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Tuesday, January 27, 2015
New certification supports growing demand for grassfed meat
Thursday, January 22, 2015
National Farm Machinery Show Feb. 11-14 in Louisville, Ky.
The Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky., will
be completely filled Feb. 11-14 with 860 exhibitors, making it the country’s
largest indoor farm show. Nearly every major line of farming equipment will be
on display allowing attendees to compare products side by side. The most
innovative technology and new product launches are available to agribusiness
professionals, as well as alternative energy information and solutions to the
challenges facing today’s agribusiness industry.
In addition to seeing the newest products on the market,
visitors can attend free seminars led by industry experts. Seminar topics
include unmanned aerial vehicles, cloud-based data handling and weather and
commodity trends. Visitors will also be able to watch Tyne Morgan and Al Pell
during a live-taping of "U.S. Farm Report."
For more information, visit http://www.farmmachineryshow.org.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
USDA announces funding for beginning farmers and ranchers
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden this week announced the availability of more than $18 million in funding to help educate, mentor and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. This support is available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) administered by USDA's National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
The BFRDP awards grants to organizations implementing programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers, including workshops, educational teams, training and technical assistance throughout the United States.
Fiscal Year 2015 applications for BFRDP are due March 13. NIFA will host a webinar for interested applicants on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. EST. No password or advance reservation is required. A recording will be posted on the NIFA website shortly after the event.
Funding for BFRDP program is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. Additional information is available at www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/beginningfarmersandranchers.cfm.
The BFRDP awards grants to organizations implementing programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers, including workshops, educational teams, training and technical assistance throughout the United States.
Fiscal Year 2015 applications for BFRDP are due March 13. NIFA will host a webinar for interested applicants on Wednesday, Feb. 11, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. EST. No password or advance reservation is required. A recording will be posted on the NIFA website shortly after the event.
Funding for BFRDP program is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. Additional information is available at www.nifa.usda.gov/fo/beginningfarmersandranchers.cfm.
Bill would remove federal protections for wolves in 4 Western states
U.S. Rep. Reed Ribble (Wisc.) is leading the effort to remove federal court protections for wolves in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Wyoming. Co-sponsors of the bill include U.S. Reps. Collin Peterson (Minn.), Dan Benishek (Mich.) and Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.).
The legislation is in response to a ruling by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., last month that threw out an Obama administration decision to "delist" wolves in the western Great Lakes region, where the combined wolf population is estimated at around 3,700. That followed a similar decision by a different federal judge in September that stripped Wyoming of its wolf management authority and returned that state's wolves to federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Ribble's bill uses a strategy that succeeded in taking wolves in Idaho and Montana off the endangered list after court challenges by environmentalists blocked those efforts. Congress took matters into its own hands in 2011 and lifted the federal protections for wolves in those two states, which then allowed hunting and trapping to resume.
Friday, January 16, 2015
'Wild & Woolly' winter issue now available
The Winter 2015 issue of Wild & Woolly is now available. Wild & Woolly is a quarterly newsletter for sheep and goat producers and anyone else interested in small ruminants. It is published by University of Maryland Extension It provides complete coverage of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test.
Winter 2015 Wild & Woolly - HTML
Winter 2015 Wild & Woolly - PDF
Winter 2015 Wild & Woolly via ISSUU
You can subscribe to the newsletter listserv to receive an e-message when a new issue of the newsletter is published. To subscribe send an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.umd.edu. In the body of the message, write subscribe sheepand goatnews. You can also follow ISSUU to receive notification of new newsletters.
Wild & Woolly is available via mail for a cost recovery fee of $10/year. Checks payable to the University of Maryland should be send to Western Maryland Research & Education Center, 18330 Keedysivlle, MD 21756.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Organic conference in Missouri Feb. 5-7
Thinking about going organic with your goat operation? Here's the place to start!
The
Missouri Organic Association’s 2015 Conference will be held February 5-7 in
Springfield, Mo. Attendees will discuss and share research and experiences
about organic and sustainable production.
The MOA’s
mission is to provide local, organic and sustainable family farms with the
tools they need to be successful farming businesses, while educating the
general public about why they should support local farmers.
The
conference is open to everybody — producers and consumers alike — who are concerned
about independent food sources, the rising health issues in our children,
supporting sustainable family farms, environmental issues and solution-based
philosophies of biological and organic growing practices.
“We are
definitely encouraging out-of-state attendees,” said Sue Baird, organizer and
coordinator. “Our hope is that this conference becomes one of the top
regional conferences for organic and sustainable agriculture.”
The event
will include 54 workshops with varied content: grain production, livestock
production, vegetable production, high-tunnel small fruits and vegetable
production, sustainable living skills, culinary and medicinal plants, and more.
In addition, there will be a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) Plenary — a
full-day panel workshop.
Early bird registration deadline in January 25
The
conference price is $175 for all 3 days and a single day pass is $75. An Early
Bird Special discount is available until January 25, which includes
a Buy 1 registration at full price, Get the 2nd registration at ½
price. After the Early Bird deadline of January 25, the Buy 1- Get 2nd
at ½ price will disappear and all ticket prices increase by $20.
For details about the speakers, visit
www.MOAConference.org.
To
register, visit http://www.moaconference.org/moa-conference-registration.
Hotel
reservations are available at a special MOA Conference block price at The
University Plaza Hotel, Springfield, MO. Be sure to mention the MOA
conference block.
What’s included in a 3 day pass?
Thursday includes your choice of 6
educational sessions, including a full informative workshop conducted by Ben
Flanner of Brooklyn Grange. www.brooklyngrangefarm.com. Thursday evening
includes the MOA Expo 2015 Grand Opening as well as a “Savor the Flavor” Reception
Dinner in which attendees are invited to taste the flavors of MOA Farmers, Retailers,
Microbreweries and Wineries. Thursday also includes the MOA Live Benefit
Auction to help fund the MOA Conference.
Friday includes choice of 6 educational
sessions as well as the GMO Plenary with Robyn O’Brien and a Food Policy
Workshop, including a special GMO Plenary with some of the top scientists in
the field discussing the effects of GMOs and herbicide chemicals on the health
of our soils, plants, livestock and human health. Featured on Friday is a
full day pastured hog production workshop.
Friday
Evening attendees will enjoy the MOA Cochon15 & MOA Top Chef Challenge,
featuring St. Louis Chef Josh Galliano of The Libertine and Springfield Chef
Wes Johnson of the Metropolitan Farmer butchering pasture based hogs with a
live auction of the pork products with the proceeds going to MOA and “Feed My
Peeps”, a non-profit organization formed to feed the hungry in St. Louis. The
MOA Top Chef Challenge 2015 will feature Tops Chefs from the four cities of
Missouri: Columbia — Walker Claridge of Broadway Brewery; St. Louis —
Chef Rex Hale of 360 St. Louis, Chef Wil Pelly of In Good Company &
Sanctuaria and Chef Jen Ryan of Gateway Garlic Urban Farm; Kansas City —
Michael Foust of The Farmhouse; and Springfield — Chef Paul Trout of Chateau on
the Lake. This event has generated great interest in the past from both the top
chefs who are competing for the title and from the participants who get to
taste the foods and judge the final MOA Top Chef 2015!
Friday
evening includes a Banquet Dinner of local organic and sustainably produced
foods. Following dinner, attendees may choose between a screening of GMO OMG,
or Live Music and Dancing with Dallas Jones.
Saturday
includes your
choice of 6 educational sessions including one on “From Sheep to
Shawl — Wool Sheep & German Angora Rabbits — Producing, Shearing, Spinning
Demo” — Vickie Eberhart. Our Saturday Brunch
features keynote speaker Joseph Simcox, “The Botanical Explorer” of Baker
Creek Heirloom Seeds who will be challenging us to save our local foods by
saving and planting native heirloom seeds and working together to develop local
food systems.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases announces new undergraduate summer internship program
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Institute for Infectious Animal Diseases (IIAD), a Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Center of Excellence, announced today a new summer internship program for undergraduate students majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Undergraduate students with junior and senior classifications are encouraged to apply to the program. Selected interns will be matched with IIAD scientist mentors for a paid 10-week summer internship and will gain hands-on experience related to the prevention, detection, control and mitigation of high-consequence transboundary animal diseases.
To be eligible, students must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale;
- Submit a completed application no later than Feb. 16, 2015;
- Be of full-time student status at the time of the internship;
- Maintain valid health insurance during the course of the internship.
If selected for the internship, students are required to:
- Attend a webinar orientation in April;
- Be willing to relocate, if necessary, to the site of the internship for the duration of the 10-week appointment (relocation and travel costs will not be covered);
- Create and submit a laboratory safety plan, with the assistance of the internship mentor;
- Complete a 10-week internship with an IIAD scientist;
- Conduct a research briefing at the internship site;
- Maintain a weekly training log;
- Submit a 10-page summary report;
- Complete and submit all required forms.
For more information and to find an application, click here. All applications must be submitted to iiad@ag.tamu.edu by 5 p.m. (CST) on Feb. 16, 2015.
Headquartered in College Station, Texas, IIAD was founded in 2004 as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Center of Excellence. The Institute focuses on research, education and outreach to prevent, detect, mitigate and recover from transboundary, emerging and/or zoonotic diseases, which may be introduced intentionally or through natural processes. In 2014, IIAD was recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as a Collaborating Centre in the specialty of biological threat reduction. IIAD is the only centre of this kind in OIE’s America’s region and the only OIE Collaborating Centre within the Texas A&M University System. For more information, visit iiad.tamu.edu.
8 reason why ag careers are needed now more than ever
While agriculture is a multi-billion dollar industry that directly affects everyone in the world each day, employers still struggle to find qualified candidates that are enthusiastic about the industry and need. According to the USDA, “between 2010 and 2015 there will be more jobs available in ag and food systems, renewable energy, and the environment than qualified graduates to fill them.” With the industry booming but college students being left uninformed about the importance of agricultural careers, the numbers need to increase. Here are 8 reasons that agriculture is needed now more than ever and to choose an agricultural career:
- Population is Increasing. By 2050 the world’s population is projected to hit 9 billion people. To be able to feed and clothe the world, the population is going to rely heavily on agriculture. With that comes the need for new technology, hard workers, creative minds, and college graduates that are ready to get into the workforce and support this ever-changing industry.
- New Generation of Agriculture. Baby boomers are in the primary agricultural leadership roles, but they are retiring at vast rates, leaving many positions un-filled. Employers are having difficulties finding the right talent to put into these positions and 60% of them are shifting their focus to recruiting college graduates.
- Job Diversity. Within the last 20 years, agriculture has expanded and become so diverse, giving job seekers a wide variety of careers to choose from. There are significant jobs in production, economics, marketing, agribusiness, technology, sales, finance, microbiology, communications, and much more. In 2013, there were 52,862 jobs posted on AgCareers.com containing differentiated career opportunities in every aspect of the agricultural industry!
- Shortage of College Graduates in Agriculture. The truth of the matter is, there just are not enough people going into an agricultural related program of study causing a shortage of qualified job seekers. According to the AgCareers.com Enrollment and Employment Outlook Survey, less than 1% of college students are in an agricultural major. In 2013 there were 56,000+ career opportunities in the industry but only 29,000 graduates were trained to fill them.
- Industry Growth. Since the industry is growing at such a fast pace, there is high demand for qualified job seekers in every aspect of agriculture. The U.S. Department of Labor projects significant growth in selected food, renewable energy, and environmental jobs from now and throughout 2018. Even more, the Agribusiness HR Review shows that 60% of employers are planning to do more college recruiting within the next 1-5 years.
- Technology Advancements. Agricultural technologies are constantly evolving to help improve productivity. With the new technology, comes a need for job seekers with the right education to be able to work with and develop the technology that will continue to shape the industry.
- Increased Salary. To remain competitive and to secure the best talent in the industry, employers have been consistently increasing salaries. They have also offered better benefit packages to retain employees. Furthermore, qualified talent is being promoted now faster than any other generation has before.
- Rewarding. Working in an agricultural related field is rewarding. You get the peace of mind knowing that you are making a positive impact on those around you. People that have careers in agriculture are passionate about what they do and want to see the industry be successful and prosperous. It’s rewarding to know that by working in an ag-related career, you are making a difference. Plus, the industry is an easy sector to network and make lasting connections with others in your field.
It is undeniable that the agriculture industry is one of the smartest career paths to take. Whether you are looking for a company that you fit in with, a competitive salary, or you want to make a difference, the agricultural sector has such a wide variety of jobs to choose from that it is easy to find what suits you best. It’s a growing field that needs new and talented employees to be ready to fill positions and be the next generation of agriculture.
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