August 2015 Beef herd expansion: how fast and how much?atascosa.agrilife.org/files/2011/03/August-20152.pdf · include talks on quail management, economics, the Texas Quail Index,
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The Brush Country
Agriculture Newsletter
atascosa.agrilife.org
August 2015
Beef herd expansion: how
fast and how much? Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University
Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist
The dramatic rise in calf prices in 2014 and
the corresponding increase in cow-calf returns
highlight the growing market incentives to
rebuild the beef cow herd. As the primary
supply source for the beef industry, cow-calf
producers will, by their decisions in the next
two to four years, determine the inventory of
cattle and the overall level of beef production
in the U.S. for the remainder of the
decade. Dramatic improvement in forage and
pasture conditions in much of the country in
2015 means that the beef cattle industry can
focus on doing what they want to do rather
than being restricted to what they have to
do. Much of the far west regions of the
country are still hampered by severe drought
in areas that represent about 9 percent of the
total beef cow herd.
Beef cow herd expansion started briskly in
2014 with a 2.1 percent increase in beef cow
numbers in the first year of expansion. This
faster-than-typical early growth reflected
suppressed expansion desires as a result of the
drought. Though producers were forced to
liquidate cows during the drought years of
2011-2013, they continued to add heifers to
the herd to be ready to expand when the
opportunity arose. The resulting cow herd is
young and productive and allowed for a sharp
drop in beef cow culling in 2014 with a
culling rate of 8.8 percent, down from 10.6
percent in 2013.
So far in 2015, beef cow slaughter is down
17.3 percent. Though seasonally higher beef
cow slaughter is anticipated in the fall, thereby
reducing the year over year decline, beef cow
slaughter will be down again year over year
and is likely to result in a near record low
2015 net culling rate below 8 percent. The
July Cattle report indicates a 2.5 percent year
over year increase in beef cows to mid-year
2015. Historical relationships between the
estimated July beef cow inventory and the
following January 1inventory suggest a
January 2016 beef cow inventory of just over
30 million head, representing just over 1
percent growth in 2015. However, beef
replacement heifers were up 4 percent on
January 1 and were up 6.5 percent on July 1,
indicating more aggressive herd
expansion. The year over year increase in the
beef cow herd in 2015 is likely to fall in the
range of 2.5-3.5 percent. Annual herd growth
up to 4 percent is possible but would be very
aggressive. The January 1, 2016 inventory is
likely to fall in the range of 30.4 to 30.7
million head. -- Continued next page…
Upcoming Educational Programs
August Location 22 Feral Hog Workshop Jourdanton
28 Living in the Country Program Poteet
September Location 3 Beef Quality Assurance Prgm Floresville
16 Statewide Quail Symposium Abilene
18 WFG Farm Sale Poteet
22 Atascosa Wildlife Coop Mtg Pleasanton
24 S. TX Peanut Growers Tour Pearsall
25 Living in the Country Program Poteet
Location 10/23 Living in the Country Prgm Poteet
11/20 Living in the Country Prgm Poteet
The upper end of this range, corresponding to
an aggressive 3.5 percent annual growth rate,
would represent a one million head increase in
beef cows from 2015 and would be slightly
less than the pre-drought 2011 level of 30.9
million head.
This leads to the question of just how much
beef cow herd expansion is needed.
The answer to that depends on several
factors. Total beef production in coming years
will be the result of increased slaughter
numbers resulting from herd growth and cattle
carcass weights. Cattle carcass weights have
jumped sharply the past three years. If that
pace of increase continues it will curtail the
amount of herd expansion needed. However,
more moderate carcass weight growth in the
next two or three years would warrant a larger
herd inventory.
Beef demand is the ultimate determinant of
how big the beef industry will be and thus the
combination of domestic and international
demand for U.S. beef will be critical to
determine how much beef cow herd expansion
is needed. Per capita beef consumption will
grow as beef production expands but demand
will determine at what price level this
consumption will occur. In a stable market,
consumers will pay a price just high enough
for a given level of consumption to ensure that
producers will provide enough beef for that
level of consumption. Of course, international
beef trade must be figured into to that as
well. It is an evolving picture that will depend
on conditions in the coming years but at the
current time my estimate is that the industry
will operate with around 32 to 32.5 million
beef cows. It appears that we could achieve
that level at the earliest by 2017, more likely
by 2018 or 2019.
Statewide Quail Symposium set
for Sept. 16-18 in Abilene
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-
byrns@tamu.edu
Contacts: Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576, d-
rollins@tamu.edu
Becky Ruzicka, 661-618-3956,
Becky.Ruzicka@tamu.edu
ABILENE – Organizers are urging quail
enthusiasts to make plans to attend the Statewide
Quail Symposium to be conducted by the Texas
A&M AgriLife Extension Service on September
16-18.
These bobwhite quail seem to be discussing their
much-improved living conditions on a West Texas
ranch. Improving their plight will be the focus of
the Statewide Quail Symposium set for Sept. 16-
18 in Abilene. (Texas A&M AgriLife
Communications photo by Steve Byrns)
Plans are being finalized for the symposium,
which will open with a tour of the Trail Ranch at
Albany beginning at 1 p.m. Sept. 16. The
remainder of the symposium will take place at the
MCM Elegante Hotel in Abilene.
“The last time we convened a statewide quail
symposium was in 1999 in Abilene,” said Dr.
Dale Rollins, a symposium planner. Rollins is
AgriLife Extension’s statewide coordinator for the
Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative at San
Angelo and director of the Rolling Plains Quail
Research Ranch at Roby.
“Since then we’ve experienced record lows of
bobwhites, scaled or blue quail and consequently,
the number of quail hunters,” he said. “We hope
we turned the corner last year and we likewise
hope to build on that rebound nicely this
summer.”
Rollins said the symposium will bring together
leading professionals and experts in quail
management, research and conservation from
around the state.
”These speakers come from a wide range of
backgrounds, including current land managers,
research scientists and state agency professionals
who will present a wide range of currently
relevant and popular topics,” he said.
The Sept. 16 Trail Ranch tour presentations will
include talks on quail management, economics,
the Texas Quail Index, defining usable space for
quail and brush sculpting.
The Sept. 17 session slated for 7:30 a.m.-5:30
p.m. will feature talks on the state of quail hunting
in Texas, weather and quail, translocating wild
quail for re-establishment and eyeworms, plus
debates on pen-reared quail and cow and quail
coexistence.
The Sept. 18 session from 8-11:15 a.m. will
feature talks on the Rolling Plains Quail Research
Ranch, Quail-Tech, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife
Institute, Borderlands Research Institute and plans
for the next biennium.
Individual preregistration is $50 by Sept. 7 and
$75 thereafter. Individual student preregistration is
$20 by Sept. 7 and $50 thereafter. Three (3.0)
Texas Department of Agriculture continuing
education units in the general category will be
offered. For the latest information on the agenda,
registration, lodging and more go to,
www.statewidequailsymposium.com .
The Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative
coordinated by Rollins is a $2 million legislatively
funded AgriLife Extension statewide initiative
supported by Upland Game Bird Stamp revenue.
Rollins said those dollars support research projects
and AgriLife Extension educational activities
including the Statewide Quail Symposium, which
represents the culmination of those funds.
Common Conversions
for Producers
Area:
1 acre = 43,560 square feet, 209 feet
X 209 feet, 69.5 X 69.5 yards
1/10 acre = 4,356 square feet, 66 feet X
66 feet, 22 yards X 22 yards
1/100 acre = 436 square feet, 21 feet X
21 feet, 7 yards X 7 yards
1 section = 640 acres or 1 square mile
1 hectare = 2.471 acres
Length:
1 mile = 5,280 feet. 1,760 yards or 1.61
kilometers
1 rod = 16.5 feet
1 chain = 66 feet
1 kilometer = 0.62 miles
1 roll barbed wire = 1/4 mile or 1320 ft.
1 roll net wire = 330 feet or 20 rods
Weight:
1 short ton = 2,000 pounds
1 long ton = 2,240 pounds
1 pound = 453.6 grams or 16 ounces
1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
Liquid Measure:
1 gallon = 128 ounces, 3,785.4
milliliters, 16 cups, 4 quarts,
8.355 pounds or 256
tablespoons
1 quart = 0.946 liters, 2 pints or 32
ounces
1 pint = 16 ounces or 2 cups
1 cup = 8 ounces
1 milliliter = 1 cubic centimeter (cc)
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters
1 cubic foot of water = 62.43 pounds or
7.48 gallons
1 acre inch of water = 27,154 gallons
1 barrel of water = 55 gallons
1 barrel of oil = 40 gallons
Calculation of Water Storage Capacity:
Round tank (gallons) = 3.1416 X radius
squared (ft.) X height (ft.) X 7.48
Rectangular tank (gallons) = height (ft.) X
width (ft.) X length (ft.) X 7.48
Pressure:
1 foot lift of water = 0.433 psi
1 psi will lift water 2.31 feet
Private Applicator
Training Procedure
Individuals that are interested in getting a
private applicator license should contact
the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Office of Atascosa County and set an
appointment with Agent Dale Rankin.
The Texas Department of Agriculture has
changed the testing procedures and do not
administer the test in person anymore.
For more information please contact the
Atascosa County Extension Office at
(830) 769-3066
Time of Day of Harvest and Impact on Nitrate Concentration
Glenn Selk, Oklahoma State University
Emeritus Extension Animal Scientist
Forage sorghums are used by cattle producers
for summer grazing or harvested for
hay. Forage sorghums can be very productive
and high quality, but can also accumulate toxic
levels of nitrate when stressed. In the past, the
assumption was made that the plant continues
soil nitrate uptake during nighttime hours,
followed by accelerated conversion of the
nitrate to protein during daylight hours.
Therefore past recommendations have been to
wait until afternoon to cut forage sorghum for
hay if anticipated nitrate levels are marginally
high. You have heard the old adage: “Never
assume anything….”
To evaluate the significance of the change in
nitrate concentration in forage sorghums during
the day, Oklahoma State University Extension
County and Area Educators collected samples at
two hour intervals from 8 AM to 6 PM. Five
cooperator’s fields (“farm”) were divided into
quadrants. Three random samples, consisting of
ten stems each, were taken from each quadrant
at the specified interval. The samples were
analyzed at the Oklahoma State University Soil,
Water, and Forage Analytical Laboratory to
determine the level of nitrates, in parts per
million (ppm).
As expected, differences between “farms” were
substantial and significant. The mean
concentration of nitrate for individual farms
varied from only 412 ppm to 8935 ppm. The
mean nitrate concentrations across all farms
were 3857, 3768, 4962, 4140, 4560, and 4077
ppm for samples at 8 AM, 10 AM, noon, 2 PM,
4 PM, and 6 PM, respectively.
Remember, most laboratories consider nitrate
concentrations at, or above 10,000 ppm
potentially lethal. There was much more
variation between farms than between
harvest times. Time of day of harvest did not
impact nitrate concentration or proportion of
dangerous samples of forage sorghum
hay. Don’t be misled and believe that cutting
the hay late in the day will solve all of the
potential dangers of nitrate toxicity. Source: Levalley and co-workers. 2008 Oklahoma State
University Animal Science Research Report.
South Texas Peanut Growers Association
Annual Tour The 2015 South Texas Peanut Growers Field Day and Tour will be Held on Thursday September 24, 2015 in Frio County. Registration will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Frio County Extension Office and the tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. Topics to include variety trials, peanut breeding lines and more. Three (3) continuing education units (CEU’s) will be given with a $10.00 fee. Lunch will be served at 12:00 noon at the Extension Office. An RSVP is requested by Wednesday September 23, 2015 by calling the Frio County Extension Office at (830) 334-0099 or the Atascosa County Extension Office at (830) 769-3066
Atascosa Wildlife Coop Annual Meeting
The Atascosa Wildlife Coop is planning their annual meeting for September 22, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at Coastal Bend College. Topics for the day will be an update on how our wildlife has been impacted or improved with the actions of the Eagle Ford Shale. We will also here an update on the Chronic Wasting Disease. Our Guest Speaker for the Day is Matt Reidy Texas Barks and Wildlife Biologist for Atascosa County. An RSVP is requested by Friday September 18, 2015 by calling the Atascosa County Extension Office at (830) 769-3066.
Expert: Chronic Wasting Disease
Containment Demands Vigilance,
Common Sense Posted on July 20, 2015 by Linda Causey Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu Contact: Dr. John Tomecek, 325-653-4576, john.tomecek@ag.tamu.edu
SAN ANGELO – A positive case of chronic wasting disease was recently verified in a captive white-tailed deer in Medina County, and hunters are advised to learn precautionary measures.
“Chronic Wasting Disease is a condition that affects the nervous system of deer, elk and moose,” said Dr. John Tomecek, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service wildlife specialist at San Angelo. “It is similar to diseases such as scrapie in sheep and goats, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE in cattle. There is no evidence chronic wasting disease can be transmitted to sheep, goats, cattle or humans.”
“Chronic wasting disease was reported in Far West Texas in 2012, which was the first instance in the state in wild mule deer until the Medina County confirmation reported by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Animal Health Commission on July 1, 2015.” Tomecek said the precise origin where chronic wasting disease developed is unknown, but the condition was first detected in 1967 in a captive research mule deer herd in Colorado. Since then it has been detected in 22 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
“As its name suggests, chronic wasting disease causes weight loss and degraded body condition, abnormal behavior and ultimately death of the animal,” Tomecek said. “Infected animals may drink and urinate excessively and exhibit symptoms ranging from repetitive movement to sluggishness or hyperactivity to standing ‘spraddle-legged’ with a blank expression and head held low.”
There is no vaccination to guard against it, and once infected there is no treatment for animals with the disease, so prevention is the only solution, he said.
“The most common prevention techniques practiced in other states include removing infected animals from the population and discouraging high-density deer scenarios coupled with intensive sampling for early disease detection. It should be noted that the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been monitoring our state’s deer for the disease since 2002.”
Among the over 33,000 deer tested, no white-tailed deer tested positive until the recent occurrence near Medina, he said. Tomecek said deer hunters have always been important in deer management to balance population size, while maintaining healthy habitat.
“High deer densities compromise habitat and contribute to easier transmission for a variety of pathogens,” he said. “Common sense should prevail, and a diseased animal, whether it might have chronic wasting disease or some other health issue, should not be consumed.
“Although there is no evidence of human health risks, experts advise those hunting in known chronic wasting disease areas to completely process healthy-looking harvested animals to include removing the bones and any brain, spinal, tonsil, spleen or lymph node tissues,” he said. “Disposing of these organs in a location where other susceptible species will not encounter them helps limit the spread of the disease.”
“Some people have expressed concern about the potential of chronic wasting disease to negatively impact deer populations in Texas. While that is a possibility, states where CWD is prevalent still have large, healthy deer populations that provide excellent hunting. Early prevention and action are paramount in controlling many diseases, including this one,” he said. “Therefore Texans should focus on remaining vigilant by immediately reporting any deer they suspect may be diseased to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.” Tomecek added, “The key message is to enjoy the outdoors, while paying attention for animals showing signs of distress.” Resources include: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 512-389-4800, http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/cwd/ Texas Animal Health Commission, 1-800-550-8242, www.tahc.texas.gov . Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance www.cwd-info.org Source: http://today.agrilife.org/2015/07/17/expert-chronic-wasting-disease-containment-demands-vigilance-common-sense/
The Atascosa Wildlife and Fisheries Committee, Atascosa Wildlife Coop and the Atascosa County Farm Bureau are pleased to announce the re-scheduling of the Feral Hog Program that was recently cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. The program will be held on Saturday, August 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Cowboy Fellowship Church of Atascosa County located at 561 FM 3350 in Jourdanton, Texas. The cost of the program will be $10.00 and three (3) CEU’s will be provided for private, commercial and non-commercial applicators. Registration will start at 9:00 a.m. and the first official presentation will start at 10:00 a.m. with a talk on overview of feral hogs in Texas by Matt Reidy, Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist for Atascosa County. We will then hear about feral hog health issues associated with livestock and people followed by hunting concerns from Game Warden officials. We will round out the official meeting with an update on current Feral Hog research. Vendor booths will open at 9:00 a.m. and company representatives will be available to visit with you and discuss feral hogs, control methods, merchandise and related products. An RSVP is requested by Wednesday, August 19, 2015 and more information can be obtained by calling the Atascosa County Extension Office at (830) 769-3066.
Living in the Country;
Landowners Program Series
August 28 @ 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
This Land-owner Education program is a
series of 9 informational meetings, seminars,
and/or field days designed to educate land
owners in Atascosa County about the activities
associated with Living in the
Country. Participants in the program will hear
from experts in certain fields of Agriculture
about the best management practices that they
can implement on their own property.
Programs and Dates:
August 28 (1.0 General CEU)
Poteet Rotary Club Building located on the
Strawberry Festival Grounds
Laws and Regulations
September 25 (call for CEU info)
Livestock
October 23
Fence Equipment Demo and Safety
precautions
November 20
Game Processing and Storage Safety
All meetings will begin at 1:30pm. Locations
will be announced prior to meeting
Refreshments will be served at each meeting.
Who Should Participate?
* Anyone with an interest in learning more
about the resources that are available to them
as a landowner in Atascosa County
What Does it Cost?
* $75.00/ Couple or $50.00/individual – (All)
* $15.00 per person for individual meetings
Please RSVP for registration form and send
payment to Atascosa Leadership Advisory
Board, 1003 Oak Street, Jourdanton, Texas
78026.
Vaccinations are a vital part of health
maintenance for your horse. They provide an
active immunity to protect the horse against
diseases they are intended for. Giving
vaccinations does not keep your horse from
getting a disease, but it gives your horse’s
immune system a head start in fighting off the
disease which usually results in less
symptoms, if any at all. The American
Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP)
recommends that all horses be vaccinated for
a core set of vaccines. They include Eastern
and Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE
and WEE respectively), Rabies, Tetanus, and
West Nile Virus. Other vaccines are available
and considered to be risked-based depending
on the activities of the horse and/or location.
For example, horses that are frequently
exposed to other horses and/or travel should
be vaccinated for Influenza (Flu) and Equine
herpesvirus (Rhinopneumonitis), type 1
(EHV-1) and type 4 (EHV-4). Your local
veterinarian should be consulted for type and
Dennis Sigler, Ph.D.
Extension Horse
Specialist, TAMU
frequency of vaccinations needed for your
area and situation. Each vaccination has
specific guidelines although most require an
annual booster. Typically those booster
vaccinations are administered in the spring
before the onset of vector season. Certain
horse diseases are spread by vectors such
as mosquitos and flies. Vaccinations for
diseases that are spread from horse to horse
should be timed according to highest
exposure or travel and might require more
frequent boosting than annually. Specific
AAEP guidelines for each vaccination are
available at http://
www.aaep.org/custdocs/AdultVaccinationCha
rt.pdf. Most horse owners opt to get their
vaccinations from their veterinarian, although
some of the core vaccines are also available
at feed stores/animal supply stores. In
general, you want to purchase vaccinations
from a reputable source. Poor handling can
lead to ineffective vaccines. Correct
administration of vaccines is also paramount
and should only be performed by an
experienced individual like your veterinarian.
Vaccines have become very convenient and
are often offered in single doses that include
multiple vaccines. A 5-way typically contains
EEE, WEE, Tetanus, Flu, and Rhino. A 6-way
has the 5-way plus West Nile Virus. Always
check the label or ask questions to ensure
you are vaccinating for what is
recommended. Rabies is not available over
the counter and must be administered by a
veterinarian in a solitary dose. Start planning
your horse’s vaccinations now. Some
veterinary practices offer low-cost vaccine
clinics in the spring to provide convenience
and savings for the horse owner. You’ll want
to vaccinate at least four weeks in advance of
vector season to give your horse optimal
protection. For parts of Texas, that could be
as early as the beginning of March. More
information about health management,
disease control and vaccinations is available
at http://animalscience.tamu.edu/ livestock-
species/equine/publications/ under “Best
Management Practices for Equine Disease
Prevention.”
Bermuda Grass Stem Maggot Charles Allen, AgriLife Extension Entomologist Photo: BGSM in Coastal – Steve Estes
Texas hay growers and cattlemen first
experienced Bermuda grass stem maggot
(Atherigona reversura) in Coastal Bermuda
fields in Waller County in 2012. It showed up
again in 2013 in Van Zandt and other east
Texas Counties and was suspected in
Comanche County in 2013. –Continued next page
This year it has been found in Menard, Brown
and Jones Counties and is reported in
Comanche County in West Central Texas.
First seen in the US in Georgia in 2010, the
small, yellow fly lays its eggs on stems near
nodes. The tiny (1/8th
inch), yellowish larvae
burrow into the shoot and feed, causing the
death of the shoot. Since the life cycle is from
12-21 days, several generations are expected
each year. The larvae leave the stem when
they mature to pupate on the ground. The
plant may respond by growing new shoots at
lower nodes.
Higher losses are reported where soil
conditions, fertility and moisture favor high
yields. Damage tends to be worse in fine-
stemmed cultivars such as Alicia, Coastal,
Russell and common Bermuda. In the
southern states damage almost never reaches
economically important levels in coarser
cultivars such as Tifton-85. Damage is limited
to hayed fields because grazing livestock
consume the fly larvae and eggs along with
the grass.
Early harvest is a good management option.
The hay should be baled and removed from
the field as soon as possible.
Low labeled rates of pyrethroid insecticides
are effective, especially if applied a few days
following cutting and hay removal from fields.
Two treatments, one shortly after cutting and a
second 5-7 days later have been effective in
Southern states. Pyrethroids are those
insecticides that have active ingredients that
end in the letters “thrin”. There are many
active ingredients and brand names available
and they are relatively inexpensive.
BGSM larva teased
from Coastal Stem
Photo: Steve Estes Photo: Steve Estes
Dead Coastal Stems in
Coastal Photo: Steve Estes
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating. We will seek to provide reasonable accommodation for
all persons with disabilities for this meeting. We request that you contact the Atascosa County Extension Service twelve days (12)
prior to the event at (830) 769-3066 or as soon as possible to advise us of the auxiliary aid or service that you require.
The Brush Country Agriculture Newsletter
1003 Oak Street Jourdanton, TX 78026
830-769-3066 830-769-2330 – fax
Dale Rankin – County Extension Agent dw-rankin@tamu.edu
Bermuda grass stem
maggot damage
Photo: Scott Anderson
Water, energy, food symposium set Nov. 19 in Austin
by Kay Ledbetter
Limited registration opens Aug. 15
AUSTIN – In a time of increased competition for limited natural resources, evolving social preferences, expanding global markets and climate uncertainty, the agriculture industry needs to be talking about how it will feed 9 billion people by 2050.
Navigating Agriculture through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus is a symposium designed to do that, according to David Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program specialist in College Station.
The event will be held Nov. 19 at the Omni Austin Hotel Southpark, 4140 Governors Row, Austin.
The program is aimed at AgriLife Extension educators, technical service providers, regulatory agencies, academic institutions, agricultural commodity groups, producers and agricultural science teachers, Smith said.
Some questions to be addressed include: What are the linkages between water, energy, and food systems? What are the interdependencies and tradeoffs that will influence future policy and sustainability of agriculture? How does the water-energy-food nexus function from local to regional scales and can it be a useful tool for future planning? Is agriculture prepared to manage risks from climate variability and does it have a voice in climate change policy?
“This will be a unique opportunity to hear from a distinguished panel of experts as they discuss these and other issues facing agriculture and the rural communities that support this vital industry,” Smith said.
Registration is limited and will open Aug. 15 at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/Nexus.
This event is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-NIFA project “Animal Agriculture in a Changing Climate” led by Smith and Dr. Saqib Mukhtar, former AgriLife Extension engineer and associate head of the Texas A&M University
department of biological and agricultural engineering. Mukhtar recently became the associate dean and agriculture program leader at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, Florida.
Topics and speakers on the program will be: – Water-energy-food nexus – Applications for agriculture communities, Dr. Rabi Mohtar, endowed professor with the Texas A&M department of biological and agricultural engineering, College Station. – Water supply and demand – Trends and challenges for the Southwest, Dr. Robert Mace, Texas Water Development Board deputy executive director, College Station. – Value of water to agricultural communities, Jason Coleman, High Plains Water District general manager, Lubbock. – The shale boom – Impacts for agriculture production and producers, Dr. Thomas Tunstall, The University of Texas at San Antonio Institute for Economic Development research director, San Antonio. – The future of renewable energy and agriculture, Dr. Wendell Porter, University of Florida agricultural and biological engineering department lecturer, Gainesville, Florida. – Global market impacts and implications for local farms and ranches, Dr. James Richardson, Regents Professor and co-director of the Agriculture and Food Policy Center, Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M, College Station. – Innovation and technology applications for agriculture production, Dr. Reza Ehsani, University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center agricultural and biological engineering associate professor, Gainesville, Florida. – Turning climate change into opportunities for agricultural producers, Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas state climatologist, College Station. – Policy alternatives for promoting sustainable agriculture, Steven Rhines, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation vice president, general counsel and director of public affairs, Ardmore, Oklahoma. – The rapidly evolving legal and regulatory framework for agriculture producers, Jim Bradbury, attorney, Austin and Fort Worth. – Panel discussion: How can ‘nexus thinking’ take root in agriculture?
For more information, contact Smith at DWSmith@ag.tamu.edu.
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID PERMIT
NO. 50
EXTENSION SERVICE - ATASCOSA COUNTY
1003 OAK ST.
JOURDANTON, TX 78026
Brush Country Newsletter
August 2015
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