Friday April 6 Ag News

Luckey of Columbus Honored by Block and Bridle

Bill Luckey of Columbus will be honored as the 78th member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Block and Bridle Hall of Fame.

Luckey will be honored April 20 at the Department of Animal Science and Block and Bridle annual honors banquet at 6 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union on UNL's East Campus. Tickets to the banquet are $20 and can be purchased by calling Andi Hallberg by April 18 at 402-472-6440 or emailing ahallberg2@unl.edu. A reception for Luckey and his family, friends and past honorees will precede the banquet at 5:30 p.m.

The Block and Bridle Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made commendable contributions to Nebraska agriculture through leadership, service, youth projects and community activities.

Luckey was raised on a family farm northeast of Columbus. From a very early age Luckey demonstrated an interest in agriculture, particularly animal agriculture. As a youth, he was a member of the Silver Stars 4-H Club. Among many club activities, showing cattle and participating in the club's livestock judging team were among his favorites.

While attending Columbus High School, Luckey was a member of the school's FFA chapter. Luckey graduated high school in 1973 and began his college career at Central Community College-Platte Campus. Luckey ultimately transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and graduated with a bachelor's degree in animal ccience in 1977. In 1978, he married Nancy, and in the same year he took over the family farm.

The Luckey family epitomizes the spirit and determination of the family farmers who are the backbone of the agriculture industry in Nebraska. Luckey considers his greatest accomplishment to be raising a family with his wife, Nancy.

All of the members of the Luckey family (Bill, Nancy, Ryan, Lucas, Michael and Kyle) are involved in agriculture. Luckey continues to manage the family farm's grain and livestock operations. The farm includes about 400 acres of farmland with two 2,000-head hog finishing barns. In addition, the farm maintains approximately 100 cow/calf pairs. The livestock units provide the outlet through which much of the farm's grain is marketed.

In addition to his full-time job managing the family farm, Luckey is a proven leader at the local, state and national levels and has demonstrated a true passion for promoting the agriculture industry. Luckey has excelled in leadership roles with the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, the National Pork Board and the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence.

Through a long track record of participation in the Nebraska LEAD and the National Pork Board Operation Main Street Programs, Luckey has made countless presentations conveying the positive message of the livestock industry to the public.

Luckey's dedication to the industry is also evident in his service to youth including involvement in the Platte County 4-H program and the "Life on the Farm" extension programs for urban school children.

The Department of Animal Science in UNL's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources is part of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.



Iowa Farmers Team with Hawkeyes, Food Bank to Ease Hunger in Iowa

As farmers begin the 2012 planting season in Iowa, the growing problem of hunger in Iowa is on their minds.

"Iowa farmers lead the nation in livestock and crop production and they're proud that their hard work and innovation brings more food and more choices for all Americans; that's why it's unacceptable to have a 30 percent increase in the number of families who visit food banks," says Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) President Craig Hill.

The Johnson County Crisis Center distributes 60,000 pounds of food a month and they're facing a critical shortage in both food and donations. The Iowa Food Bank Association, a collaboration of the eight food banks which collects, coordinates and distributes food and essential supplies across the state, sees similar shortages.

"That's why IFBF is proud to support the ANF/ Food Bank Drive April 14 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City when fans of the UI football team get their first look at the 2012 Iowa football team. We hope Hawkeye fans and all Iowans will show that they believe in taking care of their neighbors and friends in need," says Hill, a fourth generation livestock farmer from Milo.

Those who work with food banks in this state are grateful for the donations and the chance to spotlight a growing problem of hunger in Iowa. "The current economy has brought higher mortgage rates, medical and fuel costs to more Iowans at a time when they're finding it tough to find a full-time job with benefits. It all adds to the problem of hunger in Iowa," says Jordan Vernoy, director of the Iowa Food Bank Association. Many food banks are seeing a critical shortfall. "But, we want Iowans to know that it's so easy to help our neighbors in need; every one dollar donated can help us gather $15 of food donations," says Vernoy.

To encourage donations, the first 1,000 Iowa Hawkeye fans who bring a donation of cash or canned food to the Hawkeyes' open-to-the-public practice can receive ANF items. There is no admission charge to attend the scrimmage and the gates open at 11 a.m.

ANF was first launched in 1985 during the height of the Farm Crisis, by legendary Hawkeye coach Hayden Fry, who wanted to show an increasingly urban nation why agriculture matters. For more information about the Iowa Farm Bureau/U of I ANF partnership, click on www.americaneedsfarmers.org. To learn more about the growing number of Iowans in need and ways to help, click on http://iowafba.org/.



Congress out for Spring Recess

Capitol Hill has been a little quieter as of late while the House of Representatives and Senate are adjourned until April 16 for spring recess. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Stabenow is expected to mark-up farm bill legislation once a direct payment/income safety net replacement agreement can be made among committee members. The mark-up is expected to occur soon after the end of spring recess; however, an official date has not yet been announced. Meanwhile, House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas continues to hold field hearings. Last week, a hearing took place in Jonesboro, Ark., and the next field hearing is scheduled to take place April 20 in Dodge City, Kan. In the meantime, farmers are encouraged to meet with Members of Congress in their home districts to discuss concerns and farm bill reauthorization priorities.

Ryan Budget Passed; Reconciliation Coming For House Agriculture
Before leaving Washington for a spring recess, the House approved on a 228 to 191 vote a budget resolution presented by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The resolution included significant cuts for agriculture programs, targeting about $30 billion out of farm bill spending. The resolution also included budget reconciliation instructions for six House Committees, including the Agriculture Committee. This obligates them to find mandated cuts - $33.2 billion for the Agriculture Committee - before April 27. Deep cuts outlined in the House budget and the reconciliation requirements are expected to complicate efforts to compromise with Senate appropriators and finalize spending bills before FY2013 begins on Oct. 1.



Renewable Energy Posts Remarkable Gains

Renewable energy advocates have spent the past several months operating in a defensive mode against an onslaught of nay-saying and criticism that has more basis in political theater than in reality.

However, the value of renewable energy was never better demonstrated than in the March monthly energy review issued late last week by the DOE Energy Information Administration. The report, which lists U.S. energy production and consumption data up through Dec. 31, 2011, offers both a respite from the bluster of short-sighted critics and a ringing response to those who deny the benefits of renewable energy.

The EIA analysis shows that renewable energy sources have expanded rapidly in the United States over the past three years, far outpacing the growth rates of fossil fuels and nuclear power.

Between January 1, 2009 and the end of last year, renewable energy sources – biofuels, biomass, geothermal, solar, water and wind – grew by more than 27 percent. Over the same period, total domestic energy production increased by just 6.7 percent. Natural gas production grew 13.7 percent and crude oil production in the United States grew 14.3 percent.

At the same time, nuclear power declined by about 2 percent and coal dropped by more than 7 percent.

When examining all energy use sectors, including electricity, transportation and thermal, renewable energy sources accounted for almost 12 percent of domestic energy production last year, compared to less than 10 percent in 2008. While nuclear power still provides a larger share of the electricity used in the United States, renewable electricity sources, including biomass, solar power and wind energy, generated nearly 11 percent more energy in 2011 than nuclear power.

Renewables also grew on the consumption side of the ledger, climbing to almost 9.3 percent of all energy used in the United States last year, compared to a little less than 8.3 percent in 2010, and 7.2 percent in 2008.

Other facts gleamed from the EIA analysis include the consistent growth or renewable energy by virtually every sector over the three-year period, include a 15.3-percent rise in geothermal energy, a 26-percent increase in hydropower, a 28-percent jump in solar power, a 47-percent hike in biofuels and a whopping 114-percent spike in wind energy. While biomass energy production dropped, it only fell by a percentage point, leaving it as one a stable source of new electricity.

One of the consequences of this dramatic growth in renewable energy is the steady decline in U.S. petroleum imports, which have fallen from 9.3 million barrels per day to what the EIA estimates will be 7.8 million barrels per day through 2012. That is driving down the share of America’s petroleum products coming from foreign sources to less than 43 percent, an incredible drop when remembering that imports represented more than 60 percent of our oil supply in 2005.

The remarkable growth of all renewables over the past three years shows the viability of these clean and sustainable energy solutions. These burgeoning industries create jobs and boost our economy. By reducing imports, they improve our energy security, which, the U.S. military reminds us, is our national security. And they provide cleaner options in meeting our electricity and transportation needs.

The benefits of renewable energy are too important to be used as a political football. Even in a time of fiscal restraint, it is hoped that reports like the EIA’s analysis bring some reason back to the debate and lawmakers recognize that policies, funding mechanisms and tax benefits that sustain the renewable energy sector will go a long way toward bringing the United States back to its rightful place as the leader in an emerging global energy economy.



25x'25 Joins in Call to Lawmakers: Retain Viable Farm Bill Energy Title Programs

The 25x'25 Alliance today joined more than 100 organizations in sending a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees asking for the reauthorization and funding of Farm Bill energy title programs. The programs, the letter said, revitalize rural America, help the emergence of new agricultural markets, enhance national security and improve the environment.

The organizations signing the letter represented a broad and diverse array of renewable energy, energy efficiency, farm, ranch, commodity, environmental, and other groups.

"USDA has been so critical to the successful development of renewable energy solutions to our nation's energy challenges," said Read Smith, co-chairman of the National 25x'25 Steering Committee. "Preserving and funding the Farm Bill energy title programs support a sector that creates jobs and helps revitalize our economy. The programs help develop biofuels that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and improve our national security. They help provide sustainable energy options than enhance our environment."

The letter was organized by the Agriculture Energy Coalition, a broad membership-based consortium of organizations and companies representing the entire spectrum of clean, renewable energy and bioproducts stakeholders, including 25x'25, the National Farmers Union and the Environmental Law and Policy Center, among others.

The letter underscores the benefits of unique Farm Bill energy programs like the Rural Energy for America Program, Biomass Crop Assistance Program, Biorefinery Assistance Program and Biobased Markets Program, telling committee leaders they "strongly support American agriculture" and "result in the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs in rural areas."

The letter urges lawmakers to insure farmers, ranchers, and rural small businesses have the benefit of dependable and predictable financial support throughout the life of the next Farm Bill.



Legislation Introduced to Create Foundation for Food and Ag Research
(from NAWG newsletter)

A new piece of legislation in the Senate would establish a Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a 501(c)3, non-profit organization meant to foster public-private partnerships within the agricultural research community, including USDA research agencies, academia, private corporations and non-profit organizations. Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced the bill late last week. The Foundation concept builds on existing models for Congressionally-mandated foundations focused on medical research, natural resources and other priorities, and is seen as a way to increase funds going to agriculture research in a time of declining public funding but increasing food needs. The National Association of Wheat Growers and a number of state wheat associations signed onto a recent letter voicing support for the bill. 



Sorghum Checkoff to Hold Inaugural Sorghum Renewables Summit

The Sorghum Checkoff announced it will hold the first Sorghum Renewables Summit April 19-20, 2012, in Denver, Colo. The summit will feature topics focusing on agronomics, composition, technology, corporate governance, harvest technology and much more. Featured speakers include Drew Lewis of Case IH, Dr. Ed Wolfrum of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Bob Avant from Texas A&M University, Larry Richardson of Richardson Seeds Ltd., Dr. Bill Rooney of Texas A&M, Dr. Donald Slack from the University of Arizona, Jeff Freyou of John Deere, Dr. Randy Powell of BioDimensions Delta Renewables LLC, and Greg Krissek of ICM. The summit also gives you the opportunity to network with industry leaders from Chromatin, Advanta, Battelle, NexSteppe, NuFarm Americas Inc., Valegro and many more. To RSVP for the summit, visit www.sorghumcheckoff.com.

Interested Growers Sought for Sorghum Inputs Study
The Sorghum Checkoff is funding an in-depth study that involves tracking all inputs used by sorghum growers to raise, harvest and market their sorghum crop.  Starting in June 2012, sorghum growers will be participating in the research to provide an in-depth study of all inputs and outputs relating to the crop. The data will be used to assess the carbon footprint of growing sorghum versus other crops, and a model will be developed to demonstrate these interactions.

As a survey participant, sorghum producers will be asked to keep specific information for their inputs and outputs as they go through this year’s growing season. If you are a sorghum producer interested in participating in this series of four 5-to-10-minute surveys online, please contact Dusti Fritz at dusti@sorghumcheckoff.com.

The study will be conducted by SGS and Strategic Marketing Research and is strictly a scientific research project that does not involve sales of any kind.



New Buyers Emerge for Brazilian Corn
Alfredo Navarro, US Grains Council Consultant in South America

We are seeing major changes taking place in buyers of Brazilian corn. Europe, once a major customer, has yet to purchase any bushels in January and February. Asia is taking over as Brazil's main customer, and Colombia is also becoming a regular buyer. However, the biggest surprise is Taiwan, which leads this period, purchasing almost 250,000 metric tons (9.8 million bushels) of Brazilian corn.

Brazil's corn exports for the two months totaled more than 1.1 million tons (43 million bushels), but only a few hundred thousand tons were booked for export in March.

In January and February, Brazil's top customers were Taiwan, Iran, Malaysia, Morocco, Colombia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Dominican Republic, Indonesia and South Korea.



Forecasters: Post-Summer El Niño is Possible

The U.S. Climate Prediction Center raised the prospect that El Niño conditions could return after the Northern Hemisphere summer, causing adverse weather that could potentially disrupt the harvest of vital crops such as cotton, corn and soybeans.

A return in the fall of La Niña's more infamous counterpart could increase rainfall, although farmers typically prefer it to the La Niña phenomenon. La Niña has been blamed for a bad dry spell in South America.

In its monthly climate forecast, the CPC said there is still considerable uncertainty for the remainder of the year, but it "slightly favors (La Niña) neutral or developing El Niño conditions over a return to La Niña conditions."

To the relief of U.S. farmers, La Niña has been fading since February and its impact is expected to disappear by the summer, CPC said on Thursday reiterating its previous forecast.

With it dissipating between now and June, there is an increased chance of above-average temperatures in the south-central United States and below-average temperatures in the Northwest, the CPC, an office under the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, said.

El Niño has in the past caused drought in Southeast Asia and flooding in South America and Australia.

La Niña is an abnormal cooling of waters in the equatorial Pacific, which can last for years and wreak havoc over weather conditions in Asia and the Americas. El Niño is the abnormal warming of those waters, which can also affect weather.



Animal Agriculture Can Turn Challenges into Opportunities

Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Speakers at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s Annual Conference in Denver, March 27-28, identified the opportunities in the challenges faced by those in animal agriculture and stressed the importance of feeding the world despite the challenges ahead.

“We can, and will, feed the world,” stated economist Terry Barr, PhD, senior director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. “The question is what the level of relative prices for land, water and food will be required to achieve that goal in a sustainable manner and what will be the inherent volatility that will surround those relative prices.

“That will tell us about the likely structure of the global and regional markets that will evolve. It will also indicate the size of the required balance sheet, the amount of liquidity, the risk management tools and the human capital that will be needed to be competitive.”

With experts predicting the human population to jump by about 3 billion people during the next 40 years, Barr said world meat production will need to increase by 73 percent and grain production must increase by 49 percent to meet demand by the year 2050.

Among Barr’s list of constraints that could impact this emerging demand were land availability, water supply, technology and efficiency, climate variability, energy availability and cost, and government domestic and trade policy. He urged agricultural nations to invest heavily in research and development toward increased productivity to offset constraints.

Colorado State University President Tony Frank, DVM, PhD, agreed with Barr, pointing out that dwindling agricultural land and resources call for continued, heavy-hitting research and development. Frank advised those in animal agriculture to look at the consumer side and understand consumer concerns and perceptions that can lead to regulatory pressures and oversight.

Acknowledging that consumers “are less literate about where food is coming from,” Frank asked producers in animal agriculture to zero in on the common ground shared by animal agriculture, consumers and regulators. Three items on his “common ground” list included producing/eating a safe product, being environmentally conscious and caring about animal welfare and well-being. Frank appealed to animal agriculturalists to be proactive, to work with elected officials rather than to wait for regulations and react to them and to talk and interact with consumers rather than “talk past them.”  Frank stressed that universities should get involved by providing neutral, science-based solutions. He said the question every university should be asking is “What more can we be doing?”

A Tuesday evening highlight was an upbeat presentation by Miss America 2011, Teresa Scanlan, who set the stage by reminding the audience that “not everybody farms, but everybody eats.”

Scanlan articulated that “one of the biggest problems we are facing is bridging the gap between those who are involved in agriculture and those who are three generations or more removed from agriculture.” She contends that connecting the generations in various parts of the country can help right the “huge misunderstandings regarding agriculture.”

Noting that today’s farm operators average between 45 and 65 years of age, Scanlan said a new generation of producers will be needed to replace the nearly 100,000 farmers who will retire in the next decade. In addition, she said there is a “thin green line standing between affordable, available safe food and out total dependence on foreign countries for food.”

“To protect it, we need to raise a new generation of farmers and ranchers, educate and inform the public about the misinformation of modern production agriculture and fight for strong farm policy,” Scanlan stated.

During NIAA’s Annual Conference Closing General Session, Brian Rittgers, director of Global Management Development, Elanco, noted that other countries look to the United States as “a country that produces safe, affordable food.” To illustrate his point, Rittgers pointed out that 100 years ago, 50 percent of the income of U.S. consumers was spent on all food and today that percentage has dropped to just 10 percent.

Rittgers credited technology with this striking drop, adding that technology does not need to be groundbreaking.

“Technology enables three rights: food, choice and sustainability,” Rittgers said. He called food “a basic human right,” choice “a consumer right” and sustainability “an environmental right.”

He warned those in animal agriculture not to get caught up in the 1 percent of what he called “the fringe”—those who seek food bans and want to dictate what and how you produce.”  He said the focus should be on the 99 percent of food buyers identified by an International Consumer Attitude Study who care about taste, cost and nutrition.

Presentations by Gary Baise, attorney with Olsson Frank & Weeda, Washington D.C.; Marie Audet, dairy producer from Bridport, Vt.; and Tom Kourlis, sheep and cattle rancher and past Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture zeroed in on regulations and how animal agriculture can be proactive rather than reactive. All agreed that American animal agriculture is changing but that with change comes opportunity.

Gary Sides, Pfizer Animal Health, closed the conference with a message that resonated across the room. He didn’t mince words, noting that, without modern agriculture, “we have no choices.” Thanks to modern agriculture, “we have choices.”

“Because today U.S. agriculture takes just one person to feed 155, others can pursue careers outside of agriculture,” Sides stated. In 1940, one person in U.S. agriculture could only feed 19 people. Thanks to technology, fewer people are needed today in agriculture. As a result, individuals can pursue other professions. They become engineers, computer programmers, researchers who discover new cures, doctors who heal more children, teachers who educate today’s children, etc.

“If technology was frozen in the year 1955, it would require an additional 450 million acres—the total land mass of Texas, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma—to produce the beef we are producing today,” Sides commented. “Globally, if we still achieved yields of 1960, an additional 15-20 million square miles of farmland would be needed to produce today’s food supply.”

In 1961, the United States population was close to 184 million people. In 2006, that number was greater than 300 million people. Relating those numbers back to 1960, he explained, “If agriculture technology today was the same as 1960, we would either have to either expand acres by 63 percent or decrease food consumption by 63%.”

Sides underscored that farming technology enables U.S. agriculture to produce 70 percent more corn from each pound of fertilizer, use 50 to 80 percent less water, decrease soil erosion by 43 percent in the last 20 years and produce 18 percent of the world’s total food supply on only 10 percent of the world’s land mass.

An advocate for animal agriculture, Sides commented on the disconnect between science and what’s reported in the popular press. Delivering example after example, he recommended that those in animal agriculture “educate yourself, engage and be involved in public policy decisions.”

Presentations by NIAA’s Opening General Session and Closing General Session speakers as well as Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan and a majority of NIAA’s Council and Committee Meeting presentations are available online at www.animalagriculture.org.