Tuesday October 13 Ag News

Nebraska Corn Board Welcomes Roger Berry on Staff 

The Nebraska Corn Board is pleased to announce that Roger Berry has joined its staff as the Director of Market Development on October 5.

In this role, Berry will work on behalf of Nebraska corn farmers and industry to coordinate all facets of market development projects to increase demand for Nebraska corn and value-added products. He will work to establish relationships with state, national and international organizations and cooperators to expand market development opportunities both domestically and internationally. Berry will also coordinate educational and promotional activities of corn and value-added corn products such as biofuels, distillers’ grains and the Nebraska Corn Board’s support of red meat, dairy, poultry and livestock expansion. Along with these responsibilities, he will monitor issues between farm gate and retails, such as transportation and consumer attitudes.

“Roger is a great addition to our staff and we are pleased to welcome him to Nebraska Corn,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “He has an extensive background and thorough understanding of the agricultural industry, making him well qualified to lead our market development efforts. With market development as a key pillar of the Nebraska corn checkoff, I look forward to Roger leading and expanding our efforts.”

A native of Red Cloud, Nebraska, Berry is a graduate of Southeast Community College and of Nebraska LEAD (Leadership Education/Action Development) Program, LEAD 19. Before beginning his career in agricultural leadership, Berry was engaged in full-time farming and livestock production for 12 years near Farnam, Nebraska. When he transitioned into agricultural leadership, he served as the central district director of member services for the Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation before becoming the field director for the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN). He then became the vice president of membership at Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation.

“Working in agriculture has always been my passion, and it’s truly an honor to join the Nebraska Corn Board staff and work on behalf of the industry,” said Berry. “I look forward to working with Nebraska’s corn farmers and industry partners around the world to expand new and existing markets and increase demand for Nebraska corn and value-added products.”



Tekamah-Herman team earns top honors at Northeast Area FFA Land Judging Contest

Teams from 22 area high schools competed on Tuesday, October 6th near West Point in the Northeast Area FFA Land Judging Contest.  358 students competed in the contest, which tests students on their knowledge of soil types, topography, proper land use practices, and related topics.

Teams from Tekamah-Herman, Wisner-Pilger, West Point, Norfolk, and Pender came out on top at the contest and will compete in the State Land Judging Contest to be held October 21st in Scottsbluff.

Tekamah-Herman was the 1st place team overall, scoring 902 out of a possible 1,200 points.  Team members included Samantha Surber, Katheryn Gregerson, Bryan Petersen, and Bailey Fleischman.  Fleischman took 3rd place in the individual competition.

The second place team was from Wisner-Pilger.  Team members Chase Albers, Keegan Ruskamp, Lauren Jacobson, and Alexis Heller scored a combined total of 887 points.  In individual competition, Keegan Ruskamp took 1st place.

West Point scored 874 to capture 3rd place, with team members Colin Wooldrik, Braden Dvorak, Noah Kriekemeier, and Eric Klitz.  

The 4th place Norfolk team of Hailey Walmsley, Jacey Wolff, Tyler Cuffe, and Travis Millikan scored 834 points.  Millikan placed 2nd in individual competition.

Rounding out the top five state qualifying teams was Pender with 820 points.  Team members James Bensen, Leland Bowder, Lindsey Gralheer, and Braden Peters.

The contest was sponsored by the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and West Point High School.  The contest was held south of West Point on land owned by Matt Meier.  High Schools attending the contest were:  Allen, Emerson-Hubbard, Howells-Dodge, Humphrey, Lakeview, Leigh, Logan View, Lyons-Decatur, Newman Grove, Norfolk, North Bend, Oakland-Craig, Osmond, Pender, Pierce, Randolph, Schuyler, Scribner-Snyder, Stanton, Tekamah-Herman, West Point, and Wisner-Pilger.



Farm to School Webinars offered this fall focus on bringing Nebraska-grown foods to Schools

The Center for Rural Affairs is celebrating Farm to School Month by hosting three webinars filled with useful information for school staff and farmers and ranchers interested in starting or expanding Farm to School programs in their communities.

The hour long webinars taking place during October and November will cover a wide range of topics such as how food service staff have participated in local food procurement, key points farmers and ranchers should consider when working with schools as a market opportunity, and how Nebraska farmers, ranchers and food producers have made the school connection.

“These webinars are a free resource we are facilitating to bring together educators, food service directors, farmers, ranchers, parents, students, and others interested in Farm to School programs across Nebraska,” said Sarah Smith with the Center for Rural Affairs. “They will allow Nebraskans from across the Farm to School table to hear success stories, learn best practices, and most importantly connect with each other. This effort will grow market opportunities for Nebraska food producers, and healthy, delicious food options for our Nebraska students. Bringing the farm to school is a win-win for all of us.”

The first webinar, “Farm to School Case Studies for Nebraska Food Service Staff” will take place Thursday, October 22, 2015 from 2-3pm and targets Nebraska Food Service Staff.  Rural food service directors will share how and why they have participated in local procurement and farm to school activities. Their stories will address a range of topics like scratch cooking techniques, working with local farmers and ranchers, using produce from a school greenhouse (and planning for it),  incorporating local foods into salad bars; and bringing local beef onto the school lunch tray.

The second webinar, “Farmers and Ranchers: Reach a New Market with Sales to Schools” will be held on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 from 2-3pm. This webinar, designed for Nebraska farmers, ranchers and food producers, will discuss key points for farmers and ranchers to consider when working with schools as a market opportunity. Participants will walk in a food service director’s shoes with Donna Handley, School Lunch Program Specialist with the Nebraska Department of Ed. She will answer what requirements and needs school food service staff face when serving school meals. Sarah Browning of University of Nebraska Extension will discuss the farm food safety procedures farmers and ranchers should consider, as well as helpful training resources that are available to address farm food safety topics. Finally, experienced farmer Ryan Pekarek, will discuss how and when to approach schools, and how to go about planning the growing season. This webinar will introduce food producers to the opportunities available when selling to schools, as well as considerations to take when planning for success.

The third and final webinar, “Farm to School: Farmers, Learn an Easier Way to Make the School Connection” takes place Wednesday, November 11, 2015, 2-3 pm. Participants will hear three unique stories on farm to school and how Nebraska farmers have made the school connection. Justin Jones, President of Lone Tree Foods, will share how Lone Tree connects food producers to eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa schools. Food Service Director Tini Van-Oehlertz of Pius X schools in Lincoln will explain her experiences purchasing local foods through the Nebraska Food Cooperative. And Dawne Price of Price Farms will describe how and why she directly connected with Lyons-Decatur Schools and the on-farm activities she organized for Lyons-Decatur elementary students. There are multiple ways to connect with schools, and this webinar will provide insight on Nebraska farm to school opportunities for the food producer.

For detailed registration details, interested participants should visit: http://www.cfra.org/farm-school-your-fingertips-join-our-fall-webinars.

The Center for Rural Affairs has many resources for helping bring the farm to the school. One such tool is the Farm to School Producers Map (found here: http://www.cfra.org/findfarmer), inspired by our online Nebraska Find-A-Farmer Tool designed to link a school or program with a farmer to work with directly.

Other Farm to School resources can be found at the main Farm to School page here: http://www.cfra.org/f2s. 



 'SOIL WILL SAVE US' AUTHOR KRISTIN OHLSON TO SPEAK OCT. 23

Journalist Kristin Ohlson is the speaker for the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum's Young Lecture Oct. 23 in Lincoln.

    Ohlson is the author of "The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers and Foodies are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet," which looks at the work of pioneering scientists and agriculturalists to develop land-management practices that respect nature and heal landscapes. The book won a 2015 Books for a Better Life award in the "Green category" and was a finalist for a 2015 Oregon Book Award. The Los Angeles Times said Ohlson "directs our gaze earthward, to take a long, hard look at the dirt beneath our feet. We may have overlooked a solution there … This is a hopeful book and a necessary one."

    Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Salon, Smithsonian, Discover, New Scientist, Gourmet, Oprah and many other print and online publications. She is the author of the memoir "Stalking the Divine," which won the American Society of Journalists and Authors Best Nonfiction Book Award in 2004, and co-author of the 2007 New York Times bestselling "Kabul Beauty School."

    Ohlson is the featured speaker of the 2015 Joseph and Dorothy Young Memorial Lectures in Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege St. The ticketed lecture is at 7:30 p.m. A reception with hors d'oeuvres and desserts precedes the talk at 6:30 p.m. The cost for the lecture is $15 for NSA members and $20 for non-members. The lecture plus reception is $20 for NSA members and $30 for non-members. Space is limited. Sign up at http://plantnebraska.org or call 402-472-2971.

    The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum hosts the Young Memorial Lectures in Horticulture to honor the late Joseph Young, who worked at the university from 1958 to 1980 as chair of the Department of Horticulture and founder and first director of the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. A visionary advocate for landscape beautification, he helped establish Maxwell Arboretum, the UNL Botanical Garden and Arboretum and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. Learn more at http://plantnebraska.org.



Roberts: Producers Need Predictability with ARC/PLC

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, wrote to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack regarding the lack of certainty and communication to farmers about commodity programs.

At issue is the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) implementation of the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) program and the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program. According to law, payments to eligible producers participating in these programs were to start on October 1 or as soon as practicable. The FSA has yet to announce or process payments to producers.

"Farmers have done their part and have signed a contract to participate in the programs. In order to effectively manage their operations, they need some degree of predictability from USDA," Chairman Roberts said. "I have asked Secretary Vilsack when 2014 crop year payments will be processed because producers deserve to know."

More than 1.76 million producers have elected to participate in ARC and PLC.



Fertilizer Prices Slip Again

Retail fertilizer prices are shifting modestly lower for the 2016 crop, according to dealers tracked by DTN for the first week of October 2015. But liability issues and proposed government safety regulations threaten the retail fertilizer business and prices, long-term.

As was the case in last week's price survey, only one fertilizer declined by an amount of any consequence. Potash prices slipped 5% compared to last month with an average price of $446/ton. This is now the lowest average potash price in the history of the DTN retail fertilizer price reporting, which began in November 2008.

Prices for the remaining seven major fertilizers edged lower compared to a month prior, but none were down an amount of any importance in the near term.

DAP averaged $548/ton, MAP $564/ton, urea $418/ton, 10-34-0 $584/ton, anhydrous $639/ton, UAN28 $294/ton and UAN32 $338/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.45/lb.N, anhydrous $0.39/lb.N, UAN28 $0.53/lb.N and UAN32 $0.53/lb.N.

With retail fertilizer moving lower in recent weeks, only one fertilizer is now higher compared to a year earlier. 10-34-0 remains 5% higher compared to last year at this time.

The remaining seven nutrients are now lower compared to retail prices from a year ago. Both DAP and MAP have fallen 6%, potash 7%, anhydrous 8%, UAN32 9%, UAN28 10% and urea 18% during this period.



Soy Planting Delayed in Brazil

Farmers in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Goias have barely started to plant soybeans for the 2015-2016 growing season because of unseasonably dry weather, according to the head of farmers' group Aprosoja Brasil.

Soy growers would normally have finished about 10% of their planting at this time, but this year they have only finished 2%, according to Fabricio Rosa, executive director of Aprosoja Brasil. It isn't too late for farmers to make up that lost ground, but the delay in planting soy risks disrupting the planting of Brazil's winter corn crop, Rosa said.

"If you move back the planting of soy then you have a smaller window to plant corn," he explained in an interview. "So we're waiting now and it means we could have less time to plant corn or cotton."

Farmers take advantage of Brazil's mild winters by growing two crops a year. A frequent combination is to plant soy in October, November and December for harvesting in Brazil's summer months of January, February and March, followed by corn that is planted during the summer for harvesting in the winter.

The states of Mato Grosso and Goias are located in Brazil's center-west grains belt. The two states together produce almost 40% of the country's soy and so far the two have received only about half of the rain they would normally get in the planting season, according to Marco Antonio dos Santos, an agronomist and meteorologist at Somar Meteorologia.

"Farmers are getting anxious," dos Santos said, adding that precipitation should start to improve toward the end of October, but it will probably still be less than normal.

The country's soy crop has grown rapidly in recent years, from 52 million metric tons in the 2004-2005 season to 96.2 million tons 10 years later, in the recently finished 2014-2015 season, as demand from China and other countries has boosted demand and prices.

Brazil is the world's second-biggest soy producer, after the U.S. The South American country's official crop agency, Conab, forecast last week that the 2015-2016 soy crop will be from 100.1 million metric tons to 101.9 million tons, an increase of 4% to 5.9% from 2014-2015.

Aprosoja Brasil's Rosa said he thinks the agency was being too optimistic. His group, which represents soy and corn growers, forecasts maximum production of about 100 million tons and minimum production about equal to last year's crop.



Small Tractor, Large Equipment Sales Were Off in September

The Association of Equipment Manufacturer's monthly "Flash Report" indicated that tractor sales in the U.S. through September 2015, were down 12% compared to last year.

For the month, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) were down 2% over last year, while 40 & under 100 HP were down 14%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP were down 42%, while 4-wheel drive tractors were down 48%.

Combine sales were down 20% for the month.

Through September, a total of 16,546 tractors were sold which compares to 18,909 sold thru September 2014.

For the nine months, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) are up 7% over last year, while 40 & under 100 HP are down 0.1%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP are down 23%, while 4-wheel drive tractors are down 45%.

Sales of combines for the first nine months totaled 4,033, a decrease of 37% over the same period in 2014.



CWT Assists with 531,000 Pounds of Cheese Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 6 requests for export assistance from member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 531,314 pounds (201 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheeses to customers in Asia. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from November through December 2015.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 47.676 million pounds of cheese, 25.671 million pounds of butter and 35.556 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-five countries on five continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.277 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.



What to do when the population doubles but the farmland does not

To commemorate United Nations World Food Day, Oct. 16, 2015, Alltech Crop Science is paying tribute to farmers and food producers around the world who continue to find ways to feed the ever-growing population. There are now approximately 7.3 billion people living off the same amount of farmland compared to that in the 1970s. What do you do when the global population doubles, but the world’s farmland is finite?

Today U.S. farmers provide 20 percent of the world’s food using only 10 percent of its land. American farmers produce six times more corn with 20 percent less land compared to their peers of the 1930s. The average corn yield grew from 39 bushels per acre in 1950 to 153 bushels per acre in 2000. Between 1961 and 2005, average cereal yields increased 155 percent. As productivity has improved, so have techniques for sustaining resources. Farmers have become more efficient, allowing the burgeoning population to continue reaping natural resources from the land.  

“Farmers are pretty amazing,” said Robert Walker, Alltech Crop Science general manager. “They have to be part agronomist, conservationist, meteorologist and economist. Alltech Crop Science wants you, the consumer, to join us on World Food Day to thank farmers around the world (#ThankAFarmer) for continuing to produce natural, healthy produce.”

In the last decade consumption has increased significantly. Demand for meat has tripled in the developing world in the past four decades, while egg consumption has increased sevenfold. We have also seen an increase in the demand for soybeans (48 percent), corn (37), rice (14) and wheat (13).

“Food production alone must increase by 70 percent, which means we have to produce more food in the next 50 years than that of the past 10,000 years combined,” said Walker.  “Alltech Crop Science follows the seed, to feed, to fork, to future mentality. It is about taking a holistic, integrated approach to sustainable production. Producers and farmers must focus on nutrient efficiency and end-product quality as consumer demand rises, while identifying the environmental challenges.”

Since 1994 Alltech Crop Science has conducted research on 69 crops in 29 countries and has a strong presence in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. To meet increasing demand for research on crop science, Alltech is expanding its European research facility in Ireland to enhance ongoing trials. The European trials give Alltech a greater understanding of the needs of today’s crop. Alltech Crop Science aims to seamlessly bridge the gap between science and sustainability, naturally. The Alltech Crop Science research program will drive innovation to improve the profitability and sustainability for crop producers.



DuPont Pioneer Awards Nearly $200,000 in Local Grants in 2015, More Than $500,000 in Last Three Years

Forty-nine schools and local organizations have received nearly $200,000 in community investment grants from DuPont Pioneer in 2015. These grants, awarded through the DuPont Pioneer Western Business Unit that helped support local projects that are focused on education, food security and community betterment. The Pioneer Western Business Unit includes the Western Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Western Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and all points west.    

“We are pleased to partner with organizations throughout the Western U.S. that are committed to educating our youth, supporting their neighbors, and improving the communities in which our customers and employees call home,” said Mark Deterding, DuPont Pioneer business director – Western Business Unit. “Pioneer is proud of the work being done by these outstanding organizations.”

Over the last three years, DuPont Pioneer has awarded more than $500,000 in grants within its Western Business Unit to support efforts ranging from agricultural education programs, safety equipment for local fire and rescue departments, food security efforts and other community projects.

2015 Grant Recipients

California
California 4-H Foundation
California FFA Foundation
Senior Citizens Service Center of the Temecula Rancho Area Inc.

Colorado
Colorado Foundation for Agriculture Inc.
Food Bank of Larimer County
Rocky Mountain Deaf School
The Growing Project

Kansas
Harvey County Free 4-H Fair
Sylvan-Lucas Unified High School FFA
Thayer Acres Agriculture Center Inc.
The Center for Learning Tree Institute
USD 384 Blue Valley High School
Wild West Historical Foundation Inc.

Missouri
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Missouri 4-H Foundation

Nebraska
Belden Volunteer Fire Department
Culler Middle School
Douglas Rescue Squad
Food Bank for the Heartland
Food Bank of Lincoln Inc.
Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools
Gordon-Rushville Public Schools
Hastings College Foundation
Hooper Volunteer Fire Department
House of Prayer and Equipping Center Inc.
Lindsay Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department
Low Income Ministry of Dodge County
Marquette Volunteer Fire and Rescue
Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach Inc.
National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association - Great Plains Region
Nebraska 4-H Foundation
Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council
Nebraska FFA Foundation
Nebraska Unified District #1
Petersburg Volunteer Fire Department
Prairie Loft Center
Shelby Rising City Agriculture Education Department
Shickley High School
St. Edward Fire and Rescue
Tabitha Inc.
University of Nebraska Foundation
University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension
Wayne Community Schools
York Public Schools

Oklahoma
Middle School of Piedmont

Texas
Dimmitt FFA
Life Message Inc.
Swisher 4-H Adult Leaders Association

Washington
Washington State Science and Engineering Fair

Pioneer makes contributions to community-based organizations on behalf of the business and employees. Consideration for outreach grants are given to communities where Pioneer representatives, employees and customers live and work and that support quality-of-life initiatives to create an improved, sustainable lifestyle for people worldwide.



On International Skeptics Day GMO Answers Celebrates Over 1,000 Questions Answered

On International Skeptics Day, GMO Answers recognizes the 1.3 million consumers who have engaged in the online dialogue at GMOAnswers.com, and thanks the community of volunteer experts who have answered over 1,000 questions about GMOs and agriculture.  This milestone comes as part of the second annual "Get to Know GMOs" month, inviting the public to ask their toughest questions about GMOs and join the conversation about how our food is produced.

"On a day focused on critical thinking, open dialogue and scientific discussion, it's only fitting we acknowledge that consumers have a lot of questions and are interested in learning more about where their food comes from and how it's produced.  We're excited that so many people are thinking critically about their food choices and looking to find answers to their questions at GMOAnswers.com," said Kate Hall, managing director of the Council for Biotechnology Information and GMO Answers spokesperson.  "When we embarked on GMO Answers more than two years ago, embracing skepticism was – and continues to be – at the heart of our mission."

Visitors can review the cache of questions answered by farmers, scientists, academicians, doctors, nutritionists and biotech industry experts, who volunteer their time to answer questions submitted online. Some of the most viewed questions are:
-    Do GMOs Cause Cancer?
-    Is it true that GMOs require massive amounts of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides?
-    How much of our food in the U.S. is genetically modified?

In honor of International Skeptics Day and to celebrate the milestone of 1,000 questions answered, GMO Answers is launching 100 days of GMOs.  Starting today, GMO Answers will share one question per business day of the top 100 questions posted to the website across its social platforms, using the hashtag #100daysofGMOs.  The goal of this social media campaign is to engage the public in a dialogue and raise further awareness of the most commonly asked questions.

As part of "Get to Know GMOs" month, GMO Answers is featuring blog posts about GMOs and the environment on the site every Thursday in October and debunking "spooky" GMO myths for Halloween.

"GMO Answers welcomes tough questions about how our food is grown, and Get to Know GMOs month is a great opportunity to highlight that conversation," continued Hall. "We are committed to serving as a resource to consumers who are searching for factual information to help them make up their own minds about GMOs."