Composting, when done properly, is a safe and effective way to solve problems farmers may face with carcass disposal because of the dearth of renderers. MSU professor Dale Rozeboom, lead researcher for the project that led to the new rules, examines the bin composting system at MSU, and notes that bare ground composting also is allowed under the new rules.
New composting rules offer mortality relief
Now that the rendering industry in Michigan is all but lost, farmers have a new option for dealing with dead animals. This time, it requires no major out-of-pocket costs, no buildings, and no complicated, automated systems for most livestock farmers. Click here for full story.Rumors still false about demise of MSU food animal clinic
Michigan State University's (MSU) Large Animal Clinic is open again after being closed for about a week in late September, but just being open doesn't mean the clinic is full of food animals to be studied or cured. More likely, it will remain relatively empty, especially this time of year, said Dr. Tom Herdt, chair of MSU's Large Animal Clinical Sciences. Click here for full story.Legal, stable workforce crucial for agriculture, Stallman testifies
Agriculture is on the front lines of the immigration debate in America, and farmers, ranchers and growers desperately need a solution to the labor challenges they face, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) told Congress Oct. 4. Click here for full story.Vreba-Hoff disputes new DEQ charges
Dairy operations at two Vreba-Hoff Dairy facilities in southern Michigan "now pose a grave threat to public health and the environment," according to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which is demanding that the dairy pay a hefty fine and reduce the 6,200-cow herd by 350 cows. Click here for full story.The new budget: How big a hit will ag take?
The Michigan Legislature completed action on a package of bills Oct. 1 that creates additional revenue for the 2007-'08 fiscal year and establishes a 30-day continuation budget to avoid a shutdown of state services. Click here for full story.Taming the wild buffalo
Andy Cummings and Chris Marconi decided that if they were going to make it in the dairy industry, they were going to have to get big. But after visiting the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, they altered their plan in a way that would take them down a slightly different avenue. Click here for full story.