Friday, February 15, 2019

Info. to share...

No pics. in this post, just some information to share that I receive weekly from the
American Sheep Industry Association.

I am copying a portion of the email into this blog post regarding the issuance
of scrapie tags.  (for a while the program was discontinued)
(information provided by ASI Weekly)

*___________*

APHIS Addresses Issues with Scrapie Tags

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Administrator Kevin Shea said on Thursday that the agency will commit to providing some plastic scrapie tags in fiscal years 2019 and 2020. This was in response to industry concerns after the agency decided in the past year to provide only metal tags free of charge.

"Concerning the issue of plastic tags, we support the proposal outlined during our discussions with industry leadership at the annual United States Animal Health Association meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, last October. Through the rest of fiscal year (FY) 2019, our agency will provide, free of charge, up to 80 plastic tags, printed with flock identification numbers, to goat and sheep producers requesting tags for sheep or goats for the first time." Shea wrote. "Based on industry estimates, we expect to spend about $300,000 in FY 2019 for these plastic tags and will also provide metal serial tags to markets and dealers at a cost not to exceed $100,000. In FY 2020, we will provide both plastic and metal tags at an estimated total cost of $300,000, using the same distribution policy as in FY 2019. As agreed, producers and markets will be responsible for purchasing their own tag applicators."

Shea went on to write that the agency wants to see the industry embrace technology in this area.

"Our agency looks forward to working with you to help the sheep and goat industry move toward electronic identification, which is critical for modernizing our current ADI system and ensuring we can quickly trace exposed and diseased animals in the event of an outbreak. That partnership over the next two years is crucial if we are to build support for this change throughout the sheep and goat industry. Also, we will appreciate your efforts to research the requirements for an electronic tag that can best meet your producers' needs."

The American Sheep Industry Association is encouraged by APHIS' response on this issue and looks forward to continuing to work with the agency to eradicate scrapie from the United States. 

 *________________*

Other information that local small acreage farms may want to check into follows.
I took heed to this information and have submitted my application.

To: OSIA Membership,

As many of you may have heard, there is a Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR) on the ballot in Toledo.  As agricultural membership organizations, we are very concerned about how this will affect our members.   In order for you as an OSIA member to more fully understand this issue and how it will affect our members, I am attaching the most up to date fact sheet from one of our primary agricultural partners, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.  There are a lot of issues related to this LEBOR Charter Amendment, and we want you to be fully aware of everything that this will involve if you are anywhere in the area of Lake Erie.  The implications to this issue are far reaching into many of our members farms and businesses.

The Ohio Sheep Improvement Association (OSIA) was one of several major agricultural organizations that sent what is called an Amicus Brief to the Ohio Supreme Court to stop this Charter Amendment from taking place, the Citizens of Toledo eventually won out on this issue through the Ohio Supreme Court, causing this issue to go on a Special Election Ballot on February 26, 2019.

The primary fact is this: If this LEBOR Charter Amendment does not pass on February 26, it will be placed on every ballot in Toledo until it does pass.  It is NO longer a IF it will happen, it is WHEN it will happen.  Basically, this LEBOR Charter Amendment gives the city of Toledo, the citizens of Toledo the right to sue any business or government through the Lucas Co. Court of Common Pleas, and the city/citizen shall have the right to recover all costs of litigation without limitation.

As most of you that know me, this is NOT necessarily in my "Bucket of Expertise", same as many of the other Ohio commodity executives.  Therefore many of us are counting on the lobbying and legal expertise and efforts of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation to draw out the specifics of this issue so that we can share them with our membership.  That is what they do, that is why it is great to have a partner like the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation on our side to provide us with information that can help all of the farms and businesses in this area educate and protect themselves from this far reaching Toledo Charter Amendment called LEBOR. 

What can I do to protect myself?:  One of the main recommendations that we are making to our members is to enroll into an Agricultural District through your county auditor.  

Direct Quote from the OFBF LEBOR Brochure "The Ag District program provides an affirmative defense for farmer in certain types of lawsuits.  While we cannot be sure that this defense will apply in LEBOR cases, it is one of the best and most under utilized tools Agriculture has.  
"Please share this information with other members and let them know they are at risk"  

Basically, if you qualify for CAUV, then you most likely qualify to be in an Agricultural District.

Please make sure that you take the time to read this OFBF document, it will answer many of your questions about LEBOR, and will provide you will some insight of what agriculture and other businesses are dealing with and will continue to deal with into the future.

Thanks for your time, I hope that this information has been a benefit to those that are members of OSIA!

Information provided by:  
Roger A. High
Executive Director
Ohio Sheep Improvement Association
Ohio Sheep and Wool Program
Director of Livestock Policy
Ohio Farm Bureau Federation
Telephone: 614-246-8299
Also ...... upcoming Events!!
                                *_____________________* 

UPCOMING EVENTS
  
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Saturday, February 2, 2019

Slow start to a new year

Today (and tomorrow) we get a reprieve from the bolstering frigid cold we have had that lasted a little over two days. This morning it was 18 degrees, still and balmy....it feels like a heat wave.

The girls pictured above are enjoying this change.

Although my water hydrant is the barn froze (for the first time) I've had to carry some water to the sheep to get everyone by.  A heat lamp and make shift cardboard tent are working to thaw the hydrant.  Sometimes you don't  realize (or appreciate) the conveniences that we have which makes life easier.

 Above, on the right two youngsters, ewes both are a nice addition to my flock. I haven't peeked under the grey ewes coat lately, but I'm sure her fleece will be quite pleasing to a spinner, the other is a very fine moorit.

It is hard to believe that we will be shearing in approximately 5 weeks.  Not long after that lambing will begin.


 Above, two ram lambs that were kept for potential future use. Both fine wool, one is scurred the other polled.   The black was born in March.  The katmoget was a late lamb, born the end of July.
The size difference is notable at this time.
Hopefully into March, after shearing we can introduce these guys into the group of breeding rams.  I think this will be a save time to do this knowing (hoping) that the breeding season on the ewes is over.  This tends to be a calmer time for the rams.

We had several late lambs born in 2018, this was sometimes extra work to care for them, making sure that they had access to a creep feed with out the older lambs taking over, but it was sure worth it as I recently sent them to sale. I wish I had ten more to send!

  
 
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