Spring Agriculture Salute Research tackles welfare concerns By TOM MEERSMAN Star Tribune (Minneapolis) MINNEAPOLIS — Mama pigs at the University of Minnesota have a somewhat cushy life compared to those in most conventional hog farms. The pregnant sows live together in small groups with straw bedding, unlike the traditional swine housing of individual stalls and slotted flooring above concrete manure pits, where sows have only enough room to stand up or lie down during their 114 days of gestation. Studying group housing for pregnant sows is one of the ways that researchers at the university’s West Central Research and Outreach Center are helping pork producers and processing companies respond to public pressure about animal welfare in the swine industry. Recent studies include housing options for pregnant sows, aggressive behavior of swine in confinement, and how different amounts of living space affect swine behavior, growth rates, stress and other factors. “A lot of our effort has been to address societal concerns about pork production,” said swine scientist and operations director Lee Johnston. “Those concerns are raised by consumers and market chains, and producers in turn are asking themselves and us how to respond to those market signals or satisfy those questions and demands.” Some questions are about animal welfare, he said, and some are about nutrition and feed additives. Protests against confinement of pregnant sows and treatment of pigs are not new, but they were recently brought to the surface again when the international animal welfare group Mercy for Animals presented undercover video of what it called cruelty to pigs and sows by a Hormel supplier in Oklahoma, the Maschhoffs. Both Hormel and Maschhoffs said they
BRAENDAN YONG/DREAMSTIME
Scientists at the University of Minnesota are conducting research in response to consumer concerns about how farmers are raising swine. One study concentrates on sows and what is a more humane way to care for them while they are pregnant and nursing. have strict codes of conduct and policies related to animal care, and both launched investigations. At the university’s center near Morris in west-central Minnesota, Johnston and associate professor Yuzhi Li, an expert in swine behavior and welfare, have been on the forefront of animal welfare and nutrition issues for the swine industry. The center has barns that accommodate about 60 breeding sows, 900 nursery pigs and 800 finishing pigs (those from about 50 pounds to full-grown market weight of about 280 pounds).
The farm is nowhere near the size of some commercial operations, Johnston said, but it’s large enough to conduct research that pork producers don’t have the time, space, money or expertise to study on their own. Some studies are financed by the National Pork Board and the Minnesota Pork Producers Association, but funds also come from state and other sources. Yuzhi said there’s a difference between how activists and scientists approach animal welfare concerns. For advocates, she said, animal welfare is primarily a mor-
al value to be achieved, whereas scientists measure animals’ performance, behavior and health. “We want to assess and evaluate animal welfare objectively, even though it’s a value issue,” she said. “We want to be sure animal welfare is safeguarded based on science and knowledge, rather than just saying that animal welfare is bad or good.” Johnston said there are economic considerations as well, and sometimes a disconnect between living conditions that consumers want to see — lots of space for sows and pigs — and the reality of what
producers can manage or afford. “If we have a farm with 3,000 sows and we go to a pen configuration with 20 percent more space, all of a sudden you’re down to 2,500 sows with pretty much the same cost structure as you had before,” he said. The farmer must either make less money on the smaller herd, he said, or spend more in construction costs to build an addition to the barn. The reality for producers, Johnston said, is that in most markets they’re not getting paid any more per pound for pigs or sows raised with more space, even if that might be better in some respects for the animals. Sherrie Webb, director of swine welfare at the National Pork Board, said there are benefits and drawbacks to both individual stalls and group housing. Individual stalls allow each sow to get the exact amount of nutrition that she needs, and the animals can be monitored more closely for health problems. But group pens allow more freedom of movement and the ability to interact socially with other sows. “Most of the time that’s positive, but pigs do have to establish social hierarchy and groups,” Webb said, “and it sometimes results in aggressive behaviors that can be detrimental to their wellbeing and cause injuries.” That’s something that Yuzhi has studied in Minnesota: whether there may be ways to reduce aggression by mixing the same or different ages of sows in group housing, or changing the manner or time that they are introduced to each other and providing “escape” places in the pens where less aggressive sows can avoid fights. Webb said that research in Minnesota, which produces more pork than any other state except Iowa and North Carolina, is key as the industry tries to accommodate consumer demands for changes.
Fruit crops stand up to warmer temperatures By DARRIN PACK Purdue University Agriculture News WEST LAFAYETTE — After two months of unusually warm conditions throughout Indiana, state climatologists based at Purdue University believe temperatures will slowly return to seasonal norms over the next month, which is good news for fruit growers and home gardeners concerned that their plants might be emerging too quickly. “There is a lot more weather to come before we know what the fruit crop outlook will be, but as of right now things are in good shape and, in fact, a bit more chilling is needed for some fruit crops,” said Bruce Bordelon, professor of horticulture and Purdue Extension viticulture and small fruit specialist. Bordelon advised growers to be patient, giving trees, bushes and vines more time to get their winter rest. “The general consensus for now is to delay dormant pruning until a bit later in case there is significant weather to come,” he said Fruit production is an increasingly important part of Indiana’s agriculture industry. The state ranks 10th nationally in
blueberry production at 3.6 million pounds annually and produces 26 million pounds of apples per year, ranking 20th in the country. Together, Indiana apple and blueberry crops have a combined value of more than $13 million. In addition, Indiana produces about 3 million pounds of peaches each year and is home to a thriving wine grape industry with more than 85 wineries and vineyards statewide. Fruit-bearing trees go dormant in winter until they register enough “chilling hours” to begin blooming once temperatures exceed 50 degrees Fahrenheit for an extended period. The number of required chilling hours varies by species, ranging from 600 hours for grapes and most peaches to 1,200 hours for apples and blueberries. Three weeks of optimal temperatures can produce 500 chilling hours. Chilling hours typically occur when the temperature is between 34 and 45 degrees F, with optimal chilling taking place at 42 degrees F. Daily high temperatures in Indianapolis exceeded 45 degrees F 13 times in January and 15 times in the first three weeks of February. The longest stretch was six days, from Feb. 17-23. Peter Hirst, professor of horticulture
and Purdue Extension commercial fruit tree specialist, says so far temperatures have not been warm long enough to threaten the state’s fruit crop. “We really haven’t had that much warm weather,” Hirst said. “If we were to have another week with temperatures in the 70s, that would be cause for concern. Another saving grace is that the cool down we are expecting will be moderate and gradual. And we really haven’t had any extended periods of extreme cold this winter so fruit buds are in good condition.” If the weather gets too warm too soon, fruit trees might start to bud out prematurely, putting them at higher risk of injury if temperatures drop significantly. That pattern last occurred in 2012, resulting in severe losses to the state’s fruit crop. Bordelon said that doesn’t appear to be the case this year, noting that forecasters at the Indiana State Climate Office see no signs of a sudden deep freeze that could damage early emerging trees this year. Ken Scheeringa, associate state climatologist, also with Purdue, expects a moderate downturn in temperatures in March. “Looking about 30 days ahead, the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a gradual cooling of these unseasonable tem-
The Herald ■ YO U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E 1 8 9 5
FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017 SECTION B
peratures week to week,” Scheeringa said. “By mid-March, Indiana is forecast to have slightly below normal temperatures.” B. Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension consumer horticulture specialist, said it is not unusual for some decorative garden plants daffodils, dianthus and daylilies - to emerge during February warm spells in Indiana. “The plants will survive just fine,” she said. “The longer the mild weather stays around, the more potential there is for damage when below-freezing temperatures return. Foliage that has popped up may be killed back, but the bulbs and storage roots should remain undamaged underground.” Kyle Daniel, Purdue Extension nursery and landscape outreach specialist, said as long as temperatures remain at or near seasonal norms, the risk to ornamental species should be low. “Nursery growers in the northern part of the state shouldn’t be experiencing many species with bud break, but southern nurseries may have bud break on several species,” he said. Rick Foster, entomology professor and Purdue Extension pest management specialist for fruit and vegetable crops, said the warmer weather has resulted in somewhat more insect activity than normal.
PAGE 2 ■ SPRING AGRICULTURE SALUTE
THE HERALD ■ FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017
Voelkel recognized for conservation practices By PATTI SCHROEDER Program Assistant Dubois County SWCD The Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District presents an annual award to a Dubois County farmer who uses good soil and water conservation practices on their farm and puts extra effort into conserving natural resources. During the SWCD’s annual meeting at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Haysville on Feb. 7, Tony Sanders and Tim Robinette, ag lenders from Old National Bank, and Brenda Sermersheim, ag lender from German American Bank, presented the 2017 Otto J. Bauer Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the Year Award to Kurt Voelkel. The Voelkel Green Acres Farm is located in Boone and Harbinson townships and includes more than 600 acres of cropland. Voelkel is carrying on his grandfather and father’s good stewardship and has future plans to pass the farm and conservation practices to his 25-year-old son, Corey. Voelkel’s dad, Glenn, started the no-tilling practice at the farm 25 years ago by installing several dry dams and using cover crops. Voelkel and his wife, Annie, have continued these strong conservation practices and included many others, including grassed waterways, water and sediment control basins, and grade stabilization structures. They have also in-
Farmer Kurt Voelkel, second from left, was presented the Otto J. Bauer Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the Year Award on Feb. 7 by Tony Sanders and Tim Robinette, ag lenders from Old National Bank, and Brenda Sermersheim, ag lender from German American Bank. stalled waste storage facilities on their own without any cost-share assistance from the state or federal government. Through the Conservation Reserve Program, Green Acres Farm also includes permanent wildlife habitat and pollinator plantings. Voelkel says he enjoys working on the farm and operates his acres the best way he can. He likes making his own hours and being his own boss; although time management in the spring is his
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When he is not farming, Voelkel makes time for recreational running. He started 10 years ago and has run four Indy Monumental Marathons and many Strassenfest 5 Ks. He enjoys the camaraderie and the positive outlook of other runners and says farming and running give him time to think. The Otto J. Bauer Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the Year Award is named in memory of Otto J. Bauer. Bauer was a champion of soil and water conservation efforts in Dubois County and a member of the SWCD Board of Supervisors from 1969 to 1986. Voelkel says he knew Otto Bauer and Bauer’s son, Mike, both whom have passed. Kurt and Annie’s many years of intensive farm management methods have mimicked their friends’ efforts in reducing soil erosion and improving water quality in Dubois County. “A loss of 1 inch of topsoil takes a lifetime to get it back,” Kurt Voelkel says. “It is best to save the soil before it gets to the Mississippi River and beyond. “
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SPRING AGRICULTURE SALUTE ■ PAGE 3
Blessinger earns forest stewardship award By PATTI SCHROEDER Program Assistant Dubois County SWCD Hilary Blessinger was presented the OFS Brands Forest Stewardship Award by Scott Reckelhoff, property manager of OFS Brands, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Haysville during the Dubois County Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual meeting on Feb. 7. The SWCD Board of Supervisors annually recognizes forest landowners who carry out wise forestry stewardship programs on their land. Dubois County forestlands provide numerous environmental benefits from wildlife habitat to buffering and the filtering of water runoff. The forestry industry also helps support a large sector of our economy as the sixth largest industry in Indiana providing jobs and recreation. This year’s recipient, Hilary Blessinger of Blessinger’s Conserve LLC, owns multiple forest tracts within Dubois, Daviess, and Crawford counties. Blessing-
er’s son, Chris, manages all the forest acreage and is the trustee of the family business venture. The Blessingers own approximately 300 acres in Dubois County. Of this acreage, most of it is classified forest with some cropland. In Daviess County, all of the 20 acres they own are in the Classified Forest Program. Their 88 acres in Crawford County is in the first year of a three-year Environmental Quality Incentives Program. They also have some acreage of cropland in Pike County that is under a Conservation Reserve Program. Blessinger learned that one of the desires of his ancestors immigrating to the United States was to own land which may not have been available from the country they left behind. Blessinger says his grandparents were farmers and from them he continues the legacy of strong conservation values of landownership to his family, while preserving the forestland and protecting wildlife. After a stint in the military, Blessinger began finding land, trading land and buying land.
Hilary Blessinger, left, of Blessinger’s Conserve LLC, was presented the OFS Brands Forest Stewardship Award by Scott Reckelhoff, property manager of OFS Brands, on Feb. 7. Some of this newly purchased property was already in Classified Forest, while others were stripped
over coal fields. He relies heavily on professional help to inform him and give him good guidance to
maintain the health of the forest property. He named professionals, such as Janet Eger, Abbie Irwin, Doug Brown and Thom McKinney, giving them high regard as to the part they play in early detection, control, planting and harvesting. Blessinger has had several timber harvests and stated: “I won’t cut anything unless I am told it is needed.” All timber post-harvest work is followed up by a professional for Timber Standing Improvement. He sees wind damage and invasive species as two of the biggest challenges he faces and 2016 was a big year for tackling invasive species on more than 70 acres of his forest property in Crawford County. In 2011,1,400 trees were planted in Dubois County and in 2013, 600 trees were planted in converted crop fields in Dubois County to stop erosion. Over the years, Blessinger has seen the newly planted trees grow and wildlife move in. He says more trees will be planted this spring and he hopes to see more ponds built to provide the necessary water for the wildlife
Herbicide guide available from state BROOKS GALLOWAY By MIKAELA WIELAND Purdue University Agriculture News
WEST LAFAYETTE —The Office of Indiana State Chemist (OISC) has published a set of guidelines for soybean farmers who are considering the use of newly approved dicamba-based herbicide products. Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered Monsanto’s XtendiMax and BASF’s Engenia herbicides for pre-emergence and post-emergence use on dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans. The dicamba outreach publication was developed by pesticide program administrator Dave Scott of OISC and Purdue Extension weed specialist Bill Johnson to explain how to legally and effectively use dicamba-based herbicides on DT crops. Dicamba-based herbicides are best used to treat giant ragweed, marestail, waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, lambsquarters and morning glories. “This product is a sorely needed tool in controlling glyphosate, ALS, and PPO resistant broadleaf weeds in soybeans,” Johnson said. “It’s very effective if used correctly.” Using dicamba-based herbicides requires more caution than other more commonly used herbi-
cides, Johnson said. “This is a new tool for controlling weeds in soybeans, but it has more restrictions than any other herbicide I have encountered in my life,” he said. Scott expects the labels and legal prohibitions on dicamba-based herbicides to be in development for some time, which is why the publication was created. Dicamba is a highly active herbicide at very low levels, meaning it can damage many desirable crop and landscape plants at very low doses if it moves off the in-
tended area. “Because this tool will be widely used and misused, and the fact it can injure non-target vegetation at such low doses, the potential for lawsuits and cancellation of registration is also very high,” Johnson said. “Past experience with dicamba herbicide use has demonstrated that potential damage to non-target crops and vegetation is considerable and must be avoided if these products and herbicide-resistant technology is to survive,” Scott added.
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PAGE 4 ■ SPRING AGRICULTURE SALUTE
THE HERALD ■ FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017
Philips Lighting transforms vertical farm By The Associated Press SASKATOON, Saskatchewan — Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, has announced the completed installation of Philips GreenPower LED Production Modules at Ecobain Gardens, the largest commercial vertical farm operation in Canada. By upgrading the fluorescent lighting previously used in the facility to LED, Philips Lighting is helping the vertical farming pioneer to produce at commercial scale, accelerate growing cycles and grow healthier, more consistent plants, while saving up to $30,000 Canadian in energy costs per year. Producing both organic and non-organic, nutrient-rich herbs and microgreens in a fully controlled indoor facility, Ecobain Gardens was established in 2013 and is the first commercial vertical farming operation in Saskatchewan, Canada. The facility produces 18,000 pounds of produce each year in less than 1,400 square feet. Its farming method uses up to 98 percent less water, zero harmful chemicals or pesticides and the newest energy-efficient LED lighting available from Philips Lighting. The vertical growing technology and local distribution systems reduce energy use, travel time and proximity of the crop, spoilage rates and overall operating costs. Ecobain Gardens has partnered with food distributor Star Produce to distribute its produce throughout Canada to retailers such as Loblaws, Federated Co-op, Safeway, Sobeys, and other local grocery stores. “Our goal is to grow our operation to a scale where we can make a difference to the people of our community who need quality nutrition, no matter their economic standing or geographical location,” said Brian Bain, Cofounder and CEO of Ecobain Gardens “The
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ternative ways, has helped shape our business and perspective on farming.” After evaluating several LED lighting suppliers, Ecobain Gardens selected Philips GreenPower LED Production Modules to replace its original fluorescent lights in order to improve plant growth and quality, as well as significantly reduce energy consumption. Once the more energy efficient system was installed, Ecobain achieved dramatic changes in its crops. Growing cycles are considerably shorter and it is now producing more than 10,000 basil plants a week, which is at commercial scale. The low heat output of the Philips LED lights produces healthier, more consistent plant growth by reducing the heat stress on the plant canopy and root zone and by providing more uniform lighting. Plants also have a better dry weight compared to fluorescent lighting or LED lighting systems from other manufacturers. In addition, the LED lighting system helped to reduce Ecobain’s HVAC system costs by almost 50 percent while providing Ecobain
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THE HERALD ■ FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017
SPRING AGRICULTURE SALUTE ■ PAGE 5
Mergers reduce options for dairy farmers By REBECCA CARBALLO Milwaukee Journal Sentinel MILWAUKEE — The number of dairy cooperatives in Wisconsin continues to shrink, leaving dairy farmers in the state with fewer options for selling their milk, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent cooperative statistics reports. The number of agriculture cooperatives headquartered in Wisconsin dropped from 180 in 2000 to 113 in 2015. Of those, dairy cooperatives headquartered in Wisconsin dropped from 31 to 21 in that same period. The explanation for the shrinkage is simple but problematic for smaller dairy farms: Cooperatives across the agricultural industry are consolidating. Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union and a dairy farmer in the city of Westby, finds the increasing number of cooperative mergers worrisome, noting consolidation was especially prevalent in northwestern Wisconsin. “We have fewer and fewer places we can sell our products to,”
Von Ruden said. “We’re lucky in southwest Wisconsin we have a few different places, but it’s a different story in the northwest.” He added that cooperatives such as Dairy Farmers of America have become “marketing giants” in the southwest part of the U.S. “If that’s the way they’re going to carry on their business around the rest of the country, that is a scary thought for the 50- to 100cow operators,” Von Ruden said. The cooperative consolidation trend is expected to continue when the 2016 and 2017 USDA reports come out, says Jim Wadsworth, agricultural economist of cooperative statistics in the Policy & Research Branch of USDA Cooperative Programs. Many industry experts are concerned about the recent consolidations. Cooperatives account for about 30 percent of the agricultural market and 82 percent of the dairy industry. As more cooperatives merge, dairy farmers have fewer options for selling their milk, said Peter Carstensen, a University of Wisconsin at Madison law professor and expert in antitrust law and
competition policy. “The consolidation around a handful of dominant cooperatives creates a substantial potential for arbitrary and capricious conduct by those handlers,” Carstensen said. “The dairy farmers have very little recourse.” Carstenson cited an instance in New England where a cooperative cut off a group of dairy farmers due to small size, and the farmers could no longer bring their milk to market. Before cooperatives merge, a large portion of their members must vote in favor of the merger, sometimes up to 60 percent. Wadsworth said such a large percentage is needed because producers lose local autonomy once cooperatives become larger. “In many cases, it’s an emotional thing for farmers,” Wadsworth said. “It goes back to their grandparents. They’ve always had this cooperative down the street, and all of the sudden it’s headquartered somewhere else.” Mergers happen for various reasons. Sometimes, two competing private cooperatives may merge to become more efficient,
Wadsworth said. In some cases, a merger is an acquisition where one entity will buy out a weaker cooperative to gain their location, members and business. Wadsworth added that cooperatives run into new challenges as they grow. As they expand beyond state lines, their governance and operation systems become more complex. Cooperatives are a unique business model because the owners are the farmers. They vote on any major decision and board leadership. Carstensen fears that as the cooperatives continue to grow and more members join, an individual vote will make less of a difference. Having such a large group of members will make it difficult for members to hold board leadership accountable. “There is simply no way to organize those folks to challenge the incumbent management,” Carstensen said. Dairy Farmers of America, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a cooperative that has farms in 48 states. John Wilson, senior vice president and chief fluid
marketing officer, says it gives dairy farmers national support. “Nearly every vote at the DFA board has been unanimous,” Wilson said. “Whether they’re large or small, east, north, west or south, the dairy farmers on our board realize they have many more things in common than they do different.” Wilson added that cooperatives such as the DFA provide farmers with a more secure market for their milk and, therefore, a more reliable milk check. However, some smaller dairy farms may have trouble getting large cooperatives to buy their milk, and with more mergers, it may be difficult to find alternatives, Carstensen said. Although many cooperatives are merging, some remain independent. An example is Organic Valley, a dairy cooperative headquartered in LaFarge. Organic Valley has a joint business venture with Dean Foods to help get its products into small markets such as drug stores, but Bob Kirchoff, Organic Valley chief business officer, said he does not foresee Organic Valley merging.
Website th gets new design FA R RMM E R
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WEST LAFAYETTE — The Midwest Cover Crops Council has introduced a new website design, making it easier for users to find resources and access the site on mobile technology. The MCCC website, http:// www.mccc.msu.edu/, contains Extension publications from Purdue University and other universities, as well as links, media and resources providing information on how to select, plant and maintain cover crops. The goal of the updated site is to organize resources more consistently and enhance search capabilities to help users find information more quickly. Additionally, the new website is mobile responsive, meaning it will switch to a mobile-friendly design when viewed on a phone or tablet. Popular features such as the interactive cover crop selection tools are still included on the new website, but are easier to find, said Anna Morrow, the MCCC’s program manager. “Our top priority is to make the information more accessible and user-friendly,” Morrow said. “Because the site will now be responsive to mobile technology, farmers can access materials while they’re out in the field. Also, the material will be more searchable, making it easier for people to locate information quickly.” The MCCC is a group of experts from universities, Extension services, businesses and government across 12 member states and one Canadian province. The group’s goal is to promote ecological and economic sustainability by facilitating the use of cover crops. The new website design is funded by a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization that funds education and conservation efforts in the South and Midwest.
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PAGE 6 ■ SPRING AGRICULTURE SALUTE
THE HERALD ■ FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017
Push continues for fewer antibiotics in livestock industry By TOM MEERSMAN Star Tribune (Minneapolis) MINNEAPOLIS — New federal regulations mark the first serious attempt in at least 20 years to tackle what many have called the systematic overuse of antibiotics in healthy farm animals. Yet the rules that went into effect Jan. 1 — and have been in the works for several years — do not come without controversy. Livestock associations have said the new rules that pertain to veterinarians will increase paperwork and costs. Conversely, some consumer groups say the regulations don’t go far enough. The regulations require producers who raise cattle, cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys and other animals to obtain a veterinarian’s approval before using any antibiotics that also are important to human health. And antibiotics may no longer be used in healthy animals as a feed additive to increase weight. The routine use of antibiotics in animals that are also used in human drugs has been a growing concern of consumers and health professionals. “The overarching goal is to ensure these medically important antimicrobials that are given to food-producing animals in medicated feed and drinking water are used judiciously,” said Mike Murphy, veterinary medical officer at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. The problem is that the more frequently antibiotics are used, he said, the more quickly bacteria can develop resistance to them, rendering the lifesaving drugs less effective or ineffective. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year in the U.S. at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics, and at least 23,000 people die as a direct result of infection. Health professionals and consumer groups have pressed the FDA and the livestock industry to avoid unnecessary or inappropriate uses of antibiotics. Fast-food companies including McDonald’s, Panera, Chipotle, Subway and others have announced policies to stop buying at least some meat products from producers that use
certain antibiotics routinely. University of Minnesota extension educator Nicole Kenney Rambo said the new federal rules mean that when antibiotics are fed to animals for a medical reason — to treat an infection or reduce the risk of the disease spreading in a herd — those antibiotics require a veterinarian’s prescription for antibiotics added to water, or a “veterinarian feed directive” for antibiotics added to feed. Prescribed antibiotics can be injected, but adding them to food or water is considered more efficient and less stressful when large numbers of animals are involved. The rules also require producers, vets and feed mills to document the use of prescribed antibiotics and keep those records on hand for several years. “That is a big deal for the livestock industry simply because it requires extra infrastructure,” said Rambo, who works primarily with the beef industry. The regulations authorize enforcement measures if necessary, including fines, for producers and vets who don’t comply. Julia Wilson, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine, credits medical professionals and the public in large part for pushing the federal changes. “It’s a good move in trying to preserve antibiotics,” she said. “There’s less antibiotics going into feed, and that also means there’s less going out in the environment.” However, David Wallinga, a medical doctor and a senior scientist for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said that antibiotics fed to animals to increase weight are only about 15 percent of all antibiotics fed to livestock, so the total use of the drugs may not drop much. The remainder, he said, are used for disease treatment or prevention, which still is allowed under the new rules. “These are small steps but not nearly enough to really address the enormous overuse of antibiotics in these livestock systems,” Wallinga said. European countries, such as Denmark and the Netherlands, use a fraction of the antibiotics that U.S. producers use per pound of meat, he said. “What’s considered necessary in terms of antibiotic use is vastly different in these
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THE HERALD ■ FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017
SPRING AGRICULTURE SALUTE ■ PAGE 7
Agricultural producers’ economic sentiment soars By JENNIFER STEWART-BURTON Purdue University Agriculture News WEST LAFAYETTE — Producer sentiment about the agricultural economy soared on the heels of November’s presidential election, according to the December Purdue/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer report released Jan. 10. The December survey results landed the barometer at an all-time high reading of 132—a 16-point jump from the November survey. The barometer is based on a monthly survey of 400 U.S. agricultural producers. Producer optimism surrounding both current conditions and, especially, future expectations drove the increase. The Index of Current Conditions rose to 102 from November’s 87, while the Index of Future Expectations increased from 130 in November to 146 in December. “Looking back at the data from the last several months, it’s apparent that we’ve seen a big swing in producers’ expectations about the future,” said James Mintert, barometer principal investigator and director of Purdue’s Center for Commercial Agriculture. “Although both the Current Conditions and Future Expectations Indices increased the last couple of months, it was the increase in the Index of Future Expectations, which jumped 51 points since October to reach an all-time high in December, that triggered the sharp rise in the barometer.” Producers’ improving sentiment doesn’t seem to be driven by changes in corn and soybean prices, Mintert said. For example, March 2017 CBOT corn futures were slightly weaker during the November and December survey periods than during the Octo-
ber survey. On the soybean side, January 2017 CBOT futures were unchanged in November and only slightly stronger in December than those during the October survey collection period. Additionally, improved economic sentiment extends beyond just agriculture, said David Widmar, senior research associate and leader of research activities for the barometer. In October and December, producers were asked about their expectations for the broad U.S. economy and the results were surprising. “The contrast in sentiment from the October survey—three weeks prior to the U.S. elections— and the December survey—five weeks after the elections—is remarkable,” Widmar said. When asked in the October survey about their expectations for the U.S. economy over the next 12 months, only 13 percent of respondents said they expected it to expand, while 23 percent said they expected it to contract. In the December survey, half of the respondents expected economic expansion and only 13 percent expected contraction in the year ahead. “The improvement in optimism regarding the U.S. economy among agricultural producers appears to parallel that of U.S. consumers,” Widmar said. The University of Michigan’s Index of Consumer Sentiment confirmed that observation with a rise from 87 in October to a 12-year high of 98 in December. Read the full December Ag Economy Barometer report, including producer sentiment about the next five years and the health of their own operations, at http:// purdue.edu/agbarometer. The site offers additional resources, such as past reports, charts and survey methodology, and a form to sign up for monthly barom-
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THE HERALD ■ FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2017
Pay hike draws farm labor By NATALIE KITROEFF Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — The biggest fresh garlic producer in the nation is giving its employees a hefty raise, reflecting the desperation of farmers to attract a dwindling number of farmworkers. Christopher Ranch, which grows garlic on 5,000 acres in Gilroy, Calif., announced recently that it would hike pay for farmworkers from $11 an hour to $13 hour this year, or 18 percent, and then to $15 in 2018. That’s four years earlier than what’s required by California’s schedule for minimum wage increases. Ken Christopher, vice president at Christopher Ranch, said the effect of the move was immediately obvious. At the end of last year, the farm was short 50 workers needed to help peel, package and roast garlic. Within two weeks of upping wages in January, applications flooded in. Now the company has a waiting list 150 people long. “I knew it would help a little bit, but I had no idea that it would solve our labor problem,” Christopher said. He said the farm has been trying, without success, to draw new workers since 2014. Human resources frantically advertised
open farm-labor positions, posting help-wanted ads online and urging employees to ply their networks for potential recruits. Nothing came of it. Farmers across the country have reported that they, too, are struggling to find farmhands. The dearth of ag labor seems to have reached a tipping point when the Obama administration stepped up border enforcement and deported millions of undocumented workers. Perhaps partly because of the crackdown, plus the financial crisis of 2008, more Mexicans returned home than migrated to the United States from 2009 to 2014, for the first time in decades, according to the Pew Research Center. A stronger, more dynamic Mexican economy also seems to be prompting a turn away from careers in agriculture. The total supply of farm laborers in Mexico, for which growers in the U.S. compete, declined by 150,000 workers every year between 1980 and 2010, according to a study last year by Diane Charlton and Edward Taylor, researchers at Montana State University and UC Davis. “Kids aren’t growing up in rural Mexico to be farmworkers the way they once were,” said Taylor.
Grain dust explosions decrease nationwide By JESSICA MERZDORF Purdue University Agriculture News WEST LAFAYETTE — The number of grain dust explosions in the United States fell to a 10-year low in 2016, but two of the incidents resulted in the first reported fatalities since 2013, according to an annual report released by Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. There were five grain dust explosions in 2016, compared to eight in 2015 and a 10-year average of 9.2 per year. Reported causes of ignition last year included sparks, possibly generated by static electricity or friction between machine parts, and overheated bearings, such as those on conveyer belts and elevators. One of the explosions occurred in a feed mill, two in grain mills and two in grain elevators. Grain dust was confirmed as the main source of fuel in three of the incidents, but could not be confirmed in two of the others. Fine particles or powder from the grain can also contribute to fires
and explosions, said Kingsly Ambrose, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue. Two of the three fatalities in 2016 were from Indiana, and the third was from Georgia. Eight people were injured nationwide. “The two most important factors in preventing an explosion are keeping the facilities clean and the equipment in good working condition,” said Ambrose. “If the facility is clean, then the amount of potential fuel is minimized. If the equipment is in good working condition, there is less chance of ignition.” Performing regularly scheduled equipment maintenance is a key first step in preventing fire and explosion. “We can be happy that the number of explosions is down, but it’s important to stay vigilant,” Ambrose said. “I always tell people to keep their eyes, nose and ears open - if you see something strange, hear an odd noise or smell something unusual, then that’s the time to shut down and check all the equipment. The full report is available at http://bit.ly/2016Dust.
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“Mexico has been successful at building rural schools and providing kids in villages with access to education.” The shortage of workers is one reason farms have cut back production of fruits and vegetables by 9.5 percent, costing growers $3.1 billion in lost revenue, according to a 2015 report by the Partnership for a New American Economy, a nonprofit that promotes immigration reform. The question is whether Christopher Ranch’s approach of offering bigger raises can be replicated elsewhere.
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