tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50970115647231323312024-03-13T09:30:33.917-04:00Farms Without Harm!Information about problems of health, pollution, cost and inhumaness associated with CAFOs (animal factories) and alternate sources for healthy, humanely-raised food from animals.Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-7973676734330821982016-07-08T22:01:00.001-04:002016-10-16T00:35:41.910-04:00Destroying Lake Erie<div class="by-date" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #3d3d3d; font-family: Lato, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.07999999821186066px; margin: 0.78125rem 0px 1.5625rem; padding: 0px; word-spacing: 0.4000000059604645px;">
<span class="submitted" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 1.25;"><span class="submitted-label" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By</span> <span class="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://michiganradio.org/people/jack-lessenberry" rel="author" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #3d3d3d; line-height: inherit; text-decoration: none;">JACK LESSENBERRY</a></span></span> <i class="bullet" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 0.5em; line-height: inherit; padding: 0px 0.5em;">•</i> <span class="pub-date" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #777777; font-size: 0.75em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">JUL 6, 2016 </span></div>
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You might remember two years ago, when people in Toledo couldn’t drink the water for a couple days because it had been poisoned by toxic cyanobacteria in Lake Erie.</div>
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Jack Lessenberry for July 6, 2016</div>
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That was terrifying, and we were told all sorts of precautions were being taken so that this would never happen again. Well, guess what. According to a number of respected environmental activists I interviewed last week, we are allowing so-called factory farms to dump hundreds of millions of untreated manure and liquid waste on land not far from Lake Erie, often when the ground is still frozen. </div>
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That means a lot of it eventually flows into the lake. <a href="http://michiganradio.org/post/destroying-lake-erie#stream/0" target="_blank">More ...</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-90053526206092650022015-02-05T20:19:00.000-05:002016-10-16T00:37:15.381-04:00Michigan Farm Bureau one of few supporters of proposed Right to Farm changes, comments show<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">By </span><span class="author vcard" style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><a class="bl" href="http://connect.mlive.com/staff/rparker/posts.html" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: 700; outline: 0px;">Rosemary Parker | rparker3@mlive.com </a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"></span><br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/Kzoo_Gazette" style="color: #305cb6; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Follow on Twitter</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">on February 05, 2014 at 12:55 PM, updated </span><span class="updated" style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" title="2014-03-13T16:13:19Z">March 13, 2014 at 12:13 PM</span><br />
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<span class="updated" style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;" title="2014-03-13T16:13:19Z"><b style="color: #363636; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">LANSING, MI —</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> Asked for their thoughts, hundreds of people generated more than 800 pages of comments, most in opposition to suggested</span><a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/01/hold_manure_pile_tweak_suggest.html" style="color: #305cb6; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;"> changes in the state's Right to Farm act</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> that would take away state protection currently afforded small and hobby livestock farmers.</span></span><br />
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"With very few exceptions, the comments oppose the proposed changes ... and show broad support for the idea that everyone has the right to participate in agriculture and grow their own food, wherever they happen to live. My hope is that MDARD and the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development will recognize that small scale agriculture is a legitimate effort that already has the support of Michigan citizens, and deserves the support of them - our state agricultural agency and agricultural commission," Banka said.</div>
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But among the 800 pages of comments that urge continued protection to small farms is a letter of support for the changes from Michigan Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm advocacy group, which bills itself as " Michigan's voice of agriculture." </div>
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<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/02/michigan_farm_bureau_one_of_fe.html" target="_blank">More ...</a></div>
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David G. Cox, general counsel for the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, argues, among other points, that the the proposed change "violates the Governor's directive to the department to develop an urban agriculture policy that enhances and promotes urban agriculture."</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">"I think there is a great irony that President Obama will be coming to Michigan on Friday to sign the Farm Bill to celebrate federal agricultural policies," Banka said, "at a time when so many small farmers in Michigan are protesting state level agricultural policies that keep us from participating in growing food locally, where we live."</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-7794114820662430952014-09-27T21:49:00.000-04:002014-09-30T01:43:40.268-04:00VIDEO: Local, Healthy Food: The Real Bargain<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;">Want more bang for your grocery buck? This new short documentary shows that local, healthy, humane food from farmers you know is the real bargain. Watch it, then share it...Spread the word! </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/TheRealBargain" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/TheRealBargain</a><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="392" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OrieefkdGmY?rel=0" width="665"></iframe>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-66211844596969701112014-09-10T13:54:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:38:20.443-04:00Meat Matters- A 4-Part Series: Meat, Livestock & Human Health<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" type="cite">
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<a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6416201563699806977" target="_blank"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Register</i></span></b></a><b><i><span style="color: #535353; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 16pt;"> for all four. Attend the ones you can.</span></i></b><br />
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<b style="color: #0056d6;"><a href="https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6416201563699806977" target="_blank">https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6416201563699806977</a></b><br />
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<span style="color: #262626; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the global meat-eating explosion, meat production can’t be far behind. The U.S. currently produces more than 9 food billion animals — and their manure — for meat each year. Federal officials are thinking about where meat fits into revamped dietary advice for Americans. Nutrition aside, McDonald’s and Wal-Mart are asking where meat production and consumption fit into the notion of sustainability; there are huge amounts of manure, water, antibiotics, hormones and energy involved. In short, meat matters. How much meat to eat, and what kind? It affects your health, the public’s health and to the environment we all share.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #262626;">1) <u>September 15, 2014 12pm ET/9am PT </u> </span><b><span style="color: #f79646;">Meat Racket</span></b><span style="color: #f79646;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #262626;">In his new book, </span><b style="color: #262626;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Meat-Racket-Takeover-Americas/dp/1451645813" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #20a657;">Meat Racket</span></i></a>,</b><span style="color: #262626;"> investigative reporter <b>Christopher Leonard</b> adds to the public spotlight on why meat (and who produces it) matters. </span><b>Dr. Michael Greger, </b><span style="vertical-align: baseline;">physician-host of Nutrition Facts, and staff scientist at the Humane Society of the United States, </span><span style="color: #262626;">explores why a meat industry that treats food animals well could also better serve public health. Moderating is </span><b style="color: #262626;">Bob Martin, </b><span style="color: #262626;"> director of the Food System Policy Program at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future</span><span style="color: #1db26a;"> </span><span style="color: #262626;">and former director of the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production.</span><br /><span style="color: #262626;"><br /></span><span style="color: #535353;">2) <u>October 23, 2014, 1 pm ET/10am PT.</u> <b><i>Food Day Special: </i></b></span><b><span style="color: #f79646;">The 21st Century Jungle. </span></b><span style="color: #262626;">The U.S. produces over 9 billion food animals annually, but meat factories, slaughterhouses and packing plants remain invisible to most. (In several states, it’s illegal to document and show what's happening inside.) Conditions within these facilities are critical to public health, food safety, and of course the health of workers. Updating the lessons Upton Sinclair’s classic, <i>The Jungle,</i> is <b>Ted Genoways’ </b>new book, <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062288752/the-chain" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: #20a657;">The Chain: Farm, Factory, and the Fate of Our Food</span></i></b></a>. Join the conversation with Ted Genoways and <b>Joann Lo,</b> Executive Director of the Food Chain Workers Alliance, moderated by <b>Keeve Nachman, PhD,</b> Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future's Food Production and Public Health Program.</span><br /><span style="color: #262626;"><br /></span><span style="color: #262626;">3) <u>December 4, 2014, 1pm ET/10am PT</u> </span><b><span style="color: #f79646;">What Meat to Eat</span></b><br /><span style="color: #262626;">What we eat has rippling effects beyond our own health. For the first time, experts advising the USDA on the newest </span>(2015) <span style="color: #262626;">version of its </span><u><a href="http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #20a657;">Dietary Guidelines</span></a></u><span style="color: #262626;"> for Americans, are considering the sustainability of the American diet. That’s also on the agenda for <u><a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/menus-of-change-conference-june-2013/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #20a657;">Menus of Change</span></i></a></u>, a joint effort of the Harvard School of Public Health and the Culinary Institute of America. Author, physician and nutrition expert, <b>Walter Willett, MD, MPH</b>, presents. </span><b>Roni Neff, PhD</b>, <span style="color: #262626;">Director of the Food System Sustainability Program at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, </span>and editor of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-US-Food-System-Environment/dp/1118063384/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409764514&sr=8-1&keywords=Introduction+to+the+US+food+system" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1db26a;"><b>Introduction to the U.S. Food System</b></span></a></i>, discusses sustainability and the Dietary Guidelines. <b>Hugh Joseph, PhD</b> of the <span s="">Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University will moderate.</span> <br /><br />4) <u>January 2015</u>. <b><span style="color: #f79646;">Cultivating Health. </span></b><br /><span style="color: #262626;">Our gut bacteria shape our health. <b>Dr. Martin Blaser, </b>past president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), explains the connection highlighted in his recent book </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805098100/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=38605848182&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9186460863969565827&hvpone=17.71&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_3s0qkxxirw_b" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #20a657;"><b>Missing Microbes</b></span></i></a><span style="color: #262626;"><i>: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues</i>. <b>Dr. Lance Price, </b>public health professor at George Washington University, explores the contribution of industrial meat production, including its reliance on antibiotics. IDSA cosponsors. </span><br /><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><br /></span><b><span style="color: #262626; font-family: "helvetica neue";"><a href="http://healthyfoodaction.org/webinar-series-industrial-meat-health-of-the-system/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #386eff; font-family: "helvetica";">REGISTER TODAY</span></a></span></b><b>. </b>Contact <a href="mailto:David@HealthyFoodAction.org" target="_blank">David@HealthyFoodAction.org</a> for more information or sponsorship opportunities.</span></div>
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Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-38194307729434844392014-09-05T10:15:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:38:49.559-04:00What Does ‘Humane’ Mean Anyway? The Ultimate Guide to Meat Labels<a href="http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/TakePart_ConsumerReports_Infographic_WEBs.jpg"><img alt="Consumer Reports: America's Most Wanted Food Labels" src="http://www.takepart.com/sites/default/files/mostwanted_labelsart.jpg" /></a><br />
Via: <a href="http://www.takepart.com/">TakePart.com</a>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-10965054082693069592014-08-28T15:53:00.001-04:002016-10-16T00:39:09.791-04:00Subsidy Information for New and Beginning FarmersThe federal government has created a website featuring subsidy information for new and beginning farmers. Check it out at:<br />
<a href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/newfarmers?navid=newfarmers">http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/newfarmers?navid=newfarmers</a>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-86102279922279787922014-08-26T01:44:00.002-04:002016-10-16T00:39:27.175-04:00Got Milk, Got Unwanted Hormones?<div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Factory farming churns out cow’s milk laced with steroid hormones.
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Published on March 22, 2014 by Robert D. Martin, Ph.D. in How We Do It
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYneXg_3epHnhFjLDN3s0eK4x-b_uS_LAmZ1lU3NLxcoxSkNSv5VN_g_-742T_Rabge3dBTPnp7oECzZGaJ3Nvdxpl9sA_KYJj4ULBucu4KiQeoX2M9L9Pj4QOpVAvLVFncb0TvwOdhw/s1600/146515-148774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYneXg_3epHnhFjLDN3s0eK4x-b_uS_LAmZ1lU3NLxcoxSkNSv5VN_g_-742T_Rabge3dBTPnp7oECzZGaJ3Nvdxpl9sA_KYJj4ULBucu4KiQeoX2M9L9Pj4QOpVAvLVFncb0TvwOdhw/s1600/146515-148774.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Holstein dairy cows produce significantly more milk for female offspring than for males. Harvard anthropologist Katie Hinde and colleagues reported this finding in a recent paper, deservedly attracting considerable attention. The results were based on a gigantic dataset beyond the wildest dreams of most investigators: 2.5 million lactation records from 1.5 million cows. Offspring sex influences milk output in two ways. First, the mother produces more milk after giving birth to a female calf than after a male. (Calves are removed soon after birth and cannot influence subsequent milk production.) More surprisingly, ongoing milk production by a pregnant cow is enhanced or diminished according to the sex of her fetus. As Hinde and colleagues concluded, this indicates that offspring in the womb program mammary function. But wait: That means that much of the milk we now drink comes from pregnant cows!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Milking cows during pregnancy?</b><br /><br />An avid milk drinker in my youth, I never really thought about how it was obtained, and it certainly never occurred to me that farmers might milk cows in late pregnancy. I first learned of this a few years back. In fact, the average yield of Holstein cows — specially selected for milk production — exceeds 22,000 pounds a year. Modern dairy farmers harvest milk from a Holstein cow for about ten months, seven during pregnancy. Like humans, cows are pregnant for about nine months, so milking ceases only for the last two. But levels of steroid hormones, notably estrogens and progesterone, soar as pregnancy progresses.<br /><br />Health risks posed by estrogen-mimicking organic compounds in the environment, such as bisphenol A (BPA), have been much discussed (see my June 11, 2013 post: Spectators on Steroids). But natural estrogens can be 100,000 times more potent.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Epidemiological evidence linking cow’s milk to cancers</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-we-do-it/201403/got-milk-got-unwanted-hormones" target="_blank">More ...</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is tempting to conclude that, because excess hormones in cow’s milk
result from milking late-pregnant cows, all we need to do is to stop
this recent practice. But such a major upheaval in the economics of
dairy farming is unlikely to happen any time soon. Moreover, milk
contains high levels of beneficial nutrients such as calcium and vitamin
D, so eliminating dairy products is not a desirable option. However,
evasive action, such as drinking skim milk, is possible because steroid
hormones are primarily located in milk fat. In addition, a 2012 paper by
Farlow and colleagues reported that estrogen levels in goat's milk
were significantly lower than in any cow's milk product tested. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-17268687716019594562014-08-07T14:16:00.000-04:002014-08-07T14:16:05.930-04:00Historic Farm Bill Funding Available to Organic Producers and Handlers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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News Release<br />
Release No. 0149.14<br />
Contact: Office of Communications (202)720-4623<br />
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<b>Historic Farm Bill Funding Available to Organic Producers and Handlers<br />
<i>Funds to assist with Organic Certification Costs</i></b><br />
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2014 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that approximately $13 million in Farm Bill funding is now available for organic certification cost-share assistance, making certification more accessible than ever for small certified producers and handlers.<br />
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"Consumer demand for organic products is surging across the country," said Secretary Tom Vilsack. "To meet this demand, we need to make sure that small farmers who choose to grow organic products can afford to get certified. Organic food is now a multi-billion dollar industry, and helping this sector continue to grow creates jobs across the country."<br />
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The certification assistance is distributed through two programs within the Agricultural Marketing Service. Through the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program, $11.5 million is available to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. Territories. Through the Agricultural Management Assistance Organic Certification Cost-Share Program, an additional $1.5 million is available to organic operations in Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.<br />
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These programs provide cost-share assistance through participating states to USDA certified organic producers and handlers for certification-related expenses they incur from October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014. Payments cover up to 75 percent of an individual producer's or handler's certification costs, up to a maximum of $750 per certification. To receive cost-share assistance, organic producers and handlers should contact their state agencies. Each state will have their own guidelines and requirements for reimbursement, and the National Organic Program (NOP) will assist states as much as possible to successfully implement the programs. State contact information can be found on the NOP Cost Share Website, www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.<br />
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In 2012 alone, USDA issued close to 10,000 cost-share reimbursements totaling over $6.5 million, to support the organic industry and rural America. Additional information about resources available to small and mid-sized producers, including accessing capital, risk management, locating market opportunities and land management is available on USDA's Small and Mid-Sized Farmer Resources webpage.<br />
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USDA has a number of new and expanded efforts to connect organic farmers and businesses with resources that will ensure the continued growth of the organic industry domestically and abroad. During this Administration, USDA has signed four major trade agreements on organic products, and is also helping organic stakeholders access programs that support conservation, provide access to loans and grants, fund organic research and education, and mitigate pest emergencies. Through the NOP, USDA has helped organic farmers and businesses achieve $35 billion annually in U.S. retail sales. The organic community includes over 25,000 organic businesses in more than 120 different countries around the world.<br />
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Today's funding announcement for organic certification cost-share assistance was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America. For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.<br />
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For additional information contact Dana Stahl, Organic Certification Cost Share Program Manager, Dana.Stahl@ams.usda.gov, (540) 361-1126. Additional information is available on the NOP's website at www.ams.usda.gov/NOPCostSharing.<br />
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The NOP is responsible for ensuring the integrity of USDA organic agricultural products in the United States and throughout the world. Find out more about organic certification by visiting www.ams.usda.gov/nop.<br />
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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-46551768027574458582014-08-07T11:40:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:46:50.603-04:00Toledo panic shows Great Lakes at risk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #999999;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">August 7, 2014 at 1:00 am</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">THE GREAT LAKES</span></span><br />
Toledo panic shows Great Lakes at risk<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gail Philbin</span></span></div>
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Toledo’s recent bout with poisoned drinking water should serve as a huge wake-up call to Michigan to take seriously the link between factory farming, water pollution and public health.<br />
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The story of how dangerous levels of a toxin ended up in the water supply of Ohio’s fourth-largest city is in large part the story of how we grow our food today and who decides what are considered good farming practices. The impetus for Toledo’s weekend water ban was microcystin, a toxin experts say can cause diarrhea, vomiting or abnormal liver function that probably formed in a recent algae bloom in Lake Erie. The soupy, pea-green growth in one of our Great Lakes is an increasingly common occurrence fed in part by phosphorus run-off from southern Michigan fields applied with commercial fertilizer or factory farm waste.<br />
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Why all the fertilizer and animal waste in our water? Because we eat lots of meat, dairy, poultry and eggs. The United States is the largest producer of corn in the world. Eighty percent of what we grow is consumed not by people but by domestic and overseas livestock, poultry and fish production, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vast monocultures of corn require large amounts of fertilizer to grow.<br />
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We also like cheap food and buy products that come from industrial-scale, concentrated livestock facilities, many of which have been constructed in the last decade in western Lake Erie watersheds that include southern Michigan.<br />
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Such operations are favored by federal Farm Bill subsidies that keep their product prices artificially low. This taxpayer-funded support often goes to help construct manure lagoons and other systems for handling the huge amount of waste factory farms generate. Even so, it can end up polluting nearby waterways, as shown in the 2013 report, Restoring the Balance to Michigan’s Farming Landscape. The current subsidy system rewards polluters, giving an unfair advantage over healthy, sustainable livestock farms.<br />
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<a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140807/OPINION01/308070004#ixzz39iidIhPb" target="_blank">More ...</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/publications/feature-stories/climate-change-leads-to-more-snow/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJeOkozzvXP16oHlZ8Lvbxkk3O3v1SRNQ9AGT6vDQWdUFN-LNb_YAdqhYc4qS6Qjxb9Oewtn_WdpPjhqS51b3EodhRU2CYe9Ym4xBdHQK4HJqgCi2hdLrXwEeJYw-AhSRZe2dKjCwmko/s1600/algal-bloom-tom-archer-P1010660-300x225.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/publications/feature-stories/climate-change-leads-to-more-snow/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lake Erie algal bloom, photo by Tom Archer.</span></a></td></tr>
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<br />Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-75595499740702438992014-07-27T20:29:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:39:55.408-04:00Don't let 'big ag' take our right to farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/07/23/let-big-ag-take-right-farm/13063349/" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/07/23/let-big-ag-take-right-farm/13063349/" border="0" height="43" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2LgotfV-nlK6YIBlQ7nr4X1VB1R6BV_qK1t1k0wZ0Oarjhxn4A72-U8A_EPGqW_pCvxhhp4MKsxQJt-BYpY7l8SvaE0m_p1sunFomG_V1s5IAXLi9KvK_nZztFTvem-VeYjtvk7_xck/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-07-27+at+8.20.39+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ruell Chappell</b> 4:40 p.m. CDT July 23, 2014 </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/0c7dacc4444387c2e828fe6fefb66444aa7eb0e8/c=0-0-2852-2145&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/Springfield/2014/07/23/-tcitycouncil027.jpg20101004.jpg" height="150" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-right: 30px;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruell Chappel </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The late 1950s and '60s saw a huge migration from the family farm to the cities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We wanted to work 9 to 5 and wear nice clothes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We also wanted someone else to grow our food and process, deliver and market it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
Many corporations stepped up and gave that to us in spades.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem was that these same corporations decided they not only wanted the business, but needed to make sure they kept the business.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To this end, they bought up local manufacturing and processing businesses and closed them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since then, our communities have been in an ever-steepening spiral on food security, economic prosperity, job growth and food prices.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In their zeal to not only own your food, but own it forever, both foreign and domestic industrial agricultural corporations have created and support the nuclear option of Amendment 1 (also known as the Right to Farm amendment).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is the largest land and power grab I have ever witnessed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/07/23/let-big-ag-take-right-farm/13063349/" target="_blank">More ... </a></span>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-3489721639848140122014-07-27T16:25:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:40:21.529-04:00Feds Failing To Act On Antibiotic Resistance Despite Grave Threat, Health Advocates Warn<a href="http://w.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/25/antibiotic-resistance-livestock-lawsuit-nrdc_n_5621299.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">HUFFINGTON POST </span></a><br />
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<span class="img-caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="pinitshareimage pinhidden" data-pin-config="above" data-pin-do="buttonPin" data-pin-hover="true" href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2014%2F07%2F25%2Fantibiotic-resistance-livestock-lawsuit-nrdc_n_5621299.html&media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.huffpost.com%2Fgen%2F1931447%2Fthumbs%2Fn-FACTORY-FARM-TURKEYS-large570.jpg&description=FACTORY%20FARM%20TURKEYS" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #399800; display: block; line-height: inherit; margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; max-height: 20px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 999999;" target="_blank"><img src="http://assets.pinterest.com/images/pidgets/pin_it_button.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></a><img alt="FACTORY FARM TURKEYS" class="" data-img-path="http://i1.huffpost.com/gen/1931447/thumbs/n-FACTORY-FARM-TURKEYS-large570.jpg" src="http://i1.huffpost.com/gen/1931447/thumbs/n-FACTORY-FARM-TURKEYS-large570.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span>
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<br />
<div style="line-height: 1.2;">
Public health advocates are fuming over a <a href="http://docs.nrdc.org/health/files/hea_14072401a.pdf" target="_hplink">new court ruling</a> that they say could hasten the coming of the <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/22/antibiotic-resistance-bacteria-drugs-cdc-lab-safety-mers-anthrax/13005415/" target="_hplink">next pandemic</a>.<br />
<br />
In a 2-1 decision released Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration need not consider banning the use of antibiotics in healthy food-producing animals.<br />
<br />
"We believe that this decision allows dangerous practices known to threaten human health to continue," said Avinash Kar, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "Adding antibiotics to farm animals' feed, day after day, is not what we should be doing. It's not what the doctor ordered and it should not be allowed."<br />
<br />
In March 2012, a federal court ruled that the FDA must act on scientific knowledge that the overuse of antibiotics in animals raised for food has contributed to the rise of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/19/antibiotic-resistance-chicken-consumer-reports_n_4469575.html" target="_hplink">antibiotic-resistant infections</a> in humans. That decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by the NRDC concerning findings made by the FDA back in 1977. Feeding livestock low doses of penicillin and most tetracyclines, the agency had concluded, might pose a risk to human health. The FDA never acted on or retracted those findings.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://w.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/25/antibiotic-resistance-livestock-lawsuit-nrdc_n_5621299.html" target="_blank">More ...</a></div>
Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-8612304791075801732014-07-10T19:36:00.002-04:002016-10-16T00:40:50.723-04:00Local, Healthy Food's Growing Support Told In Video Series<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";">Farmers, Food Consumers Document What
Sustainability Means To Michigan</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Media Contact: Gail Philbin, gail.philbin@sierraclub.org, 312-493-2384</span></span></i></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lansing, Mich.</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As
farmers markets kick into high gear this month, Michigan food consumers and
farmers are voicing support for locally grown food and sustainable agriculture
in Michigan and putting it into their own words and stories in a new video
series available at </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MoreForMichigan/videos" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>MoreForMichigan/Videos</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Michiganders
from all walks of life discuss why meat, dairy, poultry and eggs that are
locally grown under humane conditions are important to them, their communities
and local economies in a series of one-minute video testimonials produced by
the </span><a href="http://www.moreformichigan.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-family: "times roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> Less=More sustainable agriculture coalition</span></a><span style="font-family: "times roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;">. The coalition is
also asking people to contribute their own food stories to the series. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">For more information on submitting a testimonial,
email: </span></span><a href="mailto:Moreformichigansc@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #3333ff; font-size: 11pt;">Moreformichigansc@gmail.com</span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jill Johnson and Mary
Wills of </span><a href="http://www.cranedancefarm.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-size: 11pt;">Crane Dance Farm</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> in Middleville will kick off the series with the
release of their testimonial via Less=More</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s Twitter account, @MoreforMichigan, and on its </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoreforMichigan" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-size: 11pt;">Facebook page</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. Jill,
who studied agriculture in college, says "What I learned about our food
system scared me and I knew at that point that if I was going to eat, I
probably had to grow food. It's been a long journey to Crane Dance Farm." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Mary adds, "We've
seen so many small farms go under because nobody subsidizes us. It's really
very hard to be able to do what we do </span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">…</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.Less=More is vital for the voice of the small
farmer." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Crane
Dance Farm is a member of Less=More</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, a
sustainable agriculture coalition tackling the inequity of the subsidy system
that favors polluting factory farms over safe, sustainable livestock farms at
the expense of the environment and public health. In 2013, the coalition
released a report, <b><i>Restoring the Balance to Michigan</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s Farming
Landscape,</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">that explores the relationship between Farm Bill
subsidies and factory farm pollution in Michigan. To download <b><i>Restoring
the Balance</i></b>, visit: .</span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/L-Mreport" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;">http://tinyurl.com/L-Mreport</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.<wbr></wbr> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">The
number of farmers markets in Michigan has grown from around 90 in 2001 to more
than 300 today, according to the Michigan Farmer</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">s
Market Association</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">s website. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This proliferation of markets as well as Community
Supported Agriculture farms (CSAs) in Michigan is evidence of a growing demand
from consumers for locally grown, healthy food. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">And the passionate
response of consumers and farmers to the Less=More testimonial series indicates
that buying local food isn</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">t a passing fad. Western Michigan University student
Erin Denay, the series</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">producer, has been
collecting farmer and consumer videos throughout the month of June during trips
to farmers markets and other locations in Frankenmuth, Kalamazoo, Boyne City,
Lansing, Grand Rapids and other Michigan communities. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
am so happy to be part of the Less=More campaign,</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">”</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">says Denay, a senior
majoring in environmental and sustainability studies. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I have learned so much
about the support that small-scale sustainable farmers need. Particularly, it
has made me more appreciative of the local farmers where I live who share my
values and help give me more choices as a consumer."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">At the Kalamazoo Farmer</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s Market, Denay captured
the thoughts of several consumers and
farmers, including Joseph Battistella of Sunshine Silo Farm, who says,
"Smaller farmers are used to doing what they can with what they have so
any sort of help like tax dollars can go a very long way on a small farm.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">”</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">See
the full Sunshine Silo Farm testimonial here: </span><a href="http://youtu.be/QH83tD8s07c" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/QH83tD8s07c</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Less=More is comprised of
national, state and local organizations and farmers, including: Beery Farms of
Michigan, LLC, the Center for Food Safety, Crane Dance Farm, LLC, ELFCO Food
Cooperative, Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan, Food
& Water Watch, Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, Groundswell Farm,
Zeeland, Humane Society of the United States, Michigan Small Farm Council,
Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, Michigan Voices for Good Food
Policy, Michigan Young Farmers Coalition, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and
Socially Responsible Agricultural Project.
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Less=More is made possible
in part by support from the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Less </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">support for polluting factory farms means a <b>more </b>sustainable
Michigan. For more information, visit, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.moreformichigan.org/" target="_blank">www.MoreforMichigan.org</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-29102761704848127822014-07-05T12:27:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:47:12.998-04:00Virus Plagues the Pork Industry, and Environmentalists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8igaep0xioF_ruuF1uBJ_DDvB0pl61bmISfrKf8trDQpJfAprb0W8Xx72r_FYzIB1OsGXvYb3suiSAkD963gygkfA1wqbtSWSTU0zoUBwEUEP-33ejn0yAse_v6e9j5pkk59ZTcKQ6k/s1600/nyt_logo_small.png" /></div>
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<br />
<span class="byline" itemid="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/stephanie_strom/index.html" itemprop="author creator" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: , "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 0.6875rem; font-weight: 700; line-height: 0.75rem;">By <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/stephanie_strom/index.html" rel="author" style="color: black; text-decoration: none;" title="More Articles by STEPHANIE STROM"><span class="byline-author" data-byline-name="STEPHANIE STROM" data-twitter-handle="ssstrom" itemprop="name">STEPHANIE STROM</span></a></span><time class="dateline" datetime="2014-07-04" style="background-color: white; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.6875rem; line-height: 0.75rem; margin-left: 12px;">JULY 4, 2014</time><br />
<br />
The bodies are piling up fast.<br />
<br />
A deadly virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea, or PEDv, is estimated to have killed, on average, more than 100,000 piglets and young hogs each week since it first showed up in Iowa in May 2013, wreaking havoc on the pork industry. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/05/business/PEDv-plagues-the-pork-industry-and-environmentalists.html?emc=edit_th_20140705&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=69512715&_r=1" target="_blank">More ...</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<figure data-media-action="modal" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/07/05/business/05pigfarms-pic2/05pigfarms-pic2-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="associatedMedia" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/ImageObject" role="group" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-cheltenham, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 16px; position: relative; width: 540px;"><div class="image" style="cursor: pointer; margin-bottom: 7px; position: relative; width: 540px;">
<img alt="" class="media-viewer-candidate" data-mediaviewer-caption="An aerial photograph taken in February showing hog carcasses at a farm in North Carolina." data-mediaviewer-credit="Rick Dove/Waterkeeper Alliance" data-mediaviewer-src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/07/05/business/05pigfarms-pic2/05pigfarms-pic2-superJumbo.jpg" src="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/07/05/business/05pigfarms-pic2/05pigfarms-pic2-articleLarge.jpg" itemid="http://static01.nyt.com/images/2014/07/05/business/05pigfarms-pic2/05pigfarms-pic2-articleLarge.jpg" itemprop="url" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; width: 540px;" /><br />
<div class="media-action-overlay" style="-webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 200, 0.8); bottom: 15px; cursor: pointer; left: 15px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in; z-index: 5; zoom: 1;">
<span class="icon" style="background-image: url(http://a1.nyt.com/assets/article/20140701-123227/images/sprite/sprite-no-repeat.png); background-position: -456px -42px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; height: 38px; line-height: 0; vertical-align: middle; width: 38px;"></span></div>
</div>
<figcaption class="caption" itemprop="caption description" style="bottom: 23px; color: #666666; font-family: nyt-cheltenham-sh, georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 1rem; position: static; right: 0px; width: auto;"><span class="caption-text">An aerial photograph taken in February showing hog carcasses at a farm in North Carolina.</span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 1rem;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Rick Dove/Waterkeeper Alliance</span></figcaption><div>
<span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="color: #999999; display: inline-block; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 1rem;"><br /></span></div>
</figure>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-51076438699950268432014-06-30T11:46:00.001-04:002016-10-16T00:47:39.057-04:00Local, Healthy Food’s Growing Support Told In Video Series Debuting July 1<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"></span></b></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";">Farmers, Food Consumers Document What
Sustainability Means To Michigan</span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: small;">Media Contact: Gail Philbin, gail.philbin@sierraclub.org, 312-493-2384</span></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lansing, Mich.</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">—</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As
farmers markets kick into high gear this month, Michigan food consumers and
farmers are voicing support for locally grown food and sustainable agriculture
in Michigan and putting it into their own words and stories in a new video
series debuting July 1, available at </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MoreForMichigan/videos" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>MoreForMichigan/Videos</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. </span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Michiganders
from all walks of life discuss why meat, dairy, poultry and eggs that are
locally grown under humane conditions are important to them, their communities
and local economies in a series of one-minute video testimonials produced by
the </span><a href="http://www.moreformichigan.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-family: "times roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> Less=More sustainable agriculture coalition</span></a><span style="font-family: "times roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;">. The coalition is
also asking people to contribute their own food stories to the series. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">For more information on submitting a testimonial,
email: </span></span><a href="mailto:Moreformichigansc@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: #3333ff; font-size: 11pt;">Moreformichigansc@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jill Johnson and Mary
Wills of </span><a href="http://www.cranedancefarm.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-size: 11pt;">Crane Dance Farm</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> in Middleville will kick off the series with the
release of their testimonial via Less=More</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s Twitter account, @MoreforMichigan, and on its </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoreforMichigan" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3333ff; font-size: 11pt;">Facebook page</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. Jill,
who studied agriculture in college, says "What I learned about our food
system scared me and I knew at that point that if I was going to eat, I
probably had to grow food. It's been a long journey to Crane Dance Farm." </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Mary adds, "We've
seen so many small farms go under because nobody subsidizes us. It's really
very hard to be able to do what we do </span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">…</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.Less=More is vital for the voice of the small
farmer." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Crane
Dance Farm is a member of Less=More</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, a
sustainable agriculture coalition tackling the inequity of the subsidy system
that favors polluting factory farms over safe, sustainable livestock farms at
the expense of the environment and public health. In 2013, the coalition
released a report, <b><i>Restoring the Balance to Michigan</i></b></span><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s Farming
Landscape,</span></i></b><i><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-size: 11pt;">that explores the relationship between Farm Bill
subsidies and factory farm pollution in Michigan. To download <b><i>Restoring
the Balance</i></b>, visit: .</span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/L-Mreport" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;">http://tinyurl.com/L-Mreport</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.<wbr></wbr> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">The
number of farmers markets in Michigan has grown from around 90 in 2001 to more
than 300 today, according to the Michigan Farmer</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">s
Market Association</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 11pt;">s website. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This proliferation of markets as well as Community
Supported Agriculture farms (CSAs) in Michigan is evidence of a growing demand
from consumers for locally grown, healthy food. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">And the passionate
response of consumers and farmers to the Less=More testimonial series indicates
that buying local food isn</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">t a passing fad. Western Michigan University student
Erin Denay, the series</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">producer, has been
collecting farmer and consumer videos throughout the month of June during trips
to farmers markets and other locations in Frankenmuth, Kalamazoo, Boyne City,
Lansing, Grand Rapids and other Michigan communities. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
am so happy to be part of the Less=More campaign,</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">”</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">says Denay, a senior
majoring in environmental and sustainability studies. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I have learned so much
about the support that small-scale sustainable farmers need. Particularly, it
has made me more appreciative of the local farmers where I live who share my
values and help give me more choices as a consumer."</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">At the Kalamazoo Farmer</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">’</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">s Market, Denay captured
the thoughts of several consumers and
farmers, including Joseph Battistella of Sunshine Silo Farm, who says,
"Smaller farmers are used to doing what they can with what they have so
any sort of help like tax dollars can go a very long way on a small farm.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">”</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">See
the full Sunshine Silo Farm testimonial here: </span><a href="http://youtu.be/QH83tD8s07c" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/QH83tD8s07c</a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Less=More is comprised of
national, state and local organizations and farmers, including: Beery Farms of
Michigan, LLC, the Center for Food Safety, Crane Dance Farm, LLC, ELFCO Food
Cooperative, Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan, Food
& Water Watch, Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, Groundswell Farm,
Zeeland, Humane Society of the United States, Michigan Small Farm Council,
Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, Michigan Voices for Good Food
Policy, Michigan Young Farmers Coalition, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and
Socially Responsible Agricultural Project.
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Less=More is made possible
in part by support from the Irwin Andrew Porter Foundation. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Less </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">support for polluting factory farms means a <b>more </b>sustainable
Michigan. For more information, visit, </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.moreformichigan.org/" target="_blank">www.MoreforMichigan.org</a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-80263612090986431542014-06-26T12:00:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:47:50.861-04:00Sierra Club launches sustainable agriculture testimonials, Western Michigan University student project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://connect.mlive.com/staff/rparker/index.html" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Rosemary Parker | rparker3@mlive.com" class=" Avatar" src="http://imgick.mlive.com/home/mlive-media/width40/img/avatars/2743.png" id="undefined" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; height: 40px; padding-right: 7px; vertical-align: middle; width: 40px;" /></a>By <span class="author vcard"><a class="bl" href="http://connect.mlive.com/staff/rparker/posts.html" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;">Rosemary Parker | rparker3@mlive.com </a></span><br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/Kzoo_Gazette" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Follow on Twitter</a><br />
on June 26, 2014 at 8:54 AM, updated <span class="updated" title="2014-06-26T12:57:14Z">June 26, 2014 at 8:57 AM</span></div>
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<strong>KALAMAZOO, MI --</strong> How do Michigan farmers and consumers feel about food from local farmers?<br />
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Since last month Erin Denay has been posing that question at <a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/05/kalamazoo_farmers_market_opens.html" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">farmers markets</a> across the state to create enough <a href="http://www.youtube.com/MoreForMichigan/Videos" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">video snippets</a> to roll out one a day during the month of July, part of a collaborative project with Sierra Club, said Gail Philbin, assistant director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter.</div>
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"We really want consumers and farmers already involved in the sustainable agriculture scene to understand there are people supporting them," said Denay, 22, of Bay City. She is a senior at Western Michigan University majoring in environmental and sustainability studies and organizational communication.</div>
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Sustainable agriculture, she said, is farming that "revolves around the well-being of the surrounding environment, people, and animals while producing healthy, high-quality food that protects the quality of the land and water for future generations.</div>
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In the series of one-minute video testimonials produced by the <a href="http://www.moreformichigan.org/" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Less=More sustainable agriculture coalition,</a> Michigan residents talk about why meat, dairy, poultry and eggs that are locally grown under humane conditions are important to them, their communities and local economies, a news release from Sierra Club said.</div>
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"Sustainable agriculture is farming that revolves around the well-being of the surrounding environment, people, and animals," Denay said, " so as to produce healthy, high-quality food that protects the quality of the land and water for future generations."<br />
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"We want them to know we are here for them," Denay said, "and to draw more attention and tax dollars to them," the farms practicing sustainable agriculture methods.<br />
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Maynard Beery of Beery Farms in Middleville, for instance, told Denay that though he could not keep up with soaring demand for his grass fed beef "there is no way that I can compete with a 50,000 animal feedlot. They're happy if they wind up with $10 a head in profit and no, that's not going to support myself and my son."<br />
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Farm subsidies for which he currently does not qualify would allow his farm to expand, he said.<br />
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The project also hopes to let people know there are 300 farmers markets in Michigan, and lots of choices when it comes to shopping for food. "We want to illuminate the opportunities to eat local, sustainable healthy food," Denay said.<br />
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What were the most promising findings of Denay's interviews?<br />
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"The appetite, pardon the pun, for local, healthy food is alive and well in Michigan," Philbin said.<br />
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The series kicks off July 1 with the release of the testimonial of Jill Johnson and Mary Wills of <a href="http://www.cranedancefarm.com/" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Crane Dance Farm</a> in Middleville via Less=More's Twitter account, @MoreforMichigan, and its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MoreforMichigan" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Facebook page</a>.<br />
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The remainder of that week the videos feature Kalamazoo farmers and consumers, Denay said.<br />
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"Being involved with this project has made me so much more aware of the healthy, high-quality food that is being made available by small-scale sustainable farmers in Michigan communities," Denay said. "I want this testimonial series to really highlight the wonderful things they are doing and why they deserve our support so they can succeed and grow and continue to provide for their communities."<br />
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Sierra Club believes issues such as antibiotic overuse, the viability of local economies, climate change, fair wages and working conditions for workers and animal welfare can be traced back to how food is grown.<br />
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"Many consumers are searching for a way to have some control over the food they eat because they are disillusioned or disgusted with the industrial food system," she said. "Growing your own food or buying from local farmers they know is a good way to do that."<br />
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Sierra Club is a member of the Less=More Coalition, producers of the video series. The group is made up of national, state and local organizations as well as consumers and farmers who support sustainable agriculture and seek to level the playing field for sustainable livestock farmers.<br />
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Specifically, the coalition is tackling inequities in the subsidy system that the coalition argues is weighted toward concentrated livestock operations.<br />
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In 2013, the coalition's report <a href="http://tinyurl.com/L-Mreport" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">"Restoring the Balance to Michigan's Farming Landscape"</a> noted that some farms continue to receive taxpayer-funded subsidies even when they have been fined for violations of environmental law and blasted the farm subsidy system for favoring concentrated animal feeding operations in the award of funds.<br />
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Less=More members include: Beery Farms of Michigan, LLC, the Center for Food Safety, Crane Dance Farm, LLC, ELFCO Food Cooperative, Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan, Food & Water Watch, Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, Groundswell Farm, Zeeland, Humane Society of the United States, Michigan Farmers Union, Michigan Small Farm Council, Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, Michigan Voices for Good Food Policy, Michigan Young Farmers Coalition, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and Socially Responsible Agricultural Project.<br />
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The coalition is also asking people to contribute their own food stories to the series. For more information on submitting a testimonial, email:<a href="mailto:Moreformichigansc@gmail.com" style="color: #305cb6; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Moreformichigansc@gmail.com</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-33422982955071447782014-05-21T22:27:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:48:11.777-04:001.8M pounds of Detroit-produced ground beef from for restaurant use in 4 states recalled due to E. coli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Officials say a Detroit-based business is recalling about 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products sold for restaurant use in four states that may be contaminated with the bacteria E. coli.</div>
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The <a href="http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2014/recall-030-2014" style="color: #36638e; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service</a> announced Monday that affected Wolverine Packing Co. products were produced between March 31 and April 18. They were shipped to distributors in Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio.</div>
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<strong>Download: <a href="http://www.clickondetroit.com/blob/view/-/26049742/data/1/-/44u8g3/-/Wolverine-Packaging-beef-recalls-pdf.pdf" style="color: #36638e; outline: none; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">Complete list of recalled products</a></strong></div>
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<a href="http://www.clickondetroit.com/money/recalls/officials-18m-pounds-of-ground-beef-for-restaurant-use-in-4-states-recalled-due-to-e-coli/26049120?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed" target="_blank">More ...</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-22170041852796427512014-05-07T15:10:00.003-04:002014-05-07T15:10:54.510-04:00Fallout Continues over MI Ag Commission Decision on Backyard FarmersThe Michigan Ag Commission's recent decision to remove many urban and suburban backyard farmers from Right to Farm protection has sent shivers through communities around the state where people raise small flocks of chickens and other animals to ensure their families have safe, healthy, humane food.<br />
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Three Less=More coalition members testified against the rule changes that removed the protection, and many stories have appeared in the media since then. Below are some links to some of the coverage...<br />
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<b>4.30.14, <a href="http://www.farmswithoutharm.org/news/changeinrulesformichiganfarmanimalscreatesconfusionforsomefarmerssatisfactionforothers" target="_blank">Change in Rules for Michigan Farm Animals Creates Confusion for Some Farmers, Satisfaction for Others</a>, Mlive.com</b><br />
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<b>4.30.14, <a href="http://www.farmswithoutharm.org/news/uncertaintyaboundsaroundnewlivestockrules" target="_blank">Uncertainty Abounds Around New Livestock Rules</a>, MIRSnews.com</b> </div>
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<b>5.2.14, <a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/1235774/michigan-loses-right-to-farm-this-week-a-farewell-to-backyard-chickens-and-beekeepers/" target="_blank">Michigan Loses Right-to-Farm This Week</a>, www.inquisitr.com </b></div>
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<b>5.4.14, <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140504/POLITICS02/305040028" target="_blank">New Michigan Urban Farm Policy Creates More Uncertainty,</a> Detroit News</b> <br />
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<b>5.7.14, <a href="http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/michigam-its-right-to-farm-act-brings-advocates-together-part-2/?blogger=rslabaugh" target="_blank">Michigan's Change to Its Right-to-Farm Act Brings Advocates Together, </a>Backyard Poultry Magazine</b><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-54537076074193838582014-04-30T10:53:00.000-04:002014-05-21T22:20:32.965-04:00Right to Farm Protection for Urban/Suburban Farmers Threatened<span class="userContent">Less=More was represented at Monday's Michigan
Ag Commission hearing on rule changes that will remove Right to Farm
protection for many urban and suburban farmers. Read all about it and
share the story! This issue isn't going away....</span><br />
<a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/04/holda_change_in_rules_for_mich.html#incart_river_default">http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/04/holda_change_in_rules_for_mich.html#incart_river_default</a>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-20960606776318330972014-04-30T10:49:00.002-04:002014-07-28T12:35:28.540-04:00<span class="userContent">Less=More was represented at Monday's Michigan
Ag Commission hearing on rule changes that will remove Right to Farm
protection for many urban and suburban farmers. Read all about it and
share the story! This issue isn't going away....</span><br />
<span class="userContent"><a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/04/holda_change_in_rules_for_mich.html#incart_river_default">http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/04/holda_change_in_rules_for_mich.html#incart_river_default</a></span><br />
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<br />Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-19848625328175746832014-04-09T10:29:00.002-04:002014-04-09T10:29:56.646-04:00Pasture-Based Livestock Farm Internship<blockquote type="cite">
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial Rounded MT Bold', sans-serif;">P<span style="letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">a</span>stur<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">e</span>-Based L<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">i</span>ve<span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">s</span>tock<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">F</span>arm<span style="letter-spacing: -0.3pt;"> </span>I<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">n</span>ter<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">n</span>sh<span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">i</span>p</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;"><b>Crane Dance Farm</b> is a grass-based livestock farm nestled among the rolling hills, forests, and wet lands of beautiful Barry County. We raise 100% grassfed beef, Animal Welfare Approved pastured heirloom pork, poultry and eggs, emphasizing farming techniques that nurture the land, the animals, the humans and the planet. Every animal is the recipient of TLC 24/7. We direct market all of our products, thus our customer relationships are parallel in importance to our relationships with our animals.</span></span><br /><br /><strong style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">What makes this opportunity unique?</strong><br /><ul style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">All of our cattle and pigs are bred, birthed, and finished on our farm.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">We source, grind, and mix local grains for our omnivores that are 100% GMO-free.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">We direct market all of our products through farmers markets, on farm sales, and online ordering.</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">We were the first Michigan farm to be Animal Welfare Approved for pigs in 2009. Presently, we are one of only two farms in MI to hold this prestigious certification. Pending is our status as American Grassfed Association certified for beef.</span></li>
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<br /><strong style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Intern Responsibilities:</strong><br /><ul style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">Daily attending to food, water, shelter, bedding, fences for all livestock</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">Property maintenance and repairs</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">Marketing assistance</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 12pt;">Participation in problem solving as situations arise</span></li>
</ul>
<br /><strong style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Expectations:</strong><br /><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Work outside in all kinds of weather</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Work efficiently alone and as part of a team</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Ability to lift 60 pounds repeatedly</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Aptitude in farming, building and mechanical skills</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Easy to work with, fast learner, sense of humor, heart for animals</span></li>
</ul>
<br /><strong style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Intern Provisions:</strong><br /><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Housing, plus one shared meal a day; additional cooking facilities and foodstuffs available</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Weekly stipend with bonus at satisfactory completion of agreed duration</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Minimum length of stay 4 months; longer preferred; negotiable</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Willing to work with your college for internship credit</span></li>
</ul>
<br /><strong style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Application Process:</strong><br /><ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Letter of interest and resume to </span></span><a href="mailto:cranedancefarm@gmail.com" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">cranedancefarm@gmail.com </a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">by April 30, 2014.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Phone interview</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12pt;">Working interview on farm</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-22204066065514980202014-03-31T12:03:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:48:29.991-04:00Thaw threatens water supplies with manure runoff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekVst1k8d6P-SdFxgyPfUIzJxQ80RYUAjKQscP1lcSkGDZfqhmmvmy-Ytan59lU3Md8NiLPd_5J04NRNSwlAU1tbdAu12gDg-3tYGW5nSFr05k0AUDTZqDt-Hpa_5U6RJCcmrttYE7iE/s3200/MJS-logo-med.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekVst1k8d6P-SdFxgyPfUIzJxQ80RYUAjKQscP1lcSkGDZfqhmmvmy-Ytan59lU3Md8NiLPd_5J04NRNSwlAU1tbdAu12gDg-3tYGW5nSFr05k0AUDTZqDt-Hpa_5U6RJCcmrttYE7iE/s3200/MJS-logo-med.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #999999;">By</span> Lee Bergquist <span style="color: #999999;">of the Journal Sentinel </span> March 30, 201</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With warmer weather finally on the way, state officials are warning farmers and the public that there is a potentially high risk across most of Wisconsin for manure to pollute groundwater, streams, rivers and lakes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Following the highest number of manure spills in seven years in 2013, this year's threat is due to melting snow and rainfall that could send soil and animal waste into streams.<br /><br />Under the right conditions, manure also could soak into aquifers, from which drinking water is drawn.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/thaw-threatens-water-supplies-with-manure-runoff-b99235136z1-253131711.html#ixzz2xYYudymc" target="_blank">More ...</a></span>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-37533551384038819312014-03-18T16:30:00.000-04:002016-10-16T00:48:45.951-04:00Subsidy Information for Sustainable Livestock Farmers<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>FACT SHEET</strong><br />
<strong>2014 Farm Bill Conservation Subsidies</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">After years of political wrangling, the 2014 Farm Bill was signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 7 on the campus of Michigan State University. The five-year, $956 billion bill includes $56 billion in funding for conservation programs, with $8.9 billion going to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For an overview of the 2014 Farm Bill, visit:</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/FBoverview"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://tinyurl.com/FBoverview</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">To read the Farm Bill in its entirety:</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Gail/Desktop/%20%20http:/tinyurl.com/actualfarmbill"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></a><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/actualfarmbill">http://tinyurl.com/actualfarmbill</a></span></span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">What is EQIP </span></u></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a Farm Bill Conservation Program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns. It aims to deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, ground and surface water conservation, soil erosion and sedimentation reduction and wildlife habitat</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/Gail/AppData/Local/Temp/.%20http:/tinyurl.com/EQIPoverview"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">http://tinyurl.com/EQIPoverview</span></span></a><br />
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<u>Categories of EQIP practices eligible for funding in Michigan include</u>:<br />
Animal Waste <br />
National Water Quality Initiative<br />
Conservation Activity Plans <br />
Organic Initiative<br />
Energy American Indian Tribes<br />
<div>
Locally-Led Conservation: MAEAP Water Quality Monitoring<br />
Wayne County Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">For a list of specific practices and the funding available visit: </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/MichiganEQIP"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">http://tinyurl.com/MichiganEQIP</span></span></a><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>How to Apply for EQIP</u> </span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">If you’ve never applied for EQIP funds, you should know that you need to have an approved Conservation Action Plan before you’re eligible to apply for EQIP funds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the first step is to apply for funds to develop the plan with an approved “technical service provider.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The deadline for this application is usually early in the year. After you get the funds and the plan is approved, you’re free to apply for EQIP funds in the following year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For details on the application process for EQIP, visit: </span><a href="http://tinyurl.com/EQIPsteps"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"></span></span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/EQIPsteps">http://tinyurl.com/EQIPsteps</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><u><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"></a><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Find your local NRCS field office:</span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><a href="http://tinyurl.com/NRCSofficelocator"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://tinyurl.com/NRCSofficelocator</span></span></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">For more info about Michigan’s EQIP program:</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Steve Law, EQIP Coordinator; </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Phone:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(517) 324-5282; </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">E-mail: </span><a href="mailto:steven.law@mi.usda.gov"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: blue;">steven.law@mi.usda.gov</span></span></a>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-30409697326612499642014-03-18T10:48:00.001-04:002016-10-16T00:49:25.801-04:00Crane Dance Farm Offers Pasture-Based Livestock Farm Work ExperienceCrane Dance Farm, a Less=More Coalition member, is offering a farm work experience for a student or non-student. Application deadline is April 30, 2014. Details below:<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Rounded MT Bold"; mso-text-raise: -1.0pt; position: relative; top: 1pt;">P<span style="letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">a</span>stur<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">e</span>-Based L<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">i</span>ve<span style="letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">s</span>tock<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">F</span>arm<span style="letter-spacing: -0.3pt;"> </span><span style="mso-font-width: 99%;">I<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">n</span></span>ter<span style="letter-spacing: 0.05pt;">n</span><span style="mso-font-width: 99%;">sh<span style="letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">i</span></span>p</span></div>
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Crane Dance Farm is a grass-based livestock farm nestled among the rolling hills, forests, and wet lands of beautiful Barry County. We raise 100% grassfed beef, Animal Welfare Approved pastured heirloom pork, poultry and eggs, emphasizing farming techniques that nurture the land, the animals, the humans and the planet. Every animal is the recipient of TLC 24/7. We direct market all of our products, thus our customer relationships are parallel in importance to our relationships with our animals.<br />
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<strong>What makes this opportunity unique?</strong><br />
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· All of our cattle and pigs are bred, birthed, and finished on our farm.<br />
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· We source, grind, and mix local grains for our omnivores that are 100% GMO-free.<br />
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· We direct market all of our products through farmers markets, on farm sales, and online ordering.<br />
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· We were the first Michigan farm to be Animal Welfare Approved for pigs in 2009. Presently, we are one of only two farms in MI to hold this prestigious certification. Pending is our status as American Grassfed Association certified for beef.<br />
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<strong>Intern Responsibilities:</strong><br />
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· Daily attending to food, water, shelter, bedding, fences for all livestock<br />
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· Property maintenance and repairs<br />
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· Marketing assistance<br />
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· Participation in problem solving as situations arise<br />
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<strong>Expectations:</strong><br />
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· Work outside in all kinds of weather<br />
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· Work efficiently alone and as part of a team<br />
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· Ability to lift 60 pounds repeatedly<br />
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· Aptitude in farming, building and mechanical skills<br />
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· Easy to work with, fast learner, sense of humor, heart for animals<br />
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<strong>Intern Provisions:</strong><br />
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· Housing, plus one shared meal a day; additional cooking facilities and foodstuffs available<br />
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· Weekly stipend with bonus at satisfactory completion of agreed duration<br />
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· Minimum length of stay 4 months; longer preferred; negotiable<br />
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· Willing to work with your college for internship credit<br />
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<strong>Application Process:</strong><br />
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· Letter of interest and resume to <a href="mailto:cranedancefarm@gmail.com">cranedancefarm@gmail.com </a>by April 30, 2014.<br />
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· Phone interview<br />
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· Working interview on farm</div>
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</strong>Sierra Club • Michigan Chapterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03747912627442547437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-73541730071505128462014-02-26T12:42:00.001-05:002014-02-26T12:42:36.254-05:00Sierra Club Communications Internship Focuses on Sustainable Agriculture Video Project<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dates of
Internship:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Negotiable between April
and September 2014</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hours: </b>10
hours per week for 12 weeks; flexible and can be worked around your school
schedule.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Location: </b>Work
from home as well as option of working in Lansing office</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Internship
Responsibilities<br />
</b>You will be directly assisting Sierra Club Michigan Chapter staff in
protecting the environment and our water resources by helping us with
communication strategies including social media and video projects.</div>
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<u>Responsibilities include:</u></div>
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- Coordinate sustainable agriculture video testimonial
project:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Help develop at least two consumer and two
farmer videos to launch the project--identify consumers/farmers willing to
testify for sustainable agriculture on camera, develop script/talking points
and record videos</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Identify places such as farmers markets to get consumer
and farmer video testimonials throughout summer; Recruit volunteers and set
schedule to record videos at identified locations </div>
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</span></span></span>Help promote project on social media</div>
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- Assist Chapter communications committee with projects
as needed</div>
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- Other duties available such as data entry, research and
event tabling upon occasion</div>
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<u><span style="background: white; color: black;">Qualifications</span></u><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br />
The ideal applicant will have </span>course work or a major in environmental
communications or policy and experience with <span style="background: white; color: black;">video and social media, and good writing and research skills
as well as a knowledge or interest in environmental issues and factory farm
issues in particular, and</span><span style="color: black;"> </span>proficiency
in Microsoft Office applications. Ability to work independently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strongly self-motivated.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Compensation: </u><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Internship comes with a stipend.</b></div>
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<u>Contact</u>: Gail Philbin, <a href="mailto:gail.philbin@sierraclub.org">gail.philbin@sierraclub.org</a>
, 312-493-2384</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097011564723132331.post-80220758103824255132014-02-12T15:58:00.000-05:002016-10-16T00:49:25.857-04:00Big Food Company Recalls Almost Nine Million Pounds Of Beef That Were Never InspectedBY <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/person/smukherjee/" target="_blank">SY MUKHERJEE</a> ON FEBRUARY 10, 2014 AT 4:57 PM<br />
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PETALUMA, Calif. California-based Rancho Food Corp. has recalled over 8.7 million pounds of beef products — including oxtail, liver, tongue, and cow carcasses — because the animals they came from were diseased and never inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). That’s equivalent to a full year’s worth of beef that gets processed by the company. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, which has been investigating Rancho Food, classified it as a Class I recall out of fears that the uninspected meat may cause serious medical harm to consumers.<br />
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The massive recall comes just one month after Rancho Food Corp. had to recall another 40,000 pounds worth of meat that hadn’t been inspected. There have been no reported illnesses linked with the products to date.<br />
Food recalls are alarmingly common in America. Foodborne illnesses cost the U.S. about $152 billion per year, sickens 48 million Americans annually, and kills 3,000 people ever year. The proliferation of massive, national food companies such as Cargill Beef also makes recalls tricky, since products from a tainted batch may be shipped all across the country.
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<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/02/10/3273831/food-corporation-recalls-million-pounds-beef/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews" target="_blank">More ...</a></div>
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