Livestock Briefs - Deadly turkey fire ruled accidental

LITTLE BRITAIN, PA

Fire that killed 70,000 turkeys ruled accident

State police have determined that a fired that killed 7,000 turkeys on a Pennsylvania farm was an accident.

Investigators found that faulty electrical cords in feeding equipment caused the fire in Little Britain Township late Friday night. Pennlive.com reports that the farm's damages are around $40,000.

A 911 call was placed around 11 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27. Emergency crews found the farm engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene.

NASHVILLE, TENN. 

NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen celebrates Tenth Anniversary in Nashville 
Milestones were met in 2016 for NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen television show; the 500th episode was taped in Washington, D.C., last fall and the airing of the 2017 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show episode in early February will mark the tenth anniversary of the show’s first airing. Spring episodes will include full coverage of the event in Nashville and special panel shows on important industry topics including full episode dedicated to market conditions.

“Cattlemen to Cattlemen is one of the best ways NCBA can connect with farmers and ranchers today,” said John Robinson, Executive Director of Organizational Communications, NCBA. “We are very proud of the work we do on behalf of NCBA members and the beef industry and we remain committed to telling the story of America’s farmers and ranchers.”

Over the past ten years, NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen has been used to deliver industry news, producer education and policy updates from Washington, D.C., NCBA started the show in 2007 on RFD-TV as a 30 minute, weekly show. Since then the show has successfully evolved into three, 60 minute airings each week, with debut episodes on Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m. with re-airs on Wednesdays at 12:30 a.m. and Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. (All times Eastern).

Production of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen is possible because of the ongoing support of oustanding sponsors including: Bayer, Dow AgroSciences, John Deere, Merial, NRCS, New Holland, Purina, RAM, Ritchie Waters, Roper and Stetson. To view past episodes of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen, visit: www. cattlementocattlemen.org.

OMAHA, NE

Experts warn of water contamination 

Fremont area water utilities appear prepared to handle any contamination from a proposed Costco chicken plant, but water experts have urged residents not to let their guard down.

Costco is looking to create a slaughterhouse in Fremont and develop a regional poultry farming network to provide chicken to its stores. The retail giant has planned to contract with farms to raise around 17 million chickens at a time.

Project opponents have warned about possible water contamination, pointing to areas in other states with similar projects where chicken manure got into waterways, killing marine life and threatening businesses. In Iowa, Des Moines' water utility is suing three northwest Iowa counties over high levels of nitrates coming from chemical farm fertilizers and livestock manure.

Costco project manager Lincoln Premium Poultry said the company will abide by Nebraska's environmental laws and require its chicken farms to follow a "nutrient management plan." Fremont officials approved the chicken project in summer of 2016. The project is currently in the permitting process.

PEORIA, IL

Fulton County hog confinement project called off 

One of Illinois' largest pork producers has cancelled plans to build a 20,000-hog confinement in downstate Fulton County.

An affiliate of Professional Swine Management formally removed its notice of intent to construct from the Illinois Department of Agriculture last week.

The decision came a day after local residents protested the hog confinement at a meeting last week. Some residents fear that waste from the facility could pollute rivers and creeks. Nearly half of the 1 million fish killed in Illinois water pollution incidents from 2005 to 2014 were due to waste spills from hog confinements.

The Fulton County Farm Bureau supported the project, which prompted local farmer Matt Howe to resign from the bureau's board of directors. Howe said his own home and farm are about 3,000 feet from the site where the confinements was to be built.

The decision to cancel the hog confinement is "a great thing," Howe said. "Twenty-thousand animals is a monstrosity. I don't count it as agriculture."

State agricultural officials said Professional Swine Management could restart the permitting process if it turns in a new application.

BONDUEL, WI

Wisconsin Bison Producers Association (WBPA) annual meeting

The demand for bison meat continues to outpace production. As a result, bison ranching has never been more desirable and profitable. Join long time bison producers at the WBPA annual meeting to learn more about bison farming.

The annual meeting is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 25,at Doc’s Harley in Bonduel. The annual meeting will include topics such as fencing grants, food trends, by-product options and agriculture education in Wisconsin including education about America’s most iconic mammal. Registration fee is $20.

CONCORD, NH

Proposal would give $2M in funding to dairy farmers

A state senator has proposed allocating $2 million in funding to New Hampshire dairy farmers hurt by a drought and milk prices.

Legislators last year proposed a relief funding formula calculated on a farm-by-farm basis. Republican Jeb Bradley, of Wolfeboro, proposed an amendment Tuesday to simply the process and divide the $2 million among milk producers.

The Concord Monitor reports if approved, the amount would be given to the state's Milk Producers Emergency Relief Fund with the intent of being expended by March 15. Farmers would have to stay in business through 2022, otherwise, the money would have to be repaid.

Members of the relief fund board initially hoped to see $3.6 million in aid approved in December when lawmakers were sworn in.