News Update
November 14, 2012
Panhandle Extension Staff Receive Statewide Recognition
Three University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension faculty members in the Panhandle District were honored by their peers recently at the annual fall conference for the Nebraska Cooperative Extension Association in Grand Island.
New Extension Dean Charles Hibberd presented the following awards. Extension Nutrition Specialist Lisa Franzen-Castle received the New Extension Employee Award, the second year in a row that someone from the Panhandle has received this award. Extension Educator Aaron Berger, based in Kimball, and Extension Educator Jenny Nixon, based in Harrison, both received Distinguished Extension Educator Awards.
The awards recognize achievement in areas such as program outcomes and impacts; innovations in planning, delivery and evaluation; supporting partnerships and linkages; and skills such as leadership, organization and teaching.
Franzen-Castle is an action team leader for the Food, Nutrition and Health spire of UNL Extension. She initiated a statewide, web-based nutrition and health programming series, and coordinated the revision of a Nebraska-based food, nutrition and health curriculum with 25 lessons that will be turned into a digital publication and made available online for other health professionals to purchase and use. She also repurposes materials into a variety of formats for use in publications, online newsletters and news media.
Berger is co-coordinator of the High Plains Ranch Practicum, as well as curriculum director and instructor; a team co-coordinator for the UNL Beef website; team co-coordinator for the Extension Drought Management Team; team leader for Ranching for Profitability; co-authored six NebGuides; and was also recognized for his other accomplishments.
For more information and the full release, click here.
NCBA Urges Congress to Pass Permanent Estate Tax Relief
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) joins more than 30 groups representing the agriculture industry in sending letters to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate urging them to provide farmers and ranchers with permanent and meaningful relief from the estate tax. Current estate tax relief is set to expire at the end of 2012 with exemption levels dropping to $1 million per individual and the tax rate increasing to 55%.
“If Congress allows current estate tax relief to expire, it will have a devastating impact on the cattle industry. America’s farmers and ranchers are small business owners who cannot afford to foot the bill for government inaction,” said NCBA President J.D. Alexander. “The fate of American agriculture and our economic recovery rests on there being certainty in the tax code and continued relief from the burdensome death tax.”
Reducing the tax burden on cattlemen and women has always been a top priority for NCBA and the beef cattle community. For decades NCBA has fought for full and permanent repeal of the estate tax. Alexander said that at a minimum, NCBA supports extending the exemption level to $5 million per person and retaining the top rate of 35% until permanent repeal is achievable.
For more information and the full release, click here.
NFU and Coalition Urge Congress
To Pass New Farm Bill This Year
The National Farmers Union (NFU) and a wide-sweeping coalition of 235 agriculture organizations sent a letter to Congressional leadership today, Nov. 14, urging the passage of a new five-year farm bill to be signed into law by the end of the legislative session.
In a letter addressed to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, the coalition noted the paramount importance of the legislation.
“Failure to pass a new five-year farm bill before the year’s end will create significant budget uncertainty for the entire agricultural sector, including the rural businesses and lenders whose livelihoods are dependent upon farmers’ and livestock producers’ economic viability,” the letter states.
The letter also urged Congress to pass a new five-year bill; offering that a temporary extension would be a “short-sighted, inadequate solution that would leave our constituencies crippled by uncertainty.”
The coalition undersigning the letter comprised of organizations representing the farming, livestock, specialty crop, feed, rural development, nutrition, health, conservation, woodland owners, municipalities, trade, agricultural research, crop insurance and renewable energy communities.
To view the letter, click here.
R-CALF USA and Domestic Manufacturers
Urge Adoption of New National Trade Strategy
Just two days after the elections, R-CALF USA joined with domestic manufacturers to urge Washington decision-makers to adopt a new national trade strategy to reverse the exodus of U.S.-based manufacturers and the ongoing contraction of the U.S. cattle industry.
In meetings with officials at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard, Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) CEO Michael Stumo, and Pennsylvania-based steel and tool and die manufacturers explained the serious problems with current trade policies and offered government officials a viable solution.
“Among the trade-distorting problems we expressed was the practice by China and other Asian countries to devalue their currency, which artificially lowers the price of imports from those countries and artificially increases the price of our exports to those countries,” said Bullard.
Bullard said that nearly every country in the world except the United States has a value-added tax that offsets the elimination of tariffs. “After we negotiate tariff reductions in a free trade agreement, the countries we call our partners invariably implement a value-added tax that is applied to imports entering their country and takes the form of a rebate for exports leaving their country,” he said, adding, “This shows that while the U.S. practices free trade, other countries find ways to offset the concessions they have made to gain a huge advantage over U.S. industries.”
Rangeland Resource Management Course Offered Through AgriLife Extension
Cattlemen and landowners are encouraged to attend a series of educational sessions designed to give them the tools and information for successful integration of beef cattle operations and wildlife, according to Brandon Boughen, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for Potter County.
“BEEF 2015: Rangeland Resource Management will be a benefit to anyone who raises beef cattle, has an interest in running livestock with an emphasis in wildlife, or who owns property and wants to understand how to improve it for livestock and wildlife,” Boughen said.
The program offers an opportunity to learn more about how livestock and wildlife interact on the range and how a producer can make both ventures profitable, he said.
The nine monthly meetings making up the program will each be from 6-9 p.m. The first meeting is Jan. 10 and the final one is scheduled for Sept. 5, Boughen said. All activities will be at the AgriLife Extension office for Potter County, 3301 E. 10th Ave. in Amarillo.
Dinner will be served at each meeting and every participant will receive “Grazing Land Stewardship, A Manual for Texas Landowners.” Participants will be eligible to receive seven Beef Quality Assurance credits and six Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator continuing education units, he said.
For more information and the full release, click here.
UNL Extension Television Program Airs in December on NET 2
A University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension television program highlighting the profession of animal manure and nutrient management will air in December on NET2.
Viewers can tune into “Modern Manure Management” Dec. 13 at 8 p.m., Dec. 16 at 2 p.m., Dec. 27 at 8:30 p.m. or Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m.
Manure is a valuable resource in Nebraska, said Leslie Johnson, UNL Extension animal manure management project coordinator. Some have called it “brown gold,” she said. The fertilizer nutrients in 10 tons of chicken manure are worth up to $325.
Using manure as a fertilizer recycles nutrients, reduces contamination of natural resources and can save producers money. In order to get these benefits, manure has to be handled effectively from farm to field. “Modern Manure Management” explains the present state of the manure handling profession, Johnson said.
The program highlights the role of consultants, professional manure applicators and the growing support industry related to manure management. The progression of the industry from the early, horse-drawn spreaders to GPS-guided modern dry spreaders, tanker injectors and towed hose systems is explored and shows the high level of technology and know-how that is used today to manage this billion-dollar “brown gold” industry.
For more information, click here.
Farmland Drainage Workshop Dec. 12 in Brooklyn, IA
Various aspects of farmland drainage is the topic of a Dec. 12 workshop at Manatt Community Center in Brooklyn, Iowa. The program begins at 9 a.m. and will adjourn at 3:30 p.m.
“We are offering this farmland sub-surface drainage workshop due to the overwhelming interest in this topic in recent years,” said Kapil Arora, an agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
The morning session will focus on sub-surface drainage design concepts, economics and long-term benefits of tiling. The afternoon session will include discussions on drainage maintenance issues, compliance with USDA-NRCS requirements, controlled drainage, bioreactors and managing drainage water quality with wetlands.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach speakers include Kapil Arora, ag engineering specialist; Jim Jensen, farm management specialist; Matt Helmers, ag engineering specialist; and John Baker, Iowa Concern attorney. USDA-NRCS specialist Bruce Atherton is also scheduled to speak.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Farm Bureau — Poweshiek County, various industry partners, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are sponsoring the program.
Registration fee for the workshop is $40 before Dec. 7; after that date the fee is $50. Registration can be made by completing the form located at www.extension.iastate.edu/poweshiek and making payment to ISU Extension — Poweshiek County. For more information, download the workshop brochure or call ISU Extension and Outreach in Poweshiek County at 641-623-5188.
For more information, click here.
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