News Update
February 7, 2014
USDA Accepts Grant Applications
for Conservation Innovation Efforts
The USDA is accepting applications for competitive grants to develop and accelerate conservation approaches and technologies on private agricultural and forest lands.
“Conservation Innovation Grants (CIGs) have contributed to some of the most pioneering conservation work on America’s agricultural and forest lands,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “It’s an excellent investment in new conservation technologies and approaches that farmers, ranchers and forest landowners can use to achieve their production and conservation goals.”
About $15 million will be made available nationwide by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). State and local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes, non-governmental and educational organizations, private businesses and individuals are eligible to apply.
Vilsack said priority will be given to applications that relate to nutrient management, energy conservation, soil health, air quality, climate change, wildlife, economics, sociology, environmental markets, food safety, historically underserved groups, or assessments of past CIG projects.
In the 10 years that NRCS has administered the program, grants have helped develop water-quality trading markets, demonstrated ways to increase fertilizer water and energy efficiencies, as well as address other resource concerns.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Is a Cow Eating My Lunch?
Consumers have increasing questions about animal agriculture and whether or not it’s good or bad. Many are concerned that animal agriculture takes away human food supplies and wastes resources. The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) wants to help answer those questions and help consumers learn about the role animals can have in a healthy diet, as well as maximizing resources that could otherwise be unusable.
CAST has released a new video based on its issue paper Animal Feed vs. Human Food: Challenges and Opportunities in Sustaining Animal Agriculture Toward 2050. Scientific experts address the knowledge gap that exists as to the quantity of human food and fiber byproducts used within animal agriculture.
As task force author, Larry Berger of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln says, “During the last century, many consumers lost touch with food production; they need facts to make wise choices.”
In the paper and during the video, Task Force Chair Jude Capper of the University of Montana uses statistics and common sense to explain why animal agriculture is important. “Cattle eat many types of feed — substances that are not edible by humans. This means a more sustainable system.” She goes on to show that land incapable of supporting the production of human food crops can be used efficiently by ruminant animals to produce meat and milk products.
Improved communication is needed between livestock producers and consumers. The video provides information that will inform the general public, be useful for students researching animal agriculture, and be of value for organizations looking at the impact of using animals as a food source.
For more information, please view the video here.
Monthly Webinars to Help Growers and Producers
Enhance Marketing, Improve and Expand Sales
Growers and producers — have you ever wondered how to go about marketing your hops to Ohio’s microbreweries? Or how about getting your meats into area grocery stores or restaurants? Have you ever wondered how to make sure your food business or operation has a strong, income-building presence in the mobile-media arena?
Answers to these questions and more are available to growers, producers and anyone in the agriculture and food industry through a series of free monthly webinars offered by food and agriculture marketing experts from Ohio State University’s (OSU’s) College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The webinars are designed to teach participants how to effectively use direct marketing as a way to improve their businesses’ financial bottom line, said Brad Bergefurd, a horticulturist with Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.
Having an effective and succinct marketing plan is key to any business’ potential for success, he said.
“Everything comes down to the marketing of your products,” Bergefurd said. “Growing the crops doesn’t make growers money — marketing the crops is what makes the money.
“You have to have your marketing plan put together well in advance before you even start producing your products. You have to know where and how you can sell the products that you produce in advance of production in order to save time, money and effort and to be able to make a profit.”
The webinars hit on a broad array of topics and interests, Bergefurd said, and are offered the last Thursday of every month through October, from noon to 1 p.m.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Register Now to Attend March 11-12
No-till Oklahoma Conference
Agricultural producers interested in exploring how no-till practices may benefit their operations should register now to attend the seventh annual No-Till Oklahoma Conference set for March 11-12 in Norman.
“No-till management has proven to be a success in most crop rotations in the Southern Plains, especially where water is the primary factor limiting crop productivity,” said Jason Warren, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension soil and water conservation-management specialist. “Think of the conference as one-stop shopping, with discussions and educational sessions providing insights that should prove useful to beginning and experienced producers alike.”
The conference will take place at the National Center for Employee Development, located at 2801 East State Highway Nine on the south side of Norman. Cost is $115 per participant if registering by Feb. 25, and $140 thereafter.
“Although we will be accepting registration at the door, we ask everyone to preregister if possible as it greatly aids in our planning and helps ensure sufficient numbers of conference materials, meals and break refreshments are available,” Warren said.
Registration forms and agenda information are available online at www.notill.okstate.edu through the OSU Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Conference sessions will be led by experienced no-till producers and agricultural specialists from industry, academia and applicable government agencies.
Session topics will include the latest science-based practices and information relative to intensive wheat management, soil health, nutrient management, new RMA rules for cover crops, cover crop water use, growing and maintaining a canola stand, the yield potential of grain sorghum in crop rotations, rotational considerations for plant disease in canola and wheat systems, the impact of gypsum and lime on no-till soil pH and aluminum toxicity, and the economics of no-till vs. conventional tillage practices, among others.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Pasture Management Workshop
Slated for Feb. 25 in Floresville
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office in Wilson County and others will present the Pasture Management Workshop from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Floresville Event Center.
The event center is located at 600 Highway 97 West in Floresville, Texas.
Workshop registration will be from 8:30-9 a.m. Five Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will be available for private pesticide license holders.
“This workshop features presentations on practical pasture management by some of the most respected experts in the state,” said Bryan Davis, AgriLife Extension agent for Wilson County. “Participants will get a lot of information they can use to help their pastureland recover after the long-term drought conditions we have been facing here in South Central Texas.”
A follow-up question-and-answer session and workshop evaluations will be from 2:45-3 p.m.
The workshop fee of $30 includes lunch. Attendees must RSVP by Feb. 21 to the AgriLife Extension office in Wilson County, 1420 3rd Street in Floresville.
More information can be found at http://wilson.agrilife.org/ or by calling 830-393-7357 or sending an email to wilson-tx@tamu.edu.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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