Sorghum Specific South Plains Meetings – Texas Grain Sorghum Producers (TGSP) and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) are teaming up to host sorghum specific meetings for producers in the Southern High Plains this month and next. The first round of meetings will be held on Monday, Nov. 19 at noon in Brownfield, on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7:30 a.m. in Levelland, and at 12:30 p.m. in Muleshoe also on Nov. 20. The meetings will focus on how producers can maximize resources and profits by growing sorghum. Speakers and topics include: Dr. Justin Weinheimer of USCP to discuss sorghum economics and how you can utilize sorghum with new water restrictions; Dr. Calvin Trostle of Texas A&M AgriLife to discuss sorghum agronomics; Florentino Lopez of USCP to discuss sorghum marketing; and Wayne Cleveland of TGSP to discuss sorghum legislative issues. All events will include a meal and all attendees will be entered in a chance to win a Yeti cooler sponsored by TGSP. For more information on locations, please contact Morgan at morgan.newsom@gmail.com. The second round of meetings will be held on Dec. 17 & 18 in Wall, St. Lawrence and Lamesa.
HPWD Releases Unofficial Director Results – The High Plains Underground Water Conservation District (HPWD), which services a 16-county area, recently held elections for two positions on the HPWUD Board of Directors. Mike Beauchamp of Friona was elected to Precint Three District Director and Lynn Tate of Amarillo was elected to Precint Four District Director. Beauchamp defeated incumbent Carroll Cook of Friona who has served on the board since August 2003. Beauchamp is an agricultural producer and will serve a four-year term representing Bailey County, a portion of Castro County and Parmer County. Tate defeated incumbent Robert Meyer of Canyon who has served on the board since September 1993. Tate is an agricultural producer and lawyer and will serve a four-year term representing portions of Armstrong, Deaf Smith, Potter and Randall Counties.
Upcoming Elections/Referendums
FSA Urges Farmers/Ranchers to Vote in County Committee Elections – Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Juan M. Garcia announced that the 2012 FSA county committee elections began on Monday, Nov. 5, with the mailing of ballots to eligible voters. The deadline to return the ballots to local FSA offices is Dec. 3, 2012. If you are an eligible voter and do not receive a ballot in the coming week, you may obtain one at your local USDA Service Center. Newly elected committee members and their alternates will take office Jan. 1, 2013 and will serve three-year terms. To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. Across the nation, there are about 7,700 farmers and ranchers serving on county committees, and committees consist of three to 11 members that are elected by eligible producers. More information may be found at www.usda.gov/elections or at your local USDA Service Center.
TGPIB Referendum Begins in Two Weeks – The Texas Grain Producer Indemnity Board (TGPIB) will hold a referendum for the establishment of a Texas grain indemnity fund beginning on Nov. 19, 2012 through Dec. 7, 2012. A producer is eligible to vote once if he/she sold grain in the 36 months prior to Dec. 7, 2012. Ballots will be available at all Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county offices, and ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 7 and mailed to the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to be counted. The referendum must pass with a two-thirds vote and if it does, the assessments will be put into place on Feb. 1, 2013. Producers who produced grain in Texas will pay their assessment to the “first point of sale” grain buyer whom will remit it to the TGPIB. Grain produced outside of the state will not be assessed by the grain buyer. These producers will not be protected by the TGPIB indemnity fund program. The rules set an assessment range of 0.2 percent to 0.6 percent of the final sale price of the grain. For FAQ’s, to learn about the potential fund and more information on how to vote, please visit www.TexasGrainIndemnity.org.
