2014 Winter Canola Crop Largely Planted and Looks Good- We Talk With Josh Bushong  

The planting window is about to close for getting winter canola into the ground for harvest in 2014- and OSU Extension Canola Specialist Josh Bushong says that most of the acres are in the ground and that in many locations, the crop has germinated and is getting established. Last year, a lot of the canola had to be planted into dry soil conditions, while this year- there have been multiple rains during the planting window across the state to allow farmers to have enough moisture. 

Bushing offered no percentages- but in the conversations that we have had- we are somewhere around 85% to 90% done on Canola planting in the state.


In some cases, there has been heavy rain after canola was planted and that has caused germination problems for some producers in several counties- Bushong mentions Garfield and Grant where in some cases seed has planted at a 3/4 inch depth- and got pushed down to a one and a half inch depth- resulting in those germination concerns.


Bushong adds that in southwest Oklahoma, canola is generally up and some producers are already finding worms in and around the small canola plants.


Bushong says that there are definitely more acres this year than were planted in 2012, but declined to offer a specific number of how many acres we may end up with in 2013 for the 2014 harvest.

You can read more- and listen to our Tuesday evening conversation with Josh by clicking here. 

The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Corn Growers Association have appealed a recent court decision upholding the Environmental Protection Agency's "pollution diet" for the 64,000-square-mile Chesapeake Bay watershed.  The groups seek reversal of a September 13th decision that gives EPA wide latitude to dictate local land-use and development decisions.

"This is a wrongly decided case that has dangerous implications for farmers and many others in the Chesapeake Bay area and nationwide," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "This case isn't about whether or not to protect the Chesapeake Bay - we all share that goal. This case is about whether EPA can dictate where farming will be allowed, where homes can be built, and where businesses can be established. By taking over decisions like that, EPA has turned the whole concept of cooperative federalism out the barn door."  (You can read more from Bob Stallman by clicking here.)

Grassley Says Changes Needed to Close Farm Payment Loopholes

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley released a Government Accountability Office report Tuesday showing additional changes are needed to the eligibility requirements for being actively involved in farming.

"The report shows that there is still far too much subterfuge of the actively engaged law. For instance, taxpayers are footing the bill for farm payments to 11 active managers of one farm, who supposedly provide significant management experience, yet perform no labor," Grassley said. "The loophole has been allowed to stand for too long. It's time to close it once and for all and put the issue to rest so we can maintain a safety net for the farmers who really need it."

The GAO report reviews the Farm Service Agency's compliance review of farming operation members' claimed contributions of active personal management and personal labor. It also examines the FSA's state offices' timeliness in completing and reporting compliance reviews and the results.

Grassley said that the conferees to the farm bill should take notice of the report and take a hands off approach to the provisions in both the House and Senate bills. 

Click here to read more and to find a link to the full GAO report.     

Reducing Stressors Key to Reducing Antibiotic Use, Merck's Spire Says 

Dr. Mark Spire is a veterinarian and former staff member at Kansas State University. He now works for Merck Animal Health. He spoke recently at the Kansas State Stocker Conference about receiving stocker cattle and how to keep them in top-notch health. He says there is a lot that has changed in just the last few years.

He says there are several factors that have changed the best practices in receiving cattle. He says drought has really affected the quality of cattle stockers have received in recent years.

Also, he says, "The bugs are changing. We know that what we considered pathogens that we could control very easily, we're finding its now much more to control them because they're growing different and they're more aggressive than the ones we've seen in the past.

"The parasites that we've seen that were normally taken care of by our injectibles and our pour-on wormers, now we don't see them as effective as what we have in the past.

"The other part is that we're learning more about our vaccines and that's become a major thing. Our vaccines can end up causing problems. While we're trying to prevent disease with them, we can actually end up causing problems by what we call random inflammation."

Mark joins me on the latest Beef Buzz.  Click here to listen or to read his recommendations.    

CEI Director Examines Labeling for Genetically-Modified Foods

Gregory Conko, executive director of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, published the following editorial:

Labeling advocates say consumers have a right to know what's in their food. But genetic engineering is just a breeding method - it's not something that's in the food.

The Food and Drug Administration's labeling policy requires food companies to note on package labels anytime a material change in nutrition or safety has been made - this applies equally to GE and other breeding methods. So, in that regard, FDA's current policy is better tailored to supplying the information labeling advocates say they want.Ironically, there are several other breeding methods that are known to be riskier than genetic engineering, but labeling advocates aren't interested in labeling of foods developed with those methods.

Public support for labeling appears to be broad - generally gets around 90% favorable responses in surveys. But support drops significantly in surveys that first tell respondents about FDA's current labeling policy. If you tell people about FDA's policy, majorities say they favor that over mandatory labeling.

You can read more of this story by clicking here.

 

Ag Advocates Connect with the Consumer

South Dakota ranchers Troy and Stacy Hadrick founded Advocates for Agriculture in 2006 as a way to motivate fellow producers to tell their stories to consumers. Today, the couple travels several weeks a year sharing tips and methods connecting with the non-ag community.

"If we can go on the road for a couple of days, if we convince one other producer to go out and make telling their story part of their chore list as well, like we do, then that's only helping us out, too," Troy says.

"We also really feel like there's a strategic need for us to be out there connecting with people about what we're doing because, I believe, if I don't do that my children won't have the same opportunities in agriculture and that's what motivates me to continue to get out there and connect with people every day," Stacy says.

You can read more of this story or watch a video version on our website by clicking here.  

AVMA Thanks USDA for Reopening APHIS Program

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) praised Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for his decision today to deem "essential" the employees at the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB), allowing them to return to work during the government shutdown.

The CVB, which has been closed over the past week, is responsible for verifying animal vaccines and releasing them into the marketplace, ensuring that veterinarians and farmers have access to the vaccinations they need to keep their flocks and herds healthy. Without a fully functional CVB, these groups would face a dwindling vaccine supply, which could endanger herd health, food safety and public health.

"I would like to express my gratitude to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for his thoughtful action in reopening the USDA's Center for Veterinary Biologics, an essential program that helps keep both food animals and the public healthy," said Dr. Ron DeHaven, AVMA's chief executive officer. "We always emphasize that healthy food starts with healthy animals and allowing veterinarians to have access to critical vaccines is an important preventive measure that must continue even in the midst of the federal government shutdown. I applaud Secretary Vilsack for reevaluating the merits of this program and having the foresight to appreciate its importance to ensuring a safe and affordable food supply for Americans."