Nebraska To Host National Angus NORTH PLATTE, Neb. Angus breeders and commercial cattle producers from across the United States are invited to at tend the 2001 National Angus Conference and Tour, set for September 30-October 3, in North Platte, Neb. “Leading the Angus Advance” is the theme for the four-day event, which includes a workshop program, two-day tour and one day conference program. YOU CAN PRODUCE MORE MILK BY SUPPLYING MORE WATER Water Master has gained approval through extended use in feedlots and dairies across North America. It features heavy wall roto-cast polyethylene one-piece body construction. Ritchie utilizes UV inhibitors...so it won’t pit, crack or deterio rate like concrete. 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Conference And Tour Angie Denton, director of Web marketing for Angus Productions Inc. (API), will offer a Web mar keting workshop on services API offers to producers for marketing their herd on the Web. A new addition to this year’s event is the “Basics of the Busi ness Breed” program on Sunday evening, where association staff will conduct mini workshops for both new and experienced breed ers. John Crouch, director of per formance programs, will discuss the basics of Angus Herd Im provement Records (AHIR), in cluding how to determine con temporary groups, completing AHIR forms and the basics of sire evaluation. Bryce Schumann, director of member services, will discuss the basics of herd identification and tips on how to complete forms and submit them to the associa tion for trouble-free service. The third session addresses member logon services available on the association’s Web site and how more and more members are accessing their individual herd information, submitting registra tions and doing other business with the association online. The conference also features several tour stops at Angus oper ations in the area. The conference program con cludes the four-day event on Wednesday, October 3, and fea tures some of the most influential speakers in the beef industry. In addition to Dr. Bill Mies, attend ees will also hear from Dr. Bill Money Available For Innovative Marketing Projects COLLEGE PARK, Md. Two small-grant programs aimed at improving the profitability of farmers and farmer groups are now available. For the first grant program, Individual Marketing Grants, a total of $20,000 in grant awards (up to $5OO/award) is available for individual farmers who are working to increase their access to new or existing markets in Maryland, Virginia, West Virgin ia and Pennsylvania. Examples of potential projects include: extending the growing season through the use of row tunnels or hoop houses; conduct ing an open house or farm day to recruit potential customers; or developing a brochure for recruit ing potential restaurant buyers. The second grant program, Group Marketing Grants, is aimed at improving the profita bility of farm organizations, farmer groups and/or farmer co operatives in the mid-Atlantic re gion. A total of $30,000 in grant awards (up to $4,000/award) is available for farmer-based groups or organizations that are working to adopt and promote innovative marketing techniques and strate gies in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia or Pennsylvania. To qualify for funding, projects must be the result of collabora tion among farmers looking to sell their products in an innova tive manner. FORAGING AROUND The newsletter of the Pennsylvania Forage and grassland Council (PFGC), includes several farm features with a focus on pasture quality The special summer section will be included with Lancaster Farming July 14 Another section, the fall PFGC issue, is scheduled Sept 15 ■»»»»*..»» * *» «.&a *.-m: ‘ Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 7, 2001-A27 Beal, Virginia Tech, on the basics of reproduction and Dr. Twig Marston, Kansas State Universi ty, on producing pounds, product and pregnancy. The remainder of the morning program will begin with Dr. Dan Moser, Kansas State Univeristy, on the role of DNA in genetic im provement programs and contin ue with Bill Bowman, director of commercial relations for the American Angus Association, on meeting the technology needs of the commercial industry. James Henderson, B3R Meats, will con clude the morning program with a presentation on information flow and its importance to the beef business. The final leg of the program will start with Dr. Doyle Wilson, lowa State University, discussing the tools for designing a better end product. Tim Schiefelbein, Con Agra Beef, will share insight on what the grids tell us and John Landry, SYSCO Inc., will talk about taking beef to the con sumer. Registration for the conference is S6S before the September 1 early registration deadline. Cost after the deadline and on site in North Platte is $BO. To request a registration packet, contact Linda Campbell at (816) 383-5143. You can also register online at www.angus.org. For more information about the 2001 National Angus Confer ence and Tour, contact the American Angus Association at (816) 383-5100 or go to HYPER LINK http://www.angus.org. To apply for funds from one of these grant programs, submit a funding request (two-page maxi mum) that includes the following information: Grant Program Ap plying To Title of Project Name (of group, organization, or indi vidual submitting proposal) Introduction/Situation Objectives Project Plan (including timetable) Summary Budget (personnel costs, travel, supplies/materials, other) Total Budget Request, and Plans to Evaluate Results. Please submit one copy of the proposal (two-page maximum) by August 30 to: Jim Hanson, University of Maryland, Mary land Cooperative Extension, 1200 Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742. If you have questions, contact John Berry, (610) 391-9840, e-mail ; or Bruce Mertz, Future Harvest-CASA, (410) 604-2681, e-mail. The grant programs are a com ponent of the USDA-funded project titled “Bridging the Urban/Rural Divide; Marketing Local Food in the Mid-Atlantic.” The project is a partnership of agriculture organizations, includ ing Future Harvest-CASA, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Winrock InternationalAVallace Center, USDA Agricultural Re search Service, Extension agen cies in Maryland and Pennsylva nia, and the Accokeek Foundation.