Three New Species and a Key for the Genus Callidora (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

Excerpt: The genus Callidora (subfamily Porizontinae) has traditionally contained a single European species, Callidora albovincta (Holmgren). Townes (1969) redefined the genus and included a second species (Campoplex analis Gravenhorst). At the same time he referred to three undescribed species, two from North America and one from the Philippines. Descriptions of these three are presented here together with a key to all five species now in Callidora. Several relationships within this genus are noteworthy. The two North American species, tegularis and surata, are morphologically most alike. Quite distinct from these, but similar in body shape and propodeal sculpture is the European species analis. The remaining two, albovincta and atrognatha, have distinctive propodeal carinae in addition to a thorax which is more elongate in profile than that of the other species. Thus Callidora can be divided into two species groups which are easily distinguished on the basis of body shape and propodeal sculpture

Iowa Dairy Farm Survey—2005 (Preliminary Results)

Dairy farm operators view beginning dairy farms as an issue that programs and policies must address (all colleges, legal/financial communities, and legislature). Dairy operators are willing to assist beginning dairy farmers. A variety of beginning dairy farmer strategies were deemed necessary by current Iowa dairy operators. Milk price volatility has been extreme in the last 4 years but policy choices that would require governmental action are not approved by anywhere near a majority of Iowa dairy operators. State Johnes’ control programs did gather a majority approval. Although stray voltage has been an issue much discussed in popular agricultural media, a state program or policy did not gather approval from at least one fourth of Iowa dairy operators. Models of successful beginning dairy farmers and a beginning dairy farmer venture capital fund could provide the vision and seed capital to re-establish dairy farms in areas of Iowa that have had dwindling dairy farm numbers. The models would provide a vision for owners of empty dairy facilities, as well as beginning dairy operators, with ideas of how the dairy could meet both parties goals. Analysis of the survey data continues and this data will be compared to the 2000 Northeast Iowa Dairy Survey

BioEconomy Impacts for Dairy Animal Agriculture

A very sudden and rapid paradigm shift has been taking place in the last 3-4 years. The motor fuel/additive ethanol industry had been building infrastructure slowly for about 30 years but took off much more rapidly as oil prices rose following 2001 and federal tax policy changes in 2003. This paper will look at some of the impacts this change has had on dairy animal agriculture

CARES Act 2020: Unemployment Insurance and Farmer/Ranchers

First paragraph: Generally, unemployment insurance across the country is managed by state government. Each has different rules, with oversight by the US Department of Labor. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act made changes to the unemployment coverage for workers and appropriated funds for the changes. The act tasked the Labor Department with writing rules for the changes and it has issued an Unemployment Insurance Letter — UL No. 16-20 — that begins the rulemaking process. This guidance will then be used by Nebraska to implement the CARES Act. This article reviews what is known now with future rules to clarify eligibility

Sugar, Spice, and Cannibalism

A review of Tasting Difference: Food, Race, and Cultural Encounters in Early Modern Literature by Gitanjali G. Shahani. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2020. Pp. 222. $39.95 cloth

Sustainable economic development through organic and grazing dairy farm establishment and transition

This project aimed to increase the number of grass-based and organic dairies in Iowa. However, progress was stymied by the severe 2008-09 economic downturn that kept beginning dairy farmers from getting into the business, and also forced some current producers who were candidates to transition to alternative methods to exit the business

Drought Decisions: Profit Maximizing Decisions During and After Drought Conditions

In summary, using available price risk management tools can effectively reduce some of the market price risk variability that is inherent in agricultural production that are caused by either production or price risk