Monday March 11 Ag News

Teachers Invited to Summer Soybean Institute

The Nebraska Soybean Board is proud to announce its funding support for the upcoming 2024 Summer Soybean Institute (SSI), inviting twenty middle school and high school educators to delve into the fascinating world of soybeans. Hosted by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) in collaboration with local teacher leader collaboratives, this enriching institute will be held on May 29-30 and July 16-18.

SSI aims to equip teachers with the necessary tools to instill a passion for soybeans in their students by delving into the intricacies of the Nebraska Soybean Story. Facilitated by content experts from CASNR, the Nebraska Soybean Board and local teacher leader collaboratives, participants will engage in sessions designed to cultivate systematic thinking and foster a comprehensive understanding of soybeans as a system.

"This year, we are encouraging cross-curricular teams of teachers to apply, so students can see how soybeans are not only a good fit for science but also have strong connections to data collection, mathematics, economics, business and other areas," said Bailey Feit, CASNR/LPS focus program coordinator.

Participants will have the option to attend sessions at either the West Central Research, Extension and Education Center in North Platte or the FEWS2 Hub on the East Campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln. Teachers who complete all five days of the institute will receive a stipend of $1,050 along with a $250 lesson plan implementation bonus and up to $1,000 supply budget to further enrich their classrooms.

"As a member of the planning team for SSI 2024, I am very excited to see the creativity our teachers can bring to their classrooms," Feit said. "Educators everywhere are very innovative, and the SSI will allow them to learn about soybeans, how important they are to Nebraska, and integrate them into their teaching."

The program teams for both locations include esteemed faculty members and experts from various departments within CASNR. The Summer Soybean Institute is made possible through the support of the Nebraska Soybean Board and Nebraska Extension.

Quotes from Past Participants:
    "Best eight days of science learning that I have ever had. It was fun, engaging and pushed me to become a learner again and a better teacher in the end."
    “Tons of genetics opportunities, forces + motion unit (speed & strength of plant/root/leaf growth), farming practices in the modern era = engineering.”
    "Great mix of in class learning for NGSS, soybean learning, expert learning and work time."
    “When learning about plants, soybeans are a great vehicle for learning.”

The registration deadline in March 18 and priority will be given to cross-curricular teams of teachers. For more information and  details, interested parties are encouraged to visit go.unl.edu/2024ssi or email k12partners@unl.edu.



University leaders thank federal delegation for USDA ag research facility investment

University of Nebraska Interim President Chris Kabourek was joined Friday by NU leaders in issuing statements on the bipartisan federal spending bill approved by the House and Senate and signed by the President.

The budget package includes $25 million for construction of a USDA Agricultural Research Service facility located at UNL's Nebraska Innovation Campus, part of a broad vision at the university to advance agricultural research and development for the future.

The federal funding was championed by Sen. Deb Fischer in the Senate and Rep. Mike Flood in the House. All members of Nebraska's federal delegation have supported the facility being located in Nebraska.

"This is a remarkable investment that will further Nebraska's status as a world leader in agriculture," Kabourek said. "Senator Fischer has been a true champion and partner in this effort from the start, and all of us at the University of Nebraska are grateful for her leadership. Nor would this be possible without the leadership and advocacy of Congressman Flood. We're eager to continue working closely with our federal delegation to make the USDA ARS facility a reality and are excited to break ground this spring.

"Agriculture has always been, and will always be, foundational to the University of Nebraska's work. I could not be more pleased that all of Team Nebraska – from our Board of Regents, to our federal partners, the Governor and Legislature, donors, farmers and ranchers across the state, and our incredible faculty, staff and students – is working together to keep us on the forefront in meeting the needs of our state and feeding the world for generations to come."

UNL Chancellor Rodney Bennett said: "UNL is so grateful for the leadership of Sen. Fischer and Congressman Flood, pushing us one step closer to hosting the ARS National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture, the only federal center in the United States focused on climate-smart, sustainable, digital and precision agriculture. The research conducted at the center will benefit Nebraskans and many, many others across the country."

Mike Boehm, NU vice president and Harlan Vice Chancellor for UNL's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said: "This project is an amazing example of Nebraskans working together to strengthen and grow the heart and soul of our state – agriculture. The USDA could have placed this National Center anywhere in the United States, but they chose Nebraska, where we are driving innovation in regenerative, resilient and precision agriculture."

The $160 million National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture envisioned at Innovation Campus will be home to world-leading research and development in ag tech, precision agriculture, and other areas crucial to the future of agricultural innovation. It is expected to house four USDA ARS research units, including two new teams focused on precision production and water, climate and resilience – growing the number of high-wage, high-skill and high-demand jobs in Nebraska's most important industry.

A companion to the USDA ARS facility, the Ag Tech Incubator and Accelerator, will serve as a business incubator and accelerator and ensure that the research and discovery taking place at the national center moves quickly from discovery to real-world solutions for farmers, ranchers and food manufacturers. The Legislature and Governor in 2022 approved $25 million in state funding for that facility, contingent upon the university raising $25 million in private funding. Kabourek said fundraising is moving forward in earnest and is one of the key priorities of the ongoing Only in Nebraska campaign.



Three-State Beef Webinar Series

The in-person conference scheduled for January had to be cancelled because of the weather, but Nebraska Extension wanted to still deliver the information to anyone interested, so they opted for a series of webinars instead.

Join them on March 12, 19 and 26 to learn more about reevaluating management of young cows, development of heifers, and corn residue grazing to help ensure success.

The webinars will start at 6 p.m. (Central Time) and you can register using the links below to for instructions to join. Please register separately for each session you plan to attend.

March 12: Managing young cows for longevity and profitability
— Dr. Thiago Martins, asst. professor, beef reproduction extension & research, University of Missouri
Register here: https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_249M6bd6GYGxuu2

March 19: Developing heifers for the future
— Kiernan Brandt, professional services technician, Trans Ova Genetics
Register here: https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_b3hAElhyMKX7ANM

March 26: Corn residue grazing: current recommendations and adjustments based on new data
— Dr. Mary Drewnoski, beef systems specialist, University of Nebraska
Register here: https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TCEoU9fqEmIFYG



Midwest Dairy Announces New Chief Executive Officer

Midwest Dairy, the checkoff organization representing over 4,000 dairy farmers in a ten-state region, officially announced that Corey Scott of Marine on Saint Croix, Minn. has been named its new Chief Executive Officer. Scott is an accomplished dairy leader with more than 15 years of food and agriculture experience.  

Scott will begin her tenure at Midwest Dairy on March 13, 2024. She will be transitioning from retiring CEO Molly Pelzer, who announced her departure last fall.

“I am excited for this new chapter in Midwest Dairy’s long history of excellent CEO leaders,” says Charles Krause, Midwest Dairy Chairman. “I look forward to working with Corey on the many opportunities we have to serve our family dairy farms.”

Before joining Midwest Dairy, Scott served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Athian and held several leadership positions for over 15 years with Land O’Lakes and its sustainability division, Truterra LLC.

Scott received her Executive MBA and undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and the Carlson School of Business. In 2023, she was selected as one of GreenBiz’s 12 Women Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems and earned a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award for her work in reducing dairy’s overall environmental footprint.  

“I am honored to serve as CEO for Midwest Dairy and work on behalf of dairy farmers across our ten-state region,” Scott says. “I have worked with dairy farmers throughout my career and am always struck by the passion they show for their cows, the environment and our communities. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead such a respected organization and support the hard work of both staff and farmers.”



Rapid Start for 2024 Pork Exports; Beef Export Value Above Year-Ago

U.S. pork exports raced to a great start in 2024, according to January data released by USDA and compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). While January beef exports were slightly below last year’s volume, export value trended significantly higher. Lamb exports were also strong in January, posting the highest value in more than four years.

Strong gains for U.S. pork in Mexico, Korea, Central and South America, Australia
Although January pork exports were led by another powerful performance in leading market Mexico, U.S. pork continued to make gains in a wide range of Western Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific destinations. With momentum continuing to grow in South Korea, Central and South America, Australia and Malaysia, pork exports totaled 251,424 metric tons (mt) in January, up 6% from a year ago. Export value also increased 6% to $682.1 million.

“Mexico’s demand for U.S. pork is so spectacular that it tends to overshadow other great success stories,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. “It is especially gratifying to see other markets following the trail blazed by Mexico, as purchases expand beyond raw material for further processing to include center-of-the-plate cuts, including loins, which are gaining popularity at retail and foodservice.”

Beef export value higher than a year ago, led by strong variety meat results
January beef exports totaled 99,764 mt, down 1% from a year ago. But export value climbed 9% to $763.8 million, as value trended higher year-over-year to South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Central America, the Caribbean and Hong Kong. Beef variety meat exports increased 12% from a year ago to 23,138 mt, while value climbed 16% to $89 million, led by growth in Japan, Egypt, Mexico, Korea, Peru and China/Hong Kong.

“While USMEF expects 2024 to be another challenging year in terms of beef supply availability, the upward trend in export value is a positive sign,” Halstrom said. “The inventory has been cleared and customers in Asia are reloading on U.S. beef. There is also more optimism in Asia’s foodservice sector, especially in Korea. Combined with the recent strength we’ve seen in the Western Hemisphere, this bodes well for beef demand in the coming year. January was also an excellent month for beef variety meat exports, which are especially important for maximizing the value of every animal.”

Lamb exports largest in 10 months; value highest since 2019
January exports of U.S. lamb totaled 303 mt, up 28% from a year ago and the largest since March. Export value increased 53% to $1.7 million, the highest monthly value since December 2019. Export growth was led by the Caribbean and Canada, while exports to Mexico also increased year-over-year in value.



NPPC: EPA’s WOTUS Rule Still Problematic for Farmers
 
In a recent public hearing addressing the implementation of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule by the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NPPC chief legal strategist Michael Formica expressed ongoing concerns about the rule's implications for producers.
 
During the Obama and Biden administrations, these agencies sought to expand its authority to include waters with even a tenuous connection to covered waters, such as drains, ditches, stock ponds, and low spots on farmlands. This expansion could have required CWA permits for routine agricultural activities near those features, subjecting producers to civil and criminal penalties.
 
But the U.S. Supreme Court in May 2023 limited their authority, holding that CWA waters “refers only to geographical features that are described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers and lakes and to adjacent wetlands that are indistinguishable from those bodies of water due to a continuous surface connection.”

In his remarks, Formica pointed out that EPA’s rule and its implementation, purportedly conforming with the high court’s 2023 decision, continues to lack clarity and consistency.
 
In particular, while farmers struggle to understand what it requires, Formica noted that it isn’t practical for farmers to seek guidance from EPA on whether an activity is legal every time they need to move dirt, plow a field, or erect a fence. Additionally, Formica raised serious concerns over EPA’s use of “internal” guidance, which has not been shared with the public, to implement and enforce its new WOTUS rule, a prospect he called “outrageous” for an already confusing law.
 
Formica said he continues to hear reports from farmers in multiple states that, despite the Supreme Court ruling, EPA is asserting jurisdiction over ephemeral streams that are far removed from navigable waters, including streams that weren’t even covered under the earlier expansive WOTUS rule.



NFU Kicks Off 122nd Anniversary Convention Highlighting Importance of Democratic Institutions and Grassroots Advocacy  

National Farmers Union (NFU) kicked off its 122nd Anniversary Convention Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona where programming will focus on the importance of strong democratic institutions, both within Farmers Union and across the country.  

“In an era where public trust in institutions is waning, it’s crucial for Farmers Union to reinforce our governance principles and the thoughtful processes that guide our grassroots advocacy,” said NFU President Rob Larew. “Throughout our history, Farmers Union has been a leader in promoting direct action on behalf of family farmers and ranchers. With so much at stake this year, from the upcoming election to a new farm bill, we stand committed to build on that history and ensure farmers, ranchers and our rural communities continue to make our voices heard.”

From March 10 through 12, attendees will hear from a host of speakers to prepare them for the year ahead, including The Honorable Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sarah Suggs, President and CEO, Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy, as well as a discussion on the future of farmer-owned cooperatives featuring Chuck Conner, President and CEO, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Keri Jacobs, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Applied Economics and Partridge Chair in Cooperative Leadership, University of Missouri and Doug O’Brien, President and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International.  

Convention delegates and attendees will also hear from Rod Snyder, Senior Advisor for Agriculture to the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Kari Jo Lawrence, CEO, Intertribal Agriculture Council, Doug McKalip, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Carah Hart, President of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.

As the 2024 Convention continues, delegates and attendees will participate in breakout sessions on a variety of topics, debate and vote on NFU’s grassroots policy for the year, and hold elections for the offices of NFU President and Vice President.