This commentary takes the form of a letter written in response to a “Perspective” which aired recently on local public radio station, WNIJ.
Dear friend,
I often hear your “Perspective” essays on WNIJ. I enjoy your insights and your passion. Recently, though, I found myself disappointed by what you said about food ...
Are there regulations covering what can be fed to animals
raised for food?
Yes, there are regulations on animal feed.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is in charge of inspecting feed mills to ensure quality ingredients are going into animal feed. There are regulations on what types of feed can be given ...
According to the USDA there are shortages of veterinarians in 44 states, across 500 counties within the U.S. Most of these underserved areas are rural. There are only about 10 veterinarians that work on livestock within DeKalb County. 61% of all veterinarians are women, reports the American Veterinary Medical Association.
A big cover crop of oats and late corn harvest are on the horizon.
Thousands of acres of cover crops are growing in fields where corn typically grows in DeKalb County.
When you are used to seeing field after field of corn in the county this year you may have noticed another ...
In Illinois there are 8 universities offering agriculture degrees to over 3,700 students. There are also 27 community colleges that offer degrees and certificates in agriculture to approximately 3,400 students. That’s over 7,000 students studying agriculture in Illinois! Source: Illinois Agricultural Education Report
What is African swine fever (ASF)?
Highly contagious virus in pigs (wild and domestic)
Does NOT affect public health or food safety – meat is safe for people to eat.
Causes fever, skin discoloration, diarrhea, and death.
Other signs may include piling, tiredness, and going off feed.
Sudden deaths or ...
Why control weeds?
“Plants out of place” is a phrase often used to describe weeds. In farm fields, weeds steal nutrients, water, and sunlight from crops. This leads to poor crop yields, or less grain harvested per acre. Uncontrolled weeds may cause other problems, too:
Machinery damage during harvest
Contamination of ...
DeKalb County corn typically well exceeds the old saying that corn is “Knee-High by the 4th of July.” However, due to unprecedented rains and this year’s planting crisis, many corn fields are barren or behind in growth.
On average, DeKalb County corn is about 5 feet tall by the 4th of ...
Keeping their animals comfortable and content is any livestock farmer’s number one priority. No reasonable person wants their animals to be uncomfortable or in pain. Plus, healthy, calm animals perform better by producing more milk, eggs, or meat.
Cow brushes are a tool many dairy farmers provide to keep their cows ...
Cows come first on a dairy farm. That’s because farmers know that well-cared for cows are healthy cows that give safe, wholesome milk.
To make sure that their cows are healthy as can be, farmers go to great lengths by providing nutritious feed, safe housing and individual care to their animals ...
