Tuesday May 25 Ag News

 Chemigation permits due June 1st

Farmers planning to chemigate during the 2021 growing season must renew chemigation permits by June 1 to meet state deadline requirements, according to Josh Schnitzler, Water Resources Coordinator for the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD).

Chemigation is the application of any chemical, fertilizer or pesticide through an irrigation system. To legally chemigate in Nebraska, an operator must be certified to apply chemicals and obtain a chemigation permit from their local NRD.

"Farmers holding chemigation permits, even if they are uncertain whether they will chemigate later this year, should consider renewing their permits by June 1," Schnitzler said.  Schnitzler is encouraging area producers to reapply by the state-required deadline to avoid the increased cost and possible delays of an inspection.

An irrigation system that has not been renewed prior to the June 1 deadline cannot apply chemicals through the system until a new permit is obtained.  Chemigation renewal permits cost $20.  New chemigation permits cost $50, and the applicant cannot use the system until it passes a mandatory inspection.  All permits must be submitted to the LENRD office at 1508 Square Turn Boulevard in Norfolk.

By renewing a permit by June 1, a producer may proceed with chemigation. An inspection does not have to be performed prior to chemigation for a renewal application, Schnitzler said.  However, a random chemigation inspection may be necessary later in the season as part of the LENRD's routine summer inspections as required by state law.

Applicants must have the signature of a certified applicator on their application form.  Schnitzler stated, “In order to be certified, a person must complete a chemigation safety course and pass an exam once every four years.”

If chemigating is necessary, on short notice, emergency permits can be obtained at a cost of $250.  Irrigation systems meeting chemigation law standards will then be allowed to operate within 72 hours.

Approximately 1,963 chemigation permits were approved by the LENRD in 2020.  For more information on renewing or obtaining chemigation permits, call the LENRD office in Norfolk at 402-371-7313.



Cattle risk management workshops offered in five Nebraska communities

Nebraska Extension’s efforts to assist farmers and ranchers to achieve profitable outcomes continue with a series of workshops that will offer strategies and tools to reduce risk exposure associated with cattle production.

In June and July, extension specialists and educators will conduct “Managing Cattle for Profit in 2021” in Thedford, North Platte, Alliance, Norfolk and Ainsworth.

Each workshop will offer information on current issues and opportunities in the cattle industry, trends in grazing land cash rental rates — including current cash rental rates and designing flex leases — and managing price risk with futures, options and insurance.

MANAGING CATTLE FOR PROFIT IN 2021
Thedford: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. CDT
Sandhills Corral, 39359 NE-2
Contact: T.L. Meyer at 308-645-2267

North Platte: Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 5-8:30 p.m. CDT
West Central Research and Extension Center, 402 W. State Farm Rd
Contact: Randy Saner at 308-532-2683

Alliance: Wednesday, July 7, 2021, 5-8:30 p.m. MDT
Newberry, 110 W 4th St.
Contact: Nebraska Extension in Box Butte County at 308-762-5616

Norfolk: Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 5-8:30 p.m. CDT
Lifelong Learning Center, 701 E Benjamin Ave.
Contact: Nebraska Extension in Madison County at 402-370-4040

Ainsworth: Thursday, July 29, 2021, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. CDT
Ainsworth Conference Center, 606 E. 4th St.
Contact: Hannah Greenwell at 402-387-2213

The sessions are free and include a complementary meal. Registration is required a day prior to each workshop at http://go.unl.edu/cattlerisk or by calling the local contact for each session.



FERTILIZING WARM SEASON GRASS PASTURES
– Brad Schick, NE Extension Educator

Fertilizing warm-season grass is a practice some producers do, but one should consider forage needs, the value of the forage, and fertilizer costs.

Warm-season grasses are very efficient at using water and nutrients. Where moisture is present, warm-season grasses will grow rapidly when air and soil temperatures increase. With fertilizer, growth will be more abundant resulting in more hay or grazing days. Mid-May to early-June is the window to fertilize.

How much fertilizer to apply depends on each operation. First, consider whether or not fertilizing is worth the cost. If extra growth won’t get grazed or extra hay won’t get fed, then fertilizing won’t be economical.

Knowing what species will be fertilized can also help with the decision. Taller growing warm-season grasses such as switchgrass, big bluestem, and indiangrass will be the most efficient with the fertilizer. Shorter warm-season grasses such as sideoats grama and little bluestem will have less response to fertilizer.

Moisture is the last key consideration. In eastern Nebraska, in a year with average or above average moisture, a rate of 50 to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre will have a great response. In a drier year, the response will be lower/less. For central and western Nebraska, 40 pounds of nitrogen on subirrigated meadows will do well. Outside of subirrigated meadows, nitrogen may not pay off unless there is adequate moisture. Without moisture, the response may not be worth the cost.

Fertilizing warm-season grasses may be a benefit to an operation if done soon. Hay yield or grazing days may increase if managed well with fertilizer.



USDA TO ASK ABOUT 2021 CROPS, STOCKS, INVENTORIES AND VALUES

During the next few weeks, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major inquiries, contacting nearly 4,300 producers across Nebraska to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1, 2021.

“These are two of the most important surveys NASS conducts, due to the widespread and significant impact of their results,” explained Nicholas Streff, Director of the Northern Plains Regional Field Office. “When producers complete these surveys, they contribute essential information that determines the expected acreage and supply of major commodities for the 2021 crop year. The results are necessary for everyone who relies on agriculture for their livelihoods. This includes those providing farm and ranch supplies, those purchasing commodities directly from the producers, and everyone else involved in ensuring a safe and affordable food supply reaches the consumer in a timely manner.”

Data for the June Agricultural Survey are gathered via the Internet, mail, or by phone interview. For the June Area Survey, trained National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) enumerators representing NASS visit select tracts of land to interview the operators of any farm or ranch within that selected tract. Producers are asked to provide information on planted acres, acres expected to be harvested, and grain stocks. This survey also collects data on livestock inventory, cash rents, land values, and value of sales.

“NASS protects the privacy of all respondents and publishes only state- and national-level data in these reports, ensuring no operation or producer can be identified. I urge all producers to respond to these surveys when contacted, and thank them for their cooperation,” said Nicholas Streff.

NASS will publish the results in a series of USDA reports, including the Acreage and Grain Stocks reports, on June 30, 2021. Survey data also contribute to NASS’s Crop Production reports, Small Grains Summary, Farms and Land in Farms, and Land Values reports, as well as various livestock reports, including Cattle, Sheep and Goats, and Quarterly Hogs and Pigs.



Reinke Honored With Nebraska’s Safest Company Award

Reinke Manufacturing, a global leader in irrigation systems and technology, has been honored as one of Nebraska’s Safest Companies by the Nebraska chapter of the National Safety Council. Safety initiatives and employee accountability were highlighted as reasons the company won their second safety award.

“We’re very proud of our employees for helping to make job safety a top priority,” said Chris Roth, Reinke president. “With the additional safety challenges we all faced this last year, it was necessary to take precautions over and above our usual safety program to limit the spread of COVID-19 among our front-line teams.”

Reinke Safety and Environmental Manager, Darwin Dykes, worked with safety committee members within the company who helped set up divided workstations, communicated protocols and helped to ensure cleaning products and sanitizers were stocked throughout the facility.

“Employees have really stepped up and taken accountability for the safety program and that’s what’s driving our success,” said Dykes. “Even new hires were initiated into our safety culture right away. In my opinion, all departments have made excellent strides this last year.”

The Celebration of Safety annual event was held virtually on May 19 as Nebraska’s Safest Companies achieve notice for their dedication to outstanding safety programs designed to reduce injuries and save lives.

“During this time of unprecedented change and uncertainty, one thing still remains certain... Now is not the time to take shortcuts with safety. Winning a Nebraska’s Safest Company Award clearly illustrates a company’s commitment to ensuring that their team members return home safely to their families at the end of each workday,” said Eric Koeppe, President/CEO, National Safety Council – Nebraska Chapter.

Founded in 1924 as the Omaha Safety Council, the National Safety Council – Nebraska Chapter is a chapter of the National Safety Council. Their mission is to promote safety and health by providing programs, resources, education, and advocacy to reduce both the personal and economic loss associated with injuries, accidents, and health hazards. For more information about the 2021 awards, go to: www.SafeNebraska.org/2021COS.



Fischer, Duckworth Introduce Bipartisan RFS Integrity Act of 2021

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the bipartisan RFS Integrity Act of 2021. This legislation would provide more certainty for rural America by bringing transparency and predictability to EPA’s small refinery exemption process. The bill would require small refineries to petition for Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) hardship exemptions by June 1st of each year. This change would ensure that EPA properly accounts for exempted gallons in the annual Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) it sets each November.

“The EPA’s very opaque small refinery exemption process is unfair to hardworking farmers and ethanol producers across rural America. By ensuring the EPA accounts for exempted gallons in the annual RVO process, my bipartisan bill will uphold the integrity of the RFS and bring much needed transparency to this exemption process,” said Senator Fischer.

“Farmers across Illinois and throughout the Midwest are hurting and ethanol plants are idling as a result of years of misuse of the small refinery exemption program that undermined the intent of the bipartisan Renewable Fuel Standard. I am proud to work with Senator Fischer to introduce this bipartisan legislation to bring much-needed transparency to the waiver process and prevent it from being misused to benefit billion dollar oil companies at the expense of hardworking Americans again,” said Senator Duckworth.

More information:
This legislation fixes the unnecessarily complex “rolling deadline” by setting a deadline for refineries to apply for an SRE by June 1 in the year before the RVO is in effect, giving EPA sufficient time to ensure exemptions are accounted for in the annual RVO process. It further requires the EPA to publish the name of the refinery and how many gallons are exempted on their dashboard at the same time the refiner is notified that they received an exemption.

Senator Fischer has taken a leading role in pushing for more transparency in the SRE process. Last year, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down three small refinery exemptions that were deemed improperly issued by the EPA. The court ruling stems from a May 2018 challenge brought against EPA by the Renewable Fuels Association, the National Corn Growers Association, the American Coalition for Ethanol and National Farmers Union. The court ruled that the RFS statute only allows agencies to grant extensions for continuously extended exemptions that have been in effect since 2011, which was not the case for these three exemptions. In February, President Biden’s EPA announced its support for the 10th Circuit’s decision. The U.S. Supreme Court took up this case and heard oral arguments this spring.

Support for the RFS Integrity Act of 2021:
“The RFS has positively linked soybean production to energy markets, allowing farmers to contribute to a cleaner fuel system and climate-friendly solutions. We have embraced this opportunity, so it is disheartening when small refinery exemption waivers are granted without transparency. It creates uncertainty in biodiesel markets and harms soybean farmers aiming to help. A strong RFS adds value to soybeans while also creating jobs, diversifying our fuel supply, and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. We applaud Senators Duckworth and Fischer on introducing the RFS Integrity Act, which will add much-needed transparency to the small refinery exemption waiver process at the EPA,” said Kevin Scott, President of the American Soybean Association.

“This is a commonsense and timely step to ensure that RFS biomass-based diesel volumes – once set -- provide certainty for all stakeholders and are fully met. Right now, EPA is considering 70 exemption petitions from refiners seeking to undermine the integrity of the RFS.  We thank Senators Fischer and Duckworth for their leadership in optimizing the RFS to achieve the nation’s goals for clean, homegrown energy,” said Kurt Kovarik, Vice President of Federal Affairs of the National Biodiesel Board.

“This important legislation would ensure that the RFS is implemented as congress intended, and that 15 billion gallons means 15 billion gallons. In addition to ensuring the annual renewable volume obligations have teeth, it would provide much-needed transparency into the historically opaque process of evaluating Small Refinery Exemption petitions,” said Omaha-based Green Plains Inc.

“This legislation provides long-overdue transparency for requests to avoid blending more low carbon renewable fuels that are key to America’s low-carbon future. We applaud Senators Fischer and Duckworth for working to protect the integrity of the RFS so that farmers and biofuel producers, as well as the entire fuel supply chain, across the nation can count on stable demand and continue providing cleaner and more affordable fuel choices at the pump,” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor.

“Given the accomplishments of the RFS program to date, EPA’s previous excessive and unreasonable use of the small refinery waiver dampened the prospects for reduced emissions and increased energy security.  The Renewable Fuel Standard Integrity Act ensures transparency through a fair and timely EPA waiver process going forward,” said Zippy Duvall, President, American Farm Bureau Federation.

“The EPA’s abuse of small refinery waivers not only undermined the Renewable Fuel Standard but also impacted corn demand. NCGA appreciates Senators Fischer and Duckworth introducing the RFS Integrity Act. Bringing transparency to the waiver process and establishing clear deadlines for refineries to apply for waivers will allow the EPA to avoid retroactive waivers and ensure the RFS is properly administered.  Corn growers appreciate new EPA Administrator Regan’s actions to date to change course on RFS waivers, and the RFS Integrity Act would support those efforts and prevent future waiver abuse,” said John Linder, President of National Corn Growers Association.

“The Renewable Fuels Association thanks Senators Fischer and Duckworth for their bipartisan leadership and determined efforts to bring more transparency and certainty to the Renewable Fuel Standard. The previous administration’s reckless abuse of the small refinery exemption program resulted in countless lost opportunities for ethanol producers, farmers, and consumers alike. While we remain hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court will soon put this issue behind us once and for all by affirming the Tenth Circuit Court’s decision in RFA et al. v. EPA, introduction of the RFS Integrity Act marks an important step forward toward getting the program back on track,” said Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Geoff Cooper.



RFA Asks for Dismissal of Challenges After Vacatur of Sinclair Exemptions

Following last week’s decision by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate and remand three small refinery exemptions granted by EPA to Sinclair Oil Corporation on the eve of President Biden’s inauguration, the Renewable Fuels Association on Monday asked both the Tenth and D.C. Circuit Courts to dismiss its challenges to the three midnight-hour exemptions. The Tenth Circuit’s vacatur of the three exemptions last week means RFA was successful in preserving 260 million gallons of renewable fuel blending requirements that would have otherwise been erased if the exemptions had been allowed to stand.
 
“Now that the Court has vacated these improperly granted exemptions and is sending them back to EPA for reconsideration, we are gladly requesting the withdrawal of our original objections,” said Geoff Cooper, RFA President and CEO. “Although EPA will take a fresh look at Sinclair’s petitions during its remand, it seems highly unlikely that they will be granted a second time. Thus, it appears that RFA’s lawsuits succeeded in blocking EPA from returning the 260 million RINs associated with these exemptions to Sinclair, which would have reduced the demand for renewable fuels and injured American farmers. We are pleased that our actions led EPA to reverse course on these exemptions that were facially illegal when they were granted in the waning hours of the last administration, and we applaud the agency for taking steps to correct the mistakes of their predecessors. RFA will remain vigilant in its efforts to ensure EPA administers the RFS in a manner that is fair and consistent with its Congressional mandate.”
 
BACKGROUND
Within hours of the refinery exemptions being announced by the outgoing administration on January 19, RFA filed suit against EPA in the D.C. Circuit Court objecting to the exemptions and asserting that they were granted in violation of the Clean Air Act. After learning the identity of the small refineries at issue, RFA also filed a separate challenge in the Tenth Circuit, where the small refineries were located, and where RFA (along with the National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, and American Coalition) had obtained a pivotal ruling last year outlawing such exemptions in similar circumstances.
 
In April, EPA’s new leadership requested that the Tenth Circuit vacate and remand the Sinclair exemptions back to the agency for further evaluation, and last week obtained the Court’s permission to do so. In its motion for vacatur and voluntary remand, the government conceded that the previous EPA “failed to adequately address determinative legal questions regarding whether the two Sinclair small refineries qualified for extensions of the small refinery exemption under controlling caselaw established by this Court.” EPA further concluded that the matter should be remanded “because it now has reason to believe that its original decision was incorrect on the merits and it wishes to change the result.”  



NBB Thanks Senators, Representatives for Proposing Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension

The National Biodiesel Board and its members thank Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Reps. Cindy Axne (D-IA) and Mike Kelly (R-PA) for introducing the Biodiesel Tax Credit Extension Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation to extend the biodiesel tax credit through 2025. The bills announced in both the U.S. Senate and House today would provide the biodiesel and renewable diesel industry certainty for an additional three years, supporting continued growth in U.S. production of better, cleaner fuels that are reducing carbon emissions now and boosting rural economies.

"As Congress looks to jumpstart economic growth, rebuild infrastructure and reduce carbon emissions, they can count on biodiesel and renewable diesel to help achieve those goals. Biodiesel production is supporting economic opportunities and job creation in rural communities across the country," says Kurt Kovarik, NBB Vice President of Federal Affairs. "NBB's members sincerely thank Senators Grassley and Cantwell and Representatives Axne and Kelly, along with the 33 original cosponsors."

"The biodiesel tax credit continues to be extremely successful in expanding consumer access to clean, low-carbon fuels. Biodiesel and renewable diesel are on average 74% less carbon intensive than petroleum diesel and have cut more than 140 million tons of carbon emissions since 2010. Moreover, these cleaner, better fuels substantially cut emissions of particulate matter that impact cancer rates, asthma and other respiratory diseases, as well as the associated healthcare costs," Kovarik adds.

The U.S. biodiesel and renewable diesel industry supports 65,000 U.S. jobs and more than $17 billion in economic activity each year. Every 100 million gallons of production supports 3,200 jobs and $780 million in economic opportunity. Biodiesel production supports approximately 13 percent of the value of each U.S. bushel of soybeans.



Federal Judge Ruling Disastrous for Small U.S. Hog Farmers
 
Left unchallenged, a recent federal district court ruling will result in a 2.5 percent loss in pork packing plant capacity nationwide, and more than $80 million in reduced income for small U.S. hog farmers, according to an analysis by Dr. Dermot Hayes, an economist with Iowa State University. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to intervene before the ruling takes effect at the end of next month. The ruling will dramatically reduce hog farmer market power—particularly smaller producers located near impacted plants—and undermine pork industry competition.

The federal court’s decision struck down a provision of USDA’s New Swine Inspection System (NSIS) allowing for faster harvest facility line speeds. NSIS, initiated during the Clinton administration and evaluated at five pilot plants over 20 years, was approved for industry-wide adoption in 2019.  NSIS modernized an inspection system that had remained unchanged for more than 50 years.
 
The court’s ruling will have the opposite effect sought by those seeking to expand the number of meat packing plant facilities. Lawmakers have recently called for increasing the number of pork processing facilities nationwide by bringing smaller state plants up to federal inspection standards. These facilities represent less than one percent of total harvest capacity.

“The U.S. pork production system, the most advanced in the world, is characterized by robust competition, innovation and efficiency. With the stroke of a judge’s pen, the lives of many hog farmers will be upended if this misguided ruling takes effect,” said NPPC President Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms in West Des Moines, Iowa. “The lost revenue projected by Dr. Hayes is not theoretical; it is based on breeding decisions made several month ago and pigs already in the production cycle that will go to market in a few months.”
 
According to Dr. Hayes, while the court decision will affect all hog farmers, small hog farmers will disproportionately bear the brunt, especially those near affected processing plants. Michigan pork producer Ed Reed sends 80 percent of his hogs to an affected plant 15 miles away from his farm. “I'm a small farm and we're trying to capture as much value as we can,” he said. “If we were to slow the plant down…we’re going to have capacity issues,” he said, with the next closest processing plant two-and-a-half hours away. Those added transportation costs may be too much for producers to bear, he noted.

“As a small producer, small changes in packer capacities impact us,” said Minnesota hog farmer Dani Stonestrom. “If we can't pay our people because the funds aren't coming in, we have to let them go. In a small community, where we’re a large employer, removing the jobs from our community is detrimental to these families and the vitality of the community as a whole,” she added.

NPPC is urging USDA to appeal the ruling, seek a stay while the appeal is considered and request the agency pursue a new, fast-tracked rulemaking that better reflects the modern processing plant technologies and practices and allows for higher line speeds.

To learn more about this issue and hear more hog farmers describe the impact the court ruling would have on their operation, visit https://nppc.org/issues/issue/preserve-u-s-pork-industry-competition/.



Recognizing the Importance of the Beef Cattle Industry to Corn

May is National Beef Month, and there’s no better way to celebrate than to recognize our largest animal ag customer and throw a sirloin on the grill. One out of four bushels of added corn demand is due to beef and pork exports. With such demand, NCGA recognizes the value of industry partnership with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the U.S. Meat Export Federation. NCGA has continued to be the sole sponsor of NCBA’s Cattlemen’s Education Series, a partnership that strives to bring the latest and greatest industry information to producers while highlighting the value that corn and corn products, such as DDGs, bring to beef rations.

“Not only do corn growers benefit from the beef cattle industry’s consumption of corn, but adding corn into the diet promotes faster growth, increases feed efficiency in the rate of daily gain and produces steaks with a higher marble score,” said Market Development Action Team Chair Bob Hemesath.

With more than 20 million beef cattle in the U.S., the beef industry consumes more than 1,250 million bushels of corn and provides $5.7 billion in value to the corn industry.

In 2018, the value of red meat exports to corn was $1.62 billion and contributed to 11% of bushel value. The projected value of red meat exports to corn from 2018 – 2021 is $19 billion, and $3.2 billion is the projected value of red meat exports to DDGS.



Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on USTR Request for USMCA Dispute Settlement Panel on Canada Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Administration

“Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative made a request to initiate a dispute settlement panel under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to challenge Canada’s allocation of dairy tariff-rate quotas (TRQs). This is an important step for American agriculture, and one that brings the U.S. dairy sector closer to realizing the full benefits of the USMCA. Ambassador Tai's action today will help ensure that Canada upholds its commitments under the USMCA and puts our other agricultural trading partners on notice that they must play by the rules. I am hopeful of a swift resolution that allows Canadian consumers access to high-quality U.S. dairy products and delivers the economic opportunities promised under USMCA to U.S. dairy farmers.”



Statement by Mark McHargue, President, Regarding Establishing a Dairy Dispute Settlement Panel under USMCA

“Nebraska Farm Bureau is pleased to see the announcement from United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Katherine Tai that the United States has established a dispute settlement panel under United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to ensure Canada follows through with their dairy import obligations. The provisions giving more Canadian access to U.S. dairy producers was one of the most significant wins in the USMCA. Trade agreements only work if their provisions are enforced, and this move by Ambassador Tai continues to show the world the U.S. expects our trading partners to uphold their commitments.”



Dairy Industry Applauds USTR Decision to Pursue USMCA Dispute Settlement Case Enforcing Dairy Market Access Obligations in Canada

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) praised today’s announcement that U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has initiated a U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dispute settlement proceeding over Canada’s administration of dairy tariff rate quotas (TRQs).

USDEC and NMPF have been calling for full enforcement of Canada’s trade obligations given Canada’s ongoing refusal to change how it handles dairy market access under USMCA. Initiating an official dispute settlement will, under USMCA rules, establish a panel to determine whether Canada has been violating its trade obligations. If the panel determines a lack of compliance, the U.S. would then be granted the right to impose retaliatory duties if Canada fails to fix its problematic TRQ administrative practices.

“On behalf of America’s dairy farmers, we thank Ambassador Katherine Tai for initiating the USMCA dispute settlement process by requesting the formation of a panel to examine Canada’s failure to provide access to its dairy TRQs in accordance with USMCA,” said Jim Mulhern, NMPF President and CEO. “Canada has failed to take the necessary action to comply with its obligations under USMCA by inappropriately restricting access to its market. This needs to stop and we are thankful that USTR intends to make that happen.”

“Our appreciation goes to the Biden Administration for moving forward with a dispute settlement action against Canada’s administration of dairy TRQs,” said Krysta Harden, USDEC President and CEO. “We have had long-standing and well-founded concerns that Canada undermines its trade agreements when it comes to dairy. Our trading partners need to know that failure to meet their agricultural trade commitments with the United States will result in robust action to defend U.S. rights – today’s action demonstrates just that. The expansion of dairy market access opportunities is critical for our industry. Today’s action is a critical step toward maximizing current export opportunities while sending a strong message in defense against the erection of future barriers in Canada and other markets as well.”
 
USDEC and NMPF have carefully monitored Canada’s actions regarding its USMCA dairy commitments and have urged the administration and Congress to make this a priority as soon as USMCA entered into force. The organizations highlighted for USTR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture the inconsistencies between Canada’s dairy TRQ allocations and Canada’s USMCA obligations. In a detailed filing submitted to the administration, NMPF and USDEC provided the agencies with a specific review of the Canadian TRQ system and an explanation of the negative impacts resulting from them.

The concerns raised by USDEC and NMPF have been echoed by a broad bipartisan coalition of members of Congress. Most recently, several leading members of the House Ways and Means and Agriculture Committees joined together on a bipartisan message to USTR urging further enforcement action and multiple members of Congress shared a similar message during Amb. Tai’s trade oversight hearings in May. Prior to that, Senators broached the topic with USTR during Ambassador Tai’s confirmation hearing process. Last August, 104 Representatives sent a letter to USTR and USDA asking for Canada to be held accountable to its trade promises while a letter in the Senate was signed by 25 Senators. USDEC and NMPF commend the continued engagement of so many members of Congress on this important issue.



Foundation for Agriculture Awards $9,500 in Grants to Elevate Ag Literacy

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has awarded $9,500 in grants to 10 communities that are creating new and exciting ways to help learners of all ages understand agriculture and the important role it plays in their lives. The grants are funded through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education program.

“The Foundation for Agriculture is pleased to highlight these 10 communities that are bringing innovative agricultural literacy ideas into the classroom,” said Daniel Meloy, executive director of the foundation. “The grant program is an exceptional way for educators, volunteers and other leaders to get started on or expand an ag literacy project.”

Criteria for selecting winners included: the effectiveness of demonstrating a strong connection between agriculture and education, how successfully the project enhances learner engagement in today’s food, fiber and fuel systems, and the timeliness and processes for accomplishing project goals. Grants are awarded twice a year, in the spring and fall.

2021 Fall Grant Recipients include

Lancaster County Farm Bureau, Nebraska    
Lancaster County Farm Bureau plans to add an exhibit about the science of growing corn to their Fun on the Farm engagement zone at the county fair. Visitors will also be able to bring home their own corn plants to watch the process themselves.

Carroll County Farm Bureau, Iowa   
Carroll County Farm Bureau will create a Building Agricultural Relationships Now (BARN) project, supplying students and teachers with an agricultural library. Six local schools will receive a book BARN tailored for Pre-K through fifth grade students.

West Pottawattamie County Farm Bureau, Iowa       
West Pottawattamie County Farm Bureau will create a Building Agricultural Relationships Now (BARN) project, supplying students and teachers with an agricultural library. Six local schools will receive a book BARN tailored for Pre-K through fifth grade students.

The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education, which honors two former American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee chairwomen Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, is a project of the Foundation in cooperation with the Women’s Leadership Committee. White and Reinhardt were trailblazers in early national efforts to expand the outreach of agricultural education and improve agricultural literacy.



ARS Scientists Are Developers of Most Used Prediction Technologies to Reduce Soil Loss

Agricultural Research Service scientists designed seven of the top ten—13 of the top 25—most used predictive technologies/simulation models that are reducing the loss of soil to erosion around the world, according to a recently published study.

Although originally developed for cutting down soil losses due to erosion from agricultural practices, today these models also are reducing soil loss from erosion on construction sites, mined land, road corridors, logging and clear-cut areas, landfills, even military training grounds and more in at least 126 countries.

Soil erosion by water has been estimated to annually cost about $8 billion to the global gross domestic product and reduce global agri-food production by 33.7 million tons with accompanying rises in world agri-food prices of up to 3.5 percent, according to a 2019 study. Further, some agronomists hold that soil erosion can unlock and increase carbon dioxide emissions.

Prediction technologies allow researchers, regulators and land managers to model how changes in various practices will affect the amount of soil that will be lost to erosion, at scales ranging from a single hillslope to whole watersheds. They can compare the likely benefits of applying different soil conservation practices.

Number two on the list of most used erosion prediction models is the progenitor of them all: the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), which ARS first published as a complete technology in 1965. USLE began as a fairly simple equation that gave an answer in tons of soil lost per acre per year by multiplying a few direct factors representing rainfall, soil type, cropping system, conservation practices and hillslope steepness and length.

Experts have hailed the USLE as the most significant development in soil and water conservation in the 20th century.

Number one on the list—the single most applied soil erosion model in the world—is an outgrowth of USLE, published by ARS as the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in 1997. RUSLE was adapted for sophisticated computer interfaces including graphics, as well as given new weighting of some factors that made the model independent of land-use. This broadened RUSLE’s applicability.

RUSLE has been revised several times since that first publication, each time adding new capabilities. For example, RUSLE2 treats land use as a continuum taking into account that previous use affects erosion under a new use. Other factors like the type of vegetative cover—crop, pasture, woodland, bare ground—also were added making the simulation more accurate.

In the wake of these two big picture models—USLE and RUSLE—ARS researchers have developed specialized models, each meant to provide greater detail in a particular area of controlling erosion. The ARS Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model was designed to provide more reliable modelling of waterflow and sedimentation movement in small water channels all the way up to giant watersheds.

Other models/predictive technologies on the list focus on predicting the impact of land management practices on water, sediment and agricultural chemicals in large complex watersheds such as the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), predicting the relationship between soil erosion and soil productivity such as the Erosion Productivity and Impact Calculator (EPIC) and predicting runoff and erosion rates on rangelands using Range Land Hydrology Models (RHEM).

The goal of all the models that ARS scientists develop and continue to refine is to help preserve one of the most valuable resources there is: productive soil, for which there is no replacement.

The study, published in Science of the Total Environment, was conducted by 67 soil erosion scientists from 25 countries.



USDA Announces New Initiative to Quantify Climate Benefits of Conservation Reserve Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced an initiative to quantify the climate benefits of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts. This multi-year effort will enable USDA to better target CRP toward climate outcomes and improve existing models and conservation planning tools while supporting USDA’s goal of putting American agriculture and forestry at the center of climate-smart solutions to address climate change.

“CRP is a powerful tool for implementing voluntary, measurable conservation outcomes to mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Nearly 21 million acres currently enrolled in the program prevent the equivalent of more than 12 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Further quantifying program benefits will allow us to better target CRP to achieve continued climate wins across environmentally sensitive lands while strengthening our modeling and conservation planning resources for all producers.”

CRP Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation Projects
FSA has historically worked with partners to identify Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation (MAE) projects to quantify CRP environmental benefits to water quality and quantity, wildlife and rural economies. The agency will now invest $10 million through this program to measure and monitor the soil carbon sequestration and other climate and environmental benefits of conservation practices over the life of CRP contracts.

This effort will allow USDA to better target climate outcomes through CRP while gaining critical data to calibrate, validate and further improve quantification methods within existing models and tools. One model of focus is the Daily Century Model, or DayCent, which simulates the movement of carbon and nitrogen through agricultural systems and informs the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Data will also be used to strengthen the COMET-Farm and COMET-Planner tools, which enable producers to evaluate potential carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emission reductions based on specific management scenarios.

Request for Proposals
USDA is seeking proposals for projects to survey, sample and measure the climate benefits of land enrolled in the following CRP practice types over time:
    Predominately Perennial grass with legumes and shrubs, depending on the practice
    Tree
    Wetland, including both mineral and organic soils and both floodplain and non-floodplain wetlands

A project can cover one or more of the above practice types and should be for a three- to five-year term, with the potential for renewal. Projects should be a minimum of $1 million and not exceed $9 million.

Applications are welcome from all types of organizations, including public, private and nonprofit institutions. Project proposals can be from a single entity or from a group of partners who coordinate efforts. Applications from or in partnership with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU), Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCU) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) or organizations will be considered as part of the selection process.

The deadline for proposals is July 2, 2021. Visit the request for proposals for more information on requirements, project deliverables, evaluation criteria and how to submit your proposal. Visit FSA’s Monitoring, Assessment and Evaluation page for additional information on CRP MAEs.

Conservation Reserve Program
CRP is one of the world’s largest voluntary conservation programs with an established track record of preserving topsoil, sequestering carbon, reducing nitrogen runoff and providing healthy habitat for wildlife.

In exchange for a yearly rental payment, agricultural producers enrolled in the program agree to remove environmentally sensitive land from production and plant species that will improve environmental health and quality. Land is enrolled in CRP for 10 to 15 years, with the option of re-enrollment. FSA offers multiple CRP signups, including the general signup and continuous signup – both currently open – as well as CRP Grasslands and pilot programs focused on soil health and clean water.

In April, USDA announced updates to CRP including higher payment rates, new incentives for environmental practices and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. This included a new Climate-Smart Practice Incentive for CRP general and continuous signups that aims to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate-Smart CRP practices include establishment of trees and permanent grasses, development of wildlife habitat and wetland restoration. Download our “What’s New” fact sheet to learn more about program updates.