News Update
March 31, 2014
Administration’s Methane Strategy Recognizes Ag’s Role in Climate Change Mitigation
On March 28,National Farmers Union (NFU) Senior Vice President of Programs Chandler Goule issued the following statement on the administration’s release of its strategy to reduce methane emissions as a part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan:
“NFU is pleased that the administration’s strategy to reduce methane emissions recognizes that farmers and ranchers are important partners in the effort to solve our nation’s climate challenges. These efforts build on the robust support for renewable energy production included in the recently passed 2014 Farm Bill.
“Technologies such as methane digesters are underutilized, but can significantly reduce methane emissions. The strategy’s voluntary on-farm methane reduction opportunities, supported by financial and technical assistance, will add to farmers’ bottom lines and support rural economies while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“I urge Congress to build on the Climate Action Plan and do its part to mitigate climate change by enacting legislation that puts a price on non-farm greenhouse gas emissions.
“Agencies must consider the impact on the climate when proposing regulatory changes, such as reducing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) targets, as both corn-based and cellulosic ethanol have been shown to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline. Although I applaud the administration for the announcement, I hope it takes a consistent, comprehensive, long-term approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by restoring the original RFS volumes.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
Controlled Burn on Pasture Grass Jump-Starts
Grazing for Cow Herds
A blackened pasture warms faster on a cold spring day. That starts early grass growth.
“Fire is the most underused grass management tool we have,” says Rob Kallenbach, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.
With the long, cold winter followed by a delayed spring, fire may offer a chance to jump-start grass growth by warming the soil.
“We know the value of controlled burns on native warm-season grasses, but we don’t realize the value of fire on cool-season grass.”
“We are talking wise use of fire,” Kallenbach says. “It’s called a controlled burn for a reason. It takes preparation, a crew, tools, water tank and a tractor with a tillage tool on standby at the burn site.”
Burning a pasture isn’t a light-it-and-leave-it method. “Fire must be watched and controlled. It’s not something you do when winds are 30 miles per hour.”
Burning cool-season grass pastures comes earlier in the year than burning a native-prairie pasture. Benefits are similar.
The fire removes thatch that shades new growth. And minerals in the dead weeds and grass are returned to the soil, ready to be used by new growth.
A big benefit of an early burn on cool-season grass is the warming impact on the soil. The sun’s energy is absorbed and passed to the soil. It’s not reflected into the atmosphere.
An underappreciated benefit: Fire helps establish clover or other legumes into grass pastures. Fire removes competition for legume seedlings. The new legume receives sunlight and moisture needed to grow.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Capital Costs Impact a Farm’s Bottom Line
During the past few years, favorable commodity prices and crop yields in the Saginaw Valley have allowed many farms to undertake some overdue upgrades of farm machinery and make other improvements. These capital purchases are great for the farm and rural economy, generating a great deal of business activity.
As a result of the higher than normal capital investments, we have seen a drastic increase in depreciation, which is being reported as part of a farm’s overall annual cost of production. These numbers can be seen in the “Type of Farm Business Summary Reports,” found on the Michigan State University Extension FIRM web page.
Most farms have taken the expanded accelerated depreciation and bonus depreciation as a cost on the Federal 1040-Schedule F tax forms, at an average of $108.73 per acre for the years 2010 through 2012. Ten years prior, during 2000-2012, depreciation on equipment and improvements was $38.75 per acre. This is a cost increase from 21¢ per bushel (bu.) to 59¢ per bu. applied to a 185 bu. corn crop, not that the 38¢ per bushel is a change that must be accounted for.
If a farm uses this tax depreciation value in calculating the farm’s cost of production, it will substantially raise the breakeven prices to levels higher than what may be available from the current corn price. So farms may want to use an alternative method to estimate a depreciation value that may be closer to an actual calculation of the decrease in their equipment value over time.
For more information, please view the full release here.
K-State to Mark 100th Anniversary of Roundup in Hays on April 17
It’s been the scene of breakthrough research in beef cattle management, genetics and technology and this year, the Kansas State University (K-State) Agricultural Research Center–Hays will host the 100th edition of Roundup Thursday, April 17.
“Roundup is the major beef cattle education and outreach event sponsored by the research center,” said John Jaeger, beef cattle scientist at the center. “It’s been held every year since 1914 with the exception of 1945 when German prisoners of war were housed in the livestock research area.”
Roundup is where the game-changing ultrasound technology invented by K-State researcher John Brethour was unveiled, as well as research results covering everything from nutrition, weaning, use of growth promoting implants and re-implanting, the heritability of feedlot gain by comparing the performance of half-sibling bulls and more.
Results of the center’s beef cattle research have been reported to the agricultural community through an ongoing series of publications that began with a mimeographed circular in 1913, Jaeger said. Roundup reports have been published almost every year, making it one of the longest series published by any public research agency.
“We’ve come a long way since western Kansas was regarded as suitable only for growing stocker cattle and shipping feeders to eastern Kansas and demonstrating that high-concentrate finishing rations were desirable. Prior to that research, rations that were more concentrated than one part silage to one part grain were suspect,” Jaeger said.
“We look forward to seeing long-time friends and meeting new ones as we celebrate our first 100 years of finding ways to help producers stay competitive,” Jaeger said, noting that Roundup is free and open to the public. Morning refreshments and lunch are provided.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
2014 Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference
Slated for April 23-24 in Grapevine
The 2014 Mid-South Ruminant Nutrition Conference will be hosted April 23-24 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Grapevine, 2401 Bass Pro Drive, said conference coordinators.
The program is presented by the Texas Animal Nutrition Council and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in cooperation with various cattle and dairy industry groups, associations and businesses.
“These conferences provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about the most recent developments in ruminant nutrition and from some of the nation’s foremost experts,” said Ellen Jordan, AgriLife Extension dairy specialist based in Dallas and member of the conference planning committee. “They consistently draw over a hundred people from the dairy industry and associated businesses and organizations across the U.S.”
Jordan, also a member of the Texas Animal Nutrition Council, said the conference will provide attendees with important information on the future of the livestock industry and on the technologies and management practices that will help ensure adequate meat and milk supplies for a growing global population.
She said conference programming has been approved for six continuing education units from the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiner and seven continuing education units from the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists.
Visit www.txanc.org for a conference registration form or contact Sharon Harris at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas at 972-952-9201 or srharris@ag.tamu.edu.
Regular conference registration is $175 per individual. Early registration postmarked by April 2 is $150. There are no group rates. Make checks payable to Texas Animal Nutrition Council and mail to TANC, Ellen Jordan, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 17360 Coit Rd., Dallas, TX 75252-6599.
Conference proceedings will be available at an additional cost.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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