News Update

Printed catalog and entry forms are mailed to those who have entered livestock at the NAILE in the last two years. Printed show catalogs are free, and anyone wishing to receive one should contact the NAILE offices at P.O. Box 36367, Louisville, KY 40233-6367, by fax at 502-367-5299, or by email at KFECNAILE@ksfb.ky.gov.

Purebred livestock from across the United States compete at the NAILE for top breed association honors and national recognition. For the third year in a row, a new entry record was set in 2013 when nearly 27,000 entries were received. In 2014, the various shows will offer a combined $750,000 in premiums and awards. Show dates and fees are as follows:

Beef Cattle Show — Nov. 15-21

Entry Deadline: Oct. 1

Entry Fees: See individual breed listings in Premium Catalog.

Pen of Three Feeder Cattle — $75 per pen, Feeder Steer or Heifer Single — $25, Junior Steers — $30, Junior Heifers — $30

Those interested in showing can submit entries for beef cattle, Boer goat, dairy goat, dairy cattle, sheep and swine shows on the NAILE website starting September 1. Entries can also be sent by mail or fax at any time. Receipts are mailed for all entries.

The NAILE is produced by the Commonwealth of Kentucky at the KEC in Louisville, Ky., under the direction of the Kentucky State Fair Board. The facility’s entire 1,200,000 square feet of climate-controlled exhibit space is used for the giant Expo. More than 200,000 visitors and exhibitors attend the event annually.

For more information, please view the full release here.

— Adapted from a release by the NAILE.

Winter Forage Workshop slated for Sept. 23 in Bandera, Texas

The Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Bandera County will host a Winter Forage Workshop from 6:30-8 p.m. Sept. 23.

The program will be hosted by the Mansfield Park Recreation Center, 2886 State Highway 16 N. in Bandera, Texas.

“This is sure to be an informative program as it will be presented by Larry Redmon, a professor and state AgriLife Extension forage specialist from College Station,” said Sam Womble, AgriLife Extension agent, Bandera County. “Dr. Redmon is one of the most knowledgeable and respected professionals on the topic of forages.”

Womble said there continues to be interest in winter forages, whether used for grazing livestock or supplementing wildlife.

“This program will address forage variety and site selection, planting and establishment, fertility, insect control, and overall management,” he said.

The workshop will offer 1.5 hours of Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units — one hour general and 0.5 hour integrated pest management.

Registration is $15 per person, and includes a meal and program materials. To register, contact the AgriLife Extension office in Bandera County at 830-796-7755 by Sept. 16. For more information on this program, contact Womble at 830-796-7755 or s-womble@tamu.edu.

For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.

— Adapted from a release by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications.

New Data Reflects the Continued Demand
for Farmers’ Markets

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator Anne Alonzo announced August 2 that USDA’s National Farmers’ Market Directory now lists 8,268 markets, an increase of 76% since 2008. The data reflect continued demand and growth of farmers’ markets in every region of the country. Alonzo also announced that AMS is developing three new local food directories that will expand USDA’s support for local and regional foods by providing easy access to the most current information about the local food market.

Alonzo made the announcements at the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison, Wis., the country’s largest producer-only market, where she kicked off the 15th annual “National Farmers’ Market Week,” from Aug. 3-9.

“The National Farmers’ Market Directory numbers reflect the continued importance of farmers’ markets to American agriculture. Since its inception, the directory has proven to be a valuable tool for accessing up-to-date information about local farmers’ markets,” Alonzo said. “Farmers’ markets play an extremely important role for both farmers and consumers. They bring urban and rural communities together while creating economic growth and increasing access to fresh, healthy foods.”

The USDA National Farmers’ Market Directory, available at www.farmersmarkets.usda.gov, provides information about U.S. farmers’ market locations, directions, operating times, product offerings and much more. The data is collected via voluntary self-reporting by operating farmers’ market managers and is searchable by ZIP code, product mix and other criteria. The National Farmers’ Market Directory receives more than 2 million hits annually.