It’s Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Day!

Cindy Zimmerman

Any Mizzou, Jay Hawk or Husker fans are welcome to skip this post because today is Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Day!

ia-corn-cy-hawkIowa Governor Terry Branstad made that official by signing a proclamation today declaring June 9, 2014 as Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Day, with members of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board in attendance. Iowa Corn is a proud sponsor of the University of Iowa and Iowa State sports teams to educate fans about the importance of corn in their everyday lives.

“Today marks a special day, because we aren’t just celebrating the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series, but we are celebrating both Universities, the coaches, athletes and the farmers who make the partnership work,” said Chris Edgington, a farmer from St. Ansgar and the current Vice President of Iowa Corn Promotion Board. “Not unlike building on the traditions that this interstate rivalry represents, we hope that whether or not you are a Cyclone or a Hawkeye, whether you like football, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, track or swimming, men’s or women’s athletics, it is about being Iowan.”

The official proclamation states, “Whereas, the series salutes the tradition and significant role that agriculture has in the history and the future of our great state; and the series is about celebrating the games, academics, the people of Iowa, and awarding points to the winner in various head to head match ups.”

The Iowa–Iowa State football game on September 13th will launch the 4th year for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.

Corn

BCAP Funding Application Period Opens

Joanna Schroeder

One energy and ag program that was saved by the 2014 Farm Bill was the Biomass Crop Assistance Program or BCAP, designed to provide financial assistance to mainly farmers and ranchers who establish and maintain new crops of energy biomass or harvest and deliver forest or ag residues to a qualifying energy facility. Farmers who harvest ag residues such as corn cobs and stalks that can be converted to cellulosic ethanol may also qualify as an energy-producing feedstock.

USDA will begin accepting applications June 16 through July 14, 2014.

Of the total $25 million per year authorized for BCAP, the 2014 Farm Bill provides up to 50 percent ($12.5 million) each year for matching payments for the harvest and transportation of biomass residues. BCAP matching payments will resume this summer, bcap_logo_368while crop incentives will begin in 2015. Some matching payments will support the removal of dead or diseased trees from National Forests and Bureau of Land Management public lands. This will be turned into renewable energy while reducing the risk of forest fire.

“Removing dead or diseased trees from forests to use for biomass production creates clean energy while reducing the threat of forest fires and the spread of harmful insects and disease,” said USDA Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Increasing our country’s production of biomass energy also helps grow our economy. Food is made in rural America, but fuel is made in rural America, too. This program is yet another USDA investment in expanding markets for agricultural products made in rural places across the country.”

With the 2014 Farm Bill requiring several regulatory updates to BCAP, the resumption of payments for starting and maintaining new sources of biomass (Project Areas) has been deferred until a later date when the regulatory updates occur.

Agribusiness, Biofuels, Corn, Forestry, USDA

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Talia Goes

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  • CropLife magazine, the nation’s leader in ag retail communication, announces the launch of its completely redesigned website, CropLife.com.
  • Monsanto Company has selected Locus Technologies to provide a comprehensive, integrated software platform for sustainability management and environmental stewardship throughout the corporation’s facilities.
  • Iowa men and women with a commitment to the future of Iowa agriculture and an interest in developing their leadership potential are invited to apply for Class 7 of the Iowa Corn Leadership Enhancement and Development Program , sponsored by the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.
  • At the 2014 World Pork Expo last week, the National Pork Board announced a new common industry-audit program for pork producers, packers and processors.
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Agri-Pulse Hires NAFB Scholarship Winner

Cindy Zimmerman

agripulse-spencerYoung farm broadcaster Spencer Chase is now an associate editor for Agri-Pulse.

A broadcast and news editorial journalism graduate of South Dakota State University, Chase is originally from a farm near Wolsey, South Dakota where his family raises crops and livestock. He served as a summer intern with Agri-Pulse in 2013, covering agricultural policy issues on Capitol Hill, interviewing lawmakers for the “Meet the Freshman” series and assisting with the web site and social media.

Chase was an NAFB Scholarship Award winner in 2012 and also interned at WNAX radio in Yankton, South Dakota, providing coverage of agricultural news and maintaining the “Ag News” section of the station’s website. In addition, Chase twice served as a newsroom crew intern at the National FFA convention, was the South Dakota State FFA treasurer and a student member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.

Congrats Spencer!

Agri-Pulse, NAFB

DOT Grants Livestock Haulers Exemption

Cindy Zimmerman

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Transportation granted a one-year exemption for truck drivers hauling livestock and poultry from an hours-of-service rule that took effect last July 1. The regulation requires truck drivers to take a 30-minute rest break after eight hours of service, which for drivers transporting livestock and poultry includes the hours of service loading and unloading animals.

wpx14-nppc-prez-electThe regulation was a topic of discussion at World Pork Expo last week the day before the exemption was granted. National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president-elect Dr. Ron Prestage of South Carolina, who is a veterinarian, says it’s an animal welfare issue.

“On a hot summer day in South Carolina, I don’t know what in the world they expect to happen to those animals for 30 minutes, sitting in a rest area or a truck stop with a heat index of 118 (degrees),” he said. “Veterinarians are always going to be concerned about animal welfare and my concern about it is animal welfare.”

Prestage also talked about some environmental issues NPPC is watching, particularly the EPA’s proposed Waters of the United States regulation under the Clean Water Act. “On one hand, they want to be cooperative with agriculture, and that’s a good thing. On the second hand, if they’re going to tell us we have to have permits because we have a small ditch that runs across a corn field or a swine facility, that doesn’t make any sense to us at all.” Prestage adds that NPPC will be working aggressively to keep that rule from being implemented.

NPPC president-elect Ron Prestage at World Pork Expo

2014 World Pork Expo photo album

wpx-bivi-tag

Ag Groups, Audio, Livestock, NPPC, Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

All About Radio

Chuck Zimmerman

About RadioIt hit me once again late Friday afternoon that I’ve been subscribing to the Corey Deitz About.com Radio e-newsletter for at least ten years. Just like clockwork I get an email at the end of the day on Friday. That’s how I know the week is “officially” over from a work standpoint!

Along with my NAFB friends and clients, Corey has kept me in touch with radio, a business I left about 13 years ago. It’s interesting keeping up with personalities, of which Corey is one. He and his partner now do a consistently top-rated morning show on KDJE-FM (100.3) in Little Rock.

I’m living proof of loyalty in email subscriber ship.

Another guy I’d recommend following is Mark Ramsey.

Media

COOL Update at World Pork Expo

Cindy Zimmerman

wpx14-nppc-vpThe National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) provided an update on mandatory country of origin labeling (COOL) during World Pork Expo this week.

“We’re very concerned that if the current rule later this summer is ruled out of compliance by the WTO, the Canadians and Mexicans will then have a right to retaliate,” said NPPC Vice President John Weber of Iowa, who added that they expect that ruling as soon as later this month.

wpx14-nppc-coolAudrey Adamson, NPPC Vice President of Domestic Policy Issues, says COOL has ramifications for international trade well beyond North America. “We’re busy trying to negotiate the Trans Pacific Partnership but we need to live up to our own obligations under the WTO,” she said. “We can’t be poking our best trading partners Canada and Mexico in the eye.”

NPPC COOL Update at World Pork Expo

Check out the 2014 World Pork Expo photo album.

wpx-bivi-tag

Animal Agriculture, Audio, Pork, Trade, World Pork Expo

Iowa Congressman Visits WPX

Cindy Zimmerman

wpx14-kingRep. Steve King (R-IA) paid a visit to World Pork Expo last week to talk with producers and learn more about the issues they are facing right now.

The congressman represents the 4th district of the state in the northwest corner, bordering Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska, and he is a strong advocate for livestock producers. During the farm bill debate, Rep. King fought hard but unsuccessfully for changes to country of origin labeling and GIPSA, and for an amendment that would block states from implementing statutes like California’s egg regulations that interrupt interstate commerce. “The short end of the stick went to livestock,” King said of the final farm bill. “We’re going to continue to push those provisions that we didn’t get into the farm bill.”

In reaction to Secretary Vilsack’s announcement at Expo regarding federal actions to address porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), King noted that producers are concerned about the mandatory reporting requirement. “It isn’t so much the cost and burden of mandatory reporting because they are focused on getting rid of this virus too,” said King. “But they are concerned that there could be Freedom of Information Act suits filed that could be used by animal rights radical groups funded by tens of millions of dollars that want to turn us all into vegetarians. I understand their concern.” King says he would have preferred the reporting be done at the state level.

Listen to my interview with the congressman here: Interview with Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Check out the 2014 World Pork Expo photo album.

wpx-bivi-tag

Animal Agriculture, Audio, Livestock, Swine, World Pork Expo

Hog Swine-asty Theme at WPX

Cindy Zimmerman

wpx14-swineastyUncle Pig-Sty and the whole Hogerson clan were happy, happy, happy at World Pork Expo as Automated Production Systems presented Hog Swine-asty for this year’s theme.

You gotta admit that is clever and that’s a fact, Jack.

Every year these folks have a different theme for their tender whole roast hog and it’s always a highlight for me. Despite being exhausted after a full day of press conferences yesterday, I stuck around for another 90 minutes just to see what AP had planned for this year and I was not disappointed. They really go “whole hog” for these themes, with the costumes and music and even fun audience participation. This year it was a pig calling contest to tie-in with the Duck Dynasty reality clan’s duck call business.

Check out more pics of AP’s Hog Swine-asty in the 2014 World Pork Expo photo album.

wpx-bivi-tag

Pork, Swine, World Pork Expo

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Talia Goes

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  • After more than a year of industry collaboration, the National Pork Board shared plans for a new common industry audit platform for pork producers, packers and processors.
  • Double S Liquid Feed Services, a leading manufacturer and supplier of cane molasses, vegetable oils, beet molasses, fish oil and mineral oil products, has promoted Tim Trattles to Eastern Sales Manager.
  • The United States Potato Board (USPB) announces nominations are now open for new Board Members for the 2015-2018 term.
  • Iron Solutions, the Canada West Equipment Dealers Association, and the SouthWestern Association have teamed up to establish the Bob Robeson Memorial Scholarship.
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