Both sides have waged an often public and bitter campaign during the union's effort to organize the world's largest hog processing plant, where about 4,650 employees process up to 32,000 hogs a day. The talks broke down over Smithfield's complaint that the union wanted the right to lobby workers but refused to allow the company to do the same. In rejecting the demand, the union cited Smithfield's history of harassing union supporters during organizing elections held in 1993 and 1997. Gene...

After several farming friends ventured into a hog finishing arrangement with a large company in 1997, Koschmeder got more serious about looking into a similar setup. He realized in 1996 that he would have to eventually somehow diversify his farm operation or obtain an "off the farm " job to keep his cash flow in proper perspective. In 1998 Koschmeder signed a contract to erect three confinement buildings and manure reception pit on his property located 3 1/2 miles north and 3/4 of a mile...

Organizers say the event is aimed at highlighting efforts by the poultry industry to curb nutrient runoff, alternate uses for poultry litter, and legal, legislative, and regulatory methods for reducing the amount of nutrients escaping from poultry litter into bay tributaries. The Waterkeeper Alliance, the sponsor of the event, points to agricultural runoff, most of which comes from poultry litter from Eastern Shore operations, as the primary source of pollution in the bay. Organizers say...

Today's markets Highs and lows Mutual fund finder Oct 25, 2007 02:47 PM Romina Maurino THE CANADIAN PRESS Maple Leaf Foods inc. (TSX: MFI) posted a big third-quarter profit Thursday as the recent sale of its livestock-feed business helped offset pressure from rising grain prices and a strong loonie. Today's markets Highs and lows Mutual fund finder Oct 25, 2007 02:47 PM Romina Maurino THE CANADIAN PRESS Maple Leaf Foods inc. (TSX: MFI) posted a big third-quarter profit Thursday as the...

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The company says it is exploring second-generation biofuel feed stocks and processes that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gases through their entire lifecycle. Though some of the particulates are created naturally by forest fires, volcanic activity, and methane release, the burning of hydrocarbons in modern engines has been cited as a large contributor to these greenhouse gases. In order to tackle the issue of greenhouse emissions and also look into fossil fuel alternatives,...

He was interested primarily in hogs and chickens and the difficulties facing farmers at a distance from major processing plants in the search for profitable returns. He became a frequent writer of letters to the editor and opinion articles to this newspaper and others and frequently appeared in public forums to speak about farm policy. In recent years, he was an outspoken critic of the trend toward large-scale hog production and the strong influence of central Canada's dominant hog packing...

Smithfield shelved a $100 million expansion of the Morrell plant in Sioux Falls after buying a rival meatpacker, but a company official says that expansion still could take place at some point. As for the John Morrell plant, company officials say no near-term cuts are expected. Earlier this year, Smithfield announced plans to close a plant in Kansas City. Smithfield also laid off about 450 workers at the John Morrell plant in Sioux City and closed a Morrell meatpacking operation in...

It sat empty for about a year until Smithfield Foods, the meat processor, decided to lease about 30 percent of the space. It's the latest deal to illustrate how the region's industrial property market has gained favor with investors after being beaten down by the busted tech sector in the early 2000s. The hope of a bright future follows several dark years at the Clayton facility, which is almost equidistant from Interstates 95 and 40. Continued population growth in the Southeast has...