New overtime rules available for comment

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is seeking input on preliminary overtime rules, which recently were published. Producers are urged to review the CDLE overtime pay proposal as soon as possible and make comments to CDLE if warranted. A public hearing on the proposal will be held on Nov. 1, with an option for online comments prior to the hearing. The final rule is scheduled to be published by Nov. 10. For more info, visit the CDLE website at CDLE.colorado.gov. Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is offering a final regional listening session for ag workers and employers on Oct. 25 at the Adams State Student Union in Alamosa.

Crop insurance workshops offered in Kansas, Nebraska

A crop insurance workshop entitled "Navigating through the wild world of taxes, carbon credit, commodity markets, farm policy, and of course crop insurance" will be held Oct. 20 in Grand Island, Nebraska, and Oct. 21 in Salina, Kansas. A similar workshop to be held on Oct. 22 in Enid, Oklahoma, was canceled due to a lack of sufficient enrollment. The fee to attend is $100. For more info or to register, call 402-472-1742.

Registration opens for Water in the West

The annual Water in the West Symposium will be hosted virtually Nov. 3-4 and include a range of speakers focused on water solutions at various scales. The event will be fully virtual; to view the agenda and speaker list, and to register, visit CSUSpur.org/witw. This year's speakers will include Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General; Sylvain Fabi, Consulate General of Canada in Denver; Jennifer Pitt, National Audubon Society; Pat O'Toole, Family Farm Alliance; and Becky Mitchell, Colorado Water Conservation Board. Two optional tours precede the symposium.

Kansas tourism group to gather in Liberal

This year's Kansas Tourism Conference is being held at the Fairfield Inn in Liberal Oct. 18-20. The meeting will include a legislative panel, a general session on "the state of the American traveler" and other travel program updates. For the full agenda, go to TIAK.org/events.

Winter's Ag Water Summit set for Winter Park

Join agricultural producers from across the state to discuss infrastructure, funding, storage and the future of the Colorado River Compact at the annual Colorado Ag Water Dec. 9-10. The conference will be held at the Headwaters Center in Winter Park. Go to CoAgWater.org/Summit for a full agenda and to register.

Sustainable initiative has new branding

Colorado State University has officially launched the AgNext website and related social media channels. Previously known as the Sustainable Livestock Systems Collaborative, AgNext is a one-of-a-kind research center focused on creating more sustainable, resilient, and regenerative food systems. Kim Stackhouse-Lawson serves as AgNext director.

Foreign travelers raise concerns

Pork industry leaders have expressed concern over reports of international travelers not being diverted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists for secondary screening after indicating on Customs forms they've had animal contact at destinations known for African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease. Those concerns were relayed to Customs and Border Patrol, according to the Swine Health Information Center. The center is reminding international travelers to do their part to protect the U.S. livestock herd by declaring all relative information when returning from a foreign destination.

USDA introduces new insurance for local growers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is rolling out a new insurance option specifically for agricultural producers with small farms who sell locally. The new "Micro Farm policy" simplifies record keeping and covers post-production costs like washing and value-added products. USDA's Risk Management Agency created the new policy based on research directed by the 2018 Farm Bill and feedback from producers who grow for their local communities. The policy will be available beginning with the 2022 crop year for farm operations earning less than $100,000 in gross revenue.

Fall drought holds back wheat pasture prospects

After the driest September on record, rain has returned to the Southern Plains but not before delaying wheat pasture development by at least a month and restricting the potential for fall forage growth, according to Oklahoma State University Beef Cattle Nutritionist Paul Beck. Areas of central Oklahoma have received rainfall in recent weeks ranging from 0.3 inch to 3 or more inches, but not all producers had a chance to dust in wheat seed ahead of time. For the prospects of late fall or winter grazing, timing is critical and any delay can have large impacts on forage production, Beck said.

Beef exports rally to new highs

In the latest livestock trade data, August beef exports were up 21.3% year-over-year with year-to-date total beef exports also up 21% from 2020. Beef exports in the month of August were an all-time record for any month. Beef exports continue to be fueled mostly by the strong growth in the Chinese and Hong Kong market, up 160.5% in August. Monthly exports for August were also higher to Japan, up 10.4%, and Mexico, up 49.1% over last year's sharp drop. Meanwhile, August beef exports lagged in South Korea, down 9%, Canada, down 6.4%, and Taiwan, down 12.7%.

Seed leaders seek cross-Atlantic collaboration

The U.S. and European Union are entering a new era of transatlantic dialogue on agricultural innovation for a sustainable food system with both of them setting the ambitious objective to become carbon-neutral by 2050. The American Seed Trade Association and Euroseeds recently held a webinar promoting joint dialogue between U.S. and EU stakeholders focused on how to increase cooperation on scientific research and agricultural innovation, according to an AgNewsWire report.