Disaster Relief Efforts Continue for Cattle Producers in the High Plains
President Declares Emergency Federal Aid for Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska
The head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that federal aid has been made available to supplement state and local response efforts in the areas struck by record snowfalls. Declarations were made for counties in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska.
In a letter to President Bush last week, NCBA President and Missouri cattleman Mike John requested federal assistance for ranchers suffering from impacts of recent snow and ice storms. “As a first step in providing assistance, we ask that all areas impacted by these storms immediately receive a Presidential Disaster Declaration,” John wrote. FEMA assistance provides for snow removal and “protection of life and property.” NCBA is still actively working with government leaders to secure additional assistance for ag producers.
Disaster Relief Effort Helping High Plains Cattlemen
The National Cattlemen’s Foundation (NCF) is accepting tax-deductible contributions for its disaster relief fund in an effort to provide aid for cattlemen hit by the recent blizzards. In cooperation with NCBA and state and local cattlemen’s associations, the NCF is accepting monetary donations, one hundred percent of which will be distributed to cattlemen in need.
Contributions of hay, feed, and other supplies are also welcome. Donations are also being collected at Denver’s National Western Stock Show through Jan. 21. Every dollar contributed to the relief fund will provide direct assistance to farms and ranches impacted by the storm, with state cattlemen’s associations helping to target aid where it is most needed. To contribute or get more information, contact NCBA’s Membership Department at 866-BEEF-USA (233-3872) or visit www.nationalcattlemensfoundation.org.
Coleman Natural Foods donation boosts storm disaster relief
Relief efforts coordinated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to aid farmers and ranchers in the wake of recent snow and ice storms received a major donation today from Coleman Natural Foods. Based in Golden, Colo., Coleman is a leading processor and distributor of natural and organic proteins, including a popular line of premium beef products. The company employs nearly 2300 people in six states, with facilities in 17 different locations, including three in Colorado.
“Coleman recognizes the challenges faced as a result of these storms by farmers and ranchers across the High Plains region,” said Mel Coleman, Jr., chairman of Coleman. “These family operations are exactly the kind of partners that help make Coleman successful, and we want to do what we can to help them through this difficult time.”
Hundreds of farms and ranches in an area stretching from northern Texas and New Mexico through Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska have been severely impacted by a series of recent snow and ice storms. Adverse weather has made many rural roads impassable and has knocked out power and other utilities for extended periods of time. These conditions have made it especially difficult for ranchers and feedlot operators to provide adequate food and water to their cattle, resulting in significant losses and drastically higher operating costs.
“This has been a real catastrophe in the heart of the Beef Belt, and cattlemen need assistance to get back on their feet,” said Terry Stokes, NCBA chief executive officer. “It’s gratifying to see the value Coleman Natural Foods places on the well-being of our nation’s farmers and ranchers, and their willingness to help out.”
Stokes is hoping for some of the same positive results that NCBA was able to achieve when coordinating relief efforts for farmers and ranchers devastated by hurricanes in the fall of 2005.
“Some of the first people to step up to the plate with donations have been cattlemen from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, who remember the outpouring of assistance they received from across the nation,” he said. “They’re still struggling to recover, but want to provide some help to their fellow farmers and ranchers in need.” - NCBA
Premises ID
Helps in Snow Emergency
The Colorado
Department of Agriculture says the state's premises identification system helped
emergency workers locate cattle in need of assistance following last month's
snow storms. Premises registration for the National Animal Identification System
is voluntary in Colorado. According to a department news release, officials
began calling registered ranchers after the storm to inquire about the status of
their livestock. "Having direct access to livestock owners gave us the
opportunity to quickly assess the situation," says Colorado Division of
Emergency Management Director George Epp. "Protecting the health of Colorado
livestock is a top priority to this operation and NAIS was a big help." For more
information,
follow this link. - Drover’s Alert by
Drover’s Journal
Freshmen Congressmen nominated for House Ag Committee
Minnesota
Congressman Collin Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee has
nominated seven freshmen Congressmen to serve on the House Agriculture Committee
during the 110th Congress.
“The members nominated to serve on the Agriculture Committee bring to the table
ideas and viewpoints as diverse as the districts they serve,” Chairman Peterson
said. “As we begin an important year for American agriculture, the new ideas and
energy they bring will be extremely valuable, particularly as we write a new
Farm Bill.”
The seven nominated include:
• Congresswoman Nancy Boyda of Kansas
• Congressman Joe Donnelly of Indiana
• Congressman Brad Ellsworth of Indiana
• Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
• Congressman Steve Kagen of Wisconsin
• Congressman Tim Mahoney of Florida
• Congressman Zack Space of Ohio
In addition to writing a new Farm Bill, the House Agriculture Committee also has
jurisdiction over such areas as renewable energy, nutrition, crop insurance,
conservation, international trade, futures market regulation, animal and plant
health, agricultural research, bioterrorism, forestry and more. - Brownfield
Apply Now for Hereford Internships
The AHA youth activities department, Hereford Publications Inc. (HPI) and CHB LLC are again offering summer internships.
The youth activities internship is for a college student interested in assisting with planning and execution of junior shows and leadership events. For more information, contact Chris Stephens at (816) 842-3757 or cstephens@hereford.org, or see the “Announcements” section at Hereford.org. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.
HPI and AHA offer a communications internship for a college junior or senior who is pursuing a degree in agricultural journalism or agricultural communications. The intern works with the Hereford World editorial staff and the AHA communication team. For more information, contact Angie Stump Denton, Hereford World editor, at (785) 363-7263 or adenton@hereford.org, or see the “Announcements” section at Hereford.org. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.
The CHB LLC internship application deadline is March 1. Candidates must be at least 21 years of age and enrolled in a two-year or four-year college. The intern’s primary responsibility is to help account managers with the sales and marketing of CHB. For more information, contact Connie Couch at (816) 842-3758 or ccouch@herefordbeef.org, or visit Herefordbeef.org. – American Hereford Association
Missouri Cattlemen’s News
KMZU to Host Farmer Appreciation Dinners
KMZU 100.7 will have the annual Farmers Appreciation Dinners next week. The events are free to farmers throughout the KMZU listening area. Please email by Janet Adkison at farmdept@kmzu.com or call 660-542-0404 to RSVP.
The first dinner will be Wednesday, January 17th in Trenton at the Lakeview Restaurant (one mile east of Hwy 65 on Hwy 6 in Trenton).
The second dinner is Thursday, January 18th in Sedalia in Parkhust Commons at State Fair Community College. The college is west of the State Fairgrounds on 16th Street in Sedalia.
Doors for both Appreciation dinners will open at 6:00 p.m. and the meal will start by 6:30 p.m. We have a great meal and entertainment scheduled for each location. Our guest speaker is “Farmer Dave” Schumacher. He’s a farm broadcaster, auctioneer, and has been in agriculture for more years than he will admit to!
KMZU’s third special event next week is the first KMZU Pre-Planting party at the Carrollton Country Club at 7:00 p.m. There will be a table of hor’dourves and the band Sweetwater will get the dance floor going at 8:00 p.m.
Door prizes, great company and entertainment will be available at each location! Please email Janet at farmdept@kmzu.com or call 660-542-0404 today for reservations. - KMZU
2007 Ag Expo to Feature Youth Speaking Contest
In conjunction with Ag Appreciation Week, the Sedalia Area Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee and Farm Credit Services of Sedalia are sponsoring a youth speaking contest open to all area youth ages 8-16. The theme of this year’s contest is “Voices of American Woman, Family, Friends, and Neighbors.”
The first place winner in two age categories will receive $75, second place will receive $50, and third place winner will receive $25. Contestants must submit an official entry form, available at the Chamber of Commerce office at 600 East Third Street, along with a copy of the speech by Monday, February 5 to the Chamber of Commerce. Contestants must present their speech to a judging panel on Saturday, February 10th, 2007 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the 2007 Mid-Missouri Ag Expo. Speakers are to present a 3-4 minute speech, composed entirely by the contestant. Speeches not within the time limit will be deducted 10% of their final score. For more information about the contest and presentation tips please contact Terri Ballard at 660-826-2932 ext. 10.
Spring Forage Conference set for March 1 in Springfield
The 23rd annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference will be Thursday, March 1, 2007 at the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield. Each year this conference attracts an increasing number of people interested in learning more about management strategies for forages and livestock.
This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Garry Lacefield. Garry has been a University of Kentucky Extension Forage Specialist since 1974. He provides statewide leadership in forage management, production, and utilization. Dr. Lacefield is well known throughout the country and the world for his extensive knowledge of managing forages, as evident in the number of awards, publications, articles, and lectures. His topic for the noon luncheon is called “Forage Improvement: Results Require Investment”.
The conference will also feature several breakout sessions both in the morning and the afternoon. Topics will include: native warm-season grass pasture, weed and brush control, forage fertility alternatives, New Zealand grazing concepts, weather outlook, herd health, alternative marketing, planning your grazing system, urban and rural interface, low stress weaning techniques, and dung beetles. There will be a question-and-answer session with Dr Lacefield in the afternoon. More than 30 companies and organizations will have exhibits, and will have representatives available to discuss their products and services.
Conference registration begins at 8 a.m., with sessions running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person in advance or $35 at the door. A catered meal is included. To pre-register (by February 22nd) or to get more information, contact the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District at (417) 831-5246, extension 3. Conference information and a registration form are also available on the Internet at http://agebb.missouri.edu/sfc.
Producers Invited to Attend 2007 East Central Grazing Conference
Jim Gerrish to speak on Grazing Strategies
The Montgomery and Warren County SWCD’s, Bear Brush, Charrette Creek and Elkhorn Creek AgNPS SALT Projects in cooperation with USDA-NRCS are sponsoring Jim Gerrish, American GrazingLands Services LLC, at the 2007 East Central Grazing Conference.
Gerrish will speak on Grazing Strategies for Dry Times and Getting the Most Out of Your Winter Pasture on January 23, 2007 at the Merchants Building in the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Montgomery City, MO. Doors will open at 3:00 PM and the program will begin at 4:30 PM. RSVP’s to the Warren County SWCD office in Warrenton Missouri should be submitted by January 12th, 2007. Registration is $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door per person and includes a steak dinner.
For more information or if you are interested in being a vendor at the conference please contact the Warren County SWCD at 636.456.3434 ext 3. - Sarah Szachnieski, Warren County NRCS
Mid-Missouri Grazing Council offers Outstanding Program on January 23
The Mid-Missouri Grazing Council will offer another outstanding program on January 23, 2007 at the Boone County Fairgrounds. Registration and the trade show begin at 8:30 am with several vendors from Missouri showcasing their products available to livestock producers attending the conference.
Concurrent sessions will start promptly at 9:30 am, covering such topics as: Managing summer annual forages, de-worming small ruminants, a demonstration using breeding barns for artificially inseminating cattle with a question/answer session following the demonstration, the second session includes: managing summer annual forages, understanding and utilizing hay tests (which is ever more important with high feed costs) and determining parasite loads in small ruminants. The third set of concurrent sessions, starting at 11:30 am, will include topics in the areas of: pasture weed control, protecting yourself from livestock theft, and a demonstration on weed control with a spray table. The lunch and keynote speaker will begin around 1:00 pm with Richard McConnell from Springfield, Mo. speaking about "Low-Stress Handling Methods for Livestock". Mr. McConnell was a student of the famous Bud Williams Livestock Handling School in Texas and will talk to the audience on why and how producers can use low-stress handling methods in their livestock operations to not only help their animals, but their own well being. Mr. McConnell will also give a live demonstration during the afternoon session, showing how his methods can work with livestock. During this time, there will also be two concurrent sessions going on as well, which include; de-worming small ruminants and pasture-weed control.
Registration is $30.00 BEFORE January 12, 2007, and should be sent to the Cole County SWCD c/o Ed Gillmore, 1901 Boggs Creek Road, Jefferson City, MO 65101. A $10.00 discount will be given to those sending an updated forage analysis (taken since August 1, 2006) with their registration form. Other information can be found on MMGC's official website: http://extension.missouri.edu/cmregion/ag/mmgc/grazingconf.shtml. Hope to see you there!
- University of Missouri Extension
Missouri Agribusiness Academy Applications Now Available
The Missouri Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2007 Missouri Agribusiness Academy (MAbA), a youth leadership program designed for high school sophomores to explore career opportunities in agribusiness, government and production agriculture. MAbA helps to provide youth with a foundation in agricultural leadership and prepares them to meet the challenges and reap the rewards of Missouri's largest industry, agriculture.
Applications are available at www.mda.mo.gov and are due no later than Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. To be eligible for MAbA, academy members must be a high school sophomore and come from a farm family or be active in 4-H or FFA. - Missouri Department of Agriculture
New Reserved Camping at the 2007 Missouri State Fair
Beginning in 2007, the Missouri State Fair will offer reserved camping for fair patrons. Reservation costs are $275 and reserves a location in the reserved area in the southern section of the campground. Reservations can be made now through May 1, 2007 by visiting http://www.mostatefair.com/camp07.html. and reservations must be made for the duration of the State Fair. - Missouri Department of Agriculture
Missouri State Fair Director Retires; Riley named Interim Director
Effective Jan. 1, 2007, Mel Willard, director of the Missouri State Fair, will retire after a long history with the organization that began in 1984. Mel began with the State Fair as an electrician and advanced by serving as the operations manager and the assistant director before being named the director in 2001.
The Missouri State Fair Commission announced on Dec. 18 that Michael Riley, current events and concession manager, has been named the interim director for the Missouri State Fair. He is a native of Pettis County and had been with the State Fair since 1998.
Applications for the full-time director's position can be found by visiting www.mostatefair.com and must be postmarked no later than Jan. 22, 2007. Cover letters and resumes should be mailed to: Attn: MSF Director Position, P.O. Box 317, Troy, Mo. 63379. - Missouri State Fair
Calendar of Events
Jan. 13 Audrain County Cattlemen – Knights of Columbus Hall, Martinsburg, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 14 Warren County Cattlemen – Wright City Lion’s Club, 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 17 Vernon County Cattlemen – Vernon County Fairgrounds, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 18 Henry County Cattlemen – Urich Lion’s Club, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 18 Mid-Missouri Cattlemen – Miller County Regional Stockyards, 6:00 p.m.
Jan. 18 Monroe County Cattlemen – Senior Center, Paris, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 18 Greene County Cattlemen – Golden Corral on S. Glenstone, Springfield, 7:00 p.m.
Jan. 22 Macon County Cattlemen – Lolli Livestock Market Café, Macon, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 23 Sullivan County Cattlemen – Milan Livestock Auction, 12:00 noon
Jan. 27 Howard County Cattlemen – Fayette High School Commons, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 Crawford County Cattlemen – Golden Echoes, Steelville, 6:00 p.m.
Feb. 3 Gentry County Cattlemen – Hundley Whaley Building, Albany, 5:30 p.m.
For more cattle industry events, visit www.mocattle.com/calendar.htm
The Fine Print
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