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July 22, 2011 - Lancaster County Manure Treatment Project Will Improve Health Of Chesapeake Bay
Recently, Kreider Farms, a 2,200-cow dairy in Mount Joy, Lancaster County, unveiled a micro-aerobic digestion project that provides on-farm treatment of manure that will significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous that might otherwise flow into the Chesapeake Bay. When the project is fully implemented in October of this year, the technology will create enough biomass to power approximately 2,700 homes.
The technology used is a biological process designed to facilitate the growth of large populations of naturally-occurring bacteria that are responsible for the conversion of the nitrogen and phosphorus in the waste stream. The Department of Environmental Protection will verify nutrient reductions. Municipal sewage treatment plants and communities may use the offsets as an alternative, sometimes more cost-effective, solution for reducing nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment discharges.
Pennsylvania committed to protect the Chesapeake Bay by reducing nitrogen run-off by 7.3 million pounds and phosphorus by 300,000 pounds. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest report card, Pennsylvania has fulfilled its commitment in animal waste-management systems. The $7.5 million project was completed by Bion Environmental Technologies Inc. and funded in part by PennVEST. (Source: PA Environment Digest)
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July 13, 2011 - U.S. Food and Drug Administration Announces New Strategy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a new strategy to help ensure the safety and quality of imported drugs and food products. The plan, which calls for coalitions of international regulators and increased data sharing, was created in response to rapidly rising imports of FDA-regulated products and a complex global supply chain. The strategy is outlined in a special report called the Pathway to Global Product Safety and Quality.
To protect the health of U.S. consumers, the FDA needs to modify the way it conducts business and to act globally, according to the report. The FDA said it's also expanding its food-safety efforts under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). There will be new inspection mandates, including one to inspect more than 19,000 foreign-food facilities by the year 2016.
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July 13, 2011 - USPOULTRY Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award
Each year USPOULTRY's Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award honors family farmers engaged in poultry and egg production across the country for exhibiting exemplary environmental stewardship in the operation of their farm. The award program is open to family-owned poultry growers or egg producers who supply a product to a USPOULTRY member or an independent producer who is a USPOULTRY member. If interested in submitting a nomination, please visit the below links for further information:
Application Questionnaire
Application Rules & Instructions
Family Farm Award Outline
Essay Questionnaire
Award recipients will be announced at the 64th Annual International Poultry Expo in Atlanta in January 2012.
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July 13, 2011 - PA Soybean Checkoff Board Awards $110,108 for Research and Education Projects to Support Growers, Animal Agriculture
A number of research and education projects designed to provide reliable data to soybean growers , expand markets for soybeans, and educate the public, have been awarded checkoff grants by the Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board. In addition, the Board also awarded grants for research benefiting animal agriculture, the largest domestic user of soymeal and the largest sector of Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry. The all-farmer board, which administers the national soybean checkoff program in the commonwealth, awarded grants totaling $110,108 in a day-long meeting in Harrisburg. Funding was approved for the following projects:
Crop research
- $ 7,240 to Dr. William Curran, a Professor of Weed Science at Penn State, to research common pokeweed management in field crops.
- A total of $ 29,250 to Penn State Extension regional offices for soybean crop tours and Crop Conference educational meetings to disseminate research findings on soybean production and management. The regional Crop Conferences, which are held at locations throughout the state, directly reach Pa. growers to address issues related to crop management, pests, soil fertility, planting and harvesting.
Education
- $1,000 in support of Discovery Day at Penn State Extension’s Southeast Agricultural Research & Extension Center Research Farm in Landisville, Pa. Discovery Day provides a first-hand opportunity to see research projects that help drive Pennsylvania’s agriculture.
- $5,000 to the PA Animal Coalition in support of “Today's Agriculture Display”, a display designed to showcase modern agricultural practices to visitors of the 2012 Pennsylvania Farm Show.
- $4,618 for a SEAREC Buffer Project, a 1.5 acre forested riparian buffer area for educational and study purposes at Penn State’s Southeast Agricultural Research & Extension Center (SEAREC) in Landisville, Pa. A riparian forest buffer is a streamside forest composed of native trees, shrubs and plants that can make a major impact on improving water quality and stream health.
Research in support of Pa’s agriculture industry
- $10,000 to Dr. Tom Parsons, University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton School of Veterinary Medicine, for research into innovative swine production husbandry systems designed to promote the sustainability of the swine industry by meeting the changing demands of society.
- $10,000 to Dr. Tom Parsons, University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton School of Veterinary Medicine, for research into a control program for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), potentially the most economically devastating disease faced by swine producers.
- $18,000 to The Center for Dairy Excellence to develop a tool for farms to evaluate and document animal welfare and herd health standard operating procedures. This project will complement existing animal well-being programs currently being adopted by dairy organizations across the state.
Expanded markets for soybeans
- $15,000 to U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) for a feasibility study of the potential for Pennsylvania soybeans in niche export markets via bulk vessel shipping off the East Coast and in bulk containers.
- $10,000 to the National Biodiesel Board for state-focused proactive education and outreach. A number of states, including Pennsylvania, have adopted requirements for Bioheat™, a mixture of biodiesel and conventional diesel fuel that is used to heat commercial buildings and homes. Educational liaisons will ensure that staffs of state regulatory agencies and professional environmental organizations have access to technically accurate information, helping facilitate fact-based decision making.
About the Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board
The Pennsylvania Soybean Promotion Board is a farmer-controlled Board responsible for managing Pennsylvania’s share of funds received from the nationwide Soybean Checkoff program. The funding is available under an assessment program, approved by Congress in 1990, under which soybean farmers contribute 50 cents of every $100 they receive for their beans at the first point of sale. Funds are used to develop markets, educate consumers, and research new ways to utilize and produce soybeans more efficiently. For more information, visit www.pasoybean.org.
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July 11, 2011 - Eggs Are Cheap, Healthy Antioxidant Source
While eggs are well known to be an excellent source of proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals, researchers at the University of Alberta recently discovered they also contain antioxidant properties, which help in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Researchers examined egg yolks produced by hens fed typical diets of either primarily wheat or corn. They found the yolks contained two amino acids, tryptophan and tyrosine, which have high antioxidant properties. After analyzing the properties, the researchers determined that two egg yolks in their raw state have almost twice as many antioxidant properties as an apple and about the same as half a serving (25 grams) of cranberries. To read the entire article, visit http://bit.ly/qadsex.
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