ASA Names Award Winners, Fellows

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) will recognize individuals at the 2011 Awards Ceremony during their Annual Meeting on Oct. 16-19 in San Antonio, Texas.

Among the people to be recognized are:
-- Drew Lyon, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, receiving the Agronomic Extension Education Award. Drew Lyon is the Fenster Professor of dryland agriculture and extension dryland cropping systems specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. He received a B.S. in agriculture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research and extension responsibilities include the investigation and development of resource efficient cropping systems for dryland crops that emphasize water management, weed control, and soil conservation. Dr. Lyon is currently serving as the Presiding Chair of the ASA Education and Extension Section.

Meanwhile, the ASA will also recognize individuals as Fellows. The ASA has been selecting outstanding members as Fellows since 1924. Members of the Society nominate worthy colleagues based on their professional achievements and meritorious service. Only .3 percent of the Society's active and emeritus members may be elected Fellow.

The 2011 class of ASA Fellows includes:
-- Richard B. Ferguson -- University of Nebraska. Ferguson is a professor of soil science and extension soils specialist in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska. Dr. Ferguson received his B.S. degree from Friends University, and M.S. and Ph.D. from Kansas State University. His research, extension and teaching programs focus mainly on site-specific crop management. Ferguson serves as an associate editor of the Journal of Precision Agriculture, and has been active in the ASA and SSSA.

-- Charles Wortmann -- University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Charles Wortmann is a professor and soil fertility specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his degrees at UNL. He worked in Africa for 20 years and joined UNL in 2001. His research and extension focuses on nutrient use efficiency and water quality protection. He was/is a senior associate/screening editor for Agronomy Journal.



Celebrating 25 Years of Your Beef Checkoff Enhancing the Image of the Cattle Industry

In checkoff terms, “industry information” means information and programs that will lead to development of new markets, marketing strategies, increased efficiency, and activities to enhance the image of the cattle industry. And that’s no small job. From managing emerging issues to beef and veal quality assurance, the Industry Information program area helps beef and dairy producers learn how to respond to consumers and help them understand what they do on their own farms in an effort to produce safe, wholesome beef for consumers.

Bob Bohlender, DVM and producer from North Platte, Neb., talks about about how the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program got its start and why it is one of the longest-running programs funded by the beef checkoff.  He says, "Well originally we were focused on a solution to the drug residue issue. We knew we didn’t’ have any significant problem but we needed to convince the consumers that we didn’t have a residue problem. But shortly after we started into that, why it became obvious that there were other issues – that we needed to explain our dedication to good product to the public. There’s always been enough issues out there but that dedication of the cattlemen has always been so profound. Basically the Beef Quality Assurance program was organized by the cattlemen and has always been operated by the cattlemen themselves. And I think this has been a real advantage to keeping it going for as long as it has.” 

Bohlender highlights the two areas of BQA that come to mind when he thinks of what program success means.  He says, “First, the drug issue was paramount, and as soon as we were able to demonstrate that we did use drugs responsibly and that the residue issue just wasn’t much of an issue, I think that was the first thing that we had. Then cattle handling has always been a paramount issue – how we managed cattle and that we are counted on taking appropriate care of them.” 

This year, for the first time, the BQA program is asking for producer feedback for the 2011 National Beef Quality Audit at cattlesurvey.com. Bohlender tells us what these surveys, or industry benchmarks, mean to an individual producer.  He says, “We have the audits and they provide us with an opportunity to evaluate where we’re at, what the issues are and where we can show some form of improvement. Cattlemen have always strived to do a better job of showing the consumer that we’re working hard at it. The audit is just a means of finding out where our issues are and demonstrating that we’re really progressing. Oh, I think the cattle industry always has the ability to survive. The BQA program has been a means of letting producers be involved. And it’s a means of communicating with the consumer. You know the producers feel remote from consumers oftentimes, and they are. It’s just a good program to give cattlemen an opportunity to demonstrate how they are dedicated to raising good beef and doing it properly.” 



IFB Wraps Up Summer Policy Conference

Iowa's largest grassroots farm organization called for changes in the Army Corps of Engineers' management of the Missouri River in order to prevent the kind of flooding which devastated Iowa this year. Army Corps of Engineers' authority was just one of the policy issues discussed by Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) voting delegates at their 2011 Summer Policy Conference in West Des Moines, Aug. 30-31.

IFBF delegates gather each year to discuss and set state policies which impact not just farmers, but all Iowa taxpayers. They also discuss and recommend policy for national debate at the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting in January.

Flood control was clearly on the minds of IFBF farmers; many lost thousands of acres of farmland and property in this year's flooding.

"Flooding this year along the Missouri River took trees, farms, towns and impacted more than 400 homes. The land is forever changed. Our members don't want to see it happen again and that's why our voting delegates had a lengthy discussion about prevention," said IFBF President Craig Lang. "Our members discussed the short-term management so levees can be repaired quickly, and long-term management changes to minimize future flooding."

In addition, Farm Bureau voting delegates also supported highly erodible land and wetland conservation compliance requirements of the current farm bill, but opted not to link it with eligibility for federal crop insurance in the future. This will be an issue discussed by AFBF voting delegates in January and by Congress during the next farm bill debate. Conservation compliance is, however, a condition of receiving other farm program benefits. The IFBF voting delegates said they are committed to caring for their land without putting a possible future key safety net in jeopardy.

Water quality was also a top-of-mind issue for Iowa farmers at the 2011 Summer Policy Conference. IFBF adopted resolutions to support an effective state nutrient strategy which is scientifically-defensible and incentive-based, calling for voluntary soil and water conservation programs and best management practices.

The delegates also voiced their opinions regarding their support for the targeted, continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), but called for an end to general CRP signups. They also asked for the secretary of agriculture to use his authority to begin early release of acres now from the program in order to allow farmers to respond to tight feed supplies caused by recent natural disasters and other market conditions.

Regarding the state budget, the delegates also called on the state legislature to avoid using one-time money to fund on-going expenses. Instead, the delegation asked for the specified money to be used for one-time expenditures such as infrastructure improvements and property tax relief.

County Farm Bureau delegates further defined their support to make it a crime to gain fraudulent access to crop and livestock facilities.

In addition, members also discussed farm policy as it relates to the development of the next Food Security Act, or Farm Bill. Members endorsed a flexible safety net that serves differences in region and commodity.

The IFBF Summer Policy Conference is a step in Farm Bureau's grassroots policy development process, and is subject to national debate during American Farm Bureau Federation policy discussions in January. All state Farm Bureaus meet in January to finalize the organization's national policies.



FCStone Pegs US Corn at 12.350B

U.S. farmers will harvest 12.350 billion bushels of corn and 3.030 billion bushels of soybeans in 2011, according to projections made by commodity brokerage firm INTL FCStone.  INTL FCStone released its September 1, U.S. production estimates late Thursday, becoming the latest crop forecaster to cut its outlook for the U.S. corn and soy production.  The projections were made using an average corn yield of 146.3 bushels per acre and an average soybean yield of 41.05 bushels an acre.

The production and yield estimates were down from August estimates of corn production at 13.002 billion, using a yield of 153.2 bushels an acre, and soy output at 3.145 billion, using a yield of 42.4 bushels an acre.

Traders are waiting for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update its output forecasts September 11 to see whether the government will confirm shrinking yield and production prospects.  The USDA is scheduled to release updated figures September 12 at 7:30 a.m. CDT.  In August, USDA slashed its output forecasts for corn and soybeans from the previous month. USDA put the U.S. corn crop at 12.914 billion bushels using a 153.0 bushel an acre yield and soybean output at 3.056 billion using a 41.4 bushel an acre yield.  Last year, corn output measured 12.447 billion bushels and soybean production came in at 3.329 billion.



Grain Sorghum Price Reporting Issue Resolved

This week, the National Sorghum Producers worked with USDA Agricultural Marketing Service to continue the current methodology used to calculate national grain sorghum price elections. Even after many discussions with USDA, as late as Tuesday, August 30, NSP was concerned that the price reporting might be dropped.  Now NSP knows the AMS office in Amarillo, Texas, will pick the reporting process up effective Sept. 1, and there will be no negative impact on sorghum price elections. NSP would like to thank USDA and other involved parties for working with NSP to resolve this issue.



Global Biofuel Production Reaches Record High

Global production of biofuels increased 17 percent in 2010 to reach an all-time high of about 27.7 billion gallons, up from almost 23.8 billion gallons in 2009. High oil prices, a global economic rebound, and new laws and mandates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, and the United States, among other countries, are all factors behind the surge in production, according to research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute's Climate and Energy Program.

The United States and Brazil remain the two largest producers of ethanol. In 2010, the United States generated 12.9 billion gallons, while Brazil produced almost 6.1 billion gallons. Corn is the primary feedstock for U.S. ethanol, and sugarcane is the dominant source of ethanol in Brazil.

Legislation proposed in the Senate (but facing a slim chance of passing) would cut current ethanol production subsidies, but maintain tax credits for related infrastructure such as blender pumps at filling stations. Worldwatch says that if the U.S. blenders' tax credit and the ethanol import tariff expire at the end of this year, as scheduled, sugarcane ethanol from Brazil will likely become more prevalent. Although sugarcane ethanol has the benefit of being cheaper and more efficient to produce, there are concerns that increased production will speed deforestation in Brazil as more land is cleared for feedstock cultivation.



Congress Headed Back to D.C.
from NAWG newsletter

Legislative work will speed up dramatically next week as Members of Congress return to Washington following a four-week August recess. Policy makers face an exhaustive – and exhausting – list of priorities to tackle: efforts by the debt super committee to cut at least $1.5 trillion from federal spending; long-pending free trade agreements that are said to be gaining steam; a needed fix to a looming pesticide permitting boondoggle; the FY2012 appropriations process, which must be resolved in some manner by the end of the month; potential surface transportation legislation; and more. NAWG staff will be following all of these issues and will provide updates on their progress in future newsletters.

Obama to Address Joint Session of Congress
President Barack Obama is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress Sept. 8 to lay out his plan to create jobs. Few details are known about the likely content of his talk, but the logistics of the matter caused a brief and very inside-the-Beltway skirmish Wednesday when Obama announced he would speak Sept. 7, and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) asked him to reschedule. The matter was resolved within a few hours, though it raised concern about the ongoing lack of comity in Washington.

Republicans Plan to Focus on Regulations
More information is becoming available about a planned Republican push against regulations they say are burdensome to Americans and the economy. Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) penned an op-ed in the Washington Post on Aug. 21 outlining plans to take up a legislative agenda on taxes and regulations, particularly having to do with transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. This week, President Barack Obama responded to a House request for a list of regulations that could cost $1 billion or more to implement, listing seven such instances his Administration is considering. The National Association of Wheat Growers continues to work to resolve a number of regulatory proposals that could affect farmers and will closely follow the coming debate.



Agriculture Is Resilient Through Disaster
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

This week I traveled to North Carolina and Virginia to view the damage from Hurricane Irene, survey the response efforts, and meet with local residents.  This trip was my fourth in as many months to make sure that the USDA is helping families rebuild and recover from natural disasters including tornados, wild fires, floods and drought.  

So I’ve seen how tough times are affecting folks across the nation, and particularly our farmers and ranchers.  Unusual weather patterns have driven thousands of Americans from their homes, and threatened their livelihoods.  And my heart goes out to all of those who have been touched by these disasters.  

Over the past months, USDA has worked to minimize damage to homes, businesses, crop land, and property.  And most importantly, we have focused on protecting the American people and getting them on the road to recovery as quickly as possible.  

For farmers, ranchers, and growers who have seen their crops decimated by drought, flood or other disasters, this year reminds us of the critical importance of maintaining a strong safety net.  Producers have already received more than $1.6 billion in crop insurance payments for their losses this year on top of emergency program support worth $160 million.  And USDA has looked for additional flexibility in our programs to offer credit and support to help families and farm operations rebuild.  

Despite these challenges, American agriculture is as resilient as ever.  In fact, according to UDSA’s new estimates, farm income is at an all time high, and even adjusting for inflation this will be the best year since the mid-1970s.  Net farm income is up more than 30% over last year.  And it will mean higher incomes for farm families.  

We are also in the middle of a record year for agricultural exports, which we should match again next year.  This will help support more than 1 million American jobs and mean an agricultural trade surplus of about $42.5 billion.  

I know how hard these times can be.  I have seen first-hand families whose crops were destroyed by a hurricane, or whose fields were covered by several feet of water.  

But I have also watched an impressive response, as USDA has worked with farmers and ranchers across the nation to make it through these difficult times.   

These natural disasters have challenged us as a nation.  But despite the setbacks, American agriculture is thriving.  The men and women who own and operate America’s farms and ranches are some of the most resilient in the world.  And I know that with their continued dedication and hard work, we will maintain the strength and profitability of American agriculture, and its work to provide food to the nation.