Nebraska Farm Bureau Announces Student Mini Grant Recipients
Nebraska Farm Bureau has announced the four student members that have been selected to receive a Nebraska Farm Bureau Student Mini-Grant which will help provide additional funding for their FFA or 4-H project. Those selected were Alex Stocker, Merrick County Farm Bureau; Evan Palmer, Buffalo County Farm Bureau; Kylee Plager, Lancaster County Farm Bureau; and Shay Miller, Madison County Farm Bureau.
“The winners were judged on their project summary, budget, goals, financial need and a reference from their advisor or club leader. Applicants had to be a Nebraska Farm Bureau student member. The selected grant winners are required to submit a mid-year report and explain how the grant money has benefitted their projects,” she said.
The following are the winners and a summary of their projects:
Alex Stocker – Merrick County
Alex Stocker of Grand Island, NE was awarded $1000 for the expansion of his FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience project. In the fall of 2012, Stocker received a bred heifer and has grown his herd from there. With the help of this grant, Stocker will be able to pay back some of the operating loans he has taken out to start his herd. “The opportunity for Alex to enlarge his cattle herd would expand his knowledge base of livestock, finances, and making sound decisions” said advisor Jessica Brondel
Evan Palmer – Buffalo County
Evan Palmer of Kearney, NE was awarded $1000 to help begin his FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience project. Palmer is developing and designing an agricultural, fixed wing drone that will be capable of NDVI images, normal photos that will be processed in to a geo-reference orthomosaic and capable of flying in auto-pilot mode. Using this technology, Palmer will be able to help producers monitor their fields for plant development and water quality. “Evan plans to use this drone to help farmers become more efficient with pesticide and herbicide applications,” said Amherst FFA advisor Katie Frenzen.
Kylee Plager – Lancaster County
Kylee Plager of Lincoln, NE was awarded $1,000 to begin her 4-H project. Plager breeds her own goats and wants to focus on finding the correct genetic combination to produce a dapple market goat. Once her heard grows, Plager plans to sell her kids to 4-H youth and work with youth who are interested in showing goats. “Kylee is a driven 4-H’er, this grant will help her in her quest to learn more about animals and genetics” said advisor Tracy Anderson.
Shay Miller- Madison County
Shay Miller of Norfolk, NE was awarded $1,000 to expand her FFA Supervised Agriculture Experience project. Miller was awarded a Nebraska Bee Association Scholarship where she received bees to start her own colony and has plans to expand to four colonies by July 2016. Expanding her hive will allow her to mentor and educate FFA members, 4-H members, and other community members about raising bees. “My greatest influence in both organizations is when I am an active participant; therefore starting my mentoring program before I leave these organizations is imperative” said Miller.
“Nebraska Farm Bureau is excited to support members as they gain real world experience through these endeavors,” Director of Youth, Collegiate & Young Leader Programs Audrey Smith said. A NFBF committee selected the winners of the award and each recipient received a $1,000 grant.
USDA Provides Funding for More than $1.8 Million Nebraska Renewable Energy Projects in Federal Fiscal Year 2015
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that USDA has selected Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland, LLC of Madrid, NE to receive $500,000 for ethanol production and Aaron Ross of Columbus, NE to receive $41,250 for wind energy.
These two projects bring the Federal Fiscal Year 2015 funding in Nebraska to 70 projects for $1,806,905 through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) for renewable energy/energy efficiency projects. Through these projects, enough energy was generated or saved to power 4,808 homes. Additionally, an energy auditing program was funded under the REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance for $71,363.
Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland, LLC will utilize USDA funds to install a Cellunator system to provide secondary milling after the primary hammer milling to fine-tune the particle size before entering the fermentation tank which will increase production at the ethanol plant by 1.4 million gallons of advanced biofuel.
Aaron Ross will install a 25 kW wind turbine on a 100 foot tower to replace an existing energy source.
"More rural business owners and ag producers are incorporating energy-saving measures into their business plans," Vilsack said. "These actions improve an operation's bottom line and help reduce its carbon footprint. This funding will help incorporate renewable energy and energy efficiency technology and reduce energy costs."
‘Contrasting Currents’ compares Chesapeake Bay, Iowa approaches to improve water quality
A comprehensive report released by the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) reveals the startling complexities and costs of curbing water pollution and why assertions that a regulatory approach is the best and only strategy are unfounded.
“Contrasting Currents,” available at www.iasoybeans.com/ContrastingCurrents, compares Iowa’s strategies to improving water quality to those deployed in the Chesapeake Bay. As Iowans continue to debate best approaches for improving the quality of their rivers, lakes and streams, the bay is often referenced as the ideal for managing water pollution.
“Rather than take references to the Chesapeake Bay and the results of the regulations implemented there verbatim, we wanted to visit firsthand with the people responsible for implementing and abiding by them,” said Joe Murphy, ISA member communications manager and co-contributor to the report.
Murphy and ISA Senior Writer Matt Wilde traveled to the Chesapeake Bay, a 64,000-square-mile watershed comprised of six East Coast states and the District of Columbia. The Chesapeake Bay Program institutes rigorous accountability measures to initiate sweeping actions to restore clean water in the bay and the region’s streams, creeks and rivers.
During their week stay in the bay, Murphy and Wilde visited with more than a dozen farmers and government and environmental officials. They also obtained insight from Iowa experts including Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey.
The seven-part investigative report found no ironclad evidence that regulations or voluntary conservation efforts are the only way to improve water quality. The series also shows there are no easy answers or quick fixes to make water cleaner and safer and underscores the need for collaboration and flexibility.
Wilde, a former agribusiness writer for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, said the team’s only directive from the ISA’s 21-farmer-member board of directors was to report the facts.
“We anticipated finding disgruntled bay area farmers who would say regulation is a severe detriment to their business and politicians and environmental experts who would exclusively sing the praises of regulation,” Wilde said.
“Instead, they explained to us that what might work in one state, township or watershed may not be effective in another due to the vast differences in population, tax base, land use and scope and scale of agriculture,” he continued. “What we heard and learned is that regardless if the system is regulatory or voluntary, it takes decades to improve water quality.”
That reality doesn’t mesh with a lawsuit recently filed by Des Moines Water Works alleging Sac, Calhoun and Buena Vista counties allow nitrate from drainage districts to pollute the Raccoon River — a primary source water for the utility. Those who support the legal maneuver believe regulation and permits will provide a quick-fix.
ISA believes the two-year-old Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy is the best approach. The science-based initiative seeks to reduce nitrate and phosphorous loads in Iowa waterways by 45 percent from point and nonpoint sources.
The strategy outlines a pragmatic approach for reducing nutrient loads discharged from the state’s largest wastewater treatment plants, in combination with targeted practices designed to reduce loads from nonpoint sources such as farm fields. This is the first time such an integrated approach involving both point sources and nonpoint sources has been implemented.
Farmers are curbing nutrient loss by employing conservation practices outlined in the strategy such as wetland restoration, installing bioreactors, planting cover crops, using nitrification inhibitors, employing conservation tillage and many others, says ISA CEO Kirk Leeds.
“There are similarities and differences between issues, landscapes and watersheds in Iowa and the Chesapeake Bay,” Leeds said. “As Iowa continues to ramp up water quality efforts, it’s important to visit with our counterparts in the bay and to learn from those who are decades into their fight with decades still to go.”
ASA to Congress: Targeting the Farm Bill for Cuts Would be Devastating
In response to a proposed $3 billion cut in crop insurance support as part of a larger budget deal, the American Soybean Association issued a strong defense of the nation’s farm program and called on Congress to oppose any reopening of the farm bill. ASA President Wade Cowan, a soybean farmer from Brownfield, Texas, noted that agriculture remains the only industry segment that has come forward and voluntarily accepted spending reductions, and urged lawmakers to seek cuts elsewhere:
“ASA absolutely opposes any effort by Congress to reopen any part of the farm bill as part of budget negotiations, and we implore lawmakers to reject any attempt to target crop insurance or any other farm bill programs for further cuts. Speaking frankly, our farm economy is simply not in the shape it was even three years ago when we began the process of writing the farm bill. Crop values are down almost 50 percent, and our farmers face volatile weather ranging from flooding in the Carolinas to drought in Texas and fires in California. Farmers need a stronger safety net, not a weaker one, and now is hardly the time to pull the rug out from under them by weakening the nation's investment in the crop insurance program.
“We stand with Chairmen Roberts and Conaway and Ranking Members Stabenow and Peterson in their defense of the 2014 Farm Bill and the critical safety net it provides farmers. Faced with the need to confront our nation’s budget responsibility, we worked alongside these committee leaders for three full years to craft a piece of farm legislation that strengthens our safety net and brings savings to the table. That’s more than can be said for any other industry sector. This burden is something that must be spread across the board, not shouldered unfairly by a select few.”
Wheat Growers: Cuts to Crop Insurance Unacceptable
Last night, the Administration and Congressional leadership announced a bipartisan budget deal that would both raise discretionary spending caps for FY 2016 and FY 2017 and it would increase the debt limit until March 15, 2017. This budget agreement could have significant negative impacts on agriculture.
“NAWG is very opposed to these provisions that would be devastating to the crop insurance companies and ultimately for growers as well. In this difficult economic climate, at a time when commodity prices are low, agriculture has already taken a hit. We took unprecedented cuts in negotiating the farm bill. Just one year into the new farm bill and Congress let sequester cuts happen. Now they want to cut more. We cannot stand by and allow more cuts to be made,” said NAWG President, Brett Blankenship, wheat grower from Washtucna, Wash.
The text of the agreement includes a provision, Title II, that would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to renegotiate the Standard Reinsurance Agreement, the agreement between the Risk Management Agency and the crop insurance companies to administer the federal crop insurance program, by December 31, 2016, and that the agreement establish a target rate of return for the approved insurance providers of 8.9 percent of retained premium for each of the 2017 through 2026 reinsurance years, resulting in $3 billion in cuts.
October Cattle on Feed
Brian R. Williams, Assistant Extension Professor
Department of Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University
The United States Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA, NASS) released their monthly Cattle on Feed report Friday afternoon (October 23, 2015). The latest numbers released by the USDA revealed few surprises. Marketings of fed cattle during the month of September were down 2.44% from September 2014, while placements were down 4.12% from September 2014.
The trend of heavier placements continued this month, with a 7.8% increase in placements of cattle larger than 800 pounds, while all other weight classes saw lower placement numbers when compared to September 2014. There have been two major drivers of this trend: prices and pasture conditions. For much of the summer, feeder cattle prices had been trending at or above year ago levels. While markets have slowed since summer and 500-550 pound Oklahoma City steers are trading for $70/cwt less than they were just over three months ago, we are still well above even the best feeder cattle prices from 2013. The high prices earlier this year made feedlots reluctant to place lighter cattle. The recent price declines in live cattle prices have only reinforced that trend, as feeders try to avoid placing lightweight cattle only to watch them decline in value as prices fall. Favorable pasture conditions over the summer also plays a role in the continued trend of heavier placements. The much needed rain in parts of Texas and Oklahoma should provide a boost to the winter wheat in those areas. I look for producers to take advantage of improving winter wheat conditions as well as crop residue in other parts of the Plains to graze cattle over the winter and continue the trend of placing heavier animals at least through the fall and winter.
The total number of cattle on feed on October 1 was up 2.33% from 2014 and the largest number of cattle on feed during the month of October since 2012. This month's report provided a breakdown of the number of steers and heifers on feed for the third quarter. The number of steers on feed on October 1, 2015 is up 7.44% from the same time a year ago while the number of heifers on feed is down 6.98% from the same time a year ago. The number of heifers on feed is the lowest for the month of October since the report began in 1996. This confirms what many of us already knew: we are experiencing a rapid herd expansion. The larger question remains: when will the expansion slow?
Apply Today for Innovative Communications Program for New Ag Leaders
Only days remain to apply for the third class of the NCGA DuPont New Leaders Program. Apply by the October 30 deadline to be a part of this innovative program, designed for corn growers who are newly active or considering involvement in agriculture leadership, that helps build communications skills and increases the personal effectiveness of agvocates.
Ideal participants will be farming couples or individuals from NCGA's affiliated states, particularly those considering (or new to) a board position. Those interested must be at least 21 years of age, active in corn farming, NCGA members and not currently serving as an officer on their state affiliate board.
"The program has encouraged me to be more involved to make a difference," said Michael Howlett, a New York farmer and member of the 2015 class. "It was well worth the time and energy, and I will be more involved from this point forward, due to the New Leaders Program."
One couple or up to two single persons per NCGA-affiliated state will be selected to participate in this hands-on communications and leadership training sponsored by DuPont. The program includes two plenary sessions, with the first in Iowa in February 2016 and the second in Washington in July 2016.
Applications are due Friday, Oct. 30. Following the deadline, NCGA will review all applications and forward to the appropriate state affiliate association for approval. Participants accepted for the program will be notified in November. All program-related travel and lodging expenses will be covered, per NCGA policy and procedures. For more information and/or to register, visit www.ncga.com/nlp.
New enzyme boosts profits, cuts chemical use at ethanol plants
Novozymes today announced the launch of Avantec® Amp, an advanced enzyme product that improves yield and throughput in corn ethanol production, while increasing corn oil extraction and significantly reducing the need for several harsh chemicals used in ethanol production. By switching from standard enzyme technology to Avantec Amp, a typical ethanol plant with a capacity of 110 million gallons can make up to $2.5 million a year in additional net profits.
“Avantec Amp enables yield improvements and chemical reductions that were previously impossible,” says Peter Halling, Vice President – Biofuel, at Novozymes. “It will boost our customers’ bottom line and give them flexibility to adjust their various revenue streams based on market conditions. Ultimately, it will give them a competitive advantage in a challenging market.”
Simpler and more profitable, with fewer chemicals
Avantec Amp continues the success of the original Avantec®, introduced in 2012, by adding significant new benefits. It combines multiple enzyme activities into one product, and surpasses competing enzyme solutions by squeezing more ethanol from each kernel of corn and enabling increased output from the ethanol plant, thus saving energy and water and increasing return on invested capital. It can also boost corn oil production, an increasingly important revenue stream in the industry, by freeing up oil bound in the corn germ.
In addition, Avantec Amp reduces the need for a number of chemicals used to control and accelerate production processes at ethanol plants. Urea, which is used to improve the fermentation of ethanol, can be cut by more than 70%. Surfactants and ammonia, used to extract corn oil and adjust pH levels, can also be significantly reduced. Avantec Amp is the first enzyme product to replace urea and surfactants.
“By replacing these chemicals with enzymes you get greater safety for workers and lower costs,” says Peter Halling. “When you simplify the recipe, you reduce the risk of errors associated with handling multiple different compounds and you also have less need for storage.”
4R Nutrient Stewardship Partnership Awarded to Verdesian Life Sciences
In support of promoting a more sustainable and efficient agricultural industry, Verdesian Life Sciences has been named a partner of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program. This recognition aligns with the company’s commitment to help row crop and specialty crop farmers maximize the utility of input investments through the research and development of technologies that address everyday agronomic and environmental challenges.
“Since the company’s inception, Verdesian has been committed to becoming a partner of the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Program,” said Greg Thompson, chief operating officer of Verdesian Life Sciences. “We are proud to now be recognized among an impressive list of industry leaders in environmental accountability. Verdesian will continue to support farmers by developing new and innovative ways for them to remain sustainable stewards of their land and simultaneously maximize their productivity on every acre.”
The 4R principles of nutrient stewardship dictate that fertilizer applications should encompass the right source, the right rate, the right time and the right place. These principles are valued by Verdesian, and are incorporated to create new products and technologies that are backed by research and proven economically and environmentally sustainable for crop health and nutrition.
According to the program, the 4Rs “promote best management practices that achieve cropping system goals while minimizing field nutrient loss and maximizing crop uptake.” Verdesian has built an extensive product portfolio that compliments the 4Rs approach through patented technologies that help growers best utilize their plant health and nutrition inputs.
Innovative science and technologies developed by Verdesian help farmers deliver essential nutrients to their crops without being lost to the environment. Farming operations that are following the 4R principles see increased profits from decreased nutrient loss, which can also lead to improvements in the environment, such as a lower impact on local watersheds.
“We want inputs to make a farmer more efficient, so they can still experience a strong ROI while being cognizant of the environment,” Thompson said. “For example, our polymer technologies can allow farmers to reduce their phosphorus and nitrogen rates but still continue to meet their crop production goals and yield expectations. These are the types of innovative technologies we are continuing to develop and why the 4R nutrient partnership is a natural fit to the Verdesian core values.”
To learn more about this partnership, visit the 4R partners’ page at nutrientstewardship.com. For more information about Verdesian Life Sciences, visit vlsci.com or call 800.868.6446.
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, October 27, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
October 26 Crop Progress & Condition Reports - NE - IA - US
NEBRASKA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION
For the week ending October 25, 2015, above normal temperatures for the second week in a row supported harvest activities, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures averaged six to ten degrees above normal. Precipitation of up to one inch late in the week slowed fieldwork activities, but lowered dust levels and supported establishment of winter wheat stands. There were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 28 short, 63 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 30 short, 63 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 18 fair, 54 good, and 22 excellent. Corn harvested was at 57 percent, ahead of 38 last year, but behind 62 for the five-year average.
Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 24 fair, 57 good, and 18 excellent. Sorghum harvested was at 55 percent, ahead of 47 last year, but near 57 average.
Soybeans harvested was at 90 percent, ahead of 84 last year, but near 92 average.
Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 34 fair, 53 good, and 8 excellent. Winter wheat emerged was at 92 percent, near 93 last year, but ahead of 87 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 28 fair, 54 good, and 6 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 11 short, 86 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg/2010s/2015/CropProg-10-26-2015.pdf.
Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at:
http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps.
Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at:
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NE.
IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT
Harvest activities continued rapidly early in the week, but slowed down Friday due to rain, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 25, 2015. Down 1.5 days from the previous week. Iowa farmers were still able to harvest one-fifth of the State’s corn crop during the week. Fieldwork activities for the week included harvesting corn for grain, harvesting soybeans, fall tillage, tiling, terracing, seeding cover crops, and applying dry fertilizer. Other activities included chopping and baling corn stalks, as well as manure hauling and spreading.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 14 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Seventy-three percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 12 days ahead of last year, and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Moisture content of all corn being harvested was at 16 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week with scattered reports of grain coming out of the field and going straight into the bin.
Ninety-two percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, 9 days ahead of last year, and 2 days ahead of normal. Harvest progress of both corn and soybeans in southwest and south central Iowa continued to lag behind the rest of the State.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 9 percent none, 24 percent light, 43 percent moderate, and 24 percent heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability rated 21 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. On-farm grain storage availability rated 28 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.
Pasture condition rated 56 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as excellent, with reports of some cattle being turned out to graze corn stalks.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Widespread rain returned to Iowa for the first time since September 29. Showers and thunderstorms brought rain to about the southeast one-half of the state on Tuesday (20th) with greatest amounts of an inch or two across east central Iowa from Williamsburg to Muscatine. Another area of showers and thunderstorms dampened about the southeast two-thirds of Iowa on Wednesday (21st) morning with greatest rain amounts of around one-half inch in the Ames area. Finally, rain moved into western Iowa late Thursday (22nd) night and exited northeast Iowa Saturday (24th) morning. Rain fell statewide with this last system with greatest amounts over far northwest Iowa where amounts of an inch or more fell. Greatest rain totals for the week occurred in northwest and east central Iowa with 2.76 inches at Sheldon and 2.25 inches at Iowa City. The northeast corner of the state saw the least rain with 0.13 inches at Dorchester. The statewide average precipitation was 0.63 inches or just slightly more than the weekly normal of 0.56 inches. Meanwhile, temperatures were well above seasonal normals from Monday (19th) through Friday (23rd). Seasonal temperatures returned at the week end. Extremes ranged from afternoon highs of 82 degrees at Red Oak and Shenandoah on Monday (19th) to morning lows of 28 degrees at Battle Creek, Decorah, Newton, Stanley and Webster City on Sunday (25th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 8.1 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures as of Sunday (25th) were averaging near 50 degrees across northern Iowa to the mid-fifties over the south central and southeastern portions of the state.
USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Corn 75% Harvested; Soybeans 87%
Three-quarters of the nation's corn and 87% of the soybeans were harvested as of Oct. 25, according to USDA's latest weekly Crop Progress report.
Corn is 75% harvested, compared to 59% last week and a 68% five-year average. Soybeans are 87% harvested as of Sunday, compared to last week's 77% and the five-year avereage of 80%.
Ninety-five percent of sorghum is mature and 71% is harvested, compared to 94% and 61% last week and five-year averages of 92% and 61%, respectively.
Winter wheat planting is 83% complete, compared to 76% last week and an 85% five-year average. Sixty-two percent of the crop is emerged, compared to 49% last week and a 62% five-year average. USDA reports 47% of winter wheat was rated good-to-excellent, down from 59% a year ago.
Ninety-five percent of the cotton crop has bolls opening, compared to 94% last week and the five-year average of 94%. Cotton is 42% harvested, compared to 31% last week and a 43% five-year average.
Brazil Soy Planting Still Behind
A lack of rain and high temperatures again delayed soybean planting in the key Center-West region last week, causing fieldwork in Brazil as a whole to fall further behind schedule.
Farmers had planted just 20% of the Brazilian 2015-16 soybean crop as of Friday, some 10 percentage points behind the five-year average, AgRural, a local farm consultancy, forecast.
The planters are normally running at full tilt across the whole of Brazil by the third week of October, but for the second year running, the El Nino weather phenomenon appears to have delayed the return of spring rains.
In Mato Grosso, farmers had planted 20% of forecast area, well behind the five-year average of 52%. AgRural reported that farmers were anxious for the rains to arrive.
In neighboring Goias, the crop was 6% planted against the average of 38%. But rain did return to the top-producing southeast on Thursday, offering hope that fieldwork might accelerate.
In contrast, soybean planting continues to move forward quickly in the southern state of Parana amid abundant showers. Fieldwork there is 57% complete, up from the five-year average of 47%.
Planting is just starting in Rio Grande do Sul, where 2% of soybeans are in the ground compared with an average of 8%. The state has received a series of deluges, and areas such as Ijui are too wet for many to plant.
Soybean planting moved forward seven percentage points over the past week.
The good news for Brazilian farmers is that weather maps indicate the return of rain to Mato Grosso over the next couple of days, alleviating the dry spell that has extended as long as 20 days in some parts.
For the week ending October 25, 2015, above normal temperatures for the second week in a row supported harvest activities, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Temperatures averaged six to ten degrees above normal. Precipitation of up to one inch late in the week slowed fieldwork activities, but lowered dust levels and supported establishment of winter wheat stands. There were 5.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 7 percent very short, 28 short, 63 adequate, and 2 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 6 percent very short, 30 short, 63 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Field Crops Report:
Corn condition rated 1 percent very poor, 5 poor, 18 fair, 54 good, and 22 excellent. Corn harvested was at 57 percent, ahead of 38 last year, but behind 62 for the five-year average.
Sorghum condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 poor, 24 fair, 57 good, and 18 excellent. Sorghum harvested was at 55 percent, ahead of 47 last year, but near 57 average.
Soybeans harvested was at 90 percent, ahead of 84 last year, but near 92 average.
Winter wheat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 5 poor, 34 fair, 53 good, and 8 excellent. Winter wheat emerged was at 92 percent, near 93 last year, but ahead of 87 average.
Livestock, Pasture and Range Report:
Pasture and range conditions rated 3 percent very poor, 9 poor, 28 fair, 54 good, and 6 excellent. Stock water supplies rated 2 percent very short, 11 short, 86 adequate, and 1 surplus.
Access the National publication for Crop Progress and Condition tables at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/CropProg/2010s/2015/CropProg-10-26-2015.pdf.
Access the High Plains Region Climate Center for Temperature and Precipitation Maps at:
http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps.
Access the U.S. Drought Monitor at:
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NE.
IOWA CROP PROGRESS & CONDITION REPORT
Harvest activities continued rapidly early in the week, but slowed down Friday due to rain, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending October 25, 2015. Down 1.5 days from the previous week. Iowa farmers were still able to harvest one-fifth of the State’s corn crop during the week. Fieldwork activities for the week included harvesting corn for grain, harvesting soybeans, fall tillage, tiling, terracing, seeding cover crops, and applying dry fertilizer. Other activities included chopping and baling corn stalks, as well as manure hauling and spreading.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 5 percent very short, 19 percent short, 73 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated 4 percent very short, 14 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Seventy-three percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, 12 days ahead of last year, and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Moisture content of all corn being harvested was at 16 percent, down 1 percentage point from the previous week with scattered reports of grain coming out of the field and going straight into the bin.
Ninety-two percent of the soybean crop has been harvested, 9 days ahead of last year, and 2 days ahead of normal. Harvest progress of both corn and soybeans in southwest and south central Iowa continued to lag behind the rest of the State.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 9 percent none, 24 percent light, 43 percent moderate, and 24 percent heavy. Off-farm grain storage availability rated 21 percent short, 75 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus. On-farm grain storage availability rated 28 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 4 percent surplus.
Pasture condition rated 56 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as excellent, with reports of some cattle being turned out to graze corn stalks.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
Provided by Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
Widespread rain returned to Iowa for the first time since September 29. Showers and thunderstorms brought rain to about the southeast one-half of the state on Tuesday (20th) with greatest amounts of an inch or two across east central Iowa from Williamsburg to Muscatine. Another area of showers and thunderstorms dampened about the southeast two-thirds of Iowa on Wednesday (21st) morning with greatest rain amounts of around one-half inch in the Ames area. Finally, rain moved into western Iowa late Thursday (22nd) night and exited northeast Iowa Saturday (24th) morning. Rain fell statewide with this last system with greatest amounts over far northwest Iowa where amounts of an inch or more fell. Greatest rain totals for the week occurred in northwest and east central Iowa with 2.76 inches at Sheldon and 2.25 inches at Iowa City. The northeast corner of the state saw the least rain with 0.13 inches at Dorchester. The statewide average precipitation was 0.63 inches or just slightly more than the weekly normal of 0.56 inches. Meanwhile, temperatures were well above seasonal normals from Monday (19th) through Friday (23rd). Seasonal temperatures returned at the week end. Extremes ranged from afternoon highs of 82 degrees at Red Oak and Shenandoah on Monday (19th) to morning lows of 28 degrees at Battle Creek, Decorah, Newton, Stanley and Webster City on Sunday (25th). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 8.1 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures as of Sunday (25th) were averaging near 50 degrees across northern Iowa to the mid-fifties over the south central and southeastern portions of the state.
USDA Weekly Crop Progress - Corn 75% Harvested; Soybeans 87%
Three-quarters of the nation's corn and 87% of the soybeans were harvested as of Oct. 25, according to USDA's latest weekly Crop Progress report.
Corn is 75% harvested, compared to 59% last week and a 68% five-year average. Soybeans are 87% harvested as of Sunday, compared to last week's 77% and the five-year avereage of 80%.
Ninety-five percent of sorghum is mature and 71% is harvested, compared to 94% and 61% last week and five-year averages of 92% and 61%, respectively.
Winter wheat planting is 83% complete, compared to 76% last week and an 85% five-year average. Sixty-two percent of the crop is emerged, compared to 49% last week and a 62% five-year average. USDA reports 47% of winter wheat was rated good-to-excellent, down from 59% a year ago.
Ninety-five percent of the cotton crop has bolls opening, compared to 94% last week and the five-year average of 94%. Cotton is 42% harvested, compared to 31% last week and a 43% five-year average.
Brazil Soy Planting Still Behind
A lack of rain and high temperatures again delayed soybean planting in the key Center-West region last week, causing fieldwork in Brazil as a whole to fall further behind schedule.
Farmers had planted just 20% of the Brazilian 2015-16 soybean crop as of Friday, some 10 percentage points behind the five-year average, AgRural, a local farm consultancy, forecast.
The planters are normally running at full tilt across the whole of Brazil by the third week of October, but for the second year running, the El Nino weather phenomenon appears to have delayed the return of spring rains.
In Mato Grosso, farmers had planted 20% of forecast area, well behind the five-year average of 52%. AgRural reported that farmers were anxious for the rains to arrive.
In neighboring Goias, the crop was 6% planted against the average of 38%. But rain did return to the top-producing southeast on Thursday, offering hope that fieldwork might accelerate.
In contrast, soybean planting continues to move forward quickly in the southern state of Parana amid abundant showers. Fieldwork there is 57% complete, up from the five-year average of 47%.
Planting is just starting in Rio Grande do Sul, where 2% of soybeans are in the ground compared with an average of 8%. The state has received a series of deluges, and areas such as Ijui are too wet for many to plant.
Soybean planting moved forward seven percentage points over the past week.
The good news for Brazilian farmers is that weather maps indicate the return of rain to Mato Grosso over the next couple of days, alleviating the dry spell that has extended as long as 20 days in some parts.
Monday October 26 Ag News
NEBRASKA EXTENSION TO HOLD POST-HARVEST GRAIN MARKETING WORKSHOPS
Nebraska Extension post-harvest grain marketing workshops will be offered at 10 sites across Nebraska in November and December to assist grain producers in creating a written post-harvest marketing plan that is right for them.
Nebraska Extension educators will present location- and commodity-specific marketing information. Topics include developing a written marketing plan, and understanding basis and carrying charges. The workshops feature the Marketing in a New Era simulator and Decide NOW smartphone app.
Register by visiting http://go.unl.edu/marketingworkshops or calling the number provided below for the desired location. Each workshop will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Workshops are limited to 40 participants.
Workshop locations:
> Nov. 5 in Ogallala at the Arterburn Youth Cabin, 305 W. 10th St., Michael Eskelson, 308-284-6051
> Nov. 17 in Holdrege at the Phelps County Extension Office, 1308 Second St., Todd Whitney, 308-995-4222
> Nov. 18 in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 947 S. Baltimore Ave., Ron Seymour, 402-461-7209
> Nov. 24 in Davenport at the Little Blue Natural Resources District, 106 N. Juniper Ave., Jenny Rees, 402-762-3644
> Nov. 30 in Hartington at Nissen Wine, 88973 Highway 57, Jim Jansen, 402-254-6821
> Dec. 1 in Columbus at Pinnacle Bank, 310 E. 23rd St., Allan Vyhnalek, 402-563-4901
> Dec. 2 in Arlington at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 23656 Highway 30, Steve Tonn, 402-426-9455
> Dec. 10 in Syracuse at the Kimmel Ag Expo Center, 198 Plum St., Monte Vandeveer, 402-269-2301
> Dec. 15 in Scottsbluff at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Ave. I, Jessica Groskopf, 308-632-1247
> Dec. 16 in Sidney at the Cheyenne County Community Center, 627 Toledo St., Karen DeBoer, 308-254-4455
Workshops are funded by the Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Corn Board, North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, USDA-NIFA and Nebraska Extension Innovation Funding.
For more information or assistance, contact Jessica Groskopf, Nebraska Extension educator, at 308-632-1247 or jgroskopf2@unl.edu.
Date Set for Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers Annual Meeting and Convention
The 2015 Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers Annual Meeting and Convention will be held November 20th and 21st in Wahoo Nebraska.
Friday, November 20th will start at noon with a tour of sheep and goat producers in the area and will finish around 5:00 pm. We will meet at the Heritage Inn at noon before leaving for the tour.
This year the youth will be able to participate in a wool/meat judging clinic and a showmanship clinic at the Annual meeting. After they are finished with the clinics the youth will then be able to put together a board to represent them and work side by side with the NS&GP board.
The educational program will be held in Wahoo Nebraska at the Wahoo Heritage Inn. The cost to attend the program is $25 for members or $35 for member families and nonmembers at $35 per person or $45 per family. A block of rooms have been reserved until October 30th. The phone number is 866-443-1288 to reserve a room (mention Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers to get the discount).
Speakers for Saturday November 21st are:
· Katy Whitman DVM, MS UNL-Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, Clay Center, NE – Veterinarian Feed Directives Effect on Producers of Small Ruminants
· Cody Chambliss, Sheep Producer from Gerdes SD – Will talk about his large flock of Merinos ewes and wool value in sheep flocks
· Kiley Hammond, Sheep Producer – will discuss what he learned at Pipestone Sheep for Profit School
· Ivan Rush and Roy Gerkins, Sheep Producers - will discuss the carcass results of the State Fair pen of three
· Randy Saner Nebraska Extension Educator – will discuss Scrapies in sheep and goats and state requirements for producers.
· Rusty Burgett – National Sheep Improvement Program Director, from Harlan Iowa – will discuss the National Sheep Improvement Program and how it will benefit the sheep industry.
For more information contact Charlene Hawkins at ne.sheep.goat@gmail.com or by phone at 402-967-3012.
IS MY ALFALFA SAFE TO GRAZE
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
One question I am asked every fall is “Is my alfalfa safe to graze?”. Do you sometimes have that question?
Is my alfalfa safe to graze? When I hear that question I can almost imagine the scenarios from which it comes. Usually corn stalks are ready to be grazed. It would be convenient and useful to include an adjacent alfalfa field for extra grazing and protein. The other scenario has grazing ending on summer range but the final growth of alfalfa is still standing in the field.
Usually the alfalfa is still quite green, despite several nights with low temperatures in the twenties or even teens. There may be some wilting and yellowing but most leaves still are attached to the plant stems.
The real question often being asked is “Can I be sure my cows won’t bloat and die if they graze my alfalfa?”. To be quite honest, you never can be 100 percent certain that alfalfa won’t cause bloat. I remember back to my father’s small dairy farm. Over the years that I helped on his farm, my dad had two cows that would bloat even when eating dry alfalfa hay. Since they were good milkers he didn’t want to cull them. So those cows were hand fed small amounts of alfalfa hay at a time so their bloat could be minimized.
Thus, the only true answer to questions about grazing alfalfa safety is ‘probably’. But still use good animal husbandry methods to reduce the risk. Have cows full before turning out to alfalfa. Wait until mid-day, after frost or dew is gone, before turning out. Provide other dry, palatable feeds or even bloat retardants. And keep a close eye on them for at least the first couple days.
Alfalfa can be grazed safely. Just be careful and realistic.
Green Plains Acquires Hopewell Ethanol Facility
Omaha-based Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) today announced that it has acquired an ethanol production facility in Hopewell, Virginia, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, from Future Fuels LLP. Operating at full capacity, the facility's dry mill ethanol plant will increase the company's annual production capacity by approximately 60 million gallons to nearly 1.1 billion gallons per year.
"We are confident in our ability to significantly improve the plant's production economics by applying our operational and commercial expertise," said Todd Becker, president and chief executive officer. "We plan to make several capital investments before restarting the plant to increase its operational efficiency and production volume. In addition, we anticipate using the site to transload distillers grains that are produced locally and at our other plants located on the Norfolk Southern rail line into containers destined for export markets to further enhance the property's profitability."
Production is expected to resume by the end of the year and corn oil processing is expected to be operational during the second quarter of 2016. When the plant is fully operational, Green Plains expects to offer the Hopewell plant's transportation and storage assets to its master limited partnership, Green Plains Partners LP (NASDAQ:GPP).
Outstanding, Creative County Farm Bureau Programs Recognized
Twenty-eight county Farm Bureaus nationwide were recognized by the American Farm Bureau for innovative program ideas in this year’s County Activities of Excellence Awards program. The winners will be highlighted during AFBF’s 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show, Jan. 8-13, 2016, in Orlando, Florida.
“A genuine commitment to improving county programming was clearly demonstrated by this year’s entries,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Grassroots Farm Bureau members continue to find creative ways to enrich their communities by sharing information about today’s food and farming,” he said.
This year’s CAE award winners come from 11 states: California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. The winners (listed by state and county Farm Bureau) are:
Education and Ag Promotion
Delaware
Farm-to-Fork Dinner, Kent
Georgia
Farm Bureau Farmer’s Market, Paulding
Illinois
Grain for Growth Wagon, Effingham
Farm Trek 2015, Hancock and McDonough
Farm Camp, Whiteside
Indiana
Fair Scavenger Hunt, Fulton
Kansas
A Slice of Ag in Every Pizza, Stafford
Missouri
Our Many Ways to Thank A Farmer, Wright
Nebraska
School Beef Program, Cheyenne
Once Upon a Farm, Douglas
Ohio
Agriculture Awareness Day, Athens-Meigs
The Life of a Cow, Auglaize, Logan, Darke and Clark
Breakfast on the Farm, Fulton
Family Agriculture Education Tents, Medina
Texas
Grain Bin Safety Training/Demonstration, Lamar
Member Services
California
A Partnership for Successful Resource Planning, Modoc
Illinois
Manure Pit Safety/Rescue Training, Mercer
Nebraska
Ag Night at the Ball Park, Lancaster
Ohio
Nutrient Management Record Keeper, Knox
Farm-er-taining Ag Tour/Annual Meeting, Pike
Public Relations & Information
California
Stanislaus Rural Crime Alert Facebook Page, Stanislaus
Illinois
Grocery Giveaway, Cook
Ohio
Annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway, Clermont
South Carolina
Ag Works – Farm Eye for the City Guy, Lexington
The CAE program acknowledges and shares successful county Farm Bureau programs and activities. The awards are based on county Farm Bureau membership. Counties compete for recognition in five different groups. Those groups are county Farm Bureaus with membership of less than 1,000 members, 1,001-3,000 members, 3,001-5,000 members, more than 5,001 members, and a new category this year for collaborative multi-county activities regardless of membership size.
NRCS' Peterson Named Regional Soil Health Specialist
Doug Peterson, former Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state soil health conservationist, was named NRCS regional soil health specialist for the states of Missouri and Iowa. One of 16 regional soil health specialists in the nation, Peterson began his new role with the agency last week.
"Doug is well-versed and very knowledgeable in soil health," State Conservationist J.R. Flores said. "It came as no surprise to me that he was selected as regional soil health specialist. Doug served as Missouri's soil health conservationist for three years and was an excellent resource for our employees. Soil health is an important topic of discussion across the nation and it's nice to see that Doug will be leading the charge in such an exciting and evolving field."
With the establishment of the National Soil Health Division at NRCS headquarters, regional soil health specialists, four in each region, provide assistance to all 50 states and territories. Peterson, who began his career with NRCS in 1987, will divide his time between Missouri and Iowa while also dedicating energy to regional and national efforts.
"I'm excited to continue my soil health work in Missouri while also providing assistance to Iowa NRCS staff and producers," Peterson said. "It's important to help people recognize and understand how improving their state's soil health can help their natural resources and profitability."
USDA Issues Safety-Net Payments to Farmers Facing Market Downturn
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that beginning today, nearly one half of the 1.7 million farms that signed up for either the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will receive safety-net payments for the 2014 crop year.
"Unlike the old direct payments program, which paid farmers in good years and bad, the 2014 Farm Bill authorized a new safety-net that protects producers only when market forces or adverse weather cause unexpected drops in crop prices or revenues," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "For example, the corn price for 2014 is 30 percent below the historical benchmark price used by the ARC-County program, and revenues of the farms participating in the ARC-County program are down by about $20 billion from the benchmark during the same period. The nearly $4 billion provided today by the ARC and PLC safety-net programs will give assistance to producers where revenues dropped below normal."
The ARC/PLC programs primarily allow producers to continue to produce for the market by making payments on a percentage of historical base production, limiting the impact on production decisions.
Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn farms, and 66 percent of wheat farms elected the ARC-County coverage option. Ninety-nine percent of long grain rice and peanut farms, and 94 percent of medium grain rice farms elected the PLC option. Overall, 76 percent of participating farm acres are protected by ARC-County, 23 percent by PLC, and 1 percent by ARC-Individual. For data about other crops, as well as state-by-state program election results, final PLC price and payment data, and other program information including frequently asked questions, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
Crops receiving assistance include barley, corn, grain sorghum, lentils, oats, peanuts, dry peas, soybeans, and wheat. In the upcoming months, disbursements will be made for other crops after marketing year average prices are published by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Any disbursements to participants in ARC-County or PLC for long and medium grain rice (except for temperate Japonica rice) will occur in November, for remaining oilseeds and also chickpeas in December, and temperate Japonica rice in early February 2016. ARC-individual payments will begin in November. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.
The Budget Control Act of 2011, passed by Congress, requires USDA to reduce payments by 6.8 percent. For more information, producers are encouraged to visit their local Farm Service Agency office.
WHO Considers Risk In Classifying Carcinogens
For the first time, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) included in a report on agents causing cancer the relative risk of getting the disease, a significant development, according to numerous observers at a recent meeting of the group.
The World Health Organization agency at an Oct. 6-13 meeting in Lyon, France, concluded that the relative risk of contracting cancer from consuming red or processed meat is low. It did classify processed meat as a cause of colorectal cancer and a possible cause of gastric cancer and red meat as a probable cause of colorectal cancer and a possible cause of pancreatic and prostate cancer. IARC previously has classified as carcinogens such things as sunlight, alcoholic beverages and being a barber.
“You know, my mother used to say, ‘Everything in moderation,’” said National Pork Producers Council President Dr. Ron Prestage, a veterinarian and pork producer from Camden, S.C. “She was a very smart woman, and the smart people out there know you don’t eat a pound of anything every day. So take this IARC report with a grain of salt, but not too much salt because that would be bad for you.”
The IARC classifications on meat, said NPPC, were reached after including studies that did not have statistically significant results, meaning the conclusions are questionable. In fact, IARC’s conclusions were based on “relatively weak statistical associations from epidemiological studies that were not designed to show cause and effect.” In many of the studies, cancer risks were only associated with high levels of consumption.
In a May 2015 review of epidemiological studies on cancer and meat, David Klurfeld, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, found: “Most observational studies report small, increased relative risks [of cancer]. However, there are many limitations of such studies, including inability to accurately estimate intake, lack of pre-specified hypotheses, multiple comparisons, and confounding from many factors – including body weight, fruit/vegetable intake, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol – that correlate significantly either positively or negatively with meat intake and limit the reliability of conclusions from these studies.”
IARC did note that most colorectal cancers are caused by more than one agent and that cancer trends are related to the amount of an agent or agents consumed. A monograph on the agency’s conclusions is expected to be published next summer or fall.
NPPC, which had a representative at the IARC meeting, said many studies show that eating lean, protein-packed and nutrient-dense processed meats such as ham can help fight obesity, which is universally accepted as one of the leading causes of cancer.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers, including colon cancer. The institute has noted that a 2002 “major” review of observational trials showed that physical activity reduced colon cancer risk by 50 percent: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet.
Science Does Not Support International Agency Opinion on Red Meat and Cancer
An international committee assigned to review all of the available evidence on red meat and cancer risk were divided on their opinion whether to label red meat a “probable” cause of cancer, according to the Beef Checkoff nutrition scientist and registered dietitian who observed the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) process. After seven days of deliberation in Lyon, France, IARC was unable to reach a consensus agreement from a group of 22 experts in the field of cancer research, something that IARC has proudly highlighted they strive for and typically achieve. In this case, they had to settle for “majority” agreement.
“Cancer is a complex disease that even the best and brightest minds don’t fully understand,” says Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD. “Billions of dollars have been spent on studies all over the world and no single food has ever been proven to cause or cure cancer. The opinion by the IARC committee to list red meat as a probable carcinogen does not change that fact. The available scientific evidence simply does not support a causal relationship between red or processed meat and any type of cancer.”
Most scientists agree that it is unrealistic to isolate a single food as a cause of cancer from a complex dietary pattern further confounded by lifestyle and environmental factors.
“As a registered dietitian and mother, my advice hasn’t changed. To improve all aspects of your health, eat a balanced diet, which includes lean meats like beef, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and, please don’t smoke,” says McNeill.
While IARC represents a select group of opinions, it doesn’t always represent consensus in the scientific community.
A large meta-analysis, published online in May in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, analyzed the relationship between red meat intake and risk for colorectal cancer and concluded “red meat does not appear to be an independent predictor of CRC risk,” according to Dominik Alexander, PhD, MSPH, the epidemiologist who conducted the research on behalf of the Beef Checkoff.
“There are a constellation of factors that are associated with the probability of getting cancer, which include age, genetics, socioeconomic characteristics, obesity, lack of physical activity, where you grew up, alcohol consumption, smoking and even your profession,” says Alexander. “The bottom line is the epidemiologic science on red meat consumption and cancer is best described as weak associations and an evidence base that has weakened over time. And most importantly, because red meat is consumed in the context of hundreds of other foods and is correlated with other behavioral factors, it is not valid to conclude red meat is an independent cause of cancer.”
According to Alexander, studies in nutritional epidemiology can be highly prone to bias such as self-reported dietary intake, for which habits may change over time. Because of this, associations reported in nutritional epidemiology may be surrounded by uncertainty. For
instance, most, if not all, of the observational studies with red meat are limited by confounding factors; for example, studies have shown that people who consume the most red meat are the most likely to smoke, eat fewer fruits and vegetables and be overweight or obese – all of which may confound the relationship between eating red meat and risk of cancer.
Also, more recent studies in large cohorts are now finding either no association or non-significant findings between red meat and cancer. For example, a recent study out of Harvard using the well known The Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and The Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) found unprocessed meat intake had an inverse association with distal colon cancer and a weak, statistically non-significant, positive association with risk of proximal colon cancer.
In addition, gold standard nutrition evidence, such as the Women’s Health Initiative and the Polyp Prevention Trial, two large, multi-year randomized controlled dietary interventions, found that a 20 percent reduction in red meat consumption did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and/or had no effect on adenoma recurrence in the large bowel. These studies were disregarded from the IARC review.
“Given the weak associations in human studies and lack of evidence in animal studies it is hard to reconcile the committee’s vote,” says nutritional toxicologist James Coughlin, PhD, CFS. “Of more than 900 items IARC has reviewed, including coffee, sunlight and night shift work, they have found only one ‘probably’ does not cause cancer according to their classification system.”
Coughlin, a toxicologist with more than 40 years of experience in meat and cancer, is critical of the IARC review process due to the lack of transparency, selective inclusion or exclusion of studies and broad interpretation of study results that are inconsistent with the conclusions of the study authors.
“In my experience as an observer to an IARC working group, the process typically involves scientists who have previously published research on the substance being reviewed and may have a vested interest in defending their own research” says Coughlin. “In the case of red and processed meat, the overall scientific evidence simply does not support their conclusion.”
Soil Health Partnership farmer leader earns White House award
Tim Smith remembers driving a Model G two-cylinder tractor to plow his family’s farm in North Central Iowa. Today, still farming that same land, he is a leader in adopting advanced agricultural practices to improve soil health. Doing so protects the water that ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.
In recognition of his commitment to adopting new practices and teaching others, Smith received the White House Champions of Change award on Oct. 26 in Washington, D.C. The Soil Health Partnership and Iowa Soybean Association both nominated Smith for the award.
“American agriculture is more advanced and efficient than ever, but making deeper changes in the business of farming will enable us do even better for long-term sustainability,” Smith said. “Losing precious soil is not sustainable. Farmers are becoming more aware of this and the impact it has.”
Smith farms near Eagle Grove, Iowa, in the Boone River Watershed. In 2011, he signed up for a federal program that identified the watershed as a priority for reducing nitrate and phosphorous levels in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2014, he joined the newly formed Soil Health Partnership, which over a five-year period will identify, test and measure farm management practices that improve soil health and benefit farmers.
The practices Smith has changed on his farm include:
- Scientific nutrient management, using the latest technology to help measure and optimize the application of fertilizer on his crops.
- Installing a bioreactor on his farm, a trench filled with a carbon source, like wood chips, which serves as a food source for microorganisms that break down nitrate in the water.
- Using strip-till to prepare his land for planting, a less-intensive method of tillage. By utilizing less intensive tillage on his land, beneficial fungi and bacteria can thrive, soil gas exchanges improve, water holding capacity increases and nutrient use efficiency can improve.
- Growing cover crops like cereal rye on 550 of his 800 acres. Cover crops help store excess nitrates that might otherwise leach into groundwater. They also help prevent erosion.
“Tim Smith truly believes in creating lasting change, and has generously used the knowledge he’s gained to teach others,” said Nicholas Goeser, director of the SHP. “He has shown hundreds if not thousands of farmers, students and others how environmental stewardship can protect the watershed, optimize yields, enhance profits and improve the soil’s overall profile for years to come.”
Smith tells other farmers that it’s not hard to change practices. He shows photos of his father using a moldboard plow years ago, saying at one time, “…we thought we couldn’t farm without a plow.”
“Change is nothing to fear,” Smith said. “Farming practices have always evolved, and will continue evolving.”
The Champions of Change award recognizes ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things in their communities. Smith was recognized with several others in the “Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture” category.
FFA Members Amplify Their Voices at 88th National FFA Convention & Expo
This week, FFA members from across the country will arrive in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate the 88th National FFA Convention & Expo. It is a time when students, advisors and guests will celebrate the top achievers in the organization, give back to the community and work together to promote the message of agriculture and agricultural education.
Convention events will take place at several venues in downtown Louisville, the city’s suburbs and beyond. Nine general sessions through Saturday, Oct. 31 will bring together thousands of FFA members under one roof at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Students will have countless opportunities to engage exhibitors from more than 450 corporations, organizations and colleges Oct. 28-30 at the expo, inside the center.
The convention and expo will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 27 with the Welcome Lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Kentucky Exposition Center, where present and former FFA members will share how FFA has impacted their lives.
On the afternoon of Wednesday Oct. 28, the first general session will feature a video tribute to the 85th anniversary of the FFA Creed. Special thanks to Jackson Tiffany, Jimmy Carter, the Georgia FFA Association and Branch Carter, Easton Corbin, Travis Bradshaw and the FFA members who helped make the tribute a reality.
The evening of Thursday, Oct. 29, USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Hardin will give remarks during the third general session. The four American Star Awards will also be presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a supervised agricultural experience program.
Throughout the week, students will attend more than 70 leadership and personal growth workshops. FFA members will also tour industry destinations. In addition, students will roll up their sleeves and participate in several planned community service initiatives during the week, as part of the National Days of Service.
The convention and expo will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 31 with the conferring of the American FFA Degree in the morning and the election of the 2015-16 National FFA Officers in the afternoon.
The convention and expo will bring an estimated economic impact of $40 million, making it the largest convention for Louisville this year. Attendees will stay in 136 hotels within a 60-mile radius of Louisville. This will be the last year for the event to be in Louisville, as the convention and expo will be in Indianapolis from 2016-2024.
For daily updates on the convention and expo, visit FFA.org, or sign up to receive email alerts at FFA.org/subscribe.
Roberts, Klobuchar Bill to Help Farmers Purchase New Equipment
U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced bipartisan legislation to help farmers purchase new equipment and replace worn-out machinery by amending the U.S. tax code to permanently set a five-year depreciation schedule for certain agricultural equipment. The current tax code sets a seven-year depreciation cost recovery period for agricultural equipment. Changing the depreciation schedule for agricultural equipment to five years would make the tax code more consistent and support rural development by aligning the length of time that farmers can take a depreciation deduction with the average useful life of that property.
"This commonsense legislation will give farmers and ranchers the certainty they need to invest in new, more modern equipment so they can create more jobs and growth in our communities," said Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "A five year depreciation schedule allows for predictability and fairness in our overly complex tax code, giving the agriculture community the ability to produce more efficiently and at a lower cost."
"Agriculture is cyclical in nature with producers making large investments in their crops, livestock, buildings, and equipment," Klobuchar said. "We need to ensure our tax code is fair for farmers so that they can purchase the modern equipment that will allow them to produce more while spending less. This commonsense legislation will put money back in the pockets of our farmers and ranchers and enable them to grow our agricultural economy and strengthen our rural communities."
Under the tax code, taxpayers are allowed a depreciation deduction to allow them to recover the costs of investing in certain property, like farm machinery and farm-use motor vehicles. The recovery period for the deduction should match the useful life and financing of that property. According to surveys from the USDA's Farm Service Agency, on average farmers and ranchers finance farm equipment and machinery for five years.
This bill is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union.
Vilsack Announces Additional Progress in Addressing Childhood Hunger, Applauds Pediatricians for their Commitment
Today at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that with the current school year underway, 97 percent of schools now report successfully meeting updated nutrition standards, and the number of eligible high-poverty schools utilizing USDA's Community Eligibility Provision has increased by 20 percent since last year. The Community Eligibility Program ensures universal access to healthy food for all children attending high-poverty schools, and this is the second school year that it has been available nationwide. Secretary Vilsack made this announcement before the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics which just this weekend demonstrated their commitment to improving child nutrition by releasing a policy statement calling for pediatricians across the country to play a role in reducing childhood food insecurity.
"The numbers released today, and the actions of these pediatricians, are a reflection of the commitment by thousands of schools, communities, physicians and nutrition leaders across the country to ensuring a healthier next generation," said Secretary Vilsack. "Thanks to the improvements we have made in school nutrition, our nation's children show up each day to healthier school environments, where they can easily get the nutrients they need for academic success and healthier futures. It is imperative that Congress moves quickly to reauthorize child nutrition legislation to give these men and women predictability in the work they are doing, and most importantly so that we do not reverse the progress made to date in improving the health and future well-being of America's children."
More than 15 million American children live in food-insecure households, without consistent access to sufficient food. In high-poverty schools, where a large percentage of students are in households receiving certain types of means-tested assistance, the Community Eligibility Provision allows schools to provide free meals to all students through a cost sharing model where part of the cost is covered by the federal government and the rest is picked up by the school. To date, more than 17,000 schools in high-poverty areas are offering nutritious meals to about 8 million students at no direct cost to the students through this provision.
Across the country, schools participating in CEP are making great strides in the fight against childhood hunger. They're also experiencing a number of other positive effects, such as significantly lower erroneous payments, decreased administrative burden for schools and parents, and increased participation in meal programs. This is, in part, because CEP works well with alternative breakfast models -- such as breakfast in the classroom, grab-n-go and second chance breakfasts -- that incorporate breakfast into the school day. The meals they serve are healthier than ever; nationwide, 97 percent of schools are now meeting the updated nutrition standards, and, as a result, students are trying new foods and eating more fruits and vegetables.
CWT Assists with 1.5 million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 14 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 1.524 million pounds (692 metric tons) of Cheddar and Gouda cheese to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Oceania. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from October 2015 through April 2016.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 51.797 million pounds of cheese, 25.671 million pounds of butter and 35.080 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-five countries on six continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.308 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.
NMPF Board Advances Phase-Out of Tail Docking
The board of the National Milk Producers Federation today set January 1, 2017, as the date for dairy farmers participating in the industry’s Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Animal Care Program to phase out the routine practice of tail docking.
At the Federation’s annual meeting here, the board approved a resolution hastening by five years the previously established 2022 deadline for discontinuing tail docking. The resolution will be incorporated into the dozens of animal care measures designed for the FARM Program to ensure the consistent, optimal care of dairy cows in the United States.
“On this issue, the science, the advice of our technical experts and requests from our dairy customers and consumers are all aligned,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Today’s action demonstrates that dairy producer-leaders want to be proactive, yet pragmatic, in addressing animal care concerns.”
NMPF started the FARM Animal Care Program in 2009 to highlight how much the dairy industry is doing to improve animal care. Dairy farmers supplying milk to dairy cooperatives and processors representing more than 90 percent of the nation’s milk supply now participate. The program demonstrates the commitment dairy producers have to providing quality care to their cows.
Also at the NMPF annual meeting, the FARM Animal Care Program unveiled new communications resources, including a revamped website and stepped-up social media engagement on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The new resources will help share stories of dedicated farmers, healthy cows and wholesome milk.
“While tail docking may be contentious for some, our producers have a great story to tell when it comes to animal care,” said Mulhern. “It is crucial that we share these stories and discuss animal care in a way that connects our values with those of our customers and consumers.”
The annual meeting will also feature on Tuesday an animal care panel discussion that includes representatives from Chobani, Walmart, Starbucks and Kroger.
Court Hears Arguments in EPA Data Release Lawsuit
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis heard oral arguments last week in a lawsuit brought by National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's release to environmental activists of personal data on thousands of livestock farmers. The groups are asking the Court of Appeals to reverse a U.S. District Court's decision to dismiss their lawsuit against EPA.
The lower court ruled that NPPC and AFBF lacked "standing" to bring the case since, according to the court, they suffered no harm from EPA's February 2013 release of information from farms in 30 states to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Earth Justice and the Pew Charitable Trusts under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests the groups filed.
In some instances, the data contained farmers' home addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and personal medical information.
After objections from NPPC, AFBF and other farm groups, EPA requested that the environmental organizations return the data but reissued it after redacting some of the information. The reissued data still contained some personal information on farmers.
In July 2013, the agency was set to release more data when the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota court issued a restraining order. That court in April dismissed the case. It's unclear when the Court of Appeals will issue its ruling.
Nebraska Extension post-harvest grain marketing workshops will be offered at 10 sites across Nebraska in November and December to assist grain producers in creating a written post-harvest marketing plan that is right for them.
Nebraska Extension educators will present location- and commodity-specific marketing information. Topics include developing a written marketing plan, and understanding basis and carrying charges. The workshops feature the Marketing in a New Era simulator and Decide NOW smartphone app.
Register by visiting http://go.unl.edu/marketingworkshops or calling the number provided below for the desired location. Each workshop will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Workshops are limited to 40 participants.
Workshop locations:
> Nov. 5 in Ogallala at the Arterburn Youth Cabin, 305 W. 10th St., Michael Eskelson, 308-284-6051
> Nov. 17 in Holdrege at the Phelps County Extension Office, 1308 Second St., Todd Whitney, 308-995-4222
> Nov. 18 in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 947 S. Baltimore Ave., Ron Seymour, 402-461-7209
> Nov. 24 in Davenport at the Little Blue Natural Resources District, 106 N. Juniper Ave., Jenny Rees, 402-762-3644
> Nov. 30 in Hartington at Nissen Wine, 88973 Highway 57, Jim Jansen, 402-254-6821
> Dec. 1 in Columbus at Pinnacle Bank, 310 E. 23rd St., Allan Vyhnalek, 402-563-4901
> Dec. 2 in Arlington at the Washington County Fairgrounds, 23656 Highway 30, Steve Tonn, 402-426-9455
> Dec. 10 in Syracuse at the Kimmel Ag Expo Center, 198 Plum St., Monte Vandeveer, 402-269-2301
> Dec. 15 in Scottsbluff at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center, 4502 Ave. I, Jessica Groskopf, 308-632-1247
> Dec. 16 in Sidney at the Cheyenne County Community Center, 627 Toledo St., Karen DeBoer, 308-254-4455
Workshops are funded by the Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Corn Board, North Central Extension Risk Management Education Center, USDA-NIFA and Nebraska Extension Innovation Funding.
For more information or assistance, contact Jessica Groskopf, Nebraska Extension educator, at 308-632-1247 or jgroskopf2@unl.edu.
Date Set for Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers Annual Meeting and Convention
The 2015 Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers Annual Meeting and Convention will be held November 20th and 21st in Wahoo Nebraska.
Friday, November 20th will start at noon with a tour of sheep and goat producers in the area and will finish around 5:00 pm. We will meet at the Heritage Inn at noon before leaving for the tour.
This year the youth will be able to participate in a wool/meat judging clinic and a showmanship clinic at the Annual meeting. After they are finished with the clinics the youth will then be able to put together a board to represent them and work side by side with the NS&GP board.
The educational program will be held in Wahoo Nebraska at the Wahoo Heritage Inn. The cost to attend the program is $25 for members or $35 for member families and nonmembers at $35 per person or $45 per family. A block of rooms have been reserved until October 30th. The phone number is 866-443-1288 to reserve a room (mention Nebraska Sheep and Goat Producers to get the discount).
Speakers for Saturday November 21st are:
· Katy Whitman DVM, MS UNL-Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center, Clay Center, NE – Veterinarian Feed Directives Effect on Producers of Small Ruminants
· Cody Chambliss, Sheep Producer from Gerdes SD – Will talk about his large flock of Merinos ewes and wool value in sheep flocks
· Kiley Hammond, Sheep Producer – will discuss what he learned at Pipestone Sheep for Profit School
· Ivan Rush and Roy Gerkins, Sheep Producers - will discuss the carcass results of the State Fair pen of three
· Randy Saner Nebraska Extension Educator – will discuss Scrapies in sheep and goats and state requirements for producers.
· Rusty Burgett – National Sheep Improvement Program Director, from Harlan Iowa – will discuss the National Sheep Improvement Program and how it will benefit the sheep industry.
For more information contact Charlene Hawkins at ne.sheep.goat@gmail.com or by phone at 402-967-3012.
IS MY ALFALFA SAFE TO GRAZE
Bruce Anderson, UNL Extension Forage Specialist
One question I am asked every fall is “Is my alfalfa safe to graze?”. Do you sometimes have that question?
Is my alfalfa safe to graze? When I hear that question I can almost imagine the scenarios from which it comes. Usually corn stalks are ready to be grazed. It would be convenient and useful to include an adjacent alfalfa field for extra grazing and protein. The other scenario has grazing ending on summer range but the final growth of alfalfa is still standing in the field.
Usually the alfalfa is still quite green, despite several nights with low temperatures in the twenties or even teens. There may be some wilting and yellowing but most leaves still are attached to the plant stems.
The real question often being asked is “Can I be sure my cows won’t bloat and die if they graze my alfalfa?”. To be quite honest, you never can be 100 percent certain that alfalfa won’t cause bloat. I remember back to my father’s small dairy farm. Over the years that I helped on his farm, my dad had two cows that would bloat even when eating dry alfalfa hay. Since they were good milkers he didn’t want to cull them. So those cows were hand fed small amounts of alfalfa hay at a time so their bloat could be minimized.
Thus, the only true answer to questions about grazing alfalfa safety is ‘probably’. But still use good animal husbandry methods to reduce the risk. Have cows full before turning out to alfalfa. Wait until mid-day, after frost or dew is gone, before turning out. Provide other dry, palatable feeds or even bloat retardants. And keep a close eye on them for at least the first couple days.
Alfalfa can be grazed safely. Just be careful and realistic.
Green Plains Acquires Hopewell Ethanol Facility
Omaha-based Green Plains Inc. (NASDAQ:GPRE) today announced that it has acquired an ethanol production facility in Hopewell, Virginia, located approximately 20 miles south of Richmond, from Future Fuels LLP. Operating at full capacity, the facility's dry mill ethanol plant will increase the company's annual production capacity by approximately 60 million gallons to nearly 1.1 billion gallons per year.
"We are confident in our ability to significantly improve the plant's production economics by applying our operational and commercial expertise," said Todd Becker, president and chief executive officer. "We plan to make several capital investments before restarting the plant to increase its operational efficiency and production volume. In addition, we anticipate using the site to transload distillers grains that are produced locally and at our other plants located on the Norfolk Southern rail line into containers destined for export markets to further enhance the property's profitability."
Production is expected to resume by the end of the year and corn oil processing is expected to be operational during the second quarter of 2016. When the plant is fully operational, Green Plains expects to offer the Hopewell plant's transportation and storage assets to its master limited partnership, Green Plains Partners LP (NASDAQ:GPP).
Outstanding, Creative County Farm Bureau Programs Recognized
Twenty-eight county Farm Bureaus nationwide were recognized by the American Farm Bureau for innovative program ideas in this year’s County Activities of Excellence Awards program. The winners will be highlighted during AFBF’s 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show, Jan. 8-13, 2016, in Orlando, Florida.
“A genuine commitment to improving county programming was clearly demonstrated by this year’s entries,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “Grassroots Farm Bureau members continue to find creative ways to enrich their communities by sharing information about today’s food and farming,” he said.
This year’s CAE award winners come from 11 states: California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. The winners (listed by state and county Farm Bureau) are:
Education and Ag Promotion
Delaware
Farm-to-Fork Dinner, Kent
Georgia
Farm Bureau Farmer’s Market, Paulding
Illinois
Grain for Growth Wagon, Effingham
Farm Trek 2015, Hancock and McDonough
Farm Camp, Whiteside
Indiana
Fair Scavenger Hunt, Fulton
Kansas
A Slice of Ag in Every Pizza, Stafford
Missouri
Our Many Ways to Thank A Farmer, Wright
Nebraska
School Beef Program, Cheyenne
Once Upon a Farm, Douglas
Ohio
Agriculture Awareness Day, Athens-Meigs
The Life of a Cow, Auglaize, Logan, Darke and Clark
Breakfast on the Farm, Fulton
Family Agriculture Education Tents, Medina
Texas
Grain Bin Safety Training/Demonstration, Lamar
Member Services
California
A Partnership for Successful Resource Planning, Modoc
Illinois
Manure Pit Safety/Rescue Training, Mercer
Nebraska
Ag Night at the Ball Park, Lancaster
Ohio
Nutrient Management Record Keeper, Knox
Farm-er-taining Ag Tour/Annual Meeting, Pike
Public Relations & Information
California
Stanislaus Rural Crime Alert Facebook Page, Stanislaus
Illinois
Grocery Giveaway, Cook
Ohio
Annual Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway, Clermont
South Carolina
Ag Works – Farm Eye for the City Guy, Lexington
The CAE program acknowledges and shares successful county Farm Bureau programs and activities. The awards are based on county Farm Bureau membership. Counties compete for recognition in five different groups. Those groups are county Farm Bureaus with membership of less than 1,000 members, 1,001-3,000 members, 3,001-5,000 members, more than 5,001 members, and a new category this year for collaborative multi-county activities regardless of membership size.
NRCS' Peterson Named Regional Soil Health Specialist
Doug Peterson, former Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) state soil health conservationist, was named NRCS regional soil health specialist for the states of Missouri and Iowa. One of 16 regional soil health specialists in the nation, Peterson began his new role with the agency last week.
"Doug is well-versed and very knowledgeable in soil health," State Conservationist J.R. Flores said. "It came as no surprise to me that he was selected as regional soil health specialist. Doug served as Missouri's soil health conservationist for three years and was an excellent resource for our employees. Soil health is an important topic of discussion across the nation and it's nice to see that Doug will be leading the charge in such an exciting and evolving field."
With the establishment of the National Soil Health Division at NRCS headquarters, regional soil health specialists, four in each region, provide assistance to all 50 states and territories. Peterson, who began his career with NRCS in 1987, will divide his time between Missouri and Iowa while also dedicating energy to regional and national efforts.
"I'm excited to continue my soil health work in Missouri while also providing assistance to Iowa NRCS staff and producers," Peterson said. "It's important to help people recognize and understand how improving their state's soil health can help their natural resources and profitability."
USDA Issues Safety-Net Payments to Farmers Facing Market Downturn
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that beginning today, nearly one half of the 1.7 million farms that signed up for either the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs will receive safety-net payments for the 2014 crop year.
"Unlike the old direct payments program, which paid farmers in good years and bad, the 2014 Farm Bill authorized a new safety-net that protects producers only when market forces or adverse weather cause unexpected drops in crop prices or revenues," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "For example, the corn price for 2014 is 30 percent below the historical benchmark price used by the ARC-County program, and revenues of the farms participating in the ARC-County program are down by about $20 billion from the benchmark during the same period. The nearly $4 billion provided today by the ARC and PLC safety-net programs will give assistance to producers where revenues dropped below normal."
The ARC/PLC programs primarily allow producers to continue to produce for the market by making payments on a percentage of historical base production, limiting the impact on production decisions.
Nationwide, 96 percent of soybean farms, 91 percent of corn farms, and 66 percent of wheat farms elected the ARC-County coverage option. Ninety-nine percent of long grain rice and peanut farms, and 94 percent of medium grain rice farms elected the PLC option. Overall, 76 percent of participating farm acres are protected by ARC-County, 23 percent by PLC, and 1 percent by ARC-Individual. For data about other crops, as well as state-by-state program election results, final PLC price and payment data, and other program information including frequently asked questions, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
Crops receiving assistance include barley, corn, grain sorghum, lentils, oats, peanuts, dry peas, soybeans, and wheat. In the upcoming months, disbursements will be made for other crops after marketing year average prices are published by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Any disbursements to participants in ARC-County or PLC for long and medium grain rice (except for temperate Japonica rice) will occur in November, for remaining oilseeds and also chickpeas in December, and temperate Japonica rice in early February 2016. ARC-individual payments will begin in November. Upland cotton is no longer a covered commodity.
The Budget Control Act of 2011, passed by Congress, requires USDA to reduce payments by 6.8 percent. For more information, producers are encouraged to visit their local Farm Service Agency office.
WHO Considers Risk In Classifying Carcinogens
For the first time, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) included in a report on agents causing cancer the relative risk of getting the disease, a significant development, according to numerous observers at a recent meeting of the group.
The World Health Organization agency at an Oct. 6-13 meeting in Lyon, France, concluded that the relative risk of contracting cancer from consuming red or processed meat is low. It did classify processed meat as a cause of colorectal cancer and a possible cause of gastric cancer and red meat as a probable cause of colorectal cancer and a possible cause of pancreatic and prostate cancer. IARC previously has classified as carcinogens such things as sunlight, alcoholic beverages and being a barber.
“You know, my mother used to say, ‘Everything in moderation,’” said National Pork Producers Council President Dr. Ron Prestage, a veterinarian and pork producer from Camden, S.C. “She was a very smart woman, and the smart people out there know you don’t eat a pound of anything every day. So take this IARC report with a grain of salt, but not too much salt because that would be bad for you.”
The IARC classifications on meat, said NPPC, were reached after including studies that did not have statistically significant results, meaning the conclusions are questionable. In fact, IARC’s conclusions were based on “relatively weak statistical associations from epidemiological studies that were not designed to show cause and effect.” In many of the studies, cancer risks were only associated with high levels of consumption.
In a May 2015 review of epidemiological studies on cancer and meat, David Klurfeld, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, found: “Most observational studies report small, increased relative risks [of cancer]. However, there are many limitations of such studies, including inability to accurately estimate intake, lack of pre-specified hypotheses, multiple comparisons, and confounding from many factors – including body weight, fruit/vegetable intake, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol – that correlate significantly either positively or negatively with meat intake and limit the reliability of conclusions from these studies.”
IARC did note that most colorectal cancers are caused by more than one agent and that cancer trends are related to the amount of an agent or agents consumed. A monograph on the agency’s conclusions is expected to be published next summer or fall.
NPPC, which had a representative at the IARC meeting, said many studies show that eating lean, protein-packed and nutrient-dense processed meats such as ham can help fight obesity, which is universally accepted as one of the leading causes of cancer.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute, obesity and physical inactivity may account for 25 to 30 percent of several major cancers, including colon cancer. The institute has noted that a 2002 “major” review of observational trials showed that physical activity reduced colon cancer risk by 50 percent: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet.
Science Does Not Support International Agency Opinion on Red Meat and Cancer
An international committee assigned to review all of the available evidence on red meat and cancer risk were divided on their opinion whether to label red meat a “probable” cause of cancer, according to the Beef Checkoff nutrition scientist and registered dietitian who observed the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) process. After seven days of deliberation in Lyon, France, IARC was unable to reach a consensus agreement from a group of 22 experts in the field of cancer research, something that IARC has proudly highlighted they strive for and typically achieve. In this case, they had to settle for “majority” agreement.
“Cancer is a complex disease that even the best and brightest minds don’t fully understand,” says Shalene McNeill, PhD, RD. “Billions of dollars have been spent on studies all over the world and no single food has ever been proven to cause or cure cancer. The opinion by the IARC committee to list red meat as a probable carcinogen does not change that fact. The available scientific evidence simply does not support a causal relationship between red or processed meat and any type of cancer.”
Most scientists agree that it is unrealistic to isolate a single food as a cause of cancer from a complex dietary pattern further confounded by lifestyle and environmental factors.
“As a registered dietitian and mother, my advice hasn’t changed. To improve all aspects of your health, eat a balanced diet, which includes lean meats like beef, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and, please don’t smoke,” says McNeill.
While IARC represents a select group of opinions, it doesn’t always represent consensus in the scientific community.
A large meta-analysis, published online in May in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, analyzed the relationship between red meat intake and risk for colorectal cancer and concluded “red meat does not appear to be an independent predictor of CRC risk,” according to Dominik Alexander, PhD, MSPH, the epidemiologist who conducted the research on behalf of the Beef Checkoff.
“There are a constellation of factors that are associated with the probability of getting cancer, which include age, genetics, socioeconomic characteristics, obesity, lack of physical activity, where you grew up, alcohol consumption, smoking and even your profession,” says Alexander. “The bottom line is the epidemiologic science on red meat consumption and cancer is best described as weak associations and an evidence base that has weakened over time. And most importantly, because red meat is consumed in the context of hundreds of other foods and is correlated with other behavioral factors, it is not valid to conclude red meat is an independent cause of cancer.”
According to Alexander, studies in nutritional epidemiology can be highly prone to bias such as self-reported dietary intake, for which habits may change over time. Because of this, associations reported in nutritional epidemiology may be surrounded by uncertainty. For
instance, most, if not all, of the observational studies with red meat are limited by confounding factors; for example, studies have shown that people who consume the most red meat are the most likely to smoke, eat fewer fruits and vegetables and be overweight or obese – all of which may confound the relationship between eating red meat and risk of cancer.
Also, more recent studies in large cohorts are now finding either no association or non-significant findings between red meat and cancer. For example, a recent study out of Harvard using the well known The Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) and The Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) found unprocessed meat intake had an inverse association with distal colon cancer and a weak, statistically non-significant, positive association with risk of proximal colon cancer.
In addition, gold standard nutrition evidence, such as the Women’s Health Initiative and the Polyp Prevention Trial, two large, multi-year randomized controlled dietary interventions, found that a 20 percent reduction in red meat consumption did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and/or had no effect on adenoma recurrence in the large bowel. These studies were disregarded from the IARC review.
“Given the weak associations in human studies and lack of evidence in animal studies it is hard to reconcile the committee’s vote,” says nutritional toxicologist James Coughlin, PhD, CFS. “Of more than 900 items IARC has reviewed, including coffee, sunlight and night shift work, they have found only one ‘probably’ does not cause cancer according to their classification system.”
Coughlin, a toxicologist with more than 40 years of experience in meat and cancer, is critical of the IARC review process due to the lack of transparency, selective inclusion or exclusion of studies and broad interpretation of study results that are inconsistent with the conclusions of the study authors.
“In my experience as an observer to an IARC working group, the process typically involves scientists who have previously published research on the substance being reviewed and may have a vested interest in defending their own research” says Coughlin. “In the case of red and processed meat, the overall scientific evidence simply does not support their conclusion.”
Soil Health Partnership farmer leader earns White House award
Tim Smith remembers driving a Model G two-cylinder tractor to plow his family’s farm in North Central Iowa. Today, still farming that same land, he is a leader in adopting advanced agricultural practices to improve soil health. Doing so protects the water that ends up in the Gulf of Mexico.
In recognition of his commitment to adopting new practices and teaching others, Smith received the White House Champions of Change award on Oct. 26 in Washington, D.C. The Soil Health Partnership and Iowa Soybean Association both nominated Smith for the award.
“American agriculture is more advanced and efficient than ever, but making deeper changes in the business of farming will enable us do even better for long-term sustainability,” Smith said. “Losing precious soil is not sustainable. Farmers are becoming more aware of this and the impact it has.”
Smith farms near Eagle Grove, Iowa, in the Boone River Watershed. In 2011, he signed up for a federal program that identified the watershed as a priority for reducing nitrate and phosphorous levels in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2014, he joined the newly formed Soil Health Partnership, which over a five-year period will identify, test and measure farm management practices that improve soil health and benefit farmers.
The practices Smith has changed on his farm include:
- Scientific nutrient management, using the latest technology to help measure and optimize the application of fertilizer on his crops.
- Installing a bioreactor on his farm, a trench filled with a carbon source, like wood chips, which serves as a food source for microorganisms that break down nitrate in the water.
- Using strip-till to prepare his land for planting, a less-intensive method of tillage. By utilizing less intensive tillage on his land, beneficial fungi and bacteria can thrive, soil gas exchanges improve, water holding capacity increases and nutrient use efficiency can improve.
- Growing cover crops like cereal rye on 550 of his 800 acres. Cover crops help store excess nitrates that might otherwise leach into groundwater. They also help prevent erosion.
“Tim Smith truly believes in creating lasting change, and has generously used the knowledge he’s gained to teach others,” said Nicholas Goeser, director of the SHP. “He has shown hundreds if not thousands of farmers, students and others how environmental stewardship can protect the watershed, optimize yields, enhance profits and improve the soil’s overall profile for years to come.”
Smith tells other farmers that it’s not hard to change practices. He shows photos of his father using a moldboard plow years ago, saying at one time, “…we thought we couldn’t farm without a plow.”
“Change is nothing to fear,” Smith said. “Farming practices have always evolved, and will continue evolving.”
The Champions of Change award recognizes ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things in their communities. Smith was recognized with several others in the “Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture” category.
FFA Members Amplify Their Voices at 88th National FFA Convention & Expo
This week, FFA members from across the country will arrive in Louisville, Ky., to celebrate the 88th National FFA Convention & Expo. It is a time when students, advisors and guests will celebrate the top achievers in the organization, give back to the community and work together to promote the message of agriculture and agricultural education.
Convention events will take place at several venues in downtown Louisville, the city’s suburbs and beyond. Nine general sessions through Saturday, Oct. 31 will bring together thousands of FFA members under one roof at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Students will have countless opportunities to engage exhibitors from more than 450 corporations, organizations and colleges Oct. 28-30 at the expo, inside the center.
The convention and expo will kick off on Tuesday, Oct. 27 with the Welcome Lunch at 11:30 a.m. in the Kentucky Exposition Center, where present and former FFA members will share how FFA has impacted their lives.
On the afternoon of Wednesday Oct. 28, the first general session will feature a video tribute to the 85th anniversary of the FFA Creed. Special thanks to Jackson Tiffany, Jimmy Carter, the Georgia FFA Association and Branch Carter, Easton Corbin, Travis Bradshaw and the FFA members who helped make the tribute a reality.
The evening of Thursday, Oct. 29, USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Hardin will give remarks during the third general session. The four American Star Awards will also be presented to FFA members who demonstrate outstanding agricultural skills and competencies through completion of a supervised agricultural experience program.
Throughout the week, students will attend more than 70 leadership and personal growth workshops. FFA members will also tour industry destinations. In addition, students will roll up their sleeves and participate in several planned community service initiatives during the week, as part of the National Days of Service.
The convention and expo will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 31 with the conferring of the American FFA Degree in the morning and the election of the 2015-16 National FFA Officers in the afternoon.
The convention and expo will bring an estimated economic impact of $40 million, making it the largest convention for Louisville this year. Attendees will stay in 136 hotels within a 60-mile radius of Louisville. This will be the last year for the event to be in Louisville, as the convention and expo will be in Indianapolis from 2016-2024.
For daily updates on the convention and expo, visit FFA.org, or sign up to receive email alerts at FFA.org/subscribe.
Roberts, Klobuchar Bill to Help Farmers Purchase New Equipment
U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced bipartisan legislation to help farmers purchase new equipment and replace worn-out machinery by amending the U.S. tax code to permanently set a five-year depreciation schedule for certain agricultural equipment. The current tax code sets a seven-year depreciation cost recovery period for agricultural equipment. Changing the depreciation schedule for agricultural equipment to five years would make the tax code more consistent and support rural development by aligning the length of time that farmers can take a depreciation deduction with the average useful life of that property.
"This commonsense legislation will give farmers and ranchers the certainty they need to invest in new, more modern equipment so they can create more jobs and growth in our communities," said Roberts, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "A five year depreciation schedule allows for predictability and fairness in our overly complex tax code, giving the agriculture community the ability to produce more efficiently and at a lower cost."
"Agriculture is cyclical in nature with producers making large investments in their crops, livestock, buildings, and equipment," Klobuchar said. "We need to ensure our tax code is fair for farmers so that they can purchase the modern equipment that will allow them to produce more while spending less. This commonsense legislation will put money back in the pockets of our farmers and ranchers and enable them to grow our agricultural economy and strengthen our rural communities."
Under the tax code, taxpayers are allowed a depreciation deduction to allow them to recover the costs of investing in certain property, like farm machinery and farm-use motor vehicles. The recovery period for the deduction should match the useful life and financing of that property. According to surveys from the USDA's Farm Service Agency, on average farmers and ranchers finance farm equipment and machinery for five years.
This bill is supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union.
Vilsack Announces Additional Progress in Addressing Childhood Hunger, Applauds Pediatricians for their Commitment
Today at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that with the current school year underway, 97 percent of schools now report successfully meeting updated nutrition standards, and the number of eligible high-poverty schools utilizing USDA's Community Eligibility Provision has increased by 20 percent since last year. The Community Eligibility Program ensures universal access to healthy food for all children attending high-poverty schools, and this is the second school year that it has been available nationwide. Secretary Vilsack made this announcement before the members of the American Academy of Pediatrics which just this weekend demonstrated their commitment to improving child nutrition by releasing a policy statement calling for pediatricians across the country to play a role in reducing childhood food insecurity.
"The numbers released today, and the actions of these pediatricians, are a reflection of the commitment by thousands of schools, communities, physicians and nutrition leaders across the country to ensuring a healthier next generation," said Secretary Vilsack. "Thanks to the improvements we have made in school nutrition, our nation's children show up each day to healthier school environments, where they can easily get the nutrients they need for academic success and healthier futures. It is imperative that Congress moves quickly to reauthorize child nutrition legislation to give these men and women predictability in the work they are doing, and most importantly so that we do not reverse the progress made to date in improving the health and future well-being of America's children."
More than 15 million American children live in food-insecure households, without consistent access to sufficient food. In high-poverty schools, where a large percentage of students are in households receiving certain types of means-tested assistance, the Community Eligibility Provision allows schools to provide free meals to all students through a cost sharing model where part of the cost is covered by the federal government and the rest is picked up by the school. To date, more than 17,000 schools in high-poverty areas are offering nutritious meals to about 8 million students at no direct cost to the students through this provision.
Across the country, schools participating in CEP are making great strides in the fight against childhood hunger. They're also experiencing a number of other positive effects, such as significantly lower erroneous payments, decreased administrative burden for schools and parents, and increased participation in meal programs. This is, in part, because CEP works well with alternative breakfast models -- such as breakfast in the classroom, grab-n-go and second chance breakfasts -- that incorporate breakfast into the school day. The meals they serve are healthier than ever; nationwide, 97 percent of schools are now meeting the updated nutrition standards, and, as a result, students are trying new foods and eating more fruits and vegetables.
CWT Assists with 1.5 million Pounds of Cheese Export Sales
Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) has accepted 14 requests for export assistance from Dairy Farmers of America, Northwest Dairy Association (Darigold) and Tillamook County Creamery Association who have contracts to sell 1.524 million pounds (692 metric tons) of Cheddar and Gouda cheese to customers in Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Oceania. The product has been contracted for delivery in the period from October 2015 through April 2016.
Year-to-date, CWT has assisted member cooperatives who have contracts to sell 51.797 million pounds of cheese, 25.671 million pounds of butter and 35.080 million pounds of whole milk powder to thirty-five countries on six continents. The amounts of cheese, butter and whole milk powder in these sales contracts represent the equivalent of 1.308 billion pounds of milk on a milkfat basis.
Assisting CWT members through the Export Assistance program, in the long-term, helps member cooperatives gain and maintain market share, thus expanding the demand for U.S. dairy products and the U.S. farm milk that produces them. This, in turn, positively impacts all U.S. dairy farmers by strengthening and maintaining the value of dairy products that directly impact their milk price.
NMPF Board Advances Phase-Out of Tail Docking
The board of the National Milk Producers Federation today set January 1, 2017, as the date for dairy farmers participating in the industry’s Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Animal Care Program to phase out the routine practice of tail docking.
At the Federation’s annual meeting here, the board approved a resolution hastening by five years the previously established 2022 deadline for discontinuing tail docking. The resolution will be incorporated into the dozens of animal care measures designed for the FARM Program to ensure the consistent, optimal care of dairy cows in the United States.
“On this issue, the science, the advice of our technical experts and requests from our dairy customers and consumers are all aligned,” said NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “Today’s action demonstrates that dairy producer-leaders want to be proactive, yet pragmatic, in addressing animal care concerns.”
NMPF started the FARM Animal Care Program in 2009 to highlight how much the dairy industry is doing to improve animal care. Dairy farmers supplying milk to dairy cooperatives and processors representing more than 90 percent of the nation’s milk supply now participate. The program demonstrates the commitment dairy producers have to providing quality care to their cows.
Also at the NMPF annual meeting, the FARM Animal Care Program unveiled new communications resources, including a revamped website and stepped-up social media engagement on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The new resources will help share stories of dedicated farmers, healthy cows and wholesome milk.
“While tail docking may be contentious for some, our producers have a great story to tell when it comes to animal care,” said Mulhern. “It is crucial that we share these stories and discuss animal care in a way that connects our values with those of our customers and consumers.”
The annual meeting will also feature on Tuesday an animal care panel discussion that includes representatives from Chobani, Walmart, Starbucks and Kroger.
Court Hears Arguments in EPA Data Release Lawsuit
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis heard oral arguments last week in a lawsuit brought by National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation over the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's release to environmental activists of personal data on thousands of livestock farmers. The groups are asking the Court of Appeals to reverse a U.S. District Court's decision to dismiss their lawsuit against EPA.
The lower court ruled that NPPC and AFBF lacked "standing" to bring the case since, according to the court, they suffered no harm from EPA's February 2013 release of information from farms in 30 states to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Earth Justice and the Pew Charitable Trusts under Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests the groups filed.
In some instances, the data contained farmers' home addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and personal medical information.
After objections from NPPC, AFBF and other farm groups, EPA requested that the environmental organizations return the data but reissued it after redacting some of the information. The reissued data still contained some personal information on farmers.
In July 2013, the agency was set to release more data when the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota court issued a restraining order. That court in April dismissed the case. It's unclear when the Court of Appeals will issue its ruling.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Friday October 23 Cattle on Feed Report + Ag News
NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 2 PERCENT
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.27 million cattle on feed on October 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2 percent from last year. Placements during September totaled 510,000 head, down 4 percent from 2014. Fed cattle marketings for the month of September totaled 430,000 head, up 8 percent from last year. Other disappearance during August totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED REPORT
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Iowa for all feedlots totaled 1,110,000 on October 1, 2015 according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. The inventory is down 2 percent from September 1, 2015 but up 8 percent from October 1, 2014. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head had 600,000 head on feed, down 3 percent from last month but up 7 percent from last year. This is the highest October 1 inventory for feedlots with greater than 1,000 head inventory on record since the series began in 1994. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head had 510,000 head on feed, down 1 percent from last month but up 9 percent from last year.
Placements during September totaled 144,000 head, an increase of 4 percent from last month but down 25 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head placed 85,000 head, up 21 percent from last month but down 14 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head placed 59,000 head. This is down 14 percent from last month and down 37 percent from last year.
Marketings for September were 163,000 head, down 4 percent from last month and down 20 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head marketed 101,000 head, up 31 percent from last month but down 11 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head marketed 62,000 head, down 33 percent from last month and down 31 percent from last year. Other disappearance totaled 6,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.2 million head on October 1, 2015. The inventory was 2 percent above October 1, 2014. The inventory included 6.93 million steers and steer calves, up 7 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 68 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.29 million head, down 7 percent from 2014. October 1, 2015 heifers and heifer calves inventory is the lowest percent of total October inventory since the series began in 1996.
Placements in feedlots during September totaled 1.93 million head, 4 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.87 million head. During September, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 395,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 290,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 416,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 830,000 head. Placements are the lowest for September since the series began in 1996.
Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.64 million head, 2 percent below 2014. Other disappearance totaled 57,000 head during September, 12 percent below 2014.
LENRD approves a lower levy for fiscal 2016 budget
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District’s levy is down for the 2016 fiscal budget. The board of directors set the levy on Thursday, September 10th, at the rate of 0.024061; down from last year’s rate of 0.025105 due to an overall valuation increase of 12.39% across the District. The property tax request is $6,4,224,679. Homeowners living in a home valued at $100,000 within the District will pay $24.06 in property taxes for water quality and water quantity benefits such as groundwater management, flood control, and nitrate management; as well as erosion control, recreation, cost-share to landowners who apply for conservation practices, and many other benefits that protect our natural resources and improve the quality of life.
LENRD General Manager, Mike Sousek, said, “We have worked together to create this budget as a blueprint for the next fiscal year. We have addressed our 12 responsibilities throughout the document and are focused on improving the quality of life for the citizens across our district.”
NBIS Announces 2015 Speakers
The 2016 Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in cooperation with the Nebraska Cattlemen, is excited to announce more detail about the line-up of topics and speakers at this year’s Beef Summit. The Summit will be held Thursday, November 19th in the Animal Science Complex on UNL’s East Campus. The seminar will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. More information can be found at the UNL Animal Science web page with a link to registration and sponsorship forms.
Welcome will be provided by Dr. Larry Berger, UNL Department of Animal Science Faculty Head.
First on the speaking agenda is Stan Moore of Michigan State University to address the ever-challenging issue of Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Quality Labor in beef production. Mr. Moore is a senior educator in the dairy department at Michigan State and has taken special interest in Labor Management having developed and presented multiple presentations on the topic throughout the Midwest. When many Nebraska ranchers and Ag producers are asked what their biggest challenge will be in the next 10-20 years, they respond, “finding and keeping good help.” Stan will provide some great insight to the strategies and effort it takes to attract quality employees and prevent your operation from being limited by a lack of labor.
Next, Michael Maroney, a representative of Commodity and Ingredient Hedging (CIH) in Chicago, Illinois will talk about Managing Risk in Volatile Markets. Mr. Maroney leads CIH’s Beef Margin Management Service team to help cattle producers manage profitability. Michael began his career as a runner on the floor trading futures and options in grains, equities, and treasuries at the Chicago Board of Trade and his expert knowledge of managing risk in the markets has led him to his current position at CIH.
Following Mr. Maroney, an update and Question & Answer on Beef Industry Issues in the Nebraska Legislature will be led by Jay Rempe of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. Jay is Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Vice President of Governmental Relations. Jay will provide quality insight to the both the issues currently being discussed and those that may be coming in the future, and what action producers need to take to have their voices heard or prepare to adapt.
After lunch, there will be a panel discussion titled: Freedom to Operate vs. Sustainability – Do They Conflict? This discussion was deemed appropriate following the great deal of recent discussion about sustainability in beef production and its inclusion in the U.S. Dept. of Health’s 2015 Dietary Guidelines. With so many definitions and connotations of the word sustainability, is it just a way for anti-agriculture agencies to paint the wrong picture of beef production? This panel will address the challenges beef production faces to continue to operate amidst growing environmental and external regulations.
Present on the panel will be:
Joan Ruskamp, Dodge, NE. Joan and her husband Steve own and operate a feedlot west of Dodge, NE. Joan is an avid “agvocate” having worked in beef production advocacy through a multitude of positions and agencies including the Beef Checkoff, NCBA, American National Cattlewomen, and many others.
Dean Settje, Raymond, NE. Dean is the founder of Settje Agri-Services and Engineering, Inc. (SASE), a company that has been the leader in the Midwest for livestock systems design and environmental compliance. SASE provides assistance to beef producers through a team of professional engineers, agronomists, geologists, and groundwater monitoring specialists.
Steven Zabel, Ag Dept. of NDEQ. Steven will be representing the Department of Environmental Quality and further explaining some the development and enforcement of environmental regulations with a feedlot emphasis.
Scott Yager, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Mr. Yager works on the NCBA environmental counsel and has spent much time advocating for the beef industry regarding the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) proposed legislation.
The final speaker of the day will be Brian Lubbers, DVM, of Kansas State University. Brian is the director of the Microbial Surveillance Lab at K-State and oversees the day-to-day case management of bacterial and fungal diagnostic specimens. Brian will be addressing the upcoming Antibiotic Regulations and Veterinary Feed Directive and the imminent changes producers will have to make in their beef herd health programs and systems.
Closing remarks will be given by Troy Stowater, Wayne, NE, Nebraska Cattlemen Vice President.
We look forward to a very informative and valuable day with much to gain for all involved in the beef industry in Nebraska!
Current National Drought Summary
Dry weather dominated much of the country, favoring summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting. However, topsoil moisture shortages hampered wheat emergence and establishment in a variety of regions, including portions of the Plains, lower Midwest, and interior Northwest. Meanwhile, significant short-term drought continued to grip the South, primarily from the southeastern Great Plains to the Mississippi Delta. In addition to concerns about recently planted winter wheat, Southern drought issues included stress on pastures and late-maturing summer crops; an elevated risk of wildfires; and diminishing surface-water supplies. In stark contrast, dry weather in South Carolina and environs favored flood-recovery efforts. Starting on October 16-17, widespread freezes ended the Midwestern growing season—as much as 1 to 2 weeks later than the normal first freeze in some locations. On October 18-19, freezes into the mid-Atlantic region and interior Southeast were roughly on schedule, or even a little earlier than normal. Elsewhere, a period of record-setting Western warmth preceded the arrival of a slow-moving storm system. Showers overspread California by October 15 and over the next several days reached into the Great Basin, Southwest, and Intermountain West. The Western precipitation caused local flooding, but replenished topsoil moisture, benefited rangeland and pastures, and provided limited relief from long-term drought. Significant rain began to overspread the south-central U.S. on October 21, a day after the drought-monitoring period ended, and will be reflected in next week’s U.S. Drought Monitor.
Great Plains
Mostly minor expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) was noted across the northern and central Plains. Conditions were not as dry as those being experienced farther south, but some impact on winter grain emergence has been reported. In Colorado, most (95%) of the winter wheat had been planted by October 18, but emergence (60%) lagged the 5-year average by 12 percentage points. On the same date, topsoil moisture was 59% very short to short in Kansas and 50% very short to short in Colorado.
Midwestern and Great Lakes States
Mostly dry weather supported a rapid expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1), especially from Missouri to Michigan and Ohio, and across the upper Midwest. By October 18, topsoil moisture—as rated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—stood at 68% very short to short in Missouri, along with 53% in Indiana, 52% in Illinois, and 46% in Ohio. Sub-state readings indicated more significant dryness in several areas. Among them was the western division of Illinois—bordered by southeastern Iowa and northeastern Missouri—which reported topsoil moisture 86% very short to short, and the east-central division of Missouri (91% very short to short). Although the short-term Midwestern dryness remained favorable for fieldwork, recently planted winter wheat was in need of rain to ensure even emergence and proper crop establishment.
Looking Ahead
During the next 5 days, a slow-moving storm system will provide significant drought relief but possibly cause flash flooding in the south-central U.S. Five-day rainfall totals could reach at least 2 to 5 inches on the southern High Plains; 2 to 6 inches in the western Gulf Coast region; and 3 to 7 inches across the southeastern Plains. Showers will also overspread the northern and central Plains, although totals from Nebraska to the Dakotas will be mostly an inch or less. Scattered showers will also reach the Ohio Valley and the Midwest, but mostly dry weather will prevail through the weekend in the southern Atlantic States and the Far West. Outside of the storm system’s primary impact area (e.g. the south-central U.S.), warm weather will prevail nearly nationwide.
The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for October 27 – 31 calls for the likelihood of warmer-than-normal weather across Florida, Alaska, and from the Pacific Coast to the northern and central Plains and the upper Midwest. Meanwhile, near- to below-normal temperatures can be expected across much of the South, East, and lower Midwest. The last 5 days of October should feature near- to above-normal precipitation across the majority of the U.S., with the greatest likelihood of wet weather occurring across the lower Southeast. In contrast, drier-than-normal conditions should occur in western Alaska and from the northern Plains into the upper Great Lakes region.
USDA INVESTS $30 MILLION TO HELP PROTECT WETLANDS IN SIX STATES.
Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will award $30 million to projects in six states - including Nebraska - to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands. The projects are funded under the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a program authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
The Rainwater Basin – a wetland complex located in south central Nebraska – is one of the six areas in the nation that will receive this USDA funding. The application was submitted by the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, an organization that works with landowners, organizations and conservation agencies to restore wetlands within the Rainwater Basin.
Craig Derickson, Nebraska State Conservationist with NRCS wasn’t surprised to see Nebraska on the short list of funding recipients.
“Nebraska has a strong conservation partnership. We have been working with producers in the Rainwater Basin and with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture for nearly 25 years to help restore and protect critical wetland habitat.
“The funding available through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership program is a perfect fit for the work being done within the Rainwater Basin by targeting locally led conservation efforts that can have a global impact on waterfowl populations,” Derickson said.
The WREP Project in Nebraska will build on the success of two previous WREP projects to acquire and restore the state’s playa wetlands and mixed-grass prairie buffers. By modifying irrigation and grazing practices, this project will provide a unique twist on traditional easements with innovative partner input that links production agriculture land with conservation easements. NRCS plans to invest $1.7 million in this project through the WREP program.
17 Farmer-Leaders Appointed to United Soybean Board
After being appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, 17 farmer-leaders from across the country will be sworn in as directors of the United Soybean Board (USB) at its upcoming annual meeting. The 17 soybean farmers will include five new appointees and 12 returning directors.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also recently announced that USB will increase its number of farmer-leaders from 70 to 73 to reflect growing U.S. soybean production. These new directors will be from Missouri, New Jersey and Wisconsin. The change will be effective for the 2016 board-appointment process.
This year’s new volunteer farmer-leaders invest soy checkoff funds on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers in projects to improve farmer profit potential. With unpredictable prices, growing production worldwide and more competition, U.S. soybean farmers will need more innovation, such as improved seed varieties and technology, new ways of generating demand and new methods for increasing the value they receive from soybean meal and oil.
“We are thrilled to have these farmer-leaders be part of a new chapter with the United Soybean Board,” says Bob Haselwood, USB chairman and soybean farmer from Berryton, Kansas. “The checkoff is dedicated to using advancements in technology to help U.S. soy remain a top choice for our customers, and these farmer-leaders will be instrumental in helping us accomplish that.”
Appointed farmer-leaders include:
• Jim Carroll III, Arkansas*
• Walter L. Godwin, Georgia*
• Gary Berg, Illinois (2-year term)
• Lynn Rohrscheib, Illinois
• Mark Alan Seib, Indiana*
• April Hemmes, Iowa
• Dennis Clark, Kentucky*
• Raymond S. Schexnayder, Jr., Louisiana*
• Rochelle Krusemark, Minnesota
• Todd A. Gibson, Missouri*
• Mark Caspers, Nebraska*
• Morris Lee Shambley, North Carolina*
• Jay Myers, North Dakota*
• John Motter, Ohio*
• Andrew J. Fabin, Pennsylvania
• David Gregory Iverson, South Dakota*
• Robert W. White, Jr., Virginia*
*Indicates returning director
All but one appointee will serve three-year terms, beginning Dec. 10, when they’ll be sworn in at USB’s annual meeting in St. Louis. Qualified State Soybean Boards (QSSBs) nominated all of the appointees.
PORK PULLED FROM, PUT BACK ON FEDERAL PRISONS MENUS
National Pork Month got off to a rough start, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) deciding to stop serving pork products in its 122 federal penitentiaries. But after NPPC and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, weighed in on the matter, expressing concerns, BOP late last week reversed itself. The decision to pull pork from the menu supposedly was based on a survey of federal inmates and on costs. The National Pork Producers Council and Grassley sent letters last Thursday to BOP Director Charles Samuels Jr., asking for more details on the decision. “Pork is a very economical, nutrient-dense protein that ought to be a food option for federal prisoners, and the U.S. pork industry has a variety of products that could meet BOP’s needs,” NPPC said in its letter. Despite the BOP’s reversal, Grassley is pressing the agency on the reasons it purged pork from prisons.
PROVISION IMPORTANT TO AGRICULTURE APPROVED BY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Thursday approved by voice vote the six-year “Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act,” which include an important provision sought by NPPC and other agricultural groups. The highway bill extends through 2018 a deadline for U.S. railroads to install positive train control (PTC) technology on about 60,000 miles of the nation’s 140,000 miles of track. PTC automatically stops a train before certain incidents occur, including train-to-train collisions and derailments caused by excessive speed.
The American Association of Railroads, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Federal Railroad Administration indicated that the majority of rail carriers would not meet the original deadline of Dec. 31, 2015, which was set in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Failure to meet the deadline could mean millions of dollars in federal fines for rail companies and likely prompt them to discontinue on the covered tracks passenger service and freight service for railcars hauling hazardous materials such as anhydrous ammonia.
The provision in the highway legislation also would allow an additional two-year extension if certain benchmarks are met. Because the highway bill is unlikely to be approved before an Oct. 31 target date set by the railroads, lawmakers are being urged to include the PTC deadline extension provision in legislation extending funding for surface transportation programs that expire Oct. 29.
Not included in the highway bill is an amendment that would increase the allowable weight limit for trucks. Sponsor Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., indicated he will offer his amendment when the highway bill goes to the House floor. The “Safe, Flexible and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act” would allow states to set higher weight limits for vehicles equipped with an additional (sixth) axle driving on their Interstate highways. For more than 30 years, the federal vehicle weight limit has been set at 80,000 pounds. About a quarter of U.S. truck shipments meet that limit, with trucks having significant space left in their trailers, meaning shippers use more truckloads and fuel and drive more miles than necessary.
White House to recognize Champions of Change for “Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture”
On Monday, October 26, the White House will recognize 12 individuals from across the country as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. These individuals were selected by the White House for their achievements and will be honored for exemplary leadership and innovation in agricultural production and education. The Champions have helped implement agricultural practices that promote soil health and energy efficiency, improve water quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change can no longer be seen as a distant threat. It is already impacting forest, grassland, and cropland systems in the United States, and is threatening agricultural producers and their communities. These Champions understand the challenges our nation is facing from a changing climate and are taking steps to build resilience to the impacts of climate change, which also protects their bottom line. The program will feature remarks by United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals who are doing extraordinary things to inspire and empower members of their communities. The event will be live-streamed on Monday, October 26 at 2:00 PM ET. Visit www.whitehouse.gov/live/ to tune in. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions. You can also follow the conversation at #WHChamps and #ActOnClimate.
Keith Berns – Bladen, Nebraska
Keith Berns and his brother Brian are co-owners and operators of Providence Farms, a 2,000-acre diversified family-farming operation in Bladen, Nebraska and Green Cover Seed, one of the nation’s leading providers of cover-crop information and seed. Green Cover Seed has grown from supplying seed and information for 1,000 acres of cover crops in 2009 to over 500,000 acres in 2015. Green Cover Seed’s “SmartMix Calculator” is the industry standard for planning and designing cover-crop mixes and is used extensively across the country. Keith spends countless hours educating farmers and ranchers about the importance of soil health and carbon sequestration through field days, workshops, and conferences.
Martin Kleinschmit – Hartington, Nebraska
Martin Kleinschmit is the owner of an organic farm in Nebraska that produces grains and raises grass-finished cattle on annual and permanent pastures. The farm maintains natural fertility using crop rotation, cover-crop mixtures and animal impact. After recognizing the need for a high-microbial life to foster carbon sequestration, Martin mentored other farmers through a 4-year program that was instrumental in enrolling over 60,000 Nebraska acres in a USDA organic transition program. In his 17 years serving as a staff member for the Center for Rural Affairs, Martin managed and taught projects to inform farmers of the importance of soil carbon. In an effort to conserve the use of fossil fuels, Martin now owns and manages MarLin Wind & Solar, LLC. He currently holds positions on the rural water district board and the Nebraska Farmers Union.
Timothy Smith – Eagle Grove, Iowa
Tim Smith is a fourth-generation farmer who raises soybeans, corn and cover crops on his family’s Century Farm in Wright County, Iowa. In addition to raising crops, Tim is focused on strengthening soil health and improving water quality. He has worked with a number of organizations, including the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soil Health Partnership, to implement new farming methods. Tim travels throughout Iowa and the United States advising farmers on how to approach new sustainability efforts.
Anita Adalja – Washington, D.C.
Anita Adalja is the Farm Manager at Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. Anita serves the Washington, D.C. metro area to create a more equitable and sustainable food system through increasing food access, sustainable farming, farmer training and ‘farm-to-school’ education. Under Anita’s management, Arcadia Farm grows thousands of pounds of naturally-grown produce that is sold in low- or no- food access areas in Washington, D.C. through their mobile farmers’ market program. A social worker by training, Anita previously farmed at One Woman Farm in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania and was the Farm Manager for Common Good City Farm in Washington, D.C.
William “Buddy” Allen – Tunica, Mississippi
Buddy Allen is a producer in Tunica, Mississippi and a member of the Macon Edwards Company, a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm. He is actively involved in several agricultural businesses, including a large-scale multi-crop farming operation in Mississippi. Buddy is a leader in conservation on the farm and holds a leadership role in several agricultural and conservation organizations.
Larry Cundall – Glendo, Wyoming
Larry Cundall, a Vietnam War Veteran and fourth-generation rancher from Glendo, Wyoming, is a leader in his ranching community. His priority is managing his land for increased productivity while protecting wildlife and natural resources for future generations. Larry manages water in an effort to decrease water use and cut down labor costs, has switched from windmills to solar wells, and has added miles of waterlines for better water use and grazing distribution. He was one of the first ranchers in Wyoming to sell carbon credits, and led efforts to help ranchers unite to sell wind leases on the windblown shortgrass prairie. For more than 25 years, Larry has served as an advisor for agriculture research and outreach grants on behalf of the University of Wyoming and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Western SARE program.
Herman “Trey” Hill – Rock Hall, Maryland
Trey Hill serves as Partner and Manager of Harborview Farms located in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Harborview Farms produces corn, wheat and soybeans for the Mid-Atlantic region, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Under Trey’s direction, Harborview has taken 4.5 percent of its 12,500 acres out of production due to being in environmentally sensitive areas. Harborview Farms uses best practices, including no-tillage, nutrient management plans, and planting cover crops on 100 percent of its acres. Trey has embraced the environmental community by serving as a panelist on multiple environmental forums and by hosting a Community Supported Agriculture endeavor on his land.
Loretta Jaus – Gibbon, Minnesota
Loretta Jaus and her husband Martin operate a 410-acre, rotationally-grazed, 60-cow dairy farm in south-central Minnesota. In 1980, with Biology and Wildlife Management degrees, the couple settled in as the fourth generation on Martin’s family farm. Their training created a solid foundation for the farm’s conservation focus and subsequent transition to certified-organic production. Loretta currently serves on the boards of the Land Stewardship Project and Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, has functioned as organic representative in Environmental Initiative’s Agricultural Leadership Dialogue project, and as an educator for CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley’s Outreach and Education Program.
Jennifer “Jiff” Martin – Storrs, Connecticut
Jiff Martin is the Sustainable Food System Associate Educator for the University of Connecticut Extension, which is part of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Jiff has worked for over 12 years on food and agriculture issues in Connecticut, helping residents discover local agriculture, connecting kids to healthy, whole foods, and researching community food security in Connecticut’s 169 towns. Her recent work includes leading a team of Extension Educators to assist new farmers in production and farmland management; directing two AmeriCorps service learning programs; and educating consumers through BuyCTGrown.com’s 10% Campaign, under which residents and businesses are asked to pledge 10 percent of their food and gardening budget to locally-grown products. Jiff was previously State Director for the American Farmland Trust and Food Policy Director at Hartford Food System.
Jesus Sanchez – Fresno, California
Jesus Sanchez serves as Farm Manager for Sano Farms – a diversified tomato, almond, wheat, garbanzo, and garlic farm spanning 4,000 acres in Firebaugh, California. Firebaugh is a small town of about 8,000 people in the heart of the western portion of San Joaquin Valley. For over ten years, Jesus has implemented a number of innovative conservation agriculture practices including the use of cover crops and strip-tillage at Sano Farms. These practices have resulted in considerably less diesel fuel use, dust and soil water evaporation, and increased soil carbon – all of which contribute to the farm’s resilience and sustainability. Jesus has been an eager spokesperson for these conservation farming practices, has hosted numerous tour groups and provided many presentations to farmers from all over the world who are excited to learn from him.
Erin Fitzgerald Sexson – Rosemont, Illinois
Erin Fitzgerald Sexson is Senior Vice President of Global Sustainability at Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, a forum for the dairy community to work together pre-competitively to foster research, measurement and innovation for farm-to-table sustainability. Under Erin’s leadership, the Innovation Center conducted environmental impact assessments that propelled an industry-wide voluntary carbon-reduction goal, and provided tools and resources to measure and track progress. She is currently leading the effort to enhance dairy’s contributions toward a more sustainable food system by examining the intersection between nutrition, health, hunger, food waste and environmental impact.
Donald Tyler – Beech Bluff, Tennessee
Donald Tyler is a soil management researcher in the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. He has done research in soil management for over 37 years. He is being honored for his research and outreach contributions in the areas of no-tillage cropping systems. These systems have reduced soil erosion by up to 95 percent, enhanced soil carbon storage from 1 percent to 4 percent, and increased soil biodiversity. When he arrived at the University of Tennessee, soil erosion rates were some of the highest in the United States. No-tillage adoption now tops 70 percent for corn, soybean and cotton acreage in the state.
Dow Reports Lower Sales, But Higher Net Income
The Dow Chemical Company, parent company of Dow AgroSciences, announced its third quarter 2015 earnings.
The Agricultural Sciences division reported third-quarter sales of $1.2 billion, down from $1.4 billion in the year-ago period. Sales were impacted by lower crop commodity prices in Latin America, high channel inventories and significant currency headwinds.
Crop Protection reported decreased sales due to price declines driven by high channel inventories, currency headwinds and lower volume, primarily in Latin America. Demand remained strong for new product technologies (up 8 percent year to date), led by spinetoram insecticide and ISOCLAST active.
Seeds reported decreased sales on the shift of acreage from corn to soybeans in Latin America and North America, as well as inventory pressures. On a year-to-date basis, Agricultural Sciences gained market share in Brazil in both Seeds and Crop Protection.
Operating EBITDA for the segment was a loss of $39 million, compared with a loss of $15 million in the year-ago period, reflecting a decline in price, as well as lost EBITDA from the sale of AgroFresh, which was partially offset by a gain of $44 million from the one-time sale of a joint venture.
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.27 million cattle on feed on October 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2 percent from last year. Placements during September totaled 510,000 head, down 4 percent from 2014. Fed cattle marketings for the month of September totaled 430,000 head, up 8 percent from last year. Other disappearance during August totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA CATTLE ON FEED REPORT
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Iowa for all feedlots totaled 1,110,000 on October 1, 2015 according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. The inventory is down 2 percent from September 1, 2015 but up 8 percent from October 1, 2014. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head had 600,000 head on feed, down 3 percent from last month but up 7 percent from last year. This is the highest October 1 inventory for feedlots with greater than 1,000 head inventory on record since the series began in 1994. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head had 510,000 head on feed, down 1 percent from last month but up 9 percent from last year.
Placements during September totaled 144,000 head, an increase of 4 percent from last month but down 25 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head placed 85,000 head, up 21 percent from last month but down 14 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head placed 59,000 head. This is down 14 percent from last month and down 37 percent from last year.
Marketings for September were 163,000 head, down 4 percent from last month and down 20 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head marketed 101,000 head, up 31 percent from last month but down 11 percent from last year. Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head marketed 62,000 head, down 33 percent from last month and down 31 percent from last year. Other disappearance totaled 6,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.2 million head on October 1, 2015. The inventory was 2 percent above October 1, 2014. The inventory included 6.93 million steers and steer calves, up 7 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 68 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.29 million head, down 7 percent from 2014. October 1, 2015 heifers and heifer calves inventory is the lowest percent of total October inventory since the series began in 1996.
Placements in feedlots during September totaled 1.93 million head, 4 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.87 million head. During September, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 395,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 290,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 416,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 830,000 head. Placements are the lowest for September since the series began in 1996.
Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.64 million head, 2 percent below 2014. Other disappearance totaled 57,000 head during September, 12 percent below 2014.
LENRD approves a lower levy for fiscal 2016 budget
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District’s levy is down for the 2016 fiscal budget. The board of directors set the levy on Thursday, September 10th, at the rate of 0.024061; down from last year’s rate of 0.025105 due to an overall valuation increase of 12.39% across the District. The property tax request is $6,4,224,679. Homeowners living in a home valued at $100,000 within the District will pay $24.06 in property taxes for water quality and water quantity benefits such as groundwater management, flood control, and nitrate management; as well as erosion control, recreation, cost-share to landowners who apply for conservation practices, and many other benefits that protect our natural resources and improve the quality of life.
LENRD General Manager, Mike Sousek, said, “We have worked together to create this budget as a blueprint for the next fiscal year. We have addressed our 12 responsibilities throughout the document and are focused on improving the quality of life for the citizens across our district.”
NBIS Announces 2015 Speakers
The 2016 Nebraska Beef Industry Scholars class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in cooperation with the Nebraska Cattlemen, is excited to announce more detail about the line-up of topics and speakers at this year’s Beef Summit. The Summit will be held Thursday, November 19th in the Animal Science Complex on UNL’s East Campus. The seminar will begin with registration at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 4:00 p.m. More information can be found at the UNL Animal Science web page with a link to registration and sponsorship forms.
Welcome will be provided by Dr. Larry Berger, UNL Department of Animal Science Faculty Head.
First on the speaking agenda is Stan Moore of Michigan State University to address the ever-challenging issue of Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Quality Labor in beef production. Mr. Moore is a senior educator in the dairy department at Michigan State and has taken special interest in Labor Management having developed and presented multiple presentations on the topic throughout the Midwest. When many Nebraska ranchers and Ag producers are asked what their biggest challenge will be in the next 10-20 years, they respond, “finding and keeping good help.” Stan will provide some great insight to the strategies and effort it takes to attract quality employees and prevent your operation from being limited by a lack of labor.
Next, Michael Maroney, a representative of Commodity and Ingredient Hedging (CIH) in Chicago, Illinois will talk about Managing Risk in Volatile Markets. Mr. Maroney leads CIH’s Beef Margin Management Service team to help cattle producers manage profitability. Michael began his career as a runner on the floor trading futures and options in grains, equities, and treasuries at the Chicago Board of Trade and his expert knowledge of managing risk in the markets has led him to his current position at CIH.
Following Mr. Maroney, an update and Question & Answer on Beef Industry Issues in the Nebraska Legislature will be led by Jay Rempe of the Nebraska Farm Bureau. Jay is Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Vice President of Governmental Relations. Jay will provide quality insight to the both the issues currently being discussed and those that may be coming in the future, and what action producers need to take to have their voices heard or prepare to adapt.
After lunch, there will be a panel discussion titled: Freedom to Operate vs. Sustainability – Do They Conflict? This discussion was deemed appropriate following the great deal of recent discussion about sustainability in beef production and its inclusion in the U.S. Dept. of Health’s 2015 Dietary Guidelines. With so many definitions and connotations of the word sustainability, is it just a way for anti-agriculture agencies to paint the wrong picture of beef production? This panel will address the challenges beef production faces to continue to operate amidst growing environmental and external regulations.
Present on the panel will be:
Joan Ruskamp, Dodge, NE. Joan and her husband Steve own and operate a feedlot west of Dodge, NE. Joan is an avid “agvocate” having worked in beef production advocacy through a multitude of positions and agencies including the Beef Checkoff, NCBA, American National Cattlewomen, and many others.
Dean Settje, Raymond, NE. Dean is the founder of Settje Agri-Services and Engineering, Inc. (SASE), a company that has been the leader in the Midwest for livestock systems design and environmental compliance. SASE provides assistance to beef producers through a team of professional engineers, agronomists, geologists, and groundwater monitoring specialists.
Steven Zabel, Ag Dept. of NDEQ. Steven will be representing the Department of Environmental Quality and further explaining some the development and enforcement of environmental regulations with a feedlot emphasis.
Scott Yager, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Mr. Yager works on the NCBA environmental counsel and has spent much time advocating for the beef industry regarding the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) proposed legislation.
The final speaker of the day will be Brian Lubbers, DVM, of Kansas State University. Brian is the director of the Microbial Surveillance Lab at K-State and oversees the day-to-day case management of bacterial and fungal diagnostic specimens. Brian will be addressing the upcoming Antibiotic Regulations and Veterinary Feed Directive and the imminent changes producers will have to make in their beef herd health programs and systems.
Closing remarks will be given by Troy Stowater, Wayne, NE, Nebraska Cattlemen Vice President.
We look forward to a very informative and valuable day with much to gain for all involved in the beef industry in Nebraska!
Current National Drought Summary
Dry weather dominated much of the country, favoring summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting. However, topsoil moisture shortages hampered wheat emergence and establishment in a variety of regions, including portions of the Plains, lower Midwest, and interior Northwest. Meanwhile, significant short-term drought continued to grip the South, primarily from the southeastern Great Plains to the Mississippi Delta. In addition to concerns about recently planted winter wheat, Southern drought issues included stress on pastures and late-maturing summer crops; an elevated risk of wildfires; and diminishing surface-water supplies. In stark contrast, dry weather in South Carolina and environs favored flood-recovery efforts. Starting on October 16-17, widespread freezes ended the Midwestern growing season—as much as 1 to 2 weeks later than the normal first freeze in some locations. On October 18-19, freezes into the mid-Atlantic region and interior Southeast were roughly on schedule, or even a little earlier than normal. Elsewhere, a period of record-setting Western warmth preceded the arrival of a slow-moving storm system. Showers overspread California by October 15 and over the next several days reached into the Great Basin, Southwest, and Intermountain West. The Western precipitation caused local flooding, but replenished topsoil moisture, benefited rangeland and pastures, and provided limited relief from long-term drought. Significant rain began to overspread the south-central U.S. on October 21, a day after the drought-monitoring period ended, and will be reflected in next week’s U.S. Drought Monitor.
Great Plains
Mostly minor expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1) was noted across the northern and central Plains. Conditions were not as dry as those being experienced farther south, but some impact on winter grain emergence has been reported. In Colorado, most (95%) of the winter wheat had been planted by October 18, but emergence (60%) lagged the 5-year average by 12 percentage points. On the same date, topsoil moisture was 59% very short to short in Kansas and 50% very short to short in Colorado.
Midwestern and Great Lakes States
Mostly dry weather supported a rapid expansion of abnormal dryness (D0) and moderate drought (D1), especially from Missouri to Michigan and Ohio, and across the upper Midwest. By October 18, topsoil moisture—as rated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture—stood at 68% very short to short in Missouri, along with 53% in Indiana, 52% in Illinois, and 46% in Ohio. Sub-state readings indicated more significant dryness in several areas. Among them was the western division of Illinois—bordered by southeastern Iowa and northeastern Missouri—which reported topsoil moisture 86% very short to short, and the east-central division of Missouri (91% very short to short). Although the short-term Midwestern dryness remained favorable for fieldwork, recently planted winter wheat was in need of rain to ensure even emergence and proper crop establishment.
Looking Ahead
During the next 5 days, a slow-moving storm system will provide significant drought relief but possibly cause flash flooding in the south-central U.S. Five-day rainfall totals could reach at least 2 to 5 inches on the southern High Plains; 2 to 6 inches in the western Gulf Coast region; and 3 to 7 inches across the southeastern Plains. Showers will also overspread the northern and central Plains, although totals from Nebraska to the Dakotas will be mostly an inch or less. Scattered showers will also reach the Ohio Valley and the Midwest, but mostly dry weather will prevail through the weekend in the southern Atlantic States and the Far West. Outside of the storm system’s primary impact area (e.g. the south-central U.S.), warm weather will prevail nearly nationwide.
The NWS 6- to 10-day outlook for October 27 – 31 calls for the likelihood of warmer-than-normal weather across Florida, Alaska, and from the Pacific Coast to the northern and central Plains and the upper Midwest. Meanwhile, near- to below-normal temperatures can be expected across much of the South, East, and lower Midwest. The last 5 days of October should feature near- to above-normal precipitation across the majority of the U.S., with the greatest likelihood of wet weather occurring across the lower Southeast. In contrast, drier-than-normal conditions should occur in western Alaska and from the northern Plains into the upper Great Lakes region.
USDA INVESTS $30 MILLION TO HELP PROTECT WETLANDS IN SIX STATES.
Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will award $30 million to projects in six states - including Nebraska - to protect, restore and enhance wetlands on private and tribal agricultural lands. The projects are funded under the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), a program authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
The Rainwater Basin – a wetland complex located in south central Nebraska – is one of the six areas in the nation that will receive this USDA funding. The application was submitted by the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, an organization that works with landowners, organizations and conservation agencies to restore wetlands within the Rainwater Basin.
Craig Derickson, Nebraska State Conservationist with NRCS wasn’t surprised to see Nebraska on the short list of funding recipients.
“Nebraska has a strong conservation partnership. We have been working with producers in the Rainwater Basin and with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture for nearly 25 years to help restore and protect critical wetland habitat.
“The funding available through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership program is a perfect fit for the work being done within the Rainwater Basin by targeting locally led conservation efforts that can have a global impact on waterfowl populations,” Derickson said.
The WREP Project in Nebraska will build on the success of two previous WREP projects to acquire and restore the state’s playa wetlands and mixed-grass prairie buffers. By modifying irrigation and grazing practices, this project will provide a unique twist on traditional easements with innovative partner input that links production agriculture land with conservation easements. NRCS plans to invest $1.7 million in this project through the WREP program.
17 Farmer-Leaders Appointed to United Soybean Board
After being appointed by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, 17 farmer-leaders from across the country will be sworn in as directors of the United Soybean Board (USB) at its upcoming annual meeting. The 17 soybean farmers will include five new appointees and 12 returning directors.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture also recently announced that USB will increase its number of farmer-leaders from 70 to 73 to reflect growing U.S. soybean production. These new directors will be from Missouri, New Jersey and Wisconsin. The change will be effective for the 2016 board-appointment process.
This year’s new volunteer farmer-leaders invest soy checkoff funds on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers in projects to improve farmer profit potential. With unpredictable prices, growing production worldwide and more competition, U.S. soybean farmers will need more innovation, such as improved seed varieties and technology, new ways of generating demand and new methods for increasing the value they receive from soybean meal and oil.
“We are thrilled to have these farmer-leaders be part of a new chapter with the United Soybean Board,” says Bob Haselwood, USB chairman and soybean farmer from Berryton, Kansas. “The checkoff is dedicated to using advancements in technology to help U.S. soy remain a top choice for our customers, and these farmer-leaders will be instrumental in helping us accomplish that.”
Appointed farmer-leaders include:
• Jim Carroll III, Arkansas*
• Walter L. Godwin, Georgia*
• Gary Berg, Illinois (2-year term)
• Lynn Rohrscheib, Illinois
• Mark Alan Seib, Indiana*
• April Hemmes, Iowa
• Dennis Clark, Kentucky*
• Raymond S. Schexnayder, Jr., Louisiana*
• Rochelle Krusemark, Minnesota
• Todd A. Gibson, Missouri*
• Mark Caspers, Nebraska*
• Morris Lee Shambley, North Carolina*
• Jay Myers, North Dakota*
• John Motter, Ohio*
• Andrew J. Fabin, Pennsylvania
• David Gregory Iverson, South Dakota*
• Robert W. White, Jr., Virginia*
*Indicates returning director
All but one appointee will serve three-year terms, beginning Dec. 10, when they’ll be sworn in at USB’s annual meeting in St. Louis. Qualified State Soybean Boards (QSSBs) nominated all of the appointees.
PORK PULLED FROM, PUT BACK ON FEDERAL PRISONS MENUS
National Pork Month got off to a rough start, with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) deciding to stop serving pork products in its 122 federal penitentiaries. But after NPPC and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, weighed in on the matter, expressing concerns, BOP late last week reversed itself. The decision to pull pork from the menu supposedly was based on a survey of federal inmates and on costs. The National Pork Producers Council and Grassley sent letters last Thursday to BOP Director Charles Samuels Jr., asking for more details on the decision. “Pork is a very economical, nutrient-dense protein that ought to be a food option for federal prisoners, and the U.S. pork industry has a variety of products that could meet BOP’s needs,” NPPC said in its letter. Despite the BOP’s reversal, Grassley is pressing the agency on the reasons it purged pork from prisons.
PROVISION IMPORTANT TO AGRICULTURE APPROVED BY TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Thursday approved by voice vote the six-year “Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act,” which include an important provision sought by NPPC and other agricultural groups. The highway bill extends through 2018 a deadline for U.S. railroads to install positive train control (PTC) technology on about 60,000 miles of the nation’s 140,000 miles of track. PTC automatically stops a train before certain incidents occur, including train-to-train collisions and derailments caused by excessive speed.
The American Association of Railroads, the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the Federal Railroad Administration indicated that the majority of rail carriers would not meet the original deadline of Dec. 31, 2015, which was set in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Failure to meet the deadline could mean millions of dollars in federal fines for rail companies and likely prompt them to discontinue on the covered tracks passenger service and freight service for railcars hauling hazardous materials such as anhydrous ammonia.
The provision in the highway legislation also would allow an additional two-year extension if certain benchmarks are met. Because the highway bill is unlikely to be approved before an Oct. 31 target date set by the railroads, lawmakers are being urged to include the PTC deadline extension provision in legislation extending funding for surface transportation programs that expire Oct. 29.
Not included in the highway bill is an amendment that would increase the allowable weight limit for trucks. Sponsor Rep. Reid Ribble, R-Wis., indicated he will offer his amendment when the highway bill goes to the House floor. The “Safe, Flexible and Efficient (SAFE) Trucking Act” would allow states to set higher weight limits for vehicles equipped with an additional (sixth) axle driving on their Interstate highways. For more than 30 years, the federal vehicle weight limit has been set at 80,000 pounds. About a quarter of U.S. truck shipments meet that limit, with trucks having significant space left in their trailers, meaning shippers use more truckloads and fuel and drive more miles than necessary.
White House to recognize Champions of Change for “Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture”
On Monday, October 26, the White House will recognize 12 individuals from across the country as White House Champions of Change for Sustainable and Climate-Smart Agriculture. These individuals were selected by the White House for their achievements and will be honored for exemplary leadership and innovation in agricultural production and education. The Champions have helped implement agricultural practices that promote soil health and energy efficiency, improve water quality, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change can no longer be seen as a distant threat. It is already impacting forest, grassland, and cropland systems in the United States, and is threatening agricultural producers and their communities. These Champions understand the challenges our nation is facing from a changing climate and are taking steps to build resilience to the impacts of climate change, which also protects their bottom line. The program will feature remarks by United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature individuals who are doing extraordinary things to inspire and empower members of their communities. The event will be live-streamed on Monday, October 26 at 2:00 PM ET. Visit www.whitehouse.gov/live/ to tune in. To learn more about the White House Champions of Change program, visit www.whitehouse.gov/champions. You can also follow the conversation at #WHChamps and #ActOnClimate.
Keith Berns – Bladen, Nebraska
Keith Berns and his brother Brian are co-owners and operators of Providence Farms, a 2,000-acre diversified family-farming operation in Bladen, Nebraska and Green Cover Seed, one of the nation’s leading providers of cover-crop information and seed. Green Cover Seed has grown from supplying seed and information for 1,000 acres of cover crops in 2009 to over 500,000 acres in 2015. Green Cover Seed’s “SmartMix Calculator” is the industry standard for planning and designing cover-crop mixes and is used extensively across the country. Keith spends countless hours educating farmers and ranchers about the importance of soil health and carbon sequestration through field days, workshops, and conferences.
Martin Kleinschmit – Hartington, Nebraska
Martin Kleinschmit is the owner of an organic farm in Nebraska that produces grains and raises grass-finished cattle on annual and permanent pastures. The farm maintains natural fertility using crop rotation, cover-crop mixtures and animal impact. After recognizing the need for a high-microbial life to foster carbon sequestration, Martin mentored other farmers through a 4-year program that was instrumental in enrolling over 60,000 Nebraska acres in a USDA organic transition program. In his 17 years serving as a staff member for the Center for Rural Affairs, Martin managed and taught projects to inform farmers of the importance of soil carbon. In an effort to conserve the use of fossil fuels, Martin now owns and manages MarLin Wind & Solar, LLC. He currently holds positions on the rural water district board and the Nebraska Farmers Union.
Timothy Smith – Eagle Grove, Iowa
Tim Smith is a fourth-generation farmer who raises soybeans, corn and cover crops on his family’s Century Farm in Wright County, Iowa. In addition to raising crops, Tim is focused on strengthening soil health and improving water quality. He has worked with a number of organizations, including the Iowa Soybean Association and the Soil Health Partnership, to implement new farming methods. Tim travels throughout Iowa and the United States advising farmers on how to approach new sustainability efforts.
Anita Adalja – Washington, D.C.
Anita Adalja is the Farm Manager at Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture. Anita serves the Washington, D.C. metro area to create a more equitable and sustainable food system through increasing food access, sustainable farming, farmer training and ‘farm-to-school’ education. Under Anita’s management, Arcadia Farm grows thousands of pounds of naturally-grown produce that is sold in low- or no- food access areas in Washington, D.C. through their mobile farmers’ market program. A social worker by training, Anita previously farmed at One Woman Farm in Gibsonia, Pennsylvania and was the Farm Manager for Common Good City Farm in Washington, D.C.
William “Buddy” Allen – Tunica, Mississippi
Buddy Allen is a producer in Tunica, Mississippi and a member of the Macon Edwards Company, a Washington D.C.-based consulting firm. He is actively involved in several agricultural businesses, including a large-scale multi-crop farming operation in Mississippi. Buddy is a leader in conservation on the farm and holds a leadership role in several agricultural and conservation organizations.
Larry Cundall – Glendo, Wyoming
Larry Cundall, a Vietnam War Veteran and fourth-generation rancher from Glendo, Wyoming, is a leader in his ranching community. His priority is managing his land for increased productivity while protecting wildlife and natural resources for future generations. Larry manages water in an effort to decrease water use and cut down labor costs, has switched from windmills to solar wells, and has added miles of waterlines for better water use and grazing distribution. He was one of the first ranchers in Wyoming to sell carbon credits, and led efforts to help ranchers unite to sell wind leases on the windblown shortgrass prairie. For more than 25 years, Larry has served as an advisor for agriculture research and outreach grants on behalf of the University of Wyoming and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Western SARE program.
Herman “Trey” Hill – Rock Hall, Maryland
Trey Hill serves as Partner and Manager of Harborview Farms located in the heart of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Harborview Farms produces corn, wheat and soybeans for the Mid-Atlantic region, with a focus on sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship. Under Trey’s direction, Harborview has taken 4.5 percent of its 12,500 acres out of production due to being in environmentally sensitive areas. Harborview Farms uses best practices, including no-tillage, nutrient management plans, and planting cover crops on 100 percent of its acres. Trey has embraced the environmental community by serving as a panelist on multiple environmental forums and by hosting a Community Supported Agriculture endeavor on his land.
Loretta Jaus – Gibbon, Minnesota
Loretta Jaus and her husband Martin operate a 410-acre, rotationally-grazed, 60-cow dairy farm in south-central Minnesota. In 1980, with Biology and Wildlife Management degrees, the couple settled in as the fourth generation on Martin’s family farm. Their training created a solid foundation for the farm’s conservation focus and subsequent transition to certified-organic production. Loretta currently serves on the boards of the Land Stewardship Project and Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, has functioned as organic representative in Environmental Initiative’s Agricultural Leadership Dialogue project, and as an educator for CROPP Cooperative/Organic Valley’s Outreach and Education Program.
Jennifer “Jiff” Martin – Storrs, Connecticut
Jiff Martin is the Sustainable Food System Associate Educator for the University of Connecticut Extension, which is part of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Jiff has worked for over 12 years on food and agriculture issues in Connecticut, helping residents discover local agriculture, connecting kids to healthy, whole foods, and researching community food security in Connecticut’s 169 towns. Her recent work includes leading a team of Extension Educators to assist new farmers in production and farmland management; directing two AmeriCorps service learning programs; and educating consumers through BuyCTGrown.com’s 10% Campaign, under which residents and businesses are asked to pledge 10 percent of their food and gardening budget to locally-grown products. Jiff was previously State Director for the American Farmland Trust and Food Policy Director at Hartford Food System.
Jesus Sanchez – Fresno, California
Jesus Sanchez serves as Farm Manager for Sano Farms – a diversified tomato, almond, wheat, garbanzo, and garlic farm spanning 4,000 acres in Firebaugh, California. Firebaugh is a small town of about 8,000 people in the heart of the western portion of San Joaquin Valley. For over ten years, Jesus has implemented a number of innovative conservation agriculture practices including the use of cover crops and strip-tillage at Sano Farms. These practices have resulted in considerably less diesel fuel use, dust and soil water evaporation, and increased soil carbon – all of which contribute to the farm’s resilience and sustainability. Jesus has been an eager spokesperson for these conservation farming practices, has hosted numerous tour groups and provided many presentations to farmers from all over the world who are excited to learn from him.
Erin Fitzgerald Sexson – Rosemont, Illinois
Erin Fitzgerald Sexson is Senior Vice President of Global Sustainability at Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, a forum for the dairy community to work together pre-competitively to foster research, measurement and innovation for farm-to-table sustainability. Under Erin’s leadership, the Innovation Center conducted environmental impact assessments that propelled an industry-wide voluntary carbon-reduction goal, and provided tools and resources to measure and track progress. She is currently leading the effort to enhance dairy’s contributions toward a more sustainable food system by examining the intersection between nutrition, health, hunger, food waste and environmental impact.
Donald Tyler – Beech Bluff, Tennessee
Donald Tyler is a soil management researcher in the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. He has done research in soil management for over 37 years. He is being honored for his research and outreach contributions in the areas of no-tillage cropping systems. These systems have reduced soil erosion by up to 95 percent, enhanced soil carbon storage from 1 percent to 4 percent, and increased soil biodiversity. When he arrived at the University of Tennessee, soil erosion rates were some of the highest in the United States. No-tillage adoption now tops 70 percent for corn, soybean and cotton acreage in the state.
Dow Reports Lower Sales, But Higher Net Income
The Dow Chemical Company, parent company of Dow AgroSciences, announced its third quarter 2015 earnings.
The Agricultural Sciences division reported third-quarter sales of $1.2 billion, down from $1.4 billion in the year-ago period. Sales were impacted by lower crop commodity prices in Latin America, high channel inventories and significant currency headwinds.
Crop Protection reported decreased sales due to price declines driven by high channel inventories, currency headwinds and lower volume, primarily in Latin America. Demand remained strong for new product technologies (up 8 percent year to date), led by spinetoram insecticide and ISOCLAST active.
Seeds reported decreased sales on the shift of acreage from corn to soybeans in Latin America and North America, as well as inventory pressures. On a year-to-date basis, Agricultural Sciences gained market share in Brazil in both Seeds and Crop Protection.
Operating EBITDA for the segment was a loss of $39 million, compared with a loss of $15 million in the year-ago period, reflecting a decline in price, as well as lost EBITDA from the sale of AgroFresh, which was partially offset by a gain of $44 million from the one-time sale of a joint venture.
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