More in Government

May 7, 2012

Article

House Ag Committee Begins Farm Bill Hearings 1

As Indiana farmers rush to finish planting, the House Ag Committee will begin farm bill hearings this week in Washington. One Congressman expects the House to build on the reforms called for in the Senate Farm Bill....More
May 4, 2012

blog

Opportunists Jump To Leverage BSE Case

While the market effects of the latest case of BSE in the U.S. appear to be minimal thus far, there’s no shortage of traditional beef industry foes looking to take advantage of the situation to promote their own agendas....More
May 4, 2012

blog

Are You On The Cutting Edge, Or Bleeding Edge? 1

The hard reality about the future is that it comes in its entirety with the good and the bad, and none of us are allowed to pick and choose. Short of death, we can’t choose not to participate, but we do have the capability to help shape what that future will be....More
May 3, 2012

Article

Opinion: Overreach, Or Grubbing For Greenbacks

Without a doubt, the amount of government regulations, both proposed and adopted, over the last few years have reached epic proportions. In wave after wave, industry after industry, government regulations have the potential to put a stranglehold on the long-term viability of businesses large and small. But there may be more than simply an attempt by the federal government to control all aspects of our lives....More
Apr. 30, 2012

Article

A Good Day For Agriculture

April 26 was a great day for South Dakota farmers and ranchers as two key events occurred in Washington, D.C., that will help our agriculture community breathe a little easier....More
Apr. 27, 2012

Article

USDA And FDA Reiterates Safety Of Consuming Beef And Dairy Products

On April 24, USDA confirmed the nation’s 4th case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in an animal that was sampled for the disease at a rendering facility in central California. This animal was never presented for slaughter for human consumption, so at no time presented a risk to the food supply, or to human health in the United States. As the epidemiological investigation has progressed, USDA has continued to communicate findings in a timely and transparent manner....More
Apr. 27, 2012

Article

Cattlemen Heard, Administration Drops The Farm Youth Labor Rule 1

Citing concerns raised in “thousands of comments,” the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on April 26 that it is withdrawing its proposed rule regarding youth in agriculture. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President J.D. Alexander commended the administration’s action and said farmers and ranchers made their voices heard on the proposed rule, which could have restricted, and in some instances totally prevented, America’s youth from working on farms and ranches....More
Apr. 27, 2012

Article

Obama Administration Pulls On-Farm Youth Labor Rule 3

Citing concerns raised in “thousands of comments,” the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced yesterday evening, April 26, 2012, it will withdraw its proposed rule regarding youth in agriculture....More
Apr. 25, 2012

Article

AFBF Urges Senate Ag Committee to Move Farm Bill Forward

Numerous provisions of the Senate Agriculture Committee's draft farm bill follow the American Farm Bureau Federation's core principles for "rational, acceptable farm policy," but there is room for adjustments to improve the legislation. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman delivered that message to Senate Agriculture Committee leaders in a letter following a meeting of the organization's board of directors....More
Apr. 25, 2012

Article

The System Worked, BSE Expert Says In Tuesday Press Conference

Noting that USDA is very early into an epidemiological investigation that likely could take time to fully play out, a BSE expert said the discovery of the nation’s fourth case of BSE, this one in a California dairy cow, “really does illustrate that our surveillance system is working very well.”...More
Apr. 20, 2012

blog

Are We Capable Of Fixing The Deficit?

As citizens, we deride politicians for lacking the statesmanship to make the hard decisions and do what is right for future generations. We demand that they live according to the rules that we all have to abide by, but the reality is that they lack the political will in the Beltway because we lack the will on Main Street to hold their feet to the fire....More
Apr. 18, 2012

Article

Legal Issues In Animal Agriculture

The National Agricultural Law Center (NALC) is providing an online webinar titled, "Legal Issues in Animal Agriculture: Regulating Living Space." The webinar will be held May 10, from 12-1 p.m. EST. The webinar is the first in a series of NALC outreach activities focused on legal issues in animal agriculture. NALC Staff Attorney Elizabeth Rumley will be the presenter. ...More
Apr. 18, 2012

Article

Wyoming Governor To Proclaim July 12 As Environmental Stewardship Day

In celebration of Earth Day, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead will proclaim July 12, 2012 as Wyoming Environmental Stewardship Day. Governor Mead will sign the proclamation during a ceremony on April 24 in his formal office. The ceremony is slated to begin at 11:15 a.m....More
Apr. 18, 2012

Article

Iowa Cattlemen's Environmental Award Winner Is Clay County Cattle Farmer

A farm family that raises Angus seedstock and puts most of their farm acres into commercial hay production is the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association’s state winner of the Environmental Stewardship Award Program (ESAP). Greg and Lola Wood and their son Chris operate their farm operation, called BitterSweet Acres, near Greenville in Clay County....More
Apr. 13, 2012

blog

A Frightful Vision Of Sustainable Prosperity 2

Activist visionaries lay out their vision of what constitutes “sustainable prosperity for all.” It goes well beyond creating a “green” economy, as they openly talk about “degrowth” (reducing the standard of living) in developed countries, and “de-marketizing” (government seizing control) of certain sectors of the economy, including food production....More
Apr. 13, 2012

blog

FDA Guidance On Antibiotics Is A Victory 2

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its intent to publish on April 13 its final Guidance 209 and a draft proposed rule on veterinary feed directives. It calls for voluntary suspension of non-therapeutic use of certain antibiotics in livestock production. The initiative is voluntary and eliminates certain antibiotics used to enhance growth or improve feed efficiency. Neither the industry nor activists are totally pleased, which is probably a sign of victory....More
Apr. 12, 2012

Article

NCBA Statement on FDA Guidance Documents On Antibiotic Use, Proposed Veterinary Feed Directives

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced today its intent to publish in the Federal Register on Fri., April 13, 2012, its final Guidance 209 and a draft proposed rule on veterinary feed directives. Tom Talbot, a California beef producer, large animal veterinarian and current chairman of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association's (NCBA) Cattle Health and Well-Being Committee, issued the following statement....More
Apr. 10, 2012

Article

EPA Denies NRDC Petition An 2,4-D – Confirms Safety Of Tolerance

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced its denial of the 2008 petition by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) seeking to cancel 2,4-D herbicide registrations and revoke all the tolerances for use....More
Apr. 9, 2012

Article

EPA Aerial Surveillance Under Fire 3

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has come under scrutiny for conducting aerial surveillance over Midwestern concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The practice is used by Region 7 (Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas)....More
Apr. 5, 2012

video

Finding Middle Ground In A Regulatory World

Concerns about food safety, animal welfare, sustainability and the environment are here to stay. And if you thought the last 20 years produced a regulatory world fraught with land mines, the next 20 years will only see the velocity of the regulatory environment increase. Can cattlemen survive?...More
Apr. 5, 2012

Article

EPA Is Criminalizing Agriculture, Lawyer Charges 4

A wide array of groups and individuals who want nothing more than to put agriculture out of business are lining up at the courthouse door. An attorney who has devoted his life to arguing agriculture’s cause says the challenges are great....More
Apr. 5, 2012

blog

Random Ponderings On Various Current Topics

Amid this week’s whirlwind of debate on the merits of lean finely textured beef (LFTB), USDA gave its tepid support of the product and process while floating the prospect of labeling. It is fascinating that many who herald the efficiency of the marketplace and the need for labeling in this regard are among those vehemently opposing voluntary labeling as to country of origin. That’s just one of a half-dozen topics in this week’s industry news that I found intriguing....More
Apr. 2, 2012

Article

Can New Tools Help Identify Environmentally Fit Cattle For High Altitudes?

It’s well known that many beef cattle living at high altitudes are afflicted with pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, and that these animals are at risk of dying from congestive heart failure if they are not moved to lower altitudes and medically treated. The health issue is commonly called brisket disease because fluid often collects in the lower chest cavities of cattle affected, swelling the brisket area....More
Mar. 30, 2012

Article

Composting Solved Their Expansion Dilemma

When Darin Mann decided his future lay with the family feeding and farming operation in Parma, ID, he and his father Kent knew M/M Feedlot had to expand. One big challenge was how to dispose of the manure produced by an additional 4,000 head. Their resolution wasn’t more land, it was less manure – via composting....More
Mar. 30, 2012

Article

Finding Middle Ground In A Regulatory World

Concerns about food safety, animal welfare, sustainability and the environment are here to stay. And if you thought the last 20 years produced a regulatory world fraught with land mines, the next 20 years will only see the velocity of the regulatory environment increase. Can cattlemen survive? Can they have a place at the table and influence the regulatory environment so they can stay in business? Yes, but it will mean finding groups the industry can work with and seeking common ground....More