News Update
May 26, 2009

‘Sweet Heifer’ Connects Youth to Angus

In the “Thumb” of Michigan a group of cattle producers work diligently to ensure that youth who have the desire to learn about beef production and showing cattle have that opportunity.  Longtime Angus breeders Doug and Vicki Meiburg are two of the producers who have been involved with the Thumb Jackpot Show, which has moved around the seven-county region for the past 18 years as a way to give youth a “practice show” before their county fairs.

“We hire a nationally known judge from out of state to teach our youth about showing and showmanship,” Doug explains.  He says anywhere between about 120-160 head of cattle and between 90-120 youth participate in the annual event that takes place in a different county each spring.

In addition to the Thumb Jackpot Beef Show, the group added Beef Blast to the 4-H and FFA Thumb Jackpot Beef Educational Program about five years ago as an educational endeavor that provides hands-on learning to the youth. Youth explore the life cycle of a steer from conception to the dinner plate during these educational programs. They learn firsthand about breeding, giving shots, balancing rations and carcass evaluation through field trips to various farms and beef industry businesses.

In Spring 2008, a donation to their scholarship fund was made from fellow Angus breeder Lee Sweet, Deckerville, Mich. Lee sold a heifer at his dispersal sale, with half of the proceeds designated to the Paul DeLong Memorial Scholarship — part of the 4-H and FFA Thumb Jackpot Beef Educational Program — and half to the Michigan Angus Auxiliary. Lee had been diagnosed with cancer and dispersed his herd in 2008.  The jackpot committee decided to take the donated heifer one step further by purchasing the donated heifer to start a heifer program that would afford youth the opportunity to have a heifer to raise and then market her offspring to get the chance at the production side of the cow-calf business. Lee donated that first heifer, and the “Sweet Heifer Project” was created. Click here to read more.

— Article provided by the American Angus Association.

Hired Workers Down 2%, Wage Rates up 3% From a Year Ago

There were 903,000 hired workers on U.S. farms and ranches during the week of April 12-18, 2009, down 2% from a year ago, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).  Of these hired workers, 680,000 workers were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 223,000 workers.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $10.84 per hour during the April 2009 reference week, up 27¢ from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $9.99 per hour, up 34¢ from last April, while livestock workers earned $10.25 per hour compared with $10.24 a year earlier.  The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $10.07 per hour, was up 23¢ from last year.

The number of hours worked averaged 40.1 hours for hired workers during the survey week, down 2% from a year ago.

The largest decreases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in California and in the Corn Belt I (Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio), Northeast II (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania), Appalachian II (Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia), and Pacific (Oregon and Washington) regions.

In California, below-normal snowpack has led to serious cutbacks in available irrigation water. Therefore, considerable acreage has been left fallow, reducing the demand for field workers. Persistent rain and wet conditions in the Corn Belt I region curtailed most field activities, so fewer hired workers were required. In the Northeast II and Appalachian II regions, the cool, wet spring kept crop development behind normal, lessening the need for field workers.  Small grain planting in the Pacific region was considerably behind the normal pace due to cool temperatures and wet soils. Therefore, field worker demand was lower than the previous year.

The largest increases in the number of hired workers from last year occurred in the Southern Plains, (Oklahoma and Texas), Delta (Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi), Southeast (Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina), Lake (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) and Mountain III (Arizona and New Mexico) regions.  Declining pasture conditions in the Southern Plains region led to increased supplemental feeding and increased the demand for livestock workers. Also, cotton planting in southern Texas gained momentum, so more field workers were required. In the Delta region, continued strong demand from the nursery and greenhouse industries resulted in more hired workers. High demand from poultry operations in the Southeast region pushed worker numbers above last year. In the Lake region, drier conditions compared with last year’s extremely wet reference week led to increased worker demand.

Snowstorms in New Mexico caused livestock stress and more supplemental feeding in the Mountain III region. Also, cotton planting in Arizona was in full swing. These factors led to a greater need for hired workers.

Hired worker wage rates were generally above a year ago in most regions. The largest increases occurred in the Pacific, Northeast II, Appalachian I (North Carolina and Virginia), Mountain I (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming), and Southern Plains regions. The higher wages in the Pacific region were due to more salaried workers working fewer hours. In the Northeast II region, a higher percentage of nursery and greenhouse workers caused the average wage to increase. The higher wages in the Appalachian I, Mountain I and Southern Plains regions were due to a lower proportion of part-time workers.

— Report provided by the NASS.

Western Resources Legal Center Takes On Sage Grouse Case for PLC

The Public Lands Council (PLC) announced today the Western Resources Legal Center (WRLC) will be representing them on a case involving the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The WRLC will assist PLC to intervene on behalf of BLM on a case brought against BLM by environmental groups. The case challenges BLM range, mineral development, and vegetation treatment decisions in Idaho and Nevada under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), and other statutes for failure to adequately consider the impact of these decisions on sage grouse habitat.

“The Bureau of Land Management is tasked with meeting its responsibilities to wildlife while still supporting ranching,” Jeff Eisenberg, executive director of PLC, says. “Their decisions on the sage grouse habitat reflect that dual priority. If these decisions are overturned, it could harm Western ranchers and their ability to raise cattle for our nation.”

— Adapted from a release provided by PLC.

Time to Think Spring Farm Safety

The agricultural industry is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States because of the broad risks associated with the occupation. First of all, there are many risks associated with the mechanical operations of farm equipment. Many moving parts and wheels make this an important area of concern.

Second, one of the associated risks encountered deals with chemical hazards. Farmers utilize a broad range of pesticides and fertilizers that have safety requirements associated with their use. The use of these products should merit concern, and directions should be followed.

Third, there are the potential environmental hazards with the occupation. The hours involved are typically long due to the limited amount of time to properly time crop planting, spraying, etc. The environment for the occupation is often adverse for the ideal safety measures, but they still need to be taken.

Research from the National Safety Council indicates that 700 farmers and ranchers die in work-related accidents yearly. Most every farm family and rural community knows of someone that has been one of these statistics. The sad part is that a majority of these accidents are preventable. Agricultural industry statistics also indicate that another 120,000 agricultural workers suffer disabling injuries from work-related accidents.

One of the recent trends in the agricultural industry is an increase in the amount of land that is farmed by a farmer. The amount of land farmed makes crop producers push harder to cover more acres in the same amount of time. Weather conditions play a big part in how hard the farmer needs to push to do their work in the allotted time.

Another trend is the size increase of equipment utilized for production. Farm implements have gotten a lot larger in recent years to help facilitate covering more acres per farmer. This equipment can be dangerous in the field and roadways due to the sheer size, power, and length of implements and judging distances associated.

Parallel to the number of acres increasing for farmers is also the age of farmers. Farmers tend to continue working on the farm past their mid-60s into their 70s and beyond. These older-generation farmers often use more prescribed medications, work with physical disabilities, and also suffer from hearing loss. These farmers are at a heightened risk for work-related injuries and death.

Finally, children are also at a special risk for farm-related accidents. There are typically 200-plus deaths every year among children, and many of these situations occur when they are innocent bystanders or passengers on farm equipment.

Be sure to think about all the mechanical, chemical, and environmental hazards associated with your work. Do your best to follow the safest procedures to ensure safety for everyone involved. Remember that accidents can happen at any time and those at risk range from youth to senior farmers. To help avoid accidents, be sure that everyone communicates the importance of safety and practices safety in the work they do.

The National Safety Council has more helpful information to help you stay safe on the farm at www.nsc.org/resources/issues/agrisafe.aspx.

University of Minnesota Extension has also aggregated farm safety publications at www.extension.umn.edu/topics.html?topic=4&subtopic=78.

— Release provided by the University of Minnesota Extension.

— Compiled by Crystal Albers, associate editor, Angus Productions Inc.