Category Archives: In the News
From cattle yards to courtrooms
Competitive drive takes former Texas A&M student from 4-H to New York City Cari Rincker ’02 has always felt a pull. Over and over, life took her to new places where she found herself feeling right at home on arrival. Cari Rincker “I’ve had these moments where it felt like somebody or something was telling me, ‘This is where you need to be,’” Rincker said. That pull has taken Rincker from a rural Illinois farm to the tradition-rich Texas A&M University campus, a life-changing internship in Washington, D.C.,… Read More →
From the Ground Up: Pandemic Strengthens Demand for Custom Processing
By Todd Carroll BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Over the last few years there has been a rising demand among some consumers to buy locally produced food and that has given Farmers’ Markets and Farm Share programs a boost. The Covid-19 outbreak that slowed down the big meat processors in the U.S. has fueled even more demand for small local processors. Davey Griffin is a Texas A&M AgriLife Professor and Meat Specialist. “We have a real interest by consumers right now in knowing where their food comes from. And so,… Read More →
Food safety tips when grilling, cooking outdoors
Proper cleaning is key to avoiding foodborne illness from grate to plate Cleaning grill grates, keeping a clean workspace, and properly storing and preparing meats are all important to maintaining food quality and avoiding foodborne illness, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts A clean grate is a great start Davey Griffin, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension meat specialist in the Department of Animal Science of Texas A&M University, said cleaning the grill grate is not as simple a proposition as it may seem. “A lot of people think scraping the grate clean with… Read More →
Texas A&M Foundation Board of Trustees Announces Outstanding Student Award Recipient
The award recognizes outstanding graduating Aggie seniors who succeeded in college despite experiencing personal or family financial challenges. The Texas A&M Foundation Board of Trustees named Isolde Parrish ’20 as the recipient of the Foundation’s eighth Outstanding Student Award. She graduated with an animal science degree in May and will enroll in Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences in the fall. Created in 2012 by former Foundation trustee and Texas A&M graduate Melbern Glasscock ’59 and his wife, Susanne, this endowed award publicly recognizes… Read More →
Cattle Q&A: Davey Griffin on meat safety during COVID-19
By David Cooper While the rise of the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease created turmoil in beef commodity markets, a steady supply of beef continues to be delivered into the food chain. In an effort to understand further how packing facilities are adapting to both the distribution demand for beef and the ongoing food safety concerns during a time of pandemic, Dr. Davey Griffin, Texas A&M University professor and extension meat scientist, offered the following answers to questions from Progressive Cattle Editor David Cooper. The movement of the meat supply during this… Read More →
Agriculture is on the front lines of COVID-19
Although it is not seen in the nightly news, agriculture is quietly going about the business of feeding all of us in the middle of this pandemic even as we social distance and shelter in place. Farmers are still tending their crops, dairies are still milking cows, ranchers are still feeding cattle and calving their cows, broiler and egg houses still producing chicken and eggs, and swine operations still farrowing and raising pigs. Food processors, both plant and animal, are still operating and we are all producing the… Read More →
Texas Crop and Weather Report – March 24, 2020
By Adam Russell Sheep prices steady, goats great amid uncertain market conditions Texas sheep and goat producers are experiencing a mixed bag of good-to-stable prices amid increased market uncertainty as they get farther into 2020, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert. Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist, San Angelo, said goats and sheep were experiencing two markets beset by myriad factors, good and bad. Thompson recommends the new AgriLife Extension Lamb and Goat Market Forecast app to stay up to date on the latest price and market… Read More →
All antibiotics for livestock will soon require a vet’s prescription
By Susan Himes No longer will producers who need injectable antibiotics for their cattle be able to just grab them at their local feed store or order them online. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wants producers to be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is continuing the phasing in of a law that requires a prescription for any antibiotic use in animals raised for human consumption, as well as for all companion animals. Prescriptions, livestock and your vet A prescription is already required for most antibiotics… Read More →
New FDA antibiotic law creates client-vet relationship
By: Roland Rodriguez The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now is moving forward with a law to bring all antibiotics used on animals grown for human food consumption under veterinary oversight. What this means is that producers will only be able to get antibiotics for their animals by prescription only. The FDA is responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and animal drugs and the food supply, among other things. The Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine is requiring… Read More →
Beef – A Very Natural Product
BRYAN, Tex. (KBTX) – Anti-animal agriculture groups that advocate replacing animal protein with plant-based substitutes that are marketed as all-natural leave out an important point in the argument. Beef is one of the most natural products there is. Ron Gill is a Professor and Livestock Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. “I think it’s something we kind of forget, we don’t want to have animals consuming plants and producing food, but we want to plow the ground up and take the natural fauna and flora out so we… Read More →