Monday February 23 Ag News

SCN Update: 6th Annual 'Tode Awards Announced
John Wilson Extension Educator, Burt County
Loren Giesler, Extension Plant Pathologist
Ten years ago, the Nebraska Soybean Board started an extremely successful program to provide free soil analysis for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) for Nebraska soybean farmers. Soil samples were processed in the UNL Plant Pathology department. It started slowly, but over the years the number of samples has grown to over 6,600 samples. In 2014, almost 1,200 samples from Nebraska growers were processed.

Just as we approach another prestigous awards night, we wanted to recognize progress made by producers testing for and identifying SCN infestations, the first step in managing this pest. SCN is the most devastating pest to soybean growers. Last year SCN cost Nebraska farmers about $30 million and US farmers over $1 billion in lost yields.

In the 19 years prior to this sampling program, SCN had been identified in only 27 counties; since the SCN sampling program was initiated, SCN was identified in 30 more counties, more than doubling the SCN confirmations across the state. Almost one-third of all samples submitted have come back positive for SCN.

Often the farmer submitting the sample had no idea he or she had SCN-infested fields. This illustrates why it's so important to test fields for SCN. Once farmers learn SCN is in their field, they can start managing it.

Farmers can have yield losses of 20-30% with no visible plant symptoms. Often the first indication of an SCN infestation is when soybean yields plateau or even start to drop off while corn yields continue to increase in that field.

Testing for SCN
The best way to determine if SCN is in a field is to take a soil test. We are pleased to have the Nebraska Soybean Board as our partner in this ongoing initiative.They recognized what a serious problem SCN was to soybean growers and have funded a project with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to encourage farmers to sample their fields for SCN. Their support covers the cost of analyzing soil samples for SCN, normally a $20/sample expense.

Without the Nebraska Soybean Board's support, we would not have been able to reach this many Nebraska farmers. In 2014, 1,177 samples were submitted and 432 (36.7%) were positive for SCN. From these results, our panel of judges have identified the following as the 6th Annual 'Tode Awards winners:

In the category of Most (#) Samples Submitted:
Winner: Buffalo County (157)
Honorable Mention:  Boone (70), Kearney (64), Platte (59)

In the category of Most (#) Samples Positive for SCN:
Winner: Buffalo County (40)  
Honorable Mention: Platte (35), Antelope (24), Kearney (20)

In the category of Most (%) Samples Positive for SCN (must have submitted at least five samples):
Winner: Rock County (86%)  
Honorable Mention:  Burt County (83%), Antelope (80%), Dodge (76%)

In the category of Sample with Highest Egg Count (# eggs/100 ccs of soil):
Winner: Madison County (108,160)   
Honorable Mention: Merrick (75,840), Antelope (66,080), Saunders (39,360)

And finally, in the category of County with First SCN Detection:
Winner: Sherman

Some might argue that the county in the last category is a loser, not a winner. However, now farmers in Sherman County know SCN has been found in area fields so they can sample for it and start managing it if found in their fields. So they really are winners.

Although it often goes undetected, SCN is here and it is reducing the profitability for Nebraska soybean producers. To learn more about SCN or to pick up bags to submit soil samples from your fields, contact your local Nebraska Extension office.



Getting Ready for the Grazing Season
Larry Howard, Extension Educator, Cuming County

The start of the growing season may be a couple of months away, but it is not too early to start thinking about grazing and forage plans for the upcoming year. Grazing plans should include projected cattle numbers (or stocking rates), turn out dates, and a pasture use sequence for multiple pasture rotations. In the spring, there is always anticipation about when and how much it will rain. This, as well as temperature, are the two primary factors that might affect pasture turn out date. April precipitation supports the initial growth of cool-season pasture grasses, but these species have the majority of their growth during the month of May. Warm-season grasses generally initiate growth in May with rapid accumulation of growth in June and early July.

For those livestock producers that use various types of rotational grazing strategies, it is important to review grazing records from the previous years when planning the rotation sequence for 2015. Consideration should be given to when the time or period of grazing occurred in the previous years. Plans should adjust the schedule to avoid grazing the same pasture at the same time period in consecutive years.

Now is also a good time to plan the planting of spring or summer annual forage crops that might be grazed, hayed, or harvested as silage to replenish feed supplies. This includes selecting the forage crop type, fields that will be planted, identifying seed sources, and ordering the seed. Oats, spring triticale, and barley are annual cereal grains that can be planted from late March to early April to produce forage that can be grazed beginning in mid to late May or harvested for hay or silage in late June or early July. Growth of these cereal crops is very rapid in late May and early June, requiring good grazing management and the proper stocking rate to efficiently harvest the forage.

Forage peas are a legume that can be mixed in with spring cereals to reduce nitrogen fertilizer needed while maintaining or improving the protein levels of the harvested crop. When selecting a spring cereal to plant, preference should be given to varieties that have been selected for forage production. Select hooded or awnless varieties of barley if the crop is going to be harvested as hay. The quality of the forage produced from spring cereals will depend upon the stage of maturity at harvest. As maturity increases, quality declines rapidly. The optimum compromise between quality and yield generally occurs shortly after boot to early heading stages. Yield in terms of dry matter produced per acre generally increases 10 percent to 20 percent from the boot to early heading stages.

The primary warm-season or summer annual forages would include sudangrass, forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass hybrids, pearl and foxtail millet. As warm-season species, soil temperatures at planting should consistently be at the 60 to 65 degree level which is usually achieved by late May. These warm-season annuals could also be planted anytime up to early August and still produce forage, but greater amounts will be realized with earlier planting dates.



BENEFITS OF LEGUMES
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               Reducing pasture expenses can help your bottom line.  But don’t try to starve a profit from your pastures.  Sometimes you need to invest.  This spring, invest in legumes.

               Spring-like weather between snow storms in January and February should get you looking forward to next spring .  I’m sure one thing you won’t look forward to, though, is paying for nitrogen fertilizer on your pastures.

               Avoid this expense by adding legumes to your grazinglands.  Five years of grazing research in eastern Nebraska showed that brome/legume pastures produced almost four-tenths of a pound higher average daily gain on yearlings than did straight brome pastures fertilized with 50 pounds of nitrogen.

               That may not sound like a lot to you, but that much faster gain for the full season produced an extra fifty-one pounds of beef per acre.  With no nitrogen fertilizer.  Adding the value of heavier yearlings plus reduced fertilizer expenses resulted in more than an extra fifty dollars per acre profit.  That’s fifty more dollars – per acre!

               Similar research was conducted with warm-season grasses with nearly the same results.

               February and March are good months to start adding legumes.  Red clover is the easiest one to establish because seed can be broadcast on pastures even if they are covered with several inches of snow.  As snow melts and temperatures fluctuate in early spring, the seeds will get worked into the soil, germinate, and start to grow.  With a little attention to controlling competition from the existing grass, new red clover plants can start increasing your pasture production by summer.

               Don’t become trapped by the never ending cost of nitrogen fertilizer.  Use legumes to reduce costs and increase production.



"Take a Second for Safety" is the Message During Grain Bin Safety Week

With on-farm grain storage on the rise—and a record number of grain engulfment deaths across the nation last year—agricultural leaders in Nebraska are placing special emphasis on grain handling safety during Grain Bin Safety Week, February 22-28, 2015. In observance of the week, the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association are encouraging farmers, grain elevators and other grain handlers to slow down — and take a second for safety while working with grain.

“We feel it is increasingly important to promote grain bin safety awareness and remind all grain handlers of the hazards of working around grain,” said Larry Mussack, farmer from Decatur and president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association. “With just one misstep or just a moment of distraction, you could find yourself or someone you know in a grain entrapment emergency.”

National statistics show that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations in America. Over the past 50 years, more than 900 cases of grain engulfment have been reported—and the fatality rate is 62 percent. With a 10-inch auger, it takes just 25 seconds for a 6-foot person to be completely buried in grain.

Now in its second year, Grain Bin Safety Week is an annual observance dedicated to increasing the awareness of grain bin safety on farms and commercial grain-handling facilities. The goal of this event is to educate the agricultural community on safe work practices and procedures to help reduce the number of preventable injuries and deaths associated with grain handling and storage.

Here are a few grain bin safety tips to keep in mind when you are working with stored grain:
-    Use inspection holes or grain level markers to understand what's happening inside the bin. Use a pole from outside the bin to break up grain bridges.
-    You should enter a grain bin only if absolutely necessary. If you must get into the bin, use a body harness secured to the outside of the bin. Have at least two people watching over you as you enter and work inside the bin.
-    Use hand signals to communicate—and make sure everyone you're working with knows what those signals are.

These safety tips and more will be emphasized not only during Grain Bin Safety Week, but throughout the year by the Nebraska Corn organizations.  A record high yield, combined with an upward trend in on-farm grain storage capacity has experts projecting an even larger number of grain engulfment accidents in 2015.

“Now, more than ever, it is important to take the extra second and follow the safety rules when it comes to working with grain stored in bins,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “With on-farm safety being a continued effort at Nebraska Corn, we want both farmers and emergency responders to understand how to avoid grain bin accidents—and how to help someone who does end up in trouble in a grain bin. There is no better time than the present to work together as an agricultural community and help prevent these tragic accidents from occurring.”



CLIMATOLOGIST LEIRSEROWITZ TO DELIVER MARCH 10 HEUERMANN LECTURE AT UNL

   A nationally renowned climatologist will be the next Heuermann Lecture speaker in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

    Anthony Leiserowitz, a research scientist and director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communications at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, will speak at 3:30 p.m. March 10, in Hardin Hall, 33rd and Holdrege streets. The title of Leirserowitz’s talk is “Climate Change in the American Mind.”

    Leiserowitz is a widely recognized expert on American and international public opinion on global warming, including public perception of climate change risks, support and opposition for climate policies, and willingness to make individual behavioral change. His research investigates the psychological, cultural, political, and geographic factors that drive public environmental perception and behavior.

    He has conducted survey, experimental and field research at scales ranging from the global to the local, including international studies, the United States, individual states (Alaska and Florida), municipalities (New York City), and with the Inupiaq Eskimo of northwest Alaska. He also conducted the first empirical assessment of worldwide public values, attitudes, and behaviors regarding global sustainability, including environmental protection, economic growth and human development.

    Leiserowitz has served as a consultant to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, the United Nations Development Program, the Gallup World Poll, the Global Roundtable on Climate Change at the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the World Economic Forum. Leiserowitz will report on recent trends in Americans' climate change knowledge, attitudes, policy support, and behavior and discuss strategies for more effective public engagement.

    Heuermann Lectures are made possible through a gift from B. Keith and Norma Heuermann of Phillips, long-time university supporters with a strong commitment to Nebraska’s production agriculture, natural resources, rural areas and people. The lectures focus on providing and sustaining enough food, natural resources and renewable energy for the world’s people, and on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs. Lectures stream live at http://heuermannlectures.unl.edu and are archived at that site soon after the lecture. They’re also seen on NET2 World at a date following the lecture.



$380,000 awarded for Beginning Farmer/Rancher Trainings

Recently, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden (USDA) announced more than $18 million in Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) grants to educate, mentor, and enhance the sustainability of the next generation of farmers. The grants are available through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 (Farm Bill).

Partnering organizations, Community Crops of Lincoln, NE and the Center for Rural Affairs were awarded $381,726 to combine their farmer training programs to increase their outreach to beginning farmers in the state of Nebraska. This project will enhance urban and rural-based farm viability of 150 beginning Hispanic, socially disadvantaged, and limited resource farmers in Nebraska. The objective is to assist these beginners with development of small scale farm enterprises through training and technical assistance.

“The need to develop new farmers who will grow food is critical at this juncture,” said Ingrid Kirst, Executive Director, Community Crops. “With climate challenges and a rising demand for locally grown food, the time to invest in developing successful new farmers who will be armed with the kind of training and technical assistance to help ensure their success is now.”

Kirst continued, using the strengths and experiences of both organizations, we will provide training and technical assistance in business/financial planning and production skills, and will facilitate development of a peer-to-peer network. Distance learning technology will be used to reach the maximum number of beginners throughout Nebraska and archive training for future access. Over 40 people are attending the first class series being held in Lincoln and Crete as the first step toward their new farm dream.

According to the USDA press release, the BFRDP program, first established by the 2008 Farm Bill, aims to support those who have farmed or ranched less than 10 years with workshops, educational teams, training, and technical assistance throughout the United States. NIFA awards grants to organizations that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers.     

"As new farmers and ranchers get started, they are really looking to their community for support. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program empowers these farmers and ranchers to bring innovative ideas to the table when it comes to addressing food security, creating economic enterprises, and building communities," said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "As we celebrate the first anniversary of the 2014 Farm Bill, programs like these are evidence that an investment in beginning farmers and ranchers is an investment in our future."



USMEF Statement on West Coast Port Labor Contract Agreement
Philip M. Seng, President and CEO, U.S. Meat Export Federation

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) was very pleased to learn of the tentative agreement on a new West Coast port labor contract that was reached Friday evening. Since we began to see increasing congestion in the West Coast ports several months ago, the global customer base that the U.S. meat industry has spent decades building has been put at risk by shipping delays and by the uncertainty surrounding these contract negotiations. With nearly 80 percent or our waterborne red meat exports utilizing West Coast ports, this situation had become very damaging not only for exporters, but also for farmers, ranchers, processors and everyone in the supply chain.

We are hopeful that the parties will ratify the new contract agreement as soon as possible and clear the backlog that currently exists in several major ports, so that U.S. industries can once again serve our international customers with the confidence and reliability they deserve.



ASA Welcomes News of Tentative West Coast Ports Labor Deal, Calls on PMA, ILWU to Ratify and Move Forward

The Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reached a tentative deal on a new contract late Friday, according to the Associated Press, that would resume operations at ports along the west coast. The PMA and ILWU had been embroiled in a labor standoff that wrought havoc on the export of soybeans and other agriculture commodities that utilize west coast ports. American Soybean Association (ASA) President Wade Cowan noted the association's relief at the conflict's resolution.

"As business owners, soybean farmers count on a smoothly-operating supply chain to stay competitive. The work stoppage on the west coast is something that continues to have ripple effects not only on soybean farms, but within the processing industry, and especially in the livestock industry that represents the top consumer of soybean meal," said Cowan.

In the 2014/2015 crop marketing year, U.S. farmers exported 1.77 billion bushels of soybeans, making soy the country's leading farm export. Soybean meal is also a key feedstock for the livestock and meat export industry, which was disproportionately affected by the stoppage.

"Soybean farmers are proud of the role we play in the nation's agricultural trade, and proud to be a leader on these issues," added Cowan. "Disruptions like the one we saw out west have the potential to throw the country's farm economy into disarray. A devastating impact like that isn't a bargaining chip. It goes without saying that we are relieved to see a resolution to the dispute, and we encourage both parties to ratify this new contract and get back to work as quickly as possible."



Policy to be Focus at Commodity Classic

When corn farmers from around the country gather in Phoenix this week for the 20th annual Commodity Classic convention and trade show, it's not going to be just to enjoy much warmer weather than back on the farm - a series of important policy meetings are also taking place for members and leaders of the National Corn Growers Association.

"Commodity Classic gives us the opportunity not just to celebrate great work, meet with friends and learn about new products and services, it allows growers to get together in one place to shape policy for our organization," said NCGA President Chip Bowling. "This year, all eyes and ears will be focused on the importance of building profitable demand for our farmers when corn production is high and corn prices are low."

On Wednesday, growers will meet for an issues briefing and open forum, followed by caucuses at the state level, where they will discuss proposed resolutions and organizational priorities to come before NCGA at the two Corn Congress sessions, held Thursday morning and Saturday afternoon. With such topics as ethanol infrastructure, unmanned aircraft rules and environmental regulations up for discussion, growers will have a lot to talk about this week. Growers will also have the chance to meet with candidates for the NCGA Corn Board for the 2016 fiscal year.

Also this week, growers are scheduled to hear from Val Docini, the administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, at the Thursday Corn Congress session. And USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack will speak before several thousand Classic attendees at the show's general session Friday morning.

Aflatoxin Research Update at Commodity Classic
The Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excellence Research Steering Committee will meet at Commodity Classic tomorrow to hear updates on the nine research projects that received grants to focus on solving aflatoxin issues. These grants were designed by Southern corn checkoff boards to bring a unified approach to funding research projects across the region. The committee will also discuss the current and future direction of AMCOE.

"The unified approach AMCOE, its affiliate states and the National Corn Growers Association bring to aflatoxin research brings us closer to getting real results that farmers want to see in their fields," said AMCOE Chair Charles Ring, a corn grower in Texas. "While corn farmers in Southern states experience aflatoxin challenges every year, these challenges have the potential of cropping up in any corn region of the United States when the crop comes under stress.  For this reason, the benefits of the seven priority areas of AMCOE research are truly national in scope."

AMCOE grant recipient projects represent more than 50 researchers from approximately 15 universities including Auburn University, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University, Penn State University, Tuskegee University and the University of Arizona. USDA Agricultural Research sites in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina, as well as Texas State Chemists Lab, all also have researchers involved with grant-recipient projects.

Projects funded for 2015 focus on biological control, especially atoxigenic strain development; deployment technology and increased utilization; transgenic modification for improved aflatoxin resistance and breeding for aflatoxin resistance; amelioration technology for aflatoxin-contaminated grain; best management strategies for reducing aflatoxin; improved testing procedures; and improved information transfer.



Five Countries Ban Canada Beef

Canada's Minister of Agriculture is sharing more details on the impact a cow, recently detected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) disease, is having on the country's beef industry.

At the Grainworld conference here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Monday morning Gerry Ritz told reporters there are five countries that have closed their doors to imports of Canadian beef.

Korea, which constitutes 1% of Canada's sales, was the first to stop the imports and has been joined by Taiwan, Peru, Indonesia and Belarus. Mr. Ritz estimates the impact is minor, totaling 3% to 3.5% of Canada's global beef sales.

At this stage he says there are no indications Japan or the U.S. is thinking of following suit and he is confident the trade barriers will come down soon. "I don't see anything there that will hold us out for the longer term," he said.

Mr. Ritz also pointed out that the chicken industry in B.C. had suffered a similar setback when a case of avian flu was detected there last year, but since then markets have started to accept chicken imports.



Truckers Block Mato Grosso Soy Routes

Truckers have been blocking the principal highway in Mato Grosso, Brazil's main soybean state, for the last five days right in the middle of harvesting season.

The delays caused by the protest against declining freight rates and rising costs have left exporters worried they will leave ships waiting at port and farmers concerned they may run out of diesel for harvest machinery.

Drivers are impeding trucks from traveling along the BR-163 highway, which carries 70% of Mato Grosso's grains.

According to highway police, there are four blockades on the road Monday. There are other blockades in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and in the south, although their impact is not as great.

The soybean harvest in Mato Grosso is already behind schedule, at 34% complete compared with 48% last year, says AgRural, a local consultant, and the slow arrival of diesel could delay fieldwork further, if the blockage persists.

Soybean crushers and exporters will be getting concerned about fines for late delivery and demurrage at port.

On Monday, Abiove, Brazil's soybean industry association, issued a statement, condemning the blockades as an illegal attempt to push up freight rates.

The blockade, organized by the truckers union and local haulage companies, probably won't drag on much longer. However, it may be a prelude to an upswing in strike action in 2015.

Brazil's economy may be slipping into recession, while inflation is expected to top 7% in 2015. The situation has already spawned strikes in key industries, notably car making, and could lead to problems at port, for example, later in the year.



CWT Assists with 2.6 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 11 requests for export assistance from Bongards Creamery, Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold), and Tillamook County Creamery Association to sell 2.590 million pounds (1,175 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, Central America, the Middle East, and North Africa. The product will be delivered in February through August 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in selling 7.231 million pounds of cheese and 18.453 million pounds of butter to sixteen countries on four continents. The sales are the equivalent of 481.929 million 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. This, in turn, positively impacts U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



Students use National FFA Week to share importance of agriculture, value of agricultural education, history of organization

More than a half-million students in all 50 states will share the importance of agriculture in our daily lives, spread their passion for agriculture and host communitywide events to help others in need this week.

It’s National FFA Week and a host of activities are planned to raise awareness about the National FFA Organization and the role it plays in the development of the agriculture industry’s future leaders and the importance of agricultural education.

The week-long tradition started in 1948. Each year, National FFA Week runs Saturday to Saturday, encompassing President George Washington’s Feb. 22 birthday in recognition of Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer.

FFA was founded by a group of young farmers in 1928. Its mission is to prepare future generations for the challenges of feeding a growing population. Since the founding members the organization has taught generations that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting — it involves science, business and much more.

Today, FFA continues to help the next generation rise up to meet new agricultural challenges by helping members develop their own unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. Members prepare for careers as biologists, chemists, veterinarians, engineers and entrepreneurs.

National FFA Week is sponsored by Tractor Supply Co., National FFA Week activities can be followed on Twitter at #FFAweek.

According to responses on Facebook and Twitter, local FFA chapters plan to host parties in appreciation of their agriculture teachers and FFA advisors. Members will host local farmers' markets, visit elementary and middle schools to talk about FFA and agricultural education, complete community-service projects, participate in spirit days at their schools to promote agricultural education and much more. A round-up of some planned National FFA Week activities include:

    Through Sunday, participating Tractor Supply Co. stores encourage customers to donate $1 at checkout to support FFA. Donations will fund $1,000 scholarships for FFA members while 10 percent will support state FFA association programs. Last year, Tractor Supply raised more than $447,671 in 48 states to provide 334 college scholarships for FFA members.

    St. Amant FFA in Louisiana will be working to collect enough food to feed 1,000 people through a help a farmer feed a family event, which will tie into their local livestock show.

    The National FFA Officers will travel around the country to visit local FFA chapters. States that will be visited include: Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Oregon.

    The New Richmond FFA chapter in Wisconsin is hosting an FFA Week Kickoff Snowtubing Event in their area with all interested chapters invited to participate. It's an annual tradition and members from up to 12 different schools traditionally attend, sharing ideas of what is happening at their schools during FFA Week.

    The Dassel-Cokato FFA Chapter in Minnesota will co-host their annual dinner on Feb. 25, along with the local FFA alumni affiliate. This is an opportunity for FFA chapter members and alumni members say thank you to people who have and continue to support their chapters. It is also a chance to share with the community the great things the members are doing.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 610,240 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,665 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.



A New Network for Women in Agriculture
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden

To be a woman in agriculture is to face a unique set of challenges. And because I know all too well the trials that women can face as they look to take on leadership roles, I made it a goal as USDA’s Deputy Secretary to start a community for women leaders in agriculture.

This past fall, I held a White House discussion with farmers, agribusiness, academics and youth leaders about the opportunities that exist to help advance women in agriculture to leadership positions. Since that meeting, the response has been overwhelming. Women from all walks of life and every sector of the agriculture supply chain are empowering one another, and they’re sharing beautiful photographs and touching stories about how they’ve done it.

Today, I am announcing the creation of the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network. This newly established network is designed to support and engage women across all areas of agriculture and to foster professional partnerships between women with shared backgrounds, interests, and professional goals.

We have created an e-mail address, agwomenlead@usda.gov, for you to share your suggestions, stories and other snippets on how we can build a new generation of women leaders in agriculture. By e-mailing us, you will automatically be added to the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network.

I am truly excited by the passion and confidence I continue to see in women in agriculture across the country. In the office, on the road, I am constantly stopped by young women looking to find mentorship, or current leaders looking to lift up our next generation. Now, with our new network, you can.

This is just the first step in giving women the tools they need to be successful agricultural leaders. Keep sharing your stories using #womeninag and stay tuned for more information on the Women in Agriculture Mentoring Network.