According to the state Department of Agriculture, the numbers of beef cattle auctioned in recent weeks at sale barns were often two to three times greater than at the same time last year. So many cows and calves are coming onto the market at some locations that the auctioneer's chant continues till dawn the next morning, as was the case at the Unionville Stockyard in Bedford County last week. But hay yields are a third or less than normal, and some farmers are already feeding bales to...

Jun 16, 2007 New Zealand meat producers say they are unlikely to change their export practices despite criticism from farmers in Britain. Kiwi producers have just made an emergency dash to the UK to calm fears that New Zealand lamb exports are undermining the home-grown alternative. An early spring meant a bumper season for New Zealand lamb exports and that in turn meant a longer season on supermarket shelves in the UK. He's referring to Fonterra whose 13,000 milk suppliers are getting...

But whether organic chicken or pesticide-free lettuce represent "healthier" alternatives has long been a subject for debate. Organic livestock may have had the run of the farm and eaten pesticide-free grain, but that doesn't mean they won't come to slaughter loaded with bacteria. To avoid that, organic chickens (or any organic meat) should be handled the same as a regular product -- observing cleanliness rules in the kitchen and making sure they are cooked to the proper temperature: 180...

The New Zealand Poultry industry says small drops in the number of reported cases of human Campylobacter, is an encouraging sign and indicates the industry s extensive science and research programme undertaken with New Zealand Food Safety Authority and ESR is on the right track. The New Zealand Poultry industry says small drops in the number of reported cases of human Campylobacter, is an encouraging sign and indicates the industry s extensive science and research programme undertaken with...

Considering the sharp gains in corn practically all week and the continued pressure on fed cattle prices, stocker and feeder prices didn t do too badly this week. Cash fed cattle continue their seasonal decline, helped along this week by still-weakening boxed beef cutout values. Live cattle were off pretty sharply on Wednesday in response to lower cash, lower boxed beef, and tremendous uncertainty in grain markets. Feeder futures rallied some on Tuesday and again on Thursday as Live Cattle...

An opportunity to see the cows that produce dairy and the working landscapes where crops are grown is an important learning experience," Schafer said. In order to keep the cows comfortable, a new barn was built in 2005 that features climate control, rubber flooring and an automatic cleaning system. For her third year in a row, she handed out cheese samples at the event. It's important to support our local farms, the great people who own them, and all of the hard work they do for the...