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National Pork Board listening to producers

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

The first step in developing a strategic plan for the pork industry is to learn firsthand what’s on the minds of pork producers, to do that the National Pork Board (NPB) held three listening sessions where they asked producers to identify the priority issues.

At the conclusion of the regional meeting in Indianapolis on Friday, July 24, where producers from Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Indiana attended, Chris Novak, Chief Executive of the National Pork Board told Brownfield they were hearing two priority issues, one the need for product promotion and second.

“This need for us to share with America’s consumers the benefits of new production technologies, benefits of how and why we’re producing pork the way we today, how we’re improving and enhancing environmental quality, environmental controls within our operations, how we’re working harder to ensure better food safety, better quality of the products we produce,” said Novak.

For those producers unable to attend the listening sessions, Novak says a web-based survey is available.

AUDIO: Chris Novak, Chief Exec. National Pork Board (4:45 MP3)

Filed Under: Events/Organizations, Livestock, News, Top Stories Tagged With: ,

Governor visits troops helping Afghan farmers

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

National Guard soldiers continue to work with Afghan farmers in the Nangarhar Province. The Missouri National Guard was the first in the nation to have form an Agricultural Development Team or ADT in Nangarhar and they’ve had a presence since the Fall of 2007. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Texas Governor Rick Perry and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty recently toured the ADT base and met with individual soldiers. About 60 Missouri citizen-soldiers and Airmen are working with Afghan farmers to reconstruct and develop Afghan agriculture, “The bottom line is they are trying to help local farmers successfully produce crops so Afghanistan can be more self-sustaining and to try to get them to quit growing poppies and making heroin, and instead grow food crops.” A Texas ag development team followed Missouri to Afghanistan and is active working with farmers there also.The second Missouri Guard team will be replace by a third team this fall. Nixon reports that “steady progress is being made.” They also visited an ag development team that followed Missouri over to Afghanistan. Governor Nixon says it’s a mission that also gets the US soldiers on the ground, closer to the people along the Afghan borders where they can gain solid intelligence. “And that we win not only the war we’re in but the peace that’s afterwards,” Nixon says.

Gov. Nixon with ADT team in Afghan

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon Visits Troops

Filed Under: American Ag in Afghanistan, Human Interest, News, World Ag News/Trade Tagged With: ,

Emerald Ash Borer found in third Wisconsin site

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Emerald Ash Borer has been found in Brown County. An adult beetle was found in a trap in Green Bay along the Fox River about a mile south of the bay. This is the third location and fifth county in the state where the invasive pest has been found. State EAB Program Manager Jennifer Statz says this discovery presents an extra challenge in that it was an adult insect and not a larva in a tree. “So the beetle could have come from across the street, across the river or across the country.” There is a sizeable population of ash trees in the area, says Statz, “At this point we just don’t know.”

Federal regulators are considering a quarantine of Brown County and possibly other counties in the area in an effort to help slow the spread of EAB throughout northeastern Wisconsin. Materials to be quarantined include ash nursery stock, ash timber, tree trimmings and all hardwood firewood.

EAB was first discovered in Wisconsin last summer along the Washington-Ozaukee county line. A second infestation was found this spring along the Mississippi River in Vernon and Crawford counties. To date the insect has been found in a dozen states and two Canadian provinces.

Visit the Wisconsin EAB website for more information.

Filed Under: Human Interest, News Tagged With: , , ,

On mission

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Commentary

It’s always good to have a plan, a goal, a focus. The New York Animal Agriculture Coalition has a mission statement that is one of the best I’ve seen.  

It begins with defining the group’s focus to “reconnect the publics’ understanding of and appreciation for animal agriculture through:
media engagement,
public education,
and by fostering cooperation between industry stakeholders.”

It then goes on to define what is at stake.  

Good stuff. 

bfcommentary043009

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Two Cents Tagged With:

Indiana hosting Japanese regulators

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

A team of Japanese regulators in the U.S. for 9-days to meet with U.S. regulators, biotech seed companies and biotech industry organizations will make a stop in Indiana on Wednesday, July 29. The group will have lunch with farmer members of the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC) and staff.

In addition to Indiana, the group will visit Washington, D.C., Chicago and have farm visits in Illinois.

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , ,

Identifying the pork industry’s priority issues

July 28, 2009 By 1 Comment

The first step in developing a strategic plan for the pork industry is to learn firsthand what’s on the minds of pork producers, to do that the National Pork Board held three listening sessions where they asked producers to identify the priority issues. Chris Novak, Chief Executive of the National Pork Board talked about they are hearing.

AUDIO: Chris Novak, Chief Exec. National Pork Board (3:00 MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Rural Issues Tagged With: ,

Holistic ranching benefits land, profitability

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Jim and Carol Faulstich operate their Daybreak Ranch holistically. For this family, one of seven regional finalists for the Environmental Stewardship Award, it’s not only good for the land, it’s sustainable and it’s profitable. A vision statement crafted early on has made this what Jim calls, “a fun experience.”

AUDIO: Jim Faulstich (3 min. MP3)

Filed Under: Feature Programs, Managing for Profit

Indiana crops still playing catch-up

July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Crops are still running well behind normal in Indiana. The weekly crop progress report from the National Ag Statistics Service shows the corn crop is 28 percent silked, up 17 points from last week but still way behind the 64 percent normal for this date. The crop is rated 65 percent in good to excellent shape. Purdue University is advising producers this is the time of year when they need to determine if fungicide should be applied to the crop.

One-third of the soybeans in the state are blooming, a 22 percent increase over last week but 22 points behind the five-year average. The beans are in decent condition with 63 percent rated good to excellent.

The winter wheat harvest is on scheduled, 96 per cent complete, equal to the five year average.
Topsoil moisture is 62 percent adequate, 14 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is 69 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus. Pastures are rated 70 percent good to excellent shape.

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , , ,

Nebraska crops a bit behind normal

July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Below-normal growing degree days has crops are just a little behind the five-year average in Nebraska. The weekly crop progress report from the National Ag Statistics Service has the wheat crop 99 percent ripe with 85 percent harvested. The combines are on pace with last year but 9 points behind the five-year average.

The corn crop 77 percent silked with 8 percent in dough, just a few points behind where they should be for this date. The crop is rated 78% good to excellent condition.

Soybeans are 75 percent blooming with 24 percent setting pods with the crop rated 81% good to excellent condition.

Sorghum is 6 percent headed with 72 percent of the crop rated good to excellent shape.

Second cutting of alfalfa is 84 percent complete and third crop is 5 percent made, here again, a little behind the five-year average. The crop is rated 24 percent fair, 58 percent good and 12 percent excellent.

Pasture and range conditions are 22 percent fair shape, 59 percent good and 15 percent excellent.

Soil moisture is in good shape across the Cornhusker State with topsoil moisture rated 74 percent adequate and subsoil 80 percent adequate.

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , ,

Wisconsin crops need heat and rain

July 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

About the only part of Wisconsin that didn’t need more rain, got a lot of it on Friday night. The weekly crop progress report from the National Ag Statistics Service Wisconsin Field Office now has soil moisture in the Southwest District 98% adequate and 2% surplus. A couple of tornados, 65 mile-per-hour winds and baseball-sized hail did a lot of damage in Lafayette County. Reports say some 20,000 acres of crops were hurt include fields that are a total loss. Damage assessments are still being done.

The rest of the state is still quite dry with overall soil moisture listed as 37% adequate, 34% short and 28% very short. The Northeast and East Central Districts have more than half their soil in the “very short” category. Rainfall last week ranged from .02 inches in Milwaukee to 1.16 inches in Green Bay while temperatures were 4 to 7 degrees below normal. Eau Claire is 6.92 inches below normal precipitation year-to-date; La Crosse is 4.43 inches short while Madison is 5.2 inches above normal.

The Badger State corn crop is 21% silked, well behind the 47% five-year average for this date. The crop averages 68 inches tall across the state, 3 inches below average with 26% rated fair, 47% good and 8% excellent. Just about every reporter says they need rain and heat to give this crop a boost.

Soybeans are 42% blooming with 9% setting pods, should be 65% blooming and 26% setting pods by now. The crop is rated 32% fair, 50% good and 7% excellent condition.

Winter wheat harvest is underway, 6% completed with the crop rated 30% fair, 65% good to excellent. Oats are 2% combined, should be 18% done by now. The oats are rated 37% fair, 59% good to excellent condition.

Filed Under: Crops, News Tagged With: , , , , ,
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