Ag news update

For those of you who have tagged along with the antibiotic concerns bandwagon, this is just another article in line for you. I'm not saying that I have no concerns about antibiotics being over-administered, mis-administered or fed to livestock species. It's just that I think we've got much bigger things to be worrying about right now. However, this report from Denmark is positive about reducing antibiotic use.

Switchgrass and its counterparts are amazing to me. Their growth is so accelerated and the fact that they are perennials and can also be used for ethanol is kinda a wow for me. Now if we could just get plants to actually use them for ethanol production and also get farmers to produce the grass and store it for year-round supply to the plant, then maybe people might get interested in the concept.

Mom, if you're reading this, there is actually something that mushrooms are probably good for.

Every so often I get the emails from the Ohio Farm Bureau about membership numbers and updates on how each county is doing, etc. I guess what always surprises me is that as an Ohio resident, it was a no-brainer for me to join the Ohio Farm Bureau even if I had no interest in agriculture at all. Sure, the Ohio Farm Bureau is the state voice for agriculture and the face for many agricultural actions that occur in the state, but they offer much more than support for the average farmer. I got a great discount on my health insurance and just a couple weeks ago at a wedding met up with some urban people who used the OFB membership to get a great discount on Nationwide insurance. between that and hotel and rental deals as well, it's just a wonder to me that there aren't more members in the state. If you aren't a member and want to cash in on the benefits, please join the Ohio Farm Bureau at http://ofbf.org/.

My alma mater has finally finished building the new anaerobic digester research building! I'm very excited that they continue in this focus - hopefully something positive will come out of all the work they'll put into the research.

This is exactly why we need to continue to protect our farmers and produce our own food. Without this we suffer a huge potential threat from those countries which supply us and anyone who can influence them.

And props to Blanche Lincoln on this latest success in representing her people.

Finally for today, I'd like to second Trent Loos in congratulating the beef industry on these great new reported numbers. Remember these the next time that someone tells you about how terrible the meat industry and livestock production is for the environment. The future promises to show increased efforts to reduce GHG emissions and the carbon footprint as we also struggle to produce more food with less space. That way we can avoid eating things like insects...