College News
Babcock to Testify Before Senate Committee
Bruce Babcock, professor of economics and director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, will testify before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Tuesday, June 28, at a hearing to review the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. The act authorized the first livestock insurance programs, approved through the USDA's Risk Management Agency. Babcock will talk about the public policy justification for federal livestock insurance and the extent to which producers have participated in the products. He will review the pilot programs, lessons learned from their initial performance, and how private insurers have reacted to them and will recommend continued development of the programs.
Date Added for Western Field Day
A Research and Demonstration Farm field day has been added to the late-summer schedule. The Western farm field day will begin at 1 p.m. Aug. 25. The farm is located 4 miles east of Castana. Swine and livestock topics will be discussed at the field day, including: swine welfare, animal identification, producers' role in meat quality and new value-added meat cuts.
Risk Management Workshops Focus on Amish and Mennonite Growers
Reducing management risks for Amish and Mennonite farmers is the focus of a $39,000 grant awarded to Mark Gleason, Iowa State plant pathology professor. The competitive grant was awarded by the North Central Risk Management Education Center. Gleason is working with ISU Extension field specialists and faculty to organize eight workshops and six field days, and provide reference materials in nine county offices. The first field day will be held tomorrow, June 28, near Orchard at the Daniel Zimmerman farm from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Results from Livestock Facility Emissions Monitoring Released
A six-state study that involved air quality monitoring near swine and poultry facilities will help in the search for ways to reduce emissions. Results from five of the states involved in the study were released June 22 at a meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association in Minneapolis.
New ISU Extension Corn Specialist Begins July 1
Iowa State will welcome a new corn specialist when Roger Elmore joins the Agronomy faculty as a professor on July 1. Elmore was previously a professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska.
Several College P&S Staff Honored with CYtation Award
President Gregory Geoffroy presented 11 P&S staff members with "CYtation" Awards May 31. This award recognizes individuals who have performed above and beyond the call of duty, done something extraordinarily well, or acted in such a way as to make a very real difference at Iowa State. College staff receiving the award included: Joe Detrick, agriculture specialist; Stephen Gaul, assistant scientist; and Mark Hawley, systems support specialist, all from animal science; Kathleen Larson, administrative specialist, Center for Agriculture and Rural Development; Susan Ziegenbusch, program assistant, agricultural and biosystems engineering; and Brian Meyer, program director, agriculture communications.
Farmers Diner Founder to Speak at ISU July 11
A Vermont farmer will be at Iowa State July 11 to share how his Main Street diner has used local foods to build a successful business. Tod Murphy, CEO and founder of The Farmers Diner, will speak 3-5 p.m. in the Pioneer Room at the Memorial Union. Murphy's visit is sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in collaboration with the Drake University Agricultural Law Center. Learn more: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2005/diner_062405.htm
Leopold Center Requests Pre-Proposals by Aug. 1
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has issued a request for pre-proposals in ecology, policy and marketing and food systems. Pre-proposals are due by 5 p.m. Aug. 1. An RFP is available online.
2005 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference
AUG. 29-30 Congressman Tom Latham of Iowa will address the 2005 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference at Iowa State on Aug. 29-30. The conference will provide opportunities for participants to share ideas, strategies and new technologies to promote the expansion of existing biobased businesses.
2005 Dairy Seminar Papers Available at MWPS
Papers from a Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference now are available in book form from Midwest Plan Service.
Reception to Welcome Cast Executive Vice President
There will be a welcome reception July 7 for John Bonner, the new executive vice president of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. It will be from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Ensminger Room, Kildee Hall, Dean Catherine Woteki will be among the speakers. RSVP by June 29 to cgiesman@cast-science.org or (515) 292-2125, ext. 22. Bonner, an Iowa State alumnus, begins July 1.
Deadlines and Reminders
June 28: Northern Research and Demonstration Farm Field Day, Kanawha, 9:30 a.m., more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings
June 29: Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm Field Day, Sutherland, 9 a.m., more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings
June 30: Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm Field Day, Nashua, 1:30 p.m., more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings
July 6-8: Agricultural policy summit, "New Directions in Federal Farm Policy: Issues for the 2007 Farm Bill"
July 12: Lauren Christian Pork Chop Open, Veenker Memorial Golf Course, Ames
July 13-15: International Symposium on Genetics of Animal Health, Scheman Center
Communications Kiosk
Councillor and Counselor have Two Different Roles
A councillor is one who sits on a council, such as a "city councilor." A counselor is a person who gives advice, for example, a "personal counselor." (The Chicago Manual of Style, 2003, 15th edition)
Infograzing
Session to Cover NIH Grant Opportunities
Iowa State will host a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding 101 workshop on July 6. Susan Newcomer, from the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, will deliver a presentation about NIH from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union. The presentation will include an overview and discussion of the NIH and its funding process and a session on grant-writing skills for the NIH. Make reservations by contacting Jody Sanders at jasander@iastate.edu.
Internal Voices
Crops can Yield Petroleum-Like Products
"Anything you can make out of petroleum, I can make out of corn and soybeans." --Larry Johnson, director of the Center for Crops Utilization Research (To Replace Oil, U.S. Experts See Amber Waves of Plastic, Los Angeles Times, June 26, http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-grain26jun26,1,6073251.story)
Next issue: July 5
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
Subscribe: Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to edadcock@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
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