Thursday February 11 Ag News

 North Bend Teacher Named Teacher of the Year for Bringing Agriculture into the Classroom

The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation has selected Becky Streff for the 2021 Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year honor. The Teacher of the Year is awarded to outstanding teachers that incorporate agriculture into their classroom through innovative ideas and lessons.

“The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is pleased to honor Becky Streff, a teacher who integrates agriculture into core classroom learning,” said Courtney Shreve, director of outreach education. “Her efforts to incorporate year-long learning with Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom lessons and activities have helped students understand the vital message that agriculture is their source of food, fiber, and fuel.”

Streff has been teaching for 16 years, with 13 of those years at North Bend Central Elementary in Dodge County. Even though she teaches in a school that has many students who are growing up on farms, she still sees a need for them to understand the important connection between agriculture and the learning environment.

“Agriculture is part of our daily lives, has many connections to our future, and possible future careers,” said Streff. “As a teacher, I want to encourage my students to follow their dreams, learn from resources around them, and learn the importance of agriculture in their lives.”

When the students went to virtual learning in the spring of 2020, Streff got creative with her lessons and set up virtual field trips through Zoom to her students’ farms. The students talked about their animals with their classmates and how they got their animals ready for their county fairs. They were also able to meet with a veterinarian who shared the role she has in agriculture on a daily basis.

“Connections and daily life within agriculture were rich and visible during the virtual field trips,” said Streff. “It was a great opportunity to make the connections between agriculture and future careers.”

Streff has been part of the Ag Pen Pal Program for several years. The program matches a Nebraska classroom with a farmer or rancher in Nebraska. The pen pals write a series of letters to each other, giving students the opportunity to learn about farming first-hand, ask questions, and learn about different aspects of agriculture.

“There are often pictures that accompany the letters which help us see the farm, products, animals, and agriculture even better,” said Streff. “We often research the area of Nebraska where our pen pal lives, have class discussions, and compare and contrast our farming area with that of our pen pal’s.”

Streff also uses many of the Nebraska Agriculture in the Classroom lessons plans which align with Nebraska education standards.

“The lesson plans provided by AITC connect nicely to our learning of the environment, food cycles, food webs, and animals,” said Streff. “I look forward to accessing more of the lessons to benefit my students’ learning and opportunities to understand science and agriculture with quality hands-on experiences.”

Streff will receive an expense-paid trip to the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, an accurate agriculture book bundle featuring 12 books and corresponding literature guides, and a $250 cash prize. The conference, held June 28 – July 1, 2021 in Des Moines, IA, brings educators together from all over the United States to learn how to use agricultural concepts to effectively teach core subjects such as reading, math, science, and social studies. The conference features recognition for Teacher of the Year honorees, educational workshops, traveling workshops to agribusinesses and research facilities, and farm tours.

“I am honored and humbled to earn this award,” said Streff. “The opportunities are endless, and I feel it is important to build these connections since agriculture is an important part of Nebraska. Additionally, to cross-curricular connections, many of my students live on a farm, so not only are we learning educationally, but we are also able to build relationships through agriculture.



Weisbrod is new Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator

Jennifer Weisbrod joined the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture Jan. 19 as an assistant extension educator and Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator. Weisbrod is taking the reins from predecessor Emeritus Extension Educator Clyde Ogg.

The PSEP team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln provides educational and training programs that address health, the environment, economic well-being and pesticide safety across the state and has been credited as one of the best programs in the nation.

Weisbrod’s primary responsibilities include maintaining the online and in-person pesticide applicator training, and developing and maintaining a strong relationship with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. She is currently creating a public relations plan for the program while managing the budget and team.

“I’m proud to be a part of the University of Nebraska Extension and I look forward to being an advocate for Nebraska pesticide applicators for years to come,” Weisbrod said. “My extended family has always been involved in Nebraska agriculture and I feel honored to provide them with the materials and education they need to continue their agricultural practices.”

Weisbrod grew up in Salina, Kansas, where she was very involved in environmental science competitions including Eco-Meet and Envirothon, and 4-H. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science from Kansas State University in 2013 with a degree in natural resource, parks, and conservation management. She received a minor in entomology and her primary focus was interpretation — a term that refers to informal education. She received a Master of Science in May of 2020 from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the Department of Entomology. Weisbrod’s research focus was on pollinators, pesticides and honey bee management.

Prior to Nebraska, Wiesbrod worked at a zoo and nature center near Manhattan, Kansas, as a conservation specialist, naturalist and zookeeper. After completing her master’s, she taught physiology at Southeast Community College and worked in a laboratory processing DNA.

Wiesbrod said she and her husband Matt are new to Nebraska, having lived here for just three years. They keep busy with a menagerie of pets including a dog, a cat, two conures, a box turtle and a snake. She’s teaching her husband beekeeping as well. Her favorite activities involve the outdoors — hiking, camping and fishing. Weisbrod says she also enjoys attempting to create art, and playing video and board games.



HUSKER RESEARCHER STUDIES DERECHO IMPACT WITH EYE TOWARD IMPROVING SILO DESIGN

On Aug. 10-11, 2020, a derecho swept across the Plains, producing widespread high, straight-line winds; extreme, torrential rain and hail; and an outbreak of weak tornadoes. The storm killed at least four and left behind significant damage in agricultural areas along a 750-mile path. In fact, its estimated $7.5 billion toll made it the most damaging thunderstorm event in American history.

It was also largely unnoticed outside the Corn Belt at a time when the presidential election, pandemic and racial unrest were dominating the news.

“This was a huge event, but it didn’t receive much coverage, which was one of the huge motivators for me to study it,” said Christine Wittich, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

One of her research areas is community resilience — improving infrastructure to make it less susceptible to natural hazards and reducing the impact of damage to communities. Most research in this field has focused on urban and suburban areas — for example, how buildings can withstand hurricanes or earthquakes. Here was an opportunity to focus on the resilience of critical infrastructure in rural communities. The storage bins and silos dotting the rural landscape often hold thousands of bushels of grain or hundreds of tons of livestock feed. When those structures are damaged or destroyed, the impact is felt locally but can also disrupt the U.S. economy and global food production.

Wittich already had begun researching rural resilience, and she obtained a one-year, $45,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to focus on the derecho’s aftermath. NSF's Rapid Response Research funding mechanism, known as RAPID, enables the agency to quickly process and support research that addresses an urgent need.

“There’s a huge part of the fabric of the United States that we can’t account for right now” in community resilience, she said. “But it’s really critical.”

Storm damage to agricultural infrastructure such as silos is common but tends to be isolated to individual farms and acreages. The derecho’s effects were felt along a path that included Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, with the most serious damage in Iowa. In that state alone, researchers had a rare opportunity to study damage to thousands of structures. There was no widespread structural damage in Nebraska.

Wittich began by poring over news articles and documentation of structural damage in Iowa. She gathered information from the National Weather Service about wind speeds and other conditions in various areas. Then she headed into the field, studying damage, talking to landowners, documenting damage and correlating it with the weather data she’d compiled from NWS.

Wittich also used a drone to get aerial views of the damage, including close-up looks at roof damage. Her team noted crop damage, too.

She’s now back in her lab studying the data. Her findings have the potential to influence standards for new construction and lead to solutions that safeguard existing structures.

Her goal is to establish key parameters that may affect structures’ ability to resist high winds, including foundation type, anchorage depth and baseplate design. Wittich is also investigating how wind speed affects the probability of structural failure, a critical piece to advancing knowledge of structural vulnerability and identifying regions that are especially vulnerable to widespread damage from strong winds. Until engineers better understand these fundamental research questions, agricultural and rural communities will continue to be devastated by high-wind events, Wittich said.

Research could lead to recommendations for future silo construction and ways to remediate existing structures. For example, civil engineers studying hurricane damage developed hurricane clips that could be added to make existing homes less susceptible to high winds.

“We hope to make a determination of what measures should be incorporated. … What are the mitigation measures that we can recommend?” Wittich said.



Northeast Nebraska Cattlemen membership meeting
February 15 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm    
6:00 social
7:00 prime rib dinner
Speaker – Jeff Stolle, NE Cattlemen
Venue -  Geno’s Steakhouse, Wayne, NE



Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Webinar with Jesse Fulton
March 9 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm    
    Meet Jesse Fulton, the new NE BQA Coordinator
    Discuss the Importance of BQA
    Talk about Training and New Programs
    What Future plans there may be

REGISTER NOW!
Click here: https://nebraskacattlemen.org/event/nebraska-bqa-webinar-with-jesse-fulton/.  



Nebraska Cattlemen Leading at the National Level

Nebraska Cattlemen once again is leading at the national level with the National Cattlemens Beef Association.

 Buck Wehrbein was voted in to serve as Policy Division Vice Chair. Jaclyn Wilson now serves as Vice Chair for the International Trade Committee. Ken Herz is Vice Chair of Ag and Food Policy Committee. Barb Cooksley continues to serve on the NCBA Executive Committee as Region VII Director on the Policy Division. Jim Ramm also serves on the NCBA Executive Committee representing the Nebraska Beef Council as a revenue seat. Mike Drinnin has started his service to the NCBA Nominating Committee.
 
Also, Torri Lienemann and Dave Hamilton serve on the Operating Committee for Cattlemen's Beef Board and Jeff Rudolf is on the Operating Committee for the Federation of State Beef Councils.

Other new NCBA Leadership:
    Jerry Bohn (Kansas) - President
    Don Schiefelbein (Minnesota) - President-elect
    Todd Wilkinson (South Dakota) - Vice President
    Mark Eisele (Wyoming) - Chair of the NCBA Policy Division
    Buck Wehrbein (Nebraska) - Vice Chair of the NCBA Policy Division
    Clay Burtrum (Oklahoma) - Chair of the NCBA Federation Division
    Brad Hastings (Texas) - Vice Chair of the NCBA Federation Division

NCBA Policy Update
On Thursday of last week, the NCBA board of directors approved their top 2021 policy priorities, with continued focus on advocating for a business climate that increases opportunities for producer profitability. These priority items are listed below.

NCBA’s policy priorities for the coming year demonstrate several pressing issues facing farmers and ranchers, including:
    Price discovery and transparency in cattle markets is a concern for NCBA members and is a priority for the organization along with ongoing COVID-19 recovery efforts.
    NCBA will continue to ensure that all alternative plant-based or cell-grown protein products are labeled truthfully and their ingredients are fully represented.
    NCBA is committed to protecting those in the cattle industry while strengthening the beef supply chain to meet the growing demand for U.S. beef. The removal of non-tariff barriers to increase worldwide markets for U.S. beef will also remain a priority for the organization.



Nebraska Extension Grass Land Survey

A newly launched survey by Nebraska Extension seeks ranchers’ input on the design of grassland conservation programs in the state. The survey, a partnership among Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Cattlemen's, Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and the University of Nebraska, is a targeted effort to get feedback directly from the ranchers in the state.

The information you provide will be kept confidential and will only be used for the research purposes of this project. Your feedback will allow for grassland conservation programs that enhance ranching livelihoods and Nebraska’s natural resources. This web survey is short and should only take about 10-15 minutes to complete. To access the survey online, please go: go.unl.edu/grasslands.  
 
If you have any questions about the survey, please do not hesitate to contact Kyle Martens who is conducting this survey at 402-472-2660 or kmartens3@unl.edu.



Iowa Corn Announces New Director of Market Development

Iowa Corn is proud to announce the new Director of Market Development, Grant Menke. In this position, Menke focuses on growing the demand for Iowa corn through biofuels, livestock, international trade, and other key market opportunities.

“It is such an honor to join the Iowa Corn team to grow demand for Iowa corn, both domestically and internationally,” said Menke. “With many key market development opportunities and challenges facing Iowa’s corn farmers, particularly in the areas of biofuels, livestock, and international trade, I look forward to working together with Iowa Corn’s board, staff, membership, and partner organizations to address these matters head-on and make more corn disappear.”

Menke comes to Iowa Corn from USDA Rural Development in Iowa where he served as the agency’s State Director. Prior to USDA, Menke worked as the Policy Director for Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and before that held a position in Washington D.C. on the United States Senate Finance Committee staff of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley.

Menke, a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, was raised on a corn and soybean farm near Calumet, Iowa. Currently, Menke resides in Ankeny, Iowa with his wife Susie and their three sons (J.J. 12, Luke 10, and Winn 7).



USGC Recognizes Two Iowa Corn Delegates For 10 Years Of Service

The Council recognized two farmer delegates for 10 years of service at the virtual 18th International Marketing Conference & 61st Annual Membership meeting: Duane Aistrope and Roger Zylstra.

Aistrope serves on the Council’s Board of Directors as an At-Large Director. In this capacity, he works with other elected leaders, staff and membership to understand industry needs and set priorities to develop and strengthen export markets for the U.S. across the globe. Aistrope has been involved with the Council since being elected to the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.

“When I was first elected to the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, I was advised that I would learn about the many initiatives and efforts to improve the industry and grow trade,” he said. “I was also told I would find an area that would spark my interest, and I quickly gravitated toward our work related to exports. Because of this, serving on the Council has provided a natural fit I’m passionate about.”

Aistrope has taken on many roles while at the Council. Prior to being elected to the board, he was a Biotechnology Advisory Team (A-Team) leader.

“I always enjoy opportunities to work with and hear from members about important issues as we set the priorities for our efforts and develop a path for carrying out our work,” he said. “Being an Iowa farm boy and getting to learn about and see so much of the world has been a real eye-opener!”

Roger Zylstra, like Aistrope, was also honored for 10 years of service with the Council. He serves as chairman of the Iowa Promotion Board.

Zylstra began his work with the Council when he was asked to host a trade delegation on his farm. Since then, he has served on several A-Teams, including Biotechnology and Asia, as well as hosting many trade groups on his farm. He has also participated in several trade missions which included travel to Colombia.

“One of my highlights working with the Council was a trade mission to Colombia a couple of years ago,” he said. “On that trade team, we explored the poultry and feed companies in order to further develop markets.”

Being a part of the Council allows Zylstra to share his story with others around the globe.

“It has been an honor for me to share my farming experiences with some of our customers from other countries,” he said. “We grow more than we use. Our success depends on our ability to trade.”

Please join us in congratulating these farmer leaders on their 10 years of service!



Iowa Cattlemen’s Association to Host Education Cattle Producer Forums

The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association is hosting four free educational events for feedlot and cow/calf producers in the month of March. Each forum will include a free meal, a tradeshow, an update from the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council, and educational sessions.

March 3 - 5:00 p.m | Afton, IA
Show Arena Union Co. Fairgrounds
909 E Filmore St., Afton IA 50830

“R&R for pastures in 2021—Recovery and Renovation” - Chris Clark
There are numerous reasons why pastures suffered in 2020, but regardless of the reason many need some much needed attention to recover for 2021. This presentation will discuss tools to evaluate current pasture status and techniques to boost existing pasture production or in extreme cases to renovate pastures.

"The Right Price: Grain & Livestock Market Signals for 2021" - Elaine Kub
A comprehensive look at the price levels in the livestock and feed grains industry, analyzing what's projected to be profitable in 2021 and what those profit benchmarks indicate about advantageous sales targets.

Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Update
A lot has happened in the past year. Hear how your association has been at the table advocating for the livelihood of Iowa’s independent cattle producer.

Iowa Beef Industry Council Update
Key accomplishments with the Beef Checkoff from the Iowa Beef Industry Council.  Attendees will have the opportunity to learn ways the Iowa Beef Industry Council is advocating for beef as the number one protein.

Other Dates and Locations:
March 2  - 5:00 p.m. | Bloomfield, IA
March 10 - 5:00 p.m. | Monticello, IA
March 11 - 5:00 p.m. | Oskaloosa, IA

Each event will feature a trade show with the latest products and services for cow-calf and feedlot producers. If you renew your ICA membership at any forum you will receive a pair of ICA gloves.

Producers can RSVP by calling 515-296-2266 or email kate@iacattlemen. Walk-ins are always welcome, and you do not need to be a member to attend.



Invest in Innovation: Attend the 2021 Biotech Showcase

The Iowa Biotechnology Association (IowaBio) has announced the finalists for the 6th annual Biotech Showcase, a bioscience pitch competition offering a $10,000 prize to the winning company. The competition will take place March 2, 2021, during IowaBio’s annual Iowa Biotech Showcase & Conference (“IBSC” – formerly known as Partnering for Growth), to be held virtually in light of COVID-19.

This year’s Biotech Showcase sponsor is Corteva Agriscience, an IowaBio member and a global pure-play agriculture company that provides farmers with the industry’s most complete portfolio of seed, crop protection and digital solutions focused on helping maximize productivity to enhance yield and profitability.

“At Corteva Agriscience, we know that no one can solve the world’s biggest challenges alone – which is why we’re proud to serve as a catalyst for ideas, collaborations and progress through our work in Open Innovation,” said Mat Muller, Leader – Technology Acquisition and Licensing at Corteva Agriscience. “We’re pleased to sponsor this year’s Biotech Showcase and to recognize the immense potential represented in this year’s finalists.”

Eight startup finalists have been carefully selected to compete in the Biotech Showcase based on their innovative technologies across diverse biotechnology industries, including a variety of human and animal health technologies, food supply management platforms, and remote management for livestock facilities. The participating startups are gathered from around the United States, with 50 percent of them based in Iowa.

The 2021 Biotech Showcase finalists are:
3D Health Solutions, Inc – Ames, IA; www.3dhealth.solutions
CartilaGen, Inc. – Iowa City, IA; www.cartilagen.com
Distynct – Ames, IA; getdistynct.com
FBB Biomed – Coralville, IA; FBBbio.com
Hilltop BioSciences, Inc. – Mansfield, MA; www.HilltopBio.com
LEAH Labs – Rochester, MN; www.leahlabs.com
Mazen Animal Health, Inc – St. Joseph, MO; www.mazenanimalhealth.com
Otrafy – St. Paul, MN; www.otrafy.com

All eight finalists have pre-recorded their full pitch, which are currently available for viewing at www.iowabio.org/IBSCshowcase. On the day of the Biotech Showcase, the finalists will present a live, two-minute “elevator pitch” to a designated expert judge in front of the IBSC virtual attendees. Five minutes of Q&A will follow from the designated judge, and IBSC attendees will have an opportunity to vote on and select a “Fan Favorite.”

Participating judges who will select the Biotech Showcase winner include industry influencers and entrepreneurs from organizations like MedCara Pharmaceuticals, BrownWinick Law, PCS Biotech, and Cargill.

“We are thrilled to once again present the Biotech Showcase as a part of our annual conference,” shared Executive Director Jessica Hyland. “This showcase shines a spotlight on the latest innovation and cutting-edge technology happening in the heartland and across the country. This competition is a great way to support these companies and get the word out about the amazing technologies they are developing. We have an excellent group of companies competing this year, and we can’t wait for the audience to learn more about them.”

Past Biotech Showcase winners have included Skroot Laboratories (2020), Cardio Diagnostics (2019), SynderBio (2018), Aptimmune (2017), and Viewpoint Molecular Targeting (2016).

For a complete list of the 2021 finalists, visit www.iowabio.org/IBSCshowcase.

To see the full, two-day agenda for the Iowa Biotech Showcase & Conference, visit: www.iowabio.org/IBSCagenda.



NORTHERN PLAINS FARM LABOR

In the Northern Plains Region (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota) there were 36,000 workers hired directly by farm operators on farms and ranches during the week of July 12-18, 2020, down 3% from the July 2019 reference week, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Workers numbered 39,000 during the week of October 11-17, 2020, down 9% from the October 2019 reference week.

Farm operators in the Northern Plains Region paid their hired workers an average wage of $16.68 per hour during the July 2020 reference week, up 7% from the July 2019 reference week. Field workers received an average of $16.83 per hour, up $0.93. Livestock workers earned $15.57 per hour, up $1.76. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate at $16.30, was up $1.30 from the 2019 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 44.6 hours during the July 2020 reference week, compared with 42.2 hours worked during the July 2019 reference week.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $16.83 per hour during the October 2020 reference week, up 6% from the October 2019 reference week. Field workers received an average of $17.04 per hour, up $0.63. Livestock workers earned $15.52 per hour, up $1.76. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $16.45, was up $1.05 from the October 2019 reference week. Hired laborers worked an average of 46.0 hours during the October 2020 reference week, compared with 43.4 hours worked during the October 2019 reference week.



Iowa Ag Labor Report

There were 21,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Cornbelt II Region (Iowa and Missouri) during the reference week of July 12-18, 2020, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Farm Labor Report. This was down 9% from the July 2019 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $15.90 per hour, up 82 cents from July 2019. The number of hours worked averaged 37.7 for hired workers during the reference week, compared with 37.2 hours during the July 2019 reference week.

During the reference week of October 11-17, 2020, there were 25,000 workers hired directly by farms in the Cornbelt II Region (Iowa and Missouri). This was down 4% from the October 2019 reference week. Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage rate of $16.10 per hour during the October 2020 reference week, up $1.00 from October 2019.  The number of hours worked averaged 39.8 for hired workers during the reference week, up from 38.3 hours during the October 2019 reference week.



New Research Shows Benefits for Beef Industry from Enogen Corn

Syngenta Seeds, in partnership with the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center, unveiled newly published research highlighting the potential for beef producers to reduce their environmental footprint by using Enogen corn for feed from Syngenta Seeds.

The life cycle assessment is based on studies conducted at the University of Nebraska and Kansas State University, which identified feed efficiency gains of around 5%2, which can lead to reduced emissions and less consumption of natural resources - while still helping farmers maximize their operations.

Agriculture alone is responsible for 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the whole food value chain accounts for 25% of emissions. Syngenta Seeds, as part of the Syngenta Group, is committed to helping the agriculture industry reduce its carbon footprint and play a role in meeting the world's net zero target.

Syngenta Group launched its new Good Growth Plan in June 2020, announcing new targets and investment objectives as part of a $2 billion commitment to help farmers address the effects of climate change and improve long-term agricultural sustainability.

Enogen corn for feed, fed to cattle as grain or silage, helps convert starch to sugar more efficiently, resulting in more readily available energy for livestock. The purpose of the UARC study was to evaluate the performance of Enogen corn for feed - compared to conventional feed corn - when used as an ingredient in their operations. The life cycle assessment was conducted by Drs. Greg Thoma, Marty Matlock and Martin Christy at the University of Arkansas Resiliency Center.

"To your average person, small percentages like 5 percent might not seem significant when feeding cattle," said Marty Matlock, Ph.D., Executive Director of UARC. "But improving sustainability indicators across a complex system like beef production with tens of millions of cattle starts with understanding where the impacts occur in the life cycle of the product. Technological innovations like Enogen corn from Syngenta Seeds have the potential to enhance sustainability of agricultural production, especially reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

The UARC findings indicate that an improvement in feed efficiency - as demonstrated in University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) feeding trials2 - results in approximately 6% improvement in the four key environmental performance metrics of beef production.

The observed environmental performance improvement during the backgrounding phase - as seen in Kansas State University (KSU) trials2 - was in the 3.5-5% range, which suggests Enogen corn for feed is an important potential technology for mitigation of environmental impact in this phase of beef production, as well.

"We're thrilled with this new data from the UARC study that supports earlier research showing clear environmental benefits when using Enogen corn for feed," said Chris Cook, Head, Enogen at Syngenta Seeds.

"Potential feed efficiency gains of around 5%2 are highly significant for beef and dairy producers when you consider there are nearly 100 million cattle in the U.S. alone. It helps maximize potential in their farm operations while also helping to deliver environmental benefits through reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in land, energy and water use efficiency," said Cook.



 ACE Elects 2021 Officers and Executive Committee  

During its first quarter meeting, the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) Board of Directors elected its Officers and Executive Committee for 2021.

Re-elected to serve as officers on the 2021 Executive Committee are:
    Dave Sovereign, Chairman of Golden Grain Energy’s Board, which oversees a locally owned 120 million-gallon-per-year (MGY) ethanol plant in Mason City, Iowa. Sovereign also serves on the Absolute Energy board, a locally owned 125 MGY ethanol producer in St. Ansgar, Iowa. Sovereign accepted the nomination of President of the ACE Board.

“I’m looking forward to lending my perspective as an Iowa farmer who’s served on the boards of two Iowa ethanol plants in this leadership position on the ACE board,” Sovereign said. “After serving on the executive committee for a number of years, I’m eager to further the tremendous work this organization and its staff have done to promote and provide ethanol demand opportunities as its president.”

Duane Kristensen, who served as the President of ACE’s Board of Directors for the past three years, is stepping down from the ACE Executive Committee but keeping his seat on the Board. Kristensen is the General Manager and Vice President of Operations of Chief Ethanol Fuels, which owns a 70 MGY ethanol plant in Hastings and a 40 MGY plant in Lexington, Nebraska.

    Troy Knecht, South Dakota farmer, representing Redfield Energy, a 50 MGY ethanol producer in Redfield, South Dakota. Knecht accepted the nomination of Vice President of the ACE Board.

    Ron Alverson, serving as Treasurer of the ACE Board of Directors, represents Dakota Ethanol, which owns a 50 MGY plant in Wentworth, South Dakota.

    Chris Wilson, General Manager of Mid-Missouri Energy, a 50 MGY plant in Malta Bend, Missouri, serving as the Secretary of the ACE Board.

Newly elected to serve on the 2021 Executive Committee are:

    Chris Studer, Chief Member and Public Relations Officer for East River Electric Power Cooperative.
“East River is proud of our history as a founding member of ACE and a partner in biofuels production as the wholesale electric supplier to over a dozen ethanol plants in the region,” Studer said. “I am looking forward to working alongside my colleagues on the Executive Committee to ensure biofuels and the electric cooperative system have a seat at the table as we work to strengthen rural America.”

    John Christianson, Director of Christianson PLLP, an accounting and business consulting firm for Ag and Renewable Energy, who also served on the Minnesota Biofuels Council’s Executive Committee.
“I’m excited to join the ACE Executive Committee to support ACE’s role to develop new clean fuel policies in the Midwest and at the federal level which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase ethanol demand, and reward ag producers for being stewards of our environment,” Christianson said.



Imports of Cattle and Beef Hit Historical High in 2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) recently released cattle and beef trade data for December provide the whole cattle and beef trade picture for the 2020 calendar year. According to R-CALF USA, the volume of imported beef, cattle, beef variety meat and processed beef hit an all-time high of nearly 2 million metric tons, or about 4.4 billion pounds in 2020.

Calculating the volume of both cattle and beef is difficult as imported beef and beef products are recorded by weight while imported cattle are recorded by the number of head. To account for these differing measures, R-CALF USA converts imported cattle numbers to pounds by multiplying the number of imported cattle by each years’ average cattle carcass weight. This enables R-CALF USA to express both imports and exports of beef and cattle in terms of weight.

The USDA’s recently updated data also show the average price of fed cattle in 2020 was just under $1.09 per pound, while all-fresh retail beef prices averaged about $6.39 per pound, the highest yearly average all-fresh beef price in history.    

R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said the 2020 average fed cattle price was lower than in any year during the past decade. He said in 2011 the average fed cattle price was $1.15 per pound, and back then consumers only paid on average $4.44 per pound for all-fresh beef.

Bullard explained that these data inform both cattle producers and consumers that importing record volumes of cheaper, undifferentiated beef and cattle does not correlate with lower consumer beef prices, but it does correlate with severely depressed domestic cattle prices.

“With that knowledge, both cattle producers and consumers should be calling their congressional delegations to tell them America must put a stop to failed trade policies that promote cheaper imports at the expense of American cattle farmers and ranchers on one end of the food supply chain and American consumers on the other,” Bullard said.

As shown by the chart below, the U.S. has consistently imported more beef and cattle than it exports for the past several decades, making the U.S. a net importer of beef and cattle and causing a 30-year cumulative trade deficit of over 20 million metric tons, or about 44 billion pounds of beef and cattle.

“To put this in perspective, in 2020 we exported 2.9 billion pounds of beef and cattle – the fourth-largest export volume in history – but we imported 4.4 billion pounds. That means for each 1-pound of beef and cattle exported in 2020, we imported over 1.5 pounds of beef and cattle.

“And that’s well below the 30-year average. In other words, for 30 years we’ve imported well over 1.5 pounds of beef for each 1-pound exported.

“Imagine how much stronger our domestic food supply chain would be, and how many more opportunities U.S. cattle farmers and ranchers would have if America stopped displacing the production of our American family famers and ranchers with billions of pounds of foreign beef and cattle,” Bullard concluded.



 UPDATE: Stimulus Proposal, Ag Provisions
American Soybean Association

The House Agriculture Committee held a lengthy business meeting yesterday to officially organize and consider agricultural-related provisions of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus plan.

The stimulus consideration process was distinctly different than the path of past COVID relief packages. The congressional process of budget reconciliation is being used as a parliamentary tool to fast-track the stimulus legislation with a simple majority vote in the House and Senate.

Chairman David Scott (D-GA) described the stimulus provisions as a way to address needs that were not included in the December year-end COVID package. That December package included more than $11 billion in ag relief, including supplemental Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments, which has not yet been implemented by USDA.

The stimulus provisions approved by the committee on a party line vote include:
    $1 billion in assistance to and support for community-based organizations and 1890 Land Grant and other minority-serving institutions that work with Black farmers and other farmers of color on land access, financial training, heirs property issues, training the next generation and access to education
    Farm Loan Assistance for Black farmers and other farmers of color
    Extending 15% SNAP benefit increase through September 30, 2021
    $37 million to the Commodity Supplemental Food Program to fill a gap that has grown as food for this program has become scarcer during the pandemic
    $500 million in Community Facility Program funds to help rural hospitals and local communities broaden access to COVID-19 vaccines & food assistance
    $3.6 billion for the Secretary of Agriculture to continue to help the food and ag sector supply chains
    $100 million in overtime fee relief to small meat and poultry processors currently grappling with COVID-19-related backlogs
    $800 million for the Food for Peace program, including for purchases of U.S.-grown crops used in international humanitarian aid

The sole amendment approved by the committee was proposed by Rep. Feenstra (R-IA) to extend WHIP+ coverage to 2020 crop losses and clarify that high winds and derechos are covered causes of loss. Rep. Axne (D-IA) crossed party lines to support the amendment.

The provisions passed by the House Agriculture Committee will now be combined with relief approved by other committees before moving to the full House for consideration.



Soy Checkoff Supports Study on Sustainable Ag Tech Investment

The United Soybean Board is a proud funding partner and endorses a multi-organizational initiative to connect private sector capital investors with innovative climate-smart, soil-centric agricultural technologies. U.S. farmers are leaders when it comes to using leading-edge technologies and best management practices to improve soil health while also increasing economic and environmental sustainability. By scaling up climate-smart agriculture, U.S. agriculture could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than half by 2025, from 9.9% to 3.8%, and ultimately be a carbon sink by 2035 at -4% of total U.S. GHG emissions by 2035.

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action (USFRA) partnered with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, The Mixing Bowl and Croatan Institute to release a report that analyzes the state of emerging soil health technology and the need for climate-smart technologies to be commercialized with partnership funding from private sector capital investors.

“U.S. agriculture has the potential to be the first net negative greenhouse gas emissions sector in our economy,” said Lynn Rohrscheib, USB farmer-leader from Illinois and USFRA board member. “Reaching that goal is important to me because sustainability’s connection to improving soil health translates into long-term viability for my farm and the next generation.”

Providing economic context, the report included an in-depth analysis of the $972 billion in annual capital that flows from asset owners through asset classes and financial intermediaries to participants in the U.S. agricultural value chain. The report revealed the primary funding sources include institutional investors (approx. $600 billion), retail investors (approx. $360 billion) and U.S. government via federal/state payments and incentives (approx. $20 billion).

Beyond investment, leveraging technology to accelerate and scale on-farm adoption of climate-smart agriculture encompasses several action steps that align with USB’s sustainability goals. This ranges from supporting the development of tools that collect on-farm data to exchanging best practice know-how and data related to soil health, yield, profitability, etc. The report outlines these action steps as a vital linchpin to unlock the full potential of our soils.

“It is critical the financial community partners with farmers and ranchers to help the U.S. achieve a transitional net-zero economy," said USFRA CEO Erin Fitzgerald. “Farmers and ranchers and the sector need investment over the next decade to realize the potential of agricultural soils as a natural climate solution.”

Climate-smart agriculture is a suite of practices that increases productivity and income, enhances resiliency and adaptive capacity and reduces GHG emissions. Overall, the USFRA report focuses on six established farming and ranching practices, spanning:
    No-till/reduced tillage with retained residues.
    Cover crops.
    Crop rotation.
    Compost application.
    Managed grazing.
    Integrated crop and livestock systems.

The soy checkoff’s sustainability goals intrinsically align with the six practices outlined in the USFRA report. From reducing land use impact by 10%, greenhouse gas emissions by 10% and soil erosion by 25%, while increasing energy use efficiency by 10%, U.S. soybean farmers can use sustainable farming practices to reduce their environmental footprint.

“This report reinforces the value of what can be achieved through sustainable farming practices and the momentum possible through investments in technology to enable U.S. soybean farmers to become carbon-negative,” said Mace Thornton, USB vice president of communications and marketing strategy and USFRA Communications Council chair. “Partnerships for investments are critical to forge the widespread integration of these climate-smart agricultural technologies.”

The release of this investment report is one step and an essential pathway in the process of mapping soil carbon sequestration targets. USFRA will bring together representatives from each of the participating organizations, companies and investment partners to co-create action plans and funding/investment streams to continue moving the initiative forward. In addition to USB, the research was funded by Wells Fargo & Company.



Biden Administration’s Travel Ban Affects Supply of Foreign H-2A Workers for Agriculture

At their annual convention, U.S. Custom Harvesters (USCHI) hosted a day-long H-2A learning session for their members at their annual conference. The next week, Monday, January 25, the Biden Administration banned foreign travelers from South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom and 26 other European countries due to concerns regarding the Covid-19 and new virus variants. These countries are where many custom harvesters hire their seasonal crews.  

After USCHI and other ag groups expressed concerns to the Administration, the State Department announced that H-2A and H-2B travelers that were covered by the Presidential Proclamation of January 25, 2021 will now receive a waiver under the National Interest Exception since they are “essential to the economy and food security of the United States.”  While this alleviates some of the concern with South African workers, it does not provide relief from other countries subject to the ban.

According to the Department of Labor, H-2A workers are defined as nonimmigrant workers that perform agricultural labor on a temporary or seasonal nature. In the third quarter of 2020, there was a four percent increase in H-2A positions from the prior year, nearing 90,000 temporary jobs. “Most custom harvesters try to fill their crews with American employees, but due to the seasonality of the job, that becomes unfeasible. Many of our members will start their harvest season in the southern states in March and will continue north until late fall. That is only about 8 months of work, so utilizing H-2A workers makes sense for our members,” said Raph Jolliffe, USCHI president.

“What I’ve been told is there are about 5,000 workers that the harvest industry uses through the H-2A program for this country,” said Louie Perry, Cornerstone Government Affairs. "We understand that a travel ban may be necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19, but it has created a serious issue for the harvesting and agricultural industry, which is the foundation of the food system. We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to define a pathway to get these essential food system workers cleared to continue to support the U.S. food supply.”



Ethanol: Your Cold-Weather Friend
Robert White, Vice President of Industry Relations, Renewable Fuels Assoc.

With temperatures at or below freezing in many states, a lot of drivers are curious or concerned about the effect on their vehicles. And there are systems you especially need to watch or maintain, such as your battery and your radiator.

Thanks to ethanol, however, one old worry drivers used to have has gone away—the possibility of gas freezing in the tank or the fuel line. Since ethanol is an alcohol, and present in a higher amount than a bottle of gasoline antifreeze in a tank, it does a terrific job at keeping your fuel from freezing. Even Gold Eagle, producer of one of the most popular brands of gasoline antifreeze, recognizes this: “Most gas contains up to 10 percent ethanol and will work as antifreeze.”

Here are some more explanations from experts in the field:
“Water does collect in gas tanks and fuel lines from moisture in the air, or from the storage tanks at gas stations. Today, however, vehicles in most parts of the country burn gasoline that includes up to 10 percent ethanol, a form of alcohol that performs the same water-absorbing chores as brand-name gasoline antifreezes,” writes Cars.com. “Gas-line antifreeze isn’t expensive and probably can’t hurt, but if you have 15 gallons of fuel in your vehicle and 10 percent of it is ethanol, your tank already has 1.5 gallons of alcohol in it. Adding another 12 to 16 ounces of alcohol is not going to provide any additional protection against freezing.”

An auto writer at Driving.ca agrees: “Gasoline deicer sales have plummeted in the last ten years because fuel producers are putting ethanol (ethyl alcohol) into their blends. Fuel deicer’s primary active ingredient is alcohol, so if refineries are putting 10 percent alcohol into their regular blends, a few ounces from a plastic bottle into a full tank won’t really add much to the mix.”

And we can be sure Minnesotans know how to deal with cold weather. “Adding a gas line antifreeze is not necessary when using ethanol-blended fuel, writes an auto columnist at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “The ethanol — ethyl or grain alcohol — is an effective antifreeze/moisture remover so no additional additive is necessary.”

Whatever the season or weather, ethanol-blended fuel is a smart option for so many reasons. Stay warm, stay safe—and choose ethanol!



SfL 'Agriculture Renaissance' Report Spotlights Global Farmer Leadership

Today’s newly released white paper from Solutions from the Land (SfL) notes that the 21st century is now fully under way, amid weather-related crop failures; locust plagues; wildfires and deforestation; regional conflicts; loss of biodiversity; erosion of ecosystem health and functionality; a changing climate; and the spillover of 2020’s global pandemic into 2021.
 
Our 20th century agricultural production and conservation systems are increasingly under stress and are proving to be inadequate to manage the risks and uncertainties of 21st century production. SfL’s report promotes solution pathways that better boost not only food security, but energy, healthy ecosystems and livelihoods as well.
 
The paper highlights an overarching objective of the vision for 21st century agricultural and forestry production systems: attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 17 objectives set in 2015 for 2030 by UN members to call for (among other outcomes) the elimination of hunger, the restoration of clean water resources, the development of clean energy and the mitigation of a changing climate.
 
To address these multiple outcomes, agriculture is critical, and must be defined through the lens of a broader reality of living as opposed to simply surviving. SfL’s report sets out this vision, with pathways to promote the resilience needed to maintain abundance in the years to come.
 
The farmers, foresters and ranchers of today must address the proliferating and varied challenges surrounding hunger, livelihoods, water scarcity, clean water, healthy soil, ecosystem resilience, climate change, greenhouse gases and a whole range of local and global realities. To meet them, the paper offers a lengthy list of technologies and innovations being applied to support precision agriculture, agricultural ecosystem and biodiversity management, and easier, more effective ways for farmers and others in farming landscapes to communicate and collaborate.
 
Advanced science is also uncovering processes in microbiology, plant biology, agroecology and landscape ecology – at field, farm and landscape scales – that can be harnessed to develop nature-positive production systems and maximize the experiential or indigenous experience of farmers. Inventions from in every field of technology, data and biological science are rapidly moving past conceptualization to experimental trials and mainstream uses.
 
"Yet despite these advances," the report warns, "without the full engagement of farmers, foresters and their partners, our capacity to transform the systems of agriculture for the future will be compromised. The development of a more dynamic and robust toolbox is essential, but will be insufficient without the voice, experience, and understanding that the stewards of the land provide as they move beyond timely projections to address changes and threats in real time." In other words, those on the front line must have support and resources to strike new ground in managing their lands and shaping their working landscapes.
 
A vision for working landscapes of the future offered by the paper brings production, environmental, food, and nutrition policies into harmony and streamlines regulations that are too often overlapping and contradictory. It is a model that engages with farmers to sharpen a shared focus on outcomes, not prescriptive mandates that tell farmers how to farm.
 
The vision calls for strategies anchored by the three overlapping climate smart agriculture (CSA) pillars: 1) sustainable intensification of production, 2) adaptive management and 3) greenhouse gas reduction. The paper notes that a CSA approach does not prioritize any one of the pillars and represents the simultaneous co-benefits that accrue from their pursuit. Subsequently, a "many pathways" approach to managing working lands recognizes the tremendous diversity of agricultural landscapes and ecosystems, and enables producers to utilize the systems and practices that best support their own unique situations and circumstances.
 
Thanks to hard work, indigenous knowledge, innovation and technology, and uncommon collaboration among those who make their living off the land, agriculture is poised to bloom, grow, and emerge as a primary solution pathway towards the achievement of worldwide sustainable development goals. SfL invites partners across the planet to join in this epic quest and movement to position farmers, ranchers and foresters at the forefront of addressing global challenges.



Turn outliers into a profit opportunity, not a loss equation
J.P. Pollreisz, DVM, Beef Technical Services, Zoetis

No one wants sick cattle. From well-being concerns to unexpected costs, it can be a lose-lose situation. But when cattle do get sick, intentionally managing bovine respiratory disease (BRD) chronics and other outliers can help you improve animal well-being and stop economic losses you might not even know exist.

While outliers — those animals that are chronically ill or need surgical care — are an expected occurrence, especially on a feedlot, they might be undermining the profit opportunity of the whole pen or group of cattle if they aren’t managed intentionally.

What are the real costs?
By my calculations, mismanaging just two out of 100 animals could be the difference between profit and loss. Consider that selling an animal as a realizer or railer is only going to provide about 40% of the forecasted sale price. That’s a lost opportunity cost of about $900 based on current fat cattle prices.

Outlier napkin math:
    $600 salvage price/animal
    $1,500 average market price/animal - $600 salvage price = $900 saved/animal
    $900 x 2 outliers = $1,800
    $1,800 divided by a group of 100 head = $18/head gain just from better managing two out of 100

Add in the cost of space, labor and treatment that you put into keeping a chronically ill animal in the sick pen and you can start to picture the true losses. Don’t forget that shipping an animal at the wrong time — resulting in a violative residue — carries repercussions for the feedyard. A follow-up inspection by state or federal authorities often occurs, and increased scrutiny when cattle are marketed may be instituted if multiple violative residues are detected.

But in reality, you don’t want to just realize or salvage these animals, you want to get them back on the fat truck. And that may be possible in some outlier situations with intentional management. Intentionally managing these animals can set your business apart from others that might be just absorbing the losses.

The path to intentional management
So where can you start? Start by asking a few key questions for your operation:
        1. How do you manage your outliers?
        2. What is your relationship with your veterinarian for these animals?
        3. How do you bill out your feed in your outlier pen? Are they getting a "free meal"?
        4. How well and how often do you train employees on identifying and treating these animals?
        5. What is the condemnation rate of your realizers?

Remember: Your veterinarian is a critical part of this discussion to help you build protocols, prescribe treatments, develop management plans and provide medical care for outliers.

A colleague of mine, Dr. Kynan Sturgess, co-owner of Hereford Veterinary Clinic in Hereford, Texas, has been talking with his customers about this topic. He says while the economic conversation makes sense, it all comes down to constant communication and training with employees. He suggests starting by:
    Identifying the specific issue facing each animal and then treating it individually
    Working with your local veterinarian to set up specific care plans for each condition
    Training employees on surgical procedures, or setting up a plan of care with your veterinarian
    Focusing on follow-up care for the animals — this could include nutrition, pain mitigation, specific environmental needs and keeping them separate from their original pen

While not every outlier case will be able to get back to optimum performance, intentionally treating and managing these animals can help recover losses you might be overlooking.

The bottom line
At the end of the day, it’s about considering how you are currently managing these animals and evaluating where you have unexpected losses. Once you clearly see the impact, work with your veterinarian to develop standard operating procedures so that management becomes turnkey, and you can get these animals back on the right track.