Ag News for America
Indiana’s National Officer candidate Micah Matlock has made the first round of cuts in his pursuit of a National FFA Office. Matlock is a sophomore at Purdue University, majoring in Agribusiness Management. He, along with the remaining candidates will continue interviewing with the National FFA Officer selection team this week.
At the conclusion of the National FFA Convention on Saturday – the 2012-2013 National FFA Officer team will be installed.
Indiana State Veterinarian Bret Marsh has announced staff changes at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health.
Doug Metcalf, BOAH Chief of Staff, has been serving as interim Dairy Director since September. He will now assume that position full-time. Gary Haynes has been named BOAH Chief of Staff. Prior to his appointment he served as the Director of Legal Affairs and Enforcement at BOAH. Sarah Simpson has been named the Director of Legal Affairs and Enforcement. Simpson has been with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture serving as Director of Agriculture Policy.
Marsh says these positions are essential to the Board of Animal Health. He adds, “I’m pleased we’ve identified three talented and experienced leaders who can bring a fresh viewpoint and ideas to each of these areas that will benefit the agency, the board, and the state.”
The internal position shifts went into effect yesterday. Simpson joins BOAH on October 29, 2012.
The unofficial start to the 85th National FFA Convention and Expo came Tuesday at the Welcome Luncheon. Allison Melangton is the President of the Indiana Sports Corporation – and part of the Super Bowl host committee.
During her remarks, Melangton told attendees there are a lot of similarities between the two organizations. “There were four things we really focused on and invested in in the four years we were planning our Super Bowl,” she says. “They were youth; volunteerism; community; and impactful legacy.”
Melangton says investing in those four things can really make a difference. “The training for leadership skills is events like the Super Bowl Host Committee that value and invest in community programs, not the four-hour football game, and in conventions like FFA – that invest in the value and future of youth,” she says. “You are able to learn and teach others as an investment in the future.”
AUDIO: Allison Melangton’s National FFA Welcome Luncheon Remarks (10:02mp3)
Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship- ($1,000 and $10,000) Nominees must be between the ages of 6-18 and must be nominated by someone 21+. Selection is based on the volunteer’s actions, projects, benefits, and outcomes. Regional winners receive $1,000; national winners receive $10,000. Store winners will receive a $50 Kohl’s gift card. Nominations accepted from February 1-March 15, 2013.
Inaugural Edlong Dairy Flavors Scholarship-($3,000) Available to a graduate or undergraduate student enrolled in a Master’s or Ph.D. food science program with a focus in dairy science and/or dairy flavors, or pursuing an undergraduate degree in food science with a focus in dairy flavors at an IFT-approved university. For more information about Edlong’s products and services, please visit www.edlong.com.
Inaugural Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods Division Scholarship-($1,000) Graduate scholarship available to a Master’s or Ph.D. students researching nutraceuticals and functional foods. The application must includethe student’s contributions to nutraceuticals and functional foods, graduate transcripts, a list of publications/presentations, and one recommendation letter.
Inaugural Education Division Scholarship-($1,000) The scholarship will be awarded to a Master’s or Ph.D. student who has made a strong commitment to food science education through teaching, research, and service.
Inaugural Food Laws and Regulations Division Scholarship-($1,500) Will support a graduate student pursuing a career in regulatory science. The scholarship is available to a Master’s or Ph.D. student.
Feed Tomorrow Scholarship and IFT Student Association George R. Foster memorial Scholarship- ($1,000) High school seniors planning to enter an approved program in food science/ technology may apply. Applications are due March 15.
Feed Tomorrow Scholarship- ($1,000) College freshman pursuing a degree in food science/ technology with a minimum of 3.0 GPA may apply. Application due March 1.
Arthur T. Schramm Memorial Scholarship- ($2,250) Junior or senior in college pursuing a curriculum in food science or food technology is eligible to apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
General Mills Scholarship- ($5,000) Junior or senior in college pursuing a curriculum in food science or food technology is eligible to apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
Givaudan Flavors- ($1,000) Junior or senior in college pursuing a curriculum in food science or food technology is eligible to apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
IFT Foodservice Division Scholarship- ($2,500) Juniors or seniors in college who are pursuing a career that supports foodservice operations including hospitality, research chef program and food industry may apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
IFT Food Microbiology Division Scholarship- ($500) Junior or senior in college who is a member of the IFT Food Microbiology Division may submit a statement of interest in food microbiology, including a description of career objectives and professional aspirations may apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
IFT Quality Assurance Division Abe Mittler Memorial Scholarship- ($2,500) Junior or senior in college who is taking or has taken at least one course in quality assurance and who demonstrates a definite interest in the quality assurance area can apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
IFT Quality Assurance Division Louis J. Bianco Memorial Scholarship- ($2,000) Junior or senior in college who is taking or has taken at least one course in quality assurance and who demonstrates a definite interest in the quality assurance area is eligible. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists- Irving Pflug Scholarship- ($1,500) Junior or senior in college who is studying food science, food engineering, or applied microbiology as is related to food preservation may apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
John J. and Irene T. Powers- ($1,500) Junior or senior in college pursuing a curriculum in food science or food technology is eligible to apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
Julie Vande Velde Leadership- ($1,500) Junior or senior in college pursuing a curriculum in food science or food technology is eligible to apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
McCormick and Company Endowment- ($2,500) Junior or senior in college pursuing a curriculum in food science or food technology may apply. Applicant must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA. Applications are due Feb. 19.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has lifted its suspension of the operating license for the XL Foods plant in Alberta. That clears the way for the plant to resume operations. The Calgary Herald says union workers will be called back on Wednesday for three days of training and production will resume on Monday, October 29th.
CFIA will have extra inspectors at the facility and will conduct additional testing for E.coli. All products will be held at the plant until E.coli test results on it have been assessed. The agency says “inspectors will immediately stop operations at any point if concerns are identified”.
Management of the plant was transferred to JBS USA last week with an option to buy the facility. The plant can handle 4,500 head per day which is nearly 40 percent of the slaughter capacity in the country. No word as to when USDA would allow resumption of imports from the plant.
Read more from the CFIA here:
The annual State of the World report from Worldwatch Institute notes the drought in China, Russia, the Horn of Africa and the southern United States in 2011 and the resulting higher feed prices caused a slowdown in growth of global meat production and a reduction in meat consumption. While global per capita meat consumption has been steadily increasing since 1995, it slipped from 42.5 kilograms per person in 2010 to 42.3 kilograms in 2011.
With 109 million metric tons consumed, pork was the most popular meat in 2011 making up 37 percent of the global production and consumption. Poultry was right behind with 101 million tons, narrowing the gap by 3 million tons. The report says that continues a trend which will likely see global poultry production and consumption surpass pork “in the next few years.” The report says 72 percent of the world’s poultry production, 43 percent of egg production and 55 percent of pork production is in concentrated animal feeding operations.
The analysis cites USDA estimates that the drought of 2012 will push beef, pork and poultry prices higher, further dampening consumption.
We are also seeing a geographical shift in meat production. In 2000, North America led the world in beef production with 13 million tons; South America produced 12 million and Asia 10 million tons. By 2011, North America slipped to 12.2 million tons while South America produced 15 million tons and Asia produced 17 million.
Based in Washington D.C., Worldwatch Institute is an independent research organization which works on energy, resource and environmental issues.
Read more here:
A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics finds no advantage to children eating organic produce as compared to conventional produce. The AAP conducted an extensive analysis of scientific evidence surrounding organic produce, dairy products and meat and concluded that while the organic produce may contain lower pesticide levels and organic meat is less likely to be contaminated with drug-resistant bacteria, “there is no evidence that consuming an organic diet leads to improved health or lower risk of disease.”
The report stresses that “What’s most important is that children eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy products whether those products are conventional or organic foods.”
Dr. Janet Silverstein, endocrinologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and one of the lead authors of the report says many families have a limited food budget, “and we do not want families to choose to consume smaller amounts of more expensive organic foods and thus reduce their overall intake of healthy foods like produce.”
The study was published in Pediatrics online on Monday. A recent Stanford University study also found that while exposure to pesticides may be reduced with organics, the levels found in conventional produce is well within safety limits.
Read more from the AAP here:
National Scholarship and Horatio Alger Association Scholarship- ($20,000) High school seniors who display a strong commitment to pursuing and completing a bachelor’s degree that have been involved in co-curricular and community activities are eligible. Applicant must have a minimum of 2.0 GPA. Applications open Aug. 1.
So for the second day in a row, cash cheese goes up on a couple of unfilled bids while Class III futures go down. Barrels on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange increased 4 cents to $2.01 and blocks gained 3.5 cents to $2.045 per pound. Cheese getting some support from the monthly cold storage report on Monday showing total cheese stocks declined in September. This comes after the milk production report last week showing milk output in September was below year-ago levels. The question now is that the low for production in the hot summer and will things start to rebound in the October numbers?
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted nine requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Foremost Farms, Land O’Lakes and United Dairymen of Arizona to sell 2.262 million pounds of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese and 330,693 pounds of butter to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and the South Pacific. The product will be delivered October 2012 through March 2013.
In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 102 million pounds, butter totaling 58.7 million pounds and anhydrous milk fat totaling 127,868 pounds. The product has been sent to 34 countries on four continents
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