Friday April 5 Ag News

Nebraska Cattlemen Applauds Senator Fischer for Demanding Answers from EPA

Nebraska Cattlemen applauds Senator Deb Fischer for her role in demanding answers from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who recently released personal data from livestock operations to three activist organizations.

Senator Deb Fischer, along with Senator David Vitter of Louisiana, is leading the way in demanding answers from EPA in how information from 30 states was released and what steps the agency is taking to investigate the privacy concerns which have been raised due to the release of such personal information.  The group of senators has asked EPA to follow up with a congressional briefing no later than April 18th

“As a cattle feeder from Nebraska I have been well-versed over the past years about environmental regulations. I take great pride in the practices I’ve put in place to protect the environment, as well as the fact that what I do every day helps feed my family and yours. What discourages me is the constant berating beef feedlots like mine must endure by environmental organizations who know little about my farm”, said Chuck Folken of Leigh Nebraska. “I applaud Senator Fischer for hearing the concerns of livestock producers and demanding answers”, Folken said.



Pinstrup-Andersen to Discuss Global Food System at Heuermann Lecture

            Global food supplies and the governmental policies that relate to them are the topics at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9, when World Food Prize Laureate Per Pinstrup-Andersen presents the last Heuermann Lecture of the 2012-2013 Heuermann Lectures season.

            "The Global Food System and Related Policy Challenges" is the topic at Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's East Campus.  A 3 p.m. reception precedes the lecture.

            Pinstrup-Andersen, 2001 World Food Prize Laureate, is the H.E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy at Cornell University, as well as the J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship and a professor of applied economics there. He also is an adjunct professor of food economics at the University of Copenhagen.

            A fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Agricultural Economics Association, Pinstrup-Andersen has a B.S. from Copenhagen University and M.S. and PhD degrees from Oklahoma State University.

            He holds honorary doctoral degrees from universities in the U.S., United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland and India, and has some 400 publications that include books, refereed journal articles, papers and book chapters.

            Heuermann Lectures are free and open to the public.  Lectures focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the world's people, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs.  They're made possible by a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska's production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people.

            Lectures stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu, and are archived at the site shortly after the lecture.  They are broadcast on NET2 World at a date following the lecture.



Last call for Nebraska farmers to support America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education

The deadline is fast approaching for local school districts to compete for a grant of up to $25,000 through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund. The more farmers who nominate a school district, the more it demonstrates community support and strengthens the school district's application. Nominations will be accepted until April 15, 2013. School administrators have until April 30, 2013, to submit their applications. This year, the program expands to 26 new counties, for a total of 1,271 eligible counties across 39 states.

“We are dedicated to improving education in our farming communities,” said Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund president.  “Working together with farmers and rural school districts, we are providing resources necessary to accelerate math and science learning – inspiring the students of today to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.”

Grow Rural Education grants will be awarded based on merit, need and community support. The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council, a group of 30 agricultural leaders from across the country, will review and select the winning grant applications. Advisory Council members were selected based on their passion for farming and education, as well as experience in rural school districts.

Eligible farmers can nominate their favorite public school district by visiting www.GrowRuralEducation.com and following the “Nominate Now” link on the top, left-hand corner of the page. Farmers may also nominate a school district by calling 1-877-267-3332. School administrators are encouraged to use the website as well, which is equipped with tools to answer specific questions about the program, assists with the application writing process and offers personalized assistance.

 In 2012, the following Nebraska school districts received a total of $120,000 to enhance math and science curricula:
·         Cambridge Public Schools, $25,000
·         Falls City Public Schools, $25,000
·         Hayes Center Public Schools, $10,000
·         Lyons-Decatur Northeast Schools, $10,000
·         Mitchell Public Schools, $10,000
·         Northwest Public Schools, $10,000
·         Osceola Public Schools, $10,000
·         Rock County Public Schools, $10,000
·         Thayer Central Community Schools, $10,000

One of last year’s winners, Northwest Public Schools, used the $10,000 grant to purchase Vernier technology and equipment for its middle school classrooms.

“Our goal, with the use of the Grow Rural Education grant, was to improve students’ scores on the Nebraska State Accountability test in the areas of math and science,” said Angela Blank, math teacher for Northwest Public Schools. “We want our students to be more actively involved in the classroom, whether it is in a science lab or math discussion.”

The America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program is part of a broad commitment by the Monsanto Fund to partner with farmers to strengthen rural communities. Following a successful pilot in Minnesota and Illinois, America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education debuted nationally last year, awarding $2.3 million to school districts coast to coast. Another program that is part of this effort is America’s Farmers Grow Communities, which gives winning farmers the opportunity to direct a $2,500 donation to a community nonprofit organization in their county.

For more information about the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education program and to view the official rules, visit www.GrowRuralEducation.com. A list of eligible states, counties and CRDs can also be found on the site.



Tyson Foods, Inc., to Pay $3.95M Penalty for Clean Air Act Violations at Facilities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska

Tyson Foods, Inc., has agreed to pay a $3,950,000 civil penalty to settle alleged violations of Clean Air Act regulations covering the prevention of chemical accidents at its facilities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

As part of a consent decree lodged today in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Mo., Tyson has agreed to conduct pipe-testing and third-party audits of its ammonia refrigeration systems to improve compliance with the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program requirements at all 23 of the company’s facilities in the four Midwestern states.

Those facilities include Tyson operations in Cherokee, Columbus Junction, Council Bluffs, Denison, Perry, Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waterloo in Iowa; Emporia, Finney County, Olathe, South Hutchinson and Hutchinson in Kansas; Concordia, Dexter, Monett, Montgomery City, Noel and Sedalia in Missouri; and Dakota City, Lexington, Madison and Omaha in Nebraska.

Today’s settlement stems from a series of eight separate incidents between 2006 and 2010 in which accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia at Tyson facilities resulted in property damage, multiple injuries, and one fatality.

Through a series of inspections and information requests, EPA found multiple occasions of noncompliance with the Clean Air Act’s chemical accident prevention provisions at Tyson’s facilities. Dating back to October 2006, those violations included failures to follow the general industry standards to test or replace safety relief valves, improperly co-located gas-fired boilers and ammonia machinery, as well as failures to abide by the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program prevention and reporting requirements.

Tyson, headquartered in Springdale, Ark., is the world’s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork.

Tyson’s 23 facilities listed in the consent decree are subject to the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program requirements because their refrigeration systems each contain more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. The facilities have a combined inventory of more than 1.7 million pounds of the chemical.

“EPA Region 7 regularly analyzes the accident history of industrial facilities in our four states that are covered by the Risk Management Program regulations,” Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. “These studies have shown that ammonia refrigeration facilities have a higher accident rate than other processes. As a result, we focus a significant portion of our inspection resources on these high risk facilities. The vast majority of these accidents are preventable.”

“Exposure to anhydrous ammonia can cause serious health issues, and in extreme cases, even death,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s settlement with Tyson Foods will ensure the proper safety practices are in place in the future to protect employees, first responders and communities located near processing facilities from the threat of dangerous chemical releases.”

“This settlement will protect workers at Tyson facilities throughout Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska that use anhydrous ammonia, and make the communities surrounding these 23 facilities safer,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “It will also provide emergency response equipment for first responders to chemical releases. The requirements of this agreement, which include comprehensive third party audits, will help mitigate the impact of releases of anhydrous ammonia by ensuring compliance with the Risk Management Program under the Clean Air Act.”

In 2005, with a goal of preventing accidents and helping regulated entities understand their obligations in accordance with environmental laws, EPA Region 7 published an Accident Prevention and Response Manual for Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration System Operators. That guide, now in its third edition, is available online: http://www.epa.gov/region07/toxics/pdf/accident_prevention_ammonia_refrigeration.pdf

Anyhdrous ammonia is considered a poisonous gas but is commonly used in industrial refrigeration systems. Exposure to its vapors can cause temporary blindness and eye damage and irritation of the skin, mouth, throat, respiratory tract and mucous membranes. Prolonged exposure to anhydrous ammonia vapor at high concentrations can lead to serious lung damage and death.

In addition to the $3.95 million penalty, pipe-testing and third-party audits, Tyson will also spend at least $300,000 as part of a Supplemental Environmental Project that will purchase anhydrous ammonia related emergency response equipment for fire departments in eight environmental justice communities where the company’s operations are located: Council Bluffs, Iowa, $78,990; Perry, Iowa, $72,156; Dexter, Mo., $25,795; Monett, Mo., $26,855; Noel, Mo., $35,829; Dakota City, Neb., $16,630; Lexington, Neb., $25,858; and Omaha, Neb., $17,934.



2012 Drought May Mean Less Nitrogen Needed for 2013 Corn

The drought of 2012 has likely increased the carryover of nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate-N) into the 2013 season, according to field agronomists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. In addition to less nitrogen being used by last year’s crop, the reduced rainfall in 2012 resulted in less nitrate leaving the soil through leaching and de-nitrification (loss by gas into the atmosphere).

“It is common for about 40 to 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre to carry over from one season to the next, but soil samples taken in the fall of 2012 indicate that we have fields this year that may have over 100 pounds per acre of nitrogen carried over from last year,” said Jim Fawcett, ISU Extension field agronomist. “This provides farmers with the opportunity to cut their nitrogen rates this spring unless we have an unusually wet spring.”

Sample Soils this Spring
Rather than just guessing how much nitrate-N has carried over from last year, Fawcett recommends that growers pull some soil samples this spring to estimate the carryover. Before any spring nitrogen is applied, take the following steps to estimate nitrate-N carryover:
-    Pull 1-foot soil samples to at least a 2-foot depth (0-1 foot and 1-2 foot) before the spring N is applied. A 3-foot depth is preferable. Pull 15-30 cores per sample on an area of no more than 10 to 20 acres. Mix thoroughly and send a subsample (standard soil sample size) to the lab to test for nitrate. Multiple samples per field should be collected.
-    Take the soil test result (ppm nitrate-N) times 4 to calculate pounds per acre of N.
-    Add up the N in each foot and subtract the “normal” carryover N (40 pounds per acre for 2 foot depth and 50 pounds per acre for 3 foot depth).
-    Subtract the carryover N from your usual N rate.
-    Regardless of lab results, apply no less than 50 pounds per acre if no N has been applied, to account for field variability.

“If farmers are not able to do the soil sampling, I would recommend that they at least cut back their nitrogen rates to be on the low end of the range of recommended rates,” said Fawcett.  “If we fail to account for this carryover nitrogen and put on a full nitrogen rate this spring, it may result in increased nitrate losses in 2013 and future years.”

One tool available to calculate nitrogen rates for corn is the corn nitrogen rate calculator found at http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soilfertility/nrate.aspx. For more information contact your ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomist; field agronomists are listed at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ag/field-agronomists.

ISU Extension and Outreach resources for crop-related issues during a drought can be found on the Dealing with Drought - 2013 website, at www.extension.iastate.edu/topic/recovering-disasters. Current ISU Extension and Outreach crop news is available from Integrated Crop Management News, an online newsletter, at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/cropnews/.



ISU Animal Science Professor Receives National Award

When Iowa State University animal science professor Ken Stalder received word that he was the 2012 recipient of the National Swine Improvement Federation’s Charles Stanislaw Memorial Distinguished Service Award, it was a moment to remember.

“It’s pretty cool to receive this award and be listed among many great people involved in swine breeding that have received this award previously. And yet, of all the awards I’ve received over the years, this is the most humbling,” he said. “I am honored to be recognized, but I can’t do what we do without the hard work and dedicated graduate students that I have been fortunate enough to work with over the years. Just as I learned from my professors and mentors, I’ve been blessed with dedicated graduate students who help implement projects. This award really is a tribute to the graduate students as well.”

This award recognizes individuals for their record of distinguished service to the pork industry through involvement in implementing, supervising and/or participating in performance testing programs. Nominations for the award are open to everyone involved in the pork industry.

Stalder has been an animal science faculty member and extension swine specialist at Iowa State for the past 10 years. During this time, his service to the swine industry through research, education and technology transfer has become known nationally and internationally. He strives to develop tools that are immediately applicable to the swine industry through teaching, extension and research.

“The goal is really to improve the productivity and well-being of the animals and help the farmer be more productive, which leads to pork being more a more competitive protein source for the consumer at the grocery store,” he said

Stalder helped develop a series of posters on feet and leg soundness that have been translated into eight different languages and found in barns from China to Japan to Denmark. He led the development of a spreadsheet tool to help producers determine the value of sow life in their operations. Along with his colleagues and graduate students, he’s published 93 peer reviewed journal articles, seven book chapters, 17 peer reviewed extension and conference proceedings papers, 65 conference proceedings papers, 115 research reports and 83 popular press articles, and presented more than 150 invited talks to audiences in the U.S. and throughout the world.

His affiliation with NSIF dates back 20 years, to his time in graduate school. He has served as the organization’s president, in other leadership capacities and on several committees, and has worked to increase the organization’s reach as well.

“I thought it was important to have more involvement by breeding stock companies and worked to increase participation by those people, which included companies from throughout North America,” Stalder said. “I also started a sponsorship program that helps support both NSIF’s graduate student award and bringing in internationally renown speakers for the NSIF Conference and Annual Meeting.”



Retail Food Prices Show Slight Increase

Shoppers paid slightly more for food at the grocery store at the beginning of 2013. Higher retail prices for meat items such as sliced deli ham, boneless chicken breasts and ground chuck, among other foods, resulted in a slight increase in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s first Semi-Annual Marketbasket Survey.

The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $51.54, up $1 or about 2 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2012. Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 increased and five decreased in average price compared to the prior quarter.

“Overall, food prices have remained remarkably stable over the past two or three quarters, particularly given the run-up in energy prices over this most recent quarter,” said John Anderson, AFBF’s deputy chief economist.

“Meat prices rose in price a bit more than most other items in the first quarter, but for the basket as a whole, price changes have been fairly modest,” Anderson explained. “Looking ahead, we expect food prices to rise by 3 to 4 percent during 2013, which is slightly higher than the average rate of inflation over the past 10 years.”

Items showing retail price increases included deli ham, up 50 cents to $5.39 per pound; flour, up 25 cents to $2.62 for a 5-pound bag; chicken breasts, up 22 cents to $3.32 per pound; ground chuck, up 19 cents to $3.74 per pound; shredded cheddar cheese, up 16 cents to $4.47 per pound; bagged salad, up 12 cents to $2.71 per pound; sirloin tip roast, up 11 cents to $4.63 per pound; bacon, up 7 cents to $4.28 per pound; Russet potatoes, up 7 cents to $2.69 for a 5-pound bag; vegetable oil, up 6 cents to $2.92 for a 32-ounce bottle; and apples, up 3 cents to $1.63 per pound.

These items showed modest retail price decreases: whole milk, down 27 cents to $3.46 per gallon; white bread, down 20 cents to $1.65 for a 20-ounce loaf; orange juice, down 13 cents to $3.28 per half-gallon; toasted oat cereal, down 12 cents to $2.91 for a 9-ounce box; and eggs, down 6 cents to $1.84 per dozen.

The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index (http://www.bls.gov/cpi/) report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.

“Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Anderson said. Details about USDA’s new Food Dollar Series may be found online at http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/err-economic-research-report/err114.aspx. Using the “food at home and away from home” percentage across-the-board, the farmer’s share of this $51.54 marketbasket would be $8.25.

AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, conducted an informal quarterly marketbasket survey of retail food price trends from 1989 to 2012. In 2013, the marketbasket series was updated to include two semi-annual surveys of “everyday” food items, a summer cookout survey and the annual Thanksgiving survey.

According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 86 shoppers in 24 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March.



Protein at Breakfast Helps Curb Hunger All Day

Protein is a powerful nutrient that is important not just at dinner, but throughout the day. Recent checkoff-funded research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that eating a protein-rich breakfast, including high-quality proteins like beef and eggs, leads to improved appetite control and satisfaction throughout the day, which could help combat obesity. For example, study participants who consumed a high-protein breakfast experienced a significant reduction in unhealthy evening snacking.

“The checkoff is committed to helping Americans build healthier diets with beef, which is why we support nutrition research to further examine beef’s role in health,” says Becky Walth, beef producer from Glenham, S.D., and member of the national checkoff’s Nutrition and Health Subcommittee. “This study suggests that a protein-rich breakfast, including beef and eggs, could help combat obesity. Beef isn’t just for dinner anymore! This research adds to the growing body of scientific evidence, which we share with health professionals and consumer media through ongoing outreach and relationships. Ultimately, we’re giving Americans even more reasons to enjoy their favorite protein.”

Animal proteins – such as lean beef – are complete high-quality proteins that contain all the essential amino acids your body needs for optimal health. Even better, a 3-oz serving of lean beef is about 150 calories on average and provides about half (48 percent) of the recommended daily value for protein.

Lean beef is also a naturally rich source of 10 essential nutrients and is a perfect partner for everyday breakfast favorites like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy, making it a simple way to start your day in a balanced way.



Hardee’s Pork Loin Chop Redefines Breakfast

At Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., the difference between a ho-hum meal and a smashing success reflects the magic that is pork. Consider the new pork loin chop with sausage gravy, which Hardee’s debuted in mid-February. This hearty, 3.4-ounce breaded, boneless chop on a house-made buttermilk biscuit sells for $2.99 and will be featured through mid-July.

“A pork loin chop with gravy is a unique concept for a quick-serve restaurant (QSR),” said Stephen Gerike, director of foodservice marketing for the Pork Checkoff. “Breakfast is the fastest growing day part in foodservice, and we have been working hard to promote loin meat to QSRs to help increase value.”

The Pork Checkoff also worked on the development of the new pork loin chop and is supporting the rollout out at Hardee’s.

“We helped develop this menu item about five years ago, and the chains ran it as a limited-time offer,” Gerike said. “Now they make their biscuits in-house and wanted to bring the pork loin chop back as an limited-time offer on their new biscuit.”

This has the potential to drive pork demand, since Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. operate more than 2,800 restaurants in the United States. It’s also a plus that these chains are able to make decisions about their menu quickly, said Gerike, who noted that they have a strong foothold on the breakfast day part.

Building on pork’s momentum
The 2013 pork loin chop promotion follows the success of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr.’s popular Bacon Bacon Biscuit with Canadian-style bacon and crispy smoked bacon, which ran July through November of 2012, when the Bacon Bacon Biscuit was added to the permanent menu.

“Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. continue to find innovative ways to showcase pork, and we look forward to working with them on promoting new pork menu items in the future,” Gerike said.



Keeping a Close Eye on Beef at Foodservice

Each year between 700 and 1,000 significant foodservice purchasing executives report their wholesale beef purchases for the Foodservice Volumetric study. Enough data is collected to allow fairly robust extrapolations to the industry at large. Estimates are also cross-checked with 25 distributors and 5 protein processors focused on the foodservice channel. The time range covered is 12 months through a September month-end. A margin of error of +/- 10% should be assumed when interpreting pound estimates.

The Good News Is …
In the 2012 report, volume sales for beef were reported up 1.8%, while real sales growth in the entire channel was tracked at 1.5%. Thus, even in a year where beef per pound prices escalated coupled with overall food inflation, beef was able to outpace growth of the foodservice channel overall. Willingness to pay higher prices is a great indicator of strong demand. Compared to 2007, the foodservice industry is down 9.6% in total sales, while beef volume is down 7.8% over the same timeframe. If the foodservice industry continues to recover, there is still upward pound potential for beef and there are strong indicators that foodservice operators have the opportunity to capitalize on the distinctive power and allure of beef.

The Foodservice Story
The domestic foodservice market for beef is enormous, with close to 8 billion beef pounds being sold in commercial and non-commercial establishments. Beef wholesale operator purchases reached nearly $33 billion in 2012.

The recession hit foodservice hard, with a loss in traffic (customer visits) and a change in traffic patterns, with fine dining restaurants feeling a disproportionate share of the industry’s loss.  Some of the traffic leaving FSRs (full service restaurants) shifted to lower priced LSRs (limited service restaurants). Restaurants also became more deal focused -either through value menus in LSRs or price specials (example – an appetizer and two entrees for a reduced price). Beef purchases shared some of the pain in foodservice, with approximately $3 billion in lost foodservice beef sales from 2007-2009. 

“We use Volumetric information to identify opportunities and highlight the areas that are currently aligned with checkoff work, and use it for strategic planning when it comes to future foodservice program development,” says Trevor Amen, director of market intelligence for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. “One highlight to point out is that both volume and demand for ground beef at foodservice has remained steadily strong. And, we’ve seen great growth in beef volume from steaks, roasts and those whole muscle cuts.”

Since 2010 the story has been very different, with beef wholesale sales growing by approximately $8.5 billion. Even since the peak beef dollar sales year of 2007, sales are up by approximately $5.5 billion.          

“As a beef producer, you can be proud that your checkoff is being used to understand in foodservice and the market conditions, as well as the changing consumer,” says Amen. “We then apply these research findings to design programs to meet the needs and preferences of the consumer with the ultimate goal of increasing demand for beef with consumers. Our team also works closely with foodservice operators to build beef’s presence on their menus and further build preference for beef with their patrons.”

The bottom line?
The beef industry must continue to provide great quality beef to this important channel. In addition, innovation is important to provide restaurant operators with a range of profit opportunities with beef. The Beef Checkoff Program can be a key resource for helping operators get the most out of the beef they purchase, maximizing utilization and stretching their purchasing dollar.



EPA Releases February Biodiesel Monthly Production of 77.6 Million Gallons

The EPA said Friday that 77.6 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in February.  Biodiesel, an EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel that has exceeded targets under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) for two consecutive years, is reported under the Biomass-based Diesel category under the RFS.

The numbers show a total of more than 80.4 million gallons of Biomass-based Diesel for February, but that total also includes renewable diesel production. With the February numbers, year-to-date biodiesel production stands at just under 150 million gallons.

Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil and animal fats, biodiesel is the first and only EPA-designated Advanced Biofuel that's produced on a commercial scale across the U.S. It is produced in nearly every state in the country and is used in existing diesel engines without modification. In 2012 the biodiesel industry produced more than 1 billion gallons, supporting more than 60,000 jobs across the country.



Vilsack Outlines USDA Efforts to Raise a Healthier Generation of Americans; Highlights Efforts to Improve School Meals

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today discussed USDA efforts to improve school meals and outlined the need for a renewed commitment to improve childhood nutrition, which will lead to a healthier generation of Americans.

In remarks at Henry A. Wolcott Elementary School, Vilsack noted that America's students now have healthier and more nutritious school meals due to improved nutrition standards implemented as a result of the historic Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The new standards ensure that the 32 million students who participate in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program have access to meals that contain fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and are limited in fat, sodium and sugar.

"For many kids, including 300,000 children who eat school lunch here in Connecticut, healthy meals at school are vital to growing up healthy and strong," said Vilsack. "When children are given the tools they need to make healthy food choices it sets them up to do better in school, while creating generational change that will lead to a healthier Nation."

Secretary Vilsack noted the twin threats of childhood obesity and malnutrition to a healthier next generation. Over the course of the past 30 years, the prevalence of childhood obesity has nearly tripled. Nearly one in three American children and adolescents today are overweight or obese. Some of those children come from low-income families, where access to healthy food choices and opportunities for physical activity can be limited. Nearly a third of our nation's young people are at risk for preventable diseases like type-2 diabetes and heart disease. Preventable diseases have serious consequences - which is why health experts tell us that our current generation of children may well have a shorter lifespan than their parents.

Vilsack said that USDA is focused on improving childhood nutrition and empowering families to make healthier food choices by providing science-based information and advice, while expanding the availability of healthy food.
-    USDA recently issued a proposed rule to improve the health of snacks sold in schools. The public is invited to comment at regulations.gov through Tuesday, April 9, 2013.
-    USDA's MyPlate symbol and the resources at ChooseMyPlate.gov provide quick, easy reference tools for parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and communities.
-    USDA also created SuperTracker, a free online planning and tracking tool used by over two million Americans daily to help them improve food choices, maintain a healthy weight, and track physical activity.
-    USDA provides shopping strategies and meal planning advice to help families serve more nutritious meals affordably through its 10-Tips Nutrition Series and the Thrifty Food Plan.
-    Through USDA's Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, the Department has worked to increase access to nutritious food through the development of strong local and regional food systems. The number of farmers markets increased by more than 67 percent in the last four years and there are now more than 220 regional food hubs in operation around the country.
-    USDA launched a new $5 million Farm to School grant program in 2012 to increase the amount of healthy, local food in schools. This includes a $98,000 Farm to School grant in Connecticut.

Vilsack noted that USDA continues working with First Lady Michelle Obama on the Let's Move! initiative, which is helping to promote healthy eating and physical activity while supporting the health of American families. Through the combined efforts of USDA and its partners, the United States is beginning to see progress and improvements in the health of our Nation's children.