It is a pleasure to serve as your president for the coming year. I write fresh off our Annual Governing Council and Business Meetings in Montreal. Committee reports and discussions at these meetings underscore that ARPAS is a dynamic and vibrant organization. Our membership continues to grow! Check out the updated ARPAS Web site (http://www.arpas.org/) for online CEU submission and a listing of conferences that have been preapproved by ARPAS for CEUs. The PAS journal is now available via High Wire Press to expedite manuscript submission and review and online searches for journal articles.

This report reflects the financial status of ARPAS as of June 30th, which is the mid-point of our fiscal year. Membership revenue is very good, and we have made our budget goals in almost all areas with the notable exception of corporate sponsorship, which lacks approximately $7,000 to meet our budget projection. Journal revenues are at 62 percent of annual budget at the mid-point of our fiscal year. Total revenue including unrealized investment gain ($3,600 ytd) was at 86 percent of that budgeted for the fiscal year. Likewise, ARPAS is in a good position with the expense side of the budget. ARPAS journal expenses are 51 percent of the fiscal year budget at the end of June. Although FASS service fees for administration and governance was a difficult item to estimate in the last fiscal year, these fees seem to be nearly on schedule in the current year (63 percent of the fiscal year budget ytd), and total administration and governance is actually under budget at 45 percent year-to-date. ARPAS revenues and expenses year-to-date are in a good position. 

The California ARPAS Chapter 2009 Continuing Education Conference is scheduled for October 29 and 30 at Harris Ranch in Coalinga, California. The theme of this year’s conference is Forage Management: Seed to Bunk. Speakers and topics are as follows: Mark McCasland, Cropland, will discuss current plant breeding technologies to balance the agronomics and nutritional merits of alfalfa and other forages. Ted McCollum, Texas A&M, will present information about sorghum forages as an alternative forage when water availability is an issue. Rick Grant, Miner Institute, will explore the topic of forage fragility and digestibility—a new way to look at describing forage physical properties. Lew Armentano, University of Wisconsin, will present information on effective NDF in dairy rations, and Mike Allen, Michigan State, will discuss the effects of forage type (straw, grasses, legumes, and corn silage) on intake, digestion, and milk responses of dairy cows. ARPAS continuing education credits will be available for conference attendees.
Barbara Barton, PhD, PAS, Dipl ACAN

Information regarding the conference can be obtained by contacting Barbara Barton, CA-ARPAS Secretary–Treasurer, at bbarton@balchem.com or by going to the CA-ARPAS Web site www.arpasca.net.

The inaugural meeting of the National Association of Equine Affiliated Academics (NAEAA) was held May 28–29. The meeting was held before the Equine Science Society (ESS) Symposium at the Keystone Conference Center in Keystone, Colorado. The first day centered on the topics of defining the equine discipline, costs and benefits of intensive learning experiences, internship programs, and senior capstone experiences. The presentations and panel discussions associated with these topics were led by faculty and instructors from equine and animal science programs around the country. The day wrapped up with a poster session followed by a discussion panel consisting of industry representatives, including ARPAS president Marit Arana.