Intelligence Squared US Debates Genetically Modified Food 

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are developed for a number of different reasons - to fight disease, enhance flavor, resist pests, improve nutrition, survive drought - but around the world, communities are fighting the cultivation of genetically engineered crops, concerned about their impact on the environment and human safety. In the November election, measures to mandate the labeling of genetically modified food products were on the ballots in two states (Colorado and Oregon), but failed to pass in both cases. On Wednesday, December 3, award-winning debate series Intelligence Squared U.S. (IQ2US) will take on these issues with a debate on the motion "Genetically Modify Food."


At the debate, four authorities with a variety of backgrounds - including an appearance from an executive from Monsanto arguing for the motion and an advisor to the USDA arguing against - will debate the risks and rewards of genetically modified food in terms of our safety, their impact on the environment, and whether they can help improve food security around the globe.


-- Arguing for the motion:

-- Robert Fraley, Executive VP & Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto 

-- Alison Van Eenennaam, Genomics and Biotechnology Researcher, UC Davis 


-- Arguing against the motion:

-- Charles Benbrook, Research Professor, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources

 -- Margaret Mellon, Science Policy Consultant & Fmr. Senior Scientist, Union of Concerned Scientists

 
The debate will stream live online at 5:45 pm Central Time on Wednesday, December 3rd. Viewers can listen by clicking here or by downloading the IQ2's free mobile app by clicking here.

You can learn more about the panelists by clicking here.  

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Tuesday announced more than $5 million in grants for 82 projects spanning 42 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands that support the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts to connect school cafeterias with local farmers and ranchers through its Farm to School Program. The program helps schools purchase more food from local farmers and ranchers in their communities, expanding access to healthy local food for school children and supporting local economies. According to USDA's first-ever Farm to School Census released earlier this year, school districts participating in farm to school programs purchased and served over $385 million in local food in school year 2011-2012, with more than half of participating schools planning to increase their purchases of local food in the future.


"USDA is proud to support communities across the country as they plan and implement innovative farm to school projects," said Vilsack. "These inspiring collaborations provide students with healthy, fresh food, while supporting healthy local economies. Through farm to school projects, community partners are coming together to ensure a bright future for students, and for local farmers and ranchers."

"Today's announcement is terrific news for local economies, students, farmers and families," said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.  "As I visit schools with local farm to table programs, I continue to be impressed to see students enjoying broccoli and pineapple from salad bars, while learning about how their food is grown. Farm to school programs give needed support to local farmers, while educating and encouraging students to eat healthy. Whether it's teachers, students, parents or farmers, everybody wins when local food makes it to cafeterias close to where it has been grown and produced." 

Click here to read more about Farm to School Grants from USDA, including details about a grant to Stilwell Public Schools in Oklahoma. 

Less Than Two Weeks to Withdraw from SCO Program

Farmers have until December 15th to withdraw from the Farm Service Agency's Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO), if farmers select the Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) program for base wheat acres on a farm. Farmers cannot purchase SCO insurance on acreage enrolled in ARC and producers that purchase SCO on acreage enrolled in ARC will be subject to a penalty.


SCO can only supplement acreage enrolled in the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. SCO must be purchased in addition to a normal crop insurance policy, often referred to as a "companion policy". SCO allows producers enrolled in PLC to purchase a narrow band of coverage that includes yield protection. PLC alone only protects against price declines. SCO is similar to the previous ARC program, except producers have to pay for it.      


Oklahoma State University Extension specialists say it may not be cheaper for a producer wanting revenue protection to increase their companion policy level. The cost depends on the farm and the county where farm is based on annual production history yield, farm yield volatility, county average yield, etc. OSU Extension recommend producers get a quote from an crop insurance agency to determine the best option.


Farmers will need to work with their crop insurance agency for SCO coverage.    

AND REMEMBER- you DON'T have to actually make a final determination on which program you are going with- ARC or PLC this month- that commitment does not have to come until well into 2015.  

The ONLY decision demanded now is IF you signed up for the optional SCO back in September- and now you don't think you want it- you have until the 15th to cancel without penalty.

Schulz Evaluates the Cost of Buying Superior Cattle Genetics

How much is it worth to step up your beef genetics for your mamma cow herd? This may include buying a higher quality bull, perhaps artificial insemination or using embryo transfer. There are a lot of ways producers can improve their herd, but it does cost money to improve genetics significantly.  Iowa State University Livestock Market Economist Lee Schulz said he has considered this question on behalf of cattle producers that he works with. As an agricultural economist, he says this is a capital budgeting investment analysis.


"Very much these analysis and decisions made by producers you know depend on expectations for calf prices as we are going out through the productive life of those replacements that will be entering the herd," Schulz said. "The annual cow costs for a specific operation but I think it is important to put these levels we have seen for these replacement prices into context. I have done random analysis quite a bit and looking at max bid prices of $3,200 to $3,400 for bred heifers here is really not that much more being paid by some producer, so just realizing there is quite a bit of risk but also quite a bit a return for this investment." 


Heifers and cows that have yet to reach their prime remain in short supply right now and they do command a premium. Click here to listen to Schulz talk about why it might be a good time to add a few extra dollars to get those top notch genetics.   

Bovine Respiratory Disease Arrested Through Scoring

Contributed by Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Livestock Consultant Bryan Nichols

The Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) Symposium was held July 30-31, 2014, in Denver, Colorado. This meeting is held once every five years to discuss strides that have been made in dealing with BRD. The agenda, among other topics, included discussion on current experiences in the beef and dairy industries, subclinical effects of BRD, and new research on identifying genetic markers that will hopefully aid in identifying cattle susceptible to BRD.


One topic was discussed that cattlemen are always trying to improve upon - how to decide whether or not to pull and treat a calf. The acronym that many use as a guide is "DART," which stands for depression, appetite, respiration and temperature. If cattle are exhibiting symptoms related to these attributes, they may require treatment, but what magnitude and combination of these symptoms warrants treatment? To start, all producers should form a relationship with a veterinarian to help answer these questions.

One system presented at the BRD Symposium was designed for diagnosing and treating dairy calves. This system uses six clinical signs, which are classified as either normal or abnormal. The symptoms of cough, eye discharge, respiration and fever (above 102.5° Fahrenheit) are each assigned a score of 2 if present. Nasal discharge is assigned 4 points. Calves exhibiting ear droop or head tilt are assigned 5 points. If a calf has a cumulative score of 5 or higher, he is classified as having BRD and is treated. 

When receiving cattle at the Noble Foundation, a similar system is used.  Click here to read more about the BRD scoring process.

Gary Adams to Become New President of National Cotton Council in Early 2015

National Cotton Council leaders have named Gary M. Adams to be the next president and CEO of the National Cotton Council of America, the organization that represents all seven segments of the U.S. cotton industry.


He will succeed Mark Lange, who has announced he will retire at the end of February, 2015. The official transfer of duties will take place at the Council's annual meeting at the historic Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 6-8.


Dr. Adams joined the Council in 2002 as vice president of economic and policy analysis. His responsibilities included economic outlook for global cotton markets, as well as analyzing the impacts of farm and trade policies as they relate to the U.S. cotton industry.


In recent days, he briefed more than 500 farmers on the latest information available to the Council on enrollment in the Agricultural Act of 2014 in a series of STAX/Farm Bill update sessions. Adams spoke to growers in Monroe, La.; Stoneville, Miss.; McGehee, Ark.; Jackson, Tenn.; and Blytheville, Ark.  Click here to read more about Adams.

This N That- OKlahoma Select Bull Sale on Saturday, Big Iron Wednesday and PEDv Arrives in the Aloha State  

The 33rd Annual Oklahoma Select Bull Sale and Super Bull Competition is coming up at Noon on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at the Atoka Stockyards.

This is a new Location this year. The Atoka Stockyards are located at  800 East B Street, just east of Highway 69 and 75 in Atoka.  

There will be 75 top notch Limousin and Lim Flex bulls that will be offered- for more details- jump to our auction page by clicking here and take a look.

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It's Wednesday- and that means the Big Iron folks will be busy closing out this week's auction items- all 369 of them- starting at 10 AM central time.                  

Click Here for the complete rundown of what is being sold on this no reserve online sale this week.

If you'd like more information on buying and selling with Big Iron, call District Manager Mike Wolfe at 580-320-2718 and he can give you the full scoop.  You can also reach Mike via email by clicking or tapping here.