Monday December 17 Ag News

Heineman Announces Line-up for 25th Annual Governor’s Ag Conference

Gov. Dave Heineman today previewed the schedule for the 2013 Governor’s Ag Conference to be held Tuesday and Wednesday, February 12-13 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney.  This year the 25th anniversary of the Conference will be celebrated with the theme “A Platform for Nebraska Agriculture’s Future.”

“We have selected speakers to address big picture topics that will challenge conference attendees to think about the long-term future of Nebraska agriculture,” said Gov. Heineman. “Livestock production methods, biotechnology and farm policy will all be addressed, giving the farmers, ranchers and agribusiness leaders in attendance a variety of issues to discuss.”

The conference begins at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12. Dr. Roger Beachy, with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Mo., will kick off the conference with a discussion about the future of biotechnology, and how new research and policy considerations may influence opportunities for Nebraska. Beachy was previously director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at the United States Department of Agriculture.

Two speakers have been asked to address the future of livestock production in the state. Tyson Redpath with The Russell Group of Arlington, Va., will discuss the effects of state animal welfare laws on interstate commerce. Redpath worked previously on the staff of House Speaker John Boehner. Dr. Ronnie Green, vice chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will discuss a UNL analysis of Nebraska’s position within the United States as a food producer now, and in the future.

Jerry Hagstrom, with the Hagstrom Report, will provide an analysis of current activity in Washington, D.C., that could affect Nebraska agriculture, including the status of the farm bill, results of activity related to the federal budget and overall deficit, and other federal action that may influence the future for farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses. Hagstrom is a well-known agriculture journalist, commentator and author and is a North Dakota native.

“This 25th anniversary conference comes at what I think is a pivotal time for the agricultural industry,” said Nebraska’s Ag Director Greg Ibach. “While we need to get through the months ahead, we also need to plan for our future in the coming decades. I think our line-up of speakers will challenge us to think that way.”

Other activities will include a report by State Climatologist Al Dutcher on the year ahead in weather, and the “Celebrate Nebraska Agriculture” reception. The reception begins at 6 p.m. Feb. 12, featuring a wide variety of Nebraska food products, and Nebraska entertainers including magician Adam White and cowboy poet R.P. Smith.

Anyone interested in agriculture issues is invited to attend. A $100 registration fee covers participation at activities on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Registration is available online at www.agr.ne.gov, or by calling NDA toll-free at (800) 831-0550.



Ag Outlook 2013 Set for Grand Island Jan 23-24

Ag Outlook 2013 is set for January 23 and 24th 2013 at the Heartland Events Center Fonner Park Grand Island Nebraska.  Ag Outlook 2013 is bringing out Ag Leaders from our area and across the country to converge on a single platform to answer Ag producers’ questions. 

Area business’s such as Hastings Grain Inspection, Global Industries, Big Cob Hybrid, and Sunheat,have already  stepped up to help sponsor and bring in such speakers as David Hightower from the Hightower report,   Todd Sneller from the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Steve Williams from JBS and Greg Hoelck  from Hastings Grain Inspection.

Ag Outlook 2013 seating is limited. VIP seating is available but is going fast. To find out how you can participate email agedco@charter.net  or visit www.agedco.com.  



Nebraska Farm Bureau Names 2013 Leadership Academy Members

Ten farmers and ranchers from across Nebraska have been selected for Nebraska Farm Bureau’s 2013 Farm Bureau Academy leadership development program. The selected farmers and ranchers will begin the program on Jan. 31 and Feb.1 in Kearney. The academy is a series of seminars designed to develop and retain leaders for County Farm Bureaus and the state organization,” said Roger Berry, academy coordinator and vice president of member services for Nebraska Farm Bureau.

“The academy curriculum focuses on the opportunities for leadership within Farm Bureau and the opportunity to influence public policy through a Farm Bureau leadership role, both at the county and state level.”

Academy members will participate in sessions on entrepreneurial thinking, understanding the county/state/national structure of Farm Bureau and its grassroots policy process, policy issues important to agriculture, issue management, relationship building, presenting viewpoints and media training, including use of social media.

Participants attend two-day seminars in January, February, March and August. In September the group will travel to Washington, D.C., for visits with Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and federal agency representatives. Academy participants are expected to increase their leadership involvement in Farm Bureau upon completion of the program, Berry said.

The 2013 Farm Bureau Leadership Academy members are:

Marvin Andel of David City is a member of Butler County Farm Bureau. He raises corn, soybeans, alfalfa and sheep. He also operates a custom hay baling operation.

Ryan Ueberrhein of Elkhorn is a member of Douglas County Farm Bureau. He raises corn and soybeans near Valley and is also involved in raising sheep with his father.

Karah Perdue of York is a member of York County Farm Bureau. She is involved in a dryland corn and soybean operation and has been active in working on projects for the county farm bureau.

Julie Reed of Lincoln is a member of Lancaster County Farm Bureau. She and her husband are involved in a precision agriculture business and family farm operation. She has also been a member of Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher Program.

Shane Greving of Chapman is a member of Merrick County Farm Bureau. He raises seed corn, field corn, soybeans and winter wheat. Greving also partners in a custom seed corn harvesting business.

Matthew Krenk of Pleasant Dale is a member of Seward County Farm Bureau. He farms with his brother raising corn, soybeans and wheat. He also holds a position with Cargill, Inc.

Andrew Schmidt of Deshler is a member of Thayer County Farm Bureau. He farms with his father and raises corn, soybean and wheat on irrigated and dryland acres. The family’s farm also includes a cow-calf and cattle feeding component. 

Nancy Anderson of Crawford is a member of Dawes County Farm Bureau. She and her husband operate a cow-calf and cattle feeding operation.

Stephanie Hruby of Hemingford is a member of Dawes County Farm Bureau. She and her husband have a cow-calf operation and also operate a well and windmill business that installs and services domestic and livestock wells, windmills, solar pumps and septic systems.

Melodie Loostrom of Maxwell is a member of Lincoln County Farm Bureau. She is involved in her family’s cow-calf and cattle feeding operation, where they also raise alfalfa, grass hay and silage.



Thurston County FSA Announces County Committee Election Results

Thurston County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Josie Waterbury announced that county committee elections are over, the ballots are counted, and the results are in…

Billy Athey was re-elected as the County Committee member representing farmers and ranchers from the Omaha, Blackbird, Dawes, and Anderson Townships of Thurston County.  Billy was elected to his second term on the County Committee.  The election results for Local Administrative Area #3 are as follows...

Billy Athey – Elected to County Committee
Joseph Harlan – First Alternate

Elected county committee members serve a three-year term and are responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, conservation, commodity, and price support programs, as well as other important federal farm program issues.

"County committee members are a valuable asset because they are local producers who participate in FSA programs themselves and have a direct connection to farmers and ranchers in the community,” said Waterbury.  "All recently elected county committee members and alternates will take office on January 1, 2013, and join the existing committee," she said.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) appreciates all voters who took the time to return an election ballot.  The County Committee system works only because of your participation.

Immediately after the December County Committee Meeting, an organizational meeting was held to determine who would serve as Chairperson.  Darrel Olson was selected as Chairperson, and Billy Athey was selected as Vice-Chairperson.  Thomas Reppert will serve as Member.

The County Committee is currently scheduled to meet the second Tuesday of even-numbered months at 9:00 a.m. at the Thurston County FSA Office in Walthill.  However, the scheduled time and dates are subject to change.  The regular session portion of the meeting is open to the public.  The public is welcome to attend, and producers are encouraged to contact the county office to verify meeting information.

For more information about county committees and the election process, please contact the Thurston County FSA office at (402) 846-5655 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/elections.



UNL Professor Honored by DuPont Young Professors Program

A University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor is one of nine professors in the nation to be honored by the DuPont Young Professors program.

Aaron Lorenz, of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, is part of the 2012 class of honorees. Awards are given to advance key research that is relevant to DuPont.

Lorenz has been at UNL since 2010. He was honored for his work in the optimization of genomic selection for plant breeding. The award is $25,000 per year, renewed for up to three years.

Lorenz received his bachelor’s degree in agriculture-plant science from the University of Minnesota, his master’s in plant breeding from Iowa State University and his doctorate in plant breeding and genomics from the University of Wisconsin.

The class represents eight universities in the United States and one in Germany. It is the 44th class of DuPont Young Professors. DuPont awarded a total of $675,000.

Since the inception of the award in 1967, about 557 young professors from the United States, Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and Africa have received nearly $49 million in grants.



Spring Semester Water Seminar Series Scheduled

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's spring semester water seminar will feature more than a dozen lectures covering a variety of timely water-related topics.

The free public lectures begin Jan. 16 and continue weekly through April 24, except for March 20, during spring break. The 14 lectures are Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the first floor auditorium of Hardin Hall, northeast corner of North 33rd and Holdrege streets, UNL East Campus.

"Weekly topics run the gamut of timely and provocative water and water-related subjects, which broadens the scope of the lecture series and ensures that there are at least one or two lectures that anyone interested in water can relate to and have interest in," said Nebraska Water Center assistant director Lorrie Benson, who organizes the annual series. The NWC is part of the University of Nebraska's Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute.

Andrea Brookfield of the University of Kansas opens the lecture series with a talk on integrating hydrologic models, building new tools for managing water.

"Modeling is an essential and critical tool, both for water quantity and quality, for current and future water management, so it's not unusual to use the lecture series to increase our knowledge of the latest practices in that field," Benson said.

Other speakers and lectures include a talk on estimating and measuring global precipitation in the 21st century by George Huffman of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Feb. 6; the new local politics of water by Megan Mullin of Temple University on Feb. 20; and adaptive governance of urban watersheds by Ahjond Garmestani of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 6.

Invasive species is another issue of increasing importance in managing water and water systems and David Strayer of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies will speak on the effects of the Zebra Mussel invasion on aquatic ecosystems in the Hudson River and other areas on March 13. Zebra Mussels are a persistent and increasing threat to many Nebraska and Iowa ecosystems, as well.

On April 10, Jeremy Weiss of the University of Arizona will address the ramifications of recent variations in low temperature and moisture constraints on vegetation in the southwestern U.S.

Later in the month, Steven Peterson of the U.S. Geological Survey will address the High Plains groundwater availability study and how abundant groundwater in the High Plains aquifer region doesn't necessarily mean abundant surface water.

Other speakers in the series hail from the University of Nevada, Reno, and the University of Iowa.

The complete January through April schedule appears below and is posted online at watercenter.unl.edu. Videos of most lectures, along with speaker PowerPoint presentations, will also be posted at that web address within a few days after the lecture.
            Jan. 16: Integrated Hydrologic Models: Building New Tools for Water Management – Andrea Brookfield, University of Kansas
            Jan. 23: The Niobrara River Basin Study: Using Various Models to Assess Water Supplies and Demands – Brandi Flyr, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
            Jan. 30: Participatory Water Governance: Experiences & Issues from Around the World – Kate Berry, University of Nevada, Reno
            Feb. 6: (Williams Memorial Lecture) Global Precipitation in the 21st Century George Huffman, National Aeronautics and Space Administration        
            Feb. 13: Do We Really Have Too Much Water Pollution? The Nexus Between Economic Science and Physical Science – Steven J. Taff, University of Minnesota
            Feb. 20: The New Local Politics of Water – Megan Mullin, Temple University
            Feb. 27: Resistance and Resilience of Aquatic Communities to Low Flow Disturbance – Annika Walters, University of Wyoming
            March 6: Adaptive Governance of Urban Watersheds – Ahjond Garmestani, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
            March 13: Effects of the Zebra Mussel Invasion on Aquatic Ecosystems: the Hudson River and Beyond – David Strayer, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
            March 20: No seminar (UNL Spring Break)
            March 27: Dynamics of Transport and Fate of Solutes in Hydrologic Landscapes – Adam Ward, University of Iowa
            April 3: (Williams Memorial Lecture) Implications for Water, Food and Energy from the Latest IPCC Climate Simulations – Lawrence Buja, National Center for Atmospheric Research
            April 10: Recent Variations in Low-Temperature and Moisture Constraints on Vegetation in the Southwestern U.S. – Jeremy Weiss, University of Arizona
            April 17: The U.S. Drought of 2012:  Once-in-a-Generation Crop Calamity – Brad Rippey, U.S. Department of Agriculture
            April 24: The High Plains Groundwater Availability Study: Abundant Groundwater Doesn't Necessarily Mean Abundant Surface Water – Steven Peterson, U.S. Geological Survey



Derickson to Chair USDA Food and Ag Council

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Craig Derickson will chair the USDA Food and Agriculture Council (FAC) in Nebraska for the 2013 calendar year. The council is made up of federal, state and local agriculture entities. Meetings will be held quarterly to identify, assess and address needs and problems in agriculture and rural issues.

The Food and Agriculture Council was established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in each state to coordinate interagency activities and to promote the goals and objectives of agriculture and related natural resource interests. The state councils may be utilized for public feedback on procedural issues, to receive recommendations on policies under consideration and to keep informed on agriculture, natural resources and rural development concerns.

"The FAC is a great vehicle for federal, state and local agencies to share information and work together to address the needs of Nebraska," Derickson said. "FACs were instituted to provide a policy-level, cross-agency, decision-making and communication forum to achieve USDA's goals and objectives."

The first meeting of the Council in 2013 will be held Tuesday, Jan. 8 at the Federal Building in Lincoln. A special presentation to the Council will be made by Dean Groskurth, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Director, on the 2012 Census of Agriculture. NASS will mail out Census forms in late December to collect data for the 2012 calendar year. The Census is a critical tool that gives producers a voice to influence decisions shaping the future of their community, industry and operation. More information about the census can be found at www.agcensus.usda.gov.



Pilot Project Shows PIN Tags Help Focus Surveillance Efforts

Imagine if the management tags you use for your sows or boars benefited the pork industry by better targeting surveillance for pseudorabies and swine brucellosis in harvest channels. This could become a reality, thanks to a premises identification number (PIN) tag pilot program.

The Pork Checkoff, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the National Pork Producers Council, USDA’s Veterinary Services and producers and state veterinarians in Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota, cooperated on the pilot program, which focused on the official PIN tag approved by USDA in 2008. The pork industry has urged adoption of the tags to improve preharvest traceability and to benefit national swine disease surveillance programming.

“With early adoption of the tags by various production systems, a pilot program could be conducted to test their application for disease surveillance,” said Jim Niewold a producer from Loda Ill., and member of the Checkoff’s Swine Health Committee and Swine ID Implementation Task Force.

After the pilot was approved, USDA’s National Surveillance Unit (NSU) became a secure hub for information sharing. States provided the counties associated with swine premises, and USDA Wildlife Services provided a list of counties with feral swine.

Using PINs from official tags collected at harvest, the NSU then cross-referenced the lists to determine the presence of feral swine.

“Feral swine represent a high risk for disease reintroduction, so samples from sows in counties with these animals are more valuable to test,” said Dr. Patrick Webb, director of swine health programs for the Pork Checkoff. He noted that early detection and proving freedom from these diseases in the commercial herd has always been a priority.

“But previously, disease surveillance in harvest channels focused only on broad coverage of sows and boars,” Webb said. “This has led to oversampling. The tags allow for USDA to target surveillance in order to save money that can be better spent on other industry priorities.”

The pilot program showed that with cooperation between various USDA program areas and states, targeted risk-based surveillance for pseudorabies and swine brucellosis can be achieved in harvest channels.

“We’ve worked hard to eradicate these diseases from the commercial herd, but their presence in feral swine still presents a risk,” said Wathina Luthi, a pork producer from Gage, Okla., and member of the National Pork Board. “Moving forward with the implementation of these tags provides an opportunity to target surveillance, better detect diseases earlier and protect our markets.”



Addressing consumer demands for socially responsible pork production

The American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) recently modified its position on sow housing. According to Harry Snelson, communications director with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the previous statement concentrated on pregnant sow housing while the new statement addresses both pregnant and farrowed sows, as well as their pigs.

At the request of AASV leadership, the Pig Welfare Committee reviewed the association’s position statement on pregnant sow housing, which was approved in July. Following its review, the committee proposed a revised sow housing position statement for consideration by the AASV Board during its fall meeting. The board modified the proposed wording and adopted the following statement.

As swine veterinarians, our mission is to protect and improve the health and well-being of the animal. Given the variability inherent in different housing systems, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians supports the use of sow housing configurations that:

• Provide every animal with access to appropriate food and water;
• Protect sows and piglets from detrimental effects associated with environmental extremes, particularly temperature extremes;
• Reduce exposure to hazards that result in disease, pain or injury to sows or piglets;
• Allow sows and piglets to express appropriate behaviors and minimize expression of inappropriate behaviors within the constraints of the housing type;
• Minimize aggression and competition between sows;
• Promote good air quality and allow proper sanitation; and
• Facilitate evaluation and care of individual animals while protecting worker safety

We strive to foster these essential components where supported by the scientific literature, in all housing systems. Our goal is to teach and promote appropriate stockmanship, which is as important as housing type in meeting the needs of the animals.



Catlett to Provide Keynote Address at NCBA's Cattlemen's College®

Cattlemen and women planning to attend the 20th anniversary of Cattlemen’s College® can expect an innovative and educational program during the sessions which will take place Feb. 5-6 in Tampa, Fla. Sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, the 2013 edition of Cattlemen’s College® offers a wide range of informative, one of a kind hands-on workshops and classes designed for cattle operations of every size and sector.

All Cattlemen’s College® attendees should look forward to the keynote address on Feb. 6, which will be given by internationally respected futurist Dr. Lowell Catlett, who will educate the audience with his predictions for the long range outlook for the agricultural industry and factors that influence profitability and sustainability of beef cattle production. Catlett is a regent's professor in agricultural economics, agricultural business and extension economics, and is the Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University (NMSU). His areas of expertise include marketing economics, futures markets and production economics.

“We are very pleased to have Dr. Catlett joining us for the 20th anniversary of Cattlemen’s College®,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Executive Director of Producer Education John Paterson. “I guarantee that you will come away from his thought-provoking presentation enthused to be a cattleman.”

Catlett is the author of numerous books and articles and won NMSU’s highest award to a professor, the Westhafer Award. He works nationally and internationally with corporations and organizations doing futuristic planning concerning the impacts of technology on careers, lifestyles and the economy. Catlett earned his Bachelor of Science degree from West Texas State, a master’s degree from NMSU and a PhD in economics from Iowa State.

Registration for Cattlemen’s College® includes all classes along with a two-hour lunch program on Feb. 6. This schedule allows cattlemen to attend up to five 45-minute workshops. Cattlemen’s College® registration also includes admission to the Cattle-Fax Outlook Seminar, which will be held on Fri., Feb. 9.

Cattlemen’s College® registration information, as well as a complete schedule for the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show are available at www.beefusa.org. 



Applications Being Accepted for NFU Beginning Farmers Institute

The National Farmers Union is now accepting applications for its 2013 Beginning Farmers Institute program. The annual event is open to individuals who are new to farming, are in the process of transferring an operation from a relative or non-relative to themselves, or are contemplating a career in farming or ranching.

"The Beginning Farmer Institute underscores our commitment to growing a new generation of family agriculture," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "This program will answer the questions new farmers have, and more importantly share our expertise to answer questions that people might not think of asking when they begin farming."

The BFI program helps students gain insight and practical skills needed by beginning farmers and ranchers, including business plan writing, financial planning, and researching available programs to help starting up and sustaining a successful operation.

Applicants accepted into the 2013 program will attend three separate education sessions, to be held in the spring and fall of 2013, in Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis, Minnesota, respectively, with a final session culminating at NFU's annual Convention in March 2014 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Program topics at the education sessions will include business planning, U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, tax and record keeping, estate transfer and marketing.

Interested applicants can download the 2013 application on the NFU website at: http://www.nfu.org.