Friday February 4 Ag News

 Producers urged to work with county FSA offices on program enrollment

Producers Urged to Work with County Farm Service Agency Offices Now on ARC/PLC Program Election and Enrollment

The Nebraska USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) is asking producers to work with their county FSA offices as soon as possible to finalize elections and enrollment for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2022 production season.

The program election and enrollment deadline is March 15, but county FSA offices need producer engagement immediately to ensure timely service for all. Producers who complete the process now will be allowed to make changes, if so desired, at any point ahead of the application deadline in March.

ARC and PLC are the main commodity crop safety net programs, providing support to help mitigate fluctuations in either revenue or prices for certain crops. Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-CO or PLC, which are both crop-by-crop, or ARC-IC, which is for the entire farm. Although program election changes for 2022 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm and makes an election change for 2022 or has a change to producers or shares on the farm, it will be necessary to sign a new contract.

If an election is not submitted by the deadline of March 15, 2022, the election remains the same as the 2021 election for crops on the farm.

Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the farm.

Producers interested in an ARC/PLC program outlook for 2022 should visit fsa.usda.gov/ne and click on the link to the Center for Agricultural Profitability webinar under the first spotlight story.

 To learn more or schedule an ARC/PLC election and enrollment appointment, contact your county FSA office. To find contact information for the nearest office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.



NeCGA Celebrates 50 Years!
    
The Nebraska Corn Growers Association is celebrating its 50th anniversary! Forming in 1972, the association has been active in programs within advocacy, education, and leadership development.

“When I think of the history of this Association, there’s quite a resume of accomplishments entailing numerous segments of state and federal ag policy that has shaped how we do business on our operations,” explained Andy Jobman, NeCGA board president. “All of these accomplishments that NeCGA has played a role in, started with the idea from a farmer.”

NeCGA looks forward to celebrating with its entire membership in August. This event will take place in McCool Junction at the Stonecreek Event Center. NeCGA will showcase a video highlighting interviews from current and former board members along with a social hour and dinner. Details about the event’s activities will be released as they are finalized.

“50 years ago, NeCGA was born out of the vision of a group of farmers to have an institution to address the adversity ag faces and amplify the voice of its members,” said Jobman. “Our strength lies in the passion and leadership and ideas and experiences of all of our members and above all, our unity as corn farmers.”



NACEB shares the story of Nebraska’s 93 counties

Five decades ago, Nebraska took a major step forward by creating a system of local boards to explain the role of Nebraska Extension and advocate for the partnerships that enable its many services across the state. On Feb. 8, the Nebraska Association of County Extension Boards will hold a 50th anniversary event in Lincoln to celebrate that history and point to Extension’s ongoing role in the life of the state.   

Nebraska Extension is one of the few institutions “that can say they are physically serving every single county in the state,” notes NACEB President Amanda Mogensen. “It's pretty neat to be able to advocate for that, and support that, as a county board member.”

Similarly, she says, NACEB has a county extension board in each of Nebraska’s 93 counties. In all, the association’s membership includes more than 500 people.  

“It's our job as board members,” she says, “to be able to connect and communicate and collaborate with other citizens, other stakeholders, other organizations and leaders and communities in those counties.”   

NACEB will host its 50th anniversary event on Tuesday night, Feb. 8, at the Wick Alumni Center at 1520 R St. in Lincoln. The event will note the contributions of past NACEB members and how the association has changed and adapted over the years to best serve the state. “To be that strong and sound organization that has been here to grow and develop right along with Nebraska Extension is pretty neat,” Mogensen says.  

University of Nebraska-Lincoln leaders will deliver remarks during the Tuesday event, which will include an awards presentation. On Wednesday, NACEB will hold its annual meeting at the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel in downtown Lincoln. Board members also will meet with state senators.  

Nebraska Extension staff stand out for the breadth of services they provide across the state, Mogensen says: “It’s important for people to remember that they may see only the Extension educator that sits in their county office and serves physically, but there are educators that cover every single county in Nebraska with all of the areas of Extension, whether it be crops and water or early childhood or when you go past the county level, the educators and specialists out there that can help with estate planning.”   

NACEB members provide an important two-way communications link. They inform Nebraskans about Extension services, and they also enable Extension to understand local needs. Examples of those needs, Mogensen says, can include a local shortage in after-school care or the need for training through the Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance program.  

Service as a NACEB leader is personally beneficial by helping Nebraskans develop their leadership skills and broaden their understanding of all parts of the state, she says.  

NACEB members meet with elected officials at all levels, including county board members, state senators and federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C. “We're not paid employees,” Mogensen says. “We're just sharing with officials that this is what Extension has done for me personally or sharing what we're hearing as we're going out and listening to those around the state.”

In that way, she says, NACEB members carry out their essential, enduring mission: “sharing those actual, real-life examples of what Nebraska Extension is doing across the state. We’re sharing the story.”  



‘Bringing the farm to school’ producer training focuses on increasing local food sales  

Farmers, ranchers and local food processors can learn strategies for growing and selling their products to school districts at the Bringing the Farm to School: Local Producer Training March 3 in Omaha hosted by the Nebraska Department of Education.  

“When area farmers sell their products to schools, everyone wins,” said Sarah Smith, Farm to School Coordinator for the Nebraska Department of Education.  

“Farmers have a reliable market, dollars get recirculated in the community, and, most importantly, students get to enjoy local, fresh, nutritious, and delicious food,” Smith said.  

The training will be held at the Douglas-Sarpy Counties Extension Office on March 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To register, visit www.education.ne.gov/ns/farm-to-school/ or contact Sarah Smith, Farm to School Specialist at the Nebraska Department of Education, 402-525-3128 or sarah.e.smith@nebraska.gov.

 Producers that attend this training will:  
    Learn about accessing school markets and growing products for schools;
    Hear from producers that have successfully navigated school markets;
    Gain new knowledge and resources for integrating school markets into a business plan;
    Meet local peers and experts, and participate in a question-answer session.  

Schools offer a strong market opportunity for local producers. More than 30 million students enjoy meals at school through the National School Lunch Program each day, and according to a USDA Farm to School Census, schools across the country purchased more than $789 million in local foods during the 2013-2014 school year -- a total that has continued to increase. At the state level, 553 Nebraska schools serving 235,367 students participate in Farm to School efforts. Farm to School is gaining momentum in Nebraska with more schools and producers partnering every year.  

 The development of this training was funded at least in part with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service through an agreement with the National Center for Appropriate Technology in partnership with the National Farm to School Network.  



Beef Marketing and Economic Updates to Be Offered

The Iowa Beef Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are offering a series of forums across the state that will focus on beef markets and economics. Four meetings will be held from Feb. 24 through March 2.

Iowa State University extension beef specialists are coordinating the forums focusing on timely topics for beef producers including risk management, pricing and market issues.

Lee Schulz, associate professor in economics and livestock economist at Iowa State, will speak at each location with specific topics for each. Market outlook, risk management, beef pricing from the producer to the consumer, competitive and transparent market proposals and USDA market reports are among the topics.

Extension beef specialists will also review Iowa feedlot performance data.

Meeting times and arrangements vary by location. For more information on the individual meetings, reach each contact person listed below.
    Thursday, Feb. 24. 6:30 p.m. at the ISU Extension and Outreach Scott County office, 875 Tanglefoot Lane, Bettendorf. Meal provided. Advance registration is required by Feb. 15 for meal count. Contact the office at 563-359-7577 to register.
    Friday, Feb. 25. 9:30 a.m. at the New Vienna Fire Station, 7271 Columbus St., New Vienna. No preregistration needed.
    Monday, Feb 28. 10 a.m. to noon at Cobblestone Inn and Suites, 211 Indorf Ave., Holstein. Lunch to follow. Register by Feb. 23 by calling 712-225-6196.
    Wednesday, March 2. 1:30-4 p.m. Wallace Learning Center, 53020 Hitchcock Ave., Lewis. Preregistrations are requested by contacting the ISU Extension and Outreach Cass County office at 712-243-1132 or the ISU Extension and Outreach East Pottawattamie County office at 712-482-6449.



Registration open for IFBF’s ‘Acres Of Opportunity’ conference

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) today announced registration is open for “Acres of Opportunity,” a conference that brings together successful alternative Iowa farmers and business planning experts to inspire those looking to tap niche agriculture markets and diversify their farms. The conference is scheduled for March 12 at The Hotel Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids.

According to the United States Census of Agriculture between 1997 and 2017, farms in Iowa that are 49 acres or smaller increased by 43%. From aquaculture to fresh-cut flowers and everything in between, Iowa offers unique pathways into agriculture for beginning farmers or those interested in diversifying existing family farms.

Conference attendees will learn from local farmers like Deb and Eric Finch who raise meat goats, Keri Byrum who grows hops, Katie Colony with Colony Pumpkin Patch and more. Jared Achen of Chop Local, dubbed the “Etsy of Meat,” will also talk about the resources available to fellow agriculture entrepreneurs.

An idea for a farm cannot be successful without start-up, marketing, financial and legal considerations. Experts will also answer questions on loan programs, taxes, farmers market regulations and business planning.

“In Iowa, we’re seeing a huge interest in niche markets and a consumer demand for those farm-to-table or unique products,” said Amanda Van Steenwyk, IFBF farm business development manager. “By understanding their customer and having a solid business plan, many small farms are finding great success and building upon their business every year. The farming speakers at this conference are a testament to that.”

Acres of Opportunity will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is free for Iowa Farm Bureau members and $55 for non-members. For more information on the Acres of Opportunity conference or to register, please visit iowafarmbureau.com/acresofopportunity.



COMMITTEE LOOKS AT LIVESTOCK’S ROLE ON SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE CHANGE

The House Committee on Agriculture’s Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture Thursday held a virtual hearing on the livestock industry’s role in sustainability and climate change. Panel Chairman Jim Costa (D-CA) said “agriculture has an important role to play in addressing climate change … agriculture is positioned to make a meaningful contribution toward reducing and offsetting emissions.” Ranking Member Dusty Johnson (R-SD) agreed but pointed out that farmers and ranchers have over the past several decades significantly reduced emissions while producing the same amount of or more food, using much fewer resources.

Livestock producer witnesses testified about solutions and technologies the industry is developing and using to become even more sustainable and to further reduce livestock’s environmental footprint. The U.S. pork industry is a model of sustainability, with its small carbon footprint – compared with 50 years ago, it uses 76% less land, 25% less water and 7% less energy – and cycle of converting feed to meat and using manure to produce feed.  



PROGRAM ESTABLISHED TO ALLOW UNDER-21 CDL TRUCKERS TO DRIVE INTERSTATE

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has established an apprenticeship pilot program that will allow drivers between the ages of 18 and 20, with an intrastate commercial driver’s license, to operate interstate under specific conditions. Currently, 49 states and the District of Columbia let under-21 CDL drivers haul freight intrastate, but federal law prohibits them from driving across state lines. Such drivers also are prohibited from hauling freight intrastate if it originates from out of state.

The FMCSA was required to set up a pilot program – the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program – by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This week, the agency launched a website for the program, which includes the Federal Register notice about the program and basic information about the IIJA requirements. The FMCSA will continue to build out the site and plans to post FAQs about the pilot program by the end of the month.

Some ag groups, including the National Pork Producers Council, support legislation – the bipartisan DRIVE-Safe Act – backed by the trucking industry that would allow CDL drivers 18 and older to transport freight interstate.



RFA Supports EPA’s Proposed 2022 RFS Volumes, Urges Agency to Abandon Retroactive Cut to 2020 Volume

In comments submitted today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Renewable Fuels Association expressed strong support for the agency’s proposed 2022 renewable volume obligations (RVO) while opposing the proposed retroactive reduction of the previously finalized 2020 RVO requirements.

In early December, EPA published its proposal to set the 2022 RFS implied conventional renewable fuel requirement at the statutory volume of 15 billion gallons. Unfortunately, the EPA proposal also sought to cut the 2021 conventional renewable fuel requirement to just 13.32 billion gallons and retroactively reduce the 2020 requirement—finalized in December 2019—by as much as 1.22 billion gallons.

RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper wrote that the organization is “strongly supportive of the proposed volumes for 2022 for all categories of renewable fuel,” but noted that ethanol producers are “very troubled by EPA’s questionable proposed use of its ‘reset’ authority to reopen the 2020 RVO.” According to Cooper, retroactively revising the 2020 RVO “…would set a dangerous precedent and contradict the agency’s long-held position that it does not have the authority to retroactively adjust RFS standards once finalized.”

RFA’s comments also express support for EPA’s proposal to restore 500 million gallons of illegally waived RFS requirements from the 2016 RVO, as ordered by the D.C. Circuit Court in the Americans for Clean Energy v. EPA case, calling EPA’s plan “reasonable and fair.”

In a related step, EPA simultaneously in December proposed to deny 65 pending petitions for small refinery exemptions from RFS requirements and to make changes to ensure the SRE complies with the 10th Circuit Court’s 2020 decision in the RFA v. EPA case. Separate comments on the SRE denial proposal are due on Monday, Feb. 7.

In summarizing RFA’s recommendations for EPA’s final rule, Cooper urged the agency to:
-    Expeditiously finalize the proposed 2022 volumes and proposed approach to restoring the 500-million-gallon remand;
-    Eliminate the proposed revision to the 2020 RVO and require obligated parties to comply with the 2020 standards finalized in 2019;
-    Revise 2021 volumes to reflect a more accurate accounting of actual renewable fuel use; and
-    Make official the denial of all pending SRE petitions and ensure future petitions are held to the same standards set forth in the unappealed holdings of the 10th Circuit Court decision in RFA v. EPA.



Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative applauds extension of flavored low-fat milk in schools

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative applauded an announcement today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that schools will continue to be allowed to offer flavored low-fat milk for at least the next two years.

The 1% milk option, which has been allowed since 2017, is included in new transitional standards for school nutrition programs that will be in place until a final rule is created for the 2024-25 school year.

“We are pleased to see USDA reaffirm the importance of allowing flavored low-fat milk as an option in our school food programs,” Edge President Brody Stapel said. “Milk’s nutritional benefits for school-age children have been proven time and again, and offering low-fat flavored milk encourages consumption.

“Recent research shows that fuller-fat dairy foods are considered part of a healthy diet. We applaud USDA’s move and look forward to working with the department to ensure that fuller-fat dairy products are recognized as healthy options, even for school nutrition programs.”

Background:
In 2012, USDA updated school meal requirements to reflect the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans at that time. The update included restricting school milk choices to unflavored low-fat,  flavored fat-free and unflavored fat-free. Milk consumption in schools dropped significantly.

In 2017, Congress began requiring USDA to allow states to grant hardship-based exemptions to school nutrition standards, allowing them to serve flavored low-fat (1%) milk. USDA implemented those standards, which were in place when the pandemic hit. USDA continued allowing flexibility in the program to ensure schools could offer nutritious meals amid pandemic-related supply chain issues.

The transitional standards announced today provide more clarity going forward for schools. A proposed final rule will be released later this year and is projected to be implemented for the 2024-25 school year.



USDA Dairy Products December 2021 Production Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.16 billion pounds, 0.1 percent above December 2020 and 3.0 percent above November 2021. Italian type cheese production totaled 485 million pounds, 1.3 percent below December 2020 but 1.3 percent above November 2021. American type cheese production totaled 469 million pounds, 1.2 percent below December 2020 but 4.5 percent above November 2021. Butter production was 180 million pounds, 13.2 percent below December 2020 but 15.4 percent above November 2021.

Dry milk products (comparisons in percentage with December 2020)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 166 million pounds, down 20.1 percent.
Skim milk powder - 38.0 million pounds, down 24.9 percent.

Whey products (comparisons in percentage with December 2020)
Dry whey, total - 77.2 million pounds, down 5.0 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 97.2 million pounds, up 2.3 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 42.9 million pounds, down 0.4 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons in percentage with December 2020)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 52.4 million gallons, down 1.9 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 28.0 million gallons, down 12.9 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 1.86 million gallons, down 33.9 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 2.49 million gallons, down 5.4 percent.