Friday December 11 Ag News

Nebraska Farm Bureau Delegates Act to Balance School Funding, Address Property Taxes

In order to balance how Nebraska funds schools, property taxes used to fund K-12 school districts, should be limited to 40 percent of individual school district’s general fund expenditures. That’s one of the key resolutions adopted by delegates at Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting said Nebraska Farm Bureau President Steve Nelson, Dec. 10.

“Our delegate body sent a clear message. They believe we must better balance how we fund schools and move away from our overreliance on property taxes that have become a major concern for Nebraskans both urban and rural. To do that, they took the position that no more than 40 percent of individual school district funds should come from property taxes, leaving the rest to come from other sources,” said Nelson.

According to Nelson, capping the amount of property tax contributions for local school funding as adopted by the delegates would bring Nebraska in line with other states in terms of how much is expected from local sources to fund schools.

“If you look at the national average, local funding sources for schools, such as property taxes, account for roughly 40 percent of school district funding. We’re much higher than the national average in Nebraska, where local contributions in the form of property taxes account for 60 percent of funding for school districts. We are clearly behind other states when it comes to recognizing that local sources like property taxes shouldn’t be the major source of school funding,” said Nelson.

Nelson said the delegates took other actions that reinforced their belief that balancing school funding is critical to maintaining quality schools in Nebraska, as the current system simply isn’t sustainable for Nebraska taxpayers.

“Again, the need is to address equity in how we fund education, it is not a question of whether or not we should have good schools. We all want a quality education for Nebraska students. Balancing the responsibility of funding education is the issue delegates addressed and they’ve set a mark for where property taxes should fit into the school funding equation and we’ll work toward that goal,” said Nelson.



NORTHEY TO VISIT WORTH, BLACK HAWK, TAMA, CARROLL, CRAWFORD AND MONONA COUNTIES DECEMBER 14 - 16

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that he will be visiting Worth, Black Hawk, Tama, Carroll, Crawford and Monona Counties from Monday, December 14 to Wednesday, December 16.

On Monday, Northey will visit AgVantage/GROWMARK in Northwood.  On Tuesday, Northey will speak at the Cedar Falls Rotary Lunch and tour Iowa Premium in Tama.  On Wednesday, he will attend the Elk Run Water Quality Initiative Kickoff event in Breda, tour The Anderson’s Inc. in Denison and visit Berne Coop Elevator in Ute.  The details of the visits follow here:

Monday, Dec. 14, 2015
Worth County – 2:30 p.m., meet with leadership from AgVantage FS/GROWMARK, Worth County ISU Extension office, 808 Central Ave., Northwood

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015
Black Hawk County – 12:00 p.m., speak at Cedar Falls Rotary lunch, Cedar Falls Women’s Club, 304 Clay St., Cedar Falls
Tama County – 2:00 p.m., tour Iowa Premium, 3337 L Ave., Tama

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2015
Carroll County – 11:00 a.m., speak at the Elk Run Water Quality Initiative Kickoff meeting, 208 Main St., Breda
Crawford County – 1:30 p.m., tour The Anderson’s Inc. ethanol plant, 2404 Lincoln Hwy, Denison
Monona County – 3:30 p.m., tour Berne Coop. Elevator, 158 W. Main St., Ute



Grants Available to Help Teach Agriculture

The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) is making mini-grants available to support the integration of agriculture into classroom instruction or after school programs with an academic focus.

The Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Supplement Grants, made possible through support from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, are designed to help Iowa teachers initiate new projects or expand existing projects that promote agriculture literacy in students. Teachers can apply for $200 grants that can be used to fund innovative lessons, activities, classroom resources, guest speakers, outreach programs, field trips, and other projects. Up to 170 grants will be awarded to teachers throughout Iowa.

One of last year's grant recipients, Lisa Johnson of Grant Wood Elementary in Cedar Rapids said, "Students learned so much about being scientists. Their writing improved greatly throughout the year because they were so invested in the process." She said, "Hopefully their interest in the life cycle of plants will continue to grow and be nurtured."

Preschool through 12th grade teachers, librarians, and afterschool program coordinators at Iowa schools are eligible to apply. Grants must relate to 21st century skills or language arts and integrate agriculture into the learning.

"Agriculture in the Classroom and agriculture literacy has been an area of emphasis for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation for many years," said IFBF Director of Community Resources Barb Lykins. "We see this as a value to teachers allowing them to connect what they are doing to Iowa's number one industry."

The deadline for application is Jan. 10 and the proposed project must take place between January 15 and June 1, 2016. To apply online or for more information visit www.iowaagliteracy.org.



Beef STEM Event to Engage Science Coordinators

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has announced an on-farm experience for science curriculum coordinators, funded by the Beef Checkoff. Selected participants will receive a $2,000 stipend to attend.

The "On the Farm STEM Experience" will be held March 28-30, 2016, immediately prior to the National Science Teachers Association annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The application and additional information can be found at http://www.agfoundation.org/projects/beef-educator-event.

Science curriculum coordinators are leaders at the district level who influence professional development and training for classroom science teachers. This event seeks to provide coordinators with real-world experience connecting science to the beef industry. As part of the experience, leaders will visit beef production facilities, meet beef producers and their livestock, and have access to Foundation education consultants to help explore the connections between STEM and beef production.

State agricultural literacy organizations are encouraged to invite curriculum coordinators from urban districts to apply. The Foundation is offering an incentive to state Agriculture in the Classroom programs, state Beef Councils and state Farm Bureaus that encourage coordinators to apply. Once the attendees are selected, those organizations that referred the selected participant will receive a $250 credit for the Foundation Resource Store or a $250 cash card to support educational efforts. Applications close Jan. 22. For additional information, contact Angela Mayfield at educationdirector@fb.org.



Dow and Dupont Merger a Go

Board of Directors at Dow Chemical and DuPont have unanimously approved an agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals. The company would be named DowDuPont, according to a news release from Dupont.

The merger would create a $130 billion chemical giant, according to a news release.

"This transaction is a game-changer for our industry and reflects the culmination of a vision we have had for more than a decade to bring together these two powerful innovation and material science leaders," said Andrew N. Liveris, Dow's chairman and chief executive officer. "Over the last decade our entire industry has experienced tectonic shifts as an evolving world presented complex challenges and opportunities - requiring each company to exercise foresight, agility and focus on execution. This transaction is a major accelerator in Dow's ongoing transformation, and through this we are creating significant value and three powerful new companies. This merger of equals significantly enhances the growth profile for both companies, while driving value for all of our shareholders and our customers."

Each of the businesses will have clear focus, an appropriate capital structure, a distinct and compelling investment thesis, scale advantages, and focused investments in innovation to better deliver superior solutions and choices for customers.

According to the release, Dow and DuPont shareholders will each own approximately 50-percent of the combined company.

The merger transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2016.



Corn Growers to Study Dow-DuPont Merger Impact

The following is a statement from Chip Bowling, Maryland farmer and president of the National Corn Growers Association, in response to today’s announcement of a merger agreement between Dow and DuPont.

“The National Corn Growers Association is committed to protecting the best interests of our members and our nation's corn farmers.  With respect to the proposed merger, we anticipate that we will have an opportunity to submit comments regarding the effect this merger may have on agricultural research, innovation, grain marketing, and the competitive pricing of farm inputs. We will do all we can to protect farmer interests and preserve an open and competitive marketplace.”



Soy Growers to Analyze Dow, DuPont Merger

Dow and DuPont announced on Friday morning an all-stock merger that will create a new $130 billion DowDuPont company.

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is committed to examining the overall impacts of this merger on the agricultural industry and soybean farmers.

“As always, we welcome competition and innovation to the industry, while keeping the best interests of soybean growers at the forefront,” said ASA President Richard Wilkins, Greenwood, Del. “ASA looks forward to the opportunity to provide comments to the companies and U.S. regulatory authorities that must approve any merger, and will continue to study how this merger will affect soybean farmers.”



Finer-ground Feed Better Digestibility of Starch, Energy in Swine Diets

Current recommendations for feeding corn to pigs state that the grain should be milled to an average particle size of 640 to 650 microns. However, research at the University of Illinois indicates that milling to a smaller particle size may increase the digestibility of starch and energy in corn, and therefore, improve the nutritional value of corn.

"Feed ground to a smaller particle size has more surface area than coarser-ground feed, which provides more access for digestive enzymes to work," said Hans H. Stein, professor of animal sciences at U of I. "Therefore, we would expect nutrients in finely ground feed to be better digested by pigs than nutrients in coarsely ground feed."

Stein, along with former graduate student Oscar Rojas, conducted two studies to determine the effect of particle size on nutrient and energy digestibility. They fed corn that had been ground to an average particle size of 865, 677, 485, and 339 microns, respectively, to growing pigs. As the particle size of corn decreased, the digestibility of starch increased, from 89 percent in corn ground to 865 microns to 96.6 percent in corn ground to 339 microns.

"Starch is the main form of energy storage in grains so improved starch digestibility is expected to result in greater energy digestibility," Stein said.

True to the researchers' hypothesis, the digestibility of gross energy in corn increased as particle size decreased, from 88.7 percent in the coarsest corn to 91.6 percent in the corn with the smallest particle size. Corn ground to 865 microns contained 3,932 kcal digestible energy and 3,826 kcal metabolizable energy per kg dry matter, compared with 4,097 and 3,964 kcal per kg dry matter in corn ground to 339 microns.

Decreasing particle size did not make all nutrients more digestible, however. Rojas and Stein observed that particle size did not affect the digestibility of crude protein, amino acids, or phosphorus.

According to Stein, the results indicated that the optimal particle size for corn may be smaller than what is currently recommended.

"There are issues to consider when feeding ingredients ground to a very small particle size," he said. "There can be flowability problems in feeders, and there may be an increased risk of pigs developing gastric ulcers.

"However, these problems may be offset by the increase in feed value. The results from this research give producers more information with which they can make that decision," he added.

The research was supported by funding from the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa, and the corn used in this research was donated by Pioneer Hi-Bred, Johnston, Iowa.

"Effects of reducing the particle size of corn grain on the concentration of digestible and metabolizable energy and on the digestibility of energy and nutrients in corn grain fed to growing pigs," was published in a recent edition of Livestock Science.



Commodity Classic, Successful Farming Team Up to Offer New AG CONNECT Main Stage at 2016 Event

Commodity Classic has partnered with Successful Farming to provide programming for the AG CONNECT Main Stage, located inside the trade show hall. This partnership will bring together the nation’s largest farmer-led convention and trade show and Successful Farming’s resources and proven track record of innovation and information in the agricultural industry.

“We are excited to partner with Successful Farming to deliver best in class programing to the Commodity Classic attendees,” said Commodity Classic Co-Chair Wesley Spurlock.  “Their experience in presenting leading-edge information made them the perfect partner for the AG CONNECT Main Stage.”

This year’s AG CONNECT Main Stage will offer a variety of programs, such as executive and farmer panel discussions that will include leading farmers and executives from seed, chemical and machinery companies.  Industry experts will lead discussions on today’s most important topics facing farmers through stage presentations.  In addition, each day will feature addresses from popular keynoters such as Jolene Brown and Brian David Johnson.

Agricultural showcases will run throughout the three-day trade show, and topics will include farm innovation, new technology, big data and ROI, planting, used equipment and innovative farm shops.

“Commodity Classic is clearly the gathering place for the entire U.S. Agriculture industry,” said David Kurns, Editorial Content Director for Meredith Agrimedia.  “We could not be more excited to be partnering with the farmer organizations to deliver such great content to the farm audience.”

Through its multiple platforms, including Successful Farming magazine, Agriculture.com, Successful Farming Radio Magazine and the Successful Farming Machinery Show, Successful Farming provides more than 4 million touchpoints and is a trusted source of information for rural and farm families.

In addition to this year’s AG CONNECT Main Stage, the Commodity Classic trade show brings together more than 390 participating companies exhibiting in over 250,000 net square feet for famers and those in the agriculture field to learn about new practices, technologies and industry ideas. The 2016 trade show already features double the exhibits of the 2014 show, with additional space still being sold.

The 2016 Commodity Classic Convention and Trade show will run from March 3-5 in New Orleans. Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is America's largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show, produced by the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.



NPPC CHALLENGES EPA FARM POLLUTION REPORTING RULE

The National Pork Producers Council this week filed a brief asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, D.C., to force the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exempt farms from state and local pollution reporting requirements under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). EPA’s rule, finalized in December 2008 during the waning days of the George W. Bush Administration, exempts all animal feeding operations (AFOs) from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act’s (CERCLA) hazardous substance reporting requirements but requires CAFOs to file reports on emission to state and local first responders.  It requires facilities that use and release hazardous and toxic chemicals to report them so the information can be used by state and local governments and first responders in any emergency at the facilities.

Until 2009, EPCRA did not apply to most farming operations. In April, Earthjustice, on behalf of the Center for Food Safety, Environmental Integrity Project, the Humane Society of the United States, the Sierra Club and Waterkeeper Alliance, asked the D.C. Circuit to re-open a 2008 case the groups filed to force EPA to apply EPCRA to large livestock operations.

In 2006, nearly 1,900 pork producers and other livestock and poultry farmers entered into a series of legally binding consent agreements with EPA, settling what the agency believed were issues with air emissions associated with livestock production. Part of the agreements was a study of emissions from farms. Purdue University conducted the study and gave the data to EPA, which has been reviewing it and working to develop a tool producers can use to estimate air emissions. That process was impeded by the same activist groups when they opposed efforts by the livestock industry to help set up a science advisory panel of experts in animal systems to assist with EPA’s effort. The agency’s existing science advisory board issued findings on the emissions data in 2013.

In its brief filed Monday, NPPC said by requiring large farms to comply with EPCRA reporting requirements, EPA is catering to the desires of environmental groups that want information on AFO emissions, which they can use to go after farms. NPPC pointed out that EPA previously determined that the purpose of the EPCRA reporting provisions is to notify government personnel so that they can make timely decisions on whether to initiate an emergency response action to protect the public health or welfare or the environment. But state and local emergency responders have said they don’t want or need EPRCRA information from farms. The reporting provisions are not designed to generate routine reports or to serve as a source of public information on releases or emissions, NPPC said.



THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF A MEATLESS DIET

Women’s Health last week published an article on the side effects of vegetarianism and, while many followers of this diet sing its praises, the reality is that panic attacks, OCD, depression, and other symptoms can occur when traveling down the sad road of going meatless. “I hear from vegetarians every day; they have this terrible depression and anxiety, and they don’t understand why,” says Lierre Keith, author of The Vegetarian Myth. “People think they’re eating a beautiful, righteous diet, but they don’t realize there’s a potential dark side.”

The National Pork Producers Council provides recommendations on healthy eating in collaboration with the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for America.  NPPC states that eating meat promotes satiety and preserves lean muscle mass and including lean meat in diets can help adults prevent or manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Research even shows that, for those dealing with obesity, many cuts of meat can improve long-term weight maintenance.

On the issue of sustainability, NPPC states that according to North Carolina research firm Camco, compared with 50 years ago, U.S. pork producers today are using 78 percent less land and 45 percent less water to produce a pound of pork and have a 35 percent smaller carbon footprint.