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OK-CAFO bills to Reduce Regulation of Massive Corporate Swine Yards
Two bills related to administration of Oklahoma's Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) program will go into effect Nov. 1 and are intended to improve efficient use of state resources.
The first bill, HB 2603, was sponsored by Rep. Dale DeWitt, R-Braman, and Sen. Ron Justice, R-Chickasha, and creates a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Rural Economic Development Initiative Act.
Specifically, the bill lowers the threshold for a regulated "spill" to include only releases from a swine animal feeding operation of process wastewater or manure that are more than 100 gallons, and which reach the waters of the state.
The second bill, HB 2646, also by DeWitt and Sen. Earl Garrison, D-Muskogee, modifies notice and hearing requirements for agricultural licenses. "Many CAFOs will not expand into Oklahoma because of the extraordinarily long permitting process," DeWitt said in a news release. "We are losing money and growth because we have a lengthy system."
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Fresh Data: 35 Districts: Farms' sales to schools keep growing
By JOHN DOBBERSTEIN World (//%22http://www.tulsaworld.com/BusinessStory.asp?ID=061006_Bu_E1_Farms7213%22) Staff Writer
10/6/2006
Oklahoma's farm-to-school program grew to a record size this fall, with honeydew melons joining the menu alongside watermelons.
Farm-fresh fruit was served at 35 school districts, including 343 schools, said Chris Kirby, vice chairwoman of the Oklahoma Food Policy Council
Schools may see fresh lettuce, spinach, broccoli, strawberries and asparagus during lunches next spring, if all goes well.
Interest in the program has grown because schools are more educated about the rules and regulations, and state lawmakers are supporting it, Kirby said.
Representatives of 113 school districts attended a workshop this summer to discuss ways of bringing in fresh fruit and vegetables from Oklahoma farms.
Food council staff showed food service workers the difference in taste between locally grown blueberries and the canned varieties, and they showed off Oklahoma-grown peaches, grape juice, sweet corn and cantaloupe.
Kirby said many schools did not have enough time to get programs organized this fall, but they're still interested. She also expects more farmers to join in eventually.
"We've worked through obstacles on the requirements, the safety issues, what type of food to purchase and how to do it," Kirby said. "We didn't want to gear up the growers until we knew how the schools would respond."
The food council is a joint project of the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture (//%22http://www.kerrcenter.com/%22) and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
Here's a question I have about organic produce: (this seemed like an appropriate place to post it, maybe not)
Doesn't fertilizing produce with various dungs increase the risk of e-coli if it doesn't get rinsed properly?
My wife is a nurse and is pretty insistent on paying extra for organic produce. I can't taste any difference between organic and chemically-laced. I tell her it's just an excuse to charge more for the same product that is actually produced with cheaper fertilizer.
I have noticed though, there hasn't been any spinach in the ice box the last few weeks. [;)]
Short answer, yes
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Originally posted by sgrizzle
Short answer, yes
Well, that's settled then.
Or see --
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From the Organic Trade Association (//%22http://www.ota.com/organic/foodsafety/ecoli.html%22) . . . .
Are organic products more likely to be contaminated by E. coli?
No, there is no evidence to indicate this. All food—whether conventional or organic—is susceptible to E. coli. In fact, CDC has issued the following statement: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...has not conducted any study that compares or quantitates the specific risk for infection with Escherichia coli O157:H7 and eating either conventionally grown or organic/natural foods. CDC recommends that growers practice safe and hygienic methods for producing food products, and that consumers, likewise, practice food safety within their homes (e.g., thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables)."
A University of Minnesota study concerning fecal E. coli in fresh picked produce by Mukherjee et al, published in the Journal of Food Protection (Vo. 67, No. 5, 2004), found that the percentage of E. coli prevalence in certified organic produce was similar to that in conventional samples. However, it did find a marked difference in the prevalence of E. coli between the samples from certified and non-certified organic farms. "Ours is the first study that suggests a potential association between organic certification and reduced E. coli prevalence," the authors wrote. They noted that the results of the study "do not support allegations that organic produce poses a substantially greater risk of pathogen contamination than does conventional produce."
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From Insurance Journal (//%22http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2006/09/19/72520.htm%22) . . . .
Spinach Company: E-Coli Due to Non-Organic Products
The company whose fresh spinach was linked to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 109 people in several states including Indiana said its organic products had been cleared of contamination, while health officials continued working to pinpoint the bacteria source.
Natural Selection Foods LLC, the country's largest grower of organic produce, said late Sunday that manufacturing codes from packages of spinach that infected patients turned over to health officials all were from non-organic spinach. Natural Selection packages both organic and conventionally grown spinach in separate areas at its San Juan Bautista plant.