USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Safety Net Coverage in 2018

USDA Announces Enrollment Period for Safety Net Coverage in 2018 10/30/2017 03:00 PM EDT WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that starting Nov. 1, 2017, farmers and ranchers with base acres in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net program may enroll for the 2018 crop year. The enrollment period will end on Aug. 1, 2018.

Guide B-709: Milkweed Poisoning of Horses

Guide B-709: Milkweed Poisoning of Horses Jason L. 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) PDF: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B709.pdf

3 hazards of grazing forages after the first frost

3 hazards of grazing forages after the first frost Amanda Radke 1 | Oct 11, 2016 With the calves weaned and corn stalks still standing, we plan to turn the cow herd out on a field of cover crops we planted earlier this year. The mixture includes sudangrass, turnips, rape, radishes, clover, millet and lentils. We think the new feed should distract the mama cows from their babies and lessen the stress that comes with weaning time. Additionally, this field of cover crops should tide the herd over for a month or so until we are able to graze corn stalk residues after harvest. Pending the amount of snowfall we receive, these forages should last us until the New Year, with some supplemental hay offered on particularly cold and nasty days. One thing to keep in mind with grazing fall forages is the frost. Last week, we received our first overnight freezing temperature of the season. At that time, cattle could not graze our cover crops because of the hazards that are present with a freeze. READ: More profit from fewer cows? Here's the secret According to Bruce Anderson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension forage specialist, “When plants freeze, changes occur in their metabolism and composition that can poison livestock. But you can prevent problems.” Here are three things to know about the effect of freeze on forages: 1. Prussic acid Anderson writes, “Sorghum-related plants, like cane, sudangrass, shattercane, and milo can be highly toxic for a few days after frost. Freezing breaks plant cell membranes. This breakage allows the chemicals that form prussic acid, which is also called cyanide, to mix together and release this poisonous compound rapidly. Livestock eating recently frozen sorghums can get a sudden, high dose of prussic acid and potentially die. Fortunately, prussic acid soon turns into a gas and disappears into the air. So wait 3 to 5 days after a freeze before grazing sorghums; the chance of poisoning then becomes much lower.” READ: Are you the best ranch manager you can be? 2. Nitrate build-up “Freezing also slows down metabolism in all plants,” says Anderson. “This stress sometimes permits nitrates to accumulate in plants that are still growing, especially grasses like oats, millet, and sudangrass. This build-up usually isn't hazardous to grazing animals, but green chop or hay cut right after a freeze can be more dangerous.” 3. Bloat Anderson warns, “Alfalfa reacts two ways to a hard freeze, down close to 20 degrees F, cold enough to cause plants to wilt. Nitrate levels can increase, but rarely to hazardous levels. Freezing also makes alfalfa more likely to cause bloat for a few days after the frost. Then, several days later, after plants begin to wilt or grow again, alfalfa becomes less likely to cause bloat. So waiting to graze alfalfa until well after a hard freeze is a good, safer management practice.” Cover crops and alternative forages are still excellent options in colder weather, but proactive risk management can negate the dangerous hazards. Be aware of the risks, so you can carefully offer safe feed to your cattle this fall and winter.

New Mexico agricultural development, promotional funds available Application deadline is Nov. 15

New Mexico agricultural development, promotional funds available Application deadline is Nov. 15 (Las Cruces, New Mexico) – Are you part of the New Mexico agriculture industry? Do you have a development, marketing or promotional idea for your product or business? Or do you belong to a group that has an innovative idea? The New Mexico Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for its Agricultural Development and Promotion Funds Program. Grant amounts range from approximately $500 to $10,000 for individual applicants and up to $30,000 for joint initiatives. The application deadline is Nov. 15. The ADPFP was designed to promote agricultural growth and rural stability, maintain or increase market share for products already on the market, develop markets for new products and develop value-added products. “Agriculture in New Mexico is diverse, and our products have become popular across the world,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “These limited funds allow our producers and processors an opportunity to develop and expand markets and help produce jobs and economic growth, especially in rural areas of New Mexico.” Not only may funds be applied to specialty crops, such as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops, but funds may also be used for projects that support the marketing efforts of the livestock industry including beef, sheep and wool, poultry and other livestock. Funds may not be used for start-up costs or common costs of doing business, and projects must be completed before June 30, 2018. Payment is on a reimbursement basis. If you have a project you believe qualifies for funding, please contact the NMDA Marketing and Development Division at 575-646-4929 or specialtycrops@nmda.nmsu.edu. A brochure is available at www.nmda.nmsu.edu under quick links, and an application template is available at www.nmda.nmsu.edu by selecting divisions, then marketing and development, then competitive grant programs. Letters announcing funding decisions will be mailed by Dec. 15. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NMDepartmentofAg and follow us on Twitter @NMDeptAg. - NMDA -

Veterinary Feed Directive information.

Since January 2017, provisions related to Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) became an even more important part of feeding antimicrobial drugs. That’s when a number of over-the-counter drugs transitioned to VFD status. The VFD rule places the authority for determining when to use certain drugs – including antimicrobial drugs important for human health – under control of a veterinarian who has knowledge of the animals to be treated. As a County Agent I have been called on to advise animal producers about the VFD rule, it’s important to understand that VFD feeds are to be fed only during the time frame specified on the VFD order, i.e., before the VFD order expires. The expiration of a particular VFD order is set either specifically by regulation (e.g., for 90 days) or by default for up to 6 months. The expiration date of a VFD order is the date until which the animal producer can obtain and feed the VFD feed. Once that time period has expired, the animal producer must stop feeding the VFD feed or obtain a new VFD order. The veterinarian may shorten this time period for a particular VFD order, but cannot make it longer. In addition to the expiration date for the VFD order, another thing to keep in mind is the approved length of time, or duration, for feeding a VFD feed, which will be specified on the feed label. For example, the label can call for the VFD feed for continuous use, which means that feeding such feed is not limited in duration and could be fed to animals for long periods of time. In such case, the VFD feed could be fed for the entire period covered by an unexpired VFD order. In other cases, the label will call for the VFD feed to be used for feeding for a specific length of time (e.g., 5 days). In such case, the VFD feed could be fed to the same group of animals only one time, for a total of 5 days. There are other deadlines in the VFD requirements, too. But, whatever the situation, VFD feed must not be fed under an expired VFD order. The expiration date set in months should be calculated by the expiration month’s calendar date, not the number of days. For instance, a 6-month expiration date beginning on July 10 should end January 10 of the following year, or for a VFD issued on July 10 with a 3-month expiration date will end on October 10. Also, if the VFD order was written on August 31 for 6 months, it will expire on the last day in February (28 or 29, the last day of February), and not 2 or 3 days later in March. A question that might come up is what to do if a VFD order expires before the course of treatment is completed. Keep in mind that in no situation can you anyone can use a VFD feed beyond the expiration date on the VFD order. Instead, the client will need to contact the veterinarian to request a new VFD order, so treatment can be continued. Another requirement of the VFD rule is that a veterinarian must be working within the context of veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) before issuing a VFD. Working within that context means the veterinarian: • Must engage with the client to assume responsibility for making clinical judgments about the patients’ health • Has sufficient knowledge of the patients by virtue of the examination of the patients or visits to the facility where the patients are managed, and • Provides for any necessary follow up evaluation or care. In some cases, states will define a valid VCPR. In other cases, it will be the federal government. Here is information about state and federal VCPRs: https://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm460406.htm. Regardless of whether a VFD was issued within the context of a valid state or federal VCPR, your producers must follow the requirements of the VFD. It’s also important that your producers keep a record of all VFDs. A veterinarian doesn’t send producers the original VFD order. Instead, the veterinarians must keep the original order, in its original format, regardless of whether it is a hardcopy or an electronic format. The veterinarian is required to produce two copies of the VFD order, one for the client and one for the distributor. The veterinarian keeps the original VFD and the client and producer keep their copies for 2 years. Veterinarians cannot call the producer or feed distributor on the phone with a VFD order. It cannot be a spoken order. It must be in writing. The written format can be hardcopy or an electronically transmitted copy. This requirement for a written VFD order is important because it documents the trail from the veterinarian to the distributor and to the animal producer or client. Another point to remember is that extralabel use of a VFD medicated feed or a combination VFD medicated feed is not permitted. Extralabel use means any use that’s not on the label. “For example,” a document published by FDA says, “feeding the animals VFD feed for a duration of time that is different from the duration specified on the label, feeding VFD feed formulated with a drug level that is different from what is specified on the label, or feeding VFD feed to an animal species different than what is specified on the label would all be considered extralabel uses.” A specific exception to this provision is for the use of VFD drugs in minor species such as sheep or bees. More information about this exception can be found at https://www.fda.gov/downloads/iceci/compliancemanuals/compliancepolicyguidancemanual/ucm529668.pdf. At any time, questions about VFD feed come up, please come to our www.FDA.gov/safefeed page and look for the VFD link. It will give you a significant amount of information about the VFD rule. Also, you can send questions to us at AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov. Center for Veterinary Medicine U.S. Food and Drug Administration

New or revised publicaion available on Locoweed Poisoning of Horses.

Guide B-713: Locoweed Poisoning of Horses Jason L. 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) PDF: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_b/B713.pdf

Analysts: Water Needs, Spend To Escalate Susan Klann Friday, June 23, 2017 - 7:00am

Analysts: Water Needs, Spend To Escalate Susan Klann Friday, June 23, 2017 - 7:00am Horizontal drilling and upsized completions have fast-forwarded the oil and gas industry’s demand for water. At the same time, the lower for longer oil price recovery has placed ever more pressure on operators to cut costs, including for water, according to a new report, “Water for U.S. Hydraulic Fracturing,” from Bluefield Research. The report forecasts that at a flat rig count of 650, 20.8 billion barrels (bbl) of water will be required for hydraulic fracturing from 2017 through 2026. Last year, fracturing consumed more than 1.3 billion bbl of water and produced 574 million bbl of water for disposal. Investors and industry players are positioning to play a role in this growing water market. With operators drilling faster, and employing longer laterals, completions now require as much as 12 million bbl of water per frack—triple the volumes of five years ago, the Bluefield authors said. They project that water management, including water supply, transport, storage, treatment and disposal, will total $136 billion from 2017 to 2026 for the U.S. hydraulic fracturing sector. High reuse rates in the Marcellus and scaling Permian activity—where water per frack ratios are the highest—drove treatment spending to about $198 million in 2016 with an annual spend of $307 million expected for 2017. “Demand is rising exponentially, particularly in West Texas,” the authors said, “because of increased water volume per frack and an almost 30% reduction in time required to complete a well.” With water transport, both supplied and produced, rising in importance, the industry craves more pipeline networks and transport services, and a new midstream water sector is developing in response. “Several firms—Antero Midstream, Noble Midstream, Rice Midstream, NGL Energy—are leveraging their holding companies’ E&P footprints,” the report said. “At the same time, a new crop of market entrants, often backed by private equity, are staking out positions in select basins to capitalize on demand for water services.” The water company rolls have been diminished by the downturn, but a “select few” are rising from the ashes, according to Bluefield’s report. “Select Energy Services has filed an IPO, Nuverra remains on the edge of Chapter 11, while Fountain Quail and GreenHunter Resources have merged.” Texas and Oklahoma led the U.S. completed horizontal well count from 2011 to 2017, making them the most active markets for hydraulic fracturing and water demand. Bluefield excluded DUCs (drilled but uncompleted wells) from its forecasts; at the end of March 2017, 5,512 DUCs remained, according to DOE estimates. In Texas, oil prices, financial stress and rain have “eased the regulatory pressures in some instances,” the report said, making cost of transport the top concern. Some producers are tapping alternative supplies to enhance sustainability. In Oklahoma, earthquake concerns due to salt water disposal practices are fueling recycling efforts. Annual water demand by basin is led by the Permian, with 45% overall, the Eagle Ford, 12%, the Marcellus, 12%, the Cana Woodford, 8%, and the Haynesville, with 8%. In basins with plentiful access to saltwater disposal wells, like those in Texas and Oklahoma, treatment and reuse remains below 10%. Pennsylvania and Ohio, which have limited disposal well options and more challenging topography, have seen transportation and disposal costs rise as high as $20/bbl, according to Bluefield. This has prompted E&Ps to buy injection well assets, and another “key area of investment” has been the networking of disposal wells with pipelines across shale plays. E&Ps are investing in projects connected to wastewater plants, water recycling facilities and pipeline transport. As this still nascent water management and services value chain evolves, Bluefield is tracking several trends in particular: private water utilities leveraging their local presence; pure-play water service providers focusing on transport logistics, treatment and disposal; companies providing centralized treatment in the Marcellus; and increasingly, midstream energy service providers moving into water markets, often by leveraging their related E&P divisions. In other instances, private equity firms are backing midstream entities focused on the water value chain, with some carving out niches in individual basins. With only 6% of produced water currently being treated and reused, Bluefield projects this share will rise to 16% by 2026. Recycling of flowback water should hit 90% by the same period. And the dollars needed to fund this effort will continue to seed opportunity for investors. Susan Klann Susan Klann has more than 30 years of publishing experience, with more than half of those spent in oil and gas publishing with Hart Energy, most recently as group managing editor of Oil and Gas Investor.