Friday March 24 Ag News

Monroe Farmer, Agronomist Honored by The Fertilizer Institute

Greg Keller, owner of Keller Farm from Monroe, and Randy Zmek, field sales agronomist with Central Valley Ag Co-op at Monroe, were honored March 9 as 4R Advocates by The Fertilizer Institute (TFI). They were recognized for their commitment to implementing fertilizer management practices that incorporate the principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship and have demonstrated economic and environmental benefits.

Keller and Zmek have worked together for 19 years to hone farming practices and have increased corn and soybean yields and quality while decreasing fertilizer use. The 150-year-old farm has been under no-till for 21 years. This practice helps increase soil health and reduce erosion and rain runoff.

“While 4R Nutrient Stewardship is a priority for the fertilizer industry, it’s also a tangible solution for thousands of farmers across American who are seeking fertilizer application practices that have real-world impact on their bottom line and their land,” said TFI President and CEO Corey Rosenbusch. “We are proud of the industry’s retailers who work with growers to implement these practices at the field level.”

Now in its 12th year, the 4R Advocate program demonstrates the in-field successes of implementing 4R practices based on the right source, rate, time, and placement of fertilizer. 4R Nutrient Stewardship provides a framework to achieve in-field goals, such as increased production and profitability, enhanced environmental protection, and improved sustainability.

Throughout the year, Keller and Zmek will be included in TFI’s outreach efforts to promote fertilizer management practices by hosting farm field days, participating in conference panels and speaking on behalf of 4Rs to their farming peers.

Honored with Keller and Zmek were: Andrew Johnstad, Johnstad Farms, Beltrami, MN; Dwight Christian, TDS Fertilizer, Inc., Fertile, MN; Randy Bales, Fairholme Ag LLC, Lewisville, IN; and Eric Steigerwalt, Co-Alliance Coop, New Castle, IN.



Reichmuth to retire after over 40 years in cooperative system

After over 40 years in the cooperative system, SVP of Operations Bryan Reichmuth will be retiring from Central Valley Ag (CVA). What started as an internship with Farmers Co-op in 1979, turned into a long, plentiful career.

Reichmuth began as an intern at Farmers Co-op Humphrey in the summers of both 1979 and 1980, and in 1981 was hired full-time in operations at Lindsay Co-op. In 1982 Bryan took on the new challenge of Controller/Office Manager at the Farmers Co-op in Humphrey. Twelve years later, at the age of 33, he was promoted to General Manager of the Humphrey Co-op. Bryan held this position until he initiated the vision of merger. In 2003, Humphrey Co-op merged into Central Farmers Co-op. This paved the way for the many mergers to come throughout his career. Including a merger nine months later with TriValley Co-op and Agland Co-op to become Central Valley Ag.

After this three-way merger, Reichmuth earned the title of VP of Grain at CVA. After seven years in that position, he was promoted to SVP of Grain and Feed Processing located in O’Neill, Neb. Finally, in 2014 after CVA merged with United Farmers Co-op, he was named SVP of Operations in York, Neb. and has held that title for the last eight years.

Over his 42 years in the cooperative system, Reichmuth has had the opportunity to influence many individuals, including his son Brent, VP of Operations at CVA. “My dad is a natural leader, motivator, and coach,” Brent said, “he has always been good with people and has an ability to see the potential in someone and help them to reach that potential to the fullest.”

The influence Reichmuth had on his team and peers was strong, something he didn’t realize until reflecting on his career. “As I look back on nearly a 42-year career, I am humbled by the experience I have gained and the responsibility entrusted in me,” Reichmuth said, “I did not realize the impact I was establishing while staying committed and leading others to a common vision.”

Post-retirement, Reichmuth looks forward to slowing down, spending time with his grandkids, and spending time on the family farm working with livestock and growing crops. And in his true, dedicated, hardworking fashion, he even hopes to continue to be involved with CVA in a small role on a part-time basis.



New Study Reveals Waxy Starches in Sorghum Have Negative Impact on Gut Microbiome

New research on waxy starch in sorghum by University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers shows that waxy starches can have undesirable effects on the human gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is an ecosystem of microorganisms living in the gastrointestinal tract.

The Nebraska Food for Health research project focused on sorghum starch content, and its findings, were recently published in the journal “Gut Microbes”: “The waxy mutation in sorghum and other cereal grains reshapes the gut microbiome by reducing levels of multiple beneficial species.”

While starch is part of a healthy diet, it's important to note that not all starches are created equal. Typically, native starch comprises 20 to 25% amylose and 75 to 80% amylopectin, while waxy starches contain no amylose and are composed almost entirely of amylopectin molecules due to a naturally occurring mutation in starch synthesis genes. Normal starches often have physicochemical properties that are undesirable for food processing, while waxy starches are known for their high digestibility, desirable viscous properties in food processing, and unique organoleptic characteristics, such as sticky rice.

We know little about the health effects of consuming waxy starch compared to normal starch, particularly in context of a whole grain. Our gut contains trillions of microbes, which are influenced by our diet and impact our health through host-microbiome interaction. Could waxy vs normal starch have different effects on our gut microbiome and our health?

Using plant genetics and advanced research platforms, scientists at Nebraska Food for Health Center studied the in vitro fermentation of six pairs of near-isogenic sorghum lines. These lines were created through years of breeding and only differed in starch characteristics.

“It’s a gold mine!” exclaimed Dr. Qinnan Yang, lead researcher, discussing the exceptional plant materials studied. Analyzing fermentation profiles across diverse human microbiomes, they discovered that grain from parental lines of sorghum stimulate growth of many species of gut microbes that are known to be beneficial to our health whereas grain from waxy derivatives lacks this capacity.  Thus, there is a trade-off effect between the desirable characteristics of waxy starch for food processing and an undesirable effect on the human gut microbiome.

Waxy starch lacks amylose, a component more resistant to human digestion, which can reach the colon and fuel beneficial gut microbes to produce short chain fatty acids. The amylose content of normal starches drives growth of beneficial microbes and their desirable metabolites whereas waxy starch does not. Adding extracted normal sorghum starch to waxy sorghum restores the beneficial microbiome changes, demonstrating the causal effect of amylose on the gut microbiome. Their work also showed that this effect also applies to waxy derivatives of other commonly consumed grains like corn, wheat, rice, and millet.

They also showed that humanized gnotobiotic mice fed waxy sorghum have different microbiome composition and gain more weight than those on a normal sorghum diet.

The conclusion drawn is that while waxy starches offer benefits in terms of food functionality, they can also have unintended consequences on both the gut microbiome and host physiology. This could be especially relevant in human populations in parts of Asia that consume significant quantities of waxy grains (e.g. sticky rice).

This study marks the third major discovery from the Nebraska Food for Health Center demonstrating the substantial impact that naturally occurring genetic variation in food crops can have on the human gut microbiome.

This growing list of food crop components identified by these genetic analyses now includes levels of amylose in wildtype vs. waxy starch (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19490976.2023.2178799), levels of condensed tannins influenced by major tannin regulatory loci in sorghum (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33419-1), and the effects of mutations in the opaque-2 locus on seed protein composition in maize (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2022.921456/full).

“Collectively, these findings point toward the importance of plant breeding and genetics in human health-associated traits and should open the door for breeding programs to consider incorporating human health traits into crop improvement strategies,” said Dr. Andrew Benson, director of the Nebraska Food for Health Center.



Top 10 Announced for Iowa’s Best Burger Contest

Iowans submitted nominations between February 13 – March 13 to kick off the quest to find the best burger in Iowa. Nominations were accepted online by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The number of votes each restaurant received determined the 2023 Top Ten restaurants. The restaurants making the Top Ten list (in alphabetical order) include:
    Arty’s Ice Cream & Grill, Wilton                                                                  
    Ben’s Burgers, Ankeny
    Birdies, Burgers and Brews @ The Hillcrest, Graettinger                      
    Burger & Company, Spirit Lake
    Fishback & Stephenson Cider House, Fairfield
    Foodie Garage Eatery, Dubuque
    Flight Bar + Grille, Huxley
    Jeronimo’s Bar & Grill, Springbrook
    Parlor on Main, Central City
    Troy's Bar & Grill, Earling

To qualify, the burger must be a 100% real beef patty served on a bun or bread product. Burgers may include any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese or toppings.

“In total, we collected 6,414 votes for 509 Iowa restaurants,” said Kylie Peterson, Director of Marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “This year’s Top Ten restaurants are award-winning worthy, but are only a few of the many restaurants in Iowa that do an outstanding job of promoting and serving our beef products to their customers on behalf of Iowa’s beef farmers.”

Five of the Top Ten restaurants are new qualifiers, including Ben’s Burgers, Burger & Company, Flight Bar & Grille, Jeronimo’s Bar & Grill, and Parlor on Main.

The final phase in the quest for the 2023 Iowa’s Best Burger will now begin. All Top Ten restaurants will be visited by a panel of anonymous judges who will evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance, and proper doneness (160 degrees Fahrenheit). The judges’ scores and comments will be accumulated and the winner will be announced on May 1 to kick off May Beef Month.

Last year, The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown took home the title of 2022 Iowa’s Best Burger. Winners in previous years include: 2021 – Bambino’s of Ossian; 2020 – Twisted Tail Steakhouse & Saloon of BeeBeeTown; 2019 – Wood Iron Grille of Oskaloosa; 2018 - Café Beaudelaire of Ames; 2017 – The Smokin’ Hereford BBQ of Storm Lake; 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant Adair; 2015 – The Cider House of Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill in Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

To learn more about the contest and the Top Ten restaurants, including addresses and hours, visit www.iabeef.org.   



New Sustainability Tool Calculates Environmental Impact of Pork Production Practices

Pork producers play a fundamental role in environmental stewardship as they continue to prioritize sustainable production practices. The Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach have developed a new digital tool to help producers understand the relationship between the environment and production practices.

Erika Johnson, Iowa State University animal science graduate research assistant, said continuous improvement in this area requires strengthening the understanding of the relationship between the environment and production practices.

"Our recent pork industry sustainability tool, the wean-to-finish pork sustainability calculator, was developed for producers," she said. "They can use their own data to understand how specific improvements in finishing, such as increased feed efficiency and reduced mortality, can influence the environmental footprint of the pig and barn."

Producers can download the calculator at no charge from the IPIC website https://www.ipic.iastate.edu/information/WFPorkSustainabilityCalculator.xlsx.

A new fact sheet, Evaluating Production Metrics in Relation to Sustainability in a Wean-to-Finish Barn, was created as a reference for those using the calculator. It helps explain why the calculator was developed and how the information from calculator inputs can be used. It describes sources of greenhouse gas production and includes sensitivity analyses of carbon dioxide equivalents by mortality, feed efficiency and feed type.

Garland Dahlke, research scientist with the Iowa Beef Center; Lance Baumgard, animal science professor; and Jason Ross, animal science professor and department chair for animal science, all at Iowa State University; are the other authors of this fact sheet, available from the Iowa State Extension Store as a free download.



New report reinforces Iowa agriculture's role in 'Feeding the Economy'

In Iowa, more than 325,800 jobs totaling $13.9 billion in wages are directly attributed to agriculture, according to the seventh annual Feeding the Economy report released by 25 food and agriculture groups.

The agricultural industry is also responsible for $96.5 billion of direct economic output in the state. When factoring in “induced impact” of linked food and agriculture industries and the spending power of those employed by them, Iowa agriculture’s economic impact more than doubles to $221.8 billion.

“These numbers say what we already know—progress in agriculture starts with people,” says Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson. “As new technology and markets are developed to increase agricultural sustainability and offer more choices to the consumer, it will be these people with boots-on-the-ground who continue to make Iowa agriculture even stronger than it is today.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, between 1948 and 2019, land use for agriculture decreased by 28% while land productivity grew nearly four times and labor productivity grew more than 10 times. In fact, agriculture’s total factor productivity growth rate is among the highest of U.S. sectors.

Nationwide, the report shows the U.S. food and agriculture sector directly supports nearly 23 million jobs, provides $927 billion in wages and contributes over $8.6 trillion to the U.S. economy, a 22% increase since the 2019 report. The 2023 report also reveals nearly one-fifth of total manufacturing jobs in the U.S. are related to the production of agricultural products.

The full report and list of sponsoring groups can be found at www.FeedingTheEconomy.com.



Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Responds to WOTUS Implementation

On March 19, Judge Brown of the Federal District Court of Southern Texas denied a request for a nationwide preliminary injunction that would’ve halted the implementation of the Biden Administration’s new Waters of the U.S. rule. This request was led by a coalition that included the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

The following statement is from Bob Noble, president of the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association:

“Cattle producers care about protecting our nation’s clean water. To help us steward our land and natural resources, we need clear, commonsense regulations.

“Despite a forthcoming decision from the Supreme Court and the best efforts of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Iowa cattlemen are now required to comply with regulations in the Biden Administration’s new WOTUS rule. The “red tape” in this rule brings even more regulatory uncertainty to farmers and ranchers.

“The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association thanks Reps. Randy Feenstra (IA-04), Ashley Hinson (IA-02), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), and Zach Nunn (IA-03) for their votes to overturn this burdensome rule. We know Sens.Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst will continue this fight in the U.S. Senate.”



New Vaccine Technologies: An Addition to Our Animal Health Toolbox
Webinar Happening: March 30th, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m. Central

Ranchers continue to look for new tools to improve the health and well-being of cattle herds. Join NCBA for a live webinar on March 30 as Dr. Chris Chase and Dr. Amelia Woolums, veterinarians whose research focuses on developing better methods for preventing infections in livestock, will talk about current and new vaccine technologies and how these new tools will enhance how producers are able to care for their cattle and business.

Dr. Bruce Thomsen, a USDA veterinarian, will also discuss vaccine development and the approval process that all animal vaccines go through before they are licensed for public use. This partnership between practical cattle management and research will provide a deeper understanding of the new vaccine technologies for improving cattle health.

Register HERE https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1479514270657252437.



Midwest Farmers Intend to Plant More Corn, Wheat

Farmers across the Midwest are planning to plant more corn and wheat in 2023, according to Ag Access. In a survey with almost 400 respondents, farmers said they would dedicate 27% more acres to corn and 32% more to wheat with a smaller percentage increasing their soybean acres (17%).

This is in line with what USDA projected at its annual Agricultural Outlook Forum with corn plantings at 91.0 million acres, up from 88.6 million in 2022; wheat plantings at 49.5 million acres, up from 45.7 million in 2022; and soybeans at 87.5 million acres, unchanged from last year.

Seth Meyers, USDA chief economist, believes the increase in wheat acres is in response to the continued high global prices and tight supplies, partially due to the war in Ukraine.

He also sees acres of corn and soybeans expanding a bit over last year. “The initial expectations for 2023 planted area indicate growth in total planted area of corn, wheat, and soybeans relative to the previous year. Combined acreage for the three crops is projected at 228 million acres—a nearly 3% increase from 2022 when acres were constrained by unfavorable planting weather in the spring,” says Meyer.

TOP OF MIND CONCERNS
The Ag Access survey also asked farmers about their top concerns for 2023 and what new technology they are implementing.  Farmers could identify their top three concerns. Here are the responses:
93% high input costs
69% market volatility
60% operation costs
27% input availability and shortages
24% equipment parts and machine availability
16% worker or labor shortage

NEW TECHNOLOGY AND PRACTICES
Ag Access’ survey revealed farmers are looking to ag tech for tools that help them meet the specific needs of their farms while boosting yields, lowering costs, providing time savings, and preserving resources and the environment. Row guidance, new seed treatments, fertilizer and planting upgrades, followed by automation and biologicals were the most popular new tech or advanced practices that the survey respondents plan to use this year.



Groups Urge Biden to Intervene in West Coast Ports Labor Talks
 
On Thursday, the National Pork Producers Council joined 114 other agriculture and business organizations in a letter to President Biden urging the White House to intervene in the ongoing West Coast port labor negotiations between dockworkers and port facilities owners. The groups asked the administration to work with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to “quickly reach a new agreement and ensure there is no disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity.”
 
Members of the ILWU have been working without a contract for more than eight months, and the talks between the union and the PMA have gone on for more than ten months and have yet to make progress on reaching a labor agreement. The only way to resolve their labor issues, the organizations said in their letter, is for the parties to remain at the bargaining table. “We encourage the administration to provide any and all support to the parties in their negotiations to reach a final agreement.”
 
Port disruptions, including dockworker strikes and work slowdowns, can jeopardize the delivery of perishable commodities, costing agricultural producers millions of dollars and, potentially, foreign customers.
 
The 115 ag and business organizations want to avoid port disruptions similar to those in late 2014 into early 2015 at West Coast ports that negatively affected exports. Work slowdowns at the ports from San Diego to Seattle cost the U.S. ag industry millions of dollars in lost export sales.
 


2022/23 U.S. Sorghum Crop: Highest Quality, According To New USGC Report

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) released its 2022/23 Sorghum Quality Report today and for the fourth year in a row, U.S. sorghum was, on average, graded above the necessary requirements for U.S. No. 1 certification.

“This detailed data provides in-depth information about the U.S. sorghum crop and better equips buyers around the world by showing them trends in sorghum crops year over year,” said USGC Chairman Josh Miller. “We hope this year’s report helps give our valued trade partners even more confidence in the continued reliability and quality of U.S. sorghum.”

The report, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service Agricultural Trade Promotion (USDA-FAS) program and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP), provides international customers and other interested parties accurate, unbiased information about the 2022/23 U.S. sorghum crop.

To generate the report’s findings, a total of 97 samples were collected from 15 participating elevators and one participating farmer in the central and southern regions of the U.S., which represents nearly 100 percent of all U.S. sorghum exports, between Aug. 9, 2022, and Mar. 8, 2023.

The samples were analyzed by the Amarillo Grain Exchange and the Cereal Quality Lab at Texas A&M University, where scientists calculated averages and standard deviations for each quality factor tested and reported results for the U.S. aggregate.

Total sorghum damage came in at 0.0 percent in the aggregate, and broken kernel and foreign material (BCFM) was only 1.4 percent, lower than last year’s results, highlighting the grain’s hardness and how well it survives handling and storage.

Additionally, tannins were absent from the sorghum samples for the fourth year in a row and protein content averaged 11 percent.

“Importers and overseas customers are always looking for high protein content, and this report proves once again that U.S. sorghum provides that,” said USGC Secretary-Treasurer Verity Ulibarri, a sorghum and livestock farmer in New Mexico. “Most U.S. growers produce a non-tannin red variety which is a huge benefit to end-users since high-tannin sorghum can interfere with nutrient absorption for livestock.”

This report is the fourth completed since the 2016/2017 sorghum crop and the Council plans to roll out these statistics across a series of events around the world.



APHIS Awards Grant to ASI’s Secure Sheep & Wool Supply Plan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is providing more than $180,000 in Farm Bill funding to support the American Sheep Industry Association to expand awareness with sheep and wool producers, as well as those that work with and support them – associations, extension, veterinarians, transporters and regulatory officials – about foot-and-mouth disease preparedness and the resources in the Secure Sheep and Wool Supply Plan.

Producers who have a deeper understanding on how to prepare for and respond to an FMD outbreak will be better positioned to protect their flock and maintain business continuity. This makes for a more resilient American sheep industry, which benefits producers, states and consumers. The project is expected to take two years to complete.

The grant will build capacity for broad outreach and education through multiple virtual train-the-trainer programs for sheep association leadership, extension specialists and veterinarians. The training program will include support for advanced trainers to deliver outreach direct to sheep producers in their states or regions. On-farm demonstrations throughout the United States with expert support has been successful in other livestock industries for teaching enhanced biosecurity and contingency planning principles.

Attendees at the 2024 ASI Annual Convention in Colorado will have the opportunity to see first-hand implementation of the SSWS Plan on a sheep feedlot and in a sheep processing plant through an in person/on-site tour. Participants will hear about lessons learned from these operations, which may be applied at their own premises. Increasing the number of people who have the training, networking and resources to provide outreach about FMD preparedness and the SSWS Plan is critical for the American sheep industry.

“Consistent access to safe, healthy and affordable food is a critical need for all consumers,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “These Farm Bill-funded preparation activities are vital to helping us safeguard U.S. animal health, which in turn allows U.S. producers to continue to feed our country and the world.”

The information developed from the grant will improve the SSWS Plan resources for sheep producers and stakeholders. ASI and USDA provided funding to develop the SSWS Plan and associated resources for producers.

ASI looks forward to collaborating on this project with industry stakeholders and Dr. Danelle Bickett-Weddle, a consultant with Preventalytics. ASI provides unique resources for sheep producers to prepare for, respond to and enhance their resiliency for an FMD event.