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Farming Rice with Ducks in Vermont

Traditionally thought of as a warm-climate crop, Boundbrook Farm, located in Vergennes, Vermont is raising rice and ducks symbiotically. Known as “aigamo” in Japan this method of having flocks of ducks in rice fields help control weeds and pests organically while at the same time fertilizing the crops. Since rice is a slow-growing crop, the ducks assist the rice by eating its competition.

According to their website, “Since 2010, we’ve been working towards an adaptive model for heavy soils and a shifting climate and have been planting rice using organic methods.” Working with rice varieties from northern Japan they are expanding their cold-climate ecological rice farming to a commercial scale. They believe they are the largest rice fields in the North-East.

To learn about a vineyard in South Africa that is employing the same system visit: https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/poultry-101/ducks-in-vineyard/

Source: http://www.vermontrice.net/

‘Stranger Things’ Star Noah Schnapp Introduces Delivery-Only Chicken

Schnapp, who plays Will Byers on Netflix’s Stranger Things is a sophomore at University of Pennsylvania studying business. His newest venture has him selling America’s #1 choice of protein: chicken. According to their Instagram page, they are “Delivering Regular or Plant-Based Chik’n, 7 days a week, late night, and even on Sundays. Fries ride Shotgun.” This delivery-only chicken service can be purchased through TenderFix.com, and will be delivered by DoorDash, UberEats, GrubHub and Postmates. TenderFix is part of Nextbite which partners with neighborhood restaurants by using their kitchens since TenderFix is a ‘virtual restaurant’.  Roughly 1,000 IHOP restaurants are now cooking up TenderFix.

Schnapp also founded TBH– a hazelnut cocoa spread that unlike it’s main competitor does not have palm oil – an ingredient known for forest deforestation and orangutan habitat loss.

Source: https://www.tenderfix.com/

Noah Schnapp enjoying his own TenderFix chicken with waffle fries. Photo courtesy of Nextbite.

Egyptian Government asking Citizens to Eat Chicken Feet

The National Nutrition Institute of Egypt is asking its citizens to eat chicken feet and cattle hooves during their current currency and inflation crisis. While chicken feet are the cheapest piece of the bird, they are generally considered animal feed for dogs and cats. In the NNI’s post they recommend reciepes as well as nutritional facts. According to CNN “Authorities say that close to 30% of Egypt’s population is below the poverty line. The World Bank in 2019 however estimated that “some 60% of Egypt’s population is either poor or vulnerable.”

Source: https://www.facebook.com/NNI.EG

Tyson Foods closes two facilities to streamline its U.S. poultry business

Tyson says it plans to close its processing, broiler and hatching operations in Glen Allen, Virginia, and a plant in Van Buren, Arkansas. Both closures are scheduled for May 12. This will affect 1,600 employees.  With the closure of the two facilities Tyson is investing $70 million into the construction of a hatchery in Hope, Arkansas, replacing its existing facility and tripling capacity. Construction of the facility is expected to take around two years, with completion slated for late 2024. Tyson blames operating inefficiencies for its last fiscal quarter which was 68% lower than expected.

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/15/1163660388/tyson-foods-closes-poultry-plants-virginia-arkansas

USDA Announces More Than $43M Investment in Meat and Poultry Processing Research, Expansion and Innovation

The $43 million investment is part of the USDA ongoing efforts to transform the food system at every stage along the supply chain. As part of this total investment, the University of Arkansas was awarded a $5 million grant from the AFRI Center of Excellence for Meat and Poultry Processing and Food Safety Research and Innovation (MPPFSRI). In addition, $13.9 million in grants from the Meat and Poultry Processing Research and Innovation – Small Business Innovation Research Phase III – program were awarded to 14 small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors. These grants are administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Additionally, one $25 million Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) grant was awarded to Wholestone Farms for a major plant expansion in Fremont, Nebraska. This grant was administered by USDA Rural Development.

“Farmers rely on technology to become more efficient and profitable,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Under the Biden-Harris Administration and through historic funding investments, USDA continues to invest in research processing expansion that will create new and better markets and expand opportunities for small businesses and rural communities. This investment will help enable that vision.”

https://www.usda.gov/media


Originally published in the June/July 2023 issue of Backyard Poultry.

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