Friday June 8 Ag News

Platte Valley Cattlemen tour Set for June 18th
Lucas Luckey, Platte Valley Cattlemen President

It is time once again for our annual feedlot/agri-business tour. This year’s tour will be held on Monday June 18th.  We will be visiting the Tom Russkamp farm between Howells and Dodge, where they are using a cow/calf confinement barn. Then we will be moving on to West Point Design in West Point, where we will tour their manufacturing facility. Finally, we will head over to Knobbe Feedyard for a tour of their facility and have a steak supper.

This year we have a tour bus sponsored by First National Bank that will be departing from Wunderlich’s in Columbus at 12:30 pm. From there we will go to Creston to pick up any one that would like to meet there, the bus will be parking by Alice’s so please park accordingly. We will leave Creston at 1pm then we will make one more stop at Platte Valley Equipment of Clarkson for anyone who would like to meet us there. We will depart from Platte Valley Equipment at approximately 1:30 and head to the Russkamp Farm.

Please let Lucas or Boyd know if you will be riding the bus and what location you will be getting on at.
Lucas Luckey - 402-910-0373
Boyd Hellbusch - 402-920-0699

If you want to drive on your own or just join us at one or two stops here are the directions:

2:00 pm Russkamp Farm
Go 3 miles East of Howells on HWY 91 then turn North at the Olean Church sign. Go 2 miles north to the county correction line, go east a little ways then turn north again and go 1 mile. Turn west and go ½ mile and the Farm is on the south side of the road.

3:30 pm West Point Design
About a mile or so south of West Point on Hwy 275 east side of the road.

5:00 Knobbe Feedyard
From West Point go west on HWY 32 for 1½ miles then turn South on Road 15 (black top), go 1 mile south.

6:00 pm. Steak supper at Knobbe feedyard.

Please thank the following supporters of this year’s tour:
* Bank of the Valley (refreshments)
* First National Bank (bus transportation)
* Knobbe Feedyard  (meal locations & side dishes)
* Tom Russkamp and West Point Design
* Cumming County Feeders (grill and labor)

We look forward to having you with us on the 18th!



NCW Beef Ambassador Contest Results

The Nebraska CattleWomen Consumer Education and Promotion committee held the 2018 Nebraska Beef Ambassador on June 6 in Grand Island.  Seven contestants competed in three areas; Consumer Promotion, Media Interview and Issue Response.  The winners will be volunteering over the next year at several promotional and education events across Nebraska.  The committee would like to that the judges and volunteers who helped with the contest. 

Collegiate winners 
 1st Devin Jakub, Brainard
2nd Dakota Lovett, Bladen
3rd Savannah Schafer, Nehawka

Senior winners 
1st Hannah Pearson, Valentine
2nd Rachel Smith, Osceola

The 2019 contest will be held June 5 in Columbus.



PASTURE WEED CONTROL IN SUMMER
Bruce Anderson, NE Extension Forage Specialist

               Early to mid-June is a popular time to spray pasture weeds and woody plants.  But, is it a smart thing to do?

               Why do you spray weeds in pasture?  Is it to kill plants that are poor forage – or is it just force of habit and to make the pasture look nicer?

               Now I've got to admit, I often suggest using herbicides in pastures.  Herbicides like Plateau in warm-season pastures or 2,4-D, Grazon, or ForeFront in any grass pasture are most popular.  But the more experience I get with grazing and pasture management, the less spraying I do.  In fact, anytime a pasture is sprayed, it suggests that the grazing management has not been as effective as it could be or maybe the owner just wants a quick fix.

               Okay, so what am I talking about?  Well, several things really.  First, for pasture to be profitable, it must have high management input but controlled dollar input.  And spraying costs money.  Money we might save with better grazing management.  Second, livestock eat many plants we call weeds.  And when they do, these plants no longer are weeds.  In fact, many weeds can be good feed if grazed while young and tender.  Third, unpalatable weeds usually become established in pastures after grass is weakened by severe grazing, and they thrive when grazing management fails to encourage vigorous grass regrowth.  And finally, unless pasture and livestock are managed to benefit both plants and animals, the weeds will be back despite your spraying.

               So why spray pastures?  If you graze properly but you wish to speed up the process of replacing uneaten weeds with vigorous grass, that's a very good reason.  Otherwise, spraying may be simply cosmetic and a waste of money.

PROPER HAY STORAGE
               Did you make any good quality hay yet?  To keep it valuable and in good shape, proper storage is needed.

               I've said it before and I'll say it again – your hay is only as good as it is the day you feed it or sell it.  No matter how good your hay is today, between now and feeding time, every windstorm, every rain event is going to steal nutrients from every exposed bale and stack.

               So what are you going to do about it?  Hopefully, one of the things you do is store that hay, especially your best hay, in a manner and location that will minimize nutrient losses caused by weathering.

               Weathering tends to lower the yield and nutrients available from your hay by about one percent for each month of exposed storage.  High value, high quality hay that will be sold or fed to high value animals like dairy cows and horses should be stored under cover.  A hay shed, a partially used machine shed, or any other shelter with a roof will be better than exposing your hay to what Mother Nature dishes out this summer.  Plastic wraps can be very effective, too, when good quality plastic is wrapped around bales enough times.

               Next best may be tarps, especially heavy-duty ones that can be tied down without tearing in the wind.  Plastic also works, but it takes special care and a lot of luck to fasten down plastic well enough so it doesn't get ripped during storms.

               If uncovered storage is your only option, place bales and stacks on an elevated site with good drainage so moisture won't soak up from the bottom.  Don't stack round bales or line them up with the twine sides touching – rain will collect where they touch and soak into the bale.  Also, allow space for air to circulate and dry the hay after rain.

               Good hay can stay that way. But it’s up to you to make it so.



Senate Agriculture Committee Leaders Find Common Ground in Bipartisan Farm Bill

U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., today released the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. The Committee will meet to consider the legislation at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on June 13. Click here to watch live.

“When Ranking Member Stabenow and I started this journey in Manhattan, Kansas, last year, we made a commitment to make tough choices and produce a good, bipartisan Farm Bill,” said Chairman Roberts. "I’m pleased that today marks a big step in the process to get a Farm Bill reauthorized on time.”

“Whether it’s low prices, over burdensome regulations, or unpredictable trade markets, it’s no secret that farmers and ranchers are struggling. That’s why we need a Farm Bill that works for all producers across all regions. Simply put, our producers need predictability – and that’s just what our bill provides.”

“From day one, Chairman Roberts and I agreed we would craft a bipartisan bill that works for farmers, families, and rural communities,” said Ranking Member Stabenow. “The 2018 bipartisan Senate Farm Bill goes above and beyond to provide certainty for rural America and our diverse agricultural economy in Michigan and throughout the country."

“From revitalizing small towns, to promoting good stewardship of our land and water, to expanding local food economies, this Farm Bill is a major bipartisan victory.”

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 provides certainty and predictability for producers across all regions, as well as those in need of assistance, by:

Providing Certainty for Farmers, Ranchers, and Growers
-    Preserving and strengthening crop insurance and other risk management tools for commodity, dairy, livestock, and other producers
-    Providing flexibility for producers during times of natural disasters
-    Continuing and strengthening export and trade-related programs
-    Supporting agriculture research and encouraging research partnerships that make farmers more productive and profitable

Strengthening Integrity and Food Access for Families
-    Strengthening the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
-    Building on successful public-private partnerships and job training to improve SNAP participants’ path to sustainable employment
-    Protecting food assistance for families and expanding access to healthy foods
-    Reducing burdensome paperwork for seniors in need of assistance

 Strengthening Voluntary Conservation and Forest Management
-    Investing in voluntary conservation on working lands and expanding regional partnerships that leverage private funds to address natural resource concerns and improve water quality
-    Providing forest management reforms to federal land managers and protecting against wildfires
-    Securing opportunities for outdoor recreation by adding 1 million new acres to the Conservation Reserve Program and strengthening voluntary public access

Investing in Rural America
-    Connecting rural America by expanding high-speed internet
-    Fighting the opioid epidemic with prevention and treatment efforts
-    Investing in water infrastructure for rural communities
-    Preserving renewable energy investments that lower utility bills and support energy installation jobs

Growing the Diversity of the American Agricultural Economy
-    Supporting farmer veterans and new farmers beginning careers in agriculture
-    Strengthening local food economies that enable farmers to sell their products to their neighbors
-    Growing emerging opportunities in organic production and urban agriculture
-    Bolstering biodefense preparedness efforts to protect United States agriculture and food.



Senate Agriculture Committee Releases Farm Bill

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued the following statement today after Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) released the text of the 2018 Farm Bill:

“Today the initial text of the 2018 Senate farm bill was released. As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I will continue to work with my colleagues during the bill markup next week. I look forward to working with Chairman Pat Roberts and the other members of the committee to provide certainty and predictability for our Nebraska agriculture producers who feed the world.”



Center for Rural Affairs: Senate farm bill is promising, but has concerns

Today, the Senate Agriculture Committee released its draft of the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018, commonly known as the farm bill.

Center for Rural Affairs Policy Associate Anna Johnson said the released draft provides needed support for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities; however, the decision to remove funding for conservation and the entrepreneurial programs that rural Americans rely on must be addressed.

Conservation
"We appreciate that this bill strengthens the underlying policy for conservation programs,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, these changes are undercut by a decrease in funding for working lands conservation."

Much of the bill’s content to strengthen the underlying policy for conservation programs is derived from the Give our Resources the Opportunity to Work (GROW) Act, introduced by Sens. Ernst (R-IA), Grassley (R-IA), Brown (D-OH), and Casey (D-PA).

“We like to see that many elements of the GROW Act are included,” Johnson said. “These policy proposals, such as improving coordination between the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, will help strengthen these programs. We applaud the committee for working across party lines to advance these proposals.”

Rural development
"Rural development receives similar treatment,” Johnson continued. “The committee draft identifies efficiencies by combining several programs. But, these programs are made less effective by damaging spending cuts."

The draft supports beginning, socially-disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers; on-farm value-added production; local foods; and farmers markets. However, it cuts permanent funding for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, which helps establish businesses and create jobs in rural communities.

“This program plays a critical role in helping individuals start new business in rural towns across the nation,” Johnson said.

Crop insurance and structure
"On crop insurance, the bill makes needed improvements that will better recognize the role of conservation in risk management," Johnson said. "This is a missed opportunity for advocates of structural reform. The bill is missing caps on crop insurance and fails to limit subsidy payments to those who are truly actively engaged in farming."

Improvements to crop insurance include better access for diversified operations and beginning farmers, and a stronger link between crop insurance and conservation.

The draft also does not limit subsidies for crop insurance premiums, and Johnson calls on the Senate to enact these reforms.

Conclusion
“As this bill moves forward through the Senate Agriculture Committee and to the Senate, we will work to strengthen and improve its support of conservation, beginning farmers, and rural communities,” Johnson said.

The current farm bill expires Sept. 30, 2018. The House of Representatives failed to pass its draft, H.R. 2, in a vote on May 18. Another vote is scheduled in the House for June 22.



FMD Language In Senate Agriculture Panel’s Farm Bill

The National Pork Producers Council was encouraged that the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry included in its 2018 Farm Bill — the text was released today — language establishing a vaccine bank to deal with an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).

FMD is an infectious viral disease that affects cloven-hooved animals, including cattle, pigs and sheep; it is not a food safety or human health threat. Although the disease was last detected in the United States in 1929, it is endemic in many parts of the world.

Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said the agriculture panel will mark up its bill June 13. The full House is expected to vote on its measure, which also includes FMD language, June 22.

“This is encouraging news for the livestock industry,” said NPPC President Jim Heimerl, a pork producer from Johnstown, Ohio, and chairman of NPPC’s Farm Bill Policy Task Force. “With a vaccine bank, we’ll finally be able to adequately prepare for an FMD outbreak. But we do need mandatory funding to make it work.”

NPPC has been urging lawmakers to include for each year of the next five-year Farm Bill mandatory funding of $150 million for the vaccine bank, $70 million in block grants to the states for disease prevention and $30 million for the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), which provides diagnostic support to assist in managing diseases in the United States.

Currently, the United States does not have access to enough FMD vaccine to handle more than a small, localized outbreak. According to Iowa State University economists, an FMD outbreak in the United States, which would prompt countries to close their markets to U.S. meat exports, would cost the beef and pork industries a combined $128 billion over 10 years if farmers weren’t able to combat the disease through vaccination. The corn and soybean industries would lose over a decade $44 billion and $25 billion, respectively; and economy-wide job losses would top 1.5 million.

“Having a vaccine bank will mitigate the economic harm of an outbreak,” Heimerl said. “Pork producers thank the Senate agriculture committee, Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow for their efforts on this very important issue for livestock agriculture.”

In late April, 15 senators, led by John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., urged Roberts and Stabenow to include FMD language in the Senate Farm Bill, saying in a letter that a vaccine bank “would help to adequately address risks to animal health, livestock export markets, and industry economic stability.”



NAWG Comments on Senate Agriculture Committee’s 2018 Farm Bill

Today, the Senate Committee on Agriculture introduced its version of the 2018 Farm Bill. In response, NAWG President Jimmie Musick made the following statement:

“NAWG commends the Senate Agriculture Committee for working together to introduce a bi-partisan bill that supports farmers and agriculture. While NAWG is still reviewing the language of the bill, we see several provisions that are very positive for wheat farmers.  

“NAWG is pleased that this process is moving forward with support from both sides of the aisle, and we urge both Chambers to complete action on a full Farm Bill reauthorization before the current one expires on September 30th.” 



ASA Applauds Senate Leadership on Release of Farm Bill

The American Soybean Association (ASA) today applauded the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee on release of their draft farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.

“The farm bill is vital legislation, not just for American farmers but for consumers in our country and abroad who depend on us to provide food, fiber and fuel,” said ASA Vice President and Kentucky soybean grower Davie Stephens. “We’re grateful to Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow for their bipartisan effort and for taking this important step toward completing the farm bill this year.”

Stephens continued, “Farmers need the certainty of a new five-year bill to manage continuing low crop prices and farm income as well as volatile conditions affecting our vital export markets. We urge the Senate Committee to act on this legislation as soon as possible and for the full Senate to consider it before the July Congressional recess.”

Authorizations under the current Agriculture Act of 2014 will expire at the end of September 2018.



Senate Ag Committee Releases Farm Bill Draft

In light of the economic storm farmers and ranchers are facing, the American Farm Bureau Federation said the Senate Agriculture Committee’s release this afternoon of its draft farm bill text is “a crucial step to move the farm bill process forward.” The committee is scheduled to mark up the bill on Wednesday, June 13.

“Farm income is at a decade low. Farm debt is on the rise and international markets for our farm goods are in jeopardy. The Senate Agriculture Committee, led by Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow, have worked hard to address those economic challenges and assemble a bipartisan bill that provides the clarity, policy certainty and vital risk protection tools that our farmers need now more than ever,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a statement.

Farmers and ranchers are looking forward to next week’s mark up and to working with the Senate to get the bill approved, according to Duvall.

“It is important that the Senate bill strike a balance that will help set the overall congressional tone for getting the farm bill done this year,” he said.



Crop and Pest Management Training Offered at Field Diagnostic Clinic

Now that crops are in the ground and growing, what happens over the next few months will drastically impact yields this fall. The Iowa State University Field Extension Education Laboratory will hold the 2018 Field Diagnostic Clinic, a full day of interactive conversations, to cover issues that may occur this summer.

The 2018 Field Diagnostic Clinic is provided to update farmers, crop advisers, agronomists and agribusiness professionals on pests, weeds and diseases that impact corn and soybean fields. The event will be held on July 11 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will provide information on crop scouting and field diagnostic knowledge.

“Crop advisers and farmers are constantly learning more about crop management and issues within their fields,” said Warren Pierson, coordinator of the Field Extension Educational Laboratory. “This program brings many things that they may see once every 5-10 years. When you don’t deal with these problems all the time, it can be difficult to remember.”

Participants will have the opportunity to see issues that occur in crop fields including diseases, weeds, nutrient deficiency, and herbicide and fertilizer injury. Most of these will be shown with live plants in a field plot setting and although these happen, some do not occur often enough for people to easily remember the symptoms, said Pierson.

The clinic will be hosted by ISU Extension and Outreach and feature crop management specialists and researchers, as well as ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists. New to this year’s clinic will be a session on soil and tissue sampling analysis.

“Soil sampling to the correct depth and tissue testing properly are important for valid test results,” Pierson said. “Farmers and agronomists make fertilizer application decisions based on these results and they may have costly consequences in the form of fertilizer, applications, testing itself, as well as possible yield loss if the process is not completed correctly.”

FEEL is located at 1928 240th St. near Boone. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 11, with opening comments at 8:55 a.m. The clinic will adjourn at 4 p.m.

Advance registration is required to attend this clinic. Registration is $125 prior to midnight, June 29 and $150 after. Registrations must be received prior to midnight, July 6. Registration includes refreshments, lunch and course materials. Attendees have the option to purchase “A Farmers Guide to Corn Diseases” (IPM 76) at a 50 percent discount (a total cost of $15). Additional workshop information and online registration with credit card is available at www.aep.iastate.edu/feel/diagnostic.

Descriptions of the sessions included in the clinic, can be found online as well at http://www.aep.iastate.edu/feel/diagnostic.



2018 Carcass Challenge is Complete

The Iowa Cattlemens Association is celebrating the conclusion of the 8th successful year of the Carcass Challenge program. Over the years, many cattlemen from around the state have contributed calves to this fed steer contest to support ICA and see how their cattle stack up.

About the Carcass Challenge program:
As Iowa’s only statewide fed-beef competition, the ICA Carcass Challenge was created to:
-    Showcase Iowa’s beef cattle genetics, feedyard management, and modern technology.
-    Offer Iowa’s cattle industry a fun and competitive statewide fed-beef contest to highlight Iowa’s beef production advantages.
-    Generate additional non-dues ICA revenue to grow Iowa’s beef business through advocacy, leadership and education.
-    Provide leadership and learning opportunities through the ICA Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program (YCLP).

Each November, sponsors donate 700 lb. steer calves to compete in this prestigious Iowa fed-beef contest. Steers complete 180-200 days on feed to an average 1,400 lb., market-ready end point.

Cash prizes and special awards are presented to contributors of the Top 10% of individual steers based on the “Retail Value per Day on Feed,” recognizing both feedyard performance and end carcass merit. A $5,000 cash prize is awarded to the Champion Steer donor(s). Awards for outstanding individual carcass results are also presented. Every effort is made to deliver maximum cattle efficiency, carcass value and net revenue of all steers.

This year, 75 steers were entered into the contest from various breeders across the state with several different breed compositions represented. The steers were delivered in November and harvested at the Tyson plant in Dakota City the last week of April.

“We were excited to work with Kennedy Cattle Company of Atlantic, Iowa to feed the steers again this year,” says Casey Allison, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association staff. “Throughout the testing period, we collected data on the growth progression of each animal by utilizing ultrasound technology, EID’s and recording weights on test, at the interim period and off-test weights.” Steer donors and YCLP participants received regular communication throughout the test via email to stay up to date on progress in the feedyard.

The expertise and guidance of David Trowbridge and Faye French with Gregory Feedlots alongside Matt Groves with the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity enabled ICA to provide more in-depth data analysis, building on one of the program’s core goals - sharing educational information with donors. In addition to several performance tabulations, charts and graphs show donors how the cattle performed, both individually and compared to their pen mates. This provokes conversation about how and why the management decisions from birth to harvest impact how or if an animal maximizes its genetic potential.

Thanks to the program’s primary sponsor, Elanco, for donating the animal health products, Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity Co-op for facilitating data collection at the plant and assistance with marketing, Kennedy Cattle Company (Zak and Mitch Kennedy) for feeding the steers, The CUP Lab for interpretation of the ultrasound scan images, Shnurman Sire Services for ultrasounding the steers, Thielen Trucking for hauling the cattle to the plant, and FNB Bank for sponsoring breakfast at our Open House.

As in years past, the Carcass Challenge proved that Iowa is a national leader in producing and feeding high quality cattle and beef. Comparing this year’s Carcass Challenge steers to the national benchmarks from the 2016 National Beef Quality Audit, 7% more of the cattle graded as yield grades 1, 2 or 3 compared to the national average while nearly 50% fewer Carcass Challenge steers were marked as yield grades 4 and 5. As yield grade correlates to value, these figures speak to the economic advantage Iowa cattle offer.

When it comes to quality grade, an overwhelming 81% graded prime or choice compared to the national average at 71%. There were 34%  fewer steers that fell in the select or no roll category.

The top gaining steer averaged 5.5 pounds per day, the highest marbling steer had a marbling score of 734, and the overall winner marked a Retail Value per Day on Feed of an extremely impressive $7.52.

This is a true testament that not only can Iowa cattle compete, but they can and do lead the way nationally.

Winners
Retail Value per Day on Feed: The program awards cash prizes to the top 10% of steers for Retail Value per Day on Feed. This is a dollar value that accounts for hot carcass weight, percent retail product, carcass price, and days on feed, balancing the important factors that ultimately drive profitability.

    Raised by Radloff Angus; sponsored by the Winneshiek, Clayton and Fayette County Cattlemen’s Associations - This purebred Angus steer gained the highest of the pen for the first half of the feeding period at 6.86 pounds per day and recorded on overall Average Daily Gain for the entire test of 5.5 pounds. At slaughter, he hung a 988 pound carcass and had the highest dress percent of the top 10% of the steers in the contest and a 15.1 inch ribeye. This steer secured his title as Champion by performing well across the board and marking a $7.52 Retail Value per Day on Feed, setting him apart from the second place by a whopping $0.72. This steer earned a $5,000 prize and the travelling trophy.

    Raised by Collison Angus; sponsored by Collison Veterinary Service of Rockwell City and Lytton Farm Equipment - The 2nd place steer is a January born registered Angus steer sired by EXAR Denver. He recorded an Average Daily Gain of 4.99 pounds and went off test at 1611 pounds. This steer graded Choice and qualified for Certified Angus Beef for a $52.29 premium and maintained efficiency with a 6.24 feed to gain ratio. This steer marked a Retail Value per Day on Feed of $6.80.

    RL Fleckvieh, B&B Farm Store, Buchanan County Cattlemen’s Association, and Winthrop Vet Clinic - Placing 3rd is a Simmental/Red Angus/Fleckvieh cross steer with a yield grade 1 and quality grade of choice that captured a $64.22 premium. He had a ribeye area of 16.53 inches. This steer gained an average of 4.38 pounds per day and hung a 988 pound carcass. He boasts a Retail Value per Day on Feed of $6.78.

    Raised by Longinaker Farms, sponsored by Longinaker Farms and the Taylor County Cattlemen’s Association - The 4th place steer is by an Angus bull and out of a Red Angus cow. Born in March and weaned in September, he entered the test period at 720 pounds and went off at 1374 pounds, giving him an Average Daily Gain of 4.61 pounds. Another yield grade 1, Choice steer, this steer’s data shows a $6.63 Retail Value per Day on Feed.

    Raised by Lawton Simmentals, sponsored by Lawton Simmentals and the Greene County Cattlemen’s Association - In 5th place is a Simmental steer born in March that was creep fed before weaning in August. He gained an average of 4.59 pounds throughout the test and gained exceptionally well especially in the first half of the test period gaining almost 5 pounds per day. At slaughter he received a $58 premium as a yield grade 1 and quality grade choice with a 16 inch ribeye. This steer’s Retail Value per Day on Feed came out at $6.60.

    Raised by Jeff Kock, sponsored by the Carroll County Cattlemen’s Association - Placing 6th is an April born steer sired by a Charolais bull and an Angus cross cow. This steer was not creep fed, but entered test at 871 pounds and gained an average of 4.42 pounds per day. A yield grade 1 and quality grade choice, he had a ribeye area of 16.54 inches and showed a Retail Value per Day on Feed of $6.50.

    Pixley Family Simmentals, Sterling Family Cattle Company, and the Iowa Simmental Association - Placing 7th is a Simmental steer born in April. He was creep fed and weaned in early September and went on test at 912 pounds. He gained an average of 4.27 pounds per day and weighed 1519 pounds when he went off test. He recorded an impressive ribeye area of 16.83 and had a Retail Value per Day on Feed of $6.45.

Highest Average Daily Gain: raised by Radloff Angus in Luana, Iowa and donated by the Winneshiek, Clayton, and Fayette County Cattlemen. The winner is a purebred Angus steer that went on test at 783 pounds and went off test at 1566 pounds, giving him an Average Daily Gain of 5.5 pounds.

Largest Ribeye Area: Bloomfield Livestock Auction and Schooley Cattle. The winner had a ribeye area of 18.24 inches, which is all the more impressive when compared to the national average of 13.9. He is a March-born simmental steer sired by LLSF Pays To Believe.

Highest Marbling Score: Brian McCulloh, Woodhill Farms. An Angus, March-born steer, he scanned an impressive intramuscular fat percentage of 8.66% which converts to a marbling score of 734 which qualifies as slightly abundant. Unsurprisingly, this steer graded prime for a $66.92 premium.

Chef’s Award: Brian McCulloh, Woodhill Farms. This award is presented to the steer with a 12 to 14 inch ribeye with the highest marbling score. Sired by Tehama Sierra Cut Z118, the winning Angus steer had a ribeye area of 13.71 inches and slightly abundant marbling with a %IMF of 8.66%.

Thanks to our primary sponsor, Elanco for donating the animal health products, Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity Co-op for facilitating data collection at the plant and assistance with marketing, Kennedy Cattle Company (Zak and Mitch Kennedy) for feeding the steers, The CUP Lab for interpretation of the ultrasound scan images, Shnurman Sire Services for ultrasounding the steers, Thielen Trucking for hauling the cattle to the plant, and FNB Bank for sponsoring breakfast at our Open House.

For a summary of performance and carcass data from the 2017-2018 Carcass Challenge visit our website at https://www.iacattlemen.org/carcasschallenge.aspx.



Lindsay Corporation and Farmers Edge Announce Global Partnership to Accelerate Digital Transformation on the Farm

Lindsay Corporation (NYSE: LNN), a leading global manufacturer/distributor of irrigation and infrastructure equipment and technology, and Farmers Edge, a global leader in decision agriculture, today announced a new strategic partnership that will deliver an unmatched suite of ag tech and digital agronomy solutions for their customers.  

The collaboration will link digital agronomic tools to empower growers with data-driven, field-centric insights

This unique collaboration between Lindsay Corporation and Farmers Edge provides farmers with a simple solution to easily access field-centric data and deep insights they need to make informed decisions and get the most out of every acre. Growers who utilize both FieldNET®, a fully integrated wireless management tool, and the Farmers Edge digital platform will have the ability to seamlessly share key data back and forth between the two platforms - which will help optimize water application and other inputs while growers work to maximize yields and profitability. As part of the agreement, the Farmers Edge suite of digital agronomic tools will be offered via Lindsay Corporation's vast global network of over 350 Zimmatic® dealers.

Syncing technologies brings exciting new capabilities, broadens service offerings, and strengthens digital connectivity on the farm. When growers' data comes to life in charts, graphs and reports, they start to see things they've never seen before. These unbiased insights help growers base farm management decisions on data, not marketing campaigns, traditional practices, or gut instincts. Better decisions, grounded in trusted data and supported by the power of analytics, can help transform farming operations into profitable businesses. 

"We're proud to partner with Farmers Edge to provide our customers with yet another powerful advancement within our industry-leading irrigation management solution. Among other things, this collaboration will allow us to provide our FieldNET customers exclusive access, within the irrigation management industry, to daily, high-resolution satellite imagery from Farmers Edge," said Brian Magnusson, vice president of technology at Lindsay Corporation. "The collaboration of these two powerful ag tech platforms will give customers an unmatched irrigation management solution, helping growers maximize the value of their farm data to drive increased profitability."

"Our strategy is rooted in whole-farm integration. Data integration is critical to help growers make the best possible decisions, maximize farm productivity and efficiency," said Wade Barnes, CEO of Farmers Edge. "This partnership is another piece of the puzzle in our execution to build one digital platform that unlocks the value of data and addresses all aspects of farm management - from seeding to harvest, and everything in between, including irrigation management."



Farm Bureau Files Brief Supporting Water Rule Opponents

The American Farm Bureau Federation, together with a broad coalition of other farm and business groups, today filed a brief in support of 13 states challenging the EPA’s 2015 “Waters of the United States” rule before a federal district court in North Dakota.

The brief explains how EPA repeatedly broke the law in writing a rule that would vastly expand its Clean Water Act regulatory authority to cover small and isolated land and water features.

According to the brief, the 2015 rule “reads the term navigable out of the [Clean Water Act] and asserts jurisdiction over remote and isolated features that bear no meaningful relationship to ‘navigable waters.’”  The coalition also argues that the rule is unconstitutionally vague because it “gives malleable discretion to bureaucrats to determine which land features are jurisdictional ‘waters’ and which are not.”

Background: This is one of several lawsuits in federal district courts challenging the 2015 waters of the United States rule. Most of these lawsuits, including the North Dakota case, were delayed while the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and then the U.S. Supreme Court considered whether the court of appeals or the district courts have the power to hear the suits. That issue was resolved in favor of the district courts in early 2018, and the North Dakota case was the first to resume.

The North Dakota court previously issued an order blocking implementation of the 2015 rule in the 13 states involved in the case. The Sixth Circuit also granted a nationwide stay of the rule, but that stay was lifted after the court was found to lack jurisdiction. Meanwhile, EPA has issued a separate new rule delaying application of the 2015 rule while the agency reconsiders the proper scope of “waters of the United States.” Unless and until the agency permanently repeals the 2015 rule, state and private litigants will continue to pursue judicial relief invalidating the rule. 



AFBF Adds New Economist is its Team

The American Farm Bureau Federation announced that Michael Nepveux has joined the organization as an economist in the Public Affairs Department. Nepveux will play an important role in conducting economic research and analysis on a broad range of factors related to agricultural commodity markets and policy.

"Michael brings experience in livestock market analysis, agricultural policy and land value assessment to the table," said Dale Moore, vice president of public affairs. "AFBF will greatly benefit from his experience and insights."

Nepveux comes to AFBF from Informa Economics' Agribusiness Consulting Group, where he was a consultant charged with conducting market, policy and economic research and analysis in several fields including agriculture, agricultural risk management, transportation and renewable energy. His prior experience also includes student internships with the Agriculture Department's Foreign Agricultural Service and the House Agriculture Committee.

Nepveux earned a bachelor's degree in agribusiness and economics and a master's degree in agricultural economics, both from Texas A&M University.