News Update
Feb. 16, 2009

Michigan Angus Breeder Elected to Lead Beef Organization

Gary Voogt, Marne, Mich., has been elected president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). The election during the annual membership meeting Jan. 31, 2009, concluded the weeklong Cattle Industry Convention in Phoenix, Ariz.

Voogt, a member of the American and Michigan Angus associations and the Michigan Cattlemen’s Association (MCA), has been raising cattle on his family’s operation just west of Grand Rapids since 1968. Today, he and his wife, Shirley, have the privilege of having their children and grandchildren involved in the farm as the next generations become active in the cattle and haying operation.

Having family close at hand will be vital as Voogt will spend more than 200 days during the coming year representing the NCBA. During that time, his family will tend to the daily activities of the farming enterprise.

“We all knew it going in. We’ve got to be with the people. We’ve got to listen to them, we’ve got to learn what their issues are,” Voogt says of traveling during his year of presidency.

The Voogts’ primary purpose is to raise Angus bulls for sale, and raise and finish steers for retail sale. Only the top bulls from their calf crop are retained for potential breeding bulls

The Voogt bulls are put through rigorous performance testing. They conduct their own on-farm bull test and consign bulls to the MCA/Michigan State University Test as well as the Indiana Beef Evaluation Program (IBEP) test.

They also operate about 320 acres, which includes hay ground. In addition to cattle, they raise a few other species, including chickens, Boer goats and horses. Voogt Farm ranked second in Michigan for the total number of Angus registrations in 2008.

— Release provided by the American Angus Association.

Texas Researchers Provide Emissions Data for Livestock Industry

A group of Texas-based researchers provided answers for the nation’s cattle feeding industry after it was given a very short window by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin reporting ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions.

The EPA issued a final ruling Dec. 18 that required the reporting of continuous air releases of these gases by large confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to local and state emergency management entities.

Until this ruling, the EPA had not required agricultural operations to report air emissions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986.

But with the new EPA rule, it was determined the reporting was required under the 1986 act and operations falling within the guidelines must report emissions by Jan. 20, said Ben Weinheimer, Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) vice president.

The rule applies to operations that can emit 100 pounds (lb.) or more of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide during any 24-hour period, Weinheimer said. These operations are now required to report the emissions to state and local emergency responders.

But with the rule came no guidelines on how to gather that information or report it, and there were no officially adopted emission factors available, he said.

Weinheimer said the industry turned to researchers working on “Air Quality: Reducing Emissions from Cattle Feedlots and Dairies,” a federally funded project headed by John Sweeten, director of the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Amarillo.

The project researchers, who had been gathering emissions data from area feedlots for the past six years, were pulled together to determine the best way for feedyard operators to estimate their emissions and develop a worksheet for calculating emissions, Sweeten said.

The air quality research project is funded by the USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. The organizations that participate are AgriLife Research, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M University, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, West Texas A&M University and Kansas State University.

“The EPA rule basically gave these livestock operations one month to report ongoing emissions that exceeded the thresholds,” Ken Casey, AgriLife Research air quality engineer, said. “Needless to say releasing the rule when they did, just before Christmas, without any advance notice and requiring reporting in the early new year, left the industry scrambling to get together a response, as well as give responsible guidance to their members,” Casey said.

“We needed to convey to EPA that no single number is adequate to represent a basis for an emission factor, because emissions vary with what the cattle are fed, with the season, and even with the time of day,” Auvermann said. “We presented EPA and the cattle-feeding industry with a range of emission factors that we believe would represent most feedyards in our area.”

Research from this project has shown that emission rates for ammonia during winter months are about half of the emission rates during summer months, Todd said.

“Texas Panhandle feeding operations with more than 1,000 cattle could exceed the 100 pound per day reporting requirement,” Todd said. “But the negative environmental effects of ammonia that EPA is concerned about are most likely where ammonia mixes with urban air pollution, or when ammonia is removed from the atmosphere in rain and over-fertilizes sensitive ecosystems.”

He and Auvermann agreed that on the High Plains, ammonia is more of a regional than a local environmental concern.

“Ammonia does not stay in the atmosphere very long in its gaseous form,” Auvermann said. “Unless it reacts with other gases to form fine particles, it’s gone from the air within a few hours to a few days. And we don’t see much of the fine particles around here that would suggest otherwise.”

Weinheimer said with the quick response of the research group, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) was able to send out “reporting packets” to feedyards in early January and conduct a Webinar on Jan. 15 to explain the requirements to its members.

“From Day 1, this project has been founded on solid research objectives to address multiple air quality issues facing the cattle feeding industry,” said Ross Wilson, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Texas Cattle Feeders.

Wilson said it was through this group’s efforts and provided data that the industry was able to make a good-faith estimate of the lower and upper bounds for both ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions.

— Article adapted from a Texas AgriLife Extension Service and AgriLife Research release.

Free Watershed Protection Training March 3 in Franklin

A free watershed protection training program will be presented from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. March 3 in Franklin, Texas.

The program, co-presented by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, will be held at the Pridgeon Community Center, 351 Cooks Lane.

“This free training is designed to show people how to improve and protect their water resources by getting involved in local watershed protection and management activities,” said Jennifer Peterson, AgriLife Extension program specialist.

Peterson said attendees will receive information on watershed systems, water quality regulation and monitoring, methods to improve water quality, and ways to develop and implement a community-driven watershed protection and management plan.

She also noted that presenting the program in Robertson County is important because elevated bacteria concentrations have been detected in five tributaries of the Little Brazos River — Campbell’s Creek, Pin Oak Creek, Mud Creek, Spring Creek and Walnut Creek.

She noted that the State Board and Brazos River Authority already have met with local stakeholders to discuss a watershed monitoring strategy and water quality concerns related to affected water bodies.

Program participants will receive education and training, a free copy of the Texas Watershed Steward Curriculum Handbook, free prizes and a certificate of completion.

The program also offers seven continuing education units (soil and water management) for certified crop advisors; six American Institute of Certified Planners certificate maintenance credits; seven Texas Board of Professional Engineers continuing education program hours; seven State Board for Educator Certification continuing professional education credits; three Texas Floodplain Management Association credits; and three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units in the general category.

The Texas Watershed Steward Web site is http://tws.tamu.edu. Texas Watershed Stewards learn how to form a watershed action group, participate in and organize local watershed activities, and become more involved in protecting and enhancing community water resources, she said.

To preregister for the program, go to http://tws.tamu.edu/registration.php. For more information contact Peterson at 979-862-8072 or jlpeterson@ag.tamu.edu.

— Article adapted from a Texas AgriLife Extension Service and AgriLife Research release

Colorado State University’s Water Tables 2009 to Focus on Water Conflicts

Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries will host Water Tables 2009, its annual fundraiser for the Water Resources Archive at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21. The event starts with a reception and tour of the Archives at the Library before moving to the Lory Student Center main ballroom for dinner.

The theme of this year’s event is, “Compact Issues and Conflict Resolution,” with Stewart Environmental Consultants Inc. as the presenting sponsor. Nineteen water experts will host tables discussing relevant topics while a gourmet meal is served. The evening will begin with a reception and open house for the Water Resources Archive in CSU’s Morgan Library.

Table hosts and topic discussions for Water Tables 2009 will focus on various aspects of interstate water compacts or other ways of resolving water conflicts. Archival materials on display during the open house will illuminate the history behind these topics. This year’s table hosts and topics are available at: http://lib.colostate.edu/watertables09.

Tickets for the event are $125 per person. Proceeds will support the Water Resources Archive, working to preserve, promote and make available records of Colorado’s water history.

Reservations can be made online or by calling 970-491-1833. Reservations will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis; limited seating is available.

For more information about the event contact Jane Barber at 970-491-5712 or jane.barber@colostate.edu.

— Article adapted from a CSU release

— compiled by Mathew Elliott, assistant editor, Angus Productions Inc.