Educational Tour For Young Specialty Crop And Livestock Producers

Aug 26, 2014

The Penn State Extension Young Grower Alliance is sponsoring a tour to Spiral Path Farm and North Mountain Pastures on Tuesday, November 18, 9 am to 3 pm

Spiral Path Farm is located in South-Central Pennsylvania, in scenic western Perry County, between the Tuscarora and Blue Mountain ranges. Near the town of Loysville, Spiral Path Farm has been home to Mike and Terra Brownback and family since 1978.

The farm has been certified organic since 1994, and all 255 acres are farmed naturally. North Mountain Pastures is owned and operated by Brooks Miller and Anna Santini. The Millers started managing farms together in 2006, and now own 84 acres outside of Newport, Pennsylvania, where they raise chickens, pigs, turkeys, cows and sheep, all with permanent access to pasture. Please pre-register on-line.

Source:psu.edu

Video: Advancing Swine Disease Traceability: USDA's No-Cost RFID Tag Program for Market Channels

On-demand webinar, hosted by the Meat Institute, experts from the USDA, National Pork Board (NPB) and Merck Animal Health introduced the no-cost 840 RFID tag program—a five-year initiative supported through African swine fever (ASF) preparedness efforts. Beginning in Fall 2025, eligible sow producers, exhibition swine owners and State Animal Health Officials can order USDA-funded RFID tags through Merck A2025-10_nimal Health.

NPB staff also highlighted an additional initiative, funded by USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services through NPB, that helps reduce the cost of transitioning to RFID tags across the swine industry and strengthens national traceability efforts.

Topics Covered:

•USDA’s RFID tag initiative background and current traceability practices

•How to access and order no-cost 840 RFID tags

•Equipment support for tag readers and panels

•Implementation timelines for market and cull sow channels How RFID improves ASF preparedness an