Friday December 4 Ag News

Fremont Corn Expo: Finding Profit in 2016

A very timely "Searching for Profits when Faced with Low Corn Prices" will be one of the sessions at the Fremont Corn Expo Jan. 7.

Bob Nielsen, Purdue University Extension corn specialist and host of the Chat 'n Chew Cafe, will be discussing production costs that growers may want to take a closer look at for 2016, including nutrient applications and rates, corn seeding rates, and hybrid selection.

"Today's seeds are a costly input," Nielsen said. Given several years of weather extremes, Nielsen noted the importance of selecting hybrids that have proven resilient to a variety of unpredictable weather stresses as well as being good yield producers. "Then, if we can minimize other stresses on the crop, we can minimize year to year yield swings and the resulting income swings."

Nathan Mueller, Nebraska Extension Cropping Systems Educator, is the host for the Jan. 7 Fremont Corn Expo which will focus on Finding Profit in 2016.

“This is a great local event for corn growers to interact with local ag businesses and learn from regional corn production experts,” Nathan said. “With great food, prizes, and exhibits, it is an event you won’t want to miss.”

The Fremont Corn Expo will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Christensen Field in Fremont. The event is free and includes a waffle and sausage breakfast, lunch, and popcorn as well as door prizes from exhibiting agricultural companies. Attendees can receive 3.5 CEUs.

Presentations and speakers include:
-    Utilizing On-Farm Research to Evaluate Profitable Practices with Laura Thompson, Nebraska Extension On-Farm Research Coordinator
-    What We Learned from the Corn Yield Contest That Helped Our Farm Profit with a panel of corn producers from southeast Nebraska: John McNamara, Plattsmouth; Mike Scholting, Louisville; Brent Hopkins, Rogers; Tony Johanson, Oakland
-    Business and Industry Update with representatives of the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce; Nebraska Corn Growers Association; Nebraska Corn Board; and Dodge and Colfax County Farm Bureau
-    Economic Impact of Expanding Livestock Production: Corn Demand with Eric Thompson, UNL Economist
-    Battling Corn Diseases: When is it Worth It? with Tamra Jackson-Ziems, Nebraska Extension Corn Plant Pathologist

At 3 p.m. Nebraska Extension Educator Aaron Nygren will be conducting nitrogen certification and water conservation training for producers in the Lower Platte North NRD.



2016 Precision Ag Workshops: Get More Value From Your Data
Nathan Mueller, Extension Educator in Dodge County
Joe Luck, Extension Precision Agriculture Engineer

Learn how to extract more information from your precision agriculture data at the 2016 Nebraska Extension Precision Ag Data Management workshops this January.  Presentations and hands-on exercises will cover
-    yield data quality,
-    geospatial data collection,
-    multi-layer analysis, and
-    imagery analysis.

Two all-day workshops will be held at each of the four sites — Mead, Norfolk, Clay Center, and Gothenburg. The first day, Session One, will address intermediate ag data management topics, while the second day, Session Two, will address more advanced ag data management. Individuals can register for one or both days. Cost is $75 for one day or $130 for both. Registration includes printed learning guides, a jump drive with workshop tutorials attendees can reference at home, and data.

Session One, Intermediate Ag Data Management Topics
-    Working with as-applied data, tracking product locations and rates
-    Creating templates to speed up the data import process
-    Terrain analysis diagnostic opportunities and working with LiDAR data
-    Georeferenced soil sample data input and prescription map development options
-    Setting up on farm research trials with precision ag data - case study from Project SENSE: Crop Canopy Sensors for In-Season Nitrogen Management

Session Two, Advanced Ag Data Managment
-    Generating maps from georeferenced soil samples:  Map interpolation strategies
-    Improving Yield Monitor Data Accuracy with Yield Editor Software from USDA
-    Multi-layer geospatial analysis to determine hybrid performance across changing landscape
-    Imagery analysis using data from active and passive sensors

Schedule
Workshops begin with check-in at 8:30 a.m. and sessions from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
-    Mead, Jan. 18-19 – Christenson Bldg., UNL Agricultural Research and Development Center (ARDC)
-    Norfolk, Jan. 25-26 – Northeast Community College Lifelong Learning Center
-    Clay Center, Feb. 15-16 – Clay County Fairgrounds
-    Gothenburg, Feb. 29-March 1 – Monsanto Learning Center

Registration and Contacts
On-line preregistration is required and class size is limited to 20 to facilitate the hands-on training. To register online, visit the program website at http://agronomy.unl.edu/precisionag.



SE Nebraska Successful Farmer Series Explores Timely Topics

Southeast Nebraska farmers are invited to tune-up their farming practices this winter with a new series of Friday morning meetings sponsored by Lancaster County Extension. The meetings, each 2.5 hours long, are designed to cover a range of timely topics for farmers, landowners, and others working in agriculture as they prepare for the 2016 season, said Tyler Williams, Nebraska Extension Educator in Lancaster County.

Program speakers are from Nebraska Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources otherwise noted. In addition to the topics listed below, attendees will be invited to pick a topic for the March 18 session.

Meetings will be held on the following Fridays from 9-11:30 a.m. at the Lancaster County Extension Officer, 444 Cherrycreek Road, Lincoln. Cost for the series of seven meetings is $15; registration for individual sessions is $5. For more information or a brochure to register, please contact the extension office at (402) 441-7180.  Walk-ins are welcome.

Successful Farmer 2015 Schedule
Dec. 18
Monthly Climate Outlook with Tyler Williams, extension educator
Precision Ag with Joe Luck, precision ag engineer
Nebraska On-Farm Research Network with Laura Thompson, extension educator

Jan. 8
Cover Crops with Gary Lesoing, extension educator
Pasture/Range Management with Bruce Anderson, forage specialist
Conservation Programs, Brad Soncksen, NRCS assistant state conservationist for programs

Jan. 22
Monthly Climate Outlook with Tyler Williams, extension educator
Nitrogen Management with Charles Wortmann, nutrient management specialist
Disease Management with Loren Giesler, plant pathologist

Feb. 5
Weed Management and Resistance with Amit Jhala and Stevan Knezevic, weed scientists

Feb. 19
Monthly Climate Outlook with Tyler Williams, extension educator
Nitrogen Application Timing with Brian Krienke, soils extension educator
NRD Programs, Lower Platte South NRD

March 4
Farm Economics with Monte Vandeveer, extension educator; Brad Lubben, policy specialist, and Allan Vyhnalek, extension educator

March 18
Monthly Climate Outlook with Tyler Williams, extension educator
Attendee's Pick. Topic will be decided based on survey of attendees at first two meetings.



NEBRASKA SPECIALTY CROP PROJECTS GET BOOST FROM USDA GRANT PROGRAM

Thirteen specialty crop projects in Nebraska will be receiving a total of $588,900 in funding for 2016 as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA), the state’s program supports research, development and marketing of specialty crops.

“Nebraska’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program has been important in supporting projects that are significant to the state’s agriculture industry,” NDA Director Greg Ibach said. “Specialty crops represent economic diversity for agriculture in Nebraska.”

Specialty crops include fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, horticulture and nursery crops. The 13 SCBGP projects being funded in the state will focus on increased research, production, food safety and health benefits.

NDA is funding two farm-to-school projects among the 13 total. Farm-to-school programs link students to locally-grown foods by making them more accessible. In East Butler High School, students and staff plan to add fresh fruits and vegetables to the school’s menu by growing them themselves, year round in a new greenhouse. East Butler High School received a grant for $22,918. With a grant for $37,656, the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL) will help connect local farmers with school food service workers to increase school purchasing power and bring more fresh foods to students.

In addition to the two farm-to-school projects, the other specialty crops projects being funded in Nebraska, the organization receiving the funding and the grant amounts are:

·         Researching plant population in Great Northern and pinto bean production in western Nebraska—UNL, $76,642;

·         Increasing knowledge about growing hops in Nebraska—UNL, $87,061;

·         Identifying the best fenugreek seed for organic production in western Nebraska—UNL, $29,616;

·         Determining the impact of fenugreek seed on stomach and intestinal bacteria and the effects on obesity and insulin resistance—UNL, $27,000.

·         Developing  the processing of dry edible beans as ready-to-eat snacks to retain a high concentration of folic acid— UNL, $33,837;

·         Providing seminars to specialty crop growers about extending their growing seasons—NDA, $21,990;

·         Teaching alternative tillage techniques to community crops growers and gardeners—Community Crops, $15,723;

·         Researching winter greenhouse production of herbs and medicinal plants—UNL, $55,652;

·         Enhancing food safety with extension education and food safety/security coordination—UNL, $20,000;

·         Increasing education about the nutritional benefits of managing high cholesterol with Great Northern and pinto beans—UNL, $135,804; and

·         Providing small and medium-sized growers information about organic and Biodynamic seed production through on-farm field days, conference presentations, consultation, and special events —Meadowlark Hearth Living Environment Foundation, $25,000.

A listing of grants that were funded can be found on the USDA website at http://www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp/awards under SCBGP awards.



Statement by Steve Nelson, President, Regarding Congressional Action on of Highway Bill

“We truly appreciate Sen. Deb Fischer’s work on the Conference Committee in representing the views and needs of Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers. This deal not only provides five years of funding certainty for our nation’s highway infrastructure, but it also provides relief to states looking to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and ranchers without the threat of losing federal funding. Lastly, the agreement reached, to avoid the $3 billion in cuts to the federal crop insurance delivery system, helps ensure that the key risk management tool for Nebraska farmers will be available at a time when it is needed most.”

“We truly appreciate the efforts of Sen.Fischer, but we also want to thank Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, Congressman Brad Ashford and Congressman Adrian Smith for their support for this House version of this legislation.” 



 Cooperative CHS demonstrates commitment to owners' growth

Leaders of CHS Inc. (NASDAQ: CHSCP), the nation's leading farmer-owned cooperative and a global energy, grains and foods company, reported solid performance in fiscal 2015, never wavering from the company's three-part commitment to deliver economic benefits, investment for tomorrow and maintain a strong financial foundation to help member cooperatives and producers grow.

"Today, we're unique. A cooperatively owned, global company with operations and employees in 25 countries. A cooperative with strategic assets and strategic partnerships that keep our U.S. producers and our customers in 70 countries in the market every day of the year," Carl Casale, CHS president and chief executive officer, told 2,500 owners, cooperative leaders and strategic partners attending its 2015 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis. "At the root of our cooperative structure is the recognition that together we can be more, achieve more and succeed more."

"That level of commitment – from our owners, by your board, management team and CHS employees – has been the engine driving the tremendous growth, success, and change your company has experienced," CHS Board Chairman David Bielenberg, an Oregon farmer, told the audience. "And it includes some of the boldest and most significant investments we've ever made – the result of commitment to vision, planning and action that begins long before we announce a decision."

In recapping company performance, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tim Skidmore said CHS delivered respectable results in fiscal 2015 that include delivering competitive economic returns to its owners and investing significant growth capital to drive future returns for owners, all supported by the strongest balance sheet in company history.

For fiscal 2015 (Sept. 1, 2014 – Aug. 31, 2015), CHS reported net income of $781 million on revenues of $34.6 billion. The company also returned $533.8 million to its owners in fiscal 2015, based on 2014 results. CHS expects to distribute an estimated $519 million in fiscal 2016, consisting of cash patronage, equity redemptions and preferred stock dividends.

"If I had to summarize the past fiscal year in one word overall, I'd say 'solid'," said Skidmore. "That's especially true when you put it in the context of the softer environment we're facing across the markets we operate in globally."

In addition to company updates, the meeting included a full day of interactive exhibits, nearly 60 educational sessions and a keynote address from Mark Kelly, commander of Space Shuttle Endeavor's final voyage, who shared his commitment story during the opening session. Among those also attending the meeting were 170 farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. who took part in the CHS New Leaders Forum, a program that helps build next generation leaders for agriculture and rural America.

Recent CHS business highlights include:
    Announcing its planned $2.8 billion investment in CF Industries Nitrogen, LLC
    Completing the acquisition of the McPherson, Kan.–based refinery and related operations along with upgrades and expansions at that refinery and its Laurel, Mont., refinery
    Adding Pacific Rim grain export capacity at Kalama, Wash.
    Purchasing a second ethanol processing facility at Annawan, Ill.
    Acquiring a canola crushing plant in Hallock, Minn.



Congressional Leaders, Farmers Stand Up for Crop Insurance

Last night, Congress passed the FAST Act, a bill that extends federal highway funding for the next 5 years and repeals a $3 billion cut to the federal crop insurance program enacted earlier this year. The following is a statement from National Corn Growers Association President Chip Bowling, a farmer from Newburg, Maryland.

“Last month, Congress cut $3 billion from the federal crop insurance program, a devastating blow to a vital risk management tool for farmers. The farm community was right to speak out against these cuts, which would have ultimately hurt farmers by reducing their access to crop insurance. Thanks to the many farmers who contacted their elected officials and made their voices heard, funding to this important federal program has been restored.

“We especially want to thank Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-Michigan), House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota), and their committee members for their leadership on this issue.

“We are pleased to see Congress finally move forward on a long-term funding solution for our nation’s highways, roads and bridges. Farmers and ranchers need safe roads and bridges to get our products to market quickly, safely, and efficiently. This bill is a step in the right direction.”



HIGHWAY BILL INCLUDES PROVISIONS ON HOURS OF SERVICE, PORTS PERFORMANCE

Congress Thursday approved a new federal highway bill – the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act – a day before transportation funding expired. The $305 billion, five-year measure includes, among other provisions, ones calling for a permanent exemption from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Hours-of-Service Rule for truckers hauling livestock and poultry and for establishment of a Port Performance Statistics Program. The Hours-of-Service Rule requires certain truckers to take a 30-minute rest break for each 8 hours of service.

The port performance provision requires DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) to establish a working group of private-and public-sector participants to develop a set of metrics on port marine terminal productivity. DOT would collect data on port activity and measure it against established criteria, using the results as an early warning system for determining when ports stop operating normally and for when the federal government needs to step in to protect the economy. The ports measure was prompted by the November 2014 to February 2015 work slowdowns at West Coast ports that cost the U.S. meat and poultry sectors hundreds of millions of dollars.



Congress Negotiates Tax Extenders Package

Negotiations are ongoing on a tax extenders package though a final agreement is still uncertain. The outcome could range from a large scale package, a one year retroactive patch in which the provisions would expire again at the end of 2015, or failure to reinstate the expired tax provisions at all. Congress is hoping to conclude their work and adjourn by Dec. 11, though it is possible that goal could slip to Dec. 18.

The potential large scale tax extenders agreement would makes some provisions permanent, such as the higher Section 179 expensing limits, and provide a multi-year extension for others provisions, such as the biodiesel tax credit. The Republicans are motivated by the potential to make some of the business tax provisions permanent while Democrats would like to extend or make permanent the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the Child Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit that helps working families with education expenses. The education credit and expansions of the EITC and child credit are all scheduled to expire at the end of 2017.

A major issue with the large scale package is that the cost would be $700-$800 billion.  It is likely that the package would not be offset, meaning it would add to the budget deficit. However, permanently extending at least some of the tax provisions would – due to budgetary scoring reasons – make it easier to accomplish comprehensive tax reform in the future.



Texas Tech University System Pursuing Veterinary Medicine School

Texas Tech University System (TTUS) officials announced today (Dec. 4) plans to develop a veterinary school and veterinary medicine doctoral program in response to student demand and industry needs.

The College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources at Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) are utilizing established strengths to develop a program that provides important animal health solutions and veterinarians to address the unique agricultural challenges facing this region and state.

“Addressing the veterinary education needs in Texas is crucial not only because of the region’s and state’s deep-rooted history with agriculture and ranching, but also because of its continued prosperity,” said Robert L. Duncan, Texas Tech University System chancellor. “Our vision goes beyond the establishment of a veterinary school, setting out to transform the landscape of veterinary medicine education and provide innovative solutions for the industry’s future.”

Texas is the nation’s leading producer of cattle, a $13 billion industry in 2012, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture. There also are more than 248,000 ranches and farms in Texas, the most of any state in the U.S., with large animals and food-producing livestock.

“Agriculture is at the heart of every aspect of our daily lives, and Texas Tech has been at the forefront of agricultural research and discovery since its founding,” President M. Duane Nellis said. “As our population grows, so does the reliance on agriculture. Increased and enhanced infrastructure is necessary now and will continue to be in the future. Texas Tech is offering solutions to meet those needs.”

The College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources is one of the largest non-land grant agricultural schools in the nation with distinguished academic and research programs, world-renowned faculty and staff and award-winning students with a legacy of national championship titles. The college consists of eleven research centers and institutes, including the the Burnett Center & Feedlot, the International Center for Food Industry Excellence, the Texas Tech Equestrian Center, the Beef Cattle Center & New Deal Farm and the Department of Animal & Food Sciences, which offers the only animal science doctoral degree in the region.

Currently, there are more than 150 students in pre-veterinary education in the College of Agriculture Sciences & Natural Resources, but the lack of veterinary schools prohibits many qualified students from becoming veterinarians. Therefore, the new veterinary school will serve the needs of both Texas students and agriculture.

“Being in West Texas where most of the state’s and nation’s livestock are concentrated, we understand the importance of veterinary medicine and see the industry’s needs first-hand,” said Michael Galyean, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. “Texas Tewch has been committed to serving the agricultural industry since its establishment in 1923, and it is our goal to be a national leader in animal health, food animal production and biosecurity.”

Amarillo is the heart of the country’s leading livestock production area, and TTUHSC’s campus in Amarillo will serve as an ideal location for this initiative. In addition to leveraging its health care model that serves more than 2.5 million people throughout 108 counties, TTUHSC is poised to provide expertise, facilities and regional support. The university’s faculty and numerous schools, particularly its School of Pharmacy, have the ability to collaborate on curriculum development, course instruction and research.

“When TTUHSC was founded, its primary mission was to bring more health care providers to West Texas and provide health care services to an underserved region and population that provides food, fiber and fuel for the world,” said Tedd L. Mitchell, TTUHSC president. “In honoring this promise, we are now making a global impact. TTU shares this principle and vision for addressing the needs of the agricultural industry, and we are a natural fit to help transform veterinary medicine education.”

While the discussion of having a veterinary school goes back decades, the announcement comes after intensive internal planning, dialogue with higher education colleagues and notable interests from agricultural industry representatives and philanthropists. Texas Tech University System will continue discussions throughout 2016 and will seek appropriate approvals by the Texas Legislature and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.



Beef, Protein an All Day Discussion in 2015

If beef is what’s for dinner, what should be on the plates for the other meals? If you said it’s still beef, you’d be right. The fact is, research shows that balancing protein throughout the day makes good nutritional sense.

However, few Americans eat this way. The beef industry, however, through its Beef Checkoff Program, is working to educate consumers on the value of balance and adequate protein intake.

The challenge has been formidable. Research shows that Americans eat about two-thirds of their total daily protein at the dinner meal. That doesn’t leave much room for protein in your breakfast and lunch meals or snacks – and that could be a problem, current researchers say.

“The imbalance of protein meals is an issue,” according to Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., a professor in the department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. “High-quality protein of sufficient quantities and evenly spaced is key to gaining or maintaining muscle mass.”

Phillips, a recognized researcher focusing on the nutrition and exercise factors that affect muscle protein, says the elderly especially are in need of more protein per meal to stimulate protein synthesis and muscle generation. An optimal intake for robust stimulation in older men is 42 grams per meal, or what is provided by about 6 ounces of cooked 85% lean ground beef.

According to Heather Leidy, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition & Exercise Physiology at the University of Missouri, not only is protein important, but the time of day protein is consumed could be significant.  “Protein at breakfast appears to be a good target to increase protein intake,” Leidy says. “A high-protein breakfast seems to reduce food craving-based neural signals, and improve overall diet quality.”

In a review paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2015, Leidy and her colleagues suggested that higher-protein diets containing between 1.2 and 1.6 g of protein per kg of body weight per day (82 – 109 g of protein for a 150-pound person) – and including meal-specific quantities of at least 25-30 grams (equivalent to 3 – 3 ½ ounces of cooked beef) – provide these and other improvements.

Consensus of Opinion
The Beef Checkoff Program has helped support research seeking to answer these kinds of questions. One checkoff-supported study, conducted by Leidy, found that daily consumption of a higher-protein breakfast that included two eggs and 1.5 ounces of beef was superior to both a normal-protein breakfast that featured milk and cereal or skipping breakfast altogether, in terms of improving appetite control, curbing food cravings and reducing unhealthy snacking in overweight or obese teenage girls who routinely skip their breakfast meal. The research was featured in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2013 and in the Nutrition Journal in 2014.

This line of research has led to additional research on the timing, quantity and quality of protein intake and its impact on appetite and satiety, along with the development of novel dietary strategies and recommendations.

A disparity in the timing of protein consumption could contribute to health issues such as sarcopenia, or muscle loss, as well. A study on protein intake among the elderly, supported by the Beef Checkoff Program, demonstrated that consumption of both total and animal source protein was skewed heavily to the dinner meal. That could mean a disparity in quantity and quality of protein among the other meals.

The study, which utilized data from a nationally representative sample of the U.S. population (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005-06) and quantified protein intake and determined adequacy of protein in the diets of U.S. adults, was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2013.
              
Putting Research into Action
The research on balancing protein throughout the day provided impetus last spring for the beef industry’s 30 Day Protein Challenge, a step-by-step way to get the optimal amount of protein across all meals. The challenge encourages consumers to eat 30 grams of protein at every meal to help them maintain and/or build muscle, control food cravings and generally provide better overall health and wellness. Undertaking the Protein Challenge would help them take control of their appetite and kick-start the benefits of balancing protein consumption.

Consumers who sign up for the challenge receive daily inspirational e-mails, tools to help them succeed and delicious, nutritious beef recipes with plenty of protein. While the 30 Day Protein Challenge was officially kicked off last April, consumers can start anytime and receive the 30-day plan.

Registered dietitians helped develop the challenge by first trying it out themselves and providing feedback to strengthen the program. After her own 30 day experience, nutrition expert Melissa Joy Dobbins, MS, RDN, CDE said “I liked that my focus shifted to protein, which overall made me choose more nutrient-rich foods. It made me focus on more of a ‘real’ dinner than just throwing something together.”

Dobbins noted that the broad nature of the Protein Challenge helped generate a wider appeal.  “Some people still don’t get that there is a wide range of acceptable protein intakes and that ‘plant based diets’ aren’t the only healthful approach,” she said.

Thousands of consumers have since become active in the 30 Day Protein Challenge program, with a website landing page becoming the most visited page on www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com. Tens of thousands of visits have been made to the page, thanks to state beef council and national efforts to promote it.

It was the research, however, that gave the program its value and credibility.

“Research has always been a cornerstone of our efforts to encourage better nutrition among consumers,” according to Jennifer Houston, a beef producer from Sweetwater, Tenn., and chairman of the Federation of State Beef Councils. “As we learn more about the benefits of protein consumption throughout the day, we can share those with thought-leaders and others who are helping consumers enjoy optimal nutrition. Making sure people have the proper amount of high-quality protein at the right times is certainly one way we can improve nutrition nationwide.”

Houston says it’s also a way to continue to stress the value of beef in the diet. She says the educational and research efforts are a natural fit. “Without research, our promotions and educational efforts wouldn’t be effective or believable,” she says. “Our emphasis on research is how we find out as much as possible about protein, and that’s evidence that what we do is based on what we know to be true.”



Survey: Nearly 80 Percent Mistakenly Believe Chicken Contains Hormones

The National Chicken Council (NCC) released new national survey findings on consumers' perceptions about chicken production, revealing that nearly 80 percent of Americans mistakenly believe that chicken contains added hormones or steroids, when in fact no chicken sold or raised in the U.S. is given hormones or steroids.

In some cases, consumers aren't able to easily access facts on chicken production. According to the survey, 68 percent of Americans believe that the media portrays the care of chicken negatively, highlighting the need for chicken producers to engage in more conversations with consumers about where their chicken comes from. The survey uncovered many concerning assumptions about the care and safety of chicken, including:

Misperseption -- A majority (78 percent) believe chickens are genetically modified.

Reality -- There are no genetically modified chickens. Over the years, chickens with the healthiest growth and size have been selected for breeding -- and are fed, housed and raised well. The result is a larger, healthier bird.

Misperception -- A majority (77 percent) believe chicken contains added hormones or steroids.

Reality -- No chicken sold or raised in the U.S. is given hormones or steroids. In fact, the USDA has banned all hormones and steroids in poultry since the 1950s. Good breeding, proper nutrition, care by a veterinarian and better living conditions all contribute to the healthier growth of birds.

Misperception -- Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) believe antibiotics are present in most chicken meat.

Reality -- Any meat from chickens sold in the U.S. is free of antibiotics. The USDA regulates withdrawal periods to ensure no meat bought in-store contains antibiotics or antibiotic residue from animals that may need medicine.

Misperception -- More than two-thirds (68 percent) believe most chickens raised for meat are raised in cages.

Reality -- No chicken meat you buy is raised in a cage. The majority of chickens raised for meat in the U.S. live in large, open structures called houses where they are free to walk around.

In an effort to recognize and respond to these concerns, NCC announced the launch of Chicken Check In, which provides real answers to questions about chicken production in the U.S., and gives Americans a close look at the lives of the birds and how they get to our tables every day.

"We take pride in the care of our chickens, but we know it's on us as an industry to do a better job of providing more information on how our food gets from farm to table," said Tom Super, spokesperson for the National Chicken Council. "Food is an emotionally-charged topic, and with conflicting information readily available online and on social media, it's understandable people are concerned. We invite consumers with open arms to come and take a look at the work we're doing to progress as an industry in providing safe, healthy and sustainable food."

NCC invites Americans to visit Chicken Check In to learn more about how the chicken they purchase and feed their families is raised. The site offers consumers the opportunity to get a close look at how chickens are raised, from the farm to grocery store shelves. From videos to answers to frequently asked questions, Chicken Check In is as a resource for consumers to get the information they are seeking about chicken care.

"The mission of Chicken Check In is to provide those who have questions with the level of information they want regarding the care and safety of the chicken they eat," said Super. "We're committed to continuing to build consumer trust by having open conversations and inviting Americans to ask the questions they have now and in the future as they learn more about chicken production."

For additional information on the survey, to view an infographic on chicken care, or to learn more about the National Chicken Council, visit www.ChickenCheck.in. For chicken recipes, safe handling tips and food safety information, visit www.ChickenRoost.com.