NPPC Applauds Government Guidence Recognizing U.S. Agriculture as Critical Industry

Mar 23, 2020

This afternoon, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance on critical industry workforce that should continue as the country addresses and responds to the coronavirus outbreak; U.S. food and agriculture was included among 16 critical industries.

Specifically, DHS recognized as essential a variety of pork production roles. Among these critical workers:

Food manufacturer employees and their supplier employees—to include those employed in food processing (packers, meat processing, cheese plants, milk plants, produce, etc.) facilities; livestock, poultry, seafood slaughter facilities; pet and animal feed processing facilities; human food facilities producing by-products for animal food; beverage production facilities; and the production of food packaging.
Farm workers to include those employed in animal food, feed, and ingredient production, packaging, and distribution; manufacturing, packaging, and distribution of veterinary drugs; truck delivery and transport; farm and fishery labor needed to produce our food supply domestically.
Animal agriculture workers including those employed in veterinary health; manufacturing and distribution of animal medical materials, animal vaccines, animal drugs, feed ingredients, feed, and bedding, etc.; transportation of live animals, animal medical materials; transportation of deceased animals for disposal; raising of animals for food; animal production operations; slaughter and packing plants and associated regulatory and government workforce.

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Video: Old Hay For Bedding: SMART Sheep Farming!

Instead of throwing out hay that’s lost its feed value, we put it to good use in the barns. Old hay is not only cost-effective, but it also provides warm, soft, and absorbent bedding that keeps our sheep dry and comfortable during the cold months.

We’ll walk you through our process, explain why we choose hay over straw, and share how this simple switch can save money and reduce waste on your farm.

If you’re raising sheep or thinking about it, this is one of those small but smart management practices that really adds up over time.