3D printing makes farm machinery parts

CNH Industrial, the parent firm for New Holland and Case IH, is trying out the use of 3D printing to make plastic — and eventually metal — spare parts.

The company said Monday that it has already produced its first 3D-printed spare parts, making four plastic components for use on its farm equipment and bus lines.

The parts produced so far are plastic and CNH said it is already running further tests “which will enable the future production of metal components using this technology.”

BuyAnyPart, a British company specializing in sourcing obsolete parts for vehicles, farm equipment and other tools 

Smithfield loses another stink case

Smithfield Foods has lost its fifth of 26 lawsuits over manure odours from its hog-farming operations in North Carolina.

This time the jury awarded $420,000. In the previous cases, juries awarded about $550 million, but state law caps the amount that can be awarded so Smithfield’s liabilities are much less.

Nearby residents complained that Smithfield stored hog manure in open-air lagoons and sprayed it on fields releasing odours that reduced property values.

Smithfield has defended its practices not only as an efficient means of managing waste but also as a requirement of North Carolina law. The company called the latest verdict “unfair and unjust” and plans to appeal, as it has previous rulings.

“These lawsuits are an abuse of our legal system, one that bypasses decisions made by lawmakers and regulators,” Smithfield spokeswoman Keira Lombardo said. 

“We will continue to defend these cases on behalf of family farmers and all agriculture.”

U.S. moving to cage-free egg production

About 17 per cent of egg production in the United States is coming from cage-free operations now, but it’s going to cost about $7 billion to convert the rest, said Chistrine McCracken of Rabobank,

The U.S. egg industry involves more than 300 million hens and converting to housing without cages is a gargantuan task.

In Ontario, Harry Pelissero, general manager of the Egg Farmers of Ontario marketing board, is betting that the critics will be satisfied with a transition to “enhanced cages,” but that’s not what the most strident activist organizations, such as the Humane Society of the United States.

It leaves Ontario egg producers with expensive and risky decisions about their future.

Smoked chicken wins innovation award

Grand River Foods and Maple Lodge Farms have won the first award for developing a new product – frozen smoked chicken.

Their proprietary process is the first-of-its-kind in North America, said the Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board in announcing the award.

R. Douglas Cunningham, chairman of the independent advisory committee that oversees CFO’s Ontario Chicken Innovation and Growth Program, said “their commitment to innovation is sure to put new chicken products on the plates of Canadian consumers for years to come.”

The CFO launched the award program, the first of its kind in Canada, last year. 

It is open to primary processors, further processors, retailers, foodservice and restaurant companies involved in the processing, marketing and sale of chicken products. 

Companies that are not primary processors must include a primary processor as part of their application. Innovations must use chicken grown and fully processed in Ontario.

Agencies divide oversight for ersatz meat

Two agencies have reached agreement on how the United States will regulate the production of meat-like products from cell cultures.

The Food and Drug Administration will regulate the generation and multiplication of the cells and the Food Safety and Inspection Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture will regulate the processing of those cells into meat-like products.

The technology has backing worth billions of dollars from wealthy iinvestors, but so far the processes are too expensive to make the products competitive with meats.

Jilesen, Sharpe win appointments

Patrick Jilesen of Saugeen Shores has been appointed to a three-year term on the Business Risk Management Review Committee.

It oversees the agriculture-industry business risk programs and the wildlife damage compensation program.

Paul Sharpe of Guelph has been appointed to a three-year term as vice-chairman of the Livestock Financial Protection Board. It’s administration recently moved to AgriCorp.

Five entrants chosen by chicken board

Five families have been chosen this year under the Chicken Farmers of Ontario new entrants program.

They are:

  

·      Ryan and Randilyn Anderson, District 3 which stretches from Woodstock to Windsor.

·      Carson Baks, District 1 which is the northerly part of the board's territory.

·      Eamon and Janelle Johnston, District 3

·      Will and Tara MacArthur, District 9, which is the area east of Toronto and

·      Brian and Jessie Szmiett, District 3

The program finalists come from a wide variety of farming backgrounds and were selected following an extensive application review by a panel of financial and farming experts. 

The New Entrant Chicken Farmer Program supports qualified new farmers in joining the chicken industry by providing up to 4,000 basic units of quota and by providing education, training and mentorship to guide a successful transition for The quota is non-transferrable and is to be returned to the board on a gradual basis.

Since 2012, CFO has welcomed twenty-four new chicken farming families through the program, said board chairman Ed Benjamins.