Animal Disease Traceability

On August 9, 2011, USDA issued a proposed rule to establish general regulations for improving the traceability of U.S. livestock moving interstate when animal disease events take place.

"Through the past two years, I have listened carefully to stakeholders throughout the country about how to reach effective animal disease traceability in a transparent manner without additional burden," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "We are proposing a flexible approach in which states and tribes can develop systems for tracing animals that work best for them and for producers in their jurisdiction. This approach offers great flexibility at the state and local level and addresses gaps in our disease response efforts."

Under the proposed rule, unless specifically exempted, livestock moved interstate would have to be officially identified and accompanied by an interstate certificate of veterinary inspection or other documentation, such as owner-shipper statements or brand certificates. The proposed rule encourages the use of low-cost technology and specifies approved forms of official identification for each species, such as metal eartags for cattle. However, recognizing the importance and prevalence of other identifications in certain regions, shipping and receiving states or tribes are permitted to agree upon alternative forms of identification such as brands or tattoos.

Animal disease traceability, or knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they've been, and when, is very important to make sure there can be a rapid response when animal disease events take place. An efficient and accurate animal disease traceability system helps reduce the number of animals involved in an investigation, reduces the time needed to respond, and decreases the cost to producers and the government.

More Information:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/2011/Proposed%20Rule.pdf

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability/downloads/2011/Regulatory%20Impact%20Analysis.pdf

Mroning！Crowley's Ridge Nature Center

Owl, tortoise, crocodile,  deers, wolf, flower and fresh air, such a prefect morning! This morning, we were visiting the Crowley's Ridge Nature Center.

 The education complex features an exhibit area, observation tower, meeting rooms, Discovery room, auditorium, gift shop and offices. The focus of Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center is the area's unique topography and natural history and wildlife of Crowley’s Ridge as well as its contrast to the surrounding Delta.

The complex is designed to help the visitor experience the

range of different habitats and encourage exploration of the

site. The main level of the center features an exhibit hall and

 auditorium which present the story of the ridge’s formation

and its wildlife through several hands-on exhibits and a

special 16-minute feature film with animation and special

 effects. A two-story diorama, visible from the main and

lower levels of the center, introduces visitors to the special

plants, animals, and hydrology of the ridge landscape. The

Crow’s Nest on the upper level of the center presents a bird’s

eye view over the center’s diverse landscape to the ridge and Delta south of the site.

Then the nature center has lot of animal specimen, such as wolf, bear, deer, owl, duck, fish, turkey and so on. Moreover, we can listen to the animal sounds from the sound simulator. I pushed the button and listened the different turkey sounds that are box call, tube call, and diaphragm call, but for me I didn't think it has big different between those there.

There are a lot of tortoise in the river. They enjoyed the sunshine leisurely.

Related web site

http://www.crowleysridge.org/

Southen Tenant Farmers Museum

This week in Dr. Fears' class, we went to the Southen Tenant Farmers Museum.
Southern Tenant Farmers Museum is an Arkansas State University Delta Heritage site.
The museum displays the history and promote the legacy of the sharecropper and tenant farmer, as well as the history of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union.

During the Great Depression, many landowners lost their farms due to foreclosures, and many became sharecroppers on the same farms they had once owned. Then came the Agricultural Adjustment Act of the New Deal. The purpose of this act was raise the value of crops by reducing the number of crops produced, helping farmers. Many farmers reduced their number of sharecroppers, too, by either hiring them on as day laborers or through evictions.


Sharecroppers in Tyronza facing eviction and violations of the Agricultural Adjustment Act sought help from Clay East and H.L. Mitchell -- two socialists who owned the dry cleaners and gas station buildings in which the museum is now housed.


East and Mitchell went to Washington, D.C., where they met with Norman Thomas, president of the Socialist Party, who told them they should make an integrated union.

East and Mitchell organized the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. It was the first integrated union in the nation with 11 white members and seven black members. They held their first meeting on Fairview Plantation in July 1934. The Union grew quickly. Their headquarters for the first year were in East and Mitchell's business buildings, which since have been restored to house the museum.


The union later declined with the loss of farm laborers brought by the introduction of mechanical cotton pickers and other mechanical farming methods. Because of these things, a lot of farm laborers went north during World War II.

The Second Time in ASU Farm

This week in Dr Fears‘ class,  we came to ASU Farm again. This time we didn't go to the Bio-Energy Lab, we went to the ASU Petting Zoo and Garden.

ASU Petting Zoo

ASU Petting Zoo is located at Aggie Road.
There is a really interesting place.

Cats

Alpaca

Cow

Turkey

Pig

In the Fall of 2006, the College of Agriculture began a free petting zoo on our farm at our beef barn facility. It began on a Friday during mid-October, with the weekday reserved for school groups, and the following Saturday open to the general public. After an overwhelming response, the zoo was expanded to two days (Thurs. & Fri.) for school groups and continues on Saturdays for the public.



ASU Garden

The garden is also an important part of ASU Farm.

Super Size Shuttle

Such a “luxury” shuttle！We are going for a ride！

ASU Farm Market

I go to market every week, but this is my first went to ASU Farmers' Market. So excited!

.



The ASU Regional Farmers' Market is a non-profit entity for the purpose of developing and operating a locally owned and operated farmers' market in Jonesboro and the surrounding area. This was created to give the small farmer, craftsperson, and plant grower a local marketplace for their products, as well as to provide the community access to its own local growers and craftspeople.

Buy Local

Food grown locally is fresher, more nutritious and tastes better.

• Most produce travels an average of 1500 miles before it lands on your plate.

• Local vegetables and fruit are bred for flavor, not for their ability to hold up in transit.

• Buying local food is better for community. When you purchase local food you are keeping your money circulating in your community and also maintaining green space & rural character by sustaining family farms.

• Small and mid-size farms generally use sustainable agricultural practices safeguarding the quality of our water and soil. Consider how much fuel it takes to truck produce and goods from another country to Arkansas as well as the pollution emitted in the process!

• When you buy locally you're providing small farmers with a stable market and fair price for their products.

• Buying from local food sources provides personal security in having access to food you trust and security for your community in helping it become more sustainable.

Expected items:

Locally Grown: tomatoes -green & ripe, cherry tomatoes, plants, flowers, lettuce, potatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, egg plant, , raspberries, blackberries, Culp honey, Nine Oaks Beef, Once upon a Farm pork, farm fresh eggs, onions, lettuce, greens, apples, green beans, peas, melons, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, fresh ground coffee, fresh baked bread, baked goods, fried pies, and handmade crafts -- aprons, jewelry, artwork, willow furniture, pens, and much more!!

ASU Farm and Bio-Energy

This week in Dr. Fears' class, we also visited to ASU Farm.
ASU’s Farm Complex is located off Aggie Road. It consists of 230 acres.
There are a lot of things produce in farm that we can find in the daily life.

The land that borders Stadium Boulevard contains research plots of corn, soybeans, milo, and cellulosic bio-fuel crops such as swithgrass, eastern gamagrass, and the giant grass called miscanthus. A herbicide symptomology training program is also conducted annually on the ASU farm.

Dr.Humphrey guided us to visit the farm and introduced many different products,such as soybean, canola, camelina and so on.

Dr Humphrey showed us how to use these products in multiple ways.

Stustainable Soybean Production
Sustainable Soybean Production meet the needs of the present, while improving the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.High-yield soybean crops can help feed a hungry and growing world with high-quality protein.

Bio-diesel
Biodiesel is meant to be used in standard diesel engines and is thus distinct from the vegetable and waste oils used to fuelconverted diesel engines. Biodiesel can be used alone, or blended with petrodiesel. Biodiesel can also be used as a low carbon alternative to heating oil.




 

In Dr. Humphrey's lab, we saw how to process the bio-diesel.


Other Products

Do you know what is this machine?
It can produce moisture...