Sally Schuff
Feedstuffs
August 27, 2010
USDA will make all remarks made at the Ft. Collins livestock competition workshop part of the official comments to be considered on the proposed GIPSA rule, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said this morning.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
2,000 attend meat industry hearings with Vilsack at CSU [edited]
By Bill Jackson, Greeley, Colo.
The Fence Post
August 28, 2010
FORT COLLINS - A goal of creating a fair and competitive market for the livestock industry.
That was the intent of a meeting at Colorado State University Friday hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture, but by mid-day it became apparent that the livestock industry is a highly complicated one and finding a one-fit solution will not work.
The Fence Post
August 28, 2010
FORT COLLINS - A goal of creating a fair and competitive market for the livestock industry.
That was the intent of a meeting at Colorado State University Friday hosted by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture, but by mid-day it became apparent that the livestock industry is a highly complicated one and finding a one-fit solution will not work.
Ranchers split over new animal ID plan: USDA officials say proposal will be ready by April
By Matthew Weaver
Capital Press
August 26, 2010
PASCO, Wash. -- USDA officials say they hope by April to introduce a proposed rule laying out the states' roles in a new system for tracing animal diseases.
The department held its final public hearing on the new traceability plan -- formerly called the animal ID plan -- Aug. 24 in Pasco, Wash.
About 40 industry members and Washington State Department of Agriculture representatives were on hand, with most of the discussion focusing on cattle.
Neil Hammerschmidt, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service animal disease traceability program manager, said the department will evaluate feedback received through August, and he hopes to have a proposed rule published in April.
Capital Press
August 26, 2010
PASCO, Wash. -- USDA officials say they hope by April to introduce a proposed rule laying out the states' roles in a new system for tracing animal diseases.
The department held its final public hearing on the new traceability plan -- formerly called the animal ID plan -- Aug. 24 in Pasco, Wash.
About 40 industry members and Washington State Department of Agriculture representatives were on hand, with most of the discussion focusing on cattle.
Neil Hammerschmidt, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service animal disease traceability program manager, said the department will evaluate feedback received through August, and he hopes to have a proposed rule published in April.
Giving native grasses a helping hand against invaders
USDA reseachers have found that controlling juniper trees by cutting them down and burning them where they fall keeps invasive cheatgrass at bay and allows native perennials to become re-established, according to findings by ARS scientists. (8/27)
See the rest of the story at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100827.htm
See the rest of the story at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100827.htm
Test finds E. coli in beef faster, could better trace outbreaks
By Drovers news source
August 30, 2010
Infrared spectroscopy can detect E. coli faster than current testing methods and can cut days off investigations of outbreaks, according to a study at Purdue University.
Lisa Mauer, an associate professor of food science, detected E. coli in ground beef in one hour using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, much less than the 48 hours required for conventional plating technology, which requires culturing cells in a laboratory. Mauer said spectroscopy could be done in the same laboratories, just in much less time.
August 30, 2010
Infrared spectroscopy can detect E. coli faster than current testing methods and can cut days off investigations of outbreaks, according to a study at Purdue University.
Lisa Mauer, an associate professor of food science, detected E. coli in ground beef in one hour using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, much less than the 48 hours required for conventional plating technology, which requires culturing cells in a laboratory. Mauer said spectroscopy could be done in the same laboratories, just in much less time.
Friday, August 13, 2010
CDC Report Looks at Foods and Foodborne Agents Associated with Outbreaks in the United States
PRNewswire
August 12, 2010
ATLANTA -- A total of 1,097 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in 2007 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a CDC analysis. State investigators reported 21,244 illnesses and 18 deaths as a result of these outbreaks. The report also provides the most recent data on how many illnesses were linked to specific types of foods.
"Knowing more about what types of foods and foodborne agents have caused outbreaks can help guide public health and the food industry in developing measures to effectively control and prevent infections and help people stay healthy," said Chris Braden, acting director of the CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases.
August 12, 2010
ATLANTA -- A total of 1,097 foodborne disease outbreaks were reported in 2007 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a CDC analysis. State investigators reported 21,244 illnesses and 18 deaths as a result of these outbreaks. The report also provides the most recent data on how many illnesses were linked to specific types of foods.
"Knowing more about what types of foods and foodborne agents have caused outbreaks can help guide public health and the food industry in developing measures to effectively control and prevent infections and help people stay healthy," said Chris Braden, acting director of the CDC's Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases.
Blending Wind and Solar Meets Peak Energy Demands
By Don Comis
August 12, 2010
In parts of Texas and California, a good match between renewable energy production and peak energy demands could be obtained by combining wind power with solar power, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist.
A better blending of solar and wind power, combined with a way to store excess energy, should increase the use of renewable energy for California, Texas and the rest of the nation, according to a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) agricultural engineer Brian Vick at the agency's Renewable Energy and Manure Management Research Unit in Bushland, Texas. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
For the rest of the story go to: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100812.htm
August 12, 2010
In parts of Texas and California, a good match between renewable energy production and peak energy demands could be obtained by combining wind power with solar power, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientist.
A better blending of solar and wind power, combined with a way to store excess energy, should increase the use of renewable energy for California, Texas and the rest of the nation, according to a study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) agricultural engineer Brian Vick at the agency's Renewable Energy and Manure Management Research Unit in Bushland, Texas. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.
For the rest of the story go to: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100812.htm
Thursday, August 12, 2010
University of Nevada Searching for Livestock Specialist for NE Nevada
Follow this link for position description and information for application
https://www.unrsearch.com/postings/8301
https://www.unrsearch.com/postings/8301
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
National goat conference to be held in Florida in September
By LUISA YANEZ
Miami Herald
August 10, 2010
Goat meat production is recognized as one of the fastest growing areas of the livestock industry in the United States, as a diverse ethnic population has created a greater demand for it.
So it's fitting the marketing of goat meat would get its own conference.
Miami Herald
August 10, 2010
Goat meat production is recognized as one of the fastest growing areas of the livestock industry in the United States, as a diverse ethnic population has created a greater demand for it.
So it's fitting the marketing of goat meat would get its own conference.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
FSA launches investigation into offspring of cloned cow entering the food chain [UK - edited]
The Telegraph
August 4, 2010
The Food Standards Agency has launched an investigation into how the offspring of a cloned cow entered the food chain, it has been confirmed.
The FSA , the food industry watchdog, said two bulls born in the UK from embryos harvested from a cloned cow had been slaughtered, one of which "will have been eaten", while the other was stopped from entering the food chain.
August 4, 2010
The Food Standards Agency has launched an investigation into how the offspring of a cloned cow entered the food chain, it has been confirmed.
The FSA , the food industry watchdog, said two bulls born in the UK from embryos harvested from a cloned cow had been slaughtered, one of which "will have been eaten", while the other was stopped from entering the food chain.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
NCBA Lifetime Achievement Award to Temple Grandin
CattleNetwork.com
August 1, 2010
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) awarded Temple Grandin its coveted Lifetime Achievement Award on July 31, 2010, at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, Colo. Grandin is a world-renowned designer of livestock handling facilities; a professor of animal science at Colorado State University; and one of the world's most functioning autistics. The HBO production on Grandin's life afforded her the opportunity to make many appearances in Hollywood. She said the public's curiosity about livestock handling is an opportunity for ranchers to tell their story.
August 1, 2010
The National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) awarded Temple Grandin its coveted Lifetime Achievement Award on July 31, 2010, at the Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver, Colo. Grandin is a world-renowned designer of livestock handling facilities; a professor of animal science at Colorado State University; and one of the world's most functioning autistics. The HBO production on Grandin's life afforded her the opportunity to make many appearances in Hollywood. She said the public's curiosity about livestock handling is an opportunity for ranchers to tell their story.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Emerging E. coli Strain Causes Many Antimicrobial-Resistant Infections in U.S.
Infectious Diseases Society of America Press Release
July 30, 2010
A new, drug-resistant strain of E. coli is causing serious disease, according to a new study, now available online, in the August 1, 2010 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The new strain, ST131, was a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States in 2007, researchers found. This strain has been reported in multiple countries and encountered all over the United States. In the study, researchers analyzed resistant E. coli isolates collected during 2007 from hospitalized patients across the country. They identified 54 ST131 isolates, which accounted for 67 percent to 69 percent of E. coli isolates exhibiting fluoroquinolone or extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance.
July 30, 2010
A new, drug-resistant strain of E. coli is causing serious disease, according to a new study, now available online, in the August 1, 2010 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
The new strain, ST131, was a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States in 2007, researchers found. This strain has been reported in multiple countries and encountered all over the United States. In the study, researchers analyzed resistant E. coli isolates collected during 2007 from hospitalized patients across the country. They identified 54 ST131 isolates, which accounted for 67 percent to 69 percent of E. coli isolates exhibiting fluoroquinolone or extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Next Garden Plague: Cabbage Loopers
By Charles Cheyney, University of Idaho Extension Educator
In this county ,it doesn’t seem to matter too much what you want to grow, there always seems to be a pestiferous or climatologically reason that makes it hard to work out well! Two weeks ago, the early-instar grasshoppers started moving into fields, yards and gardens from the desert and waste areas. This week it looks like the cabbage loopers are moving in to work over one of the easier to grow and store vegetables in our area.
In this county ,it doesn’t seem to matter too much what you want to grow, there always seems to be a pestiferous or climatologically reason that makes it hard to work out well! Two weeks ago, the early-instar grasshoppers started moving into fields, yards and gardens from the desert and waste areas. This week it looks like the cabbage loopers are moving in to work over one of the easier to grow and store vegetables in our area.
Payette Forest Decision Cuts Sheep Grazing by 70 Percent
The acres available for domestic sheep grazing on the Payette National Forest will be reduced by nearly 70 percent according to Payette Supervisor Suzanne Rainville who issued a record of decision this week. It will cost four sheep ranchers at least half if not all of their grazing rights on that forest and affects thousands of domestic sheep. This decision follows years of federal court rulings sought by the anti-livestock group Western Watersheds Project.
The decision will result in the number of acres where domestic sheep will be allowed to graze to shrink from about 100,000 acres to just over 31,500 acres in three years. According to a Forest Service analysis, the grazing reductions could lead to the loss of 28 jobs.
"This decision is obviously devastating to sheep production in Idaho and to the producers that are going to be affected by this result. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the Payette Forest finding that is going to protect the bighorn sheep," commented Ken Wixom, president of the Idaho Wool Growers Association. "If this issue were truly about the protection of the bighorn, they would not take those who have the highest level of incentive to help resolve the problem off the forest and out of the equation."
Payette Forest officials contend this move will balance uses, protect bighorns, honor tribal rights and live up to federal law.
Groups seeking to remove all livestock grazing from federal lands are using bighorn sheep habitat as a surrogate to remove domestic sheep grazing allotments from the forest.
The record of the decision and the final environmental impact statement are posted www.fs.fed.us/r4/payette/publications/big_horn/index.shtml.
David S. Thain, DVM
State Extension Veterinarian
Dept. of Animal Biotechnology
CABNR, UNR
Mail Stop 202
Reno, NV 89557
Phone 775-784-1377
Fax 775-784-4087
Email dthain@cabnr.unr.edu
The decision will result in the number of acres where domestic sheep will be allowed to graze to shrink from about 100,000 acres to just over 31,500 acres in three years. According to a Forest Service analysis, the grazing reductions could lead to the loss of 28 jobs.
"This decision is obviously devastating to sheep production in Idaho and to the producers that are going to be affected by this result. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the Payette Forest finding that is going to protect the bighorn sheep," commented Ken Wixom, president of the Idaho Wool Growers Association. "If this issue were truly about the protection of the bighorn, they would not take those who have the highest level of incentive to help resolve the problem off the forest and out of the equation."
Payette Forest officials contend this move will balance uses, protect bighorns, honor tribal rights and live up to federal law.
Groups seeking to remove all livestock grazing from federal lands are using bighorn sheep habitat as a surrogate to remove domestic sheep grazing allotments from the forest.
The record of the decision and the final environmental impact statement are posted www.fs.fed.us/r4/payette/publications/big_horn/index.shtml.
David S. Thain, DVM
State Extension Veterinarian
Dept. of Animal Biotechnology
CABNR, UNR
Mail Stop 202
Reno, NV 89557
Phone 775-784-1377
Fax 775-784-4087
Email dthain@cabnr.unr.edu
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