Here are a few samples for you on your Monday.
P.S. I have no idea why my text is surrounded by white in my last post....that was not intentional.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sepia Tones
For some reason my editing has veered heavily into the land of sepia tones over the last couple weeks. This could be due to the fact that although it is spring, the ground really isn't much greener than it is in these photos and I think the effects look nicer than the dry, grim reality.
Here are a few samples for you on your Monday.
P.S. I have no idea why my text is surrounded by white in my last post....that was not intentional.
Here are a few samples for you on your Monday.
P.S. I have no idea why my text is surrounded by white in my last post....that was not intentional.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
DOL Child Labor Law Withdrawn!
Today the Obama Administration and the Department of Labor withdrew their proposed child labor law, which would have significantly limited what farm and ranch work a person under 16 years of age could participate in. This is a HUGE win for agriculture and rural communities across the country!!
The Labor Department's statement:
“The Obama Administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama Administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations. As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations. The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the ‘parental exemption’ – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama Administration. Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders – such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H – to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.”
How much of this is genuine concern over the nation's reaction to the proposed rule, and how much is election year hype, is a little questionable. But, at least it happened. I was thrilled to hear it, and sincerely hope they meant what was said about not ever pursuing it again during the Obama Administration.
Yay for good news on the political front! Hasn't been a whole lot of that recently. Also a huge thank you to all the people who wrote comments, contacted their elected officials, worked on the political front lobbying against it, worked on it through their careers, or helped in any other way!
I'm so glad I won't be breaking the law when I make my kids work someday.
The Labor Department's statement:
“The Obama Administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama Administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations. As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations. The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the ‘parental exemption’ – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama Administration. Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders – such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H – to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.”
How much of this is genuine concern over the nation's reaction to the proposed rule, and how much is election year hype, is a little questionable. But, at least it happened. I was thrilled to hear it, and sincerely hope they meant what was said about not ever pursuing it again during the Obama Administration.
Yay for good news on the political front! Hasn't been a whole lot of that recently. Also a huge thank you to all the people who wrote comments, contacted their elected officials, worked on the political front lobbying against it, worked on it through their careers, or helped in any other way!
I'm so glad I won't be breaking the law when I make my kids work someday.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
BSE Buzz
If you haven't heard, there was a dairy cow who tested positive for BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), also called "Mad Cow Disease" (whoever called it that must have been mad themselves) in California this Tuesday.
A few things to keep in mind about this:
1. This cow was found during targeted testing and surveillance, which ultimately means our system is working! She was never anywhere near our food supply, and there is no risk to human health. USDA was on top of things, and their surveillance and testing system worked as designed.
2. BSE is not contagious through milk or beef. It's a neurological disease. I'm still eating meat and drinking milk and am not concerned. At all.
3. This is an atypical form of BSE, which is another positive because it means the cow didn't contract the disease through her feed source.
4. Our industry is on top of responding to this issue in a positive and informative light, which helps get the accurate and factual information out there for everyone who may not know about BSE, and who may have concerns after hearing the news of the infected cow.
The video below is one such example. USDA's Chief Veterinarian answers questions regarding the BSE case, the safety to consumers, livestock and our country's trade position
Here are a few additional resources you can check out to learn more accurate information about BSE.
BEEF Magazines BSE information compilation page
BSE Information website
A few things to keep in mind about this:
1. This cow was found during targeted testing and surveillance, which ultimately means our system is working! She was never anywhere near our food supply, and there is no risk to human health. USDA was on top of things, and their surveillance and testing system worked as designed.
2. BSE is not contagious through milk or beef. It's a neurological disease. I'm still eating meat and drinking milk and am not concerned. At all.
3. This is an atypical form of BSE, which is another positive because it means the cow didn't contract the disease through her feed source.
4. Our industry is on top of responding to this issue in a positive and informative light, which helps get the accurate and factual information out there for everyone who may not know about BSE, and who may have concerns after hearing the news of the infected cow.
The video below is one such example. USDA's Chief Veterinarian answers questions regarding the BSE case, the safety to consumers, livestock and our country's trade position
Here are a few additional resources you can check out to learn more accurate information about BSE.
BEEF Magazines BSE information compilation page
BSE Information website
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