Tuesday November 23 Ag News

 CATTLE COMPACTION IN CROPLAND
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator
 
Are you looking for additional income from your corn acres? Grazing corn residue is a low-cost winter feed source for cattle and a source of additional income for farmers without negative effects on the cropland.
 
Many crop producers are concerned that trampling from cattle grazing corn residue negatively affects crop yields. But when grazed at proper stocking rates, small but positive effects on crop production after grazing have been observed.
 
Research conducted at the University of Nebraska has shown that grazing corn residue at the recommended stocking rate does not reduce corn or soybean yields in irrigated fields the following growing season.
 
In fact, a long-term study in eastern Nebraska at the Eastern Research and Extension Center showed 2 to 3 bushel per acre improvements for soybean production following grazed corn residue in a corn-soybean rotation. This result was the same whether cattle grazed in the fall from November through January or spring from February through April.
 
A five-year study in western Nebraska measured corn yields from continuous corn after cattle grazing in the fall and found no negative effects on corn yields the following year.
 
It must be noted that minor surface compaction can result from grazing during wet weather. However, this compaction often disappears through the natural wetting and drying and freezing and thawing processes. And the compaction level for restricting root growth and does not carry over into the following growing season.
 
Grazing corn residue benefits both cattle and crop producers. Corn residue should be viewed as an economical source of winter roughage for cattle that can provide an extra source of income from corn production that does not affect next year's crop production.



Central Valley Ag launches 2022 Scholarship Program

Central Valley Ag (CVA) offers 20 $1,000 college scholarship opportunities to students pursuing higher education in an agriculturally related field.

This scholarship program enables youth to continue their education on a collegiate level. Based on academic achievement, service to local communities, and knowledge of the cooperative system, the CVA Scholarship Committee will select the winners of each scholarship.

CVA is committed to improving, encouraging and enabling the healthy development of youth throughout the region. And by helping our youth pursue their agricultural career, we ensure that the agricultural industry continues to grow.

Additional information on scholarship guidelines can be found at www.cvacoop.com/careers. Applications will only be accepted by online submissions. Scholarship deadline is March 1, 2022.

The scholarship program is open to students of CVA Member-Owners or CVA employees.



Growth Energy Supports Defend the Blend Act

Today, Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor thanked Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), and Ron Kind (D-Wis.) for introducing the Defend the Blend Act. This legislation would prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from retroactively reducing past Renewable Volume Obligations (RVOs) which have already been finalized.

"We thank these Representatives for introducing the Defend the Blend Act, legislation that would offer more certainty in the marketplace, especially as we await the 2021 and 2022 RVOs from EPA,” said Skor. “The Renewable Fuel Standard was put into place to blend more low-carbon biofuels into our nation’s transportation fuel supply and includes a built-in mechanism that adjusts for any changes in fuel demand. Retroactively changing RVO levels is completely unwarranted. It is unnecessary, adds uncertainty to the marketplace, and far exceeds EPA’s legal authority.”   

Other original cosponsors include Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Jim Baird (R-Ind.),  Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.), and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.).



RFA Thanks House Members For Bill Restricting Retroactive RFS Volume Cuts

The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Angie Craig (D-MN) and Ron Kind (D-WI) for new legislation filed today—the Defend the Blend Act—that would prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from reducing the minimum applicable volume of biofuels into transportation fuel once renewable volume obligations are finalized for any given year.

“We thank Reps. Hinson, Craig, Davis, Kind, and the co-sponsors of this bill for their efforts to ensure both oil refiners and EPA are being held accountable,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The Renewable Fuel Standard was intended to provide long-term market certainty and predictability for our nation’s ethanol producers, farmers, fuel retailers, and other market participants. Retroactively slashing renewable volume obligations long after they have been set would throw the RFS program into turmoil and reward a small group of defiant oil refiners for their bad behavior. RFA strongly supports this bill because it would prevent refiners from rigging the game and it would keep EPA from moving the goalposts.”



ACE Supports the Defend the Blend Act

Today, Reps. Ashley Hinson (IA-01), Rodney Davis (IL-13), Angie Craig (MN-02), and Ron Kind (WI-03) introduced the Defend the Blend Act, bipartisan legislation to prohibit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from retroactively reducing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) levels once they are finalized, including the 2020 RVOs.

“ACE thanks House members for introducing the Defend the Blend Act to help ensure EPA and oil refiners follow the law when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard. The way the program has been carried out over the past few years has created uncertainty for not only biofuel producers and farmers, but for fuel retailers and oil refiners. The RFS was a well-written piece of legislation, and this bill would help keep EPA from continuing to play politics when it comes to administering the program.”

Other original cosponsors include Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Jim Baird (R-Ind.), Michelle Fischbach (R-Minn.), Jake LaTurner (R-Kan.), and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.).



Community, Worker, and Farmer Groups Welcome Meatpacking Legislation

Today, as Nebraskans prepare for holidays with family and food, the Protecting America’s Meatpacking Workers Act was introduced in Congress to make our food system more resilient, fair, and safe – with long-overdue safety protections for people who work in large-scale meat and poultry processing plants and fair-market reforms to support local farmers and ranchers.

Public concern has continued to grow before and during COVID-19 about large-scale meat and poultry processors’ dangerous plant conditions as well as unfair market control.

 “Our parents care about the quality of the food they process for everyone’s tables, and we care about the safety of our parents,” said Dulce Castañeda of Children of Smithfield. "Dangerously fast processing lines cause painful injuries, serious food safety risks, and we hear the industry pressures on local farmers and ranchers as well. On all sides, Nebraska communities will be well served by this legislation."

 “Nebraska Farmers Union supports legislative efforts to provide safe workplaces for meatpacking workers, and ag market reforms to increase competition and transparency,” said John K. Hansen, President of Nebraska Farmers Union. “We applaud Senator Booker’s efforts to combine more fair treatment for food producers and food processing workers. It represents a good start on both fronts.”

“This bill is so important for local Nebraska communities. We have too many permanently injured people and the numbers keep growing,” said Olga Guevara, Executive Director of Unity in Action in South Sioux City. “Meatpacking safety protections will help keep community members safe, which keeps our communities strong.”

“For twenty years, I have met moms and dads who can no longer hold their child, young men who never expected to be disabled at the age of 30, and so many people with damaged hands and shoulders who can no longer perform daily tasks,” said Gloria Sarmiento, Senior Community Organizer with Nebraska Appleseed. “It’s time to prevent this for Nebraska families and communities.”  

“The UFCW Local 293 welcomes this important bill,” said Eric Reeder, President of the UFCW Local 293. “Things like coming home safe at the end of the workday and reliable bathroom access should be a basic part of processing the nation’s food. Unfortunately it’s not, and this bill will help get us there.”

Examples of protections included in the bill are:
-    A requirement for OSHA to finalize safety protections to prevent meat and poultry worker amputations and musculoskeletal injuries common from dangerously fast line speeds, insufficient staffing, and other factors.
-    A requirement for packing plants to ensure sufficient toilets and bathroom access without punishment.
-    Prevention of the line-speed waivers that have allowed large-scale processors to further increase speeds, creating serious food and worker safety risks.
-    Strengthening the Packers & Stockyards Act to support local farmers, ranchers, and local food systems.
-    Government Accountability Office reports on racial and ethnic disparities in meat and poultry processing, fragility in the nation’s food system, and line speeds.



Green Plains Inc. Launches Monarch Fueling Station Projects at Two Iowa Plants

Today Green Plains Inc. announced plans to establish Monarch Fueling Stations on-site at their plants in Shenandoah and Superior.

The site in Shenandoah is 1.75 acres and seeding is expected to take place in the spring of 2022.  

“We’re happy to contribute to this statewide project,” said Cory Scamman, general manager, Green Plains Shenandoah LLC. “This initiative is doing great work to preserve an important species and we look forward to establishing a habitat on our property.”

At Superior they plan to establish the habitat on a field currently being used to grow hay. The plant will start by converting one or two acres but there is potential to expand the habitat by several acres.

“I think it’s important to promote habitat for endangered pollinators like the monarch,” said Tod Smith, plant manager, Green Plains Superior LLC. “I’m looking forward to having a fueling station for them in the Superior area.”

The location and size of both habitats was decided in consultation with Habitat Establishment Coordinator Kevin Reynolds.

“Green Plains and the rest of the Monarch Fueling Station Project partners are to be commended for their commitment to Iowa’s environment,” Reynolds said. “The Monarch Fueling Station Project has already led to nearly 50 acres of new monarch butterfly habitat and as we see today, that is only the beginning. It is exciting to see these projects take off and flourish.”

The Monarch Fueling Station Project was established by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) in partnership with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium in December 2017. It is a program to help Iowa’s ethanol and biodiesel plants establish monarch habitat on plant grounds. To learn more about the IRFA Monarch Fueling Station Project, contact IRFA at info@IowaRFA.org or 515-252-6249.



U.S. Court of International Trade Says It Will Review Amicus Brief on Fertilizer Tariffs, Farmers Call on Companies to Withdraw Petitions for Levies

The U.S. Court of International Trade this week said that it will review an amicus brief submitted by the National Corn Growers Association and other ag groups in a case it’s considering on tariffs of phosphorous fertilizers imported from outside the country. But farmers, faced with severe shortages and high fertilizer costs, are calling on a major American fertilizer company to withdraw the petition that led to the tariffs.

“Executives at Mosaic can remove this financial burden by withdrawing the petition,” Edgington said. “We invite them to do just that.”

The U.S. Department of Commerce recommended in February 2021 that the International Trade Commission implement tariffs over 19% on imported fertilizers from Morocco after the Mosaic Company, which manufactures fertilizers used in the U.S. and abroad, filed a petition with the department seeking the levies. The ITC voted in March to impose the tariffs while adding similar levies on Russian imports.

CF Industries also filed a petition with ITC to place tariffs on urea ammonium nitrate solutions, which are used in liquid fertilizers, imported from Russia and Trinidad & Tobago. A decision on that request is pending.

“Given the effects tariffs are having on farmers, we hope the executives at CF Industries will withdraw their petition,” Edgington said.

The financial impact of tariffs are beginning to dim planting forecasts for 2022, according to economists. Fertilizer costs between 2021 and 2022 are projected to lower net incomes by 34% in Illinois, according to new projections from economists at the University of Illinois. Farmers say the forecast in Illinois is illustrative of what’s happening across the country.

“The tariffs have created a financial hardship for farmers.” Edgington said. “Another year of shortages and tariffs will be devastating.”

The court could render a decision in 2022.



Farm & Biofuel Leaders Welcome Key Provisions of the Build Back Better Act

On Monday, the Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, the National Biodiesel Board, National Corn Growers Association, and National Farmers Union thanked Congress for efforts to “build new markets for farmers and biofuel producers and help lower the carbon intensity of agriculture.” In a joint letter to the chairs of the House and Senate agriculture committees, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.), biofuel and farm leaders offered appreciation for key provisions of the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, which passed the House on Friday and was sent to the Senate.
 
“One of the most pressing challenges facing biofuel producers is ensuring that consumers have consistent access to higher-level ethanol and biodiesel blends, which are lower carbon and lower cost than petroleum fuels. The Biofuel Infrastructure and Agriculture Product Market Expansion provision in the BBB Act helps address this issue and contains much-needed funding to ensure consumers have access to these fuels,” they wrote in reference to $1 billion allocated to upgrade refueling and distribution infrastructure meant for higher blends of ethanol.
 
Advocates also pointed to lifecycle analysis illustrating how improved farm practices continue to drive down the carbon intensity of farming, and therefore the overall carbon intensity of biofuels.
 
“The BBB Act provides further voluntary incentives like cover crops, nutrient management, buffers, and incentives for locally-led conservation efforts that will help reduce the carbon intensity of agriculture even further, helping biofuel producers provide an even lower carbon liquid fuel at a time when demand for low carbon fuels is rising. As biofuel producers capture the value of low carbon farming practices, farmers would also have the opportunity to benefit in the form of premium prices for their commodities.,” they noted.



USDA Announces $90.2 Million in Grants Awarded to Strengthen Local and Regional Markets for U.S. Agricultural Products

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a $90.2 million investment in 203 projects to strengthen and explore new market opportunities for local and regional food businesses. The funding is made possible through grant programs administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) as part of the Local Agriculture Marketing Program (LAMP): the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Programs (FMLFPP) and the Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP).
    FMLFPP awarded a total of $75.4 million to 172 projects across 41 states to support the development, coordination, and expansion of direct producer to consumer markets and local and regional food business enterprises. FMLFPP is implemented through two components, the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and the Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP). FMPP awarded $37.5 million to 84 projects to support direct producer-to-consumer marketing projects such as farmers markets, community-supported agriculture programs, roadside stands, and agritourism. LFPP awarded $37.7 million to 85 projects to develop, improve, and expand local and regional food business intermediary supply chain activities, including processing, distribution, aggregation, and storage of locally or regionally produced food products.
    RFSP awarded $14.8 million to 30 projects across 24 states to support partnerships that connect public and private resources to plan and develop local or regional food systems. The projects focus on strengthening the viability and resilience of regional food economies through collaboration and coordination.

“These grants will help maximize opportunities for economic growth and ingenuity in local and regional food systems to kickstart this transformation. The Local Agriculture Marketing Program grants have a history of generating new income sources for small, beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers and creating new market opportunities for value-added and niche products,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack “The new Regional Food System Partnerships grants will help build a fairer, more transparent food system rooted in local and regional production where businesses can compete fairly, because a greater share of the profit will go to those growing, harvesting, and preparing our food.”

“The strength of America’s agricultural economy is our creativity and resilience. Whether it’s a farmers market in Lansing or a food business in Kalamazoo, local and regional food systems expand economic opportunities for farmers and secure healthy food supply chains for families,” said Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

LAMP recipients include:
    A Kentucky-based project that will help strengthen and stabilize participating farmers markets by creating marketing space, adapting a training program, and developing a peer-to-peer learning network. The project will strengthen Kentucky’s local and regional food system infrastructure and increased vendor sales and on-farm revenue.
    The Western Treasure Valley Food Systems Partnership project, focusing on the Western Treasure Valley region that spans southeastern Oregon and western Idaho, will develop a food hub and shared use kitchen feasibility study and business plan to increase regional capacity for processing, food distribution and storage, small to mid-scale value chain market development, coordination and delivery of nutrition education, and food access solutions.

AMS supports U.S. food and agricultural products market opportunities, while increasing consumer access to fresh, healthy foods through applied research, technical services, and Congressionally funded grants. These projects will support the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises and value-added agricultural products.

“Small and medium size farmers, ranchers and processors have an important role in strengthening our food supply chain. These USDA local and regional food grants will help these agricultural businesses build, expand and sustain the processing, distribution and storage systems that will help move food from the farm to the table,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.

LAMP was established in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) (Pub. L. No. 115—334) and received a supplemental appropriation through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 116—260).



The 2022 Accelerating a Generation Syngenta Scholarship now open for applications

Students studying agriculture have a chance to win a $2,500 scholarship and a donation to the charity of their choice through the 2022 Accelerating a Generation Syngenta Scholarship Program.

Through the scholarship program, which is run by the National FFA organization (FFA), Syngenta will give a total of six scholarships to college students from across the country who are pursuing an education in agricultural or farm studies. The objective of the scholarships is to help advance those winners' knowledge of the industry.

“Making sure students feel supported is the first and most important step in ensuring a strong future in our agricultural community, and this program does just that,” says Linda Arnold Whaley, head of marketing communications for Syngenta Seeds. “Our scholarship is the perfect tool for empowering students.”

The application period runs until Jan. 11, 2022. Applicants must be U.S. residents and those in higher-education institutes must be enrolled as of fall 2021 in an accredited agriculture program at a land-grant university. FFA membership is not required.

Along with the scholarship money, each winner designates an agriculture-related non-profit organization to receive a $500 donation from Syngenta.

“Every year we are honored to receive applications from some of the best and brightest students across the country, and I anticipate this year will be the same,” says Syngenta marketing communications lead Pam Caraway.

To apply for the scholarship, visit https://www.ffa.org/participate/grants-and-scholarships/scholarships/. For information on official rules and application guidelines, visit www.Syngenta-US.com/Scholarships.