Used shipping containers: the new farming frontier.

Campbell purchased noosa as part of the Sovos Brands, Inc. acquisition in March 2024.

The contamination of Foster Farms chickens has provided insight into food regulation.

Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, had we been paying attention before this happened?

Mark Lacter: You know, Steve, we often have an out of sight, out of mind attitude when it comes to food safety, and - as we're seeing with this episode - the government has a way of enabling that attitude.  What stands out, first of all, is that people started getting sick from salmonella-contaminated chicken back in March, and yet, it wasn't until the past few weeks that news stories began appearing about the seriousness of the problems.

Julian: At last check, more than 400 people have been infected, with most of them in California...

Lacter: Right, and Foster Farms, which is based in Merced County, controls two-thirds of the poultry market along the West Coast.  No fatalities so far, but many of the people who became sick had to be hospitalized - and that leads to still more concerns that the salmonella strains were resistant to antibiotics.  Now, why it took this long for consumers to be made aware that there was a problem tells you something about the way the federal government regulates poultry plants.  It was only last Friday, after the company had seen a 25 percent drop in sales, when the president of Foster Farms decided to go public.  He said he was embarrassed by the outbreak, and promised to change the company's processing facilities so that salmonella can be better identified.

Julian: Where was the US government in this?

Lacter: Apparently, the Department of Agriculture only requires testing for levels of salmonella at the time of slaughter - not later on, after the poultry is cut into parts.  Foster Farms now says it will do retesting at that later stage.  What's also interesting is that Foster Farms was not asked to recall any of its products because the chicken is considered safe as long as it's handled properly and then cooked to the right temperature, which is at least 165 degrees.  That's why some supermarkets have kept carrying the brand.

Julian: Can the government even order a recall?

Lacter: Not in a case like this - and that's because of a court case in the 1990s involving a Texas meat producer that federal inspectors were ready to shut down due to a salmonella outbreak involving ground beef.  The company sued the government, arguing that salmonella is naturally occurring, and therefore, not an adulterant subject to government regulation.  And the courts agreed.  Foster Farms has been using much the same argument.

Julian: Why isn't there more public outrage over this?

Lacter: Well, again, we go back to out of sight, out of mind.  Slaughterhouses are not exactly fun places, and they're usually not well covered by the news media until something bad happens, like the Foster Farms situation.

Julian: Chino comes to mind - a story we covered.

Lacter: That's when an animal rights group used a hidden camera to record inhumane treatment of cattle at a meat processing plant.  That company was forced into bankruptcy.  Another reason coverage is spotty is because it's not always easy to trace someone's illness to a contaminated piece of meat or chicken.  And, that leads to lots of misinformation.  The broader issue is figuring out a way to monitor these facilities without the process becoming cost prohibitive.  The Agriculture Department has been pushing a pilot program that would allow plants to speed up processing lines, and replace government inspectors with employees from the poultry companies themselves.

Julian: The idea being?

Lacter: The idea being to establish safeguards that can prevent problems before they get out of hand.  But, this is pretty controversial stuff, and advocacy groups representing poultry workers say that processing lines need to be slowed down, not speeded up.  So, you have this ongoing back and forth involving industry, government, consumer groups, and labor organizations.  And unfortunately, most of us tend to move on after one of these outbreaks gets cleared up.

Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Two Victorian wind farms have won 20-year deals with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), to supply a third of Canberra's electricity needs. In a deal worth A$68 million a year each, the alternative power venture is set to increase Canberra household power bills by A$93, however with 200 megawatts of capacity, the wind farms are expected to create a 580,000-tonne reduction to the city's yearly carbon emission each year (the equivalent of removing 157,000 cars).

Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 12:00pm
Location:
Organized By: University of Michigan Sustainable Food Program (UMSFP)

The Farm Stand is a weekly pop-up market and education project that sells produce grown by students for students. It is held on Thursdays from 12pm-3pm from August 22 through mid-November on South Ingalls Mall. Powered by the U-M Sustainable Food Program (UMSFP) and the Campus Farm at Matthaei Botanical Gardens (CF), this project seeks to increase access to local food for students and engage the wider U-M community in food systems learning and engagement opportunities. Students receive a 30% discount and the proceeds from the Farm Stand go towards funding student-led sustainable food initiatives here at the U-M through UMSFP’s mini-grants for food justice program.

Award-winning cannabis cultivator Aeriz has debuted a carefully crafted lineup of four new cannabis strains…

Experts say the region is currently in a drought, but as long as it doesn’t extend much longer, the dry weather is having a balanced impact on local agriculture.

Nairobi — As African farmers struggle with unpredictability caused by climate change, some are looking into contract farming, which involves growing a certain crop for a price set in advance. About 400 people attended the International Conference on Contract Farming in Nairobi this week to learn more about the practice.  Peris Wanjiku, the conference director, said such agreements can help solve the challenges that many smallholder farmers face in Africa.  "It's always important to farm with a plan. I believe it's not enough to simply plant a crop, whatever it is, without knowing where it will end up," Wanjiku said. "Farmers should know beforehand what to grow and where to sell. This is why contract farming is so important, as it provides the framework for certainty and sustainability. "But it's not only about the traditional farmer. I believe we can extend the benefit of contract farming to those who may not be farmers themselves right now, but they own a piece of land."    Experts say the growing interest in contract farming is associated with increasingly complicated systems in food production, marketing and distribution, which has made it difficult for farmers to meet consumers' demands.  Contract farming, experts say, is an instrument that manages and reduces production risks for both parties.  Wilson Milito Ole-Rampei, a vegetable farmer in Kenya, is attending the conference and is optimistic that the practice would help him.   "I will benefit because if, for example, I am growing vegetables, we will arrange with them to get a market. They will give me their technical advice, then our arid land will be used. Because of [a] shortage of rain, we will do irrigation. I would have knowledge of what I am growing," Ole-Rampei said.    An economist for the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Lan Li, said contract farming is often a good deal for small-scale farmers.   "It sets the agreements on what products to produce, quantity, and price," Li said. "As such, it helps secure more stable income and better production planning for producers. It can improve access to inputs for small-scale holder farmers, technical assistance training, and financing solutions."  African farmers have seen reduced harvests due to global warming and drought. For many, a lack of knowledge and skills also contributes to low food production.  In areas where farmers can produce enough food, they sometimes face obstacles such as bad roads or insecurity that prevent them from getting to market.   Carole Kariuki, head of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, said the private and public sectors need to collaborate to improve the agriculture sector.  "The private sector is doing its best. It's filling that gap where it can, but we cannot do it all, and we need the government to be able to go back and say we can get agriculture extension officers helping out small farmers and all the farmers in the country. Contract farming holds immense potential to transform African agriculture,” she said.  Contract farming can have drawbacks, such as making farmers less able to sell to alternative buyers when produce prices increase. In addition, there are environmental risks from growing only one crop for a long time.   Buyers, meanwhile, can face high transaction costs from contracting with many farmers.  But Kariuki believes the benefits outweigh the risks. She called contract farming a model to lift up small-scale farmers, boost food production, and drive sustainable growth.

[VOA] Nairobi -- As African farmers struggle with unpredictability caused by climate change, some are looking into contract farming, which involves growing a certain crop for a price set in advance.

A proposal to set up an effluent treatment plant and to carry out concrete lining of the baby canal, submitted in 2021-22, is under government’s consideration, says a senior official in the Water Resources Department

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) wants to accelerate the development of 15 planned floating solar farm projects with a total capacity of 2,656 megawatts on the reservoirs of its six hydroelectric dams under the new national power development plan (PDP) of 2024.

The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa) has kicked off the One Tambon, One Digital (Otod) "Digital Durian" project to help 8.8 million durian farmers improve their productivity and set Thai durian standards using digital platforms and innovations.

Farm workers hear about Jesus for the first time at their compound.

Foundations for Farming is changing lives in Zambia by reaching out with God's truth and practical training.

The glass bottles are eco-friendly and sustainable, says the company

Singh, a retired soldier, also cultivates hazelnuts, pecans and some stone fruits including peach, plum and apricots. 

Alan Simpson, Republican Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of Obama's deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
August, 2010.

Here's a response in a letter from an unknown farmer in Montana ....
I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is !
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight..

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY
YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15
years old.. I am now 63).

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for
decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give
OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme
that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the
proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing
retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to
age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare
from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the
game.. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy
to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our
entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?
Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come
to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on
your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for
YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during
your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and
how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the
American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you
proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual,
have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called
Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases
who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from
millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That's right,
sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of
advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and
you know that we know it.

And you can take that to the bank, you miserable ASS.

Firm Partner Denise Stiffarm Assumes the Role of Firm Managing Partner from Gerry Johnson, a Founding Partner Who Will Continue His Legal Practice with the Firm.

Frontline Source Group, Fort Worth Temporary Agency and Fort Worth Staffing Agency, volunteers with HOPE Farm. Several employees from the Fort Worth Frontline office have committed to volunteer their time and talents with the HOPE Farm in Fort Worth, TX.

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 04, 2024 ) The Global Agricultural Tractors Market is growing, fueled by a demand for precision farming and advanced agricultural machinery. Modern tractors equipped with GPS, AI, and automation technology are transforming farm efficiency, reducing labor, and increasing yield....

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged farmers to significantly cut their use of urea to boost income and soil health, and said his government was constantly striving to prop up rural India with steps such as the ₹1 lakh crore agriculture infrastructure fund, for which he launched the financing facility on Sunday. Modi also released ₹17,000 crore to the bank accounts of 85 ...

Farmland values rose by nearly 10% during the first six months of 2004 as a result of limited supply and renewed demand from prospective buyers, according to the latest rural research...

The price of farmland has risen by nearly a third in the past year as a new breed of non-farming buyers look to fields as an alternative to bricks and mortar or the stock market...

Rural land prices are still rising strongly, but a report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors shows that the exodus of good-lifers from urban areas has slowed...

With house prices stagnating, investing in farmland may prove to be the alternative property investment.

The price of farmland has risen by 9% in the past year, fuelled by a surge in the number of "lifestyle buyers".

Continued growth of agricultural land values is expected due to a relatively short supply of farmland.

Farmland values in England have increased 14 per cent over the past year.

HafeziCapital, a leading international consulting firm renowned for its expertise in structuring and conducting in-depth Feasibility Studies, proudly announces the expansion of its International Feasibility Study services to address critical sectors in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa. This strategic initiative is designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of project viability, enabling [PR.com]

Many Bengalureans are discovering the allure of urban agriculture, taking pleasure in getting their hands dirty, for many or all these reasons: better access to more nutritious food, creating communities, reducing environmental impact, managing mental health and connecting to nature

Kochi-based farmer KK Vijayan plants sunflowers on a 50 cent plot. The blooms are drawing curious locals looking for selfies

Nestled within the buffer zone of the Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve and the Karwar Territorial Forest Division, the Kunbi community hopes to find a new market for their climate-resilient tubers as indigenous ingredients in city chefs’ menus

Sales of organic vegetable is gradually picking up in the Nilgiris owing to the changing mindset of people towards healthy eating.

Fr. John shares from St. Paul's second letter to Timothy 2:1-10.

Fr. Andrew unpacks three metaphors used by St. Paul in 2 Timothy 2:1-10.

Since it is well known that he is a priest from the "Old Country," Fr. Joseph may want to be careful about offending the Farmer in the Dell or Mr. MacDonald. (This is Part 2, from Christ the Savior Church, Chicago.)

Fr. Michael talks about the changeability of our bodies in our endeavor to live in holiness. "We may be a mess, but we are God's mess, and He loves us."

Landward takes a trip to Galloway to see the efforts to farm flowers.

Andrew Muir says Labour's first budget in 14 years is "bad" for farmers.

Proposals for renewable energy schemes in Wales could be sped up under new plans.

CPRE Surrey is opposing planning permission given to University of Surrey to build a solar facility.

Dee Harrison thought she saw a "mystical" aurora above Suffolk but it turned out to be LED lighting.

Their owner thanks people for their help after finding the birds three miles away.