Friday April 11 Ag News

Nebraska's Winter Was 27th Coldest, 18th Driest; No Planting Concerns So Far

            The state climatologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says planting delays should not be a concern and that temperatures should be on the upswing across the state.

            While soil temperatures are still below normal for planting, that problem can be solved if there are persistent 60-degree-and-above-high days so producers can plant without worrying about the viability of their seed, said Al Dutcher, state climatologist.

            A cold winter has put the state about two to three weeks behind normal, Dutcher said.

            Temperatures for the entire state of Nebraska were 1.8 degrees below normal this winter, the 27th coldest since records began in 1896, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Individual locations across eastern Nebraska averaged more than 3 degrees below normal.  In addition, precipitation came in at .70 below normal, the 18th driest winter since 1896.

The latest snowpack information from the Natural Resources Conservation Service as of April 1 shows:
            – The South Platte River Basin snow water equivalent – amount of water in snow pack – is 133 percent of normal.
            – The northern branch of Platte River, north of Seminole Reservoir in Wyoming, is at 140 percent snow water equivalent.
            – South Central Wyoming, the basin that would impact Pathfinder and Alvoca, is at 125 percent snow water equivalent.
            – The Laramie Basin, which is important to Scottsbluff area irrigators, is at 139 percent snow water equivalent.
            – The Sweet Water Basin, in the western extension of the Platte River Basin, is at 114 percent snow water equivalent, while the Casper Drainage Basin is at 129 percent snow water equivalent.

            "With these equivalents and normal moisture for the remainder of April, it should result in above normal stream flow rates through mid-summer," Dutcher said. "We also can expect a great component of runoff this year – 85 to 90 percent of that snowpack will become a runoff component.

            "So, my suspicion right now is if we get normal precipitation, we'll be looking at runoff in the 125 to 130 percent range of normal, which would be a significant improvement over the past two spring seasons."

            However, it most likely will not completely refill northern Platte River Basin reservoirs, he said. In addition, the longer the snowpack stays around, the better likelihood it will hold excessive heat from building into the Central Rockies and should help supplement front range thunderstorm development, at least for the first part of the growing season.

            The primary focus this winter has been the battle between a strong upper air ridge situated over the southwestern U.S. and a deep trough over the eastern half of the country. The resultant upper air ridge has led to the development of extreme to exceptional drought over most of California, Dutcher said.  Further east, heavy moisture has persisted over the eastern Corn Belt since last October.

            "We have seen that ridge weaken in response to above-normal sea surface temps developing in Gulf of Alaska," Dutcher said. "More importantly, a more active precipitation pattern has shown signs of developing across the central and northern High Plains region.  Unless an extended dry pattern develops, significant planting delay issues for the upper Great Lakes and Ohio River valley regions are likely."

            While there was significant moisture this past fall across eastern Nebraska, an exceptionally dry December-March eliminated those surpluses, and the U.S. Drought Monitor is showing moderate drought conditions have developed with exception of northeast Nebraska, he said.

            This is mainly due to lack of snow and its influence on stock ponds, stream flows and water tables.

            Spring crops and native vegetation will begin to extract moisture out of the soil profile during the next couple of weeks, making it critically important that moisture events bring at least normal precipitation so sub-soil moisture reserves continue to build during the summer growing season, Dutcher said.

            "Typically this time of year average weekly precipitation exceeds water use by vegetation, but in about six weeks, actively growing crops normally begin to extract more moisture out of the soil profile than is replaced by precipitation events.

            "If nothing changes, and the persistent eastern U.S. upper air trough remains a player going into growing season, we would expect to see the development of thunderstorms, higher humidity and isolated tornado development as cold fronts sweep southeastward from the southern Prairie province region of Canada. If this pattern doesn't hold, we would see more energy come into the western United States, and those systems would point to more wide spread thunderstorm outbreaks as storm systems move into the southern and central High Plains region," Dutcher said.

            So far Nebraska has been in a holding pattern and hasn't been able to keep temperatures in the 70-degree range for more than a couple of days at a time.

            It is critical that temperatures begin to stay persistently higher to get dew points to rise, soil temperatures to rise and plants start to grow.

            "This is why we haven't seen a big dormancy break with warmer temperatures," Dutcher said. "Right now everything is so cold that everything is delayed. There is moisture underneath the surface, it just hasn't warmed up enough to promote active growth."



CHECK FOR ARMY CUTWORMS IN ALFALFA
UNL Extension Forage Specialist Bruce Anderson

Don’t be caught by surprise. Army cutworms are showing up in high enough numbers to cause damage to alfalfa, especially in western Nebraska so start monitoring your fields today.

Conditions are right for army cutworms this spring.  Cutworms feed on newly emerging leaves near the crown of alfalfa.  This feeding often slows down or delays alfalfa green-up.  Cutworms can be difficult to detect unless you are looking closely for them.  So, if your alfalfa seems slow to get started this spring, examine fields for cutworms.  Alfalfa can die if enough cutworms are present and they are allowed to feed too long.

Look for army cutworms near the crowns of your alfalfa plants.  During daylight they often are found hiding in the loose soil surrounding the plant, so scratch around a little to find them if you don’t see them right away.

Count the number of cutworm larvae per square foot in several areas.  The economic threshold for spraying is four or more army cutworms per square foot on established alfalfa, but just two larvae are needed in fields seeded last year.  Once your alfalfa gets four to six inches tall, spraying is unlikely to be beneficial unless you see a lot of active leaf feeding.

The best insecticides for controlling army cutworms in alfalfa are synthetic pyrethroids.  These include Baythroid, Mustang Max, Proaxis, and Warrior II.  Lorsban also works well.  Before spraying, read and follow label directions to safely apply the correct rate.

Most alfalfa fields should start greening up soon.  If yours does not, check it for army cutworms.  You may need to spray to save it.



Nebraska Cattlemen Pleased with Passage of LR 399

Immigration reform is an issue of great importance to many in agriculture, especially to Nebraska Cattlemen. Due to needed updates in current immigration laws and that the beef industry relies on immigrants as a substantial portion of its labor force, Nebraska Cattlemen supports federal and state immigration reform.

On April 10, LR399 introduced by Senator John Wightman, a resolution which calls upon Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform, was passed. Nebraska Cattlemen is extremely pleased with the passage of LR 399 and the support of the following Nebraska State Senators:
-    Senator Greg Adams
-    Senator Brad Ashford
-    Senator Kathy Campbell
-    Senator Tanya Cook
-    Senator Sue Crawford
-    Senator Mike Gloor
-    Senator Ken Haar
-    Senator Tom Hansen
-    Senator John Harms
-    Senator Burke Harr
-    Senator Sara Howard
-    Senator Rick Kolowski
-    Senator Steve Lathrop
-    Senator Amanda McGill
-    Senator Heath Mello
-    Senator Jeremy Nordquist
-    Senator Paul Schumacher
-    Senator Kate Sullivan
-    Senator Norm Wallman
-    Senator John Wightman



Johanns, Fischer to Federal Agencies: Halt Scheme to Regulate Livestock Emissions

U.S. Sens. Mike Johanns and Deb Fischer (R-Neb) and several of their Republican colleagues today called on the Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop pursuing regulations on livestock emissions. If enacted, the new regulations could cost medium-sized dairy farms up to $22,000 and medium-sized cattle farms up to $27,000 annually.

“Ag producers have a tremendous stock in maintaining a healthy environment—their livelihoods depend on it,” Johanns said. “These sorts of top-down regulations are not only absurd, but they create a tremendous burden for the industry. Agencies should work with Congress and the ag industry to develop manageable strategies to achieve our mutual goal of caring for our environment rather than trying to regulate them into oblivion.”

“Before these agencies start dispensing fresh reams of red tape, they first should consider the economic impact these new requirements will have on producers and their operations both in Nebraska and across the country,” Sen. Fischer said. “The agriculture community works hard year-round to protect our natural resources, as shown by the measurable progress in reducing methane emissions in previous years. More heavy-handed regulations will only create unnecessary burdens and increase costs for the livestock industry.”

On March 28, 2014, the President released his Climate Action Plan “Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions.” The proposal calls on the USDA, DOE, and EPA to develop a plan in the coming weeks that would reduce dairy sector methane greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25 percent by 2020. If this plan leads to heavy-handed regulations or mandatory guidelines, farmers and ranchers would likely face a steep increase in production costs. Currently, EPA is prevented from regulating GHG emissions associated with livestock production through an annual appropriations rider that expires at the end of each fiscal year.



LB402 Bill Signing is a Positive Step Forward for Wind And Solar Development in Nebraska

Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) President John Hansen praised Governor Dave Heineman, State Senators Mello, Davis, Schilz, and Dubas, along with a diverse coalition made up of farm, business, environmental, conservation, and public power stakeholders for successfully updating the state’s C-BED (Community-Based Energy Development) law with the passage of LB402.

In addition to Governor Heineman, State Senator Heath Mello of Omaha who sponsored LB402, Senator Ken Schilz of Ogallala who co-sponsored LB402, and Senator Al Davis of Hyannis who made LB402 his Priority Bill participated in the LB402 signing ceremony.  Senator Annette Dubas of Fullerton who was also a LB402 co-sponsor was not able to attend.

In addition to the elected officials participating in the ceremony, Jon Crane of Boyd Jones and Blue Stem LLC, David Levy of Baird Holm, Dean Mueller of Omaha Public Power District, John O’Conner of Nebraska Public Power District, Duane Hovorka of the Nebraska Wildlife Federation, and John Hansen of Nebraska Farmers Union were present.  Ken Winston of the Nebraska Sierra Club was unable to attend.

NeFU State President John Hansen noted “Governor Heineman publicly asked the wind community to develop and place an update of our state C-BED law he originally signed in 2007 on his desk for him to sign that would move wind energy forward.  Thanks to the hard work and collaborative efforts of this diverse coalition of private and public power interests, we were able to accomplish that mission”, said John Hansen.

LB402 updates and expands the criteria for use of the C-BED law to qualify for sales tax abatement including solar energy in addition to wind energy, allowing Nebraska content of labor, materials, professional services and components, allow corporations domiciled in Nebraska to meet the definition of “qualified owner”, and reduces the qualifying percentage from 33% to 25% to qualify.

“This update of our state’s C-BED law will make it easier to use the C-BED model for renewable energy projects of all sizes.  It also puts smaller renewable energy projects on an equal footing with projects over $20 million in size who can use the sales tax abatement contained in LB104 passed in 2013.  It rewards renewable energy projects who have local ownership and use more local and state content which is good for our state because those kinds of projects help maximize the economic development benefits of the wind or solar development.  LB402 is one more positive step forward in our state’s effort to develop our world class wind and solar resources to the benefit of our landowners, rural communities, environment, and state economy,” Hansen concluded.



UNL's Rural Poll to be Accompanied This Year by Metro Poll from UNO

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln is beginning its annual Rural Poll, one of the nation's leading surveys of opinions of rural dwellers, but this time with a twist: The University of Nebraska at Omaha is introducing a similar survey to understand issues facing the state's metropolitan areas.

Organized by UNO's Center for Public Affairs Research, the Nebraska Metro Poll is designed to complement the Nebraska Rural Poll, which has been conducted by UNL for 18 years.

"There are numerous changes happening across the state," said David Drozd, project manager for the new poll. "While we've learned a great deal about the public's perception of Nebraska's rural communities, we do not have nearly as much information from the states' highest population areas."

A 50-question survey is being sent to 7,500 randomly selected households in the Omaha and Lincoln areas. The Metro Poll will survey residents of Cass, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy, Saunders, Seward, and Washington counties.

The Rural Poll will be sent to 7,500 randomly selected households in the remaining 86 counties in the state. Results from both polls will be available later this year.

Questions in both the urban and rural polls include how people view changes in their community over the past year, levels of personal satisfaction with public services, perception of crime rates in their area, and other measures used to determine key issues that need to be addressed.

"In addition to some questions the rural poll uses every year, we wanted to include a focus on what makes communities successful," Drozd explained. Comparing how responses are similar or different between urban and rural areas will provide key insights, Drozd noted.

Becky Vogt, Rural Poll manager, said the Rural Poll team also is looking forward to having comparisons.



Iowa Beef Producers Investigate Beef Market in China

"There is a hunger for U.S. beef in China. We anxiously await the opening of the market for U.S. beef," was the consistent message delivered to an Iowa Meat Trade Mission while in China. Iowa beef producers Roger Brummett, Bedford and Dean Black, Somers, represented the Iowa Beef Industry Council on the mission.

"We visited with high Chinese meat traders and staff of the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) to learn about the potential for U.S. beef exports," said Brummett, chair of the Iowa Beef Industry Council. "They presented an overview of the China market and discussed current policy issues between the two countries that need to be resolved before the market opens," added Brummett.

The three pillars for U.S. and China relations were listed as food safety, food security and sustainability. China has been closed to U.S. beef since 2003 when the first case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was found, and BSE is still listed as a concern as is ractopamine, a feed additive. The country is working towards a better food safety structure with increased regulations for food producers and manufacturers.

"Their cold chain system is definitely improving," said Black. "We toured a huge brand new cold storage facility in Nanjing and one being built in Suzhou. Each will allow for a thousand or more wholesale 'meat shops' to be indoors, with electricity and near the freezer storage building. Beef is usually frozen when sent to China, so they are better prepared to receive and store beef."

The urbanization happening in China is resulting in a reduction of farmland. "On our travels around Shanghai, we saw thousands of high-rise buildings for housing being built," said Brummett. "They are building everywhere and significantly reducing the amount of land available for farming. Apparently their definition of food security may be changing with China accepting that importing food does not mean China is dependent on another country for their food supply."

Shanghai has the fastest growing E-commerce in the world with young people (born after 1990) ordering food online for delivery to their homes and offices (due to the dense population in high-rise housing.) An online USMEF pork promotion resulted in the sales of almost 10,000 metric tons of pork in one week, so there is great potential to market U.S. beef in this manner.

So what does this mean for U.S. beef? According to analysis by USMEF and the ATO, there is a general distinction between demand for grain vs. grass-fed beef (currently domestic, and from India, Australia and Brazil.) There is no other supplier that compares to the quality of U.S. beef. The demand for U.S. beef will be centered in chain restaurants, hotel fine dining and some retail (hot pot slices). There is also a market for beef offal as the Chinese eat all parts of the beef animal. The demand is there, the cold chain is improved, and the domestic cattle supply is declining, so the outlook for U.S. beef exports is good.

Both Black and Brummett were impressed with the staffs of the USDA foreign agriculture offices and the U.S. Meat Export Federation who are working hard to create opportunities for beef and pork exports. The beef checkoff contributes funds from both the national and state level to USMEF. U.S. beef exports added $277 to the value of a fed steer in February.

The Iowa trade team was coordinated by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and included Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, and representatives of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the U.S. Meat Export Federation. Partial funding for the trade mission was provided by the $1-per-head beef checkoff.



US-Japan Struggle to Bridge Gaps on Agricultural Market Access
U.S. and Japanese negotiators finished three intensive days of talks in Tokyo this week without reaching any substantive agreement to resolve differences on automobile issues and access to agricultural products as part of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. At issue is the U.S. effort to secure concessions to liberalize access to Japan's declared sensitive products—rice, wheat, barley, beef, pork, dairy products and sugar.

Viewed as a comprehensive, 21st century agreement, a guiding principle of TPP is for member countries to eliminate all tariffs. While the United States has called on Japan to make more concessions, it has met continued resistance. Complicating the discussions, Japan and Australia (a TPP member country) announced this week they had concluded a bilateral trade agreement that partially lowered tariffs for Australian beef, some dairy products, but exempted rice from tariff reduction.

However, at the outset of the talks, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman stated that TPP aims for a higher level of trade liberalization than the Japan-Australia agreement and wants Japan to make greater efforts to eliminate tariffs on their sensitive agricultural products. This session of negotiations could be the last opportunity to advance talks ahead a summit between President Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 24-25 in Tokyo. Reaching a bilateral deal is seen as crucial to conclude the broader 12-country TPP negotiations later this year.

Adding to the pressure, a bipartisan draft letter to USTR and USDA is being circulated in the House of Representatives urging them not to make a TPP deal with Japan unless it eliminates tariff and non-tariff agricultural barriers, a position that has been taken by U.S. agricultural groups, including the U.S. Grains Council.



House Ag Committee Leadership Change on the Horizon

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) said Monday he will give up the chairmanship of the committee at the end of his term. Next in line for Chair is yet to be determined, but Rep. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) has been campaigning for the post and Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is another candidate who has not yet decided whether to pursue it. Lucas has reached the GOP Caucus’s limit of six years for committee leadership and will not pursue a waiver. Lucas noted he will never leave the Ag Committee but also looks forward to future leadership responsibilities in the House.



USDA Announces Funding to Train and Educate Next Generation of Farmers and Ranchers

Today, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the availability of more than $19 million in grants to help train, educate and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of agricultural producers through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP).

"USDA is committed to the next generation of America's farmers and ranchers because they represent the future of agriculture and are the backbone of our rural economy. As the average age of farmers continues to rise, we have no time to lose in getting more new farmers and ranchers established." said Secretary Vilsack. "Reauthorizing and expanding the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program is one of the many resources the 2014 Farm Bill gave us to build America's agricultural future. Through this program, we can build a diverse next generation of farmers and ranchers."

BFRDP is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help farmers, ranchers and managers of non-industrial private forest land – specifically those aiming to start farming and those who have been farming or ranching for 10 or fewer years. It is managed by the National Institutes of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA will competitively award grants to organizations conducting programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers. Learn more about eligibility and how to apply (applications are due June 12, 2014).

Priority will be given to projects that are partnerships and collaborations led by or including non-governmental, community-based, or school-based agricultural educational organizations. All applicants are required to provide funds or in-kind support from non-federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to 25 percent of the federal funds requested.

By law, at least five percent of available funding will be allocated to programs and services for limited-resource and socially-disadvantaged beginning farmers and ranchers and farmworkers. Additionally, another five percent of available funding will be allocated for programming and services for military veteran farmers and ranchers.

BFRDP was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, receiving $100 million to be awarded over the next five years. The program was originally funded through the 2008 Farm Bill. Since then, NIFA has awarded more than $66 million through 136 grants to organizations that have developed education and training programs. More than 50,000 beginning farmers and ranchers have participated in projects funded by BRFDP.

NIFA is hosting two upcoming webinars for interested applicants on April 30 and May 6 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. The first webinar will focus on general guidelines for the program, while the second webinar will focus on the funding allocations for socially-disadvantaged and military veteran farmers and ranchers.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is available at: www.nifa.usda.gov.



Small Tractor Sales Up, Combines Down in March

According to the Association of Equipment Manufacturer's monthly "Flash Report," the sale of all tractors in the U.S. for March, 2014, were up 14% compared to the same month last year.  For the month, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) were up 27% from last year, while 40 & under 100 HP were up 8%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP were down 9%, while 4-wheel drive tractors were down 2%.  Combine sales were down 22% for the month.

For the three months in 2014, a total of 39,111 tractors were sold which compares to 37,214 sold thru March, 2014, representing a 5% increase year to date.  Year-to-date, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) are up 12% over last year, while 40 & under 100 HP are up 2%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP are down 2%, while 4-wheel drive tractors are down 7%.  Sales of combines for the first three months totaled 1,840, a decrease of 11% over the same period in 2013.



Organic Claims Declining on U.S. Restaurant Menus

Recently, consumer confidence in the food industry has been shaken by food scandals, lack of transparency in food preparation and questionable treatment of animals. As a result, restaurants have shifted their business practices to introduce a greater number and wider variety of claims that reflect trending food concerns, in hopes of regaining consumers' trust. According to Mintel Menu Insights, while "organic" is still the leading ethical claim on restaurant menus, its usage declined 28% between Q4 2010-13.

"The reality is that organic foods are quite expensive and consumers are looking for alternative claims to help them determine what other types of menu items are safe and of good quality to eat. Tying into this, we are seeing a return to tried-and-true, traditional preparations, signaled by claims tied to classic, original, homemade, etc.," says Julia Gallo-Torres, category manager - US foodservice Oxygen reports.

While organic is in decline, claims like "gluten free" are appearing more frequently on restaurant menus, posting a 200% increase between Q4 2010-13, and accounting for 40% of the total growth in ingredient nutritional claims on the menu during the same time period. Meanwhile, the biggest growth in ingredient claims came from nutritional claims (up 14%) and geographic claims (up 12%).

"Many Americans look to menu information to eat better and healthier. Nutritional claims signal that certain foods can contribute to general health. In terms of geographic claims, consumers are seeking dining experiences that are more authentic and these claims also can convey a healthier presentation," continues Julia.

Mintel Menu Insights also found that consumers are looking for foods that are representative of being homemade; for example, the claim "made from scratch" is contributing 10% to the overall growth of all restaurant menu claims. Also tying into this trend is the growth of claims such as original recipe, freshly-picked, farmstead and farm style. And as operators try to signal that their offerings are unique, "signature" as an ingredient marketing claim grew 34%.

"The number of allergen-related claims will continue to gain momentum, as more people are officially diagnosed with specific allergies and their families also go on restricted diets to help keep them healthy. Leaning towards health, there also is a surge in vegetarian and vegan foods. People also want to know where their foods are coming from. Consumers will continue to look to menus for guidance on what to eat," Julia concludes.



Weekly Column: Disaster Assistance Sign Up for Farmers and Ranchers to Begin April 15
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack

Over the past several years, livestock producers have suffered through long-term drought, blizzards and other extreme weather-related disasters. Without the surety of disaster assistance programs, severe weather has caused economic hardship for producers and many have struggled to survive.

Since the passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, which restored and strengthened disaster assistance programs, USDA has made quick implementation of these programs a top priority. I am pleased to say that thanks to the hard work of Farm Service Agency employees across the country to stand up these programs, farmers and ranchers can begin signing up for disaster assistance starting this Tuesday, April 15.

There are several different programs available, depending on the size and type of your farm or ranch operation. For livestock producers, the Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program will provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, and including calendar years 2012, 2013, and 2014. For certain losses not covered by these programs, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish.

Enrollment also begins on April 15 for the Tree Assistance Program (TAP), which provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

To ensure that your application moves through the process as smoothly as possible, I encourage producers to collect thorough records documenting your losses, including:
-    Documentation of the number and kind of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses;
-    Dates of death supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;
-    Costs of transporting livestock to safer grounds or to move animals to new pastures;
-    Feed purchases if supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed;
-    Crop records, including seed and fertilizer purchases, planting and production records;

I also encourage you to contact your county office ahead of time for more information on the types of records you’ll need to apply for disaster assistance, and to schedule an appointment to apply. More information is available at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

The Farm Bill makes a number of other changes to USDA programs that will impact farmers and ranchers, including recently-announced changes to farm loan programs that help support existing operations and invests in new farmers and ranchers. Visit www.usda.gov/farmbill for more information about our progress towards full implementation of all farm bill programs.