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Certification Gets Conservation Easements on the Ground Faster

The nation’s top easement program for protecting fertile agricultural land is making it easier for people to enroll land through advanced certification.

The Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program is certifying eligible entities, such as states, organizations or tribes, to place lands in this farm bill conservation easement program.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the program that has protected more than 2 million acres of the nation’s most valuable lands for the production of food, feed and fiber since 1996.

This program provides matching funds to organizations to purchase conservation easements on private working lands.

“Certification is the recognition of a successful partnership between the entity and NRCS, meaning they’ve already successfully implemented the program and don’t need direct NRCS involvement,” said Jeremy Stone, the program’s manager. “It allows them to streamline their processes and get more conservation on the ground faster.”

State, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations, as well as other entities that become certified have more flexibility and a shorter process to acquire easements. Certified organizations may enter into longer-term cooperative agreements and conduct the program’s closings without prior submission of individual appraisals, deeds or title documents for NRCS review.

To qualify for certification, an eligible organization must hold, manage and monitor a minimum of five of the program’s conservation easements. For a full list of the certification criteria, see the program’s web page.

For more information, please view the full release here.

— Release by the USDA.

Kansas State University, Merck Animal Health Partner to Open Diagnostic Lab at Olathe Campus

Kansas State University (K-State) in Olathe is the site of the new Microbial Surveillance Lab, a partnership with Merck Animal Health. The lab will be a second site for the K-State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, which is based on the Manhattan campus. Merck Animal Health provided a donation for the development of the Microbial Surveillance Lab at K-State–Olathe. The lab will provide diagnostic support services that will initially meet the unique needs of Merck Animal Health, followed by other animal-health-industry partners.

The lab also will create high-quality student educational and training programs utilizing a specialized caseload, and increase the regional and national visibility of the university's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab within the Kansas City animal health corridor. Current laboratory capabilities include microbiology culture, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

“Merck Animal Health is a valuable partner to K-State through the College of Veterinary Medicine and K-State–Olathe,” said Kirk Schulz, president of Kansas State University. “By supporting the Microbial Surveillance Lab, Merck will help advance diagnostic education and training, as well as help propel K-State toward our goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025.”

The partnership with Merck Animal Health extends beyond the lab walls. The company supports a cohort of students in the veterinary biomedical sciences graduate program at the Olathe campus, who will benefit from research opportunities at K-State Olathe.

“We at Merck Animal Health are proud to support and invest in scientific research as it is vital to the future of the animal health industry and veterinary medicine,” said Rick Sibbel, veterinarian and director of technical services, Merck Animal Health. “This partnership provides us with an opportunity to contribute to the education and real-world experiences of students who are pursuing a related degree, as well as impact advances in animal medicine.”

For more information, please view the full release here.

— Adapted from a release by Kristi Northcutt for K-State University.

Four States Cattle Conference Set Dec. 3 in Texarkana

The Four States Cattle Conference set Dec. 3 in Texarkana is a great new opportunity for livestock producers, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county agent.

“Beef cattle production is a very important agricultural enterprise for northeast Texas,” said Brian Triplet, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Bowie County. “This is a conference that brings together speakers from four different universities in one location, where a producer can gain valuable information in one day that they would have to travel to four states to get otherwise.”

The conference will be hosted at the Four States Fairgrounds, 3700 East 50th St., Texarkana, Ark.

Registration is $20 if paid by Nov. 19 and $30 thereafter or on the day of the event, and includes lunch and educational materials. To register or for more information, contact Paul Beck, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Hope, Ark., 877-777-9702, pbeck@uaex.edu.

The full program brochure and a mail-in registration form can be found online at http://swrec.uark.edu/pdf_files/4-StatesBrochure.pdf.

Speakers include Beck, Derrell Peel, Oklahoma Sate University professor of agribusiness and agricultural economics; Gary McManus, associate state climatologist for Oklahoma; Jeremy Powell, University of Arkansas professor and veterinarian; Mike McCormick, ruminant nutrition specialist, Louisiana State University; Ryon Walker, Louisiana State University assistant professor of beef cattle at the Hill Farm Research Station in Homer, La.; Ron Gill, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist, College Station; and Brian Freking, Oklahoma State University regional livestock specialist.

Morning presentations include “What Does Mother Nature Have in Store for Us?” by McManus; and “Cattle Market Outlook” by Peel.

Concurrent breakout sessions will follow a morning break and include “Current Tendencies for Parasite Control in Cattle,” Powell; “Utilizing Bale-age in the Beef Herd,” McCormick; and “Today’s Look at Cow Size and Efficiency,” Walker.

Following lunch and a trade show, Gill will give a two-hour presentation and demonstration on cattle handling techniques. The event will conclude at 4 p.m.

For more information, please view the Angus Journal’s Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.

— Adapted from a release by Robert Burns for Texas A&M AgriLife Communications.

— Compiled by Lynsey Meharg, intern, Angus Journal.