The Farm Post eNews

Friday eNews from the Pike and Scott County Farm Bureaus
 

SEPTEMBER 2, 2016
Take Action Now on Atrazine
With the Environmental Protection Agency in the early stages of considering whether the herbicide atrazine will continue to be available to farmers, Wisconsin corn, wheat and soybean grower Jim Zimmerman recently told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee how the herbicide's use allows him and thousands of other farmers to use soil-saving growing practices.
 
AFBF has issued an Action Alert on the pending EPA docket related to atrazine and is asking Farm Bureau members to file individual comments before Oct. 4. It is particularly important for farmers to note in their comments the significance of the herbicide to their farms, how it helps control weeds, increase crop yield and, where possible, either saves money or helps increase productivity.
Poll Shows U.S. Favors Trade
A new poll from Morning Consult shows most voters favor fair trade. Dave Salmonsen, AFBF's trade specialist, explained in a recent Newsline that the poll is positive news in regards to voters' views on trade and TPP. The poll shows 57 percent of voters favor fair trade, while 69 percent say trade agreements that open new markets are good for the U.S.

The poll is "a good bedrock on where we stand and it's something we certainly look to build on," noted Salmonsen. He also pointed out that the growing support shows the need for Congress and the Obama administration to continue to push forward toward approving TPP.
Drone Rules Help Ag
A final rule released by the Federal Aviation Administration this week allows for the commercial use of unmanned aerial systems, otherwise known as drones. RJ Karney, director of congressional relations at AFBF, explained in Newsline that the rule will benefit agriculture.

"Drones have the potential to provide farmers and ranchers with more timely and detailed scouting information," Karney said. Drones can also allow farmers to catch potential problems before they develop into catastrophic issues which helps optimize yields, lower environmental impact and also provide greater efficiency.
Ag can help STEM
STEM is a hot topic in education these days, but moving forward with purposeful STEM instruction is easier said than done. Dr. Kristopher Elliott, director of STEM for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, addresses how agriculture may be the answer to bringing STEM instruction into context for students. "Agriculture is a great option for teachers to engage students in STEM concepts in a way that directly and indirectly impact their lives," Dr. Elliott notes in a recent blog post for the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

AFBFA blog post
International Ag Scholarship
A unique opportunity for a farmer or agriculturalist from the U.S. to apply for a Nuffield International Scholarship is open through Oct. 31. Through the program, participants travel overseas for a minimum of 16 weeks (over two years) on a research scholarship relating to agriculture. Valued at $30,000, Nuffield is the leading agricultural scholarship program worldwide.

Nuffield awards approximately 60 scholarships annually. Participating countries include the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, France and The Netherlands.

Learn more online..
Save with Grainger
Through Sept. 30, Grainger is offering "Heavy-Metal Savings." You can save up to 40 percent on select tools and accessories to help you cut, drill, grind and more.

Visit the offer page for more info.
TODAY IN HISTORY
SEPTEMBER 2, 1945
JAPAN SURRENDERS

On September 2, 1945, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed the treaty with Japan that ended World War II.

Nimitz, born in 1885, was the descendant of German pioneer settlers of Fredericksburg. He was named commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet shortly after Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, and later commander in chief of Pacific Ocean Areas as well.

With authority over the entire Pacific theater except for Gen. Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific sector and the inactive southeast, Nimitz coordinated the offensive that brought the Japanese to unconditional surrender. He signed the peace treaty aboard the battleship "Missouri" in Tokyo Bay.

Nimitz later spent two years as commander in chief of the United States Fleet, and also served as a roving ambassador for the United Nations and chairman of the Presidential Commission on Internal Security and Individual Rights. He died in 1966.

In 1964 a local citizens' group established the Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Memorial Naval Museum in the old Nimitz Hotel in Fredericksburg. The project evolved into the National Museum of the Pacific War.

 The National Museum of the Pacific War
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