Friday December 27 Ag News

Cropland Acres Trend Lower . . .
NeFB Newsletter

USDA census data shows land in farms in Nebraska has declined over the past 25 years, falling from 45.8 million acres in 1997 to roughly 44 million acres in 2022, a loss of 4%. The disappearing acres consist mostly of lost cropland acres. Almost 1.5 million cropland acres were lost since 1997, a decline of 6%. Crop acres totaled 21.2 million acres in 2022. Pastureland was unchanged, totaling 21.5 million acres in 2022. Crop and pasture acres together accounted for 97% of the land in farms in 2022, with woodlands making up the balance.

Not surprisingly counties with the largest land areas (Custer, Holt, Lincoln, and Cherry Counties) held the most acres. Acres of cropland ranged from just over 46,000 in Douglas County to nearly 650,000 in Holt County. Sarpy County had just 1,400 acres of pasture while Cherry County had over 3.3 million, more than double the acres of the next closest county.  

Crop acres dominate the eastern third and central areas of the state. Crop acres in many counties exceed 90% of total acres. At the other end of the spectrum, crop production is much less intense in the Sandhills, accounting for less than 20% of total acres. Moreover, the boundary between Sandhills counties and neighboring counties in terms of the intensity of crop production is very clear. The ratios noticeably drop between counties along the boundary.

Acres By County      Cropland     Pasture     % Cropland
Cuming                    316,217        27,340         92
Wayne                      236,676        18,725         93
Stanton                     165,944        17,298         91
Colfax                     191,468         13,112         94
Dodge                     312,885         12,977         96
Washington             188,824         18,536         91
Burt                         223,434         13,494         94
Thurston                  142,379         21,464         99
    
Nebraska’s loss of land in farms is not unique. Researchers at the University of Illinois say losses occurred across all regions of the country. The Northern Plains region, which includes Nebraska, Colorado, Montana, Kansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota, lost 9.7 million acres. However, while Nebraska experienced a loss in crop acres, the region as a whole saw a growth in cropland. The loss of crop acres in Nebraska is likely due to the encroachment of Omaha, Lincoln, and other cities onto farmland but further research is needed to confirm this. However, despite the loss in acres, agriculture is still the primary land use in nearly all Nebraska counties.  



CVA recognizes top applicators with 2024 Applicator of the Year awards

Central Valley Ag (CVA) cooperative is proud to announce the recipients of its 2024 Applicator of the Year awards. Each year, CVA honors applicators for their dedication and exceptional performance throughout the growing season, with nine outstanding applicators being selected for their hard work and commitment.

The criteria for the award go beyond the number of acres covered and the upkeep of their equipment. As CVA's Senior Vice President of Operations, Brent Reichmuth explains, "We consider how these employees interact with customers and fellow team members, their willingness to assist with training inexperienced applicators, and their positive attitude." Other key factors in the selection process is ensuring a high level of service and precision in their work as well as care and maintenance of their equipment.

Matt Johnson, VP of Operations, reflects on the challenges of choosing just one winner: "Many applicators go above and beyond, and selecting only a few to honor is never easy. CVA is fortunate to have such a dedicated team."

The applicators are selected by Regional Operations Managers in collaboration with location managers. Jeff Holling, Regional Operations Manager, emphasizes the importance of teamwork, saying, "It's not just about covering the acres, but about being committed to helping out the CVA team wherever and whenever they can."

This year's honorees include:
    Josh Hunzeker, Wisner, Nebraska
    Mike Hamilton, Randolph, Nebraska
    Dillon Sprunk, Monroe, Nebraska
    Jeff Kee, Tilden, Nebraska
    Ean Hanks, Hinton, Iowa
    Grant Johnson, Marquette, Nebraska
    Derek Worm, Shelby, Nebraska
    Eric Rosebaugh, Greenleaf, Kansas
    Heath Moravek, Courtland, Kansas

To show appreciation for their dedication, CVA treated the award winners to a hunting trip in November and presented each with a 12-gauge automatic shotgun, custom jacket, and sticker to place on their machine.

"These awards are just one way to show our appreciation for all their hard work. Every team member of the CVA team plays a vital role in getting the product to our customers, from the salesperson to the applicator who delivers it to the field. It's all about teamwork," said Reichmuth.

The CVA Applicator of the Year Award celebrates the professionalism, dedication and teamwork that continue to drive the cooperative's success.



Optimize your planting success with CVA's Seed Meter Calibration Days

Is your planter ready to maximize your yields this season? Central Valley Ag is hosting Seed Meter Calibration Days to help you optimize your planter's performance and ensure your seed meters are operating at their peak potential.

Why calibrate your seed meters?
Every 1% reduction in singulation can result in a loss of 1-2 bushels per acre. Proper calibration helps you:
    Reduce doubles and skips for more precise planting.
    Optimize planter performance for consistent seed placement.
    Increase profit per acre by improving overall efficiency.
    Lower input costs by reducing waste.
    Minimize potential downtime during planting.

Calibration Days by Location include
  - 81-20 Randolph - Jan 3
  - Akron, Hinton or Oyens - Jan 24
  - Monroe - Jan 31
  - Oakland - Feb 7
  - Tilden - Feb 14
  - Visit www.cvacoop.com for more dates and locations

Special offer
Take advantage of this opportunity to enhance your planting success! Drop off your seed meters before the specified date, and receive $5 off per seed meter calibration.

Contact acs support
Need assistance? Reach out to the ACS Support Line at 402-704-4614 for expert advice.

Mark your calendar!
Don't miss this chance to prepare for the season ahead. Your seed, your meter, your potential - let's make every acre count! For more details, contact your local CVA ACS representative.



Frontier Cooperative Secures $1.6 Million in Climate SMART Grants for Growers

Frontier Cooperative has helped local growers secure a total of $1.6 million in funding through the Climate SMART grant from Truterra Ag, a division of Land O’Lakes. The cooperative has successfully enrolled more than 56,500 acres across 47 growers into the program, which aims to support sustainable agricultural practices.

The initiative includes two primary programs that benefit growers:
  · Early Adopters Program: Frontier Cooperative enrolled 53,000 acres across 38 growers in this one-time payment program, offering $25 per acre to growers who have utilized no-till practices since 2018.
  · Financial Assistance Program: Through this program, 3,500 acres across nine growers were enrolled. Growers are eligible for a one-time payment of up to $100 per acre for implementing cover crops and adopting no-till practices for the 2025 crop year.

Truterra Ag is expected to introduce new programs in the upcoming winter season. Growers interested in learning more about the opportunities available through Truterra Ag can contact Ryan Worm, Frontier Cooperative’s Sustainability Advisor, at (402) 367-9248 or via email at ryan.worm@frontiercooperative.com.



Frontier Cooperative Announces 2024 FFA Chapter Grant Recipients

Frontier Cooperative donated to the Nebraska FFA Foundation in support of local FFA chapters. Ten FFA chapters received grant funds to go toward classroom or chapter needs. The FFA chapters selected to receive 2024 grant funds include:
Schuyler FFA, fetal pig lab and perch lab
Bishop Neumann FFA, metals shop chop saw and stand
Aquinas FFA, incubator and goat learning lab
East Butler FFA, member workshop and livestock judging series
Fullerton FFA, tower garden systems
Johnson Brock FFA, outdoor garden and classroom supplies
Elmwood-Murdock FFA, chapter tools and classroom curriculum
Palmyra FFA, plant science starter kit and dicot system model
Ashland-Greenwood FFA, corn and soybean plant models
Syracuse FFA, agriculture mechanics tools and technology
 
“We value investing in these chapters and the young people who are growing as agricultural leaders in their schools and communities,” said Jeremy Wilhelm, Frontier Cooperative Chief Executive Officer. “Giving to FFA chapters is a meaningful way to support the communities that support Frontier Cooperative and how we hope to ensure a bright future for agriculture.”
 
“Many local FFA chapters and agriculture education classrooms continue to have needs for equipment, curriculum, technology and supplies to prepare students for careers in agriculture,” said Stacey Agnew, Nebraska FFA Foundation Executive Director. “This partnership with Frontier Cooperative is making an impact by helping prepare students for careers in agriculture, which is critical to the future workforce in their communities and in Nebraska. We appreciate this partnership and Frontier’s commitment to Nebraska FFA.”



Iowa Pork Congress Coming to Des Moines January 22 and 23
    
The 2025 Iowa Pork Congress, North America’s largest winter swine trade show, takes place on Jan. 22 and 23 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. It will be the 52nd annual event, with thousands of attendees, hundreds of vendors, and multiple educational sessions.

This event presents an exceptional opportunity for producers from across the Midwest to connect, collaborate, and discover cutting-edge solutions that can elevate their production capabilities.

Iowa Hawkeye football legend and former Minnesota Vikings star Chad Greenway will be the keynote speaker. His presentation, "Hunt Greatness", will inspire audiences to pursue excellence in their personal and professional lives by staying true to their values, working hard, and embracing accountability and teamwork.

A full list of events and more information is available at www.IowaPorkCongress.org.



Registration Now Open for 2025-26 SowBridge Educational Series

SowBridge, the distance educational series for those who work with sows, boars and piglets, and with genetic and reproductive issues, begins its next program year in early February 2025, and registration is now underway. The series is provided online through the Zoom platform and each session is recorded for later viewing.

Sherry Hoyer, communication specialist with the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University, said suggestions from participants guide the selection of topics and speakers, and the opportunity for interaction with session speakers will not change.

“SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts and to contact those experts following the individual sessions,” she said.

Sessions generally are held on the first Wednesday of the month and run from 11:15 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. Central time. One exception this year: the fifth session is moved up one week to May 28 to avoid conflicts with World Pork Expo.

During each session, participants can ask questions of the industry expert presenter from the comfort of their home, office or swine unit. Each registration provides access to one Zoom connection per session and all program materials provided by presenters.

The cost is $200 ($U.S.) for the first registration and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

Registration is due Jan. 20, 2025, to ensure participants have access to materials for the first session on Feb. 5. A flyer with information and registration form is available on the IPIC website https://www.ipic.iastate.edu/information/2025SBbrochureIPIC.pdf.

The 2025-26 program session dates and topics are as follows.
    Feb. 5,  H5N1 as it relates to pigs
    March 5, Feeding frequency pre-farrow: Impact on farrowing duration
    April 2, Your farm broke with PRSS/PED: Now what?
    May 7, Overcoming barriers and understanding the psychological impact of pig euthanasia
    May 28, Iron status of sows: Impacts on farrowing duration
    July 2, How to manage gilts not cycling
    Aug. 6, Diagnostic testing
    Sept. 3, Depopulation Preparedness
    Oct. 1, Where’s the draft coming from?
    Nov. 5, Farrowing stall environment management
    Dec. 3, Heat synchronization protocols
    Jan. 7, 2026, Treating Sows According to Farm SOP

For more information on the sessions or registration, contact Hoyer by phone at 515-294-4496 or email shoyer@iastate.edu.

SowBridge is provided through a cooperative effort of 15 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine producing states.



Heartland Co-op Secures First Ever Sustainability-Linked Loan with CoBank to Finance Conservation Services

In partnership with Heartland Co-op, CoBank has launched a first of its kind sustainability-linked loan to proactively finance and scale water quality conservation farming practices. Through this innovative loan structure, Heartland Co-op will benefit from lower interest rates in its line of credit with CoBank by meeting conservation practice and farmer engagement targets through its conservation services.

Heartland Co-op has maintained a long-standing commitment to conservation agronomy. This first-ever approach to financing ag retail conservation is a major milestone and opportunity to advance conservation efforts further and improve Iowa’s water quality through private ag lenders.

The proactive loan structure will incentivize and support sustainable agriculture efforts such as increases in annual cover crops; expansion of edge of field structure installations; and growth in farmer engagement to meet the demand of tailored conservation services for farm businesses.
To read the full press release and learn more about the additional partners that have collaborated to develop this groundbreaking financing strategy. Please click below...
https://www.cobank.com/corporate/news/2024/cobank-originates-its-first-sustainability-linked-loan-with-heartland-coop



New gilt development video series from IPIC

Identifying, selecting, and managing the right gilts for an operation is a driving factor in that farm’s productivity. A new video series from Iowa Pork Industry Center focuses on a variety of aspects related to gilt development packaged in easy to watch format. Iowa State University extension swine specialist Matt Romoser created the eight-part series.  

“Properly developing and selecting gilts is critically important to optimize performance and profitability for the breeding herd,” Romoser said. “With gilts making up the largest subset of the herd, maximizing retention rate can help increase overall farm productivity as well as the percentage of sows that reach their breakeven point at parity three.”

The eight videos in this series range from about 5 to 16 minutes, with general topics ranging from nutrition and environment to breeding eligibility and reproductive tract development. They cover ideal and desirable traits, and include basic recommendations.

“The goal of this series is to provide producers and other members of the industry with practical and current information on the matter,” Romoser said. “The target audience is sow farm owners and managers as well as farm employees. It is also meant to educate those in allied industries as well.”

The video series is available on the IPIC YouTube channel as Gilt Development Series Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0ykX2Ev_kLa7Gkm3IIfSlP0LWzCvOMWH and on the IPIC website under the gilt development heading https://www.ipic.iastate.edu/reproduction.html.