Farm & Ranch

Planting the seed early: Kids on the Land sustaining their future

Published

10 years ago

June 9, 2014

By staff Jessica Bartel
With an ever-changing ecosystem and never-ending drought, producers and agriculturists have said the younger generations will only know a time of drought. Even more staggering to think about, will this younger generation know anything about agriculture and care for it? Their window of opportunity comes in high school with such programs like 4-H and FFA. But, what if they could be reached before that, in elementary?
In 2003 executive director, Peggy Maddox, a former educator, formed a program by the name “Kids on the Land.” Maddox received her bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 1985. Afterward she taught public school for 17 years and developed and taught the program for gifted/talented students in grades 5 through 8 in Sweetwater, TX. Maddox received honors throughout her career as an educator. To name a few, Maddox was named Teacher of the Year for her region two times and was the Texas Association for Gifted/Talented Teacher of the year in 2001. Maddox was also recognized by the Lt. Governor of Texas for her work as a teacher of young environmentalists. In 2002 Maddox also received the Rachel Carson Women in Science Award from a group of Texas environmental organizations.
Kids on the Land was based on the belief that kids need to reconnect to the land, especially in the land in their environment. To read more pick up the June issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

4 days ago

April 21, 2024

NTFR

By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Having backyard poultry is a popular agriculture enterprise. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 0.8 percent of all households in the United States have chickens. People keep chickens for a variety of reasons with table eggs being one of the more common reasons.

Unfortunately, some of these poultry producers are not aware of the hazards that come with keeping poultry because many times they carry pathogens but appear healthy.
Chickens are carriers of several zoonotic diseases. These are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. According to a recent survey in Pennsylvania, a majority of backyard poultry producers were aware of the dangers of avian influenza. However, this study also revealed that far fewer producers were aware of the risk of possible exposure to Salmonella and Campylobacter.

The lack of knowledge about the hazards of raising poultry likely contributes to the continued issues of Salmonella outbreaks associated with backyard poultry. In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,072 illnesses of Salmonella linked to backyard poultry, and 272 of those patients required hospitalization. Oklahoma reported 43 individuals with the disease.

To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.