Researcher: Cow abuse isn’t rare (The Press-Enterprise) MEAT PLANTS: The USDA kept poor records and didn't evenly enforce rules, an activist said. [News Source]

Germany declares free of bird flu (People’s Daily) The German government declared on Tuesday the country is free of bird flu, with no cases of deadly H5N1 avian influenza discovered in wild birds or domestic poultry for the past three months. According to German Agriculture Ministry ... [News Source]

Schafer addresses farm bill, Canadian BSE and Cuban trade (The Prairie Star) There has been no shortage of problems or concerns to face for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new secretary, Ed Schafer. [News Source]

Landfill assessment to begin (Maple Creek Times) By Sheri Monk Assessment will begin on the landfill at Maple Creek this week to see if it is suitable for a specified risk material (SRM) disposal site. [News Source]

USDA beef recall creates challenge (Tri-State Neighbor) Bo Reagan concedes the beef industry is facing a huge challenge after the USDA recalled 143 million pounds of meat produced at a California plant. [News Source]

Yum Brands Spent $710,000 on Lobbying (AP via Yahoo! Finance) Restaurant operator Yum Brands Inc. spent nearly $712,000 in 2007 on lobbying, according to a disclosure form posted online Feb. 15 by the Senate's public records office. [News Source]

Young people’s production sends audience into the future (Kern Valley Sun) Sierra Performing Arts (SPA) went Sci-Fi last weekend as they presented 'SAFE,' the musical fantasy adventure written by SPA member Mary Hanawalt, which featured young performers from throughout the Kern River Valley. [News Source]

Lessons learned from largest U.S. meat recall (AG Weekly) Not since Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book “The Jungle” has the American meat market been this shaken. [News Source]

Supermarket mogul predicts imminent food shortages! (The Star) Supermarket mogul predicts imminent food shortages! Currently, planet Earth is facing a crisis. The world is battling with the hard fact that it can only provide food for 60 percent of its population. [News Source]

Livestock Highlights: Mexico, US Cattle Dispute, Brazilian Beef (CattleNetwork.com) WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)-- U.S. and Mexican government officials are scheduled to meet March 26 to discuss a wide range of livestock trade issues, but a dispute over Mexico 's restrictions on U.S. cattle is expected to be key on the agenda, according to U.S. government and industry officials. [News Source]