Before last August, you could not ship state-inspected meat across the state border. You could ship federally inspected meat, but not meat that was inspected by the Ohio Department of Agriculture and certified with inspections that were “equal to” federal inspection. You could and can ship fruits and vegetables over the border. You can truck state-approved dairy or grain or honey or maple syrup or about any commodity. However, until an Act of Congress was fully enacted Aug. 8 of…

Continue Reading

  Following the late news Saturday night I was about to turn off the television when the “Saturday Night Live” show opening came on the screen. It was an Obama impersonator talking about the sequestration cuts to the federal budget. I held off on pushing the “Power” button to see how they would handle it. The gist of the routine was Obama bringing in the various federal workers who would be impacted by the cuts to give their take. There were some funny…

Continue Reading

It was billed as a visit to recognize USDA-sponsored research at OSU’s Center for Advanced Foods Research and Entrepreneurship in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science. Tom Vilsack, secretary of USDA, toured labs at the Department of Food Science and Technology June 28. He spoke with OSU scientists and saluted their work with:  * A tomato-soy juice that's rich in lycopene and soy isoflavones that could reduce the occurrence of prostate cancer. The research…

Continue Reading

Food. I am swirling in this whirlpool of food thoughts. Maybe it’s because I am participating in a biggest loser contest and after a month and 10 pounds shed, I am getting delirious. Or may be it is because I attended a conference this week called “Bringing it to the Table: New Recipes for the Food Chain.” Or maybe it was the Wall Street Journal report I read about eating insects. Or may be it was the incredible Ruth Chris Steak House filet mignon I had for dinner on Monday…

Continue Reading

In the grasp of a frigid artic blast this week, I had the opportunity to help some high school FFA students with a practicum, and I must say it warmed me up a little. I was feeling a little duty-bound when the local vo-ag teacher Gina Anderson emailed me with a request to help judge the FFA district practicum at Lancaster High School, but I saw about 15 familiar names on the list of judges and figured I better not be the one who lets her down. So Wednesday afternoon this week I trekked over to…

Continue Reading

Both gubernatorial candidates made appearances at the Farm Science Review last week. The two visits could not have been more different. Gov. Ted Strickland came in Tuesday for the Vice President’s luncheon which celebrates all things Ohio State. John Kasich came on Wednesday morning and was toured from one key exhibitor to another on foot. The governor spoke of the valuable contribution agriculture makes to the economy of the state as well as the key support the university and…

Continue Reading

It’s hard to find anything more inspiring than the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame breakfast held every year at the Ohio State Fair. The event is sponsored by the Ohio Agricultural Council and attended by around 500 leaders of the state’s No. 1 industry. It is not only a chance to salute the four honorees, but a time to say hello to so many who have spent their careers serving agriculture along with the movers and shakers influencing the industry today. I was pleased to be invited…

Continue Reading

Jack Fisher, executive director of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, made himself available for an in depth interview this week following his participation in the crafting of a compromise agreement with the Humane Society of the United States on the issue of farm animal care in Ohio. Fisher has been taking shots from his membership since he joined Wayne Pacelle, president of the HSUS, and Gov. Ted Strickland to announce the agreement two weeks ago. “It has probably been one of the more…

Continue Reading

When Gov. Ted Strickland was jokingly asked by the press if he had tied everyone’s hands behind their backs to get the bitter rivals on both sides of the animal care debate to reach a negotiated settlement yesterday, Strickland humorously replied, “Well you all know my goal is to negotiate away the need for any elections next fall.” There was laughter in the room, although his opponent in next fall’s gubernatorial race John Kasich may not have joined in the chuckle…

Continue Reading

The Humane Society of the United States has a new dog. It’s a watchdog called Humanewatch.org. Really this bulldog is David Martosko, director of research, at the Washington D.C.-based non-profit Center for Consumer Freedom. Martosko explains that he brings a libertarian sort of notion to his work. People should have choices and actions that limit a person’s choices are not good. He sees the HSUS as one of several animal rights organizations that intend to limit our food choices to…

Continue Reading