Monday March 16 Ag News

NE DEE Cancells meetings in Ord, O'Neill
Derek Schreiter, Program Specialist – Ag Section NE Dept of Environment and Energy

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (DEE) had meetings scheduled for medium cattle feeders and large exempt cattle feeders for Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 1pm at the Loup Valley Ag Complex Exhibit Hall, Valley County Fairgrounds in Ord.... and also Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. at the Holt County Extension Office @ Courthouse Annex in O'Neill.  Due to the measures being taken to curb the spread of Coronavirus, these meetings have been cancelled.  Please contact your DEE inspector with questions.



NE Corn Grower Events Postponed

The Colfax-Dodge and Saunders County Corn Growers associations were planning to host a March madness Cornhole Tournament on Friday March 20th at the Frontier Coop seed shed in North Bend from 5:30pm to 11pm.  However, because of the COVID-19 situation, this event has been posponed to a date TBD.  Email Russ Kavan at russellkavan@hotmail.com or Jordan Emanuel at jtemanuel12@hotmail.com to get more information.

Also, the Colfax-Dodge County Corn Growers were planning to host a free showing of "SILO, the Film" on Tuesday March 24th 6pm at the North Bend VFW.  Hosts for the movie are to be the North Bend FFA, Colfax Dodge Corn Growers, and Saunders Co. Corn Growers.  Again, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, this event is postponed to a date TBD.  Email ncbffa@gmail.com or call 402-652-3268 for more information. 



Amended 2020 NeFU Spring District Meeting Conference Calls Schedule

All meetings will begin at 7:00 p.m., and will be one hour long
Cards will be mailed out to the Districts that have not yet met.
Free Conference Calling: Call in number: (480) 660-5310 Access Code:  737 708
For everyone wanting the meeting handouts email us at:  info@nebraskafarmersunion.org

District 4 Spring Meeting Conference Call:  Tuesday, March 24, 2020.  7:00 p.m.
·         District 4 Director’s Report:  Vern Jantzen
·         NFU Convention report: Vern Jantzen and John Hansen
·         Federal & State issues updates:  John Hansen
·         “Train the Trainer” stress program report:  Vern Jantzen
·         GO Membership Program
For more information: Gayland Regier (402) 520-1094 Cell or Vern Jantzen (402) 230-0011 Cell

District 7 Spring Meeting Conference Call: Thursday, March 26, 2020. 7:00 p.m.
·         District 7 Director Report: Paul Theobald
·         NFU Convention report:  Paul Theobald & John Hansen
·         Federal & State issues updates: John Hansen
·         GO Membership Program
For more information: Paul Theobald (402) 369-3817 Cell or Art Tanderup (402-) 278-4627 Cell

District 3 & District 1 Spring Meeting Conference Call: Friday, March 27, 2020. 7:00 p.m.
·         District 3 Director’s Report: Mary Alice Corman
·         District 1 Director’s Report:  Al Davis 
·         NFU Convention report:  John Hansen
·         Federal & State issues updates:  John Hansen
·         GO Membership Program
For more information: Richard Corman (402) 364-3080 or Mary Alice Corman (402) 364-3079

District 6 Spring Meeting Conference Call: Monday, March 30, 2020 7:00 p.m.
·         District 6 Director’s Report:  Graham Christensen
·         NFU Convention report: Bill Armbrust & John Hansen
·         Federal & State issues updates:  John Hansen
·         GO Membership Program
For more information: Paul Poppe (402) 380-4508 or Graham Christensen (402) 217-5217

District 5 Spring Meeting Conference Call:  Tuesday, March 31, 2020.  7:00 p.m.
·         District 5 Director’s Report:  Ben Gotschall
·         NFU Convention report: Ben Gotschall & John Hansen
·         Federal & State issues updates: John Hansen
·         “Train the Trainer” stress program report:  Ben Gotschall
·         GO Membership Program
For more information: Justin Orem (402) 570-8512 Cell or Ben Gotschall (402) 705-8679 Cell



NE Ethanol Board Moves Forum to July
Roger Berry, NE Ethanol Board

The situation regarding COVID-19, the coronavirus, has changed dramatically over the last week. In light of the current health issues and precautions taken to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB) and Renewable Fuels Nebraska (RFN) have had to make the unfortunate and difficult decision to reschedule the Emerging Issues Forum.

We have arranged the new dates with the conference center for July 15-16 if the threat from COVID-19 has subsided.  Please keep in mind it is difficult to plan with so many unknowns but we are optimistic this will all be behind us by the summer. A new registration link will be sent closer to these dates, and as we know more.

While this is certainly not the outcome we wanted, we know it is in our best interest for the health and safety of many. We look forward to reconvening at a time when it's safe to do so. If you have questions, I encourage you to reach out to our staff at 402-471-2941.



STILL ON!  -  STRESS WEBINAR 
Hosted by NE Cattlemen and NE Extension
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 - 12:00 Noon, CDT       

Link to webinar: zoom.us/j/283190186 [r20.rs6.net]
*no preregistration for the webinar .. just click the above link

Stress has become a fact of life for farm families. Many are facing financial problems, marketing uncertainties, farm transfer issues, weather, production challenges and more.  This webinar to will help producers.
·  Recognizing symptoms of stress in ourselves and others
·  Understanding how chronic stress affects us and learning coping strategies
·  How to talk to someone experiencing chronic stress
·  How to approach a conversation if you feel someone is considering suicide
·  Where to turn for help

We invite all to join in this free webinar.  Share this information with others that may benefit from the webinar. 

About the presenter:
Susan Harris serves Nebraska as the Rural Health, Wellness, and Safety Educator for Nebraska Extension.  Her education includes a bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences in Business, as well as a master's degree in Health and Human Performance - Gerontology.  Susan also serves as staff member for AgrAbility, a partnership organization between UNL and Easterseals Nebraska, which provides information to producers and their families on assistive technology and site modifications that enable people with disabilities to remain involved in production agriculture.

If you or someone you know needs help with stress management or would like to talk to someone confidentially. Call the Rural Response Hotline 800-464-0258



Votruba Future of Farming Endowment Supports Future Agriculture Leaders

Nebraska FFA Foundation and St. Paul, Minn.-based AgriBank are honored to recognize former Nebraska FFA State Officer Keri Votruba through an endowment to honor his legacy in crop and livestock production.

Votruba, a rancher and crop farmer from Hemingford, Neb., was chair of the AgriBank Board of Directors when he died unexpectedly in October 2019.

“Keri was a tireless advocate for AgriBank, the Farm Credit System, and rural communities and agriculture,” said Richard Davidson, chair of the AgriBank board. “He was especially passionate about helping young people get started in farming and ranching. The endowment is a fitting memorial, because as a young man, Keri served as a state FFA officer in Nebraska.”

The endowment will recognize students with a Supervised Agricultural Experience in crop production or livestock production through the Nebraska FFA Association’s proficiency award program. Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director, says “I am very excited to help AgriBank pass on Keri’s legacy through FFA members across the state. This is such a great way to honor his support of agriculture, rural communities and young future leaders in agriculture, food and natural resources.”



Combined United States and Canadian Soybeans Crushed Down 1 Percent From 2018

Combined United States and Canadian soybeans crushed for crude oil was 64.7 million tons in 2019, a decrease of 1 percent from 2018.  Crude oil production was 24.9 billion pounds, down slightly from 2018.

Combined United States and Canadian canola seeds crushed for crude oil was 12.4 million tons in 2019, up 2 percent from 2018.  Crude oil production was 10.8 billion pounds, up 1 percent from 2018.

This report is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service to release the soybean and canola seed crushings information for both countries within one publication. United States soybean and oilseed crushings numbers for 2019 were previously released on March 2, 2020. Canadian soybean and oilseed crushings were released on January 24, 2020.



NMPF Reassures Consumers as Safe, Steady Dairy Production Continues

In light of consumer concern over food-supply disruptions, Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, the largest U.S. organization of dairy farmers, offered the following statement:

“U.S. dairy farmers are stewards of a product that’s harvested around the clock, 365 days a year, and they understand the importance of steady production as well as steady consumption. The U.S. food-supply chain is more than capable of meeting demand, and consumers should be reassured that milk and dairy products will continue to be produced and available in the coming weeks and months.

“Dairy supplies aren’t experiencing production interruptions at this time, and dairy farmers and processors will continue to do what they do best: produce safe, quality products every day for consumers in the U.S. and worldwide. We will vigilantly work with all aspects of the dairy supply chain to ensure these products get to everyone who needs them and that -- as has always been true -- dairy will remain something consumers can count on.”



As Coronavirus Roils Energy Markets, RFA Calls for Immediate Action from White House

With the coronavirus affecting so many Americans and causing so many questions and concerns about the national economy, Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper today released the following statement:

“Our hearts go out to all those directly affected by the coronavirus, especially those who have lost loved ones, who are ill or at greater risk. As an industry that employs 350,000 Americans across the heartland, we’re carefully watching the government's response to turmoil in the energy markets. Our industry is being adversely affected not only by the economic constraints caused by the coronavirus, but also by the oil price war, ongoing trade disputes and EPA’s small refinery waivers.

“While the policy response to turbulence in the energy markets has so far focused largely on supporting crude oil producers, we urge the Administration to recognize that biofuel and agricultural commodity markets are suffering as well. Ethanol futures prices hit a record low in recent days, as the coronavirus is expected to negatively impact domestic and international fuel demand in the near term. With many ethanol plants on the verge of shutting down, we implore the Trump administration to take action that equitably supports all liquid fuel industries—including ethanol producers—during this time of unprecedented market uncertainty and unrest.

“One important and positive step we urge the President to take immediately would be to announce that his Environmental Protection Agency will not appeal the recent 10th Circuit court decision on small refinery waivers and that EPA will implement the 500 million gallon remand as ordered by the D.C. Circuit Court in 2017. Given the robust financial assistance the Trump administration is planning to provide to oil producers, immediate actions to ensure EPA abides by these court decisions can help soothe concerns among those whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and renewable fuels.”




USDA Stands Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers.

“More than a quarter of producers are beginning farmers,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky. “We need to support the next generation of agricultural producers who we will soon rely upon to grow our nation’s food and fiber.”

To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build upon prior agency work, the 2018 Farm Bill directed USDA to create a national coordinator position in the agency and state-level coordinators for four of its agencies – Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Risk Management Agency (RMA), and Rural Development (RD).

Sarah Campbell was selected as the national coordinator to lead USDA’s efforts. A beginning farmer herself, Campbell held previous positions with USDA and has a wealth of experience working on issues impacting beginning farmers and ranchers. She recently served as acting director of customer experience for the Farm Production and Conservation Business Center, where she led the piloting of innovative, customer-centric initiatives.

In her new role, she will work closely with the state coordinators to develop goals and create plans to increase beginning farmer participation and access to programs while coordinating nationwide efforts on beginning farmers and ranchers.

“We know starting a new farm business is extremely challenging, and we know our customers value and benefit from being able to work directly with our field employees, especially beginning farmers,” Campbell said. “These new coordinators will be a key resource at the local level and will help beginning farmers get the support they need. I look forward to working with them.”

Each state coordinator will receive training and develop tailored beginning farmer outreach plans for their state. Coordinators will help field employees better reach and serve beginning farmers and ranchers and will also be available to assist beginning farmers who need help navigating the variety of resources USDA has to offer.

More on Beginning Farmers
Twenty seven percent of farmers were categorized as new and beginning producers, with 10 years or less of experience in agriculture, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

USDA offers a variety of farm loan, risk management, disaster assistance, and conservation programs to support farmers, including beginning farmers and ranchers. Additionally, a number of these programs have provisions specifically for beginning farmers, including targeted funding for loans and conservation programs as well as waivers and exemptions.