by Elizabeth A. Tomlin
Once again an increase in membership in the Producers’ Cooperation of Dolgeville was applauded at the 2013 annual meeting.
“Currently we are 85 members strong, representing Montgomery, Fulton, Herkimer, Schoharie, Otsego, Madison and Delaware counties,” stated Co-op President Byron Walrath.
Walrath says Producers’ Co-op is completely owned and operated by the dairy producers. “We hire no outside help to manage our co-op and we are strictly an organization that has the dairy producer as its number one priority. That is the main reason why our membership has increased every year for the last six years.” [Read more…]
Corn Growers Pleased to See House Ag Committee Progress on Farm Bill
WASHINGTON (May 16, 2013) – National Corn Growers Association President Pam Johnson released the following statement in response to the House Committee on Agriculture’s farm bill passage late Wednesday night:
“We greatly appreciate the work by House Committee on Agriculture’s Chairman Frank Lucas, Ranking Member Collin Peterson and the Committee to move forward in the process to develop a five-year farm bill. NCGA is assessing similarities and differences between the legislation and our grower-developed policy.
“While we are pleased the process is moving forward, NCGA remains extremely concerned with the Committee’s decision to adopt a fixed-target-price program that moves U.S. farm policy away from the market-oriented reforms that have made possible a robust rural economy. It is also disappointing the Committee failed to use this opportunity to ensure a Revenue Loss Coverage program that is a genuine risk management option for producers.
“We understand this is only the second step in a long process, and we do applaud the House Ag Committee for holding a markup. Now, we call upon Speaker John Boehner to quickly take up the bill in the full House. We look forward to our continued work with members and staff on this important piece of legislation and urge Congress to pass a farm bill this year.”
House Agriculture Committee Passes Farm Bill, ASA Calls on Full House to Bring Bill to the Floor
ST. LOUIS (May 15, 2013) – The American Soybean Association (ASA) applauds Chairman Frank Lucas, Ranking Member Collin Peterson and the members of the House Agriculture Committee for passing the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act earlier today. The bill, which passed the Committee on a 36 to 10 vote, will now head to the House floor for consideration. ASA President Danny Murphy, a soybean farmer from Canton, Miss., commended the Committee and called on the full House to pass the bill as quickly as possible.
“ASA is very pleased that the farm bill is moving forward, and we applaud Chairman Lucas and Ranking Member Peterson, as well as the entire Committee, for their work on the bill,” said Murphy. “The House bill contains several key ASA priorities including provisions to strengthen crop insurance and continue our overseas marketing programs. We remain concerned with the bill’s inclusion of a price-based program under which payments are tied to current plantings, and the potential planting distortions this program could cause if market prices fall. That said, we believe these differences can be ironed out, either on the House floor or in conference with the Senate.”
Murphy noted that ASA was particularly pleased that Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) offered and spoke to an amendment that would have decoupled payments under the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program from current-year plantings in order to avoid production distortions. Rep. Gibbs made clear in his remarks that the PLC program, as included in the draft Committee bill, could distort plantings during periods of low prices, and he argued that all crops should be supported at a consistent level, based on market prices. In withdrawing his amendment, Rep. Gibbs made clear his intention to raise these issues again when the bill moves to the House floor.
“We appreciate Rep. Gibbs’ efforts to highlight the potential distortions that could result from a program based on target prices that are coupled to current-year plantings. The avoidance of such distortions has been a core ASA priority from the beginning, and we commend the Congressman for bringing up this concern during Committee markup.”
Rep. Gibbs was successful in including a second amendment that would require the Secretary of Agriculture to report annually on the impact of the PLC and Revenue Loss Coverage (RLC) programs on the planting, production, price, and export of commodities, as well as on the cost of these programs. ASA supported this provision as a means for monitoring Title 1 programs, particularly if payments based on high support levels are tied to current-year production, which could distort planting decisions.
Gov. Shumlin announces 20 grantees of Working Lands Enterprise
MONTPELIER — Gov. Peter Shumlin, Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross, Forest, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder and the Working Lands Enterprise Board announced the first round of grant recipients from the “Enterprise Investment Area” of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund, with almost $220,000 awarded to 20 grantees representing sectors across agriculture, forestry and forest products.
The awards include funding for a barn for honey production, beekeeping courses and small scale mushroom growing; a kiln to support Northeast Kingdom wood based businesses; freezer space and a solar drying facility to increase production of cranberry juice and dried cranberries; and more.
“In Vermont, we are committed to supporting and expanding our value-added farm and forest industries, and while these individual grants are relatively small, they can make the difference in helping farmers and those who work our woodlands thrive and expand,” Gov. Shumlin said. [Read more…]
Local 4-H’ers participate in regional showcase
MORRISVILLE, VT — Vermont 4-H’ers from 16 clubs in Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille and Orleans Counties took part in the Northeast Regional 4-H Spring Showcase, April 13, at People’s Academy in Morrisville.
The youths, ages 8 to 18, demonstrated skills and knowledge learned through University of Vermont Extension 4-H projects. They competed individually and in groups in various categories ranging from action exhibits and tabletop displays to stage presentations, clothing revue, posters and photographs.
The top exhibitors in each category qualified for 4-H State Day, May 18 at the Barre Civic Center in Barre, which will feature talented 4-H’ers from throughout the state. Individuals and 4-H clubs selected to represent the Northeast region include: [Read more…]
Fainting goats — more than entertainment
by Sally Colby
It’s easy to laugh at a goat that becomes stiff and falls over onto its side as if fainting. Thanks to videos shared through social media, these fainting goats have become fairly well-known in a short time.
But fainting, or Myotonic, goats aren’t just for laughs. They’re an important meat breed, and that’s why Sherry Siebenaler, of North Hero, VT, raises them.
“A man showed up in Marshall County, Tennessee, with four goats,” said Sherry, explaining what little is known about how the breed originated. “No one knew where he was from, but they assumed he was from Nova Scotia per his dress and mannerisms. He had three does and a buck, and they all had the myotonia condition that makes them faint. The man was going to move on, but a doctor in town had fallen in love with the goats and thought they were unique, so he bought the goats. He continued to breed them for that genetic fault, and that’s where all the Myotonic goats originate.” [Read more…]
Robert and Mark Spiers take strip till to tobacco
by Karl H. Kazaks
OLD HICKORY, VA — In the sandy soils of eastern Dinwiddie and western Sussex Counties, at the upper reaches of the Coastal Plain, Robert Spiers practices conservation tilling.
His motivation? To build up his soils and improve their water holding capacity as well as reduce equipment hours. Spiers was one of the first farmers in the area to practice strip till with cotton, and has been using strip till with corn for decades.
At the time, the sharp increase in fuel and fertilizer prices led Mark to talk with local ag extension agent Michael Parrish about ways to save on production costs. Parrish, drawing on the efforts of Virginia Tech’s Dr. David Reed (based at the extension center in Blackstone) suggested conservation tillage. [Read more…]
Managing feed costs from the field to the feed bunk
by Stephen Wagner
“Making silage is like making wine. An excellent winemaker cannot make fine wine from bad grapes. And a bad winemaker will certainly make bad wine from good grapes.” That was the opening gambit and theme setter from presenter Robert Fry, DVM, at a breakout session at Pennsylvania’s 2013 Dairy Summit. After graduating from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine in 1977, Fry began a bovine veterinary practice on the Delmarva Peninsula. His career interest has always centered on production and health issues of dairy cows. In 1994, after years of working in traditional dairy operations, he was convinced that a healthy alternative was to manage and feed cows with the principles of Managed Intensive Grazing. To that extent Fry has become a partner in a grazing, seasonal breeding Jersey herd in Kennedyville, MD. He continues to practice [Read more…]
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