Thursday February 20 Ag News

 Nebraska LEAD Class 43 Explores National Agriculture and Policy During Study/Travel Seminar

Fellows of the Nebraska LEAD Program’s Class 43 recently returned from a transformative 10-day National Study/Travel Seminar, gaining firsthand insights into regional and national agricultural systems, policy and advocacy. The seminar, held from February 5-14, took the 30 participants to key agricultural and policy hubs, including Kansas City, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Moline, IL.

“This national study experience is instrumental in preparing Nebraska’s future agricultural leaders,” said Kurtis Harms, Nebraska LEAD Program director. “By engaging with industry leaders, policymakers and innovative businesses, our Fellows develop a deeper understanding of how national and global decisions impact our state’s agriculture.”

Throughout the seminar, Class 43 Fellows visited a variety of organizations and institutions that influence agriculture at both regional and national levels. Highlights of the experience included a tour of MyCo Planet, an urban mushroom farm; meetings with the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City; and a discussion with the Region 7 Director of the Environmental Protection Agency.

In Washington, D.C., Fellows explored the intersection of policy and agriculture with visits to the U.S. Capitol, the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council. The group learned about international relations through discussions with the embassies of Canada and Spain. They also had the opportunity to meet with Nebraska Senators Deb Fischer and Pete Ricketts to discuss key agricultural issues impacting the state. An onsite evaluation of the historic Battle of Gettysburg provided a unique perspective on leadership and decision-making in times of conflict.

“A person can read news articles and policy releases to try and gain a better grasp on ag policy and current government agency workings,” said Troy Kane, farmer from Carleton and Nebraska LEAD 43 Fellow. “However, when you go and immerse yourself in the agencies and the people involved, you truly grasp a greater understanding, and you become a more informed leader.”

The seminar concluded with visits to the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and a tour of John Deere in Moline, providing Fellows with insights into agricultural education and cutting-edge equipment innovation.

“This was one of the most intentional travel experiences I have ever been a part of,” said Lily Ziehmer, a technical service manager with the FMC Corporation and a Nebraska LEAD 43 Fellow. “Growing up, I rarely left the farm let alone the state of Nebraska. While visiting the Capitol, talking with lobbyists, visiting national representation for our commodity groups and meeting with foreign embassies, I gained a wealth of understanding about how our political system works in relation to the ag sector.”

Since 1981, the Nebraska LEAD Program is dedicated to developing agricultural leaders who are prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow. Through immersive experiences like the National Study/Travel Seminar, Fellows gain the knowledge and skills needed to be effective advocates for agriculture at the state, national and global levels.

Nebraska LEAD 43 Fellows (by hometown) that participated in the National Study/Travel Seminar are:

CALLAWAY: Lucy Kimball
CARLETON: Troy Kane
DENTON: Payton Schaneman
EDISON: Amy Warner
ERICSON: Neleigh Gehl
FREMONT: Chandler Maly
GOTHENBURG: McKinley Harm
GRETNA: Brennan Costello
HASTINGS: Lily Ziehmer
HAY SPRINGS: Austin Weyers
HOWELLS: Tyler Morton
HUMPHREY: Eric Wemhoff
KEARNEY: Anthony Finke, Dustin Rohde, Trevor Spath
LINCOLN: Luke Baldridge, Sally Welsh
LONG PINE: Spencer Shifflet
LOUP CITY: Cale Harrington
MILFORD: Jared Stauffer
MINATARE: Austin Kniss
MULLEN: Kyle Phillips
NEHAWKA: Sophia Svanda
NORFOLK: Jake Judge, Courtney Nelson
ORD: Ben Edwards
OSCEOLA: Anthony Mestl
SUPERIOR: John Sullivan
WAHOO: Jacobi Swanson
WAYNE: Bobby Reifenrath

The Nebraska LEAD Program includes Nebraskans currently active in production agriculture and agribusiness and is a two-year leadership development program under the direction of the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council in cooperation with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

For more information, or to request an application for Nebraska LEAD 44 which begins in the fall of 2025, contact the Nebraska LEAD Program online at lead.unl.edu. The application deadline is June 15.



Fischer Reintroduces Legislation to Expedite Federal Cost-Sharing Relief After Natural Disasters

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) reintroduced legislation to expedite producers’ access to federal disaster relief.

The bipartisan Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act would reform the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to offer producers impacted by disasters the option to receive an increased, up-front cost-share. The bill would also adjust eligibility for relief to include any wildfire caused or spread due to natural causes, as well as wildfires caused by the federal government. A provision was added this Congress that would extend the timeframe for eligible participants to use the rehabilitative funds, allowing more time for work to be completed.

“In times of crisis, Nebraskans deserve relief—not additional burdens. The ECP’s current distribution system too often fails to provide the support it was designed to offer. My bill will streamline the recovery process, helping to restore agricultural land more quickly following emergencies,” said Senator Fischer.

“Far too many of New Mexico’s farmers and ranchers have been impacted by extreme weather events—including drought, wildfires, and flooding—that have made it more difficult to feed the nation,” said Senator Luján. “I’m proud to once again partner with Senator Fischer to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation that will quickly deliver emergency funds to producers impacted by extreme weather events. In New Mexico and across the country, our agricultural community continues to recover from extreme weather events in recent months and years, and this legislation will help our farmers and ranchers get back on their feet and continue their recovery.”

“During times of crisis, the last thing Nebraska beef cattle producers should be worrying about is bureaucratic red tape. We thank Senator Fischer for her continued efforts to protect producers’ access to critical assistance and create a more efficient emergency conservation program,” said Nebraska Cattlemen President Dick Pierce.

“Nebraska has seen its share of weather-related disasters over the past several years, including widespread flooding and large wildfires. These events have unfortunately led many farmers and ranchers to seek disaster assistance through USDA’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). Senator Fischer’s Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act is a must-pass piece of legislation that addresses many of the shortcomings we’ve heard from farmers and ranchers about the program. Rebuilding fencing for livestock or clearing substantial debris from fields shouldn’t be slowed down by bureaucratic red tape. We thank Senator Fischer for offering this legislation to help make some needed improvements to this important program,” said Nebraska Farm Bureau Federation President Mark McHargue.

Background:
The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) were created to help lessen the burden of natural disasters by providing producers with financial and technical assistance to repair and restore their land.

These programs, however, are often slow to respond to wildfires, floods, and other disasters. This means producers face significant delays and red tape when trying to access financial assistance. For many producers, that significant time delay forces them to put off needed repair work or risk beginning the recovery process without a guarantee of federal help.

While some conservation work requires speed to get done, there are other instances where conservation work may need to take place over a couple of months. ECP currently requires that conservation work be done within 60 days after funds are disbursed.

Currently, to participate in ECP, the cause of a wildfire must be determined to be natural. It can be difficult to determine the exact source and cause of a wildfire and to ensure that it was not from a private actor. This leaves many producers who are far removed from the starting point of a wildfire liable for damages.



West Point Ag Appreciation is March 18th

The West Point Chamber of Commerce is excited to invite you to this year’s Ag Appreciation Dinner on Tuesday, March 18th, at the Nielsen Community Center! This event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and support our local agricultural community.

Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, March 18th
Location: Nielsen Community Center
Social Hour: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 7:00 p.m.
Entertainment: 8:00 p.m. – Featuring Noah Sonie, a mentalist and magician from Minneapolis

Mark your calendars now..... More details to come soon!



CAP Webinar: Generations United: Breaking Stereotypes and Fostering Communication
Feb 27, 2025 12:00 PM
With Leacey E. Brown, MS, South Dakota State University Extension Gerontology Field Specialist

Each of us is a member of a generational cohort used to describe groups of similarly aged people.  People from the same generation are often depicted as sharing similar traits and characteristics, leading to the development of micro generations, like the Xennials or Generation Jones, when individuals do not match existing generations. This workshop will dispel common misconceptions about generations and explore how to communicate across the generations.

Miss the live webinar or want to review it again? Recordings are available — typically within 24 hours of the live webinar — in the archive section of the Center for Agricultural Profitability's webinar page, https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.



HPAI Detected in a Commercial Turkey Flock in Sac County

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1 HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County, Iowa. This is Iowa’s fourth detection of H5N1 HPAI within domestic birds in 2025.



IBC online calving manual provides information wherever you need it

Those in the beef industry know calving management is critical to production and profitability of the cow herd. Knowing how to prepare, what to do and not do, and when to take action all are critical aspects of correctly managing calving in your herd.

That’s why the Iowa Beef Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach developed the online Calving Management Manual.

ISU extension beef veterinarian Dr. Grant Dewell led the effort with contributions from Iowa State veterinarian Dr. Renée Dewell and other staff. He said proper care prior to and at calving can help reduce incidence of dystocia, and also minimize deleterious impacts should dystocia occur.

"Of particular interest at this time of year are the sections on 'dystocia prevention and intervention' and 'care for calf,'" he said. "The images in the dystocia section of the calving manual show clearly on a mobile device. A producer can use the images and captions to identify the type of dystocia they are dealing with and attempt to correct it."

The manual is designed to help producers prepare for and successfully navigate the calving season, and is available at no cost on the Iowa Beef Center website at https://www.iowabeefcenter.org/calvingmanagement.html.

The manual has 10 sections, including general preparation for calving, calving supplies and facilities, stages of delivery, dystocia prevention and intervention, and care for the calf. Each section has a separate page, and each page has links to all other sections. This makes it easy to switch between topics as the need arises.



Urea, UAN28, UAN32 Lead Fertilizer Prices Higher

Retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN for the second week of February 2025 continued to show most nutrients are more expensive with three fertilizers noticeably higher.  Six fertilizer prices are higher, while one was lower and one was unchanged from the prior month. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

Urea was 9% higher compared to last month with an average price of $536/ton. UAN32 was 7% more expensive with an average price of $393/ton. UAN28 was 5% higher and had an average price of $342/ton. Three other fertilizers were slightly more expensive looking back a month. DAP had an average price of $754/ton, 10-34-0 $638/ton and anhydrous $747/ton.

One fertilizer was slightly less expensive than a month ago. Potash had an average price of $442/ton.

One fertilizer was unchanged from last month. That nutrient was MAP and it had an average price of $809/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.58/lb.N, anhydrous $0.46/lb.N, UAN28 $0.61/lb.N and UAN32 $0.61/lb.N.

More fertilizers are now higher in price compared to one year earlier. Both urea and UAN32 are 1% higher, both DAP and UAN28 are 2% more expensive and 10-34-0 is 5% higher looking back to last year. The remaining three fertilizers are lower. MAP is 1% less expensive, anhydrous is 3% lower and potash is 12% less expensive compared to last year.



STATEMENT BY TEXAS AG COMMISSIONER SID MILLER APPLAUDING THE USDA DECISION TO SHIFT FROM POULTRY DEPOPULATIONS

"I commend President Donald J. Trump for his decisive action in addressing the catastrophic mishandling of the bird flu outbreak by the Biden administration, which has devastated our nation’s poultry industry and driven up costs for American consumers. According to the USDA, bird flu-related depopulation has resulted in the loss of over 150 million birds since 2022, including more than 123 million laying hens. As a result, egg prices soared under Biden, climbing from $1.60 per dozen in February 2021 to a staggering $4.10 by December 2024. Now reaching a record high of $4.95 per dozen, American consumers are bearing the burden of the failed Biden response to this crisis.

The Trump administration’s prioritization of enhanced biosecurity measures and targeted medical interventions—rather than the widespread and costly mass culling of infected flocks—is a commonsense approach. While some depopulations may still be necessary in severe cases, this new strategy offers a more sustainable and effective path forward. Reducing our reliance on mass culling is critical to protecting both our nation’s food supply and economy. I have full confidence in the leadership of National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on this issue. Working together, we can ensure the resilience of our poultry industry and put an end to the unnecessary financial burden placed on American consumers due to the mismanagement of the previous administration.”