A bipartisan group of senators have asked for a 30-day extension of the public comment period for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) Scientific Report. Senate Ag Committee chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions chair Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, joined their respective committees’ ranking members, Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, and Patty Murray, D-Washington, in sending a letter …
March Madness to Choose the Wiener
March Madness will determine the winner of the college basketball world. Well, the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) will be choosing the wiener – the best hot dog in Major League Baseball. In March Madness style, the NHDSC even has a bracket to determine the champ in the classic and unique hot dog categories. Voting will be conducted …
Letter Calls for USDA, HHS to Reject Dietary Report
U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) joined 29 of her colleagues in objecting to a report on food guidelines that advises Americans to decrease consumption of red meat. In a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, the senators condemn the report’s conclusions, which ignore relevant scientific evidence on nutrition. Senator Fischer released the following statement regarding …
Schmacon Inventor Ready for Retail
The inventor of Schmacon, Howard Bender, accepted a challenge to do better than the turkey bacon he and a friend were eating one day. So he invented “Beef’s Answer to Bacon – Schmacon.” If you attended this year’s American Farm Bureau Federation convention you might remember being able to sample it. You can read his full story here (pdf). Smokey, …
BASF Invites Stakeholders to Discuss Food Future
As part of activities to mark 150 years, BASF hosted a two-day “Creator Space” jamming event in Washington, D.C. last week to discuss the future of food. The event brought together more than 30 stakeholders from the entire food value chain including farmers, academics, food manufacturers and logistic companies to discuss long-term challenges and trends that may impact the food …
Schmacon Kickstarter Campaign
You’ve possible heard of Schmacon. After all AgWired brought it to your attention a while ago. This is an award winning product that I’d like to find in my local grocery store. Apparently there is a big fan base that has been started from Schmacon tastings and via social media. Now, Howard Bender, chef and inventor, is ready to get …
Wisconsin’s Largest Craft Beer Week
Madison Craft Beer Week (MCBW) will celebrate its 5th anniversary this May 1-10, 2015. Festival organizers are hard at work planning for the 5-year milestone. Over 80 different Greater Madison area restaurants, pubs and breweries will host more than 350 events as part of this year’s MCBW. Craft beer lovers will have the opportunity to choose from a multitude of …
3D-Printable Home Based Food Production System
A Texas patent holder and inventor has launched a collection of 3D printable objects that function as key components in a non-electric, home-based food grow system that can be operated for pennies. The story of the invention can be found at FoodRising, a project of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center which is donating 250 grow systems to schools across America. …
Daugherty Water for Food Institute Moving Forward
As the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska (DWFI) enters its second five-year phase of development, 2016 will bring a planned leadership transition. Founding executive director Roberto Lenton will be transitioning out of that position by the end of this year. “I was — and remain — very excited about the opportunity to position …
Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Phillip Seng
Agri-Pulse interviewed Philip Seng, President and CEO USMEF on Open Mic this week: International trade can be a “gold mine” for beef and pork producers as well as the grain growers they rely on for feed. However, U.S. red meat exports are challenged from lower domestic production and the rising value of the U.S. dollar. In this week’s Open Mic …