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Agriculture

AB-free has its limits, say avian pathologists

Antibiotic use in poultry should be minimized “through carefully planned and well-executed preventive practices,” but the birds’ health should not be sacrificed for a marketing message, said a position statement released by the American Association of Avian Pathologists.

Antibiotics should remain “a viable option when appropriate and necessary for the health and well-being of the animal, even when marketing and consumer preference dictate otherwise,” the organization summarized in a release. [node:read-more:link]

California dairy argues manure not solid waste

A Washington State U.S. District Court last year engaged in a faulty analysis of the Resource Conservation Recovery Act in determining cow manure is a regulated solid waste.

A new U.S. District Court case in California –Blackwood V Mary DeVries – is taking the correct approach that Congress and EPA have argued for.  The California dairy gets it right. “Congress did not intend for RCRA to regulate agricultural material such as manure produced by [a] dairy…” [node:read-more:link]

Farmers’ Market Friendly Laws Can Be Trumped By Health Boards

It’s critical for vendors to know for themselves, or at the very least to know that the market manager knows, the state and local health department, as well as weights and measures, which will get the fresh folks, too, though I’m not sure about the “label font” regulations mentioned in the article, and business licensing regulations for each market where they plan to sell. It may differ from one community to the next, depending how much they want a farmers market. Some may require individual mercantile licenses while others offer an umbrella license for the market. [node:read-more:link]

Livestock's Contributions to Climate Change: Facts and Fiction

'Efficiencies in U.S. livestock agriculture have lowered this industry's combined greenhouse gas emissions to a historic low of about four percent of the nation's total,' said Mitloehner. 'Furthering recent advances will be paramount to satisfy a growing global demand for animal protein without depleting natural resources.' 'With Frank's expertise and years of research, I am glad he is able to provide sound, science-based information to consumers,' said AFIA President and CEO Joel G. Newman. According to the U.S. [node:read-more:link]

Oregon farmers fighting bank to sell radish seed

Several warehouses are caught in the middle of a legal dispute over radish seeds between Oregon farms and an out-of-state bank.  Both the farms and the bank claim to own the radish seeds, which are currently stored at five Oregon warehouses.

Whether those warehouses are acting as “agents” of the farms or the bank will be a key legal question in a lawsuit that’s scheduled to go to trial on June 7. [node:read-more:link]

Tightening in the Ag Belt

The record revenue growth of the last few years has given way to tightening in the U.S. agricultural industry, and analysts say these conditions could last a few years.

Many reasons persist for the tightening, such as production outpacing consumption, a strong dollar’s effect on exports, a decrease in commodity prices, and a drop in land values.   [node:read-more:link]

South Dakota's surging dairy

South Dakota has peaked the charts with a 13 percent increase in milk production from the previous year, according to the USDA, which is the single largest jump in any state. former-Gov. Bill Janklow's pushed the dairy industry during his term in office. Even as statewide dairy farm numbers took a dip, Janklow saw an opportunity to boost the South Dakota economy. He began actively recruiting milk processing plants to the state to encourage growth in the dairy industry. [node:read-more:link]

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