Tuesday February 14 Ag News

NE Pork Producers Hold Annual Meeting in Lincoln

The Nebraska Pork Producers Assoc held their annual meeting at Innovation Campus in Lincoln Tuesday.  First of all, here are the results of elections.  The officer team of Nebraska Pork Producers will remain the same in the coming year, with Russ Vering of Howells as President, and Darin Uhler - Tim Chancellor - and Keven Peterson as vice presidents.  Newly elected to the board was Paul Segner of Friend... with alternates Al Stephens and Alesha Meyer.  Segner operates a fourth generation diversified farm with his sons where they have 7500 head space to contract finish hogs. Six producers were re-elected to the board... they are John Csukker, Michael Luckey, Stuart Spader, Darin Uhler, Aaron Reichmuth, and Duane Miller. 

Many awards were presented to those who have supported the pork industry.  Among the awards presented were the Hall of Fame inductions... Two advocates of the pork industry were welcomed into the hall, including Bruce Livingston of Fairbury, and Terry O'Neel of Friend who is currently serving as National Pork Board Vice-Chair.  Also, the Outstanding Pork Service Awards were given to Willow Holoubek recognizing her support for the livestock industry during her time at A-FAN, and Dave Harrington for his efforts in giving over 50 speeches through Operation: Main Street.



Harms joins the Nebraska Corn Board

The Nebraska Corn Board is pleased to announce the hiring of Kurtis Harms. Harms joined the Corn Board staff on February 6, 2017 and serves as the Director of Communications for the organization.
In his role, Harms will develop and implement a clear communications strategy to publicize the Nebraska Corn Board’s research, educational, market development and promotional investments. Throughout the year, Harms will coordinate promotional and educational events for various audiences to highlight the work of Nebraska’s corn industry. Harms will also work closely with media partners and will manage the Nebraska Corn Board’s online presence.

“We’re pleased to welcome Kurtis to the Nebraska Corn Board,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board. “Kurtis brings with him a wealth of experience communicating complex agricultural issues to a variety of audiences. His passion for communications and technology also means he’s able to effectively reach people through traditional and emerging media channels.”

Harms is a native of Dodge, Nebraska. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in agricultural journalism and an emphasis in broadcasting and public relations. He then earned a master’s degree in journalism and mass communications. Prior to joining the Nebraska Corn Board, Harms worked for UNL as the executive producer of the Market Journal television program where he was responsible for most aspects of the program’s production. Under his leadership, Market Journal went from a weekly state-wide program to a national and international show.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Nebraska Corn Board staff,” said Harms. “I’ve long admired the work the Board does to promote and enhance the state’s corn industry and its farmers, and I’m looking forward to taking an active role in telling the story of Nebraska corn.”



Cooperatives Provide Necessary Market for Iowa Producers

The oldest active cooperative elevator in the United States sits in Marcus, a small town with just over 1,000 residents in northwest Iowa. Formed in 1887, the cooperative’s goal was to provide farmers a place to competively sell their grain. At the time, elevators were mostly privately owned, with operators able to pay low prices to producers for harvested grain while making fantastic profits when the grain reached market.

Farmers from that part of the state gathered to collectively start their own elevator, providing an alternative for the sale of grain. And thus began an era of cooperative agriculture that exists to this day.

“Co-ops have been important to the development of agriculture in the United States, and in Iowa maybe even more so,” said Keri Jacobs, assistant professor and extension economist with Iowa State University. “I don’t think you can understate the importance of their role in the growth of agriculture in Iowa.”

This history and function of co-ops is the focus of a five-part video series featuring Jacobs that are now available through a partnership with the Iowa Institute for Cooperatives. The videos were sponsored by ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences through a gift from CoBank and are designed to educate both members and employees about the history, function and methods of cooperatives.

All five videos in the Co-op 101 series can be found on the ISU Extension and Outreach Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube page: Co-op 101: Historic Foundations, Co-op 101: Ownership and Governance, Co-op 101: How Cooperatives Differ, Co-op 101: Economic Benefits and Co-op 101: Benefits to Employees.

Co-ops are businesses that put the needs of a particular class of stakeholders above the needs of all others. And with cooperatives, those stakeholders are their member-owners.

“There are three principles that govern a co-op: that they are user owned, user controlled and the user receives the benefits the co-op offers,” Jacobs said. “Profits earned by the co-op are then returned to their members. In this way it is a business that seeks to provide benefits to those for whom it exists.”

The benefits earned from a co-op are different depending on your relationship to the organization. Members share in the the company’s profitability through patronage, have access to services and have a vote in how the company is run. Non-members are still able to use the co-op and receive the benefit of a competive marketplace through competition the co-op fosters.

Cooperatives benefit rural communities
Perhaps the largest group to benfit from cooperatives are rural communities.

“Cooperatives generate a tremendous amount of tax revenue while also providing a place of employment,” Jacobs said. “Those employees then spend their income in rural communities. The co-op also supports the community in other ways, budgeting money for local school activities or, for example, the FFA. They have a connection and really do integrate themselves in the community.”

Currently, there are 618 grain and farm supply and petroleum co-op locations in Iowa, employing 6,490 people and serving 129,000 members, according to the Iowa Institue for Cooperatives. Those grain and farm supply co-ops paid nearly $26.7 million in property taxes while having an annual sales volume of $11.5 billion. Additional revenue, employment and taxes are generated through rural electric co-ops, telephone co-ops and credit unions throughout the state.

“Co-ops operate differently than just strict profit maximization, they service the rural areas where investor-owned firms might not decide to have assets when no competition exists,” Jacobs said. “These co-ops grew up in the state to fill a need for producers to gain access to missing goods and services. Cooperatives maintain assets in rural areas that investor owned firms wouldn’t. In many cases they are the reason we still have local services like banks in these rural areas. The co-ops also help insure rural services are maintained in the areas their members live.”

Which brings us back to Marcus. The elevator in town was originally built along the railroad, providing easy access to grain transportation. If the co-op were to cease operation, farmers in the area could be forced to transport their grain longer distances as privately owned companies may not want to devote resources to rural parts of the state. The closest town to Marcus with over 10,000 residents is Storm Lake, 37 miles away. Le Mars, a town of just over 9,000, is still 20 miles away.

“A co-op board president told me, ‘my grandfather built the co-op, my dad and I used it and my son will destroy it,’” Jacobs said. “His son has never lived in a world without a co-op nearby and has no idea what the marketplace would look like without one. Cooperatives are still incredibly relevant but unfortunately many members don’t remember why they were started and the value in having a countervailing force in the marketplace.”



U.S. Soy-Based Products Come Full Circle

U.S. soybean farmers are seeing tangible returns on their investments. Transferring from the soybean field to the equipment used to plant and harvest, soy-based products are returning to the farm.

New products such as Bridgestone® tires, RAPTOR® tractor belts and John Deere® tractors all have components made with U.S. soybeans. The United Soybean Board’s (USB) commitment to maximizing farmer profitability shows by bringing these and several other soy-based products to market.
“The inclusion of U.S. soy in more products is a success all farmers can be proud of,” says Craig Gigstad, Kansas soybean farmer and USB farmer-leader. “I take pride in growing a sustainable crop that increases my profitability and adds value for commercial goods.”

In 2016, a number of products were commercialized based on USB-funded research. These soy-based products span from on-farm usage to household items, like adhesives for kitchen cabinetry, soaps and shampoos. USB’s 2017 Soy Products Guide features hundreds of soy-based products currently available.

“New products for U.S. soy open up markets for soybean farmers and create sustainable solutions for end users,” Gigstad says. “For many companies, soy is a renewable and American-grown alternative for current technology. This sustainability factor is what customers demand.”

Soy-based products expand the already diversified soybean market. Creating more end uses for soybeans will continue to build demand for U.S. soy and maximize profit opportunities for farmers.



U.S. Grains Council, Panama Canal Authority Sign MOU Before Canal Tour

More than 350 attendees had a firsthand look at the new Panama Canal expansion on Monday to kick off events at the U.S. Grains Council 14th International Marketing Conference & 57th Annual Membership Meeting in Panama City, Panama.

The tour of the Agua Clara locks in Colon, Panama, was a unique opportunity to see trade in action, and an important reminder of the dynamic global trade environment for those who last visited the Canal shortly after construction on the new locks began.

“When USGC last met in Panama, the canal expansion was only a construction site,” said Chip Councell, USGC chairman and a grain farmer in Maryland. “Visiting the new locks reflects the long-term commitment of the Council and its members to enabling more and expanded trade opportunities for American agriculture.”

Before the tour, meeting attendees in a general session were welcomed to the region by USGC Western Hemisphere Regional Director Marri Carrow and Erik Hansen, agricultural counselor at the U.S. Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica.

They also witnessed Councell and Manuel Benitez, Panama Canal deputy administrator, sign a formal memorandum of understanding between the two organizations on the importance of the Panama Canal to U.S. grain trade.

Benitez offered the farmers, agribusiness representatives and others in the audience an extensive briefing on the Panama Canal expansion, which opened on June 30, 2016.

Sixty-nine percent of all cargo traveling through the Panama Canal originates from or is destined for the United States, including roughly one-third of total U.S. grain exports, Benitez told the crowd. The new set of locks will open opportunities for larger and more efficient shipments of all products.

Delegates and members continued meetings Tuesday to trade perspectives on the grain market and set strategy for the organization's work. USGC committees, known as Advisory Teams, had full-day meetings on Tuesday, and the organization's Board of Delegates will hold a business meeting on Wednesday.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to visit the Miraflores locks, where ships cross below the Bridge of the Americas that connects North and South America.



Senators Urge USDA to Restore Animal Cruelty Data to Website

A group of Democratic U.S. senators called on the Trump administration on Monday to restore animal cruelty information that recently was removed from government’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s website.

The 18 senators made the request in a letter to the acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the agency. It considers inspection reports for all regulated entities and annual reports submitted by research laboratories to be public.

“The public has a right to know if regulated entities have subjected animals in their care to abuse or otherwise failed to meet basic welfare standards,” the lawmakers wrote. “Public access to information can guide consumer decision making and plays an important role in deterring regulated entities from violating the law.”

Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey is spearheading the effort. He discussed the letter during a news conference at the Bergen County Animal Shelter in Teterboro, New Jersey, where he was joined by several animal welfare advocates. The senator said he wants to know why the information was removed from the site and “who was involved in making such a poor and misguided decision to give animal abusers a free pass.”

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is responsible for “protecting and promoting U.S. agricultural health, regulating genetically engineered organisms, administering the Animal Welfare Act and carrying out wildlife damage management activities,” according to its website.

A call seeking USDA comment was not returned Monday.

But a message posted on the department’s website noted the site review is ongoing and that the agency is striving to balance the need for transparency with rules protecting individual privacy.

“In 2016, well before the change of Administration, APHIS decided to make adjustments to the posting of regulatory records,” the statement said. “In addition, APHIS is currently involved in litigation concerning, among other issues, information posted on the agency’s website.

“While the agency is vigorously defending against this litigation, in an abundance of caution, the agency is taking additional measures to protect individual privacy. These decisions are not final. Adjustments may be made regarding information appropriate for release and posting.”



New FARM Program Environmental Stewardship Module Helps Measure Improvements in Dairy Sustainability

In its continued effort to share the compelling story of continuous improvement on America’s dairy farms, the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program has opened participation in its third component, FARM Environmental Stewardship (ES).

The Environmental Stewardship module joins the FARM Program’s two other pillars, FARM Animal Care and FARM Antibiotic Stewardship. The voluntary FARM Environmental Stewardship program helps dairy producers augment their environmental management efforts by identifying ways to improve their on-farm sustainability.

“America’s dairy farmers have long been active stewards of the environment,” said Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of NMPF. “Farmers should be proud that, today, producing a gallon of milk uses 65 percent less water, requires 90 percent less land and has a 63 percent smaller carbon footprint than it did 70 years ago. The FARM Environmental Stewardship program captures more detailed data on these great advances, while at the same time presenting farmers with useful information that can help them improve their farms efficiency and use fewer natural resources, all while saving money.”

FARM ES provides a comprehensive estimate of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use per pound of milk produced on dairy farms by asking producers a limited set of questions. The tool is based on a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of fluid milk conducted by the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas, incorporating existing data from more than 500 dairy farms across the United States.

By tracking advances in dairy production efficiency, farmers can use FARM ES to assure dairy customers and consumers of their commitment to ongoing environmental progress. Producers can also use the results to identify opportunities for changes that could increase their farm’s sustainability and reduce their cost of production.

Dairy cooperatives and farmers wishing to use the ES module can opt in through the existing FARM Program database, which allows FARM evaluators to see the assessment in the existing web and mobile applications. FARM has created a random sampling protocol for the organizations that choose to use the ES module. This voluntary protocol allows FARM Program milk handlers to randomly select farms for an assessment, and provides instructions for how to document and promote the resulting improvements in their dairy supply chain.

The FARM Program has released several documents, videos and trainings to educate those interested in participating in the FARM Environmental Stewardship program. They can be found on the Environment page of the FARM website.

NMPF, along with dairy community partners Dairy Management, Inc. and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, support the use of safe and efficient environmental practices to help dairy operations remain stewards of a healthy ecosystem.



CWT Assists with 2 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance on contracts to sell 2.048 million pounds (929 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses to customers in Asia and Oceania. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from February through May 2017.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 7.027 million pounds of American-type cheeses, and 1.323 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) to 10 countries on three continents. The sales are the equivalent of 94.624 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 affects all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.



 Massey Ferguson Introduces High-clearance Utility Tractor during World Ag Expo

Massey Ferguson®, a worldwide brand of AGCO Corporation (NYSE:AGCO), is introducing a high-clearance (HC) utility tractor to meet the needs of specialty crop growers throughout Central California and other specialty crop regions of North America. The Massey Ferguson 4610M High-clearance Utility Tractor delivers the crop clearance growers need to care for high-value crops such as berries, broccoli, potatoes, tobacco and many other types of produce without damaging the crop. The tractor is available through Massey Ferguson dealers and will be configured to fit the needs of each individual operation.

“For more than 150 years, Massey Ferguson has been manufacturing equipment to meet the varied needs of producers around the world,” says Warren Morris, tactical marketing manager for Massey Ferguson. “We’ve used this worldwide experience to expand the Massey Ferguson utility tractor portfolio with products that fit the needs of specialty crop producers. The MF4610M HC models are rugged, efficient, dependable tractors that bring professional produce operations cost-effective new choices to meet their production and business needs.”

A tractor with versatility
The MF4610M HC tractors are designed with versatility to fit many needs. Weighing more than four tons, the tractors boast 100 engine HP, a long wheelbase and excellent power-to-weight ratio for stability in the field. Two different tire sizes provide the tractor with drawbar ground clearance of either 27.7 or 31 inches. In addition, the MF4610M HC tractors may be configured for either 60-inch or 80-inch track widths and as many as seven track settings with the use of axle extensions.

To provide the ultimate in speed control for slow-paced field operations, an 18x18 power shuttle transmission with six creeper gears is standard on the MF4610M HC.

To handle a wide variety of implements, the MF4610M HC is equipped with a category II hitch, 540/540E PTO and up to three rear hydraulic remotes. With 4,400 pounds in lift capacity at 24 inches behind the ball ends, this tractor can complete even the most demanding tasks. Telescopic lower links make implement changes easier and faster. Finally, easy-access service points combined with intuitive electronic controls make daily maintenance checks fast and easy to provide maximum uptime and performance.

Updated technology improves power management and lowers emissions
The tractors are powered by a Tier 4, three-cylinder engine from AGCO Power™. The engine features four valves per cylinder to improve airflow and enhance the fuel/air mixture.

“Following the same philosophy as AGCO’s high-horsepower tractor engines, the MF4610M HC tractors use selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) to treat the exhaust after combustion,” explains Morris. “This keeps all components doing what they do best, and doesn’t rob the engine of power and torque when it’s needed the most. This approach also does not require the expense and downtime of tractors using diesel particulate filters.”

Electronic engine management is incorporated into the power system with a high-pressure common-rail (HPCR) fuel injection system. The engine management system monitors every aspect of the engine’s operation, resulting in optimum performance and lower fuel consumption.

Operator’s station improves ease of use, comfort and visibility
The open, streamlined operator station has a highly illuminated digital instrument panel which makes it easy for the operator to monitor engine RPMs as well as the engagement of other key machine functions. In addition, an ergonomically designed right-hand console puts the PTO, 3-point hitch and hydraulic control levers within easy reach.