AgriLife Tips

CATTLE BRAND

RE-REGISTRATION BEGAN AUGUST 31

Cattle producers are encouraged to re-register their cattle brands in order to guard against livestock theft.  In Texas brands have to be re-registered every 10 years.

Brand re-registration always begins in the year ending with a 1. For example, the next brand re-registration period begins Aug. 31, 2011, and closes Feb. 29, 2012.

If you do not re-register within that period, then your brand is up for grabs by someone else. Brands must be re-registered within that period regardless of the date it was originally registered. -Section 144.04 Texas Agriculture Code

How do I register my brand?  Brands are registered in Texas by the county clerk of the county in which you run livestock. Moreover, the brand must be registered by the county clerk for the brand to be considered a legal means of ownership.

To help guide ranchers through the brand re-registration process, Texas and Southeastern Cattle Rais-ers Association (TSCRA) has launched a website at www.tscrabrands.com .

Working in conjunction with the 254 county clerk offices in Texas, this site provides the necessary paperwork and information to register brands, as well as information on current brands, designing, and reading brands.

In Nueces County, the Brand Application is on-line and can be found at http://www.co.nueces.tx.us/countyclerk/pdf/brand_app.pdf

EPA OIL STORAGE REGS IMPACT

FARMERS

The Oil, Spill Preven-tion, Control, and Coun-termeasure (SPCC) program was put in place by the United States En-vironmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prevent oil spills into waters of the United States.  This program recently expanded regulations to include some farms.  As a result of these regulations, certain facilities are required to develop SPCC Plans that describe oil storage containers, emergency contacts and response personnel, procedures, and training to prevent, control, and provide adequate countermeasures to a discharge of oil. 

What farm facilities are covered by the SPCC program?  The basics: your farm facility is covered by this program if you store more than 1,320 gallons of oil in above ground bulk containers, including containers (drums, totes, aboveground storage tanks (ASTs), nurse tanks, well pumps, hydraulic lifts, etc.) with a storage capacity of 55 gallons and above, and your facilities have a “reasonable expectation of an oil discharge” to water.  Common types of oil covered under SPCC found at farms include diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, and mineral oil.

In order to define what is meant by “reasonable expectation of an oil discharge” to water, consider the geography and location of your farm facility relative to nearby waters.  De-termine if drainage near your fuel storage facility or precipitation runoff could transport an oil spill to a nearby water body.  Ex-clude any man-made features like dikes or other structures when determining potential oil spill movement to waterways.  If oil can reasonably flow to a body of water, and your fuel storage facility meets the 1,320 gallon threshold, then your facility is covered by SPCC.

If your farm fuel storage facility is covered by the SPCC, your facility must take steps to prevent oil spills, and you need an SPCC Plan.  If you have an aboveground oil storage capacity greater than 10,000 gallons, you will need to have your Plan certified by a Professional Engineer.  If you have 10,000 gallons or less and a clean spill history, you may self-certify your Plan. Your Plan should describe the oil handling operations, spill prevention practices, spill clean-up procedures, discharge or drainage controls, and the personnel, equipment, and resources at the facility that are used to prevent oil spills from reaching water.  Make a list of your oil containers at your facility and describe the procedures you will use to prevent oil spills.  Moreover, you should describe measures you installed to prevent oil from reaching water, what you will do to contain and clean up an oil spill, and make a list of emergency contacts and first responders. The Plan should be amended and updated as changes are made at your facility and should be reviewed at a minimum every five years to assure it is up-to-date.  Keep your Plan at your site. Tip: If you are eligible to self-certify your Plan, and no aboveground container at your farm is greater than 5,000 gallons, then you may use the Plan template available to download from the EPA at: http: // www. epa. gov/ oem/content/spcc/tier1temp.htm.

Oil spills can be prevented by installing dikes or berms around  bulk storage containers or by using sorbent materials, drip pans, or curbing in oil transfer areas.  One should periodically inspect and test pipes and containers and develop measures to prevent container overfills.

In the event you have an oil spill, activate your SPCC Plan to prevent oil from reaching the water body, and implement spill clean-up procedures. If oil gets into the water, notify the NRC at 800-424-8802 immediately, as well as local and state officials.  Notify EPA Region 6 in writing if oil spilled to water is greater than 1,000 gallons in a single event or greater than 42 gallons on two different occasions within a 12 month period.

All farms and other agricultural facilities must prepare and use an SPCC Plan that meets suggested guidelines by November 10, 2011.  More information is available at the SPCC website for agriculture at: http://www.epa.gov /emergencies/content/spcc/spcc_ag.htm

FARM AND RANCH SHOW COMES TO

ROBSTOWN

The 2nd Annual Coastal Bend Farm and Ranch Show will be held Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7, 2011 at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds, lo-cated at 1213 Terry Sham-sie Blvd, just east of Hwy 77 in Robstown, Texas.  Admission and parking will be free. 

This Farm & Ranch Show will showcase some of the latest Agricultural technology being used in South Texas.  In addition to the many farm industry exhibits, there will be numerous educational sessions offering CEU’s for Pesticide Applicators, Cer-tified Crop Advisors, and credits for BQA.  On Thursday, beginning at 8:30 a.m., there will be a class for those producers that would like to obtain their Private Applicators Li-cense, immediately followed by testing.

Topics related to beef cattle producers on Thursday will include; Rebuilding the Cattle Herd with the focus on Bull and Heifer Selection, Cattle Working Tips and Herd Health, and Restocking Considerations Coming Out of a Drought.  At 1:30 p.m., John Metz, Warning Coordination Meteorolo-gist with the National Weather Service, will give the latest update on the Drought and the “La Nina” impact for the coming months.  Other topics to be addressed in the afternoon on Thursday will include; Boll Weevil Eradication Update, Pesticide Laws Update, Crop Market Outlook and Marketing Strategies Session, and following an evening social at 5 p.m., Dr. James Richard-son will give a Farm Policy Update.

Friday morning will feature sessions related to crop production including the following sessions; Results of local 2011 Crop Research, Crop Insect Management,  Nutrient Management Following Drought, and Emerging Cool Season Oilseed Options.

Friday afternoon will feature sessions on new technology for Pasture Weed and Brush Control.  The show will close at 4 p.m. on Friday.

Booth space is still available for those wanting to have a commercial exhibit at the show.  For more information visit the web site at; www.coastalbendfarmandranchshow. com  or call 361-387-2533, Ext 3, or 361-767-5223.

This show is being sponsored by the Texas Agri-Life Extension Service, Nueces Extension Program Foundation, the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Nueces Soil & Water Conservation Dis-trict.

PRIVATE

APPLICATOR

TRAINING OFFERED

To help meet the needs of local Agricultural producers needing a Pesticide Applicators License, training will be conducted on Thursday, October 6, 2011, at the Coastal Bend Farm and Ranch Show.  The training will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude by 11:30 a.m.  Testing will be administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture immediately following the training         A Private Ap-plicator is defined by law as a person who uses or supervises the use of a restricted-use or state-limited use pesticide for the purpose of producing an agricultural commodity.

Participants wishing to take the training are requested to make reservations prior to the training date by contacting the Nueces County Extension Office at 361-767-5223. The fee for the training is $50 which includes study manuals. 

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.  Individuals with disabilities, who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in any of the mentioned activities, are encouraged to contact the County Extension Office eight days before all programs for assistance.

SLS