Farm & Ranch

Ag Elsewhere : Africa – “The Meeting Room Will Come to Order”

Published

5 years ago

October 30, 2018

NTFR

By Tiffany Thompson

“The meeting room will come to order. We are now holding a meeting of the Nana Ankobea Takyiwa 4-H Club. Madam Vice President, are all officers at their stations?”

These were the opening words of our first 4-H meeting at Nana Ankobea Takyiwa School. Listening to the officer team recite the Opening Ceremonies while sitting in the assembly hall of our school, I felt a wave of familiarity and comfort wash over me. Despite the fact that I haven’t been an FFA member for over five years now, serving as an officer for all four years of high school engrained the lines of these ceremonies in my head.

Here, 4-H works as a hybrid between 4-H and FFA in the United States. 4-H is traditionally a club run through schools, and teachers volunteer their time as advisors. Through the club, members can hold officer positions, gain experience working on the school farm and take projects from food and nutrition to bead making.

The National FFA’s Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the Creed, have been adapted for 4-H Ghana. Established in the year 2000, 4-H Ghana now includes more than 1,100 clubs across the country.

To read more pick up a copy of the November 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

Farm & Ranch

Hazards of Backyard Poultry

Published

5 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.