Monday September 22 Ag News

30- and 90-Day Forecasts from Climate Prediction Center
Al Dutcher, UNL Extension State Climatologist

The climate Prediction Center (CPC) has released forecasts for October and October through December.

The 30-day forecast indicates below-normal temperatures from the southwestern US eastward through the southern High Plains and northeast through the southern Panhandle and southwestern corner of Nebraska.  The remainder of Nebraska and the Corn Belt has equal chances of above normal, normal, or below normal temperatures.

The CPC indicates a wet forecast during October from western North Dakota southeastward through southern Iowa, then eastward through the northern half of Illinois.  Also included are Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the western half of Michigan.  The other core area of above normal precipitation includes the southwestern U.S.  and southern Great Basin region. Nebraska is depicted as having equal chances for above normal, normal, or below normal temperatures.

The outlook for October through December indicates a tendency for below normal temperatures across eastern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas. Above normal temperatures are forecast for the West Coast states, the northern Rockies, the northern Plains, the central Corn Belt, and the eastern third of the US.  In Nebraska, only the northeastern third of Nebraska is depicted as having above normal temperature tendencies during the next three months. The remainder of the state has equal chances for above normal, normal, or below normal temperatures.

Two broad areas of precipitation tendencies are indicated for the next three months.  Below normal moisture is expected across the Pacific Northwest, while above normal precipitation is projected to fall from southern California eastward through Texas. This above normal precipitation area continues east of Texas, but is limited to the immediate Gulf Coast region and the coastal region of the southeastern U.S. northward through eastern North Carolina.

Weak El Nino conditions are expected to continue through the end of the year.  This should allow for the subtropical jet to bring occasional storm activity from the Pacific into the southwestern U.S. and then move systems eastward into the southern Plains.  This El Nino doesn't appear strong enough to block  the movement of Arctic air into the continental U.S. for most of the fall and winter.

This would leave me to believe that weather conditions during the next five to six months will likely oscillate between polar plunges and warm El Nino conditions. Some forecasters may mention the term "El Nina" as they describe expectations for this upcoming winter.  Essentially they are indicating that they expect large temperature swings which at times will resemble El Nino conditions and at other times will resemble La Nina conditions.

Temperatures regularly switched from above normal to below normal every two to three weeks during most of this past growing season. This is a prime example of the "El Nina" that forecasters are describing.  The more difficult question relates to whether Arctic air intrusions will be accompanied by slugs of moisture moving out of the southwestern U.S. and interacting with polar air plunges.

Tropical Systems Could Hinder Harvest
Over the last three weeks three tropical systems have traveled up the northern coast of western Mexico and into the Baja peninsula. These slugs of moisture have continued northward into the southwestern U.S. and eventually east or north depending on the position of the northern jet stream.

Hurricane Norbert brought significant flooding into Arizona and then the moisture was drawn northward into the central Rockies by a northern jet stream trough sliding south out of Canada.  This resulted in a heavy band of moisture that fell across Nebraska and points eastward during Husker Harvest Days (Sept. 9-11).

Hurricane Odile followed a similar path as it rode up the Baja peninsula, but then turned eastward toward the southern Plains and an upper air ridge over the northern Rockies turned the remnants eastward toward Texas.

Hurricane formation in the eastern Pacific will likely remain active for the next six weeks and additional systems are expected to move up into Baja region. Therefore, periods of heavy precipitation are likely as moisture from these systems moves east or north, depending on the position of the northern jet.  East-moving systems would target the southern Plains, north-moving systems would target the central Plains, including Nebraska.

If one of these tropical systems were to move inland as a significant polar push was moving into the northern Rockies, heavy rain and/or snow would be expected over several days and could cause significant harvest delays across the western Corn Belt.  The bottom line is that these tropical systems have the potential to cause additional harvest delays if the moisture is drawn northward.



Nebraska couple CAB feedlot partners of the year 

For many couples, their first joint purchase is an appliance or furniture, maybe even a car or a house. Ryan and June Loseke jumped “all in,” buying a feedyard just days before they were married.

June was deep in the details of last-minute wedding preparations when she found herself in what was one of the most important conversations she’d have with her future husband.

“He said, do you want to buy a feedyard?” June recalls. 

The couple were just about to enter their junior year of vet school, so this purchase would direct where they’d live, who they’d work with and even how they’d make a living. 

Twenty-some years later, the feedyard north of Columbus, Neb., has grown into the base of a family operation that includes crop ground, trucking, and a veterinary and consulting business.

On September 19, Loseke Feedyard was named Feedlot Partner of the Year at the Certified Angus Beef® (CAB®) brand annual conference in Marco Island, Fla., for dedication in feeding high-quality cattle.

“Angus cattle were in our wedding vows,” Ryan jokes. 

Maybe it wasn’t that blatant, but June’s family always fed and raised Angus cattle on their ranches near Verdigre, Neb. When they moved back after earning their veterinary degrees in the spring of 1995 and found the feedyard filled with “striped, sheepish” cattle, June said, “Never again. No.” 

So it’s been Angus ever after.

“The predictability is good,” Ryan says. “You know what you’re going to get from a health and performance standpoint.”

Most of the calves come from ranch-direct purchases out of Montana, which the couple credits with keeping their mortality rates low, at .75% or below. 

“You find the longer you’re in practice, the answers are very rarely in the bottle,” Ryan says. “It’s holistic and there are many factors that influence the end product.” 

Most cattle are preconditioned for four to six weeks before they arrive at the feedyard, where they get a 24-hour rest period before processing.

“We’ve never really had a wreck, but we don’t buy high-risk cattle, either,” Ryan says.

So far this year, the feedyard has posted a 38% CAB acceptance rate,  14 points above the national average and more than triple that of a decade ago. 

Although they purchase all the cattle, the Losekes share all carcass data with their suppliers.

“It gives them a chance to see how they’re doing,” Ryan says. “If the industry wants to make improvements, it needs to go back to the seedstock guys to really see a change.”

Shawn Christensen, of SpringVale Ranch, near Hot Springs, Mont., has sold cattle to the Losekes for 20 years. 

“I feel like I’m on track, but it’s a slow-moving train,” he says. Christensen uses performance and carcass data, along with feedback on health, to help make genetic and management decisions. This year he hit 100% Choice or better and up to 62% CAB. 

“I don’t think you can have too much marbling,” Christensen says, noting he also sells replacement heifers. “The sisters of those steers have got to go out and make tremendous cows and go out and grow the same product as those steers are, if not better.”

The producers talk several times during the feeding period, and the Loseke family has even visited Christensen’s ranch on vacations.

“We don’t like to sit still much,” June says.  

 They start each morning at the feedyard riding pens, treating cattle and reading bunks before Ryan jumps in the feed truck. June heads down the road to Loseke Veterinary Services P.C., or to local swine facilities and feedlots where they consult. Unless it’s planting or calving or harvest season.

“Since we’re in production ourselves it seems our clients are much more ready to take our advice,” June says, and Ryan agrees. 

“It helps keep me practical in my recommendations. You appreciate what it takes to feed cattle,” he says. If they do get time to sit down, it’s likely you’ll find them catching up on bookwork. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. most nights, June completes health papers online, keeps feedyard and veterinary practice finances on the computer, and recruits a little help where possible. 

The crew includes their nephew Jake Bartos, Ryan’s dad Wayne, and their four children Elisabeth (18), Erika (15), Carsten (12) and Cort (10). 

“They’re our main secretaries,” June says of those four. 

All of the children have cattle interests, one doing an implant study, and another works on sorting. They enter the “pen of three” challenges and show in 4-H.

Both say being with their kids is the biggest bonus in being self-employed.

“There’s always something to do around here, but there’s nothing more fun than watching your kids in their activities,” Ryan says.   

It wasn’t the plan June had when first entering vet school, but she’s convinced it was all part of a greater plan.

“We are thankful He created Angus cattle and allowed us to be stewards of some of His land and livestock,” she says. 



Help in Finding Renewable Fuels at the Pump
In today’s fast-paced marketplace, consumers are faced with a daunting number of choices each day. And with life being so fast-paced, information is constantly being presented to us to sift through. This is also true with our energy needs.

Consumers have choices to make in regards to their energy needs at home and also in their vehicles. Renewable fuels are a smart choice because they are sustainable, locally produced, and help lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

Both biodiesel and ethanol are readily available to consumers in Nebraska, and they are being offered in more places than most people would think. Not only do consumers have the option to choose biodiesel or ethanol, they also have the option to select them at the specific blends that they are looking for. Common blends for biodiesel include B5, B10 and B20. If using biodiesel for farming purposes or looking to order biodiesel to put in a storage tank, then it can be ordered at the specific blend rate that you choose. Blend rates are identified by the number following the letter, so B20 is comprised of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel fuel.

“Nebraska’s farmers have been working hard the last few years to get biodiesel and ethanol more readily available at the pumps in Nebraska,” said Mark Caspers, farmer from Auburn, Nebraska and District Five director of the Nebraska Soybean Board. “If biodiesel isn’t available at your local fueling station, then I recommend that you request it become available and have them call the Soybean Board with questions on how to do so.”

If you have filled your tank with gasoline in Nebraska recently, you probably noticed that ethanol flex fuel pumps are scattered all over the state. These pumps allow you to choose a variety of different options, which typically include the ability to fill up with E10 or E15, 10 or 15 percent ethanol, respectively. If you drive a flex fuel vehicle, many of these flex fuel pumps allow you to choose a flex fuel blend from E0 all the way up to E85. These choices provide flex fuel vehicle owners the flexibility to choose their fuel choice based on price and their needs.

As the celebration of September as Renewable Fuels Month is wrapping up and driving into the fall, make the smart, easy choice of including ethanol or biodiesel in your vehicle. You’ll be reducing emissions and America’s dependence on foreign oil.

For more information on where you find E85 pumps and ethanol blender pumps, go to www.ne-ethanol.org. Here you will find an interactive map and have an updated list of ethanol pumps right at your fingertips or call the Nebraska Corn Board at 402-471-2676.

To find biodiesel near you, simply go to www.biodiesel.org. Once there, you’ll be given the option to either find biodiesel at the pump or purchase it for bulk delivery. Locations on the map change frequently, so if you are having trouble finding a station near you, then call the Nebraska Soybean Board at (402) 441-3240 for help finding a local retailer.



EFFECTS OF A FREEZE ON FORAGES
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

If you haven’t experienced a freeze yet this fall, you soon will.  And remember, a freeze can cause hazards for using some forages.

When plants freeze, changes occur in their metabolism and composition that can poison livestock.  But you can prevent problems.

Sorghum-related plants, like cane, sudangrass, shattercane, and milo can be highly toxic for a few days after frost.  Freezing breaks plant cell membranes.  This breakage allows the chemicals that form prussic acid, which is also called cyanide, to mix together and release this poisonous compound rapidly.  Livestock eating recently frozen sorghums can get a sudden, high dose of prussic acid and potentially die.  Fortunately, prussic acid soon turns into a gas and disappears into the air.  So wait 3 to 5 days after a freeze before grazing sorghums; the chance of poisoning then becomes much lower.

Freezing also slows down metabolism in all plants.  This stress sometimes permits nitrates to accumulate in plants that are still growing, especially grasses like oats, millet, and sudangrass.  This build-up usually isn't hazardous to grazing animals, but green chop or hay cut right after a freeze can be more dangerous.

Alfalfa reacts two ways to a hard freeze, down close to twenty degrees, cold enough to cause plants to wilt.  Nitrate levels can increase, but rarely to hazardous levels.  Freezing also makes alfalfa  more likely to cause bloat for a few days after the frost.  Then, several days later, after plants begin to wilt or grow again, alfalfa becomes less likely to cause bloat.  So waiting to graze alfalfa until well after a hard freeze is a good, safer management practice.

Frost causes important changes in forages so manage them carefully for safe feed.



Done Irrigating? Don’t Forget To Remove Your Soil Moisture Sensors
Aaron Nygren, UNL Extension Educator

With most irrigation finished for the season and harvest fast approaching, this is a good time to pull  Watermark sensors and ET Gages and store them for the winter. Taking time now ensures fewer harvest delays and sensors that will be in good working order next spring.

Watermark Sensors
When pulling Watermark sensors be sure to take your time if they don't pull easily. Problems arise most often with the third- or fourth-foot sensors, especially on soil textures with high clay content. Try removing sensors shortly after a rain, adding water, digging down beside the sensor, or using a manufactured puller. Wash off sensors and store them so you'll remember where they are next spring. Heated storage is not necessary as the sensors aren't damaged by freezing temperatures.

When pulling sensors, mark any sensors that have been giving strange readings and may need to be replaced. Also, take note of the location of the sensors. If the area represented the rest of the field well during the year, make plans to install sensors in the same location next spring.  If the numbers didn't match well with moisture conditions over the rest of the field, make a note and try a different location next year.

For those who used a data logger, be sure to download your data to your computer so you can analyze the data this winter.  This can be done by hooking up the data logger to your computer with the included serial cable, or by using an Irrometer WaterGraph Data Shuttle.  One challenge when downloading data is that most computers don't have a serial port, so you will need a USB-to-serial-port adapter to connect to the data logger.  They are readily available online or at computer stores.

ET Gages
If you used an ET Gage to help schedule your irrigation, remember to put it away before the first hard freeze of the year to avoid breaking the ceramic top.  Simply drain any remaining water and store until next spring.

Now would also be a good time to replace the wafer and canvas cover on the ceramic top so your ET Gage is ready to go next spring.  We recommend replacing the wafer and canvas cover every year to ensure accurate readings. If you need more wafers and canvas covers, check with your local NRD if you purchased your ET Gage through them. You may notice that the color of new #54 alfalfa reference covers has changed slightly to a darker green; however, the readings should be similar to those from the old color.

As with the Watermark sensors, take note of whether the location of your ET Gage gave you good readings over the season.  If not, make plans to try a different location, possibly farther away from trees, obstruction, or tall crops.



SURVEY OF REALTORS SHOWS IOWA FARMLAND PRICES HAVE DIPPED 9%

The Iowa Chapter of REALTORS Land Institute is pleased to announce the results of our September 2014 Land Trends and Values Survey. Our REALTORS Land Institute Chapter is an affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS and is organized for REALTORS who specialize in farm and land sales, management, development and appraisal.

Participants in the survey are specialists in farmland, and are asked for their opinions about the current status of the Iowa farmland market.

Participants were asked to estimate the average value of farmland as of September 1, 2014. These estimates are for bare, unimproved land with a sale price on a cash basis.

Pasture and timberland values were also requested as supplemental information.

The results of these surveys show a statewide average decrease of cropland values of -3.4% for the March 2014 to September 2014 period. Combining this decrease with the -5.4% decrease reported in March 2014 indicates a statewide average decrease of -8.8% for the year from September 1, 2013 to September 1, 2014.

The nine Iowa crop reporting districts showed a mixed response. The districts varied from a 3.1% increase in SE district to a -6.5% decrease in NE district since March 2014.

Factors contributing to current farmland values include: lower commodity prices, increasing interest rates. Other factors include: lack of stable alternative investments, cash on hand, and limited amount of land on market.

The Iowa Farm & Land REALTORS farmland value survey has been conducted in March and September since 1978. This survey plus the RLI Farm and Ranch Multiple Listing Service are activities of REALTORS specializing in agricultural land brokerage on a daily basis.



COBANK NAMED SAFEST BANK IN U.S. BY GLOBAL FINANCE MAGAZINE

CoBank, a leading cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, has been named the safest bank in the United States by Global Finance magazine, and earned a place on its "World's 50 Safest Banks" list for a fourth consecutive year.

Global Finance, which covers the financial services industry, publishes the "World's 50 Safest Banks" list annually, and released its rankings for 2014 yesterday. Banks are ranked using a methodology that includes total assets and an evaluation of long-term ratings from major rating agencies. CoBank was first named to the list in 2011.

"We're very pleased to have earned this distinction," said Robert B. Engel, CoBank's chief executive officer. "Financial strength and stability is something all our customers look for when choosing a banking partner. We greatly value the trust our customers place in us, and it is essential that we continue to deliver exceptional value to them while maintaining a strong financial foundation for the long term."

The ranking will be published in the November issue of Global Finance.



USDA Cold Storage Report Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers were down slightly from the previous month and down 7 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were down 6 percent from the previous month and down 20 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 2 percent from the previous month but down slightly from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 29 percent from last month but up 136 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on August 31, 2014 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 14 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up slightly from the previous month but down 13 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 1 percent from last month but down 15 percent from August 31, 2013.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on August 31, 2014 were down slightly from the previous month and down 4 percent from August 31, 2013.  Butter stocks were down 3 percent from last month and down 37 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks were up 12 percent from last month but down 2 percent from a year ago.  Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 20 percent from last month and up 7 percent from a year ago.



USDA: August Egg Production Up 3 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.39 billion during August 2014, up 3 percent from last year. Production included 7.29 billion table eggs, and 1.10 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.02 billion were broiler-type and 73 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during August 2014 averaged 357 million, up 2 percent from last year. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,347 eggs, up 1 percent from August 2013.
                                   
All layers in the United States on September 1, 2014 totaled 357 million, up 2 percent from last year. The 357 million layers consisted of 301 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 53.0 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.01 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on September 1, 2014, averaged 75.4 eggs per 100 layers, down slightly from September 1, 2013.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 3 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during August 2014 totaled 39.4 million, up 3 percent from August 2013. Eggs in incubators totaled 40.7 million on September 1, 2014, up 9 percent from a year ago.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 251 thousand during August 2014, down 27 percent from August 2013.

Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up 1 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during August 2014 totaled 789 million, up 1 percent from August 2013. Eggs in incubators totaled 637 million on September 1, 2014, up 1 percent from a year ago.

Leading breeders placed 7.44 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during August 2014, up 4 percent from August 2013.
 
IOWA:
Egg production  in  Iowa during August 2014 was 1.39 billion eggs, up  1 percent  from  last month, and up 3 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs release from USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. 

The  total number of  layers on hand during August was 58.7 million, up 1 percent  from  last month, and up 2 percent from  the 57.7 million  last year. Eggs per 100  layers  for  the month of August were 2,370, down fractionally  from  last month, but up 1 percent from 2,351 last year.



NATIONAL FARM SAFETY AND HEALTH WEEK - SEPTEMBER 21-27, 2014
A PROCLAMATION BY BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 
Across our Nation, farmers and ranchers labor through difficult and often dangerous conditions to write their chapter in the narrative that sustains our Union.  It is the story of hard work and ingenuity that built our country -- of a farmer who stretches the last moments of daylight to tend his crops and a rancher who gathers her herd and teaches her son the family trade.  It is the story of America's agricultural sector, which powers progress in our rural communities and moves our Nation forward.  As we recognize National Farm Safety and Health Week, we pay tribute to our agriculturists and renew our efforts to ensure their safety.

America depends on our farmers and ranchers to clothe our families, feed our people, and fuel our cars and trucks.  And with their determined spirit and know-how, they have bolstered our economy with the strongest 5-year stretch of farm exports in our history.  To support this vital industry and build on its record growth, this year I signed the Farm Bill, which lifts up small ranches and family farms by investing in farmers markets and organic agriculture.  It also provides crop insurance, so that when disasters strike, our farmers do not lose everything they have worked to build.

While our farmers and ranchers are the best in the world, agriculture remains one of our country's most hazardous industries.  Producers and their families are exposed to numerous safety and health dangers -- from vehicular fatalities and heat-related illnesses to injuries from falls and sicknesses from exposure to pesticides and chemicals.  With preparation and proper training, these risks can be limited and lives can be saved.  That is why my Administration continues to pursue innovative and comprehensive ways to lessen these hazards.  We have invested in programs that improve youth farm safety, and last year, we announced plans to support the development of a national safety training curriculum for young agricultural workers.

This week, we salute all those who carry forward our Nation's proud tradition on sprawling ranches and cross-hatched fields.  Let us recommit to raising awareness of the dangers they face and doing our part to protect their health and well-being.  Together, we can ensure a safer future for this great American industry.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 21 through September 27, 2014, as National Farm Safety and Health Week.  I call upon the agencies, organizations, businesses, and extension services that serve America's agricultural workers to strengthen their commitment to promoting farm safety and health programs.  I also urge Americans to honor our agricultural heritage and express appreciation to our farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers for their contributions to our Nation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this  nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.



CHS to Announce 1.5 Million Gift to Further Agricultural Education Sustainability in U.S.

On Thursday, September 25, 2014, CHS will announce its commitment to furthering agricultural education in the United States through a gift of $1.5 million dollars, to be given over the next 3 years to the National FFA Foundation.

The gifting ceremony will take place at CHS headquarters in Inver Grove Heights, Minn., just in advance of the National Teach Ag Day celebration. The 10-minute announcement will include a ceremonial check presentation by Lisa Zell, Executive Vice President, Business Solutions at CHS, and remarks by Dr. Wm. Jay Jackman, Executive Director of the National Association of Agricultural Educators and Molly Ball, President of the National FFA Foundation.

A large portion of the CHS donation will be earmarked for the National Teach Ag Campaign ($275,000) and the Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education.

The National Teach Ag Campaign is an initiative to raise awareness of the need for more agricultural educators and celebrate the contributions agricultural educators make in their classrooms every day. CHS has been a sponsor of the National Teach Ag Campaign since 2011, contributing more than $450,000.  The campaign is a project of the National Council for Agricultural Education, led by the National Association of Agricultural Educators. It is funded by CHS, DuPont Pioneer and Growth Energy, as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.



Grants of $2,500 to $5,000 Available for CASE Certification and Equipment

DuPont Pioneer is working closely with the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) to award grants to teachers who are implementing Curriculum for Agricultural Science Education (CASE) but may lack sufficient resources. Grants of $2,500 to $5,000 are available to help train teachers and supply equipment and resources to prepare students for careers in agriculture and food.

Applications for CASE grants will be accepted through October 30, 2014.

The DuPont Pioneer grants will be available to help in three areas teachers have identified as cost barriers to implementing the program in their schools: teacher training, equipment and materials, and end-of-course assessments.

CASE is a multiyear approach to agriscience education with rigorous educator training requirements and hands-on, inquiry-focused learning activities. The collaboration between DuPont Pioneer and CASE is a special project of the National FFA Foundation. This is the third year of involvement for DuPont Pioneer.