Et Cetera

    Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Universityof Nebraskawill be teaming up to offer a Feedlot Roundtable session at Manchester, Nashua, and Garner on Feb. 14 from 12:45-4 pm. The feedlot roundtable sessions are conducted annually in Nebraskafor feedlot operators and agribusiness interest.  Through a cooperating agreement between ISU Extension and Universityof Nebraska Extensionto share livestock educational resources and programs and the benefit of technology the roundtables will be offered at three Iowalocations this year.

  Feb. 7 - Postville Vet Clinic, noon to 4 pm Feb. 9 -Jackson County Extension, noon to 4 pm Discussion Topics - Introduction, why retain heifers in 2012?   Heifer development recommendations Health protocols, pelvic measurements and reproductive scoring Ration recommendations, heifer development budgets Ultrasound fetal examination demonstration Good AI practices and synchronization recommendations Reducing calving difficulty with proven calving ease sires Question and answer There will be a meal served at each site Sponsors – Iowa Beef Center/ISU Extension and Outreach          IowaCattlemen’s Association Postville Vet Clinic                                                      Maquoketa Embryos ABS Global                                                                  Accelerated Genetics    Genex Cooperative                                                      Select Sires Land of Lakes/Purina   Registration fee - $15 payable at the door (please pre-register by Feb 1 for arrangements) To pre-register contact Denise Schwab 319-721-9624, or e-mail dschwab@iastate.

  By: Angela Sarrels   Name: Amanda Trontell Hometown: Pueblo, Colorado   Amanda served as a Corps Member at the Perry Point campus as part of Class 16 in 2010. Amanda is serving a second year with AmeriCorps NCCC as a team leader at the Vinton campus. Amanda chose to serve with NCCC because while volunteering for All Hands Volunteers, she had the privilege of interacting with an AmeriCorps NCCC team from Perry Point.

  Name: Monica Hodges Hometown: Seattle, Washington   Monica is serving a second year with AmeriCorps NCCC. She was a Corps Member last year at the Vinton campus. She enjoyed her year so much she decided to apply to be a Team Leader because of the challenge it would present and the additional skills she would gain in a leadership position.

    Class 18 Team Leaders began arriving last Wednesday in Vinton. The campus welcomed six Support Team Leaders on Wednesday, January 4 and 21 Field Team Leaders arrive today. For the next four weeks the 27 Team Leaders are going through an intense training to prepare them to lead a team of 10-12 Corps Members for 10 months. They are participating in trainings such as supervisory training, financial management, campus policies, media training, nutrition and cooking, role of the Team Leader just to name a few.

  State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced today that the deduction amount for College Savings Iowa has once again been raised. "Iowa taxpayers can now deduct the first $2,975 they contribute to each College Savings Iowa beneficiary account from their state taxable income," said Fitzgerald. "This means that a married couple with two children will be able to deduct up to $11,900 in contributions on their 2012 state taxes.

  Ultrasound has been used in the livestock industry for over 25 years, however its use for pregnancy examinations has grown recently.  A 20-28 day-old embryo can be visible to a trained veterinarian, however most prefer to wait a little longer to be able to both age the fetus and determine the sex.    For the average commercial cattleman raising his own replacement heifers, just knowing the heifer is bred may be enough, but for those producers selling bred females knowing the age, sire and sex of the developing fetus is important information that can result in increased sale value.

  Erin Hodgson, ISU Extension Entomologist, is the keynote speaker to discuss corn rootworm resistance at the Iowa State University Extension Crop Advantage Conference on January 25 at the Hawkeye Community College – Tama Hall, Waterloo, IA. Also featured is Elwynn Taylor on crop weather for 2012, Mike Owen on herbicide resistant weeds, and Alison Robertson on Goss’s wilt.

  Alliant Energy promotes Iowa Pipeline Association awareness training Emergency Responders and Public Officials are encouraged to attend educational event   CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – January 4, 2012 – Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), an Alliant Energy company, is participating in the Iowa Pipeline Association’s 2012 Pipeline Awareness and Education training offered at locations throughout the state.

  Elwynn Taylor, ISU Extension Climatologist, will be the lead-off speaker at the Iowa State University Extension Crop Advantage Series at 9:00 a.m. on January 26 at the Highlander Conference Center in Iowa City. Also featured at the conference are topics on a new corn disease in eastern Iowa, and increasing problems with glyphosate resistant weeds in Iowa.