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News from Around the Farm World - March 24, 2010

Professor to re-gift truck to food bank

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Ending hunger in all of central Pennsylvania – the ongoing mission for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank – will become more of a reality this year thanks to the generosity of Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) Adjunct Professor Pennsylvania Ag Educators Assoc. (PAAE) member, Al Wenger and Toyota Motor Sales, Inc.

Wenger’s outstanding work inside and outside the classroom along with his HACC’s Agribusiness and Food Systems Management program was recognized by the National Assoc. of Agricultural Educators with the 2009 Outstanding Postsecondary/Adult Agricultural (OPAP) award. Toyota provides the lucky OPAP winners with keys to a Toyota Tundra truck, along with a two-year lease to assist them with their proactive program within agriculture education.

Instead of keeping the truck for himself, Wenger and the PAAE has decided to donate it and lease to the Food Bank. This truck is the first of its kind for the Food Bank to use.

Executive Director Kendall Hanna said, “Wenger’s donation is simply wonderful. We will use the truck to transport smaller food drive pickups and to specifically take fresh produce to lower income communities. This vehicle will have an instant impact on the hungry citizens of central Pennsylvania.”

Ag groups urge Vilsack to initiate CSP signup

WASHINGTON, D.C. — More than 100 family farm and conservation groups sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging him to make critical improvements to the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and initiate the 2010 signup as soon as possible.
Changes to the 2008 farm bill allow eligible farmers and ranchers to sign up for CSP on a continuous basis throughout the year. However, because important programmatic changes to CSP have not yet been announced by USDA, producers do not know what exactly they are signing up for in 2010.

In addition, the USDA is holding up the official announcement of the 2010 CSP signup until it issues a final rule for the program, forcing farmers to sign up during their busiest time of year – spring planting season – possibly cutting the number of participants enrolled in the program.

“In its second year of availability throughout the country, it is critical that the USDA implement the Conservation Stewardship Program in a timely and effective manner,” said Ferd Hoefner, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC).

The CSP is the only comprehensive conservation assistance program for whole farms and working lands to resolve particular resource concerns in a given location, according to the NSAC. It added the 2008 farm bill increased funding for CSP to allow enrollment of 12.8 million acres of farm and ranch land each year, or nearly 130 million acres over the next 10 years.

Grain bins pose extra risks this spring

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A Purdue University grain expert is urging Indiana farmers to use extra caution this spring when they begin removing corn from their grain bins.

Purdue extension grain storage specialist Matt Roberts said because some of last fall’s corn crop was stored when it was wet, grain bins pose additional risks this year. He said farmers need to focus this season on grain bin safety because moldy, wet corn can clump together and require a farmer to find a way to break up those clumps.

Roberts said farmers may be tempted to enter the bin to fix the situation, but he urges them to break up such clumps without entering the bin, if possible. He added farmers should not walk onto crusted grain layers because they might give way.

‘Learn before you burn’ 48-hour video contest

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring a video contest for professional and amateur filmmakers on Burn Wise, the agency’s campaign to help citizens reduce pollution from their fireplaces and other wood-burning appliances.

With the theme “Learn Before You Burn,” the winning 30- or 60-second videos will promote responsible wood-burning techniques that can help citizens save money while making the air healthier to breathe.

EPA challenges people to develop a short video that will show how to use woodstoves and fireplaces wisely, and “Burn Wise” to protect health and the environment from pollutants in wood smoke and save money by getting the most heat from the wood you burn.
There’s a twist: Contestants must insert last-minute criteria and post their work within 48 hours. That’s not to say they can’t start on the storyline, film footage and other components before the 48-hours.

Prizes are: Overall Winner, $2,500; Second Place, $1000; Third Place, $500; and Viewers’ Choice, $250 U.S. savings bond.
You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident to enter and win. Find out more on the contest online with the YouTube video on the EPA channel (where you will post your entry) at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=yBeNNZt2Xbc or visit www.epa.gov/burnwisecontestbasics.html 

Runaway heifer subdued by Iowa police

AMES, Iowa (AP) — A cow led police and squad cars in Ames on a two-hour chase before the pregnant heifer was subdued with tranquilizers.

Police estimate the chase around town on March 19 was for 8-9 miles before it ended at a golf course. The cow escaped from the Iowa State University Veterinary Medicine complex. Lawrence Evans is a veterinarian with the university. He said the cow was brought to the school for calving when its owner left the gate unsecured and the animal got loose.

Authorities say the cow took a couple of trips into a river as she fled. Officials say they used four tranquilizer darts on the animal and each contained double the amount normally required to sedate an animal. Evans says the cow’s owners took her home to recover and she is expected to give birth in 2-3 weeks.

Michigan State study: Farm-to-school programs good

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State University scientists say schools that buy produce from local farmers can save money while giving students healthy food they enjoy.

Mike Hamm heads the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State. He and other researchers looked at seven school districts in the upper Midwest and Northeast for a study published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.

Michigan State says farm-to-school programs let students and farmers build relationships. They can include field trips to farms, cafeteria signs linking farmers and their products, and farmer visits to cafeterias.

The National Farm-to-School Network says there are about 1,990 such programs in the United States.

3/30/2010