Cuming County Board of Supervisors Seeking Extension Board Nominations
Debra E. Schroeder, UNL Extension Educator, Cuming County
The Cuming County Board of Supervisors, are seeking nominations for individuals interested in serving a three-year term on the Cuming County Extension Board. Due to changes in the laws, Extension Board Members will be appointed by the Board of Supervisors rather than being elected, as had been the practice in the past.
Three positions on the Cuming County Extension Board are up for
appointment. The district lines are defined according to the Cuming County Board of Supervisors districts. Nominees are needed for the districts served by supervisors Steve Meister, District I, Judy Mutzenberger, District III, and Leslie Ott, District VII. Potential candidates are encouraged to contact the Extension Office or the Cuming County Clerk, Bonnie Vogltance, to determine which supervisor district you reside in.
A nominating committee is seeking nominations or calls from interested individuals. This nominating committee will be responsible for preparing a slate of potential candidates that will be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration. If you are interested in being a candidate, please feel free to contact the Cuming County Extension office 402/372-6006. You may also contact nominating committee members Cindy Bloedorn at 402/529-6541, Judi Mutzenberger at 402/372-5356 or 402/540-3579 and Larry Ulrich at 402/372-3082.
According to Extension Educator Debra Schroeder the operation of Extension should be given serious consideration by all county residents. It operates the tax funds under the guidance of the Cuming county Extension Board.
Extension programs focus on priority needs and problems in five major programming areas including 1) Agriculture, 2) Natural Resources, 3) Home Economics and Family Life, 4) 4-H and Youth Development, and 5) Community Resource Development.
Cuming County Youth Celebrate National 4-H Week October 7-13
Patricia Bohaboj, UNL Extension Assistant, Cuming County
October 7-13 is National 4-H Week, and Cuming County is celebrating the 4-H youth who have made an impact on the community, and are stepping up to the challenges of a complex and changing world.
Recent findings from Tufts University's 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development indicate that young people in 4-H are three times more likely to contribute to their communities than youth not participating in 4-H. Notably, the Tufts research discovered that the structured learning, encouragement and adult mentoring that 4-H'ers receive play a vital role in helping them actively contribute to their communities. In Cuming County, more than 440 4-H members and 90 volunteers are involved in 4‑H.
Also during National 4-H Week, hundreds of thousands of youth from all around the nation will complete a single, innovative experiment on 4-H National Youth Science Day(NYSD), which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012. The 2012 National Science Experiment, Eco-Bot Challenge, will introduce young people to engineering skills by teaching them to think like a robotics engineer, assembling their own robots, also known as Eco-bots, and control surfaces in order to manage an environmental clean-up.
4-H youth are a living breathing, culture-changing revolution for doing the right thing, breaking through obstacles and pushing our country forward by making a measurable difference right where they live. Learn how you can “Join the Revolution of Responsibility” at 4-H.org/revolution, or contact the Extension Office.
Kaup Seed Hosts 'Leading with Innovation' Meeting
Kaup Seed and Fertilizer in West Point will be hosting a special event entitled "Leading with Innovation" on Tuesday October 2nd, 2012. The meeting starts at 8:30am at the Neilson Community Center in West Point. Jeff Wilmes says topics to be covered include control and management of herbicide resistant weeds, the value of gypsum application to crop ground, new chemistries in crop protection and new genetics in seed selection, and nutrient removal and carry-over in drought conditions. There is no cost to attend and all area producers are invited to attend. Wilmes says the program should be wrapped up by 11:00am so you will not be away from your operation the entire day, however, the information from this event will be well worth your time. Thank you and hope to see you there!
UNL to Host Web Seminar on Corn Stalk Grazing
The University of Nebraska - Lincoln will be hosting a Web Seminar on Tuesday, October 2nd from 12:30 p.m. - 1:10 p.m. titled Cornstalk Grazing - Understanding the Values to Cattle Producers and Corn Farmers. According to the UNL Beef Website, “Nebraska has approximately 10 million acres planted to corn annually. The cornstalks residue from these acres is a valuable feed resource for cattle producers. UNL research has shown appropriate cornstalk grazing has no detrimental effects on subsequent crop yields.” For more information or the link to the Web Seminar visit: http://beef.unl.edu/web/beef/
Governor Heineman Announces Kimball and Banner Counties Designated Livestock Friendly
Gov. Dave Heineman today announced the official designation of Kimball and Banner Counties as Nebraska’s newest Livestock Friendly Counties. With the addition of Kimball and Banner, there are now 20 counties designated as Livestock Friendly through the state program, including: Adams, Box Butte, Cuming, Dawes, Deuel, Gage, Garden, Grant, Hitchcock, Jefferson, Keith, Lincoln, Morrill, Saline, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Wayne, and Webster Counties.
“In receiving this designation, Kimball and Banner Counties have shown they are committed to supporting the counties’ livestock industry and related economic development,” said Gov. Heineman. “Being part of the Livestock Friendly program is a way to recognize the tremendous impact the livestock industry has on Main Streets and the local economy. It provides jobs for those working with animals and a marketplace for grain and hay producers, while also adding value to those products. With this designation, Kimball and Banner Counties have demonstrated they are open to agribusiness and the benefits that come from responsible livestock production.”
Gov. Heineman presented the Livestock Friendly certificates to Kimball County Commissioners Larry Brower, Larry Engstrom and David Bashaw, and to Banner County Commissioners Bob Gifford, Bob Post and John-Robert Faden. These counties will receive road signs bearing the program logo to display along highways. The program is coordinated by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach said the official designation makes a positive statement about Kimball and Banner Counties. “It was clear from the submitted materials that Kimball and Banner county officials have given some purposeful thought to supporting the livestock industry,” said Dir. Ibach.
To apply for a livestock friendly county designation, the county board must hold a public hearing and pass a resolution to apply. A completed application is then submitted to Department of Agriculture for review. Local producers or community groups can encourage their county board to submit a livestock friendly county application.
Additional information on the Livestock Friendly County program is available by contacting NDA toll free at 800-422-6692, or by visiting the Department of Agriculture website at www.agr.ne.gov and clicking the Livestock Friendly County link.
Secretary Vilsack Announces Soybean Board Appointments
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the appointment of 16 members to the United Soybean Board. "These appointees represent a cross section of the soybean industry and I am confident that they will serve the soybean producers well," said Vilsack.
Appointed Soybean Board members are as follows: James H. Carroll, III, Arkansas; Walter L. Godwin, Georgia; David P. Hartke, Illinois; Mark A. Seib, Indiana; Laura L. Foell, Iowa; Dennis R. Clark, Kentucky; Raymond S. Schexnayder, Jr., Louisiana; James A. Call, Minnesota; Todd A. Gibson, Missouri; Mark Caspers, Nebraska; Morris L. Shambley, North Carolina; Jay M. Myers, North Dakota; John B. Motter, Ohio; Jim Musser, Pennsylvania; David G. Iverson, South Dakota; and Robert W. White, Jr., Virginia.
The 69-member board is authorized by the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act. The Secretary selected the appointees from soybean producers nominated by Qualified State Soybean Boards. All appointees will serve 3-year terms beginning December 2012.
Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, when Congress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 20 research and promotion boards. They empower farmers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.
Branstad Extends Disaster Emergency Proclamation
Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad Monday authorized a proclamation of disaster emergency to extend the original proclamation signed on July 26, 2012. The extension is effective immediately and will last for 30 days from today.
The extended proclamation allows overwidth and overweight loads of hay, straw and stover. As a result of the drought experience by the state of Iowa, the effects of the drought continue and circumstances and reasons for issuance of the proclamation remain and continue.
Specifically, this proclamation, as did the original, allows for:
-- Overweight loads: Hay, straw and stover may be transported in loads weighing up to 90,000 pounds gross weight without obtaining an overweight permit normally required by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Overweight loads cannot travel on the interstate without a permit. This proclamation applies to noninterstate roadways. Specific axle weight limits do apply. Visit the Iowa DOT's website www.iowa.dot.gov to see the maximum gross weight table and determine the legal limits for your vehicle/trailer combination. A vehicle that is overweight, but not overwidth, can travel at all hours.
-- Overwidth loads: A vehicle transporting these goods can be overwidth, without an Iowa DOT permit, if they do not exceed 12 feet 5 inches wide. An overwidth load can travel on any road, including the interstate, as long as its gross weight does not exceed 80,000 pounds. Movement must occur between the hours of 30 minutes before sunrise and 30 minutes after sunset. All flags, signs and lights normally required are still needed.
-- Overweight and overwidth loads: A vehicle transporting these goods can be both overwidth, up to 12 feet 5 inches, and overweight, up to 90,000 pounds. However, these vehicles cannot travel on the interstate.
-- Driver hours of service: The driver hours-of-service regulations pertaining to persons transporting these specific agricultural goods are suspended. Certain rest periods must be provided to drivers to prevent fatigued or ill drivers from operating on the roadways.
For additional details, call 1-800-925-6469 or visit the Iowa DOT's website at www.iowadot.gov where a question and answer sheet can be found.
Iowa Soybean Association Sponsors New Cross Country Race to Benefit 4-H Camp Scholarships
Two cross country races and a fun run/walk will provide family-friendly competition in a scenic location, with unique distance options and vertical challenges. The events are part of the first Get Vertical 4-H Adventure Race on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the Iowa 4-H Camping Center near Madrid, Iowa.
“The Get Vertical 4-H Adventure Race is being presented through a generous donation from the Iowa Soybean Association,” said John Roosa, manager of the Iowa 4-H Center.
Mark Jackson, president of the Iowa Soybean Association, said, “The Iowa Soybean Association is excited about the opportunity to work with 4-H and connect with the nearly 107,000 Iowa youth that participate. The Get Vertical Adventure Race is a unique event to engage with 4-H members and other participants about the versatility of soy and health benefits of soyfoods, while raising money for the camp scholarship fund. For me, personally, 4-H was a defining force in my youth, which has carried forward into my adult career.”
The Iowa 4-H Center is located just 25 miles north of Des Moines in Boone County. “For several years, we have wanted to hold a running event here at the 4-H Camp to support our camp scholarship fund,” said Roosa. “We are grateful for the support received from the Iowa Soybean Association in making this event possible.”
Participants have options to challenge the whole family by selecting from a 1-mile fun run/walk or 4K or 12K chip timed cross-country courses. “We have 1,100 acres, with a wide variety of terrain ranging from prairies to woodlands to steep ravines, which enables us to offer unique running courses for all age ranges,” said Roosa.
The 12K race begins at 8:30 a.m. This advanced course includes four big hills, steep grades, three sets of staircases, a swinging bridge and running upstream in Richardson’s Creek, twice. To further challenge 12K runners to “get vertical,” Roosa said the camp’s 50-foot climbing tower will be open Friday afternoon during packet pick-up and again on race day. Medals will be awarded to runners who complete both the 12K race and the 50-foot climb. Entry fees are $40 per person in advance or $50 on race day.
The 4K race begins at 9 a.m. The course follows a trail past the camp pond, around a farm field, into the timber, across a 30-foot long swinging bridge, up one hill and through Hickory Village. Entry fees are $35 per person in advance or $45 on race day.
The final event of the day, the 1-mile family fun run/walk, begins at 9:30 a.m. The course is mostly level terrain and loops around the prairie grass and wetlands area. Entry fees are $10 per youth and $20 per adult. Participation ribbons will be awarded to all youth in the 1-mile event.
“This is truly a family-friendly event,” said Roosa. “We have overnight lodging options available throughout the weekend for families, clubs and organizations.” The Iowa 4-H Center not only will have the scenic property on display, the center also will showcase some of the summer camp program staff. Race coordinator Traci Haselhuhn said, “The Caring Adult summer staff will be supervising a fun Camp Care area for kids ages three and older with free activities, while adult family members run the 4K and 12K races.”
Post-race festivities include music, door prizes, a recognition ceremony and a pancake buffet provided by the Greek House Chefs. The brunch is free for race participants, volunteers and youth up through age five. Additional meal tickets for ages six and older may be purchased on race day for $5 each.
For more information, including online registration forms, race course maps, and the official Get Vertical 4-H Adventure Race brochure, visit www.iowa4hfoundation.org/adventurerace.
Obama & Romney Outline Positions on Farm Issues
President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney recently spelled out their positions on agriculture issues for the American Farm Bureau Federation. In a questionnaire, both candidates went into detail about their positions on energy, environmental regulations, farm labor and more.
Every four years, the American Farm Bureau Federation asks the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees to address the issues that concern farmers and ranchers most. This election, energy issues and farm policy are the driving forces in the candidate's responses.
"Our rural communities, farmers and ranchers can increase our energy independence and boost the transition to a clean energy economy," Obama responded. "Last year, rural America produced enough renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel to meet roughly 8 percent of our needs, helping us increase our energy independence to its highest level in 20 years... and the new Renewable Fuel Standard helped boost biodiesel production to nearly 1 billion gallons in 2011, supporting 39,000 jobs."
Romney, too, supports the RFS and other agriculture-derived energies.
"I have a vision for an America that is an energy superpower, rapidly increasing our own production and partnering with our allies, Canada and Mexico, to achieve energy independence on this continent by 2020," said Romney. "The increased production of biofuels plays an important part in my plan to achieve energy independence. In order to support increased market penetration and competition among energy sources, I am in favor of maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard."
On farm policy, Obama said he understands the need for a strong farm safety net. "That's why I increased the availability of crop insurance and emergency disaster assistance to help over 590,000 farmers and ranchers keep their farms in business after natural disasters and crop loss," he said. "My administration expanded farm credit to help more than 100,000 farmers struggling during the financial crisis... and as farmers continue to go through hard times because of this drought, we are expanding access to low-interest loans, encouraging insurance companies to extend payment deadlines and opening new lands for livestock farmers to graze their herds."
Romney said he supports passage of a strong farm bill "that provides the appropriate risk management tools that will work for farmers and ranchers throughout the country." He also pointed out that his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), voted for drought relief--a bill which the Senate never took up.
When asked why farmers should vote for them, Obama said he is committed to strengthening rural America through growing products that the world wants to buy and restoring middle class values of hard work and play. He further said, "I am the only candidate that is committed to strengthening the farm safety net, strengthening rural economic growth and supporting rural investments in clean energy."
Romney said if he were elected, he would give farmers relief from hefty environmental regulations, as well as "a commonsense energy policy that develops our resources right here at home; a renewed focus on opening new markets; and a pro-growth tax policy that encourages investment and recognizes that death should not be a taxable event."
To view the full questionnaires and responses, go to: http://www.fb.org/index.php?action=legislative.2012presidentialQuestionnaire.
Renewable Fuel Industry to Launch Nationwide Campaign
In the face of new attacks on America’s Renewable Fuel Standard, stakeholders from across the nation will announce a major new campaign to protect the benefits of renewable fuel to America’s economy, energy security and environment. The campaign will be announced via teleconference this Thursday, September 27, 2012, at 10am EDT.
The new campaign will show the breadth of support for America’s renewable fuel policy at the national and state level. Its launch comes as calls to halt or delay the Renewable Fuel Standard threaten the communities and innovators benefiting directly from advanced and conventional renewable fuel.
Speakers will address the major issues in the current renewable fuel debate, clarify the impacts if the RFS is halted or delayed, and discuss the scope and elements of the campaign. Among those expected to be a part of the announcement are the Hon. James C. Greenwood, President and CEO, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO); Adam Monroe, President, Novozymes North America; Pam Hall, Director, Marion Chamber of Commerce (Marion, OH); and a representative of the Colorado Renewable Fuel Sector.
Three Fertilizers' Prices on the Move
Prices of three fertilizers continued to move while the other major fertilizers are generally steady the third week of September, according to retail fertilizer prices tracked by DTN. The only fertilizer that was higher by any significance was anhydrous for the seventh straight week. With fall fertilizer application season rapidly approaching, the nitrogen fertilizer was 8% higher compared to the third week of August and had an average price of $839 per ton. Two other fertilizers were slightly higher compared to a month earlier. MAP had an average price of $673 per ton while UAN28 was at $389 per ton.
Leading the way lower once again was urea. The nitrogen fertilizer slid another 8% in the last month and now has an average price of $599/ton. Urea's price has dropped $167/ton since Memorial Day. Urea dipped below $600 per ton for the first time since the fourth week of February 2012. The average price of urea that week was $574/ton. Also somewhat lower was 10-34-0. The starter fertilizer declined 6% compared to a month earlier. 10-34-0 had an average price of $625/ton. Three other fertilizers were also less expensive but just slightly lower. DAP had an average price of $634/ton, potash $619/ton and UAN32 $413/ton.
On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.65/lb.N, anhydrous $0.51/lb.N, UAN28 $0.69/lb.N and UAN32 $0.65/lb.N.
Only one of the eight major fertilizers is still showing a price increase compared to one year earlier. Anhydrous is now 3% higher compared to last year. Four fertilizers are actually lower in price compared to September 2011. Urea is now 2% lower, both potash and UAN32 are 4% lower and MAP is 8% lower. Three remaining fertilizers are now down double digits from a year ago. DAP and UAN32 are now down 10% while 10-34-0 is now 22% less expensive from a year earlier.
Farm Equipment Sales May Not Suffer From Drought
As the lower 48 states experienced the third hottest summer on record and nearly 80 percent of agricultural land has been affected by the first major drought since 1988, many member companies of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers may be wondering what effect this will have on equipment sales. Based on data compiled by AEM's market intelligence staff, the short answer is - it may not be as significant as many think.
First, a major driver of equipment sales is farm income. When looking at past droughts, the impact on farm income has been minimal, even in years where crop insurance was carried by only a minority of farmers (18 percent in 1988 versus 84 percent today).
But income isn't the only factor. Since much equipment is financed, availability of credit, with farmers' eligibility to get credit and their ability to pay, are all factors.
The USDA states that farm equity is forecast to reach an all-time high while real estate debt declines. Debt repayment capacity utilization (DRCU) - a measure of farm exposure to financial risk - is forecast to be at its lowest since 1970.
AEM's own survey results confirm that the credit crunch of 2009 has eased. Less than 10 percent of AEM members reported hearing of problems obtaining credit.
Future of Generic Biotech Crops in Doubt
The Competitive Enterprise Institute released a new study today finding that regulatory policy could inhibit the development of a generic market for biotech seeds once patents on those varieties expires.
Over the next decade, the patents on nearly two dozen of the most popular biotech crop traits will expire, and farmers in the U.S. and abroad are eager to get access to low-cost, generic versions of those seeds. But most biotech crop traits must be reapproved every three to five years, and the process requires applicants to have access to confidential business information held by the original product developers. This establishes a potentially impassable roadblock to the future of affordable, generic biotech products.
In “Is There a Future for Generic Biotech Crops?” CEI Senior Fellow Gregory Conko explains why the re-approval process does nothing to protect consumer or environmental safety, and he proposes eliminating the requirement in the U.S. and in important export markets abroad. “Maintaining product approvals in all the relevant markets around the world is an expensive and time-consuming process for the sellers of biotech crop seeds,” says Conko. “So the re-approval requirement will only serve to protect brand-name biotech companies against would-be generic competitors.”
Trade associations representing seed breeders and the biotechnology industry are now negotiating a contractual agreement through which generic breeders can pay biotech crop developers for needed regulatory data. “This agreement will be a helpful first step in creating a viable generic seed industry,” Conko acknowledges. “But it is merely a bandage that masks a deeper regulatory problem. Without fundamental reform, regulators will be forcing farmers to pay much higher prices for generic biotech seeds.”
“There is little doubt that American agriculture has benefited tremendously from the introduction of crop biotechnology. And more than 15 million farmers in 28 countries have found that biotech seeds help to raise yields, deliver important environmental benefits, and increase per-acre profitability,” Conko writes. “But while producers and consumers reap tremendous benefits from the expiration of patents in nearly every other industry, the same will not be true of biotech crops if regulatory impediments are not cleared from the path forward.”
DuPont Pioneer Advances 34 New Soybean Varieties for 2013 Planting
New soybean varieties from DuPont Pioneer face the toughest challenge in the final year of research testing. During this research stage, soybean varieties are placed in IMPACT™ (Intensively Managed Product Advancement Characterization and Training) trials on growers’ farms to ensure product performance is up to the high standards set by Pioneer. Recently, 34 Pioneer® brand soybean varieties passed final scrutiny from the Pioneer research and development, field sales and agronomy technology service teams and will be commercially available to producers for planting in 2013.
“Our goal is to provide a full complement of soybeans that yield consistently for farmers year after year,” says Don Schafer, DuPont Pioneer senior soybean marketing manager. “The Pioneer research, sales and agronomy teams dig hard to analyze the local disease and agronomic challenges throughout soybean-growing areas and develop products and traits to address those challenges within each region.”
The final year of soybean variety testing provides one more opportunity to gather a significant amount of data from many locations before releasing products to producers.
“This final evaluation on growers’ farms helps us develop a profile of where the product fits on each acre for our customers,” Schafer says. The 2013 class of Pioneer soybean varieties is a solid group of products, he says, with performance packages of agronomic and defensive traits that provide choices to match the right product with the right acre.
Below are descriptions of notable Pioneer soybean varieties in the new 2013 lineup.
- 90Y51 (RR) – An excellent choice in mid-Group 0 for the northern U.S. and Ontario soybean markets, this variety provides Rps1K phytophthora resistance, above average iron chlorosis tolerance, competitive white mold tolerance and outstanding yield potential. This variety will likely become a leader in northern growing areas.
- 91Y01(RR) – A new early Group I leader variety for Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Ontario, this variety brings Rps1C phytophthora resistance, above average phytophthora tolerance and iron chlorosis tolerance along with top yield potential.
- 92Y22 (RR) and 92Y32 (RR) – These two new mid/early Group II varieties offer winning yield potential and a disease-tolerance package, featuring phytophthora root rot resistance and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) resistance.
- 93Y25 (RR) – This early/mid-Group III variety includes the Peking source of SCN resistance, making it a unique product for Illinois and Indiana. With the Rps1K source of phytophthora resistance, along with above average brown stem rot and SDS tolerance, 93Y25 is a welcome addition for growers with challenging cyst soils.
- 93Y84 (RR) – Rps1K phytophthora resistance, SCN resistance, above average sudden death syndrome (SDS) tolerance and outstanding yield potential will help establish 93Y84 as a new late Group III go-to variety across a broad geography.
- 94Y23 (RR) – This new early Group IV banner product, with SCN resistance and very competitive SDS tolerance, is well adapted across a wide range of soil types and is sure to become a preferred choice of many growers.
- 95Y60 (RR) – A unique mid-Group V product with the PI437654 source of SCN resistance, this variety offers very competitive phytophthora tolerance and excellent yield potential.
All of the new Pioneer soybean varieties were developed using the Accelerated Yield Technology (AYT™) system — a set of proprietary research tools that enables soybean researchers to scan and identify genes responsible for important traits and then incorporate them into additional soybean lines. Research tools like AYT have prompted Pioneer to register more than 225 soybean patents. Patent protection includes genetics (varieties), transgenic traits, native traits and breeding technologies. To continue to provide greater yields and the latest defensive traits to customers, Pioneer is both implementing a strong patent and protection program and funding research and development to create new products and technologies for greater value per acre.
Welcome to the KTIC Agriculture Information blog!!! Check back here for the latest in ag news and information, from local events to international happenings and government reports that affect your operation. Please email with suggestions! -Chad Moyer, Farm Director, KTIC Radio
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
September 24 Crop Progress and Harvest Report
NE Producers Pick Up Pace on Soybean Harvest
Agricultural Summary:
For the week ending September 23, 2012, cooler temperatures and limited rainfall aided crop drydown and harvest progress across the state, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Soybean harvest picked up momentum as producers turned attention from dryland corn. Corn harvest progress is near one month ahead of average and over one-third complete. Winter wheat seeding was nearing the half way point but fields were slow to emerge due to dry soil conditions. Sorghum harvest has started and proso millet harvest was near two-thirds complete. Cattle producers continued seeking forage supplies and culling of livestock remained active.
Weather Summary:
Small amounts of precipitation were recorded along some border counties, but most areas of the state received no rain. Temperatures averaged near normal in the western third of the state, 2 to 4 degrees below normal in the central third, and 6 to 7 degrees below normal in the eastern third. Highs were in the lower 90’s and lows were mainly in the mid 30’s with some locations receiving the first frost of the season.
Field Crops Report:
Corn mature reached 87 percent, compared to 43 last year and 46 average. Corn harvested for grain was 36 percent, compared to 5 last year and 28 days ahead of 5 average. Corn conditions rated 22 percent very poor, 19 poor, 26 fair, 29 good, and 4 excellent, well below 75 percent good to excellent last year and 78 average. Irrigated corn conditions rated 54 percent good to excellent and dryland corn rated 2.
Soybeans turning color were at 98 percent, compared to 87 last year and 90 average. Soybeans dropping leaves were 69 percent, compared to 38 last year and 53 average. Soybeans harvested were 19 percent, well ahead of 1 last year and 3 average. Soybean conditions rated 19 percent very poor, 28 poor, 35 fair, 17 good, and 1 excellent, well below last year’s 79 percent good to excellent and 78 average.
Winter wheat seeded was at 47 percent, behind both 59 percent last year and average. Winter wheat emerged was 5 percent, behind 19 percent last year and 21 average.
Sorghum turning color was 80 percent, compared to 94 last year and 91 average. Sorghum mature was 33 percent, near 31 last year but ahead of 25 average. Sorghum harvested was 4 percent complete, ahead of 2 last year and 1 average. Sorghum conditions rated 14 percent very poor, 45 poor, 31 fair, 10 good, and 0 excellent, well below 76 percent good to excellent last year and 77 average.
The fourth cutting of alfalfa was 83 percent complete, ahead of 76 last year and 65 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 70 percent very poor, 28 poor, 2 fair, 0 good, and 0 excellent, well below 71 percent good to excellent last year and 69 average.
Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 09/23/2012
BOONE
No moisture this week. Soybeans and corn being harvested.
DIXON
Dry conditions continue. Harvest is progressing rapidly with several producers finishing up on dryland corn harvest and moving toward soybean harvest.
DODGE
Producers are jumping back and forth between harvesting corn and beans. They are concerned with soybeans popping out prior to harvest. Fourth cutting of alfalfa is very short.
KNOX
Conditions are very dusty. Corn and soybean harvest have started. Both are very dry. Cattle are being removed from pastures.
NEMAHA
Conditions are dry which is conducive to harvesting corn and soybeans. Corn harvest is progressing and soybean harvest should be getting started soon.
About a Third of Iowa's Corn, Soybeans Harvested
Iowa experienced little rain during the week resulting in ideal harvest conditions for farmers as progress remains ahead of normal according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Iowa Field Office. Over one-third of the state’s corn is harvested with a few farmers already completing their harvest. Farmers in northwest Iowa harvested almost one-third of their soybean crop during the week.
There were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the past week. Topsoil moisture level declined to 54 percent very short, 36 percent short, 10 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture declined slightly and is now rated 68 percent very short, 27 percent short, 5 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus.
Ninety-six percent of the corn crop is now mature, ahead of last year’s 74 percent and the five year average of 62 percent. Thirty-seven percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, over three weeks ahead of normal. Moisture content of all corn in the field is estimated at 21 percent while the moisture content of corn being harvested is estimated at 18 percent. Corn lodging is rated at 52 percent none, 29 percent light, 13 percent moderate, and 6 percent heavy. Ear droppage is rated at 67 percent none, 21 percent light, 10 percent moderate, and 2 percent heavy. Corn condition declined slightly and is now rated at 21 percent very poor, 29 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 17 percent good, and 1 percent excellent.
Ninety-five percent of the soybean crop is turning color, ahead of last year’s 89 percent and the five year average of 90 percent. Seventy-eight percent of Iowa’s soybean fields are dropping leaves, a 24 percentage point increase from last week. Twenty-three percent of the state’s soybean crop has been harvested, over a week ahead of normal. Soybean lodging is rated at 77 percent none, 18 percent light, 5 percent moderate, and 0 percent heavy. Soybean shattering is rated at 70 percent none, 17 percent light, 12 percent moderate, and 1 percent heavy. Soybean condition is rated at 13 percent very poor, 21 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 24 percent good, and 2 percent excellent.
Twenty-six of Iowa’s pasture and range land is rated in fair or better condition, a slight decrease from last week. Pasture and range condition is rated at 47 percent very poor, 27 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 5 percent good, and 0 percent excellent. Livestock fared well with the seasonable temperatures experienced this week.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
The past week was unseasonably cool with below normal temperatures prevailing every day except Wednesday (19th). The season’s first freeze was recorded at a few scattered northwest Iowa locations on Tuesday (18th) morning with Sibley reporting 30 degrees. However, much colder weather arrived on the weekend with a freeze recorded over much of the state on Sunday (23rd) morning. Sheldon and Spencer reported low temperatures of 22 degrees while a light freeze was reported in valley bottom locations all the way south to the Missouri border. On the one warm day Glenwood reported a Wednesday afternoon high of 90 degrees. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 7.5 degrees below normal. Meanwhile, light rain fell statewide on Monday (17th) with light to moderate rain over the northeast one-third of the state on Friday (21st). Additionally there were a few isolated showers and thunderstorms over far eastern and southern Iowa on Wednesday as a strong cold front advanced across the state. Weekly rain totals varied from just a trace at the Red Oak Airport to 0.69 inches at Muscatine. The statewide average precipitation was only 0.17 inches while normal for the week is 0.77 inches. This was the 18th week of the past 20 with less than normal precipitation.
Corn Harvested - Selected States
[These 18 States harvested 94% of the 2011 corn acreage]
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: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------------:
State :September 23,:September 16,:September 23,: 2007-2011
: 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : Average
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado .......: 1 7 19 6
Illinois .......: 19 36 54 23
Indiana ........: 6 17 26 14
Iowa ...........: 4 22 37 4
Kansas .........: 39 51 64 30
Kentucky .......: 41 60 71 45
Michigan .......: 1 6 10 5
Minnesota ......: 1 12 30 2
Missouri .......: 45 66 80 33
Nebraska .......: 5 23 36 5
North Carolina .: 81 60 76 74
North Dakota ...: - 10 20 -
Ohio ...........: 1 4 8 6
Pennsylvania ...: 3 5 11 14
South Dakota ...: 1 19 36 2
Tennessee ......: 65 79 85 63
Texas ..........: 67 68 69 69
Wisconsin ......: 1 4 12 3
18 States ......: 12 26 39 13
Soybeans Harvested - Selected States
[These 18 States harvested 96% of the 2011 soybean acreage]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------------:
State :September 23,:September 16,:September 23,: 2007-2011
: 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : Average
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas .......: 16 28 34 17
Illinois .......: 3 3 8 9
Indiana ........: 2 5 10 11
Iowa ...........: 2 6 23 5
Kansas .........: 1 3 5 2
Kentucky .......: 3 10 13 7
Louisiana ......: 65 52 60 54
Michigan .......: - 1 6 4
Minnesota ......: 2 16 45 5
Mississippi ....: 35 58 62 43
Missouri .......: 1 1 4 3
Nebraska .......: 1 5 19 3
North Carolina .: 3 - 1 1
North Dakota ...: 4 28 56 4
Ohio ...........: - 3 8 7
South Dakota ...: 1 15 47 2
Tennessee ......: 2 4 9 9
Wisconsin ......: - 2 14 1
:
18 States ......: 4 10 22 8
Agricultural Summary:
For the week ending September 23, 2012, cooler temperatures and limited rainfall aided crop drydown and harvest progress across the state, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. Soybean harvest picked up momentum as producers turned attention from dryland corn. Corn harvest progress is near one month ahead of average and over one-third complete. Winter wheat seeding was nearing the half way point but fields were slow to emerge due to dry soil conditions. Sorghum harvest has started and proso millet harvest was near two-thirds complete. Cattle producers continued seeking forage supplies and culling of livestock remained active.
Weather Summary:
Small amounts of precipitation were recorded along some border counties, but most areas of the state received no rain. Temperatures averaged near normal in the western third of the state, 2 to 4 degrees below normal in the central third, and 6 to 7 degrees below normal in the eastern third. Highs were in the lower 90’s and lows were mainly in the mid 30’s with some locations receiving the first frost of the season.
Field Crops Report:
Corn mature reached 87 percent, compared to 43 last year and 46 average. Corn harvested for grain was 36 percent, compared to 5 last year and 28 days ahead of 5 average. Corn conditions rated 22 percent very poor, 19 poor, 26 fair, 29 good, and 4 excellent, well below 75 percent good to excellent last year and 78 average. Irrigated corn conditions rated 54 percent good to excellent and dryland corn rated 2.
Soybeans turning color were at 98 percent, compared to 87 last year and 90 average. Soybeans dropping leaves were 69 percent, compared to 38 last year and 53 average. Soybeans harvested were 19 percent, well ahead of 1 last year and 3 average. Soybean conditions rated 19 percent very poor, 28 poor, 35 fair, 17 good, and 1 excellent, well below last year’s 79 percent good to excellent and 78 average.
Winter wheat seeded was at 47 percent, behind both 59 percent last year and average. Winter wheat emerged was 5 percent, behind 19 percent last year and 21 average.
Sorghum turning color was 80 percent, compared to 94 last year and 91 average. Sorghum mature was 33 percent, near 31 last year but ahead of 25 average. Sorghum harvested was 4 percent complete, ahead of 2 last year and 1 average. Sorghum conditions rated 14 percent very poor, 45 poor, 31 fair, 10 good, and 0 excellent, well below 76 percent good to excellent last year and 77 average.
The fourth cutting of alfalfa was 83 percent complete, ahead of 76 last year and 65 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 70 percent very poor, 28 poor, 2 fair, 0 good, and 0 excellent, well below 71 percent good to excellent last year and 69 average.
Current Weather & Crops County Comments
Survey Date: 09/23/2012
BOONE
No moisture this week. Soybeans and corn being harvested.
DIXON
Dry conditions continue. Harvest is progressing rapidly with several producers finishing up on dryland corn harvest and moving toward soybean harvest.
DODGE
Producers are jumping back and forth between harvesting corn and beans. They are concerned with soybeans popping out prior to harvest. Fourth cutting of alfalfa is very short.
KNOX
Conditions are very dusty. Corn and soybean harvest have started. Both are very dry. Cattle are being removed from pastures.
NEMAHA
Conditions are dry which is conducive to harvesting corn and soybeans. Corn harvest is progressing and soybean harvest should be getting started soon.
About a Third of Iowa's Corn, Soybeans Harvested
Iowa experienced little rain during the week resulting in ideal harvest conditions for farmers as progress remains ahead of normal according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Iowa Field Office. Over one-third of the state’s corn is harvested with a few farmers already completing their harvest. Farmers in northwest Iowa harvested almost one-third of their soybean crop during the week.
There were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the past week. Topsoil moisture level declined to 54 percent very short, 36 percent short, 10 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture declined slightly and is now rated 68 percent very short, 27 percent short, 5 percent adequate, and 0 percent surplus.
Ninety-six percent of the corn crop is now mature, ahead of last year’s 74 percent and the five year average of 62 percent. Thirty-seven percent of the corn crop has been harvested for grain or seed, over three weeks ahead of normal. Moisture content of all corn in the field is estimated at 21 percent while the moisture content of corn being harvested is estimated at 18 percent. Corn lodging is rated at 52 percent none, 29 percent light, 13 percent moderate, and 6 percent heavy. Ear droppage is rated at 67 percent none, 21 percent light, 10 percent moderate, and 2 percent heavy. Corn condition declined slightly and is now rated at 21 percent very poor, 29 percent poor, 32 percent fair, 17 percent good, and 1 percent excellent.
Ninety-five percent of the soybean crop is turning color, ahead of last year’s 89 percent and the five year average of 90 percent. Seventy-eight percent of Iowa’s soybean fields are dropping leaves, a 24 percentage point increase from last week. Twenty-three percent of the state’s soybean crop has been harvested, over a week ahead of normal. Soybean lodging is rated at 77 percent none, 18 percent light, 5 percent moderate, and 0 percent heavy. Soybean shattering is rated at 70 percent none, 17 percent light, 12 percent moderate, and 1 percent heavy. Soybean condition is rated at 13 percent very poor, 21 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 24 percent good, and 2 percent excellent.
Twenty-six of Iowa’s pasture and range land is rated in fair or better condition, a slight decrease from last week. Pasture and range condition is rated at 47 percent very poor, 27 percent poor, 21 percent fair, 5 percent good, and 0 percent excellent. Livestock fared well with the seasonable temperatures experienced this week.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
The past week was unseasonably cool with below normal temperatures prevailing every day except Wednesday (19th). The season’s first freeze was recorded at a few scattered northwest Iowa locations on Tuesday (18th) morning with Sibley reporting 30 degrees. However, much colder weather arrived on the weekend with a freeze recorded over much of the state on Sunday (23rd) morning. Sheldon and Spencer reported low temperatures of 22 degrees while a light freeze was reported in valley bottom locations all the way south to the Missouri border. On the one warm day Glenwood reported a Wednesday afternoon high of 90 degrees. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 7.5 degrees below normal. Meanwhile, light rain fell statewide on Monday (17th) with light to moderate rain over the northeast one-third of the state on Friday (21st). Additionally there were a few isolated showers and thunderstorms over far eastern and southern Iowa on Wednesday as a strong cold front advanced across the state. Weekly rain totals varied from just a trace at the Red Oak Airport to 0.69 inches at Muscatine. The statewide average precipitation was only 0.17 inches while normal for the week is 0.77 inches. This was the 18th week of the past 20 with less than normal precipitation.
Corn Harvested - Selected States
[These 18 States harvested 94% of the 2011 corn acreage]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------------:
State :September 23,:September 16,:September 23,: 2007-2011
: 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : Average
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Colorado .......: 1 7 19 6
Illinois .......: 19 36 54 23
Indiana ........: 6 17 26 14
Iowa ...........: 4 22 37 4
Kansas .........: 39 51 64 30
Kentucky .......: 41 60 71 45
Michigan .......: 1 6 10 5
Minnesota ......: 1 12 30 2
Missouri .......: 45 66 80 33
Nebraska .......: 5 23 36 5
North Carolina .: 81 60 76 74
North Dakota ...: - 10 20 -
Ohio ...........: 1 4 8 6
Pennsylvania ...: 3 5 11 14
South Dakota ...: 1 19 36 2
Tennessee ......: 65 79 85 63
Texas ..........: 67 68 69 69
Wisconsin ......: 1 4 12 3
18 States ......: 12 26 39 13
Soybeans Harvested - Selected States
[These 18 States harvested 96% of the 2011 soybean acreage]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Week ending :
:-----------------------------------------:
State :September 23,:September 16,:September 23,: 2007-2011
: 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : Average
------------------------------------------------------------------------
: percent
Arkansas .......: 16 28 34 17
Illinois .......: 3 3 8 9
Indiana ........: 2 5 10 11
Iowa ...........: 2 6 23 5
Kansas .........: 1 3 5 2
Kentucky .......: 3 10 13 7
Louisiana ......: 65 52 60 54
Michigan .......: - 1 6 4
Minnesota ......: 2 16 45 5
Mississippi ....: 35 58 62 43
Missouri .......: 1 1 4 3
Nebraska .......: 1 5 19 3
North Carolina .: 3 - 1 1
North Dakota ...: 4 28 56 4
Ohio ...........: - 3 8 7
South Dakota ...: 1 15 47 2
Tennessee ......: 2 4 9 9
Wisconsin ......: - 2 14 1
:
18 States ......: 4 10 22 8
Monday September 24 Ag News
Dry Conditions to Persist in Western Corn Belt for Early Fall
Al Dutcher, UNL Extension State Climatologist
There has certainly been a shift toward a more favorable moisture pattern during the past 30 days across the southeastern U.S., as well as the southern Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. The northwestern Corn Belt has remained dry and needs to be monitored for further deterioration during this fall and early winter. It is not uncommon for the Dakota’s, Montana, and the northern Rockies to see below normal moisture during El Nino years.
Average temperatures during the past 30 days are reflecting a change in the mean atmospheric jet stream pattern. A persistent and deep upper air trough has become established across the eastern U.S. and temperatures are responding accordingly.
Temperature departures of 1-2°F below normal are expected across the southeastern U.S. and near normal temperatures are predicted across the eastern Corn Belt. Abnormally hot conditions have now shifted into the northwestern Corn Belt, which includes the northwestern third of Nebraska.
The widespread precipitation that moved through the state Sept. 12-13 was certainly welcome, but insufficient to alleviate our well-established drought conditions. It is going to take several months of this type of precipitation pattern before we can expect a significant drought reduction for Nebraska.
Current Forecast
Good harvest conditions should continue into the middle of next week before another cold front begins to sag southward from Canada. If the timing works and it mixes with some expected moisture in the Rockies, Nebraska could see some rain. After that, the next moderate chance for precipitation isn’t until October 2-4.
The overall trend for the western Corn Belt is still drier than normal. While in the short-term this will benefit harvest operations, it won’t benefit wheat planting or help reduce our current drought.
Soil Moisture Recharge Starts Early, but Will it Be Enough?
As the end of the 2012 production season rapidly approaches, growers are asking: What is the likelihood that this year’s devastating drought will be repeated in 2013?
A repeat is certainly possible, but droughts of this year’s magnitude and intensity are infrequent. In fact, based on land area coverage alone, you would have to go back to 1988 to find a drought with similar national coverage.
Thankfully, national droughts of this year’s intensity materialize an average of once every 15-20 years. When multiyear droughts do occur, western areas of the U.S. Corn Belt are particularly susceptible. In this area “off season” moisture is the primary driver for drought risk while in the central and eastern Corn Belt, normal off-season moisture is more than sufficient to replenish soil profiles.
UNL research has found that 70% of the moisture that falls from October through April will make its way into the soil profile. As bad as the drought was this year across the nation’s midsection, the prospects for normal soil moisture recharge are higher than normal. Although this sounds counter intuitive, remember that in a normal year, corn and soybeans are still actively growing in September. With corn and soybeans shutting down early, soil moisture recharge can start early, as long as the atmosphere cooperates.
With the remnants of hurricane Isaac dropping 2-5 inches of precipitation across portions of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, soil moisture is building there. However, Isaac offered little reprieve for the western Corn Belt. We’ll be watching precipitation patterns through November before predicting the potential drought risk for 2013.
Understanding the Two Types of Drought — Agricultural and Hydrological
It is important to remember that when we quantify drought, we are looking at two types of drought. Agricultural droughts respond quickly to short-term precipitation events, while hydrological droughts extend longer than six months and can still be relevant event when agricultural conditions are optimum.
As long as your specific region has received normal moisture during the fall and spring, your risk of an agricultural drought during the growing season is entirely dependent on the mean jet stream pattern. Just because the fall is dry, doesn’t mean that you are going to experience drought conditions the next growing season. A wet spring can make up for fall precipitation deficits. What we have found here in Nebraska is that our more significant drought risks occur when moisture during the fall/spring recharge period falls below 80% of normal.
Hydrological droughts are much more difficult to quantify, especially when they span several consecutive years. It may take several years of above normal moisture to undo the damage of a single, intense drought year. Conversely, because the annual precipitation of the central and eastern Corn Belt may be two or more times greater than that in the western Corn Belt, a hydrological drought of equal magnitude can be eradicated in half the time as one in the western Corn Belt.
Our long range forecasting ability is weak at best. However, the long range models that we rely on work best when La Nina or El Nino conditions develop across the eastern and central equatorial Pacific. Weak El Nino conditions are now prevalent in the eastern Pacific and expected to strengthen slightly this fall and winter. These events usually dissipate as we move through spring, unless they are moderate to strong.
Several areas of the country respond to La Nina or El Nino events with enough regularity that they can be described with an accuracy of 70% or greater. During an El Nino event:
- In the southern third of the U.S. precipitation is usually above normal during the fall through spring and temperatures are below normal. (During La Nina years this same region will typically see below normal moisture and above normal temperatures.)
- The Pacific Northwest and the eastern Corn Belt will be drier and warmer than normal. (During a La Nina they will have above normal moisture and below normal temperatures.)
For the remainder of the country, fall and spring weather is entirely a function of where the mean jet stream pattern develops, even in the absence of El Nino or La Nina conditions. In the western Corn Belt, if precipitation patterns this fall are similar to last fall, the drought risk will remain elevated into next spring. If precipitation is close to normal, the risk of drought really won’t be definable until next March, at the earliest.
For the central and eastern Corn Belt, I believe that the drought risk for 2013 will be no different than any other year. Most of the eastern and central Corn Belt droughts develop during the growing season and not during the fall/spring period as happens in the western Corn Belt.
Soil Testing Critical After a Drought Year
Richard Ferguson, Gary Hergert, Charles Shapiro, Tim Shaver and Charles Wortmann
Extension Soils Specialists
Most crop producers in Nebraska are in the midst of harvest now, and planning for next year is not on top of their “to-do” list. However, as harvest wraps up, soil sampling should be near the top of their list. This has been among the most challenging growing seasons in 50 years, with rainfall amounts far below average. Irrigation has moderated drought impacts for many Nebraska growers, but at a significant cost. The combination of drought conditions, heavy irrigation, and widely varying yields means that soil testing is more important than ever this year.
In a recent CropWatch article, Grassini et al. noted that irrigated corn yields across Nebraska are predicted to be moderately lower (3-8% below average), while dryland yields will be substantially reduced (32-67% below average). These estimates are based on weather data from 2012, and assume no yield-limiting factors other than temperature and solar radiation for irrigated production. Many areas of Nebraska had high temperatures during pollination, which may further reduce yield from modeled predictions. The big question is how drought will affect nutrient requirements for next year. The net effect of crop nutrient removal on soil nutrient availability will vary from field to field, and with locations within fields.
Residual Nitrate
For very low-yielding, rainfed corn fields, expect residual nitrate levels to be high. This will primarily be from unused fertilizer nitrogen. Soil mineralization of N will have been quite low in rainfed fields due to low moisture. Limited crop N removal and little or no leaching means that unused fertilizer N remains in the soil. Unless we have an unusually wet winter and spring, this nitrate-N will be mostly available for crop use next year. The only way to accurately account for residual nitrate-N is through deep sampling, to a depth of at least 2 feet; this may be difficult until soil moisture is restored. Unusually high residual nitrate levels following soybean harvest are not likely as soybean typically depletes soil nitrate-N to reduce energy needed for biological N fixation.
For irrigated fields, total irrigation amounts for 2012 were double or more compared to 2011 applications, with many more irrigation events for sprinkler-irrigated fields. Generally nitrate leaching with irrigation is not a concern with sprinkler-irrigated fields, due to irrigation amounts being one inch or less per event. Such frequent irrigation, combined with warm soil temperatures all summer, may have led to above-average mineralization of nitrogen from organic matter. Consequently, residual nitrate-N levels for sprinkler-irrigated fields may still be higher than normal, even if yields are not that much lower.
Furrow-irrigated fields generally will have larger amounts of water applied per irrigation event, which can result in nitrate leaching below the root zone, depending on how irrigation was managed. Expect residual nitrate-N levels to be quite low for furrow-irrigated fields. However, variability in residual nitrate can be very high with furrow irrigation. It will be critical to sample residual nitrate from the upper, middle, and lower third of the field relative to the location of irrigation pipe, since more leaching will occur in the upper third of the field.
Phosphorus, Potassium, and Other Nutrients
For irrigated fields with yields close to normal, expect little impact from drought on soil test levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and other nutrients. For dryland fields, crop uptake of these nutrients will be less than normal. However, this may have little impact on soil test levels for P, K, and other nutrients. There may be some tendency toward higher soil test values, but soil tests for these nutrients are an estimate of plant availability over the growing season. There is evidence that soil test K can be influenced by soil drying, and some states have started analyzing soil K from field moist samples. However, most Nebraska soils are quite high in potassium, and thus slight differences in soil test K that can occur with the analytical process have no impact on the fertilizer recommendation.
Silage and Residue Harvest
In many cases, growers harvested fields intended for grain production as silage. In other cases, there will be opportunity to harvest crop residue as feed due to reduced pasture and hay production. Either way, growers should be aware of nutrient removal resulting from biomass harvest. Significant amounts of P, K, and micronutrients, as well as carbon, can be removed from the field with biomass harvest. For example, a 150 bu/ac corn crop will uptake approximately 64 lb P205 and 42 lb K2O in grain, but will have approximately 36 lb P2O5 and 144 lb K2O/acre in stover. The value of these nutrients should be considered when pricing baled stalks for livestock feed. More information on the impacts of harvesting crop residues is available in the Extension publications Baling Corn Residue (EC711) and Harvesting Crop Residues (G1846). If stalks are grazed rather than baled, expect much of the nutrient content in grazed residues to return to the field, minus the harvested weight of cattle once they are taken off the field.
The Bottom Line
Expect soil nutrient values — particularly residual nitrate — to be more variable this fall than in recent years from field to field, and within fields. The only way to know the availability of soil nutrients is to soil test. Fertilizer costs can easily exceed $100/acre for irrigated corn. Nitrogen prices currently range from about $0.50 to $0.70/lb N, depending on the fertilizer source. Phosphorus prices range from $0.45 to $0.80/lb P2O5, depending on P source and the price of N fertilizer. Thus, an irrigated corn field requiring 180 lb N/acre at $0.60/lb, and 60 lb P2O5 at $0.60/lb, will have a fertilizer cost of $148/acre. Making accurate estimates of profitable fertilizer rates for next year will require accurate soil test information. Guidelines for soil testing are available in two Extension publications — Guidelines for Soil Sampling (G1740) and Soil Sampling for Precision Agriculture (EC154).
While there should be plenty of time for soil sampling this fall due to an early harvest, consider sampling next spring instead. Dry conditions this fall may make sampling difficult, and spring sampling may result in a more accurate prediction of nitrate-N availability, depending on weather conditions this winter. Nebraska is fortunate to have several good analytical labs where growers can have soil samples tested. Contact any of these Nebraska soil testing labs for information on current pricing and how to ship samples.
Grazing Corn Stalks in No-till Fields
Charles Wortmann, Extension Soils Specialist
Terry Klopfenstein, Professor of Animal Science
Aaron Stalker, Extension Beef Range Systems Specialist
Grazing corn stalks is of major importance to Nebraska’s beef cattle industry, particularly this year, and can be compatible with no-till crop production.
In a corn-soybean rotation study conducted from 1996 to 2011, the effects on yields of the following crop were determined for fall-winter grazing (November to February) and spring grazing (February to mid-April, the time of greatest concern of compaction by animal traffic on thawed and wet soil). The field was irrigated. Three treatments (fall/winter grazed, spring grazed, and ungrazed) have been maintained in the same area since 1996. Stocking was with yearlings at 2.5 times the normal level since 2000.
On average, yield of the following soybean crop was increased by about 2 bu/ac with fall-winter grazing, and 1.3 bu/ac with spring grazing, compared with no grazing of corn stalks. Yield of corn as the second crop after grazing was not significantly affected.
The results of this study, other studies conducted from 1993 to 1995 at the ARDC, and research currently being conducted near Brule will be reported in the 2013 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report. These additional studies, including a dryland trial, had no significant effect of grazing on mean grain yield for the following crop which was corn, soybean, or grain sorghum.
Grazing corn stalks is compatible with no-till management in eastern Nebraska and probably is for irrigated fields throughout the state with no loss in average grain yield expected. With wet soil conditions in the spring, consider removing cattle from the field or taking other steps management steps to minimize the effect of compaction.
ConAgra Foods Eliminating Controversial Pig Cages from Supply Chains
The Humane Society of the United States applauds the announcement from ConAgra Foods that it will eliminate controversial gestation crates—cages used to confine breeding pigs—from its pork supply chain, becoming the latest in a growing list of major food companies to address this issue. ConAgra Foods is a Fortune 500 company with net sales totaling more than $13 billion.
“As part of our long-standing commitment to the humane treatment and handling of animals, ConAgra Foods supports the elimination of gestation stall housing for sows,” said ConAgra Foods in a statement. “We are asking our pork suppliers to present actionable plans by 2017 that address both the elimination of gestation stalls and creation of traceability systems within the pork supply chain. We recognize that implementing a phase-out may be a long-term process, and could take up to 10 years [2022].”
“We applaud ConAgra Foods tackling one of the most serious farm animal welfare problems,” stated Josh Balk, corporate policy director of farm animal protection for The HSUS. “This policy makes it even clearer than ever that the cruel gestation crate confinement of pigs will come to an end.”
The similar announcements made recently by Oscar Mayer, McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Costco, Safeway, Kroger and other leading food companies signal a reversal in a three-decade-old trend in the pork industry that leaves most breeding pigs confined day and night in gestation crates during their four-month pregnancy. These cages are roughly the same size as the animals’ bodies and designed to prevent them from even turning around. The animals are subsequently transferred into another crate to give birth, re-impregnated, and put back into a gestation crate. This happens pregnancy after pregnancy for their entire lives, adding up to years of virtual immobilization. This confinement system has come under fire from veterinarians, farmers, animal welfare advocates, animal scientists, consumers and others.
Hillshire Brands Joins List Phasing Out Gestation Sow Stalls
Officials at Hillshire Brands, announce that they will work toward eliminating gestation-sow stalls from their pork supply chain. The timeline identified is for the move to be completed by 2022.. The company says it will work to advance 'fact-based discussions with its suppliers and the industry in general, on alternatives to traditional gestational housing.'
While Hillshire Brands does not raise pigs, the company plans to eventually source all pork from suppliers 'who use housing that provides the animals the opportunity for adequate movement and comfort, while also ensuring their safety.' Company officials point out that the goal is for pork suppliers to combine quality animal care and worker safety with solutions that are adaptable for farm family operations of all sizes.
Headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill, Hillshire Brands owns Hillshire Farms, Ballpark, Jimmy Dean and State Fair meat brands. A major sausage and processed meats provider for both retail and foodservice sectors, Hillshire Brands is a significant pork user. It also has artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame
Lawsuit Challenges $60 Million Federal Payout for “The Other White Meat” Slogan
(from HSUS web site)
The Humane Society of the United States—along with an independent pig farmer and on behalf of its pig farmer members—filed a lawsuit in federal district court, charging that the National Pork Board struck an unlawful backroom deal with a D.C. lobbying organization for the purchase of the iconic “Pork: The Other White Meat” slogan. The deal allows $60 million in pork producers’ money collected for marketing and promotion purposes to be diverted into industry lobbying efforts aimed at harming animal welfare and small farmers.
“The National Pork Producers Council has a failed track record when it comes to representing family farmers and preventing animal cruelty,” said Joe Maxwell, director of rural development and outreach at The HSUS and a Missouri pig farmer. “While we can’t force NPPC to care about animals or family farmers, through this lawsuit we can work to stop our money from being unlawfully funneled straight to its lobbyists who work against us.”
The National Pork Board—a quasi-governmental entity receiving mandatory fees, called “checkoffs,” from independent pork producers—purchased the slogan from its long-time industry ally, the National Pork Producers Council in 2006.
Through months of research, The HSUS uncovered glaring legal violations, conflicts of interest, and an exorbitantly over-inflated $60 million price tag associated with the deal. Much of the extraordinarily inflated value of the slogan resulted from 20 years of promotional campaigns funded entirely with pork producers’ own checkoff funds: roughly half a billion dollars. In essence, NPPC charged pork producers twice: once to make The Other White Meat successful, and again to pay for the value of that success.
Launched in 1987, “The Other White Meat” was developed as the primary promotional message of the National Pork Board’s checkoff program. According to federal law, every U.S. pork producer must pay into the checkoff program, but those funds can only be used for strictly limited promotional and research purposes, and may not be used for lobbying. The U.S. Department of Agriculture supervises the checkoff program and has authority to reject expenditures that are not in compliance with federal laws or regulations.
Records suggest that industry leaders were fully aware of the impropriety of the sale and deliberately worked to prevent public knowledge of it. Then-National Pork Board CEO Steve Murphy wrote in 2006, for example, that his reason for not accepting written appraisals for the sale was to keep that information “sealed” and out of the “public domain.”
The purchase price, to be paid by the National Pork Board to the National Pork Producers Council in 20 annual installments of $3 million each, has been reported by NPPC as representing nearly one-third of its annual budgeted revenue. These payments continue, despite the fact that the slogan has been discontinued and replaced with a new one by the National Pork Board, which has the power to cancel the payments.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to cancel the unlawful purchase and ensure that the remaining balance—tens of millions of dollars—will benefit the producers who fund the checkoff instead of NPPC’s anti-animal, anti-farmer lobbying agenda. The complaint does not challenge the constitutionality of the checkoff program but alleges a gross misuse of a massive amount of federally-compelled check-off payments funneled into lobbying purposes.
Statement Of NPPC CEO Neil Dierks on HSUS Latest ‘Bullying Tactic’
“NPPC is reviewing the HSUS complaint, but it appears there is no legal merit to this claim, and it is another desperate attempt by the radical activist group to severely curtail animal agriculture and take away consumer food choices. What does merit concern, however, is the fact that HSUS preys on the emotions of domestic pet owners with deceptive advertising and fundraising. It raises money on images of abused puppies without homes, yet virtually none of those funds go to local shelters. Instead those dollars go toward multimillion dollar campaigns to attack family farmers and American meat production.
“This also is the latest bullying tactic by HSUS in its efforts to force NPPC to abandon its position on allowing farmers to choose production practices that are best for the welfare of their animals. Over the past few months, HSUS has threatened NPPC with a Federal Trade Commission complaint; filed notice of its intent to sue a number of hog operations over alleged emissions reporting violations; and charged that NPPC was responsible for the deaths of hogs in barn fires because the organization asked to give input on national fire standards for agricultural facilities. All of the allegations lack merit.”
Kearney Raceway Park to Feature 180 mph Ethanol-Powered Street-Legal Cars
It's being billed as "8 Seconds of Corn-fed Madness": Street-legal muscle cars doing 180 mph on a quarter-mile track—powered by ethanol, the renewable fuel made from corn. To top it off, they can race at 180 mph down the track after popping a monster wheelie at the starting line!
Their performance is a special attraction at the Ethanol NHRA National Open held October 6-7, 2012, at Kearney Raceway Park in Kearney, Nebraska. In addition to the 200 professional drag racers from across the nation who will be competing for top honors, the weekend event will also feature a special fleet of street-legal cars running on E85—and 85/15 ethanol/gasoline blend—proving that ethanol is a high-performance fuel. These muscle cars will perform at various times throughout the event, reaching top speeds of 180 mph down the quarter-mile track after popping sky-high wheelies at the starting line.
In addition to the competitive racing and muscle car performances, the University of Nebraska—Lincoln Husker Motorsports team will have their 2012 Formula SAE car on display. Also appearing will be James Stevens’ Top Alcohol dragster which is capable of 250 mph passes and Ray Vettel’s beautiful 1978 Z28 Camaro Pro Mod car which has gone over 210 mph.
Competition gears up at 1:00 p.m. both days. The ethanol- powered cars will strut their stuff several times during the afternoon both days.
"This is really a great way for people of all ages to see what drag racing is all about," said Grady Koch with Kearney Raceway Park. "If you like fast cars, fast action and a lot of family fun, this is the perfect event to attend. And I guarantee you'll walk away impressed with the way these muscle cars perform on ethanol!"
Kearney Raceway Park is the only NHRA-sanctioned drag strip in Nebraska and it has been the site of dozens of national record-breaking performances. Concessions are available on site throughout the event.
The track is partnering with the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Ethanol Board to promote the event. Both NASCAR and the Indy Racing League have adopted ethanol as their fuel of choice because of its higher octane and cooler temperatures, which improve engine performance and extend engine life. In plain terms that means more horsepower with less heat.
Admission is $15 per person for one day or $25 for a two-day pass. Kids from 7-12 are $5 per day and 6 and under are free. Coupons good for $5 off gate admission are available at NAPA stores in Kearney, Hastings, Aurora and Minden; at the Kearney Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; and at NRG Media in Kearney.
For more information, visit www.krpi.com.
CNFA Hosts Kazakhstan Development Tour in Midwest
As an extension of the Kazakhstan Business Connections Program, a two-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), CNFA is hosting a three-week business development tour for ten participants from Kazakhstan to meet with U.S. businesses and attend training seminars in Kansas and Nebraska. Nine businessmen, involved in beef and poultry production and one government representative will visit over a dozen businesses related to livestock production, processing and marketing including AGCO, Luco Manufacturing and Great Plains. In addition to these business and association visits, the tour also includes an educational component where participants will attend a four-day training seminar at Kansas State University and presentation at the Kansas State Department of Agriculture. While the primary goal of the tour is to provide training and opportunities for Kazak businesses, the tour also provides opportunities for U.S. businesses as well. The tour will conclude in Washington, D.C. for a debrief and reception with representatives from the Kazakhstan Embassy and livestock industry.
The Kazakhstan Business Connections program aims to build the capacity and competitiveness of Kazakhstani small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through their modernization and expansion. The program aligns with the Government of Kazakhstan's (GOKZ) national development plan to diversify the economy through the development of Kazakhstani SMEs. Although this is a USAID-funded project, the Government of Kazakhstan contributes 50 percent of the operating expenses.
CNFA is a Washington, D.C.-based, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth and improving rural livelihoods by empowering the private sector. CNFA's unique approach is founded on five core capacities: 1) commercial input supply and farm services; 2) economic resilience and rapid recovery; 3) agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition; 4) value chain development; and 5) volunteer technical assistance. CNFA has worked in over 38 countries worldwide and impacted the lives of more than 70 million people. For more information, visit www.cnfa.org.
MILC Program Sign-up Ends September 30
Thurston County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director (CED) Josie Waterbury reminds dairy producers that the deadline to sign-up for Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) benefits is September 30, 2012. Legislation has not been enacted to extend the MILC program past September 30, 2012 through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. MILC compensates dairy producers when domestic milk prices fall below a specified level.
"It is important that dairy producers provide final production evidence and any supporting documentation for eligible months that MILC was in effect by November 1, 2012," said Waterbury. Changes to the dairy operation start-month must be designated on FSA’s form "CCC-580M – Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Modification."
For more information about the MILC program, please contact the Thurston County FSA office at (402) 846-5655 or visit the web at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ne.
CWT Assists with 6.6 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Land O’Lakes and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association to sell 5.880 million pounds (2,667 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and 687,842 pounds (312 metric tons) of butter, to customers in Asia, Central America, Europe and the Middle East. The product will be delivered September 2012 through March 2013.
In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 91.6 million pounds, butter totaling 58.1 million pounds, and anhydrous milk fat totaling 123,459 pounds. The product will go to 34 countries on four continents. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 2.116 billion pounds, or the same as the annual milk production of 100,700 cows.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by reducing inventories that overhang the market and depress cheese and butter prices. In the long-term, CWT’s Export Assistance program helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them.
CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.
Vilsack on Failure to Pass Food, Farm and Jobs Bill
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today about Congress’ failure to pass comprehensive, multi-year food, farm and jobs legislation before the current law expires on Sept. 30, 2012:
"In a year that has brought its share of challenges to America's farmers and ranchers, the House Republicans have added new uncertainty for rural America. Unfortunately, House Republicans left Washington without passing comprehensive, multi-year food, farm and jobs legislation, leaving thousands of farming families exposed. U.S. agriculture is fighting to maintain the tremendous momentum it has built over the past three years, but with natural disasters and other external forces threatening livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers, certainty is more important than ever. Americans deserve a food, farm and jobs bill that reforms the safety net for producers in times of need, promotes the bio-based economy, conserves our natural resources, strengthens rural communities, promotes job growth in rural America, and supports food assistance to low-income families. Without the certainty of a multi-year bill, rural communities are being asked to shoulder undue burdens."
AFBF: Cap Gains Tax Precludes Farmers from Passing Torch
The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging Congress to reform the capital gains tax because of its detriment to young and beginning farmers. In a statement submitted to the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees' joint hearing on tax reform, AFBF said the cumbersome tax makes it difficult for current farmers to pass the torch to a new generation of agriculturalists.
Capital gains taxes apply when land and buildings from a farm or ranch are transferred to a new or expanding farmer while the owner is still alive. This occurs most often when a farmer wants to expand his or her farm or ranch to take in a son or daughter, or when a retiring farmer sells his or her business to a beginning farmer.
"Since approximately 40 percent of farmland is owned by individuals age 65 or older, capital gains taxes provide an additional barrier to entry for young farmers and ranchers at a time when it is already difficult for them to get in to the industry," said the AFBF statement. "Capital gains tax liabilities encourage farmers to hold onto their land rather than sell it, creating a barrier for new and expanding farms and ranches to use that land for agricultural purposes."
This added cost also increases the likelihood that farm and ranch land will be sold outside of agriculture for commercial uses to investors who are willing to pay more, causing agricultural land and open space to be lost forever.
The capital gains tax especially hurts farmers because agriculture requires large investments in land and buildings that are held for long periods of time and account for 76 percent of farmers̢۪ assets. Further, 40 percent of all farmers report some capital gains; nearly double the share for all taxpayers. And the average amount of capital gains reported by farmers is about 50 percent higher than the average capital gain reported by other taxpayers.
The top capital gains tax rate will increase by a third on the first of the year, from 15 percent to 20 percent. Farm Bureau supports a permanent extension of the 15 percent rate.
R-CALF Files FOIA to Determine Possible USDA Role
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard filed a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and/or Privacy Act (PA) for copies of all records of communications between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the eight groups that have banned R-CALF USA from participating in the meeting of the Beef Checkoff Industry Input Group (Checkoff Industry Group) to be held Sept. 24, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. USDA representative Craig Shackelford is scheduled to make a presentation at the meeting.
The eight groups that banned R-CALF USA from participating in the upcoming meeting include: National Cattlemen's Beef Association, U.S. Cattlemen's Association, Meat Importers Council of America, American National CattleWomen, American Farm Bureau Federation, Livestock Marketing Association, National Livestock Producers, and National Farmers Union.
"The purpose of this Freedom of Information Act and/or Privacy Act request is to ascertain the U.S. Department of Agriculture's role or involvement, if any, in the scheduling of or planning for the meeting to be held on September 24, 2012 . . . This request is necessary because a decision was made by the Beef Checkoff Industry Input Group and/or the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban me or any other representative of R-CALF USA from participating, in any way, at the meeting," Bullard wrote in his request.
Bullard's request continued: "This request is inclusive of all communications and contacts between USDA officials and the aforementioned organizations during the entire period August 10, 2012 through September 20, 2012 regardless of whether such communications or contacts are directly or indirectly related to the upcoming, September 24, 2012 meeting . . . because the organizers of the September 24, 2012 meeting (i.e., the eight organizations listed above) asserted that the basis for excluding R-CALF USA from the meeting included a lawsuit that was filed against the USDA on August 10, 2012."
"We hope USDA was not involved in excluding R-CALF USA, but given USDA's refusal to take any remedial action after learning that NCBA (National Cattlemen's Beef Association) had misused hundreds of thousands of producer checkoff dollars, it's not a far stretch to suspect that USDA is complicit in trying to stop us from restoring the credibility of the Beef Checkoff Program," Bullard commented.
Bank of the West Grows Regional Agribusiness Offices
Bank of the West announced the promotions of four relationship managers in its Omaha and Wichita-based ag offices and the addition of a new ag banker in its Des Moines office.
-- In Omaha, Trevor Svoboda and Brock Thorberg have been promoted to vice president and Jami Marshall to assistant vice president;
-- In Des Moines, Andy Bentley joins the bank as a vice president;
-- In Wichita, Wyatt Rundel has been promoted to assistant vice president.
In their role as relationship managers and ag industry bankers, they are responsible for new business development and client banking in agricultural production and agribusiness sectors. Their areas of focus include cattle feeding, commercial cattle feedlot, swine operations, poultry (broilers and egg production) and dairies, as well as grain elevators, fertilizer dealers, feed manufacturing and packing operations.
They are part of the Bank of the West Central Plains Agribusiness Group that services clients in 10 Midwestern and High Plains states through offices located in Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Wichita and Minneapolis.
"As the nation's second largest bank lender to production agriculture, Bank of the West values deep, long-term relationships with producers and suppliers to the ag industry," said Stephen Hatz, senior vice president and Agribusiness area manager. "The Central Plains Agribusiness Group is committed to customers in the industry and the region and we're pleased to offer an ag team of skilled managers who provide the consistent and thoughtful approach to ag lending that our clients depend on through seasonal and cyclical changes in their business."
The Bank of the West Central Plains Agribusiness Group began with five relationship managers in 2006 and since then has grown to 12 team members.
Trevor Svoboda first joined Bank of the West in 2006 and has been in agricultural banking for eight years. He holds a degree in economics from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Brock Thorberg joined Bank of the West in 2007 and has been in agricultural banking for eight years. Among his numerous professional affiliations, he is a member of the Nebraska Cattlemen, United Egg Producers, Nebraska Bankers Association Advisory Committee (2009 -- 2012) and the American Bankers Association Ag Bankers Conference Planning Committee. Thorberg holds a degree in agricultural sciences from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Jami Marshall has been in the financial services industry for 11 years, with eight of those years concentrated in agricultural banking. She joined Bank of the West in 2005. Marshall holds a degree in marketing management from Bellevue University.
Wyatt Rundel has been in agricultural operations for almost 10 years, and transitioned to ag banking in 2010. He joined Bank of the West in 2011. Rundel holds a degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University.
Andy Bentley has been in banking services since 2002. He rejoins Bank of the West from Market 1, Inc. Bentley holds a degree in agricultural business from Iowa State University.
Bank of the West was ranked as the second largest bank lender to U.S. agriculture, according to an American Bankers Association online ranking of the Top 100 Farm Lenders. The bank began lending to farmers in 1874 and, today, its Agribusiness Division assists customers throughout the United States with offices strategically located in Western and Midwestern agricultural centers including Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Wichita, Ft. Collins, Minneapolis, Dallas, Sacramento, Napa, Modesto, Fresno and Temecula.
Al Dutcher, UNL Extension State Climatologist
There has certainly been a shift toward a more favorable moisture pattern during the past 30 days across the southeastern U.S., as well as the southern Ohio and Mississippi river valleys. The northwestern Corn Belt has remained dry and needs to be monitored for further deterioration during this fall and early winter. It is not uncommon for the Dakota’s, Montana, and the northern Rockies to see below normal moisture during El Nino years.
Average temperatures during the past 30 days are reflecting a change in the mean atmospheric jet stream pattern. A persistent and deep upper air trough has become established across the eastern U.S. and temperatures are responding accordingly.
Temperature departures of 1-2°F below normal are expected across the southeastern U.S. and near normal temperatures are predicted across the eastern Corn Belt. Abnormally hot conditions have now shifted into the northwestern Corn Belt, which includes the northwestern third of Nebraska.
The widespread precipitation that moved through the state Sept. 12-13 was certainly welcome, but insufficient to alleviate our well-established drought conditions. It is going to take several months of this type of precipitation pattern before we can expect a significant drought reduction for Nebraska.
Current Forecast
Good harvest conditions should continue into the middle of next week before another cold front begins to sag southward from Canada. If the timing works and it mixes with some expected moisture in the Rockies, Nebraska could see some rain. After that, the next moderate chance for precipitation isn’t until October 2-4.
The overall trend for the western Corn Belt is still drier than normal. While in the short-term this will benefit harvest operations, it won’t benefit wheat planting or help reduce our current drought.
Soil Moisture Recharge Starts Early, but Will it Be Enough?
As the end of the 2012 production season rapidly approaches, growers are asking: What is the likelihood that this year’s devastating drought will be repeated in 2013?
A repeat is certainly possible, but droughts of this year’s magnitude and intensity are infrequent. In fact, based on land area coverage alone, you would have to go back to 1988 to find a drought with similar national coverage.
Thankfully, national droughts of this year’s intensity materialize an average of once every 15-20 years. When multiyear droughts do occur, western areas of the U.S. Corn Belt are particularly susceptible. In this area “off season” moisture is the primary driver for drought risk while in the central and eastern Corn Belt, normal off-season moisture is more than sufficient to replenish soil profiles.
UNL research has found that 70% of the moisture that falls from October through April will make its way into the soil profile. As bad as the drought was this year across the nation’s midsection, the prospects for normal soil moisture recharge are higher than normal. Although this sounds counter intuitive, remember that in a normal year, corn and soybeans are still actively growing in September. With corn and soybeans shutting down early, soil moisture recharge can start early, as long as the atmosphere cooperates.
With the remnants of hurricane Isaac dropping 2-5 inches of precipitation across portions of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, soil moisture is building there. However, Isaac offered little reprieve for the western Corn Belt. We’ll be watching precipitation patterns through November before predicting the potential drought risk for 2013.
Understanding the Two Types of Drought — Agricultural and Hydrological
It is important to remember that when we quantify drought, we are looking at two types of drought. Agricultural droughts respond quickly to short-term precipitation events, while hydrological droughts extend longer than six months and can still be relevant event when agricultural conditions are optimum.
As long as your specific region has received normal moisture during the fall and spring, your risk of an agricultural drought during the growing season is entirely dependent on the mean jet stream pattern. Just because the fall is dry, doesn’t mean that you are going to experience drought conditions the next growing season. A wet spring can make up for fall precipitation deficits. What we have found here in Nebraska is that our more significant drought risks occur when moisture during the fall/spring recharge period falls below 80% of normal.
Hydrological droughts are much more difficult to quantify, especially when they span several consecutive years. It may take several years of above normal moisture to undo the damage of a single, intense drought year. Conversely, because the annual precipitation of the central and eastern Corn Belt may be two or more times greater than that in the western Corn Belt, a hydrological drought of equal magnitude can be eradicated in half the time as one in the western Corn Belt.
Our long range forecasting ability is weak at best. However, the long range models that we rely on work best when La Nina or El Nino conditions develop across the eastern and central equatorial Pacific. Weak El Nino conditions are now prevalent in the eastern Pacific and expected to strengthen slightly this fall and winter. These events usually dissipate as we move through spring, unless they are moderate to strong.
Several areas of the country respond to La Nina or El Nino events with enough regularity that they can be described with an accuracy of 70% or greater. During an El Nino event:
- In the southern third of the U.S. precipitation is usually above normal during the fall through spring and temperatures are below normal. (During La Nina years this same region will typically see below normal moisture and above normal temperatures.)
- The Pacific Northwest and the eastern Corn Belt will be drier and warmer than normal. (During a La Nina they will have above normal moisture and below normal temperatures.)
For the remainder of the country, fall and spring weather is entirely a function of where the mean jet stream pattern develops, even in the absence of El Nino or La Nina conditions. In the western Corn Belt, if precipitation patterns this fall are similar to last fall, the drought risk will remain elevated into next spring. If precipitation is close to normal, the risk of drought really won’t be definable until next March, at the earliest.
For the central and eastern Corn Belt, I believe that the drought risk for 2013 will be no different than any other year. Most of the eastern and central Corn Belt droughts develop during the growing season and not during the fall/spring period as happens in the western Corn Belt.
Soil Testing Critical After a Drought Year
Richard Ferguson, Gary Hergert, Charles Shapiro, Tim Shaver and Charles Wortmann
Extension Soils Specialists
Most crop producers in Nebraska are in the midst of harvest now, and planning for next year is not on top of their “to-do” list. However, as harvest wraps up, soil sampling should be near the top of their list. This has been among the most challenging growing seasons in 50 years, with rainfall amounts far below average. Irrigation has moderated drought impacts for many Nebraska growers, but at a significant cost. The combination of drought conditions, heavy irrigation, and widely varying yields means that soil testing is more important than ever this year.
In a recent CropWatch article, Grassini et al. noted that irrigated corn yields across Nebraska are predicted to be moderately lower (3-8% below average), while dryland yields will be substantially reduced (32-67% below average). These estimates are based on weather data from 2012, and assume no yield-limiting factors other than temperature and solar radiation for irrigated production. Many areas of Nebraska had high temperatures during pollination, which may further reduce yield from modeled predictions. The big question is how drought will affect nutrient requirements for next year. The net effect of crop nutrient removal on soil nutrient availability will vary from field to field, and with locations within fields.
Residual Nitrate
For very low-yielding, rainfed corn fields, expect residual nitrate levels to be high. This will primarily be from unused fertilizer nitrogen. Soil mineralization of N will have been quite low in rainfed fields due to low moisture. Limited crop N removal and little or no leaching means that unused fertilizer N remains in the soil. Unless we have an unusually wet winter and spring, this nitrate-N will be mostly available for crop use next year. The only way to accurately account for residual nitrate-N is through deep sampling, to a depth of at least 2 feet; this may be difficult until soil moisture is restored. Unusually high residual nitrate levels following soybean harvest are not likely as soybean typically depletes soil nitrate-N to reduce energy needed for biological N fixation.
For irrigated fields, total irrigation amounts for 2012 were double or more compared to 2011 applications, with many more irrigation events for sprinkler-irrigated fields. Generally nitrate leaching with irrigation is not a concern with sprinkler-irrigated fields, due to irrigation amounts being one inch or less per event. Such frequent irrigation, combined with warm soil temperatures all summer, may have led to above-average mineralization of nitrogen from organic matter. Consequently, residual nitrate-N levels for sprinkler-irrigated fields may still be higher than normal, even if yields are not that much lower.
Furrow-irrigated fields generally will have larger amounts of water applied per irrigation event, which can result in nitrate leaching below the root zone, depending on how irrigation was managed. Expect residual nitrate-N levels to be quite low for furrow-irrigated fields. However, variability in residual nitrate can be very high with furrow irrigation. It will be critical to sample residual nitrate from the upper, middle, and lower third of the field relative to the location of irrigation pipe, since more leaching will occur in the upper third of the field.
Phosphorus, Potassium, and Other Nutrients
For irrigated fields with yields close to normal, expect little impact from drought on soil test levels of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and other nutrients. For dryland fields, crop uptake of these nutrients will be less than normal. However, this may have little impact on soil test levels for P, K, and other nutrients. There may be some tendency toward higher soil test values, but soil tests for these nutrients are an estimate of plant availability over the growing season. There is evidence that soil test K can be influenced by soil drying, and some states have started analyzing soil K from field moist samples. However, most Nebraska soils are quite high in potassium, and thus slight differences in soil test K that can occur with the analytical process have no impact on the fertilizer recommendation.
Silage and Residue Harvest
In many cases, growers harvested fields intended for grain production as silage. In other cases, there will be opportunity to harvest crop residue as feed due to reduced pasture and hay production. Either way, growers should be aware of nutrient removal resulting from biomass harvest. Significant amounts of P, K, and micronutrients, as well as carbon, can be removed from the field with biomass harvest. For example, a 150 bu/ac corn crop will uptake approximately 64 lb P205 and 42 lb K2O in grain, but will have approximately 36 lb P2O5 and 144 lb K2O/acre in stover. The value of these nutrients should be considered when pricing baled stalks for livestock feed. More information on the impacts of harvesting crop residues is available in the Extension publications Baling Corn Residue (EC711) and Harvesting Crop Residues (G1846). If stalks are grazed rather than baled, expect much of the nutrient content in grazed residues to return to the field, minus the harvested weight of cattle once they are taken off the field.
The Bottom Line
Expect soil nutrient values — particularly residual nitrate — to be more variable this fall than in recent years from field to field, and within fields. The only way to know the availability of soil nutrients is to soil test. Fertilizer costs can easily exceed $100/acre for irrigated corn. Nitrogen prices currently range from about $0.50 to $0.70/lb N, depending on the fertilizer source. Phosphorus prices range from $0.45 to $0.80/lb P2O5, depending on P source and the price of N fertilizer. Thus, an irrigated corn field requiring 180 lb N/acre at $0.60/lb, and 60 lb P2O5 at $0.60/lb, will have a fertilizer cost of $148/acre. Making accurate estimates of profitable fertilizer rates for next year will require accurate soil test information. Guidelines for soil testing are available in two Extension publications — Guidelines for Soil Sampling (G1740) and Soil Sampling for Precision Agriculture (EC154).
While there should be plenty of time for soil sampling this fall due to an early harvest, consider sampling next spring instead. Dry conditions this fall may make sampling difficult, and spring sampling may result in a more accurate prediction of nitrate-N availability, depending on weather conditions this winter. Nebraska is fortunate to have several good analytical labs where growers can have soil samples tested. Contact any of these Nebraska soil testing labs for information on current pricing and how to ship samples.
Grazing Corn Stalks in No-till Fields
Charles Wortmann, Extension Soils Specialist
Terry Klopfenstein, Professor of Animal Science
Aaron Stalker, Extension Beef Range Systems Specialist
Grazing corn stalks is of major importance to Nebraska’s beef cattle industry, particularly this year, and can be compatible with no-till crop production.
In a corn-soybean rotation study conducted from 1996 to 2011, the effects on yields of the following crop were determined for fall-winter grazing (November to February) and spring grazing (February to mid-April, the time of greatest concern of compaction by animal traffic on thawed and wet soil). The field was irrigated. Three treatments (fall/winter grazed, spring grazed, and ungrazed) have been maintained in the same area since 1996. Stocking was with yearlings at 2.5 times the normal level since 2000.
On average, yield of the following soybean crop was increased by about 2 bu/ac with fall-winter grazing, and 1.3 bu/ac with spring grazing, compared with no grazing of corn stalks. Yield of corn as the second crop after grazing was not significantly affected.
The results of this study, other studies conducted from 1993 to 1995 at the ARDC, and research currently being conducted near Brule will be reported in the 2013 Nebraska Beef Cattle Report. These additional studies, including a dryland trial, had no significant effect of grazing on mean grain yield for the following crop which was corn, soybean, or grain sorghum.
Grazing corn stalks is compatible with no-till management in eastern Nebraska and probably is for irrigated fields throughout the state with no loss in average grain yield expected. With wet soil conditions in the spring, consider removing cattle from the field or taking other steps management steps to minimize the effect of compaction.
ConAgra Foods Eliminating Controversial Pig Cages from Supply Chains
The Humane Society of the United States applauds the announcement from ConAgra Foods that it will eliminate controversial gestation crates—cages used to confine breeding pigs—from its pork supply chain, becoming the latest in a growing list of major food companies to address this issue. ConAgra Foods is a Fortune 500 company with net sales totaling more than $13 billion.
“As part of our long-standing commitment to the humane treatment and handling of animals, ConAgra Foods supports the elimination of gestation stall housing for sows,” said ConAgra Foods in a statement. “We are asking our pork suppliers to present actionable plans by 2017 that address both the elimination of gestation stalls and creation of traceability systems within the pork supply chain. We recognize that implementing a phase-out may be a long-term process, and could take up to 10 years [2022].”
“We applaud ConAgra Foods tackling one of the most serious farm animal welfare problems,” stated Josh Balk, corporate policy director of farm animal protection for The HSUS. “This policy makes it even clearer than ever that the cruel gestation crate confinement of pigs will come to an end.”
The similar announcements made recently by Oscar Mayer, McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Costco, Safeway, Kroger and other leading food companies signal a reversal in a three-decade-old trend in the pork industry that leaves most breeding pigs confined day and night in gestation crates during their four-month pregnancy. These cages are roughly the same size as the animals’ bodies and designed to prevent them from even turning around. The animals are subsequently transferred into another crate to give birth, re-impregnated, and put back into a gestation crate. This happens pregnancy after pregnancy for their entire lives, adding up to years of virtual immobilization. This confinement system has come under fire from veterinarians, farmers, animal welfare advocates, animal scientists, consumers and others.
Hillshire Brands Joins List Phasing Out Gestation Sow Stalls
Officials at Hillshire Brands, announce that they will work toward eliminating gestation-sow stalls from their pork supply chain. The timeline identified is for the move to be completed by 2022.. The company says it will work to advance 'fact-based discussions with its suppliers and the industry in general, on alternatives to traditional gestational housing.'
While Hillshire Brands does not raise pigs, the company plans to eventually source all pork from suppliers 'who use housing that provides the animals the opportunity for adequate movement and comfort, while also ensuring their safety.' Company officials point out that the goal is for pork suppliers to combine quality animal care and worker safety with solutions that are adaptable for farm family operations of all sizes.
Headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill, Hillshire Brands owns Hillshire Farms, Ballpark, Jimmy Dean and State Fair meat brands. A major sausage and processed meats provider for both retail and foodservice sectors, Hillshire Brands is a significant pork user. It also has artisanal brands Aidells and Gallo Salame
Lawsuit Challenges $60 Million Federal Payout for “The Other White Meat” Slogan
(from HSUS web site)
The Humane Society of the United States—along with an independent pig farmer and on behalf of its pig farmer members—filed a lawsuit in federal district court, charging that the National Pork Board struck an unlawful backroom deal with a D.C. lobbying organization for the purchase of the iconic “Pork: The Other White Meat” slogan. The deal allows $60 million in pork producers’ money collected for marketing and promotion purposes to be diverted into industry lobbying efforts aimed at harming animal welfare and small farmers.
“The National Pork Producers Council has a failed track record when it comes to representing family farmers and preventing animal cruelty,” said Joe Maxwell, director of rural development and outreach at The HSUS and a Missouri pig farmer. “While we can’t force NPPC to care about animals or family farmers, through this lawsuit we can work to stop our money from being unlawfully funneled straight to its lobbyists who work against us.”
The National Pork Board—a quasi-governmental entity receiving mandatory fees, called “checkoffs,” from independent pork producers—purchased the slogan from its long-time industry ally, the National Pork Producers Council in 2006.
Through months of research, The HSUS uncovered glaring legal violations, conflicts of interest, and an exorbitantly over-inflated $60 million price tag associated with the deal. Much of the extraordinarily inflated value of the slogan resulted from 20 years of promotional campaigns funded entirely with pork producers’ own checkoff funds: roughly half a billion dollars. In essence, NPPC charged pork producers twice: once to make The Other White Meat successful, and again to pay for the value of that success.
Launched in 1987, “The Other White Meat” was developed as the primary promotional message of the National Pork Board’s checkoff program. According to federal law, every U.S. pork producer must pay into the checkoff program, but those funds can only be used for strictly limited promotional and research purposes, and may not be used for lobbying. The U.S. Department of Agriculture supervises the checkoff program and has authority to reject expenditures that are not in compliance with federal laws or regulations.
Records suggest that industry leaders were fully aware of the impropriety of the sale and deliberately worked to prevent public knowledge of it. Then-National Pork Board CEO Steve Murphy wrote in 2006, for example, that his reason for not accepting written appraisals for the sale was to keep that information “sealed” and out of the “public domain.”
The purchase price, to be paid by the National Pork Board to the National Pork Producers Council in 20 annual installments of $3 million each, has been reported by NPPC as representing nearly one-third of its annual budgeted revenue. These payments continue, despite the fact that the slogan has been discontinued and replaced with a new one by the National Pork Board, which has the power to cancel the payments.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to cancel the unlawful purchase and ensure that the remaining balance—tens of millions of dollars—will benefit the producers who fund the checkoff instead of NPPC’s anti-animal, anti-farmer lobbying agenda. The complaint does not challenge the constitutionality of the checkoff program but alleges a gross misuse of a massive amount of federally-compelled check-off payments funneled into lobbying purposes.
Statement Of NPPC CEO Neil Dierks on HSUS Latest ‘Bullying Tactic’
“NPPC is reviewing the HSUS complaint, but it appears there is no legal merit to this claim, and it is another desperate attempt by the radical activist group to severely curtail animal agriculture and take away consumer food choices. What does merit concern, however, is the fact that HSUS preys on the emotions of domestic pet owners with deceptive advertising and fundraising. It raises money on images of abused puppies without homes, yet virtually none of those funds go to local shelters. Instead those dollars go toward multimillion dollar campaigns to attack family farmers and American meat production.
“This also is the latest bullying tactic by HSUS in its efforts to force NPPC to abandon its position on allowing farmers to choose production practices that are best for the welfare of their animals. Over the past few months, HSUS has threatened NPPC with a Federal Trade Commission complaint; filed notice of its intent to sue a number of hog operations over alleged emissions reporting violations; and charged that NPPC was responsible for the deaths of hogs in barn fires because the organization asked to give input on national fire standards for agricultural facilities. All of the allegations lack merit.”
Kearney Raceway Park to Feature 180 mph Ethanol-Powered Street-Legal Cars
It's being billed as "8 Seconds of Corn-fed Madness": Street-legal muscle cars doing 180 mph on a quarter-mile track—powered by ethanol, the renewable fuel made from corn. To top it off, they can race at 180 mph down the track after popping a monster wheelie at the starting line!
Their performance is a special attraction at the Ethanol NHRA National Open held October 6-7, 2012, at Kearney Raceway Park in Kearney, Nebraska. In addition to the 200 professional drag racers from across the nation who will be competing for top honors, the weekend event will also feature a special fleet of street-legal cars running on E85—and 85/15 ethanol/gasoline blend—proving that ethanol is a high-performance fuel. These muscle cars will perform at various times throughout the event, reaching top speeds of 180 mph down the quarter-mile track after popping sky-high wheelies at the starting line.
In addition to the competitive racing and muscle car performances, the University of Nebraska—Lincoln Husker Motorsports team will have their 2012 Formula SAE car on display. Also appearing will be James Stevens’ Top Alcohol dragster which is capable of 250 mph passes and Ray Vettel’s beautiful 1978 Z28 Camaro Pro Mod car which has gone over 210 mph.
Competition gears up at 1:00 p.m. both days. The ethanol- powered cars will strut their stuff several times during the afternoon both days.
"This is really a great way for people of all ages to see what drag racing is all about," said Grady Koch with Kearney Raceway Park. "If you like fast cars, fast action and a lot of family fun, this is the perfect event to attend. And I guarantee you'll walk away impressed with the way these muscle cars perform on ethanol!"
Kearney Raceway Park is the only NHRA-sanctioned drag strip in Nebraska and it has been the site of dozens of national record-breaking performances. Concessions are available on site throughout the event.
The track is partnering with the Nebraska Corn Board and Nebraska Ethanol Board to promote the event. Both NASCAR and the Indy Racing League have adopted ethanol as their fuel of choice because of its higher octane and cooler temperatures, which improve engine performance and extend engine life. In plain terms that means more horsepower with less heat.
Admission is $15 per person for one day or $25 for a two-day pass. Kids from 7-12 are $5 per day and 6 and under are free. Coupons good for $5 off gate admission are available at NAPA stores in Kearney, Hastings, Aurora and Minden; at the Kearney Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; and at NRG Media in Kearney.
For more information, visit www.krpi.com.
CNFA Hosts Kazakhstan Development Tour in Midwest
As an extension of the Kazakhstan Business Connections Program, a two-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), CNFA is hosting a three-week business development tour for ten participants from Kazakhstan to meet with U.S. businesses and attend training seminars in Kansas and Nebraska. Nine businessmen, involved in beef and poultry production and one government representative will visit over a dozen businesses related to livestock production, processing and marketing including AGCO, Luco Manufacturing and Great Plains. In addition to these business and association visits, the tour also includes an educational component where participants will attend a four-day training seminar at Kansas State University and presentation at the Kansas State Department of Agriculture. While the primary goal of the tour is to provide training and opportunities for Kazak businesses, the tour also provides opportunities for U.S. businesses as well. The tour will conclude in Washington, D.C. for a debrief and reception with representatives from the Kazakhstan Embassy and livestock industry.
The Kazakhstan Business Connections program aims to build the capacity and competitiveness of Kazakhstani small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through their modernization and expansion. The program aligns with the Government of Kazakhstan's (GOKZ) national development plan to diversify the economy through the development of Kazakhstani SMEs. Although this is a USAID-funded project, the Government of Kazakhstan contributes 50 percent of the operating expenses.
CNFA is a Washington, D.C.-based, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating economic growth and improving rural livelihoods by empowering the private sector. CNFA's unique approach is founded on five core capacities: 1) commercial input supply and farm services; 2) economic resilience and rapid recovery; 3) agricultural productivity, food security and nutrition; 4) value chain development; and 5) volunteer technical assistance. CNFA has worked in over 38 countries worldwide and impacted the lives of more than 70 million people. For more information, visit www.cnfa.org.
MILC Program Sign-up Ends September 30
Thurston County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director (CED) Josie Waterbury reminds dairy producers that the deadline to sign-up for Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) benefits is September 30, 2012. Legislation has not been enacted to extend the MILC program past September 30, 2012 through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. MILC compensates dairy producers when domestic milk prices fall below a specified level.
"It is important that dairy producers provide final production evidence and any supporting documentation for eligible months that MILC was in effect by November 1, 2012," said Waterbury. Changes to the dairy operation start-month must be designated on FSA’s form "CCC-580M – Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) Modification."
For more information about the MILC program, please contact the Thurston County FSA office at (402) 846-5655 or visit the web at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ne.
CWT Assists with 6.6 Million Pounds of Cheese and Butter Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 13 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Darigold, Land O’Lakes and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association to sell 5.880 million pounds (2,667 metric tons) of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, and 687,842 pounds (312 metric tons) of butter, to customers in Asia, Central America, Europe and the Middle East. The product will be delivered September 2012 through March 2013.
In 2012, CWT has assisted member cooperatives in making export sales of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Gouda cheese totaling 91.6 million pounds, butter totaling 58.1 million pounds, and anhydrous milk fat totaling 123,459 pounds. The product will go to 34 countries on four continents. On a butterfat basis, the milk equivalent of these exports is 2.116 billion pounds, or the same as the annual milk production of 100,700 cows.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program positively impacts producer milk prices in the short-term by reducing inventories that overhang the market and depress cheese and butter prices. In the long-term, CWT’s Export Assistance program helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the farm milk that produces them.
CWT will pay export bonuses to the bidders only when delivery of the product is verified by the submission of the required documentation.
Vilsack on Failure to Pass Food, Farm and Jobs Bill
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the following statement today about Congress’ failure to pass comprehensive, multi-year food, farm and jobs legislation before the current law expires on Sept. 30, 2012:
"In a year that has brought its share of challenges to America's farmers and ranchers, the House Republicans have added new uncertainty for rural America. Unfortunately, House Republicans left Washington without passing comprehensive, multi-year food, farm and jobs legislation, leaving thousands of farming families exposed. U.S. agriculture is fighting to maintain the tremendous momentum it has built over the past three years, but with natural disasters and other external forces threatening livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers, certainty is more important than ever. Americans deserve a food, farm and jobs bill that reforms the safety net for producers in times of need, promotes the bio-based economy, conserves our natural resources, strengthens rural communities, promotes job growth in rural America, and supports food assistance to low-income families. Without the certainty of a multi-year bill, rural communities are being asked to shoulder undue burdens."
AFBF: Cap Gains Tax Precludes Farmers from Passing Torch
The American Farm Bureau Federation is urging Congress to reform the capital gains tax because of its detriment to young and beginning farmers. In a statement submitted to the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees' joint hearing on tax reform, AFBF said the cumbersome tax makes it difficult for current farmers to pass the torch to a new generation of agriculturalists.
Capital gains taxes apply when land and buildings from a farm or ranch are transferred to a new or expanding farmer while the owner is still alive. This occurs most often when a farmer wants to expand his or her farm or ranch to take in a son or daughter, or when a retiring farmer sells his or her business to a beginning farmer.
"Since approximately 40 percent of farmland is owned by individuals age 65 or older, capital gains taxes provide an additional barrier to entry for young farmers and ranchers at a time when it is already difficult for them to get in to the industry," said the AFBF statement. "Capital gains tax liabilities encourage farmers to hold onto their land rather than sell it, creating a barrier for new and expanding farms and ranches to use that land for agricultural purposes."
This added cost also increases the likelihood that farm and ranch land will be sold outside of agriculture for commercial uses to investors who are willing to pay more, causing agricultural land and open space to be lost forever.
The capital gains tax especially hurts farmers because agriculture requires large investments in land and buildings that are held for long periods of time and account for 76 percent of farmers̢۪ assets. Further, 40 percent of all farmers report some capital gains; nearly double the share for all taxpayers. And the average amount of capital gains reported by farmers is about 50 percent higher than the average capital gain reported by other taxpayers.
The top capital gains tax rate will increase by a third on the first of the year, from 15 percent to 20 percent. Farm Bureau supports a permanent extension of the 15 percent rate.
R-CALF Files FOIA to Determine Possible USDA Role
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard filed a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and/or Privacy Act (PA) for copies of all records of communications between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the eight groups that have banned R-CALF USA from participating in the meeting of the Beef Checkoff Industry Input Group (Checkoff Industry Group) to be held Sept. 24, 2012 in Denver, Colorado. USDA representative Craig Shackelford is scheduled to make a presentation at the meeting.
The eight groups that banned R-CALF USA from participating in the upcoming meeting include: National Cattlemen's Beef Association, U.S. Cattlemen's Association, Meat Importers Council of America, American National CattleWomen, American Farm Bureau Federation, Livestock Marketing Association, National Livestock Producers, and National Farmers Union.
"The purpose of this Freedom of Information Act and/or Privacy Act request is to ascertain the U.S. Department of Agriculture's role or involvement, if any, in the scheduling of or planning for the meeting to be held on September 24, 2012 . . . This request is necessary because a decision was made by the Beef Checkoff Industry Input Group and/or the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban me or any other representative of R-CALF USA from participating, in any way, at the meeting," Bullard wrote in his request.
Bullard's request continued: "This request is inclusive of all communications and contacts between USDA officials and the aforementioned organizations during the entire period August 10, 2012 through September 20, 2012 regardless of whether such communications or contacts are directly or indirectly related to the upcoming, September 24, 2012 meeting . . . because the organizers of the September 24, 2012 meeting (i.e., the eight organizations listed above) asserted that the basis for excluding R-CALF USA from the meeting included a lawsuit that was filed against the USDA on August 10, 2012."
"We hope USDA was not involved in excluding R-CALF USA, but given USDA's refusal to take any remedial action after learning that NCBA (National Cattlemen's Beef Association) had misused hundreds of thousands of producer checkoff dollars, it's not a far stretch to suspect that USDA is complicit in trying to stop us from restoring the credibility of the Beef Checkoff Program," Bullard commented.
Bank of the West Grows Regional Agribusiness Offices
Bank of the West announced the promotions of four relationship managers in its Omaha and Wichita-based ag offices and the addition of a new ag banker in its Des Moines office.
-- In Omaha, Trevor Svoboda and Brock Thorberg have been promoted to vice president and Jami Marshall to assistant vice president;
-- In Des Moines, Andy Bentley joins the bank as a vice president;
-- In Wichita, Wyatt Rundel has been promoted to assistant vice president.
In their role as relationship managers and ag industry bankers, they are responsible for new business development and client banking in agricultural production and agribusiness sectors. Their areas of focus include cattle feeding, commercial cattle feedlot, swine operations, poultry (broilers and egg production) and dairies, as well as grain elevators, fertilizer dealers, feed manufacturing and packing operations.
They are part of the Bank of the West Central Plains Agribusiness Group that services clients in 10 Midwestern and High Plains states through offices located in Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Wichita and Minneapolis.
"As the nation's second largest bank lender to production agriculture, Bank of the West values deep, long-term relationships with producers and suppliers to the ag industry," said Stephen Hatz, senior vice president and Agribusiness area manager. "The Central Plains Agribusiness Group is committed to customers in the industry and the region and we're pleased to offer an ag team of skilled managers who provide the consistent and thoughtful approach to ag lending that our clients depend on through seasonal and cyclical changes in their business."
The Bank of the West Central Plains Agribusiness Group began with five relationship managers in 2006 and since then has grown to 12 team members.
Trevor Svoboda first joined Bank of the West in 2006 and has been in agricultural banking for eight years. He holds a degree in economics from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Brock Thorberg joined Bank of the West in 2007 and has been in agricultural banking for eight years. Among his numerous professional affiliations, he is a member of the Nebraska Cattlemen, United Egg Producers, Nebraska Bankers Association Advisory Committee (2009 -- 2012) and the American Bankers Association Ag Bankers Conference Planning Committee. Thorberg holds a degree in agricultural sciences from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Jami Marshall has been in the financial services industry for 11 years, with eight of those years concentrated in agricultural banking. She joined Bank of the West in 2005. Marshall holds a degree in marketing management from Bellevue University.
Wyatt Rundel has been in agricultural operations for almost 10 years, and transitioned to ag banking in 2010. He joined Bank of the West in 2011. Rundel holds a degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University.
Andy Bentley has been in banking services since 2002. He rejoins Bank of the West from Market 1, Inc. Bentley holds a degree in agricultural business from Iowa State University.
Bank of the West was ranked as the second largest bank lender to U.S. agriculture, according to an American Bankers Association online ranking of the Top 100 Farm Lenders. The bank began lending to farmers in 1874 and, today, its Agribusiness Division assists customers throughout the United States with offices strategically located in Western and Midwestern agricultural centers including Omaha, Lincoln, Des Moines, Wichita, Ft. Collins, Minneapolis, Dallas, Sacramento, Napa, Modesto, Fresno and Temecula.
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