Monday November 16 Ag News

Nebraska Farm Bureau Announces New Hires for the Foundation and Federation

The Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Chief Administrator, Rob Robertson, is proud to announce hiring Megahn Schafer as the Executive Director for the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (NFBFA). Schafer comes to NFBFA after serving as Assistant Vice President, Gift Planning with the University of Nebraska Foundation. She held several other roles with the NU Foundation’s gift planning and development services teams during her 14-year tenure.

“Megahn will bring energy, enthusiasm and fresh ideas to the foundation. With her leadership skills and self-motivation, she will be a great addition as she oversees the staff programming, fund development, marketing and outreach efforts of the Foundation. Her knowledge and understanding of nonprofit work will be a tremendous addition to our Farm Bureau team,” Rob Robertson, NFBF chief administrator said Oct. 9.

Schafer’s community involvement includes work on the Prosper Lincoln Community Initiative, membership in the Nebraska Partnership on Philanthropic Planning and the Emerging Leaders Council of the United Way of Lancaster County, and volunteer service to her church and Kooser Elementary school. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and her master’s in public administration from the University of Nebraska–Omaha. She is a lifelong Nebraska resident and a native of Litchfield. Schafer and her husband Clint have two sons.

As the executive director, Schafer will generate financial resources and partnerships to build awareness, understanding and a positive public perception of agriculture through education and leadership development.

Jane Heany was named Senior Director of Development for the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation. Heany brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience to NFBFA. Prior to joining NFBFA, Heany was a senior development director with the University of Nebraska Foundation, a regional development director with the state-wide Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, and the marketing and development manager with Wolf Memorial Good Samaritan Center in Albion.

Jane received her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Concordia University. She is a member of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals and has served in volunteer leadership roles with the American Lutheran Development Executives and the University of Nebraska Foundation Women in Philanthropy Committee. She is a native of Spalding, NE. Jane and her husband Tom farmed near Cedar Rapids, Neb. for 29 years before moving to Lincoln. They have two grown children and two grandchildren.

“We are excited to have Jane on board. We look forward to watching her build relationships and match donor goals with the important priorities of Ag in the Classroom and agriculture education in general. Jane has a passion for connecting with people and helping them make a difference,” Robertson said.

Other new Foundation hires include Sami Lauf, NFBFA administrative assistant. Before joining NFBFA, Sami was a research assistant for the political physiology research lab at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Lauf received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She is a native of Chicago.

Erin Stieren joined the Communication Strategy and Issue Management department as Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Director of Marketing/Communications. She will facilitate and coordinate communication for NFBFA and the NFBF. She brings nearly 10 years of marketing experience to Farm Bureau. Prior to joining NFBF, Stieren was the Senior Marketing Specialist for Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program.

“We are excited to tap Erin’s skills as a marketer and apply them to elevate our new Foundation and the Federation. She will help the Foundation maintain a consistent message across print, electronic, online, multimedia, and social media platforms to target specific audiences and direct brand development. We are excited about raising awareness about the NFBFA and communicating the values, mission, strategy and strengths of NFBFA,” Robertson said.

Stieren and her husband Tom have two daughters and live in Lincoln.



WEBINAR SERIES TO ADDRESS FARM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ISSUES

    Crop and livestock producers, consultants and others interested in learning how to address critical issues related to farm finances are encouraged to view an upcoming webinar series.

    Beginning at 10 a.m. Nov. 23, experts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Department of Agricultural Economics will discuss financial issues affecting Nebraska farmers and ranchers during webinars each Monday for five consecutive weeks. The series is sponsored by the Department of Agricultural Economics, Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

    "The financial environment for agriculture has undergone significant changes in recent years," according to Larry Van Tassell, head of the Department of Agricultural Economics. "These webinars aim to provide farmers and ranchers with financial principles they can apply to their own operations."

    The webinars can be viewed online at http://farm.unl.edu/farmfinances. Each session will be recorded for later viewing. There is no cost to watch the webinars.

    The schedule and topics:

    > Nov. 23, 10 a.m., "Cornhusker Economics Outlook": This is a concise, fast-paced discussion of crop, livestock, policy and financial outlook with attention to production, management and marketing decisions for 2016. Presenters are Brad Lubben, Kathleen Brooks, Cory Walters and Jay Parsons.

    > Nov. 30, 10 a.m., "Know Your Costs": Presenters will review marginal analysis and enterprise budgets, which are tools producers can use to understand how and where to implement cost control measures. Presenters are Matt Stockton, Robert Tigner, Roger Wilson and Tina Barrett.

    > Dec. 7, 10 a.m., "Negotiating Your Lease": This session will look at current lease values, discuss leasing alternatives and give suggestions on how to communicate to hold leasing costs down. Presenters are Allen Vyhnalek, Tina Barrett, Dave Aiken, Tim Lemmons, Roger Wilson and Jim Jansen.

    > Dec. 14, 10 a.m., "Communicating with Your Banker": Bankers will share how they approach loan requests and what financial documentation is most useful to lenders and producers. Presenters are Larry Van Tassell and a panel of four bankers.

    > Dec. 21, 10 a.m., "Decision Making in an Uncertain World": This session, based on the topics covered in previous webinars, will explore important factors producers need to consider in making decisions in an uncertain world. Presenters are Jay Parsons, Cory Walters and Kathleen Brooks.

    For more information on the webinars, visit http://farm.unl.edu/farmfinances or contact the Department of Agricultural Economics at 402-472-3401.



Cattlemen Urge Congress to Address Expired Tax Extenders Legislation
 
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association along with the Public Lands Council and 37 additional agriculture groups sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging Congress to take up legislation addressing expired tax extenders. NCBA President Philip Ellis of Chugwater, Wyo., said it is critical to address expired tax provisions for long-term business planning.

“Farmers and ranchers like myself rely on a stable and predictable tax code in order to plan purchases, make investments, and grow their businesses,” said Ellis. “Each year producers make significant financial determinations, and Congress’ failure to act on permanent tax reform has placed greater reliance on extender legislation over the past few years.”

The letter specifically focuses on Section 179 and bonus depreciation, which allows producers to write off a greater part of capital expenditures in the year that purchases were made rather than depreciate them over time. This provides an incentive for farmers and ranchers to invest in their businesses and offers the benefit of reducing the record-keeping burden associated with depreciation.

Under the expired law, the maximum amount that a small business can immediately expense when purchasing business assets is $25,000, adjusted for inflation, with the rest to be depreciated over time. The groups are encouraging Congress to restore the maximum amount of expensing under Section 179 to $500,000, as it was set in 2014.

Furthermore, the groups urge Congress to reinstate the expired 50 percent bonus depreciation for the purchase of new capital assets, including agricultural equipment and buildings.

“The failure to renew these expired provisions of the tax code will place additional burdens on farm and ranch families who are asset-rich and cash-poor and already face the uncertainties of weather, market prices and international competition,” the letter reads.   

Greater certainty in the tax code supports small businesses and rural America. NCBA continues to call on Congress take up a multi-year comprehensive tax extenders package, providing much-needed stability for 2016 and beyond.



MO Project to Convert Manure to Biogas

(AP) -- One recipe for renewable natural gas goes: Place manure from about 2 million hogs in lagoons, cover them with an impermeable material and let it bake until gas from the manure rises. Then, use special equipment to clean the gas of its impurities and ship the finished product out.

That's the vision of one of the largest biogas projects of its kind in the U.S. currently being installed in northern Missouri, part of a long-term effort to turn underused agriculture resources into an engine for environmentally friendly farming practices.

The joint project, involving Roeslein Alternative Energy and Smithfield Food Hogs Production, will first convert manure from hogs on nine farms into renewable natural gas, with a goal of selling it as soon as 2016. The second phase would add native prairie grasses planted on erodible or marginal farm land to the manure to increase the biomass.

Developers expect the first phase to produce about 2.2 billion cubic feet of pipeline-quality natural gas, providing an alternative energy source while also keeping an estimated 850,000 tons of methane, a major greenhouse gas, from escaping into the atmosphere. Plus, the covers mostly eliminate the odor that can permeate the area around large hog farms, reduce the amount of waste-tainted water that leeches into the ground and capture thousands of gallons of clean water for re-use.

"We have the science to make farming work better for the environment. The question is do we have the political will, and the financial will, to do it," said RAE founder Rudi Roeslein, who has invested $25 million in the project.

A 2014 federal report showed 239 manure-based digesters were operating in the U.S. And the federal Department of Agriculture issued $6 million in grants last month for anaerobic digester projects, as part of the Rural Energy for America Project, an Obama administration effort to spark projects that generate alternative energy and reduce carbon emissions.

But Roeslein, the co-founder of St. Louis-based Roeslein and Associates, which designs and builds manufacturing systems, is not seeking government funding because he does not want to be dependent on federal bureaucracy as the project develops.

The first phase, with an estimated price tag of $120 million, began in 2013, when RAE and Smithfield agreed to place impermeable covers over 88 manure lagoons. That turns the lagoons into anaerobic digesters, which decompose the manure and force biogas to the top. Special machines will then collect and clean the biogas, leaving more than 98 percent methane with nearly the same chemical composition as natural gas, which will be sent into the national natural gas pipeline.

About half of the lagoons are already covered and equipment based on technology used in Europe will be installed next summer at a farm near Albany, Missouri, Roeslein said during a recent presentation on the farm. Duke Energy in North Carolina has agreed to buy about one-third of the finished product, due to be delivered next summer.

The project will mostly eliminate problems associated with manure lagoons, such as rainfall runoff and methane escape, which will save Smithfield hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Blake Boxley, the hog division's director of environmental health and safety.

"We saw a chance to reduce our company's carbon footprint while also showing that farmers can protect land and water while they are producing our food," he said.

The project is unusual because most biogas projects involve industrialized facilities, said Zhiqiang Hu, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Missouri. Anaerobic digestion systems are widespread in Europe, but U.S. farmers have hesitated to adopt the practice in part because the technology requires a lot of land, he said.

"Our farmers tend to use simpler means of handling waste," he said. "But for larger facilities, this production practice could definitely be helpful."



ACE DC ads feature people who have done well with the RFS

As the Obama Administration nears a decision on final renewable volume obligations for 2014, 2015, and 2016 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is promoting the success stories of two of its members in Washington, DC, in Morning Consult’s daily energy brief and the November 18 edition of The Washington Post.

The ad buy, featuring Delayne Johnson, CEO of Quad County Corn Processors, and Jeff Oestmann, CEO of East Kansas Agri-Energy, is part of ACE’s ongoing Power by People campaign which highlights people in the ethanol industry who are doing extraordinary things for the economy and the environment.

“ACE’s ads draw attention to the milestones that East Kansas Agri-Energy and Quad County Corn Processors have achieved in advanced and cellulosic biofuel thanks to the RFS, evidence that should help the Obama Administration stand strong on RFS blending volumes instead of caving into oil company demands,” said Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President of ACE.

Morning Consult’s daily energy brief is read by more than 41,000 subscribers inside and out of the Beltway and ACE’s advertisement runs today through November 23.  In addition, ACE is sponsoring a “cover wrap” print ad in copies of The Washington Post delivered to Capitol Hill on November 18.  The print ad is available on the ACE website.

During the month of November, ACE’s social media platforms are also showcasing people from all walks of life, including retailers and consumers, who benefit from a strong RFS using videos, infographics, and profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and featuring hashtags #RFSWorks, #PowerByPeople, and #RFSOnward.  You can access any of ACE’s social media accounts by clicking these individual links: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.



New 2016 FARM Residue Prevention Manual Focuses on Antimicrobial Stewardship

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has released an updated version of its Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual – one of the key components of the National Dairy FARM ProgramTM. In order to share the information widely with dairy farmers, the manual can be accessed for free on the FARM program website. This year’s manual includes additional information that focuses on ways the dairy industry can proactively engage in antimicrobial stewardship efforts.

The Milk and Dairy Beef Drug Residue Prevention Manual offers a concise review of appropriate antibiotic use in dairy animals, and can also be used as an educational tool for farm managers as they develop their best management practices necessary to avoid milk and meat residues.

“We know that there is increased attention to the use of medicines in livestock, and in order to maintain the ability to use those products to treat sick animals, we have to demonstrate that we are using them judiciously,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “This newly-revised manual represents the ongoing commitment dairy farmers have to using antibiotics responsibly and prudently.”

Additions to the 2016 version include a section on avoiding potential residue violations from extra-label drug use in an unapproved class of cattle, cephalosporin extra-label use prohibitions, as well as an updated drug and test kit list. The 2016 manual also includes a certificate of participation that can be signed by a producer and his/her veterinarian to demonstrate their commitment to the proper use of antibiotics.

The new manual is being released at the beginning of Get Smart About Antibiotics week, an event sponsored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to emphasize the importance of appropriate antibiotic prescribing and use, for humans as well as livestock.

The dairy industry is committed to producing safe, abundant, and affordable milk and dairy beef of the highest quality, Mulhern said. Healthy animals help make for safe food, and disease prevention is the key to keeping cows healthy.

The National Dairy FARM Program was created by NMPF to demonstrate and verify that U.S. milk producers are committed to providing the highest levels of quality assurance including animal care, residue prevention, and other on-farm practices. For more information on the FARM Program, visit www.nationaldairyfarm.com.

The Residue Avoidance manual was sponsored by Charm Sciences, IDEXX, Elanco, Zoetis and Boehringer Ingleheim. No check-off funds were used in the development and distribution of this manual.

For more information on the National Dairy FARM Program, contact Emily Meredith at (703) 243- 6111 or log on to www.nationaldairyfarm.com.



 CWT Assists with 1.3 million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 8 requests for export assistance on contracts to sell 1.332 million pounds (604 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from November 2015 through May 2016.

Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 55.876 million pounds of cheese, 25.671 million pounds of butter and 35.080 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-five countries on six continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.349 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.



Merck Animal Health to Acquire Harrisvaccines

Merck Animal Health (known as MSD Animal Health outside the United States and Canada) and Harrisvaccines, Inc., Ames, Iowa, announced the companies have entered into an agreement under which Merck Animal Health will acquire Harrisvaccines, a privately-held company that develops, manufactures and sells vaccines for food production and companion animals.

"As a leader in biologics, Merck Animal Health has built a robust portfolio of vaccines across all animal species," stated Rick DeLuca, president, Merck Animal Health. "Combining Harrisvaccines' R&D and portfolio of products with our strong capabilities and global reach will enable us to address even more devastating diseases that are impacting production animals and reinforce our commitment to the science of healthier animals."

Harrisvaccines offers innovative technology and an important portfolio of vaccines, with a focus on production animals, an increasingly important segment as consumer demand for protein continues to grow worldwide. The company has a unique RNA Particle technology which represents a breakthrough in vaccine development. It also has a highly versatile production platform able to target a wide range of viruses and bacteria. Pathogens are collected from a farm and specific genes are sequenced and inserted into RNA particles, making safe, potent vaccines able to provide herd-specific protection.

This pioneering system is rapidly adaptable to new disease challenges and was instrumental in producing the first conditionally licensed vaccine to help control Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv), a deadly virus that has killed more than eight million piglets since suddenly emerging in the U.S. in 2013. In September 2015, Harrisvaccines received a conditional approval for a Eurasian H5 subtype avian influenza vaccine and was subsequently awarded a contract by the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS) to produce the vaccine.

"We are excited to join forces with Merck Animal Health," said Dr. Hank Harris, founder and CEO of Harrisvaccines. "Their vaccine expertise, commercial reach and worldwide network of R&D and manufacturing sites, combined with our knowledge and novel technology, represents a tremendous opportunity to best serve producers and veterinarians as they protect the health of animals worldwide."

The terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The companies expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2015.



USDA Awards $18 Million for 1890 Land-Grant Universities Research, Education and Extension Activities

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced 53 grants totaling more than $18 million to support research, teaching, and extension activities at 1890 historically black land-grant colleges and universities through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

"Earlier this year, we celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Second Morrill Act and USDA's historic partnership with 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Colleges and Universities," said Vilsack. "Today's announcement continues our partnership and will help ensure the schools are able to sustain our nation's agricultural sector for another 125 years and beyond. We are pleased to be able to build the capacity of these important institutions and support the next generation of leaders in agriculture."

Fiscal year 2015 grants include:

Teaching
    Alabama A&M University, Normal, Aa., $150,000
    Alcorn State University, Lorman, Miss., $299,918
    Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, $599,997
    Delaware State University, Dover, Del., $149,838
    Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Ga., $149,999
    Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Mo., $277,298
    North Carolina State A&T University, Greensboro, N.C., $852,827 (4 awards)
    Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, $149,993
    South Carolina State University, Columbia, S.C., $1,196,162 (2 awards)
    Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $442,731 (3 awards)
    West Virginia State University, Institute, W.V., $899,628 (2 awards)
More information about these teaching awards can be found on the NIFA website.

Research
    Alabama A&M University, Normal, Ala., $1,093,892 (3 awards)
    Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $1,100,000 (2 awards)
    Alcorn State University, Lorman, Miss., $500,632
    Arkansas Pine Bluff, Pine Bluff, Ark., $600,000
    Delaware State University, Dover, Del., $499,982
    Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Ky., $1,194,942 (3 awards)
    Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Mo., $300,000
    North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, N.C., $499,659
    Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, Texas, $295,132
    Southern University, Baton Rouge, La., $300,000
    Southern Carolina State University, Columbia, S.C., $444,029
    Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn., $500,850 (2 awards)
    University of Maryland – Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Md., $1,198,419 (3 awards)
    Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.,: $586,879 (2 awards)
    West Virginia State University, Institute, W.V., $299,042
More information about these research awards can be found on the NIFA website.

Extension
    Alabama A&M University, Normal, Ala., $249,963
    Alcorn State University, Lorman, Miss., $248,719
    Delaware State University, Dover, Del., $249,993
    Langston University, Langston, Okla., $600,000
    Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn., $805,923 (2 awards)
    Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $226,869
    Southern University, Baton Rouge, La., $250,000
    Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va., $599,582 (2 awards)
    West Virginia State University, Institute, W.V., $599,997

More information about these extension awards can be found on the NIFA website.

NIFA made the awards through the 1890 Institution Teaching, Research, and Extension Capacity Building Grants (CBG) program, which focuses on strengthening the partnerships among the universities, USDA, and private industry through food and agricultural science, and advancing cultural diversity in the scientific and professional workforce by attracting more students from underrepresented groups.

NIFA provides support to historically black colleges and universities that were designated as land-grant universities (LGUs) in the Second Morrill Act in 1890. Grants to these universities support research, extension, and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of these schools. There are currently 19 institutions under the legislation.

Past successes from this program include an initiative aimed at attracting Lincoln University minority students to the environmental science field. Through workshops, mentorships, and recruitment activities with undergraduate and high school students, Lincoln University saw an increase in environmental science graduates who have move on to higher learning and environmental professions, as well as an increase in scholarships for students still in the program. Bioenergy researchers from South Carolina State University have also developed new logistical models, algorithms, and user-friendly simulations tools for modeling and evaluating biofuel and biomass.

Grants from 2015 include a West Virginia State University that focuses on the needs of grandparents who serve as primary caregivers for their grandchildren by improving the health behaviors of the grandparents through training, education, social work courses, and extension services. Researchers at University of Maryland-Eastern Shore will be studying nutrients and food safety in leafy greens and the impact that different growth media play, such as the greens being grown in hydroponic, aquaponics, or soil-based environment.



Green Fever sales program offers farmers and ranchers big year-end discounts on John Deere equipment 

John Deere is helping customers save big and kick off 2016 with new equipment during its annual Green Fever sales program from October 31, 2015 to February 1, 2016. The program offers sales discounts and attractive financing terms on a wide variety of compact utility and utility tractors, hay tools and more.

“The Green Fever sales program gives farmers and ranchers a great opportunity to upgrade their chore tractors and hay tools while cashing in on year-end savings,” says Steve Geick, tactical marketing manager at John Deere. “Equipment featured in the Green Fever program can be used on a wide variety of farms, such as beef cattle farms and dairy farms, making reliable, service-backed John Deere equipment more affordable than any other time of the year.” 

The sales program provides customers with retail bonuses and financing offers on select tractor models, including 5E, 5M, 6D, 6E, 6M and 6R Series Tractors, with savings up to $6,000 off and 0% financing. The customers can also get cash discounts and attractive cash-off bonuses on equipment like select hay tool models and 1-4 Series Tractors with the purchase of additional John Deere or Frontier implements.

“Each piece of John Deere equipment in the Green Fever program offers tremendous performance and value to producers looking to add to their fleet,” adds Geick. “Plus, with the additional discounts and financing offers, the next three months are the best time of the year to save on new John Deere equipment they need.”

Also, customers that enter their name, address and email on www.JohnDeere.com/GreenFever will receive a coupon redeemable for bonus savings beyond those offered during Green Fever. Customers can choose from one of three coupons:
-    Additional $1,000 off 6 Series Tractors.
-    Additional $500 off 5 Series Tractors.
-    $250 off a 5-year PowerGard™ Protection Plan (Residential Plan) with the purchase of a 1-4 Series Tractor.

Discounts and financing offers are available on other John Deere equipment. For more information on the special Green Fever sales program financing and discount options on select John Deere equipment for the farm, ranch, lawn and garden, visit www.JohnDeere.com/GreenFever. See your John Deere dealer for specific details on the Green Fever sales program as well as for more information on the products included in the promotion.