SEPTEMBER 2020
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
Be ‘hypervigilant’ to avoid machinery accidents
stretch breaks and making sleep a priority are vital, she said, especially during the busy harvest season, when that may be the last thing on farm operators’ minds. The total number of farm-related injuries is un- known, said Aaron Yoder, an associate professor of en- vironmental, agricultural and occupational health at UNMC. Injuries are often unreported, especially when they do not result in treat- ment at a medical facility. Injuries that do require pro- fessional medical care may not be listed as agriculture- related, Yoder said. There is data about things that contribute to farm accidents, collected in a 2018 survey conduct- ed by Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at UNMC. High stress levels were reported by 29% of respon- dents, 25% reported sleep deprivation and 30% report- ed fatigue or exhaustion. Some experienced a combi- nation of those factors. “Farmers are so protec- tive about the maintenance of their equipment, land and livestock,” Harris said, but need to remember to take care of themselves. Nothing can be more important than personal health and safety, she said.
By GEORGE HAWS For The North Platte Telegraph It’s that time of year again. Farmers are working long hours to get the crop in the bin, knowing that once grain is mature and dry, nothing good can happen to it while it remains in the field. However, long work days and factors such as sleep de- privation increase the risk of accidents. Collisions on the road are an important source of in- juries and even fatalities, said Ellen Duysen, commu- nity outreach specialist with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. “We just can’t talk enough about that,” she said. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, farm equipment operators have added reason to be cautious: They may encounter dif- ferent traffic patterns than usual on rural roads. Maxwell School Superintendent Danny McMurtry said some stu- dents are studying online, rather than in person at the school. “We don’t always control when they are participat- ing in learning and when they’re not,” he said, so stu- dents may be on the road at different times than usual. Work schedules and trav- el times have changed for
Mike Morones / The Free Lance-Star With students sometimes learning remotely and even work schedules changing for adults, traffic patterns on rural roads may have changed. Ellen Duysen at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is urging farmers and ranchers who have to take farm equipment out on to rural roads to be cautious, and have a pilot vehicle.
at hand and the physical surroundings. Be “hyper- vigilant” and mentally alert, she said. Susan Harris, University of Nebraska extension educator in rural health, wellness and safety, stationed in Minden, stresses self-care for farm operators, so they can re- main at their best and avoid mishaps. As hard as it may sound, eating well, taking
reflectors are attached and clean, and all the lights are working, reduces risks. Motorists “can come up on that (slow moving farm ma- chinery) fairly fast,” Duysen said. It happens a lot, and “Nebraska’s bad” for that, es- pecially near cities. Duysen said sometimes accidents result from “a momentary lapse,” when you lose focus on the task
many adults, too. Although “a lot of times it’s not the ag producer’s fault,” there are things ev- eryone can do to be safer, Duysen said. She recommends hav- ing a pilot car, with hazard lights flashing, when mov- ing large, slow equipment between fields, especially during low light conditions. Doing that and making sure
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
Farmers.gov feature allows for online business with USDA
Telegraph staff reports WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding online access for farmers. After updating self-ser- vice options at farmers.gov in June, the USDA has add- ed online access for farmers and ranchers who are mem- bers of an entity, as well as individuals and entities with powers of attorney, to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Additionally, online servic- es once available through NRCS’s Conservation Client Gateway will be moved to farmers.gov in the coming weeks. “Here at NRCS, we are committed to providing ex- cellent customer service, whether it’s through our network of USDA Service Centers across the coun- try or online at farmers.gov where we have new self-ser- vice features related to our conservation programs,” said Kevin Norton, NRCS acting chief. “We’re proud to announce that both farmers and ranchers acting as enti-
Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge are the recommended brows- ers to access the feature. CCG’s functionalities are being moved to farmers.gov to give producers one place to do business with NRCS, FSA, and other USDA agen- cies. Current CCG users can use their existing login and password to access the conservation features on farmers.gov. CCG will be actively maintained and supported until all core components are moved to farmers.gov later this year. USDA is building farmers. gov for farmers, by farmers. Future self-service fea- tures available through the farmers.gov portal include the ability to report prac- tice completion and request practice certification, re- quest financial assistance, including submitting a pro- gram application, view and request application details, and upload and access their important conservation practice and contract docu- ments.
ties as well as those acting on a farmer’s behalf have ac- cess to self-service options online.” Now on farmers.gov, pro- ducers, entities and those acting on their behalf can securely interact with NRCS, sign and download documents, and view conser- vation contract information. Once entity or power of at- torney information is filed with FSA, farmers.gov au- tomatically gives customers access to their profile and any other profiles they have the authority to represent in the customer’s farmers.gov account. This is an upgrade from the legacy system, CCG, that required produc- ers to request access as an entity or power of attorney and provide documentation. Producers can access these conservation features by desktop computer, tablet, or phone. The features being an- nounced today add to existing features on site, in- cluding: » View, download, and e- sign documents;
Farmers.gov Farmers.gov now offers online business options for farmers and ranchers who are members of an entity.
while providing enhanced functionality and an im- proved user experience. To access their informa- tion, producers will need a USDA eAuth account to log- in into farmers.gov. After obtaining an eAuth account, producers should visit farm- ers.gov offsite link image and sign into the site’s au- thenticated portal via the “Sign In / Sign Up offsite link image ” link at the top right of the website.
» Request conservation as- sistance; » Reference technical terms and submit questions; » Access information on current and past conserva- tion practices; and » View detailed informa- tion on all previous and ongoing contracts, includ- ing the amount of planned and received cost-share as- sistance. The features include the most popular aspects of CCG
PSC reminding producers about state grain laws
with, and approved by the PSC. The Emergency Storage Application can be found at the PSC web- site.
the Emergency Storage Policy. In order to store grain on the ground, an Emergency Storage ap- plication must be filed
Telegraph staff reports LINCOLN—With the start of harvest, the Nebraska Public Service Commission is remind- ing producers about state grain laws. “Understanding the law is key when it comes to protecting one’s as- sets,” said Mike Bartels, PSC Grain Department director. “Producers could be left holding the bag should a deal- er go out of business and certain requirements haven’t been met.” Under the Grain Dealer Act, if a pro- ducer/seller wants to ensure transactions with a grain dealer are
covered by the grain dealer’s security posted with the PSC, they must demand payment with- in 15 days of completion of their contract. Sellers who choose not to de- mand payment within 15 days after completion of their contract will be unsecured creditors of that dealer and forfeit any protection. “The law is clear. It is the responsibility of the producers to de- mand payment within the set timeframe to en- sure they are covered,” Bartels said. Grain Warehouse operators are also re- minded by the PSC of
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SEPTEMBER 2020
USDA seeking input on Agriculture Innovation Agenda
waste: Advance our work toward the goal of reducing food loss and waste by 50% in the United States by the year 2030. » Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gas: Enhance carbon se- questration through soil health and forestry, leverage the agricultur- al sector’s renewable energy benefits for the economy and capitalize on innovative tech- nologies and practices to achieve net reduc- tion of the agricultural sector’s current car- bon footprint by 2050 without regulatory overreach. » Water Quality: Reduce nutrient loss by 30% nationally by 2050. » Renewable Energy: Increase the produc- tion of renewable energy feedstocks and set a goal to increase biofuel production efficiency and compet- itiveness to achieve market-driven blend rates of 15% of trans- portation fuels in 2030 and 30% of transporta- tion fuels by 2050. For more infor- mation about the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, go to usda.gov/ aia.
private-sector re- search. The second component is to align the work of our cus- tomer-facing agencies and integrate innova- tive technologies and practices into USDA programs. The third component is to con- duct a review of USDA productivity and con- servation data. USDA already closely tracks data on yield, but on the environmen- tal side, there’s some catching up to do. Finally, USDA has set benchmarks to im- prove accountability. These targets will help measure progress to- ward meeting future food, fiber, fuel, feed and climate demands. Some of the bench- marks include: » Agricultural Productivity: Increase agricultural produc- tion by 40% by 2050 to do our part to meet es- timated future demand. » Forest Management: Build landscape resiliency by investing in active forest management and forest restora- tion through increased Shared Stewardship Agreements with states. » Food loss and
Telegraph staff reports WASHINGTON — To further the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s work on the Agriculture Innovation Agenda, the agency is seeking public- and private-sec- tor input on the most innovative technol- ogies and practices that can be readily
approaches or technol- ogies. A ready-to-go prac- tice, technology or management approach includes those that are fully developed, have been field test- ed and have completed independent research trials. Based on stakehold- er input from the RFI, USDA will develop a comprehensive U.S. ag- riculture innovation technology strategy for our customer-facing programs. USDA has launched a new AIA website where visitors can ac- cess information on the latest research and data, innovative conservation tech- nologies offered via USDA programs, and other conservation re- sources. Visitors can also stay up to date on USDA’s accountabili- ty metrics and learn about the experiences of producers who share similar paths to suc- cess. The AIA is com- prised of four main components. The first component is to devel- op a U.S. agriculture innovation strategy that aligns and syn- chronizes public- and
deployed across U.S. agriculture, according to a press release USDA is looking for ready-to-go technolo- gies and practices to achieve its goal of in- creasing agricultural production by 40% to meet global population needs in 2050 while cutting U.S. agricul- ture’s environmental
footprint in half, the release said. “Across America, we have seen significant advances in agri- cultural production efficiency and conser- vation performance during the past two decades,” said Under Secretary Bill Northey, who leads USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation mission area. “We want to keep the momentum. As part of our Agriculture Innovation Agenda, USDA wants to con- tinue helping farmers access new approach- es.” To help identify and accelerate adop- tion of ready-to-go innovations, USDA is currently accepting public comments and written stakeholder in- put through its request for information offsite link image through Nov. 9 which is pub- lished on the Federal Register. Input is welcome from the private sector, not for profits, farm- ers, forest sector, trade associations, commod- ity boards and others involved in the supply chain or development of widely applicable practices, management
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Nebraska farmers expected to harvest 1.78 billion bushels of corn this year
Telegraph staff reports LINCOLN—Nebraska farmers are expected to harvest 1.78 billion bushels of corn and 297 million bushels of soybeans this fall, ac- cording to newU.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts. The estimates from the National Agricultural Statistics Service are
than in 2019 and the 4.95 million acres are up 2%. The estimated average yield of 60 bushels per acre would be up 1.5 bushels. Sorghum for grain production is forecast at 11.2 million bush- el, down 8%, from 120,000 acres, down 8%. The average yield is expected to be the same as in 2019 at 93 bushels per acre.
based on Sept. 1 conditions. The corn total is from 9.45 million acres, down 4% from a year ago, and would be slightly less than the 2019 harvest. The projected 2020 average yield of 188 bushels per acre would be up six bushels. The estimated 297 million bushels of soybeans is 5% more
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
Study indicates rising temperatures will increase yield risk
Midwest Messenger MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State University agricultural economists have taken a different approach than most to deter- mine the risk farmers face in growing crops under in- creasingly higher average temperatures. The results indicate that yield risk will increase in re- sponse to warmer weather, with a 1 degree Celsius in- crease associated with yield risk increasing by approxi- mately 32% for corn and 11% for soybeans. KSU economists Edward Perry, Jesse Tack and Jisang Yu conducted the analysis using roughly 30,000 coun- ty-by-year observations from a relatively untapped source of information included in “cause of loss,” or COL data. That information is part of
even if rainfall levels are normal, Yu said. At the farm level, produc- ers make annual decisions on input expenditures such as seed and fertilizer, based on the distribution of poten- tial outcomes, Tack said. “When those outcomes are riskier, producers may de- vote fewer inputs into the production process, or increase their use of risk-re- ducing inputs in the same way investors shy away from risky stocks.” More information is available in the Nature Communications arti- cle, including details about methodology for the study. Information about climate change and temperatures is available on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.
temperatures will differ de- pending on where you are located,” Perry said. The team also found that the increase in production losses linked to drought are larger than those linked to heat, and that the combined heat/drought increases are larger than the combined ex- cess moisture/cold decreases on average across U.S. dry- land counties, Yu said. “This is a unique find- ing that comes from (using) the cause of loss data. This difference in losses across different causes matters to farms in terms of how they can adjust to and mitigate weather impacts on their crops,” he added. The analysis highlights the important role of heat and drought stress in in- creasing yield risk. Both are associated with increased risk when temperatures rise,
variability around lower av- erage yields will change. That’s important for several reasons, including that un- expected yield shortfalls can dramatically affect produc- ers’ well-being, especially if they are deep or stack up over multiple years. Federally subsidized crop insurance can provide some protection, Tack said, but producers must pay a por- tion of the premium and premiums are based on how risky production is. Perry noted that their es- timates indicate that rising temperatures will have dif- ferent effects in different parts of the country. In some northern regions, higher temperatures will actually reduce downside risk. “One implication of the heterogeneity in warming impacts is that produc- er adjustments to warming
insurance indemnity pay- ment data. COL data is publicly avail- able and maintained by the USDA Risk Management Agency. The economists in- vestigated data from 1989 to 2014. The research has been published in Nature Communications. “We find that warming temperatures on average are associated with higher risk, and our results suggest that the cost of insurance per unit of liability — the pre- mium rate — will increase as a result,” said Tack, who is an associate professor in the KSU Department of Agricultural Economics. He said that warming weather is expected to re- duce average yields for many of the major dryland corn and soybean production re- gions in the United States. What is less clear is if the
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
Soybean acreage could increase in 2021
wheat prices and by exten- sion, wheat acreage. Farm Futures surveyed 1,044 respondents on July 14 to 27 via an email question- naire. Farm Futures is the signif- icant business information resource for large-scale U.S. farmers and producers. Online, apps, daily news- letters, webinars, seminars (including the Farm Futures (FarmFutures.com) provides business and management information to large-scale, high-income U.S. farm opera- tors. The information resource leads its market segment in producer preference. Farm Futures is a Farm Progress brand with extensive digital content and marketing re- sources. Farm Progress, by Informa Markets. Business Summit) and in print, Farm Futures
Price ratio favors beans Market incentives justify this move. The current new crop soybean – corn price ratio strongly favored soy acreage over corn through- out this summer. Chinese soy demand soared high- er in late May as the world’s second largest economy be- gan booking orders for new crop soybeans. Since June 1, China has booked 294.8 million bushels of 2020-21 soybeans. With Brazilian exportable supplies heavily depleted as soybean harvest approach- es in the U.S., soybeans may find enough favor in interna- tional channels this winter to justify a nearly 5% in- crease in soybean acreage next year. Contrary to recent trends
in falling wheat acreage, Farm Futures survey re- spondents indicated a shift from spring wheat acre- age to winter wheat in the August 2020 survey. If real- ized, a higher 2021 winter wheat acreage would reverse seven consecutive years of shrinking winter wheat acres. Excluding durum acres due to a statistical- ly insignificant response rate, other spring and winter wheat acreage is predicted to total 42.7 million acres in 2021, up 0.3% from 2020. A lower dollar and in- creased consumer demand for pasta amid the coronavi- rus pandemic reignited both domestic and international attention to U.S. wheat. As in- ternational wheat movement increases in the wake of the pandemic, export demand will be critical to supporting
experience under their belts. While ethanol and live- stock demand have struggled to break through pandemic plateaus, farmers are pre- dicted to plant 91.8 million acres of corn next spring. Given favorable planting and growing conditions, 2021 could be a chance for farm- ers to sow record-setting corn yields and volumes as demand continues to recover amid the pandemic. The recent run-up in soy- bean prices has made U.S. soy acreage a hot prospect in the commodity markets. Farm Futures respondents projected planting nearly 4.1 million more acres of soy- beans in 2021 compared to 2020, totaling 87.9 million acres. If realized, 2021 soy- bean acreage will be the third highest planted soy acreage on record.
By JACQUELINE HOLLAND Grain market analyst, Farm Futures ST. CHARLES, Ill. — An August 2020 survey con- ducted by the Farm Futures team found farmers across the country are eager to plant more soybeans in 2021. Survey respondents reported a slight decline in corn acre- age in favor of soybeans for next year’s crop as a recent uptick in soybean demand sparked a rally. Farm Futures respondents indicated planting 0.3% few- er corn acres in 2021-22 after demand destruction erod- ed 440 million bushels from the 2019-20 demand pipeline. While 2020-21 corn planting progress was largely un- derway when the pandemic caused corn demand to evap- orate, farmers now have over six months of pandemic
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
Change Makers transform thinking at UNL Telegraph staff reports LINCOLN — There is an energy around East Campus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that only students being back on campus for the fall se- mester can bring. The students for the 2020-21 ac- ademic year based upon » Alex Lautenschlager, fisheries and wildlife; Lincoln. » Aliyah Muniz, forensic science; Papillion. » Cole Simmons, bio- chemistry; Parkville, Missouri.. » Lydia Storm, forensic science; Lawrence, Kansas.
NEWS AT A GLANCE
University system. Mentors will guide the Change Makers through questions and challenges surrounding their big idea and prompt critical think- ing and new discoveries. The diverse set of big ideas from Change Makers has resulted in collaboration across many depart- ments in CASNR and the University of Nebraska- Lincoln. “The connections and partnerships our faculty and staff are able to bring this motivated group of students truly shows our college and community’s deep commitment to stu- dent success,” says Dean Tiffany Heng-Moss. “Our future is dependent on the next generation and we know these students will make a change for the greater good.”
Telegraph staff reports Sept. 30 is deadline to update safety-net program crop yields WASHINGTON — USDA’s Farm Service Agency is reminding farm owners they have a one-time op- portunity to update Price Loss Coverage program yields for cov- ered commodities on the farm. The deadline is Sept. 30 to update yields, which are used to calcu- late the PLC payments for 2020 through 2023. Additionally, pro- ducers who elected Agriculture Risk Coverage should also consid- er updating their yields. Updating yields requires the sig- nature of one owner on a farm and not all owners. If a yield update is not made, no action is required to maintain the existing base crop yield on file with FSA. For program payments, updated yields will apply beginning with the 2020 crop year.
quick-pitch videos they submitted over the sum- mer. Student videos were evaluated on their creativ- ity in tackling the grand challenge of their choos- ing, how they will achieve it and leave their mark on the world, and alignment of their idea with one or more of the University of Nebraska’s aspirations. A committee comprised of emeriti faculty, CASNR faculty, staff and students have selected the following individuals: » Caleb Durheim, ag- ricultural economics; Sunbury, Ohio. » Brett Gerdes, agrono- my; Auburn. » Elizabeth Karnopp, bio- chemistry; Oakland. » Kaitlyn Lee, forensic science; Mansfield, Texas.
newest class of incoming students features the inau- gural group of recipients of the CASNR Change Maker Competition. This spring, the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources launched the competition for prospective and cur- rent students who dare to dream big and do the ex- traordinary to address worldwide issues. Eight full-tuition CASNR Change Maker scholarships were award- ed to incoming CASNR at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Two full-tuition schol- arships for the 2020-21 academic year for return- ing CASNR students were also awarded this summer. » Emma Hoffschneider, communication; Burwell. » Kayla Vondracek, envi- ronmental studies; Salem, South Dakota. Additionally, nine 6-11th graders received $1,000 CASNR scholarships. The Change Makers have been paired with a mentor across the agricultural and en- vironmental sciences
Extension webinar to cover cattle industry shocks, producer response
Sign up online for Thursday presentation
in the Department of Agricultural Economics, as part of its weekly webinar se- ries. Events over the last year have driven to the surface long-standing questions concern- ing the cattle markets and market structure, which have resulted in numerous propos- als being offered in Washington D.C. In re- sponse, the Nebraska Farm Bureau created a task force of cattle pro- ducers to study current markets and offer policy suggestions and rec- ommendations. Rempe will discuss recent mar- ket events, responses by producers, the task force’s work and what has been learned about Nebraska’s cattle in-
dustry relative to the country. A graduate of the Department of Agricultural Economics
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Rempe majored in
IANR News
agribusiness as an un- dergraduate and earned a Master of Science in agricultural economics in 1993. As the senior economist at Nebraska Farm Bureau, he his responsible for agricul- tural economic outlook, policy analysis, re- search and education programs. He previ- ously served as vice president of governmen- tal relations for Farm Bureau. Registration for the webinar is free and can be completed at farm. unl.edu/webinars.
LINCOLN — An up-
coming Nebraska Extension webi-
nar will feature Jay Rempe, senior econ- omist with Nebraska Farm Bureau, discuss- ing recent shocks in the cattle industry and pro- ducer response in the state. “Troubles in the Cattle Markets: A Farm Organization’s
Response” will be presented at noon Thursday by the Extension Farm and Ranch Management team
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
SEPTEMBER 2020
PROTECT YOUR FAMILY
manent policy with a term policy. You can purchase a smaller Whole Life policy along with a term rider. Let’s say that you want a $200,000 whole life policy that will last until age 121 along with a $200,000 term rider that will last 20 years. Those are nice policies that will help a consumer get through the house payment years, then the permanent plan can carry you into retirement. Just as your homeowners insurance won’t pay a claim if you didn’t have the policy prior to the hail damage, life insurance companies won’t ap- prove unhealthy applicants. Clients controlling their cholesterol or blood pressure with medication probably won’t have trouble finding a policy but if the doctor is recommending an upcoming surgery, you’ll have to com- plete the surgery before applying for the coverage. The simple question is, would some- one who depends on you suffer finan- cially if you were to die tomorrow? If the answer is “yes”, then you need life insurance. If you have questions or want to vis- it about your life insurance needs or want a quote, please call Rebecca Nordquist at Phares Financial Ser- vices at 308-532-3180. I’ll be happy to visit with you. Just a reminder, Phares Financial has moved their office to 319 East B Street in North Platte.
very inexpensive and depending upon your age, may cost less than $25 per month. Many term policies are con- vertible to permanent ones without evidence of good health but do it as early as possible to keep the premi- ums down. Permanent Insurance: Traditional Whole Life policies offer the most guarantees. The monthly premium is guaranteed, and there is a guaranteed cash value and death benefit. Most whole life policies will last until the client is age 100 (for old- er policies) or 121 (for newer policies) so you probably won’t outlive the in- surance policy. They also can roll the annual dividends into the policy to in- crease the death benefit and/or cash value of the policy. Universal Life is more flexible than traditional whole life because premi- ums can vary from year to year. It has maximum guaranteed premiums and minimum guaranteed cash values and death benefits. Instead of dividends, universal life policies earn interest at the credited interest rate determined every year. But if you underfunded the plan early, the insurance company may want additional monies later to maintain the same coverage. Newer policies are called Guaranteed Uni- versal Life policies that as long as you paid a fixed premium every month without a late payment, they will guar- antee the policy to age 120.
cally covers funeral expenses so the majority of the insurance will have to fall on the individual. You should have between 8 to 10 times your annual salary in life insurance. For instance, if you make $50,000 per year, you should carry $500,000 worth of life in- surance to protect your family if you’re gone. That goes for your spouse as well. If you are dependent on 2 in- comes, you’ll need to protect both of you. Perhaps you are self-employed? Do you have a farm or ranch where you are the primary support? What hap- pens to your family if you die? Who wants to think about that but farming and ranching are one of the most haz- ardous occupations. Every year you see some farm tragedies in Nebras- ka, what happens to that family? Will they still be able to stay on the ranch? Can they pay off the bank? Will they lose their home? There are several types of life insur- ance so choose the type of policy that makes the most sense for you. Term Insurance: Term Insurance is one that lasts for a specified period of time such as 10, 20, or 30 years. These are usually less expensive with premiums that remain locked for the defined period of time but if you want the policy to continue after that period of time, the premium sky-rockets. So if you don’t die before the policy times out, your rate will jump drastically. These are
By Rebecca Nordquist, RD, MHA, CLTC
As the weather cools, the apples start to turn colors, and September brings Life Insurance Awareness Month. What a perfect time to sit down with a cup of coffee to review your insurance situation. In 2019, 61% of men and 57% of wom- en have some sort of life insurance coverage yet life insurance should be part of the foundation of your family’s financial security. According to LIM- RA, more U.S. adults are relying on employer-sponsored life insurance. The problem is when you leave the or- ganization, your life insurance doesn’t come with you. Most planners recommend that you maximize whatever your employer offers as well as have an individual policy that will carry you through re- tirement. Some employers only offer a $10,000- $20,000 policy which basi-
There are plans that combine a per-
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SEPTEMBER 2020 F10
FARM & RANCH
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
Soybean evolves to match fight for weed control Bayer plans to offer XtendFlex soybeans for 2021 growing season
glyphosate-resistant pigweeds like Palmer amaranth, best manag- ing them in XtendFlex soybean fields would start with a residual herbicide with multiple modes of action at plant- ing and then a single application of glufos- inate, Jhala found. The Environmental Protection Agency submission in support of a new registration for XtendiMax herbi- cide with VaporGrip technology for the 2021 season. If XtendFlex and XtendiMax aren’t ultimately avail- able for next year, the company would still have Roundup Ready 2Xtend soybeans avail- able. Farmers can use Roundup and another approved herbicide for post-emergence weed control. Further into the future, Streck said there’s other Bayer technology coming in three to four years: is currently re- viewing Bayer’s “We continue to have a robust soybean pipe- line, bringing multiple traits to the market- place.”
Soybean Association. Palmer amaranth is a pigweed that’s been spreading northward and quickly developing resistance to herbi- cides. “We’ve got to have these new traits ap- proved and different herbicide options all the time, or the weeds are going to win,” Johnston said. “Soybeans are one of this nation’s top ex- ports and if we can’t have these new technol- ogies, the exports will dwindle because we wouldn’t be able to con- tinue raising the same volume of beans.” University Extension educators have been conducting summer trials on XtendFlex. At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, weed management spe- cialist Dr. Amit Jhala has been doing field studies the last cou- ple of years. He’s found the XtendFlex soybean to have “outstanding” tolerance to all three post-emergence her- bicides — dicamba, glufosinate and glypho- sate. When it comes to
dealers in September. Some farmers are frustrated with the court ruling that pulled dicamba’s regis- tration this summer. “It’s difficult to ac- cept that a court 1,500 miles away who has no idea how farming works could so nega- tively impact us,” said soybean farmer Steve Kuhlmann of Chester, Nebraska. “If neither the XtendFlex gets ap- proved or if dicamba is not re-approved, then I’ll still use Fierce MTZ and the Enlist product.” Another Nebraska soybean farmer, Robert Johnston, said all of his beans are Xtend, and he’s hoping the XtendFlex and the al- ternative to dicamba will (both) be approved for the sake of cleaner fields. “We’re getting inun- dated with weeds here. The Palmer amaranth is coming in like cra- zy, and other weeds are also getting resis- tant,” said Johnston, who grows soybeans, corn and alfalfa near Clearwater, Nebraska and serves as chair- man of the Nebraska
San Francisco this summer. “We expect to re- ceive authorization in the near term, and we’re planning a full launch of XtendFlex when we receive im- port approval from the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium,” said Lisa Streck, Bayer Crop Science soybean Launch Lead. She said XtendFlex has passed all the safe- ty testing, and with EU authorization, they will take pre-orders from
Midwest Messenger A new herbicide-re- sistant soybean called XtendFlex is expect- ed to be approved and ready for growers to plant next spring. XtendFlex is ge- netically engineered to have resistance to three different chem- ical modes of action — dicamba, glufosinate
and glyphosate — al- lowing farmers to use all three in their bean fields to battle weeds. The new soybean va- riety comes at a time when farmers are awaiting a decision on dicamba’s federal reg- istration after it was pulled from shelves fol- lowing a ruling from the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
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NEC farm receives an upgrade
Vet tech, farm, large animal facilities underway in Norfolk
project. The site is lo- cated near Northeast’s Chuck M. Pohlman Agriculture Complex at the intersection of Highway 35 and E. Benjamin Ave. in Norfolk. Dr. Leah Barrett, president, said Northeast embarked on the project five- years ago to ensure the next generation of ru- ral Americans have an opportunity to be ed- ucated and trained in 21st-century facili- ties and on a 500-acre college farm. She de- scribed Nexus as more than just new buildings. “This is an inno- vative collection of facilities that are, in themselves, tools of the trade that will allow our students to learn through experiences as well as theory,” Barrett said. “They will instill a pride among our stu- dents as they prepare to enter the workforce and, for many of them, return to their home- towns and farms to ensure the region has opportunities to be prosperous and grow through either their own operation or by be- ing employed by the myriad of businesses that are vital to the in- dustry.” Nexus began with a vision and a plan that can trace back to the beginning of the ag pro- gram at the College in 1973. Dr. Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs and ex- ecutive director of the Northeast Foundation, said the program has grown from just three
Midwest Messenger
A project that’s been five years in the mak- ing is taking shape at Northeast Community College in Norfolk. Site work began in April on what will eventually be a new veterinary technology building and a combi- nation farm operations building and large ani- mal handling facility at the new Acklie Family College Farm. Although Dara Ness, a sophomore veterinary technology student from Kennebec, South Dakota, won’t take classes in the new facil- ities after she graduates next spring, she said during a groundbreak- ing ceremony Sept. 10, they are one part of ob- taining an education from Northeast. “These past two-years at Northeast have been very impactful on my education as well as my life. It wasn’t the facili- ties that taught me how to be a good vet tech, it was the teachers,” Ness said. “Having in- structors that devote their time and energy to bettering our educa- tion is what pushes us to try harder and think critically. As we move forward, the current vet tech building will al- ways be extraordinary given the history be- hind it — how a once dairy farm was turned into a clinic with the help of devoted teach- ers …” The buildings should be complete by next fall. The Sept. 10 ceremo- ny marked construction that is presently un- derway on the Nexus
Courtesy photo A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Sept. 10 in Norfolk to celebrate construction of new ag- riculture facilities as part of the Nexus project at Northeast Community College.
students 47 years ago to over 350 today. She said Northeast has invested in its current facilities that were constructed over 100-years ago, but it has been no match for time and modern technology and ma- chinery. “Ultimately, the facil- ities were undersized and inadequate for the large numbers of stu- dents and the size of today’s equipment and animals,” Kruse said. As a result of stra- Northeast began to pri- oritize capital funds for the project and invested in new faculty and pro- gramming. Once word was out, many people stepped forward to ask how they could help. This included the Acklie Charitable Foundation (ACF), which provided a $5 million lead gift to the project. ACF was found- ed by the late Duane Acklie and Phyllis Acklie, both Madison tegic planning and visioning in 2015, County natives and graduates of Norfolk Junior College, a pre- decessor institution of Northeast Community College.
Collectively, the school has raised over $10 million and con- tinues to work toward its $22.3 million goal. Donors can text “ag” to 402-383-FARM (3276) to contribute. The school is also selling animal silhouettes to be en- graved and displayed on a farm-scape plaque in one of the new build- ings. Three sizes of horses, chickens, pigs and cattle are available for donations of $50, $100 and $250. These an- imals may be ordered from students or online at agwaternexus.com. Jeanne Reigle of serve as co-chairpeople of the Nexus Campaign. Both stressed the importance of the investment in new facil- ities at Northeast and their impact on train- ing the next generation workforce. “My husband, John, and I have watched Northeast Community College respond to workforce needs over the years and know firsthand the impact of the education and training they provide,” Reigle said. Madison and Russ Vering of Scribner
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