Feedlot Update - June 28, 2013

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Feedlot Update

June 28, 2013


Feedlot Program Q&A

Question: How many counties participate in the delegated county program?

Answer following Calendar


Large crowd at East Dublin Dairy open house

Nearly 2,000 visitors attended an open house Thursday, June 27 at East Dublin Dairy south of Murdock. The well-organized June Dairy Month event featured a stream of small-group tour stops on the sprawling site showing all aspects of the 6,100-cow dairy. Wearing bright, lime-green T-shirts, staff explained equipment and operations including feed production, animal health, milking, calving, and manure fertilizer management. After their tour guests lined up for complimentary grilled hamburgers, chips, beverages, and milk shakes. East Dublin Dairy is one of nine dairies and related operations of Riverview LLP headquartered in Morris.

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E Dublin Dairy tour

Special edition of Feedlot Update newsletter planned to announce comment period for feedlot rule amendments

pasture-feedlot

A special edition of "Feedlot Update" is being planned for July to announce a public comment period on proposed amendments to the state's Chapter 7020 feedlot rule. The purpose of the amendments is to address statutory changes, provide clarification, and remove out-of-date portions. It does not include the addition of any major rules or standards. Updates include: NPDES permit requirement based on federal law, pasture definition, major-minor permit modification, pastures, registration procedure, and removal of the open lot agreement. If you wish to be included on the e-mail notification list for rule information, please contact Forrest Peterson, forrest.peterson@state.mn.us, 320-441-6972; or Kevin Molloy, kevin.molloy@state.mn.us, 651-757-2577. Information will also be posted on the feedlot rule update webpage.

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MPCA, cattle association plan meetings on permitting

Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association newsletter, June 28, 2013:
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in conjunction with the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association will be hosting a series of regional informational meetings where individuals involved in the cattle business can learn more about the permitting process. Learn about the process and have your questions answered directly by agency staff. The meetings will primarily focus on explaining the process and requirements to obtain a NPDES/SDS permit for cattle operations that will have over 1,000 animal units. In order to plan meetings appropriately, please click the following location you plan on attending to pre-register.

Willmar Location-August 12
Marshall Location-August 14
Detroit Lakes Location-August 15
Brainerd Location-August 21
Rochester Location-August 22

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Feedlot program news briefs

Planning under way for MACFO conference in St. Cloud Oct. 14-16

The planning committee has drafted an agenda for the Minnesota Association of County Feedlot Officers (MACFO) in St. Cloud Oct. 14-16. Details will be posted on the Feedlot Program MACFO web page. Planning committee members are: Jennifer Kaminsky, Richard Gruenes, Samantha Adams, Darrin Welle, Barry Bouwman, Ed Uhlenkamp, Russ Hilbert, Tracy Janikula, Dana Liebfried, and Aimee Zimmerman.

Schulte hired in Blue Earth County

Mike Schulte is the new feedlot staff person in Blue Earth County, replacing Mark Manderfeld who remains in the environmental services office doing land use, planning and zoning. Mike is a 2012 grad of Minnesota State-Mankato majoring in earth science. Previously, he held two part-time jobs as a lab tech and doing storm water compliance. Contact info: michael.schulte@co.blue-earth.mn.us, 507-304-4384.

michael schulte
feedlot staff map

MPCA county assignment staff map updated

The state map showing county assignments for MPCA feedlot staff has been updated and posted on the contact page of the feedlot program web site. Recent staff changes include the retirement of Kate Brigman in the Mankato office, the transfer of Mike Sharp to the watershed program in Detroit Lakes, and the transfer in of Rhonda Adkins in the Brainerd office.

Delegated county staff map updated

The state map showing county feedlot officers from delegated counties, along with number of registered feedlots in each county, has also been updated. Find it on the County Feedlot Program webpage. Currently, 54 counties participate in the delegated county program.

lloyd kalfs

Lloyd Kalfs recovering from vehicle accident

Lloyd Kalfs (Cottonwood County feedlot officer/SSTS inspector), was injured in a motor vehicle accident over the weekend of June 15-16. He underwent surgery June 17 at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls. Lloyd's Caring Bridge  webpage: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lloydkalfs. 

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MDA announces pilot watersheds for Ag Water Quality Certification Program

AWQC pilot watersheds

At a news conference June 10 in St. Paul, the Department of Agriculture announced the four watersheds that will pilot the Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program. The four watersheds are the Whitewater River Watershed located in parts of Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona Counties; the Middle Sauk River Watershed, which covers more than fifty percent of Stearns County; the Elm Creek Watershed located in south central Minnesota in parts of Jackson, Martin, and Faribault counties; and, the Whiskey Creek Watershed in northwestern Minnesota’s Wilkin and western Otter Tail counties. More than a dozen watershed groups submitted applications. 

Under the certification program, farmers who implement and maintain approved conservation plans will be certified and in turn assured that their operations meet water quality goals and standards for the term of the certification agreement which lasts up to 10 years. The Minnesota legislature appropriated $3 million in Clean Water Legacy funding to launch this program. These funds will leverage $6.5 million in federal funding previously announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who attended the event, along with Gov. Mark Dayton and Assistant Agriculture Commissioner Matt Wohlman. - MDA news release.

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Livestock and Poultry Learning Center News

LPE News logo

Note! June's webcast has been postponed until August. We will let you know more as the final date is determined.

July webcast: Researchers and university specialists from South Dakota State University, USDA’s Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC), and Iowa State University Extension are wrapping up a three-year study looking at concentration and emission measurements in comparison with management techniques for mono-slope barns and will share the results of their study. More...

W2W Proceedings. The proceedings from April's "Waste to Worth: Spreading Science and Solutions" conference include a one-page submission from each author, recording of the presentation (when available), and slides. You can search the proceedings by author, agenda, or (in progress) by topic. Visit the W2W 2013 proceedings hub....

Grid Sampling. The emphasis on precision agriculture and proper nutrient management has led many to wonder about variable rate manure application. The University of Minnesota has explored that topic and released several case studies and videos about grid sampling to guide manure application.  More...

Dairy Sustainability. The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy has recently released version 1.2 of a Stewardship and Sustainability Guide which outlines a process for voluntarily improving communication, monitoring, and progress toward environmental and economic sustainability. More... Related: LPELC Ag EMS and Ag EMS curriculum materials

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Twohey named communications director at MPB-MPPA

theresa twohey

Theresa Twohey is the new communications and marketing director for the Minnesota Pork Board and Minnesota Pork Producers Association. Theresa is a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota with a degree in agricultural education and minors in animal science and mass communications. She will serve as the primary media and public relations contact for the Minnesota Pork Board and the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. She will also be responsible for developing and managing communication and marketing efforts of the MPB including producer communications, social media engagement, consumer outreach and website content development, management and maintenance. Last summer s she was the integrated communications intern for the Midwest Dairy Association. At the University she served as the chair of Agricultural Awareness Day, a campus event that reaches over 3,000 students annually. Theresa grew up on her family’s dairy farm near Stewartville.

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NRCS posts updated online photo gallery

The Natural Resources Conservation Service Photo Gallery online has been revived. Thousands of new images are now available, and will be adding more on a regular basis. Visit http://photogallery.nrcs.usda.gov/res/sites/PhotoGallery/index.html. Or, navigate Home/Newsroom/Photos & Multimedia/NRCS Photo Gallery. The NRCS Photo Gallery contains natural resource and conservation photos from across the country. It is a joint project of NRCS conservation communicators and the NRCS Information Technology Center in Fort Collins, CO. 

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iowa hogs

MDA announces recipients of $1.1 million in livestock investment grants

Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson has announced the recipients of the state’s latest round of Livestock Investment Grants. Nearly 100 producers were selected to share $1.1 million in grants aimed at boosting the state’s livestock sector. The Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture will begin accepting applications for a new round of grants July 1. Qualifying producers are reimbursed ten percent of the first $500,000 of investment, with a minimum investment of $4,000. MDA news release.

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In the news

Farm Connections: Learning about energy efficiency on turkey farms and conservation opportunities
Minnesota energy stories, 5/29/13
Vilsack outlines vision for agricultural solutions to environmental challenges
USDA news release, 6/5/13
US Poultry opens nominations for family environmental award
The Farmer, 6/18/13
Farm open houses continue through summer
The Farmer, 6/24/13
Study shows high nitrate levels in southern Minnesota waters
News release, 6/26/13
Farmers seen by OECD as improving environmental performance
Bloomberg News, 6/25/13

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Calendar

July 7-9: Summer Beef Tour, Northwest Stockmen's Association, Roseau.
July 6-13: American Dairy Goat Association national show, St. Paul.
Aug. 6-8: FarmFest, Gilfillan estate, Redwood County.

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Answer: 54


Share the news

The MPCA Feedlot Update welcomes news submissifrom partners about, projects, people, and upcoming events. Email submissito forrest.peterson@state.mn.us. Please note that the MPCA has switched to a new service, called GovDelivery, to deliver the Feedlot Update. To ensure delivery of these messages, please add mpca@public.govdelivery.com to your address book or safe sender list. Past issues of Feedlot Update are available on the feedlot program publications webpage.

Forrest Peterson
Public Information Officer
MPCA-Willmar office
320-441-6972