- Author: John M Harper
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released new interactive dashboards which allow users to view data for slaughter swine and lamb markets in an easy-to-use, customizable way.
Dashboards provide users with quick, easy access to volume and price information that can be customized and downloaded. Dashboards are user-friendly visualization tools that bring market data to life and complement the existing data available through the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Market News site.
"This will help display information in graphs, charts and other ways that are meaningful and useful to our customers," said Rayne Pegg, AMS administrator. "AMS collects and publishes a great deal of information under Livestock Mandatory Reporting, and these tools help manage, sort and view data in a way that creates perspective."
With the addition of these commodities, the dashboards now provide weekly data for all three species covered by Livestock Mandatory Reporting: cattle, hogs and sheep. They also include daily tickers for cattle and hogs (insufficient trading activity exists to support a daily ticker for sheep). Modeled after the Cattle Dashboard, the new Swine and Lamb Dashboards include the same types of interactive features for querying and viewing slaughter hog and lamb market information, such as navigation tabs, maps, slide bars, drop down menus, graphs, tables, daily market tickers and download capabilities. For example, users can opt to view data on a national basis, or sort by regions.
To check out the Swine and Lamb Dashboards, visit the AMS Market News site at
- Author: John M Harper
Dr. Ken Tate at the University of California Davis recently sent you a survey about your perspective on ranching in California. As of April 30, 2011 our team has received over 250 very thoughtful responses. We are asking for your help generating 350 more.
While we are gaining information that will make range science more useful to ranchers, we feel we are still missing many perspectives.
Our goal is to receive 600 completed surveys by June 30, 2011.
If you have not already, please take half an hour of your time to complete the survey and return it to Dr. Tate and his research team. Please encourage other ranchers to participate.
If you have decided not to complete the survey, we invite you to mail back a blank survey and a short explanation. This will help
us understand who is not represented in the survey response pool. Full directions and a list of options for refusing the survey are below.
Thanks for your time!
Q: What do I do if I am not eligible for the survey or I don’t want to take it?
A: If you believe you are ineligible or are unwilling to complete the survey, please return the blank survey and a note indicating the reason you have elected not to complete it. Alternatively, you may call or email Tracy Schohr (916- 444-0845 or tschohr@calcattlemen.org). If you call, please include your name and reason for refusal so that we may remove you from future mailings. This will in no way affect your relationship with the CCA or the University of California Davis.
Possible reasons you may deem yourself ineligible include:
- You are under 18 years old
- You do not own a ranch or manage rangeland
- Someone else working for your operation has already completed the survey
- You received two survey packets and already mailed one in
Q: How will my survey information be stored?
A: This survey is for owners or renters of rangelands used for producing livestock. Individual survey responses are voluntary and completely confidential. Data analysis and reporting will be limited to aggregation across all respondents. The information you provide will not be identified by name, property, or in any other way. The research team analyzing the surveys will not see or handle any of your personal information. Individual responses will NOT be shared with CCA or other participating organizations or parties. To guarantee your confidentiality, the address list has been maintained by CCA while all responses are returned to the University of California, Davis. Summaries of results will be shared in future CCA publications and will be available upon request.
Q: Who is sponsoring this survey?
A: The survey research is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The project is a collaborative effort between the University of California, Davis and partners that include California Cattlemen’s Association, the California Farm Bureau Federation, California Rangeland Conservation Coalition and others.
Q: What questions are on the survey?
A: In addition to some optional demographic information, the sections of this survey cover two major topics. The first asks about management practices and strategies for meeting diverse goals over diverse lands. This section asks about conservation programs and responses to drought. The second section asks about attitudes and values. This incorporates questions that appear in many other ranching surveys. It will allow scientists and CCA to better understand the complexities of ranching in California. We estimate it will take you 30 minutes to complete. However the detail ranchers have contributed through comments indicate many people are spending much longer.
Q: I lost my survey; can I get a new copy?
A: Of course! A second survey will be mailed to all non-respondents in the next few weeks. You may also contact Tracy at the CCA.
Q: What are other ranchers saying about the survey?
A: Very good things! A few people have told us they think it is too long. A handful has noticed two typos that we missed on the last round of editing. One person told that the photo the graphic designers selected for the cover is terrible (sorry!). Several dozens of people have taken the time to tell us it is the best survey they have taken. While we didn’t think of everything, we consulted ranchers and other range professionals at every step. Members of the research team travelled all over the state interviewing ranchers trying to create the most inclusive and relevant survey possible.
- Author: John M Harper
The following is from CAST's press release and is important for livestock ranchers to read. Air quality is another issue that ranchers and livestock producers need to keep on top of and know the actual science.
CAST’s new Issue Paper goes beyond the generalizations and accusations often associated with the air quality topic. Chaired by Dr. Larry Jacobson from the University of Minnesota, experts from six universities look at a wide scope of issues, from greenhouse gas emissions to the logistics of manure storage facilities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is increasing efforts to monitor emissions from agriculture, so further research is important for all parties involved, and this paper provides solid, science-based information.
CAST Issue Paper #47, Air Issues Associated with Animal Agriculture: A North American Perspective was released on Thursday, May 5. Dr. Frank Mitloehner (right), one of the co-authors, referred to the paper at the Animal Agriculture Alliance Summit meeting in Washington, D.C. Mitloehner directs the Agricultural Air Quality Center at the University of California-Davis, and his presentation at the summit will focus on "The Truth About Sustainability--Debunking 'Livestock’s Long Shadow'." The full paper can be downloaded by clicking on: Air Issues Associated with Animal Agriculture: A North American Perspective
About CAST
CAST is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization composed of scientific societies and many individual, student, company, nonprofit, and associate society members. CAST's Board is composed of representatives of the scientific societies, commercial companies, and nonprofit or trade organizations, and an executive committee. CAST was established in 1972 as a result of a 1970 meeting sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council.
The primary work of CAST is the publication of task force reports, commentary papers,
special publications, and issue papers written by scientists from many disciplines. The CAST Board is responsible for the policies and procedures followed in developing, processing, and disseminating the documents produced. These publications and their distribution are fundamental activities that accomplish CAST's mission to assemble, interpret, and communicate credible science-based information regionally, nationally, and internationally to legislators, regulators, policymakers, the media, the private sector, and the public. The wide distribution of CAST publications to nonscientists enhances the education and understanding of the general public.
CAST addresses issues of animal sciences, food sciences and agricultural technology, plant and soil sciences, and plant protection sciences with inputs from economists, social scientists, toxicologists or plant pathologists and entomologists, weed scientists, nematologists, and legal experts.
- Author: John M Harper
The following is very good news for Mendocino & Lake County sheep producers or for those who want to get into the sheep business! It comes via ASI's newsletter.
"The U.S. sheep industry is realizing an encouraging time; lamb prices are at an all-time high and this spring, the wool market is setting historical records as are wool pelt prices along with a strong cull ewe market. However, from the farm gate through to the lamb and wool processing level, there is a shared concern about meeting the demand for lamb and wool production in the United States.
Lamb processors, from the commercial market channel to the rapidly growing nontraditional markets, are clamoring for a greater supply of lamb. In 2011, two major announcements to carry American lamb in our nation's grocery stores occurred. Kroger, one of the nation's largest grocery store chains, launched an American lamb branded campaign and Super Wal-Mart made a commitment to exclusively carry American lamb in its stores. Also, the nontraditional market channels, which include on-farm sales, farmers markets and small processors serving ethnic communities, have grown exponentially over the years. In fact, one-third of the U.S. lamb crop has moved outside the traditional industry infrastructure to feed this nontraditional lamb market. As an industry, we must supply the traditional market channel to keep American lamb in the nation's largest grocery store chains and restaurants all while meeting the emerging demand for American lamb in the nontraditional markets.
This robust demand for product is also being experienced in the wool market. The U.S. military, the largest domestic consumer of U.S. wool, is excited for the opportunity to clothe our troops in high-performance, washable wool products. The equipment that makes washable wool top has been installed in the United States and is being used for a variety of domestically produced wool products that are already reaching the military and commercial markets.
A strategy to strengthen the lamb and wool industry's infrastructure by increasing the number of sheep in production is vital for the long-term sustainability of the industry. This is why the American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) is calling on sheep producers, both large and small, from east to west, to help accomplish the goal of growing our flock. ASI has come up with a formula to address these shortages within just a few years; it's called Let's Grow with twoPLUS. With three goals in mind, the primary objective of this campaign is to encourage current producers to expand their sheep numbers by 2014. This initiative will result in 315,000 more lambs and 2 million more pounds of wool for the industry to market.
The three goals are 1) encourage producers to increase the size of their operation by two ewes per operation or by two ewes per 100 by 2014; 2) encourage sheep producers to increase the average birthrate per ewe to two lambs per year; and 3) encourage producers to increase the harvested lamb crop by 2 percent - from 108 percent to 110 percent.
ASI has developed a website, www.growourflock.org, and materials to help spread the word of the initiative. The site includes a video explaining the twoPLUS program, Let's Grow partners who are participating in the campaign, resources for producers, an open forum for producers to communicate with one another and a section for media promotion. "
All three goals are easy to achieve for Mendocino & Lake County producers.
- Author: John M Harper
While California does not have state inspection of meat and poultry as it relies on federal
inspection the following news could impact our local markets.
USDA-FSIS has finalized how the new interstate shipment of state-inspected meat program will work. The original idea, included in the 2008 Farm Bill, was that because cooperative state meat and poultry inspection programs must by law be equal to or exceed the requirements of federal inspection, small (<25 full time employees), state-inspected processors should be able to ship product across state lines.
In a nutshell, here’s how the program will work: first, the state must choose to participate; then state inspection personnel will be trained in enforcement of the federal meat & poultry acts (FMIA & PPIA); and then state-inspected processors can apply to participate. FSIS will
oversee and enforce the program. Meat and poultry products produced under the program will bear the federal mark of inspection for interstate distribution.
According to FSIS, only four states are currently interested in adopting the program: North Dakota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Vermont.
Useful links:
- NMPAN webpage summarizing how the final rule differs from the draft rule
- The rule
- The FSIS press release
Those interested in this program should be cautious about the many restrictions in the rule’s fine print. Processors who aren’t sure they can meet the federal/USDA requirements probably should not even consider the program as an option.
Adapted from the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN).