News Update
July 22, 2014
Making Grade at the NJAS
One contest at the National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) reminds youth that, ultimately, they are in the business of producing beef. The carcass steer contest gives National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) members a chance to see how their animals rank for carcass merit and what it takes to produce high-quality beef.
At the 2014 NJAS hosted July 7-12 in Indianapolis, Ind., nearly 30 carcass steers were entered from about 15 different states.
“The carcass steer competition gives juniors such a more rounded view of the industry, not just from a showring perspective,” says David Gazda, American Angus Association regional manager, who helps coordinate the contest each year. “It gives them the opportunity to then be involved in all segments of production, from conception to the end product, and really know what they are producing.”
After arriving at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the steers were weighed, tagged and loaded on a truck to travel to an area processing plant. This year, that was Tyson in Joslin, Ill. Within days, carcass data was reported back on each of the animals, they were ranked according to carcass merit, and the top steers were announced as part of the NJAS award ceremony July 11.
Exhibitor premiums are paid based on em brand (CAB) qualifications, as well as cattle that have been enrolled in Angus Herd Improvement Records (AHIR®). Premium funds are made possible through an Angus Foundation endowment established by Curtis and Ann Long of Briarwood Angus Farms in Butler, Mo.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Watershed Rehabilitation Funding to Repair Dams in 26 States
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack July 18 announced that communities across the nation will benefit from a $262 million investment to rehabilitate dams that provide critical infrastructure and protect public health and safety. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Jason Weller and Representative Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, were in Oklahoma to recognize the importance of this announcement to agriculture and communities nationwide.
“This investment will protect people and property from floods, help keep our water clean and ensure that critical structures continue to provide benefits for future generations,” Weller said. “Families, businesses and our agriculture economy depend on responsible management of dams and watersheds, and we are continuing to provide that support to these communities.”
A number of the projects to be funded are in Oklahoma, and Weller noted that the state had the first full-watershed plan and structure completed by USDA on private lands in the 1940s. The 2014 Farm Bill, signed into law by President Obama earlier this year, increased the typical annual investment in watershed rehabilitation by almost 21 fold, recognizing the critical role of these structures in flood management, water supply and agricultural productivity. The president discussed the importance of infrastructure to job creation and commerce, noting that “Funding infrastructure projects helps our families, it fuels our economy and it better positions America for the future.”
From the 1940s through the 1970s, local communities using NRCS assistance constructed more than 11,800 dams in 47 states. These watershed management projects provide an estimated $2.2 billion in annual benefits in reduced flooding and erosion damages, and improved recreation, water supplies and wildlife habitat for an estimated 47 million Americans.
Weller said that funding provided through this announcement will provide rehabilitation assistance for 150 dams in 26 states. Funds will be used for planning, design or construction. Also, 500 dam sites will be assessed for safety through the NRCS Watershed Rehabilitation Program. For a complete list of the projects, please visit the FY 2014 Watershed Rehabilitation Projects Funding Table page. The projects were identified based on recent rehabilitation investments and the potential risks to life and property if a dam failure occurred. Overall, an estimated 250,000 people will benefit as a result of improved flood protection made possible by these rehabilitated dams.
For more information, please view the full release here.
NFU Asks EPA for Clarity on Key Points Under WOTUS Rule
In a letter sent today to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy, National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson asked for more information about which bodies of water would be deemed jurisdictional under the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule.
The letter was a follow-up to a conference call between the administrator and members of the NFU board of directors, which consists of Farmers Union state and regional presidents.
“During our call, a number of questions were raised by NFU board members,” Johnson wrote. “The board asked for clarity surrounding some of the definitions in the proposed rule. The general sense was that the proposed rule has created less clarity, not more as intended.”
Johnson acknowledged that it is not always possible for EPA to make definitive determinations for all bodies of water at this point but stressed that more information must be made available to rural America to alleviate confusion and resentment. Johnson also mentioned that EPA’s reputation was damaged in farm country with the proposed reductions in the Renewable Fuel Standard, which likely led to a more negative reaction to the WOTUS proposed rule.
In the letter, NFU asked EPA to provide a map with estimates of which bodies of water will be considered jurisdictional to EPA’s regulation. Questions were also posed about wetlands in the Prairie Pothole region, coordination with state agencies and the treatment of unconnected bodies of water that are seasonal.
During the conference call, NFU thanked the EPA for listening to the concerns of farmers and ranchers and for its efforts to educate and clear up misinformation about WOTUS. NFU is currently preparing formal comments about the proposed rule and hopes to have answers from EPA soon to ensure its comments are as informed as possible.
California Drought Losses Could Have Been Avoided
As the height of California’s harvest season approaches, the full impact of water shortages on farms and ranches will become increasingly apparent — and a study released July 15 by the University of California—Davis, estimated those impacts could include loss of 17,100 jobs and $2.2 billion in economic damage.
California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger said the report underscores the need for the state to take swift, decisive action to address its long-term water problems.
“One of the saddest things about the losses caused by the drought is that they could have been prevented,” Wenger said. “California has spent 35 years pursuing a conservation-only strategy that has proven disastrous. When we last built a new reservoir to capture rain or snowmelt, in the late 1970s, California’s population was 23 million. Now, we have more than 38 million residents, on the way to 44.3 million by 2030. We must build additional and expanded water storage if we are going to be prepared to handle drought periods, to accommodate population growth and capture the warmer, flashier storm runoff linked to climate change.”
Among the drought’s consequences, Wenger noted, has been a draw-down of groundwater supplies, as farmers have used wells to make up for part of the reduction in surface water. That, in turn, has led to calls for statewide groundwater management.
“Farm Bureau has long supported groundwater management at the local level,” he said. “Statewide regulation certainly won’t fix our groundwater needs, just as it has failed to provide solutions to surface water needs.”
Ironically, Wenger noted, current state regulations don’t consider use of surface water to replenish groundwater as a beneficial use, which complicates the ability to recharge underground aquifers.
“The increasing pressure on groundwater has come from an antiquated surface-water system that’s inadequate in the face of continued urban growth and ineffective environmental regulation, combined with our inability to create new and expanded water storage and our inability to manage existing reservoirs effectively to provide water during drought periods,” he said.
For more information please view the full release here.
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