Lamb and Beef Producers Showcase Welfare And Sustainability Cred
Sheep Central | February 21, 2020
Lamb and beef producers feature in a series of new on-farm videos designed to showcase the Australian industries’ strong environmental, social and animal welfare credentials to consumers. The 11 videos produced by Meat & Livestock Australia for its Australian Good Meat program feature beef and lamb producers sharing their own stories about how they care for their animals and natural resources.
MLA chief marketing and communications officer, Lisa Sharp, said the producer-led videos have been released to engage consumers around how red meat is produced in sustainable, high welfare systems. “Australian livestock producers care about their animals and the environment in which they’re raised. The reality is their livelihoods depend on a thriving environment, healthy ecosystems and good animal health and welfare,” Ms Sharp said. “This new suite of videos transport viewers on to the farms of red meat producers as they explain their approaches to consistently producing the clean, green and safe red meat for which Australia is renowned.”
NCBA, Agriculture Groups Launch Farmers for a Sustainable Future
Tri-State Livestock News | February 19, 2020
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today joined 20 other national agricultural groups in kicking off Farmers for a Sustainable Future, a coalition of ag organizations committed to environmental and economic sustainability. The coalition was introduced at a news conference on Capitol Hill today.
“Today’s launch of the Farmers for a Sustainable Future (FSF) is a defining moment,” said NCBA Vice President, Government Affairs, Ethan Lane, who spoke at today’s rollout event in Washington. “Twenty-one agricultural groups — which represent the vast majority of the agricultural industry in our country — are standing side by side in unity to correct a false narrative that has haunted us for as long as I can remember. We’re here because we support incentivizing innovation, science-based research, resilient infrastructure, and focusing on outcomes.”
Other members of the Farmers for a Sustainable Future coalition include the American Farm Bureau Federation, USA Rice, American Sugar Alliance, the National Corn Growers Association, and the National Pork Producers Council.
Ag Has Potential to Mitigate Climate Change, Improve Water Quality
Kenosha News | February 19, 2020
Farming systems that build healthy soil by keeping the land covered in vegetation year-round have the potential to lower the net greenhouse gas emissions produced by Minnesota’s crops and livestock by as much as 30% while cutting nitrogen pollution by up to 45%, according to a white paper released last month by the Land Stewardship Project (LSP).
“Farming to Capture Carbon & Address Climate Change Through Building Soil Health,” which is based on an analysis of the scientific literature related to soil health and climate change, as well as interviews with Minnesota farmers, makes several policy recommendations for the current session of the Minnesota Legislature and beyond, including increased funding for initiatives that promote and support soil-building farming systems. The paper also makes federal policy recommendations.
“Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also key to helping us mitigate climate change while making us resilient in the face of its impacts, both here in Minnesota and across the country,” said LSP’s George Boody, who authored the paper as a part of LSP’s Bridge to Soil Health initiative. “In fact, improving soil health in ways that lead to long-term storage of carbon and storing carbon in vegetation are currently the most viable ways on land to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.”
California’s Dairy Farms Reach Major Milestone In Reducing Methane Emissions
Claire McCormack, Agriland Ireland | Feb 17, 2020
California’s dairy farms will soon be more than halfway to achieving the state’s world-leading target for reducing methane.
Speaking to AgriLand last month, Dr. Frank Mitloehner – a professor and air quality specialist at the University of California in the city of Davis – highlighted the game-changing emission reduction strides being achieved in the state, which is the largest agricultural state in the US.
With pressure and debate mounting over Irish agriculture’s carbon footprint, this publication decided to find out how California’s farmers, and its agricultural agencies, are collaborating to achieve this landmark – without losing a single livestock unit.
Bringing the Farmer to Your Classroom: Australian Good Meat Provides Tech-Savvy Excursions
Education HQ | February 17, 2020
The Australian Good Meat Virtual Classroom program provides primary aged students from all around Australia with an exciting opportunity to interact directly with Beef, Lamb and Goat farmers via live video stream.
Students learn how Australian farmers produce high quality red meat ethically and sustainably while taking part in Q&A’s, educational activities, quizzes and even interacting with other schools.
Each 45 minute class is guided by a qualified teacher and tailored to the guest farmer of the day, where students learn about the Australian red meat industry, including how farmers look after their animals and pants on their farm in the varied climatic conditions and how technology is used to ensure farms are run efficiently and sustainably.
This curriculum linked program is designed by qualified educators to aid the study of agriculture in a fun, interactive and engaging way, addressing curriculum outcomes in Science, Technology, Health and Physical Education across the primary age group.
Beef Cattle Genetics, Management Critical in Fine Tuning Herds to Fit Environment
Pampas News | February 15, 2020
Matching cattle to the land available to graze and the nutrition it offers is critical in optimizing production in an operation. Jason Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service beef cattle specialist, Amarillo, who is frequently contacted to help with problems cattle operators are having, was a speaker at the recent Southwest Beef Symposium in Amarillo. “More often than not, as a nutritionist, I’m called in to fix a situation where the cattle and environment are not matched,” Smith said.
He explained how cattle selection and the operation’s environment feed off one another. Without balance, one will take away from the other. It’s important to know both what the cattle will need as well as what the land can offer. Smith also stressed how important it is to keep records to document progress and problems.
