Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Fall Beef Newsletter
Fall Forage Field Day
UT/TSU Extension and the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center (MTREC) have teamed up to offer a Forage Field Day on Tuesday, September 9th. The field day will get underway at 4pm. at the Bull Test Center Conference Room located within the Middle Tennessee Research and Education Center at 1000 Main Entrance Drive in Spring Hill, TN. Producers will hear from both UT Extension Specialist, UT Researchers and Industry Professionals on topics ranging from Warm Season Grass Stockpiling/Heifer Fertility Study, Establishing Cool Season Grasses and Drill and Sprayer Calibration. A sponsored meal will conclude the field day around 7pm. To register and for more information please contact the Lawrence County Extension Office at 762-506 or email me at: ibryant1@utk.edu
Master Beef Producer Class to be offered this Fall
A Master Beef Producer Class will be offered this fall for local beef and dairy producers. As we begin a transition to teaching the new Advanced Master Beef Producer Class in 2015, this will be the final time we will offer the Original UT Master Beef Producer Class. As a part of the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program, becoming a graduate of the UT Extension Master Beef Producer Course entitles producers to an added cost-share of 50% for the Beef Handling Facilities Grant, Hay Storage Grant and the Animal Feed Storage Cost Share Grant. The cost for the course is $150 unless you have a BQA Certification and a Farm Premise Id. For producers that have these 2 things the cost is reduced to $50. This is also a part of the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Grants. This class is for those who have never taken the Master Beef Producer Class. Below is a tentative schedule.
Date Topic Speaker(s) Location
Oct. 2nd Marketing Dr. Andrew Griffith Columbia
Oct. 7th Nutrition Calvin Bryant Lawrenceburg
Oct. 9th Forages Kevin Rose Pulaski
Oct. 14th Reproduction Dr. Justin Rhinehart Columbia
Oct. 16th Health Brian White Lawrenceburg
Oct. 21st Management Kevin Ferguson Pulaski
Oct. 23rd Genetics Kevin Thompson Spring Hill
Oct. 28th Carcass Richard Groce Pulaski
Each meeting will begin at 6pm. Refreshments will be provided each night with a meal provided the last night at graduation. To register, please contact the Lawrence County Extension Office.
Advanced Master Beef Producer Classes to be offered in 2015
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, which administers the TAEP, announced in January that producers who completed the MBP from 2004-2007 would be required to complete the newly developed Advanced Master Beef Producer (AMBP) Course prior to applying for the TAEP cost share re-embursements in 2015. They would be required to do this in order to be eligible for the 50% cost-share on the Genetics, Equipment, Hay Storage and Feed Storage Grants. This would continue in 2016, requiring those who completed the class from 2008-2011 to complete Advanced MBP. The 3 year cycle would be rounded out in 2017 requiring those who completed the MBP course from 2012-2014 to complete AMBP.
The Advanced Master Beef Producer Class will be structured similar to the MBP with more advanced, updated and concise programs. Class coordinators will have the flexibility to plan their respective courses that will have to cover at least 7 of the 10 specific programs that UT Extension Specialist have developed. Currently these UT Extension Specialist are training county agents on the new programs which include:
Nutrition, Reproduction, Genetics, Health, Forages, Management, Marketing, End Product, and Facilities.
Considering this multiple Advanced Master Beef Producer Classes for Lawrence/Giles/Maury Counties will be scheduled in 2015. We are looking at offering both daytime and evening classes. A tentative plan of classes offering will be a day class offered in January, night class offered in February and another night class offer in October.
TAEP Grant Update
Officials at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture have stated that approval letters for those who applied for the 2014 TAEP Grants should be mailed out in mid September. Lots of folks have been inquiring about this. TDA officials have also reported that they hope to fund all first priorities and some second priorities as funds allow.
Marketing Meeting Planned
To assist producers who would like more information on the beef cattle market and tools to use to better market your cattle, we have planned a Marketing Meeting for Friday, October 3rd beginning at 7am at the Maury County Extension Office. UT Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist, Dr. Andrew Griffith will be our featured speaker. I will be taking the county van up to the meeting if anyone would like to ride. I will leave from the Extension Office at 6am. Please call in to the Lawrence County Extension (762-5506) if you are planning on attending.
Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training
There will be a BQA Training on Monday, October 20th at 5pm. at the Lawrence County Extension Office Community Meeting Room. The training will last for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Certified Private Applicator Recertification Trainings To Be Offered
All Private Applicator Cards will be expiring on October 21st 2014. To become recertified producers must attend a Certified Private Applicator Training before October 21st. Most folks who are private applicators have already completed one of the many recertification trainings that were offered earlier in the year. If have not yet attended a recertification training this will be your last opportunity. The training is scheduled for Monday October, 20 beginning at 6:30 pm. and it will be held at the Lawrence County Extension Office Community Meeting Room.
Southern Middle Tennessee Forestry Association Fall Field Day
The Southern Middle Tennessee Forestry Association will be hosting a Fall Field Day on Tuesday, September 30th beginning at 9:30 am. The location for the field day is at the Rex Miles’ Farm located east of Pulaski off of highway 64 at 1257 Hurricane Creek Rd. UT Extension Forestry Specialist, Larry Tankersley will be the guest speaker. Please call in to the Lawrence County Extension Office (62-5506) if you would like to attend.
Fall Armyworm Alert!!!!
Armyworms have been reported throughout the county over the past couple of weeks so producers should be on the lookout for these pesky critters. UT recommends treatment for armyworms in pastures when 3-4 larvae are found per square foot. Any fields within a week of harvest can be cut rather than treated with insecticide (larvae will not feed on cut hay). There are many good treatment options. Several pyrethroids insecticides including Baythroid XL, Karate or Warrior II, and Mustang Max provide effective control and have short preharvest application restrictions and no grazing restrictions. Other products that have short or no preharvest or grazing restrictions include Intrepid, Tracer, Prevathon and Besiege. A complete list of recommended insecticides and suggested rates can be found in the 2014 Pasture Insect Control Recommendations for Tennessee that I have attached.
Pay particular attention to lush warm season grasses like Teffgrass, Crabgrass, Sorgrum/Sudan Grasses, Bermudagrass, etc., but other type of grasses and soybeans close to infected pastures and hayfields may also be at risk.
It Is Important Know The Quality Of Your Hay
Knowing the nutrient content of hay is important for any livestock producer. Without it, feeding a balanced ration to their animals is very difficult. Hay and silage samples can be tested to determine the protein, fiber, and energy content. The UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center has provided this service for several decades. Recently, the Center teamed with the UT Institute of Agriculture Beef and Forage Center (UTBFC) to improve UT’s forage testing capabilities.
Through the partnership, near-infrared reflectance (NIR) technology is now being used to analyze samples. The process measures light reflectance to estimate protein, energy, as well as many other nutrients. It is providing results more quickly to the producers. Sample results are often available within a week. It is also allowing more precise analysis.
“Forage analysis is one more way we strive to assist Tennessee producers at the UT Soil, Plant and Pest Center,” says center manager Debbie Joines. “This team effort with UTBFC has enabled us to serve in a greater capacity to provide more information such as starch and sugars for horse owners. Large and small ruminant reports will also include more data to assist in determining forage quality.”
The UT forage lab is in the process of becoming a certified member of the National Forage Testing Association. The certification will allow its procedures to be nationally ranked for accuracy and provide more accurate forage test results for producers. The UTBFC is a member of the NIRS Consortium, which provides a wealth of knowledge on equation development and a vast database of forage samples necessary to predict forage quality with NIR technology. Over the past four years, the UTBFC has contributed more than 300 Tennessee forage samples from across the state to expand the equations we use.
Using NIR technology allows samples to be analyzed for specific livestock species. The lab has begun offering forage-testing packages for beef, horse, small ruminant, and dairy. Being able to choose the livestock species allows sample reports to be customized for each producer.
“We’re delighted to be able to offer NIR forage analysis to Tennessee livestock owners,” says Gary Bates, professor and director of the UT Beef and Forage Center. “Feed costs often make up more than 50 percent of the cost of keeping livestock, so knowing their hay nutrient content is one step in decreasing their expenses and becoming more profitable, not to mention better nutrition for their animals and herds.”
For more information including pricing structure for each species, visit the UTSoil, Plant and Pest Center forage page online or contact the Lawrence County Extension Office at 762-5506.
