Wednesday September 16 Ag News

CVA, FC & SD Wheat Growers form Consolidated Ag Solutions, Inc.

Central Valley Ag (CVA) at York, NE and Farmers Cooperative (FC) at Ames, IA and South Dakota Wheat Growers (WG) at Aberdeen, SD have developed an innovative Cooperative to bring new opportunities to the three cooperatives and their member-owners; Consolidated Ag Solutions Cooperative, Inc. (CAS). CAS will be a Cooperative where collaboration comes together from each cooperative. This collaboration of ideas, experiences, discovery, and sharing of best practices will harness the efficiencies of these cooperatives. CVA, FC, and WG are forward-ˇthinking Cooperatives and believe combining resources will help all parties be more prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges in agriculture. These three Cooperatives have the vision to adapt and expand abilities to compete in a global market, for the benefit of their membership.

This formation is not a merger of the three organizations. The forming of Consolidated Ag Solutions expands the concept started by farmers to join together to pool resources for the benefit of the members.

Adding value to member-owners is extremely important to Carl Dickinson, CEO of Central Valley Ag. “As a Cooperative, we continually focus on creating and adding value for our owners. The added value of Consolidated Ag Solutions will help position CVA for our owners long into the future.”

“FC believes that efficient process improvement will lead the cooperative structure into the future for our members and our employees,” says Jim Chism, CEO of Farmers Cooperative Company.

Wheat Growers CEO, Dale Locken, is excited about the opportunities CAS will bring. “Wheat Growers has a rich history of looking ahead to ensure that we are able to strategically meet the needs of our ever-changing members. We believe that by collaborating with FC and CVA we will have innovative solutions to common opportunities, providing greater benefits to our members.”

Central Valley Ag Cooperative (CVA) (www.cvacoop.com) is a member-owned farmer’s cooperative located in Nebraska, Kansas, and Iowa. The Cooperative provides agronomy, energy, feed and grain products and services to over 15,000 producers in the area. More than 850 full-ˇtime CVA employees strive to be the first choice for any of its producers’ needs.

Farmers Cooperative Company (FC) is headquartered in Ames, Iowa and is one of the largest farmer-owned agriculture cooperatives in Iowa. FC serves over 5,300 members in a trade territory of over 3,000,000 acres. Members are served from 46 locations by 400 full-ˇtime employees. The FC mission is to improve the economic well-ˇbeing of their members and customers by being a dependable, consistent and profitable provider of markets, products and services. For more information, please visit the website at www.fccoop.com.

South Dakota Wheat Growers (WG) (www.wheatgrowers.com) is a grain and agronomy cooperative in the heart of the James River Valley of South and North Dakota. Owned by the customers it serves, Wheat Growers exists to provide value for customer-owners from Interstate 90 to Interstate 94 and the Missouri River to Interstate 29. Today, over 5,000 active producer members are using WG products and services, with an additional 12,000 equity holders, their choice is enhanced by strong patronage returns and timely equity retirement payments.



Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts Announce 2015 Hall of Fame Inductees

The 2015 Natural Resources Districts Hall of Fame inductees have been announced in front of a large Husker Harvest Day crowd filled with show-goers, supporters of water and soil conservation, farmers, ranchers and the media.

The announcement was made Wednesday, September 16th outside the Natural Resources Building on the southeast side of the show grounds.

Individuals who have made significant contributions through Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts resulting in improvements to the state’s natural resources are selected for this coveted honor once a year.

The candidates are elected into the Hall of Fame by vote of current NRD Managers and NARD Board members. There are three Hall of Fame categories. They include: Natural Resources District Board Member, Natural Resources District Employee and Natural Resources District Supporter. The NRD Supporter includes individuals outside the NRD system who have shown tremendous care and leadership in Nebraska’s on-going conservation effort.

The Hall of Fame inductees are:
Jim and Mary Ann Wortmann – Hall of Fame Natural Resources District Board Members
John Turnbull – Hall of Fame Natural Resources District Employee
Jim Cook – Hall of Fame Natural Resources District Supporter

“Mary Ann and I did what we did because we always felt we needed to leave the land and water in better shape than we received it”,” said Jim Wortmann, former Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Board member.

“This was our passion for more than 40 years and getting an award for it is so humbling,” said Mary Ann Wortmann, former Nebraska Association of Resources Districts Board member.

Hall of Fame inductees Jim Wortmann and Mary Ann Wortmann were nominated by the Lewis and Clark Natural Resources District. Jim served on the NRD board for 28 years, from 1974 to 2002, and was chairman for many of those years. Jim followed in his father’s footsteps, Henry Wortmann, who was an original board member appointed in 1972.  He also served as NARD delegate for 24 years, representing the Lewis & Clark NRD until 2002. After Jim retired, Mary Ann was elected to replace Jim on the NRD board and served in that position for 12 years, from 2002 to 2014.  She also took over responsibilities as NARD delegate for those years and was chosen as the first female president of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, serving two terms in that capacity. They have been active conservationists, supporters of education, and solid voices with our legislators at the state and national level.

Hall of Fame inductee John Turnbull was nominated by the Upper Republican Natural Resources District. John faithfully served our nation in the U.S. Army from 1966-69 which included flying helicopters in South Vietnam. He served 17 more years with the Nebraska Army National Guard. John joined Nebraska’s Natural Resources District (NRD) system by becoming the General Manager of the Tri-Basin NRD in 1975. In 1978, Mr. Turnbull assumed the General Manager position at the Upper Big Blue NRD and is currently in his 40th year of service at Nebraska’s NRDs. In 1961, there were approximately 300,000 acres of irrigated land throughout the District. Today, the District totals 1.2 million irrigated acres. Through the implementation of groundwater rules and regulations to manage the resource, the NRDs are proud to report there has been little change in the groundwater levels District-wide even after the growth of an additional 800,000 irrigated acres during Mr. Turnbull’s successful tenure.

“I have just been doing what I have thought was right for conservation for the past 40 years,” said John Turnbull, General Manager of the Upper Big Blue NRD. “If I had success, it is due to my wife Gloria’s support, my staff that really does the work, and the Board of Directors of two NRDs for their guidance and leadership.”

Hall of Fame inductee Jim Cook was nominated by Nemaha Natural Resources District. Jim was a key attorney at the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission from 1970 – 2000, involved with helping to establish the Natural Resources Districts’ system across Nebraska in 1972. As NRDs grew and programs such as the Groundwater Act, Chemigation Act, and Erosion and Sediment Control Act came along, Jim would develop templates that NRDs could use and he would review rules and regulations. His assistance saved NRDs thousands of dollars in legal assistance over the years. Small NRDs in particular greatly benefited from Jim’s help. Jim also served as the Chief legal counsel for the new Department of Natural Resources until 2003. He also invested much of his time on major issues such as the Republican River Compact and Platte River Recovery Program as he protected Nebraska’s interests and natural resources for more than 40 years.

“I am so proud of what the NRDs are doing to conserve Nebraska's natural resources and extremely honored by their belief that I made a positive contribution toward their success,” said Jim Cook, former legal counsel for the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission.

All three Hall of Fame inductees will be presented their awards at the Nebraska Natural Resources Districts Annual Conference banquet on Monday, September 28th, 2015 at 6 PM.



Regional leaders featured at Rapid City workshop on antimicrobial drug use in food animals

Regional leaders in livestock production, the veterinary community and the feed supply industry will be among the speakers at an Oct. 13, workshop in Rapid City, SD, on the stewardship of antimicrobial drug use in livestock.

Organized by Farm Foundation, NFP, this workshop is an opportunity for participants to gain a comprehensive understanding of two Guidance for Industry (GFIs) issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the use of medically-important antimicrobial drugs in food-producing animals, as well as the FDA's revised Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD). These actions mean some medically-important antimicrobial drugs will see label changes allowing only therapeutic uses, and use of the drugs will require a veterinarian's prescription for the drug, direct administration by a veterinarian, or a veterinary consultation on disease management protocols.

The Oct. 13 workshop is targeted to all pork, cattle, poultry and sheep producers, as well as veterinarians and feed suppliers in South Dakota, North Dakota, northeast Wyoming, northwest Nebraska, eastern Montana, and western Minnesota. The workshop will be 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. MDT at the Journey Museum, 222 New York Street, Rapid City, SD.

Officials of FDA and USDA will be at the Rapid City workshop to review the policies and answer questions. A regional livestock producer, veterinarian and feed supplier will also make comments. On the Rapid City program will be:
    William Flynn, DVM, of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine,
    Larry Granger, DVM, of the Antimicrobial Resistance Program at USDA's APHIS, and
    Christopher Chase, DVM.

Kevin Ochsner of Adayana Agribusiness Group, will moderate the workshop. Breakout sessions will allow producers, veterinarians and feed suppliers to discuss the management challenges ahead. The workshop is also an opportunity for state and federal agencies, colleges of veterinary medicine and university extension personnel, to gain insights into the changes needed to meet the requirements.

There is no charge to participate. Advance registration, which is requested but not required, can be completed online or by going to the Farm Foundation website. This is one of 12 workshops Farm Foundation is hosting on the topic across the country.



FSA Acreage Debacle
Katie Micik, DTN Markets Editor

Numbers junkies were thrown for a loop this morning when USDA erroneously published the last year's Farm Services Agency acreage data instead of this year's data.

Historically, FSA's prevent plant acreage estimates grow from month to month as they receive updated information from farmers. The market, and Twitter, reacted when the numbers unexpectedly showed a decline in corn prevent planted acres.

But when the dust settled and FSA released the correct data set shortly after 9 a.m. CT, the numbers conformed to historical trends. Prevent plant corn acres inched up slightly to 2.35 million from 2.30 last month. Soybean prevented planting acres grew to 2.22 ma from last month's 2.17 ma.

The confusion, and irritation, over this morning's debacle is just a new chapter in the conversation about how this particular release fits into the bigger picture of acreage estimates. It's important to remember that FSA used to only release this information when the data was final at the end of the year. The agency switched to a monthly release in 2011.

USDA's National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) incorporates FSA's acreage data into its corn and soybean estimates in the October Crop Production because that's when it feels FSA's numbers have reached a level of statistical reliability.



Training Champions: NCGA Launches Sixth Advanced Leadership Program Class
                                                                                                
As farmers begin harvesting across the country, a select group of growers are ramping up their efforts to become the most effective leaders possible through a National Corn Growers Association training program. NCGA's Advanced Leadership Training Program, sponsored by Syngenta, launched its sixth class this week in Greensboro, N.C. The session helps qualified and motivated candidates fine-tune their leadership skills and prepare them to lead the industry forward.

"The Advanced Leadership program offers our experienced leaders an opportunity to further enhance their skills for national leadership," said NCGA President Chip Bowling, a grower from Newburg, Md.  "I had the chance to participate in the program five years ago and can personally confirm the program helps leaders truly elevate their skillset, preparing them to lead our organization into 2016 and beyond."

During the course, the class of four grower leaders will look at issue management strategies, explore trends in corn production inputs and refine their advocacy communications skillset.  The group began their program with a discussion of leadership challenges and successes and reviewed the concept of transformational leadership with Dr. Robert H. Moorman, a professor of business leadership at Elon University.

"Advanced Leadership continues Syngenta's commitment to fostering effective leaders for corn and across agriculture," said Todd Barlow, the company's director of state affairs. "This program takes graduates of Leadership Academy who are presently in leadership roles to the next level, helping them become transformational leaders. They can take these enhanced skills back to improve their state and national associations and fellow leaders."

Attending Advanced Leadership training this year are Christopher Edgington (Iowa); Tom Haag (Minn.); Gail Lierer (Ohio); and Rachel Vonderhaar (Ohio).

Since 1986, NCGA, the state corn associations and, more importantly, the U.S. corn industry, have benefited tremendously from the original Leadership at Its Best program.  The Advanced Leadership program, begun in 2009, similarly provides invaluable media, communications, association management and public policy knowledge and skills to its participants. For the 2015-16 Advanced Leadership class, states nominated up to two applicants, one as a primary candidate and one as an alternate. Nominees must be a member of NCGA, a graduate of Leadership at Its Best, and about to assume, or already in, a senior national or state leadership post.

In January, attendees will meet again for their second session, which covers lobbying and coalition building, advanced media training, public policy briefings and agency visits.



EIA: Ethanol Stocks, Demand Down

The U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday, Sept. 16, reported a drawdown in domestic ethanol inventory to a near 8-1/2 month low for the week-ended Sept. 11, despite an increase in domestic production while blending demand slid to a 3-1/2 month low.

EIA reported a 351,000-barrel (bbl), or 1.9%, drawdown in U.S. ethanol inventory to 18.291 million bbl last week, with a year-on-year surplus flipping to a deficit. The data showed domestic inventory last week was 2.7% below the comparable year-ago period, reversing from a 3.4% surplus a week prior.

EIA showed domestic ethanol production rose 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 961,000 bpd while up 3.2% year on year.

Blender inputs, a gauge for ethanol demand, fell last week, down 18,000 bpd, or 2.0%, to 878,000 bpd while up 3.8% versus a year earlier.

Data shows implied demand for gasoline continued lower and slipped below 9.0 million bpd for the first time since late May to 8.983 million bpd, although the decline at 34,000 bpd was much smaller than the prior week.



Top Executives Criticize RFS Impact on Advanced and Cellulosic Biofuels

Today, top executives from the advanced and cellulosic biofuels industry released a letter to President Obama on his Administration’s Renewable Fuel Standard proposal, showing how it represents a broken promise that undercuts investment in advanced biofuels, sends innovation and jobs overseas and flies in the face of the President’s statements in support of clean energy and climate change policy. The names of the signers are listed at the bottom of this release. You can listen to a recording of the call here.

The call follows remarks by USDA Secretary Vilsack and EPA Administrator McCarthy yesterday about the climate impact of biofuels and the RFS – with Administrator McCarthy asserting that the RFS is a crucial part of America’s efforts to combat climate change.

The proposal has been devastating for the development of advanced and cellulosic biofuels. Already, $13.7 billion in investments have been frozen, threatening to send American innovation and investment overseas to countries like China and Brazil.

As President Obama heads into the climate talks in Paris at the end of this year, he will have to answer for how the U.S. can be a world leader on combatting climate change when he has gutted the only law directly aimed at addressing climate and clean energy back at home.

On a conference call Wednesday, Adam Monroe, North America President of Novozymes said, “The Obama Administration’s proposal eviscerates the RFS by allowing EPA to slash renewable fuel volumes when the oil industry refuses to distribute renewable fuel. Oil companies are not going to compete with renewable fuel if they can avoid the requirement altogether by simply blocking distribution and market access.”

Dan Cummings, President, POET-DSM stated, “The new proposal has caused POET to freeze its plans to replicate Project Liberty across a majority of its 27 plant locations because of market uncertainty. As the President heads to Paris in December, the final rule on the RFS – decided just days before – will determine what President Obama has done about our nation’s most effective and only climate law on the books, and whether he is addressing our transportation sector—which is responsible for roughly half our GHG emissions.”

Vincent Chornet, President, CEO and Co-Founder of Enerkem emphasized how the Obama Administration’s decision impacts international interest in U.S. projects, stating, “This proposal forces investment out of America. Advanced biofuels are on the brink of significant growth – but the Administration’s proposal strands investment and threatens a decade of innovation and progress.”

Christopher Standlee, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs, Abengoa Bioenergy stated, “President Obama is asking for our support on his Clean Power Plan, but what is he doing to support the RFS, our country’s only law on the books directly aimed at climate and clean energy? In Las Vegas, the President recently asked investors to trust him and put their money in wind and solar. He made that same promise to investors in advanced biofuels years ago. But investors aren’t going to invest in innovation of any kind if they are worried about a political bait and switch, particularly if it can happen with a global climate champion.”

Full List of Signers:
Christopher Standlee, Executive Vice President, Global Affairs, Abengoa Bioenergy
Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO, Aemetis
Dan Meagher, CEO, Agrivida
Paolo Carollo, Executive Vice President, Beta Renewables
Dr. Andre Koltermann, SVP, Head of Group Biotechnology, Clariant
Hugh Welsh, President, General Counsel, DSM North America
Jan Koninckx, Global Business Director for Biorefineries, DuPont Industrial Biosciences
Vincent Chornet, President and CEO, Enerkem
Craig Stuart-Paul, CEO, Fiberight
Jim Macias, President and CEO, Fulcrum Bioenergy
Thomas Corle, Founding Partner, Leifmark LLC, Inbicon North America Partnership
Bernardo Gradin, Founder and CEO, GranBio
Kevin Wenger, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Mascoma
Anna Rath, CEO, Nexsteppe
Adam Monroe, President, Americas, Novozymes
Jeff Lautt, CEO, POET
Dan Cummings, President, POET-DSM
Delayne Johnson, CEO, Quad County Corn Processors
Mike Hamilton, CEO, Renmatix
Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme
Arunas Chesonis, Chairman and CEO, Sweetwater Energy
Jack Bernens, Head of Enogen, Syngenta
Tim Eggeman, Ph.D., P.E., President and CEO, ZeaChem



Organic Group Reaching Out to State Ag Directors
Organic Trade Association Executive Director and CEO Laura Batcha told the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture that state agriculture directors are critical in the creation of much-needed policies that provide more choice and opportunity-including the organic option-in today's U.S. agricultural system.

"This is a great time for farms of all sizes to look at how organic might fit into their operation," Batcha said. "The State Departments of Agriculture play a key role in developing and delivering sound public policy that supports diversity in agriculture, including the organic choice for farmers and ranchers of all sizes and backgrounds."

Batcha noted that organic farm-gate prices are in some cases two to three times higher than that for their conventional counterparts, and that combined with forecasted long-term growth for organic demand and the opportunity for stable contract and supply chain relationships, the organic option has never looked better.

"The greatest challenge facing the $39.1 billion organic industry is how to meet the burgeoning demand for organic food with adequate supply of crops, ingredients, and feed. Imports of organic products outpaced exports, amounting to nearly $1.3 billion in 2014. This amounts to a 'Help Wanted' message for American farmers. Please support them when they answer this call," Batcha told the agricultural officials.

Batcha spoke at an OTA-hosted organic lunch for the officials, who have been meeting in Hawaii to discuss key national agricultural policy issues and to network with agricultural stakeholders.

The theme of the annual conference, hosted by NASDA President and Hawaii Chairman of Agriculture Scott Enright, was "Agriculture's Traditions, Agriculture's Future."