News Update
January 6, 2015
University of Nevada–Reno launches Living With Drought Website and Education
One hundred percent of cropland in Nevada is irrigated, and more than 90% of it is used to produce hay, making drought a real challenge for Nevada farmers.
With the 2014 drought looming, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension partnered with other agencies to help Nevadans prepare for and cope with the drought. On March 28, 2014, Cooperative Extension launched its Living With Drought website, a one-stop shop where homeowners, gardeners, farmers, ranchers, natural resource managers and others can find information to help them respond to their various drought-related challenges. The website is at www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/drought/.
“We want to be proactive,” Mark Walker, dean of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, said. “We know that our offices in every county are going to be getting questions — everything from how to maintain lawns, to how to irrigate crops most efficiently during the drought. So, we have compiled information and links for various groups and tried to make it easy for them to find.”
Cooperative Extension chose to take the lead in helping Nevadans cope with the drought because many of its six educational program areas, including agriculture, horticulture, natural resources and community development, will be directly affected by the drought.
“We saw there was information and websites that contain information about the current drought conditions, and much information about how to respond to drought conditions. But, the information is spread among a wide range of sources, which makes it difficult for Nevadans to know how to answer very specific questions,” Walker said. “We have a lot of that expertise in Extension. And, what we don't have, many of our colleagues on campus and our other partners have. It was logical for us to develop a website that makes a wide range of resources available in one spot. It’s what Extension does; we respond to community needs.”
For more information, please view the full release here.
2013 World Food Prize Winner Robert Fraley
to Kick Off K-State’s Global Food Systems Lecture Series
Robert Fraley, the executive vice president and chief technology officer for Monsanto, has been chosen to be the first-ever speaker in Kansas State University’s (K-State’s) Henry C. Gardiner Global Food Systems Lecture series.
In 2013, Fraley and two colleagues received the prestigious World Food Prize for their achievements in founding, developing, and applying modern agricultural biotechnology.
Fraley will speak at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, in McCain Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the public.
Fraley’s talk is titled, “2050: Agriculture’s Role In Mitigating Global Challenges.”
“Kansas State University has provided education and science to the global food system for more than 150 years,” said John Floros, dean of the College of Agriculture. “Dr. Fraley is a pioneer in developing plant biotechnology, advanced breeding and crop improvement techniques in agriculture for decades. He is an excellent choice to be the first speaker in this series.”
In 1983, Fraley and three other Monsanto scientists were the first to genetically modify plants, and 13 years later, he helped to lead the successful commercial launch of Roundup Ready soybeans and Bollgard insect-protected cotton in the United States.
By 2013, Fraley’s work in this area contributed to crops that were being grown on more than 175 million hectares (more than 430 million acres) around the world by 18 million farmers. More than 90% of the farmers are small, resource-poor farmers in developing countries.
For more information, please view the full release here.
Register Today for Women in Denim
Ladies, it’s time to register for the 11th Annual Women in Denim Conference. Women in Denim, a conference dedicated to women in agriculture, is set for Jan. 16-17, 2015. The 2015 conference will take place at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Registration is $35 for both days.
If your registration is postmarked by Jan. 8, 2015, you will be eligible for a $100 drawing. You can also register online at www.WomenInDenim.com.
The goal of Women in Denim is to support women in agriculture and those who enjoy the rural way of life. Women involved in agriculture will find workshops to sharpen their skills in decision making, leadership, finances and knowledge of agriculture. There are workshops that also support and acknowledge the importance of family, community, leisure time, quality of life and overall wellness.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
New Event Anchors Commercial Cattle Producer Weekend at Black Hills Stock Show®
The Cattleman’s Conference sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) is anchoring a weekend of activities for commercial cattle producers at the 2015 Black Hills Stock Show®. Cattleman’s Conference, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Rapid City, S.D., gives livestock producers the opportunity to learn about topics that impact their bottom line now and in the future. There is no cost for this event.
Cattleman’s Conference will cover estate planning, ag legislation, replacement heifer development, vaccines, and an economic outlook.
The weekend continues with the BIVI Commercial Heifer Show & Sale at the James Kjerstad Event Center at the Central States Fairgrounds, Sunday, Feb. 1. Sunday events begin at 8 a.m. with a free steak and eggs breakfast in the warm-up arena at the Event Center, followed by the Commercial Heifer Show at 10 a.m. The Commercial Heifer Sale begins at 11 a.m.
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
Managing Replacement Heifers for the Future
South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension will be hosting a five-part webinar series to help producers make the best decisions on heifer management for their operations. The 2015 webinar series will run Jan. 14, 21, 28, Feb. 11, and Feb. 18. All sessions will start at 12:30 p.m. CST and run for one hour.
These sessions can be viewed from anywhere with Internet access allowing producers the ability to take advantage of these learning opportunities without leaving the ranch. Participants will be able to type in questions during the live sessions. All sessions also will be recorded for later viewing if participants aren’t able to catch one of the sessions live.
The cost for the entire webinar series will be $25. Register online to receive the link to participate.
For more information contact Warren Rusche, SDSU Extension cow-calf field specialist 605-882-5140.
- Session 1, Jan. 14 — Heifer Development as a Business.
- Session 2, Jan. 21 — Heifer Development and Management Strategies
- Session 3, Jan. 28 — Health Management for Replacement Heifers
- Session 4, Feb. 11 — Genetic Selection for Maternal Traits and Sire Selection for Breeding to Heifers
- Session 5, Feb. 18 — Reproductive Technologies
For more information, please view the Angus Journal Virtual Library calendar of upcoming events here.
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