News Update
May 30, 2013
USDA, USMEF React to U.S.
Upgrade to ‘Negligible’ Risk for BSE
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement about notification received May 29 from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) upgrading the United States’ risk classification for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to negligible risk:
“I am very pleased with OIE’s decision to grant the United States negligible risk status for BSE. This is a significant achievement that has been many years in the making for the United States, American beef producers and businesses, and federal and state partners who work together to maintain a system of interlocking safeguards against BSE that protect our public and animal health. This decision demonstrates OIE’s belief that both our surveillance for, and safeguards against, BSE are strong. U.S. beef and beef products are of the highest quality, wholesome and produced to the highest safety standards in the world.
“Last year, exports of U.S.-origin beef and beef products totaled $5.5 billion. With our negligible risk classification from the OIE, we have a strong foundation in place to continue increasing exports of U.S.-origin beef and beef products. In doing so, we will continue to press trading partners to base their decisions on science, consistent with international standards. U.S. food and agricultural exporters and consumers worldwide benefit when countries adopt science-based international standards.”
The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is also extremely pleased to see the announcement.
USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng welcomed the announcement by saying, “This decision by the OIE should clear away any remaining concerns that some countries have about the risk associated with importing beef and beef products from the United States. We think the decision announced by the OIE today should provide a number of beef-importing countries with a reason to reevaluate their requirements for beef imports from the United States.”
Rally to Fight Hunger Planned for
2013 Wisconsin FFA Convention
The Wisconsin FFA Association is proud to announce plans for an “FFA Rally to Fight Hunger” at the 2013 Wisconsin FFA Convention, June 10-13, to help feed children and adults suffering from food insecurity. The rally will engage 300 FFA members from 20 different high schools across the state. Their goal is to package 70,000 meals at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison to combat hunger in Wisconsin.
Working with Kids Against Hunger, a humanitarian food-aid organization, FFA members will assemble meals to provide relief from hunger and malnutrition on Monday, June 10th. All of the meals will be distributed to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. During the rally, FFA members and advisors will take part in hourlong shifts before the convention officially starts on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday, 150 FFA members from around the state will participate in the Wisconsin FFA Day of Service. Those participants will be bused to six service sites in Madison where they will learn more about each of the nonprofit organizations before they volunteer. At the completion of this year’s Day of Service, FFA members will have volunteered almost 1,700 hours for the Madison community. The Wisconsin Association of FFA is committed to giving back to the community that has hosted their annual convention for more than 15 years.
The Rally to Fight Hunger and the Day of Service are examples of how FFA members are committed to serving their communities. “FFA members know what it means to step up and serve,” said Cheryl Zimmerman, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of FFA.
Wisconsin FFA members are proud to add to their tradition of service by adding the Rally to Fight Hunger to convention this year.
New Web Tool Gives Emergency Responders
Onsite Farm Rescue, Hazard Information
A new interactive Web tool allows farmers to map their farms to provide emergency responders with on-site information about hazards and physical layouts, which could save time and lives.
Farm Mapping to Assist, Protect and Prepare Emergency Responders (Farm MAPPER) is a pilot project of the National Farm Medicine Center (NFMC) at Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation (MCRF). The active project area is covered by the Pittsville Fire Department, which played a key role in development and field testing.
“Emergency personnel responding to farm fires face the challenge of fighting a fire in complex and unknown environments,” said Jerry Minor, Pittsville fire chief. “They face hazards such as fuels, solvents, pesticides, caustics and exploding welding and gas storage cylinders.”
Minor said firefighters may arrive at a farm and not know locations of water sources, power cutoffs and animal locations.
Critical information now is accessible to Pittsville first responders through a QR code sticker generated for each farm and placed on a mailbox pole or other nearby location. These matrix bar codes are read by a smartphone and other devices, such as a tablet with a reader application. The Pittsville Fire Department is the only department now able to read Farm MAPPER codes.
“Mapping of farm hazards and responder resources has been done before, but putting important rescue and hazard information in the hands of emergency responders through the use of QR codes hasn’t been done that we are aware of,” said Matthew Keifer, NFMC director.
Future projects might include QR codes with extrication instructions on equipment, so responders could efficiently disassemble equipment if a person is trapped. Additionally, a farm map that includes locations of farming activities, such as outlying fields, could quickly guide rescue personnel to an injury victim.
Canadian Angus Juniors Prepare for Showdown
It is the event that all Canadian Angus juniors look forward to when the warm weather starts. It takes some preparation and hard work to get ready for the largest Canadian Junior Angus show of the summer, the Showdown. This year the event will take place on July 25-27 in Armstrong, B.C.
The Canadian Junior Angus Association (CJAA) board has worked hard all year planning this show. The three-day event is packed with 13 different event competitions that juniors can enter. They can choose between beef conformation, photography, scrapbook, showmanship, marketing, graphic design, literature, grooming, judging, public speaking, farm sign, art and an Angus steak cook-off. Juniors can enter as many of these events as they want and points are awarded per entry. The top prize is being named the Grand Aggregate meaning the winner is the top Angus junior in Canada for the year.
The Showdown has been very successful each year providing an educational, inspirational and leadership-oriented experience for young agriculture enthusiasts.
CJAA adult coordinator Belinda Wagner, says, “We are really looking forward to taking our program back to B.C. It has been 10 years since we were last there and we should have a whole new group of juniors that will be able to participate in the great show.”
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