February 9, 2018
 Two Missouri youth teams qualify for international dairy competition
Missouri
4-H and Missouri FFA are constantly impressing us with their accomplishments
and contributions. Recently, both organizations brought home a major
recognition -- they qualified for the International Youth Dairy Judging Tour.
Winners
of the National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management Career Development
Event (CDE) were announced at the 90th National FFA Convention & Expo in
October. The Monett FFA Chapter simultaneously qualified for international competition and broke a chapter record for highest placement in a national CDE. The team finished third overall in a
field of 44 teams and placed first nationally in the Dairy Management
Team Activity.
The Montett FFA
team consists of four members: Sam Masri, Lora Wright, Lilly Schmidt
and Blake Wright. The National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation and Management CDE
is a competitive event that tests the student's ability to select and manage
quality dairy cattle. Event components include six classes of dairy cattle,
herd record evaluation and dairy management team activity.
Missouri 4-H had its best finish
since 1998 at the 2017 National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest during the World Dairy
Expo in Madison, Wis. The team finished third in a field of 22 teams, and
placed in the top five for judging four of five breeds and presenting oral reasons, qualifying the team for
international competition. This is the best performance by a Missouri team in
19 years, when a group also placed third at the World Dairy Expo.
The
team is comprised of 4-H members from Christian, Lawrence, Polk and Webster
counties. Grant Groves, Daryin Sharp, Ellie Wantland and Lora
Wright placed second in Holsteins, fourth in Ayrshires, fifth in
Guernseys, fifth in Jerseys, seventh in Brown Swiss and third in oral reasons.
Both
teams are seeking sponsors to help fund participation in the International
Youth Dairy Judging Tour. All contributions are tax-deductible.
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 Pet Spay & Neuter Grant Applications Now Available
The
Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Pet Spay and Neuter Program has grants
available to assist animal shelters, rescue groups and other non-profit
organizations with spay and neuter services. Last year, the Department of
Agriculture provided $20,000 for spay and neuter initiatives through this
program. Applications for 2018 grants are now available and are due Feb. 28,
2018.
The
Pet Spay and Neuter Program helps animal shelters, humane societies and
non-profit groups with low cost spay and neuter initiatives.
The
required forms and instructions for preparing an application are available on
the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s website.
Qualified organizations can complete their application electronically.
The
Pet Spay & Neuter Program is funded through the sales of “I’m Pet Friendly”
license plates through the Missouri Department of Revenue. Each license plate sale donates $20 to the Missouri Pet Spay & Neuter Fund. The fees are
collected by the Missouri
State Humane Association and administered by the Missouri Department
of Agriculture.
Click here for more information.
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 Help shape the future of American agriculture
Farmers and ranchers, don’t
forget to respond to the 2017 Census of Agriculture! The first deadline of
Feb. 5 has just passed, but we encourage all farmers and ranchers who
haven’t yet done so to respond. Every response matters!
USDA’s
National Agricultural Statistics Service, or NASS, will soon send another
questionnaire to those who haven’t responded and start making follow-up phone
calls later this month. There are two ways to respond: online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
The census, conducted just once every five years, provides a complete account
of the industry, its changes and emerging trends. Census data are widely used,
often relied on when developing the Farm Bill and other farm policy, and when
making decisions about disaster relief, community planning, technology
development, and more.
It is important that every producer be reflected in the
data so that no operation or community is underserved in the years to come. The
better the data, the more accurate the reports; the more accurate the reports,
the more informed decisions will be.
For more information about the 2017 Census
of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov.
For questions or assistance with the census, call toll-free (888) 424-7828.
Respond today.
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This Week in Photos
This week, we highlight strategic planning for the future of Missouri Agriculture with industry stakeholders, ReachMORE Tour stops at the Missouri Pork Expo and University of Missouri Extension's Cotton Outlook Meeting, Director Chinn and Deputy Director Hawkins speaking to the Missouri Economic Development Council Winter Conference, judging at the Missouri Nut Growers Association Winter Meeting and a beautiful photo submitted on Instagram by Shanna Martin Photography (@shannamartinphotography).
 
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