Don’t Miss the Muth, Inc. Liquidation Auction this Saturday, December the 17th in Rocky Ford, CO

CLICK HERE to visit the Maiers Auction Barn Website

12-12-11 *EPA NEWS* Two Colorado nonprofits receive funding to address air toxics and water quality

(Denver, Colo. – Dec 12, 2011) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it awarded more than $1 million in grants to 46 non-profit and tribal organizations working to address environmental justice issues nationwide.  Groundwork Denver, Inc. and the Better Pueblo Environmental Justice Project are two Colorado nonprofits receiving about $25,000 each.

“Community-based action and participation in environmental decision-making are critical to building healthy and sustainable communities,” said Lisa Garcia, EPA’s senior advisor to the administrator for environmental justice. “By supporting local environmental justice projects in under-served communities, we are expanding the conversation on environmentalism and advancing environmental justice in communities across the nation.”

12-12-11 CSU System Accepting Nominations for Chancellor

FORT COLLINS - The Colorado State University System announced today that it is accepting nominations for chancellor of the three-university system.

Joe Blake announced in July that he would step down as chancellor but continue to work for the CSU System on donor development, alumni relations and teaching. His last day as chancellor will be December 31. An interim chancellor will not be appointed.

An 11-member search committee has been tasked with identifying and recommending chancellor candidates to the CSU System Board of Governors, which will make the final hiring decision. The search committee is scheduled to complete work by March 2012.

“The CSU System experienced tremendous growth and success under Joe Blake’s leadership, and we are looking for a new chancellor who will be able to leverage that momentum and continue to build upon the System’s hard-earned reputation for excellence,” said Joseph Zimlich, chair of the CSU System Board of Governors. “The Board certainly looks forward to selecting a vibrant and effective leader who can be a strong advocate for the CSU System and its individual campuses in Colorado and beyond.”

The chancellor is the chief executive officer of the CSU System, overseeing three distinct institutions:

12-12-11 NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen Live Show to Address New Animal Disease Traceability Proposal

— Live Show to Include Membership Drive

DENVER (Dec, 12, 2011) – In February 2010, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) abandoned its decades old National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and p

roposed to implement an animal disease traceability system. In August 2011, APHIS published a proposed rule on this new approach and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) submitted comments on Dec. 9, 2011. NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen will take a look at the proposed animal disease traceability program during a live call-in show on Tues., Dec. 13, 2011, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on RFD-TV.

NCBA is supportive of an animal disease traceability program for cattle health purposes and has been an industry leader working with other cattle groups and APHIS to ensure cattlemen’s concerns are addressed and that the new program is workable for industry as well as state and federal animal health officials.

12-12-11 Weld County Seeks Applicants for Advisory Board Positions…

The Weld County Commissioners are seeking Weld County residents interested in volunteering to serve on the Fair Board, the North Colorado Medical Center Board of Trustees, and the Board of Public Health.

The Fair Board conducts the Weld County Fair.  The fair is an annual event held for the educational benefit of 4-H, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and FFA and to showcase the Weld County community.  The board meets at 7:00 p.m. on the first Monday of each month.  Extensive involvement during the fair is expected, and the monthly time commitment is four hours. Applications specific to this board are available at www.weldcountyfair.com. 

The North Colorado Medical Center Trustees monitor the facility lease and provide direction for the facility.  Applicants can live anywhere in Weld County.  Meetings are scheduled the last Monday of each month at noon.  The monthly time commitment is two hours.

The Board of Public Health approves bio-solid and individual sewage disposal system applications and holds hearings related to applications.  Applicants must live in School District RE-6 (east of 14^th Avenue in Evans or Greeley) or in School District RE-7 (Kersey/Gill/Barnesville area).  Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m.  The time commitment is three hours monthly.

Applications are available at www.co.weld.co.us and will be accepted through December 27.  For further information, please contact Vicky Sprague at 970-336-7204 orvsprague@co.weld.co.us. 

12-12-1 *DoW-CO News* RARE MINNOWS RESTORED TO ARKANSAS RIVER

ROCKY FORD, Colo. – Two rare minnows are once again swimming in the Arkansas River thanks to pioneering research efforts at the John Mumma Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility.

Plains minnows (Hybognathus placitus) and suckermouth minnows (Phenacobius mirabilis) are native species on the Colorado threatened and endangered list. The small minnows were stocked into the Arkansas River above John Martin Reservoir in the vicinity of the Rocky Ford and Oxbow State Wildlife Areas in November.  The fish will be monitored annually to determine the success of the stocking effort.

“We’ve been working on getting them re-established in portions of their native habitat for over a decade but were unable to reproduce them successfully until recently,” said Paul Foutz, Southeast Region Native Aquatic Species Biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Because plains minnows and suckermouth minnows are exceedingly rare, efforts to aid in their recovery were hampered by the fact that very little research was available about the optimal conditions for them to reproduce in a hatchery. Since 2000, the staff at the Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility near Alamosa has worked meticulously and persistently to produce viable offspring.  Several times they were able to achieve successful reproduction, only to encounter difficulties raising the young fish to maturity.

READ the NAFB’s National Ag News as heard inside the BARN for December 12th

CLICK HERE to listen to TODAY's BARN Morning Ag News with Brian Allmer...

Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation

“Senate Misses Deadline on Regulatory Burdens”

“Funding Keeps GIPSA Final Rule in Check”

The Ag spending bill does not provide funding for implementation of the proposed GIPSA Final Rule announced last week by USDA. A separate funding bill may cover the cost but the issue had not been addressed as of late Friday. Going past funding, several key area of concern did not find their way into the GIPSA proposal. One such concern is clarification of the definition of “competitive injury” and “likelihood of competitive injury”.

Currently, in order to make his case, a producer must prove that a packer’s anti-competitive practices damaged the entire marketplace. Much of the industry thinks a clarification should make it possible for a producer to only have to prove that his or her operation was hurt by such actions. USDA did not address this issue in the proposal Final rule. If funded, and once the rule goes into effect, and as more of these issues come to light, more debate can be expected and more efforts made to address these issues in future rules.

**************READ MORE NAFB AG NEWS BELOW*********************

“Insurance Option Raises Crop Yields”

Beginning with the 2012 crop year, farmers purchasing crop insurance for corn and soybeans in 14 Midwestern states will have the option to use the Trend-Adjusted Actual Production History Yield Endorsement. This endorsement will allow farmers to increase the yields used in calculating crop insurance guarantees. According to University of Illinois Extension farm management specialist Gary Schnitkey, electing to take this endorsement will give farmers more coverage for the same cost. A decision to elect the endorsement must be made by March 15, 2012.