NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 8 PERCENT
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.33 million cattle on feed on September 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 8 percent from last year. Placements during August totaled 480,000 head, up 2 percent from 2017. Fed cattle marketings for the month of August totaled 470,000 head, unchanged from last year. Other disappearance during August totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED UP 6%
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 680,000 head on September 1, 2018, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was down 3 percent from August 1, 2018, but up 6 percent from September 1, 2017. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 425,000 head on feed, down 10 percent from last month and down 6 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,105,000 head, down 6 percent from last month but up 1 percent from last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during August totaled 82,000 head, up 24 percent from last month but down 11 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 30,000 head, down 36 percent from last month and down 27 percent from last year. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 112,000 head, down 1 percent from last month and down 16 percent from last year.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during August totaled 100,000 head, up 35 percent from last month but down 1 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 73,000 head, down 3 percent from last month but up 22 percent from last year. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 173,000 head, up 16 percent from last month and up 7 percent from last year. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up 6 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on September 1, 2018. The inventory was 6 percent above September 1, 2017. This is the highest September 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.
Cattle on Feed - By State
(1,000 hd - % Sept 1, '17)
Colorado .......: 900 105
Iowa .............: 680 106
Kansas ..........: 2,310 104
Nebraska ......: 2,330 108
Texas ............: 2,680 103
Placements in feedlots during August totaled 2.07 million head, 7 percent above 2017. Net placements were 2.02 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 430,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 335,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 460,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 475,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 240,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 130,000 head.
Placements by State
(1,000 hd - % Aug, '17)
Colorado .......: 205 117
Iowa .............: 82 89
Kansas ..........: 520 105
Nebraska ......: 480 102
Texas ............: 415 108
Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.98 million head, slightly above 2017. Other disappearance totaled 55,000 head during August, 12 percent above 2017.
Marketings by State
(1,000 hd - % Aug, '17)
Colorado .......: 190 100
Iowa .............: 100 99
Kansas ..........: 430 97
Nebraska ......: 470 100
Texas ............: 440 101
NEBRASKA CHICKEN AND EGGS
All layers in Nebraska during August 2018 totaled 8.13 million, up from 7.76 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nebraska egg production during August totaled 211 million eggs, up from 201 million in 2017. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,596 eggs, compared to 2,593 eggs in 2017.
IOWA CHICKEN AND EGG PRODUCTION
Iowa egg production during August 2018 was 1.40 billion eggs, up 1 percent from last month and up 4 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of all layers on hand during August 2018 was 57.7 million, up 1 percent from last month and up 5 percent from last year. Eggs per 100 layers for August were 2,417, up slightly from last month but down 1 percent from last year.
August Egg Production Up 3 Percent
United States egg production totaled 9.16 billion during August 2018, up 3 percent from last year. Production included 7.96 billion table eggs, and 1.20 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.11 billion were broiler-type and 87.2 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during August 2018 totaled 385 million, up 3 percent from last year. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,379 eggs, down slightly from August 2017.
All layers in the United States on September 1, 2018 totaled 386 million, up 3 percent from last year. The 386 million layers consisted of 325 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 57.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.53 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on September 1, 2018, averaged 77.1 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from September 1, 2017.
Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 16 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during August 2018 totaled 53.4 million, up 16 percent from August 2017. Eggs in incubators totaled 51.3 million on September 1, 2018, up 26 percent from a year ago.
Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 192 thousand during August 2018, up 33 percent from August 2017.
Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up 1 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during August 2018 totaled 840 million, up 1 percent from August 2017. Eggs in incubators totaled 672 million on September 1, 2018, up slightly from a year ago.
Leading breeders placed 8.41 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during August 2018, up 3 percent from August 2017.
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El Nino Conditions Forecast for Fall-Winter
Al Dutcher - Associate Nebraska State Climatologist
Longer term forecasts of what lies ahead for the Central Plains this fall and winter often start with a look at ocean temperature trends.
Sea surface conditions in the Equatorial Pacific continue to exhibit above normal temperatures, with a large pool of anomalously warm water underneath the surface that extends from South America to Indonesia. The strongest area of warmth below the surface is just west of central Equatorial Pacific. Therefore, there is ample warmth underneath the Pacific to maintain the surface warm pool.
Current outlooks by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) call for this warm pool to continue through winter, with a peak warmth occurring before the end of the year. This warm event is commonly known as an “El Nino.” Although CPC indicates that this event will end by next spring, the warm pocket underneath the surface has yet to show signs of any cold pool development in the western Equatorial Pacific.
Until evidence of a cold pocket develops below the surface, anomalous warm water will continue to work eastward and reinforce surface warming in the eastern Equatorial Pacific. Over the next three months, climatologists will be watching the western Equatorial Pacific for development of a cold pocket. If this doesn’t happen by the end of 2018, the odds would favor El Nino conditions lasting through the summer and a high probability that a second-year event will unfold in fall 2019.
In addition to the warm equatorial Pacific, the Gulf of Alaska and the northern half of the Atlantic have both turned warmer than normal. The interaction of these two regions can give us an idea of where the most likely areas of below normal moisture will develop. Under a warm Atlantic and warm Pacific, dryness issues are most pronounced across the northern third of the continental U.S., with above normal dryness favored across the southern third of the U.S. from New Mexico through Georgia.
Under an El Nino, the northern jet begins to relax in the late summer and early fall. Precipitation usually tilts to the wet side from the southwestern desert area through the southern Mississippi River valley region. At the same time, dryness begins to develop across the Pacific Northwest through the western Dakotas as the eastern Gulf of Alaska upper air ridge begins to push eastward and the western Gulf of Alaska upper air low slides into the eastern half of the Gulf of Alaska.
As this process unfolds, the northern jet stream begins to weaken as more energy begins to strengthen the variable Pacific jet (subtropical jet). Pieces of energy from the Gulf of Alaska upper air low will slide underneath the upper air high pressure to the east of this low. This helps pull subtropical moisture northeastward out of the Equatorial Pacific and into the southwest coast of North American.
These types of conditions have shown signs of developing in the last 30 days as dryness has begun to expand eastward from the Pacific Northwest. Most of the western Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and the northwestern third of Nebraska have been well below normal precipitation. Just to the east of this area, excessive moisture continues to be a problem across the northern Mississippi River valley.
The preliminary 30-day outlooks issued by the Climate Prediction Center indicate cooler than normal conditions centered over eastern Nebraska and Iowa. CPC’s preliminary 30-day outlooks are most influenced by atmospheric conditions at the time of the forecast release. With the cool air moving into the upper Midwest during the second half of September, it would be reasonable to expect that cool conditions would be favored during the early stages of October, especially with the northern jet stream directing the upper air flow out of northern Canada into the upper and central Midwest.
As fall progresses, most of the Corn Belt will likely deal with periods of heavy rainfall, interspersed with warm and dry weather. Although weak El Nino conditions are developing, the northern jet stream is still strong enough to bring upper air troughs over the northwestern U.S. upper air ridge, then drive them southeastward over the northern High Plains. If we are in a true El Nino pattern, there should be a weakening of this process as the fall progresses.
However, if we look back at the last El Nino event, heavy snowstorm activity hit the eastern Dakotas and northern Minnesota during the second half of fall of 2016. El Nino conditions were exhibited off and on during the late summer and early fall, but were not dominant enough to weaken the northern jet. As the event strengthened during the first half of the winter, milder conditions developed across the northern Plains due to a weakened northern jet leaving this area well south of the mean northern jet position.
What happens if the subtropical jet fails to form as expected during El Nino conditions? Actually, approximately 3 of 10 El Nino events will fail to conform to typical patterns. Under these circumstances, fall and winter temperatures can be exceptionally brutal and stormy. Arctic air infiltration occurs regularly because the northern jet failed to weaken and the primary steering currents favor the northern half of the country east of the Rocky Mountains. In other words, a typical winter pattern.
Smith Awarded “High Octane Champion” Award from Nebraska’s Ethanol Industry
Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) has been recognized as a 2018 High Octane Champion by Renewable Fuels Nebraska, the trade association for Nebraska’s ethanol industry. The award was developed by the RFN membership as a way to recognize public policy leaders that strongly support Nebraska’s $5 billion ethanol industry.
“Nebraska’s ethanol industry is proud to recognize Adrian Smith as a biofuels leader in the US House of Representatives and as one of this country’s stalwart supporters of the ethanol industry,” said RFN Executive Director Troy Bredenkamp. “At a time when Washington’s political climate for ethanol remains a challenge at best, Representative Smith continues to be a leader in the House on our behalf. This award is a small token of our appreciation and a way to recognize him for all that he does for us.”
Smith has led the legislative effort in the US House to resolve the Reid vapor pressure (RVP) waiver issue and allow for year-around E15 sales nationwide. This week, the bi-partisan House Bio-fuels Caucus sent a letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler urging the agency to act swiftly on E15 regulatory reform and Representative Smith was a leader in this effort. If the EPA fails to initiate the rule-making process on the RVP waiver, then there is a high likelihood that the US ethanol industry and consumers will once again see restricted E15 availability for the 2019 summer driving season.
“Knowing how important year-around E15 sales would be to grow the US ethanol industry, Representative Smith introduced legislation that, if passed, would resolve the RVP waiver issue and force the EPA to allow for uninterrupted sales of E15 year around,” said Bredenkamp. “It is this kind of support that needs to be recognized and Nebraska’s ethanol producers want Representative Smith to know we appreciate everything he has done, and continues to do, on behalf of Nebraska and America’s ethanol industry.”
Take a Second For Safety this Harvest Season
As combines pop up in fields across the Midwest, the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Corn Growers Association encourage farmers, as well as local residents and visitors, to take a second for safety in rural areas this harvest season. To help promote farm safety, “National Farm Safety and Health Week” kicked off September 16 and will run through September 22. This week-long farm safety promotion has taken place every year since 1944 and occurs during the third week of each September.
The theme for this year’s farm safety promotion is “cultivating the seeds of safety.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agricultural sector is one of the most dangerous industries in America. Over 2 million workers are employed full-time in production agriculture, which does not account for part-time help or family members who also live and work on farms. In 2016, there were 180 reported fatalities of agricultural workers, which equates to 21.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. While “National Farm Safety and Health Week” will help remind farmers, rural residents and visitors about the importance of farm safety for seven days, it’s also important for people to be cautious on or near farm operations throughout the year.
“All farmers are excited to gather their crops from their fields, but harvest can be a dangerous time, especially if we don’t practice safety,” said Dan Wesely, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association and farmer from Morse Bluff, Nebraska. “There are a lot of moving parts during harvest – combines, tractors, grain carts, trucks, augers and people. It’s important everyone understands their individual responsibilities, remains alert and has an emergency action plan in place, in case something goes wrong.”
Farmers typically have a narrow window to complete their harvest work. Therefore, it’s important farmers take care of themselves to ensure a safe and productive season.
“A well-rested farmer is a safe and productive farmer,” said Dave Bruntz, chairman of the Nebraska Corn Board and farmer from Friend, Nebraska. “It may seem counterproductive, but farmers should take short breaks during the harvest season. They’re often operating large equipment and working long hours throughout the day. By getting enough sleep and eating healthy meals, farmers will be alert and engaged during the harvest process.”
Farmers are not the only people who should be cautious during the harvest season. Anyone who may be visiting or traveling through rural areas should be mindful of increased farm traffic on roads and highways. Harvest equipment should be visible with front and rear warning lights, as well as slow moving vehicle emblems to notify motorists of approaching machinery. In rural areas, parents of small children should also develop safety rules to prevent youth from playing on or near harvest equipment.
Additional tips for farmers, farm workers and rural residents to consider while on the farm this fall (adapted from the National Corn Growers Association):
Equipment Safety
Be careful when approaching harvest equipment. Approach from the front and gain eye contact with the operator before approaching.
Ensure the harvesting equipment is fully stopped and disengaged before climbing onto a vehicle.
Do not place yourself near any unguarded or otherwise running machinery.
Avoid pinch points between equipment – such as tractors with grain wagons. Visibility can be limited and serious injury can occur.
Entanglement Hazard
Entanglement hazards can happen very quickly.
Do not ever try to unplug any equipment without disengaging power and removing energy from the equipment.
Never pull or try to remove plugged plants from an operating machine.
Always keep shields in place to avoid snags and entanglement when working around equipment.
Fall Hazard
Be careful climbing on and off equipment.
Be alert and extremely careful when working in wet or slippery conditions.
Keep all walkways and platforms open and free of tools, dust, debris or other obstacles. Clean all walkways and platforms before use.
Wear clothing that is well fitting and not baggy or loose. Also wear proper non-slip, closed toe shoes.
Use grab bars when mounting or dismounting machinery. Face machinery when dismounting and never jump from equipment.
Never dismount from a moving vehicle.
Fire Prevention
Carry a fire extinguisher with you in your vehicle (A-B-C, 5 or 10 pound).
Remove dust and buildup from equipment. Check bearings regularly to prevent overheating and chance of fire.
Grain Wagon Safety
Be careful to monitor grain wagon weight to never exceed maximum weight limits. As weight increases, grain wagons can be more difficult to control.
Load grain wagons evenly to distribute weight to prevent weaving or instability across the grain wagon.
Inspect grain wagon tires and replace any worn or cracked tires.
Grain Bin Safety
If entering a bin, wear a harness attached to a secure rope.
Never work alone.
Never allow children to get too close or inside the bin.
Wear a dust filter or respirator when working in bins.
Stay out of bins when equipment is running.
“All farmers are excited to see the fruits of their labor,” said Bruntz. “By taking a little extra time to exercise safe practices, we’ll continue to do our part to produce safe and abundant sources of food, fuel and fiber for the world.”
Safety Professionals Gear Up for Training in Kearney
Safety professionals from across the state will gather in Kearney, Nebraska, for the 14th annual Environment, Health and Safety Summit Friday, September 28.
The daylong summit presented by the Nebraska Ethanol Board will feature speakers from agencies and organizations across the country, including the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Air Regulations Consultants, NAQS Environmental Experts and Pinnacle Engineering.
“This is a great opportunity to network and learn about the latest regulations and compliance changes, especially as ethanol plants implement new technology and expand operations,” said Megan Grimes, Nebraska Ethanol Board program manager. “We are proud that the summit is attracting companies both directly and indirectly related to the ethanol industry, including organizations that focus on air quality and environmental compliance.”
To organize and put on the summit, the Nebraska Ethanol Board works with a variety of private partners and ethanol plant personnel that focus on compliance, worker safety and public health issues. College students are invited to attend and may qualify for a scholarship to waive the registration fee.
The event is presented in cooperation with Renewable Fuels Nebraska and the Nebraska Ethanol Industry Coalition, and is open to professionals who work in environmental compliance, worker safety, and processing and manufacturing. For registration details, contact the Nebraska Ethanol Board at 402-471-2941 or visit www.ethanol.nebraska.gov/wordpress/events/ehs-summit/.
Cover Crops in Nebraska – Expectations and Realizations
Cover crops have potential for Nebraska farmers that are looking to reduce erosion and soil nitrate loss, improve soil health and provide grazing. However, the predominant corn-soybean erosion limits the selection and productivity of cover crops. Katja-Koehler-Cole, post-doctoral research associate in cropping systems, will present their findings from four years of cover crop research in no-till corn and soybean systems in Nebraska, with implications for both cover crop and main crop management.
Date: Oct. 5, 2018 Time: 3:30 pm–4:30 pm
Keim Hall Room: 150
Contact: Michelle Green-Ihde, 402-472-1503, mgreen-ihde2@unl.edu
Additional Public Info: go.unl.edu/agrohortseminars.
Farm Finance and Ag Law Clinics this October
Openings are available for one-on-one, confidential farm finance and ag law consultations being conducted across the state each month. An experienced ag law attorney and ag financial counselor will be available to address farm and ranch issues related to financial planning, estate and transition planning, farm loan programs, debtor/creditor law, water rights, and other relevant matters. The clinics offer an opportunity to seek an experienced outside opinion on issues affecting your farm or ranch.
Clinic Sites and Dates
Grand Island — Thursday, October 4
North Platte — Thursday, October 11
Norfolk — Friday, October 12
Fairbury — Wednesday, October 17
Lexington — Thursday, October 18
Valentine —Monday, October 22
Norfolk — Monday, October 22
To sign up for a free clinic or to get more information, call Michelle at the Nebraska Farm Hotline at 1-800-464-0258. The Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Legal Aid of Nebraska sponsor these clinics.
Rademacher Named Iowa Pork Industry Center Associate Director
Chris Rademacher said the opportunity to develop new conduits of information from Iowa State University to all pork producers drew him to the associate director position at Iowa Pork Industry Center.
“I’ve been able to collaborate with people from IPIC since I started work as the Iowa State extension swine veterinarian in 2014, and I think IPIC is uniquely positioned to be able to rapidly disseminate health and production information to producers with all sizes of operations in Iowa and around the world,” he said. “My passion is about helping producers become more efficient, and to protect animal health and well-being across the U.S. swine industry.”
As a clinical associate professor at Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Rademacher works with veterinarians and scientists who are working on the cutting edge of new technologies related to animal health. Part of his extension appointment is to share this knowledge with producers.
He said his 16 years of experience as a production veterinarian for two large swine production companies built and strengthened his understanding of both swine production and swine medicine, and his strong interest in research can provide a bridge between Iowa State and the industry. He graduated in 1998 from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, and worked for the next 10 years as director of health for New Fashion Pork in Jackson, Minn. In 2009 he moved to Murphy-Brown Western Operations (Smithfield Foods) as director of production improvement where he worked with veterinarians and production managers on health and production improvement opportunities for 330,000 sows. He came to Iowa State in December 2014.
“I love the collaborative nature between swine faculty in the colleges of vet med and ag and life sciences,” Rademacher said. “I think IPIC is positioned to be able to leverage the excellent research happening at Iowa State, which is recognized worldwide as a leader in swine production and swine medicine.”
Just as he’s intent on providing information to producers, Rademacher also continues to increase his own knowledge in the College of Veterinary Medicine. He’s currently enrolled in a newly created population sciences in animal health doctoral program through the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine. His research will focus on developing better research methodologies for applied animal health research in the field for pork producers, to help them make better decisions.
Rademacher can be contacted by email at cjrdvm@iastate.edu or by phone at 515-294-8792.
New grant will help define best practices for no-till organic grain production
Farmers are in a tough spot when it comes to controlling weeds. Since conventional herbicides aren’t an option, many choose to use tillage — mechanically turning over the soil to upend weeds. However, tillage can take a toll on soil health and cause run-off. Increasingly, organic farmers are seeking better ways to control weeds while preserving soil health.
To help develop solutions for these farmers, researchers at UW–Madison, Iowa State University and the Rodale Institute are embarking on a new project to assess current technologies that could be used in no-till organic systems and determine which practices will help farmers protect soil health in their fields. The project is funded through a grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that totals $2.2 million, including matching funds.
“We hope to define a set of best management practices for maximizing organic grain production yield while minimizing environmental impact and improving soil health,” says Brian Luck, assistant professor of biological systems engineering at UW–Madison and project lead. “We are aiming to find the best combination of cover crops, cover crop termination methods, planting dates and planter set-up to maximize yield potential in no-till organic systems.”
With partners in Wisconsin, Iowa and Pennsylvania, researchers will have the opportunity to conduct trials at various sites to test planter technologies, cover crop types, planting dates, weed management strategies and more in the first three years of the grant-funded project. They will then use their findings to select the most promising management systems and test them across all of the participating field sites during the project’s fourth year.
Researchers will also conduct on-farm demonstrations for farmers and work to understand farmer perceptions and attitudes toward adopting various practices. They aim to integrate all of this knowledge into guidelines for growers and to disseminate the information throughout organic grain growing regions.
“Testing the methods across locations will ensure that the best management practices for no-till organic production hold up across varying soil types and growing environments,” says Luck. “Farmers will be able to understand what does and doesn’t work when implementing no-till practices in their organic production systems.”
The four-year grant is part of the USDA-NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant Program and is a 1:1 matching grant. For every federal dollar received, the researchers match that amount through funds from their institutions as well as donations of time or supplies from cooperating farms and companies. The structure of the grant means collaboration with industry and producers is essential and indispensable.
“We’re excited to receive this funding from USDA-NRCS and to have invested collaborators who see the value of this work,” says Luck. “We think the work has great potential to change typical management practices associated with organic grain production.”
Other researchers involved in the project include soil scientist Matt Ruark and plant pathologist Erin Silva from UW–Madison; agronomist/horticulturalist Kathleen Delate from Iowa State University; and farm director Jeff Moyer and chief scientist Andrew Smith from the Rodale Institute.
U.S., KOREA EXPECTED TO SIGN REVISED TRADE DEAL
President Trump this week announced that the United States and South Korea soon will sign the revised free trade agreement between the countries. The agreement, which was finalized earlier this year, could be signed as early as Sept. 25, during the United Nations General Assembly meeting, according to President Trump.
The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, or KORUS, was one of several trade agreements scrutinized by the president during his 2016 election campaign. The National Pork Producers Council was pleased with the outcome of the renegotiations, with the new deal having little impact on agriculture. Most U.S. pork will continue to flow to South Korea with no tariff. (Prior to KORUS, Korean duties on U.S. chilled and frozen pork were 22.5 percent and 25 percent, respectively.) Last year, the United States shipped $475 million of pork to South Korea – a 30 percent increase over 2016 – making it the No. 5 U.S. pork export market.
FMCSA EXTENDS PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON HOURS-OF-SERVICE RULES
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) this week extended the deadline for submitting public comments on revising current Hours-of-Service (HOS) rules, which limit certain commercial truckers to 11 hours of driving time and 14 consecutive hours of on-duty time in any 24-hour period. Once drivers reach that limit, they must pull over and wait 10 hours before driving again. Comments now are due by Oct. 10.
In response to congressional, industry and public concerns about the incompatibility of current HOS rules for industry-specific truck drivers, including livestock haulers, the FMCSA agreed to consider changes to the regulation in four areas: expanding the current 100 air-mile “short-haul” exemption from 12 hours on-duty to 14 hours on-duty; extending the current 14-hour on-duty limitation by up to two hours when a truck driver encounters adverse driving conditions; revising the current mandatory 30-minute break for truck drivers after eight hours of continuous driving; and reinstating the option for splitting the required 10-hour off-duty break for drivers operating trucks that are equipped with a sleeper-berth compartment.
NPPC continues to seek a limited exemption for livestock haulers from the DOT’s Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate, which requires truckers to replace their paper driving logs with electronic ones. A fiscal 2018 federal spending law delayed the mandate for livestock truckers until Oct. 1, 2018.
Cowboy Poetry Contest Offers Convention Trip, Performance Opportunities
A talent in poetry will win one cattleman or woman a trip to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, La., Jan. 30 – Feb. 1, 2019. The Cowboy Poetry Contest, being coordinated by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and sponsored by IMI Global, is accepting entries until Oct. 19, 2018.
Five finalists will be selected by NCBA on Oct. 26, with public voting on submitted videos held Nov. 6 – Dec. 4, 2018. The top three will be announced Dec. 5, 2018. The winner will have the chance to perform their work live on stage at the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention in New Orleans Feb. 1, 2019, or via video if not in attendance. Entries must be original and humorous.
In addition to performing their poem live, the first place winner will receive a free trip to the 2019 Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show in New Orleans, La. Included will be a travel credit of up to $500, one full convention registration (including Cattlemen’s College), and one hotel room for three nights. The poetry will also be published in National Cattlemen Magazine and on the organization’s website, pending proof of copyright.
Second place will also perform their poetry live on stage Feb. 1 and receive a full registration to the 2019 Convention, while third place will perform their poetry live and receive a $100 Cabela’s Gift Card.
The contestant must upload a video performing the poetry work (five minutes or less), along with the poem in document form, to be considered. For more information and to enter, go to www.ncba.org, then click on conventions and events/Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show.
USDA Secretary Working to Empower Local School Leaders and Improve the School Meal Programs
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue yesterday hosted a roundtable with local school officials to learn more about how USDA can best assist and enable their efforts to serve nutritious meals to our nation’s children.
The meeting was part of the Secretary’s ongoing efforts to explore reforms that will make school meals more appealing by giving control back to local school food professionals who know the children best.
“School officials have expertise critical to the conversation of school meal reform,” said Perdue. “USDA is committed to giving schools the common sense flexibilities they need to serve nutritious meals kids will want to eat.”
Local officials provided feedback on the role of school meal policy in ensuring their students’ nutrition:
“Every day, school meals fuel the academic success of America’s future generations. School Nutrition Association welcomes this opportunity to join our partners in discussing ways to strengthen school meal programs and ensure students have access to nourishing, appealing meals. We greatly appreciate Secretary Perdue’s continued dedication to reducing unnecessary burdens and streamlining the complexity of school meal programs so that our members, working in school cafeterias nationwide, can focus on serving students,” said School Nutrition Association President Gay Anderson.
“School boards have an integral role in implementing school meal programs but we should not be the cupcake police,” said Neil Putnam, National School Boards Association Director and Vice President of the Mitchell Board of Education, South Dakota. “I appreciate U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue’s interest in hearing directly from locally elected school board members who are on the front lines of providing affordable nutritious meals to students. In my view, increased flexibility and decreased regulations will help local school districts reduce food waste and costs and will increase student participation in school meal programs.”
“As directors of large urban school nutrition programs, we appreciate the opportunity to discuss with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue ways the Department can simplify federal administrative requirements and help our schools continue to meet current nutrition standards for our nation’s children, design desirable meals, take better advantage of in-season fruits and vegetables, increase student participation, reduce plate waste, and control costs,” said Cincinnati Public Schools Director of Food Services Jessica Shelly and Miami-Dade County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Officer Penny Parham in a joint statement.
"I believe strongly in serving my students with a well-rounded education, and proper nutrition is a critical piece of that education,” said Mervin Daugherty, Superintendent for Red Clay Consolidated School District, Wilmington, DE. “I understand the importance of nutrition, and work to ensure all students can access healthy meals. In Red Clay, we have worked to find a balance of following federal standards, serving meals that students enjoy, and maintaining costs. I thank the Secretary for calling this meeting and look forward to working with him to find some common-sense regulatory changes to better serve students.”
The Secretary’s roundtable was held in advance of the publication of the final rule on Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements, targeted for release later this year. The interim final rule published in November 2017 gave schools flexibilities for the milk, sodium, and whole grain requirements for school year 2018-2019.
“We are looking ahead for more ways to help local operators run world-class school meal programs,” said Perdue. The Secretary added that increasing program efficiency and accountability is a priority for USDA, as it makes the best use of taxpayer dollars.
USDA Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Brandon Lipps expects to meet with more school meals partners and customers through the remainder of the year. USDA encourages local feedback and seeks to provide the tools and flexibilities school meal programs need to improve customer service.
Welcome to the KTIC Agriculture Information blog!!! Check back here for the latest in ag news and information, from local events to international happenings and government reports that affect your operation. Please email with suggestions! -Chad Moyer, Farm Director, KTIC Radio
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