- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Los Angeles Times today ran a story about hidden-camera video footage of a Turlock poultry farm. The story was picked up by the Associated Press and has now appeared in at least 40 newspaper and broadcast media outlets.
According to the Times story, the video was shot by an undercover investigator with the group Mercy for Animals and shows workers mistreating chickens at Gemperle Enterprises.
"What I saw on that video is not what our company does," owner Steve Gemperle was quoted in the article. "We do not accept any abuse of farm animals. It's against our values and morals."
According to...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Ventura County Star on Sunday ran a lengthy op-ed piece by UCCE advisor emeritus Daniel Desmond and horticulture and 4-H advisor Rose Hayden-Smith with a headline that begs for explanation: "Food will win the war."
The story gives a historical perspective on gardening's past ties to patriotism and makes that case that today, in light of high food and fuel prices and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, it's time again to pick up a hoe for the homeland.
"During both world wars, food was vital to national security. To protect our country, Uncle Sam called on Americans to garden, and they did, in record...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
The Stockton Record devoted nearly 500 words in yesterday's paper to introducing the new UC Cooperative Extension dairy farm advisor for San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties, Jennifer Heguy. Reporter Reid Fujii spoke to both Heguy and San Joaquin UCCE county director Mick Canevari for the story.
According to the article, Heguy grew up in a farm family that ran a beef cattle operation outside Los Banos. She was active in 4-H and FFA and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in animal science at UC Davis.
Heguy most recently worked in the ruminant nutrition lab of UC Davis animal science professor Edward...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Placer County mandarin grower Joanne Neft wants to confirm a theory that the diminutive fruit is a natural allergy treatment, according to a story in the Colfax Journal. She raised more than $20,000 to fund a USDA analysis of mandarins grown in the county that will determine how much natural synephrine the mandarins contain and how long the substance can last when frozen.
According to the story, synephrine is a decongestant. Curiously, Wikipedia doesn't mention the compound's decongestant properties in its synephrin entry, but says synephrin is a drug for weight loss derived from Citrus...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A 2006 study by the California Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and UCCE in Butte County inspired Hidden Valley Salad Dressings to launch the "Love Your Veggies(TM) Nationwide School Lunch Campaign," according to a news release posted today on PR Newswire.
The UCCE study found that children consumed 23 percent more vegetables when paired with a moderate amount of ranch dressing. A second study, conducted at Iowa State University, found that certain vitamins and cancer-fighting compounds found in fruits and vegetables are fat-soluble.
"This study suggests that a moderate amount of fat may help the body adequately absorb...
