Monday September 17 Ag News

Straw Poll Shows Husker Harvest Days Attendees Favor Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Husker Harvest Days attendees who voted in Nebraska Farm Bureau’s straw poll this week gave favorable signs to three of the proposed Constitutional Amendments on the ballot for voters in November, while also giving Republican candidates for Congress and the White House a favorable nod.

A total of two hundred-eighty-four visitors to the Farm Bureau building at the farm show in Grand Island, voted in the non-scientific poll, Sept. 11-13. Pollsters were asked to weigh in on proposed constitutional amendments to make hunting, fishing and wildlife harvesting a protected right; allow members of the Nebraska Legislature to serve three, rather than two, consecutive terms; and boost state senators annual salaries from $12,000 per year to $22,500 per year. 

“Eighty-one percent of those voting supported establishing the right to hunt and fish, while only 9 percent opposed,” said Jay Ferris, Nebraska Farm Bureau’s director of grassroots programs. “The proposal to extend the terms of Nebraska legislators was supported with 52 percent of the vote and 37 percent against. Fifty-one percent supported the increase in state senator salaries while 33 percent opposed.”

The poll also asked voters to weigh in on the presidential election, Nebraska’s open seat for U.S. Senate, and all three U.S. House of Representatives races. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was the decisive choice of pollsters receiving 86 percent approval with only 10 percent favoring President Obama. Eighty-eight percent of those voting also favored Deb Fischer over Bob Kerrey who received 9 percent of the vote. All three Republican incumbents in the U.S. House of Representatives were definitive winners in the polls. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Dist.1) garnered 85 percent of the vote in comparison to 6 percent for Korey Reiman. Rep. Lee Terry (R-Dist.2) received 78 percent of the vote in comparison to 11 percent for John Ewing.  Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Dist.3) received support from 89 percent of the pollsters compared to Mark Sullivan’s 9 percent. 

“The Husker Harvest Days straw poll has proven over the years to be a good indicator of where voters ultimately go in November so it will be interesting to see how this year’s results stack up,” said Ferris. “The important thing is that people take the time to be a part of the process and participate in the elections on Nov. 6.”



Diminished Corn Production and Ethanol Policy — Should the RFS be Waived?

In this week's Cornhusker Economics Roberts Professor of agricultural economics Richard Perrin looks at potential impacts from changes to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

The short corn crop and soaring prices due to the drought have brought forth appeals to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use its discretionary power to waive the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) for 2012, 2013, or both. This, it is reasoned, would reduce ethanol production, and therefore reduce corn consumption by the ethanol industry and reduce corn prices. The desirability of these objectives aside, there are some pitfalls in the reasoning, which will be reviewed here....  http://agecon.unl.edu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=24c2b985-7cc9-41fa-9dc3-3076c5cd8074&groupId=2369805&.pdf.   



After the Drought: Sept. 27 Webinar on Available Mental/Behavioral Health Resources

Recent rains have eased the strain of drought on much of the Midwest's farmland, but the strain on the Midwest's farmers remains a major concern. As disappointing harvests become a reality for many, the financial and emotional impacts of the drought may lead some farm families into crisis.

A September 27 one-hour national webinar will address this topic and the resources available to help farm families cope. The program's goal is to provide farm families, Extension educators, and other agriculture professionals with basic resources to address mental/behavioral issues related to the drought.

Program topics will include:
-    Mental health issues likely to be encountered by drought-stressed farmers, such as depression, anxiety disorders, suicidal thoughts and actions, and substance abuse
-    Proper identification of signs and symptoms
-    Appropriate responses when interacting with farm family members
-    Referral sources for additional assistance
-    Training opportunities available through Mental Health First Aid

The program will be presented by Roberta Schweitzer, who has a Ph.D. in nursing, a master’s degree as an advanced practice psych-mental health nurse, and more than 20 years of professional experience in psychotherapy and counseling with individuals, families, and groups.

Dr. Schweitzer is nationally certified as a trainer for Mental Health First Aid and as a practitioner of group psychotherapy and psychodrama through the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama. She is a former assistant professor in the Purdue University School of Nursing and collaborates with Indiana AgrAbility/Breaking New Ground to explore rural stress and coping issues, and to enhance mental health resources and well-being in farm families living with a chronic disability.

A question and answer period will follow the presentation.

To participate in this free webinar, register using the online form by Friday, September 21. Instructions for accessing the session will be sent to registrants by Tuesday, September 25.

For more information contact AgrAbility at 800-825-4264 or email agrability@agrability.org.



Nebraska Corn Board urges farmers to be safety-minded during harvest

Agriculture remains one of the more dangerous occupations in North America. But exercising caution, getting rest and being safety-minded can go a long way toward making it safer for everyone involved, the Nebraska Corn Board said in noting that Sept. 16-22 is National Farm Safety and Health Week.

“As the long hours of harvest begin, we need to be safety minded to prevent an injury or fatality that could have been prevented by taking appropriate precautions, ” said Tim Scheer, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board and farmer from St. Paul. “Precautions such as staying focused and resting regularly can keep things safe around the farm for everyone, including family members helping to bring the crop in.”

This year’s focus for Farm Safety Week is the farm family with the theme of Agriculture Safety & Health…A Family Affair. The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety, which promotes National Farm Safety and Health Week, said there were 596 deaths and 70,000 disabling injuries attributed to agriculture in 2010.

“Grain production and handling continues to be one of the most dangerous aspects of crop production,” Scheer said. “There are more than 1 billion bushels of on-farm storage capacity across Nebraska and grain bins and associated equipment are common on farms and deserve extra attention.”

Scheer also cautioned motorists driving on rural roads during harvest. Such roads see additional traffic during harvest, which increases the chances for accidents to occur between slower moving farm equipment and vehicles moving at highway speeds. In addition, rural intersections will have heavier-than-normal travel and the dry conditions increase dust which limit visibility, as can sun glare in the morning and evening. Standing crops in the field may also block a clear view of oncoming traffic.

The Nebraska Corn Board encourages farmers, their families and employees to pay special attention to the safety features of their equipment, and encourages everyone to keep an eye toward safety on the highways and byways this harvest and year round.

Some things to consider for farmers and farm workers while on the farm this fall:
    Ensure that trained family members and employees are operating powerful equipment.
    Develop a set of safety rules that everyone should follow – and enforce them. Also consider developing an emergency plan so everyone is on the same page.
    Check that PTOs are well protected to avoid contact with clothing or people during operation.
    Check to make sure safety shields are in place on all equipment everyday – they are there for a reason.
    Always be aware of power lines that can come in contact with moving equipment and augers around grain bins.
    Grain bins deserve special attention and caution when grain is being loaded and removed. Safety measures should be put in place to avoid any risk of entrapment and suffocation.
    Take periodic breaks to help avoid fatigue. Take a rest break for a few minutes, go for a short walk or check in with family members.
    Use extra caution when backing equipment. It is easy to overlook something or more importantly, someone, especially a child.
    Protective eye and ear wear is important in many situations.
    Remind family members and workers that safe practices come before expedience.

“Additionally, with the extreme drought the risk of fire has been greatly elevated,” Scheer said. “So please be extra careful, conduct routine maintenance, don’t allow leaves and stover to build up and have a fire extinguisher inside the cab.”



National Farm Safety and Health Week puts spotlight on family farms

The International Society for Agricultural Safety and Health (www.isash.org) urges everyone involved in agriculture to recognize National Farm Safety and Health Week (September 16-22) and promote awareness of safety solutions year round.

This year’s theme, “Agricultural Safety and Health … A Family Affair,” focuses on the family farm.

“Although farming in many regions is moving toward larger operations, a great percentage of the agricultural industry is still based on the family unit,” said ISASH President George Cook, University of Vermont. “The protection and well-being of farm family members remains one of the guiding principles of ISASH.”

Agriculture is more than seven times as hazardous as other U.S. industries, with 621 fatalities in 2010, according to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injury.

ISASH approaches agricultural safety and health from multiple perspectives. Its membership includes engineers, educators, insurers, physicians, nurses, veterinarians, statisticians, communicators, business leaders and others who contribute to a safer and healthier agricultural work place.

ISASH is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Able to trace its roots to a small but viable farm safety awakening in the United States during the late 1930s, ISASH incorporated in 1962 as National Institute for Farm Safety. Many safety initiatives in U.S. agriculture have involved members of ISASH or its predecessors, including: slow-moving vehicle emblem; emergency farm rescue; rollover protective structures; assistive technologies for disabled farmers; and hand signals.

2012-2013 ISASH Board of Directors: George Cook, University of Vermont (president); Chris Shivers, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (president-elect); Ann Carruth, Southeast Louisiana University; Mike DeSpain, John Deere; Karen Funkenbusch, University of Missouri; Bernard Geschke, Progressive Agriculture Foundation; Bruce Johnson, Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association; Marsha Purcell, American Farm Bureau Federation; and Deb Reed, University of Kentucky. Ex-Officio to the board: Nancy Hetzel (treasurer); Chip Petrea, University of Illinois (secretary).



Congress Focuses on Continuing Resolution, Heading Home
(from NAWG newsletter)

Members of Congress arrived in Washington this week ready to undertake their most basic work – funding the government – and then head back home.

Legislators in both chambers are focused on a six-month continuing resolution (CR), which was approved by the House Thursday evening on a 321 to 91 vote. The Senate is scheduled to take up the measure this week.

The short-term funding bill was pre-negotiated to be approved well before the end of the federal government’s fiscal year, which should avoid the last-minute nail biting of past efforts to continue or reauthorize federal funding.

The overall bill increases spending by $8 billion, to $1.047 trillion, the Republican concession to get a CR deal. In turn, Democrats agreed to let the measure run until March 2013, two months into the next Congress and presidential administration.

Most programs are maintained at existing funding levels, though some saw cuts.

For instance, agriculture conservation programs were hard hit, with the bill mandating no new enrollments in the Conservation Security Program (CSP); cutting $350 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), $50 million from the Farmland Protection Program and $35 million from the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP); and ending spending authority after Sept. 30 for the Wetland Reserve Program, Grassland Reserve Program and the Chesapeake Bay Regional Conservation Program.

Approval of a six-month CR will give federal agencies a small measure of budgetary certainty for the coming year, but that is far outweighed by the looming threats of deep sequestration cuts in January and a wholly unknown budget for the second half of the fiscal year.

The Obama Administration released a report late Friday outlining how sequestration would affect agency spending. A quick review of that showed USDA programs would be cut between 7.6 and 8.2 percent.

The CR does not address either part of the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the sequestration cuts mandated by law as part of last year’s attempted debt-deficit reduction efforts or tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year.

Congress is scheduled to be in session by late next Wednesday after an extended weekend for a Jewish holiday. However, it is unlikely either fiscal cliff issue will be addressed, if at all, until a lame duck session following the November elections.



Discharge Petition Effort Aims to Bring Farm Bill to the Floor

Supporters of new, long-term farm and food policy continued this week to press the issue politically and procedurally in the face of House Leadership that is intransigent in its unwillingness to take up the House Agriculture Committee-approved bill.

More than a dozen Members of Congress joined the Farm Bill Now rally held on the Capitol grounds Wednesday, with many encouraging farmers and stakeholders to call all Congressional offices, every day, pressing a new farm bill.

Thursday, Reps. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), a member of the House Leadership herself, and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) circulated a Dear Colleague letter asking House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) to meet and discuss the farm bill. It was sent Friday with 40 signatories.

Also Thursday, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) filed a discharge petition, which is something of a political Hail Mary pass, aiming to bring the legislation to the full House.

If the petition gains 218 signatures, it will force floor consideration of the bill under an open rule. As of Friday afternoon, 53 Members of Congress had signed on, with a full list available at http://clerk.house.gov/112/lrc/pd/petitions/DisPet0005.xml.

House Republican Leaders continue to say there are not the needed votes available to pass new, long-term legislation to replace the 2008 Farm Bill, which expires Sept. 30. This contention is heavily debated by House Democrats, Senators and agriculture stakeholders who see the blockage as primarily political.

House leaders seem somewhat more open to further consideration of a disaster assistance package, though the body already passed one disaster bill before leaving for the August recess. The Senate has declined to take that package up, a position supported by NAWG and other grower groups in a letter sent to Senate leaders last week.

Leadership is also reportedly determining support for a three-month extension of the 2008 Farm Bill, which would at least prevent current law from expiring wholesale on Sept. 30.

Congress’ time at work before the November elections can now be more easily counted in hours than days. Both chambers will take a long weekend for Rosh Hashanah, returning for work next Wednesday through Friday. After that, they will be out of session until mid-November.

Meanwhile, the 2008 Farm Bill expires in just 16 days. If nothing is passed to replace it before that time, some programs will continue on, including the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps. Most others will lose funding or authorization over the next three months until permanent law, written in 1949, takes over.

NAWG is watching closely the impact to vital trade promotion and research programs authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill that are due to expire Oct. 1.

USDA, which will be hard pressed to operate without current authorization, is preparing for what happens in the event of a complete expiration. NAWG leaders in town for the Farm Bill Now rally and Hill visits this week also visited officials at the Department to discuss possible impacts on farmers under that scenario.



Lawmakers Launches Effort to Extend MILC Until Farm Bill is Resolved

Sixty lawmakers are calling on their colleagues to take action on extending federal dairy safety net programs until a new farm bill is put in place. Rep. Reid Ribble of Wisconsin and Vermont Congressman Peter Welch are joining Sens. Patrick Leahy, Vermont, and Olympia Snowe, Maine, in urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner to extend the Milk Income Loss Contract program on a temporary basis before the current farm bill expires on September 30.

In a letter to Sen. Reid and Rep. Boehner, the lawmakers added that as of September 1, the MILC program began to provide coverage at a reduced level, which makes it unlikely for the program to be triggered even in these times of high feed prices.

"Most concerning to us is the change in the program's feed cost adjuster, which was created in the 2008 Farm Bill to address volatile swings in feed prices," the letter said. "This change in particular has put our farmers at far greater risk as this year's drought continues to impact much of the country and drive up the cost of feed. In addition, instead of offering dairy farmers coverage at 45 percent of the difference between the target price and the actual price, the program now only provides coverage at 34 percent of this difference. The program's volume cap has also declined, falling from 2.985 million to 2.4 million pounds per dairy farmer."

The memo continued to say that the current Senate-passed farm bill and the House Agriculture Committee's version both move to eliminate the MILC program in favor of a new policy. But until a new bill is enacted and USDA has a dairy program in place, the lawmakers would like to find the necessary offsets to maintain the MILC program at its previous coverage levels for the duration of any extension of current policy.

"Dairy farmers across the country have benefited from the MILC program during difficult times and we fear that failure to maintain the program at its previous levels will saddle dairy farmers with significant risks as their feed prices continue to skyrocket," they say.



Ag Groups Press Need for Vietnam Access in TPP Agreement

The National Association of Wheat Growers and 45 other agricultural organizations are warning USDA and trade officials that the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks could fall short if “meaningful market access” in Vietnam is not achieved.

In a letter sent late last week, the groups told Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that Vietnam remains the key growth market that U.S. agricultural producers could access through a successful TPP.

The organizations stressed that their support is contingent on achievement of a comprehensive free trade deal with Vietnam.

“Of the current participants in the TPP negotiations, Vietnam holds far and away the greatest market potential for the vast majority of U.S. food and agricultural products,” they wrote.

The U.S. already has free trade agreements with Chile, Peru, Australia and Singapore, and New Zealand, Malaysia and Brunei are not considered large growth markets.

Without a TPP agreement, U.S. agriculture would be at a competitive disadvantage to Australia and New Zealand, which have preferential access to Vietnam through an existing trade agreement.

Since Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in 2007, U.S. agricultural exports to the country have grown more than six-fold, from $216 million to $1.64 billion.

A successful TPP agreement would link the U.S. to rapidly growing economies and populations in countries of the Asian Pacific region, several of which are quickly growing markets for U.S. wheat.

All of the countries involved in the TPP talks hope to not only reduce barriers to trade, but also set higher standards throughout the region for labor and intellectual property rights protections.

Since free trade agreements with Colombia and South Korea were implemented, with a similar agreement with Panama set to be implemented soon, trade advocates are focusing attention on the TPP talks, which will almost certainly produce the next large, multilateral agreement benefiting the U.S.



 NCBA Educates Capitol Hill on Devastating Estate Tax Effects

Representatives from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today gave an overview to congressional staff members on the devastating impact of the estate tax on cattlemen and cattlewomen as part of NCBA’s “Beef 101” educational series.

“Tackling the death tax is the top priority for NCBA,” said NCBA Associate Director of Legislative Affairs Kent Bacus. “The tax directly affects family-owned small businesses, such as farms and ranches, because of the burden it places on families hoping to pass their business on to the next generation.”

“Beef 101” is an educational series for members of Congress and their staff. The program was developed to bridge the knowledge gap between elected officials and the beef industry. The session featured a presentation by Bacus, who stressed to attendees that there must be permanency in the tax code. For now, estates worth more than $5 million per individual and $10 million per couple are taxed at a rate of 35 percent.

According to Bacus, 97 percent of American farms and ranches are owned and operated by families, and eliminating the death tax is an important step in stimulating the nation’s economy. One of these family-owned ranches is Barthle Brothers Ranch, located in San Antonio, Fla., and owned by the Barthle family. Four generations of the Barthle family have called the ranch home. Randy Barthle and his daughter, Sarabeth Barthle-Simmons, attended the “Beef 101” presentation and gave a first-hand account on how the death tax has affected their family’s operation. Barthle said that when his grandfather passed away in 1971, the family was hit with a $1 million estate tax, causing the family to have to take out additional loans in order to pay the tax within nine months.

“Being a cattle producer is a family business, and the death tax has a devastating effect on ranching families,” said Randy Barthle. “It’s all about family for us, along with preserving the land we ranch on. There are 17 children in the next generation of our family, and they all agree on one thing; they want our ranch and family’s way of life to be preserved.”

One important fact addressed during today’s presentation is that most agricultural operations are asset-rich and cash poor, with most of their value tied up in the value of the land. For asset-rich and cash-poor family businesses, the appraised value of rural land is extremely inflated when compared to its agricultural value. NCBA has made this information available on its website including state-by-state analysis.

“Uncertainty in the tax code, and more specifically with the estate tax, creates an unnecessary burden for farmers and ranchers who are forced to set aside valuable resources for estate planning instead of investing in the expansion of their family businesses,” said Bacus. “Farmers and ranchers are already faced with uncontrollable factors like the weather and input costs. The tax code shouldn’t be as unpredictable as the weather.”



Free Webinar Helps Farmers Consider How Drought May Impact Nutrients Next Year

The National Corn Growers Association, as a member of the Ag Nutrient Policy Council, invites all interested members to participate in a webinar on nutrient management challenges in the wake of this year's historic drought. The 90-minute session, offered by the American Society of Agronomy and the Certified Crop Advisors, is free to growers but does require advance registration to hold one of the 1,000 slots being offered for the September 26 session, to be held at Noon CDT.

"The dry conditions that plagued much of the country will do damage beyond impacting yields and this year's crop," said NCGA Production and Stewardship Action Team Chair Dean Taylor. "These conditions have created a fundamentally new set of even more complex considerations that farmers must consider when planning how to most effectively use and manage the nutrients necessary for crop production. I strongly encourage farmers interested in exploring this important topic to register today and, following the session, to share the knowledge with their friends and neighbors, thus multiplying its benefit."



New Holland Named Official Ag Equipment of NASCAR

In a joint announcement at the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council meeting in Chicago, New Holland became the Official Agricultural Equipment of NASCAR. New Holland, the latest NASCAR Official Partner, has served the needs of farmers and ranchers across North America for more than 110 years, and its equipment plays a critical role in the production of ethanol.

In 2011, NASCAR announced a switch in its three national series to Sunoco Green E15, a 15% ethanol blend fuel made with corn grown in the United States. The low-carbon fuel emits 20% less greenhouse emissions than unleaded gasoline. New Holland manufactures a wide range of equipment essential for the crop production and harvesting of corn used to produce the biofuel.

"We are proud of our newly expanded alliance with NASCAR and the role our equipment plays in helping power the sport," says Abe Hughes, vice president of New Holland, North America. "We are the agricultural industry's Clean Energy Leader, and are looking forward to further enhancing our 30-year relationship with a sport that is pushing the bar on clean and efficient fuel that is not only helping to restore America's energy independence, but also serves to strengthen American farmers and the rural economy. New Holland stands 100% behind this impact."

Growth Energy, a leading ethanol advocacy organization, and the National Corn Growers Association created the American Ethanol partnership with NASCAR to push for broad acceptance of a renewable domestic fuel for American motorists.