Friday September 15 Ag News

Congressmen Flood & Neguse Introduce the Precision Agriculture Workforce Training and Development Act

Recently, U.S. Congressmen Mike Flood (R-NE) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) introduced the Precision Agriculture Workforce Training and Development Act.

“Nebraska’s First District is leading the way in developing new precision agriculture technology,” said Rep. Mike Flood. “It’s important we invest in the next generation of young leaders to continue feeding and fueling a growing world. Thank you to Rep. Neguse for joining this effort to build the workforce needed for the future of American agriculture.”

“I am proud to join my colleague Congressman Flood in introducing a bill to better support agriculture systems by equipping high-school and college aged students with experience in the USDA’s highly successful pilot program. This legislation will help to bolster workforce development in the farming and land management sectors,” said Congressman Neguse

The bipartisan bill would add “Precision Agriculture Workforce Development” to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s high priority research areas and add a special consideration for determining Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant recipients in which the secretary will look at institutions that have cooperative education programs.



Nebraska Cattlemen get chance to see returns on their investments during a visit to Northeast Community College

Northeast Community College was honored to host the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Research and Education Foundation -- the fundraising arm of the Nebraska Cattlemen – for an up-close look Tuesday at the campus farm and other sites.

For a state that leads the nation in cattle harvested and usually is first or second in cattle on feed, the visit was special because it represents one of the state’s largest industries.

“We are the nonpolicy side. Our job is the fun side,” said Ryan Loseke who feeds cattle north of Columbus and is president of the foundation. “We get to raise money and disburse it.”

The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Research and Education Foundation has supported Northeast Community College in a couple of ways. It donated to the Nexus campaign for the Vet Tech/Acklie Farm facility buildings as well as making an annual donation to the Livestock Judging team for several years.

Mike Roeber, Northeast agricultural instructor and livestock judging coach, led the foundation members on the tours. Roeber was assisted on the tour of the Vet Tech building by Brandi Doernemann, a sophomore veterinary and technology student from Dodge. Roeber said he and the judging team appreciate the continued support.

The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Foundation raises funds in several ways, including a Retail Steer Challenge that is statewide. Loseke said it usually raises about $250,000.

Last year, the foundation gave more than $65,000 in scholarships to incoming college students, along with other college ventures like the livestock judging teams at Northeast, the University of Nebraska-Curtis and University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The foundation also provides grants to fund research and professorships at UNL.

“We try to be cognizant to send our money across the state. We have had our members talk about this as we look for workforce development. The two-year institutions are just as viable to our members as the four-year institutions,” Loseke said.

The foundation board has the state divided into seven regions, plus a few at-large members. The members represent everyone from cattle feeders to cow-calf producers.

The foundation usually has about five or six meetings a year. The September meeting usually rotates across the state. Before Northeast, it was held in recent years in Scottsbluff, Curtis and southeast Nebraska.



Nebraska Recognizes Clean Energy Week 2023

In conjunction with the 7th Annual National Clean Energy Week (NCEW), Governor Jim Pillen issued a proclamation celebrating September 25-29, 2023, as Clean Energy Week in the state of Nebraska.

“Thank you, Governor Jim Pillen, for joining us in celebrating National Clean Energy Week 2023,” said Heather Reams, chair of NCEW and president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES) Forum. “Affordable, reliable, and clean energy has become an issue on the minds of Americans across the country, from Main Street to Wall Street. In Nebraska, clean energy is creating jobs, reducing emissions, and having a positive community impact. Clean Energy Week is an opportunity to celebrate the advancements made by industry leaders and advocates in Nebraska and across the country.”  

"Nebraska believes in clean, affordable, and readily abundant forms of energy for all,” said Governor Jim Pillen in his proclamation. “Wind is responsible for a significant portion of the state’s renewable electricity generation, with more than 1,000 wind turbines and more than 3,300 megawatts of installed wind capacity as of early 2022, with hydropower contributing to the remaining renewable energy.”

In the proclamation, Governor Pillen recognizes that the clean energy sector now employs over 22,000 Nebraskans and that the state obtained 25 percent of its electricity generation from wind power and 18 percent from nuclear power. In addition, Nebraska is the second largest manufacturer of biofuels in the country, second only to Iowa.

Last year, the state of Nebraska joined nearly three quarters of the nation’s governors in issuing proclamations to recognize NCEW in their respective states. Learn more about the state proclamations here.

NCEW was founded in 2017 as a bipartisan forum to recognize the numerous advantages clean energy production provides to local communities, from economic growth and job creation to lower emissions and a healthier environment. The week contains engaging educational programming such as the Policymakers Symposium—three days of programming—convening elected officials, business leaders, advocates, policymakers, investors, and trade associations from all perspectives who are dedicated to advancing clean energy. Journalists can register for the NCEW Policymakers Symposium HERE.

For more information about NCEW, including sponsorship opportunities, remote and in-person events, and registration for the Policymakers Symposium, visit the NCEW website at www.nationalcleanenergyweek.org.



IPIC Sow Summit returns November 1 in Ames

Building on the success of the initial event in 2021, Iowa Pork Industry Center is proud to announce the second IPIC Sow Summit set for Nov. 1 in Ames. This one-day conference will present current research poised to influence sow farm productivity, and provide opportunity for attendees to learn about and discuss emerging topics that particularly affect sow farms.

The morning plenary session features three “big picture” talks followed by a panel discussion focusing on labor and staffing on the farm.
Dr. Rob Knox of the University of Illinois, sow farm opportunities past and future.
Dr. Bradley Wolter of Windy Hill Insights, the bio-economic considerations for a sustainable herd.
Chad Bermel of Brenneman Pork, experiences transitioning to a Prop12-compliant system.

The morning session ends with a discussion on labor and staffing on the farm by these panelists.
Chet Mogler, Partner, Pig Hill Co.
Victor Ochoa, Director, Swineworks LLC.
Silvia Castañeda, Director of Human Resources, Eichelberger Farms.

After lunch, attendees can choose individual presentations from a research session and an applied session, with state, national and international presenters from industry and academia.

Registration for the IPIC Sow Summit is now open with the fee of $65 for general attendees and no charge for students. See more information including registration link and sponsor list on the conference website https://ipicsowsummit.org/.



Pork Producers Take on D.C. for Fall Fly-in
 
More than 100 pork producers from around the country attended the National Pork Producers Council’s (NPPC) Spring Legislative Action Conference (LAC) on September 13-14 in Washington, D.C. This biannual fly-in featured engaging speakers, a media briefing and NPPC’s widely popular congressional “Baconfest” reception in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress.
 
NPPC President Scott Hays kicked off LAC by sharing the importance of having producers travel to meet with their members of Congress: “Having you here in Washington, speaking up for our industry, is critical to having lawmakers understand that decisions they make in Washington affect how we can continue to provide safe, nutritious food to American families and consumers worldwide.”
 
During the two-day event, speakers included NPPC Board officers, Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and NPPC policy experts who focused on four key issue areas:
2023 Farm Bill priorities
Finding a legislative solution to California Proposition 12
Expanding trade and market access
Strengthening the H-2A visa program
 
2023 Farm Bill – Protect the U.S. Food Supply: NPPC is advocating for a 2023 Farm Bill that fully funds the programs that safeguard the nation’s food supply against threats posed by foreign animal diseases (FADs), as well as key programs that expand foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.
 
The U.S. pork industry has faced significant headwinds since 2018, when the farm bill was last reauthorized, due to trade retaliation, supply chain issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and looming threats of FAD. U.S. pig farmers need solutions to sustain an industry that supports more than 610,000 American jobs and generates nearly $36 billion in personal income annually in rural America.
 
The Beagle Brigade Act of 2023 provides critical inspections at our nation’s ports of entry that prevent FADs from entering the U.S. Additionally, it provides congressional authority to the USDA’s National Detector Dog Training Center — allowing it to continue to operate.
The upcoming farm bill offers the opportunity to address the challenges, provide the industry with the tools to prevent further disruption and keep the food system safe and reliable.
 
California Proposition 12 – Support a Legislative Solution: NPPC supports including a federal solution in the farm bill for the sweeping issues posed by the Supreme Court's decision to uphold California Proposition 12.
 
Livestock farmers, veterinarians and animal scientists work hard to follow industry standards and best practices to protect the welfare and health of animals in their care. California Proposition 12 ignores scientific research and facts about animal husbandry, and reverses decades of progress on farm management and animal welfare.
 
Trade – Expand and Develop Market Access: NPPC supports trade agreements and other trade initiatives that open new and expand existing export markets and eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to U.S. pork exports.
 
U.S. pork farmers have built a global reputation for providing domestic and foreign markets with high-quality, affordable products. In 2022, the U.S. exported $7.6 billion worth of pork to more than 100 countries and supported more than $61 in value for each hog marketed. U.S. pork exports also support over 155,000 jobs domestically.

To grow exports and support high-paying jobs in rural communities, the United States must open new and expand existing markets through trade agreements, trade and investment framework agreements, and market access deals.
 
Labor – Strengthen the H-2A Visa Program: Agriculture suffers from a severe labor shortage that negatively affects all links in the food supply chain – particularly in the pork industry. Pig farm employment has declined since 2021, despite higher wages and competitive benefits. Although historically dependent on foreign-born workers, current visa requirements fail to meet pork industry workforce needs.



As Annual RVP Season Comes to an End, ACE Renews Call for This to Be the Very Last Summer of E15 Uncertainty

As the summer driving season comes to an end, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) is renewing its call to once and for all get a remedy for E15 in place, so retailers don’t have to face uncertainty each driving season. One month ago, ACE CEO Brian Jennings sent a letter to President Biden urging him to ensure the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promptly finalizes its proposed regulation to eliminate the 1-pound per square inch (psi) Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver for gasoline containing 10 percent ethanol (E10) in eight states. With this pending Midwest rule, and bipartisan, bicameral support for legislation to secure a permanent, national solution to allow E15 year-round, ACE is focused on ensuring this is the last year the industry must rely on emergency waivers and other measures to continue to sell the low-cost fuel.

As gas prices in several states across the U.S. are predicted to spike anywhere from 50 cents to $1 per gallon, E15 remains a lower cost fuel, which saved consumers filling up on E15 last summer an average of 16 cents per gallon compared to regular gas, and in some parts of the U.S. the savings approached $1 per gallon.

“Ethanol costs almost a dollar less per gallon than gasoline right now, even without the RIN [Renewable Identification Number] value. That gives E15 and flex fuel retailers a huge advantage over their competition,” said Ron Lamberty, ACE Chief Marketing Officer. “While lower prices appeal to most consumers, E15 is also the lowest carbon regular gasoline most vehicles can use today. If Congress and the administration are serious about reducing carbon pollution, they should take action to get E15 across the finish line — it’s a simple solution that will make cleaner fuel available while saving drivers money at the pump.”

“The biofuels industry is not alone in our call, the American Petroleum Institute has joined us in supporting a permanent, national solution to allow E15 year-round through Congress.” Lamberty added. “As the summer driving season comes to an end, we renew our call to the Administration to promptly finalize its E15 rule in Midwest states and urge for Congressional support for the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act.”



NCGA to EPA: Science Shows that Ethanol is Important to Lowering Emissions

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) sent a letter this week to the Environmental Protection Agency addressing recent concerns raised by the agency’s scientific advisory board about the environmental benefits of ethanol.

In a letter sent to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Thursday, NCGA CEO Neil Caskey noted that the research shows unequivocally that ethanol is important to addressing climate change.

“There are no shortage of studies on the environmental benefits of corn ethanol,” Caskey said. “The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, for example, has conducted extensive research on the matter and concluded that corn ethanol has reduced GHG emissions in the U.S. by 544 million metric tons from 2005- 2019 and that the feedstock’s carbon intensity is 44 percent lower than that of petroleum gasoline.”

The letter was sent after EPA’s scientific advisory board submitted draft commentary on the Volume Requirements for 2023 and Beyond under the Renewable Fuel Standard Program. In the commentary, the advisory board questions ethanol’s ability to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions and raises concerns that the production of ethanol increases land use.

The letter noted that corn growers are doing more with less land.

“American farmers planted an estimated 94.1 million acres of corn in 2023, which falls short of the more than 100 million acres corn farmers planted a century ago,” Caskey noted. “In the past decade, U.S. corn production has been over six times the production of the 1930s with fewer corn acres.”

Caskey also highlighted ethanol’s importance in advancing the Biden administration’s climate agenda.

“It is important to note that any decision that hampers the use of these environmentally friendly products would complicate President Biden’s ambitious climate goals, which will almost certainly require the use of biofuels, such as corn ethanol, to be successful,” he said.

Caskey will provide verbal remarks before the SAB later this month.



USDA Announces Milk Loss Assistance for Dairy Operations Impacted by 2020, 2021 and 2022 Disaster Events

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced Milk Loss Program (MLP) assistance for eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk (e.g., power outages, impassable roads, infrastructure losses, etc.) during calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), signup for MLP begins Sept. 11 and runs through Oct. 16, 2023.

“Frequent and widespread weather-related disasters over the past three years have impacted U.S. dairy. These producers continue to face supply chain issues, high feed and input costs, labor shortages, and market volatilities,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “The reality for dairy producers is that cattle are milked at least twice a day, producing on average, six to seven gallons of milk per cow, per day. That milk must go somewhere, and when it can’t get where it needs to go and can’t be stored due to circumstances beyond a producer’s control we need to help. The Milk Loss Program will help offset the economic loss by producers left with no other choice but dumping their milk during disasters.”

Background 
On Dec. 29, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (P.L. 117-43), providing $10 billion for crop losses, including milk losses due to qualifying disaster events that occurred in calendar years 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023 (Pub. L. 117-328) provides approximately $3 billion for disaster assistance for similar losses that occurred in calendar year 2022.   

Eligibility
MLP compensates dairy operations for milk dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market due to qualifying disaster events, including droughts, wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), and smoke exposure that occurred in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 calendar years. Tornadoes are considered a qualifying disaster event for calendar year 2022 only.   

The milk loss claim period is each calendar month that milk was dumped or removed from the commercial market. Each MLP application covers the loss in a single calendar month. Milk loss that occurs in more than one calendar month due to the same qualifying weather event requires a separate application for each month.   

The days that are eligible for assistance begin on the date the milk was removed or dumped and for concurrent days milk was removed or dumped. Once the dairy operation restarts milk marketing, the dairy operation is ineligible for assistance unless after restarting commercial milk marketing, additional milk is dumped due to the same qualifying disaster event. The duration of yearly claims is limited to 30 days per year for 2020, 2021 and 2022.

How to Apply
To apply for MLP, producers must submit:
FSA-376, Milk Loss Program Application  
Milk marketing statement from the:
Month prior to the month milk was removed or dumped.
Affected month.
Detailed written statement of milk removal circumstances, including the weather event type and geographic scope, what transportation limitations occurred and any information on what was done with the removed milk.
Any other information required by the regulation.

If not previously filed with FSA, applicants must also submit all the following items within 60 days of the MLP application deadline:
Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.  
Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.   
Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).   
Form FSA-510, Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs (if applicable).   
Form CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, (if applicable).
A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the MLP producer and applicable affiliates.  

Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms already on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms can contact their local FSA county office.  

MLP Payment Calculation
The final MLP payment is determined by factoring the MLP payment calculation by the applicable MLP payment percentage.  

The calculation for determining MLP payment is:  
((Base period per cow average daily milk production x the number of milking cows in a claim period x the number of days milk was removed or dumped in a claim period) ÷ 100) x pay price per hundredweight (cwt.).

For MLP payment calculations, the milk loss base period is the first full month of production before the dumping or removal occurred.

The MLP payment percentage will be 90% for underserved producers, including socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited resource, and veteran farmers and ranchers and 75% for all other producers. 
  
To qualify for the higher payment percentage, eligible producers must have a CCC-860, Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification, form on file with FSA for the 2022 program year.  

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitations do not apply to MLP, however the payment limitation for MLP is determined by the person’s or legal entity’s average adjusted gross farm income (income derived from farming, ranching and forestry operations). Specifically, a person or legal entity, other than a joint venture or general partnership, cannot receive, directly or indirectly, more than $125,000 in payments under MLP if their average adjusted gross farm income is less than 75% of their average AGI or more than $250,000 if their adjusted gross farm income is at least 75% of their average AGI.