Cleveland County Fair Pushing Safety Measures after 2012 E.coli Outbreak

Officials say increased safety measures are in place as the Cleveland County Fair opens a year after a E. coli outbreak.

Health department staff and volunteers were at hand-washing stations, demonstrating proper hand-washing techniques and walked through the crowds reminding people to wash their hands during Thursday's opening day.

Last year's outbreak resulted in 106 E. coli cases and the death of a toddler.

Health officials said the petting zoo at the fair was the sources of the outbreak.

SC Offers Opportunities to Learn about Farming

There are those that dream of farming and think it’s romantic. But, when actually involved in farming they find that not only is it risky hard work, farming knows no weekends or holidays. To prepare wanna-be farmers for what the life is really like the nonprofit Lowcountry Local First’s Grower New Farmers Incubator Program trains the next generation of farmers in three phases; apprenticeships, farm incubation and links to affordable farm land. Another similar program is the three-year-old SCSC New and Beginning Farmer Program, offered through Clemson University. Program Director Dave Lamie explains that this program focuses on presenting the opportunity for anyone who has farmed for 10 years or less to receive technical assistance.

To learn more about Lowcountry Local First, or the Clemson program visit http://lowcountrylocalfirst.org/

Court Deals Blow to HSUS War on Animal Agriculture

A U.S. District Court Judge has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Humane Society of the United States over the National Pork Board’s purchase of the “Pork, The Other White Meat” trademark from the National Pork Producers Council. NPPC President Randy Spronk explains how this court case started…

“In 2006, the National Pork Board asked the agricultural secretary to purchase the trade mark from NPPC and he approved that. What you had with this case was the HSUS and the IOWA Citizens for Community Improvement challenging his purchase of the trademark.”

HSUS argued the sale and payments were unlawful because the National Pork Board is prohibited from using checkoff dollars to influence legislation. But the court ruled the plaintiffs lacked standing and that no one had suffered any injury from the Agriculture Secretary’s actions.

NPPC applauded the Secretary’s willingness to defend the case and pork producers across the country. Spronk says the Secretary’s actions should send a strong signal to HSUS supporters that frivolous lawsuits will not be tolerated and should not be pursued…

Joe Maxwell, Humane Society of the United States Ag Director and Missouri Pork Producer says his group’s lawsuit is further evidence the pork checkoff isn’t working or helping producers…

“There are problems with these check off dollars. The big issues is that they are being used against the American hog farmers. Since these check off dollars have gone into play, just look at the number of hog farmers that have been driven off the land the animals that have been confined to buildings.”

 Maxwell says the pork checkoff has also led to the demise of the pork industry as there are now 90-percent fewer pork producers in business than there were in the past.