August 2010 Articles

Archives by Months

"Common Ground"

“Common Ground” - can this be attained between Independent Poultry Producers (contract growers), the National Cattlemen Beef Association (NCBA) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) concerning the newly proposed rules through the USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA). These newly proposed rules which were released on June 22, 2010 are intended to increase fairness in the marketing of livestock and poultry. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom... read more

New Credit Card Act

New Credit CARD Act adds consumer protections People are still trying to figure out what the new Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (Credit CARD) Act of 2009, which went into effect in February, means to their pocketbooks. LSU AgCenter family economist Jeanette Tucker says the act should help with financial management because consumers should have a clearer picture of their credit. “Credit card companies will now have to communicate... read more

LSU AgCenter agent explains how to feed your soil

BOSSIER CITY, La. – Your soil is alive, and you need to feed it, Dr. Grace Peterson, an LSU AgCenter agent, said at the monthly Lunch and Ag Discovery session held at the LSU AgCenter Red River Research Station Jan. 20. Peterson explained mulching and composting, two techniques for increasing organic material in soil. “Organic material is anything that used to be alive,” Peterson said. Free sources of mulch and composting material include lawn clippings, leaves, gin trash and... read more

Nutritionist debunks crawfish myths

Nutritionist debunks crawfish myths Source: LSU AgCenter
Whether you like them boiled, fried or in a stew, crawfish are a Louisiana favorite. And for the next few months, crawfish can be found on dinner tables and in backyard boils across the state. Some common myths surround crawfish, says LSU AgCenter nutritionist Beth Reames. The first is that crawfish are high in fat and cholesterol. “Crawfish actually are low in fat, saturated fat and trans fat,” Reames says. “Three... read more

Statement on the Pigford Settlement

Statement form Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on the Pigford Settlement
On Feb 18 , 2010, USDA and DOJ announced a historic settlement agreement to resolve longstanding civil rights claims against the US Department of Agriculture. While the settlement agreement includes a March 31 ‘opt-out’ provision for the plaintiffs, the two departments remain committed to resolving this issue in the weeks ahead. Below is a statement from Secretary Vilsack:
“The Administration remains... read more

Low-maintenance roses ease challenge for home gardeners

Low-maintenance roses ease challenge for home gardeners
By LSU AgCenter Horticulturists Dan Gill, Allen Owings and John Young Growing roses in Louisiana is a challenge for home gardeners. A major problem in the enjoyment of landscape roses is disease – primarily blackspot and powdery mildew – brought on by our environmental conditions. Heat and humidity have an adverse affect on many rose varieties that... read more

Calves from decades-old frozen semen born at LSU AgCenter

Calves from decades-old frozen semen born at LSU AgCenter
LSU AgCenter scientists have produced calves from Angus bull semen that has been frozen for more than 40 years. Some of the calves were sired by semen collected and frozen from bulls in the late 1960s, said Robert Godke, a professor of reproductive physiology at the LSU AgCenter. “These calves are from frozen Angus bull semen stored in liquid nitrogen,” Godke said. The semen was thawed, and beef cows were artificially inseminated at... read more

Think Before You Breed

Think Before You Breed Source: Myhorse.com We all love foals—with their adorable little heads and puffball tails. And while many horse owners dream of having a foal some day from a prized mare, breeding is expensive and can be fraught with problems. The No. 1 consideration is whether the world really needs another horse. There are plenty of horses in need of homes. Breeding is rarely a profitable business enterprise for the individual horse owner, because by the time you factor in stud fees, booking fees,... read more

Your Horse on the Road

Your Horse on the Road Story by Maureen Gallatin Source: Myhorse.com
We’d like to tell you the statistics regarding accidents with horses on the highway to emphasize our point about the need to work at staying safe. But statistics about accidents with horses on the highway are sadly lacking. There is no central reporting agency to report vehicle accidents with horses. Still, if you talk with any group of horse people, you’ll hear plenty of stories of accidents or near misses. In a perfect world,... read more

Tips Never Tie Your Horse To

Tips Never Tie Your Horse To….- A Wire Fence, -The Mirror of Your Truck, -A Water Hydrant, -A Porch Railing, -Lower than His Withers

Safe Tractor Operation

Safe Tractor Operation Gary Huitink Arkansas Extension Engineer Tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatalities on the farm. In Arkansas, more than 50 people have been killed by tractor overturns in the last ten years. If this ten-year sample follows traditional accident patterns, approximately 500 farmers were seriously injured from overturns. Unfortunately, the human suffering and cost of tractor overturns is staggering. Many farmers are killed or injured in tractor accidents each year. Improper operation of... read more

Assisting With Calving Difficulty

Assisting With Calving Difficulty, Jeremy Powell, Source: University of Arkansas Calving difficulty (dystocia) is an important economic problem in the U.S. beef cattle industry. According to the USDA, the economic impact of calving difficulty is $350 million each year, and approximately 3 percent of all beef calves born in the U.S. will be lost due to calving difficulty. Several factors can play a role in causing calving difficulty, including... read more

Managing to Avoid Calving Difficulty

Managing to Avoid Calving Difficulty Many people find the time leading up to calving season filled with excitement to see what the next calf crop will look like. I am sure that some also dread some parts of calving season as well, and I bet that part involves using a calf puller! There is not much joy to be found in losing a calf or heifer due to dystocia. The good news is that through good management, several causes of dystocia can be avoided. There are two main causes of dystocia, excessive calf birth weight in relation to... read more

Prop 2 goes to DC

Prop 2 goes to DC U.S. Reps. Diane Watson (D-Calif.) & Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.) this week introduced the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act to set rules around confinement of animal used to produce food purchased by the federal government. The Humane Society of the United States praised the proposal and encouraged Congress to act swiftly to pass the bill. In a news release, HSUS said the bill "simply requires that any food purchased for federal programs comes from animals raised with enough room to stand up, lie... read more

Farm Animal Welfare Issues Affect Poultry Producers

Farm Animal Welfare Issues Affect Poultry Producers Introduction Livestock production practices have evolved at a rapid pace over the past 30 years. So much so that few people today are aware of current on-farm management practices. This fact is emphasized by evidence that many students enrolled in college animal science courses today are largely unaware of common practices associated with modern animal agriculture (Heleski, 2004). It can no longer be assumed that animal and poultry science students enter college with practical,... read more

AFBF Calls on Congress to Nullify EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Scheme

AFBF Calls on Congress to Nullify EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Scheme Source: Farm Bureau WASHINGTON, D.C., March 31, 2010 – Now is the time for Congress to nullify greenhouse gas permit requirements that were announced this week by the Environmental Protection Agency. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, efforts under way in Congress and legal challenges undertaken by state governments are offering corrective paths to undo a very real disaster headed... read more

Agriculture and the Environment

Agriculture and the Environment, Source: Farm Bureau ● Over the past decade, farmers have dramatically increased their use of conservation tillage techniques that keep crop residue such as leaves and stalks in the field. According to the Conservation Technology Information Center, conservation tillage was used on 103.1 million acres and reduced tillage on another 64.1 million acres in 2002. No till/strip till acreage... read more

LSU AgCenter forest landowner forum addresses recycling wood, feral hogs

LSU AgCenter forest landowner forum addresses recycling wood, feral hogs
CALHOUN, La. – Louisiana forest landowners heard about ways to improve timber, wildlife and product value from their lands at an LSU AgCenter forum recently. Topics ranged from feral hogs to value-added chemical products from recycled wood at the event held Jan. 16 at the LSU AgCenter Calhoun Research Station. LSU AgCenter scientists are conducting research on wood liquefaction, a process in which treated wood is ground and liquefied in a solvent... read more

North American mink (Mustela vison)

North American mink (Mustela vison) Source: Wildlife News, LSU AgCenter
The North American mink is found throughout the United States with the exception of arid regions in several Western states. It has a statewide distribution throughout Louisiana and is especially abundant in the swampy areas of the Atchafalaya Basin and along the Mississippi River. Mink also are found in significant numbers in the freshwater and brackish marshes of our coast. Mink are members of the mustelid family, which includes weasels, skunks... read more