News Update
August 1, 2014
Speaker at Cattle Industry Summer Conference Reflects on Drought in Southeastern Colorado
Drought has devastated a large part of the West, and the impact it has had on real people has recently become especially significant to Steffan Tubbs. Tubbs, a radio and television reporter in Colorado, was the keynote speaker during the 2014 Cattle Industry Summer Conference in Denver July 31. The conference will run through Aug 2.
“Within the last year, your industry has become more meaningful to me,” Tubbs told the more than 600 producers attending the opening general session and lunch. “Farmers and ranchers are important to this country.”
About a year ago Tubbs recognized the stories reflected in the drought in southeastern Colorado and undertook a documentary on the topic called Droughtland. Tubbs interviewed numerous cattlemen for the documentary, a portion of which was previewed at the lunch. Droughtland is expected to be released this fall.
Tubbs is a well-known reporter on KOA radio and co-host of a community affairs program on Colorado Public Television. He has nearly 25 years of news experience and has received the prestigious Edward R. Murrow award four times.
Recognizing southeastern Colorado is not the only part of the country facing a drought, Tubbs noted that about 58% of California is experiencing exceptional drought conditions. When he asked how many of his audience had experienced drought at some point in the recent past, many hands in the room went up.
Tubbs also encouraged his audience to share their stories with media. Though he said that not every story could or would be reported, he did say most cattle producers have interesting stories that deserve to be heard.
General session I and lunch kicked off the Summer Conference, which includes meetings of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), American National CattleWomen (ANCW) and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation. Among the purposes of the yearly conference is to create a framework for checkoff and policy efforts on behalf of U.S. cattle producers for the 2015 fiscal year, which for NCBA and the CBB begins Oct. 1.
Partnership for a New American Economy and American Farm Bureau Federation Release New Immigration Reform Ad
The Partnership for a New American Economy and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) released July 31 a new ad calling on Congress to pass immigration reform now. The ad features Bernie Thiel, a Texas farmer who has had to destroy some of his own crops for two years in a row because he has been unable to find the workers he needs to harvest.
The ad, which premiered in Washington, D.C., taxis and airports, will play in the following locations:
- • Washington D.C. taxis
- • Reagan National and Dulles International airports
- • Movie theatres in 16 key congressional districts
- • Rodeos in Idaho and Louisiana
- • State Fairs
“A farmer should never have to destroy a crop due to the lack of an adequate labor force,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
“If that situation doesn’t illustrate the clear need for agricultural labor reform, I’m not sure what will. Ultimately, as a nation, we will decide whether we import our labor or import our food. While our nation’s current political climate makes comprehensive reform a challenge, we are determined that ensuring an adequate farm workforce and securing our borders are compatible goals that are worthy of continued pursuit.”
“This ad sends a clear message to Congress — if you don’t fix our broken immigration system, it’s American farms that will feel the pain,” said John Feinblatt, chairman of the Partnership for a New American Economy. “Our farmers are struggling to do their jobs because they don’t have the workers they need. So while Congress does nothing to address agriculture labor shortages, farms fail, food rots, and we import more produce from overseas.”
This ad is part of the Partnership’s ad campaign, launched in April to highlight the need for immigration reform across broad sectors of the economy. The Partnership’s first ad, which showcases immigrant inventions, can be viewed at www.immigrantmade.org.
Two Invasive Brush Species Focus of Aug. 7 Webinar
“Huisache and Juniper — How to Treat!” the next Texas Range Webinar conducted monthly by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service ecosystem science and management unit, is set for Aug. 7.
This webinar will start with a look at huisache, a native, invasive brush species found in the Gulf Coast Prairies and South Texas Plains, said presenter Megan Clayton, AgriLife Extension range specialist in Corpus Christi.
“This fast-growing plant must be controlled as early and as often as possible, but just how much do we know about its ecology?” Clayton said. “We will discuss the most effective control options and how to know which is right for your situation.”
The second plant species highlighted will be Juniperus pinchotii or redberry juniper, said Alyson McDonald, AgriLife Extension range specialist in Fort Stockton, who will present on this subject.
The distribution of redberry juniper in Texas extends from the western Edwards Plateau northward to the Panhandle and westward to the Rio Grande, McDonald said.
“We will discuss important factors that determine the best option for managing this root-sprouting shrub,” she said.
The Texas Range Webinar Series hosts a webinar on the first Thursday of each month. Each webinar is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m., said Pete Flores, webinar coordinator in Corpus Christi.
This webinar and others in the series can be accessed at http://naturalresourcewebinars.tamu.edu.
Licensed agricultural private pesticide applicators participating in this webinar can earn one integrated pest management unit. Participants seeking Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units must pay a $10 fee on the website. For all others, there is no fee, Flores said.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Fall Armyworms Making an Early Appearance
in Some Oklahoma Pastures
The Oklahoma State University (OSU) Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is recommending producers scout their sorghum and grass pastures now for the presence of fall armyworms.
“We are seeing and hearing about the presence of fall armyworms infesting pastures at levels we don’t typically experience this early in the year,” said Tom Royer, OSU Cooperative Extension entomologist. “Producers should examine their pastures now and continue to do so regularly.”
Scouting for caterpillars in a pasture is a relatively easy process. Get a wire coat hanger, bend it into a hoop, place it on the ground and count all sizes of caterpillars in the hoop. Take samples in several locations along the field margin, as well as in the interior.
“The hoop will typically cover about two-thirds of a square foot (sq. ft.), so a threshold in pasture would be an average of two or three half-inch-long larvae per hoop sample, essentially three or four per sq. ft.,” Royer said. “If the treatment threshold is exceeded, it is much easier to control them with an insecticide when they are small.”
For producers wishing to put up grass hay, the presence of “window paned” or chewed leaves is a tipoff a fall armyworm problem may exist.
A mature fall armyworm is a large striped caterpillar about 1.5 inches (in.) in length, with an inverted “Y” on the front of its head.
“Always follow label recommendations when applying any insecticide, paying extra attention to the most current rates and restrictions listed on the label,” Royer said.
Control guidelines and information on registered insecticides approved for fall armyworms are available online at http://osufacts.okstate.edu by consulting OSU Extension Current Report CR-7193, “Management of Insect Pests in Rangeland and Pasture.”
“If an insecticide application is needed, do so, but don’t forget to review potential causes for the infestation levels,” said Chris Rice, OSU Cooperative Extension agronomist for Oklahoma’s Southeast District.
Many pest problems can be avoided by developing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan that includes the use of good pasture management practices, proper fertilization, mowing and optimal stocking rates.
“Pesticide applications should not replace the use of good pasture management practices and should not be applied as ‘preventative insurance’ because it is rarely economically or environmentally justifiable,” Rice said.
Producers needing additional assistance should contact their local OSU Cooperative Extension county office, typically listed under “County Government” in local telephone directories.
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