Study: Healthy 'Depots' Discovered in Beef Brisket

From a TSCRA Press Release

The beef brisket, treasured by most Texas barbecue connoisseurs and a common staple found inside smoking pits throughout the Lone Star State, contains 'depots' or tiny reservoirs of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, according to new research.

Oils like olive or canola are the best sources of monounsaturated fatty acids since they contain 70 percent to 80 percent oleic acid, according to experts.

"However, the fat in beef brisket from corn-fed steers contains nearly 50 percent oleic acid, and oleic acid increases the longer cattle are fed a corn-based diet," said Dr. Stephen Smith, a Texas AgriLife Research meat scientist and professor in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University.

Smith chaired a thesis study conducted by Stacey Turk, a Texas A&M animal science graduate student. Turk's study could trigger a change in how meat processors view the brisket by offering a ground product that's more nutritious than those found in retail grocery outlets today.

"We found the brisket to be the most healthful area of the carcass," she said. Read more on the TSCRA Web site.

Ideas for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

Source: Center for Rural Affairs – Courtesy of the American Cowman Web site April 22, 2008

Q. How do I find land to farm or ranch? Competition for land is fierce, and it’s so expensive.

A. The biggest hurdles for beginners are land and financing (often the same thing). There are a number of programs like our Land Link that match beginning and retiring farmers – most are listed here: www.farmtransition.org.

However, most transfers happen between people who already have some connection to each other. To get into that network, tell everyone you know that you’re looking. Folks who know your abilities and interests won’t hesitate to recommend you. And you can start small and build a reputation with one landowner, which will grow around the neighborhood, opening up more opportunities.

Q: Where do I start with my ideas for a farm business?

A: You’re right to consider a farm-based enterprise as a business. You have to make enough money to support yourself and pay the unavoidable costs (like taxes), or someone else will soon be working your land.

It’s a good idea to start with a business plan, which will lay out your plans and goals for the business, the obstacles you’ll encounter and your responses, your competition and your advantages, and the ebbs and flows of your cash. Especially the cash – because you want to ensure you’ll have a profit before your spend any of it!

There are several sources for business plans, assistance, and training courses. Numerous business plan outlines are available online, such as at the Center for Rural Affairs and Small Business Administration Web sites.

There are several sources for business plans, assistance, and training courses. Numerous business plan outlines are available online, such as at the Center for Rural Affairs and Small Business Administration Web sites.

Assistance is available from some Cooperative Extension programs (ask your local county Extension agent or your land-grant university) and for non-production ag businesses through state Small Business Development Centers.

Courses run the gamut from the classic Farming Alternatives booklet, to the extensive Tilling the Soil of Opportunity (10 weeks). Other courses can be self-directed, online, or classroom, including Cornell, NESFI, Farm Beginnings, and IFARM. These all have a core of sustainable farming, goal-setting, financial literacy, production planning, marketing, and legal issues.

Additional information about farm production, management, and marketing is available from ATTRA, Missouri Alternatives Center, and USDA SARE.

Contact: The Center for Rural Affairs’ Wyatt Fraas, wyattf@cfra.org or 402.254.6893 for more information on beginning farmers and ranchers.

USDA Announces $5.8 Million in Economic Funding Development Funding

From a USDA Press Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on April 23, 2008, the selection of 10 organizations in nine states for $5.8 million in loans to spur economic development.

The funding is being made available through USDA Rural Development's Intermediary Relending Program. It is provided to community development or regional planning groups who then re-lend the money to local businesses. The loans must be used to start new businesses, expand existing ones, or create or retain jobs. Read more on the USDA Web site.