Soybean rust found in Ark.

ASHDOWN, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas soybean-disease fighters hope to nip in the bud, so to speak, an outbreak of Asian soybean rust that has spread to southwest Arkansas.

The fungus that can defoliate a field in three weeks, if left untreated, was found July 23 in a field in Little River County, University of Arkansas plant pathologists say. The experts said the rust is the biggest threat to the Arkansas crop in years, as it can cause drops of 50 percent or more in yield if not treated. About 2.9 million acres in Arkansas are planted in soybeans this year.

“We felt like it was coming, and we were hoping we’d catch it early,” said Scott Monfort, one of the UA Cooperative Extension Service pathologists who located the infected field. “It was just beginning, so it seems like we caught it at the right time. We’re going to do some more searching.”

The plant-disease experts traveled to the area to look for the fungus after it was reported in Paris, Texas, only about 100 miles from where it was found in Arkansas.


Sara Lee recalls bread due to possible metal contamination

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (AP) — Sara Lee Corp. is recalling 27 brands of whole wheat bread products because they could contain small metal pieces, the company said Friday.

A recent routine inspection of a bakery in Meridian, Miss., uncovered problems with a flour-sifting screen, said company spokesman Mark Goldman. The machine was “not up to our specification and raised the possibility some metal could have dislodged,” Goldman said.

The problem was isolated to the Meridian bakery, which continued production using bagged flour that did not require the sifting system, Goldman said.

The recall involves EarthGrains, Publix, Sara Lee Delightful, Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious and several other brands that were stamped “best if purchased by” July 25 to Aug. 7, 2007, and included the code “222.”

The products were sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Consumers can return the bread to the store where it was purchased for a refund, Downers Grove, Ill.-based Sara Lee said.


Man trampled by steer at fair

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — A 19-year-old man was in a drug-induced coma with head injuries after he was trampled by a steer at the Monroe County Fair, officials said.

The man was not participating in a fair event at the time of the accident, about 2:15 p.m. July 25, said Van Buren Township Fire Chief Tim Deckard.

“He was leading the steer out of the barn, and we don’t know if the steer got spooked or what happened,” Deckard said. “But the steer trampled him.”

Fire officials who responded to the accident said they could not release the man’s name due to federal health privacy laws.
The man was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived and was taken to Bloomington Hospital, Deckard said. He was suffering from a laceration to the back of the head, a report said.

“You could tell he was suffering from a head injury,” Deckard said.
Fair board officials told fire officials late Wednesday that the man had been placed in a drug-induced coma, Deckard said.


Man, 86, crushed by bucket of front-end loader

ROYAL CENTER, Ind. (AP) — An 86-year-old man was killed when he became trapped between the cab and the hydraulic bucket of a front-end loader on a Cass County farm, Indiana State Police said.
Robert L. Phillips, Jr., was attempting to use the loader to move a livestock trailer Monday from his barn on his property in Royal Center, about 55 miles south of South Bend, police said.

Phillips apparently attempted to enter the cab of the front-end loader when the hydraulic bucket activated, pinning him to the cab, police said. He was discovered by his wife shortly before noon and pulled from the equipment by members of the Royal Center Volunteer Fire Department. Phillips died of blunt force trauma to the chest, state police said.


Retired Illinois lawmaker drowns in accident on farm

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — A retired Illinois lawmaker drowned in an accident while mowing on his farm near Morton, authorities said.
Former state Rep. John C. “Jay” Ackerman, 73, a Republican who served in the Illinois House for 16 years, was riding a lawn mower that ran into a small lake on his property July 23 and turned over, pinning him underneath in about three feet of water, authorities said.

An autopsy showed that Ackerman drowned, Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll said.

The autopsy also revealed evidence of heart disease and an enlarged heart, but Ingersoll said the illnesses did not appear to contribute to his death.

Ackerman retired in 1999 after serving eight terms in the Illinois House, from 1979-82, and from 1987-99. A farmer, Ackerman was known in the Legislature for his support of hunting and wildlife issues.

“He was a guy who farmed and liked the outdoors ... He was not afraid to get out of the car and get dirty and dusty,” said state Sen. Dale Risinger (R-Peoria).

Rep. David Leitch (R-Peoria), said Ackerman’s down-home sense of humor often entertained his big-city colleagues in the General Assembly.

“It was very rural, so some of his suburban friends were amused at some of his more rural sayings and observations,” Leitch said.
Ackerman’s funeral was Friday at Morton United Methodist Church. The Army veteran is survived by his wife, Joann, four children and six grandchildren.

This farm news was published in the Aug. 1, 2007 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.