Farm Facts for Fairfield County
Farm Facts for Fairfield County
for February 14, 2003 ; also seen on Fridays in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette
sources: Dee Jepsen, OSU Dept. of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering; News Release from Department of Justice and Office of Homeland Security
As you're all aware by now, at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7, 2003, Secretary of Homeland Security Ridge and Attorney General John Ashcroft elevated the national Homeland Security Advisory System from a "Yellow" to an "Orange." Most of the information available to date has been in regard to how individuals and businesses might appropriately react to this heightened level of concern for Homeland Security. But, what should "ORANGE" mean to agriculture?
First, we need to recognize that the colored rating system is simply an indication of the level of risk that the Federal Government believes exists for terrorist threat to Homeland Security. The risk ratings include Green (low), Blue (guarded), Yellow (elevated), Orange (high), and Red (severe). The last time the Nation was alerted to a level Orange was immediately following the events of September 11, 2001. At that time, the announcement was met with confusion and at times, cynicism. As we have once again been placed at level Orange, it's important that we begin to evaluate exactly what that means to us as individuals.
While the federal government provides state agencies with emergency guidelines to follow, it cannot dictate operational procedures. However, as individuals, we should consider our options for farmstead security and evaluate any situations or events that are not easily explained for potential causes. More specifically, farm owners should:
In addition to these steps, producers have the right to restrict access to their farm facility based on their operation's risk. Employees and delivery drivers should be reputable and unexpected guests or delivery person should be scrutinized.
Furthermore, the Department of Justice has called for increased security level in the following specific areas:
1. Foreign animal disease (FAD) surveillance should be increased nationwide. No potential FAD cases should be disregarded. Potential hoaxes should be treated as suspect incursions of FAD's until proven otherwise. Specific attention should be directed at livestock and poultry concentration points.
2. Investigators and laboratory personnel should implement an appropriate level of personal protection when examining animals, carcasses, and submitted samples until potentially zoonotic diseases can be ruled out.
3. Physical security on farms, livestock concentration points, and quarantine stations should be heightened. Limited animal movements and farm contacts should be kept to essential people for continued operations.
To summarize, the Department of Justice's call for actions by local producers stresses the need for early detection of livestock diseases or problems. Producers should contact their local veterinarian for diagnoses. Some producers may try to self-diagnose a herd health problem, or even under report it in fear of having their herd quarantined. However, when we're at Orange, we should be reporting any abnormality that may be a bio-security threat to the nation's food chain.
Farms are at risk for a variety of reasons. Besides agricultural chemicals and chemical application equipment, livestock are susceptible to foreign animal diseases. When the country is operating at level Orange, agricultural communities are encouraged to be alert to unusual activities, and suspicious farm visitors. Looking out for fowl play is something everyone can do to ensure a safer farm community.
Learn more about risk level Orange, and the Department of Homeland Security at: http://www.dhs.gov or click on the Homeland Security link on the Ohio Government web page at: http://www.state.oh.us/
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Farms Facts is a weekly newspaper column, written by the agriculture staff at the Ohio State University Extension office in
Fairfield County.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.
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