German officials say initial tests of bean sprouts thought to have been the source of the E. coli outbreak in northern Germany have come out negative. Over 2,300 people have been sickened and at least 22 people have died. CBS News Reporter Peter Bild, on Skype, says health authorities have not yet completed testing the sprouts from the suspected farm.
“People who have eaten in restaurants delivered by this farm have regularly fallen ill, in northern Germany, and even further south. So, the authorities still believe that that farm is indeed the source of the infection even if that current crop of beans may in fact, be uncontaminated.”
2011 Carolina Shrimp Harvest to be Less
Wildlife officials say below-normal water temperatures have killed nearly all the white shrimp in the waters along the Carolinas coast. The Charlotte Observer reported Monday that federal waters, which start three miles off the coast, will reopen to shrimping today. Closer in-state waters will remain closed until water temperatures are warmer. Officials say shrimp populations are likely to rebound in a year or two.
Farmers’ Market Season in Full Swing
While opening the USDA farmers’ market on the Mall in Washington, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack:
"We’ve seen a dramatic increase in farmers’ market in the past two years in farmers' markets. We now have 6,300 of these markets across the country. This August, we’ll have a new report and I strongly suspect that that number will be significantly increased.”
And why the boom in farmers’ markets? According to shoppers:
“The fresh produce.”
“The produce is fresher, it’s local, it usually helps support the local economy.”
“I have two young kids at home, and this is the best place to go to get fresh produce for them. It’s fresh, and I know exactly where it came from, and it makes me happy to know that my family is eating that.”
“It’s nice to know where your food comes from and to know that what you’re buying is supporting local growers and families.”
To find a farmers’ market or certified roadside stand near you log onto usda.gov.
Virginia’s Tick Population on the Rise
A health official says the tick population is increasing in Virginia, along with diseases borne by the insects. Dr. Laura Gateley with the Virginia Department of Health tells the Danville Register & Bee that wet weather and a rise in the rodent population are factors in the tick population surge.
Representatives’ Letter Focuses on Cuts to Energy Programs
Three U.S. Representatives from Iowa want to push back efforts in Congress to slash crop insurance and gut renewable energy programs that encourage the harvesting of agriculture energy inputs and help rural gas stations to purchase ethanol blend pumps. In a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Representatives Braley, Boswell and Loebsack urged Senators to take a second look at the House’s cuts to crop insurance, renewable energy programs, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Read the full story...
No End Seen to Doha Trade Talks
Officials in Geneva say it will be impossible to conclude the Doha round of World Trade Organization negotiations by the end of 2011.
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