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Canadians have increased protein consumption
Meatingplace (free registration required) | Posted onJuly 5, 2017 in Food NewsCanadians are consuming more of their calories from protein than they did more than a decade ago, according to results from the newest Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) report. Fat consumption amongst adults increased slightly, and there was a small decline in carbohydrates consumption. The report notes that for children and teenagers, the percentage of daily energy intake from protein increased one percent (to 15.6 percent in 2015 from 14.6 percent in 2004). For adults, it edged up to 17.0 percent from 16.5 percent.
Soaring labor costs confront produce growers
La Junta Tribune Democrat | Posted onJuly 5, 2017 in NewsDemand for local food is booming at the same time soaring labor costs are forcing more high-value fruit and vegetable production out of states like California, Arizona and Colorado and onto farms south of the border, according to two experts who work on agricultural labor issues.Philip Martin, professor emeritus of ag economics at the University of California-Davis, and Guadalupe (Lupe) Sandoval, executive director of the California Farm Labor Contractors Association, say the shift is already happening and likely to intensify.
June frost hits South Dakota corn; US Northern Plains drought intensifies
DTN | Posted onJuly 5, 2017 in NewsOver the last weekend of June, some of the already drought-stricken areas in north-central South Dakota saw a damaging frost on their corn. The frost didn't hit the winter or spring wheat, but that could be partially due to the fact that there isn't much winter wheat left in the fields. At least 75% of the winter wheat in the drought-stricken areas of South Dakota has been baled or sprayed out. Some authorities have declared that at least $20 million of crops in South Dakota have already been destroyed by drought or the June 24 frost, with more losses expected.
anone to sell Stonyfield to Lactalis for $875 million
Wall Street Journal | Posted onJuly 5, 2017 in Agriculture, Food NewsThe sale of Stonyfield is part of an agreement reached with the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with Danone’s recent acquisition of WhiteWave. Danone and WhiteWave together have big chunks of the yogurt market with brands including Dannon, Oikos, Actimel, Silk, Wallaby and Horizon Organic, which led to concerns from the Justice Department about concentration in the dairy sector.
One Controversial Thing Tractors and iPhones Have in Common
Fortune | Posted onJuly 3, 2017 in Agriculture NewsEarlier this year, Apple and Microsoft marshaled their lobbyists in Lincoln, Neb., far from their usual corridors of political power. Their target was a proposed state law—the first of its kind, if passed—that could have set off a costly chain reaction nationwide. For decades, many electronics manufacturers have profited from a choke hold on repairs to their products.
Unseasonable Winter Weather Takes A Bite Out Of Georgia's Peach Crop
National Public Radio | Posted onJuly 3, 2017 in Agriculture NewsFor a lot of people up and down the East Coast, Georgia is synonymous with peaches. Think about it; when have you ever heard someone wax poetic about a California peach?
Turns out, though, Georgia peaches, and Southern peaches in general, are having a really tough year.
Pennsylvania Law Protects Veterinarians From Lawsuits
The Horse | Posted onJuly 3, 2017 in Agriculture, SARL Members and Alumni NewsA new Pennsylvania law shields veterinarians from civil liability when they report suspected animal cruelty to law enforcement authorities.
New Manure Sidedress Method Lowers Fertilizer Costs, Increases Yields
The Ohio State University | Posted onJuly 3, 2017 in Agriculture NewsWith corn needing nitrogen, and pigs and cattle producing a lot of it, anything that offers a better way to use their waste to fortify crops should intrigue farmers.
GM purple rice could cut risk of cancer
telegraph.co.uk | Posted onJuly 3, 2017 in Agriculture NewsA purple rice with the potential to combat cancer, heart disease and diabetes has been genetically developed by scientists in China. The rice gets its purple colouring from the high levels of antioxidant-boosting pigments called anthocyanins, which are also found in blueberries and red cabbage.Reporting their findings in the Molecular Plant journal, lead researcher Dr Yao-Guang Liu revealed that he and his team found a way to "stack" the eight genes needed for anthocyanin production and activate them in rice's "endosperm" - a tissue produced inside the seeds of the rice.
This Cornell scientist saved an $11-million industry — and ignited the GMO wars
Business Insider | Posted onJuly 3, 2017 in Agriculture NewsIt started with rotting flesh. Slicing into the green skin of a Hawaiian papaya ordinarily yields juicy, salmon-colored fruit that's almost custard-like in its consistency and sweetness. But in the early 1990s, one Hawaiian farmer instead found bits of whitish, dried-out flesh in his recently harvested fruit. On the skin were discolored spots resembling tiny rings.