IN THIS WEEK’S EPISODE: A special report, “The Hungriest State,” with an animated look at the domino effect on our food supply chain. In Southern Gardening, it’s not a space age propulsion fuel, but a no-muss, no-fuss landscape plant. Back to our special report, in a food crisis, what was Ethan Welford’s answer? GIVE the beef away! And in our main feature, from the front lines, an update on the years-long battle against Bird Flu.
Watch Farmweek on Thursdays at 4:30 CST on The RFD Network, or on Saturdays at 6:00 PM CST on Mississippi Public Broadcasting (repeat on Mondays at 6:00 AM CST).
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ANNOUNCER
"CELEBRATING 46
SEASONS ON THE
AIR, AWARD-
WINNING
FARMWEEK IS A
PRODUCTION OF
MISSISSIPPI STATE
UNIVERSITY
EXTENSION."
TODAY ON
FARMWEEK, A
SPECIAL REPORT,
"THE HUNGRIEST
STATE," THE
DOMINO EFFECT ON
OUR FOOD SUPPLY
CHAIN.
IN SOUTHERN
GARDENING, IT’S
NOT A SPACE AGE
PROPULSION FUEL,
BUT A NO MUSS NO
FUSS LANDSCAPE
PLANT.
BACK TO OUR
SPECIAL REPORT, IN
A FOOD CRISIS,
WHAT WAS ETHAN
WELFORD’S
ANSWER? GIVE THE
BEEF AWAY!
AND IN OUR MAIN
FEATURE, AN
UPDATE ON THE
BATTLE AGAINST
BIRD FLU.
FARMWEEK
STARTS RIGHT
NOW!
HELLO, EVERYONE,
I’M ZAC ASHMORE.
JIB MIKE
AND I’M MIKE
RUSSELL. GREAT
TO HAVE YOU WITH
US AGAIN HERE ON
FARMWEEK.
MIKE
MIKE
WE HAVE OFTEN
REPORTED ON
FOOD INSECURITY —
IT IS, AFTER ALL,
PART OF THE
MANDATE OF
FARMERS AND
RANCHERS TO GET
THEIR GOODS ALL
THE WAY TO
TABLES OF
AMERICANS
ACROSS THE
NATION.
THIS WEEK, WE
LOOK BACK AT
FOOD INSECURITY
AGAIN – MUCH OF
THAT DISCUSSION
STARTED WITH
COVID IN MARCH OF
2020, AND A
MASSIVE
DISRUPTION OF THE
FOOD SUPPLY
CHAIN.
PKG
GRAPHICS, MUSIC
VOICE OF FRANK
ADAMS, MISSISSIPPI
STATE UNIV: "Supply
chain can mean a lot
of things, but what it
typically refers to is
the groups of people
or companies or
organizations that
take things from raw
material and
transform them,
move them from one
place to another and
turn them into
something else.
There’s no such
thing as one single
supply chain
because they tend to
be unique to each
kind of product, each
kind of customer
need in each group
of people that are
putting them
together. If we’re
talking about
agricultural products
that might wind up
meaning a can of
beans, including the
tin can wrapped
around it, or it might
also mean frozen
products for a
grocery store. Supply
chains can be very
fragile. People often
think in terms of
supply chain failures,
especially being like
a stack of dominoes.
One falls and the
next one comes
down behind it. You
might have dominoes
begin to fall in one
place. They hit a
point where the
supply chains share
a common member
and suddenly begins
to create failures in
multiple different
supply chains, some
not even related to
the supply chain that
began to fail. Most of
us don’t notice the
distribution system,
the supply chains
around us. I mean,
they are all around
us. I mean, it’s like
the force right
everywhere around
us making life
possible. We never
know what’s there
until it stumbles, and
then we can see it
vividly."
MUSIC, GRAPHICS
NATS: Knife
Sharpening
ETHAN WELFORD,
MEAT PROCESSOR:
"My name’s Ethan
Welford. I’m 29 years
old and I own a
USDA processing
plant in Lucedale,
Mississippi. I
basically service
farmers in a local
area in the region to
help them turn their
livestock into meat
that they can sell at
restaurants, grocery
stores, farmers
markets. More
people are getting off
of industrial food
chain beef that
comes from the five
packing houses in
the Midwest. And
they’re relying more
on their local source
of meat. A lot of
times farmers will
bring a cow in and
half of it’s going back
to their family and
the other half is
going to their in-laws
or going to their
grandchildren. And
they do that every
year. It’s part of their
culture. It’s part of
their heritage. They
grow up in that they
eat meat solely from
things they raised
themself, animals
they raised
themselves."
JOSH MAPLES,
MISSISSIPPI STATE
UNIVERSITY: "So the
meat, livestock,
specifically think
about the beef cattle
supply chain. It starts
off with the cattle
being produced in
the pasture, and then
it moves through this
really complicated —
but connected —
process to ultimately
get to where it’s beef
on the consumer’s
plate. So in
Mississippi, that
generally starts out
on cow calf
operations. These
are producers who
are raising mama
cows and those
cows have calves.
The next stage
generally goes to
some kind of stocker
operation, and that
stage is where they
bring a lot of the
calves together. And
then from a stocker
operation that goes
to call feedlot. From
there, they’re fed for
a period of time, for
probably 120 days or
more. And then at
that point they are
ready to actually be
processed and
turned into beef. And
it’s really at that
processing stage
where we saw the
disruption mostly
last year or primarily
last year."
ETHAN WELFORD:
"When the
coronavirus hit in
March. It wasn’t until
about June that we
started seeing the
actual effects on our
business. When June
hit, the packing
houses closed down
in the Midwest, and
that cut the supply of
beef off to the rest of
the country. Because
of that disruption,
there were supply
concerns on beef,
and so the markets
responded with
higher prices. That’s
how markets ration
supplies. They went
so high to the fact
that most most of my
local farmers were
selling meat that was
cheaper than what
you can get at the
grocery store. If you
could actually get
meat to the grocery
store. A lot of times
you just couldn’t get
it."
JOSH MAPLES: "So
then you have these
cattle producers who
are saying, ‘Okay,
well, you know, can I
look for other
alternatives? Is there
any way that I can
process my own beef
and sell the beef
versus, you know,
accepting the lower
prices?’"
ETHAN WELFORD:
"So they’re now
turning their cows
and they’re going to
process local
processors, and
that’s why we’re
getting so booked
out. It’s because
everyone is basically
getting a cow
butchered because
they were, "A" —
scared that, hey, I
don’t know if beef
prices are going to
shoot back up again.
Let’s just keep it safe
and let’s fill a freezer
with meat of cows
that we own. And
everybody and their
mother did that. And
it was and we’ve
been booked out for
12 months for the
past six months.
People, they had a
cow. They wanted to
feed their family, but
they couldn’t get it
processed because
they couldn’t get
them on schedule.
And that was the
sense where I felt a
lot of farmers felt
this, what a sea
captain would feel
when they’re if
they’re all thirsting to
death, there’s water
everywhere in this
ocean, but none of
them can drink it.
And that’s what it felt
like when you’re in
the midst of a herd of
cattle, but you can’t
get beef. I started,
then realizing there
was a food crisis
here in Lucedale.
There was a wait and
access to meat
problem. And I was
thinking, in what way
can I make a
difference in my
community? And I
kind of saw like beef
as a kind of a
currency of sorts,
whereas like I don’t
have a lot of US
dollars, but I’ve got a
lot of meat. Let’s see
if I can’t shake and
move and change my
environment around
me with just using
this…
NATS: Packing meat
…The moment I
recognized that
thought coming in
that I can do
something, I just
went with it."
MIKE
MIKE
SO…FOOD
INSECURITY CAN
START WITH A
SUPPLY CHAIN
DISRUPTION, AND
MOVE ON. BUT HOW
DO YOU SOLVE A
FOOD CRISIS?
WE’LL HAVE MORE
OF "THE HUNGRIEST
STATE" COMING UP
SHORTLY.
ZAC
ON THE LIGHTER
SIDE, DISTYLIUMS,
AN EVERGREEN
SHRUB IN THE
WITCH HAZEL
FAMILY — AND
NATIVE TO EASTERN
AND
SOUTHEASTERN
ASIA. THESE
BEAUTIES CAN ADD
A POP OF COLR TO
YOUR GARDEN IN
THE WINTERTIME,
AND ACCORDING TO
EDDIE SMITH,
THEY’RE LOW
MAINTENANCE TOO.
HERE’S EDDIE.
PACKAGE
PACKAGE
DR. EDDIE SMITH:
"Today, Southern
Gardening is at
Adams Nursery in
Petal, MS., checking
out some different
varieties of
Distyliums."
DISTYLIUMS ARE
VALUED FOR THEIR
ATTRACTIVE,
GLOSSY FOLIAGE
THAT REMAINS
VIBRANT THROUGH
THE YEAR,
PROVIDING YEAR-
ROUND VISUAL
INTEREST. THE
PLANTS ARE OFTEN
DISEASE-
RESISTANT,
CONTRIBUTING TO
THEIR OVERALL
HARDINESS AND
LOW-MAINTENANCE
NATURE. KNOWN
FOR THEIR
VERSATILITY,
THESE EVERGREEN
SHRUBS — OR
SMALL TREES —
THRIVE IN A
VARIETY OF
GROWING
CONDITIONS,
TOLERATING BOTH
SUN AND SHADE AS
WELL AS
DIFFERENT SOIL
TYPES.
"SWING LOW"
DISTYLIUM IS A
LOW-GROWING
EVERGREEN SHRUB
THAT MAKES A
PERFECT
PROSTRATE
GROUND COVER.
MATURING TO ONLY
2 TO 3 FEET TALL
AND SPREADING TO
4 TO 6 FEET WIDE,
SWING LOW HAS
BLUE-GREEN
LEAVES DENSELY
ARRANGED ON
HORIZONTAL
BRANCHES.
"LINEBACKER"
DISTYLIUM IS AN
UPRIGHT
EVERGREEN THAT
TAKES ON THE
SHAPE OF A WHITE
OAK BARREL IN
YOUTH AND
MATURES INTO AN
EXCELLENT
SCREEN OR HEDGE
PLANT. ITS REDDISH
NEW GROWTH
MATURES TO
LUSTROUS DARK
GREEN AND DOES
NOT THIN OUT IN
THE CENTER OF
THE PLANT.
LINEBACKER IS
BECOMING A
POPULAR PLANT
USED FOR HEDGES.
"CINNAMON GIRL"
DISTYLIUM
FEATURES LEAVES
WITH PLUM-PURPLE
NEW GROWTH THAT
TURNS TO BLUE-
GREEN AS THE
LEAVES MATURE.
THE SMALL LEAVES
AND COMPACT
GROWTH ON THIS
DISTYLIUM GIVE
CINNAMON GIRL A
REFINED LOOK IN
THE LANDSCAPE
THAT IS PERFECT
FOR MASS
PLANTINGS AND
GARDEN BORDERS.
DISTYLIUMS ARE A
MEMBER OF THE
WITCH HAZEL
FAMILY, HARDY
FROM ZONES 7-9,
AND HAVE PETITE
RED FLOWERS THAT
APPEAR IN THE
WINTER.
DR. EDDIE SMITH:
"If you are looking
for evergreen plants
for your landscape,
any of these
Distyliums would be
a great choice. I’m
Eddie Smith, and I
will see you next
time on Southern
Gardening."
MIKE
WE’LL TAKE A
BREAK RIGHT HERE,
BUT DON’T GO
AWAY. COMING UP
ON OUR FARMWEEK
FEATURE, WHAT
HAS TURNED OUT
TO BE A CONSTANT
THREAT — AN
UPDATE IN THE
BIRD FLU BATTLE…
…WE’LL MEET
NATHAN HILL, A
THIRD GENERATION
TURKEY FARMER
DEVASTATED BY
THE OUTBREAK IN
2015. NATIONWIDE,
PRODUCERS LOST
MORE THAN 50
MILLION BIRDS. IT
COST THE USDA
NEARLY A BILLION
DOLLARS.
THEN SIX YEARS
AGO, ANOTHER
OUTBREAK.
DESPITE TIGHTER
BIOSECURITY, HILL
WAS HIT HARD
AGAIN.
THE FINANCIAL
-AND- EMOTIONAL
TOLL HAS BEEN
HIGH, BUT THERE’S
A SILVER LINING.
THAT’S COMING UP
ON FARMWEEK.
DON’T GO AWAY.
MUSIC
JENNIFER JOSEPH,
MSU EXTENSION
AGENT: "I believe in
people and their
hopes, their
aspirations and their
faith, and their right
to make their own
plans and arrive at
their own decisions,
and their ability and
power to enlarge
their lives and plan
for the happiness of
those they love."
MUSIC
"I believe that
education — of which
Extension work is an
essential part — is
basic in stimulating
individual initiative,
self-determination,
and leadership, that
these are the keys to
democracy and that
people when given
facts they
understand will act
not only in their self-
interests, but also in
the interest of
society."
MUSIC
" Because I believe
these things, I am an
Extension
professional."
MUSIC
MUSIC
JIM MCADORY,
MSU EXTENSION
AGENT: "I believe in
people, and their
hopes, their
aspirations, and their
faith…"
MUSIC
"…I believe in
intellectual freedom,
to search for and
present the truth,
without bias, and
with courteous
tolerance for the
views of others."
MUSIC
"…I believe that
education is a
lifelong process and
the greatest
university is the
home. That my
success as a teacher
is proportional to
those qualities of
mind and spirit that
give me welcome
entrance to the
homes of the families
I serve."
MUSIC
"Because I believe
these things, I am an
extension
professional."
MUSIC
MIKE
AND NOW BACK TO
OUR SPECIAL
REPORT WITH PART
2 OF "THE
HUNGRIEST
STATE." HOW DO
YOU SOLVE A FOOD
CRISIS WHEN THE
SUPPLY CHAIN HAS
BEEN DISRUPTED,
ESPECIALLY IN A
RURAL STATE LIKE
MISSISSIPPI? WE
PICK UP AGAIN WITH
LOCAL MEAT
PROCESSOR ETHAN
WELFORD, WHO
HAD A UNIQUE IDEA.
PKG
NATS
ETHAN WELFORD,
MEAT PROCESSOR:
"I had a unique
position and a
unique opportunity
to actually take an
animal and get a lot
of meat off of it for
little to no cost to
me. What do I want to
do with that gift was
home last, let’s give
it away. I thought it
was going to be a
little bit easier to give
away ground beef,
but it was actually a
little more tricky than
I thought. It was just,
you know, kind of
standing out in the
heat in Lucedale kind
of bark, carnival
barking, trying to get
people to not be
afraid of someone
who’s offering them
free ground beef,
because no one ever
does that. So, it’s
kind of a weird thing
to be like, ‘Are you
sure you’re giving
away beef? Why are
you giving away
beef? Is there
something wrong
with this beef?’ I’m
like, ‘No, it’s not a
trick or gimmick. It is
just unadulterated
free beef. Really
good, locally
sourced. I think you’ll
enjoy it. Take it to
your mama. Free
beef.’ But it was fun.
We did have
interactions, when
people did come and
see that it wasn’t a
gimmick, there was
no strings attached,
that you really could
take this. They just
were inevitable
sometimes. I mean,
they didn’t believe it
and they were like,
‘Are you sure?’ Well,
yeah.:
NATS: "it’s grass
fed ground beef from
here, from Joe there
over Rolling Hills
Ranch. yeah. One
pack for free. If you
promise to give away
a pack, I’ll give you
another pack. And if
you give it away to
somebody, you got
somebody to give it
away to? There you
go, man."
ETHAN WELFORD:
"The deal was I gave
you one pack for
free. But if you have
other people that you
can interact with, if
you can give this
other pack of ground
beef to them, then I’ll
give you more. And
so I would ask them,
Here you get this one
for free. But, you
know, if you know
anybody and they all
know someone, I
have my mother in
law, I’m going to see
my mom today. I’m
going to see my
grandchildren today,
they would love this.
And you not only
made a connection
with that person in
front of you, but you
then gave an
opportunity to that
person in front of
you to practice
altruism. And it was
really awesome to
see that. And so
you’re seeing people
days being made, but
also knowing that
that ripple effect is
going on somewhere
in the community
was was really
fulfilling. You know,
giving it freely to
anybody who came
up was top priority
for me. Anyone who
wanted it can get it. It
was available to
everybody. They just
didn’t have to ask for
it. I tried to put it in
their pockets. And so
that was I think that
was the best course
of action because
you don’t know who
is food insecure."
MIKE
MIKE
A UNIQUE
SOLUTION TO A
FOOD CRISIS, AT
LEAST IN PART —
-GIVE- THE FOOD
AWAY. NEXT WEEK,
WE’LL HAVE THE
CONCLUSION TO
"THE HUNGRIEST
STATE," WITH TWO
MORE PARTS OF
THIS COMPELLING —
AND EMMY-WINNING
— STORY.
ZAC
IN THIS WEEK’S
FEATURE WE TAKE
A CLOSER LOOK AT
AN ISSUE WE’VE
COVERED BEFORE,
HIGHLY
PATHOGENIC AVIAN
INFLUENZA — HPAI —
OR "BIRD FLU" —
FOR SHORT. IT’S A
DISEASE THAT CAN
DESTROY ENTIRE
FLOCKS OF
CHICKENS,
TURKEYS, AND
OTHER POULTRY,
AND IS COMMONLY
SPREAD THROUGH
MIGRATORY BIRDS.
THE U.S. FACED AN
OUTBREAK AT THE
END OF LAST YEAR
AND CULLING OF
FLOCKS TO
CONTAIN THE
SPREAD HAVE LED
TO SOME PRICE
INCREASES,
PARTICULARLY IN
EGGS.
AS STATED BY THIS
MONTH’S WASDE
REPORT. IT
APPEARS LAYING
CHICKENS WERE
HIT PARTICULARLY
HARD THIS TIME
AROUND — AND AS A
RESULT — EGG
PRICES FOR 2024
ARE PROJECTED TO
INCREASE, AT
LEAST IN THE
SHORT TERM.
SO, HOW HAS IT
AFFECTED THE
GROWERS DEALING
WITH IT ON THE
FRONT LINES, AND
HOW WILL THEY
ADAPT TO FUTURE
OUTBREAKS?
DAVID MILLER
REPORTS.
PKG
NATS: Turkeys
NATHAN HILL HAS
BEEN AN IOWA
TURKEY PRODUCER
SINCE HE WAS A
YOUNG MAN.
NATHAN HILL,
CIRCLE HILL FARMS,
ELLSWORTH, IOWA:
"This is a family
business my
grandfather started
in 1947. I’m a third
generation. I have
two kids back from
college that are in
this. And so, yeah,
we’re definitely in it
for the long haul."
EVERY YEAR, HILL
AND HIS FAMILY,
WHO PRODUCE
TURKEYS UNDER
THE NAME "CIRCLE
HILL FARMS," SEND
NEARLY 800,000
BIRDS TO U.S.
PROCESSING
PLANTS. BUT
NEARLY EIGHT
YEARS AGO, CIRCLE
HILL FARMS WAS A
VICTIM OF THE 2015-
2016 OUTBREAK OF
HIGHLY
PATHOGENIC AVIAN
INFLUENZA, OR
HPAI, MORE
COMMONLY KNOWN
AS "BIRD FLU."
NATS: Turkeys
HILL’S FARM WAS
AMONG THE MORE
THAN 210
COMMERCIAL
OPERATIONS
ACROSS THE
COUNTRY
DEVASTATED BY
THE VIRUS.
PRODUCERS LOST
MORE THAN 50
MILLION BIRDS
NATIONWIDE. THE
VIRUS RAMPAGED
THROUGH TURKEY
OPERATIONS AND
CHICKEN EGG
LAYING HOUSES IN
IOWA, THE
COUNTRY’S
NUMBER ONE
PRODUCER OF
CHICKEN EGGS. THE
ANNUAL
PRODUCTION OF 15
BILLION EGGS WAS
SEVERELY
CURTAILED
SENDING THE PRICE
THROUGH THE
ROOF. IN THE END,
MORE THAN 77
CASES WERE
FOUND AMONG
IOWA OPERATIONS,
IMPACTING NEARLY
33 MILLION BIRDS.
CLEAN-UP AND
COMPENSATION
FOR GROWERS
ACROSS THE
COUNTRY COST THE
USDA OVER $910
MILLION.
BARNS WERE
CLEANED, NEW
STOCK BROUGHT IN
AND THE FOCUS
WENT TO STOPPING
THE SPREAD OF
THE VIRUS.
BIOSECURITY
PROTOCOLS WERE
STRENGTHENED.
NEIGHBORS
INCREASED THEIR
VIGILANCE,
WATCHING OUT FOR
EACH OTHER TO
PREVENT A NEW
OUTBREAK.
BECAUSE OF THE
2015 EXPERIENCE,
HILL IMPLEMENTED
SEVERAL
BIOSECURITY
PROTOCOLS AND
MADE SURE HIS
BARNS WERE TIGHT
AGAINST RODENTS
OR BIRDS. HPAI
REMAINED UNDER
CONTROL FOR
NEARLY SIX YEARS
UNTIL FEBRUARY
OF LAST YEAR.
DESPITE HIS HARD
WORK, HILL
COULDN’T ESCAPE
THE SURGE.
NATHAN HILL: "I’ve
been unfortunate to
have it both in 2015,
in facility, and then in
2022, and in 2022, I
had a neighbor that
got it and I had a
facility that was in
close proximity and a
few days later I
broke."
HE MOVED
QUICKLY TO PUT
THE INFECTED
BIRDS DOWN AND
START CLEAN UP.
EVEN GOING AT THE
FASTEST PACE
ALLOWED BY
FEDERAL RULES, IT
WAS STILL NEARLY
A MONTH BEFORE
HE COULD RESTART
ACTIVITIES IN THE
BARN. FOR SOME
PRODUCERS THE
QUARANTINE AND
CLEAN UP PERIODS
CAN LAST UP TO
THREE MONTHS.
NATHAN HILL: "The
biggest thing is,
number one, the
quicker you can get
them put down, the
safer it is for
everybody."
HILL SAYS THE
EFFECT OF THE
VIRUS REACHES
BEYOND THE BARN.
NATHAN HILL:
"Obviously,
financially it hurts
you. But I think more
than that, it’s
probably the
emotional strain that
it puts on everybody,
not only me as the
grower and the
owner. It’s my
employees. It’s their
families. The things
they have to deal
with. It’s the people
that come out, you
know, from the state
of Iowa that work
with you. It’s the
USDA vets that come
out. As a farmer and
a producer of
livestock, you’ve
been taught your
whole life to take
care of that animal.
Then when you have
to go through that
emotion and put that
animal down, that’s a
tough thing for a lot
of people."
DURING THE
LATEST OUTBREAK,
NEARLY 63 MILLION
BIRDS HAVE BEEN
AFFECTED IN MORE
THAN 360 FLOCKS
NATIONWIDE. SO
FAR, USDA HAS
COMMITTED OVER
$750 MILLION FOR
CLEAN-UP AND
COMPENSATION.
IOWA ACCOUNTS
FOR NEARLY 50 OF
THOSE AFFECTED
FLOCKS WITH
LOSSES OF ALMOST
18 MILLION BIRDS.
BUT FOR HAWKEYE
STATE PRODUCERS
THOSE NUMBERS
ARE ABOUT HALF
OF THE 2015
OUTBREAK.
MIKE NAIG IS THE
SECRETARY OF
AGRICULTURE FOR
THE STATE OF
IOWA.
SEC. MIKE NAIG,
IOWA DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE:
"You know, in the
2015 outbreak, there
was significant
movement of the
virus. Once it was in
a commercial
operation, and then
we could connect
dots between, it’s
spread between.
There were people,
equipment, maybe
that was moving and
it spread laterally —
or farm to farm. We
largely have not seen
that in the 22-23
outbreak."
PRODUCERS CAN
POINT DIRECTLY TO
TIGHTER
BIOSECURITY
PROTOCOLS LIKE
BOOT COVERS,
CHANGING OUTER
CLOTHES WHEN
GOING FROM BARN
TO BARN, OR
RESTRICTING THE
MOVEMENT OF
VEHICLES FROM
ONE PLACE TO
ANOTHER.
SCIENTISTS WERE
ABLE TO TRACE THE
SOURCE OF THE
INFECTION TO
MIGRATORY BIRDS.
VOICE OF NATHAN
HILL: "The big
concern is so now
it’s something that
we’re kind of living
with every day."
OFFICIALS WITH
USDA SAY THE
CHANCE OF HPAI
INFECTED POULTRY
ENTERING THE
FOOD CHAIN IS
EXTREMELY LOW —
AND THAT YOU
CANNOT GET BIRD
FLU FROM BIRDS
OR EGGS THAT
HAVE BEEN
PROPERLY
PREPARED AND
COOKED. THERE
HAS BEEN SOME
RESEARCH INTO
VACCINES. HILL IS
STILL PUSHING THE
BASICS WHEN IT
COMES TO
PREVENTION.
NATHAN HILL: "To
me, it’s about limiting
exposure. You know,
it’s something
obviously you’re
going to have to live
with but at the same
time, if you can limit
some of the
outbreaks, to me,
that’s the end goal."
SEC. MIKE NAIG:
"This is a constant
threat, as is African
swine fever, as is
foot and mouth
disease. That is how
we have to think of
High Path Avian
Influenza. That’s the
mindset that our
producers have to
have. That’s the level
of readiness that we
have to maintain here
and at USDA is that it
could happen literally
now at any time.
Used to think it was a
Spring thing. Now,
we know that it’s
something that really
can happen any time
during the year."
FOR NOW, HILL
AND HIS
EMPLOYEES WILL
REMAIN ON GUARD
AGAINST THE VIRUS.
NATHAN HILL:
"There’s nobody to
blame in these types
of situations. It’s a
disease that’s out
there, that’s carried
by these wild geese
that migrate. And so,
this time of year,
both in the Spring
and now in the Fall
when these birds are
migrating back and
forth, that’s when
you really start, have
to be on high alert,
because you just
have to be aware that
you have to do
everything you can
to keep that out."
MIKE
AND SO IT GOES,
THE NEW REALITY
OF POULTRY
PRODUCTION.
PRODUCTION.
WELL NEXT WEEK,
WE GET TO THE
MEAT OF THE
MATTER — A HIGH
SCHOOL IN
MISSISSIPPI WHERE
STUDENTS ARE
TAUGHT -HOW- TO
CUT MEAT…
VO ZAC
…IT’S A SKILL THAT
COULD COME IN
HANDY FOR THESE
KIDS AS THE
DEMAND FOR
LOCAL MEAT
LOCKERS IN THE
STATE AND
ELSEWHERE HAS
GROWN!
STUDENTS IN MEAT
CLASS ARE
CUTTING UP — BUT
THAT’S A -GOOD-
THING. THE CLASS
HAS BEEN SO
POPULAR OVER THE
YEARS, EVEN SOME
OF THE PARENTS
HAVE TAKEN IT.
VO MIKE
THEY’RE "LOIN
DANCING" IN
MISSISSIPPI. NEXT
TIME ON
FARMWEEK.
ZAC
REMEMBER IF YOU
MISSED A STORY,
LOOK FOR PAST
EPISODES OF
FARMWEEK ON OUR
WEBSITE AT
FARMWEEK DOT TV.
MIKE
AND DON’T
FORGET TO
FOLLOW US ON
FACEBOOK AND
YOUTUBE. WE’LL
SEE YOU NEXT
WEEK. THANKS FOR
WATCHING.