South Dakota Farm and Ranch

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CATTLE PRICES STABILIZED

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Renting land, stumbling block for

YOUNG PEOPLE 8

Kenzy Family Ranch 13 Alexandria farmer shares her thoughts 23

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE On the cover

Features Powells named family of the year at SDSU

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USDA releases new report

6

State animal health lab bill

12

Kenzy family ranch

13

USDA announces millions available

21

Auctioneer Directory

22

Alexandria farmer shares her thoughts

23

Water freezing in troughs

28

4-H & NASA partner up

31

Nanotech assists pesticide balance

33

Cornvention commondity trade

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Publisher RO R Y PA L M Editor L U K E H AG EN Advertising Director LO R I E H A N S EN Layout Design JEN PH I L L I PS South Dakota Farm & Ranch is a monthly agricultural publication dedicated to informing South Dakota area farmers and ranchers about current topics, news and the future of agriculture. This publication fits the niche of our unique farmers and ranchers of South Dakota, and the diverseness we have in our state. Although the Missouri River divides our state, we are all South Dakotans and thank the land for supporting us each and every day.

You, our readers, may be livestock ranchers, or row crop farmers, and everywhere in between, however, we all have a common goal in mind. We feed and support the growing population and want the next generation to find that same love, dedication and support that agriculture can offer.

We’re all South Dakota farmers and ranchers, and with this publication, we want to showcase your successes, new technology, upcoming events, FFA and 4-H club news and much more.

To subscribe to this FREE publication, contact South Dakota Farm & Ranch.

Contact Us PO BOX 1288 • MITCHELL , SD 605-996-5514

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Powells named SDSU Family of the Year SOURCE: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

B

ROOKINGS — Evelyn Powell’s insistence that her boys get a college education before returning to the farm has produced in spades for the family from Chamberlain.

All four of the sons of Arthur and Evelyn Powell earned degrees from South Dakota State University. A majority of their children also made Brookings their college destination. On Feb. 25, the Powells will be honored as Family of the Year by the SDSU Alumni Association in cooperation with Staters for State, the student alumni organization.

The family will be recognized at halftime of the Feb. 25 men’s basketball game against Denver as well as at a luncheon before the game.

The boys — Greg, Brad, Gary and Todd — were all raised on a 1,500-acre crop and livestock farm 21 miles south of Chamberlain.

They loved it and all wanted to return to the farm. But this was the

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late 1970s and early 1980s. The economics of agriculture didn’t match the Powell boys’ optimism for the occupation, Greg Powell said.

“You need to meet my mother. We all wanted to go into farming.

She said, ‘You will all graduate from college so you have something to fall back on,’” Greg said.

So he became the first of the Powell extended family to go to college when he enrolled at State in fall 1978. Brad followed a year later. Gary arrived in 1982 and Todd in 1984. The decision on where to attend school was an easy one given the sons interest in agriculture and the university’s emphasis on agriculture, the elder siblings said.

Two of Evelyn Powell’s grandsons are currently attending SDSU. Alex will graduate in May while Nathan is a freshman. Both are engineering majors.

in family attend SDSU

Counting sons, spouses, children and in-laws, 21 Powells have attended SDSU since 1978.

Here is the breakdown: GREG, a 1981 ag engineering graduate, has seen all four of his children attend State and two are married to SDSU grads. They are Clint and Andrea (Marty) Powell, Kayci (Powell) and Matt Halbersma, Carson Powell, and Connor and Kelsey (Repenning) Powell.

BRAD, a 1982 agronomy graduate, and spouse Jill (Megard) have seen all three of their children attend State and one is married to an SDSU graduate. They are Emily (Powell) and Mitch Kranz, Melissa Powell and Alex Powell.

GARY, a 1986 ag engineering graduate, has had one of his three children attend State. That is Hannah (Powell) Farber.

TODD, a 1988 agronomy graduate, has seen three of his children attend State, one is married to a State grad and the other two aren’t college age. They are Rebecca (Powell) and Matt Herman, Elizabeth Powell and Nathan Powell.

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 5

USDA releases new report on lifecycle greenhouse gas balance of ethanol Analysis shows U.S. corn-based ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent compared to gasoline SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

W

ASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced the release of a report studying the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of corn ethanol.

The report, A Life-Cycle Analysis of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Corn-Based Ethanol, finds that GHG emissions associated with corn-based ethanol in the United States are about 43 percent lower than gasoline when measured on an energy equivalent basis.

Unlike other studies of GHG benefits, which relied on forecasts of future ethanol production systems and expected impacts on the farm sector, this study reviewed how the industry and farm sectors performed over the past decade to assess the current GHG profile of corn-based ethanol.

“This report provides evidence that corn ethanol can be a GHGfriendly alternative to fossil fuels, while boosting farm economies” said Vilsack.

This report found greater lifecycle GHG benefits from corn ethanol than a number of earlier studies, driven by a variety of improvements in ethanol production, from the corn field to the ethanol refinery. Farmers are producing corn more efficiently and using conservation practices that reduce GHG emissions, including reduced tillage, cover crops and improved nitrogen management.

Corn yields are also improving — between 2005 and 2015, U.S. corn yields increased by more than 10 percent.

Between 2005 and 2015, ethanol production in the U.S. also increased significantly — from 3.9 to 14.8 billion gallons per year. At the same time, advances in ethanol production

Shutterstock Photo

6 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH FEBRUARY 2017

technologies, such as the use of combined heat and power, using landfill gas for energy, and co-producing biodiesel helped reduce GHG emissions at ethanol refinery plants.

By 2022, given current trends, the GHG profile of corn-based ethanol is expected to be almost 50 percent lower than gasoline primarily due to improvements in corn yields, process fuel switching, and transportation efficiency.

The report also examines a range of factors that could enhance the GHG benefits of corn ethanol production and provides estimates of how those factors change ethanol’s lifecycle GHG emissions.

For example, the report examined the benefits of improving the efficiency of ethanol refinery plants and adoption of additional conservation practices on corn-producing farms. In a scenario where these improvements and practices are universally adopted, the GHG benefits of corn ethanol are even more pronounced over gasoline, about a 76 percent reduction.

There are several reasons this report found greater lifecycle GHG benefits from corn ethanol than a number of earlier studies.

Previous estimates anticipated that growing corn to produce ethanol would result in “indirect land use change” — in other words, land would be converted from grasslands and forests to commodity production as a result of increased demand for corn used in ethanol production. But based on new data and research, there is compelling evidence that while land use changes have occurred, the actual patterns of changes and innovation within the farm sector have resulted in these indirect emissions being much lower than previously projected.

Recent studies of international agricultural land use trends show that that the primary land use change response of the world’s farmers from 2004 to 2012 has been to use available land resources more efficiently rather than to expand the amount of land used for farming. Instead of converting new land to production, farmers in Brazil, India and China have increased double cropping, expanded irrigation, reduced unharvested planted area, reduced fallow land and reduced temporary pasture. Much of the international attention on supply of corn for ethanol has focused on Brazil, where earlier estimates anticipated conversion of rainforests to commodity production. But between 2004 and 2012, at the same time U.S. corn ethanol production increased more than 200 percent, deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon decreased from 10,200 to 2,400 square miles per year.

The report also demonstrates the added GHG benefits of on-farm conservation practices like reduced tillage, nitrogen stewardship, and cover crops—the same practices outlined in USDA’s Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry strategy, which aims to reduce GHG emissions by over 120 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2025.

Continuing to support adoption of these practices on farms will further reduce GHG emissions associated with agriculture — as well as benefiting the positive trends in lifecycle GHG balance of corn-based ethanol.

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FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 7

Habitat for young people

Renting land to highest bidder a stumbling block for young people looking to start in agriculture

BY ERIN BECK South Dakota Farm & Ranch PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH

R

AYMOND — The rural brain drain is not a new plague in the Midwest. Young people leave rural communities in pursuit of higher education, and oftentimes, they don’t come back.

Jim Kopriva believes the migration of youth away from rural areas isn’t just a lack of career opportunity. It’s a lack of habitat.

“What we see around here is land rented to the top bidder,” Kopriva said. “Next thing you know, somebody from several hundred miles away is buying land right next door. The whole idea of renting for top dollar becomes like driving 40 miles to get gas for a penny cheaper.”

Continued on page 9

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Continued from page 8

For young people desiring to get started in agriculture, the concept of handing out land to the highest bidder becomes a challenging stumbling block. And on the heels of a short window when high crop prices turned marginal land into farm ground, many old homesteads that could have been handed over to young farming hopefuls are now gone.

Kopriva, who farms and ranches northwest of Raymond, initially began raising livestock on a small acreage while he held a daytime job in town. Without the chance to fix a rundown acreage as payment for a place to live, he might not have had the chance to pursue his ultimate passion of raising livestock. He believes that encouraging individuals to start small by making land available for them will bring young people back into agriculture.

“They need an opportunity to try and an opportunity to get their hands on some land resources,” Kopriva said. “How nice would it be if land owners would prefer to rent to young people that are beginning farmers or just trying to get themselves established in agriculture?”

Living in the country provides families opportunities to become involved in agriculture even if it’s not their primary occupation.

Some of the most valuable ethics can be taught on a farm, and in Kopriva’s mind those lessons are best taught through stewardship of livestock.

Responsibility and commitment are quickly learned when those principles live right outside the back door for families that live in the country.

“Young people

need livestock,” Kopriva said. “If they don’t go out and feed their bicycle nothing bad will happen the next day, but if they ignore their livestock, livestock teaches kids something they can’t learn any other way.”

Kopriva also sees benefits for the older generations that rent to younger families instead of holding out for the highest bidder.

Younger individuals with families can tackle odd jobs to help out older neighbors while building a sense of community in the country.

“When that land owner needs a ride to town or needs snow removed from driveways, who’s going to help them?” Kopriva asked. “I think it pays in a lot of ways.”

The 2011 Center for Rural Affairs Census Report supports Kopriva’s observation that fewer opportunities are available for young people to become rooted in small farming operations.

However, SDSU Extension community development specialist Peggy Schlechter notes that South Dakota communities as a whole are growing.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, South Dakota’s population swelled by 7.9 percent from 2000 to 2010.

While this population boost bodes well for larger South Dakota towns and cities, it masks the 4.4 percent drop in the rural countryside and small towns seen over the past decade.

Schlechter notes that rural communities need to change how they develop opportunities for young people.

Instead of providing scholarships for youth to move away and pursue an education, communities need to

How nice would it be if land owners would prefer to rent to young people that are beginning farmers or just trying to get themselves established in agriculture?

JIM KOPRIVA, Farmer

Continued on page 10

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 9

10 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH FEBRUARY 2017

Continued from page 9

build more incentives that will draw back former residents, especially those who already desire to return but require economic or entrepreneurial encouragement. Schlechter has seen interest in young people wanting to move back to their home areas. The issue becomes creating a viable habitat for young people to work and raise families in.

“We need to change the conversation,” Schlechter said. “The attitude of people needing to leave to be successful, that’s really got to change.”

Schlechter believes that rural areas offer prime potential for people to play a significant role in communities. Rural communities require involvement from everyone in order for roles to be fulfilled. According to Schlechter, these communities need to become more intentional in promoting themselves as well as ensuring that everyone in the community has the chance to play a part.

“In rural areas you really have an opportunity as a leader to make an impact on people’s lives and make a difference dramatically,” Schlechter said.

Both Kopriva and Schlechter agree that proactive steps need to be taken for rural communities to thrive.

“How many people die with money in their account that they never used, but it crowded young people off the land?” Kopriva asked. “It’s worth more to rent locally and keep people in the country than it is to seek the top dollar. To me, that’s habitat.”

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FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 11

State animal health lab bill introduced SOURCE: OFFICE OF GOV. DENNIS DAUGAARD

P

IERRE — The Senate Appropriations Committee recently introduced a bill on behalf of Gov. Dennis Daugaard to fund an upgrade and expansion to the state animal disease research and diagnostic laboratory. Located on the campus of South Dakota State University, the facility serves as the state animal health laboratory.

The lab develops and conducts tests to identify animal diseases, creates new protocols to distinguish unique disease strains, and develops vaccines and other treatments to directly assist veterinarians, ranchers, farmers, pet owners, wildlife managers, public health officials, and state and federal agencies.

“When disease outbreaks risk the production of our food and the health of our citizens, a timely, accurate diagnosis of the cause is essential,” Gov. Daugaard said. “I look forward to working with the Legislature, agriculture industry and SDSU

to sustain this public-private partnership and upgrade and expand the lab.”

The lab was built in 1967 and last upgraded in 1993. It is out-of-date, according to the Governor, and needs to be modernized to correct aging infrastructure, accommodate new technologies, and meet current and future health and safety standards.

“The lab is key to securing the livestock sector’s long-term viability, not just for South Dakota, but for the entire region,” Senate President Pro Tempore Brock Greenfield said. “Its economic impact extends to agriculture and beyond.”

Lab staff have been involved in combating significant livestock diseases, including porcine endemic diarrhea virus in 2013 and avian influenza in 2015. In the early 1980s, the lab identified a previously unknown swine virus and developed a widely used vaccine to prevent it.

“Agriculture is South Dakota’s No. 1 industry,” added House Majority Leader Lee Qualm. “The lab provides critical research and diagnostic support to protect our citizens and livestock industry from disease outbreaks.”

In addition to proposed funding from the state general fund, the bill includes several agriculture-related fees to cover much of the $3 million per year bond payment.

“We all know the value of the lab to South Dakota livestock producers,” South Dakota Pork Producers Executive Director Glenn Muller said. “The key now is finding the right funding mix to get this done.”

“This is a good first step,” South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Larry Stomprud added. “The agriculture industry will be at the table, and we look forward to continued discussions on funding mechanisms.”

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The Kenzy Family Ranch Honored by South Dakota Farmers Union

BY LURA ROTI South Dakota Farmers Union PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOUTH DAKOTA FARMERS UNION

G

REGORY — Ralph Kenzy used to tell his sons, “You can’t put it all in your pocketbook.”

“He meant that agriculture is a lot more than money,” explains his oldest son, Brett, 45. “You get to be on the land, raising your kids. You get to work with crops and cattle. You’re never going to get rich ranching ... there’s more than dollar bills that make you rich.”

Brett has worked on the family ranch since childhood except for a short break to serve in the Army and attend college. “I came back because I missed the community, the home base, this tie to the land,” Brett explains.

His brother, George, 40, adds: “My dream was always here.”

Like his older brother, George only left the Gregory ranch long enough to get a degree and even when

they were college students, the fourth-generation cattle producers drove home to work every weekend.

Listening to the brothers/business partners visit about raising their children and cattle on the family’s ranch, it is clear that Ralph’s philosophy lives on through his sons. Ralph passed away in 2012.

“I kind of figured they would come home to ranch because they were home every weekend to work,” says their mom, Millie.

The ranch’s self-designated “go-fer,” Millie works with her sons daily. “It is fun working with my sons, and it is great because I get to see the grandkids grow up and see them learn everything,” she explains.

The family has just enjoyed a Sunday dinner together.

As they visit about their operation, the cousins are hanging out.

Continued on page 15

South Dakota Farmers Union has served South Dakota farm and ranch families for more than a century.

Throughout the year, we share their stories in order to highlight the families who make up our state’s number one industry and help feed the world. This month, we feature the Kenzy family who ranch near Gregory.

Pictured here Millie Kenzy (middle) and her sons, Brett Kenzy (back row left) with his wife, Jessy, and their five children: Gracie, 13; Sierra, 13; Sapphire, 12; Rane, 10; and Harvey, 8; and George Kenzy (back right) with his wife, Shelly, and their three children: Brooklynn, 13; Nicholas, 10; and Tyler, 9.

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 13

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Continued from page 13

Brett and his wife, Jessy, have five children: Gracie, 13; Sierra, 13; Sapphire, 12; Rane, 10; and Harvey, 8. Jessy works as a Head Start teacher in Gregory.

George and his wife, Shelly, have three children: Brooklynn, 13; Nicholas, 10; and Tyler, 9. Shelly works for the Gregory School District.

As the adults visit around the kitchen table, the girls are cleaning up after the potluck lunch.

The boys have been lured outside by the sunshine and above zero temperatures.

Through the kitchen windows it’s obvious that the fifth-generation is getting ready for a game of Lightning as they shovel snow off the concrete slab where the basketball hoop stands.

“It’s our goal to have this place be home base for all our kids. We know they will not all be able to return home to ranch, but even if they are not working here, they know they are always welcome here,” Brett says. “This is where it all started.”

Brett and George’s great-grandfather, George, homesteaded the ranch around 1900. As kids, the boys say the ranch was more diversified. Their dad raised a cow/calf herd, market hogs and a flock of sheep.

Following the markets’ lead, their dad got out of hogs and sheep. Then, when the brothers were still pretty young, a tragedy led their dad to begin backgrounding and

Agriculture is a lot more than money.

BRETT KENZY custom feeding.

Their cow herd was infected with Brucellosis (bangs disease). The cows aborted their calves and the herd had to be slaughtered.

“As I recall the story, dad bought some cows, which were all tagged, indicating they had been vaccinated, but turns out they weren’t,” George explains.

“It’s the old cliché: when one door closes, another opens. It was tough, but a bank note is a wonderful motivator,” Brett adds.

Together, the boys helped their dad build the feed yard. Year-by-year the operation expanded. In 2008, to be in compliance with state and federal regulations, the men built a new 3,100-head capacity feed yard.

Today, cattle are the only cash crop on the ranch.

Brett and George have a 300-head cow/ calf herd and are permitted to background 3,100-head of cattle. The brothers background their own calves, purchase local cattle to feed and custom background for other producers. The ranch produces most of their forage needs while purchasing grains and DDG (dried distillers grains).

“We try to source as much as we can locally,” Brett explains. “When we built this feedlot, everything we did, from the dirt work, to fencing and banking it all was local. Even our machinery — when we can, we purchase locally.”

Overcoming challenges, George explains, is just the nature of ranching. “You learn from a young age listening to the older generation that not much is in our control.

We are dependent upon the rain, weather and markets. I remember one summer, I couldn’t have been more than 5 and it was so dry, I wanted to set the garden sprinkler outside my dad’s window so he could wake up to rain on the window.”

Brett added, “This is ironic because dad always said the only thing that grew in ‘76 was George!”

During the Farm Crisis of the 80s, Ralph became active in the American Ag movement.

Following his lead, today, as the family faces financial challenges brought on by a nearly 50 percent drop in the cattle markets,

During the Farm Crisis of the 80s, Brett and George’s dad, Ralph Kenzy, became active in the American Ag movement. Following his lead, today, as the family faces financial challenges brought on by a nearly 50 percent drop in the cattle markets, the brothers have renewed their involvement in Farmers Union and R-Calf.

Continued on page 16

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 15

Continued from page 15

Today, cattle are the only cash crop on the Kenzy ranch near Gregory, where brothers/business partners, Brett (left) and George Kenzy, together with their mom, Millie, have a 300-head cow/calf herd and are permitted to background 3,100-head of cattle.

16 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH FEBRUARY 2017

the brothers have renewed their involvement in Farmers Union and R-Calf.

“If you’re not speaking out, someone is speaking for you. If you can’t find the words, then join an organization who will speak for you — and don’t be afraid to quit an organization if they quit speaking up for you,” George says.

Brett adds, “I joined S.D. Farmers Union in 2008 because they pushed for COOL (Country of Origin Labeling).”

In September 2016, Brett and his daughter, Gracie, joined with nearly 250 farmers and ranchers from across the nation for the National Farmers Union D.C. Fly-In to discuss the current farm and ranch crisis facing America’s family farmers and ranchers.

“When I was visiting with congressional staffers, I tried to explain what limited competition among processors and lack of transparency is doing to consumers and producers. It’s like an hourglass, you have all these people on the top who are producing the food and cannot afford to. And, all these consumers at the bottom who cannot afford to buy the food. It’s the guys in the middle who are getting all the money.”

Even though times are tough right now, the brothers aren’t discouraged.

“There are a lot of conversations going on right now about competition and transparency. I am hopeful that good will come out of this,” Brett says.

He adds that while in D.C., he was inspired by what he saw during a tour of George Washington’s farm, Mount Vernon.

“This country was built, ultimately, by agriculturists. The first several guys Washington, Jefferson, they were farmers.”

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USDA announces $252 million available for Regional Conservation Partnership Program Applications requested for innovative partner-driven projects SOURCE: USDA/NRCS

W

ASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack invited potential conservation partners, including private industry, non-government organizations, Indian tribes, state and local governments, water districts, and universities to submit project applications for federal funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).

Through this fourth RCPP Announcement for Program Funding (APF), USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will award up to $252 million to locally driven, public-private partnerships that improve the nation’s water quality, combat drought, enhance soil health, support wildlife habitat, and protect agricultural viability. Applicants must match or exceed the federal award with private or local funds.

“Through unprecedented collaboration, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program has established a new paradigm for working lands conservation that yields unparalleled results,” Vilsack said.

“Working together, RCPP projects in every state are demonstrating the ways in which locally-led initiatives can meet some of our most pressing natural resource concerns.”

Created by the 2014 Farm Bill, RCPP connects partners with producers and private landowners to design and implement voluntary conservation solutions that benefit natural resources, agriculture, and the economy. By 2018, NRCS and its more than 2,000 conservation partners will have invested at least $2.4 billion in highimpact RCPP projects nationwide.

For example, three existing RCPP projects bring together more than 40 partners, including USA Rice, Ducks Unlimited, California Rice Commission, the Walmart Foundation and The Mosaic Company, to accelerate conservation on rice lands in six states facing water quality and quantity challenges. These projects, collectively called the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership, aim to conserve water and wildlife habitat while sustaining the future of rice farming in the United States. With unique technical expertise and needs, each state is leading a partnerdriven, local approach to conservation in rice agriculture.

In its most recent RCPP awards, NRCS last month announced that 88 high-impact projects across the country will receive $225 million in federal funding, with more than double that investment from partners.

In South Dakota, the NRCS has funded two RCPP projects.

The Prairie Pothole Working Lands Partnership has an NRCS investment of $4.1 million for the critical conservation area in the Prairie Grasslands Region.

Through the Prairie Pothole Working Lands Partnerships, Ducks Unlimited and over 20 conservation partners will improve water quality, soil health and wildlife habitat within the Mississippi River watershed through working lands solutions for agricultural producers at local scales. The project devotes EQIP, ACEP, and CSP financial assistance programs while

bringing additional partner contributions and programs to leverage federal funds and promote program opportunities.

The James River Watershed has NRCS investment of $2.7 million. The Ducks Unlimited with 10 diverse partners will offer innovative cost-share assistance and incentives to increase the quantity and quality of certain conservation practices being applied within the James River Watershed. The partners will promote sustainable conservation practices with landowners through targeted application of NRCS financial assistance. On a broader scale, the partners will establish a series of “long-term demonstration farms” in key landscapes that will be instrumental in changing attitudes towards various conservation farming strategies being promoted. The project partners expect the work to improve water quality, soil health, wildlife habitat and long-term sustainability of the James River Watershed.

NRCS Chief Jason Weller encourages partners to consider conservation finance and environmental markets as they develop RCPP project applications. “The growing field of conservation finance provides opportunities to inject significant investment capital into projects that protect, restore and maintain our natural ecosystems,” says Weller.

USDA is now accepting proposals for Fiscal Year 2018 RCPP funding. Pre-proposals are due April 21. For more information on applying, visit the RCPP website.

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 21

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Montana

Alexandria farmer shares her thoughts Faith, Family, Farming & Outreach

BY LURA ROTI South Dakota Farmers Union

AgWeek Photo Living on farms in rural South Dakota can be isolating. It’s important to connect with other women who understand what life on the farm and in rural America is like,” says LeAnn Moe, Alexandria farmer and on the organizing committee for Women in Blue Jeans, an annual event held in Mitchell to bring women in agriculture together.

I

t was the first day of school 2006 and LeAnn’s phone rang.

Her son, Chet’s, preschool teacher was calling.

“She said, ‘LeAnn I think we have a problem. At the end of the day Chet packed up his bag and said, ‘Thanks Mrs. Lanners. I had a great day, but I won’t be back.’”

Taking the conversation in stride, LeAnn (Neugebauer) Moe met Chet as he got off the bus and set about showing the four-year-old the value of education by making connections between school and their family’s Alexandria farm.

“We asked him to count the cows in the pasture, reminding him that in school he will learn how to count. We asked him if he wanted to help the guys spray in the field and then explained that he needed to learn science to do that.

We asked him if he knew where all our fields were located and then told him that was geography,” explains the mom of three and fourth generation farmer.

Her efforts paid off. Chet went back to school the next day and is currently a freshman at Hanson High School. LeAnn and her husband, Dave, also have two daughters, McKayla, 21, a junior at South Dakota State University majoring in Agriculture Systems Technology, and Ashley, 18, a senior at Hanson High School.

If you know LeAnn, it’s no surprise that she took such an innovative approach to this parenting challenge. If you don’t know her, she is a glass-half-full gal who isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and work right alongside her husband Dave. In fact, she’d prefer to spend her time outdoors.

Growing up on a small family farm near Dimock, LeAnn spent her youth working with her dad, Vernon, and brothers on their family farm when she wasn’t learning how to cook and bake with her mom, LaVerna.

“Farming is my way of life. It’s all I knew growing up and it’s one of those things I never saw myself doing anything else but farming,” explains LeAnn, who says these days it’s tough to get tractor time in. She spends her days preparing meals for family and Continued on page 24

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 23

Continued from page 23

the farm’s employees, as well as managing the bookwork.

When McKayla was born, LeAnn knew the farm was where she wanted to raise her children. “I wanted my kids to develop the same values and work ethic that I did and I knew there was no better place to do that than here on the farm,” says Leann, who traded a full-time off-farm job for various part-time positions until the farm needed her full-time.

“When the kids were little they were always with us. Whether I was driving a tractor or grain cart, they were either with me or Dave they are still actively involved in the farm.”

women in agriculture — to make sure they realize they are not alone,” LeAnn says.

LeAnn explains that while both spouses are actively engaged on the farm, most informative meetings are geared toward the men. “Farm wives are just as valuable and viable part of the farm as their husbands.

Like me, many farm wives are the ones who take care of the bookwork and risk management.” Women in Blue Jeans brings together experts to present on topics like finance and asset protection as well as hobby-related topics like baking, honey production and soap making.

LeAnn first became involved in the event when she was asked to present on farm bookkeeping. She says that true to the

Today, Dave’s health is stable and LeAnn says the experience has strengthened her faith. “This really put everything into perspective and taught us to rely on our faith. Honestly, it’s a time when your only option is to turn it over to God. As they say, ‘Let go and let God.’ That’s not always easy.’”

Looking back on this chapter in their family and farm life, LeAnn says her family has so much to be thankful for. Several months before Dave was diagnosed, the couple revisited their estate planning, upgrading their wills and life insurance. LeAnn was inspired to do this following workshops she attended during a recent Women in Blue Jeans.

Farming is my way of life. It’s all I knew growing up and it’s one of those things I never saw myself doing anything else but farming.

LEANN MOE, Farmer Women in Blue Jeans Along with working on the farm and raising kids, LeAnn also gives her time to her church, the local school and community.

“Basically, wherever I’m needed, I try and make time to help out,” she says.

In recent years, she has served on the planning committee for Women in Blue Jeans, an annual weekend retreat for farm and agri-business women and their friends.

“We want to connect farm women to a support network of resources and other

event’s mission, she developed connections and friendships with other farm women during that first Women In Blue Jeans event.

“Living on farms in rural South Dakota can be isolating. It’s important to connect with other women who understand what life on the farm and in rural America is like,” LeAnn says.

LeAnn felt this first hand. In 2014 her husband, Dave, was diagnosed with cancer.

She found a support network within some of her Women In Blue Jeans friends.

“We’d been married 20 years at the time and never changed our wills from when our kids were little. I call it a ‘God thing.’”

Recently returning from a 2017 Women In Blue Jeans planning session, LeAnn says that with the depressing commodity markets, this year’s event is focused on providing an uplifting outlet for women in agriculture.

This event is designed to rejuvenate women. It’s held after the holidays and before planting season for a reason.

To learn more about the 2017 Women In Blue Jeans event which will be held February 24 & 25 in Mitchell, visit http://www.womeninbluejeans.org/.

24 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH FEBRUARY 2017

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CATTLE PRICES HAVE STABILIZED Primarily good news on the horizon, possible expansion phase coming

BY ERIN BECK South Dakota Farm & Ranch PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH

H

indsight is 20/20, especially for producers keeping an eye on cattle markets. While the industry is still recovering from a long-term downward trend, the past few months indicate a moderate upward climb in cattle prices.

Matt Diersen, SDSU Extension risk and business management specialist, believes that prices have stabilized. While foreseeing 2017

markets is anyone’s guess, Diersen wouldn’t be surprised if markets remain stable or even increase slightly from 2016.

“It’s primarily good news,” Diersen said.

“We’ve been in an expansion phase in the sector, but expansion has slowed down. That’s not going to flood the market with calves.”

Several factors played into the all-time high cattle prices during 2014 and 2015. Conditions

Continued on page 27

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Continued from page 26 Blake Cooper talks with beef producers about the wild swing in cattle markets at one of the weekly sales at the Creston Livestock Auction. While the unrealistic highs in the markets were a bonus for producers, Cooper was concerned that the prices were too high for comfort.

such as drought and the 2013 Atlas blizzard tightened the supply of cattle. Producers held back cattle in response to those stressors. Limited ability to expand caused a contraction in the national beef herd.

“It was unexpected to hit those levels,” Diersen said. “It was a once in a lifetime type of payoff, but it was not realistic.”

Blake Cooper seconds that comment.

Cooper, who works at the livestock sale barn in Creston, Iowa, has seen cattle run through the Creston Livestock Auction for many years now and commented during the elevated markets that while high cattle prices were great for producers, too much of a good thing often leaves people unsatisfied due to unsustainability.

“You can only throw a brick so high,” Cooper said.

Production problems in other protein

sources occurring at that time, particularly within the poultry and swine industries, and high feed prices impacted not only consumer choices but also producer management decisions. Reduced cattle numbers and limited competition from other meat industries sent live cattle prices through the roof. But as those problems became resolved and the cow herd expansion spread across the U.S., the markets reflected the shift in the beef herd, lower feed prices, and decrease in weather extremes. Whatever goes up must come down, and markets are no different.

Feedlot extension specialist Warren Rusche admits that the subsequent events within the cattle market haven’t been easy for producers to reconcile, especially considering that the beef herd expansion wasn’t huge.

While he acknowledges that the previous

dollars per pound were not sustainable, he believes the market reflux may have been a bit extreme as well.

“The biggest source of frustration was that not that long ago we were drastically higher,” Rusche said.

For producers who held on to calves this fall and avoided the slump in prices from September through November, backgrounding calves will have ended on a positive note. While the weather conditions haven’t been the most favorable in regards to cost of gain and performance, Rusche believes that producers who backgrounded calves this winter will have a good shot of bringing in some money if markets remain stable.

“It seems like we’ve bounced off the lows from last fall,” Rusche said.

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 27

Mikkel Pates, Agweek

Tips to dealing with water freezing in the trough

SOURCE: SDSU EXTENSION

B

ROOKINGS — Although winter weather conditions are extreme, with adequate feed and water supplies South Dakota livestock are designed to withstand these frigid temperatures, said Alvaro Garcia, SDSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Director and Professor.

“Livestock cope with extremely low temperatures by increasing feed intake,” Garcia said. “Cows in particular eat more forage since its fermentation in the rumen increases their core body temperature.”

The recent December 2016 USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service South Dakota Crop Progress and Condition Report (released January 3, 2017) shows our state’s cattle are doing just that.

“Cattle and calf conditions were rated as follows: 0 percent very poor, 2 poor, 15 fair, 79 good, and 4 excellent.

Whereas cattle and calf death loss rated 0 percent heavy, 69 average, and 31 light.

As the cold temperatures continue, Garcia reminded cattle producers that with increased feed intake cattle also need more water. “The opposite also happens; with water restriction, feed intake drops, and as a result a reduction in the ability to 28 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH FEBRUARY 2017

withstand cold temperatures,” he said.

Garcia added that making drinking water available to livestock during freezing temperatures can become a challenge if trough water heaters do not function properly or even worse, during a power outage.

“Providing an adequate, unfrozen water supply is obviously not a one-idea-fitsall kind of situation. However, modifying some of these tips and adapting them to particular situations will likely avoid some headaches this season and in winters to come,” he said.

TIPS TO KEEP WATER FLOWING TANK HEATERS: There are several types of heaters to choose from in the market, when making the decision on which to purchase, Garcia suggested considering a submersible heater which is not pushed around by cattle as they drink.

He added that it may be worth selecting one with a thermostat which will conserve electricity once the weather warms-up.

A propane tank heater may be a good solution if the water trough is located far away from a power source or in the case of power failure.

He reminded producers that if the

heater is powered by propane, it will need protection from the wind.

Lining the water troughs with insulating materials and/or using a relatively light floating board (untreated wood) that cattle can still push down to drink will slow down the formation of ice in the surface.

TROUGH LOCATION: Power outages usually happen during winter wind and/ or ice storms. In these situations cattle will usually seek shelter. By placing water troughs in an area protected from the wind, producers can further protect the water from freezing and increase the likelihood that cattle will drink the water they need without spending additional energy.

“It helps to keep multiple troughs close together. This accomplishes two things: first, hauling water becomes easier.

Second, by having more troughs there is more drinking space available and the less-dominant animals will also be able to drink,” Garcia said.

MAINTAINING A FRESH WATER SUPPLY: Troughs need to be adequately filled to meet cattle’s increased need.

“However, there is no point in overfilling troughs since any water left will soon turn into ice,” Garcia said

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4-H and NASA partner on space age STEM curriculum SOURCE: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

W

ASHINGTON — NASA and 4-H, a program of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), are teaming up with Astronaut and 4-H alumna Peggy Whitson to inspire youth to develop life skills for success inside and outside the classroom. The online resource hub “Expeditionary Skills for Life,” will feature lessons and content built around the skills needed to become an astronaut that also help students succeed across the board.

4-H is NIFA’s flagship positive youth development and education program. The unique partnership with the Cooperative Extension System through land-grant universities and the National 4-H Council empowers young people to lead for a lifetime.

“We are proud to partner with NASA and 4-H alum Peggy Whitson to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education resources that introduce youth both to science-based activities and career paths,” said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy.

In a video released today, Whitson highlights the new program that will be available to the public in January

2017. Whitson arrived on the International Space Station (ISS) in November and will take command of the ISS in late February when the current commander Shane Kimbrough returns to Earth. The curriculum pairs Whitson’s stay on the ISS with monthly themes such as teamwork, leadership and selfcare.

The curriculum is the latest STEM education effort from the 4-H and NASA partnership.

The Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program is an existing international educational project that encourages students and the public worldwide to participate in data collection to support scientific research.

Teens involved in 4-H Clubs helped review the youth citizen science materials for the Globe Observer mobile app that makes it easy to participate from almost anywhere.

For partnerships like this, 4-H brings more than 100 years of experience in developing hands-on, science-based outof-school experiences for youth and NASA contributes its extraordinary resources and expertise. Together they work

with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on strategic planning and innovative resource development for STEM education.

4-H offers students, teachers and parents a range of other STEM resources for youth including the 4-H National Youth Science Day, the world’s largest youth-led science experiment.

Every year thousands of youth take part in the National Science Challenge focused on interesting topics like Rockets to the Rescue!, developed by The University of Arizona in 2014 to explore the field of aerospace engineering and how it relates to real-life global challenges.

In 2016, the Drone Discovery Challenge encouraged youth to explore activities surrounding unmanned flight, from piloting to the computer code behind the scenes.

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challenges.

Since 2009, USDA has invested $19 billion in research both intramural and extramural. During that time, research conducted by USDA scientists has resulted in 883 patent applications filed, 405 patents issued and 1,151 new inventions disclosures covering a wide range of topics and discoveries. To learn more about how USDA supports cutting edge science and innovation, visit the USDA Medium chapter Food and Ag Science Will Shape Our Future.

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NIFA support for the best and brightest scientists and extension personnel have resulted in user-inspired, groundbreaking discoveries that are combating childhood obesity, improving and sustaining rural economic growth, addressing water availability issues, increasing food production, finding new sources of energy, mitigating climate variability and ensuring food safety.

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 31

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Nanotech assists with pesticide balance in fields

BY DR. JONATHAN CLAUSSEN Assistant professor at Iowa State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering

W

hen does too much of a good thing become a bad thing? That’s the question Dr. Jonathan Claussen, assistant professor at Iowa State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and his team of researchers aim to help farmers answer when it comes to pesticide use. Underuse can harm farmers’ crops, while overuse can result in runoff into the soil or waterways.

Claussen and his team created a flexible, low cost and disposable biosensor that can detect pesticides in soil.

This biosensor is made of graphene, a strong and stable nanoparticle, and provides instantaneous feedback, as opposed to the time and money it would otherwise take to send a sample to a lab and await results.

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) supported the project with an Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant as part of the Nanotechnology Program.

The biosensor is made by first printing graphene ink onto paper. A laser then traces over the ink to improve its electrical conductivity by welding together flakes of the graphene ink, making a nanostructured surface that is three dimensional.

“The flakes almost look like rose petals coming up from the surface of the paper,” said Claussen. “They form the base material to test soil on.”

To do this, the biosensor is dipped into a slurry of soil and water. It is then connected to an electrochemical reader in the field to test for pesticide.

“It’s like a pH test strip,” said Claussen. Test results can help farmers quickly understand how much pesticide is needed to maintain healthy crops and minimize environmental damage.

Also, results can help farmers understand where environmental remediation may be needed if pesticide overuse is evident.

The biosensor has great potential for use beyond the agriculture community.

Its properties can be converted for use in the biomedical, environmental, or food safety fields, simply by changing the biological components that are immobilized on top of it.

“What fascinates me most about this project is the real world impact it can provide,” said Claussen. “The graphene sensors do not require the use of precious metals that are typically used to increase the performance of electrochemical sensors.

Therefore, [this] technology really could be used by the masses for Artist conception of the creation of a biosensor that is created with graphene ink. (Image reproduced by permission of Dr. Jonathan flexible/low cost electronics and Claussen) sensors.”

FEBRUARY 2017 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 33

CORNVENTION COMMODITY TRADING

BY MIKKEL PATES Forum News Service PHOTOGRAPHY BY FORUM NEWS SERVICE

C

orn, soybean and wheat exporters in the region can strap in for a bumpy ride if existing multi-country trade deals are scrapped or made into bilateral deals in a new political arena.

William “Bill” Wilson, a North Dakota State University agricultural economist, spoke Feb. 8 at the Cornvention 2017 in Fargo, N.D. The annual event is sponsored by the North Dakota Corn Utilization Council and the North Dakota Corn Growers Association. He said the Donald Trump administration has made statements indicating potential disruption of ag trade with China and Mexico through the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Wilson said if China stopped importing 80 million tons of U.S. soybeans, they’d have to acquire it elsewhere, probably Argentina, Brazil and Ukraine.

Then U.S. soybeans would have to go to Europe and the Middle East. “It would be a tremendous rearrangement of trade,” Wilson said. “It would be very, very, very costly,” he said. “Could we survive?

Yes. But it would be very burdensome, costly, risky.”

NO. 1 CORN MARKET Similarly, Mexico takes 10 million tons of corn and is the No. 1 importer. “Mexico is a supplier of our vegetables — particularly broccoli and avocados,”

34 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH FEBRUARY 2017

Wilson said. NAFTA was “just about a perfect trade agreement for agriculture.”

Wilson said Trump’s desire to replace multilateral trade deals with bilateral deals flies in the face of the fact that multilateral deals are forged for practical, political reasons. “It’s very hard for me to imagine how you can substitute individual agreements when in reality the world wants multilateral agreements.”

China more recently has unilaterally cancelled or diverted about 12 percent of the corn shipments and 29 percent of the soybean deals, adding costs in ocean rates and “counter-party” risk costs.

Companies continue to do business with them because they are such a large customer.

The U.S. has been vigilant on country-owned trading companies in Canada and Australia, but has said little about the Chinese National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corp. China has provided COFCO with about $14 billion to acquire assets around the world, notably in Brazil and Ukraine, Russia and Argentina.

OTHER ISSUES Wilson touched on a number of trade issues: • Panama Canal usage is falling short of expectations after a June 26, 2016 reopening after a canal expansion that cost up to $7 billion, Wilson said. The Continued on page 35

Mikkel Pates, Agweek William W. “Bill” Wilson, a North Dakota State University agricultural economist, and adviser to agribusiness firms and a board member for NCH Capital, told CornVention 2017 goers in Fargo that they have much to lose from trade disruptions driven by politics.

Photo taken Feb. 8, 2017, in Fargo.

FAVOR I T E FAM I LY

Continued from page 34

•

•

widening and deepening of the canal was “built on $80 a barrel oil.” Low oil prices, lower shipping costs and lower interest rates have influenced Brazil and others to ship grain south of the African continent instead of going through the canal.

The need to feed 9 billion people on the planet by 2050 is still accepted by most economists, but some are beginning to doubt it’ll be a problem. World agricultural productivity needs to increase 1.75 percent per year to feed 9 billion people by 2050, but is increasing at a lesser amount. Some companies are investing to meet that demand.

Russia doesn’t allow GMO crops and will expand non-GMO crops. The country has lots of corruption and technology lags and Wilson drew chuckles when he noted the country’s leading wheat variety is Moscow 52 — a variety released 65 years ago in 1952.

Taco Soup Ingredients 2 pounds ground beef 2 cups diced onions Two 15 1/2-ounce cans pinto beans

Agricultural technology is improving productivity in the U.S. Some 460 North American companies are working in the area of “precisionto-decision agriculture.” That competition will result in better technology for farmers.

• Genetically modified crops give U.S. farmers a four- to five-year jump on other countries, before the technology is commercialized in other countries. Canada now produces more acres of genetically modified canola as they do wheat. Soybean acres have shifted to the north in the U.S. and Canadians are trying to grow more of them. Canada now produces more acres of genetically modified canola than they do wheat.

• The cost of “deregulating” a genetically-modified technology into the agricultural marketplace has escalated sharply, increasing from $70 million ten years ago to $150 million today. Wilson said some company executives have told him the cost is as high as $250 million to get a trait into the marketplace. “That’s a killer,” he said. He doubted the proposed mergers between companies like Bayer and Monsanto will significantly change those costs.

One 15 1/2-ounce can pink kidney beans One 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained One 14 1/2-ounce can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes One 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes with chiles Two 4 1/2-ounce cans diced green chiles One 4.6-ounce can black olives, drained and sliced, optional 1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional One 1 1/4-ounce package taco seasoning mix One 1-ounce package ranch salad dressing mix Corn chips, for serving Sour cream, for garnish Grated cheese, for garnish Chopped green onions, for garnish Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

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