Monday July 10 Ag News

NEBRASKA GRAZING CONFERENCE
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Are you confused about placement of cross fences and water points to benefit from rotational grazing?  Get the answers at the Nebraska Grazing Conference in Kearney on August 8 and 9.

               Jim Gerrish, internationally respected grazing expert and developer of the Management Intensive Grazing method, will share his insights into fence and water development during his presentation and informal evening workshop.  Then Craig Derickson and Brad Soncksen from NRCS will describe cost share programs to help you pay for these improvements.

               Livestock profits from grazinglands are increasingly hard to come by. Cattlemen John Maddux from Wauneta and Jim Jenkins from Calloway will describe ways they have adjusted their operations to find economic opportunities while Aaron Berger and Jay Parsons from Nebraska Extension will examine ways to control costs and risk.  Nancy Peterson from Gordon will describe the many varied ways her family have used diversity and stewardship to build their cow herd and soil.

               Wildlife also thrive on well-managed grazinglands. Learn how this is being accomplished in Nebraska, South Dakota, and Oklahoma from speakers from all three states.

               Peter Ballerstedt with Barenbrug USA will describe what cool-season grasses to plant in new pastures as well as show how grass and cattle combine to form healthy human diets.

               Also, l earn how to look at weedy plants from a different perspective with Chris Helzer of The Nature Conservancy.

               Full registration for both days is $80 before August 1 and $100 thereafter.  Student and single day registrations are available.  Full conference information is available online at grassland.unl.edu/current-conference.  



 How Manure Impacts Soil Aggregation
Rick Koelsch - Livestock Environmental Engineer

If manure increases formation of larger (macro) and more stable soil aggregates, what might be the benefits of fertilizing with manure as compared to commercial fertilizer? That's one of the questions addressed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers, who noted these potential benefits:
-    reduced runoff and soil erosion;
-    increased water infiltration into the soil, possibly leading to greater drought tolerance; and
-    partial offsetting of higher soil P levels resulting from manure application and limiting P loss to local surface water.

The Manure and Soil Health (MaSH) blog will unpack some of the potential benefit of manure to soil quality by reviewing research for clues as to manure’s benefits. Several research studies have documented manure application impact on improvement of soil physical properties. This article examines published research conducted in Nebraska — The Effects of Manure Application on Soil Aggregation by Charles Wortmann and Charles Shapiro, soil scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Wortmann and Shapiro conducted studies at three Nebraska farms to explore the impact of composted beef manure, stockpiled beef manure, and swine manure on soil aggregate size. Their hypothesis proposed that manure would produce increased macro-aggregate formation with the intent of learning
-    how quickly these aggregates form,
-    the impact of alternative manure sources, and
-    the residual effects of manure on aggregates.

Three studies were conducted with silty loam or silty clay loam soils. Feedlot manure solids were applied at 20 to 22 dry tons/acre (roughly 40 to 44 wet tons/ac) and swine manure at 1.2 dry tons/acre (roughly 4800 gallons per acre if manure is 6% solids).  Four conclusions were drawn providing clues about manure’s benefits.

Conclusions
1. Water-stable large macro-aggregates were increased two to three times for manured soils compared to commercially fertilized soils.

All macro-aggregates increased by 10% to 20% for manured versus commercially fertilized soils (Figure 1). This increase was consistent across all soil types evaluated. A Michigan State Extension publication suggests that “When manure … is added to the soil it is quickly colonized by millions of bacteria…bacteria producing large quantities of polysaccharides. These polysaccharides function like sticky glue in the soil and can actually stick particles together into aggregates.”

2. The formation of macro-aggregates occurred with all manures with some advantage for compost and similar effects for raw feedlot manure and swine slurry.

The swine manure’s solids application rate was only 6% of that of feedlot manure but still achieved very similar benefits.  This might suggest that achieving the physical soil property benefits may be more dependent upon the rapid growth in soil micro-biology and less dependent on the total solids in the manure.

3. Water-stable macro-aggregates formed within 15 days after manure application, persisted over a seven-month observation period, but were no longer found on a separate tilled site that was without compost for five years.

The effect of manure or compost on macro-aggregate formation soon after application (first observation made at 15 days) suggests an immediate value from manure application. The study observed this benefit lasted at least seven months but disappearing five years later.  Other research has suggested this benefit lasts longer in no-till fields.

4. Phosphorus was observed to concentrate in the water-stable macro-aggregates, twice as great in the large aggregates as the whole soil P level.

This may provide additional protection resulting from manure for holding P in the soil and reducing P in runoff.  However, previous research has documented that P movement from cropland is connected to soil surface P levels. Managing manure to keep soil P levels low, near levels required for optimum crop production, remains our best practice for protecting water quality. But manure’s large aggregate building response and P concentration in those large aggregates help protect water quality.

Summary
This article demonstrates the take-home message that manure improves the physical characteristics of our soils differently than commercial fertilizer. These improvements to the soil aggregates open the possibility for environmental and economic benefits. This possibility will be explored in future MaSH blog posts.

Funding support for Soil Health Nexus is from the North Central Region Water Network. More information on Manure and Soil Health including past blog postings is at soilhealthnexus.org/.



FCSA:  Farmland prices relatively stable, sales activity down

Farmland values largely held steady through the first half of 2017 in Grain Belt states served by Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica).

Benchmark farm values overall remain unchanged in Nebraska and increased slightly in Iowa and Wyoming. South Dakota’s benchmark farm values inched down a moderate 1.8 percent. Meanwhile, in eastern Kansas, where FCSAmerica operates in alliance with Frontier Farm Credit, benchmark values were off about 3 percent.

FCSAmerica and Frontier Farm Credit monitor values on 71 benchmark farms. Where values declined, lower-quality land sales helped drive the market.

Sales activity across the five states was down 21 percent in the first half of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. 

“It appears that the pace of decline in land values that we have seen during the past two years is slowing even though pressure on profit margins continues for grain producers,” said Mark Jensen, senior vice president and chief risk officer for FCSAmerica and Frontier Farm Credit.  “Our customer conversations remain focused on cost management, marketing plans that align with cash flow, including living expenses, and balance sheet structure needed for optimal risk protection.”

State-by-state trends include:
NEBRASKA – Prices on dry cropland fell sharply during the second quarter of 2017, in part because sales were down. Sales also occurred in atypical locations, as reflected in a historically low soil quality average. About a third of the sales occurred in western Nebraska.

Prices on irrigated cropland, by comparison, were consistent with the last half of 2016 and reflected better soil quality in the first half of 2017. The average per-acre price was near $6,600.

Public land auctions dropped 28 percent from the same period in 2016.

IOWA – Cropland prices, which increased marginally in the second quarter of 2017, are in line with those reported in 2015, but remain 19 percent below the record prices of 2013. The average price for unimproved ground sold during the second quarter of 2017 topped $8,100. Twenty-one percent of all sales in the second quarter had a per-acre price above $10,000. This was up 11 percent compared to the previous year.

Public land auctions are down 4 percent for the year compared to the first half of 2016. However, second quarter sales were 18 percent higher than in the second quarter of 2016. The percentage of “no sales” fell from 4.7 percent in the first half of 2016 to to 1.7 percent for the same period this year.



Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Adopts Interim Policy on Cattle Marketing; Immigration, CRP, and Trichomoniasis

Member feedback from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association BeefMeets became interim policy at the ICA July board meeting.

The four BeefMeets, held in June across the state, offered an opportunity for ICA members to voice their concerns and opinions regarding several different industry issues affecting their operations.

The grassroots input from BeefMeets was then reviewed by ICA’s Cow/Calf and Feedlot Councils, which act as a task force to carefully examine and prioritize topics. Priority topics and recommendations were passed along to ICA’s three policy committees, which met on July 6 in Ames.

New or amended interim policy was passed on several issues, including cattle market concerns, Trichomoniasis, Iowa’s Master Matrix, immigration, transportation regulations, and the Conservation Reserve Program. The ICA Board of Directors, which includes 27 elected cattle producers and industry representatives from around the state, as well as 15 at-large industry representatives, ratified the policies at the July 8 board meeting.

New and Amended Policies
ICA leaders have been active in National Cattlemen’s Beef Association task forces over the past year, working to ensure that the live cattle futures contract remains a viable risk management tool for cattle producers. Several policies have been developed or amended to make changes meant to benefit Iowa’s producers. Recent positions include:
-    Support for dividing negotiated trade reports from 0 to 30 days into 0 to 14 and 15 to 30 day delivery periods
-    Support for increased funding and resources for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to regulate and oversee electronically traded contracts
-    Opposition to proposed increases to daily price limits for Live Cattle and Feeder Cattle Contracts

Additionally, ICA leaders developed and passed policy on a variety of other topics, including:
-    Appointment of a trichomoniasis task force to research and take steps to slow the spread and move toward eradication of the disease
-    Support of the current statewide Master Matrix
-    Creation of a task force to research current immigration policy and alternatives and their impact on Iowa’s beef industry
-    Support of an exemption from Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Device regulations for livestock haulers
-    Creation of a task force to examine modifications to the current Conservation Reserve Program that would address current challenges for cattle producers

Policy Process
In August, ICA will send a policy survey to nearly 10,000 members to gather more input on pressing issues in the cattle industry. Survey results will guide the next policy committee meetings, to be held December 7 and 8 at the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit. The association expects reports from the trichomoniasis, immigration and CRP task forces at that time.

ICA members who would like to provide input are welcome to contact their district director or ICA staff at www.iacattlemen.org or 515-296-2266.



Iowa Beef Center Invites Registrations for Three-Day Beef Feedlot Short Course

Beef feedlot managers and employees looking for an educational program to develop and enhance their skills may consider a new offering from Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University. IBC program specialist Erika Lundy said the “Iowa Beef Center Feedlot Short Course” will provide classroom and hands-on instruction in a variety of areas, along with sessions at the Iowa State Beef Nutrition Farm and Couser Cattle Company in Nevada.

“We’re bringing experts from three universities to provide in-depth information on feed, data management, bunk management and health issues,” Lundy said. “Participants also will become Beef Quality Assurance certified during this short course.”

The program will be held at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center in Ames, and runs from 1 p.m. on Aug. 8 through noon on Aug. 10. The $500 per person registration fee is all-inclusive, covering lodging, transportation to and from classroom facilities and local feedlots, and meals. The registration deadline is Aug. 1 and any cancellation requesting a refund also must be received by midnight Aug.1. See the short course website for registration information and links.

“Because our agenda was designed with managers and employees in mind, we anticipate high interest,” Lundy said. “People who want to attend need to act quickly because registration is limited to 30 participants.”

The course presenters are
-    Robbi Pritchard, feedlot researcher, South Dakota State University
-    Dan Thomson, professor of production medicine, Kansas State University
-    Dan Loy, director of the Iowa Beef Center, Iowa State University
-    Dr. Grant Dewell, beef veterinarian, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
-    Erika Lundy, extension beef program specialist, Iowa Beef Center

Short course topics include
-    Bunk management and the basics of starting cattle on feed
-    Feed mixing demonstration and evaluation
-    Managing and identifying cattle health issues in the feedlot and confinement
-    Beef Quality Assurance certification
-    Chute side BQA and feedlot self-assessments
-    Data management
-    Acclimating new calves
-    Feedlot nutrition

The event flyer has program details, registration form, links to the event website and short course location map.... http://www.aep.iastate.edu/feedlot/. 

For questions on the short course content or lodging contact Lundy at ellundy@iastate.edu. For assistance with registration, receipts, cancellation or questions on the status of registration contact ANR Program Services at 515-294-6429 or anr@iastate.edu.



Join Iowa Beef Center on Three-Day Cow Caravan Bus Tour in Late August

A three-day late summer bus tour across Iowa featuring some of Iowa’s successful grazing and confinement cow operations is planned by Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University. The tour is a component of the center’s Cow Systems Project, created to evaluate management practices among operations ranging from extensive grazing systems to year-round confinement.

The primary goal of the 24-operation project is to aid in increasing producer profitability through identifying challenges for each system and determining how best to use production and financial records to develop best management practices.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach beef specialist Joe Sellers is coordinating the event, which will run from Aug. 29-31, and said the tour will begin and end in Ames each day. It includes stops in south central and southwest Iowa on Aug. 29, eastern Iowa on Aug. 30 and north central Iowa on Aug. 31. See the entire tour agenda here... http://www.iowabeefcenter.org/events/CowCaravanFlyer2017.pdf. 

“Interest in alternative cow-calf production systems has been increasing over the past few years as producers look to expand the cow herd with limited forage resources,” Sellers said. “This tour will give producers an opportunity to see multiple management systems each day and learn from other producers’ success and challenges.”

The tour itself is free, whether attending one, two or all three days, and participants do not need to ride the bus. However, to assist planners in making appropriate preparations, Sellers said all participants are required to RSVP no later than Friday, Aug. 18. Those who wish to attend should contact IBC by email at beefcenter@iastate.edu or phone 515-294-BEEF (2333) and provide their name, address, phone number and whether they plan to ride the bus on any or all days.

Attendees are responsible for evening meals and their own lodging. A block of rooms has been reserved under “Iowa Beef Center” in Ames at both the Quality Inn & Suites Starlite Village Conference Center, 2601 E 13th St, phone 515-232-9260, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites, 2600 E 13th St, phone 515-232-2300.



New Resources to Teach Water Quality in Iowa

Water quality in Iowa continues to be a pressing topic in Iowa. The Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation (IALF) recently developed a new set of 16 lesson plans that help teach water quality and nutrient management.

The lesson plans are targeted to high school students and can be used in agriculture classes, environmental science classes, and general science classes. The 16-lesson unit frames the issues that Iowans currently face with water quality including soil erosion and nutrient runoff. The lessons look at the science of soil structure, the nitrogen cycle, the water cycle, and soil conservation.

"We wanted to offer tools that focus on solving the water quality issues in Iowa," said IALF executive director Will Fett. "Eight of the lessons specifically look at practices that farmers and landowners are implementing to try and reduce soil erosion and nitrogen leaching."

Through a solutions-oriented approach the lesson plans look at no-till farming, cover crops, terracing, tiling, bioreactors, buffer strips, and riparian areas. Many of these practices are currently being used by farmers. The newer practices like bioreactors are being scaled up. Bioreactors utilize natural bacteria to help treat dissolved nitrates that may runoff of fields and convert those nitrates into harmless atmospheric nitrogen before they reach a watershed. Through extension activities, the lesson plans have students develop and design some of their own solutions to addressing water quality issues in the Midwest.

The lesson plans were introduced at a series of professional development workshops to teachers including workshops at the Iowa Association of Agriculture Educators annual meeting. The lesson plans will also be included in workshops at the Iowa Science Teaching Section conference in October 2017.

The lessons are made available free and are currently published on the IALF website at www.iowaagliteracy.org. The lessons are aligned to the Iowa Core Science Standards as well as the National Agriculture Literacy Outcomes. Lesson plan development was funded by the Resource Enhancement and Protection Conservation Education Program (REAP CEP). The Conservation Education Program (CEP) is a key provision of the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Act of 1989. A five-member board implements the CEP and annually they allocate approximately $350,000 in grants for conservation education in Iowa. The purpose of the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) is to "invest in Iowa; our outdoors, our heritage, our people." REAP is supported by the state of Iowa, providing funding to public and private partners for natural and cultural resources projects, including water quality, wildlife habitat, soil conservation, parks, trails, historic preservation and more.

The grant from the REAP Conservation Education Program is supporting the teacher professional development workshops that will train teachers on how best to use the lesson plans. Those workshops are also being supported in part by a grant from the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization underwritten by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

For more information about this curriculum or other education activities please contact the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation at info@iowaagliteracy.org.



The EU-Japan Agreement and Implications for U.S. Beef
Josh Maples, Assistant Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University

It was announced last week that the European Union (EU) and Japan have agreed in principle to an Economic Partnership Agreement. The agreement will gradually lower import tariffs on EU beef and pork entering Japan with an expected start date in early 2019. This deal is significant to the U.S. beef industry because it will give EU beef and pork an advantage in one of the most prominent U.S. beef export markets. Approximately one-quarter of total U.S. beef exports were to Japan in 2016 at a value of over $1.5 billion. 

Currently, EU beef imported by Japan is subject to a 38.5 percent tariff. However, under the agreement, the import tariff for EU beef is proposed to gradually decrease to 9 percent over 15 years. This will lower the cost of EU beef for Japanese importers relative to U.S. beef. The EU is not a major competitor to the U.S. in the Japan beef market currently, but lower tariffs are likely to lead to increased imports from the EU. This is seemingly a goal of the agreement as it is directly stated in the European Commission's announcement that it "will allow the EU to increase its beef exports to Japan substantially" (see the announcement here). If that statement comes to fruition, it has the potential to decrease the U.S. market share of beef in Japan.

The U.S. and the EU are the two largest exporters of pork to Japan. Increased imports of EU pork in Japan could result in reduced U.S. pork exports to Japan. This could indirectly impact the U.S. beef industry. If U.S. pork exports to Japan decrease, the pork that would have been exported still has to go somewhere unless production decreases. While increased exports to other countries are an outlet, it is also possible that the pork would end up on the U.S. market. This would lead to a larger supply of pork to be consumed in the U.S. - at the meat counter next to beef.

Lowering tariffs through this type of agreement is what the now-withdrawn Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would have done for U.S. beef. The TPP was slated to decrease the tariff on U.S. beef imports from 38.5 percent to 9 percent over a 16-year period. Australia, a major beef exporter, already has an agreement in place with Japan that provides lower import tariffs on beef. These deals require a lot of work and negotiations across many sectors. For instance, the EU-Japan agreement also includes deals for cars and financial services. However, the announcement of the EU-Japan agreement is a reminder of how these deals can impact individual markets. Until a new agreement is reached, U.S. beef will continue to compete at a disadvantage in Japan.



CWT Assists with 1.5 Million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales

Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 10 requests for export assistance from member cooperatives that have contracts to sell 1.490 million pounds (853 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese to customers in Asia, Central America, and the Middle East. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from July through October 2017.

So far this year, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 43.324 million pounds of American-type cheeses, and 3.013 million pounds of butter (82% milkfat) to 17 countries on five continents. The sales are the equivalent of 467.666 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.



DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA CELEBRATES WORLD MILK DAY AND JUNE DAIRY MONTH

In honor of June Dairy Month, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) members and employees celebrated the company’s core value of community by donating more than $24,000 to the Great American Milk Drive, which provides milk to local Feeding America food banks across the country. DFA’s donation will provide more than 4,800 gallons of milk to those in need.

The June Dairy Month fundraising efforts kicked off June 1 with World Milk Day, a worldwide recognition for the wholesome nutrition of nature’s most perfect food – milk.  Across the country, DFA members and employees hosted World Milk Day events and were encouraged to raise a glass of milk to celebrate their passion and dedication to the industry. DFA pledged to donate one dollar to the Great American Milk Drive, up to $10,000, for every photo posted raising a glass of milk on social media with the hashtags #RaiseAGlass, #WorldMilkDay and @dfamilk. With this effort alone, DFA donated $10,000 to the Great American Milk Drive.

“The dairy industry has a huge impact on helping feed people. In fact, one billion people’s lives depend on dairy farming – so World Milk Day and June Dairy Month offer a great opportunity to celebrate the goodness of milk and those who produce it,” said Monica Massey, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff for Dairy Farmers of America. “Our farmer members and employees are proud to raise their glasses of milk and help make a difference in not only their local communities, but also throughout the world.”

Raising a Glass to Celebrate in Kansas City
Additionally, in Kansas City where the Cooperative is located, DFA surprised and delighted hometown residents on World Milk Day with a mobile milk bar serving a variety of hand-crafted, non-alcoholic flavored milk drinks. DFA’s mobile milk bar made stops at six different locations throughout the city, allowing local residents to enjoy flavored milk, cookies and take their own photos raising a glass.

“We wanted to celebrate World Milk Day in a big way and thought it’d be fun to give Kansas Citians a chance to raise their glasses and enjoy tasting some fun and unique flavors of milk,” said Massey.

Additionally, throughout the entire month of June, money was raised through member and employee monetary donations to the DFA Cares Foundation online giving site to benefit the Great American Milk Drive. The DFA Cares Foundation also made a dollar-for-dollar match for every contribution.

Other June Dairy Month activities across the country included:
·         At DFA headquarters in Kansas City, Kan., staff handed out free milk and cereal to runners after the 10k and half-marathon races of Hospital Hill. Staff also volunteered at Harvesters, the local food bank and helped sort and package 600 pounds of cereal, 300 pounds of carrots and hundreds of boxes of canned goods.

·         The Western Area held two volunteer days during the month, one at Second Harvest Food Bank in Manteca, Calif. and a second at the Orange County Food Bank in Garden Grove, Calif., where they helped sort items and fill nearly 1,100 boxes. The Area also hosted a food drive and collected more than 100 pounds of food from members, staff and customers as a result.

·         Several hundred people attended an event at Mountain View Dairy, owned by DFA member Shelly Dickinson, on June 10 in Loveland, Co. The day was a celebration of June Dairy Month as well as Mountain View Farm’s 100-year anniversary. During the event, attendees toured the dairy and enjoyed food from local vendors. Several calves were also born throughout the day, and the herd vet was onsite to assist and answer questions.

·         On June 23, employees from the Mideast Area office and Eastern Laboratory Services volunteered at the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. Between bagging items, sanitizing boxes and more, the group helped provide 1,740 meals to those in need.

·         This year marked 33 years that local dairy farm families have come together to prepare and serve a free, dairy-filled breakfast to their community members in Comanche, Texas. More than 600 people were served during the event, which was organized by local dairy families with assistance from area industry groups, including DFA’s Southwest Area staff.

·         In Moss Point, Miss., the second-annual Middleton Farm Dairy Day was held on June 10. More than 600 visitors attended DFA members Jeff and Shane Middleton’s farm and learned about dairy products, made butter, petted the farm’s calves, checked out various machinery and watched live milking demonstrations. Not only was the family event fun-filled with a playground, waterslide and inflatables, but it also brought generations far removed from agriculture onto the farm and exposed them to farm life.

The DFA Cares Foundation was established in 2005 as a nonprofit charitable organization. Through the DFA Cares Foundation, DFA provides disaster relief via product and monetary donations, invests in the future of the industry with scholarships to students pursuing careers in dairy and contributes dairy food and products for those in need.