Tuesday December 30 Ag News - Corn/Soy annual meetings, UNL Soils School - NE NE Farm & Equip Show - SowBridge Registration - Planter U - Jan 1 starts new Tax Provisions, Product of USA lables - and more!

NeCGA & NeSA Annual Meetings January 8th

Annual Meeting of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association will take place at the Holthus Center in York, Nebraska on Thursday, January 8th. Registration for local delegates begins at 8am and the meeting will start at 8:30 am. 

The annual meeting of the Nebraska Soybean Association will also be held on Thursday January 8th at the Holthus Convention Center, York, NE.  



39th Annual Northeast Nebraska Farm & Equipment Show 
Jan. 14 & 15, ​2026
Show Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Northeast Community College Chuck M. Pohlman Ag Complex in Norfolk 
On the corner of Highway 35 and East Benjamin Avenue.

Educational Seminars
Wednesday, Jan. 14th:
    10 a.m.: Wind and Solar Development: Navigating the Landscape for Rural Landowners- John Hay UNL Extension Educator. 
    Noon: Natural Prevention/Treatment of Early Calf Diseases - Paul Mitchell -Imogene Products. 
    2 p.m.: Protecting the Family Farm from a Change In Your Health - Jay Knobbe. 
Thursday, Jan. 15th:
    10 a.m.: Farmland Cash Rents & Lease Agreements - Jim Jansen UNL Extension Educator. 
    Noon: Farm Bill Update & Outlook - Jim Jansen UNL Extension Educator 
    1:30 p.m:  Weather Outlook 2026 - Eric Hunt UNL Extension Educator. 

Free Demonstrations 
Elkhorn Rural Public Power District & Stanton County Public Power District High Voltage Demonstrations.



2026 Soils School to Feature Fundamentals of Soils and Nutrient Management

Managing nutrients and water efficiently starts with understanding the soil beneath your feet — and that’s the focus of the 2026 Soils School on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at the Holthus Center in York, Nebraska.

Co-sponsored by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Department of Agronomy and Horticulture and the Nebraska Agri-Business Association, Soils School is offered in alternating formats each year. The 2026 program will focus on basic soil, water and nutrient management concepts, making it well-suited for those looking to build or refresh foundational knowledge.

The course applies core principles of soils, water and nutrient management to improve agricultural crop production in Nebraska. University of Nebraska experts will cover fundamental concepts related to soil health, water movement and nutrient use efficiency, along with updates to research-based recommendations for primary crop nutrients — including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — as well as micronutrients.

The course provides continuing education units for certified crop advisors, with a total of 11 nutrient management and two soil and water CEUs available.

Soils School Agenda
Feb. 3, 2026
    9:55-10 a.m. — Introduction
    10 a.m.-10:50 a.m. — Fertilizer Recommendation Philosophies, Richard Ferguson
    10:50-11:40 a.m. — Basics of Phosphorus Recommendations, Javed Iqbal
    11:40 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — Basics of Potassium Recommendations, Nicolas Cafaro la Menza
    12:30-1:30 p.m. — Lunch
    1:30-2:20 p.m. — Past to Present: Basics of Nitrogen Recommendations, Richard Ferguson
    2:20-3:10 p.m. — Understanding Biological Products and Their Role in Crop Production, Javed Iqbal
    3:10-3:25 p.m. — Break
    3:20-4:15 p.m. — Micronutrients effects on Crop Production, Nicolas Cafaro la Menza
    4:15-4:45 p.m. — Discussion

Feb. 4, 2026
    8:30-9:20 a.m. — In-Season N Recommendation, Richard Ferguson
    9:20 a.m.-10:10 a.m. — Manure Nutrient Crediting, Amy Schmidt
    10:10-10:25 a.m. — Break
    10:25 a.m.-11:15 a.m. — Basics of Soil-Water Relationships, Humberto Blanco
    11:15 a.m.-12:05 p.m.—  Soil Chemistry – The Basics for Agricultural Soils, Michael Kaiser
    12:05-12:50 p.m. — Lunch
    12:50-1:40 p.m. — Understanding Soil Health and Measuring Improvement, Carolina Córdova
    1:40-2:30 p.m. — TBD
    2:30-3:20 p.m. — TBD
    3:20-3:40 p.m. — Discussion
    3:40 p.m. — Adjourn

Registration costs $295 for Nebraska Agri-Business Association members and $395 for non-members, with online registration available through the Nebraska Agri-Business Association’s calendar page https://na-ba.com/member-resources/calendar/. 



Registration Open for 2026-2027 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 2026, and registration is now underway. The series is provided online through Zoom, and each session is recorded for later viewing.

Suggestions from participants guide the selection of future topics and speakers, and the opportswine in a barnunity for interaction with session speakers remains unchanged. SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts and to contact those experts following the individual sessions.

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. The fifth session is moved up one week to May 27 to avoid conflicts with the World Pork Expo.

During each session, participants can ask questions to 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 for the first registration and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

Registration is due Jan. 15, 2026, to ensure participants have access to materials for the first session on Feb. 4. A flyer with information and registration form is available on the Iowa Pork Industry Center website.

The 2026-2027 program session dates and topics are as follows.
    Feb. 4 – The role of specialized people in reducing sow mortality
    March 4 – New World Screwworm – What to look for
    April 1 – Managing large litters
    May 6 – When to process piglets in relation to survival
    May 27 – Gilt feeding strategies to enhance longevity and productivity
    July 1 – Water quality, biofilms and water line management
    Aug. 5 – What are cull sow buyers looking for?
    Sept 2 – On-farm semen management – tips and tricks
    Oct. 7 – What’s the latest porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome research?
    Nov. 4 – Fixed-time artificial insemination in gilts
    Dec. 2 – Satisfaction and stress factors on barn employees
    Jan. 6, 2027 – Anemia: impact on sow removal

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

SowBridge is provided through a cooperative effort of 13 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine-producing states.



Planter University Workshops Focus on Optimizing Planter Setup across All Brands

Specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are once again teaming up with ISU Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering specialists to bring planter equipment expertise to farms across the state Feb. 2–6 with Planter University.

The workshops are an opportunity for farmers, agricultural service pplanterroviders, equipment and precision ag dealers and others to gain insight into how planters function; optimizing settings for individual seed, field, and equipment needs; and improving understanding of planter wear and calibration. Prior attendees have noted the value this workshop provides, with 80% of 2025 survey respondents stating it was worth more than $10 per acre to their farming operation.

“Planter University goes far beyond a typical planter clinic and provides attendees direct access to specialists with expertise in planter technology and settings,” said Meaghan Anderson, field agronomist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “We are excited to host these workshops across the state again this February.”

Specialists from the ISU Digital Ag group will lead each workshop, focusing on small-group, hands-on learning with row units that represent a variety of technologies currently available for planters. The Digital Ag group is renowned for their key industry partnerships and unique expertise in equipment development and precision agriculture. Meetings will also offer continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers.

“We are going to help attendees better understand the physics behind traditional and high-speed planters and how to evaluate planting performance, because every planter, operator and operation is different,” said Levi Powell, Iowa State ag and biosystems engineering program specialist. “This event will focus on how to dial in the right settings for you and your operation.”

The training will be offered at five locations. Attendance will be limited to maintain small group sizes and allow for hands-on activities. Registration for each location is $100 and closes seven days ahead of each meeting. On-site registration is not available, but online registration will be available starting Jan. 5.

Registration includes lunch, refreshments, reference materials and CCA credits. Registration check-in opens at 8:30 a.m., and the program begins at 9 a.m. The program concludes at approximately 3 p.m.
    Feb. 2 – Alliant Energy Ag Innovation Lab, 3800 University Boulevard, Ames
    Feb. 3 – Carroll County Conservation Center, 22676 Swan Lake Trail Drive, Carroll
    Feb. 4 – Northern Research and Demonstration Farm, Kanawha
    Feb. 5 – Heartland Acres Agribition Center, Independence
    Feb. 6 – Prime Ag, 571 180th St., Otley

For registration-related questions, please contact ISU Registration Services at 515-294-6222 or registrations@iastate.edu. For all other inquiries, email crops@iastate.edu.



US Ethanol Production Rises, Stocks Fall 1.1% on Year

Ethanol production in the United States averaged 1.095 million barrels per day (bpd) for the week ending Dec 19, reported the Energy Information Administration on Monday. That is up 36,000 bpd week-on-week and 12,000 bpd, or 1.1%, lower than in the same week last year.

Four-week average output at 1,114 million bpd was 24,000 bpd above the same four weeks last year, according to EIA data delayed by the Christmas holiday..

Domestic ethanol inventories ended the week at 22.528 million barrels (bbl), up 175,000 bbl week-on-week and 546,000 bbl, or 2.4%, lower than in the same week last year.



Beneficial Tax Provisions to Take Effect Jan. 1
NPPC Newsletter
 
Tax changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law on the Fourth of July are set to take effect Jan. 1.
 
The OBBBA extended several tax measures set to expire or begin phasing out at the end of this year that were part of President Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed during his first term. They include:
    Bonus depreciation, which allows 100% of the cost of qualified property to be deducted in the year it is placed into service rather than depreciated over several years, was made permanent.
    Estate tax exemption was made permanent and increased to $15 million per individual and indexed for inflation for tax year 2026. (The exemption is just under $14 million for tax year 2025.) The value of estates above the exemption amount is subject to a 40% tax when passed to an heir. 
    Section 179 expensing was increased to $2.5 million. It is $1.25 million for tax year 2025; it had been set to decrease to $1 million in 2026. The provision, limited to vehicles, machinery, and equipment purchased for business use, allows the full value of qualifying assets to be deducted in the year they are purchased.
    Qualified business income deduction (Section 199A), which allows a reduction in certain business income for determining federal tax liability, was made permanent, and the deduction was increased for tax year 2026 to 23% from its current 20%. 

Additionally, the bill made permanent the tax rates and brackets that were lowered and broadened, respectively, in the TCJA and increased the standard tax deduction for individuals and couples.
 


'Product of USA' Meat Labeling Rule Takes Effect Jan. 1
 
Beginning Jan. 1, packers and processors that want to identify meat as a product of the United States must be in compliance with a new U.S. Department of Agriculture labeling regulation, which also applies to poultry and egg products.
 
The rule, finalized in March 2024, lets companies label meat "Product of USA" only if the animals from which it was derived were born, raised, harvested, and processed in the United States. Meat from live animals imported into the United States for feeding, harvesting, and processing no longer will be allowed to carry that claim. Minimally processed product can use a qualified U.S.-origin claim, such as "sliced and packaged in the United States using imported pork."
 
Meatpackers will not be required to label their product, but if they voluntarily use "Product of USA," "Made in USA," or an American flag, they must be able to provide proof of that claim. USDA will generically approve labels - no special process verification programs or additional approval steps are needed. A product with multiple ingredients can use a USA label as long as all the ingredients, except for spices and flavorings, comply with the rule's criteria. A beef and pork sausage, for example, would have to source products from both cattle and pigs born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States to use "Product of USA." The regulation also allows for a state or locality-based claim - "Product of Iowa," for example - when the claim follows the rule's criteria. 
 
The regulation only applies to domestic U.S. meat sales; all exports must continue to follow the labeling rules of the country of destination. 
 
The National Pork Producers Council has been concerned that the regulation will strain the relationships between the United States and its trading partners, particularly Canada and Mexico, both of which send significant numbers of live animals to the United States for feeding and processing.
 
While billed as voluntary, the new rule likely will have the effect of being mandatory since it creates a strong incentive for producers to prefer domestic animals to imported ones so they can use the "Product of USA" claim. That could have a detrimental impact on imports of live animals and already has prompted Canada to file a dispute over the labeling rule with the World Trade Organization.