News Update

Industry Events
Jan. 17, 2008

Crop and Livestock Insurance Programs
January-February, Kansas and Colorado

A series of meetings designed to help Kansas and Colorado crop and livestock producers learn about Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite (AGR-Lite) and other risk management programs is planned for several locations in the two states.

The nine meetings are sponsored by Kansas State University’s (K-State’s) Department of Agricultural Economics and K-State Research and Extension; Colorado State University (CSU); the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Risk Management Agency (RMA); and Farm Credit Associations of Kansas.

Topics to be covered at each meeting include and update on the RMA; an introduction to AGR-Lite; as well as discussion of what is covered under AGR-Lite, how coverage is established and claims are calculated, and other issues with AGR-Lite.

Each meeting will also include examples and time for questions and discussion.

The dates, locations and contact information for each location are:

Jan. 21 – Wichita, Kan. – Farm Credit of Central Kansas office, 7940 W. Kellogg Dr. – Ed Frey, 316-721-1100;
Jan. 23 – Garden City, Kan. – Clarion Inn, 1911 E. Kansas Ave. – Holly Pruitt, 620-275-4281;
Jan. 24 – Manhattan, Kan. – K-State’s International Grains Program Conference Center, 1980 Kimball – Janet McPherson, 785-776-6955;
Feb. 5 – Larned, Kan. – High Plains Farm Credit office, 605 Main St. – Curt Schmidtberger, 785-625-2110;
Feb. 8 – Ness City, Kan. – Historic Bank Building, 102 W. Main – Eldon Pfannenstiel, 785-798-2278;
Feb. 18 – La Junta or Rocky Ford, Colo. – Location to be determined – Norm Dalsted, 970-491-5627;
Feb. 19 – Brush, Colo. – Events Center/Morgan Co. Fairgrounds – Norm Dalsted, 970-491-5627;
Feb. 20 – Colby, Kan. – Community Building, 285 E. 5th St. – Virgil Jones, 785-462-2382; and
Feb. 21 – Baldwin, Kan. – Frontier Farm Credit office, 1270 N. 300 Rd. – Janet McPherson, 785-776-6955.

All of the meetings except the Colby meeting will begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. The Colby meeting begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 5 p.m., with a meal included.

More information about the meetings is available by calling the contact person listed for the site of interest.

2008 Great Lakes Cattle Feeding Short Course
January-February, four locations

Maintaining animal health and understanding the value and limitations of feeding distillers’ grain solubles are major challenges to feedlot managers. To learn about tools and strategies that minimize the consequences of poor animal health and to make the best use of ethanol coproducts as feed, producers can attend a two-part cattle feeding program set for four Great Lakes locations.

The 2008 Great Lakes Cattle Feeding Short Course will be Jan. 21 and Feb. 4 at the DeKalb, Ill., Farm Bureau Building; Jan. 22 and Feb. 5 at the Michigan State University (MSU) Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education in East Lansing; Jan. 23 and Feb. 6 at the Wood County Junior Fair Building in Bowling Green, Ohio; and Jan. 24 and Feb. 7 at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall in Ontario. The program begins at 6 p.m. in every location.

The first session will look at nutrition and management programs for newly received feedlot cattle. There will also be a presentation on considerations for designing vaccination programs and the selection and use of antibiotics. Other presenters will discuss the effects of handling and cattle temperament on feedlot returns and the costs of a poor receiving program. 

The second session will kick off with a market outlook for corn and a talk about the challenges and limitations in feeding distillers’ grains in feedlot diets. Other presentations will explore minimizing “outs” and taking advantage of harvesting premiums, and conclude with regional age- and source-verification programs. Speakers include faculty members and Extension specialists from the University of Nebraska, Oklahoma State University, Utah State University and the host institutions. 

The registration fee is $30 (U.S. funds) for the first registrant from one operation, and $20 for each additional attendee from the same operation. College students and FFA and 4-H members can attend for $10. The registration deadline is Jan. 17. For more information or to register for the 2008 cattle feeding short course, contact Steve Rust at MSU by calling 517-432-1390.

The 2008 Great Lakes Cattle Feeding Short Course is sponsored by the University of Illinois, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Purdue University and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Certified Livestock Manager Training (CLMT) program
January-March, Illinois

The Certified Livestock Manager Training (CLMT) program at the University of Illinois (U of I) at Urbana-Champaign will offer a series of workshops through March 2008 to help producers comply with the Livestock Management Facilities Act and other environmental regulations.

According to the Livestock Management Facilities Act, certified livestock managers of farms with 300 to 1,000 animal units are required to attend the training program or pass the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Certified Livestock Manager Exam. The CLMT workshops have been approved by the Illinois Department of Agriculture as meeting the training certification requirement.

Certified livestock managers of 1,000 animal units or more are required to do both. U of I Extension also has an Internet quiz option that, if successfully passed, substitutes for the requirement of attending a workshop.

This winter’s Certified Livestock Manager workshops bring together a broad range of disciplines, including environment, economics, animal science and engineering.

Livestock producers, both large- and small-scale, who apply for the National Resource Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) cost-share funds can pick up 10 points in the application process by becoming certified.

Workshop topics include concrete construction, odor issues, manure management planning, mortality composting and updates on rules and regulations.

Each year, several species-specific workshops are offered. This year, there are three for beef/dairy producers and four for swine producers. Four others will be more general. Producers can pick the workshop that fits their interest or time and location.

Randy Fonner, workshop coordinator, emphasizes that all of the workshops are open to all producers. For example, dairy producers can come to a swine workshop and still be certified.

The workshops are scheduled for:

Jan. 25 in Nashville (swine emphasis)
Feb. 19 in Effingham (dairy/beef emphasis)
Feb. 20 in Breese (dairy/beef emphasis)
March 7 in Springfield

Producers should call 1-800-345-6087 at least two weeks before the workshop so that the manual or CD can be mailed to them ahead of time. If you have questions, contact Fonner at 217-333-2611 or clmt@uiuc.edu.

Additional details are available by visiting www.livestocktraining.com.

2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention & Trade Show
Feb. 6-9, Reno, Nev.

Education, information and a little bit of fun, too, “Rush to Reno” will be the primary theme of the 2008 Cattle Industry Annual Convention & Trade Show. The event will be Feb. 6-9 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nev. The convention features the joint and individual meetings of five industry organizations — the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board (CBB), the American National CattleWomen Inc. (ANCW), Cattle-Fax and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF).

ANCW will start its sessions before the official convention opener, scheduling its opening session and first round of committee meetings for Monday, Feb. 4.

Wednesday, Feb. 6, the Cattlemen’s College® offers educational programming, from labor issues to feed sources, to help producers fine-tune their operations and identify ways to become more efficient while producing beef for today’s consumer. Cattlemen’s College participants will be treated to a luncheon featuring motivational speaker Kevin Ochsner, Kersey, Colo., as well as tickets to Thursday morning’s Cattle-Fax Outlook Seminar.

Wednesday’s Opening General Session will feature keynote speaker Daniel Burrus, a leading technology forecaster and strategist. Industry leaders will address the key issues facing the cattle industry today, and Fort Dodge will announce the Fort Dodge Animal Health Legacy Scholarship Program. Through producer participation, this program will award five scholarships directed to veterinary and animal science students.

The NCBA Trade Show opens Wednesday evening with the Welcome Reception. More than 250 exhibitors will represent animal health, animal identification (ID), farm and livestock equipment, feed, fencing, finance, seed and pest control, industry publications and more.

Angus Productions Inc. (API) provides complete convention coverage, available at www.4cattlemen.com. The site features a schedule, symposium papers, synopses, audio and more.

Visit the schedule for a full rundown of general sessions, industry forums, regional caucuses, council meetings, subcommittee and committee meetings, the CBB meeting and NCBA Board of Directors meeting. The business portion of the convention will conclude Saturday with the NCBA Annual Membership Meeting, where decisions are made for the future direction of the industry.

Visit www.4cattlemen.com for further information.

Northwest Florida Beef Conference
Feb. 7, Marianna, Fla.

The Northwest Florida Beef Conference & Trade Show will take place Thursday, Feb. 7, at the Agriculture Conference Center located behind the Jackson County Extension Office just north of Interstate10 at Exit 136 in Marianna, Fla. Registration and the Trade Show will open at 8 a.m., Central time, and the program will get started at 9 a.m.The program will conclude with a steak lunch at 12:30 p.m.

This year the focus of the conference will be on drought management. Four major topics of discussion will be presented at the conference. Dennis Hancock, University of Georgia (UG) forage specialist, will discuss pasture management during long-term drought to help producers adjust their stocking rate, use optimal grazing techniques, make wise use of fertilization and emergency forage crops.

Curt Lacey, UG livestock economist, will focus on drought economics. Producers may be forced to make a number of difficult choices with rising input costs and reduced income due to herd liquidation. Lacey will provide some suggestions on herd reduction, as well as some marketing strategies and the tax laws that provide protection of this income.

The third speaker will be Darrell Rankin, who will discuss drought feeding with limited hay. Depending on 2008 rainfall, cattlemen may need to provide additional nutrition to keep their herd productive. Rankin will offer advice on how to stretch forage supply and keep herds productive with off-farm, purchased feeds.

The final topic will be drought toxicities. Doug Mayo, Jackson County Extension educator, will discuss how crops like corn, sorghum, and millet can become toxic during drought conditions. Mayo will also discuss toxic plants to be aware of as forage supplies become low.

The conference also features a trade show. For more information call Doug Mayo at 850-482-9620 or visit http://jackson.ifas.ufl.edu.

MSU workshops
Feb. 14, Ronan; Feb. 15, Browning; Feb. 16, Dillon, Mont.

Montana State University Extension economists will offer free workshops in Ronan, Browning and Dillon on cost control and risk planning for livestock producers.

Duane Griffith, MSU economist organizing the February program, said it will help livestock and forage producers develop personalized cost control plans, with a special emphasis on surviving in an environment with increasing energy and feed costs. It will touch on energy-related issues affecting productions costs, feed resources, risk management tools and financial management strategies.

In Ronan, the program will be Feb. 14 at the Lake County Community Center. People interested in participating should contact Extension agent Jack Stivers at 406-676-4272.

In Browning, the program will be Feb. 15 at the Blackfeet Housing Conference Room. For more information on that program, contact Extension agent Verna Billedeaux at 406-338-2650.

In Dillon, the program will be Feb. 16 at the 4-H building on the fairgrounds. For more information, contact Extension agent J.P. Tanner at 406-683-3785.

Registration for each program will begin at 9 a.m., and the workshop will be from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided, and there is no registration fee.

The program is sponsored by MSU, North Dakota State University (NDSU), the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), and the National Crop Insurance Services. Instructors will include Harlan Hughes, a professor emeritus and livestock economist; Cole Gustafson of NDSU; Griffith; and Laurence Crane of the National Crop Insurance Services.

R-CALF USA 9th Annual Convention
Feb. 20-23, Omaha, Neb.

The Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) Board of Directors will conduct its 9th annual convention Feb. 20-23 in Omaha, Neb. The theme for this year’s event is “Fighting for the U.S. Cattle Producer’s Prosperity — Together.” The location is the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center, located at 3321 S. 72nd St., just off Interstate 80 at Exit 449.

Four speakers are back by popular demand. Charlie McVean, with McVean Trading and Investments, will give an outlook report on the cattle markets; Roger McEowen, the director of the Iowa State University Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation; Creighton University’s Jason Bartz, an expert scientist on bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE); and, nationally renowned disease risk-assessment expert Tony Cox.

For the second year in a row, the R-CALF USA Private Property Rights Committee will hold a seminar on Wednesday, Feb. 20, one day before the convention officially gets under way. Panel discussions throughout the convention cover several topics important to the live cattle industry, including animal health issues such as BSE and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), animal identification (ID), market competition, international trade and the Farm Bill. Also planned are updates on the National Beef Checkoff Program and country-of-origin labeling (often referred to as COL or COOL).

The keynote speaker for the luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 21, is prominent radio talk show host Derry Brownfield. The keynote speaker for the Friday luncheon is G.B. Oliver III, executive vice president of the Paragon Foundation, which was created in 1996 to support the advancement of the fundamental principals articulated by the United States’ founding fathers in both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

On the evening of Feb. 21, the Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) will host “CPA Night at the R-CALF USA Convention.” CPA plans to bring in several speakers to discuss how current U.S. trade policies are detrimental to the United States. Nelson represents R-CALF USA on the CPA board of directors.

New this year to get Saturday’s business session is a prayer breakfast during which David Andrews will speak about the importance of bringing wholesome food to consumers and supporting a food system made up of family farmers and ranchers.

For more information about the convention or trade show, call R-CALF USA headquarters at 406-252-2516. To make room reservations, call the hotel before Jan. 20 at 1-800-315-2621 and ask for the R-CALF USA group rate of $96 plus tax per night. Media interested in attending should contact R-CALF USA Communications Coordinator Shae Dodson at 406-252-2516.

Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture
Feb. 28, Denver

Economics, water issues, transportation, technology and other factors that affect the development of Colorado’s agricultural regions will be discussed at the 17th annual Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture.

The forum, “Advancing Colorado’s Rural Development,” will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Double Tree Hotel, 3203 Quebec St. in Denver. Gov. Bill Ritter will speak to the group at 8:30 a.m.

State and national experts will present information about aspects of rural development such as water legislation, broadband Internet access, rural transportation infrastructure, agritourism and more. A panel discussion on rural development also is scheduled.

Speakers include USDA Undersecretary Tom Dorr speaking on the perspective of rural development; Renny Fagan, state director for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, presenting the senator’s perspective; and Mark Drabenstott, director of the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs, presenting an economist’s perspective.

Afternoon breakout sessions will cover rural infrastructure, water and rural development, carbon and nitrogen credit marketing opportunities, and amenity-driven growth.

A welcome reception will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Feb. 27 at the governor’s residence at the Boettcher Mansion. The day will be capped with the Colorado Agricultural Hall of Fame banquet beginning at 5:30 p.m. A reception from 4:30-5:30 p.m. will precede the banquet.

Registration is $100 per person and $45 for students until Feb. 8; registration after that date increases to $120 and $50, respectively. Registration information and forms are available at www.colorado.gov/ag; click on “Governor’s Forum on Colorado Agriculture.”

Heart of Oklahoma Cattle Conference
March 22, Shawnee

The Heart of Oklahoma Cattle Conference will take place March 22 at the Exposition Center in Shawnee located at 1700 W. Independence St.

The conference will investigate the “Keys to Success in the Commercial Cow Business,” and speakers will discuss practices that can lead a producer to a successful business.

Early registration is $8 by March 17 and $12 the day of the conference; this will cover the cost of lunch and handout materials.

Registration on March 22 begins at 8:30 a.m., with the first session starting at 9:30 a.m.

The morning session will cover practices such as a defined calving season, beef cow body condition at breeding and calving, replacement heifer growing, herd health and immunizations, calving management and bull care.

An afternoon presentation will examine how to evaluate a calf crop based on value to the consumer. Attendees will examine calves at feeder weight and again at market weight to see if phenotypically a person can actually determine what cattle characteristics can be examined and be indicators of carcass value and quality.

The final session of the day will look at market-weight cattle going through the harvest phase and breaking them down into wholesale and retail cuts. A trade show is also scheduled.

The Heart of Oklahoma Cattle Conference is sponsored by the Pottawatomie Cooperative Extension Service and Pottawatomie County Cattle Producer’s Association.

For more information about the conference or vendor information call 405-273-7683.

— compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.