The Department of Agriculture says, in 2007 there were about 3,350 organic livestock farms in the United States, a relatively small number overall. Because of a lack of chemicals used in organic production, organic farmers face a challenge.  Finding a veterinarian trained to treat livestock without antibiotics or other modern drugs.

Gatz Riddell, a veterinarian and executive vice president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, says – only a minority of members have the mindset to work with organic producers. Riddell, says most vets probably encounter only one or two organic farms and – it’s asking a lot of them to know actually two different ways of treating something.

It’s also difficult to get subjects added to “already overflowing” veterinary curriculums. Jim McKean, a veterinary professor at Iowa State University, says – some schools now offer courses on alternative therapies, but the focus tends to be more on herbal and Chinese therapies, not necessarily organics. There’s also an issue of money. Few veterinarians focus on organic medicine because it’s seen as being a difficult area for earning a living.

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White says proposals for conservation projects addressing water quality and wetland conservation in the Mississippi River Basin are due by March 19, 2012. Accepted projects would support conservation efforts already underway on agricultural operations in the basin, improve the overall health of the Mississippi River and help reduce hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Through this request for proposals, NRCS is providing up to 37-million dollars in new financial assistance through the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative,  for projects in 54 priority watersheds in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

These projects will compliment actions to be carried out through the new Gulf of Mexico Initiative, an effort that focuses up to 50-million dollars in conservation assistance over three years to farmers and ranchers in priority areas along seven major rivers that drain into the Gulf.  

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued an order that prohibits certain uses of the cephalosporin class of antimicrobial drugs in cattle, swine, chickens and turkeys effective April 5, 2012. FDA says it is taking this action to preserve the effectiveness of these drugs for treating disease in humans. Cephalosporins are commonly used in humans to treat pneumonia as well as to treat skin and soft tissue infections. Alternative drugs are not as effective or have greater side effects.  

Antibiotic injections into unhatched chicken eggs are among uses prohibited by the order. FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey says the antimicrobial drugs can only be used to treat animal illnesses – under specific conditions, –  and can’t be used for disease prevention. The ruling leaves untouched an older type of cephalosporin called cephapirin that FDA says is unlikely to fuel antibiotic resistance.

American Veterinary Medical Association official René Carlson is calling  for caution in placing restrictions on antibiotic use in food animals. Carlson points out, – to restrict certain uses of antibiotics without careful consideration of the risks and benefits to both humans and animals removes a very valuable tool in the veterinarian’s medical bag for preventing and minimizing animal disease and suffering while also ensuring a safe and wholesome food supply.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing action to identify additional qualifying renewable fuel pathways under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program. This proposed rule describes EPA’s evaluation of biofuels produced from camelina oil, energy cane, giant reed, and napiergrass; it also includes an evaluation of renewable gasoline and renewable gasoline blendstocks, as well as biodiesel from esterification, and clarifies the definition of renewable diesel.

The EPA says we have published a direct final rule that describes our rationale for identifying these additional fuel pathways, including GHG lifecycle analyses, in the “Rules and Regulations” section of this Federal Register because we view this as a noncontroversial action and anticipate no adverse comment. Written comments must be received by February 6, 2012. A request for a public hearing must be received by January 20, 2012.

Part of the proposed rule approves camelina oil as a feedstock under the Renewable Fuel Standard. Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs at the National Biodiesel Board, says – we’re pleased to see the EPA recognizing camelina as yet another feedstock that meets the agency’s standards as an Advanced Biofuel. The EPA’s proposal shows that biodiesel produced from camelina oil reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared with diesel fuel.