News Update
January 15, 2014
UPI Excited to Support the Future of Agriculture through Scholarship Program
United Producers Inc. (UPI) is offering two $1,000 scholarships in each of its 16 districts to deserving high school and post-high-school students pursuing agriculture degrees.
UPI serves more than 35,000 livestock producers in the Midwest. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, the cooperative offers livestock marketing services to farmer members, along with risk management and credit services.
“The future of agriculture depends on those who are currently considering and pursuing a career in this critical industry,” said Dennis Bolling, president and CEO, UPI. “We want to do all we can to encourage students who have an interest in agribusiness, farming, veterinary medicine or other agriculture-based industries to pursue their careers, and this is our way of helping them do so.”
Applicants must be a Preferred Member of UPI or a child or grandchild of a Preferred Member, and a 2014 graduating high school senior, or a student currently attending a college or technical school studying an agriculture-related field. Completed applications and essays must be postmarked by April 1.
For more information and to download an application form, please view the UPI page here.
Free Workshops on Cover Crops and Other
Hot Topics at 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show
Cover crops are a hot topic in the farming community, and the discussion will take center stage at the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show during a series of free workshops designed to educate farmers, Certified Crop Advisers, farm managers and landowners about the ins and outs of cover crops.
“We continue to see great interest from farmers in adding cover crops to their farming operation,” said Iowa Secretary of State Bill Northey, who will be speaking at the workshops on Jan. 29.
Northey, who seeded cover crops on his farm last fall, added that cover crops can help farmers manage nutrients, reduce soil erosion and enhance water quality.
Cover crops are an important tool in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which farmers are implementing throughout the state. The growing popularity has farmers seeking advice about how to choose, seed and terminate cover crops. These subjects and more will be covered during five core overview sessions and three in-depth sessions at the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show, which runs Jan. 28-30 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
The five core overview sessions include: How cover crops reduce erosion, manage nutrients and improve profitability; choosing the best cover crops for corn, soybeans and livestock; five popular seeding methods; how and when to terminate cover crops; and making cover crops work with livestock.
For more information, please view the full release here.
OSU Extension Offers Thousands of Documents Through POD
Imagine a world at your fingertips where virtually endless supplies of useful and scientifically proven information could be accessed and put into practice for whatever objectives you may have.
Want to build a water garden? Bam, here is how to do it. What insect is eating my tomato plants? Kapow, here is how to identify and control it. Need some information on the best forage for your livestock this time of year? Coming right up.
“The Print on Demand (POD) database is home to approximately 4,500 documents with subject matter ranging from gardening, cattle, insects and economics to nutrition and family development, and much more,” said Ross Love, assistant director of Oklahoma State University’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. “It really is an extremely helpful and useful tool people can take advantage of.”
All OSU Cooperative Extension and research fact sheets, leaflets and other documents are available to read and download free of charge at osufacts.okstate.edu. Each piece of literature is peer reviewed and updated to keep the most current and accurate information available to the public.
“By continually reviewing and updating our fact sheets, OSU Cooperative Extension is able to disseminate research-based information on a wide variety of subjects for anyone and everyone to use,” Love said.
The POD system is designed to be user-friendly and can be navigated several different ways.
“Users may browse through the site by academic departments or by topical categories,” Love said. “Also, there is a search tool at the top right of the page, which allows users to search by subject matter, fact sheet number or title.”
For more information, contact your local county Extension office or visit the website to snoop around.
Advanced Nutrient Management Course Set for Feb. 3-4
Registration is open for the 2014 Advanced Nutrient Management Course Feb. 3-4 at the University of Missouri Bradford Research Center, Columbia. MU Extension sponsors the two-day course.
“The course will be of special benefit to farms using animal manure as a fertilizer,” said John Lory, MU extension nutrient management specialist. “It is highly recommended for manure applicators and those who write nutrient management plans in Missouri.”
Some of the highlights include presentations on regulatory update, soil test phosphorus recommendations, cover crops, improving fescue pastures and value of manure compared to fertilizer nutrients.
Sessions on new technology will discuss unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), pit foaming, nitrogen application using sensors, spreaders and logistics, odor control and new Web tools.
The course has been approved for up to 12 continuing education credits (CEUs) for Certified Crop Advisers, for confined animal feeding operation and wastewater operators, and for agricultural engineers. Details on CEUs are available at nmplanner.missouri.edu/training.
Preregistration is required. Cost is $200 for those registering on or before Jan. 27. After that, cost increases to $230.
Contact Hannah McClure at 573-884-6311 or McClureH@missouri.edu to register.
Agenda and additional course information are available at nmplanner.missouri.edu/training or from Lory at 573-884-7815 or LoryJ@missouri.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of events here.
Feedgrains Marketing Workshop to be
Offered Feb. 3-4 in Amarillo
Agriculture producers preparing for tough markets in 2014 should plan to attend Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s “Developing This Year’s Marketing Plan for Feedgrains” workshop Feb. 3-4 in Amarillo, according to an AgriLife Extension economist.
A record corn crop along with adequate-to-surplus supplies of all crops in the U.S. and world markets, stagnant ethanol demand and the lowest cattle inventory in 60 years are just some of the factors that could make marketing the 2014 feedgrains crop for a profit difficult, said Steve Amosson, AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo.
“Feedgrains producers are going to have to have a sharp pencil to get the most production for the least amount of cost and then do a good job of marketing their crop in order to have a successful year,” he said.
The feedgrains workshop, co-sponsored by the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd. The registration fee is $125, which covers the cost associated with instruction, breaks, meals and materials, Amosson said.
To register and pay for this course, go to: http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu. While this is the preferred method of registration and payment, Amosson said payments will be accepted at the door. However, all registrations must be completed by Jan. 31, either online or by contacting Leon Guerrero at 806-677-5626 or lguerrero@ag.tamu.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of events here.
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