Weekend Ag News Roundup - January 3

 2021 Land Application Training Shifts to Hybrid Learning
Leslie Johnson - NE Extension Animal Manure Management Project Coordinator

The Animal Manure Management team has opted to change the format of live Land Application Training events this year. In February and March, the team will host a series of three 1.5-hour long zoom sessions that will serve as the first portion of initial land application training. Recertification training and the last segment of initial training will be held at a later date, hopefully in-person. Anyone is welcome to participate in the zoom sessions, but participation at each session will be limited to keep them interactive and informative.

Session 1 will focus on Minding Your Manure Manners and will be held on February 9 at 1 pm and will be repeated on February 15 at 7 pm, so sign up for the time slot that fits your schedule best. We will discuss manure contaminants and transport, setbacks, stockpiles and manure transfers during the session.

Session 2 will focus on Manure and Fertilizer: Complementary Roles and will be held on February 16 at 1 pm and repeated on February 22 at 7 pm. During this session, participants will learn how to account for nutrients in manure and how to know how much manure is being applied.

Session 3 will discuss the various Benefits and Barriers to Manure Use. It will be held on February 23 at 1 pm and repeated on March 1 at 7 pm. This session will help participants value their manure and learn how to reap manure’s environmental benefits.

The 4th session has not been set as we hope to hold it in-person at many locations across the state, but it will focus on Applying Manure Management Concepts On-Farm. This session will be highly participant-led, and each session will have limited seating. Watch for more information in the coming months.

Because of participation limits in each session, registration is required. If registration numbers exceed expectations, more sessions may be added. To ensure you can attend, register at http://water.unl.edu/lat. Cost of the sessions are as follows:
    Individual Zoom Sessions, $10 each
    Initial Training (all sessions), $75
    Recertification (session 4 only), $50

The workshops are sponsored by the Nebraska Extension Animal Manure Management Team, which is dedicated to helping livestock and crop producers better utilize manure resources for agronomic and environmental benefits.

For additional information on the workshops and other resources for managing manure nutrients, visit manure.unl.edu or contact Leslie Johnson at 402-584-3818.



NE Cattlemen on the new Dietary Guidelines

Last week, USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs). Updated every five years, DGAs serve as the foundation for federal nutrition programs and policies.
 
The guidelines recognized lean beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle. For the first time ever, DGAs provided recommendations on birth to 24 months of life. Those recommendations suggest introducing nutrient-dense complementary foods to infants at about six months, including foods rich in iron and zinc, like beef. The guidelines further identified critical life stages and populations, such as pregnant women, babies and toddlers, teen girls and older adults, who are at risk of deficiency of many nutrients that are readily available in beef.

Overall, the new DGAs advise people to “follow a healthy dietary pattern,” and the theme for 2020-2025 is to “Make Every Bite Count” – a message that’s meant to encourage choosing nutrient dense foods and beverages. To achieve this, the DGAs recommend:
-    Follow a healthy dietary pattern at every life stage.
-    Customize and enjoy nutrient-dense food and beverage choices to reflect personal preferences and budgetary considerations.
-    Focus on meeting food group needs with nutrient-dense foods and beverages, and stay within calorie limits.
-    Limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium – and limit alcoholic beverages.

Birth-to-24 Months: For the first time ever, the DGAs provided recommendations on birth to 24 months of life. Those recommendations suggest introducing nutrient-dense complementary foods to infants at about 6 months (including foods rich in iron and zinc), and to follow a nutrient-dense dietary pattern from 12 months through older adulthood.

Protein Foods: The report reinforces meat as a protein food important for meeting nutrient shortfalls across all stages of life, and in particular, fresh and lean meat options. The DGAs further identified critical life stages and populations, such as pregnant women, babies and toddlers, teen girls, and older adults, who are at risk of deficiency of many nutrients that are readily available in beef, such as iron, zinc, protein, B vitamins and choline.

NCBA & NC have been fully engaged throughout the entire DGA process. Specifically, over the past year-and-a-half, NCBA has submitted 21 sets of public comments and more than 100 research studies in support of beef’s role in a healthy diet to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee (DGAC). Additionally, on August 11, NCBA shared comments on the DGAC draft report, presenting information to USDA and HHS.



Cattle Processing Facilities: Design and Construction for Optimal Animal Handling

Join Nebraska Cattlemen for a producer education webinar with Settje Agri-Services & Engineering, Inc. on January 14th at 7pm CST.

Responsible and profitable cattle feeding includes the proper movement and handling of animals during the growing cycle. Poorly designed processing facilities can result in increased stress on both the cattle and the people doing the work. This webinar will present the key elements to be considered when planning and designing a new, upgraded or expanded processing facility.

Subjects covered will include:
    cattle behavior
    design details
    cattle flow
    logistical aspects of the project that can impact its successful implementation and long-term value

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_q_Esi_3eSu-y4CQ0gFrQ5g.  

Presenters:
Dean Settje - Dean Settje grew up on a diversified livestock and farming operation near Creston, NE where he still maintains an active role as a partner in his family’s operation. After graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Dean worked for Farm Credit Services and Colorado Cattle Feeders Association.  In 1991, Dean was recruited to work for the Nebraska Cattlemen as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Under this role, Dean developed the Cattlemen’s Environmental Education Program.  In 1997, Dean founded Settje Agri-Services & Engineering, Inc. Dean has been the President of the company since its formation, and maintains a strong presence in all aspects of the business.

Dr. Kip Lukasiewicz
Dr. Kip L. Lukasiewicz received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1999 from Kansas State University. Dr. Kip’s primary focus is in feedlot consulting, animal handling, and facility design. Dr. Kip has trained under the late Bud Williams and has worked and trained extensively with Dr. Tom Noffsinger utilizing Bud’s thoughts on low-stress cattle handling and caregiving.  Dr. Kip along with Dr. Tom works and trains with over 20% of the US fed cattle industry and also travels to Canada to train feedlot clients on low-stress cattle handling and caregiving. He is an active member of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants, Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association, and American Association of Bovine Practitioners.
 
For questions on the program contact Al Stephens.... call (402) 783-2100 or email astephens@settje.com.  
    
    

2021 Nutrient Management Record Keeping Calendar

The 2021 Nutrient Management Calendar serves as a guide for livestock operations that are required by the State of Nebraska to keep records. The calendar was designed to be used by all sizes of livestock operations and includes all records required for operations permitted for the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). It has been approved by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) and recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a valuable resource for livestock producers. It is available for free by contacting Leslie Johnson at leslie.johnson@unl.edu or complete a request here: http://go.unl.edu/ec136.



Virtual Landlord-tenant Cash Rent, Ag Budgeting Workshops Scheduled

Nebraska Extension has put together a number of webinars geared toward specific regions of the state. Three upcoming landlord-tenant cash rent workshops will address common agricultural landlord and tenant topics, including equitable rental rates, managing and adjusting farmland leases, landlord-tenant communication, pasture leasing and other land management considerations as the calendar turns to a new leasing year.

Following these morning workshops, virtual afternoon sessions will be held focusing on budgeting and using the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's crop budgets to calculate cost of production.

Workshops will be presented on the Zoom platform. Registration is free but required at the following links:
Eastern Region: Feb. 25 Register https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ema2pd0ObodK1MN.  

Landlord tenant cash rent workshops will run 9-11:30 a.m. and ag budgeting workshops will be 1:30-3 p.m. on each date.



Fact Sheet Explains Seasonal Differences in Scoring Beef Cows

Body condition scoring is an easy trait to record and is strongly correlated to cow productivity.

But don’t overlook the value of scoring your cattle multiple times throughout the year. A new four-page publication from the Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University has the information beef cattle producers need.

The publication, Evaluating Body Condition of Beef Cows In Winter, IBC 0140, is available as a free download on the Iowa State Extension Store.

Beth Reynolds, IBC extension program specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is one of the authors. She said utilizing a BCS helps producers consistently evaluate the nutritional status of their cow herd, which is powerful knowledge when sourcing feed on a budget.

“This fact sheet walks the user through the importance of body condition and the value of assigning a BCS to animals in your herd frequently,” she said. “It also explains the key differences to note when calling a BCS in the winter compared to the summer months.”

With the large amount of variability seen in winter weather patterns throughout the United States, it is imperative to address the body condition of cows routinely throughout the year, according to the publication.

Despite its usefulness, body condition scoring during winter has often been overlooked or undervalued.

For more information, contact Reynolds at 515-294-9881, or bethr@iastate.edu



USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Issues Proclamation Honoring Longtime Broadcaster Orion Samuelson

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recognizes the achievements of longtime broadcaster Orion “Big O” Samuelson for six decades of contributions to agriculture journalism.

“There’s a saying that today’s news is tomorrow’s history,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “Orion Samuelson’s decades of agriculture reporting has helped farmers understand the latest Washington policies and he has also helped all audiences appreciate the importance of agriculture to our communities and to the economy.”

Samuelson is retiring this month after 60 years in agriculture broadcasting with WGN radio in Chicago. There, he covered agriculture and food production, met with U.S. presidents, travelled to dozens of countries, and encountered many foreign dignitaries, all while reporting on the contributions of American agriculture to the U.S. and world economy. Samuelson is a 2003 National Radio Hall of Fame inductee.