 Lance Smith of the NRCS will discuss grazing systems at a Soil Health Day March 23 at Ridgewater College in Willmar in the Agri-Business Department. Other topics will include cover crops, tillage, and a rainfall simulator. A panel discussion with producers is scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by a lunch at noon. There is no fee to attend, but an RSVP is requested to 320-235-3906 ext. 3. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Ag Department (campus map). Ridgewater has the largest two-year agri-business program in the state. Event sponsors include: Ridgewater College, USDA-NRCS, Kandiyohi SWCD, Middle Fork Crow Watershed District, Centrol, Chippewa River Watershed Project, and Anez Consulting.
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 A new working group focusing on manure and soil health has posted a Manure and Soil
Health (MaSH) blog. This will be a monthly article with the purpose of
defining the current state of the science related to manure’s impact on soil
health. A team of university and NRCS professionals from the North
Central region will publish these articles at http://soilhealthnexus.org/category/manure/
.
The value of manure’s carbon (or organic matter) remains a
mystery to many managers of crop and soil systems. The carbon in manure is a beneficial element for soils, leading to
greater water infiltration, less runoff and erosion, and improved soil drought
tolerance. These advantages are
generally connected with changes in soil structure including greater
aggregation of soil particles. In
addition, manure’s properties have been reported as benefiting soil pH,
diversity of soil organism diversity, disease suppression, and cycling of soil
nutrients.
Authors: Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Shelby Burlew, Michigan State University; Mary Berg, North Dakota State University. Funding support from North Central Region Water Network (http://northcentralwater.org/ ). More information on Manure and Soil Health including past blog articles is found at http://soilhealthnexus.org/.
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 CFO conference April 11-13 in Moorhead
The 2017 annual convention of the Minnesota Association of County Feedlot Officers (MACFO) is scheduled for April 11-13 at the Courtyard Marriot in Moorhead. The program provides information and training for county feedlot program staff on a variety of topics: Permits, data management, manure land application, winter feeding, emergency response, and safety. From now on
the convention will be held in the spring instead of the fall as it has in the
past. MACFO represents the 51 counties delegated to administer the 7020 feedlot
rule except for farms with state and federal operating permits.
Mae Rose moving on from Douglas County
Effective March 24 Mae Rose is leaving the Douglas County feedlot officer post. Mae will be a
Certification Officer for Oregon Tilth, Inc. inspecting organic farms and
processing facilities all over the upper Midwest, and expanding her lamb
operation. Meanwhile, Rebecca Sternquist, assistant director of the Land and Resource Management Dept., will be handling feedlot re-registration along with Jackie Navratil as support staff. A vacancy notice is posted at: http://www.co.douglas.mn.us/dc/employment-opportunities.aspx
Avian disease conference at poultry convention
The Midwest Poultry Federation convention is under way this week at the St. Paul RiverCentre. In conjunction with the convention, the 68th annual North Central Avian Disease Conference was held Monday and Tuesday. It featured a variety of scientific presentations, a symposium on current animal health issues, and a joint MPF-NCADC symposium on nutrition and health. The trade show featured more than 230 vendors and industry suppliers. Jennie-O Turkey Store demonstrated recipes for many ways to prepare turkey. The 'learn and go' labs offered a variety of presentations including a new poultry biosecurity website.
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The MPCA feedlot program has created an e-mail account for
submitting permit annual reports, and feedlot registrations from counties
outside the delegated country program. These may be submitted to: FeedlotSubmittal.pca@state.mn.us. NPDES
or SDS permit annual reports were due March 1, 2017. The form is available on
the MPCA feedlot webpage. We encourage everyone
filing to download the document (wq-f3-22b), fill out the Word version, and
e-mail the completed report as a PDF document.
All land application records for the 12-month
period starting Sept. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016, must be submitted as part
of the report and on the included forms. For farms that do not transfer manure,
land application records can also be generated and submitted using the MPCA
excel based Manure Management Planner under Create Crop Year Records. A link to
the planner is located on the feedlot program Nutrient and Manure Management webpage.
Annual reports provide valuable information for determining compliance with
Minnesota’s feedlot rules. Failure to submit annual reports by the March 1
deadline may result in an enforcement action from the MPCA.
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 As part of the ongoing rebranding effort for the State of Minnesota, the MPCA will implement a new logo that is shared with all state agencies. The new logo is a fresh look for state agencies that identifies Minnesota state government as one enterprise working on behalf of all Minnesotans.
The MPCA will begin adopting the new logo on its web site, social media and through GovDelivery messages on Friday, March 17. You will see the logo changes used in new documents, forms, printed materials and other formats using our logo starting in May and June.
Along with other state departments, the MPCA is making this change to create a uniform framework to better connect all Minnesotans with state services. The branding and logo change also emphasizes the state as a single employer of choice. The practice of having every state agency or department use its own logo and look, creates ambiguity about what is or isn’t part of Minnesota’s state government.
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The impacts of climate change on Minnesota Water is the March theme of Governor Dayton's “Year of Water Action”. Governor Dayton encourages all Minnesotans to take a role in protecting our state’s most precious resource for future generations. Governor Dayton has called on Minnesotans to work together to find solutions to keep Minnesota’s water clean and accessible to everyone. Despite the state’s abundance of lakes, rivers, groundwater and streams, more than 40 percent of Minnesota’s waters are currently listed as impaired or polluted.
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Community mourns sudden passing of Anez Consulting founder
Well-known livestock industry consultant, Jared Anez, passed away suddenly on Tuesday. He was 45 years old. Jared Anez and his wife, Kami, founded Anez Consulting in 1997. With headquarters in Willmar and offices in Little Falls and Paynesville, they specialize in crop consulting, precision ag, engineering, and feedlot permitting and manure management. In addition to the consulting business and being the father of six children, Jared was extensively involved in the Willmar community, and the current chair of the Willmar School Board. He reportedly was stricken while working out at a local gym. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m., with a time of sharing at 7 p.m., Friday, March 17, at Church of St. Mary in Willmar. Visitation will continue from 10-11 a.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 18, at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Willmar.
Factory farming: Debate heats up in southern Minnesota
The Land, 3/8/17
Townships burdened by road maintenance near livestock operations
Forum News Service, 3/10/17
To save the planet, give cows better pasture
MPR News, 2/13/17
Appeals Court to decide Dodge County hog farm lawsuit pitting pollution vs. water
Star Tribune, 2/13/17
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March 13-14: North Central Avian Disease Conference, St.
Paul RiverCentre.
March 14-16: Midwest Poultry Federation convention,
St. Paul RiverCentre.
April 11-13: Minnesota Association of County Feedlot Officers conference, Moorhead.
Sept. 26: Ag and Animal Science Conference, MinnWest Technology Campus, Willmar
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The
MPCA Feedlot Update welcomes news from partners about, projects, people, and
upcoming events. Email submissions to forrest.peterson@state.mn.us.
Past issues of Feedlot Update are available on the feedlot program publications webpage.
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