Category Archives: Agriculture

Louise Slaughter, Congresswoman and Microbiologist, RIP

Posted on March 19, 2018 by mikethemadbiologist

Friday, Democratic Congresswoman Louise Slaughter died after complications from a fall. She was a stalwart for women’s rights, and co-author of the Violence Against Women Act; Slaughter also was one of the few congress(wo)men who attempted to delay the confirmation … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Civil Liberties, Democrats, Genetics | 1 Comment

The Hidden Keynesian Stimulus

Posted on November 9, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Or maybe it should be called a Lernerian stimulus? Either way, this excellent story about the USDA touches on an important reason why so many ‘anti-government’ U.S.-ians are fine with receiving government assistance–they don’t realize they’re getting government aid (boldface … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Economics | 1 Comment

The Republican War On Microbiology

Posted on June 12, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Yes, this is from Trump’s proposed budget, not a Congressional proposal. But until Republicans shoot this down–if they do shoot it down–they own this (boldface mine; color original): Welcome to the ARS Culture Collection (NRRL) Please note that the President’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Conservatives, Fucking Morons, Funding, The War on Science | 2 Comments

Chemical Saftey During The Reign Of Il Trumpe

Posted on May 19, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Only one month after the Trump administration liberated us from the horrors of pesticide regulation, this happened (boldface mine): On May 5, more than 50 farmworkers outside of Bakersfield, California, were exposed to a highly toxic pesticide that apparently drifted … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Conservatives, Food, Public Health | Comments Off on Chemical Saftey During The Reign Of Il Trumpe

Has Vertical Farming Come Of Age?

Posted on January 9, 2017 by mikethemadbiologist

Finally? Vertical farming–which is essentially growing crops in buildings–might have finally arrived. The problem has always been that it wasn’t clear that these farms could make money. According this article, that doesn’t seem to be a problem (boldface mine): Most … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture | 5 Comments

A Public Health Question About the Bird Influenza Epidemic

Posted on May 23, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

You might not be aware of a massive bird flu epidemic ripping its way across the U.S.: Iowa, where one in every five eggs consumed in the country is laid, has been the hardest hit: More than 40 percent of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Aves, Influenza, Vaccination | Comments Off on A Public Health Question About the Bird Influenza Epidemic

What Does “Human Antibiotics” Mean?

Posted on April 30, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

Because, like Honey Badger, bacteria just don’t give a shit what they’re called. Recently, Tyson Food, the largest U.S. poultry producer, announced they’re changing their antibiotic use policies (boldface mine): Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) said today it is striving … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Evolution, Plasmids | Comments Off on What Does “Human Antibiotics” Mean?

Vertical Farms and Surburbia/Exurbia

Posted on April 20, 2015 by mikethemadbiologist

I’ve been interested in vertical farms since the idea was first kicked around. While there’s still a lot of pie-in-the-sky type thinking about vertical farming, it looks like it’s beginning to happen (boldface mine): A former Grammer, Dempsey and Hudson … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture | 2 Comments

Heard It Through the Grapevine: More Scientific Infrastructure Problems

Posted on February 10, 2014 by mikethemadbiologist

Our usual plaint about the state of research infrastructure: One of the ridiculous things about many depictions of science in TV and movies is the notion that there’s this huge infrastructure: shiny labs (which are always neat and spacious), high-tech … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Booze, Funding, Plants | Comments Off on Heard It Through the Grapevine: More Scientific Infrastructure Problems

New Chicken Microbial Survey Reveals Very Little That’s New

Posted on December 20, 2013 by mikethemadbiologist

Before I get into the meat of the post (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?), let me state for the record that I think the U.S. needs to do much more in terms of limiting antibiotic use in agriculture, especially since … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Antibiotics, Food, KPC, Public Health | 2 Comments