Thursday August 15 Ag News

 For Kicks and Giggles
Alfredo DiCostanzo, Nebraska Extension Beef Systems Educator

Now that the Cuming County Fair is over, it is time for positive reflection, for kicks and giggles.

If you attended the Cuming County Fair last week, I hope you had the opportunity to witness children having fun.

Why should we pay attention to this? Because genuine laughter and fun reflect happiness, and true happiness is born out of a caring environment.

If you are an adult who participated in a fair event or simply visited the fair, it was difficult to miss children running around playing games and enjoying free time with their siblings, relatives or friends. Yes, there may have been bumps or bruises and even some hurt feelings, but I am sure the net outcome will be happy memories.

At a time when we are all bombarded with gadgetry-derived entertainment and communication, recognizing that children still have fun the old-fashioned way is comforting. There were very few instances where a cell phone was in their hands. (Likely an adult checking on or looking for them.)

What does this reveal? Many positive things. But first, congratulations to parents, extended family, teachers and mentors for creating a loving and nurturing environment where children can be children.

We all know that a solid foundation in childhood creates well-adapted, family-driven, and productive citizens. The proof is represented in the generations of adults that precede these children. The communities in Cuming County are thriving.

So, if you are a parent, relative, teacher or mentor to these students, thank you. Keep doing what you have been doing. The children will be grateful for it.

If you are a visitor who was able to contrast this happy behavior to the tantrum-dominated behavior, likely caused by excessive gadget-based babysitting, perhaps you may be able to suggest to their parents and guardians that happiness does not come from those gadgets. It comes from devoting nurturing time with children whose lives they influence, and by permitting them to simply be children.



Humphrey Native Elected to Lead Pork Association

Ryan Preister of Humphrey, Nebraska was selected as President of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association (NPPA) at the Annual Membership Meeting of the Association. The meeting was held on July 17 at York’s Holthus Convention Center in conjunction with the Nebraska Pork Expo. Joining President Preister on NPPA’s Executive Team are President-Elect, Walt Traudt of Clay Center and Allison Zabel of Omaha as Vice-President. Mark Wright of Fremont will serve as Past President and was thanked for his service by the incoming President.

The Preister farm is a fourth-generation family affair near Humphrey that includes Ryan’s wife Megan and three young sons, as well as Ryan’s parents, Dean and Ann. Their operation includes a wean-to-finish pig farm where Preister actively walks barns, hauls pigs, markets animals and directly deals with animal care. They are also diversified row-crop farmers and have an Agronomic Services component to their entity as well. Preister holds his Pork Quality Assurance Plus and Transport Quality Assurance Certifications. Fun fact! He also proudly wore #66 for the 1996 and 1997 Husker Football Teams!

Ryan Preister has been an NPPA Director for four years. Since joining the Board, he has represented NPPA in Orlando at the National Pork Producers Conference, National Pork Forum and a Nebraska Dept. of Agriculture Trade Mission to Japan and South Korea. Preister is also very active in his community, church and local school.

Strategizing about his impending Presidency, Preister is transparent on his goals. “We have an excellent young board with great ideas on how to move our industry forward and I am excited to be working with them. We must continue to tell our story about the proud farm families that raise our animals and the safe, sustainable and affordable high-quality protein they produce. We’ll work hard as a Board to convey and promote that message to our consumers.”

Also selected or confirmed for another two-term as Directors were: Kyle Baade, Plymouth; Hunter Thomas, Broken Bow; David May, Henderson; Cody Lambrecht, Omaha; Katie Stack, Omaha; Austin Zimmerman, Wymore and Josh Wendt of Leigh, Nebraska. Justin Hankins of Bellevue will serve as an Alternate Director. New Directors beginning their first two-year term are Tina Hertzel and Gary Stover, both from Columbus.

Serving in an advisor capacity to the NPPA Directors are representatives from National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, AFAN, UNL Extension, UNL Animal Science, NE Department of Agriculture and State Veterinarian’s Office.



INOCULANTS FOR CORN SILAGE
- Ben Beckman, NE Extension Educator

Corn silage harvest success rests on proper harvest, packing, and storage practices.  When we need a boost, adding an inoculant at harvest time can help improve fermentation and storage, but we need to know what products to use to get the best result.

Silage inoculants are simply bacterial cultures that help manage pH in the pile by converting sugars to acids which reduce molds, fungi, and unwanted bacteria such as clostridia.

When selecting an inoculant, the first step is deciding if up-front fermentation or pile stability are needed, or maybe both. Up front fermentation helps if most of our issues center around harvest and packing.  If problems are more centered on storage and feed out, stability is where we should spend our money.  Sometimes, a mix of both are needed.

Inoculants primarily reduce storage losses.  Silages that contain homolactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus plantarum help fermentation start and end quicker by dropping the pH fast.  This allows more silage to remain for feeding.  Other inoculants, like heterolactic acid bacteria Lactobacillius buchneri, can improve aerobic stability by reducing spoilage losses when silage is re-exposed to air.  These bacteria are especially useful at reducing spoilage on the face of bunker silos if the face is too wide to keep fresh or if producers take out several days’ worth of feed from the pile at one time.

The purpose of inoculants is not to fix a train wreck or improve a perfect silage year, but they can help when things aren’t ideal. Inoculants can be used as an insurance policy to reduce the risk of spoilage and maintain quality.



Nebraska ranks third in U.S. corn economy

Corn farmers in Nebraska planted 9.95 million acres last year, harvested 9.50 million acres, and produced 1.729 billion bushels. The state's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by $5.2 billion and $14.4 billion because of this production.

Furthermore, it generated $48 million in wages and more than 45,000 jobs, positioning Nebraska, at 9.5 percent, as the third-largest contributor to the economic output of corn growing in the United States, after Illinois and Iowa.

These figures are derived from a study conducted by the National Corn Growers Association, which analyzed the economic impact of corn farming in the U.S. The study considered various economic effects, including the upstream supply chain linkages and the household spending of corn farmers and their employees.

While the analysis included the impact of input purchases such as seed and fertilizer, it did not account for corn processing, refining, milling, exports, or other end uses of corn.

On a national scale, corn farming contributed $150.8 billion towards economic output and $61.9 billion to GDP. Additionally, the industry supported 608,373 jobs across farming, input suppliers, and related sectors, highlighting the vital role corn farming plays in the U.S. economy.



Platte Valley Cattlemen Outlook Meeting

The Platte Valley Cattlemen will have their annual outlook meeting on Monday Aug 19th at the Doernemann Barn near Clarkson.  Social at 6pm, the Meal is at 7pm, and the guest speaker to follow is Knobbe Cattle and Commodities talking about the cattle market and projections for the future.  Pinnacle Bank is sponsoring the social hour.  They look forward to seeing you at The Barn!




Colfax Dodge Co Corn Growers Summer Meeting
Tuesday Aug 20
Social at 5:30pm
Meal at 6:30pm
Brad & Bethany Ferguson Shop – 725 Co Rd K, Scribner, NE
Guest Speaker: NE Athletic Director Troy Dannen
For more information call Jordan at 402-719-0184



Dodge Co Farm Bureau annual meeting

Dodge County Farm Bureau will hold their Annual meeting Thursday, August 22nd at the Office Bar & Grill in Hooper. Social beginning at 6pm, meal at 6:30pm guest speaker after the meal, Chuck Schroder. RSVP at dodgecountyfarmbureau@gmail.com.



Deb Fischer Earns Endorsement from Nebraska Farmers Union PAC

Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) announced today the endorsement of the Nebraska Farmers Union PAC for her 2024 re-election bid. This historic endorsement marks the first time the organization has endorsed Deb Fischer for the United States Senate.

"We are proud to endorse Senator Fischer for her 2024 re-election campaign," said Nebraska Farmers Union PAC Secretary John Hansen. "Her commitment to promoting the interests of Nebraska’s family farmers and ranchers, as demonstrated by her leadership on the Farm Bill, the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, rural stress, and her support for expanding and promoting the use of renewable fuels, shows that she is a true ally of our agricultural community.  Less than a handful of U.S. Senators come from active farm or ranch operations, and Sen. Fischer is one of them. There is no substitute for that real world experience.”

Earning the endorsement of the Nebraska Farmers Union PAC, Deb Fischer issued the following statement:  

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Nebraska Farmers Union PAC," said Deb Fischer. Together, we have worked on many critical issues like protecting crop insurance, expanding the production and use of renewable fuels, increasing the transparency and fairness in cattle markets, and crafting a Farm Bill that prioritizes the needs of Nebraska’s family farmers and ranchers. I look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure our ag community has an unwavering advocate representing them.”

The Nebraska Farmers Union endorsement is a significant boost to Senator Fischer’s re-election campaign, underscoring her strong record of results for the agricultural community and her dedication to helping working families across our state. This key endorsement adds to her growing list of distinguished support across Nebraska from labor unions, trade associations, and everyday Nebraskans.



Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards Presented to 44 Farm Families at the 2024 Iowa State Fair

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon today recognized 44 Iowa farm families with Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Awards at the 2024 Iowa State Fair. The award acknowledges farmers who take voluntary actions to improve and protect our state’s natural resources, including our soil and water, serving as leaders within their communities.

These farm families use cover crops, no-till, wetlands, bioreactors, saturated buffers, grass waterways and many other proven conservation practices that improve water quality, enhance soil health and support the goals of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. These worthy recipients recognize that the benefits of conservation practices extend beyond their farms, and their leadership encourages others to adopt similar conservation practices.

“Farming and environmental stewardship have always gone hand-in-hand,” said Governor Reynolds. “Today, we’re proud to honor farm families who have gone above and beyond, often for generations, to safeguard the land that feeds the world and makes our way of life possible. Congratulations to the 2024 IFELA award winners and thank you for preserving our state’s natural resources for decades to come.”

“Iowa continues to set records for conservation and water quality practice implementation, and this award recognizes our state’s farm families who are leading the way and serving as positive examples for others,” said Secretary Naig. “We are committed to accelerating our state’s water quality efforts in the years ahead and I am confident that Iowa’s farmers and landowners will rise to meet to this challenge.”  

"We take great pride in recognizing these leaders in our farming communities throughout our state who prioritize sound conservation practices," said Director Lyon. "Their commitment to conservation is paving the way for future generations and inspiring other farmers."

The 2024 award recipients, listed alphabetically by last name, are:

Tom and Mary Beth Adam
Keokuk County

Green Country Farms LLC
Alec Amundson and Adam Norby
Mitchell County

Balderston Farms
Aaron and Dawn Balderston
Linn County

Bretz Farms LLC
Michael and Lisa Bretz
Buchanan County

Marty and Lisa Danzer
Carroll County

Tamara Deal
Guthrie County

Divan Farms
Jeff and Haley Divan
Winnebago County

Sean and Sara Dolan
Buchanan County

Brandt and Stacy Ferry
Shelby County

Matt Goodman
Marshall County

David and Julie Guthrie Family
Delaware County

Steve Henze and Joan Meester
Grundy County

Conner and Ashley Hildreth
Calhoun County

Jay and Marlowe Jung
Floyd County

Jason and Jordan Klinge
Clayton County

Kubik Farm
Tama County

Hunter Lindgren
Ida County

Dallas and Rebecca Linkenmeyer
Howard County

Keith Lovrien Farm
Butler County

Maxwell Farms
Story County

Andy and Lisa Merron
Kossuth County

Eric A Miller
Dubuque County

Metairie Ltd
Stan and Martha Nelson
Des Moines County

Bloomsbury Farm
David and Karen Petersen
Benton County

Broken Kettle Feedlot
Plymouth County

Kevin Prevo
Davis County

David and Mary Robinette
Montgomery County

Oaklawn Farms
Leon Schau
Lee County

Tony and Shirley Schroeder
Plymouth County

David, Amy, Aaron and Ean Scott
Muscatine County

Nick and Mary Sennert
Buena Vista County

Joseph and Janice Shirbroun
Carroll County

Jessob and Jenna Steffen
Clay County

Sterling Farms
Wapello County

Steve and Sue Anne Stoermer
Clay County

Tim and Jana Terwilliger
Humboldt County

Eric and Tali Vander Stouwe
Sioux County

Tom and Jen Vaske Family Farm
Delaware County

Mark and Brennen Vogel
Guthrie County

Brent and Cara Wells
Pocahontas County

Weston Family Farms
Luke and Alicia Weston
Buchanan County

Russell and Beth Winterhof
Cherokee County

Brush Creek Henhouse LLC
Mark and Alana Yoder and Sara Yoder
Decatur County

Dennis and Ann Youngquist and Timothy and Amanda Youngquist
Sac County

The winners were chosen by a committee representing conservation and agricultural groups. A total of 821 Iowa farm families have been recognized since the creation of the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award in 2012. A list of previous recipients is available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website.



All Fertilizer Prices Lower for Third Consecutive Week

Average retail prices for all eight major fertilizers were down again during the first full week of August 2024, according to sellers surveyed by DTN. This marks the third week in a row that prices for all fertilizers fell just slightly. DTN designates a significant price move as anything 5% or more.

DAP had an average price of $744 per ton, MAP $818/ton, potash $503/ton and urea $504/ton. 10-34-0 had an average price of $640/ton, anhydrous $675/ton, UAN28 $338/ton and UAN32 $376/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.55/lb.N, anhydrous $0.41/lb.N, UAN28 $0.60/lb.N and UAN32 $0.59/lb.N.

All fertilizers but two are lower compared to one year ago. Both MAP and anhydrous are now 7% more expensive looking back to last year. The remaining six fertilizers are lower. DAP is 2% less expensive, UAN32 is 6% lower, UAN28 is 8% less expensive, 10-34-0 is 10% lower, potash is 11% less expensive and urea is 13% lower in price compared to a year prior.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 8/9/2024

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending August 9, ethanol production nudged up 0.5% to 1.07 million b/d, equivalent to 45.02 million gallons daily. Output was 0.3% more than the same week last year and 7.8% above the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate decreased 0.7% from a record high to 1.09 million b/d, which is equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.69 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks tightened 1.7% to a 4-week low of 23.4 million barrels. Stocks were 0.3% less than the same week last year but 4.2% above the five-year average. Inventories thinned across all regions except the Gulf Coast (PADD 3) and Rocky Mountains (PADD 4). Notably, West Coast (PADD 5) stocks dropped to their lowest levels in over two years.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, improved 0.9% to 9.05 million b/d (139.04 bg annualized). Demand was 2.2% more than a year ago but 1.2% below the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol followed, climbing 0.6% to an 11-week high of 932,000 b/d, equivalent to 14.33 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.6% more than year-ago levels and 1.4% above the five-year average.

Ethanol exports were estimated at 71,000 b/d (3.0 million gallons/day), 66.2% less than the prior week. There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the 47th consecutive week.



Farmers Align with Value Chain to Address Land Use Change and Protect Natural Resources

A new Land Use Change Initiative (LUCI) is leading efforts to resolve inconsistencies in definitions, metrics and methodologies for quantifying land use change. Funded by the United Soybean Board (USB) in partnership with Carbon A List, this multistakeholder initiative seeks to unite every step of the value chain in developing a unified solution to these challenges. Farmers play an essential role in protecting our land’s natural resources through sustainable farming and conservation planning.

“Farmers have often been left out of conversations regarding land use change and its collective impact on agriculture. We weren’t at the table, so we had to build our own table through this land use change initiative,” said Steve Reinhard, USB Chair and Ohio farmer who presented keynote remarks at LUCI’s recent Land Use Change Summit. “North American agriculture and the half-million soybean farmers who represent 90 million acres can have a huge impact on climate solutions. Progress is a priority on our farm not only when it comes to conservation but improving land management. For example, the grids for monitoring our fields started at 5 acres, then dropped to 2.5 acres, and now we’re seeing it down to the acre and even half-acre to make input adjustments for soil health and crop productivity.”

LUCI started two years ago to proactively drive collaboration and advance sound science. The goal aims to achieve a better understanding of land use change that’s more representative of today’s farming practices, the role of grasslands in our agricultural system, and ensuring system resilience.

Examples of farmers’ commitment to land use change and sustainable farming include:
    Through LUCI, convening key players across the agriculture, environmental science, corporate sustainability, academia, and government sectors to coordinate land use calculations that preserve farmland and native and natural ecosystems.
    Spearheading Farmers for Soil Health in collaboration with the corn and pork commodity groups, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to provide a cost share and technical assistance to farmers in 20 states aiming to double cover crop acres to 30 million acres by 2030.
    Investing in research to enhance seed genetics that can withstand drought and flooding, in addition to using genomics to accelerate the development of new soybean varieties, improving soybean protein and amino acid composition.
    Researching and educating farmers on new biological products for pest management, fertilizer, and fungicides.
    Investing in communications and science translation to reach farmers and stakeholders across the value chain.

“Land use change is evolutionary, not revolutionary. Farmers are trying our best to do what we think is right for our land. And change is not always going to happen overnight, so please be patient with us. Look at the farmer as your partner and bring us along the way,” said Nancy Kavazanjian, USB director and Wisconsin farmer. “Not only are we losing grasslands, we’re losing productive farmland to urbanization and acres being converted to warehouses, residential developments, and wind and solar farms.”

David Wessel, USB director and Illinois farmer additionally shares, “Right now, it is difficult to compete with our worldwide competitors on production alone. A consistent land use change model would make for a more even playing field, giving U.S. products the advantage we need to gain market share in an environmentally friendly marketplace.”

LUCI recently hosted its inaugural in-person Land Use Change Summit at McDonald’s International Headquarters in Chicago, sponsored by USB, McDonald’s, Carbon A List and Fulton Market Group. Gathering nearly 100 experts across the food and agriculture value chain, the summit set out to accomplish three goals: 1) find common ground 2) set a strategic course, and 3) prepare to engage. Several presentations, panels, breakouts and even remarks from Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, grounded this group on the task at hand. LUCI participants narrowed consensus on definitions, consolidated data sources, increased the accuracy of land use change estimation, and chartered next steps for a path forward.

To receive updates or get involved, visit the Land Use Change Initiative webpage https://carbonalist.com/enhancing-the-infrastructure-to-improve-soybean-based-land-use-change-luc-analysis-and-assessment/ where you can find a white paper describing critical issues and gaps, and identifies where the opportunities exist for implementing change, in addition to a primer report and proceedings report prepared for LUCI’s workshop sessions.  



Smithfield Foods Donates $150,000 in Grant Funding to the National FFA Organization

Smithfield Foods donated $150,000 in annual grant funding to support local chapters and members of the National FFA Organization.

"FFA provides students with valuable learning opportunities and resources to succeed in their communities,” said Steve Evans, vice president of community development for Smithfield Foods. “We’re proud to partner with FFA so that future leaders have the experiences and skills necessary to help create a brighter future.”

The first round of grants totaling $75,000 was awarded to 21 local FFA chapters in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and North Carolina, with the next round to be distributed in October.

As a corporate partner of the National FFA Organization, Smithfield has committed to providing annual funding for Smithfield’s chapter grants program. The chapter grants program was launched in spring 2024 and offers FFA members the opportunity to experience and take part in activities in which they otherwise would not be able to.

“National FFA is grateful for Smithfield’s partnership and commitment to impacting local chapters and members,” said Molly Ball, president of the National FFA Foundation and chief marketing officer of the National FFA Organization. “The $150,000 in grant funding that Smithfield is providing to local FFA chapters across the country will expand access to educational opportunities and provide the resources needed for them to thrive.”

Grant recipients will use the funds towards chapter activities, operational needs and community service projects that support unique and innovative ideas aligning with Smithfield’s focus areas of hunger relief, education and community vitality.

The second round of grant applications will open on Aug. 15, and the awards will be announced in October.