Looking Ahead to 2025: Beef Herd Expansion Smaller than Some Hope, Bill Mies Predicts 

Forecasting the future is a very tough proposition and the farther out one tries to forecast, the less accurate it is apt to be. But, that is exactly the challenge that was given to Dr. Bill Mies, a retired professor of beef cattle science at Texas A&M University, who spoke at the International Livestock Congress-USA meeting in Denver on Tuesday. The Congress is a part of the National Western Stock Show celebration now underway in the Mile High City.

Mies tackled the trends that have shaped the beef industry to this point and projected where we might be in 2025 in the United States. He said he is expecting some expansion, but it won't be nearly as much as some expect.

"I think that when we look at the economic factors, the economic factors say that we're going to have a very large expansion. But when you look at the logistical factors-the amount of land, the opportunity we have to graze on public lands in the West, EPA regulations on grazing lands in the East, the age of ranchers, the amount of capital that it takes in order to increase-all of those things will limit, I think. We will have expansion, but it will be limited expansion. I think as we get droughts and we don't have droughts, as markets go up and markets go down, I think by 2025 we're probably going to look at about the same number of cows as we've got right now."

Mies said that one of the greatest threats to expanded animal agriculture is the EPA, especially east of the Mississippi. He pointed to the tremendous regulatory burden put on beef and poultry producers, and dairy farmers in places like Florida and on up the eastern seaboard to Chesapeake Bay regarding point source pollution.

"As we look at people wanting to expand, they've got to expand with the knowledge that there's somebody who wants to write a regulation to limit that expansion."

You can read more of this story or listen to my conversation with Bill Mies by clicking here.  

AFBF Proceeding on Multiple Fronts to Move Agriculture Forward, Bob Stallman Says 

Bob Stallman, who was today elected to another two-year term as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, addressed his organization at their annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. He spoke with me after his presentation and offered more details on several issues of importance to the agricultural community.

One of his major points was that every American needs to hold his or her member of Congress accountable for their actions-or the lack thereof-on Capitol Hill. He said that citizens need to thank their representatives when they do their jobs and get rid of them when they don't. He said that advice applies across the board, not just to AFBF members.

"The point I was trying to make was don't complain about what Congress is doing or, in most cases, not doing unless you're willing to hold your member of Congress accountable. And if they're not doing what you want them to do, don't complain about that to the AFBF, go out and get involved in the election process and find someone to represent you who will do a better job."

Stallman ran through a list of chores he has for Congress in the coming year. Topping that list is passage of the farm bill.   He said the lengthy process that has consumed almost two years has been a source of frustration to his membership.

Click here to listen to our conversation or to read more of this story.

AFBF Delegate Session Sees Tom Buchanan of Oklahoma Farm Bureau Added to National Board- and They Set Policy for 2014

Voting delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation's 95th annual meeting approved resolutions that will provide the organization with authority from its grassroots members to push Congress toward the goal line on unfinished issues like the farm bill and ag labor. Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Tom Buchanan led the Oklahoma delegates as the more than 300 delegates from across the country considered a variety of issues.

Buchanan talked with Farm Bureau's Sam Knipp after the delegate session was concluded and offered his analysis of the policy that was reaffirmed or established for the first time. Buchanan says that he appreciates that "everyone's views are respected- you've got the opportunity to get up and defend or to counter- this is welcome at all times. The system works well and we have come away from that with real strong policy that is supported and that we will move forward with."

Click here to listen to Tom's comments on the actual session and to read about some of the highlights of the day's work by the delegate body as the 2014 convention of the American Farm Bureau came to a close in San Antonio.

The Fight for Technology in Agriculture Rolls On

Although technology has enabled farmers and ranchers to keep up with the demands of a growing world, it is increasingly under attack by consumers. According to Dr. Jayson Lusk, regent's professor for the department of agriculture economics at Oklahoma State University, the biggest obstacle that agricultural technology must overcome is educating consumers about how it's used. Lusk spoke to farmers and ranchers about how they can reach those consumers at a conference sponsored by Dow AgroSciences at the American Farm Bureau Federation's 95th Annual Convention. 

Lusk discussed both the good and bad that has come with consumers' growing desire to know more about how food comes to their tables. This new "food awareness" offers consumers more choices and gives farmers opportunities to develop new markets. This sudden interest, sparked by the modern consumer's separation from farming, also leads to a vacuum of knowledge that has, more often than not, been filled by those opposed to the modern system of agriculture.

"My fear and concern is that somewhere along the way this positive marketing, trying to sell a higher-quality product, somewhere turned into fear mongering, in some cases downright denigration of modern agriculture," Lusk said. "I really get concerned when these arguments are made on shaky science, or in my case when it is made on poor economics."

Click here for my interview with Dr. Lusk, his full address to AFBF members in San Antonio, or to read the rest of this story.

 

Beef Checkoff Testifies at the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Meeting

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee held their second public meeting today to hear testimony regarding potential changes. Director of Nutrition Research at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, Clara Lau, Ph.D, spoke to the importance of lean beef in healthy diets.

Lau explained as the guidelines have changed over time, so has the beef industry. In 1980 when the first edition of the dietary guidelines was published, it was common to see one-half of an inch of fat trim on beef in the grocery store meat case. Now, retail beef cuts are virtually void of external fat, averaging less than one-tenth of an inch, according to Lau.

"Farmers and ranchers have responded to dietary guidance by supporting research and education to maximize the availability of lean beef," Lau said. "The industry has selected for leaner cattle, trimmed excessive fat, and encouraged people to choose appropriate portions of lean beef more often. We listened, we changed, and we wanted you to know about it."

Click here for more of this story.

When it Comes to Firewood, Buy it Where You Burn it

Oklahoma Forestry Services is asking Oklahomans to buy firewood near the location where they will burn it to help prevent the spread of insects and diseases that can kill trees and devastate recreation spots.

OFS joins other states and national agencies in the effort to educate the public about the dangers of moving firewood. Many people are unaware that insects and diseases can live in healthy-looking firewood and that by moving firewood they are also transporting invasive pests. The "Promise Not to Move Firewood" campaign is focused on asking people to make a conscious decision not to move firewood and, instead, to buy wood cut as close as possible to the location where they will burn it.

"Normally, insects can't travel far, but when you haul firewood from one location to another, the insects that live inside the firewood are transported, sometimes hundreds of miles, and impact trees in the new location," said George Geissler, Oklahoma State Forester. "In some parts of the country, entire forests have been lost due to firewood movement, and we want to prevent that in Oklahoma."

You can read the rest of this story by clicking here.

 

Red River Crops Conference Set for January 28-29 in Altus

Texas and Oklahoma producers who raise crops along the Red River border can pick up important tips to promote profitability in their agricultural enterprises by attending the Jan. 28-29 Red River Crops Conference in Altus, Okla.

Gary Stickland, Jackson County Extension director, said the conference will focus on agricultural production circumstances and concerns specific to southwestern Oklahoma and the Texas Rolling Plains.

"Think of it as one-stop shopping where producers of all experience levels can get the latest science-based information and ask questions of leading experts in applicable agricultural disciplines, as well as interact with area producers who may be in situations similar to their own," he said.

Sponsored by Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the two-day conference will take place at the Southwest Technology Center, located at 711 W. Tamarack Rd. in Altus. Registration is $25 per participant and covers the cost of both days. Registration forms are available through Cooperative Extension county offices in both Oklahoma and Texas.

Click here for more.