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October 4, 2019
www.agrinews-pubs.com
EEE horse deaths
Farmers ask Trump to uphold RFS Ethanol waivers to 31 more refineries By Erica Quinlan
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — Leaders from corn grower organizations in 23 states sent a letter to President Donald Trump Sept. 27 asking him to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard. The letter is response to the Trump administration’s approval of 31 new RFS waivers to big oil refineries. The 85 total waivers approved under the administration amount to around 4 billion gallons, resulting in reduced corn demand due to lower ethanol blending and consumption. “Corn farmers are not asking for a special deal,” the letter states. “We are simply asking, as we have been for the past two years, that your EPA uphold the law. “To effectively stop the harm caused by RFS waivers, EPA needs to account for projected waivers beginning with the pending 2020 RFS volume rule. “Accounting for waivers in the annual RFS volume process restores integrity to the RFS. It also allows your administration to continue granting waivers, as allowed by the law, while keeping the RFS whole.” A growing number of ethanol plants are idling production, including in Indiana, Iowa and Ohio. Closures have cost 2,700 rural jobs and impacted demand for more than 300 million bushels of corn. Siouxland Energy, an ethanol plant in Iowa, is one of the many plants stalling. “We idled our plant about three weeks ago,” said Kelly Nieuwenhuis, a farmer and president of the board at Siouxland Energy. “We made that decision after looking at projections of large losses in the coming months ahead. We look at the costs to idle our plant and keep our employees compensated and made the decision to idle.” The most recent 31 refinery exemptions announced Aug. 9 were the nail in the coffin. Ethanol prices dropped 18 to 20 cents in two days, Nieuwenhuis said. See RFS, Page A2
SEE SECTION B
INSIDE
Harvest off to a slow start A3
Experts warn Hoosiers to be on alert for virus By Ashley Langreck
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
AGRINEWS PHOTOS/ASHLEY LANGRECK
Jenna Kelsay shares a sweet moment with a young dairy calf named Ruby from her family’s dairy farm during the Johnson County Fourth Grade Agriculture Days at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
Agriculture Days Student shares knowledge of dairy industry By Ashley Langreck
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
FRANKLIN, Ind. — Although it wasn’t a typical classroom setting, Jenna Kelsay, a sophomore at Whiteland Community High School, went outside of the chalkboard walls to teach dozens of fourth-grade students in Johnson County about dairy cattle and the agriculture industry in general. Kelsay, who grew up on Kelsay Dairy Farms in Whiteland, has been around dairy ca-
ttle and the industry since before she could walk, and one of her biggest passions is teaching others about the industry she loves. “Agriculture is important because not a lot of people understand it, especially the younger kids,” said Kelsay, who added she likes participating in events such as the Fourth Grade Agriculture Days because she can help teach children about agriculture and the dairy industry in a way they will understand. Kelsay, who attended the agriculture days event herself when she was in elementary school, said that even though she loved attending and seeing everything when she was younger, she thoroughly enjoyed being able to
serve as a presenter and show students her family’s young Jersey dairy calf Ruby, which was born June 1. Although her family no longer raises hundreds of dairy cattle, Kelsay said she and her siblings, along with her aunt, uncle and nephew still raise dairy show animals. “We still have dairy animals on the farm so the kids can have something for 4-H,” said Liz Kelsay, who is Jenna’s aunt and a member of Kelsay Farms. Ashley Langreck can be reached at 800-426-9438, ext. 192, or alangreck@ agrinews-pubs.com. Follow her on Twitter at: @AgNews_ Langreck.
Fourth-graders learn about farming FRANKLIN, Ind. — In an effort to reach the youth in their community and teach them about the agriculture industry, farmers and ag representatives in Johnson County have worked together for several years to hold Fourth Grade Agriculture Days at the Johnson County Fairgrounds. The field day shows students about the livestock industry, as well as the different commodity groups that make up the agriculture sector through demonstrations, and provides the chance to pet animals, including pigs, sheep, goats and beef and dairy cattle.
Elementary students take turns petting sleepy piglets during Agriculture Ashley Langreck Days at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
U.S., Japan reach trade agreement A4 Farmers do what’s good for the land B10 AgriTrucker B2 Alan Guebert B9
From The Fields A12 Health B4
Auction Calendar B1
Lifestyle B3
Business B10
Livestock B8
Classifieds B6 Farms For Sale B5
Opinion B9 Weather A6
Vol. 42 No. 1
CONTACT AGRINEWS: 800-426-9438
Stanley Poe of Poe Hampshires talks with students about the proper way to handle sheep.
INDIANAPOLIS — The threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis has become real as seven positive cases have been diagnosed in horses in Elkhart County. Sandra Norman, the equine director for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, said that EEE is carried by mosquitoes, and it can affect horses and people. Norman added that the disease can only be carried and transferred by mosquitoes. “Horses and people can’t transfer the disease to one another,” she said. “This is a much more serious disease in horses with a high degree of fatality and most die if they get it,” Norman said. Norman said horses that test positive for EEE typically haven’t been vaccinated, or if they have been vaccinated the vaccines probably weren’t up to date. Norman said of the seven horses that tested positive for EEE this year, six of the horses have died, none of which had been vaccinated. “One horse that is still alive had been vaccinated in the past, but missed a vaccine and will no longer be able to function as a show horse,” Norman said. See EEE, Page A2
Vaccinations, precautions to prevent EEE By Ashley Langreck
AGRINEWS PUBLICATIONS
INDIANAPOLIS — The torrential rainfalls and flooding from earlier this year still are having effects on the agriculture industry as several cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been detected in the state. Sandra Norman, the equine director for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, said that due to the extra rain this year, breeding grounds for mosquitoes were abundant this year and tests done by the health department showed that mosquitoes have been carrying EEE. Norman recently shared tips for horse owners to keep in mind to help prevent their horses from getting EEE. n Vaccinate your horses — Norman said that the most important step producers can take to prevent EEE in their horses is to get them vaccinated. Vaccines are very effective and horse owners should keep their vaccines up to date and the regular booster includes the EEE vaccines. n Use mosquito repellent — There always are more mosquitoes during the time period right before the freeze. Horse owners should use mosquito repellents in their barns and keep their horses inside during dawn and dusk, which is when the most mosquitoes are out. n Use fly masks and covers — Although Norman cautioned that the best way to prevent the disease is to vaccinate horses, horse owners also can use fly masks and covers for their horses to try and limit the number of mosquitoes bites the animals receive.