Yesterday, the Senate held its confirmation hearing for Gov. Tom Vilsack, President-elect Obama's pick for the next Secretary of Agriculture.
The hearing touched upon the most, if not all, of the major agricultural issues facing the new administration, including renewable energy, food safety, sustainable ag, rural development, trade issues, farm subsidies and commodity programs.
But some of the most enthusiastic language came in support of childhood nutrition and school lunches.
We can work with our schools to make sure fruits and vegetables are available. . . . We will be very aggressive in this area. . . . It’s going to be important for us to promote fresh fruits and vegetables as part of our children’s diets. . . . That means supporting those who supply those products.
Such ideas are in keeping with Obama's plan to work through the USDA's various nutrition programs to end childhood hunger by 2015.
The hearing, which ran just over two hours, is available as a Webcast from the Senate Ag Committee's site.
From all reports, Gov. Vilsack is expected to be confirmed as the new Secretary of Agriculture as early as Tuesday and sworn in soon after.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
Will my daughter eat fruits and vegetables? Nutrition is good, as a small farmer I really would like more support. How are they going to get kids to eat fruits and vegetables though?
Submitted by: BradJ on February 26, 2009 05:51 PM
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
What is the connection between what you eat and how you feel?
Does the way an animal or crop is raised impact its nutritional value?
How are farming methods contributing to environmental problems and human health issues?
These questions and others like them represent the crossroads of agriculture and public health, that complex interdependency between what we eat and how it is raised with our individual and collective well-being.
They are the kinds of questions that seem to be popping up more and more, from the mainstream press to scientific journals and trade publications.
But clearly the frequency of the questions does not mean we have answers. In fact, as any researcher knows, most so-called answers just lead to more questions, more debate and more avenues for research.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
Hey! What a rich and inviting pool you left for exploration here. Thanks!!
These connections are not new. JI Rodale started "Prevention" magazine - then soon added "Organic Gardening." This witnesses his belief in food production and health outcome relationships.
Thanks for these neat notes!
- Karl
Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 09:55 PM
I take your point, Karl, that the ag-health connection isn't new, but I do see these recurring ideas as falling along a spiral. That is, we've not come back to the same point so much as we've spiraled upward. The view from here is similar, but we are further along -- at least I trust that we are.
Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 5, 2008 11:23 AM
Great point, MA! Good idea the spiral! Not in the same place, but with progress we cycle. Thanks for that positive note, :).
- K
[Note: Karl's response was originally posted as a comment to the following post on "Ag at the Polling Place." I've moved it here to continue the thread to which he is responding. -- Mary Ann]
Submitted by: Karl on November 6, 2008 10:00 AM
The gateway provides a central starting point for anyone interested in exploring the ag-public health connection. Keep up the awesome work, dude.
Submitted by: Water Damage on November 21, 2008 08:12 AM
I would like to encourage young farmers to consider diversifying their operations by adding a hydroponic green house. Growing food locally is a massive trend in the food production industry and it is being supported by corporate power houses like Walmart and many other grocery chains. Hydroponic growing uses 1/10 the amount of water and 1/10 the amount of land required to produce traditional field row crops. You can produce a crop all year long and smooth out some of the volatility that you are exposed to in other markets. I am not suggesting you change your whole operation, just trim off an acre.
Alex Tiller
http://blog.alextiller.com
Submitted by: Alex Tiller on November 26, 2008 01:42 PM
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
I'm turning the blog-waves over to USDA today to help get the word out about the upcoming Agricultural Outlook Forum, February 26-27, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia.
This year's presenters and break-out sessions will deliver on the theme "Global Agriculture & Rural America in Transition."
You'll hear scientific, policy, business and marketing perspectives on a range of ag issues, from food safety to food security, from rural America to world markets, and from conservation efforts to developments in biotechnology.
The then Secretary of Agriculture will give the keynote, with an as-yet-unnamed distinguished guest speaker to follow.
Got any ideas who that distinguished guest speaker should be? I'm collecting suggestions below. Who knows, the conference planners just might listen.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
I wait, when can you send me more information about health?
Submitted by: jhjityiity on October 30, 2008 09:58 AM
For health info, you can start by checking out the "Food and Nutrition" entries on this blog, or visit the following sites:
Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 30, 2008 10:13 AM
Just to make it interesting, how about Mr. Pollan. :-)
Submitted by: Bill Harshaw on October 30, 2008 12:27 PM
Bill,
That was the first name that came to mind when I answered my own question. I didn't want to sway the input by mentioning him though.
I agree that Pollan would add an interesting element to the day.
Submitted by: Mary Ann on October 30, 2008 02:13 PM
Wow, Polan, sure... How about some of the folks from JHU "Ag and Public Health" -of Nov 4 post, here.
How about Pollan for Sec of Ag?. Who would *he* invite, :)
- Karl
Submitted by: Karl Schneider on November 4, 2008 10:29 PM
Great question! Who would Pollan invite?
Submitted by: Mary Ann on November 5, 2008 11:31 AM
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For those who like football, we've got a big week coming up. College football got underway last night with a handful of games, but things will really get rolling over the weekend. Then the NFL kicks off its season on Thursday.
All that, coupled with it being a Friday before a long weekend, and I'm thinking it's a good time to talk pigskin (and ag, of course).
First, let's acknowledge that the term "pigskin" is a misnomer. For the uninitiated, the word is slang for a football, but those are actually made from cowhide, not pig skin. More specifically, according to the New York Times, "the footballs [used by the NFL and most colleges] get their start on the backs of cows taken from feedlots in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska," with lean steers preferred. (Their leather stretches less.)
And did you know that all Wilson footballs used in NFL and college games are made in a single factory in the small town of Ada, Ohio [pop. 5,500]? A video of the process, complete with the resonant tones and stirring music reminscent of This Week in the NFL, tells the tale.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
South Carolina Gamecocks
South Florida Bulls
Texas Longhorns
Texas A&M Aggies
Virginia Tech Hokies
Wyoming Cowboys
What have I missed? What about the smaller schools? Or the NFL?
And how strong is the correlation between ag nicknames and the land grant universities (PDF | 67KB)? Anybody care to study the matter and report back? That'd be a good way to put halftime to good use.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
Don't forget, Delaware's name is the Blue Hens, and WV State Univ. and Ga. Tech are Yellow Jackets.
Also Boise State and Western Michigan Broncos, Buffalo Bulls, Colorado Buffaloes, New Mexico State, UC Davis, NC A&T and Utah State Aggies, SMU Mustangs, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Rhode Island,
Shepherd and Winston-Salem St. Rams, Bucknell, North Dakota State and Howard Bison, Jackson St. Gamecocks and McNeese St. Cowboys.
NFL: Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos.
Submitted by: Woody Woodrum on August 29, 2008 10:57 PM
From Woody's post, for those who don't know, a chanticleer is a rooster.
Thanks, Woody!
Submitted by: Mary Ann on August 30, 2008 07:51 AM
I always thought a chanticleer was a type of wood. I was way off!
Submitted by: Jake on September 26, 2008 02:22 AM
How about the term "farm team" (as in baseball) as a agriculture term that has stuck in our vocabularies through the years?
Nate, a red-blooded Nebraska Cornhusker football fan
Submitted by: Nate on December 10, 2008 11:26 AM
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Want to take advantage of some of the great ag resources I wrote about yesterday (and most every day) but lack the connection speed? You're not alone.
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, rural Americans still lag behind their urban and suburban counterparts in high-speed Internet connections. As of March 2007, just under one-third (31%) of those in rural areas have broadband connections at home, compared to 47% of the non-rural types.
The good news: the numbers for rural communities are growing at a faster pace than average. Pew data shows broadband adoption stood at 18% in 2005 and 25% in 2006, on its way to the current 31%. That last period, 2006 to 2007, translates to a 24% growth rate for rural Americans, compared to 18% for urban and 7% for suburban residents.
So, we've got a positive trend. Can we keep it up?
The site seeks to be a central point for authoritative broadband info, from background on the various technology platforms to sources of government funding, relevant USDA and FCC proceedings, and data on broadband deployment. It also provides instructions on how to locate licensed companies capable of providing wireless services in or near rural communities, in addition to a range of helpful links.
Here's hoping it works.
I do believe in the power of broadband to transform a community. Its impact can reach deep, improving education and healthcare, expanding business opportunities, sparking personal productivity and offering new avenues for connection. And sure, broadband connects you that much faster to all the wackiness on the Web as well, but I still think it's a good trade, don't you?
But there's more to all this effort than I can cover here, so jump over to NAL's own Rural Information Center to peruse the links they've pulled together on telecommunications for rural communities. These links tap the best thinking from across federal, educational, and non-profit institutions to help local officials and rural citizens assess and bridge the digital divide.
And if folks use them wisely, you should be getting your InfoFarm at lightening speed in just a short while.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
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This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
I don't know about you, but I spend a good chunk of my day sitting at a computer. Turns out farmers, ranchers and other producers are doing so more and more as well.
Last month the folks running the extension service at the University of Missouri hosted their twelfth annual conference on computers and farming. Sessions covered topics for experts as well as beginners, addressing subjects as diverse as global positioning systems, digital photography, Web site design, blogs and podcasting, precision agriculture and farm management.
That last topic, an obvious nod to the big business even the smallest farms have become, helps with the numbers, from analyzing the cost of production to calculating profit ratios and estimating the amount of feed needed for a herd. Nothing like a spreadsheet to handle the dollars and cents, right?
Knowing the truth in that, and to make easy work of complex calculations, those same extension folks at Missouri collected around 200 spreadsheets and programs that either they or other farmers developed and set up a Web page to share them. The page comes with the obvious use-at-your-own-risk disclaimers, but even if only 20% of the list proves helpful, it'll deliver tremendous time savings to those whose days are already too short.
Meanwhile, in other corners of the world, a range of organizations are also using the Web to reach farmers and to share improved production methods.
Digital Green has set up an extensive database of agricultural videos in an effort to reach "small and marginal farmers in India." There, with literacy less than 60%, video demonstration works, particularly since their approach emphasizes local relevancy. The recordings "are shown to individuals on laptops, small groups using shared TV and DVD players, and communities through the village cable network."
FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, has long used the Web in its efforts to defeat global hunger, but now, like Digital Green, it is using video to deliver its message. They now have their own channel on YouTube, where, at the moment, you can catch eight different videos detailing their successes and struggles in improving the lives of those living in developing regions.
Also, in an effort to use technology even more effectively, FAO has also established e-agriculture.org, a global project set up to share experiences in using technology to improve agricultural education and farming practices.
And the great thing about e-agriculture? You can contribute. Add to the blog or forum discussions, or just browse their bank of resources.
And be sure to check back often as the site grows. Technology is only going to become more important to farms and farmers everywhere.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
More information on precision agriculture can be found through Water Quality Information Center's landing page, Precision Agriculture.
Submitted by: Stuart Gagnon, WQIC on February 6, 2008 09:26 AM
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Next week, mixed in with the last of their holiday cards and the first bills of 2008, farmers and ranchers across the U.S. will be getting their packets for the 2007 Census of Agriculture. The folks at USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service are dropping them in the mail today.
NASS conducts the survey every five years to count the nation’s farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Census questions cover land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, crop yields, livestock count, and machinery used, along with income, expenditures and other topics.
Maybe this is where that old game "Duck, Duck, Goose" got its start -- farmers counting their animals for the annual ag census. Okay, I admit that's not likely, but you do have to report your poultry numbers on the survey, so there actually might be folks mumbling that very phrase to themselves as they walk through barnyards across the country this January.
But lest you think the ag census is equally silly, let me assure you that the reponses provide vital information that factors into a range of decisions, from crafting agricultural policy like the farm bill, to making funds and services available to rural communities. Businesses might use the information to determine the locations of facilities serving agricultural producers, while the farmers and ranchers themselves can use census data to make informed decisions about the future of their own operations. (More ducks, perhaps? Or maybe more geese? Hmmm, let me run around in a circle while I think about it.)
So, when that envelope arrives next week from the government, don't just toss it into recycling. Open it. Look it over. Fill it out. Or grab your Census ID from the mailing and click your way to the online response version.
After all, filling out the ag census is not only a good idea, it's the law (Title 7, U.S. Code), regardless of the size or type of your operation. Fortunately, the same law makes your responses confidential and limits their use to statistical purposes, so no worries that your survey will be passed along to the IRS or your local inspectors.
Instead, think about getting yourself counted so that decision-makers know you're out there. If nothing else, it'll be a great way to spend a cold January evening, right? Right? Um, right?
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The economic impact has been devastating, but perhaps even more costly is the associated emotional toll on farmers and their families.
"It's going to get colder, the nights are longer, all the bills are starting to come in. It's hard to be joyful and cheery when you're going through this," commented Richard Jameson, a 53-year-old Tennessee farmer in a recent Associated Press article on farmers' mental health.
But no one must struggle alone. Confidential help is often just a phone call away.
Seven states -- Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin -- offer rural hotlines through a nonprofit corporation called AgriWellness. Other states, like Tennessee, reach out through their university extension programs.
Regardless the source, the message remains the same: Help is available, and seeking it shows strength, not weakness. Especially now, as we head through the holidays, remember that there are people nearby to listen and lend a hand.
Lively discussions and different opinions are encouraged within the bounds of respectful civil discourse. Questionable language, personal attacks, off-topic comments, and gratuitous links will either be edited or deleted. Comments are moderated and will not appear on InfoFarm until they have been approved.
This blog does not represent official communications from the National Agricultural Library, the Agricultural Research Service or the U.S. Department of Agriculture.