Friday October 5 Ag News

IANR Researchers Showcase Their Grit

The Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln continues to see success in securing external funds for research efforts despite an increasingly competitive funding environment. In the past five fiscal years, IANR has received 45 separate awards of more than $1 million to support new and continuing projects.

"Our faculty and staff continue to lead world-class research that integrates plant, animal, human and natural resource sciences to take systems approaches to address tremendous challenges," said Archie Clutter, dean of IANR's Agricultural Research Division.

Since fiscal year 2009, IANR has increased funds awarded for sponsored research by 35 percent, reaching $58 million in fiscal year 2018, which ended June 30.

According to Clutter, in many cases, Nebraskans directly benefit from the ongoing research projects at IANR. For instance, the state's producers will be interested in the results from a research project aiming to improve land use efficiency. A Husker research team, led by James MacDonald, associate professor of animal science and ruminant nutrition, is investigating how to improve land use efficiency through the integration of livestock and crop production systems. The project is funded by a $1 million grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.

Other teams at IANR are involved in projects ranging from plant immunity and nighttime heat stress on crops to climate literacy and the metabolism of older men and women.

"What's unique about IANR is that we're able to engage in critical research efforts across a wide range of disciplines," Clutter said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is supporting a project led by Surin Kim, a Nebraska Extension entrepreneurship specialist. The project, partnering high school students with rural business owners, creates an innovative educational intervention that engages youth in learning science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics -- or STEAM -- and entrepreneurial skills to help solve real local issues.

"Youth become problem solvers for local businesses, and local businesses become clients," Kim said.

Kim is one of over 250 faculty members listed on sponsored, federal or industry awards in fiscal year 2018, representing nearly half of all IANR faculty.



2019 Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation Retail Value Steer Challenge

The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation (NCF) is seeking donations of steers for its Annual Retail Value Steer Challenge (RVSC) feeding competition. This is the primary fund raiser for the Foundation and by participating in the RVSC you join other Nebraska cattle producers to support NCF projects. Funds from this event support:
  • Youth and Adult Leadership Programs
  • NCF Education Programs – Scholarships
  • NCF Research Programs and Infrastructure Projects
  • History Preservation
  • Judging Teams at University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Northeast Community College, Norfolk and Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, Curtis

Your involvement ensures these programs succeed. You also receive complete carcass data on your steer or steers and the chance to win prize money. And, you are helping the state’s leading industry sponsor programs that benefit our industry. Contributors should contact their tax professional as to the tax deductible status of this contribution. NCF is a 501(3)C entity.

NCF welcomes steer donations by individuals, businesses, groups of individuals or businesses and NC affiliates. Participants can donate their own steer or purchase a steer from the Foundation for $1,100. Steers need to be delivered to Darr Feedlot at Cozad prior to November 1.

Winners will be announced at the Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Conference in June, 2019.

For more information or to enter a steer contact Lee Weide at 402.475.2333, lweide@necattlemen.org or Jana Jensen, NC Foundation Fundraising Coordinator, at 308.588.6299, janajensen@nebcommfound.org.



Why One County Farm Bureau Refused to Endorse Steve King
Anna Balvance, Buffalo Center, IA

Iowa Farm Bureau granted Steve King their endorsement. Here’s why my county, the Winnebago Farm Bureau, did not.

Ethanol is under attack. The EPA gave out “hardship waivers” to “small” refineries. This undermined the RFS without doing so legislatively. Ethanol margins have reached disastrous levels with two plants in King’s district dialing back or temporarily shutting down. King has a curious track record when it comes to ethanol for a guy who has so many ethanol plants in his district. When the EPA was attacking ethanol, their champion was Ted Cruz. King hosted Ted Cruz in Iowa for a pheasant hunt, and endorsed him in the 2016 Iowa Caucus. There’s a wolf at the Iowa Farmer’s door…and King invited it in.

Trade Wars initiated by President Trump have hit district 4.  Farm incomes have declined four years in a row, and as I write soybean prices are $0.94 lower than they were this time last year. Local basis has been destroyed from lack of demand from traditional customers, like China.  Ethanol and Ethanol biproducts export numbers have dropped, worsening margins. President Trump campaigned on a trade war and King has supported him.

Iowa Senators have made headlines working to fix RFS waivers, mandate E15 year round, and fighting for the Iowa Farmer.  Steve King is often in the news, for the wrong reasons. Recently, retweeting a white supremacist for the second time.  Does this polarizing behavior benefit the IA04 farmer?

Has King campaigned for, endorsed, and supported candidates that are supporting farmers, free trade, and the ethanol industry?  No. And that’s why Winnebago County Farm Bureau did not endorse him as a friend of agriculture. J.D. Scholten will be a true “Friend of Agriculture” by advocating for free trade, protecting ethanol, and serving the office with the dignity it deserves.

Author Note:  Anna Balvance is a director on the Winnebago County Farm Bureau’s board, a farmer, and a grain buyer that lives in Buffalo Center, IA.



Iowa Concern Hotline Provides Resources for Iowa Farmers

This has been a stressful year for Iowa farmers. Stagnant crop prices, trade disputes and a lukewarm forecast for the next several years have left many farmers worried about what the future will bring.

“Farmers are concerned with how long low prices will last,” said Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist with Iowa State University. “Is there something on the horizon with upward potential for farm income? Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

Net farm income for medium-sized farms increased in 2017 compared to the last two years and cash income has increased back to 2013 levels, according to Plastina. However, profitability is relatively low as the average operating profit margin is 4.4 percent.

Uncertainty regarding trade agreements has also created problems within the farm economy.

“The new government programs available to compensate farmers for losses due to increased tariffs will help, but the bigger problem is uncertainty in the medium term,” Plastina said. “Is this phase going to last for 10 years and how will land values react?”

As farmers confront these conditions head-on, there are resources available through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to navigate both questions they have about the profitability of their farm and about the well-being of themselves and their families.

The Iowa Concern Hotline is a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week free, confidential resource for anyone with concerns or questions about farm finances, crisis and disaster response and personal health issues. Access to an attorney is also available to help provide legal education.

When someone calls the Iowa Concern Hotline’s toll-free number (800-447-1985), trained specialists provide immediate support to either answer questions directly or get the caller in touch with experts who can provide additional information or support.

“If someone calls who is dealing with stress and its effects, the first thing we do is to work with the person on that issue and provide immediate stress counseling,” said Tammy Jacobs, Iowa Concern Hotline coordinator. “We try to provide access to the assistance each individual needs.”

Iowa Concern Hotline staffers work to provide contact information for ISU Extension and Outreach specialists who can help address specific questions or direct callers to other partners near where they live to help navigate through their current situation.

“Whether they need to speak to an ISU Extension and Outreach farm management specialist, an attorney, someone with Iowa Mediation Service or a mental health specialist, we try to connect callers with the resources that will be most helpful to them,” Jacobs said.



AGRICULTURAL GROUPS SUPPORT EPA INTERPRETATION OF ‘ADJACENT’

The National Pork Producers Council today submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) addressing how it calculates and captures emissions from agricultural facilities under the Clean Air Act. The EPA’s current position is that “adjacent” facilities should focus solely on geographical proximity when making emission source determinations under the Clean Air Act permit programs.

In its comments, NPPC agreed with the current EPA definition of adjacent and said that “functional interrelatedness” should not be a factor in determining single sources of emissions under the act. NPPC said that defining “adjacent” facilities based on geographic proximity is the only way to consistently and clearly implement the rule. 



USDA Implements Market Facilitation Program

This week the USDA stated $55 million has been paid to farmers and ranchers affected by the foreign regulatory tariffs imposed on U.S. agricultural exports in Canada, China, the European Union, Mexico and Turkey. The Market Facilitation Program will provide direct payments to farmers of certain commodities, the Food Purchase and Distribution Program will purchase commodities affected by unjust regulation measures and distribute those through USDA nutrition programs, and a Trade Promotion Program will help develop foreign markets for U.S. agricultural products.

MFP will distribute about $4.7 billion in the first round of direct payments.  USDA plans to reassess the trade damages in December and decide whether to implement another wave of payments.



Perdue Favors Removal of Section 232 Tariffs on Canada, Mexico

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says he favors removing the Section 232 tariffs on Canadian and Mexican steel and aluminum which has led those countries to impose tariffs on U.S. farm products. Perdue acknowledged that the tariffs have “a dampening effect” on the benefits of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Perdue said: “I would be an advocate for relaxing those,” in a speech to a joint meeting of the North American Meat Institute, the Canadian Meat Council and a Mexican meat industry group.

The section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs are separate from the USMCA that will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. Perdue says the White House and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer discussed the tariffs during a recent meeting, but no conclusion was reached.



Purdue: GMO Labeling Law Still Expected This Year

The GMO Labeling law mandated by Congress will be established by the end of this year, according to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. Perdue says despite delays, USDA will finalize the law yet this year.

Congress passed a bill in 2016 that mandated the Department of Agriculture to create and implement the regulation by July 29, 2018. However, USDA missed that deadline, largely due to review delays in the rulemaking process, according to Perdue.

The Center for Food Safety filed a lawsuit against USDA in August for failing to meet the deadlines. At the time, the organization said: "Trump, Perdue, and their corporate lobbyists may want indefinite delay and keeping Americans in the dark, but the law doesn't permit it."



Court to Hear OTA Suit Against USDA Organic Livestock Rule Withdraw

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last week agreed to hear a challenge by the Organic Trade Association against the Department of Agriculture. OTA is challenging the agencies decision and process to withdraw organic livestock standards.

USDA in March withdrew the final Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices regulation, which was to go into effect in May. The agency contends that the Organic Food and Production Act does not give the National Organic Program the authority to regulate animal welfare.

The Organic Trade Association is arguing that the claim is a radically different view from any administration since the adoption of the National Organic Program, and one that cannot be legally supported. The Organic Trade Association filed its original lawsuit against USDA in September of 2017 over the agency’s continued delay of the final organic welfare standard.



Baseball Teams Knock It Out of the Park with Biodiesel

Sports fans nationwide are celebrating sustainable practices this weekend as October 6th marks Green Sports Day. The annual event recognizes the efforts that athletes, supporters, and organizations make to reduce their environmental footprint. Baseball fans are already seeing a difference with cleaner air thanks to biodiesel.

Ballparks throughout the country are recycling used cooking oil into clean burning biodiesel. This advanced biofuel reduces carbon emissions by 80 percent, helping the crowds breathe easier.

“When I order food at a ballpark I can see all the grease in the concession stand,” said National Biodiesel Board Sustainability Director Don Scott. “It’s awesome to know that this nasty garbage is being made into a clean fuel.”

The Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and the San Diego Padres are only a handful of the stadiums participating in this green endeavor. During the Royal’s recent championship season, the stadium totaled more than 61 tons of food waste, recycling more than 4,500 gallons of oil. The Brewers home stadium, Miller Park, recycled 6,347 gallons of cooking oil last year alone.

Embracing sustainable practices, these stadiums are focusing on the fans by creating a clean fuel that helps their vehicles as well as their health. Choosing biodiesel really is a home run for baseball teams.