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This week, the focus on the upcoming farm bill was in the Senate. It
seems nothing is as it seems at first blush in the political arena these
days; everything is packaged and presented so agreeably that the first
impulse is to say: "Gee, that makes sense." It isn't until you explore
the intended and unintended consequences that the true picture and the
fallout become clear.
We should be accustomed to this by now in the U.S. beef industry, as
extremist environmental groups have been proficient at this for quite
some time. They would devise a politically appetizing name like "Save
the Bears," failing to mention that such a measure would seriously
impact private-property rights or increase wildfire threats. Or worse,
in practice, the measure might even be seriously disadvantageous to
bears.
The current machinations going on with the farm bill is no different.
When one lifts up the rug to look under the nice titles and the
rhetorical jargon, these proposed amendments to the farm bill become
clear for what they are.
With a proper and unenlightened spin, banning packer ownership of
livestock might sound like a good idea. But it's simply an attempt to
eliminate competition, have the government choose winners and losers in
the market, and legislate the industry back to a one-price-for-everyone
commodity system by eliminating innovative marketing practices.
-- Troy Marshall
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 Camp
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Critics on one side are complaining that the farm bill is simply
looking like more of the same. They argue that farm income is at record
levels, yet the farm-subsidy system has largely been left untouched.
We're missing a great opportunity to institute substantive reform to the
farm bill, they say.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by
Troy Marshall
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In the latest issue of Newsweek, there's a thought-provoking article
called "The End of Exceptionalism." The author Fareed Zakaria begins by
stating -- "The U.S. has always thought of itself as exceptional, but
nowadays we are standing apart for the wrong things."
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by
Troy Marshall
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 Gallagher has a field staff of 26 fencing professionals
willing to come to your farm or ranch to review your needs,
troubleshoot your problem or simply discuss your future plans.
Rotational grazing, predator problems, horse fencing or any fence
related issue; we will likely be able to provide you with an effective
and affordable solution!
Check out the Gallagher web site for the professional
nearest you.
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Expect a very warm winter across much of the U.S., with only the
Northwest receiving average or above average cold and snow. That lack of
precipitation could be problematic for the drought-stricken South,
however.
That's the 2007-08 winter forcast from Joe Bastardi, www.AccuWeather.com chief
long-range forecaster.
"November into December and March and April will be closest to what we
consider winter weather, with the chance of cold and snowy conditions.
But once we're into the heart of winter, from mid and late December into
February, we may see one of the top-10 warmest winters ever recorded for
the southeastern U.S.," Bastardi says, adding that the core of the warm
weather will be centered over the Tennessee Valley and the Carolinas.
In fact, the 2007-08 winter may be as warm as the winters of 1998-99 and
2001-02, both warmer-than-average seasons. "More than 75% of the days
this winter may have temperatures above normal in most of the nation,
southeast of a line that runs from the Great Lakes to the Southwest.
Only the Pacific Northwest should experience cooler-than-normal
temperatures," Bastardi says.
AccuWeather.com believes that the combination of what may be a
top-five La Niña event combined with a cycle of warming water
temperatures in the Atlantic are the key signals to the coming winter
season.
-- AccuWeather.com news release
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Colorado has long been a popular tourist destination. But a wide
range of ag in the state has sparked a new kind of tourist and a new
revenue source for ag producers.
According to Colorado State University research, 13.2 million tourists
experiencing Colorado's ag offerings pumped an estimated $2.2 billion in
total economic activity into the state in 2006.
About $1.26 billion came through direct economic contributions to the
agritourism operators and their surrounding lodging, dining and retail
businesses. Ancillary business activities to support the tourism sector
accounted for almost another $1 billion. Those totals accounted for 14%
of the total Colorado tourism industry in 2006, according to the
research.
Top choices for agritourism activities include on-farm experiences such
as camping and picnicking, photography and art, and bird and wildlife
watching. Culinary- and heritage-oriented activities such as farmer's
markets, food festivals and historical museums and sites, based on
pioneer and ranching history of the West were also of great interest,
the research found.
-- Colorado State University release
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Naturally keeping it simple. Charolais' influence on the nation's cow
herd is all about keeping it simple. Progressive producers know they can
reduce implants and take advantage of heterosis by using Charolais.
Stamp your calf crop with a smokey color respected throughout the beef
industry. www.charolaisusa.com
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Through Nov. 11, a beef industry partnership with Old Chicago
restaurants is serving up a "Meat Up at Old Chicago" menu featuring
three new beef items. With a $40,000 investment from the beef checkoff
and use of its logo, the Old Chicago chain is investing more than
$400,000 in point-of-sale materials, media buys and other support in
select markets.
Eighty-five restaurants are participating in the promotion with the goal
of selling 30 entrees/day/item. Old Chicago purchases more than 2
million lbs. of beef/year.
The menu items include:
- Steak 'n Shroom Sandwich -- a 4-oz. portion of grilled sliced Flap
Meat steak, oven-roasted mushrooms and melted cheese drizzled with tasty
horseradish mayo on a garlic butter toasted French roll.
- Philly Steak Stromboli -- a 4-oz. portion of marinated sliced Flap
Meat steak, fire-roasted onions and peppers, mushrooms, melted Swiss and
Mozzarella cheeses baked in homemade Pizzini bread.
- OC Classic Steak and Mushrooms -- 8-oz. USDA Choice top sirloin
steak charbroiled and smothered with oven-roasted mushrooms.
-- Beef checkoff news release
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It's not just Southern California -- conditions throughout much of
the Southwest are ripe for wildfires like those seen in 2006. And
experts are passing on life- and property-saving advice.
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
Texas A&M University release
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The first step in a value-added food chain. Rely on the power of
Angus data, industry leading technology, continuing research and
unmatched value-added marketing opportunities. Angus, the power of
people and progress.
www.angus.org
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In the past two election cycles, says John Queen, National
Cattlemen's Beef Association president, we have lost more ag leadership
in the U.S. House and Senate than ever before. We will lose more this
next election. Combine that with an activist community that is more
active than ever, and if we're not politically active, we're in trouble.
That's why Queen encourages cattle producers to keep sending letters and
making phone calls to their elected representatives. "Interest groups
that speak the most and loudest get the attention of that Congressman or
Senator," he says. "Don't get complacent. It doesn't matter if you have
a 50-head cow herd or a 500-head cow herd, we can't sit on the sidelines
any more."
-- Burt Rutherford
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"Using Animal Behavior to Manage Grazing" is the topic of the Dec. 4
meeting co-sponsored by Brule Buffalo Lyman Bootstraps and the South
Dakota Grasslands Coalition (SDGLC). Addressing participants is Fred
Provenza, a Utah State University professor known for his studies on
animal grazing behavior. The lecture starts at 9 a.m. at the Cedar Shore
Resort in Oacoma, SD. Registration fees include a handout and CD, lunch
and breaks. Before Nov. 20, SDGLC members pay $50 ($65/non-member) and
$75 ($90/non-member) after that. For more info, contact Julie Williams
at 605-894-4363 or wagner@midstatesd.net.
-- South Dakota Grassland Coalition news release
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What's the item that college students say is most necessary? It's no
longer beer, says Lowell Catlett, dean of the New Mexico State
University college of ag. It's an iPod.
That's important to cattlemen because of the philosophical change it
represents. People can now choose exactly what music they listen to
instead of relying on a radio station to make that choice for them.
They're also going to choose exactly what kind of food they will eat
instead of relying on someone else to make that decision.
"People afford what they want," he says, and we won't be in a commodity
market much longer. "Never in the history of the world has there been as
much money as there is today. By 2012, we will have 2 billion people who
will have risen from poverty to the middle class. We have 1 billion now.
Never in the history of the world has that happened."
Those new middle-class citizens will be in a position to make food
choices they were unable to make before, he says, and it will affect how
we produce and market beef.
-- Burt Rutherford
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Scours weather happens. Are you ready?
A recent survey
of 50 veterinarians and 151 producers in the Great Plains showed:
- A greater incidence of scours last season, mostly due to severe
weather in this hard-hit area
- 97 percent of vets who used Scour Bos reported that it met or
exceeded their expectations despite the weather challenge
- 99 percent of producers said they would use a scours vaccine for
pregnant cows prior to the upcoming calving season
- 47 percent of vets said they would use Scour Bos in 2008 season vs.
37 percent using ScourGuard and 8 percent using Guardian
Click
here for more details. Call your veterinarian to set up your
preg-check appointment and ask for Scour Bos 9.
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Passing the farm on to the next generation is the focus of a Kansas
State University (KSU) workshop series set for two locations. Topics
discussed during the "Keeping the Family Farming" workshops include: a
financial analysis of the operation, developing a fair plan for passing
the farm on, planning for retirement, evaluating the goals of each
family member, evaluating the financial feasibility of adding another
generation to the operation and estate planning.
The two-workshop series will be offered at two locations: Dec. 7-8 and
Jan. 25-26 in Junction City; and Dec. 14-15 and Feb. 1-2 in Hays.
Participants must register by Nov. 14. Registration is $200/family of
four and is limited to 30 families at each location.
For more info, visit www.agmanager.info/Transitions/2007
or contact KSU's Rodney Jones at 785-532-1957.
-- KSU news release
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The Senate Ag Committee's farm bill includes a Livestock Title
addressing a number of issues including animal health, livestock
markets, and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA). Among
the provisions are:
-- Click on headline to read the rest of this
story by
P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C. correspondent
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The annual meeting of the Missouri Forage and Grasslands Council
(MFGC), set for Nov. 5-6 at The Resort at Port Arrowhead in Lake Ozark,
will look at direct marketing from the farm, community food systems,
marketing alliances and grass-fed beef cooperatives.
Registration fee, which covers educational materials and three meals,
including the awards banquet Monday night, is $75, or $120/couple for
MFGC members; and $105, or $150/couple for non-members. Registration
fees increase by $15 on Oct. 29.
To register, call 573-499-0886 or e-mail mfgc@mchsi.com. Send payment to
MFGC, PMB 225, 2000 East Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201-6091.
-- Missouri Forage and Grasslands Council release
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Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is one of most dreaded animal diseases
worldwide. As witnessed with the 2001 FMD crisis in Great Britain, the
disease can spread widely and rapidly among animal populations wreaking
havoc on a region's economy.
To address the FMD threat and strengthen the livestock industry's
defenses against the potentially devastating disease, a special summit
will be held in Billings, MT, Dec. 12. The summit is specifically
designed for the needs and concerns of states included in the Region V
Federation of State Beef Councils -- Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho,
Washington and Oregon. A majority of the funding for the summit will be
provided by beef checkoff dollars.
"Our beef producers recognize this disease could grow from a local
problem to a national crisis literally in a matter of hours," says
Charlene Schuster, executive director of the Montana Beef Council. "This
summit is designed to address the issues related to preventing,
detecting and responding to a FMD crisis in this country."
The summit is a joint effort of the Montana Beef Council and the Montana
Beef Quality Assurance program at Montana State University.
The summit will showcase information generated from other FMD cases and
investigations, outline government crisis planning and present an
opportunity to discuss critical issues related to preventing, detecting
and responding to a FMD outbreak in this country.
There's no registration fee, but RSVPs are required. Contact Schuster at
406-656-3336 or charlene@montanabeefcouncil.org.
-- Clint Peck
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The U.S. average retail price for regular gasoline jumped 6.1¢
last week (as of Oct. 22), while retail diesel added 5.5¢.
The $2.823/gal. price for gasoline is 61.5¢ higher than last year,
with all regions posting increases. The West Coast added 8.6¢ to
$3.065, while California hit $3.143, up 9¢ from last week and
66.2¢ over last year. The East Coast jumped 5.7¢ to $2.788,
the Gulf Coast was up 6.1¢ to $2.703, and the Midwest added
5.3¢ to $2.788. At 5¢, the Rocky Mountains tallied the
smallest gain and settled at $2.845.
Meanwhile, the average retail diesel price of $3.094/gal. is 57¢
more than last year, and the highest since Oct. 24, 2005. All regions
were up. The East Coast increased 5.5¢ to $3.078, the Midwest
4.2¢ to $3.067, and the Gulf Coast ended up at $2.994. The Rocky
Mountain region added 6¢ ($3.229), while the West Coast rose
9.4¢ to a record $3.323. California was up 8.9¢ to $3.338, a
record price for the state.
-- Energy Information Administration
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The Senate Ag Committee's farm bill renews the Foreign Market
Development Program (FMD) and the Market Access Program (MAP). The bill
increases FMD funding for FMD by $22 million, and $94 million for MAP.
These are two very important programs for the livestock, meat and
poultry industries to compete in and open overseas markets.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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The Senate Ag Committee passed its version of the 2007 farm bill
this week. Called "The Food and Energy Security Act," the farm bill is
expected to move to the full Senate for consideration as early as next
week or the following. As soon as the Senate completes action, the
House-Senate conference committee will begin working out the differences
between the two passed bills. The leadership of the House and Senate Ag
Committees want to finalize the farm bill and send it to the President
before Congress adjourns this year. Watch next week's issue for more
details on the Senate Ag Committee's action.
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Senators Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) say they'll
offer an amendment to tighten payment limitations during the Senate's
consideration of the farm bill. The amendment would place a "hard cap"
of $250,000 on crop subsidies per farmer, a cut from the current
$360,000. The payments would be tracked to an individual and would
require 1,000 hours of labor or management by the recipients who do not
provide land, equipment or capital for a farm.
Dorgan said, "The farm program no longer works the way it was intended
to work. It was intended to help family farmers get through tough times.
Today, too often, it helps giant corporate farms pad their balance
sheet. We intend to change that. The way the farm program works today
diverts needed resources away from family farmers."
-- P. Scott Shearer, Washington, D.C.
correspondent
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Industry issues, cow-calf nutrition, management practices,
reproductive management, animal health, selection and genetics, range
and forage management, and markets and marketing cattle make up the fare
of the Range Beef Cow Symposium XX set for Dec. 11-13 in Fort Collins,
CO at the Larimer County Fairgrounds. Visit www.rangebeefcow.com or ansci.colostate.edu/ for more
info.
The meeting is held every other year and is co-sponsored by animal
science departments and Extension programs of Colorado State University,
University of Wyoming, University of Nebraska, and South Dakota State
University. The educational program is aimed at the cow-calf sector and
offers practical, science-based production info.
A popular feature of the meeting is the evening "Bull Pen Sessions,"
which allow attendees to meet with speakers in small groups. A trade
show is also part of the program.
Registration is $80 before Nov. 21, and $120 after that date. Day
registrations are also available.
-- Colorado State University news release
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Canada's Foragebeef.ca offers these tips for minimizing feed
waste during winter feeding periods:
-- Click
on headline to read the rest of this story by
Foragebeef.ca
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Tax Management For Ag Producers, set for Nov. 27 at 11 interactive
video sites in North Dakota, is aimed at producers and tax preparers.
The 1-4 p.m. program is sponsored by North Dakota State University
(NDSU) Extension and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Experts will provide tax updates and discuss work opportunity credits,
health savings accounts and charitable giving. Other topics
include:- Income averaging for capital gains tax strategies.
- North Dakota property-tax relief and credits for charitable
deductions.
- IRS issues, such as the kiddie tax, changes in form 8332 and audit
priorities.
- Medicaid issues, such as the tax implications of Medicaid transfer
of farm real estate.
Q&A periods are also part of the three-hour
program.
Seating is limited and pre-registration ($12) is required.
The interactive video sites include: Bismarck State College, Bismarck;
Lake Region State College, Devils Lake; Arntzen Building, Minot State
University, Bottineau; Dickinson State University, Dickinson; NDSU,
Fargo; University of North Dakota, Grand Forks; State Hospital,
Jamestown; North Dakota State College of Science, Wahpeton; Cavalier
County Courthouse, Langdon; and NDSU Research Extension Centers in Minot
and Williston.
For more info, call NDSU Extension at 701-231-8642.
-- NDSU Extension news release
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