Friday March 6 Ag News

Platte Valley Cattlemen Feedlot Meeting March 16
Brandon Groteluschen, PVC President

The Platte Valley Cattlemen would like to invite you to our Feedlot Meeting Monday, March 16, 2020, at Wunderlich’s Catering in Columbus. Social hour will begin at 6:00 sponsored by Settje Agri Services and Engineering. Meal will begin at 7:00 sponsored by Kit Held Trucking/ Kit Held Seed and Chemical.

We will hear a quick few updates and news from Settje Agri Services and Engineering on projects going on.

Our main speaker will be Adam Wolfe from Performance Beef on the topic of tracking rations on an ipad in the feed wagon.

We look forward to seeing you March 16, 2020!



Nebraska Farm Bureau Leaders Visit Washington, D.C. to Talk About Trade, Protecting Livestock Production, Rural Broadband, and Estate Taxes

Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) leaders stressed four key issues facing Nebraska farmers and ranchers, international trade, protecting livestock production, rural broadband, and continued estate tax reform, during an annual National Legislative Fly-In to the nation’s capital March 1-4.

“It’s important for us to travel to Washington, D.C. to express our views to Nebraska’s Congressional delegation in order to put a face and a voice to policy issues and have Nebraska farmers and ranchers tell their stories,” Steve Nelson, NEFB president said, March 6.

NEFB board members, who are all active farmers and ranchers, expressed gratitude to Nebraska’s delegation and the Trump administration for successfully passing the U.S.-Mexico- Canada Agreement (USMCA) and for securing deals with Japan and China. But with the farm economy still struggling, the need to expand agricultural markets continues.

“We urged our delegation and the Trump administration to work to expand market access for U.S. agriculture products in other areas of the world, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, India, and Africa, as exports will likely remain the main avenue to grow U.S. farm and ranch income. We spoke with a trade representative at the Kenya Embassy and talked about expanding our trading relationship including exporting more wheat, which would be a plus for western Nebraska farmers,” Nelson said.

Estate taxes was another discussion point during the fly-in. Nebraska farm and ranch families shouldn’t be forced to pay a substantial tax bill simply due to the death of a family member. The tax code reform package passed a few years ago temporarily doubled the federal estate tax exemption from $5.5 million to $11 million through 2025. This exemption increase however, loses its value if farmland isn’t fairly assessed for tax purposes.

“Sections of the tax code, which allow farmers and ranchers to reduce the land’s valuation to its productive rather than its development value, have not kept up with current trends in the price of farmland. We asked our delegation to permanently increase this valuation reduction, which would help farmers and ranchers avoid paying estate taxes which have the ability to cause financial harm on multigenerational farms and ranches,” Nelson said.

Animal agriculture continues to be in the crosshairs of radical environmentalists, and animal rights activists. Opponents of the livestock industry continue to push to eliminate meat from the diet of Americans and consumers. NEFB board members praised Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer’s introduction of the Real MEAT Act, which clarifies the definition of beef for labeling purposes and eliminates consumer confusion.

“The protection of Nebraska’s livestock sector has and will always be a priority for Nebraska Farm Bureau. This includes support for Sen. Fischer’s bill and support for the new science of genetically editing livestock and plants, which shows great promise for the future of agriculture,” Nelson said.

Nebraska Farm Bureau leaders also talked about the need to improve broadband coverage in rural Nebraska. Farm Bureau supports the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) efforts to roll out their Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and a concept introduced by Microsoft to open TV white space so that it can be utilized to provide expanded broadband coverage throughout the U.S.

“Farmers and ranchers rely on broadband access to manage and run successful businesses and will be left behind if they are without affordable high-speed internet,” Nelson said.

Those attending the Washington, D.C. Fly-In were:
Steve Nelson, president, Nebraska Farm Bureau-Kearney/Franklin County
Bill Baldwin, second vice president, Nebraska Farm Bureau-Scotts Bluff County
Dennis Beethe, southeast region, NEFB representative-Johnson County
David Grimes, south central region, NEFB representative-Kearney/Franklin County
Dave Nielsen, at-large, NEFB representative-Lancaster County
Marty Stewart, northeast region, NEFB representative-Dixon County



Nebraska Soybean Board, United Soybean Board seek leaders to represent NE soybean farmers

The Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) is seeking individuals to represent fellow soybean farmers and the industry as it takes nominations for its own board and the United Soybean Board (USB).

United Soybean Board
The USB is seeking a Nebraska soybean farmer to fill one of the state’s four director positions for a three-year term. The deadline to apply is March 15.

Nebraska Soybean Board
The NSB is seeking board members to represent District 5 (Cass, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, and Richardson counties), District 7 (Adams, Buffalo, Clay, Franklin, Hall, Kearney, Nuckolls and Webster counties) and At-Large (all counties in Nebraska). Applicants would serve a three-year term beginning Oct. 1 this year. The deadline to apply is April 15.

To get more information on either of these opportunities, contact NSB’s executive director, Victor Bohuslavsky, at 402-432-5720. 



IRFA to President Trump: Appealing 10th Circuit Decision Jeopardizes Commitment to RFS, Support in Rural America

Today several media sources are reporting that in response to the 10th Circuit Court decision from earlier this year – which unanimously found EPA abused their authority when granting Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) refinery exemptions granted in recent years illegal – that the Trump Administration intends to join petroleum companies in an appeal of the decision.

In response to these reports, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw made the following statement:

“If not changed, this would go down as one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in 20 years of biofuels policy. When you have a unanimous panel decision, the full 10th Circuit only accepts about 1% of appeals for a rehearing and almost never overturns the original decision. So in return for literally no chance to change this straight-forward and common-sense decision, Trump is on the verge of outraging every farm and biofuel group in the country. We could have had a fairly uneventful year for RFS policy heading toward November, but this action would seriously threaten Trump’s reputation in rural states. If the stakes weren’t so important, it would almost be humorous to watch Sen. Cruz hoodwink the White House again.  He’s misled them on refinery profits, on the cost of RINs, on the reasons a Pennsylvania refinery was in economic trouble, and even on his own re-election chances. The president needs to have another talk with his team before he lets Ted Cruz burn him and his best allies across rural America.

“Further, if President Trump makes the mistake of joining the oil companies’ appeal, he sure better direct the EPA to hold off on adjudicating the pending 2019 refinery exemption requests while the legal action plays out. If they use a fruitless appeal as cover to grant a bunch of 2019 exemptions – essentially illegal exemptions that would reduce the effective RFS level below 15 billion gallons for 2019 – then it would be a clear violation of President Trump’s commitment that 15 billion gallons will be 15 billion gallons. Such a scheme would provoke an intense response in farm country that is still hurting from previous refinery exemptions, trades wars and now the global impacts of the coronavirus.”



USDA Announces Action Plan at Pork Forum

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Greg Ibach today announced additional measures to control and eradicate African Swine Fever (ASF) if the virus is ever detected in the U.S.

“First and foremost, USDA is committed to doing all it can to prevent ASF from entering the U.S. and we greatly appreciate the pork industry’s vigilance and partnership in this successful effort thus far,” said Under Secretary Ibach. “However, the additional measures I am announcing today will strengthen our ability to quickly and effectively respond to the disease if detected here at home.”

USDA is prepared to implement the following measures to help ensure an immediate and effective response if ASF is detected in the U.S.:
·         The Secretary would immediately take necessary steps to declare an “extraordinary emergency” establishing USDA as the leader of a coordinated national approach to control and eradication, and ensuring the availability of funding and additional resources necessary for the response. 
·         USDA would issue a national standstill of at least 72 hours to prohibit all movement of swine increasing USDA’s ability to stop disease spread and to act quickly to restore movement on a regionalized basis.
·         For the depopulation of infected and exposed animals, USDA would work with states and industry to utilize the most efficient and effective depopulation methods approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association that are appropriate for the affected premises. 
·         To prevent virus from leaving infected premises, USDA will work proactively with industry and states to ensure producers have herd plans to deal with carcass disposal in line with regional and local requirements, supporting composting and burial in place as preferred options.
·         To reduce paperwork, USDA plans to pay for virus elimination at a uniform, flat rate, based on the size of affected premises.

USDA researchers are developing vaccine candidates that show promise against ASF. Meanwhile, USDA will continue to work with industry and state partners to keep ASF out of the U.S.

“ASF is epidemiologically similar to foot-and-mouth disease and USDA’s system of overlapping safeguards and prevention efforts have been successful against that disease for over 90 years now,” said Ibach. “We remain confident those efforts will provide the same protections against ASF.”

Note: ASF is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and feral (wild) pigs that has not been detected in the U.S. ASF does not affect human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.



NPPC Reaction to USDA Announced ASF Response Plan

At the National Pork Industry Forum today, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach announced an African swine fever (ASF) action plan should the swine-only disease be detected in the United Sates. To date, the United States is free of African swine fever; prevention remains the number one priority for the National Pork Producers Council.

According to the plan, USDA Secretary Perdue would immediately declare an "extraordinary emergency" if ASF was detected in the United States. In doing so, the USDA would be established as the leader of a national, coordinated response to control and eradicate the swine disease, which poses no human health or food safety risks. By declaring an extraordinary emergency, the USDA ensures the availability of funding and other resources to effectively manage response.

"We are grateful to Secretary Perdue and Under Secretary Ibach for hearing the concerns of U.S. pork producers," said David Herring, NPPC president and a pork producer from Lillington, North Carolina. "We remain committed to working with the USDA and Customs and Border Protection to keep ASF out of the United States." 

Other elements of the USDA response plan include:
-    A national stop-movement of pigs order of at least 72-hours with an eye toward restoring movement on a regionalized basis as soon as possible.
-    Depopulation efforts aligned with guidance from the American Veterinary Medical Association and in coordination with state animal health officials and the industry.
-    Support for carcass disposal in line with regional and local requirements (composting and burial in place identified as preferred options.
-    Payments for virus elimination at a uniform, flat rate based on the size of affected premises.



ASF Prevention, Plant-Based Product Labels Among NPPC Resolutions Approved

At the National Pork Producers Council's (NPPC) National Pork Industry Forum held here, delegates adopted several important resolutions this week, including those that call on NPPC to:

-    Strengthen efforts to prevent African swine fever (ASF) —an animal disease affecting only pigs and with no human health or food safety risks—and other foreign animal diseases from entering the United States. Separate resolutions were adopted directing NPPC to encourage federal regulatory agencies to investigate the risks of imported pet food and pet products containing pork from foreign animal disease-positive countries; take a position on feeding hogs from plate waste; and support and advance responsible import policies to safely introduce essential feed ingredients from high-risk countries.

-    Advocate for accurate and truthful labeling of plant-based and cell-cultured products, while supporting enforcement of fair labeling by the Food and Drug Administration and USDA. NPPC supports consumer choice and competitive markets. Plant-based and cell-cultured products designed to mimic real meat must face the same stringent regulatory requirements as livestock agriculture, including truthful labeling standards.

-    Support reauthorization of and increased export data transparency in the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act (LMRA), which provides information on the marketing of cattle, swine, lambs and products from those animals. Twice daily mandatory price reports published by USDA include information on pricing, contracting for purchase, supply-and-demand conditions for livestock, livestock production and livestock products. LMRA is set to expire on Sept. 30.

Delegates also passed a resolution reaffirming plans to increase the contribution rate of NPPC's strategic investment program from 10 cents to 20 cents per $100 of hogs marketed, effective July 1, 2021.

"These resolutions reflect the priorities that will help shape the future of the U.S. pork industry," said NPPC President David Herring, a hog farmer from Lillington, N.C. "NPPC will work with Congress, the administration and others to address these vital issues for American hog farmers."



NPPC Elects New Officers, Board Members

The National Pork Producers Council today elected new officers and members to its board of directors at its National Pork Industry Forum held here.

Howard AV Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wis., was elected NPPC president. A fifth-generation farmer, he owns and operates Roth Feeder Pigs. In addition to serving on the NPPC board for the past eight years, Roth previously sat on the Wisconsin Pork Association board of directors and currently serves as chairman of the association's Swine Health Committee.

Roth takes over from David Herring, a hog farmer from Lillington, N.C., who becomes NPPC immediate past president and chairman of the council's trade and nominating committees.

Jen Sorenson was elevated to president-elect. For the past nine years, Sorenson has been with Iowa Select Farms, an Iowa farming business that markets more than five million hogs per year. She grew up on a livestock farm, raising pigs and row crops. Previously, she was communications director for the Iowa Pork Producers Association.

Terry Wolters of Pipestone, Minn., was elected by the NPPC board of directors to be vice president. He is active in the Pipestone County Pork Producers Association, Minnesota Pork Producers Association, South Dakota Pork Producers, National Pork Board and committees for each organization. He is chairman of NPPC's Animal Health Food Security Policy Committee.

Robert Ivey of North Carolina and Jeremy Pitman, DVM, of Virginia were elected as new members of the board for a three-year term.

They join current directors Craig Andersen, of Centerville, S.D., Scott Hays, of Monroe City, Mo., Lori Stevermer of Easton, Minn., Mark Cooper, of Des Moines, Iowa, Dale Reicks of New Hampton, Iowa, Dr. Gordon Spronk, of Pipestone, Minn., Duane Stateler of McComb, Ohio, and Kraig Westerbeek, of Warsaw, N.C. Hays was re-elected to a new, three-year term. Spronk was re-elected to a new, two-year term representing the allied industry.

Elected for two-year terms to NPPC's nominating committee were Jim Petrick of South Dakota and Curt Zehr from Illinois.

"AV, Jen and Terry have long-standing and diverse experience that will benefit NPPC and our producers," said NPPC CEO Neil Dierks. "With the addition of our new board members, NPPC remains well positioned to advocate for the public policy interests of America's pork producers."



ASA Recognizes Soy Leaders at Annual Awards Banquet

The American Soybean Association (ASA) recognized outstanding volunteers and leaders at its annual awards banquet in San Antonio, awarding individuals for state association volunteerism, distinguished leadership achievements and long-term, significant contributions to the soybean industry.  Congratulations to the 2020 winners:

- ASA Pinnacle Award Winner Kenlon Johannes, Kan.
ASA's ultimate honor, the Pinnacle Award, is an industry-wide recognition of individuals who have demonstrated the highest level of contribution and leadership within the soybean family and industry, through work involving a significant amount of their lifetime.

For nearly 50 years, Kenlon Johannes has focused on broadening relationships to strengthen the soybean industry. After college and a few years teaching grade school, he returned to his family farm in Nebraska in the mid-1970s and joined the Nebraska Soybean Association and American Soybean Association. Now the of CEO of the Kansas Soybean Association and administrator of the Kansas Soybean Commission, in the past he served as the top executive for soybean associations in Wisconsin and Missouri. During the early 1990s, recognizing the untapped potential of surplus soybean oil, Johannes worked with farmer leaders and university researchers to promote and identify new uses for soybean oil--resulting in biodiesel.

In 1992, Johannes' biodiesel passion led him to become the first executive director of the newly formed National SoyDiesel Development Board, which later became the National Biodiesel Board. Johannes' commitment and skills as an educator and organizer, particularly around biodiesel, have made the U.S. soybean industry stronger for all soybean farmers.

Johannes' commitment and skills as an educator and organizer, particularly around biodiesel, have made the U.S. soybean industry stronger for all soybean farmers.

- ASA Distinguished Leadership Award Winner Steve Wellman, Neb.
The Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes a soybean grower or association staff leader whose leadership has strengthened the national or state association, enhanced soy-related policy efforts and increased farmer education or engagement.

Steve Wellman was a strong leader for both his state organization and ASA. He served as an ASA director for nine years and spent many of those years on the executive committee, including a term as ASA president and a two-year chairmanship of ASA's Strategic Planning Committee, which created a new and strengthened path forward for ASA.

Engaging with and helping educate soybean farmers has always been important to Wellman, as has participating in international marketing missions to help grow U.S. soybean exports. His wide-ranging ASA experience in leadership and extensive involvement with agriculture policy has provided a strong foundation for his current role as director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Wellman continues to serve as a leader in agriculture who achieves goals and inspires others.

- ASA Outstanding State Volunteer Award Winner Neal Bredehoeft, Mo.
The Outstanding State Volunteer Award recognizes the dedication and contributions of individuals who have given at least three-years of volunteer service in any area of their state soybean association operation.

Neal Bredehoeft served on the Missouri Soybean Association Board in all the state's executive leadership positions and on the ASA board for nine years, including time on the ASA executive committee and a term as ASA president.

Bredehoeft was an early advocate for biodiesel in Missouri and throughout the U.S. and he continues that advocacy through involvement with his state association's Biodiesel Working Group and support of biodiesel production in Missouri. He's also represented Missouri soybean farmers during international marketing missions and welcomed numerous visiting trade delegations to his farm in western Missouri.

The soybean industry has benefited from Bredehoeft's many hours of volunteer service in all areas and his long-term strategic thinking, commitment to maintaining a strong state organization, and focus on making a difference that will outlast his service.



Iowa Farm Bureau ‘Acres of Opportunity’ conference highlights niche farming

Farms that grow strawberries, hops, cut flowers and mushrooms? No, it’s not California—it’s the type of crop diversity found on family farms right here in Iowa. For those seeking to explore ways to step into agriculture through alternative crops and livestock markets, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) ‘Acres of Opportunity’ conference on Saturday, March 28 at The Hotel at Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids will allow guests to hear from a variety of small Iowa farm owners as well as experts on farm business management. 

Breakout sessions will feature Johnson County vegetable grower Kate Edwards, Keri Byrum of Cedar Falls Hops Company, Lara Mangialardi and Jacob McGreal who raise grass-fed beef, Annie’s Acres strawberry farmer David Kendall, Aaron Steele with Goats on the Go, mushroom grower Mike Mahoney, Lori and Jim Bochner who grow cut flowers, Katie Colony with Colony Pumpkin Patch and Laura Cunningham who direct markets beef through Skyview Farms. In addition, Dr. Angela Shaw with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will talk about best practices for those interested in agritourism.

But running a farm is about more than raising a crop or livestock animal—there are business plans, financial questions and legal considerations at hand. To answer more of these questions, an array of experts will host breakout sessions to discuss the “Business Model Canvas,” current available loan programs, taxes, insurance, legal risks and more.

“Farming can be a very capital-intensive endeavor, putting it out of reach for many people who would like to get into raising crops and livestock,” said Amanda Van Steenwyk, IFBF farm business development manager. “But Iowans across the state are finding ways to fulfill niche markets and master the business and marketing side of their small farm. The farmer speakers at this conference are a great example of how you don’t need to be a larger farm to find success; just like any business, it’s about having the drive to find success and improve upon that every year.”

The conference will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is free for Iowa Farm Bureau members and $55 for non-members. For more information on the Acres of Opportunity conference or to register, please visit iowafarmbureau.com/acresofopportunity.



2020 Annual Meat Conference: Beef Is the Most Valuable Protein

More than 1,500 attendees, including retailers, processors and packers attending the 2020 Annual Meat Conference in Nashville, TN learned that beef is the most valuable protein in terms of salesi and how the beef industry’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program is helping to improve consumer perceptions about how high-quality beef is raised in the U.S.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff and manager of the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand had a major presence at the event, including a packed booth in the tradeshow, which provided an in-depth look at the voluntary, Beef Checkoff funded program that ensures U.S. beef is produced under stringent animal care standards. The BQA program was introduced to consumers in the fall of 2019 with a campaign designed to educate the general public about how beef in the U.S. is responsibly raised and the farmers and ranchers committed to producing safe, high-quality beef. Retailers were excited to learn that today, thanks to the commitment of cattle farmers and ranchers, more than 85 percent of beef comes from BQA certified farmers and ranchers.

“Consumers want to know how their food is raised and market research shows that when consumers learn about BQA, their confidence in beef increases,” said Bridget Wasser, executive director, meat science & supply chain outreach at NCBA. “By relaying that information to retailers, we can help educate and support them in achieving their bottom line and driving beef sales.”

To gain better perspective on BQA and the farmers and ranchers behind it, attendees had the opportunity to talk to cattle ranchers Buck Weirbein and Kim Brackett. Brackett, an Idaho-based cattle rancher and BQA advisory committee chair was at the booth to talk about how she focuses on animal care, grazing practices, cattle genetics, wildlife habitat and soil health. The booth experience was designed to help better equip retailers to educate their customers and answer questions about how beef is safely and humanely raised and was part of the overall campaign to bring BQA to life for consumers, influencers, supply chain operators, and the media

“It was eye opening to attend this event and see this large group of processors, distributors and retailers experiencing many of the same challenges, opportunities and issues that beef producers face day in and day out.” said Buck Weirbein, federation division chair at NCBA. “We truly are on the same team and these folks are just as passionate about our product as we are. I have renewed outlook and I look forward to sharing what I experienced at this conference with my board and fellow producers.”

In addition to getting an extensive look at BQA, attendees were presented with the latest research from a test-pilot program regarding labels. This research tested the effectiveness of featuring the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. logo and QR codes on non-branded packages of beef. Findings from this research included:
-    Packages that feature the Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. logo and a QR code come out on top compared to plain packages, with consumers saying they liked that it grabbed their attention and made it easy to directly search for information about the product.
-    Consumers say they are more likely to purchase a package of beef that has the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. logo and QR code on it, citing credibility and trust as the top reasons.

To further drive home the importance of educating and building confidence in consumers, attendees also got to see the results from market research highlighting the value beef adds to a shopping cart, confirming beef’s position as the most valuable protein. These highlights included:
-    Beef drives sales. When beef is included in the basket, it generates a higher average purchase -total when compared to baskets with other animal proteins.
-    Carts with beef produce sales 19 times greater than carts with beef substitutes.
-    Retail beef demand has continued to increase during the past several years, with demand up 15 percent since 2012.

“Attending the Annual Meat Conference was extremely valuable for our team as we work to educate and support retailers,” said Wasser. “We look forward to continuing to build these relationships and expanding the ways the Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. brand can enhance the meat case experience and in turn drive beef sales.”

To learn more about how Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. can help retailers boost their bottom line, visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com/Retail.