01-04-12 *NCGA News of the Day* NCGA Works with State Associations to Keep Candidate Views on Ag in the Spotlight in 2012

With the Iowa Caucus complete, the National Corn Growers Association continues its push to help keep farmers informed of candidate views and engaged in the presidential primary process as the race for the Republican nomination continues.  NCGA will continue to update the original Corn Caucus Project report card, offer expanded and updated information on the positions of the remaining Republican contestants and provide links to the caucus and primary schedule and a candidate tracker.

“With the 2012 Iowa Corn Caucuses behind us, I see the Corn Caucus project as a success. Corn farmers from across the state did their homework on the candidates, followed the campaigns, participated in local meetings, used the Corn Caucus report card and made sure agriculture issues were recognized and addressed by the candidates,” said Iowa Corn Growers Association Senior Policy Advisor Amanda Taylor. “As we move toward the nomination, we look forward to continuing to engage the campaigns in issues important to America’s corn farmers.”

The National Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Growers Association, in partnership with the Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota and Nebraska Corn Growers Associations, released the original tool to help voters quickly determine where candidates stand on a variety of agricultural issues.

“As the primaries ebb and flow, candidates provide additional insight into the stances they would take on a variety of issues, including many that will affect farmers directly,” said NCGA Grower Services Action Team Chair Brandon Hunnicutt.  “While NCGA does not endorse any candidate, we do want to help farmers and their allies stay up-to-date on where the candidates stand.  Through this project, we want to provide a useful tool that will help our membership make the most informed decision possible when they make their way to the ballot box.”

Aimed at keeping corn farmers informed and engaged in the political process during the 2012 presidential campaign, the Corn Caucus report card and accompanying information offer succinct information gathered through a survey of major candidates on issues relating to NCGA’s legislative priorities.

This year, the survey looked at candidate views on ethanol, farm programs, trade, the Environmental Protection Agency and transportation.  Awarding each candidate a letter grade for their farm-friendliness in subcategories of each area, the final report card offers insight into the strengths and weaknesses of candidate positions on agriculture.

To keep abreast on information as the campaign continues, click here.

01-04-12 *DoW-Co News* GRANTS FOR SHOOTING, FISHING & BOATING

DENVER - Colorado Parks and Wildlife is accepting applications from individuals, organizations and local governments to distribute up to $1.7 million for outdoor recreation activities in Colorado. Matching grants are available in this cycle for projects in Colorado that benefit fishing, shooting ranges or motorized boating. The grant programs are partially funded by federal excise taxes on the sale of boating, hunting and fishing equipment and come to Colorado through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program celebrates its 75th Anniversary in 2012, marking the initial passage of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937.

“These funds are one of the ways the new Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency can work with local governments and local groups to make it possible for more people to enjoy the real Colorado,” said Rick Cables, Director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Outdoor recreation is a powerful driver for local economies and jointly building these projects is a win for everyone.”

01-04-12 *USDA News* Wheat Outlook

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ENTIRE REPORT

Afghanistan has had success at achieving higher output for wheat, its key staple food and major crop. From 1990-2009, wheat production grew 3.5 percent per year, driven primarily by yield increases. However, given expected increases in demand, imports are likely to grow in coming years even if this production growth is sustained, suggesting growing dependence on supplies from Pakistan and other countries. For Afghanistan to achieve self-sufficiency in the next decade, more widespread use of improved seed and fertilizer on irrigated and rainfed wheat fields would have to be combined with sharp increases in irrigated
wheat area—an unlikely outcome. CLICK  THE PICTURE ABOVE TO VIEW

01-04-12 *USDA Rural Development News* Teaming Up to Support Rural Community Colleges

It’s no secret that community colleges are leading the way to achieving the President’s goal for the United States to once again have the highest college attainment rate in the world by 2020. Community colleges are hubs for career-training, re-training, adult education and for recent high school graduates seeking a pathway into the careers of their choice.

For many residents of rural areas, community colleges also provide the closest access to postsecondary education and a way to obtain the skills needed for existing jobs.  However, like some of their students, many rural community colleges are doing more with less as state budgets are being cut and new resources are becoming harder to find.

During the 2011 rural community colleges conference in Oklahoma, many attendees asked about funding and resources available from the Department of Education but few were as familiar with opportunities in other federal agencies. Some rural community college administrators were unaware of the significant infrastructure of support available through their USDA Rural Development state and local offices.

01-04-12 *USDA TV* Conservation Programs Present and Future…

01-04-12 Inside CSU’s Department of Animal Sciences with Dr Kevin Pond

Dr. Kevin Pond - Head of the Dept of Animal Sciences at CSU

(The BARN – Briggsdale, CO) Joining the BARN by telephone is Dr. Kevin Pond, Head of the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University in Ft Collins, CO. Dr Pond covers several topics within the interview below including:

• 2011 Livestock Leader – Dr. Cleon Kimberling (year is accurate, awarded at NWSS on Sat. Jan. 14, 2012)
• New CSU  Animal Sciences building – CLICK HERE to learn more
• Judging Teams/Programs:  Reserve National Champion Meats Team, Polo Team
• Hiring of new J.E. Rouse Endowed Chair in Breeding and Genetics – Dr. Milton Thomas
• Hiring of Dr Mark Stetter as Dean of CSU’s Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences Department – CLICK HERE to read the Press Release
• CSU Polo Team defeats Texas Tech in recent match

To Listen to the interview with Dr. Kevin Pond, click the mp3 audio link below…

010412_CSU_AnimalScience_DrPond_10m57s

To learn more about Dr Kevin Pond – CLICK HERE

To learn more about CSU’s Department of animal Sciences – CLICK HERE

01-04-12 Walt Disney Company Veterinarian Named Dean of CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

FORT COLLINS - Colorado State University today announced that Dr. Mark Stetter has been named dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The college is home to one of the top-ranked veterinary programs in the nation as well as nationally recognized infectious disease, cancer and other health research programs.

“Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is one of the best in the world, with top-flight faculty and academic programs,” said CSU President Tony Frank. “In seeking the next dean, we wanted someone with vision, leadership, research and administrative experience to advance the college’s research, support faculty achievement, engage alumni and constituents, and provide extraordinary education to our students. We found those qualities in Mark, and I am pleased to welcome him to Colorado State.”

Dr. Stetter, who has more than 23 years of experience in veterinary medicine, joins CSU from the Walt Disney Co., where he is director of animal operations. He will begin working at CSU in May and become dean in July.

“I cannot tell you how honored and excited I am to have been selected as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,” Stetter said. “The college does so many incredible things to help animals, help people and help the planet. I look forward to joining the CSU team and helping the college achieve even more great things.”

At Disney, Stetter oversaw the health and daily care of several thousand animals for the company’s programs and parks around the world and managed a team of more than 500, including veterinarians, curators, zookeepers and aquarists. He also helped oversee company’s international wildlife research and conservation programs.

“We are delighted that Dr. Stetter has accepted our offer to become a Ram,” said Rick Miranda, provost at Colorado State. “He has impressed all with his experience, his energy, his vision and his enthusiasm for joining our leadership team here at CSU.”

01-04-12 CSU Extension Recognizes Deb Alpe, Tony Koski with Highest Honors

FORT COLLINS - Two Colorado State University Extension employees were recently honored for their contributions. Tony Koski, turfgrass specialist and professor in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State, received the F.A. Anderson Award, which recognizes an Extension professional for outstanding performance throughout their Extension career. (MORE INFORMATION BELOW ABOUT TONY KOSKI)

The Alton Scofield Distinguished Service Award is Colorado State University Extension’s highest honor awarded to field staff. Jackson County Extension Director Deb Alpe received the award at the annual Extension Forum and banquet, held recently in Fort Collins. Alpe was nominated by the Colorado 4-H Agents association and the Jackson County commissioners.

“Deb’s work in Jackson County and before that in Routt County has been exemplary in every way,” said CJ Mucklow, Western Regional Extension director. “She has a great disposition that’s conducive for bringing people together and making things happen.”

Alpe’s accomplishments include:
• Co-creating and implementing the Jackson County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP). Alpe worked collaboratively with citizens, local fire professionals and natural resource agency representatives to complete seven CWPPs in the county. The collaboration secured grants in excess of $250,000 to assist landowners in completing wildfire hazard mitigation projects on approximately 2,000 acres with a protection value of $15 million. Alpe’s leadership role in the collaboration fostered strong community relations that have paved the way for future partnerships between neighbors and the community at large.
• Providing extensive support to North Platte Basin Roundtable project funded by the Water Supply Reserve Account to begin gathering evapo-transpiration and weather data for North Park. Alpe served previously as the recorder and currently as the roundtable education liaison to the Interbasin Compact Committee.
• Being instrumental in upgrading child care programs and support for parents in Routt County while also helping to secure adequately paying jobs for providers. During her tenure as the Routt County Family and Consumer Science and 4-H agent from 1996-2005, Alpe teamed up with the early childhood Colorado pilot project group and First Impression, an advocacy organization for at-risk children. Together with the help of government and industry, the group developed creative and flexible solutions to improve the quality of life for Routt County citizens.
• Collaborating on developing the Yampa Valley Community Indicators Project, which documented quality of life issues in Routt and Moffat counties. As one of the collaborators, Alpe co-facilitated the initial framework and process used to create the 1996 and subsequent reports. The project continues to update and publish reports that are critical resources for nonprofits, school and education administrators, business owners, local officials and other stakeholders interested in local concerns.

01-04-12 Alfalfa Valuation Tool to Debut at Mid-America Alfalfa Expo & Conference in Kearney, NE Feb 7-8

COZAD, NE—The Nebraska Alfalfa Marketing Association (N.A.M.A.) will launch an online alfalfa evaluation tool at the upcoming Mid-America Alfalfa Expo & Conference, to be held at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds in Kearney, Nebraska, February 7 and 8.

“The evaluation tool allows users to calculate a sound value of their alfalfa based on a nutrient comparable basis or a market comparable basis,” said Kyle Lechtenberg of Spencer, Nebraska, a member of the N.A.M.A. board who is helping to develop the tool. “The goal is to have a specific value for buyers and sellers to use as a starting point when marketing alfalfa, instead of simply asking neighbors or coming up with a ballpark guess.”

Lechtenberg explained that the nutrient comparable basis model allows users to input current prices of corn and soybean meal. The formula then provides a value of the alfalfa on a comparable nutrient basis. The market-based model, however, uses U.S. Department of Agriculture hay price reporting for inputs. It then adjusts those values based on the natural tendency of buyers to pay better for higher quality hay and flatten out for lower grade commodity hay.

01-04-12 CME Group Volume Averaged a Record 13.4 Million Contracts per Day in 2011, Up 10 Percent from 2010

CHICAGO, Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced that 2011 volume averaged a record 13.4 million contracts per day, up 10 percent from 2010.  Highlights for the year included record annual average daily volume for foreign exchange (FX), agricultural commodities, energy and metals, as well as double-digit average daily volume growth in interest rates, equity indexes, agricultural commodities and metals product lines.

Fourth-quarter volume averaged 11.7 million contracts per day, down 2 percent from fourth-quarter 2010, but included 24 percent average daily volume growth in equity index products, 8 percent growth in energy products, and 20 percent growth in volume cleared through CME ClearPort.

December 2011 volume averaged 9.6 million contracts per day, down 9 percent from December 2010.  Equity index average daily volume increased 31 percent versus December 2010, and volume cleared through CME ClearPort was up 12 percent compared with the prior December.  Total volume for December was 201 million contracts, of which 85 percent was traded electronically.

READ the NAFB’s National Ag News as heard inside the BARN for January 4th, 2012

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

Sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation

“Controversy Brewing over Poultry Cage Size”

Several farm organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, have signed a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee calling for the rejection of additional, costly and unnecessary animal rights mandates proposed by the Humane Society of the United States. A bill is being prepared by Oregon Representative Kurt Schrader that would set federal standards for the welfare of egg-laying hens. 

The standards would allow for larger, enriched-colony cages and phase out smaller cages over 15 to 18 years at what the United Egg Producers has estimated to be a cost of 4-billion dollars. Opposing groups have estimated the cost to be 10-billion dollars. According to the letter, – the bill is based on an agreement between Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers and counters efforts to unshackle our economy from additional government regulation.

Speaking of the opposition, Chris Huckleberry, legislative director for Representative Schrader, says – this is pretty transformational so it will be a heavy lift regardless of the opposition. He adds, – these groups are doing what they perceive they have to. They are a bunch of well-funded and well-organized groups that know what they are doing.

The other groups that signed the letter are: National Farmers Union, American Sheep Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Pork Producers Council and National Turkey Federation.

***************READ MORE AFB AG NEWS BELOW****************************

“End of Ethanol Tax Credit Seen as Being Good”

With the end of 2011 came the end of the federal tax credit for ethanol, ending an era in which the federal government provided more than 20-billion dollars in subsidies to help grow the industry. Some say the tax credit’s end is remarkable because it comes at the peak of the political season in Iowa, where corn is king.