News Update
March 13, 2013
Grazing School Works to Improve Pasture Management
Grazing is the most cost-effective way for producers to feed ruminant animals. Each year, the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture hosts two installments of the Kentucky Grazing School to help producers become better managers of their grazing systems.
The first installment is April 17-18 at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton.
The school begins 7:30 a.m. and ends at 5:30 p.m. CDT each day.
Past participants have included everyone from new farmers to experienced grazers, and all have received new information and practical skills to implement in their operations.
The school will cover grazing information specific to Kentucky and focus on spring- and summer-grazing options. A unique feature of the program gives participants the opportunity to design a grazing system based on their property. Organizers ask that participants bring a printed aerial map of their farm to the school. Maps are available through the local Farm Service Agency or online through Google Maps.
Participants will visit field sites and tour demonstration plots. During the first day, they will work in groups to install a rotational grazing system, including assessing pasture yield and setting up small paddocks. Cattle will then graze the paddocks. On the second day, they will observe the grazed paddocks and hear reports from each group.
In addition, UK College of Agriculture specialists in forages, beef cattle, dairy cattle and veterinary science will present a variety of topics ranging from determining stocking rate to preventing animal disorders. A grazing land specialist from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will discuss available cost-share programs, and a representative from a fencing company will share fence-building tips. Local producers will share their experience and management practices using rotational grazing.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Branded Beef is on the Menu at Alltech’s 2013 Symposium
From prized steak and protein production to meat quality and proper nutrition, beef industry members will have a tall order of topics to choose from at Glimpse 2020: the 29th Annual Alltech International Symposium in Lexington, Ky., from May 19-22.
New in 2013, Alltech International Symposium delegates will have the opportunity to select breakout session tracks. These tracks, as opposed to traditional species or subject breakouts, will offer attendees a more holistic experience in which they take part in discussions ranging from algae and agriculture’s carbon footprint to nutrition and marketing.
“This year, delegates will be able to select from a range of topics affecting beef production from cow-calf and feedlot management to processing and consumer demand,” said Aidan Connolly, vice president of Alltech. “The 2013 program is designed to stimulate an open dialogue and generate new ideas for the future of the beef industry.”
Beef-focused breakout session tracks include:
- Branding Food: Delivering the Experience the Consumer Wants
- Branded Beef for Quality and Taste
- Prize Steak on the Menu
- Protein Production: What Can We Do to Enhance the Consumer Experience?
- Branding Ireland’s Green Credentials
- The Link between Genes and Meat Quality: Enhancing the Consumer Experience
- Reimagining Meat Production — from Conception to Consumption: The Beef Connection
- A Brand New World: The Keys to Branding Food Products
- Taste the Difference of Proper Nutrition: Experiences from the Chef Showcase
Cattleman’s Spring Clinic Slated for April 4 in Lampasas, Texas
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct the multi-county Cattleman’s Spring Clinic from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. April 4 in the Lampasas County Farm Bureau Building, 1793 North U.S. Highway 281 in Lampasas.
“We’ll be offering a well-rounded program for our region’s beef cattle producers with ‘Drought Recovery Strategies for Cattlemen’ being the theme,” said Heath Lusty, AgriLife Extension agent in Lampasas County. “Cattle prices have remained high despite drought and high feed prices, so our goal for this program is to help producers make a profit from their remaining cattle, while helping their pastures recover.”
The program’s topics and speakers will include: Market Update and Beef Cattle Economics, Jason Johnson, AgriLife Extension economist, Stephenville; Herd Management for Current Conditions, Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, Uvalde; Dealing with Flies and External Parasites, Sonja Swiger, AgriLife Extension livestock entomologist, Stephenville; and Helping Our Land Heal, Barron Rector, AgriLife Extension range specialist, College Station.
The AgriLife Extension offices in Lampasas, Burnet and Llano counties are co-hosting the event. Three Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units, two general and one integrated pest management, will be offered. The required $20 individual preregistration fee includes lunch. For more information and to RSVP, call the AgriLife Extension office in Lampasas County at 512-556-8271.
Unique New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp
Seeking Applications
The New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp wants youth ages 15 to 19 from across the state and the region to come experience the beauty of the mountain range while learning about the many aspects of managing a modern-day ranch.
New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) Cooperative Extension Service anticipates repeating the success of the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp by hosting the third annual event June 9-14 at the Valles Caldera National Preserve in northern New Mexico.
“The camp has been a great success across the board,” said Manny Encinias, NMSU Extension beef cattle specialist and camp committee member. “The event is designed to be a unique educational experience and the camp the past two years has definitely exceeded our expectations.”
The camp is an effort to reverse the aging trend in ranching. Nationally, the average age in the ranching community continues to increase as more young people are opting to leave the ranch for careers outside production agriculture. As a result, the fabric of rural economies, as well as ranching tradition and cultures, are in jeopardy. In a rural state like New Mexico, the situation has significant implications.
Last year’s 32 camp attendees represented ranching families from 19 New Mexico counties.
For more information and the full release, click here.
OSU Extension Offers Financial Affairs Webinar March 27
Homeowners, small business owners, farmers and consumers looking to get a better grasp on their financial bottom lines can get tips in a free webinar March 27 on financial affairs offered by experts from Ohio State University’s (OSU) Income Tax School Program of Ohio State University Extension.
The webinar, “Getting Your Financial Affairs in Order,” can help participants better understand their financial situation by learning how to develop a year-end balance sheet, said Chris Bruynis, an OSU Extension educator.
OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
“The webinar teaches participants how to examine their assets and liabilities in order to get a better handle on their finances and get a jump start on their estate plans,” Bruynis said. “Taking the time to organize your financial matters not only helps offer peace of mind, but it can also help you save hundreds of dollars as you plan and develop your succession, retirement and estate plans.
“One of the goals is to help participants get their financial affairs in order so that they can concentrate on their families, careers and bucket list.”
The program will focus on helping participants develop a balance sheet portfolio; write letters of instructions to their heirs regarding financial matters; and consolidate financial and personal information, including real property, savings and investment accounts and legal documents, into one document.
OSU Extension educators David Marrison and Bruynis will present the webinar.
The webinar runs March 27 from 7-9 p.m. and can be viewed online by going to http://carmenconnect.osu.edu/ohioagmanager. No pre-registration is required.
For more information about the webinar, contact Bruynis at bruynis.1@osu.edu or 740-702-3200.
Time to Schedule Your Annual Water Well Checkup
Just as you check your furnace or smoke detector batteries seasonally, spring is a good season to have an annual water-well checkup before the peak water-use season begins, according to the National Ground Water Association (NGWA). NGWA calls attention to the need for annual well-water checkups during Groundwater Awareness Week, March 10-16.
An annual checkup by a qualified water-well contractor is the best way to ensure problem-free service and quality water.
Also, preventative maintenance usually is less costly than emergency maintenance, and good well maintenance — like good car maintenance — can prolong the life of your well and related equipment. NGWA further recommends you test your water whenever there is a change in taste, odor or appearance, or when the system is serviced.
Wells can provide high-quality drinking water, and about half the U.S. population receives its drinking water from wells. But with well ownership comes the responsibility of keeping the water well in good working order. A check of your well by a qualified water-well contractor may include:
- A flow test to determine system output, along with a check of the water level before and during pumping (if possible), pump motor performance (check amp load, grounding and line voltage), pressure tank and pressure switch contact and general water quality (odor, cloudiness, etc.).
- A well equipment inspection to assure it’s sanitary and meets local code.
- A test of your water for coliform bacteria and nitrates, and anything else of local concern. Other typical additional tests are those for iron, manganese, water hardness, sulfides and other water constituents that cause problems with plumbing, staining, water appearance and odor.
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