We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
Today’s computer records programs have the ability to create many different graphs and figures. Unfortunately, many people settle for the pre-formed graphs or canned reports and try to determine what these reports are telling them.
The following excerpt is from Todd Janzen’s blog. Janzen is an attorney and partner at the law firm of Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP. http://janzenlaw.blogspot.com/
I thought it would be helpful to spend a few minutes looking back at the Top 5 Indiana ag stories from 2011:
1. Major CAFO ruling against the EPA.
In March, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals decided National Pork Producers Council v. EPA. The case was a landmark decision affecting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ability to regulate concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
2. Indiana implements animal care standards.
The Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH) adopted new animal care standards for Indiana farmers.
3. New confined feeding operation regulations.
November brought new regulations for confined feeding operations (CFOs) in Indiana. Among the many new provisions that are controversial are prohibitions against manure application on frozen or snow-covered ground.
4. Continued tension between EPA and American agriculture.
Nearly everyone by now has heard about the EPA’s involvement in the Chesapeake Bay area. But the EPA’s regulators were also busy outside of the bay area, imposing fines on Midwestern CAFOs.5. New child labor restrictions shock the ag community.
When the Department of Labor rolled out new proposed restrictions on child labor, it faced a firestorm of criticism from farmers and ag industry groups. PD
Click here to see the full post.
This article was #14 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2012. to jump to the article. It was published in the January 23, 2012 Extra. Click here for the full list of the Top 25.
Early this year, we asked Jim Quigley, now with Provimi North America, to provide an update to a 2011 article he authored, “What’s new in colostrum research?” In the 2012 update, Quigley discussed several research studies on the long-term effects of colostrum, measuring colostrum quality and bacteria contamination in colostrum.
We’re staying busy here at Progressive Dairyman. The magazine continues to grow, and we attribute that success to your loyal readership.
I often view a deadline to deliver our magazine to the printer every three weeks like I did a project deadline in grade school. This magazine is the result of our reporting over the past three weeks and often many of the articles have been in the works for much longer.
A popular cable show, “Chopped,” routinely appears on the Food Network. In this show four chefs of varying experience, training and positions vie for the title of Chopped Champion and a prize of $10,000. Each round begins when the emcee tells the contestants “Open your baskets!”
The contestants must prepare a specific dish incorporating the mandatory ingredients. There are three dishes – appetizer, main entree and dessert. The preparation is timed from opening the baskets to a finished plate. There are no cooking assistants or sous chefs. There are no recipe books. They are on their own.
Whenever I see a squad car in the distance, my first reaction is usually to tap my brakes. Mainly, it’s because I’m speeding, but also because it’s a force of habit. And as much as I dread getting pulled over, I’m actually a pretty big fan of police officers.
Just like the majority of the people who respect and obey the laws of the land, I have no reason to fear or avoid the police. Their job is to enforce our laws and protect the people within their jurisdiction.
But what happens when they don’t or can’t?
Profit margins for dairy producers have improved significantly over the past quarter since our last update in October, due primarily to an increase in the value of milk. While feed costs did come down over the last couple months due to lackluster demand, a recent sharp advance in price has been noted in both soybean meal and, especially, corn due to weather concerns in South America.
From a historical standpoint, margins are stronger in nearby periods through the first half of 2012, but above average throughout the entire year. While not overly profitable, it is still possible for a dairyman to protect a positive margin throughout the entire year with flexible strategies that would allow for improvement over time.
On Nov. 3, Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry, held a public hearing to review the implementation of Phase II of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Watershed Implementation Plans (WIP) and their impact on states and rural communities.
The implementation of the TMDL is complex and far-reaching, affecting communities in six states and the District of Columbia. States are now in the second phase of a three-part process to limit discharge into the bay and several of them have raised concerns about the cost and the regulatory burden they face in meeting the new limits.
RSS
