Pecan Weevil Quartine information.

On NMDA’s website http://www.nmda.nmsu.edu/ the quarantine (via link) is now posted along with FAQ (via a link as well) which may be helpful and informative for growers, buyers, and homeowners to some extent. There may be more specific FAQ posted in future about PW biology, for homeowners specifically, etc., but this addresses questions about the quarantine which begins today. With nightime frosts getting a little harder lately, I expect harvest season to start ramping up. The Eddy County Cooperative Extension is not a law enforcement agency so question about the law should go to NM Department of Agriculture.

Pecan weevil quarantine extended in southeast NM, could be permanent

In hopes of eradicating the notorious pecan weevil, state officials announced another emergency quarantine to restrict shipments from four southeast New Mexican counties. Effective Monday, the 180-day quarantine applies to Chaves, Curry, Lea and Eddy Counties. During that time, the New Mexico Department of Agriculture intends to solicit input from the pecan industry to make the ban permanent. The restriction is in response to continual weevil findings in both residential and commercial pecan operations throughout the region. Yard trees in Hobbs, Lovington, Roswell, Clovis and Artesia were found to be infested with the insect, read a Friday news release from the New Mexico Agriculture Department. The weevil bores into the nut meat to lay its eggs, leaving the larva to feed on the nut meat. This process destroys the nut meat, making the nuts unfit for human consumption.

NMSU researchers join others to address water scarcity issues

LAS CRUCES - Southeastern New Mexico is facing water scarcity issues, and with an increased demand for freshwater, there is a need for alternative water sources in Eddy and Lea counties. Faculty and staff from New Mexico State University and the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute teamed up with researchers from around the state for a feasibility study on the reuse of produced water last year. Produced water is underground water brought to the surface during the drilling process. Treating of disposing of produced water creates an additional expense for oil companies. One of the most relevant findings from the study is that the most feasible use of produced water generated from the oil and gas industry is for that industry to reuse its own produced water, as opposed to using fresh water. Robert Sabie Jr., a geographic information systems analyst for NM WRRI, said this cost-effective solution would allow freshwater to be reserved for drinking water.

Guide B-710: Russian Knapweed and Yellow Star-Thistle Poisoning of Horses

Guide B-710: Russian Knapweed and Yellow Star-Thistle Poisoning of Horses Jason Turner (Professor/Extension Horse Specialist, Dept. of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources) Kert Young (Extension Brush and Weed Specialist, Dept. of Extension Animal Sciences and Natural Resources) Jesse LeFevre (Extension Agent, Jicarilla Apache Nation Extension Office) PDF: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B710.pdf HTML: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B710/welcome.html

Registration opens for the State Water Planning Town Hall: Advancing New Mexico’s Water Future

Are you interested in New Mexico’s water future? Sign up today for a two-day deliberative town hall to inform the next State Water Plan! This document is the primary policy guide for New Mexico’s water policy. As part of public engagement on the update of the plan, the upcoming town hall will be held December 13-14 in Albuquerque. Participants will engage in discussions on water issues and offer suggestions advising the Interstate Stream of significant changed conditions facing New Mexico’s water future. Registration opens for the State Water Planning Town Hall: Advancing New Mexico’s Water Future Are you interested in New Mexico’s water future? Sign up now for a two-day deliberative town hall to discuss a comprehensive update of the New Mexico State Water Plan. The State Water Plan is a critical guide for New Mexico’s water policy. The ideas offered through this town hall will advise the Interstate Stream Commission (in collaboration with the Office of the State Engineer and the Water Trust Board) of significant changed conditions facing New Mexico’s water future. Sponsored by the ISC and managed by New Mexico First, the town hall will focus primarily on supply and demand, water quality, infrastructure, legal issues, water planning and collaboration, and changing conditions. Sign-up today!

Estate tax forces farmers to play defense

Estate tax forces farmers to play defense USA Today By Zippy Duvall, AFBF President Many people think the estate tax is for high rollers. An individual exemption of $5.5 million should be more than enough for anyone, they say. But things are a little different for farmers. We are land rich but cash poor. According to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, 22% of the farms in Iowa were 500 acres or larger — more or less the size farmers will need to make a full-time living on their own property. At $8,100 an acre, that means $4 million in land plus several hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment, seed, fertilizer and other inventory just to make $75,000 a year or so. And that’s in a good year: Right now, commodity prices are depressed, which means far less income to the farmer. Even an exemption of $11 million means owning land that can produce maybe $160,000 a year. That’s not a trivial income, but it’s hardly the sort of cash that demands a tax designed for the truly wealthy. OUR VIEW: Don't kill the estate tax Many farmers play defense. They establish trusts, buy life insurance or make gifts to their families while they are still living, but this comes at a high cost. That money would be better pumped back into the farm. And that’s our biggest issue with the tax: endless expenses and legal maneuvering that accomplish nothing of value. All this happens so farmers don’t have to sell the farm piece by piece to pay the IRS. Story from Qantas and Visit Victoria How much do you know about the land down under? The vast majority of farmers and ranchers come from multigenerational agriculture families for the simple reason that land and equipment is very expensive. Assets like those return much, much less than a similar portfolio of stocks and bonds would. And land is not just low-performing as an investment, but difficult to sell, too. The estate tax means passing the family business on from one generation to the next remains a challenge for too many farmers. The estate tax was meant for the truly rich, not people like us. Zippy Duvall is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

USDA To Use Clear, Consumer-Friendly On-Package GMO Labeling

USDA To Use Clear, Consumer-Friendly On-Package GMO Labeling KRWG This week, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich pressed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to clearly label genetically engineered food to ensure all New Mexicans have the right to know what is in their food. In a letter, the senators urged USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue to prioritize clear, consumer-friendly on-package text labels and discouraged the use of electronic codes and labeling that would require access to a smartphone or broadband internet and would not help the thousands of New Mexicans living in rural communities. “All Americans have the right to know what is in their food and how their food is produced,” the senators wrote. “We are writing to urge you and the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to consider carefully the rights and will of the American people as the AMS undertakes a rulemaking process to develop a national standard for clear, accessible labels for food products containing bioengineered (GE) ingredients.”