- Amy Kyllo, a 19-year-old college student from Byron, Minn. representing Olmsted County, was crowned the 66th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Aug. 21.
- A team of food science students from Utah State University won the 2019 Idaho Milk Processors Association new product competition Aug. 10. They not only earned some serious bragging rights, but $10,000, too, at IMPA’s annual meeting in Sun Valley, Idaho, for their grand-prize-winning new product idea — Moogets, a delectable meatless chicken nugget substitute made with breaded, deep-fried paneer cheese. Supported by Dairy West and judged by leading dairy farmers and industry experts, the annual contest challenges universities with strong nutrition and food science programs to create the most promising new food product containing at least 50 percent dairy ingredients.
- The global outbreak of African swine fever, a disease affecting only pigs with no human health or food safety risks, is growing, with new cases appearing throughout Southeast Asia and China. While there are no reported cases in the U.S., a grant recently awarded to the Swine Health Information Center, with active support from the National Pork Producers Council, aims to start a dialogue between the two regions, sharing veterinary knowledge and ways to prevent the disease from further spreading.
- Since the installation of its first system in 2002 at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Kent, U.K., the mission of Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging has been to improve the safety, accuracy and availability of MRI diagnostics for the care of recreational and performance horses around the world. Almost two decades later, the world’s first manufacturer of MRI for the standing, sedated horse has installed its 100th system, with more than 100,000 horses scanned at private practices, universities, racetracks and research centers around the world.
- Industry safety professionals recently gathered in Destin, Florida, to discuss best practices and challenges facing those involved in poultry production and processing. The National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry, held Aug. 12-14, meets on an annual basis and is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the Agriculture Technology Research Program at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston issued the following statement regarding U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s call for an investigation into cattle markets following the recent fire at a Tyson beef processing facility in Kansas. “Today’s announcement by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue demonstrates the government’s understanding of the extreme strain placed on the cattle industry by the plant fire in Holcomb, Kansas. We encourage USDA to look at all aspects of the beef supply chain and to utilize internal and external expertise in this investigation. We believe it adds transparency that will help build confidence in the markets among cattlemen and women.”
- The American Dairy Coalition sent a letter to EPA Director Andrew Wheeler requesting he submit a flawed and damaging 2013 EPA nitrate report to attain the science review it never received. The ADC is concerned for the farmers that have already been severely affected by this so called scientific research study report and believes EPA must stop a dangerous precedence from being set which could impact other farmers throughout the U.S. Director Wheeler was also urged to remove the study from further enforcement action and litigation pending the review.
