Latest news with #AnnaHill
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Farming Today 03/06/25 - Welsh Environment Bill, small abattoirs and smart cattle tech
A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh Government. The Environment Bill aims to allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. If passed, it will set up a new Office of Environmental Governance, to enforce environmental law, and Ministers in the Senedd will have to set targets to reduce pollution and manage ecosystems. We visit Down Land Traditional Meats in West Sussex, where the owner says increasing financial strain and red tape is putting the future of small abattoirs at risk. The closure of abattoirs has been a long standing trend - in the 1970s the UK had 2 and half thousand that had dropped to just 203 by 2023. And we find out about a high-tech cattle handling crate that incorporates software to monitor animals. It can minimise manual handling by drafting animals - where a herd is separated into smaller groups - by itself. Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons
BBC News
29-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Farming Today 29/4/25 Energy infrastructure, growing pulses for animal feed, horticulture report
One of the government's major objectives is to deliver greener energy across the UK; but to do that, thousands of acres of farmland and wider countryside are being affected, as electricity generated from offshore windfarms and solar developments is routed to the national grid. In a new report, the Institution of Engineering and Technology has outlined the specific costs of pylons and cables buried underground and on the seabed. The report estimates in the next decade there will need to be five times more onshore transmission infrastructure than has been built in the last 30 years, and four times the amount that currently exists offshore. All week we're looking into pulses. Many of us eat peas, beans or lentils as part of our diet. Pulses also make up a major part of animal feed in the form of soya. That comes mostly from South America where rainforest is often cleared to grow it. The Nitrogen Climate Smart Programme is a project looking to replace imported soya with home grown pulses. We visit a farm taking part in trials to grow pulses. The UK economy could get a boost if everyone ate more UK-grown fruit and veg according to a new report by the Green Alliance, a think tank which works with environmental groups. It says we currently import five sixths of our fruit and half of our veg but expanding horticultural production could add £2.3 billion to the national economy and create more than 20 thousand jobs. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
USA Today
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
A North Carolina animal shelter gets creative with 'Poorly Drawn Pets' fundraiser
A North Carolina animal shelter gets creative with 'Poorly Drawn Pets' fundraiser Show Caption Hide Caption Cumberland County Animal Services: $10 custom pet portraits fundraiser Cumberland County Animal Services' 'Poorly Drawn Pets' fundraiser gives you a custom pet portrait for $10 while helping animals in need! Dogs are constantly making their humans smile, but an animal shelter in North Carolina figured out just how happy pet owners get when they're getting a poorly drawn photo of their dog. The Cumberland County Animal Services in North Carolina raised over $2,000 by selling poorly drawn photos of people's pets, according to its Facebook post. Every year, before kitten season starts in spring, the shelter holds a "Poorly Drawn Pets Fundraiser," Anna Hill, the rescue's foster coordinator, told USA TODAY. People can pay $10, and volunteers and employees from the shelter will send them a sketch of their pets. But results may vary. Those willing to gamble $10 can get works of art inspired by their pups or a very cute scribble. Volunteers and staff are "a hidden Picasso (an actual artist), orrrrrr you might get something that looks like the work of a chicken (but we'll give it our best shot)," the shelter said in their post on Facebook. Adopting or own a senior dog? Here's how to help them live a long life What is the fundraiser for? The fundraiser helps the shelter collect money for its medical fund, according to its Facebook page. The fund helps treat animals' injuries, covers life-saving procedures or critical care, "We get several dogs who come in injured, whether it's a broken leg or we see a lot of animals that are hit by cars," Hill said. It's more obvious that animals with severe injuries will have their care covered by the medical fund, but that money also goes to looking up microchips in dogs that could help the shelter reunite them with their owners. "That care can be extremely expensive," said Hill. "Especially recently, it has skyrocketed." In the past, their medical fund has helped dogs, like Geneva, who is currently in foster care, according to Hill. The dog was hit by a car, and her hip was dislocated. The shelter's medical fund covered the surgery she needed to fix her leg, and she is now available for adoption. The shelter's favorite drawings One of Hill's favorite drawings was one made for a woman who said she purchased a portrait of her 16-year-old pug that recently passed away. The shelter made sure to assign the portrait to a staff member who was a "fairly good artist," she said. Another favorite, which was funnier that it was good, was one of a "little scruffy dog." "It kind of looks like a gremlin," said Hill. How to get a portrait of my animal The shelter creates portraits of any animal, not just cats and dogs. Hill, who runs a small hobby farm with around 25 animals on it, got a portrait of her alpaca during a previous fundraiser. Unfortunately, the shelter's fundraiser has ended for this year. But there's hope for 2026 if you want to get a portrait. At the beginning of each year, people can send in photos of their pets and get the best (or maybe worse) portrait of their best friends to cherish forever. Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@
