News Update
April 10, 2015
Young Farmers’ Top Concerns
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual outlook survey of participants in the Young Farmers & Ranchers Program (YF&R), finding and securing adequate land to grow crops and raise animals was once again the top challenge. That challenge was identified by 29% of respondents, followed by government regulations, which was identified by 13% of the respondents.
Other issues ranked as top concerns by young farmers and ranchers included the willingness of parents to turn over the reins, 10%; overall profitability, 10%; taxes and the availability of water, both 7%; and urbanization and the availability of ag financing, each coming in at 5%.
The 23rd annual YF&R survey also revealed that 84% of those surveyed are more optimistic about farming and ranching than they were five years ago. Last year, 91% of those surveyed said they were more optimistic about farming compared to five years ago.
Read the full Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA article.
USDA Invests in Critical Dam Rehabilitation
and Assessment Projects in 23 States
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 9 that $73 million is to be invested this year to rehabilitate and assess dams across the nation to ensure this critical infrastructure is protecting Americans from harm, securing public health and expanding water supplies in drought affected areas. About 150 projects and assessments in 23 states will be funded.
“Millions of people depend on watersheds and dams for protection from floods and to provide safe drinking water. With a changing and shifting climate, dams are also vital to holding stores of water for use during drought,” Vilsack said. “By investing in this critical infrastructure, we are helping to ensure a safe, resilient environment for agricultural producers and residents of rural America.”
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Assistant Chief Kirk Hanlin highlighted this round of watershed rehabilitation funding on Thursday near Alpine, Utah, where work is planned on Tibble Fork Dam to increase the water supply and improve flood damage protection for surrounding communities. This project is one of 19 in Utah that will receive nearly $30 million in overall funding.
Last year, NRCS made changes to the watershed rehabilitation program to allow for projects that also help increase water supply. Half of this year’s dam assessments, including 15 in drought-stricken California, will assess the feasibility of using watershed rehabilitation funds to mitigate drought.
There are nearly 12,000 dams across the United States. In addition to nearly 50 rehabilitation projects, NRCS is conducting 100 dam assessments in 13 states through the Watershed Rehabilitation Program.
Watershed projects across the nation provide an estimated $2.2 billion in annual benefits in reduced flooding and erosion damages, as well as improved recreation, water supplies and wildlife habitat for an estimated 47 million Americans. See a full list of projects.
For more information on NRCS conservation assistance, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted or a local USDA service center. You can read the complete news release online.
Wet Weather May Trigger Serious Wheat Rust Issues —
or Maybe Not
The prime wheat growing conditions throughout much of Texas this season should be a boon to most producers, but it could prove to be a bust for those not watching their crop closely, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert.
“Growing conditions for wheat have been excellent through the winter, but moist conditions also brought disease,” said David Drake, AgriLife Extension agronomist at San Angelo. “The potential for an outbreak of rust, a fungal disease, exists in Central Texas, and treatment may or may not be cost-effective depending on each field’s unique set of factors.”
Drake said high levels of stripe rust have been seen in many fields of seedling wheat with the orange powdery spores that earn the disease its name coating lower leaves and the boots of those walking through affected fields.
“This in itself shouldn’t be too alarming as many rust-resistant wheat varieties get the disease on seedling leaves but not on the upper leaves, and if they do, oftentimes it’s not spreading,” he said. “So before breaking out the fungicide, producers should be sure what they have is actively growing rust that will damage a potentially profitable crop.”
Drake said to evaluate a crop for treatment, producers should:
- Determine if the crop’s yield potential justifies the expense.
- Is the wheat a rust-susceptible variety?
- Is the disease actually present or has it been identified nearby?
- What is the plant growth stage?
- What are the predicted moisture and weather conditions?
- What treatments are available, what do they cost and when will they actually be applied?
“There are many area fields correctly being treated for these reasons, but there are also many that should not be treated due to one or more of these factors going against the success of the treatment,” he said.
Drake said results of annual AgriLife Extension wheat variety trials invariably fail to show an advantage to treating a resistant variety with a fungicide. Conversely, susceptible varieties with good yield potential have shown increased yield and test weights over several years of treatments.
Drake said specific information on rust and decision aids can be found at http://sickwheat.tamu.edu or at http://sanangelo.tamu.edu/agronomy or http://varietytesting.tamu.edu/wheat. Drake can be reached by email at
For more information, please view the full release.
Farm Tours Offered at Free Beginning
Veteran Farmer Workshop
Veterans are invited to attend a free beginning veteran farmer workshop, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, April 27, in Rolla, Mo.
The workshop provides information to help some of the more than 300,000 veterans expected to return to Missouri in the next decade, said Karen Funkenbusch, University of Missouri (MU) Extension safety and health specialist and director of the Missouri AgrAbility Project.
The majority of returning veterans are likely to return to rural areas where they lived before serving their country and many want to farm, Funkenbusch said.
A specialty production panel and a disability services panel will discuss resources for veteran farmers.
Sarah Massengale, MU Extension community development specialist in Dent County, said the event includes two farm tours:
The Tomazi farm north of St. James features a commercial beef cattle operation and the Knee Deep Farm in Cuba offers a look at a high tunnel operation where produce is grown for farmers’ markets. Knee Deep Farm also has a family-run cattle operation. Grazing systems at both farms will be discussed.
The tours require some walking, Massengale said. If you need special accommodations, call 573-729-3196.
The event begins at the St. Pat’s Ballroom A, Havener Center, 1346 N. Bishop Ave., Rolla. To register, call the MU Extension Center in Dent County at 573-729-3196, or email hultines@missouri.edu.
Free lunch is provided by MFA. MU Extension, the Center for Rural Affairs and Missouri AgrAbility sponsor the event.
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