Thursday February 14 Ag News

2019 Nebraska Dairy Ambassadors are Selected

Six new Dairy Ambassadors were selected to represent Nebraska's Dairy Industry - Dawn Klabenes, Jessilyn Sayers, Marissa Kegley, Hannah Lowe, Erin Muntz, and Liz Ruskamp.

Two Ambassadors, Dawn Klabenes and Jessilyn Sayers, are third year Ambassadors and will serve as leaders and mentors for the four first-year Ambassadors. 

Dawn Klabenes is a junior Animal Science major with a minor in Ag Communications from Chambers, Nebraska.  She is a third year Dairy Ambassador and also a Dairy Extension Intern.  Dawn hopes to advance her communications skills and become a better advocate for dairy.

Jessilyn "Jessi" Sayers is a junior Animal Science major from Clarkson, Nebraska.  she grew up on a small dairy farm and is a third-year Dairy Ambassador.  For the past three years, Jessi has worked at the UNL Dairy Research facilities on campus.  She hopes to serve as a mentor for the first year Ambassadors and create new ways to improve the program while staying connected in the dairy industry.

Marissa Kegley is a junior Animal Science major from Kearney, Nebraska where she grew up on her family farm.  She has been involved in dairy judging for both 4-H and FFA.  Marissa hopes to become a better advocate for the dairy industry and further develop her leadership skills.  She is using this opportunity to learn more about the dairy industry to better serve her clientele as a veterinarian.

Hannah Lowe is a Sophomore Animal Science major from Murray, Nebraska.  She is actively involve in a number of activities on campus including Block and Bridle, Ag Education Club and the NPPA Pork Mentorship Program. Hannah hopes to become a better advocate for dairy and communicate with consumers about agriculture. 

Erin Muntz is a sophomore Animal Science major from Louisville, Nebraska where she grew up on her family's dairy farm.  Erin hopes to promote the dairy industry and give a voice to farmers and producers.  She wants to encourage the public to learn more about the great aspects of the dairy industry. 

Liz Ruskamp is a junior Animal Science major from North Bend, Nebraska.  She grew up on a small alfalfa and wheat and cow-calf pair farm.  Liz is hoping to expand her knowledge of the dairy industry to promote the dairy industry to consumers. 



West Point Chamber of Commerce Ag Appreciation

The annual Ag Appreciation dinner will be held on Tuesday March 19th at the Nielsen Community Center at 6p. Tickets will be available from the event sponsors. R.P. Smith will be the entertainment.

Tuesday, March 19th, 6:00 pm
Nielsen Community Center, 200 Anna Stalp Avenue, West Point, NE 




 USDA FAS Administrator Ken Isley and Former Husker/Olympian Curt Tomasevicz Added to Governor’s Ag Conference Program

Today, Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Steve Wellman announced the addition of two speakers to the 2019 Governor’s Ag Conference, March 4-5, in Kearney. Curt Tomasevicz, Olympic bobsledder and former Cornhusker, will speak at the “Celebrate Nebraska Agriculture” reception on Monday, March 4, and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Ken Isley will be the keynote speaker at the Tuesday, March 5, luncheon.

“Administrator Isley works around the world to expand trade and export opportunities for American agriculture,” said Wellman. “We all know how important international trade is to Nebraska farmers, ranchers and agribusiness leaders and we look forward to hearing an update from Administrator Isley on the work being done to foster and grow international agricultural trade efforts.”

Curt Tomasevicz will share his message “Have No Fear” with conference attendees during the reception on Monday, March 4. Tomasevicz was a running back and linebacker at UN-L from 2000 to 2003 and spent 10 years competing for the U.S. National and Olympic bobsled teams and is a two-time Olympic medalist.

The Governor’s Ag Conference gives producers and agri-business leaders in Nebraska an opportunity to discuss the state’s number one industry and how to support future growth in agriculture. The conference begins Monday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m. with a panel presentation featuring Nebraska entrepreneurs and recruiters. The panel includes representatives from three innovative Nebraska companies and three organizations involved in recruiting companies to Nebraska.

On the entrepreneur side, the panelists are Vishal Singh with Quantified Ag; Lukas Fricke with ChorChek; and Mitch Minarick with FarmAfield. The three people representing business recruitment are: Phil Kozera with Bio Nebraska; Dan Duncan with Innovation Campus; and Bryan Slone with the Nebraska State Chamber.

The “Celebrate Nebraska Agriculture” reception featuring food and beverages from Nebraska and speaker Tomasevicz will begin at 6 p.m. Monday evening.

The conference resumes on Tuesday, March 5, at 9 a.m. with a presentation from Jim Smith, executive director of Blueprint Nebraska, an organization that is spearheading a statewide, citizen-led economic development initiative.

Next on the agenda will be Governor Ricketts, NDA Director Wellman and Nebraska Department of Economic Development Director Dave Rippe. The panel will update conference participants on legislative initiatives in agriculture and highlight the work being done between state agencies to grow Nebraska.

Following the panel presentation will be Jim Wiesemeyer, with Pro Farmer, giving participants an update on the national farm bill and trade policy and how they will impact farmers and ranchers nationwide as well as here in Nebraska.

Administrator Isley will wrap up the conference as Tuesday’s luncheon keynote speaker.

The Governor's Ag Conference is coordinated by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and is co-sponsored by Farm Credit Services of America. This year the conference is at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney. A $125 registration fee covers participation at activities on both Monday and Tuesday. After Feb. 18, the conference registration fee increases from $125 to $145. Registration and additional information is available online at www.nda.nebraska.gov, or by calling NDA toll-free at (800) 831-0550.



WOTUS 60-Day Public Comment Begins

The 60-day public comment period for the newly proposed waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule launched Thursday with the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishing the rule in the Federal Register.

The new rule moves forward while the 2015 rule under the Obama administration remains in legal limbo and essentially in effect in 22 states.

EPA and the Army Corps are on track to finalize the new rule by September, which is likely to trigger a new round of legal challenges.

The publication of the new rule already has drawn praise and outrage from a number of interest groups. The public comment period closes April 15.



ASA Urges Support for Aquaculture in Congress

The American Soybean Association joined more than 120 organizations in a letter urging Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to support increasing U.S. production of healthful, sustainable and affordable seafood through marine aquaculture. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Reps. Collin Peterson (D-MN) and Steve Palazzo (R-MS) intend to reintroduce an updated version of a bill that would clarify a process for permitting aquaculture in federal waters that preserves existing environmental safeguards and minimizes impacts to existing ocean-based industries.



Registration Now Open for the Pork Management Conference

The National Pork Board will host its annual Pork Management Conference, April 16-19, in Nashville, Tennessee. At the annual conference, a diverse set of experts from across the country will address business trends and challenges facing the U.S. pork industry. Through presentations, breakout sessions and networking, attendees will gain important insight into the pork industry and its challenges along with learning more about financial management practices to improve the performance and efficiency of pig farming.

“The Pork Management Conference continues to be an important event for pork producers,” said Emily Erickson, chair of the Pork Checkoff’s Producer and State Services Committee and a pig farmer from Jackson, Minnesota. “It is exciting to have a great line up of guest presenters and industry experts who will provide valuable knowledge and insight for our producers and other attendees.”

In addition to the general sessions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings, two concurrent afternoon sessions are planned for Thursday. Topics will include benchmarking, disaster recovery, risk management, research and development, tax credits, finding and keeping talented workers, accounting, and tax updates.

Registration is $425 per person through March 22 and $475 after that. No refunds will be made after March 29. A registration form and a detailed list of events are available at pork.org/pmc.



Proposed Rule to Amend the National List for Crops and Handling

On February 15, 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register to amend the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances for crops and handling based on April 2018 recommendations from the National Organic Standards Board.

This proposed rule would allow:
-    Elemental sulfur to be used as a slug or snail bait to reduce crop losses.
-    Polyoxin D zinc salt to control fungal diseases when other organic fungicides have been found to be less effective.
-    Magnesium chloride to be reclassified from a synthetic to a non-synthetic substance, requiring handlers to ensure that the product complies with the non-synthetic classification by obtaining details about the source of the magnesium chloride and its full manufacturing process.

The USDA welcomes comments on the proposed amendments. The 60-day comment period will close on April 16, 2019.



Sleight To Retire As U.S. Grains Council President And CEO

Tom Sleight, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) since 2012, will retire this summer following the appointment of his successor, the Council's Board of Directors announced this week at the organization's membership meeting in Cartagena, Colombia.

“I have done what I intended to accomplish, and as I move forward to this new phase of my own life, I am confident the Council is headed in the right direction and poised for continued growth as a relevant, innovative and impactful organization,” Sleight said.

Sleight leaves with the organization on firm footing and with expansion on the horizon. The Council was recently awarded nearly $14 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) Program; was also recently awarded an increase in funding from USDA’s hallmark market development programs, the Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) program; and enjoys strong support from its growing membership.

“The Board of Directors of the Council has been preparing for this transition for some time, and we have a strong global team in place that Tom has conscientiously built to be able to take on the challenges of a dynamic market development portfolio,” said Jim Stitzlein, chairman of the Council’s Board of Directors.

“We would love for Tom to stay, however we are fully understanding of his desire for what is hopefully a long and well-deserved retirement with his wife and family.”

Stitzlein has appointed a search committee comprised of representatives from its diverse membership, including the corn, sorghum, barley, ethanol and agribusiness sectors.

Sleight has worked at the Council a total of 25 years, beginning in 1983, and having done nearly every job the Council has to offer. Beginning in program implementation, Sleight went on to serve overseas in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, then returned to Washington to direct European, Middle East and Asia regional market development programs. Sleight complemented his international background by also serving in the U.S. administrative side of the Council’s operations, directing its membership, communications and administrative programs.

He left the Council in 1999 to lead the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ marketing division and later the New York Farm Viability Institute in his home state.

Sleight returned to the Council as vice president in 2010 before being selected as president and CEO in 2012.

“When I look back at my time with the Council, I have always been impressed by how nimble the organization is, able to turn over rocks and work where the market does not to find global opportunities for U.S. agriculture and the coarse grains sector,” Sleight said.

“Keeping and honing this innovative edge and staying closely in tune with our members' needs are dual goals the Council must never lose sight of.”



FFA Members Celebrate Agriculture and Leadership During National FFA Week

Agriculture is part of our daily lives—from the food we eat to the clothes we wear. On Saturday, nearly 670,000 FFA members across the country will begin to share the story of agriculture as part of National FFA Week.

Whether it is through service projects or community gatherings, National FFA Week is a time for FFA members to raise awareness about the role the National FFA Organization plays in the development of agriculture's future leaders and the importance of agricultural education.

National FFA Week always runs Saturday to Saturday and encompasses Feb. 22, George Washington's birthday. This year, the week kicks off on Feb. 16 and culminates on Feb. 23.

The National FFA Board of Directors designated the weeklong tradition, which began in 1948, in recognition of Washington's legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. A group of young farmers founded FFA in 1928, and the organization has been influencing generations that agriculture is more than planting and harvesting — it involves science, business and more.

Today, FFA provides the next generation of leaders who will change the world. The top school-based youth leadership development in the nation, FFA continues to help young people rise up to meet new agricultural challenges by helping members develop their unique talents and explore their interests in a broad range of career pathways. FFA members are our future leaders, our future food-suppliers, our future innovators and so much more!

National FFA Week is a time for FFA members to share agriculture with their fellow students as well as their communities. Chapters also give back to their communities through service projects during FFA Week. For example, during FFA Week the Abernathy FFA in Texas will be partnering with the Hub City Outreach Center to make sidewalk chalk that will then be donated to the summer program that focuses on reaching out to at-risk youth at the center. In Ohio, the Ohio Valley CTC FFA chapter will be working with Adams County Soil and Water to create a program to educate students and community members on the proper disposal of used oil and fluids. In Iowa, the Roland-Story FFA chapter is partnering with Meals on Wheels in packaging and providing meals for the elderly who are in need. Peterson Academies Technology FFA is focusing on literacy during FFA Week, by teaching mothers to read to their babies at an early age. The chapter will provide pamphlets on the importance of early literacy and then will donate gently used books to the University of Florida Health to distribute at a local event.

During FFA Week, the six national officers will visit chapters across the country. Western Region Vice President Shea Booster will visit Arkansas; Adrian Schunk, eastern region vice president, will visit West Virginia; Ridge Hughbanks, central region vice president, will visit Iowa; Jordan Stowe, southern region vice president, will visit South Carolina; Layni LeBlanc, national secretary, will visit Washington; and National FFA president Luke O’Leary will visit Connecticut.

National FFA Week is also a time for alumni and sponsors to advocate for agricultural education and FFA. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, the National FFA Foundation will celebrate Give FFA Day, a 24-hour campaign encouraging the public to support various needs impacting FFA members. If interested in giving, one can visit FFA.org/giveffaday. On Thursday, FFA Alumni and Supporters will celebrate Alumni Day. Friday, Feb. 22, all FFA members and supporters are encouraged to wear blue and show their FFA pride!

Sponsored by Tractor Supply Company, National FFA Week will be featured on social media as well. Follow the #FFAweek hashtag on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and don’t miss @NationalFFA Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat posts, including posts from the National FFA Officer Team while on the road.

The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 669,989 student members who belong to one of 8,630 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by 459,514 alumni members in 2,236 alumni chapters throughout the U.S.



New Data Shows Trump Administration Tariffs Cost U.S. Businesses $2.7 Billion in a Single Month, Exports of American Products Targeted for Retaliation Plummet 37 Percent

Tariffs Hurt the Heartland, a nationwide campaign against recent tariffs on American businesses, farmers and consumers, today released new data that shows American businesses paid an additional $2.7 billion in tariffs in November 2018 — the most recent month data is available from the U.S. Census Bureau due to the government shutdown. This figure reflects the additional tariffs levied because of the administration’s actions and represents a $2.7 billion tax increase and a massive year-over-year increase from $375 million in tariffs on the same products in November 2017. The historic tax increases come despite overall imports being slightly lower. The data, compiled by Trade Partnership, also shows that U.S. export growth hit its lowest level of 2018 in November, thanks in part to a 37 percent decline in exports of products facing retaliatory tariffs.

“This data shows that Americans, not our foreign competitors, are the big losers in the trade war,” Tariffs Hurt the Heartland Spokesman and former Congressman Charles Boustany said. “U.S. businesses are being hit by a double whammy of historic tax increases in the form of tariffs and declining exports as farmers and manufacturers lose opportunities in the overseas markets they rely on for their livelihoods. As U.S.-China trade talks resume, we hope the administration will heed the concerns of the thousands of American companies facing unprecedented tariff costs while making further progress toward an improved trading relationship and an end to the trade war. The proposed March 1 tariff increase should be completely off the table as American businesses are already facing billions more in tariffs every month.”

The November 2018 data shows that retaliatory tariffs, in particular, have had an immediate and severe effect on US exports. In November 2018, US exports of products subject to retaliatory tariffs declined by $4.1 billion, or 37 percent, from the previous year.
 
Other key takeaways from the November data:
-    Despite $426 million in monthly steel import tariffs and the Trump administration targeting even allies like Canada and Mexico with tariffs, steel imports actually INCREASED in November 2018. 
-    China Section 301 tariffs cost American companies approximately $2.1 billion in November. Products subject to the Section 301 remedies faced $2.5 billion in tariffs in October, compared to just $363 million in November 2017. Tariffs on most of these products could rise from 10 percent to 25 percent unless the U.S. and China reach a deal in the coming weeks.





Coors Light Holding 'Toast to Farmers Day' on Friday

Coors Light is making a toast to the farming industry on Feb. 15 with the hashtag 'Toast to Farmers'.

The announcement comes after competing company Bud Light, known for it's "Dilly Dilly" catchphrase, showed a barrel of corn syrup being delivered to their castle.

The Bud Light commercial stated that their beer was not made with corn syrup, and the barrel must be Miller Lite's or Coors Light's delivery.

The National Corn Growers Association blasted the ad and many farmers took to social media to express their frustration.