Here’s something we haven’t done for a while – our roundup of a some links to news and articles that caught our eye and which we consider worth a bit of your time. If you have any other useful content you think our audience would appreciate, please do add the links in the comments below…
Coalition advisor orders review of ‘safe’ pesticides – From The Independent, taking a look at whether neonicotinoids, widely used around the world in pesticides, are killing off bees and whether they should have been approved in the first place.
Family farmers pre-emptively sue Monsanto over GM contamination – From the Family Farm Defenders website. Small farmers and others involved in sustainable food have launched an action in New York in a bid to prevent Monsanto from suing them if GM seed drift contaminates their land. This has happened many times and they want to change the playing field to a fair one.
Study demonstrates carbon reductions through animal feed – This is perhaps not entirely new, but evidence is growing that animal emissions can be cut by altering their diet. One to watch. This piece from edie.net.
Bill Allen was a director of OF&G and an advisor to the Organic Livestock Marketing Co-operative (OLMC).
(Left to right) OF&G Director, Angela Bates, Tim Leigh, of OLMC and OF&G CEO, Richard Jacobs, presenting the Bill Allen Memorial Award cheque to Val Braybrooks of Lincoln University
He commanded tremendous respect among those who worked with him or benefited from his expert knowledge of organic livestock. This is why, after he passed away in 2005, OF&G and OLMC joined forces to create the Bill Allen Memorial Award.
This year, it gives us great pleasure to have teamed-up with Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Animal Sciences at the University of Lincoln to create the Bill Allen Memorial Prize and Scholarship.
Run over three years, OF&G and OLMC will provide a £500 annual contribution which, in the first year will fund prizes for students of the National Diploma in Agriculture and/or the National Diploma in Animal Management.
In years two and three it will provide two £250 scholarships which will be awarded to deserving students on successful completion of the National Diploma in Agriculture.
Both OF&G and OLMC consider it a fitting way to remember a man who did so much for organic livestock farmers and are delighted to see this arrangement in place to benefit students.
We’re sure Bill would have approved wholeheartedly.
We were delighted to discover that our very own R&D Officer, Steven Jacobs, has been shortlisted for the Natural Products Outstanding Achievement Award.
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