North Dakota Congressman Rick Berg spoke to producers during this morning’s opening session.  One of the topics he mentioned was working with producers to correct a corn test weight concern regarding crop insurance…

Congressman Rick Berg

National Corn Growers Association Chairman Bart Schott, a producer from Kulm, North Dakota, is the scheduled luncheon speaker.  He recently ventured to Panama to check out construction of the new shipping canal in that country.

NCGA Bart Schott

Afternoon activities at the convention include a panel presentation on drain tile, and a market update from Mike Krueger, President of The Money Farm.

Producers can enroll land on a continuous basis beginning this summer at their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) county office. With the use of soil survey and geographic information system data, local FSA staff can quickly determine a producer’s eligibility for the initiative.

“As we work towards President Obama’s vision for an economy that is built to last, America’s natural resources must play an important role. Lands in CRP help support strong incomes for our farmers and ranchers and are the source of good middle class jobs related to outdoor recreation, hunting, and fishing,” said Vilsack. “This announcement will strengthen CRP by focusing on protecting the most environmentally sensitive land. It targets limited resources where they can make the most difference for farmers, ranchers and to drive economic growth. I urge landowners who have highly erodible land to visit their county office to learn more about this program.”

Lands eligible for this program are typically the least productive land on the farm. In many cases the most cost-effective option to reduce erosion is to put the land into a wildlife friendly cover, which will improve habitat and reduce sediment and nutrient runoff and reduce wind erosion. For 25 years, CRP has improved water and air quality, preserved habitat for wildlife, and prevented soil erosion. Programs such as CRP are important conservation safeguards. They prevent the return of the dust storms of the 1930s and the ravages of unmitigated gully erosions of our past.

Source: USDA FSA

Additionally, U.S. food-grade soybean producers will have access to the South Korean market for the first time outside of the import monopoly created by the Korean State Trading Enterprise. The implementation of the agreement will also trigger the gradual elimination of tariffs on refined soybean oil over five years, and the elimination of tariffs on crude soybean oil over 10 years.

The American Soybean Association & National Corn Growers Association are among many who are excited about the agreement being implemented.

“This free trade agreement creates landmark opportunities for soybeans and other U.S. agricultural exports, including meat and poultry,” said ASA President Steve Wellman, a soybean farmer from Syracuse, Neb. “Trade agreements that significantly improve access to foreign markets for these products are a main focus of ASA’s efforts in Washington, and we appreciate the efforts of the administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and USDA in seeing the free trade agreement with South Korea enacted next month.”

“We are very pleased to see the USTR announce movement on the U.S.-Korea FTA,” said Chad Blindauer, Chair of NCGA’s Trade Policy and Biotechnology Action Team.  “Full implementation of all three free trade agreements that were passed by Congress last October will help support thousands of jobs throughout America. Developing new markets for our country’s agricultural products is vital to producer income and also helps our sector lead the nation in economic growth and international competitiveness.”

Soybeans and soybean products are the largest U.S. export commodity, totaling nearly 1.5 billion bushels in 2011, with a value of more than $22 billion. In that same year, South Korea imported $362 million worth of soybeans and soy products from the United States, making it the eighth largest U.S. soybean export market. South Korea also purchased $1.2 billion in meat products from the United States in 2011, making it a large and growing market for U.S. meat producers.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association was also pleased to see the agreement go through. This is part of the statement they released:

“When the KORUS FTA is implemented, our competitive advantage will be secured. The KORUS pact will phase out tariffs on U.S. beef over the next 15 years and will make U.S. beef a more affordable and appealing choice for our valued Korean customers. This may very well be the most monumental bilateral trade pact our industry has ever witnessed. With increasing demand and tightening supplies, movement of the KORUS FTA should encourage cattlemen and women to think beyond the current prices for live cattle and think long term.”

Passage last year of the free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama represented the largest trade package since Congress passed the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. Statistics show full implementation of the agreements will result in an estimated $2.3 billion in additional agricultural trade in 2012 and beyond.  In addition, nearly 20,000 domestic jobs will be supported.

Source: ASA & NCGA & NCBA

The day-long workshop will begin with registration at 9:30 AM and the program starting at 10 AM.  Lunch and breaks will be served free of charge.

Topics and speakers will be Vern Anderson, Animal Scientist, Carrington REC – Barley Feed Grain Update; Robert Brueggeman, NDSU Barley Pathologist – Disease Review and Management; Joe Christianson, Cargill Malt Global Risk Manager – Malting Barley Risk Management Tool; Greg Endres, Cropping Specialist, Carrington REC –Production Research Review: Weeds, Fertility and Rotations; Richard Horsley and Martin Hochhalter, NDSU Barley Breeding Program – New Generation Variety Development in Barley and Small Grains; Alberto Jimenez-Diaz, NDSU Barley and Malt Quality Project – Barley Quality in Malting and Brewing and Steve Metzger, Farm Business Management Instructor and Coordinator, Carrington REC – Business of Barley Production.

Sponsors include the American Malting Barley Association, Inc., Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Cargill Malt, the Institute of Barley and Malt Sciences, Malteurop North America, Inc., MillerCoors, the North Dakota Barley Council, Montana Wheat and Barley Growers Association, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, North Dakota State University Extension and the Carrington Research Extension Center, and Rahr Malting Company.

Lunch is free but pre-registration is requested.  To pre-register, contact Linda Schuster (701-652-2951) or Karen Hertsgaard (701-231-5384).

Source: NDSU Dept. of Plant Sciences

 Former Iowa Ag Commissioner Mark Pearson shared his insights on Tuesday morning about what’s ahead for agriculture. Wells Fargo Ag Economist Michael Swanson also gave attendees his economic predictions in an era of unpredictability. 

 North Dakota State University Agribusiness Professor Bill Wilson is offering an afternoon presentation on changes in agricultural trade and marketing.  Dr. Wilson was named Distinguished University Professor in 2007.

 Roger Bernard, a policy analyst for Informa Economics,  wraps up the event with a presentation on farm policy and trade issues.  Bernard came to Informa with nearly 30 years of experience in print and broadcast journalism.

ND Soybean Growers President Jason Mewes

 The North Dakota Soybean Council hosts the annual Expo.  The event is free and no registration is required.

The MZB Precision Farming System delivers a patented, zone-based, precision farming system that delivers multi-layer field management for site-specific application of agricultural inputs. MZB offers two service options:

• The MZB Precision Farming System creates up to 12 individually sampled management zones per field. Farmers can variably manage mobile and immobile nutrients and seed populations.
• MZB Lite offers up to four individually sampled management zones per field with the same capabilities.

“MZB provides one of best precision farming systems available today,” Dale Locken, Wheat Growers Chief Executive Officer, said. “We plan to further develop this remarkable software and the entire MZB System to help make day-to-day operations easier and more efficient for our MZB Retail Partners and farmers in the region. With MZB, a producer will be able to see where the precision application of seed and fertilizer will help them to realize full yield potential in their farming operation.”

MZB provides a field data collection service as well as a software package to manage the collected data, based on a combination of Veris EC information, RTK elevation readings and satellite imagery. From the data, a farmer’s field is then sub-divided into “zones,” which is why the service is called Management Zone Based (MZB). The zones range from 10 to 15 acres in size and are individually soil sampled and managed according to the specific deficiencies or needs in that zone. MZB employees collect the data and an MZB Precision Farming Retailer manages the data with MZB Tools software. No other system offers the same valuable, easy-to-use combination of field detail, data management and real-time communication between growers, agronomists, applicators, dispatchers, field scouts and soil testers.

Source: Wheat Growers

Effertz was elected to a one-year term during the 2012 National Cattle Industry Winter Convention and NCBA Trade Show, held Feb. 1-4, in Nashville, Tenn.  He is one of 10 cattlemen representing the Federation of State Beef Councils on the BPOC. The other 10 members are chosen by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB).

The BPOC sets the annual budget and allocates checkoff dollars for beef research, promotion and education programs that help drive national and international demand for beef.

Effertz and his family operate Black Butte Acres Limousin Ranch, a stocker/backgrounder and seedstock operation near Velva. In an effort to educate people about the cattle business and environmental stewardship, the family also owns Black Butte Adventures, which features public farm tours, hiking and biking activities on ranch land.  

Effertz is a board member and former chairman of the North Dakota Beef Commission and a former chairman of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Purebred Council. He is a founding member and former chairman of the state Limousin association, and helped found the eight-state regional Heartland Limousin Association.

At the national level, he is a North Dakota representative on the Federation, a division of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA). He is now a member of the checkoff’s Public Opinion and Issues Management Group/Public Relations Subcommittee and a former member of the Retail Committee.

Effertz is also active in community activities. He is a past president of the state fair board of directors; a former director and chair of the state Board of Ag Research and Education; chairman of the state commission on the Future of Agriculture; and a board member of the N.D. University System Foundation.

Source: ND Beef Commission

Kindred, ND FFA Chapter with Rusty Halvorson & Shawna Aakre. FFA Chapter from Left to Right: Vice President Nathan Stachler, Treasurer Aaron Haux, President Dan Bjertness, Secretary David Talley, Reporter Casey Ricker

More than half a million nationwide members will participate in National FFA Week activities at local, state and national levels. The week also gives members a chance to educate the public about agriculture. During the week, chapters host teacher appreciation breakfasts, conduct “Ag Olympics” competitions, speak to the public about agriculture, volunteer for community service projects and more.

To celebrate, the officers from the FFA Chapter in Kindred, ND visited our office on Friday to record announcements that they will be sharing with their fellow high-school students.

The week of George Washington’s birthday (February 22nd) was designated as National FFA Week in 1947 at a National FFA Board of Directors meeting. FFA Week always runs from Saturday to Saturday, and encompasses February 22, Washington’s birthday.

National FFA Week is sponsored by Tractor Supply Company and Carhartt as a special project of the National FFA Foundation.

“Working together, we pushed for a revised plan so that counties and cities throughout the state can get the emergency road repairs they need,” Dalrymple said. “We will continue to work with local and federal officials to repair damaged roads in the Devils Lake Basin and other areas of the state.”

The new plan will reduce counties’ financial burden for emergency road repair projects. About $19 million of additional federal funds will be received to assist with statewide projects. In the Devils Lake Basin, where lake flooding continues to threaten road access, the revised plan will reduce the county funding match obligation to about $6 million. During the Special Legislative Session, the state allocated $6 million to the Devils Lake area counties for emergency road repair costs.

North Dakota had previously secured a record $317 million in federal emergency transportation funding this year to assist in repairing damaged roads throughout the state. Historic flooding and other sources of road damages have required unprecedented funding.

“We worked with the U.S. DOT to be more flexible, which increased the state’s emergency road funding to $336 million,” the congressional delegation said. “That enables us now to move forward on projects without going beyond the amount of local-county match the state is covering.”

The federal funding for emergency road repairs is comprised of: $100 million for the Devils Lake Basin; $44 million for the Mouse River Basin; $63 million for theJames River Basin; more than $10 million for the Sheyenne/James Basin and $119million for statewide emergency needs.

The revised plan will not affect the state’s regular federal-aid road construction program and will not compromise the safety of the state’s transportation system, state Department of Transportation Director Francis Ziegler said.

Source: Office of Governor Dalrymple

Health effects testing is a required step in the approval of any new fuel or fuel additive.  With EPA’s acceptance of the results of the testing submitted by the ethanol groups, suppliers of ethanol and E15 are now able to register with EPA to offer the fuel.  This is not the green light for E15 sales yet, but the health effects testing is a significant milestone to have passed.

EPA concluded, “Our evaluation therefore concludes that RFA/Growth Energy has submitted data and analysis that would satisfy the Tier 1 and Tier 2 testing requirements for registration.”

“For three years Growth Energy has led the effort to clear the way for consumers to have access to affordable, renewable and cleaner-burning fuel. Now it is up to the retailers and individual fuel companies to register for approval to sell E15. With ethanol selling an average of 76 cents a gallon cheaper than gasoline and $4 a gallon gasoline on the horizon, we’d encourage all Americans to ask their local filling station how soon they will see more-affordable E15,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.

“EPA’s action today puts E15 on the precipice of commercialization and means that consumers may be able to choose a more affordable E15 option in time for the expensive summer driving season,” RFA President and CEO Bob Dinneen.  “Increasing America’s use of homegrown ethanol will create jobs, reduce harmful tailpipe emissions, and make this nation more energy secure.  This is huge step toward meaningful market expansion for domestically-produced ethanol.”

ACE Executive Vice President Brian Jennings says the decision makes E15 another step closer to the consumer.

“Americans are paying record high gas prices for this time of year and E15 could save drivers 12 to 15 cents per gallon versus straight gasoline. The sooner E15 emerges on the market, the sooner consumers will be able to choose between expensive and pollution-causing gasoline, and E15, a homegrown source of clean-octane at a remarkably affordable price,” Jennings said.

The acceptance of the health effects testing clears the way for the final steps in registering E15 as a fuel and offering it in the marketplace.  One step is to have ethanol and fuel companies register with EPA.  The RFA expects that to begin happening as early as this afternoon.

The other step is the formulation of a misfueling mitigation plan.  As the E15 waiver extends only to MY2001 and newer vehicles, and excludes a number of non-road, marine, and vehicle engines, helping ensure consumers are legally and appropriately using E15 is critical.  The RFA has submitted a misfueling mitigation plan to EPA that would serve as a model plan that fuel retailers must follow to be in compliance with EPA regulations.  Once this plan is completed, and companies register with EPA, E15 can be sold to the EPA-approved vehicles in states and at stations that are prepared to do so.

Sources: Renewable Fuels Association, Growth Energy, American Coalition for Ethanol