Iowa Soybean Review, Spring 2014

Iowa Soybean Association, 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, Ankeny, Iowa 50023

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Strategy Advances Quality

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Going It Alone Is Overrated

Brian Waddingham CSIF Executive Director

Ben Novak Ted Novak

Working beside you... to do things right from the start

Fourth-generation livestock farmer Ben Novak was ready to join his father, Ted, on their row crop and cattle farm in Tama County. But, current land values made it difficult to compete for crop ground, so a new 900-head cattle barn was the best option to bring Ben back to the family farm. The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF) was there to help smooth the way and answer the Novaks’ questions.

“We wanted to do things right and not just meet, but exceed the rules and regulations,” said Ted Novak. “CSIF was a valuable resource for us. They made multiple trips to our farm to assess our current situation and served as a sounding board for us.”

“The number one service the Coalition provided was helping us understand the rules and regulations as we bounced ideas off them,” said Ben Novak. “CSIF helped us take a proactive approach to reaching our goals and helping us grow our farm responsibly.”

YOUR FARM. YOUR FAMILY. OUR FOCUS.

To find out how CSIF can help you at no cost, call or visit our website.

Scan this code to hear more from the Novaks.

CSIF28966_2_CSIF Ad campaign2013 Novak AD 8x10.indd 1

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 Partially funded by the soybean checkoff.

5/30/13 4:58 PM

Iowa Soybean Association

Spring 2014 | Vol. 26, No. 7

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Status of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy

Iowa’s clean water efforts move from words to practices.

12

Cover Crops Protect Soil and Water

A big cover up is going on in Iowa, but it’s no secret.

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10

An Urban “Crop” Sharing Rural Conservation Concerns

Representative Joe Riding may live in one of Iowa’s most urban districts, but he’s no stranger to rural issues.

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ABOUT THE COVER: Anthony Seeman, ISA watershed management specialist​, takes a water sample from a North Raccoon River watershed located in Greene County.

China’s New Leadership, New Policies on Agriculture

China’s agriculture sector has grown tremendously over the past three decades.

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Bringing stories to life.

There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in the agricultural industry and we look forward to showing you why with IOWA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION LIVE — an app that brings stories to life in the Iowa Soybean Review. In three easy steps, you’ll get a more in-depth look at Iowa soybean farmers and stories that affect our lives.

1

Get the ISA LIVE app. Download it to your Apple or Android device by searching for IOWA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION LIVE from your app store. Its free!

2

Once downloaded, start the app and hover over any photo that includes the ISA LIVE icon with your mobile device and the movie will begin to play.

3

Watch as exclusive stories come to life.

Iowa Soybean Association

EXECUTIVE review Kirk Leeds Chief Executive Officer Iowa Soybean Association kleeds@iasoybeans.com Twitter@kirkleeds

Expanding Opportunities and Delivering Results In this column last summer, I shared that the farmer directors of the Iowa Soybean Association were developing a new, strategic plan for the organization. Although the existing plan was reviewed annually as part of our budgeting process, it had been a number of years since the board had built a new plan.

Although the new plan is not radically different, there are changes. Of particular note was the enhanced importance ISA directors believe that challenges related to environmental performance will have on their farming operations. They also reaffirmed the incredible opportunities we have to help farmers increase soybean yields through better production research and management. On the demand side, ongoing work to expand soybean exports, support livestock farmers and increase the market for soybean oil-based biodiesel remain of utmost importance. Effectively communicating what ISA stands for and who we stand behind, while advancing the social license farmers need to operate profitably also remain priorities.

I think it is worth noting a set of value statements the board (and your ISA staff) affirmed as to how we go about doing our work:

President Brian Kemp, Sibley | D1 President Elect Tom Oswald, Cleghorn | At Large Treasurer Rolland Schnell, Newton | D5 Secretary Wayne Fredericks, Osage | D2 Executive Committee Jeff Jorgenson, Sidney | D7

Directors Curt Sindergard, Rolfe | D1 Dean Coleman, Humboldt | D2 Scott McGregor, Nashua | D3 Dennis Lindsay, Masonville| D3 Sheila Hebenstreit, Jefferson | D4 Delbert Christensen, Audubon | D4 Randy VanKooten, Lynnville | D5 Ed Ulch, Solon | D6 Benjamin Schmidt, Iowa City | D6 Bill Shipley, Nodaway | D7 Cliff Mulder, Pella | D8 John Heisdorffer, Keota | D9 Mark Jackson, Rose Hill | D9 Roy Arends, Alexander | At Large Lindsay Greiner, Keota | At Large Ron Heck, Perry | At Large

• Honesty - trusted and entrusted through the integrity or our actions and abiding respect for working relations we maintain with our farmers, employees, partners and customers • Advocacy on Behalf of Farmers - impassioned to do what is right, commitment to being the voice for Iowa soybean farmers • Transparency - in communications with all stakeholders being mindful of the responsibility we have to serve • Fiscal Integrity - smart investing because farmers expect us to invest their resources correctly • Continuous Improvement/Innovation - put ISA’s best foot forward and strive for optimum performance • Fact Based and Data Driven - going where the data takes us leads to decision-making based on doing the right things for the right reasons • Commitment to Stewardship - promoting sustainable production practices • Collaboration and Partnership - maximize impact through shared resources Wrap it all together, and ISA is committed to “expanding opportunities and delivering results for Iowa soybean farmers.”

It is why we exist and I hope you will join us on this journey.

I look forward to hearing from you as we begin.

American Soybean Association Directors Ray Gaesser, Corning Dennis Bogaards, Pella Jim Andrew, Jefferson John Heisdorffer, Keota Mark Jackson, Rose Hill United Soybean Board Directors Laura Foell, Schaller Delbert Christensen, Audubon Larry Marek, Riverside Jim Stillman, Emmetsburg

For advertising information in the Iowa Soybean Review, please contact Larson Enterprises, (515)440-2810 or larson6@mchsi.com.

Comments and statewide news articles should be sent to the above address. Advertising space reservations must be made by the first day of the month preceding publication. In consideration of the acceptance of the advertisement, the agency and the advertiser must, in respect of the contents of the advertisement, indemnify and save the publisher harmless against any expense arising from claims or actions against the publisher because of the publication of the content of the advertisement.

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Farmers adopt technology

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Nutrient Strategy Earns More Funding and Support from Iowa Legislators

By Policy Director Carol Balvanz

The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, put in place by the 2013 Iowa Legislature, continues to earn legislative support through funding in the 2014 session.

At this writing, the House passed and sent to the Senate a $4.4 million appropriations bill to allow the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) to support watershed projects designated as high priorities.

Much of the money is cost share funds to help producers implement water quality practices and demonstrate practices outlined in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The appropriation also supports continued water monitoring.

The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) has long been a leader in cooperating with producers to locate and monitor the performance of water quality demonstration projects through the ISA Environmental Programs & Services (EPS). We continue to utilize information gathered by the EPS to inform legislators about water quality initiatives and progress. This past session, EPS Director Roger Wolf again presented information to the legislative Rural Caucus regarding data that farmers have accumulated, plus the amount of time it takes to make major changes in water quality.

We still find legislators who believe this should be a quick fix. Some beleive if it can’t be accomplished in a voluntarily short time, that regulations are the only answer. Our goal is to help them better understand the complexity of Iowa’s landscape the inherent “leakiness” of the system and the economic costs of making changes.

ISA Contract Lobbyist Jill Altringer and ISA Policy Director Carol Balvanz invite farmers to join them at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines during the 2014 Legislative session.

Iowa is second only to Kansas in the percentage of privately-owned land. Yet, thousands of farmers voluntarily work on projects to improve the water leaving their farms. Our goal at ISA, working through the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, is to help producers find cost effective ways to continually improve.

Last fall, we invited all legislators to attend an Environmental Discovery Tour in north central Iowa. They visited farmers who have adopted cover crops, installed bioreactors and oxbows, and practice strip and minimum tillage and viewed their practices. Eight legislators accepted the invitation on a very blustery October day.

ISA members are still having conversations at the Capitol about what legislators saw and learned that day. We need to keep inviting decision makers to our farms and help them realize that regulations will curtail productivity, but have little effect on water quality.

In order to communicate these—and other vital farm issues—ISA leaders have individually “adopted” 16 urban legislators for 2014.

Legislators visit farms in the spring and fall, participate in planting and harvest activities, and enjoy recreation time both on the farm and in the legislator’s district. We hope these relationships will encourage the kind of twoway communication that will build trust on both sides.

The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy is a long-term proposition. It will take continous demonstrations, discussions and innovatios for many years to reach the strategy’s goals.

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April is Soyfoods Month Celebrate the many ways you can enjoy soy protein!

Soyfoods are not just for vegetarians or vegans. The Soyfoods Council is here to let you know that soy protein can be enjoyed by carnivores, vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians.

In 1999, the FDA gave soy protein a health claim that states, if you consume 25 grams of soy protein in the context of a healthy diet, it may reduce the risk of heart disease.

This was a big breakthrough for soy protein!

Since then there has been lots of research done on soy protein and many exciting health benefits. (For more health benefits go to www. thesoyfoodscouncil.com.)

A trend that is always increasing is snacking, and along with snacking can come a lot of empty calories. Make calories count and try soy/health bars, soynuts, soy crisps and canned soybeans. Canned soybeans (black and tan) are shelf stable and are easy to use.

Incorporate the soybeans just like any other bean, but the benefits are lots more protein per can and a heart-healthy protein. When the perfect snack is needed, make the Black Bean Salsa. It is perfect for everyday eating, as well as entertaining. Just don’t tell your family or guests that they are eating soybeans, until they say how delicious it is.

Black Soybean SALSA YIELD: 2 CUPS

1 can (15 oz.) black soybeans, drained and rinsed 1 small tomato, diced ¼ small yellow onion, minced 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbs. cilantro, chopped 1½ jalapeños, minced 1½ limes Salt to taste Blue chips or crackers

Linda Funk Executive Director The Soyfoods Council lfunk@thesoyfoodscouncil.com 800-383-1423

thesoyfoodscouncil.com | Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

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In a medium bowl, add black soybeans, tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro and jalapenos, mix. Juice limes, add to soybean mixture. Salt to taste.

Mix gently, let set for two hours before serving.

Serve with chips or crackers.

IN AGRICULTURE, ANYTHING WORTH GROWING NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT – INCLUDING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

IF YOU HAVE A PLAN TO FARM OR RANCH, WE HAVE A PLAN TO HELP. Today, no other lender is working harder to give the young and beginning more than a hope and dream. Along with the financial and educational resources we offer now, we continue to explore new ideas that will deliver both meaningful and responsible benefits in the future. Call 800-884-FARM.

Andrew Hock Hock Farms Soybean Producer Manson, IA fcsamerica.com/hock

Positioned to Serve ISA Staff Announcements

Heather Lilienthal has been named director of producer services for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA).

Lilienthal joined ISA in December 2012 as communications manager and has worked in agriculture for more than 10 years, telling the stories of Iowa’s farmers. In her new role, Lilienthal will develop programs in coordination with ISA staff and District Advisory Councils that help grow the association’s membership. In addition, Lilienthal will assist in implementing programs and services that expand opportunities and deliver results for Iowa’s soybean growers and their customers.

Also, Haylee Henke has joined the Iowa Soybean Association’s producer services team, serving as the regional coordinator for eastern Iowa.

Henke earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University, with a minor in agronomy and her Juris Doctor. She graduated from law school at of Northern Illinois University. She previously worked for the FBL Financial Group/Iowa Farm Bureau Federation as a law clerk.

In addition, the Iowa Biodiesel Board has selected Grant Kimberley, Iowa Soybean Association director of market development, as its new executive director.

The IBB’s mission is to promote the commercial success of biodiesel in Iowa. In this expanded role, Kimberley will develop and implement strategic plans for the organization, including critical policy efforts. His duties will include overseeing the day-today operation of the organization, and collaborating with the board for the future of the organization.

Kimberley joined the ISA staff in 2000. In 2006, he took the reins of market development, overseeing the association’s domestic and international marketing programs that create demand for soybean and soybean products. He has helped design and implement biodiesel education and marketing programs for ISA in cooperation with IBB and the National Biodiesel Board. He has been deeply involved with state and national biodiesel policy issues, including direct involvement in getting biodiesel approved as an advanced biofuel in the federal Renewable Fuel Standard program.

Heather Lilienthal

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Haylee Henke

Grant Kimberley

Feed Your Curiosity about food & farming through 'Join My Journey' April was Soyfoods Month and no better time to kick off the second leg of ‘Join My Journey’ with the Iowa Food & Family Project and trusted blogger Kristin Porter (‘Iowa Girl Eats’).

The first stop of the journey this spring was to Sheffield to cook a delicious tofu and vegetable stir-fry with Shannon Latham, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds’ vice president of marketing.

‘Join My Journey’ started last year, when Porter visited several Iowa farms; meeting the families who grow the products she features on her popular blog.

I knew farmers cared and were doing things right," said Porter. "But it was a much different experience to meet them face-to-face and learn about their dedication to their families, communities, livestock and land."

Now, Porter is bringing those experiences along with her to new locations including restaurants, grocery stores and this cool destination called the “kitchen table.” These are places where wholesome ingredients provided

by Iowa farmers are prepared and served. And she’s inviting others to come along for the journey.

Porter, like many moms and food purchasers, seeks greater confidence in the safety and quality of food and how it’s grown. The Iowa Food &

Family Project’s (IFFP) ‘Join My Journey’ helps feed that curiosity by featuring the expertise of farm families, food safety experts and chefs.

"This is the next step of the journey," said Porter. "We've seen what farmers do. Now we take a closer look at the actual products, ranging from tofu to tenderloins, and highlight where you can find them."

Join the journey at iowafoodandfamily.com and Facebook (www.facebook. com/FoodnFamilies). Keep an eye out for new recipes and stops along the way open to the public, featuring giveaways, samplings and more.

Partners in the journey include DuPont Pioneer, Farm Credit Services of America, Iowa Beef Industry Council, Iowa Corn Promotion Board, Iowa Egg Council, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Turkey Federation, Latham Hi-Tech Seeds, Machine Shed Restaurant, Midwest Dairy Association, The Soyfoods Council, Subway and United Soybean Board.

THE MORE WE KNOW, THE MORE WE GROW. ©

Funded in part by the soybean, pork, beef, egg, dairy, corn S and P Rturkey I N G 2checkoffs.

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Status of the

Nutrient Reduction Strategy

By Mick Lane

Iowa’s clean water efforts move from words to practices.

In the year since Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy was announced, water quality improvements have advanced in several ways.

One of the first steps, says Jim Gillespie, director of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) Conservation Division, was making cost-share funding allocated by the Iowa Legislature through the Iowa Water Quality Initiative available to farmers to try new practices, like cover crops.

“Our efforts to improve water quality in the state didn’t start just last year,” says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. “We had the support of most of the state’s agricultural organizations in developing and then publishing the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

“That was key, but it was just a document,” Northey continues.

“With the state-funded Water Quality Initiative, we could move forward to develop educational and

demonstration programs based largely on programs that were already in place.”

According to Northey, the state wasn’t alone spearheading water quality efforts. Organizations like the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Agriculture’s Clean Water Alliance have also implemented programs.

Matt Lechtenberg, state water quality coordinator, says the fact that farmers are interested and engaged in the effort was underscored by the number who signed up last fall for the first cost-sharing program offered through the Water Quality Initiative.

Farmers receive financial incentives to try no-till, strip till, cover crops and nitrification inhibitors with fall applied anhydrous for the first time.

“In total, 1,100 farmers signed up for cost-share funding for new practices on about 120,000 acres in just two weeks after the program was announced,” Lechtenberg says. Most of the $2.8 million in funding from the Water Quality Initiative, which was matched by enrolled farmers, was used to try cover crops on about 110,000 acres, he says.

In addition to the program for first time practices, Water Quality Initiative funding is going into eight targeted watershed demonstration

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projects, again with matching funds from farmers and other organizations.

These projects will incorporate field and edge-of-field management practices and include monitoring tile and run-off water to measure results.

Lechtenberg says initial funding from the Water Quality Initiative went to in-field practices.

“We need to continue support, but in-field management alone won’t meet the goals set in the nutrient reduction strategy. It will require a systems approach of integrating the best infield management of fertility, coupled with off-site practices like bioreactors, wetlands and buffers,” Lechenberg says.

Sheila Hebenstreit of Jefferson, an agronomist with Farmers Cooperative, says most farmers recognize the need to do their part in the clean water effort. As an ISA board member and chair of the ISA Research Programs Advisory Council, she’s familiar with on-farm studies and edge-of-field practices aimed at reducing nitrogen losses.

“I’m talking with my clients about it, and helping those who are most open to it to develop plans for incorporating cover crops and other practices into their current farming program,” Hebenstreit says. “For many farmers, it’s a difficult thing to get

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their minds around. The question I’m asked most often is ‘how can I do what I need to do and still make money, especially now that margins have tightened.’”

Hebenstreit says cover crops seem to be the simplest idea, and many farmers are trying them where it makes sense.

“Reducing tillage is another option many are looking at, but it can be difficult changing from a system that works, that you’ve spent time developing over the years and have invested thousands of dollars in equipment to make it work,” says Hebenstreit. “If you’re located in one of the watersheds where demonstration programs have been funded, get involved. If you’ve been involved in ISA programs but are not part of an established group, find other interested farmers in your area and talk about what types of studies you can do together that will help reduce nitrogen and soil losses into streams.”

Whether it’s cover crops, changing tillage and planting methods, or something else, Hebenstreit’s advice is to start small and learn the new system before jumping into something new.

“Put out a few acres trying out the new practice. Targeting it to more environmentally-sensitive areas makes sense while you’re gaining the experience you’ll need to be successful while maintaining production and income,” she says.

Northey agrees. “We didn’t get to where we are overnight. We knew it would take years to make changes, but we need to start somewhere using what we know now. With the interest being shown by agribusiness, innovations will come that may make implementing a nutrient loss reduction practice on individual farms easier than it is now,” he says.

According to Northey, farmer groups, like those involved with ISA’s On-Farm Network and Environmental Programs & Services, will continue to work together to study nitrogen rates and application timing and methods.

“As more and more farmers try cover crops, we’ll learn more about how to use them successfully in Iowa,” says Northey. “Even though they may not cover big acreage, we’ll all learn from the eight watershed projects already funded, and from those to be funded still this year. After seeing what works in these ‘laboratory situations,’ we’ll be able to scale up to enough acres to make significant changes across the state.”

For a complete list of Water Quality Initiative funded projects and suggestions on practices and programs for groups or individual farmers, see www.cleanwateriowa.org.

“As more and more farmers try cover crops, we’ll learn more about how to use them successfully in Iowa.”

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Cover Crops Protect the Soil and Water

By Matthew Wilde

A big cover up is going on in Iowa, but it’s no secret.

There’s a push to plant cover crops to protect the soil and improve water quality. The success of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy depends on it.

“There’s a lot of interest,” says Roger Wolf, Iowa Soybean Association’s (ISA) director of Environmental Programs & Services. “A lot of farmers are talking about it.”

The strategy is a sciencebased initiative approved by Iowa lawmakers last year to reduce nitrate and phosphorous loads in the state’s waterways by 45 percent from point and nonpoint sources. Legislators

appropriated $22.4 million to implement it.

Cover crops — cereal rye, annual rye grass, tillage radishes, oats, etc. — are a critical and potentially “game changing” component of the strategy, Wolf says. They extend biological activity between harvest and planting, provide erosion control, sequester nutrients, build organic matter and suppress weeds.

According to strategy documents, cover crops can reduce nitrate concentrations in water leaving farm fields by 28 percent to more than 40 percent.

“That’s why I think they can be a game changer,” Wolf says. “But we have many questions to address.

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There are many issues about where all the seed will come from, availability of equipment and labor and management.”

An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 acres of cover crops were planted in Iowa last year, up about 30 percent from 2012, according to state and ISA officials. The increase was aided by $2.8 million in cost-share funds made available late last summer as part of the strategy.

During an Iowa Water Quality Initiative meeting in February, Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig praised farmers for planting cover crops. But, he says more are needed to make the strategy work.

If it doesn’t, Naig says farmers

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can expect “heavy-handed” federal regulations.

“We certainly want to avoid that here. Farmers will focus on being legal, not doing the right things on their farms,” he says.

In order for the strategy to succeed, Wolf estimates 5 to 6 million acres, or more than one-quarter of Iowa’s rowcrop land, will need to be seeded in cover crops in the next decade.

To encourage widespread adoption of the practice that costs $20 to $40 per acre, Wolf says farmers will need tangible results and sound management advice.

“If we see a 5 to 10 percent yield increase because our soils are better and we can better manage our water and nutrients … then we just paid for that cover crop,” Wolf says. “I think there’s reason to be optimistic because we already have farmers in Iowa seeing the benefits from making it work.”

The ISA is involved in cover crop studies with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Cover Crop Solutions (CCC) of Pennsylvania.

For cover crop trial results and information, farmers can search ISA’s On-Farm Network® Replicated Strip Trial Database at www.isafarmnet.com/ onlinedb/index.php.

“We’re interested in demonstrating (and relaying) impact and performance,” Wolf says.

Management

Farmers need to manage cover crops like a cash crop, according to Tristan

Mueller, ISA’s On-Farm Network’s operations manager — agronomic research. This includes selecting the right seed to accomplish goals, planting in a timely manner for good germination and growth and terminating the cover crop at the appropriate time to not hurt yields, as shown during replicated strip trials in 2013.

Together, ISA members Steve Berger of Wellman, Ed Ulch of Solon and Larry Marek of Riverside have nearly 70 years of cover crop experience. With proper management, the farmers say yield drag isn’t an issue, and cover crops provide conservation and agronomic benefits.

Berger planted his first cover crop in 1978 after he switched to no-till production.

“We found out that we needed to add more cover to the soil to prevent erosion,” says Berger, winner of ISA’s 2013 Environmental Stewardship Award.

Plantings gradually increased as Berger’s knowledge of the practice did and benefits were realized. Now, mostly cereal rye is planted on all of his 2,200 acres after soybeans and corn are harvested. Berger prefers cereal rye because it’s a cool-season grass, easy to use and has an excellent root system.

The key to successful cover crops is planting early to take advantage of available heat units, the farmers say.

Berger does his best to plant 5 to 6 weeks before the first average frost. His 10-inch grain drill is usually running beside the combine. Aerial seeding is occasionally needed, he says.

“When you start growing a cover crop, you will change that soil structure over time. It’s a positive thing for the

Cover crops — cereal rye, annual rye grass, tillage radishes, oats, etc.

— are a critical and potentially “game changing” component of the strategy, thrive.

“

”

-Roger Wolf, Director of Environmental Programs & Services, Iowa Soybean Association

[ Continued on page 14 ]

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[ Continued from page 13 ] rooting systems of our crops,” Berger says. “You have to learn how to grow crops with more carbon in the system … (otherwise) you can have some real train wrecks.”

Berger says farmers need to pay attention to corn nitrogen levels since microbes use it to digest extra residue.

Late-season nitrogen side dressing may be needed along with a dose at planting. Corn or soybeans following cover crops will also require pre- and post-emergent insecticide applications.

“Once you understand that, you can grow good crops in rye,” Berger says. “You not only help neighbors downstream, but you help yourself.”

Berger’s average corn and soybean yields, based on annual production history, are 20 bushels and 5-10 bushels, respectively, above the Washington County average. He says cover crops, and the organic rich and porous soils they create, are a big reason why.

The optimal time to terminate cover crops is a week to 10 days before planting, the farmers say. Most use glyphosate.

Ulch has been growing cover crops — mostly cereal rye, but some tillage radishes and other species — for 14 years. Combined with no-till, he says the two practices add 1 percent of organic matter every five years, which will allow the soil to provide more than an additional inch of water holding capacity.

“Think about all the runoff that will hold back and provide moisture for the crop later in the growing season,” Ulch says. “It will have a huge impact for future crop production.”

Ulch plants 70 to 90 acres a year along a stream to prevent topsoil from washing into Lake McBride. He also has buffer strips and terraces.

Erosion control and livestock feed prompted Marek to start planting cereal rye in 1996 to protect bare ground after cutting silage. For years he would let the rye head out in the spring and then round bale it.

Immediately after, Marek would drill soybeans into the stubble.

Marek said the rye made excellent feed and kept precious topsoil in

place. He was happy with soybean yields. Though he no longer uses rye for feed, Marek plans to seed 100 to 200 acres by air this fall.

“It’s just a great way of holding our soil. We want the next generations to have every bit or more than what we’ve had,” he says.

Seed application availability

Cover Crop Solutions is a leading authority and supplier of cover crops.

Company officials say there’s currently enough seed, but, as the popularity of the practice grows, so will demand.

The company has more than 50 dealers in Iowa. Officials encourage customers to order early.

Suggested seeding rates vary greatly depending on cover crop types, method and use.

For specific recommendations, check out ISA’s On-Farm Network’s Replicated Strip Trial Database or go to CCC’s website at www. covercropsolutions.com.

The company also provides information about control methods and planting depth.

Veteran cover crop grower Ed Ulch of Solon says the practice reduces erosion and increases water holding capacity of soil.

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“

It’s just a great way of holding our soil. We want the next generations to have every bit or more than what we’ve had.

”

While cereal rye is popular in Iowa, Dr. Tracy Blackmer, Cover Crop Solutions’ director of research, says tillage radishes are an excellent choice to sequester nutrients.

Blackmer says tillage radishes grow fast and can easily be killed in the spring. Research near Cambridge last year showed radishes planted in the beginning of August sequestered hundreds of pounds of nitrogen per acre, while those seeded Sept. 7 captured 30 pounds. Even at the lower rate, that equals a $15 credit per acre in saved nitrogen, he adds.

“That’s a tangible value,” Blackmer says.

While aerial seeding is popular in Iowa, many farmers prefer to do the work themselves. But timely planting after harvest is a challenge.

Hagie Manufacturing in Clarion has developed prototype equipment for their high-clearance sprayers to solve that problem. Farmers can plant cover crops in standing corn or soybeans.

“We pride ourselves on making innovative solutions for customers.

We see a niche market at this time and that will continue to grow,” says Rachel Halbach, Hagie agronomist.

A retrofitted Hagie sprayer can seed up to 500 acres per day, depending on set-up and capabilities, Halbach says.

-Larry Marek, Riverside

Prototypes include: • Cover Crop Interseeder (CCI): The solution tank is switched out for an 80-cubic foot Gandy box. Hoses run from the dry box to a 60- to 90-foot boom.

The ends of the hoses are fitted with deflector plates that drop down under the plant canopy for broadcast seed dispersion.

Estimated cost is $40,000.

• Incorporation Bar: A retrofitted nitrogen tool bar for cover crops. Nitrogen coulters are replaced with either rolling baskets or coulter packer wheels. Hoses run from a Gandy box down each leg of the tool bar. Seed is broadcast on the ground and incorporated in the soil. Price not available.

• Nitrogen Toolbar Seeder: Side dress nitrogen and broadcast seed cover crops simultaneously.

Price not available.

All three are available in limited quantities this year. The CCI can be switched from the liquid to dry box or vice versa in about a day. It takes about 15 minutes to change from a boom to a bar. At a custom application rate of $14 per acre, Halbach says farmers only have to cover less than 3,000 acres to pay for the CCI. “The return can come pretty quick,” she says. “There’s a lot of pressure on farmers to reduce runoff.”

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Questions with Diana Wilson General Manager of the West Des Moines Water Works

By Matthew Wilde

Professional background: Iowa State University graduate with a bachelor’s of science in civil engineering.

Wilson is a registered professional civil engineer in Iowa.

She worked seven years for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as an environmental engineer in the Water Supply Engineering Section. Wilson started at the West Des Moines Water Works (WDMWW) over three years ago as the engineering project manager, and was promoted to general manager a year ago. She is the only female water utility general manager in the state.

What challenges does the WDMWW and other water utilities in Iowa face to provide safe water to customers?

“The No. 1 priority for any utility is producing and delivering safe potable drinking water in adequate supplies. We’re constantly trying to refine and improve our processes to make sure that happens. We get 30 percent of our water from the Des Moines Water Works, so naturally we have a concern about the quality of the source water they are taking in. Last year the metro area discovered the difficulties excessive nitrates can cause and how challenging it is to match nitrate removal capacity with water demand. That’s a concern.”

What is your assessment of the water quality in the state?

“The utilities do a fantastic job of producing exceptionally high-quality drinking water. If talking about surface water, and influenced ground waters, the assessment is our water quality isn’t good. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency have scientifically established our waters are impaired. As a state, we need to be quite concerned about that.”

What’s your view of the Iowa Water Quality Initiative and the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy?

Can these science-based, voluntary efforts work?

“The voluntary measures are a wonderful first step. The goals of the nutrient reduction strategy are very ambitious. I think they would be difficult to achieve even with stringent regulatory requirements.

“Right now, I think we need to give the agricultural community an opportunity to make progress because each farm is different and requires different measures of control.

As farmers become more educated about the programs, they will become better stewards and conservationists. We need to see where that leads before we take a regulatory approach.

I’m always a believer in letting people do well on their own.

You will get a better response. That being said, this is a big problem and if measurable improvements aren’t made voluntarily, I don’t see another course of action but to require regulations.”

In a recent interview with the Des Moines Business Record, you said you have a fairly good idea of what is going on with water quality and the voluntary measures that are being taken because of your background. Why? “As a former regulator, I was enforcing policies and regulations. In order to do that effectively, you have to know what problem you are trying to solve and how each regulation came to be and what the goal is. As I sit on the other side of the table as someone being regulated, I’m not excited about every regulation, but I understand them.”

You’ve commented that you think voluntary conservation practices can improve water quality, but more publicity is needed. What needs to be done and what can farmers do to help?

“It’s education. Knowledge is such an extremely powerful tool. When we can educate on the entirety of the problem and get people to understand it, we can move on to what’s their portion of the solution. There has to be cost effective solutions in place that won’t drive farmers out of business.”

State officials say cooperation, not confrontation is the best way to solve water quality problems. Do you agree?

“Absolutely. If we pit urban against rural, we’ve lost the battle before we start. We need to tackle this together as a state.”

You’ve talked about the importance of agriculture in the state and “reasonable solutions” are needed to improve water quality. What are some and why?

“I wish I had a silver bullet answer to that. Education assistance and incentives are the best way to get it done.

Agriculture is not only a core industry in our state but part of our collective identity. We have to appreciate that and give farmers a chance. This is their livelihood and legacy. Water quality is a fundamental concern for all of us.”

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Farmer Profiles Doing the right things for the right reasons What practices do you implement believe it’s a good thing, but you have to pick out how you manage it. We that improve water quality?

We have been involved with the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watershed Initiative. We have also participated in the Iowa Soybean Association’s edge of field water monitoring for the past three years.

We do as much minimum till as we can. One pass with the chisel in the fall and one pass with the cultivator in the spring. That works the ground enough so we can plant. The newer equipment does a nice job, and leaves a fair amount of trash on the top. We have some farms that we plant around the hills. We’ve done it on our own. It wasn’t required, but we could see it was the thing to do.

We got into cover crops four years ago. We planted 600 acres and we are down to 300 acres this year. Some of the ground just wasn’t suited for it and last year was an extremely difficult year for it. We’ll renegotiate it next year and see where we go.

I started when my landlord asked if I had seen a cover crops program. I

jumped in full-force doing cover crop, no-till and nutrient management and it worked excellent the first two years.

Then we had a wet year, and it just didn’t click.

The cold, damp springs made the winter rye hard to kill. It was a challenge, but they are all things that we need to learn from and adapt. I’ve settled back to the 300 acres that is good ground and can handle it.

Why is conservation and water quality important to you?

There is going to be some day down the road where you can’t drink the water. Even on my dad’s farm, where he’s been for 50 years, I can tell water has changed. Eventually I think we will switch to rural water.

We’ve always tried to keep cover on the ground. With a cover crop, it’s almost like a grass yard. It controls the weeds. I’ve cut back on one of my sprayings of Roundup. After I’ve burned it down it will almost leave a carpet there that doesn’t allow the weeds to come through.

I feel it’s good for the soil. We are trying to control the runoff more. I’ve seen the ditches that are black and full of dirt. We’ve come a long way and our equipment has allowed us to do different things that we couldn’t do before, and that’s a big benefit.

It’s hard for people in the city to understand what is going on here in the country. I’ve heard it said that people from the city see 4x4 on the back of trucks and they figure that it means four weeks in the spring and four weeks in the fall. And, to a certain extent, we are planting for four weeks and harvesting for four weeks, but it is the whole summer that you are nurturing. There isn’t a day that I don’t wake up and look out the window to see how the field looks from the day it is planted to when I harvest it. The water they are drinking more than likely has passed by a farm somewhere and if it is not taken care of upstream when it gets downstream they won’t have anything to drink.

I keep that in mind when I’m working. I stay back from intakes. I watch how I apply nitrogen.

RICK LEE Woolstock, farming 36 years

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DAVID AUSBERGER Jefferson, farming 22 years What practices do you implement to improve water quality?

No till, cover crops, riparian buffer strips, wetlands, CRP. Why is conservation and water quality important to you?

The main reason is that it is in the contract for the land I rent from my dad. If my landlord insists on it, I have to abide by his wishes or he will find somebody else who will. Another reason is that my customers, people

What practices do you implement to improve water quality?

We’ve tried to do a good job, but there is room to improve with waterways, terraces, filter strips and residue management. Some of our ground is hilly so we’re trying to do less tillage. We have put in a fair amount of terraces and drainage tile to control our drainage better.

We’ve also pattern tiled fields to keep the soil in good condition and minimize the quick runoff.

We seeded our first field of cover crops(perennial rye) last fall.

We will look to expand that in the future. We also have a bioreactor that filters nitrates. We have one of the first ones that were built.

Why is conservation and water quality important to you?

Our goal is to put the right amount of fertilizer on in the right place and keep it there. In return, we hope that we improve water quality. We live right across from West Buttrick Creek. It feeds the Raccoon River, which feeds into the Des Moines River. So we’ve been

who eat, are more concerned about how my practices affect the environment that we all share. They are exposed to a lot of misinformation about farming. I think it is almost as important to let eaters know what farmers are doing better for the environment, as it is to put those practices in operation. Finally, I have discovered that if I don’t have to buy bigger, newer equipment and spend time and fuel to do tillage, it is good for my bottom line. My banker is a fan of my conservation efforts, too.

on the radar screen for Des Moines’ water for a number of years. We’re trying to do a good job and I have neighbors that are doing a great job.

Water quality is important for the next generation.

There’s always room for improvement. We raise pigs and inject our manure. We watch the nutrient levels of our fields and don’t over apply. Nutrients are expensive, so I don’t think there is anyone out there over applying purposely.

Technology has also allowed us to get a better yield for the nutrients we’ve applied. When I started, the amount of N that I applied for the yield is completely different than the amount of N we apply now for the end results. We’re maximizing those nutrients better and that is all technology that has gone into tillage, and hybrids and variable rate.

Through the timing of the application we need to maximize the efficiency of the nutrient and keep it in there. Stabilizers are another way to make sure that nutrients stay where we place them.

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MIKE BRAVARD Jefferson, farming 30 years

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DENNIS GERHOLTZ Cedar Falls, farming 25 years What practices do you implement to improve water quality?

I have headlands and waterways where I’m not required to have them. I use no-till bean tillage in my corn stalks and minimum tillage for corn.

— that’s not a profitable manner for me to operate. Every year the amount of nitrogen that would give you a return on investment changes. The more expensive nitrogen gets and the lower price corn goes is really less amount of nitrogen you want to apply.

We’re only here for a short Why is conservation and water time and the land is ours to use quality important to you? while we are here. I want to see it As a producer, I’m concerned returned to our children as good about our water quality, as well as my profit. I’m not here to make the or better as when I started using highest yield per acre — I’m here to it. Nitrogen in itself helps build make the most money per acre and organic matter and tilth, but over do a good job at doing that. I don’t applying it won’t help me in any way. It leaches and ends up in the want my fertilizer or any products rivers. It’s a wasted expense. that I use being applied in excess

What practices do you implement to improve water quality?

We are 100 percent no-till. We have field borders a mile and a half on this farm. Our land slights a little to the south so the field border’s purpose is to filter any nutrients that are running off the fields. We farm 1,200 acres and we have cover crops on all the acres this year. That will be a consistent practice in the future and we find that cereal rye has been the best.

The first year wasn’t too good and we tried two or three different things, but found out that the rye was the best. All of our fertilizer is put on with variable rate. We put our anhydrous on in the spring and we soil test after our corn is up to see if we need any more nitrogen.

Water control is one of the things I’m just starting. We’re controlling the amount of water that escapes. If we get a few installations done this spring, we will have 50 acres that we can control water on and that in turn is going to control nutrients because you control those big floods that come through. If you can hold the

water in the ground, it has all the nutrients and the plants will be able to use it.

It seemed like the right thing to do. There are a lot of reasons.

We had acres in native prairie when I started out and we plowed it up thinking it was going to be a good farm. But that wasn’t the case. It gradually turned back to performing like our other farms.

So that is why I wanted to go in that direction and add a little more organic and a little more life back to the soil.

ARLISS NIELSEN Woolstock, farming 60 years

Why is conservation and water quality important to you?

In the last eight or nine years, I started no-till and that was the start of the period where I have been very serious about conservation.

I’ve been aware of the damage for quite awhile and I’ve been looking for practices that would help to eliminate some of that runoff. The soil is the backbone of our food and we need to feed more people in the years to come so the soil needs to be preserved. It is a slow process to get the microbes so it is a direction that we need to be moving.

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An Urban “Crop” Sharing Rural Conservation Concerns

By Heather Lilienthal

Representative Joe Riding may live in one of Iowa’s most urban districts, but he’s no stranger to rural issues.

In fact, he’s actually a bit of an urban farmer and he’s looking forward to growing a new crop this spring.

He’s concerned with rising prices for inputs such as fertilizers, fungicides and insecticides, the effects of extreme weather and other beyond-his-control issues that can threaten a business that’s been in his family for 50 years.

His business? Terrace Hills Golf Course in Altoona.

Riding has been involved with the course for decades, taking on the role of general manager in 1982. Terrace Hills is one Des Moines’ oldest family-owned and operated golf facilities, featuring 18 holes for recreational and league play.

Riding laughs when called an urban farmer, but says he relates on several issues. Two of the most pressing ones

being weather and water.

“You know, we grow a lot of grass and the weather is a constant concern for us; both for the condition of the course and for affecting the days of play,” says Riding. “We are so weather dependent and I’d say the weather really started being consistently goofy about six years ago.

“I’ve been in the business for 30 years and, last year, I saw snow on the first of May. We lost three outings and it was so frustrating. And then, like Iowa farmers know all too well, we went from record precipitation to a drought 90 days later.”

In the golf industry, says Riding, courses have six or seven months to make money and losing 10 to 15 percent of the average playing days takes a toll on the bottom line.

“Grass isn’t too different from crops,” he says. “When things start off

“We’ve installed buffers along creek beds and, in the last decade, have installed more natural areas to protect waterways.”

- Joe Riding, Terrace Hills Golf Course, Altoona

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extremely wet, the root systems can’t get down deep enough and then the stress from the heat comes in and you can’t get enough water on them.”

Water is always on his mind when it comes to the course. “I remember a course superintendent training a few years ago and hearing about weather pattern changes that might cause folks to look to expand their water holding capacity. We, in the Midwest, often take water availability for granted…but now I’m seeing the light.”

In addition to putting water onto his “crop,” Riding and his staff are strategic in the application of fertilizer on the course.

“Each fall, we send samples from fairways and tee boxes to Iowa State University for testing,” says Riding. “We want to know where areas are lacking and so on. We simply don’t and can’t just ‘buy and apply.’”

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Riding also wants to keep that fertilizer in place and, like his rural counterparts, works to prevent its runoff.

“We’ve installed buffers along creek beds and, in the last decade, have installed more natural areas to protect waterways,” he explains. “We do it for two main reasons: number one to operate as environmentally friendly as possible and number two to protect our bottom line.”

He can look back to application practices a decade ago and says doing things the same way would add nearly $30,000 to his operating costs. It’s all about working smarter.

“We can’t do the same things that we were doing 10 years ago,” says Riding.

As a member of the Rural Caucus, Riding is learning much from his farmers and he’s concerned about their representation.

“I look at the next census and could we have more than 80 percent of our population in urban areas by 2020?” he asks. “We could see a very urban dominated legislature and that’s a huge concern for me.

We must ensure that farmers are represented.”

He welcomes the opportunity to hear from farmers, allowing him to develop a better understanding of their concerns and issues. Just as he can relate to Iowa’s agriculturalists through his urban farming role, Riding says helping Iowans find common ground among rural and urban issues is vital.

He encourages farmers to understand how elements of the Water Quality Initiative and the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy apply to them and how they can support those efforts.

And Riding adds that farmers must continue to be vocal.

“When I’m with farmers, I tell them to talk about their work,” he says. “They need to explain how they care for the land and get that story out. In my first term, I try to talk with as many different people as possible to expand my scope of knowledge and understanding.”

Urban Outlooks on Conservation, Water Jennifer Welch and Brian Buethe may work in different capacities in government, but they share similar goals when it comes to water quality and conservation efforts.

Welch is one of four state urban conservationists, working through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Buethe serves as executive director for the Grimes Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development.

Buethe’s community and Welch’s conservation educational outreach recently intersected when Welch met with Grimes residents to address their role in water quality.

“We discussed how everyone plays a role in water quality because water runs off of each person’s yard,” says Welch.

“Education is a big topic for me and it’s why I work in communities through educational talks. Because, just like farmers, the urban residents have an impact for the better or worse on water quality.

And, in the urban areas, because the storm drain is connected to the stream—almost all urban dwellers live on water front property.”

As communities grow, they often experience more storm water runoff issues. While the traditional approach was to quickly drain storm water off of urban landscapes, it led to increased runoff volume and flooding problems. The new storm water paradigm, championed by urban conservationists like Welch, calls for adding water quality protection to flood control priorities.

Welch helps community leaders and citizens look at things differently, applying a systems

and cycles approach.

“Instead of shedding water off the landscape and treating water like a waste product, we treat it as a resource,” Welch says. “We help it be used where it falls, instead of piping it away to cause flooding and pollution downstream. This can be completed with practices such as rain gardens and improved soil quality.”

Buethe, whose work often focuses on developers, has seen a change in cities’ approaches to water management.

“Water retention has been a requirement for many years, but the emphasis on water quality has increased dramatically in the past five years,” says Buethe.

Welch and Buethe agree that urban and rural interests need to work together.

“I was a conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and I worked with farmers, helping with soil and water resources needs,” says Welch. “It’s all about working together. Water runs downhill.

We want to help agriculture keep the water and reduce its effects in communities.”

Buethe monitors the balance of regulations for urban developers and voluntary measures that need to take place in agriculture.

“At the end of the day, everyone must share and preserve what is one of the most valuable resources we have,” he says.

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China’s New Leadership,

New Policies on Agriculture

By Jane Li

China’s agriculture sector has grown tremendously over the past three decades. With new leadership taking full power in 2013, areas of future development include upgrading industrial technologies, fostering urbanization, modernizing agricultural practices and conserving the environment. Agriculture in China is expected to undergo even more rapid development over the next 5 to 10 years.

China Discontinues Soybean Stockpiling

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Earlier this year, Chinese authorities announced the nation’s agriculture development strategies for 2014 via the “No.1 Central Document.” The existing system of government purchase and stockpiling of soybean and cotton will be discontinued and will be replaced with direct price subsidies to farmers whenever market prices dip below government-set minimum levels.

Since 2004, China has set floor prices for rice and wheat and implemented government reserve programs for corn,

soybean and cotton at fixed prices to ensure a fair income for farmers.

It is worth noting that guaranteed prices under the stockpiling policy are often higher than global market prices.

For example, fixed soybean purchase prices have created gaps between international and domestic prices, and the nation’s dependence on soybean imports has surged.

Crushers in soybean production areas are at a disadvantage when they buy from farmers at government prices.

Their counterparts along the coastal areas are using cheaper imported soybeans. Farmers are unwilling to sell to inland crushers who seek to purchase beans at a price lower than the government-established price. This lose-lose scenario forces many crushers in production regions to operate at less than half capacity.

For other products like corn, wheat and cotton, domestic industries criticize that “buying up” the domestic production and placing strict quotas on cheaper imports are not sustainable.

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China maintains large tariff rate quotas (TRQ) on imports of corn, wheat, rice, cotton, rapeseed oil, and soybean oil, with in-quota duties ranging 1 to 15 percent and out-of-quota rate is around 50 percent.

Limited Impact on Soybean Imports by New Price Subsidies

Trials for the soybean price subsidy program will be rolled out in the northeast and Inner Mongolia of China, home to 70 percent of the nation’s soybean production. The specific details on timing, structure of the program and size of the subsidies remain unclear.

Market discussions and trade sources suggest that the government will likely announce the details before spring planting and the size of the subsidy may not be substantial. It is anticipated that the new program will have limited impact on soybean imports, because: • Imported soybeans will continue to dominate the domestic market.

China currently relies on imports for 80 percent of its domestic soybean

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consumption. This picture is unlikely to change despite the newly implemented price subsidy program. In 2013, China’s domestic soybean production was 12.2 million tons. Imports reached a record high of 63.38 million tons. Chinese crushers prefer foreign beans because they are less expensive and produce more oil.

• Due to the uncertainties of the new program, it is unlikely that domestic farmers will plant more soybeans this year. Although the Chinese government is hoping that there will be an increase in soybeans planting acreages as a result of the new policy, the change, if any, may not take place until 2015. Most farmers will take a wait-and-see attitude to identify how the new program is implemented and if it is more profitable for them to plant more soybeans.

• No significant domestic soybean production increase is projected unless the current programs for corn, rice and other grains change along with the implementation of new price subsidies for soybeans. Farmers will continue to be more motivated to grow corn and rice instead of soybeans. In recent years, farmers are more likely to switch to producing corn and rice due to corn price surges and the government’s annual increases of floor price for rice and wheat. According to some soybean farmers in Heilongjiang, China’s largest soybean production province, their profit margins for corn were as much as 3 times higher than that of soybeans in 2012 and 2013. In Heilongjiang, soybean planting acreages dropped nearly 50 percent over the past 8 years.

Major Agricultural Policy Changes in 2014

Along with the discontinuation of soybean and cotton stockpiling, there are several significant agricultural policy changes proposed in the “No. 1 Central Document.” This policy document, jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the State Council each January, sets annual policy priorities for the country. China has put agriculture as the theme for the “No.1 Central Document” since 2004.

Subsequent “No.1 Central Documents” of the past 10 years have continued to address agriculture issues, including boosting farmers’ income, improving production capacity, and accelerating development of water conservancy, etc.

This year’s “No.1 Central Document” reflects the new leadership’s commitment to expanding rural and agricultural reforms.

Over the past decades, China has faced an increasing number of difficulties and challenges in rural reform, including land deterioration, labor loss, and environmental damage. China’s rapid development towards industrialization and urbanization also makes the modernization of agriculture an imperative. The “No.1 Central Document” addresses the above concerns and outlines the next stage of agricultural development.

Highlights include: • Improve the mechanisms for safeguarding food security. China will continue to pursue self-sufficiency via the encouragement of innovation and technology adoption, while increasing the use of overseas markets and allowing an “appropriate” amount of imports.

• Seek sustainable agriculture growth.

By recognizing that industrial contamination of water and soil and the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides have caused severe environmental damage in countryside, the Chinese government has called for a campaign to fight rural pollution. It has also committed to steadily increasing expenditures in agriculture, improving subsidy policies, promoting technological innovation, developing modern seed industry, and promoting agriculture mechanization.

• Deepen rural land reform. The government will seek alternatives to resolve how rural collectively-owned land enter the market per market conditions and how rural farmland be traded to promote grain productions by various types of players.

Higher Rural Income, More Oil and Animal Protein Consumption Ahead

Considering how China’s agricultural development has been so largely determined by past government policies, the newly proposed will support the growth of farmers’ income faster than ever. The projected income increases for rural residents will shift food consumption patterns and expand the demand for oil and high quality animal proteins.

While most of the rising demand for oil and animal products has come from the increasing number of mid/high income urban consumers in China over the past decade, Iowa’s soybean growers will benefit over the next 5-10 years from a new wave of consumption growth in oil and animal products from the nation’s wealthier rural population.

Introducing Xueqing (Jane) Li Li is a Principal at Ag Food Consulting (AFC), located in Washington DC. Li has almost 15 years experience in the agricultural field and benefits from an extensive industry, association and government network in China. Prior to leading AFC, Li was the founder and managing director of Promar's China office, responsible for all aspects of operations of the office, including establishing, writing and delivering ISA's weekly and monthly China newsletter during her four years with Promar.

Prior to working at Promar, Li was senior advisor on marketing to the USDA in the U.S Embassy, China. She served as an advisor and marketing specialist, consulting to senior USDA officials, U.S companies and producer organizations on the Chinese market.

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