The voice of animal agriculture in Canada

It was 1988, 22 years ago that some forward thinking Canadian farmers recognized that people really didn’t understand what they did, so they formed the Ontario Farm Animal Council, OFAC. Executive Director Crystal Mackay says the organization has evolved over the years and they’ve been involved in a number of projects that tells the story. Crystal says one project is their “Faces of Farming” calendar.

AUDIO: Crystal Mackay, Exec. Director, OFAC (3:00 MP3)

Another dispute between the CBB and NCBA

Calling the findings “extremely troubling”, the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) says it has discovered many expenses that were either improperly charged to the checkoff or insufficiently documented by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).  Beef Board CEO Tom Ramey tells Brownfield’s Ken Anderson that one of the discrepancies involved travel expenses for the spouses of staff and volunteer leadership of NCBA.  And he admits this latest development isn’t going to help already strained relations between the CBB and NCBA.

AUDIO: Tom Ramey (3 min MP3)

College bound and financially confident

While the harvest season is a busy time for any producer, it is not the time to let other important issues be pushed to the side. This includes preparing college bound students to be financially responsible. The number of producers who have attended college has tripled in the past fifty years according to the USDA and continues to grow as farm kids move on to higher education. Sharon Burns, an associate professor at Purdue University has some suggestions for parents and students on creating financial plans for the school year.

AUDIO: Sharon Burns (3 minutes,mp3)

Kruse says he’ll keep advocating for ag

Advocating for agriculture. That’s what outgoing Missouri Farm Bureau President Charlie Kruse tells Brownfield he’ll keep doing after stepping down as president for the past 18 years. Kruse – a fourth generation farmer – will not seek reelection as Missouri Farm Bureau President in December.

AUDIO: Charlie Kruse (3 min. MP3)

ADT’s, training to make a difference

Captain Peter Shinn, says when the 734th Agribusiness Development Team (ADT) from Iowa arrives in Afghanistan’s Kunar Province, they have been trained to make a difference in the lives of Afghan people, and Captain Shinn says those serving come from farms and other other agricultural backgrounds.

AUDIO: Capt. Peter Shinn, 734th ADT (3:00 MP3)

Fire up the grill

Kim Galeaz, Registered Dietician and consultant to the National Pork Board (NPB) says when it comes to grilling, it begins with the right tools, tongs, a good brush to apply glazes and sauces and the all important meat thermometer. Oh, and if you think you’re pretty good at grilling, you might consider entering the NPB’s “Calling All Grillers with Groupies” contest.

AUDIO: Kim Galeaz, RD and Consultant to National Pork Board (3:00 MP3)

Fighting for increased competition in livestock markets

The USDA’s proposed rule on livestock and poultry contracts was a major topic of discussion during a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing in Washington this week.  Critics of the proposed new livestock competition rule argued that it goes beyond the congressional intent of the 2008 farm bill and said it will have an adverse impact on the livestock and poultry industries.  One of the groups supporting the proposed rule is the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM).  We talked to OCM executive director Fred Stokes.

AUDIO: Fred Stokes (3 min MP3)

State Fair legacies built with memories

Generations of families have come to state fairs over the years… and it’s evident in the stories they tell. From showing livestock and bringing their children for family fun, it’s the memories that build from year to year, family to family, that become state AND county fair legacies.  Brownfield’s Julie Harker talked with Missouri State Fair Director Mark Wolfe about this year’s fair theme, “Growing Great Memories.”

AUDIO: Mark Wolfe (3 min. MP3)

EPA takes next step towards tougher dust rules

Not as bad as before, but still unacceptable—that’s how the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is reacting to the latest draft of dust regulations from the EPA.  Last summer, EPA was discussing a ten-fold decrease in the acceptable levels of dust.  According to NCBA vice president of government affairs Colin Woodall, the agency has backed off on that idea.  But he says the latest proposal is still twice as stringent as the current standard.

Growers donate sweet corn to food banks

Corn growers and an ethanol plant in Missouri, with the help of 4H and FFA students, have planted, harvested and delivered thousands of pounds of sweet corn to an inner city food bank.

AUDIO: Billy Thiel (3 min. MP3)

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