Thursday March 2 Ag News

Smith and Loebsack Introduce Bill to Broaden Fuel Choices for Retailers and Consumers

Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA) reintroduced legislation today to broaden fuel choices for retailers and consumers by expanding the existing waiver of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations related to the Reid Vapor Pressure of motor vehicle fuel, which E10 received in 1990, to include E15.

“By restricting retailers’ ability to market the fuel they feel is most competitive, these archaic EPA regulations are impeding the free market and limiting consumers’ options at the pump,” Congressman Smith said.  “There is no reason E15 should not receive the same regulatory relief extended to E10 decades ago.  We must foster the development of a robust energy marketplace, including ethanol and other renewable fuels, in order to achieve American energy independence.”

“Ethanol is a homegrown renewable energy source that supports millions of jobs in communities in Iowa and throughout the country,” said Congressman Loebsack.  “This legislation will remove an unnecessary barrier and allow E15 gasoline to be sold in the summer months.  This legislation helps expand consumer choice at the pump, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil, and stimulate economic development throughout the country.”

“The introduction of the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act is the first step toward eradicating an unnecessary EPA restriction that limits consumer choice at the pump during the peak time of the year when Americans are on the road,” Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said.  “E15 is a federally-approved fuel that saves motorists money, boosts engine performance, and improves the environment.  Biofuels like E15 are the most effective alternative to fossil fuels and a critical tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.  It is simply ridiculous that a law passed in 1990 to spur ethanol fuel sales would prevent today’s drivers from having this choice of a high-performance, environmentally-friendly 21st century fuel year-round.  We commend the sponsors of this bill for their efforts to provide consumer choice at the pump and look forward to working with them to get this important legislation enacted.”



Bipartisan Senators Seek to Expand Market for Biofuels

U.S. Senators Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act. The bill would extend the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver to ethanol blends above 10 percent. This would increase market access opportunities for higher blends of ethanol. It would allow retailers across the country to sell E15 and other higher-ethanol/gasoline fuel blends year-round, increasing regulatory certainty and eliminating confusion at the pump.

“As one of America’s largest producers of ethanol, Nebraska can provide renewable solutions for our nation’s energy needs. The bipartisan legislation we are introducing today would expand fuel options for consumers and remove regulatory burdens that limit the use of E15. It would also ensure a fair playing field for higher ethanol blends, expanding fuel choices and strengthening our energy diversity,” said Senator Fischer.

“Biofuels give consumers more options and reduce fuel prices at the gas pump. This legislation would expand the market for ethanol producers, opening more market opportunities for fuels grown on Hoosier farms. I am proud to join my colleague Senator Fischer, along with Senator Grassley, in a bipartisan effort to eliminate the senseless restriction on ethanol producers and consumers,” said Senator Donnelly.

“Consumers appreciate having choices, whether it’s at the grocery store or the fuel pump,” Senator Grassley said.  “Those of us who live in biofuels-producing states understand the appeal of cleaner, domestic, renewable fuels. The EPA should be consistent in the way it treats different fuel blends as a matter of fairness and to give consumers more options for fueling their vehicles. The EPA has never acted on its authority to grant a Reid vapor pressure waiver for E15. This bill proposes a legislative fix to fill the void.”  

Each year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates RVP for gasoline and gasoline-ethanol blended from June 1 until September 15. During these months, when many travelers are on the road, the EPA restricts the retail sale of fuels with ethanol above 10 percent. Only higher blends that go through extra and more costly refining may be sold to consumers during this time.

Furthermore, retailers are forced to change fuels or labeling during the summer fueling season. This is why retailers often choose not to sell higher ethanol blends, such as E15, since they can only sell these products mid-September until May. The Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act would allow retailers to sell E15 all year long without going through the costly approval process.



New Legislation Would Extend RVP Waiver, Boost Consumer Fuel Choices During Summer Driving Season

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor today released the following statement in support of the bipartisan, bicameral introduction of the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act (S. 517, H.R. 1311). This legislation – introduced in the Senate by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and in the House of Representatives by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE-3) and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA-2) – would extend the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) volatility waiver to gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol (E15), allowing retailers to offer E15 without restriction from June 1 to September 15.

“The introduction of the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act is the first step toward eradicating an unnecessary EPA restriction that limits consumer choice at the pump during the peak time of the year when Americans are on the road,” Skor said.

“E15 is a federally approved fuel that saves motorists money, boosts engine performance, and improves the environment. Biofuels like E15 are the most effective alternative to fossil fuels and a critical tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. It is simply ridiculous that law passed in 1990 to spur ethanol fuel sales would prevent today’s drivers from having this choice of a high-performance, environmentally friendly 21st century fuel year-round.

“We commend the sponsors of this bill for their efforts to provide consumer choice at the pump and look forward to working with them to get this important legislation enacted.”

RVP is a measure of how quickly fuel evaporates, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates vapor pressure/RVP to prevent increased ozone or smog from vehicle emissions. Congress granted regular gasoline with 10 percent ethanol (E10) an RVP waiver because E10 reduces tailpipe emissions. EPA does not give E15 the same RVP waiver as E10, even though it is less volatile.

Consequently, retailers are largely prohibited from selling E15 for use in 2001 and newer vehicles from June 1 through September 15, despite its approved use by the EPA. The EPA fails to account for the fact that higher ethanol blends are less volatile, and fuel such as E15 further decrease emissions, replacing toxic additives in gasoline that have been proven to cause cancer, asthma, groundwater contamination and smog.

Currently E15 is being offered at approximately 650 locations in 28 states. Leading retailers offering E15 include: Sheetz, Thorntons, Murphy USA, RaceTrac, Minnoco, Protec and Kum & Go.



ACE elects 2017 executive committee

During its first quarter meeting, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board of Directors elected its officers and executive committee members for 2017.  Re-elected to serve as officers on the Executive Committee are:

Ron Alverson, representing Dakota Ethanol, LLC, an ethanol plant in Wentworth, South Dakota, which produces 50 million gallons of ethanol per year (MGY). Alverson is the current President of the ACE Board of Directors.

Duane Kristensen, General Manager of Chief Ethanol Fuels, which owns a 62 MGY ethanol plant in Hastings, Nebraska, and a 50 MGY ethanol plant in Lexington, Nebraska. Kristensen is the current Vice President of the ACE Board of Directors. 

Dave Sovereign, who represents Golden Grain Energy, a 120 MGY ethanol plant in Mason City, Iowa, on the ACE board and serves on the board of Absolute Energy a 115 MGY ethanol producer in Lyle, Minnesota. Sovereign also owns Cresco Fast Stop; a convenience store that specializes in selling ethanol blends. He serves as Secretary of the ACE Board of Directors.

Brian Wilcox, with Nebraska Public Power District, which serves customers in nearly all of the counties in the state of Nebraska. Wilcox will serve as Treasurer of the ACE Board of Directors.

Two additional directors were elected to round-out the executive committee; Troy Knecht, representing the South Dakota Corn Growers Association, and Greg Krissek, CEO for the Kansas Corn Growers Association. Knecht operates a diversified farming enterprise in Houghton, South Dakota, and serves as the President of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. Krissek has nearly 30 years of experience in agriculture and the ethanol industry.

“ACE is fortunate to have strong leaders on our executive committee who are committed to representing the interests of our grassroots members,” said Brian Jennings, ACE Executive Vice President.  “We welcome the addition of Troy Knecht and Greg Krissek, their voices will be pivotal as we work to grow demand for ethanol.”



Pork Industry Honors Rich Degner with Distinguished Service Award

The National Pork Board today honored Rich Degner as the recipient of its Distinguished Service Award during the National Pork Industry Forum in Atlanta. Degner is the former chief executive officer of the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

At the pork industry’s annual business meeting, the award is given to an outstanding leader to recognize his or her lifelong contribution to the pork industry.

“Rich has provided extraordinary leadership to the pork industry,” said National Pork Board President Jan Archer, who is a pork producer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. “Through the years, he worked tirelessly for the advancement of pork producers, as well as for the industry in Iowa and across the United States.”

The National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) also presented Degner with the inaugural Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award, which was developed cooperatively by the Pork Board and NPPC. The award recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment of state pork executives and was named after two top leaders – Don Paulson, past Minnesota state pork executive, and Rex Whitmore, past Wisconsin state pork executive.

Degner learned the value of hard work on his family’s farm in northwest Iowa. Following graduation from Iowa State University in 1972, he taught vocational ag in Iowa, first in Rock Valley and later in Ankeny. He joined the Iowa Pork Producers Association in 1980 under the mentorship of Mike Telford and the late Don Gingerich.

Over the next 35 years, Degner served in many roles, including as CEO for 17 years. In 1981, He helped create the Iowa Pork Tent at the Iowa State Fair. From its small beginnings, the Iowa Pork Tent is now a cornerstone of the fair and Iowa’s pork industry. Degner also played a key role in expanding pork export markets, leading producers on more than 50 trade missions to over 20 countries, including 30 to Japan.

During the farm crisis in the 1980s, he helped develop financial management tools for pig farmers who were facing foreclosure. He also led the Iowa Pork Producers Association in guiding producers to be in compliance with new regulations while modernizing their farms and propelling them into the future.



Former Iowa Pork Producers CEO Honored

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) joined the National Pork Board today in presenting former Iowa Pork Producers Association CEO Rich Degner with the inaugural Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award at their annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held here.

The award, named after Don Paulson, past Minnesota state pork executive, and Rex Whitmore, past Wisconsin state pork executive, recognizes the outstanding leadership and commitment of state pork organization executives.

Degner worked for IPPA for 35 years, serving as CEO the last 17 of those years before retiring in 2015. He began his career at the organization as program and communications director then moved to pork product promotion in Iowa and overseas.

He developed the structure for producer financial and business plan assistance following the pork economic crisis of the late 1980s, was active in federal level lobbying and helped create the Iowa Pork Tent at the Iowa State Fair, which now is a cornerstone of the fair and Iowa’s pork industry. Degner also played a key role in expanding pork export markets, leading producers on more than 50 trade missions to more than 20 countries.

While at IPPA, he guided pork producers in complying with new regulations while modernizing their farms, helping to redefine the production model in Iowa to respond to environmental concerns and to write the regulations that would shape the industry.

Degner, who grew up on his family’s farm in northwest Iowa, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural education from Iowa State University and, after graduation, taught vocational agriculture in Rock Valley and Ankeny, Iowa, before joining IPPA.

“Rich has dedicated his life to the U.S. pork industry, and the Iowa pork industry grew and prospered under his strong leadership,” said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. “Like so many of our industry leaders, Rich focused on the producers and their success and on adding value to their product. NPPC is pleased, along with the National Pork Board, to present Rich with this well-deserved award.”



Inaugural Pig Farmers of Tomorrow Named

The National Pork Board announced today that Kyle Coble from Minnesota, Logan Thornton from Idaho and Madison Schafer from Minnesota have been named the inaugural Pig Farmers of Tomorrow. They were recognized today at the 2017 National Pork Industry in Atlanta.

“It is important for the Checkoff to recognize the future leaders of the pork industry,” said National Pork Board President Jan Archer, a pork producer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. “We are excited for these young farmers to share their unique stories with consumers.”

The new award recognizes farm leaders, ages 18-29, who intend to make pig farming their life’s work and who are committed to raising pigs using the pork industry’s We CareSM ethical principles. The winners will speak at Pork Checkoff events and provide content on #RealPigFarming, which is the pork industry’s social media program.

Coble is the senior manager of production strategies and a swine nutritionist with New Fashion Pork in Jackson, Minnesota. New Fashion Pork, a leading producer of high-quality pork, has farms in Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, Wyoming and Wisconsin.

“I’m excited to introduce the public to different types of pig farmers,” Coble said. “For instance, I use math and statistics every day to help our team decide which production practices help us provide a safe, wholesome, affordable protein.”

Schafer is the seventh-generation of her family to farm near Goodhue, Minnesota. The Schafers operate a 1,600-sow unit, a 600-sow unit and seven replacement gilt development barns.

“It is important for all pig farmers take every opportunity to start conversations about farming,” Schafer said. “These connections help dispel misconceptions about our farming practices and show consumers how much we care about raising healthy pigs.”

Thornton runs Flying Pig Farm, a farrow-to-finish farm near Kuna, Idaho. Flying Pig Farm markets 3,000 pigs a year. The Thorntons have a farrowing and nursery barn, and use hoop barns to finish pigs and for sow gestation.

“My family and I care for each pig individually,” Thornton said. “Raising healthy pigs is important to us, and I’m excited to share our story with consumers, especially on social media.”

An industry panel of judges selected the 2017 Pig Farmers of Tomorrow, who all have had a Common Industry Audit completed on their farms.



Determan Inducted Into NPPC Hall of Fame

Barb Determan, a pork producer from Early, Iowa, today was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Pork Producers Council for her perseverance and leadership of and dedication to the U.S. pork industry at NPPC’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held here.

Determan, who grew up on a diversified farm in west central Illinois, is president, owner and strategist of Heartland Marketing Group. She and husband Steve also raise hogs.

Serving as NPPC president from March 2001 to March 2002, Determan oversaw the court-ordered split of the Pork Checkoff Program from NPPC that paved the way for the council to reestablish itself to provide the legislative, regulatory and trade advocacy necessary for the industry to achieve success.

In addition to leading the board of directors, she served as the de facto CEO of the reconstituted NPPC – most of the organization’s staff were running the checkoff, which then fell to the newly established National Pork Board. Three months after being elevated to president, Determan had to weather the cancellation of NPPC’s World Pork Expo because of the worldwide scare of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, then she guided the organization through the dark days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America.

Since those tumultuous times, Determan has dedicated much of her time and effort to promoting and serving American agriculture generally and the U.S. pork industry specifically. She served on the Iowa 4-H Foundation board of directors, including as chairwoman in 2012, and recently was nominated by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad to serve on the Iowa Great Places Advisory Board. She also was elected to the U.S. Animal Health Association board. She has been a volunteer committee member for NPPC for the past 20 years and for the National Pork Board for nearly 15 years.

“As president of NPPC, Barb guided the organization through a period of great turmoil, and since that time, she’s dedicated herself to promoting and helping our industry,” said newly-elected NPPC President Ken Maschhoff, a pork producer from Carlyle, Ill. “For her can-do spirit and innumerable contributions to the U.S. pork industry, we are extremely pleased to induct Barb Determan into the NPPC Hall of Fame.”



Late Doug Wolf Inducted Into NPPC Hall of Fame

For his passion for pork production and his genuine care and concern for those in the pork industry, the late Doug Wolf, a pork producer from Lancaster, Wis., today was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Pork Producers Council at the organization’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held here.

Wolf, who died suddenly last July, was a partner in Wolf L&G Farms LLC, with his wife Kris and son Shannon. The farm includes a sow farrow-to-finish operation, a cow-calf herd, feedlot and 1,200 crop acres on which corn, soybeans and alfalfa are raised.

He served on the NPPC board of directors for five years, including as president from March 2011 to March 2012. In addition to his service with NPPC, Wolf was involved with the National Pork Board – including as chairman of its Trade Committee – the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, the U.S. Meat Export Federation, the Wisconsin Pork Association, the Grant County (Wis.) Pork Producers, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Wolf was particularly interest in trade, knowing that pork industry growth would come from expanded export opportunities. He participated in several pork industry trade missions abroad.

“Doug Wolf was a humble guy, who put family first, the pork industry and farming second and himself last,” said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. “His quiet, unassuming manner belied the fierce proponent he was for our industry. He truly valued the relationships he forged with pork producers around the country, and his spirit and love for agriculture and pork production lives on in many others, particularly his family. We are honored to have Doug be in the NPPC Hall of Fame.”



 AVMA applauds introduction of bill to increase access to veterinary care in underserved areas

The AVMA welcomes the introduction of S. 487, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act (VMLRPEA), by Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). This bill will increase funding available for grants through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which implements loan forgiveness for veterinarians who commit to serving in federally designated veterinary shortage areas. Representatives Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.) introduced companion legislation, H.R. 1268, in the U.S. House of Representatives.

[The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act, Senate bill 487, is a loan relief program for veterinarians who commit to serve in federally designated shortage areas.Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) introduced the bill to strengthen rural economies and to protect the health and welfare of livestock as well as the safety of our food supply. Representatives Adrian Smith (R-Neb) and Ron Kind (D-Wis)introduced companion legislation in the House, H.R. 1268.]

"The VMLRP is a win-win for veterinarians and rural economies because it provides loan relief while also helping alleviate veterinary shortages in areas that lack adequate access to veterinary services for livestock animals," said AVMA President Dr. Tom Meyer. "Unfortunately, the heavy tax applied to VMLRP awards decreases the number of awards that can be made and the number of rural communities that can benefit from increased services. We're grateful our leaders in Congress are again supporting legislation to remove this tax and maximize the effectiveness of the VMLRP. The AVMA played a key role in implementing the VMLRP and will continue our strong support of the VMLRPEA during 2017."

Student loan debt for graduates of veterinary colleges in 2015 topped $140,000 on average. This significant debt can make starting a veterinary practice in a rural shortage area cost prohibitive for recent graduates. As a result, many new graduates are unable to practice in underserved areas where they are most needed.

The VMLRP makes practice in rural underserved areas more financially feasible for recent graduates by providing up to $75,000 in loan repayments in exchange for at least three years of service in designated veterinary shortage areas. Since the program's implementation in 2010, more than 350 veterinarians have participated across 45 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. federal lands. However, a 39 percent income withholding tax is applied to each award, which significantly lowers the number of awards that the U.S. Department of Agriculture can make each year. If this tax had been removed, more than 100 additional veterinarians – and rural communities – could have benefitted from the VMLRP. If passed, the VMLRPEA will implement this important change.

"Access to animal care is critical to Idaho's agricultural economy," said Senator Crapo. "But too often, ranchers and farmers can't access the care they need because they live in areas where demand for veterinary services exceeds availability. This legislation will increase the number of veterinarians able to serve in the areas where they are needed most, which will help strengthen rural economies and protect the safety of our food supply."

"Veterinarians are vital to animal welfare and our nation's agricultural economy," said Senator Stabenow. "Unfortunately, many small towns and rural communities in Michigan and across the country don't have access to the veterinary services they need most. This bill creates important incentives for veterinarians to practice in underserved areas, where quality veterinary care is needed to ensure healthy livestock and a safe food supply."

"Animal health is critical to maintaining the United States' world-leading standards for food safety, with veterinarians and producers working together to ensure livestock are appropriately cared for," said Representative Smith. "However, shortages of large-animal veterinarians in many of the rural areas where our meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy are produced make this work more challenging. This legislation addresses an inconsistency in our tax code involving the treatment of student loan repayment programs while ensuring the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program's limited funding is more directly focused on bringing animal health providers to the areas where they are most needed."

"Large animal veterinarians provide critical services to communities in western and central Wisconsin. They are critical in helping maintain both the safety of our food and the health and welfare of our livestock," said Representative Kind. "However, there are a number of areas across western and central Wisconsin where there is a shortage of veterinarians. This legislation would help our communities attract and retain quality veterinarians in the places of highest need."

The legislation has broad support from more than 160 veterinary, commodity and agriculture-related organizations.



NAWG elects new president, officers

United States wheat farmers will be well represented going into the 2018 Farm Bill debate.

A third generation wheat farmer from western Kansas was elected president of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) today at a board meeting held in conjunction with the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

The newly-elected president, David Schemm, farms with his wife, Lisa, in Wallace County, Kansas.

Jimmie Musick, a farmer from Southwest Oklahoma was elected Vice President. Texan Ben Scholz moved up the ranks of leadership to Treasurer. Gordon Stoner from Outlook, Montana, will continue to serve on the executive committee in the role of Past President. Dave Milligan from Cass City, Michigan, becomes the newest face in NAWG leadership with his election as Secretary.

President Schemm talks about what inspired him to become a leader in the wheat industry.

“I originally started with the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers,” said Schemm. “I really found a passion for what we do; engaging growers and trying to work for the benefit of growers on the Hill, not only at the state level, but also at the national level.”

Schemm continued, “We need to draw a bigger circle than just around ourselves, our family and our own operation. We need to have an influence outside of that.

“It’s been super rewarding and exciting to be able to engage on the growers’ behalf on a national level. I’m so pumped and so excited for the coming year.”

Schemm outlined some of NAWG’s priorities for the upcoming year.

“A couple of the clear priorities I have are making sure as commodities we are working together and we’re working for those commonalities that we can find. We’re all farmers. We can find so many commonalities between us and make sure that we get a good farm bill, a good risk management tool for our farmers out there, especially considering the challenging times we’re going through now.

“It’s not IF wheat will make an impact on the next farm bill,” Schemm emphasized. “Wheat WILL make an impact on the next farm bill. We will make sure that our voice is heard, and that we get the best tool we possibly can for wheat growers out there.”

As NAWG is setting priorities for the upcoming Farm Bill, they have been listening to the member-growers. “We’ve heard overwhelmingly that crop insurance is a top priority,” said Schemm. “Are there areas in crop insurance that need to be tweaked? Yeah, there are maybe some areas and that’s what we’re discussing. There’s got to be strong support going forward with that.

“The other area that we’re hearing is just some challenges that we’ve had with Title I and with the ARC and PLC programs. There’s been discrepancies in data, differences between counties that producers have found. So we’re exploring ways to try to find the right solutions.”

Other areas of concern to Schemm and NAWG leadership include trade and the labor force as it relates to immigration.

“We need to get our Secretary of Ag confirmed. We need to get our trade representative confirmed and in there, so that we can help to communicate the priorities that we have for bilateral agreements. What we don’t have is time. We’ve got other countries in the Pacific Rim and China that are poised and ready to start making these trade agreements that absolutely will be a loss to farmers in this country. Half of our U.S. wheat crop is exported and when we look at this past year with the production that farmers had but the historic low prices, trade becomes a huge issue for us.”

Funding for Foreign Market Development and Market Access Programs are another of NAWG’s top priorities. A 2016 econometric study of export demand commissioned by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) showed that these programs return a remarkable $24 in export gains for every additional $1 spend on foreign market development.

“It just ties right back in with that trade aspect. These are two programs that allow us opportunities to get out there and make contact with our end buyers and end users and educate them and truly show the value that our American farmer does produce wheat and the quality is there. We hope to see those programs not only maintain but actually increase, just simply because of dollar return on them.”

The future of the U.S. wheat and agriculture industries is important to Schemm. He has embraced technologies on his farm, using no-till on his dryland wheat and strip-till on his irrigated. “We’re trying to employ technology in all aspects of our operation,” Schemm said. One of his passions for the industry is to secure a bright future.

“My oldest son is planning on returning to the farm and working into the operation,” said Schemm. “We’re excited about the future of our operation and honestly really excited about the future of farming in general.”

Schemm and his fellow leaders at the National Association of Wheat Growers are listening to the wheat growers across the nation and taking those messages to elected leaders in Washington, D.C.

“I’m really looking forward to this coming year, being able to engage both farmers and legislators to truly make sure that wheat’s voice is heard,” said Schemm. “It WILL be heard. We’ve got some issues, we know that. We’ve got historic low plantings; we’ve got historic low prices. We know farmers are hurting out there. We’ve got ideas; we know there are ways we can improve our current risk management tools, and that is a message we’re going to be taking to the Hill, because we’ve heard from our farmers, and we look forward to making sure our message gets communicated.”



USDA Dairy Products January 2017 Production Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.04 billion pounds, 3.7 percent above January 2016 but 1.2 percent below December 2016.  Italian type cheese production totaled 452 million pounds, 3.8 percent above January 2016 but 1.5 percent below December 2016.  American type cheese production totaled 413 million pounds, 3.0 percent above January 2016 but 1.2 percent below December 2016.  Butter production was 178 million pounds, 1.2 percent above January 2016 and
8.5 percent above December 2016.

Dry milk powders (comparisons with January 2016)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 155 million pounds, up 13.1 percent.
Skim milk powders - 50.5 million pounds, down 1.4 percent.

Whey products (comparisons with January 2016)
Dry whey, total - 82.2 million pounds, down 1.3 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 92.2 million pounds, up 9.0 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 40.0 million pounds, up 2.6 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons with January 2016)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 56.6 million gallons, down 0.8 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 29.5 million gallons, up 14.7 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 3.14 million gallons, up 27.4 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 4.24 million gallons, up 2.7 percent.



EWG's 'New' Database Used For Same, Old Purpose: To Attack Farmers

When it comes to attacking farmers and ranchers, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) never takes a holiday. Not even in the midst of a depressed farm economy.

For years, EWG has been using its so-called "farm subsidy" database – a collection of publicly available, but outdated information – to spread a false narrative about farmers and farm policy.

As we have reported in the past, they spin old, irrelevant data to make it look like our agricultural producers are "cashing in" on the farm safety net while leaving out valuable context for why such support exists. This includes many factors outside farmers' control, like devastating weather events, high input costs, sour economic conditions, and foreign subsidies. They would never report the amount of money farmers spend from their own pockets, or the overall contribution this makes to the economy we enjoy.

One of the more recent examples of spreading misinformation happened when President Trump announced his agriculture secretary nominee. EWG painted Governor Sonny Perdue as a subsidy recipient, but failed to mention that he has not received farm safety net support since 2004 – more than a decade ago – under policies that no longer exist.

And, now as we begin to debate the next farm bill, EWG has rolled out yet another "database." This one purports to track funding for four conservation programs in the farm bill over the last two decades.

But, it is more of the same as EWG tries to push another false story. This time it is that current voluntary conservation efforts are not working, that money spent on conservation efforts has been frittered away, and that farming is threatening our natural resources. The only solution, they say, is more government regulations on farms and mandates from D.C.

"They started with a conclusion – we want to regulate farmers – and then they took the data set and tried to match that conclusion," explained Pelham Straughn, founding partner of the 9b Group, in an interview with Farm Policy Facts. "To compare what we were doing 10 to 15 years ago and lump all of that data in with the things that we are doing today is just not fair."

"Tracking everything by dollars, by acres, that's just one part, but it doesn't get to the outcome," added John Larson, the executive director of programs at American Farmland Trust, a group dedicated to preserving farmland across the country. "If you look at the timeframe – 1997 to 2015 – that's a lot of years and the dollars spent is not very much for the number of acres we're talking about."

Straughn and Larson both noted that the database and the way EWG is using it does not reflect what is happening on the ground. It ignores years of changes to policy and practices that have made voluntary conservation efforts successful, including the investment farmers make to protect the land, water, air, and wildlife.

"Let's not forget that it's farmers that are implementing these conservation practices," said Straughn. "Also, let's not forget that these are cost-share programs, so producers are also paying a portion of this."

Moreover, the very approach to conservation priorities has changed. A decade ago, 54 percent of farm bill conservation funding went to land retirement programs and 35 percent to working lands. Now, more than half of funding is going to working lands.

One shining example of a working lands program, and a specific target of EWG's latest attack, is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). It is a 100 percent cost-share program, which means that if the producer wants to implement a certain conservation practice, he pays a significant portion of the installation and the federal government provides the other part so land stays in production, but with more sustainable practices and techniques.

Just this week, Timothy Gertson, a fifth-generation rice grower from Texas, described how the program offers collective benefits to both the farmer and the environment during a House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing. Gertson explained that he "cost-shared the installation of more than four miles of 16-inch underground pipeline to replace irrigation canals," which resulted in using 20 percent less water needed to grow a crop.

Gertson was able to tailor the voluntary program to fit his specific need. A regulatory framework, like the one EWG proposes, would be a one-size-fits-all approach, which would not account for how vastly different farms can be across the country.

Further, regulatory mandates would strain many farmers, particularly young and beginning farmers, during times like the present when prices are depressed and net farm income has dropped to a historical low.

"We know that in order for the best conservation to be put on the ground, the operation has to be economically viable," explained Coleman Garrison, the director of government affairs at the National Association of Conservation Districts. "If farmers cannot even survive on their own, that's not the best way to get results."

"There are so many variables and factors that a producer doesn't have control over," said Larson. "It's going to be a much more valuable, productive, long-term solution if we're training and incentivizing people to make changes to conservation practices on their own."

No doubt EWG will use this new "conservation" database to undermine the farm bill reauthorization effort. But, it is unlikely to get much traction. As Rep. Collin Peterson, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, once said, "EWG has no credibility."

Indeed, we've all seen this one before.



Data Coalition, Growers Join to Launch National Ag Data Cooperative

A cooperative of growers and an agricultural data nonprofit have agreed to combine their technology platforms and create a vital resource for data-driven agriculture — a neutral, secure and private data storage repository controlled by growers. The combined platforms will be known as AgXchange™ and will be an independent data repository commercially available through the Growers Ag Data Cooperative (GADC) where producers can control, store, view and share their farm data assets.

The effort resulted from dialogues between Grower Information Services Cooperative (GiSC), a grower-formed data warehouse and sharing cooperative, and Agricultural Data Coalition (ADC), a nonprofit corporation formed by 14 founding members, including universities, industry organizations, agricultural groups and companies. The two organizations have been in communication since the ADC announced its mission to help farmers better control and manage their electronic data and facilitate noncommercial research. Realizing their common vision and missions based on grower-controlled data, GiSC and ADC have agreed to combine their efforts and create more synergy between the two organizations and their members. GiSC will rebrand and become Growers Agricultural Data Cooperative, and the two organizations will work closely to provide producers, universities and others a platform to securely store, control and, if they choose, share their data.

“After meeting with each other, we realized we were working toward the same end goal, though from slightly different approaches. It was quickly clear that combining efforts would provide substantial benefits and move us all toward the objective of a grower-controlled, independent data storage repository,” said ADC President Ben Craker.

AgXchange™ is a platform developed through the collaboration of GiSC and ADC. GiSC has a working data storage and visualization platform. ADC developed a data storage and sharing pilot repository, featuring data connections to several precision farming data platforms. The two entities will integrate their complementary platforms to improve functionality and value, improve grower control over their data and allow growers to share their data with universities and other researchers, in addition to other service providers, if the growers choose to do so.

“The central idea was to use the capabilities and resources of the diverse members of the ADC to establish a centralized, dynamic, but completely neutral, resource,” Craker said. “Any time a grower who has an AgXchange account wants to share their data with a service provider, researcher or other business interest, they will be able to grant permission if they so choose.”

“GiSC, now recognized as GADC, will fill a need many growers may not have recognized yet — neutral and secure data storage,” said Billy Tiller, the founder of GiSC. He explained that many growers do not currently maximize the opportunities to use their data, while others may use third-party services to do it for them but often unknowingly grant perpetual rights to use their information to the service providers.

“Growers not only need to be able to maximize the use of their data through capturing and sharing data, but they also need to be able to control the use of that data generated on their operations. When a grower gains complete control of his/her data, the grower will then be able to maintain complete control of his/her operation from the present to the future,” said Jason Ward, CEO of GiSC.

Announced just one year ago, the ADC is the result of years of planning and coordination by AGCO, Agri-AFC, the American Farm Bureau Federation, Auburn University, CNH Industrial, Crop IMS, Ice Miller LLP, Iowa AgState, The Ohio State University, Purdue University, Mississippi State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Raven Industries and Topcon Positioning Group.

Grower Information Services Cooperative, GiSC, is the only grower-owned data cooperative in the United States. GiSC is made up of growers across all geographies, commodities and demographics. The coop, and the data that resides within the organization, is governed by a board of directors composed of the growers’ peers. GiSC works to protect growers’ data rights as well as provide a secure place to warehouse and share growers’ data.



U.S. EPA Proposed Revocation of Chlorpyrifos Threatens Growers’ Livelihoods

In the months since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to revoke U.S. food tolerances for chlorpyrifos, growers, university Extension specialists and scientists have united to voice overwhelming support of the widely used insecticide. Since first registered in the United States in 1965, chlorpyrifos has played an important role in pest management efforts worldwide.   

With the official EPA comment period concluding Jan. 17, 2017, and a final EPA decision forthcoming very soon, the future of chlorpyrifos – chemistry that is registered in nearly 100 countries for use on more than 50 different crops – hangs in the balance.

“For more than half a century, growers around the globe have relied on chlorpyrifos because of its outstanding control and low cost, and its role as an important tool in Integrated Pest Management programs,” says Phil Jost, portfolio marketing leader, U.S. crop protection insecticides for Dow AgroSciences. “Without chlorpyrifos to control many yield- and profit-robbing pests, growers face limited or, in some cases, no viable alternatives.”

Dow AgroSciences is concerned about the far-reaching impact of EPA’s proposal to revoke U.S. food tolerances for the insecticide. The company is specifically concerned that EPA’s assessment of the chemistry lacks scientific rigor and that establishing food tolerance levels based on a nonreplicable epidemiology study sets an untenable precedent for current and future registrations.

EPA’s own Scientific Advisory Panel, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other experts, have voiced concern that EPA has attempted to regulate chlorpyrifos based on a single unreplicated and unvalidated epidemiology study. In contrast, however, an extensive database of reliable and well-replicated data — developed based on sound scientific standards for chlorpyrifos — demonstrates that authorized uses of chlorpyrifos provide wide margins of protection for human health and safety when used as directed.

For growers like Allen Tucker, a sugarbeet producer from St. Thomas, North Dakota, chlorpyrifos is critical to protecting his crops from devastating pests and his operation’s sustainability. Tucker farms more than 4,000 acres – 700 dedicated to sugarbeets – and chairs the Sugarbeet Research and Education Board of Minnesota and North Dakota, an expert source of information on the sugarbeet industry.

“There are a limited number of products that can control sugarbeet root maggot effectively,” Tucker says. “With chlorpyrifos as a tool, we can apply it as a rescue treatment, if necessary, later in the growing season. Chlorpyrifos is our last line of defense against sugarbeet root maggot outbreaks. My farming operation would suffer greatly if this invaluable tool were to be taken off the market.”

John Weinand, a diversified grower from west-central North Dakota, echoes Tucker’s sentiment. Weinand grows dry pea, winter and durum wheat, corn, sunflowers, barley and canola, and relies heavily on chlorpyrifos. He is also a member of the National Association of Wheat Growers’ Environmental and Renewable Resources Committee.

“We rely heavily on chlorpyrifos to control orange blossom wheat midge,” Weinand says. “We turn to the expertise of our land grant university researchers for many agronomic practices and chlorpyrifos is their recommended ‘treatment of choice’ for midge. After using it, we nearly doubled our yield where there was a treatable infestation.”

“Anytime you take tools out of the toolbox and throw them away, it’s a loss for our operation,” Weinand says. “The recommendation we get from our university is based on solid science. It’s not random, and we feel EPA needs to understand that.”

IPM and resulting environmental implications
Tucker says that without chlorpyrifos as an effective pest control tool, he would be forced to use other, less effective insecticides far more aggressively to keep sugarbeet root maggot pest outbreaks at bay.

“We would have to apply other insecticides before knowing the severity of an outbreak,” Tucker says. “The net result would likely be an increased application of insecticide active ingredients at a greater cost. From an environmental standpoint, it benefits no one if we have to apply extra active ingredients of alternative insecticides to overcome insect pressure.”

“We remain optimistic that once EPA considers all of the scientific evidence and grower concerns, this product will continue to be available,” says Jost. “The decision carries huge implications, not only for food production and grower livelihoods, but just as importantly, for environmental sustainability, efforts to manage insect resistance and grower IPM programs.”



DuPont Pioneer Announces Limited Commercial Introduction of Pioneer® Brand Qrome™ Corn Products

DuPont Pioneer announced today the limited commercial introduction of its Pioneer® brand Qrome™ products for the 2017 growing season. Over 100 growers in the western U.S. Corn Belt will plant these new, high-yielding products that feature a triple stack of multiple insect protection traits, including two modes of action to control corn rootworm.

“We’re excited for growers to begin experiencing this innovative trait technology,” said Steve Reno, DuPont Pioneer vice president, regional business director – U.S. & Canada. “Through a sophisticated, efficient molecular breeding process, we’ve developed a product package that combines top-tier genetics, strong defensive traits and advanced seed treatments.”

Across the Pioneer corn product lineup, Qrome products show leading yields within a broad range of elite genetic platforms. In multi-year testing, Qrome products consistently delivered 4- to 7- bushels per acre yield improvement over legacy triple-stack technology.

Qrome products are approved for cultivation in the United States and Canada and have received import approval in a number of importing countries. DuPont Pioneer continues to pursue additional import approvals for Qrome products, including in China, in accordance with Excellence Through Stewardship Product Launch Guidance.

The limited commercial introduction of Pioneer brand Qrome products will allow participating western U.S. Corn Belt growers to benefit from this new technology. These growers will implement certain stewardship responsibilities, including using harvested grain for local or on-farm livestock feeding. Other growers across the U.S. Corn Belt also will be able to see how Qrome products perform locally through Pioneer managed product knowledge plots.

Some of those plots are part of the nationwide “Unlock Your Yield Tour,” which showcases the technology behind Qrome products. The tour vehicle – a custom, stainless steel Timpte® Super Hopper grain trailer – has traveled over 15,000 miles to industry and grower events since August. The tour’s last stop will be at the 2017 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., where Pioneer will donate the Timpte trailer to the National FFA Organization for auction. All proceeds will support National FFA’s mission to make a positive difference in the lives of students. Richie Bros. Auctioneers will facilitate the auction, which will accept both live and online bids.



Bayer and LibertyLink Soybeans Help Protect Hearts in America’s Heartland

In an effort to support heart health and improve the wellness of rural Americans nationwide, Bayer is proud to announce its support of the American Heart Association (AHA). The effort, which runs through 2017, supports the AHA’s Healthy for Good™ movement to inspire all Americans to live healthier lives and create lasting change by taking small, simple steps today to create a difference for generations to come.
                  
For each bag of LibertyLink® soybean seed sold for the 2017 season, Bayer will contribute 5 cents to the AHA’s Healthy for Good movement for a total maximum donation of $500,000. In addition to monetary donations to support the cause, Bayer will help raise heart health awareness across America through educational activities targeted to growers in rural communities.

The Crop Science division of Bayer, the developer of LibertyLink, helps growers protect their most important resources in farming with industry-leading solutions. They will also help soybean growers and rural communities protect their most important resources in life – their heart health.

As part of this program, Bayer also helps the AHA meet its 2020 impact goal to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent and reduce deaths from cardiovascular diseases and strokes by 20 percent. AHA’s Healthy for Good movement focuses on healthier diets, additional physical activity, blood pressure management and cholesterol control.

Allen Gent, Strategic Business Lead for Bayer, said, “The average age of the American farmer is well over 50 years old, and automation is much more prevelant in today’s agriculture climate. Growers are more sendentary than in the past, which is one contributing factor to cardiovascular disease. This program solidifies the Bayer mission to help growers succeed by promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Helping rural Americans is essential to our industry as growers are our greatest resource. A nation and global economy depend on their agriculture production. We’re thrilled to partner with the American Heart Association to have a positive effect on not only heart health, but our industry as well.“

“We’re thankful for Bayer’s support of our mission and excited to extend health and wellness messages further, reaching more and more people in the United States,” said Alvin Royse, J.D., CPA, AHA chairman. “This project will help build a culture of health in rural communities.”



Successful Planting Starts With Planning

Planting sets the stage for the entire season, so it’s understandable why so much time and so many resources are spent planning for it. From maintenance of farm equipment to hybrid and variety placement, there are a multitude of tasks to checkoff before pulling into the field. To get off to a strong start and stay on track, Mycogen Seeds recommends a planting plan.

“There are years that planting starts smoothly and continues with relatively few hiccups. Other years, Murphy’s Law goes into effect the minute the planter enters the field,” says Melissa Bell, Mycogen Seeds commercial agronomist. “Luck may have something to do with the difference between a rocky start and smooth one, but good preparation never hurts your chances of hitting the ground running and keeping that momentum through the season.”

According to the University of Wisconsin-Extension, several early season factors have a substantial impact on the success of the crop, including planting populations, uniform spacing and emergence, and hitting the right planting window. Combined, optimizing each of these factors could preserve up to 18 percent of yield potential. On a 220-bushel field, that’s nearly 40 bushels per acre, or $150 per acre with corn priced at $3.80.

“As farmers, our lives heavily depend on genetics by environment by management interactions. Although we are unable to control the environment, putting our best foot forward in terms of management and selection of the best genetics can help us optimize yield potential,” Bell says.

Bell offers a planting preparation checklist to work through this spring.

    Seedbed preparation: Set the stage for crop success with clean fields. Whether performing tillage or using a burndown application in no-till scenarios, ensure a preemergence herbicide with multiple modes of action is applied to minimize weed competition early in the season. According to University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 12-inch weeds can reduce corn yield by 22 percent.

    Precision systems: “Precision technology helps boost efficiency in real time and down the road,” Bell says. “In addition, data collection in the field can be a powerful tool to help make decisions based on fact rather than emotion.” Make sure you are familiar with navigating your display, and spend some time updating farm and field names to save frustration prior to the heat of planting. Check in with your local precision ag dealer to ensure subscriptions are up-to-date and schedule any necessary maintenance before the season starts.

    Planter calibration: Seed comes in a number of shapes and sizes. Adjust planters to accommodate your seed, and to ensure proper seed flow, use talc, graphite or a combination of the two. “Work with your local equipment dealer to ensure all systems and settings are working properly,” Bell says. “The correct meter settings and planting speed are major factors in achieving good spacing and singulation.”

    Planting depth and soil temperature: For uniform stand establishment, experts recommend planting corn 1.5 to 2 inches deep and into soil moisture. Consider soil types before you plant. Lighter soils tend to dry out quickly, so placing the seed deeper optimizes access to soil moisture. In heavier soils prone to crusting, plant shallower to allow the seedling to emerge quickly. “When it comes to temperature, rushing to the field to plant too soon can create stand establishment challenges,” Bell says. “Wait for ground temperature to consistently reach above 50 F. Emergence could take more than three weeks when soil temperatures are 50 F to 55 F, but fewer than seven days when temperatures exceed 70 F.”

Work with someone you trust
Successful planting takes a team. Work with your Mycogen sales professional, local agronomic expert and equipment adviser to ensure you’ve set your farm up for success — and a high-yielding crop.

“Planting only comes once a year,” Bell says. “It’s best to get it right. Take the time to develop a plan. Make stops during planting to dig up seeds to make sure you’re achieving good singulation, spacing and depth. Rely on your team for guidance and input.”



Extend Nitrogen Availability, Boost Profit At Harvest

Do you want Mother Nature to dictate your season, or do you want to keep nitrogen available to corn plants regardless of weather?

Early spring rains can reduce nitrogen availability during key times of early plant growth by converting it to a form subject to loss from leaching and denitrification. Regardless of soil type, up to 70 percent of applied nitrogen is lost below ground through leaching or denitrification, says Eric Scherder, Ph.D., field scientist, Dow AgroSciences.

“Corn takes up a significant amount of nutrients between the V5 and V8 growth stages or up to 75 days after emergence,” Scherder says. “Since these early stages of plant growth play a large role in determining yield, farmers need to use proven measures to ensure nitrogen is available in this significant moment of a plant’s development.”

Growers’ most effective line of defense in reducing the loss of spring-applied nitrogen is using a nitrification inhibitor, such as Instinct® or N-Serve®  nitrogen stabilizers, that extends nitrogen availability in the soil up to eight weeks.

For example, if growers apply urea on May 1, corn will emerge about two weeks later. By the V10 phase of corn, nitrogen has been in the soil for eight weeks. Without extending nitrogen availability, there isn’t much left in the ammonium form, Scherder says. Instinct and N-Serve prevent conversion of ammonium to nitrates, reducing the risk of loss.

No matter soil type, rain drives N loss
Rain can drive nitrogen lower into the soil profile. For farmers working with light-textured soils, one inch of rainfall can push nitrates six to eight inches lower in the soil profile, beyond the reach of corn roots.*

In states like Iowa where heavy soil types with more organic matter are common, nitrogen is especially susceptible to loss through denitrification.

Brian Kruse, agronomist and custom applicator from Farmers Feed & Grain in St. Ansgar, Iowa, recommends his customers use N-Serve and Instinct with their fertilizer applications to make sure they aren’t wasting the nitrogen they purchase. In 2016, Kruse’s anhydrous ammonia application customers unanimously chose to use N-Serve to protect their nitrogen investment by keeping it available longer.

“[Growers] can maximize their bushels and get better efficiencies out of their nitrogen using stabilizers to do that,” Kruse says. “We truly buy time with N-Serve. We buy ourselves six to eight weeks of protection from rains and from leaching.”

By extending nitrogen availability using tools proven to work in the soil, growers can boost profit, says Kenny Johnson, product manager, Dow AgroSciences. On average, Instinct and N-Serve® nitrogen stabilizers increase revenue $21 per acre, according to field trials.**

“It’s so important that growers understand that the majority of nitrogen is lost from the soil, below ground, and how to prevent that loss,” Johnson says. “More than 40 years of research and 1,000 field trials have proven that Instinct and N-Serve products extend nitrogen availability in the soil for maximum yield.”

Instinct® nitrogen stabilizer maximizes nitrogen and profit when used with UAN, urea and liquid manure. N-Serve works with anhydrous ammonia applications in fall and spring.



New Insect Trait Technology Gives Growers More Choice for Better Management

Corn growers make big decisions that impact yield and profitability long before planters roll into spring fields. Selecting the right insect trait technology is one of those choices, and growers now have an opportunity to take a more prescriptive approach for their farms.

New for the 2017 season, PowerCore® trait technology from Dow AgroSciences gives growers an advanced option to control yield-robbing, above-ground insects in corn. It provides superior, broad-spectrum control by incorporating a pyramid of three different Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins.

PowerCore is the latest addition to the Dow AgroSciences corn insect trait portfolio, which also includes SmartStax® trait technology for industry-leading protection of above- and below-ground insects. PowerCore and SmartStax are complementary technologies that give growers a choice so they can place the right trait technology on the right acre for prescriptive protection.

Where corn rootworm is of concern, SmartStax offers the excellent protection they’ve come to trust in the most robust corn insect trait technology on the market. Corn rootworm can be troublesome in fields with corn-on-corn production. Growers in these areas could particularly benefit from the below-ground insect protection in SmartStax. When corn rootworm control is not needed, PowerCore offers superior season-long, above-ground insect control with multiple modes of action.

“We want to provide growers with solutions that help them maximize production, protect yields and increase profitability,” says Jill Zeller, U.S. Seeds marketing leader for Dow AgroSciences. “When growers have choices to plant the technologies best-suited for their farms, they achieve their goals of higher yields and better bottom lines. SmartStax and PowerCore give them a choice between the industry’s most-trusted below- and above-ground technology and best-in-class above-ground insect technology.”

Growers see major benefit
Scott Becker of Manson, Iowa, farms a 50-50 rotation with corn and soybeans. On acres where corn rootworm is not a problem, Becker likes the idea of planting new PowerCore® trait technology. Although he doesn’t need the corn rootworm protection on every acre, he never knows if above-ground insects will be a problem in a given season. Becker got a firsthand look at PowerCore as part of a stewarded launch and was impressed with what he saw.

“I was interested in PowerCore because of my corn-and-beans rotation, and I knew that I didn’t need the below-ground trait across my whole farm,” Becker says. “PowerCore gives us above-ground insect control of a lot of different insects, especially ones that cause us problems like corn borer and corn earworm. With the different modes of action, PowerCore is like an insurance policy so you can sleep at night and not worry about above-ground insects.”

But Becker emphasizes that SmartStax® trait technology still plays an important role on his farm and provides protection on acres where corn rootworm is an issue.

“I’ve had really good success with SmartStax trait technology and like the above- and below-ground insect control for corn rootworm. It provides excellent insect protection,” Becker says. “It’s definitely an advantage to growers to get the right technology on the right acres. We can plant SmartStax if we have corn rootworm, or we can go with PowerCore to control fields that only have above-ground insects.”

PowerCore® trait technology available in five seed brands
This season, Dow AgroSciences seed brands Mycogen Seeds, Brodbeck Seeds, Dairyland Seed, Pfister Seeds and Prairie Brand Seed will offer PowerCore trait technology in new, high-yielding genetics within their corn portfolios. For more information on hybrids with PowerCore or SmartStax or to determine which technology is best for your farm, contact your local Dow AgroSciences sales representative. Once commercialized, PowerCore with the Enlist™ trait will be broadly licensed throughout the industry.