VA Tech’s Farm Business Management Update newsletter

Folks: Please click below to view a PDF of the June-July 2006 Farm Business Management Update newsletter.

-Matthew Miller is Virginia’s Newest Farm Business Management Agent

-The Management Calendar

-Introduction to Financial Analysis of a Farm Business

-Alex and Dave’s Economic “Fore-guess”

-National Agri-marketing Association Team Finds Success in Kansas City

-Managing the Risks of Equine Businesses and Enterprises

Montana Beef Newsletter available

This months edition includes articles on

1) how the beef checkoff is moving beef supply this summer

2) biosecurity for the ranch

3) how electronic ear tags are being used as part of a herd management systems

4) early weaning effects on performance

5) protecting wheatgrass from black grass bugs

6) grazing management of spring pastures.

If you would like to view previous issues of the newsletter, they can be found at : http://www.animalrangeextension.montana.edu/articles/beef/main-beefqa.htm

Have a great summer. With the rain we have had in Montana, it is beautiful. Best regards. JP

John Paterson

Extension Beef Specialist

Montana State University

406-994-5562 (office)

406-581-3492 (mobile)

johnp@montana.edu

Korea situation frustrates Creekstone

Korea situation frustrates Creekstone

BY ALAN BJERGA
Wichita Eagle, Washington bureau

WASHINGTON – The head of Creekstone Farms said Monday that he’s optimistic that beef shipments to Japan will resume soon, but that won’t change his company’s lawsuit against the U.S. government.

“We’re optimistic the Japanese market will reopen by this summer,” said John Stewart, chief executive and founder of Creekstone Farms, in Washington.

Stewart also said he’s frustrated with U.S. efforts to reopen trade with South Korea, which stalled last week over Korean concerns with processing practices at seven U.S. packers, including two in Kansas.

FULL STORY

Panorama beef increases its natural/organic market share

Panorama beef increases its natural/organic market share

(MEATPOULTRY.com, June 12, 2006)
by MEAT&POULTRY Staff

VINA, CALIF. – Officials with Panorama Natural Grass-Fed Beef, announced today the company’s fresh beef products will be added to offerings at two Oakland area Farmer Joe’s Markets a growing natural/organic grocery store designed to serve health-conscious shoppers.

FULL STORY

Post-Calving Drenching Shows Benefits

Post-Calving Drenching Shows Benefits

Tuesday, 13 June 2006, 12:31 pm
Press Release: Merial

Research shows attractive gains from post-calving drenching of dairy herds

Research published in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal shows dairy farmers could make significant economic gains by drenching animals soon after calving.

New Zealand trials using eprinomectin show that treated cows not only produced an extra 0.6 litres of milk per cow per day , first calvers were also in calf up to 12.9 days earlier than their untreated herd mates .

The extra milk yield equates to about $30 per cow per season, generating an extra $8400 of farm income for the average herd of 280 cows.

FULL STORY

Johanns Goes Farther In Call For Farm Bill Changes

Johanns Goes Farther In Call For Farm Bill Changes

Jun 12, 2006 4:54 pm
WFRV.com

U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns renewed his call for sweeping changes to the next farm bill, saying “the rural economy is really so much broader than farming and ranching.”

Johanns, addressing a USDA Rural Development conference in Washington D.C., noted that 60 million Americans live in rural America, and that 58 million of them don’t farm or ranch. And Johanns also said roughly 90 percent of all so-called farm income actually comes from off-farm sources.

FULL STORY

New Strain of Mad Cow Disease Baffles Researchers

New Strain of Mad Cow Disease Baffles Researchers

Published Date: 06-12-2006 12:54 PM CT
KEYC-TV

In health watch this Midday: mad cow disease is shrouded in a new mystery today. Researchers have announced that two past cases of mad cow in Texas and Alabama possibly came from a mysterious strain that seems to “Spontaneously appear” in cattle.

FULL STORY