herder who disappeared in Liberty County while moving cattle near the rain-swollen Trinity River.
11/04/2009 07:54AM
A horse was found along the Trinity River. The horse belongs to Gene Roberts who went missing at 3:30 p.m.on Sunday while rounding up cattle along the Trinity River.
11/02/2009 07:01PM
A former Iowa kosher slaughterhouse manager accused of defrauding a bank was incompetent and in over his head, a plant employee testified Monday.
11/02/2009 02:40PM
The North Platte Telegraph reports the Lincoln County, Nebraska
Planning Commission will award Beer Creek Ranch a conditional permit to
expand its lot by 50 percent.
11/02/2009 08:28AM
Dec cattle finished out the weak and under pressure.
11/02/2009 08:24AM
The corn was very active overnight. First the December corn tested the
50% retracement of the last leg up, then the market bounced back to
close positive. Weather forecasts are dry and conducive to harvest, but
weakness in the Dollar was supportive.
11/04/2009 10:20AM
A cat in Iowa has tested positive for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, state officials confirmed this morning, marking the first time a cat has been diagnosed with this strain of influenza.
11/06/2009 09:14AM
One day, you’re participating in a nice, quiet little niche market. The next day, HSUS shines a harsh and unforgiving spotlight in your face.
11/04/2009 01:16PM
Political and legal ramifications of the now nationwide E. coli O157:H7 outbreak came into focus yesterday
11/04/2009 09:47AM
Late in the winter my spring calving cows start to lose a lot of condition. How can I use distiller's grains to get them back in shape?
11/06/2009 07:24AM
Senate Democrats sidestepped a Republican boycott Thursday, pushing a climate bill out of committee in an early step on a long and contentious road to passage.
11/02/2009 09:13AM
Farming is usually fun. But flooded fields, deteriorating crops, and
the potential for substantial quality discounts have combined to take
the fun out of farming. You are lying awake at night concerned when you
can return to the combine cab, whether your dryer is doing the job, and
how much field loss you can sustain before profitability disappears.
11/03/2009 11:35AM
Another major storm dumped 2 to 8 inches of rain from the western half
of the Gulf Coast region into the central Corn Belt, dealing another
setback to producers attempting to harvest summer crops and plant soft
red winter wheat.
11/03/2009 03:20PM
Look for Beef Briefs to be delivered the first of each month -- your
snapshot of beef checkoff news affecting the dairy and beef industries.
11/02/2009 07:35AM
Montana wildlife managers are seeking the severed heads of some wildlife taken by hunters and want hunters to draw blood from elk taken in the Yellowstone region as part of two ongoing disease studies.
11/04/2009 04:09PM
Reuters reports Canadian beef packers want C$26 million to pay for
disposing beef specified risk materials associated with mad cow disease.
11/02/2009 03:00PM
Chicago Board of Trade corn futures ended higher Monday, surging late on a wave of fund-buying.
11/04/2009 09:03AM
Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment in yesterday’s election
to create a Livestock Care Standards Board. With nearly all precincts
reporting, the ballot question was supported by 64% of the voters, with
36% in opposition.
11/03/2009 03:06PM
Your cowherd checklist might look pretty sparse after the calves are weaned and rebreeding is confirmed. Maybe the cows regained some condition and they’re coasting now on crop residue. Next item would be, what, calving?
11/02/2009 01:21PM
The late planted and late maturing corn and soybean crops of 2009 have
also experienced one of the slowest harvest rates in modern history. As
of October 25, the USDA reported only 20 percent of the corn crop and
44 percent of the soybean crop had been harvested.
11/02/2009 09:14AM
The Government of Canada is helping to open new markets for Manitoba beef by conditionally approving a loan of up to $10 million to Keystone Processors Ltd. to upgrade a beef processing plant.
11/04/2009 07:25AM
Corn harvest is 46% behind the 5-year average. Illinois is 67% behind; Iowa 49% behind; Indiana 47% behind. Texas and North Carolina are only 2% behind.
11/02/2009 03:17PM
Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say.
11/02/2009 01:25PM
With statewide rainfall averaging more than 10 inches, Missouri weather records show October was the wettest in 68 years and second wettest in history.