Animal Ag. E-Letter

Canadian cattle to have R.F.I.D. tags by July 1
Source: MeatPoultry.com

Effective July 1, all Canadian cattle must be tagged with an approved Radio Frequency Identification (R.F.I.D.) tag prior to moving from their current location or leaving their farm of origin. These tags will replace the bar-coded dangle tags.

"A strong traceability system will help Canadian producers get the premium prices their top-quality products deserve around the world," said Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz. "With R.F.I.D. technology, we'll be better able to trace an animal, which is not only important to human and animal welfare but also key to the sustainability of the Canadian livestock industry as a whole."

"We have worked with government to move forward on traceability and we believe that de- listing the bar-coded tag will advance traceability initiatives," said Darcy Eddleston, Canadian Cattle Identification Agency (C.C.I.A.) chair. "Although this change may be an additional one- time process for some producers, the ability to easily capture information from the RFID tags will help all producers in the long run."

R.F.I.D. technology is critical to advancing the traceability system and maintaining the speed of commerce that Canadian producers require to remain competitive in the marketplace, said Travis Toews, president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association. "The de-listing of bar code tags is an important step in enhancing our national I.D. and traceability system," he added.

Yellowstone proposes shooting bison with vaccine
Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Yellowstone National Park has proposed using air rifles to vaccinate bison to try to reduce the chance the animals could spread a disease to cattle.

The disease is brucellosis, which causes infected wildlife and cattle to abort their young. Bison and elk in the Yellowstone region both carry brucellosis, and about half of the bison in Yellowstone are believed to have been exposed to it.

Yellowstone is seeking public comments over the next two months on a plan to use air rifles to shoot bison with projectiles carrying brucellosis vaccine.

The plan has been in the works for years, part of ongoing efforts to prevent bison that leave northern Yellowstone from spreading brucellosis to cattle.

Work Continues with McDonald’s
Source: Midwest Dairy Association

After the successful launch of Mc Café’ Specialty Coffees in 2009, the dairy checkoff continues to capitalize on its long-term efforts with McDonald’s. The chain’s new Frappes are being supported by consumer sampling paid for by the checkoff, with the knowledge that these new items could represent 100 million pounds of new milk volume. Smoothies, being introduced at McDonald’s this July, represent another 23 million pounds ; they contain 1.2 ounces of low fat yogurt per 12-ounce drink. In the last half of 2010, look for checkoff to support work on improved shakes at McDonald’s, and Snack Size McFlurries, both of which have shown great promise in test markets.

Livestock Board visit brings passion, ideas
Source: The Gazette (Chillicothe, Ohio)

The new Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board came to Chillicothe on Wednesday night to gather input on what to include in statewide animal care standards it's charged to create.

What it found, particularly in the wake of a video released Wednesday showing Ohio farm workers abusing cows, was a strong passion for the very animals the board will be creating standards to protect. Several among the approximately 100 in attendance at the Carver Community Center from as far away as Fairfield, Warren and Clinton counties spoke with very visible emotion about the severe punishment that should await Billy Joe Gregg Jr., 25, of Delaware, should he be found guilty of cruelty shown in the video.

Several also spoke up against animal advocacy groups such as the Humane Society of the United States for using isolated incidents to paint all livestock producers as mistreating their animals.

The evening, however, was not about abuse or the HSUS. It was the sixth of six regional listening sessions to offer the board created with voter approval in November a chance to hear concerns of ag producers in creating a set of statewide standards for animal care and food safety.

The message from the roughly 800 people who have attended the meetings and 150 speakers has generally been the same, board chairman Robert Boggs said.

"From the conversations we've had at all of these, we've been very impressed with the depth of knowledge and the passion people have for these issues," Boggs said. "People say they want to find a common ground. They don't want big agriculture to fight against little agriculture or people who raise crops to fight against people who raise livestock. They're saying) let's find something that can work."

Minnesota May be TB-Free in the Fall
Source: The Farmer

October could become an important month for Minnesota’s livestock industries.

Two years ago, USDA recognized Minnesota's efforts to control and eradicate bovine tuberculosis and granted it split-state status October 10. A large part of the state was upgraded to Modified Accredited Advanced and a smaller section in northwestern Minnesota remained Modified Accredited. The MA area includes portions of Roseau, Lake of the Woods, Marshall and Beltrami counties.

This October, there is a definite possibility that most of the state will be declared TB-free by USDA and the northwest section will be upgraded to MAA.

"It looks like it is in the works," said Beth Thompson, Minnesota Board of Animal Health, at the recent Minnesota Dairy Health Conference in St. Paul. Officials have even set a date for the upgrades: Oct. 2. "There doesn't seem to be any wrinkles," she added.

Minnesota has been working to control and eradicate bovine TB since 2005.

Last month, USDA took its first steps to restructure the TB program and now will determine whether or not to downgrade a state's TB status based on scientific analysis of risk as well as the efforts put forward by the state to eradicate the disease and conduct surveillance testing

IPPA Responds to Country Living Article
Source: IPPA

Illinois Country Living magazine is published monthly by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC). The magazine covers rural issues, and provides commentaries from Illinois leaders, columns on safety, health, energy conservation, gardening, a calendar of events, and more.

The May 2010 issue of Country Living included a feature article titled "Fresh Off the Farm" which touted how buying food locally supports local farmers. While there is nothing wrong with the concept of buying local food and supporting local farmers, the article painted a broad brush that all other agriculture practices were not good for the environment or local communities. The article stated - "Many believe today's industrial farming techniques are not sustainable, meaning they don't preserve the land from soil erosion and pollution for future generations' use." CLICK HERE to read the entire article.

IPPA contacted AIEC and they agreed to have a commentary from IL agriculture in the July issue. IPPA coordinated a response that was signed by Presidents of IL Pork, Beef, Soybean, Corn, & Farm Bureau.

U.S. Bans Japan Beef Imports Over FMD Concerns
Source: USAgNet

The U.S. banned beef from Japan after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the southern prefecture of Miyazaki.

Bloomberg News reports that imports of boneless beef were banned in an import alert issued on April 21, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a recent e-mailed statement.

Japan shipped about $6 million worth of beef to the U.S. in 2009.

Frugal teen buys house with 4-H winnings
Source: The Columbus Dispatch

Lindsay Binegar bought this Greenfield house with her $40,000 savings, which she started building at age 4 with $100 she won showing a hog. She rents the house to relatives, socking away the money to buy a home with her fiancé when they marry next year.

Lindsay Binegar, 19, stands in the pig barn with her father, Gary Binegar. She won $15,540 for showing the reserve and grand champion hogs at the county fair in recent years.Lindsay Binegar was 14 the first time she spent any winnings from years of showing hogs. She bought a purse. The second time, at 18, she splurged. She bought a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a two-car garage. And she paid in cash.

"I've never heard of a teenager buying a house," said Nikki Gasbarro, spokeswoman for the Ohio Association of Realtors. "Smart girl."

The Greenfield teenager has been saving money since she was 4 years old and won $100 showing a hog. "I didn't get the money; it went to the bank," said Binegar, now a 19-year-old freshman at Ohio University's Chillicothe branch. And so the pattern began. She'd raise a few hogs every year on the family farm in Highland County, show them at competitions and add any winnings or sales proceeds to her savings account. "She's pretty tight," said Lindsay's dad, Gary. "She's always been big into 4-H, and every penny she made she just banked." That included $15,540 for showing the reserve champion and grand champion hogs at the county fair in recent years.

By the time she graduated from Greenfield McClain High School last June, she had saved more than $40,000 for college. But her parents had a proposition: They'd pay for college if she'd live at home and commute to Ohio University's Chillicothe campus. The idea appealed to Lindsay's thrifty, practical side but left her wondering how to invest the money she'd saved. Her dad, who runs Binegar Auction Service, had a suggestion. "I said, 'You should buy a house,' " Gary Binegar said. "I was like, 'Oh, Dad, that's a lot of money,' " she said.

But in August, Lindsay bought a house when her dad was auctioning one as part of an estate sale. She paid $40,000. After painting the inside of the two-story frame house and adding new carpeting, Lindsay rented the house to a great aunt and uncle who wanted to relocate to Greenfield. Walter Molony, spokesman for the National Association of Realtors, said it's extremely unusual for a teenager to buy a house.

Lindsay's dad, it turns out, did something similar - but not as grandiose - when he got out of high school. He bought a house, too. "I paid $7,000 and there was 3 feet of snow in the living room," he said.

He fixed it up, rented it, then sold it and bought the farm where he, his wife, Mandy, and Lindsay now live.

Mr. Binegar, 44, isn't sure why his daughter is so fiscally responsible at an age when many teens spend every cent they get.

Then again, it fits her personality. She's always been at the top of her class academically. She volunteers each Friday at an elementary school to further her dream of becoming a teacher. She has been involved in 4-H for 11 years, was a cheerleader and was crowned homecoming queen her senior year of high school.

"We tried to lead her in the right direction and make her know the value of a dollar," her father said.

Lindsay said she hopes to finish college in three years, get a teaching job and raise a family in her hometown.

"I would never move out of Greenfield," she said. "I just love everybody here." She's saving the $450-a-month rent payments from the house so she and her 22-year-old fiance, Heath McNeal, can buy a small house when they get married in 2011. Eventually, the couple wants to buy land and build their dream home on top of a hill. Her father has no doubt that'll happen.

"She's got a really good head on her shoulders," he said. "She's the perfect girl.