First Ever Colorado Ag Classic to be Held in Fort Collins, Colorado

The 2005 Colorado Ag Classic will be held Thursday, December 1 at the Hilton Fort Collins in Fort Collins, CO. The first annual event is jointly hosted by the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers (CAWG), Colorado Seed Growers Association (CSGA), Colorado Seed Industry Association (CSIA) and Colorado Sunflower Administrative Committee (CSAC).

Colorado State University (CSU) President Larry Penley has been invited to give the opening address at 9:15 a.m. on the University’s strategic plan for the period 2005-2010 (including the College of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension). U.S. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) has been invited to provide an update on present and future agricultural issues pending in Congress, including the 2007 Farm Bill. Economist and Futurist Dr. Jay Lehr will give the keynote address entitled: “Farming was, is and Always will be a Great American Profession.”

Breakout sessions after lunch will feature presentations on hard white wheat, wheat/sunflower agronomics, IFarm Field Economics Analysis Tool, surviving in agriculture, transitioning the farm to the next generation, seed certification and BLM/Forest Service native seed use. Tours of the Colorado Seed Lab and National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, a CAWG Policy Session and a Workers’ Compensation Safety Meeting will also be held during the day.
The Colorado Ag Classic will conclude with a reception beginning at 5:00 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Following dinner, Steve “Mudflap” McGrew from KYGO’s Morning Show will entertain the crowd with his stand-up comedian act. CAWG sponsors will also be present with a mini-trade show at the reception and dinner and a silent and live auction will be conducted to raise money for CAWG’s Political Action Committee (CAWGPAC).

Early registration for the Colorado Ag Classic postmarked by November 18 is $100 per person or $170 for husband and wife. Registrations postmarked after November 18 and at the door are $125 per person and $195 for husband and wife. Spouses/children can attend just the reception and dinner for $40 per person. View the agenda and registration form here.

Rooms can be reserved at the Hilton Fort Collins by Colorado Ag Classic attendees at a special rate of $84 per night plus tax (single or double), until October 30, 2005 (and after that date on a space available basis). Space is limited, so reserve your room now by calling 970-482-2626. You must mention Colorado Ag Classic to receive the discounted room rate.
For more information or to receive a registration form, please contact Colorado Wheat at 1-800-WHEAT-10.   (Return to Top)

Agronomy Foundation Seed Report

Foundation seed sales in the fall were up over the last two years but still fell short of average. This has left the Agronomy Foundation Seed budget in a significant deficit due to low seed sales. The budget is made up from revenue of sales and contract work that we do for other companies and universities. We greatly appreciate the growers support and ask for your continued patronage so we can continue to supply you with high quality foundation seed at a fair and competitive price.

Next spring we will have limited seed available of three new Russian wheat aphid-resistant spring feed barleys. Stoneham , Sidney , and Xeris are RWA-resistant, Otis-like, 2-row feed barleys developed for the arid high plains of eastern Colorado and western Nebraska . They will be cooperatively released later this spring by USDA-ARS, Stillwater , OK , USDA-ARS, Aberdeen , ID , Colorado State University and the University of Nebraska . RWA resistance in Stoneham , Sidney and Xeris holds up to all currently identified RWA biotypes, RWA1 (the original RWA), RWA2 and RWA3. The main component of resistance in these lines is tolerance. This means the aphids, present on the plants at any time in the growing season or in any number, will not cause the typical rolling and streaking of leaves or the resultant head trapping which so severely reduces yield in their susceptible parent, Otis. The lines have been tested over a period of 4 years (2001 -2004) at multiple locations under environmental conditions that varied greatly for rainfall and temperature, as well as the presence or absence of RWA. These lines were selected for release based on their yield and test weight performance over all environments, and have been shown to consistently outperform Otis when RWA was present but also when RWA was not present. Foundation seed of these varieties will be grown this spring in Colorado and Nebraska and available for limited foundation seed release in the spring of 2006. (Return to Top)