Monday May 11 Ag News

May - Beef Month Feature:  What Does Beef Quality Assurance Mean to the Consumer?
Rob Eirich, UNL Extension Educator and Nebraska BQA Coordinator

The mission of the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is: “To maximize consumer confidence and acceptance of beef by focusing the producers’ attention on daily production practices that influence the safety, wholesomeness and quality of beef and beef products.”  BQA is a National education program coordinated and implemented through state cattle associations and their State BQA Directors. 

Education is the focus
Emphasis is on beef cattle production management techniques that minimize any potential defects in beef that could detract from consumer acceptance and maximize the value of beef produces.   Every phase of the beef cycle is included in BQA education from the rancher and their cow/calf operation, through stocker grazing systems, cattle finish feeding and transportation between each level … it is all important.  When we manage cattle as the special creatures God has given us stewardship of, we maximize their growth and growth efficiency … that is good for us.  But just as important we minimize the potential for a defect to occur in our beef cattle such as a residue or a tough area in meat from an injection site or rough handling that might cause the consumer concern.  In short, BQA is “Thoughtful, responsible cattle management”.   Bottom line for today’s consumers is product integrity and a safe, wholesome eating experience.



Nebraska Extension’s June 1 Mid-Plains Beef Session Focuses on Forage and Pasture Management

Nebraska Extension's Mid-Plains Beef Educational Series will conduct a June 1 session on forage and pasture management at the UNL Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, NE.

The session will draw on the expertise of Dr. Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist and Dr. Daren Redfearn, Nebraska Extension Integrated Forage Specialist.  Anderson will discuss establishing pastures into previous crop ground, as well as advantages and considerations of rotational grazing.  Redfearn will discuss monitoring pasture conditions - tools that beef producers can use. 

Registration and meal are from 11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Program begins at 12:15 p.m. and ends at approximately 3:30 p.m.
           
Cost is $10 by May 28 or $15 at the door (make checks available to University of Nebraska-Lincoln). Lunch and hand-outs provided.

The Mid-Plains BEEF Educational Series is an effort by a team of southeastern Nebraska Extension educators.         

To register or obtain more information, contact: Lindsay Chichester, Saunders County, 402-624-8030; Steve Tonn, Washington County, 402-426-9455; or Monte Stauffer, Douglas/Sarpy Counties, 402-444-7804.



Recent Rains Favor Early Season Soybean Diseases
Loren Giesler, UNL Extension Plant Pathologist

With soybean planting just starting in most of the state, recent rains and wet conditions will favor stand and emergence problems.  Watch fields for our most common seedling diseases favored by high moisture conditions: Pythium and Phytophthora.

While we have been warmer than last spring, the wet conditions will still favor Pythium which is our most common seedling disease of soybean in Nebraska. Cooler soil temperatures will typically make this one worse and more common so earlier planted soybean fields will often see this if they were not properly protected with a seed treatment.  Typical symptoms of Pythium include seed decay and pre-emergent seedling rot, and seedling damping off after emergence.  If the plant has emerged, often the outer layer of its root system can be easily pulled off while the center of the root stays intact.

Warmer conditions are more conducive for Phytophthora, which will also be present now. Phytophthora is not as common as Pythium but is definitely a disease that we are seeing more of each year in Nebraska.  Many times Phytophthora is indicated in fields planted with a standard rate of a seed treatment product but where there is still a significant stand reduction when wet conditions occur. This will be field-specific and doesn't occur as often as Pythium. Typical symptoms of Phytophthora are seed decay and pre-emergence seedling rot, and seedling damping off after emergence. Typical symptoms on seedlings are darkened stems at the base of the plant coming up from the soil line.  When young plants are cut at the lower stem, the stem center will exhibit a dark color. Phytophthora can kill plants at any stage of development, but Pythium typically does not kill plants much past the V5 growth stage.

As seen in these descriptions, there is a lot of overlap in symptoms for these two diseases, especially at the pre-emergence stage of development where many fields are now.  I encourage you to get a diagnosis of any problems you're seeing in your fields so proper management actions can be taken in the future.

Seed treatment and the use of resistant varieties (for Phytophthora) are the management actions which are modified based on the field history. In fields where a seed treatment fungicide was used and seedling disease is still developing, it can be the result of the wrong treatment or excessive moisture leading to product failure under extreme conditions. The most common example of a product rate issue is when mefenoxam or metalaxyl is put on at a rate too low for good Phytophthora control. 



USE GRAZING TO CONTROL PASTURE WEEDS
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
               Pasture weeds are a problem for many of us.  It’s a challenge to control or prevent them in the first place.  The right grazing practices, though, can help reduce this problem.

               If you have weedy pastures, first ask yourself – Why?   Nearly always the existing forage stand was not thick or vigorous enough to out-compete invading weeds.  So the next step in pasture weed control must be to manage pastures so they can be competitive.  That may include fertilizer, extra seeding, and especially well-managed grazing.

               Once weeds become a problem, though, control strategies must be used.  One technique is to heavily stock a pasture, maybe with a ten-fold higher concentration of animals per acre than usual, for a very short time.  Only do this if your good grass is healthy.

               Use temporary cross fences to create small enough areas to achieve these high animal concentrations.  If this is done while weeds like crabgrass, foxtail, lambsquarter, and field bindweed are still young, many of them will be eaten readily.  Animals even eat cheatgrass, downy brome, and sandbur when plants are young.  Once they form seed stalks, though, cattle almost totally reject them.  Be sure to remove animals while desired grasses still have a few leaves remaining so they regrow quickly and compete with any recovering or new weeds.

               Some established weeds aren’t controlled easily with grazing.  Clipping or spraying these weeds when their root reserves are low and to prevent seed production will reduce their pressure.  But remember, they will return quickly unless follow-up grazing management keeps your pasture healthy, vigorous, and competitive.

               Pasture weeds are troublesome, but proper grazing helps control them.



Farm Generational Transition, ‘Managing for Today and Tomorrow’ course for Farm Women begins June 1 in O’Neill, NE

Creating a transition plan to make sure a farm continues as a productive business can be challenging. Farm women can learn how to plan a successful farm transition in a five-session course offered by Nebraska Extension in Holt County.  The “Managing for Today and Tomorrow: Farm Transition Planning” program, a new Annie’s Project course, has been scheduled for this summer in O’Neill, NE on Monday evenings; June 1 through June 29.

The cost is $75 per person, which includes a 300-page workbook with fact sheets, hands-on activities, and presentations. A light supper will be served before each class at 6:30 p.m. Course size is limited, so please register soon.  

Farm women will learn about business, estate, retirement and succession planning from Nebraska Extension specialists and area professionals. In addition to brief presentations, there will be discussions based on participant questions and follow-up activities for family members to complete at home.

“We’re happy to be a partner in bringing this valuable program to Holt County,” said Amy Timmerman, Holt and Boyd County Extension Educator, “This farm transition course is an opportunity for farm women to meet with others who share similar issues and concerns. We limit the size of the class to make it comfortable for everyone to speak up and get questions answered.”

Annie’s Project, an agricultural risk management education program for women, has successfully reached more than 9,000 farm and ranch women in 30 states. “This new Farm Transition program emphasizes the role women play in helping transfer farms from one generation to the next,” said Cheryl Griffith, Nebraska Extension Annie’s Project Coordinator. Managing for Today and Tomorrow: Farm Transition Planning is designed to empower women to take ownership of the future of their farms.

For more information or register contact Amy Timmerman at the Holt County Extension Office at 402-336-2760.

Managing for Today and Tomorrow is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant # 2011-49400-30584. More information can be found on the Annie’s Project website at www.AnniesProject.org.


    
Pork Producers Invited to Advanced Reproductive Seminars

Pork producers are invited to attend either of two workshops focusing on advanced swine reproductive management topics scheduled for next month in northwest and northeast Iowa. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa Pork Producers Association are sponsoring the seminars in Le Mars and Waverly.

Dates and specific locations are June 10 at the Le Mars Convention Center, 275 12th St SE, and June 11 at the Waverly Civic Center, 200 1st St. NE. Registration at both sites begins at 9:30 a.m. with the first session starting at 10 a.m. The event concludes with a question-and-answer session at 3 p.m.

Keynote speaker is Larry Coleman, DVM, of Broken Bow, Nebraska, with the topic of "No Pig Left Behind: Increasing Piglet Survival in the Farrowing House." He will explain how using proper management swine producers should be able to decrease stillbirths and pre-weaning mortality, while weaning 14 pigs per litter and achieving 35 pigs per sow per year. Coleman also will present, "Increasing Employee Success: Is There a Silver Bullet?"

Jason Ross, assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State, will provide a technology update, present information on a "summer heat impact on fertility" study, and offer ideas to improve reproductive performance.

ISUEO Swine Field Specialists will provide awareness of the sow caliper, a tool to accurately manage sow body condition scores and manage feed costs. The tool was developed by Mark Knauer, North Carolina State University Extension Swine Specialist. Dave Stender will present at the Le Mars location and Mark Storlie will present at the Waverly location.

Cost is $30 per person, which includes lunch and materials. A multiple-attendee discount is available by contacting the specific location you want to attend. Preregistration is strongly encouraged to assure an accurate meal count. More details and a registration form are available in the Le Mars location brochure and the Waverly location brochure.

For more information or to register for the Le Mars location, contact Stender by phone at 712-225-6196 or by email at dstender@iastate.edu. Those who want to attend the Waverly location should contact Storlie by phone at 563-425-3331 or email at mstorlie@iastate.edu.



Kum & Go Introduces E15 at First Retail Location in Iowa

In response to Kum & Go’s grand opening event celebrating the addition of E15 to its fuel offerings in Windsor Heights, Iowa, Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, issued the following statement:

“We’re celebrating the addition of E15 to Kum & Go’s fuel offerings in Iowa today, and we know that consumers will continue to celebrate every time they pull up to the pump and are presented with the opportunity to choose a great product at a great price.

“Kum & Go’s decision to offer E15 underscores its role as an innovator and leader in the convenience store marketplace. By offering cleaner, homegrown fuels, Kum & Go is not only providing consumers with a choice at the pump, but is also supporting local jobs, rural communities and the environment. The demand for E15 is growing rapidly, and Kum & Go is acting quickly to bring its customers what they want and need.”

In the next two years, Kum & Go will bring E15 to 65 more locations. E15 has been exhaustively tested by the Department of Energy and is compatible with more than 80 percent of the cars on the road today. Nationwide, moving to E15 would create another 136,000 American jobs that can’t be outsourced and eliminate up to 8 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year — the equivalent of taking 1.68 million vehicles off the road—all while saving consumers money at the pump. E15 is currently offered at more than 120 stations in 18 states across the country.



Different Bird Flu Strain Detected in Indiana Backyard Flock

(AP) --- Bird flu has been found in a backyard poultry flock in northeastern Indiana, and it's the first time the specific strain in question has been detected in the central U.S., animal health officials said Monday.

The H5N8 virus found in Whitley County is different from the H5N2 virus that has led to the loss of more than 30 million chickens, turkeys and other birds since March in 13 states, including Minnesota and Wisconsin, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Some birds in the Whitley County flock of 77 ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys and other species have died, the agency said. The remaining birds were removed, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health said.

The board said it was checking with nearby poultry owners to see if the disease has spread. The board said it is coordinating with the USDA, the Indiana State Poultry Association and the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory in responding to the disease.



One of the Best Fields for New College Graduates? Agriculture!

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new report showing tremendous demand for recent college graduates with a degree in agricultural programs with an estimated 57,900 high-skilled job openings annually in the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment fields in the United States. According to an employment outlook report released today by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and Purdue University, there is an average of 35,400 new U.S. graduates with a bachelor's degree or higher in agriculture related fields, 22,500 short of the jobs available annually.

"There is incredible opportunity for highly-skilled jobs in agriculture," said Secretary Vilsack. "Those receiving degrees in agricultural fields can expect to have ample career opportunities. Not only will those who study agriculture be likely to get well-paying jobs upon graduation, they will also have the satisfaction of working in a field that addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges. These jobs will only become more important as we continue to develop solutions to feed more than 9 billion people by 2050."

The report projects almost half of the job opportunities will be in management and business. Another 27 percent will be in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) areas. Jobs in food and biomaterials production will make up 15 percent, and 12 percent of the openings will be in education, communication, and governmental services. The report also shows that women make up more than half of the food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment higher education graduates in the United States.

Other highlights of the reportThis is an external link or third-party site outside of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. include:

    While most employers prefer to hire graduates of food, agriculture, renewable natural resources, and environment programs, graduates from these programs only fill about 60 percent of the expected annual openings. Even as enrollments in these programs increase and the job market becomes somewhat more competitive, good employment opportunities for the next five years are expected.

    Growth in job opportunities will be uneven. Employers in some areas will struggle to find enough graduates to fill jobs. In a few areas, employers will find an oversupply of job seekers.

    Expect to see a strong employment market for e-commerce managers and marketing agents, ecosystem managers, agricultural science and business educators, crop advisors, and pest control specialists.

    Job opportunities in STEM areas are expected to grow. Expect the strongest job market for plant scientists, food scientists, sustainable biomaterials specialists, water resources scientists and engineers, precision agriculture specialists, and veterinarians.

The report, Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Agriculture, Renewable Natural Resources, and the Environment, United States, 2015–2020, is the eighth in a series of five-year projections initiated by USDA in 1980. The report was produced by Purdue University with grant support from NIFA.



U.S., Jordan Sign Agreement to Promote Agricultural Development and Trade, Support Humanitarian Assistance

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Jordan Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury, today signed an agreement to support agricultural development and trade in Jordan.

"Jordan is one of our most effective, capable and steadfast partners not only in the Middle East, but around the world," Vilsack said. "USDA's food assistance will be used to relieve some of the economic burden that Jordan is facing as a result of the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who've been displaced because of the Syrian civil war."

Through the Food for Progress Program, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service will provide the government of Jordan with 100,000 metric tons of U.S. wheat, valued at approximately $25 million. The Jordanian government will use proceeds from the sale of the commodities to implement projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity and stimulating economic growth.

"The Obama administration remains committed to investing in the creation of economic stability and opportunity in the Middle East," Vilsack said. "As we have done in the past with Jordan and around the world, U.S. produced commodities will not only feed people but enhance agricultural productivity and trade."

The Food for Progress Program is a cornerstone in USDA's efforts to support sustainable agricultural production in developing nations and promote agricultural trade. The program helps developing countries and emerging democracies modernize and strengthen their agricultural sectors.

USDA's food aid programs contribute to the goals of President Obama's global hunger and food security initiative, Feed the Future. In fiscal year 2014, nearly 223,337 individuals in the Feed the Future countries and regions received USDA's agricultural productivity or food security training.



NCIMS Conference Approves Pilot Program to Expand Testing for Drug Residues; Aligns PMO with New FSMA Regulations

The National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments met in Portland, Oregon, from April 24-29, to address the 100 proposals submitted to revise the Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance and its related documents. The National Milk Producers staff attended the conference to advocate positions of interest to dairy cooperatives and farmers. Many NMPF members also attended and played key roles in the deliberations of the Conference, which is comprised of state health departments and the FDA.

There were several noteworthy developments among the proposals adopted by the conference during its biennial meeting:

*    This year’s NCIMS meeting culminated a years-long effort to align the PMO with the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Preventive Controls provisions, an effort spearheaded by NMPF in collaboration with the NCIMS Liaison Committee. Ultimately, four separate proposals from the Liaison Committee were passed by the delegate body to modify the PMO to address gaps that existed between the PMO and FSMA. By passing the proposals, it was recognized that an exemption from FSMA for Grade A facilities would not be necessary, as PMO-regulated facilities would be compliant with FSMA, and these facilities would continue to be regulated and inspected under the PMO moving forward. This is an important victory for farmers so that they will not be regulated by duplicative federal regulations.

*    Three significant proposals related to drug residue testing were passed by the delegates: 1) A pilot program will be developed to expand the drugs (beyond beta-lactams) for which testing is required; 2) Protocols and responsibilities were established related to use of “unapproved” drug residue testing, or testing that is done outside of what is currently required (i.e., non-beta-lactams) using test kits that have not been approved by FDA and NCIMS; 3) The criteria for approving drug residue test kits was modified – specifically the sensitivity requirement for tetracyclines and for other drugs that have “safe” levels was lessened. Many details about the new pilot program, including its scope and timing, were left unresolved. The Appendix N committee of NCIMS will meet in early June to being addressing the details.

*    A proposal to lower the Somatic Cell Count requirement from 750,000 cells/ml, to 400,000, failed on the delegate floor by a vote of 18-32.

A special NCIMS edition of NMPF’s Regulatory Register will be published soon to provide a detailed accounting of all actions from the NCIMS Conference.



CWT-Assisted Sales Help U.S. Dairy Farmers Maintain World Market Share

In April, Cooperatives Working Together helped its member cooperatives contract to sell 6.047 million pounds of American-type cheese, 55,116 pounds of butter, and 9.841 million pounds of whole milk powder.

When added to sales placed under contract from January through March, the April sales bring the 2015 year to date totals to 29.5 million pounds of cheese, 24.4 million pounds of butter, and 9.9 million pounds of whole milk powder. Together, these sales will send the equivalent of 893 million pounds of milk, on a milkfat basis, to customers in 28 countries on five continents, now through October 2015.

Developed by NMPF, CWT is a voluntary export assistance program supported by the majority of the nation’s dairy farmers. By helping to move U.S. dairy products into world markets, CWT grows the U.S dairy farmers’ share of these expanding markets which, in turn, benefits farm milk prices.