News Update
January 17, 2018
Wildland Fire Risk is Above Normal
in Central, Southern Plains
The central and southern Plains, including much of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas have a higher than usual potential of wildland fire through April, according to Kansas State University (K-State) scientists and a government organization that assesses such risks.
In its latest report, the National Interagency Coordination Center shows an elevated risk because of dry conditions in several states. The center is composed of representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Emergency Management Administration, and the National Association of State Foresters.
The report, the National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook, provides an assessment of current weather and fuel conditions and how they will evolve in the coming months in order to assist fire managers in making decisions that will improve protection of life, property and natural resources, increase firefighter safety and effectiveness, and reduce firefighting costs.
For the months of February through April in Kansas, the outlook highlights all but the northeast part of the state as having above-normal significant large fire potential that would require the mobilization of resources beyond the typical local response.
For more information, read the K-State news release online.
Low Temperatures Will Help Some Producers,
Cause Minimal Damage for Others
Cold temperatures should not negatively impact Texas crops and could benefit some, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
Less than halfway through winter, most of the state has already experienced temperatures below the average value for the coldest day of the year, but only by a few degrees, said John Nielsen-Gammon, state climatologist, College Station.
January is the coldest month on average for Texas, and 2018 has started as one of the coldest in almost 20 years.
Waco reported the most extreme temperature based on annual averages, he said. In an average year, the temperature reaches 16°, but this year it has already been as cold as 12°.
“The minimum temperature so far places this winter among the five coldest winters since 1989-1990 across the entire northern half of the state, though the December 1989 cold snap would put them all to shame,” he said.
Follett, near the Oklahoma border in the northeast corner of the Panhandle, reported the state’s lowest temperatures to date, -4°. Tulia, just south of Amarillo, reported -1°, while Decatur, northwest of Fort Worth, reported 4°.
Read this AgriLife news release online.
Purple Plow Challenge: Growing Your Community
Runs Through May 1
Growing Your Community is the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s latest Purple Plow challenge. The interactive challenge, which runs through May 1, asks students to research, design, construct, test and report on a solution to combating food insecurity in their communities. The top three entries will win a 3-D printer and Visa gift card to help buy supplies for future maker challenges. In addition, all teams who complete the spring challenge by the deadline will be entered into a drawing for one of eight $500 grants.
The Purple Plow challenge is a great project for a multitude of groups with students in fifth to eighth grade, including maker spaces, after-school programs, in-school lessons, 4-H clubs, library learning, scout troops and more.
“Purple Plow projects provide students a way to learn by doing. Each challenge encourages students to explore agricultural topics through hands-on learning,” said Julia Recko, director of education outreach at the Foundation.
The Foundation’s Purple Plow contest runs seasonally throughout the year. All challenges are written by teachers, align to national learning standards and are reviewed by industry experts.
Keep reading this Farm Bureau news release online.
Farming for the Future Program
Farmers and ranchers are currently experiencing one of the biggest downturns in history with many parallels to the 1980s. Planning for the future is critical for the short-term viability of the farm business but also for the long-term growth and sustainability of the farming legacy.
This program will offer a host of outlook talks to assist in planning for the upcoming years. Having a grasp of input costs and projected prices can assist in making equipment purchasing decisions, land rental arrangements, cattle and grain marketing plans, and much more. Managing a farm’s financials will also be discussed, as it pertains to the current economic times.
At the end of the program there will be sign-up opportunities to work one-on-one with a K-State Farm Analyst. These appointments will be locally offered approximately three weeks after the Farming for the Future program to assist producers in gathering their financial information and planning for the upcoming year and future direction of their business.
Registration fee for this program is $20.00 in advance (five days prior to meeting date) or $30.00 at the door. The Emporia, Kan., conference has been reschedule to Jan. 22, 2018.
For more information, see the full release online.
Mid-South Stocker Conference coming March 7
The beef industry ebbs and flows with the weather, market prices, fuel and other input costs. With the added influence of external forces such as national and world politics, economics, animal rights and consumer perceptions, beef producers have much to manage and overcome to be profitable.
The 2018 Mid-South Stocker Conference aims to help stocker operators pursue greater profits as they produce and market feeder cattle as efficiently as possible. Beef specialists from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the University of Tennessee will host the conference March 7 at the Logan County Cooperative Extension office in Russellville.
“The stocker phase of beef production really fits the landscapes of Kentucky and other mid-South states because of abundant, quality forages that equate to efficient weight gains,” said Jeff Lehmkuhler, UK extension beef specialist. “We’ve partnered with Tennessee for this conference for more than 10 years, and we’re looking forward to offering participants current, research-based information to help them have successful ventures.”
Sessions will begin at 9 a.m. Central and include topics such as mineral supplementation, alternative forage options for stockers and confinement cattle housing considerations.
For more information please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events.
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