News Update
June 7, 2012
American Farmland Trust Applauds Senate Majority Leader Reid for Scheduling the 2012 Farm Bill for Debate
American Farmland Trust (AFT) commends Senate Majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada for bringing the 2012 Farm Bill before the full Senate. "We look forward to working with Majority Leader Reid and Minority Leader McConnell to move this farm bill forward. We hope the leadership's engagement will build on the strong bipartisan effort begun by Chairwoman Stabenow and Ranking Member Roberts, who have worked tirelessly to bring this bill to the floor," said Scholl. AFT has frequently urged Congress to address crucial conservation and farm production issues this year rather than delay the legislation any further.
For more information and the full release, click here.
NFU Represented at International Table During WFO General Assembly
A delegation of National Farmers Union (NFU) representatives are in Rome this week to participate in the World Farmers Organization (WFO) second general assembly. The assembly kicks off today and will continue through Saturday, June 9. NFU Secretary and Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson is leading the delegation representing NFU at the event. The group also includes NFU General Counsel Dave Velde, South Dakota Farmers Union President Doug Sombke, North Dakota Farmers Union President Woody Barth, and Montana Farmers Union President Alan Merrill. NFU Vice President of International Relations Robert Carlson serves as president of WFO.
"Feeding a growing world population is the mission of farmers, of course, but it is both a magnificent opportunity and a major challenge," said Carlson. "We are going to need technology and information to use our resources more efficiently in order to feed a growing world with fewer and more expensive farm inputs. A number of experts will advise on these complex issues."
For more information and the full release, visit www.nfu.org/news/current-news.
'In My Barn' Game Helps Young Students Build Math Skills
A new online game developed for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students is now available on MyAmericanFarm.org, the popular agricultural gaming site. "In My Barn" is the first game for a pre-K–K audience on My American Farm.
Students use math skills to help Farmer Faye, a character in the game, care for her animals. As they play the game, students earn points which help them fill a grain storage silo. Once students fill the silo they earn a new stamp to add to their Passport for Sustainability — the tool that helps youth keep track of their journey through the various My American Farm online games.
'In My Barn' is closely aligned with the PBS Kids Ready to Learn Math Framework, which supports STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning. The game also meets national standards for mathematics instruction.
"We're excited to launch this new STEM-related game and activities on My American Farm," said Dan Durheim, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. "A solid understanding of core subjects such as science and mathematics lays the groundwork for students to grow in their understanding of where food, fiber and renewable fuels come from."
The My American Farm educational gaming resource is a special project of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The site and resources are made possible through the generous support of title sponsor, Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. To take advantage of free My American Farm resources, games and activities, visit www.myamericanfarm.org.
'Building Better Heifers' Field Days Planned in Eureka, Phillipsburg
Kansas State University (K-State) will host "Building Better Heifers — Selecting, Growing and Breeding Heifers Using Today's Science" field days on Aug. 28 in Eureka, Kan., and Aug. 29 in Phillipsburg, Kan.
"As feed costs have risen, the balance between properly developing heifers and not spending more than you can afford has become more challenging," said Sandy Johnson, K-State Research and Extension livestock specialist, based in Colby. "Science has provided new tools to use for breeding and selection."
The Aug. 28 field day will be at Dalebanks Angus at 1021 River Rd., Eureka, Kan., 67045. The Aug. 29 event will be at Bar Arrow Cattle Co. at 26 E. Limestone Rd., Phillipsburg, Kan., 67661.
"Market signals are there for those who are in a position to build their cow herd," Johnson said. "Where resources are adequate, producers may develop additional heifers beyond what they need to offer for sale. Producers should be aware of current research studies that look at systems aimed to reduce the cost of heifer development while maintaining or improving their performance as cows."
The field day at both locations begins with registration at 4 p.m., and the program starting at 4:30 p.m. Presentations and speakers include:
- Heifer development systems — Rick Funston, University of Nebraska–Lincoln;
- Reproductive technologies — Sandy Johnson, K-State;
- Proper collection of DNA samples — Kara Wilson, Certified Angus Beef LLC (CAB) and Tonya Amen, American Angus Association;
- Heifer selection tools — Bob Weaber, K-State;
- Postbreeding nutrition and early pregnancies — Scott Lake, University of Wyoming; and
- Healthy heifers to healthy cows — Dale Grotelueschen, veterinarian, Pfizer Animal Health.
The field days are sponsored by K-State Research and Extension, Pfizer Animal Health and CAB. An evening meal is included in the event. For meal planning purposes, organizers request that all participants RSVP by contacting Anna Curry (akcurry@ksu.edu or 620-583-7455), Rachael Boyle (rboyle@ksu.edu or 785-425-6851) or Sandy Johnson (sandyj@ksu.edu or 785-462-6281).
Wyoming Stock Growers Present Awards at Cattle Industry Convention
The Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) presented two awards last week during the Wyoming Cattle Industry Convention in Jackson. JoAnn Wade was named the Outstanding Range Professional and Frank Galey was honored as Guardian of the Grasslands. The 2012 Leopold Conservation Award winners, the Sommers Ranch, were also recognized.
For more information and the full release, click here.
Japanese Consumers A-Twitter Over U.S. Beef
While Americans are being cautioned not to text while they drive, or even while they walk, Japanese diners are being encouraged to "Tweet While You Eat" to share their excitement about U.S. beef.
Japanese consumers are accustomed to following bloggers and visiting mobile websites to learn more about U.S. beef, but Twitter is a relative newcomer to Japan. As the number of Twitter fans in Japan recently topped 15 million, U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) launched a multi-phase Twitter campaign to engage and motivate consumers to digitally share their interest in U.S. beef and win tasty prizes. Funding for the campaign is provided through the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) and the Beef Checkoff Program.
The first initiative is the selection of four American Beef Ambassadors from the nearly 5,000 Twitter followers USMEF-Japan has amassed. During the next six months, these individuals will promote themselves as American Beef Ambassadors, utilizing the "#usbeef" hashtag at the end of each tweet. This hashtag will make their tweets searchable to other fans as they write about home cooking or restaurant dining experiences with U.S. beef.
"As Twitter gains new followers by the day in Japan, we are confident that this campaign will significantly expand the visibility of U.S. beef among a critical audience — the young adults who have built this technology into their daily lifestyles," said Tazuko Hijikata, USMEF-Japan senior manager of consumer affairs.
For more information and the full release, click here.
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