Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

RV: City Folks Just Don't Get It FarmersOnly

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Miller <jerrmill@msn.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:45:08
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: City Folks Just Don't Get It FarmersOnly

Cell (216) 407-3783
Office (216) 342-4090
jerrmill@msn.com




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


"I'm really lonely but I'm too busy to date during harvest season"
Thousands of singles sow the seeds of love on FarmersOnly.com


FarmersOnly.com launched just over five years ago and quickly became THE place for farmers and ranchers to meet like-minded people. In the last five years, membership went from 2,000 to well over 100,000 members. Despite the name, FarmersOnly isn't limited to only farmers. The rapid growth is also coming from just good old fashioned, down-to-earth people who live in small towns and rural areas.

"There have been countless successful matches and friendships made on the site. I get thank you emails and phone calls almost daily. In fact, there have been hundreds of marriages since FarmersOnly.com began," said Jerry Miller, Founder.

FarmersOnly.com is the brainchild of Jerry Miller who has done marketing and public relations for thousands of farms and ranches across the country. While talking to one farmer, Jerry made quite a discovery.

"Recently divorced, she expressed her frustration of how difficult it was to meet someone new," Jerry recalled.

"I'm ready to give up!" She said. "How am I going to meet someone working on a farm all day? I already know everybody who lives around here… which isn't many people! Maybe I'll try online dating."
She signed up on one of the biggest national dating sites soon after their conversation.

A month later, Jerry asked her how her luck was with online dating. She replied, even more frustrated, "The men who have been contacting me don't understand the lifestyle of a farmer," she told Jerry. "They don't have a clue!" This would later lead to the site's slogan. "City Folks Just Don't Get It!"

Being in marketing, he wanted to see if there was a need for a new site specifically for single farmers. "I talked to farmers and ranchers all over the country and discovered they all had the same problems. They already knew everybody in their immediate areas. They didn't have enough time to socialize. When they did find time, they didn't want to hang out at a bar. They wanted to find someone who understood their lifestyle," he said. "The need for this new online dating service became very clear and six months later, I launched www.FarmersOnly.com."


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RV: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Statement on Strength of RuralEconomy and Growth of Farm Exports

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From: USDA Office of Communications <oc.news@usda.gov>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:49:44 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Statement on Strength of Rural Economy and Growth of Farm Exports

 

Release No. 0000.00
Contact:
USDA Office of Communications
(202) 720-4623

 
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Statement on Strength of Rural Economy and Growth of Farm Exports

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement in response to two USDA reports that show the strength of the overall rural economy and growth in agricultural exports:

    "Today's reports are encouraging news.  They show that while American agriculture has struggled through difficult economic times, the 2008 Farm Bill, the efforts of the Obama Administration – such as the Recovery Act – and the hard work and resilience of America's farmers and ranchers have helped put American agriculture on the road to recovery. 

    "After declining more than 20 percent in 2009, all three measures of farm sector earnings experienced a rapid rebound and are forecast to rise in 2010:
  • Net cash income is expected to rise more than 23 percent to $85.3 billion – the second highest on record and above its previous 10-year average;
  • Net farm income has rebounded, up 24 percent from 2009, when demand for agricultural products fell worldwide due to the global recession;
  • Net value added, at $127.3 billion, is expected to be up $15.2 billion from 2009, and remain 17.7 percent above its 10-year average.

    "Other indicators also point to a sustainable recovery: farm asset values are projected to increase by 2.5 percent in 2010, as are equity values.  And average farm family household income is projected to reach more than $81,000 in 2010 – up 5.8 percent from 2009. 

    "And this recovery is sector-wide.  While an increase in the value of livestock production accounted for much of the upward movement, the value of dairy production rose by 26.2 percent; the value of meat animal production is up 14.6 percent, and the value of poultry and egg production rose 8.4 percent.  And commercial farms and intermediate farms are all expected to have higher average net cash income in 2010 than they did in either 2009 or 2008.  Rural residence farms will have lower net cash losses. 

    "A host of factors contributed to this strong and rapid recovery.  Successful implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. Congress as well as the Obama Administration's Recovery Act have provided strong support for American agriculture:
  • We have maintained a strong safety net for the agricultural economy by providing farmers and ranchers across America with direct support, disaster assistance, technical assistance, support to struggling industries, and access to credit.  At the same time, we worked to build a stronger agricultural economy for future generations of Americans by investing in research, maintaining fair markets, and promoting marketing policies that will keep American agriculture the most productive and successful in the world.  

    "Another factor driving this recovery is an increase in income from exports.  Today, USDA is excited to announce that we are raising our forecast for agricultural exports for Fiscal Year 2010 to $107.5 billion – the second highest year on record.  This a $3 billion increase from the May forecast, and an $11 billion increase over last year.  And Agriculture is one of the only major sectors of the American economy with a trade surplus – expected to be $30.5 billion this year. 

    "What's more we expect to sustain this important progress.  The outlook going forward into Fiscal Year 2011 is even more promising, showing $113 billion in agricultural exports. 

    "Increased agricultural exports – especially of grains and meat – have helped drive this rebound.  It helps create important income opportunities for producers as well as the off-farm jobs that are so critical for strengthening economies in rural America.  In fact, every billion dollars in agricultural exports supports over 8,000 jobs and generates an additional $1.4 billion in economic activity. 

    "And USDA – as part of President Obama's National Export Initiative - has helped support these export numbers:

  • The President's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal for USDA makes an additional financial request to enhance USDA export promotion activities.
  • And USDA has made strong progress to help increase exports.  Under a new trade strategy, we are looking at countries based on their position on an agricultural market continuum. 
  • As we pursue this new approach, we have maintained our commitment to an open rules-based international trading system that will benefit both consumers and suppliers of agricultural products around the world.  We have continued to work through negotiations to remove barriers that prevent U.S. agricultural producers from getting open and fair access to foreign markets.  And because we have full confidence in their quality and competitiveness, we will continue to push U.S. products to foreign markets. 
    "And we can't forget the importance of the underlying values of rural America and its farmers and ranchers to the resilience of the agriculture sector:
  • American agriculture entered the recession with very little debt relative to the rest of the economy – and farm sector debt is expected to decrease in 2010;
  • A strong belief in the value of hard work positioned our famers capitalize on the economic recovery; and
  • American agriculture has improved on its incredible productivity and adaptability – embracing new research and innovation like few other sectors of the American economy. 

    "From day one, the Obama administration has focused on reversing nearly a decade's worth of failed economic policies that helped to cause the worst recession since the Great Depression.  We've taken steps to move the economy forward and get our people back to work while rebuilding a strong economic foundation to ensure future prosperity. 

    "As the rest of the American economy climbs out of the recession, American agriculture is helping lead the charge.  As they have time and time again, American farmers and ranchers are stayed resilient and working to support a foundation of economic prosperity for the rest of the nation."
  
The 2010 Farm Income Forecast report is available here and the Outlookfor U.S. Agricultural Trade report can be found here.   

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).




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RV: Will Allen's Growing Power Announces International Farm ConferenceSept. 10-12

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile


From: Staci Said <SSaid@thefalkgrouppr.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:02:42 -0500
Subject: Will Allen's Growing Power Announces International Farm Conference Sept. 10-12

 

gp-logo-final                                        NEWS          

Media Contact: Susie Falk, 414.232.2562                               

 GROWING THE GOOD FOOD REVOLUTION

Will Allen's Growing Power Announces International
Urban & Small Farm Conference Sept. 10-12 at State Fair Park

 

MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Aug. 31, 2010 – Milwaukee, long known for its beer, brats and cheese, is becoming a Good Food destination. Growing Power, an organization headed by the sustainable urban farmer and MacArthur Fellow Will Allen, today announced it is hosting the largest farm conference of its kind Sept. 10-12 at State Fair Park in West Allis. The first annual  National-International Urban & Small Farm Conference, expected to draw thousands of visitors from around the world, will bring together a diverse audience of not only those interested in urban agriculture and sustainable farming practices, but those who can help bring the Good Food to the table. Urban planners, city officials, physicians, educators, nutritionists, corporate executives, university officials and social justice activists will join small and urban farmers  at the event.

Will Allen, recently named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world, has become recognized as among the preeminent thinkers on agriculture and food policy. The founder and CEO of Growing Power, Allen is widely considered the leading authority in the expanding field of urban agriculture. Allen, who will speak at the event, will be joined by several other nationally recognized leaders in their fields, including:

·         Grace Lee Boggs, activist, writer and speaker whose more than 60 years of political involvement encompass the major U.S. social movements of this century.

·         Dr. Judith Palfrey, director of the Children's International Pediatric Center.

·         Winona LaDuke, executive director of Honor the Earth, an organization committed to raising public support and creating funding for frontline native environmental groups.

Break-out sessions will be organized along 10 thematic tracks: Urban Aquaculture; Brownfields Development; Renewable Energy; Experiential Education;  Urban and Small Farming Workshops; Youth; Growing Food & Justice Initiative; Companies, Governments, Universities Working with Communities; Food, Fitness and Nutrition; and Urban Planning.

The event will also serve as a platform for California-based Bonterra Organic Vineyards to formally launch its new "Campaign for Urban Farming", a partnership with Growing Power that will help raise awareness and funds for urban farming in as many as 10 communities across the country. As part of the campaign, Bonterra will donate $20,000 to local urban farming organizations with the goal of turning its investment into $100,000 during September, which is Organic Harvest Month. Throughout the four -week fundraising campaign, prizes will be awarded to the local community farms which raise the most dollars and also engage the most individual donors. 

 

Bonterra Brand Director John Tichenor said, "At Bonterra, we believe people everywhere should have access to sustainable, healthy, and true food. It's why since 1987 we have been crafting award-winning wines from organic grapes."

 

"We're proud to partner with Growing Power as our goal is to not only raise funds for these urban farming organizations, but to also help engage people across the country in the urban farming movement so these local groups can grow and produce more food for their communities."

 

"A take-away message that we are hoping people leave the conference with is the idea that it takes more than farmers to get Good Food to the table," said Allen. "It takes a commitment from all types of organizations and businesses. Bonterra is a wonderful example of a corporation that is not only committed to building our Good Food Revolution, but is backing it with financial support. We are proud to partner with Bonterra, and our other corporate partners who share similar philosophies."

The International Urban & Small Farm Conference is being supported through the financial contributions of local corporations and organizations including: Kohl's Corporation, We Energies, JP Morgan Chase, The NEA Foundation, Bonterra Wines, and WhiteWave Foods / Horizon Organics®. The Falk Group Public Relations is helping to promote the conference to a national and international audience. 

Corporations and organizations interested in becoming a partner in the conference or serving as a sponsor can learn more by visiting www.growingpowerfarmconference.org/sponsors/be-a-sponsor.

"We feel very fortunate to have a number of companies appreciate and understand what this conference is about and lend their support," said Allen. "Through their support we are able to educate an even greater audience about the Good Food movement than we could on our own."

The conference will also feature partnerships with restaurants. A special chef event featuring dozens of top chefs from around the region will prepare dishes that incorporate locally grown food. All conference attendees are invited to enjoy these dishes, many of which will be appearing on menus of local restaurants.

Healthy nutrition for children in schools will be a focus of the conference. Allen is an advocate of fighting childhood obesity and a vocal supporter of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" national campaign kick-off, which brought together cabinet members, sports and entertainment figures, business leaders and physicians to fight childhood obesity.

 According to Allen, "When I envisioned putting the conference together a year ago, I wanted a conference that embodied the real concept and the reality of building the Good Food revolution. In saying that, I mean a comprehensive approach to making sure we have every player that is involved in the Good Food revolution for now and into the future.

 

"This conference will be different than the other conferences in that respect. The presenters for our 10 thematic tracks are real people that we need at the Good Food revolution table. We have urban planners, architects, medical doctors, social justice activists, farmers, nutritionists, teachers, professors, city planners, mayors, corporate executives all presenting at the conference."

Joining the conference will be the 3rd annual Growing Food and Justice for All Initiative (GFJI) Gathering.

The GFJI is aimed at dismantling racism and empowering low-income and communities of color through sustainable and local agriculture.  This comprehensive network views dismantling racism as a core principal which brings together social change agents from diverse sectors working to bring about new, healthy and sustainable food systems and supporting and building multicultural leadership in impoverished communities throughout the world.

The Good Food revolution-- the practice of growing food locally or purchasing it from local farmers committed to sustainable agriculture – is gaining momentum throughout the world. Growing Power is helping to educate and train interested people in supporting this movement and in the process has turned Milwaukee into a hub of urban agriculture activity.

Recently, Farm Aid announced that it is bringing its 25th Annual Farm Aid Concert to Milwaukee Oct. 2, in part because of the work of Allen and Growing Power. Allen helped Farm Aid Founders Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews announce the news at Miller Park where the concert will be held.

According to Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar, Farm Aid 25 will focus on telling the story of Wisconsin farm families to a national audience.

 "Wisconsin is a microcosm of family farms in the U.S.," said Mugar. "We've been working with folks in Wisconsin for 25 years, and these are folks both in crisis and working to solve problems…People like Will Allen of Growing Power are among the most innovative farmers in the country."

Allen said: "Farm Aid coming here caught me by surprise. It's such a wonderful thing. Unlike so many groups, the money Farm Aid raises doesn't just go to administration. It goes to the farmers."

Entertainment icons Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews – all Farm Aid board members -- have been named as performers for the event. Kenny Chesney, Jeff Tweedy, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Band of Horses, the BoDeans, Amos Lee and Robert Francis will also perform at Farm Aid 25.

This is the first time Farm Aid, which celebrates and supports family farming in the United States, has been held in Wisconsin. The concert will be telecast live on DirecTV.

Growing Power will have a prominent presence at Farm Aid 25 and Allen will have an active role in the event.

To register for Growing Power's International Urban & Small Farm Conference Sept. 10-12 at State Fair Park, visit: www.growingpowerfarmconference.org/register/register

About Growing Power:
Growing Power was started in Milwaukee, WI in 1993 by Will Allen – a 2008 winner of a MacArthur "Genius Award" who has long worked to produce and deliver healthy food to low-income urban populations. It is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities.  Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

 

 

About Will Allen

Will Allen, son of a sharecropper, former professional basketball player, ex-corporate sales leader, and now farmer, has become recognized as among the preeminent thinkers of our time on agriculture and food policy. The founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., a farm and community food center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Allen is widely considered the leading authority in the expanding field of urban agriculture. At Growing Power and in community food projects across the nation and around the world, Allen promotes the belief that all people, regardless of their economic circumstances, should have access to fresh, safe, affordable and nutritious foods at all times. Using methods he has developed over a lifetime, Allen trains community members to become community farmers, assuring them a secure source of good food without regard to political or economic forces.

 

Will photo at 2010 Clinton Global Initiative

Will Allen at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative

 

 

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Susie sig

 

Susie Falk

President

The Falk Group Public Relations

241 N. Broadway, Suite 503

Milwaukee, WI 53202

 

414.232.2562

www.thefalkgrouppr.com

 

 

 

RV: CONSTRUCTION JOBS DROP IN 276 OUT OF 337 METRO AREAS BETWEEN JULY2009 & 2010 AS "SUMMER OF RECOVERY

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile


From: "chon@agc.org" <chon@agc.org>
Sender: "chon@agc.mmsend.com" <chon@agc.mmsend.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:34:55 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: CONSTRUCTION JOBS DROP IN 276 OUT OF 337 METRO AREAS BETWEEN JULY 2009 & 2010 AS "SUMMER OF RECOVERY

AGC of America · Quality People. Quality Projects.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                         CONTACT: Brian Turmail
August 31, 2010                                                                                       (703) 837-5310; turmailb@agc.org

CONSTRUCTION JOBS DROP IN 276 OUT OF 337 METRO AREAS BETWEEN JULY 2009 & 2010 AS "SUMMER OF RECOVERY" MEETS YEAR OF LOW DEMAND
Chicago and Flagstaff, Arizona Lose Most Jobs, While Prince Georges-Calvert-Charles Counties, MD and Eau Claire, Wisconsin Top List of Metro Areas Adding Jobs for the Year

Construction employment declined in 276 out of 337 metropolitan areas between July 2009 and July 2010, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. The employment figures demonstrate the widespread decline in demand for construction services that continues to outpace stimulus-funded work, association officials noted.

"There is no doubt that we have seen an increase in stimulus activity this summer," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "Unfortunately, that increase in stimulus activity is largely being overshadowed by continuing declines in overall demand for construction that are likely to persist well into next year."

Simonson noted that the Chicago-Joliet-Naperville area lost more construction jobs (32,900 jobs, 23 percent) than any other metro area, reflecting a construction strike that has since ended. Flagstaff, Arizona (700 jobs, 32 percent) lost the highest percentage. Other areas experiencing large declines in construction employment included Las Vegas (14,800 jobs, 24 percent); Houston (14,700 jobs, 8 percent); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale (10,700 jobs, 9 percent); and Seattle-Bellevue-Everett (10,400 jobs, 14 percent).

Simonson noted that 31 metro areas added construction jobs over the past 12 months, while another 30 areas experienced no change in construction employment. Calvert-Charles-Prince George's Counties in Maryland added more construction jobs (2,800, 8 percent) than any other metro area while Eau Claire, Wisconsin added the highest percentage (16 percent, 500 jobs). Other areas adding jobs included Kansas City, Kansas (1,700 jobs, 9 percent); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1,500 jobs, 3 percent); Columbus, Ohio (1,000 jobs, 3 percent); and Chattanooga, Tennessee (700 jobs, 8 percent).

The construction economist said the impacts of the stimulus can be seen in the fact that many of the construction employment declines metro areas are experiencing are less severe than even a month ago. The year-over-year construction employment declines in cities like Las Vegas, Houston and Seattle are less severe than the figures recorded in June, Simonson noted. However, he added that too few cities were adding construction jobs to have any widespread impact on construction employment.

"As much as we would hate to see how much worse the construction employment figures would be without the stimulus, the fact is our industry is continuing to suffer even as some areas of the economy have begun to expand," said Stephen Sandherr, the association's chief executive officer. "And with regular, long-term infrastructure bills stalled in Congress, it looks like construction workers will have little opportunity to continue rebuilding our economy."

View construction employment figures by metro area or by rank. View updated state-by-state fact sheets about the current state of the construction market.

###
 

2300 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 400 · Arlington, VA 22201-3308 · Phone: (703) 548-3118 · Fax (703) 548-3119 · www.agc.org

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RV: Morningland Dairy Conducting Nationwide Voluntary Recall of AllCheese Labeled as Morningland Dairy & Ozark Hills Farm Because of PossibleHealth Risk

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile


From: "U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)" <fda@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:20:37 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: Morningland Dairy Conducting Nationwide Voluntary Recall of All Cheese Labeled as Morningland Dairy & Ozark Hills Farm Because of Possible Health Risk

Morningland Dairy Conducting Nationwide Voluntary Recall of All Cheese Labeled as Morningland Dairy & Ozark Hills Farm Because of Possible Health Risk
Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:37:00 -0500

Morningland Dairy of Mountain View, Missouri, is recalling 68,957 pounds of cheese because it may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogene and also has the potential to be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus.Morningland Dairy's raw milk cheese is sold in the lower 48 states via mail order, retail stores, crop sharing associations, and direct delivery. The cheese is packaged in vacuum-sealed plastic packages that are sold as random weight size retail packages. The specific varieties of cheese are sold under the following brand names and flavors:


Manage your FDA Subscriptions:

U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) · 10903 New Hampshire Ave · Silver Spring, MD 20993 · 800-439-1420

RV: [BITES-L] bites Aug. 31/10

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile


From: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Sender: Bites <BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:31:02 -0500
To: BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU<BITES-L@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU>
ReplyTo: Doug Powell <dpowell@KSU.EDU>
Subject: [BITES-L] bites Aug. 31/10


bites Aug. 31/10

Salmonella in eggs outbreak: an eerily repetitive story involving lots of sick people, food, filth and faith; where are those supplier audits?

IOWA Senator says market should punish egg violators; hard to tell eggs apart at retail

Salmonella is no danger to vaccines

2010 infections in SCOTLAND

KENYA: Man dies after eating meat infected with anthrax

INDIANA: Test finds E. coli in beef faster, could better trace outbreaks

SOUTH DAKOTA: Researchers exploring 'fusion strategy' against E-coli

Hyperspectral imaging speeds detection of campylobacter

P&G recalls small number of bags of cat food From stores in Loveland, COLORADO

how to subscribe

Salmonella in eggs outbreak: an eerily repetitive story involving lots of sick people, food, filth and faith; where are those supplier audits?
31.aug.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143893/10/08/31/salmonella-eggs-outbreak-eerily-repetitive-story-involving-lots-sick-people-foo
In January 2009, Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) was linked to a growing outbreak of illness across the U.S. caused by Salmonella serotype Typhimurium. Eventually, all peanuts and peanut products processed at PCA's Blakely, Georgia, plant since January 1, 2007 were recalled, including over 3,900 peanut butter and other peanut-containing products from more than 350 companies. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 691 people were sickened and nine died across 46 U.S. states and in Canada from the outbreak.
By Feb. 15, 2009, The Washington Post described the business culture at PCA from the viewpoint of a former buyer for a major snack manufacturer -- a filthy plant with a leaky roof and windows that were left open, allowing birds to enter. The company purchased only low quality, inexpensive peanuts and paid food handlers the minimum wage lawfully allowed. The lack of a food safety culture was most evident in the description of how PCA dealt with finished product that tested positive for Salmonella spp. A report by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration identified many instances in which the product was retested until a negative result was achieved; in other instances PCA shipped the product to their customer despite the positive test or before the test result was received.
FDA further noted there were inadequate controls at the PCA plant to prevent contamination and insufficient cleaning and sanitation. Facilities for handwashing were also used to clean utensils and mops, increasing the potential for recontamination of washed hands. Equipment settings -- for example, roasting temperature and belt speed -- had not been evaluated to ensure that the roasting step was sufficient to kill bacteria. Raw and roasted peanuts were stored directly next to one another, allowing for potential contamination of the roasted finished product. Gaps in the physical integrity of the building were observed around the loading bays and the air conditioning intakes in the roof that provided pests with open access to the plant. Despite these deficiencies, PCA maintained the highest possible rating from auditing firm AIB International.
Earlier this year, Basic Food Flavors Inc., the Las Vegas company at the center of a recall of more than 100 food products containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP, continued to make and distribute food ingredients for about a month after it learned salmonella was present at its processing facility, according to a Food and Drug Administration report.
Yesterday, similarly eerie details started to emerge from investigators going through the salmonella-in-eggs mess that has sickened almost 1,500 over the summer and led to the recall of about 550 million eggs. Highlights of the reports (called 483s) and public comments by FDA-types include:
• David Elder, director of the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs, told a press conference Monday the 483 forms show "significant objectionable conditions;"
• at Wright County Egg facilities, live mice were found inside laying houses at four sites, and numerous live and dead flies were observed in egg-laying houses at three locations;
• chicken manure accumulated 4 to 8 feet high underneath the cages at two locations, pushing out access doors, allowing open access for wildlife and other farm animals;
• at one location, uncaged birds were using tall manure piles to access egg-laying areas;
• inspectors saw employees not changing or not wearing protective clothing when moving from laying house to laying house;
• three Hillandale Farms locations contained unsealed rodent holes with evidence of live rodents at one of the facilities, with gaps in walls and doors at other sites.; and,
• uncaged chickens were observed tracking manure into the caged hen areas.
Dr Michael Taylor, the FDA's deputy commissioner for foods, told reporters that though the FDA has no reason to believe the practices that investigators turned up are common at all egg-producing facilities, inspectors will be inspecting about 600 large egg producers, those that have 50,000 or more laying hens, over the next several months starting in September with what it believes may be the highest-risk facilities.
Kenneth E. Anderson, a professor of poultry science at North Carolina State University said,
"That is not good management, bottom line. I am surprised that an operation was being operated in that manner in this day and age."
How did this happen? A gap in federal or state inspection requirements may be partly to blame – but only partly.
What firms and retailers were buying these eggs? Don't they require internal or third-party food safety audits of their suppliers? Who were the auditors and where are their reports? Has any buyer looked at owner Jack DeCoster over the years and said, your farm's a dump, I'm not buying your eggs?
While waiting for government and Godot, it's the thousands of American egg farmers who are going to suffer if sales decline, so why not unleash the power of food safety marketing and let consumers choose at retail.
Repeated outbreaks have shown that all food is not safe: there are good producers and bad producers, good retailers and bad retailers. As a consumer, I have no way of knowing. Telling me an egg is local and grown with love is food marketing but has nothing to do with food safety and salmonella.
Tell consumers about salmonella-testing programs meant to reduce risks; put a URL on egg cartons so those who are interested can use the Internet or even personal phones to see how the eggs were raised. Boring press releases in the absence of data only magnify consumer mistrust.
Food producers should truthfully market their microbial food safety programs, coupled with behavioral-based food safety systems that foster a positive food safety culture from farm-to-fork. The best producers and processors will go far beyond the lowest common denominator of government and should be rewarded in the marketplace.
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/140139/09/04/27/broken-links-food-safety-chain-hid-peanut-plants-risks
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/141240/10/03/10/see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil-who-was-salmonella-plant%E2%80%99s-auditor
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/140117/09/04/14/audits-do-not-enhance-food-safety-culture
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-08-31-eggrecall31_ST_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/business/31eggs.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1283228163-OTGxoIJakpo6+z+Et45lRA
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143892/10/08/30/usa-today-says-egg-recalls-fit-pattern-negligence-lax-oversight-industry-says-n
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703369704575461881721525848.html?mod=rss_US_News
http://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/138949/09/10/22/faith-based-food-safety-market-microbial-food-safety-directly-retail-so-consumehttp://barfblog.foodsafety.ksu.edu/blog/140027/09/02/16/times-food-safety-editorial-nutty




IOWA Senator says market should punish egg violators; hard to tell eggs apart at retail
31.aug.10
barfblog
Doug Powell
http://www.barfblog.com/blog/143896/10/08/31/iowa-senator-says-market-should-punish-egg-violators-hard-tell-eggs-apart-retai
I can get dolphin-free tuna and animal-friendly beef and table eggs raised under all kinds of conditions, but how can I avoid eggs from salmonella offenders? There's so much reselling and rebranding at retail that the brand name is often meaningless.
Iowa Senator Chuck "Chuck" Grassley told Philip Brasher of the Des Moines Register today that the government probably can't shut down egg-beater Jack DeCoster short of finding criminal activity, but, "the marketplace is making the determination if the law doesn't. Probably in this case the company may be hurt in the marketplace to the extent to which people are going to look and not buy eggs that have the word W-R-I-G-H-T on it," referring to the name of Jack DeCoster's Galt-based company, Wright County Egg.
Brasher notes though that DeCoster eggs have been packaged under a variety of names, including supermarket brands and the names of competing egg producers such as Sparboe Farms, who used Wright County Egg to augment their supplies.
Grassley also called on the Senate Democratic leadership to pass a food-safety bill that would increase the Food and Drug Administration's oversight of other segments of the food industry, including fruit and vegetable production.
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/08/31/grassley-market-not-feds-may-punish-decoster/




Salmonella is no danger to vaccines
31.aug.10
The Wall Street Journal
Betsy McKay
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703369704575462051041922326.html
This year's flu vaccine has some consumers worried. While it might protect them against a potentially deadly virus, could they end up infected with salmonella instead?
The answer is no, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and vaccine manufacturers.
Flu vaccine is made by growing the virus in chicken eggs, and eggs are the source of a salmonella outbreak this summer that has led to nearly 1,470 illnesses and prompted a nationwide egg recall.
But the eggs used to make flu vaccine come from different farms than those sold to consumers as food. Considered an important part of the government's arsenal against a flu pandemic, they're also tested vigorously for pathogens, officials say.
Eggs used for vaccines are fertilized, while those sold for eating are not. A "seed virus" is injected into eggs, then grows in the egg white and is later harvested for use in vaccine.




2010 infections in SCOTLAND
30.aug.10
Outsource Solution
Duncan Perry
http://foodsafetyuk.blogspot.com/2010/08/2010-infections-in-scotland.html
Viral and protozoal pathogens up to Week 32, 2010
Norovirus
During the first 32 weeks of 2010, 2654 reports of norovirus (NV) were received at HPS, an increase of 1632 (160%) compared to the same period in 2009 when there were 1022 reports. This large increase is due to the large number of reports in the first 12 weeks of the year.
During the first half of 2010, 274 general outbreaks of NV were reported to ObSurv, the surveillance system for all general outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease in Scotland. This is an increase of 108 (65%) compared to the first half of 2009 when 166 NV outbreaks were reported. It is however similar to the first half of 2008 during which 249 NV outbreaks were reported. Residential institutions and hospitals have been the two main locations identified in NV outbreaks in 2010, accounting for 50% and 46% of NV outbreaks respectively.
Rotavirus
During the first 32 weeks of 2010, 1684 reports of rotavirus were received at HPS, an increase of 406 (32%) compared to the same period in 2009 when there were 1278 rotavirus reports. The number of reports in 2010 is similar to 2008 when there were 1710 reports.
To date in 2010 there have been no outbreaks of rotavirus reported to ObSurv, the last such outbreak was reported in 2007.
Increased reporting of E. coli O157 infections in 2010
During the first 32 weeks of 2010, HPS received 146 reports of E. coli O157 infections, an increase of 29 (25%) from the same period of 2009. A number of factors may have contributed to this increase.
The number and proportion of secondary and asymptomatic infections, for instance, has increased substantially. In weeks 1-32 of 2010, 26 cases (18%) were secondaries and 14 (10%) were asymptomatic, compared with 15 (13%) secondaries and 2 (2%) asymptomatic in the same period of 2009.




KENYA: Man dies after eating meat infected with anthrax
30.aug.10
Daily Nation
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regional/Man%20dies%20after%20eating%20meat%20infected%20with%20anthrax%20/-/1070/1000092/-/127fmwiz/-/
One person died and eight others were taken to hospital after eating contaminated meat.
The victim was identified as Chege Gathumuni, 40, from Nyanduma, Kiambu.
His widow, Jacinta, said he started complaining of stomachache shortly after arriving home from the shopping centre where he had eaten the meat.




INDIANA: Test finds E. coli in beef faster, could better trace outbreaks
30.aug.10
Purdue University
http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/research/2010/100830MauerBeef.html
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Infrared spectroscopy can detect E. coli faster than current testing methods and can cut days off investigations of outbreaks, according to a study at Purdue University.
Lisa Mauer, an associate professor of food science, detected E. coli in ground beef in one hour using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, much less than the 48 hours required for conventional plating technology, which requires culturing cells in a laboratory. Mauer said spectroscopy could be done in the same laboratories, just in much less time.
The spectroscopy method also differentiates between strains of E. coli 0157:H7, meaning outbreaks could be tracked more effectively and quickly. Current tests are multistep and take almost one week to get results.
"Even with all the other bacteria present in ground beef, we could still detect E. coli and recognize different strains," said Mauer, whose findings were reported in the August issue of the Journal of Food Science.
Mauer demonstrated two methods for separating bacteria from ground beef for testing. An antibody-capture method, which binds bacteria to antibodies attached to magnetic beads, gave results in four hours. A filtration method achieved results in about an hour.
Infrared spectroscopy could detect as little as one E. coli cell if the bacteria was cultured for six hours. Conventional plating techniques used for E. coli detection require culturing cells for 48 hours.
E. coli has a specific infrared spectrum that can be read with a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Infrared light is passed over a sample. The spectrometer reads the spectrum created by the combination of energy that has been absorbed and energy that has been reflected back.
"Energy is only absorbed by certain components of a sample," Mauer said. "If that component or bacteria isn't there, the energy is reflected back."
About 70,000 Americans are sickened by E. coil each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People become infected after ingesting food contaminated with the bacteria, which comes from human or animal feces. Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, and in rare occasions the infection can be life-threatening.
Mauer's testing methods also can differentiate between living and dead E. coli cells, something current testing methods cannot.
"If the cells are dead, they're not harmful. But the presence of that dead population could tell you something about the quality of the product," Mauer said.
Mauer believes the ground beef tests show promise for using the technology to find other pathogens in additional types of foods. She has already shown that spectroscopy can detect melamine -- which sickened about 300,000 infants in China and killed at least six in 2008 -- down to one part per million in powdered baby formula.
Mauer next plans to assess spectroscopy for detection of more pathogens in different food products. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service and the Purdue Center for Food Safety Engineering funded the study.




SOUTH DAKOTA: Researchers exploring 'fusion strategy' against E-coli
31.aug.10
South Dakota State University
http://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-exploring-fusion-strategy-against-e-coli
South Dakota State University research is exploring a "fusion strategy" for making improved vaccines to protect pigs and humans against some strains of E. coli.
The SDSU researchers altered the toxins produced by a form of E. coli and genetically fused the non-poisonous "toxoid" to a protein known to cause an immune reaction. The resulting "fusion protein" could be used to develop a vaccine.
Assistant professor Weiping Zhang in SDSU's Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Department studies a group of E. coli called enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, or ETEC. Besides causing diarrheal illness in farm animals such as pigs, ETEC strains are the main source of bacterial-caused diarrhea in human populations in the developing world, and the chief cause of traveler's diarrhea. The World Health Organization estimates that ETEC causes approximately 210 million cases of illness in humans and 380,000 deaths, mostly in children in developing countries.
Enterotoxigenic E. coli produce enterotoxins that affect the tissues lining the intestine and cause the vomiting and diarrhea associated with ETEC.
The research is one of the ongoing projects in SDSU's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Vaccinology, which looks for new ways to diagnose and treat infectious disease in humans and domestic animals.
The ETEC project is innovative in that it uses as vaccine components, the toxins that scientists call "heat-stable enterotoxins," or STs, that are generally harmful to animals and humans and remain active even in a temperature of boiling water.
Zhang said heat-stable enterotoxins can't be used directly as a vaccine component because of their toxicity and because they are poor at causing an immune response unless coupled to a carrier protein. For that reason, many vaccine researchers working with ETEC focus their research on other disease-causing elements — the so-called heat-labile enterotoxins that are destroyed at high temperatures and the fimbriae, or appendages that help the bacteria hold on to the host and cause disease.
However, Zhang said not including STs as a vaccine component poses a problem because more than two-thirds of human ETEC diarrhea cases and more than one-fourth of ETEC diarrhea cases in pigs are caused by ETEC strains that produce a heat-stabile enterotoxin called STa.
"STa antigens must be included for developing broadly effective vaccines against ETEC infection," Zhang said.
The SDSU research explored an approach for using heat-stable enterotoxins.
"Since they are toxic, we cannot use them directly. So we mutated a gene. We only changed one amino acid for each toxin. And that change shifted them from toxic to non-toxic," Zhang said.
In the same way researchers mutated the gene that produces the heat-labile enterotoxin, which is known to produce an immune response. They then fused the two toxoids to produce a fusion protein.
Importantly, by tweaking only a few amino acids, the researchers left the protein structure of the bacterium largely intact. That is important, Zhang said, because just as the toxin has to bind to a receptor in the small intestine in order to cause the disease, the vaccine component must bind to that same receptor in order to cause an immune response.
Zhang and his colleagues published the study of their "fusion strategy" in January 2010 in the journal Infection and Immunity. Zhang's co-authors were Chengxian Zhang, David H. Francis, Ying Fang, and David Knudsen, all of SDSU; James Nataro of the University of Maryland School of Medicine; and Donald C. Robertson of Kansas State University.
In summer 2010 researchers began studying five possible vaccine components using a pig model. Once they select the best vaccine component, they'll move on to larger lab trials and field trials. The possibility of an improved swine vaccine is important because some estimates say swine producers lose $80 million a year because of illness in pigs in North America alone, Zhang said.
Meanwhile, since the toxins produced by ETEC in pigs and humans are nearly identical, Zhang and his colleagues are using the same system they've developed at SDSU for exploring a swine vaccine to explore a possible human vaccine.
Zhang has received $368,000 in grant funds for vaccine research against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-associated diarrhea in humans using a pig model that he and SDSU professor David Francis have developed. The research is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health through its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Zhang and his colleagues at three other institutions also have received about $1 million in support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for research into strategies for optimizing the vaccine for humans. Right now they have mutated only a single amino acid. The Gates Foundation wants to know if the vaccine components would be even more effective if researchers mutate other amino acids.
If the research leads to an improved vaccine either for pigs or humans, that entire process of developing the vaccine will take about 10 to 15 years, Zhang said.


Hyperspectral imaging speeds detection of campylobacter
31.aug.10
United States Department of Agriculture
http://www.photonicsonline.com/article.mvc/Hyperspectral-Imaging-Speeds-Detection-Of-0001?atc~c=771+s=773+r=001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO
A type of high-tech imaging can be used to distinguish the foodborne pathogen Campylobacter from other microorganisms as quickly as 24 hours after a sample is placed on solid media in a Petri dish, according to a study published by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.
The researchers, with USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), used technology called hyperspectral imaging, which combines digital imaging with spectroscopy, to provide hundreds of individual wavelength measurements for each image pixel. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of USDA.
According to the study, microorganisms grown on solid media carry unique spectral fingerprints in the specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. A hyperspectral imager identifies these fingerprints by measuring light waves that bounce off or through these objects.
Unlike the human eye, which sees only visible light, hyperspectral imaging can detect visible light as well as light from the ultraviolet to near-infrared ranges. Hyperspectral imaging may also be applicable to other pathogen detection studies.
Campylobacter infections in humans are a major cause of bacterial foodborne illness both in the United States and other countries throughout the world. Growing Campylobacter directly on solid media has been an effective method to isolate this organism, but distinguishing Campylobacter from non-Campylobacter microorganisms is difficult because different bacteria can often look very similar.
A research team led by ARS electronics engineer Seung-Chul Yoon at the agency's Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit in Athens, Ga., developed the imaging technique to detect Campylobacter colonies on solid media in 24 hours. Normally, isolation and detection for identification of Campylobacter from foods like raw chicken involve time-consuming or complicated laboratory tests that may take several days to a week.
This "sensing" technology, which was nearly 100 percent accurate with pure cultures of the microorganisms, could be used for early detection of presumptive Campylobacter colonies in mixed cultures. The researchers are working toward developing a presumptive screening technique to detect Salmonella and Campylobacter in food samples.
Other ARS team members included research leader Kurt Lawrence, agricultural engineer Bosoon Park, animal physiologist William Windham, and food technologists John Line and Peggy Feldner. Line is at the ARS Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit, also in Athens. Gregory Siragusa of Danisco, in Waukesha, Wis., also collaborated on the study.
Findings from this study were published in the journal Sensing and Instrumentation for Food Quality and Safety. This research supports the USDA priority of ensuring food safety.




P&G recalls small number of bags of cat food From stores in Loveland, COLORADO
29.aug.10
FDA
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm224352.htm
CINCINNATI -- Procter & Gamble (P&G) is voluntarily recalling a small number of bags of its Iams Proactive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care dry cat food which may have been sold recently in one or two stores in Loveland, Colorado.
These bags have the potential to contain salmonella, although no illnesses have been reported. No other Iams pet food products are affected.
The Iams Proactive Health Indoor Weight & Hairball Care cat food in question is sold in blue 6.8-pound bags. These bags feature a code date of 02304173 (B1-B6) and the UPC number 1901403921.
If you have this product, please discard it and call P&G toll-free for a product replacement at 800-862-3332 Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST.
P&G has worked with its retailers to remove the affected product from stores in the area. P&G believes that only three bags may have been purchased recently by consumers in the area. Yet, as a precautionary measure, the company is initiating this retrieval.
People handling dry pet food can become infected with salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. Healthy people infected with salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, salmonella can result in more serious ailments including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Pets with salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.


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RV: Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade

------Mensaje original------
De: AES
Para: AES
Asunto: Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade
Enviado: 31 Ago, 2010 09:57

The May issue of OUTLOOK FOR U.S. AGRICULTURAL TRADE is now available in
PDF format. You are able to view this publication at:

http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1196

Acrobat Reader 5.0 or higher is required to view and print this
document. To download and get help using the Adobe Acrobat Reader,
please go to:

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The next issue of OUTLOOK FOR U.S. AGRICULTURAL TRADE will be
released on November 30, 2010. This report offers the latest value and
volume of U.S. farm exports, by commodity and region, as well as the
agricultural trade balance and the import and export outlook.

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RV: Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development TonsagerAnnounces Funding To Support Job Creation and Economic Development in RuralCommunities

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From: USDA Office of Communications <oc.news@usda.gov>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:25:18 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
Subject: Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Tonsager Announces Funding To Support Job Creation and Economic Development in Rural Communities

 

Media Advisory No. 4213.10 Contact:
Weldon Freeman
(202) 690-1384

Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Tonsager Announces Funding To Support Job Creation and Economic Development in Rural Communities 
 
WASHINGTON, August 31, 2010 – TODAY-Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager will hold a national media conference call to discuss USDA funding for projects in 45 states and two territories. The projects will promote economic development and create jobs. 

WHO: Dallas Tonsager, Under Secretary for Rural Development, USDA
WHAT: The Under Secretary will discuss the impact USDA funding will have on rural communities that were recently selected to receive funding under USDA Rural Development's Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program.  This program helps facilitate the development of businesses in rural America. The grants can be used for start-up and working capital loans, building and plant renovations, transportation improvements, project planning and other business needs.
WHEN:
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
3:00 p.m. EDT
STATES: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana,  Iowa, Kentucky,  Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, The Western Pacific

PRESS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANT ACCESS:

Audio Bridge Number:  800-857-5233  

PASSCODE:  USDA (Given Verbally)

Trouble number:  202-720-8560

All callers using the above pass code will be placed in listen only mode.  To join the Q&A portion of the meeting, these callers are instructed to press *1 on their touch tone phone. 
 


USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).




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RV: The Ag Minute: Now It's Farm Dust. Obama's EPA Considers More Waysto Harm American Agriculture

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From: House Republican Agriculture Committee <agrepublicanpress@politicalmediagroup.com>
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:00:32 -0500
To: Tom Karst<TKarst@vancepublishing.com>
ReplyTo: "tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov" <tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov>
Subject: The Ag Minute: Now It's Farm Dust. Obama's EPA Considers More Ways to Harm American Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 31, 2010
MEDIA CONTACT:
Tamara Hinton, 202.225.0184
tamara.hinton@mail.house.gov

The Ag Minute: Now It's Farm Dust.
Obama's EPA Considers More Ways to Harm American Agriculture

WASHINGTON – This week during The Ag Minute, guest host Rep. Cynthia Lummis, discusses how the Obama administration is considering more impractical regulations for American farmers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reviewing the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter (PM). The Second Draft Policy Assessment (PA) for PM released on July 8, 2010 in the Federal Register lays the foundation for establishing the most stringent and unparalleled regulation of dust in our nation's history.  Presently, scientific studies do not support the need for revising the dust standard.  In fact, according to the PA, the science would justify leaving it as is. Yet, the Obama administration is signaling its intent to proceed with the new standard.

Click here to listen to The Ag Minute. The transcript is below.

"It's not enough that President Obama's EPA wants to regulate milk like oil, eliminate safe and effective crop protection tools like atrazine, or mandate impossible spray-drift standards for the use of pesticides.

"Now it seems the administration is trying to regulate farm dust out of existence.

"Recently, the EPA announced it may consider reducing the dust standard under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by nearly 50 percent. 

"Imagine farmers being fined for doing things like driving a tractor down a dirt road or tilling a field? 

"That's what this proposed standard would mean for our agricultural producers.  It would impose significant costs on our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.  Ultimately, this type of standard would be impossible to achieve.

"It seems that Obama's EPA is so eager to please radical environmentalists that it doesn't care how these impractical and overreaching regulations will impact the people who feed us.  And, it's another glaring example of how out-of-touch the Obama administration is with rural America."

The Ag Minute is Ranking Member Lucas's weekly radio address that is released each Tuesday from the House Agriculture Committee Republicans. To listen to previous radio addresses click here.

###

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http://agriculture.house.gov/republicans



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Monday, August 30, 2010

RV: CSPI Says FDA Findings at Egg Farm are "Stomach Churning"

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From: News from CSPI <cspinews@cspinet.org>
Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:39:10 -0500
To: News from CSPI<cspinews@cspinet.org>
Subject: CSPI Says FDA Findings at Egg Farm are "Stomach Churning"




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Monday, August 30, 2010  
Contact:
 Jeff Cronin, 202-777-8370, or Stacey Greene, 202-777-8316



CSPI Says FDA Findings at Egg Farm are "Stomach Churning"

Statement of CSPI Food Safety Director Caroline Smith DeWaal


While it is really helpful that FDA is disclosing the results of their recent inspections of two facilities linked to a major illness outbreak from contaminated eggs, FDA's findings are truly stomach churning.  FDA found rodents and wild birds in the facilities, and five of the Wright County Egg facilities had giant manure piles inside their buildings. These violations are reminiscent of similar findings in another major outbreak linked to peanut butter.

        Equally troubling is that the inspections occurred the month following the date that the new egg-safety regulation went into effect.  Both companies involved had been on notice that they needed to meet requirements of the new egg-safety rule for over a year. Instead of finding companies that were ready to meet those requirements, FDA's inspections document companies with long-standing violations and apparently little intention to comply. The decrepit conditions in these hen houses reflect the fact that companies know that FDA inspections are so rare—even following the adoption of a new safety regulation—that there is no urgency to fix their buildings and their operations to assure compliance with FDA statutes and regulations.

###


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