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.