Monday February 29 Ag News

Feeding the First Calf Heifers After Calving
Steve Tonn, Nebraska Extension Educator – Beef Systems, Washington County

One of the challenges is providing a high quality diet to first-calf heifers after calving.  In many situations, the energy needs are not met and the first calf female loses weight and body condition from the time of calving to the start of the breeding season.

Energy is the primary nutrient regulating reproduction.  Undernourished heifers are delayed in their resumption of estrous cycles.  Energy available to postpartum heifers includes energy eaten every day and energy reserves in the form of fat and muscle (body condition).  First-calf heifers should be in body condition score 6 at calving.

The pounds of protein or energy needed by first-calf heifers compared to a mature cow at the same stage of gestation or lactation are not all that different.  However, the percent of the diet that needs to be protein or energy between these two groups of females is different.

The difference is because of the amount of feed/forage that they can eat.  The mature cow can eat more feed compared to the younger female.  This difference becomes even more important before and after calving for first-calf heifers.  Research conducted at the University of Nebraska reported in 2004 Nebraska Beef Report that first-calf heifers have a 17% reduction in feed intake beginning 3 weeks prior to calving and potentially lasting for up to 3 weeks post calving.

For this reason, first-calf heifers should be managed and fed separately from the mature cows.  The first-calf females post calving need to consume a diet that is at least 62% TDN and 10-11% crude protein, depending on the level of milk production.

Forage testing is the cheapest nutritional strategy available.  Knowing the quality of our forages is necessary because many of our hays will not meet the first-calf heifer’s energy needs.  A high energy feed may need to be supplemented.  Corn, distillers grains, gluten feeds, 20% cube, or silage may be good choices.  Make sure that the protein requirement is met, especially when corn or silage is fed.

To complement a higher energy diet, also feed an ionophore to heifers.  An ionophore gives heifers more energy per mouthful, particularly in late gestation and early lactation, to optimize what she can get out of the forage.  Research has shown that by feeding an ionophore her postpartum interval can be shortened.

The young beef female poses challenges, but she is the future of your cow herd.  Don’t short her after calving, especially don’t skimp on energy.  She has enough challenges between calving and the beginning of the breeding season.  Don’t over feed her, but give her the opportunity to be a productive part of the herd.

Management Questions to Consider:
Do I know the quality of my forages?
Do I separate young cows from mature cows?
What is my least cost energy supplement for my heifers and cows?
What is the body condition score of my first-calf heifers at calving? Breeding?

Additional resources:
-        UNL Beef website: beef.unl.edu
-        UNL BeefWatch (monthly e-newsletter that you can subscribe to): http://newsroom.unl.edu/announce/beef. 
-        UNL BeefWatch Podcasts (these are more intimate chats with some of the authors of the BeefWatch articles, you can also subscribe or download them): http://beef.unl.edu/beefwatch-podcast. 



Nebraska Cow-Calf Symposium is March 22-23 in Columbus

The Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN) would like to announce the upcoming “Nebraska Cow-Calf Symposium and Tour” which will be held on Tuesday, March 22nd and Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016, at the Ramada Inn & Conference Center in Columbus, NE. The event will begin at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday and will feature information about the opportunities that beef barns have to offer.

The Nebraska Cow-Calf Symposium will include presentations from Morgan Hayes with the University of Illinois Extension, Kelly Jones and Roberto Eizmendi with Cactus Feeders, Willow Holoubek with AFAN and Jason Warner with Great Plains Livestock Consulting Inc. A beef building tour will also take place on Wednesday, March 23rd and will include a variety of different barns.
“We are excited about the chance to offer, specifically, eastern Nebraska a way to grow in the beef industry despite the decrease in pasture land and the increase in land price,” explained Willow Holoubek, Executive Director of AFAN, the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska “We have always talked about opportunities to bring home the next generation and with the innovation of these different types of beef barns, we feel this is an opportunity to include the beef industry in those conversations.”

If you are interested in attending, please visit www.necowcalfsymposium.eventbrite.com to view the full agenda and to register. Early bird tickets are $55 until March 11th. For questions please contact Emily Skillett at (402) 421-4416 or emilys@a-fan.org.



Windbreak Workshop
Amy Timmerman, NE Extension Educator, O'Neill

The Upper Elkhorn NRD, Lower Niobrara NRD, Natural Resources Conservation Services, Nebraska Forest Service, and Nebraska Extension are teaming up together to offer a windbreak workshop.

Topics to be discussed are:
·    Tips for successful tree planting and site preparation
·    Factors for a successful and healthy windbreak, most common issues encountered with re-enrolling CRP Windbreaks
·    Post planting care of young windbreaks, weed and grass control tree shelters, and fabric cutting

Overall this workshop is a great opportunity to explore how to restore declining windbreaks, how to create new windbreaks, and ways to maintain windbreaks of all ages. There will also be a question and answer period for specific questions.

This program will be offered:
Wednesday March 9, 2016, 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Holt County Courthouse Annex
128 N 6th Street, O’Neill, NE 68763

There is no fee for this program. Questions regarding the program please contact the Holt County Extension Office at 402-336-2760. 



Trade Missions Build Relationships and Expand Markets for Iowa Corn

The world over, one adage holds true, people want to do business with individuals and organizations they know and trust. To see how markets work and to talk face-to-face with customers around the world, Iowa farmers through the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) along with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) have boots on the ground in major export markets. Building relationships amongst Iowa corn farmers and international buyers remains a key to USGC and USMEF’s work that can be directly attributed to sales of U.S. corn products.

“During these missions, Iowa corn farmers learn more about their customers’ businesses and these activities show them we value their partnership,” said Heckman. “This is really the only way to move the needle in knowing buyers’ needs, the quality of the product they are seeking, and how we can meet their expectations.”

In 2015, Iowa corn farmers went on several trade missions to discuss topics such as crop progress, DDGs, meat trade visits and communicating the results of the corn quality report.

“Every meeting includes us telling the story of our farm which helps them put a face to the product they buy,” Heckman explained. “Sometimes they simply want to learn about corn planting or harvest. Other times they want to discover our methods for corn or livestock production. These simple exchanges of knowledge yield some of the most important connections. If price is the same with our competition, the relationships we have built will win the business.”                                                                                                                                                                  

Examples of Recent Trade Servicing Missions:
In an effort to provide a transparent and objective view of the most recent U.S. corn crop, USGC released the 2015/2016 Corn Harvest Report. The overall report showed the crop was better than the average based on the previous four years on most attributes, with 94 percent of the samples grade U.S. No. 2 or better. U.S. farmers journeyed around the world sharing the report with international buyers.

    ICPB Director Wayne Humphreys and a farmer from Louisa County traveled to Mexico l where he met with two different consulates, made three facility inspections and completed four corn quality presentations. In Torreon, Mexico, his presentation was attended by 25 buyers who collectively import 20 percent of the country’s corn and DDGS. Transloading facilities in the area are increasing capacity from 80 cars to 110 cars to meet current industry standards. “Mexico is the second largest buyer of U.S. corn,” said Humphreys. “Iowa sends corn to Mexico by rail, which customers appreciate because it can be loaded on rail cars and shipped directly to the source reducing the amount of handling and maintaining the quality. This includes corn in all forms such as DDGs and ethanol. Our Mexican customers including the feed buyers I spoke to are extremely important to us. They have come to rely on the quality and availability of U.S. corn for the success of their businesses.”

    ICPB Director Roger Zylstra, a corn farmer from Jasper County traveled to Chile to participate for a corn harvest quality rollout. Chile has imported corn from the US in the past but currently is using only small quantities of U.S. corn. The purpose of this journey was to reestablish Chile contacts and try to develop this market. Chile currently has extensive modern Poultry and Pork enterprises. The next meeting was with Asprocer, a fully integrated pork producer. They source their corn from ADM and transport it 40 miles to their feed mill. They are interested in using more U.S. corn if they can get good quality corn. “They were impressed with the detail of the quality report,” said Zylstra. “They also asked about our use of GMO’s and if they would continue to dominate our corn supply. I think the effort by the US Grains Council to compile and present the corn quality report will help open new markets and maintain current markets for U.S. and Iowa corn farmers.”



FY 2016 Exports Forecast at $125.0 Billion; Imports at a Record $118.5 Billion
USDA Economic Research Service - Feb 2016 update
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/2022721/outlook-for-us-ag-trade-aes91.pdf

Agricultural exports in FY 2016 are forecast at $125.0 billion, $6.5 billion below the November projection and $14.7 billion below FY 2015 exports. Lower prices, strong competition, and reduced demand account for most of the decline. Grain and feed exports are forecast at $27.2 billion, down $1.4 billion from the November forecast as strong competition reduces volumes and ample global supplies reduce unit values of corn and wheat. Oilseed and product exports are forecast at $25.4 billion, down $900 million from the previous forecast in response to lower soybean and soybean meal export volumes and prices. A strong dollar relative to weaker currencies in Brazil and Argentina has reduced U.S. competitiveness. Cotton exports are forecast at $3.2 billion, unchanged from November. The forecast for livestock, poultry, and dairy is lowered $2.5 billion from the previous forecast to $25.7 billion as lower prices drive declines for virtually all products. Horticultural exports
are lowered $1.8 billion, but remain at a record $34.7 billion, mainly due to lower volumes and unit prices for many commodities (a combination that has not affected exports since 2009).   

U.S. agricultural imports are forecast at a record $118.5 billion, down $3.5 billion from  November but $4.5 billion higher than in FY 2015. The U.S. agricultural trade surplus is forecast at $6.5 billion, down from $25.7 billion in FY 2015 and the lowest since FY 2006. 



Corn Growers Disappointed in Supreme Court Declining to Review Chesapeake Decision

The National Corn Growers Association today expressed disappointment in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to review a lower court ruling allowing the Environmental Protection Agency to micromanage local land use and development decisions under the guise of the Clean Water Act.

While this action relates to the EPA’s so-called “blueprint” for restoring the Chesapeake Bay, it has national implications related to the power and reach of the federal government. The TMDL, or total maximum daily load, is an unlawful overreach of federal regulatory power, NCGA notes.

“The EPA has consistently pushed the legal limits of the Clean Water Act, with the Chesapeake Bay blueprint and the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule being two of the most recent examples,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling, who farms on the Chesapeake Bay watershed in southern Maryland.

“When Congress passed the Clean Water Act, their intention was to create balanced, practical policies to protect America’s water resources with a clear division of power between states and the federal government. In both of these cases, the EPA’s actions represent an unlawful expansion of their authority. That’s why we joined this petition on the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, and we are party to a lawsuit challenging the WOTUS rule,” said Bowling.

“We support the goals of the Clean Water Act, and we remain committed to working with the EPA and other stakeholders to protect our water resources.”



Statement by Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation, Regarding Supreme Court Petition for Certiorari

"We, of course, are disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision not to examine the lawfulness of EPA's Chesapeake Bay 'blueprint.' EPA has asserted the power to sit as a federal zoning board, dictating which land can be farmed and where homes, roads and schools can be built. We remain firm in opposing this unlawful expansion of EPA's power. We will closely monitor the agency's actions in connection with the Bay blueprint, as well as any efforts to impose similar mandates in other areas. This lawsuit has ended, but the larger battle over the scope of EPA's power is not over.

"Farmers are justifiably proud of their successes in reducing agriculture's impact on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, and they remain committed to further improvements. We will continue to support state and local programs to improve agriculture's environmental performance, and we will continue to oppose EPA overreach."



Ag Law Education Initiative to Host Webinar on Big Data

Big data has become a buzzword in agriculture.  Big data is seen to have a role in potentially increasing food production and working to make agriculture more environmentally sustainable.  As more and more opportunities develop that allow farmers to utilize data being developed in their operations, issues also arise.  Although the full impact of this new data revolution in agriculture has not yet been met, many questions exist.  Security issues, ownership issues, and economic impacts are some of the unresolved questions.  On March 3rd at 12pm EST, the University of Maryland, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, and Texas A&M University will host a webinar Developing Issues in Agriculture: Economic Issues Related to Big Data in Agriculture.  This webinar will be the first in a series of two webinars focused on big data, a later webinar will focus on developing legal issues related to big data.

            Speaker will be Dr. Terry Griffin, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University where his research and extension programs focus on cropping systems and precision agriculture.  Dr. Griffin will focus on the economic impact of big data on agriculture.

            The webinar is sponsored by the University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, the Agriculture Law Education Initiative, Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University Department of Agricultural Economics, and Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Click here for more information and to register.... http://go.umd.edu/BigDataWebinar1. 



Valuing groundwater during National Groundwater Awareness Week

If you value your life, you should value groundwater, the National Ground Water Association said today in recognition of National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 6-12.

Quite literally, life as we know it would not be possible without groundwater.

“National Groundwater Awareness Week is a time to take stock of this most important natural resource,” said NGWA Director of General Public Outreach Cliff Treyens.

“In times of drought or groundwater contamination — when people are noticeably affected — the value of groundwater becomes clear,” said Treyens. “The principle behind what Benjamin Franklin said two centuries ago remains true today: ‘When the well runs dry, we shall know the value of water.’”

It is estimated that groundwater makes up an estimated 99 percent of all freshwater in the world. At a national level, the United States uses:
-    76 billion gallons of groundwater a day (bgd) for all purposes
-    49.5 bgd for agricultural irrigation
-    15.7 bgd for public water supplies
-    3.5 bgd for individual households through privately owned water wells
-    3 bgd for livestock and aquaculture
-    2.9 bgd for industry (self-supplied)
-    1.1 bgd for mining
-    Nearly 600 million gallons per day for thermoelectric power generation.

Because groundwater is “out of sight, out of mind” for most, National Groundwater Awareness Week provides a convenient opportunity for people to learn about the importance of groundwater to their lives, said Treyens. He urged the public to visit NGWA’s groundwater fundamentals web page, as well as its website, WellOwner.org, where well owners can learn information vital to take care of their water quality and their wells.

Here are some more interesting groundwater facts:
-    The 79.3 bgd a day used in the United States equals 1 billion, 586 million bathtubs full of water, enough to circle the Earth more than 60 times
-    India is the largest groundwater user in the world, using 66.3 trillion gallons in one year — enough water to fill an 18-inch-diameter pipeline to the Moon and back — 2,000 times
-    Groundwater is under most of the Earth’s surface
-    Under Africa’s Sahara Desert, there’s 20 times more groundwater than all the surface water in the entire continent’s lakes.

Nebraska uses an estimated 4,710 million gallons of groundwater a day (mgd). Use includes:
-    44 mgd is used for individual household wells
-    234 mgd is used for public drinking water systems
-    4,300 mgd is used for irrigation.

The Nebraska Well Drillers Association joined the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) in urging the citizens of Nebraska to take a moment to consider groundwater and its importance to them, the nation, and the world.

“Nebraska, like every state, depends on groundwater for drinking water, agriculture, industry, and the environment,” said NGWA Public Awareness Director Cliff Treyens. “Life as we know it could not exist without groundwater. It is a resource worth knowing about, appreciating, and valuing.”



CWT Assists with 1.8 Million Pounds of Cheese and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 6 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Michigan Milk Producers Association and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) who have contracts to sell 747,367 pounds (339 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and 1.102 million pounds (500 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia and South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from February through July 2016.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 8.234 million pounds of cheese, 5.401 million pounds of butter and 6.847 million pounds of whole milk powder to twelve countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 247.519 million 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.