January 2003 AgNews Links

January 31, 2003
Phalaenopsis Orchid Named Texas Superstar In Time For Valentine's Day  
DALLAS – Celebrate your love with an orchid this Valentine's Day ... and celebrate Texas by giving the first orchid designated a Texas Superstar.

January 30, 2003
Tom Spencer Receives 2003 Young Animal Science Research Award  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Tom Spencer, assistant professor of animal science at Texas A&M University, has been selected to receive the 2003 Young Animal Science Research award by his colleagues in the southern United States.

January 30, 2003
Study: Texas Beef Processors Cite Opportunities And Challenges In Export Markets  
COLLEGE STATION – Some federally inspected Texas beef processors say they would begin exporting state-produced beef if they knew more about potential markets, policies and procedures, while current exporting firms cite problems with interpretations of regulations, especially involving trade with Mexico – Texas' leading export market.

January 29, 2003
Doc@Distance Degree Seeks Doctoral Students Nationwide  
COLLEGE STATION – A groundbreaking Texas educational program is now accepting applications for its second group of participants, according to Dr. Glen Shinn, Texas A&M University agricultural education department head.

January 29, 2003
East Texas Fruit, Vegetable Conference Feb. 18 At Tyler Rose Garden  
TYLER – Don't count your peaches before the peach tree blooms, says a horticulturist with Texas Cooperative Extension.

January 28, 2003
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION– With the harvest in full swing, cabbage producers are expecting high yields and good prices, reports Texas Cooperative Extension.

January 28, 2003
Cooking Schools Offered Around DFW Metroplex  
DALLAS - Texas Cooperative Extension in Dallas and Tarrant counties will offer quarterly cooking schools throughout the Metroplex, beginning in February.

January 27, 2003
Futures And Options Topic At Amarillo Seminar, Feb. 6-7  
AMARILLO — A special seminar to help producers understand how to use futures and options in commodities trading is scheduled here for Feb. 6-7.

January 27, 2003
Tomorrow's Top Ag Producer Program Makes Stop In College Station 
COLLEGE STATION – Randall Mints says he's armed and ready to take back four days' worth of financial planning information and apply it to the family's crop and cattle operation in Vernon.

January 27, 2003
Texas-Mexico Wildlife Management Seminar Feb. 6 In San Antonio  
SAN ANTONIO -- The International Committee of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition will present a seminar on Feb. 6 on wildlife management on the Rio Grande Plains-South Texas and Northeastern Mexico.

January 24, 2003
Barnhill Benefits Students Beyond High School With Endowment  
College Station -- Mary Barnhill, Class of 1976, recently established an endowed scholarship for students of Texas A&M University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Education and Human Development.

January 24, 2003
Are Homemade Cleaning Products Better Than Store-Bought?  
COLLEGE STATION – Do you ever get tired of the fragrance of artificial lemons?

January 24, 2003
East Texas Turfgrass Conference Feb. 6  
OVERTON – A wide variety of topics dealing with growing turfgrass will be covered at the Feb. 6 East Texas Turfgrass Conference near Overton.

January 24, 2003
15th High Plains Grain Elevator Workshop Set Jan. 28 In Amarillo  
AMARILLO -- For 15 years, the High Plains Grain Elevator Workshop has provided members of the grain storage and processing industry a forum for discussion, education and training.

January 23, 2003
Media Advisory: 41st Blackland Income Growth Conference Jan. 24-25 In Waco  
WACO – The 41st Blackland Income Growth Conference is scheduled for Jan. 24-25 at the Waco Convention Center.

January 23, 2003
Master Volunteer Program To Begin In Dallas County In March  
DALLAS -- In February, Texas Cooperative Extension in Dallas County will offer Master Volunteer training for Wellness In The City, a new educational campaign that encourages families to make healthy choices to improve their quality of life.

January 23, 2003
Amarillo Agribusiness Accounting Shortcourse Set Feb. 3-4  
AMARILLO--Agricultural producers who want to learn more about business accounting can participate in a shortcourse on Feb. 3-4 in Amarillo at the Texas A&M University System Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 6500 Amarillo Blvd West.

January 22, 2003
Wildflower Expert Featured At Jan. 25 Gardening Conference  
OVERTON – The what, when, where and how of successfully growing wildflowers will be one of the subjects covered at the upcoming East Texas Spring Landscape and Garden Conference, set Jan. 25 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center in Tyler.

January 22, 2003
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – A lack of available grasses and forage has forced many of the state's cattle producers to begin supplemental feeding of their cattle, while other producers in West Texas are relying on wildlife income for keep them afloat financially, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

January 22, 2003
Operation Ready: Deployment Affects Children Too  
COLLEGE STATION – Military personnel have a lot of preparations to make before being shipped out. And dealing with their gear and job duties may be the easiest part.

January 22, 2003
Operation Ready: Easing The Strain On Family Finances  
COLLEGE STATION – When military personnel are deployed, they and their families face the emotional stress of separation.

January 22, 2003
Texas Human Nutrition Conference Marks 30 Years  
COLLEGE STATION – "Nutritional Defenses Against a Common Enemy: Cancer" will be the theme of the 30th annual Texas Human Nutrition Conference, set for Feb. 7 at Texas A&M University.

January 21, 2003
Lubbock Marketing Seminar Will Focus On Futures, Options  
LUBBOCK – Producers and others who want to learn more about futures and options should plan to participate in an Advanced Futures and Options seminar slated in February.

January 21, 2003
Valley Volunteers Sew Their Way To Better Lives  
WESLACO -- As a child in Mexico, Maria D. Guerrero's mother often told her never to live the harsh farmworker life her parents were living.

January 17, 2003
Master Clothing Volunteers Set San Antonio Training Feb. 12-14  
SAN ANTONIO -- Texas Cooperative Extension and Master Clothing Volunteers will offer a three-day training course on teaching sewing skills and sewing construction techniques to others on Feb. 12-14.

January 17, 2003
Extension Stocker Cattle Workshop In Alpine Jan. 23  
ALPINE – Texas Cooperative Extension and Sul Ross State University are sponsoring a multi-county "Stocker Cattle Workshop" on Jan. 23 at the Range Animal Science Building located on the Sul Ross campus, just off of Highway 67.

January 17, 2003
Denton County Foal Clinic Slated For Jan 25 In Pilot Point  
PILOT POINT -- The Denton County Extension Horse Committee will sponsor its annual Foal Clinic Jan. 25 in Pilot Point. Horse and ranch owners are invited to attend.

January 17, 2003
Pasture, Livestock Management Workshop For Beginners April 1-3  
OVERTON – A three-day intensive workshop for start-up ranchers has seven openings left.

January 16, 2003
SALE International Committee Hosts Educational Program  
SAN ANTONIO – The International Committee of the San Antonio Livestock Exposition will be hosting a beef cattle educational program entitled, "Making Safer Beef: From Conception to the Plate."

January 16, 2003
Meat Goats Stampeding Into Texas Pastures  
SAN ANGELO – During the past five years, more patches of Texas pasture seem to have sprouted redheaded, white-bodied goats. What gives? Where did they come from and what are folks doing with them?

January 16, 2003
Scholarships Available For Next Master Marketers Program  
LUBBOCK – Two agricultural lenders are offering scholarships for young producers who want to participate in the next Master Marketers session.

January 15, 2003
Operation Ready: Preparing For Deployment Ahead Of Time  
COLLEGE STATION – As American military troops are sent overseas, the news is full of pictures of mothers and fathers and parents and children saying goodbye.

January 15, 2003
2003 Master Gardener Class Set In Lubbock County  
LUBBOCK – Is your green thumb itching to get back in the garden? Are you doting just a little too much over those favorite houseplants?

January 14, 2003
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION - Although competition is tight, Texas spring onion producers are very optimistic about the market outlook, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

January 14, 2003
USDA To Host Briefing On Farm Bill, Programs And Services  
VICTORIA -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture will hold a Farm Bill briefing to acquaint constituents with provisions in the 2002 Farm Bill and the wide array of agency services.

January 14, 2003
Hal Hillman Receives TALL Award  
COLLEGE STATION – Hal Hillman of Houston will receive the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership Achievement Award in a special reception on Jan. 23.

January 14, 2003
Youth Wildlife Brigades Are On The March For Recruits  
SAN ANGELO – Recruits are now being mustered for the 2003 "Texas Brigades," a group of wildlife-oriented youth camps targeting 13-17 year-old cadets.

January 13, 2003
Agriculture Conferences Slated Across South Plains  
LUBBOCK – South Plains producers can update their crop production, marketing and management skills, and learn more about irrigation, fertility, pest management and farm legislation at several regional Texas Cooperative Extension agriculture conferences slated in January and February.

January 10, 2003
International Wolf Prize Shared By Texas A&M Researcher  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. Fuller W. Bazer, associate vice chancellor of agriculture and life sciences for the Texas A&M University System, has been awarded the prestigious Wolf Prize in Agriculture. Bazer will share the $100,000 prize with Dr. Michael Roberts of the University of Missouri, according to Yaron Gruder, Wolf Foundation director general in Israel.

January 10, 2003
Stockers Shown To Gain More On Tifton 85 Bermuda Grass  
OVERTON – In a recent study by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, summer stocker cattle grazing Tifton 85 bermuda grass during summer trials showed increased average daily weight gains by as much as 70 percent more than those grazing Coastal Bermuda grass.

January 09, 2003
Vice Chancellor Award Winners Named  
COLLEGE STATION – Twenty-one individuals and three teams were honored Jan. 8 with the Vice Chancellor's Award in Excellence during the Texas A&M University Agriculture Program annual conference.

January 09, 2003
Clear The Air: Which Air Cleaner To Use?  
COLLEGE STATION – Decisions, decisions ... Clearing the air can take some doing. Especially when the air to be cleared is inside a well-sealed and insulated building.

January 08, 2003
B.I.G. Horse Program Topics To Focus On Conditioning, Genetics, Overall Performance  
WACO – Horse owners will learn more about genetics, conditioning and overall performance characteristics as part of a program included at the 41st Blackland Income Growth Conference.

January 08, 2003
Watersmart Landscaping Workshop Set  
CLEAR LAKE – Imagine a beautiful landscaped yard that requires less water, fertilizer and pesticides, less maintenance and is better for the environment. Learn how to make this a reality by attending the fourth annual WaterSmart Landscaping Workshop.

January 07, 2003
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – The prices and production of Texas citrus are striking a sour note among the state's growers this year, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

January 07, 2003
Managing Ponds, Lakes For Better Bass Fishing Meeting Set  
SAN MARCOS – Managing ponds and lakes for better bass fishing will be the goal of Bass 101, scheduled for March 28-29 at the Activity Center here.

January 06, 2003
SIP Program Brings Smart Watering To San Antonio  
SAN ANTONIO - Texas Cooperative Extension in San Antonio, in partnership with San Antonio Water System and the Bexar County Master Gardeners, is on a mission. Extension wants San Antonians to conserve water by watering their lawns based on the water the turf needs.

January 03, 2003
Honey Bee Genome Being Sequenced  
COLLEGE STATION - The department of entomology at Texas A&M University is abuzz with the news the honey bee genome is being sequenced by the Baylor College of Medicine Human Genome Sequencing Center, especially since Texas A&M helped that project take flight.

January 02, 2003
Prescribed Burning Workshop Jan. 23-25  
SONORA – Ranch owners and managers who are interested in learning about prescribed burning are invited to an Academy for Ranch Management workshop on Jan. 23-25 at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Sonora.

January 01, 2003
Master Naturalist Program Seeks Applicants  
AUSTIN - Fifteen chapters of the Texas Master Naturalist program are accepting applications for spring training classes. Volunteers who want to help conserve natural resources are invited to apply.

January 01, 2003
Ag Marketing Series Stops Twice In Vernon In 2003  
VERNON – Economists, financial experts, and marketing consultants will help producers formulate an effective wheat marketing plan next Feb. 6-7, and teach an advanced technical analysis course March 20-21 at Texas A&M's Agricultural Research and Extension Center here.