News Update
February 24, 2015
In Memory of Cory Watt, NJAB Chairman
It is with deepest regrets that the National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) and American Angus Association announce the passing of Cory Watt of Iva, S.C, following a prolonged battle with cancer. A lifelong Angus breeder, Watt was halfway through his term as chairman of the National Junior Angus Board (NJAB). He was a faithful steward of Angus cattle and a positive role model for Angus youth nationwide.
At the time of his death on Thursday, Feb. 19, he was surrounded by friends and family who loved him dearly and found inspiration in his life. He is survived by his parents, Jody and Rebecca Watt, and his sister, Carly. A celebration of life service took place Sunday, Feb. 22, at the First Baptist Church of Iva.
Watt, 22, had graduated from Clemson University in December 2014, where he received a degree in animal and veterinarian science and focused on agriculture business. A member of the NJAA since 2000, Watt encouraged youth and adults alike with his selfless leadership and the enduring strength reflected throughout his life.
The Angus family will miss him greatly. To continue Watt’s life passion for the Angus breed and its future generations, the family has established the Cory Watt Memorial Endowment Fund through the Angus Foundation. Follow the link to contribute online, and please indicate the Cory Watt Memorial Endowment Fund in the comments section. You can also contribute by mail to the Angus Foundation, 3201 Frederick Avenue, Saint Joseph, MO 64506.
While he is no longer with us, Watt will remain an inspiration, and his memory will be honored in the NJAA and the American Angus Association for generations to come.
KLA President Calls Property Tax Bill an Attack on Kansas Ag
The Kansas Livestock Association (KLA) Board of Directors has voted unanimously to strongly oppose any state legislation that would modify the methodology of appraising agricultural land for property tax purposes in Kansas. Action by the board was in response to SB 178, currently in the Kansas Legislature. The bill is projected by the Kansas Department of Revenue (KDOR) to increase the assessed statewide valuation of agricultural land from last year’s $1.7 billion to $9.74 billion.
“This proposed legislation represents one of the most blatant and costly attacks on Kansas agriculture in recent history,” said KLA President Jaret Moyer of Emporia.
The current law appraises cultivated land by its net income-producing ability, rather than a market value, with factors correlated to an eight-year average for yields, crop prices and expenses. Grasslands are valued using an eight-year average of cash rental rates, less landowner expenses, for the land’s geographic location. Moyer noted the market value of agriculture land is influenced by many factors outside of agriculture income.
Under current law, agricultural land already has seen up to a 60% increase in valuation in each of the last two years due to surges in prices and yields. SB 178 would further compound those increases. The legislation also would change the income calculation to a five-year average and eliminate several factors in the capitalization rate that would have the net effect of significantly increasing valuation during years with low interest rates. According to KDOR, the resulting increase in property taxes on ag land would jump from the current statewide average of $4.25 per acre to $20 per acre.
“The use-value formula in current law provides tax equity and stability for ag landowners, as well as revenue stability for government,” said Moyer.
Strong opposition to SB 178 was expressed by the general membership during the Feb. 18 KLA Legislative Meeting in Topeka. Board action ratified the position taken by members on the bill.
Pyramid®; 5 + Presponse® SQ Approved
for Extended BVD 1b Protection
Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI) recently received a new label claim for protection against respiratory disease caused by bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) Type 1b for at least 217 days. BVD Type 1b is the most common subtype of BVD found in persistently infected (PI) calves. This new claim reinforces the elite BVD protection offered by BIVI’s modified-live virus (MLV) vaccine portfolio.
“PI calves, while small in number, are one of the most common sources of BVD spread as they shed the virus to susceptible calves,” says Doug Ensley, professional services veterinarian, BIVI. “This new claim helps producers protect against the BVD subtype most commonly found in these calves, so they know they are getting the best protection for their herd.”
With Pyramid 5 + Presponse SQ, two leading respiratory vaccines are provided in the convenience of one dose, protecting against disease caused by BVD types 1 and 2, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza 3 (PI3), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) and Mannheimia haemolytica.
“BVD prevention remains a key issue for cattle producers in their aim to keep their herds healthy. By vaccinating calves at all stages with, Pyramid 5 + Presponse SQ producers can be assured their cattle are protected against BVD and other causes of respiratory disease,” says Ensley.
For producers looking to further prevent the negative impact of PI calves, BIVI offers Express® FP for vaccination of cows. Express FP is labeled to prevent calves persistently infected with BVD when cows are vaccinated according to label directions.
For more information about Pyramid 5 + Presponse SQ and Express FP, talk to your veterinarian or BIVI representative or visit www.bi-vetmedica.com/cattle.
Conservation Stewardship Program Sign-Up Extended to March 13
The USDA has extended the sign-up period for the 2015 edition of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) — the federal farm bill’s largest working lands conservation program. Farmers and ranchers now have two additional weeks — until March 13 — to complete the initial application form.
Coinciding with this two-week extension, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has released a new, updated version of its CSP Information Alert, with step-by-step sign-up and enrollment details. The Information Alert now includes program choices ranked by conservation and environmental benefit.
Farmers and ranchers interested in enrolling in the program for 2015 now have until March 13 to go to their local Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and sign up. The initial sign-up process is very simple, consisting of filling out a brief two-page application. Later in March or April the producer will then work with local NRCS staff to determine the environmental benefits of their existing conservation commitments, as well as proposed new conservation activities (enhancements and practices).
NSAC’s newly revised Information Alert now includes not only sign-up details, but also a complete listing of all of the 119 conservation enhancements and 35 conservation practices that new enrollees will have to choose from as they consider their CSP options.
The Information Alert lists these conservation activities in order of their conservation and environmental point values. Higher point values equal greater expected environmental benefit. Thus, the greater weight they have in terms of both ranking the application among other CSP applications and calculating the ultimate CSP financial assistance payment the producer will receive.
The top-ranking cropland enhancement — the soil-health crop rotation — is brand new for this year. This enhancement requires a resource-conserving crop to be grown for at least two consecutive years and for annual crops to be preceded or followed by a cover crop. The farmer then has a choice of two out of seven associated soil health practices to complement the resulting rotation. The soil health crop rotation scores two and a half times more than the next highest regular enhancement and more than seven times the average enhancement.
Also high on the environmental benefits list, and related to soil health, are new or improved resource-conserving crop rotations, intensive rotational grazing and a wide variety of different types of cover cropping.
For more information please view the full release here.
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