The contaminated spinach that sickened hundreds of people and led to an unprecedented nationwide recall last fall was traced to a 50-acre field at a cattle ranch east of Salinas, Calif. Streams, which run through the ranch and carry manure from cattle, could have tainted the well water used for irrigation. The long-awaited findings of a joint federal and state investigation point to one bacteria-laden crop processed at one plant. It is primarily a beef cattle ranch with a small amount of...

Eldridge and representatives of other state and federal agencies visited the farm in Addy, about 75 miles north of Spokane, in early March after receiving reports of 50-60 dead cattle. Eldridge suggested that the dairy owners take steps to improve the farm s sanitary conditions and seek expert advice on herd health management and nutrition. During this investigation, we have found no threat to the health of people or other animals, Eldridge said in a news release. Concerns about possible...

The project announced April 16 will produce "the next generation of renewable diesel fuel," to help supplement petroleum-based diesel fuel supplies, the companies said. The companies revealed they have been collaborating over the past year "on ways to leverage Tyson's advanced knowledge in protein chemistry and production with ConocoPhillips' processing and marketing expertise. ConocoPhillips, a Houston, Texas-based oil and gas group, will make the necessary capital expenditures to enable...

Should the more than $40 million beef plant be built, property taxes on the processing plant alone would increase to more than $743,000 a year, according to the assessor's estimate. Recent cases of mad cow disease in Canada have also been beneficial for small packing plants that can track their beef, Sanderson said. They didn't expect the lawsuits filed to halt it and even though past TIF proposals to the county have been met with some resistance, they didn't expect it would be put to a...

Starbucks and Safeway recently joined a growing list of companies that have pledged to only use milk from cows that are not supplemented with genetically modified bovine somatotropin, which increases milk production. POCATELLO, Idaho n In what many dairymen see as a case of udder folly, more and more pressure is being applied to producers to provide hormone-free milk. Shortly after the Starbucks announcement, California s largest dairy co-op notified members it will no longer accept milk...