Tuesday January 14 Ag News

Conservation efforts recognized at Lower Elkhorn NRD Awards Banquet

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) board honored outstanding conservationists at their annual awards banquet on Thursday, January 9th, 2020.  The event was held at the Stables Event Center in Norfolk.

Outstanding Partnership Award – Steve Rasmussen of Wayne
LENRD Board Chairman, Gary Loftis of Craig, presented the partnership award.  Loftis said, “The District works with various agencies and partners each year as we strive to improve the quality of life for the citizens across Northeast Nebraska.  The Outstanding Partnership Award recognizes excellence in community outreach efforts that highlight our mission of protecting our natural resources for future generations.”

Loftis said, “We want to recognize Steve Rasmussen of Wayne, District Forester with the Nebraska Forest Service, for his outstanding partnership with us, in promoting our projects and programs across our 15-county district.”

For the past 37 years, Steve has held a strong partnership with the NRDs across the state.  He started with the Nebraska Forest Service in 1982 working as the NFS Forester and the NRD Forester for the Lower Loup NRD in Ord.

In 1984, he became the Nebraska Forest Service – Northeast District / Extension Forester at Concord.  In 2007 he became the Coordinator for the four-state Great Plains Forestry Initiative until 2010.  He then returned to the Nebraska Forest Service as the Northeast District Forester from 2010 to the present.  He has also been a member of the Society of American Foresters for 30 years.

Steve’s work involves providing professional forestry assistance to 15 counties in 5 NRDs across northeast Nebraska.  He works primarily with the design and management of conservation tree plantings as well as riparian forest and woodland management.  He also deals with the marketing and utilization of wood resources.  Educating our youth and the public about the importance and care of trees is also a large part of Steve’s work.  He has partnered with the NRDs to bring education programs to the schools and communities across 5 districts.  He continues to promote our programs to community leaders and presents Arbor Day and other tree celebration programming.  Working with communities with tree resources and tree planting grants is also a highlight of Steve’s career.  Promoting and assisting with local arboretums and overall technical assistance to tree owners on the care and management of trees takes much time and effort.

Loftis added, “Steve has always been a strong supporter of the NRDs and our mission.  He has worked side by side with us to inform the public of our programs and to assist in tree planting projects across the area.  In the aftermath of the 2019 flood, Steve assisted with many calls and visits to producers across our district.  We appreciate Steve’s support of our projects and his willingness to jump in and assist us.  Thank you, Steve, for your partnership in protecting our natural resources for future generations.”

Sustainable Agriculture Award – Dan & Melinda Stelling & Family
The Lower Elkhorn NRD’s Conservation Honor Farm awards were first presented in 1973.  The winners are selected for their demonstrated excellence in soil & water conservation.  Dan & Melinda Stelling & Family of Pierce were honored at the banquet for their outstanding conservation work as the 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Award winners.

Dan Gillespie, NRCS No-till Specialist for Madison County, nominated the Dan Stelling Family for this award.  Gillespie said, “Over the past 40 years, Dan Stelling has utilized innovative techniques to conserve soil and water in his farming practices.  Dan describes his journey in conservation and regenerative agriculture as a series of steps taken that culminated in the systems he now operates on his farms.”

Dan’s first step was starting to no-till all crops in 2004.  He gives no-till the credit for starting his transition to regenerative agriculture on his farms.  The no-till stopped soil erosion from water and wind on his Valentine sands and reduced evaporative losses from the cropland.

Step two came in 2006 when Dan flew cereal rye on his soybean ground as a participant in the LENRD Cover Crop Incentive Program.  He grazed the cereal rye cover crops in the spring with the cow calf herd, then would remove the cows and plant the corn right away, terminating the rye a week or two afterwards.  After a few years of trials, they have been planting green since 2009.  Planting green allows the cover crop to grow more biomass in the soil and allows for a friendly soil biological environment for the newly germinated seedlings.

In 2019, Dan diversified his crop rotation to include small grains on one quarter.  After planting cereal rye as a cover crop in soybean stubble and terminating it, he planted half the quarter to oats and peas that were later harvested as hay.  He followed that with a mix of BMR Sorghum, mung beans, guar, buckwheat and black oil sunflowers.  Dan will utilize that half quarter for winter grazing for the cow herd.  The other half quarter was planted to a grazing corn, cowpeas, forage soybeans, and sunflower mix, and was chopped for silage.  The field was then planted to a mix of grazing popcorn, spring peas, spring oats, cereal rye, forage collards, purple top turnips, and radishes.  That mix will be grazed in the spring with cow calf pairs.  The implementation of small grains into their crop rotation has enabled them to plant multi-species cover crops that provide quality forage for their cowherd to graze, while providing opportunities to take pressure off pastures.

Dan farms two quarters in the Bazile Groundwater Management Area and has plans to implement cover crops on them next year.  The implementation of continuous no-till with cover crops will keep soil out of the creek and nitrates out of the groundwater.  Planting cover crops also sequesters nutrients unused by the cash grain crops, making them available to the next cash crop.

Gillespie added, “Dan and Melinda have been leaders ‘in the field’ by adopting soil health practices and implementing regenerative agriculture systems.  The diverse crop rotations and diversified ag enterprises they enlist on their farms are modeling the way to reduce expenses and increase profitability.  The time savings that no-till farming provides also allows them to be active in their community.  Dan and Melinda are Huddle Group Leaders for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Pierce High School.  Congratulations to the Stelling family as the recipients of the 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Award.”

Staff Awards
Staff awards were also presented during the banquet by Chairman Loftis, and General Manager, Mike Sousek.

Char Newkirk of Stanton – Conservation Aide in the Stanton County NRCS office – 20 years of service

Valissa Tegeler of Battle Creek – Programs Assistant in the Madison County NRCS office – 20 years of service

Danny Johnson of Decatur –  Logan East Rural Water System Technician in the Oakland office – Danny recently retired after 25 years of service.

Julie Wragge of Pierce – Information & Education Specialist in the Norfolk office - 25 years of service

Vickie DeJong of Pierce – Administrative Supervisor in the Norfolk office – 40 years of service



NC Plan Cattlemen at the Capitol Day 
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2020
9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Scottish Rite Ballroom, 322 Centennial Mall, Lincoln

Cattlemen at the Capitol will focus on engaging members of Nebraska Cattlemen in the political process.  Learn how you can be more involved advocating for the beef industry in Lincoln and outside the Capitol.  

Strength in numbers at the Capitol shows our elected representatives that Nebraska Cattlemen members truly care about the issues that directly impact the states #1 industry! 

Schedule:
9:00 am -11:30 am    Member issues briefing and legislative workshop 
11:45 am -1:00 pm    Lunch with Senators
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm     Capitol and Senator Visits 

For more information or to RSVP email  info@necattlemen.org or calling 402-475-2333.



NDA’S SPECIALTY CROP GRANT PROPOSALS DUE JAN. 31

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) is currently accepting grant proposals for its Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). NDA administers the program which is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Specialty crops are generally defined as fruits, vegetables, nuts, honey and some turf and ornamental crops. The deadline for submitting proposals is Jan. 31, 2020.

“Specialty crops help grow Nebraska’s economy by adding value and variety to our ag industry,” said NDA Director Steve Wellman. “The money awarded to selected projects supports the research, development and marketing of specialty crops which will benefit Nebraska agriculture for years to come.”

For the 2020 SCBG program, NDA anticipates approximately $700,000 will be available to fund new projects. Producers, organizations and associations, as well as state and local agencies, educational groups and other specialty crops stakeholders are eligible to apply.

Last fall, several organizations in Nebraska received nearly $675,000 in USDA grants to fund projects designed to strengthen the specialty crop industry in the state.

This year’s proposals will be reviewed and scored using select criteria. Applicants who make it through the first round will be asked to submit additional information. NDA and USDA will announce the projects receiving funding in the fall.

Instructions for submitting a proposal, proposal applications, performance measures and program guidelines are available on NDA’s website at nda.nebraska.gov/promotion/scbgp/index.html. All proposals should be saved as a Microsoft Word .docx file and sent electronically to casey.foster@nebraska.gov by the Jan. 31 deadline. For additional information contact Casey Foster at 402-471-4876, or by the email listed above.

To view a comprehensive list of eligible specialty crops and examples of projects funded under the SCBGP, visit USDA’s website at ams.usda.gov/services/grants/scbgp.



GAO to Investigate EPA Misuse of Small Refinery Exemptions

Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) announced that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) had responded to a letter written by bipartisan members of the House Biofuels Caucus, including Axne and Rep. Abby Finkenauer (IA-01), requesting an investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) misuse of small refinery exemptions. The GAO accepted the request, and according to the letter will "begin work shortly."

"Year after year, this administration has let Iowans down by issuing an unprecedented number of small refinery exemptions," Rep. Axne said. "These exemptions are a handout to big oil at the expense of ethanol producers and Iowa farmers. I am pleased that the GAO will conduct an investigation of the EPA's handling of these exemptions."

Since 2017, the EPA has issued over eighty small refinery exemptions (SREs), resulting in the loss of demand for billions of gallons of renewable fuel and millions of bushels of corn.

On Aug. 21, Axne joined bipartisan members of the House Biofuels Caucus, including Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson, in requesting the GAO conduct an investigation of the Environmental Protection Agency's handling of SREs. Axne also requested an investigation by the EPA's Office of Inspector General.

In addition to Axne and Peterson, the original request was also backed by Abby Finkenauer, Rodney Davis, Roger Marshall, Dave Loebsack, Mike Bost, Don Bacon, Dusty Johnson, Cheri Bustos, Adam Kinzinger and Darin LaHood.

In its reply to Axne, GAO Orice Williams Brown, managing director of its congressional relations, said the department accepted the request as work within its scope of authority.

"As applicable, we will also be in contact with the cognizant Inspector General's office to ensure that we are not duplicating efforts. If an issue arises during this coordination, we will consult with you regarding its resolution," Brown wrote.



Naig Presents Renewable Fuels Marketing Awards to Diamond Oil Company and Elliott Oil Company

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented the 2020 Renewable Fuels Marketing Awards to Elliott Oil Company of Ottumwa, Iowa, and Diamond Oil Company of Des Moines at the FuelIOWA Annual Meeting.

“Renewable fuels are good for everyone — consumers at the pump, farmers, rural Iowa communities and the environment,” said Secretary Naig. “I am proud to recognize Elliott Oil Company and Diamond Oil Company for their continued commitment and innovative efforts to grow this important market for Iowa’s economy.”

The Secretary’s Ethanol and Biodiesel Marketing 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 raise awareness about the benefits of and generate demand for renewable fuels.

Secretary’s Ethanol Marketing Award
Elliott Oil Company is the recipient of the 2020 Secretary’s Ethanol Marketing Award. Located in Ottumwa, Elliott Oil has been a renewable fuels leader for decades. The company was founded in 1961 and currently employs 237 people.

Elliott Oil operates its retail motor fuel locations under the BP brand and has five locations offering E85. In recent years, Elliott Oil has participated in the Iowa Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program and has increased private investments into its retail locations to accommodate the sale of high blend ethanol products.

Over the past year, Elliott Oil has promoted the growing interest and demand for E15 in Iowa to BP brand representatives. Through its efforts, Elliott Oil has reached an agreement with BP to allow the sale of E15 under the BP brand canopy at its location in Osceola.

Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production. Elliott Oil’s efforts help build demand for ethanol while encouraging discussions between retailers and their parent brands about incorporating E15 into their product offerings.

Randy and Andrew Woodard received the award on behalf of Elliott Oil.

Secretary’s Biodiesel Marketing Award
Diamond Oil Company is the recipient of the 2020 Secretary's Biodiesel Marketing Award. Located in Des Moines, Diamond Oil has made a commitment to supplying biodiesel to its diverse customer base.

While Diamond Oil supplies and markets biodiesel through traditional brick and mortar retail outlets, its biodiesel footprints extend into high-volume end-users in the agriculture, residential, industrial, racing and transportation arenas. The company has been serving customers since 1978.

As its education and marketing efforts have expanded its biodiesel sales, Diamond Oil has participated in the Iowa Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program to complement its significant private investments. The company expanded its infrastructure to support the growing demand for biodiesel by installing terminals in Des Moines and State Center.

The biodiesel terminal infrastructure at the company’s bulk storage facilities allows Diamond Oil to provide custom blending options tailored to each customer. With its infrastructure, Diamond Oil can blend B20 through B98, depending on the customer’s request.

Jim Martin received the award on behalf of Diamond Oil.

Renewable Fuels Industry Overview
Iowa leads the nation in the production of ethanol and biodiesel. Iowa has 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing more than 4.1 billion gallons annually. In addition, Iowa has 12 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 350 million gallons annually.



Pork Industry Releases New Sustainability Report

Today, the pork industry released its new sustainability report, Commit and Improve: Pig Farmers’ Approach to Sustainability, and updated website, porkcares.org. The report and website share firsthand accounts and data supporting pig farmers’ progress toward sustainability through the We Care ethical principles.

As pig farmers, we are committed to producing safe food, protecting the environment and caring for our pigs by following the six We Care ethical principles,” said David Newman, president of the National Pork Board and a pig farmer representing Arkansas. “These new resources were developed to share relevant information and metrics and to lay a foundation for continuous improvement in the area of sustainability.”

The new report demonstrates the progress pig farmers have made toward the We Care ethical principles of: Food Safety, Animal Well-Being, the Environment, Public Health, Our People and Communities Data for the report was gathered from governmental agencies, the pork industry’s life cycle assessment and pig farmers from across the country. Highlights that demonstrate the pork industry’s commitment to the We Care principles include:
-    According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pork production contributes just 0.46% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
-    More than 71,000 individuals are Pork Quality Assurance® Plus (PQA® Plus) certified, representing roughly 85% of U.S. pork production.
-    The pork value chain has come together to develop and use the Common Swine Industry Audit, which is certified by the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization.
-    The most recent life-cycle assessment, A Retrospective of U.S. Pork Production, shows a significant reduction in the use of natural resources during the past 55 years. Per pound of pork produced, U.S. pork producers have reduced land use by 76%, water use by 25%, energy use by 7% and their carbon footprint by more than 7%.
-    More than 94% of pig farms keep detailed medical and treatment records, which shows pig farmers’ commitment to responsible antibiotic use.
-    In 2018, pig farmers donated 3.2 million servings of food, volunteered more than 54,000 hours and donated more than $5.5 million to local charities.

“The findings in the sustainability report and on porkcares.org not only illustrate our commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, but also show our commitment to transparency as an industry,” said Brett Kaysen, assistant vice president of sustainability for the Pork Checkoff. “We look forward to sharing this powerful story and our continued progress with the global pork supply chain and with consumers around the world.”

The report can be downloaded at porkcares.org. 



NFU Urges Strengthening of Conservation Stewardship Program

As the U.S. Department of Agriculture works towards 2018 Farm Bill implementation with the introduction of the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) interim rule, National Farmers Union (NFU) is urging the agency to strengthen the working lands program to better help farmers improve conservation practices on their operations. In comments submitted to USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and in a statement released today, NFU President Roger Johnson emphasized the program’s value and recommended improvements to ensure its efficacy.

“Family farmers and ranchers understand the importance of conserving natural resources and mitigating climate change – their very livelihoods depend on it. But the agricultural practices that build soil, water, and air quality, bolster biodiversity, and sequester atmospheric carbon often require significant time, money, and expertise. That’s why programs that provide financial and technical assistance for conservation efforts – including the Conservation Stewardship Program – are so vital and so popular. Currently, far more farmers are applying for contracts than available funding can support.

“Given the high demand for and considerable value of CSP, it is especially important that every single dollar set aside for the program in the farm bill be used prudently and in full. There are a number of ways to get more environmental bang for the program’s buck. For one, the application process should not penalize long-term stewardship by prioritizing applicants who have not previously engaged in best practices over those who have. Instead, contracts should be awarded based on overall environmental benefits provided.

“Additionally, CSP should not just benefit the largest operations, nor should it benefit those not actively farming – in order to make funding available to the largest number of engaged farmers possible, USDA should enforce a payment limit of $200,000 and prohibit payments to cash-rent landlords.

“Finally, CSP should give greater consideration to soil health. Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy farm: not only does it boost crop yields, but it also mitigates climate change by storing carbon and helps farmers adapt by building resilience to extreme weather events. All conservation programs, CSP included, should reflect the vital role of soil health – we urge NRCS to be more specific and expansive in its soil health efforts to better help farmers as they cope with a rapidly changing climate.”



The Future of Biodiesel Comes into Focus in Tampa in the New Year

All eyes will be on Tampa Bay in the new year when the annual National Biodiesel Conference & Expo unveils "Vision 2020" at the Tampa Convention Center, January 21.

The largest gathering of North American biodiesel enthusiasts arrive in Florida on a roll with recent policy victories in Washington, DC, and California, as well as a heating oil industry that is partnering with producers to reduce pollution in the Northeast with the cleaner burning, renewable fuel.

"Last year at this time, U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel producers faced an uncertain future," said Donnell Rehagen, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board. "Thanks to our members and the support of the industry's coast-to-coast champions, we're rolling into the new year reinvigorated to deliver even more biodiesel to both our transportation and home heating fuel customers."

While celebrating the advancements in 2019, Rehagen said the focus at the conference will be to share a clear vision for what the biodiesel industry needs to accomplish in the years ahead.

"We have arrived at where we are because we recognized the importance of strategic planning and setting goals to continue to grow the industry," Rehagen said. "This is an opportunity to lay out a roadmap full of growth for the next ten years for a fuel that is -- more than ever -- better, cleaner, and available now coast-to-coast.”

The conference offers an engaging lineup of speakers, with keynote speeches and roundtable discussions presented by industry experts. Attendees will get new information on the latest vehicle technology, take a deep dive into the future of renewable fuels, and hear from expert speakers on environmental policy.

In the expo hall, dozens of companies servicing the biodiesel industry will share their newest technology and products and provide fans an inside look at how America’s Advanced Biofuel is produced and delivered to their hometown. Residents with a valid Florida driver’s license or military ID will be welcomed to the conference on Wednesday, January 22 (no industry representatives, please).

In addition, the always popular vehicle showcase and ride-and-drive events will provide conference attendees the opportunity to check out the latest biodiesel cars and trucks rolling out from the world’s largest manufacturers.



New BLOOM! Campaign Introduces Youth to Plant-based Solutions to Community Challenges
Press Release

Today, Seed Your Future announced the launch of “Plants to the Rescue!” — its newest BLOOM! campaign to excite young people about the power of plants and their unique ability to help solve some of the most pressing problems in their communities. Teaming up with Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, BLOOM! provides free eye-catching, fact-based content delivered both inside and outside of the classroom.

Plants are critical to a healthy future for the planet, but their power is unknown to most American youth. The latest BLOOM! campaign marks year three of this initiative of Seed Your Future, a coalition of more than 200 partners — including horticulture companies, gardening organizations, schools, colleges, universities, public gardens, youth organizations, nonprofit organizations and individual advocates — united in their mission to promote horticulture and careers working with plants.

“Youth have told us that they want to help solve some of the most difficult problems in our world today,” said Susan E. Yoder, executive director of Seed Your Future. “They hear about world-hunger, climate change, flooding, air pollution, noise pollution, food deserts and more and they’re anxious to do something about it — but they don’t know how or even what would make a difference. BLOOM! helps them to identify the root of each challenge and opens their eyes to how plants and the people who work with them can make a positive difference.”

Seed Your Future, along with Scholastic, has expanded its educator website – Scholastic.com/BLOOM. The site includes sample lesson plans, student activities, and a robust online learning module. The module contains a dynamic video along with a trivia game, virtual plant dissection tool and plant matching game to reinforce the learning in the activities and video. 

The new contest and sweepstakes — the “Plants to the Rescue! Plant Mash-up” takes learning a step further and engages students in imagining their own plant hybrid with unique qualities to benefit a specific challenge in their own community. They will select an issue, then describe a new plant-based solution and illustrate their idea. Prizes are awarded to both the student and the educator/youth program leader/parent of the winning submissions. In addition, a sweepstakes component of the contest gives every submission the chance to be a winner.

BLOOM! is educating and inspiring young people about the power of plants and green-collar career opportunities. New this year is a colorful classroom poster introducing youth to the more than 100 careers working with plants. In addition to the educator website, the main Seed Your Future website — SeedYourFuture.org serves as a digital hub of resources on careers in horticulture, including links to cool videos, real-life stories, and engaging content to inspire youth and their families.

Seed Your Future’s premise is that whether BLOOM! introduces today’s youth to a lifelong passion or a fulfilling career, one thing is clear — the more you know about plants, the more you can make a difference in the world today.