Loose Ends

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association reports that the Republican congressional leadership has announced a $3.9 billion disaster relief package for farmers and ranchers. Included in the package is funding to address crop disaster losses, including $75 million allocated for livestock feed assistance. In addition, the House Ways & Means Committee adopted several agricultural tax provisions in a comprehensive tax bill. The bill includes significant tax relief, which will speed up existing benefits to farmers as well as add new benefits.

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Texas A&M University’s Office of Veterinary Continuing Education and the Bayer Corp. will host an equine orthopedics conference at Texas A&M University Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.

The conference will feature seminars on recent developments in areas such as hoof wall repair, joint arthritis and fracture management. Sessions will also focus on the practice of diagnostic anesthesia and avoiding conflict in the purchase examination.

All activities will take place at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M, and 15 hours of continuing education credit will be awarded for full participation in the convention.

The cost of registration is $275 through Oct. 16. Late registration is possible at a cost of $325. Information is available through the office of veterinary continuing education at (409)845-9102.

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The Texas Beef Council reports that consumers shopping in Dallas-Fort Worth area supermarkets in August received incentives to grill beef. The checkoff program joined with Kingsford Charcoal to provide $1 off coupons for consumers purchasing steaks at Albertson’s stores.

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A three-part workshop series will focus on in-depth information and tips for stocker cattle survival. The workshops are scheduled for Oct. 5, Oct. 20, and Nov. 3. Each meeting will begin with a meal at 6:30 p.m., followed by a program from 7 to 9 p.m.

The programs on Oct. 5 and Nov. 3 will be at the Hemphill County Exhibition Building in Canadian; the Oct. 20 seminar will be in Perryton at the Ochiltree Exposition Center.

Workshop topics include: utilization of alternative feeds as supplements for stockers; comparison of value added weight gain with the cost of added gain; use of implants and feed additives for stocker cattle management; management to optimize performance on wheat pasture and on grass; and nutritional management during winter and summer months.

More information is available from the county agents in Hemphill, Lipscomb, Hutchinson, Ochiltree or Hansford counties.

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The Texas Beef Council reports that consumers were hit with a series of checkoff-funded "Beef. It’s What you Want" commercials during the Labor Day holidays. The ads hit approximately 47 percent of beef’s national target audience — adults between 25 and 54 years of age — an average of two times. Consumers ate an estimated 60.7 million pounds of beef on Labor Day.

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A federal appeals court has given environmental activists another blank check for wringing more power out of the much-abused Endangered Species Act. Ruling last week in New Orleans, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said federal agencies not only must avoid taking actions which harm protected species, they must actively conduct programs to conserve them.

The case, argued by the Sierra Club, involved USDA’s handling of agricultural programs that allegedly increase irrigation pumping from the Edwards Aquifer, and thus supposedly threaten a variety of protected species that exist only in springs fed by the aquifer.

Environmental activists are already assessing how the ruling could give them another tool to control land use nationwide.

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