Monday October 07 Ag News

 USDA TO GATHER FARM CONSERVATION DATA TO LEARN TRENDS AND IMPROVE PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is reaching out to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to gather in-depth information about the conservation practices they use. Almost 12,000 operators nationwide have received the 2024 Conservation Effects Assessment Project Survey. Data obtained will support the third set of national and regional cropland assessments delivered by USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP), a multi-agency effort led by NRCS to quantify the effects of conservation practices across the nation’s working lands.

“The survey gives farmers the power to provide a more complete and accurate picture of the conservation practices on their lands and in their operations,” said Joe Parsons, NASS Administrator. “I urge farmers to participate if contacted, because their responses can help leaders focus on the conservation practices that most benefit both the farmer and the natural resources on which we all rely.”

CEAP cropland assessments quantify the environmental outcomes associated with implementation and installation of conservation practices on agricultural lands. Findings are used to guide conservation program development and support conservationists, agricultural producers, and partners in making informed management decisions backed by data and science. Specifically, CEAP results may help:
    • Evaluate the resources farmers may need in the future to further protect soil, water, and habitat.
    • Shed light on techniques farmers use to conserve healthy environments.
    • Improve and strengthen technical and financial programs that help landowners plan and install conservation practices on agricultural land.
    • Support the conservation programs that can help producers’ profits while also protecting natural resources.

This CEAP survey is conducted through a cooperative agreement between NRCS and NASS. NRCS will couple survey results with modeling to report on trends in cropland conservation – and associated outcomes – from 2024 through 2026.

“There are more than 300 million acres of cultivated cropland across the United States. These working lands are used by farmers and other land managers to grow a diversity of crops to provide food, fuel, and livestock feed for our nation and beyond,” said NRCS Chief Terry Cosby. “CEAP delivers critically important data to inform strategic voluntary conservation on cropland acres nationwide. This leads to healthier ecosystems, improved conservation effectiveness, stronger management of agricultural landscapes that are often more productive, and equitable delivery of NRCS programs and services.

Local NASS representatives visited farmers and agricultural landowners August through September of 2024 to determine if their operations and properties met the criteria to be considered eligible candidates for the survey. Eligible farmers and landowners may then be contacted between November 2024 and March 2025 and asked to participate in the survey. Typical questions will discuss farm production practices; chemical, fertilizer, and manure applications; tillage; irrigation use; and installed conservation practices. NASS will provide survey data to NRCS, the agency tasked with publishing findings.

Information provided to NASS and analyzed by NRCS is kept confidential, as required by federal law. The agencies only publish data in aggregate form, ensuring that no individual respondent or operation can be identified.

The data from this survey will be published in the Conservation Effects Assessment Project report on the CEAP Cropland Assessments webpage at nrcs.usda.gov/ceap/croplands. If you have questions about the survey, please contact us at 888-424-7828 or visit nass.usda.gov/go/ceap.



I-29 Moo University webinar on Oct. 17 to feature Holstein conformation and how it relates to production and lifespan

The I-29 Moo University Dairy Webinar Series continues Thursday, Oct. 17 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. CDT, with Dr. Jeffrey Bewley discussing how conformation relates to Holstein milk production and lifespan.

Dr. Jeffrey Bewley is from Rineyville, Kentucky where he grew up working on his grandfather's dairy farm. Bewley received a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky in 1998. In 2000, he completed his M.S. in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on dairy modernization. His PhD work at Purdue University focused on the application and economics of precision dairy farming technologies. For 9.5 years, Bewley was on the faculty at the University of Kentucky as an Extension Dairy Specialist. He has also worked with IceRobotics, PerforMix Nutrition, BoviSync, and Alltech.

Dr. Bewley is currently a Dairy Analytics and Innovation Scientist with Holstein Association USA. His professional interests include precision dairy monitoring technologies, dairy records management and analytics, dairy cattle genetics and genomics, economic decision support, animal health economics, compost bedded pack barn management and construction, freestall barn management and construction, mastitis management and prevention, and dairy farm financial analysis.  

Bewley received the American Dairy Science Association Foundation Scholar Award in Production and American Dairy Science Association Cargill Animal Nutrition Young Scientist Awards in 2015. He was named to the Vance Publishing 40 Under 40 for Agriculture Award in 2014. Bewley has published and presented extensively around the world.

He is an active member of the International Committee for Animal Recording, the National Mastitis Council, and the American Dairy Science Association. Dr. Bewley is also a certified CowSignals trainer, a MEX udder health coach, and a Lean Farming trainer.

Bewley pursues his passion for dairy cattle genetics as a partner in IceBlue Genetics and Fit Genetics, and he serves on the advisory boards of multiple dairy technology companies.

There is no fee to participate in the webinar; however, registration is required at least one hour before the webinar. Register online at https://go.iastate.edu/I29MOOUCONFORMATION.

For more information, contact: in Iowa, Fred M. Hall, 712-737-4230; in Minnesota, Jim Salfer, 320-203-6093; or in South Dakota, Patricia Villamediana, 605-688-4116.



NFU Endorses the Farm Ownership Improvement Act

Last week, National Farmers Union was proud to support the introduction of the bipartisan Farm Ownership Improvement Act, a bill we worked on with partners over the past year. The bill, led by Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Tina Smith (D-MN), should help young and beginning farmers be more competitive in the marketplace when they are seeking to purchase land using a USDA Farm Service Agency direct farm ownership loan.

NFU president Rob Larew issued the following statement in support of the bill:
“Access to affordable land is essential for the success of all farmers, and it’s an especially pressing challenge for young and beginning farmers. NFU appreciates Senators Welch, Hoeven, and Smith for introducing the Farm Ownership Improvement Act. By piloting a new process for the USDA Farm Service Agency’s direct ownership loan program, this bill would help make the dream of owning farmland a reality for more of the next generation of family farmers and ranchers.”



NPPC Secures 9th Circuit Victory Defending Producers' Freedom to Farm
 
In a significant victory for the U.S. pork industry, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, based in San Francisco, rejected a lawsuit from several activist groups who sought to impose sweeping changes to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) rules.
 
Last month, the National Pork Producers Council participated in oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit, successfully urging the court to reject the baseless lawsuit. At that hearing, the Ninth Circuit expressed frustration and significant concerns with Food & Water Watch’s approach and candor.
 
In its decision, the court made clear that EPA’s preferred approach to regulating livestock production, including the formation of its Animal Agriculture Water Quality Subcommittee, which includes representatives of the pork industry, to study water quality issues is the appropriate path for EPA and does not warrant throwing out decades of established law. As the court explained, EPA “deemed it prudent to first seek information about how best to tackle the problem before directing resources towards” new regulations. The court declared this process, which NPPC has been a close partner with the Biden Administration, “reasonable and hardly at odds with the Clean Water Act’s requirements,” as Food & Water Watch claimed.
 
For decades, the pork industry has demonstrated leadership in addressing environmental challenges and has maintained successful working relationships with federal, state, and local regulators to ensure their farms are constructed and maintained as zero-discharge operations. Major changes to long-standing federal laws can only come from congressional action, and it is inappropriate for these activist groups to seek to rewrite federal law through the courts when Congress has consistently rejected their outlandish demands.
 
This baseless lawsuit sought to use the court to upend livestock production across the country. By attacking core notions of due process and fundamental civil rights, including changing the burden of proof for proving violations of the Clean Water Act and having judges reject the clear intent of Congress to not regulate rainwater running across agricultural fields, these activists sought to put pork producers around the country out of business.



USDA Grain Inspection Advisory Committee to Meet October 29-30

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Grain Inspection Advisory Committee’s fall meeting will be held October 29-30 in Kansas City, Missouri. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Federal Grain Inspection Service will facilitate the meeting.

In addition to general program updates, agenda topics include:
    Presentations on cyber security.
    Discussions about the container handbook, handbook reviews and industry engagement.
    Discussions about equipment equivalency, technology in grain inspection, and lab scales.
    Phytosanitary issuance policy and emerging grain export issues.

To address the Advisory Committee during the meeting or submit written comments for distribution during the meeting, please contact Kendra.C.Kline@usda.gov.

Participation can be virtual or in person. Please visit the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee webpage for more information and to register to participate virtually.

Meeting dates, times and location:
AMS National Grain Center
10383 N. Ambassador Drive
Kansas City, Missouri 64153

Oct. 29, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT
Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m. to noon CT

The meeting Notice was published in the Federal Register on October 04, 2024.



USDA Dairy Products August 2024 Production Highlights

Total cheese output (excluding cottage cheese) was 1.20 billion pounds, 1.7 percent above August 2023 and 0.5 percent above July 2024. Italian type cheese production totaled 499 million pounds, 3.1 percent above August 2023 and 0.6 percent above July 2024. American type cheese production totaled 478 million pounds, 0.3 percent below August 2023 but 1.8 percent above July 2024. Butter production was 159 million pounds, 14.5 percent above August 2023 but 3.0 percent below July 2024.

Dry milk products (comparisons in percentage with August 2023)
Nonfat dry milk, human - 115 million pounds, up 2.2 percent.
Skim milk powder - 50.3 million pounds, down 29.4 percent.

Whey products (comparisons in percentage with August 2023)
Dry whey, total - 65.5 million pounds, down 21.6 percent.
Lactose, human and animal - 95.6 million pounds, up 3.5 percent.
Whey protein concentrate, total - 41.5 million pounds, up 1.7 percent.

Frozen products (comparisons in percentage with August 2023)
Ice cream, regular (hard) - 69.3 million gallons, up 5.9 percent.
Ice cream, lowfat (total) - 38.7 million gallons, down 8.8 percent.
Sherbet (hard) - 2.15 million gallons, up 4.0 percent.
Frozen yogurt (total) - 4.39 million gallons, up 1.2 percent.



USDA Invests more than $11 Million to Support Resiliency in U.S. Dairy Industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Friday announced $11.04 million in funding to support dairy businesses and producers under the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives (DBI) grant program, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. The initiatives support small and mid-sized dairy businesses in the development, production, marketing, and distribution of dairy products.

"USDA is committed to helping America's dairy industry remain competitive as they work hard to provide necessary, nutritious dairy products to communities nationwide," Vilsack said. "Through the Dairy Business Innovation Initiative, we aim to help the dairy industry access new and better market, spur innovation, and create economic growth. To date, the Initiatives have invested over $64 million into more than 600 projects that are increasing dairy supply chain resiliency, creating new markets, and expanding economic growth in rural economies.”

This year’s funds are being awarded noncompetitively to the four current DBI Initiatives at California State University, Fresno, the University of Tennessee, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, and the University of Wisconsin. The initiatives will use the funding to provide valuable technical assistance and subaward funds to dairy farmers and businesses across their regions, supporting them with business plan development, marketing, and branding, as well as increasing access to innovative production and processing techniques to support the development of value-added products.

This year’s DBI projects include:
    In California, Oregon, and Washington, the Pacific Coast Coalition will use $690,000 in new funding to continue revolutionizing the dairy sector by helping farmers tap into higher-value uses for milk, such as artisanal cheeses and organic dairy products. The Coalition’s workforce training program will ensure dairy businesses remain competitive, allowing producers to diversify markets and income.
    In the Southeast, the University of Tennessee will use $3.45 million to support farmers across 12 states, enabling them to integrate innovative practices such as on dairy innovation, product safety, farm sustainability, and workforce development to improve financial outcomes and diversify the dairy supply chain.
    In the Northeast, Vermont’s Dairy Business Innovation Center will use $3.45 million to extend its reach. As of August 2024, this initiative has provided $31 million in support for 333 projects, ranging from farm modernization to energy efficiency improvements, all aimed at boosting resilience and efficiency across the region’s dairy sector.
    The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance in Wisconsin will use $3.45 million to continue to empower dairy farmers and processors in the Midwest with grant programs and technical assistance, focusing on expanding market opportunities and supporting value-added dairy product innovation.

For more information, visit the AMS Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives webpage. Dairy farmers and businesses interested in the program must contact the appropriate initiative to be considered for direct technical assistance or a subaward.