By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
The Dog Days of Summer are tough on most living things; people, plants and animals. But with this summer’s record breaking-temperatures in many parts of the country, the heat and humidity are especially bad news. Hot weather can take a toll.
Camels obviously can tolerate heat, but livestock and poultry are not so fortunate. Many types of farm animals can’t regulate their body temperatures as well as people can- pigs can’t sweat for example- and even a slight prolonged rise in body temperature can heat stress cattle. Just as with people, heat exhaustion can kill. So it’s up to the farmer to get them through the ‘Dog Days’.
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Posted by FFC on July 25th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Housing,
Transportation,
WeatherTags ::
animal care,
free range,
Housing,
Transportation
by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
In recent years, interest in local foods and what farming practices are being used has created a shift. Consumers are starting to seek out farmers who sell direct through farmers’ markets and on-farm stores, and farmers are spending more time connecting with consumers.
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Posted by FFC on July 22nd, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Chickens,
Consumers,
Farm life,
Feeding the world,
Turkeys,
WildlifeTags ::
animal care,
animals,
Canada,
dairy cattle,
Farmers,
food,
livestock,
Poultry,
sustainability
On Wednesday June 29, 2011, Delft Blue Veal Farms (division of Grober Inc.) proudly hosted the event, Harvesting Clean Energy on Ontario Farms
Delft Blue's digester
.
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Posted by FFC on July 20th, 2011 :: Filed under
animal by-products,
Environment,
Manure,
Sustainability,
VealTags ::
environment,
farm tours,
sustainability,
Veal
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
Over the past year or two, coyotes have gained a lot of media and therefore public attention. Reports of attacks on pets and even people have become common in the news and at town and city council meetings across the country. For the farm community coyote attacks are nothing new. They are killers. It’s what they do. They’re wild animals. They are not, as some like to argue, misunderstood and unloved wild dogs.
But in recent years farmers, just as with urbanites, have found that predator problems are getting worse. And just as for urbanites, there are no easy solutions for farmers and rural landowners in dealing with the Wile E. Coyote.
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Posted by FFC on July 18th, 2011 :: Filed under
Farm life,
Housing,
Media,
Sheep,
WildlifeTags ::
agriculture,
animals,
sheep,
wildlife
Dan Murphy
(Dan Murphy is a veteran food-industry journalist and commentator in the United States)
Updated: July 11, 2011 - Both sides are carefully calling the agreement between the nation’s egg producers and HSUS leadership a “victory.” For industry, that means that two ballot measures set for November that would have asked Oregon and Washington voters to ban the use of cages in egg production will now be withdrawn.
Why? Mostly because the odds of victory were looking less certain for HSUS.
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Posted by FFC on July 13th, 2011 :: Filed under
Activism,
Animal care,
Chickens,
eggs,
HSUS,
Regulations,
UncategorizedTags ::
activists,
animal care,
animal rights,
animal welfare,
eggs,
HSUS,
misconceptions
By Leslie Ballentine, Farming and food commentator
Post Traumatic Syndrome and grieving isn’t something we usually associate with farm animal tragedies. But for those who have been through a tragic loss of livestock or poultry, it is something very real. I know from personal experience- having run a farmer helpline in the early 1980’s, that emotional support is an important part of the rebuilding process.
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Posted by FFC on July 11th, 2011 :: Filed under
Activism,
Barn fires,
Farm life,
MediaTags ::
agriculture,
animal rights,
farm,
Farmers
by Patricia Grotenhuis, Lifelong farmer and agricultural advocate
Previously I have written blogs showing what dairy farmers do during the day. This one focuses on what happens at a sheep farm…specifically, my sister Barb’s sheep farm. Barb has a flock of Oxford breed ewes and rams, and does most of the work with them on her own.
Ewes with their young lambs
The busiest time of year for a sheep farmer is lambing season, which stretches from January to April or May, depending on the flock.
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Posted by FFC on July 7th, 2011 :: Filed under
Animal care,
Farm life,
SheepTags ::
animal care,
Farmers,
Housing,
sheep
By Leslie Ballentine, Farm and food commentator
When we think of cattle, pigs or poultry we may think of our next meal. But what many don’t know is that farm animals provide more than just sustenance. They also save lives in other ways too.
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Posted by FFC on July 4th, 2011 :: Filed under
animal by-products,
Beef cattle,
eggs,
Innovation and technology,
Pigs,
ResearchTags ::
animals,
antibiotics,
cattle,
eggs,
pigs
