A New Form of Soy Can Help Feed Piglets.

A New Form of Soy Can Help Feed Piglets. Feed consisting of only vegetable sources tends to be much less expensive than feed that includes animal protein, which makes it an enticing option for farmers. Until now, a pig’s specific dietary needs have indicated that a vegetarian feed at this stage in the pig’s life isn’t a great option, but a new study from the University of Illinois indicates that with some careful tinkering, it might be possible. Pigs, like humans, are omnivores with specific protein needs and inefficient digestive systems. Weaner pigs are at an even more delicate point in their development; they also have trouble digesting some plant matter, like soybeans. The new study, examines the efficacy of a type of soy called “SPC,” which stands for soy protein concentrate. SPC is a heavily processed soy that usually uses an alcohol-based extraction method to pull out the most desired parts of the soybean, leaving the less-desired parts behind. After processing, SPC is a pellet or powder that’s around 70 percent protein and 20 percent carbohydrates. The regular soybeans are more like 55 percent protein and 30 percent carbohydrates. The UIUC researchers slotted SPC into a weaner pig’s diet in place of more common (and more expensive) protein sources like fish meal and spray-dried plasma protein (which is basically dried blood flakes), to see if this more processed, more efficient form of soy could serve the pigs well. The study shows that that, yes, SPC can in fact serve as a cheap and effective substitution for animal protein. source

How to prepare farm produce for dehydrator.

How to prepare farm produce for dehydrator. A flat sunny spot in which to set up your dehydrator. The longer the sun hits it each day the better, so position it where trees and buildings won’t cast a shadow. Ideally, locate the dehydrator on a deck, patio, driveway, or other hard surface that absorbs the heat of the sun during the day and retains a bit of warmth overnight. If that’s not an option, place it on bare earth or close cropped grass. You don’t want it sitting amid lush vegetation that becomes covered with dew at night, creating a moist environment around the dehydrator. The quality of dehydrated food is only as good as the produce you start with, so don’t bother drying anything that is overripe, under-ripe, or otherwise unappealing in its fresh form. Before placing it in the dehydrator, prepare the produce as if you were going to eat it—wash off the dirt; remove bruised spots, pits, and seeds; cut off tops and other inedible portions; and peel anything you would want to eat peeled. Then slice the food to a thickness between one-eighth and three-eighths of an inch, depending on your preference and what is most practical with each type of produce. The thinner the slices, the faster they will dry. Some fruits may be dried whole, such as blueberries, figs, and pitted cherries and apricots. Herbs should be plucked from the stem before drying. Fruit and vegetables may be blanched for several minutes in boiling water or a steamer after slicing, which some sources say results in a superior product (brighter color, better flavor, quicker reconstitution, lower spoilage rate, etc). The idea’s that blanching halts enzymatic activity inside the food, thus keeping it fresher. Blanching is highly recommended for some types of food preservation, especially freezing, though most home and dehydrators consider it an optional step. At the very least, it’s wise to disinfect knives, cutting services, and containers with white vinegar as a basic sanitation measure before processing produce for dehydration, allowing them to air dry. If using non-organic store-bought produce, you may also wish to rinse your produce with a fruit and vegetable wash to remove pesticides and wax coatings. Prepare the produce early in the morning so it can be placed immediately in the dehydrator to allow for a full day in the sun. Even on cloudy days the dehydrator will get hot enough to be effective, but avoid using it on rainy days. more

How to build a solar dehydrator.

How to build a solar dehydrator. Solar power can be utilized to preserve fruits and vegetables to prolong shelf-life. Post harvest losses can be prevented if better preservation methods are used . Vegetables,tomatoes,herbs and fruits can be preserved by dehydration,likewise meat,fish and other sea foods can also be preserved by this method. In Malawi,a woman makes millions by using a solar dehydrator to dry fish and extend shelf-life. see INSTRUCTIONS PREP THE MATERIALS. Spray both sides of the sheet metal with 2 coats of the paint; let dry for 24 hours. Using the circular saw*, cut the cedar 2×2s into four 48″-long pieces and four 21″-long pieces, then cut the pressure-treated 2×4s into two 48″-long pieces, two 21″-long pieces, and two 5″-long pieces. Employ the tin snips to cut the sheet of corrugated metal roofing down to 48″× 24″. BUILD THE FRAMES FOR THE COVER, FOOD TRAY, AND BASE. Arrange two 48″-long and two 21″-long cedar pieces so they form a flat 48″× 24″ rectangular frame, with the shorter pieces sandwiched inside the longer ones; attach using a wood screw** at each corner (as shown). Repeat with the remaining cedar pieces to build a second, identical frame. Repeat once more, but with the 48″-long and 21″-long pressure-treated pieces and 2 wood screws at each corner, to build a third frame. more

Frozen Tuna Destined for Poke Restaurants Tests Positive for Hepatitis A.

Frozen Tuna Destined for Poke Restaurants Tests Positive for Hepatitis A. The Hilo Fish Company, a wholesaler based in Hawaii, issued a recall on some of its tuna after certain batches tested positive for hepatitis A. This is unusual. Hepatitis A is not nearly as common as bacterial contamination's like Listeria and salmonella. Hawaii has recently had some issues; a string of hepatitis A outbreaks caused the Hawaii Department of Health to seek new ways to fight the virus, which is typically passed through water or food contaminated with fecal matter. It’s especially common in farmed seafood, where lousy conditions can create large-scale petri dishes. If contracted, hepatitis A can cause serious problems: vomiting, jaundice, fever, and, in rare cases, liver failure. There are vaccines for it, but only about 30 percent of kids get them, according to a study. source.

Tree-Climbing Goats May Actually Be Helping to Produce This Luxury Oil.

Tree-Climbing Goats May Actually Be Helping to Produce This Luxury Oil. The world's most expensive oil comes from the seed of the argan tree, which grows exclusively in southern Morocco. And that tree might have made a new friend in the tree-climbing domesticated goat. The argan tree produces hard, green, olive-like fruits containing large seeds that can be crushed to produce a highly prized oil. If the seeds are first roasted, the result is used much like olive oil; oil from non-roasted seeds is also marketed and used as a cosmetic oil for skin. A new study from researchers of the Doñana Biological Station, a public research group in Spain, which suggests that the goats not only aren’t injuring the trees, but might actually be helping them. What the researchers found is something unusual: the goats are actually gnawing the fruit off the argan seeds and then spitting them out, pretty much the same way you’d eat an olive. But because goats, like cows, are ruminants, their whole eating procedure takes longer than ours: they take it into a special stomach, then bring it back up again (this is how cows chew their cud). At that point, the goats spit out the newly cleaned argan seed after a period of time that allows them to have moved farther away from the tree—exactly what the tree wants. So it turns out that the goats might not be hurting the trees at all! They might actually be helping to propagate them. more

Power plants could cut a third of their emissions by using solar energy

Power plants could cut a third of their emissions by using solar energy. The COMBO-CFB project has developed a new innovative concept to increase solar energy production in the energy system. According to this research, the concept can reduce fuel consumption and emissions stressing the climate by more than 33 per cent. The concept is based on the combination of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology and a traditional power plant process into a hybrid plant which produces electricity on the basis of consumption. If part of the fuel used by a power plant is replaced with solar energy, power plant emissions will be reduced. This is also required in order to meet the emission reduction targets. more

Saving Lives and Money: The Potential of Solar to Replace Coal.

Saving Lives and Money: The Potential of Solar to Replace Coal. In a new study published in Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, a team from Michigan Technological University calculated the cost of combusting coal in terms of human lives along with the potential benefits of switching to solar. By swapping solar photovoltaics for coal, the US could prevent 51,999 premature deaths a year, potentially making as much as $2.5 million for each life saved. A team has calculated US deaths per kilowatt hour per year for coal related to air pollution-related diseases associated with burning coal. more