- Doctors, dietitians and scientists agree that seafood is one of the healthiest foods Americans can enjoy. The proteins, vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids in fish and shellfish greatly outweigh the risk of trace amounts of mercury. Recent research from The Institute of Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health confirms that eating fish, including canned tuna, is beneficial to all consumers — especially women and children. People who avoid eating fish because of mercury myths take the risk of missing out on health benefits that can include reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression and Alzheimer’s disease. Mercury levels for most fish range from non-detectable to 0.5 parts per million (ppm). The 10 most popular commercial species have an average mercury concentration of 0.12 ppm or about eight times lower than the established U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) threshold of 1 ppm. Canned tuna is far below the FDA mercury limit with an average of 0.12 parts per million (ppm) in canned light tuna and 0.35 ppm in canned albacore tuna.
- StollerUSA, a Houston-based company, has provided producers alternative solutions to important agricultural problems for more than 35 years. Jerry Stoller, president and CEO, founded StollerUSA in 1970. A notable agronomy expert, Stoller has been involved in international soil science research for more than 40 years and won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 1998. He became convinced that understanding and controlling a plant’s reaction to stress was an important key to unlocking each plant’s genetic potential. One innovative StollerUSA product, Bio-Forge™, an anti-oxidant with growth-enhancing properties, increases the yield potential of drought-stressed crops by affecting key genes associated with drought resistance. Flower Power™ is another example of StollerUSA’s ability to offer original solutions to common problems. Flower Power improves quality and increases yield by improving plant pollination.
- Producers who use no-till or strip-till practices in their farming operations now have until September 15 to sign up for the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) agricultural soil carbon offsets program. Decades of data have shown that no-till and strip-till practices sequester carbon in agricultural soils. Producers who meet the eligibility requirements receive credit for their practices. The amount of carbon sequestered varies by region, but land in the central Corn Belt typically receives credit for 0.6 of a ton of carbon per acre. Producers must commit to maintaining their conservation tillage practices for a minimum of five years.
