News Update
April 8, 2014
Secretary Vilsack Appoints
New Members to USDA
NAREEE Advisory Board
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 8 the appointment of eight individuals to serve on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board.
The NAREEE Advisory Board advises the Secretary of Agriculture and land-grant colleges and universities on top national priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension and economics. In addition, the board hosts stakeholder listening sessions, reviews draft guidance for competitive-grant programs, advises the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) on its scientific peer-review process for national programs; conducts an annual review of all agricultural research, extension, or education activities conducted or funded by the department for relevance to national priorities and adequacy of funding; and advises the USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) mission area in the development of its draft strategic plan.
Each of the 25 NAREEE Advisory Board members represents a specific category of U.S. agricultural stakeholders as outlined in the 2008 Food, Energy, and Conservation Act. These areas include farming or ranching, food production and processing, forestry research, crop and animal science, land-grant institutions, non-land grant college or university with a historic commitment to research in the food and agricultural sciences, food retailing and marketing, rural economic development, and natural resource and consumer interest groups, among many others. Each member serves a two to three year appointment. Terms for members overlap so that approximately one-third of the board is replaced and/or reappointed each year.
For more information, please view the full release here.
New Stackable GM Bonus Cash Offered to AFBF Members
Farm Bureau is pleased to announce that a new Farm Bureau Member Advantage! “Bonus Cash” program with General Motors (GM) is available to members, effective immediately. While the $500 discount on the purchase or lease of a new GM car or truck is the same, the ability to stack the offer with one other private offers is new, and demonstrates Farm Bureau’s commitment to exceed member expectations.
“We are committed to providing our members exclusive access to superior, high-quality brands, programs and products,” said American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman. “The ability to stack the current GM ‘Bonus Cash’ offer with another private offer means our members are saving more money than ever before when they purchase a vehicle from General Motors — and is just one more way it pays to be a member of Farm Bureau.”
The new Bonus Cash offer can be stacked with all other offers available to eligible Farm Bureau members, such as Owner Loyalty (discounted employee, dealership employee and supplier pricing is excluded). Additionally, members are eligible 30 days after becoming a member — a reduction from the previous 60-day eligibility requirement. The $500 “Bonus Cash” offer can be used on the purchase or lease of all 2013, 2014 and 2015 Chevrolet, Buick and GMC models without exclusions in states that participate in the GM program.
To take advantage of the GM program discounts through Farm Bureau Member Advantage!, members should log on to fbverify.com/gm where eligibility will be confirmed once a member enters his/her membership number and zip code. A certificate will be made available online that must be printed and taken to the dealership of choice for presentation to the sales person. There is no limit to the number of certificates that a member may print or use. Certificates expire after 60 days.
For more information, please view the full release here.
NFU Names Senate Ag Appropriations Priorities
National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson submitted testimony to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture Appropriations, outlining NFU’s priorities for Fiscal Year 2015 funding for agricultural programs.
Johnson’s testimony reiterated NFU’s top appropriations priorities, as previously submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives. Three of NFU’s main requests are to reject legislative riders or targeted funding restrictions for country-of-origin labeling (COOL), oppose legislative riders that would undermine the USDA’s ability to write rules to provide greater fairness for livestock sellers and poultry growers, and fully fund 2014 Farm Bill energy programs at their maximum authorized levels.
“Both COOL and Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) regulations survived attempts to defund or dismantle their important provisions. However, our opponents insist on rehashing old fights,” said Johnson.
“These sorts of proposed legislative riders ignore previous congressional decisions and create ongoing uncertainty for family farmers and ranchers,” said Johnson. “It is important that the subcommittee reject misguided attempts to undermine consumers’ right to know about their food through COOL or erode GIPSA’s authority to fight for fair markets.”
“Renewable energy programs are a win-win that boost farmers’ and ranchers’ bottom lines while reducing our country’s carbon footprint. Fully funding these and other 2014 Farm Bill programs should be appropriators’ highest priority,” Johnson said.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Calving Clinics Help Producers Protect Investments
Beef producers faced calving challenges this winter due to historic cold weather. Producers and veterinarians reported that some cows simply lay down and gave up this winter when it came time to calve.
Dawna Voelkl, assistant teaching professor at the University of Missouri (MU) College of Veterinary Medicine, said there is no scientific research on how or if cold weather changes calving patterns. Yet reports from beef producers suggest that extreme cold weather interferes with the calving process.
Record snowfall and ice often prevented veterinarians from responding to calls, leaving producers trying to deliver calves from distressed cows on their own. MU Extension responded by offering calving clinics statewide to help farmers protect their investments. A “phantom uterus” is used to simulate techniques at calving clinics. A dead calf is used to provide a realistic demonstration of the many ways the farmer can assist the cow and unborn calf in delivery.
Voelkl said most births happen without assistance. A producer can recognize a cow is in distress if she separates from the main herd for eight to 12 hours without calving. The cow may lie down and appear to be colicky.
Normal births occur within two to four hours from the time the cow’s water breaks. The time for heifers is three to six hours. Intervention usually is required within two hours of the onset of this second stage of labor, after the first sac of the placenta ruptures, she said. Timing is critical.
Recognition of signs of distress to allow early intervention can increase the chances of survival for the calf, prevent postpartum problems and preserve the fertility of the cow.
For more information, please view the full release here.
NMSU to Host Indian Livestock Days
May 14-17 in Albuquerque
Producing the highest quality of beef is as important to Native American cattle producers as it is to others, and those Native producers will have the opportunity next month to learn more about the guidelines provided by the national and New Mexico Beef Quality Assurance program that can help accomplish that goal.
During the New Mexico Indian Livestock Days conference, May 14-16 at the Route 66 Casino and Hotel west of Albuquerque on Interstate 40, Native American producers will have the opportunity to learn the BQA guidelines and test for certification.
“Through the years, our Native American livestock producers have gained information at the Indian Livestock Days that has helped them to improve their herd and quality of meat produced, and to stay informed on vital issues,” said Kathy Landers, McKinley County Extension agricultural agent and chairperson for one of the larger conferences hosted by New Mexico State University (NMSU) Cooperative Extension Service. “We have had a lot of interest in the BQA program, including offering the certification test.”
The New Mexico BQA Program asks producers, veterinarians and all others involved in the production of beef to use common sense, reasonable management skills and accepted scientific knowledge to avoid defects in the product delivered to the consumer.
Areas of discussion will include trichomoniasis management, BVD vaccination program, herd management during drought, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, leptospirosis, campylobacteriosis and calf vaccination programs.
NMSU Extension agricultural agents and specialists, as well as private industry experts, have designed sessions addressing many issues that producers are facing.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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