News Update
September 11, 2012
Poe Joins Texas A&M Animal Science Department As Lecturer, Judging Team Coordinator
Brant Poe has joined the Texas A&M University department of animal science as a lecturer and will transition into coordinating the Texas A&M Livestock Judging Team in 2013, according to Russell Cross, department head.
Poe will be responsible for teaching livestock evaluation, general animal science and meat evaluation, and will begin working with members of the junior livestock judging team this fall in preparation for the start of the 2013 spring competition season.
For the full release, click here.
Colonel Oliver North to Headline World Ag Expo's Ag Warriors Benefit
Oliver North, a combat decorated Marine, New York Times best-selling author, small business founder, columnist and host of "War Stories" on the Fox News Channel, will be the keynote speaker at the Ag Warriors Benefit Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013.
North, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., served 22 years as a United States Marine. His awards for service in combat include the silver star, the bronze star for valor and two purple hearts for wounds in combat.
"We are very excited to have Colonel North join us as our keynote speaker for the Ag Warriors Benefit at World Ag Expo," said Jerry Sinift, CEO, International Agri-Center. "We look forward to hearing from Colonel North in February, and hope the agriculture community will join us in supporting our veterans."
The Benefit will support the International Agri-Center's Ag Warriors program. The program responds to the need to assist veterans in finding long-term employment. Through Ag Warriors, veterans can access resources to connect with employers, schools and other programs with the goal of securing careers in the agriculture industry.
For the full release, click here.
Ron Randel Receives Prestigious Award in Animal Science
Ron Randel, an East Texas scientist with Texas AgriLife Research, has received one of the most prestigious awards given for animal science research.
Randel, who is based at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Overton, was presented the L.E. Casida Award in recognition of his outstanding research and graduate education program in animal reproductive physiology. The award was presented at the Triennial Symposium on Reproduction at the annual meeting of the American Society of Animal Science (ASAS), which took place mid-July in Phoenix.
The L.E. Casida Award recognizes excellence in the education of graduate and postdoctoral students to conduct research in the area of reproductive physiology and endocrinology. According to the Journal of Animal Science, "To be eligible for nomination, candidates must demonstrate quality education of graduate and postdoctoral students as evidenced by publication, with students as senior authors, of basic or applied research, or both."
The ASASis a professional organization that serves more that 5,000 animal scientists and producers around the world, according to Madeline McCurry-Schmidt, ASAS Communications.
For the full release, click here.
OSU Experts to Discuss Farm Bill and What the Drought of 2012 Means for Farm Policy
With the current Farm Bill set to expire Sept. 30, farmers, who are already dealing with the effects of the worst drought in 50 years, want to know how soon a new bill could be passed and what it will mean for their bottom line, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension economist Matt Roberts said.
With the Republican-controlled House and Democrat-led Senate disagreeing on key Farm Bill provisions including the amount of cuts to the food stamp program and the shape of the farm program, it is unclear when a new bill will be passed and what that new bill will mean for farmers, he said.
That has left farmers reeling with the uncertainty of what the potential Farm Bill could mean for their farm future, Roberts said.
"The most defining moment of the past two or three years has been the drought of 2012, so how will that affect where the Farm Bill debate will go?" he said. "The Farm Bill is so important because it sets the rules of the game of how farmers operate.
"So any changes to that policy affect farmers in terms of their decisions on whether to expand, contract or grow new crops. The drought this year has caused a lot of losses across the farm sector, so understanding that the safety net is going forward is crucial to help farmers make production decisions for 2013 and beyond."
Roberts will talk about the implications during "Drought and the Farm Bill: What 2012 Means for Farm Policy," Sept. 18 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Tobin Building during the Farm Science Review near London, Ohio.
For the full release, click here
Vilsack: 'Deeply Concerned for Dairy Industry' if Farm Bill Fails
The nation's top farm official says Wisconsin's dairy industry has a lot at stake if the current farm bill is allowed to expire without any replacement or extension in place. In an exclusive interview with Wisconsin Ag Connection on Monday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said his agency is encouraging producers to contact their local members of Congress to let them know the importance of having a new federal farm policy by the end of the month.
"I'm deeply concerned for our nation's farm producers, especially those in the dairy industry, if Congress fails to pass a new farm bill," Vilsack said as he speculated that the delay is likely a result of partisan politics rather than lack of time. "This legislation was approved by a bipartisan committee, so I don't understand what the hold up is. I can say with certainty, that if Speaker John Boehner were to hold a vote on the farm bill, he would get the required votes to get it passed. But the question is, why are they not holding the vote?"
Vilsack, a former governor from Iowa, says letting the farm bill expire before its September 30 expiration date means no further drought relief, no dairy safety net payments (like Milk Income Loss Contract) and no protection for specialty crops. Conservation Reserve Program extensions would also not happen, either.
"As of now, a vote on the farm bill is not on the Congressional calendar," he stressed. "We had great momentum in the farm sector in recent years with record commodity prices and strong exports and we don't want to risk losing it."
Web-based Ag Tourism Resource Aims to Keep Farm Visitors Safe
The National Farm Medicine Center at Marshfield Clinic has unveiled a new interactive web guide designed to keep visitors to your farm safe while taking a tour or just checking out the operation.
Available at safeagritourism.com, the site allows farmers a way to select virtual walk-throughs most appropriate for their operations. These walk-throughs identify health and safety hazards and provide resources to fix the hazards.
The walk-throughs and remedies are based on the 'Agritourism Health and Safety Guidelines for Children' publication, which was originally published in 2007 by the National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety.
Project manager Marsha Salzwedel adapted the guidelines after obtaining feedback from farm owners and agritourism associations.
"We asked for help from people who would use the web page," Salzwedel said. "They guided us with making the recommendations practical and told us what types of resources they needed."
She says agritourism is more popular than ever, with millions of people visiting corn mazes, pumpkin patches, pick-your-own operations and other agricultural attractions every year.
Canadian Beef Industry Must Stop 'Backfilling' Beef To U.S.
A new study released by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI) indicates that Canada's beef industry is at a tipping point, and it urges corrective action to deliver maximum benefits to producers and industry stakeholders.
"The data and interviews show our beef industry lacks a comprehensive strategy to address challenges and take advantages of the significant opportunities that the future offers," CAPI President and CEO David McInnes said in a news release.
The study, "Canada's Beef Food System," shows that Canada is at risk of becoming a net importer of beef. The cattle cycle is currently experiencing lower production numbers — but there is also no apparent strategy to regain valuable domestic market share.
On the export stage, the Canadian industry is extremely reliant on the United States, which accounts for 85% of Canada's beef and cattle trade. By relying on Canadian cattle and beef supply, the American beef industry is expanding its exports and taking advantage of higher value and margins, according to the report.
"We either accept that we will remain a primary 'backfill' supplier of beef and cattle to the U.S. — with its consequences and benefits — or we need to make a conscious strategic decision about the markets where we can perform at our best," McInnes added. "This includes increasing the share of Canadian beef in our own domestic market, taking fuller advantage of key high value foreign markets where we have or can develop competitive advantage, and deciding how we can better extract more value from the important U.S. market."
U.S. beef exports beyond Canada are up 280% on a value basis since 2005. Comparatively, Canadian exports beyond the United States are up 45%, according to the report. Since 2002, Canada's exports to international markets other than the United States were down 3.5%, while the U.S. beef industry increased exports to the international market by 51% (excluding shipments to Canada).
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