Wednesday October 16 Ag News

Elkhorn Valley Cattlemen Fall Membership Meeting

October 20th, 2013 06:30 PM
6:30pm - Meal
7:30pm - Program
Location: 4-H Building, Madison Fairgrounds, Madison
Program: Back grounding and winter feeding; Market Outlook by Commodity Solutions
Members and guests invited – bring a friend or a neighbor. Cost is $10.00 per person.
Please RSVP by Thursday, October 17 to Ron Tejkl at 402.439.2978 or Neal Neidig at 402.992.1535.



7th Annual Nebraska Beef Industry Summit to be held November 19th

The senior Nebraska Beef Industry Scholar (NBIS) class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is excited to announce the 7th Annual Nebraska Beef Industry Summit.  This year's Summit will be held on Tuesday, November 19th in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Animal Science Complex.

The NBIS class has planned an exciting schedule for the 2013 Nebraska Beef Industry Summit, with speakers scheduled to discuss issues that have the potential to affect the Nebraska beef industry, as well as the beef industry nation-wide. The day will start by addressing the current cattle inventory with Jim Robb, Director of the Livestock Market Information Center and beef demand with Daren Williams, Executive Director of Communications for National Cattlemen's Beef Association.  After lunch, a panel will discuss the future of production technologies. The panel will consist of Dr. Galen Erickson, professor from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Animal Science, Dr. Dan Thomson, Director of the Kansas State University Beef Cattle Institute, and Ann Marie Bosshamer, Executive Director of the Nebraska Beef Council. The panel will be followed by Dr. Kathleen Brooks from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Department of Agricultural Economics who will take time to discuss the future alignment of the beef industry and what Nebraska can do to become the beef epicenter of the United States.

The seminar will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. Lunch will be catered on site and is included in the registration fee.

Registration for the Nebraska Beef Summit, which includes the cost of lunch and parking, is $50 and is required by November 11th. Call the Nebraska Cattlemen office at 402.475.2333 to register.  Any additional proceeds will help support the students’ costs associated with attending the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in February.

This event is organized by the senior class of Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars with the assistance of the Nebraska Cattlemen.  The NBIS class is able to host this event each year because of the generosity of numerous sponsors.

For more information, please visit http://animalscience.unl.edu/web/anisci/ansc-2013-nbis-beef-summit. 



UNL Extension Crop Harvest Reports

Keith Jarvi, Extension Educator in Dakota, Dixon, and Thurston Counties: We are receiving heavy to moderate rain over most of northeast Nebraska today. While this is most welcome in the long term, it will shut down harvest for two to four days. (Oct. 14)

Tom Hunt, Extension Entomologist, Haskell Agricultural Lab, Concord: I just drove a loop in northeast Nebraska from about Wayne to Sioux City, and did a 60 field/crop survey. Soybean harvest is 73% complete. Corn is 7% harvested. (Oct. 14)

Allan Vyhnalek, Extension Educator in Platte County: Soybean harvest is 90-95% done with yields above expectations. Corn harvest is 15% complete, mostly of high moisture corn and silage. Not much has been harvested for grain — it's too wet. Yields expected to be and reported good. Growers are finishing the last of hay harvest. Pastures — when managed well — look good; when over grazed, not so much. (Oct. 14)

John Wilson, Extension Educator in Burt County: Combines were going fast and furious over the weekend in anticipation of rain coming on Monday. We probably have 80-90% of the soybeans harvested and are just getting a good start on corn, with maybe 15-20% completed. Yields have been excellent with few soybean yields below 50 bu/ac and an occasional report of soybean yields topping 70 bu/ac. Soybean harvest was tough with many fields testing around 10% moisture, but green stems slowing harvest. We received 1.5-2.5 inches of rain Monday which put all harvest operations on hold until the field conditions improve. Some areas of the county have had more than 7 inches of rain so far in October, almost four times the average monthly rainfall, and we’re only halfway through the month. This has put a damper on harvest conditions, but improves the outlook for moisture reserves going into the 2014 growing season.(Oct. 15)

Monte Vandeveer, Extension Educator in Otoe County: With favorable weather harvest made good progress last week. Soybeans are probably 60% harvested, corn less than 10%. We had 1.3 inches in the rain gauge from Monday (10/14) so growers will have to wait a couple of days to get back at it. (Oct. 15)

Gary Zoubek, Extension Educator in York County: Producers were making good progress with harvest until Sunday/Monday.  We received 1.80 inches of rain in York over the two days (Sunday/Monday). We are at about 3.5” for the month of October or about double our normal rainfall. This should help with refilling our soil profile. I’m guessing that 70-75% of the bean’s have been harvested and 25-40% of the corn. Much of the seed corn has been harvested. Yields are variable but overall better than what many have expected. (Oct. 15)



Lance Livingston and Nate Gutzmann Join Hoegemeyer Hybrids

Hoegemeyer Hybrids announces the addition of Lance Livingston and Nate Gutzmann to its staff.  “We’re delighted to have Lance and Nate join our staff,” said Stephan Becerra, Hoegemeyer general manager. “They both have a wealth of seed industry knowledge and experience and will play key roles in helping to educate and inform our customers about the many ways Hoegemeyer products can increase profitability.”

Gutzmann was recently hired as a District Sales Manager and is responsible for the recruitment of new accounts along with managing current accounts in northeast Nebraska.  Born and raised at Emerson, Neb., Gutzmann received a degree in Applied Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has been active in the seed industry as a student at UNL and through internships with various companies.

“I chose Hoegemeyer because of their solid product line and family ties to the immediate area,” Gutzmann said. “I look forward to building relationships where I can provide value to producers and their farming enterprises.”

Livingston was recently hired as a Retail Account Manager and works exclusively with Farmer’s Cooperative Co. to provide Hoegemeyer sales and product support to the agronomy team. Farmer’s Cooperative is headquartered in Ames, Iowa and serves farmer members from over 60 locations throughout Iowa.  Livingston grew up on a farm near Winterset, Iowa and received a degree in Agriculture Studies from Iowa State University. He previously worked as a district sales manager at Renze Hybrids, field sales agronomist at Farmers Cooperative Co., and an agronomy specialist at VanWall Equipment.

“Hoegemeyer’s strong core values drive the company and they are committed to doing what is right for the customers,” Livingston said. “I am delighted to be working with Hoegemeyer as they partner with Farmers Cooperative and grow together in central Iowa.”



New Channel Seedsman Team Comes to Colfax County

Putting Seedsmanship at Work® into practice, Channel has hired Brester Seeds, LLC as the new Channel Seedsman team in the Colfax County area.

Brester Seed’s role will be to actively work with local farmers to deliver expert advice, customized service and elite seed products to help improve productivity and profitability. Channel Seedsmen focus on getting to know their customers and their farms inside and out, and using that knowledge to provide in-depth, hands-on service and support every step of the way.

The Brewster Seed team will cover the Colfax County area and they are already in the fields working with farmers to help them make the right decisions for their individual farms.

“Building relationships with farmers starts with a knowledgeable and committed Seedsmen like Brester Seeds,” said Doug Vrana, District Sales Manager, Channel. “We’re excited to have them on board and ready to leverage their experience to help make our customers more productive and profitable.”

One of Brester Seed’s primary responsibilities will be implementing the Channel® Field Check Up series with local farmers. This series allows Channel Seedsmen to work with the farmer throughout the season to observe and monitor crop development.

Walking the farmer’s fields allows Channel Seedsmen to diagnose issues and design custom recommendations to increase the farm’s profitability. Year-round farm visits include personal consultations through the four major growth stages: seeding, reproductive, vegetative and maturity.

For more information about Channel and the Channel Seedsmanship approach, visit www.channel.com.



Hines to Speak at 15th Annual Grazing Workshop

The Southeast Nebraska Grassland Association (SNGA) invites interested Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS) members and others to its 15th Annual Grazing Workshop.

This year Chip Hines, nationally beloved speaker and the author of "A Time To Change", "How Did We Get It So Wrong", and "A Slantwise Guide to Prosperity" has been invited to speak. Hines is a cattleman with a holistic view. He compares current high input practices with nature's model. To find out more about Hines go to ChipHines.com.

This year's event will be held at the new Amercian Legion Hall in Virginia, Neb. (about 10 miles west of Beatrice). The workshop will begin about 9 a.m. on Dec. 7 and go through a networking supper at 6 p.m.. Lodging is available in both Beatrice and Tecumseh. Cost for the workshop is $100 per individual and $75 per persons from the same family, ranch or farm. Students are $50. Lunch and supper are included.

For more information and/or to register, contact Paul Rohrbaugh at the SNGA.

NSAS is offering a limited number of scholarships for young and beginning farmers. If interested please send contact William A. Powers, NSAS executive director, at healthyfarms@gmail.com



Now Accepting Applications for the 2015 Corn Board

The National Corn Growers Association Nominating Committee is now accepting applications from members for the 2015 Corn Board.  Through the Corn Board, members can become an integral part of the organization's leadership. 

"Through my years on the Corn Board, I have had the pleasure of working with the wealth of talented, dedicated volunteers who step forward to lead this organization," said NCGA Chairwoman and Nominating Committee Chair Pam Johnson. "The willingness of our volunteer leadership plays an integral role in ensuring NCGA's continued success. As a true grassroots organization, we rely upon farmers to volunteer for leadership, helping to shape policy and drive efforts. Serving on the Corn Board allows farmers a chance to build a better future for the industry and become an active force for change."

The NCGA Corn Board represents the organization on all matters while directing both policy and supervising day-to-day operations.  Board members serve the organization in a variety of ways.  They represent the federation of state organizations, supervise the affairs and activities of NCGA in partnership with the chief executive officer and implement NCGA policy established by the Corn Congress. Members also act as spokespeople for the NCGA and enhance the organization's public standing on all organizational and policy issues.

Applications are due Friday, January 10. Nominated candidates will be introduced at the March 2014 Corn Congress meeting, held in conjunction with the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. Corn Board members will be elected at the July 2014 Corn Congress in Washington, D.C., and the new terms begin Oct. 1.

For more information, growers may contact Kathy Baker at NCGA's St. Louis office at (636) 733-9004.

NCGA Takes Seat at Global Roundtable in Support of Trade and Technology
This week, National Corn Growers Association Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team Chair Jim Zimmerman will be representing U.S. farmers in the 8th annual Global Farmer Roundtable.

In 2013, farmers and producers from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, Kenya, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Ukraine, the United States, Uruguay and Zimbabwe will participate in this event in support of freer trade and farmers' freedom to choose the tools, technologies and strategies they need to maximize productivity and profitability in a sustainable manner.

The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Robert L. Thompson, and events began yesterday with tours of Kemin Industries in Des Moines and the Couser Cattle Company in Nevada, Iowa.

"The Truth about Trade and Technology Roundtable, organized by the non-profit group of the same name, provides a forum for farmers from across the globe to discuss issues which impact us all in a productive manner," said Zimmerman. "We share biotechnology, free trade and stewardship issues whether we farm in America or half a world away. Working together, we can create a global landscape that provides farmers with tools and opportunities that will help grow our industry and feed our world."



The Impact of Uncertainty
Glynn T. Tonsor, Associate Professor
Dept. of Agricultural Economics, Kansas State University
Economists are often known for giving complex answers to questions and responses that are conditional on a series of stated assumptions rather than simple yes-no replies that many non-economists typically would prefer to alternatively receive.  This behavior reflects both disciplinary training and the reality of the world being "messy and complicated."  At the core of this situation is uncertainty on the future of a host of details that could alter the underlying economic situation.

Appreciating this state of affairs is always important but surrounding issues are certainly highlighted at a time of notable political contention and the ongoing partial U.S. governmental shutdown.  Given this backdrop, it is worth noting Economic Policy Uncertainty which is an effort at tracking policy-related uncertainty using an index informed by media coverage, federal tax code provisions set to expire, and disagreement among economic forecasters. In September 2013, the US Economic Policy Uncertainty Index was higher (indicating elevated uncertainty) than levels estimated for many prior periods including the "Black Monday" period of November 1987.  While October values are obviously not yet available, it seems likely they will reflect even more uncertainty than estimated in September and may well exceed levels previously seen primarily during outbreaks of major military events.

Appreciating the economic implications of heightened uncertainty has a direct role in understanding current and likely behavior of cattle producers.  If one accepts the common notion of most producers being conservative in nature and averse to risk, one only has to recognize the base weather and production variation that occurs over time to respect hesitation of many producers in making capital expenditures in the form of breeding herd expansion, infrastructure investment, etc.  When uncertainty on consumer demand strength, tax and regulatory policies, and global macroeconomic conditions are considered one can gain an even deeper appreciation of how historically high projected returns for cow-calf producers may not be sufficient to trigger herd expansion volumes some industry leaders would like to see (and why simply yes-no answers rarely apply).

As uncertainty is elevated most economists argue larger expected returns are required to effectively trigger major investments such as those required to expand the breeding herd.  The personal background of most cow-calf producers coupled with the ever-increasing environment of uncertainty on many economically important points that producers individually have no control of has led to limited moves to-date in initiating aggregate herd expansion.  Time will tell how long and how restrictive these forces are but the role of economic uncertainty in constraining investment in the beef-cattle industry warrants ongoing assessment and appreciation. 



Progress on Farm Bill Negotiations a Commendable Step

Congressional leaders’ moving forward on negotiations to resolve differences between the Senate and House versions of the 2013 farm bill is a commendable step but much more remains to be done, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Overall, both the Senate and House bills provide an adequate food and farm safety net for consumers and farmers, built around options that are consistent with AFBF policy, AFBF President Bob Stallman noted in a letter to conferees detailing Farm Bureau’s views on an array of issues related to the legislation.

“Farm Bureau’s two overarching concerns related to the Senate-House conference on the farm bill are ensuring that permanent law is not repealed and a complete, unified bill continues,” said Stallman.

“For some time, the threat of reinstatement of the long-outdated policies of the 1938 and 1949 acts has served as strong motivation for Congress to enact new farm bills,” Stallman said. “Repealing those acts and making the 2013 farm bill commodity title permanent law could make it difficult in the future to generate sufficient political pressure to adjust the commodity safety net provisions should conditions in production agriculture change.”

The letter noted that if the farm bill expires after five years, other important farm and rural programs covered in different titles are at risk of not being reauthorized.

“Over the last two years, leadership of both Ag Committees have demonstrated their ability to forge bipartisan compromise to achieve a new five-year farm bill that meets farmers’ and ranchers’ needs while also contributing significant savings to reduce our federal deficit,” said Stallman. “We only see these savings if Congress gets the bill done,” he added.

Farm Bureau continues to stand firmly behind the inclusion of the nutrition title in the farm bill.

“A farm bill without a meaningful nutrition title will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the House and Senate to reach agreement on a final version that can be signed by the president,” said Stallman, urging conferees to move forward on a unified farm bill that continues the “marriage” between the nutrition and farm communities.



Collaboration Expanded for Soybean Rust Resistance

Evogene Ltd., a plant genomics company specializing in enhancing crop productivity for the food, feed and biofuel industries, announced the extension and expansion of its multi-year research collaboration with DuPont Pioneer, the seed business of DuPont, for developing soybean varieties displaying resistance to Asian Soybean Rust.

Soybean is one of the most important commercial crops around the world, supplying protein for human and animal consumption, as well as feedstock for oil production. ASR is a major disease that affects the crop, mostly in the prime soybean growing regions of North and South America.

As part of the original collaboration, signed in 2011, Evogene and Pioneer established a joint research program aimed at identifying and validating novel genes portraying the highest probability for in-plant resistance to ASR. Under the program, novel genes identified by Evogene will be evaluated and validated by Pioneer in their soybean research lines as possible leads for further development and commercialization.

Under the one-year extension announced, the parties will add Evogene's Gene2Product computational platform to the gene discovery program. The platform, which offers gene optimization by utilizing advanced gene stacking (i.e. combining of multiple genes) and regulation prediction, is designed to improve the efficacy and probability of success of the resulting novel seed products.



Adequate intakes of high-quality vitamins are necessary for sows to maintain strong structure and enable maximum reproductive capabilities

Vitamin supplementation is more important today than ever before. Due to changes in facilities, fewer ration ingredients and increased production capabilities, vitamins must be supplied to sows through the ration.  Feeding the correct amounts of high-quality vitamins can impact the sows’ structure, reproductive capabilities and long-term profitability.

That’s according to Jon Bergstrom, senior technical support manager for DSM Nutritional Products.

“On average, sows don’t have enough litters to reach their break-even point financially until the third parity, so we have a big opportunity for increasing profitability in the industry,” Bergstrom says, citing research that shows the average breeding sow achieves only 2.5 litters in her lifetime with nearly 30 percent of replacements gilts failing to produce a single litter.

“Nutrition is a major component of reaching production potential and vitamins are an important part of nutrition,” he adds. “Vitamins are often overlooked, but they are essential for life and all of the metabolic functions in the sow.”

Vitamins play an integral role in creating and maintaining bone, muscle, internal organs, blood, and other tissues and fluids of the body; however, the optimum levels of essential vitamins needed for growth and performance are not often found in commercial swine rations. The National Swine Nutrition Guide recommends adding 11 vitamins to sow diets, which are divided into two groups: fat soluble (vitamins A, D, E and K) and water soluble (riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, choline, biotin, vitamin B12, and folic acid).

Bergstrom says that it is a combination of these essential vitamins that helps sows perform to their full potential. In particular, Vitamin D3 can help build and maintain strong skeletons which prevent lameness and promote reproductive capabilities; Vitamin E is essential for an effective immune system; and Vitamin A can help sows return to estrus and produce healthier piglets.

“In the past, vitamin requirements have been primarily based on studies designed to determine levels which would prevent deficiencies,” he says. “In order to have optimum production, you need to provide vitamins at levels far above what’s required merely to prevent nutritional deficiencies and diseases.”

Several industry groups have updated their recommendations for vitamin feeding levels to help sows reach their full potential. DSM has developed and embraces the concept called Optimum Vitamin NutritionTM, which provides nutritionists and producers with updated vitamin feeding levels to support 30 pigs per sow per year. Recommended levels can be found by visiting: http://bit.ly/14MfuNR.

Beyond vitamin levels, Bergstrom says there is large variation in vitamin quality, product form and chemical stability. Feeding the wrong form or a low-quality vitamin will result in a reduced dietary vitamin concentration and can decrease performance.

“We need to feed vitamins that are high-quality and that maintain their stability, so the vitamins haven’t deteriorated and provide the intended levels of supplementation when the animal consumes the feed,” he says. “Talk with your nutritionist to determine which vitamins best fit your operation. Feeding the vitamins at the optimum levels will enable sows to more closely achieve their genetic potential for lifetime reproductive performance and productivity.”