Thursday September 26 Ag News

Health and Wellness Efforts in Nebraska
(from Midwest Dairy Association - NE Division)
The winners of the 2013/14 General Mills Fuel Up With Breakfast Grants have been announced and three Nebraska schools are included.  Goodrich Middle School, Lefler Middle School and Lincoln High School, all in the Lincoln Public School District, will receive these funds.  Each one submitted a plan to expand their current breakfast program by offering a grab-and-go breakfast, breakfast in the classroom or second chance breakfast (which offers service after the start of the school day). The objectives of the program are to help schools improve student participation and the consumption of more nutrient rich foods and beverages, including dairy products, by serving breakfast outside the cafeteria in creative ways. The funding amounts range from $1,000 - $2,000 per school.

Millard District is among the schools chosen for a national pilot for reimbursable grab-and-go school breakfast and lunch. Ninety schools are involved in the pilot from December through February. Their meals will include an additional dairy component (besides milk) such as cheese or yogurt, and will be offered in Fuel Up to Play 60 branded packaging. Offering grab-and-go meals outside of the cafeteria ;will mean that more students will have access to a healthy breakfast or lunch when their time is limited -- that includes a variety of nutrient-dense dairy products. Schools that participate will receive up to $2,500 each in foodservice equipment, labels and posters.



Nominations sought for Iowa Soybean Association Leadership Awards

Nominations are being sought by the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) for five awards recognizing those who have demonstrated commitment and leadership in agriculture and to improving soybean production and environmental performance.

Awards will be presented in five categories: Legacy of Leadership, Rising Star, Environmental Leader, New Leader and Friend of the Iowa Soybean Association. 

ISA President Brian Kemp of Sibley says the program provides a unique opportunity to recognize those who dedicate their time, talents and expertise to furthering the mission and goals of the association.

“We’re dedicated to expanding opportunities and delivering results for Iowa’s soybean farmers,” Kemp says. “The success of the association and soybean industry is driven by committed individuals, including the great work of our farmer leaders in all stages of their careers, as well partners who have supported Iowa soybean farmers.”

Awards and criteria are:
·         Legacy of Leadership: given to an Iowa soybean farmer who has demonstrated a passionate and relentless commitment to growing the soybean industry in Iowa.
·         Rising Star: recognizes the son or daughter of an ISA member who’s actively involved in promoting agriculture through involvement in local, state and national activities and organizations and who is preparing to continue ag studies in college. Eligible nominees are 14-18 years of age (high school students or students who have just graduated from high school).
·         Environmental Leader: presented to an ISA member who has demonstrated a commitment to practices that improve environmental performance. The soybean farmer who receives this honor will be nominated for the American Soybean Association Conservation Legacy Award to be presented at this year’s Commodity Classic.
·         New Leader: awarded to a district soybean leader who has been involved in his/her District Advisory Council for two years or less, has shown outstanding involvement and possesses the skills and talents to do great things for the soybean industry and agriculture.
·         Friend of the Iowa Soybean Farmer: given to an elected leader, media representative or other ISA partner who has supported Iowa Soybean farmers through his/her actions and efforts.

All nominations must be in writing and received no later than Friday, Nov. 1. Nomination information can be accessed at www.iasoybeans.com/awards/ or requested by calling 800-383-1423. Nominations can be submitted by mail to Iowa Soybean Association, Attn: Ann Clinton, 1255 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy, Ankeny, Iowa 50023, or by e-mailing aclinton@iasoybeans.com.

Award recipients will be selected by a taskforce of the ISA board of directors, and the awards will be presented during the third annual Iowa Soybean Association Awards Banquet, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013.



HSUS’s Ongoing War Against Animal Agriculture Suffers Another Significant Loss: Court Dismisses “Pork, The Other White Meat” Lawsuit

After spending significant amounts of donor dollars, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) was dealt a significant loss in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. In what was considered to be a futile legal challenge and a very personal attack on U.S. pork producers, a U.S. district judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by HSUS over the National Pork Board’s purchase of the “Pork, The Other White Meat” trademark from the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).

HSUS, which was joined in the suit by a lone Iowa pork producer and the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - and Secretary Tom Vilsack – over approval of the trademark purchase and the Pork Board’s annual payments to NPPC. HSUS argued that the sale and payments were unlawful since the Pork Board is prohibited from using checkoff dollars to influence legislation. The court dismissed the HSUS case, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing and that no one had suffered any injury from the Agriculture Secretary’s actions.

NPPC applauded the Secretary’s willingness to defend the case and pork producers across this country. The Secretary’s actions should send a strong signal to HSUS supporters that frivolous lawsuits will not be tolerated and should not be pursued.

“If I were a donor to HSUS, I would be very disturbed that my money was wasted on yet another expensive lawsuit that had nothing to do with improving the welfare of farm animals,” said NPPC President Randy Spronk, a pork producer from Edgerton, Minn. “This is clearly a vendetta against the U.S. pork industry by the leadership of HSUS, which has made their mission to permanently end animal agriculture very clear. It was frivolous and a waste of the taxpayers’ money and the court’s time. HSUS donors deserve better than that.”



Five Nations Beef Alliance Agrees on Core Principles for the TPP Agreement

An alliance of cattlemen representing Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States recently signed a letter, announcing their support for a comprehensive Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

"As a collective global beef industry, if we are going to feed a growing world population we need to facilitate the open and unrestricted trade of food around the world,” said Cattle Council president Andrew Ogilvie, from Kingston SE in South Australia. “By removing trade barriers and tariffs to create fair and open access for all nations, the world’s population will have equal opportunity to a reliable and safe food supply without trade barriers inflating the cost of that food."

The agreement is based on ten core principles, ensuring any agreement must be comprehensive and must eliminate all tariffs and market access barriers while emphasizing the importance of unfettered trade.

“Working to achieve a TPP without product exclusions, especially in agriculture, that also eliminates tariffs and other market access barriers in the TPP region, is a goal worth striving for,” said Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) president Martin Unrau, a cow-calf producer from MacGregor, Manitoba. “I am pleased to see momentum building in the TPP negotiations and am hopeful we can achieve a comprehensive result soon.”

The agreement also relies on risk based scientific decision making, based on international science-based standards.

“We are a strong supporter of this agreement and others like it, on the grounds that they increase market access and provide stable export markets based in internationally recognized scientific standards,” said National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) president Scott George, a cattle and dairy producer from Cody, Wyo. “With 96 percent of the global population living outside of the United States, it is essential that we take measures to enable trade and expand market access, both to stimulate the economy and more importantly, to feed a growing global population.

The Five Nations Beef Alliance (FNBA) is also asking the negotiating countries to push for arrangements where beef producers are all treated the same.

“Beef and Lamb New Zealand is delighted to be a signatory to this Five Nations Beef Alliance Joint Communique that outlines core principles to ensure the TPP negotiations fulfill the promise of a high-quality agreement that can serve as a standard for future trade agreements,” said Mike Petersen, chairman of Beef and Lamb New Zealand from Waipukurau, Hawkes Bay. “The TPP needs to be an ambitious, high quality, comprehensive agreement, with no product or sector exclusions, address non-tariff barriers, and be enforceable.  The more we can work together with our international counterpart organizations on these trade issues the more likely it is to result in a win-win for all.”

The FNBA comprises the Cattle Council of Australia, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Confederacion Nacional de Organizaciones Ganaderas, Beef + Lamb New Zealand and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.  Together, FNBA represents producers from countries that account for one-third of global beef production and approximately half of global beef exports.



Federal Judge Issues Ruling in Gulf Restoration Network Lawsuit

Late last week a federal judge ruled in the Gulf Restoration Network vs. EPA lawsuit which sought to force the Environmental Protection Agency to establish strict water quality standards for nutrient runoff for all states in the Mississippi River Basin.  The National Corn Growers Association intervened in the suit with the American Farm Bureau Federation, The Fertilizer Institute, National Pork Producers Council and other farm groups in 2012.

In a win for the plaintiffs, the judge ruled that the EPA failed to answer the central question in the environmentalists' 2008 petition about whether federal Numeric Nutrient Criteria are "necessary" under the Clean Water Act.  The agency must now craft a new response within six months.  However, in a win for agriculture, the judge also stated that nothing in the Clean Water Act prohibits EPA from allowing states to take the lead in responding to nutrient challenges.

"We were pleased that the court agreed with EPA's rationale for giving states the flexibility to craft their own nutrient reduction strategies," NCGA President Pam Johnson said.  "We urge the Agency to continue this policy of cooperation with states as we work together to improve water quality throughout the Mississippi River Basin."

The Gulf Restoration Network lawsuit alleged that the EPA violated both the Clean Water Act and Administrative Procedures Act by not adequately responding to their 2008 petition to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads for nitrogen and phosphorus for the Mississippi River and its tributaries.  The petition also stated that Numeric Nutrient Criteria should be created for the 31 states in the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf.



Farm Programs Likely to Expire Tuesday for the Second Time in Two Years
(from NAWG)

Barring some unforeseen, last-minute deal, the one-year extension of the 2008 Farm Bill currently in place will be expired as of Tuesday. That extension was put into place early in 2013 after Congress failed to enact a new farm bill before the existing law expired this time last year. At that point, the nation had not been without a functional farm policy in decades, and the farm bill’s expiration was met with shock and concern. Facing yet another expiration, the farm community’s reaction will likely to be more muted as they and the rest of the country wait for political representatives in Washington to find and accept compromises on a host of measures.

While the symbolic implication of the expiration will be damning, the effects of Congress’ inaction will be mostly indirect for several months. Crop insurance and nutrition programs are effectively permanent programs and will continue without specific reauthorization. Conservation program contracts will remain in place though new enrollments will not be accepted until a new farm law is in place. Commodity-specific programs run on a crop-year basis versus a fiscal year, so they will not be impacted until winter wheat harvest next spring. Dairy prices will not be affected until Jan. 1, 2014. Programs that lost mandatory funding in the extension will continue without new funding authorizations.

Two serious exceptions to the list of programs initially unaffected are the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) program, both of which provide funding for trade promotion work. NAWG’s sister organization, U.S. Wheat Associates, has been awarded both MAP and FMD funds and will face restraints on its work servicing international wheat customers in the near future.

Word late Thursday was that the House of Representatives would wait until next week to officially merge its farm-only farm bill, passed in July, and its nutrition package, passed last week. This step must be taken before the House can name conferees. The Senate passed its version of the farm bill in June and named conferees just before the August recess.

NAWG, Farm Groups Meet With New EPA Administrator        
NAWG President Bing Von Bergen and representatives of eight other agriculture organizations participated in a meeting this week with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss ongoing regulatory issues.  McCarthy organized the meeting to open dialogue with USDA and farmers and help ensure EPA hears from all sides before finalizing pending regulations that would directly affect agriculture.  Von Bergen, a farmer in Moccasin, Mont., traveled to Washington for the meeting, speaking most forcefully on NAWG leaders’ hope for EPA to use common sense when regulating agriculture. Using his own farm as an example, Von Bergen also reviewed with McCarthy several ongoing issues that NAWG is currently concerned about related to environmental regulation, including the pending Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) rule for farms and ranches, which relates to storage of oil that could conceivably reach a body of water if leaked. NAWG appreciated the opportunity to participate in this meeting and looks forward to future dialogue with the Administration.



USDA: Most Farmers Receive Some Type of Off-Farm Income

A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that the median total household income among all farm households is about $57,050, which exceeds the median for all U.S. households of $50,054 in 2011.

More than half of U.S. farms are very small, with annual sales under $10,000; the households operating these farms typically draw all of their income from off-farm sources.

Median household income and income from farming increase with farm size, as defined by sales.

The typical household operating the largest commercial farms earned about $380,000 in 2011, and most of that came from farming.



ASA’s Murphy Meets with Secretary Vilsack, Administrator McCarthy on Biotech, Regulation

American Soybean Association President Danny Murphy and ASA Washington Representative John Gordley met on Capitol Hill Monday with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, as well as with several other farm organizations to discuss agriculture and environmental issues, the status of the domestic biotech approvals landscape, the Renewable Fuel Standard, and other issues.

During the meeting, Secretary Vilsack and Administrator McCarthy made clear their interest in improving the Administration’s reputation with farm groups on environmental issues, and that they wish to work closely with ASA and other farm groups to do so. For his part, Murphy raised ASA’s concerns about delays in deregulating biotech traits and the effects such delays have on controlling weed resistance by having multiple modes of action. Murphy also emphasized that the delays adversely impact our competitiveness with South American producers who get trait approvals quicker than U.S. growers, as well as hamper our industry’s negotiating power in pressing importing countries on synchronizing biotech approvals.

With specific regard to weed resistance, Murphy pointed out that while he has not yet encountered weed resistance on his farm, it could happen as early as next year. In response, both Administrator McCarthy and Secretary Vilsack indicated that they appreciated the real world consequences of delays in moving these products to the market.



IGC Sees 2013-14 Global Wheat Output Higher, But Corn Lower

Global wheat output during the 2013-14 crop year is forecast to reach 692.6 million tons, up from the prior forecast of 690.6 million tons, the London-based International Grains Council said Thursday citing higher output from the CIS and Europe region.  Meanwhile, world corn production for the same period is forecast to hit 943.2 million tons, down from the prior forecast of 945.4 million tons, the International Grains Council said.



Dairy Research Center Meeting Paves Way for Funding Projects

More than 70 people attended the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center’s annual meeting in July, viewing more than 18 scientific posters and learning about various dairy projects in progress. Three projects were highlighted:
-    challenges in declining consumption of fluid milk;
-    using carbon dioxide to produce a highly soluble calcium-reduced milk protein concentrate; and
-    engineering lactic acid bacteria to produce an antimicrobial effective against many types of pathogens.

Guests also scored and evaluated 17 research proposals submitted from six universities: Kansas State University, University of Missouri, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, South Dakota State University, Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota. Input from industry, academia and producers will be used during the final selection process for 2014 funding.



ASA Debuts Redesigned SoyStats.com
As part of an organization-wide revitalization of its communications and outreach efforts, the American Soybean Association today unveiled the newly-redesigned SoyStats.com. SoyStats.com is the online home for SoyStats, ASA’s annual publication of statistical data on the soybean industry in the United States. The publication, released earlier this year, celebrates its 20th anniversary.

“We found that visitors to the site and users of the SoyStats guide were simply looking for information in the easiest and most direct manner possible,” said Patrick Delaney, ASA’s communications director. “The new format gives quick, easily-digestible information on all aspects of soybean production, consumption and export for farmers, consumers, industry and media.”

Designed by Hastings, Neb.-based David & Associates, the site provides easily accessible information on planting data, yield and production, market value, uses, exports and global competitors.

Major funding for the 2013 SoyStats and the new SoyStats.com is provided by the United Soybean Board. Additional financial support for the project comes from the Illinois Soybean Association, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Iowa Soybean Association, North Dakota Soybean Council, South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, U.S. Soybean Export Council, Kentucky Soybean Board, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board, Ohio Soybean Council, Delaware Soybean Board, Kansas Soybean Commission, Maryland Soybean Board, New York Soybean Board, North Carolina Soybean Producers Association, Oklahoma Soybean Board, South Carolina Soybean Board, Tennessee Soybean Promotion Council, Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council and Virginia Soybean Board.



US, Colombia Agreement Yields Purchase of US Corn – USGC Program Fosters $6 Million in Corn Sales

The table is being set for a strong export year for U.S. corn to Colombia, according to Kurt Shultz, U.S. Grains Council regional director of the Americas. With a large U.S. corn crop beginning to trickle into the bins, Colombian grain buyers are increasingly looking to the U.S. Midwest to originate their grain needs.

The United States has been uncompetitive in the Colombia market for many years due to more favorable duty treatment for South American producers. However, in April, the Colombian Price Ban System increased the duty on South American origin imports to 5.75 percent. With the help of U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, U.S. corn imports have a zero percent duty on the first 2.1 million metric tons (82.7 million bushels) of corn imports. U.S. farmers are finally starting to reap benefits of the agreement as USDA announced the recent sale of 180,000 tons (7.1 million bushels) of U.S. corn to Colombia worth approximately $40 million.

In response to the improving market opportunities, the Council has been ramping up its promotion efforts in Colombia. Since June, the Council has sponsored two Colombian trade teams to meet with U.S. grain producers and exporters. According to Alvaro Cordero, USGC manager of global trade, these teams have already generated $6 million in exports, "with more to come."

colombia team2"With U.S. harvest beginning and Colombian importers planning their purchases for October and onward, these activities have targeted Colombian importers to market the U.S. corn crop at a critical time," said Cordero. "Colombian traders and buyers are focused on the U.S. crop and we expect to see more purchases announced soon."

The Council is actively engaged in this vital corn market on behalf of U.S. corn producers, reminding buyers and end-users that not only does the United States have an excellent product entering the supply chain, but it can supply it much more efficiently than any other supplier.

Colombia importers recognize that U.S. corn has advantages in delivery time, risk management, reliable sourcing, stock management, and financial cost. These benefits make the United States an excellent source of corn for Colombia.



USGC Improves Japanese Confidence in Low Oil DDGS

Japanese importers have noticed that the U.S. ethanol industry has been utilizing corn oil extraction equipment, which removes a portion of the non-food grade corn oil in distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) during the ethanol production process, making the oil available for other use. This also changes the feeding characteristics and potential value of DDGS, as regular DDGS may contain 10-12 percent oil (fat), while the low-oil variety may contain 6-9 percent.

Japanese DDGS importers want to know how to adapt to the low oil DDGS in their livestock rations and still maintain their current level of nutrient availability in their rations. To help answer their questions, the U.S. Grains Council escorted a team of Japanese feed and livestock industry representatives through Nebraska to get firsthand information on U.S. DDGS production, supply and developments in the U.S. ethanol industry.

"The information the team gained on this visit gave them concrete ideas on how to utilize the low oil DDGS in their livestock rations to obtain similar results compared to high oil DDGS," said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan. "The confidence the Japanese DDGS importers gained during their visit leads me to believe that Japan will continue to increase their U.S. DDGS imports."

The Council has been active in promoting U.S coarse grains to Japan for more than 50 years. While Japan is a mature market, the feed industry imported more than 450,000 metric tons of DDGS in the calendar year 2012, which was a 35 percent increase from the previous year. The Council plans to continue promoting DDGS, including the low fat types, to Japanese importers.



US and Japan Streamline Organic Trade across the Pacific

The United States and Japan today announced that beginning January 1, 2014, organic products certified in Japan or in the United States may be sold as organic in either country.

This partnership between two significant organic markets will streamline U.S. farmers' and processors' access to the growing Japanese organic market, benefiting the rapidly growing organic industry and supporting job creation and business growth on a global scale.

"This partnership reflects the strength of the USDA organic standards, allowing American organic farmers, ranchers, and businesses to access Asia's largest organic market," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. "It is a win for the American economy and sets the foundation for additional organic agricultural trade agreements in Asia. This partnership provides economic opportunities for farmers and small businesses, resulting in good jobs for Americans across the organic supply chain."

"Today's agreement will streamline access to the growing Japanese organic market for U.S. farmers and processors and eliminate significant barriers for small and medium organic producers, benefiting America's thriving organic industry," added United States Trade Representative Michael Froman. "This represents another key step in strengthening our economic relationship with Japan by boosting agriculture trade between Japan and the United States, leading to more jobs and economic benefits for American farmers and businesses in this important sector."

The organics sector in the United States and Japan is valued at more than $36 billion combined, and rising every year.

Formal letters creating this partnership were finalized on September 26, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. Signatures to the partnership are Anne L. Alonzo, USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator; Ambassador Islam Siddiqui, U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator; and Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Director General, Food Safety and Consumer Affairs Bureau. The announcement took place at Natural Products Expo East, one of the largest trade shows for organic products in the United States.

Without an equivalency arrangement in place, organic farmers and businesses wanting to sell products in either country had to obtain separate certifications to meet each country's organic standards. This typically has meant two sets of fees, inspections, and paperwork. Similar to previous U.S. equivalency arrangements with Canada and the European Union, this trade partnership with Japan eliminates significant barriers, especially for small and medium-sized organic producers.

Leading up to today's historic announcement, U.S. and Japanese technical experts conducted thorough on-site audits to ensure that their programs' regulations, quality control measures, certification requirements, and labeling practices were compatible.

The U.S. and Japan organic standards cover the lifecycle of the product, including allowed and prohibited substances and natural resources conservation requirements. Both parties individually determined that their programs were "equivalent" with no restrictions for organic plant and plant products. This means that—for the first time—certified organic farmers and businesses in the U.S. don't have to prove that they didn't use a specific substance or production method to gain access to the Japanese organic market.

This partnership streamlines the export certificate process, which also reduces the paperwork burden for farmers and businesses. It also helps provide American consumers with year-round access to a diverse array of organic products.

Both parties are committed to ensuring that all traded organic products meet the terms of the partnership, retaining their organic integrity from farm to market. Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program—which oversee organic products in their respective countries—will both take on key oversight roles.

The United States and Japan will continue to have regular discussions and will review each other's programs periodically to verify that the terms of the partnership are being met.

This agreement only covers products exported from and certified in the United States or Japan. For additional details on this agreement, please visit: http://www.ams.usda.gov/NOPTradeJapan.



Renewable Fuels Association Announces 2014 Leadership Roles

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) announced the election of officers to the Board of Directors at their annual membership meeting held in Minneapolis, MN. The RFA re-elected Neill McKinstray as Chairman of the RFA Board of Directors. McKinstray is President of the Ethanol Group, The Andersons, Inc. This will be McKinstray’s second year as Chairman of the RFA, having previously served as Vice Chairman of the association.  

McKinstray was named President of the Ethanol Group, The Andersons, Inc. in late 2011. He had previously served as Vice President of The Andersons, Inc. grain and ethanol group since 2005. He began his career with The Andersons in 1976. McKinstray is primarily responsible for the management of The Andersons, Inc. ethanol biorefineries in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa. He is also responsible for managing and directing third-party ethanol services provided by The Andersons.

“Ethanol has proven to help families, rural communities, and consumers across the country. It reduces prices at the pump, revitalizes rural communities, and makes America safer by decreasing our dependence on foreign oil. The battle we are in will only continue to escalate and it is vitally important that the RFS remain in place.” McKinstray stated. “The RFA is a strong and vocal advocate for the ethanol industry and I look forward to another year working side by side with RFA’s highly professional staff and other producers to continue the growth and evolution of this vital industry. We all know what is ahead and I look forward to facing those challenges head on.”

Joining McKinstray, RFA elected:
• Vice Chairman Randall J. Doyal, CEO of Al-Corn Clean Fuel in Claremont, Minnesota.
• Treasurer Walter Wendland, CEO of Golden Grain Energy in Mason City, Iowa.
• Secretary Mick Henderson, General Manager of Commonwealth Agri-Energy in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
• President Bob Dinneen, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, Washington, DC.



CHS commits $3 million to make agriculture safer

CHS Inc., the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company, announced today it has committed $3 million to a national agriculture safety initiative intended to keep next generations safe as they strive to feed a growing world.

"As U.S. agriculture ramps up to feed the nine billion people projected to inhabit this planet by 2050, we have new technologies and safety risks to address plus a growing workforce to train," CHS President and CEO Carl Casale said in announcing the initiative during his address to the 2013 North American Agricultural Safety Summit. "That's why CHS is investing in this multi-million-dollar initiative – focused on college students and adults – to help keep our next generation of agricultural leaders safe."

The investment includes $1 million for a competitive grants program supporting rural safety projects and $2 million to support safety programs with five partner organizations:
-    Agricultural Health and Safety Council (ASHCA), addressing emerging occupational safety and health issues affecting U.S. agriculture;
-    AgriSafe Network, helping train a national workforce of rural health providers and developing a new college health program for agricultural students;
-    GEAPS Foundation, in support of Grain Elevator and Processing Society (GEAPS) working in conjunction with Kansas State University on distance learning, credentialing and other safe grain handling educational efforts;
-    National AgrAbility, working in conjunction with Purdue University on agricultural education and enhancing quality of life for farmers, ranchers and other ag workers affected by disabling conditions, and
-    Propane and Education Research Council (PERC), advancing the safe use of propane on the farm through training and research.

Details of the competitive grants program will be announced in early 2014. Funding for the initiative comes from both the CHS corporate giving program and the independent CHS Foundation.

"We chose to partner with these five forward-thinking organizations because of their strong safety visions and accomplishments," Casale said. "Working together, we are also hoping to secure matching funds to further leverage our investment and efforts."

During his remarks at the 2013 North American Agricultural Safety Summit in Minneapolis, Casale addressed the topic of "safety first as a corporate social responsibility."

"In agriculture, we're independent spirits. We have a get 'er done attitude. We work in an industry with inherent risks. And when we get busy, it can be easy to take a chance 'just this once.' What we do must be done safely – every time," he said. "We in agriculture are being called on to produce more and do it faster. And that means even more risk for more people. In doubling the food supply, we must not reduce our commitment to safety. In fact, we must increase it."

Casale shared with Summit attendees some examples of the CHS commitment to put safety first, above business performance – including conducting a safety culture survey, establishing safety plans for all businesses, opening all meetings with a safety message, sending safety reminders to employees at their homes, and incorporating safety goals into incentive pay for its leaders.



Zoetis PeopleFirst™ Learning Management Portal expands training

Dairy and beef cattle operations looking for help training employees can benefit from the newest service offered by PeopleFirst™ Human Capital Solutions from Zoetis. The Learning Management Portal is available online to give producers the tools and curriculum they need to properly train and manage employees, ensuring a safe, more effective and productive business long term.

New employees who join an operation need proper training and education for a smooth transition into the workplace — also known as onboarding. And veteran employees need refreshers on animal handling and other operating procedures. While finding time in a busy work day to train employees is difficult, it is essential to improve business performance and reduce operational risk. Without training, the business can suffer.

“Onboarding new employees is one of the most vital components of any operation,” said Nicolas Buttars, PeopleFirst business solutions manager for Zoetis. “Proper onboarding programs can help reduce an operation’s risk by helping all employees better understand and comply with company, community and regulatory standards for animal safety, care and wellness. It also drives employee perceptions and employee engagement. Good onboarding makes employees more likely to stay, to be engaged and be more productive for you and your business.”

Onboarding programs that increase employee engagement can boost performance by 20% and reduce the probability of departure by 87%, according to the Human Resources Corporate Leadership Council. When an employee leaves, businesses can expect to pay up to 150% of the employee’s salary to cover the cost of finding and training a replacement. For business owners, there is a clear financial incentive to ensure proper onboarding.

With assistance from online training, employers have the convenience to implement proper guidance without disrupting work efficiency. The PeopleFirst Learning Management Portal assures producers in animal agriculture that their employees are gaining necessary insight on industry and operational practices and regulatory standards from day one. The interactive portal and curriculum allow employees to train online when their schedules allow. The portal features bilingual learning modules and opportunities for continuous education on subjects such as cattle anatomy, feeding and employee safety.

“It is a big benefit to have employees with knowledge of the industry they are working in,” Buttars said. “Through interactive training modules and specialized subjects, they are receiving the best information possible about the industry and individual operation.”

The online curriculum also allows employers to track employee learning progress to guarantee efficiency and accountability while reducing training costs. It frees up the time of supervisors and minimizes the operation’s risk. By tracking progress, employers can see when courses are completed and hold employees accountable for improving animal care and compliance.

“There is little time for error in animal agriculture operations,” Buttars said. “The Learning Management Portal creates flexibility for employers and employees with a cost-effective way to properly train employees. Proper training means increased engagement and productivity from employees, and reduced risk for the employer.”

To learn more about the benefits of integrating the Learning Management Portal into your training program, watch this video. For information on how PeopleFirst consultants can assist your operation or to sign up for the portal, contact your Zoetis representative or visit growpeoplefirst.com.