AA LL AA BB AA MM AA FarmersFarmers andand ConsumersConsumers BulletinBulletin Volume 62 No. 2 February 2014 McMillan’s Three Million irrigaTed acres Message can’T Be Wrong Commissioner John McMillan The State of Alabama Agriculture Alabama may not be the agriculture and forestry to our breadbasket of America as a state’s economy. major grain producing state, but Prior to my becoming we certainly qualify as a major commissioner of Agriculture “Foodbasket of America” with & Industries, it never ceased our tremendous production of to amaze me that most farm products, many of which Alabamians do not know what are processed here and shipped is Alabama’s no. 1 industry that throughout the world. employs two out of five of our A comprehensive economic workers. impact study published a year This disconnect tends to ago reported that the sum total run along urban-rural lines. of the farming, agribusiness You find it not only among and forestry sectors’ economic children living in our cities who output is over $70 billion a Mississippi and Georgia of up to $125,000 with low energy conversion of a current have no idea where their food year, or about 40 percent of combine for 3 million irrigated interest rates. Applications for system, IRP has low interest, comes from, but also among Alabama’s gross domestic row crop acres. Alabama has these loans are fairly simple adults who firmly believe long-term loans available to fit product (GDP). You would only 150,000 acres irrigated. with qualifications linked only farming is a marginal business your needs. be surprised at the number of to the producer’s ability to pay that is heavily subsidized by Our neighbor’s irrigation native Alabamians who are the loan. For more information, government. Nothing could be directly impacts net dollars unaware of the importance of contact John Gamble or Harold further from the truth. Urban for their individual farmers. If you have considered garden projects have begun in Their increase in yields irrigation, whether by deep McLemore at john.gamble@ earnest throughout Alabama. also means more dollars for well, storage pond, hose tow, agi.alabama.gov or 334-240- Their long-term impact cannot the local community and center point or even a system 7245. be understated, as many economic development of their elementary and high school agri-business sectors. Their students are learning how to irrigation dramatically reduces grow their own vegetables and the risk associated with the fruits. business of farming and vastly improves profit potential. When I first took the oath of office as Alabama’s Long-term low interest loans Agriculture commissioner, I have been one reason Alabama realized that one of my jobs was has lagged behind in irrigation. to help inform the people of our Outside of normal bank or farm great state how important and credit lenders, the Alabama pervasive agriculture is and the Department of Agriculture scope of our mission in helping and Industries has access to to feed the world. an Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) that right now (continued on page 9) can fund a few multi-year loans PO BOX 3336, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA 36109-0336 ALABAMA PO BOX 3336, MONTGOMERY, FEBRUARY 2014 ALABAMA FARMERS AND CONSUMERS BULLETIN PAGE 2 CATTLE CATTLE CATTLE CATTLE AQUACULTURE Reg. Angus bull (AAA#17037521), 30 mos./ 10 Hef-Mix ½ Brangus Hereford Angus, Black Angus bulls, heifers $1,000/up; Reg. Reg. 3 yo Hereford bull, Remital, Boomer, GAR 5050 & SAV Bismarck bloodlines, a Tilapia $5/lb. plus delivery fee. Great for been w/Brangus bull since May 1, 2013, bulls $1,500/up; Bred heifers $1,500/up; Victor & Feltons bloodline, $2,500. Tommy definite heifer bull that throws LBW calves Bass lake & algae problems. 205/477-8446 home raised, $13,500. 256/538-9783 LBW exc. bloodlines, 3 yo, reg. bull, Obj. Coleman 205/438-5850 or 205/465-1965 $2,800. David Calhoun 1264 Riddles Bend (Tuscaloosa) (Etowah) bloodline, $3,000. Earl Woodard 318 Faust (Marion) Rd, Rainbow City 205/678-9669 (Etowah) Bass $1/up; Bream $.30/up; Tilapia $6/lb.; Reg. Brangus bulls, Mound Creek bloodlines, Rd., Blountsville 35031 205/429-2883 Reg. Black Simmental bulls, $2,000/up. Reg. Limousin bulls, red & black, double Grass carp $4/up; Shiners & fathead min- LBW, exc. growth EPDs, 13 mos., $2,200/ (Blount) 256/572-0800 (Blount) polled, gentle, LBW, 9-22 mos., $1,650- nows $8.50/lb.; Crappie $1/up; Lake rejuve- up, Real Deal, New Direction bloodlines. Le- Charolais bulls, 12-15 mos., $1,400/up, Exc. 5 yo reg. Red Angus herd sire, approx. $1,850. Don Jones 15246 Hwy 110, Fitz- nation. Steve Brown 445 Co Rd 55, Mound- von Enzor 4126 Perdue Hill Rd., Frisco City top bloodlines. 256/874-4667 or 256/232- 1,800 lbs., gentle, good breeder, easy calv- patrick 36029 334/279-1023 (Bullock) ville 35474 205/371-4494 (Hale) 36445 251/282-0553 or 251/267-3996 0512 (Limestone) ing $2,500. Miles Wylie Albright 301-A CC 3 Reg. Angus bulls, 11-39 mos., Sitz, Travel- Rainbow Trout for winter fishing; Catfish (Monroe) Polled Hereford bulls, $2,100-$2,200, 19- Ivy Rd., Huntsville 35803 256/708-2733 er, New Design, Oak Bowery breeding, farm 4-11” $.30/up ea.; 1-5” Coppernose Blue- Reg. Sim-Angus bulls, stout 15-17 mos. w/ 20 mos., exc. pedigrees & EPDs, passed (Madison) raised, halter broke, $800-$1,800. Travis or gill $.25/up ea.; Shellcracker $.28/up ea.; top EPDs and bloodlines, $2,500/up. John BSE, satisfied customers throughout Diana Harrell 17 Harrellwood Ln., Goodwater Herd dispersal, 50+ cow/calf pairs, calves White Amur grass carp $6 ea.; Bass $.90/up Harrell, Auburn 334/524-9287 (Lee) Alabama, good selection available. Jim & 35072 256/377-1700 or 256/596-1134 born Nov./Dec., Gelbvieh X Angus, well man- ea.; Threadfin Shad $450/up; Fathead min- Angus bulls, Angus x Hereford bulls, two Lynda Lowery 5320 Co Rd 36, Heflin 36264 (Coosa) aged herd, $2,300/pair. Darrell Rankins Jr. nows $35/1,000. Bill Davis 854 Co Rd 167, bulls ready for service, most ready to breed 256/253-2445 (Cleburne) Reg. Simmental yearling bulls, black, red, AI/ 334/745-2357 (Chambers) Leesburg 35983 256/526-8453 (Cherokee) by spring; Angus heifers, Angus/polled Her- Beautiful Black Angus bull, purebred, 13 ET elite genetics, polled, docile, $2,500/up, Reg. Jersey heifers, all ages, some bred Pond liming $450/up; Electro-shocking eford F1 cross heifers $1,800/up. Glenn mos., trade for bred Angus heifer or Angus great selection. Chester Hicks 4892 Craw- (A I Services), some ready to breed, great $450; Texas Hunter fish feeders & Kasco Fuller 15604 Hamlet Mill Rd., New Site cow w/calf on ground or $1,000. 334/734- ford’s Cove Rd., Springville 35146 256/543- bloodline, $800/up. Springville, Jimmy Nich- aerators & fountains water soluble pond fer- 3100 (Chambers) 7344 or 256/490-1919 (St. Clair) 36256 256/329-9544 (Tallapoosa) tilizer 10-52-4 plus micro nutrients $45/box. BBU Reg. Beefmaster bulls, $1,500, polled, olson at 205/329-9372 or Sandra Nicholson 1 Simmental & 1 Sim-Angus 2½ yo herd 70+ Black Angus bred cows, 40 of them Daniel Davis 3822 Co Rd 26, Centre 35960 red & black colors. Carmon Smith 3557 Co 205/281-1551 (Blount) sires, used in my herd, $4,500; also 9 year- are calving now, 20+ calves of 1-7-14, the 256/504-3034 (Cherokee) Rd 24, Crossville 35962 256/891-3777 or Reg. Limousin bulls, 14-15 mos., low & ling bulls $2,500/up. Mike Wells 70 Co Rd 40 are bred to reg. Hereford bull & Angus, Threadfin Shad, high protein forage fish 256/659-4337 night (DeKalb) medium birthweights, performance records 824, Selma 36701 334/412-2280 (Dallas) remainder are bred to JDH Brahman bull, for Bass ponds, $.17/up; Grass carp $6 Outstanding homozygous black & homo- available, from heavy milking cows, red or 16 Angus/Hereford cross heifers, 12-14 $1,700/pair, $1,500/bred cows; Reg. An- ea.; Bluegills $.20/up; Coppernose $.25/ zygous black & polled calves, sire: CJSL black, delivery available, $1,600/up ea. mos., ready to breed in 30-60 days, good gus, Hereford & Limousin bulls $1,800/up. up. Barry Bates 650 AL Hwy 25, Faunsdale Wildwest, dam: Outstanding Dollar General Richard Beard 5751 Carrington Way, Truss- quality & disposition, $1,050 ea. Darryl Rut- Kevin Coleman 205/288-6775 (Marion) 36738 205/361-9863 (Hale) Daughter, EPDs, BW:1.7, WW: 53, YW: 97, ville 35173 205/655-7682 (Jefferson) land 256/381-6096 (Colbert) Reg. Angus bulls that are perfect for heifers MA: 35, Doc 17, very docile, will deliver, Black Angus bulls, 15-16 mos., super calv- Reg. Scottish Highland cattle, 8 mos./up, $1,750/up, top bloodlines, gentle, handfed, $3,500. 205/456-0468 or 205/466-3468 heifers & bulls, purebred bloodlines for foun- homegrown. Ken Tyler 2984 Pine Ridge ing ease & grass genetics, Ohlde and Wye CATTLE (Blount) breeding, $1,500/up. Mark Rasco 631 Co dation stock, $2,000/up, exc. maternal char- Rd., Union Grove 35175 256/506-3819 or Reg. Angus bulls, 21-36 mos., good EPDs, acteristics, sweet gentle dispositions, great 256/498-3174 (Morgan) Rd 208, Jemison 35085 256/761-7933 All livestock listings must be from very docile, $2,250-$3,250. Sammy Crow (Chilton) to cross w/your cattle. www.gb3highland- Top quality Brahman & Braford bulls that are 247 Holladay Rd., Danville 35619 256/773- bonafide livestock farmers. Notices cattle.com Tracey 205/426-2086 (Chilton) extremely gentle, $1,500-$2,000.