Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza – What you Need to Know as an AGW-certified Producer
AGW staff are continuing to monitor the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and support AGW-certified producers in following biosecurity measures to ensure the safety of their flocks. If you are looking for guidance, please read on for what you need to know as an AGW-certified poultry producer and keep an eye out for an upcoming Technical Advice Fact Sheet from AGW’s technical team on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch with any questions that our technical team can…
Just What Are We Eating?
Eating is a tough subject these days. Choices abound. Marketing is manipulative. When it comes to buying food, advice is wildly conflicting. Feeling better does not necessarily result from the advice one reads and some suggestions can be unsustainable (keto much?). The ironic result is that quality of life stays low. There is a growing awareness of the connection between food quality, how it is produced, the environment, animal welfare, climate change, and politics. This awareness is clear in the…
Health And Safety
You are hiking in the woods with a friend when a bear attacks. How fast must you run to escape? 28 mph/44 kmh Drop everything, climb a tree and wait it out 36 mph/58 kmh Faster than your friend If you answered D, then you have the right mindset for biosecurity! Biosecurity is not about building an impenetrable fortress, irrelevant costly actions, or impossible goals. Rather, good biosecurity is about practical measures that keep you ahead of whatever pathogens may…
Meet the Farmer – Master Blend Family Farms
Leading By Example Ronald Simmons (above) produces pasture-raised pigs and vegetables on 76 acres in Duplin County, North Carolina, the third generation to farm the land. Master Blend Family Farms supplies pork products to restaurants and high-end eateries across the East—and a major basketball stadium! How did you get into farming? My father-in-law was debating if he should sell the family farm after many years raising pigs. I asked him for an opportunity to give it a shot. That was…
Light And Shade
Heat stress is a serious welfare issue for cattle that can also result in significant decreases in feed intake, milk yield, fertility and weight gain. The ideal ambient temperature for cattle is between 41°F and 77 °F. Depending on the relative humidity, solar radiation, wind speed, and access to water and diet, cattle can suffer heat stress in temperatures above this range. Signs of heat stress, such as increased respiration rate (greater than 90 breaths per minute), standing versus lying…
