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NCBA will fight the ‘egg bill’ in Congress

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Saying it would set “a dangerous precedent”, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association vice president of government affairs Colin Woodall says they will fight against passage of the so-called egg bill that has been introduced in Congress.

That legislation, the result of the an agreement between the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States, would require larger cages for egg-laying hens.

We discussed NCBA’s concerns with Woodall at the Cattle Industry Convention in Nashville.

AUDIO: Colin Woodall (2:26 MP3)

 

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Life after an undercover video

January 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

It was last June that the animal rights group called Mercy for Animals released an undercover video shot in facilities owned by Iowa Select Farms.  At the recent Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines we sat down with Dr. Howard Hill, director of animal well-bring compliance and improvement for Iowa Select Farms, to discuss what kind of impact the “undercover video” experience has had on the company.  

AUDIO: Howard Hill (7:59 MP3)

 

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Trend toward DDG corn oil extraction is picking up speed

January 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment

More and more ethanol producers are starting to extract some of the corn oil from their distiller grains. With tight margins, they like the idea of adding an additional salable product to ethanol and distillers grains.

Of course, livestock producers are concerned about how it is going to impact the nutritional value of the DDGs they have come to rely on–and whether the prices they pay for those products will adjust accordingly.

At the recent Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines, the director of ethanol services for the Omaha-based Gavilon Group—Randy Ives—discussed the trend towards corn oil extraction.  (Gavilon is one of the largest marketers of distillers grains in the U.S. markets.)

AUDIO: Randy Ives (3:19 MP3)

 

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NPPC president: Egg bill would set ‘dangerous precedent’

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

At the Iowa Pork Congress in Des Moines, we caught up with National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president Doug Wolf of Lancaster, Wisconsin and asked him about NPPC’s concerns with the so-called “egg bill” just introduced in Congress.  

Wolf says that legislation, which would prescribe cage sizes for egg-laying hens, would set a “dangerous precedent” for allowing the federal government to regulate on-farm production practices, including animal housing.

AUDIO: Doug Wolf (4:25 MP3)

 

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Achieving energy independence through ‘fuel choice’

January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

One of the speakers at the recent Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Des Moines was Dr. Gal Luft, executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, a Washington-based think tank focused on energy security.

Luft is an adviser to the U.S. Energy Security Council and co-founder of the Set America Free Coalition, an alliance of national security, environmental, labor and religious groups promoting ways to reduce America’s dependence on oil.

One simple way to start moving down the road to energy independence, Luft says, is to give consumers “fuel choice”.  He urges Congress to pass the Open Fuels Standard Act, which would require all vehicles produced by the automakers to be flex fuel vehicles. 

Here are excerpts from Luft’s address to summit attendees.

AUDIO: Dr. Gal Luft (5:47 MP3)

 

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USDA says rural programs, loans creating jobs

January 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The USDA highlights in its Rural Development progress report for the 2011 Fiscal Year the 440,000 jobs that it says were “saved or created” through rural development programs last year. Dallas Tonsager, Under Secretary for Rural Development, tells Brownfield while he can’t quantify it, he believes many of those jobs are new.  But, he says saving rural jobs is also “extremely critical.”

“People sometimes forget, you know, they think jobs just stay forever once they’re there. But, it takes hard work every day with the companies, the businesses, the development groups to try and sustain jobs in particular ways and so we try to work closely with those local communities in doing that.”

Tonsager says, typically, rural America has about 45 to 50 Million people. So, while not a huge percentage, he says, the 440,000 jobs are important in the key areas they try to work with adding that many of the new jobs are in the broadband sector.

But there were also jobs created and saved in other sectors of rural America,” says Tonsager, “For example, in Indiana, Morris Manufacturing & Sales Corporation, a family-owned auto parts maker used USDA business loan guarantees to restructure debt and expand their business. As a result, the firm rehired 100 laid off workers and hired 44 additional workers.”

Tonsager says much of the growth has occurred without any new federal spending.

“For instance,” says Tonsager, “Rural Development provided a direct loan last year for the construction of a new dental center in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. In addition to creating construction jobs today the facility will also employ 38 professional and support personnel when they clinic opens its door to deliver needed care in an underserved area.”

Applicants are required to estimate the number of jobs they believe will be created and/or saved through the rural development program they’re interested in.

AUDIO: Dallas Tonsager (8:00 mp3)

USDA – Rural Development link

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UN-L policy specialist expects contentious farm bill debate

January 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Many farm policy experts are predicting a highly contentious debate on the 2012 Farm Bill.

University of Nebraska extension policy specialist Brad Lubben is among them.

“We’re going to restart the process and it’s going to be pretty contentious,” Lubben says, “not just from the non-ag interests in Congress, but even the ag interests in Congress that didn’t really have a voice in the closed-door negotiations last fall.

“It will test that old coalition that always came together to support a farm bill.”

And when you add federal budget woes and election year politics to the mix, Lubben doubts the farm bill will be approved before the November elections.

“So we start pushing it off towards a lame duck session of Congress after the election—maybe just in time to get a 2013 bill in place,” he says.

Lubben made his comments in an interview with Brownfield at the recent Nebraska Ag Classic conference in Kearney.

AUDIO: Brad Lubben (7:40 MP3)

 

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USFRA focuses on ‘new ways of communicating’ with consumers

January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) was formed a little over a year ago with a goal of bolstering the image of agriculture and enhancing public trust in the U.S. food supply. 

At the recent Nebraska Ag Classic conference, Brownfield visited with Chris Galen, head of communications of the National Milk Producers Federation and a member of the board of directors of USFRA.   Galen talked about some of the things USFRA is doing to enhance consumer trust in the U.S. food production system.

AUDIO: Chris Galen (6:13 MP3)

 

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Analyst: Serious issues face nation, agriculture

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ross Korves is an economic policy analyst for the The ProExporter Network, a firm that does economic research and analysis for major agribusiness firms and investors.  Korves, previously with the American Farm Bureau Federation, was a guest speaker at the recent Ag Classic conference in Kearney, Nebraska.

In an interview with Brownfield’s Ken Anderson, Korves says that, in his more than 30 years of working with agriculture, he’s never seen so many big issues facing the industry as there are in 2012. 

At the top of Korves’ list is finding solutions to the nation’s economic and budget challenges.  Other top concerns are tax policy, farm programs, regulations, and the future direction of biofuels.

AUDIO: Ross Korves (5:47 MP3)

 

 

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New Holland, Jay Leno team up for U.S. vets and military

January 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

To recognize the service and sacrifice of U.S. Armed Forces and their families, New Holland Agriculture is offering U.S veterans and military personnel a $300 discount on the purchase of several models of the New Holland Boomer™ compact tractor purchased in North America. New Holland will also donate $100 to the Fisher House Foundation for every Boomer compact tractor sold in North America during the discount period which ends January 21, 2012.

Brownfield caught up with Abe Hughes, Vice President North America for New Holland Agriculture, during the 2011 National Association of Farm Broadcasting Trade Talk event held during the annual convention.

Hughes explained the New Holland initiative is designed to coincide with a previously announced program involving a New Holland tractor, nicknamed the ’Lil Tug by the crew at the Jay Leno Garage  where the tractor has been used for the last five years. New Holland and Jay Leno worked together to see that the ‘Lil Tug will be auctioned for charity at the Barrett-Jackson Auction  in Scottsdale, Arizona on January 21, 2012.

According to a New Holland news release, “Proceeds from the tractor auction will go to the Fisher House Foundation, best known for its network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers where families can stay while a loved one is receiving treatment. The Foundation also ensures that families of service men and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are not burdened with unnecessary expense during a time of crisis.”

“This discount and contribution program will further enhance the charitable efforts accomplished by the Fisher House Foundation,” said Abe Hughes, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for New Holland Agricultural Business in North America. “Agriculture has always been one of the backbones of America and it is very fitting that our industry steps forward once again to contribute to not only the courageous members of the Armed Forces, but also to a great role being taken by the Fisher House Foundation.”

Conversation with Abe Hughes VP New Holland North America

 

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