Monday August 24 Ag News

Sitzman Retiring as Executive Director of NePPA

With appreciation for his dedication and service to the pork industry, pork board and affiliates, the Nebraska Pork Producers Association Board of Directors has accepted the resignation of Larry Sitzman effective January 4, 2016. Sitzman announced his retirement after serving for eight years as executive director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NePPA). Since 2007, Sitzman in his capacity as executive director of NPPA has been promoting pork products, protecting the interests of pork producers and monitoring state and national legislation and regulations.

“During his time as executive director and throughout his career, Sitzman has shared his passion for agricultural in Nebraska,” said Scott Spilker, President of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, from Beatrice, Neb. “Larry has steered our industry through times of great challenge, defining moments and major developments. We wish him the best as he transitions to the next phase of his life.”

A native of Culbertson, Nebraska, Sitzman grew up on the family’s diversified farm, attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and served with the U.S. Army as a C.I.D. agent in Vietnam. He was engaged in full-time farming and livestock production prior to being asked to serve as Director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture from 1991-1999 where he initiated agricultural trade missions to promote sales of Nebraska agricultural products overseas. As Vice President of Sand Livestock International of Columbus from 1999-2003, he conducted business and fostered relationships with international markets. Sitzman was involved in farm machinery marketing prior to accepting the position of NPPA’s Executive Director. He and his wife Sally, have three married sons: Eddie, Eric and Jason and five grandsons.

Service and contributions to Nebraska agriculture has been a staple during his life. Ranging from years spent on the farm, being directly involved in production agriculture, to years serving as a member or holding leadership positions for various boards, organizations and foundations whose missions were related to production agriculture. Throughout the years, Sitzman has been recognized for his visions of bettering the groups he is involved with and the people around him. He has been awarded the National Agri Marketing Association (NAMA) State and National Award for Public Service; Ag Relations Council Award; Nebraska Agribusiness Club Public Service Award; LEAD Alumni of the Year; Nebraska Corn Board Honoree of the Year; Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award and has been inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agriculture Achievement.

President Spilker stated, “the NePPA Board of Directors will begin the process of filling the executive director position immediately”.



Saunders Co Bean Growers Twilight Tour is Aug 26th

This year’s tour stops will be located in Southeast Saunders County.  It starts at 5:30 p.m on Wednesday, August 26th, 2015. 

• FIRST STOP:  Intersection CR 10 & N –  "Achieving 80+ bu/ac soybean yields routinely"
Patricio Grassini, UNL Soybean Research is conducting high yield research at this field operated by Ray & Kevin Kucera.

• SECOND STOP: University of Nebraska Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead (ARDC) ¼ mi east of Hwy 66 & CR 11 intersection Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin Soybean Specialist will walk participants through soybean plots and demonstrate and discuss “Why Soybeans Do What They Do! and also addressing “ Soybean Inputs: The Good, The Bad, and The Costly”

• THIRD STOP: ARDC – Update on narrow versus wide row multistate on-farm research study funded by the United Soybean Board. Local operators are Kevin and Austin Ziegenbein.

• Cover Crops and Soil Health – Rick Bieber, Farmer, Trail City, South Dakota Food 

Supper and enjoyable refreshments served at the ARDC Christenson Building after the tour.  For questions or more details, call Keith Glewen, Nebraska Extension Educator at  402-624-8030 or e-mail  kglewen1@unl.edu or John Trutna, President, Saunders Co. Soybean Growers Organization 402-443-5212



Grasshoppers in Crops
Bob Wright, NE Extension Entomologist

We are getting reports of grasshoppers feeding on crops in eastern Nebraska.  As grasshoppers get larger they are more difficult to control with insecticides.  Make sure the insecticide you choose is labeled for the target crop(s) you need to protect.  Also be aware of preharvest intervals (the required interval between application and harvest); they vary between insecticides.  See July 10 Crop Watch article, Scout Field Borders for Grasshoppers, for more details on suggested insecticides.

The following guidelines can be used to help make a decision to treat on crop and non-crop areas....

Treatment guidelines based on number of grasshoppers (nymphs and adults) per square yard.
Grasshopper Pop.     Within Fields     Field Borders     Treatment Necessary?
Non-economic           0-2                          5-10                No
Light                          3-7                         11-20         Uncertain, depends on size, species, type of crop
Moderate                    8-14                       20-40               Probably
Abundant                  15 or more           41 or more          Yes



TIPS ON MAKING GOOD SILAGE
Bruce Anderson, Nebraska Extension Forage Specialist

               It's hard to believe, but summer is nearing an end and silage harvest time soon will be here.  Let's talk today about making good silage.

               Good silage can reduce feeding costs for your livestock.  And to get good silage, it doesn’t matter whether its drought damaged, hailed, or a normal crop, the same techniques are used.

               There are three keys to making good silage.  The first is chop at the right moisture.  Silage in bunkers should be about 65 to 68 percent moisture, and in upright towers around 62 to 65 percent is best.  Bags work well between 60 and 70 percent.  Silage chopped too wet will run or seep, carrying away many valuable nutrients, and it often has a sour, smelly, unpalatable fermentation. Silage chopped too dry usually develops some mold and the silage heats.  Cattle eat it really well but protein and energy digestibility can be low in heat-damaged silage.

               Next, you must eliminate oxygen.  Proper moisture, rapid filling, tight packing, uniform distribution, and correct length of cut all help force air out of the silage.  Then cover the top with plastic to prevent oxygen in the air from penetrating and spoiling the outside two or three feet.

               Finally, encourage rapid fermentation to lower silage pH.  Proper moisture at chopping and tight packing are a great start.  Adding inoculants can speed fermentation and can help reduce storage losses.  Sometimes they also improve silage feeding value.  Inoculants are especially valuable with wet silage but they also can improve drier or proper moisture silage.

               Good silage provides economical animal production.  Correct moisture, a tight pack, and rapid lowering of pH is a good start.



Youth Crop Scouting Winners Named

Earlier this month eight teams of youth competed to diagnose insects, diseases, and other factors affecting crop production during the 2015 Nebraska Youth Crop Scouting Competition.  Congratulations to the winning teams and all who participated.
-    1st Place Colfax County 4-H
-    2nd Place Humphrey FFA
-    3rd Place Amherst FFA

For more information on the Youth Crop Scouting Competition and other youth events visit the CropWatch Youth section... http://cropwatch.unl.edu/cropwatch-youth.  This educational program is coordinated by UNL Extension Educator Brandy VanDeWalle. External sponsors were DuPont Pioneer and the Nebraska Soybean Board. The 2016 contest will be Aug. 2.



AG Sack Lunch Program to Open its Sixth Year Teaching Fourth-graders about Agriculture’s Importance to Nebraska’s Economy

A free sack lunch and a fact-filled presentation about Nebraska agriculture is being offered to the state’s fourth-grade classes when they visit the State Capitol Building in Lincoln. The Ag Sack Lunch Program is being made available at no cost to schools by the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB), the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA), the Nebraska Corn Board (NCB) and the Nebraska Beef Council (NBC).

Letters of invitation will be sent in early September to fourth-grade teachers in 660 elementary schools in 44 counties in the eastern third of Nebraska, the schools most likely to make the Lincoln trip.

Reservations for the 2015-2016 school year are limited to 5,000 students on a first-come, first-served basis. These spots fill up quickly, so teachers are urged to sign up their classes as soon as possible. Program coordinators suggest making reservations even if their State Capitol tour dates have not been firmed up yet. Reservations can be placed online at agsacklunchprogram.com.

More than 20,000 fourth-grade students come to Lincoln to tour the State Capitol Building each year as part of their state-mandated curriculum. The Ag Sack Lunch Program has been designed to combine these tours with a lively learning experience about the importance of farming to the state. Since the 2010-11 school year, nearly 25,000 students have participated in the sack lunch program.

The sack lunches consist of Nebraska-produced food items to help students appreciate where their food comes from. They’ll also receive a card game using farm facts to take home to play with their families

While they eat their lunches, students hear a 20-minute presentation about the vital role agriculture plays in the state’s economy. Presentation leaders are “Ag Ambassadors,” University of Nebraska-Lincoln students trained specifically to conduct these sessions.  “The kids come to Lincoln to tour the State Capitol Building as part of their fourth-grade curriculum anyway,” says Kyla Habrock, the NPPA’s youth leadership and events specialist. “It’s a very convenient time to reach them with our message.”

Victor Bohuslavsky, executive director of the NSB, said the objective for the program has been to make fourth-graders aware of agriculture’s importance to Nebraskans. “They learn that one in three jobs in Nebraska are connected to agriculture,” he said, “and how the state’s farmers work hard to protect the environment, ensure food safety, and maintain their animals’ health.”

“A lot of young students, especially those from urban areas, don’t really understand where their food comes from, how farmers interact with the environment and how they maintain their animals health and well-being,” says NCB Executive Director Kelly Brunkhorst. “This program is a  great way to show them how.”

Teachers who have brought classes to Lincoln over the past school year express delight in the program and its effectiveness in capturing and holding the attention of their fourth-graders.

“Shelly Ragland of Gateway Elementary School in Omaha agreed. “It is an excellent program that ties in with our curriculum and gives our students an extension of what we teach,” she said. “The student ambassadors are always very knowledgeable and fun to listen to.   The students enjoy listening and engaging with them.” And Judy Hughes of Omaha’s Rohwer Elementary said, “This program is a very good way to let the urban children understand agriculture’s importance to our state's economy.“

The NPPA’s Brunkhorst summed up the program this way. “The Ag Sack Lunch Program has done a great job of communicating the facts about farming to our fourth-graders,” he said. “What better way to tell our story than with a free sack lunch and a presentation that makes the connection of where these items originate from.”

Online registration is available at agsacklunchprogram.com.



CENTER FOR GRASSLAND STUDIES ANNOUNCES FALL SEMINAR SERIES

The 21st annual fall seminar series offered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Center for Grassland Studies will include 12 lectures on topics related to grasslands including the role of dung beetles in rangeland management, social behavior of grazing livestock, conserving Nebraska's pollinators, invasive plants, grassland birds and plant community response to drought.

The seminars take place most Mondays during the fall semester from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union. The first lecture is scheduled for Aug. 31. The seminars are free and open to the public, and can be taken for academic credit.

The series features Greg Lardy, this year's Frank and Margaret Leu Distinguished Lecturer. Lardy is head of the Department of Animal Sciences at North Dakota State University. He will discuss trends that are driving change in the beef industry.

"We are pleased to have someone with Lardy's background and experience present the Leu Distinguished Lecture this year," said Martin Massengale, director of the center and instructor of the seminar course. "With the current emphasis on beef cattle production in Nebraska, his presentation will be most timely."

The seminar schedule can be found at http://grassland.unl.edu/upcoming-seminars. The schedule is subject to revision; any changes will be noted on the website.

Aug. 31 - Jeff Bradshaw, Dept. of Entomology, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, UNL, "Ecologically-based pest management on rangeland:  What is the role for dung beetles?"
Sept. 14 - Maggi Slivinski, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "Creating habitat heterogeneity in grasslands with insights from ecology and ranchers"
Sept. 21 - Mitch Stephenson, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, UNL, "Social behavior of grazing livestock on rangelands"
Sept. 28 - Douglas Golick, Dept. of Entomology, UNL, "Conserving Nebraska's pollinators: Research on the human dimensions of prairie pollinator protection"
Oct. 5 - Robert Kaul, University of Nebraska State Museum, Emeritus Professor, School of Biological Sciences, UNL, "Invasive plants - native or not"
Oct. 12 - Paul Johnsgard, Emeritus Professor, School of Biological Sciences, UNL, "Grassland birds"
Oct 26 - Hannah Birge, School of Natural Resources, UNL, "Is all disturbance created equal?  Lessons from a CRP grassland"
Nov. 2 - Keenan Amundsen and Katherine Kreuser, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Native grasses in the landscape"
Nov. 9* - Greg Lardy, Head of Dept. of Animal Science, North Dakota State University, "Trends driving change in the beef industry"
Nov. 23 - Jim McDonald, Dept. of Animal Science, UNL, "Feeding the nine:  Implications of a growing population on livestock, grazing and land use in the U.S."
Nov. 30 - Carissa Wonkka, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Operationalizing rangeland science to overcome social, organizational and institutional barriers"
Dec. 7 - Kayla Tarr, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, "Grassland plant community response to drought"

Videos of each seminar will be available a few days later. Contact the Center for Grassland Studies for more information at (402) 472-4101 or email grassland@unl.edu.



Sneller Receives Prestigious Merle Anderson Award

Todd Sneller, Nebraska Ethanol Board administrator, joins several U.S. senators and former President Jimmy Carter as a Merle Anderson Award winner.

Each year, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) award is given to an individual in public service that has made significant contributions to the advancement of ethanol. In addition to Carter, past recipients include Sen. Tom Daschle, Sen. Bob Dole, Sen. Ben Nelson and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Brian Jennings, ACE executive director, said the award is the most prestigious the coalition bestows and honors the recipient's lifetime achievement.

“While discussing who should receive this award, Todd overwhelmingly stood out,” Jennings said. “He is a trail blazer for his work in promoting the ethanol industry. He helped pass Clean Air Act amendments in the 1980’s, while also increasing ethanol retail locations in Nebraska during that time span. And his efforts to tout ethanol still continue today with his work on promoting ethanol’s price advantages and clean air benefits to the region. He deserves this recognition for his hard work.”

Sneller has been advocating for ethanol for 40 years and currently serves as administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. He has served on the board of the Renewable Fuels Association and as chairman of the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. He serves as chairman of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition and as a Bio Nebraska Association board member. He also serves as a Nebraska representative to the 35-state Governors’ Biofuels Coalition and was recently elected to the board of the American Coalition for Ethanol. In 2014, Sneller was elected to the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement. Sneller’s work includes ethanol plant recruitment, legislative and regulatory assistance to ethanol producers, market development, policy development and public outreach activities.

Sneller’s career in ethanol development started in 1976 with the Nebraska Agricultural Products Industrial Utilization Committee (APIUC). He assisted the Nebraska Department of Economic Development as an industrial development consultant in 1978 before returning to the Nebraska APIUC as the agency’s administrator in 1979. He also served as technical advisor of the Nebraska Ethanol Authority and Development Board where he managed a $20 million equity investment fund.

Sneller served by federal appointment on the EPA’s Clean Air Act Advisory Panel on oxygenated fuels and water quality issues, and on the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Advisory Panel on Ethanol. Recently, he served on a Johns Hopkins University advisory panel on defense fuels and an EPA technical advisory panel on biofuel technologies.

Sneller's longtime friend and colleague Doug Durante, Clean Fuels Development Coalition executive director, presented him the award.

“I can’t think of anyone more fitting for this award,” Durante said. “Under Todd’s watch, Nebraska’s 25 ethanol plants bring $5 billion in revenue to the state, but he’s not too proud to hand out flyers at a fuel station.”

“I think anytime one is in a room with one’s peers, that’s really the special moment to be acknowledged for something to be around the people you have enjoyed working with and respect,” said Sneller after receiving the award.

The Merle Anderson Award was established by ACE in 1997 to honor the founder and first president, Merle Anderson. The American Coalition for Ethanol is a grassroots organization that works to promote the increased production and use of ethanol. The coalition was established in 1987 and is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.



Grain Drying Research Guides Farmers in Harvest and Winter Storage Plans

As harvest approaches, propane is a key ingredient for anyone using a high-temperature system to dry corn. A case study conducted by Mark Hanna, agricultural and biosystems engineering specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, can help farmers as they plan for harvest and winter storage.

grain drying case study publication“Considering that propane makes up such a large proportion of the energy needed for drying, farmers may want to compare their own propane consumption to the measurements from the case study,” Hanna said.

The case study results are featured in an updated publication from ISU Extension and Outreach. "Energy Consumption during Grain Drying" (PM 3063C) is available for download from the ISU Extension and Outreach Online Store, www.extension.iastate.edu/store.

Data from the two-year case study indicate that, on average, high temperature bin drying on Iowa farms uses approximately 0.019 gallons of propane per point of moisture removed per bushel of corn. In this study, propane measurements ranged from 0.015 to 0.022 gallons of propane per point per bushel.

“This case study provides benchmark information to help farmers estimate the propane needed for fall drying,” Hanna said. “For one 80-acre field of corn, those savings can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars.”

For example, incoming corn at 23 percent moisture content required approximately 150 gallons of propane per 1,000 bushels of corn to dry down to 15 percent moisture content. However, incoming corn at 18 percent moisture content required only 75 gallons of propane to dry the same amount of corn down to 15 percent.

Led by Hanna, three Iowa State farm trials were instrumental in measuring the propane and electricity used for grain drying during the 2013 and 2014 harvest seasons. The participating ISU Research and Demonstration farms included the Northeast farm near Nashua and the Armstrong Memorial farm near Lewis, as well as the Ag 450 teaching farm near Ames. Additional support for this project was provided by a grant from the Iowa Energy Center.

For more information about farm energy efficiency research and outreach, visit http://farmenergy.exnet.iastate.edu or follow @ISU_Farm_Energy on Twitter.

The Farm Energy publications are part of a series of farm energy efficiency resources developed by ISU Farm Energy. This outreach effort aims to help farmers and utility providers to improve on-farm energy management and to increase profitability in a rapidly changing energy environment.



United Suppliers, Inc. to Merge with Land O’Lakes, Inc. Crop Inputs Business

The owners of United Suppliers, Inc. and members of Land O’Lakes, Inc. have overwhelmingly approved the merger of United Suppliers with Land O’Lakes’ crop inputs business. The merger will build on the recent successes of the two companies and aims to create a single, relevant and competitive system of independent agricultural retailers. 

“This merger will allow us to continue to meet our customers’ needs through each company’s successful go-to-market strategy while providing for the size and scale to compete in an environment of consolidating suppliers and competitors,” said Chris Policinski, President and CEO of Land O'Lakes, Inc. “We are excited to bring our WinField business and United Suppliers together and expect our members, owners and customers will benefit greatly from this merger.”

Under the merger, Ames, Iowa-based United Suppliers, Inc. will join with Arden Hills, Minnesota-based Land O’Lakes, Inc.’s crop inputs business. The first step of the merger will be to combine the two companies’ seed and crop protection businesses under Winfield US, LLC, and a second step will merge the crop nutrient business.

Customers are expected to benefit from expanded product offerings, enhanced precision agriculture services, tools and technologies, improved product insights, consulting services and more.

“Both organizations exist to increase our customers’ capabilities and competitiveness. By coming together, we are true to our shared purpose, and we also preserve our different approaches to best serve a wide variety of customer needs,” said Brad Oelmann, President and CEO of United Suppliers, Inc. “Together, we are positioned to protect and build the future of independent agricultural operations in an environment of consolidation.”

In 2014, WinField had $4.9B in seed and crop protection product sales and United Suppliers had $2.6B in crop protection, seed and crop nutrient sales. Closing is anticipated in October 2015.



 CWT Assists with 176,370 Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted one request for export assistance from a member cooperative who has a contract to sell 176,370 pounds (80 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese to a customer in South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from September through December 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 45.313 million pounds of cheese, 28.063 million pounds of butter and 33.409 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-three countries on five continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.294 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. This, in turn, positively impacts all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



NOAA: July Was Hottest Month Ever on Record

July was the hottest month worldwide since records began being kept in 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirmed last week. The temperature in July, when averaged for all locations around the planet, was 61.86 degrees, topping the previous hottest months of July 1998 and July 2010. July is typically the hottest month of the year.

Much of western and central Europe was extremely hot. Several cities in Austria sweltered to their hottest month ever recorded in the country's 249-year period of records. Spain had its hottest July on record, while France had its third-warmest July. Germany and the United Kingdom both broke all-time July heat records.

Bandar Mahshahr, Iran, set one the most extreme heat records ever measured in the world on July 31. According to media reports, the city's air temperature of 115, combined with a dew point of 90 degrees, created a heat index of 165, NOAA said.

In Africa, July's average temperature was the second highest, behind July 2002, NOAA said.

The United States was one of the few areas that didn't see the extreme heat, along with portions of western Asia. The USA did have a slightly warmer-than-average July, but no states set a record high, according to NOAA.

Worldwide, the combined average temperature over land and ocean surfaces for July 2015 was 1.46 degrees above the 20th-century average of 60.4 degrees, NOAA reported.