Tuesday January 27 Ag News

Save Hay By Reducing Feeding Waste
Larry Howard, UNL Extension Educator, Cuming County

A lot of expense and many long hours go into harvesting and storing hay for winter feeding.   So why waste it.   Cattle can waste as much as 45 percent of their hay when it is fed without restrictions.   You can reduce these losses to minimize costs and maintain an adequate hay supply.

The first step should be to limit how much hay is available.   Research shows that cattle fed hay with free access every four days needed about 25% more hay than cattle fed daily.   Daily feeding reduces the amount of hay refused, trampled, fouled, over-consumed, or used for bedding.

A second step is to restrict access to the hay by using hay racks, bale rings, electric fences, feed bunks, or anything else that will keep animals off the hay.   It’s especially important to limit the amount of hay accessible to trampling.   So use racks or bale rings with solid barriers at the bottom to prevent livestock from pulling hay loose and then dragging it out to be stepped on.

If hay is feed on the ground, either as loose hay, unrolled round bales, or as ground hay, it is especially important to follow these guidelines.   Limit the hay fed to an amount animals will clean up in a single meal.   Anything left over will be stepped on, fouled, or used for bedding instead of as feed.   Be sure to distribute enough hay so all cows have access to it at the same time.  With a little foresight and careful management, you can stretch your hay further.



Women in Agriculture Conference to Celebrate 30 Years of Programming

Nebraska women will learn how to plan and make better business decisions for their farms and ranches, their communities, their families and themselves at the 30th Women in Agriculture Conference, the longest-running women's conference of its kind in the country, Feb 26-27 at the Kearney Holiday Inn.

The theme of this year's conference is "Our Heritage, Our Present and Our Future," and it features a variety of workshops, "funshops" and speakers, including Rebecca Long-Chaney of Elwood, NE and Celeste Settrini from Salinas, CA.

Long-Chaney will be the keynote speaker Thursday morning with her talk, "Dare to Risk Life Change,” about her life-changing adventure working in the Australian Outback. Settrini will be the capstone lunchtime speaker on Friday as she presents “Channeling Your Inner Rock-Star!” a fun and humorous look at how to unleash that inner voice for agriculture. The Nebraska WIA Conference is celebrating its 30th anniversary of women’s agriculture programming in the state.

Also on Thursday will be Madeline Schultz from Iowa State University, the National Annie’s Program Leader, who will fill participants in on happenings in this exciting program and how they can work to bring this program to their county. The day will conclude with a celebration in the evening of the Women in Agriculture’s history and exciting future.    

On Friday, the morning speaker will be Carla McCullough from the Department of Environmental Quality, who will present a department water division update. She will look at a few of the many programs DEQ monitors and some of the changes that will impact producers in 2015.

In between speakers, conference-goers can choose from 32 concurrent workshops spread over five sessions during the event. Topics include crop and livestock marketing, financial planning, estate planning, farm bill updates, crop and forage insurance, agronomy, beef nutrition, social media and apps, hydrology in Nebraska, GMO’s, community entrepreneurship, disaster preparation and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Thursday evening includes funshops for Twitter, Zumba and a demonstration from the Nebraska Beef Council.

Those interested can register online to wia.unl.edu where there is a link to the conference registration site, call 402-472-9053, or mail a completed registration form to UNL Marketplace, P.O. Box 830705, Lincoln NE 68583-0705. For more detailed information about Women in Agriculture and for a conference registration book, visit wia.unl.edu.

Early-bird registration fee is $110 for those registering by Feb. 13. Beginning Feb. 14, the fee is $130. Fee includes workshop materials, registration and all meals and breaks.

The conference is sponsored by the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Nebraska Extension and the Department of Agricultural Economics as well as Farm Credit Services of America, Reinke Irrigation, USDA Risk Management Agency and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.

Lodging is available at the Kearney Holiday Inn, 110 2nd Ave. by calling 308-237-5971.



Nebraska Farm Bureau Names 2015 Leadership Academy Members
Ten farmers and ranchers from across Nebraska have been selected for Nebraska Farm Bureau’s 2015 Leadership Academy. The selected farmers and ranchers will begin the program Jan. 29-30 in Kearney.

“The goal of the academy is to ignite the talents and strengths of the participants and connect their passion for agriculture to opportunities of service within the Farm Bureau organization. By developing their leadership skills they can positively impact their local communities and the state of Nebraska.” said Adam Peterson, facilitator of the 2015 Leadership Academy and central region director of membership for Nebraska Farm Bureau.

Academy members will participate in sessions focused on, leadership skills, understanding the county, state and national structure of the Farm Bureau organization including Farm Bureau’s grassroots network and policy work on agriculture issues.

The 2015 Nebraska Farm Bureau Leadership Academy members are:
·         Sallie Atkins of Halsey, a member of Thomas County Farm Bureau.
·         Brock Elsen of Miller, a member of the Buffalo County Farm Bureau.
·         Tim Girard of Osceola, a member of Polk County Farm Bureau.
·         Nicholas Haack of Amherst, a member of Buffalo County Farm Bureau.
·         Spencer Hartman of Champion, a member of Chase County Farm Bureau
·         Kristopher Herbig of Central City, a member of Merrick County Farm Bureau.
·         Chris Johnson of Sidney, a member of Cheyenne County Farm Bureau.
·         LeAnn Miller of North Platte, a member of Lincoln County Farm Bureau.
·         Stacey Nelson of St Edward, a member of Platte County Farm Bureau.
·         Dayna Wasserburger of North Platte, a member of Lincoln County Farm Bureau.

“We congratulate this group of diverse individuals and thank them for their willingness to step up and out of their comfort zone to learn more about how they can influence their community, state and world for the better,” said Peterson.

“Participants will attend two-day seminars in January, Feb. 26-27 in Grand Island, March 26-27 in Lincoln and Aug. 20-21 in LaVista.  The group will travel to Washington, D.C. in September, for visits with Nebraska’s Congressional delegation and federal agency representatives. Academy participants are expected to increase their leadership involvement in Farm Bureau upon completion of the program,” Peterson said.



Informational Meetings Scheduled on Syngenta Lawsuits in Several Eastern Nebraska Towns

Nebraska farmers are joining a growing number of Midwest farmers who are filing lawsuits against Swiss-owned Syngenta alleging the corporation’s practices caused them to lose thousands in revenue during the last two years. 

A group of local lawyers has partnered with the firm of Watts Guerra of San Antonio, Texas, to represent Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota & Nebraska farmers in the lawsuits. The lawyers will hold a series of free town hall meetings across the region in the next 30 days to explain the allegations and litigation process to more farmers.

In mid-November, the Associated Press reported that farmers and companies — including ADM and Cargill — have filed more than 50 lawsuits against Syngenta in 11 major corn-growing states, including Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. Hundreds of additional lawsuits are being prepared, including some in Minnesota.

The litigation claims that Syngenta released a corn variety Agrisure Viptera (MIR162) in 2009 before it was approved for import to China, that the company misinformed farmers, grain elevators, grain exporters and the general public into believing that Chinese regulatory approval was imminent, and that the lack of Chinese approval would not impact corn market prices.

MIR162 was not approved for import to China, however, and traces of MIR162 found in grain shipments caused the Chinese to reject more than 130 million bushels of U.S. corn as of October. Those rejections set off a snowball effect that included an 85 percent decline in U.S. corn exports in 2014 compared to 2013, and the price of corn falling from a high of $8.28 per bushel in August 2012 to near 10-year lows.

In October, the Lincoln Journal-Star reported The National Grain and Feed Association estimated the situation with China has cost $2.9 billion in economic losses to the U.S. corn, distillers grains, and soy sectors. The lawsuits seek compensation from Syngenta for those and other losses.

At the free town hall meetings, lawyers will explain the allegations to farmers who may be entitled to compensation even if they didn’t grow corn that included Syngenta’s MIR162 trait.

Town hall meetings will be held on February 5 in Norfolk at 8 am (Holiday Inn Express), Columbus at 11 am (Ramada Inn), Grand Island at 2 pm (Fairfield Inn), and Hastings at 5 pm (Elks Club Golf Course.)

On February 6, they will be held at McCool Junction at 8 am (Kerry’s Café), Hebron at 11 am (Mary’s Café), Beatrice at 2 pm (Holiday Inn Express), and at Nebraska City at 5 pm (Lied Lodge & Conference Center.)

On February 7, meetings will be at Wahoo at 8 am (Wahoo Livestock Auction), Blair at 11 am (Fernando’s) and at South Sioux City at 2 pm (The Marina Inn.)

For more information, please visit www.lostcornincome.com.



Feedlot Facility Workshops Coming in February and March

The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University will offer several workshops focusing on choices in feedlot facilities in February and March 2015. Russ Euken, ISU Extension and Outreach beef program specialist, said the workshops, set in various locations throughout the state, will offer an overview of facility types, advantages and disadvantages, and review research on these types.

“Using several scenarios, workshop participants will work on making appropriate choices for an operation including financing decisions, cost benefit measurements, and production and environmental risk management,” Euken said. “Tools and decision aids to help producers analyze the choices of facility type and cost will be used and available to participants.”

He said the intent of the workshops is to involve producers in working through the decision-making process for their specific operations.

“We believe they will leave the workshop with more knowledge and tools to make facility decisions for their operation,” Euken said. “Those who are considering investing in or upgrading feedlot facilities should benefit from attending.”

The workshops are supported by a grant from the North Central Risk Management Education Center. The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers are collaborators for the grant and this workshop series. The series brochure is available on the IBC website. Attendance is limited to 30 per site, so early registration is encouraged.

Producers can reserve their spot and meal by contacting their ISU Extension and Outreach beef program specialist. The registration fee of $20 per person will be collected at the door.

All workshops will run from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the following dates at the listed locations.
    Feb. 18, Nashua - Borlaug Center meeting room, Northeast Research Farm
    Feb. 24, Manchester - Delaware County Extension office
    Feb. 25, Dewitt - Clinton County Extension office
    Feb. 26, Ames - Hansen Ag Student Learning Center, Iowa State University
    March 3, Emmetsburg - Iowa Lakes Community College
    March 4, Cherokee - Western Iowa Tech
    March 4, Osceola - Clarke County fairgrounds
    March 6, Oskaloosa - Mahaska County Extension office
    March 9, Tama - Tama County Extension office
    March 18, Lewis - Wallace Foundation Learning Center, Armstrong Farm
    March 25, Carroll - Carroll County Extension office



Iowa Beef Center Releases 'Cattle Bidder' App

Cattle feeders, order buyers and bankers now have a tool from the Iowa Beef Center to help them make cattle buying decisions. Garland Dahlke said the newly released “Cattle Bidder” app can help users determine maximum bids on feeder cattle purchases.

“The user enters the purchase and sale weights, the expected cost of gain and the desired margin, and the app calculates the maximum purchase price,” he said. “It’s a simple app, but is handy for buyers who know their cost of gain and expected market price by cattle type.”

The program also can account for potential death losses.

Cattle Bidder is for Android 2.2 phones and tablets, and is available as a free download from the IBC website at http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/Software/CattleBidder.apk and  on Google Play at  https://play.google.com/store/search?q=cattlebidder&c=apps&hl=en. 



U.S. Industry Blasts EPA Decision on Biodiesel Imports

The National Biodiesel Board on Tuesday sharply criticized a decision by the EPA to allow streamlined Argentinian biodiesel imports to the U.S. under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

“This decision poses a tremendous threat to U.S. industry and jobs, not to mention the overriding goal of the RFS of developing clean, homegrown renewable fuels,” said Anne Steckel, NBB’s vice president of federal affairs. “This is incredibly damaging, particularly in light of the continued delays in establishing RFS volumes. The Obama administration has effectively run the U.S. biodiesel industry into a ditch over the past year by failing to establish a functioning renewable fuels policy, and instead of pulling the domestic industry out, it is fast-tracking foreign competition.”

“Not only does this threaten U.S. businesses and jobs, it could also undermine our sustainability goals aimed at preventing deforestation from the production of renewable fuels,” Steckel said. “It opens the floodgates for Argentinian biodiesel with very little oversight or verification that the resources used to make the fuel was grown in accordance with strict RFS sustainability requirements.”

To prevent deforestation and other harmful land-use changes, feedstocks used under the RFS generally must be grown on land that was cleared or cultivated prior to Dec. 18, 2007 – when the RFS was implemented. Typically, foreign producers must closely map and track each batch of feedstock used to produce imported renewable fuels.

EPA’s decision Tuesday allows Argentinian biodiesel producers to use a survey plan for certifying that feedstocks used – in this case soybean oil. The change – effectively leaving it to the foreign producer to pay an independent third party to survey their feedstock suppliers – is far less stringent than the current map and track requirement and more difficult to verify.

Many of the soybeans processed into soybean oil in Argentina come from Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, and other countries. Given the complex international trade involved, the EPA will have little ability to verify the survey plans proposed by Argentinian producers.

NBB estimates that up to 600 million gallons of Argentinian biodiesel could enter the U.S. as a result of the change. Argentina would be the first country to use a survey approach under the RFS. Canada and the U.S. operate under an aggregate approach in which feedstock is approved so long as the aggregate amount of agricultural land in each country does not grow.

Additionally, Argentina supports its domestic biodiesel program with a cost-distorting “Differential Export Tax” program that allows Argentinian biodiesel to undercut domestic prices. The EPA’s notice can be found on the agency’s website.

“At a time when our U.S. industry needs a lifeline, it feels instead like we’re being pushed back under water,” Steckel said. “This decision simply makes no sense from an economic perspective, an energy security perspective or an environmental perspective. It is baffling.”



Zoetis to Launch Healthy Beef Challenge at NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio

Zoetis is supporting education through state cattlemen’s associations by introducing the Healthy Beef Challenge at the Cattle Industry Convention and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Trade Show in San Antonio, Feb. 4-7, 2015.

The online quiz competition encourages beef producers to test their knowledge about cattle health and productivity, the industry and products from Zoetis. Producers will team up with others from their state and compete against other state organizations for a chance to earn up to $5,200 for their state cattlemen’s association.

The state with the highest score at the end of 2015 will earn money for producer or consumer education or ag youth scholarships.

“The Healthy Beef Challenge is a fun and interactive way for producers to put their healthy beef knowledge to good use by contributing to their state’s overall team score,” said Mike Amos, director of the cow/calf franchise, Zoetis.

Producers can play the Healthy Beef Challenge daily at Zoetis Booth 6023 during the NCBA Trade Show. Once the show ends, new questions will be available monthly on the Healthy Beef Challenge website (www.HealthyBeefChallenge.com) throughout 2015. The champion will be announced at the 2016 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Diego.

Teams are placed in one of three divisions based on the membership of their state association: T-Bone Division for 1 to 399 members, Ribeye Division for 400 to 799 members and Filet Division for more than 800 members. Each month, the top-scoring state in each division will win $200. The overall champion will earn $3,000.

“The Healthy Beef Challenge joins many other activities sponsored by Zoetis during convention, including Cattlemen’s College and the CattleFax Outlook Seminar,” Amos explained. “Supporting producers through education has always been a priority for Zoetis, and the competition between state associations will no doubt include some fun rivalries with a healthy upside.”

Only members of NCBA are eligible to play the Healthy Beef Challenge. To become an NCBA member, sign up at www.beefusa.org/join.aspx. Full rules are available at www.HealthyBeefChallenge.com.



AGCO Expands 'Parts Book to Go' App

AGCO announced its AGCO Parts Books to Go mobile application program has significantly expanded AGCO's parts mobile app functionality.

A year ago, the app initially successfully launched on the Apple iOS platform into 35 countries through the Apple Store. Now even more robust, today's mobile app launch represents advancement in providing anytime, anywhere access to replacement service parts information on AGCO products.

Already established in the mobile space, the AGCO Parts Books to Go is now available in both the Android and Apple iOS platforms, with the new Android version of the app available on the Google Play Store. Its functionality includes similar Interactive Parts Catalog functionality like the Apple iOS app while maintaining the natural Android user experience.

Interactive drawings with capability for zooming, panning, and call-outs; parts lists; Google-like searches; cart functionality; off-line capability and multi-language support are part of this newly delivered Android app. The Apple and Android versions are now available for customers and AGCO dealers/distributors.

AGCO is committed to supporting parts service for the duration of the service life of AGCO machines. Besides the Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson and Valtra brands, content on the Apple and Android app is now expanded to include parts book information for many of AGCO's other brands.



FOOD, NUTRITION & SCIENCE AND THE FOOD JOURNAL MERGE TO CREATE NEW IN-DEPTH PUBLICATION

Food Nutrition & Science, a leading food industry publication from The Lempert Report, and The Food Journal, a comprehensive publication that takes a deeper dive into food industry topics, have merged. The Food Journal and Food, Nutrition & Science, now at www.FoodNutritionScience.com, provides readers with a greater analysis of issues related to all aspects of the food industry.

“We’re excited to work with leaders in the industry to create The Food Journal and Food, Nutrition & Science and to provide valuable information to industry insiders as well as consumers,” said Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report.

The new publication is a partnership between The Lempert Report and The Center for Food Integrity, a not-for profit organization dedicated to building consumer trust and confidence in the food system. Published twice monthly, the new publication includes in-depth interviews and fact-based reporting about important food system issues from farm to table. It also includes farmer interviews and videos and corporate sustainability features highlighting how readers’ favorite brands are lowering their environmental foot print.

The first issue examines the decline in the bee population and how this affects the food chain. It also looks at potential causes and what organizations are doing to save the bees. Other features include a video tour of farmer Karen Bohnert’s 500-cow registered Jersey dairy farm and results from a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that suggests fiber intake and fruit consumption are significantly associated with a lower risk of death among the elderly.

For more information or to subscribe, visit www.FoodNutritionScience.com.



Scientists Find Antibiotics, Bacteria, Resistance Genes in Feedlot Dust

After testing dust in the air near cattle feedlots in the Southern High Plains, researchers at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University found evidence of antibiotics, feedlot-derived bacteria and DNA sequences that encode for antibiotic resistance.

The study was published online in the National Institutes of Environmental Science's peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Health Perspectives. The research was funded through a grant from Texas Tech's College of Arts and Sciences. It is the first study documenting aerial transmission of antibiotic resistance from an open-air farm setting.

Phil Smith, an associate professor of terrestrial ecotoxicology at the institute, said that while scientists couldn't assess if the amounts of these materials were dangerous to human health, it helped explain a previously uncharacterized pathway by which antibiotic-resistant bacteria could travel long distances into places inhabited by humans.

The findings come weeks after a report commissioned by British Prime Minister David Cameron concluded that failure to battle drug-resistant infections and their causes could result in 10 million extra deaths a year by 2050 at a cost of $100 trillion to the global economy.

"You can look in the news, and people are raising red flags about antibiotic resistance all the time," Smith said. "Microbes are pretty promiscuous with their genetic information, and they share it across species fairly easily. We know it's there. We know what causes it, but we don't have a really good handle on how it's transmitted and how it moves in the environment. This is an attempt to provide better clarity on that issue.

"Everyone is fairly certain antibiotic resistance comes from extensive use of antibiotics in animal-based agriculture. About 70 percent of all antibiotics used are for animal agricultural purposes. Overuse contributes to antibiotic resistance. But how does it happen? How does it get from where the drugs are used into the human environment and natural environment?"

Smith said scientists collected air samples upwind and downwind of each feedlot. After analysis, they found greater amounts of bacteria, antibiotics and DNA sequences responsible for antibiotic resistance downwind of the feedlots compared to upwind, which helped scientists determine the source of the materials they found.

Because the antibiotics are present on the particulate matter with bacteria, the selective pressure for bacteria to retain their resistance remains during their flight, said Greg Mayer, an associate professor of molecular toxicology at the institute.

With wind blowing regularly on the Southern High Plains, the antibiotics and bacteria can travel on the dust and particulate matter far from the original starting point at the feedlot. Add the infamous West Texas dust storms into the picture, and these materials have the potential to travel hundreds of miles into cities and towns and possibly around the globe.

"I think implications for the spread of some feedlot-derived, antibiotic-resistant bacteria into urban areas is paramount to the research," Mayer said. "Now, we haven't yet taken samples from an urban area to determine whether bacteria from that particulate matter originated from feedlots or whether it still has antibiotic resistant bacteria on it. However, this study is proof of the principle that antibiotic-resistant bacteria could plausibly travel through the air.

"Further studies are now needed to show where the particulate matter is traveling and what is happening to its passengers when it gets there."



Nationwide USDA Organic Survey Underway

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just kicked off the Organic Survey to gather detailed data on U.S. organic agriculture production. The survey is a complete inventory of all known organic producers that are certified, exempt from certification, and transitioning to certified organic production.

"Total organic product sales by farms and ranches in the United States have continued to grow over the last few years, increasing by 83 percent between 2007 and 2012," said USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "These latest census results show the continued interest in organic agriculture among consumers, producers, and businesses. As we look to the future, the important information we gather will be crucial to capturing the strong private and public sector support to sustain the continued growth of this industry."

Conducted by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Organic Survey is a result of this growing demand for organic agricultural products and data. The survey looks at many aspects of organic agriculture during the 2014 calendar year – from production and marketing practices, to income and expenses. It also focuses on the future of organic production by including producers transitioning to certified organic agriculture.

Producers who receive the Organic Survey are encouraged to respond. The responses will provide important and detailed information to help determine the economic impact of organic production, and this information will help USDA develop programs and services for organic crop and livestock producers

Farmers and ranchers can fill out the survey online via a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov, or return their form by mail. Federal law (Title 7, U.S. Code) requires all producers who receive a form to respond and requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential. Recipients are required to respond by mail by Feb. 13, 2015 or online by April 3, 2015.

To learn more about the survey, the USDA Organic Working Group will host a webinar on Thursday, Jan. 29, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. ET. The webinar will consist of a brief presentation from NASS on the Organic Survey and a question and answer session. The webinar is free and pre-registration is not required. To participate:

Step 1 - Dial In by Phone:
Toll-Free (U.S. & Canada): 866.740.1260
Access Code: 7202000

Step 2 - Also Access the Web:
Meeting URL: http://www.readytalk.com
On the left side of the screen, enter
Participant Access Code: 7202000

For more information about the Organic Survey, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. 



Baltimore City Council Passes Resolution Calling for End to Overuse of Antibiotics on Farms
By Food & Water Watch Executive Director Wenonah Hauter

“We are proud of the opportunity to work with Baltimore Councilman Nick Mosby on his resolution calling for a statewide and national end to the overuse of antibiotics in livestock production, which the Baltimore City Council unanimously passed last evening. This makes Baltimore the 50th city in the nation to pass such a resolution. Antibiotic resistance has evolved into a critical threat to public health in part due to the overuse of antibiotics in meat production.

“80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used in livestock production and close to two million American suffer from antibiotic resistant bacterial infections each year, resulting in death for twenty-three thousand of them. Factory farms affect our health and environment in numerous ways, but the overuse of antibiotics has had the most profound impact. 

“With more and more cases of antibiotic resistant bacteria showing up every day, it’s critical that our political leaders take note of the current changing tide within our food culture and respond with legislation that addresses this serious concern. Councilman Mosby is acting with the interest of public health in mind, and we are proud to see Baltimore join a long list of communities that are willing put people over corporate profits.

“Antibiotic resistance is a public health threat that groups including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Public Health Association have identified as an urgent and growing problem.”