08-24-11 CLA President Urges Collaboration Among Agricultural Community and Support for Sound Policy

Jay Vroom Addresses Need for State-Level Involvement at Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association

MANHATTAN, KS – CropLife America president and CEO Jay Vroom spoke to attendees of the Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association’s (KARA) Annual Meeting in Manhattan, Kas., yesterday about regulatory concerns in U.S. agriculture and the important role of state-level outreach. From National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting and spray drift policy, to the role of coexistence among organic and non-organic farming practices, the members of KARA must remain involved in speaking up on these issues and gathering grassroots support.

“Modern agriculture needs more ambassadors to spread the news of the accomplishments farmers and ranchers have made in producing the nation’s food, fiber and fuel using the crop protection products and modern agricultural techniques that are now available,” Vroom said. “Even more importantly, we must communicate these messages to legislators and regulatory agencies so that agriculture may flourish in a regulatory system based on the best available science.”

Vroom specifically highlighted a call for grassroots action in support of:

08-24-11 Bennet Urges Flexibility, Regulatory Relief for Colorado’s Rural Schools

Denver, CO – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and a former schools superintendent, today urged the Department of Education to provide additional flexibility to rural schools to meet their unique challenges and needs while cutting red tape.

In a letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Bennet pressed for any No Child Left Behind (NCLB) flexibility package to include additional flexibility to meet the specific needs of rural schools and districts. Bennet is committed to reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and he fully supports the HELP Committee’s work to fix NCLB. However, he recognizes the need for temporary regulatory relief while negotiations on ESEA continue.

“I hear from parents and educators across Colorado about the unique challenges facing our rural areas,” Bennet wrote in the letter. “Many rural districts struggle to attract and retain teachers and principals, and parents are often faced with limited school choice. Rural districts should be held to the same high standards, but need to identify tailored solutions that work in their unique context.”

08-24-11 DEKALB® Brand to Auction a Custom Chopper with Proceeds Going to the American Red Cross

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — DEKALB® brand will kick off its 100th anniversary celebration with the design, build and auction of a custom-built, commemorative DEKALB 100th Anniversary Bike by Paul Jr. Designs of Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper- Senior v. Junior.” All proceeds from an auction of the bike will go to the American Red Cross.

The DEKALB 100th Anniversary Bike, which will be unveiled at the 2011 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., will travel across approximately 10 states on a 14-20 stop Chopper Tour around rural America following the Farm Progress Show reveal. Stops along the tour include farm shows and industry meetings and conventions where attendees can see the DEKALB 100th Anniversary Bike first-hand. The internet auction for the DEKALB 100th Anniversary Bike will launch in January 2012 to coincide with the DEKALB brand anniversary month, and the DEKALB 100th Anniversary Bike will be presented to the winner at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.

“Since 1912, the DEKALB brand has proven to be a leading provider of corn seed to the American farmer and since 1881, the American Red Cross has been the nation’s premier provider of emergency relief,” says Jason Hoag, DEKALB Marketing Manager. “An agreement with this organization seemed very fitting as we are both strongly rooted in the support of American communities and dedicated to providing food and resources for people nationwide and abroad.”

08-24-11 Withholding Forage Before Exercise: Dr. Getty debunks a harmful myth

CLICK HERE to listen to Dr Getty on this month's edition of the Getty Equine Nutrition Corner inside the BARN...

The horse’s stomach should be empty while exercising to avoid digestive upset. Truth or myth?

Myth. Mostly.

We don’t feel comfortable exercising after a large meal and we therefore assume that our horses don’t either. But define a “meal.” We generally think of a meal as feeding a commercially fortified feed—something that comes out of a bag. Or we may feed a meal of oats along with supplements. And in this instance, the myth is actually truth. This type of meal—low in fiber and high in feedstuffs that provide starch, protein, and fat—should not be fed immediately before exercising your horse. But forage should! It’s just the opposite: Restrict forage before exercise and you’ll produce, rather than avoid, digestive upset. Here’s why…

The horse’s stomach, unlike our own, secretes acid all the time. That’s right—it never stops. Chewing produces saliva, a natural antacid. But left without anything to chew, the acid will accumulate in the stomach and settle along the bottom (as water would in an empty jar). The lower portion of the stomach (the glandular region) has a protective mucus layer, but the upper squamous region has no such lining. Ask your horse to move, and the acid sloshes around, reaching the unprotected area, leading to an ulcer. And, as the acid flows through the small intestine, cecum, and large colon, it can cause further damage along its wake, potentially leading to colic and ulcerative colitis.

Allow your horse to graze on hay or pasture before asking him to move; 15 minutes ought to do the trick. You’ll keep him healthy and save him from physical and mental discomfort, which will all add up to his being more relaxed and receptive.

Dr. Juliet Getty has taught and consulted on equine nutrition for more than 20 years. At www.gettyequinenutrition.com horse owners and managers will find a library of helpful articles, a forum on nutrition, and a calendar of appearances, teleconferences and interviews; she is also available for individual consultations. In her next teleseminar (September 15, 8 pm Eastern), Dr. Getty will sort out the facts about joint supplements—register at www.gettyequinenutrition.com.

Dr. Getty’s comprehensive reference book, Feed Your Horse Like A Horse: Optimizing your horse’s nutrition for a lifetime of vibrant health, is available in hardcover and CD-ROM (pdf file) through her website or at Amazon.com. Dr. Getty also offers a free (and popular) monthly e-newsletter, “Forage for Thought”; sign up through the website. Dr. Getty serves as a distinguished advisor to the Equine Sciences Academy, which produces the Whole Horse Symposium. Contact Dr. Getty directly atgettyequinenutrition@gmail.com or in Colorado at (970) 884-7187.

08-24-11 *NJC News* NJC recipient of Darryl W. Rhodes Scholarship…

Premier Farm Credit is one of many farm credit associations across the nation that has donated to the Darryl W. Rhodes Scholarship which will benefit agriculture students at NJC for many years to come. Pictured here (l to r) are: Jeff Schumacher, Vice President of Credit (NJC ’85), Mike Grauberger, Branch Manager at the lending office (NJC ’84), Cathy Castillega, Chief Financial Officer and Rick Sanger, President and Chief Executive Officer. Because some of their senior staff are alumni of the college’s agriculture department, the group is especially proud to be supporting this special endowment. (Courtesy Photo)

Darryl Rhodes making comments after receiving the NJC Alumni Association’s Pathfinder Award during the 2008 Hoops Homecoming festivities. He was recently honored again by his ag banking colleagues with a scholarship established in his name. The Darryl W. Rhodes Scholarship will benefit future NJC students. (Courtesy Photo)

Premier Farm Credit among those honoring Rhodes 40 years in the ag finance industry

By Barbara Baker

In 2008 when Darryl Rhodes was back at Northeastern Junior College to be honored with the alumni association’s prestigious Pathfinder Award at Homecoming, he modestly referred to himself as a “mop up” basketball player his first year on the Plainsman Team. The year was 1969. The long-bodied player from Deer Trail was much more than a mop up player and proved to be a valuable asset to the team his sophomore year, getting his fair share of play time.  He would graduate from NJC in 1970 and move on to Colorado State University to finish a bachelor’s of science degree in agri-business in 1972.

In the years to follow, Rhodes has had a long and impressive career in agriculture banking, most recently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Ag Bank in Wichita.  He has earned the respect of his colleagues across the country over the past 40 years and many in his industry only wish him well as he moves toward retirement in January 2012. To honor his career, earlier this month, the Northeastern Junior College Foundation received a check for $220,000 directed to the establishment of the Darryl W. Rhodes Scholarship which will be awarded to future NJC students.

The scholarship fund was created in Rhodes’ name using dollars from U.S. AgBank, FCD, from Farm Credit Associations across the U.S. and from CoBank, ACB, who matched the donations made by the Farm Credit Associations.  CoBank, ACB will be merging with U.S. AgBank, FCB in the near future.

08-24-11 *RAAA News* Juniors Develop Leadership Skills on National Board

The 2011-2012 JRA Board of Directors (l to r): Shana Morcom, second vice president, Arlington, Wash.; Alyssa Looney, public relations director, Denton, Texas; Cele Ketchum, first vice president, Plevna, Mont.; Laura Daniel, president, LaGrange, Ga.

Leadership development is essential to ensure a solid future for agriculture. The Junior Red Angus Association (JRA) is strongly rooted in leadership development and focuses on building leaders through programs that strengthen knowledge and life skills in the beef industry.

Red Angus juniors have a unique opportunity to develop national-level leadership talent by serving on the JRA board, and four outstanding young women will lead the junior association during the 2011-2012 term.

As the JRA board’s first official capacity, they will attend the National Red Angus Convention, Sept. 14 – 16 in Durham, N.C., and help prepare the “JRA Year In Review” presentation. They will hold a JRA board meeting, manage fund-raising events, conduct the junior activities meeting and attend workshops and seminars.

The board will also devote time to organize the 2012 JRA Round-Up schedule in Florida next June. Round-Up is an educational leadership event for JRA members that highlights the cattle industry and Red Angus breed.

In addition, the JRA board will confirm plans for the 2012 Loaded 4 Leadership conference and the 2011-2012 National Red Angus Junior Show to be held in January at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo.

“Each member of the current JRA board is returning in a director position,” said Dawn Bernhard, junior programs coordinator for the Red Angus Association of America (RAAA). “Their combined experience, enthusiasm and commitment to the JRA will well serve our junior membership. This officer team has established new goals and renewed their commitment to serving their peers through their leadership and work for the JRA.”

President

08-24-11 *Syngenta News* Fall Management Tips to Protect Your Alfalfa from Winter Injury…

Fall Management Tips to Protect Your Alfalfa from Winter Injury

·         Avoid late cuttings so plant keeps energy stored

·         Manage winter damage risk by selecting winter tolerant varieties

MINNETONKA, Minn. – August 24, 2011 – As the hot days of summer give way to cool fall temperatures, alfalfa growers are encouraged to consider winter injury risk when thinking about fall cutting.

“Growers really need to assess the risk versus the gain when it comes to fall cutting of alfalfa,” said Charles Scovill, Syngenta field agronomist. “While it may be tempting to take a final cutting late in the fall, you could be ultimately risking winter stand injury.”

To increase their potential for winter survival, alfalfa plants should get five to six weeks of growth to accumulate root carbohydrates and proteins before going dormant for the winter. A killing freeze, or the temperature that will stop further top growth for the season, normally occurs between September 1 and October 15 in northern states, later in southern states. Therefore, it is important to manage fall harvests to give the plants the best chance for strong winter survival.

When considering fall cutting, Scovill suggests the following management tips: