Mid Atlantic

Seed potatoes

by Tamara Scully

Although there have been recent efforts to grow potatoes directly from true seed, rather than tubers, the commercial potato industry relies on tuber seed potatoes to maintain disease-free planting stock. Growing from tubers is a type of cloning, as the progeny has the same genetic makeup of the parent.

When tubers are grown in the field, both the tubers and the soil accumulate pathogens. Therefore, the number of generation of progeny is limited in certified seed production although this varies by certifying agency. Many states have their own certified seed potato services. Seed certification is handled either by a land-grant university, a state department of agriculture, or a growers’ association. [Read more…]

The Global Food Security Act ~ part 2

by Steve Wagner

HR1567 is better known as the bill that came out of the House of Representatives dealing with Global Food Security. Congressman Scott Perry (R, PA) is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “I was a co-sponsor of the bill,” says Perry, “and it’s hard to get these things together. What it does is to codify the ‘whole of government’ strategy for U.S. global food and nutrition security.” Essentially, ‘whole of government’ means that everyone is working together toward one thing. Often you see one agency doing this and another doing that, seemingly working at cross-purposes. People then tend to think that there should be someone coordinating such programs lest they be deemed as too many fingers in a single pie; “so the food that we’re sending doesn’t end up with the bandits as opposed to the people that need it,” Perry said. “Where’s the State Department in this? And why are we sending to this country and not that one? What we really want to do is to help people feed themselves.” [Read more…]

Global Food Security ~ part 1

by Steve Wagner

“Welcome to the 100^th Pennsylvania Farm Show,” said Russell Redding. Pennsylvania’s Ag Secretary told his audience that the expo’s milestone was the perfect backdrop for discussing food and the importance of it both domestically and internationally.

“Global food security is not just an issue when it comes to making sure that people around the world have enough to eat,” said Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Robert Casey, a member of the discussion panel. “I think it’s a moral issue, but it’s even deeper in terms about why we should be concerned about it. When folks don’t have enough to eat, they are a lot more desperate, and that leads to instability around the world.” Casey said he didn’t need to remind anyone in the audience about the threat we face with terrorism on a daily basis. [Read more…]

Antibiotics: impact of production use

by Tamara Scully

Depending on what livestock you raise, and how you raise it, antibiotic use for anything other than treating a disease may not even be on your radar. But antibiotics are utilized for purposes other than disease control across livestock industries to varying degrees.

In livestock production, antibiotics are utilized for more than disease treatment. They are also used to prevent existing illness from spreading through the population, as well as prophylactically, to prevent illness from arising in the population. They are also used for production purposes. [Read more…]

Dealing with animal rights activists ~ Part 4

Part 4: Are employees performing their jobs properly?

by Sally Colby

Kay Johnson Smith, president and CEO of Animal Agriculture Alliance, says that good animal welfare begins with taking a good, hard look at your farm business.

“Take a look at animal care handling and if there are issues there,” said Smith. “Make sure equipment is in good working order and will help you perform routine animal care safely and humanely.” Smith suggests if a farmer is experiencing problems with equipment (or lack thereof) or in working with livestock, it’s worth seeking expert help. [Read more…]

Dealing with animal rights activists ~ Part 3

Part 3: how not to hire an activist plant

by Sally Colby

It’s no secret that animal activists are trying to access farms for the purpose of gaining video or photographs of animal abuse. Although cases of true abuse do exist, in many cases, the activist who makes his way onto a working farm is there to create the illusion of abuse through video or still photos. It’s important for farm employers to be cautious in hiring to protect themselves, their good name, and their animals.

“They’re very shrewd about getting hired,” said Kay Johnson-Smith, president and CEO of Animal Agriculture Alliance. “Many will say that they have farm experience, so when they tell you they have worked on farms, they have. They go from farm to farm or region to region around the country. If they worked on a farm in Nebraska today, six months from today, they’re going to show up trying to get hired on a farm in New York.” [Read more…]

Watch, ask and learn

by Sally Colby

As consumers learn more about modern agricultural production, they’re also asking questions about how livestock are raised. Many farmers have opened their doors to the non-ag public to show them what’s inside the barn and how daily operations take place, but the biosecurity that’s essential for swine and poultry operations disallows that.

Some consumers have an opportunity to see livestock, including swine and poultry, at fairs, but those animals aren’t in their normal setting and it’s hard for people to relate to the production side. The goal of an ag display is to show people where food comes from; that it doesn’t just show up on a grocery shelf, and that there are people devoted to taking care of these animals. But what’s the best way to accomplish that? [Read more…]

The Thurmont sale: The New Year’s Day tradition

by Hope Holland

Between the dips of the economy and the new-wave attitude that horses are no longer livestock but pets the good old horse auction has almost vanished from the agricultural scene. However, RSD Horse Auctions, LLC is proving to be the exception every first Friday of the month. This small community could not be better suited to the agricultural purpose of the sale with neighboring Pennsylvania barely 15 minutes north up Route 15 from Thurmont and West Virginia and Virginia easily less than an hour to the south along the same road. [Read more…]

Country Folks

Highlighting Agriculture

Mid Atlantic

Seed potatoes

The Global Food Security Act ~ part 2

Global Food Security ~ part 1

Antibiotics: impact of production use

Dealing with animal rights activists ~ Part 4

Dealing with animal rights activists ~ Part 3

Watch, ask and learn

The Thurmont sale: The New Year’s Day tradition

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