News Update
January 28, 2013
NWSS History: Dan Green – Denver Union Stockyards
If you couldn’t make it to the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) this year, there is no need to worry. The American Angus Association TV segment I Am Angus shares some of the best highlights from this year’s show.
Click here to watch this segment on the Denver Union Stockyards.
Beef Feedlot Roundtable Sessions Offered at
Six Iowa Locations
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach and the University of Nebraska are teaming up to offer a feedlot roundtable session at six Iowa locations on Thursday, Feb. 21, from 12:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Iowa State Extension beef specialist Russ Euken said the feedlot roundtable sessions are offered annually in Nebraska for feedlot operators and interested agribusiness people.
“ISU Extension and Outreach and University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension have a cooperative agreement that provides for the sharing of livestock educational resources and programs,” Euken said. “The Internet allows us to offer this popular Nebraska roundtable session at selected Iowa locations. The speakers and subject matter are sure to draw interest from our state’s beef community.”
Temple Grandin from Colorado State University is the featured speaker from the Nebraska program site. She’ll speak about animal-welfare challenges for the beef-feedlot industry. She’s followed by Jim Robb, economist and director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Colorado, who will present a market outlook and information on issues related to formula pricing for fed cattle. This presentation is prerecorded for the program.
The afternoon’s schedule concludes with an overview of beef-feedlot industry-related research and projects at Iowa State University by Dan Loy and Stephanie Hansen. More information, including a registration form, is available on the event brochure.
The $10 fee covers proceedings, meeting costs and refreshments, and is payable at the door. However, you’re asked to preregister no later than Tuesday, Feb. 19, at the location you will attend to ensure adequate materials and refreshments.
Despite Extension, Farm Policy Could See Changes and Cuts
Although Congress extended the farm bill until Sept. 30, 2013, the director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri says several factors may cause Congress to revisit the legislation sooner rather than later.
“There’s a very good chance there could be changes in this legislation long before we get to September,” Pat Westhoff said. “Not because we’ll necessarily pass a new five-year farm bill right away, but because upcoming negotiations on fiscal issues may cause us to make further cuts in programs to try to meet budgetary targets. That can mean changes in farm-bill provisions even for the crop we harvest this fall.”
Westhoff says that agricultural programs may be cut as part of three related budget debates that will occur over the next several weeks.
“On March 1, across-the-board cuts in defense and many non-defense programs are scheduled to take effect. Many members of Congress would like to head off at least some of those cuts,” Westhoff said. “But they also want to try to find offsetting cuts to pay for not letting those cuts happen. So that may mean there will be proposals to make cuts in farm subsidies and other programs in the next few weeks.”
Last year there were some proposals to make cuts to crop insurance. Westhoff says those proposals had very little support in the agriculture committees last year. In fact, both of the bills passed by the House and Senate agriculture committees would actually increase crop insurance programs.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Michigan Beef Herds at a Crossroads
To address the issue of turning cow-calf pastures into cropland, the Michigan State University (MSU) beef team will offer “Feeding Michigan’s Beef Cow Herd in 2013 and Beyond,” a two-part MSU Extension series at three locations in Michigan. The series will address various feed alternatives for beef cow-calf herds and look at the economics of each.
“When a grain farmer will offer $100 per acre or more to rent the land to raise corn or soybeans, it is hard for a cow-calf producer to ignore the offer,” said Jerry Lindquist, MSU Extension educator. “There is less risk for the landowner in renting, the return is almost the same, and the owner is not tied to the farm daily to keep a management eye on animals. Because of this, plows were turning under pastureland and hayfields across Michigan this fall with the intent of chasing $7 corn next spring.”
Lindquist believes there is still a bright future for Michigan beef producers. Feeder-calf producers will have to make changes in their operations to realize more profits, but the future looks promising during the next few years for those that do.
“First, we must realize that some of that pasture and hay land is not suited for tillage,” Lindquist said. “Some of it is sloped and highly erodible, and some of it is on very wet, untilled soils. Those acres are best kept in sod.”
For more information and the full release, click here.
AAW Opposes Political Agendas in Education:
Prompts Kerry Confirmation Concerns
The American AgriWomen announced serious concerns relating to Senator John Kerry’s confirmation as Secretary of State. These concerns are based on Kerry’s leadership role in founding, building and shaping the agenda of Second Nature, the leading organization in the Education for Sustainability movement.
New information indicates Second Nature and the Education for Sustainability movement are in the process of hijacking public education to politically indoctrinate America’s children.
The following quotation, from the book Training for Treason, The Harmful Agenda Behind Education for Sustainability, was made by Anthony Cortese, a co-founder of Second Nature. Cortese was the CEO of Second Nature when he said:
“Humans are guided by a whole set of beliefs and values, and those come from culture, from religion, from social, economic, and political structure. We need to change all of those.”
This statement indicates the aim of Kerry’s organization is to use public education to change the personal beliefs of our children in each of these areas, which is indoctrination. The American AgriWomen’s policy statement on education follows.
“AAW opposes using public education as a tool to indoctrinate America’s children (pre-school through university) to support any political agenda.”
The American AgriWomen urge citizens and political leaders to consider the mission of John Kerry’s organization, Second Nature, and the implications of decisions he will make as the next Secretary of State.
Forage Specialist Offers Methods of Coping with Drought
With a drought as severe as last summer’s, the long-lasting effects require long-term adaptations from producers who are working with the limited water supply.
As producers throughout the region search for ways to deal with the continuing drought, they can try to take advantage of the limited water they can access. University of Nebraska–Lincoln forage specialist Bruce Anderson suggests how they can do just that.
Many ponds and creeks dried up last year, leaving some cattle producers with only unreliable water sources.
“Maybe rain will replenish them this spring, but this might be a good time to develop more wells or pipelines to reliably put water into tanks,” Anderson said.
Tank water may be cooler and offer easier access than ponds or creeks. It is often healthier for cattle, and they usually prefer it. When cows walk into ponds and creeks, they stir mud and sediments into the water and often deposit waste.
“No wonder calves consistently choose tank water over ponds when given a choice,” Anderson said.
Reports show that the higher water quality found in tanks provides a boost in cattle gains. Calves can weigh an extra 50 pounds (lb.) at weaning when tank water is available, and yearling steers can gain an extra three-to four-tenths of a pound per day. With this much added performance, pumping water into tanks can pay off in just a few years and offers an even more immediate payoff in the case of dried up ponds.
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