Alabama Farmers Beef Tour Held in Wisconsin |
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Fifty-five Alabama cattle farmers amplified their industry knowledge during the recent Alabama Farmers Federation Beef Tour to Wisconsin
The tour July 16-21 included 16 farm and industry stops, including the University of Wisconsin Meat Science and Animal Biologics Building, a dairy forage research center and numerous family cattle operations.
Alabama farmers also heard from Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Kevin Krentz.
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Legislature Approves New Congressional District Map |
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Pictured is the 2023 proposed Congressional District map. |
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Alabama’s Legislature approved a new congressional map, per court order, July 21 after hours of committee meetings and speeches.
The Livingston Congressional Plan 3 was chosen during a conference committee after the House and Senate could not agree on the same map. All seven congressional districts would change under the new map, with District 7 containing just over 50% Black population and District 2 having about 40% Black population.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June the 2021 Congressional Map violated the Voting Rights Act and needed to be redrawn. This decision arose after a three-judge panel in federal district court determined Black votes were diluted by the map. It ordered the Legislature to provide two districts where there is an opportunity for a Black person to be elected.
The new map passed the House with a vote of 75 to 28, along party lines, and passed the Senate by a vote of 24 to 6, also along party lines. The newly proposed map will now be sent back to the three-judge panel in Birmingham for review Aug. 14.
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Forestry
The Alabama Forestry Commission is currently accepting applications for financial assistance for Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) prevention. Through the program, made possible by a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, Alabama landowners will be able to implement forest-management practices that reduce susceptibility to SPB damage. Click here to learn more.
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Cotton
Cool, wet weather has slowed the start of the 2023 cotton crop, according to Alabama Extension agronomic experts. The crop is about two weeks behind across the Southeast. The recent heat wave is helping, but warmer weather through early fall is needed to get this crop across the finish line.
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Pork
After years of regulatory pushback, California Proposition 12 went into effect July 1, causing pork producers across the U.S. to make major swine barn adjustments. Massachusetts and other states are following California's lead in banning imports on pork that doesn't meet the specific state's animal welfare standards.
Massachusetts' Question 3 is similar to Proposition 12 but goes a step further to restrict pork products traveling through a state that does not comply with end-state laws. According to the National Pork Producers Council, this jeopardizes an estimated $2 billion worth of pork that moves through Massachusetts into neighboring New England states.
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Tuberville Foundation Hosts Farm-To-Table Luncheon |
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The Tommy Tuberville Foundation, which supports U.S. veterans, hosted a farm-to-table luncheon July 24 at the Alabama Farmers Federation home office in Montgomery.
The menu highlighted Alabama-grown products from:
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Moore Resolution Supports Checkoff Programs |
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U.S. Rep. Barry Moore introduced a resolution July 13 expressing that research and promotion boards — commonly called checkoffs — support efforts to develop new markets while strengthening existing markets for specific agricultural commodities.
His resolution was supported by the Alabama Farmers Federation and 21 other organizations.
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Opportunity for New Alabama Cash Crop on the Horizon |
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Amber fields of barley blanketed the Tennessee Valley Regional Research and Extension Center in Limestone County days before harvest in June.
The crop holds promise for farmers, thanks to barley research by top scientists and specialists at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
“Barley is very relatable to any of our other small grains,” said David Harkins, an Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station regional director who helped manage HudsonAlpha’s local trials. “We treat this like all of our other small grain variety trials.”
Planting and harvesting barley is similar to caring for wheat, said HudsonAlpha project coordinator Kaitlyn Williams.
“The biggest difference between this crop and other established cash crops is the newness of it for our local farmers,” Williams said. “Our research is helping bridge the information gap for agronomic management recommendations in our region. This barley will primarily be used for craft beer, which is a relatively new industry for this area.”
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Auburn Ag Alumni Invited To Regional Events |
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Auburn University College of Agriculture alumni and friends are invited to regional update events this August with Dean Paul Patterson as guest speaker.
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Aug. 8: Birmingham - The Birmingham Zoo
- RSVP by Aug. 1
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Aug. 15: Montgomery - The Montgomery Country Club
- RSVP by Aug. 8
Each event runs 6 to 8 p.m.
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Simply Southern TV Features New Episodes |
Continue enjoying brand new episodes of Simply Southern TV!
July 29, July 30, Aug. 2: Ag Olympics in Barbour County, the Enlisted Heritage Hall in Montgomery, an interview about the 2023 legislative session with the Alabama Farmers Federation’s Preston Roberts, Extension’s segment covering controlled burns and a Southern Bite recipe for Southern Fried Apples
Aug 5/6/9: Smocking with Franklin County’s Carol Glass, Boarhog’s BBQ in Madison County, What’s in Season for August with Sweet Grown Alabama, how watermelons are grown and a Southern Bite recipe for Shortcut Tomato Foccacia, sponsored by Sweet Grown Alabama
To find out where and when the show airs near you, visit simplysoutherntv.net and click “Where To Watch.”
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This Week on Alabama AgCast |
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Sept. 7 - Alabama Farmers Federation Heritage Cooking Contest in Montgomery
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Oct. 17-19 - Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia, with Alabama as this year's spotlight state.
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