New Products
Hearing protection
Etymotic HD•15 earplugs
Etymotic, an Elk Grove Village, Ill., company has a safety line of earplugs and earphones to reduce the risk of noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus. Used for years by musicians and others exposed to high sound levels, these products are now being highlighted as essential equipment for farmers. The company manufactures three hearing safety products for the farming community. They include HD•Safety™ earplugs, HD•Safety™ earplugs plus earphones and HD•15® electronic earplugs.
The earplugs reduce sound levels while preserving clarity, instead of muffling the sound. The earplugs are available in two sizes to fit most ears. Farmers who need protection from sudden loud impacts or sustained loud sounds, but also want to hear naturally when sound levels are safe can use the HD•15 earplugs. These electronic earplugs allow safe sounds to pass through, as though nothing is in the ears, yet instantaneously react to reduce loud sounds and protect hearing.
Listening to music in tractor cabs can put hearing at risk if the volume has to be raised to hear the music over the machine noise. The HD•Safety earplugs plus earphones block external sound (like earplugs) to reduce external noise and are engineered for safe listening and exceptional sound quality. High-definition sound reproduction means no need to use high playback levels to hear every detail of the music. Risk to hearing is minimized, regardless of the volume setting.
For more information visit www.etymotic.com.
Solar panel kit
Larson Solar Panel Kit
Larson Electronics LLC has introduced a new solar panel kit. The bolt-on solar-panel kit can be bolted on trailers and other stable surfaces and can be tilted, rotated, extended or collapsed for maximum exposure to sunlight. The solar panel kit is composed of six 265-watt polycrystalline solar panels, generating a total maximum output of 1,590 watts, and is mounted to a rotating axis assembly.
The frame assembly is constructed of steel, with an industrial-grade coating for added durability. The kit can be rotated until it faces inward, which protects the panel during transport. When deployed, the panel is rotated until it faces upward. In order to optimize sun capture, the panel can be set ±15° of the latitude of its location on Earth. The position of the panels are set via locking stabilization arms with keyholes, which increases stabilization of the solar array during deployment in high-wind applications.
For more information visit www.larsonelectronics.com.
Entry-level hay and cattle tractor
Kubota Tractor Corp. M6S-111 tractor
Kubota Tractor Corp. introduces the M6S-111 tractor, an economical solution for cattle farms requiring a tractor that performs across all haying applications and herd chores. The Kubota V-3800-Tier IV diesel engine delivers reliable power, rated up to 114 horsepower (hp) and 95 power takeoff (PTO) hp. The M6S-111 is available in the four-wheel-drive M6S-111SHDC and M6S-111SDSC models, and two-wheel-drive M6S-111SHC. The engine features a common rail fuel system, intercooler and exhaust gas recirculation, while employing a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a selective catalytic reduction for minimized emissions.
Transmissions feature Kubota’s single-lever Swing Shift control, with Swing Shift Plus allowing access to all speeds on the 32F × 32R M6S-111SDSC. The Swing Shift actuates the electric over hydraulic range shift to provide eight speed options through a single lever control, giving the flexibility needed for load increases, hay tool operation and travel across varying field conditions. Eight additional speeds are activated with the auxiliary range lever, conveniently positioned to the left of the tractor seat.
An ergonomic operator station includes an exceptionally responsive loader joystick. The front loader joystick control operates with exceptional smoothness and responsiveness. The steering wheel tilts up to a 41° angle, allowing easier operator entry and exit into the ergonomic seat.
The high-performance hydraulic system features two rear remote valves and optional third valve. Two rear remote valves are standard, one self-cancelling detent valve and one float detent valve, with an optional third remote valve. The internal cylinder three-point lift system is standard, and an external cylinder option rated up to a 2,600-lb. three-point lift capacity.
For more information see a local dealer or visit www.kubota.com.
Books & Looks
Kitchen confidence
The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) invites home cooks to gain kitchen confidence by refreshing their perspectives on food safety. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year approximately 48 million Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses, leading to 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. Many of these illnesses can be prevented by changing behaviors in the kitchen and gaining a little kitchen confidence.
Kitchen confidence is simply the confidence in your ability to safely prepare delicious meals for your loved ones and yourself. Even armed with grandma’s best recipes, the most experienced cooks can unknowingly make food safety mistakes that can make people sick. This spring, be confident in your food safety skills by accessing the following resources: www.foodsafety.gov, the Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888MPHotline and the FoodKeeper app.
Throughout the spring there will be blogs, roasting charts, storage guidance, and the latest news on food recalls at www.foodsafety.gov. You’ll also have access to a wealth of expertise to help tackle any food preparation challenge.
Among the many tools available on www.foodsafety.gov is the FoodKeeper. It’s available on the website, and as a mobile app for smartphones and tablets. With more than 100,000 downloads onto Android and iOS devices, the FoodKeeper is quickly establishing itself as the go-to quick reference guide for safe food storage. Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, the FoodKeeper helps limit food waste by providing storage information on more than 400 food items, including produce, baby food, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry and seafood. The FoodKeeper also offers customizable notifications that sync with smartphone calendars to remind users when it is time to use, freeze or dispose of products.
Protecting families from foodborne illness is one of the primary goals of the FSIS. Our food safety specialists on our Meat and Poultry Hotline can personally answer food safety questions on weekdays year-round. The hotline receives more than 50,000 calls annually. This toll-free telephone service, which began July 1, 1985, helps prevent foodborne illness by answering questions about the safe storage, handling and preparation of meat, poultry and egg products.
Visit www.foodsafety.gov for more information.
Consumers can learn more about key food safety practices by following FSIS @USDAFoodSafety on Twitter or www.facebook.com/foodsafety.gov on Facebook. Consumers with questions about food safety can call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854) or chat live with a food safety specialist in English or Spanish at www.askkaren.gov, available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.
Engaging consumers
A new online program offered by The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) equips participants in the food and agriculture industries with a unique approach to effectively engage with and earn trust from today’s increasingly curious, and often skeptical, consumer.
CFI’s Engage Online includes a series of five self-paced online modules that takes a deeper dive into current consumer attitudes and provides curriculum and activities based on CFI’s trust research, which demonstrates the power of communicating with shared values.
CFI’s peer-reviewed and published research shows that communicating using the shared values approach is three to five times more important to earning trust than simply sharing facts and science or demonstrating expertise.
Engage Online is modeled after CFI’s successful Engage program, an in-person course that has trained thousands in the food and agriculture industries across the United States since it first launched in 2009.
Engage Online allows CFI to provide this unique training to a broader audience, as it can be taken anytime and anywhere. It’s available for groups and individuals.
Curriculum includes the erosion of trust, CFI consumer trust research, three steps to engaging to earn trust and values messaging.
To learn more about Engage Online, log on to www.cfi-online.org or contact Donna Moenning, CFI Engage online coordinator, at donna.moenning@foodintegrity.org.
Rumen resources
Lallemand Animal Nutrition has announced the launch of the Ruminant Digestive System website (www.ruminantdigestivesystem.com), a new online educational resource, and the Rumen Health Technical Guide, a printed technical handbook for veterinarians, nutritionists and producers. These resources provide information dedicated to the role of rumen microorganisms and their impact on the host’s performance and health. Both resources are a part of Lallemand Forward, which are solutions that enhance knowledge, capabilities and production practices.
The website and the guide are resources to learn more about:
- the rumen environment and microbial function;
- potential rumen challenges encountered on farms;
- important references and publications; and
- news curated by Lallemand and leading ruminant experts.
To learn more about rumen microflora and the Ruminant Digestive System, visit www.ruminantdigestivesystem.com. The Rumen Health Technical Guide is a more complete technical resource that is free to veterinarians, nutritionists and producers. A printed English version can be requested on www.ruminantdigestivesystem.com or by contacting your Lallemand Animal Nutrition representative. Additional language adaptions will be released soon.
