Monday September 21 Ag News

Preparing Grain Bins and Equipment for Harvest
Bob Wright, Extension Entomologist
Keith Jarvi, Extension Educator

With harvest approaching, now is the time to prepare grain bins and harvesting equipment to help ensure that grain going into storage will remain in good condition. Don't wait until the middle of harvest to discover that a bin foundation is severely cracked, or find even later that insects from grain that was left in the combine last fall have severely infested a bin of new grain. Proper bin and equipment preparation is a key to preserving stored grain quality.

Harvesting Equipment
Remove all traces of old grain from combines, truck beds, grain carts, augers, and any other equipment used for harvesting, transporting, and handling grain. Even small amounts of moldy or insect-infested grain left in equipment can contaminate a bin of new grain.

Adjust combines according to the manufacturer's specifications to minimize grain damage and to maximize removal of fines and other foreign material.

Bins and Other System Components
Check the bin site, and remove any items or debris that would interfere with safe, unobstructed movement around the bin. Remove any spilled grain and mow the site to reduce the chances of insect or rodent infestation. If necessary, re-grade the site so that water readily drains away from bin foundations.

Inspect bins and foundations for structural problems. Uneven settlement of foundations can cause gaps between the foundation and bottom edge of the bin. This can result in grain spills and provide entry points for water, insects, and rodents. If perforated floors are used, a gap between the foundation and bin will allow air that would normally be forced through the grain to escape from the bin. Small gaps can usually be filled with a high quality caulking compound. If deterioration is extensive, the mastic seal may need to be replaced. Be sure all anchor bolts are tight and not damaged.

Inspect the bin roof and sides, inside and out, for leaks, loose or sheared bolts, rust or other corrosion, etc. Check the roof vents and access hatch, and caulk any cracks at the roofline. Be sure the access ladder is complete and securely fastened to the bin. Repair or replace any deteriorated components.

Wiring for fans and other electrical components should be inspected for corrosion and cracked, frayed, or broken insulation. Exposed wiring should be run through waterproof, dust-tight conduit. Avoid kinking the conduit, and make sure all connections are secure.

Check fans, heaters, transitions, and ducts for corrosion and damage. Remove any accumulated dust and dirt that will reduce the operating efficiency. Be sure that all connections are tight.

Ensure bins are clean. Remove any old grain with brooms and vacuum cleaners. Never put new grain on top of old. Also, clean bins not being used for storage this year to keep insects from migrating to other bins.

Apply Insecticides
If you think there is any chance you might hold grain in the bin into May or later, it would be prudent to apply residual insecticides to the empty bin after thoroughly cleaning it.

If the bin has a raised drying floor and was known to be infested with grain storage insects last season, consider hiring a professional pest control operator to fumigate the empty bin prior to filling with new grain.



Food For Thought Teaches Kids about the Importance of Animal Agriculture to the State

Food For Thought, a 22-minute animated video that teaches students in a fun way about how farmers care for pigs in Nebraska, will be offered to the state’s elementary schools again for the 2015-2016 school year. The program was introduced to the state’s classrooms in 2012.   

This video is offered free for use in fourth-grade classes by the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NePPA) and the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB).

Food For Thought tells the story of a suburban fourth-grader who knows nothing about raising pigs or the economics and business skills that go into running a successful business. The boy comes to appreciate what is involved in a successful farmer after he tours a working farm where he meets a farmer and his fourth-grade daughter.

Also included in the package is a short video filmed on a real Nebraska pig farm to provide students with additional insight in today’s farming operations and a complete lesson plan.

Food for Thought has been recommended by the Nebraska Department of Education because it helps teachers meet an important fourth-grade curriculum objective about the state’s economy.
The NePPA and the NSB are committed to teaching elementary school students about the importance of agriculture to the state’s economy.

“Teachers have responded quite positively about this video since its introduction in 2012,” says Kyla Habrock, the NePPA’s youth leadership director. “They report the program does an excellent job teaching students about understanding farming as a business as well as the central role agriculture plays in the Nebraska’s economy.”

Teri Zimmerman, NSB education and outreach manager, agrees.

“Food For Thought has become an effective and popular way to teach elementary age students about agriculture, Nebraska’s number one industry,” Zimmerman says. “The video’s entertaining animation style holds student interest throughout the program.”

Supplies are limited, so teachers are urged to order their free videos and accompanying worksheets as soon as possible.

The Food For Thought video can be ordered online at nebraskafoodforthought.com.



Annie's Project on Farm Transition Planning to be Offered this Fall

Nebraska Extension is excited to offer Annie's Project on "Managing for Today and Tomorrow: Farm Transition Planning" in O'Neill this October-November.  Annie's Project is designed to empower farm and ranch women to be better business partners and operators.

Creating a transition plan to make sure a farm continues as a productive business can be challenging. This five-week course is designed especially for farm and ranch women who want to learn how to plan a successful farm transition.  During the course they will learn about business, estate, retirement and succession planning from Nebraska Extension educators 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.

Annie's Project will meet every Monday night from Oct. 19 to Nov. 16 from 6:30-9:30 p.m.  The cost is $75 per person.  Participants will receive handouts, an Annie's Project portfolio, and supper at each meeting.  Course size is limited.  Preregistration is due by Oct. 12.

Annie's Project is being funded by a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency and by support from Farm Credit Services of America. 

For more information and to register, contact Amy Timmerman at 402-336-2760, atimmerman2@unl.edu.




Ensure 2014/2015 ARC-PLC Enrollment Is Complete

Before harvest activities begin, the Nebraska Farm Service Agency reminds growers to take a few minutes to ensure their 2014 and 2015 contracts for ARC-PLC enrollment are complete and submitted to FSA by Sept. 30.  Growers may have visited the county office to reallocate bases, update yields, complete program election and report planted acres, but it's critical to make sure steps were taken to also enroll all farms, FSA notes in a news release this week.

Farms that are not enrolled will be ineligible for payments.  If contracts were provided to landowners or other producers for signatures, it's important to make sure they have been returned.  Contact your local FSA office immediately if you need an appointment to enroll, or if you need to verify that your contracts have been filed.



HARRISVACCINES RECEIVES USDA CONDITIONAL LICENSE FOR AVIAN INFLUENZA VACCINE, RNA

Ames, Iowa-based vaccine producer, Harrisvaccines, today announced it has been granted United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conditional licensure of the company’s Avian Influenza Vaccine, RNA. This is the first conditional license for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) granted since the outbreak began in spring 2015.

This is also the first USDA conditional license granted for an avian influenza vaccine utilizing the rapid response, SirraVax SM platform technology. This technology allows for the vaccine to be easily updated to match current and future strains of avian influenza. This is an important first step in implementing a vaccine strategy by the USDA.  Initially, however, producers will have to wait for USDA authorization before acquiring the vaccine. The USDA has called for a solicitation to create a vaccine stockpile for H5 avian influenza for the fall; Harrisvaccines is currently pursuing this opportunity.

“The creation, testing, and regulatory approval of the vaccine was a real joint effort by the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service, the Center for Veterinary Biologics, and Harrisvaccines,” said Dr. Mark Mogler, Head of Research and Development at Harrisvaccines. “The ARS’ Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory provided both the gene needed to prepare the vaccine at Harrisvaccines and the proper facilities for efficacy testing in chickens.”

“The threat posed by avian influenza is extraordinary to both producers and consumers,” said Dr. Hank Harris, Founder and CEO of Harrisvaccines. “Getting a vaccine in the field that matches 100 percent to the H5N2 strain is crucial to ongoing containment efforts. This vaccine is also compatible with diagnostic tests that can differentiate infected from vaccinated birds (DIVA). This makes our vaccine an important tool for eradication efforts and may alleviate any concerns with trading partners abroad.”

“USDA testing of our avian influenza vaccine provided both the efficacy and safety data necessary for approval by the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics,” said Jodi French, Head of Manufacturing and USDA Liaison for Harrisvaccines. “Further efficacy and potency studies in chickens and turkeys are ongoing.”

“When H5 was confirmed in the spring of this year, our team immediately applied our rapid response technology to bring a solution to Iowa and Midwest poultry and egg producers,” says Joel Harris, Vice President of Harrisvaccines.  “Although we cannot sell the vaccine today, we are in a better position to apply this robust and rapidly produced vaccine, if and when the virus reemerges once again.”

Avian influenza is a fast-moving, highly contagious disease that has devastated producers across the nation this year. To date, nearly 50 million chickens and turkeys have been lost to this virus. In Iowa alone, avian influenza has impacted 31 million birds. The impact is staggering, and on May 1, 2015, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad declared a state of emergency in Iowa due to the outbreak. Egg prices since the outbreak have skyrocketed nearly 200 percent and producers struggle to repopulate as reemergence looms.  Reports estimate a more than $2.5 billion decrease in output and an impact on more than 15,000 jobs nationwide.

"I am encouraged to see a new and promising vaccine receive USDA licensure," said Dave Rettig, CEO of Rembrandt Enterprises. "The impact of avian influenza on the layer industry in Iowa has been devastating. We need to continue moving toward long-term solutions which include a vaccine strategy that can be mobilized quickly and tailored to the virus strains impacting our farms."

The USDA generally grants conditional licenses in order to meet an emergency or unmet need. A conditionally licensed product must show a reasonable expectation of efficacy, safety, and potency.  Further efficacy and potency testing is ongoing. Harrisvaccines has received USDA licensure in the past using SirraVaxSM technology for: Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Vaccine, RNA (June 2014), Swine Influenza Vaccine, RNA (September 2012), and Autogenous Vaccine, RNA for Rotavirus C (January 2013).



U.S. propane inventories are at an all-time high
U.S. Energy Information Administration - Weekly Petroleum Status Report

U.S. inventories of propane and propylene reached 97.7 million barrels as of September 11, the highest level in the 22 years that EIA has collected weekly propane inventory statistics. In the first six months of 2015, U.S. propane and propylene inventories were 24.3 million barrels higher on average compared to the same period in 2014. In the past year, nearly all of the increase in inventories occurred in the Gulf Coast region (PADD3).

As production of propane and other hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL) has grown, the ability to transport, store, and export these commodities has expanded. During the first six months of 2015, production of propane at natural gas plants was 31.3 million barrels, or 172,000 barrels per day (b/d), higher than during the first half of 2014. Exports increased by 33.3 million barrels (182,000 b/d) over the same period.

In the United States, propane is mainly used for space heating and as a feedstock for petrochemical plants, as well as for drying agricultural crops. Relatively small amounts of propane are also used for fueling vehicles. Its heating and agricultural uses make propane consumption highly seasonal and weather dependent, rising in the fall and peaking in the winter. In addition to heating and agricultural use, propane is used by petrochemical plants to produce ethylene and propylene, key building blocks for the manufacturing of chemicals and plastics. Petrochemical propane consumption has little seasonality but can vary significantly based on plant operations.

Traditionally, propane and propylene stocks increase from the start of April to the end of September, and they are drawn down from October to March, when agricultural and heating demands increase. In 2015, inventories began increasing in mid-February, more than six weeks earlier than the historical average.

With domestic consumption relatively flat, growing propane production at natural gas processing plants contributed to this year's strong inventory build, while also supplying more propane to the global market via exports. Propane is produced at natural gas processing plants or at petroleum refineries. Expanding shale gas and tight oil development continues to be the main driver of propane production growth, with refinery propane production remaining relatively constant. The natural gas plant share of annual production rose from 62% in 2008 to 76% in 2014.

EIA's September Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) expects propane and propylene inventories to begin the October heating season at record levels, reaching a high of 99.1 million barrels at the end of September. STEO anticipates stronger than average inventory draws beginning in the fourth quarter of 2015, as gas plant production slows and exports continue to expand. Natural gas plant production of propane, which reached a monthly high of 1.13 million b/d in April, is forecast to decline slightly in the first quarter of 2016 before rising to 1.19 million b/d by the fourth quarter. STEO projects that net exports, which reached a monthly high of 518,000 b/d in April, are projected to continue increasing, reaching 702,000 b/d in the fourth quarter of 2016 as export facilities continue to expand and transport costs to export markets decrease with the rising number of tankers and the opening of the widened Panama Canal.



 American Soybean Association Seeks Candidates for SOY Scholarship

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is looking to present a scholarship award to a high school senior interested in pursuing agriculture in college.

The Secure Optimal Yield (SOY) Scholarship is a $5,000 one-time scholarship award presented to a high school senior who plans to pursue agriculture as an area of study at any accredited college or university in the 2016-17 academic year. The scholarship is managed by ASA and is made possible through a grant by BASF Corporation. Interested applicants can apply now through Nov. 23, 2015.

"ASA is happy to once again partner with BASF to offer this opportunity to an exceptional student pursuing a career in ag," said ASA First Vice President Richard Wilkins, Greenwood, Del. "It's imperative that we encourage today's young people interested in agriculture and help them achieve their goals in any way we can."

The scholarship is presented in $2,500 increments per semester. The student must be a child or grandchild of a current ASA member, maintain successful academic progress and be in good standing with the college or university to receive the full amount of the scholarship.

Final selection will be made the first week of December during the ASA Board meeting. The student will be notified prior to an official announcement made during Commodity Classic in New Orleans, La. on March 4, 2016.

"BASF considers the ASA to be our partners in preparing the next generation of agriculture professionals," said Neil Bentley, director of marketing, US Crop, BASF. “This scholarship program is a way to reward students who excel in their studies, and it encourages them to learn more about careers in our industry."

BASF sponsors the winner and one parent to attend Commodity Classic to participate and receive special recognition at their booth on Thursday and the ASA Awards Banquet on Friday.



CWT Assists with 721,000 Pounds of Cheese and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 6 requests for export assistance from member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 456,357 pounds (201 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and 264,555 pounds (120 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East and Central America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from September 2015 through March 2016.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 44.588 million pounds of cheese, 19.376 million pounds of butter and 34.097 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-four countries on five continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.096 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.



Group Asks Okla. Ranchers for $1 Per Head for Promotion

(AP) -- A coalition of beef business interests is proposing Oklahoma cattle ranchers pay $1 per head to help promote beef products to consumers.

Cattle producers already pay $1 per head to a national check-off program that's produced programs such as the "Beef: It's What's For Dinner" campaign. The new proposal would be another $1 per head to be collected at the state level.

The group includes American Farmers and Ranchers, Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, Oklahoma CattleWomen's Association, Oklahoma Dairy Association, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma Livestock Marketing Association.

The proposal needs at least 10 percent of Oklahoma's estimated 51,000 cattle producers to sign a petition calling for a vote. Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association Executive Vice President Michael Kelsey tells The Journal Record that goal is to gather at least 5,500 signatures.



NFU Urges America’s Family Farmers and Ranchers to Be Mindful of Farm Safety

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson today urged America’s family farmers and ranchers to keep farm safety in mind as they continue to produce the safest and most affordable food supply in the world.

“Family farmers and ranchers must remember every morning as they leave their homes that farm safety will only be improved if it’s a top of the mind issue each and every day,” said Johnson. “Farm safety is an approach to both the workplace and life in general.”

National Farm Safety and Health Week began yesterday, September 20, and runs through the 26. In an effort to continue to improve safe farming practices, the Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA) recently announced the availability of safety grants up to $10,000 to encourage ag safety interventions at the local and regional level.

“We are grateful to groups like ASHCA that have put their money where their mouths are and are generously providing funds to make farm safety a top of the mind issue at both the local and regional levels,” said Johnson.

Priority for ASHCA grants will be given to:

-    Programs that engage both management and workers in the planning and implementation of successful injury reduction programs.

-     “Hands-on” training initiatives that will increase workers’ adoption of proven safety practices and will be sustained beyond the grant period.

-     Initiatives that reach under-served or high-risk populations, e.g., non-English speaking workers.

Johnson noted that in an average year, 516 workers die while doing farm work, and each day about 243 agricultural workers suffer lost-time injuries.  “NFU has had a longstanding commitment to farm safety and we will continue to do everything possible to raise public awareness about this issue,” he said.