Friday December 29 Ag News

 Lower Elkhorn NRD Board of Directors Had a Packed Agenda to End 2023

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Board of Directors had a packed agenda to end 2023. Directors were presented the Fiscal Year 2023 Audit, heard numerous monthly and meeting reports, received an update from JEO Consulting Group on the North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Plan, discussed approving a resolution for a WaterSMART Grant Application, approved an additional Guideline for the Good Cause Variance process, and set the groundwater allocation amounts for 2024 for the Quantity Management Subareas. Finally, they voted on two items relating to LENRD personnel and approved the 2024 meeting schedule.

Acceptance of the Fiscal Year 2023 Audit
Donita Pokorny, with Dana F. Cole & Company LLP, presented the results of the Fiscal Year 2023 audit to the Board Members. The fiscal year audit is an annual requirement for the financial statements of the governmental activities, the business-type activities, and for each major fund of the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District.  This audit is conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America and for standards applicable to Government Auditing Standards.  Donita reviewed pertinent sections of the audit with the Board of Directors and concluded with a report on any compliance matters in accordance with the aforementioned standards.  At the conclusion of her report, the Board approved a motion to accept the Fiscal Year 2023 Audit as presented.

North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Update by JEO Consulting Group
Andrea Gebhart, Project Manager, and Ann Nissen, Water Resources Engineer, of JEO Consulting Group provided an update on the North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Plan. Gebhart provided a project overview, a summary of work-to-date, and discussed the timeline for the rest of the project. Nissen discussed the preliminary H&H, or Hydrology and Hydraulics, results. She also talked about stream gage analysis from Pierce, data sources, and showed two models from the geographic focus areas – Pierce and Osmond.

Resolution of WaterSMART Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects Grant Partnership
The LENRD Board of Directors voted to table a decision on approving Resolution No. 2023-01. Approval of this resolution would indicate the District’s commitment to providing funding, as well as the development and execution of a cooperative agreement for the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Grant for Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects.

In order to even apply for the grant, LENRD staff need to have an approved and signed Resolution from the Board. In partnership with the McCrometer Company, the grant would provide funding to equip flow meters with remote-read telemetry. The intent is to provide convenience for the producer and help the NRD monitor water use and assist producers with maintaining compliance.

LENRD Policy for Orphaned irrigated Acres Policy Change
The LENRD Board of Directors approved an additional guideline to be used in conjunction with the LENRD’s ‘Good Cause Variance’, granting District staff the authorization to consider a Good Cause Shown Expedited Variance request to utilize an existing irrigation well as a source of irrigation water for orphaned irrigated acres.

The District was presented a situation where a landowner acquired property that currently has certified irrigated acres and has an existing irrigation well on adjacent property. The new owner has asked to use the existing well as a source of irrigation water to continue irrigation activities on the newly purchased property.

Establish 2024 Groundwater Allocations for LENRD Quantity Subareas
The LENRD Board of Directors approved the 2024 allocations amounts for the LENRD Quantity Management Subareas:

Eastern Madison County Quantity Management Subarea
    18 inches per irrigated acre for gravity/flood systems
    13 inches per irrigated acre for subsurface drip irrigation systems
    14 inches per irrigated acre for all other irrigation systems

Wayne County Quantity Management Subarea
    17 inches per irrigated acre for gravity/flood irrigation systems
    12 inches per irrigated acre for subsurface drip irrigation systems
    13 inches per irrigated acre for all other irrigation systems

Other Happenings in the Lower Elkhorn NRD
    The LENRD received nearly 300 applications for Standard Variances during the month of November 2023. A preliminary summary of the final point totals will be presented for consideration to the Board no sooner than January 11, 2024, or at an alternate date as determined by the Board Chairman and General Manager.
    Applications for the Conservation Tree Program are available on our website and in the office. The deadline to order trees is February 23, 2024.
    The NDEE is offering free nitrate sample kits for private drinking water wells. These kits are only available until January 31, 2024.
    The LENRD is conducting a study to better understand the types of hazards the community is most impacted by, and the damage it has caused, as part of the region’s Hazard Mitigation Plan update process. The questionnaire is available to take on our website and social media platforms until January 22, 2024.
    The University of Nebraska-Lincoln released a web-based nitrogen management tool for corn growers. Additional information is on our website.

To learn more about the 12 responsibilities of the Nebraska’s NRDs and how your local District can work with you and your community to protect your natural resources, visit www.lenrd.org and sign up for our monthly emails. The next Board of Directors meeting will be Thursday, January 25, 2024, at the LENRD office in Norfolk at 7:30 p.m. and on Facebook Live.



COLD STRESS IN CATTLE
– Samantha Daniel, NE Extension Educator

While daytime temperatures have been mild so far this December, bitter cold and negative wind chills are undoubtedly on the horizon. This is a good time to consider how we can best protect our cattle since livestock performance and survival is affected by wind and temperature.

The lower critical temperature, or the threshold at which cattle must use energy to maintain their body temperature, is 19 degrees F for cattle with a dry hair coat, and 53 degrees F for cows with a wet hair coat. Providing animals shelter in bad weather can help keep coats dry and limit wind chill effects, both of which will work to minimize the impact of the cold.  Shelter can also help in other ways. Calving success can increase by 2% behind a windbreak according to a Kansas study. In Montana feedlots during severe winters, cattle behind windbreaks gained 10.6 lbs. more than cattle that did not have windbreaks.

Cold stress increases a cow’s energy requirement which, if not met, can pull down body condition.  A general rule of thumb we can use is that for every degree of cold stress a cow faces, they increase their energy requirements by 1%. In extreme cold, even high-quality hay can’t meet the increased energy demands. Corn is a great high energy option, but we need to be careful to work it up in a diet slowly. Pair it with free choice hay for fill and make sure not to give too much at once to animals whose rumen hasn’t shifted yet.

Finally, it is important to remember that lactating cows have a much greater energy requirement than pregnant cows. Because of this, cold stress can reduce a lactating cow’s body condition more rapidly, so it is advisable to increase their energy intake before loss of condition is observed. If you have questions about adjusting animal diets to address cold weather stress, your local extension office is a great place to start.



Smithfield Foods Donates More than 64,000 Hams to Fight Hunger During the Holidays

Smithfield Foods donated 64,576 hams in December to food banks in six states through its Helping Hungry Homes® hunger relief program.

“Millions of people in the U.S. don’t have enough food to eat, and this is especially tragic during the holiday season,” said Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods. “We’re honored to be able share these hams with our neighbors in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah and Wisconsin, where more than 13,000 of our employees live, work and raise their families.”

Smithfield delivered hams with a net weight of more than 286,000 pounds to the following food banks in the Feeding America network between Dec. 15 and 20:
    Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin – Milwaukee, WI: 8,760 hams (37,000 lbs.)
    Feeding South Dakota – Sioux Falls, SD: 8,400 hams (35,000 lbs.)  
    Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri – Columbia, MO: 8,584 hams (37,700 lbs.)
    Food Bank for the Heartland – Omaha, NE: 7,152 hams (30,700 lbs.)
    Food Bank of Iowa – Des Moines, IA – 8,936 hams (38,000 lbs.)
    Food Bank of Lincoln – Lincoln, NE: 5,396 hams (30,500 lbs.)
    Second Harvest Community Food Bank – St. Joseph, MO: 9,744 hams (42,800 lbs.)
    Utah Food Bank – Salt Lake City, UT: 7,604 hams (34,500 lbs.)

According to Feeding America, 44 million people in the U.S. face hunger, including 13 million children, and 100% of U.S. counties lack access to enough food. In 2022, 49 million people turned to food assistance for extra help.

Smithfield also recently made several significant food donations to aid in hunger relief during the holidays. In December, the company distributed 7,300 free Smithfield Spiral Quarter Hams to individuals and families in the St. Charles, Illinois, area, and donated more than 32,000 pounds of protein to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Smithfield also held a “Hams for the Holidays” food distribution event in Smithfield, Virginia, distributing 1,000 free Smithfield Hickory Smoked Spiral Sliced Hams and holiday sides from Kroger to neighbors facing hunger in the local community.

In November, Smithfield donated 65,000 pounds of protein to Feeding Southwest Virginia and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, and donated 50,000 pounds of ham, bacon, sausage and other products during the Mayflower Marathon to benefit the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank and Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

Smithfield has been committed to fighting hunger and food insecurity since 2008. The company’s hunger relief program, Helping Hungry Homes®, has provided hundreds of millions of servings of protein all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Poland, Romania and Mexico. In 2022, Smithfield donated nearly 25 million servings of protein to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs across the U.S. and has pledged to donate 200 million servings of protein by 2025.

For more information about Smithfield’s programs to support local communities, please visit smithfieldfoods.com/helping-communities.  


November Prices Received Index Down 0.1 Percent

The November Prices Received Index 2011 Base (Agricultural Production), at 113.2, decreased 0.1 percent from October and 15 percent from November 2022. At 99.8, the Crop Production Index is down 3.0 percent from last month and 20 percent from the previous year. The Livestock Production Index, at 134.0, increased 0.6 percent from October, but decreased 6.7 percent from November last year. Producers received lower prices during November for corn, hogs, cattle, and turkeys but higher prices for market eggs, soybeans, strawberries, and lettuce. In addition to prices, the volume change of commodities marketed also influences the indexes. In November, there was decreased marketing of soybeans, grapes, wheat, and dry beans but increased monthly movement for corn, cattle, milk, and cotton.

November Prices Received by Farmers
Crop production: The November index, at 99.8, is 3.0 percent lower than October and 20 percent lower than November 2022. The grain & oilseed, fruit & tree nut, and other crop index decreases more than offset the vegetable & melon index increase.

Grain and oilseed: The November index, at 88.9, is down 5.4 percent from October and 20 percent from November 2022. Feed grain and food grain index decreases more than offset the oilseed index increase.

Feed grain: The November index, at 78.2, decreased 5.3 percent from last month and 28 percent from a year ago. The corn price, at $4.66 per bushel, is down 27 cents from last month and $1.83 from November 2022.

Food grain: At 102.8, the index for November decreased 3.5 percent from the previous month and 18 percent from a year ago. The November price for all wheat, at $6.53 per bushel, is 45 cents lower than October and $2.62 lower than November 2022. The November price for rice, at $17.70 per cwt, is 10 cents higher than October but 60 cents lower than November 2022.

Oilseed: At 103.6, the index for November increased 2.2 percent from October but decreased 7.4 percent from November 2022. The soybean price, at $13.00 per bushel, is 30 cents higher than October but $1.00 lower than November a year earlier.

Other crop: The November index, at 100.2, is down 7.6 percent from the previous month and 11 percent from November 2022. The all hay price, at $195.00 per ton, is down $6.00 from October and $43.00 from November 2022. At 72.4 cents per pound, the price for upland cotton is 2.7 cents lower than October and 7.7 cents lower than November 2022.

Livestock production: The index for November, at 134.0, increased 0.6 percent from the previous month but decreased 6.7 percent from November 2022. Poultry & egg and dairy index increases more than offset the lower meat animal index.

Meat animal: At 139.5, the November index decreased 2.2 percent from the previous month but increased 12 percent from a year earlier. At $57.50 per cwt, the November hog price is $2.90 lower than October and $9.20 lower than a year earlier. The November beef cattle price of $180.00 per cwt is $2.00 lower than the previous month but $29.00 higher than November 2022.

Dairy: The index for November, at 108.0, is up 0.5 percent from the previous month but down 15 percent from November a year ago. The November all milk price of $21.70 per cwt is 10 cents higher than October but $3.70 lower than November 2022.

Poultry and egg: At 145.5, the November index increased 9.2 percent from October but decreased 31 percent from November 2022. The November market egg price, at $1.61 per dozen, is 68.3 cents higher than October but $1.82 lower than November 2022. The November broiler price, at 66.5 cents per pound, is 1.6 cents higher than October but 6.4 cents lower than a year ago. At 65.2 cents per pound, the November turkey price is 9.8 cents lower than the previous month and 61.8 cents lower than November 2022.

Food Commodities: The index, at 127.4, increased 4.2 percent from the previous month but decreased 11 percent from November 2022.

November Prices Paid Index Down 0.4 Percent
The November Prices Paid Index for Commodities and Services, Interest, Taxes, and Farm Wage Rates (PPITW), at 138.4, is down 0.4 percent from October and 0.3 percent from November 2022. Lower prices in November for feeder cattle, diesel, feed grains, and supplements more than offset higher prices for nitrogen, concentrates, repairs, and complete feeds.

IOWA PRICES  
The average price received by farmers for corn during November 2023 in Iowa was $4.74 per bushel according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Agricultural Prices report. This was 22 cents below the October price and $1.76 below November 2022.

The November 2023 average price received by farmers for soybeans, at $13.20 per bushel, was 60 cents above the October price but $1.00 below the November 2022 price.

All hay prices in Iowa averaged $182.00 per ton in November. This was $12.00 above the October price and $10.00 above the November 2022 price. The November 2023 alfalfa hay price, at $189.00, was $4.00 above the previous month and $13.00 above November 2022. The average price received for other hay during November was $149.00 per ton. This was $2.00 above the October price but $3.00 below November last year.

The average price for milk was $19.60 per cwt, unchanged from the October price but $4.90 below November 2022.



Navigating swine winter manure application to maximize fertility and protect water quality

Crop field where liquid swine manure has been injected.AMES, Iowa – As winter approaches, the challenges associated with the application of manure become more pronounced. Adopting best practices that maximize nutrient utilization and safeguard our water resources is crucial. Daniel Andersen, associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, offers some critical considerations for swine manure application in the winter.

"Here are five areas to consider when making application decisions in the winter," he said. "The examples and reminders add additional information."

Compliance with regulations
In 2009, the Iowa Legislature passed a bill about the winter application of manure on snow-covered and frozen ground. The law applies to liquid manure from confinement feeding operations with more than 500 animal units in confinement.

This law does not apply to the following.
 • manure from open feedlots.
 • dry manure (frozen manure is not dry manure.)
 • liquid manure from small animal feeding operations (confinements less than 500 animal units.)
 • liquid manure that can be appropriately injected or incorporated on the same date of application.

Iowa prohibits liquid manure application from confinement operations with more than 500 animal units on snow-covered ground from Dec. 21 to April 1, and frozen ground from Feb. 1 to April 1.

The "winter manure application" rules have two parts: a date and condition. Both components must be true for liquid and slurry manure application to be prohibited. So, while the calendar date of Dec. 21 is quickly approaching, it is unlikely that the ground will be snow-covered (defined as 1 inch of snow or 0.5 inches of ice on the soil surface). As a result, liquid and slurry manure application would still be allowed until snow cover occurs.

DNR will allow for emergency applications when slurry manure applications are otherwise prohibited. If you must apply for manure under the emergency exemption, you must contact DNR before making a land application. You must also report certain facts and follow a certain protocol to meet the emergency exemption requirements.

Other winter manure application technicalities
If your operation is required to follow the Master Matrix, then make sure you comply with the land application for the Matrix since you may have gotten points for injecting or incorporating manure. If you need to winter apply, injection or incorporation may not be possible. If this change is made, pay extra attention to manure application setback distances required for surface application.

Understanding snow conditions
Applying manure directly onto snow-covered fields poses a significant risk of nutrient runoff when the snow melts. Especially if melt will occur quickly. Instead, wait to apply until after snowmelt or choose alternative manure management strategies. Applying manure on frozen ground is also prohibited, as the frozen surface inhibits absorption, increasing runoff potential. Timing is key; in an emergency situation, apply manure when limited snow is present and quick melts aren't expected. Slow melting encourages water infiltration and absorption of manure nutrients into the soil. If necessary, choose fields with lesser snow accumulation that are relatively flat. Increase buffer or setback distances around field edges to reduce the risk of nutrient transport from the field.

Thoughtful land use choices
Assessing land use choices is pivotal in winter manure management. Avoid applying manure on steep slopes or areas prone to poor drainage, as these increase the likelihood of runoff. If applying in winter, for emergency, fields with a phosphorus index of less than two are required, and the field needs to be designated in your manure plan as an emergency application field. Choose fields with good water-holding capacity to minimize the risk of nutrient loss. Additionally, consider the implementation of cover crops, which capture excess nutrients and protect the soil from erosion during winter months. Residue cover offers three main benefits – it helps hold the soil in place, slows down runoff, reduces erosion, and acts as a filter to help hold dislodged soil and manure particles. However, residue can also capture snowfall and hold it in the field. While it takes approximately 10" of snow to make an inch of water, ice-crusted soil water intake is often slow.

Protecting water quality
Prioritize water quality by maintaining setback distances from water bodies and sensitive areas. Implementing vegetative buffers helps prevent nutrient runoff into waterways. Incorporating manure into the soil soon after application is another effective strategy, reducing the risk of surface runoff and enhancing crop nutrient absorption. Where possible, maintain grass or cover crop buffers downslope of manure-applied areas to slow any runoff and ensure solids in the water settle out before trickling away. Leave a setback area around field borders to reduce the risk of manure nutrients leaving the field.

In conclusion, Andersen said that adopting these best practices for manure application in the winter will enhance nutrient management and contribute to protecting our water resources.

"While research has consistently shown greater potential risk of nutrient loss from winter manure application, research studies demonstrate loss is often related to quick snow melt or rainfall on frozen soils," he said. "Given current Iowa conditions with no snowpack and low chances of rainfall, the late risk of nutrient loss is lessened this year. However, it's important to stay informed of the forecast and be proactive to changing weather conditions to help ensure a sustainable and environmentally responsible approach to winter manure application."