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Early Bird Registration Ends Feb. 8, 2012

SAVE THE DATE: NIAA Annual Conference in Denver, CO - March 26-29, 2012
National Institute for Animal Agriculture, 1/12/11 -- Building on NIAA's 2011 Annual Conference theme, Consumers' Stake in Today's Food Production: Meeting Growing Production Demands, the 2012 Annual Conference will focus on how decreasing resources, both natural and financial, as well as increasing regulations are making it difficult for animal agriculture to advance. With issues such as drought, tight credit, increased capital requirements, environmental regulations, more demanding animal care standards, and misinformation about how animals are raised, animal agriculture is in an important period of change.

For a list of committee and council opportunities, please go to http://www.animalagriculture.org/Membership to sign up or call Katie Ambrose at (719) 538-8843 for more details.

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NPB Says New HSUS Videos Must be Carefully Viewed
The spokesperson for the National Pork Board says the videos of alleged abuse at two Oklahoma hog operations – released today by the Humane Society of the United States – should be viewed very carefully.

"We would urge, strongly urge anyone who is viewing this video to understand that some of the practices they are showing and that they are saying are abusive are taken out of context or could potentially be taken out of context,” says NPB's Cindy Cunningham. She tells Brownfield they are still studying the videos – that the HSUS says were taken in late 2011 – to determine if actual abuse occurred. Cunningham says "America's pork producers take seriously (their) ethical responsibility for the proper care of pigs.”
Brownfield, 1/31/12

Vaccine Protects Against Leptospirosis
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found that a commercial vaccine is effective against leptospirosis in cattle. A widespread zoonotic disease, leptospirosis is transmitted naturally from domestic and wild animals to humans. The contagious disease, which is caused by Leptospira bacteria, is spread through contact with food, water or soil contaminated with urine from infected animals. It can affect all farm animals, rodents and wildlife.
USDA, Ag Research Service, 1/30/12