Monday June 14 Crop Progress Report + Ag News

 NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION

For the week ending June 13, 2021, there were 6.1 days suitable for fieldwork, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 6% very short, 27% short, 65% adequate, and 2% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 7% very short, 31% short, 61% adequate, and 1% surplus.

Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 13% fair, 62% good, and 22% excellent.

Soybean condition rated 1% very poor, 2% poor, 10% fair, 67% good, and 20% excellent.  Soybeans emerged was 91%, near 93% last year, but ahead of 85% for the five-year average.

Winter wheat condition rated 3% very poor, 8% poor, 31% fair, 48% good, and 10% excellent.  Winter wheat headed was 93%, ahead of 82% last year and 88% average.

Sorghum condition rated 0% very poor, 1% poor, 19% fair, 70% good, and 10% excellent.  Sorghum planted was 87%, behind 96% last year, and near 90% average. Headed was 1%, equal to last year.

Oats condition rated 2% very poor, 6% poor, 31% fair, 52% good, and 9% excellent. Oats headed was 70%, ahead of 64% last year and 62% average.

Dry edible beans planted was 74%, behind 91% last year, but well ahead of 52% average. Emerged was 46%, behind 60% last year, but well ahead of 21% average.

Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3% very poor, 10% poor, 55% fair, 27% good, and 5% excellent.



IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT

Continued dry conditions allowed farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 13, 2021 according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. In addition to planting, field activities included spraying post emergence herbicides, side dressing nitrogen, and harvesting hay.

Topsoil moisture levels rated 24% very short, 46% short, 30% adequate and 0% surplus. The percentage of topsoil moisture rated short to very short increased from 39% to 70% over the week ending June 13. Subsoil moisture levels rated 21% very short, 50% short, 29% adequate and 0% surplus. Subsoil moisture conditions in northwest, north central, west central, central and south central Iowa rated close to 80% short to very short.

Across the State, farmers saw signs of crop stress in fields due to lack of precipitation and high heat. Corn emergence is nearly complete except for some re-planted fields. Iowa’s corn condition rated 63% good to excellent, 14 percentage points below the previous week.

Statewide, soybeans emerged reached 93%, 9 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybean condition rated 61% good to excellent, 12 percentage points worse than last week. There were scattered reports of soybeans blooming.

Oats headed reached 56%, 3 days ahead of normal. Across Iowa, oats are starting to turn color. Iowa’s oat condition rated 57% good to excellent.

The first cutting of alfalfa hay reach 87% complete, 6 days ahead of normal. Hay condition fell to 55% good to excellent.

Pasture condition dropped to 41% good to excellent. High temperatures were stressful for livestock.



USDA: US Corn, Soybean Conditions Take Hit From Hot, Dry Weather

Corn and soybean conditions reflected the stress caused by hot and dry weather across central, northern and western parts of the country last week, as USDA NASS reported a drop in good-to-excellent ratings for both crops in its weekly Crop Progress report on Monday.

NASS estimated corn condition at 68% good to excellent as of Sunday, June 13, down 4 percentage points from 72% the previous week and now the eighth-lowest rating for the crop at this time of year in the past 12 years. Corn emerged was pegged at 96%, 5 percentage points ahead of the average of 91%.

Soybean conditions also fell, sliding 5 percentage points from 67% good to excellent the previous week to 62% as of Sunday, the second-lowest rating for the crop in 12 years.  NASS estimated that 94% of the intended soybean crop was planted as of Sunday, 6 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 88%. Eighty-six percent of soybeans had emerged, 12 percentage points ahead of the five-year average of 74%.

Meanwhile, the winter wheat harvest logged a sluggish second week, moving ahead just 2 percentage points last week to reach 4% complete as of Sunday. That is 10 percentage points behind last year's 14% and 11 percentage points behind the five-year average of 15%.  Winter wheat condition was rated 48% good to excellent, down 2 percentage points from 50% the previous week.

Spring wheat emergence was estimated at 96% as of Sunday, just 1 percentage point ahead of average. Eight percent of spring wheat was headed, ahead of 4% at the same time last year and 2 percentage points ahead of the average of 8%.  Spring wheat condition fell again last week, but not as much as the previous week. NASS pegged the crop's condition at 37% good to excellent, down just 1 percentage point from 38% the previous week.

Sorghum was 72% planted, 3 percentage points behind the average. Sorghum headed was 13%, also 3 percentage points behind average.

Cotton planting was 90% complete, 1 percentage point ahead of the five-year average. Cotton squaring was 13%, 3 percentage points behind average. Cotton condition was rated 45% good to excellent, down 1 percentage point from 46% the previous week.

Rice was pegged at 96% emerged and 1% headed. Rice condition was rated 72% good to excellent, down 3 percentage points from 75% the previous week.

Oats heading was at 50%. Oats were rated 42% in good-to-excellent condition, down 4 percentage points from 46% the previous week.

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Nebraska Farm Bureau Awards Student Project Grants to 4-H and FFA students in Clay, Knox, Chase, and Wayne Counties

Nebraska Farm Bureau Student Project Grants, supported by the Charles Marshall Fund at the Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation, were awarded to four deserving student Farm Bureau members in Clay, Knox, Chase, and Wayne counties. Each student was awarded one thousand dollars to be used to either begin or expand their 4-H project or FFA Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE) project.

“We are proud of the entrepreneurial spirt our student members embrace and are very impressed by the passion they have for each of their projects,” said Audrey Schipporeit, director of generational engagement. “We hope these funds will help them achieve their goals and look forward to watching them continue to bring new ideas and ventures in their communities for years to come.”

These grants are awarded to Nebraska Farm Bureau student members each year. If selected, the student must share how they have used the grant towards starting or growing their 4-H or SAE projects. Winners were selected by a Farm Bureau committee.

Grant recipients are as follows:
    Hannah Miller is a member of the Clay County Farm Bureau and is using her grant money toward expanding her small business, Hannah’s Homegrown Pumpkins. She grows and decorates the pumpkins and is expanding her patch this year with additional seed varieties and Indian Corn.

    Logan Doerr is a Knox County Farm Bureau member and owns his own cow/calf pairs. He plans to grow his herd and expand its genetics to keep home-raised heifer calves.

    Morayah Cupp is a Chase County Farm Bureau member. Cupp has a small business where she rents out mobile chicken coops to families in her community and the surrounding area. She currently has eight coops to rent and plans to expand to 10 this fall.  

    Makinzie Parsons is a Wayne County Farm Bureau member and raises registered goats to be used for summer goat shows. She plans to expand her operation by purchasing young goats along with updating her goat facilities and show equipment.

Those interested in applying for the Student Project Grants must meet certain requirements. Applicants must hold a current Nebraska Farm Bureau student membership and be ages 16-23 to participate. To join Nebraska Farm Bureau and learn more, visit www.nefb.org.



Nebraska Farm Bureau Announces 2021-2022 Class of The Crew

Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has identified 10 social media savvy student members to join The Crew. The Crew participants share their love of agriculture through social media and are selected from NEFB student members, who range in age from 16 to 23. Each member is selected in the spring and participates for one year.

The 2021-2022 class of The Crew represents county Farm Bureaus from across the state. They are: Madalynn Graham of Cedar County; Jenna Hallock of Keya Paha County; Emily Kerbs and Ruby Molini of Lancaster County; Sidney Kucera of Madison County; Carson and Cody Maricle of Boone County; Jocelyn Pohl of Morrill County; Carly Schaad of Platte County; and Lacey Schmidt of Thayer County.

“Nebraska Farm Bureau places a high priority in training the next generation of agricultural leaders as part of our strategic plan. In coordination with NEFB student membership, The Crew provides an added benefit of being a student member and an opportunity to gain hands-on agriculture communication experiences,” said Audrey Schipporeit, Nebraska Farm Bureau director of generational engagement.

The ideal Crew member looks like this:
•       Supports and amplifies Nebraska Farm Bureau’s messaging,
•       Creates original content to portray accurate agriculture messages,
•       Participates in facilitated learning sessions from industry professionals, and
•       Leads social media advocacy for their generation.

“During their year-long experience, Crew members, work toward a series of milestones centered on social media sharing. In addition, they write posts for Nebraska Farm Bureau’s ‘Stories From the Field’ blog and attend ‘field days’ where they learn real-world applications of communication practices. We hope people follow along this year as these students bring to life rural America through their work on social media,” Schipporeit said. Check out #neagcrew on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.



Saunder County Livestock annual twilight tour is June 21

The Saunders Co. Livestock Association annual twilight tour is Monday June 21st, 5;00 p.m. 1st stop Rezac Family Farm; calving/backgrounding hoop building... address is 776 county road 29 Valparaiso.  The next stop is Ohnoutka Farms Inc; Feed Yard. 2636 Main road, Valparaiso. Third stop is Windcrest Winery; 3110 west branched oak road, Raymond. The final stop will be Settje Agri Service; Livestock system design & construction, 15460 NW 48th Rd, Raymond.   There will be a meal to follow. Car pooling is encouraged. For more info call Dan Kellner or any director.    



Do not let pinkeye decrease efficiencies in summer grazing
Connor Biehler, Beef Systems Asst. Extension Educator

It is no secret that rainfall and humidity aid in the quality and quantity of summer forage production. However, these two factors also contribute to the fly populations. Not only do large fly populations cause irritation that creates devastating production losses, but also spreads infectious bovine keratoconjunctivitis (IBK) or pinkeye. Pinkeye is a highly contagious disease that promotes inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva portions of the eye. The occurrence of pinkeye increases in the spring and peaks in the summer months before decreasing in the fall. The severity of pinkeye ranges from mild to severe, can cause blindness if left untreated, and will likely cause significant reductions in performance of cattle.

 Calves who have been plagued with pink eye will weigh as much as 60 pounds lighter on sale day. Once pinkeye begins to spread in a herd, it can be difficult to contain.  Therefore, it is highly encouraged for producers to mitigate risk factors. Face flies are attracted to the excessive tearing of the eye caused by the irritation. They then pick up the causative bacteria of pinkeye and begin transferring it to other animals, with the ability to infect several animals in the same day. Importantly, producers need to address these symptoms immediately before exponential growth causes significant production losses.

In most scenarios, the best way to prevent an outbreak is to control the flies. Fly control comes in many forms and can include pour-ons, fly tags, sprays, or dust-bags. Fly tags work best when administered at the proper time. Unfortunately, this optimal time usually falls after vaccinating and de-horning. If administered then, the efficacy of the fly tag will be compromised due to these dates usually taking place 60 days prior to fly season. Many pinkeye vaccines require a booster closer to fly season. This could potentially be a good time administer fly tags.

Other ways to reduce pinkeye:
    Reduce as many risk factors as possible that cause damage to corneal surface. This could be done by clipping mature seedheads to reduce levels of dust or foreign objects that can irritate the eyes.  
    Ultraviolet sunlight increases the chances of disease development. Be sure to provide plenty of shade. Breeds that lack pigment on their eyelids, such as Herefords and Charolais are more susceptible to pinkeye because of increased sensitivity to sunlight.
    Proper vaccination protocols such as timing of vaccination and which vaccine to use in your area should be discussed well in advance with your veterinarian.  
    As always be sure to follow sound nutrition protocols to maintain optimal health. If trace mineral levels such as selenium and copper are very low, or vitamin A for cattle on low quality forages, the animal’s immune system will be compromised, exacerbating the effects of pinkeye.

For more information on Nebraska Beef Extension or pinkeye reach me at my office (402) 624-8007 or follow my twitter page @BigRedBeefTalk for more information on Nebraska Beef Extension.



Webinar to explore dairy expansion in Nebraska

The economic impact of expanding dairy processing in Nebraska will be the focus of a Nebraska Extension webinar at noon on June 17.

Nebraska has significantly expanded its annual corn and soybean production over the last decade, creating an opportunity to expand value-added agricultural production across the state. One opportunity is to significantly expand the dairy cattle industry by bringing in a cluster of dairies in conjunction with a dairy processor, such as a fluid milk, cheese, butter or yogurt plant.

The leap in production would be difficult to achieve but has the potential to expand employment opportunities in Nebraska’s small metropolitan areas, as well as rural regions, according to a recent report from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The webinar will review findings from the report, which considers the potential economic impact of developing a new cluster of dairies in conjunction with differing sizes of a fluid milk, butter, cheese or yogurt plant located in Grand Island, Norfolk or Sioux City.

The authors of the report will present the webinar. They are Elliott Dennis, assistant professor of livestock economics, Eric Thompson, an economics professor and director of the Bureau of Business Research and Ellie Foral, an undergraduate research student. The webinar is produced by the extension farm and ranch management team in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

Registration is free at farm.unl.edu/webinars.



Papio-Missouri River NRD Leads Water Basin Tour

Approximately 75 directors and staff from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts convened in Omaha for the annual NRD Basin Tour hosted by the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Papio NRD) June 7-8, 2021.

“It was a pleasure hosting the Basin Tour this year to demonstrate the natural resource management opportunities and challenges facing the only metropolitan class city in the state,” said John Winkler, Papio NRD general manager. “We are an extremely active and diverse district with a great deal of flood control, recreation, conservation, and resource management projects and programs, so this was a great opportunity to highlight our efforts.”

Winkler, along with Marlin Petermann, assistant general manager, and Paul Woodward, groundwater management engineer, led the two-day tour showcasing several projects that protect lives and property in the Omaha Metropolitan area including unique flood control projects that provide multi-purpose benefits to local communities.

Traditionally, the educational tour includes NRD directors and staff, state agency personnel and political representatives. Sen. Robert Clements joined the first day of the tour and was able to learn more about the unique natural resources challenges that face Legislative District 2.

“I enjoyed the very informative Papio NRD tour,” said Nebraska Sen. Robert Clements. “I learned much about flood control projects, which I had not known before.”
 
The tour included several stops and tours of conservation projects underway that protect both urban and rural natural resources. Some of the 2021 tour highlights included:
    2019 Flooding Impacts
    Glacier Creek Preserve
    Groundwater Management Projects
    Multi-Purpose Flood Control Reservoirs
    Missouri and Platte Rivers Levee Systems
    Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Project Sites
    Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge & Omaha Floodwall
    Offutt Air Force Base and U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM)

“Basin tours give NRD directors a unique look at the conservation challenges that are being faced around the state,” said Jim Eschliman, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts president and Lower Loup NRD director. “I enjoy seeing partnerships in action like Papio NRD’s work to protect critical infrastructure around Offutt Air Force Base.”

The NRD Basin Tour explores a different water basin each year. The hosting NRD showcases conservation projects, partnerships and the local communities in which they live and work. For more information on NRD events and activities, visit www.nrdnet.org.



Heartland Coop Promotes Behrens to EVP

Heartland Co-op announced in February that Chris Behrens was selected as the cooperative’s Executive Vice  President  of  Sales  and  Marketing.  Behrens,  who  has  been  employed  at  Heartland  Co-op  since January 2019 and served as Regional Operations Manager for  Region  2, succeeds Dave Coppess,  who  retired December 25, 2020.  Behrens assumed his new role February 25, 2021.

The  Heartland  Co-op  Senior  Staff feel  very  fortunate  to  have  the  talent, on  staff, to  fill  this  very  important  role from  within  our  employee  base.  Chris’s   farm supply cooperative experience will  serve  our members and employees well.  The Heartland Co-op Staff looks forward to working with Chris as our company grows and moves forward.

Heartland  Co-op  (www.heartlandcoop.com)  has  corporate  offices  located  in  West  Des  Moines,  Iowa  and consists of a total of 75 locations in Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and New Mexico.  The organization serves more than   6,000 members with operations in grain handling and marketing, fertilizer and application, agriculture chemicals and application, livestock feed and processing, agriculture energy products, and propane.



USDA Announces Dates for Conservation Reserve Program General and Grasslands Signups

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set a July 23, 2021, deadline for agricultural producers and landowners to apply for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup 56. Additionally, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will accept applications for CRP Grasslands from July 12 to August 20. This year, USDA updated both signup options to provide greater incentives for producers and increase its conservation benefits, including reducing the impacts of climate change.

Both signups are competitive and will provide for annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.

“We are excited to roll out our new and improved CRP General and Grasslands signups,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Bottom line, CRP now makes more financial sense for producers while also providing a bigger return on investment in terms of natural resource benefits. The General and Grasslands signups are part of a broader suite of tools available through CRP to integrate key conservation practices on our nation’s working lands.”

General Signup
Through CRP, producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Lands enrolled in CRP also play a key role in mitigating impacts from climate change, and FSA has added a new Climate-Smart Practice Incentive for practices that sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

FSA is also adding a one-time “inflationary” adjustment for payment rates, as well as having more flexibility on adjusting soil rental rates.

FSA opened the General Signup in January 2021 and extended the original deadline to July 23, 2021, to enable producers to consider FSA’s new improvements to the program.

Grasslands Signup
CRP Grasslands helps landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland, and pastureland and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as grazing lands. Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and improves environmental quality.

FSA has updated the Grasslands Signup to establish a minimum rental rate of $15 per acre, as well as new National Grassland Priority Zones.

How to Sign Up
To enroll in the CRP General signup, producers and landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center by the July 23 deadline. To enroll in the CRP Grasslands signup, they should contact USDA by the August 20 deadline. While USDA offices may have limited visitors because of the pandemic, Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. To work with FSA, producers and landowners should contact their local USDA Service Center. Contact information can be found at farmers.gov/service-locator.

More Information on CRP
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits. The program marked its 35-year anniversary this past December.



NGFA concerned by higher, non-targeted CRP rental rates

National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) President and CEO Mike Seyfert made the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) June 14 announcement to offer Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) rental rates that are 10 percent more than the maximum allowed by the 2018 farm law.

“The NGFA and its members encourage efforts to preserve fragile lands and enhance environmental benefits. NGFA is fully supportive of working lands programs, including the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), because they provide incentives to help producers adopt best management practices to maintain and expand their output while improving environmental outcomes. However, NGFA is deeply concerned with proposals to expand the CRP that will take significant acreage out of production and place the U.S. at a competitive disadvantage globally, while risking making it harder for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers to compete on rental rates and gain access to land needed to expand their operations.

“The 2018 farm law established the maximum CRP rental rates for land enrolled through general sign-ups at 85 percent of each county’s average cash rental rate and 90 percent for land enrolled under continuous CRP sign-ups. Congress established the maximum CRP rental rate levels to help ensure CRP is targeting marginal farmland and not competing with farmers for productive farmland. NGFA supported these changes in the 2018 law and is concerned by USDA’s decision to offer CRP rental rates exceeding the statutory maximums by 10 percent and believes the higher rates will lead to enrollment of productive farmland. This decision also runs counter to signals from the market encouraging farmers to maintain and expand production. Programs that increase acreage idling in the United States weaken our food and agricultural supply chains and send market signals to competitors to plant more acres, resulting in negative climate and environmental impacts. We look forward to working with USDA to promote conservation in a manner that enhances environmental benefits while preserving U.S. agricultural productivity and competitiveness and maintaining access to farmland for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.”



Substantial Cattle Price Volatility
Stephen R. Koontz, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University

Fed cattle, feeder cattle, and calf prices have been displaying substantial volatility since April. There is simply much uncertainty about the path through the rest of the year. And it is unlikely the volatility will dissipate.

There is considerable optimism about cattle markets. Beef margins are at extraordinary levels and boxed beef product cut prices are rather high. And this is in the face of substantial production. There is some refilling of meat product pipelines, the supply chains continue to adjust to changes in product flows, and there is substantial improvement in consumer demand. All three are occurring, strengthening prices, and some portion will likely persist into the future. How will these markets react if production tightens some this fall? It appears unlikely that downstream prices and packer margins will weaken.

There are also strong exports of all red meat proteins. Pork and beef exports are not showing substantial gains but they remain strong. What is showing substantial gains are by product values – in particular beef by products – and these valuations are largely impacted by exports. This is a return market conditions not observed in some time.

And yet there remains considerable pessimism. Packers are running substantial volumes. The Saturday kill has routinely been over 60 thousand head per week. This portion of the marketing system is running at capacity. If a packer has access to an addition portion of a shift worth of cattle there is simply not an additional day of the week to run. Further, if they could run then would they be able to secure the trained labor? Add to this concern, the return of feed grain prices to strong rallies. Feed costs are returning to close to the levels set last month. Forage prices are also strengthening with the persistent hot weather and drought in the west and northern plains. And it still only June – there is July and August yet to go in the hay season. Feed prices and costs of gain are a substantial worry to cattle owners.

Through the month of May the elevated beef cow slaughter has communicated the drought impacts. There was some evidence early in the year of cows moving from the west and northern plains to the moisture laden southeast. That has likely not stopped by beef cow slaughter has increased counter-seasonally. This is of course bearish news in the short term but bullish news long-term.



Members of Congress Seek Delay in European Union Action to Prevent Disruption of U.S. Dairy Exports

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today thanked congressional leaders seeking to prevent trade disruptions of U.S. dairy exports to the European Union (EU). Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Jim Costa (D-CA) and John Katko (R-NY) wrote to EU Ambassador to the United States Stavros Lambrinidis, urging a delayed implementation of new EU certification requirements for imports of U.S. dairy and composite food products and greater recognition of the strength of the U.S. system in producing safe exports.  

"On behalf of America's dairy farmers, processors, and exporters, we thank Representatives Kind, Walorski, Costa and Katko for emphasizing to European leadership the need to prevent significant trade disruptions to U.S. dairy exports," said Krysta Harden, USDEC President and CEO. "The U.S. government and American dairy industry have been making a reasonable request to delay implementation of the EU’s new certification requirements, which fail to recognize the safety of U.S. dairy products and the high level of animal health protections in our industry. If the EU wants to steer its trade relationship with the U.S. toward stronger ground, it should start by changing its plan to choke off access for dairy and other products later this summer."

"We appreciate the bipartisanship support by key members of Congress writing to the EU Ambassador, calling for immediate action to delay implementation of new, unwarranted certification requirements for U.S. dairy and composite food products until U.S. and EU government officials negotiate a mutually agreeable solution," said Jim Mulhern, NMPF President and CEO. "U.S. dairy farmers and processors continually have to chase new mandates by the European Union to retain our current access, even when there are no safety concerns with American dairy products. This type of unwarranted red tape is exactly the type of nontariff trade barrier that drives a gaping dairy trade deficit between the U.S. and the EU."

The European Commission published new certification requirements at the end of 2020 for a wide range of food products, including dairy, adding confusing and vague requirements that threaten to upend U.S. dairy exports to the EU. Two sets of new requirements have posed concerns to the U.S. dairy industry: (1) revised import certificates for dairy products; and (2) new certification requirements for “composite products,” which are processed food products that contain ingredients of both animal and plant origin.




Corn Continues Helping Teachers Across the Country Sharpen Their STEM Skills

The school year may be over, but that doesn’t mean that learning stops.  Nourish the Future—a national education initiative developed by science teachers for science teachers—has a lineup of STEM workshops to help teachers and home-schooling parents to continue sharpening the saw this summer.

Not only will workshop attendees receive guidance through the hands-on lessons from Nourish the Future leaders, but they will also discover how science issues are solved through agriculture, learn what ag education pathways are available for students, and continue to build a professional network of teachers and industry experts.

“Nourish the Future helps shine the spotlight on agriculture and all it has to offer science education.  These workshops help inspire cutting-edge STEM curricula and, in turn, inspire students to consider careers in ag,” said Director of Research and Productivity at the National Corn Growers Association, Robyn Allscheid.  “This initiative encourages the critical-thinking skills needed to solve real-world problems.”

June 17, 2021, 8:30 a.m. CDT | NDSU Van Es Hall (Fargo, ND)
Exploring Biotech and Biofuels: A Nourish the Future Ag Biotech Workshop
Explore biotech and biofuels through hands-on lab activities and industry site visits.

June 24, 2021, 9 a.m. CDT | Le Meridien Hotel, Clayton (Clayton, MO)
Nourish the Future: Feeding and Fueling the World (St. Louis)
This workshop will help MS and HS science teachers understand more about the science of food production and sustainable fuels.

June 29, 2021, 8:30 am EDT | Online event
The Science of Food and Fuel: A Nourish the Future Ag Biotech Workshop (V)
The Science of Fuel and Food virtual workshop introduces teachers to the ways biotech skills are incorporated into agriculture.

June 29, 2021, 8:30 am EDT | Global Impact STEM Academy (Springfield, OH)
The Science of Food and Fuel: A Nourish the Future Ag Biotech Workshop (I)
The Science of Fuel and Food in-person workshop introduces teachers to the ways biotech skills are incorporated into agriculture.

Nourish the Future (NTF) is made possible through assistance of the National Corn Growers Association, the nation’s corn farmers, and their state corn checkoff programs.  For more information on additional 2021 workshops, curriculum, the upcoming NTF webinar series or local programs, visit nourishthefuture.org.