Safety

Tick Safety Guide: Preventing Alpha-Gal Syndrome and Lyme Disease

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:49:28 GMT

Increasing reports of alpha-gal syndrome, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-related illnesses are a critical reminder why preparation is important before spending time outside in spring and summer, says University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff.

Ticks are the most important vectors of disease in domestic and wild animals throughout the world, and are second only to mosquitoes in transmitting disease in humans. As temperatures rise and people begin camping, fishing and farming, it’s more important than ever to be aware of the health dangers posed by ticks, she explains.

What is Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS)?

Bites from the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) or the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis, also called deer ticks) can trigger AGS. Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule found in most mammals. After eating mammalian meat, people who become allergic to alpha-gal may experience an hours-long delay in symptoms, which include hives, swelling of lips, face, tongue or throat, stomach pain and nausea, reports the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill . It can also cause restricted breathing and death.

deer_tick-Mizzou.jpg

(University of Missouri)

AGS diagnosis involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, allergy testing and symptom tracking.

Best Practices for Tick Prevention on the Farm

Although Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, there is currently no cure for AGS. Because of this, tick prevention is the best defense. Here are three tips for tick prevention

Dress to defend.
Ticks frequently attach to the lower legs of people and then crawl upward before embedding themselves in the skin to feed. They thrive in the humid, cool layer at the soil’s surface and often locate hosts using an ambush strategy known as “questing.”
The right choice of clothing can help you prevent you from picking up ticks, Althoff says. Choose light-colored garments. Tuck your shirt into your pants, and tuck your pants into your socks.

“This is where duct tape comes in handy,” she says. Duct tape the bottom of the pant legs closed to prevent ticks from getting to your skin.
Use DEET.
Always apply DEET-based insect repellent when visiting wooded areas or working on farms, says MU Extension health and safety specialist Karen Funkenbusch. Apply DEET only as directed to exposed skin or clothing. Avoid eyes, mouth, injured skin and children’s hands. Be careful not to inhale the product, and do not use it around food, she cautions. Wash treated skin and clothing thoroughly once you’re back indoors.
Search and destroy.
When you come inside after spending time in the outdoors, perform a full-body tick check. Look inside and behind the ears, along the hairline, the back of the neck, armpits, groin, legs, behind the knees and even between toes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends showering within two hours of being outdoors. If you find a tick, remove it with sturdy tweezers.

How to Safely Remove a Tick

Removing a tick can be challenging, but do not wait to go to a healthcare provider. Grasp the tick at the front of its body, as close to the skin as possible, and pull straight out. Avoid squeezing the rear of the tick, as this can cause it to expel gut contents into your skin, increasing the risk of infection. Clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, iodine or soap and water.

If you develop a rash or fever within several days to weeks after removing a tick, see your doctor.
Contrary to popular belief, CDC warns not to use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish, or other substances to try and make the tick detach from the skin. This may agitate the tick and force infected fluid from the tick into the skin.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Avoid Tick Testing

People who have removed a tick may wonder if they should have it tested to see if it is infected. CDC says testing is not recommended, even though some commercial groups offer it.

“Laboratories that conduct tick testing are not required to have the high standards of quality control used by clinical diagnostic laboratories,” CDC shares on its website. “Results of tick testing should not be used for treatment decisions. Positive results showing that the tick contains a disease-causing organism do not necessarily mean that you have been infected.”

If you have been infected, CDC says you will probably develop symptoms before results of the tick test are available.

If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Learn more here.

Read More:
Researchers Close in on Alpha-Gal Syndrome Meat Allergy Mystery Linked to Ticks

Grain Dust Explosions Declined in 2025, but Fatalities and Injuries Saw a Sharp Increase

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:40:17 GMT

According to Purdue University’s nationwide report, there’s a concerning trend where the total number of grain dust explosions decreased in 2025, but the severity of those incidents—measured by injuries and fatalities—increased significantly.

There were seven grain dust explosions reported in the U.S. in 2025, a slight decrease from the nine reported in 2024.

However, despite fewer incidents, the human toll was higher. The 2025 explosions resulted in four fatalities and 10 injuries, compared to zero fatalities and two injuries in 2024.

Facility Types: The incidents occurred across a variety of operations, including:

Two grain elevators
One farm-operated grain elevator
One seed processing facility
One feed mill
One flour mill
One biofuel plant

The explosions were concentrated in the Midwest and South, with Texas and Ohio reporting two incidents each, and Minnesota, North Dakota, and Nebraska each reporting one.

Grain dust was the most common fuel source noted from incidents in 2025 having caused five explosions. The primary ignition sources identified also included smoldering grain, equipment maintenance work, and overheated bearings.

As such Purdue’s Kingsly Ambrose emphasizes the critical need for:

Minimizing dust accumulation to prevent secondary explosions
Performing preventive maintenance on equipment (especially bearings) before peak handling
Properly aerating stored grain to prevent smoldering, which can act as an ignition source

The Purdue group has been collecting data related to grain dust explosions in the U.S. since 2012, and the initiative is supported by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

Tragic Turn: Trailer of Show Pigs Bursts Into Flames on I-80

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:58:52 GMT

With the windows rolled down and the sun on his face, Chad Rieck admits he was having a pretty good day driving down Interstate 80. He was pulling a trailer with four gilts, and one of those gilts was bringing home the title of Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt from the Aksarben Stock Show.

For Chad and his wife, Amy, spending precious time with their 17-year-old daughter Hollynn at a stock show is something they don’t take for granted. Their busy daughter, now a senior, was juggling the show weekend with homecoming, volleyball and dance team. Because of this, she drove separately to the show with her mom to squeeze in more of her school activities.

Separated by a couple minutes on the interstate, they were chatting on the phone keeping each other awake on the drive from Grand Island, Neb., back to their farm in Creston, Iowa. Suddenly, the traffic slowed down and their day took a tragic turn.

A car burning alongside I-80 held up traffic for miles.

(NDOT)

Igniting the Fire

“I remember my wife saying, ‘Traffic is starting to get bad,’” Rieck recalls. “I told her there was an accident up ahead and we’d get through it eventually.”

When he came upon the scene, he discovered a car burning alongside the road. By this time, he had rolled up his windows and slowly drove by the car. No emergency vehicles were on the scene, so Chad estimates the fire had probably started within three to five minutes of when he passed it.

“The front of the car was fully engulfed in flames,” Rieck describes. “The driver’s portion to the back of the car was starting to get hot – hot, hot flames. My fear of driving by was, ‘What if there’s a gas tank there, and that gas tank blows? That’s going to be bad.’”

When he drove by, something burst.

“It wasn’t the gas tank that blew, but something, whether it was a fuel line, a tire or whatever, blew a ‘poof’ of flames,” he says.

About a mile after he passed the car on fire – maybe one or two minutes at most – Rieck noticed smoke rolling out of the trailer. At first, he thought maybe some smoke from the fire got in through the open trailer windows. Then, he wondered if he blew a tire.

“I’m looking in the mirrors checking for that and continually rolling,” he says. “I see a semi behind me begin to flash his lights at me. That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got problems.’”

Fortunately, he was coming upon an exit ramp. He jumped off the interstate and threw the truck in park as soon as he could.

“My wife’s still on the phone with me at this point,” he says. “I jump out of the truck and see the trucker running up with a couple of fire extinguishers. Because of him, I was able to get the back doors opened on the trailer. We got most of the flames down but didn’t have enough to get the fire completely out.”

When he opened the door, he saw that their banner-winning Poland China gilt was already dead, but the three other pigs were hanging on to life.

“The Poland gilt was on the back of the trailer and had somehow broken out of her pen trying to get away,” he says.

The burning trailer was caught on camera by the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT).

(NDOT)

Roadside Rescue

The fire picked up again as he tried to figure out how to get the pigs off the trailer.

“When I parked the trailer at the show, we left some tack in the trailer. So, I locked the ramp and the driver side walk-through door,” he explains. “I ran to get the key that I thought was in the truck, but there was no key there. Now, I’m just frantic.”

With no way to get to the three pigs still on the trailer, he grabbed for the big cart they hauled tack with that was standing upright in the back pen.

“Not a smart deal,” Rieck recalls. “I grabbed it with my hand, and now I’ve got some nice blisters. But even if I could have moved that cart, it wouldn’t have mattered. I had to get the pigs out the side ramp.”

The trucker ran back with a crowbar and Rieck broke the latches off the ramp door to get the ramp down. Flames greeted him. He was running out of options. He ran around to the other side’s ramp, broke that latch off and ended up getting two pigs out.

“The third pig was scared and wouldn’t come out, so I had to reach in through one of the sides to push her out,” he says. “I ended up with some burns on my arm from that, but I finally got her out.”

At this point, the trailer is still on fire. The trucker told Rieck to unhook his truck and pull it away from the trailer now that the pigs were out.

“I would have never thought of doing that,” he adds. “We had a gas can and small generator in the tack room of the trailer, so I went to work to get that out of there before we had an even bigger problem. Fortunately, the tack room was in decent shape, likely because there was a door between it and the main part of the trailer.”

Once the fire truck arrived, they focused on the trailer first. Megan Hobbs says she was able to gather buckets from the tack room to start filling to get to water all three pigs who were alive at the time. Unfortunately, they lost the Duroc, so they had to turn their focus to the remaining two.

(Megan Hobbs)

Meanwhile, people began showing up and helping with the pigs that were now scattered.

“I had one pig walking down the exit ramp,” Rieck says. “Meanwhile, one gilt was hunkered down under a tree in the ditch and the third was dying alongside the exit ramp. I’m in shock at this point – walking around and asking myself why.”

Stock show people he had never met before like Joe and Megan Hobbs of Newton, Kan., turned around and came back to help.

“As soon as we arrived at the scene, there was another young lady who worked for Legacy Livestock Imaging that had also stopped to help,” explains Megan Hobbs. “We immediately just jumped into action getting any and all water available to help cool the pigs down. At the beginning all we had was cooler water and water bottles. In those situations you don’t ask for permission, you just go with what your gut tells you to do.”

(Chad Rieck)

A Little Bit Ironic

When the York Fire Department showed up, they quickly went to work extinguishing the fire in the trailer. Hobbs says she kept running water back and forth from the firetruck to the people caring for the gilts alongside the road.

“God put us in the right place at the right time,” Hobbs says. “We trusted our gut turning around to go help as we just knew it was probably one of our own from the livestock industry that needed help.”

The firefighters on the scene also reached out to a firefighter in a nearby department, David May, who had show pigs.

“I received a call from dispatch when I was about 5 miles from my farm heading home with pigs from the show,” May says. “They said there was a vehicle fire involving a trailer with larger pigs and asked if I could help wrangle and haul the surviving pigs. Of course, I didn’t hesitate and was already on the move.”

May devised a plan to get his pigs off his trailer quickly and navigate through the piled-up interstate traffic.

“I had my 16-year-old daughter Braxtyn with me, so we began talking through things on the drive there,” May says. “I even joked with her, ‘It’s probably someone who kicked our butt today.’ But that didn’t cause either of us to hesitate to help however possible.”

When May got to the scene, he immediately recognized the pickup. It had been parked directly beside his truck during loadout about 45 minutes ago.

“I recognized the people and confirmed I didn’t know them,” May says. “I parked and walked up to assess and gather information. Within a minute, another Iowa trailer showed up to get the live hogs. We discussed what to do with the now two deceased pigs. I offered to put them on my trailer and dispose.”

After all the pigs were on trailers and the firefighters had inspected Rieck’s trailer to confirm it was safe to haul home, Rieck went over to talk to Braxtyn and thank her for coming to help.

Hollynn Rieck’s Champion Poland and Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt at Aksarben.

(Legacy Livestock Imaging)

“For some reason, I wanted to try to cheer this kid up who had just seen this devastation,” Rieck says. “I tried to distract her by asking if she showed a pig that day, and she said, ‘Yes, I was third place with my Poland gilt.’”

It was definitely a little ironic, both dads admit. Their kids had been competing against each other just a few hours earlier. They loaded their pigs up beside each other and took off about the same time. As they got back into their trucks and trailers for the second time that day, they both spent some time reflecting on their drive home.

A Case of Bad Luck

Hollynn drove her dad back in the truck and trailer because he was still in shock. All Rieck could think about was what he could have done differently.

“I saw a number of trailers roll right on by as we stood there with the trailer smoldering,” Rieck says. “I know the next time I see a car fire, I’m going to feel like Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights. I’m going to be like, ‘Don’t drive through it.’ Maybe I could have gotten in the ditch more, but that’s not safe either.”

It was the kind of incident that you could never predict, May says. Typically, a trailer fire starts with a bad wheel bearing, then the wheel gets hot or locks up. Eventually, the tire catches on fire and results in heavy black smoke that’s easily visible.

(Chad Rieck)

“Most livestock trailer fires start on the outside of the trailer,” May says. “But this fire started inside the trailer. This was a completely freak accident.”

The odds of something hot coming off the car at the precise moment Rieck drove by while also entering the trailer is one in trillions, he adds.

“It’s a bad-luck lottery. It could never have been predicted,” May says. “But, just like so many instances in life, you just have to react and adapt as plans change.”

Still, Rieck says he learned some valuable lessons going through this experience. He will make sure his next trailer has fire extinguishers. He won’t travel with his doors locked on his trailer. He’s also going to invest in some wireless cameras to put into his trailer.

Stock Show Support

When they returned home, a veterinarian confirmed the gilts who survived the trailer fire needed to be euthanized, as their injuries were too severe. Rieck says it was hard on Hollynn to walk through an empty pig barn the next day. Although it’s not an uncommon thing, as every show season comes to an end, this was not the ending she expected. She had high hopes of taking the Poland gilt to the American Royal in a few weeks.

Hollynn won Champion Poland China Gilt and Third Overall Purebred Breeding Gilt at Aksarben.

(Amy Rieck)

For Rieck, the hardest part was calling the breeders who leased them the gilts and telling them what happened.

“The personal financial portion of this isn’t much compared to having to contact those breeders and let them know about the fire,” Rieck says. “We work with Hunter Langholff to get some of our pigs. I can only imagine what the conversation was like with me screaming and yelling about the pigs right after it happened. I’ll never forget Hunter calmly saying, ‘Do not worry about that. These breeders will only care that you, Hollynn and Amy are fine. Pigs can be replaced.’”

With a few tears in his eyes, Rieck says he never wants to take his stock show friends for granted.

“Stock show people are pretty special,” he adds. “Because guess what? We all wanted to win that day. We raise our kids in the show ring and in the show barn for a reason. It’s so we can be around these people. My daughter is going to be a much stronger person because of the experiences that she’s had winning and losing in the show ring and yes, even going through this trailer fire.”

Hollynn says she’s already learned a lot from the fire.

“I am so thankful for all of the people who stopped to help us during our emergency,” she says. “This is living proof that the stock show industry is the best thing to be a part of. The amount of love, thoughts and prayers I have received from people has been astronomical. At the end of the day, I am just grateful my family is ok and that I will forever be a part of such an amazing industry.”

As May reflects on what happened, he says he’s not surprised by the overwhelming support people provided to the Rieck family.

“It’s what we do for each other in all aspects of agriculture, not just livestock,” May says. “I’m glad I was able to assist as needed here and glad my daughter was able to see value in helping others even when it’s not always pretty fairy dust and rainbows.”

Illinois Farmer's Grain Bin Entrapment Turns Fatal, Son Shares Tragic Story to Save Lives

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 17:18:38 GMT

Illinois farmer Tom Ritter was more than a farmer. At 73 years old, he was a man who still lived to serve.

“Dad was someone who just absolutely loved agriculture,” says Cory Ritter. “I like to tell people he taught us how not to say ‘no.’ So whenever there was something that needed to be done, whether that was serve on a local Farm Bureau or a local board of some sort, if Dad was asked a lot, he said ‘yes’ a lot.”

Illinois farmer Tom Ritter with his granddaughters.

(Cory Ritter, Tom’s Son)

Just weeks away from his 51^st harvest, Tom was doing something he had done countless times before on the farm. He was cleaning out a grain bin on his farm before harvest. But this time, things suddenly went wrong.

“It happened on Aug. 20, and he was wrapping up our last empty in our last bin of corn and using a vac system,” Cory says. “There was something that went wrong with the vac or something, and he knew better than to crawl in the bin but just thought he would try to fix it from the outside. He got frustrated, like we all do on the farm, he popped in the bin real quick and some corn slid down and killed him.”

In an instant, Tom was gone. And a rescue mission by surrounding fire departments, turned into a recovery mission for those involved.

When the call came in that Tom Ritter was trapped in a grain bin, Cory Ritter says eight different fire departments and multiple farmers rushed to the scene to help.

(Cory Ritter )

“His love for community was really shown when all the farmers started showing up. Fire departments, I think there was eight fire departments, that showed up. There were over a hundred people on-site that day,” Cory says.

With the loss of his dad just weeks before, and their family still coping with such a tragic loss, Cory says he’s wiling to share his dad’s story in hopes his tragedy will help prevent accidents on other farms.

“If something good can come out of this tragedy, it’s other people thinking twice before doing something by themselves that’s slightly unsafe,” he says. “We just want to talk to make people think twice. If we can save somebody else, that’s a win and something that I’m going to be comforted in.”

Purdue University reports no fewer than 51 cases involving agricultural confined spaces were documented in 2024, including 22 fatal and 29 non-fatal cases.

(Cory Ritter )

Grain bin entrapments are a continued risk of farming. Purdue University compiles data annually, and the latest report showed 51 grain bin entrapments, and 41.2% of those resulted in a death. That compares to the five-year average of 49.7%.

However, that number is more than likely too low. As the report indicated, over two-thirds of current U.S. grain storage capacity is on farms, which are exempt from OSHA injury reporting requirements, meaning it is highly likely the summary does not encompass all grain-related entrapments.

It's Hot Out There: Avoid Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion This Summer

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 20:22:43 GMT

As the temperatures begin to soar, we all know farm and ranch work never stops, even in the hot weather.

“Wear lightweight, long-sleeved, light-colored clothing, or a cooling vest and take short, frequent breaks in a shaded or cool area to stay cool while working outdoors,” says Tawnie Larson, a program manager in Kansas State University’s Carl and Melinda Helwig Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and the Kansas Agriculture Safety and Health Program.

She says technical cooling vests “are essentially like wearing air conditioning.”

“The vests use specialized fabric and fibers to circulate cooling products to keep body temperatures low during hot days,” she explains.

Larson also suggests using equipment with a canopy, such as a Rollover Protection Structure (ROPS) with a sunshade.

“Usually, the ROPS with canopies cannot be folded down, which in turn provides more safety for operators because the ROPS is always activated,” Larson says. “Equipment that has an enclosed cab often times comes with air conditioning and has a built-in ROPS. Both of these options provide safety from rollovers and can help prevent heat-related illness.”

Because each individual reacts to hot days different, it’s important to listen to your body, Larson says. Take frequent breaks and stay inside during the hottest part of the day if possible.

“Medication may also play a role in affecting one’s body’s ability to stay cool, making it harder to handle the heat,” Larson says. “Before working outside this summer, check with your doctor to see if you’re at higher risk for heat-related illness and whether you should take extra-precautions due to medication.”

Is it Heat Stroke or Heat Exhaustion?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 1 cup of water every 15-20 minutes, and before becoming thirsty. The CDC also recommends keeping sugary and alcoholic drinks to a minimum. Replace salt and minerals with snacks or a sports drink.

Heat stroke symptoms include high body temperature; hot, dry, red or damp skin; fast, strong pulse; headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and lack of consciousness.

If a person is suffering from heat stroke:

Call 9-1-1 immediately.
Move the person to a cooler place.
Lower the person’s temperature with cooler clothes.
Do not give the person anything to drink.

“Heat exhaustion is different and usually not as serious,” Larson says.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion may include:

heavy sweating
cold, pale and clammy skin
fast, weak pulse
nausea
tiredness
headache
fainting

“If this occurs, take action by moving to a cool place, loosen clothing, get cool, sip water and seek medical attention if symptoms last longer than an hour or get worse,” Larson says.

Your Next Read: Protect Your Pigs With Summer Beat-the-Heat Prep Tips

Third Chinese National Accused of Smuggling Biological Materials into Michigan

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 15:02:21 GMT

Another Chinese national is accused of smuggling biological materials related to roundworms into the U.S. for work at a University of Michigan laboratory. This is the third such charge of a Chinese national by the U.S. federal government in a week.

Chengxuan Han is charged with smuggling goods into the United States and making false statements, according to a criminal complaint , said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan on Monday.

“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China — to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory — is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., in a prepared statement. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”

On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States.

CBP officers also found that the content of Han’s electronic device had been deleted three days prior to her arrival in the United States.

At the conclusion of the border inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE HSI.

During this interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to roundworms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection.

“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, in a prepared statement.

Han is pursing a doctoral degree from the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint.

The Detroit Free Press reports Han made an initial appearance June 9 in federal court and was temporarily detained. A detention hearing is set for June 11, according to court records.

Less than a week ago, on June 4, AgWeb reported two Chinese nationals had been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus , Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

Jian is currently in U.S. custody where she awaits a detention hearing June 13. Liu, who had attempted to enter the U.S., was returned to China following questioning by U.S. customs officers.

Your next read: Chinese Scientist Accused of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

Pull The Dipstick On Your Safety Programs and Practices

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 17:38:43 GMT

For more than 10 years, ResponsibleAg has been an industry-led program where retailers receive compliance audits to stay on track with their regulated safety standards.

Industry ambassador Tim McArdle and ARA CEO Daren Coppock share case studies in how ResponsibleAg is an asset for ag retailers in their everyday business across 2,356 locations.

“ResponsibleAg is a great resource for retailers with facilities that are in
distribution to determine whether they’re in compliance with Federal regulations or not,” Coppock says. “When these ResponsibleAg audits are complete, the manager of the facility gets a complete list of the areas where you’re in compliance, and these are the areas where you’re not. And here’s the citation to the regulation that explains what
the issue is.”

Coppock says the real advantage of the audit is you are aware of compliance without a ticket, and in that way it’s like a regular maintenance program for ag retail—like pulling the dipstick on your oil.

McArdle adds how ag retail and distribution is a highly regulated business including DOT, OSHA, DHS, and other entities.

As for what retailers should participate in ResponsibleAg, McArdle says it is a great fit for any retailer.

“You can make it a part of your existing program–run alongside your existing program. There’s ways now that it can be totally integrated into your program,” he says. “We can work with you where you are and make this program work for you.”

He shares the example of ResponsibleAg member Simplot saying the value came from having an extra set of eyes.

You can hear more examples in this episode of The Scoop podcast:

Your Applicator Toolbox: 6 Items You Need to Have

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 18:21:30 GMT

With this year’s spraying season quickly approaching, there are a few steps you can take now to prepare for the busy months ahead. One of them includes preparing a kit of items you will need during applications.

Here’s what the experts say are essential for your spray mix application toolbox.

1. Portable pH Meter
Johnnie Roberts, CPDA director of application – adjuvant chemistry, recently joined an Ag Retailers Association (ARA) webinar and shared portable pH meters are a must have.

“These are cheap — always have access to one,” Roberts says. “It’s a great tool for managing a lot of problems.”

2. Materials for a Jar Test
If you’re in a situation where you don’t have commercial experience with the products being used and no guidance from the manufacturer, Roberts strongly recommends conducting a jar test.

“There’s an old African proverb that says only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet,” Roberts says.

3. Compatibility and Foam Control Agents

4. Documentation
Keep your phone, tablet, a camera or pen and paper on you during application to capture any issues you encounter.

“We see some of the same problems popping up every year, and we deal with them to realize we came up with the same solution as last year,” Roberts says. “Document these problems and solutions as you encounter them.”

5. Internet References

6. Protective Clothing
A guide from the Nebraska Extension outlines just what you’ll need to ensure your head, eyes and hands are protected. Some items include:

A wide-brimmed hat
Goggles or glasses
Chemical-resistant gloves. Natural rubber, disposable nitrile, reusable nitrile, neoprene, butyl rubber, Viton and barrier laminate types can be used. Nebraska Extension cautions against lined, latex, cotton, leather and canvas gloves as these types can be hard to clean, absorb pesticides or do not provide proper protection.
The appropriate type of respirator for the type of chemical you will be handling — even if one is not required by the product label.

7. Training
Roberts advises keeping your training up to date as things change and guidance improves — but he also cautions against thinking everyone else is doing the same.

“Don’t assume this training is out there and everyone knows about it,” he says. “In my experience, sometimes we assume everyone knows not to do certain things. You should always communicate.”

Your Next Read: EPA’s Final Herbicide Strategy Sets A New Trajectory For Applications

3 Things To Know About Testing And Repairing Nurse Tanks

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 20:24:51 GMT

Following the nurse tank safety advisory issued earlier this year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), you may find yourself needing to perform additional testing and repairs on a nurse tank. Here are three things to know:

1. Your ASME Plate Is Important
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) plate determines how a tank should be inspected and tested. If the plate is currently in good shape and valid, there is no required periodic testing or inspection. Nurse tanks with missing or illegible ASME plates need to conduct voluntary visual inspections, thickness testing and pressure testing at least every five years.

The exception, however, is if your tank is effected by the advisory that was issued. This would be tanks that were manufactured between Jan. 1, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2011 by American Welding and Tank (AMT) at its Fremont, Ohio plant. FMCSA and PHMSA strongly encourage owners of these tanks to conduct this routine testing, regardless of ASME plate status.

As far as whether or not testing should be required for all nurse tanks, Jessica Stiles of FMCSA says a change isn’t off the table.

“Any such rulemaking would take years, and we would have to get input from all of you as well,” Stiles explains on a recent Ag Retailers Association webinar. “We would have to issue a request for information, figure out what all of you would like to see, and also what kind of cost that would be to the businesses. It is on the radar. We have talked for years about how we can make improvements to nurse tanks.”

2. Recognizing Failures During Inspection
If something is failing on one of your tanks, Alex Cheng of PHMSA says it will often be obvious during a visual inspection.

“Usually there’s kind of a bulging on the nurse tank. If you notice any dents, gouges, corrosion, that’s very easy to pick up,” Cheng says. “These are really tell-tale signs to stop work, take action and see if there are any other issues with the tank.”

A failure during thickness testing depends on the volume of the tank.

Volume of <1,500 gallons: minimum head thickness is 0.203” and minimum shell thickness is 0.239”
Volume of >1,500 gallons: minimum thickness is 0.250”

“If the thickness measurements that come out from your test are less than what is cited on the ASME data plate, it doesn’t necessarily mean the tank is going to fail, and the reason why is because ASME is only using nominal thickness, whereas the thickness test is measuring the minimum thicknesses,” Cheng explains. “More information may be needed, and you may have to reach out to the manufacturer. The manufacturer can provide a report that says what the minimum thickness calculations are.”

3. Repair Rules
In order to repair a nurse tank, the repair alteration must be authorized by your local jurisdiction and your ASME plate must be attached and legible.

“There are plates that are attached, but you can’t read them. Nurse tanks with illegible ASME plates cannot be repaired,” warns PHSMA’s Leonard Majors. “Unauthorized repairs on a nurse tank will place it out of service.”

Majors adds repairs must be done in accordance with the original code of construction of the tank, follow procedures outlined in the National Board Inspection Code (NBIC), and the repair facility must have an “R” stamp.

“The “R” stamp means that they are registered and authorized through NBIC to perform repairs on pressure vessels,” Majors says. “The R stamp facility may review the ASME plate or additional information, such as thicknesses, material and construction, and use this information, as well as their expertise, to determine what type of repair should be performed.”

Following the repair, the facility will apply an additional plate to the tank, which will be marked with the “R” stamp. The original ASME plate will remain on the tank as well.

Industry News: The State of Mosaic's Phosphate Mines Post-Hurricane, AGI Facility Celebrates a Milestone

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 15:07:28 GMT

Mosaic Shares Update On Phosphate Mines Following Hurricane Milton
The Mosaic Company says all of its Florida-based employees are safe and accounted for following Hurricanes Milton and Helene, and recovery efforts have progressed well.

All of the company’s Florida production facilities have returned to normal operations with the exception of the Riverview location, which has resumed production and is expected to return to normal rates by the end of the week. The mining sites are in the process of resuming operations.

South Fort Meade is expected to return to normal operations this week and Four Corners in the next one to two weeks. This quick return to normal operations can be attributed to the proactive and orderly storm management practices that were followed.

“Many Mosaic people came together to ensure that our Florida operations were prepared for the storms, and prepared to recover,” said president and CEO Bruce Bodine. “Their efforts are particularly noteworthy given that many of our people faced significant storm impacts at home. I am extremely grateful to all of them.”

Mosaic expects the hurricane related production impacts to be in the range of 200 thousand tons to 250 thousand tons in the fourth quarter.

Biotalys Appoints Chief Business Development Officer
Biotalys has appointed Kamal El Mernissi as its chief business development officer (CBDO).

“I’m delighted to welcome Kamal to the executive committee of Biotalys,” said Simon Moroney, chairman of Biotalys. “With more than 15 years of experience in agriculture and a broad variety of leadership positions in marketing and sales, he is an excellent addition to the leadership team. The board looks forward to working with Kamal as he builds the company’s roster of partnerships, with a focus on maximizing long-term value for Biotalys and its stakeholders.”

El Mernissi comes to Biotalys from Marrone Bio Innovations (currently Pro Farm Group) and has also worked at Syngenta. In his new role, he will lead Biotalys’ efforts to secure partnerships with major agricultural players that can benefit from the Agrobody Foundry technology platform to develop biofungicides and bio-insecticides with new modes of action.

“Biotalys is uniquely positioned to bring impactful innovation to farmers seeking performance and sustainability, and I am thrilled to start this new journey with such an incredible group of talented and mission-driven colleagues and investors,” said El Mernissi. “During my initial interactions, I was impressed by the team and sensed their excitement and motivation to develop protein-based biocontrols to positively impact the wider ag community.”

AGI Saskatoon Celebrates a 10-Year Safety Milestone in No Lost Time Incidents
Ag Growth International  (AGI) celebrated a safety milestone at its Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, manufacturing facility with a ten-year no lost time incidence record.

“I commend the AGI Saskatoon team for achieving an incredible safety milestone of ten years with no lost time incidents. Their achievement demonstrates that safety, as a guiding principle, is deeply ingrained in our work culture,” says Paul Householder, AGI president & CEO. “They embody AGI’s highest global priority that every employee – regardless of where they work or the type of environment they work in – returns home at the end of each day in the exact same working condition in which they arrived.” 

A lost time incident (LTI) refers to a non-fatal injury that results in disability or an employee missing work due to an injury. An LTI measurement is a baseline representation of a company’s safety performance and the effects of those injuries on workforce productivity. 

“This achievement entirely belongs to the team’s absolute dedication to safety leadership at all levels. Their ‘winning ticket’ includes vigilance, prevention and education. They are continuously on the lookout to identify, report and fix potentially unsafe conditions and processes. That allows them to avoid hazards and near misses before someone gets hurt,” says Kris Wingert, AGI Saskatoon operations manager.

The plant, which was commissioned by Westeel in 1989, produces engineered-to-order smooth wall grain and fertilizer bins for both farm and commercial agricultural use. The ISO 9001:2015 certified facility also specializes in custom welding services provided to other AGI facilities.

“The skillset required is not robotic, but hands on. This means that multiple machines moving, lifting and transporting can create opportunities for things to go wrong. That is why having tight processes in place and maintaining a culture of ongoing education, welding certifications, and employees looking out for each other are crucial to safety,” Wingert says.

According to Harsha Bhojraj, AGI vice president of manufacturing, the Saskatoon facility is the “perfect example” of AGI’s safety vision in action.

“The AGI Saskatoon team has shown that it is possible to adjust and be safe every single day for ten years straight regardless of changing conditions -- through upturns and downturns, across day and night shifts, from summer to winter, and with new and experienced associates. Their record raises the bar for what safety excellence at AGI means,” Bhojraj says.

The Saskatoon facility is the second AGI facility to achieve 10-year no lost time status, after the AGI Olds, Alberta, location marked the milestone in 2023.

ADM Sued for Alleged Misconduct, Lack of Safety Inspections

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 14:58:25 GMT

By P.J. Huffstutter

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co intentionally failed to test and maintain safety systems on its grain equipment for years, which contributed to an explosion that immolated a worker and put him in a coma last year, according to a lawsuit filed against the company.

The explosion was part of a string of safety incidents at ADM facilities in Decatur, Illinois, site of the global grain trader’s North American headquarters.

ADM on Thursday declined to comment on the lawsuit.

The company’s shares have been under pressure this year from a global glut of grain supplies, and it is also facing U.S. government investigations related to accounting irregularities.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in Macon County Circuit Court in Illinois, alleges that worker Antonio McElrath was in a Decatur facility known as the West Plant in April 2023 when a supervisor told him to shut down a grain “leg” tube that started smoking.

An explosion occurred when the tube was opened, and McElrath was standing in its direct path, according to the lawsuit.

McElrath, now 44, was in an induced coma for two to three weeks following the accident, his attorney Timothy Shay said. “He has suffered significant injuries and is still in recovery.”

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that ADM failed to inspect or test critical safety systems in the explosion that injured McElrath and two other workers.

ADM had fire and explosion suppression systems in place to prevent problems and keep workers safe, but the systems were not working, the lawsuit alleges.

ADM’s sprawling grain and oilseed processing complex in Decatur also suffered dust explosions in 2018 and 2019, fires in 2019, and a smoldering event this summer at the West Plant, according to the lawsuit.

Separately, workers were injured from an explosion at the site’s East Plant in September 2023. And on Monday, an industrial fire broke out at ADM’s sorbitol production department of its East Plant, according to the Decatur Fire Department.

ADM has focused on safety efforts companywide, ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said in an email statement late on Thursday.

At its Decatur complex over the past year, the company has hired process safety engineers and taken other steps to improve safety in its processes, among other steps, Anderson said. “We are fully committed to learning and improving when an operational event occurs so that it does not happen again.”

(Reporting by P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Leslie Adler)

Toenail Clippings Of Farmers Needed For Chemical Exposure Research

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 14:06:53 GMT

Iowa farmers, get out your toenail clippers! Anna Proctor, a University of Iowa (UI) Ph.D. student, is collecting samples for a study she will conduct later this year using Iowa farmers’ toenails.

Proctor says the nail clippings will help assess farmers’ exposure to arsenic, pesticides and other chemicals.

“I’m trying to see what kinds of chemicals have built up in farmers’ bodies as a result of them doing their job. Farming is a super diverse occupation and there’s a lot of occupational demands that may change daily,” Proctor says. “This can result in a lot of exposures to multiple contamination sources, and these contaminates can be stored in the body.”

Essentially, Proctor wants to take an inventory of pollutants found in farmer’s bodies, using toenails as a biomarker.

Why toenails? Toenails can provide a 6- to 9-month record of a person’s exposure to the contaminants. They’re also easier to collect, handle and store than blood or urine, the typical samples used to determine environmental exposure.

“Toenails are a great noninvasive biomarker,” Proctor explains. “They measure long-term exposure rather than acute. They are stable so they’re easy to transport and store. They aren’t biohazardous material.”

Not to mention, cutting toenails is something most people do and it doesn’t require any medical expertise, she adds.

Why Farmers?

This project was created because Proctor wants to focus her career on improving the health of farmers.

“If the results of my dissertation show us what farmers in Iowa are being exposed to, we can better understand how to protect against those exposures,” she says. “To go about doing that, you need to know what the specific contaminates being built up are so you can have tailored remediation approaches to mitigate exposures to chemicals that are believed to be health hazards.”

In addition to Iowa being the nation’s top producer of corn, hogs and eggs, some parts of the state, in particular the north central region, have high levels of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater that may be tapped for drinking water, researchers explain in an Iowa City Press-Citizen article. Highly toxic, arsenic has been tied to prostate and other cancers as well as to conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders.

Although this research is starting in Iowa, Proctor believes it can be expanded.

“I want the work I’m doing now in Iowa to eventually be used on a larger scale. Since different states have different types of agricultural practices and production, I think it could be interesting to see how farmers’ contaminant profiles across the U.S. compare with each other,” she says. “However, I think it’s important to start small and prove that you have effective scientific methods before expanding to something larger.”

Proctor, who most recently worked inside Iowa hog confinements for her master’s thesis, hopes this research will provide Iowa farmers with information that could help them better protect their health.

^{Anna Proctor says this is an easy study to participate in. Photo provided by Anna Proctor.}

“I come from a family of farmers and ranchers and I take this work really seriously,” Proctor says. “Farmers are typically not at the forefront of the country’s mind, which is unfortunate considering how much work and dedication goes into food production.”

She genuinely hopes the work she produces will provide a launch point to identify further areas of research to better protect and promote farmers’ health.

“I want farmers to know that agricultural research efforts are alive and well and researchers respect and want to protect farmers, agricultural workers and members of the food production system,” Proctor adds.

Clipping Toenails Is Easy

Farmers are busy and it’s hard to pull them away from the farm. That’s one of the reasons why toenail clippings are a great way to look at exposure to chemicals.

“You don’t need to be a medical professional to cut your toenails,” Proctor says.

Information gathered will be pooled so individuals’ identity will be protected. Proctor expects the study to take about a year and she plans to provide participants with an overview of the results.

In the study’s next phase, a more targeted group of farmer participants would be recruited to gather more details about their health, lifestyle, farming practices and livestock production.

That work, which isn’t expected to begin for another year or more, could begin to provide answers about farmers’ risk for disease.

How to Join In

Iowa farmers interested in participating in the study should email Anna Proctor at arproctor@uiowa.edu and she will provide a kit that includes a clipper, bag for returning the nail clippings, and a short questionnaire. Proctor expects it will take about 10 minutes for farmers to provide the sample.

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A Robot To Replace The Need For Farmers To Go Inside the Grain Bin

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 21:33:22 GMT

The Grain Weevil powered by JLI Robotics is a mobile robot that scurries across the top of the grain inside of a storage bin performing tasks that no human should ever do. The startup Is led by Ben Johnson and Zane Zents, who are part of the AgLaunch 365 program and recently received the 2021 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize.

The Grain Weevil is a remote controlled specialized robot designed to engage with the grain directly to aerate, move and manage the grain.

“It stemmed from an idea from our family friend who is a farmer, who said, ‘hey, look, you guys build robots. Why don’t you build me a robot so I and my children never have to go into a grain bin again?’ says Johnson.

The two entrepreneurs recently joined Chip Flory on AgriTalk, and you can listen to the full interview here:

“After hearing some farmers talk about how they’ve lost a loved ones or how they themselves have gotten injured, I got really passionate about the project,” Zents says.

He describes the robot’s design that includes two augers with an auger drive system.

“It manipulates the top of the grain–basically shifts it around and levels it like you would with a shovel. It can break up clods, it can gather data and do inspections alongside your sensors you already have in the bin and it can also help you feed the extraction augers so you can have a more efficient extraction process,” Zents says.

For the team, farmer feedback has been essential in designing the robot to be effective and ready for on-farm use.

“What we’ve learned from the farmers we can’t measure– it’s the most important thing for us in designing this robot,” Johnson says and shares they will be doing on-farm testing in multiple states this year via the AgLaunch network.

The money from the MIT prize will also be used by the team to further develop and test the Grain Weevil.

Avoid “Weird Science” On the Farm

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:29:52 GMT

Remember high school chemistry demonstrations where the teacher poured two innocent-looking liquids into a beaker, and the beaker erupted into a volcano of foam? Similar, but less dramatic, chemical reactions can happen when incompatible herbicides are not mixed correctly.

“The days of glyphosate and water made us forget everything we knew about mixing farm chemicals,” says Jim Reiss, vice president of development and technical services for Precision Laboratories. “But as we return to tank mixing products, we’re dealing with complex chemistries that can be very sensitive to chemical compatibility, mixing sequence and other subtleties that can lead to big problems if they’re ignored.”

Here are considerations that can determine whether a tank of blended herbicides provides effective weed control or becomes a weird science chemical disaster.

Mix In Sequence.
“There are situations where products are compatible and work great if you mix Product A with Product B, then add Product C,” Reiss says. “But if you mix A with C then add B, it could turn to cottage cheese. Mixing sequences are detailed in the fine print on product labels, or you can use our free ‘Mix Tank App’ at precisionlabs.com to see if products are compatible. The app also details what sequence to mix them, and other information that can help prevent problems in a spray system.”

Make Sure You Use Enough Water.
“Mixing concentrated pesticides together in a 1,000-gal. solution tank with only 100 gal. or 200 gal. of water in the bottom, or in a mixing vat or induction cone without water at all, is a mixing sin,” says Dr. Bryan Young, professor of weed science at Purdue University. “Mixing instructions on labels recommend filling any mixing container half full of water before adding any product to make sure there’s enough water to absorb all the chemicals.”

Proper Mixing Takes Time.
“People will glug one jug of chemical into an inductor, then glug another one right in behind it before the first chemical can fully mix with the water or carrier,” Young says. “We’re trying to mix things as fast as we can, and we’re forcing too much chemistry to happen all at once.”

Hard Water Can Affect Chemicals.
“Glyphosate is the poster child for problems with mineral hardness,” says Dr. Fred Whitford, director of Purdue University pesticide programs. “If you’re using Glyphosate in hard water, you’re definitely not getting full effect of the glyphosate on weeds. Hardness levels above 200 mg/L of calcium can cause problems with some chemicals.”

Be Aware of Water pH and Mineral Content.
“Some chemicals, like glyphosate, work best in slightly acidic water, around 5.0 to 5.5,” Young says. “Other chemicals are more soluble at higher pH, while some pesticides may not be stable at the higher pH.”

Understand Agitation.
All spray mixes require agitation at each step of mixing, from pre-mixing through application. “Physical agitation is best,” Reiss says. “The turbulence of just pumping chemicals into a tank isn’t enough. Sloshing down the road in a transport tank isn’t enough. If a transport tank sits on the side of a road for an hour, waiting to refill a sprayer, it should be agitated before transferring to the sprayer.”

Sitting Means Separation.
If a transport tank sits for an hour on the side of the road waiting to fill a sprayer, or overnight, it should be re-agitated before use. Even if the components don’t come out of suspension and settle to the bottom of the tank, they can stratify. Stratification means the solution at the bottom of the tank is “hotter” than the layers at the top, which can lead to mysterious in-field streaking and poor weed control as the load is sprayed off.

Don’t Trust Tank Markings or Free Measuring Tubes.
The gradations on plastic transport and sprayer tanks can be off by 100 gal. in a 1,000-gal. tank. Adding enough chemicals to treat 1,000 gal. to a tank that actually only holds 900 gal. wastes money and risks over-application.

“Misjudging volume can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a spraying season,” Whitford says. “Calibrated flow meters provide good accuracy. Or, knowing that water weighs 8.34 lb. per gallon, you can weigh a tank full of water to know exactly how many gallons it actually it holds.”

The tubes and measuring cups provided with dry chemicals aren’t especially accurate. “They warn you on the tube or cup that they can be off by 7% to 10%,” he says. “A good set of scales only costs $75 to $100 and can pay for itself by not over- or under-applying.”

When in Doubt, Add Water.
If products clump, change color or look weird during mixing, add water immediately. Water is a universal solvent, and since many coagulation and consistency problems with spray mixes start with mixing chemicals too quickly or without enough water, adding water can sometimes rescue an early-stage disaster.

“But in many cases,” Young says, “once an actual chemical reaction between two products has developed, there’s no going back. It may be best to stop and clean the system while things are still flowable, because if things actually coagulate into cottage cheese, you’ll have to clean out the tank and every valve, screen and hose on the machine.”

Landus Launches New Health Insurance Program, Details Recent Acquisitions

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 19:07:44 GMT

Landus, an Iowa-based agriculture solutions and farm technology provider, has announced affordable, farmer-focused health coverage options are now available through its new Landus Health and Conduit Health program.

The initiative is powered by Momentum Ag, a Division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC, and will provide comprehensive health insurance coverage through a nationwide provider network, ensuring health care is affordable and accessible for thousands of farmers across the nation.

Momentum Ag may sound familiar to some readers. Back in January, FBN spun off its health insurance project to Patriot Growth Services , which rebranded the FBN health insurance program under the Momentum Ag moniker.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the process, Landus had previously come to a tentative agreement with a separate entity to underwrite its health insurance program, but Landus and the unnamed entity mutually decided to part ways due to lack of coverage for accidents involving motorized vehicles. Landus then pivoted to an alternative partner to launch the program, with Momentum Ag entering the equation.

According to a Landus press release, health insurance programs for farmers and their employees have been overwhelmingly expensive, and coverage has been limited across the ag industry, with farmers paying the majority of expenses out of pocket. Landus Health and Conduit Health makes health coverage available for farming operations of any size and is specifically designed with rural families’ needs in mind, the cooperative adds.

“There are plenty of people out there that are thinking about what’s happening now, but one of the key advantages is going to be investing in the farmer themselves,” says Dehra Harris, senior director - training and performance. “One of the biggest changes is actually having affordable health care insurance, and we need to make models where it comes to you. Those resources don’t mean that you’re leaving the farm for five hours at a time. This is the stuff that actually works for you.”

Landus Health and Conduit Health offers, among other benefits:

Comprehensive Coverage: Program includes $0 preventative and telemedicine along with care coordination and disease management for chronic conditions.
At-Home Access to Care: All farmers who sign up for Landus Health or Conduit Health will receive a TytoCare kit for convenient, efficient at-home access to health providers and diagnoses regardless of proximity to provider locations. According to Landus representatives, enrolled farmers, their employees, and their families can be seen by a medical professional virtually with no upfront co-pay expense via the TytoCare kit.
Affordable Program Options: Multiple program options are offered to fit every budget with solutions for employee only, employee/spouse, employee/children, or family.
Nationwide Provider Network: Available options use the Cigna nationwide network, so it’s easy to find an in-network provider wherever you are.

“We listened to our farmers. Rural vitality is central to our mission here at Landus, and affordable, high quality health coverage is a key part of that,” said Matt Carstens, Landus and Conduit president & CEO. “I look forward to partnering with a farmer-focused company like Momentum Ag to get this critical support in the hands of farmers.”

Additional developments

Landus also shared the following news items this week:

The acquisition of DSM Advantage, a strategic move that marks the launch of a new freight brokering division, Landus Advantage. The cooperative says the addition will increase its ability to support farmers with quality freight service year-round. By entering the freight brokering industry, Landus is now positioned to offer its farmer-members and other customers competitive freight rates, reliable service, and a streamlined experience, according to the cooperative.
The acquisition of independent, Iowa-based distributor Wickman Chemical, which Landus says will bolster a variety of chemical products and service offerings for customers in Iowa and Kansas. The acquisition also opens up Wickman Chemical’s customer base to have access to all that Landus has to offer. The purchase agreement will go into effect on October 1, 2024.
A collaborative venture with Wessels Oil Company to spur the creation of Landus Energy, which the cooperative says will significantly enhance the customer experience for both Landus and Wessels Oil Co. and deliver energy products (off-road diesel, regular diesel, gasoline, LP, etc.) to Landus customers.

The financial terms of both deals were not disclosed as of press time.

You can visit Landus.ag to learn more.

Your Next Read: How Landus Is Blazing A New Path in Ag Retail

Final Rule on Chlorpyrifos Is In With These Important Exceptions

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:29:58 GMT

The EPA recently announced changes to several chlorpyrifos products. The organization has issued a final cancellation order for:
• Corteva’s Dursban 50W in Water Soluble Packets
• Three Gharda chlorpyrifos products

An amendment to the existing stocks provisions will also go into effect for:
• Two Liberty chlorpyrifos end-use products
• Three Winfield chlorpyrifos end-use products

Chlorpyrifos has been in use as a pesticide since 1965 but has undergone review several times over the past couple of decades . Certain uses of it have been phased out over time, buffer zones have been increased and worker safety requirements have been enhanced.

Most recently, in August 2021, EPA issued a final rule revoking all tolerances of the chemical – effective Feb. 28, 2022. This stopped the use of chlorpyrifos on all food and animal feed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit then issued a ruling in Nov. 2023 that reinstated tolerances.

At this time, all the chlorpyrifos tolerances have been reinstated and are currently in effect, however, EPA expects to issue a proposed rule this year to revoke the tolerances associated with the chemical – though there will be 11 exceptions.

Among those exceptions will be chlorpyrifos use in:
• Alfalfa
• Apple
• Asparagus
• Cherry (tart)
• Citrus
• Cotton
• Peach
• Soybean
• Strawberry
• Sugar beet
• Spring and winter wheat

These use tolerances will come with additional restrictions for location, rate of application, and precautions to protect farmworkers, vulnerable populations, and vulnerable species and their habitats.

According to the EPA, this proposal could decrease the average annual pounds of chlorpyrifos applied in the U.S. by 70%.

Asian Longhorned Tick Now Found in 19 States

Wed, 08 May 2024 13:08:21 GMT

Ticks are an issue beef and dairy producers and veterinarians contend with every year. But not all ticks warrant the description USDA offers for the Asian longhorned tick – “invasive pests that pose a serious threat to livestock.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in April 2023 that Asian longhorned ticks (ALT) have been found in 19 states: Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

When Bovine Veterinarian (a Farm Journal publication) first reported on ALT (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in 2022, it was in 17 states.

Since then, Indiana and Massachusetts have been added to the list.

ALTs Like To Feed On Cattle
The ticks, which originated in East Asia, feed on many hosts, including beef and dairy cattle. Large numbers of ALTs can infest a single host, impacting growth, performance and milk production.

ALT also carry Theileria orientalis (Ikeda genotype), a protozoal organism that causes disease in cattle by infecting red blood cells.

In some regions of New Zealand and Australia, for instance, the tick can reduce production in dairy cattle by an estimated 25%.

In extreme cases, an infestation of ALT can cause bovine deaths, due to blood loss.

An Ohio State University (OSU) assistant professor in veterinary preventive medicine, Risa Pesapane, found that to be the case in 2021. A farmer called OSU to report three of his 18 cattle, heavily infested with the ticks, had died.

“One of those was a healthy male bull, about 5 years old. Enormous. To have been taken down by exsanguination by ticks, you can imagine that was tens of thousands of ticks on one animal,” said Pesapane, in a press release developed by Emily Caldwell, OSU staff writer.

‘Huge Numbers’ Are Often Found
An analysis published in the Journal of Medical Entomology reveals that scientists gathered nearly 10,000 ticks in roughly 90 minutes in the Ohio cow pasture. As a result, Pesapane estimated there were more than 1 million ALT in the roughly 25-acre pasture.

“Where the habitat is ideal, and anecdotally it seems that unmowed pastures are an ideal location, there’s little stopping them from generating these huge numbers,” she said.

One of the factors that make the ALT so difficult to control is the females can reproduce asexually. Researchers say each female can lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service website says “it only takes a single Asian longhorned tick to create a population in a new location.”

Target Control Methods Early
Despite applications of pesticides, the ALTs were still present in the Ohio pasture in 2022, the following year, making them what Pesapane called a “long-term management problem.”

“For a variety of reasons, I tell people you cannot spray your way out of an Asian longhorned tick infestation – it will require an integrated approach,” Pesapane said in the news release.

“It would be wisest to target them early in the season when adults become active, before they lay eggs, because then you would limit how many will hatch and reproduce in subsequent years,” she added.

To learn more about how to control ALT, producers and veterinarians can tap into these two resources:

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners addresses control of ALTs in its Have You Herd podcast, which is available here .

Virginia Cooperative Extension offers the online resource, “Managing the Asian Longhorned Tick: Checklist for Best Management Practices for Cattle Producers.”

Stop the “If Only This Would Happen” Game Now

Tue, 07 May 2024 21:09:35 GMT

You need to do what you need to do to make your life better. Is it really that simple? Ted Matthews, a mental health practitioner with Rural Minnesota Mental Health Support , told AgriTalk’s Chip Flory that far too many people hear mental health and immediately think mental illness.

For many farmers that Matthews talks to, it’s “not that bad.” Farmers say they can handle the stress, Matthews says. This works until it doesn’t.

“We’re constantly pressured into this concept that it has to get to a certain point before we take care of ourselves,” Matthews explains. “And that’s absolutely stupid.”

Instead, farmers need to take care of themselves now, so they don’t have to worry about going down that road later.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Not only is it a time to address the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions, but it’s also a reminder to take care of your mental health.

“Everybody’s different,” Matthews says. What drives one farmer crazy may not phase another farmer at all. He encourages people to take a step back when stress sets in and evaluate what’s under their control and what’s not.

“We can’t control the water. We can’t control the sun. We can’t control a lot of different things,” he says. “But we can focus on the things we can control. That will give us enough energy to get those things done. Far too often I see people get so wrapped up in all the things that they can’t do, that they end up not doing the things they can do because they’re so stressed.

Knowledge, however, doesn’t always result in the stress going away.

“Just because I know something, doesn’t mean I’m not going to get stressed,” he explains. “That’s something that we always need to look at. I always tell people, be nice. Take care of yourself. Do what you need to do to make your life better.”

Click here to download the eBook “Your Guide to Mental Health.”

Matthews says if you want to be more supportive of a farmer, say, “It must be really hard,” and let them tell you how they’re feeling about it. Don’t tell them what they should feel. Let them tell you what they do feel.

Everyone is always racing around like they’re at the Indy 500, he adds.

“I’m not saying it’s not important to get the crop in, but if you can take an extra half hour to have a cup of coffee, take an extra 10 minutes to talk to your wife or your kids or both, it will help,” Matthews says. “Take care of that end so it does not become an overwhelming stressor.”

Remember that your thoughts matter. When stress sets in, ask yourself these questions:
-What can I do to make life better?
-How can I listen better?
-How can I take care of myself better?
-How can I look at my mental health in a way that says, ‘I’m feeling better, and if I’m not, I’m responsible to make myself feel better.’

It’s time to stop waiting on others to step in, he adds.

“If only they would do this. If this happened, then I would (fill in the blank),” Matthews says. “Stop thinking those thoughts because we have no control over them. Focus on the things you do have control over, and you’re going to be a healthier person.”

Read More:

Mental Health on the Farm: One Swine Production Manager’s Story

5 Ways to Work Through Difficult Times

By Her Own Hand: A Farm Girl’s Miraculous Journey from Death to Hope

Pay Attention to Warning Signs of Stress

Lack of Understanding Leads to Loneliness in Farmers

Toxic Grit: Is Our Greatest Strength Our Greatest Weakness on the Farm?

Stress: Action is Key

Farmers, Ranchers Have Ways to Manage Stress

Suicide Prevention: Your Worth Isn’t Measured By The Markets

Don’t Let Social Distancing Lead to Social Isolation

Connect With Farmers In-Person On Mental Health

Simple, Daily Habits to Help Manage Stress

Pay Attention to Warning Signs of Stress

When Your Trampoline Breaks: Avoid Isolation

7 Steps to Reduce Farm and Financial Stress

How and Why to Laugh, Even When it’s Hard

Watch for Signs of Suicidal Risk on Your Farm

Wild Pigs Kill More People Than Sharks, Shocking New Research Reveals

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:43:28 GMT

Hogzilla or Jaws? More humans are killed annually by wild pigs than by sharks, a startling new study reveals. By slice, puncture, hook, and gouge, the global number of fatalities from wild pig attacks is rising by the decade.

Between 2014 and 2023, the average yearly number of fatal shark attacks worldwide was 5.8, while the average number of fatal wild pig attacks was 19.7. In 2024 alone, there have already been seven deaths from wild pig incidents.

According to groundbreaking research published in 2023, the number of humans killed by wild pig attacks steadily climbed from 2000 to 2019, for a total of 172 deaths—including a freakishly grisly fatality in southeast Texas.

“Most of the public doesn’t know the facts about wild pig attacks on humans,” says John J. Mayer, lead author of the study and wild pig research pioneer. “It’s not sharks, wolves, or bears that kill the most people—it’s wild pigs, and the numbers are consistently trending up.”

1,532 Attacks and 172 Deaths

In 1973, well before the global pig bomb exploded, Mayer began noting wild pigs’ capacity for habitat destruction. At a steady drip, he also heard anecdotes of pig attacks on humans. Although many of the stories initially could not be verified, by the 1990s Mayer accumulated a folder bulging with confirmed encounters, and in 2013, he published research detailing wild pig attacks.

The public reaction to his findings surprised Mayer: “I got a significant number of negative responses from people who refused to believe wild pigs were dangerous. I had people telling me the stories of attacks on humans were pure nonsense. Interestingly, if you asked those same people about sharks, they would, to a person, say that sharks are dangerous.”

A decade later, after collating a global dragnet of sources with colleagues James Garabedian and John Kilgo, both USDA wildlife biologists, Mayer published Human Fatalities Resulting From Wild Pig Attacks Worldwide: 2000–2019 , and the report is packed with eye-opening detail: 1,532 wild pig attacks on humans from 2000-2019, resulting in 172 human deaths in 29 countries.

Of the 172 fatalities, 88% occurred in non-hunting circumstances; 77% of victims died due to blood loss; 86% of attacks occurred in daylight; 84% of victims were male and 62% of victims were adults; 38% of attacks involved farm workers engaged in agriculture; almost all attacks were by solitary pigs, except for 20 encounters featuring multiple pigs; and average pig size in each incident was 240 lb.

“Tigers, Indian elephants, Nile crocodiles, and venomous snakes kill more people than wild pigs, but wild pigs are certainly worse than bears, wolves, and all shark species put together,” says Mayer, technical program manager at the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, S.C. “Wild pigs are nowhere near the worst of the worst, but they’re far more dangerous than people believe.”

“These attacks can be horrific,” Mayer adds. “Typically, wild pigs don’t bother anyone if they don’t feel threatened, but they can deliver tremendous damage to the human body in a matter of seconds in a very gruesome manner. We found that in fatal attacks, 55% of people died on the scene. A wild pig is at the waist to knee range for most humans, and when pigs slash in that area, they do tremendous damage to the arterial system.”

Sincerely. Boars deliver stab-and-slash wounds, often around the groin area, with tusks that operate as nails and razors.

7x Predatory

Boar tusks are extremely sharp, with 60-70% of a canine enclosed in the jaw and roughly 1”-4” outside the socket. The upper and lower tusks rub against one another each time a boar opens and closes its mouth, honing the lower tusks into cutters via a perpetual sharpening process.

“Boars punch holes with their tusks, making rough-edged slashes and gouges,” Mayer describes. “They can also break bones with a powerful bite. Sows have smaller tusks, proportionally almost like dogs, so a sow tends to bite, rather than stab or slash. Therefore, most fatal attacks are by males with large canines, and often to the inner leg and femoral artery. On top of that, they can run in short bursts up to 30 to 35 miles per hour.”

Mayer’s benchmark report makes clear that almost all fatal wild pig attacks are associated with defensive behaviors. However, he documented seven attacks “during which the pig’s behaviors appeared to be predatory.”

“If they can get their mouths around something, they’ll eat it. It’s rare, but without question, they sometimes attack unprovoked,” Mayer notes. “We found one case in India where a young girl was walking with her father when a wild pig emerged from brush, grabbed her and picked her up in its jaws, and carried her away. The father gave chase and caught up, but both the father and daughter ended up in the hospital and the little girl died from her wounds.”

“And then there was the 2019 case in Texas where a lady endured the worst,” he adds. “That case is as terrible as it gets.”

As in, maneater. Wild pigs as maneaters.

Feeding Frenzy

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 24, 2019, arguably ranks as the most savage wild pig attack on record.

As caregiver at the home of an elderly couple living in rural Chambers County, Christine Rollins, 59, arrived to work at roughly 6 a.m., in clockwork fashion. Rollins parked a Chrysler sedan in the yard of the well-kept property, directly beside the driveway, and exited her vehicle. She likely was dead within minutes, partially consumed while alive.

At approximately 7:45 a.m. law enforcement arrived at the property and found Rollins—5’1” and 130 lb.—on her back against the manicured lawn, 6’ from the Chrysler. Rollins’ clothing was torn away. A shirt and jacket were bunched high on her torso; pants and shoes were gone.

Her body, head to toe, was a roadmap of injuries—bites, punctures, and lacerations, including large portions of her legs devoid of flesh. Gone. Eaten.

Arriving on site as an investigation unfolded, nothing in Sheriff Brian Hawthorne’s 35-year southeast Texas career prepared him for the scene.

“I’d never seen anything like it in my life,” he recalls. “Miss Rollins was annihilated. A third of her body was mutilated and in ghastly condition. We could see that she’d been attacked by wild animals and we could see clear signs of hog rooting in the yard. The area around the property was rural and partially wooded, and the elderly owners told us they had major wild hog problems.”

“The owners also had two dogs outside, a 14-year-old Lab and a dachshund, a classic wiener dog. The Lab was extremely friendly toward us and was happy to see the deputies.”

Designated as an “unknown death,” the incident automatically triggered a criminal investigation. Hawthorne reserved judgement, pending an autopsy.

The autopsy was telltale.

“It was tragic. Miss Rollins bled to death,” Hawthorne says. “She had wounds over her whole body, but the lower extremities were horrific. People tried to attribute the attack to dogs, but the evidence was clearly to the contrary. The pathologist found no canine bites on the body. There certainly were bites and tusk marks of all sizes and different widths, but they were made by hogs. Material was sent to labs for DNA testing, and those results confirmed the wild hog attack.”

“It can only be speculation, but we believe she exited her car while the wild pigs were coming around the house,” he continues. “Initially, she was an obstruction, but then became the center of a feeding frenzy by multiple adult hogs and multiple juveniles of various sizes. I’d compare it to the frenzy of domesticated pigs when slop is dumped in a pen, or the frenzy normally associated with sharks at feeding.”

Glaringly, the 2019 wild pig attack in Chambers County accords with Mayer’s research and study. “Every part of me wishes Christine Rollins’ death was attributable to something other than wild hogs, but every bit of evidence says it’s not so,” Hawthorne concludes. “This attack was an exception, but I tell people all the time: Wild hogs are problematic and a danger to be around. Period.”

No More Skeptics

Why do most of the attacks and deaths from wild pigs go unnoticed? Over half (51%) of all fatal pig attacks occur in India, followed by China (8%), with the U.S. well behind at six recorded fatalities in the past 100 years, as noted in Human Fatalities Resulting From Wild Pig Attacks Worldwide: 2000–2019 .

However, the attack rate is trending up everywhere, Mayer says. “In the last 30 years, the global wild pig population has exploded, and we expect encounters to climb alongside, and now the news media is also catching up and the data is more available. In America, for example, I’m certain there were more wild pig fatalities in the past century, but those accounts were never documented. No doubt, there are more lost in family histories.”

In the early 1970s, when Mayer first began giving presentations on wild pig expansion, he was met with puzzled looks and a frequent question: “Why study an animal with no relevance?”

Fifty years later, with the U.S. wild pig population ballooning to 7 million, and annual damage to the agriculture economy at $1.5 billion, according to USDA estimates, no one questions Mayer over the impact of wild pigs.

“You hear about shark attacks all the time in the news, but you almost never hear about wild pig attacks. I hope our study increases awareness about wild pigs and makes people more cautious,” he says. “Wild pig attacks are rare and fatal attacks are rarer, but the rate is still much, much higher than people think—high enough to place wild pigs over sharks in cause of death.”

Sincerely. By the numbers, Hogzilla defeats Jaws.

For more articles from Chris Bennett ( cbennett@farmjournal.com or 662-592-1106), see:

Corn and Cocaine: Roger Reaves and the Most Incredible Farm Story Never Told

American Gothic: Farm Couple Nailed In Massive $9M Crop Insurance Fraud

Priceless Pistol Found After Decades Lost in Farmhouse Attic

Cottonmouth Farmer: The Insane Tale of a Buck-Wild Scheme to Corner the Snake Venom Market

Tractorcade: How an Epic Convoy and Legendary Farmer Army Shook Washington, D.C.

Bizarre Mystery of Mummified Coon Dog Solved After 40 Years

While America Slept, China Stole the Farm

Are You Disposing Pesticides Properly? Here’s How to Know

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:57:35 GMT

As you prepare to spray fields this spring, consider these tips to ensure you’re complying with federal regulations when it comes to pesticide disposal.

In a recent webinar held by the Agricultural Retailers Association, Carlye Patterson, associate at Faegre Drinker law firm in Des Moines, shared anyone disposing pesticides needs to check the instructions on the pesticide label, state and local laws, and the EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. However, she says the first step to proper disposal begins before the pesticide is even used.

“The user needs to aim to only mix enough pesticide for the job,” Patterson says. “Then, if there is any extra product they can’t use or can’t be mixed into the sprayer, the product needs to be stored according to regulations.”

Disposal Programs
If you are storing leftover, unused pesticides, Patterson shares one option for disposal is to find a local waste management program.

“Each state actually has its own Clean Sweep program which will dispose of the pesticides for farmers and commercial users,” she says.

Because these programs vary state to state, The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance has created a database on its website with the necessary information for each program – including who to contact, who can participate, and what’s eligible.

It’s important to note that according to the EPA, farmers and commercial users generally cannot dispose of pesticides in household hazardous waste programs that may be offered outside of Clean Sweep.

Container Disposal
Pesticide containers have different regulations for disposal than the pesticides themselves.

Patterson says depending on the type of container, one of two methods can typically be used to prepare it for recycling and disposal.

“Triple rinsing involves flushing the container three times and pouring the rinse water into your applicator tank and induction cone,” she says. “Pressure rinse, on the other hand, is for plastic containers. It has a special nozzle, and it punctures the container and the rinse water goes into the applicator tank.”

The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance also recommends rinsing containers as soon as they are emptied. They warn leaving the container too long without rinsing will lead to dried residue that is nearly impossible to clean.

New Purdue Report Says The Number Of Dust Explosions Is Unchanged

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:46:17 GMT

According to a newly issued report from Purdue University , the number of incidents related to grain dust explosions did not increase in 2023.

The report says there was a total of nine reported incidents in the U.S. last year – the same number as 2022. Those nine explosions led to 12 injuries with no fatalities.

The 10-year average of grain dust explosions also remained the same at 8.4, which the university notes is much lower than it has been in the past – thanks to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s grain handling standard.

“Dust explosions are one of the most serious hazards that can occur in the grain industry,” said Kingsly Ambrose, Purdue University professor of agricultural and biological engineering and author of the report. “The explosions can also lead to significant financial and personal losses from downtime, repair, injuries and fatalities.”
The report says explosions occurred in the following states:

Illinois (3)
Minnesota (3)
Iowa (2)
Indiana (1)

The types of facilities involved included:

An ethanol plant.
A wheat mill.
Two grain elevators.
Two soybean processing plants.
Two corn processing plants.
One corncob processing plant.

A closer look at the explosions showed a probable ignition source of fire at two of the facilities and equipment malfunction at one. The remaining sources are unknown.

To help combat the issue, Ambrose shares grain facilities need hands-on education materials to increase awareness of grain dust explosion prevention techniques within their staff.

“There is a critical need to educate the workers and employers on dust explosion prevention within a facility, including assessments of dust accumulation and dust explosion protection methods,” he said.

Click here to view more information related to grain dust explosions in the U.S. from Purdue’s database.

She Found Her Fiancé Clinging to Life After a Major Anhydrous Leak and Then Miraculously Helped Save Him

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 23:04:13 GMT

This story originally aired on U.S. Farm Report in December 2023. One year after the accident occurred, we are once again sharing the miraculous rescue during our 2024 Harvest of Thanks Special.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

It was calm across the rolling fields of central Iowa on Nov. 19, 2023. It was a Sunday, and Kendra Vander Leest says it was prime for fall fieldwork.

“Before lunch, Joe decided it was fit to pull ammonia,” Kendra says.

Her fiancé, Joe Rempe, spent all afternoon in the field that day applying anhydrous ammonia.

“When evening rolled around, I checked on his Life360 and everything seemed fine at that point.

About 7:30 p.m., she heard the tractor crawling toward the house. She thought it meant Joe was calling it quits for the night.

“I was in the kitchen making our daughter Josie’s bedtime bottle and prepping her bottles for daycare on Monday. I went to put her bottles in our daycare bag and happened to look up, out the window, and I saw the tractor and a plume of anhydrous smoke. At that point, it was like time started moving really slowly,” Kendra says.

A Giant Plume of Smoke

Seeing that plume of smoke, and knowing what it was, her heart dropped.

“I knew it was Joe,” she recalls. “I knew instantly it was Joe. I knew what I was seeing, but it was just surreal.”

Full of fear, she rushed to grab her phone.

“As I’m running up the steps, I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s gone. There’s no way.’ As bad as that is, I thought there’s no way [he’s alive].”

She decided to call him, knowing Joe might not be alive to answer.

“I knew I couldn’t run out there into the plume. Otherwise, I would wind up dead or hurt. So, I called him and he answered,” she says.

“I think she said, ‘Joe!’ All I could say was ‘help me,’” he remembers.

“I hung up and called 911, but I knew by the way he said ‘help me’ he was badly hurt,” Kendra recalls.

The 911 Call

Farm Journal was able to track down the 911 call Kendra made that day.

“Pella 911, where’s your emergency?” says the dispatcher.

“We have an anhydrous ammonia accident,” Kendra says. “I need an ambulance. I need a HazMat crew. This is bad, bad.”

The 911 call even captured the moment Kendra ran outside her house and found Joe.

“I’m on the phone with 911. You need water? Oh, God,” you can hear Kendra say. “Just lay down. I’m going to get water. Lay down. I’m going to get water.”

“All right, he inhaled?” you can hear the 911 dispatch operator ask.

“Yes, his lungs are burned. He said his lungs are burning,” Kendra says.

“The tank is completely unloading, but there’s no houses nearby for anyone to get hurt. It’s, it’s bad,” she says.

Kendra Found Joe Clinging to Life

Kendra says when she rushed outside her house, she found Joe crawling on the gravel road, which was about 200 yards from the tractor. She says he was fighting for his life.

“I could hear him coughing. He was crawling toward the house, and as soon as he heard me, he just collapsed,” she says.

Kendra says the second she saw the plume of smoke, she immediately knew it was anhydrous. That’s because her full-time job is with the Iowa Department of Agriculture in the Feed and Fertilizer Bureau. Part of her job is conducting anhydrous ammonia inspections at retailer facilities across the state. From her training and experience, she knew exactly how bad the damage could be.

“He didn’t have any burns on his skin, so the water I grabbed didn’t really do any good. There was nothing for me to dump the water on. All his burns were internal in his nasal cavities, his throat, his lungs, those were all burned,” she says.

“I was badly luck burned inside,” Joe says.

Fire and rescue responded, and a Life Flight carried Joe to Des Moines. From there, he was transferred to Iowa City.

The Anhydrous Accident

As Kendra was driving to the hospital, she still didn’t know what had just transpired in the field. All she knew is Joe was applying anhydrous, something he’s done for nearly 30 years.

“I had just got hooked up to a new set of twins [anhydrous tanks],” Joe says.

Typically, the anhydrous tanks have a hose holder, but he says that pair of tanks they had received did not.

“So, I tried to put a loop on the hoses. Well, my hose must have come loose. And when I was turning on the corner, the left front tire of the twin tank must have run over my hose and then broke the front or pulled the threads out. And the hose came apart,” he says.

He was toward the back of a nearby field when he heard a pop, and gas immediately started shooting straight toward tractor.

“Gas was blowing right at me. It was hitting the back of the cab, the vapor, and going around the tractor,” Joe says.

He tried to turn different directions to change where the smoke was shooting, but he says there was no wind that day. So, it didn’t do any good.

“The whole field was turned into fog, and I knew I had to go to Plan B. I did not know what to do,” he says.

That’s when Joe decided his only option was to head toward the house, all while he couldn’t see and was losing his ability to breathe.

“I knew where the bottom terrace would come out, so I knew I could follow the terrace,” he remembers.

But as he got to a crossing that was in a low spot of the field, he says he couldn’t see anything.

“I lost where I was. I just drove by feel,” he remembers.

Somehow, Joe made it past the crossing, and at that point, the smoke cleared enough to see a gravel road.

“I came east towards the house, and when I crested the hill I was blacking out, because I was losing air. And I really thought I was pretty close to dying,” he says.

At that point, the tractor stopped moving. Inside the cab of the tractor, Joe’s eyes were already so badly burned, he couldn’t see his phone to call 911 or Kendra.

“And I remember I was so darn scared to get out of the tractor. I only pulled 1.1 acres off that tank, so I knew that sucker had a lot of anhydrous in it, and it kept blowing at the tractor. I was so scared to get out, but I knew I had to because it was my only choice.”

At that point, Joe put on a sweatshirt he had with him, as a way to protect his skin. He also grabbed a bottle of water he knew he had on the floor. After he climbed out of the tractor cab, he tried to run toward the house, but he quickly ran out of air.

“And I went down, so I started crawling,” he says.

Diagnosis: Extensive Internal Burns

When Joe was airlifted to a Des Moines hospital, Kendra says she still didn’t know if he was going to survive.

“Two doctors came in and told us what was going on. They told us they could not intubate him because his throat was swelling shut. And so they cut in a cricothyrotomy, which is an emergency trach, to get air to him,” she says.

The doctors used saline bags with tubes to try and flush his eyes out. Once in Iowa City, Kendra learned even more.

“When I got to Iowa City, they said that he had grade one to grade two burns in his sinus cavities, throat and deep into his lungs,” says Kendra. “It basically burnt his vocal cords, his voice box, and his mouth and tongue were completely swollen.”

Kendra says the anhydrous burned the outer-most layer of his eyes, and even today, Joe can’t see enough to read, nor can he stand bright light.

“The only thing the eye doctor said he can’t fix is the dry eyes. So, he’ll just take gel eyedrops forever, but considering everything that happened, we will take that,” she says.

Kendra Nursed Joe Back to Health

Joe spent 10 days in the hospital, but the real work for Kendra started when they sent Joe home.

“I have taken about a month off work, and the nurses trained me how to take care of him, how to administer his meds, and crush medications,” she says.

It’s something Kendra does every 45 minutes. A home health nurse comes twice a week, but the best nurse, Joe says, is Kendra.

“She’s…. good,” says Joe.

“She Saved Me.”

In this Christmas miracle, Joe knows Kendra is his angel.

“She saved me, there is no doubt in my mind,” he says.

In Joe’s eyes, November 19, 2023, is filled with many miracles, including Kendra seeing that something wasn’t right.

“If she was over there, or another spot, she wouldn’t have seen me. She had to be right there, and she happened to be looking [outside]. I would say there was about 15 to 20 miracles from that tractor to the corner of the yard, to Des Moines and to Iowa City.”

Joe fought for his life that day and now shares his story of survival.

“I started yelling to myself, in my head, ‘You cannot die. You cannot leave Kendra by herself,’” he says.

Joe’s story of survival is also thanks to Kendra, who’s cherishing the fact she can celebrate this Christmas with all their family.

Explosion at ADM’s Decatur Facility: What We Know

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 14:53:34 GMT

On Sunday evening at approximately 7:11 p.m. there was an explosion within ADM’s Decatur, Ill., processing complex. This is ADM’s largest facility globally.

On Monday ADM confirmed the East plant, which produces soybean oil and white flake for soybean protein production, is down. The adjacent corn processing plant is also temporarily down, with the company saying it is working to safely resume its operations.

Reuters reports it has a soybean crushing plant on site as well as one of the largest corn wet mills in the world.

The incident has injured eight people, of which six were taken to the hospital. WAND-TV reports four Medivac helicopters airlifted the injured from Decatur Memorial Hospital to trauma centers for higher level of care. As of Tuesday morning, five ADM employees remain in the hospital.

The resulting fire was brought under control before Monday morning . The cause for the explosion is still unknown and being investigated.

Read more details from WAND-TV

Purdue Study: Grain Entrapments Rise to Highest Level in a Decade

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 13:40:07 GMT

The Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program released the 2022 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-Related Injuries and Fatalities, which showed a 40.7% increase in the number of reported cases from 2021 to 2022.

Of the 83 incidents reported, 42 were grain-related entrapments, which made up 44.8% of cases — the highest number reported in over a decade. Because not every case is reported, these numbers are approximate.

States having the most documented confined space cases of all types in 2022, including fatal and non-fatal, were Iowa (24), Indiana (6), Minnesota (6), and Ohio (6). The report findings follow the aftermath of a grain elevator collapse in Tynan, Texas outside of Corpus Christi where silos ruptured and collapsed causing fatalities on the July 4 holiday.

Out-of-condition grain plays a large role in raising the risk for accidents.

“Many entrapments result from someone entering a bin or structure to break loose clumped, spoiled grain. Keep the grain in good condition to eliminate the need to enter the bin,” says Edward Sheldon, research associate, Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program .

Purdue urges farmers and agribusiness employers to recognize the hazards of grain bins, silos, manure storage and other confined spaces and use educational resources, such as Gearing Up for Safety by Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Related News:

Rural Heroes: John Deere Supports Volunteer Firefighters With Documentary Film

To the Rescue: First Responders With the Right Tools Can Make the Difference in Grain Bin Accidents

Close Call to Story of Survival: How a Missouri Farmer Beat Death After Trapped In Grain Bin for 2.5 Hours

Exclusive: Iowa Man Explains How He Miraculously Walked Out of a Grain Bin After Frightening 2-Hour Entrapment

Smoky Skies and Reduced Air Quality Return to the Midwest and Mid-South

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 19:11:18 GMT

Wildfire smoke from Canada returned to the upper Midwest and extended to the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic this week, resulting in poor air quality in some regions along with reduced visibility.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a report on Wednesday, saying “wildfire smoke from Canada will reduce air quality over parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Western Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic, prompting Air Quality Warnings over the area.”

Unhealthy levels of pollutants from the smoke spread across states in those regions including most of Michigan and Wisconsin and parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, according to tracker AirNow.gov.

The NWS is encouraging anyone with underlying lung conditions or asthma – especially children and the elderly – to limit their time outdoors in those regions affected by wildfire smoke.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) advises monitoring pets and farm animals that could also be affected by the smoke.

“If you can see or feel the effects of smoke yourself, you also should take precautions to keep your animals – both pets and livestock – safe,” the AVMA encourages.

The wildfires range from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, and 239 were categorized by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) on Tuesday as being “out of control.”

Reuters reports that Canada is wrestling with its worst-ever start to the wildfire season, which has already burned 6.5 million hectares (16 million acres), an area a little bigger than West Virginia.

Little Concern For Crops, So Far

USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey told Farm Journal editors last week that he doesn’t believe smoke from the fires – some of which have been burning several weeks now – has had any direct impact on row crops so far.

His greater concern is the indirect impact the smoke could have on crops, especially corn. Specifically, a concentration of smoke over a period of several weeks could contribute to lower temperatures and fewer growing degree units (GDUs) because of reduced solar radiation, Rippey explains.

Sunlight is critical for corn to maximize photosynthesis and crop yield, adds Mark Jeschke, Pioneer agronomy manager, in his in-depth online article, Is Smoke from Wildfires Affecting Crop Yields?

“Among the many potential effects on crop growth (from smoke coverage) are three primary factors with the capability to directly impact photosynthesis: reduced sunlight intensity, increased sunlight diffusion, and increased ozone (O3) levels,” Jeschke writes.

“Corn, in particular, is susceptible to reduced yields and reduced standability if the plants need to remobilize carbohydrates from the stalk to make up for a deficit in photosynthesis,” he adds. “This weakens the stalks and opens the door for stalk rot pathogens.”

Rural Heroes: John Deere Supports Volunteer Firefighters With Documentary Film

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 18:42:33 GMT

Farming looks different when you are saving your neighbor’s farm.

Rural America is tightly woven by the threads of community. While the population is increasing, the number of volunteer firefighters is dwindling rapidly. John Deere and the National Volunteer Fire Council recognize the deficit and have partnered to educate and recruit volunteer firefighters to the call through their documentary film “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat.”

Approximately 75% of our country is protected by volunteer first responders, many of them farmers and ranchers. With their working knowledge of farm systems, building construction, mechanics, and an intrinsic passion for serving, they are ideal volunteer firefighters. With the recent spike in equipment costs and fuel, lack of training resources, and the growing population, rural fire departments have seen a large decline in both personnel and infrastructure. The COVID pandemic shut down many training opportunities for volunteer firefighters. An overall lack of time and bandwidth due to farm operation requirements and other family obligations for potential volunteers is also stunting the growth of the volunteer fire service as a whole.

Volunteer fire departments have been greatly affected by the rapid inflation of equipment costs, fuel, and insurance for members. A new engine now costs, on average, $500,000 to $1 million. A new ambulance can have a price tag of more than $200,000. Many volunteer fire departments have resigned themselves to purchasing well-used and, in many cases, older emergency response vehicles just to have the ability to mitigate emergencies. These departments often have to cover the cost of gear and equipment in order to keep the service open.

Why John Deere Supports Firefighters

The company’s founder, John Deere, was a volunteer firefighter in the 1800s. Today, Deere employees volunteer their time and expertise to support volunteer fire departments across the country.

Nate Clark, John Deere’s global director for corporate social responsibility and president of the John Deere Foundation, said Deere’s employees reported more than 13,000 hours volunteering as firefighters and emergency responders in 2022. John Deere, himself, fell victim to two fires before moving his business to Moline, Iowa. He never forgot the need to have emergency services directly on the site of his factory and built the Deere Hose Company in the 1870s.

Together, John Deere and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have joined forces to support the new documentary film “Odd Hours, No Pay, Cool Hat.” The idea for the film came from the rich heritage of community partnership and volunteer service that has been paramount to protecting those in their greatest time of need. Farmers and firefighters often work hand in hand to respond to emergency calls for service during snow and thunderstorms. My husband has personally witnessed farmers bringing their own farm equipment to the homes of their neighbors to assist with the removal of trees in the aftermath of a tornado that swept through our area earlier this spring. Farmers are often seen at the site of field fires cultivating the farm ground to prevent expansion.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, emergency medical response accounts for nearly 75% of all emergency calls for service. Though only a small percentage of these medical calls are for truly life-threatening situations, the dwindling number of EMS providers available to volunteer their time to respond to these calls only taxes the medically trained that much more. Farmers are human too. As is often the case, the farmer/volunteer firefighter will come home after a 16+ hour day in the fields or tending to the animals and go to bed exhausted. A call for emergency response will be toned out at 3 a.m. at the house of a neighbor or colleague, and the farmer will get out of bed, get dressed, and respond to help in any capacity he or she can at that time. The sense of obligation to protect lives deep in the hearts of volunteer firefighters and their efforts deserved to be highlighted.

These valiant efforts were not lost on John Deere Corporation and the National Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, who teamed up to highlight the sacrifices of farmers who give more to their communities than just a farm. The film is the result of countless hours of research by both organizations to benefit rural volunteer firefighters and their communities.

How You Can Help

Visit oddhoursfilm.com to watch the teaser, discover volunteer opportunities, and learn more about the “Make Me a Firefighter” initiative .

6 Steps To Keep Ag Aviation Operators and Drones Safe

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 14:53:40 GMT

Low-altitude manned ag aircrafts can fly as low as 10’ off the ground while making applications. This means they share air space with drones, which are not allowed to fly above 400’ without an FAA waiver.

To safely share the air space and help ag aviators treat the more than 127 million acres they apply every year, the National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) is asking all unmanned aircraft (UA) operators to be mindful with six reminders:

Give the right of way to a manned aircraft. It’s the law.
Equip drones with visible strobe lights, highly visible markings and tracking technology, like an ADS-B In system so you will know ADS-B Out-equipped manned aircraft positions.
Get certified and well-trained in operating an unmanned aircraft.
Contact local agricultural aviation operations before flying by consulting AgAviation.org/findapplicator.
Land your unmanned aircraft immediately when a low-flying aircraft is nearby.
Carry unmanned aircraft liability insurance.

In a 2022 survey, the NAAA found 22% of manned aerial operators reported they or a pilot flying for them encountered a drone during a flight.

“With the growing number of drones over the last few years, it is critical for their operators to be aware of low-flying, manned agricultural aircraft,” said Andrew Moore, chief executive officer of NAAA. “It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for manned aircraft to see a drone while conducting crop-enhancing and other aerial applications 10 feet off the ground at speeds as fast as 140 mph. We encourage professional and hobbyist drone operators to keep this in mind to ensure a safe 2023 growing season.”

NAAA interviewed a Wisconsin operator who had three near misses with UAs. You can read more here.

UAs can be a threat to safety and are nearly invisible as shown by the Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association’s research showing no pilot operating a manned aircraft could continuously visually track a 28” wide drone when flying at regular speeds.

NAAA provides additional resources online here and here.

What We Now Know About What Caused the Large Fire at a Texas Dairy Farm

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 17:48:59 GMT

The Texas Fire Marshal is investigating what caused the large fire that broke out at South Fork Dairy in Dimmitt, Texas, earlier this week. However, industry and dairy experts say current information from officials show it was an accident.

The reported explosion occurred at South Fork Dairy, which is located just southeast of Dimmitt. According to Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera, the explosion occurred around 7:20 p.m. on Monday. There are unconfirmed reports of how many cows died from the fire, but officials believe it’s close to 18,000.

pic.twitter.com/Wq4lxyKg1G
— Blake Bednarz (@BlakeBednarz) April 11, 2023

Dairy Management Inc. provided Farm Journal with a statement on behalf of the Texas dairy industry:

“We are deeply saddened for the family dairy, and everyone affected by the tragedy that occurred at South Fork Dairy farm. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and we are deferring to the appropriate authorities to make that determination. Our thoughts are with the dairy family, their employees and local first responders, who are showing great resolve, courage and empathy while working through this tremendous loss.”

The Cloud of Black Smoke

Additional sources say if the explosion was big enough to catch any part of non-fire-resistant insulation on fire, then it would spread like wildfire across the entire building, which covers nearly 40 acres. That would also explain why the fire didn’t last long, because once the insulation was all burned, then the fuel to the fire would also be gone. Insulation not being fireproof would also explain why the building had so much black smoke.

So, then what would cause the large mushroom cloud of black smoke? The building that caught fire was a recently built cross ventilated barn. Cross ventilated barns are typically large and have hundreds of fans to help control the climate with cow comfort in mind. With that many fans in a barn, it’s possible once the fire spread so quickly, the hundreds of fans within the barn blew out the smoke, creating such a big smoke cloud that could be seen from miles away.

Railey Silhan, who lives in Morton, Texas, says the cloud of smoke from the explosion could be seen from her area, which is 80 miles southwest of Dimmitt.

Community Pours in With Support for Dairy Farm Family

The community is already coming together to support a dairy farm family that’s now facing a loss on their family farm. Started just after the fire, a lunch/meal train was created to help support the family and crews on the scene. Local businesses and community members have already signed up, with two weeks’ worth of meals spoken for.

“They [Brand family] are a great family and customer, and today shows how we just help each other where we can. We live in a great community,” Elizabeth De Vries-Dykstra, who helped start the meal train, told Dairy Herd.