P E R I O D I C A L S : T I M E VA L U E D
MARCH 4, 2015 |
V O L . 8 2 , N O . 2 7 | W W W. I O WA FA R M B U R E A U . C O M
Road funding measure to address critical rural needs BY DIRCK STEIMEL Iowa Farm Bureau members applauded last week’s actions by the Iowa Legislature and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad to pass and sign a measure that will provide an additional $215 million per year in badly needed funding to repair the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges. Farm Bureau members had urged lawmakers for several years to increase investments in Iowa’s transportation infrastructure. They have also advocated for an
increase of the state’s fuel tax as the fairest and most equitable method of paying for needed road and bridge repairs. “We see this as a real success story for our grassroots a pp r o a c h , ” said Craig Hill, HILL president of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. “Members worked very hard on this, and they should feel good
about their efforts to make this a success. These additional investments are critical to rural Iowa, with approximately $72 million per year of the new revenues going directly to secondary and farm-tomarket roads and bridges.”
Bipartisan vote The transportation funding bill was passed Feb. 24 by the Iowa Senate in a 28 to 21 vote and by the House in a 53 to 46 vote. The votes in both chambers were bipartisan. Branstad signed the measure
on Feb. 25, calling it a great example, on a difficult and controversial issue, of the kind of bipartisan cooperation that really makes Iowa stand out among states. “This is important for economic development,” Branstad told reporters as he signed the road funding bill. “This is important for our farmers to be able to get their crops to market.” Under the new law, which took effect March 1, Iowa’s fuel tax was increased by 10 cents per gallon. It’s the first fuel tax increase in Iowa since 1989. The additional
Agreement at West Coast ports a relief for agriculture
Trade relations tense The worker slowdown has tensed trade relations, Steenhoek said. “It’s certainly has strained relationships (with trading partners). Our reputation has taken a hit, and that perhaps is more concerning to me than lost sales,” he said. Dave Struthers, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, agrees. PORTS PAGE 2
ROADS PAGE 2
DM Water Works talks about more lawsuits The water supplier, which is considering a suit against three Iowa counties, might also sue one of its customers. STORY ON PAGE 3
Farm bill decisions will vary farm to farm
BY BETHANY BARATTA After costing billions of dollars’ worth of spoiled and redirected products, workers at the West Coast ports are back to work. Representatives of the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) reached a tentative contract agreement, and workers at the 29 ports on the West Coast are back to work. That’s a relief, ag groups say. “We were very pleased to see the tentative agreement come to pass,” said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. He noted the worker slowdown was costing the U.S. ag industry $1.75 billion per month due to spoilage and penalties associated with shipping delays and costs incurred by rerouting cargo. He said bulk shipments of soybeans and grain weren’t affected by the slowdown since those are loaded at grain export terminals onto bulk ocean vessels that have a separate agreement with the ILWU. Steenhoek said approximately 10 percent of soybean and grain exports, mostly dried distiller grains (DDGS) and soybeans, occur via container, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
funds will flow into the constitutionally protected Road Use Tax Fund to pay for road and bridge repairs. “Our members told us for several years that roads and bridge deterioration was a growing problem in Iowa and that we couldn’t wait any longer to address it,” Hill said. “We are thankful that the bipartisan majority in the Iowa Legislature and Governor Branstad have acknowledged this serious concern and acted
There is no universal best choice in the new farm bill. STORY ON PAGE 5
Southeast Iowa comes up strong in 2014 corn yields Members of Sibley-Ocheyedan FFA watch as Mystic Henningsen prepares a video to promote the chapter and help raise funds for an additional instructor. Other students pictured are, back row from left Toni Lonneman, Amy Truckenmiller, Colin Nasers, Nick Buysman, Tyler Wollmuth, Steph Vipond, Joe Bonsall and Kade Rockman. Front row from left: Trey Norton, Henningsen and advisor Brian Gottlob. PHOTO/GARY FANDEL
Students, community work to expand ag education
BY TOM BLOCK
T
he passion of FFA student leaders at S i b l ey - O c h ey e d a n has launched a unique fundraising campaign to expand the school’s agriculture education
program. The FFA leaders want to see their highly successful agriculture education program continue to grow, but worry about the toll it’s taking on second-year instructor Brian Gottlob. Around 150 high school stu-
dents — more than half of the student body — are enrolled in agriculture courses, and the FFA chapter is 123 members strong. “The number of students in our program is a significant load, AG TEACHER PAGE 2
Favorable weather drove corn yields higher in southeast Iowa, while soybeans were strong in the northwest. STORY ON PAGE 6
Boone Co. farmer gets strong neighbor support on expansion Neighbor backed a young farmer committed to protecting the environment. STORY ON PAGE 7
COPYRIGHT 2015
SCHULTZ IS WINNER OF FARM STRONG EXPERIENCE
USDA EXTENDS BASE ACREAGE AND YIELD DEADLINE
Shawn Schultz of Monona is the winner of the Ultimate Farm Strong VIP Experience. Schultz won tickets to the Oklahoma/Iowa State University (ISU) game on March 2, a $50 gift certificate to Cy’s Locker Room and a $50 restaurant gift certificate, as well as Farm Strong merchandise. The Iowa Farm Bureau’s Farm Strong partnership with ISU, launched in early 2015, is a partnership that builds upon Farm Bureau’s ongoing Farm Strong initiative, which was launched about five years ago to connect consumers with today’s farmers to build trust and understanding. The partnership celebrates the men and women who go the extra mile to not only grow safe, wholesome food, but to protect the land and legacy of rural Iowa.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) last week announced it would extend the sign-up deadline to update yield history or reallocate base acres by one month, until March 31. The final day for farm owners and producers to choose ARC or PLC coverage also remains March 31. “These are complex decisions, which is why we launched a strong education and outreach campaign back in September. Now we’re providing a one-time extension of an additional month so that every producer is fully prepared to enroll in this program,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. For more information on farm program options, check out Iowa Farm Bureau’s presentations, which were given around the state in late 2014 and early 2015. They can be accessed at www.iowafarmbureau.com.
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MARCH 4, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
particularly for a young teacher,” said FFA member Marissa Pham, noting that student leaders are taking on additional responsibilities to help Gottlob stretch his time further. “While this provides us good leadership opportunities, it concerns us that our particular program could lead to teacher burnout,” she said.
investigate the possibility of privately funding the position. The committee’s goal is to raise about $400,000 to cover all expenses of a second instructor for five years. After some debate, the school board approved the concept if the fundraising effort is successful. “It’s going to be something sustainable,” said Brian Kemp, an Osceola County Farm Bureau member who is serving on the steering committee. “It can’t just be one or two years.”
Approaching the board
Exploring new horizons
Pham and three other FFA leaders stood before the SibleyOcheyedan school board last December, asking the board to consider funding a second agriculture education teacher for the 2015-16 school year. A second ag teacher, they said, would allow the school to offer more in-depth agriculture courses and expand its FFA program to the middleschool level. “If we would have been given the opportunity to explore the FFA program as early as sixth grade, the impact would have been very positive in each of our lives,” said senior Mystic Henningsen, Sibley-Ocheyedan FFA’s vice president. “Knowing this, we are motivated to improve the lives of those who follow us.”
Gottlob inherited a successful FFA program from long-time Sibley-Ocheyedan ag teacher Mike Earll, who retired two years ago. The chapter has kept up many of its long-standing activities and traditions while also working to incorporate new ideas under Gottlob’s leadership. “There’s a whole bunch of exciting stuff going on,” said Gottlob, a former South Dakota FFA state president. “The kids started realizing I’m always up here at school, and we’re still not capitalizing on all the opportunities out there.” Knowing that Sibley-Och eyedan once employed two ag teachers, the students wondered about the possibility of bringing the position back. Gottlob directed them to meet with local banker and FFA supporter Karl Bormann. “I told the students they would have to lead it. I didn’t really have a part in it,” Gottlob said. “I’m very impressed with these kids. That’s the most impressive part about being here, to see what the kids are accomplishing. I don’t know how many of these campaigns of this size have been led by students in high school.” Bormann, who works at Sibley State Bank, advised the
AG TEACHER FROM PAGE 1
Promoting other areas Additional agriculture classes could also be used to promote cross-curriculum work in math, science and reading, added FFA Chapter President Josh Wagenaar. The school board ultimately decided that a second agriculture teacher wasn’t possible due to budget constraints. However, the students’ request resonated with community members, who organized a steering committee to
PORTS FROM PAGE 1
“We have taken pride in being a reliable producer and a reliable place for those markets to come to and buy, and this port slowdown took away some of our credibility on that,” he said. There’s no doubt that trade partners and those involved in supply chain logistics will be looking at alternatives to U.S. products and means by which
their products are delivered. “We shouldn’t be surprised to see in the future that these folks are going through (West Coast ports) less or not at all,” Steenhoek said. Different routes of travel mean added costs and shipping time, especially for customers in Asia and Japan, Struthers said. “Especially when we’re dealing with some of the higher value chilled products that go to Japan, those products need to get there as quickly as possible,” he said. “So
Members of Sibley-Ocheyedan FFA use corn to measure the progress of their campaign to expand their school’s agriculture programs. From left: Brian Gottlob, FFA advisor; and students Megan Block, Alexa Julius, Collin Van Diepen, Caleb Freeman and Parker Dagel. PHOTO/GARY FANDEL
group to make their case to the school board, which they did in December.
Student-led effort “To me, the cool thing is it was the FFA leadership team that came up with the idea,” said Kemp. “To keep up, (Gottlob is) spending hours and hours at school. The kids were perceptive enough to see what’s going on there.” The committee is about halfway toward meeting its fundraising goal, which it hopes to complete as soon as possible so the school can advertise the job opening. “I sense the enthusiasm is realusing the Atlantic or Gulf Coast ports isn’t a very good option. It adds a lot of cost and time to it.” Now the port workers will work to clear the backlog of imports and exports that never reached their destinations, which will take several weeks, maybe even several months, Steenhoek said. “I hope they’ll get caught up and they’ll stay current and work efficiently in the future so that we can maintain and grow those customer bases,” Struthers said.
CSP renewal option announced The U.S. Department of Ag riculture’s (USDA) Natural Re sources Conservation Service (NRCS) last week announced a renewal option through March 31 for eligible agricultural producers with 2011 expiring Conservation
Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts. These producers must adopt additional activities to help them achieve higher levels of conservation on their farms. The USDA is also extending the deadline two weeks for farmers to
Lyon County FB reaches 2015 membership goal Lyon County Farm Bureau last week became the fifth county in the state to reach its 2015 membership gain goal. The county signed 76 new members to reach its goal of 1,053 members. Gary Twedt of Larchwood is the county president. The top region so far in this year’s membership campaign is Region 17 in southeast Iowa at nearly 98 percent. Counties in the
region are Henry, Van Buren, Lee, Des Moines, Jefferson a n d Wa p e l l o . Region 1 in northwest Iowa is second at 97.6 percent of goal. The 2015 m e mbership TWEDT campaign continues through the end of March.
submit applications for the general CSP sign-up, until March 13. CSP is offered through a continuous sign-up, but NRCS periodically makes funding selections. Last year, Iowa NRCS obligated more than $4.5 million through 436 contracts covering 201,000 acres. The program emphasizes conservation performance. Producers earn higher payments for higher performance. Through CSP, producers install conservation enhancements to make positive changes in soil health, soil erosion, water quality, water quantity, air quality, plant resources, animal resources and energy. Changes in the 2014 Farm Bill will allow CSP participants with expiring contracts to renew them by exceeding stewardship thresholds for two or more existing natural resource concerns. CSP also supports the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy through various enhancement options.
ly high in the agriculture community,” said Kemp. “I think it will allow (the FFA members) to do what they’re doing bet-
ter, and allow them to get into some futuristic areas like digital farming, drones and international agriculture.”
ROADS
highlighted in a recent report by a national transportation research group called TRIP. It said the aging infrastructure is costing all Iowans $935 million per year in vehicle repair costs and tire wear, increased fuel consumption and accelerated vehicle depreciation, according to the report released last week.
FROM PAGE 1
to improve our current road and bridge infrastructure.” Hill said Farm Bureau members clearly saw the need to invest more in transportation infrastructure. “It’s really not in our organization’s nature to ask for tax increases,” he said. “But members could clearly see that there was a need and strongly believe that a safe and efficient transportation infrastructure is one of the basic functions of government and is extremely important to agriculture.”
Carefully developed Farm Bureau leaders, Hill said, carefully developed several tenants that a transportation infrastructure funding bill would need to address. Those included provisions for a pay-as-you-go system; constitutional protection to keep funds from being diverted; a fuel tax that allows all road users, including out-of-state drivers, to contribute; and a fund that is sustainable and predictable from year to year. “The measure that was passed and signed this week met all of those criteria,” Hill said. The economic cost of deteriorating roads and bridges was
Safety, rural economy In addition, poor transportation infrastructure is making Iowa roads more dangerous and is hampering the state’s economic development efforts, the report said. The need for additional fuel tax revenues for roads and bridges was also clear from the recent trend of borrowing by Iowa counties to fund needed road and bridge repairs, Hill said. In recent years, 30 counties have bonded for more than $208 million to pay for rural roads and bridges. “Due to inadequate fuel tax revenues, debt and property taxpayers were becoming the default funding mechanism,” Hill said. “The action taken by the legislature and Governor Branstad will help to ensure that Iowa’s roads and bridges are funded in the most equitable way possible,” he added. “We need to congratulate all of our elected representatives for passage of this very responsible legislation.”
Farm Bureau members instrumental in success of road funding bill Farm Bureau members were instrumental in advocating for increased road and bridge funding, and those grassroots efforts were realized last week. (Please see article on page 1). Approximately $72 million of the new revenue will go directly to county governments every year to maintain secondary and farm-tomarket roads and bridges. In other action, House File 307 was amended in the House Education Committee to include language prohibiting schools from beginning their school calendar any sooner than Aug. 23. The bill also eliminates the
ISSUE UPDATE ability of a school district to obtain waivers allowing an earlier start date. House File 307 passed the full House Education Committee. Another bill, Senate Study Bill 1224, was introduced that would clarify the sales tax exemption for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road utility vehicles when they are primarily used in agricultural production.
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN MARCH 4, 2015
Editorial
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Simple messages from farmers go a long way in assuring consumers BY BETHANY BARATTA
Those farmers have gone into grocery stores and approached customers at the meat counter, asking what questions they had about agriculture.
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nimal rights activists are shaping the conversation on animal agriculture because farmers aren’t speaking up, and Steve Kopperud wants that to change. “We need to take back the messaging,” said Steve Kopperud, executive vice president of Policy Directions Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based government affairs/ specialty communications company. “We need to talk about things we do, why we do them, how well we do them and why it benefits the consumer,” he told farmers recently at the Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines. At a time when consumers are asking more questions about their food, they are being flooded with misinformation from groups like the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and PETA, he said. What consumers really want is information from farmers who grow their food. “They desire the information from you, the producer,” he said. Consumers don’t want to hear from the industry groups who they know are paid to say good things about the industry.
Simple messages Simple messaging, he says, is often more powerful than lengthy, scientific messages. Consumers don’t generally care about all the fine details when it comes to animal agriculture, he said. “They don’t want to know what you do day in day out. They don’t want to know what the animal Steve Kopperud, a communications executive, is fed. They don’t want told pork farmers that consumers are hungry to know how you handle for information from farmers. that animal. But what they PHOTO/BETHANY BARATTA want, what they demand, what they deserve is “They want to hear from the honest-to-God man and woman assurances,” Kopperud said. Industry groups and farmers who does it for a living that what they’re doing is correct, is profes- must be proactive and tell consional, is explainable and it not sumers how they’re raising their only benefits the animal, it bene- animals and, ultimately, how that fits the consumer,” Kopperud said. benefits the consumers and the He said farmers should take livestock. As farms become the target of the lead from others who have successfully connected with con- more undercover videos, farmers must be vigilant, train their sumers.
employees and understand the im plications of their actions on the farm, Kopperud said. Since videos are visual, it’s difficult to reverse the emotional toll it takes on consumers and build trust again, he said. So farmers must be on the offense and do things correctly in the first place.
Weeding out bad actors Industry groups have a responsibility to respond to undercover videos, he said. “Nobody loves a farmer more than I do, but when I watch some of those videos that are obvious bad actors, the first thing I want to see is a press release from every national producer group condemning that video,” he said. To defend a video after it’s been released and accusing groups of altering the video is the wrong practice, Kopperud said. “The action that needs to be taken is to make sure that anybody that wanders onto a farm and gets there illegally doesn’t have anything to videotape,” he said. Talking to consumers, both online and face to face, is essential, he said. “If you wish to be a 21st century hog producer, then start speaking up. No one is going to do it for you as well as you can do it.”
Ag a big winner in potential Trans-Pacific trade pact With the Trans-Pacific Partner ship (TPP) trade agreement mak ing clear headway, the U.S. Department of Agriculture put out a report showing how it would affect different ag products, from corn to cherries to beer. For Iowa, the value will be very significant, the report said. Under the agreement, tariffs on imports of U.S. soybeans and soybean products will be cut, offering new market access opportunities. In 2014, the United States exported $5.5 billion of soybeans and soy products to the TPP region. Japan is the largest export market for U.S. beef and beef products, valued at almost $2 billion in 2014. U.S. beef exports to the TPP countries currently face tariffs as high as 50 percent. Under the agreement,
Spokesman Editor DIRCK STEIMEL News Coordinator TOM BLOCK Senior Features Writer TERESA BJORK Ag Commodities Writer BETHANY BARATTA Photographer/Writer GARY FANDEL
tariffs across the region will be cut, offering new market access opportunities to U.S. beef producers and exporters. In 2014, the United States exported almost $4 billion of beef to the TPP region. U.S. exports of corn and corn
products to the TPP countries face tariffs as high as 40 percent. Under the TPP agreement, these tariffs will be cut, offering new market access opportunities to U.S. producers and exporters of corn and corn products. In 2014,
the United States exported more than $6 billion in corn and corn products to the TPP region. The agreement would also reduce tariffs and increase export potential for pork, dairy products and feeds, the report said.
It’s time to stop attacking ethanol Last week, Sens. Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania) and Dianne Feinstein (D-California) introduced the Corn Ethanol Mandate Elimination Act, just the latest in a series of attacks on the biofuel. National Corn Growers As sociation board member Keith Alverson of South Dakota issued the following statement: “Every year, corn ethanol gets
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cleaner and more efficient, and oil gets dirtier. Congress should not turn its back on the success we have seen in renewable fuels. “The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is working. We are growing renewable, clean energy right here in America. “Corn ethanol is better for the environment and has historically lowered the cost of filling our Iowa Farm Bureau Federation: Craig Hill, President; Joe Heinrich, Vice President; Denny Presnall, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Director; Edward G. Parker, General Counsel. Board of Directors: District 1 - Carlton Kjos, Decorah. District 2 - Charlie Norris, Mason City. District 3 - Phil Sundblad, Albert City. District 4 - Doug Gronau, Vail. District 5 - Mark Buskohl, Grundy Center. District 6 - Nick Podhajsky, Traer. District 7 - Andrew Hora, Riverside. District 8 - Calvin Rozenboom, Oskaloosa. District 9 - Will Frazee, Emerson.
tanks by nearly a dollar. “With a second consecutive record crop, there is more than enough corn to meet all demands for food, fuel, feed and fiber. Corn farmers have more than met our commitment on the RFS. There are many good reasons to continue this policy, and we look forward to working with Congress to support it.”
It’s litigation, not cooperation for DM Water Works BY DIRCK STEIMEL The Des Moines Water Works (DMWW), which is considering filing a very high-profile lawsuit against three northwest Iowa counties over water quality issues, could have another litigation target in its sights: one of its own customers. And once again, that’s creating questions about whether cooperation is a better route than litigation. As it mulls filing a lawsuit against Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac counties, the DMWW is currently in a squabble with the city of Urbandale. And that, according to a recent article in the Des Moines Business Record, could also end up in court. Urbandale, which currently gets its water from the DMWW, is considering building its own treatment plant and sourcing some of its own water. Urbandale officials said they decided to consider the action because they hope to expand their community and will need more water. They also cited what they called “dramatic” rate increases by the DMWW. This action is not sitting well with the DMWW and its general manager and CEO, Bill Stowe. He voiced concern because Urbandale plans to draw water for its potential treatment plant from the Des Moines River, one of the sources for the DMWW.
Plans legal challenge Stowe says he plans to challenge Urbandale in court if it decides to withdraw water from the Des Moines River. Although Urbandale has a state permit to do that, Stowe says the suburb’s action would leave the DMWW without adequate supplies. Interestingly, the Business Re cord article also explores the potential of communities working together to create a new regional water utility. A regional utility, the proponents say, would create more incentive for cooperation between the different communities to solve water issues, something that Stowe has been unwilling to do with agriculture. M a ny I owa c o m m u n i t i e s have also pursued the cooperation path as they work with farmers to improve water quality. Large Iowa communities, such as Cedar Rapids, and small ones like Griswold are working with farmers to promote cover crops, wetlands, bioreactors and other technologies to trim nutrient loss. Those communities, like farmers and agricultural officials, be lieve that cooperation will drive progress on water quality faster and further than litigation.
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN MARCH 4, 2015 5
The right farm bill choice will vary by individual situations The variables in the new farm safety net program, from location to location and from crop to crop, mean there is no one solution that will fit all Iowa farms.
ers meeting in West Des Moines. “Because of that, there is not one farm program solution that fits everybody. It will take a lot of individual decisions.”
Deadline is March 31
BY DIRCK STEIMEL The deadline for updating base acreage and program yields has been extended, but farmers must also concentrate on choosing one of the safety net programs in the new farm bill. And the choice, which also must be made at the county Farm Service Agency office by March 31, won’t be simple or universal, according to Dave Miller, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) director of research and commodity programs. Instead, Miller said during a recent presentation to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Policy Information Conference, each farmer is going to have to look
Dave Miller, director of research and commodity programs for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, speaking at the Policy Information Conference. Farm safety net choices in the new farm bill won’t be simple or universal, he said. PHOTO/GARY FANDEL
hard at his or her own specifics and determine which farm safety net program makes the most sense. The answer to that will vary widely across Iowa, across county
lines and even from crop to crop, he said. “We asked for a farm program that was localized, and we got it,” Miller told the Farm Bureau lead-
The farm safety net choice facing farmers by March 31 is between Price Loss Coverage (PLC) or Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC). The ARC decision is further broken down into either individual (ARC-IC) or county options, although the county option (ARC-CO) appears to be the most favorable to all but a few Iowa farmers, Miller said. The ARC program is designed as a revenue protection program and will provide payments when crop income falls below specified levels. The PLC program works much like the traditional target price program to set a floor under market prices. This option, which was included for farmers in the South, is gaining more attention in Iowa and the rest of the Corn Belt because of the recent sharp declines in corn and soybean pric-
“It’s not just my crop. It’s my money. And her future.”
es, Miller said. The PLC or ARC decision is a one-time choice for the life of the program, or through the 2018 crop year. That makes it important to evaluate how each farm would do under each program, Miller said. Also, farmers can choose PLC for one crop, and ARC-CO for another, Miller pointed out, so it’s important to evaluate all options for every crop on the farm. The IFBF held a series of 32 farm bill informational meetings throughout Iowa from midDecember through early February. They provided information and detailed insight to help farmers, landowners and others navigate the complex and binding options in the new government farm programs. Miller urged Farm Bureau members who still have questions about their farm bill decision to go to the IFBF website, www. iowafarmbureau.com, to review videos, slides and other available information.
Use online tools He also encouraged farmers to use online calculators established by Iowa State University, the University of Illinois and Texas A&M to see how their farm would do under various price scenarios. These sites, he said, allow farmers to run their individual data through computer models to develop scenarios, he said. It’s important that each farmer plugs in his or her own information because support levels and potential payment are likely to vary, and vary widely, across state and county lines. That’s partly because of the wide variation in crop average yields during the past several years. Doing research on the farm program choices is essential, but it’s not likely to answer all of a farmer’s questions, Miller said. Farmers’ protection will vary with changes in market prices for corn, soybeans and other crops, he said, making it impossible to predict. “We really don’t have a clue where prices are going to be in 2016 and beyond,” Miller said. In addition, a program choice that is more beneficial in the early years of the five-year program may not be toward the end of it, Miller said. “We all wish that Congress would have included a crystal ball when they wrote the program to help us, but that didn’t happen,” Miller said.
New farm bill increases the importance of NASS surveys With the safety net programs in the new farm bill built on yield and price data, it’s more important than ever for farmers to participate in surveys from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) Dave Miller said. “It’s important that we have a robust data set,” Miller told Farm Bureau leaders at the recent IFBF Policy Information C o n f e r e n c e i n We s t D e s Moines. “The better the information in the NASS surveys, the better the programs will work for everyone,” he said.
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IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN MARCH 4, 2015 7
Farmers build neighbor support for hog barn expansion BY BETHANY BARATTA Eric and Emily Crosman have always placed special emphasis on caring for their livestock and the environment. So when it came time for the Crosmans to face the Boone County Board of Supervisors during a public hearing, neighbors and friends were ready to speak up about the Crosmans’ efforts. Bret Pierce, a Boone County Farm Bureau member and farmer in Woodward, said the Crosmans set a good example. “I would like to point out that Eric is one of the best examples of a livestock producer that we have in Boone County,” Pierce said. “He is following all of the steps and going above and beyond to care for his animals and also to care for his neighbors.” He noted that the Crosmans notify neighbors before applying manure and find the best time to apply the nutrients on their field. “He does it at the best time to get the most fertilizer value out of it for his cropping operation,” Pierce said.
Building for the future As a fifth-generation hog farm-
The Crosmans built their first 2,400-head hog barn next to their home in June 2012. Last week, they faced the Boone County Board of Supervisors, supporters and even those opposing the barn during a public hearing.
Completing matrix
Eric Crosman, left, talks to neighbor Kevin Westrum following the Boone County Board of Supervisors meeting last week. Westrum spoke to the Boone County Board of Supervisors in favor of accepting Crosman’s proposal for a new hog barn to be added to his farm in Ogden. PHOTO/BETHANY BARATTA
er, Crosman told the board of supervisors that he takes care of his animals and the soil, hoping to leave it in better shape for his two sons, Brock and Jakob, who are 8 and 4 years old. He explained that he injects the manure instead of surface applying, which reduces odor. Using the nutrients from his hog barn has improved soil health, he said. “We’ve had a good response; we’ve been using less N, P and K
on our farms to grow healthier and better crops,” Crosman said. “We’re seeing earthworms in our soil, so our soil health has gone way up.” He’s an excellent manager of both his hogs and crops, noted Kevin Westrum, a Boone County Farm Bureau member and farmer. “(He’s) applied the manure in a very diligent way to his growing crops (that) does not increase the amount of runoff or anything from those acres,” Westrum said.
Since the new barn will double the number of hogs on the site, a master matrix scoring system was used to evaluate the site. The matrix is a system used to evaluate permit application and proposed locations for confinements, according to the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF). Farmers earn points by choosing a site and implementing practices to reduce impacts on air, water and the community, according to Brian Ritland, director of agronomic services for Pinnacle. Ritland helped the Crosmans complete the master matrix application, which was then reviewed by a committee. “The main thing you look at is community, air and water,” Ritland explained. Each piece of the matrix has a points potential. Of the possible 800 points, the Crosmans earned
Here’s to bringing up the sun.
Unanimous decision The Boone County Board of Supervisors were unanimous in their decision to accept the master matrix and the Crosmans’ plan to construct the new barn. “I think agriculture in this county and in this state is an extremely important industry. It’s a driver. It’s why the state of Iowa during the latest deep recession really was buffeted from the serious effects a lot of these areas saw,” said Steve Duffy, a member of the Boone County Board of Supervisors. “So to ignore agriculture is a serious mistake. Not only an economic issue, but it’s also a feed-the-world issue.” Pending the Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s approval, the Crosmans hope to have their hog barn built by mid-July. “My oldest son Brock’s birthday is Aug. 2,” Crosman said. “He tells me this is his birthday present.”
USDA sets rules, funding for bio-energy programs
Here’s to muddy boots and grease-stained hands. Here’s to caring for this great land.
Here’s to protecting what you live for. We’re proud of our agricultural roots, and proud to be the insurance company so many families rely on to protect them from the unexpected. Here’s to protecting you and all you do.
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about 500. A farmer must score 400 points for the site to be considered, Ritland said. “You have to meet and exceed the minimums,” Ritland said. “He did that in every case.” Parts of the matrix don’t apply to every applicant, Crosman noted. It’s a standardized matrix that includes an evaluation for not only pig sites but also turkeys, cattle and other species.
5/14/14 2:56 PM
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week announced proposed rules and the availability of up to $8.7 million in funding for bio-energy research and education efforts for biomass for renewable energy. Both programs are made available through the 2014 farm bill. “These investments will keep America moving toward a clean energy economy and offer new jobs and opportunities in rural communities,” Vilsack said. One of the bio-energy programs is the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) in the Federal Register. BCAP provides up to $25 million each year in financial assistance to establish, produce and deliver biomass feedstocks to a qualifying energy facility. The rule includes modifications to cost sharing, eligible types of biomass and other definitions. Stakeholders are encouraged to visit www.regulations. gov to review program details and provide comments during a 60-day public comment period. Comments are due by April 28. The full program will resume in 90 days on May 28. Additional information on application dates will be announced this spring. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is also taking applications for research and education grants through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI). BRDI is a joint program to develop economically and environmentally sustainable sources of renewable biomass, increase the availability of renewable fuels and bio-based products to help replace the need for gasoline and diesel in vehicles.
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
MARCH 4, 2015
9
March looks cool, but overall spring may be warmer, drier IOWA’S WEATHER OUTLOOK BY DAN HICKS
A
s January ended and February began, the heaviest snowstorm of the season occurred in a large part of Iowa, and this ushered in a cold start to February. After this cold beginning, there were some mild days heading into the second week of February, but overall, belownormal temperatures were the dominant feature for much of the month. Into late February, monthly temp eratures were running well below normal in most of the state, with coldest departures in the east, where some locations were averaging around 10 degrees below normal. This colder February pattern affected most of the eastern half of the nation, and in some areas from around the Mississippi River eastward, this February will likely rank among the coldest. Some of the years I have been following as analogs to the recent past weather include the 1940-41 and 1979-80 time frame. Of these years, the 1979-80 time frame matches the trends in the Tropical Pacific best when looking at the past several months, with sea-surface temperatures above normal in the key area and at times warm enough to be in the weak El Nino category. Comparable official data is not available for 1940-41, but it appears that El Nino conditions existed during that time also.
Temperature Departure Feb. 1 to Feb. 25 from normal
Crop district Northwest 22.5 +4.5 15.1 North-central 21.6 +4.0 12.0 Northeast 22.7 +3.6 10.8 West-central 24.7 +3.9 16.7 Central 24.9 +3.9 14.3 East-central 25.3 +2.7 14.0 Southwest 27.7 +3.8 19.4 South-central 27.2 +3.2 17.2 Southeast 27.6 +2.3 17.2 Statewide 24.8 +3.6 15.0 (Data from Iowa State Climatologist and Midwest Climate Center)
Iowa to average near to a little above normal for the March through May period, although the trend for March itself is a little cooler than normal. This composite shows a trend for spring precipitation to average a little below normal in Iowa.
Warmer, drier trend In years following winter seasons with weak El Nino conditions or borderline weak El Nino conditions, there is a slight trend toward near to warmer-than-normal temperatures. Spring precipitation during these years tends to range from near and little above normal in western Iowa to near and a little below normal in eastern Iowa. Based on this information, my current forecast for the spring is for temperatures in Iowa to average near to a little above normal
February much colder than normal
Temperature Departure Dec. 1 to Jan. 31 from normal
and for precipitation to average near to a little below normal. However, I am looking for temperatures to average a few degrees below normal during March. For the month of March, I expect temperatures in most of Iowa to average around 1 to 3 degrees below normal. Early in March, normal high temperatures range from the middle 30s in northern Iowa to the middle 40s south, and normal lows range
from the middle and upper teens north to the lower and middle 20s south. By the end of March, normal highs range from around 50 north to the middle and upper 50s in southern Iowa. In most of Iowa, I look for March precipitation to average near to slightly below normal. Normal precipitation for March ranges from 1.75 to 2.5 inches in most of Iowa up to 2.5 to 3 inches in some of the far east-central and
-5.9 -8.8 -10.9 -7.8 -8.9 -10.7 -7.5 -9.3 -10.1 -8.8 southeastern parts of the state. Normal snowfall ranges from around 2 to 4 inches in roughly the southeastern one-fourth of the state up to 7 to 8 inches in the far northwest. Hicks is a meteorologist with Freese-Notis Weather Inc. in Des Moines. Freese-Notis offers daily forecasts, long-range outlooks and other services. For more information, go to www.weather. net.
CROP PROTECTION THAT’S LIGHT-YEARS AHEAD OF ITS TIME.
Neutral conditions Officially neutral conditions continue in the Tropical Pacific with respect to El Nino or La Nina, and latest indications are that over the next several months, these positive neutral conditions or weak El Nino conditions will continue. A composite of the periods I discussed above indicates a weak trend for spring temperatures in
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CRP140196_PriaxorSoy_EOP_8x10_JrP4C_NoBld 1
1/9/15 11:34 AM
10 MARCH 4, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
Meat industry faces supply, demand challenges in 2015
U
.S. meat products are facing a variety of challenges in 2015, noted Derrell Peel, an economist with Oklahoma State University Extension in an article last week on the Pork Network website. The strong U.S. dollar makes U.S. products more expensive in global markets, he wrote. “This is particularly challenging for beef, which is already high relatively to other meats due to limited supplies,” Peel noted. Higher U.S. pork production and a strong dollar value are pushing pork prices lower, he said. The meat industry is still feeling the effects of the West Coast port worker slowdown, which ended Feb. 20. “The inability to move perishable product out of the ports has resulted in reduced export demand and diversion of meat back into domestic markets,” Peel noted. Winter storms in the United States has reduced meat demand domestically, he said. The pork industry is expanding, and the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is having less impact on the U.S. pig herd. Pork production is expected to increase 4 to 5 percent this year. Much of the pork is expected to be consumed in the
increased to 1,652 from 672 in the past seven months, Reuters reported last week. In an attempt to keep Duracade corn out of unapproved foreign markets, Syngenta last year hired grain merchant Gavilon to develop a network of elevators, mills, feedlots and ethanol plants that would accept farmers’ harvests for use in the United States. Syngenta has also restricted Duracade corn planting to geographic areas that typically produce crops used domestically, according to Reuters.
Grain industry eyes Cuba United States as European pork supplies are increasing competition in global markets. Broiler production is expected to see a 4 percent increase this year, Peel noted. But increased supplies and falling pork values will likely push broiler product values lower, Peel said. After decreasing 4 percent in 2014, beef production is expected to decrease 1 percent in 2015, Peel noted. “The challenges for the beef industry are particularly troublesome,” Peel said. Weaker export demand due to the strong dollar, combined with growing pork and broiler supplies, are pushing beef prices lower.
Duracade acceptance The number of U.S. grain elevators, mills and feedlot locations accepting corn containing Syngenta’s Agrisure Duracade trait
Representatives from the U.S. grain industry left for Cuba earlier this week to explore the opportunities for increased exports there, according to the U.S. Grains Council (USGC). The visit comes two months after the Obama administration announced it would work to normalize trade relations with Cuba. Ron Gray, USGC chairman and a farmer from Illinois, and Marri Carrow, USGC regional director for the Western Hemisphere, will represent the Council on the team.
One billion gallons Golden Grain Energy in Mason City recently celebrated its production of 1 billion gallons of ethanol. Golden Grain Energy is a privately-held company that produces 115 million gallons of ethanol annually. The plant is owned by 900 members, the majority of whom
Weekly Average Price Comparison Sheet Price comparisons: Week ending: 02/27/2015 01/30/2015 02/28/2014 16,083 27,567 92,724 Cattle - National 5 Area Confirmed Sales 5 Area 65-80% Choice Steers: Wtd Avg. NA $159.97 $149.99 Average Weights (Estimate) Cattle 1361 1365 1337 Boxed Beef Choice 600-750 (5 day avg.) $247.58 $242.44 $225.33 Boxed Beef Select 600-750 (5 day avg.) $245.57 $235.74 $223.12 Five Day Average Hide and Offal Value $14.11 $15.13 $15.46 Cattle - Interior Iowa – Minnesota Supply: 6,297 4,629 32,419 Average Price Choice Steer: Live Basis $157.00 $158.66 $149.67 Average Price Choice Steer: Dressed Basis NA $253.60 $240.25 Feeder Steers at River Markets (Neb. Feedlots) #1 Muscle Thickness 500-600# $280.72 $281.99 $223.94 #1 Muscle Thickness 700-800# $218.22 $219.06 $178.43 Hogs -- Interior Iowa – Minnesota ISM Friday Weighted Average Carcass Price $66.26 $66.01 $101.26 Average Weights (Estimate) Hogs 284.6 286.1 282.2 Sows 1-3 300# and up: Average Price $31.21 $41.61 $66.04 Pork Loins 1/4” trimmed 13 - 19 pound $98.58 $103.94 $143.79 51-52% 200 pound Pork Carcass (5 day avg.) $69.47 $80.61 $100.75 Feeder Pigs: National Direct Delivered Feeder Pigs 10 Pounds Basis - Wtd Avg. $43.79 $56.14 $85.79 Feeder Pigs 40 Pounds Basis -- Wtd Avg. $69.42 $73.21 $110.24 Sheep -- National Slaughter Lambs Negotiated Sales 4,000 7,400 4,500 Choice & Prime Wooled and Shorn 130 -150 lbs NA $135.25 No Test Iowa Large Eggs (cents per dozen) $1.10 $1.17 $1.19 Young Hen Turkeys: 8 -16# -- Eastern (cents/lb) 100.08 99.00 96.61 *Iowa Ethanol Prices $/gal $1.30 $1.31 $2.09 Futures: Corn $3.84 $3.70 $4.58 State Average Cash Corn Price $3.68 $3.48 $4.43 Basis -$0.16 -$0.22 -$0.15 Futures: Soybean $10.30 $9.61 $14.14 State Average Cash Soybean Price $9.86 $9.13 $13.68 Basis: -$0.44 -$0.48 -$0.46 Slaughter Under Federal Inspection Estimates Estimates Actuals Hogs: 2,092,000 2,144,000 2,089,000 Cattle: 519,000 550,000 561,000 Sheep: 39,000 38,000 40,000 Estimated Numbers through Saturday Cash Corn and Soybean prices are the Iowa Average Prices as reported by IDALS. NA-No report at time of publication. ***Confidentiality of data prohibits publication of this report under Livestock Mandatory Reporting. The report will be published when and if enough data is aggregated to meet the 3/70/20 guideline.*** Source: USDA Livestock and Grain Market News
are Iowa farmers, AgriNews reported last week. The plant employs 48 people and processes about 42 million bushels of corn annually. The plant also produces distillers grain and nonfood-grade corn oil, providing a feed source for livestock producers and the biodiesel industry, according to the AgriNews story.
BSE restricts beef sales South Korea, Taiwan, Peru and Belarus have imposed trade restriction on Canadian beef and beef products after Canada confirmed a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, this month, according to a Reuters report. The closed markets account for about 3 percent of Canadian trade, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
said. Canada typically exports about 30 percent of its beef production, according to Farm Futures. The United States ships about 11 percent.
Pain mitigation research Researchers at Iowa State Uni versity (ISU) have found a way to deliver pain medication to suckling piglets through sows during nursing. The results of the ISU study, published in the academic journal Plos One, concluded that pigs that receive the pain medication through the milk of the medicated sow experience less stress following castration and tail docking than piglets that didn’t receive the medication through sows. The next step in the research is to determine the lowest dose that can be used to achieve the same effect, the report said.
CME Class III Milk Futures Closing prices Feb. 27, 2015 Contract February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 Spot Prices Block Cheese Barrel Cheese Butter NFDM Grade A
Settle Last Week $15.49 $15.54 $15.69 $15.53 $15.87 $15.32 $16.13 $15.66 $1.5450 $1.4925 $1.6950 $1.1550
Contract June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015
Settle Last Week $16.93 $16.28 $17.41 $16.74 $17.84 $17.15 $17.83 $17.22
Milk Prices Feb. Class III Feb. Class IV
$15.49 $13.84
Iowa Hay Auctions Dyersville, Feb. 25
Hay, large squares, supreme, $252.50; premium, $95-145; good, $80-110; fair, $70-80; utility, $60-70; large rounds, good, $80-135; fair, $65-80; utility, $55-70. New seeding, large rounds, good, $70. Straw, large squares, good, $25-44. Mixed, large squares, good, $80-115; large rounds, good, $70-105. Grass, large squares, fair, $80-95; large rounds, good, $95-100. Corn stalks, large rounds, good, $39.
Ft. Atkinson, Feb. 25
Hay, small squares, 1st crop, $110-165; 2nd crop, $125-250; large squares, 2nd crop, $55-135; 3rd crop, $95-165; large rounds, 1st crop, $45-115; 2nd crop, $50115; 3rd crop, $85-145. Grass, large rounds, $60-85. Oat hay, large rounds, $70-75. Straw: large squares, $110; large rounds, $75-85. Corn stalks: large rounds, $35.
Perry**, Feb. 21
Alfalfa, small squares, premium, $6.50-7; good, $4.50-5; large squares, premium, $70;
good, $60; large rounds, premium, $115; good, $85. Grass, small squares, premium, $4.50; good, $3.50; fair, $2; large rounds, premium, $60; good, $50; large squares, good, $55; fair, $40. Straw, large squares, $55; small squares, $5.50. Corn stalks, large rounds, $25.
Rock Valley, Feb. 26
Alfalfa, large rounds, premium, $135-170; good, $115-120; fair, $90-110; large squares, good, $115; fair, $110. Grass, large rounds, premium, $115-125; good, $90-107.50; fair, $80-85; utility, $75; large squares, good, $95-110. Mixed hay: large rounds, $75-80. Millet: large rounds, fair, $95-110. Oat straw: large squares, $82.50. Bean straw: large rounds, $50-55. Corn stalks: large rounds, $57.50-62.50.
Yoder**/Frytown, Feb. 25
Alfalfa, large squares, $25-65; large rounds, $25-138; small squares, $1.50-3.20. Grass, large rounds, $20-55.
**Perry and Yoder hay auction prices are per bale. All other prices are per ton. Contacts: Dyersville, 563-588-0657; Ft. Atkinson, 563-534-7513; Perry, 515-321-5765; Rock Valley, 712-476-5541; Yoder, 319-936-0126
This week’s graph illustrates the basis for corn to be delivered in March. For example, last Oct. 15, the forward contract for March delivery was $3.17 and March futures were at $3.61, making basis 44 cents under futures ($3.17 minus $3.61). Recently, that basis was 25 cents under (cash bid at $3.51 and March futures at $3.76). The basis marked time until about the first of the year and has been in a steady tightening since that time. The basis rally of 19 cents benefits those who have owned the cash commodity. However, ownership costs from harvest also need to be considered.
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
Are commodity indexes finding a bottom?
I
n early December, we suggested commodity prices in general may have been getting positioned to put in their three-year lows. As it was, the various indices were in the early part of their window to put in semi-annual (26 week) lows, with that window extending through February. The Continuous Commodity Index (CCI) we have shown hit a low on its daily chart at the end of January and has since traded moderately higher. The CRB Commodity Index and the Goldman Sachs Commodity Index did as well. The CCI had reached an important downside measured target. Both the CRB and Goldman Sachs indices had dropped to, but not through, their late 2008 lows. (The CRB and Goldman Sachs indices tend to be a little more volatile, as their energy components are weighted a little more heavily.) If these indices push beyond their February highs, 435.83 on the CCI, it would be the first good sign an important low has been seen. At the least, it would indicate the minor trend has turned up. Given the extent of their declines over the last six to seven months, none have significant resistance levels nearby. On the CCI, the first significant resistance doesn’t come until 480-500. As we indicated in December, crude oil prices have the same threeyear cyclic pattern and were in position to put in that low sometime in the next few months as well. Crude oil has a seasonal low that comes in the winter, matching the semi-annual lows for the commodity indices. Both crude oil and product prices have moved higher from January lows, with the products making the largest moves. And the world crude oil energy benchmark, Brent crude oil prices, have been stronger than the U.S. benchmark, the West Texas intermediate grade. Like the commodity indices, the recent lows have been close to, but above, their late 2008 lows, levels we’d consider the low end of the “modern day” range of crude oil prices. Money is starting to flow back into commodity assets. Barclays Capital indicated total global managed commodity assets had grown $8 billion in January. That was the first increase since they peaked at the beginning of 2013. Confidence is starting to grow, and with prices near modern historical lows, that’s understandable. If energy markets and the commodity indices signal a turn higher, it will enhance the possibility of seeing higher grain prices too. Weekly CCI Index with 89-week moving average
700 625
550
May 2015 Corn with 50-day moving average
500
2014 CROP: The corn market
A close over the downtrend and the 50-day moving average, $4 would suggest the bigger trend is turning up again.
20-week cycle lows
450
continues its historical precedent of having a choppy, sideways market during winter. Better selling opportunities will come. Only make needed sales at this time. If you need to sell, we’d recommend a basis contract to secure cash, leaving pricing open into spring. Continue to hold 2013 crop for expected long-term improvement.
FUNDAMENTALS: Brazilian
2 0 1 5 C R O P : Te c h n i c a l aspects continue to build the case for higher prices. We see no reason to price new crop at this time. Consider buying out-of-the money new-crop call options that you can make cash sales against later this spring or summer.
producer fuel shortages could further cut into their second-crop corn plantings. The potentially smaller crop should help boost U.S. export business during the summer. The Argentine government is looking for the country’s output to only reach 30 million metric tons this year, down 3 mil-
400
350
The corn market has been choppy since the shortterm trend turned down in late December. But, the price surge out of the late January low hinted it might have been the 20-week low. If May futures trade sideways to higher, it would imply this past week was a retest of that low.
300 2/27/14
SOYBEAN STRATEGY
5/29/14
$3.79
11/25/14
2/27/15
5/27/15
0
-25
-50
Basis Chicago Futures
-75 3/21/14
6/16/14
9/9/14
12/2/14
2/27/15
lion metric tons from last year. U.S. export shipments are still running a little ahead of last year.
May 2015 Soybeans with 50-day moving average
1250
issues crept into the conversation this past week. They could force world buyers to keep filling short-term needs out of the United States. Technical features still suggest better selling opportunities should be ahead.
been a trucker strike across Brazil for the past nine to 10 days. The
8/27/14
$3.74
$3.74 and $3.79 are important short-term supports.
1350
2014 CROP: Brazilian logistical
FUNDAMENTALS: There’s
775
11
Cash Strategist Hotline: 1-309-557-2274
CORN STRATEGY
2015 CROP: New-crop prices are taking their lead from oldcrop prices. Even then, the lower insurance guarantees aren’t an incentive to plant low-quality land this year. We have no interest in pricing 2015 crop at these levels.
MARCH 4, 2015
1150
1050
950
The sustained price strength this month, and the closes over the 50-day moving average reinforce the possibility prices have turned up out of a 16- to 18-week low.
16- to 18-week cycle lows
If May closes over this week's $10.32 high, which would also be over the downtrend, it would suggest prices have also turned up out of a 3-year low. A close under $9.90-$9.94 potentially makes a more 3-year low negative near-term scenario.
850 2/27/14
5/29/14
8/27/14
$9.90 -$9.94 near-term support
11/25/14
2/27/15
5/27/15
400
problems extend beyond the struggle to get soybeans to port. In Mato Grosso, up to 20 percent of the producers are out of fuel, with that many more having low supplies. That will continue to drag on the harvest pace, one that’s already behind. The Argentine government projected a 58 million metric ton crop, nearly 5
300 200 100 0 Basis Chicago Futures
-100 3/21/14
6/16/14
9/9/14
12/2/14
2/27/15
million metric tons larger than last year’s. Government policies are expected to keep producer sales to a minimum early this year.
Iowa Corn & Soybean Basis
550 475
26-week cycle lows
3-year cycle low
400 3-year cycle low
325 3-year cycle low
250 1/13/2008
5/28/2010
10/12/2012
2/27/2015
Cash Strategist Positions CORN
2014
3-10-14 — 10% sold @ $4.82
at a glance 2015
100% unsold
3-10-14 — 15% sold @ $4.78 3-31-14 — 10% sold @ $4.95 65% unsold
BEANS
2014
2015
12-23-13 —10% sold @ $11.72 12-31-13 — 10% sold @ $11.35 2-18-14 — 10% sold @ $11.38 3-3-14
5-27-14 — 15% sold @ $12.07 85% unsold
— 10% sold @ $11.72
5-12-14 — 10% sold @ $12.23 6-2-14
— 10% sold @ $12.24
6-23-14 — 15% sold @ $12.07 25% unsold
Iowa Farm Bureau members have free 24/7 access to AgriVisor daily updates through the Members portion of the IFBF website: www. iowafarmbureau.com. The AgriVisor link is on the homepage under the Daily Market chart.
CORN: (basis vs. March futures, 2/25/15)
SOYBEANS: (basis vs. March futures, 2/25/15)
NW $3.59 -0.17 SW $3.51 -0.25
SW
NC $3.59 -0.17 SC $3.54 -0.22
NE $3.62 -0.14 SE $3.57 -0.19
NW
$9.62 -0.46 $9.65 -0.43
NC SC
$9.63 -0.45 $9.61 -0.47
NE $9.62 -0.46 SE $9.73 -0.35
Neither AgriVisor LLC nor the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is liable for any damages that anyone may sustain by reason of inaccuracy or inadequacy of information provided herein, any error of judgment involving any projections, recommendation or advice or any other act of omission. This publication is owned by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation with advice provided by and copyrighted by AgriVisor Services LLC, 1701 Towanda Avenue, Bloomington, Ill., 61701. No reproduction of any material in whole or in part of this page may be made without written consent.
Brazil trucker strike halts grain transportation A worker stoppage in Brazil last week fueled higher U.S. soybean prices, the Wall Street Journal reported. Brazilian truckers want the government to cut the tax on diesel fuel, which rose 5 cents on Feb. 1, and to establish minimum payments for transportation services. Government negotiators last week announced a six-month freeze on fuel prices and a oneyear grace period for truckers to repay loans from the state development, but the strike continued, according to a Reuters report. Negotiators also said they would establish a committee to discuss minimum payments, the Wall Street Journal reported. The actions began two weeks ago in Mato Grosso state, which
produces nearly 30 percent of Brazil’s soybeans. The stoppage then spread around the country last week. Truckers had set up 99 blockades in 10 states, Brazil’s Federal Highway Police noted. Truckers at some checkpoints were allowing passenger vehicles and trucks carrying perishable goods and livestock to pass, which truckers at other blockades were stopping all traffic, according to the Wall Street Journal. Brazil’s attorney general’s office, meanwhile, has obtained court orders banning the blockades and imposing fines of $1,737 and more per hour of traffic stoppage on truckers and union leaders who help organize or participate in them, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The strike has slowed the amount of soybeans reaching export points. Trucks haul about 60 percent of the crop from fields to ports, Farm Futures reported. Meanwhile, U.S. soybean prices for March delivery climbed to a six-week high at $10.29 per bushel. The blockades have slowed production at BRF SA, Brazil’s largest poultry exporter, as the worker stoppage has restricted the movement of corn and soybeans, which are used as animal feed. BRF SA has reduced output by about 15 percent, Bloomberg News reported last week. The strike has caused 60 pork and poultry plants to close temporarily, Reuters reported. The strike has reduced the country’s slaughter of animals by 50 percent.
12
MARCH 4, 2015
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
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MARCH 4, 2015
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
Farm Bureau Policy Development 2015 State Issue...
How should schools use property tax-backed funds? or buildings and additions • Expenditures for energy conservation • The rental of facilities • Purchase of transportation equipment for transporting students • Purchase of lease-purchase of school buildings • Equipment purchases for recreational purposes • Payments to a municipality or other entity as required under Section 403.19, subsection 2 • Demolition, clean-up and other costs related to a natural disaster
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he Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) is a non-general fund levy that may be utilized by school districts. The PPEL levy can be established two ways: a school board-approved regular PPEL levy and a voter-approved PPEL levy. When combined, the two forms of the PPEL levy may not exceed $1.67 per thousand dollars of property value as described below. A school board may annually certify a regular PPEL levy in an amount up to $0.33 per thousand dollars of property valuation. Currently, 328 out of 338 school districts are utilizing the regular PPEL levy. Additionally, the voters of a school district may authorize a voter-approved PPEL levy for an amount not exceeding $1.34 per thousand dollars of property valuation. A voter-approved PPEL levy must be approved at least every 10 years, and it may be funded by a combination of property tax and income surtax. Currently, 244 out of 338 school districts have a voter-approved PPEL levy, with 57 school districts at the $1.34 maximum. Seventy-five of these 244 school districts have combined an income surtax to go along with the property tax levy. The PPEL levy may only be used for specific purposes as outlined in Iowa
Iowa code also states that PPEL revenues shall not be used for items such as school district employee salaries or travel expenses, supplies, printing costs or media services. In recent years there have been attempts to expand PPEL’s list of allowed expenditures to include items such as bus repair and maintenance, joint projects with community colleges and payment of utilities. These expenses are typically paid from a school district’s General Fund, which consists of a combination of property tax dollars and state general fund dollars.
PPEL Fund questions code. The specific allowed expenses are: • Purchase and improvement of grounds • Construction of schoolhouses and buildings (and their opening roads) • Purchase or lease of equipment or technology exceeding $500 per transaction • Payment of debts contracted for the construction of a school house or building (not including interest on bonds) • Procuring or acquisition of library facilities • Repairing, remodeling, reconstruction, improving or expanding the schoolhouse
1. Should school districts with high transportation costs receive increased funding through the current per pupil funding formula? 2. Should property tax levies have specific purposes that the revenues can be used for? 3. Is it better to pay for a school district expenses from the General Fund (combination of property taxes and state aid) or from a property tax levy? 4. Should the voters have to approve any PPEL levy over $0.33? 5. If school bus repairs and maintenance costs were moved from a school district’s General Fund and instead were paid with PPEL revenues, what would the effect be on the General Fund? Would the General Fund decrease, or would those costs be replaced with another cost?
National issue...
UAVs hold promise for ag. But do they raise privacy concerns ?
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AVs, commonly called drones, are unmanned powered aircraft that sustain flight through remote operation. There are many potential uses of UAV technology in different sectors of business, industry and government which include crop scouting, flood mapping, inspecting power lines and pipelines, delivering packages, land surveying, photography and more. UAVs have great potential in the agriculture industry by targeting herbicide and fertilizer use, monitoring feedlots and pastures, locating invasive disease and detecting weather-related crop damage. The Federal Aviation Administration is delegated with regulating the safe and efficient use of U.S. airspace. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently proposed a set of safety regulations that would allow routine use of UAS for commercial operations. Until now, UAS, or drones, have been allowed to fly only for recreational purposes or with a permit. The proposed rule, which covers drones weighing less than 55 pounds, would limit flights to daylight hours and require operators to maintain visual line of sight of a small UAS. Flights would be limited to 500 feet altitude and no faster than 100 miles per hour. Operators would have to be at least 17 years old and pass an aeronautical knowledge test every two years to maintain certification. There are also restrictions on flying near airports and over crowds. However, the rules do not require UAS operators to obtain a pilot’s license or certified medical training, which had been under consideration. The FAA is also considering more flexible rules for “micro” UAS under 4.4 pounds.
State or local attempts at regulating non-governmental flight or aircraft directly are preempted by federal authority. However, states have authority over aircraft owned or used by state and local governments. States also have authority to require registration of aircraft, to define criminal behavior and to create civil remedies for UAV misuse. Within the last two years, 20 states have passed legislation directly dealing with UAVs by regulating government and private use. UAV regulation is likely to be discussed in future years by the Iowa General Assembly. In 2014, the Iowa Legislature passed H.F. 2289, which prohibits state and local governments from using UAVs for traffic law enforcement. The bill also requires law enforcement to obtain a search warrant or secure the information in a manner that follows federal and state law, if the information obtained by the UAV is to be admissible in court. H.F. 2289 also required the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) to
report whether Iowa criminal code should be modified to regulate the use of UAVs. The DPS report suggests that existing legal safeguards are sufficient to protect citizens against the threat of misuse of UAVs by government and private individuals. The report warns that increasing state regulation of UAVs could stifle further progress with the technology. The U.S. Constitution’s 4th Amendment restricts intrusions by the government into individual’s homes without a warrant. Even though the Supreme Court has not explicitly addressed the question of UAV privacy, case law considers several factors: • Whether the UAV is in public airspace (above 400 feet) • The duration of the surveillance from the UAV • Whether a person’s reasonable expec-
tation of privacy was invaded • The sophistication of the imaging system used by the UAV The 4th Amendment does not restrict non-government, private intrusions into individual’s homes or property. The DPS report suggests that current trespassing (Iowa code 716.7), harassment (Iowa Code 708.7) and stalking (Iowa Code 708.11) laws are sufficient to protect individual privacy interests from non-governmental users; however, there are some uncertainties in how a court of law would interpret the statutes when applied to UAVs. The trespass statute defines trespass as “entering or remaining upon or in property without justification after being notified or requested to abstain from entering or to remove or vacate from therefrom by the owner, lessee, or person in lawful possession …” The report discusses that the Iowa statute could be interpreted as requiring physical entry by a person, and not the actual entry by a UAV. The report contemplates that this issue may be left to the courts if there is no legislative direction.
Questions on UAVs and privacy: 1. What are your concerns with the adoption of new laws or guidelines regulating UAV technology? 2. Do you believe the intentions of the UAV trespasser should be considered in drafting legislation? Should the penalties against the UAV trespasser be more stringent if images or video are taken of your property without consent? 3. What should landowners do when confronted with a UAV trespasser? What remedies do you think should be available to the landowner?
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MARCH 4, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
Grassroots member input drives Farm Bureau policy BY CRAIG HILL, PRESIDENT IOWA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
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arch is the traditional kickoff month for Farm Bureau policy development. For nearly a century, Farm Bureau members have helped draft our policy in a grassroots and transparent process. This process allows the Iowa Farm Bureau policy to be broadbased and instrumental in fulfilling the needs of members. Over the years, HILL Farm Bureau members have looked for opportunities to improve upon our policy development process. We know that changes in farm demographics, age of members, changes in population trends, a continued decline in understanding of how food is grown and reasons why our rural communities are important; demands that we tailor a process for developing policy that fits our times. We also see increasing pressure from interest groups, government agencies
and others that want to further regulate our operations. A tailored policy development process, responding to change, helps our members have the opportunity to be intricately engaged in our policy development process, regardless of the many challenges and opportunities we are dealing with daily. Every Farm Bureau member, no matter where you live, what your occupation is or who you are, has ample opportunity to participate. As a member, you are welcome at monthly county Farm Bureau meetings or summer events where policy issues are surfaced and discussed. You can also offer ideas for policy development via our website, www. iowafarmbureau.com. And, if you have questions on policy issues, your county Farm Bureau board is only a call away. We encourage all members, both farmers and urban friends to participate because we know our future is intricately tied to that of the community we rely upon for all the amenities important to raising our families in rural Iowa. The success of our policy development process and implementation lies in the level of activities carried on by our county Farm Bureaus. We encourage every county to listen
to its members and provide opportunities for input. In late summer, our county voting delegates will meet to adopt a group of state-wide policies that touch each of us in similar ways. These will become the policies that guide our state legislative actions and that we take to the American Farm Bureau Federation. Year in and year out, the Iowa Farm Bureau has been very effective in getting our policy issues into the American Farm Bureau Policy Book. The reason for our success is simple. Each policy decision is researched, discussed, debated and grounded in good, Iowa common sense.
Grassroots approach Because our process is transparent, we are able to build coalitions and prepare our members for local and state legislative initiatives before other competing positions are determined. Our members are educated and prepared to take on the tougher issues in local, state and national politics. Policy issues, such as property taxbacked school funding, UAVs, conservation plans, hauling permits by local governments, termination of farmland leases and others have already been discussed at our recent Policy Information
Conference by county-elected leaders. County Farm Bureau members now become an essential and valued part of the process. You may receive a printed opinionnaire from your county to fill out or you may be requested to attend a summer gathering. In other cases, you could be encouraged to participate in a county educational seminar to gather your opinions. Regardless of how your county chooses to involve you in their policy process, I hope you will take the time to be an active participant. This special Policy Development supplement contains background information on many of these policy issues. Again, please take time to participate in your county’s activities in developing policy. Your input is essential for developing well-rounded policy for counties to bring to the state policy conference in late summer. I promise, if you become active in the policy developing process, you will feel the reward of a process that for decades has embraced the views of Farm Bureau members. Please, during this process make sure to express your views and listen to others. Farm Bureau is successful because our members care and want to make a difference.
National issue...
Should NRCS require additional Should local governments require updates of conservation plans? oversize hauling permits? State issue...
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ince Jan. 1, 1995, conservation compliance has been a requirement of all USDA program participants. Compliance is required if you farm highly erodible land or if there are wetlands on your farm. A conservation compliance plan is developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) with the producer. Once NRCS finishes assisting the producer in developing the plan, NRCS does not review the plan. It is the producer’s plan and the producer is responsible for requesting changes or updates to the plan. NRCS does not complete annual or regular reviews of a producer’s compliance plan. NRCS does however, randomly review compliance with the plans of selected producers (status reviews). If a producer wants to change the tillage system being used to meet compliance requirements, NRCS will work with that producer to help develop a system that meets the Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC)/Wetland Conservation (WC) requirements of the farm bill. As long as the producer is actively applying the plan developed in cooperation with NRCS, that plan meets all technical requirements. Since 1995, this has been a “continuous” certification that a farmer is in compliance with these requirements, with the following exceptions: 1) If responses previously provided on a government form, called a AD-1026. are no longer accurate (i.e., the producer is
creating new drainage systems, land clearing or tillage that has not been evaluated by NRCS, etc.); 2) Any land (farms or tracts) that does not have a determination and is associated with the producer; or 3) The producer was determined ineligible because of a violation of HELC/WC provisions, or refused to provide access to determine compliance. These situations require the forms to be refiled with the FSA so that a producer’s compliance can be reevaluated. Also, the Agricultural Act Of 2014 (2014 farm bill) reinstated the HELC and WC provisions to federal crop insurance programs. Producers in violation of wetland or highly erodible land provisions will be ineligible for most USDA programs, including subsidies for federal crop insurance premiums, beginning with the 2016 crop year. For purposes of compliance (including wetlands), the statute defines agricultural commodity as any crop that is planted and produced by “annual tilling of the soil.” To comply with the HELC and WC provisions, producers must certify their compliance through the AD-1026 form. A completed and signed AD-1026 form must be on file by June 1, 2015 for all farms and tracts to be eligible for 2016 federal crop insurance premium subsidies. In addition, Iowa producers who signedup for voluntary conservation planning assistance by Feb. 2 will now receive “priority planning service” from NRCS staff.
Conservation compliance questions 1. Do you have highly erodible land or wetlands on your farm? 2. Do you have a conservation compliance plan for your farms with highly erodible land or wetlands? 3. Have you signed an AD-1026 form for each farm/tract? 4. Since you have last signed an AD-1026 form for any farms/tracts of land, have you installed new drainage, done any land leveling, filling, dredging, land clearing or excavation or changed your tillage system in a way that has not been evaluated by NRCS? 5. How long have you had to wait for NRCS to complete conservation planning assistance? 6. What would be the impact of annual or more frequent conservation compliance plan reviews by NRCS on timely completion of your normal farming and tillage operations? 7. What will be the cost of adding additional USDA staff to handle annual or periodic conservation compliance plan reviews?
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ith the continued growth of the cellulosic ethanol and livestock industries in Iowa comes the consistent need for the efficient transportation of hay, straw and stover to meet market demands. Currently, a transporter is required to obtain a $25 annual self-routing permit in order to haul oversize loads of hay, straw or stover on state highways. This one-time $25 permit is purchased from the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) and carries no limits on the number of loads that can be hauled in a year. This permit is only good if the transporter stays on state highways within Iowa. Counties and cities may also require their own annual or single-trip oversize load permits to travel on their roads or streets. Yet, not every county and city requires a permit. It varies from city to city and county to county. The costs associated with each city or county permit also vary. In some cases, counties will offer annual permits at $25 but at least one county requires an annual payment of $300. Because county roads and city streets are not the jurisdiction of the Iowa DOT, cities and counties are not required to notify the Iowa DOT about their permitting requirements. Therefore, no uniform statewide database currently exists for determining which type of oversize load permit is needed, what the cost of the oversize load permits may be, where those oversize load permits are required and what the associated fines for non-compliance are.
The State of Iowa offers an “All-Systems” permit for an annual fee of $120, which is recognized by some but not all cities and counties. Proceeds from this permit go to the Road Use Tax Fund, which is used to build, re-build and maintain the state’s roads and bridges. If a transporter plans to utilize county roads or city streets on their trip, they should call ahead to the respective City Hall or the County Engineer’s office to confirm what, if any, permits may be required.
Local load permitting questions: 1. Should cities and counties be allowed to issue their own separate oversize load permits? 2. Should there be just one permit issued by the State of Iowa? 3. Should all Iowa cities and counties be required to recognize the “All-Systems” permit? 4. Should counties and cities be allowed to continue to offer permits if a uniform statewide database is instituted?
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
MARCH 4, 2015
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State Issue...
Should written notices be required to end farmland leases?
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ore than half of Iowa’s farmland is leased rather than owner-operated. In 2012, Iowa State University Extensions’ survey of leasing practices indicated that 77 percent of all leased farmland was cash leased. Iowa farm leases which are longer than one year are required to be in writing. Under Iowa’s constitution, a farm lease cannot exceed 20 years in length. Farm leases usually begin on March 1 and end the last day of February the following year. Sixty-one percent of all leased acres use a written lease. The average tenure of the current tenant was 12.2 years and 35 percent of the rentals were to family members. Iowa farm lease tenure as a percent of all acres: • 45 percent owner controlled • 37 percent owner operated • 55 percent leased • 42 percent cash rent lease • 12 percent crop share lease
Length of lease agreement: • 22 percent for a specific amount of time • 78 percent for an indefinite time Number of years in a fixed term lease • 17 percent one year • 28 percent two years • 31 percent three years • 24 percent more than three Number of years tenant has rented • 4 percent one year • 22 percent between two and five years • 30 percent for between six and 10 years • 27 percent between 11 and 20 years • 17 percent for over 20 years (source: Iowa State University) To have clarity between the parties about when a farm lease terminates, many farm leases require written notice to be served by Sept. 1 indicating that the farm lease will be terminating before the next crop year. The landlord and tenant can agree to a different date of termination in the written lease, and they can agree that the lease will terminate without an additional written notice. If the lease doesn’t specify, Iowa law
requires a written notice to be personally served or sent by certified mail no later than Sept. 1 for a termination date of March 1. The Iowa Supreme Court recently decided, in a case titled Auen v. Auen that a landlord and tenant can also verbally agree to a different termination date without additional written notice. Previous court decisions indicated that Iowa law always required written notice by Sept. 1. Therefore, the discussion is whether
Iowa farmers, landlords and tenants want to require written notice or whether they want to be able to verbally agree on when a farm lease ends. Some argue that a written notice should always be given by Sept. 1 unless there is a written agreement to do something different in order to avoid miscommunication. Others say that they want the flexibility to work with the other party without the constraints of formalizing an agreement in writing.
Farmland lease questions: 1. How common are verbal agreements for the termination of a farm lease? Does everyone use the Sept. 1 written notice provisions? 2. Should landlords and tenants be given the option of verbally agreeing to the termination of their farm lease or should it be required to be in writing? Would you answer the question differently if there was a written lease as compared to a one-year oral lease? 3. Should a landlord and tenant be allowed to verbally agree to a different termination date for a farm lease other than March 1?
National Issue...
Should rules governing prevented planting be altered?
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hen a farmer is unable to plant a given commodity before the planting deadline, many options are available for those acres, several of which involve receiving prevented planting payments which may affect a farmer’s actual production history (APH) for that commodity. A farmer is able to submit a prevented planting claim and receive prevented planting payments equal to 60 percent of the insurance guarantee on those unplanted acres. These acres must remain idle or be planted to a cover crop (not to be hayed, grazed or harvested or is hayed or grazed on or after Nov. 1) to be eligible for the prevented planting payment. In this scenario no yield is recorded for those acres and it will not affect the APH for that commodity. A farmer is also able to plant a secondary fully insurable commodity during the late planting period. If the secondary crop is planted during this time it would be as if the first crop never existed. This choice would not affect the APH for the first commodity that wasn’t planted. If a farmer submits a prevented planting claim on the first unplanted crop and a second crop is planted after the late planting period, the first crop prevented planting payment will be reduced to 35 percent of the insurance guarantee. In this case, the prevented planting acres will receive a yield equal to 60 percent of the approved yield for the first crop. This
will be recorded and calculated in the APH for that commodity. Finally, a farmer can plant the original first crop during the late planting period, accepting a 1 percent decrease in insurance coverage for every day the crop isn’t planted past the final planting date. Acres that are planted in the original first crop after the late planting period will be insured at the 60 percent coverage level. In this scenario yield will be recorded normally and included in the APH for that commodity. In some years accepting a prevented planting payment can be more profitable than planting a crop late or deciding to plant a secondary fully insurable commod-
ity even if planting conditions are suitable for the secondary commodity. Additionally,
this option would ensure that the APH for that commodity is not negatively affected.
Prevented planting questions: 1. Are the current rules for prevented planting working properly? 2. Are any changes needed in this list of planting and payment options? 3. Should a farmer be required to plant the primary crop after the late planting period, instead of receiving prevented planting payments, if conditions are suitable for planting? 4. Should a farmer be required to plant a secondary fully insurable crop, instead of receiving prevented planting payments, when conditions are suitable for planting that crop? 5. Should there be a penalty for those who receive prevented planting payments?
State issue...
How should school districts handle demand for ag education?
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owa’s public educational system includes 338 public school districts. While many of the course offerings are determined locally and are typically based on factors such as the school’s budgetary situation, class participation along with state standards and benchmarks, other courses are required by the state. Currently 220 high schools within the state of Iowa out of 338 school districts offer vocational ag. There are several schools that have merged with a neighboring school district’s vocational agriculture program. This situation is effective when there are a limited number of students interested in the program and another program is available nearby rather than funding an entire program on
their own. In recent years the number of high schools offering vocational agriculture is slowly growing and this is a result of renewed interest in the program and the ability to merge with a neighboring district. Currently 297 high schools provide industrial technology courses out of 338 school districts in Iowa. Just like vocational agriculture, it is often difficult to fund a program when the interest in participation is limited. There are some vocational agriculture programs that also provide some hands on experience with these skills, but again not every vocational agriculture program is required to make skills such as welding and basic construction part of their program.
Ag educations and shop questions: 1. How are classes such as vocational agriculture and industrial technology impacting students in Iowa? 2. If your school district has removed vocational agriculture and/or industrial technology courses, have the classes been replaced with alternative courses? 3. How should school districts deal with budgetary challenges when considering whether to offer vocational education and industrial technology courses? 4. If your school offers vocational agriculture and industrial technology courses, are there certain situations when students should be required to take these courses?
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MARCH 4, 2015
IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN
State Issues...
Are changes needed in Iowa rules for resident hunters?
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owa residents who are owners of agricultural land or tenants who farm agricultural land, or are a spouse or child of the owner or tenant who reside with the owner or tenant, are eligible for Landowner-Tenant (L/T) deer and wild turkey hunting licenses, commonly called landowner-tenant licenses. There were more than 74,000 L/T licenses sold in 2013-14.
Non-resident landowners and tenants are not eligible for these licenses. Owning land in Iowa does not confer residency. The electronic licensing system automatically identifies people who have previously obtained non-resident licenses. This has identified a growing trend in Iowa of non-residents falsifying records to illegally
Would muzzleloader season changes help control deer damage on farms?
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n 2012, a change was made to deer hunting regulations prohibiting hunters in the early muzzleloader season from also obtaining a license for the shotgun seasons. This restriction does not affect landowners. This change was made to differentiate between hunters who want to hunt in a more traditional, early-season manner and those who are willing to hunt later. Having a muzzleloader license prior to the breeding season also has the potential to negatively impact the deer herd by removing the healthier genetics from the herd before they are passed on through natural selection. Hunters who want to hunt in the early muzzleloader season and the regular gun seasons can do so in a number of ways. Landowners can get either-sex licenses for both seasons, one valid for their property and one valid statewide. If the landowner obtains their license for the shotgun seasons they can hunt both shotgun seasons as well as the late muzzleloader season for either
sex of deer. Hunters with paid licenses can obtain statewide licenses for one of the shotgun seasons and then an antlerless license for the late muzzleloader season, or they can obtain a statewide license for the late muzzleloader season and an antlerless license for one of the shotgun seasons.
Deer season questions: 1. Are you seeing more deer, less deer or about the same number of deer on your farm? 2. Is deer damage a concern to you? 3. Would allowing hunters to purchase a regular deer license for both the early muzzle loader and shotgun seasons help lessen the deer damage on your farm?
obtain invalid resident licenses. Those who previously held a non-resident Iowa license but are now eligible for resident licenses need to complete a special form to establish residency. Approval may take up to two weeks. A non-resident is a person who is not a resident of Iowa. There is a quota of 6,000 non-resident general deer/antlerless-only combination licenses for 10 zones. No more than 35 percent for each zone can be for the bow season. Also, 4,500 optional antlerless-only deer licenses are sold in a separate process after general deer/antlerless-only combination licenses are issued. Preference points are awarded to unsuccessful applicants or can be purchased to increase the likelihood of getting a license in future years. A resident means a natural person who meets one of the following criteria: 1. Has physically resided in this state as the person’s principal and primary residence or domicile for period of not less than 90 consecutive days immediately before applying for or purchasing a resident license and has an Iowa driver’s license or non-operators ID. Factors to determine the domicile
include, but are not limited to, place of employment, mailing (street) address, utility records, real estate records, vehicle registrations. A person is not considered a resident under this paragraph if the person is residing in the state only for a special or temporary purpose including, but not limited to, engaging in hunting, fishing or trapping. 2. Is a full-time student at an accredited educational institution in Iowa and resides in Iowa while attending the educational institution, or is a full-time student under 25 years of age at an accredited educational institution outside the state as long as at least one parent or legal guardian maintains a principal and primary residence in Iowa. 3. Is a non-resident under 18 years of age with a parent who is a legal resident of Iowa. 4. Is a member of the armed forces of the United States who is serving on active duty, claims residency in this state, and has filed a state individual income tax return for the preceding year, or is stationed in this state. Also, unless you qualify under 2, 3 or 4 above, a person cannot purchase or apply for any resident license or permit if that person has claimed residency in any other state or country (also known as dual residency).
Non-resident hunting questions: 1. Do you know nonresidents who own farmland and also want to hunt on it? 2. Do you think these nonresident landowners are responsible managers who want to limit deer depredation problems? 3. Do you think that nonresident landowners should be allowed to hunt on their property as residents, not subject to nonresident license quotas?
State Issue...
Should Iowa adopt additional rules on satellite voting?
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he use of satellite absentee voting stations has increased over the past few years. For example, satellite voting stations are commonly found in libraries, churches, colleges, schools or at the county auditor’s office. Some voters prefer the convenience of voting absentee in person rather than waiting until Election Day to cast their ballot. Recent placement of voting stations finds some absentee voting stations being located to coincide with candidate events or other community events. Some have expressed concern about targeting certain segments of voters with these voting stations influencing the election outcome. Iowa law gives county auditors the discretion to establish satellite absentee voting stations. There are no limits on the number of stations, the number of days they are open or the number of hours they can be open. For example, a satellite voting station could be available at the public library every Saturday for six weeks prior to the election. As another example, an auditor could also establish a voting station for a referendum
on a bond to build a new fire house right next to the fire department’s annual steak fry for two hours. Satellite voting stations may be available until 5 p.m. the day before an election. The opportunity to petition for a satellite voting station is also available. A satellite voting station is required to be established at the requested location upon the receipt of a petition with no less than 100 signatures by eligible electors. The requested voting station must be open at least one day for six hours. Petitions must be filed 47 days before a primary or general election. Petitions for other types of elections must be filed between 21 and 32 days before the election. Iowa law criminalizes actions which interfere or inhibit people from voting on Election Day. On the premises of the polling place or within 300 feet of the outside door of a building or the corridor to get to the polling place, it is considered to be election misconduct in the 3rd degree to loiter, congregate, electioneer, post signs, treat voters or solicit votes during the receiving of the ballots. Among other things, it is also unlawful to interrupt, hinder, or oppose a voter while in or
approaching the polling place for the purpose of voting. The same rules do not apply to satellite absentee voting stations. At satellite voting stations, electioneering is not allowed within sight or hearing of voters at the satellite station. Electioneering is not defined in Iowa law; however, it generally means to persuade people to vote for a particular candidate.
No penalties are provided for someone who electioneers near a satellite station and none of the other activities are prohibited near satellite voting stations even though they would be prohibited on Election Day. For example, this has allowed for school bond election voting station to be held just outside of a basketball game.
Satellite voting questions
1. Should some boundaries be placed on ability of a county auditor to establish a satellite absentee voting station? 2. What boundaries would be appropriate to place on the timing and location of satellite absentee voting stations? Should the voting station be required to be open a certain number of days and hours? 3. Would applying the Election Day voting rules make it too difficult to locate a satellite voting station? Do free and fair elections require rules and penalties against interfering or influencing people’s votes at the polling location?
State Issue...
Should waiting periods be changed for bond voting?
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urrently when an election is held under Iowa Code chapter 75.1 to issue bonds by a local government backed by property taxes at least 60 percent of the total vote cast must approve. If less than 60 percent vote yes any part of the failed proposal must wait
six months before being placed on the ballot again. For various reasons when votes fail local government sometimes immediately place the same question on the ballot six months later. In the past six years three out of every four bond elections conducted by schools
Bond voting questions: 1. Are similar bond issues brought to the voters too frequently? 2. If the amount of time between votes for a similar issue was increased, would this cause any problems for a local government?
have passed. Of the 16 failed elections from at least one year ago half of the districts had another election within one year.
Current Farm Bureau policy supports extending the waiting period between votes to one year.
For more background on issues highlighted in this Policy Development section, as well as other issues surfaced by the 2015 Resolutions Committee, please visit: www.iowafarmbureau.com/f/12255226c419-4bec-afd0-ac8473603b7a/2015bg