U.S. Department of AgricultureAgricultural Research Service scientists in Clay Center, Nebraska are conducting research that could lead to precision harvesting and precision application of manure to crop fields – while also controlling nutrient losses, gas emissions and odors. The scientists map manure distribution by towing a GPS-equipped conductivity meter over feedlot pans and cropland – estimating the amount and quality of manure on the feedlot surface. This is done by measuring the manure’s ability to conduct electricity.
Salt is an electricity conductor and is present in manure. By using their own program – the Electrical Conductivity Spatial Analysis Program – researchers are able to choose spots on feedlots to sample soils – enabling them to associate high soil conductivity levels with manure solids and chloride in salts found in manure. By using this technology – feedlot operators could recover valuable byproducts from the feedlot surface. More on this research can be found in the May-June 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.
Farm Aid has activated its Family Farm Disaster Fund to aid in the immediate relief effort for family farmers in the South, Midwest and Northeast affected by devastating tornadoes and severe storms. Farm Aid President Willie Nelson says – at Farm Aid, we are doing everything in our power to deliver immediate support to family farmers, getting them back on the land and growing good food for all of us.
Recent reports indicate that 2011 has been the deadliest year for tornadoes in almost 60 years, and tornado season is only half over. Farmers along the Mississippi River have lost their fields and homes to record flooding. Meanwhile, farmers and ranchers from the Southeast to the West are dealing with historic drought conditions. And most recently, farmers in the Northeast have also been affected by heavy rains and flooding.
Farm Aid Executive Director Carolyn Mugar says – these farms serve as a critical part of our nation’s backbone, and we strive to help them in this time of need, as they have served the needs of our nation’s people for decades.
Farm Aid 2011, the organization’s 26th annual benefit concert, will be held in Kansas, City, Kansas on August 13. Every dollar raised supports local farm groups, churches and rural organizations that get funds as quickly as possible to farmers in the impacted regions.
Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, says – there’s no sport more American than NASCAR, and no fuel more American than domestic ethanol. To help celebrate these facts, more than 1,100 American Ethanol supporters, including a host of farmers, will attend this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. They will be cheering on Clint Bowyer, driving a special-edition American Ethanol paint scheme on his No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Buis says, – we’re pleased to raise the green American Ethanol flag in the heartland of America.
Earlier this year, American Ethanol announced a new marketing partnership with NASCAR and Richard Childress Racing, one of the top teams in the sport. Unique among other companies that partner with NASCAR for marketing, American Ethanol represents an entire industry, from corn farmers to ethanol producers to the companies that supply the enzymes for ethanol distillation.
Since the introduction of Sunoco Green E15 to NASCAR racing vehicles, National Corn Growers Association Chairman Darrin Ihnen says – drivers have been impressed with the power the fuel provides them under race conditions. Through our partnership with NASCAR, Ihnen says – we are able to show the American public that if E-15 can stand the stress these drivers put it through, it’s good for the family car, too.
Corn ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 59 percent, supports nearly 400-thousand American jobs, and last year accounted for 53.6 billion dollars of the nation’s economy.
An amendment written by Representatives Eliot Engel of New York and John Shimkus of Illinois has been adopted as part of the FY 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. The amendment codifies a Presidential Memorandum and requires all new light duty vehicles in the federal fleet to be alternate fuel vehicles, such as hybrid, electric, natural gas, or biofuel, by December 31, 2015.
Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen says – putting more Americans behind the wheel of flexible fuel vehicles is essential to breaking the near monopoly oil interests have over our nation’s fuel supply. Together with blender pumps offering a range of ethanol blends, more Flex Fuel Vehicles on the road would put consumers in the driver’s seat when it comes to the nation’s energy future.
RFA says ethanol remains the only proven, widely available alternative to gasoline today and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Similar legislation has been offered in the Senate by Senators Tom Harkin and Richard Lugar.
Dairy still remains an important part of a healthy diet – as USDA’s MyPlate includes a glass to the side to represent the dairy group. Jean Ragalie – President of the National Dairy Council – says the location of dairy on the graphic really helps it stand out as an essential part of a healthy eating plan. One serving of nutrient-rich, low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt has at least as much protein as an egg and actually contributes 18-percent of the protein in the American diet. National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jerry Kozak says Americans currently average two daily servings of dairy – but three servings are recommended.
Kozak says the simple visual metaphor emphasizes the importance of those three servings. America’s dairy farmers and processors commend the USDA for adding the dairy representation to the dinner plate to show how a healthy eating plan includes a serving of dairy at every meal. Milk Processor Education Program CEO Vivien Godfrey says milk provides a unique package of nine essential nutrients – and this tool will be a fresh reminder to all Americans as they sit down at their tables with their families.
Along with focusing on filling half of a plate with fruits and vegetables – USDA’s new dietary icon MyPlate suggests the other half be protein and grains. American Meat Institute Foundation President James Hodges says he is pleased the new icon affirms that protein is a critical component of a balanced, healthy diet. He says lean meat and poultry products are some of the most nutrient-rich foods available.
Bill Donald – president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association agrees – noting in around 150 calories – one three-ounce serving of lean beef gives consumers more bang for their calorie buck. Donald also points out that lean beef supplies nearly half of a person’s daily value for protein and nine other essential nutrients – including zinc, iron and Vitamin B12. He says American cattlemen are ready to help consumers build a healthful diet that includes lean beef – emphasizing the more than 29 cuts of beef that meet government guidelines for lean that give consumers that choice and help them maintain a well-balanced diet.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –In the aftermath of the record flooding in the Bootheel this Spring, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the rebuilding of Birds Point Levee.
According to a recent article in the Southeast Missourian, the Army Corps is developing alternatives to reset the levee next year. The article noted, “The floodway remains deluged more than three weeks after the corps breached the Birds Point-New Madrid levee to ease the pressure of rising rivers threatening to flood communities upstream and downstream.”
The Members wrote Army Corps Commander of the Memphis District Colonel Vernie L. Reichling, Jr. this week to express their concerns that “delaying a temporary levee nearly a year is simply not acceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.”
“Taking a year to restore this levee is absolutely unacceptable,” said Blunt. “It’s critical that the Army Corps expedite this restoration as quickly as possible so the farmers, families, and business owners in the Bootheel can rebuild their lives as soon as possible without the burden of more bureaucratic red tape.”
“The Army Corps of Engineers blew up the Birds Point Levee and they should be responsible for repairing that damage as soon as possible. We are committed to ensuring that this project receives the priority it deserves. The farmers in Southeast Missouri, who are vital to our state’s agricultural industry, deserve reassurance that their land, and livelihoods, will be protected,” said McCaskill.
“Folks in Southern Missouri literally have their lives and livelihoods on hold until the Mississippi River levees are restored. They can’t go home, they can’t work, and they can’t put a crop in. We all want to see the Corps of Engineers proceed as quickly as possible in putting flood protection back in place. Recovery from this disaster will be long and difficult, but people in this area haven’t been able to begin the process yet. They deserve the quickest and best efforts of the Corps of Engineers to rebuild their levees so the people can rebuild their lives,” said Emerson.
June 1, 2011
Colonel Vernie L. Reichling, Jr.
Commander, Memphis District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
167 North Main Street, B202
Memphis, Tennessee 38103-1894
Colonel Reichling:
Citizens, soldiers and Corps personnel are all to be commended for the selfless efforts during the ongoing historic flood along the Mississippi River Valley. As the floodwaters slowly recede, this partnership will be even more important as plans for recovery are implemented so citizens can return to some semblance of normal life as soon as possible.
On Tuesday, May 24, 2011, the Southeast Missourian ran an article – “Corps sets March deadline for temporary fix of breached Birds Point Levee” – that disturbs many Missourians given the significant destruction citizens experienced due to the activation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway.
Knowing the importance of this region to Missouri’s economy, let alone the lives and livelihood and of hundreds of citizens, delaying a temporary levee nearly a year is simply not acceptable and needs to be addressed immediately.
We urge the Memphis District and the Mississippi River Commission to work closely with local citizens to find a way to stop the inflow of water in to the floodway so that farmers and the citizens of the floodway can begin recovery efforts, while plans for full reconstruction of levee is being conducted.
Thank you for your attention to this vitally important mission for the citizens of southeast Missouri.
Sincerely,
Senator Roy Blunt
Senator Claire McCaskill
Representative Jo Ann Emerson
WASHINGTON, June 2, 2011 – First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled the federal government’s new food icon, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times and to seek more information to help them do that by going to www.ChooseMyPlate.gov. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.
The MyPlate icon is available to view and download in PDF and JPG formats.
“This is a quick, simple reminder for all of us to be more mindful of the foods that we’re eating and as a mom, I can already tell how much this is going to help parents across the country,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “When mom or dad comes home from a long day of work, we’re already asked to be a chef, a referee, a cleaning crew. So it’s tough to be a nutritionist, too. But we do have time to take a look at our kids’ plates. As long as they’re half full of fruits and vegetables, and paired with lean proteins, whole grains and low-fat dairy, we’re golden. That’s how easy it is.”
“With so many food options available to consumers, it is often difficult to determine the best foods to put on our plates when building a healthy meal,” said Secretary Vilsack. “MyPlate is an uncomplicated symbol to help remind people to think about their food choices in order to lead healthier lifestyles. This effort is about more than just giving information, it is a matter of making people understand there are options and practical ways to apply them to their daily lives.”
The former MyPyramid design will be discontinued
Originally identified in the Child Obesity Task Force report which noted that simple, actionable advice for consumers is needed, MyPlate will replace the MyPyramid image as the government’s primary food group symbol as an easy-to-understand visual cue to help consumers adopt healthy eating habits consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. MyPyramid will remain available to interested health professionals and nutrition educators in a special section of the new website.
ChooseMyPlate.gov provides practical information to individuals, health professionals, nutrition educators, and the food industry to help consumers build healthier diets with resources and tools for dietary assessment, nutrition education, and other user-friendly nutrition information. As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children. Later this year, USDA will unveil an exciting “go-to” online tool that consumers can use to personalize and manage their dietary and physical activity choices.
Over the next several years, USDA will work with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’sMove! initiative and public and private partners to promote MyPlate and ChooseMyPlate.gov as well as the supporting nutrition messages and “how-to” resources.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, launched in January of this year, form the basis of the federal government’s nutrition education programs, federal nutrition assistance programs, and dietary advice provided by health and nutrition professionals. The Guidelines messages include:
Balance Calories
• Enjoy your food, but eat less.
• Avoid oversized portions.
Foods to Increase
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains
Foods to Reduce
• Compare sodium (salt) in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals, and choose foods with lower numbers.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
Coupled with these tested, actionable messages will be the “how-tos” for consumer behavior change. A multi-year campaign calendar will focus on one action-prompting message at a time starting with “Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables.”
“What we have learned over the years is that consumers are bombarded by so many nutrition messages that it makes it difficult to focus on changes that are necessary to improve their diet,” said Secretary Vilsack. “This new campaign calendar will help unify the public and private sectors to coordinate efforts and highlight one desired change for consumers at a time.”
As part of this new initiative, USDA wants to see how consumers are putting MyPlate in to action by encouraging consumers to take a photo of their plates and share on Twitter with the hash-tag #MyPlate. USDA also wants to see where and when consumers think about healthy eating. Take the Plate and snap a photograph with MyPlate to share with our USDA Flickr Photo Group.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – MyPlate, the dietary guidance icon released today by USDA, will revolutionize how Americans conceptualize and plan daily meals, including a landmark recommendation that each meal include half a plate of fruits and vegetables. United Fresh and the produce industry strongly support the adoption of MyPlate and the consumer message to “make half your plate fruits and vegetables.”
“The new MyPlate and accompanying messaging is a tipping point in how Americans literally visualize what they should eat,” said Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of United Fresh. “The breakthrough message to ‘make half your plate fruits and vegetables’ is simple, compelling and effective. It is a message that consumers can practice every day at every meal. The produce industry is firmly committed to working closely with USDA and others to support and promote MyPlate and the half a plate message as part of a lifetime of healthy eating.”
In addition to being a leading advocate for policy changes to increase fruit and vegetable consumption to support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, United Fresh has also emphasized the need for clear, persuasive consumer education that can effectively change consumers’ dietary behavior. Last year, United provided input to USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services on ways to implement the core messages in the new dietary guidelines released in January 2011. In that input, United recommended that USDA and HHS:
Provide clear, strong, compelling and actionable messages to consumers to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and other necessary dietary changes
Use “Half Your Plate Should Be Fruits and Vegetables” to illustrate how many fruits and vegetables children and adults need to eat at every meal
Commit to implementing policy and environmental changes that will create healthier food environments and systems-wide approaches.
“MyPlate and the ‘make half your plate fruits and vegetables’ message will have its most dramatic impact on improving child nutrition this fall in schools that have salad bars. Once kids learn to make half their plate fruits and vegetables and see the MyPlate icon, all it takes is a trip to their school’s salad bar to make that happen,” said Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for United Fresh. “This messaging complements our exciting Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to end childhood obesity. Combining this powerful new message to eat more produce with the increased availability that salad bars provide will benefit the health of millions of kids across our nation.”
“Today, the government has taken a very positive step in recognizing and emphasizing the importance of eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables,” added Stenzel. “It is now the responsibility of the produce industry to promote MyPlate and the ‘make half your plate fruits and vegetables’ message at every opportunity, and continue providing the American people with a bounty of diverse, healthy, safe fruits and vegetables.”
