Thursday September 10 Ag News

 Northeast Community College breaks ground on new agriculture facilities

Northeast Community College faculty, staff, students, volunteers, donors and other guests gathered Thursday for an event that is literally and figuratively groundbreaking for the institution’s agriculture program.

A ceremony marked construction that is presently underway on the Nexus project which consists of a new veterinary technology building and a combination farm operations building and large animal handling facility at the new Acklie Family College Farm. The site is located near Northeast’s Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex at the intersection of Highway 35 and E. Benjamin Ave. in Norfolk.

Dr. Leah Barrett, president, said Northeast embarked on the project five-years ago to ensure the next generation of rural Americans have an opportunity to be educated and trained in 21st-century facilities and on a 500-acre college farm. She described Nexus as more than just new buildings.

“This is an innovative collection of facilities that are, in themselves, tools of the trade that will allow our students to learn through experiences as well as theory,” Barrett said. “They will instill a pride among our students as they prepare to enter the workforce and, for many of them, return to their hometowns and farms to ensure the region has opportunities to be prosperous and grow through either their own operation or by being employed by the myriad of businesses that are vital to the industry.”

Nexus began with a vision and a plan that can trace back to the beginning of the ag program at the College in 1973. Dr. Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs and executive director of the Northeast Foundation, said the program has grown from just three students 47-years ago to over 350 today. She said Northeast has invested in its current facilities that were constructed over 100-years ago, but it has been no match for time and modern technology and machinery.

“Ultimately, the facilities were undersized and inadequate for the large numbers of students and the size of today’s equipment and animals,” Kruse said.

As a result of strategic planning and visioning in 2015, Northeast began to prioritize capital funds for the project and invested in new faculty and programming. Once word was out, many people stepped forward to ask how they could help.

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

“With the lead gift from ACF, we were off and running. Collectively, we have raised over $10 million to fund this project, in addition to the College’s funds,” Kruse said. “While we are still a few million dollars short of our $22.3 million goal, we didn’t want to let COVID-19 slow us down. The Board of Governors approved the bids, and in April, site work began. Although we have secured enough funds to complete construction of the facilities, additional dollars are still needed for equipment, technology and furnishings inside the facility.”

In addition to several other major gifts over the past year, including a collective pledge of $132,000 from Northeast employees, two other large donations were announced at Thursday’s groundbreaking.

Kruse said the estate of the late Norman Ochsner, of Norfolk, a draftsman at Nucor Steel for many years, allocated a $2.4 million gift to Northeast. Half of the gift has been placed into an endowment for scholarships for agriculture students with the remainder put into an endowment for ag construction and maintenance.

“This will help us attract additional ag students to Northeast and it will provide us funds into perpetuity for ongoing care and maintenance of the facilities,” Kruse said. “What a lasting legacy and tribute to Norm Ochsner! I think he’d be proud of what we are accomplishing in his name!”

Also, a representative from TC Energy and the TC Energy Foundation announced a $500,000 gift to the Nexus Campaign.

“Projects like this underscore not only the importance, but the vitality of community colleges in Nebraska and the vital role they play in building a skilled and highly trained workforce needed to ensure a strong future for all Nebraskans, including those who have yet to start kindergarten or take an ACT,” said Trevor Jones, government and community relations advisor for TC Energy. “Northeast Community College and this Nexus project are helping to develop the next generation of workers giving them the skills and the training needed to build strong and sustainable local economies throughout Nebraska and rural America.”

Furthermore, two fundraisers held in conjunction with the groundbreaking continue. One encourages donors to text “ag” to (402) 383-FARM (3276) to contribute. The other involves the sale of animal silhouettes to be engraved and displayed on a farm-scape plaque in one of the new buildings. Three sizes of horses, chickens, pigs and cattle are available for donations of $50, $100 and $250. These animals may be ordered from students or online at agwaternexus.com.

Jeanne Reigle, of Madison, and Russ Vering, of Scribner, serve as co-chairs of the Nexus Campaign. Both stressed the importance of the investment in new facilities at Northeast and their impact on training the next generation workforce.

“My husband, John, and I have watched Northeast Community College respond to workforce needs over the years and know firsthand the impact of the education and training they provide,” Reigle said. “As owners of a feedlot, we recognize skilled employees can be hard to come by and we want to make sure that as a local educational institution, Northeast continues to invest in technology advancements and develops a technology-savvy workforce.”

Vering said, “I was pleased to not only be a part of my business’s support to the project, but also for Jeanne and I and other volunteers to help secure the support of other commodity organizations throughout the state of Nebraska, from the pork producers, to the cattlemen associations to the corn board. The support of these major statewide organizations indicated just how important this project is to the state and this region specifically, where one out of every two jobs is directly related to agriculture.”

Although Dara Ness, a sophomore veterinary technology student from Kennebec, S.D., won’t take classes in the new facilities after she graduates next spring, she said Thursday, they are one part of obtaining an education from Northeast.

“These past two-years at Northeast have been very impactful on my education as well as my life. It wasn’t the facilities that taught me how to be a good vet tech, it was the teachers,” Ness said. “Having instructors that devote their time and energy to bettering our education is what pushes us to try harder and think critically. As we move forward, the current vet tech building will always be extraordinary given the history behind it - how a once dairy farm was turned into a clinic with the help of devoted teachers…”

Jeff Scherer, a member of the Northeast board of governors from Beemer, said the Nexus project demonstrates the College’s mission of dedicating itself to the success of students and the region it serves.

“I see and hear firsthand the impact of our agriculture graduates in our local communities working as agronomists, vet techs and veterinarians, conservationists, precision ag technicians, sales managers and more. They are working at the local implement dealers, the cooperatives, banks, and are the local seed sales representatives. Our success as an institution is rooted in what we give back to our local communities. That is what this project is all about.”

Wilkins Architecture Design & Planning, of Kearney, led the team that designed the first phase of the Nexus project collaborating with firms such as Olsson Associates, Morrissey Engineering, Flad Architects and Settje Engineering and AgriServices in order to create a working veterinary technology clinic and farm. Kingery Construction, of Lincoln, is providing construction management services. Construction on the new facilities is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2021.

Donations to the Nexus project may still be made online at agwaternexus.com, by texting “ag” to (402) 383-FARM (3276), or by sending a check to Northeast Community College Foundation, 801 East Benjamin Ave., Norfolk, NE 68701.

The ceremony, as well as video comments from donors, volunteers, staff and students, may be viewed at agwaternexus.com.



Nebraska Cattlemen and Affiliates Support Northeast Nexus Project

The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation and two Nebraska Cattleman affiliates in northeast Nebraska have thrown their support behind the Nexus project to build new ag facilities at Northeast Community College.

Together, the Cattlemen Foundation, the Boone and Nance County Cattlemen, and the Cuming County Feeders have donated $50,000 to the project, currently under construction near the intersection of East Benjamin Ave. and Hwy. 35.

“We are pleased to be able to support the education of the next generation of farmers and ranchers,” said Scott Knobbe of West Point, past president of the Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation. “Finding trained employees for our operations is always a struggle, and these new facilities at Northeast will help attract more young people to agriculture.”

Pat Meiergard of the Cuming County Feeders said many Cuming County students attend Northeast. “Northeast is close to home for a lot of our students,” he said, “and that lets them continue to help out on their home farms and feedlots. It is also an economical way to get a quality education.”

 “A lot of our young people take dual credit classes at area high schools through Northeast,” said Mark Niewohner of the Boone and Nance County Cattlemen, “getting a jump on their college education.”

“We hire Northeast graduates at our operations,” Niewohner continued, “and having more trained individuals to fill those positions is important to our success.”

Cattle production is a big part of the ag program at Northeast. The College already has a 50 cow-calf herd and feedlot operation. The new facilities will include a feedlot, manure lagoon, and large animal handling facility.

“The support of the beef industry is important to Northeast,” said Dr. Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs and executive director of the Northeast Foundation. “We understand the need to educate the next generation of farmers and ranchers and provide trained employees to support agriculture. Our students will become the citizens of rural communities, shopping at local stores, attending local schools and churches.”

The initial phase of construction on the Nexus project includes a new veterinary technology clinic and classrooms, a new farm site with a large animal handling facility and other farm structures for livestock operations, a farm office and storage. The new facilities will be located near the Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex on E. Benjamin Ave. in Norfolk. Site work began in April and construction should be completed by the Fall of 2021.

The funding for the agriculture facilities will come from the College’s commitment of $10 million, as well as external fundraising to fill the gap. With a total project cost of $22.3 million, the College has raised enough funds to begin construction; however, fundraising for the Nexus campaign will continue, as more is needed for equipment, technology and furnishings.

In August 2019, the Acklie Charitable Foundation (ACF) announced a $5 million lead gift to the Nexus project. ACF was founded by the late Duane Acklie and Phyllis Acklie, both Madison County natives and graduates of Norfolk Junior College, a predecessor institution of Northeast Community College.

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



Larry E. Sitzman Youth in Nebraska Agriculture Scholarship Available

College students enrolled as full-time undergraduate or graduate students at a fully accredited Nebraska college, university or technical college in an agriculture related degree program are encouraged to apply for the Larry E. Sitzman Youth in Nebraska Agriculture Scholarship.

The deadline to apply is November 10. Applications will be reviewed, and selection notifications will be sent by December 1. Students may apply for the scholarship online by visiting www.nepork.org.

The Larry E. Sitzman Youth in Nebraska Agriculture Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to one deserving applicant each year.

The scholarship is named for Larry E. Sitzman, who retired in 2016 as Executive Director of the Nebraska Pork Producers Association. Sitzman learned patriotism, service to our country, and respect for our leaders from his parents. While in high school, he heard John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, in which he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” This address increased his desire to serve.

Agriculture has always been his passion. Throughout his life he has provided service in various forms and from different positions of leadership. Sitzman is known for sharing his voice defending perspectives and asking challenging questions. He served on many state and national agricultural boards before being named the Director of Agriculture for Nebraska in 1991. Today, Sitzman serves as an active volunteer leader at the Veterans Administration in Lincoln.

Academics, agriculture, military, and other forms of public service have all improved in some measure due to the leadership, service, and voice of Larry E. Sitzman. Upon his retirement, the Nebraska Pork Producers Association established this scholarship in his honor.

Eligibility Requirements:
    Must be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at a fully accredited Nebraska college, university or technical college in an agriculture related degree program
    Must have at least one full year of study remaining toward a degree
    Must have plans to work in the agriculture industry upon graduation

Selection will be based on qualities of leadership and participation in collegiate or extracurricular activities related to the agriculture industry.

Remember, the deadline for applications is November 10. Go to www.nepork.org to apply online.



Nebraska Farm Bureau-PAC Announces Endorsements in State Legislative Races

The Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Political Action Committee (NEFB-PAC) has announced its slate of endorsements for candidates seeking election to the Nebraska Legislature. The NEFB-PAC endorsements are based on candidate’s positions on agriculture and rural issues and recommendations from district evaluation committees.

“We are pleased to announce our support for a number of candidates seeking both election and re-election to serve in the Nebraska Legislature. Given the important role farmers and ranchers play in helping produce our food and the prominent role agriculture plays in supporting our state’s broader economy, it’s important we elect leaders who have an appreciation for and understanding of both,” said Mark McHargue of Central City, chairman of NEFB-PAC and first vice president of Nebraska Farm Bureau.

NEFB-PAC’s slate of endorsed state legislative candidates includes:
    Julie Slama of Peru, seeking election to Dist. 1
    Rick Holdcroft of Bellevue, seeking election to Dist. 3
    Mike McDonnell of Omaha, seeking re-election to Dist. 5
    David Rogers of Fremont, seeking election to Dist. 15
    Joni Albrecht of Thurston, seeking re-election to Dist. 17
    Mike Flood of Norfolk, seeking election to Dist. 19
    Mike Hilgers of Lincoln, seeking re-election to Dist. 21
    Bruce Bostelman of Brainard, seeking re-election to Dist. 23
    Suzanne Geist of Lincoln, seeking re-election to Dist. 25
    Jacob Campbell of Lincoln, seeking election to Dist. 29
    Rich Pahls of Omaha, seeking election to Dist. 31
    John Lowe Sr. of Kearney, seeking re-election to Dist. 37
    Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, seeking re-election to Dist. 39
    Tom Briese of Albion, seeking re-election to Dist. 41
    Tom Brewer of Gordon, seeking re-election to Dist. 43
    Rita Sanders of Bellevue, seeking election to Dist. 45
    Steve Erdman of Bayard, seeking re-election to Dist. 47
    Andrew LaGrone of Gretna, seeking election to Dist. 49

“We look forward to supporting this slate of candidates in their election efforts, many of which who have already made valuable and positive contributions in the Legislature, and others who we believe possess similar abilities to lead our state moving forward,” said McHargue.



Grand Island Case Plant Supports Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation
 
This past weekend, the Grand Island CNH Industrial manufacturing plant gave the Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation $20,000 to assist in furthering the Foundation’s good works.
 
Lindsey Koepke, executive director of the Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation said, “This is so amazing to me since CNH Industrial and Case IH give so much already to our state fair. I mean, they provide tractors for our people movers, they provided combine rides with so many of their employees involved and now a $20,000 financial gift to the 1868 Foundation —it’s a little surreal.
 
CNH Industrial plant manager Mike Schaefer said, “Our plant has been all in with the Nebraska State Fair since it moved to Grand Island in 2010. Because of our 55-year history in Grand Island and the Fair’s 150 years in the state it seemed like a perfect union to help celebrate agriculture in a big way.”
 
CNH Industrial’s involvement in the Nebraska State Fair has been shepherded by Andy Marsh of Grand Island. Although no longer involved with the CNH Industrial plant, day to day, he has remained the CNH Industrial/State Fair liaison all of these many years.
 
Koepke said, “The Nebraska State Fair has just begun to blossom, and as the fundraising arm to the fair, the 1868 Foundation and its’ board of directors are thrilled to receive the CNH Industrial financial gift. We are truly blessed with so many partners, not the least of which is the entire team at Grand Island’s Case IH plant.”
 
CNH Industrial has been a community partner to Grand Island as one of the community’s largest employers producing the Case IH Axial Flow and New Holland Twin Rotor combines, as well as various hay & forage equipment. It’s a source of pride for Grand Island and central Nebraska.
 
The Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation is a proud charitable 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to raise funds for the future of your Nebraska State Fair.  For more information on the Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation, visit http://www.1868foundation.org/.



ISU Agronomy Team Debuts New Weather Tool for FACTS

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has debuted a new tool on the Forecast and Assessment of Cropping Systems (FACTS) website that displays weather summaries for every crop reporting district in 12 Midwest states. https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/facts/  

The weather summaries include data from 1984 through today, updated every month and with information on temperature, precipitation, radiation and other weather indicators — like the number of days with extreme weather rain events, or the number of warm nights.

“This new tool provides an easy way for farmers and scientists to benchmark weather at any crop reporting district by month,” said Sotirios Archontoulis, associate professor of agronomy and principal member of the FACTS team at Iowa State University.

The new Weather Tool enables the user to select a crop reporting district from the nearly 1,000 counties across the Midwest. Once a district is selected, the user chooses a weather variable of interest and the month with the year, and the tool displays benchmarking graphs with options to download the data.

“This data can be crucial for decision-making on the ground and in the field,” Archontoulis said. “Weather is the main driver of yield and soil water/nitrogen fluctuations from year-to-year across the landscape, and having a benchmarking system that can be referenced will inform those decisions.”

This tool has aggregated weather data at the crop reporting district level for the first time, using 100 grids within a single crop reporting district instead of the typical one or two. The range of weather indicators available as well as the flexibility in performing benchmark graphs saves everyone time and gives greater detail than what has previously been available.

The weather data is a synthetic gridded product from various sources, called “IEM Reanalysis” system, which was engineered by Daryl Herzmann, Iowa Environmental Mesonet. The resolution of the synthetic gridded weather product is 0.125 x 0.125 degree latitude and longitude (about 15 km2 resolution). The temperature data generally comes from the NWS COOP observers. The precipitation data come from RADAR based estimates provided by NOAA MRMS, Oregon State’s PRISM dataset and NWS COOP reports. The radiation data come from NASA POWER.

The accuracy of the monthly gridded weather data is sufficiently well as illustrated in the figure. The gridded product captures 99% of the observed variability in temperature, 95% of the observed variability in radiation and 86% of the observed variability in precipitation in single point tests across 11 locations in the US Corn Belt.  

This tool is the product of a collaborative work between Archontoulis and Schnable Labs (Department of Agronomy) and funded by the Plant Sciences Institute at Iowa State.
    Sotirios Archontoulis conceptualized the tool, performed weather data QC and determined the weather indicators.
    Cheng-Ting “Eddy” Yeh, systems analysis in the Plant Sciences Institute at Iowa State, developed the web-interface. Pat Schnable, distinguished professor in the Plant Sciences Institute at Iowa State, provided feedback on the concept and development process.
    Daryl Herzmann, Iowa Environment Mesonet, compiled the gridded weather data.
    Isaiah Huber and Makis Danalatos aggregated the weather data to crop reporting district level.
    Mark Licht, assistant professor in agronomy and cropping systems specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, provided expert feedback on the web-tool.



ACE Conference Panel of Ethanol Producers Get Candid About Adapting to the Unexpected and What’s Next

This year’s American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) 33rd annual conference is taking place online live from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Central on September 16. The final segment will feature a  panel consisting of ACE Board President Duane Kristensen, General Manager and Vice President of Operations for Chief Ethanol Fuels, Inc., ACE Board Vice President Dave Sovereign, Iowa farmer and Chairman of Golden Grain Energy, LLC, and Neil Koehler, Co-Founder, Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Pacific Ethanol, Inc., discussing how they’ve adapted their businesses to cope with the uncertain market conditions brought on by the global health pandemic, oil price war, trade wars, and mismanagement of the RFS, as well as optimism for current and future low carbon fuel markets.

With just over 50 days until the election and nearing the one-year anniversary of the White House meeting where six GOP Senators and the President struck a “deal” with how to move forward on ethanol policy, ACE provides a preview where the panelists speak frankly about politics and EPA’s mismanagement of the RFS.

“This administration has been an unmitigated disaster as it relates to our industry, and a lot of promises were made and broken,” Koehler said. “Yes, we got a rulemaking around E15 but when you undermined it with SREs to the tune of 4 billion gallons of lost demand, it’s a pretty hollow accomplishment.”

“It’s been almost a year ago that they had the meeting in the White House with Senator Ernst, Governor Reynolds, Senator Grassley and several others where there were five key issues that were promised by this administration to get done,” Sovereign said. “USDA is the only one that’s got anything done [implementing the Higher Blends Infrastructure Investment Program], the other four were left in the hands of the EPA. President Trump can put the pressure on EPA to get those remaining four done.” (Note: this video was recorded prior to press reports claiming the president has called on EPA to reject dozens of pending “gap year” waivers.)

“Regardless of who is elected president, we have a lot of work in front of us and alliances to form,” Koehler added. “We need to do what we can between now and November to get some progress done on these issues.”

“EPA has not been friendly to our industry under both political parties. No matter who is in the White House or Congress, there’s a lot of work to do,” echoed Kristensen, who moderates the discussion. “No doubt talk is cheap, but this will be a unique election, so be involved.”

You can view the Producer Perspective panel preview here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWerZE4_OhM&feature=youtu.be. To watch the full panel discussion and to ask questions of the panelists live, tune in for the virtual session taking place from 4:15 to 5:00 p.m. Central on September 16.



U.S. Department of Labor Cites Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. For Failing to Protect Employees from Coronavirus

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Smithfield Packaged Meats Corp. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for failing to protect employees from exposure to the coronavirus. OSHA proposed a penalty of $13,494, the maximum allowed by law.

Based on a coronavirus-related inspection, OSHA cited the company for one violation of the general duty clause for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that can cause death or serious harm. At least 1,294 Smithfield workers contracted coronavirus, and four employees died from the virus in the spring of 2020.

“Employers must quickly implement appropriate measures to protect their workers' safety and health,” said OSHA Sioux Falls Area Director Sheila Stanley. “Employers must meet their obligations and take the necessary actions to prevent the spread of coronavirus at their worksite.”

OSHA guidance details proactive measures employers can take to protect workers from the coronavirus, such as social distancing measures and the use of physical barriers, face shields and face coverings when employees are unable to physically distance at least 6 feet from each other. OSHA guidance also advises that employers should provide safety and health information through training, visual aids, and other means to communicate important safety warnings in a language their workers understand.

Smithfield has 15 business days from receipt of the citation and penalty to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Employers with questions on compliance with OSHA standards should contact their local OSHA office for guidance and assistance at 800-321-OSHA (6742). OSHA's coronavirus response webpage offers extensive resources for addressing safety and health hazards during the evolving coronavirus pandemic.



Union Calls Meatpacking Fine a “Slap on the Wrist” After Plant Failed to Protect Workers

Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, which represents 1.3 million workers in meatpacking plants and other essential businesses – including over 7,000 Nebraska workers, condemned the new U.S. Department of Labor fine on Smithfield Foods as completely insufficient in the wake of the company’s failure to protect meatpacking workers at its Sioux Falls, South Dakota which reported nearly 1,300 COVID-19 infections and at least four deaths among its employees. As the union for Smithfield workers at this plant, UFCW called today’s fine by the Trump Administration insulting and a slap on the wrist that will do nothing to help those already infected or prevent future worker deaths.

UFCW International President Marc Perrone​ released the following statement:
“How much is the health, safety, and life of an essential worker worth? Based on the actions of the Trump Administration, clearly not much. This so-called ‘fine’ is a slap on the wrist for Smithfield, and a slap in the face of the thousands of American meatpacking workers who have been putting their lives on the line to help feed America since the beginning of this pandemic.

“OSHA has been asleep at the switch throughout this pandemic and this is just the latest example of the agency failing to do their job and take responsibility for worker safety. If we truly care about protecting workers and our nation’s food supply during this pandemic, the federal government must take action, beginning with an enforceable national safety standard, increased access to PPE and COVID-19 testing, and rigorous proactive inspections.

“Smithfield is a multi-billion-dollar corporation that failed to protect its workers, with multiple deaths and more than a thousand infections on their watch. This response by OSHA confirms that the company will not face any real consequences. The failure by the Trump Administration to hold Smithfield accountable makes clear that this White House cares more about industry profits than protecting America’s essential workers. Our country’s meatpacking workers, and the millions of American they serve, deserve and expect better from those sworn to protect us.”



Meat Institute Issues Statement on OSHA Citation Related to COVID-19

The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) today released the following statement from Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts regarding an Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) citation related to COVID-19.

“While the meat and poultry industry remains vigilant working with many government agencies to stop the spread of COVID-19, OSHA engages in revisionism.

“The meat and poultry industry’s first priority is the safety of the men and women who work in their facilities. Notwithstanding inconsistent and sometimes tardy government advice, (‘don’t wear a mask/wear a mask’/April 26 OSHA guidance specific to the meat and poultry industry) when the pandemic hit in mid-March, meat and poultry processing companies quickly and diligently took steps to protect their workers. Companies had to overcome challenges associated with limited personal protective equipment, they implemented screening systems to keep sick employees out of plants, developed COVID-19 plans with administrative and engineering controls to protect workers which included and but were not limited to the CDC/OSHA guidelines.

“Most importantly, as evidenced in trends in data collected by the Food and Environment Reporting Network and The New York Times, these many programs and controls once in place worked and continue to work. Positive cases of COVID-19 associated with meat and poultry companies are trending down compared with cases nationwide.”



Weekly Ethanol Production for 9/4/2020

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending September 4, ethanol production increased by 2.1%, or 19,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 941,000 b/d—equivalent to 39.52 million gallons daily. Production remained 8.0% below the same week in 2019 as a result of the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The four-week average ethanol production rate ticked up 0.6% to 930,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 14.26 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks drew down by 4.3% to 20.0 million barrels, which was 11.1% below year-ago volumes. Inventories decreased across all regions except the Rocky Mountains (PADD 4).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, dropped 4.5% to a twelve-week low of 8.39 million b/d (128.62 bg annualized). Gasoline demand remained 14.4% lower than a year ago.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol followed to an eight-week low, falling 3.6% to 830,000 b/d, equivalent to 12.72 bg annualized, which was 10.8% below the year-earlier level.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded after 36,000 b/d hit the books the prior week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of July 2020.)



DAIRY FARMERS OF AMERICA EXPANDS COMMITMENT TO HELP FEED THOSE IN NEED

As part of Hunger Action Month this September and with the increased demand for food assistance due to COVID-19, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) today announced an expanded commitment designed to make a lasting impact in the fight against hunger. Through its DFA Cares Farmers Feeding Families Fund, the nationwide dairy cooperative’s 13,000 family farm-owners are donating much-needed refrigeration to rural and community food banks across the country and pledging to keep them stocked with dairy products for the remainder of the year.

“When we launched the Farmers Feeding Families Fund in April, we started working with rural and community food banks, and quickly realized that a lot of these smaller facilities had very limited cold storage, or in some cases, were completely lacking it,” said Jackie Klippenstein, senior vice president of government, industry and community relations. “Access to refrigeration is one of the largest challenges for food banks to keep fresh foods like dairy on hand. Once we saw this was a need, we felt compelled to step up and help provide long-term infrastructure improvements to ensure food banks have refrigeration, so that they can offer dairy products to the hungry families that they serve.”

Through the creation of the Farmers Feeding Families Fund, which the Cooperative created in late April of this year, DFA and its farm family-owners, along with its dedicated essential workers, have been raising money to help provide support and deliver dairy products to community food banks across the country.

Recently, one of DFA’s key partners, Leprino Foods Company of Denver, Colo., also decided to get involved by making a generous contribution of $100,000 to the Farmers Feeding Families Fund.

“Leprino Foods Company’s global responsibility efforts have consistently focused on addressing the local needs of our communities, with a particular emphasis on nutrition,” said Mike Durkin, president of Leprino Foods Company. “Through this $100,000 donation, we are proud to join with our long-time partner, Dairy Farmers of America, in expanding efforts to reduce food insecurity and addressing the nutritional needs of our neighbors. We are proud to be part of an industry that cares so much about helping individuals and families in need.”

To date, the Farmers Feeding Families Fund has raised more than $650,000 and distributed more than $225,000 to rural and community food banks, where DFA’s farm family-owners live and work, with more to come.

“This fund was born when one of our farmer-owners came to us and, recognizing the increased need at food banks due to COVID-19, wanted to help out,” said Klippenstein. “Now, it’s really taken off with continued support from our farm families, DFA employees and the partnership of companies that we work with like Leprino Foods.”

Since early April, DFA also has been working with industry leaders and milk processors across the country to coordinate drive-by milk giveaways and product donations directly to food banks. A few highlights include:
    Providing more than 250,000 gallons of milk at 60+ drive-by milk giveaways throughout the Northeast
    Donating $10,000 worth of milk to Rhode Island schools through Guida’s Dairy
    Working with Kroger to donate more than 90,000 gallons of milk to food banks and health care workers in Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia
    Partnering with Daisy brand to donate 120,000 pounds of cottage cheese to food banks in Akron and Cleveland over a six-week period
    Donating 250,000 Kemps Giving Cow shelf-stable milks to food banks in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa
    Working with Dairy West to donate 9,775 pounds of cheese curds to Salt Lake City-area food banks
    Providing more than 12,000 gallons of milk to food banks throughout Southern California

“Through these initiatives and others, we’ve donated nearly 15 million servings of dairy, but we know there’s still a huge need, which is why we’re proud to launch this refrigeration program and continue our efforts of getting food from our farms to families who need it,” added Klippenstein.

For more information about DFA’s Farmers Feeding Families Fund or to make a donation, go to dfamilk.com/our-commitment/dfa-cares.



Farmers Choose High Oleic Soybeans for Higher Potential Profits

Fall not only means harvest in agriculture, but also strategizing for the next season. Many farmers are adding high oleic soybeans to their rotation to earn premiums without any added headaches from managing strict growing requirements, learning a new management method or changing labor seasons or equipment.

They’re grown similarly to commodity soybeans, with the primary requirement being keeping them separated from other varieties.

“This is a great opportunity for farmers to add extra value to their land and crop,” said United Soybean Board farmer-leader Belinda Burrier, who grows high oleic soybeans in Maryland. “High oleic soybeans innovate and grow current markets while giving the consumer a product that they want and the farmer the premium that they need.”

These specialty soybeans currently have select availability across the Midwest and Delmarva Peninsula. For the 2021 growing season, the availability of high oleic soybean contract opportunities has widened, with a multitude of delivery locations available and an average premium of more than 50 cents per bushel. A recent study indicated that if high oleic growth continues as projected, a 1,000-acre soybean farmer will net between $34,000 and $50,000 more from soybean farming as a result of higher prices driven by high oleic demand.

High oleic soybeans have already revolutionized the soy industry, from increased food functionality to industrial uses, with new innovations such as motor oil, tires, shoes and asphalt. By providing a product that meets the demand of biobased alternatives, high oleic soybeans are adding long-term value for all U.S. soybean farmers. The 9 billion pounds of annual potential oil demand will require 16 million planted acres of high oleic soybeans by 2027.

In today’s economic and market conditions, a modest boost with these specialty soybeans is just the ticket, according to one Indiana farmer.

“Really, being a high oleic grower helps you and helps all of us,” said Kevin Wilson, a soybean farmer from Indiana and USB farmer-leader. “Every year we plant more acres of these soybeans, we see the demand grow. We’re shoring up our own stable domestic market, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

Farmers eager to learn where and how they can access high oleic soybean contracts for their farm can visit the USB website for high oleic soybeans at soyinnovation.com, or contact their seed representative to ask about high oleic soybeans. Elevator and processor locations throughout the U.S. offer contracts to growers for either on-farm storage or defined amounts of harvest delivery for high oleic soybean varieties.

“For us, these soybeans have the same weed management program, fungicide program and come from the same dealer,” said Burrier. “It’s not any harder, but we get paid more for them. What more can you ask for?”



Brazil Raises 2019-20 Soybean and Corn Production Estimates

Brazilian crop agency Conab raised its estimates for soybean and corn production for the 2019-2020 growing season as good weather boosted productivity.

Brazilian farmers produced a record 124.8 million metric tons of soybeans this season as the country pushed past the U.S. to become the world's biggest producer of the oilseed, the agency said Thursday. In August, the agency forecast a crop of 120.9 million tons for 2019-2020, for which harvesting has finished. Brazil produced 119.7 million tons of soybeans in 2018-2019.

The U.S. had long been the world's biggest soybean producer, except for one previous year when Brazil squeaked past it, but President Donald Trump's trade conflict with China cut demand from the Asian country for American farm products and U.S. farmers reacted by reducing their output of soybeans. The USDA forecasts Brazil will outproduce the U.S. in the 2020-2021 season as well.

The good weather in Brazil's agricultural areas also boosted production of corn. The country grows three crops, one in Brazil's summer, one during its mild winter and another in the north of the country, that grows on the same schedule as in the Northern Hemisphere. Harvesting for the winter crop is almost finished, and the northern crop, which represents less than 2% of total production.

Brazil grew 102.5 million tons of corn in 2019-2020, the agency said, compared with Conab's August forecast 0f 102.1 million tons. In 2018-2019, the country's farmers grew 100 million tons of corn.



Chinese Grain Purchasing In Full Swing As 2020/2021 Marketing Year Officially Starts

September 1 marked the start of a new crop marketing year and China is already on the books as the largest buyer of U.S. corn and sorghum - a trend that could continue through the 2020/2021 marketing year based on supply and demand factors.

“Many people think China’s recent corn purchases are driven by the U.S.-China Phase One agreement and could be easily cancelled due to politics,” said Bryan Lohmar, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) director for China. “But China did not just dial 1-800-BUY-CORN. Importers are expanding their trading capabilities in the United States and partnering with key river freight and port loading facilities. These are signs China will continue to procure grain from the United States well beyond recent purchases.”

China has purchased 8.733 million metric tons (348.8 million bushels) of U.S. corn and 1.365 million tons (53.74 million bushels) of U.S. sorghum for the 2020/2021 marketing year, as of Aug. 27, 2020. These sales add to 2.312 million tons (91.03 million bushels) of U.S. corn and 3.932 million tons (154.83 million bushels) of U.S. sorghum purchased in the prior marketing year, much of which has shipped in the last few months.

The U.S. and China governments signed the Phase One trade deal in mid-January. After the terms took effect one month later, importers were able to obtain exclusions for corn and other agricultural products from retaliatory tariffs imposed on agricultural products in July 2018.

These exclusions made U.S. agricultural products more competitive in the Chinese market. Corn sales to China, however, are still restricted by a 7.2 million-ton (283 million-bushel) tariff rate quota (TRQ). The TRQ allocates 40 percent of corn imports to private end-users (2.88 million tons or 113.38 million bushels). The rest - 4.32 million tons or 170.07 million bushels - is reserved for state-owned enterprises.

“While there are rumors that China’s primary state-owned trading company was given additional import quota above the 7.2 million-ton TRQ for corn this year, it is not entirely clear that is the case,” Lohmar said. “The quota is allocated according to calendar year (January to December) while U.S. sales are reported by marketing year (September to August), causing disconnects about allocation of the TRQ.

“Private TRQ holders this year and past years have filled their quotas, indicating strong demand and price competitiveness for imported feed grains in the China market. We don’t know how much of the 2020/2021 marketing year purchases will be shipped before December, meaning they would be applied to the 2020 TRQ. It is likely, however, that there will be shipments before the end of the year, indicating that additional corn TRQ was allocated this year.”

Despite these restrictions, supply and demand factors within China point to continued purchasing of corn and sorghum. For example, China built up large reserves of domestically grown corn from the 2012 to 2015 crop years to help support prices during that time period. China has sold corn from these reserves each summer since 2016, meaning they currently have less locally grown corn to supply to the domestic market.

“With large portions of the corn temporary reserves sold, it seems there is additional demand for imports,” Lohmar said. “Those imports will likely be corn because global exportable supplies of alternative grains are limited. But we expect U.S. sorghum to also fill these demand needs.”

Further supporting continued purchases are Chinese domestic corn prices, which have rallied much of the year despite robust sales of corn from the reserves over the summer. In northeast China, corn prices rose nearly 30 percent between December and mid-August and more than 20 percent in south China over the same period, opening a wide margin for imported corn. These prices have softened some in recent weeks under pressure from corn from reserve sales moving into the market and large imports on the books, but still well above levels seen last fall.

“China has been a major importer of feed grains over the last several years,” Lohmar said. “Corn imports have been restricted by the TRQ, meaning these imports have been sorghum, barley and other feeds that can be used in lieu of corn. But with dwindling supplies in the temporary reserves and high domestic prices, supply and demand factors indicate more imports of corn and sorghum will likely occur.”



USDA Seeks Input on Ready-to-Go Technologies and Practices for Agriculture Innovation Agenda

To further the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) work on the Agriculture Innovation Agenda (AIA), USDA today announced it is seeking public- and private-sector input on the most innovative technologies and practices that can be readily deployed across U.S. agriculture.

USDA is looking for ready-to-go technologies and practices to achieve its goal of increasing agricultural production by 40% to meet global population needs in 2050 while cutting U.S. agriculture’s environmental footprint in half.

“Across America, we have seen significant advances in agricultural production efficiency and conservation performance during the past two decades,” said Under Secretary Bill Northey, who leads USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation mission area. “We want to keep the momentum. As part of our Agriculture Innovation Agenda, USDA wants to continue helping farmers access new approaches.”

To help identify and accelerate adoption of ready-to-go innovations, USDA is currently accepting public comments and written stakeholder input through its Request for Information (RFI) through November 9, 2020, which is published on the Federal Register.

Input is welcome from the private sector, not for profits, farmers, forest sector, trade associations, commodity boards and others involved in the supply chain or development of widely applicable practices, management approaches or technologies.

A ready-to-go practice, technology or management approach includes those that are fully developed, have been field tested and have completed independent research trials.

Based on stakeholder input from the RFI, USDA will develop a comprehensive U.S. agriculture innovation technology strategy for our customer-facing programs.

USDA has launched a new AIA website where visitors can access information on the latest research and data, innovative conservation technologies offered via USDA programs, and other conservation resources. Visitors can also stay up to date on USDA’s accountability metrics and learn about the experiences of producers who share similar paths to success.

Background on USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda:
The AIA is comprised of four main components. The first component is to develop a U.S. agriculture innovation strategy that aligns and synchronizes public- and private-sector research. The second component is to align the work of our customer-facing agencies and integrate innovative technologies and practices into USDA programs. The third component is to conduct a review of USDA productivity and conservation data. USDA already closely tracks data on yield, but on the environmental side, there’s some catching up to do. Finally, USDA has set benchmarks to improve accountability. These targets will help measure progress toward meeting future food, fiber, fuel, feed and climate demands. Some of the benchmarks include:
    Agricultural Productivity: Increase agricultural production by 40% by 2050 to do our part to meet estimated future demand.
    Forest Management: Build landscape resiliency by investing in active forest management and forest restoration through increased Shared Stewardship Agreements with states.
    Food loss and waste: Advance our work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% in the United States by the year 2030.
    Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas: Enhance carbon sequestration through soil health and forestry, leverage the agricultural sector’s renewable energy benefits for the economy and capitalize on innovative technologies and practices to achieve net reduction of the agricultural sector’s current carbon footprint by 2050 without regulatory overreach.
    Water Quality: Reduce nutrient loss by 30% nationally by 2050.
    Renewable Energy: Increase the production of renewable energy feedstocks and set a goal to increase biofuel production efficiency and competitiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of 15% of transportation fuels in 2030 and 30% of transportation fuels by 2050.

View the RFI on the Federal Register.  For more information about the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, please visit www.usda.gov/aia.




Belchim USA’s TOUGH® 5EC Herbicide (Pyridate) Just Approved By EPA, Helping Corn Growers Achieve up to 100% Control of Broadleaf Weeds

Belchim Crop Protection USA (Belchim USA) is pleased to announce that TOUGH® 5EC Herbicide, a fast-acting, selective contact herbicide, is now approved by the EPA for post-emergence broadleaf weed control in corn, mint and chickpeas. With flexible application timing, TOUGH 5EC is most effective when used as part of an Integrated Weed Management Program. TOUGH 5EC is especially successful in controlling pigweeds, such as palmer amaranth, common waterhemp, kochia, common lambsquarters, black nightshade and marestail, including herbicide-resistant strains.

The long-awaited solution to combat herbicide-resistant weeds has come in the form of TOUGH 5EC’s active ingredient, pyridate, a proven chemistry that had been overlooked for years, but was recently brought back to the United States by Belchim USA. “We heard the concerns of growers across the United States, plagued by resistant and tough-to-kill weeds,” says Tom Wood GM for Belchim USA. “TOUGH 5EC helps those growers achieve up to 100% control of broadleaf weeds, increasing the quality and yield of their crops. We’re thrilled to offer a solution that brings peace of mind and revenue back to hardworking growers.”

Pyridate works by blocking a weed’s photosystem II process and triggers the release of toxic forms of oxygen causing rapid cell wall degradation. According to Dennis Long, National Technical Service and Development Manager for Belchim USA, “There are multiple combinations for use of TOUGH 5EC, whether producing a synergistic effect with HPPDs in corn, or as a desperately needed post-emergent solution in mint and chickpeas. Field trials have shown that pyridate’s mode of action increases weed control in herbicide-resistant weed populations by up to 30%, often achieving the 100% goal, and making this a vital tool for growers.”

In corn, growers continue to see increases in crop loss due to “superweeds” like palmer amaranth and common waterhemp that have shown resistance up to 7 herbicide classes - which include commonly-used herbicides like glyphosate and mesotrione. However, field trials at multiple universities have shown promising results when TOUGH 5EC is added to existing tank mix programs. Dr. Prashant Jha, an Associate Professor and Extension Weed Specialist of Iowa State University, indicated that a tank mix of pyridate, mesotrione and glyphosate applied to glyphosate and HPPD-resistant common waterhemp resulted in 95% weed control, just nine days after application. According to Dr. Jha, “With glyphosate, mesotrione, atrazine, plus TOUGH 5EC in the tank mix, we are seeing 95-100% control, so the growers would love to have TOUGH 5EC in their toolbox.”

TOUGH 5EC is also an extremely valuable post-emergent broadleaf herbicide to the mint industry. “To date, mint growers have not had an effective solution for resistant weeds and, in particular, there has been a lack of options for any post-emergence control products,” says Steve Salisbury, Mint Industry Research Council (MIRC) Research and Regulatory Coordinator. “Our growers are excited to have TOUGH 5EC at their disposal. Pyridate provides both effectiveness and crop safety that is urgently needed for the sustainability of the US mint industry.”