Agriculture, Food And Beverage Manufacturing

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...

Central students prove dreams 'can' come true (12/06/11)
Students at Shelbyville Central High School proved on Friday that dreams 'can' come true -- displaying 28,166 canned food items in a Disney-themed Great Canned Food Drive. Drawings and posters of Disney characters were hung throughout the school during November to remind students to bring in canned and non-perishable items to help those in need during the holiday season...

Angel Food loss hits families (10/11/11)
John Holland, who was a coordinator for the local Angel Food Ministries distribution site, said the closing of the ministry last month affected about 87 or 88 families who had been buying low-cost food from the nonprofit. "Some of them keep calling me," said Holland...

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...

Cheese case closed;building for sale (07/10/11)
The federal case against Bedford Cheese, which was shuttered in February following a raid by the Food and Drug Administration, has been closed and the building is up for sale. A default judgment of condemnation, forfeiture and destruction for all of the food products at 111 Deery St. was signed in late June by U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier in the case against the Shelbyville company...

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."...

Seized food products to be destroyed soon (05/24/11)
Food items seized from Bedford Cheese during a federal raid in February are to be destroyed, with officials saying that the Shelbyville company must comply with a number of requirements before reopening. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Marshals had seized 96 cases of cheese -- about 1,700 pounds, including two vats of material -- held at the Shelbyville facility at the time, alleging unsanitary conditions caused by rodents...

Quake shakes up CKNA production (04/14/11)
Japan's March 11 earthquake has forced adjustments at Nissan parts supplier CalsonicKansei North America, which has plants in Shelbyville and Lewisburg. Workers will soon be supplying parts for five more vehicles....

Biscuit queen rakes in dough (04/03/11)
There is something about Mary Cobble's biscuits that even with identical ingredients sets them apart and above the rest. She is Shelbyville's queen of biscuit-making and she holds court most mornings at the Hardee's on Madison Street. Last week, she was rewarded for 30 years and about 12 million biscuits with a certificate for her tenure and another for her baking prowess...

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. ...

Bedford Cheese denies FDA claims of filth, pests in facility (03/10/11)
The attorney for Bedford Cheese is denying many of the claims that led federal authorities to seize nearly 100 cases of food, resulting in the closure of the business. Two weeks ago, the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Marshals seized 96 cases of cheese held at the Shelbyville facility, alleging unsanitary conditions caused by rodents...

UPDATED: Bedford Cheese closed after FDA warrants served (02/25/11)
The doors of Bedford Cheese on Deery Street have been closed after agents of the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service served warrants on the Shelbyville business, alleging unsanitary conditions caused by rodents. On Wednesday, the FDA and Marshals served a Warrant for Arrest in rem of 96 cases of cheese held at the Shelbyville facility, and a civil complaint for forfeiture of the products was unsealed after the warrant was served, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.. ...

Cooking Channel is a winner (01/02/11)
In June 2009, I wrote a column for the T-G complaining about how Food Network had de-emphasized cooking shows, especially smart cooking shows, in favor of competition shows and personality-driven shows featuring Guy Fieri shouting catch phrases. I knew that Food Network, which was getting good ratings, was unlikely to change its approach. ...

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...

Letter carriers to collect food donations (05/06/10)
The annual "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive conducted by the National Association of Letter Carriers will take place Saturday; local collections of non-perishable food items will be distributed to the needy by Good Samaritan Association. Food items can be left in your mail box or in a bag next to your mail box and will be picked up by carriers as they make their normal rounds. Items can also be brought to the lobby of the U.S. Post Office in Shelbyville...

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...

Back Packs fill needy students over weekends (02/05/10)
There will be 30 to 40 fewer hungry children this weekend thanks to a new program developed by the Bedford County Department of Education Student Services. The Back Pack Program will send small, drawstring "cinch sacks" home with children in need, and each sack will contain at least 10 food items -- two for breakfast, four protein or meal items, and four fruit or fruit juice items...

Hamburger soup: a shortcut to comfort (01/10/10)
Come January, everyone seems to want to eat healthier. The problem, however, is when cold weather comes our way our desire to shed the extra holiday pounds is often trumped by our stronger desire for comfort foods. I posted a quick blog last week to find out what folks crave this time of year, when temperatures fall below 20 degrees. ...

City Outreach Ministries in dire need of food donations (10/18/09)
In little more than a month, on Nov. 21, City Outreach Ministries will open its doors for their annual Thanksgiving dinner. Those who come for the community meal usually leave with boxes full of more food for their own Thanksgiving dinner the next week, including hams or turkeys...

Good Samaritan needs more than just food (10/15/09)
In these hard times, Good Samaritan has had its hands full trying to help out those in the community who need it the most. While they always accept donations of food, there are needs in other areas as well. Food drives that have already taken place have kept the shelves stocked at the non-profit organization, thanks to recent mentions in the Times-Gazette, as well as a lot of cash on hand to buy more foodstuffs when needed, according to director Cathy Miller....

Learn your kitchen mathematics (09/20/09)
We were making pear preserves the other day and the recipe called for 3/4 pound of sugar to each pound of pears. We were using our postage meter to figure out how many cups of sugar to add to our 10 pounds of pears. That's when it dawned upon me how nice it would be to have a handy chart of equivalents...

Good Samaritan shelves are stocked but cash box needs help (09/18/09)
For once, the food pantry at Good Samaritan Association isn't in dire need -- but the coffers are. "We've got plenty of food right now," said Musa Alexander, who has been helping out at the local charity for many years now. "But it's going very fast. We do have a lot of fresh vegetables -- the people here in Shelbyville are so generous. When they find out through your paper that we need stuff, they come with bags and baskets -- and checks in their hands."...

Fabulous French toast is stuffed, and you will be too (09/13/09)
Crunchy, creamy, zesty and sweet ... all at the same time? Yep, that's what you'll taste if you try this week's Simply Delish recipe. If you take a bite without knowing the ingredients in crunchy bran French toast, I'd bet you'd never guess you were eating something healthy...

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...

Penne a la vodka is simple yet sophisticated (08/30/09)
I think I have become inspired by the new movie "Julie and Julia," even though as of now I have only seen the previews. Once overwhelmed by my growing pile of recipes I've collected over the years, I now feel driven to organize my recipes and put them to good use. ...

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...

Head-on crash takes life (04/28/08)
A head-on collision on a narrow, rural road left a Bedford County man dead and another seriously injured Monday morning. William Howard Cooper, 81, Possom Trot Road, died about 9:15 a.m. at the scene on Sandusky Road shortly after the impact drove the passenger side of the truck in which he was riding into a guard rail....

Unemployment rate shows slight rise (04/28/08)
Bedford County's unemployment rate for March rose slightly to 5.8 percent, according to figures released by the Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development. The county reportedly had a total work force of 22,940, with 21,610 working and 1,330 unemployed, meaning that the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percent since February...

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...

T-G bloggers touch all bases (03/27/08)
Here are excerpts from some recent blog postings of interest at the Times-Gazette web site: http://www.t-g.com/blogs/bettybrown/entry/17477/ This was not our first visit to the Gulf Coast since the infamous Katrina stormed through .... We went down in November of that year to take floor tiles for a church building. ...

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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