Agriculture

Two local USDA agencies to shut due to cost-cutting (01/10/12)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday it will close nearly 260 offices nationwide, including the Farm Service Agency and Rural Development offices at 709 East Lane St. in Shelbyville, which serve Bedford and Moore counties. USDA's plans won praise for cutting costs but raised concerns about the possible effect on food safety...

Inspector is capable, USDA says (08/31/11)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture responded to the Times-Gazette's inquiry about the experience level of veterinarians inspecting horses during last Saturday evening's Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration. Industry leaders expressed their frustration with USDA inspectors after the agency turned down six horses before the aged stallion class...

Farm comes to city (06/01/11)
Farmers may be early risers, but consumers often take a different view. The 2011 Bedford County Farmers Market will open tomorrow at a new time -- 3:30 p.m. -- at the pavilion on Celebration Drive just off Madison Street. "The market day and time is new," said Bedford County extension agent John Teague. "The original market was open on the weekend in the early morning hours, but the new day and time is more customer-friendly. Folks can run by after work and shop."...

Waterfall owners suspended over alleged violations (03/31/11)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has fined and suspended the owners of Waterfall Farms in Shelbyville for one year from any horse show or event in connection with alleged violations of the Horse Protection Act more than 10 years ago. William B. (Bill) Johnson and Sandra Johnson of Atlanta, known nationwide as breeders of champion Tennessee Walking Horses, were suspended for a year beginning on Jan. ...

Heat leads to disaster declaration (11/30/10)
Gov. Phil Bredesen is requesting additional federal disaster assistance for farmers in Bedford and 27 other Tennessee counties as a result of drought and excessive heat during the growing season. University of Tennessee Extension agent John Teague said Bedford County farmers were hit hard by the summer heat and lack of rainfall...

No action taken on poultry houses (09/08/10)
After wandering deeper and deeper into a discussion of how to respond to concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) such as four or more large poultry houses, Bedford County Planning Commission finally decided to do nothing at all. A motion to take no action whatsoever on the issue passed by a 6-2 margin Tuesday night, with three other planners abstaining, presumably because they operate poultry houses under contract to Tyson Foods...

Farm zoning change awaits more study (08/04/10)
Bedford County Planning Commission decided Tuesday night to take another month to look at proposed regulations for high-density farming operations, after a draft of changes to the zoning resolution turned out to be not exactly what planners had intended...

No decision made on agricultural zoning change (07/14/10)
No action was taken Tuesday night on proposals to regulate high-density commercial agriculture in Bedford County, after a report that county attorney John T. Bobo was still studying the issue. The changes are a response to a proposed development of 14 chicken houses on Big Spring Road...

Zoners vs. chicken houses (07/09/10)
Bedford County Planning Commission will ask Bedford County Board of Commissioners next week to adopt regulations similar to those in Rutherford County to regulate high-density corporate agriculture, in response to a proposed development of 14 chicken houses on Big Spring Road...

Animal carcass disposal firm to end service soon (05/30/10)
In 2009, in Bedford County alone, farmers had to dispose of 585 tons of dead cattle, calves, horses and hogs. A great many of those animals were picked up from farms by Kentucky-based Griffin Industries, a service for which the county paid $30,000 in the current fiscal year. Griffin Industries rendered those carcasses into byproducts like animal feed...

Roundup continues as officials search for remaining cows (02/17/10)
Snow has hampered the search for the remains of a cattle herd authorities claim have been starved, while more live cows are being cared for. Meanwhile, the man sheriff's officials say is responsible for the dead animals is free on bonds totalling over $1 million and new autopsy results have confirmed the cause of death to be starvation...

Lawyer for hog farmer asks for DNA results (09/10/09)
LEWISBURG -- The attorney for a Bedford County hog farmer, who's charged with polluting four water wells, is asking the state for results of chemical tests, according to court records filed Wednesday. "I'm told that there was DNA testing and that it was inconclusive," Fayetteville-based attorney Ray Fraley said on behalf of his client, Charles Edward "Charlie" Haskins, 61, of Haskins Chapel Road near Sutton Creek...

Hog farmer accused of polluting Marshall County water (09/02/09)
A Bedford County hog farmer has been charged with polluting the water sources of four Marshall County homes with hundreds of thousands of gallons of manure. Charles Edward "Charlie" Haskins, 61, of Haskins Chapel Road was recently charged in Marshall County with four counts of causing pollution, five vandalism counts and six counts of reckless endangerment...

Beautifying Bell Buckle (05/05/08)
The labors of a young man from Bell Buckle will pay off for years to come for the town's park and city streets. The Eagle Scout project of Matthew Bettis, the 17-year-old son of Gregg and Karla Bettis, involved the planting of 100 small trees and 400 saplings in a nursery area in Bell Buckle park...

Injunction bars Tyson from advertising claim (04/23/08)
BALTIMORE (AP) -- A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Tuesday barring Tyson Foods from advertising that its poultry products don't contain antibiotics thought to lead to drug resistance in humans. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett was a victory for rivals Perdue Farms and Sanderson Farms Inc., who are suing to stop the advertisements...

TWHBEA names executive director (04/22/08)
Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders' and Exhibitors' Association (TWHBEA) announced Sunday that Stan Butt has been named as executive director. Butt has been serving as interim executive director since December. "Stan has done an outstanding job of helping restore financial accountability and fiscal responsibility to our Association," said Mike Inman, TWHBEA vice president for administrative, fiscal and audit matters, who chairs the group's personnel committee. ...

Blackburn rallies local GOP (04/21/08)
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn stressed energy, the economy and national security during a speech Saturday night at the annual Bedford County Republican Party banquet. The banquet was held at the Blue Ribbon Circle on the Celebration grounds. Blackburn said the party's losses in 2006 were the result of a loss of focus on key messages...

Tyson CEO says ethanol will lead to higher food costs (03/27/08)
When Dick Bond says that the price of food will soon go up due to increased ethanol production, you'd best listen to him. He should know: he's the president and CEO of Tyson Foods. Bond paid a rare visit to the Shelbyville poultry complex Wednesday to tour the facility and meet with plant management as well as officials from around Bedford County...

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