News Update
Feb. 5, 2010

USDA Announces New Framework for Animal Disease Traceability

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will develop a new, flexible framework for animal disease traceability in the United States, and undertake several other actions to further strengthen its disease prevention and response capabilities.

“After concluding our listening tour on the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) in 15 cities across the country, receiving thousands of comments from the public and input from States, Tribal Nations, industry groups, and representatives for small and organic farmers, it is apparent that a new strategy for animal disease traceability is needed,” Vilsack said. “I’ve decided to revise the prior policy and offer a new approach to animal disease traceability with changes that respond directly to the feedback we heard.”

The framework, announced today at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Mid-Year meeting, provides the basic tenets of an improved animal disease traceability capability in the United States. USDA’s efforts will:

• Only apply to animals moved in interstate commerce;
  
• Be administered by the states and Tribal Nations to provide more flexibility;
  
• Encourage the use of lower-cost technology; and
  
• Be implemented transparently through federal regulations and the full rulemaking process.

“One of my main goals for this new approach is to build a collaborative process for shaping and implementing our framework for animal disease traceability,” Vilsack said. “We are committed to working in partnership with states, Tribal Nations and industry in the coming months to address many of the details of this framework, and giving ample opportunity for farmers and ranchers and the public to provide us with continued input through this process.”

One of USDA’s first steps will be to convene a forum with animal health leaders for the states and Tribal Nations to initiate a dialogue about the possible ways of achieving the flexible, coordinated approach to animal disease traceability we envision. Additionally, USDA will be revamping the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health to address specific issues, such as confidentiality and liability.

Although USDA has a robust system in place to protect U.S. agriculture, with today’s announcement, the Department will also be taking several additional actions to further strengthen protections against the entry and spread of disease. These steps will include accelerating actions to lessen the risk from diseases — such as tuberculosis — posed by imported animals, initiating and updating analyses on how animal diseases travel into the country, improving response capabilities, and focusing on greater collaboration and analyses with states and industry on potential disease risk overall.

More information on USDA’s new direction on animal traceability and the steps to improve disease prevention and control is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/traceability.

— Release by USDA.

Statement Regarding USDA’s New Framework for Animal Disease Traceability

The following is a statement from National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Steve Foglesong regarding the USDA’s new framework for animal disease traceability in the United States:

“We appreciate Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to addressing producers’ concerns with animal ID. The plan appears to lay the foundation for a flexible approach to animal disease traceability, including greater state involvement and choices in the use of technology.

“We encourage USDA to work closely with producers in the development of the framework moving forward. It’s important that the system is workable for producers, and accomplishes the goal of increased animal surveillance by enabling state and federal animal health officials to respond rapidly and effectively to animal health emergencies.”

NCBA has and continues to support a voluntary, market-driven animal identification system as an important tool for producers to improve herds, monitor disease, and better market their cattle.

— Release by NCBA.

HBO Special Highlights the Unique Impact of Temple Grandin on Beef Production

This Saturday, Feb. 6, when HBO’s Temple Grandin airs, farmers and ranchers across the country will be tuning in to honor Grandin’s work in improving the care of cattle. Grandin, living with autism, revolutionized livestock handling by tapping into her ability to see the world in a different way to develop a deeper understanding of animal behavior.

“There’s not a rancher in this country that isn’t aware of her work. We have all been influenced by Temple,” says Clint Peck, director, beef quality assurance (BQA) at Montana State University. “There is no question her work has helped us all understand more about our animals and how to handle them in a caring and humane manner.”

The beef checkoff-funded BQA program sets cattle handling and beef quality standards that are followed throughout the beef production process — from farm to fork — to ensure cattle are receiving proper care.

“Temple’s insight into animal behavior and low-stress handling is the foundation of the BQA assessment, which is the scoring system we use to verify cattle are handled properly. Her contributions are monumental,” said Ryan Ruppert, director, BQA, NCBA. Ruppert attended the Denver premiere of HBO’s Temple Grandin on Wednesday night as a guest of Grandin.

“I thought the movie did a great job capturing the challenges Temple overcame to improve livestock care in food production. What shocked me is how different the beef industry looks today than it did in the [19]60’s and [19]70’s as a result of her perseverance. She is a true pioneer,” Ruppert said.

Grandin’s work has touched every segment of beef production, from the farm to the feedlot and, ultimately, the processing facility.

Grandin’s unique understanding of animal behavior is used to teach low-stress handling techniques in feedlots, auction markets, and on farms and ranches across the country through the BQA Stockmanship and Stewardship program.

“Temple has been a wonderful advocate for animals and animal agriculture by improving the overall management and well-being of livestock. We take it to the next step and teach cattlemen how to effectively implement procedures to take advantage of the principles she has promoted throughout her career,” says Ron Gill, associate department head for Extension, Animal Science Department, Texas AgriLife Extension. Gill travels the country training livestock handlers in BQA-approved cattle handling techniques.

“We’ve always cared for our cattle but Temple has given us more insight into their behavior. Personally, I have more confidence in how I handle animals because of her work,” Peck says.

— Adapted from an NCBA release.

Consider Frost Seeding or Interseeding Pastures in the Spring

Producers wanting to add to or improve the forage species in their existing pastures should consider using either the frost seeding method in February and early March, or interseeding later in the spring months.

Frost seeding

Frost seeding involves spreading forage seed on existing pastures during the late winter or very early spring while the ground is still frozen. Freeze-thaw cycles then provide shallow coverage of the seed, helping to shield it from early spring rains.

Frost seeding is the easiest method to add new forage legumes or grasses to pastures, and is likely the least expensive method, as well.

To increase this method’s success, spread seed on the thinnest pasture sod areas first and on areas where bare soil has been exposed due to heavy grazing or disturbance.

One common misconception about frost seeding is that spreading the seed on top of snow works best. The goal of frost seeding is to get seed on bare soil. This is more effective and more safely done without snow cover.

Red clover has been the Iowa forage species of choice for frost seeding. Other legumes, such as white clover and bird’s-foot trefoil, also can be frost seeded but with less success than red clover. In general, frost seeding does not work as well with grasses.

A few well researched steps will improve the success of frost seeding.  Those steps, seeding rates and guidelines are available in the ISU Extension bulletin “Improving Pasture by Frost Seeding.”

Interseeding

Interseeding offers an opportunity for improving pasture productivity, too. Interseeding involves using a no-till drill to aid in the incorporation of a legume or a more productive grass into an existing pasture sod. Interseeding is normally done from mid-March through early May, when soil moisture and temperature are more suitable for rapid seedling establishment.

Interseeding can be accomplished with relatively few field operations. Opening of the grass sod, shallow seed placement, and seed coverage are required. A number of drills are available that can be used in sod-seeding efforts.

Some of these drills may have improved features related to sod penetration, depth control, seed metering, or coverage that improves their effectiveness in sod seeding situations. Equipment limitations for sod seeding implements sometimes are overcome by operator experience and home shop modifications.

Legumes interseeded into grass sod should increase pasture yield, improve forage quality, and eliminate or minimize the need for nitrogen fertilizer. Clovers, alfalfa, bird’s-foot trefoil have been successfully interseeded. The more efficient seed placement provided by a no-till drill allows many of our more productive perennial forage grasses to also be successfully established by interseeding. Thin, low-producing grass sod might best be improved by interseeding a grass/legume mixture.

A seeding delay into late spring to improve growing conditions often also leads to a greater competition from the existing grass sod. Close grazing in the fall or spring, ahead of interseeding, will help to reduce sod competition. Contact herbicides are sometimes also used to temporarily further reduce competition from plants present in the stand. Use only labeled herbicides for sod suppression, and follow label instructions.

Interseeding success depends a lot on paying attention to details, timeliness, careful management of sod completion, controlling seeding depth to no deeper than one-fourth to one-half inch, and a little bit of luck with weather.

Interseeding research has been conducted in many parts of the U.S. and around the world. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the conclusions from these efforts all point to several very important issues that must be met for successful interseedings. See ISU Extension bulletin “Interseeding and No-Till Pasture Renovation” for more suggested seeding rates and guidelines.

— Release by ISU Extension.

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