With meat packers closed, public taking on-farm buys directly to local butchers
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VAN WERT, Ohio — A Van Wert County hog farm is turning to direct sales. Normally, Brennco, Inc., would ship hogs to Tyson Foods in Logansport, Ind., and Indiana Packers Corporation (IPC) in Delphi, Ind. When those plants (and others) closed due to COVID-19 employee illnesses, the farm decided to hold on-farm sales every Saturday until the pigs are gone. Those hogs were selling for $140 apiece. |
5/20/2020 |
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Land O’Lakes replaces Mia graphic with images of member farmers |
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – Your package of Land O’ Lakes butter may look different. Since 1928 a Native American woman known has Mia has graced the company’s products. However, she is now being replaced. The brilliant setting of lakes and woods she posed in on her knees while holding a package of Land O’Lakes butter, though, lives on. In the outdoor setting now will appear Land O’ Lakes member farmers to showcase what the company described as ‘’its greatest strength.” |
5/20/2020 |
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Mitch Frazier named as president and CEO of AgriNovus
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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — After an extensive national search, Mitch Frazier has been named the new president and CEO of AgriNovus. Frazier will begin his new role on June 29 for the agbiosciences initiative of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP). Frazier was CEO of regional John Deere retailer Reynolds Farm Equipment. Frazier succeeds Beth Bechdol, who was appointed in December as deputy director general of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for the United Nations in Rome, Italy. |
5/20/2020 |
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Survey: Restaurant industry lost two-thirds of workforce due to COVID-19 concerns |
WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to a newly-released national survey conducted by the National Restaurant Assoc., the entire restaurant industry has lost two-thirds of its workforce, more than eight million employees, as a result of COVID-19 closures. “The restaurant industry has been the hardest hit by the coronavirus mandates – suffering more sales and job losses than any other industry in the country,” wrote Sean Kennedy, the association’s executive vice president of public affairs, in an April 20 bipartisan letter to congressional leaders |
5/20/2020 |
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Illinois farmer turns seamstress skills to mask making
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HIGHLAND, Ill. — Southern Illinois Berkshire hog farmer Tammy Brink, along with her husband, Larry, have been involved in the pork industry for the entirety of their 37-year marriage. Also a professional seamstress by trade, Tammy was looking for a way to fill lost work hours and contribute to the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 virus. |
5/20/2020 |
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Lawsuits in Michigan regarding governor’s stay at home orders
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LANSING, Mich. – Multiple lawsuits have been filed in Michigan over the past 30 days regarding Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders shutting down most businesses in the state of Michigan, including greenhouses, nurseries, landscapers and garden centers. The first lawsuit filed against the shutdown orders came on April 17, when plaintiffs from the nursery, landscaping and garden centers business segments sued the governor over her shutdown orders. However, some 10 days later, those lawsuits were put on hold after Whitmer revised and extended her “Stay-home, Stay-safe” order, which allowed Michigan’s greenhouses, nurseries and landscape businesses to reopen while following outlined safety guidelines. |
5/20/2020 |
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Covid-19 pandemic adding to theft on rural landscape
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MILFORD, Ohio — Earlier this month, the large, metallic red apple sign that hung in front of Dan Rouster’s farm was stolen. For 75 years the sign was an iconic symbol for rural citizens living in Clermont County, helping to attract thousands to this pick-your-own apple and blueberry farm |
5/20/2020 |
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Due to pandemic more consumers becoming familiar with organics
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Organic farmers are facing some of the same risks as conventional producers during the coronavirus pandemic, but also have concerns specific to their industry, according to an official with Mercaris. From an operator standpoint, both types of farmers are dealing with such issues as having enough labor, said Ryan Koory, the company’s director of economics. With many grain elevators limiting access, organic and conventional producers may find it more difficult to make spot grain deliveries, he noted. |
5/20/2020 |
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Purdue AgGrowBOT team keeps perfecting weed control device
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The 2020 Purdue AgGrowBOT competition has been cancelled but the faculty advisor for the university’s team said he and the students will continue working on their project in hopes the event will return next year. |
5/20/2020 |
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New scholarship will honor Don Halcomb of Kentucky |
Eastwood, Ky. – The Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association (KySGGA) has announced that it will be creating a scholarship in honor of a notable Kentucky farmer. The Don Halcomb Memorial Scholarship for Community Leadership through Agriculture will be available for the 2020/2021 school year and awarded to a student pursuing a degree in agriculture or a related field from an accredited college, university or trade school in any location. |
5/20/2020 |
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