So Wood and Shindle have chosen the most simple signals for Jasper, hoping they also would make sense to guests at the farm, or to children who might want to play with him. There are signals for going outside, going to bed (tilting a cheek to the hand), walking, being quiet, coming here and "Do you want a drink?" Though Jasper appears profoundly deaf, Wood and Shindle say he responds from other rooms in the house when there are footsteps on the wood floors, and he often reacts to hearing...

It was therefore agreed that research into and development of individual electronic tagging should proceed, with a view to it being introduced as soon as possible. Member States agreed that individual traceability of sheep and goats was a necessary step to ensure animal health and food safety. Following the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, EU rules on the identification of sheep and goats were reinforced. The Regulation states that, once progress has been made in developing the...

While the agriculture industry says it's a safe and economical way to get rid of dead animals, some environmentalists question whether it could lead to groundwater and surface water contamination. JOHNS - Dairy farmer Ken Nobis reaches into a tall mound of what looks like topsoil and grabs a clump, which he looks over and quickly sniffs before crumbling it up. Its humus is dark and rich and virtually odor-free - which is surprising, given that much of it consists of cow manure and the...

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The agriculture industry says it's a safe and economical way to dispose of dead animals, though some environmentalists question whether it could lead to groundwater and surface water contamination. Its humus is dark, rich and virtually odor-free - which is surprising, given that much of it consists of cow manure and the decayed remains of dead cattle. The humus, which is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, someday will be spread as fertilizer on Nobis' 3,000 acres of corn, wheat,...

Corn was higher on the idea it will have to keep pace with soybeans to keep acres next year. Wheat moved higher on strength of corn and beans, also dryness in Kansas and the southeast is beginning to show on the crop condition. Soybeans were sharply higher as strong export demand, along with the gold and energy markets moving higher and a weaker US dollar all supported the soybean market. A higher gold and crude oil market also supported corn prices. This material may not be published,...