News Update
June 28, 2013
Splitting Farm and Nutrition Programs is Recipe to Kill the Bill
Following the recent failure of the 2013 Farm Bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, there have been suggestions by several Congressmen who voted down the bill about splitting farm programs from nutrition programs, creating two separate bills. National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson issued the following statement in opposition to the separation:
“Separating farm programs from nutrition programs and proposing two bills would be a huge mistake. The likely result would be to kill the bill. This will allow Congress to continue to take no action to provide certainty to U.S. family farmers, ranchers, rural residents and those who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“As the providers of the food, feed, fiber and fuel, we have an obligation to educate the public on the importance of farmers and the support we lend to SNAP and other programs. Two bills would continue to perpetuate the public’s misconception on where their food comes from and widen the gap between the farmer and the consumer.
“This would also be a disruption to the historic coalition between urban, rural and conservation groups. The farm bill has historically been a bipartisan effort, and must remain a bipartisan effort. It is a shame that politics are getting in the way of providing for so many people.
“Separating farm and nutrition programs is simply a recipe to kill the bill.”
Senate Passes Immigration Reform Bill
By a 68 to 32 vote on June 27, the full U.S. Senate passed their comprehensive Immigration and Border Security bill, S. 744.
“Border security and immigration have been one of our top priorities as set by our members in 2013. I am pleased to see that the Senate has continued the conversation on this important issue that affects all Americans, but especially rural Americans and our members who live and ranch along our borders,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Scott George, a cattle and dairy producer from Cody, Wyo.
“A strong year-round workforce is paramount to the success of the cattle industry. Cattlemen depend on a legal and stable workforce year round. We recognize that the first step in ensuring the success of our workforce is securing and maintaining our borders. The conversations taking place on the Hill right now are keeping these issues front and center and we truly appreciate those efforts.”
Other organizations, including American Farm Bureau, soon issued their own statements regarding the bill. “The Senate’s passage today of a balanced immigration reform bill that includes a fair and workable farm labor provision is welcomed by America’s farmers and ranchers. A comprehensive agricultural labor plan that works for all sectors of agriculture and across all regions of our nation is long overdue. We commend the Senate for addressing this very important issue, which will help ensure the continued success of agriculture in our nation, “said Bob Stallman, president, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
“America’s farmers and ranchers depend on the workers who show up every day to tend crops and raise livestock. The Senate-passed bill will help ensure an adequate supply of farm labor. It also provides increased surveillance of high-risk areas along our borders. One of the best ways to improve border security is to create a legal, workable way for farm workers to enter our country. With less time and resources wasted locking up lettuce harvesters, the focus can shift to where it properly belongs — keeping those with criminal intentions out of our country.”
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson also issued a statement in response to the Senate’s vote. “I am very pleased by the Senate’s action on immigration reform today. S. 744 includes important provisions that will bring greater stability to the farm workforce and provide a practical, legal means for immigrants to work in agriculture. It also allows for peace of mind for all parties in agriculture to know that a more easy-to-use and effective system will be enacted. I look forward to continuing to work with the House of Representatives to pass immigration legislation that achieves many of these same ends.”
Cheatgrass Tour Planned in Wyoming
Nebraska producers might be interested in a pair of upcoming tours nearby in Wyoming related to weeds and invasive species, according to University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Educator Gary Stone at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center.
A Cheatgrass Tour, hosted by the Wyoming Cheatgrass Taskforce, is planned for July 31 in Douglas, Wyo. The half-day tour will begin at 8 a.m. with registration and end at noon with lunch at the Converse County Weed and Pest Control District office.
On July 30, there will be a day-long workshop and tour hosted by the Upper North Platte River Weed Management Area and the Pathway to Water Quality. This tour and workshop will deal with Russian olive and salt cedar removal and management and habitat restoration along the North Platte River at Douglas. Lunch and dinner will be provided.
There are no fees for either workshop or tour. For more information and to attend either tour or workshop, RSVPs are required by July 10 to Converse County Weed and Pest Control District at 307-358-2775, with the number attending for the meal count.
Cheatgrass/Downy brome, Bromus tectorum L., a winter-annual grass, is an introduced invasive plant that populates disturbed or overgrazed sites. After wildfires, it usually is one of the first plants to appear. It can populate the burn areas quickly and retard native species from normal growth by exploiting the water and nutrients earlier in the growing season.
Cheatgrass is palatable to livestock early in its growth cycle. It can be considered poor grazing forage, at best. Once the cheatgrass has cured out, it becomes a fire hazard and burns readily.
Cattle Producers Watching Future With ‘Guarded Optimism’
While there are signs of some ranchers beginning to rebuild herds, experts at the Independent Cattlemen’s Association meeting are monitoring the beef cattle situation closely as drought conditions continue to affect parts of Texas beef-production country.
“Some areas are still in pretty bad shape,” said Phil Sadler, association president. “Cow numbers are down due to liquidations. Having said that, on the expense side, with prudent management that will be the key to being successful.”
In the meantime, Sadler said any upward climb in overall cow numbers in Texas will not come overnight. “It’s going to be a slow process to rebuild herds,” he said. “The numbers are not there.”
Stan Bevers, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service economist in Vernon, told producers they need to closely monitor expenses and track the performance of each cow. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure,” he said. “The whole point of being in business is to make profit,” he said.
Bevers said while cattle prices remain strong, input costs continue to affect profit margins. He said ranchers without any goals identified for their business are setting themselves up for potential problems. “You should make profits, then make choices,” he said.
Bevers said too many cattle producers make purchasing choices before making profit.
“When I first start working with ranches, I ask individuals if they are reaching their goals and effectively managing assets,” he said. “You need to identify what your goals are and where you are going.”
Bevers said that starts with keeping good records. However, he added, producers don’t have to go out and purchase expensive software programs.
“It’s doesn’t have to be a $6,000 software program,” he said. “It could be something as simple as a spreadsheet or even on paper.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
OSU FAPC Helping to Launch New Beefsteak
On April 17, 2012, the Vegas Strip Steak® was unveiled exclusively as the “newest” beefsteak at the Protein Innovation Summit in Chicago, Ill. Today, more than a year later, the process to extract the steak is patent pending and the new beef cut is ready to market.
Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center (FAPC) is helping to promote and launch the Vegas Strip Steak into the foodservice market.
However, Andrea Graves, FAPC business planning and marketing specialist, said the steak is so new many people do not know of its existence.
“If people have never heard of it and don’t know how to prepare it, meat companies won’t be able to sell it,” she said.
As a result, efforts are being made to bridge this knowledge gap with possible distributors.
“We are continuing to educate all potential users of this new discovery and opportunity,” said Jake Nelson, FAPC value-added meat processing specialist. “A newly discovered steak with wonderful palatability attributes now exists. It is available in the market, yet it has not reached its full market potential, due, perhaps, in part to ignorance of its availability and market potential.”
Much is being done to market the new beefsteak to suppliers and users.
“A website, printed materials, personal conversations and other correspondences are shared with suppliers and users as sources of information,” Nelson said. “Quite simply, we visit potential users of the steak, offer samples for evaluation and discuss supply options. Basically, we’re spreading the word about a new menu option or alternative.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
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