Monday February 6 Ag News

Nebraska Beef Producer Becomes 2012 NCBA President

JD Alexander of Pilger, Nebraska became President of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) at the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention, February 4, 2012.

“I am excited to represent cattlemen and am a firm believer in local, state and national relationships and involvement,” said JD, NCBA President. JD is the owner of Alexander Cattle & Farms as well as Past President of Nebraska Cattlemen.

This year as JD travels across the nation as well as internationally his family will be taking care of the farm and feedyard. His son Josh and daughter Kesa are very proud of their father and are ready to support him this next year as NCBA President. Debra Alexander, JD’s wife, knows that her husband is ready for this responsibility and “he is never afraid to speak up for what he believes is right.”

“I pledge to you that my top priority as your president is to do all I can to build beef demand and producer profitability,” stated JD. “Grassroots advocacy is the primary reason NCBA has been so successful in the past and will continue to be again this year.”

“We are proud to have one of our own serve as the president of NCBA,” says Jim Ramm, Nebraska Cattlemen president. “We are confident in JD’s leadership and are excited to work with him on issues important to cattlemen.”

Successful 2012 Cattle Industry Convention Sets Records, Generates Excitement
The 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show attracted a record 8,216 attendees. The attendance eclipsed the old record of just less than 7,000, set at NCBA’s 1998 centennial celebration.

Elected NCBA president-elect was Scott George, a second generation Wyoming farmer. Also elected to NCBA posts at the meeting were Bob McCan, Texas, to vice president; Craig Uden, Nebraska, federation division chair; Richard Gebhart, Oklahoma,  federation division vice chair; Don Pemberton, Missouri, policy division chair; and Phil Ellis, Wyoming, policy division vice chair.  

Alexander said the turnout was representative of the enthusiasm in the industry.

 “If you want a voice, want to make a difference and want to ensure that your family operation stays in the family, you must step up to the plate, get off the sidelines and become actively involved in your industry,” he said. “Together – with our state and national partnership – we will be at the table and off the menu.”

Alexander has served as chairman of the federation division and on numerous NCBA committees. George was previously NCBA vice president and has also served on the Beef Promotion Operating Committee and as chair and vice chair of the federation division.

The next generation of cattlemen and women took an active role in the convention, with more than 1,000 young people registered to attend. Marketing, public speaking, quiz bowl and livestock judging contests were held for youth of all ages.

In addition, more than 250 companies and organizations exhibited at the NCBA Trade Show – another record. While convention attendees spent a great deal of time in meetings and at educational seminars, there were multiple entertainment events for them to attend. A Cowboy’s Night at the Grand Ole Opry, with performances by the Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner, Charley Pride and others was a highlight of the convention.

Alexander called the 2012 Convention and NCBA Trade Show “a convention of a lifetime.” He said it exceeded expectations.

“There was a lot of optimism and positive energy at this convention,” Alexander said. “We saw a lot of ranchers and farmers – both young and old – looking to the future and the possibilities it holds. We’ve got a lot of momentum in this industry and in NCBA.”



NCBA Young Producers Council Elects New Leadership

More than 70 young cattlemen and women from across the nation gathered yesterday to take part in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Young Producers’ Council (YPC) business meeting.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important our industry’s young people are to the future of this organization,” said Bill Donald, outgoing president of NCBA, during comments he made to YPC members. “When I look out at this room, I see the future of our industry.”

A packed meeting agenda included nominating and approving the 2012 YPC executive committee and board of directors. In addition to serving on the board, members will also represent YPC on various NCBA policy committees.

Lance Zimmerman, of Castle Rock, Colo., was elected as chairman. J.W. Wood of Pa’auilo, Hawaii, was elected as vice chair and Travis Hoffman of Fort Collins, Colo., was elected as the council’s secretary. Individuals elected to the YPC board and the NCBA policy committees where they will represent YPC include:
    Faustine Curry, Texas – Agricultural Policy
    RaeMarie Gordon, Colo. – Cattle Health and Well Being
    Sarah Baker, Idaho – Federal Lands
    Ansen Pond, Texas – Live Cattle Marketing
    Jen Livsey, Texas – Membership
    Evan Tate, Ky. – Property Rights and Environmental Management
    Phillip Weltmer, Kan. – Tax and Credit
    Jaclyn Wilson-Demel, Neb. – Resolutions

Outgoing chair Ben Neale of McMinnville, Tenn., will serve on the board in an advisory capacity.

In addition to conducting its annual business meeting, YPC members conducted a strategy session with Matt Buyers, vice president of operations and human resources for Five Rivers Feeding.

This year’s meeting was sponsored by Dupont. YPC was established during the 2008 Cattle Industry Summer Conference and was initiated to help NCBA members ages 18 to 35 develop their leadership skills and become more involved in NCBA policy development. The group also helps provide networking opportunities, continuing education and professional development activities.

Membership in the council is free to current NCBA members. For more information, become a fan of YPC on Facebook or visit www.BeefUSA.org/ypc.



NCBA Members Pass Policy Resolutions

International trade, cattle payment efficiency and herd health were among the key policy issues members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) honed in on during the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn. Outgoing NCBA President Bill Donald said the grassroots policy process was put into action this week as policy resolutions, which originated in local and state cattlemen organizations, advanced through committees and were passed by NCBA members during the annual convention.

“NCBA’s policy is not developed in a board room in Washington, D.C. It’s developed, debated and deliberated on by cattlemen and women. This process is and always has been the strength and backbone of the organization,” Donald said. “From the health of the herd, economic profitability, international trade and more, NCBA members worked this week to ensure a successful and sustainable U.S. beef industry.”

Donald said NCBA members keyed in on international trade, specifically the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), during the convention. He said a resolution was passed that codified NCBA support of a TPP that removes tariff and non-tariff trade barriers for U.S. beef to participating countries, which include Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Donald said NCBA insists all participating countries, as well as any countries that join the TPP in the future, must fully abide by guidelines set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Trade was not the only issue considered by NCBA members. NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall said a resolution was passed to encourage a more efficient payment system for fed cattle. Woodall said at a time when it takes more capital to feed cattle and when cattle feeders want to buy replacement cattle in a timely manner, a recent announcement from the U.S. Postal Service that first class mail delivery will slow in the future will cause problems for the efficient delivery of payment for cattle. He said NCBA will work with the packing sector of the industry to development a more efficient and expeditious payment system for fed cattle.

Donald, who is a Montana rancher, said the current management of bison on federal lands by the Department of Interior (DOI) has cattlemen concerned about the health of the cattle herd. While co-mingling of bison and other native wildlife with cattle is unpreventable, Donald said the relocation of the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) or other federally-owned bison is a liability cattlemen aren’t willing to bear. NCBA members passed a resolution opposing the relocation of any bison outside the current GYA management area, the expansion of that area and any increase in the currently authorized GYA bison population.



Producer Support Of The Beef Checkoff At 18-Year High

The overwhelming majority of beef and dairy producers say their beef checkoff has value for them in many ways:
-    Four in five producers say the beef checkoff influences beef demand and is of value to them even in a weak economy.
-    Three in four producers say the beef checkoff contributes to the profitability of their operations, is there for them in a crisis and represents their interests.
-    Two in three beef producers believe the checkoff is well managed.

These are findings from a nationwide survey of 1,200 beef and dairy producers conducted by the independent firm Aspen Media & Market Research in late December 2011 and early January 2012. These findings may also help to explain why the beef checkoff approval level is at 76 percent – the highest level in 18 years.

“It’s clear,” says Joint Producer Communications Committee (JPCC) Chair Hank Maxey Jr., “that beef and dairy producers see more in their beef checkoff program than just paying for a few ads or a few promotions. Three in four of us wouldn’t say it ‘has helped contribute to the profitability of my operation’ unless we could see it with our own eyes.

“The beef checkoff has just completed 25 years serving the beef industry with programs producers want and that we see as working for us to ‘contribute to a positive trend in consumer demand for beef,’ according to the survey,” says Maxey, a Chatham, VA, cow-calf producer.

And after 25 years at $1 a head, some in the industry have suggested that it is time to increase the amount collected on each transaction. The survey, combined with an augmented sample an additional 400 producers, asked producers if they felt the same way. It found that a simple majority might support an increase to $1.50 today, while only two in five might go for $2. While producers indicated they understood that a 1986-dollar didn’t go as far nor buy as much, they wanted to know more about where the additional funds would be spent and the perceived good management practices of the checkoff would be extended to the new income.

“It’s no surprise to me that producers will want more information before they agree to a checkoff increase,” says Maxey. “It’s the same way we make all of our decisions – show me the value before you tell me the price.”

One of the key priorities of the committee which Maxey chairs is to ‘increase the understanding of how the checkoff works … how [it] benefits them and their role as stakeholders,’ he notes.

‘It’s an increasingly completive world and for beef producers to continue to succeed we have to be able to not only produce a safe, healthful and sustainable product, we have to promote its benefits in this country and worldwide. We can only do this by working together through the beef checkoff,” he says.



     
Wesley Grau Elected Chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board

Cow/calf and seedstock producer Wesley Grau from Grady, N.M., was re-elected by fellow CBB members to serve as chairman of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board in 2012, after fulfilling a partial term at the helm in 2011. The vote came today during the 2012 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

Grau was born in New Mexico and traces his cattle-business beginnings to 1960 when, at the age of 9, his father let him start raising show steers. Grau passed up the opportunity to play basketball in college and decided to earn his bachelor of science degree in agriculture economics instead. He earned enough money from his show steers to start at New Mexico State University in the fall of 1969.

In 1906, Grau's grandfather homesteaded on the place where Grau currently resides. Through the years, his family has accumulated land and grown it to the size it is now. (Grau laughs that they have too many cattle when it’s dry and not enough when it’s wet.) Historically, the ranch has raised wheat for pasture for weaning calves in winter; his family raised Herefords for half a century and, in 1965, switched to Charolais and have produced registered Charolais cattle ever since.

During his junior year of college, Grau married Elnabeth Teel, a New Mexico native who grew up on a sheep/cattle ranch, and together they have three children: son Marcus (now deceased), daughter Meghan and daughter Micah. The couple has six grandsons.

Today, Grau and his brother, Lane, operate Grau Charolais Ranch, where their primary business is genetics.

“We line breed for predictability, and we’ve also been fortunate to have raised one of the highest-testing DNA Charolais bulls in the nation for quality grade,” says Grau. “We have always performance-tested our cattle, and the reproduction on our cattle is as good as it can get. We operate like a commercial operator – if a cow doesn’t give us a calf, she gives us a hide.”

The operation markets its cattle all across the United States, Canada and eight states in Mexico. The ranch also holds test records for gain and efficiency from California to Utah to Florida, and Grau says their cattle excel in all seven climatic zones.

Grau started 2011 as vice chairman of the Beef Board then finished out a partial term as chairman beginning in August. He began his full-year term with these thoughts: “I love to have things run correctly. There are right ways and wrong ways to live in this world, and my intentions when I became a Beef Board member were to make sure our producers' money was spent correctly and to make sure we were getting the most mileage out of every dollar being invested.

“I am a peacemaker by heart. I love to bring people together and love to have a general consensus on issues.”

As he gets ready to tackle another year as chairman, Grau says he believes that, given the pre-1985 decline per capita beef consumption, increasing environmental pressure on beef producers, and the BSE scare of 2003, had the checkoff not been in existence, he and some of his fellow beef producers may not currently be in the beef business, either.

As he reflects back on what he considered to be the most significant accomplishment of 2011, Grau cites the growth in international markets. “In 2011, we coasted past pre-BSE levels and set new records for value and volume of U.S. beef exports – on track to exceed the $5 billion (with a “b”!) mark for the first time ever.

“And when you consider that there are about 22 times more mouths to feed outside the U.S. as there are inside our borders, the value of those marketing efforts in 80 countries around the world really hits home for me, so I’d say that’s definitely a highlight of the year,” says Grau. “That’s what the checkoff does for me on my own ranch.”

Grau says serving as chairman is challenging, yet very rewarding, and that his job is primarily about communications. People don’t always agree on the major issues -- sometimes it’s the little things, Grau says, adding that he strives to find a common ground and expand upon that.

“We’ve got millions of acres in the U.S. that cannot be utilized for food for humans except by cattle or some sort of livestock. And they’re not making any more land. So we’ve got to remember the good things our checkoff does, researching and promoting the nutritional benefits of beef to today’s consumer, about our more than 29 lean cuts of beef, and about the fact that beef is one of the best brain nutrients that we have.”

During his career, Grau has accumulated a long list of industry achievements, including 2009 New Mexico Cattleman of the Year and New Mexico Outstanding Young Farmer and Rancher. He has served in numerous leadership roles, including past president of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, New Mexico Charolais Association and New Mexico Beef Cattle Performance Association, and served on the board of directors for the National Cattlemen’s Association.

Grau believes in effective communications and isn’t into fast-talking, except when it comes to one thing. A little-known fact about Grau? He also used to be an auctioneer.



CME Establishes $100 Million Fund to Protect Cattlemen

Earlier this week, CME Group Inc. (CME) established a $100 million fund to protect farmers and ranchers who utilize CME. Cattlemen attending the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention heard from Bryan Durkin, CME chief operating officer, who said on behalf of CME that they felt an “inherent” responsibility to help their customers. He said there is more to be done.

“We are in unchartered territory,” said Durkin. “There are a lot of facts that still need to be sorted out. We took an important first step for farmers and ranchers.”

Durkin said MF Global found a way to manipulate a system that has been working flawlessly for 75 years.

The fund will not help former MF Global customers who haven't received all their money as a result of the bankruptcy. There is an estimated $1.2 billion shortfall in customer segregated accounts. Durkin said customers with accounts in the United States have received about 72 cents on the dollar. Under the new fund, farmers and ranchers will be eligible to receive up to $25,000 per account if they lose money resulting from the bankruptcy of a clearing member. Durkin said farming and ranching cooperatives will be eligible for up to $100,000 per cooperative. He said if losses are more than $100 million, those customers will be eligible for a pro-rate share of the fund up to $100 million.

Durkin said doing everything possible to prevent a repeat of MF Global is top priority for CME.

“All viable solutions should be explored. We understand the significant risk you face every day,” said Durkin to the room full of cattlemen and women. “It is our responsibility to restore your confidence. We will work with industry groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) to explore options to give farmers and ranchers more protection.”

NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall was pleased by CME’s recent actions. He said it is a good first step and speaks volumes for CME’s commitment to protect their customers. Woodall added that CME took this step on its own accord.



NCBA Readies Plan to Pursue Permanent Estate Tax Relief

“The estate tax kills small business and jeopardizes the future of our family farms and ranches throughout the country,” said Kent Bacus, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) associate director of legislative affairs. “2012 will be the year where permanent relief is within reach.”

Bacus addressed attendees of the 2012 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in Nashville, Tenn. He said the estate tax is top of mind for many cattlemen, especially young farmers and ranchers hoping to take over family-owned cattle operations. As a result of a last-minute fix passed through Congress in December 2010, the current estate tax exemption level is $5 million per individual and $10 million per couple with a maximum tax rate of 35 percent. However, Bacus said if Congress and President Obama fail to take action by the end of 2012, the tax rate will revert back to pre-2001 levels at a “mere” $1 million exemption level with a 55 percent tax rate.

“This is not a tax on the wealthy elite. The wealthy are more likely to find a way to weather the storm. Small business owners and family farmers and ranchers will be forced to make difficult decisions. In many cases, ranchers are forced to sell of all or part of their estate just to pay for this outdated tax. Often times, land doesn’t stay in food production but instead is sold into development,” Bacus said. “As the global population continues to grow, it is paramount we keep farms and ranches intact. We have to be able to feed people.”

Bacus said there are 29 pieces of legislation in the U.S. Congress to address the estate tax. NCBA and its state affiliates support a full and permanent repeal of the tax. That’s why Bacus said NCBA supports the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2011 introduced by Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas). The legislation, if passed, would repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Bacus said the legislation has already garnered 194 bipartisan co-sponsors.

“Taxing the next generation of food producers out of business is dead wrong. We will not sit idly by and watch the destruction of family farm and ranch operations,“ Bacus said.  “Consumers and cattlemen alike should support repealing this tax. We need jobs and we must not play politics with the world’s food security. When land in this country goes out of production, it seldom comes back.”

While full and permanent relief would be ideal, according to Bacus, NCBA’s top priority will be permanent relief. He said NCBA and its state affiliates would be willing to make permanent the current estate tax exemption level of $5 million at a top tax rate of 35 percent.



NCBA:  Partnering with Extremist Groups Bad News for US Agriculture

Tom Talbot, chairman of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Cattle Health and Well-Being Committee, led a lively discussion during their meeting today, Feb. 3, 2012, during the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show. Conversation ranged from the latest science and research to ensuring effective cattle care to federal legislation to mandate on-farm production practices and more. Talbot said despite challenges cattle producers face, raising healthy cattle is and always has been a top priority.

“The U.S. beef industry has changed through the years, but the one thing that remains the same is our commitment to raising healthy cattle and providing our animals the best care possible,” Talbot said. “NCBA’s Cattle Health and Wellbeing Committee relies on the latest information from government officials, veterinarians and cattle health experts to ensure our policies reflect the latest science and ensure effective cattle care practices on cattle operations throughout the country.”

Kristina Butts, NCBA executive director of legislative affairs, said while cattlemen make it their top priority to care for their animals, there are organizations that attempt to paint a different picture of animal agriculture. Specifically, Butts discussed an agreement entered into by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the United Egg Producers to seek federal legislation to mandate egg production practices. Butts said legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) to codify that agreement creates a slippery slope to allow the federal government to mandate on-farm production practices for all sectors of the agricultural industry.

“This legislation opens up Pandora’s Box on Capitol Hill. While this bill currently only applies to the egg industry, it’s not a far stretch to see it applied to all animal agriculture,” Butts said. “Cattlemen proactively worked with veterinarians and cattle health experts to develop production guidelines. We worked together to improve our industry. Unfortunately, a one-size fits all federal mandate telling farmers and ranchers how to do their jobs is not acceptable.”

Dr. Dave Daley, a cow-calf producer from California and the animal science department chairman at Chico State University, continued the discussion of animal rights organizations agendas and the impact of those agendas on the cattle industry. Daley said cattlemen need to take charge of the conversation about the industry.

“We sometimes don’t like change but think about the changes in our industry. We’re better producers today because we’ve changed,” Daley said. “If you don’t want HSUS to tell you want to do, you need to decide that. In agriculture, we are good at talking to each other. But we have to change that. We have to talk to people outside agriculture about what we do. We have to lead the conversation.”



Informational Meeting Issues affecting the Cattle Industry

J. Dudley Butler, former Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), left his official USDA post on January 26, 2012. He will make his first public appearance Tuesday, February 7 7:30 p.m. at the O’Neill Community Center, O’Neill, Nebraska. Mr. Butler will describe the state of competition in the US Cattle industry and will answer the question "What is Next!!!". 

Guest speakers will include J. Dudley Butler GIPSA, Steve Stanke from the Nebraska Brand Committee, and Bill Bullard CEO of R-Calf USA. The meeting is free, open to the public, and community business leaders are encouraged to attend.

A question and answer session will follow the presentations.  For additional information contact Richard Schrunk 402-340-1222.   



Spring Seed Cover Crops to Help Recover Flooded Fields
Paul Jasa, UNL Extension Engineer

There was considerable flooding along the Missouri River in the summer of 2011, leaving many fields scarred and bare, without a crop. Producers should make field repairs as needed and seed a cover crop to help protect the soil and start rebuilding soil life before the 2012 cropping season. Cover crops benefit flood-damage soils in several ways.
-    The residue from the cover crop will protect the soil from raindrop impact, reducing soil erosion and crusting.
-    The upright cover crop residue will keep the wind and sun off the soil surface, reducing wind erosion, sandblasting, and soil water evaporation.
-    The growing roots of the cover crop will help feed the soil biological life, especially arbuscular mychorrhizae fungi.

Crop Selection and Seeding Rates
Cool season cereal grains are fast growing in the spring, provide standing residue fairly quickly, and are easy to kill before seeding the cash crop. Consider seeding oats, barley, triticale, cereal rye, or wheat (listed in order of preference, depending on seed availability) at a rate of one to two bushels per acre. Use the seeding date typical for seeding oats in your area, usually when the soil temperature is above 35°F and rising.

Cover crop cocktails, a mixture of several species and plant types, provide different rooting patterns and varying plant architecture to add diversity to the system. The diversity is valuable for restoring microbial and physical soil function. Mixtures also provide good soil cover across a variety of conditions since cover crop types respond differently to varying soil and weather conditions. Several cool season legumes, brassicas, or other broadleafs could be seeded with the cool season cereal to aid in soil life recovery. The seeding rate of the cereal grain should be reduced about 50% if another cover crop is seeded with it.

A legume like spring forage peas (30 lb/ac) or common vetch (10 lb/ac) could be seeded with the cereal grain to fix some nitrogen, improving the cover crop benefits. Producers should use twice the recommended amount of the proper inoculant for these legumes as the native rhizobia bacteria were probably reduced during flooding. Taller cool season brassicas and broadleafs like rapeseed (3 lb/ac), mustard (3 lb/ac), flax (5 lb/ac), or Ethiopian cabbage (2 lb/ac) also could be added to the cereal grain and legume seed mix to further improve the soil system. These cover crops stand nicely to help reduce wind erosion and have a vigorous tap root to help penetrate the soil. If you’re adding several of these other cover crops to the mix, the seeding rates of each could be reduced some.

Seeding Methods
For most effective cover crop seeding, use a drill or air-seeder to place the seeds directly into the soil, about 1½ to 2 inches deep. Both provide some soil smoothing and cut up some of the surface debris. If the drill or air-seeder is equipped to apply fertilizer, some starter fertilizer could be applied to help cover crop establishment. Another option would be to apply fertilizer for the following cash crop when seeding the cover crop. Compaction will be less than with tillage as most drills and air-seeders are pulled with smaller tractors than those needed for tillage equipment of the same width. In addition, the seed metering, seed distribution, seeding depth, and seed-to-soil contact will be more uniform than broadcast seeding, providing a better cover crop stand, especially at lower seeding rates.

Broadcast seeding followed by a light tillage operation may be an option for some producers, especially if some tillage is needed to deal with erosion, scouring, or sedimentation. Most producers have access to a dry fertilizer applicator which could be used to distribute the cover crop seed. Depending on fertility needs, the seed could be mixed with dry fertilizer to accomplish two things in one trip while improving seed distribution. The light tillage with a spike-tooth harrow, Aerway, coulter tillage tool, or similar fluffing harrow would incorporate the fertilizer and provide some seed-to-soil contact and some smoothing of the soil surface.

If the soil is dry enough, tillage with a disk or field cultivator could be performed to level the soil surface and better incorporate larger seeded cover crops, but compaction and soil smearing is a risk if the soil is wet. Depending on the soil moisture situation and the depth of tillage, the broadcast seeding rates should be increased by 50 percent compared to drilling.

Terminating the Cover Crop
While many cover crops are most effective if they have 45 to 60 days of growth before termination, producers should kill them at an appropriate time so as not to affect the next crop. If the spring looks like it will be a dry one, the cover crop should be killed several weeks before planting so as to conserve soil moisture. While it may seem like not a lot of biomass was produced, the roots of the cover crop still helped the soil biology, benefiting the soil system. If the spring will be wet or the soil needs dewatering, the cover crop could be allowed to grow longer for more biomass production and more benefits for the soil system.

Producers should check with their crop insurance provider and the local FSA office for guidelines and restrictions related to cover crops. For maximum soil benefit, the cover crop should not be grazed, hayed, or tilled and the next crop should be no-tilled into the cover crop residue.



Adding Legumes to Pastures Provides Weighty Benefit
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

This spring, consider adding legumes to your pastures to reduce costs and increase production.  ve years of grazing research in eastern Nebraska showed that brome/legume pastures produced almost four-tenths of a pound higher average daily gain on yearlings than did straight brome pastures fertilized with 50 lb of nitrogen.

Carried through the whole season, that faster gain produced an extra 51 lb of beef per acre with no nitrogen fertilizer cost. Adding the value of heavier yearlings plus reduced fertilizer expenses resulted in more than an extra $50 per acre profit.  milar research was conducted with warm-season grasses with nearly the same results.

Red Clover a Quick Start
February and March are good months to start adding legumes. Red clover is the easiest one to establish because seed can be broadcast on pastures even if they are covered with several inches of snow. As snow melts and temperatures fluctuate in early spring, the seeds will get worked into the soil, germinate, and start to grow. With a little attention to controlling competition from the existing grass, new red clover plants can start increasing your pasture production by summer.



Michael Foods Recalls Hard-Cooked Eggs Packed in Brine

Michael Foods, Inc., is recalling specific lot dates of hard-cooked eggs in brine sold in 10- and 25-pound pails for institutional use that were produced at its Wakefield, Neb., facility because the product has the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

The recalled eggs were purchased by food distributors and manufacturers located in 34 states (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, WI, WV). The recall is limited to hard-cooked eggs in brine in 10- and 25-pound pails prodced at its Wakefield, Nebraska facility, which are labeled under six brand names (Columbia Valley Farms, GFS, Glenview Farms, Papetti's, Silverbrook, Wholesome Farms) and bearing lot codes of 1 LOT 1350W through 1 LOT 2025W and expiration dates ranging from 1/30/2012 to 3/10/2012 Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Only lot codes immediately preceded by a "1" AND ending in a "W" are affected, please see the following example: Here is an example of the lot codes on the packaging: USE BY 11 FEB 12 1 LOT 1362 W -- USE BY 11 FEB 12 = Use by Date -- 1 = line impacted by recall -- LOT 1362 = Lot Number -- W = Wakefield

None of the eggs were sold directly by Michael Foods to retailers or consumers. However, food distributors and manufacturers who purchased the eggs could have used them in products that were sold to retail outlets or used in food service settings. Michael Foods is working with customers who purchased eggs from these lots to ensure that all product is removed from the market. Consumers who believe they might have purchased product affected by the recall, or those who are unsure, should contact the original place of purchase.

There have been no confirmed reports of illness in connection with this product.

The recall was initiated after lab testing revealed that some of the eggs within the recalled lot dates may have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. A recall of three lot dates was announced on Jan. 26. As a precautionary measure, the recall was expanded to include additional lot dates. Michael Foods reached the decision to expand this recall after a thorough investigation which indicated a specific repair project that took place in the packaging room as the likely source of the contamination. The company has taken a number of corrective steps to address the issue and prevent recurrence.

For further questions regarding this recall, please call Michael Foods at 877-367-3447, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. EST.



CHS Returns Record $421 Million to Cooperative Owners

Farmers, ranchers and cooperatives across the United States will share in a record $421 million disbursement from CHS Inc., the nation's leading agricultural co-op, marking the largest cash return ever by a U.S. cooperative.

"This cash distribution represents the value of being a cooperative owner and customer," said Jerry Hasnedl, CHS board chairman and a St. Hilaire, Minn., farmer. "Not only do member cooperatives and producers have access to competitive CHS products, crop marketing and business services throughout the year, they also share in our profits. This allows them to invest in the future of their local businesses, farms and ranches, and rural communities."

The cash return to owners is based on record CHS net income of $961.4 million for the fiscal year ending Aug. 31, 2011.

The distribution beginning this month to 1,060 member cooperatives and 45,500 individual members and others includes cash patronage paid on their fiscal 2011 business with CHS. CHS is also distributing to member cooperatives cash as redemption of equity in the company they earned in prior years. In addition, CHS will redeem equities of eligible individual members throughout 2012 and will also pay quarterly dividends to owners of CHS preferred stock.

Since its creation in 1998, CHS has returned more than $2.5 billion in cash to its agricultural producer and member cooperative owners.

Patronage is based on business done with CHS by member-owner cooperatives and individual farmers and ranchers during fiscal 2011, while equity redemptions and preferred stock distributions represent retirement of ownership in CHS earned in past years. Distributions by state included:

Nebraska:  2,963 checks totalling $21.3 million
Iowa:  1,112 checks totalling $29.5 million
South Dakota:  7,010 checks totalling $32.4 million



Celeres Cuts Summer Corn Crop

Drought damage in southern Brazil's grains belt continues reducing expectations for the summer corn crop, which is now seen at 35.45 million metric tons, local consultancy Celeres said Monday.  The latest outlook reflects a 3.8% drop from Celeres' January crop forecast but would be 7.3% more than Brazil's previous summer corn crop as a large expansion in planted acreage offsets lower yields due to the drought.

Brazilian grains farmers harvest a main summer corn crop and a smaller winter crop, which Celeres forecasts at 25.14 million tons.

Summer corn had been 8% harvested as of last Friday, up 1.7 percentage points from a week earlier. Farmers have started planting winter corn mainly in the southern state of Parana, Brazil's top corn producer, and the central-western state of Mato Grosso.

Celeres noted that heavy rains in Mato Grosso and neighboring Goias state are causing delays in planting of winter corn.  "For now, the situation isn't very worrisome, but if delays persist, losses in productivity could occur at later stages," Celeres said.