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Climate Change Effects

Study evaluates exposure, adaptation to how climate change
affects North American rangelands.

A group of eight U.S. scientists, including Texas A&M University’s David Briske and Bruce McCarl, recently published two assessments that identify trends and projections for rangeland effects of climate change and evaluate adaptation strategies.

“These papers offer an objective, comprehensive assessment of climate trends and contingency planning as it relates to North American rangelands,” said Briske, a professor in the department of ecosystem and science management at Texas A&M.

Changes in mean climatic trend and increased variability will affect the ability of rangelands to provide ecosystem services and support human livelihoods, but in varied and geographically specific ways, Briske said. Read more.


Wes Tiemann

Wes Tiemann

Association Perspective

Economy of “scale.”

“We still sell by the pound,” is a quote I hear quite often. It’s no surprise to anyone that most sell calves at some point after weaning and receive a check for the pounds put on the scale in the ring. The calves then may go to a backgrounder, who puts weight on to sell more pounds than they purchased. On down the chain, carcasses are paid for, in part, by their weight hanging on a rail. (Make note that more than 70% of cattle are harvested on a formula that pays for more than just weight). If you follow that product to the consumer, they, too, pay for meat over a scale. Most all of these scales are required to be certified, thus implying the importance of accurate weight. Read more.


Capital Gains Tax Changes May Affect Farms

Understand how the changes to capital gains tax affect estate planning.

Changes with capital gains tax rates may affect some farms, and especially those considering retirement and passing the farm on to the next generation or selling the farm outright.

There are two types of capital gains and multiple rates. The two major types of capital gains are usually referred to as short-term and long-term.

Short-term is applied to those investment(s)/asset(s) held for one year or less (or in the case of cattle or horses, 24 months). The taxable rates for these are treated at the ordinary income tax rates (0%-39.6%).

Long-term capital gains rates have changed by adding a new 20% bracket, plus a possible 3.8% Medicare tax on net investment income brought on by the Affordable Care Act. Read more.


Despite Shutdown, Ag Industry Moves Forward

The U.S. government shutdown is causing commodity traders
to look to other resources for market information and will lead
to gaps in historical data.

The uncertainty as to when the government shutdown would end has troubled the agricultural industry and those wanting to make trading decisions for their crops and livestock.

“I don’t know how long this will last, but context is important,” said Glynn Tonsor, associate professor and livestock economist for Kansas State University (K-State) the week before the shutdown ended. “The sun still came up today. Feeder cattle are being sold. Corn is being harvested. Those kind of physical activities I don’t think are changing. What is changing, at least in the short term until the shutdown is resolved, is how we discover ag prices, how they’re reported and how people make buy-sell decisions.” Read more.


Reseeding Pipelines

OSU Extension offers guidance for reseeding pasture
in pipeline rights-of-way.

Farmers who are negotiating easements across their property for shale oil and gas pipelines may want to consider including a clause about when the company should reseed their pastures, a forage expert with Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences said. Reseeding at the wrong time of year, which appears to be happening frequently, often results in failure, he said.

Farmers need to be aware of the impact that the construction, maintenance and long-term presence these pipelines can have on their property, particularly when it comes to reseeding pipeline rights-of-way pasture and hay areas, said Clif Little, an educator with the college’s outreach arm, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension. Read more.


What’s Inside …

In this October edition of the Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, you'll find valuable articles devoted to the management, marketing, and health and nutrition of your beef enterprise. Select from the tabs at the top of the page to access this month's entire offering by category. A few select features include:


News Briefs …

The American Angus Association and its subsidiaries generate a wealth of information to keep members and affiliates informed of what's happening within the industry as well as with the programs and services they offer. Click here for easy access to the newsrooms of the American Angus Association and Certified Angus Beef LLC and the Angus Journal Daily archive recently made available in the API Virtual Library.


Did You Know …

Herd rebuilding and the heifer/steer ratio.

In the cattle business, one question is on everyone’s mind: “When will herd rebuilding start?” The most likely answer is, “Soon.” Do you know what kind of an impact the resulting shift in heifer/steer ratio will have on the average beef carcass during the rebuilding phase? Read more.


Your Health

 

Brain May Flush Out Toxins During Sleep

NIH-funded study suggests sleep clears brain of damaging molecules associated with neurodegeneration.

A good night’s rest may literally clear the mind. Using mice, researchers showed for the first time that the space between brain cells may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxins that build up during waking hours. These results suggest a new role for sleep in health and disease. The study was funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“Sleep changes the cellular structure of the brain. It appears to be a completely different state,” said Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York and a leader of the study. Read more.


 

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