Monday July 11 Ag News + Crop Progress

NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending July 10, 2016, rainfall at midweek brought an inch or more of moisture to most of the eastern half of the State, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation was lighter in western areas and missed much of the southwest. The midweek storms were accompanied by high winds, with lodging and greensnap reported in a number of eastern counties. Temperatures averaged near normal. Wheat harvest progressed northward into west central counties. There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 5 percent very short, 25 short, 68 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 4 percent very short, 18 short, 76 adequate, and 2 surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 16 fair, 63 good, and 17 excellent. Corn silking was 29 percent, ahead of 17 last year and the five-year average of 22.

Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 0 poor, 17 fair, 71 good, and 12 excellent.

Soybeans condition rated 1 percent very poor, 3 poor, 18 fair, 64 good, and 14 excellent. Soybeans blooming was 28 percent, behind 38 last year and 36 average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3 percent very poor, 8 poor, 25 fair, 51 good, and 13 excellent. Winter wheat coloring was 99 percent, near 95 last year and 96 average. Harvested was 38 percent, ahead of 24 last year, and near 34 average.

Oats condition rated 1 percent very poor, 1 poor, 26 fair, 64 good, and 8 excellent. Oats coloring was 86 percent, ahead of 75 last year. Harvested was 26 percent, ahead of 13 last year, and near 24 average.

Alfalfa condition rated 3 percent very poor, 3 poor, 12 fair, 67 good, and 15 excellent. Alfalfa second cutting was 60 percent, well ahead of 40 last year, and ahead of 48 average.

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 2 percent very poor, 2 poor, 19 fair, 64 good, and 13 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 0 percent very short, 5 short, 92 adequate, and 3 surplus.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

 Hit or miss rains allowed Iowa farmers 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending July 10, 2016, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Activities for the week included herbicide and insecticide applications to soybeans and second cutting of hay. There were scattered reports of crop damage due to strong winds and hail.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 17 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. South central and southeast Iowa were the driest areas of the State with 49 percent rated short to very short on subsoil moisture.

Twenty-nine percent of the corn crop had reached the silking stage. Corn condition rated 79 percent good to excellent.

Soybeans blooming reached 40 percent, 2 days ahead of both last year and the five-year average. Six percent of soybeans were setting pods, 4 days ahead of normal. Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent this week.

Nearly all of the State’s oat crop was headed. Oat acreage turning color reached 75 percent, with 16 percent of the oat crop harvested for grain or seed, 4 days ahead of last year. The statewide oat crop condition rating was unchanged from last week at 80 percent good to excellent.

The second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 67 percent, more than 2 weeks ahead of last year and 11 days ahead of the average. The third cutting of alfalfa hay got underway this week. Hay condition was rated at 72 percent good to excellent, while pasture condition rated 61 percent good to excellent. Livestock were generally reported to be in good condition, benefiting from cooler temperatures.



IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry J. Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

The crop reporting week began with a dry and unseasonably cool Fourth of July with daytime high temperatures mostly in the seventies. However, heat and humidity made a very rapid return on Tuesday (5th) with highs in the mid-eighties northeast to mid-nineties southwest. The highest humidity levels of the year pushed the heat index to 115 degrees at Red Oak where the dew point reached an extremely high 84 degrees. Thunderstorms brought rain to most of the east one-half of Iowa, plus west central Iowa, late on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. Heavy rain fell in east central Iowa with these storms where two to three inch amounts were common from Cedar Rapids to Clinton and Davenport. Wednesday was another very warm day but not nearly as humid as Tuesday with highs in the low eighties east to low nineties west. Thunderstorms dampened nearly all of Iowa between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. The Wednesday night rainfall brought one-half to one and one-half inches of rain to almost all of Iowa, but largely missed east central Iowa where heavy rain fell the previous night. Additionally these storms brought numerous reports of high winds, especially in west central and north central Iowa. There were some scattered thunderstorms across the northwest one-half of the state on Thursday (7th) afternoon with a few isolated reports of large hail. Dry weather with near-seasonal temperatures prevailed statewide on Friday and Saturday. Finally, showers and thunderstorms moved across about the northeast one-half of Iowa on Sunday (10th) morning. Temperature extremes for the week varied from a Monday (4th) morning low of 49 degrees at Elkader to a Tuesday (5th) afternoon high of 95 degrees at Sidney. Temperatures for the week averaged slightly below normal northeast to slightly above normal southwest with a statewide average of 0.3 degrees below normal. Weekly rain totals varied from 0.62 inches at Orange City and 0.65 inches at Iowa City Airport to 4.14 inches at Lowden. The statewide average rain total was 1.71 inches while normal for the week is 1.07 inches.



USDA Weekly Crop Progress
Corn silking and soybean blooming increased notably in the week ended July 10, remaining well above five-year averages, according to USDA's latest Crop Progress report released Monday.

Corn silking was at 32%, compared to 15% last week, 23% last year and a 26% average. Corn condition improved slightly to 76% good to excellent, compared to 75% last week.

Forty percent of the nation's soybeans were blooming, compared to 22% last week, 33% last year and a 31% five-year average. Setting pods was reported for the first time this growing season at 7%, compared to 5% last year and a 5% five-year average. Soybean conditions improved slightly to 71% good to excellent, compared to 70% last week.

Winter wheat was 66% harvested as of Sunday, compared to 58% last week, 62% last year and a 65% average. Winter wheat condition is no longer being reported.

Spring wheat was 91% headed, compared to 74% last week, 87% last year and a 64% average. Spring wheat condition decreased to 70% good to excellent, compared to 72% last week.

Cotton squaring was at 57%, compared to 42% last week, 57% last year and a 62% average. Setting bolls was reported at 19%, compared to 11% last week, 16% last year and a 19% average. Cotton condition declined to 54% good to excellent from 56% the previous week.

Sorghum was 31% headed, compared to 29% last week, 27% last year and 27% on average. Coloring was reported for the first time this growing season at 16%, compared to 16% last year and a 19% average. Sorghum condition held steady at 69% good to excellent.

Oats were 96% headed, compared to 92% last week, 95% last year, and 88% on average. Oat harvest has begun with 13% complete, compared to 10% last year and 13% average. Oats condition held steady at 67% good to excellent.

Barley was 89% headed, compared to 72% last week, 92% last year and a 68% average. Barley condition decreased slightly to 74% good to excellent from 75% last week.

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 SCN Scouting Recommendation Changes; SCN Resistance Possible 
John Wilson - Extension Educator
Loren Giesler - Extension Plant Pathologist

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first soybean cyst nematode (SCN) identification in Nebraska near Falls City. Since then it has been identified in 58 counties that produce 94% of Nebraska’s soybeans. In that 30-year period, SCN has cost Nebraska farmers over $1 billion in lost yields. Probably at least 90% of those losses came from fields that looked perfectly healthy.

That is what makes SCN such a devastating pest. Yield losses of 25%-30% have been documented in fields with no visible signs of injury on the soybean plants. This is also why SCN detection is so important and the first step in managing it.

There are two ways to detect SCN in the field:
-    through a close visual observation of the root system and
-    by collecting a soil sample to be analyzed for the presence of SCN.

Visual Detection
The cyst is the only stage of the SCN life cycle that is visible without a microscope. The cyst, which is about the size of the period at the end of this sentence, is the swollen body of female SCN filled with up to 400 eggs. Cysts start to appear on soybean roots about a month after they emerge. To look for them, dig up plants, then knock the soil off or rinse the roots and carefully examine for cysts. (Dig rather than pull plants to avoid breaking off small roots or dislodging cysts.)

Do this in random spots across the field when you’re scouting for other pests such as soybean aphids or in areas where you’ve noticed plants might wilt sooner, be uneven in height, or appear not quite as healthy as in other areas of the field. Severely stunted, chlorotic or dying plants may signal an extremely high SCN population or several other conditions.

Look closely for small, off white to tan “bumps” on the roots, smaller than the nitrogen-fixing nodules you normally see. Under a hand lens you’ll be able to see they are lemon-shaped. Finding the cysts means you have SCN in your field; however, if you don’t see any cysts, you can NOT say that SCN is not present in your field.

Cysts can be very difficult to detect, especially when populations are low, and they will initially occur in small areas in a field. If you don’t check plants in those small areas, it would be easy to miss detecting them visually. A more reliable detection method is analyzing a soil sample for the presence of SCN.

Soil Sampling
Use the same method to take a soil sample for SCN as you would to take a sample for a fertilizer recommendation. Sample about 6-8 inches deep at random points across a field, mix the soil together, and submit a portion of the composite sample for analysis. If you are taking a sample for your fertilizer recommendations anyway, collect a few more soil cores, mix them all together, and submit half of the sample for fertility analysis and the other half for SCN analysis.

The time to deviate from a composite sample over an entire field (or up to about 80 acres) is if you observe areas in your field where plants look unhealthy or your yield maps showed lower yields that you can’t explain due to soil type, compaction, insect injury, weed pressure, or other stresses. Then take a soil sample from the suspect area and another sample where plants looked healthy or your yields were good and compare the results of these two samples to see if SCN could have caused the problem.

The Nebraska Soybean Board sponsors a program that covers the cost of the SCN analysis (normally $20/sample). Bags to submit samples through this program are available at your local Nebraska Extension office. This is an opportunity for farmers to get a direct benefit on their farm from United Soybean Board Soy Checkoff dollars.

Results from University of Nebraska research trials showed an average six bushels per acre yield increase when comparing SCN-resistant and susceptible varieties on all 29 SCN-infested sites across the state. Yield losses were greater on sandy soils at several locations. They averaged over twice that much, about 12.5 bushels per acre, on five SCN-infested sites on sandy soils in northeast Nebraska.

Resistant varieties significantly reduced reproduction in all SCN-infested fields when compared to susceptible varieties. The best news is, SCN-resistant varieties cost no more than susceptible varieties, but can significantly increase yields. However, these resistant varieties underperformed top yielding susceptible varieties by an average of about 2 bushels per acre when compared to non-infested fields. That is why we don’t recommend planting resistant varieties unless SCN is present in a field.

New Scouting Recommendation
We now recommend testing for SCN about every six years after SCN was first confirmed in a field. By doing this and comparing the egg counts, you can determine if you are effectively managing SCN in your field. It is important to sample at the same time of year and with the same crop in the field or following the same crop to get an accurate comparison.

For example, if you sampled your field in the fall after harvest when soybeans had been planted in the field six years ago, it is important to resample in the fall following soybeans. If your rotation is such that soybeans weren’t planted six years after the initial test was taken, wait another year or two until you are taking the sample at the same time of year with the same crop growing or having been grown in the field.

Hopefully your SCN egg counts will be the same or lower than the counts from the sample taken six years earlier. Follow-up sampling is important as we are finding SCN populations in Nebraska fields that can reproduce on PI88788 varieties, the most common source of SCN resistance.

This source of resistance is found in about 98% of all SCN-resistant varieties commercially available to Nebraska farmers. The SCN reproduction on these resistant varieties is not as great as on a susceptible variety, but it is great enough that farmers are not effectively reducing the level of SCN in their fields. If your egg counts are increasing rather than decreasing and you have planted SCN-resistant varieties, you need to check for a soybean variety that has a different source of resistance or consider rotating out of soybeans for several years, possibly four or five years of alfalfa if that fits in your rotation.



Nebraska Farmers Union Send Public Comments to EPA Supporting Higher Congressionally Set 2017 Volume Levels

Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) submitted written comments with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today on behalf of their 4,000 farm and ranch family members.  The comments asked EPA to adjust their proposed Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) volume obligations for 2017 upward to reflect the mandated levels established by Congress in 2007.

NeFU’s comments concluded “NeFU implores EPA to adjust their proposed Renewable Fuels Standard volume obligations for 2017 to be consistent with the mandated levels established by Congress in 2007.   We ask you to follow the law.”

NeFU’s comments included the Special Order of Business in support of the RFS that described in detail the massive economic impact Nebraska’s ethanol production has on agriculture, rural communities and the state.  Nebraska’s ethanol industry is the second largest in the nation, has 24 value added plants that represent over $5 billion of capital investment and new tax base and $15 million of property tax revenue.  Nebraska’s 24 ethanol plants provide 1,300 direct jobs producing $71 million of annual income and 3,000 additional indirect jobs producing $319 million or earned income.  Those 24 plants also generate over $5 billion of additional annual economic development activity, produce 2 billion gallons of ethanol and utilize 700 million bushels of corn that represents over 43% of our state’s corn production.

NeFU’s comments reminded EPA’s of the financial crisis facing agriculture:  “Our farmer members are facing the third year of below cost of production grain commodity levels.  EPA makes the growing economic crisis in rural America worse by lowering the Congress mandated RFS production levels.”

NeFU’s comments strongly criticized EPA for not following the volume levels set by Congress, for rewarding the oil retailers for dragging their feed on the deployment and utilization of blender pumps, E15 and E85 pumps, and working against the Obama Administration’s efforts to slow the rate of climate change by reducing carbon emissions and greenhouse gas emissions. 

NeFU President John Hansen said “Why EPA continues to ignore the clear direction from Congress on ethanol production targets remains a mystery to us.  Our nation is facing an environmental crisis from too many carbon emissions and a financial crisis in rural America because of depressed commodity prices.  EPA’s proposed production targets for 2017 make both our environmental and farm prices crises worse. At a minimum, we expect EPA to follow the law,” he concluded.  “That is not too much to expect.”



Iowa leaders send letter to President Obama, EPA Administrator McCarthy on proposed RFS rule

Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Department of Transportation Paul Trombino and Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Chuck Gipp today sent a letter to President Obama and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy encouraging the administration to revise their ill-advised proposed rule on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and submitted comments to the EPA in support of a robust RFS. The comment period ends at 11:59 p.m. ET tonight.   Iowans interested in commenting on the proposed rule can do so here. 

In the letter to Obama and McCarthy, Iowa leaders say, “We write once again to strongly encourage you to revise and increase the proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) volume obligation levels closer to congressionally authorized levels in order to grow the production and use of renewable fuels and revitalize the economy in rural America. We have grown increasingly frustrated by the Federal Government’s weakening support for renewable transportation fuels. We hope that our comments and those of the biofuels industry are considered fully in your final deliberations. Our concerns, at their simplest level, center on the fact that the Clean Air Act does not give the EPA the authority to issue a general waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard in this situation. The law makes it clear that the EPA may only issue a general waiver based on a determination that there is “an inadequate domestic supply” and not on other grounds such as distribution capacity.

“Iowa leaders have continued to actively engage on this issue, which is so important to a healthy economy in rural America. There remains a strong consensus in the Heartland that the EPA needs to reverse course on their once again flawed proposal and reject Big Oil’s counterproductive arguments. The use of biofuels in the Midwest has continued to grow, and we are confident that this trend can extend nationally. The RFS as enacted, was one of the best recent examples of a federal policy success, because of the policy predictability it provided to nurture growth and innovation.”



ASA to EPA on RFS: 'We Can Do More than a Slow Crawl Forward'

In comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy today, the American Soybean Association (ASA) urged EPA to increase the volumes for biomass-based diesel to 2.5 billion gallons for 2018, an increase of 400 million gallons over the levels in the Proposed Rule.

“Our differences with EPA’s proposed volumes are relatively small, but they are important,” wrote ASA President Richard Wilkins in the association’s comments. “The EPA and the Administration are missing an easy opportunity to help the agriculture and rural economy while at the same time achieving greater greenhouse gas emissions reductions – a high priority for EPA and this Administration.”

“While EPA’s Proposed Rule does move forward with biomass-based diesel volumes, increasing them from 2.0 to 2.1 billion gallons from 2017 to 2018, we can – and should – do more,” added Wilkins. “Given the many benefits that biodiesel provides, we think EPA should enthusiastically support more aggressive, but easily achievable, volume targets for biodiesel. We see no reason why EPA should not, at a minimum, support biomass-based diesel volumes of 2.5 billion gallons for 2018.”

ASA argued that EPA’s proposed requirements fail to capture either the current capacity or the potential growth for biodiesel.

“An increase of biomass-based diesel volume requirements to 2.5 billion gallons in 2018 is achievable and warranted,” wrote Wilkins. “There is idle domestic production capacity and ample, price-competitive feedstock available to supply increased domestic biodiesel production. … While the Proposed Rule does increase biomass-based diesel volumes, these proposed volumes are below the registered production capacity in the United States, below the amounts utilized in the U.S. in 2015 and the amounts expected to be utilized in 2016 and 2017.

Wilkins pointed in the comments to the significant greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of biodiesel as a key reason EPA should more fully embrace and recognize biodiesel in the RFS moving forward.

“By EPA’s assessment, biodiesel achieves greenhouse gas emissions reductions ranging from 50 percent to 86 percent better than petroleum diesel,” wrote Wilkins. “These significant GHG emission reductions achieved by biodiesel makes it hard to understand EPA’s reluctance to embrace more aggressive biomass-based diesel RFS volumes. The Administration and EPA have repeatedly cited that reducing emissions is a priority and the energy sector has been a primary focal point in achieving this goal.”

“Given the economic and environmental benefits of biodiesel, we believe that the soybean industry and the EPA should be allies on RFS issues,” concluded Wilkins. “We can do more than a slow crawl forward.”



NCGA to EPA: Raise the RVO

In comments submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today, the National Corn Growers Association called on the Agency to raise the amount of renewable fuel blended into the nation's gas supply in 2017.

In a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, NCGA President Chip Bowling writes, "The RFS is doing exactly what it was intended to do. It is successfully driving the adoption of renewable fuel alternatives to petroleum, supporting jobs across the country, and ensuring the United States remains a global leader in developing new renewable energy sources while decreasing GHG emissions here at home."

In its Proposed Rule for the 2017 Standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Program, the EPA proposed cutting ethanol volumes below the level set by Congress. This is the fourth consecutive year EPA has proposed volumes below statute, a decision that has stalled investment in the renewable fuels industry.

Bowling urged EPA to return to statute and raise the ethanol numbers. "We request that you reconsider the proposed reduction in the renewable volume obligations as a step toward re-establishing regulatory certainty for the renewable fuels industry, and stand up for our nation's environmental health."





NORTHEY TO VISIT HAMILTON, CALHOUN, SAC, HARRISON, MONONA, WOODBURY, BUENA VISTA, CLAY AND DICKINSON COUNTIES JULY 12-14

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that he will be visiting Hamilton, Calhoun, Sac, Harrison, Monona, Woodbury, Buena Vista, Clay and Dickinson Counties on July 12 to 14.

On Tuesday, Northey will tour VeroBlue Farms’ new building near Blairsburg and discuss water quality efforts in Rockwell City and Carnarvon. On Wednesday he will speak to the Leadership Harrison class of 2016 in Missouri Valley, visit the Monona County Fair in Onawa and then tour construction of the Seaboard Triumph Foods pork processing plant in Sioux City.  On Thursday, Northey will speak to the Iowa League of Cities Reverse Field Day in Storm Lake, tour CF Industries in Everly and then visit with participants at the Agribusiness Association of Iowa golf outing in Okoboji.

The details of the visits follow here:

Tuesday, July 12, 2016
-    Hamilton County – 10:15 a.m., tour VeroBlue Farms’ new building, 2567 190th St., Blairsburg
-    Calhoun County – 2:00 p.m., discuss water quality efforts underway in the county, Landus Coop, 529 3rd St., Rockwell City
-    Sac County – 3:30 p.m., discuss water quality efforts underway in the county and visit a constructed water quality wetland, on 380th St. just west of the corner of Rolf Ave, one mile south of Carnarvon

Wednesday, July 13, 2016
-    Harrison County – 9:30 a.m., speak to members of the Leadership Harrison Class of 2016, Lavender Farm, 2278 Loess Hills Trail, Missouri Valley
-    Monona County – 11:45 a.m., visit the Monona County Fair, 100 12th St., Onawa
-    Woodbury County – 2:00 p.m., tour construction of the Seaboard Triumph Foods pork processing plant, 2101 Murray St., Sioux City

Thursday, July 14, 2016
-    Buena Vista County – 10:30 a.m., speak to participants in the Iowa League of Cities Reverse Field Day, King’s Point Resort, Oasis Room, 1520 E. Lakeshore Dr., Storm Lake
-    Clay County - 1:00 p.m., visit CF Industries, 3425 180th Ave., Everly
-    Dickinson County – 3:00 p.m., visit with participants in the AAI golf outing, Emerald Hills, 808 US-71, Arnolds Park

Northey, a corn and soybean farmer from Spirit Lake, is serving his third term as Secretary of Agriculture. His priorities as Secretary of Agriculture are promoting the use of science and new technologies to better care for our air, soil and water, and reaching out to tell the story of Iowa agriculture.



FSA Acreage Reporting Deadline is July 15

The Farm Service Agency is reminding agricultural producers that July 15 is the deadline to file an acreage report for spring seeded crops. Planted acres must be reported to FSA, as the 2014 farm bill requires producers on a farm to submit annual acreage reports on all cropland.

Acreage reports to FSA are considered timely filed when completed by the applicable final crop reporting deadline, which may vary from state to state. Perennial forage crops intended for grazing or haying were required to be reported last fall, whereas perennial forage crops with an intended use of cover only, green manure, left standing, or seed, must be reported by July 15.

Producers should contact their county FSA office if they are uncertain about acreage reporting deadlines. Failed acreage must be reported before the disposition of the crop and that prevented acreage must be reported within 15 calendar days after the final planting date for the applicable crop.



NMPF Endorses Legislation Protecting Dairy Farms from Litigation under Super Fund Environmental Law

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) expressed its support for new bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of Representatives that would clarify the exemption of dairy farms and other livestock producers from being subject to the Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which governs the safe disposal of solid waste.

The Farm Regulatory Certainty Act (H.R. 5685), sponsored by Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), would spell out that the RCRA law, enacted in 1976 to govern solid wastes in landfills, is not intended to regulate agricultural operations like dairy farms. The RCRA statute has been used to inappropriately target agriculture, specifically dairy and livestock producers, even if they have demonstrated that they have been following approved plans for using manure as a fertilizer. The Farm Regulatory Certainty Act will also protect farmers from citizen suits if they are undergoing efforts to comply with federal orders.

The new measure comes in response to a federal court ruling last year in lawsuits brought against several dairies in Washington state. The litigation claimed that farms had inappropriately handled and stored animal manure under the RCRA law, even though RCRA was not intended to focus on farming practices or the management of livestock manure. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington determined the amount of manure deposited exceeded approved limits and constituted environmental and human endangerment.

“This legislation would help end the confusion among farmers about environmental regulations, especially those who practice responsible waste management,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF.  “The RCRA law was not intended to govern farms, and Congress needs to enact this bipartisan legislation to reinforce that point.”

NMPF supports the use of safe and efficient environmental practices – such as anaerobic digesters and nutrient recovery – to help dairy operations remain stewards of a healthy ecosystem.



CWT Assists with 3 million Pounds of Cheese, Butter, and Whole Milk Powder Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 12 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farms or America and Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) who have contracts to sell 1.598 million pounds (725 metric tons) of butter, 972,239 pounds (441 metric tons) of Cheddar, Gouda, and Monterey Jack cheese, and 440,925 pounds (200 metric tons) of whole milk powder to customers in Asia, Oceania and South America. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from July through November 2016.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 29.070 million pounds of American-type cheeses, 6.949 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) and 20.847 million pounds of whole milk powder to twenty countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 576.852 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.



Vilsack Proclaims August 7-13 "National Farmers Market Week"

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today signed a proclamation declaring Aug. 7-13, 2016, as "National Farmers Market Week." This year marks the 17th annual National Farmers Market Week to honor and celebrate the important role that farmers markets play in local economies.

"Farmers markets are an important part of strong local and regional food systems that connect farmers with new customers and grow rural economies. In many areas, they are also expanding access to fresh, healthy food for people of all income levels," said Secretary Vilsack. "National Farmers Market Week recognizes the growth of these markets and their role in supporting both urban and rural communities."

Throughout the week, USDA officials will celebrate at farmers market locations across the country. On Saturday, Aug. 6, Elanor Starmer, the Administrator of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) – which conducts research, provides technical assistance, and awards grants to support local and regional food systems – will kick off the week visiting a farmers market and wrap up the week at USDA's own farmers market in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Aug. 12.

"Farmers markets are a gathering place where you can buy locally produced food, and at the same time, get to know the farmer and story behind the food you purchase," said Administrator Starmer. "These types of markets improve earning potential for farmers and ranchers, building stronger community ties and access to local foods."

To help farmers market managers across the country promote and celebrate National Farmers Market Week, USDA is sharing online free farmers market related graphics that market managers and others can use to customize posters, emails, websites and other promotional materials. The graphics, along with a short demonstration video, can be found at: www.ams.usda.gov/resources/NFMW. 



American Farm Bureau Names Brett Hom to New CFO Position

The American Farm Bureau Federation today announced that Brett Hom, a finance professional with more than 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector, will serve the nation's largest farm organization in the newly created position of chief financial officer.

Hom, who joins the AFBF staff on July 11, will develop financial strategies and measure their performance in relation to the organization's goals and objectives. He will also develop annual budgets and forecasts and supervise the finance and accounting staff.

"Brett was a perfect fit for this new position," said AFBF Executive Vice President and Treasurer Julie Anna Potts. "While financial stewardship is crucial to the success of any dues-funded organization, a strategic mindset focused on entrepreneurial growth is also essential in keeping an organization vibrant and agile. Brett brings both qualities to the table, and his base of knowledge will ensure that Farm Bureau is ready to respond to opportunities that lie ahead."

As CFO, Hom will play a critical role in analyzing investments and negotiating future acquisitions on behalf of AFBF. He will also serve as a member of AFBF's management team and will be the principal staff liaison to the AFBF Finance Committee.

Brett previously worked at AARP, the American Psychological Association and the APA Practice Organization. Brett earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Delaware and completed executive education programs at the Wharton School and Yale University. He is a Certified Treasury Professional.

Brett and his wife, Cathy, live in nearby Maryland and have ties to agriculture in Vermont.