Latest News From JoAnn Alumbaugh

In addition to being uncomfortable and annoying, chigger bites may also cause a relatively rare allergic reaction to red meat known as alpha-gal, according to doctors at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Guess what? A comprehensive new study determined that eating meat and drinking milk not only isn’t bad for human health, it actually reduces mortality.

Iowa State University Distinguished Professor Hongwei Xin was recently honored by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

When you give a kid a pig, you give them room to grow up as a person where they can push their limits. They will have bravery and courage while they learn about LIFE and build memories.

Late last week, U.S. District Court Judge Earl Britt lifted a gag order on communications related to nuisance lawsuits filed against more than two dozen North Carolina hogs farms.

Cash-traded weaner pig volume was above average last week with 50,223 head being reported. This is 157% of the 52-week average. The low to high range was $14.00 - $28.00. Formula-priced weaners were also up, at $35.25.

The Farm Service Agency will administer the new Market Facilitation Program. FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce says his agency can handle it.

The Swine Health Information Center announced late Thursday that another case of African Swine Fever has been reported in China. There are at least five cases in at least five provinces.

The National Academy Press recently released a report on what will be needed for food and agricultural research to meet world food demands in the next decade.

At the U.S. Soy Global Trade Exchange Conference this week, Ken Isley, administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service asked farmers to be patient, and let trade negotiations play out to a positive outcome.

Most vegetarians are totally convinced that they’re healthier than the rest of us, thanks to a plants-only diet. But a new study provides a sobering insight into why that might be all wrong.

National Academy of Animal Science releases a report on food and agricultural research to meet world food demands in the next decade.

As the U.S. economy continues to grow and unemployment dwindles, labor scarcity and wage inflation threaten the rural economy and put additional stress on profitability of the agriculture industry

A rite of passage for millions of teenagers, past and present, is their first paying job handling baskets of french fries or stocking shelves at some store in the mall. But is that all going away?

Farmland, part of Smithfield Foods, has partnered with the National FFA Organization to help support local farming.

Iowa pork producers are grateful for the recent aid package from USDA, but they’re just as interested in free trade with other countries.

Activists from Great Britain come up with yet another idea about demonizing animal agriculture — and as always, it’s couched in the mantra of ‘consumers need to know.’

Looking at hog sales in February 2019 using April 2019 futures, the weaner breakeven was $40.62, up $3.16 for the week. Feed costs were down $2.02 per head while cash weaner pig prices were $1.24 higher.

The Associated Press reports that a ham produced by Broadbent B&B Foods sold at a Kentucky Farm Bureau auction for $2.8 million. It was the champion ham at this year’s Kentucky State Fair.

An ex-USDA secretary, ousted from the Cabinet in disgrace decades ago, returns to politics as a candidate for the U.S. Senate from Mississippi — and a win would bode well for agriculture.

China reports another outbreak of African swine fever, threatening the country's crucial pork industry. As with the other cases, Chinese officials say they have the situation under control, but that seems unlikely

No, not the boisterous brother in-law who wolfs down four or five hot dogs at a backyard barbecue. We’re talking a vending machine — that delivers not junk, but real meat snacks.

Mexican trade officials told Reuters that a deal with Mexico to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement could be clinched Aug. 22. Some U.S. trade officials were less optimistic.

New research shows that higher levels of protein after weight loss my reduce fatty liver disease. Increased protein during weight maintenance also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers say.

A recent study is the first to comprehensively compare survival outcomes in rural and urban cancer patients enrolled in clinical trials. The results cast new light on a stark picture of cancer disparities.

The things I see every day are foreign to many people, whether they live two minutes or two hundred miles from my farm. I needed to open the doors to our farm in order to open the minds of others.

Of all the bizarre stories involving shady sales and production practices in the meat business, this particular tale might qualify for a place near the top of the list.

According to a recent research study, nearly half of U.S. consumers avoid GMO food, primarily due to its “human health impact," even when they don't know what GMOs are. It's a concerning disconnect.

The alt-meat makers are awash in investment capital and media coverage. But as they ramp up production, they might not realize economies of scale, due to a potential scarcity of ingredients.

A third case of African Swine Fever has been reported in China. Because of the distance between the outbreaks, it is likely that more cases will follow.

The weaner breakeven was $37.46, up $24.25 for the week. Feed costs were up $1.57 per head. April futures increased $13.43 compared to last week’s February futures used for the crush and historical basis has declined.

An El Salvadoran woman tried to smuggle pork sausage into the U.S. by putting it in baby formula containers. Pork from El Salvador is not allowed in the U.S. because of swine vesicular disease in that country.

Scientists are using light to activate oxygen, which then wipes out antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The method also could be used to treat other microbial infections, and possibly even cancer.

Casey Westphalen moves from NutriQuest to Kerns and Associates; Vicki Corbett celebrates 40 years at Osborne Industries; and Ilya Frumkin will serve as Diamond V's director of companion animal business development.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have discovered that neonatal pig hearts can heal from a heart attack. This remarkable ability has clinical implications for humans.

Press reports indicate that program guidelines on the trade assistance package could be issued by next week. Meanwhile, business news articles and USDA data continue to shed light on agricultural export variables.

Moises Kalach says teams are working hard to land a deal, but getting to agreement will depend on the White House, he says.

A second case of African Swine Fever has been confirmed in China. The concern is that it’s in a completely different part of the country and it’s likely that diseased pigs traveled long distances.

The National Pork Board announces the four finalists vying for 2018 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year. The program honors a U.S. pig farmer who excels at raising pigs following the We Care ethical principles.

Along with their vigilance in avoiding any contact with foods or products associated with animals, strict vegans also consume plenty of misguided ‘insights.’

Procurement and quality assurance officials from four Japanese commercial feed millers visited the U.S. Grains Council late last month for an annual corn quality information exchange meeting.

The Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center showcases groundbreaking scientific advances that are transforming medical care. New research may improve effectiveness of antibiotics to drug-resistant bacteria.

The Global Agricultural Information Network reports that Ghana has seen its first case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in 2018. The disease seems to be spreading at a faster pace this year in Europe, Asia and Africa.

It’s a ‘sell it or smell it’ business, says the CEO of Smithfield Foods, Inc., which it part of the Chinese-owned WH Group. With the high Chinese tariffs, the company is finding markets elsewhere for its products.

The NFL’s preseason ‘excitement’ is so distant from the life-and-death battles fans feast on during regular season action that sportswriters have to go far afield to keep things interesting.

Shouldn’t unused funds go back to the U.S. Treasury? U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), thought so, but her bill was defeated 50-48. She gives her most recent “Squeal Award” to the U.S. Senate as a result.

U.S. exports of grain in all forms (GIAF) are on track to set a new record in 2017/2018, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and analysis by the U.S. Grains Council.

In ancient times, the goal was securing enough food to survive. In modern times, the priority is asking, ‘Which diet should I follow?’ Now, yet another option has arrived: What the Bible says.

A new study led by researchers at Indiana University has found that modifications such as dams and reservoirs in the U.S. and Canada do not isolate rivers and streams from the effects of climate change.

Talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) continued for the third straight week last week, as representatives from the U.S., Canada and Mexico pushed to finalize an updated deal.