Wednesday August 09 Ag News

POLLINATOR FIELD DAY AUG. 18 IN TEKAMAH

Those interested in learning about pollinators are encouraged to attend Nebraska Extension’s pollinator field day Aug. 18 at the First Northeast Bank of Nebraska, 448 S. 13th St., Tekamah, Neb.

Over 75 percent of all flowering plants and crops rely on animals to carry pollen from one flower to another. Most of these pollinators are insects. Honeybees are common pollinators, along with butterflies, moths, beetles and flies. Attendees at this field day will learn more about different kinds of pollinators, their importance and steps that can be taken to help pollinators.

Morgan Sapp with the USDA Farm Service Agency will discuss options for pollinator habitats in conservation reserve program plantings, and Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Scott Schmidt will talk about programs to support developing pollinator friendly habitats around an acreage, farm or home.

Following the classroom portion of the day, at 10:30 a.m., participants will travel eight miles out of town to Extension Educator John Wilson’s home to view the pollinator friendly landscaping and pollinator plantings in CRP as well as the University of Nebraska – Lincoln’s bee research that is being conducted at his home.

Extension Educator Judy Wu-Smart will provide visitors the opportunity to put on bee suits and get up close with the hives. Wu-Smart and her students will be opening several monitored hives for participants. She will also demonstrate the hive weight bars that measure the weight of the hive to determine the amount of honey produced inside.

To RSVP for pollinator day, email John Wilson at jwilson3@unl.edu or call 402-374-2929.



Women who own or manage land are invited to conversation

Women who share in the ownership of farmland, have inherited land, or lease their land to tenant farmers are invited to ‘Caring for Our Land: Conservation Conversations’ on Wednesday, Aug. 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The event, hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs and the Women, Food, and Agricultural Network, will include a light lunch, networking, and sharing. The conversation will be held at Metro Community College, Fort Dodge Campus, 5370 North 30th St., Omaha.

“Much has changed in how we think about and manage the land,” Starkweather said. “Conservation practices have been modified or replaced with more holistic and nurturing options that improve and sustain the soil and other natural resources on a single farm, while also positively impacting the community and entire watershed.”

The conversation will include the benefits of conservation. Women from agricultural and conservation agencies will join in the discussion.

The cost is $10 per person. Pre-registration is required by Aug. 17 at www.cfra.org/CaringForOurLand or by contacting Starkweather at 402.617.7946 or kathies@cfra.org. Attendance is limited.

The event is sponsored by U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service.



HORTON NAMED INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR NE BRAND COMMITTEE

            John Widdowson, Chairman of the Nebraska Brand Committee, announced today that he has appointed longtime Brand Committee employee G. David (Dave) Horton to serve as the Committee’s Interim Executive Director.  Horton’s interim appointment becomes effective September 1, 2017.

            The announcement of an interim Executive Director came as a result of the resignation of current Executive Director William (Bill) Bunce effective August 31, 2017.  Bunce has accepted employment with the American Brahman Breeders Association in Houston, Texas, and will serve as its Executive Vice-President.

            Chairman Widdowson stated, “On behalf of the entire Committee, I want to thank Bill Bunce for his outstanding work on behalf of the producers and beef industry in Nebraska.  While we are disappointed Bill is leaving our great state, we understand the tremendous opportunity he has been presented and wish Bill and his family nothing but the best.”

            “It has been an honor to work for the Nebraska Brand Committee in furthering its mission.  The Committee is comprised of some of the finest individuals I have had the pleasure of working with in my nearly 30 years of employment in the livestock industry.  While I wish I could have remained in Nebraska, I simply could not pass up the opportunity to return to Texas to lead the world registry for Brahman cattle,” explained Bunce.

            Dave Horton has been employed by the Nebraska Brand Committee for 43 years, presently serving as a criminal investigator.  His vast experience and industry knowledge will assist the Committee as it transitions to a new Executive Director.

            The Committee will formally consider a recruiting and selection process for a new Executive Director at its next quarterly meeting.



Nebraska's Largest Classroom Open Aug. 28-31

Nebraska's Largest Classroom, sponsored by Green Line Equipment, is a self-guided field trip where students and teachers have the opportunity to enjoy hundreds of exhibits, view entertainment at every turn, and learn about Nebraska. Public and home schools are invited to participate in Nebraska's Largest Classroom and must pre-register. Admission is free for K-6th grade students. It will run Aug. 28 to Aug. 31 beginning at 9 a.m. at the 148th Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island.

The Nebraska State Fair will provide complimentary gate admission to a maximum of a 1 to 5 (teacher/sponsor) to student ratio. Additional sponsors beyond the 1 to 5 ratio will be required to purchase gate admission tickets.

The Nebraska State Fair offers a lunch program for Nebraska's Largest Classroom participants. Lunch will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each lunch costs $2, last year's lunch included a hot dog, bag of chips, fruit, dessert, and beverage. The 2017 Nebraska's Largest Classroom lunch is still to be determined. Advance registration for the lunch program is required. Lunch registrations will not be accepted the day of Nebraska's Largest Classroom.

For more information, call the fairgrounds at 308-382-1620.



Food, Agriculture, Welfare and Sustainability Experts to Judge 2017 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year Finalists

In its ongoing effort to build consumer trust and foster greater transparency about U.S. pork production methods, the National Pork Board today announced its expert judging panel for the 2017 America’s Pig Farmer of the YearSM. The award, now in its third year, recognizes a pig farmer who best represents the ethical principles of U.S. pork production.

Members of the five-member panel include Brittni Furrow, Walmart’s Senior Director of Sustainability; Dr. Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of American Humane; Kari Underly, a third-generation butcher, author and principal of Range®, Inc., a meat marketing and education firm; Dr. J. Scott Vernon, professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Cal Poly; and Brad Greenway, the 2016 America’s Pig Farmer of the Year and chairman of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

“Transparency is about sharing your story and literally opening the barn doors on pig farming,” said Terry O’Neel, president of the National Pork Board and a pig farmer from Friend, Nebraska. “We are so pleased to have a diverse, accomplished team of experts to assist in judging this year’s finalists. As in the past, it remains critical that this panel is fair, objective and brings diverse points of view to the process.”

Looking forward to the finalist judging slated for August 30, Ganzert said, “As an animal lover and the leader of the country’s first national humane organization, I am honored to again serve as a judge for America’s Pig Farmer of the Year. American Humane celebrates all those, including our nation’s farmers, who care for animals and work hard to ensure they are treated humanely. Today, more than ever, it is important not only to point out where progress is needed, but to recognize when we get it right.”

Joining Ganzert on the judging panel will be Walmart’s Brittni Furrow. “Farming has never been more in focus for today’s retail consumers. They do not just expect food producers to be ethical and sustainable, they demand it,” she said. “This award raises awareness on the importance of adopting best-in-class agricultural practices being employed by our nation’s farmers.”

The judges will evaluate and score a video produced at the finalists’ farms and then conduct in-person interviews with them. The public can view the farmers’ videos and vote for a favorite from August 30 through September 13 by going to www.americaspigfarmer.com. The final winner will be announced during National Pork Month on Oct. 3, 2017.



Thanksgiving Dinner…State Fair Style

The Iowa Turkey Federation is committed more than ever to demonstrating the versatility of turkey and introducing you to new ways of enjoying this powerful protein year-round! Building on the success of the 2016 People’s Choice Best New Fair Food, Not Your Mamma’s Taco, team turkey dedicated themselves to present yet another exciting turkey offering to this year’s fair.

Imagine combining Grandma’s turkey dinner into one indulging bite…
We have taken our love for the traditional holiday favorites and added the flair of the fair! Fair-goers look forward to experiencing known flavors in a unique way. We have the perfect “on-the-go” meal that you can pick up and eat…no silverware needed, with the fried goodness the fair is known for. For only $6 you get 4 Thanksgiving Balls to enjoy by yourself or to share with a friend, as we know you may need to save room to try many more of the top new fair foods! Not only do the Thanksgiving Balls fit all the criteria to be listed as “Healthy Fare,” they were also selected as a top ten semi-finalist in the 2017 Best New Fair Food contest.

“Nothing compares” to all the best parts of a Thanksgiving dinner…at the Iowa State Fair!
If you missed the opportunity to relish a ‘Not Your Mamma’s Taco’ last year, it is not too late! We are offering these delicious and healthy (also on the Healthy Fare list) turkey tacos again this year. They have received raging reviews and you will not be disappointed.

In addition to our latest flavors, the Turkey Grill will also be serving the all-white meat shredded turkey sandwich and the classic two pound turkey drumstick you have all come to love.



Farm Credit Services of America Mobilizes to Help South Dakota Producers Impacted by Drought

Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) today announced the mobilization of staff and financial resources to support the cooperative’s producer-owners impacted by drought.

More than three-quarters of South Dakota is in moderate to severe drought and much of the remainder of the state is struggling with abnormal dryness. Yield expectations are down as a result, and acreage enrolled in USDA’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) has been released by USDA for grazing.

“This drought is a hardship for South Dakota’s agricultural producers. It is one more potential impact to farm incomes already affected by low commodity prices,” said Doug Stark, FCSAmerica’s president and CEO. “Our financial cooperative exists to ensure farmers and ranchers have a dependable lender to see them through tough times. We’re putting our financial strength to work for our customers.”

FCSAmerica serves more than 10,000 farmers and ranchers in South Dakota, the vast majority of whom have seen crops and pastures impacted by drought. Bob Schmidt, FCSAmerica’s senior vice president for the state, said local teams are working with customers to identify strategies to help them manage through the challenges.

"Many of our South Dakota team members have agricultural backgrounds that, paired with years of lending experience, provide a unique understanding of our customers’ current needs,” Schmidt said. “We encourage all those affected by the drought to visit their local FCSAmerica office to discuss their credit. Our crop insurance agents also are available to meet with customers.”

FCSAmerica has customers in areas of Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming who also are seeing damage to crops and pastures. The cooperative is monitoring developments and responding to emerging needs.



Fertilizer Prices Continue to Slide Lower

Average retail prices for all eight major fertilizers were lower again the first week of August 2017, continuing a trend that has lasted for the past several weeks, according to fertilizer retailers surveyed by DTN.

Only one fertilizer had a significant price drop compared to a month earlier. Anhydrous showed another large decrease in price, down 10% compared to last month. The nitrogen fertilizer had an average price of $418 per ton.

The remaining seven fertilizers had lower prices compared to last month, but none of these fertilizers were down significantly. DAP had an average price of $434/ton, MAP $463/ton, potash $339/ton, urea $311/ton, 10-34-0 $426/ton, UAN28 $227/ton and UAN32 $262/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.34/lb.N, anhydrous $0.25/lb.N, UAN28 $0.40/lb.N and UAN32 $0.41/lb.N.

All retail fertilizers are lower compared to a year earlier. Five of the eight major fertilizers are double digits lower.

Anhydrous is now 24% lower from a year ago while 10-34-0 is 22% less expensive, UAN32 is 15% lower and both urea and UAN28 are 11% less expensive. DAP is 6% lower, MAP is 5% less expensive while potash is 2% lower.



ASA Works to Find Answers on Herbicide-Related Damage

Following reports of dicamba-related damage to soybean crops, American Soybean Association (ASA) President and Illinois farmer Ron Moore releases the following statement committing the association’s resources to the pursuit of a solution:

“The issues surrounding dicamba-related damage to crops are serious ones, and as the representative organization for the nation’s soybean farmers, ASA is invested in bringing all parties together to find answers and solutions. To do so, we remain in constant contact with those companies selling dicamba-based products, and we are coordinating both with the United Soybean Board and checkoffs at the state level to draw on the data generated by their research into crop damage. We are also working alongside state departments of agriculture and land-grant universities as they investigate to understand what has happened in each specific incident and why.

“The first step in this process is for all parties to determine whether the reported damage is from dicamba or other potential causes. If injury from dicamba spray is indeed the root cause, we next need to understand how this happened. It is at this point that we are confronted with more questions than answers. Investigation and research is needed to determine whether damage stems from any number of factors, including off-label application, product performance or other issues specific to dicamba technology, off-label use of older formulations more prone to volatilization, unusual weather or ground saturation conditions that caused volatilization, use of certain adjutants or tank-mixes leading to volatilization, or other factors. We need all parties at the table to establish answers to these and other questions so that proper action can be taken to both protect crops, and protect access to this technology.

“We understand and support action to abate what is a critical issue in many soybean-growing states, and we understand those actions may include increased education, enforcement, or restrictions. It is important however that we are able to get answers to these questions and establish a path forward as soon as possible so that additional education or other actions can be put in place before next growing season.

“It’s important to note, too, that this discussion is larger than one specific product; farmers need and want new modes of action to tackle the ongoing issue of herbicide-resistant weeds. At the same time however, farmers need assurance that their own and their neighbors’ crops aren’t going to be damaged as a result of normal and label-compliant product use.”



AFBFoundation for Agriculture, National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization Strengthen Collaboration

Leaders of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization announce a newly established partnership to strengthen collaboration between the two groups.

The Foundation and NAITCO signed a memorandum of understanding outlining how the two organizations will work together to create a more agriculturally literate society.

“Farm Bureau has worked closely with National Agriculture in the Classroom for years to help students, teachers and parents learn about where food comes from and who grows it,” said Foundation Chairman Zippy Duvall, who also serves as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. “We look forward to building on our success through this official partnership.”

The Foundation and NAITCO will work together to encourage young Americans to pursue higher education and career opportunities in the food and agricultural sciences, in addition to providing resources to assist K-12 educators interested in integrating information about food and agriculture across curricula. The two organizations will also partner on communications and promotions as part of the agreement, in addition to collaborating on workshops and educational events.

“The memorandum of understanding recently signed by National Agriculture in the Classroom and the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture solidifies an already strong partnership between two organizations dedicated to agricultural literacy outreach in K-12 classrooms across the country,” said Willie Grenier, president of the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and executive director of Maine Agriculture in the Classroom. “We’re proud to have such a strong advocate of educating K-12 teachers and students about the importance of agriculture by our side, and look forward to a robust collaboration between our two organizations for many years to come.”



Soil Health Partnership, NCGA Endorse New List of Soil Health Measurements

The Soil Health Partnership has endorsed a set of 19 soil health measurements, encouraging the agriculture industry to quickly adopt them. Once widely adopted, the indicators are expected to help farming become more sustainable and precise in areas such as nutrient management.

Research shows that the benefits of improving soil health include: Improved crop yield, enhanced water quality, increased drought resilience and flood resistance, and decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

After three years of collaboration with scientific and agricultural partners, the Soil Health Institute announced its endorsement of the “Tier 1” national soil health measurements earlier this week. Examples of the specific Tier 1 measures include organic carbon, pH, and available water holding capacity. A complete list of all 19 endorsed soil health measurements is available at the Institute’s website.

“We recognize the vigorous scientific collaboration that went into the development of this list of indicators, and urge the widescale adoption of them,” said Nick Goeser, director of the Soil Health Partnership, and National Corn Growers Association director of soil health and sustainability. “We encourage farmers and agronomists to test soil on a regular basis, and use these indicators as business management tools to help them make smart decisions on the farm.”

Goeser added he hopes the new guidance on soil health indicators will lead to a faster implementation of practices that will improve soil health, like reducing the intensity of tillage to build soil organic matter.

An initiative of NCGA, the Soil Health Partnership is a data-driven program working to quantify the benefits of practices that support soil health, including reduced tillage, the use of cover crops, and advanced nutrient management, from an economic as well as environmental standpoint.



CoBank Reports Higher Quarterly Net Income

CoBank, a cooperative bank serving agribusinesses, rural infrastructure providers and Farm Credit associations throughout the United States, announced financial results for the second quarter and first six months of 2017.

The bank experienced loan volume growth in all three of its operating segments, and credit quality and earnings remained strong. Net income for the second quarter increased 7 percent to $259.8 million, compared to $243.3 million in the second quarter of 2016.

For the first six months of 2017, net income was $522.6 million, a 7 percent increase from $486.6 million in the same period of 2016.

The bank benefited during the quarter and year-to-date periods from a lower provision for loan losses.

Higher average loan volume was a key driver of the increase for both the quarter and year-to-date periods, partially offset by decreases in fair value accretion income related to CoBank's merger with U.S. AgBank in 2012.