News Update
August 12, 2011
Tennessee Field Day Aug. 20
The Tennessee Angus Association is hosting a Field Day Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. Central at Shady Brook Angus Farm (GPS address) 67 Pebble Hill, Leoma, TN 38468.
A variety of speakers from the animal industry will be on hand, including Bryce Schumann of the American Angus Association and Tonya Amen of Pfizer Animal Genetics. The Tennessee Junior Angus Association will be promoting their co-hosting of the 2012 National Junior Angus Show (NJAS), along with Julius Johnson, Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture and Charles Hoard of the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association.
In addition, there will be a wide variety of semen companies, feed and animal health suppliers and agricultural dealers present.
The day will conclude with an auction of the prime pages of the 2012 Tennessee Angus directory and a semen auction, making the event a great time to begin planning for the fall breeding season. Contact Loretta Davis at 931-205-7230 or by email at tnangus@gmail.com for more details.
AGree Announces Distinguished Research Committee
AGree, a new initiative to transform food and agricultural policy, today unveiled the members of its Research Committee, which will provide expert advice on research and analysis needed to better understand food and agriculture systems in order to help AGree develop effective policy solutions.
The Research Committee is composed of a diverse group of individuals and perspectives from the academic community who provide a wealth of scientific food and agriculture knowledge matched with a working understanding of federal policy and markets. The Committee will guide the commissioning of analytical studies and thought pieces on AGree’s issues, as well as participate in and facilitate informative panels that lead to a better understanding across academic and policy fields.
AGree’s mission is to transform food and agriculture policy to address the tremendous challenges we face at home and abroad: feeding a growing population, enhancing environmental sustainability, and ensuring our farmers and rural communities have a bright future. The Research Committee is a core component of AGree’s strategy to improve our food and agriculture systems through policy changes that incorporate some of the brightest thinking and best data available.
“The Research Committee will consider what research and thinking are needed to inform new developments in the food and agriculture sphere, providing valuable insight into our problems and solutions,” said Mil Duncan, research director for AGree. “We’re fortunate that thinkers of such stature — and with such busy schedules — are excited about this opportunity and have been able to commit their time to AGree.”
The committee members were handpicked through a highly selective process, with each coming strongly recommended from their peers.
“Each member of the committee has a reputation for being a rigorous researcher with a penchant for seeking to answer tough questions and a commitment to integrative work,” said Deborah Atwood, executive director of AGree. “The co-chairs and I are thrilled to be bringing their efforts and experience together under AGree.”
The members of the research committee are:
- Bruce Babcock — professor of economics and director for the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University;
- Chris Barrett — Stephen B. and Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management and international professor of agriculture at Cornell;
- Ken Cassman — systems agronomist at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and chair of the Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research;
- Douglas Jackson-Smith — professor and director of graduate studies in sociology at Utah State University;
- John Reganold — regents professor of soil science and agroecology at Washington State University;
- Beatrice “Bea” Rogers — professor of economics and food policy and director of the Food Policy and Applied Nutrition Program at Tufts University;
- Katherine “Kitty” Smith — chief economist and vice president for programs at American Farmland Trust;
- Tom Tomich — professor and founding director of the UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute; and
- Parke Wilde — associate professor in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
To view the full bios and pictures of the Research Committee visit www.foodandagpolicy.org/about-us/research_committee_bios.
The co-chairs of AGree are Dan Glickman, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under President Bill Clinton and a former congressman from Kansas for 18 years; Gary Hirshberg, chairman, president and “CE-Yo” of Stonyfield Farm; Jim Moseley, former deputy secretary at the USDA under President George W. Bush and Indiana farmer for more than 40 years; and, Emmy Simmons, former assistant administrator for economic growth, agriculture, and trade at the U.S. Agency for International Development and a board member for several organizations engaged in international agriculture and global development.
AGree is funded by the Ford Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation.
Midwest Soil Improvement Symposium is August 2
New uses for gypsum in agriculture will be highlighted at the Midwest Soil Improvement Symposium: Research and Practical Insights into Using Gypsum scheduled for Aug. 23. The event will be at the University of Wisconsin, Arlington Agricultural Research Station. Registration is at 7:30 a.m.
The symposium will explore the impact of gypsum application on crop productivity, including for corn, soybeans, alfalfa and specialty crops, and its impact on soil and water quality. Research findings and application recommendations will be presented, as well as background on gypsum production and safety. In addition, there will be two panel discussions featuring growers experienced in using gypsum on their farms.
“Applying byproduct gypsum is a good method of recycling. What would normally be landfilled is now being used to supply plant fertility needs. Gypsum is an excellent source of calcium and sulfur for crops,” says Richard Wolkowski, a University of Wisconsin-Madison senior scientist and extension soil scientist (emeritus) and co-host for the symposium.
“Furthermore, there is evidence to show gypsum has a positive effect on soil properties, and our trials have shown that applications of gypsum may reduce the concentration of soluble phosphorus in the soil, which is important from an environmental standpoint,” Wolkowski says.
“When gypsum is applied at rates of one to two tons per acre per year, we are seeing that tight, compacted clay soils will loosen over time and become easier to work,” says Ron Chamberlain, director of gypsum programs for Beneficial Reuse Management, marketer of Gypsoil™ brand gypsum.
“Increased water infiltration, less soil erosion and evidence of an improved biological environment with more earthworms deep into the soil profile are also evident.”
Symposium presenters include:
- Wolkowski and Meghan Buckley of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will discuss several gypsum research studies now underway in Wisconsin;
- Warren Dick, professor, environmental and natural resources, Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio, will discuss gypsum benefits to crop productivity;
- Dexter Watts, research soil scientist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Auburn, Ala., will discuss soil and water quality and research on using gypsum on buffer strips to reduce soluble phosphorus in surface water runoff;
- Darrell Norton, soil scientist, National Soil Erosion Research Lab, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, West Lafayette, Ind., will discuss the impact of gypsum on the environment;
- Rufus Chaney, research agronomist, Environmental Management and Byproduct Utilization Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, Md., will deliver a risk assessment for beneficial use of FGD gypsum in agriculture via webinar;
- Harry Schomberg, ecologist, J. Phil Campbell Sr., National Resource Conservation Center (NRCS), USDA-ARS, Watkinsville, Ga., will describe evaluations of FGD gypsum to improve forage and reduce phosphorus losses in piedmont soils;
- Birl Lowery, professor, soil science, University of Wisconsin, will lead tours of gypsum research plots at the Arlington site;
- Ron Chamberlain, director of gypsum programs for Beneficial Reuse Management, marketer of Gypsoil brand gypsum, will discuss practical gypsum application recommendations and tips;
- John Andersen Jr., president, Greenleaf Advisors Limited, Wilmette, Ill., will provide an overview of the environmental impact of agricultural application of byproduct gypsum; and
- Bob Paulson, environmental consultant, We Energies, Milwaukee, Wis., will give background on gypsum production and supply.
The symposium will also offer practical insights from those who use or prescribe gypsum. Two panels will feature growers who use gypsum on their farms for row crops and alfalfa production. Growers who are confirmed as speakers include Rodney Rulon, Arcadia, Ind.; Jack Maloney, Brownsburg, Ind.; Nick Miller, Oconomowoc, Wis.; Tom Greil, Waterford, Wis.; Larry Strupp, Slinger, Wis.; Scott Stoffel, West Bend; and Dan Craig, Vernon, Wis.
Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs), agronomists, soil scientists, extension advisors, researchers, farm managers and others interested in soil improvement tools and gypsum research are encouraged to attend the symposium. Seven CCA continuing education units (CEU) credits are available for soil and water management, and .5 CCA CEU credits for crop management.
Co-sponsors and hosts include the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural & Life Sciences; the University of Wisconsin-Cooperative Extension; the Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, Ind.; and Gypsoil, Chicago, Ill.
The Arlington Research Station is located at N695 Hopkins Road, Arlington, Wis. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with sessions running from 8 a.m.- 4:15 p.m.. A one-hour plot tour will follow. Lunch is included. For more information, or to register in advance through Aug. 18, visit www.gypsoil.com/symposium. On-site registration is $20 with lunch included.
Students Named Collegiate Ambassadors
Collegiate FFA, a program of the National FFA Organization, has selected 20 college students to serve as National Collegiate Agricultural Ambassadors for the 2011-2012 school year.
The focus of the program is to develop and implement a sustainable awareness plan among teachers and students on the local level and share the importance of agriculture. The students, who are currently enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the nation, will deliver presentations to elementary, junior-high and high school classes, community organizations and other groups interested in learning about the agriculture industry.
These presentations will focus on food safety and security, current agricultural topics, sound science and sustainable agriculture.
The students will participate in a four-day training seminar in August, in which they will concentrate on enhancing their presentation skills while receiving training on current agriculture issues.
The National Collegiate Agricultural Ambassadors program is sponsored by BASF, Syngenta, Elanco Animal Health and the National Pork Board as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.
Formerly known as Future Farmers of America, the National FFA Organization provides agricultural education to more than 523,000 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,487 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
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