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A Special Supplement to: The Leader, Buffalo Center Tribune, Kanawha Reporter, Pioneer Enterprise, and The ShefďŹ eld Press
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 2, Section 1
Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey shows slight increases for 2015 AMES – Rates for custom machine work and services are showing a steady increase again for 2015, according to the 2015 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey. The service categories that were surveyed include information on tillage, planting, spraying, harvesting and hauling grain and forages. Also included are values for miscellaneous services, and machinery and grain storage rental. Alejandro Plastina, economist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, indicates that expected farm custom rates for 2015 increased 1.2 percent from their 2014 survey results. “In dollar terms, rates are 19 cents higher on average. However, 90 percent of the changes in custom rates range between a decline of
$2.10 and an increase of $2.20 from their 2014 levels, averaging only a 1-cent increase,” said Plastina. Reported values on the survey are averaged from all the received responses for each category. The range of the highest and lowest responses received is also reported. The values survey participants report are what they expect to pay or charge in the coming year. These values are intended only as a guide to help both custom operators and people who hire custom work done arrive at a reasonable rate. A total of 166 Iowa farmers, custom operators and farm managers replied to the survey. Twenty-five percent of them reported that they performed custom work for others, 11 percent reported hiring
custom work done and 64 percent indicated that they did both. There are many reasons why the rate charged in a particular situation should be above or below the average. These include the timeliness with which operations are performed, quality and special features of the machine, operator skill, size and shape of fields, number of acres contracted, and the condition of the crop for harvesting. The availability of custom operators in a given area also will affect rates. Ag Decision Maker offers a Decision Tool to help custom operators and other farmers estimate their own costs for specific machinery operations. The Machinery Cost Calculator, File A3-29 can be found on the Ag Decision Maker
website at www.extension. iastate.edu/agdm/ under Crops, then Machinery in the Ag Decision Maker left-hand navigation bar.
The 2015 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey is available at county extension offices or online as publication FM-1698, from
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 3, Section 1
Family farms are focus of new agriculture census data The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports that familyowned farms remain the backbone of the agriculture industry. The latest data come from the 2012 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report and help shine light on the question, “What is a family farm?” “As we wrap up mining the 6 million data points from the latest Census of Agriculture, we used typology to further explore the demographics of who is farming and ranching today,” said NASS Statistics Division Director Hubert Hamer. “What we found is that family-owned businesses, while very diverse, are at the core of the U.S. agriculture industry. In fact, 97 percent of all U.S. farms are family-owned.” In Iowa, there are 6,266
hog farms and 94 percent, or 5,901, are family-owned businesses, according to USDA. Just 365 of the hog farms in the state are not family owned. The farm typology report is a special data series that primarily focuses on the “family farm.” By definition, a family farm is any farm where the majority of the business is owned by the operator and individuals related to the operator, including through blood, marriage, or adoption. Key highlights from the report include the following facts about family farms in the United States: • Food equals family – 97 percent of the 2.1 million farms in the United States are family-owned operations. • Small business matters – 88 percent of all U.S. farms are small family farms.
• Local connections come in small packages – 58 percent of all direct farm sales to consumers come from small family farms. • Farming provides new beginnings – 18 percent of principal operators on family farms in the U.S. started within the last 10 years. “Whether small or large - on the East Coast, West Coast, or the Midwest - family farms produce food and fiber for people all across the U.S. and the world,” said Hamer. “It’s due in part to information such as this from the Census of Agriculture that we can help show the uniqueness and importance of U.S. agriculture to rural communities, families and the world.” The farm typology report classifies all farms into unique categories based on three criteria: who owns the operation, whether farming
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 4, Section 1
Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 5, Section 1
Iowans show interest in “drones” for agriculture By Rebecca Peter DUNCAN – Will “drone” technology be a part of the future of precision agriculture? The technology looks promising, but before farmers rush to buy a drone for their operations, there are some things they should know. Ryan Bergman and Zach Vanderleest, Iowa State University agriculture and biosystems engineering graduate students, spoke about the future of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS or “drones”) in ag during the annual meeting of the Kanawha ISU Research Farm, March 12 at Duncan. The two types of Unmanned Aerial Systems currently on the market primarily fall into one of two categories: either rotary or fixed-wing platforms. Rotary is a helicopter style that can have one or more rotors. There are several mass market quad- and hexa-copters currently available. The other common platform is a fixed-wing aircraft or how one might picture a typical airplane. “Two of the primary differences between a fixed-wing aircraft and rotary aircraft is the fact that the battery life and ability to cover an area is usually significantly less
with the rotary type aircraft,” Ryan Bergman explained. The ability of fixed-wing drones to provide geo-referenced images has led to a greater ability to map fields, while the quad copters provide great crop scouting capabilities. Agricultural Uses “One of the largest uses is to access damage of any form whether it’s an element of a crop health index or damage apparent in general imagery. Hail damage and disease outbreak can potentially be assessed in addition to the aspects you mention,” Bergman noted. “They also show potential to detect machine damage from issues such as soil compaction or machine failures, e.g. when a pivot irrigation system is failing to work properly in an irrigated field.” In the future, drones may be able to provide early indicators for disease outbreaks, but currently the technology is not mature enough to provide this type of early indicator. “While Unmanned Areal Systems will not replace traditional crop scouting, they could help a crop scout to identify strategic areas of interest in the field ahead Nothing but Heavy Duty! of time, thus helping to improve the efficiency of the crop scout,” Bergman said. Cost Open M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Drones can range in price Saturday 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. from a few hundred dollars 204 N. Main St., Buffalo Center • 641-562-2797 to tens of thousands of dolwww.facebook.com/murrahardware lars.
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An example of a rotary platform Unmanned Aerial Iowa State University “Basic rotary platforms are available at RadioShack or Best Buy for a few hundred dollars but these are usually thought of more as toys than having any practical purpose,” noted Zach Vanderleest. “The next jump up would be for a system like a DJI Phantom which can cost a few thousand dollars. Fixed-wings are typically a little more expensive because of the software and sensor arrays that have been developed for them. They can easily cost $30,000.”
Vehicle (“drone”) and controls. Photo courtesy of
Vanderleest cautions farmers interested drone technology to do their research and set a price point to make sure they are getting exactly what they want and will use at a price they are comfortable with. “It is also crucial for someone in the market for a UAS to purchase from an individual/organization who will provide adequate training and support so the purchaser can successfully integrate this new tool into their management practices,” he said. Other factors to consider are: •Insurance liability. “One challenge with this new technology is that a lot of companies haven’t decided if they want to cover this or how they are going to cover it,” Vanderleest said. •FAA regulations. The best place to read for updates is the FAA’s website. Currently it is illegal for any person to operate a UAS for commercial purposes unless they have permission to do so from the FAA. “However, even with permission from the FAA, or in The third Thursday of March and July and the first Thursday the future if use is permitted for agriculture, there will of September and December. likely be very strict policies that will have to be followed 1 mile west of Buffalo Center on Hwy 9. by those using [drones],” Vanderleest said.
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Ryan Bergman (left) and Zach Vanderleest, ISU agricultural and biosystems engineering graduate students, discussed potential use of unmanned aerial vehicles (“drones”) in agriculture at a recent meeting in Duncan. Photo by Rebecca Peter •Equipment needs for analyzing data. “At present the Drone technology in agriculture is still very much in computational power is very intense depending on the the research stage, Bergman continued. model and application of the drone,” Bergman said. “For “If anyone is using it on their operation, it is difficult [field] mapping standards, it takes a lot of power to cre- to say,” he said. “We are aware of several organizations ate an accurate composite image from a collection of across the nation which have been granted a Section 333 obtained images. However, between the increasing standards for computers and further development of UASs approval from the FAA to use UAS for commercial purposes, but these are currently very limited.” and UAS software, it is
hopeful that a more average computer will be able to process and manage the data.” “A person looking to purchase a UAS should spend as much time learning about the equipment needs for processing the imagery from the UAS as they do deciding which UAS they wish to purchase.”
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 6, Section 1
Emergency food organizations offer tax credits to farmers By Molly Angstman The Franklin County Food Pantry is the latest organization planning to offer a tax incentive to farmers in hopes of receiving more donations. Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank in Mason City began offering the tax incentive last October. This incentive was made possible by the Farm to Food Donation Tax Credit Program, which is a piece of legislation passed during the 2013 Iowa legislative session. The program establishes a tax credit for farmers who donate self-produced food to food banks in an amount equaling the lesser of $5,000 or 15% of the value of the food. The tax credit is a credit against taxes due, and was available beginning in tax year 2014. Franklin County Food Pantry director Betty Springer says more donations from local farmers would help keep the pantry stocked and provide fresher, healthier food. “We would love to have access to fresh meat, eggs, fresh produce and fruit on a regular ba-
Betty Springer stocks a shelf at the Franklin County Food Pantry. Springer would like the food pantry to be able to offer more fresh and locally produced items. (Photo by Nick Pedley) sis,” she said. “We do re- and Rudd. Donations in- will pay for the processing ceive some eggs, produce, cluded everything from too,” said Ohl. “The entire and fruit, but not for long pigs, apples, sweet corn, animal is processed into one seasons or in great quan- squash, and eggs. pound packages of ground Ohl says donations are ac- pork or ground beef. We tity. An ideal relationship with farmers would be to tually the only way Hawk- also go and pick up the proreceive those donations on eye Harvest Food Bank can cessed meat.” provide meat to those in a regular basis.” Springer hopes to see a Ozzie Ohl, a volunteer need. He says they try to regular connection formed with Mason City’s Hawkeye make it as easy as possible with any nearby diary. Food Bank, says his orga- for a farmer interested in “Dairy products are a real nization has received Farm donating. necessity for health, but a “If a farmer is willing to real expense,” she said. to Food tax donations so far from farmers in Mason donate pigs or cattle we Fresh fruits and vegetables City, Plymouth, Marble make all arrangements with are also a luxury to anyone Rock, Ventura, Rockwell, an approved locker and we living with food insecurity.
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The shelves at the Franklin County Food Pantry are overwhelmingly stocked with processed food harvested from far away. Food Pantry director Betty Springer says they are most in need of donations like eggs, meat, and diary products. (Photo by Nick Pedley) “Our people are especially ganization wishing to be appreciative of those,” she able to issue credit papersaid. work to farmers has to be Ohl and Springer hope registered with the Iowa that the tax credit will en- Department of Revenue courage a spike in dona- (IDR) in order to issue retions to all participating ceipts for the tax credit. emergency food organiza- Franklin County Food bank tions. is currently in the middle “There is a lot of food in- of this application process. security in north Iowa,” said Farmers or food pantries Ohl. “One in five children interested in the tax credit go hungry.” should visit the IDR’s in“A connection with farm- formation page about farm ers would have to improve donations (http://tax.iowa. this situation,” said Springer. gov/farm-food-donationAny emergency food or- tax-credit).
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 7, Section 1
Corn Farmers Disappointed in Water Works Lawsuit
JOHNSTON, Iowa - The Des Moines Water Works has elected to pursue expensive and unproductive litigation against farmers and their drainage districts more than 100 miles from Des Moines. Iowa corn farmers are very disappointed in this shift away from a collaborative, results-oriented model that has been the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) gold standard for improving water quality. This litigation will cause scarce resources to be reallocated awway from current projects without any guarantee of improving our waters. Iowa’s climate and rich soils are the main factors in the nutrient fluctuations in our rivers. “Farms and growing seasons are certainly not all alike,” said Jerry Mohr, a farmer from Eldridge and president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA). “By embracing the best science and relying on years of experience, each farmer adds to the collaboration that results in mea-
the following projects targeted at improving water quality for all Iowans: * Invested in research for a nitrogen use efficiency trait for corn. This allows more bushels of corn to be grown with the same amount of nitrogen fertilizer which has potential water quality benefits. * Partnered with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and funded research at Iowa State University to document the effectiveness of in-field and edge-of-field nutrient management practices. * Provided research dollars
surable benefits to Iowa’s water.” The Des Moines Water Works lawsuit implies an unrealistic ‘one size fits all’ legal solution will improve water quality. “Iowa farmers are very aware of the role they play in our state’s quality of life. Working together has, and always will be, the best way to achieve longterm solutions.” explained Mohr. Farmers are focused on continuous conservation improvements to mitigate the unpredictability of weather. Iowa Corn has partnered with farmers and agricultural stakeholders in
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Spring-time is fast approaching which for us means pulling out our tractors and machinery and doing our best to feed the world. Did you know that in Iowa there is an average of one farm vehicle public road crash per day? We want you to know that our aim is safety first, which includes obeying all traffic laws, coming to full stops, flasher use and giving cars the right of way. If this is ever not the case, please report it to us immediately. Finally, we want to thank you for your patience with us on the roadway. We wish you a wonderful spring season and don't hesitate to wave to your local farmer.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 8, Section 1
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A Special Supplement to: The Leader, Buffalo Center Tribune, Kanawha Reporter, Pioneer Enterprise, and The ShefďŹ eld Press
Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 2, Section 2
Renner named Iowa Soybean Association Experience participant ANKENY — Nine farmers from across Iowa have been named participants in the inaugural Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) Experience. The leaders — one from each of Iowa’s nine crop reporting districts — will engage in activities and discussions throughout the year that enhance their knowledge and understanding of the structure and activities of the ISA. They’ll also join industry leaders and ISA staff in discussing topics impacting the competitiveness of soybean farmers related to production, demand, public policy and freedom to operate.
ISA Experience participants are: •Brent Renner, Klemme •Kellie Blair, Dayton •Chris Gaesser, Corning •Darcy Maulsby, Yetter •Chad Pontier, Osceola •Suzanne Shirbroun, Farmersburg •Pat Swanson, Ottumwa •Mark Vosika, Pocahontas •Dave Walton, Wilton Brent Renner is from the District 2 Crop Reporting District, which includes Hancock, Kossuth, Humboldt, Wright, Winnebago, Worth, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Mitchell, Floyd and Butler Counties. Renner farms approximately 1,700 acres corn
and soybeans, and 50 acres of alfalfa. He is currently is president of the Hancock County Farm Bureau. “The program is an ideal way for participants to understand the mission, goal, programs and influence of the association and its structure and governance,” said ISA producer services director Heather Lilienthal. “We anticipate that participants will come away from the experience seeking new ways to serve the soybean industry including long-term involvement in the ISA.” The pilot program kicked off Feb. 18 in Ames in conjunction with ISA’s annual Research Conference.
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Discussions appropriately focused on supply production and research. Ed Anderson, ISA senior director of supply and production systems, explained how ISA’s analytics, Environmental Programs and Services and On-Farm Network® teams coordinate their work to the benefit of farmers. He also provided an update on the association’s research partnerships including the Iowa Soybean Research Center at Iowa State University. Joe Merschman, president and CEO of Merschman Seeds, also participated in the inaugural meeting and offered unique insight into opportunities and challenges impacting farmers and seed and trait providers. Merschman Seeds was established in 1954 by Bill and Bernice Merschman on the farm of Bill’s grandfather near West Point. What began as 20 acres of certified seed oats now encompasses growing, con-
Brent Renner ditioning and distributing Merschman said. The next leg of the ISA soybeans, corn, wheat, alExperience will take place falfa and forage seeds. “We’re proud to take part this spring. It will focus on in an activity that’s further- policy issues and include ing the leadership skills a visit to the Iowa State of farmers and position- Capitol. ISA Experience sponsors ing them to have a positive impact on the industry are Bunge, Merschman for generations to come,” Seeds and REG.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 3, Section 2
Community Garden gets help from Land o' Lakes Emilie Jenson The Britt Community garden will be moving into a new location this summer, and will also receive a financial boost from Land O’ Lakes, which will allow for a second garden to be planted. After four growing seasons on a lot near the Britt Aquatic Center, the land was sold, and the garden will move to a new location for the community to use in 2015. The second location, on a Land O’ Lakes/Winfield Answer Plot farm west of Britt, fresh produce will be grown to be distributed to clients of the Britt Area Food Bank. “I had read in the local paper that the school had sold the community garden site,” said Justin Schneider with Land O’ Lakes/ Winfield. “I contacted Paul Hauge, the FFA adviser to see if he would like to do a garden.” The West Hancock FFA has been involved with the Britt Community Garden the past several years, and will continue to work with
The Winfield test plots on Highway 18 west of Britt will be the new site of a community garden that will grow fresh produce especially for the Britt Area Food Bank. the two new locations with help from a $1,200 donation from the Land O’Lakes Community Garden program. The second garden, which will be located on the Winfield Test Plot site
off Highway 18 west of Britt will grow food especially for the food banks of Hancock County. “It will be an area to grow just for the food banks,” Schneider said. The gardens will be a
joint effort between Land O’ Lakes, FFA, a North Central Cooperative and the communities served by food banks. “It will be very well maintained because the landowner at the test plot
will be able to keep an eye on it from his house,” said Schneider. “We gave the funds to the FFA to use as they want as long as they are growing and weighing produce, and the local co-op will be helping with
fertilization and water if it is needed in a dry spell or drought. Everyone will work together, that is the goal.” Seeds for the gardens are already being planted at the West Hancock High School. “I met with some of the kids in Paul Hauge’s horticulture class just last we planted lettuce, kohlrabi, peppers, and three kinds of tomatoes.” The FFA students will be in charge of weighing the produce picked from the garden weekly and reporting back to the Land O’ Lakes Foundation office. “We had gardens in 25 communities and 13 states last year,” said Schneider. “That produced over 580,000 pounds of fresh produce.” A grant received by the FFA may allow for some students to have summer jobs working on the garden. “With that help, the garden and answer plot should look great this summer,” said Schneider.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 4, Section 2
state broadcasts also on that day and that chapters might plan their father and son banquets on the date speciďŹ ed. The idea seemed to meet with general delegate approval and to after discussion it was defensible thesome American taxpayer and by Stewart that thefarmers Board do notmoved put young and beginning of Trustees arrange for suchataways day; at a disadvantage. I’ll be looking motiontopassed.â€? to continue improve the deďŹ nition of ‘actively engaged’ until I’m satisďŹ ed farm subsidies are only going to people who are actually farming or qualify by owning land which is already allowed under current law.â€?
Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 5, Section 2
USDA Implements 2014 Farm Bill Grassley response to changes in Farm Bill Provision to Limit Payments to Non-Farmers 641-425-5844 WASHINGTON, March 24, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a proposed rule to limit farm payments to non-farmers, consistent with requirements Congress mandated in the 2014 Farm Bill. The proposed rule limits farm payments to individuals who may be designated as farm managers but are not actively engaged in farm management. In the Farm Bill, Congress gave USDA the authority to address this loophole for joint ventures and general partnerships, while exempting family farm operations from being impacted by the new rule USDA ultimately implements. “We want to make sure that farm program payments are going to the farmers and farm families that they are intended to help. So we’ve taken the steps to do that, to the extent that the Farm Bill allows,� said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The Farm Bill gave USDA the authority to limit farm program payments to individuals who are not actively engaged in the management of the farming
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa made the following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) proposed changes to the “actively engaged� provision of the 2014 Farm Bill. “The rule proposed by USDA today regarding who can qualify as ‘actively engaged’ in farming to make them eligible for farm subsidies is not as stringent as the Farm Bill amendment I authored Roy Tesene, DDS that was approved by majority votes in Amy both Maurer, bodies ofDDS Congress. “This rule DDS is however a small step in Matt Maurer, the right direction. bill conference committee 55 State St. “The farm 641-923-3771 exempted family farms from being afGarner, IA 50438 800-450-3771 fected by the new www.garnerdental.comrulemaking, which on its face appears to be a legitimate action. That is until you see how some family farms operate. As the GAO report from WeSeptember Salute Area Chapters 2013 FFA pointed out, there are
operation on non-family farms. This helps close a loophole that has been taken advantage of by some larger joint ventures and general partnerships.� The current definition of “actively engaged� for managers, established in 1987, is broad, allowing individuals with little to no contributions to critical farm management decisions to receive safety-net payments if they are classified as farm managers, and for some operations there were an unlimited number of managers that could receive payments. The proposed rule seeks to close this loophole to the extent possible within the guidelines required by the 2014 Farm Bill. Under the proposed rule, non-family joint ventures and general partnerships must document that their managers are making significant contributions to the farming operation, defined as 500 hours of substantial management work per year, or 25 percent of the critical management time necessary for the success of the farming operation. Many operations will be limited to only one manager who
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program. As mandated by Congress, family farms will not be impacted. There will also be no change to existing rules for contributions to land, capital, equipment, or labor. Only non-family farm general partnerships or joint ventures comprised of more than one member will be impacted by this proposed rule. Stakeholders interested in commenting on the proposed definition and changes are encouraged to provide written comments at www.regulations.gov by May 26, 2015. The proposed rule is available at http://go.usa.gov/3C6Kk. Today’s proposal was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six
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cases where family members living in in making sure small and medium-sized South Florida have drawn farm subsi- farms can withstand the highs and lows dies for an operation under the ‘active of farming. But, with the median in420 Country Club Dr.,come Garner personal management only’ designation in America at around $52,000 for a farm operation located in the Mid- per year, potentially paying more than a million dollars over the life of a farm west. “I took up this ďŹ ght because ten bill to couples who aren’t even farmpercent of farms collect seventy-ďŹ ve ing, doesn’t meet the common-sense percent of the subsidies. That uneven test. We need to have programs that are distribution means large farms are getting most of the beneďŹ ts from farm programs. Compounded over the years, that unequal distribution of payments has resulted in high land prices driven by large, well- established farmers and acts as a barrier to entry for young and beginning farmers. “The last farm bill process proved how hard ďŹ nding support for farm programs has become in Congress. The farm safety net plays an important part
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 6, Section 2
The Double Edged Sword of Falling Fuel Prices By Travis Fischer Plummeting fuel prices may feel great when filling up at the pump, but the recent drop in the price of crude oil is having a
domino effect on Iowa’s agriculture industry. In the past, falling fuel prices would have been unconditionally welcomed by Iowa’s farmers. Energy is a ma-
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jor expense in the agriculture industry, from gas guzzling pick-up trucks to diesel powered combines to propane dryers, a farmer can spend hundreds of thou-
sands of dollars in fuel. However, with the rise of the ethanol industry, falling fuel prices has become a double edged sword. “I think it would be fair to say that most farmers’ corn production is now tied to energy,” says Chuck Schafer, general manager at North Iowa Cooperative in Thornton. “Corn is used for an energy product and if energy is low, than the commodity price is low. So corn comes down because of low crude pricing.” As the price of fuel goes down, the price of corn falls with it and the savings in fuel costs isn’t making up the difference for farmers, who are already dealing with a disappointing price from last year’s harvest. “I think most people would rather have better corn prices,” says Schafer. Although the price of corn has raised about a dollar from its harvest low point, the drop in energy costs isn’t helping the price of corn rally back up. With corn
prices at $3.70-$3.75 per bushel, Schafer says that corn prices are about another dollar away from making farmers happy. “It’s not a good price,” says Schafer. “I think most people would say that we are below cost of production.” The effect of falling energy prices is reverberating throughout the entire agriculture industry as farmers look for ways to make up the difference. Fertilizer prices are coming down as farmers cut costs by changing their fertilization plans. When the agriculture industry tightens it belt, the effects reverberate across the economy.
Soy bean production is also expected to rise as farmers shift their focus away from corn, however there’s no getting away from supply and demand economics. Shifting towards soy beans may help corn prices recover, but it will come at the cost of lower soy bean prices instead. Ultimately though, there’s hope that the agriculture industry will find a happy middle ground. “With spring around the corner you’ve got to be optimistic about the future,” says Schafer. “There will hopefully be opportunities down the road to be profitable.”
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 7, Section 2
Applications Now Being Accepted For The Iowa Environmental Excellence Awards DES MOINES-- Iowa businesses, organizations and citizens are invited to apply for the Governor’s Iowa Environmental Excellence Awards. To down-
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ronmental honors in Iowa, recognizing leadership and innovation in the protection of Iowa’s water, land and air. Winners will be recognized by Gov. Terry Branstad at a reception this summer. “These awards highlight the commitment and ingenuity we value here in Iowa when it comes to conservation and protecting our natural resources,” said Gov. Branstad. “Not only do the Environmental Excellence Awards allow us to recognize and honor successful efforts, but it is a means to share that success with others, hopefully inspiring new ideas and future achievements,” said Branstad. Organizations are encouraged to submit their applications electronically to reduce paper waste. Complete instructions are included in the application packet. Awards will be given for Overall En-
vironmental Excellence, along with Special Project Awards in: •Air Quality •Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy •Habitat Restoration •Waste Management •Water Quality •Environmental Education The awards program is by the Iowa DNR and sponsored by the Governor’s Office, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the Iowa Department of Education, the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center. For more information and to download an application, go to www.iowadnr. gov/eeawards or contact Emily Bainter at (515) 242-5955 or Emily.Bainter@ dnr.iowa.gov.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 8, Section 2
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 2, Section 3
Crop prices remain down following record-breaking yields By Andrew Shaw Record yields of corn and soybeans in 2014 have driven prices down for both commodities, but demand remains high. Prices have fluctuated a great deal in recent years. In 2012, widespread drought led to a predicted shortage of grain, and prices peaked at upwards of $8/bu. for corn, with soybean prices topping $17/bu. For farmers who were able to weather the drought, those price jumps were great news. “Around here, we still had a pretty good crop,” said Jay Mathahs, location manager for StateLine Cooperative in Buffalo Center. “A lot of places south and east of us didn’t fare too well.” Growing conditions have been much better the past two years, resulting in record harvests and prices dropping down to levels similar to those seen in 2010. Last Tuesday, May corn was trading for $3.93, with May soybeans going for $9.81. Mathahs says part of the reason for the increased yields is that some farmers have taken advantage of the high prices by planting corn
or soybeans on fringe acres, where they may have planted wheat or something different in the past. “I’m not sure if we’ll see that go away,” said Mathahs. “If prices come back down to earth, I don’t know if it will make them go back to a different rotation.” Technology has been another driving force behind the rising yields, as farmers have access to more data than ever before. Dean Coleman, Iowa Soybean Association Director for District 2, says tools like the ISA’s OnFarm Network help farmers make better decisions about inputs and increase returns. “Precision farming has really helped farmers make better decisions, because they can compare a lot of products and practices,” said Coleman. “Before, you kind of looked in the tank to see what you had harvested – now we have actual yield data.” Coleman says foreign markets play a big part in crop price fluctuations. He says part of what’s driven up soybean prices is the high demand from China. “China has just become this huge importer of soy-
beans, so to keep enough soybeans on hand for them has caused the prices to stay up,” said Coleman, who farms in the Humboldt area. He says about 3/5 of U.S. soybeans are exported, and most of those go to China. “They’re using an unbelievable amount of soybeans. They just keep increasing imports every year,” said Coleman. He says the soybeans mostly go toward livestock feed, as China raises six times as many hogs as the
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said Mathahs. “We’ve fallen so hard, so fast. Everyone is content to see what spring brings. There has been a lot of on-farm storage built in the last few years to give farmers another option.” “Normally there are quite a few beans that are sold after the first of the year, and we haven’t seen that big movement this year,” said Coleman. “I think everybody was hoping that prices would go up this spring.” Prices are up a little bit for the start of spring, with corn and soybeans both going up about 20 cents since the middle of March. “That’s given everybody a little hope here,” said Mathahs. However, Mathahs says ideal planting conditions this spring could result in a further slide in prices. “You’re always kind of hoping for an issue, but you’re hoping it’s not around your
place,” he said. “There’s almost always a problem some place. Whether there’s too much rain or too much heat, or whatever the case may be. If we have a weather hiccup, we could easily put 50 cents back in the market.” The USDA was set to release its annual Prospective Plantings Report this Tuesday, which will give an idea of how many acres farmers expect to plant of each crop this year. Those numbers will be useful in predicting grain prices going forward. “That will be our first step in seeing where we’re headed,” said Mathahs. “It’s pretty much up to mother nature from there.” “I have no idea where it’s going,” added Coleman. “Everybody’s watching the markets very close to make sure they can get sold what they grow at a profit.”
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U.S. At the same time, crop production in other countries can bring prices down. Coleman says South America produces half the world’s soybeans, and they have also had a couple of great harvests. Another factor in crop prices is the value of the U.S. dollar compared to other currencies. “The value of the dollar was going up, so that made our crops more expensive overseas,” said Coleman. “Then, all of a sudden, that went lower. There are a lot of factors besides weather that can cause the price to move.” Mathahs says the drop in prices has led a lot of farmers to hold onto their grain and wait to see what the prices do in the spring. “A few years ago, when corn was $7, we had guys that brought everything to town and sold it. It was kind of a no-brainer,”
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 3, Section 3
Farmer awareness of nutrient reduction strategy spikes, finds ISA survey ANKENY — Farmer awareness of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy nearly doubled during the past year according to a statewide survey of more than 350 farmers funded by the soybean checkoff. This familiarity, say farm and environmental leaders, is key to increasing the pace and scale of adoption of onfarm conservation practices proven to have a positive impact on water quality. The telephone survey was conducted Dec. 17-19 by Iowa-based CampaignHQ and commissioned by the Iowa Soybean Association (www.iasoybeans.com). It found 69 percent of the 353 farmers surveyed were familiar with the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, up sharply from just 39 percent in 2013. Approved by the Iowa Legislature in 2013, the strategy is a science- and technolo-
gy-based framework to assess and reduce nutrients from point and nonpoint sources to Iowa waters and the Gulf of Mexico. With specific respect to non-point sources, including agricultural land uses, a suite of infield and edge-offield practices will need to be implemented to achieve a 41 percent load reduction in nitrogen and 29 percent reduction in phosphorous to meet the aspiring 45 percent reduction goal included in the strategy. Roger Wolf, ISA director of Environmental Programs and Services (EPS), said a strong upturn in awareness of the strategy bodes well for achieving its goals and improving overall environmental performance. “Awareness is the precursor to engagement,” Wolf said. “Now, it’s about providing farmers with the technical assistance and resources
needed to transform this awareness into action.” The ISA survey supports this approach. When asked what information is most valuable to encourage greater participation in the strategy, 73 percent of respondents said providing additional analysis about the cost and effectiveness of individual practices. Sixty-eight percent cited additional information about the strategy while 62 percent value opportunities to view on-farm demonstration practices. Sixty-one percent want more technical assistance. ISA President Tom Oswald said EPS is uniquely poised to provide farmers with the information they need to act. He raises corn and soybeans near Cleghorn. “Adaptive management has always been an important part of agriculture,” Oswald said. “Now is the time for
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farmers to target specific practices and plans in order to achieve our overall goals for productivity and the environment. The EPS team at ISA has 15 years of experience with these practices and can help Iowa farmers meet their goals.” “There is urgency to adopt more conservation practices in more places and at a quicker pace to demonstrate progress,” Wolf said. “To achieve results, it’s critical to be thoughtful in how we proceed,” he added.
“This includes improving overall nutrient and land management in combination with tailoring the use of cover crops, bioreactors, saturated buffers, buffer strips and other practices to proper soil types, hydrology and geology.” Wolf said this is going to be a monumental task and is going to take some time, but the approach is gaining momentum. Last year, nearly 2,400 farmers and land owners invested $22.5 million on conservation prac-
tices to prevent soil erosion and improve water quality, of which $13 million came out of farmers’ own pockets. When asked what environmental practices they currently use, 89 percent of respondents to the ISA survey said grassed waterways followed by conservation tillage (69 percent), no-till (61 percent) and terraces (57 percent). Buffer strips were used by 53 percent of respondents while 21 percent said they’ve planted cover crops.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 4, Section 3
Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 5, Section 3
Garner cattle producer uses cloning technology
By Rebecca Peter GARNER – A rural Garner family has stepped into the 21st Century world of cloning for cattle production. Ted and Mary Greiman are owners of Greiman Family Angus. Ted is a fourth generation producer of registered purebred Angus cattle, which started in 1896 by his great-grandfather Fred Greiman and continued by his grandfather Addis, father Don Greiman of Garner, to the present day with Ted. Ted and Mary’s sons, Kyle and Cole, are the fifth generation to be involved in the family business. Kyle Greiman is employed at Westwood Embryo Services at Waverly. Cole is a senior at Iowa State University. Currently the family has a herd of 30 cows and their calves. “Ted and the boys started talking, that there were three or four blood lines we’d like to have to incorporate into our herd,” said Mary. One of one those bloodlines is found in Java, a 4-yearold cow they purchased in 2011 to improve the herd. “That’s the first thing, bring in those outside lines,” Mary said. “Then you start flushing the females and doing embryo transfers to perpetuate that blood line.” Flushing is a process used
extensively in the seedstock business to “super ovulate” the cow with fertility drugs to produce more eggs. Then the cow is bred. The cow carrying fertilized eggs is taken to Westwood Embryo Services, where the embryos are “flushed out” and placed into recipient cows. “The embryos you don’t put in, you freeze,” said Ted. Poor quality embryos are discarded. “So instead of one calf a year, there’s the opportunity to get 10 or more, depending on how well the flushing goes,” added Mary. “The first time we flushed was in 1981, on a limited basis,” said Ted. “As the kids were showing [cattle], we bought our show heifers. They were going to be some of our future donors. We selected what we thought were some of the best genetics, for what we liked, in the country.” Conventional flushing pro-
gressed into in-vitro fertilization. “We sell primarily show heifers, so what we want is lots of heifers and very few bulls,” he continued. “With the advancement of in-vitro fertilization, we still give the donor cow fertilization shots. You take eggs out her unfertilized. The eggs go into an incubator to Trans Ova Genetics in Sioux Center. They actually breed them in a petri dish.” At Trans Ova, technicians do a “reverse sort” in-vitro, using “sexed seaman” - a process by which sperm cells carrying the X (female) chromosome and those carrying the Y (male) chromosome have been sorted out. “Out of those eggs that we breed in the petri dish, we only want females,” Greiman said. “That’s what makes this so unique, because you can select what you want out of which female.” The process isn’t entirely
Ted and Mary Greiman foolproof, however, and occasionally a bull calf is produced. “We’ve gone from naturally breeding cows to artificial insemination to in-vitro fertilization,” he said. Cloning is the next step in reproductive livestock technology. Cloning is still in its infancy and there are
challenges. So why would a producer choose that route over other methods? “Because of the value of that female,” Greiman explained. The calves from Java have been exceptional, but at some point in time, Java’s embryo production will cease.
SCC Royal Blackbird 112 (Java) was Grand Champion Owned Heifer at the 2012 National Junior Angus Show as well as Supreme Champion Heifer at the 2012 Iowa Beef Expo. Java is sired by Dameron First Class. In an effort to preserve that bloodline, Java is being cloned. In addition Ted and Mary Greiman, sons Kyle (next to Ted) and Cole (leading Java) are also pictured. Submitted photo “There’s not a huge amount of [cloning cattle] being done in the country at this point. The cows have to be very special,” he continued.
“You’re only going to clone the bull or female for breeding stock.” He estimated, however, it would cost seven to eight
times more to buy a replacement heifer of the same caliber as Java as opposed to the cost of cloning. Java’s sire is a bull called
Dameron First Class. “He won everything,” said Ted. “He was the most unique Angus bull that I’ve seen in my lifetime.”
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The bull died about four years ago and there is only a limited amount of semen available. The goal is to keep Dameron’s bloodline going though his daughter, Java. Greiman said a small DNA sample was taken from the cow’s ear and sent to Trans Ova Genetics in Sioux Center. “We got out of that snippet, 4.8 million cells,” he said. The sample is frozen and placed in 12 separate vials. Half the samples are sent to a different location, so all the DNA material isn’t lost in the event of a catastrophe. In the lab, technicians create embryos by transferring Java’s DNA samples into an egg cell (oocyte) that has had it’s own DNA nucleus removed. The cloned embryos were implanted into recipient cows. When a calf is born nine months later, it will be identical to Java. “We started with ten recips that were carrying these
identical clones,” said Greiman. “After 30 days, there were eight cows that were pregnant. After 60 days, there were four left. So we have 4 clones coming at this point.” “Here we’re hoping to get one pregnancy out of ten,” he said. By comparison, with invitro fertilization the producer may get a 50 percent pregnancy rate. With a conventional embryo, the pregnancy rate is 70 to 80 percent. “What happens, when you start challenging nature and doing some of these things, it doesn’t work like God made them,” he said. “It’s not the same.” The family won’t know if the cloning has been successful until next September when the first calf is born. It will be several years before they know if cloning is profitable. Once a calf is born, it takes about a year before it is old enough to be flushed to be in production.
“So from this fall, it’s going to still be three years before we get calves out of this clone. It takes huge amount of time.” “It will be specialized for a long, long time,” Mary added. Ted and Mary acknowledge there are also ethical questions about cloning. “It gets to the point, how much of this should we be doing?” he asked. “In humans, it is ethically wrong. In cattle and livestock, it’s obviously different.” “In the broader scope of agriculture, you can produce more animals, and you can produce more meat, better meat, more efficiently,” said Mary. “That’s the beauty of it,” Greiman said. “With a few quality animals, we produce herds as good as those that have thousands of cows. It gives little breeders like us the opportunity to have the quality that is comparable in genetics.” Mary added, “It levels the playing field.”
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 6, Section 3
Tim Landgraf and Jan Libbey, owners and farmers of One Step at a Time Gardens in a field of squash last summer. They grow around four acres of produce on their farm near East Twin Lake.
Practicing alternative agriculture, One Step at a Time Emilie Jenson What started as an interest in agricultural issues nearly 20 years ago has turned into a career and successful business for Tim Landgraf and Jan Libbey, of Kanawha. Libbey, who has a degree in fishery and wildlife biology, worked as a naturalist for Wright County Conservation, while Landgraf, a metallurgical engineer worked for Eaton Corp. in Belmond. “We both had different starting points, but
we both had an interest in sustainable issues,” said Libbey. Both were aware of the opposition to certain practices of beef and pork production in Iowa in the mid 1990’s, but rather than voice their opinion in an oppositional way, they decided to be constructive, Libbey said. “There were protests, but we decided, rather than do that, how can we be productive,” she said. “It all started as a bit of a response to the Iowa hog
debate, but we decided to model alternative agriculture as a way to offer a constructive response.” Landgraf and Libbey did their research, and settled with growing vegetables and herbs and raising chickens. “We looked around to see where we would fit in the farming world,” said Libbey. “It didn’t look like we would get into corn and beans.” Instead, they started with a few acres of vegetables and that has since
turned into One Step at a Time Gardens, which provides fresh, locally grown produce as wholesale and to shareholders. Customers can purchase a wide variety of shares from the farm for various growing seasons through the summer and fall. Distribution season runs from May through November. They are part of Healthy Harvest, and North Iowa Fresh, an expanding group of area growers who provide fresh produce for restaurants
Calibrate your meters, calculate the profits Your meters should be 98%+ accurate, but you’re probably getting 92%-97%. Each point is worth another bushel or two per acre. There’s a lot of room for improvement. Your meters – finger, vac, Precision, Deere, Kinze, White, CaseIH – spacing depth germination Precision Planting pays need to be calibrated to your spacing, speed and seeds. You’ll see more ears, yield, profit. In 100 side-by-side trials over three years, a major seed company proved that annual meter calibration adds an average of 5.7 bushels per acre. Calculate your return. Then come in and calibrate your meters before the spring rush. Ask about other tools for managing spacing, depth and germination.
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and grocery stores. We have seven growers who are part of North Iowa Fresh now,” Libbey said. “We hope to have at least doubled that by 2020.” One Step at a Time Gardens averages 55 to 60 shareholders each year . “A lot of shareholders have their own gardens but they find we have a variety that they don’t have,” said Libbey. Growing season begins in late February in greenhouses and the basement of a house on the farm, the spacing depth germination last harvest is usually late fall. “We have a full season
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of growing,” Libbey said. “We start in February and do succession planting to have late season items.” Late season includes produce such as herbs, beets, and fall broccoli and greens. They also cooperate with other local growers to offer a vareity. “The asparagus we offer in early shares comes from Minnesota,” said Libbey. “We get corn from our neighbors and fruit from three different locations.” Although not certified organic, all produce from their gardens is grown following organic practices.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 7, Section 3
Iowa Soybean Association lauds action on fuel tax
ANKENY – The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) lauded approval by the Iowa Legislature of a 10-cent increase in the state’s fuel tax, a move that will improve the quality of Iowa’s aging roads and bridges and boost the use of renewable fuels. The bill was passed by a vote of 28 – 21 in the Iowa Senate, and a vote of 53 – 46 in the Iowa House. Included in the legislation is a provision providing a 3-cent-per-gallon exemp-
tion for diesel blended with at least 11 percent biodiesel. ISA President Tom Oswald of Cleghorn recognized legislators for supporting the timely and necessary legislation. “Iowa’s infrastructure, including critical farm-tomarket roads and bridges, continues to deteriorate, jeopardizing personal safety and the ability to conduct business,” Oswald said. “Today’s action pivots us from focusing on the short-
comings of our infrastructure to going to work to improve it.” Grant Kimberly, ISA market development director and executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board, recognized Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds for acting boldly on behalf of biodiesel, an advanced biofuel derived from Iowa-grown soybeans. “The provision for biodiesel is smart policy that positively impacts our envi-
ronment and economy and the competitiveness of Iowa soybean farmers,” he said. ISA President Elect Wayne Fredericks of Osage said the votes advance sustainability and environmental quality. “In one move, the Iowa Legislature has voted in favor of better roads and
bridges and reaffirmed its support of renewable fuels,” he said. “Every gallon of biodiesel we use at home is one less that we need to import, benefiting local jobs, farms, families and communities.” Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production and is home to 12
biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 315 million gallons annually. The production of this renewable fuel supported the employment of 4,300 working Iowans and contributed more than $470 million to the state’s gross domestic product.
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Agriculture - April 2015 - Page 8, Section 3