December 5, 2009
Delaware education: The new hot major? Agriculture Program offers diverse job opportunities for grads
By RACHEL KIPP
The News Journal
Kishana Williamson loves dolphins and, strangely enough, the marine mammals are the reason the University of Delaware senior spends her days studying chickens.
Williamson expected to study marine science in college. But once she got there, she realized that "marine science was more about the ocean than the animals." The programs that best fit her interests were animal science and wildlife conservation, both of which are part of the school's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
"When I got into college, I had no idea I'd end up in agriculture," said Williamson, 21, who is working on research related to avian influenza and other diseases that can be passed from animals to humans and vice versa. "When I got here I was like 'Ag? No wait. ...' "
In Delaware and across the country, enrollments in agriculture schools are on the rise. Nationally, enrollment in bachelor's degree programs in agriculture jumped 21.8 percent between 2005 and 2008, from about 58,300 students to nearly 71,000, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Many of the students have stories similar to Williamson's. She grew up in the decidedly nonrural New York City suburb of Teaneck, N.J., and, although she and fellow agriculture students spend class and research time on the school's working farm, she has no plans to become a farmer.
Students are drawn to agriculture school by an interest in science, but many are drawn to the fact that, even in this economy, companies working on such things as developing renewable fuels from organic material are still hiring. Read More
It’s fun and exciting to see how many young people get excited about agriculture when they finally realize that it’s more than Old MacDonald’s Farm. Many people have never thought to themselves that their very survival is dependent on agriculture. Humankind’s biggest challenge moving forward is trying to figure out how to feed everyone. We are going to need the best and brightest we have to offer working on the solutions if we want to be successful.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Barbi Twins Talk About Feral Horse Issue
The Barbi Twins speak out against BLM wild horse roundup
December 5, 11:53 PM Animal Welfare Examiner Reedu Taha
The Barbi Twins are joining others such as Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson, in calling on the federal government to halt roundups of wild horses in the West, insisting they are cruel and unnecessary.
The identical twin models turned animal rights activists have asked President Barack Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to permanently stop the roundup of over 2,500 wild horses in northwestern Nevada.
“We grew up on a ranch with thoroughbred horses that we raised, and before we rose to fame in the 90’s, we used to train horses and teach riding at Malibu Riding Club,” said Shane and Sia Barbi, talking about their infinite love for the animal. “Horses have been native to the wild west for 10,000 years. It is so important that people be proactive and call the Interior State Department and tell them we want the land back for what it was intended for, the wild horses.”
According to In Defense of Animals, a non-profit animal rights organization founded by a veterinarian, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the government agency within the Department of the Interior responsible for administering and enforcing the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Read More
It seems as though the Barbi twins are a little confused about the story they are trying to tell here. The horses we are dealing with are not wild horses, they are feral horses. Horses did not exist here until humans brought them. Anytime you hear the term “wild horses” that is an incorrect description. The idea that we can just leave these feral horses alone and everything will be fine is naïve at best. Their populations are way too high for their environment. Either we will be seeing thousands of starving horses very soon, or a massive disease will knock the population way down. That is how Mother Nature will manage them if we don’t.
December 5, 11:53 PM Animal Welfare Examiner Reedu Taha
The Barbi Twins are joining others such as Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson, in calling on the federal government to halt roundups of wild horses in the West, insisting they are cruel and unnecessary.
The identical twin models turned animal rights activists have asked President Barack Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to permanently stop the roundup of over 2,500 wild horses in northwestern Nevada.
“We grew up on a ranch with thoroughbred horses that we raised, and before we rose to fame in the 90’s, we used to train horses and teach riding at Malibu Riding Club,” said Shane and Sia Barbi, talking about their infinite love for the animal. “Horses have been native to the wild west for 10,000 years. It is so important that people be proactive and call the Interior State Department and tell them we want the land back for what it was intended for, the wild horses.”
According to In Defense of Animals, a non-profit animal rights organization founded by a veterinarian, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the government agency within the Department of the Interior responsible for administering and enforcing the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. Read More
It seems as though the Barbi twins are a little confused about the story they are trying to tell here. The horses we are dealing with are not wild horses, they are feral horses. Horses did not exist here until humans brought them. Anytime you hear the term “wild horses” that is an incorrect description. The idea that we can just leave these feral horses alone and everything will be fine is naïve at best. Their populations are way too high for their environment. Either we will be seeing thousands of starving horses very soon, or a massive disease will knock the population way down. That is how Mother Nature will manage them if we don’t.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
CHS New Leaders Institute
We had a great morning presenting to the New Leaders Institute at the CHS Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. It was a diverse group that represented many different states, but there was the common bond of agriculture that certainly made us feel right at home and excited to share our message.
My favorite part of getting to present to groups like this is when we have the chance to visit with so many of the audience members afterwards. All of them have great questions to ask and stories of their own to share. It's always exciting to hear so many of them tell us that we have inspired them and given them the tools to become advocates for agriculture.
There is no doubt that this group will be doing some fantastic things from here on out and we can't wait to hear about them.
I hope everyone has a great day and that you find an opportunity to share your story with someone today.
Troy
My favorite part of getting to present to groups like this is when we have the chance to visit with so many of the audience members afterwards. All of them have great questions to ask and stories of their own to share. It's always exciting to hear so many of them tell us that we have inspired them and given them the tools to become advocates for agriculture.
There is no doubt that this group will be doing some fantastic things from here on out and we can't wait to hear about them.
I hope everyone has a great day and that you find an opportunity to share your story with someone today.
Troy
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
MO Livestock Owners Working Together
Cattlemen react to HSUS “puppy mill” proposal
December 1, 2009 by Julie Harker Brownfield Ag News
The Missouri State Director of the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) has filed two proposed initiative petitions cracking down on so-called “puppy mills” in the state. The petitions, filed by Barbara Schmitz of St. Louis, are under review by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. The proposed “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act” proposes limiting to 50 the number of covered dogs a breeder can own and the offspring of which they could sell as pets.
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association executive director Jeff Windett tells Brownfield it’s an attempt by HSUS to eventually try and restrict animal agriculture in the state…
“As most people know, once they initiate something like this and get it into law, it’s very easy to go back and change the wording to include livestock.”
Windett says Missouri isn’t going to let that happen, “I think we have demonstrated over the past couple of years at least that we’ve beat back HSUS and several of their initiatives within the legislative session.”
Windett says all the ag commodity groups and major farm organizations in the state have formed the Missouri Animal Ag Coalition – which will fight any efforts by HSUS to limit animal agriculture production, “We recognize the fact that we have to stick together. It’s going to take all of our talents and resources to be able to mount a public relations campaign with the public.”
Windett wouldn’t say whether Missouri would pursue a measure similar to Ohio’s successful Issue Two, but he did say the coalition has meetings planned right away to work on their strategy.
HSUS tells Brownfield the organization has “no comments to offer on the ballot initiative” at this time. Link
Congratulations to the livestock owners of Missouri realizing the need to get involved in this issue. It’s naïve of folks to assume that HSUS will do anything other than try including livestock in a bill like this in the future. While some people try to scoff at the slippery slope argument, I’m not willing the bet my family’s future that it won’t happen. Taking action together and doing it right away is absolutely the best course of action.
December 1, 2009 by Julie Harker Brownfield Ag News
The Missouri State Director of the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) has filed two proposed initiative petitions cracking down on so-called “puppy mills” in the state. The petitions, filed by Barbara Schmitz of St. Louis, are under review by the Missouri Secretary of State’s office. The proposed “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act” proposes limiting to 50 the number of covered dogs a breeder can own and the offspring of which they could sell as pets.
Missouri Cattlemen’s Association executive director Jeff Windett tells Brownfield it’s an attempt by HSUS to eventually try and restrict animal agriculture in the state…
“As most people know, once they initiate something like this and get it into law, it’s very easy to go back and change the wording to include livestock.”
Windett says Missouri isn’t going to let that happen, “I think we have demonstrated over the past couple of years at least that we’ve beat back HSUS and several of their initiatives within the legislative session.”
Windett says all the ag commodity groups and major farm organizations in the state have formed the Missouri Animal Ag Coalition – which will fight any efforts by HSUS to limit animal agriculture production, “We recognize the fact that we have to stick together. It’s going to take all of our talents and resources to be able to mount a public relations campaign with the public.”
Windett wouldn’t say whether Missouri would pursue a measure similar to Ohio’s successful Issue Two, but he did say the coalition has meetings planned right away to work on their strategy.
HSUS tells Brownfield the organization has “no comments to offer on the ballot initiative” at this time. Link
Congratulations to the livestock owners of Missouri realizing the need to get involved in this issue. It’s naïve of folks to assume that HSUS will do anything other than try including livestock in a bill like this in the future. While some people try to scoff at the slippery slope argument, I’m not willing the bet my family’s future that it won’t happen. Taking action together and doing it right away is absolutely the best course of action.
Complete Picture of Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotic Resistance: A Complete Picture
By Pork news staff Monday, November 30, 2009
It’s almost popular to point to antibiotic use in animal agriculture as the primary driver behind the antibiotic resistance phenomenon, but that’s falling short of the complete picture. According to a report by the American Academy of Microbiology, the causes of antibiotic resistance are varied and complex.
Suggesting that antibiotic resistance occurs mainly as a result of antibiotic abuse or misuse doesn’t accurately portray the complete picture. In a report called “Antibiotic Resistance: An Ecological Perspective on an Old Problem,” AAM indicates that even appropriate antibiotic use can contribute to the spread of resistance, underscoring the complexity of explaining its causes and the error in focusing on any one area.
According to the report, “There are no scapegoats.” The report is based on a colloquium that AAM brought together in October 2008.
“Responsibility is partly due to medical practice, including patient demand; veterinary practice; industrial practices; politics; and the antibiotics themselves. Ultimately, resistance development is founded in the inevitability of microbial evolution,” the report states.
It also states that antibiotic resistance is essentially uncontrollable. “Antibiotic resistance is an international pandemic that compromises the treatment of all infectious diseases,” it outlines.
LINK
When it comes to the discussion of antibiotic resistance, the low hanging fruit to attack is the use of antibiotics in livestock. For most of my life, anytime I have seen a situation like this where one particular use of a product is being singled out as the “problem”, it’s never worked out that way. And that’s what this report is confirming for us. It’s not just the fact that the farmers and ranchers use antibiotics for animal health, it’s every way that antibiotics have been used that is contributing to this emerging problem.
By Pork news staff Monday, November 30, 2009
It’s almost popular to point to antibiotic use in animal agriculture as the primary driver behind the antibiotic resistance phenomenon, but that’s falling short of the complete picture. According to a report by the American Academy of Microbiology, the causes of antibiotic resistance are varied and complex.
Suggesting that antibiotic resistance occurs mainly as a result of antibiotic abuse or misuse doesn’t accurately portray the complete picture. In a report called “Antibiotic Resistance: An Ecological Perspective on an Old Problem,” AAM indicates that even appropriate antibiotic use can contribute to the spread of resistance, underscoring the complexity of explaining its causes and the error in focusing on any one area.
According to the report, “There are no scapegoats.” The report is based on a colloquium that AAM brought together in October 2008.
“Responsibility is partly due to medical practice, including patient demand; veterinary practice; industrial practices; politics; and the antibiotics themselves. Ultimately, resistance development is founded in the inevitability of microbial evolution,” the report states.
It also states that antibiotic resistance is essentially uncontrollable. “Antibiotic resistance is an international pandemic that compromises the treatment of all infectious diseases,” it outlines.
LINK
When it comes to the discussion of antibiotic resistance, the low hanging fruit to attack is the use of antibiotics in livestock. For most of my life, anytime I have seen a situation like this where one particular use of a product is being singled out as the “problem”, it’s never worked out that way. And that’s what this report is confirming for us. It’s not just the fact that the farmers and ranchers use antibiotics for animal health, it’s every way that antibiotics have been used that is contributing to this emerging problem.
Monday, November 30, 2009
What I Did On My Thanksgiving Vacation
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, our friends from PETA held a protest in downtown Rapid City. Their goal was to show people that dairy cows are being abused by the farmers that own them. In addition to this, they were going to be wastefully dumping milk and encouraging everyone else to throw out their dairy products.
With only 24 hours notice, I was able to get several area ranchers to show up for the protest to make ourselves available for media interviews to share the true story of livestock production. Along with that, several ag organizations committed to donating milk to the local food pantry in response. In fact, so far there have been over 1000 gallons of milk (updated as of 12/8/09)committed for donation to food banks in South Dakota. Even though it turned out they weren’t dumping real milk, it’s reckless and irresponsible to suggest that people should waste food when there are some right here in our community that struggle to provide food for their families.
Even though none of the ranchers at the protest were dairy producers, they still showed up to let people know that the things PETA was saying weren’t accurate. I have friends that dairy and have been luck enough to tour several dairies all across the country. I have never seen the abuse and neglect that PETA claims is running rampant at these family farms.
Besides that, the things they were claiming didn’t even make sense. In fact Virginia Fort, the PETA representative at the protest, claimed that since we lived n the 21st century, we no longer needed to utilize any resources that livestock provide us. When asked where our food would come from, she claimed we could be farming the land that cows are currently grazing. I was proud of my brother-in-law when he countered with the question, “So you want us breaking up pristine, native rangeland to start farming it?” Her response was priceless. She said, we might as well break it up because we are letting cows poop on it anyhow. I asked if I could get her on video with that comment and a look of horror crossed her face. She said absolutely not, since she was realizing that she had said something more ridiculous than the standard claims they make.
At that point she declined to visit with us anymore. But as with everything you do in life, there are lessons to be learned. The first lesson is that we have to view these types of things as opportunities to teach people about agriculture. If we hadn’t been there, all of the local media would only have talked to the PETA protesters. Instead, almost without exception, more attention was given to the local farmers and ranchers and their stories than was given to the protesters. Along with that, through the donations to the food bank, we emphasized that not only do we care about our livestock, but we also care about our neighbors that live in our rural communities in South Dakota.
The other lesson that needs to be shared is that these protesters knew nothing about dairy production other than what was printed on their handouts. When we tried to have a conversation about what they were saying, they couldn’t do it. It drives home the point that farmers and ranchers are the experts. We are the ones with the first-hand, lifetime knowledge about agriculture. With modesty to a fault, it’s hard for most of us to go out and tell people that, but we need to. Our consumers want to go to a trusted source for their information about food production. We need to make sure that everyone knows we are the trusted source.
So the next time something like this happens in your region, treat it like an opportunity to tell your story. Agriculture was a big winner last Wednesday in South Dakota and it’s because PETA helped us do it.
Click here for some video of the event.
With only 24 hours notice, I was able to get several area ranchers to show up for the protest to make ourselves available for media interviews to share the true story of livestock production. Along with that, several ag organizations committed to donating milk to the local food pantry in response. In fact, so far there have been over 1000 gallons of milk (updated as of 12/8/09)committed for donation to food banks in South Dakota. Even though it turned out they weren’t dumping real milk, it’s reckless and irresponsible to suggest that people should waste food when there are some right here in our community that struggle to provide food for their families.
Even though none of the ranchers at the protest were dairy producers, they still showed up to let people know that the things PETA was saying weren’t accurate. I have friends that dairy and have been luck enough to tour several dairies all across the country. I have never seen the abuse and neglect that PETA claims is running rampant at these family farms.
Besides that, the things they were claiming didn’t even make sense. In fact Virginia Fort, the PETA representative at the protest, claimed that since we lived n the 21st century, we no longer needed to utilize any resources that livestock provide us. When asked where our food would come from, she claimed we could be farming the land that cows are currently grazing. I was proud of my brother-in-law when he countered with the question, “So you want us breaking up pristine, native rangeland to start farming it?” Her response was priceless. She said, we might as well break it up because we are letting cows poop on it anyhow. I asked if I could get her on video with that comment and a look of horror crossed her face. She said absolutely not, since she was realizing that she had said something more ridiculous than the standard claims they make.
At that point she declined to visit with us anymore. But as with everything you do in life, there are lessons to be learned. The first lesson is that we have to view these types of things as opportunities to teach people about agriculture. If we hadn’t been there, all of the local media would only have talked to the PETA protesters. Instead, almost without exception, more attention was given to the local farmers and ranchers and their stories than was given to the protesters. Along with that, through the donations to the food bank, we emphasized that not only do we care about our livestock, but we also care about our neighbors that live in our rural communities in South Dakota.
The other lesson that needs to be shared is that these protesters knew nothing about dairy production other than what was printed on their handouts. When we tried to have a conversation about what they were saying, they couldn’t do it. It drives home the point that farmers and ranchers are the experts. We are the ones with the first-hand, lifetime knowledge about agriculture. With modesty to a fault, it’s hard for most of us to go out and tell people that, but we need to. Our consumers want to go to a trusted source for their information about food production. We need to make sure that everyone knows we are the trusted source.
So the next time something like this happens in your region, treat it like an opportunity to tell your story. Agriculture was a big winner last Wednesday in South Dakota and it’s because PETA helped us do it.
Click here for some video of the event.
Ag Needs "Parallel Response"
Remaking agriculture's image: Time for a 'parallel response'
ROD SMITH
30 Nov, 2009 04:15 PM
TO get their message out today, food producers need to have an entirely new sense of urgency and need to use an entirely new set of alliances and tools, according to one specialist in issues management.
This requires first a desire to actually respond, then alliances with interests that are not traditional to agriculture, then capabilities to communicate plus outreach that transmit messages consistently, continuously and rapidly, explained George Clark, director of the issues and crisis group at Burson-Marsteller in Washington, D.C.
"The (communications) landscape has changed dramatically," he said, whereby a "story" can leap from a cell phone photo or video to YouTube in seconds, and food producers need "a parallel response".
F ood producers need this response because activism is occurring on a broader frequency that's more opposed to agriculture and conventional food production than ever, he said.
Furthermore, activists are taking their agendas directly to the media and public, which agriculture tends to avoid, Clark said, noting that this process begets funding and membership and creates support for the agendas.
Activists are in the conflict industry, he said - creating conflict to raise money to create more conflict to raise more money. Read More
I would take the suggestions in this article one step further and challenge farmers and ranchers to be engaged with our consumers long before an issue arises. If we can build those relationships and teach people about what we do, then when challenges for animal rights groups arise it becomes almost a non-issue. It also makes you a source of accurate information for consumers and the media when an issue arises, which will give you a great opportunity to share your story.
ROD SMITH
30 Nov, 2009 04:15 PM
TO get their message out today, food producers need to have an entirely new sense of urgency and need to use an entirely new set of alliances and tools, according to one specialist in issues management.
This requires first a desire to actually respond, then alliances with interests that are not traditional to agriculture, then capabilities to communicate plus outreach that transmit messages consistently, continuously and rapidly, explained George Clark, director of the issues and crisis group at Burson-Marsteller in Washington, D.C.
"The (communications) landscape has changed dramatically," he said, whereby a "story" can leap from a cell phone photo or video to YouTube in seconds, and food producers need "a parallel response".
F ood producers need this response because activism is occurring on a broader frequency that's more opposed to agriculture and conventional food production than ever, he said.
Furthermore, activists are taking their agendas directly to the media and public, which agriculture tends to avoid, Clark said, noting that this process begets funding and membership and creates support for the agendas.
Activists are in the conflict industry, he said - creating conflict to raise money to create more conflict to raise more money. Read More
I would take the suggestions in this article one step further and challenge farmers and ranchers to be engaged with our consumers long before an issue arises. If we can build those relationships and teach people about what we do, then when challenges for animal rights groups arise it becomes almost a non-issue. It also makes you a source of accurate information for consumers and the media when an issue arises, which will give you a great opportunity to share your story.
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