Sorghum Checkoff Invests in Research and Promotion With an Eye on Tangible Results for Producers 

The United Sorghum Checkoff Program is a relatively new checkoff program- having been established in the 2008-2009 timeframe- and according to the Checkoff's Executive Director Florentino Lopez, the early monies that have been collected has been directed to research that can help develop traits that will create value to producers- either as a trait that enhances production- or can stimulate demand.

Lopez spoke with us at the 2012 Great Plains Sorghum Conference on the campus of Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. He says that a lot of the early research that has been funded by checkoff money has focused on issues like cold tolerance or drought tolerance. He adds that something they called the "Conversion Project" has been successful early on- helping bring improved genetics to producers in the last couple of years.

Lopez says that a large amount of the current sorghum crop is being utilized for ethanol, but that they are not ignoring the feed or food markets. He believes that demand is there for sorghum- produce it and there will be a place to sell it. In studying supply-demand figures for the last several years- Lopez says there is virtually no carryover of sorghum from year to year- so for producers who are interested in including sorghum in their crop rotation- there is and will be a market.

Regarding ethanol from sorghum- approximately one-third of the U.S. sorghum crop is used for biofuels production. Naturally drought-tolerant, sorghum can be used for many different types of ethanol production including starch-based, sugar-based and cellulosic ethanol production. Sorghum and corn are interchangeable in the grain-based ethanol market. A bushel of grain sorghum produces as much ethanol as a bushel of corn.

You can listen to our entire conversation with Florentino Lopez by clicking here. 

Republican Platform Released- GOP Praises Farmers for Productivity and Care of the Land 

The GOP has released the 2012 Republican National Platform that pertains to agriculture. The writers speak of the need to curb over regulation more than once- and also address ending direct farm program price supports- offering instead risk management programs that are counter cyclical in nature. The platform also speaks of agriculture contributing its share of deficit reduction.

In addition, the platform praises farmers and ranchers for their role in providing a trade surplus for America- and for protecting the natural resources that include our soil and water- as well as the protection of farmers and ranchers against an activist EPA.

In the closest sentence to getting specfic about the 2012 farm bill policy discussion- the platform says simply "The success of our system of risk management policies will enable farmers and ranchers to continue to feed and fuel the nation and much of the world."

You can read the entire GOP ag platform on our website.  Click here to go there. 

 Chinese Officials Complimentary, Optimistic About Future with U.S. Soy

When a group of U.S. soybean farmers stepped off a plane in China last month, they anticipated a celebration of 30 years of partnership. What they got, however, was a whole lot more. The work of the soy checkoff through the United Soybean Board (USB) and its international marketing arm, the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), has paid dividends in China and the officials wanted to make sure these farmers knew it.

"We're more than just a supplier of soybeans, but that is part of it," says Vanessa Kummer, a soybean farmer from Colfax, N.D., and chair of USB. "We've helped them improve their food safety and, during this visit, we heard how much they appreciate it."

The Chinese aquaculture industry is a big part of this partnership. The soy checkoff funds projects that help increase the food safety and growth rates for fish farmers, and the group of U.S. soy farmers heard about the positive success of these programs.

"Fish are a big part of the Chinese diet, so the aquaculture industry is a major player in their economy," adds Kummer. "The checkoff has helped these fish farmers achieve the right rations and populations, which lessens negative effects."

Click here to read more.

Profits Over Production Makes More Sense Than Ever to Rancher Kit Pharo

Businessman Kit Pharo decided he wanted to be a rancher. He took a look at the cattle business and thought he could see how to make a profit on a ranch in eastern Colorado. In 1985 he and his wife began implementing a profit-centered approach and it has rewarded their efforts.

Pharo recently spoke with us at the Southern Plains Beef Symposium in Ardmore. He says the secret to the success of the Pharo Cattle Company is simple: it's not just about producing quality cattle it's about making money.

"We had been in other businesses prior to this and I knew I had some business sense and I decided the ranching was either going to make me a living or I was going to do something else. And, unfortunately, it looks to me like a lot of ranches are just a way of life. They're not as profitable as they should be. In fact, I think most of them are break-even at best.

"So we decided to do some things differently. We didn't want to decrease production, necessarily, but we realized that production was not the same as profit. So we started focusing on profit and realized fairly quickly that inputs or expenses played a bigger factor than production. So, if we could reduce or eliminate expenses, we could increase our profits. And that's been very positive for us as far as the ranching business. The easiest dollar that I'm ever going to make is the dollar I don't spend."

You can catch our interview with Kit Pharo by clicking here.

Oklahoma State Wheat Specialist Jeff Edwards Discusses Protected Seed Wheat Rights and Responsibilities

Most hard red winter wheat varieties available today are protected by Title V of the plant Variety Protection Act, which means they can only be sold as a certified class of seed. OSU Small Grains Extension Specialist Jeff Edwards has published some guidelines regarding producers' rights and responsibilities when using protected seed.

PVP Seed law Q & A
Stories about seed law violations and fines have appeared in popular farm press and local newspapers over the past few years. These stories have tended to focus on the "penalty" part of the law and the magnitude of the fines rather than how the law protects Oklahoma farmers' investments in wheat variety development and the provisions in the law that allow farmers to save seed for replanting. The purpose of this article is to answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the PVP law.

What is PVP?
The Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP or PVPA) is a federal seed law designed to protect the intellectual property of plant breeders, seed producers, and those who have funded variety development (in our case OSU and Oklahoma Taxpayers). The PVP law that you read about in the news today was enacted in 1994 and was an amendment to a law originally passed in 1970. The law prohibits the sale of farmer-saved seed without the variety owner's permission. This protection lasts for 20 years for most crops. The 'Title V' you sometimes see tacked on to the end of PVP, refers to an amendment to the federal seed act stating that the variety can only be sold as a class of certified seed and by variety name.

Can I save seed from PVP-protected varieties?
Yes. You can save seed from PVP-protected varieties to plant on land you own or rent. You just cannot sell or trade the seed for planting purposes. A comparable example is an audio cd. You can make extra copies of an audio cd for your own use, such as an extra copy for the truck, without creating any problems. However, if you placed copies of the latest George Strait cd for sale on Ebay, you would likely be contacted by the owners of the music regarding your unauthorized sale of their intellectual property.

Click here for more questions and answers from Jeff Edwards. 

Gardeners, Landscapers Focus of September Meetings

A pair of meetings in September is geared toward gardeners and horticulturists.

The Oklahoma Horticulture Society will hold its annual fall meeting Sept. 16 at The Botanic Garden at Oklahoma State University. The schedule for the day begins at noon with The Botanic Garden at OSU opening for visitors. The plant auction runs from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the OHS business meeting taking place at 1:30 p.m.Mark Fishbein will give his presentation at 2 p.m. and Kim Toscano will provide garden tours beginning at 4 p.m. For registration information, click here.
 

The Oklahoma Nursery and Landscape Association has scheduled its annual convention and trade show Sept. 20-21 at the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Tulsa. The event is open to all who work and hobby in the green industry. Exhibitors will be on hand to share: plant materials, soil and amendments, trees and shrubs, irrigation supplies, landscaping equipment, business services and more. Education on Thursday and Friday will focus on rain water capture, current water issues in the State of Oklahoma, pest issues, arborculture and more. For more information, click here.

Farm Bureau and Farmers Union Show Unity in Call for Action by US House on 2012 Farm Bill in September 

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson and American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman will serve as the masters of ceremony for the Farm Bill Now rally coming up September 12th in Washington, D.C. The event is hosted by NFU, AFBF - the two largest general farm groups in the U.S. - and a number of other agricultural organizations.

When the rally occurs on the 12th- there will be only eight days remaining on the legislative calendar before the current farm bill expires- and NFU's Johnson says the rally aims to send a strong, unified message to Congress that they must act now on the 2012 Farm Bill to ensure the well-being and livelihood of all Americans who benefit from the legislation.

Stallman says American Farm Bureau appreciates the work done by Congress to date and looks forward to working with the House to get a farm bill passed and into conference as soon as possible. In light of the drought - he says it's imperative for America's farmers that a farm bill is passed this year.

 The Farm Bill Now coalition now has close to 50 groups that have signed on- click here to see the full list and check out their current talking points.