Assisting Community Foundations with Branding, Standards, and Marketing: Lessons Learned

Michigan has been intentional about growing community foundations since the late 1980s. Local efforts have been supported by the Council of Michigan Foundations with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. FERA (Formative Evaluation Research Associates), an independent evaluation group, and Williams Group, a strategic communications firm, have documented growth, identified supports and obstacles, and developed lessons learned. This document is part of a larger set of lessons learned across multiple state-wide initiatives about community foundation growth

Performance and carcass quality of fully on partly outdoor reared pigs in organic production

Outdoor rearing of finishers can be considered a relevant option in organic pig production. The performance and carcass characteristics of 245 organically produced and free-range born crossbred pigs allocated to five treatments were compared. The five treatments were: transfer to a barn with free access to feed (1) at weaning and until slaughter, (2) at a live weight of 40 kg and until slaughter, (3) at live weight of 80 kg and until slaughter, or reared at pasture (4) with free or (5) limited access to concentrates until slaughter. Pigs fed ad libitum fed indoor compared to pigs fed ad libitum outdoor had a significant lower feed consumption (5 MJ ME /kg gain), lower lean percentage (2.3%), and a higher backfat depth (1.1 mm)(all P < 0.05). Compared with outdoor pigs fed ad libitum, restricted feeding outdoor resulted in a significantly lower daily gain (107 g), a lower feed consumption (6.3 MJ ME/kg gain), higher lean percentage (2.1% units), and a reduced backfat (1.8 mm) (all P < .001). Pigs, which at a live weight of 40 kg, were transferred to indoor facilities with free access to feed compensated almost completely before slaughter, while pigs transferred at 80 kg live weight only compensated little. Although the housing environment (in- or outdoor) seems to affect performance and carcass traits, the length of energy restriction appears to be of greater importance

Systemic inflammation: Cancer's long-distance reach to maximize metastasis

While major improvements have been made in targeting primary tumor growth, metastasis and combating cancer spread remain an enigma. We recently identified a systemic inflammatory cascade involving IL17-producing γδ T cells and neutrophils that advance breast cancer metastasis. These data provide insights into how immune cells promote cancer spread

Revving up dendritic cells while braking PD-L1 to jump-start the cancer-immunity cycle motor

Although it is successful for some, most melanoma patients are refractory to T cell checkpoint inhibition. In this issue of Immunity, Merad and colleagues (2016) describe a dendritic-cell-based strategy to heighten the efficacy of therapeutic anti-PD-L1 and BRAF inhibitors in mouse melanoma models

Full or partial outdoor rearing of slaughter pigs – effects on performance, carcass quality and nutrient load

An experiment with slaughter pigs from weaning to slaughter including five treatments and five replicates was carried out at the Danish organic experimental station, Rugballegård. Treatments included full or partial outdoor rearing of the pigs, and the replicates covered the seasonal effects. Pigs fed ad libitum indoors had a significantly lower feed consumption (5 MJ ME /kg gain), a lower lean percentage (2.3% points), and a higher backfat depth (1.1 mm, P < 0.05) than pigs fed ad libitum outdoors. Compared with outdoor pigs fed ad libitum, restricted feeding outdoors resulted in a significantly lower daily gain (107 g), a lower feed consumption (6.3 MJ ME/kg gain), higher lean percentage (2.1% points), and a reduced backfat (1.8 mm) (P <0.001). The content of soil nitrogen was considerably higher than for the soil outside the paddocks. Despite a considerable variation within the paddocks, N was distributed throughout the paddock. The present investigation highlights the fact that outdoor rearing of organic finishers may be a competitive option even in a temperate climate and all year round

Integration of organic animal production intor land use with special reference to swine and poultry

The development in organic livestock production can be attributed to an increased consumer interest in organic products while, at the same time, increased farmers' interest in converting to organic production methods—often stimulated by governmental support or subsidies. It is important that organic production systems can fulfil the expectations of each of these stakeholders if organic livestock production is to increase further. This is of particular importance if organic pig and poultry production (other than egg) is to move from the present niche-production to a significant place in the food market, as in the case of beef and milk. It can be argued that the limited organic pork and poultry production is related to the fact that it is far more difficult for farmers to change the existing production systems for pig and poultry compared to production systems for cattle and other ruminants in a way that gives a harmonious balance between the different aims of organic farming. Conflicts may occur as to the most appropriate rearing practice in considerating the basic aspects of the innate behaviour of animals on one hand, the risk of pollution from the production on the other and, in addition, the aim of producing in sufficient quantities. These possible conflicts are reflected in the compromises made in national or EU regulations on organic farming. In the regulations for organic farming, the aspect of allowing a high degree of natural behaviour of the livestock is, among others, translated in the requirement that livestock, in certain periods of their life or of the year, should be allowed to graze or have access to an outdoor area. The most common outdoor systems for pig and poultry used in intensively managed organic production have some significant drawbacks in relation to environmental impact (risk of N-leaching and ammonia volatilisation), animal welfare (nose-ringed sows), high mortality in poultry and workload and management constraints. From recent experience of such systems, it is argued that there is a need for a radical development of the systems. There is a need for outdoor/free range systems (for the sake of the livestock), which are constructed and managed in such a way that the livestock, at the same time, exert a positive influence on other parts of the farming system. There is evidence that pregnant sows can fulfil their nutritional needs to a large extent by grazing, that co-grazing sows with heifers can diminish the parasite burden of the heifers, and that the pig inclination for rooting can be managed in a way that makes ploughing and other heavy land cultivation more or less superfluous. As regard poultry, there is an indication that quite big flocks can be managed efficiently in a way where the flock act as weeders in other crops or fight pests in orchards. These elements need to be further explored as a basis for future system development