Tuesday November 29 Ag News

Nebraska Corn Board Elects New Officers

The Nebraska Corn Board met and elected officers for the 2016-2017 fiscal year at their board meeting on Tuesday, November 22 at The Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. The board met to conduct regular board business and hold election of officers.

David Merrell, District 7 director for St. Edward, Nebraska, was reelected as chairman of the board. Merrell has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2006 and will serve his second year as chairman. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanized Agriculture (Biological Systems Management). He and his wife, Cyndee, have three children and have been farming for over 20 years around St. Edward located in Boone County, Nebraska.

Merrell said it’s an honor to continue to serve as the chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board. “We are fortunate to have farmer leaders and staff members who are extremely dedicated to an industry that is vitally important to our state. I look forward to working with the board, staff and industry leaders to continue the positive momentum of enhancing demand, adding value and ensuring sustainability of Nebraska’s corn industry.”

David Bruntz, District 1 director from Friend, Nebraska, was elected as vice-chairman. Bruntz previously served as the secretary/treasurer and currently serves on the board’s research and stewardship committee. He has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2013.

Dennis Gengenbach, District 6 director from Smithfield, Nebraska, was elected as secretary/treasurer. Gengenbach previously served as the vice-chair and currently serves on the board’s market development committee. He has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2006.

Tim Scheer, District 5 director from St. Paul, Nebraska, will continue to serve as the past-chairman of the board. Scheer has been a director on the Nebraska Corn Board since 2007.

“Our dedicated farmer-leaders have contributed great time and energy to our industry over the years,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “Through their passion and leadership in the corn, livestock and ethanol industries, they continue to play a dynamic role in supporting the mission and vision for Nebraska’s 23,000 corn farmers that invest in the corn checkoff.”



Farm Service Agency Extends Voting Deadline for County Committee Elections

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nebraska Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director Dan Steinkruger today announced the deadline to submit ballots for the 2016 County Committee Elections has been extended to ensure farmers and ranchers have sufficient time to vote. Eligible voters now have until Dec. 13, 2016, to return ballots to their local FSA offices. Producers who have not received their ballot should pick one up at their local FSA office.

“We’re extending the voting deadline to December 13 to give farmers and ranchers a few additional days to get their ballots in,” said Steinkruger. “I urge all eligible producers, especially minorities and women, to get involved and make a real difference in their communities by voting in this year’s elections. This is your opportunity to have a say in how federal programs are delivered in your county.”

FSA has modified the ballot, making it easily identifiable and less likely to be overlooked. Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than Dec. 13, 2016. Newly elected committee members will take office Jan. 1, 2017.

Nearly 7,700 FSA County Committee members serve FSA offices nationwide. Each committee has three to 11 elected members who serve three-year terms of office. One-third of County Committee seats are up for election each year. County Committee members apply their knowledge and judgment to help FSA make important decisions on its commodity support, conservation, indemnity, disaster and emergency programs.

Producers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program to be eligible to vote in the County Committee election. Approximately 1.5 million producers are currently eligible to vote. Farmers and ranchers who supervise and conduct the farming operations of an entire farm, but are not of legal voting age, also may be eligible to vote.



Moo University Winter Workshop Series in January

The progressive series workshops called "Hot Topics for Cold Days" begins in Jamestown, North Dakota Jan. 16; Watertown, South Dakota Jan. 17; Pipestone, Minnesota Jan. 18; Orange City, Iowa Jan. 19 and wraps up in Norfolk, Nebraska Jan. 20.

"The workshop will focus on a variety of hot industry topics including technology utilization on the dairy, followed by a marketing and management emphasis; it will wrap-up with a session on succession planning. We really encourage dairy producers to attend because the information provided at the workshops will enable them as they work to enhance their dairy's performance and long range business planning," said Tracey Erickson, SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist.

All workshops will contain the same information and run from 10a.m. to 3:45 p.m. with registration starting at 9a.m. The workshop cost is $50 per person, $20 for College/Technical School students before January 6. After that date it will increase to $65/person and $25/student. A $50 discount is available for South Dakota Dairy Producer's members, Nebraska State Dairy Association members, Western Iowa Dairy Alliance members. For location information, to register on-line or download the brochure, visit iGrow.org/events.

Workshop topics include:
- Finances and returns for robotic dairies; Jim Salfer, University of Minnesota
- Technology in Activity Monitors; Leo Timms, Iowa State University
- Understanding Food Marketing: An Industry Perspective; Betty Berning, University of Minnesota and Kim Clark, University of Nebraska
- Effective Communication when Working with Employees on Dairies; Tracey Erickson, SDSU Extension Dairy Field Specialist
- Succession Planning; Heather Gessner, SDSU Extension Livestock Business Management Field Specialist.

The workshop is sponsored by the I-29 Moo University collaborators consisting of South Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and University of Nebraska Extension Services; Iowa State Dairy Association, South Dakota Dairy Producers Association, Nebraska State Dairy Association, North Dakota Milk Producers Association, MN Milk Producers Association and the Minnesota Dairy Initiative.



DEKALB® Disease Shield™ Breeding Innovation Showed

An advanced lineup of corn products being introduced for 2017 demonstrated a strong line of defense against the top yield-robbing corn diseases in Nebraska this season. DEKALB® Disease Shield™ corn products achieved an average 8.4 bushel per acre yield advantage in trial plot comparisons in the state.

    Developed through the DEKALB brand’s breeding program, DEKALB Disease Shield corn products offer exclusive genetics that combine high yield potential with enhanced disease protection against today’s most common corn diseases: anthracnose stalk rot, Goss’s wilt, northern corn leaf blight, gray leaf spot and in limited geographies, southern rust.

    “All of these diseases were present during the 2016 growing season in different regions of the country,” said Jared Webb, DEKALB product manager.  “We’re very excited about the results we saw this season with DEKALB Disease Shield products, not only in their yield advantage but also the risk reduction they provided for farmers, particularly in areas of heavy disease pressure.”

    Webb reported that DEKALB Disease Shield plants were healthier and had excellent staygreen characteristics compared to other corn products in the trial plots which had visible evidence of disease pressure.

    Six DEKALB Disease Shield products are being launched for the 2017 season in 109 to 120 day relative maturities, with plans for expansion in future years.



New ISU Extension Swine Program Specialist Feels Right at Home

In the few weeks since he started work at Iowa State University, Erik Potter has co-authored an informational handout on the Veterinary Feed Directive, attended his first professional development session and participated in Master Pork Producer visits with colleagues from Iowa State and Iowa Pork Producers Association. And that’s just the beginning for the newest swine program specialist whose office is located in 109 Kildee Hall, home of the Iowa Pork Industry Center.

“My roots are firmly planted in the state of Iowa and this position will allow me to further my passions in the pork industry while also strengthening agriculture in the place I call home,” Potter said. “I bring a unique perspective to IPIC’s team of six field specialists, based on my experience in the industry.”

Prior to coming to Iowa State, Potter worked for a large pork integrator with farms in various states across the U.S. with primary responsibilities of on-farm auditing of animal welfare, employee safety and environmental impact.

“In that job, I developed employee training materials, conducted trainings and established standard operating procedures,” he said. “One of my goals here with IPIC is to strengthen our relationships with various departments across campus and look for research opportunities between faculty and pork producers in the state. This will be an ongoing endeavor as I get more connected to the faculty and staff at ISU.”

Although Potter’s office is on campus, he will be the swine field specialist point of contact for producers and others in several southwest Iowa counties. Through phone, email and personal contact, he intends to maintain and improve existing connections and work to open new lines of communication and cooperation.

“IPIC has tremendous potential to strengthen the pork industry in Iowa through its network of industry professionals, world-leading academics and research at Iowa State University, and the extensive breadth of knowledge throughout ISU Extension and Outreach,” he said. “I’ve worked in a variety of barn systems including natural to power ventilation, group housed sows and varying nutrient management systems and will use that experience and knowledge in my new role.”

Potter said he also wants to strengthen the name of IPIC across Iowa.

“The center offers a tremendous amount of knowledge and educational programming that can be beneficial to producers of any size, including the release of a redesigned and much improved website just prior to me starting here,” he said. “Now we need to work to increase its use by promoting and publicizing it, so folks become better connected to what all we have to offer.”

As the newest member of the swine field staff, Potter said he’s ready for the challenge of moving himself and IPIC forward.

“One of my favorite quotes is ‘If you don’t like change, you’ll like being obsolete even less.’ Continuous improvement is the foundation for business success and IPIC is no exception,” he said. “The needs of pork producers have changed from when IPIC was created and as we look to the future for industry need-based programming, we need to continue to ask ourselves, ‘Will this add value to producers?’”

Potter is available by phone 515-294-8797 and by email jepotter@iastate.edu.



Commodity Classic Announces Registration & Housing Opening Date

Commodity Classic registration and housing reservations will open online at 10 a.m. CST on Wednesday morning, December 7, 2016. Rooms are expected to book quickly, so those interested should register and make reservations as soon as possible once registration is open.

The 2017 Commodity Classic will be held in San Antonio, Texas March 2-4, 2017, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center.  The convention center will house all Commodity Classic events, including the Welcome Reception, General Session, Evening of Entertainment, Trade Show, Learning Center Sessions and What’s New Sessions.

All registration and housing reservations should be made online at www.commodityclassic.com.  Experient is the official registration and housing provider for Commodity Classic.  In order to stay at an official Commodity Classic hotel, reservations must be made only through Experient to ensure favorable rates, reasonable terms and confirmed hotel rooms.

Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is America's largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show, produced by the National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers, and Association of Equipment Manufacturers.



USDA Awards $6.7 Million for Research to Support Healthy Agroecosystems

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 18 grants totaling more than $6.7 million for research to discover how components of the agroecosystem from soil, water and sun to plants, animals and people, interact with and affect food production. These awards are made through NIFA's Bioenergy and Natural Resources Program, Agroecosystem priority area of the Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

"Population growth, along with environmental factors, including the growing threat of climate change, are putting increasing demand on the land, water and other resources that produce our food," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "These investments will help us understand how we can farm more effectively and sustainably to feed the growing global population."

NIFA's AFRI Foundational: Bioenergy, Natural Resources, and Environment Program supports research on healthy agroecosystems and their underlying natural resources essential to the sustained long-term production of agricultural goods and services. Agroecosystems may include crop production systems, animal production systems, and pasture, range and forest lands that are actively managed to provide economic, societal and environmental benefits. Projects funded through this program area contribute to the knowledge needed for sustainable production of agroecosystems while retaining needed ecosystem services-such as drinking water, pollination and climate regulation.

Awards for 2016 include:
    Arizona Board of Regents, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., $439,080
    The Regents of the University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Calif., $439,676
    National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., $50,000
    Archbold Expeditions, Venus, Fla., $499,921
    University of Florida Board of Trustees, Gainesville, Fla., $438,705
    Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill., $ 440,000
    Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Champaign, Ill., $439,892
    Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $474,632
    Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $49,500
    University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., $ 149,736
    The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $499,094
    The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, $439,966
    Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $ 375,000
    The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., $471,324
    New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M., $145,205
    The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., $375,000
    Utah State University, Logan, Utah, $499,884
    The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, Madison, Wisc., $498,995

Among this year's projects, the National Academy of Sciences will host a free, livestreamed workshop that will bring together policy makers, foundations and scientists to discuss how soil affects food security, water quality and ecosystem health and identify policy solutions and research decisions to preserve this critical resource. Archbold Expeditions, a nonprofit dedicated to long-term ecological research, will compare different grassland management systems to see which offer the most effective ecosystem benefits, such as greenhouse gas management and water use efficiency.

Previous agroecosystem projects include a research and education initiative by North Carolina State University that investigated how farming practices such as tillage, pesticide and fertilizer use can affect beneficial soil organisms like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Scientists and extension educators from the University of Idaho, Washington State University, Oregon State University and USDA's Agricultural Research Service collaborated on a planning grant to develop sustainable agriculture in the rain-fed cereal production areas of the inland Pacific Northwest.

Since 2009, USDA has invested $19 billion in research both intramural and extramural. During that time, research conducted by USDA scientists has resulted in 883 patent applications filed, 405 patents issued and 1,151 new inventions disclosures covering a wide range of topics and discoveries.



The Next Generation of the Checkoff
Jared Hagert, Chair of the United Soybean Board, Farmer from Emerado, North Dakota

One generation ago, in 1991, U.S. soybean farmers came together to create an organization to improve our industry. The idea was if soybean farmers focused available resources, we could accomplish great things. This idea – thanks to an act of Congress – became the United Soybean Board (USB), which is recognizing its 25th anniversary this year.

This occasion has allowed us, the volunteer farmer-leaders of the soy checkoff, the opportunity to step back, recognize our successes and take a focused look forward at where the greatest possibilities lie for U.S. soybean farmers.

USB’s mission remains the same—improving profit opportunities for all U.S. soybean farmers. Over the past 25 years we’ve seen a lot of changes in our market, and USB has identified the core areas for immediate opportunities for U.S. soybeans within that market and our value chain. We are challenging ourselves with a constant focus of innovation to improve meal and oil along with our sustainability. This type of forward thinking is going to give us a global market edge.

We’re also doubling down on our vision – driving soybean innovation beyond the bushel. This means we are looking beyond just bushel gains and into new ways to capture value on behalf of our fellow farmers. Because we understand that if we are going to improve soybeans and practices to grow them, we have to make sure that the market values our soybeans and the solutions that we are providing our end users.

It’s going to take calculated risk and bold thinking to evolve our value chain. We need to partner with the industry to provide varieties that yield, not only in terms of bushels per acre but in pounds of protein and pounds of oil per acre. Our end users want soybeans that are sustainably produced and provide high quality protein and oil. We need processors to clearly value these varieties and to be transparent in how they value them so farmers are motivated to grow what the end user desires. Through all of this, we need to be demonstrating to these value chain partners how they can win as well.

We believe that USB is well positioned to be a catalyst to spark these changes and push our industry forward. We can bring forward investments to accelerate programs that benefit the entire soybean industry, but always with the U.S. soybean farmer’s benefit top of mind.

It’s hard to know for sure exactly what we will be celebrating as biggest and best accomplishments another 25 years from now, but we believe we are putting the U.S. soybean industry on a path for the next generation of greatness.





USDA Seeks Nominees for National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is asking fluid milk processors and other interested parties to nominate candidates to serve on the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will appoint six individuals to succeed members whose terms expire on June 30, 2017.

USDA will accept nominations for board representation in five geographic regions. It will also fill one at-large position.  Nominees for the regional positions must be active owners or employees of a fluid milk processor.  The nominee for the at-large position may be either a fluid milk processor or a member of the general public.  The geographic regions with vacancies are: Region 2 (New Jersey and New York); Region 5 (Florida); Region 11 (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma); Region 13 (Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming); and Region 14 (Northern California). Newly appointed members will serve three-year terms from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020.

USDA welcomes membership on industry boards that reflects the diversity of the individuals served by the program.  USDA encourages all eligible women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to seek nomination for a seat on the board.  The USDA factsheet “Be a Voice for Your Industry” describes the responsibilities and benefits of serving on a research and promotion board.

The Fluid Milk Promotion Act established the board to develop and administer a coordinated program of advertising and education to promote fluid milk products.  Of the board’s 20 members, 15 represent geographic regions and five are at-large members.  The at-large members must include at least three fluid milk processors and at least one member from the general public.  Currently four at-large processor members and one member from the general public serve on the board.

Fluid milk processors and interested parties may submit nominations for regions in which they are located or market fluid milk, and for at-large members.  To nominate an individual, please submit a copy of the nomination form and a signed background form for each nominee by Jan. 6, 2017, to: Emily DeBord, Promotion, Research, and Planning Division, Dairy Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Stop 0233, Room 2958-S, Washington, D.C. 20250-0233, or via email at emily.debord@ams.usda.gov.  To obtain forms or additional information, call (202) 720-5567.