Tainted Beef: Is Organic Just as Dangerous as Feedlot?
A recent study by Kansas State University concluded that in terms of presence of E. coli O157:H7, there was no difference between "organic," "naturally-raised" and conventionally raised beef. Feedlots provide all of the conventionally raised beef and the vast majority of organic and naturally-raised beef. Only a small percentage of organic beef is grassfed and finished on pasture.
The study reported that feces from 14% of the organic and naturally-raised cattle contained the pathogenic strain of E. coli, and that this number was comparable to conventional systems. What the study did NOT include were samples from cattle that were pasture-finished or grassfed, surprisingly, not a requirement of either organic or naturally-raised systems. I imagine that there are many consumers who will be surprised to learn this.
Farmers’ Markets on the Rise
In 1994 the USDA counted 1,755 farmers markets in the United States. At last count, there were 4,685. Across the nation, direct marketing is increasing twice as fast as total agricultural sales (USDA Agricultural Marketing Service). President Obama just announced that he wants to start a farmers' market at the White House. So, what's all the fuss about farmers' markets? One of the main reasons is that farmers and consumers actually get to meet each other. Food usually travels hundreds, even thousands of miles to get from farm to table, making face-to-face contact between eaters and growers an all-too-rare event. However, the recent wave of farmers' markets opening across the nation is changing that.
Animal Welfare Approved Lamb Wins 2009 “Best Dish in North Carolina”!
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Our State Magazine recently announced the winners of the 2009 "Best Dish in North Carolina" competition. The winning dish, chosen from over 60 other entries from the mountains to the coast, was lamb carpaccio prepared by Chef Shane Ingram of Four Square Restaurant in Durham. Ingram served grassfed, Animal Welfare Approved lamb from Captain John S. Pope Farm in Cedar Grove. Farmer Bob Pope said of the achievement, "We're beside ourselves we're so elated. It's very exciting." Cousins and farming partners Bob and Tommy Pope had pretty good odds during the final selection process - three out of the ten finalists featured their lamb!
Vilsack Announces Loan Assistance for Rural Businesses
From the USDA Newsroom: Yesterday Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced announced that USDA is now accepting applications for up to $1.7 billion to fund projects that help spur business activity and economic growth in rural communities. This infusion of money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into rural business is designed to create and save jobs and help rural communities grow and prosper. The funding announced today will be made available through USDA Rural Development's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan program, which supports the development of private businesses...
The Logical Line in the Middle: Animal Welfare
A recent article in The Gothernburg Times caught my eye, Animal welfare activists threaten nation's agriculture. Excuse me? Drawing largely on the platform of the industry-supported Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN), the author presents us with two options: 1) shore up agriculture as is - meaning the large factory farms that currently supply us with most of our animal protein, or 2) a vegan utopia in which animals are afforded the same rights as people, and…
