USDA Helps Cotton Producers Maintain, Expand Domestic Market

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. You are subscribed to USDA Office of Communications. Contact: USDA Press Email: press@oc.usda.gov USDA Helps Cotton Producers Maintain, Expand Domestic Market (MEMPHIS, TN, March 3, 2018) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced at the 66th Annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking action to assist cotton producers through a Cotton Ginning Cost Share (CGCS) program in order to expand and maintain the domestic marketing of cotton. “America’s cotton producers have now faced four years of financial stress, just like the rest of our major commodities, but with a weaker safety net,” Perdue said. “In particular, cotton producers confront high input and infrastructure costs, which leaves them more financially leveraged than most of their colleagues. That economic burden has been felt by the entire cotton market, including the gins, cooperatives, marketers, cottonseed crushers, and the rural communities that depend upon their success.” The sign-up period for the CGCS program runs from March 12, 2018, to May 11, 2018. Under the program, which is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), cotton producers may receive a cost share payment, which is based on a producer’s 2016 cotton acres reported to FSA multiplied by 20 percent of the average ginning cost for each production region. Perdue added, “I hope this will be a needed help as the rural cotton-growing communities stretching from the Southeastern U.S. to the San Joaquin Valley of California prepare to plant. This infusion gives them one last opportunity for assistance until their Farm Bill safety net becomes effective.” The CGCS payment rates for each region of the country are: Region States Costs of Ginning per Acre CGCS Payment Rate Southeast............................................... Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.. $116.05 $23.21 Mid-South.............................................. Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Tennessee...... $151.97 $30.39 Southwest.............................................. Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas $98.26 $19.65 West....................................................... Arizona, California, New Mexico............................. $240.10 $48.02 CGCS payments are capped at $40,000 per producer. To qualify for the program, cotton producers must meet conservation compliance provisions, be actively engaged in farming and have adjusted gross incomes not exceeding $900,000. FSA will mail letters and pre-filled applications to all eligible cotton producers. The program was established under the statutory authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act. To learn more about the CGCS program, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/cgcs or contact a local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit the USDA’s new website: https://www.farmers.gov/. ### ________________________________________ Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences | Delete profile | Help ________________________________________ This email was sent to whoughto@nmsu.edu using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: USDA Office of Communications · 1400 Independence Ave SW · Washington DC 20250 If you have questions about USDA activities, please visit our Ask the Expert page. This feature is designed to assist you in obtaining the information you are seeking. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Cattle Growers Honor Ray Keller at Convention

Here’s The Moos…. For Immediate Release / February 26, 2018 From the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association P.O. Box 7517 / Albuquerque, New Mexico 87194 For further information, contact: Caren Cowan 505.247.0584 phone / nmcga@nmagriculture.org email Ray Keller, Carlsbad, received the 2017 Ayudando Siempre Alli Award from the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association (NMCGA) at the Joint Stockmen’s Convention, recently held in Albuquerque. “We truly appreciate the work that Ray has put into improving landscapes in southeastern New Mexico,” said Tom Sidwell, NMCGA President, Quay. “He helped bring together landowners, local businesses and industry, land management agencies, private organizations and state and local officials work cooperatively on invasive species control, and much has been accomplished. Ray’s ability to lead by example has inspired industry, agencies as well as landowners to improve stewardship of the lands that we all depend upon.” Keller, who will soon retire from the Carlsbad office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), spearheaded the Restore New Mexico program that put funds from the National Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) EQIP program together with private dollars to change the face of the landscape of southeastern New Mexico. Over the years, he has worked with more than 300 partners including Soil & Water Conservation Districts in several counties in New Mexico and groups including the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts (NMACD), CEHMM (Center of Excellence), the Wild Turkey Federation, New Mexico State University, Dow Chemical, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, NRCS, Watershed Alliance, Bureau of Reclamation, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, and the New Mexico Highway Department. Through his efforts, over 3 million acres have been treated with programs ranging from invasive species control – mesquite, cat-claw/creosote, and shin-oak; noxious weed treatment – African Rue, Malta Star-thistle, salt cedar; and restoration and reclamation – including abandoned well pads, caliche pits and oil field roads. Keller worked cooperatively with the Carlsbad Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) as well as other State and Federal agencies to treat and eradicate salt cedar and Russian olive infestations along the Pecos River, the Delaware River, and the Black River. His efforts and multiple year work with an in-house crew resulted in the Delaware River receiving a National Riparian award from the American Fisheries Society. In addition, he laid the ground work for all the Federal lands in Eddy County along the Pecos River to be aerially sprayed in the fall of 2003. “Nearly every day one or more of our members are interacting with US Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management staff on a wide variety of challenges and opportunities from regulations to restoration and enhancement of these lands,” Sidwell noted. “The results of Ray Keller’s hard work, and willingness to work with anyone who was interested in helping are visible and ongoing today. It’s a great example of how relationships between land management agencies and others should work, and we’re glad to have the opportunity to say thank you.” The Ayudando Siempre Alli Award (Always There Helping) is given by the Association each year to an individual who has given of their time and talents on behalf of the industry, but is not necessarily actively involved in cattle production. Some years, the winner is a NMCGA member, but often they are not. Past winners include bankers, elected officials, an attorney, an artist, a publisher, state legislators and other agricultural organizations. The award is sponsored by Farmway Feed Mills, Las Vegas, NM. “There are countless people behind - and sometimes in front - of the scenes who support and make the work of the New Mexico Cattle Growers' Association possible,” Boone pointed out. “These people come from all walks of life and all sorts of careers but they all care about ranchers and our families. Some of them we have known forever, others are newer friends, but they all give of themselves for our benefit --- they are always there.” The NMCGA has represented the beef industry in New Mexico and the West since 1914 and has members in all 33 of the state’s counties as well as some 14 other states. The Association participates in venues necessary to protect beef producers and private property rights including litigation, state and federal legislation and regulatory affairs. You can visit or join the NMCGA online at www.nmagriculture.org. -30-

Time to apply for NMSU’s New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp

Time to apply for NMSU’s New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp DATE: 03/02/2018 WRITER: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Jack Blandford, 575-546-8806, jbland@nmsu.edu For 16 years teenagers have learned the science behind ranching at the New Mexico Youth Ranch Management Camp conducted by New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Now is the time for youth ages 15-19 to apply for a life-changing experience at the June 10-15 camp where they will be introduced to the many aspects of running a ranch, from financial statements and marketing strategies to producing quality beef and managing natural resources and wildlife. Online registration deadline is April 15. Visit nmyrm.nmsu.edu for more information and to register. A total of 30 participants will be invited to this year’s camp with three of the openings reserved for out-of-state youth. The camp is held at the CS Cattle Company’s 130,000-acre ranch at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range near Cimarron. “This location allows our campers to see a real-life working ranch,” said camp director Jack Blandford, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service program director in Luna County. “The CS, a cattle and hunting operation, has been family owned and operated since 1873.” Collaboration between NMSU Extension specialists, county Extension agents and members of the ranching industry provides an opportunity for youth to learn about the many aspects of ranching. “We are proud to offer this one-of-a-kind program for the future cattle producers of our state,” said Jon Boren, NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences associate dean and director of the Extension service. “What we are finding, from the more than 150 youth who have participated in past ranch camps, is that they have gained a greater appreciation of the science and opportunities in agriculture,” Boren said. “It is also a win-win for our aging agricultural industry with more young people having an interest in going into this type of work.” During the first four days, the youth compile information necessary to manage a ranch. The college-level hands-on curriculum includes all things beef, marketing and economics, natural resources and range land management. At the end of each day, one camper receives the Top Hand award for their outstanding participation in that day’s activities. Each evening they are using that day’s information to design their team’s own ranch management plan, which they present on Friday to a panel of judges from the beef industry and NMSU in competition for the coveted team jacket. “You don’t have to just be in ranching to attend this camp. It offers a wide variety of career avenues,” Blandford said. “I encourage any youth within the age group to apply.” The camp is sponsored by NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico Beef Council, New Mexico Cattle Growers Association and New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, and several beef industry companies

NMSU Extension conducting survey on cattlemen’s bull management

NMSU Extension conducting survey on cattlemen’s bull management DATE: 03/02/2018 WRITER: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Tom Dominguez , 505-471-4711, tdomingu@nmsu.edu Bovine trichomoniasis is endangering New Mexico $895 million cattle industry. It can impact a herd’s annual calving rate and even destroy a cattle producer’s genetic herd. Controlling sexually transmitted trich requires awareness and vigilance on the part of the rancher. New Mexico State University’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences is conducting a survey to determine needs of producers in the area of bull management in regards to trich. NMSU’s Small Farm and Ranch Task Force, which includes Extension agricultural agents for the northern counties, has received a grant from Western Region Extension Risk Management Education to conduct a survey to determine the degree that ranchers are informed about the disease and what percentage have tested their herds. “There are 14 questions ranging from asking ranchers about their herd management practice, limitations and their general knowledge about trich,” said Tom Dominguez, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service agricultural agent in Santa Fe County. The survey can either be filled out manually and mailed in, or online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/nmsutrich. Dominguez stresses that the survey is completely confidential and anonymous. No personal information is to be provided. “Hopefully this survey will determine where we need more educational programs and where we need to dispel myths,” said John Wenzel, NMSU Extension veterinarian. “We are hoping to be able to increase testing so we can find some of the hidden areas where trich still resides and then clean up those areas.” Trich can be economically devastating. “It is a big problem in New Mexico,” Dominguez said. “I have seen the impact to a cattle operation when this disease gets into a herd. It can impact 10 to 50 percent of a calf crop in a year.” Trich is a parasite venereal disease that moves from infected bull to a cow, or can be transmitted to an uninfected bull from an infected cow. Neither the bull nor the cow exhibit visible symptoms, until the cow aborts a calf, or is open when given a pregnancy test. “Of the 12,000 bulls tested by the state diagnostic service, 1.5 percent had trich,” Wenzel said. “Around the state there are hotbeds where the incidents are greater.” In 2016, 84 premises were quarantined. That number was decreased to 42 by the end of 2017. “This is not a single ranch’s problem, it’s an area problem,” Wenzel said. “We’ve had success in eliminating the disease when the cattle producer, New Mexico Livestock Board and veterinarians all work together.” There is still work to be done. First finding the hotbeds and then eliminating the disease. “The larger ranches are getting a handle on controlling trich in their herds,” Dominguez said. “It’s the smaller herds, especially those that mingle with other herds while grazing on federal land that are having the problems. We’re trying to find out what factors mostly affect the absence of testing bulls for trich.” Wenzel and Dominguez are hoping the survey will help them identify the limiting factors that are affecting testing and what tools producers need in addressing those limitations. “Producers have to understand the importance of testing their bulls and then what the procedure is for cleaning up their cows so the animals will not continue the cycle of infection,” Dominguez said. Once the survey data has been studied, Dominguez hopes to apply for and obtain a second grant that will help with the control and management of the disease. For additional information about bovine trich, visit aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B230/.

The College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Scicences Open House.

I hope everyone has added the first ever ACES Open House, April 14, to their calendars! This event is a great opportunity to showcase our college activities and impacts in research, Extension and teaching, to the greater NMSU community and to the public. April 14th will be here in a blink and we need to have all hands on deck to help make this a successful event! The event will take place within all of the college buildings from 1:00 – 4:00 PM. We will start with a welcome from Dean Flores at 1:00 PM in the GT Auditorium, followed by an overview of the college and the event. About 1:30 PM, participants should start moving around visiting the buildings and viewing displays. Educational displays and posters are planned for Skeen Hall, Gerald Thomas Hall, Knox Hall and the Judging Pavilion. In addition, we will have many of our labs and auxiliary services, including but not limited to the Animal Facilities, Chile Pepper Institute, Sam Steele Café, Fido Lab, Arthropod Museum, Wildlife Museum (and more), open for tours throughout the afternoon. There will also be a Horse Carnival that afternoon that will provide an opportunity for kids to ride and paint horses! Refreshments will be provided in Skeen Hall, Gerald Thomas Hall and Knox Hall. There will also be a poster competition for undergraduate and graduate students. The college will provide a $1,000 first place prize and a $500 second place prize in each category (undergraduate competition and graduate student competition). ACES will provide the winners with a “scholarship” in their NMSU account and they will be able to use their prize to support their education as needed. In addition to student posters, faculty are encouraged to set up posters and/or displays. There is no size limit for posters. However, if new posters are printed we are encouraging that they to be no larger than 40” wide X 42” high (this matches the URC requirements). Additionally, all posters must contain a public value/impact statement – this is a brief, one to two sentence summary, in layman’s terms with no acronyms or jargon, about the value/importance of the work to the public. If the poster was printed for another activity, the public value statement can be included as a separate part of the display. MARCH 28 is the deadline for notifying your department head that you will have a poster/display for the Open House. Additionally, students wishing to be in the competition must provide their name, department and poster title to their department head by the MARCH 28 deadline. Students who miss this deadline may display their poster, but will not be included in the competition. Below are some key points to remember about the event: • Faculty are strongly encouraged to make this a priority event. • All posters and displays must have a person attending who can answer questions about the display. • If you are willing to open your “lab” for tours, please notify your department head by MARCH 28 – If your lab is open for tours, an employee must be present to discuss the activities of the lab. • All faculty and staff will be asked to help promote the event. Marketing and Communications will provide social media posts and e-invite’s which can be distributed to electronic mailing lists. The first of these materials should be ready within a couple of weeks. • Building activities are being coordinated by co-chairs noted below. Please contact these co-chairs for questions regarding plans and displays in these areas: o Skeen Hall (PES, EPPWS, EPS and “plant science related” ASCs) – Dr. Rolston St. Hilaire and Dr. Jerry Sims o Gerald Thomas Hall (AEAB, FCS, EFCS, AXED, HRTM, 4-H, county extension offices) – Dr. Jean Hertzman and Dr. Steve Beck o Knox Hall and the Judging Pavilion (FWCE, ANRS, EASNR, and “animal science related” ASCs) – Dr. Shanna Ivey and Dr. Kathy Stoner If you have any questions about this event, please do not hesitate to contact me (ngoldber@nmsu.edu, 646-3125) THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE for helping to make this a successful event! Natalie

NMSU’s pecan conference to host regional speakers

NMSU’s pecan conference to host regional speakers DATE: 03/01/2018 WRITER: Melissa R. Rutter, 575-646-4211, mrrutter@nmsu.edu CONTACT: John M. White , 575-640-7555, jmwhite@utep.edu CONTACT: Richard Heerema , 575-646-2921, rjheerema@nmsu.edu An update on the western pecan weevil insect, how farming is adapting to city standards and a discussion on the roots of pecan trees will be among the presentations at this year’s annual Western Pecan Growers Association conference and trade show March 4-6. “Dona Ana County is the largest pecan-producing county in the nation, so there’s a greater concentration here than any other county in the country,” said Richard Heerema, New Mexico State University’s pecan specialist. “El Paso County also is the largest producing pecan county in Texas and one of the largest in the nation as well. It’s a very important crop for us locally and statewide – it is the top crop in the state.” The conference and trade show will be hosted at Hotel Encanto, 705 S. Telshor Boulevard, with events beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 4, with a sponsored conference reception for attendees. Parking at the hotel is limited to hotel guests and vendors, but limited overflow parking can be found at the Mesilla Valley Mall where a shuttle will bring guests back and forth to the conference. Heerema is the organizer of the conference’s educational program that will be on Monday and Tuesday. The program will include 17 presentations by experts from NMSU, the University of California, Texas A&M and the University of Arizona along with representatives from the American Pecan Council and U.S. Pecan Growers Council. “We try to get a range of speakers who cover a lot of different topics and areas. We want to include some basic research, so we have some research presentations that will be presenting cutting-edge research that is happening in the pecan industry,” Heerema said, “including Professor Astrid Volder from the University of California, Davis who will talk about root biology. She studies how roots grow underground and that’s exciting because it is the least understood part of the tree.” Along with the educational programs a trade show takes place both inside and outside of the hotel. Vendors are changed every year to make sure there’s a variety of items and equipment being sold. “We’re going to have harvesters and equipment for picking pecans off the ground along with some bigger and longer tree shakers. We are also going to have some pretty large sprayers that hold about 1,000 gallons of spray material and it’s a runoff of the tractor’s power unit, so they can do the orchard spray in a relatively short amount of time,” said John M. White, director of the Western Pecan Growers Association. A baking contest will also be held the first day of the conference. The contest is from 9 a.m. to noon, there is no cost to enter and prize money will be awarded for different categories. For full information on the baking contest and a copy of the conference’s agenda, visit westernpecan.org or contact White directly at 575-640-7555 or director@westernpecan.org. Interested individuals and groups can register at the door with discounted rates offered for groups. - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews

Over 600 people attend New Mexico Organic Farming Conference Feb. 16-17

Over 600 people attend New Mexico Organic Farming Conference Feb. 16-17 Several individuals received awards at the event in Albuquerque (Albuquerque, New Mexico) – Over 600 people attended the New Mexico Organic Farming Conference Feb. 16-17 in Albuquerque. Attendees learned about soils, pollinators, worker safety, meat/specialty processing, water harvesting, carbon farming, organic importing, pastured poultry, greenhouse construction, compost, farm diversification, microscopes and much more. Along with conference facilitator Sage Faulkner, organizers included the New Mexico Department of Agriculture, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service and Walking Trout Farm. Steve Ela of Ela Family Farms and Silver Spruce Orchards was the keynote speaker. Ela manages a 100-acre organic family fruit farm in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Following is a list of award recipients: Good Earth Award, Charlie Mallery and Rebecca Allina This award is presented to an organic farmer who exemplifies caring stewardship of the land, has a deep understanding of the principles of organic agriculture and serves as an inspiration. Mallery and Allina operate the Certified Organic Range-Fed Beef El Morro Valley Ranch, located in the Zuni Mountains of Western New Mexico. The ranch encompasses over 20,000 acres of grazing land and runs about 150 Black Angus cows. They operate their ranch as soil builders first and grass farmers second, using cattle as a tool to improve grasslands and support an ecosystem that invests carbon into soil, rather than depleting it. Mallery and Allina strive to support regional food systems and to provide quality, grass-fed beef to the region. Educator of the Year Award, Ron Boyd and Billy Kniffen Boyd grew up around farming along the Arkansas River east of Pueblo Colorado, and he moved to Taos in 1986. By the early 1990s, he was supplying greens to local restaurants and helped initiate “Taos Growers Association,” which then became the Taos Farmers Market. By the early turn of the century, he and his wife Debora began the work creating the Mer-Girl Gardens farm, which has become about six acres of biodynamic practices and is certified organic. Kniffen is a water resource associate in the Texas A&M (TAMU) AgriLife Extension Service. He has served as a water resource specialist and county agent for Extension for 30 years. His efforts have been directed toward rainwater harvesting and watershed stewardship. Kniffen has conducted programs, workshops and has installed numerous demonstration rainwater collection systems in New Mexico. Through his involvement with the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA), he has conducted educational workshops, trainings and the installment of demonstration rainwater collection systems across 30 different states in the United States. He co-authored the “Rainwater Harvesting: System Planning” manual used in training for rainwater professionals and in technical trainings provided by ARCSA. Young Organic Farmer of the Year Award, Sean Ludden This award was initiated four years ago by the New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau and Farm Bureau Financial Services–Fred Porter. Ludden cultivates the intensive and biodiverse Nepantla Farms in the Alamedan Valley, where regionally-adapted edible and medicinal crops are cultivated for acupuncturists, herbalists, nurses and value-added producers. He has experimented with techniques, cultivars and timing over seven seasons in the pursuit of a climate-resilient, arid-land adapted production system to supply local food and medicine to the Middle Rio Grande Valley. Ludden created Las Huertas Farmer Training Program in 2016, which is teaming up with Bernalillo County’s Grow the Grower program this year to train aspiring farmers. Friend of Organic Agriculture Award, Gordon Tooley and Margaret Yancey This award is presented to a person or persons who, over many years, provided leadership, inspiration and assistance to organic producers in New Mexico. Tooley’s Trees is a family-run, 10-acre tree nursery located in Truchas, New Mexico. Tooley and Yancey grow drought tolerant trees and shrubs in fabric root bags on drip irrigation. They currently have about 6,000 plants, and they plant 2,000 to 3,000 more every year. Their trees are grown in native soil following holistic growing practices. Tooley’s methods result in healthier plants and soils, higher water quality and beneficial insect populations. They have built their own Keyline Plow and hire out with tractors and plows to other farms and ranches. They have offered an apprenticeship through the Quivira Coalition’s New Agrarian Program since 2015. Organic Farmer of the Year Award, Gary Gundersen Owner of Mr. G’s Organic Produce, Gundersen received a certificate in biological horticulture from the University of California Santa Cruz Farm Project. He spent six years landscaping, specializing in herbaceous borders and drought tolerant design schemes in the Santa Cruz area. He met his future wife, Natasya, while planting a downtown community garden. He moved with Natasya to Hawaii in 1989, where they began farming on leased land on the island of Kauai. His farm was one of the first certified organic farms on Kauai. He eventually purchased 13 acres and specialized in mixed vegetables for local markets and ginger root, which they shipped wholesale all over the United States. He moved to the Santa Fe area in 2001, where he downsized to two acres for intensive vegetable production. Including Hawaii and Santa Fe, his farms have been certified organic for 29 years. For more information about the conference, visit www.nmofc.org or contact Faulkner at 505-490-2822 or sagefaulkner@yahoo.com For more information about NMDA, visit www.nmda.nmsu.edu. Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/NMDeptAg and follow us on Twitter @NMDeptAg.