Tuesday September 8 Ag News

Marketing Manure to Crop Producers
Larry Howard, UNL Extension Educator, Cuming County

There was a time not too long ago that a producer had a difficult time giving manure away. Times have certainly changed. Given the continued trend of high fertilizer prices, manure continues to gain popularity as a fertilizer in cropping systems where it may have been overlooked previously.  I had a call this past week from an area crop producer who had not utilized manure until this past year and he was wanting more information on the value of manure to the crops so he could continue the conversation with his father.  He has access to manure from a livestock operation just a couple miles away so the decision is even easier for them to make.  Here is a crop producer in the heart of the livestock producing area still wanting information and there are more just like this situation who needs to give manure a good look.

Brokering manure between livestock and crop farms has become a fairly substantial component of the services provided by some consulting companies and custom manure haulers in the state. Aside from the desire to offset commercial fertilizer expenses by utilizing the nutrients present in manure, there are many reasons why crop producers should consider adding animal manure to their crop management plan.

“Soil health” is a term you may have heard in conversations quite a bit lately. This term is used to describe the capacity of a soil to function as a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. The Natural Resources Conservation Service places considerable emphasis on the need to improve the health of soils calling this “one of the most important conservation endeavors of our time”. While both manure and inorganic fertilizers can provide nutrients to crops, manure has the added benefit of providing organic matter, microorganisms, micronutrients and minerals that are essential to “soil health”.

Incorporating manure into cropping systems where it has not been used on a regular basis can help improve quantity and diversity of soil invertebrates, increase microbial activity in the soil, and increase soil organic carbon. These soil characteristics play an important role in soil nutrient recycling and availability, organic matter quantity and quality, and many other important factors related to soil quality and function.

Research comparing crop performance under inorganic fertilizer versus organic fertilizer (manure) treatments has shown varied results. In some studies, plant heights and seed yields for corn were greater under poultry and cattle manure treatments than inorganic fertilizer treatments, while other studies concluded that no significant yield differences existed between these types of treatments. Other benefits recognized under manure treatments in published studies included reduced runoff, reduced losses of dissolved nutrients, and improved nutrient recovery.

If you are interested in marketing manure to neighboring crop producers, the conversation about the value of manure should include not only the value of the major nutrients in the manure, but also the added benefit manure provides for improving soil health. The Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Team offers further discussion of the value of manure and a Manure Value Calculator at http://water.unl.edu/manure/manure-value.



Dairy Margin Protection Program Meeting
Sep. 9, 2015 1:00 pm
Cedar County Extension
101 East Centre, Hartington NE 68739-0368
Call 402-254-6821 or email Cedar-County@unl.edu

The 2014 Farm Bill changed dairy farm support programs to one that is insurance based, Margin Protection Program-Dairy (MPP-Dairy). Sign-up deadline for the 2016 MPP-Dairy is September 30. Join Robert Tigner, UNL Extension Educator, as he presents new analysis as well as MPP-Dairy information that may help you in making decisions concerning your 2016 MPP-Dairy registration. Cost is free.



Workshop on Managing the Cow Herd with Today’s Uncertainty

With the high cattle prices and falling feed costs seen over the past two years, many cow-calf producers have had some of their best years ever.  But cattle numbers are rebuilding, and it doesn’t take long for weather, pastures, and markets to go the opposite direction.  Nebraska Extension is presenting a workshop that helps cow-calf producers evaluate their current situation and become more familiar with tools that can help them manage some of the risks they face.

This workshop, “Managing the Cow Herd with Today’s Uncertainty,” will be held at the University of Nebraska Ag Research and Development Center, near Mead, NE on Wednesday, Sept. 23.   Sign-in begins at 4:00 p.m., and the program will start at 4:30 p.m. 

While attendance is free, pre-registration is required to provide a head count for the meal and program materials.  To reserve a spot, you must call the Washington County Extension Office at 402-426-9455 or email stonn2@unl.edu NO LATER THAN Friday, September 18.

Four experts from UNL will provide the program.  Jerry Volesky, UNL Range and Forage Specialist, will discuss rules for managing pastures in the face of variable precipitation and forage production.   Monte Vandeveer, UNL Extension Educator, will talk about rainfall insurance and forage disaster programs.  Kate Brooks, UNL Ag Economist, will discuss cattle cycles, prices, and strategies for moving forward.  Finally, Jim Jansen, UNL Extension Educator, will also provide an update on trends in pasture rents.

This workshop is free to the public, through funding provided by the North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.  A meal will also be served, courtesy of Douglas Sarpy Feeders, Saunders County Cattlemen and Northwest Feed and Grain.   Call the Washington County Extension Office at the number listed above if you have further questions.

This workshop will also be held on Wednesday September 23rd at Farm Credit Services of America, 4865 Old Monastery Drive, Columbus NE.  Registration is at 10am, the program starts at 10:30am, there's a noon lunch sponsored by FCSAmerica, and it will wrap up by 2:30pm.  There is also no fee to attend the Columbus meeting, but please preregister by Sept. 21st by calling the Platte Co Extension Office at 402-563-4901. 



Beef Expo September 12th & 13th, 2015   
Northeast Community College Chuck M. Pohlman Ag Complex

The Norfolk Beef Exposition provides an educational opportunity for our local youth and encourages them to remain active in the agriculture industry.

Any member of a Nebraska 4-H club or FFA chapter, who is at least 8 years of age and not older than 19 years of age on Jan. 1, 2015, is eligible for the 66th Beef Expo. Each showman may exhibit two market cattle, with a $25 entry fee per head. Exhibitors may elect to participate in the sale of their cattle following the show.  Grand and reserve champion steer and heifers are required to sell.  Cattle will be sold to Tyson Fresh Meats on a grade-and-yield basis.  The 4-H Animal Care and Management Disclosure Statement needs to be signed by all exhibitors.  Exhibitors with two entries may sell their second entry to Tyson.

Norfolk Beef Expo’s Scholarship Program
High school juniors and seniors who exhibit at the Beef Expo are eligible for a $500 scholarship. Applicants must be majoring or planning to major in agribusiness or a related field.

2015 Norfolk Beef Expo Schedule
Saturday
4-6:00pm - Weigh In
6:30pm - Fitting Contest

Sunday
9:00am - Show
    -Market Heifers (tall to short)    
    -Market Steers (tall to short)    
    -Showmanship (Jr. – Int. – Senior)
5:00pm - Selection of Champions – Auction to follow

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Norfolk Beef Exposition, please contact Jeny Albin at the Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce at jalbin@norfolkareachamber.com or at 402-371-4862.



Cultivate Your Legacy Sessions at Husker Harvest Days
    How do you pass your farm on to the one child who wants to farm, while treating all of your children fairly?

    If children are already contributing to the success of your business, how should they be compensated?

    How is a trust different from a will and which is best for your situation?

A new grant-funded educational initiative will address these and many other aspects of farm estate planning in a series of meetings, the first of which will be a brief introductory session at Husker Harvest Days.

"Cultivate Your Legacy," will introduce participants to the topic, kick-starting the process of succession/transition planning of a farm or ranch operation. Sessions will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. September 15, 16, 17 in the Husker Harvest Days Hospitality Tent.

This winter the group will host one-day, in-depth workshops across the state to provide more detailed information. After these workshops, participants can schedule private consultations with professionals experienced in the financial and legal aspects of agricultural estate planning.

"We don't do the estate plan, but we do provide information so people can consider the issues and then work with their local attorney to develop their plan," said Dave Goeller, Nebraska Extension farm business succession planning specialist.

Goeller and agricultural law attorney Joe Hawbaker of Omaha will be presenting at the six sessions at Husker Harvest Days. Goeller, himself a farm owner-operator, has years of experience as an educator working closely with farm families. Similarly, Hawbaker has been working with Nebraska farm and ranch families in estate planning for more than 20 years.

"If you ask, most people will say that estate planning is important, but it's not urgent. It's easy to put off until tomorrow unless your doctor says you have six months to live, and that's not the right time for this discussion" Goeller said.

Program sponsors are the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, University of Nebraska Extension, and the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of Legal Aid of Nebraska.

Why
In the next five years, Nebraska farm landlords expect to transfer 4.45 million acres to different owners. According to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service, of these,
        362,462 acres are expected to be sold to non-relatives,
        445,253 acres are expected to be sold to relatives,
        3.03 million acres are expected to be put in a trust, and
        609,402 acres landlords expect to gift away.

More Information
To learn more about the Husker Harvest Day sessions or the one-day workshops visit www.nextgen.nebraska.gov or call the Rural Response Hotline at 1-800-464-0258.

For further information on farm and ranch estate planning contact Goeller at dgoeller2@unl.edu or 402-472-0661.



I Believe in the Future of Ag Campaign Kicks Off

September marks the official start of the seventh annual I Believe in the Future of Ag fundraising campaign. This campaign serves as an outlet for local FFA chapters to raise money for innovative projects in their classrooms, leadership programming, community service projects and field trips to advance agriculture education in their schools.

This year, Aurora Cooperative, Central Valley Ag, CPI, DEKALB/Asgrow and Verdesian committed $20,000 each to the campaign. Other sponsors, contributing $10,000 each, include: Bayer CropScience, CoBank, Country Partners Cooperative, CHS Foundation, GrainBridge, FMC, Farm Credit Services of America, Farmers Cooperative Dorchester, Frontier Coop, Koch Fertilizer, Linsday Corporation, Mycogen Seeds, Nebraska Farm Bureau, Pinnacle Bank, Producers Livestock, Valley Irrigation and WinField Solutions.

Nebraska FFA Foundation will challenge local FFA chapters to raise a total of $300,000. 100 percent of each local donation will be sent back to the designated chapter at the end of the campaign and the Nebraska FFA Foundation, along with its corporate partners, will provide extra incentives to participating FFA chapters. This year, $35,000 in matching funds will be distributed to participating chapters proportionate to the dollars they raise.

“Agriculture is the lifeblood of this state with one in three jobs based in agriculture. We see this campaign as integral part of local FFA chapters and the future of agriculture by providing funds to develop a rich program of activities benefiting students, their local communities and their future,” says Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director.

Agnew says, “I’d like to challenge everyone in Nebraska to donate something to their local Ag Ed program and FFA chapter. Whether it’s $10 or $500, it’ll make a difference.”

Annual Tire Auction to Include “Blackshirts Edition”
Titan Tire Corporation, a subsidiary of Titan International, Inc., will be hosting a tire auction for Nebraska FFA at Husker Harvest Days on Wednesday, September 16, 2015. In its third year, the 2015 auction will also include a John Deere Gator, sponsored by four John Deere dealers in Nebraska.

Last year, the first Nebraska FFA auction hosted by Titan Tire brought in almost $39,000 for the Nebraska FFA Foundation. “With such a strong turn out last year, we are excited to add a John Deere Gator to the auction to take the auction to new heights,” says Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director.

“We take great pride in supporting the FFA and helping to benefit the next generation of growers,” says Scott Sloan, agricultural product manager at Titan Tire Corporation. “We’ve been doing this very successfully for years at Farm Progress and Sunbelt Ag Expo, and it’s great to see that the event has gone well in Nebraska as well.”

To participate in this year’s auction:
 ·    Sign in at the FFA registration desk for a bid number to participate in the auction. Cash, check and credit cards will be accepted.
 ·    Starting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 16, event-goers can place bids on a selection of Titan and Goodyear Farm tires for everything from skid steers and backhoes to implements,  tractors and combines, as well as a John Deere Gator. The highest bids win and all proceeds support Nebraska FFA members.
 ·    The list of tires and details on the Gator can also be found at www.neffafoundation.org. 



DON'T OVERGRAZE WARM-SEASON GRASSES
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist

               "Take half and leave half” was the grazing management recommended for many years on rangeland and for planted warm-season grasses.  And in many cases it still is.  But today, more emphasis is on grazing techniques that use cross-fences to form multiple paddocks.  These techniques are known by many names like management intensive grazing, controlled grazing, even mob grazing.  Used correctly, they permit increased stocking rates and produce excellent animal performance.

               How we graze our pastures, though, does not affect the basic growth processes of our grasses. If we severely graze a pasture short, plants in that pasture need extra time to recover before they are grazed again.  And warm-season grasses are particularly sensitive to recovery periods that are too short.  This is true regardless of whether the plants are in a continuously grazed pasture or the plants are separated into many rotationally grazed paddocks.

               Recovery time is particularly important as we approach winter.  Extra rain on many pastures this summer allowed grass to thrive.  You still may have enough growth to provide grazing for another month or two.  But plants grazed earlier this summer may not have fully recovered yet despite the rain.  Severe grazing now, before full recovery from earlier grazing, will weaken plants as they go into winter.  Plants probably will survive, but next spring they will green-up later, early growth will be slow, and they'll compete poorly with weeds.

               As we approach winter, “take half and leave half” still may be a good management technique.  It helps assure that your pastures will be healthy and grow vigorously again next year.



Low Prices, High Costs and Large Crop Contribute to Ag Producer Pessimism

Crop and livestock producers’ concerns over their present economic situation continue to worsen as unstable commodity prices and uncertain farm incomes linger, according to the latest DTN/The Progressive Farmer Agriculture Confidence Index (ACI).

Producers’ perceptions over their current situations have dropped steadily, if not dramatically, from 118.0 last August to 109.1 in March to 101.5 now, remaining just in the optimistic range but at the lowest level since the ACI started in 2010. The value of 100 is considered neutral. Values above 100 indicate optimism, whereas values below signify pessimism.

The confidence index, which surveyed 500 crop and livestock producers Aug. 5-17, measures the sentiments of crop and livestock producers on their overall agriculture sector impressions. DTN/The Progressive Farmer conducts the ACI three times a year – before planting, prior to harvest and after harvest. Producers also rate current and long-term input prices and net farm income to gauge their attitudes toward the present situation and future expectations.

Since last year’s record harvest producers have encountered falling commodity prices. This combination continues to weigh on producers overall confidence about the agriculture industry. Last August, producers’ confidence for the ag industry crossed into the pessimistic range for the first time at 99.8, followed by an all-time confidence index low of 98.8 in March. Producer confidence rose slightly to 99.4 in August.

“Producers’ sentiments on their current situation have eroded the past year,” said DTN Markets Editor Katie Micik, director of the confidence index. “Commodity prices have not rebounded while costs continue to rise, causing farm incomes to drop. Yet, producers think things can’t get any worse.”

Recent ACI results back up Micik’s thinking. Last August, the rating for producers’ expectations for the future stood at 87.8. A year later, producers rated their future expectations at 98.0, still in the pessimistic range but the highest rating in three years.

Seventy percent of the producers in the survey believe farm income will stay the same or improve the next 12 months. According to Micik, this number is up from 58 percent in March and from 60 percent last August. However, 36 percent rated their current net farm income bad, while 44 percent consider it normal. USDA recently estimated 2015 net farm income at $58 billion, down 36 percent from last year.

As for input prices, nearly 49 percent of the producers surveyed consider current prices as bad, with 80 percent expecting those costs to remain the same or get worse over the next year.

While producers overall are pessimistic, crop and livestock producers have different perspectives. Crop producers’ confidence levels stand at 97.9 compared with 102.5 for livestock producers. Given low commodity prices, crop producers are disappointed with their current economic situation (92.3) but believe the issue will improve in a year (102.5). Conversely, livestock producers are considerably optimistic (122.2) about their current economics, but expect the next year will get worse (89.3).

Regional differences also stood out in the recent ACI survey. Midwestern farmers are the most pessimistic about their current situation and future expectations. Micik said this is understandable given low commodity prices for a region with such heavy row crop production. Plus, poultry and egg producers in the Midwest have had to deal with the avian flu outbreak. Producer sentiments in the Southwest are mixed. They remain pessimistic overall and for the future but optimistic about their current situation, which has been bolstered by improving water conditions, strong cow/calf operations and better returns on alternate crops like sorghum. Producers in the Southeast are optimistic overall and positive about their current situation, but they are pessimistic about their future expectations.

Agribusiness Confidence Index
According to the DTN/The Progressive Farmer Agribusiness Confidence Index, which measured the sentiments of 100 agribusinesses Aug. 3-12, agribusiness confidence has dropped significantly during the past year. Last August, agribusiness confidence stood at 106.1. It then fell to 105.5 last December and followed by 104.7 in March 2015 before bottoming out at an all-time low of 92.0 in August.

“Agribusinesses are substantially more negative than a year ago, both for their current situation and for their future expectations,” said Micik. “Their present situation rating of 108, while still in the optimistic range, fell by 6.1 points since March to the lowest level since the survey began in April 2010. Over the next 12 months, agribusinesses surveyed expect circumstances likely won’t get any better.”

Agribusiness expectations for the upcoming year came in at 80.9, nearly equaling the all-time ACI record low of 80.5 set during the 2012 drought year. This marks a 17-point drop since March. Agribusinesses cited ongoing market volatility and reduced input purchases by producers as contributing factors. In fact, almost one-fourth of the agribusinesses surveyed expect their sales to be worse in the year ahead, which is up significantly from 10 percent in March.

“Only 15 percent of agribusinesses think they will be more profitable a year from now, while 62 percent think profitability will remain the same. The remaining 23 percent say profits will be worse next year,” said Micik. “As producers find ways to cut their per acre costs, agribusinesses will continue to feel the impact of those operational decisions on their bottom line.”



 CWT Assists with 439,000 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 47,069 pounds (21 metric tons) of Cheddar cheese, and 393,423 pounds (250 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, the Middle East and South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from September through November 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 45.359 million pounds of cheese, 28.063 million pounds of butter and 34.498 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 1.302 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.

CWT members capture export sales of 3.7 million pounds of products in August
Cooperatives Working Together member cooperatives, operating in a very competitive world market, won 12 contracts to sell 3.673 million pounds of dairy products to customers in five countries. The 2.2 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 661,387 pounds of butter, and 828,938 pounds of whole milk powder will be shipped from August 2015 through January 2016.

These contracts bring the year-to-date totals through August to 45.3 million pounds of cheese, 28.063 million pounds of butter, and 34.106 million pounds of whole milk powder. In total, CWT-assisted transactions will move the equivalent of 1.299 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis to customers in 33 countries on five continents. These totals are adjusted for contract cancellations.

Developed by NMPF, CWT is a voluntary export assistance program supported by dairy farmers producing 70 percent of the nation’s milk. By helping to move U.S. dairy products into world markets, CWT helps keep maintain and grow U.S dairy farmers share of these expanding markets which, in turn, keeps dairy farmer milk prices at reasonable levels.