News Update
July 7, 2011

Interventions, Non-O157 STECs, Regulations and Sampling Focus of E. coli Conference

American Meat Institute (AMI) is partnering with the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) and 10 other industry associations to host an E. coli Conference for beef further processors Aug. 17-18, 2011, at the Four Points By Sheraton near Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The conference is designed for processors who produce ground beef, mechanically tenderized steaks and other non-intact beef products.

The opening session on Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 17, focuses on the latest research processors can use to validate interventions in their plants. The program also includes a panel of processors who will share their success stories and offer advice and information on the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Validation Guidance, scheduled to be issued soon. Wednesday evening offers a networking reception with tabletop exhibits by leading food safety companies showcasing their technologies and services.

Thursday's agenda opens with special sessions for attendees from Canada, to learn specifically about Canadian policies and issues. Thursday's general session program includes a discussion of the a pending FSIS policy of non-O157 STECs, guidance on testing strategies for E. coli O157:H7, information on how traceability through the system impacts further processors, and an update from Capitol Hill.

Register now to take advantage of the early registration discount. Until Aug. 3, the registration fee for the two-day conference is US $449 for members of AMI and its partner organizations, and US $549 for non-members.

For more information, complete program details or to register go to http://www.namp.com/.

— Release by AMI.

DOE Offers Conditional Commitment for a $105 Million Loan Guarantee for First-of-its-Kind Cellulosic Bio-Refinery in Iowa

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today, July 7, announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a $105 million loan guarantee to support the development of the nation's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. Project Liberty, sponsored by POET LLC, will produce up to 25 million gallons (gal.) of ethanol per year and will be located in Emmetsburg, Iowa. POET estimates the project will generate approximately 200 jobs during construction and 40 permanent jobs at the plant. POET estimates the project will also bring approximately $14 million in new revenue to area farmers.

"This project will help decrease our dependence on oil, create jobs and aid our transition to clean, renewable energy that is produced here at home," said Secretary Chu. "The innovations used in this project are another example of how we are seizing the opportunity to create new economic opportunities to win the clean energy future."

"POET has given this initiative the very apt name Project Liberty, and it is appropriate that this announcement comes so close to Independence Day," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), a senior member and former Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "This is all about decreasing America's dependence on oil from unstable and often hostile foreign sources. And this pioneering facility will kick-start a major domestic industry producing advanced biofuels from plentiful feedstocks like crop residues, native grasses and woody materials, creating thousands of jobs in rural America."

Unlike many conventional corn ethanol plants, Project Liberty will use corncobs, leaves and husks — sources provided by local farmers — that do not compete with feed grains. The project's innovative process uses enzymatic hydrolysis to convert waste into ethanol and will produce enough biogas to power both Project Liberty and POET's adjacent grain-based ethanol plant. Project Liberty will displace over 13.5 million gal. of gasoline annually and fulfill more than 25% of the projected 2013 Renewable Fuel Standard Requirement for biomass-based cellulosic ethanol. POET plans to replicate their unique process at 27 of their other corn ethanol facilities, which would have a projected combined annual capacity of one billion gallons per year of cellulosic ethanol. The company estimates that 85% of Project Liberty will be sourced with U.S. content.

The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office administers three separate programs: the Title XVII Section 1703 and Section 1705 loan guarantee programs, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The loan guarantee programs support the deployment of commercial technologies along with innovative technologies that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions, while ATVM supports the development of advanced vehicle technologies. Under all three programs, DOE has issued loans, loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling more than $38 billion to support 41 clean energy projects across the U.S. DOE has issued conditional commitments or loan guarantees to support numerous projects, including several of the world's largest solar generation facilities, three geothermal projects, the world's largest wind farm, and the nation's first new nuclear power plant in three decades. For more information, please visit http://www.lpo.energy.gov.

— Release by USDA and DOE.

Pfizer Animal Health, Purdue University Collaborate on Unique Summer Veterinary Camp

In an effort to reach out to future generations of veterinarians and offer them the chance to experience real-life veterinary medicine, Pfizer Animal Health announced a $50,000 contribution to Purdue University's Senior Boiler Vet Camps. Forty high school students with an interest in veterinary medicine participated in a weeklong, interactive educational program in June at one of the country's most respected Colleges of Veterinary Medicine to discover more about the profession.

"Effective recruiting, ongoing training and education are crucial for the future of the veterinary profession," said Michael McFarland, Diplomat ABVP, and group director of Veterinary Medical Services & Corporate Citizenship for Pfizer Animal Health. "That's why it is so important for Pfizer to support this year's camp and to inspire young students to learn more about animal health and veterinary medicine."

The donation is a component of Pfizer Animal Health's Commitment to Veterinarians™ platform — which offers support through training and education, research and development, investing in the future of the veterinary profession, and philanthropy.

The Senior Boiler Vet Camp welcomes rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and focuses on the overall wellness care of dogs, especially those who have come from humane societies.

Campers will learn what it takes to care for and work with dogs as they go from new admits in a humane society to adoption-ready dogs. There are hands-on sessions for behavior, wellness, clinical pathology, parasitology, anesthesia, operating room protocols and emergency and critical care. In addition, these campers will get to shadow in a teaching hospital.

"Boiler Vet Camp gives students who are interested in becoming veterinarians or veterinary technicians the chance to live out their dreams," said Jim Weisman, director of student services at Purdue University. "It's a terrific preview into the real and vast field of veterinary medicine."

Learn more about Commitment to Veterinarians™:

· Web: http://vets.pfizerah.com
· Twitter: @Commitment2Vets
· Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pfizeranimalhealth

— Release by Pfizer Animal Health.

Poll: Rural Nebraskans Plugged In, Engaged Online

The digital divide in rural Nebraska has narrowed significantly and appears to be more socio-economic than technological at this point, according to results from the 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll.

The 16th annual University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) poll, taken last March and April, found that 91% of rural Nebraskans own a cell phone, though how they use that technology varies significantly among demographic groups. Three-quarters of respondents use the Internet or email from home; 18% said they had no access at home.

The digital divide refers to the gap between individuals, households, businesses and geographic areas in their access to communications technologies such as cell phones and Internet. Federal and state agencies have made it a priority in the last decade to shrink that gap, in large part though technological advances.

While technology gains and public programs have helped close the gap, other factors now may be more important, said Bradley Lubben, UNL public policy specialist who's part of the Rural Poll team.

"The digital divide is more about demographics and socio-economics than it is about technology," Lubben said. That's important for policy-makers to know, he added, because it means additional efforts to bridge the divide that are based solely on technology are unlikely to close the gap further.

Of those demographic and socio-economic factors, the Rural Poll showed that generally speaking, women are more plugged into Internet and cell phone technology. Randy Cantrell, rural sociologist with the Nebraska Rural Initiative, said women in rural Nebraska tend to be better educated, more socially engaged and more frequent shoppers than men. Also, not surprisingly, younger people, more educated people and people with higher household incomes were most likely to use the Internet and use their cell phones for activities other than voice calls, according to the poll.

Rural Poll surveys were mailed to about 6,400 randomly selected households in Nebraska's 84 non-metropolitan counties. Results are based on 2,490 responses.

Rural Nebraskans have fully embraced modern communications technology as a must-have, not a luxury, Lubben said. Of the 91% of poll respondents who own cell phones, 30% use them for voice calls only, 39% use messaging services in addition to voice calls and 31% also use them to access the Internet.

As for the Internet, 80% of rural Nebraskans use it to research products or services; 78% for information related to hobbies and projects; 74% for health or medical information; 72% to purchase products; 60% to watch video on a video-sharing site; and 55% for social networking.

According to the poll, 62% of rural Nebraskans have positive attitudes about the Internet's usefulness in taking formal courses to further their education or careers, and 77% say researching health information online can help people better manage their health. However, they retain a healthy skepticism, too, with 39% agreeing the quality of information found online is questionable. Twenty-one percent disagreed with that statement, and 40% had no opinion.

Most rural Nebraskans also have positive opinions about shopping online. Sixty-five percent said the Internet is the best place to buy hard-to-find items, and 72% said it's convenient. As with education and health information, though, the poll found rural Nebraskans had some concerns. But Cantrell pointed out that even among frequent online shoppers, there are concerns. Sixty-four percent said they were reluctant to provide their credit card number or other information, and 65% said they preferred to see items before buying them.

"People are not convinced it's a good deal, there's some things they don't like about it, but they do it anyway" as the simplicity and convenience of online shopping seems to trump concerns about it, Cantrell said.

As for conducting government business online, rural Nebraskans indicated some initial reservations, but those who tried it were overwhelmingly positive. Ninety percent of those who renewed driver's licenses or auto registrations online agreed it was convenient, while 79% who paid taxes, fees and fines online felt similarly.

And rural Nebraskans view social networking as a good way to keep up with friends and family, to provide support to people isolated by geography or disability and to obtain information or advice. But 56% of respondents said they don't trust that people on social network sites are accurately representing themselves and 67% think online social networks have replaced face-to-face communication.

Although 18% indicated they don't have Internet service at home, many of those people find other ways to get online, including at work and public libraries.

The Rural Poll is the largest annual poll of rural Nebraskans' perceptions on quality of life and policy issues. This year's response rate was about 39%. The margin of error is plus or minus 2%. Complete results are available online at Nebraska Rural Poll.

The university's Center for Applied Rural Innovation conducts the poll in cooperation with the Nebraska Rural Initiative with funding from UNL Extension and the Agricultural Research Division in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR).

— Release by UNL IANR.

— Compiled by Katie Gazda, editorial intern, Angus Productions Inc.