Tag Archives: usda

U.S.

What happens to your pets after Paradise is destroyed by the Fires of Hell?

Video

29NOV2018 (02:34 UTC-07 Tango 06) 08 Azar 1397/20 Rabi ‘al-Awwal 1440/22 Gui-Hai 4716

A volunteer with the North Valley Animal Rescue Group, cuddles a dog being housed in a temporary shelter at the municipal airport in Chico, California. California Army National Guard photo by Specialist Amy Carle, 18NOV2018.

“As awful as this situation is, it has boosted my confidence in humanity.”-Michelle Moore, Chico State student from Texas working 12 hour shifts to save the animals

One of nearly 1800 displaced animals being cared for in shelters managed by the North Valley Animal Rescue Group. California Army National Guard photo by Specialist Amy Carle, 18NOV2018.

The recent Camp Fire in the not-so-golden (for many reasons) U.S. state of California wiped out the town of Paradise.  Not only are thousands of people now homeless, so are an estimated 1-thousand-8-hundred pets.

Video of California National Guard UH-60M Black Hawk attempting to block Camp Fire from spreading:

Many of the now homeless cats and dogs are being housed at the Chico Municipal Airport.  Volunteers, with groups like North Valley Animal Disaster Group, are struggling to help.  Even the California National Guard is helping: “We’re unloading people’s donations and giving people donations that have been received. We give people the right directions if their animal is lost, or if their animal is here and they want to visit them. It’s good to show your support and help them the best way you can. It gives me pride and joy…to help them with whatever they need.”-Specialist Mark Maynard, California Army National Guard

California Army National Guard photo by Specialist Amy Carle, 18NOV2018.

Pallets full of pet food, piles of dog beds, and boxes of leashes and toys have arrived at the airport, and there’s a steady stream of people driving up to donate what they can.

California Army National Guard photo by Specialist Amy Carle, 18NOV2018.

Because of the fires the Chico Municipal Airport is not open to normal air traffic, so it was picked to be a temporary animal shelter.  Many of the unpaid volunteers work 12 hours at a time. National Guard Military Police patrol the airport at night so the volunteers can take a break.

California Army National Guard photo by Specialist Amy Carle, 28NOV2018.

The lost pets are brought in by fire fighters, utility workers, or the pets are there because their owners are also now homeless.   But there are reunions between lost pets and owners as well.  Other organizations working to save the pets of Paradise are Butte County Animal Control, International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corp: “This effort is just so huge. It’s a rare and extraordinary thing. It takes all of us to get things done.”-Norm Rosene, North Valley Animal Disaster Group

California Army National Guard photo by Specialist Amy Carle, 28NOV2018.

The California Army National Guard, along with the USDA Veterinary Services, also assisted livestock owners.

 

 FREE SHOTS FOR PUERTO RICO PETS!

HARVEY: WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR PETS?

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U.S. COAST GUARD: WHAT HAPPENS TO COWS ABANDONED IN FLOODED TOWNS?

HAWAIIAN COWS BOMBED BY FUKUSHIMA RADIATION! 

FUKUSHIMA TO EUTHANIZE ABANDONED LIVESTOCK AND PETS!

FOOD CRISIS: HALF MILLION LIVESTOCK STARVING TO DEATH IN JAPAN!

JAPANESE BREAK INTO 20KM EVACUATION ZONE TO BRING YOU VIDEO OF LIVESTOCK & PETS LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES!

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

U.S. Food Crisis: USDA declares Idaho a food production disaster area! Montana, Washington & Oregon close behind!

17 July 2015 (18:22 UTC-07 Tango 01, 16 July 2015)/26 Tir 1394/30 Ramadan 1436/02 Gui-Wie (6th month) 4713

In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared more than 90% of Idaho’s 44 counties to be food production disaster areas because of the 15 years long drought!  Never has the USDA declared an entire state a disaster area!

For those weenie-heads back in the New England states Idaho is a large state, encompassing several New England states (the biggest Gem State county, Idaho County, is 8,485 square miles or 21,980 square kilometers).  In other words one of the United States’ major food growers cannot meet demand!

The USDA also designated 18 counties in Washington and 15 counties in Montana as disaster areas!  Oregon has at least seven counties designated natural disaster areas.

Idaho wheat crop dying!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Pale Green Horse & What Economic Recovery? USDA to close 259 offices, how safe will your food be now?

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

On January 9, 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced they will have to close 259 offices across the country.  Budget concerns overrule food safety concerns.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is trying to cut $150 million from the USDA budget. The closures will affect 46 states, and includes seven foreign offices.

“They wiped out the entire Midwest.”-Andrew Lorenz, deputy district manager for the Food Safety and Inspection Service in Minneapolis

Lorenz says the office closings in his area have effectively shut down federal food inspection in Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wyoming!

Lorenz also said this could only mean USDA employees losing their jobs (on top of the 7,000 who were forced to take early retirement last year).

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack expressed concern: “Our workload is at record highs, we have less money and fewer people and work to do and we tried to address how do you do that without interrupting service.”

However, USDA undersecretary for food safety, Elisabeth Hagen, contradicted her own boss’s statement: “There will be no reduction in inspection presence at slaughter and processing facilities and no risk for consumers. Not only do we have a statutory obligation to be in every facility, we have an unwavering commitment to food safety. We will still be on the job, in every facility, every day.”

Now how do you do that with thousands less employees?

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Food Crisis: Where’s the beef? Texas drought killing the cattle industry

“Consumers are going to pay more because we’re going to have less beef. Fewer cows, calves, less beef production and increasing [demand for] exports.”-David Anderson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Texas is officially suffering its worst drought ever!  The decline in cows just more proof.

Texas is now seeing the biggest drop in cattle since the U.S. Great Depression in 1930s.  This year they lost more than 600,000 cattle.  Not all to death directly caused by drought, or early slaughter, some were moved out of state to, literally, greener pastures.

It’s not just Texas, but Oklahoma, New Mexico, Louisiana and Arkansas also saw an increase in loss of cattle due to drought.

This past year beef prices for U.S. consumers went up 9%. The USDA predicts another 5.5% increase for 2012.

 

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? USDA says 17 million Americans going hungry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 14.5% of U.S. households don’t have enough food (food insecure).  That’s based on data for 2010, the number is little changed from 2009.

Of the 17.2 million households without enough food, about half (59%) get help from government programs.

There are 6.4 million households experiencing ‘very low food security’.  Very low food security means: “…food intake of some household members was reduced and normal eating patterns were disrupted due to limited resources.”-USDA, report summary