A long ride is less stressful Wednesday, August 10, 2011 Shorter truck trips are more stressful to market hogs than longer truck rides, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Animal Science.The reason? Pigs need time to recover from the stress of loading before they get stressed again when they disembark, says Prof. Michael Ellis, at the University of Illinois's Urbana-Champaign campus.Another stress factor is floor space. Overcrowding is stressful, but pigs that have too much space are thrown around as the livestock truck moves. University researchers found that U.S. market pigs on average require five square feet each.Co-author of the study with Ellis was Bradley Wolter, chief operating officer of the Maschhoffs packing company in Carlyle, Ill. Wolter says working with Ellis allowed the company to reduce pig losses due to transportation and handling by more than one percentage point in a system that was already well managed and where less than half a per cent of pigs died because of movement and handling. BP Another sign of bacon's popularity: clogged drains 'Welfarists' pressure supermarkets
Grain Markets Climb on Weather and Supply Concerns Monday, August 17, 2026 Grain markets finished higher during the week ending August 14, 2026, as traders reacted to a supportive USDA August crop report, changing weather conditions across the U.S. Midwest, and continued geopolitical concerns affecting global grain supplies. The latest Farms.com Risk... Read this article online
National Citizens Inquiry hosting public ag hearings in Alberta Monday, August 17, 2026 An organization is hosting three days of conversations about agriculture in Alberta. The National Citizens Inquiry (NCI), an independent and citizen-led initiative launched in November 2022 to investigate Canadian government responses to COVID-19, is hosting “Are Farmers Safe in Canada?”... Read this article online
Canadian Ag Minister Works to Strengthen US Farm Trade Ties at Iowa State Fair Monday, August 17, 2026 Canada’s agriculture sector took center stage at one of America’s most recognized agricultural events as Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald travelled to the Iowa State Fair to promote closer ties between Canadian and U.S. farm industries. Joined by Canada’s Ambassador... Read this article online
Flash Drought Threat Grows Across Southern Plains as Historic El Niño Builds Monday, August 17, 2026 After flooding, a derecho, storms, and wildfire smoke, asignificant shift in North America's weather pattern is creating a new set of challenges for farmers, with forecasters warning that flash drought conditions are becoming a growing concern across key agricultural regions of the United... Read this article online
Woolwich Farmland Fight - Petition Urges Council to Protect Prime Ontario Agricultural Land Monday, August 17, 2026 A proposal to redesignate 107acres of agricultural land in Woolwich Township for employment and industrial development is drawing increasing opposition from residents and farmland advocates who say the project would come at the expense of valuable farmland and the region's agricultural... Read this article online