Monday September 25 Crop Progress + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending September 24, 2023, there were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 21% very short, 29% short, 48% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 29% very short, 35% short, 34% adequate, and 2% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 12% very poor, 17% poor, 22% fair, 38% good, and 11% excellent. Corn mature was 70%, near 68% last year, and ahead of 64% for the five-year average. Harvested was 15%, near 12% last year, and ahead of 10% average.

Soybean condition rated 13% very poor, 17% poor, 25% fair, 36% good, and 9% excellent. Soybeans dropping leaves was 86%, ahead of 79% both last year and average. Harvested was 14%, near 12% last year and 13% average.

Winter wheat planted was 60%, well ahead of 37% last year, and ahead of 51% average. Emerged was 15%, ahead of 4% last year and 9% average.

Sorghum condition rated 4% very poor, 7% poor, 26% fair, 35% good, and 28% excellent. Sorghum mature was 45%, ahead of 40% last year, but near 47% average. Harvested was 6%, equal to both last year and average.

Dry edible bean condition rated 2% very poor, 6% poor, 25% fair, 54% good, and 13% excellent. Dry edible beans dropping leaves was 69%, behind 81% last year. Harvested was 37%, behind 42% last year.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 8% very poor, 15% poor, 37% fair, 29% good, and 11% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND HARVEST REPORT

A large swath of Iowa received rainfall this week reducing the days suitable for fieldwork to 5.3 during the week ending September 24, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities for the week were mainly harvesting corn and soybeans.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 27 percent very short, 46 percent short, 26 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 35 percent very short, 44 percent short, 20 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Corn maturity reached 83 percent this week, 9 days ahead of last year and 12 days ahead of the 5-year average. Corn harvested for grain reached 9 percent statewide, 6 days ahead last year and 4 days ahead of the average. Moisture content of field corn being harvested for grain was at 21 percent. Corn condition improved slightly to 50 percent good to excellent.

Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 95 percent, roughly 1 week ahead of both last year and the average. Soybeans dropping leaves was 75 percent this week, 6 days ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of normal. Soybeans harvested reached 11 percent, 3 days ahead of last year and 1 day ahead of normal. Soybean condition remained steady at 47 percent good to excellent.

Pasture condition rated 17 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions have not changed much from last week, with concerns of hay being in short supply for next year.



USDA Crop Progress Report: Corn 15% Harvested, Soybeans 12% Harvested Week Ended Sept. 24

Despite some moderate to heavy rain that fell across the Western Corn Belt this past week, harvest progress for both corn and soybeans maintained a slight lead over the five-year averages nationwide, USDA NASS stated in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

CORN
-- Crop progress: NASS said 95% of corn was dented, 2 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 93%. The portion of the crop rated as mature was estimated at 70%, 15 percentage points ahead of last year's 55% and 10 points ahead of the five-year average of 60%.
-- Harvest progress: Corn harvest picked up speed slightly last week, moving ahead 6 percentage points compared to 4 points the previous week. As of Sunday, Sept. 24, an estimated 15% of the crop was harvested, 4 percentage points ahead of 11% last year and 2 percentage points ahead of 13% for the five-year average.
-- Crop condition: NASS said 53% of the corn crop was rated good to excellent as of Sept. 24, up 2 percentage points from 51% last week and up from 52% a year ago.

SOYBEANS
-- Crop progress: USDA said 73% of the crop was dropping leaves, 13 percentage points ahead of last year's 60% and 11 points ahead of the five-year average of 62%.
-- Harvest progress: NASS estimated that 12% of the crop had been harvested as of Sunday, up 7 points from the previous week. This year's progress is 5 points ahead of last year's 7% and 1 point ahead of the five-year average of 11%.
-- Crop condition: USDA said 50% of the soybean crop was rated good to excellent, down 2 points from 52% the previous week and below 55% a year ago.

SPRING WHEAT
-- Harvest progress: Spring wheat harvest moved ahead another 3 percentage points last week to reach 96% complete as of Sept. 24, still equal to both last year and the five-year average.

WINTER WHEAT
-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting advanced 11 percentage points last week to reach 26% complete as of Sunday. That is 4 points behind last year's 30% and 3 points behind the five-year average of 29%. Seven percent of the crop had emerged, 1 point behind last year and 1 point ahead of the five-year average.



Virtual Fencing
Steve Neimeyer – Nebraska Extension Educator
 
Recent advancements in technology have made their way into precision agriculture, with emphasis placed on using new technologies to increase crop yields and profitability, while simultaneously lowering levels of inputs needed like water, fertilizer and herbicides. Although widely used in row-crop production, precision agriculture is only just beginning to move into the ranching world. Virtual fencing, though, has started making waves in the cattle industry. Time and research will tell us more about how adaptable and transformative this precision technology is in the cattle industry.
 
Virtual fencing – borders without physical barriers – can be used to implement precision grazing management. Fences are the traditional tool used to dictate boundaries on livestock grazing and to manage landscapes. There are mixtures of private, state and federally owned lands across the Northern Great Plains that create unique challenges for providing adequate natural resource management and implementing conservation practices, such as rotational grazing. Many ranchers are hesitant to adopt rotational grazing, because it requires the installation of new water sources and fences, and those additional costs are unattractive; material and labor costs for one mile of fence can easily exceed $10,000. This reluctance is exacerbated on property that is leased privately or has a state or federal grazing permit. While expensive, fencing is also necessary in some instances, such as excluding cattle from a riparian area to allow for landscape regeneration.
 
About Virtual Fencing
Virtual fencing transforms manual labor into cognitive labor, and therefore has the capacity to improve producer efficiency and have a positive effect on animal efficiency. Virtual fencing is most often thought of as the “invisible fence” for use with cats and dogs, but the technology and interested parties have since evolved to include applications for other species, such as goats. Research investigating virtual fencing for cattle is relatively new, with few published studies.  
 
A virtual fence consisting of a collar worn by cattle and an above-ground induction cable was effective in one study; however, the above-ground induction cable acted as a visual deterrent and was the main determining factor in keeping the cattle contained. In contrast, a virtual fence collar with an auditory stimulus followed by electrical pulses successfully contained grazing dairy cattle within predetermined areas 99% of the time.  
 
Newer advancements in virtual fencing for cattle have focused on a GPS-enabled collar that is placed around each animal’s neck. There is a three-way interaction between the collars, a base station in the field and a software subscription. The software subscription allows the user to “draw” their pastures. These boundaries transmit to the base station (operated by cellular and solar), which pushes the virtual fence to the collars. The user can see the position and movement of each collared animal and can easily rotate animals among paddocks with a few clicks.
 
Potential Benefits
Virtual fencing as a tool to implement rotational grazing has several potential benefits for producers with respect to their resources (financial, time), grassland management and animal performance. First, virtual fencing allows a producer to “draw” a paddock to allow access to existing water features, saving money and labor on unnecessary water development. Second, minimal time is required to move cattle and check fences as it is all done via software. Third, virtual fencing provides the means for producers to capture the environmental benefits of rotational grazing. Fourth, it could easily be implemented on leased land, because livestock operators do not need to attach permanent improvements (fences, water developments) to someone else’s real property.  
 
A final benefit of virtual fencing is that producers have greater control over animal movement on the landscape, and therefore animal performance. Fence boundaries can be drawn based on factors like elevation, soil type, plant communities and forage quality, so that animals can be moved to areas with the highest quality forage. Ultimately, virtual fencing exemplifies the potential impact technology has on increasing animal and producer efficiency while creating positive impacts on the landscape.



Registration Now Open for Annual Siouxland Ag Lenders Seminar on Nov. 2

Agricultural lenders will receive current useful, research-based information during the Siouxland Agricultural Lender’s Seminar on Thursday, Nov. 2 with registration at 8:30 a.m. and programing from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Triple Box located at 4758 Ironwood Ave., Orange City.

The seminar will present current information to assist lenders, consultants, and farm financial advisors in their portfolio management, which is especially important in this era of continued market variability. Lenders who serve agricultural clients - especially those who work with dairymen - in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota are encouraged to attend as the seminar will feature insights on farm succession tools, the risk in agricultural land values, market outlooks for livestock, grains, and dairy production, and tips on understanding personalities in agriculture.

“Ag lenders know that price risk management continues to be a major variable for profitability in ag enterprises,” said Fred Hall, Northwest Iowa Dairy Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. “For that reason, understanding the current market trends and risks is a necessary part of farm management assistance. And considering that one in three U.S. farmers is over the age of 65, there is a real need to understand how to successfully aid clients in succession planning.”

The list of nationally recognized presenters for the seminar includes:
    Legal Tools and Strategies in Farm Succession Planning - Jennifer Harrington, Staff Attorney at the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation (CALT) at ISU
    Export Outlook - Dr. Christopher Pudenz, Farm Bureau Economics and Research Manager
    Inflation and Its Effect on Ag Profits and Land Values - Dr. Chad Hart, Agricultural Economist with ISU Extension and Outreach
    Working with Farmer Personalities - Dr. Larry Tranel, Dairy Specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach
    Milk Market Update - Dr. Leonard Polzin, Dairy Markets and Policy Outreach Specialist with UW-Madison
    Commodity Market Outlook - Dr. Chad Hart, Agricultural Economist with ISU Extension and Outreach

“This seminar has proven itself in assisting Siouxland lenders and financial advisors as a local source for current information which they can use as they help producers manage risk,” Hall said.

Preregistration cost for the Siouxland Ag Lenders Seminar is $100 for the first person and $75 for each additional person from the business. Student registration fee is $30. The preregistration deadline is October 26.

Registrations at the door the day of will be $125 and will not guarantee lunch.

To register for the Siouxland Ag Lenders Seminar, preregister online at https://go.iastate.edu/SIOUXLAND2023 or preregister by mail and make checks payable to Sioux County Extension; mail to ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County, 400 Central Ave. NW, Ste 700, Orange City, IA 51041.

For more information, contact Fred Hall at 712-737-4230 or fredhall@iastate.edu.  



USDA to survey Iowa farm chemical use and production costs

Starting in October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will gather information about crop production practices from producers across Iowa, as part of the 2023 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).

“ARMS is a vital survey that tracks how Iowa farms use technology to manage production of their major field crops,” said Greg Thessen, Director of the Upper Midwest Regional Field Office. “The data from this survey also help policymakers and farm groups understand the factors driving the costs and returns of crop production.”

This year, NASS is reaching out to survey a sample of barley, oat, peanut, and soybean producers across the country. NASS recommends that farmers have their fertilizer and pesticide application records available to speed up the survey process. A NASS representative will call producers to set up an interview to assist in the completion of the questionnaire. Producers may also receive an email reminder if they opted for email service.

ARMS is conducted in three phases, from May 2023 through April 2024. The first phase screened participants to make sure they have the commodity of interest and would accurately represent the entire U.S. farm sector. In this current phase, NASS is collecting information on production practices. In the final phase, NASS will survey producers on cost of production, farm income, and production expenditures.

NASS safeguards the privacy of all respondents. The information provided will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with federal law, survey responses will be kept confidential and will not be published in identifiable form.

ARMS is a joint effort of NASS and USDA’s Economic Research Service.



Iowa Pork enters NIL agreement with Iowa State football players Purchase, Moore, Hamann, Bacon

The Iowa Pork Producers Association is partnering with four Iowa State University football players to promote the pork industry. Through an NIL (name, image, likeness) deal, Cyclones Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, Tommy Hamann, and Caleb Bacon are leading the new “Purchase Moore Hamann Bacon” marketing campaign. The goal is obviously to push Iowans to buy pork products. More specifically, they want you to purchase more ham and bacon.

“After the ‘Hamann Bacon’ photo went viral on social media following the Cyclones’ season opener, we knew we had to jump on this opportunity,” said Trish Cook, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “These four young men are not only great football players, they also have strong academic records, and great last names! We couldn’t be more excited to work with them in this fun initiative to publicize Iowa pork.”

October is National Pork Month, aka Porktober, and this promotion will be part of that monthlong celebration. The Iowa Pork Producers Association will run ads on social media featuring the four players surrounded by delicious Iowa pork and strategically using their names to encourage pork consumption.

In conjunction with the NIL partnership, the Iowa Pork Producers Association will donate $1,000 of pork to each player’s food pantry of choice.

“Iowa pork producers and pig farmers care about their communities, and while this partnership is a fun way to promote our industry, it’s also one way we can give back,” Cook said. “Food insecurity remains an issue for many people and we’re glad to partner with these Cyclone football players to help their local food pantries.”

Myles Purchase, Tyler Moore, and Caleb Bacon were all named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team in 2022. Tommy Hamann was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2022. The Iowa Pork Producers Association is pleased to work with these student-athletes to promote pork and the work of Iowa pig farmers, while aiding local communities.

“It’s something unique and it feels good to be able to do something for a good cause,” said Cyclones Defensive Back Myles Purchase, a junior from Denver, CO.

“It’s a really crazy way to incorporate all of our names and I think it’s a great way to promote Iowa pork producers too,” said Cyclone Tight End Tyler Moore, a redshirt sophomore from Des Moines.

When the picture of Tommy Hamann and Caleb Bacon together on the field went viral on social media, the players had several friends sharing the photo with them.

“I think it’s just hilarious being able to use play-on words on our last names in a super clever way to promote Iowa pork and it’s just an all-around great opportunity to bring us all together,” said Hamann, a redshirt freshman defensive end for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Caleb Bacon has heard jokes about his last name for much of his life. “People said I should take advantage of it, and it just came to fruition in that picture. I think it’s just good for our teammates and I’d like to thank the Iowa pork producers for the opportunity.” Bacon is a sophomore linebacker from Lake Mills, Iowa.

Iowa is the number one state in the nation for pork production and nearly 150,000 Iowans are employed by the pork industry.



Not Many Surprises in the COF Report
David P. Anderson, Extension Economist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

USDA’S Cattle on Feed report, released Friday September 22nd, didn’t contain many surprises. But, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some interesting tidbits in there. First, the headline numbers: placements were down 5.1 percent, marketings down 6.0 percent, cattle on feed down 2.2 percent. The numbers were not too far off the pre-report estimates by market analysts.

Placements in August totaled 2.003 million head, down 5.1 percent (107,000 head) from August 2022. Of the big 3 feeding states, Kansas and Texas reported more cattle placed than a year ago. Nebraska placed 60,000 fewer cattle, 11 percent fewer than last year. Most of the reduction in placements came in Nebraska. Fewer cattle were placed in every weight class compared to last year.

For the year to date, nationally, placements are down 2.7 percent from last year. Kansas’ placements are almost the same as last year, Texas’ are down 1.2 percent, and Nebraska’s are down 3.2 percent. Keep in mind that placements vary by state seasonally, affected by more calf placements or wheat pasture placements, for example. The decline in placements could be compared to the estimated 2.0 percent smaller calf crop in 2022 compared to 2021. Calves born in 2022 would largely be placed in late 2022 and 2023. It appears that relatively more cattle have been placed in Kansas and Texas than in Nebraska.

Placements do have a seasonal pattern with placements increasing after July. This year’s 390,000 head increase from July to August was the largest since 2010 and might imply some more drought forced placements but, certainly there have been opportunities to profitably place. Placements while below last year were almost equal to the 2017-2021 5-year average.

Fed cattle marketings were 6 percent smaller than last year. Of interest here was the sharper than normal decline in daily average marketings, which normally decline from mid-year. Daily average marketings were only 82,000 head compared to 87,000 last August.

The total number of cattle on feed was down 2.2 percent from last year. There is always interest in the amount of time cattle are on feed to gain insight into currentness or anticipated slaughter in coming weeks and months. The number on feed more than 120 days was down 2.6 percent on September 1. On feed greater than 90 days was only 23,000 head below last year. That leaves more cattle than a year ago in the 90-120 day on feed period.

On balance, it was a report that met expectations in the headline numbers but, with some interesting details. Next month’s report will have the highly anticipated October quarterly estimate of the number of heifers on feed.



USDA Cold Storage August 2023 Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers on August 31, 2023 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 15 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 3 percent from the previous month but down 18 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up slightly from the previous month but down 13 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 28 percent from last month but up 3 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on August 31, 2023 were down slightly from the previous month but up 1 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down 1 percent from the previous month but up slightly from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 2 percent from last month and up 2 percent from August 31, 2022.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on August 31, 2023 were down slightly from the previous month but up 1 percent from August 31, 2022. Butter stocks were down 12 percent from last month but up 4 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks on August 31, 2023 were up 6 percent from last month but down 2 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were up 18 percent from last month and up 5 percent from a year ago.



NCBA Backed Legislation to Boost Oversight of Foreign Ag Purchases Advances

Last week, the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services advanced a bill supported by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) that strengthens oversight of foreign agricultural purchases. The legislation, the Agricultural Security Risk Review Act introduced by Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), would add the Secretary of Agriculture as a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an interagency committee that reviews the national security impact of foreign investments in the United States.

“Cattle producers have been extremely watchful of foreign purchases of farmland, agricultural technology, and other important inputs. Adding the Secretary of Agriculture to CFIUS would provide a critical voice for American farmers and ranchers and ensure that the federal government does not overlook agriculture’s role in national security,” said NCBA Executive Director of Government Affairs Kent Bacus. “NCBA thanks Rep. Lucas for leading this effort and we appreciate the House Financial Services Committee’s bipartisan support for this bill.”

CFIUS is an interagency committee chaired by the Secretary of the Treasury with members from the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Energy, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Office of Science and Technology Policy. The committee reviews financial and real estate transactions by foreign entities investing in the United States to ensure that these investments do not endanger national security. The committee can recommend that the President of the United States suspend or block investments that may create security concerns.

The legislation passed in committee and now goes to the full House of Representatives for consideration.



Klobuchar, Hoeven Introduce PACE Act to Improve Access to Credit for Farmers and Ranchers

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced the Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement (PACE) Act, legislation to improve farmers and ranchers’ access to credit by modernizing loan limitations for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan programs.

“Too many American farmers and producers operate on razor-thin margins. Having access to credit can often mean the difference between economic viability and financial hardship. By expanding credit opportunities for producers and farmers, this legislation will strengthen the rural economy across Minnesota and the country,” said Klobuchar.

“Production costs for our farmers and ranchers continue to rise due to record inflation and increasing costs for fuel, fertilizer and other inputs,” said Hoeven, the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee. “Our legislation will help credit programs to keep pace with the current needs of producers so they have access to the capital they need to support their operations and ensure Americans have access to the food and fuel we need.”

Specifically, the PACE Act:
    Increases loan limitations for the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Direct and Guaranteed Loan Programs for Farm Operating Loans and Farm Ownership Loans by the following amounts:
        Direct Operating:  Increase from $400,000 to $750,000
        Guaranteed Operating:  Increase from $2.04 million to $2.6 million
        Direct Ownership:  Increase from $600,000 to $850,000
        Guaranteed Ownership:  Increase from $2.04 million to $3 million
    Changes the inflation benchmark for guaranteed ownership loans to the National Ag Statistics Service (NASS) Ag Land Values land survey.
    Indexes the Direct Farm Ownership Down Payment Program to align with current loan limitations, helping support beginning farmers and ranchers to finance the purchase of a family farm.
    Increases loan limitations for the FSA microloan program from $50,000 to $100,000.
    Directs FSA to promulgate rules allowing distressed borrowers to refinance guaranteed loans into direct loans.

The PACE Act is supported by: National Farmers Union, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, American Sugarbeet Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, National Pork Producers Council, National Sorghum Producers, National Sunflower Association, U.S. Canola Association, U.S. Beet Sugar Association, U.S. Dry Pea and Lentil Council, U.S. Peanut Federation, USA Rice, Farm Credit Council, and American Bankers Association.  

“Farmers Union members welcome the introduction of the Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement Act. Access to credit is essential for farmers, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan programs are a unique and important source of capital for farm operations. Given sky-high land values and elevated input costs, this bill takes the important step of updating FSA loan limits, while expanding credit opportunities for all types of producers, and creating a new pathway for FSA to assist distressed borrowers. Thank you, Senators Klobuchar and Hoeven for putting forward this commonsense legislation to modernize FSA loan programs and strengthen the farm economy,” said National Farmers Union President Rob Larew.

“Access to capital is critical to everyone in production agriculture -- especially beginning farmers and ranchers. Farm Credit thanks Senators Hoeven and Klobuchar for their leadership on the Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement Act. It would increase FSA’s direct and guaranteed loan limits to reflect the current costs of farming and ranching, benefitting producers across the country. Farm Credit looks forward to working with Senators Hoeven and Klobuchar to include this important legislation in the Farm Bill,” said Farm Credit Council President and CEO Todd Van Hoose.

Representatives Brad Finstad and Angie Craig have introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.



BEEF CHECKOFF’S PRODUCER COMMUNICATIONS EFFORTS NECESSARY TO SHAPE CURRENT, FUTURE PROGRAMS
By Steve Springer, Linden, Wisconsin
Member, Cattlemen’s Beef Board and Co-Chair, Stakeholder Engagement Committee

I’m a third-generation cattle producer in Southern Wisconsin, and I’m also a representative of a national livestock video auction company. As a member of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB), I’m in a unique position to see firsthand how much care and consideration goes into allocating Checkoff funds each year.

I hear the questions that my fellow producers have about the Beef Checkoff and how their dollars are being spent. I get it – you wouldn’t put money in a stock or mutual fund without expecting regular updates on your investment’s performance. That’s why the Beef Checkoff sets aside a very small percentage of its funds each year for the Producer Communications program. This program’s goal is to inform producers with operations of all shapes and sizes about how Checkoff dollars are driving beef demand. Here are just a few ways that Producer Communications works to improve transparency between the Checkoff and its investors:

Newsletters.
In 2018, the CBB launched The Drive, a newsletter available in print or via email, designed to share Checkoff news, program successes and upcoming initiatives. Over the past five years, subscriber growth has been significant, with nearly 132,000 producers receiving the quarterly print newsletter and 21,000 receiving the monthly e-newsletter. “The Drive in Five,” a quick video recap of content from The Drive newsletter, launched in late 2021, providing producers with a quick way to get their Checkoff news and information in an easily consumable format. Plans for an audio series or podcast are in the works for 2024, helping us reach even more producers via another medium.

Media Relations.
Sharing Beef Checkoff and CBB news with national, regional and local publications and websites is another way that the Producer Communications program reaches producers from various backgrounds nationwide. We do this via press releases, broadcast and print interviews and opinion-editorials from CBB members. Each year, we set a new goal to increase our media “hits,” and as of June 2023, we’d already surpassed our goal and continue to seek ways to ensure even more producers see these stories.

Website.
Launched in 2019, DrivingDemandForBeef.com is a great place for producers to get Checkoff program updates, CBB financials, frequently asked questions, videos and more. This platform has grown significantly in traffic and content in the past four years. We’ll be refreshing our website for an even better user experience very soon.

Social Media.
Love it or hate it, social media is one way that some people – especially younger producers – choose to get their news and information. Social media allows us to connect with producers where their conversations are taking place in real time. Currently, the Beef Checkoff is active on Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, and LinkedIn with plans to add Instagram and additional social networks if the demand exists. We have nearly 69,000 followers across those four platforms, and that number continues to grow each year.

Producer Communications isn’t just a one-way street. The program also helps the CBB get valuable feedback about producer concerns, interests and educational needs. We conduct various surveys throughout the year to gauge producer sentiment and learn more about their operations and the challenges they’re currently facing. This data helps us determine how to shape future Checkoff programs and allocate funds, as well as determine content for our newsletters and social media channels. Over the past year, we’ve also had discussions with various ag groups and state beef councils to seek program input and build relationships.

The Producer Communications program is far more comprehensive than many producers may realize. It’s not the Checkoff simply pushing information to producers, but a two-way conversation that helps us learn what producers would like to see the Checkoff do in the future. If you’re unclear about what’s happening with your Checkoff dollars, subscribe to The Drive, participate in our surveys, visit our website at DrivingDemandForBeef.com or contact your local state beef council, your nearest CBB member, or the CBB office in Denver. We look forward to the feedback and conversation.



Bipartisan Members of Congress Call out USDA’s Ongoing Failure to Publish Dairy Checkoff Reports

On Friday, a bipartisan group of Congressional lawmakers sent a letter urging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to submit annual reports on the dairy checkoff program to Congress, as required by federal law. The letter calls out the fact that Secretary Vilsack failed to deliver these reports for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022.

“We are highly troubled that dairy farmers have been denied access to federally mandated reports detailing the efficacy of programs they must fund,” the letter states. “Furthermore, this is not the first time that USDA under your leadership has failed to submit these reports to Congress. In your first term as Secretary, they went unpublished for five years.”

The Congressional letter comes after Farm Action and the National Dairy Producers Organization exposed the missing reports in June, and requested their release in a letter to the USDA.

Friday’s Congressional action prompted a response from USDA to Farm Action’s June letter, as well as the publishing of the 2020 report, which according to federal law was due 26 months ago, on July 1, 2021. The 2021 and 2022 reports are still missing.

“We commend these members of Congress for forcing USDA to respond to the farmers they should be accountable to. We hope it doesn’t take another 26 months for USDA to issue each of the outstanding dairy checkoff reports,” said Farm Action President Angela Huffman.

The Congressional letter was signed by Senators Booker, Lee, and Warren, and Representatives Mace, Titus, Massie, Correa, Casar, and Blumenauer.  

The dairy checkoff scandal comes as Congress considers the bipartisan Opportunities for Fairness in Farming (OFF) Act. The OFF Act would increase checkoff budget transparency, require periodic audits, and prohibit checkoff funds from being awarded to organizations that lobby, with an exception for universities.



Setting Winter Wheat Up for Success

Winter wheat, unlike its more temperate cousins, is typically planted in September and October. It then goes into dormancy over the winter months and begins growing again in the spring. With winter wheat experiencing many different growing conditions, it is important to select the proper variety, apply the right fertilizer and plant on optimum dates.

“Like any crop, wheat variety selection is key to setting yourself up for yield success,” said Scott Eversgerd, Pioneer Field Agronomist. “We want to make sure we have the right varieties on the right acres for the right reasons.”

Growers should select varieties based on maturity and field conditions. For example, varieties with good standability should be planted in manured fields or high-nitrogen-management scenarios where additional lodging pressure is likely. Furthermore, varieties highly susceptible to Fusarium head blight should not be planted after corn.

Managing Fusarium head blight, or head scab, can be difficult in-season, so getting ahead of it is crucial and takes a multi-faceted approach:
    Planting after soybeans has a lower risk than planting after corn
    Select a variety that has a good genetic defense against head scab
    Apply labeled fungicides at correct timings and rates

Aphids, attracted to lush wheat, will also infest early planted, thick wheat. A fungicide/insecticide seed treatment is recommended to guard against seedling diseases and fall infections of the barley yellow dwarf virus transmitted by aphids.

It is also important to have an accurate soil fertility test on the field, applying phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) as needed. Phosphorus is important for establishing a stand and for fall growth. As the soil cools, P availability becomes limited, so adequate soil amounts must be maintained.

When ready to plant, growers have traditionally been told to observe the Hessian fly-free date for their areas. The optimum planting date for winter wheat ranges from about two days before to 14 days after that date.

“Planting wheat too early can advance the wheat one or two growth stages in the fall, putting the growing point above the ground,” said Eversgerd. “A cold spring can put the wheat at risk of freeze damage or winterkill.”

While optimum seeding rates range from 1.4 million to 1.6 million seeds/acre, planting in less-than-ideal conditions can alter the rate. When planting into no-till fields, or if planting late in the fall, it is recommended to increase rates to 1.6 million to 2.0 million seeds/acre to compensate for possible lower stand establishment rates and a lack of fall growth and tillering.