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HorseQuest eXtension CoP Wins Communication Award
Information Technology and Communications to Commence Training
Lavergne Elected to Poultry Science Association Board of Directors
Extension Economist Joins AgCenter
Louisiana Farmers Estimated to Plant 1 Million Acres of Soybeans
Biodiesel Fuel Education Program
CSREES Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications
USDA Announces $28.4 Million in Funding for Specialty Crop Research
Senate Appropriations Committee
Earmarks
Limitation on New Mandatory Programs
Indirect Cost Recovery
HorseQuest eXtension Community of Practice (CoP) Wins Communication Award
The HorseQuest eXtension Community of Practice Web site won the “2008 Communication Award in Recognition of Excellence in Use Communications Media” from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. Our site was the national winner among 30 entries submitted nationwide! Dr. Clint Depew has been actively involved in this eXtension CoP.
Source: Dan Cotton, eXtension
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Information Technology and Communications to Commence Training
Information Technology and Communications will be conducting statewide “Working Smarter” training series beginning August 15 and will include sessions on “Making the Most of Microsoft Outlook,” “Creating e-Newsletters,” “E-mail Protocol” and “Writing for Local Media.” The goal of this training series is to help AgCenter employees Work Smarter by making the best use of new information technology tools and by applying best management techniques in the fields of Information Technology and Communications.
This training will be offered at locations throughout the state and on campus. All individuals with full or partial extension appointments are required to register for one of the sessions. Research and administrative personnel are also encouraged to attend. Online registration is available at http://lsuagcenterit.eventbrite.com/. Contact Tanya Ruffin, IT Training Coordinator at truffin@agcenter.lsu.edu or 225-578-2938.Everyone is strongly encouraged to take advantage of this excellent training opportunity.
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Lavergne Elected to Poultry Science Association Board of Directors
Theresia Lavergne, associate professor in the School of Animal Sciences, has been elected as a member of the Poultry Science Association's Board of Directors. The Poultry Science Association (PSA) is a professional organization consisting of approximately 3,500 educators, scientists, extension specialists, administrators and producers who are committed to advancing the poultry industry. Since 1908, the PSA has maintained a level of prestige that ranks it among the top professional organizations in the field. Congratulations Dr. Lavergne!
Source: Linda F. Benedict, LSU AgCenter
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Extension Economist Joins AgCenter
J. Ross Pruitt is the new livestock extension economist. He is originally from western Kentucky and recently completed his Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University. Over the next few months, Kurt Guidry will be transitioning the livestock duties to him as he finishes settling in. His contact information is:
J. Ross Pruitt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor,
LSU AgCenter, Department of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness,
101 Agricultural Administration Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: (225) 578-2719, Fax: (225) 578-2716, jpruitt@agcenter.lsu.edu. Welcome aboard Ross!
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Louisiana Farmers Estimated to Plant 1 Million Acres of Soybeans
This is the first time in four years that Louisiana’s soybean acreage has hit the 1 million mark, according to Nathan Crisp, Director of the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s Louisiana Field Office. “Soybean prices are excellent, and that’s certainly a major factor behind the big jump in acreage,” Crisp said, adding, “On the down side, this will be the lowest cotton planted acreage on record.”
Soybean planted acreage is expected to total 1 million acres, 395,000 acres more than last year and 90,000 acres above March intentions.
Cotton planted acreage is expected to total 290,000 acres, down 45,000 acres from last year but up 10,000 acres from March intentions. If realized, this will be the lowest planted acreage on record.
Rice planted acreage is estimated at 410,000 acres, up 30,000 acres from 2007 and up 70,000 acres from March intentions. Long grain varieties are expected to account for 395,000 acres and medium grain for the remaining 15,000 acres.
Corn planted acreage is estimated at 510,000 acres, down 230,000 acres from a year ago and down 50,000 from March intentions.
Grain sorghum planted acreage is estimated at 100,000 acres, down 150,000 acres from 2007 and down 50,000 acres from March intentions.
Sugarcane acreage for harvest is estimated at 405,000 acres, down 15,000 acres from last year. This is the lowest harvested acres for sugar and seed since 1996 when the state harvested only 370,000 acres.
Sweet potato planted acreage in the state, at 16,000 acres, is the same as a year ago. An estimated 400,000 acres were planted to winter wheat for the 2008 crop, up 165,000 acres from the 2007 crop year. Of the total, an estimated 385,000 acres were harvested for grain.
All hay acreage intended for harvest is estimated at 440,000 acres, up 40,000 acres from 2007.
U.S. Soybean planted area is estimated at 74.5 million acres, up 17 percent from 2007. Planted area increased from last year in all states, and is the third largest U.S. planted acreage on record.
The United States planted area for all cotton in 2008 is estimated at 9.3 million acres, 15 percent below last year and the lowest since 1983. Upland cotton acreage totaled 9.0 million acres, down 14 percent from 2007.
Rice planted area for the United States is expected to total 2.9 million acres, 5 percent above last year’s planted acreage.
The U.S. corn planted acreage for all purposes is estimated at 87.3 million acres, down 7 percent from 2007 but up 2 percent from March intentions.
U.S. grain sorghum planted area in 2008 is estimated at 7.3 million acres, down 6 percent from 2007 and down 2 percent from March intentions.
U.S. sugarcane area for harvest as sugar and seed during the 2008 crop year is estimated at 871,500 acres, down 1 percent from 2007.
Sweet potato acreage for the United States is estimated at 104,100 acres for the 2008 season, up 3 percent from 2007.
The U.S. all wheat planted area is estimated at 63.5 million acres, up 5 percent from 2007. Harvested area is expected to total 56.6 million acres, up 11 percent from last year. The 2008 winter wheat planted area, at 46.6 million acres, is 4 percent above last year.
U.S. producers expect to harvest 60.4 million acres of all hay in 2008, down 2 percent from last year.
Source: USDA NASS, July 7, 2007, www.nass.usda.gov/la
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CSREES and OEPNU partner in the Biodiesel Fuel Education Program. Biodiesel Education will address the need to balance the positive environmental, social and human health effects of biodiesel utilization with the increased per gallon cost to the user. Applications are being solicited for Biodiesel Education projects that will develop practical indicators or milestones to measure their progress towards achieving the following objectives: (1) Enhance current efforts to collect and disseminate biodiesel information; (2) Coordinate with other biodiesel educational or promotional programs and with federal, state and local programs aimed at encouraging biodiesel use, including the EPA Act program; (3) Create a nationwide networking system that delivers biodiesel information to targeted audiences, including users, distributors and other infrastructure-related personnel; (4) Identify and document the benefits of biodiesel (e.g., lifecycle costing); and (5) Gather data pertaining to information gaps and develop strategies to address the gaps.
Who Is Eligible to Apply
-
1862 land-grant institutions
-
1890 land-grant institutions
-
1994 land-grant institutions
-
Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than institutions of higher ed
-
Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than Institutions of higher ed
-
Other or Additional Information (See below)
-
Private Institutions of higher ed
More Information on Eligibility
Applications may be submitted by nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education that have demonstrated knowledge of biodiesel fuel production, use or distribution; and the demonstrated ability to conduct educational and technical support programs.
Request for Application (RFA) | Apply: Electronic | Abstracts of Funded Projects
|
Solicitation Date (Opening) |
July 9, 2008 |
|
Letter of Intent Due Date |
None |
|
Due Date (Closing) |
August 8, 2008 |
|
Anticipated Award Date |
None |
|
Estimated Total Program Funding |
$960,000 |
|
Range of Awards |
$0 to $960,000 |
|
Percent of Applications Funded Last Fiscal Year |
100% |
|
Cost-sharing Requirements |
None |
|
For More Information Contact |
Carmela Bailey |
|
Funding Opportunity Number |
USDA-CSREES-OP-001745 |
|
CFDA Number |
10.306 |
|
Contact for Electronic Access Problems |
webcomments@csrees.usda.gov |
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CSREES Lists Open Requests for Grant Applications
CSREES advertises all of its funding opportunities through "Find Grant Opportunities" on the Grants.gov Web site. This site is searchable and contains summary information on all federal funding opportunities with links to the full announcements. Users can search announcements by topic, funding agency and date, as well as subscribe to an e-mail notification service based on these parameters.
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USDA Announces $28.4 Million in Funding for Specialty Crop Research
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer recently announced that USDA is making available $28.4 million for research and extension projects in Fiscal Year 2008 to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops.
The U.S. specialty crop industry is comprised of producers and handlers of fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops, including floriculture. It is a major contributor to the U.S. agricultural economy, accounting for 10 million harvested cropland acres in 2004. The total value of U.S. specialty crops is more than $50 billion in sales, which puts the combined value of these crops in league with the five major program crops.
Funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative was a major initiative in USDA's farm bill proposal and is authorized through the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. The 2008 Farm Bill provides an additional $50 million each year for FYs 2009–2012, for a total of $230 million over the 5 years of the farm bill. Those interested in applying for funding can access the request for applications online at www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/specialty_crop.html. Visit the USDA Newsroom to read the full release USDA Announces $28.4 Million in Funding for Specialty Crop Research.
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Senate Appropriations Committee
The Senate Appropriations Committee marked up the F.Y. 2009 Agriculture Appropriations bill. As shown in Table 1, the Senate provided $38.319 million in increases for the Budget and Advocacy Committee's priorities for the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), with 10 of the BAC's 14 priorities receiving additional funds (compared to F.Y. 2008).
|
Table 1: BAC's CSREES Priorities for F.Y. 2009
(All figures in $Millions) |
|
|
|
Targeted Enhancements |
F.Y. 2008 |
NASULGC |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Smith Lever 3(b) and 3(c) |
274,660,000 |
300,000,000 |
290,000,000 |
|
288,393,000 |
|
Hatch Act |
195,812,000 |
215,000,000 |
213,000,000 |
|
205,602,000 |
|
Expanded Food & Nutrition Education Program |
65,557,000 |
65,557,000 |
66,000,000 |
|
65,557,000 |
|
Evans-Allen Program (Research) |
41,051,000 |
48,953,000 |
44,000,000 |
|
43,104,000 |
|
1890 Institutions Extension |
35,850,000 |
43,000,000 |
40,000,000 |
|
37,643,000 |
|
McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry |
24,791,000 |
30,008,000 |
26,000,000 |
|
26,031,000 |
|
1994 Institutions Extension |
3,298,000 |
5,000,000 |
3,321,000 |
|
3,298,000 |
|
1994 Institutions Research |
1,533,000 |
3,000,000 |
1,544,000 |
|
1,600,000 |
|
Resident Instruction Grants - Insular Areas |
745,000 |
745,000 |
1,000,000 |
|
745,000 |
|
|
|
Support for CSREES Priorities |
F.Y. 2008 |
NASULGC |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Agriculture and Food Research Initiative* |
190,883,000 |
256,500,000 |
202,000,000 |
|
200,000,000 |
|
Food and Agriculture Defense Initiative |
9,831,000 |
14,277,000 |
9,831,000 |
|
9,830,000 |
|
Institution Challenge Grants |
5,385,000 |
6,695,000 |
5,385,000 |
|
5,654,000 |
|
Graduate Fellowship Grants |
3,675,000 |
4,455,000 |
3,675,000 |
|
3,859,000 |
|
New Technologies for Extension (eXtension) |
1,475,000 |
2,970,000 |
1,485,000 |
|
1,549,000 |
|
|
|
TOTALS |
854,546,000 |
985,615,000 |
907,241,000 |
|
892,865,000 |
|
|
|
|
Increase over F.Y. 2008 >> |
$52,695,000 |
|
$38,319,000 |
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1. Earmarks The Senate made significant reductions in the CSREES accounts generally considered "earmarks." As shown in Table 2, these reductions total $66.876 million (compared to F.Y. 2008).
|
Table 2: Special Research Grants and Federal Administration Grants
(All figures in $Millions) |
|
|
F.Y. 2008 |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Special Research Grants |
91,775,000 |
68,211,000 |
|
50,379,000 |
|
Federal Administration Grants (Research) |
42,154,000 |
34,317,000 |
|
20,373,000 |
|
Federal Administration Grants (Extension) |
17,180,000 |
14,179,000 |
|
13,481,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
151,109,000 |
116,707,000 |
|
84,233,000 |
|
|
|
Decrease below F.Y. 2008 >> |
|
- $34,402,000 |
|
- $66,876,000 |
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2. Limitation on New Mandatory Programs
The 2008 Farm Bill included mandatory funding for three new CSREES programs: (1) Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative; (2) Specialty Crop Research Initiative; and (3) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. As shown in Table 3, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee did not impose any "limitations" on these mandatory funds. The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, reduces mandatory funding for these three new programs by a total of $19 million.
|
Table 3: Mandatory Funding Program Limitations (F.Y. 2009)
(All figures in $Millions) |
|
|
Authorized |
House |
|
Senate |
|
Organic Agriculture Research / Extension |
18,000,000 |
18,000,000 |
|
16,000,000 |
|
Specialty Crop Research |
50,000,000 |
50,000,000 |
|
36,000,000 |
|
Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development |
19,000,000 |
19,000,000 |
|
16,000,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
87,000,000 |
87,000,000 |
|
68,000,000 |
|
|
|
Reduction in Mandatory Funds >> |
|
$0 |
|
$19,000,000 |
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3. Indirect Cost Recovery
The 2008 Farm Bill requires a dollar-for-dollar match for the newly created Specialty Crop Research Initiative. CSREES has prohibited universities from counting their "unrecovered indirect costs" towards the required matching amount. The Senate bill – at the land-grant system's request – includes legislative language that would, if enacted, permit "unrecovered indirect costs" to count towards the required nonfederal match.
Source: Cornerstone Report from Washington is produced by Cornerstone Government Affairs for the Budget and Advocacy Committee of NASULGC's Board on Agriculture Assembly. © 2008 NASULGC. For more information: www.nasulgc-bac.com.
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