Tuesday January 16 Ag News

Nebraska Extension offering Land Application Training in Feb.

            Eight Nebraska Extension offices across the state will offer workshops in February providing livestock and crop farmers with information on how to turn manure nutrients into better crop yields while protecting the environment.

“The workshops will help livestock producers put to use the nutrient management planning requirements of Nebraska’s Department of Environmental Quality regulations and increase the economic value of manure,” said Leslie Johnson, UNL Animal Manure Management coordinator. Participants who attend the day-long event will receive NDEQ Land Application Training Certification.

            Livestock producers with livestock waste control facility permits received or renewed since April 1998 must be certified, and farms must complete an approved training every five years. Re-certification will be held during the first two hours of the day-long land application training. Farm personnel responsible for land application of manure are encouraged to attend for either the initial or re-certification portion of the training.

            The morning portion of the workshops will consist of a two-hour program including updates on changing regulations and other manure management topics, such as protecting herd health with biosecurity. Any farm staff responsible for implementing the farm’s nutrient plan are encouraged to attend.

            Pre-registration is required for all workshops. A $60 fee per operation (includes one representative) will be charged for the workshops plus a $15 fee for each additional participant to cover local costs including lunch.

            The re-certification portion of the workshop is $30 for each participant.

Dates, times and locations include:
            WEST POINT: Feb. 13, 9 a.m., Nielsen Center, 200 Anna Stalp Ave.
            LEXINGTON: Feb. 15,  9 a.m., Extension office, 1002 Plum Creek Parkway
            OGALLALA: Feb. 16, 9 a.m., Extension office, 511 N. Spruce St.
            SCOTTSBLUFF: Feb. 21, 9 a.m., Extension center, 4502 Ave. I
            AINSWORTH: Feb. 22, 9 a.m., Courthouse meeting room, 148 W 4th St.
            WILBER: Feb. 23, 9 a.m., Extension office, 306 W. Third
            COLUMBUS: Feb. 26, 9 a.m., Pinnacle Bank, 210 East 23rd St.
            NELIGH: Feb. 28, 9 a.m., Courthouse meeting room, 501 M St.

            The workshops are sponsored by the Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Team, which is dedicated to helping livestock and crop producers better utilize manure resources for agronomic and environmental benefits.

            For additional information on the workshops and other resources for managing manure nutrients, visit http://manure.unl.edu or contact Johnson at 402-584-3818 or ljohnson13@unl.edu.



Trends, Issues and Production Topics Headline Nebraska Dairy Convention

Fourth generation California dairy farmer Brad Scott, whose 1,000-cow dairy farm Scott Brother’s Dairy was featured on the television show “Undercover Boss,” is among the featured speakers at the 2018 Nebraska Dairy Convention February 27 at the Ramada Inn, Columbus, Neb. Scott will discuss his experience being featured on the reality show at the convention’s evening banquet at 6:30 p.m. The convention, sponsored by the Nebraska State Dairy Association, includes sessions surrounding dairy production, a trade show and the association’s annual business meeting.

Bruce Anderson, an extension professor in agronomy and horticulture from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, will discuss recommendations for raising dairy quality forage in a beef state, and Maggie Faulkner, field representative from Acumen Detection will discuss the costs associated with mastitis. Their presentations are scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively.

Nancy Huls, vice president of research and innovation with the Midwest Dairy Association, will be featured at the noon luncheon, providing an update on the organization’s work on dairy farmers’ behalf. Amber Pankonin, RD, a local nutrition communications consultant and Caryn Kusleika, RD of Midwest Dairy, will present a communications workshop from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Dairy production awards will be presented at 2:30 p.m., with a Grow Nebraska Dairy update at 3:30, followed by the Nebraska State Dairy Association’s annual business session at 4 p.m. The trade show hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Award presentations and the coronation of the 2018 Nebraska Dairy Princess and Ambassadors will also take place during the evening banquet.

The Nebraska Dairy Convention is free to all Nebraska dairy farmers, families and guests. Pre-registrations are encouraged by February 20.  Attendee and sponsorship registration forms are available at nebraskamilk.org. Questions about the convention can be directed to Rod Johnson, Nebraska State Dairy Association, at 402-853-2028 or rod@nebraskamilk.org.



Cattlemen Kick Off Campaign to Prevent Farms, Ranches From Being Regulated Like Toxic Superfund Sites

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) today kicked off a media campaign aimed at spotlighting and correcting a recent court decision that will require livestock producers to comply with laws that are only meant to apply to highly toxic Superfund sites.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted to provide for cleanup of the worst industrial chemical toxic waste dumps and spills, such as oil spills and chemical tank explosions. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) was enacted to ensure that parties who emit hazardous chemicals submit reports to their local emergency responders to allow for more effective planning for chemical emergencies. Both of these laws include reporting requirements connected to the events at hand.

Neither of these laws was ever intended to govern agricultural operations, for whom emissions from livestock are a part of everyday life. To make this clear, in 2008, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule to clarify that farms were exempt from CERCLA reporting and small farms, in particular, were exempt from EPCRA reporting, given that low-level livestock emissions are not the kind of "releases" that Congress intended to manage with these laws.

Upon being sued in 2009, the Obama Administration's EPA defended the exemption in court on the grounds that CERCLA and EPCRA do not explicitly exempt farms because Congress never believed that agriculture would be covered under these statutes, so a specific statutory exemption was not viewed to be necessary.  Unfortunately, in April 2017, the D.C. Circuit Court vacated the EPA's 2008 exemption, putting nearly 200,000 farms and ranches under the regulatory reporting authorities enshrined in CERCLA and EPCRA. The new reporting requirements could go into effect as soon as Jan. 22.

“This is just another example of radical environmental groups using the courts to wildly distort the original Congressional intent behind legislation,” said NCBA President and Nebraska cattleman Craig Uden. “Unless this ridiculous situation is fixed, agricultural producers will soon have their operations treated like toxic Superfund sites, and government agencies like the U.S. Coast Guard will be inundated with unnecessary questions and reports.”

NCBA’s issue campaign kicked off with a new online video featuring the group’s Chief Environmental Counsel, Scott Yager. In the video, Yager dons a yellow hazmat suit and explains the issue at an actual toxic Superfund site near Fredericksburg, Virginia. He then shows the contrast between the contaminated Superfund site and a cattle farm in nearby Louisa County, Virginia, that would likely have to comply with the new reporting requirements.

“This is most certainly not a toxic Superfund site,” Yager explains from the Virginia cow pasture. “Unfortunately, a recent court decision may force cattle producers and other agricultural operations to report a bunch of information about their cow poop to the federal government under the Superfund laws that were only meant to deal with toxic waste. That is unless Congress acts soon.”

NCBA is working with allies on Capitol Hill to introduce and quickly pass legislation that would correct the situation. The group is also working with other agricultural organizations to spotlight the issue and build support for a legislative fix.



Sorghum Checkoff Seeks Applicants for Leadership Sorghum

The Sorghum Checkoff is accepting applications for Leadership Sorghum Class IV, a program designed to develop the next generation of sorghum leaders.

During the 15-month leadership program, class members will be exposed to various aspects of the sorghum industry in addition to personal development and networking opportunities. Class members will participate in both hands-on and classroom-style learning experiences to gain an understanding of how sorghum moves through the value chain, how checkoffs and stakeholder organizations interact on behalf of the industry and what the future holds for sorghum.

"Leadership Sorghum is a unique opportunity to develop strong leaders with a desire to learn and develop a passion for this industry," said Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director. "This program is a way to invest in the future of our industry by equipping growers with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to become advocates for sorghum."

Eligible applicants must be farmers actively engaged in sorghum production in the United States. Fifteen growers will be accepted into the program's fourth class.

"It is so fulfilling to see our class members grow, learn and experience new things," said Shelee Padgett, Leadership Sorghum program director. "Our goal is to equip them to be leaders and advocates for sorghum, taking their knowledge back to their communities and furthering the industry by becoming involved locally, in their state and nationally."

Full consideration will be given to all applicants, regardless of age, gender, race or occupation. Every effort will be made to select a class, based on the applicant pool, which is representative of the entire sorghum industry, its diversity and rural community interests.

Applications for the program are available at LeadSorghum.com and are due by 5:00 p.m. March 16, 2018. Following the application deadline, all applications and references will be reviewed by a selection committee. Finalists may be contacted via phone to arrange an interview. Class members and alternates will be notified of acceptance by May 1, 2018. More information on the class schedule and program criteria can be found at LeadSorghum.com.



Animal Agriculture Alliance announces chance for farmers to win free registrations to 2018 Stakeholders Summit

Today, the Animal Agriculture Alliance announced that five farmers and ranchers can win a free registration to the 2018 Stakeholders Summit. The 2018 Summit, themed “Protect Your Roots” will be held May 3-4 at the Renaissance Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Va.

“Last year the Alliance hosted our first photo contest to encourage farmers to attend our 2017 Summit and received such a great turnout that we’ve decided to host another photo contest this year,” said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance vice president of communications. “Farmers and ranchers should be at the table to discuss issues impacting the food supply and we hope to welcome even more producers to our 2018 Summit.”

The Summit will inspire attendees representing all facets of animal agriculture to be proud of their past and current roles in the industry and challenge them to be forward-thinking about how we can continue to grow into the future. Even if communication is not part of their job description, Summit attendees will leave with new perspectives on key issues and ready to engage with influencers to secure the future of animal agriculture.

“Farmers and ranchers are often the best storytellers,” said Casey Whitaker, Alliance communications manager. “We want to see photos from across the country showing why farmers believe it is important to protect their roots and continue telling agriculture’s story.”

Photo Contest – Deadline 2/14/2018
        To enter, farmers and ranchers need to share a photo and caption on social media that shows and explains why they believe it is important to protect their roots. Entries must be posted with the hashtag #ProtectYourRoots with the Alliance tagged by February 14. To confirm their entry, contestants need to complete the contest form at https://www.cognitoforms.com/AnimalAgAlliance/ProtectYourRootsPhotoContest
        Top photos will be shared on the Alliance’s Facebook page and be open for public voting on February 15.
        The five photos with the most ‘likes’ by February 28 will be announced as the winners.
    Winning prizes:
        First place: Free registration to our 2018 Summit, a two-night stay in the Summit hotel and a $300 travel stipend.
        Runner-up: Free registration and a two-night stay in the Summit hotel.
        3rd - 5th place: Free registration.

Not a farmer or rancher? You can still help spread the word about Summit and win a prize through the “Refer-A-Friend” contest! Encourage friends, co-workers and colleagues to attend the event, and have them put your name as the referrer when registering. If someone enters your name, you will be entered to win one of ten prizes. You must be present at the 2018 Summit to claim your prize.

Be sure to check the Summit website for the most up-to-date Summit information. You can also follow the hashtags #AAA18 and #ProtectYourRoots for periodic updates about the event. For general questions about the Summit please contact summit@animalagalliance.org or call (703) 562-5160.

Get involved:
Show your support for the Alliance’s outreach efforts by becoming an official Summit sponsor today! For a complete listing of the 2017 Summit sponsors or to see the 2018 sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.animalagalliance.org/summit. For more information, contact Allyson Jones-Brimmer at ajonesbrimmer@animalagalliance.org.

Thank you to our 2018 Summit sponsors: Watt Global Media, Farm Journal Media, Meatingplace, American Feed Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Board, Council for Biotechnology Information, DairyMAX/Western Dairy Association, Farm Credit Council, United Egg Producers, Cobb-Vantress Inc., National Biodiesel Board, Protect the Harvest, Agri Beef, Kemin, National Chicken Council and North Carolina Farm Bureau.

The Alliance also thanks the following members for their continued support of Summit and other Alliance programs: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, Merck Animal Health, Charleston|Orwig, Diamond V, Zoetis, Alltech, Inc., Aviagen Group, Bayer HealthCare Animal Health, Cargill, Cattle Empire, LLC, Genus PLC - PIC/ABS, Hendrix Genetics, Hy-Line North America LLC, National Pork Producers Council, National Turkey Federation, Potash Corp., Provimi North America, Inc., Seaboard Foods LLC, Smithfield Hog Production and Iowa Soybean Board.



Syngenta and NRGene Expand Collaboration as Syngenta Signs Long-Term Licensing of GenoMAGIC

Syngenta, a global leading agrochemical and seed company, and NRGene, the premier genomic big data company, have continued to advance their cooperation in breeding and trait discovery in key crops.

Syngenta has licensed NRGene’s GenoMAGICTM, a cloud-based big data analytics platform, to evaluate, predict, compare and select the best genetic makeup for crop molecular breeding and genomic selection. The agreement is on a non-exclusive, multi-year basis.

The GenoMAGIC system will be implemented in Syngenta’s advanced R&D pipeline and will influence key decision making for hardier, more productive crops. GenoMAGICTM was developed by a unique mix of highly experienced algorithm designers, software engineers, plant breeders, and plant geneticists and is used by seed companies like Syngenta and major academic and research institutions worldwide to actively battle world hunger and increase profitability for growers.

GenoMAGICTM reveals the broad genetic diversity of crop plants and optimizes the use of genetic diversity throughout the breeding pipeline. Syngenta was an early adopter of  GenoMAGIC and has demonstrated the significant advantages of using NRGene’s pangenome approach to haplotyping.

“NRGene’s GenoMAGIC system is an enabler for us to unlock the full potential of the genetic diversity available within our breeding programs,” said Dr. Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, Head Seeds Research at Syngenta. “This next phase in our collaboration should greatly improve our ability to predict performance and accelerate our ability to bring innovation into the hands of growers around the globe.”

“The fact that leading international companies like Syngenta have chosen to adopt GenoMAGIC reinforces the fact that we're on the right track, developing the big data tools to facilitate cutting- edge, highly sophisticated breeding, adding our modest contribution toward global food security,” said Dr. Gil Ronen, chief executive officer of NRGene. “We look forward to broadening the use of our tools to support the genetic research of plants and animals, as well as humans.”