New Mexico Ag Leadership program members to attend mission in Netherlands

New Mexico Ag Leadership program members to attend mission in Netherlands (LAS CRUCES, N.M.) - The New Mexico Department of Agriculture and the New Mexico Agriculture Leadership program are hosting a joint innovation and trade mission to the Netherlands in May. The New Mexico Agriculture Innovation and International Trade Mission is May 5 to 13. Seven leadership class members will join NMDA officials on a trip to the Netherlands for educational tours of production and processing operations, meetings with key government officials within the industry and appointments with importers, buyers and distributors. NMDA hopes that this innovation and trade mission will help attendees recognize the potential for prime international markets and gain exposure to new and innovative agricultural production, processing and marketing techniques. “Agriculture in New Mexico has innovative operators and a desire to adopt new technologies while respecting our customs, culture and traditions,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “The mission to the Netherlands is intended to showcase operations and adaptable technologies that can be incorporated into our state’s agriculture. The Netherlands is the world’s second largest exporter of agriculture products behind the United States on only a fraction of the land base.” The class members that will be traveling with NMDA include: • Katie Kruthaupt, NMDA Soil and Water Conservation District Specialist • Beverly Idsinga, Dairy Producers of New Mexico Executive Director • Shannon Berry, Ag New Mexico Farm Credit Senior Relations Manager • Eric Nez, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry Bean Crop Manager • Jeff Anderson, Dona Ana County Agronomy & Horticulture Cooperative Extension Agent • Jeff Mayberry, farmer in Artesia, New Mexico • Cheri Lujan, East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District Manager New Mexico Agricultural Leadership is a practical, seminar-based leadership experience for growing professionals. Its mission is to develop knowledgeable, multicultural leaders for New Mexico’s agricultural, food and natural resource industries. This innovation and trade mission serves as the international experience for the current leadership class. Members also participate in six in-state seminars and a trip to Washington, D.C. The seminars include cultural issues in Northwestern New Mexico and state political processes in Santa Fe. For more information about the New Mexico Agricultural Leadership program, visit http://aces.nmsu.edu/nmal/ and you can follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (@NMagleadership) during the trip.

SHINNERY OAK POISONING OF RANGE CATTLE

SHINNERY OAK POISONING OF RANGE CATTLE It has been a long time since I wrote an article on this issue, in fact it was on a 51/2 floppy disk so I had to start from scratch. This is a recurring problem on the east side of Eddy County and other sandy range sites in the southwest and west Texas. In drought periods, particularly in the spring and fall cattle and other classes of livestock will consume oak leaves, buds, catkins (flowers) twigs, and in the fall acorns. They don’t have to consume very much to reduce their performance and depending on the year to cause death. Some years are not as bad as other, my personnel observations have been that when plants are under stress, either by drought, cold, or growing too fast (when it rains) the negative effects of oak browsing are increased. The chemicals responsible are called tannins. Tannins can be either condensed or hydrolysable. Condensed tannins are broken down only in strong acids, like that of the digestive system, hydrolysable are easily degraded and can be absorbed into the blood stream. As the chemical classification suggest the presence of water makes this occur. From personal experience we often find cattle that are suffering toxic injection near water. Since I took poisonous range plants and toxicology in college there has been a significant amount of research on how these toxic chemical affect the digestive track of livestock, by the USDA poison plant lab. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and NMSU. If you are interested in the specifics, I will be glad to give you the citations. As Producers we are generally interested in symptoms, and prevention/treatment. Long before the producer will see the toxic effects on their livestock the livestock performance has been reduced. In the spring the catkins can contain 18-20% tannins while the leaves are only 2-6%. It takes a much smaller percentage of the diet if catkins are present and being consumed. Several days after consuming oak the producer may notice dark, dry feces and mucus and blood, reduced appetite or not ranging out, and constipation. A few days later bloody diarrhea, frequent pungent urination and animals staying close to water. The final stages the hair coat will be rough, muzzle dry, urine reddish and often watery swelling on the underbelly. On steers and bull misdiagnosed as water belly or urinary calculi. Symptoms usually last 3-10 days, the animal will recover or die. When eating catkins again personal observation symptoms appear much faster as little as one day and toxicity progress much faster as short as 3-5 days they are dead. Prevention, poisoning occurs when oak is the main source of forage, drought, when spring green up is delayed or does not occur. The first 30 days after oak leaves emerge are the most critical, tannins are forming and are concentrated as well as catkins. If oak have been chained, dozed or damaged by equipment, and or frost that also increased tannin production. I could not find any information about toxicity following herbicide treatment. Nursing calves can receive the tannin from the mother milk as well as consuming it directly. The best prevention is avoidance if possible, of course. Back in 1966 NMSU and Texas A & M suggested supplementing calcium hydroxide at 10% of total intake as a preventative measure, and that still works. Calcium hydroxide seem to prohibit tannin absorption by forming insoluble complexes which are not digested. Manny producer are able to supply high-energy and high-protein feeds. If there is some green forage this will prevent use of the oak. NMSU recommendation is a supplement of 54% cottonseed meal, 30% alfalfa, 10% hydrated lime and 6% fat, for a one-ton mix that is 1,040 lb. Cottonseed meal, 600 lb. alfalfa, 200 lb. hydrated lime and 160 lb. vegetable oil. Start feeding preferably two weeks before you anticipate leaf emergence of oak and continue to feed this for the first 30 days’ oak is in leaf. Treatment of livestock affected is first remove them from grazing oaks, give them a laxative to flush the digestive track of undigested oak forage then feed with a quality alfalfa hay or similar forage until better. Roughly 85% of all cattle that demonstrate symptoms die. Of the 15% that survive there is no research as to why. Subscribe to Eddy County Ag news at: http://nmsueddyag.blogspot.com/ Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating.

Agricultural Broadband Bill Important Milestone, Farm Bureau Says AFBF

WOODS NOTE: When you consider the USDA want's us to do it all online with FSA, NRCS this bill is important. Agricultural Broadband Bill Important Milestone, Farm Bureau Says AFBF AFBF Press Release The Senate Commerce Committee today approved S. 2343, the Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018. The bipartisan bill is an important milestone in delivering broadband service crucial to the operation of modern farming equipment. The bill would create a task force to focus on the connectivity and technology needs of modern farmers who are too often without broadband in the fields and on the ranches where they work. According to the Federal Communications Commission, 39 percent of rural Americans lack access to 25 Mbps/3 Mbps service, compared to only 4 percent of urban Americans. Today’s tractors, harvesters and other farm equipment gather vast amounts of data to determine the precise amount of seed, water, crop protection products and nutrients to deliver based on soil conditions down to the square inch. Such precision maximizes yield, lowers environmental impact and improves profitability at a time when farmers must watch every penny to survive. Even so, all that data has to be processed somewhere, and to do that farmers need high-speed connections that link their equipment to far-off data centers. The American Farm Bureau Federation thanks Sens. Wicker and Klobuchar for sponsoring this important legislation and looks forward to eventual passage by the Senate and House. Farm Bureau eagerly awaits tangible progress in delivering broadband to places that have too long been neglected.

Barbary sheep, oryx, Persian ibex rule changes topic of public meetings

Barbary sheep, oryx, Persian ibex rule changes topic of public meetings NMDG&F Press Release The Department of Game and Fish is seeking public comments on proposed revisions to the Barbary sheep, oryx, and Persian ibex rule. The department is proposing changes in Barbary sheep, oryx, and Persian ibex hunting across the state, including increasing Barbary sheep draw licenses, adding new oryx hunts on White Sands Missile Range, and increasing female/immature ibex draw licenses. To gather public comments, three public meetings will be conducted: Las Cruces: 6 to 7 p.m. May 7 at the Department of Game and Fish office, 2715 Northrise Drive. Roswell: 6 to 7 p.m. May 8 at the Department of Game and Fish office, 1912 W. Second Street. Albuquerque: 6 to 7 p.m. May 9 at the Department of Game and Fish office, 3841 Midway Place, NE. The proposals can be viewed on the department website

New NMSU Extension Publications.

Guide A-616: Herbicide Resistance: Development and Management Leslie Beck (Extension Weed Specialist, Dept. of Extension Plant Sciences) PDF: http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_a/A616.pdf

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center Launches Interactive Webpage to Share Best Practices for Rural Economic Development

USDA Rural Development Innovation Center Launches Interactive Webpage to Share Best Practices for Rural Economic Development WASHINGTON, April 25, 2018 – Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett today unveiled a new interactive webpage to identify best practices for building rural prosperity. “Rural communities need forward-thinking strategies to build strong, resilient futures,” Hazlett said. “USDA’s Rural Development Innovation Center is focused on identifying unique opportunities, pioneering new, creative solutions to tough challenges, and making Rural Development’s programs easier to understand, use and access.” The webpage highlights effective strategies that have been used to create jobs, build infrastructure, strengthen partnerships and promote economic development in rural America. An interactive feature allows webpage visitors to submit comments on ways USDA can improve Rural Development program delivery. Innovation Center staff will review these recommendations and direct customers to resources, services and expertise that will help their communities create transformative solutions to complex rural challenges. The webpage also highlights USDA resources that can be used for investments in infrastructure and innovation. These resources include USDA’s Distance Learning & Telemedicine Grant Program, Community Connect Grant Program, and Community Facilities Programs. Secretary Perdue established the Rural Development Innovation Center to streamline, modernize and strengthen the delivery of Rural Development programs. To do this, the Innovation Center is focused on improving customer service to rural communities and increasing rural prosperity through strategic partnerships and capacity-building, data analytics and evaluation, and regulatory reform. In April 2017, President Donald J. Trump established the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to identify legislative, regulatory and policy changes that could promote agriculture and prosperity in rural communities. In January 2018, Secretary Perdue presented the Task Force’s findings to President Trump, which included 31 recommendations to align the federal government with state, local and tribal governments to take advantage of opportunities that exist in rural America. To view the report in its entirety, please view the Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity (PDF, 5.4 MB). In addition, to view the categories of the recommendations, please view the Rural Prosperity infographic (PDF, 190 KB). USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community services such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov. #

Farm Service Agency Makes Administrative Change to the Livestock Indemnity Program

Farm Service Agency Makes Administrative Change to the Livestock Indemnity Program USDA Farm Service Agency sent this bulletin at 04/24/2018 04:15 PM EDT You are subscribed to FSA News Releases for USDA Farm Service Agency. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USFSA/bulletins/1ebe7b8 Farm Service Agency Makes Administrative Change to the Livestock Indemnity Program 04/24/2018 03:55 PM EDT CANADIAN, Texas, April 24, 2018 – Starting today, agricultural producers who have lost livestock to disease, resulting from a weather disaster, have an additional way to become eligible for a key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance program.