Tuesday March 17 Ag News

Help Celebrate 2020 National Agriculture Day and Agriculture Week
Larry Howard, Extension Educator, Cuming County
National Agriculture Week and is celebrated March 22  –  28, 2020 and it is a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America take time to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture.  This year’s Ag Day theme is “Food Brings Everyone To The Table.”    March 24 is the 47th anniversary of National Ag Day, celebrating agriculture and all those who feed our world, care for crops and livestock, and bring awareness to agricultural production. 

According to the Agriculture Council of America, Ag Day is about recognizing and celebrating the contribution of agriculture in our everyday lives. The National Ag Day program encourages everyone to: 1) Understand how food and fiber products are produced  2) Value the essential role of agriculture in maintaining a strong economy 3) Appreciate the role agriculture plays in providing safe, abundant and affordable products and 4) Acknowledge and consider career opportunities in the agriculture, food and fiber industry. 

Agriculture provides almost everything we eat, use and wear on a daily basis. But too few people truly understand this contribution. This is particularly the case in some of our schools, where students may only be exposed to agriculture if they enroll in related vocational training.  By building awareness, we can is encourage young people to consider career opportunities in agriculture.  

Each American farmer feeds more than 166 people ... a dramatic increase from 25 people in the 1960s. American agriculture is doing more and doing it better. As the world population soars, there is an even greater demand for the food and fiber produced in the United States.  Agriculture is this nation's #1 export and vitally important in sustaining a healthy economy. In 2016, $135.5 billion worth of American agricultural products were exported around the world. 

It's not just the farmer who makes our food possible. The entire agriculture industry, all the way to the grocery store, are the vital links in a chain that brings food to every resident and millions of people abroad.  It's easy to take agriculture for granted in America as our food is readily accessible and safe. Today, there are 3.75 million Americans employed full- and part-time in agriculture, including forestry, fishing and other activities. If one were to look at food-related industries, the numbers jump way up. In fact, one in 12 American jobs is dependent on agriculture. 

If you are a farmer, an agricultural producer or anyone in that food chain, we say thanks to you for all that you do each and every day to provide food for the world.  I would encourage our agricultural producers to share their agricultural story with a friend, your neighbor or share your story on social media using #AgDay20 or #NationalAgWeek so others know what you do on a daily basis.  The rest of us need to be sure to tell those individuals that we appreciate what they do.



Using Increased Longevity to Reduce Annual Cow Cost
Steve Neimeyer – NE Extension Educator

When evaluating annual cow cost, feed rises to the top of the list. Feed cost is an important area to consider; however, have you evaluated the cost of incorporating replacement heifers into the cowherd?

Cost of developing a pregnant replacement heifer will vary by operation. However, most producers would agree that this cost could be over $1,000. When figuring the specific development costs, here are a few things to consider: 1) initial value of the heifer calf, 2) winter feeding costs, 3) summer pasture and 4) other normal expenses such as vaccinations, interest, yardage, and death loss.

What is the potential benefit of implementing management to increase the percentage of heifers calving in the first 21 days of the calving season? Cushman and other (2013) reported the heifers that conceived early and therefore calved with their first calf within the first 21 days, had increased longevity compared to with heifers that calved in the second 21-d period or later. The average longevity of heifers at U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) that calved in the first, second, or third period was 8.2, 7.6, and 7.2 years, respectively. You might be saying that these heifers were at a research center, so this will not happen on my operation. Within this same publication, cattle owned by producers in South Dakota Integrated Resource Management groups were evaluated for longevity.

2-year old heifers that calved in the first 21-d period were reported to be 5.1 years in age when they were diagnosed open compared to heifers calving later with their first calf (3.9 years). Longevity of the beef female is very important to the sustainability and profitability of any beef operation. 

Additionally, heifers that calved in the first 21 days of their first calving season weaned a heavier calf in each of their first six calving seasons. These benefits from getting replacement heifers set up correctly to improve longevity and produce more pounds of weaned calf weight can influence the bottom line. 

What is the best management strategies to successfully achieve the majority of 2-year-old heifers calving in the first 21 days? Getting your replacement heifers in the correct condition to breed, this would be 60 to 65% of their mature weight. Body condition score should be 5.5 to 6 on the 1 to 9 scale. Ideally, these replacement heifers would have cycled prior to breeding season.

Reproductive technology that assist producers in grouping heifers or cows are estrous synchronization along with artificial insemination. Synchronizing heifers normally achieved 50 to 60% pregnancy rates. Pregnancy rates for heifers that express estrus are around 60 to 70%. Synchronization can be used with natural service or artificial insemination. When synchronization is coupled with natural service, heifers will come into estrus over 10 days compared to animals that are synchronized for AI.

Potential benefits to management strategies to get more 2-yr old heifers calving in the first 21 days are: 1) reduced replacement rates, 2) more calves available to sell as feeder or replaced in feedyard, or 3) more pounds of weight at weaning. The benefits will vary by operations; however, numerous economists have indicated that costs can be reduced by reducing the replacement rates of your cows. Additionally, producers know the cost of developing quality heifers is not cheap, so keeping quality genetics in the herd longer can be beneficial to the financial bottom line.



Central Valley Ag and Farmers Ranchers Co-op move forward in merger

The Board of Directors for both Central Valley Ag (CVA) and Farmers Ranchers Cooperative (FRC) have unanimously approved the next step in a merger of the two cooperatives. The merger proposal will now be presented to FRC members for a vote with results being counted at a special meeting on April 1 in Ainsworth, Neb.

Initial merger discussions between the cooperatives began in January 2020, with the respective boards individually approving the merger in February after a successful merger study was reviewed.

FRC, headquartered in Ainsworth, will host area informational meetings in March for its members followed by mail in ballots with a special meeting to be held on April 1 to count voting results. Additional information regarding times and locations of the meetings will be posted on the FRC website and shared in the future.

For the merger to be finalized, FRC members must approve by a simple majority. Voting by FRC will take place by mail in ballot, and all FRC voting members are encouraged to vote. If approved, the two cooperatives plan to unite on June 1, 2020.
 
ABOUT CENTRAL VALLEY AG
Central Valley Ag is a farmer-owned cooperative headquartered in York, NE. CVA has locations in Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. CVA is an innovative leader providing products and services in grain, agronomy, feed, and energy. You can find more information about Central Valley Ag by visiting www.cvacoop.com.
 
ABOUT FARMERS RANCHERS CO-OP
Farmers Ranchers Co-op is a supply cooperative which serves farmers, ranchers, and residents of an 11-county region in North-Central Nebraska and South-Central South Dakota. The Cooperative has three divisions which serve customers: Agronomy, Feed, and Energy. Learn more at by visiting: www.frcoop.com.



CVA Response to COVID-19
Carl Dickinson, President/CEO

The situation with COVID-19 continues to be fluid with changes happening rapidly and often. At Central Valley Ag (CVA) we have two main objectives during this time:
-    Work to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 to keep our employees and customers safe and healthy and to not overwhelm our local and regional healthcare network.
-    Adhere to CVA’s Mission, Vision and Core Values – more specifically to continue to serve our customers and deliver value to their operations.

CVA is working closely with our local health officials and adhering to the advice from local, state and national health officials. We have established an internal response team to monitor the situation and determine responses and practices as needed. Examples of these practices include frequent cleaning of offices and heavily trafficked areas; restricted travel by employees between CVA locations and use of remote meeting platforms for necessary meetings. We also have engaged in frequent communication with our employees, keeping them informed of changes in the situation.

Plans have been created to keep locations as functional as possible, should we face a challenge in staffing due to quarantine or absences. At some locations and offices, we have asked certain employees to work from home as part of this planning.

The changes and actions we have implemented have been done with the two main objectives listed above in mind. Our primary concerns continue to be serving our customers, delivering value to their operations while ensuring the safety and health of employees and customers.

We will do our best to keep you informed of any relevant changes that may come in the days or weeks to follow. Please feel free to reach out to your local CVA contact with any questions or concerns you have.



Lower Elkhorn NRD office in Norfolk closes to the public until further notice

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) is closing their physical office until further notice, effective immediately, to ensure a healthy and safe environment for their employees and the public.  LENRD General Manager, Mike Sousek, said, “We continue to closely monitor the evolving Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, along with implementing the latest recommendations from federal, state and local authorities.”

While the office doors are closed to the public, the LENRD staff will continue to answer phone calls, reply to emails, and proceed with spring field work.  There is a drop box at the main entrance for those wanting to drop off reports, etc.

Sousek added, “If you are not already utilizing our digital tools for updated information, we strongly encourage you to begin using the District’s website at lenrd.org, Facebook and Twitter pages.  As we navigate through these uncertain times, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 402-371-7313.”



NE Corn Board Meeting has been cancelled

The Nebraska Corn Board has cancelled their meeting scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 at UNL East Campus and Wednesday, March 25 at The Embassy Suites Lincoln.



Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement banquet postponed

The Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement (NHAA) has postponed its March 20th banquet scheduled at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln.

Following cancellation announcements of gatherings of 50 people or larger by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) due to COVID-19, the NHAA Executive Committee has decided to postpone the opportunity to celebrate this years’ honorees and new inductees.

The Committee places great value on the health, safety and well-being of its members, and their family and friends.

The committee is currently working on a plan to move forward, and more information will be forthcoming in the near future.



Nebraska Cattlemen Works Diligently Through COVID-19

Fallout from the current United States COVID-19 pandemic has spanned far beyond the disease itself, bringing economic and financial destruction to the cattle and beef industry. Unfortunately, this is only one year removed from the most devastating natural disaster to hit the state in decades and eight months since the industry experienced an extensive equity drain due to the cattle and beef market disruptions caused by the fire at Tyson's Holcomb, Kansas beef processing facility.

Given the current situation, your Nebraska Cattlemen staff and leadership are laser focused on finding solutions to help correct the market situation in the short term, but more importantly - focusing on what long term, structural changes can be made to increase transparency and reduce volatility in the cattle markets. Since February 21, 2020, Nebraska dressed steer values have plummeted $20/cwt ($190+/- vs $170+/-), or approximately $185 per head.  USDA's Choice boxed beef index remained virtually unchanged for most of that time frame but has skyrocketed higher by $18.35/cwt over the past two business days as cash fed cattle values have seen continued pressure.

"Nebraska Cattlemen recognizes the fact that if the entire cost of these market disruptions continues to be born exclusively by the production sectors of the beef industry, it may cause the quality of our beef to decrease. Also, if this unforeseen pandemic event results in yet another deep and extended movement of equity away from producers and to entities farther down the beef production chain, then there will certainly be less producers, less cattle, and less beef available at some point moving forward." Ken Herz, Nebraska Cattlemen President.

NC continues to convey the needs of our members and the beef industry to the highest levels of government during this time of crisis. From conversations with Governor Ricketts regarding the importance of keeping the beef supply chain working smoothly in terms of the harvest of fed cattle supply to members of Nebraska's congressional delegation regarding the current market situation, your voice is heard. Additionally, NC leadership and staff have been in continued conversations with USDA/AMS regarding their plans to ensure that USDA inspectors do not become a limiting factor in keeping packing and processing plants from operating.

In our members' best interest, NC has requested that AMS/P&SD increase their vigilance and surveillance throughout the cattle and beef marketing chains to guard against market manipulation and price gouging.

Nebraska Cattlemen staff and leadership remain committed to our members. Please know we are working diligently to find solutions to the current situation while keeping our long-term focus on improving market transparency and reducing market volatility. We will continue to keep you up to date as more information becomes available.



U.S. Pork Producers Committed to Special Responsibility

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) supports Trump administration guidelines announced today to maintain the continuity of critical U.S. infrastructure, including the food supply. U.S. pork producers supply the world's safest, most nutritious and lowest-cost pork in the world and remain committed to supplying Americans and consumers worldwide with the healthy protein they need. 

"We are committed to maintaining the core infrastructure of America's food supply: farms," said NPPC President Howard "A.V." Roth, a pork producer from Wauzeka, Wisconsin. "Pork producers and other farmers take seriously the special responsibility we hold for keeping people fed. Telecommuting is not an option for us; we are reporting for work as always while taking all necessary precautions to protect our health and the health of those we work with."



Livestock Marketing Association on COVID-19 Precautions

Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) is actively working to keep livestock auction markets functioning while following the rapidly changing field of guidance and mandates for businesses in light of COVID-19. Livestock auction markets are essential to maintaining infrastructure and food supply as well as access to capital for the thousands of farmers and ranchers who depend on livestock auction markets to sell their livestock.

LMA continues to work with federal, state, and local officials to ensure continuity of business while taking into account the significant public health consequences of the COVID-19 disease situation.

LMA is discussing public assistance options for livestock auctions and producers in the weeks and months to come. The latest USDA public information notices are available here:

USDA AMS - https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAMS/bulletins/28106a4
USDA APHIS - https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/bulletins/28183de
FSIS / USDA MRP - https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDAAMS/2020/03/16/file_attachments/1402540/3.16.20%20OFS%20and%20MRP%20Statement%20to%20Industry.pdf

With respect to public attendance at livestock auction markets, LMA is aware that many states and areas are enforcing varied crowd size limits and have mandated restrictions on operation of cafés or other food services. LMA is working with markets on a case-by-case basis to evaluate all parameters and impacts on their sales and strongly suggests markets develop contingency plans accordingly.

LMA has provided the following strategies to markets in order to prepare for and mitigate disease spread:
-    Familiarize yourself with and follow rapidly changing local and state rules regarding assembly of crowds. If you need assistance interpreting relevant recommendations and mandates, reach out to LMA;
-    Work with your café operators to follow location-specific guidance which may include closure or offering to-go service only;
-     Update your website with instructions to customers and your plans for continued operation;
-    Utilize your social media platforms to share fact-based information and your plans for continued operations. If you need help drafting your social media or website statements, please reach out to LMA;
-    If you are in a situation where you need to limit crowd size, request that consignors deliver livestock and return home rather than remaining at the facility;
-    Offer consignors flexibility in picking up their checks if they can’t wait for the mail such as delivery or pick up from their vehicle while remaining in parking lot;
-    Instruct any employee or visitor exhibiting symptoms of illness to remain home and request that any employee or visitor who is a member of a population of heightened vulnerability to consider avoiding areas where people are gathering;
-    Evaluate all options to utilize web broadcast or phone bidding;
-    Provide ample opportunities for visitors and employees to wash hands following CDC best practices;
-    Clean and disinfect any commonly used areas more often; and
-    Clean restrooms more frequently and restock with supplies including soap, paper towels and hand sanitizer.

LMA and our member auctions take this situation very seriously. Human health is of great concern. Because LMA values the wellbeing of our members, their employees, consignors, and buyers, we will remain in contact with and continue providing updates to our membership to help them navigate these trying times.



USDA Ensures Food Safety During COVID-19 Outbreak

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ensuring the safety and timely delivery of the U.S. food supply while protecting the health of USDA employees during this COVID-19 National Emergency. Yesterday, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Greg Ibach and USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety Dr. Mindy Brashears sent a letter to stakeholders reassuring them that APHIS, AMS, and FSIS are rising to meet the challenges associated with COVID-19.

“As leaders of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agricultural Marketing Service, and Food Safety and Inspection Service we can assure you that the agencies are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our employees while still providing the timely delivery of the services to maintain the movement of America’s food supply from farm to fork… As we come together as a country to address this public health threat, know that USDA remains committed to working closely with industry to fulfill our mission of ensuring the safety of the U.S. food supply and protecting agricultural health,” Under Secretary Ibach and Deputy Under Secretary Brashears said in the letter to stakeholders.
 
Food Safety and Inspection Service:
-    Meat, poultry, and processed egg inspection services continue as normal.
-    Planning for absenteeism is a part of normal FSIS operations and as such, FSIS is closely monitoring and tracking employee absenteeism to plan for and minimize impacts to operations.
-    FSIS is also working to prioritize inspection at establishments based on local conditions and resources available.

Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
-    APHIS and AMS continue to provide critical inspections and grading services.
-    APHIS and AMS are ensuring the health and safety of USDA employees while still providing the timely delivery of the services to maintain the movement of America’s food supply moving from farms to forks.
-    APHIS and AMS are prepared to remedy any possible disruptions in their services.
-    AMS will continue to report commodity prices through its market news service.
-    Commodity markets can be assured that the USDA will keep America’s food supply safe as well as abundant during this national emergency.

For more information from the USDA, you may visit www.usda.gov/coronavirus.
The latest information directly from the CDC can be found at www.coronavirus.gov.



Get the Low Down on Weed Resistance from the Experts

Welcome to the Take Action Webinar Series on new developments in herbicide-resistance management. If you have questions or concerns about herbicide resistance management you can get some answers Thursday, March 19, at 10 a.m.

The sixth installment of the Take Action Webinar Series features two presentations:
Part 1: Status of On-Combine Seed Destruction Technologies - Kevin Bradley, Ph.D., University of Missouri
Part 2: Chemical Control System Mixing Issues - Joe Ikely, Ph.D., North Dakota State University.

Take Action is a farmer-focused education platform funded by soy checkoff and National Corn Growers Association through state checkoff support. The program is designed to help farmers and their advisors manage herbicide, fungicide and insect resistance.

The goal is to encourage the adoption of management practices that lessen the impact of resistant pests and preserve current and future crop protection technology.

The Take Action Webinar Series aims to bring you the latest information and research on various topics related to pesticide resistance management. For more information on Take Action, visit www.IWillTakeAction.com.



Technology to screen for higher-yielding crop traits is now more accessible to scientists

Like many industries, big data is driving innovations in agriculture. Scientists seek to analyze thousands of plants to pinpoint genetic tweaks that can boost crop production—historically, a Herculean task. To drive progress toward higher-yielding crops, a team from the University of Illinois is revolutionizing the ability to screen plants for key traits across an entire field. In two recent studies—published in the Journal of Experimental Botany (JExBot) and Plant, Cell & Environment (PC&E)—they are making this technology more accessible.

“For plant scientists, this is a major step forward,” said co-first author Katherine Meacham-Hensold, a postdoctoral researcher at Illinois who led the physiological work on both studies. “Now we can quickly screen thousands of plants to identify the most promising plants to investigate further using another method that provides more in-depth information but requires more time. Sometimes knowing where to look is the biggest challenge, and this research helps address that."

This work is supported by Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that is creating more productive food crops by improving photosynthesis, the natural process all plants use to convert sunlight into energy and yields. RIPE is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), and the U.K. Government’s Department for International Development (DFID).

The team analyzed data collected with specialized hyperspectral cameras that capture part of the light spectrum (much of which is invisible to the human eye) that is reflected off the surface of plants. Using hyperspectral analysis, scientists can tease out meaningful information from these bands of reflected light to estimate traits related to photosynthesis.

“Hyperspectral cameras are expensive and their data is not accessible to scientists who lack a deep understanding of computational analysis,” said Carl Bernacchi, a research plant physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. “Through these studies, our team has taken a technology that was out of reach and made it more available to our research community so that we can unearth traits needed to provide farmers all over the world with higher-yielding crops.”

The RIPE project analyzes hundreds of plants each field season. The traditional method used to measure photosynthesis requires as much as 30 minutes per leaf. While newer technologies have increased efficiency to as little as 15 seconds per plant, the study published in JExBot has increased efficiency by an order of magnitude, allowing researchers to capture the photosynthetic capacity of hundreds to thousands of plants in a research plot.

In the JExBot study, the team reviewed data from two hyperspectral cameras; one that captures spectra from 400-900 nanometers and another that captures 900-1800 nanometers. “Our previous work suggested that we should use both cameras to estimate photosynthetic capacity; however, this study suggests that only one camera that captures 400-900 is required,” said co-first author Peng Fu, a RIPE postdoctoral researcher who led the computational work on both studies.

In the PC&E study, the team resolved to make hyperspectral information even more meaningful and accessible to plant scientists. Using just 240 bands of reflectance spectra and a radiative transfer model, the team teased out how to identify seven important leaf traits from the hyperspectral data that are related to photosynthesis and of interest to many plant scientists.

“Our results suggest we do not always need ‘high-resolution’ reflectance data to estimate photosynthetic capacity,” Fu said. “We only need around 10 hyperspectral bands—as opposed to several hundred or even a thousand hyperspectral bands—if the data are carefully selected. This conclusion can help pave the way to make meaningful measurements with less expensive cameras.”

These studies will help us map photosynthesis across different scales from the leaf level to the field level to identify plants with promising traits for further study.

The RIPE project and its sponsors are committed to ensuring Global Access and making the project’s technologies available to the farmers who need them the most.