Wednesday August 4 Ag News

Cuming County Livestock Group Donates to Vet Diagnostic Center

            The Cuming County Livestock Feeders Association has announced a gift of $25,000 to support the Veterinary Diagnostic Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The planned new facility will help ensure livestock producers and others have access to the best available laboratory diagnostics, research, education and outreach services.

            The gift made to the University of Nebraska Foundation supports plans to replace an aging facility that no longer meets modern laboratory standards. The new facility planned to replace it will enable the university to better serve veterinarians, livestock producers, public health officials and others in Nebraska and around the country who depend on its services.

            Recognizing the state's need for a new center, the Nebraska Legislature committed to provide $41.5 million in funding through the Building a Healthier Nebraska initiative once $4.15 million is first raised from private sources. To date more than $3 million of private and other support has been raised, and the university hopes to launch the project before the conclusion of 2014.

            Ron Coufal, president of the Cuming County Livestock Feeders Association, said the organization is proud to invest in a new veterinary diagnostic facility for the state. "Cuming County is the largest agriculture producing county and helps Nebraska continue its number one status in the beef industry," he said. "It is only fitting that our association help Nebraska continue that ranking in all areas of livestock production, as 86 percent of agriculture revenue in the county comes from livestock with beef being the largest contributor."

            Alan Doster, professor and director of the Veterinary Diagnostic Center, said, "This investment made by the Cuming County Livestock Feeders Association will be well used and will help ensure we're able to provide a high level of service to livestock producers and veterinarians in Nebraska and across the country. We also appreciate their help in bringing attention to the need for a new state facility."

            Built in 1975, the Veterinary Diagnostic Center on UNL's East Campus has become outdated. According to an accreditation review last year by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, there is a need for facility upgrades and additional space to continue its responsiveness in the development and implementation of new technologies and to address biosafety and biosecurity concerns, or the center may face loss of accreditation.

            The center provides testing services to professionals and organizations across the nation and is considered a national center of excellence for testing of certain diseases in livestock, which is important for keeping them healthy.

            In addition to serving livestock producers, the Veterinary Diagnostic Center provides training for large animal veterinarians, a profession currently in demand in Nebraska. The center provides these future doctors with hands-on experience by studying specimens from current, real life animal cases. University faculty instructors and researchers conduct tests and perform research in the center that impacts agriculture across the country.

            The center is also a diagnostic resource for most small animal veterinarians in Nebraska who use the laboratory's services for quick turnaround and accurate testing of diseases specific to family pets.

            Public health officials in Nebraska even rely on the Veterinary Diagnostic Center to help protect the health of humans through diagnostic testing of certain diseases that can transfer from animals to humans, such as rabies, West Nile, H1N1 and others. The center provides disease surveillance, develops new diagnostic testing methods, conducts infectious disease research and supports continuing education programs.

            The gift from Cuming County Livestock Feeders Association also provides support to the University of Nebraska's current fundraising initiative, the Campaign for Nebraska: Unlimited Possibilities, and a top priority to increase support for agriculture and life sciences.

            Support for the Veterinary Diagnostic Center initiative has also been received by numerous other generous organizations and associations including the Nebraska Cattlemen, Boone Nance Cattleman, South Central Cattlemen, Exeter Feeders and Breeders, Thayer County Livestock Feeders, Saunders County Livestock Association, Morrill County Cattlemen and Bridgeport Affiliate.

            Cuming County Livestock Feeders Association will celebrate 60 years of service in 2014. Its 240 members include livestock producers, businesses, students and related industries. With support from its members and fundraising events, the association's board meets monthly to allocate funds for adult and youth education programs, scholarships, 4-H support, beef promotion and other worthy industry causes. It's an affiliate of the Nebraska Cattlemen and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. Over the years many local, state and national leaders have had ties to Cuming County, with the most recent being J.D. Alexander, the past president of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

            The University of Nebraska Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization raising private gifts to support the University of Nebraska for more than 75 years. In 2012, donors provided the university with $165 million for scholarships, medical and other research, academic programs, faculty and buildings. All foundation funds are donor designated. The foundation's comprehensive fundraising campaign, the Campaign for Nebraska, has raised more than $1.5 billion for the university and concludes in 2014. For more information, visit campaignfornebraska.org.



Entomology Department Recruits New Student Ambassadors
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln's entomology department has recruited five new students to be the first student ambassadors for the program.

The ambassadors will help with recruitment events, prospective student visits and will be involved in a mentoring program from incoming freshman, said Lisa Silberman, recruitment coordinator for UNL's entomology department.

The students went through a selection process before being chosen. Silberman said that she felt all the candidates were articulate, well organized and had positive attitudes.

"This is our first group of ambassadors, we're really excited," Silberman said. "We really wanted to get a student viewpoint for prospective students' questions."

The new student ambassadors are:
            – Kait Armitage, Papillion, Insect Science
            – Justine LaViolette, St. Louis, Insect Science
            – Katie O'Brien, Newman Grove, Insect Science
            – Anastasia Johnson, Central City, Applied Science
            – Cole Lewandowski, Litchfield, Applied Science



Nebraska BQA: Veterinarian Client Patient Relationship
Rob Eirich, UNL Extension Educator and Nebraska Director of BQA

Beef producers are committed to producing a high quality, safe and wholesome beef product. A commitment to herd health and veterinary input is critical to achieving this goal. To this end, developing a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) is important and will benefit all aspects of cattle performance. A Veterinarian’s working understanding of cattle disease and parasites can help cattle raisers develop targeted vaccination and treatment programs. The VCPR is important to opening the door for cattle producers to get the most from their relationship with a veterinarian.

Over-the-counter (OTC) health products that can be purchased by producers, but input from their veterinarian can improve the value the beef producer receives from OTC products. Additionally, there are prescription (Rx) medications that require veterinary involvement to acquire and use and without a strong VCPR, veterinarians cannot legally write prescriptions. But beyond the legal issue, involving a veterinarian and helping them gain a good understanding of a herd can improve the value received from Rx medications.

Bottom line, today’s beef cattle producers can get the most of the vaccines and medications used in their herd health plan by developing a strong relationship with a veterinarian. A veterinarian that understands the operation, plus knows the local diseases and parasites can be a valuable asset.

For more information about Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance or to get BQA certification, contact Rob Eirich, UNL Extension Educator and Nebraska Director of BQA at the UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center 308.632.1230 or reirich2@unl.edu.



Nebraska State Grange Annual Meeting This Month in Grand Island

The Nebraska State Grange will hold it’s annual meeting at the Riverside Inn in Grand Island, September 13-14-15, 2013. to work on Grange Policy for the coming year.

Friday, Sept. 13.
    Grangers will meet at noon for lunch together and a tour of the Nova-Tech plant in Grand Island.  Nova -Tech manufactures large animal health products.  Registration will begin at 7:30. PM.  There will be an Ice Cream Social at 8:00 PM and committees will start going over resolutions.

Sat. Sept. 14:
    The meeting will officially open at 8:30 on Saturday morning and the members will hear the annual reports from National Grange President, Ed Luttrell, of Sandy OR and State Grange President, Ted Doane, of Waverly NE.

   The speaker for the noon Lunch will be Grace Boatright, Legislative Director for the National Grange.   She was born and raised in Austin TX, and moved to Washington D.C. in 2010.  She graduated from Concordia Lutheran University with a BBA, concentrated in finance and marketing.  She is excited to advocate on behalf of rural Americans and Agriculture in the nations capital.

    MC will be Kevin Cooklsey, Overseer of the NE State Grange and member of the Custer County Grange.  Scholarships and Community Service awards will be presented.

   In the afternoon Phyllis Tooker, Family Activities Chairman, of Ralston NE, will do a craft workshop.  National Grange Representative, Grace Boatright will do a workshop on Legislative input.

    At 4:30 the 5th degree obligation will be given to candidates, followed by the presentation of the 6th degree by the State Grange Officers.

    The Banquet will be at 6:30 Saturday evening.  The MC will be, Ted Doane, of Waverly NE, State Grange President.  The Distinguished Service Award will be presented by Kevin Cooksley.  The Community Citizen Award and the Program Director Awards will be given.  The banquet entertainment will be Cherrie Beam-Clark, from the Nebraska Humanities Council.  Her character is Mariah Monahan, done with Irish brogue and period costume, Depicting a Nebraska settler between 1845 and 1870.  Based on historical fact, this is a first-person Chautauqua-style presentation.   

Sunday Morning, Sept 15:
    The program will consist of a Memorial Service under the direction of State Grange Chaplain, Gwenda Cogswell of Friend Ne.  Nebraska Grange members who have passed on in the last year will be remembered.  The Chris Ogle Family from Broken Bow, will do an Inspirational Service for the attending Grangers.

    The Lecturer’s time planned by State Lecturer, Darlene Janing of Geneva, will be a “History of Grand Island’, given by Judy Humiston from the Hall County Historical Society.

    The MC for the Sunday lunch will be, Jim Peterson, State Grange Steward, from Blair NE.  Family Activity awards will be given by Phyllis Tooker of Ralston, Chairman.  Community Citizens will be recognized.

    In the afternoon, Resolution Committees will give final reports and Resolutions will be voted on by the Delegates from Nebraska Granges, to form Nebraska Grange Policy for the next year.

Other Activities: 
Program Director, Darlene Janing, has planned a photo contest and a short essay contest on the subject “Patriotic Activities In My Community”.  Family Activities Chairman, Phyllis Tooker has several activities planned.  She will set up the “Country Store” selling items donated by Grange members and Baking Contest Entries.  There will also be “Toys for Tots”, handmade toys and “Linus Blankets” to be given to children taken to hospitals or into Foster Care.  Grange members will also donate handmade booties and caps to hospitals to be given to premature babies.  Pop tabs will also be donated to help Ronald McDonald Houses.



Cattle & Corn Comments: Beef Marketing Margins
Darrell Mark, SDSU Economics Adjunct Professor 

As consumers were heading to the grocery stores to buy their steaks and hamburgers for grilling on this Labor Day holiday, they might have thought that the prices for the beef were quite expensive and that cattle producers were making a lot of money. They would have been correct about the first part, but not the second. Retail prices have hovered near record highs for several months. In fact, in July (the most recent month for which data are available), retail beef prices averaged a record $5.357/lb. Fed cattle prices, though, only averaged $119/cwt. As a result, the spread between the retail value of beef from a carcass and the live animal was quite wide in July 2013. In fact, this live to retail price spread, was record large in July at $1,253/head. Note that this estimated spread is calculated using average carcass yields of meat and also includes the value of hide and offal products that are sold, which were also record high in July. As shown, the live to retail price spread has averaged almost $100/head, or 9%, higher in the first seven months of 2013 compared to the same time period last year.

Dissecting the live to retail price spread into margins before and after beef harvesting/processing can help identify what segments of the industry are profitable (or not profitable). [A second set of figures] shows the price spread between the same live animal value and the wholesale boxed beef cutouts that beef processors sell. In July, this live to cutout beef price spread averaged about $169/head, about $8/head higher than in July 2012 and about $16/head higher than the 5-year average. Note, though, that this is a gross processing margin and it doesn't mean that beef packers are making $169/head. From this gross spread, they have to cover all their fixed and variable costs of operating, including labor, equipment, etc. As a rough industry average (they vary by plant and company), these costs generally are close to $150/head. Thus, an "average" beef packer may have been making about $9/head in July, which is seasonally the month with the highest live to cutout processing margin. Note that the packer's gross margin averaged close to $90/head during the first four months of 2013, which would generally have been unprofitable for most all packers/processors.

The difference between the wholesale value of the beef sold by packers and the retail value is also shown {see graphs at igrow.org/livestock/profit-tips/catle-corn-comments-september-2-2013/.) This essentially is the gross margin that the retail industry has to cover its costs to market beef to consumers. In July, this cutout to retail price spread averaged a record $1085/head. From January to July 2013, this spread averaged $1031/head, almost $85/head higher than the same seven months in 2012.

The estimated gross spreads would suggest that a majority of the profits available from beef marketing are currently being held at the retail level. A couple of factors contribute to retailers' ability to keep these profits. First, retail prices tend to be fairly "sticky" and once prices go up, they don't tend to come down very quickly (or vice versa) because consumers generally dislike extreme price variability (especially of the magnitude that ag producers deal with in the commodities markets). Second, beef packers/processors have generally been unable to push boxed beef prices much beyond $200/cwt this year for a sustained period of time. When they have, retailers tend to switch features to competing meats, which are growing in supply.

Although not evident in these three graphs, the cattle feeding industry hasn't been earning a profit this year either. In fact, losses to cattle feeding (on a strictly cash basis) have averaged nearly $160/head so far in 2013. It has improved in recent months, but the $119/cwt average fed cattle price in July still resulted in average losses for that month around $82/head.



NCGA Sets New Membership Record

Membership at the National Corn Growers Association reached a new all-time high with 40,244 on the rolls as August closed. This further builds upon the membership milestone achieved in July, when rolls surpassed 40,000 members for the first time.

"The record set last month confirms  the move past the 40,000 member mark last month was not a fluke but, instead, was indicative of a trend upon which we will keep actively building," said NCGA Grower Services Action Team Chair Brandon Hunnicutt. "Whether working to promote research that increases opportunities or voicing the support of America's farmers for the Renewable Fuels Standard and farm bill in Washington, NCGA draws upon the strength of its more than 40,000 members so that, together, we can accomplish much more than we ever could acting alone."

Throughout NCGA's history, grassroots efforts have been the strength and driving force behind the organization.

"Farmers are at the heart of everything that NCGA does, with growers behind each step of a project from conception through the realization of its goals," stated Hunnicutt. "So many farmers choose to actively participate in the organization because they value giving back to their industry, putting the interests of the greatest number of farmers from across the country first in every decision they make."

NCGA has members across the contiguous United States. It is part of a federation in cooperation with grower associations and checkoff boards from 28 states, and represents more than 300,000 growers who contribute corn checkoff funds in their states



Retail Fertilizer Trends Continue Lower

As has been the case for the last several weeks, fertilizer prices are continuing to tumble, according to retailers tracked by DTN for the fourth week of August. A majority of the eight major fertilizers registered significant decreases in retail prices.

Urea and UAN32 both slid 9% compared to prices a month ago. Urea had an average price of $481/ton and UAN32 averaged $387/ton. 10-34-0 dropped 8% from last month and now has an average price of $552/ton.

UAN28 dropped 7% from a month earlier and had an average price of $344/ton. Both potash and 10-34-0 were down 6% from the prior month. Potash had an average price of $531/ton and anhydrous $685/ton.

The remaining two fertilizers had price declines that were fairly small. DAP had an average price of $565/ton and MAP $594/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.52/lb.N, anhydrous $0.42/lb.N, UAN28 $0.61/lb.N and UAN32 $0.60/lb.N.

With prices moving lower, all eight of the major fertilizers are now below year-ago prices.

UAN32 is 9% lower compared to last year, but seven of the eight fertilizers are now double digits lower in price compared to August 2012. MAP is 10% lower, DAP and UAN28 are now down 11%, 10-34-0 is 12% less expensive, potash is down 15%, anhydrous is 16% lower and urea is 21% less expensive compared to last year.



Another Year of Rationing Corn or Soybeans?

According to University of Illinois agricultural economist Darrel Good, the U.S. average corn yield was below trend value for three consecutive years from 2010 through 2012 and the U.S. average soybean yield was below trend value in both 2011 and 2012. The shortfall in corn yields resulted in declining year-ending stocks and higher prices in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 marketing years.

"The small crop of 2012 required rationing of consumption and resulted in record high prices for the 2012-13 marketing year," Good said. "Consumption during that marketing year is currently estimated at 11.215 billion bushels, 1.312 billion bushels (10.5 percent) less than consumption in the previous year. Year-ending stocks are projected at 719 million bushels, only 6.4 percent of consumption during the year.

Good said that for soybeans the shortfall in yields in 2011 resulted in higher prices and smaller year-ending stocks for the 2011-12 marketing year than those of the previous year. The small crop of 2012 resulted in sharply higher prices, rationing of consumption, and a further draw down in year-ending stocks. Consumption for the year just ended is estimated at 3.094 billion bushels, 61 million (2 percent) less than during the previous year. Year-ending stocks are projected at 125 million bushels, only 4 percent of consumption during the year.

"While the 2013 production season got off to a rocky start due to late planting in many areas, expectations into early August were for larger crops than in 2012, increased consumption during the 2013-14 marketing year, a build-up in stocks by the end of the year, and much lower prices than during the previous year," Good said. "In the August 12 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates Report, the USDA forecast a record corn crop of 13.763 billion bushels, a 1.46 billion bushel increase in consumption, and year-ending stocks of 1.837 billion bushels (14.5 percent of projected consumption).The 2013-14 marketing-year average farm price was projected in a range of $4.50 to $5.30 per bushel, compared to an average near $7.00 for the previous year."

For soybeans, Good said that production was forecast at 3.255 billion bushels, 240 million larger than the 2012 crop. Consumption was forecast to increase by 82 million bushels, and year-ending stocks were projected at 220 million bushels (6.9 percent of projected consumption). The 2013-14 marketing year average farm price was projected in a range of $10.35 to $12.35 per bushel, compared to an average of $14.40 during the previous year.

"Expectations began to change in early August as hot, dry weather conditions developed across a broad swath of the production area. It appears that average precipitation across Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa in August, for example, was the lowest since records began in 1895," Good said. "The average for July and August in those three states may have been the third lowest since 1895.

"The adverse weather conditions have resulted in lower yield and production expectations for both crops, raising concerns that consumption may need to be rationed again in 2013-14," Good said. "Rationing, however, does not appear likely for corn. Assuming that the size of the market is near the USDA projection of 12.675 billion bushels and that year-ending stocks can be reduced to about 6 percent of consumption, the crop would have to be less than 12.7 billion bushels to require rationing. If harvested area is near the forecast of 89.1 million acres, the U.S. average yield would need to be less than 142.5 bushels to produce a crop less than 12.7 billion bushels.

"Some believe that the Farm Service Agency estimate of prevented planted acres points to less harvested area," he said. "If harvested area is only 88 million acres, for example, the yield would need to be less than 144.3 bushels to require rationing. The USDA's August forecast was for a yield of 154.4 bushels."

Good said that for soybeans, assuming that the size of the market is near the USDA projection of 3.176 billion bushels and that year-ending stocks can be reduced to about 4 percent of consumption, the crop would only have to be less than 3.16 billion bushels to require rationing. With harvested area of 76.4 million acres, the U.S. average yield would need to be less than 41.4 bushels per acres to produce a crop less than 3.16 billion bushels. That compares to the USDA August forecast of 42.6 bushels and the 2012 average of 39.6 bushels. Last year, August and early September rainfall was generally plentiful and the average yield of 39.6 bushels was 4.3 bushels above the September forecast.

"At this juncture, the 2013 corn crop is expected to be large enough that rationing of consumption during the year ahead will not be required," Good said. "The average farm price will likely be higher than expected a month ago, but a sharp increase in prices from current levels to discourage consumption is probably not needed. Prices during the first half of the marketing year may be relatively flat.

"There is more concern about the size of the soybean crop and prices have risen sharply over the past month," Good said. "Unlike corn prices, soybean prices are expected to unfold in more of a short-crop pattern like that of last year. Under such a pattern, prices would be expected to peak very early in the marketing year in order to discourage consumption and decline as the year progresses, particularly if the South American crop is large again in 2014," he said.



Dairy Products Production July 2013 Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 910 million pounds, 3.0 percent above July 2012 but slightly below June 2013.  Italian type cheese production totaled 393 million pounds, 6.4 percent above July 2012 and slightly above June 2013.  American type cheese production totaled 360 million pounds, 1.0 percent above July 2012 but 0.9 percent below June 2013.  Butter production was 134 million pounds, 0.5 percent above July 2012 but 4.6 percent below June 2013.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with July 2012)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 116 million pounds, down 17.5 percent.
Skim milk powders - 53.1 million pounds, up 42.7 percent.

Whey products (comparisons with July 2012)
Dry whey, total - 76.2 million pounds, down 4.5 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 85.8 million pounds, up 1.7 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 39.1 million pounds, up 15.4 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with July 2012)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 77.0 million gallons, up 2.4 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 41.9 million gallons, down 4.5 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 4.19 million gallons, up 4.8 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 6.52 million gallons, up slightly.



20 chosen to serve on 2013-14 National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador team
Twenty FFA members from throughout the country have been selected to serve on the 2013-14 National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador team by the National FFA Organization. The team includes:

FLORIDA: James Barringer and Elise Stoddard, both of New Smyma Beach
MINNESOTA: Sara Colombe of Little Falls
ARKANSAS: Ashton Dawson of Bentonville and L. Jade Halliburton of Crossett
ILLINOIS: Jacob Dickey of Gibson City, Justice Plummer of Chicago and Nicole Zeien of Belvidere
MISSOURI: Cara Fordyce of Kidder and Courtney Spencer of Aurora
NORTH CAROLINA: Beverly Hampton of Mount Ulla
PENNSYLVANIA: K. Janae Herr of Lancaster and Carolyn Lawrence of Chambersburg
IOWA: Katie Johnson of Milford
MONTANA: Karoline Rose of Bozeman
WISCONSIN: Sam Tauchen of Bonduel
CALIFORNIA: Kiah Twisselman of Santa Margarita
KANSAS: Alexis Wingerson of Smith Center
RHODE ISLAND: Lauren Woloohojian of West Greenwich
UTAH: Katherine Nye of Delta

All 20 FFA members underwent specialized training Aug. 5-9 in Greensboro, N.C., to learn how to best advocate for agriculture and agricultural education throughout the nation. Each ambassador must complete a minimum of 30 hours of presentations to businesses, schools, community groups and more. They will also facilitate seminars and workshops to audiences of all ages interested in learning more about the agriculture industry.

Together, this group of ambassadors help increase public understanding of the food, fiber and natural resources industry; promote awareness of the scientific, economical and mechanical resources needed to produce a safe and reliable food source; increase awareness of career opportunities in the agriculture industry for collegiate students and the general public and help provide growth opportunities in leadership, facilitation and the agricultural industry for the collegiate agriculture ambassador team.

Those selected as ambassadors were chosen in early July after submitting an application to the program and participating in an interview process. Each ambassador will serve a year in their role and receive a $1,000 scholarship for their efforts that can be used toward tuition and other school expenses.

The 2013-14 National Collegiate Ambassador program is sponsored by Syngenta, BASF and Cargill.



Tyson Foods Joins as Sponsor of College Aggies Online Scholarship Competition

The Animal Agriculture Alliance welcomes Tyson Foods, Inc. as the newest sponsor of its fifth annual College Aggies Online (CAO) scholarship program. CAO, an agriculture advocacy scholarship competition, will launch September 9, 2013.

“We are thrilled that Tyson Foods has come aboard as the newest supporter of one of the Alliance’s most positive and proactive initiatives,” said Alliance President and CEO Kay Johnson Smith. “There’s nothing more crucial than helping the next generation of farmers, ranchers and agriculture professionals understand the importance of sharing agriculture’s story.”

Tyson Foods has had a long history of generously contributing to programs that focus on five main areas: hunger relief, health and human services, education, community development and the military. The CAO program, which began in 2009, is designed to enable college students with an interest in agriculture to become confident, proactive and creative communicators using social media tools.

“Tyson Foods is proud to provide this sponsorship of the College Aggies Online program and to support students across the country as they share the importance of agriculture in feeding the world and give back to their communities,” said Annetta Young, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Tyson Foods.

This fall’s competition will include new, creative assignments, increased participant interaction with issue experts, and a more comprehensive internship and career database. Both individuals and collegiate agriculture clubs can compete in CAO, and challenges range from writing blogs and engaging with stakeholders using social media, to hosting a campus-wide “Meet your Meat” event. Participants will also be encouraged to actively participate in their communities at large by completing assignments focused on giving back, like hosting food and clothing drives and volunteering at soup kitchens. 

“When evaluating our goals for the CAO program, we really wanted to encourage participants not only to communicate with their peers about agriculture, but also to get involved in their local communities and focus on issues of greater significance, like hunger,” said Johnson Smith. “We can’t wait to see the impact the clubs and students, who are already passionate about agriculture, will have in discussing agriculture with their communities at large.”

This week, Alliance staff member Morgan Hawley will complete a three week, 31-college tour promoting the CAO program nationwide. Last spring, approximately 980 students from more than 75 universities participated in CAO.

The final points will be tallied in November 2013 and the club with the most points will receive a $5,000.00 scholarship, national recognition and a trip for two representatives to Washington, D.C. for the Alliance’s annual Stakeholders Summit. The first place individual will win a $2,500.00 scholarship and a trip to D.C.  Scholarships and recognition will also be awarded to the runner-up in the club and the second and third placing individuals. Additionally, club and individual winners will also be invited to tour the Tyson Foods headquarters and processing facilities in Springdale, Arkansas.

Other 2013 sponsors include Lallemand Animal Nutrition and the National Pork Board.



Cover Crop Management in Corn and Soybean Cropping Systems

In recent years, interest in adding cover crops to corn and soybean cropping systems has increased as their potential benefits have become more widely recognized. According to Andy Heggenstaller, DuPont Pioneer agronomy research manager, cover crops offer opportunities for improving soil quality and crop production efficiency, but they can also add new management challenges and risks.

Cover crops are best viewed as a long-term investment in soil productivity. The specific benefits of a cover crop depend on the species and growing environment. Selecting the right cover crop for your farming operation begins by identifying the specific functions you want the cover crop to provide. The primary benefits of cover crops in corn and soybean cropping systems include reduced soil compaction, soil nutrient retention and prevention of soil erosion. The most commonly used cover crops fall into one of three broad groups, including grasses, legumes and brassica. These groups are based on species, potential benefits and management considerations.

Research studies on cover crop effects on grain crop yields have reported a range of responses, depending on environment, cover crop species and management. Yield effects can also differ between corn and soybeans. Generally, legume cover crops and grass-legume mixtures are more likely to have a positive effect on corn yield than grasses alone. While this difference is not universal, it is likely to hold true across a range of locations and management scenarios. Additionally, regional differences in corn yield response to cover crops highlight the importance of soil and climatic factors. Cover crops are more likely to have a positive effect on corn yield in southern and eastern locations than in northern locations.

Getting the greatest benefit out of cover crops requires management intensity similar to corn and soybeans. Selecting the right cover crop for your farming operation begins by identifying a management goal, such as increasing soil organic matter or improving spring weed suppression. Start out by testing a cover crop on a single field, and expand as you gain management experience.