Monday July 17 Crop Progress & Condition Report + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending July 16, 2023, there were 4.6 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 10% very short, 25% short, 61% adequate, and 4% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 20% very short, 36% short, 43% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 4% very poor, 10% poor, 23% fair, 43% good, and 20% excellent. Corn silking was 52%, ahead of 40% last year and 43% for the five-year average. Dough was 1%, equal to last year, and near 3% average.

Soybean condition rated 7% very poor, 12% poor, 28% fair, 41% good, and 12% excellent. Soybeans blooming was 61%, ahead of 53% last year, and near 58% average. Setting pods was 20%, ahead of 12% last year, and near 17% average.

Winter wheat condition rated 8% very poor, 19% poor, 40% fair, 29% good, and 4% excellent. Winter wheat harvested was 21%, well behind 57% last year and 52% average.

Sorghum condition rated 1% very poor, 4% poor, 29% fair, 58% good, and 8% excellent. Sorghum headed was 5%, near 9% last year, and behind 15% average.

Oats condition rated 3% very poor, 12% poor, 32% fair, 46% good, and 7% excellent. Oats harvested was 17%, near 18% last year, and behind 31% average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 3% very poor, 5% poor, 29% fair, 60% good, and 3% excellent. Dry edible beans blooming was 27%, ahead of 14% last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3% very poor, 10% poor, 29% fair, 47% good, and 11% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION UPDATE

Much-needed rain fell across most of Iowa, resulting in farmers having 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 16, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included cutting hay and harvesting oats. Some reports were received of farmers starting to apply fungicides.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 8 percent very short, 35 percent short, 55 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 15 percent very short, 40 percent short, 43 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.

Corn silking hit 49 percent this week, 5 days ahead of last year and 2 days ahead of normal. Eight percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage, 8 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of the 5-year average. Corn condition improved to 64 percent good to excellent.

Sixty-eight percent of soybeans were blooming, 1 week ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of the average. Soybeans setting pods reached 17 percent, 3 days ahead of last year but equal to the 5-year average. Soybean condition rose to 58 percent good to excellent.

Eighty-six percent of oats were turning color, 11 days ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of normal. Oats harvested for grain reached 13 percent, 1 day behind the five-year average. Oat condition rated 51 percent good to excellent.

The State’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 74 percent complete, 1 week ahead of last year and 6 days ahead of the average. Reports were received of farmers working on their third cutting of hay. Hay condition improved to 41 percent good to excellent.

Pasture condition rose to 30 percent good to excellent. Recent precipitation helped to improve hay and pasture condition, although growth remains slow and below average.



USDA Crop Progress Report: Corn Condition Up 2 Points, Soybean Condition Up 4 Points

U.S. corn and soybean conditions improved again last week, according to USDA NASS' weekly Crop Progress report released Monday. Both crops also continued to mature at a slightly ahead-of-average pace.

CORN
-- Crop progress: 47% of corn was silking, 13 percentage points ahead of 34% last year and 4 points ahead of the five-year average of 43%. Corn in the dough stage was pegged at 7%, slightly ahead of 5% last year and the five-year average rating of 6%.
-- Crop condition: Nationally, corn was rated 57% good to excellent, up 2 percentage points from 55% the previous week but down from 64% a year ago at this time.

SOYBEANS
-- Crop progress: 56% of soybeans were blooming, 10 percentage points ahead of 46% last year and 5 points ahead of the five-year average of 51%. Soybeans setting pods was pegged at 20%, 7 percentage points ahead of last year's 13% and 3 points ahead of the average of 17%.
-- Crop condition: Soybeans were rated 55% good to excellent as of Sunday, up 4 percentage points from 51% last week but down from 61% a year ago at this time.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Harvest progress: 56% of the crop was harvested as of Sunday, up 10 points from the previous week but still 13 points behind the five-year average pace of 69%.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Crop progress: 86% of spring wheat was headed as of Sunday, 3 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 83%.
-- Crop condition: USDA said 51% of the spring wheat crop was rated good to excellent as of July 16, up 4 percentage points from last week's 47%, but still down from 71% a year ago.



2023 Platte Valley Cattlemen Golf & Grill
Monday, August 14, 2023
Quail Run Golf Course-Columbus

-1:30 pm check-in and 2:00 pm shotgun start
- 4 person scramble, make a team or we will assign you one
- Pin & team prizes awarded following the meal - Must be present to win
- Steak Dinner will be served at approximately 6 pm at Quail Run

**Any business or individual interested in sponsoring a hole and/or pin prize,
This year we are doing a tee box booth, where you can sit at a hole and talk to everyone that tees off (must buy drinks from golf course, if you choose to do drinks) please contact Hallee Held at (402) 270-2686 or halleeheld@gmail.com or Braden Wilke at (402)942-2507 or bwilke2015@gmail.com.  

Please send entries and fees in BEFORE AUGUST 7TH so the committee can set up the tournament.
Return all responses to:  Hallee Held - 1928 Road 2 - Leigh, NE 68643



Nebraska Farmers Union 110th Annual State Convention to be Held at Divots Conference Center in Norfolk

Nebraska Farmers Union (NeFU) announced their Board of Directors have selected Norfolk’s Divots Conference Center-Lodge & Suites, December 8-9 to host their 110th annual State Convention. Participants will elect officers, set policy, conduct business, and hear from speakers on issues facing agriculture.

The Nebraska Farmers Union block rates for rooms is $125. Call (402) 379-3833 to book rooms or go online at: https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/IP72U8. November 22nd is the booking deadline for the block.

NeFU President John Hansen said “Our membership has responded positively to the Board’s decision to rotate the location of our state convention to different communities so more members can attend. It is important that our members attend and participate in the operation of their general farm organization at all levels, local, state, and national. They are the grassroots that drives our service organization. The Divots Conference Center is an excellent facility and their staff does an outstanding job with their food and services. We strongly encourage area members and the public to join us for our 110th NeFU state convention.”

Delegates will elect three delegates and alternates from Nebraska to the National Farmers Union Convention to be held at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona March 10-12, 2024. In addition, Delegates will also elect NeFU Board of Directors in Districts 1 and District 5 to three-year terms and State President to a two-year term.

Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning welcomed the NeFU State Convention, “The Nebraska Farmers Union, which has a rich history in Madison County and northeast Nebraska, is one of our state’s preeminent farm and ag policy organizations. Evidenced by its wide-ranging work advocating for farm families, biofuels, renewable energy, and competitive markets, NeFU has always been a thought and action leader, tirelessly working to improve the plight of rural folks and create better opportunities in rural places. On behalf of the city of Norfolk, I can say we are proud to be the host community of the 2023 NFU annual convention.”

Art Tanderup, NeFU District 7 Board of Director from Neligh said, “District 7 is proud to host this year’s State Convention. Afterall, NeFU began in Antelope County with the founding of the state’s first Local Chapter, the “Liberty Local #1” May 2, 1911. These farmers were self-reliant.  They worked together to organize local creamery cooperatives so they would “get a fair price and an honest weigh” for their cream so everyone did better. Right from the beginning, they harnessed the power of organization to capture the benefits of cooperatively owned value-added agriculture. They realized they each did better when their neighbor also did better. That is still true today.”



CLIGROW SOFTWARE PROVIDES PRACTICAL CLIMATE DATA TO AG PRODUCERS

The amount of available climate data useful for modern agriculture continues to grow, and software applications are now putting it in reach for producers. A recently released app called CliGrow, developed by the High Plains Regional Climate Center, helps producers estimate crop maturity using a field’s historical climate data.

For locations in the lower 48 states, CliGrow shows the 30-year average for growing degree days, a measure of temperature useful to estimate a range when a crop may gain maturity in a new growing season.

“Our primary objective is to provide value-added services to climate data,” with CliGrow the latest example, said Warren Pettee, an applications programmer who developed the CliGrow software as part of his work with the High Plains Regional Climate Center, housed in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources.

Producers can access CliGrow online and plug in specific field locations. Estimates are available for 10 crops — corn, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, dry beans, sorghum, alfalfa, potatoes, sunflower and grass — with more to be added.

The software creates a graph showing the 30-year average for growing degree days, as well as historical data on the first and last frost for a given location. Pettee said producers can save a link to the graph and revisit the field’s up-to-date estimate at any time.

The university has long-standing institutional partnerships on the climate front. The School of Natural Resources provides a home for the High Plains center, as well as the National Drought Mitigation Center and Nebraska State Climate Office.

Staff at the High Plains center had long aimed to create a service such as CliGrow as the amount of available climate data increased and the center developed new ag-focused software projects and refined them, Pettee said.

“There's always been this dream of having nationwide applications where you can click anywhere and get information about the location you click on,” he said.

Climate center staff note that many factors can affect a crop’s maturity in a given season, but temperature is a major one, making CliGrow a useful tool, Pettee said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration funds the High Plains Regional Climate Center, one of six such centers covering the United States. The six-state region for the High Plains center includes Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota.

In addition to applied climate research in cooperation with Nebraska U, the High Plains center provides climate-related services that include customized access to data; summary maps incorporating real-time data; monthly, seasonal and annual summaries of climate conditions and impacts; drought monitoring information; and agriculture-related tools for water resource management.

The regional climate center program is intended to strengthen local and regional connections, Pettee said, serving as “the boots on the ground to work with people to figure out ways we can use climate data to help inform decisions.”



Nebraska Women in Ag selects ‘Farming’s In-Law Factor’ for next book club

“Farming’s In-Law Factor,” by Elaine Froese and Dr. Megan McKenzie, has been chosen for the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program’s 2023 third quarter book club. Froese will lead the virtual discussion of this book at 1 p.m. Central time on Sept. 7.

Every farm team wants harmony on their family farm and “Farming’s In-Law Factor” shows readers how to get it and offers insights into how family systems work. For example, the “culture of agriculture” section is a great primer for urban folks or new farm brides from the city who have not grown up waving to strangers they pass on the road. The book is packed with helpful hints on what the daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, father-in-law and son-in-law needs. There are toolboxes that you can use to find out what’s working and what is not working for your farm business partners, who also happen to be family.

Froese is the award-winning author of five books and a go-to expert for farm families who want better communication and conflict resolution to secure a successful farm transition. As a farmer and mother to the successor of their farm, she intimately understands the culture of agriculture.  Her superpower is helping families find harmony through understanding.

Registration opens July 13 and is free but required at wia.unl.edu/book-club.

The first 20 registrants will receive a complimentary copy of the book.  



HARVESTING SUMMER ANNUAL FORAGES
– Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator

Putting up good quality hay from summer annual grasses like sorghum-sudan hybrids, pearl millet, and forage sorghums can be tricky.  Here are some tips to help make sure these hays are of good quality and dry, so it won’t heat or mold.

Nearly all problems making good summer annual grass or cane hay are caused by their stems.  Stems are low in protein and energy, slow to dry, and the lower stems could contain potentially toxic nitrates.

There usually is a wide range of spring and early summer planting dates for these annuals, but cutting early before plants become excessively tall is important.  When cut at about 4 feet in height; stems are smaller, eaten more readily, and the hay contains more protein and energy.  Also, there is less plant volume.  So, with smaller stems and fewer of them, the hay will dry quicker.  Although you will have less tonnage when cutting early, you are creating more days for regrowth and a good second cutting.

Regardless of when you harvest though, cut it high, leaving eight to ten inches of stubble.  Tall stubble pays off three ways: it helps plants begin regrowth quicker; it holds hay off the ground so air can help dry underneath; and it keeps many nitrates out in the field stubble rather than harvesting them all in your hay.

And finally, always crimp the hay.  Even when stems are small, the waxy coating on the stems cause slow drying.  But if you break open these stems by crimping, water will be able to escape and evaporate more quickly.

So cut it early, cut it high, crimp the stems and they will dry.  



NEBRASKA BRAND COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO RESIGN

Nebraska Brand Committee Executive Director John Widdowson has informed the Nebraska Brand Committee of his intention to resign his position later this year.  Widdowson, a fifth-generation family farmer and rancher, has served as the Brand Committee’s Executive Director since February 2020 and previously served as a member and Chairperson of the Brand Committee.  

“It has truly been an honor to serve the Nebraska Brand Committee as a member and as its Executive Director.  When I took this job I told the Committee that I would remain in this position only until the ship was righted.  It’s not only righted, but is now recognized as an industry leader.  With our current Committee members and the outstanding leadership team we’ve assembled, now is the time to entrust the Committee to the next Executive Director and for me to return to production agriculture,” explained Widdowson.

While at the Committee, Widdowson and the leadership team spearheaded efforts to modernize the Committee, including the Committee’s move to electronic brand recording and recordkeeping.

“John has been instrumental in building a strong leadership team and a positive culture at the Brand Committee that is dedicated to the industry we serve,” explained Chris Gentry, the longest-tenured current member of the Nebraska Brand Committee.

Widdowson has agreed to remain with the Nebraska Brand Committee to assist with the process for selecting a new Executive Director and the transition to new leadership.

In light of Widdowson’s announcement, Brand Committee Chairperson Duane Gangwish stated that interested individuals may submit their applications by sending a cover letter and resume to Chairperson Duane Gangwish at duanegangwish.nebrand@gmail.com.  The application period will remain open until Friday, August 11, 2023.

Current members of the Nebraska Brand Committee are:   Chairperson Duane Gangwish, Vice-Chairperson Tanya Storer, and members Christopher Gentry, Marie Farr, and Steve Stroup.  Nebraska Secretary of State Robert B. Evnen and Nebraska Agriculture Director Sherry Vinton also serve as non-voting ex officio members of the Committee.



Nebraska Grazing Conference

The 2023 Nebraska Grazing Conference will be held August 8 and 9 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, NE.  This year’s conference features speakers highlighting Grazing Lands Conservation, Emerging Issues in Grazing Lands, and Precision Livestock Management. The featured banquet speaker for the Conference is Curt Pate.

The conference will begin with a field tour from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Discussion topics will focus on Stress-free Livestock Management. The scheduled speakers are Curt Pate and Ruth Woiwode. There is no fee to attend the field tour.

Another highlight is the recognition of the 2022 Leopold Conservation Award recipient. This year’s recipient is the Logan Pribbeno Family from the Wine Glass Ranch located in Imperial, NE. This will begin a panel discussion from the current and several former Leopold Conservation Award winners who will provide an assessment of their past, present, and future grazing land conservation efforts. Tentative panelists are Nancy Peterson, Homer Buell, and Tim Kalkowski.

Other scheduled speakers include Cody Trump (The Sandhills Task Force), Rebecca Kern-Lunbery (Ward Laboratories), Alex McKiernan (The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition), Jeff Nichols (USDA-NRCS), and Jerry Volesky and Gwendwr Meridith (University of Nebraska-Lincoln).

The second day of the Conference is devoted to Precision Livestock Management with a focus on available technology. Scheduled speakers include Yijie Xiong and Mitch Stephenson from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, along with a panel discussion of technology users.

To learn more about the conference, or to register, go to https://grassland.unl.edu/nebraska-grazing-conference-registration. Questions about the conference may be directed to Daren Redfearn, chair, Nebraska Grazing Conference at dredfearn2@unl.edu.

Sponsor and exhibitor booths will showcase new programs, equipment, and products to conference participants. Additional information about becoming a sponsor or exhibitor is outlined on the Nebraska Grazing Conference webpage. Questions related to booth space may be directed to Brent Plugge at (308) 236-1235 or brent.plugge@unl.edu.

Please note that the conference will be held over two days with the Field Tour being held on Tuesday morning of the first day. Conference sessions will begin on Tuesday afternoon following the field tour and conclude with Curt Pate speaking at the Tuesday evening banquet. The second day will open with a breakfast buffet and the conference will conclude following the Wednesday morning sessions around noon.



Barta Brothers Ranch Open House

The University of Nebraska is hosting an open house at the Barta Brothers Ranch on July 25th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. The Barta Brothers Ranch is a 6,000-acre property donated to the University of Nebraska by Clifford and James Barta in 1996. The ranch has housed a variety of research projects over the years including studies on Sandhills’ biocomplexity and a 20-year-long grazing systems production survey. One of the newest research projects, commonly referred to as CAM (collaborative adaptive management), will be the primary focus of the open house. Attendees will hear from University researchers and stakeholders involved with the CAM project, along with field tours of the grazing systems involved in the experiments. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. A catered lunch will be provided.

Agenda
10:00 – Welcome, introductions, overview
10:15 – Presentation: Barta Brothers Ranch - History, previous research, visions for the future
10:45 – Presentation: CAM Project – About, year one results, future years
11:15 – Moderated Q&A Panel with CAM Stakeholders
12:00 – Lunch: Provided by Sandhills Lounge in Long Pine, NE
1:00 – Field tours
3:00 – End

To register, please visit: https://centerforresilience.unl.edu/bbr-openhouse



IFBF announces retirement of chief financial officer and selection of successor

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) announced today that Jim Gardner will retire as Chief Financial Officer of the IFBF on February 1, 2024.  He will be succeeded by Tim Bigley, IFBF’s current Controller.

Gardner’s IFBF career spanned 27 years, the last 12 of which he served as Chief Financial Officer overseeing the divisions of Finance and Accounting, Information Resources, Community Resources and Facilities. Prior to his current position, he held several positions in the finance department, including controller, director of accounting and accounting manager.

“Jim’s dedicated service to the IFBF has played a significant role in the overall success of the Iowa Farm Bureau, and in several county Farm Bureau programs. We appreciate his steadfast leadership and wish him the best in retirement,” said IFBF Executive Director Marty Schwager.

Effective February 2, 2024, Tim Bigley will succeed Jim as Chief Financial Officer-Controller. Bigley joined IFBF in 2013 and has served as Controller since 2020, providing guidance and oversight on the IFBF budgeting process, accounting systems, procedures and strategies, and all analysis and reporting of financial information including required filings and reports. Prior to joining IFBF, he served as Director of Accounting for FBL Financial Group.  

“Tim’s proven skills in leadership and finance coupled with his background in the federation and affiliated business operations will enable him to make a smooth and successful transition to his new role,” Schwager noted.

Bigley received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa. He and his wife, Linda have two grown children and live in Johnston.



Officers elected to lead Iowa Farm Bureau's 2023-24 Young Farmer program

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer Advisory Committee elected officer positions for 2023-24:
    Vanessa Trampel, Hancock County, Chair
    Kody Trampel, Hancock County, Vice-Chair
    Alyssa Preston, Warren County, Secretary
    Megan McAllister, Dubuque County, and Ashley Thompson, Story County, PR Co-Chairs

Officers, along with the entire committee, plan the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer annual conference, which draws 500 agriculturalists across the state in learning and networking. They also organize educational opportunities and family-friendly events in their local communities.

Vanessa and Kody Trampel raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa, hogs and cattle. Vanessa has an off-farm job as a licensed practical nurse, and Kody is a regional sales manager for a seed company. Vanessa is also an Iowa Farm Bureau Ag Leaders Institute graduate. The couple enjoy taking their two children to livestock shows around the state and keep busy in their community by serving on the North Iowa Ag in the Classroom committee.

Alyssa Preston is a district field manager for Iowa Corn, assisting with local corn board activities and committees. She shares two children with her husband, Zac, who is a shop manager for a local ag service center. Preston serves on the Warren County Extension Council and volunteers with the Warren County Fair.

Megan McAllister is a dairy farmer who is passionate about sharing her on-farm story via TikTok with her husband, Ted. McAllister is active in state and local dairy promotions and has helped supply dairy products to local food pantries. She is an Ag Leaders grad and a 2021 Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Leadership Award recipient.

Ashley Thompson raises cow-calf pairs and direct markets beef with her fiancé, Michael McEnany. She's a program specialist at Iowa State University and works part-time at Whatcha Smokin,’ a popular barbecue destination in Luther. Thompson serves on the Story County Cattlemen’s board, helping plan their annual banquet that benefits fair youth programs. She also supports the local food pantry through yearly produce donations from her garden.

For more information on the Young Farmer program, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com.  



BBQ & Brew at the Ballpark raises more than $20,000 for Iowa food banks and pantries
    
More than $20,000 worth of ground pork will be provided to Iowa food banks and pantries because of the inaugural BBQ & Brew at the Ballpark, held last Saturday, July 15 at Principal Park in Des Moines. The Iowa Pork Producers Association partnered with the Iowa Cubs and nonprofit organization Cactus Cares for the event.

The Food Bank of Iowa and the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) will each receive $5,000 worth of ground pork. The rest of the funds will be used to provide ground pork for food pantries around the state.

29 teams from across Iowa competed at the event in the Backyard BBQ Competition. Matty Mack’s BBQ from Cedar Rapids was the big winner. They emerged as both the Grand Champion and earned first place in the Best Pork Butt category. Matty Mack’s BBQ also won the People’s Champion award by raising the most money for charity. Altogether, Matty Mack’s BBQ earned $4,000 at the event.

“It’s absolutely overwhelming,” said Matt Fisher from Matty Mack’s. “This is my first time ever winning a barbeque competition. We’ve been at this for a little over three years. I call it my passion project.”

Fisher’s son was playing in a youth baseball tournament in Des Moines the same day as the competition, and his daughter helped with the cooking. They were able to celebrate the big win on Saturday. Matty Mack’s BBQ is a family project, with Matt Fisher sharing the team’s name with his wife Mackenzie.

“I’ve seen other barbeque competitions where it’s hard to integrate the public with the competition, and this was easily the most seamless I’ve ever seen,” Fisher added. “It was an amazing day.”

Get Sauced from Madrid earned second place overall, claiming the Reserve Champion award and earning $1,000.

First place in the Best Pork Belly competition was claimed by 6 Pack and a Rack from Marshalltown. T.O.’S Infamous BBQ from Altoona won first place for best Best Pork Ribs. They each earned $1,000. Cash prizes were given to the top five finishers for best pork butt, pork ribs and pork belly.

“Our first BBQ & Brew at the Ballpark was a huge success! We send thanks to all the competitors from across Iowa that competed and everyone who came out to enjoy some delicious Iowa pork. We raised a lot of funds to help the food insecure in our communities,” said Iowa Pork Producers Association President Trish Cook. “This was a total team effort working with some great organizations.”

Berkwood Farms donated all the pork for the Backyard BBQ Competition and Fareway Stores provided numerous resources as well.

Plans are already underway for next year’s BBQ and Brew at the Ballpark. For more information about ways Iowa pig farmers give back to the community, visit IowaPork.org.



Cattle Industry Summer Meeting Education Session to Focus on Resilience

U.S. cattle producers are gathering in San Diego, July 24-26, for the industry’s Summer Business Meeting to discuss critical issues, develop initiatives, and establish direction for various projects aimed at improving the beef cattle industry. One of the highlights of the event is the education session “Optimizing Resources and Leveraging Technology to Build Resilience” on Wednesday, July 26, which will provide leaders with a glimpse into building resilience.
 
This session, sponsored by Envu, will feature Dr. James Oltjen, Cooperative Extension Animal Management Systems Specialist at the University of California, Davis, with a look at the most recent research on water use in U.S. beef production. NCBA’s Senior Director of Sustainability Samantha Werth will moderate a panel discussion focused on the tools and technologies available to help producers optimize water resources and grazing management. Panelists include Mike Williams, Diamond W Cattle; Steve Wooten, Beatty Canyon Ranch; Justin Hossfeld, Envu; and Gary Tiller, Vence.
 
“Water and grazing management play a critical role in ensuring the success of operations,” said Todd Wilkinson, NCBA president and South Dakota rancher. “I hope this unique session provides insights for cattlemen and women on how to tackle challenges and prepare their businesses for the future.”
 
The cattle industry Summer Business Meeting includes leaders representing the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, American National CattleWomen and National Cattlemen’s Foundation. For more information, visit www.ncba.org.



Cutout Slides After July 4th
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

We’re past the 4th of July holiday and into the long, Dog Days until Labor Day. Grilling season is certainly a demand driver in the beef market, especially for some cuts. But, you still have to sell beef the rest of the year too. Some interesting things are happening in wholesale and retail beef markets that will have some implications for cattle prices over the next couple of months.

The weekly average Choice cutout dropped to $309.65 per cwt for the week ending July 14th. That was $29.98 per cwt lower than its peak for the year at $339.93 per cwt for the week of June 16th. All of the primal cuts have declined over the last 4 weeks but, the biggest declines have been in the middle meats. The rib and loin primal cuts are $64.75 and $52.23 per cwt, respectively, from their highs during the last month. The decline in these cut’s prices are the biggest share of the cutout decline.

One of the most interesting primal cuts this year has been the short plate. Over the last 5 years, the short plate increases in value by about 40 percent from the beginning of the year until about June before declining seasonally for the rest of the year. This year short plate prices climbed 60 percent before declining over the last 4 weeks. Anecdotally, you might have seen a few more items from this primal in your grocery store meat case this year.

The Choice-Select spread has been at lofty heights greater than $30 per cwt over the last 4 weeks. That is well above the 5 year average. The historically wide spread is likely due to tighter supplies of Choice beef compared to a year ago amid continued demand by consumers.

Where to from here? No doubt the dog days of summer are here, on top of the abnormal heat wave many in the U.S. are feeling. Certainly tighter beef supplies will remain. The Choice cutout typically declines this time of the year, as do most primal cuts. Monthly retail Choice beef prices climbed to a record high of $8.13 per pound in June. That was on top of May’s record high $8.08 per pound. Falling wholesale beef prices may lead to some declines in retail prices in the coming two months. Declining wholesale beef prices may lead to lower fed cattle prices, as well. Although packers are caught in the cyclical bind of declining cattle numbers.  



Deadline July 26 to Apply for Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance

The Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP) was created to assist certified organic dairy producers facing a unique set of challenges in recent years, including higher costs attributed to the pandemic and drought conditions across the country.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing financial assistance for a producer’s projected marketing costs in 2023 based on 2022 costs. ODMAP provides a one-time cost-share payment, based on marketing costs, on pounds of organic milk marketed in the 2022 calendar year.

Organic dairy producers should apply by July 26, 2023 at their local USDA Service Center.



ASA Appreciates EPA SRE Decision

The Environmental Protection Agency has denied 26 Small Refinery Exemption petitions for the Renewable Fuel Standard spanning compliance years 2016-2018 and 2021-2023, demonstrating the agency’s continued commitment to ending the backlog of pending SREs.

ASA applauds EPA for its continued transparent and fair assessment of SREs through more stringent hardship and economic impact requirements and appreciates efforts to uphold the integrity of the RFS. Historically, significant SRE approvals without clear and consistent metrics for evaluation created vast market uncertainty and undermined the intent of the RFS, creating a challenging environment for continued growth in the biomass-based diesel industry.

EPA has worked in recent years to develop new parameters for petition approvals that have proven effective at strengthening the RFS. ASA is pleased with this progress and hopes EPA will continue to work with the biofuels industry to implement the RFS as intended.

With the finalization of these 26 SRE petition denials, EPA has cut down SRE backlogs significantly, with only two outstanding petitions remaining from compliance year 2018.



Precision Planting Launches Clarity™, an Advanced Blockage and Flow Monitoring System

Precision Planting, most known for premier planter upgrades, today launched a new product for the air seeder and fertilizer market. The Clarity™ system, a combination of advanced flow and blockage monitoring, gives greater detail into seeding and dry fertilizer application than ever before.

"Traditional blockage monitoring systems only tell the grower that product is flowing but gives no indication on the amount of product to each run,” said Will Frank, Research and Development, Precision Planting. “Clarity provides high-definition detail at a row-by-row level, to show variation and reduction in flow on a Precision Planting 20|20 monitor.”

Clarity improves the performance of air seeders, box drills, strip-till bars and dry fertilizer applicators in real-time. The Clarity system displays vivid mapping, product magnitude, uniformity and deviation that can be seen on the Precision Planting Gen 3 20|20 monitor in the cab.

“The attention to detail sets our product apart from others,” Frank said. “The 20|20 can catch full and partial blockages from clumps of fertilizer, rocks or other debris in the system right away, so the farmer can stop and fix the issue as it begins to happen, rather than finding it after the crop emerges.”

The Clarity system uses DICKEY-john® sensors that farmers potentially already have on their equipment, paired with a module to relay data to the Precision Planting Gen 3 20|20 monitor. Visualizing product flow and distribution in the cab offers peace of mind that the equipment is always running at peak performance.



Rain Events Still Pose Threat of Foliar Diseases, Despite Dry Weather

Many corn foliar diseases thrive with summer humidity and moisture. Checking fields after a rain event, even during drought-like conditions, can help growers manage these diseases that are waiting to attack the crop.

“Prolonged water on the lower canopy of corn plants is what leads to infection,” said Matt Vandehaar, Pioneer Field Agronomist. “Diseases like gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight and tar spot are likely to pop up after these rain events.”

Tar spot, which develops during low temperatures (60°F to 70°F) and high relative humidity (greater than 75%), spreads from wet lower leaves to the upper leaves. It will then make its way to the leaf sheathes and eventually the husks of developing ears, resulting in reduced weight and loose kernels, with some kernels germinating prematurely.

Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) is a concern for growers with higher-residue fields. Rain splash can spread NCLB spores, which attack lower leaves and progress up the plant. New NCLB lesions can produce spores in as little as one week, allowing the disease to spread much faster than other corn leaf diseases.

Yield losses are most severe when NCLB infects corn plants early and progresses to the upper plant leaves prior to pollination or ear fill.

Gray leaf spot thrives in high temperatures and high humidity. Conducive weather conditions encourage the rapid spread of disease near the end of summer and early fall when corn plants allocate more resources to grain fill.

Entire leaves can be killed when weather conditions are favorable, and rapid disease progression creates leaf lesions. These lesions hinder photosynthetic activity, reducing carbohydrates allocated to grain fill. Damage can be more severe when developing lesions progress past the ear leaf during pollination.

“It’s important to check those leaves as soon as possible,” Vandehaar said. “Rain can cause or spread diseases rapidly. Proper identification can help get a treatment plan in place before too much damage is done.”