News Update
July 10, 2014
Keep Up With What’s Happening
at the 2014 NJAS
Follow what’s happening at the 2014 National Junior Angus Show by visiting www.njas.info. The official site of the show, themed “Angus in the Heartland,” provides a live video feed of the show provided by Walton Webcasting and links to a variety of resources, ranging from the schedule to show results.
Visit the site now and use the tabs on the left-side navigation to get results of yesterday’s bred-and-heifer show and today’s cow-calf pairs, bull and steer shows, as well as videos of the Auxiliary-sponsored All-American Certified Angus Beef® Cook-Off.
2014 Eng Symposium to feature cow-calf
production system innovation
Though high cattle prices may tempt cattle producers to expand herds, rising prices for land, fuel and feed still have some reconsidering expansion, according to experts.
Opportunities for efficient expansion will be discussed in-depth at the 2014 Kenneth and Caroline McDonald Eng Foundation Symposium scheduled Sept. 18-19 at the Embassy Suites Riverwalk, 125 E. Houston St. in San Antonio. The symposium will feature current research that explores how cattle producers can best meet these challenges and forward-looking ideas and opportunities, said Ken Eng, cattleman and nutrition consultant.
“Innovative Intensification in Cow-Calf Systems” is the second annual symposia to be sponsored by the Eng Foundation. Texas A&M University will host the event, which includes participation by researchers from the University of Nebraska–-Lincoln and Oklahoma State University.
Topics include:
The event is open to the public. Cattle producers interested in opportunities to expand production or increase land-use efficiency should plan to attend, as well as researchers and students.
Cost is $125 for preregistration and $50 for students. Onsite registration is $150. Hotel information and registration information can be found at http://animalscience.tamu.edu/eng-symposium.
For more information, contact the Eng Foundation at 575-743-6331, email engnm@hotmail.com or the Texas A&M University department of animal science at 979-845-1541.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
USDA Provides 12-Week Progress
Update on Disaster Assistance
Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack provided a 12-week progress report on USDA disaster assistance programs July 9, announcing that USDA has processed 106,000 payments to farmers in 40 states across the country who suffered livestock and grazing losses between October 2011 and passage of the 2014 Farm Bill.
“Farmers and ranchers who waited two and a half years for a Farm Bill are now getting some relief,” said Vilsack. “We met the very ambitious goal to get these programs up and running in just 60 days.”
A quick implementation of the disaster assistance program has been a top priority for USDA. In February, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that enrollment for four disaster assistance programs would begin April 15, 2014, 60 days from the date the programs were reestablished by the 2014 Farm Bill. After the 2008 Farm Bill, it took longer than a year to get programs up and running.
Since then, dedicated full-time FSA staff, as well as temporary employees hired to expedite the application process, have processed more than $1.2 billion in payments to qualifying farmers and ranchers. The first payments were sent out to farmers and ranchers within two weeks of enrollment. USDA estimated that roughly $2.5 billion would be provided in disaster relief to cover losses from October 2011 through September 2014. If those estimates prove accurate, it would mean nearly half of all disaster payments have already been provided.
While disaster relief is a critical lifeline that can prevent farmers and ranchers who do not have access to crop insurance from being wiped out by weather-related losses beyond their control, most producers only receive support equal to 60% of their actual losses.
USDA disaster programs include:
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provide payments for grazing losses due to drought and livestock deaths due to adverse weather.
The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides assistance for losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), weather, wildfires and colony collapse disorder, or for losses not covered under other disaster assistance programs established by the 2014 Farm Bill.
Specific program deadlines are as follows:
Producers affected by adverse weather should contact their FSA county office to make an appointment and learn if they are eligible for disaster assistance. For more information, producers may review the 2014 Farm Bill Fact Sheet, and the LIP, LFP, ELAP and TAP fact sheets online or visit any local FSA office.
For more information, please view the full release here.
K-State Announces New Ag Economics Department Head
The College of Agriculture at Kansas State University (K-State) has announced Allen Featherstone as the new head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. He began his official appointment June 30.
“Dr. Featherstone brings prudent leadership, and a wealth of ideas, energy and experience to the position,” said John Floros, dean of K-State’s College of Agriculture. “The administrative team and I are happy that Dr. Featherstone accepted our offer, and we welcome him into our College’s Leadership Team. I am looking forward to working with him as he settles into his new role, and as he provides visionary leadership for our Department of Agricultural Economics.”
“The department has experienced 40% growth in its undergraduate programs in the last two years,” Featherstone said. “Certainly meeting student needs will be an important aspect to work on. In addition, the department is having several faculty with many years of service retiring, and hiring individuals to continue their legacy will also be very important.”
Featherstone joined K-State as a faculty member in 1986 and has since taken on several roles, including serving as the department’s interim head on two occasions in the last six years. He grew up on his family’s farm in Walworth, Wis. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls with degrees in agricultural economics and economics, he completed master’s and doctoral degrees in agricultural economics at Purdue University.
A professor of agricultural economics at K-State, Featherstone also currently directs the master of agribusiness (MAB) program and the department’s graduate program. He has advised more than 60 graduate students and has taught many undergraduate and graduate courses, including comparative food and agriculture systems, agricultural finance and risk management, to name a few.
Featherstone has helped bring nearly $1.5 million in research dollars to K-State in the 28 years he’s served as a faculty member. His research has encompassed an array of subjects within the area of agricultural economics, but his main specialty is agricultural finance. He is a renowned expert in land values and agricultural lending, and he serves on the research team for the bi-annual Ag Lender’s Survey, a nationwide survey of agricultural lending institutions that gauges short- and long-term expectations of the future lending environment.
For more information, please view the full release here.
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