Juggling coverage — AgMinute for Sept. 4, 2013

An insurance expert says upcoming health care reforms could lead farmers to drop coverage of their workers.

Labor costs loom — AgMinute for July 8, 2013

Farmers who aren't directly subject to national health care reforms for employees may still end up with higher labor costs from the overhaul, experts say.

Celiac-friendly spuds — AgMinute for May 20, 2013

A new Idaho Potato Commission recipe promotion seeks to capitalize on a sharp increase in Americans who report suffering from gluten intolerance.

Failed beef testing — AgMinute for April 2, 2013

Some ground beef may evade USDA testing for E. coli bacteria due to a lack of clarity in agency protocols, according to an internal audit.

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Reluctant exchange — Idaho AgMinute for March 18, 2013

Many Idaho farm groups have thrown their support behind the governor's proposal to create a state-based health insurance exchange but only reluctantly because they see no other choice.

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Podcast: Optimistic thoughts on health care insurance reform

In this podcast, reporter Kelsey Thalhofer examines rural reactions to the Supreme Court’s decision on the Affordable Care Act and reporter Matthew Weaver talks about increased pest and disease pressure on Northwest wheat crops.

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AgMinute for Feb. 9, 2012

Concerned that pulse crops are being overlooked as a health-promoting food, the industry is seeking increased funding for health and nutrition research.

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UC reminds of oak toxicity potential

From the California Cattlemen's Association:

After a few warm weeks throughout the state this winter and the news of more winter storms on the way, CCA wants to pass on information from the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) that is important for cattle producers to be aware of.

According to an article from John Maas, DVM, published in the January 2008 issue of the California Cattleman magazine, there are more than 50 common species of oak trees in California all containing some levels of the chemicals that can cause problems in cattle. Maas says oak buds, young leaves and fresh acorns have the highest level of toxins. Many oak trees in California have already began to bud in the warmth of early spring. As seen in past years, the threat of cold weather, especially snow in the foothills, can cause these buds to fall off trees and into the hay or forage on the ground, and subsequently may be eaten by livestock, causing a wide variety of cattle health problems.

To read the article in its entirety click here. You may also learn more about this problem and how you can best avoid it by contacting your local UCCE Livestock Farm Advisor.

Obama nominee: Health care 'must redistribute wealth'

"Any health care funding plan that is just equitable civilized and humane must, must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and the less fortunate. Excellent health care is by definition redistributional." - Donald Berwick

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Some clarity on health care reform

The Washington Times provides it this morning.

Would private insurance become illegal under Dem health care bill?

According to the Investor's Business Daily, it would. (Hat tip: RedState.)

When we first saw the paragraph Tuesday, just after the 1,018-page document was released, we thought we surely must be misreading it. So we sought help from the House Ways and Means Committee.

It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of “Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage,” the “Limitation On New Enrollment” section of the bill clearly states:

“Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day” of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won’t be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

RedState blogger Dan Perrin adds:

So why would the Dems make individual health insurance illegal?

To force everyone into government run health care, of course.

President Obam’s promise of “if you like your health plan, you can keep it” is a complete lie.

Is it any wonder that 10 Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee have told Chairman Waxman to go pound sand?

Speaking of pigs

Could they have a role in the ongoing stem cell debate?

From the BBC:

Chinese scientists have given cells from adult pigs the ability to turn into any tissue in the body, just like embryonic stem cells.

They hope the breakthrough could aid research into human disease, and the breeding of animals for organ transplants for humans.

It may also enable the development of pigs that are resistant to diseases such as swine flu.

The study appears online in the Journal of Molecular Cell Biology.

This breakthrough to produce pig stem cells potentially reinvigorates the quest to grow humanised pig organs

Lead researcher Dr Lei Xiao, of the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, said many other attempts had been made to transform adult cells from animals such as pigs into "pluripotent" stem cells, but they had failed.

He said: "Therefore, it is entirely new, very important and has a number of applications for both human and animal health."

Could "swine" flu have been created in a petri dish?

A scientists is offering a new theory about where the current strain of H1N1 virus, known popularly as swine flu, may have originated. In a story on Bloomberg.com, a researcher says the virus may have been a man-made error.

It's doubtful you'll be reading about that theory on website operating by activist organizations promoting the theory that large hog farms in the U.S. or Mexico must be to blame.

The Centers for Disease Control doesn't think the disease started in a lab, but the story indicates the virus may have originated in South America or Africa.

Anyone else seeing anything concrete being reported out there as to what the cause of this virus might have been?