News Update
March 29, 2017
It’s All Good
I love calving season each year, but this one will be hard to beat. I used to do this in the winter on my northeast Kansas farm, starting in February. Heifers were due on pasture leases the first of May, so the family consensus was that we could not wait much more than a week for synchronized artificial insemination (AI) in early May.
There’s been no real change in the breeding date over the last 20 years, but winter here has retreated. This year, the short month was so mild we didn’t exaggerate to call it spring calving. As one result, we calved the first quarter of our herd a month before the first day of spring with no losses.
Our calves should be the healthiest ever. Each was up and nursing within minutes, getting a full dose of immunizing colostrum and then dozing in comfort.
I have to think back 36 years to my first calving season here with a couple dozen registered-Continental cows. Winter was an obvious challenge in February and March, and even mature cows could have problems.
Continue reading this Angus Media news article online.
2017 National Ag Day
Hundreds of agribusiness professionals, media, association and government officials came together at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on March 21, as part of agriculture’s annual National Ag Day celebration.
The morning event was organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA), the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), the American Agricultural Editors’ Association (AAEA) and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and commenced with a panel on SMART Farming: Producing Sustainable, Nutritious Food for Life.
Moderated by Greg Horstmeier, DTN editor-in-chief, panelists addressed how today’s farmers and ranchers use the latest technology and methods to grow and raise more sustainable food with less impact on our environment.
For more information, view the news release online.
Subcommittee Examines the Future of SNAP
Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson (PA-5), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Nutrition, hosted a hearing to discuss the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of the hearing series to set the stage for the next farm bill.
During the 114th Congress, the committee completed a comprehensive review of SNAP — known as the Past, Present and Future of SNAP — which helped members gain a better understanding of the program and the population it serves, and it also brought attention to areas in need of improvement.
“SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net and is currently responsible for putting food on the table for nearly 43 million Americans. The program has seen considerable growth and changes in participation in recent years, which is why this committee conducted a top-to-bottom review of SNAP during the 114th Congress to gain a better understanding of the program and the population it serves,” Thompson said.
Learn more by reading the news release online.
Judge Approves Settlement to Protect Farmers’ Privacy
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) closed the final chapter March 27 of their lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) release of farmer and rancher personal information, when a federal judge approved a settlement that secures the private information of thousands of livestock and poultry farmers in 36 states.
“This lawsuit has won a major victory for personal privacy,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Months ago, we won a court decision that vindicates the rights of farmers and all Americans to protect their personal information from dissemination by the government. This settlement is the final step, requiring that EPA scrub all personal information from the records involved and train its staff on the proper handling of personal information.”
AFBF and NPPC filed the lawsuit in 2013 after the EPA released a vast compilation of spreadsheets containing personal information about farmers and ranchers in 29 states who raise livestock and poultry, in some cases including the names of farmers, ranchers and sometimes other family members, home addresses, email addresses, GPS coordinates, and telephone numbers.
Continue reading this Farm Bureau news release online.
American Angus Association Member Notice
Preparations for the 2017 Annual Convention of Delegates have begun. The American Angus Association will mail delegate nomination forms only to active regular and life members who qualify as eligible voting members prior to the deadline of 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT) on April 7, 2017.
To be active and eligible, you must be at least 18 years of age, as well as a life or regular member, when the nomination period begins (April 10, 2017). Dues must be current and paid in full. In addition, you must have registered at least one animal or have conducted a minimum $250 worth of business with the American Angus Association or Angus Genetics Inc. within the 12 months preceding the nomination period (April 10, 2016-April 7, 2017).
Please make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements by the close of business (4:30 p.m. CDT) April 7. Members can determine their eligibility status through AAA Login at My Account > Your American Angus Association Information.
The Association’s annual meeting will be convened Monday, Nov. 6, during the Angus Convention in Fort Worth, Texas.
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