State5 13 2015 by Iowa Farm Bureau

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Iowa poultry farmers work to stave off avian influenza BY BETHANY BARATTA “We’re clean today,” Steve Boomsma said late last week as he entered the Wright County Board of Supervisors room at the courthouse in Clarion. Being clean means another day the company’s pullet and egg-laying farms haven’t been affected by the avian flu, which has spread to more than 40 poultry farms across Iowa, including some in Wright County. Boomsma approached the Wright County Board of Sup ervisors a few weeks ago, asking

Feds hustle to provide more funding to fight avian influenza The federal government last week authorized $330 million in emergency money to battle the ongoing avian influence outbreak in Iowa and other states, and lawmakers are pushing for additional funding. The $330 million in federal funding was authorized by the Office of Management and Budget after it was requested by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. That money is in addition to the $99 million that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had already spent on the outbreak. The funding will be primarily used to pay indemnity payments to farms struck by the disease that were forced to depopulate. Farmers are then eligible for indemnity payments on healthy birds that were euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease. Nationwide, the disease has affected some 24 million birds in 13 states. Iowa, the nation’s largest egg-producing state, has been hit hard with more than 40 poultry farms that have either confirmed or suspected infections of the strain of avian influenza known as H5N2, and 21 million birds have been destroyed.

Additional funding Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, along with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, last week launched a bipartisan effort to secure additional funding to address the avian flu outbreak. In a letter, Klobuchar, Grassley and 13 other senators pressed leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) — which is responsible for helping respond to the spread of avian FUNDING PAGE 2

the county for extra help in protecting their flocks. As the coowner and the chief operating officer of Centrum Valley Farms, there’s a lot at stake. The company has five layer sites in Wright County and one in Hardin County, with the ability to raise 7.5 million layers per year. The company owns eight pullet sites: six are in Wright County and two are in Franklin County. The company has a capacity to raise 6 million pullets in a single year, which are used in the layer facilities.

The company produces about 1.87 billion eggs per year. Its products are trucked to New York and California and everywhere in between, Boomsma said.

County emergency Boomsma worked with the Wright County Board of Supervisors, which talked to state legislators and groups to make sure the county could declare the state of emergency in the county. The board then deemed it necessary to declare a state of emergency for the county on April

30. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad declared the statewide emergency declaration one day later. Last week, Union County declared a state of emergency. “In further review, our emergency management plan allows us to declare a disaster for preventative measures in an agricultural context. And that’s what we based what we’re doing on,” said Stan Watne, a Wright County supervisor. Many roads in Wright County are closed by barricades. School bus routes have been rerouted to

Saturated buffers a new tool to improve water quality BY DIRCK STEIMEL

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New website helps farmers back GMOs The new American Farm Bureau site helps farmers get facts to support biotech. STORY ON PAGE 3

ick Meier takes a proactive approach to protecting water quality and reducing soil loss on his farm near La Porte City in Black Hawk County. And like a growing number of Iowa farmers, he is exploring a range of new technologies to help him reach his environmental goals. That’s why Meier was eager to participate when researchers were on the lookout for a farm in the Miller Creek watershed to install a saturated buffer. It’s a new type of conservation structure that has shown promise in removing nitrates and other nutrients from tile-drained water. “I really wanted to learn more about this technology. I wanted to see how it will work on my farm,” Meier, a Black Hawk County Farm Bureau member, said as he watched technicians install the saturated buffer on his farm earlier this spring. “It goes beyond the filter strips we put in about eight to 10 years ago, and I think it can really make a difference in improving water quality.” Research on saturated buffers bears that out, according to

avoid traffic around poultry and layer sites. The postal service is limiting routes as residents have been asked to drive to the post office to pick up their mail. In his 21 years on the board, Watne said this is the first they’ve made the call for an animal emergency threat. “I think how fast the virus was spreading really concerned us. All of our poultry production farms are so important to the county for jobs and the support industries, including the

Cash rental rates slip lower in ISU survey With crop prices lower and margins tighter, cash rental rates for Iowa farmland are under pressure. STORY ON PAGE 4

NE Iowa dairy farm welcomes visitors The Suhr farm near Fredericksburg helps school kids get a first-hand look at agriculture. STORY ON PAGE 5

Crops or cattle? New tool aids that decision

Black Hawk County farmer, Nick Meier, right, watches as technicians install a saturated buffer on his farm near La Porte City. The saturated buffer is designed to remove nitrates and other nutrients from tile drainage water. PHOTO/DIRCK STEIMEL

A new land analyzer from Iowa State University Extension can help farmers determine the best use for their rolling ground. STORY ON PAGE 6

FB MEMBERS CAN WIN LEASE ON NEW F-150

CONSERVATION AWARD NOMINATIONS OPEN

Iowa Farm Bureau (IFBF) members have a chance to win a 24-month lease for an all-new 2015 Ford F-150 truck through the “2015 Built Tough F-150” sweepstakes being offered by Ford Motor Co., an exclusive member benefit partner of the Iowa Farm Bureau. To register for a chance to win, members can visit www.fordspecialoffer.com/farmbureau/sweeps now through Oct. 30. Eligible members must be current Iowa Farm Bureau members, be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver’s license. To learn more about the Ford sweepstakes or other benefits exclusive to IFBF members, visit www.iowafarmbureau.com or call the toll-free member helpline at 866-598-3693.

Farm Bureau members are asked to nominate a fellow farmer for the Conservation Farmer of the Year Award. The award, co-sponsored by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, is designed to recognize the continuous voluntary conservation improvements made by all Iowa farmers. The statewide winner will receive free use of a John Deere 6D Series utility tractor for up to 12 months (or up to 200 hours). The Van Wall Group of Perry is donating the use of the tractor to the state winner. To nominate someone, write a brief letter (no more than 100 words) summarizing the individual’s conservation and community leadership efforts and send it before June 1 to your county Soil & Water Conservation District office. The county office will then follow-up with additional nomination details.

MAY 13, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

BUFFER FROM PAGE 1

Dan Jaynes, a soil scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, which is located on the Iowa State University (ISU) campus. He’s helped to install several saturated buffer research projects around the Midwest, including a pioneer ing one installed in 2010 at Bear Creek in Story County. That proj ect was funded by a grant from the Leopold Center at ISU. A saturated buffer, Jaynes said, is designed to enhance the performance of a buffer strip by reworking it so it can inter cept and treat tile drainage, as JAYNES well as surface water. “We’ve found that they work very well. For the tile water that’s flowing through the buffer, it’s taking the nitrate level down to zero,” Jaynes said. He and other researchers be lieve that saturated buffers could be a valuable tool for farmers as they ramp up their efforts to reduce nutrient loss and continue

AVIAN FLU FROM PAGE 1

farmers who raise grain used in poultry feed,” Watne said. Sam Utech, a general manager of Centrum Valley, understands the pressure the threat of avian flu puts on its employees and fami lies. He has several friends in the industry who have been affected. Each story, each confirmed case, makes it more real. “It’s become a lot more emo tional. It’s like we’re living under this threat, this pressure. And every day you feel like … I can do this … one more day,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Spokesman. “And you know that it could all change in a few hours.” The company is doing what it can to keep avian flu off its farms, Boomsma said. He had visited Washington, D.C., earlier in the week to discuss Centrum Valley Farm’s biosecurity and management plans at the offices of Iowa Reps. Steve King and Dave Loebsack and Sens. Joni Ernst and Charles Grassley.

Visiting restrictions The company has done away with visitors, and even managers are limited to visiting one site per day. The companies that service the vending machines aren’t visit ing these days. Every employee is screened before going to work for the day. Their vehicle’s tires are disinfect ed before entering the parking lot for the day. All employees are asked to stay on site during their dinner break for fear of tracking

FUNDING FROM PAGE 1

flu—is a very high priority and receives necessary funding. Grassley and others in the Iowa Congressional delegation also sent a letter to Vilsack urging him to provide any assistance possible under its statutory authority to help affected states combat the recent avian flu outbreak.

to improve Iowa’s water quality.

With each saturated buffer, the researchers are installing a series of monitoring wells so they can determine how well the structure is working at removing nitrates and other nutrients. They are also installing rain gauges and other monitoring systems to see how the saturated buffer performs in vary ing weather conditions. In normal conditions, the satu rated buffer is designed to inter cept and divert 30 to 50 percent of the water coming from the tile line, Jayne said. “It’s a pretty significant percentage and should definitely make a difference.”

No drainage restrictions While it enhances the buffer strip by treating a portion of the tile water drainage, the saturat ed buffer doesn’t restrict drain age or adversely affect field work by making fields too wet, Jaynes emphasized. “The idea with the saturated buffer is that you can put them in and forget them and they will keep doing their job by removing nitrates for years and years. There really are no moving parts.” Another advantage is that the system can be installed quickly and fairly inexpensively, Jaynes said. He estimated the installa tion of the saturated buffer, with equipment and tile work, will cost a farmer about $2,000 and require only a few hours to install. To install the saturated buf fer on the Meier farm, tiling technicians first dug a hole in a well-established buffer strip and dropped in a drainage control box. The box, once buried, was con nected to an existing tile line that moves water collected from the pattern tile of a nearby field. The technicians then bury a perforated tile line laterally under the buffer strip for several hundred feet, parallel to the stream. One outlet on the control box is then

Many technologies Farmer Nick Meier, left, and Gene Etringer feed a machine installing perforated tile along a buffer strip on Meier’s Black Hawk County Farm. The perforated tile is part of a saturated buffer designed to reduce nitrates and other nutrients from tile drainage. PHOTO/DIRCK STEIMEL

connected to the line of perforated tile and the other is to the line that goes to the stream.

Diverting drainage The control box will divert a portion of the tile drainage water through the perforated tile and into the soil beneath the buffer strip. The water will saturate the root zone of the buffer strip, where high-organic soils and deeplyrooted grasses will work to remove nitrates and other nutrients.

Jaynes, along with Tom Isen hart, an associate professor in ISU’s Natural Resource Ecology and Management program, are installing saturated buffers in tar geted watersheds around the state as part of a project funded through the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. The center, part of the state’s water quality initiative, is designed to promote research into new practices that show prom ise in reducing nutrient loss and improving water quality.

The saturated buffer is just one of the technologies that Meier is looking into on his farm. Working with Shane Wulf, coordinator of the Miller Creek Water Quality Improvement Project, he’s plan ning to install a bioreactor on this farm after soybean planting is complete. Meier has also experi mented with no-till and strip till age on his farm. “It’s really important to try all of these different technologies that are available for conservation and water quality. That way, we can see which ones work the best for us,” Meier said. “I don’t want to lose any nutrients at all from my fields, if I can help it.”

the virus back onto the site when work resumes. The county’s emergency action plan helped by closing routes around the farms. Barricades and staffers keep visitors and passersby away. The company is taking steps to keep the virus away by disinfecting tires of the semis that come into the farm’s feed mill. The company has 45 semi loads of feed that is routed to its farms on a daily basis. “We’re trying to isolate each site as its own entity,” Boomsma said. Feed trucks and employees are limited to one site per day, he said.

Neutralizing air Gravel roads around sites are sprayed to keep dust to a mini mum. Sites are “fogged” with a sanitizing spray to neutralize the air around the barns. The virus has become more work for the company’s human resources department, Boomsma said. The department has analyzed all of its 405 employees to deter mine how much of a risk they are in tracking the virus into their barns. The department’s staff has map ped out what each employ ee’s personal and social life look like. They’ve rearranged work ar rangements if one spouse works at a separate barn from the other. Now, they work together. Though extended periods of warm weather are expected to keep the virus at bay, the virus is expected to reappear in the fall and next spring as birds begin their migration.

The new normal Despite the expected slow down in cases, Boomsma said the heightened biosecurity measures at the company’s farms is the new way of doing business. “We were told loud and clear in Washington, D.C., that life is changed for the egg industry as far as biosecurity. This will ramp up and then have to stay in place,” he said. Boomsma said he’s confident in the efforts that have been made to keep the sites clean. There isn’t

Wright County officials have closed roads, including this one near a Centrum Valley Farms egg laying barn. The county, the state’s leader in egg production, has closed roads and taken other bio-security precautions to slow the spread of avian influenza. PHOTO/BETHANY BARATTA

much more that the county or the company can do, he said. “To be honest with you, it’s pretty much out of our control. We get up every morning trying to do the best job we can. And that’s all we can do,” Boomsma said.

Difficult to sleep Utech said he’s been having dreams — nightmares, really —

about what could happen. He hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks. “There’s a whole aspect for all of us managers that if we ended up positive we failed the com pany, we failed the job. While we know intellectually that it’s not our fault ..., that’s the overall fear and sentiment that exists,” he said. If Centrum Valley Farms was

hit with the virus, it would take two to three years before it could return to full capacity, Boomsma said. “If this virus would get into ours and would have to depopu late, it would take us between two and three years to get back to normal. We can’t grow that many birds at a time. It would be dev astating. It would be almost like starting over,” he said.

Budget bills progress in the Statehouse Budget bills continue to move through the legislative process, with each chamber sending sev eral appropriations bills to Conference Committee. The House passed their version of Senate File 494, the Agriculture and Natural Resources budget. It includes a $250,000 increase for the conservation cost-share program, bringing the total to $7 million. The bill maintains the status quo funding of $4.4 million for the Water Quality Initiative, as well as $1.23 million for a threeyear pilot project to quantify conservation structures and crop production practices to determine the impact on water quality. Farm Bureau supports these increases,

as well as the proposed increases in the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund budget, House File 650. Each chamber has passed their version of Senate File 494, which is now in Conference Committee. The Senate passed Senate File 505, the Health and Human Services appropriations bill, which includes a provision to extend the current property tax funding mech anism for one year. Farm Bureau supports this extension as a way to protect property taxpayers and will work to ensure these protections are extended into future years. The bill is currently under consider ation in the House.

PPEL measure The Senate passed House File

ISSUE UPDATE 646, which expands the current Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL). The bill allows for certain transportation equipment repairs to be shifted to the PPEL levy. Farm Bureau believes these costs should be funded through the cur rent school finance funding for mula, as opposed to being funded solely by property taxes. House File 646 passed the Senate and now goes to the governor’s office for consideration.

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN MAY 13, 2015

Editorial

Farmers need to speak to consumers about the advantages of GMOs BY KARI BARBIC

to purchase non-GMO products. But inconsistency with voluntary labels and the push for mandatory labeling are bringing more confusion than clarity.

hen it comes to GMOs, there’s no shortage of misinformation. For too long, activists armed with non-scientific rhetoric have led the debate. With a rising number of companies like Chipotle trying to cash in on the fears surrounding GMOs, the facts get trampled by marketing campaigns. The real story on GMOs is one of ingenuity and environmental responsibility, and that’s the story farmers need to tell. With the launch of the new GetaMoveOn website (http://getamoveon. fb.org/), Farm Bureau is provid ing farmers and ranchers with tools to share their story of progress and innovation. Thanks to advances in biotechnology, farmers and ranchers are growing more food using less water, fuel and pesticides. American farmers are doing their part to reduce their environmental footprint, from decreasing runoff to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. For example, farmers have cut their fuel use from 5 gallons per acre to just 1 gallon per acre, largely because GMO crops require little to no tillage. What would this kind of improvement look like off the farm? Well, the environmental benefits of the global use of GMOs

Real answers needed

in 2012 alone were equivalent to removing 11.9 million cars from the road for one year.

Farmers are sold You don’t have to sell farmers on the value of GMOs though. They know the benefits and have been reaping them for nearly two decades. But if activists continue to spread fear instead of facts, it could get harder for farmers to use these valuable tools. The recent push for mandatory GMO labeling misleads consumers about food safety and could add unnec-

essary costs for everyone. Farmers and consumers alike stand to lose out on the benefits these crops have brought. While science backs up the safety of GMO crops, consumers still have a right to know what’s in their food. But they deserve the facts, not marketing gimmicks. The Food and Drug Admin istration has a long and respected history of setting guidelines for how to provide safety and nutrition information. GMOs fall under these same guidelines, and voluntary labels provide additional options for consumers who prefer

Consumer need consistent and accurate information to answer questions they may have about their food. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act would meet that need by creating national standards for GMO labeling. If Congress passes the bill, it would also create a voluntary labeling program, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service and similar to the agency’s certified organic program. Consumers benefit from a variety of options at their local markets and need accurate information about their food. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act can provide both. Farmers and ranchers know what’s at stake if we move backward from the advances technology has brought to agriculture. But members of Congress need the facts as well. They need to hear from the people working with GMOs every day: The farmers and ranchers working to grow the safest and most affordable food possible. Barbic is a media specialist for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

USDA slams EPA for report on seed treatments The U.S. Department of Agri culture (USDA) recently ex pressed disappointment regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) incomplete an alysis on neonicotinoid seed treatments for soybeans and the burden it’s created for farmers. Last October, the EPA issued the report, which indicated there are no clear or consistent economic benefits of neonicotinoid seed treatments in soybeans. That conclusion, the USDA countered, is not only false, but has again put growers in a position where they must defend their pest management decisions. “As a whole, USDA disagrees

Spokesman Editor DIRCK STEIMEL News Coordinator TOM BLOCK Senior Features Writer TERESA BJORK Ag Commodities Writer BETHANY BARATTA Photographer/Writer GARY FANDEL

with that assessment,” the USDA states in a letter sent to the EPA in April, “We believe that pest management strategies are made in consideration of pest pressures, climate, landscape and numerous other factors.” Activists have claimed that neonics, as the seed treatments are called, are hurting bee populations. However, research has shown that

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To place a free exchange ad, contact your county office for information. The Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman (ISSN 0021-051X) is published weekly by the Iowa Farm Bureau, 5400 University Avenue, West Des Moines, IA 50266. Subscription price of $2 per year for mailing in the continental USA included in the dues of Farm Bureau members in Iowa. Additional subscription fee required for mailing outside the continental USA. Periodical postage paid at Iowa Falls, Iowa. Members please send change of address to your county Farm Bureau office. Postmaster send address changes (POD FORM 3579) to Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman, P.O. Box 670, Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126. Letters to the editor and statewide news articles should be sent to Editor, Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman, 5400 University Avenue, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. Reprinting of Spokesman articles and photographs is not allowed without permission.

neonics are not contributing to the decline in bee populations. The USDA stressed that growers should have the ability to use the best tools available to manage pests, including choice in seed treatment and pest management tactics based on what works for individual situations. “Unfortunately, the EPA’s con clusions are not supported by complete data nor analysis. The EPA’s analysis does not include potential labor and management savings afforded by seed treatments,” the USDA states in the letter. “Moreover, it does not consider cases when timely foliar applications are not possible or as effective due to general field and weather conditions. 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.

“EPA’s calculation does not include any additional regulatory expenditure by landowners, such as costs to revise pesticide permit applications, or costs to submit new applications for foliar spraying,” the USDA wrote. The USDA also points out that the EPA’s analysis doesn’t consider other benefits of using neonicotinoids, including protection from the wide range of pests or minimizing the exposure of non-target insects. The American Soybean As sociation (ASA) applauded the USDA’s effort to underscore how critical neonics are to soybean farmers and how careful research is needed before any action is taken.

Corn planting progress displays gains in efficiency BY DIRCK STEIMEL Anyone watching Iowa agriculture could have predicted that corn planting was going to take off like a rocket during the last few days of April and first couple of May. The weather was finally warm. Fields were dry. Also farmers, delayed by rain-soaked fields the past couple of springs, were more than eager. Still, when the numbers came in last week, the percentage of Iowa acres planted in a single week was nothing short of astounding. It’s a clear indication of how Iowa farmers, and their counterparts around the country, have combined cutting-edge technology with old-fashioned hard work to raise corn and other crops more efficiently. That, in turn, helps keep food and fuel abundant and affordable for consumers here in the United States and around the world. It also reduces the need to raise crops on more fragile lands, which are prone to erosion or other environmental issues. Here’s a quick look at the numbers. Last week’s crop update showed Iowa farmers had planted 68 percent of the state’s expected 2015 corn acres as of May 3. Amazingly, 54 percent of the expected acres, or more than 7.3 million acres, were planted in a single week from April 27 through May 3. That percentage, the crop report said, is the largest planted during that week in Iowa in more than 20 years. Just to top it off, Iowa farmers also planted more than 1 million acres of soybean, 11 percent of the expected acres in 2015.

Embracing technology Technology certainly helped Iowa farmers post the dramatic planting progress. Advances, such as GPS and auto-steer, allow farmers to plant more efficiently and reduce wear and tear on operators. High-tech seeds and seed treatments have helped by protecting newly planted seeds from disease and insects. That cutting-edge technology, combined with the sunup-to-sundown work ethic that farmers have passed down from generation to generation, means crops can now be planted in significantly tighter time frames, taking advantage of ideal field conditions. That significantly increases the chances for good harvests. Efficiency and productivity gains by farmers have been dramatic. But for the most part, they remain under the radar to the general public. Consumers all around the world have simply come to expect astounding gains from American farmers.

MAY 13, 2015

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Cider House has Iowa’s Best Burger

Estimated average cash rental rates by county for Iowa cropland, according to the Iowa State University 2015 Cash Rental Rates Survey. *Counties marked with an asterisk were combined with neighboring counties due to a low number of responses.

Low crop prices push farmland rental rates down Average rental rates for Iowa This is the second consecufarmland decreased by 5 percent tive year of declining rates after a in 2015, according to results from 15-year streak of increasing rental the Cash Rental Rates for Iowa rates, accumulating a 9 percent loss 2015 Survey conducted by Iowa since 2013. State University (ISU) Extension Average rents were lower in all Morton_IFB_Spokesman_5.15.15_Layout 1 5/1/15 4:34 PM Page 1 and Outreach. nine crop-reporting districts, accord-

ing to Alejandro Plastina, assistant professor and extension economist with Iowa State University. The average estimated cash rent for corn and soybean land in the state for 2015 was $246 per acre, a decrease of $14 per acre or nearly 5 percent

G a ra g e s | E q u i n e | Fa r m S t o ra g e | H o bby S h o p s | C a b i n s

from last year. Low crop prices for the 2014 crop and small to negative profit margin forecasts for this year’s crop put downward pressure on rental rates, Plastina said. “It isn’t a trend yet, but it certainly is a reversal of the 15-year trend we’ve seen of land rental rate increases,” said Plastina. “Land rates and other input costs take time to adjust to lower levels of crop revenue, so if corn and soybean prices don’t improve soon, we can expect land rental rates to continue to decline.” The Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2015 Survey is available online as a downloadable document from the ISU Extension and Outreach Store and Ag Decision Maker website.

The Cider House in Fairfield was named the winner of the 2015 Iowa’s Best Burger award last week by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The restaurant buys beef for its 6-1/2-ounce hamburger patties exclusively from Jefferson County Farm Bureau members Tony and Sara Adrian. The four owners of the Cider House — Clint Stephenson, Hopi James, Cole Fishback and Annalisa Thompson — opened their pub-styled restaurant as a way to showcase the hard apple cider they were producing. Stephenson, a one-time vegetarian, re-connected with Tony Adrian, whom he had known since fourth grade. Adrian convinced his friend to give the beef from his farm a try. “And it was really great,” Stephenson said. The Cider House serves five different burgers, each for $12, and all come with a choice of homemade potato salad or triplecooked fries and refrigerator pickles. The hamburgers are designed to showcase the beefy flavor, so the toppings are simple. This year, Iowans submitted more than 4,000 votes nominating 286 restaurants for the Best Burger Contest. The top 10 were then independently visited and judged based on the hamburger’s taste, appearance, and proper serving temperature. Other restaurants that made the top 10 with the Cider House are (alphabetically): Ankeny Diner, Ankeny; Big City Burgers & Greens, Des Moines; Down Right Delicious, Clarinda; Elm’s Club, Creston; First Street Grille, Keosauqua; Rides Bar & Grill, Fort Dodge; Saucy Focaccia, Cedar Rapids; the Ritz, Arnold’s Park; and Zombie Burger, Des Moines.

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NE Iowa dairy farm welcomes visitors, educates about ag BY BETHANY BARATTA Students from Fun in the Sun preschool in Fredericksburg last week took a field trip to help them understand more about agriculture. Just a few days before, they were in the classroom learning about pigs and making pigs in a blanket as a snack with their teacher, Janiece Kramer. But Tuesday, they filed off the school bus and onto Lavonne and Ed Suhr’s dairy farm near Fredericksburg to see real animals and learn more about the farm. The Suhrs were both raised on dairy farms. So when they got married it was natural that they settled onto a century-old dairy farm. They milk about 250 cows. Seven years ago, when their daughter, Eadie, was a student at Fun in the Sun preschool, Kramer asked if the class could visit the farm. “So I said, sure we can do that,” Lavonne said. “My husband said, ‘What?’ Because it was just him and I milking.” And every year since then Kramer’s class, along with classes from other area schools, have visited the farm. The farm visit changes each year with a variety of animals and experiences.

A wide variety This year, with the help of neighbors and other friends, students saw rabbits, a goat, a lamb, sheep, calves, pigs, doves, pigeons, a donkey, chickens and a llama. They also learned how to milk a cow, climbed up on a John Deere tractor for a photo and enjoyed a cart ride from a miniature horse named Gunslinger. Lavonne Suhr said the event is a community project. Neighbors loan animals and volunteer their time for the three-day event, which welcomed nearly 320 visitors this year. “I like to call it Suhr dairy and

friends because we can’t do it alone. It’s grown to a neighborhood event,” she said. Students continue to be fascinated by what they see on the farm, and they’re learning too. Suhr recalled a 12-year-old student last year who visited the farm. “She said, ‘You know I’ve never seen a real live pig in my life,’” Suhr said. “And I stood there with all volunteers and then it hit home, like, that’s why we’re doing this. There is such a disconnect. It used to be if you didn’t live on a farm, your grandparents did, and you went there every weekend. Now the grandparents are not even on farms.”

Ag in the Classroom That’s why Linda Burgart, Ag in the Classroom coordinator for the Chickasaw County Farm Bureau, agreed to help with the farm visit. She sees the disconnect too. She’s also a former school teacher and used to have a dairy farm. “It’s important that kids un-

Teresa Buns, a volunteer from Buffalo Center, shows pre-school students a baby lamb during an ag tour on the Suhr farm near Fredericksburg. More than 310 students attended the event, which was held three days last week. PHOTO/BETHANY BARATTA

derstand where their food comes from, and that it doesn’t just appear in the grocery store,” Burgart said. Jamie Steege visited the farm

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Going It Alone Is Overrated

with her daughter, Erin. Though the family raises feeder calves on the grandparents’ farm, Steege said it was important for her daughter to attend.

“It opens their eyes so they get a broad picture,” Steege said. “It’s amazing they (Suhrs) do it since a lot of kids don’t get to experience it.”

}

Applications for Century Farm awards due June 1 Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey last week reminded eligible farm owners that the deadline to apply for the 2015 Century and Heritage Farm Program is June 1. The program recognizes families that have owned their farms for 100 years for Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The ceremony to recognize the 2015 Century and Heritage Farms is scheduled to be held at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 20. Applications are available on the department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov by clicking on the Century Farm or Heritage Farm link under “Hot Topics.” Applications may also be requested from Becky Lorenz, coordinator of the Century and Heritage Farm Program, via phone at (515) 281-3645, email at Becky.Lorenz@IowaAgriculture. gov or by writing to Century or Heritage Farms Program, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Henry A. Wallace Building, 502 E. 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50319.

Krista and Lucas Tjelmeland

Kent Mowrer CSIF Senior Field Coordinator

Working beside you...

to develop a plan for growing your farm It takes the right information to successfully grow your livestock farm. But, just as important is having a resource to help you think through your project and future plans. Lucas Tjelmeland, a fifth generation farmer, learned the Coalition is a trusted, confidential resource when he was planning a new hog barn on his family’s farm near Nevada. “Growing your farm today is complex — from regulations to siting to neighbor relations, and we wanted to make sure we understood all of our options before turning dirt. The process was smooth and the staff was very knowledgeable,” says Lucas. “Thanks to the Coalition, we got our questions answered and developed a proactive plan to help grow our farm with livestock.” To learn more, or to get started on a plan for your farm, call 800-932-2436 or visit www.supportfarmers.com.

YOUR FARM. YOUR FAMILY. OUR FOCUS.

CSIF is a not-for-profit, non-lobbying organization funded by the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Turkey Federation and Midwest Dairy Association.

800-932-2436 • www.supportfarmers.com

MAY 13, 2015

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN MAY 13, 2015 7

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Land use analyzer helps with crop and livestock decisions BY TOM BLOCK A new decision aid can help farmers determine whether rolling terrain on their farms is best suited for crops, livestock or recreational uses. The crop and livestock land use analyzer compares potential returns from up to three different crop rotations that can include corn, soybeans, oats, alfalfa or alfalfa-grass hay and a fall-seeded cover crop, according to William Edwards, retired Iowa State Uni versity (ISU) Extension economist. The tool can also compare up to three types of pasture, enrollment in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and livestock en terprises, such as beef cow-calf and summer grazing of stocker cattle. “Converting land from one use to another is a long-term decision,” Edwards wrote in an article for ISU’s Ag Decision Maker newsletter. “Thus, selling prices for crops and livestock should be based on long-term forecasts, not predictions for the coming season.” Long-term price forecasts made by the Food and Agriculture Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) for 2014 through 2022 are embedded in the decision tool, developed by ISU Extension in collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

a number of conservation structures, including diversion barriers, field borders, grassed waterways, contour buffer strips, riparian buffer strips, grass-backed terraces, narrow base terraces and water/ sediment basins. There may be additional costs for converting land from its current use to a different use, Edwards said. “If pasture or CRP land is being converted to crops, this could entail breaking up sod, spraying herbicides, clearing land and laying out terraces,” he said. “If land is being converted to livestock use, investments in fences, ponds and water systems may be necessary. Pastures may need to be reseeded or renovated.” Converting pasture or CRP land to row crops also has some implications for eligibility for USDA programs, Edwards noted. The crop and livestock land use analyzer is available to the public on the Ag Decision Maker website (www.extension.iastate. edu/agdm/).

Courts limit eminent domain, affirm dairy farm decision BY DIRCK STEIMEL

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A cow-calf herd grazes in a Tama County pasture recently on a sunny spring day. Many Iowa farmers say this spring has been one of the best in recent memory for calving operations. PHOTO/DIRCK STEIMEL

The Iowa Supreme Court re cently ruled that a public-private commission formed to construct a lake in Clarke County does not have the power to condemn land through eminent domain. In a separate ruling, the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict in favor of Fayette County dairy farmers Matthew and Diana Stewart, who were sued by a chaperone, Kimberly Ann Sallee, injured on an educational trip to their farm. These two rulings were among several recent state Supreme Court decisions. Others concerned legal fees from a lawsuit filed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and leases on corn stover harvesting. In the Clarke County eminent domain case, utilities in the county formed the Clarke County Reservoir Commission to locate, plan and design a new lake reservoir near Osceola, which could also be used to offset a projected water shortfall for the Clarke County area. In 2013, the commission filed with the district court for Clarke

County, seeking a determination of whether the proposed lake project was for a public use, public purpose or public improvement under Iowa Code. It also notified 54 landowners whose land would be taken to complete the project. The landowners responded in district court that the commission did not have the legal authority to condemn their private property for two reasons. Their first reason was that the development corporation on the commission disqualified the commission from having the power to condemn property. Second, the landowners argued that the commission’s real purpose for the reservoir was recreation rather than as a drinking water source. The district court ruled for the commission deciding that the proposed lake qualified as a public use within the meaning of Iowa Code. However, on appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, the landowners contested whether the district court erred in ruling that a chapter 28E commission with private members had eminent domain powers. The Iowa Supreme Court over-

turned the district court decision, finding that only the Legislature has the authority to delegate the power of eminent domain, and public members of a commission cannot delegate their powers to a private corporation. The court expressed concern about private entities not being accountable to voters and believed that a quasi-public entity like the commission raises many constitutional issues.

Dairy farm visit In the suit against the dairy farm, the Stewarts asserted Iowa’s recreational use statute shielded them from liability. The district court agreed with the Stewarts, and the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of the suit. However, on further appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court in 2013, the court reversed the lower court’s decision finding that “the activities which occurred in the hayloft do not constitute recreational uses under Iowa’s statute” because Sallee was there as a chaperone and not for a recreational purpose. The court held that only the Iowa

Legislature, and not the court, could expand the definition of “recreational purpose” to include field trips to farms and allow farmers to only have a limited duty of care to those participating in the trip. The court then sent the case back to the district court. Shortly after the decision in 2013, the Iowa Legislature amended recreational use statute and expanded the definition of “recreational purpose” to include educational activities and the related activities of chaperones. In 2014, after trial, the jury found the Stewarts not negligent in causing Sallee’s injuries, and the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed the jury’s verdict.

Fish count dispute The Iowa Supreme Court granted an attorney’s fee award to a farmer after he prevailed in challenging Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) estimated damages from a pollution event. In its investigation of a fish kill caused by runoff from sweet corn silage storage, the DNR estimated the number of fish killed were worth

EPA revises rules on plans for fuel spill prevention

Less pasture in Iowa Iowa’s pasture acreage declined by 21 percent from 2007 to 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Census of Agriculture. “Most of the decline came in ‘tillable’ pasture land, that is, land that could be converted from pasture to harvested crops without improvements,” Edwards noted. Acres enrolled in the CRP decreased by 36 percent during the same time period. But with corn and soybean prices falling below the cost of production, it may be worthwhile to take a second look at land uses. In addition to considering long-term profit potential, farmers should also consider potential soil loss, nutrient runoff, wildlife habitat and other conservation concerns in determining the best use for a particular parcel of land, Edwards said. “Balancing profits and conservation in a long-term land use decision requires careful budgeting and reliable data,” he said. “The new land use decision aid can help producers organize the relevant information and compare alternatives.” The land use analyzer provides an estimate of annual costs and returns from each combination of crops and livestock as well as a summary of hay and pasture production and requirements, annual labor requirements and potential soil loss. Farmers can input their own annual budgets for each crop and livestock enterprise, or use the estimated budgets provided in the tool. The worksheet also contains a database with the average CRP payments currently being paid in each county.

Soil considerations The decision tool includes a database of all Iowa soil series, which retrieves data about potential yields, crop suitability ratings and erosion class. Farmers can also evaluate the cost of installing and maintaining

$61,800. Monte Branstad of Forest City appealed, and the court overturned the fish count because the DNR did not properly follow its own rules. The damage penalty was reduced to $5,300. Branstad then sued the department, seeking reimbursement for his attorney’s fees. The Supreme Court also last month upheld a recent change to the farm lease law that gave ownership of the corn stalks to the tenant until the lease expires. In Slauch v. Heick, the tenant was allowed to recover damages when the landowner chisel plowed the rented fields before the tenant could harvest the corn stalks. The farm lease was silent about ownership of the stover. The dispute arose when the property sold and the new owner did not properly serve the Sept. 1 farm lease termination notice. A 2010 amendment to the farm lease law puts ownership of the stover with the tenant. The court determined that the lease renewal in 2011 made this provision applicable to the tenant and that the landlord unlawfully trespassed. The court awarded damages to the tenant.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revised the threshold requirements in the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures rule (SPCC) as a result of legislation passed in 2014. Under the revised guidelines, a farmer will not have to file a spill prevention plan unless he or she has an aggregate above-ground fuel storage of 2,500 gallons or more. Previously, the threshold was 1,320 gallons. As a result of SPCC rule changes made by the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA) of 2014, total on-farm storage of 6,000 gallons or less are exempted from plan requirements, but the EPA, as required by the new law, is studying whether storage of 6,000 gallons or less should be exempted long term from the SPCC rules or not. The results of that study are expected in June. “Many Iowa farmers may likely fall under the 2,500 gallon threshold, but we are still waiting to see if storage 2,500 to 6,000 gallons will require a prevention plan long term,” said Rick Robinson, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation environmental policy specialist. “Right now, the larger storage volumes are exempted from the SPCC plan rules, but that could change.” Farmers who have more than 6,000 gallons storage capacity now, and no single tank of more than 10,000 gallons, can self-certify a SPCC plan with the EPA. Those with a 10,000 gallon or larger tank, or aggregate capacity of more than 20,000 gallons, will need a professional engineer to certify the SPCC plan. The revisions were part of the WRRDA, which was designed to update and upgrade the country’s inland waterways and ports. For more information on the SPCC rules, go to the EPA farm fact sheet at http://www.epa.gov/ oem/docs/oil/spcc/spcc_wrrda.pdf.

8 MAY 13, 2015

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Farmers made good progress with a busy week of planting before rain finally moved into the area, Kooiker said May 7. “We’ve got all of our corn done now,” he said. “We’ve got a couple neighbors who are done with soybeans. We haven’t started ours yet.” He said about 0.15 inch of rain fell May 6, and light rain continued the next morning. “We’ve been pretty dry. We’re not complaining about the rain at all.”

Pope took full advantage of the sunshine and warm weather in recent weeks, he said May 7. “There wasn’t much sleep to be had last week. We ran hard for four to five days.” There were only a few small patches to plant; otherwise, Pope was done planting corn and soybeans. “It would take just a half a day to plant it, but there’s rain in the forecast.” Corn that was planted April 17 has emerged.

Despite scattered rains, almost all of the corn acres are planted, and most area farmers are finishing up soybean planting, Bader said May 7. “The early-planted corn is starting to emerge, and you can almost start to row it,” he said. “Emergence looks pretty good, so far.” The rainfall, Bader added, also appears to have helped seedlings emerge. “It softened up any crust that might have formed.”

“Most everybody has their corn planted, and a lot of people have started on beans,” Langbein said May 7. He had 1.6 inches of rain last week, which had stopped planters Sunday night and provided a break from the hectic planting pace. “The co-ops could not keep up last week with spraying,” he said. “We had very good conditions for planting corn. With this rain and warmer temperatures, it should be good for emergence.”

Peterson has completed corn planting for the year and had nearly 50 percent of his soybeans planted, he said May 7. “Corn that was planted around the April 15 window has emerged, and you can row it,” he said. The area saw about 0.3 inch in the past few days. An area just north of his farm had hail. Peterson was waiting for the next opportunity to finish soybeans.

“Most of the guys around here are just about done with corn and are just getting a start on beans,” Prizler said May 7. “We haven’t seen any emergence yet, but it shouldn’t be too long.” Prizler said 1.4 to 1.7 inches of rain fell on his acres last week but there were much larger rainfall totals around the area. Pastures need more heat and are coming along slowly, he said. “And the hay looks beautiful, so far,”

“We’ve been trying to finish up planting in between the rains,” Bentley said May 7. He estimated 75 percent of the area’s corn crop was planted the previous week and some soybean planting has started. Rainfall has been light for the most part. Pastures look good, and corn is emerging. “We’ve got two-leaf corn up,” he said. “It looks like it’s going to be good. The big problem right now is grain prices.”

The majority of corn had been planted in the area, and some farmers started planting soybeans, Brennecke said May 7. The area saw three-quarters to 1 inch of rain, which was good for pastures and alfalfa fields. “Pastures look really good. Lots of clover this year. It’s going to be a good clover year.” She expects more planting after fields dry. “It’s been an ideal spring so far.”

“We’ve got a lot of corn in already around here, and people are getting a good start on beans,” Rinner said May 7. Some of the early-planted cornfields are starting to emerge and can easily be rowed from the road, he said. About 2 inches of rain fell in the area last week in several different storms, Rinner said. Pastures are starting to green up, and farmers are putting cows out, he added.

Soybean seed treatment options for SDS and SCN BY TIM BERKLAND Sudden death syndrome (SDS) and soybean cyst nematode (SCN) are two of the most devastating soybean diseases currently a ff e c t i n g t h e U.S. soybean crop, costing U.S. producers close to $2 billion in lost revBERKLAND enue. Infection from both diseases often occurs early in the growing season, whereas the symptoms of these pathogens are often not

CROPS TODAY

evident to producers until later in the season when management opportunities have passed. SDS and SCN are both diseases that have been around for some time now and are not really new to the American soybean producer. However, the way we manage these synergistic diseases is changing. SDS and SCN are commonly

associated with one another, and SDS has even been found inside a soybean cyst. This is one hypothesis for why SDS has spread to the more northern soybean growing regions in the past decade. If one disease is confirmed, testing and/or vigilance for the other is a common recommendation from university plant pathologists and nematologists due to the close interaction of SCN and SDS. Until recently, managing SCN as well as SDS focused on rotation to non-host crops, rotating SCN resistances and variety selection, but now new seed treatment options are available to producers to help in the fight against these

yield-robbing diseases. Syngenta and Bayer Crop Sci ence both released seed treatment products to the market that may aid producers with both of these diseases. Bayer’s product is called ILeVO, and Syngenta’s products are Clariva (SCN control) and Mertect (SDS control). Seed treatments are and have been a very important part of a high yield soybean system. Most common seed treatments provided protection ag ainst pathogens such as pythium, rhizoctonia and fusarium as well as early season insects. Now, we may have more options to help us combat yield

loss from SCN and SDS. As with any new practice or product, be sure to fully evaluate the information from on-farm trials, university research programs and industry. Even though SDS was common in areas last year, that doesn’t mean it will show up this year which could affect the results, so be sure to take that into consideration. If you are looking for more information on these products, contact your local agronomist and/ or visit the manufacturer’s website. Berkland is a Growmark Western Region field sales agronomist. His email address is tberkland@growmark.com.

FAA approves Yamaha drone for crop spraying in United States The Federal Aviation Admin istration (FAA) last week gave clearance to Yamaha’s RMAX re motely piloted helicopter, which is large enough to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides. The RMAX is the first time a drone big enough to carry a payload has been approved, said Steve Markofski, a spokesman for Yamaha Corp. U.S.A., which developed the aircraft. The RMAX weighs 207 pounds. Previously, the FAA had only approved smaller unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for crop scouting and land surveying purposes.

The RMAX helicopter already has been used elsewhere, including by rice farmers in Japan, where 2.4 million acres are sprayed annually, according to Yamaha. “The enhanced safety achieved using (an unmanned aircraft) with the specifications described by (Yamaha) and carrying no passengers or crew, rather than a manned aircraft of significantly greater proportions, carrying crew in addition to flammable fuel, gives the FAA good cause to find that the UAS operation enabled by this exemption is in the public interest,” the FAA said in issuing

the approval. The FAA imposed 28 conditions in approving the RMAX and emphasized that the decision applies only to the Yamaha aircraft. All others will need individual approval. The RMAX will be limited to operating at speeds no more than 45 miles per hour and a maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level. The drone pilot and another observer will have to maintain a direct line of sight with the RMAX whenever it is in operation. “I certainly understand their cautious approach,” said Mark

ofski. “It’s a daunting task given our airspace is complicated.” The RMAX has been in service for more than 17 years and has achieved more than 2 million total flight hours, according to Yamaha. Currently, over 2,500 RMAX helicopters are in operation worldwide. They have been used for many agricultural spraying applications, including rice, wheat, soybeans and vegetables, the company said. The drone is best suited for precision-spraying places that are hard to reach from the ground or with larger, piloted planes, said

Ken Giles, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at the University of California-Davis. “A vehicle like this gives you a way to get in and get out and get that treatment done,” Giles said. Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems In ternational, said in a statement that the approval highlights other potential uses. “The FAA is taking an important step forward to helping more industries in the U.S. realize the benefits (drone) technology has to offer,” he said.

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

New crop emerging

BY BETHANY BARATTA

GARY FANDEL

Tree pest identified in Polk Co. State officials last week confirmed that emerald ash borer (EAB) has been positively identified for the first time in Polk County. The invasive beetle has now been found in 22 counties in Iowa. EAB kills all ash tree species and is considered to be one of the most destructive tree pests ever seen in North America. EAB specimens in Polk County were collected by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship from a publicly owned tree within the City of Urbandale and a resi-

dential tree in West Des Moines. These samples were forwarded to national identifiers for confirmation. A statewide quarantine, issued in early 2014, remains in place, restricting the movement of hardwood firewood, ash logs, wood chips and ash tree nursery stock out of Iowa into non-quarantined areas of other states. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We still strongly urge Iowans to not move firewood long distances,â&#x20AC;? said State Entomologist Robin Pruisner of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

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For Marshall County Farm Bureau member Wade Dooley, cover crops are a management tool and a source of feed for his 80 cow/calf pairs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not going after yield boost on grain crops. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going after feed for my cows. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big difference than guys going after increased yield,â&#x20AC;? he said. Dooley and his dad grow corn, hay, popcorn, pumpkins, small grains, soybeans, squash, watermelon and cattle on about 1,200 acres, most of it on Iowa River bottom ground. The farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location near the river makes growing crops and grazing difficult because of flooding, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the last seven years, we had three 500-year floods,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And every year we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have 500-year floods, we had a normal flood. It makes running row crops and running cattle a little more interesting every summer.â&#x20AC;?

Started in 1997 The family started growing cover crops in 1997 when they lost half a corn field due to flooding. The other half, Dooley said, was chopped for silage.

Back then, cover crops werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t big in the Midwest or Iowa, Dooley said. Nobody was talking about cover crops. However, the Dooleys had friends on the East Coast who were growing rye on their silage ground. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we did on our river bottom,â&#x20AC;? Dooley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was our first year ever with rye. We were flying blind.â&#x20AC;? They seeded the rye in mid-September at 1 to 1.5 bushels per acre. It worked great, Dooley said. Cattle grazed the rye until the ponds froze and cattle had to be moved closer to home to access water. Tillage was difficult in the spring. Rye was knee-high, and the ground was difficult to cultivate. The Dooleys have kept rye as part of their cropping operation. They have 20 acres of corn silage each year and plant rye at two bushels per acre after the corn is chopped. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rye is one of the most resilient small grains weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got access to,â&#x20AC;? Dooley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It will grow down to 34 degrees soil temps. It will handle negative 20 (degrees). It grows fast. Cattle love it until early May.â&#x20AC;?

Continuing to learn Dooley said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned a lot about rye since they started using it as a cover crop and as a forage for their grazing cattle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had issues with it,â&#x20AC;? Dooley admitted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pretty much

everything you can do wrong with it, we did it.â&#x20AC;? That includes the one and only time they planted corn following a rye crop. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We planted corn three days after we tore up the rye and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t add any extra nitrogen over our standard operations. Now, they (crop experts) say wait 10 to 14 days or put on extra nitrogen or manure. We lost about 10 bushels across the board,â&#x20AC;? Dooley said. They also plant soybeans into standing rye.

Wheat and oats The Dooleys also aerially seed winter wheat onto soybeans when soybean leaves are turning yellow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oats give me a lot more grazing right off the bat in the fall,â&#x20AC;? he said. Wheat is available in the spring during calving season, which starts April 10 on their farm, he said. Cover crops have helped extend his grazing season and decreased the amount of hay heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s had to purchase, Dooley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One year, we had one hay bale left on the 15th of June for the whole herd, and that made me really nervous,â&#x20AC;? he said. Cattle have grazed oats, turnips and corn stalks for three weeks into November with no supplemental feed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is cheaper than making hay,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is cheaper than hauling hay, buying hay. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out there eating, just like they did all summer.â&#x20AC;?

Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growers look to the cloud for more than just rain.

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Public Notice by the Iowa Pork Producers Association and The National Pork Board

The election of Iowa pork producer delegates for the 2016 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 17, 2015 in conjunction with the Iowa Pork Producers Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Committee Day. The session will be in the meeting rooms of the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 6075 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, Iowa. All Iowa pork producers are invited. Any producer, age 18 or older, who is a resident of Iowa and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the Checkoff deducted. For more information, contact: Iowa Pork Producers Association 1636 N.W. 114th Street Clive, Iowa 50325-7071 Telephone (515) 225-7675 â&#x20AC;˘ (800) 372-7675 info@iowapork.org

Iowa farmer relies on cover crops to supplement his forage supply Wayne Dooley, an early adopter of cover crops, has found ways to make them fit well with his cow/ calf operation.

Newly planted corn emerges on a foggy morning last week in Scott County. Corn is emerging over most of the state, pushed along by last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s warm and wet conditions, according to Spokesman crop reporters. Most farmers have completed corn planting, or are nearly done, and are working on getting their soybeans in the ground, they said. PHOTO/

MAY 13, 2015

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10 MAY 13, 2015 IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

March pork, beef exports bounce back

was $49.48, down 19 percent from last year and down 7 percent from the first quarter of 2013. First-quarter pork exports to Mexico topped last year’s record pace by 7 percent in volume, reaching 179,507 metric tons, though value was down 6 percent to $321.2 million. Exports to South Korea increased by 43 percent in volume and 55 percent in value during the first quarter, the data showed. Lower exports were reported to Japan and China/Hong Kong. Exports to Japan fell 13 percent in volume and 19 percent in value after buying large quantities of frozen pork from the European Union. Pork exports to China/Hong Kong fell 40 percent in volume and 42 percent in value during the first quarter.

and 10 percent for muscle cuts only, slightly exceeding first-quarter ratios but down from 14 percent and 11 percent, respectively, from March 2014. Beef export value per head of fed slaughter was $284.30 in March, up 5 percent from a year ago. For the first quarter, per-head export value was $290.32, up 9 percent, the report said. So far in 2015, beef exports to Japan have performed extremely well despite significant obstacles — including the West Coast port situation, a weakened Japanese yen and a tariff advantage for Australian beef under the recently implemented Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement, the USMEF noted. First-quarter exports to Japan increased 4 percent in volume and 11 percent in value. Exports to Mexico increased 4 percent in value despite slipping 1 percent in volume. Beef exports to Korea continue to gain momentum, the USMEF reported. First-quarter volume was down 4 percent from a year ago to 27,624 metric tons, but export value was up 2 percent to $204.1 million. First-quarter beef export volume to Taiwan was down 10 percent to 6,382 metric tons, while value was up 11 percent to $64.1 million. Exports to Hong Kong were down 21 percent in volume and 6 percent in value in the first quarter.

Obstacles for beef

More bacon, feed

March beef exports accounted for 13 percent of total production

Cargill recently completed a $25 million expansion of its

arch export re cords released last week showed signs of exports strengthening after the West Coast port dispute slowed shipments in the first few months of 2015. U.S. pork and beef exports both gained momentum after starting the year slowly and with lingering residual effects of the port worker slowdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed in data released last week. The information was compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). Volumes of pork exports were the largest in 11 months at 191,041 metric tons, up 10 percent from February. Pork exports were valued at $495.3 million, down 18 percent year-over-year, but up 5 percent from February. March beef exports totaled 86,774 metric tons, up 5 percent over February. U.S. beef exports were valued at $527.3 million, up 2 percent year-over-year, but down slightly from February.

Pork tops record pace Pork export value per head slaughtered was $50.10 in March, down nearly $20 from a year ago, but roughly steady with the perhead value recorded in March 2013, the report showed. For the first quarter, per-head export value

Weekly Average Price Comparison Sheet Price comparisons: Week ending: 05/08/2015 04/10/2015 05/09/2014 Cattle - National 5 Area Confirmed Sales 13,814 9,096 12,209 5 Area 65-80% Choice Steers: Wtd Avg. $160.00 $165.00 $149.00 Average Weights (Estimate) Cattle 1342 1350 1310 Boxed Beef Choice 600-750 (5 day avg.) $258.12 $256.51 $223.26 Boxed Beef Select 600-750 (5 day avg.) $246.82 $249.91 $212.21 Five Day Average Hide and Offal Value $13.43 $14.05 $15.56 Cattle - Interior Iowa – Minnesota Supply: 6,160 3,447 6,859 Average Price Choice Steer: Live Basis $160.54 NA $150.22 Average Price Choice Steer: Dressed Basis $255.09 $267.00 $237.00 Feeder Steers at River Markets (Neb. Feedlots) #1 Muscle Thickness 500-600# $284.92 $285.60 $236.86 #1 Muscle Thickness 700-800# $223.73 $229.92 $195.96 Hogs -- Interior Iowa – Minnesota ISM Friday Weighted Average Carcass Price $79.17 $61.03 $108.27 Average Weights (Estimate) Hogs 282.0 283.5 287.0 Sows 1-3 300# and up: Average Price $25.08 $35.30 $87.50 Pork Loins 1/4” trimmed 13 - 19 pound $121.96 $101.43 $135.68 51-52% 200 pound Pork Carcass (5 day avg.) $76.22 $64.88 $111.59 Feeder Pigs: National Direct Delivered Feeder Pigs 10 Pounds Basis - Wtd Avg. $38.88 $34.56 $78.75 Feeder Pigs 40 Pounds Basis -- Wtd Avg. $61.01 $65.11 $126.42 Sheep -- National Slaughter Lambs Negotiated Sales 4,000 2,900 5,900 Choice & Prime Wooled and Shorn 130 -150 lbs $155.50 No Test No Test Iowa Large Eggs (cents per dozen) $0.95 $0.84 $0.95 Young Hen Turkeys: 8 -16# -- Eastern (cents/lb) 106.70 105.36 103.50 *Iowa Ethanol Prices $/gal $1.57 $1.49 $2.15 Futures: Corn $3.63 $3.77 $5.07 State Average Cash Corn Price $3.46 $3.59 $4.80 Basis -$0.17 -$0.18 -$0.27 Futures: Soybean $9.76 $9.52 $14.87 State Average Cash Soybean Price $9.42 $9.11 $14.60 Basis: -$0.34 -$0.41 -$0.27 Slaughter Under Federal Inspection Estimates Estimates Actuals Hogs: 2,091,000 1,980,000 1,973,000 Cattle: 559,000 498,000 589,000 Sheep: 37,000 39,000 41,000 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

Ottumwa pork processing plant, doubling the plant’s bacon production capabilities, Meatingplace reported last week. The company also announced its $29 million feed mill in Hedrick is operational and will serve its more than 100 familyowned farms that raise hogs for Cargill in the region.

Flu slows processing The Jennie-O Turkey Store plant in Faribault, Minn., announced last week that it would move to a single processing shift starting May 26, laying off 233 employees as a result. The avian flu has limited the birds available for processing, and the plant isn’t able to run at full capacity. The company employs more than 650 at its plant.

Sugarcane ethanol SJC Bioenergia, a joint venture between Cargill and Group USJ, purchased Fluid Quip Process Technology’s (FQPT) systems to integrate corn ethanol production at its sugarcane ethanol facility located in Quirinopolis, Brazil, Ethanol Producer magazine reported last week. All of the technologies are in full-scale operation at various corn ethanol plants in the United States. “The FQPT system allows a facility to blend a corn starch feedstock into the plant while running sugar cane, thus allowing the plant operating capacity to be maximized year-round with the added benefit of the co-product revenue streams, which are significant,” said John Kwik, president of FQPT.

CME Class III Milk Futures Closing prices May 8, 2015

Contract

Settle Last Week

Contract

May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 Spot Prices Block Cheese Barrel Cheese Butter NFDM Grade A

$16.38 $17.36 $17.70 $17.70

September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015

$17.71 $17.62 $17.49 $17.40

Milk Prices May Class III May Class IV

$16.31 $13.97

$16.22 $16.34 $16.45 $16.72

$1.6125 $1.6200 $1.9850 $0.9575

Settle Last Week $17.10 $17.21 $17.35 $17.26

Iowa Hay Auctions Dyersville, May 6

Hay, large squares, good, $105-150; fair, $75-100; utility, $62.50-80; large rounds, good, $100-135; fair, $60-80; utility, $5-60. Mixed, large rounds, good, $90-135. Grass, large rounds, good, $110-125. Straw, large squares, good, $30-35; large rounds, good, $30. Corn stalks, large rounds, good, $25-26.

Ft. Atkinson, May 6

Hay: small squares, 1st crop, $115-140; 2nd crop, $75-150; large squares, 1st crop, $110-155; 2nd crop, $110-155; 3rd crop, $75-175; 4th crop, $140-145; large rounds, 1st crop, $55-150; 2nd crop, $80-125; 3rd crop, $65-145. Grass: large rounds, $70-105. Baleage: large rounds, $35-40.

Grass, small squares, premium, $4.50; good, $3.50; fair, $2; large rounds, premium, $50; good, $45; large squares, good, $50; fair, $40. Straw, large squares, $35; small squares, $4.50.

Rock Valley, May 7

Alfalfa, large squares, supreme, $175-185; premium, $135-150; good, $115-120; large rounds, good, $110-130; small squares, premium, $145-155. Grass, small squares, premium, $145180; large squares, 110-125; large rounds, premium, $135-165; good, $110-125; fair, $97.50-107.50. Mixed, large rounds, good, $115. Corn stalks: large rounds, $40-47.50.

Yoder**/Frytown, May 6 Perry**, May 2

Alfalfa, small squares, premium, $6.50-7; good, $4.50; large squares, premium, $60; good, $50; large rounds, premium, $95; good, $70.

Alfalfa, large rounds, $45; large squares, $40-65. Grass: large rounds, $20-37.50; large squares, $35-40. Oat hay: large rounds, $32.50.

**Perry and Yoder hay auction prices are per bale. All other prices are per ton. Contacts: Dyersville, 563-875-2481; Ft. Atkinson, 563-534-7513; Perry, 515-321-5765; Rock Valley, 712-476-5541; Yoder, 319-936-0126

As we start the 2015 soybean crop, above is a look ahead at the futures markets to see what the current market is paying to store the crop after harvest. A large soybean crop is anticipated, so the market is offering some premium to store the crop. Is there enough to pay for storage? Each farmer should make that decision given his or her own individual situation. Knowledge of these price relationships can help with fall soybean marketing choices. Farmers should look at the basis offered within new-crop cash contracts.

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

Weak correlation between planting timing and yield

here’s been a lot of discussion about the fast pace of corn planting and the implications it might have on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) yield projection, and this year’s yield in general. But as the accompanying graphic shows, there isn’t a strong correlation between extremely early planting and the final corn yield. We adjusted the planting progress forward one week for the years prior to 1990 in response to the practice of planting earlier today than in years past. Even without that, there’s still little correlation between April planting and the final yield. The extremely poor yield years were drought years. But even if those are discounted, there’s not much correlation between early planting and yield potential. The number of years below trend is about the same as those above trend. But if one goes back to the old rule of thumb of wanting to have corn planted by mid-May, there is a slightly positive correlation between the planting pace and yield. So early planting does have positive implications, just not really early planting. There’s been a lot of talk about what the USDA might do with the corn yield estimate in the May 12 new-crop supply/demand forecast. The USDA now uses a weather-adjusted trend yield in developing production forecasts until survey-based yields are available starting in August. But the model assumes an 80 percent mid-May completion, the average over the 24 years in which the model was based. Given the 55 percent completion on May 3, with another week added when they develop the report, we doubt USDA analysts depart from the 166.8-bushel yield projection they used at their February outlook forum. Commentary about the USDA’s “weather-adjusted trend” yield model does offer some guidance on how its analysts might adjust yield before they have the first survey-based sample in August. The model doesn’t adjust for weather in June, but does use temperature and precipitation in July. Given this, the forecast may be static in June. But in July, the USDA might use temperature and precipitation along with short-range forecasts to make an adjustment. Even here, dry weather and warm temperatures have stronger negative implications than their opposite counterparts.

2015 CROP: Given the larger cyclic parameters, the long-term outlook continues to look more constructive than it does now. Hold off making sales.

FUNDAMENTALS: If anything was born out of last week’s drop

U. S. corn planting and yields

115%

December 2015 Corn

515

with 50-day moving average

495

December futures, like the nearby futures chart, appears to be going through the throes of completing a correction of the rally out of last fall's low, a low that best counts as the 5 1/2 year cycle low. Once this correction is complete, prices should be poised to begin a new move higher.

475 455 Cycle Lows 20-week 40-week

435

$4.40

415 395 375

355

The pattern of the decline off the March high(b) leaves room for one more push lower to complete this particular leg down. Timing indicators point to late month at the soonest for that bottom, with a chance it could test the $3.64 low.

335 3/20/14

6/19/14

9/18/14

a $3.64

c 12/17/14

3/20/15

6/18/15

110

to a new low, it was that downside price risk is limited at these levels. For prices to take on a more negative tone, there will need to be better assurance of large new crops both in the United States and elsewhere in the world. That won’t develop until mid-summer at the soonest. Meanwhile, the second consecutive

50 Basis Chicago Futures

30 5/28/14

8/21/14

11/14/14

2/12/15

5/8/15

week of good export sales is confirmation that buyers believe current prices offer good value.

1275

November 2015 Soybeans

1225

with 50-day moving average

1175

2014 CROP: Soybean prices

If we've learned anything about soybean prices this winter, November futures included, is the depth of support at the lower end of the ranges, $9.50 on nearby futures, and near $9.25 on November, appears to be relatively strong.

1125

have eroded somewhat this month, but the ability to sustain important supports indicates downside risk is limited. Demand tends to reassert itself when futures dip near $9.50. Timing indicators suggest prices should strengthen this summer.

tence of modest export interest is going a long way to reassuring the

110%

535

SOYBEAN STRATEGY

2015 CROP: Price action tends to suggest supply and demand remain relatively well balanced, even worldwide. Given that, and little risk premium in current prices, better marketing opportunities should come.

Cash Strategist Hotline: 1-309-557-2274

2014 CROP: Corn prices remain generally defensive, and price cycles suggest that may be the case until June. The weakness presents an opportunity to lock in basis with various tools for old-crop inventories. The sideways-to-lower trend should end as summer begins, giving way to better levels again. Other than locking in basis, we are not interested in pricing corn.

FUNDAMENTALS: The persis-

120%

yield as a percent of trend

CORN STRATEGY

MAY 13, 2015

1075 1025 975 925

Since the November peak, November futures appear to have been putting together an extended, complex correction. That correction should be about complete, but could have one more dip to a new low as it puts in its coming cycle low.

875 3/20/14

6/19/14

9/18/14

industry the current USDA forecast is achievable, and might be exceeded. The South American crops are record large, but labor issues in Brazil and Argentina are keeping those supplies from overwhelming the world. Maybe the biggest concern is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new delay on releasing RFS standards until

Cycle Lows 16- 18-week 3-year

12/17/14

3/20/15

6/18/15

300 275 250 225 200 175

150 125 100 75

Basis Chicago Futures

50 5/28/14

8/21/14

11/14/14

2/12/15

5/8/15

fall. They have bigger implications for soybean oil than they do ethanol.

Iowa Corn & Soybean Basis

105% 100%

CORN: (basis vs. July futures, 5/6/15)

95%

NW $3.49 -0.18 SW $3.47 -0.20

90% 85% 80% 75%

data - USDA/NASS

70% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

percent planted by May 3

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 11-20-14 — 15% sold at $3.78 50% 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 40% 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.

NC $3.51 -0.16 SC $3.48 -0.19

NE SE

SOYBEANS: (basis vs. July futures, 5/6/15) $3.53 -0.14 $3.52 -0.15

NW SW

$9.41 -0.41 $9.47 -0.35

NC SC

$9.44 -0.38 $9.46 -0.36

NE $9.57 -0.25 SE $9.66 -0.16

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.

Syngenta rejects takeover bid from Monsanto Syngenta last week rejected a $45 billion takeover offer from Monsanto, saying the offer undervalued its assets and did not fully take into account regulatory risks. Reports surfaced last week that the two agricultural companies were working with investment banks on a takeover deal that would create an industry behemoth with combined sales of more than $31 billion. However, Syngenta on May 8 released a statement saying its board had unanimously rejected the offer by Monsanto that valued Syngenta at $486.35 per share, with approximately 45 percent in cash. “Syngenta is the world leader in crop protection, the number three in seeds and the first company to introduce integrated solutions for growers,” said Michel Demaré, Syngenta chairman. “Monsanto’s proposal does not

reflect the outstanding growth prospects of Syngenta’s integrated strategy and the significant future value potential of the company’s crop-focused innovation and market-leading positions.” Demaré said Syngenta’s business outlook is strong, with emerging markets accounting for more than 50 percent of the Switzerlandbased company’s sales. “Our integrated strategy has been particularly successful in these markets, which in 2014 registered double-digit growth rates for the fifth consecutive year, and which represent a major part of the future growth potential for our industry,” said Demaré. Monsanto confirmed the offer in a statement, saying it “would provide Syngenta shareholders with a very attractive premium and significant further value creation through ongoing ownership

in the combined company.” The statement suggested Monsanto may still be interested in striking a deal, but said the company wouldn’t make any additional comments at this time. The company said it has devoted significant time and resources with its financial and legal advisors to analyze a potential combination of Syngenta and Monsanto and is confident in its ability to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals. “Monsanto believes the combined company would be uniquely positioned to deliver a comprehensive suite of integrated solutions to farmers around the world and to accelerate technological innovation through precision agriculture and advanced research and development capabilities aimed at increasing the world’s food supply in a sustainable fashion,” the statement said.

MAY 13, 2015

IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN

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712-643-5501

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