Monday October 20 Ag News

Corn Stalk Nitrate Tests
Charles Shapiro, CPAg, ExtensionSoil Scientist, Haskell Ag Lab

Late season stalk nitrate tests are used to assess the nitrogen status of corn plants at physiological maturity. This year may provide interesting information since we had greater than average rainfall for most of the eastern part of the state.

Reports are that nitrogen leaching may have been widespread, and some nitrogen that was intended to go on in irrigation water, may not have been applied. From my experience and sampling in research plots, stalk nitrate tests have to be viewed with other knowledge about the field and the cultural practices.

I have seen where late season nitrogen was in the plant stalks, but did not affect yield. I have also seen, mostly on sandy ground, where low stalk nitrates (below 700 ppm) did not indicate N deficiency, but effective utilization of all the nitrogen in the plant.

The best use of this test is to compare different treatments, such as a strip trial where extra nitrogen was applied sidedress. The information from the stalk nitrate test is better interpreted with yield data.



UNL Beef Outlook & Tax Mgt Wksp to be Held in O'Neill

Beef producers are invited to attend a “Beef Outlook and Tax Management” Workshop to be held at the Holt County Extension Office Meeting Room on Tuesday, October 28th from 12 Noon until 3 pm.  Major topics will deal with tax management tips to deal with above average income from both higher livestock prices, and income from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program payments.  In addition, an outlook on current prices and trends in the cattle industry will be discussed.

Speakers will include Anthony Barrett, with Nebraska Farm Business Inc, and Jim Jansen, UNL Extension Ag Economist.  The workshop will begin with a meal at noon, and will include copies of all information covered.

There will be a $10 registration fee for the program.  Please register with the Holt County Extension Office prior to the meeting for meal numbers at 402-336-2760 or to Gary Stauffer at gstauffer1@unl.edu.  Workshops will also be held at Ainsworth from 5-8 pm that evening, and at Burwell on November 3 from 11am-2 pm.



Small Scale Farming Workshop Nov. 8
Gary Lesoing, Extension Educator, Nemaha County

Interested in learning how to produce your own food or start a diversified agriculture business on your acreage or in your backyard? UNL Extension will be hosting the third installment of "Small Spaces, Big Potential": a Small Scale Farming Workshop on Saturday, November 8 in Nebraska City. The event will be at the Kimmel Education and Research Center (5985 G Road) beginning at 8:45 am and ending at 4:30 pm.

The workshop will feature presentations by local farmers and UNL Extension personnel. Breakout session topics and presenters will include:
-    The Basics of Backyard Poultry and Rabbits with Brett Kreifels, UNL Extension;
-    Aquaponics with Gregg Fripp, Whispering Roots;
-    Growing Hops with Shad Reynolds, Nebraska Hop Growers;
-    Raising Bees in Urban Areas with Tony Sandoval, Omaha Beekeepers;
-    Operating a Pumpkin Patch Enterprise with Teresa Lorensen, Bloom Where You're Planted Farm; and
-    Xeric Gardening with Nicole Stoner and John Fech, UNL Extension.

The day also will include a general session on ag restoration with Brad Kindler entitled "Cows, Oaks, & Art." Kindler, who recently returned from the Peace Corps, has been actively involved in sustainable agriculture since 2003 and is currently working at Branched Oak Farm to develop an orchard and market garden.  The day will conclude with a presentation on FSA programs for Small and Beginning Farmers by Wes Finkner, Farm Service Agency.

Pre-registration costs are $35 per individual, $50 per couple, and $10 per youth. Registration at the door will be: $45 per individual, $60 per couple, and $20 per youth. For questions or to pre-register contact the Nemaha County Extension Office (402-274-4755) or see program flyer.



42nd Anniversary of the Clean Water Act

Saturday, October 18th, is the 42nd anniversary of America’s Clean Water Act. When Congress passed this legislation, two-thirds of America’s waterways were too toxic for fishing, swimming or drinking, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

“We should celebrate this anniversary, because the Clean Water Act has helped clean up our waterways ensuring that our families have clean, safe water to drink,” said John Crabtree of the Center for Rural Affairs. “We should also use this as an opportunity to examine what still needs to be done to protect clean water for our children and future generations.”

Toward that end, the EPA is collecting comments on a new proposed rule called “Waters of the U.S.,” which would clear the regulatory waters, fix loopholes in Clean Water Act enforcement, and reestablish protections of the source of our drinking water supplies, Crabtree added.

According to Crabtree, this rulemaking comes after a decade of uncertainty over the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act, following Supreme Court challenges in 2001 and 2006. The proposed rule would restore Clean Water Act protections to 20 million acres of wetlands and more than half the nation’s streams, helping preserve drinking water quality for 117 million Americans.

“The time has come to set aside political posturing and petty partisan politics, improve the Waters of the U.S., and move forward,” continued Crabtree. “We urge the White House to heed the constructive input they’ve received through the public comment process and then finalize this proposed rule to protect America’s surface waters and provide clean drinking water for all Americans.”

“The proposed Waters of the U.S. rule is a commonsense effort to protect the quality of the nation’s surface waters and provide an environment in which economically vital activities such as hunting, fishing and birding as well as farming and ranching can thrive economically while contributing to a better quality of life in rural America and safer drinking water for those of us who live here and also for our neighbors downstream,” Crabtree concluded. “We applaud President Obama for standing up for clean water by proposing this rule and urge him to finish the task.”

For more information on Waters of the U.S. rule, visit the Center for Rural Affairs website: http://www.cfra.org/Waters-of-the-US.



Iowa Comments on Federal 'Waters of the United States' Proposal

Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Secretary Bill Northey, along with relevant state leaders, today sent a letter and submitted comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy and Army for Civil Works Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy on the proposed "Waters of the United States" federal rule under the Clean Water Act (CWA).

"The overriding concern of a diverse group of impacted stakeholders, including state leaders, is that the proposed rule will impose significant barriers to the advancement of innovative, state- and local-driven conservation and environmental practices that would actually advance our common goal of water quality," the letter reads. "Because the proposed rule is fatally flawed, we request that it be withdrawn and that future rulemaking be appropriately coordinated with States and relevant stakeholders. We agree that clean water requires good, clear, well-designed regulations -- unfortunately, the ones currently being proposed are not."

The letter outlines four key concerns from relevant stakeholders:
-- Disregard for states' lead role under the CWA to protect and promote water quality
-- Section 101(b) of the CWA clearly states that, "it is the policy of the Congress to recognize, preserve, and protect the primary responsibilities and rights of States to prevent, reduce, and eliminate pollution, to plan the development and use (including restoration, preservation and enhancement) of land and water resources..."

The proposed rule confuses Federal control with environmental protection. The State of Iowa believes that environmental protection is best driven locally.
-- A disconnect between content and intent
-- The Federal government's proposed approach, and the content of the proposed rule, would seriously impair advancements in water quality in the State of Iowa. As an example, too many Iowa farmers would be forced to gain Federal permits to advance water quality infrastructure projects, which would discourage agricultural producers from undertaking the very projects that would improve water quality throughout the State.

Increased uncertainty from the proposed federal rule
-- The proposed rule increases, rather than decreases uncertainty for various stakeholders. The proposed rule is more ambiguous than current law and promises to be tied up in litigation for years to come, creating uncertainty within conservation interests, industries and communities across the state.

Underestimation of costs of the burdensome proposed federal rule
-- Permitting compliance costs will siphon finite resources that would better be used to advance conservation best practices and infrastructure in Iowa's countryside. Permitting delays would also increase the costs of conservation and economic development projects. Additional costs would impact public transportation projects, renewable energy projects, electricity distribution, disaster recovery projects, mitigation projects, and so on.

-- Every day those projects are delayed has real costs that are currently unaccounted for by the Federal government. There would also be additional enforcement costs that current staffing levels at both the Federal and State levels are not positioned to meet. The rule as proposed would essentially be an unfunded mandate on State agencies tasked with CWA enforcement.

The letter concludes, "The Federal government's proposed rule seems to be more concerned with asserting Federal control over local water bodies than actually improving local water quality. Thus, we were encouraged recently by the bipartisan support in the United States House of Representatives to block the advancement of this flawed rule. Those concerns were similarly echoed in a bipartisan fashion by the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture members who unanimously called on the Federal government to withdraw the rule. We strongly urge you to listen to the consensus concerns of the States, including Iowa, and withdraw this rule."

The Director of Iowa Department of Natural Resources Chuck Gipp, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority Debi Durham, Director of Iowa Department of Transportation Paul Trombino III, Chair of the Iowa Utilities Board Libby Jacobs and Director of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Mark Schouten joined Branstad, Reynolds and Northey in signing the letter.

State of Iowa leaders care deeply about water quality. Since 2011, new General Fund appropriations for water quality related initiatives have increased by 26%. In just the last two years (FY 14 and FY 15), over $50 million dollars were allocated to support water quality related state initiatives. This historic level of investment does not even include the cost-share dollars spent by farmers, landowners and communities on these efforts.


    
Giving back
Iowan reviews term on Angus board, culminating as CAB chairman

Doug Schroeder had always been around livestock. But Angus cattle and then the Junior program and finally the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB®) brand took on special significance to the Iowan who steps down next month after a year as the brand’s Board Chairman.
“When we got married, I had some commercial cows and my wife Glenda had some registered Angus,” he says. “We sold them all and bought five registered cows as foundation for our herd. Three years later when we rented a place, we had 10 cows, and now it’s 130.”
Herd growth was steady over time near Clarence, Iowa, in “a county with one stoplight,” but expansion has reached a practical limit, even with the next generation joining in.
“We live in corn country, 50 miles from Illinois, with a lot of 25- and 30-acre pastures and some of those with two creeks,” says Schroeder, who also runs a hog operation with 4,500 annual marketings. “We have to trailer the cattle around for rotations, and that limits your scope.”
Still, he wouldn’t want to farm or raise livestock away from this spot where his great-grandfather  borrowed money from a neighbor to buy a farm and ended up buying a place for each of seven sons.
“We still farm a couple of those, and a cousin does. Family is the most important thing to us,” Schroeder says.
As their three children, Jason, Drew and Lauren, followed their parents’ footsteps into 4-H and FFA projects and then area, state and National Junior Angus Association programs, the Schroeders demonstrated their commitment. The couple served as advisors for the Iowa juniors for 13 years.
“They didn’t just show cattle,” their dad says. “They were involved in speech and quiz bowl and everything that was going on. They all received scholarships from the Foundation and the Iowa Angus Association, and today they are all involved in our operation.”
In a sense, Schroeder ran for the American Angus Association Board six years ago to give something back.
“But I never dreamed I would end up being chairman of the CAB Board,” he says. “I’m a cow-calf guy. We sell 20 to 25 bulls and 15 good cows each year, but we sell most of the calves at weaning.”
Most of those bulls go to diversified farmers who feed their steers out, and Schroeder has begun working more closely with them to track progress on carcass value.
“I really believe in CAB and know it adds so much value to our cattle,” he says. “When the feeder gets another $50 and the other grid premiums, he’s in there to bid more for those calves the next year, and then that cow-calf guy can get a better bull so it all works together.”
Looking at the brand before his time on the Board, he already got that, beyond the general notion of adding value to black hides.
“If you really look into it or want to make sure your cattle qualified for all 10 carcass specifications, the first thing that would surprise most people is how hard it is to do that if you’re not really focused on it,” Schroeder says. “And the next thing, that’s a better surprise, is what great tools we have.
“The information in our Angus database is just solid, and it cost nothing,” he adds. “That is really the best thing available to cattlemen today – not just seedstock but to all commercial guys, too. It’s let us develop the kind of genetics that are making it easier to make CAB all the time. But again, it takes focus.”
The trend toward record-high CAB acceptance rates shows the market is stimulating that focus, even as the brand encourages industry-wide relationships.
“We like the way it unites all segments,” Schroeder says. “Some of the most important work we’re doing is helping people at every step along the beef chain to understand each other and what they are all about. Then those people selling or serving beef in the big Eastern cities know the truth. They can speak from experience when somebody tries to say we’re all corporate farmers or don’t care about our animals or something.”
It’s been a rewarding tenure on the Board, but the farm and family are calling for less travel as new grandchildren represent a sixth generation who could farm the land.
“January is my favorite time of year, but not because of weather,” Schroeder says. “It’s because of the new calves. Maybe we just invested a lot in a new bull or were excited to see the first AI calves from another, and how they match up with our cows. Those bulls can make a huge difference in the direction of the herd. And of course, when you have cow families that have been proven over the years, you can’t help hoping they have heifer calves.”
Naturally, talk of young ones leads to a look down the road.
“Our goal has been to get to where we can retire from farming and have the next generation carry on as we live on our share of the herd and land. Our sons and their families are right there with us, heavily involved already, and although Lauren is in banking in Des Moines, she still owns cattle and sometimes we’ll pick her up to go to sales together.”
With prospects for Angus cattle brighter than ever, Schroeder likes the way things look for his family, herd and industry.       



NPPC Urges White House, Congress To Fix COOL Law
Following the release today of the World Trade Organization’s decision on the U.S. meat labeling law, the National Pork Producers Council urged the Obama administration and Congress to fix the law to avoid trade retaliation from Canada and Mexico.

As expected, the WTO ruled that the mandatory Country-Of-Origin Labeling (COOL) statute violates U.S. international trade obligations by discriminating against Canadian cattle and pigs and Mexican cattle. COOL requires meat to be labeled with the country where the animal from which it was derived was born, raised and slaughtered. The decision could allow the two countries to place tariffs on U.S. imports.

“The United States must avoid retaliation from Canada and Mexico,” said NPPC President Howard Hill, a veterinarian and pork producer from Cambridge, Iowa. “Retaliatory tariffs on pork would be financially devastating to U.S. pork producers.”

But, pointed out Hill, tariffs likely would be placed on a host of U.S. products, including non-agricultural ones.

As it did in a 2012 ruling on a previous version of COOL, the WTO requested that the United States bring the “inconsistent measure into conformity with its [international trade] obligations.”

NPPC opposed COOL when it was being debated by Congress as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, worked for flexibility in the labeling scheme when lawmakers said it would be part of the 2008 Farm Bill and joined with several other meat organizations in filing a lawsuit against the most recent iteration of the regulation implementing the law.

NPPC supports an approach to labeling that provides important information to consumers, complies with U.S. international trade obligations and does not undermine U.S. meat supply chains and unnecessarily raise costs.

“The United States economy can’t afford to have its products restricted, through tariffs, to its No. 1 and 2 exports markets,” Hill said. “Congress and the White House need to address this now.”



NCBA President Bob McCan on WTO U.S. COOL Decision

Statement by National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Bob McCan, Victoria, Texas, cattleman regarding the public announcement by the WTO on the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling rule:

“The announcement today by the WTO dispute panel on the U.S. Country of Origin Labeling rule brings us all one step closer to facing retaliatory tariffs from two of our largest trading partners. Our producers have already suffered discounts and faced the closure of a number of feedlots and packing plants due to the effects of this short-sighted regulation. COOL is a failed program that will soon cost not only the beef industry, but the entire U.S. economy, with no corresponding benefit to consumers or producers.

“NCBA has maintained that there is no regulatory fix to bring the COOL rule into compliance with our WTO obligations or that will satisfy our top trading partners. We look forward to working with Congress to find a permanent solution to this issue, avoiding retaliation against not only beef, but a host of U.S. products.”

Canada’s list of products for possible trade retaliation can be found here...  http://www.international.gc.ca/media_commerce/comm/news-communiques/2013/06/07a.aspx?lang=eng.   Mexico has yet to release their list of targeted products.



NFU Says USDA Can Make Any Necessary Changes Necessary to Bring COOL into Compliance with Today’s Mixed WTO Ruling

National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson said that today’s ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Country-of-Origin Labeling (COOL) can be handled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and reminded lawmakers of the strong support by the public and in rural America for the popular labeling law.

“American consumers want to know where their food comes from, and America’s family farmers and ranchers are proud to provide that information,” said Johnson. “Nothing about today’s ruling changes that rudimentary fact.”

This most recent challenge to COOL, filed by Canada and Mexico, challenges the final rule put forward by USDA and comes on the heels of an earlier WTO ruling that found the U.S. has the right to require labeling of meat products, but found fault with how the rule was implemented.

“Under the guidance of USDA, any changes to COOL to ensure full compliance with today’s decision should be able to be made administratively, while maintaining the integrity of COOL labels,” said Johnson.   

A May 2013 public opinion poll found that more than 90 percent of consumers support COOL, and feelings for the labeling law are equally strong in rural America. “We are confident that given that level of support, Congress will reject all heavy-handed attempts to make legislative changes to this important labeling law,” said Johnson.

Since its passage in 2002, COOL has been under constant attack both domestically, by the U.S. meat industry, and internationally. On each and every domestic occasion, the rulings have come down in support of COOL.

This recent ruling will likely take many months to resolve, since it will undoubtedly be appealed, and the WTO process is slow moving. Just as NFU has played an active role in legally defending this rule in U.S. courts – and has so far won every legal ruling in court – NFU will also work with USDA and U.S. Trade Representative to see that our WTO rights are protected and that we will comply with any final WTO decisions. Now is not the time to change the law. It is the time to see the WTO process through to an ultimate conclusion.



ASA Responds as WTO Issues COOL Ruling; Calls on USDA to Suspend COOL Rule
In response to this morning’s ruling from the World Trade Organization that finds the United States’ implementation of mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) for imported meat to be noncompliant with WTO rules, American Soybean Association President Ray Gaesser of Corning, Iowa, has released the following statement:

“This morning’s decision from the WTO only solidifies what we in the industry already knew to be true: that mandatory country of origin labeling in its current state is an unworkable burden on soybean farmers’ largest customers—the animal agriculture industry.

“What’s worse is that the fallout from this rule following the finding of noncompliance by WTO will include a system of retaliatory tariffs by Canada and Mexico that will, at the very least, harm our partners in the animal agriculture industry.

As producers of the nation’s leading farm export, we have a huge stake in ensuring that our trading relationships are robust and mutually beneficial. In the case of COOL, it is incumbent on us to ensure that our own nation’s policies are conducive to that goal. As part of the COOL Reform Coalition, we continue to urge Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to suspend the COOL rule indefinitely to avert a potential economic disaster not only for the American livestock industry, but also for those sectors like ours that depend so greatly on animal agriculture.”



September Milk Production up 4.1 Percent
                       
Milk production in the 23 major States during September totaled 15.5 billion pounds, up 4.1 percent from September 2013. August revised production at 16.2 billion pounds, was up 2.6 percent from August 2013. The August revision represented a decrease of 3 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.

Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,804 pounds for September, 56 pounds above September 2013. This is the highest production per cow for the month of September since the 23 State series began in 2003.
   
The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.59 million head, 78,000 head more than September 2013, and 4,000 head more than August 2014.

Iowa:  Milk production in Iowa during September 2014 totaled 367 million pounds, up 3 percent from September 2013 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during September, at 207,000 head, was unchanged from last month, but 1,000 more than a year ago. Monthly production per cow averaged 1,775 pounds in September 2014, up 40 pounds from last September.

July - September Milk Production up 3.5 Percent
Milk production in the United States during the July - September quarter totaled 51.1 billion pounds, up 3.5 percent from the July - September quarter last year.  The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.27 million head, 15,000 head more than the April - June quarter, and 44,000 head more than the same period last year.

3rd Q Milk Prod by State
(million pounds, percent change from Q3 2013)
Nebraska ..:   294.0          +3.9%    
Iowa ..........:  1,147.0        +1.8%



BQA Producers Forum Open to All Checkoff Investors

Attention all dairymen, cattle farmers and ranchers:  The checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Producers Forum will be held Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015 from 1-4 p.m. in San Antonio, Texas, the day prior to the Annual Cattle Industry Convention. The forum is open to all checkoff investors.

This is a time for cattle producers to have their voices heard about the BQA program and where it’s headed in the future.

“This is where the grassroots ‘rubber meets the road’,” says Dr. John Maas, DVM, BQA Advisory Board Chair and 2013 national BQA Educator of the Year. “As we work to shape the program into what’s best for producers and the beef industry as a whole, your input is highly encouraged and appreciated at this critical time."

During the forum, producers will hear current program and resource updates, meet the BQA program staff and leaders, and have an opportunity for engagement and discussion.



CWT Assists with 3.3 Million Pounds of Butter and Cheese

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 9 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 3.252 million pounds (1,450 metric tons) of butter (82% milkfat) and 55,116 pounds (25 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese to customers in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The product will be delivered December 2014 through April 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 86.677 million pounds of cheese, 51.426 million pounds of butter and 37.847 million pounds of whole milk powder to 43 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.234 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them in the rapidly growing world dairy markets. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



Canadian Pacific Ends CSX Deal Talks

(AP) -- Canadian Pacific Railway has ended talks with U.S. counterpart CSX about a possible combination and plans no more discussions.
The Canadian Pacific Railway, has about 14,000 miles of track in Canada and the U.S., and is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. CP announced it has ended talks with CSX Corp. Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX Corp. operates more than 21,000 miles of track in 23 Eastern states and two Canadian provinces. (DTN photo by Elaine Shein)

The railway operator did not say on Monday why it ended talks, but it did note in a brief statement that regulatory concerns appear to be a major deterrent for railroads considering combinations.

A CSX spokeswoman declined to comment on Canadian Pacific's statement.

Several reports had surfaced recently that CSX Corp. had rejected a merger offer from Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. Both railroads declined to comment on the deal talk, but CSX CEO Michael Ward did say last week that the Surface Transportation Board, which regulates freight rail prices, would likely take a cautious approach to consolidation because there are only six Class I railroads in the U.S. and Canada.

Jacksonville, Florida-based CSX Corp. operates more than 21,000 miles of track in 23 Eastern states and two Canadian provinces. Other large railroads include Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, BNSF and Canadian National.

Ward also said last week that past railroad mergers in the 1990s lead to poorer service after the deals as the companies worked to integrate the different railroads.

Canadian Pacific said Monday that it believed that regulatory approvals would be achievable for the right deal.

Railroad lobbyists have told Congress that the industry is struggling to keep up with a sharp increase in freight rail demand created in part by an oil fracking boom and two years of unusually bountiful harvests. Shippers have complained that widespread delays in freight rail shipments are hurting an array of industries.

Canadian Pacific said that a "pro-competition, customer-friendly" railway combination that also focuses on safety is a solution that could not be ignored on its merits by regulators. The railroad operator added that the industry's significant problems "will only worsen over time if solutions aren't put in place immediately."