Late last year, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-New York), ranking member of the House Rules Committee, hosted a briefing where farmers and successful businesses extolled the benefits of tapping into the growing domestic and international demand for antibiotic-free meat. Slaughter is the author of the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA) legislation to ensure we preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics for the treatment of human disease. She was joined by a panel made up of Steve Ells, chairman and CEO, Chipotle Grill; Stephen McDonnell, CEO, Applegate Farms; Russ Kremer, co-founder and president, Ozark Mountain Pork Cooperative; and Paul Willis, manager and founder, Niman Ranch Pork Company, a network of more than 676 independent sustainable farms.

Sustainability is a topic on the mind of today’s society. “You almost can’t read anything without seeing something about climate change and water use,” said Dr. Jude Capper, Washington State University. “The anti-animal ag industries really try to get people’s attention. HSUS, PETA, Greenpeace know exactly what messages to put out there.”

Ahhh, a new year. A time to write a new chapter in our businesses and lives. A moment when the phrase “tomorrow is another day” takes on an extended meaning. At this juncture, we look forward to 365 tomorrows. It is a time to start fresh, to write resolutions and to believe this year will be better than the last. A time when you pack up the past and move those lessons learned into the future.

Ahhh, a new year. A time to write a new chapter in our businesses and lives. A moment when the phrase “tomorrow is another day” takes on an extended meaning.

Widespread flooding across Manitoba wiped out the chance of a hay crop this year and is affecting forage supplies this winter. According to Glenn Friesen, business development specialist – forages with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, it is estimated a million acres of farmland were flooded this spring and summer.

In November, dairy producers gathered in Madison, Wisconsin, for a Dairy Policy Summit hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW). During the session “Immigration Reform: What’s Really the Issue?” four speakers addressed this controversial topic and what it means for agriculture. Here are excerpts of statements made by presenters at the Summit: “My point is this country has always had people to do those jobs that the rest of society thought was minor. That hasn’t changed. We still have that great need. This isn’t about numbers. It’s not about unemployment.