Tuesday October 15 Ag News

 Northeast Community College to Lead National Ag Education Consortium

Northeast Community College (Northeast) in Norfolk, Neb. will be the headquarters of a national agriculture consortium for two-year colleges, serving as the lead institution and fiscal agent for the $9-million, four-year program.

Funding for the effort, a cooperative agreement between U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) and the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3), was announced recently.

C2A3 is a collaboration of nine schools across eight states that began eight years ago as a 501c3 organization. Member schools in addition to Northeast are Central Lakes College, Staples, Minn.; Clark State College, Springfield, Ohio; Illinois Central College, East Peoria, Ill.; Ivy Tech Community College, Lafayette, Ind.; Lake Area Technical College, Watertown, S.D.; Northcentral Technical College, Wausau, Wis.; Northeast Iowa Community College, Calmar, Iowa; and Richland Community College, Decatur, Ill.

Tracy Kruse, vice president of development and external affairs at Northeast, serves as the group’s executive director.

“C2A3 began as a Midwest consortium,” Kruse said. “But with this partnership, we will be able to expand to include colleges from across the nation. Our goal is to have at least 50 community and technical college members by the end of the four-year award period.”

C2A3 will become a national hub for two-year ag education, developing expertise and regionally specific programming and curriculum that can be replicated across the country. Through this alliance, member colleges can access these resources and gain assistance in building partnerships with their local and state USDA-NRCS offices.

Astrid Martinez, Director of the Conservation Planning and Technical Assistance division with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, has been very active in getting this agreement established. “C2A3 schools will increase students’ interest in agriculture, natural resources, and conservation, with a focus on preparing students for USDA jobs. National skill standards will be developed in natural resource conservation, precision agriculture, and agronomy,” said Martinez. “This is an important step in developing the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

The national ag education consortium will also encourage applied research and outreach activities on college farms and urban agriculture facilities. Several C2A3 schools, including Northeast, already have continuous projects in place that are related to soil quality, water quality, urban agriculture, livestock, and grazing.

Proposed projects include artificial intelligence and precision livestock; crop drainage and irrigation management; soil quality, field/pasture renovation, and cover crops; water quality, pond, and wetland management; silvopasture management; and urban agriculture.

“Student participation in applied research is the cornerstone of cultivating the next generation of agricultural innovators and problem solvers,” Kruse explained. “By using real-life examples of

conservation in classroom and laboratory experiences, students can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.”

The expanded C2A3 consortium will also create internship opportunities and student leadership experiences that include real life skills and networking with USDA employees. In addition, it will provide support for faculty and students to attend an annual conference and gain practical experiences and knowledge to put to future use.

“The rapid growth of technology in agriculture requires colleges to be nimble and respond quickly to changes within the industry,” Kruse said. “This alliance will support the colleges and provide them the tools to rapidly respond to the workforce needs within agriculture.”

This agreement will fund the hiring of four employees to implement this work, including the hiring of a national director, a curriculum designer, an outreach coordinator, and an executive assistant. These positions will work remotely and will be accessible to all member institutions and USDA-NRCS as the partnership is built.

The alliance is expected to start this work immediately. For more information on C2A3, visit www.agalliance.net.



Nebraska Soybean Board Partners with Nebraska Extension to Offer Free SCN Testing for Farmers

As the 2024 harvest season continues, the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB) is once again partnering with Nebraska Extension to help farmers protect their fields from soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the leading yield-limiting pest in soybean production.

Through this collaboration, Nebraska farmers can test their soil for SCN at no cost, thanks to NSB funding. This essential service can help farmers detect and manage SCN, which costs U.S. soybean producers an estimated $1.5 billion in lost yields annually. SCN can cause up to 30% yield loss without any visible symptoms.

“Even if you didn’t see SCN in your field, it doesn’t mean it’s not stealing yield,” said Dylan Mangel, Assistant Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Especially in years with sufficient rainfall, visible plant disease symptoms can go unnoticed. Testing soils continues to be the only effective way to identify which fields are infested with the parasite.”

October is SCN Action Month, the perfect time to test your fields for SCN as levels are at their highest post-harvest. Farmers can request free soil sample bags from their local Extension office or online. Once you have your sampling bags, follow these steps:

Collect Soil Samples:
    Use a 1-inch diameter soil probe or spade to collect at least 15-20 soil cores in a zigzag pattern across 10-20 acres.
    Samples should be taken from the root zone, about 6-8 inches deep.
    Combine and mix the cores in a bucket, then place at least 2 cups of the composite soil into a sealable plastic bag or a free SCN sample bag.

Sample High-Risk Areas:
    Consider sampling areas in fields with unexplained low yields, stunted or yellow plants, low spots, field entryways and areas impacted by flooding or sudden death syndrome.

Submit Samples to:
UNL Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic
1875 N 38th Street, 448 Plant Sciences Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583-0722

Be Sure to Include the Following Information:
    Name, address, and contact information
    Field name or ID, number of acres represented
    Crop history and this year’s crop

Once SCN is detected, farmers should take a proactive approach to managing the pest. "Management of SCN is necessary at any level," Mangel said. "Rotate to a non-host crop, try a different resistant variety, and consider a nematode-protectant seed treatment. The first and last step for SCN management is testing."



Nebraska Beef Council Funded Research Update at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Madison Doeschot - Nebraska Beef Council

Drs. Samodha Fernando and Gary Sullivan, both researchers and professors at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, are conducting innovative research that could transform the cattle industry with support from the Nebraska Beef Council. Their work focuses on different aspects of beef production, ranging from microbial solutions to improve animal health and reduce environmental impacts, to enhancing meat quality for consumers.

Dr. Fernando, who is a nutritional biochemist at UNL, has dedicated much of his research to understanding the role of microbes in ruminant health and nutrition. His current work, funded in part by the Nebraska Beef Council, seeks to reduce methane emissions from cattle by manipulating their gut microbiomes. One of his ongoing projects examines how early microbial colonization in calves can affect methane production throughout the animal's life.

Fernando's team has found that introducing beneficial microbes within the first 48 hours of a calf's life can have long-term effects and may be used to reduce methane emissions and improve the overall health of the animal. If successful, this strategy could help make cattle ranching more environmentally sustainable while enhancing livestock performance.

In addition to his work with methane reduction, Fernando is also exploring the development of probiotics as alternatives to antibiotics. This research, also supported by the Beef Council, aims to reduce the use of antibiotics in cattle, potentially improving food safety and animal health. Several of these probiotics are currently being tested, and companies are already showing interest in licensing these products for commercial use. Fernando’s research has attracted further funding from the USDA, highlighting the long-term potential of his work for both the industry and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Gary Sullivan, a meat scientist at UNL, focuses on improving the quality, safety and shelf life of processed meats. His research has also received significant support from the Nebraska Beef Council, particularly his recent work on high-pressure processing (HPP) for dark-cutting beef. Dark-cutting beef, which often results from stress in cattle prior to slaughter, is discounted in the market due to its darker appearance.

Sullivan’s research aims to use HPP to improve the color of dark-cutting beef, restoring its market value. By applying high pressure to packaged meat, the color and texture can be altered to appear more like standard beef products, thus reducing the financial loss associated with dark-cutting beef.

Sullivan’s team, which includes experts from the University of Nebraska and Oklahoma State University, has already shown promising results in initial studies. The application of HPP at specific pressures has been proven to successfully restore the bright red color associated with high-quality beef. The Nebraska Beef Council has funded further research to explore how this technique could be applied to larger cuts of meat, such as strip loins and tenderloins, with the goal of regaining lost value in the beef industry.

Both Drs. Fernando and Sullivan emphasized that the Nebraska Beef Council has been instrumental in funding their research, allowing them to test novel ideas and develop solutions that could benefit both the environment and beef producers. Their work is poised to have a lasting impact on the cattle industry, improving animal health, product quality and sustainability.



Saying goodbye to metal bangs tags and hello to EID tags
Bethany Johnston, Nebraska Extension Educator

If your heifers are bangs tagged, those orange metal clips will soon be a relic of the past. Starting November 5, 2024, your veterinarian will not be tagging with metal clips, but instead will use electronic identification (EID) tags.

Veterinarians used metal clips to identify heifers receiving the brucellosis vaccine (“bangs”), and to identify animals moving between states.

In the spring of 2024, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced mandatory EID tags for certain bovine classes.  This builds upon the 2013 ruling that only requested visual ID tags.  The electronic version will be used to track and contain animal disease outbreaks, just as the metal identification clips did.

What is a USDA 840 EID Tag?
The EID tags replacing the metal clips are USDA 840, showing the country code for the United States (840), with the official USDA shield.  The remaining 12 numbers are unique to the tag/animal.  The 840 tags provide animal identification to trace animal movements in the event of an animal disease.  The 15 numbers can be visually read off of the EID button, or can be read with a computerized EID reader or wand.

There are other types of EID tags, but only 840 EID tags will fulfill the APHIS ruling to replace the metal clips.

What does the EID mandate mean for cattle producers?
    Animals with the old metal tags already in their ears are “grandfathered in” and will not need new 840 EID tags.
    “840 EID” tags can come as “buttons” with no hanging tag, as long as the 15- digit number is viewable on the top of the button.  
        The buttons can come with matching visual hanging tags.
        Some “840 EID” tags should be placed in the middle rib of the ear, unlike the metal clips that were placed in the top portion of the ear.
            This could be an issue if you have a visual tag in each ear, plus a fly tag in each ear. Adding an EID tag would make 5 tags per animal, and you may run out of room in their middle ribs.
            Reach out to the tag manufacturer for tag placement recommendations.
    Producers will need to establish a premise ID number or use the premise ID number of their veterinarian.
    You or your veterinarian may put in 840 EID tags.  Your vet will put 840 EID tags only into animals that used to require a metal clip for identification.
        For example, if a producer tags all their calves at weaning with 840 EID tags, your vet will record those EID numbers when they give the bangs vaccine to your heifers.  The vet would not have to put a new EID tag in.
        Check with the sale barn on what records are required.  
            For example, if you are selling breeding heifers, records showing the EID numbers matching the “bangs” vaccination might be helpful.

What will change for your veterinarian?
    After November 5, 2024, your vet will be tagging with 840 EID tags instead of the metal tags.
    The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing a certain number of tags for each state, during the transition.  Nebraska veterinarians can receive tags for replacement animals.
    If a disease is traced back to that veterinarian’s premise ID number, then the vet will work with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture to track the path that animal.  Ideally, the EID tags will speed up the process and reduce losses during a disease outbreak.

More information can be found at the Animal Disease Traceability (ADT) website at: https://nda.nebraska.gov/adt/index.html .  The NDA will host an informational webinar on October 22, 2024 at 6 pm CT- to join the webinar, click here https://sonvideo.webex.com/sonvideo/j.php?MTID=m25e2a00d431592943e04aec2f73e6b80.



UPDATED EID TAG REQUIREMENTS FOR ANIMAL DISEASE TRACEABILITY

In April 2024, USDA-APHIS issued a final rule updating their existing 2013 regulations on animal disease traceability (ADT). The updated rule will take effect on November 5, 2024. This updated rule now requires ear tags being used as official animal identification for the interstate movement of covered classes of cattle to be both visually and electronically readable.

With less than a month before USDA's new traceability rule takes effect, we want to make sure Nebraska Cattlemen members have the opportunity to learn more about how this rule may impact their operation.

NC will host a members only webinar on updated EID tag requirements for animal disease traceability this Thursday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Please note, this webinar will not be recorded. Members must attend to listen to the presentation.

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zVJEdj5zQXyFcH3TML7vZQ#/registration.

SPEAKERS
Sigrid Johannes - Senior Director of Government Affairs for NCBA
Sigrid's portfolio at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association includes lab-grown meat, cattle health and welfare, food safety, and animal disease traceability.

Jared Walahoski, D.VM. - Overton Veterinary Services, LLC.
Jared is a native of Elyria, NE and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998 with a B.S in Animal Science. He received his D.V.M. from Kansas State University in 2002. Jared and his wife, Kristine, have three sons, Spencer, Parker and Grant, and two daughters, Paige and Meg. His practice interests include feedlot and cow/calf health and management, and companion animal wellness. Jared enjoys being outdoors and watching the Huskers.

Britney Hagood - Animal Disease Traceability Program Manager
Britney Hagood currently works as the Animal Disease Traceability Program Manager for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.



Iowa Corn Collegiate Advisory Team Students Selected for 2024 – 2025 Participation

Iowa Corn is proud to announce the students selected to participate in the 2024-2025 school year’s Collegiate Advisory Team (CAT) program, which focuses on increasing college students’ understanding of the corn industry. During the one-year program, students will visit the Capitol, tour industry leaders' operations, and expand their network and knowledge outside of the classroom.

2024 - 2025 Collegiate Advisory Team Students:
    Amanda Ostrem, Des Moines Area Community College
    Calla Langel, Des Moines Area Community College
    Morgan McKay, Des Moines Area Community College
    Presley Buttler, Des Moines Area Community College
    Tate Tentinger, Ellsworth Community College
    Kelly Lloyd, Future Flyers of America
    Ashlee David, Graceland University
    Logan Evans, Graceland University
    Adelyn Sienknecht, Hawkeye Community College
    Raymond Franzen, Indian Hills Community College
    Lucas Parcel, Iowa Central Community College
    Breanna Selsor, Iowa State University
    Brooklyn Botterman, Iowa State University
    Chris Baer, Iowa State University
    Elly Cain, Iowa State University
    Emily Bray, Iowa State University
    Lainey DeVries, Iowa State University
    Maddilyn Klemme, Iowa State University
    Madison Hoover, Iowa State University
    Mallory Behnken, Iowa State University
    Caleb Welsh, Kirkwood Community College
    RC Hicks, Morningside University
    Henry Rose, Muscatine Community College
    Marshall Zeien, North Iowa Area Community College
    Makinley Edwards, Southwestern Community College
    Rylan Oglesbee, Southwestern Community College

The Collegiate Advisory Team will meet four times over the course of the 2024 – 2025 school year, providing experience and training by Iowa Corn in areas such as leadership, effective communication, policy, and industry relations.

For more information on the program, visit https://www.iowacorn.org/CAT.



United Soybean Board Announces Call for Nominations for 2025 Tom Oswald Legacy Award

Think of an individual, organization or group that has profoundly influenced the soybean industry and the soy checkoff — who stands out to you? United Soybean Board (USB) today announced a call for nominations for the Tom Oswald Legacy Award. In its third year, this annual award honors the late Tom Oswald, who will always be remembered as a passionate farmer-leader and dedicated volunteer. The award honors someone who went above and beyond to advance research and promotes investments forward in an unconventional way.

An Iowa soybean and corn farmer, Oswald served eight years as a USB director and three years on the USB executive committee. He frequently posed the question, “How do we make it better-er?” — meaning what extra steps, thoughts, and efforts could the checkoff take to go beyond expectations and provide the best possible outcome?

“Tom was an example of compassion and creativity. He was always willing to tackle the challenging questions, an important quality we value in the recipient of this award. Our soy community is fortunate to have leaders who are dedicated to advancing the soy industry and are committed to maximizing the impact of checkoff dollars,” said Steve Reinhard, USB chair and Ohio farmer. “We look forward to receiving many deserving nominations and are excited to honor an outstanding leader shaping the future for U.S. soybean farmers.”

Ed Anderson, PhD in molecular plant virology, received the award in 2024 for his leadership in improving soybean genetics and agronomic production. His work has benefited the soybean industry while keeping farmers' needs at the forefront. The inaugural recipient of this award, Ken Bader was awarded in 2023 for his commitment and steadfast efforts to advance the soybean industry, most notably through his work that led to the creation of the United Soybean Board.

If there is an organization, group or individual that you believe should be recognized for their efforts and passion for this industry, visit the USB website to submit your nomination. Nominations will close on Nov. 8, 2024, and the award will be presented at Commodity Classic in March 2025.

In one of Oswald’s final interviews with his local TV station KMEG-TV on its “Proud To Be a Hometown Farmer” segment, he encouraged farmers to serve on the soy checkoff. He spoke from the heart, saying, “The rewards are not financial, the rewards are hard to describe because it’s that intangible. Working with other farmers, locally, nationally, it’s that bigger picture. Working with city people who do not know a thing about agriculture and making a connection — you can’t be paid for that. It’s wonderful.”