Tuesday March 14 Ag News

Help Celebrate 2017 National Agriculture Day and Agriculture Week next week
Larry Howard, NE Extension Educator, Cuming County

Next week is National Agriculture Week and is celebrated March 19 – 25, 2017 and it is a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America take time to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture. This year’s Ag Day theme is “Agriculture: Food for Life.”  March 21 is the 44th anniversary of National Ag Day, celebrating agriculture and all those who feed our world, care for crops and livestock, and bring awareness to agricultural production.

Ag Day is about recognizing and celebrating the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives. The National Ag Day program encourages everyone to: 1) Understand how food and fiber products are produced  2) Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy 3) Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products and 4) Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry.

Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution. This is particularly the case in some of our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.  By building awareness, the Agriculture Council of America is encouraging young people to consider career opportunities in agriculture.

Each American farmer feeds more than 144 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. Quite simply, American agriculture is doing more and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States.  Agriculture is thisnation's #1 export and vitally important in sustaining a healthy economy.

It's not just the farmer who makes our food possible. The entire agriculture industry, all the way to the grocery store, are the vital links in a chain that brings food to every resident and millions of people abroad.  It's easy to take agriculture for granted in America as our food is readily accessible and safe.

If you are a farmer, an agricultural producer or anyone in that food chain, we say thanks to you for all that you do each and every day to provide food for the world.  I would encourage each of you to share your agricultural story with a friend, your neighbor or share your story on social media using #AgDay or #National AgDay so others know what you do on a daily basis. The rest of us need to be sure to tell those individuals that we appreciate what they do.

For nearly 30 years, the West Point Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Council has been hosting an Ag Day Appreciation celebration to thank our area agriculture producers.  It will be held once again this year, next Monday night, March 20th at the Nielsen Community Center.  Please stop by any of the local business sponsors to pick up your free ticket to attend this enjoyable event of entertainment and a meal.



Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Trainings Offered

Nebraska Extension will be offering three Beef Quality Assurance informational meetings for area beef producers.

The dates and locations are:

Wednesday, March 29 – 9:00 a.m., Stanton County Community Building, 302 6th Str., Stanton
Wednesday, March 29 – 1:30 p.m., Cuming County Courthouse Meeting Room, 200 S Lincoln Str., West Point
Thursday, March 30, 10:00 a.m., First Nebraska Bank Meeting Room, 1000 Main Str., Emerson

Topics that will be covered at the meetings include Antibiotic Stewardship, Veterinary Feed Directive, and General Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Assessment topics.  These meetings are also for those producers that need BQA certification or recertification. There is a $20 fee for those who wish to become BQA certified.

Pre-registration is encouraged by contacting Larry Howard, Nebraska Extension Educator in Cuming County located in West Point at 402-372-6006.  For additional information contact the Nebraska Extension office in Cuming County or Rob Eirich, Nebraska Director of Beef Quality Assurance at 308-632-1230. 



Debra Schroeder Being Honored at a Retirement Reception, March 26

Debra Schroeder is being honored at a Retirement Reception, Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the Nielsen Center from 2:00-5:00 p.m. with the program at 4:00 p.m.

Debra began her career in Carbon County, WY on August 1, 1977. She joined Nebraska Extension serving Cuming County on July 5, 1978. 

Join us in thanking Debra for the impact that she has made in the lives of families in Cuming County over the past 40 years.



CHECKING ALFALFA FOR WINTER INJURY
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Alfalfa has greened up and started to grow in many areas.  The recent cold weather has stopped it temporarily.  When it begins again, stands need to be evaluated soon.

               Alfalfa usually comes through the winter in pretty good shape in our area, so rarely do I worry much about it.  And I hope we will avoid serious losses this year.

               But this has been an unusual winter.  The lack of snow cover during cold temperatures this winter could have permitted cold injury.  Or more likely, it enabled dry winter winds to dry out and kill some exposed plants.  Then high temperatures in February and early March caused much alfalfa to break dormancy early; recent cold set it back.

               Evaluate your own stands early this spring.  Older, dryland fields that have fewer than 30 new shoots per square foot coming from 2 or 3 plants may need to be rotated soon to a different crop and new fields planted to alfalfa.  Very productive sites, such as irrigated and sub-irrigated fields, should have at least 40 shoots per square foot from 4 to 6 plants.  Anything less is a strong candidate for rotation.  We tend to lose about one tenth of a ton in yield potential for every shoot below these numbers.

               Check for these densities in several areas of your fields when the early shoots are 4 to 6 inches tall.  Since some shoots begin growing later than others, stands with enough plants but slightly low shoot density may be alright, especially if shoot height and distribution is fairly uniform.  But, if plant density is low, or shoot growth is not uniform, yields probably will be lowered.

               Check your alfalfa stands soon after growth begins.  Then you will still have time to make any needed changes in your cropping plans.



Herbicide Effectiveness Focus of Weed Control Results

Results of Iowa State University's 2016 weed science research are now available through the ISU Extension Store. The report includes data on herbicides and how they work on various weeds and soil types.

The data was collected at the Agricultural Engineering/Agronomy Research Farm in Ames, Iowa and the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm in Nashua, Iowa.

"The products being developed by the ag chemical industry need to be vetted at a number of different levels," said Mike Owen, university professor and extension specialist in agronomy and weed science with Iowa State. "Those products need to be checked to make sure the research is science-based and doesn't consider the marketplace when being developed. Iowa State can provide objective information when evaluating these products. This isn't to say the science of the companies is in question, but our research is done to unbiasedly verify their scientific claims."

The study, titled "Weed Science Program 2016 Weed Control Results" (CROP 3111) was authored by Iowa State Department of Agronomy and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach scientists Owen, Bob Hartzler, Damian Franzenburg, James Lee and Iththiphonh Macvilay.

Testing a variety of herbicides in Iowa, instead of in a lab or different part of the country, provides a better look into how the herbicides will function in the field.

"Many times these protocols have been developed in Germany or North Carolina, for example, so we try to provide a more Iowa-centric look at how the herbicides work," Owen said. "We implement the study in our conditions, with our weeds and our soil. Certain herbicides don't fit as well in Iowa as they do in other parts of the country."

That information shapes the type of recommendations ISU Extension and Outreach staff provide to farmers.

"We try to look at the results from the Iowa farmer's perspective," Owen said. "We take the approach that the final data feeds into our extension programming to inform the farming community of what these products actually do and what they don't do."

An archive of results of the trials conducted by Iowa State dating back to 2002 is also now available through the ISU Extension Store.



Grassley, Stabenow Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect American Agricultural Interests in Foreign Acquisitions

U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan today introduced new bipartisan legislation to give top U.S. agriculture and food officials permanent representation on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The “Food Security is National Security Act of 2017” will also include new agriculture and food-related criteria for CFIUS to consider when reviewing transactions that could result in control of a U.S. business by a foreign company.

“As we think about the future and the growing global population, it’s important to consider who will control the food supply.  Today, there may not be a food shortage in the world, only distribution problems that are more the result of politics not logistics, but in the decades to come, it may be a different story,” Grassley said. “The approval by CFIUS of the sale of U.S. agricultural assets seem more focused on the present state of the food industry instead of the future supply situation. We owe it to our farmers and Americans who rely on farmers to grow their food to be more strategic. Especially as countries around the world are making moves to ensure adequate supplies.”

“Protecting the integrity, safety, and resiliency of America’s food system is core to our national security,” Stabenow said. “As foreign entities continue their aggressive acquisitions of U.S. food and agriculture companies, it’s imperative that these transactions face additional scrutiny. This bill ensures that the U.S. has the appropriate tools and people in place to safeguard America’s food security, food safety, biosecurity, and the highly competitive U.S. farm sector as a whole.”

CFIUS is a panel of government officials tasked with reviewing proposed mergers and acquisitions of U.S. companies, including foreign entities seeking to purchase U.S. agricultural and food assets. The job of CFIUS is to assess whether or not transactions initiated by foreign entities threaten to impair U.S. national security interests. Currently, CFIUS does not include permanent representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—the two departments of government with primary responsibility for safeguarding the integrity, resiliency, and quality of our food supply.

The Food Security is National Security Act of 2017 recognizes the contribution agriculture makes to the country’s national security and the vital role it plays in the economy. The legislation gives both the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (who oversees the Food and Drug Administration) permanent representation on CFIUS to protect U.S. food security.

The legislation also adds new criteria to the CFIUS review process to ensure that proposed transactions are reviewed specifically for their potential impact on American food and agricultural systems, including availability of, access to, or safety and quality of food. Specifically including food and agriculture in the review process is an important national security safeguard and sends a strong signal to potential foreign purchasers.

Key agriculture stakeholders also understand the importance of bringing an agricultural perspective to the CFIUS review process. Two of the largest farm organizations, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union, support the Food Security is National Security Act of 2017, echoing the call to evaluate the potential effects of mergers and acquisitions in agriculture.

“The food system in the United States is world class not only because of our great farmers and ranchers, but for the entire supply chain as well. Monitoring and evaluating the effects of mergers and acquisitions in agriculture as well as food production and distribution is critical and the Secretary of Agriculture would bring vital knowledge to the table,” said Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau.



Kansas Companies Participate in Trade Mission to Russia

In February 2017, the Kansas Department of Agriculture sponsored seven Kansans in an agricultural trade mission to AgroFarm Russia to expand market opportunities in productive animal husbandry. AgroFarm Russia is a leading exhibition for animal husbandry and animal breeding, and provided the group an opportunity to interact with breeders and genetics companies to promote the use of U.S. livestock genetics.

Crystal Carothers of Carothers Brothers in Anthony, Kansas, appreciated this trip of a lifetime to advocate for agriculture and the U.S. livestock industry in Moscow. “I walked away with many new connections and a better understanding on ways to promote agriculture trade in Russia,” she said. “Through the work of KDA and the U.S. Embassy in Russia, we were given opportunities to visit with producers and see the actual marketing and production of agricultural products in Moscow.”

Other participants on the trade mission included: Mike Callicrate, No-Bull Enterprises, St. Francis, Kan.; George Eakin, Osborne Industries Inc., Osborne, Kan.; Thad Geiger, Geiger Cattle Inc., Troy, Kan.; and Lynne Hinrichsen, Suzanne Ryan-Numrich and Kerry Wefald, KDA.

No-Bull Enterprises and Osborne Industries also promoted their Kansas-made products in the booth at AgroFarm. Following the trade show, the group visited a dairy and dairy processing business outside of Moscow and experienced a retail tour of three supermarkets and one open market. One of the stops on the tour, a Miratorg supermarket, now features case-ready beef cuts merchandised and labeled with Black Angus branding. Over the past five years, Miratorg agricultural holdings has imported live purebred cattle from Kansas and surrounding states to establish production of high-quality marbled beef in Russia.

“Just a few years ago, Kansas was sending record numbers of cattle to Russia, although exports have decreased as sanctions were put in place by the Russian government in August 2014,” said Geiger. “Despite these current trade barriers, we believe it is necessary to foster trade relationships with Russia knowing at some point the sanctions will be lifted. Their initiative to become self-sufficient in feeding their people allows for the state of Kansas to develop relationships that place agriculture in a lead position. This trade mission planted many seeds to grow these trade relationships.”

The trade mission was sponsored by KDA with assistance from funds from U.S. Livestock Genetics Export Inc. and a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration using a State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant.



Louisiana latest state to expand consumer choice at the pump

Louisiana is now the 29th state to offer consumers a better choice at the pump – gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol known as E15.

The latest in this market expansion is a RaceTrac station in Baton Rouge – now one of 672 locations nationwide to offer Americans this more affordable, cleaner biofuel. Growth Energy applauds RaceTrac and all additional major retailers who currently sell E15 including Sheetz, Kum and Go, Thorntons, Minnoco, Murphy USA, MAPCO, Family Express, Cenex, and Protec Fuels.

“The ethanol industry stands ready to provide American drivers with this performance-boosting, homegrown fuel and with every new pump offering E15, we are doing just that. Growth Energy is committed to working with our retail partners to continue this expansion,” Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said.

“American consumers have surpassed 750 million miles on E15. When given the option, consumers choose E15, and, thanks to dedicated retailers who care about their customers, more Americans can make this choice.”

E15 saves consumers an average of 5 to 10 cents per gallon and burns cleaner and cooler than regular gasoline, allowing engines to perform at their peak while reducing drivers’ impact on the environment. Visit GetEthanol.com to learn more facts like this about E15 and to locate your nearest E15 station.



Growth Energy Highlights Benefits of Ethanol in Comments Regarding Ontario’s Development of a Renewable Fuel Standard

Growth Energy recently filed comments and exhibits to Canada’s Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change on the Canadian province of Ontario’s discussion paper, “Developing a Modern Renewable Fuel Standard for Gasoline in Ontario.”

The comments focused on the importance of including ethanol in the development of any gasoline fuel standard to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and other harmful emissions, underscoring that the easiest way to do so is to increase ethanol blended gasoline at a minimum of 10 percent (E10).

However, the comments encouraged Ontario to look beyond E10 to include higher ethanol blends such as E15 and E85, highlighting how increasing ethanol concentrations in fuel would present tremendous benefits to the public in the form of lower GHG emissions, lower levels of other pollutants, improved fuel properties, and economic benefits to Canada’s critical agricultural economy.

“Canada continues to be a strong market for U.S. ethanol, and we think that by further advancing ethanol blends, it will be a win for ethanol producers, the ag economy, and Canadian consumers,” said Chris Bliley, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for Growth Energy.



U.S. Tractor, Combine Sales Rose During February

The Association of Equipment Manufacturer's monthly "Flash Report" noted that the sales of all tractors in the U.S. in February were up 13% compared to the same month last year.

For the first two months in 2017, a total of 22,398 tractors were sold which compares to 21,304 sold through February 2016 representing a 5% increase for the year.

For the month, two-wheel drive smaller tractors (under 40 HP) were up 22% from last year, while 40 & under 100 HP were down 3%. Sales of 2-wheel drive 100+ HP were up 17%, while 4-wheel drive tractors were down 25%.

Combine sales were down 29% for the month. Sales of combines for the year totaled 415 a decrease of 29% in 2016.



Cow Infected with BSE Found in Spain

Spain has reported a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, commonly called mad cow disease, the World Organization for Animal Health says.

The diseased cow belonged to a herd of 134 cattle on a farm near the city of Salamanca in the northwestern region of Castilla-Leon, according to a report issued on Friday to the OIE by Spain's ministry for agriculture, food and the environment.

The Associated Press reports that the animal was destroyed after routine controls found that it tested positive for atypical BSE type L.

BSE was first reported in Britain in the mid-1980s and linked to a human variant of the fatal brain-wasting disease.

The number of cases of BSE plummeted after bans were introduced on feed that included meat and bone meal from infected cows believed to cause the disease.



Bayer Extends Annual Award Eligibility to Beekeeping Collaborations and Youth

Bayer today announced it is seeking nominations for its fifth annual Bee Care Community Leadership Award. New in 2017, the program recognizes a partnership between a beekeeper and a grower, researcher, golf course superintendent or other stakeholder whose collaboration protects pollinators and benefits their community, as well as recognizing a young beekeeper undertaking pollinator-focused initiatives in his or her school or community.

This year’s award, an initiative of Bayer’s North American Bee Care Program, provides the winning partners a $5,000 prize to continue their valuable collaborative work to promote and protect pollinators in the community. A $1,000 prize will be awarded to a young beekeeper to research ways to improve pollinator health, establish an apiary on his or her school campus or amplify existing beekeeping efforts.

The award winners are selected from a pool of applicants by a panel of three judges. Returning in 2017, the judges include Pamela Smith, editor at The Progressive Farmer, Joe Graham, editor at the American Bee Journal and Dr. Becky Langer-Curry, project manager for the Bayer Bee Care Program. The judges will select winners based on responses to two essay questions and a reference from one of several stakeholders, such as an apiarist, community organization, grower, agricultural group, teacher, school official, or member of a relevant organization, such as a beekeeping or gardening association.

“We’ve found that growers, researchers, golf course superintendents and similar stakeholders play an essential role in helping beekeepers provide pollinators sustainable habitats and diverse food sources, and youth are critical to promoting and preserving the overall health of pollinator species for generations to come,” said Dr. Becky Langer, project manager for the Bayer North American Bee Care Program. “We’re passionate about celebrating these strategic partnerships and young beekeepers and supporting the valuable work they’re doing in their communities.”

The past winners of the Bee Care Community Leadership Award exemplify beekeepers who leveraged their passion for honey bees to benefit their neighbors and communities. The 2016 winners, Scott Witte, director of agronomy at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Illinois, and Luke Cella, executive director of the Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents (MAGCS), were the first partners to be recognized for their efforts to promote healthy ecosystems for honey bees on golf courses through the Bee Barometer Project. The teamwork they demonstrated inspired Bayer’s decision to expand eligibility of the 2017 Bee Care Community Leadership Award to beekeeping collaborations and young beekeepers.

Any beekeeper and grower, researcher, golf course superintendent or other stakeholder who have created a pollinator-supportive partnership may apply for the $5,000 prize, and any student under 18 who has approval from a legal guardian and sponsoring mentor, such as an apiarist, grower, community leader, teacher, school official, beekeeper, etc., may apply for the $1,000 prize. To review application requirements and expectations of the award winners, enter online or download an entry form, as well as learn more about former award recipients, please visit
https://beehealth.bayer.us/beekeepers/community-leadership-award. The deadline for submission is May 19, 2017.

The Community Leadership Award is one of several Bayer North American Bee Care Program initiatives. Others include:
  - Founding Healthy Hives 2020 to develop new strategies and key areas of research focus to improve hive health in the United States by the year 2020 through investing $1 million in research grants over four years.
  - Helping improve nutrition for pollinators through Feed a Bee, an initiative to plant more ­flowers and establish additional forage acreages by working with individuals and organizations across various sectors.