Merry Christmas

May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through! NSP would like to wish all of our members a Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. This has been an exciting year for the sorghum industry, and as it continues to change and challenge us each year, NSP continues to look forward to serving you.

NSP and USCP offices will be closed Dec. 24-25 for staff to celebrate Christmas with their families. Have a blessed holiday!

NSP Announces Annual Yield and Management Contest Winners

National Sorghum Producers is proud to announce the winners of the 2013 NSP Yield and Management Contest. Farmers from 23 states entered to win this year’s contest. Producer yields are highlighted in 11 different categories with this year’s top yield at 215 bushels per acre.

The national winners will be further recognized at Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2014, at an awards dinner sponsored by Pioneer.

The 2013 first place winners of the NSP Yield and Management Contest were Ki Gamble of Kansas who won the Reduced-Till Irrigated category with a yield of 215 bushels per acre; Gary Resco of Kansas in the No-Till Non-Irrigated category with a yield of 176.39 bushels per acre; Kimberly Gamble of Kansas in the Mulch-Till Non-Irrigated category with a yield of 175.65 bushels per acre; David Justice of Kansas in the Conventional-Till Non-Irrigated category with a yield of 144.84 bushels per acre; Eric Parkey of Texas in the Conventional-Till Irrigated category with a yield of 194.97 bushels per acre; Santino Santini, Jr. of New Jersey in the Double Crop Non-Irrigated category with a yield of 133.66 bushels per acre; and Darrol Miller Farm, Inc. of Kansas in the Double Crop Irrigated category with a yield of 153.42 bushels per acre.

Ki Gamble of Kansas is the Irrigated National Food-Grade category winner with a yield of 194.92 bushels per acre, and Ben Cramer of Kansas won the Non-Irrigated National Food-Grade category with a yield of 75.43 bushels per acre. Ki Gamble of Kansas won the Irrigated Bin Buster Award category with a yield of 215 bushels per acre, and John W. Williams of Illinois yielded 186.35 bushels to win the Non-Irrigated Bin Buster Award.

To see a complete list of the NSP Yield and Management Contest national, state and county results or to learn more about the contest, visit www.sorghumgrowers.com.

Two-Year Budget Approved by Senate

The Senate approved today, with a 64-36 vote, a two-year budget bill that seeks to ease sequestration rates for some federal agencies and to avoid another government shutdown in January. The bill, previously approved by the house 332-94, will now head to President Obama for his expecte3d signature. The legislation, authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash., seeks to provide $63 billion in temporary sequester relief divided evenly between military spending and domestic spending. The bill also aims to provide $85 billion in mandatory savings, and reduce the deficit by $23 billion over the next 10 years.

First Class Graduates from Leadership Sorghum Program

The first class of Leadership Sorghum completed their fifth and final session of the program Dec. 9-10 during the Sorghum Checkoff board of directors meeting in Lubbock, Texas.

The 15 sorghum growers who made up the first class of Leadership Sorghum, a program sponsored by the Sorghum Checkoff to develop the next generation of leaders for the sorghum industry, represent eight states and a wide range of farming regions.

The 16-month, five-session program exposes participants to various aspects of the U.S. sorghum industry from basic research to international marketing. The final session was held during a Sorghum Checkoff board meeting to give class members the opportunity to learn about board operations. A graduation ceremony was also held signifying the class’ completion of the program.

The Sorghum Checkoff will open the application process for Leadership Sorghum Class II in February 2014. For more information about the program and a schedule of Class II activities, visit www.SorghumCheckoff.com/leadership.

Kansas Sorghum Production Schools Announced for 2014

A series of four Kansas State University Sorghum Production Schools will be offered in early February of 2014 to provide in-depth training targeted for sorghum producers and key-stakeholders. The schools will be held at four locations around the state.

Feb. 11 – Scott City – William Carpenter 4 H Building

Feb. 12 – Beloit – NC Kansas Technical College Auditorium

Feb. 13 – Wichita – Sedgwick County Extension Center

Feb. 14 – Manhattan – International Grain Programs Building

The one-day schools will cover a number of issues facing sorghum growers, including sorghum for risk management, irrigation management, weed control strategies, crop production practices, nutrient and soil fertility, and insect and disease management.

These events are sponsored by the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission (KGSC), and supported by the United Sorghum Checkoff, Chromatin, KFRM radio station, and Bayer CropScience.

USFWS Seeks Comment on Draft Range-Wide Plan for Lesser Prairie-Chicken

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is again seeking public comment on the proposed listing of the lesser prairie-chicken. Individuals will also have the opportunity to comment on the revised 4(d) special rule, which includes the provision of a draft range-wide candidate conservation agreement with assurances (CCAA) for lesser prairie-chickens.

On May 6, 2013, the Service proposed a special rule that, in the event the lesser prairie-chicken were to be listed as a threatened species, would encourage voluntary participation in conservation programs benefiting the species. After development of the Range-Wide Conservation Plan, the Service has opted to reopen the comment period for 30 days, marking Jan. 10, 2014, the final deadline to submit comments. The Service will issue its final listing determination no later than March 30, 2014.

With much of the Sorghum Belt, including Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and New Mexico, largely affected by this ruling, NSP encourages producers to weigh-in on this important issue by urging the USFWS to not list the lesser prairie-chicken as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. More information on the lesser prairie-chicken is available online at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/LPC.html.

On the Sorghum Blog this Week: New Year’s Resolution Time

As we approach the New Year, it’s time to start thinking about next steps. Most people romanticize about retirement; at times it sounds like the reward at the end of a long journey. At other times, it seems like a torture of a thousand unknowns. Read our recent blog post New Year’s Resolution Time where Kevin Spafford, founder of eLegacyConnect, outlines a comprehensive succession planning solution.

Upcoming Sorghum Events

Dec. 24-25        Christmas Holiday; NSP and USCP Offices Closed

Dec. 31- Jan. 1  New Years Holiday; NSP and USCP Offices Closed

Jan. 7               Sorghum U, Levelland, Texas

Jan. 9               Sorghum U, Robstown, Texas

Jan. 10-11         KNID Agrifest, Enid, Okla.

Jan. 10             Oklahoma Sorghum Association and Commission Meeting, Enid, Okla.

Jan. 16             Rio Grande Valley Pre-Plant Meeting, Monte Alto, Texas

Jan. 21             Cover Your Acres, Oberlin, Kan.

Jan. 21             Sorghum U, Grand Island, Neb.

Jan. 22             New Mexico Sorghum Association Annual Meeting, Clovis, NM

Jan. 23             Sorghum U, Hays, Kan.

Jan. 28-29         No-Till on the Plains, Salina, Kan.

Market News - To view this week’s Gulf export grain report, click here.

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Sorghum producers can also receive monthly e-Newsletters from the United Sorghum Checkoff Program. To receive monthly news and information regarding the Sorghum Checkoff’s efforts in sorghum research, education and market development, sign up at www.SorghumCheckoff.com/contact-us. You can also follow the Sorghum Checkoff on Twitter @SorghumCheckoff.

About Sorghum Notes

Sorghum Notes is a publication of the National Sorghum Producers. NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers and serves as the voice of the sorghum industry from coast to coast through education and legislative and regulatory representation. To learn more about NSP, visit our website at www.sorghumgrowers.com. Write to us at National Sorghum Producers, 4201 N Interstate 27, Lubbock, TX 79403. To unsubscribe to Sorghum Notes, please reply to jennifer@sorghumgrowers.com. If you have questions about the sorghum industry or the National Sorghum Producers, please do not hesitate to call NSP at 800-658-9808. You can also follow NSP on Twitter @SorghumGrowers, and you can find National Sorghum Producers on Facebook.