U.S. Canola Digest September-October 2013 by Alison Lara

September • October 2013

The official publication of the U.S. Canola Association and Northern Canola Growers Association

Farm Bill’s Long Road ahead: Agriculture at Risk

Australians Say G’Day to Canola Oil Mobile Apps Enhance Farm Management Canola Oil Reduces Chronic Disease Risk Students Cook Up Food Products with Canola Oil

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september • october 2013 Vol. 8, No. 3

www.uscanola.com EXECUTIVE Editor Angela Dansby angela@uscanola.com

features

MANAGING Editor Alison Neumer Lara alison@uscanola.com

Consuming Canola Oil Can Reduce Chronic Disease Risk

Associate Managing Editor Brittany Farb brittany@uscanola.com Contributing Writers Cretia Ariail; Josh Bushong; Barry Coleman; Sheri Coleman, R.N.; Brent Connett; Jon Dockter; Kathy Hadley; Shaun Haney; Beth Nelson; Mattie Quinn; Ron Sholar; Karen Sowers and Dale Thorenson Publishers Barry Coleman coleman@ndpci.com

USCA-Supported Study Documents Canola Oil’s Health Benefits

Flailing Farm Bill Puts Agriculture at Risk Looming Deadline Once Again Yields Sharp Party Divides

John Gordley john@uscanola.com

Sales Representative Mary O’Donohue modonohue@gordley.com

Leading with Heart

Graphic Designer Melissa Rosenquist melissa.rosenquist@gmail.com

Food Science Students Cook Up Healthy Products with Canola Oil

Published by U.S. Canola Association 600 Pennsylvania, SE, Suite 320 Washington, DC 20003 tel: 202.969.8113 • fax: 202.969.7036 www.uscanola.com

Australians Say G’Day to Canola Oil 14

Northern Canola Growers Association 2718 Gateway Ave, #301 Bismarck, ND 58503 tel: 701.223.4124 • fax: 701.223.4130 www.northerncanola.com

Canola Now Largest Oilseed Crop Down Under

There’s an App for That?

Regional Affiliates Great Lakes Canola Association www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/canola

Managing Farms with Mobile Tech Tools

Great Plains Canola Association www.greatplainscanola.com

Minnesota Canola Council www.mncanola.org

Canola Industry Joins Twittersphere Social Media Tool Builds Local and Global Connections

U.S. Canola Digest is published four times a year in January/February, March/April, September/October and November/December by the U.S. Canola Association (USCA) and Northern Canola Growers Association (NCGA). Subscription is complementary to all USCA and NCGA members and other qualified members of the U.S. canola industry. Reproduction of contents is forbidden. Copyright 2013. Postmaster: Send address changes to Northern Canola Growers Association, 2718 Gateway Ave., #301, Bismarck, ND 58503.

17 departments on the cover The road ahead for the farm bill is full of twists and turns. Acrimonious debate divides Washington lawmakers, threatening agriculture’s future.

4 7 9 20 22

Editors’ Letter USCA Update NCGA News GPCA News PNW News

3 2 24 24 25 26

SE News MCC News Canola Capers Quick Bytes Canola Cooks

editors’ letter

Trouble on Hill, Promise in Field Fall returns and so does Congress to Washington, D.C. What’s the road ahead for the farm bill as well as the canola industry at large? In this issue, we look at policymakers’ moder ate headway over the summer, take a trip to Australia to examine the coun try’s flourishing canola business and hop online for the latest ways technol ogy is connecting growers around the world. As always, you’ll also find fresh regional reports and industry news.

Farm Bill Fallout

In July, the U.S. House of Represen tatives narrowly passed a 608-page farm bill that stamped out the food stamp program. The House pledged to vote at a later time on a nutri tion bill, thus splitting agricultural policy from this contentious issue, but not a single Democrat voted for the re-proposed farm bill and the White House threatened to veto it. Political hostility is the norm in Washington these days and the fate of the farm bill is once again uncer tain. Read more about the sharp party divides on page 10. For a personal perspective, U.S. Canola Association Assistant Director Dale Thorenson also weighs in on the flailing bill. The former canola grower shares his frustrations on page 12.

Growers Sweet on Tweets

Who said Twitter is just for Millennials? The social media platform has exponentially increased in popularity over the past few years and farmers are taking notice. Sharing photos, networking with other farm ers and getting up-to-date news make Twitter a great tool. Turn to page 18 to read accounts from four industry members on how Twitter has become invaluable to their work in the field. Mobile applications also are changing the way farmers do business on the go. Learn about time-saving, ag-specific apps on page 17.

Canola Down Under

Canola may be booming across the U.S., but Australia is gaining attention as the world’s second largest canola producer. Today, it is the largest oilseed crop in Australia and canola oil is the country’s top edible oil. In fact, fast-food giant KFC switched from palm oil to high-oleic canola oil, sourced entirely from Australian farmers, in all 600 of its res taurants. This issue of U.S. Canola Digest summarizes Australian supply and demand, regional issues and U.S.-based companies’ investment in this growing market. Learn more on page 14.

However, canola production in the Willamette Valley continues to remain in jeopardy. A bill that would almost completely ban canola production in the valley until 2019 narrowly passed both chambers of the Oregon legislature in early July and now awaits a decision by Gov. John Kitzhaber. The good news is learning about canola just got even easier. Washington State University extension announced the launch of more than 60 videos featuring speakers, growers and researchers on a wide range of topics. To get the link, flip to page 22.

North Dakota Waterlogged

Excessive rainfall reduced 2013 canola plantings in North Dakota. Initially predicted to be 1.1 million acres in March, estimates dropped to 860,000 acres in June. To read about North Dakota’s canola outlook for the remainder of 2013, in addition to upcoming research projects and a canola veteran’s well-deserved excellence award, turn to page 9.

Southeast Success

Adapting winter canola into a row crop shows promise on farms across the Southeast. Winter canola yields in 2013 averaged between 50 and 70 bushels per acre. Farmers are also reporting a 20 to 25 per cent increase in wheat yields with this rotation. Turn to page 23 to learn more about the Southeast’s hope for future yields in addition to an update about the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., a self-sufficient, 8,000-acre estate producing everything from livestock to canola oil.

Heart-Healthy Competition

A team of University of Arkansas students took breakfast to a new level in the third annual Institute of Food Technologists’ HeartHealthy Product Development Competition in February, sponsored by CanolaInfo, Canada’s canola oil promotion program. The students’ heart-healthy breakfast bar, “Simply Heart,” combined dried banana, cinnamon, oats, sweet potato, dried fruits, chopped almonds and canola oil (required). Competitors were asked to create a product that was low in saturated fat and free of trans fat to help consumers comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Check out page 13 to read more about “Simply Heart” as well as the second and third place inventions.

Granola Goodness

With the arrival of fall, getting outside before cooler temperatures hit is a must. Brief morning hikes and week-long camping trips can ignite the appetite, so healthy and tasty snacks are essential. Sheri Coleman provides recipes for granola and hearty cookies (see page 26) that are sure to please every weekend warrior.

Pacific Northwest Up and Down

There was roughly a 25 percent increase in Pacific Northwest planted canola acreage this year and the region went into the summer with strong hopes. In July, the winter canola harvest wrapped up in the irrigated regions of eastern Washington with above-average yields.

U . S . C a n ola D ig e st

s ep t em b er • o c to b er 2013

executive editor angela@uscanola.com

managing editor alison@uscanola.com

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Consuming Canola Oil Can Reduce Chronic Disease Risk USCA-Supported Scientific Literature Review Documents Canola Oil’s Health Benefits Angela Dansby A comprehensive review of scientific evidence shows that consuming canola oil instead of other fat sources enhances health and can help consumers comply with expert dietary fat recommendations. Studies conducted over the past 25 years about the health effects of canola oil, analyzed in the June 2013 peer-reviewed journal Nutrition Reviews, confirm canola oil reduces the risk of heart disease* and suggest that it may also protect against other chronic diseases. “The objective of this review was to examine the health benefits of canola oil as a dietary component itself, rather than focus on the effects of individual types of fat in the oil,” said Peter Jones, Ph.D., lead researcher and director of the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba, where the review was conducted. “This approach results in practical advice to consumers about including canola oil in the diet.” The review, entitled “Evidence of Health Benefits of Canola Oil,” looked at the effects of canola oil consumption on cholesterol, heart disease, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, oxidation of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, energy metabolism and cancer. A total of 270 studies were evaluated of which 45 were considered directly relevant to the review. All 45 papers described human studies with the exception of those related to cancer conditions where only cell culture and animal studies exist to date.

Canola oil can now be regarded as one of the healthiest edible vegetable oils in terms of its biological functions and its ability to improve health and aid in reducing disease-related risk factors.

Data revealed that canola oil consumption substantially reduces total and LDL cholesterol levels and improves insulin sensitivity when used in place of saturated fat as well as increases levels of tocopherol (vitamin E) compared with other dietary fat sources. Moreover, studies show that: • Canola oil can help consumers meet dietary fat recommendations (less than 10 percent saturated fat from total daily calories, minimal trans fat and no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day) and can be included in a diet designed to reduce cholesterol. • Compared with high-saturated fat or typical Western diets, canola oil-based diets can reduce total and LDL cholesterol in healthy people and those with high cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. • With 61 percent monounsaturated fat, canola oil may prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Oxidized LDL may contribute to inflammation in the arteries and heart disease risk. • Canola oil may promote immune and cardiovascular health through its anti-blood clotting and antioxidative effects. • Early research indicates the potential for canola oil to protect against breast and colon cancers. “Canola oil can now be regarded as one of the healthiest edible vegetable oils in terms of its biological functions and its ability to improve health and aid in reducing disease-related risk factors,” Jones said. “Current research is expected to provide more complete evidence to support the health-promoting effects of canola oil when consumed at levels consistent with dietary guidelines.” The scientific literature review was conducted by the Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at the University of Manitoba. It was equally funded by the U.S. Canola Association and Canola Council of Canada. The complete review is online at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nure.12033/full. Angela Dansby is EXECUTIVE Editor of U.S. Canola Digest.

* In October 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a qualified health claim for canola oil on its ability to reduce the risk of heart disease when used in place of saturated fat. For the complete claim, go to www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/ LabelingNutrition/ucm073992.htm#canola.

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usca update

Same Old, Same Old Congress Remains at Stand-Still Dale Thorenson

Once again, Congress adjourned for its five-week summer recess with out getting much accomplished except for the usual back and forth bickering. Statistically, the extremists are getting their way. The 113th Congress is on track to be even less productive than its predecessors, passing only 26 pieces of legislation after seven months in session. That pace, if continued, would equate to roughly only 90 bills passed into law over two years. By comparison, the much maligned 112th Congress – the first congress ever to fail at completing a farm bill over the course of two years – did manage to pass 284 bills into law during its two-year run. It’s not looking good for completion of a farm bill by the time the oneyear extension of the 2008 bill expires on Sept. 30. And with no annual appropriation bills completed, it’s unlikely any of the spending bills will be ready by the end of the fiscal year, also Sept. 30. Reminiscent of the June 2013 farm bill fiasco, the House leadership had to pull the FY2014 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriation bill from floor consideration July 31 when it became

Dale Thorenson is assistant director of the U.S. Canola Association in Washington, D.C.

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apparent it did not have enough votes from moderate Republicans who had balked at the steep cuts that were included in the bill. The loss of the moderates’ support, coupled with the “no” votes sure to come from the extreme right faction (who don’t want to pass anything) along with almost universal opposition from the Democratic caucus, meant the bill would have been voted down by a wide margin if allowed to come to a vote. Wash, rinse and repeat. The country is likely more than a little weary of this endless cycle of acrimony emanating out of Washington. It will be an interesting, yet predicable, fall when Congress returns on Sept. 9 facing a debt ceiling crisis, a government-wide shut-down Oct. 1 and, of course, the expiration of a farm bill. These issues need to be resolved so the country can get on with life. At least that’s what any sane person would want. (For more about the farm bill, turn to page 10. )

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regional news

Canola Acres Down in North Dakota NCGA Funds Disease Research Barry Coleman

Excessive rain has again reduced acres of many crops in North Dakota. Canola acreage, predicted to be 1.1 million acres in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s March Projected Plantings Report, came in at 860,000 acres in its June 30 Acreage Report. Despite the rain, the growing season has been good for canola due to cooler weather. Crop conditions were at high levels at the end of July. The canola crop is very late this year, yet favorable mid-summer weather allowed it to make good progress. Above normal yields are anticipated.

Canola Research to Focus on Disease Control

The Northern Canola Growers Association (NCGA) approved $260,000 in canola research funding to address disease identification and control in canola, primarily blackleg and scler otinia. Additional research seeks to decrease production costs, increase quality of canola and identify end-use applications. Each year, the NCGA outlines research priorities for the upcoming year and requests research proposals. Funding for this research comes in part from the NCGA and North Dakota Oilseed Council.

Annual Research Tour Draws Crowd

The NCGA held its annual research tour this summer in Langdon, N.D. Canola grow ers received updates about fungicide studies funded by the NCGA, disease research find ings, aster leafhopper control research and research on planting dates. About 125 grow ers attended. Following the research tour, golfers participated in an industry-sponsored golf tournament. A special thanks goes out to the research tour and tournament sponsors: Brett Young, Bunge, Bayer CropScience,

Croplan Genetics, Proseed, ADM, SeedMaster, Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer, Northstar Agri Industries, Dow Agrosciences, Cargill Specialty Oils, Choice Financial, Langdon Implement, CHS Milton, CHS Langdon, Osnabrock Farmers Elevator, Simplot Grower Solutions, Farm Credit Services and Christie Motors.

Borgen Receives Canola Excellence Award

Tom Borgen of Langdon was pre sented the NCGA Canola Excellence Award at its annual research tour. He served on the NCGA’s board of directors for many years and helped establish the NCGA and promote the canola industry in the region. Borgen also served on the U.S. Canola Association (USCA) board of directors and North Dakota State Board of Agricultural Research and Education. He is currently a county commissioner in Cavalier County. More than 125 canola grow ers and industry participants wished him well at the awards ceremony.

Growers Re-Elected at USCA Meeting

Ryan Pederson of Rolette, N.D., was elected president and Jeff Scott of Pond Creek, Okla., was elected vice president at the USCA’s annual membership and board of directors meeting on March 20 in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the annual meeting was to develop 2013 research and policy priorities for the U.S. canola industry. USCA represen tatives met with members of Congress to dis cuss these priorities. Participants also received

2013 CANOLA Research Projects The NCGA approved $260,000 in funding for these research topics: 1) Assessment of Canola Yields Planted at Differing Salinity Levels 2) Use of Canola Oil to Stimulate Activity of Bacteria for Biological Control of Plant Disease 3) Genotype Screening and Seeding Date Influence on Winter Canola in North Dakota 4) Canola Oil and Breast Cancer Risk: Synergistic Effects with Lipotropes 5) Development of High Oil Canola Utilizing Double Haploid Breeding Technique 6) Breeding of Frost Tolerant Spring Canola in North Dakota 7) Volunteer Canola Control in Sugar Beets 8) Aster Leafhopper Control in Canola 9) Increase Canola Yields Through Split Application of Nitrogen 10) Selection of Salt-Tolerant and Flood-Tolerant Canola Germplasms for North Dakota 11) Evaluation of Winter/Spring Canola Crosses in North Dakota

a crop insurance update from the USDA Risk Management Agency and farm bill updates from House and Senate Agriculture Committee staff.

December Meeting

The NCGA moved up the date of its annual meeting and expo to Dec. 11. Barry coleman is executive director of northern canola growers association in bismarck, N.D.

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Flailing Farm Bill Puts Agriculture at Risk Looming Deadline Once Again Yields Sharp Party Divides Brittany Farb

Washington has seen better days: On July 11, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a 608-page farm bill that cut out the food stamp program. Known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), it amounted to about 80 percent of spending in the original bill. In an attempt to cut costs, the House pledged to vote at a later time on SNAP, split ting agricultural policy from this contentious issue. However, not a single Democrat voted for the re-proposed farm bill and the White House threatened to veto it the day before the House vote. Welcome back to the Beltway, aggies. While the world of politics is always difficult to navigate, farm issues – until recent years –

managed the halls of Congress with relative ease. Today, that’s hardly the case. “It came down to politics,” said Sarah Wyant, president of Agri-Pulse Communications, of the fallout from the bill. “Democrats and Republicans are more polarized than ever. There is a high level of partisanship over almost every issue.” U.S. Canola Association Executive Director John Gordley noted that while the process in the House was long, drawn out and very acri monious, agriculture policy debate has not always been this frustrating. “Agriculture, for the most part, has almost always been bipartisan,” he said. “Everyone actually got along and it was the most bipar tisan of committees. The Republican and

Democrat committee members represented farm business regardless of party.” Urban and rural coalitions have long existed in Congress, but SNAP and other nutri tion programs have been major incentives for urban legislators to pass agriculture legislation. “You have traditional alliances between urban and rural interests, but the urban supermajority would vote yes because it had a food stamp and nutrition clause in it,” Gordley maintained. By stripping July’s bill of these programs, urban legislators had little incentive to vote yes. “If permanent law were updated and SNAP were allowed to languish, the rest of agriculture, consumers and the hungry would all suffer in the long run,” wrote agricultural journalist

Historical Farm Bill Votes Initial Bill in Respective Chambers House

conference report

Senate

House

Senate

Year

Yeas

Noes

% Yes

Yeas

Noes

% Yes

Yeas

Noes

% Yes

Yeas

Noes

% Yes

1973

226

182

55.4%

89.7%

252

151

62.5%

92.4%

1977

294

114

72.1%

79.3%

283

107

72.6%

88.7%

1981

192

160

54.5%

60.5%

205

203

50.2%

67.7%

1985

282

141

66.7%

68.5%

325

77.2%

59.1%

1990

327

78.2%

76.9%

318

102

75.7%

62.5%

1996

270

155

63.5%

66.7%

318

78.1%

74.0%

2002

291

120

70.8%

59.2%

280

141

66.5%

64.6%

2008

231

191

54.7%

84.9%

318

106

75.0%

84.4%

2008

1st Overide of Presidential Veto

316

108

74.5%

86.3%

2008

Passage with Inclusion of Accidentially Omitted Trade Title

306

110

73.6%

83.7%

2008

2nd Overide of Presidential Veto

317

109

74.4%

85.1%

2012

2013

195

234

45.5%

2013

216

208

50.9%

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64.6%

71.0%

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democrats

republicans

Farm Bill Timeline 1933: The first farm bill, known as the Agriculture Adjustment Act, is passed by Congress as part of the New Deal. 1938:

Jerry Hagstrom in the National Journal. “President Obama was very clear,” said Dale Thorenson, assistant director of the U.S. Canola Association. “A farm bill with out a nutrition title – should it ever manage to arrive on his desk – would be vetoed.” Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) declared the House’s bill “an insult to rural America,” noting the Senate would never agree to a farm bill without a nutrition title.

Sign of Partisan Times

In June, the political climate in Washington had turned sharply from unset tled to stormy. The House’s original farm bill, with both agricultural and nutrition policy, went down in flames on final passage in the full House by an astonishing 195-234 vote. Congress was at its worst, according to Thorenson. “It was unprecedented,” he said. “No one could recall a farm bill ever being defeated in Congress.” With the 2008 Farm Bill extension set to expire Sept. 30, members of the House and Senate are left scrambling to pass legisla tion. If the bill does in fact expire, American farmers would be required to fall back to 1949 law of permanent provisions, causing steep price increases – the same conditions that last year prompted Congress to pass a one-year extension. Entrenched political party divides have caused the process to become quite hostile as the deadline rapidly approaches, which means more uncertainty and fear among growers. For example, the Senate’s farm bill included an amendment to reduce crop insurance subsidies by 15 percent for the top 1 percent of the nation’s farmers who have incomes of more than $750,000 – a provi sion House leadership publically blasted. The House bill that ultimately passed

(without a nutrition title) would save about $20 billion by ending and/or consolidating several programs, including the annual $5 billion in direct payments to farmers, using those savings to expand the crop insurance program. The House bill also expands sub sidies for agriculture by almost $9 billion. These subsidies include income and price supports, operating and land ownership loans, insurance and disaster relief.

What’s Next?

“The conditions for the farm bill to move forward are very negative,” Gordley said. “When Congress resumes after Labor Day, there are only about three more weeks before not only the end of the federal fiscal year, but also the Sept. 30 expiration date. This is exactly what happened last September.” In 2012, on the heels of one of the driest summers in 50 years, the House Agriculture Committee passed a farm bill in anticipa tion of the Sept. 30 expiration, but the full House never voted on it. So now what? The farm bill’s future sits in the Senate, but with key Democrat sena tors such as Sen. Stabenow publicly stating that SNAP must remain in the final bill, an agreement seems far off. On July 18, the Senate took up the House’s bill by unani mous consent, stripped the House language from the bill and replaced it with its own language. “There is no way that this is a done deal,” said Wyant. “This process has had more twists and turns than a mountain. There are just so many hurdles ahead and my radar is full of fog at this point.” Indeed, the next farm bill will be a turning point in agricultural policy – for better or for worse.

Congress mandates that farm bills must be updated every five years. Over the next 30 years, most changes to farm law are piecemeal.

1970: A comprehensive bill is passed that establishes much more stable agricultural policies. For the next three decades, joint urban and rural coalitions work together to successfully pass farm bill legislation. 2008: Congress passes the Food, Conser vation and Energy Act. The bill includes about $100 billion in annual U.S. Department of Agriculture programs, with 80 percent allocated for food stamps and other nutrition programs. 2012: The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act is introduced to cut down the overall cost of the farm bill, including stricter eligib ility standards for food stamps and a shift from direct payments to farmers. The bill fails to pass in the House and Congress extends the 2008 farm bill until Sept. 30, 2013. June 10, 2013: The Senate approves its version of the farm bill, which cuts annual food stamp funding by about $400 million a year. It also eliminates the government’s responsibility to pay crop insurance premiums for farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $750,000 and includes a new insurance program for dairy producers.

June 19, 2013: The House Agriculture Com mittee’s version of the farm bill, with both farm and nutrition policies, is rejected by the full House.

July 11, 2013: The House approves a new version of the farm bill, completely cutting out food stamps, which amount to about 80 percent of spending in the bill.

BRITTANY FARB IS ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR OF U.S. CANOLA DIGEST.

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Perspective: Stormy Weather Dale Thorenson My late Uncle Carl had a rather subtle – perhaps sarcastic – way with words when talking about things of which he did not approve. His father’s homestead in north central North Dakota was comprised of mostly sandy land prone to wind erosion. Uncle Carl farmed before the advent of no-till practices and was in a constant struggle to keep his soil in place in the face of the seemingly perp etual prairie winds. And, as farmers always do, he watched what the neighbors were doing. Whenever he didn’t approve of someone’s husbandry with regards to wind erosion, he would say, “If he was trying to get it to blow, he wouldn’t be able to do a

better job of it.” The ever-present wind was a life-long bane of Uncle Carl’s farming career. If Uncle Carl was still with us and able to talk with me about the current state of affairs in Washington, D.C. – as we did when I first arrived in this town – it’s a good bet one of his remarks would be, “If they were trying to kill the farm bill, they wouldn’t be able to do a better job of it.” Another probable remark from this farmer – a man who came of age during the dust bowl years of the “dirty thirties” and whose father’s farm was saved by the programs of President Roosevelt’s

If they were trying to kill the farm bill, they wouldn’t be able to do a better job of it.

New Deal – would likely be, “If they were trying to lose their majority, they wouldn’t be able to do a better job of it.” Of course, to end this ima g inar y conversation, I’d have to remind my uncle that the likelihood of the farm vote significantly affecting the House balance of power continues to shrink with the growing urbanization of our population as only about 10 percent of the 435 districts have predominantly rural agricultural constituencies. Although the majority of farmers continue to support farm programs whose roots can be traced back to the New Deal, farmers as a whole have predominantly voted Republican through the years. And it remains to be seen if the failure of the House to move a farm bill forward these past two years will cause a shift in those deep-rooted loyalties. DALE THORENSON IS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. CANOLA ASSOCIATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Alison Neumer Lara

Leading Food Science Students Cook Up Healthy Products with Canola Oil Creating “Simply Heart” was far from simple. Sticky dough. Surface cracks. Overripe banana flavor. These were just a handful of the techni cal problems that University of Arkansas stu dents Quyen Nguyen and Alexandria Huck encountered while developing their heartsmart breakfast bar, “Simply Heart,” which won first place earlier this year at the third annual Heart-Healthy Product Development Competition, sponsored by CanolaInfo, Canada’s canola oil promotion program.

First place winner, “Simply Heart,” was a banana- and oat-based breakfast bar.

After more than 20 iterations, Nguyen, 28, and Huck, 21, hit on a formulation that worked: a dried banana and cinnamonflavored breakfast bar made with oats, sweet potato, dried fruits, chopped almonds and canola oil – the required ingredient. The result is vegan, dairy-free and wheat-free, as well as a good source of minerals and vitamins. “It wasn’t even a breakfast bar when we started,” said Huck, but research changed their approach. “We surveyed the bar market to see what

with Heart

was missing,” Nguyen said. “We decided breakfast, especially heart healthy breakfast, didn’t have as much competition.” The contest, organized by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), challenged food sci ence students across North America to develop a heart-healthy product made with canola oil. Of the 12 entries, three teams of finalists were invited to compete at the IFT’s Wellness 13 con ference in suburban Chicago in late February. Among the requirements, products needed to be low in saturated fat and free of trans fat to help consumers comply with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Canada’s CanolaInfo sponsored the competition to draw attention to heart dis ease (a leading cause of death in both the U.S. and Canada) and show how the food industry can help meet the dietary guidelines.

Canola Cooks

Nguyen, a native of Vietnam who is pur suing a U.S. degree at University of Arkansas, said she’d worked on product development with canola oil before the contest because it’s a com mon choice among her professors. “They want us to use something that’s healthy and also use something that avoids allergens like soy.” The competition required students to not only develop the product, but package it, present it and prepare a 10-page proposal defining the product’s nutritional value and safety information. Above all, participants and organiz ers said, the contest challenged students to think beyond the lab and consider the com mercial limitations of bringing a product to market including merchandizing, advertis ing and cost.

“ SmHeart Bites,” a mini cottage cheese snack cake, won third place.

Quinoa-based “Herbilicious Crisps” came in second.

“Canola oil has the least saturated fat of all common cooking oils, a neutral taste, light texture and high heat tolerance so it is an excellent component of heart-healthy products,” said Shaunda Durance-Tod, M.S., R.D., CanolaInfo program man ager at the Canola Council of Canada and a judge at the competition. “Plus, consum ers are becoming increasingly aware that not all fats are created equally and looking for products made with healthier oils high in unsaturated fats.”

Real World Thinking

The judges kept students on their toes throughout their presentations with a steady stream of practical questions: How would you sell this to the marketing team? Did you look at products that are similar to yours? What would be the product extension? Where would I find it in the grocery store? “The students can’t be on autopilot,” said Roger Clemens, one of the judges and CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 ❱

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Australians Say G’Day to Canola Oil Canola Now Largest Oilseed Crop Down Under Angela Dansby

Canola is booming on the other side of the world. Australia, the world’s second largest canola producer, has been growing the crop for the past 40 years. It now is the larg est oilseed crop in the country. And consum ers realize its health and culinary benefits; canola oil is Australia’s number one edible oil. Ace, canola!

National Production

According to the Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF), canola production has risen in the past five years to represent over 50 percent of total oilseed production, making Australia a major player on the world canola stage. “After early promise in the 1960s and 70s, the industry was decimated by the fungal dis ease blackleg,” said Nick Goddard, AOF exec utive director. “However, breeders set about developing new blackleg resistant varieties and the canola industry re-emerged – slowly at first, but then spectacularly in the 1990s to become a major crop in southern Australian farming systems.”

By 2000, canola was a major rotational crop, becoming one of the most profitable crops for grain growers in southern and western Australia. That’s because canola provides significant yield benefits to subse quent cereal crops. In 2013, Australia farm ers are expected to harvest 2.7 million met ric tons (MMT) of canola, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS), down about 16 percent from 3.2 MMT in 2012. Average yield this year is estimated at only 1.2 MT per hectare – significantly lower than 2012’s record yield of 1.75 MT/ha and well below the 5-year average of 1.5 MT/ha. Roughly 750,000 MMT of canola seed is crushed domestically. About 2 MMT or 60 percent of production will be exported. Australia is the world’s second largest exporter of canola, accounting for 17 per cent of world trade in 2012, according to the USDA-FAS. Major importers of Australian canola are the European Union, Pakistan and Japan in order of volume.

Australia is the world’s second largest exporter of canola, accounting for 17 percent of world trade in 2012. China was historically one of the biggest importers of Australian canola seed, but in September 2009, it banned imports of this seed after regulatory authorities detected blackleg and feared that the fungal disease would damage domestic production of rape seed in China. However, steps are being taken to reopen trade in that market. In November CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 ❱

Canola field in spring 2012 in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.

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Alison Neumer Lara

Australian Market, Geography Attract Multinationals The fiercely competitive canola market in Australia includes some of the largest companies in agribusiness, many U.S.-based. Cargill, Monsanto, DuPont Pioneer and Bayer CropScience are among the major international players with a stake in the region. Minneapolis-based Cargill first started crushing canola in Australia in 1982 and launched its high oleic canola program in 1997. The international company’s Australian operation crushes canola at two of its three plants there, both biotech and non-biotech canola varieties. Cargill processes a total of 680,000 metric tons of canola, cotton, soybean and sunflower seed annually. The majority of canola crushed is conventional, but specialty, high-oleic canola is a fast-emerging market in the Asia Pacific region, said Kyle Marinkovich, Cargill’s marketing director for specialty seeds and oils. “We see tremendous growth potential,” he said. “The demand in North America was driven by consumer health concerns, public policy and the need for cleaner labels. We’re seeing that exact demand in Asia Pacific.” The company finds the geography useful for other reasons, too. “We utilize it for our insights into disease globally because Australia has a whole different set of diseases,” Marinkovich said. Cargill Australia, which serves both domestic and export markets, is also in the business of selling canola seed, including products containing Monsanto’s Roundup Ready® (RR) biotech trait, which has made deep inroads into the Australian market since launching four years ago. Growers there purchased 550 metric tons of RR-licensed canola for the 2013 season, driving up sales 22 percent over last year, according to St. Louis-based Monsanto. The company cites “new high performing varieties, the reopening of China’s market and negligible premiums for non-biotech canola” as the main sales drivers.

Biotech Market Advances Over the last three years, the area planted with RR canola grew by 32 percent to 177,000 hectares in 2012, up from around 141,000 in 2011 and 134,000 in 2010. The acreage could jump to 220,000 hectares in 2013 based on the 550 metric tons of RR planting seed sold. While this represents significant market penetration for the product, most of the national crop remains non-biotech by “market choice,” according to Nick Goddard, executive director of the Australian Oilseeds Federation. Canola and cotton are the only biotech crops approved for commercial planting in the country at present. For its part, Pioneer introduced herbicide-tolerant canola to Australia in 2001 (Clearfield®) and 2008 (RR), but first established a

canola research and development program there in 1996. “The program is linked to Pioneer’s canola R&D platform internationally and focuses on improved spring Brassica napus products for markets in Australia and South Africa,” said Kevin Morthorpe, DuPont Pioneer’s canola product business and stewardship manager. Seed supplies of its newest products sold out this season, he said, and the canola industry’s continued “dramatic” growth in Australia (growers produced a record 3.9 million metric tons of canola seed in 2012) has prompted Pioneer to invest more in the market there.

Summering Down Under Perhaps equally attractive as the size of the market is the weather. Bayer CropScience only recently launched its canola seed sales program in Australia, but for many years, the company has used the country’s summer season as a winter nursery to quickly advance seed production and breeding operations for the North American canola market. “Australia has been instrumental in allowing Bayer to bring new hybrids to market much earlier than if they only produced seed in the Northern Hemisphere,” said James Humphris, manager of oilseed crops for herbicides and trait agreement at Bayer. “Australia has been an excellent country in regards to gaining the isolations needed to achieve the high quality standards we set.” In 2011, Dow AgroSciences started using Australia as a testing environment for genetic resistance to blackleg disease and as a resource on how to manage the disease. Dow is also working with local institutions on projects to develop high-performing canola varieties and plans to introduce its Nexera™ high-oleic canola seed to the market. The result is a scaling up of the Australian program overall, said Richard Chambers, Dow Agro Sciences’ seeds business leader in Sydney. The company runs two breeding centers and uses contractors for regional field evaluations. “Our decision to invest in seeds within Australia and Nexera™ canola along with wheat is a key priority,” Chambers said. “We have multiple strategies in place that will commercialize lines over the next five years.” Expect the competition to be intense. Whether it’s the global demand for a healthier cooking oil, the chance to speed up product development or test for disease, international agribusinesses are eager to reap huge rewards in Australia by investing in canola. Alison Neumer Lara is managing editor of U.S. Canola Digest.

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❰ CONTINUED from PAGE 14

Australian Canola Production 2012/13 by State (per 1,000 metric tons)

Australian Canola Production 2012/13

Production (MMT)

3 3 2 2 1 1

2012/13

2011/12

2010/11

2009/10

2008/09

2007/08

2006/07

2005/06

2004/05

2003/04

2002/03

2001/02

0 New South Wales Victoria

South Australia Western Australia

Source: Australian Oilseed Federaton

2012, Chinese technical experts visited Australia to better understand the operational and quality assurance protocols in place for canola exports to China.

Regional Issues

Currently, four Australian states grow canola. They are (in order of production) Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Biotech canola variet ies with herbicide resistant traits are grown in each of these states except South Australia. “The emerging use of modern biotech nology in canola is creating exciting new opportunities in crop improvement and prod uct development for farmers and the industry,” said Goddard. However, some regional bans on planting biotech crops are getting in the way. South Australia’s state government has a ban on biotech crops until at least 2019. The state of Tasmania also has a moratorium on such crops until 2014. These bans might hit Australian farmers where it hurts most – in the wallet. According to the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), economic modeling from the Australian government suggests that not adopting biotech canola will affect Australian agriculture more than $6 billion by 2015. “Nationally, biotech canola is around 10 percent of the total crop for farmers in

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Australia,” said Goddard. “The lifting of the moratoriums currently in place and further acceptance of biotech canola can allow farmers to see increased revenues and profit.” Biotech canola varieties were first grown in 2008 and plantings increased in 2010 when Western Australia withdrew its moratorium on biotech seed, notes the USDA-FAS. However, uptake of these varieties has been relatively slow due to the price premium received for nonbiotech crops, particularly from the European Union, and the small number of handling facilities that are registered to receive, store and export biotech crops. Biotech canola is most widely grown in the state of Victoria. Australian canola farmers also face other challenges related to weed and pest control as well as climate change, especially droughtlike conditions. The AOF reports that drought conditions along the east coast in the past decade have hindered the oil content of canola in New South Wales and Victoria. Oil content in these states is lower than that of Western Australia, which has more favorable growing conditions. “Canola does suffer from droughts, which tend to come around every decade or so, and crops in the marginal rainfall zones will suf fer intermittently,” said Goddard. “However, in the last two years, the crop has been very good as a result of very heavy floods during the growing season, which comes during the U.S. winter months.”

s ep t em b er • o c to b er 2013

Consumer Demand

Canola oil is a hit with Australian consum ers. The AOF says 45 percent of them already use canola oil as a dietary staple. In fact, canola oil is now the most purchased cooking oil by Australians. The AOF also predicts that use of canola oil will continue to rise as more consumers become aware of its health benefits. The Australian National Heart Foundation is helping spread the word by recommending canola oil as part of a heart-healthy diet. “We have seen canola oil become an estab lished component in Australian diets and its use is continuing to increase with greater recognition of its healthy properties,” noted Goddard. “Also, recent development of new specialty oils offers the promise of more cook ing oil options for consumers.” Such specialty oils are primarily high-oleic canola. In May 2012, fast-food giant KFC announced that it was switching from palm oil to high-oleic canola oil, sourced entirely from Australian farmers, in all 600 of its restaurants. With both the retail and commercial oil sectors moving toward healthier products, canola oil stands to gain an even a bigger mar ket share in the “Land Down Under.” Angela Dansby is executive editor of U.S. Canola Digest. Brent Connett, a freelance writer in Chicago, also contributed to this story.

There’s an App for That? Managing Farms with Mobile Tech Tools Shaun Haney

Convincing farmers about the value of smartphones is so 2010. Farmers are now looking for new and better apps to help them manage their farm operations. Whether they are 20 or 60 years old, farmers use apps to improve communication and productivity and increase the accuracy of farm business decisions. The goal is ultimately higher profitability. Apps have truly brought the desktop to the palm of our hand. Initially, many apps could only do one thing. But today, they are multifunctional and even specific to agriculture. Three things have made agriculture-based apps a reality today: • N ew smartphone processing power: With the ability to put 2Ghz processing speed into a ultra thin phone design, programmers have essentially been able to create mobile desktop-like software. • Cloud data servers: Cloud storage allows for data to synchronize in real time. Apps with the capability to access data no different than a desktop truly unleash the power of an agriculture-based app. • Increase in 4G and LTE networks in rural areas: Creating dynamic agriculture apps is pointless without the proper levels of bandwidth. This is especially true for apps that require heavy, two-way data transfer. Smartphones and apps allow you to manage email, calendar dates and contacts while away from your desktop. The days of being tied to your computer to make calls and enter data into a spreadsheet are over in the new world of mobile technology. What better industry is there than agriculture to prosper from the benefits of mobile technology? Farmers require significant time in their offices, which are in barns and fields. As mobile technology has evolved and high-speed data networks are now available in rural areas, farmers have access to mobile apps like never before. You no longer have to be in a major city to access high-speed 4G data networks. A great example of using apps or mobile sites on the farm is for crop marketing. Gathering real time information without having to make a phone call creates significant value for the producer. Not too long ago, farmers waited for their weekly farm publication to update them on crop prices. Good marketing decisions begin with accurate, real-time information, which today’s mobile technology provides. Here is a list of some of the best apps that can be used by farmers all over the U.S.: • Case and New Holland My Shed: Enter the equipment models that you own and pull up part lists and schematic diagrams for maintenance. Additionally, order parts from your preferred dealers. • J ohn Deere Mobile Farm Manager: Record farm operations on a mobile device while on the go from the tractor.

• F arm at Hand: Input seed to sale record-keeping of your farm operation. Developed by a farmer in Canada, this app presents really good, simple enterprise solutions. www.farmathand.com • Scoutdoc: On your iPad, collect field scouting information, upload images, take notes, add action items and email reports to an agronomist or other hired help. www.scoutdoc.com • RealAgriculture.com: For use on BlackBerry, Android and Apple (iPad and iPhone) products, get the latest farm news and videos. www.realagriculture.com/mobileapp • DTN Progressive Farmer: Get news, market information and weather all in one place on your iPad. This app is very visually appealing with great colors and market graphics. • My Ag Central: Store all of your farm management and decision-making data on this new cloud-based solution for growers, ag-retailers and advisors. It’s currently webbased but it’s becoming more and more mobile all the time. myagcentral.com Some apps that are built for general audiences provide applicable solutions on the farm as well. They include: • W eather Channel or The Weather Network: Get the weather forecasting you need on the farm with either of these apps, which have different features and cater to specific operating platforms. • Evernote: Take notes in this cloud-based app by speaking, texting and uploading images. Add tags and save files in different notebooks for easy access to your notes from virtually any mobile device and even a desktop. • G oogle Drive or Dropbox: Access a spreadsheet or Word document on the go without having to save the file in additional locations with these cloud storage options. Manage who has access to files and share them with people around the world. • Twitter: Stay on top of the latest in agricultural markets, agronomy and politics. Follow the #agchat hashtag or successful farmers like @raylindairy, @jefffowle or @farmerhaley to get started. Managing a farming operation requires significant multitasking and organizational skills. The above apps and others can help you stay on top of everything and be even more effective on the farm. Smart growers use smartphones and more to make their jobs easier. SHAUN HANEY IS FOUNDER OF REALAGRICULTURE.COM, A DIGITAL-ONLY AGRICULTURAL MEDIA company based in Picture Butte, Alberta, Canada. FIND HIM ON TWITTER AT @ SHAUNHANEY OR @REALAGRICULTURE.

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Mattie Quinn

Canola Industry Joins

Social Media Tool Builds Local and Global Connections

Some may think of Twitter as just a way for Millennials (ages 20-34) to communicate, but not if you ask those working in the canola industry. Twitter’s popularity has exploded in the past few years on the farm as a way to share photos, network and get “as it happens” news. Five industry members below share their experience with Twitter and explain how it has become invaluable to their work.

@kinderjw #thefarmer

@ksucanola #thenetworker Michael Stamm, a canola breeder with Kansas State University, is a rare type of social media user. He steers clear of Facebook, but uses Twitter actively to connect with canola growers in his area and beyond. “I started my own Twitter account in September 2012 during planting season,” Stamm said. “Out of curiosity, I had already been reading tweets from the agriculture industry. Those of us working with canola in the southern Great Plains are a fairly close-knit bunch, so I thought Twitter would be a great way to broaden those interactions.” Maintaining his Great Plains connections is a big draw for Stamm, who uses Twitter to keep fellow growers and research ers in the know. For example, he always tweets about upcoming canola events to maximize attendance. “I like Twitter because it changes so rapidly and new bits of information are being shared all the time,” he said. Stamm uses Twitter to keep tabs on other researchers – their struggles as well as breakthroughs. Using Twitter also has given Stamm opportunities to expand his industry contacts in unexpected ways. “The most interesting interactions I have had are with Canadian canola growers,” he noted. “Although we grow win ter canola and they grow spring canola, we face a lot of the same issues. I actually have more farmers following me in Canada than I do in Kansas.”

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Jimmy Kinder, owner of Kinder Farms in Walters, Okla., initially joined Twitter when he noticed Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service specialists using the social network to talk amongst themselves about agricultural issues. “I’m in the southwest portion of the state that often sees dis eases and insects first, so it was beneficial for me to join to give [other farmers] a quick heads-up on a lot of issues,” Kinder said. Twitter is particularly beneficial at harvest time. “During harvest I don’t have any time and I certainly don’t have time to read through the e-newsletters that go out,” Kinder said. “Tweets are like mass texts. We can all communicate important information to each other quickly. “In the pre-Internet days, if you had a question you would have to call your local extension service specialist and typically wait a day or two for that person to get back to you. Now you can send a tweet and get a much quicker response. After all, today’s tweet is tomorrow’s newsletter.” Kinder largely uses Twitter to keep up with his existing indus try contacts, although he has interacted with some canola fam ers around the globe. “It sounds silly, but when I’m having a drought, it is reassur ing to know that some canola farmer in Australia is also going through a drought,” he said. Kinder finds that the 140 character limit is a bigger pro than con. “The brevity makes you use more nouns and less adjectives and verbs, which I enjoy,” he said. “I even joke sometimes that all emails should adopt the 140 character limit.”

Twittersphere @OkiefarmerBrent #thenewbie

@WhiteWheatTweet #themarketguy Byron Behne, a grain merchandiser in the Pacific Northwest, originally created a Twitter account to “keep up with sports writers.” “I started noticing how many people in the agriculture industry were on it, so I started tweeting myself,” he said. “It’s a nice little community and I can see field reports as soon as they come out.” Getting a sense of the global grain market has been one of Twitter’s best attributes for Behne. “Last year, a farmer in Brazil tweeted that the canola crop was going to be smaller than expected and he ended up being spot-on,” he noted. “Twitter really has let me tap into the global seed market. I have back-and-forth exchanges with people from around the world fairly often.” Twitter has proven to be so helpful with its instant updates that Behne spends a great deal of his work day checking the website. “I used to rely on daily reports that were delivered to my inbox periodically throughout the day, but now I never even look at them,” Behne said. “I just have my futures program open and Twitter up and that’s pretty much what I do all day.”

Two months into his tweeting habit, northeast Oklahoma farmer Brent Rendel has just hopped on the Twitter bandwagon. “I started to see Twitter as a way to get exactly the kind of news that I wanted to read,” he said. “It’s true – I’ve been able to keep my newsfeed pretty doggone focused.” Rendel had a successful canola crop this year, producing about 2,600 pounds, and he used Twitter to announce his good fortune. “I like to share photos and Twitter is great for that,” he said. “Also, if you see another farmer doing well, it’s so easy to give them a virtual pat on the back.” Before Twitter, Rendel found the agriculture news he wanted on email listservs and blogs, but now Twitter has made those tools seem like old hat. “Most of the time, anything I see on an e-newsletter or blog is something I’ve already read about on Twitter the previous day,” he noted. “I now get to see the news I care about in real time.” While canola acreage in Oklahoma is exploding, it is still a relatively new crop in the state and Twitter has helped local farmers navigate the perils that come along with newness, Rendel added. “Talking with northern growers has been helpful,” he said. “[I see] what has worked for them, etc. I also like to give sug gestions to other Oklahoma farmers when I notice something that works or doesn’t. It truly has shown me how small the world has become.”

@jessicawilcoxOK #theproducer #theinsuranceagent A native of eastern Oklahoma, Jessica Wilcox now resides in northwest Oklahoma where she works as both a canola producer and crop insurance agent. She’s an active Twitter user. “I just thought it would be a good way to know what’s going on,” Wilcox said. “Sure enough, I started following northern growers in North Dakota and Canada and they provided good information on things to look out for like diseases that may be sprouting.” Twitter has proven to be tremendously helpful for canola growers in Oklahoma because the crop is still relatively new. “It has eliminated a lot of trial and error for us,” Wilcox said. “We have seen producers around the state doing ‘non-traditional’ things that have actually produced beautiful canola. In real time, we can see things that are working and that means we are able to get a lot more accomplished.” Wilcox’s network has extended quite a bit because of her Twitter account. “I talk to someone I wouldn’t normally talk to at least once a day,” she said. “I didn’t even know that canola was grown in Australia until I got on Twitter and now I love looking at their pictures.” While not every farmer is on social media, Wilcox predicts that its popularity is only going to keep growing. “It really has become a coffee shop for farmers,” Wilcox said. “Heck, most tractors run on autopilot now anyway. So what are farmers doing? Sitting on social media.” Mattie Quinn is a contributing writer in Chicago.

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regional news

Great Plains Weather Lack of Storms Canola Yields Strong Despite Dry Conditions Ron Sholar and Josh Bushong

This past crop year was one of the most challenging ever for winter canola production in the southern Great Plains. From planting through harvest, most canola producers felt like they were constantly under attack and at the mercy of Mother Nature. Despite all the set backs, many growers were still able to have a successful season – con firming once again just how resilient this crop is. The long list of challenges started at planting last fall when lack of moisture made it difficult for some and impossible for others to get an adequate stand. After a tough winter, many fields didn’t break dor mancy until it rained, but most stands grew rapidly once the spring rains started and growing conditions were very favorable in March.

The improvement in spring weather compared to the previous fall had a positive effect not only on the crop but also on producers’ spirits. However, growers experienced a seemingly never ending series of late spring freezes, ice storms, hail and strong winds. Starting the last week of March and continuing throughout April, some areas in Oklahoma were hit by as many as five freezes. Kansas growers suffered through the same kind of conditions. In addition to the late freezes, many producers experienced an ice storm April 9-10. Experience indicated that the combined effect of all

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of these events would, at minimum, delay crop maturity and, at worst, reduce pod set and ultimately yield. As the crop continued to advance in maturity, it was very difficult to determine the overall impact of these weather events, but clearly some areas fared better than others. Fields that broke dormancy late or were seeded to a later maturing cultivar did seem to recover better than oth ers. Plants were impacted by the severity of the freeze and duration of the low temperatures. Depending on the severity of the freeze, the plants may have exhibited more stem damage when exposed to lower temperatures for a longer duration of time. Fields that were in or near full bloom suffered the most from freezing conditions. Flowers that were open during one of the freezes sterilized and didn’t produce pods. This was very noticeable at harvest when por tions of the racemes had no pods at all. May weather was favorable for canola. Since the crop has The improvement in a n indeterminate spring weather compared growth habit, the improving weather to the previous fall had conditions allowed many fields to recover a positive effect not only from previous set on the crop but also on backs. The flowering period in 2013 was producers’ spirits. long compared to other years; blooming in some areas lasted for more than five weeks. Due to the extended flowering period, it wasn’t possible to determine yield loss due to the freezes as the plants may have flowered for a shorter period of time had the freezes not occurred. Overall, producers were pleased with their canola crop given the dif ficult weather. Many producers observed that their canola crop pro duced yields similar to those for their wheat crop and most indicated that canola produced higher economic returns compared to wheat. Great Plains growers continue to benefit from this crop and more are expected to incorporate it in their cropping systems. All signs point to another year ahead of record plantings for the region. RON SHOLAR IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GREAT PLAINS CANOLA ASSOCIATION In Stillwater, Okla. JOSH BUSHONG IS AN EXTENSION CANOLA SPECIALIST AT OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY in Stillwater.

A standing room-only crowd of more than 400 attended the winter canola conference in Enid, Okla.

Potential Growers Flock to Winter Canola Conferences Experts Discuss Crop Advantages and Challenges Dale Thorenson In preparation for the fall planting season, well over 500 growers from the southern Great Plains attended the Ninth Annual OklahomaKansas Winter Canola Conferences in Enid and Altus, Okla., July 17-18 to learn how to successfully grow winter canola in rotation with winter wheat. Many growers, reluctant to try winter canola in the past couple of years because of the extremely dry falls, expressed serious intent at the conferences to introduce the crop into rotation for the coming crop year. Among the presenters, Josh Bushong, an Oklahoma State University (OSU) canola specialist, discussed the amazing resiliency of winter canola, noting that much of the crop survived the past year’s drought, hail and late spring freezes – even sometimes withstanding Mother Nature’s challenges better than winter wheat. Mike Stamm, M.S., a Kansas State University canola breeder, relayed a similar message as he presented the results of the canola variety trials. He acknowledged there were some canola failures, but there were more winter wheat failures. More companies have entered the winter canola seed market and the genetics are improving. The yields are becoming more stable; the crop has come a long way from its infancy 10 years ago. The bottom line, according to Stamm: Plant several different varieties to spread out risk. Rodney Jones and Jason Pace, OSU agricultural economists, discussed the economic benefits of rotating winter canola into a winter wheat monoculture. They pointed to eight years of budget data that show returns are consistently higher with canola in the rotation. Depending on the projected yields, returns are $32 to $84 more per acre for a wheat-wheat-canola rotation over a continuous wheat rotation. If the loss of grazing during the canola year is factored in, returns are from $8 to $34 more per acre with the inclusion of canola. However, the loss of grazing data does not account for the more robust wheat stand on the years following canola. Wheat yields following canola have been consistently higher than yields on continuous wheat by 10 percent or more. OSU entomologist Tom Royer, Ph.D., addressed the various insect pests that can prey on winter canola, and the pesticides available for control should infestations reach economic thresholds. Problem insects include springtails, aphids, diamondback moths and cutworms. Growers were cautioned that they do need to regularly check their fields after planting to ensure survival of the crop. The crop in the south is susceptible to pests for a much longer period of time than spring canola in the north, which is planted in May and harvested in August. John Damicone, Ph.D., an OSU plant pathologist, reviewed diseases that can affect canola, including blackleg and sclerotinia, as well as the fungicides available to control them. OSU continues to work on identifying varieties that are more resistant to the various diseases in research plots and growers should look through the data when selecting varieties for planting. The late freezes weakened the crop this past year and allowed some infections that had not been seen

before. Overall, however, winter canola in the southern Great Plains experiences less disease pressure compared to spring canola growing regions in the Northern Plains. Also at the conference, the Great Plains Canola Association inducted Mark Boyles into the association’s Hall of Fame and presented his family with a plaque. Boyles, instrumental in the introduction of canola into the Great Plains, passed away unexpectedly last January after a brief illness. Industry sponsors were given a few minutes each to discuss their interest and efforts at increasing the acreage of winter canola in the Southern Great Plains as well as providing service to the growing number of producers who are planting the crop each year. The organizers of the conferences – the Great Plains Canola Growers Association, Oklahoma State University and Kansas State University – thank these sponsors: ADM, American Farmers and Ranchers, Canola of the Great Plains, Croplan by Winfield, CrustBuster, DeKalb, DL Seeds, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, FMC, Great Plains Canola Association, Johnston Enterprises, Monosem, Monsanto, Northstar Agri Ind., Northwest Commodities, Oklahoma Oilseed Commission, Photosyntech, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Producers Cooperative Oil Mill, Rubisco Seeds and U.S. Canola Association. DALE THORENSON IS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. CANOLA ASSOCIATION IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

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regional news

Acreage Up in Pacific Northwest Willamette Valley Ban in Governor’s Hands Kathy Hadley and Karen Sowers, M.S.

With the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service plant ings report estimating a 25 percent increase in Pacific Northwest canola acreage for 2013, the region went into the summer with strong hope. And the projection didn’t disappoint. In July, winter canola harvest wrapped up in in the irrigated regions of eastern Washington with above-average yields.

ers had timely rains in June that should keep yields at historic averages. Higher elevation locations in southeast Washington and the Camas Prairie are expected to begin canola harvesting in early August.

Willamette Valley Update

The saga continues in the Willamette Valley of central Oregon, where specialty seed crop producers are opposing every effort by the Oregon Department of Agriculture and other producers to allow canola production. A bill that would almost completely ban canola production in the valley until 2019 nar rowly passed both chambers of the Oregon leg islature in early July and now awaits a decision by Gov. John Kitzhaber. The bill appropriates $679,000 to Oregon State University to con duct research to determine if canola poses too much of a risk to specialty seed crops, but oth erwise is a complete moratorium on raising canola in the valley. The specialty seed industry and environ mental groups filed a second lawsuit in April with the Oregon Court of Appeals to chal lenge the administrative rule if their legisla tive efforts fail. If the bill is vetoed, the court will decide whether to again grant an injunc tion that blocks planting until the case can be argued.

Oilseed Videos Online

Doug Starkel, for example, who farms north of Odessa, had record yields over 4,100 lbs/acre. “I’m not sure if there’s any single change I made that I can say contributed to the high yields,” he said. “But I did apply boron in the spring for the first time this year. I seeded a week earlier than normal and I applied more irriga tion water in the fall until about mid-October.” In north central Washington’s dryland areas, harvest was just getting started as of late July. Initial reports indicated average or below average yields (~1,500 lbs/acre) in areas with less than 10 inches of annual precipitation and a range of 700-2,300 lbs/acre in the southeast where annual precipitation is 11 to 14 inches. Drought conditions in the fall months, frost during full bloom, and July wind and hail took a toll on some canola fields, while oth

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Washington State University (WSU) exten sion announced the launch of video coverage from the 2013 WSU Oilseed Production and Marketing Conference in January. More than 60 videos feature keynote speakers, growers and industry, agency and university researchers pre senting a wide range of topics. The videos can be accessed via the WSU Biofuels Cropping Systems Research and Extension project website at http://css.wsu.edu/biofuels/presentations.

Oilseed Conference Expanding in 2014

WSU and the Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association will join forces to host the 2014 Oilseed and Direct Seed Conference “Covering New Ground” on Jan. 20-22, 2014 in Kennewick, Wash. Topics will address crop rotations, marketing, soil health, alternative crops, and conservation reserve program takeout. There will also be oilseed and seed-specific

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Winter Canola Hot, Hot, Hot Interest in learning more about growing winter canola and other oilseed crops in the Pacific Northwest is continuing to expand. Washington State University (WSU) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) faculty and staff organized tours in Washington near Bridgeport, Pomeroy and Odessa with assistance from growers, industry and the University of Idaho, also participating in an industry-led tour near Reardan. Topics included winter canola variety comparisons, weed and pest control, seeding dates, marketing, economics, tillage, and research and outreach updates from WSU. Frank Young, Ph.D., a USDA-ARS scientist, initiated the tours in response to questions from growers about his winter canola variety trials in north central Washington. Cereal rye is a significant problem weed in the wheat-fallow crop rotations there, so growers wanted to find out the details from Young’s research using canola and different herbicides to control the rye. “These tours gave growers and industry an up-close look at how the varieties perform at different locations, as well as opportunities to hear about other canola production details and network with experienced canola growers,” said Dennis Roe, Ph.D., an oilseed extension specialist at WSU. “We are planning to increase the number of locations for variety trials this year and will continue to offer field tours and other educational events about canola production in the Pacific Northwest.”

breakout sessions to address beginning and advanced management strategies for dryland and irrigated fields. KATHY HADLEY IS A FARMER AND MEMBER OF THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY OILSEED Producers ASSOCIATION in Rickreail, Ore. KAREN SOWERS, M.S., IS AN EXTENSION AND OUTREACH SPECIALIST AT WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY IN RICHLAND.

regional news

Canola in Northeast Georgia Promising Strong Yields Despite Wet Season Cretia Ariail

Adapting winter canola into a row crop has proved to be successful on farms across the southeast. Winter canola yields in 2013 averaged between 50 and 70 bushels per acre. Given the unusually wet growing and harvesting season, the regions yields have been very encouraging. The southeast benefits from growing an extra broadleaf crop like canola to compliment wheat rotations. Farmers are better able to con trol wheat diseases and resistant ryegrass, which has become a huge problem in the area. Most

Leading with Heart ❰ CONTINUED from PAGE 13

immediate past president of IFT, who also quizzed contestants on food science. (Example: How much vitamin A do sweet potatoes con tain? Answer: Trick question. None, only precursor compounds.) “These are teachable moments.” The “Simply Heart” team impressed Clemens and other judges by, among other choices, using two ingredients in novel func tional ways: chia seed as a natural thickener and puffed millet to achieve a crispy coat ing. Nguyen and teammate Huck received a $3,500 check for their first place finish and complimentary registration for IFT’s Annual Meeting and Food Expo. “This competition gives students real-world product development experience and the stu dents from the University of Arkansas carried their product well from start to finish,” said IFT President-Elect Janet Collins. “I believe

southeastern farmers double crop with soybeans behind canola, then plant wheat in the fall after the soybean harvest. Farmers are reporting a 20 to 25 percent increase in wheat yields with this rotation. While the season has been extremely wet, most of the canola acreage has been har vested and farmers are hoping for some days without rain to finish planting soybeans. Ted Katsigianis at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., reported a successful first year of growing canola. Despite extensive flooding on the farm that cost 20 percent of the crop, he still produced 40 bushels per acre. The varieties were similar with no disease issues. Katsigianis says he plans to increase the farm’s canola acreage this fall.

Field Day

In order to educate area growers, UGA Cooperative Extension Service, Hart AgStrong and Rubisco Seeds sponsored the Northeast Georgia Canola Production Field Day in late May on Moon Farms in Winterville, Ga. Farmers, University of Georgia (UGA) exten sion agents and sponsors attended. Topics included different variety trials and recommen dations, plus planting and management tips.

that ‘Simply Heart’ is a product that could really succeed in today’s marketplace.”

Eye on Healthy Snacks

Six students from Rutgers University earned second place in the contest and a check for $2,500 with “Herbilicious Crisps,” thin chips made of a quinoa-based flour blend and flavored with Italian herbs and roasted seaweed powder. “We wanted to offer a junk food-like healthy food,” said team member Karen Chang. “Americans love snacking, but most snacks in the market are not healthy.” To bolster nutrition, “we chose quinoa because it’s a popular heart-healthy product right now.” added teammate Linhong Yao. “We also used seaweed to incorporate umami flavor.” The students used canola oil, blended with egg whites and roasted sweet potato, to bind the chips. Iowa State University (ISU) won third place and $1,500 with “SmHeart Bites,” a layered

Photo courtesy of Cretia Ariail.

Attendees inspected five different variet ies of non-genetically modified hybrid winter canola, which were in the pod-filling stage. The canola was planted Oct. 11 in 23-inch rows at 2 pounds of seed per acre with 30 rows of each variety. On June 21, one week after the crop was desiccated, the canola was direct har vested. Yields from the plots averaged 70 bush els per acre. These varieties were also tested in another location 35 miles south on Nunn Farms in Madison, Ga. Yields averaged 60 to 64 bushels per acre. Cretia Ariail and her family grow canola in Carnesville, Ga.

mini cottage cheese cake with a purée made from aronia berries, an antioxidant-rich fruit grown locally in Iowa. The team used canola oil in the product base, an almond-oat bran crust. Market research, a key component of the competition, guided the team’s decision to build a product around cottage cheese, said team member Blake Jorgenson. “No one had ever heard of a cottage cheese bar.” The contest’s biggest challenge – and best reward – was working as a team, students agreed. “To turn an idea into a real thing, together, is so satisfying,” said ISU teammate Yee Lung Lai, who noted the long nights in the lab and the difficulty of balancing schoolwork with product testing. “At this point, we can finish each other’s sentences.” CanolaInfo and IFT plan to hold the com petition again in 2014 for a chance to see – and taste – what’s next for canola oil. Alison Neumer Lara is managing editor of U.S. Canola Digest.

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regional news

Producers, Industry Out in Full Force for Field Day USDA Funds Regional Research Beth Nelson and Jon Dockter

The 16th annual Minnesota Canola Council (MCC) Canola Production Centre (CPC) Field Day and Canola Hackers Golf Scramble were held July 17 in Roseau, Minn., with producers, industry representatives and extension personnel on hand to participate in a plot tour, lunch and heated competition on the links. More than 70 participants gathered to view plots located northwest of Roseau on Rice Farms as CPC Site Agronomist Dave Grafstrom led participants through the 3-acre site. The 2013 CPC trials included variety and systems comparisons and nitrogen rate and timing options – all compared to traditional management of canola.

Projects Funded

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture approved 2013 funding for the following National Canola Research Projects (NCRP) projects:

2013 NCRP Funding Matrix Researcher

Project

Cost

North Dakota State University Effect of Desiccants Applied Preharvest (Brian Jenks, Ed Davis) on Canola Yield and Seed Quality

$16,788

University of Minnesota (Nancy Jo Ehlke)

$52,235

Minnesota Canola Production Center & Canola Research

Identification of B. Napus Sources North Dakota State University of Resistance to and Development (Luis del Rio) of B. Juncea Breeding Populations with Resistance to Blackleg

$73,611

Development New Canola Germplasm North Dakota State University for of Increased Oil Per Acre Adapted (Shafiqur Rahman) in the North Central Region

$65,442

Project Director Travel

$1,924

Total

$210,000

Beth Nelson and JON DOCKTER are president and ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, respectively, OF THE MINNESOTA CANOLA COUNCIL IN ST. PAUL, MINN.

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MCC Board Updates T he M innesota D epartment o f Agriculture announced the results of a recent election for the MCC board of directors. Tony Brateng was elected to District 1 and Rob Rynning was elected as an at-large director. These positions became effective Sept. 1, 2013. The MCC board of directors maintained the current canola check-off rate of 6 cents/cwt for the 2013 crop.

Canola

Capers

“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” … covered in canola oil? The season two premiere of TLC’s highly rated show about a pageant girl and her family from rural Georgia saw prominent use of the cooking oil. After getting their cell phones taken away by their mother, the sevenyear-old star and her sisters decided to retaliate by creating their own indoor slip n’ slide using canola oil and butter in their home kitchen. Although Honey Boo Boo’s choice of cooking oil was terrific, it did not “butter up” mom.

quick bytes

capitol hill In the July 21 National Journal, agricultural columnist Jerr y Hagstrom praised House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas for “putting in a stellar performance” as he tried to get the 2013 Farm Bill through a sharply partisan Congress. However, Hagstrom argued that the bill should have roots in “old laws” and separating it from food and nutrition programs could prove to be detrimental. “It’s important to remember that these are bad ideas even if they come from Lucas, who has otherwise distinguished himself,” he wrote. “As [Executive Director of the U.S. Canola Association] John Gordley told the American Soybean Association (one of his clients), the problem with changing permanent laws is that if farmers don’t like the changes they will be difficult to change again.”

agronomy The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated 1.3 million acres of canola will be planted nationwide in 2013, down from 1.77 million acres in 2012. This decline was largely due to a wet spring in North Dakota that prevented planting, dropping state canola acres from 1,460 last year to 860 this year. Meanwhile, the Great Plains, especially Oklahoma, and Pacific Northwest states are expected to have significant acreage increases of up to 50 percent. According to a June

StatsCan report, Canadian canola growers reported 19.7 million seeded acres of canola, down 8.3 percent from 2012. This was the first decrease in national s e e d e d acres si n ce 20 0 6 . Saskatchewan was the largest contributor to the decline, with canola acreage falling 8 percent to 10.3 million acres. Seeding was also down in Alberta (-6.5 percent to 6.1 million acres) and Manitoba (-12.2 percent to 3.1 million acres) compared to last year.

increases its caloric content, that doesn’t necessarily make it unhealthful,” she said. “As long as food is fried in healthful oil instead of butter, shortening, or trans fat, and it’s eaten in moderation, it isn’t less healthy. In fact, fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K; and heart-healthy, cancer-preventive carotenoids ... need fat in order to be absorbed by the body.” Canola oil is cited as a healthy oil due to its high unsaturated fat content.

nutrition

oil for fuel

A comprehensive review of scientific evidence showed that consuming canola oil instead of other fat sources enhances health and can help consumers comply with expert dietary fat recommendations. Studies conducted over the past 25 years about the health effects of canola oil, analyzed in the June 2013 peer-reviewed journal Nutrition Reviews, confirmed canola oil reduces the risk of heart disease and suggested that it may also protect against other chronic diseases. “Canola oil can now be regarded as one of the healthiest edible vegetable oils in terms of its biological functions and its ability to improve health and aid in reducing disease-related risk factors,” said lead researcher Peter Jones, Ph.D., of the University of Manitoba. The scientific literature review was equally funded by the U.S. Canola Association and Canola Council of Canada.

The USDA will disburse $98.6 million to support production of advanced biofuels. The payments, established as part of the 2008 Farm Bill, will be available to producers based on the amount of biofuel produced from renewable biomass. Eligible feedstocks include canola. “The United States is on the path to a cleaner, more secure energy future,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “By helping producers to support and expand the production of advanced biofuels, USDA is ensuring that rural America is a key component of President O bama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign oil.” The Advanced Biofuels Payment Program helps producers defray production costs and aims to nurture the fledgling industry.

A U.S. registered dietitian separated food fact from fiction in a Yahoo! News article, including dispelling the notion that all fried foods are unhealthy. “While it’s true that frying food usually

in the Willamette Valley until 2019, reported Oregon Live. The July 1 ruling has been passed onto the governor for a signature. In earlier testimony, wouldbe canola growers in the valley argued that canola is a valuable rotational crop, which can be produced without threatening the specialty seed industry. The policy overrides the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s February 2013 ruling which permitted up to 2,500 acres of local canola production. However, the bill does allow for a small amount of canola to be grown for Oregon State University’s research purposes.

about meal Chinese demand for Canadian canola meal is expected to grow following a report that showed an increase in milk production when cows consume the meal, reported The Wall Street Journal. Canadian canola meal increased milk production by more than half a liter per cow per day, according to the joint ChineseCanadian study released June 14 by the Canola Council of Canada. “Our research shows use of canola is not only effective; it is economical for Chinese dairy farmers as well,” said Dr. Wang Ruojun of China Agricultural University. During the 2012 calendar year, Canada sold US$2.96 billion in canola seed, oil and meal to China, representing more than 50 percent of the country’s agri-food exports to China.

latest industry news The Oregon Senate signed off on a bill banning canola production

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canola cooks Sheri’s Soft Granola 3 cups rolled oats 1 cup nuts such as sliced almonds, pine nuts, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans or combination 1 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries, blueberries or combination ¹⁄ ³ cup canola oil ½ cup honey

1 Tbsp vanilla powder 1. In large mixing bowl, gently combine oats, nuts and fruit. 2. In small saucepan over low heat, combine oil and honey. Heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until mixture is smooth and runny. Pour over oat mixture. 3. Add vanilla powder. Stir until dry oat mixture is evenly coated. Store in airtight container for up to one week. Yield: 5 cups.

Take a Hike … With Healthier Foods Sheri Coleman, B.S.N., R.N.

When fall arrives, it’s time to relish the outdoors and enjoy the last pleasant, cool days before winter. Fall is also a time for getting away from our carefully groomed backyards and into the wild. But whether it’s a brief morning hike in a nearby park or a weeklong camping trek beyond the reach of roads, being outdoors refreshes our appetites as much as our spirits. Foods appropriate to a short hike or a camping trip have a few things in common: They are prepared in advance or simple to assemble, easily eaten standing and slow to spoil. Like the menu at an outdoor party, a wilderness excursion of any length calls for advance planning so the food won’t distract from the encoun ter with nature. No matter the occasion, canola oil can help make the food both tasty and healthy. It provides high levels of unsaturated fats, including monounsaturated and essential omega-3 and omega-6 fats, which have been shown to help lower cholesterol. Canola oil has the least saturated fat (7 percent) of all common cooking oils. The granola below was inspired by time spent in the Rocky Mountains. It’s great for breakfasts and desserts, as well as hikes. The dried cherry cookie packs well for treks and includes the all-necessary chocolate when taking in the views! Sheri Coleman, B.S.N., R.N., is associate director of the northern Canola growerS association in Bismarck, N.D.

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Sugar Cookies with Dried Cherries 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted ½ tsp salt ¾ cup canola oil 1 tsp baking powder 2 large eggs 2 cups sugar 2 tsp pure almond extract 1 cup finely chopped dried cherries 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans Topping: 3 egg whites, whipped gently with fork sanding or regular sugar 1. Preheat oven to 325 ˚F. In medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. 2. In another medium bowl, mix oil and sugar with electric blender on medium speed until combined. Add eggs, mixing well. Mix in almond extract. 3. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing after each addition. Add cherries, chocolate and pecans and beat on low until incorporated, 1-2 minutes. 4. Divide dough in half; roll each portion into 1 ½- to 2-inch diameter log. Wrap in plastic. Place in freezer until firm. Cut logs into ¼-inch thick rounds, transferring to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. 5. Brush tops with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake until edges begin to turn golden, 15-20 minutes. Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

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To increase your canola potential, send disease packing. The Pioneer Protector® sclerotonia resistance trait is built into every seed to reduce disease severity. You can choose products with Clearfield® or Roundup Ready® traits too. Your local Pioneer sales professional will be with you from the word go to help make sure your canola grows up strong and productive.

Pioneer® brand canola oﬀers strong disease resistance for more muscular yields.

Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company. The unique Clearfield symbol and Clearfield ® are registered trademarks of BASF. The DuPont Oval Logo is a registered trademark of DuPont. PIONEER® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. ®, TM, SM Trademarks and service marks of Pioneer. © 2013 PHII. DUPPCN13003VA_090113_USCD