May 2002 AgNews Links

May 31, 2002
Rural Passenger Safety Team Co-Hosts Event  
BRYAN – The parking lot was full of activity – even though the building was empty – and more cars kept pulling in as concerned parents lined up for expert instruction on the use of child safety seats.

May 31, 2002
NAFTA Requires Visionary Leadership Body  
COLLEGE STATION -- A leadership body that would evaluate trade barriers, participate in dispute settlement processes and offer direction in policy change is needed for further liberalized trade among North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries, a group concluded in a recent summary report.

May 31, 2002
Research Provides Clues For Ending Vascular Problems In Diabetes Patients  
COLLEGE STATION -- According to a recent Texas A&M University study, scientists may be one step closer in preventing endothelial dysfunction, one of the leading causes in diabetic patient mortality.

May 31, 2002
‘Agricultural Bioterrorism: Are We Prepared?’ Topic Of Stiles Farm Keynote Luncheon Address  
THRALL -- Are we prepared for agricultural bioterrorism? Dr. Garry Adams, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine associate dean, will address this and other issues affecting the security of agriculture in his keynote address at the 39th Stiles Farm Field Day June 18.

May 31, 2002
Stormy Sparks Leaving Weslaco Insect Post  
WESLACO -- Long-time Extension vegetable entomologist Dr. Stormy Sparks has resigned his post at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and accepted a similar position in his adopted home state of Georgia, where he spent most of his youth.

May 30, 2002
Carpenter Made Honorary Member Of NMSU’s Sam Steel Society  
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Dr. Bruce Carpenter of Fort Stockton, a livestock specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension, was named an honorary member of the Sam Steel Society at New Mexico State University.

May 30, 2002
A&M Students Get First-Hand Look At Variable Seeding Technology  
COLLEGE STATION -- Agriculture students at Texas A&M University are taking precision agriculture from the classroom to the field.

May 29, 2002
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION - The Texas wheat harvest is on schedule, but lack of rain means low yields are expected, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

May 29, 2002
Creative 4-H, County, Literature Partnership Benefits At-Risk Youth  
SAN ANTONIO – A unique three-way partnership is serving at-risk youth in Bexar County.

May 28, 2002
4-H Foundation Offers Scholarships  
COLLEGE STATION – Kika de la Garza, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, will receive the Distinguished Texan in Agriculture Award by the Agriculture Program of The Texas A&M University System today at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.

May 27, 2002
De la Garza Receives Distinguished Texan In Agriculture Award  
COLLEGE STATION – Kika de la Garza, former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, will receive the Distinguished Texan in Agriculture Award by the Agriculture Program of The Texas A&M University System today at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco.

May 24, 2002
Removal Of Trade Barriers Will Open New Markets For Ag Commodities  
SAN ANTONIO – Lifting agricultural trade barriers will lead to more free and open markets, according to experts speaking at a trade conference addressing both domestic and world trade issues.

May 24, 2002
Summer Heat Can Ruin Summer Fun  
COLLEGE STATION – Legend has it that Texas only has two seasons – January and summer. This year might prove that since the thermometer cracked the 90-degree mark before the end of April. If this trend continues, summer this year could be an old-fashioned scorcher, and an early one at that.

May 23, 2002
Parents Are Parents, No Matter Where They Are  
McKINNEY – Carrie Brazeal can't stay out of jail. For an hour and a half each Wednesday afternoon, she teaches a parenting class at the Collin County Justice Center just outside McKinney. She's been teaching this weekly class since 1998.

May 23, 2002
Parenting Classes For Prisoners Are Volunteer Endeavor  
McKINNEY – As a Texas Cooperative Extension county agent, Carrie Brazeal has 23 years of experience at teaching others within her community. And as family and consumer science agent in Collin County since 1983, she has taught many parenting classes.

May 23, 2002
Overton Field Day June 26 To Feature 400 Ornamentals, Melon Trials  
OVERTON -- In late June, East Texas nursery growers, greenhouse managers and home gardeners will have the chance to see horticultural field trials of ornamentals and commercial, edible field crops on the same day.

May 22, 2002
Problems Strike St. Augustine Lawns All Over The South  
DALLAS - All over the South, St. Augustine grass lawns are turning yellow and thinning. While the problem has been occurring for several years, it seems to be worse this year.

May 22, 2002
Extension Hires Roberts County Ag Agent  
MIAMI – Texas Cooperative Extension has appointed Brandon Kirk Dukes as county agricultural agent in Roberts County, effective May 23.

May 22, 2002
Morrison Milling Marks 25 Years Of Roundup Sponsorship  
COLLEGE STATION – Texas 4-H Roundup is celebrating two milestone anniversaries this year. Not only does 2002 mark the 100th birthday of 4-H in the United States, but it also is the 25th year that Morrison Milling Co. of Denton has sponsored the annual state event.

May 21, 2002
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION -- Livestock producers may face difficult times this summer because of continuing drought throughout the state, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

May 21, 2002
Dwarf Mexican Petunia Named A Texas Superstar™  
DALLAS - The widely adaptable dwarf Mexican petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) has been named a Texas Superstar™ by Texas A&M University.

May 21, 2002
Cotton Module Builder To Be Dedicated As Historical Landmark  
COLLEGE STATION -- A dedication of the cotton module builder as a historical landmark of agricultural engineering will be held at 3 p.m., May 29, in Room 208 of Scoates Hall at Texas A&M University.

May 21, 2002
Two New 4-H Agents Working In Henderson, Cherokee Counties  
OVERTON – Texas Cooperative Extension has named Hilary Grider and McKenzie Bailey as Extension agents for 4-H and youth development in Henderson and Cherokee counties, respectively.

May 20, 2002
First-Ever Texas Cotton Production Guide Now Available  
SAN ANGELO – Cotton production information has became a lot more accessible, thanks to a new publication from Texas Cooperative Extension.

May 20, 2002
Loblolly Planting Workshop Set June 7, 8  
OVERTON – More than 47,000 East Texas acres were planted with pine seedlings by non-industrial private forest landowners in the year 2000. This acreage represented about $1.5 million in the cost of seedlings alone, and substantial percentages of the new plantings were lost, according to Chris Adams of Texas Cooperative Extension.

May 20, 2002
Public Meetings Set For 2002 Farm Bill Overview In Panhandle  
AMARILLO -- Producers in the Panhandle can soon learn more about the implications of the 2002 Farm Bill by attending one of a series of 13 informational meetings being planned in May and June by risk management economists with Texas Cooperative Extension.

May 20, 2002
Texas 4-H Round Up Celebrates Centennial In New Style  
COLLEGE STATION – Centennials should be celebrated in style, and that's exactly what Texas 4-H Roundup 2002 is planning for this 100th anniversary of 4-H in America.

May 17, 2002
Homeowners Urged To Be On Lookout For Formosan Termites  
COLLEGE STATION – It is time to be on the lookout for swarming Formosan termites, considered the most aggressive and economically devastating termites in the country.

May 17, 2002
Grasshoppers Hit Central Texas; East Texas Could Be Next  
OVERTON – A dry, mild winter has encouraged a large hatch of grasshoppers in Central Texas, with heavy infestations already being seen in some East Texas counties.

May 16, 2002
Foreign Animal Disease Outbreak Requires Immediate Response  
AUSTIN – A foreign animal disease outbreak in the United States would require an immediate and massive response, and while animal health officials in this country are getting prepared, there is still much work that needs to be done, according to Dr. Lelve Gayle, director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab.

May 16, 2002
Carey Appointed To Agricultural Advisory Council  
COLLEGE STATION – Dr. John Carey, associate head for the department of poultry science at Texas A&M University, has been appointed to the 15-member ad-hoc advisory council that will provide input into legislation affecting agriculture in Texas.

May 16, 2002
‘Brush Busters’ Workshop Set For May 28  
GLEN ROSE -- The innovators of the "Brush Busters" concept will be offering a one day workshop May 28 at the Somervell County Expo Center at Glen Rose.

May 15, 2002
Toxic Mold Or Ordinary Mildew? Is It Serious?  
COLLEGE STATION – By now most Texans know their homeowner's insurance is going up, by how much and when. The why is also well known: Most have heard horror stories of how some residents have been driven from their homes by something as common and ordinary as mold. And many are wondering how that can happen.

May 15, 2002
Media Advisory: Urban Agriculture Symposium Scheduled For May 20-22 In Dallas  
WHAT: The times are changing, especially in the emerging field of agriculture practiced in urban settings. To aid in broadening perceptions and possibilities, Texas A&M University will host the Urban Agriculture Symposium.

May 15, 2002
Trade Conference To Offer First Analysis Between New Farm Bill, International Trade  
SAN ANTONIO -- The new 2002 Farm Bill will present many changes in the relationship between international trade and marketing of agricultural commodities produced in the United States. A two-day trade conference scheduled for May 23-24 at the St. Anthony Hotel will be the first national conference to address these issues.

May 14, 2002
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION - Some producers in Texas are just beginning to plant this year's cotton crop, and others are already in the midst of the season and suffering from severe drought, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

May 14, 2002
Graduate Student Develops Procedure For Safer Poultry  
COLLEGE STATION - In the near future, consumers may feel a little better about the quality of the eggs and poultry they and their loved ones enjoy because of a filtration method recently developed by a Texas A&M University graduate student.

May 14, 2002
Impact Center Field Day Set For June 11  
COLLEGE STATION -- Central Texas producers will want to mark their calendars for the June 11 Tri-County/IMPACT Field Tour, featuring the latest in corn hybrid research, conservation tillage systems and other techniques that can be applied to current operations.

May 14, 2002
Tussock Moth Invade In Spring  
COLLEGE STATION - Tussock moths are one of the many springtime creepy crawlers that sneak up on homeowners each year, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

May 13, 2002
Is It Sibling Rivalry Or Not?  
COLLEGE STATION – "It's mine!"

May 13, 2002
Fresh Produce Also Healthy For Budget  
COLLEGE STATION – Eat your vegetables! This advice could come from mothers – or financial advisors.

May 10, 2002
Farm Bill Recap For Producers May 15 In Amarillo  
AMARILLO – The new farm bill should soon be a reality. Major changes in policy, paperwork and production practices are in store for United States' agricultural producers. But what exactly what does that mean for Panhandle producers?

May 10, 2002
East Texas at Higher Risk for Mosquito-Borne Diseases Such As West Nile Virus  
OVERTON - "Don't panic," says an entomologist with Texas Cooperative Extension, but East Texas citizens could be at a higher risk this summer from the West Nile virus and other mosquito transmitted diseases than the rest of Texas.

May 10, 2002
John Jifon Joins Faculty At Weslaco Research Center  
WESLACO -- A fascination with how plants grow and react to changes in their natural environment has lead Dr. John Jifon from his parents' farm in Cameroon, West Africa, to the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Weslaco in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

May 09, 2002
Farm Bill Interpretation Program Scheduled May 17  
SAN ANGELO – With the farm bill approved by Congress and awaiting President Bush's signature, Texas Cooperative Extension is planning a program in San Angelo that examines the expected impacts of this legislation.

May 09, 2002
Borlaug Receives Public Welfare Medal  
COLLEGE STATION -- Dr. Norman Borlaug, distinguished professor of international agriculture at Texas A&M University, has received one of the nation's highest scientific awards from the National Academy of Sciences.

May 09, 2002
39th Stiles Farm Field Day Set For June 18  
THRALL -- Conservation tillage, weed control and forage establishment are just a few of the topics that will be featured at the 39th Stiles Farm Field Day scheduled for June 18.

May 08, 2002
Hello Lady Beetle, Goodbye Aphids  
DALLAS - If April showers really do bring May flowers, then winter aphids bring good bugs.

May 07, 2002
Texas Crop, Weather Report  
COLLEGE STATION – The state's peach growers remain hopeful about the crop that survived the freezing weather during late February and early March, Texas Cooperative Extension reports.

May 07, 2002
Bioterrorism Summit  
AUSTIN -- Safeguarding America's food supply is very serious business, and the fight to protect against biological warfare is far from over, according to Dr. Floyd Horn, with the U.S. Office of Homeland Security.

May 07, 2002
Auvermann Promoted At Texas A&M's Amarillo Center  
AMARILLO -- Dr. Brent W. Auvermann has been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor in biological and agricultural engineering at the Texas A&M University Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Amarillo.

May 06, 2002
Master Marketer Program Offers June Seminar For Ag Lenders  
SAN ANTONIO -- Texas Cooperative Extension will offer a four-day seminar in June designed specifically for lenders who work with agricultural producers and agribusiness.

May 06, 2002
Valley Cotton, Grain Crops In Serious Condition  
WESLACO – In his 30 years as an expert on the Rio Grande Valley's cotton and grain crops, John Norman has never seen worse spring crops than what he's seeing today.

May 03, 2002
Farm Bill Primer Slated On May 7 In Lubbock  
LUBBOCK – Congress struggled with the farm bill for months before finally passing legislation that maintains planting flexibility and creates a sound income safety net for agricultural producers. But there still are some unanswered questions.

May 03, 2002
Unique Sculptures: Scientist Taps Art To Teach Molecular Beauty  
COLLEGE STATION – Intricate oak, mesquite, pine carvings. Not what one would expect to find in a biochemistry lab.

May 02, 2002
Lecture Focuses On Food, Nutrition And Health  
COLLEGE STATION – In the 21st century, land-grant universities are exploring the link between food, nutrition and health, through a blending of the disciplines of food science and food nutrition. The result, said Dr. John W. Erdman Jr, nutrition research chairman for the department of food science and human nutrition at the University of Illinois-Urbana, is knowledge, growth and change.

May 02, 2002
New Modeling System Will Help Monitor Soil Moisture, Help Predict Drought  
COLLEGE STATION -- A Texas Agricultural Experiment Station researcher is near completion of a computer modeling system that could help farmers, ranchers and forest land managers minimize the effect of drought and guard against forest and range fires.

May 01, 2002
Celebrate School IPM Week May 5-11  
DALLAS -- American children spend 90 percent of their lives indoors – with a lot of that time spent inside schools.

May 01, 2002
The Texas Two-Step Method: An Updated Fact Sheet Now Available  
DALLAS -- Spring is officially here, and that means that fire ants are out in full force.