Nebraska LEAD XXVIII Travels to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

Twenty-nine Nebraska LEAD XXVIII Fellows recently returned from the 2010 International Study/Travel Seminar to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

"This seminar is designed to provide first-hand appreciation and understanding of our international community and the potential for people of all nations to work together," said Terry Hejny, Nebraska LEAD Program Director and group leader.

During the Jan. 8-21 seminar, LEAD Fellows attended briefings at American embassies and met with American business, agricultural trade and commodity groups. Additionally, LEAD Fellows were able to observe agricultural production with visits to farms, along with briefings at agricultural research centers and universities.

"When I first learned last September that our LEAD group was traveling to the Baltic States in January for our international study/travel seminar, I was a little disappointed as I thought there would not be much to see or experience other than the cold and snow," said LEAD Fellow Joan Ruskamp of Dodge. "However, that thought was only correct in that there was cold and snow. Little did I know that the two weeks of study and travel in the Baltic States would provide me with many new friends, a greater appreciation for the freedom and opportunities that we have in the United States of America, a respect for smaller countries trying to compete in the global economy, and the increased confidence in myself to ask questions."

The Nebraska LEAD program teaches and encourages Fellows to ask questions, Ruskamp said.

When she asked Estonia U.S. Ambassador Michael Polt about the possibility of marketing Nebraska beef to Estonia, he was supportive and enthusiastic, she said.

"It was a refreshing surprise. That one experience has taught me that you cannot allow current government policy to limit the quest to create change and that one must be bold enough to seek those opportunities," Ruskamp said. "Our visit to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia was a great experience, and I thank the Nebraska LEAD Program for providing me this opportunity."

LEAD XXVIII Fellows that participated were: Tony Anderson, Alma; Bryan Barrett, Gering; Beau Bearnes, Central City; Jess Brandes, Central City; Brian Brown, Central City; Greg Feather, Gothenburg; Paul Gangwish, Shelton; C. Gigi Gardner, Gordon; Jamie Graham, Alliance; Kevin Griess, Lincoln; Lindsey Hackel, Omaha; Sarah Heidzig-Kraeger, Falls City; Terry Horky, Sargent; Taia Huls, Minatare; Sheryl Kastanek, Crete; Stacey Korte, Omaha; Darren Nelson, St. Edward; Ernie Newquist, Aurora; Shannon Peterson, Gothenburg; Ward Reesman, Omaha; Ron Rose, Aurora; Linda Schwarz, Bertrand; Jeff Shaner, Ft. Calhoun; Leslie Simonsen, Shickley; Martey Stewart, Dixon; Steve Tippery, Gretna; Al Vybiral, Wahoo; and Megan Williams, Ohiowa.

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

For more information, or to request an application for Nebraska LEAD XXX, contact the Nebraska LEAD Program, 318 Biochemistry Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0763 or call (402) 472-6810. The application deadline is June 15.



Crop Workshops Planned in Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio

A series of crop insurance workshops - RAM II Workshops - are planned for February and March in Kansas, Nebraska and Ohio.

"Changes in farm legislation, including the SURE and ACRE programs, expanded bio-fuels and ethanol, combined with volatile crop prices have producers considering different methods for managing yield and price risk," said Art Barnaby, agricultural economist with Kansas State University Research and Extension. "This workshop will introduce producers to an integrated marketing/production management approach that combines government programs, crop insurance and alternative marketing techniques."

Named after the Risk-Assessed Marketing (RAM) crop insurance and grain marketing programs available to producers, the workshops are called RAM II because they now include the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program (SURE) and Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) programs.

The workshops are sponsored by K-State Research and Extension, the North Central Risk Management Education Center at the University of Nebraska, and Ohio State University Extension.

Dates, locations and contact information for the workshops include:
* Feb. 25 - Imperial, Neb. - Ruth Gerdes, 402-274-2907 or gerdesaai@neb.rr.com

More information is also available on the Web: www.agmanager.info.



A-FAN expands video library with videos on animal care, sow housing

While livestock producers strive daily to provide good care for their animals, questions remain as to how and why farmers do some of the things they do.  To help answer these questions, the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN) added two new videos to its online library available at www.a-fan.org.

The latest two videos, one that focuses on sow housing and another on beef cattle, bring the total number of videos produced by the organization to more than a dozen.  The videos can also be found on A-FAN’s YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/NebraskaAgriculture.

“Many people have questions about why farmers do certain things when raising livestock. These new videos and the others we’ve produced let everyone hear directly from the farmers themselves and see what they are talking about,” said Roger Berry, A-FAN Field Director.

One of the new videos features Dorchester, Neb., beef producer Joel Weber who explains the importance of providing good care for cattle. He notes that well cared for cattle perform better and produce better beef. Weber is a fourth generation farmer and follows source verified production practices that results in beef shipments to Japan. Weber also emphasizes caring for the environment.

“We put dollar after dollar into protecting the environment, making sure what we are doing is not going to harm my generation or my kids generation or future generations to come,” Weber said in the video.

The second video features Terry O’Neel, a hog farmer from Friend, Neb. O’Neel explains why he houses sows individually and how that individual care benefits the animals, maintains herd health and ultimately provides better pork.

O’Neel said individual housing allows him to make sure each sow is fed well and properly cared for – and protected from other sows who try and establish a pecking order within the herd. Individual housing also protects the farmer, allows farmers to use high-quality genetic material to produce better pork and helps protect 3.5-pound baby pigs from being sat on by the 500-600 pound sow.

“These two new videos are a great addition to our video library, which offers tremendous insight into livestock operations and explains the importance of livestock production to the state’s economy,” Berry said.

Having questions about livestock and food production is natural, he said, especially as fewer people have direct ties to farms.

“We hope these videos help answer some questions but also encourage a positive dialogue between farmers and those looking to learn more about what it takes to raise livestock and produce the high-quality products available today,” he said. “With modern communication tools it is easy to ask a farmer directly about livestock and food production. What consumers will learn is that today’s livestock producers share their values and strive to produce safe, wholesome food.”

Berry said there are farmers online writing blogs, maintaining Facebook pages and responding to questions via Twitter. “People used to be able to ask their relatives about livestock production,” he said. “While that may not be the case anymore, people can instead use these communication tools to reach out and ask a farmer, ‘Why do you do that?’”



Bills Update from CFRA
 
Bills included below are ones the Center for Rural Affairs is actively working on or tracking. Any bill designated a Priority Bill will also have a "P" attached to its number (for example, LB 123P). The chief sponsor of the bill is listed in parentheses.  The words Support or Oppose after a bill description indicate where the Center for Rural Affairs has taken a position on the bill. If neither word is indicated, the Center has not taken a position at this time.
 
Agriculture
 
LB 130 (Dubas) - Creates the Farm to School Program Task Force. Awaiting action by the Agriculture Committee. An Interim Study report on this issue lead to grant applications to USDA to establish a pilot program in Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee and Richardson counties. Support
 
LB 593 (Dierks) - Restricts ownership of farm or ranch operations similar to Initiative 300. Awaiting action by the Agriculture Committee. Support
 
LB 646P (Christensen) - The Livestock Growth Act. Establishes a loan fund to assist Livestock Friendly Counties increase livestock production by reducing appropriations to current value-added and economic development grant programs. Awaiting action by the Agriculture Committee. Oppose
 
LB 986 (Conrad) - Would add the purchase of electronic scanner and point-of-sale devices at farmers markets as a purpose of the state value-added agricultural grants program.
 
LB 1030 (Dierks) - Appropriate $183,000 over the next two fiscal years to the Attorney General to aid in enforcing the Competitive Livestock Markets Act. Hearing before the Appropriations Committee on February 2.
 
LB 1052 (Christensen) - Agricultural Production and Economic Stability and Assistance Act. Would assist Natural Resource Districts in financing water management projects. Hearing before the Revenue Committee on February 19.
 
Rural Development and Economic Development
 
LB 153 (Lautenbaugh) - The Tourism Liability Act. Limits the liability of property owners who make land available for recreational uses except for intentional conduct or gross negligence. Awaiting action by the Judiciary Committee.
 
LB 182 (Pankonin) - Appropriates $125,000 in the next two fiscal years to the Department of Economic Development for Heritage Nebraska/Main Street Program. Awaiting action by the Appropriations Committee. The budget bill contains an appropriation of $100,000 per year for the Main Street Program.
 
LB 297 (Dubas) - Creates the Beginning Farmer and Small Business Linked Deposit Loan Act. Deposits made by the State Treasurer in banks would be available as loan guarantees to beginning farmers and small businesses. Advanced to Select File on January 13, 2010 on a 34-2 vote (Senators Hansen and Louden voting "no")
 
LB 298 (Harms) - Appropriates funds to the Department of Economic Development Community and Rural Development Program for marketing assistance for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Awaiting action by the Appropriations Committee.
 
LB 419 (Hadley) - Eliminates the limit of the Microenterprise Tax Credit. Awaiting action by the Revenue Committee. Support
 
LB 633P (Mello) - Creates the Neighborhood Development Act, a $125,000 annual grant program for community development projects in neighborhoods and small communities. Awaiting action on Final Reading.
 
LB 657 (Harms) - Modifies the Microenterprise Development Act by eliminating the Department of Economic Development as the coordinating office of microenterprise development in favor a private, nonprofit organization. Awaiting action on General File.
 
LB 826 (Pahls) - The County Consolidation Act. Would order the Legislature's Planning Committee to develop a plan to reduce the number of counties to "approximately 30" by 2018 and develop legislation to do so. Hearing was held before the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on January 22. Oppose
 
LB 830 (Coash) - Limits liability against small tourism businesses. Hearing before the Judiciary Committee on January 28.
 
LB 947 (Avery) - Changes the CDBG Program Advisory Committee to a commission and adds a community development representative.
 
LB 961 (Council) - Establish an economic development job training grant program for small businesses (25 or fewer employees), rural businesses, and businesses in high poverty areas.
 
LB 1068 (Hansen) - Creates a new Rural Tourism Development Program within the Department of Economic Development Rural Tourism to help finance agri-tourism and eco-tourism businesses. Hearing scheduled before the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee on February 8.
 
LB 1109 (Conrad) - The Nebraska Innovative and High Wage Employment Act. Would reallocate $100,000 from the Microenterprise Development Act to study and develop a strategic plan on entrepreneurship and other economic development strategies. Hearing scheduled before the Executive Board on February 4.
 
Education
 
LB 1028 (Louden) - Authorizes and sets forth a procedure to create charter schools more than seven miles from the nearest elementary attendance center.
 
Taxes and Budget
 
LB 248 (Dubas) - Increases the state Earned Income Tax Credit to 13% of federal Earned Income Tax Credit (from 10%); paid eliminating and changing the status of child care credits. Awaiting action by the Revenue Committee.
 
LB 520 (Hadley) - Creates a refundable income tax credit for perpetual conservation easements. Awaiting action by the Revenue Committee.
 
LB 793 (Dubas) - Would make illegal transfer of cash funds without the approval of the Legislature; this is a reaction to budget actions during the Special Session last year by the Governor. A hearing was held before the Appropriations Committee on January 25.
 
LB 935 (Flood on behalf of the Governor) - Provides for deficit appropriations and changes certain appropriations. This could also become the vehicle for additional budget cuts later in the session. A hearing is scheduled before the Appropriations Committee on January 26.
 
Health Care
 
LB 656 (Harms) - Creates the Health Care Advisory Council to develop recommendations to the Governor and Legislature for legislation in the 2011 session. Awaiting action by the Health and Human Services Committee. Support
 
LB 693 (Price) - Would authorize out-of-state health insurance policies to be sold in Nebraska. A hearing is scheduled before the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee on February 1.
 
LB 790 (Nordquist) - Would require a report that details businesses that employ 10 or more Medicaid recipients. A hearing was held before the Health and Human Services Committee on January 21.
 
LB 855 (Fischer) - The Remote Pharmacy Act. Would allow pharmacy technicians to dispense medication if under the supervision of a pharmacist via online systems. A hearing is scheduled before the Health and Human Services Committee on January 27.
 
LR289CA (McCoy) - Would place on the November 2010 ballot a constitutional amendment that would prohibit many of the  provisions in federal health care reform from being implemented in Nebraska. A Hearing is scheduled before the Health and Human Services Committee on February 3. Oppose
 
Energy
 
LB 14 (White) - Requires the Nebraska Energy Office to set more stringent energy standards for new government buildings and requires select government agencies to reduce energy use. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 235 (Adams) - Deals with issues related to leases for solar and wind energy and contracts relating to carbon sequestration rights on educational lands. Advanced to Select File on January 13, 2010 on a 36-1 vote (the items relating to carbon sequestration were deleted through an amendment by Sen. Adams).
 
LB 437 (Haar) - Creates a Wind Energy Development Zone Task Force with the goal of identifying a plan to generate 7800 megawatts of electricity from wind in Nebraska by the year 2018. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 455 (Nordquist) - Provides tax incentives for production of renewable electricity, excludes sales and property taxes on any renewable energy facility and provides a production credit to public power entities per kilowatt hour for 20 years. Awaiting action by the Revenue Committee.
 
LB 491 (Haar) - Establishes the Home Energy Efficiency Fund, providing no interest loans and repayment based on energy savings. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 492 (Haar) - Would provide $3.5 million to UNL to establish research and teaching capacity in the wind energy field. Awaiting action by the Appropriations Committee.
 
LB 565 (Louden) - The Woody Biomass Act that creates a $2.5 million revolving fund for loans to fund projects for building conversions. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 567 (Dubas) - Adds new responsibilities, reporting requirements and public accountability to the Nebraska Energy Office. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 569 (Dubas) - Provides an additional $25,000 in state funds for the Wind for Schools Program. Awaiting action by the Appropriations Committee.
 
LB 584 (Dierks) - The Agricultural Commodities Protection Act; designed to require ethanol plants to make fuel available to local markets. Awaiting action by the Agriculture Committee.
 
LB 591 (Dierks) - Allows the Power Review Board to examine and consider non-tangible benefits of using renewable resources. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 624 (Haar) - Provides for energy efficiency loans for public buildings. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 641 (Schilz) - Provides incentives to those who create biodiesel using new technologies and/or nonfood feedstocks. Awaiting action by the Agriculture Committee.
 
LB 663 (Janssen) - Proposes net metering through interconnection of renewable electricity generators to the grid. Awaiting action by the Natural Resources Committee.
 
LB 704 (Haar) - Would change applicability of the renewable energy tax credit from zero-emission generation to renewable electricity generation. A hearing is scheduled before the Revenue Committee on February 10.
 
LB 774 (Haar) - Would change provisions relating to sales tax treatment of net metering.
A hearing is scheduled before the Revenue Committee on February 10.
 
LB 845 (Howard) - Would require all state agencies to develop energy conservation plans and goals. A hearing is scheduled before the Natural Resources Committee on January 29.
 
LB 916 (Heidemann) - Would authorize leases on educational lands for solar and wind energy production. A hearing was held before the Education Committee on January 25.
 
LB 960 (Stuthman) - Would change provisions relating to net metering by raising the limit on net metered generators in areas zoned agricultural, industrial or commercial and those unzoned. A hearing is scheduled before the Natural Resources Committee on January 29. Support
 
LB 1048 (Natural Resources Committee) - Would provide for the approval and taxation of nonpublic power generating facilities using wind and other renewable sources.
 
LB 1049 (Langemeier) - Would change provisions relating to community-based energy projects by allowing local ownership or one-third local inputs. A hearing is scheduled before the Revenue Committee on February 10.
 
LB 1080 (Cornett) - Would create a new tier in Nebraska Advantage tax incentive program for wind energy projects. A hearing is scheduled before the Revenue Committee on February 10.
 
LB 1098 (Mello) - Would authorize the creation of municipal sustainable energy funding districts.More Than $209 Million Invested in Rural Nebraska

USDA Rural Development in Nebraska reports a record year of program delivery with nearly $209.2 million of investments into the state.  As outlined in their Fiscal Year 2009 Rural Development Annual Report, the funds assisted in areas of housing, business and community development, and energy.

“Nebraska’s communities, homeowners, and businesses have benefited from $209.2 million in USDA Rural Development funds in 2009.  We are working towards another record breaking year in 2010 with even more Rural Development dollars and projects moving into rural areas of our state,” said Nebraska State Director, USDA Rural Development.  “The dollars we invest in rural Nebraska create jobs, build infrastructure and help to keep our rural communities as places where the youth want to stay and where others want to move.”

The report shows a breakdown of $114.2 million expended for housing, $74.1 million for community facilities and water and wastewater, and $20.8 million for business and energy.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 was signed into law on February 13, 2009 by President Obama.  Nebraska received an ARRA allocation of $93 million and expended $66 million as reflected in the 2009 Annual Report funding total. The remaining ARRA allocation must be expended by September 30, 2010.

USDA Rural Development provides assistance to rural communities to ensure access to affordable and essential utilities such as electricity and telecommunications service.  In Fiscal Year 2009 Rural Development provided, in addition to the $209.2 million, $696,000 for distance learning and telemedicine projects and $8.2 million towards telecommunications.



Saturday's Beginning Farmers Conference Looks Ahead

The Beginning Farmer Network (BFN), an organization made up of Iowa State University students interested in entering farming, is sponsoring the Beginning Farmers Conference on Feb. 6, at the Memorial Union, Iowa State University, Ames. The conference will feature keynote speakers Craig Lang, Iowa Farm Bureau Association president and Paul Lasley, Iowa State University Extension sociologist and department chair.

"This year's conference is very future looking with speakers that will talk about what's up and coming in agriculture," said Dan Gradert, BFN member and a conference organizer. "The conference will bring people entering farming -- students and people with only a few years of farming experience -- together with experienced farmers and agencies that serve as resources for beginning farmers."

Three sets of one-hour breakout sessions will cover topics ranging from value added ag and livestock in the future, to farm succession and expanding or maintaining farm operations. Session speakers from the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa Agriculture Development Authority, Farm Service Agency, Beginning Farmers Center, Center for Agriculture Law and Taxation, and the Chair of Iowa Ag Committee are on the agenda.

"The conference sets the stage to network with other individuals who are at the same stage of farming and those with more experience, and introduces beginning farmers to people in agencies that they potentially will work with in the future," Gradert said.

Online registration is available at www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/beginningfarmer/home.html . Registration also can be made by calling (515) 294-6222. The registration fee is $45. Registration includes all conference materials, lunch and networking breaks.