This December through July 2024, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) are partnering to conduct a national study focusing on sheep and lamb health and management in the United States. This study, conducted approximately every 10 years, consists of two phases and includes biological sampling and two questionnaires.
Beef processor Swift Beef Company will pay $275,000 in civil penalties to resolve alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company – a subsidiary of JBS, one of the largest meat processors in the world – failed to comply with Clean Water Act permit limits for numerous pollutants at its facility in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Two unique sessions during CattleCon24 in Orlando, Florida, provide opportunities to share ideas and continue conversations about the importance of continuous improvement. For attendees arriving early at CattleCon24, there is an engaging half-day Grazing Management Workshop on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Dr. Myles Allen, professor at the University of Oxford, will be the keynote speaker during the Sustainability Forum, sponsored by Elanco, on Thursday, Feb. 1.
Respect for animals, respect for the land and respect for each other – the foundation of a new campaign from Sysco, the global leader in foodservice distribution, and Certified Angus Beef (CAB), a brand known for its commitment to quality beef. The campaign, Raised with Respect, centers on the common ground found between cattle producers and beef consumers, with a focus on animal welfare and beef sustainability.
In a year marked by significant challenges for small family farms and rural communities, Organic Valley, the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the nation, is not just seeking more milk but actively welcoming more farmers. The cooperative has brought 84 family farms into its fold in 2023, demonstrating a robust response to the trend of farm loss and agricultural consolidation.
Molly Pelzer, the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Midwest Dairy, has officially announced her retirement from the organization effective in March of 2024. Midwest Dairy’s board has engaged a search firm to guide the selection of the next CEO for the organization.
As of Dec. 1, there were 75 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up slightly from December 2022 and down slightly from Sept. 1, 2023, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Smithfield Foods distributed 7,300 free Smithfield Spiral Quarter Hams to brighten the holidays for individuals and families in the St. Charles, Illinois, area.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences awarded Nicolas DiLorenzo one of two grants totaling $10 million to reduce livestock methane emissions. DiLorenzo’s grant is for $5 million and focuses on reducing the amount of methane cows produce. DiLorenzo, Animal Sciences professor at North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna, is heading a multidisciplinary team including livestock nutritionists, chemists, and microbiologists. Their work will create livestock feed additives to reduce the amount of methane produced during the digestive process.
The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Harold E. Ford Foundation again sponsored the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. The Conference recognizes 4-H members who have excelled in their states in poultry learning experience activities.
