Training key to safety during livestock emergencies

Training key to safety during livestock emergencies

Drovers.com

It happened again on May 7. A truck hauling livestock down a southern California highway was involved in an accident and flipped over. Forty head of cattle were killed and others were injured, according to published reports.

When such incidents happen, said livestock handling specialist Jennifer Woods, proper training on the part of first responders to the scene can make a difference in the health and welfare of surviving animals – and humans involved in the response.

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UT Southwestern researchers find mechanism that may stop E coli from developing in cattle

UT Southwestern researchers find mechanism that may stop E coli from developing in cattle

Southwestern Medical Center

Microbiologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center, working with the Department of Agriculture, have identified a potential target in cattle that could be exploited to help prevent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses caused by a nasty strain of Escherichia coli.

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USDA Announces New Performance Standards For Salmonella And Campylobacter

USDA Announces New Performance Standards For Salmonella And Campylobacter

Medical New Today

USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) also released a compliance guide to help the poultry industry address Salmonella and Campylobacter and a compliance guide on known practices for pre-harvest management to reduce E. coli O157:H7 contamination in cattle.

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AFBF reaction to USDA report: A better year for livestock producers

AFBF reaction to USDA report: A better year for livestock producers

AG Professional

Following two years of tough economic times for livestock producers, 2010 is shaping up to be a much better year thanks to an improving economy and tighter supplies of beef, pork and poultry.

"Livestock producers have seen a return to profitability in the past two months after going through probably the worst economic situation anyone can remember in 2008 and 2009," said John Anderson, livestock economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation. "This is certainly good news for livestock producers, because it provides a good opportunity to rebuild equity."

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Grazing policies must focus on science-based solutions

Grazing policies must focus on science-based solutions

Kenneth Tate and Rob Atwill

California Farm Bureau Federation

We think that this is a time for balance, solution-based science and collaboration.

Our shared challenge is to continue to identify and enact grazing practices which reduce pollution risks, enhance watershed health and sustain agricultural enterprises. All of our local communities are reeling from budget blows and decreasing revenues.

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Research Before Going Into Grass-Fed Beef

Research Before Going Into Grass-Fed Beef

Hay and Forage Grower

Don’t jump into the grass-fed beef specialty market without doing research and identifying customers, says Guillermo Scaglia, a beef researcher at the Louisiana State University AgCenter Iberia Research Station.

Experts predict that grass-fed beef could capture up to 15% of the beef market, says Scaglia. Some upscale retailers, institutional food services and consumers are demanding forage-fed beef because of the meat’s health aspects.

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Another Look At Cattle Health Costs

Another Look At Cattle Health Costs

BEEF Magazine

Add this to the bevy of research documenting the cost of sick cattle vs. those that never need treatment.

Researchers uncovered $190/head net difference between cattle treated twice and those that never needed treatment, in the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity (TCSCF) – 50,000 head of cattle fed in 18 Iowa feedlots since 2002.

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Getting a head start into the beef business

Joy Swearingen

Hancock County Journal Pilot

Lance Holtsclaw got his start in the beef cattle business when he was eight years old. Now as he finishes his sophomore year at Western Illinois University, he has a thriving cattle herd.

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What You Should Know About E.coli

What You Should Know About E.coli

US Recall News

What Consumers Should Know About E.coli

You’ve probably heard of the food poisoning known as E.coli. Beyond the fact that it can make you really sick, all consumers should understand how this illness manifests, both to minimize your risk and spot the symptoms in the event of infection.

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Quiet farm couple left behind a big legacy

Quiet farm couple left behind a big legacy

MEAGAN PATTON

Ottawa Herald

Reignald E. “Rosey” and Eileen Roseberry weren’t looking for recognition during the years they lived in Ottawa, Marguarite Gibson said.

“They never pulled attention to themselves,” Gibson, an Ottawa friend of the family, said. “They were private people.”

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Whatcom Locavore: Where’s the local beef?

Whatcom Locavore: Where’s the local beef?

NANCY GING

FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Raising high-quality grass-fed beef commercially has been a challenge in Whatcom County. First, it takes a lot of land to raise enough cattle for year-round meat availability. Second, the animals have to be slaughtered at a USDA-approved facility, and none was available here.

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Animal Science Field Day Planned

Animal Science Field Day Planned

KTIC

“Activities on Thursday, May 27, 2010 at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) campus in Curtis will focus on the many different aspects of livestock production”, said Troy Walz, UNL Extension Educator.

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Recovering Economy Gives Boost to Struggling Cattle Industry

Recovering Economy Gives Boost to Struggling Cattle Industry

Imperial Valley News

A recovering world economy, lower feed prices, strong beef exports, low red meat supplies and shrinking retail beef prices have given the beef industry a much-needed price boost, said a Purdue University agricultural economist.

In December 2009, finished cattle were selling at $80 per hundredweight but have since increased to $100. Calf prices also increased nearly 25 percent from $1.05 per pound in December to more than $1.30 per pound.

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Steve Cornett: The World’s Very Best Steak?

Steve Cornett: The World’s Very Best Steak?

I guess it’s possible.

Some years back, I was forced to spend a few months comparing steaks at the country’s great steak houses.

The idea was to find out what those really good joints do to beef to make it fetch $50 or $100 a steak from repeat customers. I got good enough that I could, for a while there, tell the difference in wet and dry aged beef. That, my friend, is an acquired, rare and enviable talent.

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Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs May Be Healthier For You

Grass-Fed Beef Hot Dogs May Be Healthier For You

Kim Mulvihill, M.D.

CBS 5

Americans love their hot dogs. However, aficionados at the Let’s Be Frank eatery in San Francisco swear the franks served up here not only taste good, they’re good for you.

"It’s healthy." said owner Larry Bain, adding "It’s the way hot dogs used to be, before we industrialized our food system."

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