Thursday November 17 Ag News

Nebraska Moves Forward with First Groundwater Protection Plan of its Kind in Nation

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) and Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are proud to announce the acceptance of the Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) Plan by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on October 13th, 2016. The BGMA Plan is the first groundwater-focused plan in the nation to address nonpoint source pollution. The plan is the result of a collaborative effort to address groundwater nitrate contamination between NDEQ and four of Nebraska’s NRDs: Lewis and Clark NRD, Lower Elkhorn NRD, Lower Niobrara NRD, and the Upper Elkhorn NRD.

“This plan is a big deal in the nonpoint source pollution world,” Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division Administrator, Marty Link, P.G. said.  “While Nebraska NRDs have been implementing plans like the Bazile plan since the late 1970s, this is the first groundwater plan recognized nationally – which also qualifies the area for funding previously reserved for river and lake improvement projects.”

The BGMA covers 756 square miles in northeast Nebraska and is home to 10 communities and over 7,000 residents. Groundwater in the BGMA is the only drinking water source for communities and rural residents. Extensive row crop and sandy soils make it easy for land-applied commercial fertilizer and manure to leach into the groundwater. The NRDs have collected data on groundwater nitrate concentrations since 1980. During that time, average nitrate concentrations have increased with some areas exceeding 30 mg/L, three times the levels safe for drinking water.   While all four NRDs have been implementing their own Groundwater Management Plans, there has always been some confusion over differing rules for people farming in more than one district.  Additionally, people in the area are now realizing that the nitrate problem has been building for 50 or more years and that both long and short term goals and actions are needed to address the problem.

The plan focuses on reducing nitrates to safe drinking levels below 10 mg/L in the groundwater by progressively adopting more protective BMPs throughout the BGMA with the communities’ wellhead protection areas as the highest priority. The NRDs will utilize a combination of agricultural BMPs required by their elevated Groundwater Management plan phases and voluntary BMPs outlined in the BGMA plan that go above and beyond those requirements. Through the development of the BGMA Plan, the NRDs have created a cohesive strategy to monitor nitrate reductions in groundwater as fertilizer practices and irrigation methods are improved in the area. This monitoring data will also further refine future versions of the BGMA Plan to ensure its goals are achieved.

"This focused effort is on a known water quality problem in the area and will provide the local constituents with a plan and financial resources to start reversing the trends in water quality and provide a sustainable resource for domestic, agriculture, recreation and industrial uses,” Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District General Manager, Mike Sousek said.  “This water resource is paramount to the area for a healthy quality of life which must be protected now and into the future."

EPA’s acceptance of this groundwater plan opens up funding from section 319 of the Clean Water Act available each year via NDEQ.  Previously, only areas with surface water quality problems have been eligible for this type of funding.  NDEQ hopes other NRDs and municipalities will use the BGMA Plan as a template to develop additional groundwater based management plans in the state and nation.

You can view the plan at http://deq.ne.gov/publica.nsf/pages/16-013 or visit any of the four Natural Resources Districts’ websites (Upper Elkhorn NRD at http://www.uenrd.org/ ; Lower Elkhorn NRD at http://www.lenrd.org/ ; Lower Niobrara NRD at http://www.lnnrd.org/ ; and Lewis and Clark NRD at http://www.lcnrd.org/).

A special thanks to the BGMA stakeholders and the many individuals from various local, state, and federal organizations for their contributions to the development of this plan.  For more information, contact NDEQ at NDEQ.moreinfo@nebraska.gov.



Nebraska Agribusiness Club Recognizes Three Honorees

Three Nebraskans were honored for their service and dedication to agriculture at the Nebraska Agribusiness Club’s 50th annual awards banquet November 3rd at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln.

The 2016 honorees for Public Service to Agriculture are Dr. Jim Specht of Lincoln and Victor Bohuslavsky of Brainard. The club also recognized Jenny Rees of Clay Center as the New Horizon Award honoree.

Dr. Jim Specht, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln emeriti professor and Scottsbluff native is internationally recognized for his work in modern plant biology and genetics for soybean improvement. Research by his “walking soybean encyclopedia” includes soybean response to drought and irrigation, planting times, planting depth and tillage. His research has helped with specific growing conditions for the various regions of the state.

Victor Bohuslavsky is the current Executive Director of the Nebraska Soybean Board. He also farms 960 acres of corn and soybeans in Butler County and has a cattle operation. He currently sits on the Alliance for Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) and the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation for Education boards. He also has served as the National Chairman of the Qualisoy Board and is responsible for implementation of research and promotional activities for the Nebraska soybean industry. Victor has been instrumental in a number of national programs with the U.S. Soybean Board educational outreach efforts. In 2000, Victor started Soybean Field Management Days with the University of Nebraska to showcase best practices for planting, growing and harvesting soybeans in select regions of the state.

Jenny Rees is the Nebraska Extension Educator for Crops and Water in York and Seward Counties where she focuses on irrigated crop production and plant pathology. She played a similar role in Clay and surrounding counties in the 12 years prior. In addition to traditional avenues of communication, Jenny is an expert in using social media to answer questions and communicate information quickly and effectively to crop producers. Jenny recently served as the UNL liaison to the Nebraska National Guard agribusiness development teams deployed to Afghanistan. She developed crop and livestock training sessions and served as a point of contact when questions arose, providing information to team members in the field within 24 hours. Their efforts provided research-based education that resulted in Afghan producers having access to new agricultural practices and increased income. She also developed the CropWatch military resource website. In addition to her crop production responsibilities, Jenny works with 4-H and horticulture. She also is a contributor to Women in Agriculture, a program designed to assist women in their agricultural businesses or who are in businesses tied to agriculture.



ICON Annual Meeting

Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska (ICON) is hosting their 11th Annual Meeting on Friday, December 9, 2016, at the Elk’s Lodge in Ainsworth, NE. Registration is at 11 am followed by a luncheon at noon, with a Senators’ Panel, presentations by Mike Schultz of R-CALF USA and Kim Ulmer, co-owner of Huron Continental Marketing, Huron, SD, throughout the afternoon. A business meeting will conclude the afternoon session. An evening banquet will be served at 6 pm followed by an auction for the Jim Hanna Memorial Scholarship and a Panel on Wind Energy at 7 pm. To make a reservation or for more information, call 402-357-3778.



 USDA Announces Applications Available for Conservation Stewardship Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is currently accepting applications for enrollment in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the nation’s largest conservation program. Applications are available at local USDA service centers. 

“This year, the Conservation Stewardship Program provides even more opportunities for conservation and greater flexibility to prioritize resource concerns and conservation approaches,” says Craig Derickson, NRCS State Conservationist.

NRCS offices are now taking applications for the program, with sign-up running through February 3, 2017.  People interested in the additional opportunities the updated CSP will offer can find information on the new CSP portal, located at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/csp.  This one-stop shop, which provides information to help producers determine whether CSP is right for them, will be continually updated as more information becomes available.  Changes that producers can expect to see include nearly double the enhancements and conservation practices offered and better reporting tools to tell producers the results of their conservation efforts on their land.

Through CSP, agricultural producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining, and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, buffer strips, and pollinator habitat – all while continuing active agriculture production on their land.  CSP also encourages the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and new management techniques such as precision agriculture applications and new soil amendments to improve water quality.

CSP is for producers who are already established conservation stewards, helping them to deliver multiple conservation benefits on working lands, including improved water and soil quality and enhanced wildlife habitat.  Information about CSP, including national and state ranking questions and enhancement descriptions, is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/csp  Producers interested in the program should visit their local USDA Service Center to submit an application.



Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit to feature State of the Industry Session

In addition to continuing education for cattle producers and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association policy committee meetings, the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit will also feature a State of the Industry panel discussion.

Dr. Phil Reemtsma, current ICA president and veterinarian from DeWitt, will join a representative from the United States Meat Export Federation and a well-known cattle market analyst on stage to dissect the current challenges the cattle industry in Iowa is facing, including increased competition from larger producers out of state and the record drop in cattle prices seen recently.

The panel will also provide an outlook into the future of Iowa’s cattle industry and the role that the cattle markets and international trade will play in the coming months and years.

Cassie Fish, a former CME trader and IBP, Inc./Tyson Fresh Meats Senior Director of Risk Management, currently operates her own risk management consulting and brokerage business. Fish also writes a daily market analysis blog, “The Beef.” Fish will use her vast knowledge of the cattle and futures markets to provide a perspective on the factors that have influenced the industry in the recent past and those that will play a large part in the future.

The United States Meat Export Federation (USMEF) is a trade association in the meat and livestock industry, representing beef/veal producers and feeders, as well as other sectors of the red meat industry. USMEF works to put “U.S. meat on the world’s table” and will give Iowa cattle producers an idea of what to expect in the export markets in the coming months and years.

The ICA and Iowa Beef Industry Council’s annual meetings will also take place at the Leadership Summit, and Iowa cattle producers and friends of the industry are invited to attend both of those meetings, as well.

The Leadership Summit is a free event for cattlemen and women and will be held at the Hansen Ag Student Learning Center in Ames. A complimentary lunch will be served, featuring the 2016 Iowa’s Best Burger from the Chuckwagon Restaurant in Adair. Attendees should RSVP by November 29 online at www.iacattlemen.org or by calling 515-296-2266.



Confinement Site Manure Applicator Workshops Scheduled for 2017

Confinement site manure applicators and anyone interested in learning about manure issues should plan to attend a two-hour workshop offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in January or February 2017. These workshops are offered in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.There is no fee to attend the workshops, but applicators will need to pay certification fees to complete certification requirements.

“Iowa law requires confinement site manure applicators to attend two hours of continuing education each year of their three-year certification period, or take and pass an exam once every three years,” said Dan Andersen, assistant professor of agriculture and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University and coordinator of the manure applicator certification program.

A total of 63 counties will participate in the confinement site manure applicator workshops. In addition, a series of six dry/solid manure applicator certification meetings will be held in February. ISU Extension and Outreach county offices have a complete list of workshop dates and locations, which can also be viewed at  http://www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/certification/confinementsitebrochure.pdf.

The workshops serve as initial certification for those applicators who are not currently certified, recertification for those renewing licenses and continuing education for those applicators in their second or third year of their license.

Due to uniform certification deadlines, applicators are encouraged to attend workshops prior to March 1 to avoid being assessed a late fee of $12.50 for those who are re-certifying. Those unable to attend one of the workshops need to schedule time with their ISU Extension and Outreach county office to watch the training DVD. Due to scheduling conflicts, many offices will no longer accept walk-in appointments to watch these DVDs, but do offer scheduled dates and times to provide this training. Those who can’t attend training during one of the scheduled reshow dates at their county extension office will be charged a $10 fee to view the training at their convenience. If attending the workshops or watching the two-hour training DVD is not convenient, confinement site manure applicators may contact their local DNR field office to schedule an appointment to take the certification exam to meet certification requirements.

Applicators now have another option, online certification, and applicators can take their training online at DNR MAC eLearning site at https://elearning-dnr.iowa.gov/. The applicator will need to sign-in and get an A&A account.

Contact any ISU Extension and Outreach county office for more information about the Manure Applicator Certification Program or visit http://www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/mac.html.



Dry Manure Applicator Certification Workshops Begin in February 2017

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will offer manure applicator certification workshops for dry/solid manure operators on six different dates and locations in February. These workshops meet manure applicator certification requirements for both confinement site manure applicators and commercial manure applicators who primarily apply dry or solid manure.

“The information in this workshop will benefit tractor and dry manure spreader in fieldnot only those needing certification, but anyone using dry or solid sources of manure as a nutrient resource,” says Dan Andersen, assistant professor in agriculture and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University and coordinator of the manure applicator certification program.

The workshops are free to attend and open to all. Applicators will be required to submit certification forms and fees to the Iowa DNR to meet manure applicator certification requirements.

Please register for one of the workshops by calling the number listed with the selected site. All workshops begin at 1 p.m.
-    Feb. 7, Washington County, ISU Extension and Outreach office, Washington. Call 319-653-4811 to register.
-    Feb. 8, Wright County, Heartland Museum, Clarion. Call 515-532-3453 to register.
-    Feb. 15, Hamilton County, Kamrar Lions Community Building, Kamrar. Call 515-832-9597 to register.
-    Feb. 16, Sioux County, ISU Extension and Outreach office, Orange City. Call 712-737-4230 to register.
-    Feb. 21, Adair County, Warren Cultural Center, Greenfield. Call 641-743-8412 to register.
-    Feb. 22, Buena Vista County, ISU Extension and Outreach office, Storm Lake. Call 712-732-5056 to register.




USDA: October Hired Workers Decrease 5 Percent, Wage Rates Increase 3 Percent From Previous Year

Workers hired directly by farm operators numbered 798,000 for the reference week of October 9-15, 2016, down 5 percent from the October 2015 reference week. There were 840,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on the Nation's farms and ranches during the week of July 10-16, 2016, down 4 percent from the July 2015 reference week.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $13.25 per hour during the October 2016 reference week, up 3 percent from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $12.59 per hour, up 4 percent from a year earlier. Livestock workers earned $12.25, up 2 percent. The field and
livestock worker combined wage rate, at $12.50 per hour, was up 3 percent from October 2015. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.6 hours during the October 2016 reference week, compared to 41.7 hours a year earlier.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $13.02 per hour during the July 2016 reference week, up 4 percent from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $12.32 per hour, up 5 percent. Livestock workers earned $12.15 per hour, up 3 percent. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $12.27 per hour, was up 4 percent from July 2015. Hired laborers worked an average of 41.2 hours during the July 2016 reference week, compared to 41.0 hours a year earlier.

The 2016 U.S. all hired worker annual average wage rate was $12.98 per hour, up 4 percent from the 2015 annual average wage. The 2016 U.S. field worker annual average wage rate was $12.25 per hour, up 5 percent from the 2015 annual average. The 2016 U.S. annual average combined wage for field and livestock workers was $12.20, up 4 percent from the 2015 annual average of $11.74 per hour.

NORTHERN PLAINS FARM LABOR
In the Northern Plains Region (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) there were 34,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on farms and ranches during the week of July 10-16, 2016, down 8 percent from the July 2015 reference week, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Workers numbered 34,000 during the week of October 9-15, 2016, down 15 percent from the October 2015 reference week.

Farm operators in the Northern Plains Region paid their hired workers an average wage of $14.49 per hour during the July 2016 reference week, up 4 percent from the July 2015 reference week. Field workers received an average of $15.17 per hour, up $1.51. Livestock workers earned $12.83 per hour, down 48 cents. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate at $14.10, was up 60 cents from the 2015 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 44.0 hours during the July 2016 reference week, compared with 39.6 hours worked during the July 2015 reference week.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $14.56 per hour during the October 2016 reference week, down 1 percent from the October 2015 reference week. Field workers received an average of $15.33 per hour, up 74 cents. Livestock workers earned $12.50 per hour compared with $13.86 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at 14.15, was down 15 cents from the October 2015 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 44.8 hours during the October 2016 reference week, compared with 41.0 hours worked during the October 2015 reference week.

IA/MO LABOR REPORT
There were 27,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Cornbelt II Region (Iowa and Missouri) during the reference week of July 10-16, 2016, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Labor Report. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $13.72 per hour, up $0.83 from July 2015. The number of hours worked averaged 37.2 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 39.6 hours in July 2015.

During the reference week of October 9-15, 2016, there were 35,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Cornbelt II Region (Iowa and Missouri). Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $13.64 per hour during the October 2016 reference week, up $0.61 from October 2015. The number of hours worked averaged 38.4 for hired workers during the reference week, down from 41.0 hours in October 2015.



New Study Shows High Return on Investment From Overseas Market Development Programs

Growing and maintaining export markets is essential for U.S. farmers and ranchers, especially at a time of low commodity prices and abundant supply. USDA’s Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program play a critical role in this effort and offer both farmers and taxpayers an excellent return on investment, according to a new study that looked at program impact over the past four decades.

These agricultural export market development programs, funded through the 2014 Farm Bill, have contributed an average annual increase of $8.2 billion - for a total of more than $309 billion - to farm export revenue between 1977 and 2014, the study showed. This equates to an impressive return on investment of 28 to 1.

“These programs have accounted for 15 percent of all the revenue generated by exports for U.S. agriculture over that time. To me, such a positive result is just stunning,” said Dr. Gary Williams, professor of agricultural economics and co-director of the Agribusiness, Food and Consumer Economics Research Center at Texas A&M University, who led the team doing this research.

Other notable findings included:
• As a result of MAP and FMD funding, average annual farm cash income in 2014 was $2.1 billion higher and average annual farm asset value was $1.1 billion higher when compared to 2002.

• The programs increased total average annual U.S. economic output by $39.3 billion, gross domestic product (GDP) by $16.9 billion, and labor income by $9.8 billion over the same time.

• These programs directly created 239,000 new jobs, including 90,000 farm sector jobs.

With debate on a new farm bill beginning already, researchers also examined what would happen if federal MAP and FMD funding were eliminated. They found that under such a scenario, average annual agricultural export revenue would drop by a staggering $14.7 billion, with corresponding declines in farm cash income of $2.5 billion and significant drops in GDP and jobs.

MAP and FMD comprise the federal portion of a unique public-private partnership through which the U.S. Grains Council and approximately 60 other organizations leverage federal funds and work with USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to support market development initiatives around the world.

MAP and FMD participating organizations U.S. Wheat Associates, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council and Pear Bureau Northwest sponsored the new study, which was funded by FAS. Informa Economics assembled data to support the study, recruiting a team of five agricultural economists from Texas A&M, Oregon State University and Cornell University.



Healthy Start for U.S. Ethanol in 2016/2017 Marketing Year

Exports of U.S. ethanol began with notable growth in the first month of the new marketing year, according to recent data published by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Global Agricultural Trade System (GATS).

The top three customers of U.S. ethanol in September 2016 were Canada, Brazil and China, respectfully. Exports of U.S. ethanol totaled 99.6 million gallons (903,000 metric tons of corn equivalent).

Canada imported more than 27.9 million gallons (253,000 metric tons of corn equivalent) of U.S. ethanol this September, an increase of 34 percent from the previous month and 7 percent from September 2015. U.S. ethanol exports to Canada had been down since December 2014.

U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil equated to 18.1 million gallons (164,000 metric tons of corn equivalent) in September 2016, an exponential increase from the same time last year. This export volume represents the fourth highest to Brazil in the past 12 months.

China imported a total of 17.8 million gallons (162,000 metric tons of corn equivalent) of U.S. ethanol in September. This marks a four-month high of U.S. ethanol exports to China and an exponential increase from August.

This surge in ethanol exports has been the highest since December 2011, when it totaled 178 million gallons (1.6 million in corn equivalent). The price of U.S. ethanol has been significantly lower than other competitors, causing sales to increase during September.



Appeals Court Rejects Lawsuit Against California Egg Law

(AP) -- Six states lacked the legal right to challenge a California law that prohibits the sale of eggs from chickens that are not raised in accordance with strict space requirements, a federal appeals court said Thursday.

The states -- Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, Kentucky and Iowa -- failed to show how the law would affect them and not just individual egg farmers, a unanimous three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled. The court upheld a lower court decision that dismissed the lawsuit.

California voters approved a ballot initiative in 2008 that set the space requirements for egg-laying hens in the state. The standards say chickens must spend most of their day with enough space to lie down, stand up, turn around and fully extend their limbs.

The measure gave farmers until 2015 to comply.

California egg farmers raised concerns that the measure would put them at a competitive disadvantage with their counterparts in other states. In 2010, California legislators expanded the law to ban the sale of eggs from any hens that were not raised in compliance with California's animal care standards. The California law cites concerns about protecting people from salmonella and other illnesses.

The six states argued that the law would force their egg farmers to stop selling in California or spend hundreds of millions of dollars complying with the California standard. Ninth Circuit Judge Susan Graber said that argument did not give the states standing to file suit.

"Large egg producers certainly could file an action like this one on their own," she said.

The states also argued that the price of eggs for their consumers would change. Graber said that argument was speculative since the suit was filed before the law took effect. But even if prices went up, the states would still not have standing to challenge the law because nothing in the law directs farmers to raise prices and that eggs --- unlike products such as natural gas, are not of "central economic significance" to a state, Graber said.

A call to the Missouri Attorney General's Office, which argued the case for the states, was not immediately returned. The 9th Circuit ordered the case dismissed without prejudice, which gives the states the right to bring another lawsuit against the law in the future.



USDA, EPA Announce U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy today announced the inaugural class of the U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions, U.S. businesses and organizations pledging concrete steps to reduce food loss and waste in their operations 50 percent by 2030. Champions announced today include Ahold USA, Blue Apron, Bon Appétit Management Company, Campbell Soup Company, Conagra Brands, Delhaize America, General Mills, Kellogg Company, PepsiCo, Sodexo, Unilever, Walmart, Wegman's Food Markets, Weis Markets and YUM! Brands.

"The founding 2030 Champions have shown exceptional leadership in the fight to reduce, recover and recycle food loss and waste," said Vilsack. "The staggering amount of wasted food in the United States has far-reaching impacts on food security, resource conservation and climate change. To help galvanize U.S. efforts to reduce food loss and waste, USDA and EPA announced the first U.S. food loss and waste reduction goal in September 2015. Today, the first 15 Champions are stepping up to do their part to help the nation reach this critical goal."

"Reducing food waste is good for business, it's good for the environment and it's good for our communities," said McCarthy. "We need leaders in every field and every sector to help us reach our food loss goal. That's why we're excited to work with the 2030 Champions and others across the food retail industry as we work together to ensure that we feed families instead of landfills."

In the United States, EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills and incinerators than any other single material in our everyday trash, about 21 percent of the waste stream. Keeping wholesome and nutritious food in our communities and out of landfills helps communities and the 42 million Americans that live in food insecure households. Reducing food waste also impacts climate change as 20 percent of total U.S. methane emissions come from landfills.

Each 2030 Champion establishes a baseline marking where they are today and will measure and report on their progress toward the goal in a way that makes sense for their organization. There are many ways to look at food loss and waste and definitions vary. 2030 Champions are encouraged to consult the Food Loss and Waste Protocol for information on defining and transparently measuring food loss and waste.

For food waste in the U.S., EPA's Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures provides an estimate of the amount of food going to landfills from residences; commercial establishments like grocery stores and restaurants; institutional sources like school cafeterias; and industrial sources like factory lunchrooms. USDA's Economic Research Service estimates that the amount of food that went uneaten at the retail and consumer levels in the baseline year of 2010 represented 31 percent of the available food supply, about 133 billion pounds of food worth an estimated $161.6 billion.

Cutting food waste in half by 2030 will take a sustained commitment from everyone. Success requires action from the entire food system including the food industry, non-profits, governments and individuals.

USDA research estimates that about 90 billion pounds of food waste comes from consumers, worth about $370 per person every year. USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion produces a resource called Let's Talk Trash that focuses on consumer education, highlighting key data and action steps consumers can take to reduce food waste.

Details on becoming a U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champion can be found at www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste/ and www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food. Businesses not yet in a position to make the 50 percent reduction commitment can participate in the Food Recovery Challenge or the U.S. Food Waste Challenge.



Reduce the Impact of Nitrogen Losses on Water Quality

Farmers sitting on the largest aquifer in the United States have learned a thing or two about managing nitrogen (N) applications in a way that mitigates nutrient loss to the environment in general and to waterways specifically.

Sitting underground below large areas of Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa, the Ogallala Aquifer provides drinking water to numerous cities and municipalities in addition to quenching agricultural thirsts. Farmers in this region have become proactive – and adept – at minimizing nitrogen losses and maximizing nitrogen use efficiency.

“We’re becoming more aware of what the impact of nitrogen loss into our waterways can be, and we’re getting much better at measuring it,” said Mike Zwingman, agronomy research and development manager for Central Valley Ag. The company has more than 60 locations across Nebraska, Kansas and Iowa.

Zwingman said that more farmers in the region are doing several things to help the cause, including: splitting nitrogen applications, improving application accuracy and placement, and using certain products that significantly reduce nitrogen losses, such as NutriSphere-N® Nitrogen Fertilizer Manager from Verdesian Life Sciences.

“We can now quantify and qualify what our water is like,” the agronomist said, “The tools we have to manage nitrogen loss and address water quality issues are better than we’ve ever had before. Now, it’s about how we implement those tools in the toolbox.”

Breaking up nitrogen applications into two or more per season, use of variable rate technology for fertilizer applications and use of a nitrogen manager – combined – are making a big difference in stemming N losses, according to Zwingman.

The Nebraska agronomist stressed that every pound of nitrogen lost to the environment represents a monetary loss to the farmer that is currently around $4.00 per acre. This figure combines the N cost and the lost yield of one bushel per acre due to a pound of N loss. “The farmer is getting a much better return on his fertilizer investment while at the same time doing the right thing environmentally,” Zwingman said.

NutriSphere-N provides advanced protection of nitrogen and is available in formulations for use with dry urea, UAN solutions and anhydrous ammonia to reduce all three types of loss – volatilization, leaching and denitrification.

The formulation for anhydrous, NutriSphere-NH3™, is the newest technology introduction and is applied via special dual-injection equipment manufactured by SureFire Ag Systems. Working off a toolbar, the SureFire Tower 100 System is uniquely designed to give accurate and even row-to-row distribution of NutriSphere-N while applying anhydrous ammonia.

There is also a formulation for high-volume UAN spraying, NutriSphere-N HV™. This formulation is designed to work at UAN rates at or above 35 gallons per acre. An application rate of 18 Oz./A creates a fixed, cost-efficient investment per acre.

“The NutriSphere-N line of products really helps us bridge a lot of gaps for our growers throughout the season, including the crucial May-to-August period,” Zwingman said. “We are able to protect that ammonium molecule from environmental loss throughout July and August when the corn plant needs the nitrogen the most.”



 CROPLAN® Seed Doubles Down on Mission to Provide Latest-and-Greatest Technology

CROPLAN® seed by WinField United has announced its complete seed portfolio for the 2017 growing season. Backed by industry-leading technology and localized expertise, CROPLAN® seed gives farmers new and bold products for pushing yield potential.

Corn and soybean growers will have an abundance of choice as they prepare for next year. “But it’s more than just sheer volume,” said Mike Anderson, marketing manager for CROPLAN® corn and soybeans. “Our sellers rely on ‘decision ag’ tools like our R7® Tool to show how environmental and agronomic variables affect performance of a given hybrid. This helps farmers decide which seed is best for their field, not just a seed that performed best nationally,” Anderson said.

Placement strategy coupled with high-end yield potential embodies the 2017 CROPLAN® seed class, with a number of exciting product characteristics not previously available.

SOYBEANS
·         Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans offer newfound herbicide trait technology for versatile weed control (upon EPA chemistry approval). Farmers will have their pick of 33 Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybean offerings, as well as other high-yielding soybean genetics. Additionally, farmers will still have access to familiar cropping systems they have come to know and trust, including newer, higher-yielding varieties of Roundup Ready 2 Yield and LibertyLink® products.

·         WinPak® seed is comprised of a 50/50 blend of offensive and defensive beans in similar maturities combined into one bag. Varieties paired in each WinPak® seed offering work together to buffer the effects of weather, soil and disease variability by protecting yield potential on tough acres while maximizing yield in higher producing areas of a field.

CORN
·         Sixteen new hybrids will be available for 2017 planting, each backed by extensive management-specific Answer Plot® program data.

·         SilageFirstTM seed is the newest category of high quality, high tonnage corn hybrids for exclusive use as silage, designed to meet the specific nutritional needs of dairy herds.

ALSO NEW FOR 2017
·         CROPLAN.com has undergone a complete makeover, with a more polished look, greater depth of information and easier navigation. The “Find Seed” function allows users to locate seed by region, seed type, relative maturity or days to maturity depending on crop. Farmers can also filter by response to population, response to nitrogen and response to fungicide; and response to continuous corn.

·         The R7® Tool is faster, more customizable and user-friendly than ever before. Users can assign multiple hybrids to a field and create a prescription map that places different hybrids within specific management zones. The Soil Variability Maps were also adjusted to help better visualize the soil profile making it easier to select seeds for heavy or light soils, ensuring the right seed is planted in the right spot. The R7® Tool operates on a single platform accessible from PC, laptop or tablet.