What to Do If Immigration Officers Visit the Farm

What to Do If Immigration Officers Visit the Farm

The Trump administration has made aggressively searching for and deporting undocumented immigrants (including farm workers) a priority. The first question farmers usually ask is what to do if an immigration officer shows up on the farm. I suggest the following steps:

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Illinois Food & Agriculture Legislative Update

Illinois Food & Agriculture Legislative Update

The Illinois legislature has introduced a number of bills directed at the food and agriculture industries. Most of these proposed bills are intended to make life easier for agriculture. This post provides a rundown on the bills which could affect Illinois livestock, cottage food industries, fields, farmers markets, or agricultural businesses. 

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Five Tips to Comply with the New FDA Antibiotics Rule

Five Tips to Comply with the New FDA Antibiotics Rule

As of January 1, 2017, a new FDA regulation requires a veterinarian feed directive ("VFD") from a veterinarian be in place for all antibiotics administered to livestock in feed or water. How can you stay in compliance? 

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What Do the Controversial New GIPSA Rules Really Say...and Does it Matter?

What Do the Controversial New GIPSA Rules Really Say...and Does it Matter?

New GIPSA rules were announced on Tuesday. There are plenty of opinions out there criticizing and praising the regulations, but what do the new rules really say? And, with the incoming Trump administration, does it matter?

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Swine Contracts and The Packers and Stockyards Act

Swine Contracts and The Packers and Stockyards Act

The Packers and Stockyards Act is intended to ensure fair trade practices and competitive markets for livestock, meat, and poultry. It imposes requirements on swine growers and on the contracts between integrators and growers.

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Increased Ag Technology and Sustainability

Increased Ag Technology and Sustainability

Technology is already on on the farm, but during the next decade, farmers will likely embrace ag tech like never before. Sustainability will increasingly drive technology use.

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Animal Gene Editing: the Science of Gene Editing for a Non-Scientist

Animal Gene Editing: the Science of Gene Editing for a Non-Scientist

Hornless dairy cattle, mosquitoes resistant to malaria, mice cured of muscular dystrophy, PRRS-resistant pigs, fast-growing salmon, livestock that require less food and have less of an environmental footprint—these are just a few examples of advantages created by the new technological tool known as gene editing. 

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