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| News from Around the Farm World - Oct. 15, 2008 |
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USDA awards more than $28M in specialty crop research
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced the USDA has awarded more than $28 million through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to solve critical specialty crop agriculture issues, address priorities and solve problems through multifunctional research and extension.
The projects address research and extension needs for crops that span the entire spectrum of specialty crops, from sustainable production systems for turf grass to mechanical fruit thinning devices for peach and apple.
Except for projects that addressed plant breeding, genetics and genomics of specific crops, successful applicants simultaneously addressed needs in more than a single crop. Major projects were also funded to protect important specialty crops from invasive pests, such as Citrus Greening.
Although 17 institutions will manage the research/extension grant funds from this program, each award includes collaborators from an average of three other states who will work together in a multidisciplinary approach to solve problems. All of the awards required 100 percent matching funds from non-federal sources, which will double the impact of the award dollars.
In the Farm World area, fiscal year 2008 SCRI research and extension grants were awarded to:
•Purdue University, $350,000; a multidisciplinary approach to develop a safe and effective chlorine dioxide gas system for controlling pathogens in the produce industry
•Michigan State University, $555,313; multifaceted approach for soil detection and management of pythium and phytophthora in carrot, tomato, cucurbits and asparagus
•The Ohio State University, $1,113,214; social networking, market and commercialization infrastructure for Midwestern fruit and vegetable crops in local food systems
The 2008 awards included a group of planning grants that will enable awardees to develop quality proposals for future SCRI funding opportunities. Farm World area planning grants were awarded to:
•Iowa State University, $34,020; bioplastic container cropping systems - green technology for the green industry
•Michigan State University, $75,000; expanding fresh vegetable production for the Great Lakes market
UEP urges wiretapping and conspiracy charges for HSUS
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (PRNewswire) — The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) engaged in activities that are believed to warrant California and Maryland wiretapping and conspiracy charges, according to documents filed Oct. 6 by a national cooperative of egg farmers.
United Egg Producers (UEP) filed requests with the attorneys general in California and Maryland and the district attorneys in Sacramento County, Calif., and Montgomery, Md., alleging that a HSUS employee impersonated an egg industry ally and illegally tape-recorded phone calls and that HSUS conspired with a California political campaign committee led by a former employee of HSUS.
The HSUS employee in question is Frank Loftus, director of the “Investigations Unit” of HSUS. According to UEP, in an affidavit filed in a separate legal proceeding, Loftus admitted under oath that he masqueraded as someone else and made three phone calls to UEP offices on Aug. 28.
The affidavit contained detailed transcripts of each of the calls, apparently prepared from a surreptitious tape recording of the calls. UEP’s phone records indicate that the calls were placed from a Maryland phone number, and Loftus’ affidavit was sworn in Gaithersburg, Md.
Loftus did not tell the UEP staffer that the calls were being tape-recorded, according to UEP, even though it is against the law in Maryland to tape record phone conversations unless all parties to the call are aware of it. It also is against the law in California to disclose the contents of a tape-recorded phone call without the permission of all parties involved in the call.
Humane California, a political campaign committee led by former HSUS employee Jennifer Fearing, used the transcripts of those calls in an affidavit filed with California’s Fair Political Practices Commission on Sept. 3, according to UEP.
That group has placed a Proposition on the Nov. 4 California ballot which effectively bans most modern methods of egg production in the state. By using illegally obtained materials, that campaign is conspiring and colluding with HSUS in violation of California law, states the UEP complaint.
Iowa Power Fund awards $1.1M for methane digester
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Power Fund board has awarded a $1.1 million grant to the Amana Society to convert methane into fuel.
The society is building a methane digester in Amana to convert methane from livestock manure into fuel to power electrical generators. The board will negotiate a contract with the society that will address concerns that the society’s proposal may not meet the Power Fund’s mission of funding education, research and innovation. The grant covers about 20 percent of the $5 million cost of the digester.
The society’s proposal indicates some of the money would be used for driveways, restrooms and a visitor center. Amana Society President John Peterson said the project could be a model for more than 3,600 livestock operations in Iowa. |
| 10/16/2008 |
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