Monday November 10 Ag News

NEBRASKA CROP PRODUCTION REPORT

Based on November 1 conditions, Nebraska's 2014 corn crop is forecast at 1.58 billion bushels, down 2 percent from last year’s record high, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Acreage harvested for grain is estimated at 8.75 million acres, down 8 percent from a year ago. Average yield is forecast at a record high 181 bushels per acre, up 11 bushels from last year.

Sorghum for grain production of 9.24 million bushels is down 1 percent from a year ago. Area for grain harvest of 120,000 acres is down 14 percent from last year. Yield is forecast at 77 bushels per acre, up 10 bushels from last year.

Soybean production in Nebraska is forecast at a record high 289 million bushels, 13 percent above last year. Area for harvest, at a record high 5.35 million acres, is up 12 percent from 2013.  Yield is forecast at 54 bushels per acre, up 0.5 bushel from a year ago.

Sugarbeet production is forecast at 1.33 million tons, up 2 percent from 2013. Area for harvest, at 46,000 acres, is up 4 percent from last year. Yield is estimated at 29.0 tons per acre, down from the 29.7 tons of a year ago.

Potato acres of 15,000 were planted in 2014, down 19 percent with harvested set at 14,800 acres, down 19 percent. Production is forecast at 6.36 million hundredweight, down 24 percent from last year. Yield is forecast at 430 hundredweight per acre, down 30 hundredweight from 2013.



IOWA CROP PRODUCTION

Iowa corn production is forecast at a record high 2.42 billion bushels according to the latest USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Production report. The previous record of 2.41 billion bushels was set in 2009. Based on conditions as of November 1, yields are expected to average 183 bushels per acre, an increase of 18 bushels per acre from last year, but down 2 bushels from the October forecast. If realized, this yield would be the highest on record, 2 bushels above the previous high set in 2004 and tied in 2009. Corn planted acreage is estimated at 13.6 million acres. An estimated 13.2 million acres will be harvested for grain, a 1 percent increase from 2013.

Iowa soybean production is forecast at 514 million bushels, a 22 percent increase from the previous year. If realized, this would be the second largest soybean crop on record for Iowa, 2 percent less than the record set in 2005. The November 1 yield forecast of 52.0 bushels per acre is up 6.5 bushels from 2013, and 1 bushel above the October forecast. This yield, if realized, would tie 2007 as the second highest yield on record, and would be only 0.5 bushel per acre under the record set in 2005. Soybean planted acreage is estimated at 9.95 million acres with 9.89 million acres to be harvested.

All crop forecasts in this report are based on November 1 conditions and do not reflect weather effects since that time. The next corn and soybean production estimates will be published in the Crop Production – 2014 Summary report which will be released on January 12, 2015.



USDA: Corn Production Down Slightly from October Forecast
Soybean Production Up Less Than 1 Percent
Cotton Production Up Less Than 1 Percent

Small Grains Update
Survey respondents who reported barley, oats, Durum wheat, or other spring wheat acreage as not yet harvested in Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming during the surveys conducted in preparation for the Small Grains 2014 Summary, released September 30, 2014, were re-contacted in late October to determine how many of those acres were actually harvested and record the actual production from those acres. Based on this updated information, several changes were made to the estimates published in the Small Grains 2014 Summary. Because unharvested production is a component of on-farm stocks, changes were made to the September 1 on-farm stocks levels comparable with the production adjustments.

Corn production is forecast at 14.4 billion bushels, down slightly from the previous forecast, but up 3 percent from 2013. Based on conditions as of November 1, yields are expected to average 173.4 bushels per acre, down 0.8 bushel from the previous forecast but 14.6 bushels above the 2013 average. If realized, this will be the highest yield and production on record for the United States. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 83.1 million acres, unchanged from the previous forecast but down 5 percent from 2013.

Soybean production is forecast at a record 3.96 billion bushels, up less than 1 percent from October and up 18 percent from last year. Based on November 1 conditions, yields are expected to average a record high 47.5 bushels per acre, up 0.4 bushel from last month and up 3.5 bushels from last year. Area for harvest in the United States is forecast at a record 83.4 million acres, unchanged from last month.

All cotton production is forecast at 16.4 million 480-pound bales, up less than 1 percent from last month and up 27 percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 797 pounds per harvested acre, down 24 pounds from last year. Upland cotton production is forecast at 15.8 million 480-pound bales, up 29 percent from 2013. Pima cotton production, forecast at 578,000 bales, was carried forward from last month.



Harvest Prices for Crop Insurance Announced
Cory Walters, UNL Extension Crops Economist

Crop insurance harvest prices were recently determined by USDA's Risk Management Agency.  These values naturally affect the probability of crop insurance payments.  The corn harvest price came in at $3.49/bushel. This represents a 24% decline from the spring time projected price of $4.62/bushel.  For some producers who signed up for Revenue Protection (RP), a crop insurance payment (indemnity) could be paid due to low price.  Actual yields and insurance coverage level will determine whether this will happen.  Above-average yields make an indemnity payment less likely because actual yield multiplied by $3.49 will exceed guaranteed revenue.  Higher coverage levels increase the probability that a payment will be paid.

For a corn payment, farm revenue must be lower than the guarantee.  With a 24% price decline and yields holding at APH levels, payments will be made for 80% and 85% coverage levels because the price decline is more than the deductible (which is 20% for an 80% coverage level).  Realizing yields higher than APH imply that a higher coverage level is needed induce payments.  Realizing yields lower than APH imply that lower coverage levels may receive payments.

The story for soybeans is similar.  Harvest prices were found to be $9.65/bushel, 15% less than the projected price of $11.36/bushel.  Realizing yields equal to APH will not provide an indemnity, even at the 85% coverage level.  Consequently, only realized yields below APH will have a chance at a payment.  Once more, a high coverage level makes payment more likely.

Realizing a payment as a result of having a lower APH yield does two things.  First, a payment is received.  Second, the following year's APH will be lowered because the current year's lower realized yield will be included in next year's APH calculation.  As a result, no payment (or a small payment with a realized yield similar or higher than APH) preserves or increases next year's APH.  This would be similar to holding your cards for another year.  Keeping APH as high as possible increases the chances of sizeable future payments.  The size of next year's potential payments (or guarantee) will be a function of the projected price level.  Lower projected prices imply smaller payments because each bushel is worth less.  Another result of lower projected prices is lower premiums.



UNL and FSA Delivering 2014 Farm Bill Education Across Nebraska

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and the USDA Farm Service Agency are joining to provide educational meetings across Nebraska on the 2014 Farm Bill.

"The new farm bill provides producers a new, updated safety net for crop producers, but also provides a new, complex set of decisions," said Brad Lubben, UNL extension policy specialist. "It's important that growers have information they need as decisions regarding commodity program selection are complex and will last for the duration of the farm bill."

Information on the new farm bill and the new commodity program decisions is already available to producers on UNL's farm bill webpage at http://farmbill.unl.edu. To extend this information and reach producers across Nebraska, UNL Extension and FSA are collaborating to deliver a series of educational meetings in every FSA service region across the state. The meeting series began in October and continues through January, with more than 30 meetings each in the months of November and December.

Each meeting will feature the county executive director from the local FSA office to address farm program details and a UNL Extension educator from the region to address the analysis and decision tools available to help producers make good decisions regarding the new farm program. Specific topics will include:
– The farm program sign-up process, including required documentation and deadlines
– Base, yield and commodity program decisions and considerations for your operation
– Calculation of farm program payments
– Online decision-aid tools to help you determine which program is best for your operation.
– Input data specific to your operation to examine various options

"The meetings will be a great opportunity for producers to learn more about the programs, understand the choices and tradeoffs between the revenue and price safety nets, and begin to analyze their options and decisions on farm programs and related crop insurance provisions," Lubben said.

Schedule
The current schedule of meetings is listed by geographic area. FSA contacts for further information are listed for most sites. The complete schedule and links to more information for each meeting are available on the web at http://farmbill.unl.edu by following the link to the farm bill meeting schedule or directly at http://agecon.unl.edu/farm-bill-meetings.

East Central and Northern Nebraska
Nov. 18, David City – 1 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall, 517 N. 4th St.
Contact: Butler County FSA Office, 402-367-3074

Nov. 18, Ithaca – 9 a.m., UNL ARDC, 1071 County Rd G
Contact: Saunders County FSA Office, 402-443-4106

Nov. 24, Tekamah – 9 a.m., City Auditorium, 1315 K St.
Contact: Burt County FSA Office, 402-374-1920 ext. 2

Nov. 24, West Point – 1 p.m., Nielson Center, 200 Anna Stalp Ave.
Contact: Cuming County FSA Office, 402-372-2451 ext. 2

Dec. 1, Hartington – 9 a.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 105 E. State St.
Contact: Cedar County FSA Office, 402-254-6855 Ext. 2

Dec. 1, Bloomfield – 1:30 p.m., Bloomfield Community Center.
Contact: Knox County FSA Office, 402-373-4914 Ext. 115

Dec. 2, Pender – 9 a.m., Pender Fire Hall, 314 Maple St.
Contact: Thurston County FSA Office, 402-846-5655

Dec. 2, Dakota City – 1 p.m., Dakota City Extension Office, 1505 Broadway St.
Contact: Dixon-Dakota County FSA Office 402-755-2278

Dec. 3, Columbus – 1:15 p.m., Ag Park
Contact: Platte County FSA Office, 402-564-0506 ext.2

Dec. 3, Wolbach – 9 a.m. Wolbach Community Center
Contact: Howard-Greeley FSA Office, 308-754-4424 ext. 2

Dec. 9, Norfolk – 9 a.m., Northeast Community College, 601 E. Benjamin Ave.
Contacts: Madison County FSA Office, 402-371-5350 ext. 2

Dec. 9, Pierce – 1 p.m., White House Reception Hall, 116 S. 2nd St.
Contact: Pierce County FSA Office, 402-329-4996 ext 2

Dec. 9, Ainsworth – 10:30 a.m., Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
Contact: Brown County FSA Office, 402-387-2242 ext. 2

Dec. 9, Bassett – 3 p.m., United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall
Contact: Brown County FSA Office, 402-387-2242 ext. 2

Dec. 10, Wayne – 9 a.m., Wayne Fire Hall
Contact: Wayne County FSA Office, 402-375-2453 ext. 2

Dec. 10, Stanton – 1 p.m., Community Bldg.
Contact: Stanton County FSA Office, 402-439-2166 ext. 2

Dec. 11, Arlington – 1 p.m. Washington County Fairgrounds
Contact: Washington County FSA Office, 402-426-2625

Dec. 11, Spencer – 9 a.m., Our Saviour's Lutheran Church
Contact: Holt-Boyd County FSA Office, 402-336-3796

Dec. 11, O'Neill – 2 p.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 410 W. Douglas St.
Contact: Holt-Boyd FSA Office, 402-336-3796

Dec. 15, Scribner – 9 a.m. Mohr Auditorium, 650 Co. Rd. 13 Blvd.
Contacts: Dodge County FSA Office, 402-721-8455

Dec. 15, Leigh – 1 p.m. Colfax County Fairgrounds, Exhibit Bldg.
Contacts: Colfax County FSA Office, 402-352-5200

Dec. 18, Burwell – 1:30 Burwell Legion Hall 657 G. St
Contact: Garfield County FSA Office, 308-728-3244 ext. 2

Dec. 18, Ord – 10 a.m. Valley County Fairgrounds
Contact: Valley County FSA Office, 308-728-3244 ext. 2

Jan. 15, Neligh – 9 a.m., Antelope County Fairgrounds, Fairgrounds Hall
Contacts: Antelope County FSA Office, 402-887-4176 ext. 2

Jan. 15, Albion – 1 p.m., Boone County Fairgrounds, Casey's Bldg.
Contacts: Boone County FSA Office, 402-395-2621 ext. 2

Eastern Nebraska
Nov. 17, Auburn – 9 a.m., Nemaha County Fairgrounds, 4-H Bldg.
Contact: Nemaha County FSA office, 402-274-4987 ext. 2

Nov. 18, Humboldt – 9 a.m., Richardson County Fairgrounds: Show Arena
Contact: Richardson County FSA Office, 402-245-2401 ext. 2

Nov. 18, Pawnee City – 6:30 p.m., Methodist Church: Poteet Hall
Contact: Pawnee County FSA Office, 402-852-2020 ext. 2

Nov. 19, Syracuse – 9 a.m., Otoe County Fairgrounds, Fair Center Bldg.
Contact: Otoe County FSA Office, 402-269-2361 ext. 2

Nov. 20, Lincoln – 9 a.m., Lancaster Extension Office
Contact:  Lancaster County FSA Office, 402-423-9683 ext. 2

Nov. 20, Weeping Water – 8:30 a.m. Cass County Fairgrounds, Expo Bldg.
Contact: Cass County FSA Office, 402-267-2015 ext. 2

Nov. 21, Western – 9 a.m., Saline Center Lodge, Hwy 15, CR M
Contact: Saline County FSA Office, 402-821-3292 ext. 2

Nov. 24, Omaha – 9 a.m., Papio Missouri River NRD Bldg., 154th & Giles Rd.
Contact: Sarpy-Douglas County FSA Office, 402-896-0121 ext. 2

Dec. 2, Fairbury – 9 a.m., Jefferson County Fairgrounds, 4-H Bldg.
Contact: Jefferson County FSA County, 402-729-6134 ext. 2

Dec. 3, Seward – 9 a.m., Seward County Fairgrounds, Harvest Hall
Contact: Seward County FSA Office, 402-643-6231 ext. 2

Dec. 9, Tecumseh – 9 a.m., Baptist Center, 3rd and Jackson Sts.
Contact: Johnson County FSA Office, 402-335-3377 ext. 2

Dec. 11, Beatrice – 9 a.m., Gage County Fairgrounds, 4-H Bldg.
Contact: Gage County FSA Office, 402-223-3125 ext. 2



Online Irrigation Cost Calculator Released
Roger Wilson, UNL Extension Farm Management Specialist

Irrigation Cost Calendar, a new online tool to calculate center pivot irrigation costs, is available at http://agecon.unl.edu/irricost. In addition to calculating your total irrigation costs, it can calculate the cost of using a pivot to irrigate a parcel on adjoining land.

This tool is accessible through your Web browser (for example, Explorer, Chrome, or Firefox). You enter data specific to your operation and calculations are made on a remote server. You can choose to save your data for later reference or to input various options to compare costs.

To use this tool, you'll need to gather some key information:

-    Operating data such as interest rates, wage rates, area irrigated and inches applied, diesel price or electricity rates, and drip oil price. (Energy costs may be estimated from pumping lift, system pressure, and pumping plant efficiency or from historical data such as past energy costs, past fuel prices or electrical rates, and past application rates.)
    
-    Ownership costs such as the estimated replacement price, expected life and the salvage values for the well, pump, power plant, gear head, and sprinkler system.

Calculated output includes fixed and variable costs calculated per-acre and per-acre-inch of water applied. The functions used for the calculations come from a spreadsheet called "IrriCost" that was created by former UNL Extension Educator Tom Dorn.

Fair Share Feature for Adjoining Parcels
After these costs have been calculated, you can use the "Fair Share" feature to estimate the cost for running a center pivot over adjacent land. Additional data needed for these calculations are the number of adjacent acres to be irrigated and the estimated acre inches that will be applied. The "fair share" can be calculated on the added acres irrigated or on the amount of water applied. This feature has two components: fixed and variable costs. The fixed cost is an annual cost and the variable cost is for acre-inches of water applied.



Midwest Farmers Coop Donates More Rescue Equipment

Midwest Farmers Cooperative knows how dangerous farm work can be and is pitching in to help keep the farmers of rural southeast Nebraska safe. A recent donation to the Tecumseh [Nebraska] Volunteer Fire Department has provided a piece of equipment, designed to help extract farmers and farm workers from engulfed grain, known as an Extraction Tube. The tube is a transportable, multi-paneled, open ended device made of high grade aluminum that is used to surround workers who become engulfed in grain within confined structures, like bins and silos, allowing the surrounding grain to be removed without further risk of engulfment. The tube will be housed in Tecumseh but will be made available countywide. Johnson County emergency crews will have opportunities to train for any rescue event that may involve deployment of the Extraction Tube.

Earlier this fall, Midwest Farmers Cooperative made a similar donation to Cass County [Nebraska] Emergency Management in Weeping Water. Much like this most recent donation, the Cass County Extraction Tube is available countywide. Currently Cass and Johnson Counties each have one such device to service the entire county. “Having access to the best safety and rescue equipment is important for the protection of all our farmers”, said Lee Paulsen, Safety and Compliance Manager for Midwest Farmers Cooperative.

Grain engulfment can happen fast. In less than 5 seconds a person can become completely engulfed. Once it occurs the grain acts like quicksand making escape difficult and often impossible. Midwest Farmers Coop wants to help make private, on-farm storage safe for farmers and farm employees. Quick response time and proper equipment are essential to keep accidents from becoming tragedies. “When able, we want to provide tools to make the job of emergency responders a little easier”, said Paulsen.



Reducing Gully Erosion in Crop Fields
Paul Jasa, UNL Extension Engineer

With the intense rains this past season, some areas of the state had considerable gully erosion cutting up the fields, bounced across and made visible at harvest time, especially in soybeans. Some occurred in hailed out fields where there was no crop canopy to absorb the energy of the falling rain. While your first impulse may be to till in the gullies, take a moment to examine why they formed where they did. Were they caused by:
-    field runoff due to high rainfall rates or a lack of infiltration?
-    concentrated flows from another area coming into the field?
-    water concentrating in a wheel track, furrow, or end row?
-    soil crusting because of a lack of soil cover due to tillage or hail?

Causes
Field Runoff Gullies. Usually gullies from field runoff form in the same place year after year, especially in tilled fields. Tillage destroys soil structure and reduces the residue cover, leaving the soil surface more prone to erosion and runoff. While the tillage does fill in the gully, each time the gully washes out again, the soil is lost from the gully and from along the sides of the gully as that soil was used to repair the gully. Rather than repairing the gullies every year, use terraces to intercept the runoff and grass waterways or underground tile lines to carry the runoff from the field without causing more erosion. These terraces and waterways or tile lines need regular maintenance to keep them functioning properly so they can handle heavy rainfall events.

Producers can keep more water in their fields by improving soil structure with continuous no-till and leaving residue on the soil surface to reduce crusting. This allows more water to be infiltrated into the soil, decreasing runoff and reducing the formation of rills and gullies. While no-till and residue management are fairly effective at reducing sheet and rill erosion, gully erosion can still take place when concentrated flows exist. Whenever rainfall rates exceed infiltration rates, especially on saturated soils, other runoff control methods may still be needed to carry the water away safely.

Concentrated Water Flows. Gullies are caused by concentrated flows, either from field runoff and small rills combining together into larger flows or from runoff coming onto the field from a concentrated source. Examples include water from a road culvert dumping into a field, runoff from farmsteads or other areas with reduced infiltration, from terraces over-topping because of reduced carrying capacity, or from field runoff from many crop rows combining together on end rows, especially when end rows are planted next to a waterway and the runoff cannot enter the waterway.

Treatments
Grassed Waterways. When concentrated flows exist, the soil needs extra protection to keep it from washing away. A permanent grassed waterway will help protect and anchor the soil. The waterway should be sized to handle maximum flows and field operations should go into the waterway so water can flow into the grassed area. End rows should not be planted along side a waterway because that will hinder water flow into the waterway. (NRCS can help with the technical design, sizing, and layout of grassed waterways.) The waterways need periodic maintenance to keep them functioning properly and care must be taken with herbicide applications so as not to damage the grass stands.

Annual Cover Crops. While grassed waterways are fairly effective in handling concentrated flows, many producers don't like to take land out of crop production with waterways. In no-till where there is reduced runoff many producers are using annual cover crops to replace permanent grassed waterways. Any gullies in the concentrated flow areas are filled in and shaped after harvest and then a fall cover crop such as cereal rye is seeded (Figure 2). In addition to the residue produced and the improved soil structure, the cover crops provide roots to anchor the soil and dissipate the energy of the flowing water, particularly in the off season when the regular crop isn't growing. If harvest is late and there isn't enough time to establish a fall seeded cover crop, an early spring cover crop such as oats could be seeded and growing by the time the spring thunderstorms occur (Figure 3). When herbicides are applied to the next cash crop, the cover crop is killed and the roots and residue are left behind to help protect the soil. The next crop adds to the roots and canopy to further reduce the chance of erosion. After the next harvest, another cover crop is planted in the flow areas to keep the soil anchored and protected.

Summary of Treatment Options
Producers need to fill in and shape gullies as they form to reduce additional erosion and maintain farmability. However, unless they anchor and protect the soil, the repaired gullies will typically wash back out, often to the depth of tillage. A permanent grassed waterway should be used to handle concentrated flows where gullies continue to form year after year. In no-till production systems, annual cover crops may be used instead to help protect the soil without taking land out of production. The key is to grow something in those areas so that the vegetation slows the runoff and the roots anchor the soil, dissipating the erosive forces of the flowing water.



Northwest Iowa Beef Quality Assurance Sessions set for Dec. 2

It’s not too late for beef producers to become Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Certified. In fact, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association are co-hosting three meetings in northwest Iowa to provide that opportunity.

The “Beef Quality Assurance Certification and Assuring Cattle Care” meetings Dec. 2 will offer the same certification information as similar events held in northwest Iowa this past July, according to Beth Doran, beef program specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

“We recognize that not all producers were able to attend the first series of meetings, and we want to make sure people who are interested can still get the information and become certified,” Doran said. “These December meetings will focus on changes in packer requirements and the information that cattle feeders must provide to market cattle.”

Doug Bear, director of industry relations at the Iowa Beef Industry Council, said the certification assures consumers that the beef they eat is a safe, high quality product and is produced in a responsible manner considering animal welfare and the environment.

“At the end of the meeting, all of the producers will have completed two of the required production protocols and attained their BQA certification,” Bear said.

Three meetings will be held Dec. 2
-    LeMars - 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.; Plymouth County Extension and Outreach Office, Le Mars Convention Center, 251 12th St. SE. Meeting will be in the lower level.
-    Holstein - 2 to 4 p.m.; Lohff-Schumann Rec Center, 301 Lohff-Schumann Dr., Holstein.
-    Emmetsburg - 7 to 9 p.m.; Palo Alto County Extension and Outreach Office, 2008 10th St., Emmetsburg. Meeting will be in the basement meeting room.

Participants may attend any session that fits their schedule. There is no fee to attend, but preregistration is strongly encouraged to ensure adequate materials. To preregister, contact Bear by phone at 515-296-2305 or by email doug@iabeef.org; or contact Doran by phone at 712-737-4230 or e-mail doranb@iastate.edu.



Updated Feedlot Monitor Software to be Introduced at Sac City Workshop

Cattle producers and agribusiness staff are invited to a workshop featuring the newly updated version of the Feedlot Monitoring Program (FMP) software. The workshop will be Thursday, Dec. 4, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach office in Sac County. The office address is 620 Park Avenue, Sac City.

ISU Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Beth Doran said the workshop will help both experienced users and those who've never used it to learn more about the software.

“The new program allows individual animal monitoring and projections, which are major changes from older FMP software,” Doran said. "Other new features include the tracking of drug inventories and treatment protocols, and the incorporation of environmental records  to help an operation meet current reporting requirements."

The workshop instructor is Garland Dahlke, computer specialist for the Iowa Beef Center and developer of the new software version.

"All participants will use an Iowa State computer and are not required to buy the software in order to attend," said Doran. "However, participants may bring their own computer if they wish to purchase and install the new version and transfer their existing data files into the new version."

Cost to attend the workshop is $10 per person. Because there is a limit of 15 operations for the session, reservations will be taken in the order received. Registration deadline is Dec. 1. To register, contact the Sac County Extension office at 712-662-7131 or email Kelsie Lohff at kalohff@iastate.edu.



Iowa Farm Bureau to Conduct Farm Income Tax Webinar

With ever-changing tax codes and revised regulations, staying up to date on the latest tax changes can be a real challenge for farmers. To aid in the process, the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) will present the annual Iowa Farm Income Tax Webinar on Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.

A host of experts will cover the key information farmers need to know as they look towards this year's tax preparation. The speakers will draw on their expertise to provide the latest information and tax tips to help farmers navigate the challenges of tax preparation.

Webinar presenters include Kristine Tidgren, extension staff attorney, and Kristy Maitre, tax specialist, both from the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation (CALT) at Iowa State University. Charles Brown, extension farm management specialist, will also present valuable tax preparation information. The event will be available live, online to anyone wishing to attend, and participants will have the opportunity to text questions to the presenters. The webinar will also be recorded and available exclusively to Farm Bureau members online, along with webinar materials.

Farmers can access the webinar from their home or farm office the day of the event. Pre-registration is not required, but interested attendees are encouraged to test their computer and connection prior to the webinar. "Today's farmers face numerous challenges, and yearly farm income tax preparation is one of those," said Ed Kordick, IFBF commodity services manager. "Each year is unique and topics this year will include 2014 tax strategies, changes in health insurance coverage for farm employees, a new court ruling on CRP and much more. We look forward to providing our members a timely farm income tax update and relevant information again this year."

For more information, contact Kordick at ekordick@ifbf.org.



Soybean demand keeps pace with record production

Soybean prices may not plummet as low as some analysts predicted since strong demand continues to chew through record production, according to Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) leaders.

Prior to harvest, grain marketing experts projected soybean prices could slip to $8.50 per bushel or lower after several years of consistent double-digit values. Today’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates Report pegged the nation’s soybean crop at nearly 3.96 billion bushels, 31 million bushels higher than the October forecast. The increase, though, was almost entirely offset by higher soybean export and crush projections.

Grant Kimberley, ISA market development director, said robust demand is keeping prices from bottoming out. Domestic and international crush margins are profitable and livestock producers worldwide are in expansion mode.

“Strong demand has helped utilize this record national crop. It may prevent the market from testing the projected low levels,” said Kimberley, who also farms with his family in central Iowa.

China continues to be a strong buyer of whole beans from the United States. But Kimberley said the real story is Mexico and the Philippines, which have stepped up soybean meal purchases.

U.S. soybean exports for 2014/15 are estimated at 1.72 billion bushels, up 20 million bushels from last month, according the report. The soybean crush is forecast at 1.78 billion bushels, up 10 million due to increased meal exports.

Soybean ending stocks remain unchanged from last month at an estimated 450 million bushels, the report said. The U.S. season-average projected price also stayed steady at $9 to $11 per bushel.

With harvest nearly finished, Kimberley doesn’t expect production numbers to change much in the coming months.

“The trade has a pretty good handle on production,” he said. “At these price levels, there is good demand and confidence of buyers will increase.”

Iowa is responsible for one-third of the national production increase, according to today’s USDA Crop Production Report. The state’s soybean harvest is forecast at nearly 514.3 million bushels, up more than 10 million bushels from last month.

The government increased Iowa’s average soybean yield by 1 bushel to 52 bushels per acre. Yield gains in Iowa and South Dakota helped bump up the national average to a projected record 47.5 bushels per acre.

“We are in a global market and it is important that soybean producers look at what is going on in the world and try to resist reacting to what is going on in our backyard,” said ISA President Tom Oswald of Cleghorn. “There are a lot of factors that can have an affect farmers’ back pockets.”



Coverage Selection for New 2014 Farm Bill Safety Net Programs Begins Nov. 17

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds farm owners and producers that the opportunity to choose between the new 2014 Farm Bill established programs, Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC), begins Nov. 17, 2014, and continues through March 31, 2015. The new programs, designed to help producers better manage risk, usher in one of the most significant reforms to U.S. farm programs in decades.

“USDA is committed to keeping farm owners and producers well informed on all steps in this process to ensure that they have all of the information that they need before making their coverage choice,” said Farm Service Agency Administrator Val Dolcini. “The new ARC and PLC programs provide a more rational approach to helping farmers manage risk by ensuring families don’t lose the farm because of events beyond their control.”

USDA helped create online tools to assist in the decision process, allowing farm owners and producers to enter information about their operation and see projections that show what ARC and/or PLC will mean for them under possible future scenarios. Farm owners and producers can access the online resources, available at www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc, from the convenience of their home computer or mobile device at any time.

“In addition to the new online tools, USDA has done extensive outreach, including partnering with State Cooperative Extension Services to hold meetings and meet with farm owners and producers,” said Dolcini. “USDA leaders will continue visiting with farm owners and producers to share information and answer questions the new programs. We want to help producers boil the information down, understand their options and make the best decision on which program – ARC or PLC – is right for them.”

Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice (which includes short grain rice), safflower seed, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.

Dates associated with ARC and PLC that farm owners and producers need to know:

Now through Feb. 27, 2015: Farm owners may visit their local Farm Service Agency office to update yield history and/or reallocate base acres.
Nov. 17, 2014 to March 31, 2015: Producers make a one-time election between ARC and PLC for the 2014 through 2018 crop years.
Mid-April 2015 through summer 2015: Producers sign contracts for 2014 and 2015 crop years. October 2015: Payments issued for 2014 crop year, if needed.



Farm Bureau Launches Women in Ag Survey

The American Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Program has launched "Women in Ag," an online survey that aims to gauge the goals, aspirations, achievements and needs of women in American agriculture in a number of different areas.

All women who are farmers, ranchers, farm/ranch employees, employed in agricultural businesses, pursuing ag-related higher education or supportive of agriculture in other ways are invited to participate in the survey at womeninag.fb.org. Respondents must reside in the United States. Farm Bureau membership is not required to participate.

"This comprehensive survey is the first of its kind to ask women in-depth questions about how they are connected to agriculture and what leadership skills they think are most important today, as well as the top business challenges they're facing," said Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and chair of the American Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee. "All women involved in agriculture - not just Farm Bureau members - are invited to participate in the survey."

Data collected from respondents will be used to gauge trends related to the achievements of women in agriculture, including leadership positions, business successes and election to public office.

The AFB Women's Leadership Committee is sponsoring the survey and is working with other farm and agriculture organizations to encourage participation. Participants will be eligible for an opportunity to win one of five $100 gift cards after the survey closes. Preliminary findings from the survey will be released in February 2015 at AFBF's FUSION Conference in Nashville, Tennessee; the full report will be released in late spring.



CWT Assists with 25.6 Million Pounds of Cheese, Butter and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 18 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), Michigan Milk Producers Association and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 4.985 million pounds (2,261 metric tons) of Cheddar and Gouda cheese, 2.866 million pounds (1,300 metric tons) of butter (82% milkfat) and 17.730 million pounds (8,042 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and South America. The product will be delivered November 2014 through May 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 97.616 million pounds of cheese, 56.287 million pounds of butter and 55.623 million pounds of whole milk powder to 45 countries on six continents. These sales are the equivalent of 2.573 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.



Smithfield Foods Reports Profitable Third Quarter

Smithfield Foods released its third quarter 2014 earnings report, highlighting $3.7 billion in sales, an 11 percent increase, over third quarter 2013 sales.

The Smithfield-based pork producer, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of China-based WH Group Limited, said its results in the quarter ending Sept. 28 were boosted by record demand and gains in its packaged meats division.

Overall net income topped $155.3 million, a 340 percent increase over $35.4 million reported during the second quarter of 2013, the report said.



G-E Potato Gets USDA OK

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday approved a genetically modified potato, altered to resist bruising and to provide potential health benefits.

Called the Innate potato, produced by J.R. Simplot Co., it would be the first genetically modified potato in the U.S. in more than 10 years. A GMO potato developed by Monsanto Co. was taken off the market in the early 2000s after farmers and consumers showed little interest.

"This approval comes after a decade of scientific development, safety assessments and extensive field tests," J.R. Simplot said in a statement. The Boise, Idaho, agribusiness company is a major producer of french fries.

The USDA examined whether the potato posed a threat to other plants. Its safety for human consumption is being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration. J.R. Simplot, like other companies that develop genetically modified crops, voluntarily submitted its product to the FDA, and company spokesman Doug Cole said it expects FDA clearance in coming weeks.

The Innate potato uses genes from cultivated or wild potatoes to achieve its new traits, hence the traits are "innate," Mr. Cole said. It was engineered to reduce black spots from bruising, a common reason why potatoes can't be marketed. It also has been designed to produce lower levels of acrylamide, a potential carcinogen that forms in potatoes and other starchy foods when they are cooked at high temperatures.

That puts it among the first genetically modified crops to offer a direct benefit to consumers. Nearly all other modified crops, such as corn and soybeans, are made to withstand pesticides.

Another genetically modified food under USDA and FDA review is an apple, engineered by Canada-based Okanagan Specialty Fruits to resist turning brown when cut open or sliced.

Americans have been debating labeling genetically modified foods for years. On Tuesday, voters in Oregon and Colorado defeated ballot measures that would have required labels on all genetically modified food sold in their states.

"As a general caution, we don't think enough has been done -- and we don't know enough about this technology -- to let this move forward at this time," said Doug Gurian-Sherman, director of sustainable agriculture at the Center for Food Safety.

J.R. Simplot processes about 3 billion pounds of potatoes a year, and plans to roll out the Innate varieties in limited test markets in the spring or summer. The firm also is seeking approval in Japan, Canada and Mexico.



Label Update for Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ Supports Disease Protection in Nursing Calves

Producers need to have the flexibility to use the best vaccines, at the right times on their herds. Thanks to a label update, Pyramid® 5 + Presponse® SQ can now be given to calves nursing pregnant cows, provided the cows were vaccinated pre-breeding with either an Express® FP or PYRAMID vaccine according to label directions.

"Traditionally, using a pre-breeding EXPRESS FP vaccine meant having to use an EXPRESS vaccine prior to weaning in the calf health program," explains Dr. Travis Van Anne, Professional Services Veterinarian with Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). "This limited a producer's ability to choose from the full portfolio of BIVI products. With this new label approval, however, producers can use both EXPRESS FP and PYRAMID products in their vaccination protocol to protect the cows and prepare the calves for the stress of weaning and the next phase of production."

An example protocol under the new guidelines could include:
-    Administering EXPRESS FP 5-VL5 to cows approximately 30 days pre-breeding to protect against reproductive diseases such as BVD, IBR, leptospirosis and vibrio.
-    Vaccination of nursing calves (approximately 1 to 3 months of age) with PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ for protection against common causes of respiratory disease.
-    Giving a booster dose of PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ to calves at preweaning or weaning to increase immunity prior to shipping and commingling.

According to Dr. Van Anne, "When you look at the research that supports the efficacy claims for IBR abortion, BVD disease and PI calves in EXPRESS FP, coupled with the head-to-head trials that have been done with PYRAMID 5 + PRESPONSE SQ, I believe that this is one of the most effective protocols you can implement to help improve the health of your herd."



ROUNDUP READY PLUS ® ENTERS FIFTH YEAR, ADDS NEW TOOLS TO HELP GROWERS MANAGE WEEDS, INSECTS

Since 2011, corn, soybean and cotton growers looking for recommendations on weed management practices – and incentives to implement a diversified weed management program on their fields – have found them, along with industry-leading education programs, in the Roundup Ready PLUS® Crop Management Solutions platform.  As Roundup Ready PLUS enters its fifth growing season, Monsanto is diversifying the range of tools available to farmers to protect their crops from yield-robbing weeds and insects.

“Last year, over 60,000 farmers participated in Roundup Ready PLUS,” said Chris Reat, Roundup Ready PLUS Marketing Manager.  “A key piece of feedback from growers was their desire to access a whole-farm set of solutions for weed and insect management. With this expansion, we will be able to provide tools to help farmers manage those pests.”

The new name of the platform – Roundup Ready PLUS Crop Management Solutions – builds upon solutions for weed management that are core to the platform and reflects the new, broader scope of recommendations and products available to growers. Crop management recommendations and incentive information is available at RoundupReadyPLUS.com.

New for the 2015 growing season, Rowel™ and Rowel™ FX herbicides from Monsanto provide cotton and soybean growers consistent weed control on tough-to-control large- and small-seeded broadleaf weeds.

Complementing traits in seeds, Monsanto has provided insect protection technologies since 2008 through Acceleron® Seed Treatment Products. In 2015, insect management options will expand with the addition of Precept™ insecticide, a soil-applied insecticide in a granular formulation that offers broad spectrum control of soil-borne insect pests such as wireworm, white grubs, corn rootworm, seed corn maggot and black cutworm.

“Monsanto is focused on offering a broad choice of products and traits that control key pests and insects for our customers,” said Phoong Tang, Monsanto’s U.S. Crop Protection Lead. “While we will continue to bring new traits to the market to help control insect and pests, we are always looking for additional tools to help farmers maximize yield potential in corn, soybeans and cotton.”

Roundup Ready PLUS Background
The platform known today as Roundup Ready PLUS began as Cotton Performance PLUS in 2008. Cotton Performance PLUS was a revolutionary platform that provided cotton farmers incentives to use residual herbicides, including competitor products, in their weed management program. In the 2011 growing season Roundup Ready PLUS evolved to include weed management recommendations and incentives in cotton, soybeans and corn. Since its introduction, Roundup Ready PLUS has served as a platform of recommendations, incentives and education/training to manage tough-to-control and glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds. Products endorsed in Roundup Ready PLUS have been proven to perform as part of Roundup Ready® cropping systems, and farmers are incentivized for using them.

Take Action
Take Action is an industry-wide partnership between university weed scientists, major herbicide providers and organizations representing corn, cotton, sorghum, soybean and wheat farmers to help them manage herbicide-resistant weeds. The Take Action effort encourages you to develop a proactive strategy to manage herbicide-resistant weeds that incorporates a diverse set of controls. To find out more about how you can take action, visit www.TakeActionOnWeeds.com, or contact your local extension office.