AUGUST 2020
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AUGUST 2020
Cattlemen await investigation after USDA report
Department of Justice to look into packer business practices
different platforms to en- courage more participation in the cash trade. One part of the report was unexpected. USDA talked about allocating resourc- es to small meat processors to expand their operations or build new regional plants where processing capacity is lacking. “I was pretty excited to see that particular suggestion in the report,” Kohls said. Now she’s hoping the jus- tice department can take a deeper look at business prac- tices. Pricing has long been a source of angst between packers and producers, Kohls said. The frustration elevated due to the mar- ket response to COVID-19 and caused Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association
U.S. Department of Justice and asked them to look into the situation as well. While USDA found no vi- olations under the Packers and Stockyards Act, Kohls took interest in the recom- mendations USDA made on future policy and regulation. Some recommenda- tions include amending the Livestock Marketing Reports and Mandatory Price Reports. She said the goal would be to reduce non-reporting and increase people’s confidence in the re- ported data, to make sure it’s all-inclusive and leads to “more robust price discov- ery.” That’s a conversation the beef industry has been hav- ing leading up to the recent National Cattlemen’s Beef Association convention in Denver. Other suggestions in the report deal with using
transparency for all market participants. One group that wasn’t sur- prised by the findings is the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Association. The group says the report was intended to look into only the spread be- tween boxed beef and cattle prices. “The USDA was act- ing within the scope of the Packers and Stockyards Act,” Nebraska Cattlemen’s Government Relations Director Ashley Kohls said. “Not everyone involved in the industry took the report in that context. The agency never looked into any poten- tial antitrust issues.” Kohls said it’s impor- tant to remember that the USDA doesn’t have subpoe- na authority and can’t go to packers and demand impor- tant information. That’s why the group sent a letter to the
ers. While the report didn’t directly deal with price ma- nipulation, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer said the report did confirm that changes are needed in the industry. “I appreciate the USDA’s work on the investigation,” she said in a statement. “Their analysis of what oc- curred after these two events underscores the im- mediate need for reforms to strengthen the cattle indus- try. The report confirms our serious misgivings about the many factors working to de- stabilize the marketplace.” Fischer said she will continue to work on legis- lation in the Senate aimed at providing equity and
By CHAD SMITH Midwest Messenger The U.S. Department of Agriculture wrapped up its months-long look into the spread between boxed beef and cattle prices last month. Calls for an investigation into the topic picked up mo- mentum last year after a fire at the beef packing plant in Holcomb, Kansas. That momentum increased dur- ing the price disruptions that happened as COVID-19 gained steam this year. Some segments of the cattle industry were disap- pointed the USDA report didn’t address any potential market misconduct by pack-
Please see REPORT, Page F4
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AUGUST 2020
94% of corn to have reached silking stage
Pasture and range condition The USDA reports 55% of range and pasture to be in good condition, 32% in fair condition, 7% in poor condition, 4% in excellent condition and 2% in very poor condition. In com- parison to last week’s crop report, 5% of range and pasture has increase in con- dition standards, moving from very poor to fair and good condition. Sorghum
condition, 16% in fair con- dition, 4% in poor condition and 1% in very poor condi- tion. Top soil moisture As of Aug. 3, the USDA re- ports 60% of topsoil to have adequate moisture levels, 25% with short moisture levels, 12% with very short moisture levels and 3% with surplus moisture levels. Subsoil moisture According to the USDA, 62% of subsoil has adequate moisture levels, 26% with short moisture levels, 10% with very short moisture levels and 2% with surplus moisture levels.
condition, 5% in poor con- dition and 2% in very poor condition. Winter wheat According to the USDA, 96% of winter wheat has been harvested, 27% ahead of 2019 data. Soybeans The USDA reports 95% of soybeans to have reached the blooming stage, 20% fur- ther along than 2019 data. According to the USDA, 64% of soybeans in the state have reached the setting pod stage, 18% ahead of 2019 crop report data. As of Aug. 3, 57% of soybeans are in good condition, 22% in excellent
has reached the coloring stage, only 2% behind last year’s crop report data. Of sorghum planted, 39% is in good condition, 28% in fair condition, 25% in excellent condition, 6% in poor con- dition and 2% in very poor condition. Oats harvested The USDA reports 92% of oats to have been har- vested, 24% further along than last year’s crop re- port data. Of oats planted in Nebraska, 56% is in
By ELISE BALIN Scottsbluff Star-Herald
The USDA reports, the ma- jority of Nebraska crops to be in good condition with lit- tle movement in condition data. Corn According to the Aug. 3 USDA Crop Progress Report, 94% of Nebraska corn has reached the silk- ing stage, 13% ahead of last year’s data. Of corn plant- ed in the state, 43% of corn has reached the dough stage of growth as reported by the USDA. In terms of corn condition data, the USDA re-
ports 55% of corn to be in good condition, 22% in ex- cellent condition, 16% in fair good condition, 27% is in fair condition, 10% in poor condition, 5% in excellent condition and 2% in very poor condition, according to the USDA. Legislature expands transportation limits for farmers As of Aug. 3, the USDA re- ports 64% of sorghum to be headed, 26% further along than 2019 data. According to the USDA, 1% of sorghum
said, this initiative has come in a response to concerns shared by lo- cal growers about facing overweight issues when transporting grain dur- ing and outside of the harvest season. “The benefit of this is, often times, farmers are pulled over and ticketed for hauling from farm storage to market and it should be no differ-
ent than it would be if it is from the field to mar- ket. So this takes care of that,” Halloran said. Commodity own- ers and operators are still required to issue a statement of origin and delivery, which is re- quired to be within 70 miles. “Now the producer or the owner of the ag- riculture product, in
a signed statement of or- igin and destination,” Halloran said.
this case grain, will still have to furnish the driv- er and the loaded vehicle
seasonally harvest grain, for example, and deliver it to their farm storage and then after a period of time, take it from their farm stor- age to the market. So this allows them that same harvest exemp- tion of 15% overload to be able to take it to farm storage to market,” Halloran said. The passing of LB931 will take place of the previous road and weight regulations which caused issued during transportation outside of harvest sea- son, Halloran said. “It amends the Nebraska rules of roads relating to vehi- cle maximumweight overload exemption, by the addition of allowing seasonally harvest prod- ucts to be transported from farm storage to market or the factory,” Halloran said. Specifically, Halloran
By ELISE BALIN Scottsbluff Star-Herald LB931, sponsored by Sen. Steve Halloran, will allow farmers to transport grain while exceeding previous weight limits by 15% and length limits by 10% to transport grain out- side of harvest season. “It gives them a 15% overload cushion if you will, just like they would have during harvest,” Halloran said. According to the leg- islative bill, seasonally harvested commodities can now be transport- ed while being 15% heavier from the field to market, stockpile and storage or from stockpile to market or factory when failure to do so would result in economic loss. “In the past the rules, regulations and stat- utes did not allow for farmers to take their
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Preparing yourself for corn under $3 per bushel
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Y-axis and prices on the X-axis, we can map probabilities to commodity prices. For exam- ple, there exists around a 5% chance that the CZ20 price may be under $3 per bushel. You can see this by locating $3 per bush- el on the X-axis, then finding the point where $3 per bushel in- tersects the red line, and then finding the corresponding val- ue on the Y-axis, which is 6%. In other words, there is a 6% chance of CZ20 ending up below $3 per bushel. The chance of the CZ20 being below $3.50 per bush- el is 30%. What does this mean? First, the probability of the December corn futures price ending be- low $3 per bushel exists. We just haven’t experienced this price outcome given today’s production costs. Recent price movement is placing us closer to realizing this low probabili- ty outcome, but we are not quite there yet. We don’t need to rely on expe- rience to find out what happens if you jump out of an airplane at 30,000 feet. We know the laws of gravity. The price probability distribution exists in a theoret- ical world and the rare events suggested by the approach may never be realized. But if low prices come to be realized, can you survive? Experiencing low
prices pressures farm survival and therefore one must respect the laws of prices and know what to do if they come. More importantly, what are you going to do about it? With a 6% chance of futures markets below $3 per bushel, and 30% chance of below $3.50 per bushel, you need to write down a proactive plan now. Although the basis across the state has been stronger, cash prices are likely to be at or be- low $3 per bushel on Dec. 1. Here are some questions you should ask yourself as you pre- pare for the rest of the year: » Can you do some more pre- pricing before harvest? » How long can you survive when cash prices are at or below $3 per bushel? » How much cash do you need between now and spring? » What is your true cost of storage? Don’t forget to include interest, overhead and crop dete- rioration expenses. After answering these ques- tions for yourself, write a proactive grain marketing plan that sets realistic price goals and sale deadlines for the 2020 crop. Share your plan with someone else (a spouse, banker or merchandiser) to help keep you accountable to your plan.
By CORY WALTERS and JESSICA GROSKOPF University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension The market rally following the June 30 USDA Acreage re- port has come and gone. So, now what? This article will discuss the price probabilities for the last half of 2020 and how to pre- pare for farm survival. The period of late July into early August, when the crop size is becoming clearer, occurs when the December corn (CZ) futures price starts to take a di- rection, up or down. In most years, prices will tip slightly down as crop size and use end up around what was expected. Dips can be larger due to re- ductions in use and/or larger crops. Now is the time to clean out your bins of the remaining old crop, and start developing a post-harvest strategy for your 2020 corn. So, where will the market end up? The crop insurance project- ed price for corn was $3.88 per bushel with a volatility factor of 0.15. Using the projected price and the volatility factor we can identify a range of where prices for the December corn contract (CZ20) may end up on Dec. 1 (fig- ure 1). With probability on the
members to further questions some of the packers’ business prac- tices. “There are always go- ing to be disagreements when you’re looking at a market, when you’re looking at prices, and when you’re talking about people’s liveli- hoods,” Fischer said. REPORT from Page F2
Consolidation in the beef industry has long been a hotly-debated topic among beef pro- ducers. Fischer, herself a beef producer from Valentine, said four packers controlling 80% of the market is bound to lead to challenges. That’s why she also sent a letter to the Justice Department asking them to step in and in- vestigate the industry. Fischer’s letter was
co-signed by 18 of her colleagues in a biparti- san manner. They also asked the department to look into any poten- tial price-fixing in the beef industry. There’s no expected timeline for the DOJ investiga- tion to conclude. The beef industry in Nebraska and around the country has been reeling for some time because of prices con- sistently below the cost
of production. Fischer said the impact is felt through all segments of the industry. “Feedlots are get- ting hit hard,” she said. “They are see- ing tremendous losses between 300 and 500 dollars on every head of cattle they produce. Cow-calf producers are seeing a continuing decline stretching on for the past five to six years.”
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
AUGUST 2020
Farm Progress launches virtual show
Program will merge the Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days
Husker Harvest Days are Farm Progress brands. As part of Informa Markets, Farm Progress is the largest, most diversified agriculture information business in North America. Through a robust net- work of live events, digital products, data, market- ing services, broadcasting and local and national pub- lications, Farm Progress enables the nation’s most economically signifi- cant farmers, growers and ranchers to connect and do business. It serves more than 80% of the 2 million farms and ranches in the U.S., and an estimated 87% of the nation’s annual ag- ricultural gross domestic product. Learn more about Farm Progress at market- ing.farmprogress.com.
can’t replace all the great parts of a successful live farm show, this new offer- ing — free to anyone who attends — will provide the information you need to keep up on the newest tools and technology for agricul- ture. More information will be available as the show date nears, and work is already underway to pull together a virtual farm show experi- ence unlike any other. “We’re not asking farmers to just sit by their com- puters, everything we’re producing will work on your smart phone and tablet, so in the heat of harvest when you’re spending long hours on auto-steering, you can see what we have to offer,” Jungmann said. Farm Progress Show and
The event does kick off with something special, made richer in this virtual environment. “We’re go- ing to have what may be the most extensive field dem- onstration program we’ve ever conducted with corn harvest, tillage, hay and cat- tle equipment,” said Matt Jungmann, events manag- er, Farm Progress. “And we’ll include a first-look at a range of autonomous tools. And Max Armstrong will be on hand for the three-day on- line event as the host for this event too.” From videos to easy-to- access brochures, to quick contact information to connect with exhibitors, farmers checking in at FPVX will find the event is almost as information-filled as being on site. While you
Telegraph staff reports ST. CHARLES, Ill. — Two major farm shows are off the calendar for 2020, to fill this gap Farm Progress is launching the first ever Farm Progress Virtual Experience, or FPVX. This information-packed event will be powered by Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days and run three days, Sept. 15 to 17, accord- ing to a press release. “The beauty of a virtu- al event is that we will open the virtual gates on Sept. 15 with a slate of field demos and rich content, but once live farmers can engage the
content all year long,” said Don Tourte, senior vice president, Farm Progress. “With this event the farmer can virtually stroll through more than 500 exhibits in their own time, and each exhibitor will have valu- able new information to share.” The rich information available in the FPVX will allow farmers to engage a range of content. And searching the exhibitors will be easy because they’ll be sorted into the familiar cat- egories farmers have long come to know through more than 65 years of taking part in Farm Progress events.
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THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
AUGUST 2020
Despite COVID-19 rules, detasseling mostly same
this detasseling season hasn’t changed. Targeting tassels Machines can cut and pull 90% to 95% of the target corn plant tas- sels, but detasselers’ keen eyes and strong hands are needed to fin- ish the job. The process starts with planting corn in a five-row pattern. One is the “male” row that breeders want to be the pollinator. The oth- er four “female” rows must be detasseled so they don’t pollinate themselves. Brian said the goal is to remove 99.8% of the female plants’ tassels. That requires at least two “pulls.” First, each detassel- er walks down a row of corn pulling tas- sels and comes back through the field pulling tassels in an ad- jacent row. For the second pull 48 hours later, four de- tasselers walk the four female rows again looking for anything missed or growing back. They are followed
by a crew chief who has at least five years of de- tasseling experience. The Hagans expect to cover approximately 2,200 acres in the next three weeks, Brian said, with all fields pro- ducing DEKALB brand corn seed for the Bayer Crop Science — former- ly Monsanto — plant at Kearney. All detasselers and support crew wear bright orange, wide- brimmed hats with attached net face guards. Hallie said they wrote the name of each worker on his or her hat this year to help in keeping records of rows covered by each. Those walking through the fields also wear company-issued protective glasses, gloves and corn husk yellow “arm socks” with the DEKALB logo that features a winged ear of corn. “We used to make our own arm socks,” Hallie said. “We bought tube socks and would cut out the toe part.” “And make a little hole for the thumb,”
By LORI POTTER Kearney Hub
KEARNEY — As machines and other technologies contin- ue to shrink hands-on work along the farm-to- fork agriculture chain, many hands still are required each July to assure correct genetics are in corn grown as next year’s seed. Starting this week, 500 to 600 workers in their teens and 20s are detasseling in corn- fields roughly between Overton and Alda on both sides of the Platte River, said Robert Gray, site leader for Bayer Crop Science’s Kearney regional seed production plant. Gray said the com- pany works with a handful of detassel- ing contractors. Hagan Detasseling, which is owned by Brian and Hallie Hagan of Kearney, is one of the larger contractors. Hallie said that ex- cept for following COVID-19 health di- rectives from Bayer and the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, most of what they’re doing
Lori Potter / Kearney Hub Micah Torres, left, and Austin Young, both of Kearney, walk through chin- high corn southeast of Funk while pulling tassels missed by the detasseling machines. They are Hagan Detasseling crew members who left Kearney’s Harvey Park on buses at 5:38 a.m. Wednesday and were working in the corn- field by 6:30.
Please see SAME, Page F6
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SAME from Page F7
Brian added.
Each worker must bring a water jug, rain- coat — many wear black garbage bags as morning protection corn that’s wet from dew or recent pivot ir- rigation — a cooler with food and old ten- nis shoes. Many also bring sunscreen and bug spray. “Sometimes the piv- ots are on when we get there and we have to wait to start until they are turned off,” Hallie said, explaining that mid- and late-Ju- ly mornings can be cold for kids walking through wet fields. “They do have to wear long pants, yoga pants or something like that,” Brian said. “...
Lori Potter / Kearney Hub The job of detasseling workers doesn’t change much from year to year, but required COVID-19 safety measures such as wearing face masks make the 2020 detasseling season unique.
No skin can touch the corn leaves anymore.” That was an added pro- tection rule initiated in 2019. As for recommend- ing old tennis shoes as comfortable footwear, he said, “We tell them you’re gonna walk 10 to 15 miles a day.”
Those miles are walked mostly down the same rows year af- ter year. “It’s the same farms, the same fields. We get to make friends with their (farm families’) pets. We have a few fa- vorite dogs,” Hallie joked.
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AUGUST 2020
Vap Construction offers new textured metal Telegraph staff reports ATWOOD, Kan. — that traditional metal can sometimes create. tomatically be entered in a drawing to win. Vap Construction
Plus, the colors look deeper and richer. It’s becoming extreme- ly popular because of that.” Textured metal is designed to mimic the texture of shin- gles, so it can be used in roofing projects. With a gritty surface it’s safer and more slip resistent during instal- lation, the company said. Many proper- ty owners, Vap said in the release, are using it for the walls of their buildings because of the unique aesthetic differences. “We’ve been putting up post frame build- ings for over 25 years, and this is the first
Trends in construction come and go, but a new trend that is sweeping the post frame build- ing industry is here to stay. Vap Construction, launched a brand new textured metal prod- uct that improves aesthetic appeal, but also improves durabil- ity for post frame and steel frame buildings. “Textured metal has a totally different look than traditional met- al siding,” co-owner Linda Young-Vap said in a press release. “It’s less likely to fade or scratch, and also elim- inates the pesky glare based in Atwood, Kansas, recently
is based in northwest Kansas, but has crews constructing agricul- tural, commercial, equine, residential and storage buildings throughout Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming. In addi- tion to being licensed and insured, the fam- ily owned company is also accredited by the National Frame Builders Association. For more informa- tion about textured metal or other build- ing products, visit vapconstruction. com, or contact Vap Construction at 1-866- 492-1978 for a free estimate.
Courtesy photo Vap Construction of Atwood, Kansas, is offering a textured metal finish for buildings the company constructs.
time we’ve seen such a huge response to a new product,” Vap said. “It’s a unique in- novation that looks beautiful, but also im- proves the quality of
the building, and the best part is that it doesn’t cost that much more than traditional metal.” For a limited time, Vap Construction is of-
fering customers an opportunity to win a free upgrade to this new textured metal, a value of over $800. Any new contracts signed prior to Aug. 31 will au-
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HOMECARE OPTIONS
that can protect you and your family from crushing financial bills. These will last up to almost 2 years with the benefit restoring, again, with the 6 month period of time that you don’t need it. These are less than $100 a month for a 65 year old. These companies are willing to take on more risk thus allowing people who may have some health conditions that would lock out a person on a traditional long-term care policy. They also are willing to enroll people up to age 79. These Short Term plans are less expensive but the benefit has the 360 day and 52 week limits. As the boomers continue to age, more and more options will continue to develop to meet the demands of this aging population. As families are looking for help in the care of their loved ones, think of these as gifts. Can this be a gift to your parents or good planning for yourself. Check into the options. If you have questions for Rebecca Nordquist at Phares Financial, call at 308-532-3180. Just a reminder, our offices have moved, our new address is 319 East B Street in North Platte.
needs including assistance getting out of bed in the mornings, showering, getting dressed, cooking meals, light housekeeping, etc. The benefit would last up to 52 weeks and would provide up to another 52 weeks, if there was a 6 month period of time that you don’t need it. For example, Mom falls and breaks a hip. She needs home health services for 20 weeks then doesn’t need it anymore for a couple years. Her policy would restore the 20 weeks so the next time she needs it, she’d have the full 52 week benefit available. For a 65 year old female, using a $600/week benefit for home health services, the premium would run $52.03 per month. They also have policies that cover just assisted living and nursing home costs for up to 360 days. Using a benefit of $3000/month, the premium for this using the same example would be less than $50/month. This one also will restore if you only need it for less than the 360 days with the 6 month period of time that you don’t need it. Then you can combine those policies. The facility coverage- assisted living and nursing home plus the home health care benefit provides a comprehensive bank of benefits
but that doesn’t mean that we’ll be healthy until the end of our lives. In fact, more than 70% of Americans are going to need some type of long-term care during our lifetimes. The question is what kind. Can the care be provided at home, in an assisted living facility, or will it require nursing home care. Purchasing a Long-Term Care insurance policy that covers all the care options may be optimal but for those that can’t afford it or have health issues that prevent them from getting it can be a significant problem. Many seniors try to deny that” it could happen to them”, yet their families frequently have to step in assist them causing family stress and relationshipproblems between parents and children or between siblings. Yes, you may end up with a chronic condition that requires care. What can families do? The Long Term Care market is changing. Most people would like to stay at home and many can if they have some support. New products are coming out almost monthly that may be helpful to family members that want to stay at home without wearing out the caregiver. One of the options is a home health care policy that will cover home health and custodial care
By Rebecca Nordquist, RD, MHA, CLTC
George and Marge had a wonderful retirement. They had a nice nest egg saved, they were able to travel, George played golf a couple times a week, and Marge had her bridge club every week. The kids were spread out over 3 states but they stayed in touch. Gradually, George’s health started to decline, arthritis settled in his back, and he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He had difficulty getting out of bed. Marge had to help him move to the bathroom, shower, help him get dressed. He couldn’t be left alone, he couldn’t get out of the chair by himself. Marge had to be there 24/7, she didn’t sleep very well, and now her health started to decline.
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AUGUST 2020 F10
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Three elected to Nebraska Soybean Board
Telegraph staff reports The Nebraska Soybean Board hosted elections for Districts 5, 7 and an at-large position in July. Nebraska soybean farmers vote each year to decide who sits on the Soybean Board. Brent Steinhoff of Syracuse was elected to serve District 5 — Cass, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee and Richardson counties. This will be Steinhoff’s first term as a member of the soy bean board. Larry Hudkins of Malcolm and Klark Knipe of Auburn were also running. “I am very excited to join the
Soybean Board and work with fellow board members to in- vest checkoff dollars in those projects that bring the greatest re- turn to Nebraska soybean farmers,” Anderson said. “I look forward to helping create demand and market opportunities
Minden was also run- ning. “I am excited to be re-elected to the Nebraska Soybean Board,” Saathoff said. “I am looking forward to helping soybean farmers by working with my fel- low board members to solve problems and
Nebraska Soybean Board and represent District 5,” Steinhoff said in a press release from NSB. “I greatly look forward to work- ing with the other board members and making the best deci- sions for the benefit of Nebraska soybean farmers.”
Brent Steinhoff
Doug Saathoff
Greg Anderson
for Nebraska soybeans.” The elected board members will serve a three-year term beginning Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2023. The nine-member Nebraska Soybean Board collects and dis- burses the Nebraska share of funds generated by the one-half of one per- cent times the net sales price per bushel of soybeans sold. Nebraska soybean checkoff funds are invested in research, education, domestic and foreign markets, including new uses for soybeans and soybean products.
meet the challenges that are fac- ing Nebraska soybean producers. Investing soybean checkoff dollars wisely and efficiently will be a top priority of mine.” Greg Anderson of Newman Grove was re-elected as the at-large board member. This is Greg Anderson’s third term on the board. Jason Bonsack of Danebrog, Doug Pieper of Beatrice and Jared Sayer of Cambridge were also running. “I am honored to be re-elected to serve another term on the Nebraska
Doug Saathoff of Trumbull has been re-elected in District 7 — Adams, Buffalo, Clay, Franklin, Hall, Kearney, Nuckolls and Webster counties. This will be Saathoff’s second term. Matthew Favinger of
Delsing, Knobel re-elected as chair, vice chair of Wheat Board
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tivities. He has also served on other boards including Nebraska Crop Improvement Association, Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska FFA Association. Delsing and Knobel will serve in their po- sitions through June 2021. They are respon- sible for representing Nebraska on the U.S. Wheat Associates Board of Directors by voting on important matters to the industry. “Nebraska wheat producers are in good hands with Bob and Mark in leadership po- sitions. They will work to improve both global and domestic markets for wheat,” said Royce Schaneman, execu- tive director for the Nebraska Wheat Board.
Telegraph staff reports LINCOLN — The Nebraska Wheat Board hosted its first quar- ter meeting on Aug. 3 in North Platte. The meeting includ- ed the swearing in of Rick Dunbar as rep- resentative of District 7, updates from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, a strategic planning discussion and the election of this year’s chair and vice chair. Bob Delsing of Hemingford was re- elected as chair of the NWB for the 2020- 21 year. Delsing was re-appointed to the Nebraska Wheat Board in 2019 by Gov. Pete Ricketts. He farms dry- land wheat, corn and cattle on his farm and ranch in Dawes and
Box Butte counties. He is also a member of the Nebraska Wheat Growers Association, the United Methodist Church of Hemingford, the American Legion, the Nebraska Farm Bureau, Nebraska Rural Radio and National Farmers Union. Mark Knobel of Fairbury was re-elect- ed as the vice chair of the NWB for 2020-21. Knobel was re-appoint- ed to the board in 2019 by Ricketts and rep- resents District 6. He raises wheat, soybeans and corn in southeast- ern Nebraska and is a certified seed dealer. Knobel has hosted nu- merous trade teams to his farm and is al- ways engaging in wheat board meetings and ac-
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to wear a face cov- ering during their More commodities eligible for CFAP Onions among crops now covered in CARES act funding
» Download the AD-3114 application form and manually complete the form to submit to their local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to their local office or of- fice drop box. » Complete the ap- plication form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information spe- cific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and sub- mitted to their local USDA Service Center. » If producers have login credentials known as eAuthen- tication, they can use the online CFAP Application Portal to certify eligible com- modities online, digitally sign appli- cations and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center. All other eligibili- ty forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and pay- ment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA custom- ers, these documents are likely already on file. All USDA Service Centers are open, in- cluding some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appoint- ment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should
call ahead and sched- ule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appoint- ments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and vis- itors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required
flowers — nursery crops and cut flowers. Other changes to CFAP include: » Seven commodi- ties — onions (green), pistachios, pepper- mint, spearmint, walnuts and watermel- ons are now eligible for CARES Act fund- ing for sales losses. Originally, these com- modities were only eligible for payments on marketing adjust- ments. » Correcting pay- ment rates for onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spear- mint, walnuts, and watermelons. Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the “Notice of Funding Availability and Final Rule Correction” and at farmers.gov/cfap. To ensure avail- ability of funding, producers with ap- proved applications initially received 80% of their payments. The Farm Service Agency will automatically is- sue the remaining 20% of the calculat- ed payment to eligible producers. Going for- ward, producers who apply for CFAP will receive 100% of their total payment, not to exceed the payment limit, when their appli- cations are approved. Producers, espe- cially those who have not worked with FSA previously, are rec- ommended to call 877-508-8364 to begin the application pro- cess. An FSA staff member can help pro- ducers start their application during the phone call. On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:
appointment. Program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with producers in the office, by phone and using online tools. More in- formation can be found at farmers.gov/corona- virus.
Telegraph staff reports WASHINGTON — Additional com- modities are now covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program in response to public comments and data, the U.S. Department of Agriculture an- nounced in a press release this week. Additionally, the USDA is extending the deadline to apply for the program to Sept. 11, and producers with approved applications will receive their fi- nal payment. After reviewing over 1,700 responses, even more farmers and ranchers will have the opportu- nity for assistance to help keep operations af loat during these tough times. “President Trump is standing with America’s farmers and ranchers to en- sure they get through this pandemic and continue to produce enough food and fi- ber to feed America and the world,” said USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. “That is why he authorized this $16 billion of direct support in the CFAP program and today we are pleased to add additional commodi- ties eligible to receive much needed assis- tance. CFAP is just one of the many ways USDA is helping pro- ducers weather the impacts of the pan- demic. From deferring payments on loans to adding f lexibilities to crop insurance and
reporting deadlines, USDA has been lever- aging many tools to help producers.” USDA collected com- ments and supporting data for consideration of additional commod- ities through June 22. The following addi- tional commodities are now eligible for CFAP: » Specialty crops — aloe leaves, banan- as, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), cit- ron, curry leaves, daikon, dates, dill, donqua (winter mel- on), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, esca- role, filberts, frisee, horseradish, kohlra- bi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote, maple sap (for maple syrup), mesculin mix, micro- greens, nectarines, parsley, persimmons, plantains, pome- granates, pummelos, pumpkins, rutaba- gas, shallots, tangelos, turnips/celeriac, tur- meric, upland/winter cress, water cress, yautia/malanga, and yuca/cassava. » Non-specialty crops and livestock — liquid eggs, fro- zen eggs and all sheep. Only lambs and year- lings (sheep less than two years old) were previously eligible. » Aquaculture — catfish, crawfish, largemouth bass and carp sold live as food- fish, hybrid striped bass, red drum, salm- on, sturgeon, tilapia, trout, ornamental/ tropical fish and recre- ational sportfish. » Nursery crops and
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