News stories tagged with "cattle"

(01/13/09) The plan to build an 84,000 cow feedlot and ethanol plant in St. Lawrence County has been put on hold. Bion Environmental Technologies says the economy is forcing the company to focus on more short-term projects. David Sommerstein reports.

(06/18/08) There were a lot more questions than answers last night at a fact-finding meeting on Bion. The company wants to build an 84,000 beef cow farm and ethanol plant in St. Lawrence County. A task force is trying to find out more about how the project would affect the people, economy, and environment around the proposed feedlots. But there appears to be an impasse. Martha Foley reports.

(12/19/07) St. Lawrence County is finalizing the make-up of a task force to analyze a company's plan to build an 84,000-head beef feedlot and ethanol plant. Scientists, farmers, lawmakers, and citizens will gather information on the project. The task force was a major component of the county's expression of "tentative support" for Bion's plans. David Sommerstein reports.

(11/16/07) A New York City-based firm is pushing ahead on a project that would combine a massive feedlot with alternative energy in St. Lawrence County. Bion Environmental Technologies touts an environmentally friendly way to raise 84,000 beef cattle and produce ethanol in the process. The project would be the first of its kind in the country. Many community leaders see the $200 million project as an economic boon and an environmental model. But a growing number of critics say the "green" promises are too good to believe. David Sommerstein reports.

(01/24/07) A bioenergy firm, Bion, that combines ethanol and beef production may want to build a plant in St. Lawrence County. As David Sommerstein reports, the facility would require at least 10,000 cows, making it the largest animal farm in the North Country.

(03/17/05) Two men were indicted last week for smuggling banned Canadian cattle into the US. Greg Warner reports.

(10/16/02) Most of the cattle raised in the Great Lakes region spend their lives in a feedlot, fattening up on corn and other grains. But there's a growing number of organic farmers looking at putting their cows in the pasture. They say grass-fed beef is a healthy alternative. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Brad Linder has more.

(04/18/02) While red meat has taken a beating in recent years from the health industry, a number of studies now indicate that it's also possible for even red meat to have some health benefits. Scientists and farmers have found ways to put certain important fatty acids in chicken and pig diets. Now chicken, pork, and even eggs can have lower than average cholesterol. An organic farmer from Northern Illinois is participating in a study that's trying to get beef to catch up to its healthier counterparts. If he succeeds, farmers across the Great Lakes might start varying their grain crops. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Simone Orendain reports.

(08/30/01) Cattle that love to eat thorny shrubs and nasty weeds are proving they can clean up the areas infested with invasive plant species. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium's Mary Jo Wagner reports.

(04/03/01) The foot-and-mouth outbreak afflicting overseas livestock has left New York farmers and agriculture observers waiting nervously to see what the impact will be on the state's farm scene. Since the foot-and-mouth cases were identified in England, food inspectors and customs officials have tightened controls at borders to ensure the disease isn't accidentally brought here. If there is an outbreak in the US, officials say there would have to be widespread slaughter of livestock much as has been seen in Britain in recent weeks. As Todd Moe found out, North Country farmers are taking the risk of foot-and-mouth disease seriously.