News Update
February 27, 2015
BIF to Meet June 9-12 in Biloxi
The 2015 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Meeting and Research Symposium will be June 9-12 at the Beau Rivage Hotel and Conference Center in Biloxi, Miss. The theme for this year’s program is “Rebuilding a Cow Herd.”
Co-hosted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and the Mississippi Beef Cattle Improvement Association, registration for the event will start at noon June 9 followed by a Young Producers’ Symposium at 1 p.m. A welcome reception begins at 5 p.m. followed by the National Association of Animal Breeders Symposium at 7 p.m.
The meeting will allow the research community and industry to meet and discuss issues surrounding the genetic improvement of beef cattle and for attendees to learn about technologies and management practices that can aid in the profitability of their operations.
On June 10, the meeting will start at 8 a.m. with a welcome and general session. Presentations and technical breakout sessions will follow through June 11. Attendees are invited to participate in a spouses’ tour on June 10 and a producer tour on June 12.
Some of the topics to be covered include setting the stage for cow herd rebuilding, what sustainability means and why it matters, what sustainability data say about the beef industry, how current market incentives affect genetic selection, looking to an operation’s future profitability, balancing novel and proven applications for female selection, cow lifetime productivity, and an adaptability panel discussion.
A link to online registration for the conference is now available at http://beefimprovement.org/library/registration-info. Early registration is offered at a discounted rate and ends April 15. Early registration cost to attend the full conference is $250. Day-only, student and media discount rates also are available. A room block is available at the conference hotel; go online to http://beefimprovement.org/library/general-information for room block instructions. The meeting is approved for 14 continuing education units (CEUs) for American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) members in attendance.
For more information, please visit www.bifconference.com.
Bipartisan Group of Former Agriculture Secretaries Urges Congress to Pass Trade Promotion Authority
A bipartisan group of former U.S. Agriculture Secretaries, representing all past administrations from those of President Jimmy Carter to President George W. Bush, Feb. 27, 2015 issued the following open letter urging Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority. The former secretaries note that boosting trade and exports is highly beneficial to America’s agriculture economy and that Trade Promotion Authority — which has been given to all previous presidents since Gerald Ford (with similar authority granted to all presidents since Franklin Delano Roosevelt) — is critical for successfully negotiating new trade partnerships that boost exports and create jobs. Congress could begin consideration of legislation to grant President Obama Trade Promotion Authority as early as next week.
The letter from the former secretaries follows:
“As former U.S. Secretaries of Agriculture, we know firsthand the importance of trade to America’s farm and ranch families. Access to export markets is vital for increasing sales and supporting farm income at home. Recognizing the importance of exports, we worked hard to open foreign markets, including negotiating new or expanded trade agreements with other countries. Trade agreements lead to expanded agricultural exports by promoting economic growth, removing trade barriers and import duties and developing mutually beneficial trade rules.
“Key to our ability to negotiate and implement market-opening agreements has been enactment of trade negotiating authority. This authority, now called Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), ensures that the U.S. has the credibility to conclude the best deal possible at the negotiating table. TPA also ensures common negotiating objectives between the president and the Congress and a continuous consultation process prior to final Congressional approval or disapproval of a trade agreement.
“Every president since Gerald Ford has received TPA. Thanks to opportunities created by trade agreements, U.S. agricultural exports in fiscal year 2014 soared to a new record of $152.5 billion propelling farm income also to new highs. Trade helps farmers, their suppliers, distributors and customers. Exports support rural economies and the U.S. economy as a whole through agricultural processing, ancillary services and a host of related businesses. This was true when each of us served as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and it is true now.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Nominate Your Favorite Farm Mom
for a Chance to Win a $10,000 Prize
Once again, we are recognizing America’s farm moms with the 2015 Farm Mom of the Year program.
Do you know a farm mom who amazes you every day with her contributions to her family, farm, community and agriculture? Nominate her for the chance to win $10,000 between Feb. 26 and March 31.
Anyone can nominate an outstanding farm mom. She can be your mother, sister, wife, daughter, friend or neighbor. She can even be you!
Tell us in 300 words or fewer how the farm mom you are nominating contributes to her family, farm, community and agriculture.
Entries will be accepted beginning on Feb. 26, 2015, through March 31, 2015, entrants can submit entries online or by mail. Regional winners will be announced April 25, 2015, and voting for the national winner runs from April 25 until May 5.
The American Agri-Women select the five regional winners. Each winner receives a $5,000 prize. The national winner receives an additional $5,000. To learn more about the regions, view the official contest rules and regulations.
Entries are judged based on:
- Supporting her family — What makes this mom really special to her family? What attributes are especially appreciated above and beyond all the daily tasks and responsibilities moms perform?
- Supporting her farm — Whether it’s keeping the books or driving a combine, how does the mom play an important role in the success of the family farm?
- Supporting her community — How does this mom contribute to her community through involvement in agriculture organizations or support for other community activities?
- Supporting agriculture — How does she share her passion for agriculture with others and how does she help educate consumers about ag?
Productivity and the Environment Focus
of International Conference
Debate over the sustainability of agriculture revolves, in part, around divergent beliefs about the implications of agricultural productivity growth for the environment. Yet understanding of how technological change and productivity growth in agriculture affect environmental outcomes is limited. The relationship of technological changes that drive agricultural productivity growth and the environment will be examined at a conference March 11-12, 2015, in Washington, D.C.
In both developed and developing nations, understanding agricultural productivity becomes more critical as population growth and climate changes put greater stress on water, soil and ocean resources. The March 11-12 conference will examine the latest research work on productivity measurement, tradeoffs between agriculture and environmental outcomes, new sources of data for measuring and valuing environmental services, and public policy options. Identifying research gaps is another goal of the workshop.
A related event is a Farm Foundation® Forum, which will be 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST Wednesday, March 11, at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C. The topic for this two-hour discussion is The Nexus of Technology, Agricultural Productivity and the Environment. The Forum opens with short presentations followed by discussion. Stephen Polasky, University of Minnesota, will discuss the value of environmental services. Derek Byerlee, an independent researcher and former rural policy advisor at the World Bank, will examine the constraints small-holder farmers face in increasing productivity while protecting the environment. Jerry Flint, DuPont/Pioneer, will provide a corporate perspective on sustainable agricultural intensification.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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