USDA Celebrates National Farm to School Month 

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today highlighted important strides made in offering healthy, local food to millions of school children through USDA's Farm to School program, and emphasized the program's role in creating economic opportunity for America's farmers and ranchers. According to USDA's first-ever Farm to School Census, in school year 2011-2012, schools participating in farm to school activities purchased and served over $350 million in local food, with more than half of participating schools planning to purchase even more local foods in future school years.

"An investment in the health of America's students through farm to school activities is also an investment in the health of local economies," said Vilsack. "We know that when students have experiences such as tending a school garden or visiting a farm they'll be more likely to make healthy choices in the cafeteria. We also know that when schools invest their food dollars in their local communities, all of agriculture benefits, including local farmers, ranchers, fishermen, food processors and manufacturers.

"Forty-three percent of public school districts across the country reported having an existing farm to school program in place, with another 13 percent of school districts surveyed committed to launching a farm to school program in the near future.

Interest in local products spans the school meal tray, with fruits, vegetables, and milk topping the list of local products currently offered in schools across the country, while census respondents indicate an interest in local plant-based proteins, grains and flour, and meat and poultry in the future.

Click here to read more.  

Farm Size Topic for Discussion During Next Food Dialogues in Boston 

An upcoming Food Dialogues event will focus on farm size. The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance will hold the event in Boston next Thursday. October 24th. Alan Bjerga - noted food author and Bloomberg News reporter is moderating the discussion. Farmers, ranchers and food pundits will address the differences and similarities between large and small farms, farm ownership and sustainability practices and the effect these issues have on consumer perceptions. The discussion is taking place in conjunction with Food Day events around the country and will help share the perspective of farmers and ranchers to a largely urban and suburban audience.

USFRA Chairman Bob Stallman says this is one of the strongest Food Dialogues panels yet. He says it's fitting since they'll be examining farm size - one of the hottest topics in the agricultural community. Stallman - also President of the American Farm Bureau Federation - says the purpose of the Food Dialogues events is to join in balanced discussions on provocative topics and the goal is to create a conversation that examines the subject from all angles. By holding the event on Food Day - Stallman says USFRA hopes to reach a broader audience in Boston and online.

You can read more of this story by clicking here.

 

Glenn Selk Offers Considerations for Growing Bred Replacement Heifers

Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist, writes in the latest Cow-Calf Newsletter:

Bred replacement heifers that will calve in January and February need to continue to grow and maintain body condition. Ideally, two year old heifers should be in a body condition score "6" at the time that their first calf is born. The target of a body condition score "6" is a narrow, but very important target to hit. Reaching this target, allows the heifer the best opportunity to provide adequate colostrum to the baby, repair the reproductive tract, return to heat cycles, rebreed on time for next year, and continue normal body growth. Exceeding the target may result in excess fat in the birth canal and causing some increase in calving difficulty. From now until calving time, the heifers will need to be gaining about 1 pound per head per day, assuming that they are in good body condition coming out of summer.   

You can read Glenn Selk's recommendations posted on our website by clicking here.

 

New Website Provides Information About Roundup-Ready Soybean Patent Expiration

The last U.S. patent covering the original Roundup Ready® soybean trait expires in 2015. As U.S. farmers begin thinking about purchasing their soybean seed for 2014 planting, they have a new resource to answer their questions about the expiration of Monsanto's original Roundup Ready soybean trait - soybeans.com.

"Even though the original Roundup Ready soybean trait is covered by a patent in the United States until the start of the 2015 planting season, we're already getting questions from farmers about what they can and cannot do with Roundup Ready soybeans. Soybeans.com can help answer questions growers may have about patents as they pertain to planting and saving original Roundup Ready varieties, as well as the benefits of new seed. It's a great resource for farmers as they plan for next year," said Monsanto's U.S. Oilseeds Product Management Lead Norm Sissons.

The site outlines Monsanto's commitments regarding the original Roundup Ready trait patent expiration, explains the different patents and breeders' rights typically covering soybean seed, and includes frequently asked questions and a decision tree on saving seed.

Click here to read more of this story.

 

Animal Ag's Progress Ignored by New Center for a Livable Future Report

The National Pork Producers Council says a report issued Tuesday ignores the progress America's farmers and ranchers have made in producing safe, affordable food while improving animal well-being, protecting the environment and using animal health products responsibly.  

The Center for a Livable Future - the institution that initiated Meatless Mondays and is part of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health - has released an update of a 2008 report from the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production that was highly critical of modern animal agriculture. At that time - the work of the Pew Commission was directed by the Center. The Commission called for phasing out certain production practices, banning certain animal antibiotics and placing new restrictions on the use of manure. This updated report claims the animal agriculture industry has made the problems worse over the past five years in addressing the commission's concerns.  

NPPC President Randy Spronk says the charges against animal agriculture made in the report bear little resemblance to the truth. He says the report is wrong in every aspect and ignores the extensive steps animal agriculture has taken over the last decade or more to address various industry challenges. The Animal Agriculture Alliance released a report Monday that counters the CLF report.

We have a couple of stories on this  this morning- one is more reaction from the National Pork Producers Council- click here to check that out.  And then- we have details of the study that the Animal Ag Alliance released yesterday that shows animal ag has done a lot of things very right-click here for this story that includes links to the report that documents that as well as the audio of the teleconference of industry experts that discussed how animal ag has been doing things right in the areas of greenhouse gases, antibiotics and more.

 

Locust Grove Upper Elementary School Wins NFL Player Visit from Midwest Dairy Council

Chris Chamberlain, a National Football League linebacker who's played for the St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints, will visit Locust Grove Upper Elementary School on Wednesday, October 23, 2013, to reward the school for being selected as a National Finalist in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program's Activity Scavenger Hunt Challenge.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program created in partnership with Midwest Dairy Council and the National Football League that encourages students to eat healthy, be active and implement positive changes at school. Chamberlain's visit was awarded to recognize the school for their efforts to eat healthy foods and stay active.

The Activity Scavenger Hunt Challenge encouraged students to grab a camera, their friends and even their school faculty to complete a list of activities to get everyone up and moving. By teaming up with their classmates, teacher and families, students had the opportunity to learn how small bursts of activity throughout the day can easily add up to 60 minutes of play.

Click here for more.  

This N That: Big Iron Features 243 Items, Ranchers Relief Fund Update and Jamison Bull and Female Sale

It's the regular Wednesday closing for a whole list of items on Big Iron- your online farm equipment and more auction site. This week- 243 items start closing at 10 AM central time this morning.

Click here to check out the full lineup of stuff available to the highest bidder today on Big Iron.

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The latest number that we have seen on the official Facebook page of the South Dakota Ranchers Relief fund is $300,000- that's the amount raised to help ranchers in that state who were hard hit by the blizzard they are calling Atlas back on the 4th of October.  

That number apparently includes the $50,000 donated by Tyson from that Tweetcast that we told you about earlier this week that was held on Monday evening. Click here for the Facebook page that is keeping track of the cash donations thus far. 

That does not count the efforts of Ty Linger and his beating the drum for donations of heifers and cows to be shipped to the hard hit region.  The last word we saw on the website they have set up shows that they have pledges of 350 heifers thus far- click here to learn more.

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The Jamison and Jamison Bull and Female Sale is set for this coming Saturday- October 26- the sale to be held at the ranch near Beggs, Oklahoma.

Sale Manager Eddie Sims wanted me to be sure and remind you that there will be a great set of 48 Hereford Bulls on offer- but also 23 Angus Bulls from Express Ranches that will be included in the offering for this Saturday!

And- he says he is getting a lot of calls on the 150 commercial bred heifers that will be sold Saturday as well. You can call Eddie at 580-595-1626 and find out more- and you can also click here to jump the National Cattle website where you can see the complete catalog of the tremendous set of genetics that will be on display this Saturday at the Jamison and Jamison Bull and Female Sale.