TPS holding 'food defense' drill today
by: ANDREA EGER World Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
11/8/2011 10:59:54 AM
Tulsa Public Schools and local emergency responders will be conducting a "food defense" drill Tuesday.
Officials said evaluations of potential terrorist threats revealed that the school district's food production and distribution system could be vulnerable to attack from an individual or group wanting to cause public panic or harm to children and their families through the intentional contamination of food.
In addition to TPS officials, Tuesday's drill will involve the Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency, the Tulsa Health Department, emergency response and law enforcement agencies and local healthcare providers.
"Our job is to evaluate potential threats to our schools, and there is always the possibility that schools could become a target," said Bob Roberts, emergency management coordinator for TPS. "It's important that we act proactively to prevent the tampering of foods that are used in schools. We need to be prepared for emergency situations, to respond quickly and effectively if a crisis occurs and to have recovery plans in place.
The practice exercise will test our battle readiness and ensure that we are in the best possible shape to act should an event occur."
The exercise will be a discussion-based drill based on a Department of Agriculture toolkit that will guide participants through a mock scenario of an intentional food contamination in the schools. Read More
A couple of things crossed my mind when I read this. First was about how things have changed over the years. We've gone from nuclear attack drills now to food defense drills. And the second thought I had was that this should remind everyone how important a home-grown food supply really is. The quickest way that our country could lose it's sovereignty is by relying on other countries to produce the food and fiber we depend on. So when we see anti-agriculture groups trying to regulate farmers and ranchers out of business in this country they are really damaging our country's ability to survive. -Troy
Showing posts with label food production. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food production. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
How Animal Rights Activists Harm People
Slaughtering Indonesia's cattle trust
David Leyonhjelm
Published 1:50 PM, 16 Aug 2011 Last update 1:50 PM, 16 Aug 2011
The government’s decision to halt live cattle exports to Indonesia, without prior warning, deeply disturbed Indonesia. Australian beef accounts for 25 per cent of the country’s meat and is a vital source of protein for millions of Indonesians. There are also thousands employed in feedlots, abattoirs and downstream processing, and Indonesia had considered Australia to be close enough to form part of its own food security.
In addition, the Australian government has long had a policy of supporting neighbouring countries that are members of global animal health organisation OIE as they progressively implement its standards of animal handling and welfare. Indonesia is such a member.
The export ban undermined all that. Many in Indonesia now regard Australia as an unreliable supplier, and there are strong indications the country will seek to diversify its sources by importing cattle and beef from other countries while renewing efforts to become self-sufficient in beef by 2014.
This is a great example of what kind of damage animal rights activists can cause. I don’t want to see livestock being mistreated but I really don’t want to see people suffering from hunger either. These extreme activists weren’t concerned about fixing the problems that occurred, they saw this as an opportunity to do damage to the family farmers and ranchers that raised livestock. Along the way they damaged the families in Indonesia that rely on the beef they raise to feed their families. Livestock play an important role in feeding hungry people. It’s just unfortunate that many animal rights activists fail to realize this.
Revised Guidelines for Livestock Processing
Meat Inspectors Get Clout to Stop Inhumane Slaughter
BY DAN FLYNN | AUG 16, 2011
Meat inspectors at federally regulated plants that slaughter animals got new instructions for humane treatment of animals.
Announced Monday by USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the instructions come in the form of a new 40-page directive. The rules go into effect on Sept. 15.
The directive on enforcement of humane handling codifies changes made in the last few years to ensure that animals going to slaughter are treated properly. It replaces FSIS policies published in 1998 and 2003.
The new version, which FSIS says is going to require additional training for meat inspectors, includes a definition for "egregious inhumane handling" of animals -- "any act or condition that results in severe harm to animals, which includes the excessive beating or prodding of disabled livestock, stunning animals and allowing them to regain consciousness, or any treatment causing unnecessary pain and suffering."
The directive also provides inspectors with "verification instructions" to ensure that treatment of livestock during handling and slaughter "minimizes the animals' amount of excitement, pain, injury or discomfort."
The goal of everyone in agriculture is to continue improving on our methods. These guidelines are updated on a fairly regular basis because we keep finding better ways to handle issues that arise. It’s vital that we learn from problems that have happened in the past and I think this proves that we do. No one wants to see instances of livestock being mistreated.
Another Reminder of How Great our Agriculture Is
Food insecurity, a growing problem for Pakistan
Internews/Islamabad
In spite of the significant progress Pakistan has made in food production over the last 60 years, the majority of the population still faces uncertainty in food security on a daily basis.
Over one third of the population suffers from chronic hunger; a significant proportion of the undernourished population has reached a peak of 36%, with 95,000 just children. About 48% of Pakistan’s 165mn people are deemed to be “food insecure”, the figure being much higher in the conflict-ridden Fata (67.7%) and Balochistan (61.2%) - placing Pakistan at NO-11 on the index of food stressed countries, which indicates, “extreme risk”.
The problem of availability of food in Pakistan is mainly due to difficulties in production and productivity of its agriculture industry. Read More
We are so incredibly blessed with the abundance of food in this country. Most places in the world don’t have anything close to what we do. One of the main reasons is because of the technological advancements we have made. Better genetics in our seeds coupled with better fertilizer and farming techniques gives us a near record grain crop year after year. In livestock production its been the same story. We are producing more red meat with fewer inputs than ever before. The best part is that we continue improving every day too. So no matter what kind of food you like, it’s available in this country and that’s something to celebrate!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Talking Agriculture with Mike Rowe
Last weekend Stacy and I had the privilege of meeting with Mike Rowe. If you haven't heard of Mike you've probably been living under a rock for the past six or seven years. He's practically become the face of the Discovery Channel with his hit show Dirty Jobs and along the way he's also become the face of the American worker.
Through his experiences doing Dirty Jobs across the country he's come to realize and appreciate that everything we have is either grown or mined from the earth. Along with that his appreciation for the people that do that work has grown.
Out of that the mikeroweWORKS.com website was born. It's a site dedicated to educating people about the importance of skilled trade workers, including farmers and ranchers. Through that Mike happened to find my youtube video where I dumped a bottle of Yellow Tail wine on the frozen ground to tell people that they had made a donation to the world's wealthiest animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States.
Our work with the Farm American project also caught Mike's eye and they featured a blog post of mine about the program on their site. When it turned out that we were all going to be in Atlanta at the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting we were able to finally meet in person.
Mike and his team were very interested to hear about our efforts to advocate for agriculture, including our work with the Farm American program. Mike gets a lot of requests to be spokesman. In fact he was the most sought after spokesman in the world in 2010. His name has been thrown around many times in the world of agriculture as someone that would be a great spokesman for our industry. But Mike can wisely see that we don't need a single spokesman, we need lots and lots of advocates for agriculture. Mike isn't an expert in food production, not the way that farmers and ranchers are. So while he is certainly willing to help share the story, ultimately we are the ones that need to be doing it.
Mike also highlighted the efforts of the Farm American program as a great way for farming and ranching families to spread their message. He was impressed by the unselfish efforts of Furniture Row to start the program because it was the right thing to do, not as a way to pay for a race team. When you explain to someone all of the things we could do with Farm American to tell the story of agriculture it starts sounding too good to be true. One look at the race car proves the intentions of Furniture Row though. There's not a single mention of Furniture Row on the car. That really caught the attention of Mike as it has with so many others.
We are really looking forward to a continued partnership with Mike and his team at mikeroweWORKS.com to tell the story of agriculture. Mike is a genuine guy who was a pleasure to meet and visit with. He's certainly a friend of every hard working American and as he put it, a big fan of "chewing and swallowing". It was a real pleasure to spend a few hours "chewing and swallowing" with him last week.
You've heard me telling you to be an advocate for agriculture, now hear it from Mike Rowe.
Through his experiences doing Dirty Jobs across the country he's come to realize and appreciate that everything we have is either grown or mined from the earth. Along with that his appreciation for the people that do that work has grown.
Out of that the mikeroweWORKS.com website was born. It's a site dedicated to educating people about the importance of skilled trade workers, including farmers and ranchers. Through that Mike happened to find my youtube video where I dumped a bottle of Yellow Tail wine on the frozen ground to tell people that they had made a donation to the world's wealthiest animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States.
Our work with the Farm American project also caught Mike's eye and they featured a blog post of mine about the program on their site. When it turned out that we were all going to be in Atlanta at the American Farm Bureau Federation meeting we were able to finally meet in person.
Mike and his team were very interested to hear about our efforts to advocate for agriculture, including our work with the Farm American program. Mike gets a lot of requests to be spokesman. In fact he was the most sought after spokesman in the world in 2010. His name has been thrown around many times in the world of agriculture as someone that would be a great spokesman for our industry. But Mike can wisely see that we don't need a single spokesman, we need lots and lots of advocates for agriculture. Mike isn't an expert in food production, not the way that farmers and ranchers are. So while he is certainly willing to help share the story, ultimately we are the ones that need to be doing it.
Mike also highlighted the efforts of the Farm American program as a great way for farming and ranching families to spread their message. He was impressed by the unselfish efforts of Furniture Row to start the program because it was the right thing to do, not as a way to pay for a race team. When you explain to someone all of the things we could do with Farm American to tell the story of agriculture it starts sounding too good to be true. One look at the race car proves the intentions of Furniture Row though. There's not a single mention of Furniture Row on the car. That really caught the attention of Mike as it has with so many others.
We are really looking forward to a continued partnership with Mike and his team at mikeroweWORKS.com to tell the story of agriculture. Mike is a genuine guy who was a pleasure to meet and visit with. He's certainly a friend of every hard working American and as he put it, a big fan of "chewing and swallowing". It was a real pleasure to spend a few hours "chewing and swallowing" with him last week.
You've heard me telling you to be an advocate for agriculture, now hear it from Mike Rowe.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Food Safety
California organic beef producer recalls meat over E. coli concerns
January 3, 2011
10:47 am
There’s nothing that dampens your New Year's appetite like a food-safety recall, particularly one for an organic ground-beef product.
Federal officials announced Monday that First Class Foods Inc., an organic beef producer based in Hawthorne, has recalled 34,373 pounds of organic ground beef and hamburger patties due to concern that they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, kidney failure or, in the most severe cases, death.
There have been no reports of illness connected to these products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the company. The bacterium was found during a routine company test of its facilities, according to the FSIS. Read More
January 3, 2011
10:47 am
There’s nothing that dampens your New Year's appetite like a food-safety recall, particularly one for an organic ground-beef product.
Federal officials announced Monday that First Class Foods Inc., an organic beef producer based in Hawthorne, has recalled 34,373 pounds of organic ground beef and hamburger patties due to concern that they may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea, dehydration, kidney failure or, in the most severe cases, death.
There have been no reports of illness connected to these products, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the company. The bacterium was found during a routine company test of its facilities, according to the FSIS. Read More
There have been plenty of misconceptions about different types of food production methods. Specifically in beef production there are some that have tried to convince consumers that organic production makes for safer beef. Regardless of how beef cattle are raised there are going to be E. Coli that live in the digestive tract of the cattle. When we harvest cattle, regardless of the production method used to raise them, precautions must be taken to ensure no contamination takes place. This is true for all types of food coming from all types of production methods.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Biotech Helping Feed Africa
Farmers benefit from biotech crops production
SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT PETER MUTAI
NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Continued progress on commercialization of biotech crops was witnessed in all three countries in Africa during the 2009 period.
According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Application (ISAAA), South Africa has increased its hectarage by 17 percent while Burkina Faso increased by 14 percent.
The three countries broader coverage is of strategic importance because it allows more African countries to become practitioners of biotech crops and be able to benefit directly from learning by doing, a practice which has been proved to be very important.
This is a remarkable achievement given that Africa is the continent with the greatest challenge on food production compared to other continents.
As South Africa continue to export their biotech agricultural products such as maize, researchers now say that Kenya too could be on the beneficiary list once it adopts the technology.
With the food insecurity already ravaging most parts of sub Saharan Africa hence forcing countries to import food mainly maize and beans, the application of biotechnology could be of a solution to pest and diseases that wipe out millions of crops yearly. Read More
SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT PETER MUTAI
NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Continued progress on commercialization of biotech crops was witnessed in all three countries in Africa during the 2009 period.
According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Application (ISAAA), South Africa has increased its hectarage by 17 percent while Burkina Faso increased by 14 percent.
The three countries broader coverage is of strategic importance because it allows more African countries to become practitioners of biotech crops and be able to benefit directly from learning by doing, a practice which has been proved to be very important.
This is a remarkable achievement given that Africa is the continent with the greatest challenge on food production compared to other continents.
As South Africa continue to export their biotech agricultural products such as maize, researchers now say that Kenya too could be on the beneficiary list once it adopts the technology.
With the food insecurity already ravaging most parts of sub Saharan Africa hence forcing countries to import food mainly maize and beans, the application of biotechnology could be of a solution to pest and diseases that wipe out millions of crops yearly. Read More
You certainly get a different perspective about biotechnology in countries where so many people are starving. There are no Michael Pollan’s in Africa and the reason is that many people over there wonder where their next meal is coming from. Having the luxury to choose food that was raised in a certain way is a very foreign concept to people in Africa . Our country has the ability to help feed these people yet we have full-stomached protesters and activists that are trying to stop that from happening. This is why Pollan’s line of thinking is so out of touch with reality, a reality that too many people live with every day.
Monday, December 13, 2010
NE Gov Tells HSUS To Stay Out
Nebraska governor on HSUS: ‘We’re going to beat them’
December 9, 2010 by Ken Anderson
BrownfieldAgNews.com
The governor of Nebraska is sending a strong message to the Humane Society of the United States—if the animal rights group goes after the state’s livestock industry, it’s in for a fight.
“The Humane Society of the United States is anti-agriculture and they’re out to destroy animal agriculture—and if they want to come to Nebraska, we’re going to fight them and we’re going to beat them,” Heineman says. “Agriculture is the number one industry in this state. It’s what makes our economy so strong. I’m going to stand tall and this is a fight we won’t shy away from.”
In an interview with Brownfield after his speech to the Nebraska Cattlemen’s group in Kearney, Heineman made it clear that compromise is not an option.
“In Nebraska, no deal, no compromise—we’re going to stand up, we’re going to beat them,” he says. “They’d be better off going somewhere else because they’re going to lose if they stay in Nebraska.”
HSUS has recently become more active in Nebraska, hiring a state director and holding a town hall meeting in Lincoln. Link
It’s great to see our elected leaders stand up for their constituents against the lying bully that is the HSUS. Their efforts to eliminate animal agriculture are more apparent than ever and it’s being noticed. I would think it must be getting tougher for Pacelle to continue trying to sell his group as just an animal welfare group. You don’t see politicians coming out against worthy charities, just the fraudulent ones.
December 9, 2010 by Ken Anderson
BrownfieldAgNews.com
The governor of Nebraska is sending a strong message to the Humane Society of the United States—if the animal rights group goes after the state’s livestock industry, it’s in for a fight.
“The Humane Society of the United States is anti-agriculture and they’re out to destroy animal agriculture—and if they want to come to Nebraska, we’re going to fight them and we’re going to beat them,” Heineman says. “Agriculture is the number one industry in this state. It’s what makes our economy so strong. I’m going to stand tall and this is a fight we won’t shy away from.”
In an interview with Brownfield after his speech to the Nebraska Cattlemen’s group in Kearney, Heineman made it clear that compromise is not an option.
“In Nebraska, no deal, no compromise—we’re going to stand up, we’re going to beat them,” he says. “They’d be better off going somewhere else because they’re going to lose if they stay in Nebraska.”
HSUS has recently become more active in Nebraska, hiring a state director and holding a town hall meeting in Lincoln. Link
It’s great to see our elected leaders stand up for their constituents against the lying bully that is the HSUS. Their efforts to eliminate animal agriculture are more apparent than ever and it’s being noticed. I would think it must be getting tougher for Pacelle to continue trying to sell his group as just an animal welfare group. You don’t see politicians coming out against worthy charities, just the fraudulent ones.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Ag is the Foundation of our Society
Ag aiding economy
By: Jerry Hagstrom, Special to Agweek
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a Dec. 1 news conference, highlighted recently released trade and income statistics showing agriculture leading the country out of the recession.
Vilsack said USDA forecasts that U.S. farm exports in fiscal year 2011 will set a record high $126.5 billion, exceeding the fiscal year 2008, formerly the highest level on record at $114.9 billion.
Agriculture continues to be one of the only major sectors of the American economy with a trade surplus — which is expected to be $41 billion in this fiscal year, Vilsack noted. He said the forecast “demonstrates that the demand for U.S. food and agriculture around the world is stronger than ever,” with sales surging in China, Southeast Asia, North America and the Middle East. Read More
By: Jerry Hagstrom, Special to Agweek
WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in a Dec. 1 news conference, highlighted recently released trade and income statistics showing agriculture leading the country out of the recession.
Vilsack said USDA forecasts that U.S. farm exports in fiscal year 2011 will set a record high $126.5 billion, exceeding the fiscal year 2008, formerly the highest level on record at $114.9 billion.
Agriculture continues to be one of the only major sectors of the American economy with a trade surplus — which is expected to be $41 billion in this fiscal year, Vilsack noted. He said the forecast “demonstrates that the demand for U.S. food and agriculture around the world is stronger than ever,” with sales surging in China, Southeast Asia, North America and the Middle East. Read More
Agriculture truly is the foundation for our society, and that includes our economy. All wealth comes from the ground which is why a domestically raised food supply is so critical. The instant we start relying on someone else to grow our food our country will be in grave danger.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West
Three student filmmakers were recently given full access to makes short documentaries about the beef industry. As we travel across the country speaking about agriculture I continue to tell people they shouldn't ask Google about where their food comes from. They should ask the farmers and ranchers that grow it. These films offer an opportunity for everyone to learn about beef industry directly from the people involved.
Here's the first of three films I will be posting.
Here's the first of three films I will be posting.
The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West from ExploreBeef on Vimeo.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
HSUS Tries Fooling Nebraska Livestock Producers
Humane Society: Not ‘anti-ag'
By Leslie Reed
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
LINCOLN — The Humane Society of the U.S. has no plans to conduct a petition drive in Nebraska aimed at treatment of farm animals, the group's president and chief executive officer said here Sunday.
But Wayne Pacelle said his group still will continue to work to eliminate tight confinement practices on farms and ranches.
“We are not anti-agriculture,” Pacelle said. “We want animals to be able to stand up, lie down and turn around. That is not a sweeping agenda.”
Some of the agriculture representatives said they remain wary of Pacelle's group, despite his conciliatory tone.
Mark McHargue, a Central City, Neb., pork producer and a director of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, said he remains skeptical of the HSUS's motives. McHargue said he uses gestation crates to house pregnant sows on his hog farm. He said he believes the crates are a humane way to handle animals that would fight and harm one another if they weren't restrained. Working without the crates also would increase his cost of production.
“You heard a lot of frustration and anxiety tonight about what's happened in other states,” McHargue said. “There's no reason to think that what happened in other states won't happen in Nebraska.” Read More
By Leslie Reed
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
LINCOLN — The Humane Society of the U.S. has no plans to conduct a petition drive in Nebraska aimed at treatment of farm animals, the group's president and chief executive officer said here Sunday.
But Wayne Pacelle said his group still will continue to work to eliminate tight confinement practices on farms and ranches.
“We are not anti-agriculture,” Pacelle said. “We want animals to be able to stand up, lie down and turn around. That is not a sweeping agenda.”
Some of the agriculture representatives said they remain wary of Pacelle's group, despite his conciliatory tone.
Mark McHargue, a Central City, Neb., pork producer and a director of the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation, said he remains skeptical of the HSUS's motives. McHargue said he uses gestation crates to house pregnant sows on his hog farm. He said he believes the crates are a humane way to handle animals that would fight and harm one another if they weren't restrained. Working without the crates also would increase his cost of production.
“You heard a lot of frustration and anxiety tonight about what's happened in other states,” McHargue said. “There's no reason to think that what happened in other states won't happen in Nebraska.” Read More
These farmers and ranchers that believe the HSUS is a friend to them really struggle with reality. One look at the recipe section on their website shows you what their true goals are. Never once does it say anything about eating meat, milk and eggs grown in certain conditions. It states that using animals as a source of food is cruel. I’m not sure how Pacelle can say that he isn’t anti-ag with a straight face. The only way he can keep his professional fundraising organization afloat is to keep creating one crisis after another directed at agriculture.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Ag Mag
Published November 02 2010
Ag Mag redesigned, now available to N.D. teachers
Jamestown Sun
North Dakota Ag Mag, a teaching tool that provides information about agriculture to thousands of North Dakota students, has a new look.
“Corn is the subject of the first full-color issue of Ag Mag,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “Corn is an increasingly important crop in our state, and this new magazine will help young people better understand the history of corn, how it is produced and the many uses we have for corn.”
Goehring said he hopes more teachers in grades 3, 4 and 5 will take advantage of the free subscriptions to Ag Mag.
“Ag Mag reinforces what teachers are already doing in the classroom,” he said. “It helps teachers integrate information about North Dakota agriculture across curriculum in science, math, language arts, social studies, and other classes.” Read More
Having some type of “Ag Mag” available for school teachers is vitally important. I’ve had friends whose kids have brought home material from the HSUS from school. When these parents have questioned the teachers about why, the answer is usually the same. It was free for them to use and they didn’t know that the HSUS is the world’s wealthiest animal rights group. The next thing the teacher asks is if there’s something they can use that correctly teaches about farming and ranching. That’s when we need to be able to provide them with something like the Ag Mag
Ag Mag redesigned, now available to N.D. teachers
Jamestown Sun
North Dakota Ag Mag, a teaching tool that provides information about agriculture to thousands of North Dakota students, has a new look.
“Corn is the subject of the first full-color issue of Ag Mag,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “Corn is an increasingly important crop in our state, and this new magazine will help young people better understand the history of corn, how it is produced and the many uses we have for corn.”
Goehring said he hopes more teachers in grades 3, 4 and 5 will take advantage of the free subscriptions to Ag Mag.
“Ag Mag reinforces what teachers are already doing in the classroom,” he said. “It helps teachers integrate information about North Dakota agriculture across curriculum in science, math, language arts, social studies, and other classes.” Read More
Having some type of “Ag Mag” available for school teachers is vitally important. I’ve had friends whose kids have brought home material from the HSUS from school. When these parents have questioned the teachers about why, the answer is usually the same. It was free for them to use and they didn’t know that the HSUS is the world’s wealthiest animal rights group. The next thing the teacher asks is if there’s something they can use that correctly teaches about farming and ranching. That’s when we need to be able to provide them with something like the Ag Mag
Friday, October 29, 2010
Balanced Diets Best
Vegetarians at risk of brain disorders
IANS, Oct 28, 2010, 02.36pm IST
TimesOfIndia.com
Vegetarians are at an early risk of mental disorder such as dementia and alzheimer's as they develop a Vitamin B-12 deficiency, doctors said here Wednesday.
Fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, milk and their by-products are some of the biggest sources of Vitamin B-12.
"Deficiency of Vitamin B-12 can reduce working capacity of the brain and result in progressive memory loss that has an impact on day to day activities," Praveen Gupta, consultant neurologist at Artemis Health Institute in Gurgaon, said in an Interview.
"Since majority of the Indian population is vegetarian and milk consumption has reduced considerably, they are more prone to early onset of dementia. Those who suffer from lactose intolerance are also at risk," Gupta explained.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India had nearly 3.5 million alzheimer's and dementia patients in the year 2000.
"We see at least 30 patients under the age of 40 every month -- suffering from memory loss and other manifestations due to deficiency of vitamin B-12. Once diagnosed, these patients respond very well to vitamin B-12 supplements," Gupta added. Read More
IANS, Oct 28, 2010, 02.36pm IST
TimesOfIndia.com
Vegetarians are at an early risk of mental disorder such as dementia and alzheimer's as they develop a Vitamin B-12 deficiency, doctors said here Wednesday.
Fish, shellfish, meat, eggs, milk and their by-products are some of the biggest sources of Vitamin B-12.
"Deficiency of Vitamin B-12 can reduce working capacity of the brain and result in progressive memory loss that has an impact on day to day activities," Praveen Gupta, consultant neurologist at Artemis Health Institute in Gurgaon, said in an Interview.
"Since majority of the Indian population is vegetarian and milk consumption has reduced considerably, they are more prone to early onset of dementia. Those who suffer from lactose intolerance are also at risk," Gupta explained.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), India had nearly 3.5 million alzheimer's and dementia patients in the year 2000.
"We see at least 30 patients under the age of 40 every month -- suffering from memory loss and other manifestations due to deficiency of vitamin B-12. Once diagnosed, these patients respond very well to vitamin B-12 supplements," Gupta added. Read More
Eating a balanced diet that includes meat and dairy products has been proven time and again to be the best diet for people. But diet alone doesn’t determine your health. There’s a little thing called exercise that also plays an important factor. Many critics of our food supply conveniently seem to forget that.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
mikeroweWORKS.com Helping Share Our Story
I just wanted to say a quick thank you to the team over at http://www.mikeroweworks.com/ for volunteering to help us share the story of the American Farmer and Rancher. Mike Rowe and the entire team are certainly big supporters of the hard working men and women that make this country what it is.
I really appreciate them posting my blog article on the Farm American project. If you haven't seen it yet you need to check it out. http://www.mikeroweworks.com/2010/10/farm-american/
I really appreciate them posting my blog article on the Farm American project. If you haven't seen it yet you need to check it out. http://www.mikeroweworks.com/2010/10/farm-american/
Monday, October 25, 2010
Farm American
We’ve been saying it for a long time in agriculture, we need to be proactive in our efforts to educate the consumer about domestic food production and the farmers and ranchers that grow it rather than being reactive to the latest inaccurate accusations from an anti-ag group. There’s not a better way to do this than to tell our story one person at a time and let consumers get to know us, let them meet a real farmer or rancher. But we’ve also talked about how great it would be to tell our story on a bigger stage to a bigger audience. With limited resources and opportunities it hasn’t happened yet, however, that is about to change.
I truly believe that the opportunity we have been looking for has just landed in our lap. Even more amazing than that is it’s coming from someone with no ties to agriculture at all yet he realizes the important job that farmers and ranchers have and wants to help tell the story of the 21st century agriculturalist. His name is Barney Visser and he owns the Furniture Row chain of furniture stores. Like most farmers and ranchers, Visser is a self-made man and a great example of what you can achieve with hard work. He started with a single store in Denver selling an invention of his called the bean bag chair. That single store turned into the fastest growing furniture chain today which includes brands like Denver Mattress and Oak Express.
Visser recently formed the Furniture Row Racing NASCAR team but unlike most teams he wanted to use his to promote worthwhile causes when possible. When he was presented with the idea of promoting the American farmer and rancher he knew it was the right thing to do. At one time he had 800 employees in Colorado making furniture for him. Unfortunately he had to eventually close it down though because he couldn’t compete with less expensive imports. Reflecting back on that experience Visser stated that it was bad enough he now has to get his furniture from overseas, the last thing he wanted is his food coming from there. So over the past year he has spent millions of his own money developing the Farm American project.
The Farm American project has several facets to it. Visser has generously offered to turn the Furniture Row Racing team into the Farm American team. The Farm American car ran at three Sprint Cup races this year and we were fortunate enough to be at the final running a few weeks ago in Fontana, CA where we got to meet Visser and his family and the entire race crew. The paint scheme is beautiful on the car and really stands out among the rest of the field because it’s not cluttered with advertisements. Along with this, we want to develop a traveling interactive display that would be set up in the Fan Zone at every race. It would include having local farmers and ranchers there to share with consumers what they do, a real farmers market, farm machinery simulators and other great teaching tools. Research has shown that this segment of the project can reach 33% of the American public every week.
The next phase of the plan also highlights the commitment and generosity of Barney Visser. He is going to allow us to use all of his retail locations across the country to promote farmers and ranchers as well. This will include in-store displays featuring local farmers and ranchers as well as promotional material included in their advertisements. Visser has even offered to re-paint all of his delivery trucks to match the paint scheme on the Farm American car. This would reach another 30% of the American public.
Finally, the Farm American car and traveling educational exhibit could be available for various other functions, including fairs and shows.
When you add it all up, this project could reach nearly 200 million people. That’s an astonishing number! Unfortunately, it will take some money to bring this project to it’s full potential. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Visser has already put a couple million dollars of his own money into it to get it off the ground. Now it’s time for agri-business to step up and help the farmers and ranchers they depend on to tell their story.
The Farm American project will need to raise $22 million in order to implement all of the components and operate for a full year. Now I know that seems like a big mountain to climb but in reality it’s not. When you think about the economic impact that agriculture has on this country and the importance of this issue, that’s a small price to pay to educate our consumers. It would be tough for individual farmers and ranchers to raise that kind of money so that’s why we need ag businesses to step up.
We need agri-business to realize that they need to become partners in our efforts to tell the real story of modern agriculture. It’s been great to see some companies realize this and trying to do what they can to help. For those, it’s their opportunity to become part of something even bigger than themselves. If there are companies out there that feel it’s not their responsibility to help tell this story, then they have a shockingly short-sighted view of what needs to be done. I plan on asking all of these companies, both privately and publicly, to help with this project. Their survival depends on our survival.
So what do we need from you? We need your voices. We need your passion. We need you to help share the story of the Farm American project so we can share the story of the American Farmer and Rancher with 200 million consumers. These ag businesses will need to hear from each and every one of you about why this is important. I am going to commit to giving my business to the companies that support this project and will encourage all of you to do the same. It's also important for me to stress that neither Visser or Furniture Row Racing will be profiting from this project. They are doing it because it's the right thing to do.
Above all else, we want this effort to stay very positive! The anti-ag groups like to stoop to that level on a regular basis. We don’t have to, our message speaks for itself. So thank you in advance for keeping all of your comments very positive and helping us make this incredible project a reality.
Let me know if you have any ideas, comments or questions and stay tuned for more updates!
I truly believe that the opportunity we have been looking for has just landed in our lap. Even more amazing than that is it’s coming from someone with no ties to agriculture at all yet he realizes the important job that farmers and ranchers have and wants to help tell the story of the 21st century agriculturalist. His name is Barney Visser and he owns the Furniture Row chain of furniture stores. Like most farmers and ranchers, Visser is a self-made man and a great example of what you can achieve with hard work. He started with a single store in Denver selling an invention of his called the bean bag chair. That single store turned into the fastest growing furniture chain today which includes brands like Denver Mattress and Oak Express.
Visser recently formed the Furniture Row Racing NASCAR team but unlike most teams he wanted to use his to promote worthwhile causes when possible. When he was presented with the idea of promoting the American farmer and rancher he knew it was the right thing to do. At one time he had 800 employees in Colorado making furniture for him. Unfortunately he had to eventually close it down though because he couldn’t compete with less expensive imports. Reflecting back on that experience Visser stated that it was bad enough he now has to get his furniture from overseas, the last thing he wanted is his food coming from there. So over the past year he has spent millions of his own money developing the Farm American project.
The Farm American project has several facets to it. Visser has generously offered to turn the Furniture Row Racing team into the Farm American team. The Farm American car ran at three Sprint Cup races this year and we were fortunate enough to be at the final running a few weeks ago in Fontana, CA where we got to meet Visser and his family and the entire race crew. The paint scheme is beautiful on the car and really stands out among the rest of the field because it’s not cluttered with advertisements. Along with this, we want to develop a traveling interactive display that would be set up in the Fan Zone at every race. It would include having local farmers and ranchers there to share with consumers what they do, a real farmers market, farm machinery simulators and other great teaching tools. Research has shown that this segment of the project can reach 33% of the American public every week.
The next phase of the plan also highlights the commitment and generosity of Barney Visser. He is going to allow us to use all of his retail locations across the country to promote farmers and ranchers as well. This will include in-store displays featuring local farmers and ranchers as well as promotional material included in their advertisements. Visser has even offered to re-paint all of his delivery trucks to match the paint scheme on the Farm American car. This would reach another 30% of the American public.
Finally, the Farm American car and traveling educational exhibit could be available for various other functions, including fairs and shows.
When you add it all up, this project could reach nearly 200 million people. That’s an astonishing number! Unfortunately, it will take some money to bring this project to it’s full potential. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Visser has already put a couple million dollars of his own money into it to get it off the ground. Now it’s time for agri-business to step up and help the farmers and ranchers they depend on to tell their story.
The Farm American project will need to raise $22 million in order to implement all of the components and operate for a full year. Now I know that seems like a big mountain to climb but in reality it’s not. When you think about the economic impact that agriculture has on this country and the importance of this issue, that’s a small price to pay to educate our consumers. It would be tough for individual farmers and ranchers to raise that kind of money so that’s why we need ag businesses to step up.
We need agri-business to realize that they need to become partners in our efforts to tell the real story of modern agriculture. It’s been great to see some companies realize this and trying to do what they can to help. For those, it’s their opportunity to become part of something even bigger than themselves. If there are companies out there that feel it’s not their responsibility to help tell this story, then they have a shockingly short-sighted view of what needs to be done. I plan on asking all of these companies, both privately and publicly, to help with this project. Their survival depends on our survival.
So what do we need from you? We need your voices. We need your passion. We need you to help share the story of the Farm American project so we can share the story of the American Farmer and Rancher with 200 million consumers. These ag businesses will need to hear from each and every one of you about why this is important. I am going to commit to giving my business to the companies that support this project and will encourage all of you to do the same. It's also important for me to stress that neither Visser or Furniture Row Racing will be profiting from this project. They are doing it because it's the right thing to do.
Above all else, we want this effort to stay very positive! The anti-ag groups like to stoop to that level on a regular basis. We don’t have to, our message speaks for itself. So thank you in advance for keeping all of your comments very positive and helping us make this incredible project a reality.
Let me know if you have any ideas, comments or questions and stay tuned for more updates!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Activists Threaten Food Supply
Ruling Imperils Sugar Production
By BILL TOMSON
Wall Street Journal
U.S. sugar production will be cut by about 20% if farmers are banned from planting genetically modified beets next year, according to data prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of a court case over whether to continue allowing the practice.
Genetically modified beets have come to account for 95% of the U.S. sugar-beet crop in the five years since they were approved by the Agriculture Department. But in August, a judge threw out the USDA's initial approval for the use of genetically modified seeds, saying it hadn't done enough research into the environmental impact. The department says the studies the judge required will take about two years.
That triggered concerns there wouldn't be enough traditional sugar-beet seeds for next spring's planting season, as many seed producers had switched to genetically modified varieties. It takes about two years to produce seeds.
Sugar beets, from which sugar is processed, will account for about 60% of domestic U.S. production this year.
If farmers can't plant genetically modified seeds next spring, a shortage of traditional seeds would likely cut 1.6 million tons from next year's sugar-beet crop, according to a declaration by the USDA prepared by Daniel Colacicco, director of the department's dairy and sweetener analysis group. The government has forecast next year's crop at 8.1 million tons. Read More
By BILL TOMSON
Wall Street Journal
U.S. sugar production will be cut by about 20% if farmers are banned from planting genetically modified beets next year, according to data prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of a court case over whether to continue allowing the practice.
Genetically modified beets have come to account for 95% of the U.S. sugar-beet crop in the five years since they were approved by the Agriculture Department. But in August, a judge threw out the USDA's initial approval for the use of genetically modified seeds, saying it hadn't done enough research into the environmental impact. The department says the studies the judge required will take about two years.
That triggered concerns there wouldn't be enough traditional sugar-beet seeds for next spring's planting season, as many seed producers had switched to genetically modified varieties. It takes about two years to produce seeds.
Sugar beets, from which sugar is processed, will account for about 60% of domestic U.S. production this year.
If farmers can't plant genetically modified seeds next spring, a shortage of traditional seeds would likely cut 1.6 million tons from next year's sugar-beet crop, according to a declaration by the USDA prepared by Daniel Colacicco, director of the department's dairy and sweetener analysis group. The government has forecast next year's crop at 8.1 million tons. Read More
This falls in line with the typical “shoot first, ask questions later” approach by anti-ag groups in their efforts to force agriculture to change without looking at the consequences. Many of these groups have a similar philosophy to roll ag back 100 years in it’s technology use. What they don’t realize is that these types of things reduce our ability to grow food at the exact time we need to be increasing our output. All of these efforts come from people that live very comfortably and don’t worry about being able to afford food. Those that live on a budget or don’t know where their next meal is coming from would certainly disagree with these elitist attacks on our food production system.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
OH Livestock Board Drafts First Proposal
Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 1:21pm EDT
Ohio's Livestock Care board drafts 1st set of rules
http://www.bizjournals.com/
The voter-approved Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board is taking its first steps in drafting new rules to govern the treatment of animals in the state.
The board this week voted to create new standards on livestock euthanasia, marking the first time such guidelines have been established in Ohio. Specifics of the new euthanasia rules must be OK’d by a committee before going into effect and are posted here for a two-week public comment period.
The proposed euthanasia rules not only define the term itself but establish acceptable methods for horses, chickens, pigs, cattle and other farm animals based on weight and other conditions. Violators are subject to civil penalties, according to the approved draft.
The issue of more humane methods of euthanasia for animals in the state was a key sticking point in a standoff between state officials and the Humane Society of the U.S., which earlier this year was planning a ballot issue that would have bound the Livestock Care Standards Board to implement specific rules if passed. The activist group and state officials brokered a compromise in June that kept the issue from heading to the ballot and ensured the board, created with voter approval last year, would hand down regulations on dog breeding kennels, cockfighting and exotic animals. The state also has agreed to phase out so-called gestation crates used by the pork industry.
Robert Boggs, director of the state Agriculture Department, said in a release that the proposed euthanasia rules are designed to be “clear and practical for Ohio’s livestock producers.” Link
Ohio's Livestock Care board drafts 1st set of rules
http://www.bizjournals.com/
The voter-approved Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board is taking its first steps in drafting new rules to govern the treatment of animals in the state.
The board this week voted to create new standards on livestock euthanasia, marking the first time such guidelines have been established in Ohio. Specifics of the new euthanasia rules must be OK’d by a committee before going into effect and are posted here for a two-week public comment period.
The proposed euthanasia rules not only define the term itself but establish acceptable methods for horses, chickens, pigs, cattle and other farm animals based on weight and other conditions. Violators are subject to civil penalties, according to the approved draft.
The issue of more humane methods of euthanasia for animals in the state was a key sticking point in a standoff between state officials and the Humane Society of the U.S., which earlier this year was planning a ballot issue that would have bound the Livestock Care Standards Board to implement specific rules if passed. The activist group and state officials brokered a compromise in June that kept the issue from heading to the ballot and ensured the board, created with voter approval last year, would hand down regulations on dog breeding kennels, cockfighting and exotic animals. The state also has agreed to phase out so-called gestation crates used by the pork industry.
Robert Boggs, director of the state Agriculture Department, said in a release that the proposed euthanasia rules are designed to be “clear and practical for Ohio’s livestock producers.” Link
These are the first regulations to come out of the newly formed Livestock Care Board. Regardless of how beneficial they are for farmers and ranchers, what remains to be seen is if the HSUS will approve of them. From here on out, any regulations the board approves will also have to be approved by the HSUS or they will start reminding everyone how they have enough signatures to go back to the ballot and force whatever they see fit. There are certainly differing opinions about the compromise that was made in June but we do know one thing for sure, HSUS will hold the state hostage until they get everything they want. Like a gun to Ohio ’s head, those ill-gotten signatures will have more affect on the outcome of Ohio
Monday, October 4, 2010
A Great Weekend
Being involved with the National Beef Ambassador Contest this past weekend was a great time! Eighteen of the most talented young leaders in the beef industry were in Rapid City to show off their knowledge and passion for this great segment of agriculture. While every one of them would have done a fantastic job representing beef producers, the field was whittled down to five.
Your 2011 National Beef Ambassadors are Kelli Fulkerson from Michigan, Maddy Ruble from Minnesota, Jessica Sweet from Callifornia, Austin Joyce from Texas, and Kristen Stufft from Pennsylvania. I'm looking forward to following these great young leaders as they travel around the country telling the great story of agriculture and the beef industry.
It was an honor to help judge this competition and to speak at the awards breakfast. Hopefully we inspired the contestants as much as they inspired us over the weekend. The future of our industry is in great hands.
Your 2011 National Beef Ambassadors are Kelli Fulkerson from Michigan, Maddy Ruble from Minnesota, Jessica Sweet from Callifornia, Austin Joyce from Texas, and Kristen Stufft from Pennsylvania. I'm looking forward to following these great young leaders as they travel around the country telling the great story of agriculture and the beef industry.
It was an honor to help judge this competition and to speak at the awards breakfast. Hopefully we inspired the contestants as much as they inspired us over the weekend. The future of our industry is in great hands.
Friday, October 1, 2010
EPA's Anti-Ag Agenda
NCBA Blasts EPA for Anti-Agriculture Agenda
09/30/2010
by Gary Truitt
The National Cattleman’s Beef Association has launched a series of blistering allegations against the Environmental Protection Agency. Last week EPA administrator Lisa Jackson testified before the Senate Ag Committee that her agency is not out to get American agriculture. But, this week National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Environmental Counsel Tamara Thies accused the agency of trying to put the cattle industry out of business, “It is ironic that as we strive to become less dependent on imported oil the policies of the Obama administration are likely to make us more dependent on imported beef.” She accused the EPA of waging a war to bring an end to production agriculture, “EPA exhibits reckless indifference to scientific fact, and instead imposes stringent regulations based on nothing more than its biased, anti-animal agriculture agenda that will leave many cattle operations with no recourse but to shut down.”
Speaking on Wednesday at a forum focused on the impact of EPA regulations on job creation and economic growth in the nation’s rural communities, Thies told members of the Rural America Solutions Group that EPA’s regulations will result in a loss of jobs, just the opposite of what the White House says they want to do. She said EPA regulations are causing economic uncertainty in the cattle industry and throughout rural American because they are “vague, overreaching, costly, unnecessarily burdensome, ludicrous, and sometimes illegal.” Read More
09/30/2010
by Gary Truitt
The National Cattleman’s Beef Association has launched a series of blistering allegations against the Environmental Protection Agency. Last week EPA administrator Lisa Jackson testified before the Senate Ag Committee that her agency is not out to get American agriculture. But, this week National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Chief Environmental Counsel Tamara Thies accused the agency of trying to put the cattle industry out of business, “It is ironic that as we strive to become less dependent on imported oil the policies of the Obama administration are likely to make us more dependent on imported beef.” She accused the EPA of waging a war to bring an end to production agriculture, “EPA exhibits reckless indifference to scientific fact, and instead imposes stringent regulations based on nothing more than its biased, anti-animal agriculture agenda that will leave many cattle operations with no recourse but to shut down.”
Speaking on Wednesday at a forum focused on the impact of EPA regulations on job creation and economic growth in the nation’s rural communities, Thies told members of the Rural America Solutions Group that EPA’s regulations will result in a loss of jobs, just the opposite of what the White House says they want to do. She said EPA regulations are causing economic uncertainty in the cattle industry and throughout rural American because they are “vague, overreaching, costly, unnecessarily burdensome, ludicrous, and sometimes illegal.” Read More
The mentality at the EPA is that everything humans do is inherently damaging to the environment and that their job is to continually come up with more “solutions” to these problems. It’s beginning to look like the EPA is more of a threat to the people of this country than people are to the environment. This has never been more apparent that it is now with their goals of regulating dust.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Farm Aid No Friend To Farmers
Farm Aid and fresh food
JSOnline.com
Sept. 26, 2010
(0) COMMENTS
Come for the music and for the farmers. Farm Aid 25 takes over Miller Park on Saturday with a daylong lineup of iconic stars from Willie Nelson to Neil Young.
The event's mission is to help the American family farmer, so there will be plenty of information on the plight of those farmers and on farming in the 21st century. Locally grown food will be brought in to let you sample the best Wisconsin farm produce right next door. Read More
JSOnline.com
Sept. 26, 2010
(0) COMMENTS
Come for the music and for the farmers. Farm Aid 25 takes over Miller Park on Saturday with a daylong lineup of iconic stars from Willie Nelson to Neil Young.
The event's mission is to help the American family farmer, so there will be plenty of information on the plight of those farmers and on farming in the 21st century. Locally grown food will be brought in to let you sample the best Wisconsin farm produce right next door. Read More
It’s really frustrating to see Farm Aid claim to help the American family farmer. The truth is that they only support some types of farming and they try to demonize the family farms that don’t like. Honestly, their website reads more like an anti-agriculture group than anything that supports farmers and ranchers. For instance, they actively use the term “factory farm” in an attempt to confuse consumers about the truth of modern technology used in agriculture. They have even been supporting efforts to ban the use of antibiotics in livestock. In some twisted way they think these kinds of things help farmers and ranchers. With friends like this, who needs enemies?
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