News Update
April 9, 2013
Angus Foundation Scholarship Deadline Approaching,
New Scholarships Announced
Each year, the Angus Foundation, the nonprofit entity of the American Angus Association, makes available scholarships to students pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in higher education. Applications for Angus Foundation scholarships must be postmarked by May 1, 2013.
The scholarship funds are meant to assist deserving Angus juniors in paying for the cost of higher education. Angus breeders, allied industry interests and friends trust the Angus Foundation with their generous gifts of endowed and non-endowed monies to make these scholarship awards possible.
Two $5,000 undergraduate scholarships will be given in memory of Richard “Dick” Spader, former Association executive vice president. A number of $3,000 and $1,000 undergraduate scholarships will also be awarded. In addition, the Angus Foundation will award five $5,000 graduate student scholarships.
As determined by the Angus Foundation, applicants may also be eligible for other named scholarships that are permanently endowed and managed by the Angus Foundation. Past recipients of Angus Foundation general undergraduate scholarships can continue to apply for named scholarships unless specified otherwise by the Angus Foundation.
New in 2013 are three scholarships supported by the 2012 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS) host states. These 2012 NJAS “In a League of Our Own” undergraduate scholarship awards will be given to youth from Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Cattle Producers Should Prevent, Watch for Grass Tetany
As pastures start to green up, cattle producers need to be aware of the risk of grass tetany in grazing animals, a Purdue Extension beef specialist says. Grass tetany, or grass staggers, is a nutritional disease that cattle get from grasses high in water content and potassium and low in other nutrients, such as magnesium and calcium. Older cows that have just calved and are in peak lactation are the most susceptible.
The risk increases in pastures that have been heavily fertilized with nitrogen, so those producers who have spread fertilizers such as poultry litter, hog manure or urea are more at risk.
While the condition is treatable if caught early enough, Ron Lemenager said it’s best to prevent it altogether.
“The easiest way to prevent grass tetany is to start these cows on a high-magnesium mineral prior to going to grass in the spring,” he said. “That mineral mix should have a minimum of 8% magnesium, and it could be 12% or higher.”
The problem with a high-magnesium supplement is that the source is typically magnesium oxide, which isn’t something cattle like to eat.
“What we’ll see is that a lot of commercial mineral mixes containing magnesium will include a palatability enhancer — something like dried distillers’ grains, soybean hulls, wheat midds or dried molasses — to help encourage consumption,” Lemenager said. “We’re looking at, typically, 4 ounces of mineral consumption to get adequate levels of magnesium when it’s included in the supplement at 8% to 12%.”
The peak season for grass tetany is April through early May, so now is the time to keep an eye on grazing animals. If a cow is stricken with grass tetany, the cattle producer doesn’t have long to respond. Often, cows will die within 2-3 hours of the first symptoms.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Boost Economic Growth,
Create Jobs and Provide Local Food
Today, April 9, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine introduced the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 in the Senate and the House of Representatives. The two identical bills expand business and marketing opportunities for farmers and ranchers while increasing consumer access to local foods.
The legislation addresses production, aggregation, processing, marketing, and distribution barriers that limit growth in local and regional food markets. The bill also makes targeted investments in programs that create jobs and spur economic growth through food and farms.
“We applaud Representative Pingree and Senator Brown for reintroducing this legislation,” said Ferd Hoefner, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). “Local and regional agriculture is a major driver in the farm economy, yet producers face significant infrastructure, marketing, and information barriers. The bill addresses those barriers and makes smart investments that expand economic opportunities for farmers, increase jobs, and improve healthy food access in rural and urban America.”
The NSAC has been closely involved in the development of the bill. Originally introduced in 2011, the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act gained the support of nearly 100 legislative co-sponsors and over 280 organizational supporters in the previous Congress. Due to Congress’ inability to finalize a new five-year farm bill in 2012, an updated version of the bill is being reintroduced this year and is intended for inclusion in what will hopefully be the 2013 Farm Bill.
The act includes provisions in seven different titles of the Farm Bill, including proposals that address crop insurance, credit, nutrition, rural development, research and extension, horticulture, and livestock. Many of the bill’s provisions were included in either or both the Senate-passed and House Agriculture Committee-passed farm bills in 2012.
The bill also invests in several sustainable agriculture programs that were left stranded and without funding by the 2008 Farm Bill extension passed earlier this year, including the Farmers Market Promotion Program, National Organic Certification Cost Share Program, and Value-Added Producer Grants.
Farmers, Agents Air Views in Washington, D.C.
On a recent rapid-fire trip to Washington, D.C., 14 farmers and University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension agents met with congressional staffers, networked with people from other countries, voiced their opinions and learned a great deal about policy, agricultural markets and government.
Agriculture and natural resources agents Clint Hardy, Daviess County; Michael Smith, Henderson County; Greg Henson, McLean County; Rankin Powell, Union County and Vicki Shadrick, Webster County, and horticulture agents Annette Heisdorffer, Daviess County, and Jeff Porter, Henderson County, were responsible for planning, coordinating and recruiting participants. Hardy admits that from the time the team of agents started developing the idea until the time they departed for the capital, the scope of the trip changed a great deal.
“Our initial idea was for it to be an educational program to expose them to the activities of Washington,” Hardy said. “Our participants shifted the program from our original intent. It became an opportunity to go share their opinions and views with Congress. I think the ultimate thing our farmers gained from this experience was that they realized that Washington leadership is much more approachable than they thought they were.”
The participants met with the staffs of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and congressmen Brett Guthrie, who represents Daviess County, and Ed Whitfield, who represents the other four counties. At each stop they had the opportunity to talk about issues important to them, which included immigration reform, the farm bill and trade policies.
For more information and the full release, click here.
FDA Listening Session April 30 on Proposed Produce
Safety Rule
A listening session is scheduled for April 30 to hear comments and concerns about the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed new food safety rules for fresh produce.
The session will be from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Shisler Conference Center on the Wooster campus of Ohio State University (OSU) Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 1680 Madison Ave. OARDC is the research arm of OSU’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The program is being hosted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio State, OSU Extension and the Ohio Farm Bureau.
“The FDA is coming here because they want to hear from Ohio’s produce growers,” said Ashley Kulhanek, agriculture and natural resource educator for OSU Extension. “They are encouraging comments. Because it’s a proposed rule — not final yet — this is the opportunity to ask questions and make your concerns heard, because once it’s final, it’s done.”
The event is free, but registration is requested. The registration form is online at the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Web page at http://bit.ly/FDAmtg.
Many growers have questions about how the proposed rule will affect their operations, Kulhanek said, or if they can be exempt from the rules. “This is your chance to get clarification about the rule and how it will apply to you,” she said. “The meeting will include two hours just for open conversation, questions and answers with the audience.”
Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine, is scheduled to attend the session and will be available for questions, Kulhanek said.
“Participants will have access to some top-level FDA administrators,” Kulhanek said. “You can get information right from the source.”
For more information and the full release, click here.
USDA Increases Species Sampling, Testing
The USDA is increasing its species sampling and testing for all products from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Iceland, Poland and the United Kingdom. The move came in response to the Europe-wide scandal of horse meat being mislabeled as beef.
Food Safety and Inspection Service personnel also will be conducting species testing on any imported beef from lots that are being tested for shiga-toxin producing E. coli. FSIS issued a notice instructing inspectors to increase species sampling for imported beef, both raw and ready-to-eat products from targeted countries.
None of the products involved in the mislabeling scandal were intended for export to the U.S., but many companies and brands familiar to Americans were affected by the scandal. Ikea, Nestlé S.A., Burger King Worldwide, Wal-Mart Stores, Aldi, and the Birds Eye and Taco Bell brands unknowingly sold or served products containing horse meat labeled as beef.
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