News Update
September 20, 2013
House and Senate
to Pass the 2013 Farm Bill
On Sept. 19. the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3102, the House nutrition title as part of the 2013 Farm Bill. Passage of the 2013 Farm Bill remains the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) top priority for Congress to finalize.
“We are pleased that the House is one step closer towards passage of the farm bill and we encourage the House to appoint conferees to work out the differences between the House and Senate bills.” said Scott George, NCBA president and Cody, Wyo., cattle and dairy producer. “Passage of the farm bill is the top priority as set by our membership and we will continue to work with Congress to pass a farm bill that meets the needs of cattle producers and guarantees certainty for rural America.”
The current extension of the 2008 farm bill is set to expire Sept. 30, reverting farm policy back to permanent law.
However, not everyone is as happy with the decision.
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson said:
“NFU is disappointed with the result of today’s vote. Stripping nutrition programs from the farm bill was a mistake from the beginning. The level of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) included in the legislation not only denies benefits to four million low-income Americans, but is also sure to make the conference process more difficult. It is time for the House to take meaningful action. House leadership must appoint conferees right away so that the stalled comprehensive 2013 Farm Bill can be finalized and enacted as soon as possible.”
Cattle Raisers Set to Host Fall Policy Meeting in Grapevine
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) will host its fall meeting Sept. 25-27 in Grapevine. The meeting will take place at the Embassy Suites Outdoor World located at 2401 Bass Pro Drive in Grapevine.
The meeting will kick off with a welcome reception Wednesday at 6 p.m. On Thursday, participants will attend committee meetings to review TSCRA policy. These meetings begin at 8 a.m. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples will speak at the 1 p.m. general session.
Bech Bruun, Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) member, will address attendees Friday at 9:30 about the new structure of the TWDB and water issues in Texas.
Members of the press are invited to attend, but you must register. For media registration, please contact Carmen Fenton at cfenton@tscra.org.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
NDSA to Host Annual All Breeds Cattle Tour
in Southeastern North Dakota
The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association (NDSA) will host its 27th annual All Breeds Cattle Tour (ABCT) that will showcase ranches in southeastern North Dakota Friday, Oct. 11. The tour will feature an impressive line-up of 12 area cattle producers representing eight breeds of cattle.
The day begins with registration at the AmericInn in Valley City at 7:30 a.m. The bus will leave the hotel at 8 a.m. and head east for the breakfast stop at Hoffmann Angus Farms of Wheatland. Guest exhibitors OHR Red Angus and Olson Hereford Ranch of Argusville will also be exhibiting there. At 9:30 a.m., the tour will visit Sprunk Angus Ranch of Chaffee, followed by a stop at the Elijah Ranch in Lisbon at 11:05 a.m.
The lunch stop will feature prime rib sandwiches at noon at Erdmann Angus Ranch in Lisbon, where Anderson Angus Ranch of Chaffee will also exhibit.
Next, the tour will visit Spring Valley Angus of LaMoure at 2 p.m., and then continue to Wendel Livestock at 3 p.m., also in LaMoure.
R Lazy B Ranch of Nome will be the 4:30 p.m. stop, followed by a stop at Prairie Pride Angus of Nome at 5:20 p.m.
The day will conclude at Jungels Shorthorn Farms (JSF) of Kathryn, with guest exhibitor Blegen Galloways of Kindred at 6 p.m. A complimentary social, courtesy of JSF, and prime rib supper served by Carnivore Catering of Fargo will begin at 6:30 p.m. Tour participants will have the opportunity to relax and visit before heading back to the AmericInn at 9 p.m.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Support Available to Aid Kansas Woodlands, Windbreaks
Recent inventories of an estimated 289,577 acres of windbreaks in Kansas suggest that 44% of those windbreaks are in fair-to-poor condition and in need of renovation.
Windbreaks and woodlands provide a variety of benefits both environmental and economical, said Robert Atchison, rural forestry coordinator for the Kansas Forest Service. If properly cared for, they can provide soil conservation, increase crop yields, keep snow off our roads during the winter, help beef producers during calving seasons and reduce feed costs for livestock during cold or stormy weather.
Windbreaks also can help reduce home energy costs and provide habitat for wildlife. In addition to environmental benefits such as air and water quality, woodlands in Kansas have a significant product value, Atchison said.
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for Forestland Heath is a voluntary conservation program administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help care for and establish woodlands and windbreaks in areas where they are needed. The cost-share program provides incentives in the form of financial and technical assistance to help participants plan, install or implement conservation practices on eligible land.
Agricultural producers, individuals or entities engaged in livestock, agricultural production or forestry management are eligible to apply for EQIP. The program is designed to help address natural resource concerns, such as old windbreaks with gaps or dead trees and shrubs, stream bank erosion where tree planting can reduce soil loss and woodlands that are crowded and need thinning.
For more information, please view the full release here.
The Natural State to Host National Beef Ambassador Contest
The location for next week’s 2014 National Beef Ambassador contest is Springdale, Ark. The contest is on tap for Sept. 27-28, in this town in the Northwestern corner of Arkansas, between Bentonville and Fayetteville. Thirty-four contestants from across the United States will compete at the Holiday Inn Springdale for a prestigious spot on the 2014 National Beef Ambassador team. All judged events will be conducted Saturday, Sept. 28, followed by the awards presentation that evening.
The National Beef Ambassador Program is funded, in part, by the beef checkoff and is managed by the American National CattleWomen Inc. This program strives to provide an opportunity for youth to educate consumers and students about beef nutrition, food safety and stewardship practices of the beef industry. National Beef Ambassadors tell the beef production story to consumers and youth through promotion, education, media and the online environment.
Visit www.nationalbeefambassador.org for more information and follow @beefambassador on Twitter.
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