Tuesday January 15 Ag News

NEBRASKA EXTENSION OFFERS GRAIN MARKETING WORKSHOP

When finances are tight, one key to keeping the farm is managing income with an effective grain marketing plan, one that accounts for a farmer’s cost of production, balance sheet and cash flow.

The two-day, in-depth, hands-on workshop “Grain Marketing: Dollar and Cents” will help row-crop farmers create effective grain marketing plans specific to their operation and financial condition. The cost to participate is $100 per person.

“Grain Marketing: Dollar and Cents” is designed to strengthen participants’ ability to understand financial benchmarking, improve their basic marketing knowledge, develop accurate production cost estimates and write a grain marketing plan. The workshop will take participants through a case-study farm, making them evaluate different financial situations: one with a strong financial standing and cash on hand, the other a tighter scenario where they would need to rely on grain sales to make payments on operating loans.

Using a game called Marketing in a New Era, participants will compare the potential effects of different grain marketing strategies on the case-study farm.

Those who complete the workshops should gain the skills to do the financial analysis of their own farms, and develop a grain marketing plan for their particular operation.

Dates and locations:
> Mead, Jan. 30-31: Eastern Nebraska Research and Development Center, 1071 County Road G. To register, call 402-624-8030.
> Scottsbluff, Feb. 5-6: Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Ave I. To register, call 308-632-1230.
> North Platte, Feb. 12-13: West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 West State Farm Road. To register, call 308-696-6734.

Jessica Groskopf, associate extension educator, said the workshops recognize the uniqueness of each farm.

“We know that there’s a lot of variation in the financial well-being of farms. We need to consider how that affects an individual’s grain marketing strategy. If I have a different financial portfolio than my neighbor, I’m probably going take a different approach to grain marketing,” she said. “If I have a really strong financial standing, I have more flexibility with the sales that I can make. If I’m in a tighter financial position, I need to really plan out my grain sales so that I’m meeting my cash flow obligations.”

Workshop organizers hope graduates can evaluate the financial standing of their farms and develop a grain marketing strategy that compliments their current financial situation.

“The hope is that we will give participants the skills to do the financial analysis so they can go home and look at their balance sheet and their cash flow statement and really utilize them to develop a grain marketing plan,” Groskopf said.



Grain Marketing and Financial Management in Uncertain Times

A free grain marketing workshop will be held at the Northeast Community College Extended Campus in O’Neill, NE located at 505 Hwy 20, O'Neill, NE, on Jan. 28 from 9AM-2PM. This workshop will assist farmers in maximizing financial market gains during periods of low crop prices. Nebraska Extension Educators will present strategies on using marketing tools, such as futures and option contracts, to protect farm incomes against adverse market movements. This workshops feature the Marketing in a New Era crop-pricing simulator, and the Grain Marketing Plan smartphone application. Attendees are encouraged to bring a laptop to participate; loaner computers will be available on-site.

The workshop is limited to the first 26 participants.

Complimentary lunch is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience and Pioneer Hybrids

Register by calling UNL Holt Co. Extension at (402) 336-2760. Space is limited and demand is high, register now!



NDA ANNOUNCES NEW APP FOR ELECTRONIC LIVESTOCK HEALTH CERTIFICATES

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) recently initiated an easier, more convenient way for livestock health certificates to be completed. NDA's Animal Disease Traceability program recently launched a new application designed for Nebraska veterinarians to issue livestock health certificates electronically as an alternative to paper health certificates. Nebraska veterinarians issue thousands of livestock health certificates a year.

“NDA processed more than 84,000 health certificates for 2018, a number that represents millions of head of cattle and other livestock required by law to have official identification,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman. “This new app will help veterinarians issue livestock health certificates anytime and anywhere with their computers, smartphones and tablets.”

The application and service are free, and the technology encourages veterinarians to use electronic health certificates as opposed to paper ones that cost more to process.

“When veterinarians use paper health certificates, NDA staff have to individually enter that information into a database, which is time consuming, costly and has a potential for error,” Wellman said. “Receiving information electronically, has proven to be easier and quicker to compile.”

Health certificates are required by law when producers move cattle and other livestock out of Nebraska. This gives officials the ability to trace an animal’s location and origin should a disease outbreak occur and makes the disease traceability process faster and more accurate.

Veterinarians can download the electronic health certificate application by visiting NDA’s website at: nda.nebraska.gov. The link, under “hot topics,” is called “Free Smartphone CVI with Instructions for Nebraska Veterinarians.” The new application supports the following devices and platforms: iPad, iPhone, Android and Windows 10.



ICA Honors Outstanding Cattlemen

Each year, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association honors outstanding cattlemen and women through several different awards. In December, awards were presented to cattle producers from Garner, Centerville and DeWitt at the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit.

Outstanding Commercial Producer
The 2018 Outstanding Commercial Producer for the state of Iowa, Curtis Claeys, is a first-generation farmer. The Claeys farm is a pasture-to-plate operation that raises high-quality black Angus cattle for Iowa Premium Beef and Aurora.  The operation near DeWitt includes row-crops, custom cropping, approximately 250 cows and a 650 head finishing operation.

The Claeys farm has hosted an open house with the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers and recently launched a locker beef program to sell beef directly to consumers. The multi-generational farm has transitioned over the years from swine production to dairy steer calves, then dairy heifer replacements before beginning beef production.

On the farm, the environment is a top priority. Cows graze stalks on all highly erodible crop ground, allowing no-till and cover crop plantings. Claeys added a slatted confinement barn in 2014, and rotational grazing is also utilized in the pastures.

The operation keeps detailed performance records, and uses those records to make decisions regarding culling and sire selection. In six years, the Claeys farm has achieved a 95 pound increase in yearling weight, while decreasing instances of calving difficulty to zero. Most of the bulls used in the operation come from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association bull test.

Curt Claeys has a strong record of leadership as a member of his county’s fair board, and continues that record on the Iowa State Fair Board. His son, Kendall, is a graduate of the Young Cattlemen’s Leadership Program and a board member for his county cattlemen’s association. The addition of another generation working on the farm full time has been a vital component in the beef enterprise.

Environmental Stewardship Award
The 2018 Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Environmental Stewardship Award Program winner has always valued the land and the animals – both livestock and wildlife – who depend on it. Randy Eddy has been on the forefront of conservation measures his whole life.

Randy and Denise continue to operate the Appanoose County farm Randy’s parents established 60 years ago, in 1958. The majority of the farm is used as hay or pasture ground for Randy’s cow/calf operation.

Row-crop production is the principal use of land in Iowa, and Appanoose County is no exception. Approximately 21% of Iowa’s pastureland was converted to cropland from 2007 to 2012. During that same time frame, Randy converted between 250 and 300 acres of former row-crop land into pasture, which decreases nitrogen loss by approximately 85% and phosphorus loss by 59%.

Fields susceptible to erosion were initially seeded down with alfalfa and slowly transitioned to pasture when the alfalfa stand thinned and Randy added other varieties of grasses and legumes.

The Eddys’ land once contained sand strip mines, which left a wasteland in their wake. Randy and his father rehabilitated the former mines in the 2000s.

With the hillsides stabilized, the Eddys used their cows to help improve the soil over the years. Rolling out hay bales strategically on the fragile land helped deposit cattle manure where needed, improving soil health while minimizing outside inputs. Over time, the Eddys were able to filling in the pits left by the mines and convert the landscape to pasture.

Randy and his father also began planting switchgrass to diversify their pasture, provide wildlife habitat and improve soil health. As an active bow hunter, Randy was able to maximize the habitat and food available to native wildlife. The standing switchgrass and food plots on the farm bring pheasant, quail, deer, river otter, and wild turkey. Bald eagles can frequently be seen flying overhead. Milkweed flourishes in Randy’s switchgrass stands, providing valuable pollinator habitat. Randy also has three large, natural bee-hives on his property.

In addition to haying and grazing the switchgrass, Randy and his father also harvested the seed and sold the stover to the state of Iowa to use in mulching roadside plantings. The decision to plant and utilize switchgrass would prove to have broader impacts far beyond Randy’s farm, however.

In the mid-1990s, Randy took part in an innovative research project to lay the groundwork for commercial biomass energy production. The switchgrass on his land was used as a replacement for coal in a local electricity plant.

After several years of research and shorter test burns, a three month test burn of switchgrass was completed in 2006 at the Ottumwa Generating Station in Chillicothe, Iowa. The test burn generated nearly 20 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from the renewable switchgrass fuel, a world record. The electricity generated would power nearly 2,000 average Iowa homes for an entire year. The experiment also reduced emissions of the primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, by more than 50,000 tons.

It is this dedication to the land, livestock and wildlife that led the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Environmental Stewardship Award committee to select Randy and Denise Eddy as the 2018 winner.

The Eddys’s niece, Lyndsay Harshman, an assistant professor and doctor at the University of Iowa hospitals, summed up the impact Randy and others like him have on not just Iowa’s cattle industry, but the well-being of the entire state.

“My generation is indebted to the ‘Uncle Randy’s’ of America – those men [and women] who not only farm this country but in doing so have sought ways to make their land better for future generations and improve the yield on their animal product in the short term as well. Randy has shown our community again and again that when we put our land as a priority, the quality of one’s cattle also rise to the top.”

Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Hall of Fame
The 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, Ed Greiman, has a long list of accomplishments. From operating a cow/calf and feedlot operation with his family to leading national conversations on important cattle industry topics, Greiman has helped to shape the cattle industry. Throughout his career he has worked in various sectors of the industry, and held positions in some of the most influential organizations and companies in Iowa’s beef industry. His reputation for knowledge and leadership is recognized nationally.

Greiman’s work over the years has an incredible impact on the cattle industry. From 1998 to 2002, he worked for the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. While on staff, Greiman filled a variety of roles including Membership Field Director for Northeast Iowa, Beef Quality Assurance Director, and Membership Services Director. As Beef Quality Assurance Director for the State, he provided resources and oversight for Source and Age Verifying cattle and feedlots for value based market with all packers. He also developed an electronic ID and source-verified program with Cargill, in order to educate producers on the value of their cattle and allow them access to carcass data.

After leaving ICA staff, Greiman served as the vice-president of Iowa Quality Beef Co-Op Packing Plant until 2005. As vice-president of the packing plant, he represented the interests of approximately 900 cattlemen who owned the Iowa Quality Beef packing plant and helped integrate fed cattle from Iowa into the McDonalds source verified program.

At NCBA, Greiman has served as chairman of the Cattle Marketing and International Trade police committee, chairman of the working group on Price Discovery and chairman of the CME Cattle Futures Volatility and Contract Design Working Group. He has consistently advocated on behalf of Iowa’s independent feedlot operators in all of these roles.

Greiman’s involvement in the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is commendable. He has served as the Northwest Iowa Regional Vice-President for ICA, as well as president-elect and president. During his time in ICA leadership, he chaired the Iowa State Beef Checkoff Exploratory Group, which ultimately led to the successful referendum vote to reinstate the state checkoff in 2016. He also worked with a variety of partners to help develop the Iowa DNR Workplan Agreement for feedlots.

Greiman continues to take part in ICA’s feedlot council, NCBA working groups, and serves on Iowa State University’s Animal Science Department Advisory Board. He is also the manager of Upper Iowa Beef.



IOWA RENEWABLE FUELS MARKETING AWARDS PRESENTED TO CASEY'S GENERAL STORES AND QUICK OIL COMPANY

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that Casey's General Stores and Quick Oil Company are the 2019 winners of the Secretary’s Ethanol and Biodiesel Marketing Awards.  The awards were created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to recognize fuel marketers that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote and sell renewable fuels.

“Casey's and Quick Oil Company have shown great leadership and commitment to marketing our homegrown renewable fuels. I am very proud to recognize the investment they have made to not only our renewable fuels industry, but the environment and Iowa economy as well,” Naig said.

The Secretary’s Ethanol and Biodiesel Marketing Awards recognize businesses that market the renewable fuels they have available through creative efforts including hosting special events highlighting renewable fuels, development of creative signage, initiation of new advertisements or marketing efforts, and dramatically increasing renewable fuel availability.

The winners will be recognized during the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa Annual Meeting in Des Moines on Jan. 15.  The Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa (PMCI) is a non-profit state trade association serving the needs of independent petroleum marketers and convenience store owners throughout the state.

“Fuel marketers allow consumers to access ethanol and biodiesel blends produced right here in Iowa. Our state is a national leader in renewable fuels production, and we are very fortunate that many retailers are making significant investments to provide their customers with increased access to renewable fuels,” Naig said.

Ethanol
Casey’s General Stores is the winner of the 2019 Secretary’s Ethanol Marketing Award.  Casey’s has committed to offering E15 (Unleaded 88) to more than 500 of its locations over the next four years.

Casey’s is rapidly adding E15 and E85 locations in Iowa and promoting its availability to customers.  From 2017 to 2018, Casey’s went from two E15 and E85 stations in Iowa to 13.

For the past two years, Casey’s has participated in the Pink at the Pump® campaign, co-sponsored by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.  Pink at the Pump® is a breast cancer awareness campaign where E15 retailers across Iowa contribute 3 cents to breast cancer research for every gallon of E15 sold during Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

Casey’s also hosted three radio remotes with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and Iowa Corn to educate motorists about the benefits of E15, not only for their health but their vehicles.   For the radio remotes, Casey’s discounted E15 by 25 cents per gallon. During the two-hour remotes, E15 sales equaled the total amount of E15 gallons sold on a daily basis. 

Casey’s has spent time educating motorists on the use of E85 for flex fuel vehicles (FFVs). In the run-up to the Iowa Corn 300, Casey’s hosted E85 promotion events with discounted fuel, a remote radio broadcast, and free rides in a two-seat Indy car to show consumers the power and performance of E85.

Casey's General Stores Director of Fuels Nathaniel Doddridge was nominated for the award by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

Biodiesel
Quick Oil Company in Perry is the winner of the 2019 Secretary's Biodiesel Marketing Award.

Rod Gittins has owned and operated Quick Oil Company for more than thirty years. Prior to purchasing Quick Oil Company, Mr. Gittins worked with his father on the farm land owned by family. Farming remains in his blood and his business allows him to provide products to his farm customers that are essential to their success.

Quick Oil Company has 11 employees and operates two tank wagons and three bulk fueling plants. They serve a primary customer base of farmers, contractors, and various other end-use customers. Rod has partnered with industry experts to host biodiesel educational sessions for his customers to address any questions they have about the product and to share the benefits of biodiesel. The results speak for themselves.

Rod Gittins and Quick Oil Company was nominated for the award by the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa.

Renewable Fuels Industry Overview
Iowa leads the nation in the production of ethanol and biodiesel.  Iowa has 44 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than 4.35 billion gallons annually. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 365 million gallons annually.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program offers cost-share grants for the installation of E85 dispensers, blender pumps, biodiesel dispensers and biodiesel storage facilities.  The grant program is managed by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Additional information can be found on the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov



New National Swine Disease Council Will Help Combat Foreign Animal Disease

In 2013, when pork producers faced an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDV, the U.S. pork industry put a renewed emphasis on farm biosecurity. Today, the U.S. pork industry has aligned its efforts to reduce the risks from foreign animal disease (FAD) by creating the National Swine Disease Council (NSDC).

The council is comprised of key industry leaders from six distinct areas of swine science expertise. NSDC leadership includes representatives from the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council, the North American Meat Institute, the Swine Health Information Center, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as state animal health officials.

“The biggest risk we face is any foreign animal disease entering the U.S.,” said Paul Sundberg, executive director, Swine Health Information Center. “As an industry, we have decades of response experience and are well prepared for any number of swine-specific diseases, however a new or emerging disease can threaten animal health and welfare, as well as public health. While it is virtually impossible to prevent every disease from entering the U.S., the formation of this council will allow us to respond even more quickly thereby mitigating risk to herd health through fast action and response.”

A newly emerging disease can also disrupt U.S. pork exports and commerce, negatively impacting pork producers and their businesses. The combined expertise of the participating organizations will center on rapid response to diseases that threaten the U.S. pork industry.

“The National Pork Board is well positioned to respond having invested producer dollars over the past 30 years to establish research priorities and response protocols,” said Dave Pyburn, Pork Checkoff senior vice president of science and technology. “In the end, it comes down to producer awareness and education, which is our area of expertise. We have outstanding programs in place and pig farmers are committed to on-farm biosecurity procedures.” Additionally, 90 percent of farms have a Premises Identification Number, according to a November 2018 producer survey.

Starting with the formation of the council and identification of member participants, the producers and their organizations will turn their focus toward providing recommendations in collaboration with state and federal animal health officials, and other industry stakeholders, to respond to emerging swine diseases. Any disease could potentially threaten herd health and negatively affect the U.S. pork industry. This focus specifically includes:
-    Recommending policies for emerging and foreign animal diseases and collaborating with animal health officials, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders to increase understanding of disease and quick response; and, most importantly,
-    Promoting acceptance of recommended actions throughout the U.S. pork industry.

The council will rely on subject matter experts to advise and inform on every aspect of disease management. That may include forming short- and long-term project teams to make, review, and implement appropriate recommendations.

“There has already been a significant amount of work done to identify and assess foreign and emerging disease outbreaks and non-regulatory disease outbreaks in the U.S.,” said Harry Snelson, American Association of Swine Veterinarians. “But we can always improve coordination in assessing and responding. The NSDC will facilitate that strategy.”

Rapid and effective response to disease outbreaks is the council’s top priority. Understanding what diseases exist in the world and keeping them out of the country continues to be the most important task in terms of risk management as those diseases pose a significant threat to U.S. pork production.

“Each of the six organizations has deep experience working together, and we each look forward to even more collaboration in the years ahead,” said Liz Wagstrom, National Pork Producers Council. “The end game for each of us is to improve disease detection, assessment, containment and eradication. Only then can we rest knowing that the nation’s pork supply is secure, the animal agriculture and food production industry is stable, and public health is protected.”



RFA Launches E15 Awareness Campaign

With less than five months before the start of the summer driving season, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) has launched an awareness campaign to educate consumers and policymakers about the benefits of E15 (a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol) in anticipation of the blend being available year-round. The campaign kicked off this week with digital ads on The Washington Post and the launch of a new consumer-facing web site.

It is a race against the clock for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finalize approval for year-round E15 in advance of the summer driving season on June 1. Last October in Iowa, President Trump directed EPA to eliminate the regulatory barriers that currently prevent the year-round sale of E15. And speaking to the American Farm Bureau Federation just yesterday, the President confirmed that his Administration is “…ensuring that ethanol remains a vital part of America’s energy future with E15. We’re making it available year-round, all 12 months, that’s a big difference for the farmers.”

Even with the partial government shutdown dragging on, EPA has promised this regulatory barrier will be removed in time for consumers to be able to enjoy the benefits of E15 this summer and the rest of the year.

The ads, with the tagline “E15. Clean. Affordable. Domestic. Fuel,” outline the numerous benefits of using E15, a fuel that can be used in more than 90 percent of the vehicles on the road today. Currently, E15 cannot be sold during the summer months in most of the country, the result of a burdensome, decades-old regulation with no environmental or economic benefit.

“E15 burns cleaner and cooler than gasoline, lowers gas prices, and reduces oil imports. Unfortunately, old regulations that protected the oil industry from competition have prevented E15 from being sold in the summer months,” RFA explains on its new site, which can be viewed here along with the digital ads. “But President Trump promised to make E15 available all year and directed the Environmental Protection Agency to take action. EPA says it will complete action and honor President Trump’s commitment before June 1, 2019. We hope they’re right, and we’re counting down the days left for EPA to take action on the President’s pledge to eliminate the summertime ban on E15.” The site also features a countdown clock to the start of the summer driving season on June 1, 2019, which—as of today—is just 136 days away.

“For far too long, consumers have been denied access to E15 during the busy summer driving season, meaning they’ve missed out on using a cleaner, lower-cost, higher-octane fuel,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “But that’s all about to change, as President Trump and EPA have promised to eliminate this barrier before summer. Even with a tight timeline and the partial government shutdown, EPA has made it clear that the regulatory fix allowing year-round E15 will be done by June 1. We look forward to consumers finally having access to E15 all year long, and this new campaign is meant to arm drivers and policymakers with the facts as E15 continues to spread across the country.”

To view the full ad campaign, visit https://ethanolrfa.org/e15cleanfuel/.



Farm Bureau Adopts Policies on Government Shutdown, Trade, Opioids, Cell-Based Food and

Farmer and rancher delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 100th Annual Convention today adopted policies to guide the organization’s work during its centennial year on key topics such as farm bill implementation, cell-cultured food products, trade, rural broadband access and rural mental health programs.

“As our organization has done for the last 100 years, grassroots delegates from across the nation came together to express a unified voice on issues vital to the success of our farms, ranches and rural communities,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. “It was fitting to have President Trump and numerous members of Congress among our attendees as we kicked off our centennial celebration. We continue to face a challenging farm economy and we stand ready to work with Congress and the Trump administration to address the issues important to our farm and ranch families.”

Government Shutdown
Delegates urged the administration and Congress to work together to end the government shutdown as soon as possible. The current shutdown means farmers and ranchers are being delayed in securing loans and crop insurance as well as disaster and trade assistance. The impasse has also delayed implementation of important provisions of the farm bill.

Trade
Delegates voted to favor negotiations to resolve trade disputes, rather than the use of tariffs or withdrawal from agreements. They also voted to support the United States’ entry into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Cell-based Food
Delegates adopted a comprehensive policy to support innovation in cell-based food products while ensuring a level playing field for traditional protein. Delegates affirmed that the Agriculture Department is best equipped to be the primary regulator of new cell-based products as it encouraged USDA to utilize the Food and Drug Administration’s expertise in food safety. The policy also calls for complete and accurate product labels to ensure that consumers have all the pertinent information they need.

Rural Broadband
Delegates supported improved broadband coverage maps through better data and third-party provider verification. AFBF will work with the Federal Communications Commission to address map inaccuracies.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Delegates supported increased funding for programs and facilities for the treatment of substance abuse and mental health issues. Delegates also voted to support funding for the Farm and Ranch Assistance Network, which was included in the 2018 farm bill. AFBF will urge appropriations committees to fund this program, which is critical to address the mental health issues faced by many farmers, ranchers and other rural Americans.



New Grassroots Leaders Take the Helm at Farm Bureau

Delegates at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 100th Annual Convention elected members to serve as board and committee leaders for the organization.

Stefanie Smallhouse, president of Arizona Farm Bureau, and Todd Fornstrom, president of Wyoming Farm Bureau, were elected to two-year terms on the AFBF board of directors representing the Western Region.

Fourteen other state Farm Bureau presidents were re-elected to two-year terms to represent their regions on the board:

Western Region: Hans McPherson, Montana

Northeast Region: Chuck Fry, Maryland and Don Tuller, Connecticut

Southern Region: Jeff Aiken, Tennessee; Ronnie Anderson, Louisiana; Russell Boening, Texas; Gerald Long, Georgia; Mike McCormick, Mississippi; Rodd Moesel, Oklahoma; and Larry Wooten, North Carolina

Midwest Region: Richard Felts, Kansas; Richard Guebert, Jr., Illinois; Craig Hill, Iowa and Kevin Paap, Minnesota

Re-elected to two-year terms on the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee were Sherry Saylor of Arizona (chair), Isabella Chism of Indiana (vice chair), Marieta Hauser of Kansas, Debbi Tanner of Connecticut, Lorenda Overman of North Carolina and Carol Guthrie of Idaho.

Paul Molesky of New York was elected as the new chair of the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee for a one-year term, which makes him a member of the AFBF board of directors.



Valent U.S.A. receives U.S. EPA approval for liquid formulation Fierce® MTZ Herbicide

Valent U.S.A. LLC today announced the launch of Fierce® MTZ Herbicide - a stand-alone liquid formulation that combines the company's leading herbicide, Fierce Herbicide, with the added benefit of metribuzin.  The company has received U.S. EPA approval, and first sales are expected in the 2019 growing season.

Fierce MTZ contains three effective modes of action that provide long lasting residual control of tough and resistant broadleaf weeds and annual grasses, including Palmer amaranth, common waterhemp, common and giant ragweed, and kochia.

Fierce MTZ protects fields for up to eight weeks and provides flexibility for crop rotation with limited carryover and rotational restrictions.  In addition, the liquid formulation provides easy mixing and loading.

"With weed control being a key hurdle year after year, we continue to recommend using multiple effective modes of action in weed management systems," said Dr. John Pawlak, Valent product development manager.  "Fierce MTZ provides the longest control over the largest spectrum of troublesome weeds than any other comparable product on the market."



HELM Agro US Launches Zone Elite Herbicide for Soybeans

HELM Agro US, Inc. has added Zone Elite to the company’s ‘ZONE’ herbicide family for U.S. soybean growers.

Zone Elite is a pre-emergence herbicide for broad-spectrum weed control with an application window from 30+ days preplant up to three days after planting. Controlling the toughest grasses and small-seeded broadleaves, Zone Elite delivers outstanding efficacy on more than 45 different weed species.

“For growers battling resistance, Zone Elite is an ideal weed control solution,” says Jan Stechmann, President of HELM Agro US. “With two modes of action plus 45 to 60 days of residual activity, Zone Elite keeps early season soybean fields clean for longer periods – allowing more flexibility for post-emergent applications.”

A proven weed control tool for waterhemp, foxtail and Amaranthus pressure regions, Stechmann says Zone Elite will be available in 2019 for soybean growers in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-South, as well as North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota.
 
Top quality performer
With a best-in-class oil dispersion formulation, Zone Elite contains Group 14 and 15 herbicides consisting of 0.7 pounds of sulfentrazone and 6.3 pounds of metolachlor per gallon of active ingredients.

Labeled for ‘pre’ application in all soybeans, traited and conventional, Zone Elite is also approved for use in dry shelled peas. Zone Elite is tank mix compatible with fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and adjuvants, and packaged in 2 x 2.5-gallon cases.

Zone Elite application rates for soybeans are determined according to soil texture and percentage of organic matter on a per field basis, ranging from 19.0 to 38.7 ounces per acre.
 
ZONE brand of herbicides
Zone Elite is the latest product under the ‘ZONE’ brand of herbicides, now available from HELM.

Included in the lineup with Zone Elite are: Zone Assist herbicide, a premix formulation of sulfentrazone and imazethapyr; and Zone herbicide, a premix formulation of sulfentrazone and chlorimuron.

All three products offer equivalent performance at a cost competitive price to leading marketplace brands, and are highly recommended for 2019 herbicide resistance weed management programs.