Time is running short, but if you are a Farm Bureau member and have a value-added protein production or processing idea, you can apply for the American Farm Bureau Federation 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. The deadline for application is October 14. Entrepreneurs will compete for $145,000 in startup funds.

Summertime may be coming to a close, but vacations are still on some folk’s radar screens. What’s that got to do with producing animal protein? If you are planning a vacation outside the U.S. you are in a precarious position to bring home something foreign. Be careful of the souvenirs that travel home with you.

Swine producers are welcoming the return to profitable prices – largely due to increase exports to markets historically serviced by China and to China. The African Swine Fever continues to cut into China herd losses, creating a greater demand to fill production holes.

USDA is inviting you to become a Flock Defender. The U.S. poultry industry is one of the largest in the world and an important sector of our agricultural economy. Keeping birds safe from infectious disease is a top priority and responsibility for all owners, growers, workers, and enthusiasts involved in raising poultry.

The African Swine Fever is not going away, and its spread continues to keep the dynamics of the industry hopping. Vietnam has culled nearly ten-percent of its pig herd in an effort to contain the disease.

The 2017 ag census was recently released, and it shows that the highest percentage of total farm expenditures – 15.3 % – is spent on animal feed and that livestock, poultry and related expense take another 11.7 %. Remarkably, tractors and self-propelled farm machinery only account for 3.5 %.

There’s a lot that goes on under one roof – especially when that roof is housing livestock. Beyond the livestock, today’s livestock facilities are home to state-of-the-art precision ag technologies and tools help the animals stay secure, healthy, comfortable, and productive. Technologies in use in animal production monitor conditions such as their eating and drinking behaviors, their weight, their temperature, and their movement around the facilities. Each is designed to support animals in a healthy growing environment. These factors combine to improve animal care and health. Also, they help producers monitor, assess, and address animal well-being in a timely manner.

It’s been said before, and it is still worth mentioning it again: a bio-secure building is worth more than the weight inside. With the growing concern to keep African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering the United States, it is even more critical now to make sure your hog facilities are protecting your livestock investment.