S RA THE STATE OF RURAL AMERICA

By Tim Marema

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Yonder

Rural counties where farming makes up a major part of the local economy were more likely than the rest of rural America to lose population over the past decade, according to a Daily Yonder analysis of U.S. Census data.

Counties that depend on recreation, on the other hand, were more likely to gain population than rural America overall.

Only 21% of rural counties with farming-dependent economies gained population from 2010 to 2020, the analysis shows.

Nearly six out of every 10 rural counties with a recreation-based economy gained population over the last decade.

Nationwide, about a third of the nation’s 1,976 rural counties gained population in the last 10 years.

Only 84 of the 391 rural farmdependent counties gained population from 2010 to 2020. Among recreation counties, 135 of 228 counties gained population.

Over the 10-year period, rural counties with farming economies lost 2.6% of their combined population. The combined population of recreation counties grew by 3.5% over the same period.

Nationally, the rural population fell by 0.6%, from 46,340,000 to 46,060,000 over the last decade.

The analysis is based on the latest decennial census data and an economic categorization system created by the USDA Economic Research Service. The ERS system evaluates economic activity in each U.S. county and codes them as dependent on farming, manufacturing, mining, state and federal government, and recreation. Counties that don’t meet the criteria for any of the economic types are categorized as nonspecialized.

Counties classified as manufacturing, mining, state and federal government, and nonspecialized were not very different from the overall pattern of slight rural population loss.

The farming category is based on a county’s level of farm earnings and farm employment. The recreation category is based on combination of employment and personal income from industries related to recreation (e.g., restaurants, accommodations, entertainment, etc.) and the percentage of housing intended for seasonal use.

To define rural counties, the analysis used nonmetropolitan counties as classified by the federal Office of Management and Budget. We used the 2013 OMB classifications to analyze both the 2010 and 2020 data.

By Kristi Eaton

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Yonder

College students who grew up in rural areas face about 60% more debt than those from urban or suburban areas, according to a recent study from The Ohio State University.

The study, titled “Student Debt and Geographic Disadvantage: Disparities by Rural, Suburban, and Urban Background,” was published in Rural Sociology.

The author of the study, Alec P. Rhodes, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at The Ohio State University and a research associate at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, used national data on 4,781 college-goers ages 24-30 surveyed between 2005 to 2013.

“The rural-nonrural student debt gap is larger than the gap between women and men and about 25% as large as the Black-white debt gap,” Rhodes said in an email interview. “Rural college-goers’ higher debt can be partly explained by their parents tending to have lower incomes, lower wealth, and less education compared to their nonrural counterparts. Rural college-goers’ higher rates of migration during college also plays a significant role.”

Rhodes said the best paying jobs in rural areas that do not require a college degree are often male-dominated.

“As a result, rural women may feel greater pressure than rural men to take on debt to attend college,” he said. “These combined ‘penalties’ of being a woman and having a rural background may contribute to especially high student debt levels among rural women.”

Asked how he thought inequity among geographies and genders could be remedied, he said: “One response that has been getting a lot of media attention recently is cancelation of federal student debt, and my results strongly suggest rural college-goers and especially rural women would disproportionately benefit from this kind of policy.”

“Another approach would be to revitalize state investment in higher education as a public good to make public colleges more affordable. We also need to address the long-term working- and middle-class wage stagnation that has disproportionately impacted rural Americans and their ability to pay for college without taking on student debt,” he added.

Another idea, he said, is to establish grant aid policies to help cover the costs of migration, including travel and housing, during college.

“I’d like to emphasize that there is very little social science research on geographic inequalities in student debt,” he said. “While this paper is an important first step in documenting rural-nonrural disparities in debt, it raises many unanswered questions about the social implications of these inequalities for young adults from rural backgrounds and rural communities.”

USDA study identifies barriers faced by SNAP participants trying to eating healthy

Courtesy of USDA

Nearly nine out of 10 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants face barriers in providing their household with a healthy diet throughout the month, based on a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study released earlier in 2021.

The study, “Barriers that Constrain the Adequacy of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Allotments,” conducted in 2018, finds that 88% of participants report encountering some type of hurdle to a healthy diet.

The most common, reported by 61% of SNAP participants, is the cost of healthy foods.

Participants who reported struggling to afford nutritious foods were more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity.

Other barriers range from a lack of time to prepare meals from scratch (30%) to the need for transportation to the grocery store (19%) to no storage for fresh or cooked foods (14%).

“No one in America should have to worry about whether they can put healthy food on the table for themselves or their children,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

He said the report “makes clear we still have work to do to ensure all Americans not only have food to eat, but access to nutritious foods.”

“SNAP benefits are a nutrition lifeline for millions of Americans,” said Stacy Dean, USDA’s deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services. “So it’s vital that the program helps enable participants to achieve a healthy diet amidst the real world challenges they face. The study findings ... indicate that we’re not yet there.”

USDA is dedicated to enhancing the nation’s food safety net, ensuring SNAP

SNAP participation nationally was highest among households in rural (16 percent) and small town (15 percent) counties compared to households in metro counties (13 percent).

*American Community Survey 2016 five-year estimates (2012–2016).

participants not only have enough to eat but also access to nutritious foods.

As directed by Congress in the 2018 Farm Bill, the department is currently reevaluating the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to set SNAP benefit amounts.

Since it was first introduced in 1975, the value of the TFP has stayed the same, adjusting only for inflation.

In the meantime, our understanding of nutrition has evolved significantly, and there have been major changes to the food supply, consumption patterns, and the circumstances of SNAP participants, resulting in an out-of-date food plan. The ongoing re-evaluation will help ensure the TFP affords families a realistic, healthy diet on a budget.

In good times and tough times, SNAP is the most far-reaching, powerful tool available to ensure that all Americans, regardless of background, can afford healthy food.

Nearly 42 million Americans – a large portion of whom are children, people with disabilities, and the elderly – currently rely on SNAP benefits each month.

Participating in SNAP has been shown to increase food security and have a positive impact on participants’ health.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) leverages its 15 nutrition assistance programs to ensure that children, lowincome individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food, while building a more resilient food system.

Setting the standard: Grange members can be voice of rural users in standardization system

By Cleo Stamatos

ANSI Consumer and Legislative Outreach Manager

Not many organizations have roots as deep and priorities as broad-reaching as the National Grange – but the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is one of them. So it’s time we had an official introduction.

Standards are behind the scenes making our world safer. They may establish size, shape, or capacity of a product, process, or system – like lithium-ion batteries, cybersecurity, or quality management. They can specify performance of products or personnel – like energyefficient appliances, or construction inspectors. Across the full spectrum of U.S. industries and communities large and small, standards for performance, interoperability, and safety help protect the public and foster commerce and innovation by influencing the design, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and use of nearly every product, process, and system we use every day (see some examples in the “Day in the Life…” graphic on the following page).

But the strength of standards also depends on the active participation of all relevant interests, including volunteer consumers. So it’s important that standards development activities include rural voices.

I’m grateful for this opportunity to share a brief background on ANSI and the standards community, and some of the ways Grange members and rural advocates can get involved.

A Brief History of the (ANSI) Universe

Tight on the heels of the Industrial Revolution, the United States sought to increase the efficiency, interoperability, and reach of its manufacturing and mechanical processes. In 1917 the U.S. standards system was established – with its initial work specifying size requirements for railroad tracks and pipe threads.

Recognizing standardization’s power and the need for a coordinated approach, in 1918 a group of private-sector engineering associations and U.S. government departments

STANDARDS 101

A standard is defined as a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines, or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes, and services are fit for their purpose.

These are voluntary consensus standards developed via the combined expertise and cooperation of all those with a stake in the technology working collaboratively to agree upon requirements and best practices for voluntary adoption by industry and others.

“Standardization” encompasses a broad range of activities, from the actual technical development of a standard, to its promulgation, acceptance, and implementation, to the methods of evaluating whether products, processes, systems, services, or personnel comply with the standard – conformity assessment.

Standards and conformity assessment work hand-in-hand, and without effective conformity assessment, standards are just good ideas. Standards rely on broad collaboration and input from all those with an interest to have their voice heard when decisions that shape future products, processes, systems, and markets are being made.

came together to found an impartial national body to coordinate standards development and approve national consensus standards. Known at the time as the American Engineering Standards Committee (AESC), the organization now known as the American National Standards Institute officially approved its first standard for pipe threads in 1919.

In the more than 100 years since, that collaborative work has expanded into a vast system of responsive standardization solutions supporting everything from the machines we operate, food we grow, and stores we shop at, to the software platforms, programming languages, and infrastructure that connect us, to the medical devices, systems, and technologies that protect our health and security – and everything in between.

ANSI coordinates the system and accredits the procedures of standardsetting organizations, but does not develop standards. However, those developed through this facilitation are relied upon by industry, trade, and professional associations, government, and consumers across the United States and globally.

ANSI brings together individuals representing these different interests, so that as standards are set, their voices are heard and perspectives are considered. ANSI works hard to ensure voices of specific populations are not left out, partnering with organizations that represent a diverse mix of expertise and end-users. Current members of our Consumer Interest Forum include representatives from consumer groups, local county consumer affairs offices, and former state regulators.

A Visibility Problem

Even though standards are literally everywhere, helping nearly everything around us work safely and effectively, they are invisible to most people.

Oftentimes industry or product standards only garner attention when something goes wrong – typically in the use or conformance to the standard, and not with the standard itself.

Many people don’t realize what standards can do or how they are developed. So ANSI is working hard to get these messages out to key community organizations like the National Grange.

“Standards are actually powerfully positive strategic tools that can drive U.S. competitiveness and innovation, open markets, improve quality of life, and strengthen the workforce,” according to Mary Saunders, ANSI’s vice president of government affairs.

But to gain the greatest advantages of standards, you have to get informed and, ideally, involved.

Collaboration is key.

With the broad-reaching priorities of both the Grange and ANSI and our many common goals, the two organizations are poised to increase quality of life, and to do so even more effectively, when working together and with other stakeholders in standardization.

It is vital that the interests of our nation’s rural communities be among the voices heard when standards are developed. By virtue of their communities, rural individuals often have unique insights, and a breadth of experience and expertise that is fundamental across many industries.

Grange members, well known as “doers,” are welcome to join us at the table to contribute to or improve standards for everything from household appliances to power tools.

Standards have the power to help ensure that innovative technologies and tools can be translated and implemented efficiently and effectively to benefit rural communities, but the vibrancy and effectiveness of the U.S. standards system depend on the strength of stakeholder engagement – your engagement. Together – through consensus, cooperation, and collaboration – we can help improve the quality of life, safety, sustainability, and economic strength of rural communities across the nation.

There are countless ways to get involved, and ANSI can help you find the right opportunity to have your voice heard and make an impact.

If you are interested in participating in collaborative standards work, please contact Cleo Stamatos, ANSI consumer and legislative outreach manager, at cstamatos@ansi.org.

Get Involved in Standards-Based Solutions

There is a whole world of opportunity in standardization that could benefit you, and make great use of your expertise in turn. Here’s a quick list of ideas to get your thinking started: • You can identify the ANSI-accredited standards developer(s) whose work aligns with your interest and volunteer to participate in a specific technical committee or activity (see www.ansi. org/american-national-standards/infofor-standards-developers/accreditedstandards-developers). • You can join one of ANSI’s standardization collaboratives or workshops if your interests align with one of our current focus areas, which include unmanned aircraft systems (drones), additive manufacturing (3-D printing), nanotechnology, homeland defense and security, and artificial intelligence in healthcare (see www.ansi.org/standardscoordination). • You can explore U.S. stakeholder engagement in specific international standardization activities relevant to you – for example, in International Organization for Standardization (ISO, see www.ansi.org/iso) or International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC, see www.ansi.org/usnc) technical committee work focused on smart farming, autonomous machinery, or off-highway vehicles, for just a few examples. • You can search www.ANSI.org for the above and many, many more resources and information.

By Kristi Eaton

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Yonder

On October 1, the USPS began delaying shipments of first-class mail, including letters, bills, tax documents, and the like. The changes mean that most deliveries that normally took three days now take upwards of five days.

Advocates and researchers who study the postal system continue to worry about the effect the changes will have on rural America. The changes are part of a 10-year plan that is aimed to save the Postal Service millions of dollars.

Christopher W. Shaw, author of “First Class: The U.S. Postal Service, Democracy, and the Corporate Threat,” said the changes will negatively affect small businesses. Shaw noted with the changes, rent checks may be delayed and invoices go unpaid, thus causing delays for both parties.

“It does have a real impact on people’s lives with payments,” he said.” Or if you’re a small business, that’s pretty dependent on the post office, and that delivery service is not what it used to be, it does have a real impact.”

Asked whether there are any positives to the changes, Shaw told The Daily Yonder in an interview that some may point to the perceived and expected cost savings. But, he added, that is coming at the cost of service to people.

“And I also think those cost savings, it’s a very short-term outlook, where reducing the service might save a few dollars in the short run, although it’s not entirely clear,” he said, adding that the Postal Regulatory Commission reported that many of the savings seemed inflated.

“The purpose of the postal service isn’t to make money,” Shaw said. “It’s not a business. It’s the public service. And so we’re actually moving away from the mission of the Postal Service. That’s a problem that undermines the very reason that it exists.”

He added that democratic public service exists to serve everyone in the country.

“There’s a lot of rural America that would be considered economically inefficient to serve,” he noted. “And so that’s why we have a government agency to do it. And so there’s a lot of people in rural areas that depend on the Postal Service and when it moves in this direction, I think that is a worrisome development for those people.”

Susan Dover is the founder of the Social Security Resource Center, which helps citizens across the U.S. access Social Security benefits and services. In March 2020, the Social Security Administration suspended most in-person services in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dover said.

“Since then, the Agency has been primarily relying on its customers to submit paperwork by mail so it may process critical workloads,” she said. “We are concerned about how delays at USPS are causing the agency to fall behind with regard to processing mailed applications and requests for Social Security cards.”

Dover noted there tends to be fewer support organizations in rural communities.

“Information via the internet is becoming more and more important,” she said. “We strongly believe that upto-date and accurate information about Social Security should be available to everyone.”

In comments to the USPS submitted in June about the then-proposed delays, the National Farmers Union said a slow down to first-class mail delivery would be “catastrophic” for family farmers.

The organization said in a press statement that rural areas often lack services like banks, pharmacies, polling places, and supply stores as well as access to broadband internet and private delivery services. Because of that, residents disproportionately depend on USPS to receive medication, vote, communicate with friends and family, cash checks, and conduct business.

Photo courtesy of Kristina Blokhin | Adobe Stock

Live worms are delivered via USPS Priority Mail to a residence in April 2020.

Photo by Christine Hamp

Volunteer fire departments around the nation, like this one outside Spokane, Washington, have struggled to maintain the numbers needed to provide services to their communities.

COVID stresses already strained rural fire departments

By Aallyah Wright

Reprinted with permission of Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts

Over the past 30 years, fire departments in both urban and rural areas have struggled to recruit new firefighters into a profession that’s more than half volunteers.

In rural America, the pandemic has brought the crisis to a new apex.

Rural firefighters have been on the front lines of the pandemic, tackling wildfires and vehicle accidents even as they transport ill and injured residents to hospitals. Covid19’s heavy toll on rural hospitals has extended to emergency responders, meaning firefighters are answering more medical calls than ever before. The increased workload, and the specter of vaccine mandates, has made recruitment even tougher.

And then there’s the trauma they’ve endured.

The mass death and suffering of the past 20 months has spawned a surge of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, insomnia and substance use disorder among health care professionals of all kinds. Answering calls at the homes of relatives, friends and neighbors—which many rural firefighters have had to do—magnifies the pain.

“We’re still in this pandemic, and we’re still fighting those emotions. It’s not [as if] it happened three years ago,” said Jeff Dill, founder of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, which runs mental health workshops for fire departments. “We’ve had numerous firefighters that have taken their lives because of it—seeing and handling the stress and the depression and the bodies that piled up.”

In many fire departments, the workers expected to endure that stress don’t even receive paychecks. Of more than 1.1 million firefighters nationwide, 67% are volunteers who are not paid or receive a minimal amount to cover gas and other expenses, according to a 2021 fact sheet by the National Volunteer Fire Council. Many of them are in rural America: Nearly 40% of communities with between 5,000 and 9,999 residents had all-volunteer departments as of 2018, according to a tally released last year by the National Fire Protection Association.

In communities with between 2,500 and 4,999 people, the percentage of all-volunteer departments was 72%, and 92% in

towns of less than 2,500.

Fire Chief J.T. Wallace Jr. of Benton Fire District No. 4 in rural Louisiana said he does not have enough firefighters, paid or volunteer, to respond to structural fires. The community is small, but the population has grown slightly in the past few years, making it harder to meet demand and staff the stations.

Recently, Wallace Jr. had an entire shift of firefighters out because they contracted Covid-19. Three firefighters have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder within the past year.

“I think we didn’t lose community, but we were wounded in other ways psychologically. It got pretty bad,” Wallace Jr. said. “We’ve seen stress. I’ve been doing this almost 50 years and this is a different ballgame with what we have to deal with.”

Chris Smith, a lieutenant at the Bolivar County Volunteer Fire Department in Mississippi, has been a volunteer firefighter for 13 years. He likewise said the pandemic has brought a new level of stress to an already difficult job. The extra work is hard enough—firefighters responding to Covid-related calls must don special protective gear, for example. Much worse has been responding to the calls of sick loved ones, he said, which takes a heavy emotional toll.

Smith volunteers 30 to 40 hours a week, in addition to working his full-time job as technical program manager of geospatial information technology at Delta State University. It has been “nearly impossible,” he said, to find volunteers to lighten the load over the past year and a half.

Smith said he is concerned that even the prospect of a Covid-19 vaccine mandate is driving volunteers away, though there aren’t vaccine mandates in place in Bolivar County—at least not yet. He is fully vaccinated but opposes a requirement because he worries it would dissuade would-be volunteers. Even in the best of times, it’s difficult to find people who are willing to volunteer.

“People are too busy, or they don’t understand that the fire departments are volunteer. And when they do, they’re like, ‘That’s not for me,’” Smith said.

Between 2000 and 2015, reported fires declined across the country, but fire departments have assumed a greater role in responding to the increasing number of medical aid and rescue calls. In rural America, firefighters have a tougher task because they must respond to calls across greater distances.

And there is a correlation between population density and fire deaths, according to a September 2019 report by the National Fire Protection Association, which examined firerelated deaths between 2013 and 2017. Sparsely populated counties fared the worst, and nine of the 10 states with the highest fire death rates were in the South.

The report also found that states with higher rates of fire deaths have more residents with low incomes, who have disabilities or who are Black, Native American or Native Alaskan.

The pandemic has exacerbated longstanding recruitment and retention problems in rural departments, especially those that rely on volunteers.

Volunteer firefighting just isn’t as appealing to younger couples who rely on two incomes, said Steve Hirsch, a veteran firefighter and chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council, a nonprofit advocacy association representing volunteer fire, emergency medical and rescue services.

Even some residents who do volunteer aren’t always available to answer calls, because they work full-time jobs in another community, Hirsch said.

“When my dad started in the fire service 60 years ago, typically it was dads who were volunteering, and moms were at home to take care of the kids and it worked out fine. But the reality today is that both mom and dad are working,” Hirsch said. “Some of those rural communities don’t have any jobs available for people. So, they’ve lost population. And sometimes the people that do live in those communities work someplace else.”

George Richards, president of the Montana State Council of Professional Firefighters, said many younger people “just don’t have the willingness to volunteer or serve without being compensated.” In Montana, 90% of departments are volunteer.

“A lot of the departments had volunteers, members, for 20plus, in some cases 40 years,” Richards said. “There’s just not that stronghold of commitment in this different generation.”

Older firefighters tend to take more sick leave, Richards said. When many firefighters are absent, the ones who are available must work longer hours, or some stations are forced to shut down on certain days.

Bob Timko, a member of the National Volunteer Fire Council’s recruitment and retention committee, said volunteer departments need to ratchet up recruitment efforts, perhaps in partnership with local businesses.

“[Young people] aren’t coming in the door,” Timko said. “I would challenge leadership to develop a program or use resources to educate people on what we do.”

Smith, the firefighter in the Mississippi Delta, said that even people who don’t want to be volunteer firefighters can do things to alleviate the stress on first responders, whether it’s cleaning and maintaining the fire stations or helping with operations.

“How would you feel if your house was on fire, and no one showed up?” Smith asked. “There’s no one there to protect you or your property. We’re here to do the community good and make it a better place.

“We just want some good people to come and give back to their community.”

5 things you didn’t know about dairy milk

Courtesy of Brandpoint

Milk is good for you, but did you know it’s becoming better for the planet, too? Delicious and nutritious, milk benefits people and the environment in many exciting ways. Catch up on the latest milk trivia with this at-a-glance primer.

Milk is even more nutritious than you think.

Milk has long been considered a powerhouse beverage that delivers nine essential nutrients: calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin A and vitamin B-12.

Then, updated data revealed milk is a good or excellent source of four more nutrients: iodine, selenium, zinc and potassium. These upgraded credentials push the beverage to a natural nutrient content level that few other single foods or beverages can match, offering a total of 13 vital nutrients.

Since 776 B.C., Olympians have relied on milk to power their athletic performance, a tradition that’s stood the test of time. Today, nine out of ten Olympians say they grew up drinking milk, and no wonder.

Milk only has 3 ingredients.

Naturally rich in nutrients like few other beverages, milk only contains three simple ingredients: milk, vitamin A, and vitamin D.

Milk is good for society.

U.S. dairy supports over 3 million jobs in the U.S., all while investing in local communities and providing nutrients that American diets often lack. In fact, milk is one of the most affordable sources of protein on the market.

What’s more, America’s dairy companies work hard to broaden access to nutritious dairy foods for people facing food insecurity. For instance, they’ve hosted the Great American Milk Drive in partnership with Feeding America, donating milk to local community food banks.

Your glass of milk is becoming more sustainable.

The dairy industry believes a sustainable world is attainable. In 2020, the industry agreed to reach three goals by 2050: * Become carbon neutral or better; * optimize water use while maximizing recycling; * improve water quality.

Farmers, processors and retailers plan to achieve these goals by investing in new products and technologies, adopting on-farm practices that promote a more sustainable planet. For example, Turkey Hill Dairy, in partnership with the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative, helps farmers offset costs of on-farm conservation practices and funds projects to help improve water conservation.

Milk’s carbon footprint is smaller than you think.

To gauge its carbon footprint, U.S. dairy was the first agriculture-based industry to commission a full lifecycle assessment in 2008, which revealed, interestingly, that dairy contributes less than 2% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in America.

In 2017, producing a gallon of milk used 30% less water, 21% less land and emitted 19% less greenhouse gases than it did a decade prior, and the industry isn’t stopping there: In 2021, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that “larger U.S. dairy farms could reduce their net GHG emissions to zero within the next five years.”

WWF also noted that “if even 10% of dairy production in the US were to achieve net zero, GHG emissions could be reduced by more than thirteen million tons.” Imagine the impact that would make on other industries.

And remember, you can always discard your empty milk containers in good conscience: Plastic milk jugs, paper cartons and glass jars have always been recyclable or reusable. Just be sure to rinse your containers before dropping them in the bin!

By Kirsten Hollansworth

Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, Oklahoma State University

Walking into a grocery store, most shoppers are focused on their shopping lists to avoid forgetting essential household items. When selecting a shopping cart, most people center their attention on avoiding that undesirable squeaky wheel.

But a positive shopping experience can easily go bad if shoppers put food safety on the back burner. Food safety begins at the grocery store. By following these guidelines recommended by the Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center, consumers can have a safe and enjoyable experience while shopping.

“Cross-contamination due to improper storage and handling of foods in shopping carts could result in food-borne illness,” said Ravi Jadeja, food safety specialist at FAPC. “Low levels of pathogens could grow to a dangerous level if refrigerated food products are temperature abused during shopping and transporting home by consumers.”

The first point of contact for most food is the shopping cart and it’s important to wipe down the handle of the shopping cart to remove germs.

Shopping List

Plan your list so that non-perishable items, such as pre-packaged foods and paper products go into the cart first.

By only purchasing items that are fully intact and in good condition, shoppers can prevent spills and cross-contamination in the shopping cart. Never buy cans that are bulging or dented, or packages which are torn or damaged.

Fresh meat, fish, poultry and hot deli items should be picked up last, just before checking out.

Avoid ready-to-eat foods such as cooked shrimp or deli meats that are displayed directly next to raw meats.

Fish, Meat and Poultry

Always keep fresh meat and poultry separate from other items in the grocery cart to avoid cross-contamination.

Packages which are loosely wrapped or dripping with juices should not be purchased.

Fresh poultry and meat need to be in separate plastic bags at check out.

Don’t let children handle packages of raw meat or poultry.

Avoid putting foods in the upper portion of the shopping cart where a child may typically sit to prevent drips and leaks that contaminate food stored below.

Eggs and Dairy Products

If foods are marked as keep refrigerated, they need to be refrigerated in the store and cold when purchasing.

Avoid cracked, dirty or ungraded eggs.

Produce and Bakery

Only purchase pre-cut produce if stored on ice or refrigerated.

Bakery items containing icing made of cream cheese or whipped cream should be refrigerated.

Pre-cooked Foods

Only buy ready-to-eat refrigerated foods if they are cold to the touch.

Observe the cleanliness of the deli counter.

Avoid delis that use the same equipment to process and slice meats and cheeses without cleaning between uses.

Don’t forget to wash your hands prior to sampling new foods. Using the store’s hand sanitizer or bringing your own sanitizer, could prevent exposure to harmful bacteria.

Photo courtesy of FreePik.com

FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop and deliver technical and business information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

Courtesy of Brandpoint

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the increased use of the internet and technology for many; however, this trend is best highlighted by seniors.

A recent survey on global internet trends conducted by Avast in partnership with Forsa and YouGov found that 22% of people over the age of 65 spend more than three hours per day online. Forty-six percent also noted that the internet has become more important since the start of the pandemic.

While this shift was great for staying in touch with loved ones and keeping busy in a time of isolation, drawbacks emerged.

With the uptick in use, online threats like malware (software designed to disrupt, damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer system), phishing scams (manipulation through deception into disclosing sensitive personal information), tech support fraud (unsolicited offers to help fix alleged computer problems) and even romance scams culminating in untraceable payments to bad actors, emerged.

Elders reported the least confidence in their online abilities, with only about 16% asserting their ability to do things online is “very good.” This is particularly relevant when looking at fears that keep seniors from fully participating online; in fact, 69% of people over the age of 65 decided not to do something due to security and privacy concerns, and another 17% felt that they don’t have enough online protection knowledge. Further, fears of being a digital burden put older Americans at greater risk online due to a direct correlation between internet literacy, the perceived burden on others, and frustration of online tasks for those over 55.

According to the FBI, Americans were particularly impacted by tech support fraud, which garnered nearly 10 million attack attempts on computer users between January and March 2021. These scams are particularly insidious because although seniors make up 66% of tech support fraud victims, they shoulder a disproportionate amount of the financial losses at 84% in the U.S., translating to $116 million in 2020.

“In our increasingly digital world, cybersecurity literacy is essential, especially as many crucial social interactions and essential services moved online due to the pandemic,” said Ramsey Alwin, President and CEO of the National Council on Aging. “Despite the risks of using technology, the rewards are boundless. Older adults need to be empowered to extend their independence in the online domain to participate wholly in our modern society.”

Build confidence online and avoid becoming a victim by using a comprehensive security and privacy solution and following three simple rules: • Don’t click links: Whether from senders you don’t recognize or messages you aren’t expecting, clicking on suspicious links may lead to phishing scams. • Don’t open attachments: Unless you know the sender and were

expecting the document in question, they may be a vehicle housing malicious programs on behalf of an attacker. • Don’t respond to calls or popups: Unsolicited calls or pop-up windows could be facilitating a tech support scam or other sinister activity. If in doubt, hang up or close the window and contact someone you trust.

“It’s fantastic that older adults are discovering the rich rewards that a more digitally connected life can offer,” said Jaya Baloo, Chief Information Security Officer, Avast. “However, older adults face disproportionate risks online, causing some to hold back. The key to a rich and safer digitally connected life is to approach being online like driving and follow our clear, simple, defensive tips to help ensure a safer and better online experience.”

If you think you’ve been victimized, call your financial institution and the FBI right away. To learn more about how to protect yourself or your loved ones online, visit https://blog.avast.com/tag/elders for additional easy-to-use resources.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

What you need to know to reclaim communications choice, avoid abuse and safeguard against fraud

By Jim Haigh

Keep Me Posted North America

Sweeping new rules governing debt collection practices in the U.S. went into effect on November 30.

Unfortunately, many of the very serious concerns about the use of electronic communications for debt collection raised by citizens, cybersecurity experts and consumer advocacy groups including Keep Me Posted (KMP), an organization of which the National Grange is a partner, were effectively ignored by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the federal agency charged with making sure banks, lenders and other financial companies treat consumers fairly.

The widespread impacts of CFPB’s new rules cannot be underestimated: Nearly 70 million Americans now have a debt in collection. That staggering number translates to nearly one in three adults with a credit report being pursued during the pandemic, according to analysis from the Urban Institute.

What’s more, even consumers with debts that are beyond the statute of limitations can still be pursued under the rules. Even those with no credit worries need to beware: Scammers are already using unsolicited electronic communications to perpetrate fraud, using debt collection as a pretext.

Here are nine things you need to know about the new CFPB rules and how to protect yourself against electronic fraud and abuse related to debt collection.

Will debt collectors still mail me notices?

Probably not by default. Many will likely communicate electronically now, since it was the debt collection industry that pushed for these rule changes, not consumers. However, you can request to have paper notices mailed to you at an address of your choosing. Can debt collectors call me more often now?

Yes. Under the new rules, they are allowed to make up to seven attempted calls per week – per debt. So if you have one student loan and four medical accounts in collection, you could now receive up to 35 attempted calls per week in total. However, you have a right to choose how debt collectors contact you. But you must proactively express your preference for paper, phone or electronic communications in order for your choice(s) to be honored.

Are debt collectors allowed to send unsolicited emails, texts and social media messages?

Yes. But you can opt out of any or all of these channels of communications. Debt collectors are required to specify a “reasonable and simple” opt-out method. Additionally, you are entitled to simply call or write back requesting certain mediums of communications be stopped, and which are preferred.

Could a debt collector really “friend” me on social media?

Yes. But if the purpose for doing so is to ultimately use that platform and direct connection to send direct messages in pursuit of debt, they must disclose their intent in any friend request. You can and should deny such attempts to connect on social media.

Do I have a choice in how I will be contacted by debt collectors?

Yes. After being initially contacted by either paper notice in the mail, by phone, email, text or social media direct message, you can request that further communications be made via only one or any preferred combination of these options.

Is it my responsibility to take notes over the phone about what I’m claimed to owe?

No, you can and should request required collection disclosure notices in writing. While the new rules allow for oral collection notices, the increased amount of information will make it difficult to understand and remember. You should therefore ask that it be furnished in print for review and safekeeping. This includes paper notice delivered by First Class Mail or email if that is preferred.

I am not comfortable clicking links and attachments from unknown senders, but I don’t want to lose my rights to challenge any debt – what should I do?

It is not advisable to open any attachments or click on any links. You should research the name of the company that emailed you the notice to first determine if it is a legitimate debt collector. You can enter company URLs directly into your internet browser. You can also reply to any messages to request paper copies of validation notices – and also optout of future electronic communications. If you receive a notice claiming to be from a court — or regarding a lawsuit – find the court phone number and call to confirm that the case is legitimate.

A debt collector is not honoring my communications preferences, what can I do?

The CFPB is currently updating its consumer guidance on the new rules. In addition to updated resources, this page also has a link to initiate a formal complaint.

I’m getting scam emails about a debt I don’t owe, can I report this?

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has volumes of resources on how to safeguard against scams, fraud, identity theft and cybersecurity threats, and they are the agency charged with receiving consumer complaints. This page dedicated to online security has guidance on most consumer threats raised by CFPB’s new rules along with links to other topics, and you can find links for complaint processing here.

Courtesy of Brandpoint

Post-harvest gives farmers a chance to finally sit down and take a break after a busy season. It gives them the time to track their inputs, meet with their trusted advisers, evaluate the decisions they made this year and see how those decisions ultimately affected their return on investment. Farmers must be both forward thinking and retrospective, understanding the big picture while still digging into the nitty gritty of each field, to produce the highest potential yield and drive profit.

According to Mark Callender, farm manager at Farmers National Company in Dighton, Kansas, optimistic growers have shifted from saving to spending - investing now to drive profits higher on good land. Callender encourages farmers to review input costs every year as they develop their plans. “We analyze all our farms annually for cost per acre and per bushel,” Callender explained. “By comparing production numbers with seed, fertilizer, weed control and other costs, growers learn their return on investment for quality products versus generics, for example.”

Callender said farmers know their break-even costs, using the data available today to provide better insight into individual fields. “Top producers spend more to achieve better weed control to drive top yields. By examining costs on a per-bushel basis, they can justify higher costs per acre when an agronomic practice delivers more bushels.”

Preparing for 2022

Many producers budget per acre for the whole operation, notes Lynn Sandlin, ag economist and business intelligence lead at Syngenta, but opportunity exists during more profitable times to budget directly at the field level - to maximize profit at the bushel level.

Sometimes it requires better tools, Stock Photo

sound advice and a shift in thinking to manage each field’s potential at the bushel level. “Trusted advisers help growers increase field productivity with an eye on profit per bushel,” Sandlin said.

Fortunately, new tools are available to help farmers find growth opportunities. “Years of depressed prices pushed some growers to try to save their way to prosperity with cheaper inputs and generics,” says Paul Backman, commercial unit head for the West Heartland region, Syngenta. “Our Syngenta AgriEdge whole-farm management program lets growers see how better products can deliver higher productivity on a cost-perbushel level.”

Reviewing 2021 decisions against actual yield helps growers understand real costs - shifting from a cost mindset to an investment mindset.

“Retailers also play vital roles across farm input decisions,” Backman says. “Our sales reps and AgriEdge specialists help growers see small gains in each field, adding up to more bushels. Good management plans evolve as more data drives greater field-by-field profits.” Retailers trust agronomics

Syngenta sales representative Mark Dozler explained the input-cost-perbushel method of thinking: “I worked with a retailer in Nebraska to build an input-cost-value spreadsheet, showing that if a grower removes a $30 fungicide from their plan, cost per bushel increases - because removing that fungicide reduces yield by at least 10 bushels per acre. The data proving that was eye-opening.”

Defining more yield-for-weed control challenges everyday thinking and requires digging into details beyond a $40-50 per acre herbicide budget.

Field-by-field profit

Technical advancements in corn and soybean genetics also play a critical role in productivity per field and cost per bushel.

“Many retailers take pride in knowing agronomic details so they can recommend the best hybrid for each field,” said Brent Rockers, a Syngenta district manager in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

“Our research provides growers with seeding rates, fertility and plant health advice that improves their ability to strategize and budget,” Rockers said. “And our Cropwise Seed Selector tool provides growers with a list of hybrids matching their soil classifications by field.”

Advisers help growers fine-tune their selections, following the crop through harvest - and use that data to help build more profitability.

By Sue Bowman

Reprinted with permission of Lancaster Farming

I don’t often get inside our local post office. I’m usually able to put outgoing mail into our farm’s bright-green Oliver tractor mailbox and our mailman picks it up when he makes his rounds. Sometimes, I’ll drop an envelope or two into the big blue mailbox outside our town’s petite post office, and, occasionally, a visit to the single-service window inside becomes necessary.

Recently, I needed to go into the post office because I was sending a birthday card to my nephew, who currently lives in Tokyo with his family, and I needed assistance with the international mailing. I always enjoy chatting with our postmistress, Lori, who is a pleasant and helpful person.

One of the other things I look forward to while at the post office is browsing the various sheets of stamps for sale that are posted on the wall beside the service window. I use the standard American flag stamps for bill-paying, but when it comes to personal letters or sending greeting cards, I like something a little jazzier.

One particular sheet of stamps caught my attention while Lori was attaching international postage to the Japan-bound birthday card. It had the faces of assorted animals on its 20 “Forever” stamps and the heading “Heritage Breeds.” I knew I had to have them to share with my farming friends on the correspondence I sometimes send their way.

Oftentimes, the USPS will use the occasion of introducing new stamps like this to print an informative narrative on the back of the sheet to educate about the significance of the stamps’ chosen theme. That wasn’t the case this time, but fortunately, an online search for further information led me to the website of The Livestock Conservancy.

The Livestock Conservancy states that its mission is “To protect America’s endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction.” Somehow, when thinking about extinct animals, I’m inclined to think of dinosaurs and passenger pigeons instead of species once raised on farms. The Livestock Conservancy points out on their website that “Rare farm animals represent an irreplaceable piece of earth’s biodiversity and offer incredible variety that may be needed for future farms — robust health, mothering instinct, foraging and the ability to thrive in a changing climate.

I learned that the Heritage Breeds postage stamps were unveiled, appropriately, at a very historic American farm — George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia. Since I only purchased my sheet of these stamps in September — and I haven’t received any letters bearing one of these interesting stamps — I assumed that they had been recently released. However, I discovered that they were released at the Mount Vernon dedication event on May 17, 2021. It made me sorry I’d missed out on four months of adding these stamps to my outgoing mail.

The 10 breeds represented on the heritage breed stamps were chosen by The Livestock Conservancy.

These breeds have interesting sounding names: the American Mammoth Jackstock donkey, the Narragansett turkey, the Cayuga duck, the San Clemente Island goat, the Mulefoot hog, the Cotton Patch goose, the American Cream draft horse, the Barbados Blackbelly sheep, the Milking Devon cow and the Wyandotte chicken.

The photographs are also quite interesting. While some of these heritage breeds look fairly “routine,” others are quite dramatic in appearance. The Barbados Blackbelly sheep has an eerie look about it, with dark ovals around its eyes and a band of hair around its neck and chest that is reminiscent of a feather boa. The Mulefoot hog is all black and has a rather foreboding appearance — I wouldn’t want to be late feeding that one.

And then there’s the American Mammoth Jackstock donkey. It looks like your average mule, but according to The Livestock Conservancy’s website, these donkeys stand 14 hands high or sometimes taller and weigh 900 to 1,200 pounds. They also have unusually long ears, which can measure an incredible 33 inches from tip to tip. While there were once an estimated 5 million of these mules in America during their heyday in the 1920s, their numbers have now dwindled to a critical level.

Every one of these heritage breeds has an interesting history available on The Livestock Conservancy’s website, livestockconservancy.org. Hopefully, the use of these stamps will help call attention to the plights of these vanishing livestock breeds. You can hopefully still see and/or purchase them for yourself at a post office near you — or watch your incoming mail to see if your friends liked these stamps as much as I do.Courtesy of the United States Postal Service

Courtesy of Brandpoint

If the Grange and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) had their way, the United States would stop the madness that is time-switching, keeping us permanently in standard time - though it may be for different reasons.

The two organizations are not alone. In fact, there is widespread support for the elimination of the biannual time change. • In a 2020 AASM survey, 63% of U.S. adults indicated they support the elimination of seasonal time changes in favor of a national, fixed, year-round time. • The AASM and other organizations representing health, safety and education recommended eliminating seasonal time changes and adopting permanent standard time for improved public health and safety in a 2020 AASM position statement. • In early 2021, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and several Republican and Democratic colleagues reintroduced in the U.S. Senate a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent across the U.S.

Eliminating seasonal time changes

There is ample evidence of the negative, short-term consequences of seasonal time changes. Studies have found an increase in car accidents during the week following the change to daylight saving time and an increase in patient-safety related incidents associated with human error in the week following the transition into and out of daylight saving time. Other negative effects of the time change in the spring include increased risk of stroke and hospital admissions, and increased production of inflammatory markers, one of the body’s responses to stress. Conversely, another study found that in the fall, during the shift from daylight saving time back to standard time, there was a reduction in the rate of cardiovascular events, suggesting that the risk of heart attack may be elevated because of chronic effects of daylight saving time.

“Light is the most powerful timing cue for the human body clock,” said Erin Flynn-Evans, who has a doctorate in health and medical science and is director of the NASA Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory and a consultant to the AASM’s Public Safety Committee. “Shifting to permanent daylight saving time in the winter would result in more darkness in the morning and more light in the evening, leading to misalignment between the body’s daily rhythm and the timing of routine social obligations, like work or school. That has the potential to make it harder for most people to fall asleep at night, disrupting sleep quality and leading to sleep loss, which can negatively impact health and safety.”

While there is debate about how the merits of permanent daylight saving time would compare with permanent standard time, the AASM position is that a change to permanent standard time is best aligned with human circadian biology and has the potential to produce beneficial effects for public health and safety. Tips for managing the time change

For now, the November switch back to standard time is still a reality. As it begins to get dark earlier in the evening, it is the ideal opportunity to reset your body clock for an extra hour of sleep. To maximize the benefits of the hour gained from the fall time change on Nov. 7, the AASM recommends the following healthy sleep tips for anyone who is getting insufficient sleep: • Wait to change your clocks until it is time to get ready for bed. • Go to bed at your usual bedtime. • Just before getting into bed, set your clocks back one hour. • Wake up at your standard wake time. • Take note of how much better you feel after an extra hour of sleep. • On the Sunday after the time change, your normal bedtime will be an hour earlier. Go to bed at this earlier time to reset your sleep schedule to achieve longer sleep.

Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock

More information about sleep and sleep disorders is available from the AASM at www.SleepEducation.org. To get help for a sleep problem, use the AASM’s online directory on the SleepEducation.org homepage to find an accredited sleep center near you.

See more about National Grange Policies by downloading the 2021 Journal of Proceedings when it becomes available in the first quarter of 2022 on the National Grange website.

Courtesy of Family Features

Even without a superbug spreading around the globe, finding ways to protect yourself from the simple to the super infectious germs and viruses should be high priority.

Your body’s immune system protects against illness and infection, fighting off threats before you even know there’s a problem.

Even though your immune system usually does its job automatically, you can give it a boost with habits that promote wellness and support immunity.

Eat healthy fruits and vegetables. Although you may not be aware they contain flavonoids, these phytochemicals found in some fruits and veggies are a vital part of maintaining health. Flavonoids are found in colorful fruits and vegetables like cranberries and elderberries.

When it comes to power foods, elderberries’ exceptional flavanol levels make them an immune system powerhouse.

Especially important during cold and flu season, elderberries can also be enjoyed in a cup of warm tea for instant comfort.

Reduce stress with outdoor activity. Keeping physically fit provides numerous health benefits such as reducing stress by being one with nature through taking a walk outside.

The sun’s UV rays help your body produce vitamin D, which is important for your bones, blood cells and immune system, as well as helping absorb and use certain nutrients.

Yoga and massage can also be used to help stimulate the immune system and promote well-being.

Keep a regular sleep schedule. Sleep gives you an opportunity to recharge. This is when cellular regeneration and other healing is most efficient.

Keeping a regular routine helps signal to your system that it’s time to rest so you can fall asleep easier and reap the whole-body benefits of a healthy sleep cycle.

Wash hands frequently. Especially during the school year, when germs are rampant and easily carried from school to home, you can give your immune system a hand, literally, by frequently scrubbing away germs before they have the chance to attack. Photo courtesy of Buddha Teas

Rely on natural remedies. Modern, stressful lifestyles and exposure to environmental pollutants can put immune systems under pressure.

However, some of your existing soothing rituals can actually support better health, too.

One example is relaxing with a hot cup of tea because the natural and organic ingredients found in various products, including Buddha Teas, provide numerous health benefits. Options like Mushroom Wellness, Divine Immunity, Elderberry Tea and Reishi Mushroom blends all contain immunity-boosting ingredients.

While they’re not an obvious ingredient, mushrooms have been incorporated into healing practices for thousands of years for their immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory and antioxidantrich properties.

There are several powerful medicinal mushrooms but one stand-out is the reishi mushroom, known as the “mushroom of immortality” and “divine plant of longevity.” This antiinflammatory powerhouse is known to promote healthy cell growth and healthy blood pressure, along with improving immune function.

Courtesy of Family Features

Winter is a time of year when many people are looking for ways to be warm and cozy to combat the chilly temperatures outside. It’s also the time of year when energy bills can skyrocket. Focusing on energy efficiency can help you keep your home temperature comfortable and your energy bills at bay while also reducing your carbon footprint.

Energy efficiency means using less energy to accomplish the same tasks while cutting energy bills and reducing pollution in the process. Particularly during the winter months, heating costs are traditionally higher because it requires more energy to keep your house at a specific temperature when the temperature outside is lower.

With Americans slated to spend an average of $746 on natural gas this winter, according to the Energy Information Administration’s “Winter Fuels Outlook,” now is a perfect time to focus on energy efficiency. Consider these ways you can improve your home’s energy efficiency without breaking the bank this winter from the experts at Best Pick Reports.

1. Do a Heating Systems Checkup

Be sure all vents and registers throughout your home are clear of obstructions. Checking that all plugs, vents and appliances are in safe, working order can also help improve efficiency and prevent potential hazards. Also consider hiring a professional annually to tune up your HVAC system, tighten electrical connections and check controls to ensure they are working properly and safely.

2. Install Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs and Appliances

It’s important to replace old light bulbs and appliances in your home with newer, energy-efficient ones. Using LED

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

light bulbs in place of traditional incandescent bulbs can save homeowners about $225 in energy costs each year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. You can also install timers to ensure you’re only using electricity when needed.

Whether you love spending time in the kitchen or you’d rather leave the cooking to someone else, you can make your kitchen a greener space by installing energy-efficient appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, microwaves and dishwashers.

3. Add Insulation

Install insulation in and around windows, walls and doors to decrease heat flow from warmer spaces to colder ones, helping to maintain your home’s temperature and lower your heating and cooling costs. Also insulate your water heater with a blanket or cover and check the insulation in your attic, basement, walls and crawlspaces for leaks.

4. Improve Flooring and Windows

Adding rugs or carpet to hardwood floors and ceramic tiles can help prevent drafts and make the room feel cozier. Installing double-paned windows can also help prevent cold air from leaking into your rooms while opening blinds and curtains during the day to let in light can naturally heat up the space.

5. Use an Energy-Efficient Space Heater

A space heater is a simple option for heating up a single chilly room for a short amount of time, which makes it perfect for those looking to save money and energy. Some space heaters are designed specifically for energy efficiency. They use infrared technology to heat rooms, sensing spots that need heat and distributing it accordingly by heating objects instead of filling the space with heat.

Every winter, be sure to take action to make your home more energy efficient. You don’t have to do it alone, however. You can hire a professional to help you with energy efficiency projects; just be sure to do your homework. Look for unbiased customer reviews on independent business directories review websites like Best Pick Reports and Five Star Rated. These printed directories and online sites often use a combination of third-party research and consumer reviews to rate contractors. Some even offer guarantees on the quality of work.

Once you have everything in place, you can reduce the amount of money you spend on heating costs this winter without sacrificing comfort or convenience. Find more tips and information about service providers in your area at BestPickReports.com.