Thanks to chemicals American's only hear about malaria as some out of sight out mind thing...Yet the impact globally is huge. Are you sure chemicals are a bad thing?

655,000 malaria deaths in 2010: WHO

Malaria caused the death of an estimated 655,000 people last year, with 86 percent of victims children aged under five, World Health Organisation figures showed on December 13.

The cash has funded an big increase in the number of households with insecticide-treated mosquito nets, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where 50 percent now have the nets compared with just three percent in 2000.

At the 2011 World Anti-Aging conference in Las Vegas MD's were practicing removing skin cancer from this otherwise perfect hog belly. Yes proving that animal agriculture improves human lives in ways other than nutrition.

At the Fall Classic the concept here "for those that played along" in Duncan OK was to generate money for Drive Scholarship program. If you not subscribing to Drive I strongly encourage you to do so today at radio.drivelivestock.com


Jack Wall IL


Paul Scheideler NE


Mary Drury TX and Kurt Long NE


Jim McCoy OH and Trent Loos NE, could it be that Jim was most "pigheaded" of all?

Country Wise cartoon for the week of Nov 7, 2011

Vehicle of Character

Last weekend the junior livestock events were held at the American Royal in Kansas City. Once again the person selected to serve as the judge said something that I think is huge for all of us to keep in mind. Wayne Huinker, while discussing his Grand Champion market hog, said, “All of us involved realize that this isn’t about the pigs. They are simply a vehicle of character for these kids.” I could not agree more and I think he summarized it perfectly. The problem is that we have too many politicians in the country today that do not have character themselves and, even worse, they don’t understand the culture in Rural America where character comes from. Consequently, you each have a project that needs to be done today that requires you to stand up and say, “Enough already.”

If you have not heard, the Department of Labor is proposing amendments and additions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in an attempt to increase safety requirements for young workers employed in agriculture. The proposed rules do not attempt to make changes or limit the current exemption for youth workers employed on farms owned or operated by parents, unless they are incorporated. The new rules would only apply to hired workers like your bale hauling crew.

On the surface it sounds like the proposed law is going to really assist in creating a safer work environment but instead it is going to pretty much end all kids working on farms. For example, a kid could not go help out on Grandpa’s farm. Even worse, anyone under the age of 18, who could actually drive a car legally to Grandpa’s farm, could not legally mow the lawn.

The best summary of what this proposed law change will actually do is from the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation at Iowa State University. This interpretation of the proposed law comes directly from them.

The proposed non-ag HO prohibits employment of youth under 18 years of age in all work performed in conjunction with storing, marketing, and transporting farm-product raw materials. The proposal includes occupations performed at grain elevators, grain bins, silos, feed lots, feed yards, stockyards, livestock exchanges and livestock auctions, but would not include places of employment where employees clean, sort, weigh, package and ship fruits and vegetables, or sales work involving farm-product raw materials solely done in an office.

The law would prohibit working on a farm in a yard, pen, or stall occupied by intact male equine, porcine, bovine, bison older than 6 months, sow with suckling pigs, or cow with newborn calf, or engaging or assisting in animal husbandry practices inflicting pain upon animal or likely to result in unpredictable animal behavior (breeding, branding, castrating, herding, vaccinating, dehorning, associated with herding of animals).

The provision is entitled "Occupations involving working inside fruit, forage, or grain storage silo or bin and Occupations involving working inside manure pit" and includes upright silos within two weeks after silage, manure pits, and horizontal silos while operating tractor for packing purposes). The DOL is also considering adding prohibitions that would expand the current Ag HO to include other confined spaces, such as livestock confinement buildings with or without ventilation systems.
Now I think we all fully understand that agriculture is one of the most dangerous professions in the United States. But let’s try to keep all of this in context. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that each year, in the United States alone, 20,964 young people between the ages of 5 and 19 are killed. Yes, accidents are the leading cause of death in that age range but 121 of those kids were killed simply by being pedestrians.

All reports estimate that 100 kids will die each year in farm related accidents. Honestly, as a parent I cannot imagine what this must be like. But as a parent, I also think I have a better handle on preventing those accidents than anyone writing regulations in D.C. Honestly, if you look at the numbers and the proposal, you can clearly see that kids walking down the street have the same risk as kids working on the farm. If we cannot hire kids to work on the farm, we are putting them at greater risk simply by letting them be mere pedestrians. So what have we gained?

At the end of the day, it comes back to where I started. One of the great benefits of raising kids on the farm is teaching them a good work ethic. That comes through hard work and responsibiltiy and we are close to having that stolen right away from us. Farm kids are the most employable individuals in the work pool as adults simply because they have been taught how to work and they are willing to do what it takes to get the job done.

The time for all of us to act is short. The Department of Labor is only taking comments on this issue until Nov 1, 2011. You need to log onto www.regulations.gov today and search for Fair Labor Standards and so you can comment.

We can’t let the paper pushers steal the one true “vehicle of character” that we have left in building this great nation. Do your part today!

More nitrite from food information

Nearly every vegetable tested contained measurable amounts of nitrates, with averages varying from 1 to 4,800 ppm. For example, average levels were:

arugula 4,677 ppm

basil 2,292 ppm

butterhead lettuce 2,026 ppm

beets 1,279 ppm

celery 1,103 ppm

spinach 1,066 ppm

pumpkin 874 ppm


This compares to standard hotdogs or processed meats with average nitrite levels of 10 ppm.

Link here to source

Information about nitrate sources of food.

From the California Extenstion program. Link to source

The average daily intake of nitrate is around 100 mg and about 12 mg for nitrite. Vegetarians have a much higher daily intake (about 250 mg) because of the high nitrate content of vegetables. Less than 10 percent of the nitrates we ingest come from our drinking water; most are found in our food. Approximately 9 percent of the nitrates we ingest come from processed meats where it is used as a preservative and as a coloring agent. The greatest amount of nitrates we encounter come from vegetables like lettuce and spinach. A little over one-fifth of the nitrites we ingest come from cured meats. The highest levels originate in our own saliva, where bacteria in our mouths change nitrates to nitrites.

Vegetables and cured meats are the main source of nitrates in our diet. Vegetables with high levels of nitrates include lettuce with averages of 850 parts per million (ppm), celery at 2340 ppm, spinach at 1860 ppm, beets at 2760 ppm, and broccoli at 780 ppm. There are many factors which affect the nitrate levels in plants. The species and variety of plant are very important. Nitrate levels also vary with the part of the plant (leaf, stem, root, etc.) and maturity of the plant. Environmental factors include; drought, high temperature, shading, nutrient deficiencies, excessive fertilizers, and plant damage from insects and herbicides. The average American ingests 86 mg of nitrate a day from vegetables alone; 18.9 mg from lettuce, 16 mg from celery, 4.2 mg from spinach, 5.5 mg from beets, and 14.2 mg from potatoes. Although it would appear that vegetables would be a high risk factor in nitrate poisoning, very few cases have ever been documented. This could be because of the ascorbic acid content of most vegetables, which have protective effects against nitrate poisoning.

Cured meats account for 15.5 mg of nitrate in the American daily diet. They also account for about 4 mg of nitrite a day. Nitrates and nitrites are used on cured meats to give it the distinctive pink color, to prevent rancidity, and to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum spores. Nitrate and nitrite levels in cured meats have been set by the FDA at 120 ppm. The FDA also recommends 550 ppm ascorbate or sodium erythorbate which have similar effects as ascorbic acid in vegetables.

Autism risks for siblings higher than thought

Chicago • A new study suggests nearly one in five children with an autistic older sibling will develop the disorder too — a rate much higher than previously thought.

Researchers followed 664 infants who had at least one older brother or sister with autism. Overall, 132 infants or about 19 percent ended up with an autism diagnosis, too, by their third birthdays. Previous smaller or less diverse studies reported a prevalence of between 3 percent and 14 percent.

“We were all a bit surprised and taken aback about how high it is,” said lead author Sally Ozonoff, a psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor with the Mind Institute at the University of California at Davis.

Well lets see you don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure the out, quite frankly you don't even need to be a scientist just an individual with a little common sense. Dr. John Cannell is one medical doctor that has been shouting at the top of his lung the problem is Vitamin D...or the lack there of.

Patient friendly summary

Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council has studied the link between autism and lower levels of sunlight. There is increased prevalence of autism in regions of greater cloud cover and rainfall.

According to many studies, more children with autism are born during the spring. March is the time of lowest vitamin D levels in northern mid-latitudes. These areas are further from the sun and get less light. This corresponds to brain damage around the sixth month of pregnancy.

AND

Vitamin D is Synthesized From Cholesterol and Found in Cholesterol-Rich Foods

Since cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D, inhibiting the synthesis of cholesterol will also inhibit the synthesis of vitamin D. Since sunlight is required to turn cholesterol into vitamin D, avoiding the sun will likewise undermine our ability to synthesize vitamin D. And since vitamin D-rich foods are also rich in cholesterol, low-cholesterol diets are inherently deficient in vitamin D.

This week has brought about news that meat consumption increase your risk of Type 2 diabetes. Well that is saying that 80 years ago we did not drive cars, today the average American drives 24,000 annually cars must be the cause of an overweight society.

Lets look at some facts that too many people are overlooking.

Changing Trends: A Brief History of the US Household Consumption of
Energy, Water, Food, Beverages and Tobacco

The level of food energy in the US food supply increased from 3300 calories per capita per day in 1970 to 3900 calories in 2000 (Figure 9). This 15% increase reflects higher levels of all three food groups, carbohydrates (grains & sweeteners), fats and proteins (grains, poultry & cheese). Total calories in 1909 is estimated at 3400 kilocalories/day, so the level was flat for several decades before the recent increase.

Carbs and Blood Sugar

Even the kids health website talk about how carbs drive blood sugar and insulin not fat and protein. I am not saying avoid carb's I am saying that the science simply does not back up that protein and fat play a role in diabetes. Furthermore the study conducted recently at Harvard on diabetes was a survey not blood work.



And finally speaking to the importance of nitrate rich foods

Dr. Bryan is a biochemist and physiologist in Houston at the University of Texas at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. He tells me that by the time we are 40 years old our body only has half of the nitric oxide production that it did when we were 20. So get ready for this ground breaking scientific breakthrough: Diet and exercise become even more important and lead to improved human health through restoration of nitric oxide.

Watch it on YouTube

FMCSA 24-11
Wednesday, August 9, 2011
Contact: Candice Tolliver or Shashunga Clayton
Tel.: (202) 366-9999

U.S. Department of Transportation Reinforces Commitment to No New Regulations for America’s Agricultural Community
Guidance Will Ensure States Continue to Use Common Sense in Applying Existing Safety Rules

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced today that it has no intention to propose new regulations governing the transport of agricultural products. The agency also released guidance designed to make sure states clearly understand the common sense exemptions that allow farmers, their employees, and their families to accomplish their day-to-day work and transport their products to market.

After hearing from concerned farmers earlier this year, FMCSA initiated this review to make sure states don't go overboard in enforcing regulations on agricultural operators, and to ensure consistent access to exemptions for farmers. No regulations will be proposed for any new safety requirements or changes to the rules governing the transport of agricultural products, farm machinery, or farm supplies to or from a farm.

“We have no intention of instituting onerous regulations on the hardworking farmers who feed our country and fuel our economy,” said Secretary Ray LaHood. “Farmers deserve to know that reasonable, common sense exemptions will continue to be consistently available to agricultural operations across the country, and that’s why we released this guidance.”

This guidance – which does not impose any new rules on farmers – follows the Federal Register public notice which FMCSA issued on May 31, 2011, asking farmers, farm organizations and the public to give input on the agency’s longstanding safety rules.

"We want to make it absolutely clear that farmers will not be subjected to new and impractical safety regulations," said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary John Porcari. "The farm community can be confident that states will continue to follow the regulatory exemptions for farmers that have always worked so well."

“FMCSA is pleased with the input we’ve received from the agricultural community and members of Congress. We received about 1700 comments and the vast majority called for us to preserve the guidance that leaves states to carry out the farm exceptions as they have for many years.” said FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro. “We want to make crystal clear that we are not imposing any new regulations.”

Earlier this year, farm groups came to FMCSA with concerns that some states might not allow exemptions to Commercial Drivers License (CDL) requirements for certain farm operations using “crop-share” leasing.

When FMCSA investigated, there appeared to be wide differences among states in how the “for-hire” and related agricultural exceptions were being applied. In order to ensure consistency, FMCSA asked state officials to cease all new entrant safety audits on farmers engaged in “crop-share” leasing and issued the public notice soliciting input that would provide insight on the complex use of farm equipment on public roads. The guidance released today, which is based on that input, clarifies three critical issues:

Interstate vs. intrastate commerce. Since the difference between the two has been determined by the U.S. Supreme Court and other Federal courts, FMCSA has limited flexibility to provide additional guidelines. The Agency has concluded that new regulatory guidance concerning the distinction between interstate and intrastate commerce is not necessary. Generally, the states and the industry have a common understanding on this point. To the extent that fact-specific questions arise, the Agency will work with the States and the industry to provide a clarification for the specific scenario.


Commercial Driver's License. Federal regulations allow states to make exceptions to Commercial Driver's License (CDL) regulations for certain farm vehicle drivers such as farm employees and family members, as long as their vehicles are not used by “for-hire” motor carriers. Some states have questioned whether this exemption applies to drivers who work for “crop share” or similar arrangements. FMCSA’s notice includes guidance to ensure consistent application of the exemption. After considering the public comments, the Agency has determined that farmers who rent their land for a share of the crops and haul their own and the landlord’s crops to market should have access to the agricultural CDL exemptions given by the states.


· Implements of Husbandry. In a perfect world, farm vehicles would only operate on farms, while commercial trucks would operate on public roads. The reality is that farm equipment that is not designed or intended for everyday use on public roads is often used for short trips at limited speeds. This creates a gray area for classification. After considering the public comments, FMCSA has determined that most States have already adopted common sense enforcement practices that allow farmers to safely move equipment to and from their fields. In areas where farm implements are common, the enforcement community and the agricultural community have achieved a mutual understanding of which safety regulations should apply to farm equipment on their public roads.

FMCSA is committed to the safety of our highways and the long-term success of America's agricultural industry. To learn more about federal safety regulations that impact the transportation of agricultural products and equipment, please visit the FMCSA website at www.fmcsa.dot.gov.