Thursday December 12 Ag News

Fuel Retailers and Drivers Raise Thousands for Local Cancer Center

In the past two years, fuel retailers across Nebraska have joined forces to raise more than $13,000 for cancer research as part of Fuel the Cure. During October, when drivers chose higher blends of ethanol fuel like E15, E30 and E85 at participating retail locations, gas stations donated 3 cents for each gallon sold. The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha received $6,190.47 and the June E. Nylen Cancer Center received $500, thanks to a generous match from Siouxland Ethanol.

“Donations to cancer research truly make a difference,” said Jenn Klein, a wife, mother, and breast cancer survivor. “I’m thankful funding was available to discover treatment before I needed it or I might not be here today.”

When Klein was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32, her cancer cells were growing and dividing at a rate of about 80 percent. Treatment was needed immediately. A funded researcher discovered two of the four chemotherapy treatments she underwent.

While biofuels and cancer research may seem like an unlikely pairing, studies shows that using more biofuels leads to less air pollution. According to the American Lung Association, up to 70 percent of ground-level ozone-forming pollutants come from mobile-source emissions.

Chemicals in gasoline are the same carcinogens found in tobacco, which are linked to cancer. Higher blends of biofuels dilute the toxicity and help reduce cancer-causing aromatics released from tailpipe emissions. Ethanol-blended fuels also reduce greenhouse gases by 42 percent.

“Fuel retailers know that regular and premium gasoline is harmful to the air we breathe. By making higher ethanol blends available, they are empowering consumers to help make a difference. Supporting Fuel the Cure is a step beyond because the funds are directly impacting lives of patients at the Cancer Center,” said Roger Berry, administrator for the Nebraska Ethanol Board. “Presently, we are dependent on fuel to get around while we work toward a better solution. By choosing higher blends of ethanol in the fuel we put in our cars, we can all do more toward creating a healthier environment now and for the future.”

Drivers who choose ethanol at the pump often see a price break, and their use of ethanol supports Nebraska farmers and the economy. To find a location near you, visit getbiofuel.com.

E15, also called Unleaded 88, is approved for use in all passenger vehicles 2001 and newer. One in seven Nebraskans are driving a flex fuel vehicle, which can run on any blend of American Ethanol up to E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). Drivers can check their owner’s manual to see if they’re driving a flex fuel vehicle. The vehicle might also have a flex fuel badge on the trunk or tailgate — or a yellow gas cap.

While 2019 Fuel the Cure has ended, the Nebraska Ethanol Board is already preparing for next year’s event and would encourage Nebraska fuel retailers who are interested in participating to reach out.

“We continue to see the number of fuel retailers in Nebraska offering E15 increase, and we are going to continue educating fuel retailers and the public to make the option more easily accessible,” Berry said. “The more higher ethanol blends we make available to drivers, the bigger the impact we are making.”

The Nebraska Corn and Ethanol boards, along with Renewable Fuels Nebraska, sponsor Fuel the Cure in conjunction with retail stations. To see the full list of stations that donated funds, visit www.fuelthecure.pink.



Local Pinnacle banks support Northeast Nexus project
Seven Pinnacle Bank branches in northeast Nebraska have come together to support Northeast Community College’s Nexus project.

Pinnacle Bank in O’Neill, Verdigre, Neligh, Madison, Humphrey, Wisner, and Valentine have pledged $250,000 to the project to replace 100-year-old ag facilities on the college farm.

“Our community is centered around agriculture,” said Paula Havranek, Pinnacle Bank’s O’Neill branch president and current Northeast Foundation board member. “The agribusinesses we have here, along with the producers, support every business in this town. If we didn’t have agriculture here, our community would struggle to survive.”

Pinnacle Bank is a family-owned, Nebraska-based, community bank founded in 1938. It traces its roots back to Palmer, Nebraska, during the Great Depression. The bank’s founders, George and Tom Dinsdale, were farmers by trade who opened the bank to make a difference in their community. Today, Pinnacle has 66 branches across Nebraska, with a total of 152 locations in seven states. Altogether, the bank holds more than $12 billion in assets.

Dr. Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs at Northeast Community College and executive director of the Northeast Foundation, expressed appreciation for Pinnacle Bank’s investment in the Nexus project.

“Support from Pinnacle Bank will help ensure the future of agriculture in this area,” Kruse said. “Students in the Northeast ag program are the next generation of farmers and ranchers and agribusiness employees. They are the future of small communities throughout the 20-county area served by Northeast.”

“We have to invest today in order to have growth in the future,” Havranek said. “We at Pinnacle Bank are excited about the Nexus project and urge others to invest in the future of agriculture.”

Those wishing to donate may visit agwaternexus.com to find the “Donate Now” link.

“You can give a one-time gift or a recurring gift,” Kruse explained. “As little as $20 a month over the five-year pledge period means a $1,200 donation to help create a state-of-the-art education facility for agriculture students.”

Funding for the $23 million Agriculture & Water Center for Excellence project is currently being solicited to enhance and expand the agriculture facilities at Northeast Community College. In addition to the college’s commitment of $10 million, Northeast is seeking at least $13 million in private funds to begin the initial phase of construction, which includes a new veterinary technology clinic and classrooms, a new farm site with a large animal handling facility and other farm structures for livestock operations, a farm office and storage. The new facilities will be located near the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex on E. Benjamin Ave. in Norfolk.

In August, the Acklie Charitable Foundation (ACF) announced a $5 million lead gift to the Nexus project. ACF was founded by the late Duane Acklie and Phyllis Acklie, both Madison County natives and graduates of Norfolk Junior College, a predecessor institution of Northeast Community College.

For more information on the Nexus Campaign, contact Kruse, at tracyk@northeast.edu, or call (402) 844-7056. Online donations may be made through agwaternexus.com. Checks may also be mailed to Nexus Campaign, Northeast Community College Foundation, P.O. Box 469, Norfolk, NE 68702-0469.



FBN Kicks Off Fifth Annual Farmer2Farmer Conference

Farmers Business NetworkSM(FBN), the independent farmer-to-farmer network, announced today at its fifth annual Farmer2Farmer Conference a series of investments designed to further its commitment to the expansion of rural economies.

“We’re proud to bring jobs, revenue and savings to farming communities across North America.”

The FBN Partner Program, comprised of local, physical distribution and sales centers, seed ambassadors and community builders, has expanded to more than 180 partners in the U.S. and Canada, with further expansions planned for 2020 and beyond.

“We are thrilled to put boots on the ground and establish a physical presence that supports local economies through our rapidly expanding Partner Program,” said Amol Deshpande, CEO and Co-Founder of Farmers Business Network. “We’re proud to bring jobs, revenue and savings to farming communities across North America.”

The global reach of FBN continues with its expansion into Australia. With agriculture representing a $60 billion industry in Australia and farmers there facing the same supplier consolidation and limited competition as their North American counterparts, FBN is poised to bring its trademark innovation and decision technology to benefit thousands of Australian farmers.

Today the F2F Genetics Network™, the seed arm of FBN, also announced plans to release its first post-patent GT corn seed and outlined its regulatory work for Bt corn, with additional post-patent traits coming in the next few years. F2F Genetics Network also announced its first ever offering of Arcadia’s GoodWheat, a high-fiber wheat variety.

“For decades, Big Ag has had a stranglehold on the seed industry,” said Deshpande. “But as Big Ag’s seed patents have started to expire in recent years, a massive opportunity opened to bring high-yielding, traited seed to our members for a fraction of the price. We’re excited to bring these savings and true ROI to farmers.”

The company made a range of announcements across its suite of commercial solutions today:

F2F Genetics Network: The pioneering seed platform of FBN reached nearly 1,000 customers in its first year (2018), and 2020 sales have already eclipsed that mark, due to the focus of the F2F Genetics Network on maximizing seed ROI. For 2020, F2F Genetics Network is making a full line of conventional and traited seeds available at disruptively low, national flat pricing.

FBN Direct™: FBN continues to expand its industry-leading FBN Direct eCommerce input platform with new products, programs, financing and distribution. FBN Direct also announced the addition of agronomy services and a rewards program.

FBN Financesm: FBN today announced the launch of its newest business in 2019, FBN Finance, which provides access to competitive financing opportunities for farmers.

FBN Finance provides qualified farmers a full suite of lending products for operating capital, equipment, land and inputs. The service offers attractive rates and terms as an alternative lender, without the red tape, costs, and inflexibility farmers might run into elsewhere.

FBN Crop Marketing: FBN now has more than 200 million bushels of crop production enrolled through its Crop Marketing platform, which offers farmers expert advice and proprietary contracting opportunities. FBN announced the release of HedgeCommand, a grain marketing digital control panel that uses data science to generate truly personalized pricing recommendations for farmers.

Throughout the three-day conference, FBN is conducting sessions and hands-on demos for farmers about how FBN Crop Marketing, FBN Health, FBN Direct, FBN Community, FBN Finance can work to drive profits across their operations. Leading industry analysts and investors are also in attendance, maximizing networking opportunities.

FBN expects to launch its Australian services by mid-2020. To get on the Australia waiting list, please visit: https://use.fbn.com/australia-waitlist.

Creating an Independent Farm Economy to Put Farmers First®
The idea for the FBN network originated from farmers who wanted to create an independent, farmer-driven information and commerce network.

Through FBN, farmers are one step closer to having a totally independent full-farm profit system: from FBN Direct’s input e-commerce platform; to FBN Analytics comprehensive agronomic-network data analytics & decision support; to FBN Crop Marketing’s premium contracts, advisory & risk management; to FBN Insurance & Health, healthcare plans for farmers.

FBN now has more than 9,650 members who represent more than 35 million acres of farmland throughout North America -- roughly the size of the state of Iowa. The company now has 450 employees that support its mission of putting Farmers First®.



United Soybean Board Elects Arkansas Farmer, Jim Carroll III, as Chair

United Soybean Board farmer-directors elected Jim Carroll III from Brinkley, Arkansas, as Chair at the annual board meeting on December 11. In addition, 19 new directors, appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, were sworn in by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We’ve made great strides to innovate beyond the bushel and infuse every opportunity we can into growing markets and creating new uses for soybeans,” said Carroll. “We have a lot to be proud of but also have tremendous potential to further demand as we continue our progress through wise and strategic investments. One of my priorities as Chair is to recognize the performance and sustainability of U.S. Soy and show our customers its many capabilities as a renewable alternative.”

USB leadership, with oversight from USDA, guides the activity of the national soy checkoff in accordance with the strategy outlined by the 78-member board. USB continues to focus on three priority areas for investment: meal, oil and sustainability. During the meeting, they considered market impacts, challenges and opportunities that will affect soybean value, hearing from several key industry influencers. USB also recognized the American Soybean Association’s 100th anniversary at the meeting, noting its commitment to domestic and international policy issues important to the soybean industry.

“Our dedicated farmer-directors have developed a strategy that allows U.S. soybean farmers to further realize returns on their checkoff investment. By focusing on areas like shifting consumer patterns, quality improvement, global supply and demand perspectives, biofuels and environmental stewardship, USB can further develop already successful markets for U.S. Soy while keeping an eye on the future,” said Polly Ruhland, USB CEO. “I look forward to working with our newly elected leaders to carry out this strategic vision.”

At the meeting, USB also elected nine directors to serve alongside Carroll on the Executive Committee.
- Dan Farney, Vice Chair — Illinois
- David Iverson, Secretary — South Dakota
- Meagan Kaiser, Treasurer — Missouri
- Woody Green — South Carolina
- Tom Oswald — Iowa
- Mark Seib — Indiana
- Belinda Burrier — Maryland
- Ralph Lott II — New York
- Andy Fabin — Pennsylvania

In addition, three farmer-directors were elected to serve on the Strategic Management Committee:
- Doug Winter — Illinois
- Ed Lammers — Nebraska
- Philip Good — Mississippi

The board meeting included remarks from Ambassador Gregg Doud, Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, who highlighted recent trade negotiations and opportunities for U.S. soybean farmers in the international marketplace. In addition, other important sessions included Global Landscape for U.S. Soy Prioritization, High Oleic Soybean Oil, What’s Next? and Capturing Carbon: Agriculture’s Advantage.



NMPF Statement Dr. Stephen Hahn’s Confirmation as FDA Commissioner
National Milk Producers Federation

“We congratulate Dr. Stephen Hahn on his bipartisan confirmation as FDA commissioner. Dr. Hahn will provide strong leadership and direction to an agency that, understandably, has been reticent to resolve important issues in the absence of a full-fledged leader.

“Dr Hahn showed in his confirmation hearing that he understands the public-health need to address the issue of mislabeled plant-based products inappropriately marketed using dairy terms. As this problem grows more acute, consumer deception about nutritional content increases, adding urgency to the need for the FDA to enforce its own rules.

“Dr. Hahn has voiced his support for ‘clear, transparent, and understandable labeling for the American people,’ and we urge him to act quickly on this issue at FDA, as he pledged during his confirmation hearing.”



2020 NFU Women's Conference Earlybird Deadline is December 20th

National Farmers Union's annual Women's Conference is just around the corner! We hope you can join us January 19-21 in San Diego, California.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-national-farmers-union-womens-conference-tickets-73302336261. 

This conference will not only prepare attendees for success in agriculture, but it will also provide them with their own network of women farmers and ranchers they can reach out to throughout the year.

Farmers, policy makers, educators, and specialists will present on a number of subjects, including:
·         Keynote: Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg and Oregon Director of Agriculture Alexis Taylor
·         Taking Charge of Self with Linda Emmanuel
·         Plate to Politics: Using Stories to Create Change with Sherri Dugger and Kriss Marion
·         People, Land and Activities - A Framework for Structuring a Farm or Ranch Business with Poppy Davis
·         Build a Legally Resilient Work Program that Works for Your Farm with Rachel Armstrong
·         How Cooperatives Fit into Agriculture with Gianna Banducci
·         Financing Considerations for the Beginning and Small Farmers with Allison Paap

Learn more about the conference and speakers here: https://nfu.org/2020-womens-conference-speakers/.

Scholarships are available. Please contact your state Farmers Union president to learn more. Additional information about Women’s Conference can be found here: https://nfu.org/womensconference/.