Dakota Ag 2019

2 - The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019

The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019 - 3

Pictured left to right: Ryan Heiniger, Pheasants Forever; Eric Magedanz, Pheasants Forever; Cody Rolfes, Pheasants Forever; Brandon Hope, farmer near Sinai; Becky Watkins, natural resource management student; Evan Schnitzler, precision agriculture student; Katelin Frerichs, natural resource management student; Cole

Courtesy photo

Berkley, precision agriculture student; Nicholas Uilk, instructor in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department; Jonathan Jenks, distinguished professor in the Natural Resource Management Department; and Michele Dudash, Natural Resource Management Department head.

SDSU students first to participate in new precision ag, conservation training program BROOKINGS – Four students in the South Dakota State University Departments of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Natural Resource Management participated in a precision agriculture and conservation undergraduate training program this fall as part of a joint pilot capstone course.

The goal of the project was to demonstrate to students and farmers that precision agriculture technology can be used to pinpoint areas in farm fields that historically result in low yields and low or negative returns on investment, and how alternative uses for these areas can increase profit while improving soil and water quality, increasing biodiversity and providing critical wildlife habitat needs.

The training program is supported by a $50,000 gift from Mark and Kathy Walker of Olathe, Kansas, through Pheasants Forever. The gift will span the course of five years and covers the cost for participating students to take part in the program.

Pheasants Forever is an organization dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.

“This gift will provide more partnership opportunities between Pheasants Forever and SDSU involving conservation and technology,” said Ryan Heiniger, director of agriculture and conservation innovations for Pheasants Forever.

Precision agriculture students Evan Schnitzler of Dassel, Minnesota, and Cole Berkley of Hot Springs and natural resource management students Katelin Frerichs of Buffalo Center, Iowa, and Becky Watkins of LaMoure, North Dakota, joined together as a team for the inaugural training program. They conducted a profitability analysis of a local farmer’s land and identified marginal acres that had a negative return on investment for crop production. The team then assessed the potential financial impacts of utilizing these specific acres for alternative practices, such as cover crops, pollinator plots or native grass/forb production. The group was advised by Nicholas Uilk, instructor in the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, and Jonathan Jenks, distinguished professor in the Natural Resource Management Department.

“It was really good to have multiple majors working on this project in order to get different viewpoints and so they can learn from each other,” Uilk said.

Brandon Hope, a farmer near Sinai, provided data from one of his farm fields for the students to analyze. The piece of land has a large slough in the middle with some unproductive areas around the slough. The students evaluated several types of conservation programs that could increase profit and return on investment for the unproductive areas.

“This group brought light to a way to return money on the land and opened my eyes to the fact that conservation

programs are a better way to improve production rather than just tilling it all under,” Hope said. “This training program is a good tool for people to see that habitat isn’t the end all of farming, but that they can coexist.”

Using aerial imagery of the 2016 corn crop, the group identified problematic areas in the field. They then assessed the effects of individually applying six conservation programs to these specific areas, including cover crops, crop rotations, duck nesting habitat, filter strip buffers, pollinator habitat, and a monarch butterfly conservation seeding.

Each conservation program provides a different mix of annual and one-time incentive payments, along with cost share assistance to establish the practice.

Using Hope’s actual 2016 production and financial data as a base, the students created revised production and financial budgets showing the impacts of implementing each conservation program.

They also projected the conservation benefits the alternative land use practices would provide on these economically marginal acres, including greater soil health, less soil erosion, improved water quality, increased plant diversity, and greater wildlife, bird and pollinator populations.

“Through this program we learned that we are able to identify non-profitable acres and alter them to improve the bottom line with the use of precision agriculture technology,” Frerichs said.

“We also learned that improving biodiversity creates a healthier ecosystem,

which increases crop yield and land quality as well as provides habitat for wildlife species.”

From an agricultural background, Berkley said he always looked at land from more of a farming aspect, but because of this program he now sees that conservation benefits wildlife and bird habitats and crop production at the same time.

Bill Gibbons, interim director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station at SDSU, believes that agriculture is moving in this direction and said he sees more producers using precision agriculture practices to improve the return on investment on agricultural lands while providing broader benefits to society and the ecosystem.

“We are all in this together and this technology helps us find common ground,” Heiniger said. “I am really excited about this pilot project and where it will go.”

The group presented the results of its project on Dec. 4, 2018, to Hope, members of Pheasants Forever and the SDSU faculty.

Any South Dakota landowners interested in participating in this program can contact Matt Morlock, state coordinator for South Dakota Pheasants Forever, at mmorlock@pheasantsforever.org or 605881-8258.

– From the SDSU College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences

4 - The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Learn how to grow 100-bushel soybeans

n Register for soy100 Event in Brookings or Aberdeen

What do South Dakota soybean farmers need to do to break the 100-bushel bean barrier? Get answers and inspiration by attending one of two soy100 events held in Brookings March 13 and Aberdeen March 14.

“Soy100 is a chance to catch up on the latest research from university and industry experts on a variety of topics, including a marketing guru to help us sell our crop more profitably,” said Viborg soybean farmer Jon Schaeffer, South Dakota Soybean Association treasurer and District 2 board member.

The soy100 events are hosted by the South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, in conjunction with SDSU Extension and South Dakota State University. Soy100 is sponsored by the South Dakota soybean checkoff and is offered at no cost.

“We hope that by hosting soy100 in two locations, more soybean growers will

Agenda, speaker information

AP file photo

be able to attend and gain valuable information to improve their farm’s profitability,” Schaeffer said.

During the event, growers will hear from top market experts and agronomists who will share tips to maximize soybean yields – including everything from soil health to pest management – and how to make smart marketing decisions.

And, winners of the 2018 South Dakota Soybean Yield Contest will share best management practices and technologies they rely upon to achieve award-winning yields.

Registration information

To register for the soy100 event in Brookings or Aberdeen, visit www. sdsoybean.org/soy100 or register over the phone, by calling the SD Soybean office at 605-330-9942.

The soy100 event in Brookings will be held on the campus of SDSU in the Performing Arts Center (1601 University Blvd., Brookings). The soy100 event in Aberdeen will be held at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Convention Center (1400 NW Eighth Ave).

Both events begin at 7:30 a.m. and run until 3:30 p.m. The agenda remains the same for both events. n 7:30 a.m. Registration n 8:30 a.m. Welcome n 8:45 a.m. Soybean Markets and Trade: Uncharted Waters: Ted Seifried, Zaner Group, specializes in agricultural hedging, employing various strategies using futures, futures spreads, outright options and options combinations. He will discuss how growers can adapt to market conditions by implementing different market strategies. He works with large to mid-size grain and livestock producers and end users throughout the world. Learn more by reading his blog, “The Ted Spread,” at www.Agweb.com. n 9:45 a.m. 2019 Farm Bill: discussion will be led by a representative from South Dakota congressional leadership. n 10:45 a.m. Gall Midge and Insect Pests: Emmanuel Byamukama, assistant professor and SDSU Extension plant pathologist, and Adam Varenhorst, assistant professor and SDSU Extension field

crop entomologist n 11:15 a.m. Producer Panel: 2018 Yield Contest winners share top 10 strategies to 100 bushels. Panel will be followed by a Q & A and moderated by Adam Kask, South Dakota Soybean Council, and Greg Carlson, retired professor, agronomy, horticulture and plant science, SDSU. n 12:15 p.m. Lunch provided by SDSRPC n 1 p.m. Breakout session 1: During the breakout sessions, soy100 participants can select to attend one session from the list below.

• Corn and Soybean Marketing: Making the most of 2019 • Agronomist Panel • Saline and Sodic Soils n 1:45 p.m. Breakout Session 2: During the breakout sessions, soy100 participants can select to attend one session from the list below.

• Corn and Soybean Marketing: Making the most of 2019 • Agronomist Panel • Saline and Sodic Soils To learn more about how SDSRPC puts checkoff dollars to work for South Dakota’s soybean farmers, visit www. sdsoybean.org.

– From South Dakota Soybean Research & Promotion Council

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SDSU Extension releases 2019 S.D. pest guides BROOKINGS – SDSU Extension recently released the 2019 South Dakota Pest Management Guides which are available to South Dakotans at no cost.

The guides provide recommendations for controlling weeds, insects and diseases in the following crops: • Alfalfa & Oilseeds – including alfalfa, canola, flax, safflower and sunflowers • Corn • Soybeans • Wheat – including barley, rye, oats, durum, millet and triticale Guides are available online at https:// extension.sdstate.edu/2019-south-dakota-pest-management-guides.

The 2019 South Dakota Pest Management Guides have been completely updated and are developed by the SDSU Extension agronomy team to serve as a guideline for label information and is not a label substitute.

Authors of the 2019 South Dakota Pest Management Guides include the following members of the SDSU Extension Agronomy team and South Dakota State University faculty and staff: • Paul O. Johnson, SDSU Extension weed science coordinator; • David Vos, SDSU ag research man-

ager; • Jill Alms, SDSU ag research manager; • Leon J. Wrage, distinguished professor emeritus; • Adam J. Varenhorst, assistant professor and SDSU Extension field crop entomologist; • Philip Rozeboom, SDSU Extension IPM coordinator; • Patrick M. Wagner, SDSU Extension entomology field specialist; • Emmanuel Byamukama, assistant professor and SDSU Extension plant pathologist; •Dalitso Yabwalo, post doctoral research associate; •Connie Strunk, SDSU Extension plant pathology field specialist; and • Amanda Bachmann, SDSU Extension pesticide education and urban entomology field specialist.

The 2019 South Dakota Pest Management Guides are available at no cost thanks to several sponsors including: South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion council, SDSU Extension IPM Program, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and the SDSU Extension WEED Project.

– From SDSU Extension

2019 Brookings Crops Clinic and Private Pesticide Applicator Training set for Feb. 15 SDSU Extension will host the 39th annual Brookings Crops Clinic on Feb. 15 at the McCrory Gardens, 631 22nd Ave., Brookings.

This year’s program will cover several emerging topics in crop production in the region such as weather and climate, conventional soybeans, soil productivity and management, grain market outlook, and cover crops management.

Schedule

• 8 a.m. Registration at the gate ($10) and visit booth.

• 8:30 a.m. Conventional Soybeans and Updates on SDSU Variety Trails – Jonathan Kleinjan, SDSU Extension crop production associate.

• 9 a.m. Cover Crops: Opportunity & Challenges – David Karki, SDSU Extension agronomy field specialist.

• 9:40 a.m. Break • 10 a.m. Climate Outlook 2019 – Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension state climatologist.

• 10:40 a.m. Grain Market Outlook – Jack Davis, SDSU Extension business management field specialist.

• 11:20 a.m. Soils Update – Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension soils

field specialist.

• 12 p.m. Lunch (included with registration) • 12:45 p.m. Registration for private applicator training – Photo ID required. Please bring your old applicator license as well.

• 1:30 p.m. Pesticide Application: What You Need to Know – David Karki, SDSU Extension agronomy field specialist.

• 3 p.m. Management of the Major and Minor Insect Pests of Corn and Soybean in S.D. – Adam Varenhorst, SDSU Extension field crop entomologist.

• 3:45 p.m. Can You Afford to Cut Down Weed Control Cost? – Paul Johnson, SDSU Extension weed science coordinator.

• 4:30 Adjourn The registration cost is $10 and can be paid at the gate. All attendees from morning session are highly encouraged to attend the afternoon session to get updated on pest issues in the state. For more information, contact David Karki at 605-882-5140.

– From SDSU Extension

6 - The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Wet corn: Storage and late harvest options BROOKINGS – Due to uncooperative weather conditions in areas of the state, harvest 2018 saw many South Dakota farmers facing a difficult decision – harvest wet grain or let it stand in the field.

Whatever their final decision, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist Sara Bauder provides advice and options to farmers.

“Farmers still have grain storage options that can help maintain quality over the winter as long as bins are checked regularly, and precautions are taken to avoid spoilage as spring temperatures draw closer,” Bauder said.

Corn still in fields

This time of year, there typically is not any significant field drying that will occur in corn, Bauder said. “Most farmers are well aware of the risks that come with leaving corn standing over the winter, hoping corn stalks and cob shanks withstand winter winds and snows, so that a dryer harvest can occur in the spring.”

Losses from leaving corn standing over the winter vary

greatly. Bauder explained that it depends upon many factors; like variety selection, field management and weather.

“When making late harvest decisions, it is important to take the economic comparison of storing and drying high moisture corn versus field losses and damage to wet soils into consideration,” she said.

She said farmers should also consider the following: 1.

PET: Potential Evapotranspiration (based on factors similar to those that affect drying) 2.

EMC: Equilibrium Moisture Content (indication of expected corn moisture content to which corn will dry in the field) “If snow melts and soils allow, some farmers may opt to harvest yet this winter,” Bauder said.

When harvesting during winter, Bauder said farmers need to consider estimating the cost of propane if high heat drying is in the plans. She quotes Kenneth Hellevang with North Dakota State University, “To See OPTIONS, page 7

Courtesy photo

Some corn has been left in the fields due to the uncooperative weather conditions.

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Options: Bin temperature Continued from page 6

estimate the propane cost of drying per bushel per point of moisture removed, multiply the propane price per gallon by 0.02. For example, the cost to remove 10 points of moisture using $1.50 propane is $0.30 per bushel. Dividing the propane cost by the corn price provides the percentage of corn losses that will equal the drying cost ($0.30 divided by $3.50 equals 9 percent). Also, verify the impact on insurance of leaving the corn in the field.”

There are a few exceptions to this rule however, including: • Newer dryers with saturators and vacuum cooling might improve efficiencies.

• “Wet points” do tend to come off easier than the dry points. For example, 14 percent moisture is harder to reach from 19 percent and will take more energy on average than drying corn from 25 to 20 percent.

Monitor bin temperature weekly, other considerations

Although there are still fields in the southern part of the state with corn still standing, Bauder said there is also a good chance that there are several bins storing relatively wet corn.

With high moisture corn, Bauder said bin temperature is extremely important and should be monitored in various parts of the bin on a weekly basis at minimum.

To monitor, probe in several areas of the bin using a grain thermometer.

“Allow the thermometer several minutes to equalize before moving to the next site,” Bauder said.

If heating in grain is detected, or there is more than a 5 to 8-degree difference in temperature between any two areas in the bin, it is recommended to run the aeration fan immediately.

Bauder reminds readers that the goal of binning high moisture corn is to freeze the corn over the winter, keeping the temperature between 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

Below she outlines some best man-

agement practices: 1. Holding very high moisture corn (22-24 percent) is possible in the bin, but extreme care should be taken to avoid spoilage. Monitoring temperature and keeping it near 20 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the bin is key.

Grain at this high moisture level will likely need to be run through a high temperature dryer by early March when temperatures begin to rise.

On average, the south bin wall receives more than twice as much daily total solar energy heating in February than it does in June, making temperature monitoring imperative.

2. Corn from 19-21 percent moisture allows the operator to choose between high heat drying or natural air drying if the proper equipment is available.

As spring approaches, grain should be monitored, and a drying decision should be made. When using natural air drying, it is extremely important that access to the proper fan size is available, or suitable drying will not occur. For assistance determining required airflow rate and fan size necessary for a bin see the University of Minnesota fan selection program at this link: https:// bbefans.cfans.umn.edu/.

Other Tips

When using fans to cool grain or maintain temperatures in the winter, care should be taken to avoid bringing moisture back into the bin.

Turning fans off and keeping them covered during periods of precipitation or fog can help ensure quality of grain.

In addition, leaving extra air space in bins and leveling off grain can also help ensure that grain is frozen evenly throughout the bin.

To test corn moisture, allow grain to warm up to at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit for an accurate moisture meter reading.

For further information, contact Sara Bauder, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist.

– From SDSU Extension

8 - The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Cultivate farm youth safety

By University of Nebraska Medical Center, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, Omaha When youth begin working in the most dangerous industry in the nation – agriculture – they are at high risk for injury or death. In fact, more youth are injured working in agriculture than all other industries combined. Safety resources at www.cultivatesafety.org can help reduce those risks.

Marsha Salzwedel, M.S. youth agricultural safety specialist at Marshfield, Wisconsin’s National Farm Medicine Center, says youth on the farm are exposed to a wealth of hazardous equipment and circumstances every day where they live, work and play.

“Tractors, skid steers, animals and ATVs are most often involved in youth injury on the farm,” Salzwedel says. “All those elements are normally present on a farm site. They’re so common to the family’s day-to-day life that they become part of the landscape and we lose sight of the hazards they pose.”

Tractors have always been and continue to be the cause of most youth injuries and fatalities on the farm. Another common factor related to youth injuries is poor visibility for operators of large farm equipment.

“If you have a big round bale on the spear of a skid steer, you are not able to see what’s right around you on the ground,” Salzwedel says. “That’s true of many large pieces of equipment common on today’s farm site.”

There’s also great risk when youth ride in a tractor or any farm equipment.

There are many documented incidents of children falling out of a cab or off equipment and being injured or killed.

It’s also a fact that equipment operators – whether parents, grandparents or hired workers – are distracted by the presence of a child in a cab or on equipment.

“In spite of these facts, we know that at least 40 percent of farm families allow children as extra riders on tractors, combines and ATVs,” Salzwedel says.

Salzwedel recommends that parents take time to thoroughly learn how to keep their children safe on the farm site and implement recommendations found at www.cultivatesafety.org. The website, produced by the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety offers safety information for parents and youth across the farm site work and play environments.

Visitors to the site will also find a wealth of additional safety resources for youth and adults.

Salzwedel recommends that children

ages 10 and younger are kept off the work site anytime someone’s operating tractors, combines or other farm equipment. Ideally, small children should be in an enclosed area – fenced yard, etc.

– if they are outside during times when equipment is used or animals are present.

“Gates and doors leading to areas where young children can be injured should be locked or otherwise secured to prevent them from entering,” Salzwedel says. “If children or teens want to help with the work being done, parents will find ‘Youth Work Guidelines’ at cultivatesafety.org to help them assess their child’s ability and readiness for performing specific farm jobs.”

The guidelines include information for assessing a child’s ability to do 35 different common farm jobs, with guidelines for 20 more jobs coming soon.

Guidelines and information range from simple tasks such as properly dressing and preparing for a job that requires a lot of bending to cleaning grain bins or service alleys and safely climbing.

“Some safety recommendations are as simple as making sure keys are removed from equipment when it’s not in use,” Salzwedel says. “Properly maintaining equipment and keeping it in good operating condition also helps keep youth

– and adults – safe.”

Farm youth – and sometimes parents – have the impression that the farm background has given youth a competitive edge in a job.

“Kids love hearing their parents say they’re smarter, faster and stronger than their peers who don’t have a farm background,” Salzwedel says. “But even though farm youth have some characteristics different from youth who haven’t grown up on the farm, they’re still young and have a lot to learn about staying safe when they’re working at farm jobs.”

A natural tendency for all youth is the inclination to take risks or act impulsively. Teen boys are especially susceptible to this kind of behavior.

“Often, teenage boys on the farm feel compelled to compete with their father to prove themselves,” Salzwedel says.

“It’s common for all youth to have a sense that they know and understand everything about life. On the farm, that tendency can have deadly consequences.”

It’s also common for youth to become highly excited when they’re allowed to operate major equipment like a tractor or combine. In their bliss, it’s easy to make See SAFETY, page 10

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Safety: Model behavior Continued from page 8

mistakes that can quickly lead to serious injury.

“That enthusiasm for helping and taking charge of something can override or obscure a young person’s judgment,” Salzwedel says. “If they’re already taking on something that’s beyond their physical or developmental ability to handle, many things can quickly go wrong, putting them in grave danger.”

Training youth for specific task and working with them numerous times to ensure they’re ready to accomplish it on their own is a safe way to approach a major new undertaking.

“Even if they seem to be doing the job OK, don’t hesitate to check on them periodically,” Salzwedel says. “Taking a proactive approach to safety is always the best practice.”

When youth are hired to work on the farm, parents should have a thorough understanding of what the youth will be doing and the equipment they’ll work with. The youth should be adequately trained and know who to contact and how to contact them if they need help.

“Make sure the job is age-appropriate for your child,” Salzwedel says. “Walk them through what they need to be able to do in order to safely complete a specific job.”

At times, farm youth have a great

desire to engage in work that they’re not ready to take on. If parents have instilled the practice of following recommended safety guidelines – like those found at cultivatesafety.org – they may be able to defuse conflict by letting the guidelines be the “fall guy.”

“That gives adults a great way to keep young workers safe without conflict.”

Equipping youth with adequate communication resources when they’re working on the farm could include two-way radios and clear instructions on how to contact an adult if they need help.

“Make sure they know when and when not to use communication devices,” Salzwedel says. “You don’t want a teen to text, surf the web or visit with friends while they drive a tractor. They should also be trained on how to shut down equipment if necessary, and when it’s best to get off the equipment and call an adult if something goes wrong.”

Since adults on the farm are responsible for setting safety boundaries, Salzwedel recommends parents thoroughly absorb safety information and work to implement safe practices across their farm.

“Model safe behavior,” Salzwedel says. “Your children watch what you do more than what you say. Make sure you work safely, following safety recommendations because that means your children are more likely to follow your example.”

Survey shows farmers mull more corn, fewer soybeans

By Bryce Knorr

Farm Futures senior grain market analyst

IOWA CITY – The U.S. federal government shutdown that postponed key January USDA reports has grain markets on hold. But farmers penciling plans for spring planting are moving ahead with choices, according to results of Farm Futures’ latest survey of their intentions for 2019.

Growers said they want to boost corn and cotton acreage, while cutting back on crops affected by China’s import tariffs on soybeans and sorghum. And while USDA previously expected farmers to sow more wheat, uncertain prices and winter wheat planting delays could force a reduction in most classes.

Farm Futures surveyed growers in December and early January, after trade tensions between the U.S. and China eased a little as negotiations resumed to end the dispute. Hopes for an end to tariffs likely convinced some farmers to plan more soybeans than many

in the trade expected. The survey reported soybean planting intentions of 84.6 million acres, down 5.5 percent from 2018, but more than the 82.5 million projected in estimates USDA released in November as a part of its budgeting process. Farm Futures first survey of intentions last summer found acreage of 87.5 million, but that was just as the bite of China’s 25 percent tariff on U.S. imports was beginning to be felt.

Farm Futures’ initial report had farmers boosting corn acres to 90.8 million, but the latest estimate came in at 90.3 million. While that would be up 1.3 percent from 2018 it was below the 92 million USDA projected in in November. The agency doesn’t release its first survey of prospective plantings until March 29, though it will update the statistical guess at its annual outlook conference Feb. 21-22.

New crop soybean futures gained on corn over the fall, with the current ratio of 2.35 giving See SURVEY, page 12

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Teen hog farmer works to bring a Spanish-style meat to Iowa

By Aimee Breaux

Iowa City Press-Citizen

WEST BRANCH, Iowa (AP) – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear – and Sally – can be found in a hog pen on the edge of West Branch, Iowa.

The hogs, for the most part named after the emotions in the Pixar Movie “Inside Out,” make up the latest pack of pigs in Emily Harold’s small, niche farming operation.

The 17-year-old producer is on a mission to bring a Spanishstyle meat to Iowans, one group of hogs at a time.

Harold started the West Branch business with her father while in middle school. Now a senior in high school, she runs the operation with a bit of help from her brother, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.

The hobby-turned-entrepreneurial venture has earned her some money she’s tucked away for college. But the driving force behind the work is a passion for the product, and for agricultural work in general.

“They’re eating my product, and it’s nourishing their bodies,” she said. “Then they have this better understanding of agriculture, which is what my passion is: advocating for people who are out in the fields and barns.”

Her business takes Berkshires pigs, a breed heartier than most that are mass produced, and feeds them a diet of acorns. The resulting meat is unlike much of the meat found in area grocery stores; it has a rich, buttery taste.

“Even when you are cooking it, it smells different,” she said.

“The acorns kind of mix with the fat – and it just smells really good.”

The product is much like acorn-fed pork products out of Spain, but sourced in Iowa. The pigs are bred near West Branch and the feed is purchased in Solon.

The experience of running the business has forced Harold to learn on the fly. She and her brother have loved raising pigs for quite some time – Harold notes that it’s not uncommon for her and her brother to linger after they’ve fed the pigs at night. It’s also not uncommon for the pigs to roll over expect-

ing belly scratches.

The real challenge, said Harold, is the logistics of marking the product.

Iterations of the company name were tinkered with until they settled on something that conveyed the right message, Natural Oak Pork. Harold created a website, a means to pay for the products and a quick program for estimating how much meat a customer can expect.

“When I was 14, I definitely did not know how to sell a product,” she said, adding that that has changed.

She had to quickly learn the different cuts of meat. Most prospective clients wanted one thing above all: Bacon. Harold, who herself particularly likes the bacon cut, said most people don’t understand that bacon, and the nearly-as-popular ham, are a very small portion of a giant pig.

But she seems to relish the opportunity to walk people through the cuts. It’s good practice for the senior. Next year

she’ll head off to Iowa State University, where she will pursue a double-degree in agriculture and agriculture communications.

“I just like sharing a part of who I am,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of athletes and kids who can kind of show what they’re good at in front of a whole town. And what I’m good at you show to a county fair or state fair observer – and my clients.”

She’d like to keep up her hobbyist business when she has a degree in hand. She talks about ramping up production to 100 pigs per year, up from the 5-8 pigs she can handle at a time with her coursework and extracurricular activities.

In the meantime, whether it’s one pig sale at a time, Harold wants to keep showing the community around her that a farmer doesn’t look like “a man in a straw hat, overalls and boots.”

“I’m a farmer,” she said, “and I don’t wear boots.”

Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via AP

Above, Emily Harold, a West Branch senior and owner of Natural Oak Pork, feeds pigs acorns on Jan. 17 at their farm in West Branch, Iowa. Harold started her business in 2016. Below, pigs chew on acorns at Natural Oak Pork farm in West Branch, Iowa. According to their website, acorns add a rich, buttery flavor to the meat and also offer a sweetness no other nut can provide.

12 - The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Annual Mitchell Soil Health Event set for next month BROOKINGS – SDSU Extension will host the annual Mitchell Soil Health Event Feb. 14 at the Highland Conference Center (2000 Highland Way) in Mitchell.

The event will focus on cover crops and their role in nutrient cycling, moisture management and soil biology and includes speakers and vendor booths.

The event begins and 9:30 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. Certified Crop Advisor credits are available. The event is offered at no cost and includes lunch.

Topic highlights

Cover Crops as a Management Tool – Lee Briese, independent crop consultant from south central North Dakota, will address the challenges of soil degradation, pest management and economic profitability.

Briese was named 2016 Consultant of the Year from the National Alliance of Independent

Crop Consultants and was the 2017 International Certified Crop Adviser of the Year. He currently works with growers in North Dakota.

Regenerating Soils with Microbiology – Kris Nichols, founder and principal scientist of KRIS (Knowledge for Regeneration and Innovation in Soils) Systems.

Nichols is a soil biologist by trade, and spent 11 years as a research soil biologist at the USDA Research Station at Mandan, North Dakota.

She will discuss addressing current and future agricultural needs by building upon a soil health foundation and identifying biological methods for agricultural production, tools and practices to help reduce pest issues, soil erosion, fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Cover Crop Nutrient Cycling in South Dakota – Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension soils field spe-

cialist.

Bly is the lead researcher on a large research project, based in South Dakota, that looks at the role cover crops play in nutrient cycling in soils. He will share some initial observations based on the first year of results.

Farmer Panel – Area producers will share their experiences with cover crops, no till and livestock integration.

Pre-register by Feb. 8

To accommodate for lunch, organizers are asking that attendees pre-register by calling the Davison Conservation District office at 605-996-1564, ext. 3 or email heidi.rients@sd.usda.gov on or before 5 p.m. Feb. 8.

More information and a full agenda for the soil health workshop can be viewed online at https://extension.sdstate.edu/ events or at www.sdnotill.com.

– From SDSU Extension

Survey: Online Continued from page 10

soybeans only a slight edge.

More acres could be in play this spring due to wet conditions and harvest delays that caused fall applications of fertilizer to be very slow. Those same conditions caused a drop in winter wheat seedings to 31.6 million, down 2.7 percent and 2 million less than Farm Futures summer survey found. But low wheat prices and good soil moisture on the northern Plains could also convince some farmers to plant corn, soybeans and other crops rather than spring wheat. The latest survey found spring wheat intentions of 12.5 million, down 5.3 percent from 2018. Only durum seedings could rise, moving to 2.5 million after a significant cutback in 2018.

That could take all-wheat acreage to 46.6 million, down 2.5 percent from 2018.

Cotton continues to draw attention from farmers in the South, following a good rally last summer. Acreage could be up 4.1 percent this spring to 14.6 million thanks to better prices and soil moisture across the growing region.

Farm Futures summer survey found growers pivoting back to sorghum, a feed grain found mainly on the southwest Plains. But the trade dispute dashed hopes of Chinese imports. The latest survey found farmers planning to cut “milo” seedings 12.1 percent to 5.1 million.

Farm Futures surveyed 626 farmers from Dec. 7-Jan. 3. Growers were invited by email to complete an online questionnaire. The survey was released on the first day of the Farm Futures Business Summit in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019 - 13

Hydroponic farm grows produce for schools n Business designed for yearround farm-toschool production

By Mia Pohlman

Southeast Missourian

SIKESTON, Mo. (AP) – More than 20 years ago, a school invited Steve Hamra in for lunch, to observe the children eating the produce he grew. It was the first time Hamra, president and founder of Amanzi Farms in Sikeston, realized the impact nutritious produce can make.

“That thought has never left my mind,” Hamra said. “There was a young boy over there, and that (food services) director said, ‘That’s gonna be the best meal he gets today.’ This has been 23 years ago.”

Since, Hamra has worked with the National Farm to School Network to provide locally grown, pesticide-free produce to local schools year-round.

Hydroponics, a method of growing produce in water dating back to the 600s B.C., is the best solution Hamra has found for this. No soil is needed, less chemicals are used and the shelf life is

longer because the plants retain their roots during shipping.

After farming under Hamra Farms for more than 20 years, Hamra founded Amanzi Farms, a completely hydroponic farm, in 2015. “Amanzi” is Zulu for “water,” and Hamra’s current business model is designed for year-round Farm to School production. Hamra himself designed the greenhouses, which, once the vine crop greenhouse is complete, will total 70,200 square feet. The business model switch has enabled Hamra to go from producing 100 cases of lettuce per week to 1,000 cases, Southeast Missourian reported.

The benefits of hydroponic farming are hard to argue with: it generates 20 times the amount of produce than an acre in the field generates, Hamra said, and water consumption is much less than with traditional methods of farming. Hydroponic farming does not take the nutrients out of the soil, Amanzi Farms controller CJ Henry said. It is a technique being utilized in cities, on rooftops and inside buildings with grow lights.

“The footprint’s a lot smaller,” Hamra said. “We can feed 100,000 people out of this facility, and our actual footprint is probably about an acre and a half.”

As a result of this growing process, hydroponic produce is fresher and more

nutritious than produce grown using traditional farming methods.

Michelle Lands, school district food service manager for the Chaffee R-II school district, has witnessed the results: she serves lettuce from Amanzi Farms to students.

“I always like the idea, ‘Would I feed my kid this?’” Lands said. “A lot of times, school lunches get a bad rap. With Amanzi Farms lettuce, it looks more green and looks more nutritious, and is more nutritious. If it looks good, kids are going to eat it and get the nutrition they need.”

Amanzi Farms is innovative not only because of how they grow food, but also because of who grows it. The farm currently employs 17 people; 12 are men who are incarcerated.

The men are part of the Registered Horticultural Crop Specialist Apprenticeship program, aimed at helping offenders re-establish their lives on positive grounds, so they can successfully re-enter society and the workforce after serving the duration of their sentence. The program is a pilot program, and while it will be replicated across the state, it is currently the only one like it in the state of Missouri.

It has been an overwhelmingly positive cultural shift for Amanzi Farms, who previously struggled to retain min-

imum-wage workers who consistently came to work and worked hard. Henry said the men from the correctional center are excited to be part of the program, want to be at the greenhouse and are invested in their work. In addition, she said they bring with them construction, welding and business experience that many entry-level employees do not possess.

Before beginning their apprenticeship at Amanzi Farms, the men must meet certain behavioral qualifications and participate in a 12-week program in which they learn about the aspects of growing plants. They are trained in food safety and are also OSHAA trained.

Once employed at Amanzi Farms, they are paid minimum wage.

Hamra taught construction technology for eight years, while farming. Henry previously taught business. For them, Amanzi Farms is a way to continue teaching while also impacting children’s health at schools.

“As former high school teachers, we were trying to impact students’ lives for their future,” Henry said. “Now we’re kind of getting to impact lives on the other end of some of those poor choices, and maybe help guide them back toward a positive future.”

14 - The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Federal shutdown affected probe into bovine TB case in ND

By Blake Nicholson Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) – The longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history affected an investigation into a strain of bovine tuberculosis in a North Dakota beef cattle herd, say state officials who have so far have shouldered most of the probe into the strain similar to cases in Mexican cattle and not previously seen in the U.S. Chances are low the situation will imperil other cattle herds or people, particularly since the herd in southeastern North Dakota’s Sargent County has been quarantined. But it could delay solving the mystery of how a strain of bovine TB similar to cases associated with cattle south of the U.S. border surfaced in cows near the northern border.

“We are the workforce right now in the field, and we have limited staff,” State Veterinarian Susan Keller said Wednesday of the North Dakota Agriculture Department’s Animal Health Division, which has only a handful of workers. She said federal officials wanted to help but

couldn’t because of the shutdown tied to a dispute over funding a southern border wall.

President Donald Trump and congressional leaders on Friday struck a short-term deal to reopen the government for three weeks, ending a record, 35-day partial shutdown.

Two cows from the Sargent County herd tested positive for bovine TB at slaughter plants in South Dakota and Minnesota, and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Iowa confirmed the diagnosis late last year. The herd was then tested, and five more cows were confirmed to have the infectious disease that can be passed between cattle and people.

The source is still unknown.

The ranchers have not bought any cattle from Mexico, have no ties to the country and have no workers from south of the border, according to Keller.

“It’s a very slow-growing organism. It could have been there (in the herd) for quite a while. We don’t know when it was introduced or where it came from,” she said. “Maybe it’s a strain that has been here (U.S.) for a while but it’s mutated.”

Bovine TB is a public health concern worldwide, though the risk to people in developed countries is low given advances in prevention and control measures such as testing, culling of diseased animals and pasteurizing of milk, according to the National Institutes of Health.

North Dakota is not alone in recently identifying a new strain of bovine TB – officials in Canada are investigating cattle infections in the province of British Columbia that involve a strain not previously documented in that country, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

“You can have mutations of TB, similar to influenza,” Keller said, stressing that a new strain is not comparable to a new disease – it doesn’t change measures in place to guard against bovine TB. The new case is still a concern to ranchers, according to Julie Ellingson, executive vice president of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association.

“The livestock industry is concerned about any and all cases of TB, no matter what the strain,” she said. “We have

worked hard to maintain a healthy herd in our state, and identifying and addressing the situation as quickly as possible is our highest priority.”

Responses to such animal disease cases are a cooperative effort of state and federal agencies, particularly the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and its Veterinary Services and Wildlife Services components.

North Dakota’s Animal Health Division has received only limited help so far from those agencies and in particular is waiting on information that will help determine whether the entire herd of about 100 animals is slaughtered or whether the owners can continue managing the rest of the herd with ongoing testing. Officials also are working to determine where all of the animals in the herd originated, and to ensure that none ended up in other herds over the past five years. Keller said the likelihood of that is remote given that the ranchers raise cattle for beef, not to provide seed stock to other ranchers.

It wasn’t clear how many APHIS officials have been avail-

able to work on the case. Agency spokeswoman Lyndsay Cole, who was herself furloughed but on call, said only that the agency “is assisting with diagnostic testing” and would provide further help “once the lapse in appropriations is over.”

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, which represents more than 175,000 cattle ranchers and feeders around the country, did not directly comment on the federal shutdown’s impact on the North Dakota investigation. Chief Veterinarian Kathy Simmons in a statement to The Associated Press expressed confidence that Keller and other North Dakota officials working in conjunction with federal officials “can manage a successful disease response.”

Keller said the investigation could stretch out for several months, but she hopes to be able to say definitively by early summer that officials have taken all necessary actions to ensure no spread of the disease.

“Neighbors, people in the community, neighboring states, they want to know – do you have things tied up?” she said.

The Brookings Register, Wednesday, January 30, 2019 - 15

South Dakota State aiming to retain veterinary students BROOKINGS (AP) – A new partnership with the University of Minnesota aims to lower tuition costs for South Dakota State University’s veterinary medicine students and allow them to stay closer to home the first two years of graduate work.

Students accepted into the rural veterinary program would complete their first two years of graduate courses in SDSU’s department of veterinary and biomedical services before heading to the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the Aberdeen American News reported.

Jane Christopher-Hennings, SDSU director, department head and professor of veterinary medicine, said there are bills being drafted in this year’s legislative session that would redirect subsidies from undergraduate programs. SDSU has requested $275,000 yearly for a three-year period starting in 2020 to cover salaries, according to information provided by Christopher-Jennings.

The program intends to focus on needs in the veterinary students’ home areas, specifically for large-animal veterinarians. The proposed program would permit SDSU to annually enroll 20 to 22 veterinary students.

Chanda Nilsson, a veterinarian at Groton Veterinary Clinic, said there is cer-

tainly a need and a growing demand for large-animal veterinarians in the area. She noted that it’s more difficult to provide medical care to large animals.

There are 4.6 head of cattle for each person in South Dakota, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. That is the highest ratio in the nation.

Megan Ernst, a veterinarian at New Horizon Veterinary Service in Glenham, said any program that could retain more veterinary students in the state would be beneficial.

“We really do have a shortage here in South Dakota. Especially in this area there is no competition,” Ernst said. “All the vet clinics have more than we can handle. It is not uncommon for us and the surrounding clinics to tell people in need of veterinary service to call another clinic (because) we just can’t fit you in.”

The University of Minnesota admits 105 veterinary students per year and has enough classroom space to accommodate third-year arrivals from SDSU. “Providing the infrastructure and clinical skill classes during the last two years of veterinary medical school isn’t financially feasible for SDSU,” Christopher-Hennings said. “But providing the classes taken during the first two years is an affordable option.”