In the Field 2012

AGRICULTURE 2012D2 SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012 THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

Putting the ‘corn’ in‘Cornhusker State’

By DIANE [email protected]

When Nebraska’s farmers head into thefields this spring to plant corn, they willbe investing about $3 billion into thestate’s economy.

As the centerpiece of the state’s agri-cultural economy, Nebraska’s farmerssupply the state’s ethanol industry, gener-ating jobs and additional revenue, andprovide high quality feed for livestock inthe form of corn and distiller’s grains,

Please see CCOORRNN, Page D3

From food to fuel, crop’s contributionto Neb.’s economy just keeps growing

AGRICULTURE 2012 SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012 D3THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH

INLAND TRUCK PARTS COMPANY704 East 8th Street • North Platte, NE

308-532-4188 • 800-662-2963

PARTS AND SERVICE YOU CAN RELY ONIN HOUSE REMANUFACTURING OF MANUAL

TRANSMISSIONS & DIFFERENTIALS!

Differentials: New - Remanufactured - Repaired

VISIT US AT WWW.INLANDTRUCK.COMITP WE ACT LIKE WE OWN THE PLACE BECAUSE WE DO! SINCE 1944!

Drivelines: NewRemanufacturedRepaired & ModifiedIncludes AluminumDriveshafts

which are made by ethanol plants.Since 2001, the 25,000 corn farmers in Nebras-

ka have produced 1.4 billion bushels or more ayear.

The ethanol industry uses a net 581 millionbushels of corn each year to produce more than2 billion gallons of ethanol and 6 million tons ofthe feed distillers grain.

As corn farmers continue to meet the demandfor food and fuel, they are growing more corn onless land.

In 1978, the Corn Resources Act was estab-lished at the request of the state’s farmers. Itwas a simple idea; create a way to allow Nebras-ka corn farmers to implement a self-imposed as-sessment on their crop, with the proceeds in-vested in building markets. It’s known as thecorn check off rate.

While the corn check off rate has remainedthe same at one-fourth of one cent for 23 years,Nebraska agriculture has seen amazing growthand profitability and more marketing opportu-nities.

“We need to work at expanding our market de-velopment,” said Tim Scheer, Corn Board mem-ber. “Carry over corn is at a record low rightnow. The more corn we produce the better, aslong as we can find uses for it.”

Increasing the corn check off amount wouldhelp, he said. Legislation to raise the check offfrom one-fourth of a cent to one-half a cent perbushel is pending in the state legislature.

Check off funds are managed by the Nebras-ka Corn Board, a 9-member board made up ofcorn producers from across the state, and usedto promote market development, research, pro-motion and education of the state’s corn indus-try. Eight of the members are appointed by theGovernor and a ninth is elected by the board asan “at large” member.

While Nebraska ranks third in corn produc-tion and second in ethanol production in thecountry, the current corn check off rate rankslast when compared to other states. The rate hasremained the same since 1988, but with half thepurchasing power. Even if the increase were ap-proved, the corn check off rate the state wouldstill be tied for the lowest promotional assess-ment rate among corn producing states.

Agriculture is Nebraska’s strength but thestate is falling behind in the ability to partici-pate and lead the industry as other states thatproduce less corn are increasing their invest-ments in national and international initiatives,the Corn Board argues.

While corn is the premier crop, its check offvalue lags behind other Nebraska commodities.

If the legislation passes, the additional fund-ing would be used for research into food, biofu-els and water research and into finding more ef-ficiency in livestock production through feedingof distiller grains.

Some of the ways the Nebraska Corn Boardwill utilize the additional money from the in-creased corn check off are:

Research: food, biofuels and water researchare at the top of the list to create efficienciesand stay sustainable, along with discovery newvalue-added uses for the increasing corn crop.

Livestock production: finding increased effi-ciencies in livestock production through feed-ing of distiller grains, a feed product producedby ethanol plants. The program would also sup-port the sustainability and growth of responsi-ble livestock production in the state.

Consumer outreach: educating consumers onhow farmers are growing more corn on lessland with fewer resources.

Expanding markets: promoting and defend-ing markets domestically and internationallyfor ethanol, livestock and other value addedproducts in Nebraska.

Youth and leadership development: opportu-nities for the next generation of agricultureleaders through jobs and rural economic devel-opment.

CORNfrom Page D2

Corn fun factsn An ear of corn averages 800 kernels

in 16 rows; a pound of corn equalsabout 1,300 kernels.n Each year, a single farmer produces

food and fiber for 129 people.nBacon and eggs at breakfast, a glass

of milk at lunch and a hamburger for din-ner were all produced with U.S. corn.n 95 percent of all corn farms in

American are family owned.n America’s farmers grow 20 per-

cent more corn per acre than any oth-er country.

Don’t start with tired tires

By CAROLINE SABINTelegraph correspondent

It’s all about the air. Tires on trac-tors and farm equipment operatemost efficiently when the air pressureis correct.

Daniel Silos of Nebraskaland Tiressays that he frequently works withproducers to determine proper infla-tion for tires. Many factors influencethe necessary air pressure. In addi-tion to information about the tire typeand size, Silos makes considerationsfor the tire’s ply rating, the soil type,the type of farming application (disk-ing, drilling, spraying, etc.) and theweight of the equipment being pulled.Once all these details are pulled intothe equation, the correct tire pressureand ballast requirement can be fig-ured.

Ballast is weight that is added totractors to achieve the correct weightratio between the tractor and theequipment under operation. Ballastcan be added by using tractor weightsor by adding weight to the tires. Calci-um chloride is often pumped into thetires to add weight that will improvetraction and ground stability. Silossaid another product used for addingweight to tractor tires is Rim Guard. Itis a biodegradable product made fromsugar beet juice. If it spills out ontothe soil, there are fewer harmful ef-fects to livestock that might ingest it.

It is important to check tires overbefore equipment is involved in heavyuse. Silos recommends that producerscheck all tires for bubbles on the side-wall, and cracks, gouges or cuts. Tireson equipment that has been drivenover cornstalks can have damage thatis fairly noticeable, but some that isnot.

“Some of the new hybrid cornstalkscan chew up tires,” said Silos.

A heavy-duty tire sealant is oftenused to remedy this type of damage.Brent Sinsel , manager of Hi LineCoop in Sutherland, notes that the in-

crease in no-till farming has meant anincrease in wear and tear on tires.The front or outside tires are usuallyinvolved in breaking the stubbledown, so those often have more dam-age from corn, wheat, or cane stubble.A close visual inspection of tiresshould be done to check for stubbledamage.

Sinsel advised producers to watchfor irregular wear on tires as thiscould indicate problems such as abent rim. All the torque of the huband wheel go through the rim, so rimsneed to be in good shape. Older tractortires should be checked more fre-quently for damage on the rim. If ithas become corroded, pitted or showssuperficial cracks, then it is time toreplace the rim. Tires that have hadcalcium chloride pumped into themare more prone to rim damage due tothe corrosive nature of the product.

“Another easy thing to check is thevalve core housing and valve core,”said Sinsel. “Make sure it is tight.”

A common indicator of a loosevalve core is a continuing slow leak.Running on tires that are low on airwill have an impact on fuel efficiency.As the air gets low, the tire starts toheat up.

“Air pressure keeps a tire cool,”said Sinsel. “The hotter a tire gets, thegreater the chance that it can fail.”

That points right back to the needfor correct air pressure. It is a com-mon tendency to look on the tire tofind the correct air pressure, but Sin-sel advises to check for manufacturerrecommendations. If there is an in-creased load, then the air pressureneeds to be adjusted to bear that load.A tire air gauge will give the best feed-back when determining the level ofair in the tires.

Tires on any type of farm equip-ment or pivot systems have a need forair to function. Correct air pressurenot only improves the efficiency ofthe equipment and it’s fuel economy, itprolongs the life of the tire.

File photo

Make sure that yourfarm equipmenttires have right airpressure for the job

By ROBERT TIGNERChase County Extension Office

Good cow nutrition iscrucial following calving toget cows rebred. Rememberthe guidelines to make sureyou do the job right.

Cows need good feed aftercalving. Each cow experi-ences much stress aftercalving because she is pro-ducing milk for her calfand she is preparing her re-productive system to re-breed. As a result, nutrientdemands are high. Energyrequirements increaseabout 30 percent and pro-tein needs nearly double af-ter calving. Underfeedingreduces the amount of milkshe provides her calf, and itcan delay or even preventrebreeding. And if it getscold, wet, or icy again, nu-trient demands can sky-rocket.

Winter grass, corn stalks,and other crop residues arelow quality right now be-cause these feeds are weath-ered and have been pretty

well picked over. So it iscritical that the hay orsilage you feed will providethe extra nutrients yourcows need.

Not just any hay or silagewill do. Your cow needs 10to 12 percent crude proteinand 60 to 65 percent TDN in

her total diet. If she is graz-ing poor quality feeds, yourforage and supplementsmust make up any deficien-cies.

Make sure your foragehas adequate nutrients; ifyou haven’t done so, get ittested now for protein and

energy content. Also deter-mine the nutrient require-ments of your cows. Thenfeed your cows a ration thatwill meet their require-ments. But don’t overfeed,either. That is wasteful andexpensive.

In summary, avoid under-feeding after calving; it candelay rebreeding and slowdown calf growth. Use goodquality forages to provideadequate nutrition. Yourcows will milk well, rebreedon time, and producehealthy calves year afteryear.

Dormant spray foralfalfa weeds

In just a few weeks,warmer spring weatherwill green up your alfalfa.Before that happens,though, maybe you shoulddo a little weed control.More in a moment.

Weeds like pennycress,downy brome, mustards,

High-quality hay crucial after calving

Please see HHAAYY, Page D4

File photo


cheatgrass, and shep-herd’s purse are commonin first cut alfalfa. Theylower yields, reduce qual-ity, lessen palatability,and slow hay drydown. Ifyou walk over your fieldsduring the next fewweeks when snow is goneyou should be able to seetheir small, green, over-wintering growth.

Once alfalfa startsgrowing, you can’t con-trol these weeds verywell without hurtingyour alfalfa. However, ifyou treat your alfalfa assoon as possible duringthis winter’s next spring-like weather, you canhave cleaner, healthieralfalfa at first cutting.

Several herbicides canhelp control winter an-nual grasses and weedsin alfalfa. They includeSencor, Velpar, Sinbar,Pursuit, Raptor, andKarmex. Also Roundupand Gramoxone. They allcontrol mustards andpennycress but Karmexand Pursuit do not con-trol downy brome verywell.

To be most successful,though, you must applymost of these herbicidesbefore alfalfa shootsgreen-up this spring toavoid much injury toyour alfalfa. During mildwinter weather would bea great time. If you waitand alfalfa shoots aregreen when you spray,your alfalfa growthmight be set back a cou-ple weeks. If it does getlate, use either Pursuit orRaptor because they tendto cause less injury toyour alfalfa.

Timing is crucial whencontrolling winter annu-al weeds in alfalfa. Getready now, in the nextfew weeks before alfalfagreens up, to take advan-tage of nice weatherwhen you get it.

This is Bruce Ander-son, Extension ForageSpecialist at the Univer-sity of Nebraska. Talk toyou again soon.

Successful establishment

Stand failure is expen-sive. It costs more moneyto reseed and lost produc-tion from today’s highvalue land adds up quick-ly. In a moment, let’s re-view important steps tobe successful.

Before planting alfalfa,grass, or other foragesthis spring, make sureyou take the steps neededto give you the bestchance for a successfulestablishment.

What are these steps?Well, they may vary a lit-tle bit from farm to farmand field to field, butmost fields need the fol-lowing actions.

Begin by making surethe field is suitable forwhatever you intend toplant. Seeding alfalfa inan area that frequentlygets flooded or has stand-ing water is not likely toproduce long-term suc-cess. Next, soil test andadd recommended fertil-izer and lime beforeplanting.

Probably one of themost important steps ispreparing a firmseedbed. Walk across thefield before planting. Youshould sink no deeperthan the soles of yourshoes or boots. Orbounce a basketball onyour seedbed. If the ballwon’t bounce back up,your seedbed to too soft.Firm it some more with aflat harrow, a roller, ormaybe even irrigate.

One of the most com-mon causes of poor for-age stands is planting toodeep. Most forage seedsare very small andshould be planted nomore than a quarter tohalf inch deep on heavyor fine textured soils or ahalf to one inch deep onsands or coarse texturedsoils.

Lastly, control weeds.Tillage during seedbedpreparation, burn-downherbicides before plant-ing, pre-plant incorporat-ed herbicides, post-emerge herbicides, andeven mowing all are pos-sible methods.

It’s tempting to takeshortcuts with any one ofthese steps. For your bestchance of success,though, follow them all toavoid costly failures.

HAYfrom Page D5


How can idle ground make moneyin a crop rotation? — By growingsafflowers. At recent farm and ranchexpos, Dreamland Industries has of-fered farmers this crop as an alter-native that provides weed control,erosion control and more revenue.

“One of the great things about saf-flowers is that they actually quit us-ing soil moisture after bloom,” saidRay Templeton, Dreamland Indus-tries, a safflower production compa-ny.

In crop rotations with corn andwheat, there are periods when theground will be idle. This ground isoften prone to weed growth, whichrobs the soil of moisture. A commonpractice has been to disc fields to de-stroy the weeds, however this break-ing up of the soil may actually causegreater loss of soil moisture. An al-ternative to discing fields is to spraywith herbicides such as glysophate,which destroys all vegetation. Thecost for a “burndown” generallyruns about $10-13 per acre. Fieldsusually need to be treated at leasttwice through the summer andsometimes even more depending onthe amount of summer precipita-tion.

“Research has shown that work-ing summer fallow ground will actu-ally lose more water than to growsafflowers,” said Templeton. “That’swhere we see safflowers fitting intoa crop rotation. “

Safflowers are becoming part ofcrop rotations for producers inSouthwest, south central, and theNebraska Panhandle. Templetonsaid that there is a long history ofsafflower production in western Ne-braska because there used to be aseed-crushing mill in Kimball.Dreamland Industries of Abilene,Texas has begun contracting foracres of safflower through out thisregion.

According to Templeton, the bestplace in a crop rotation for safflow-ers is between plantings of corn andwheat. They are planted in Marchand April or when soil temperatureis at least 40 degrees. Even afteremergence, safflowers are quitehardy and can withstand a tempera-ture of 18 degrees in the rosettestage or 25 degrees after rosette.

“If you have a good soil moisture pro-file, you will make a crop,” said Temple-ton, “If you get 3-4 inches of rain, thenyou will get a really good crop.”

Templeton said that safflowers re-quire relatively little moisture andthrive in hot conditions. They arepretty resistant to damage frompests or weather related hazards.They are most vulnerable to diseaseduring the bloom stage if there areprolonged periods of heavy dews orwet humid weather. A fungus, al-ternaria, which is characterized byleaf spots can greatly impact yieldsif not treated. Treatment with fungi-cides such as Headline or Quadrisworks effectively.

Templeton said that crops that fol-

low safflowers often benefit from thesoil conditioning properties of saf-flowers. The 5-15’ taproot improveswater percolation into the soil pro-file. In addition, the root is rather fi-brous so water uptake is very thor-ough.

Dreamland Industries works withclosely with producers who contractacres. Their representatives advisefarmers from the preparation toplant and planting and throughoutthe growing season.

Crop specialists from Western Ne-braska’s Panhandle Research Center,Dipak Santra and Drew Lyons, feelthat including safflower in a crop ro-tation in a dryland situation wouldbe a very risky venture.

According to Lyons, safflower is adeep rooted, high water using plant.It is fairly similar to sunflowers, butcan dry out the soil profile evenmore. May, June, and July are theprimary rainfall months for thisarea, so the chance of receivingenough significant moisture torecharge the soil profile after a lateAugust safflower harvest is typicallylow.

“Safflower can extract water from6-7 feet deep in the soil,” said Santra.“That will have an impact on futurecrops.”

If safflower is part of a drylandcrop rotation, then Santra advisesthat it be included no more thanevery 5-6 years. It should always befollowed by a year of fallow to be cer-tain to recharge the soil moisture.

If grown in an irrigated situation,then the water risk is taken out. Saf-flowers do grow well in hot condi-tions with low humidity. Humid con-ditions will increase the risk of dis-ease that will require treatment withfungicides.

In an effort to use resources as sus-tainably as possible, it is worth thetime to compare the revenue gainedfrom growing safflowers to the mois-ture loss impact for the soil and fu-ture crops.

Safflowers: Great alternative crop

File photo

LINCOLN (AP) — A Ne-braska lawmaker who pro-posed creating an Agricul-ture Literacy Task Forceacknowledges passage ofher bill is unlikely this

session, but she now hopesthe Legislature will sup-port a new effort aimed atensuring children gain abetter understanding ofthe state’s largest industry.

Sen. Kate Sullivan ofCedar Rapids initiallywanted to create a taskforce to study just howmuch kids learn aboutfarms and agriculture inthe classroom. But thatmeasure was opposed bystate education officials,who said they already hadlaunched a similar effort,and probably won’t be ap-proved as the Legislaturemoves toward adjourn-ment next month.

Sullivan said she now isseeking support from theLegislature’s agricultureand education committeesto study the issue thissummer and hold publichearings.

“I don’t want it to be amandate for the schools,but I think there are someways to incorporate it thatI hope would be brought

out in the public hearing”she said.

Sullivan said she’sheard about nonprofitgroups formed to encour-age economic literacy ef-forts in schools, and he’slike to try something simi-lar.

“That’s the sort of thingthat could be done withagriculture” she said.

Sullivan said she will in-troduce a resolution call-ing for the agriculture andeducation committees toput the issue on their sum-mer schedules. Resolu-tions usually pass the Leg-islature easily, especiallyproposals such as Sulli-van’s idea that don’t carryany cost.

Hilary Maricle, an agri-culture instructor atNortheast CommunityCollege in Norfolk, saidpeople know little aboutmodern agriculture, evenin a state like Nebraskathat remains dependenton farming and livestock.

“People don’t ask ques-

tions about farming” Mar-icle said. “Why wouldthey? Their tummies arefull.”

Maricle, who also taughthigh school for five yearsin Albion and Spalding,said she supports Sulli-van’s effort to ensure agri-culture has a part inschool curriculums.

Sullivan’s original planwould create a nine-mem-ber panel made up of thechairmen of the Legisla-ture’s education and agri-cultural committees, thecommissioner of educa-tion, the director of agri-culture, two representa-tives of educational inter-ests, two representativesof agricultural interestsand one representativefrom a private agricultureliteracy group.

Although the state De-partment of Education op-posed the bill because offi-cials said they were al-ready studying the issue,Assistant CommissionerBrian Halstead told law-makers the departmentagreed with the need foragricultural education.

Try a Black AngusSteak on your new TRAEGER GRILL!

“Taste the Difference”

Push for ag education continues

Please see PPUUSSHH, Page D5

Lawmaker hopes to give Nebraska kids a betterunderstanding of their state’s largest industry


Mortgage Bankers • Insurance • InvestmentsP.O. Box 945 • 422 North Dewey • North Platte, Nebraska 69101

American Mortgage CompanyAmerican Agency

“Your Locally Owned Independent Mortgage Banker”

(308)532-4400

Our agents are hands on.We want to work with you to help

you understand your farm loan and insurance options

E. Dean NiedanCEO/President

Jackie PinkertonVice President

Agriculture

Chad Tetherow Agriculture

Loan Officer

Mark Stadler Insurance

Agent

World-Herald News Service

LINCOLN — Nebraska’s agri-cultural real estate valuesjumped 31 percent in the lastyear, the largest increase in the34-year history of the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln’s annualsurvey.

The 2012 UNL Nebraska FarmReal Estate Survey “confirmswhat most people close to agri-culture already knew — agricul-tural land values across thestate have shot upward in recentmonths,” said Bruce Johnson,the UNL agricultural economistwho conducts the survey.

Preliminary survey resultsshow the state’s all-land averagevalue as of Feb. 1 to be at $2,410per acre, 31 percent above theyear-earlier level. The annualgain is a new record in both dol-lar amount and percentage.

Cropland especially showedsignificant value gains in everyregion of the state, with increas-es of 35 percent or more noted inseveral areas.

“Clearly, a booming cash-grain economy in 2011 translat-ed into spirited bidding for crop-land,” Johnson said. “And, at thesame time that demand was ro-bust, the amount of land for salein any given local area was gen-erally minimal.”

Johnson said survey reporterssaid the land-transfer market

has been so thin that it’s diffi-cult to get a good reading on it.

Grazing land classes showedmore modest value gains for theyear, but overall for the state stillshowed a 19 increase for non-till-able grazing land.

The tillable grazing land class,which is land considered to bepotentially converted to crop-land, recorded significantlyhigher values and larger higherpercentage value gains in thoseareas of the state where nomoratoriums preclude furtherirrigation expansion.

Reflecting the great resourcediversity across the state, theper-acre values of land vary sig-nificantly.

For example, the average val-ue of center pivot irrigated land(pivot not included in the value)ranges from about $2,600 peracre in the Northwest District tonearly $8,000 per acre in the EastDistrict, with the highest quali-ty irrigated land exceeding$10,000 per acre.

Dryland cropland values showan even greater spread of morethan seven-fold from west toeast.

UNL survey reporters also re-ported higher cash rental ratesfor 2012 for all the land classes.

But the percentage advancesof cash rents over the previousyear were considerably belowthe land value advances. Forcropland, the cash rent advances

usually fell in the 10 percent to20 percent range.

Johnson said it’s reasonableto ask whether the gains of lastyear are sustainable.

“If one assumes that farm in-comes will remain at 2011 earn-ings levels or higher, then one

may answer with a guardedyes,” he wrote.

“However, more likely is animmediate future that is eco-nomically volatile for produc-tion agriculture, triggered byweather patterns, the strengthof the dollar, interest rates, in-

ternational financial fallouts,and political unrest both hereand abroad. That said, there isno question that some retreat ofthese value advances could easi-ly happen in the next few years,”Johnson added, calling that a“reality reset.”

Survey says: Ag land values jump 31 percentNeb.’s 2011 increase in real estatevalues is largest jump in at least34 years, according to UNL study

The department plansto complete a report onpossible changes to thesocial studies curricu-lum in October, hesaid.

Maricle said stu-dents in high schooland even at the collegelevel don’t understandthe modern agricul-ture industry.

“Agriculture has em-braced technology, butmost people thinkfarms are three chick-ens, a pig, and twocows” she said.

Maricle said studieshave shown that one inthree jobs in Nebraskais tied to agriculture,but that statistic is loston many people whosefamilies haven’t livedon farms for genera-tions.

“We work to help ourstudents to understandand share the story ofagriculture” Mariclesaid. “We tell them tolisten to the questionsthat people have andsay, ‘You be the source.’These students canhelp teach the generalpopulation every day.”

PUSHfrom Page D4

WWW.NPTELEGRAPH.COM

By LORI POTTERWorld-Herald News Service

HOLDREGE — Aftertwo record-setting watersupply years in the PlatteBasin, reservoir managersare planning for whatcould be a below-normal2012.

It all depends on howmuch it snows in theRocky Mountains in Col-orado and southernWyoming in the next twomonths and then how fastthe snow melts, CentralPublic Power and Irriga-tion District civil engineerCory Steinke said Tues-day.

At Central District Wa-ter Users’ annual meeting,he said some snowpackprogress has been made inthe upper part of theNorth Platte Basin fromwhich most of the Nebras-ka’s water comes. Steinkesaid averages were around70 percent of normal amonth ago and stood at 83percent Tuesday.

About 25 percent of

CNPPID’s water comesfrom the lower part of theNorth Platte Basin, whichis at 128 percent of the av-erage snowpack. TheSouth Platte Basin in Col-orado is in the “high 80s.”

“As a total, we’re notthere [at average],”Steinke said.

The two largest federalBureau of Reclamationreservoirs in the NorthPlatte Basin in Wyoming,Seminoe and Pathfinder,each has 200,000 acre-feetof space to fill this spring.

Steinke said most wa-ter releases from thosereservoirs are made inJune. For now, bureau of-ficials aren’t expecting toreach flood stage or have

a spill of excess water thisyear.

They do plan to makefull water deliveries to ir-rigation districts in theNebraska Panhandle andeastern Wyoming, whichhelps Central. Most ofLake McConaughy’s in-flows are return flows tothe North Platte Riverfrom those upstream irri-gation projects.

A normal water year orsomething less in 2012would follow two record-setting years.

In 2010, a combination oflate heavy snows in themountains and springrain downstream had re-filled drought-depletedreservoirs faster than any-one could have anticipat-ed. Lake McConaughy sawabout 1.6 million a-f of in-flows.

Steinke said inflows to-

taled 2.6 million a-f in2011. Some came in at 9,000cubic feet per second attimes when 2,000 cfs is thenorm. A slow late spring-early summer snowmeltallowed water managersto avoid major flooding inthe basin.

Steinke said those twowet years compare to per-haps five similar ones inthe history of Lake Mc-Conaughy. They followed

six consecutive dry yearsearlier in the decade thateach would have been arecord low for inflows.

For now, he’s projecting2012 inflows of less than900,000 a-f, which wouldcompare with the averageof about 930,000 a-f.“That’s unless somethingchanges pretty fast up-stream,” he added.

Back to normal � or less � this water yearMarch, April mountain snowkey to supplies in Platte Basin Lake McConaughy today

Elevation: 3254.9 feetVolume: 1,451,600 acre-feetPercent of full: 83.3, compared to 83 a

year agoInflows: 1,010 cubic feet per second,

compared to 1,648 cfs a year ago

Please see WWAATTEERR, Page D6


521 NORTH BAILEY • NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA

PHONE: 308/532-5151 FAX: 308/534-5308“INSURING WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU”

BW INSURANCE

2102 Rodeo Rd. • North Platte

308-532-2344

Complete WaterSystems for Lawn Yard • DomesticLivestock Pumps,

Sprinklers, Stock Tanks

~ Directional Drilling ~Always been here, Always will...

1415 E. 8th, North Platte 308-532-5010�Open Monday - Friday 8:00 - 6:00 pm�

Saturday 8:00 - 4:00 pm�

* Ropes�* Tack�* Livestock Show� Supplies�* Animal Health�* Livestock Equipment�

ADM ALLIANCE NUTRITION, INC.�

Elsie Feed Center�101 S. Perkins, Elsie, NE 69134� 308-228-4321 or 877-802-0127�

Open Mon-Fri 8:00 - 6:00�

www.stockmansfeed.com� www.stockmansfeed.com�

North Platte Feed Center�

Your Full Service Feed & Livestock Supply Center� Your Full Service Feed & Livestock Supply Center�

* Accuration�* Range Mineral�* Horse Feed�* Pet Food�* Protein Tubs�* Range Cubes�

Trade a power tool & receive

$100 toward the purchase of a

“New” M18 Milwaukee Cordless!

*Trade-In must be complete tool

with 2 batteries

1900 East 4th Street• North Platte, NE

308.532.4840

KNAPP ELECTRIC Inc.Good Now Thru March 31st

The current split jetstream to the north andsouth isn’t a strong mois-ture pattern for Nebraska,Steinke said. However, thewettest mountain snows ofthe season typically comein March and April.

Less water in 2012 alsowill mean fewer diversionsspecifically for hydropow-er production. He said wa-ter running through thehydros during irrigationseason probably will bejust irrigation diversions.

Steinke said Lake Mc-Conaughy currently isdown 10 feet from a fullreservoir, so the goal is to

add to the volume once U.S.Fish and Wildlife Servicereleases from an designat-ed environmental accountend. The lake typicallydrops 15 feet during an irri-gation season.

Meanwhile, Central offi-cials planned to start fill-ing Elwood Reservoir to-day and have it full by Juneas a source of late-irriga-tion-season supplementalwater.

A new issue for CNPPIDis leasing water to help nat-ural resources districts,the Platte River RecoveryImplementation Programand other potential buyersmeet streamflow require-ments. Steinke said discus-sions with those groups is

focused on “how to do thisand make it work,” whichwill take time.

Later at the meeting,CNPPID General ManagerDon Kraus said the districtalso is working with Platteprogram officials on feasi-bility studies for smallreservoirs that may bebuilt near the Platte Riverin northern Phelps County,downstream from the J-2power plant. Water deliv-ered through Central’sPhelps Canal could be heldin the reservoirs for re-timed releases into the riv-er.

Kraus said that wouldbenefit Central’s water usefor hydropower productionand also the river.

He also said a long-termissue still to be resolved ishow to restore North PlatteRiver flows into Lake Mc-Conaughy in dry years.

During the droughtyears, Central officialsclaimed that inflows weredepleted by upstream irri-gators pumping groundwa-ter that is hydrologicallyconnected to the river.Kraus said that CNPPIDwill continue to raise theissue with NRDs and theLegislature.

WATERfrom Page D5

Lake McConaughy is seen here in a photo from spring 2011. Nebraska water expertsand public power officials say that water resources could be below normal this year.

File photo

By LORI POTTERWorld-Herald News Service

GRAND ISLAND — A bid ofnearly $300,000 from Ho ChunkBuilders of South Sioux Cityhas been accepted by the Execu-tive Committee of the CentralPlatte Natural Resources Dis-trict Board of Directors for re-habilitation work on ThirtyMile Canal in Dawson County.

The bid of $299,067 was about$14,700 less than the only other

bid received, said CPNRD Gen-eral Manager Ron Bishop.

Trees will be cleared alongthree to four miles of the canalover the next month as the firstphase of an estimated $3 millionworth of rehabilitation work.

The irrigation project wasconstructed in 1927 and runsabout 36 miles on the south sideof the Platte River from nearJeffrey Lake east to the Inter-state 80 exit at Darr. It has 52structures, including bridges,

siphons and culverts, that willbe repaired or replaced in thelater phases.

Under an agreement approvedin January, CPNRD is payingabout $2 million for half interestin the irrigation district and itswater rights, in addition to therehabilitation work costs.

Central Platte also has man-agement-lease agreements withthe Southside Irrigation Co.,also known as the Orchard-Al-falfa canal, and with the Cozad

Ditch Co. on the north side ofthe river, which dates to 1894.

Ho Chunk Builders is workingunder a $551,801 contract award-ed in December to clear treesand reshape canals on the lowerend of the Cozad Ditch Co. sys-tem. That project, set for comple-tion by April 10, is the firstphase of a $7.7 million rehabili-tation project.

All three agreements allowCPNRD to use the canals after

irrigation season to hold divert-ed off-season excess Platte Riverflows, when available. Water willseep from the canals intogroundwater hydrologicallyconnected to the river and pro-vide river enhancement creditsfor the NRD.

Central Platte officials areseeking water rights from theNebraska Department of Natur-al Resources for any credits tothe river.

More rehab work ahead for Dawson Co. canals


Economic specialists atthe Cornhusker Econom-ics Conference held Feb.29 at the West Central Re-search and ExtensionCenter provided bankersand producers informa-tion about price projec-tions for agriculturalproducts. A strong agri-cultural economy is giv-ing producers more in-come to work with, but aslow economic recoveryand uncertainty aboutthe presidential electionahead are keeping con-sumers cautious.

James Robb, Directorof the Livestock MarketInformation Center,tracked the history ofbeef demand over theyears and explained thereasons behind thesurges and slow-downs.During the recent reces-sion, beef demanddropped slightly, but hasgradually climbed backup as consumers show acontinued interest inpurchasing beef. Manyconsumers have opted tobuy less expensive beefcuts and more hamburg-er rather than shiftingtheir meat choice tochicken.

With less demand forchicken products, poul-try producers have ad-justed their productiondown. Those growers willfind it more difficult toshow a profit due to thehigh cost of feed at thepresent time.

The pork market hashad less domestic de-mand, but a rise in thedemand of the exportmarket is bringing inmoney for pork produc-ers. Asian countries are

the major purchasersand are interested inquartered carcassesrather than packagedmeat. After distributionin the foreign market,then the carcasses are cutto suit local demand. U.S.pork production is on theincrease, and Robb ex-pects the export marketto absorb it.

The high quality ofU.S. meat products is aprimary reason the for-eign markets continue toseek U.S. meat. That de-mand includes varietymeats and some by-prod-ucts that are not in veryhigh demand domestical-ly.

“The reason cattleprices are high is partlydue to domestic demand,but a lot is the export de-mand,” said Robb.

As countries such asIndia and China begin todevelop a middle class,those growing consumerincomes overseas drivemore demand for U.S.beef exports.

It is not new news thatcattle numbers are thelowest in many years, butproducers are gettingmore pounds out of theanimals in production.Any thought to figuringwhere this trend fits intothe cattle cycle will resultin few explanations. Robbpointed out that the beefindustry is no longer thehighly cyclical industrythat it was in the past. Itis more accurately de-scribed as a seasonal in-dustry now.

High cattle prices arebeneficial to producers,but cattle feeders whopresently face a high costof gain are under morepressure. Packers arefeeling even more finan-

cial stress as it becomesincreasingly difficult topush costs on to con-sumers.

All indicators point tostrong cattle prices into2012 with a price projec-tion of 500-600 weightsteers bringing between$169-177 per cwt. and 700-800 pounders bringing$151-157/cwt. The returnper cow in 2011 was $90and that is anticipated tobe over $200 in 2012. Thatfigure is cash cost includ-ing pasture rent.

While cattlemen have alot to look forward to,there remains the chancefor price volatility andmarket shocks.

“Cattle prices have setrecords, but the rollercoaster will continue at amuch higher level,” saidRobb.

Producers need to con-tinue to carefully calcu-late feed costs and man-age forages properly.

Grain marketpresentation

Dan O’Brien, extensionag economist fromKansas State University,started out his presenta-tion on the grain marketoutlook by spotlightingthe key “drivers” thatwill impact future grainprices.

For feedgrains, the ac-tual production from theexpected planted acreswill have an influence aswell as continued wor-ries about tight suppliesbecause of lower levels ofcorn in storage. In thesoybean market, thequestions center on theexpected production ofthe United States andSouth America. The U.S.export market is fairlydependent on Chinese de-mand, so that is anotherarea to watch. As far asthe wheat market goes,

Conference shares infowith bankers, producersSpecialists offer guidance onag product prices and more

Please see IINNFFOO, Page D7


there have been projec-tions that U.S. acres plant-ed are at an all time lowand the Black Sea wheatcrop may be in distress dueto weather. Yet there is anabundance of storedwheat, so it is unlikely thatthere will be a shortage.

According to O’Brien, ifthe trendline average of155-160 bushels per acreholds true, then the expect-ed corn production for 2012will be between 13.5 and 14billion bushels. Those kindof supplies could pull cornprices down into the $4-$4.50 per bushel range.

Over the past years, cornprices have been influ-enced by needs of theethanol market and weath-er related calamities thatreduced production. Cornprices reached all timehighs of $7.50-$8 per bushelin late summer 2011, butthe price has eased down to$6.50.

“We can’t count onethanol to continue andgrow as it did,” saidO’Brien.

A look at the current fu-tures market shows pricesthat aren’t that much high-er than the current cashprice. This indicates thatgrain buyers may not be asinterested in stored corn.

Presently, market indica-tors project that 2012 har-vested corn will be sellingfrom $4.50-$6 per bushel,dependent on overall pro-duction.

With a look at the wheatmarket, O’Brien did nothave optimistic news.

“The big bear in thewheat market is that wehave enough supplies to ab-sorb shortages around theworld,” said O’Brien. “Wenow have about 40-percentstock.”

The projected price forwheat harvested in 2012 isaround $5 per bushel.

INFOfrom Page D6

Brad Lubben, UNL assistant professor and extension policy specialist, talks with par-ticipants at the Cornhusker Economics Conference held at the West Central Researchand Extension Center on Feb 29. The conference topics covered the economic outlookfor crops, livestock, future farm policy and current trends in rent agreements for agricul-tural properties.

Courtesy photo

Please see IINNFFOO, Page D8


Frey Pivot Service, Inc.Kent, Eric & Shirley Frey

STAPLETON, NE 69163308-636-2327 (Business)

Kent: 308-636-8349 (Cellular)Eric: 308-636-8133 (Cellular)

Farm programsFarm programs for U.S.

farmers have existed for al-most 80 years, and theywere originally establishedto help farmers whenevents beyond their con-trol occurred that wouldcause income or output toplummet. Those govern-ment programs were espe-cially needed in the “DirtyThirties” and the Depres-sion years when averagefarm household incomesubstantially lagged that ofnon-farm households.Whether focused on pricesupports, income supportsor risk management, thoseprograms have been con-sidered a safety net for pro-ducers. Brad Lubben, poli-cy specialist and directorof the North Central RiskManagement EducationCenter, outlined the struc-ture of past farm policyand how current economicconditions will impactsome changes.

Historically, the farmprograms have been gov-ernment funding to sup-port income for farmers tocontinue in business ifthere was lost income, lim-ited access to credit or nat-ural disasters that de-stroyed the crop. Past pro-grams were priced based,so that if commodityprices fell below target lev-els, then producers wouldreceive compensation inthe form of loan-deficien-cy payments or countercyclical payments. Produc-ers participating in theprogram are also eligiblefor fixed, direct paymentsthat continue today. Theprice-based payments havebeen greatly reduced andtarget prices are so low rel-ative to current marketprices that the price-basedsupports provide little inpayments or protection.

In the 2008 Farm Bill, theACRE program was intro-duced as an average rev-enue-based safety net. Pro-tection levels are calculat-ed according to a 5-yearmoving average on yieldand a 2-year moving aver-age for price. The state-lev-el revenue guarantee islimited to an annualchange of no more than 10-percent, which has re-stricted its ability to keeppace with the current in-

crease in prices. WhileACRE offers better protec-tion than the price-basedprograms, participationhas been limited to date be-cause of the complexity ofthe program, the concernover the 10-percent cap, therequirement of losses atthe state level to triggerpayments, and most signif-icantly the loss of 20-per-cent of the direct paymentfor producers participatingin the ACRE program.

The third component ofthe safety net is coveragefrom crop insurance. Ac-cording to Lubben, it is thebiggest part of any produc-ers’ management decisionat present. Most crop in-surance is designed to pro-tect from yield or revenueshortfalls, but it only offerscoverage based on currentyear prices, so protectionfalls when prices fall overmultiple years. It is alsobased on production histo-ry, so a few bad years can

change the history andtherefore the yield goalsfor coverage.

As budget constraintsbegin to restrict spendingacross all government pro-grams, agriculture is sureto be downsized. The Agri-culture Committee leader-ship is recommending that23 billion in reductions bemade over the next 10years. Within the proposedbudget cuts and programchanges, the overall goal isto make the revenue safetynet more efficient withcrop insurance as the foun-dation. It is likely that thedirect payments programwill be eliminated.

“The driving force in thecurrent policy debate isbudget, budget, budget,”said Lubben.

Nebraska has becomeproactive in creating mod-els that can be used to testthe impact of farm pro-gram changes. The Nebras-ka Soybean Board has

funded a research project atUNL that has developed rep-resentative farms acrossthe state that can provideinsight on the farm level im-pact of farm programs andpolicy changes. Research todate has demonstrated thatpotential changes in farmprograms could improvethe performance of revisedrevenue-safety net pro-grams over the currentACRE program, but that to-tal payments to producersare likely to be much small-er than has historicallybeen received from directpayments.

Producers will certainlyneed to watch the potentialchanges coming in farmprograms and analyze theimpact on risk manage-ment decisions.

“Producers will alsoneed to watch other policyissues such as proposedregulations and even poli-cy developments in the so-cial arena including chang-

ing market and consumerdemands to stay on top oftheir operation and theirfuture opportunities,” saidLubben.

Farm programs havebeen a main player in pro-viding resources for farm-ing, but many farm pro-grams focus on improvedland management and re-source conservation prac-tices. Brad Lubben pre-sented information aboutthe changes in conserva-tion programs and the ben-efits available. Past conser-vation reserve programs(CRP) took land out of pro-duction to reduce erosion.Producers participated inthe program voluntarily,and Nebraska reached 35million acres in CRP. It be-came a major part of thefarm programs budget, butover time the paymentshave become less. It is ex-pected that as current CRPcontracts expire, fewer willbe renewed and the land

will be put back into pro-duction or used for wildlifehabitat.

As CRP acres becomeavailable, Lubben sees thepossibility of adjustingmanagement arrange-ments.

“This could be one of thefew entry opportunitiesthat exist for beginningfarmers or ranchers,” saidLubben.

He recommends thatyoung farmers or rancherstry to get in contact withproducers who have CRPcontracts that expire soon.Landowners that transi-tion CRP acres to a begin-ning farmer or ranchercan be eligible for tax in-centives, etc.

Robert Tigner, South-West 4 UNL Extension Ed-ucator, presented informa-tion on current trends inproperty values and the in-fluencing factors for estab-lishing rental rates foragricultural use land.

INFOfrom Page D7

Nebraska gov.announces farmand ranch tour

LINCOLN (AP) — Gov.Dave Heineman is plan-ning a one-day tour of Ne-braska to honor the state’sfarmers and ranchers.

The governor’s office an-nounced Tuesday thatHeineman will visitAinsworth, Alliance andGrand Island on March 16,along with Department ofAgriculture director GregIbach and Nebraska FarmBureau representatives.

Heineman proclaimedthis week Nebraska Agri-culture Week to coincidewith the national weekthat honors farming andranching.

State officials say farmmarketing contributesmore than $17 billion an-nually to Nebraska’s econ-omy.

Nebraska is the nation’stop producer of red meat,Great Northern beans andpopcorn. It also consistent-ly ranks among the na-tion’s top five producers ofcorn, soybeans, hay anddry edible beans.

NEWS ATA GLANCE

t

CALLUS AT

532-6007FOR THE

TIME AND

TEMP


Vilsack to stressconservation inNebraska speech

OMAHA (AP) — U.S.Agriculture Secretary TomVilsack highlighted con-servation programs duringa speech at the NationalFarmers Union conventionin Nebraska on March 5.

The Agriculture Depart-ment announced a newprogram that offers finan-cial incentives for farmersto enroll up to 1 millionnew acres in the conserva-tion reserve program. Thenew program focuses ongrasslands and wetlands.

About 6.5 million of the30 million acres the gov-ernment pays farmers toidle are covered by con-tracts that expire this fall.Officials are worried thatfarmers might decide toput more land into produc-tion to take advantage ofhigh corn and soybeanprices.

Vilsack says he hopes tobe able to keep the numberof acres enrolled in theconservation programaround 30 million.

Nebraska prairiedog bill wins finalapproval

LINCOLN (AP) — A billdesigned to limit the

spread of black-tailedprairie dogs in Nebraskahas won final approval inthe Legislature, and willnow head to Gov. DaveHeineman.

Lawmakers gave finalapproval Thursday to themeasure by Ellsworth Sen.LeRoy Louden. The pro-posal would give countiesthe power to carry outmanagement programs tocontrol their numbers.Ranchers view the prairiedogs as pests.

The bill is intended toprevent black-tailedprairie dog colonies fromspreading from one per-son’s property to another.Counties would have thepower to notify landown-ers that a colony is not be-ing managed, and could re-quire them to address theproblem.

Radon conferenceplanned inNebraska City

NEBRASKA CITY (AP)— State officials and theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency will hold a confer-ence on radon later thismonth in Nebraska City.

Health officials fromIowa, Kansas, Missouriand Nebraska will join theEPA at the conference onMarch 14.

NEWS AT A GLANCEt


Sargent Irrigation Co.Nebraska L ic . #39194

Contact Sargent Irrigation Co. To Have Your Pump Work& Well Drilling Needs Scheduled As Early As Possible.

SARGENT IRRIGATION CO.

866-872-6451Broken Bow, NE

888-777-2809Grant, NE

308-537-3625Gothenburg, NE

ProfessionalService and Reliability on allIrrigation, Domestic, Stock

and Municipal Wells.

We can handle all your seed & feed needs.Fertilizer - Custom Application - Chemicals - Tires - Car Care- Propane - Bulk Oil & GreaseBatteries - Refined Fuels - 24

Hr. Gas

Stapleton: 308-636-2253 • Arnold: 308-848-32551-800-877-7689

TreesWe know trees!WWhhaatt kinds do best.WWhheerree to grow them.

HHooww to plant and care for them.

85 Varieties

532-6100Nursery, Lawn & Garden

8th & PoplarM-Sat 9am-5:30pmClosed Sunday

By ANDREW [email protected]

In 2011, the UnitedStates Department ofAgriculture began to im-plement a nation-wide ani-mal identification pro-gram that is aimed attracking animals in caseof the outbreak of a dis-ease.

The USDA’s goal is tohelp stop a disease out-break, such as the Footand Mouth Disease out-break in England that costthe country’s livestock in-dustry thousands of cattleand millions of dollars.

“That’s what the USA isworried about. It may nev-er happen. We have prettygood regulation. But, ithappened in Britain,” saidRandy Saner, unit leaderat the University of Ne-braska extension office in

North Platte. “And it hap-pened by some food thatcame in and wasn’t cookedproperly. It devastatedtheir whole livestock in-dustry.”

Saner also said there isconcern that a terroristgroup could bring Footand Mouth into the coun-try, and it could spreadrapidly, because its such ahighly contagious diseasefor livestock.

While the spread of dis-ease is the primary con-cern for the USDA, Saneralso said the animal iden-tification might become anecessity for exports inthe future, as well.

“All of our competitorshave [animal identifica-tion],” Saner said. “Obvi-ously, Canada can tracetheir animals a little bet-ter than we can. That’s

why we’re looking at it, be-cause other countries aredoing it.”

Saner said the UnitedStates primary competi-tors – including Canada,Australia, New Zealandand England – are all us-ing animal identificationsystems and more andmore countries are begin-ning to use country of ori-gin tracking as they im-port beef.

“Country of origin la-beling is part of that. Ani-mal ID was for a differentcause, but it may becomepart of the same thing, ifcountries require that inthe future,” Saner said.

Producers are mostlyconcerned with the cost ofthe animal identification,which falls primarily onthe producer, while othersare concerned with gov-ernment intrusion, Sanersaid.

Saner said many west-ern Nebraska farmers andranchers have long-be-lieved that the brandingsystem would be enoughto track cattle, but Sanernoted that most statesdon’t have a branding sys-tem, nor do they havebranding inspectors.

“There’s just not enoughstates that would accept it,or understand it, and theydon’t have brand inspec-

tors,” Saner said. “So, theywent to the ear tag.”

Saner said initially theUSDA was going to re-quire a certain type ofelectronic tracing tag,which producers wouldhave to purchase at a fair-ly high cost. He said theUSDA has backed off thatsome, telling producersthat the metal health tagsthat many producers al-ready use would beenough to satisfy the re-quirements.

“They have made somechanges to the positive. Ithink they are finallystarting to listen to thepeople at the bottom [ofthe producer line],” Sanersaid.

Eventually, records maybe kept electronically,which Saner said would bemuch faster and more con-venient for everyone in-volved in the process, in-cluding producers, buyersand veterinarians.

Other concerns fromproducers include privacyissues, though Saner saidthe USDA’s intent is onlyto access the records, atthis point, in case of anemergency.

“It is somewhat intru-sive. But, it would only beaccessed in case of anemergency,” he said.

Will current livestock IDmeasures prove adequate?

File photo

Shelby manturns remotepasture intogolf course

SHELBY (AP) —Along T Road, in thePolk County country-side, a small sign isstaked in the ground.

“Golf ” it reads in redlettering. Below, an ar-row directs trafficthrough a steel cattlegate, up a gravel paththat winds toward thehilltop.

On the hill, rippedfrom its foundation inShelby just two monthsago, sits a building sur-rounded by freshlymoved dirt.

Welcome to Kyote Run,the state’s newest publicgolf course.

Carved out of 60 acresof former pasture, the2,800-yard par 36 is still“a work in progress,”creator John Messingsays, but work is some-thing he and wife JoAnnare plenty used to sincethe project started nineyears ago.

Located about fivemiles northwest of Shel-by on land Messing’s fa-ther owned, the golfcourse concept can becredited to a son-in-lawwho introduced the 61-year-old to the game.

“I was young at heartwhen I first started,”Messing said.

He was also lookingfor a way to hone hisskills on a couple ofpractice holes. That ideaquickly escalated to afull public course.

“The more I got tothinking about it, if I’mgoing to put in two, I

might as well put in thewhole nine holes,” theShelby native said.

After eight years ofworking and reshapingthe rolling hills, andwith the help of friendsand family, the Messingsopened Kyote Run GolfCourse last year.

About 250 peopleplayed during the inau-gural season, which in-cluded a Shelby commu-nity picnic tournament.

Ironically, Messing, atone time a 13 handicap,wasn’t among them aftera fall from his tractor.

“I hardly played lastyear,” he said.

Messing hopes to holdvarious leagues andtournaments once inter-est is high enough.

But for now, his focusis on improving thecourse itself.

A 2,000-square-footclubhouse — the old con-vent and chapel from Sa-cred Heart CatholicChurch that Messingpurchased for $1 — wasmoved from its Shelby lo-cation to the course inJanuary.

The building, whichstill has pews in it, willsoon serve as a gath-ering place for play-ers to grab a snack,light lunch or oneof the seven

Please seeGGOOLLFF, Page D11


*All rebates to dealer. Rebates to dealer business center customers only. Rebates/sale can end at any time. Rebates are subject to change at any time.$1000 of 2500/3500 pickup rebate requires a trade-in. $750 of Miin-van rebate requires customer to already own a Chrysler group vehicle (loyalty prog).Certificate/ Commercial programs not included (ex: railroad program or commercial customer). These programs may lower price/ increase rebate. Contact

Dealer for Details. (020212).

*NEW & USED CHRYSLER/ DODGE CARS12 Chrysler 200 Limited, 3.6v6, Htd pwr leather, Auto temp, Bluetooth,

Remote start, Travel comp, Deep Cherry, List $27135 . . . . . . .$2342411 Dodge Avenger Luxury, 3.6v6, Htd leather, Remote start, Bluetooth,

SUNROOF, Travel comp, Chrome whls, Loaded, Sharp, 15k mi . .$1980011 Dodge Avenger Express, 2.4FiI4, Pwr htd seat, Remote entry, Traction

control, 2-units, Very nicely equipped, 11 & 13k mi. Starting . .$1750010 Chrysler 300 Limited, 2-Pwr htd leather seats, Remote start,

Smartbeam, ESP, Travel comp, Chrome whls, Decked Exec, 13k mi . . . . .$2390010 Chrysler Sebring Limited, V6, Pwr htd leather, SUNROOF, 6-CD,

Sirius, Strg wheel cont, Alum mags, Well equipped/ Nice, 25k mi$1890010 Dodge Avenger R/T(2), FiI4, Pwr htd leather . . . . . . . . .$1788510 Chry Sebring Limited, Pwr htd leather, Alum mags, . . . .$1640006 Charger SXT 3.5v6, Pwr seat, Boston sound, Keyless . . . . .$1380005 Chrysler 300 Touring, 3.5v6, 2-pwr leather seats . . . . . .$980002 Chrysler Concorde Limited, 2-pwr leather seats, Premium sound, 75kmi $6950

OTHER BRAND USED CARS11 Mercury Milan Premier, V6, 2-pwr htd leather seats, Auto temp, Sync

Bluetooth, Keyless, Strg whl cont, Travel comp, Sharp, Eye catcher$1940011 Toyota Camry LE, 2.5LFiI4, 6-spd autostick, Pwr seat, Keyless,

CD strg whl control, Traction cont, Great MPG, 2 choices . . . . .$1740010 Ford Fusion SEL, 2-pwr htd leather, Dual zone auto temp, Sunroof,

6-CD sony sound, U-connect, Prog travel comp, Decked, 25k mi .$1980010 Pontiac G6 GT, V6, Htd leather pwr seat, Remote start, Sunroof,

Strg wheel cont, Eye catcher!! 30k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1880010 Chevy Impala LT, 2.5v6, Pwr seat, Remote start . . . . . . .$1680009 Ford Focus SES, Full pwr, Keyless, Sync, Alum mags, New tires, Very NiceShape, 30k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1380007 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, Leather, 2-pwr seats . . . .$1580006 Chevy Impala LT, Dual zone, Pwr seat, Remote start . . . . .$878501 Lincoln Town Car Executive, 2-pwr leather seats, 88k mi .$6850NEW & USED 4x4 & 2WD S.U.V & CROSS-OVER

VEHICLES11 Durango Citadel AWD, Hemi, 2-pwr htd/cooled leather, Prem sound, Rear

video, $49155 List, 28k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3780011 Durango Crew AWD, 3.6v6, 2-pwr seats, GPS NAV, Rear video, Bluetooth,

Remote start, Rainsense, Back camera, SUNROOF . . . . . . . . .$3380011 Chevy Traverse LTZ AWD, 2-pwr htd/cooled leather bkts, 2nd row bkts,

Remote start, Bose sound, Back camera, Choice very loaded unit $3180010 Nissan Armada SE Titanium 4x4, 5.6v8, 8-pass, 6-CD Bose, 2-zone

auto temp,Back camera, 2-zone auto temp, Pwr seat/pedals/R seat Boards,Nice!! 21k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30900

10 Dodge Journey Uptown R/T AWD, Tri-zone auto temp . .$28800The same unit without Sunroof, Very Sharp Exec, 5k mi . . . . .$26800

10 GMC Terrain SLT2 AWD, Htd Leather, Auto temp, SunroofPioneer sound, Remote start, Travel comp, Sharp & Loaded . .$28400

10 GMC Terrain SLE AWD, Pwr seat, Back Camera, Pioneersound, Keyless, On star, Travel comp, comp/temp, Very Nice . .$25800

10 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4x4, Htd Leather, 35k mi . . . .$2540010 Nitro SXT 4x4, Htd Leather, NAV, Decked Executive, 18k mi .$2340010 Dodge Journey R/T, Htd Leather, Auto temp, Remote start,

Loaded, 23k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2280010 Jeep Commander Sport 2wd, 3.7v6, Pwr seat, Parksense,

Nice, 28k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2040009 Dodge Journey R/T AWD, 3-zone auto temp, Pwr htd leather, SUNROOF,

Prem sound, GPS NAV, Back camera, Very heavily equipped, 27k mi . . . .$2390009 Dodge Journey R/T, Pwr htd leather, 3-zone auto temp, Remote start,

Flex seating, SUNROOF, 6-CD, Chrome whls . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2190009 Dodge Journey SXT, Pwr seat, Keyless, Prem sound, Rear video, . . .

Alum whls, A great value!! 35k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1790009 Ford Escape XLT 4x4, V6, Pwr seat, Keyless,

Well equipped, Nice, 46k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1780005 Honda Pilot EX-L DVD, Htd Leather, Moonroof,

Rear video, Loaded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$1278500 Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4x4, 4.0I6, 5-spd . . . . . . . . . . .$1080097 Ford Exlplorer XLT, 4.0v6, 2 pwr seats . . . . . . . . . . . . .$4750

*NEW DODGE PICKUPS2500/3500's

12 3500 Crew cab Laramie 4x4 LB, Cummins, List $59325 . . .$4988212 3500 Crew cab Laramie 4x4 LB, Cummins, List $55225 . .$4631312 2500 Crew cab Laramie 4x4 SB, Cummins, List $55600 . . .$46178

1500's12 1500 Crew Laramie 4x4, Hemi, 2-pwr htd/cooled leather bkts, Htd rear,

Remote start, List $47185 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3940912 1500 Crew Laramie 4x4, Hemi, 2-pwr htd/cooled leather bkts, Htd rear,

Remote start, Possi, Spray liner, List $45945 . . . . . . . . . . . .$3836412 1500 Crew Laramie 4x4, Hemi, 2-pwr . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3770512 1500 Crew Big Horn 4x4, Hemi, Possi, Premium sound, Luxury group,

Keyless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3296712 1500 Quad Big Horn 4x4, Hemi, Pwr seat, 20" chrome wheels, Chrome

tubes, Possi, Premium sound, Remote start, Nicely Loaded, List $39575 . .$3265312 1500 Quad Big Horn 4x4, Hemi, Pwr seat, 20" Alum polished, Auto

dim mrs, Luxury group, List $36930 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3040412 1500 Quad Express 4x4, Hemi, Tow pkg, Full pwr,

Keyless, 20" alum wheels, HD cooling, Fog lamps,List $33390 . .$2716912 1500 Reg cab 4x4 Tradesman, 4x4, Remote entry, Chrome appearance,

List $29785 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25415USED DODGE PICKUPS

11 1500 Crew Longhorn 4x4, Rambox, Hemi, 22k mi . . . .$3888511 1500 Quad Sport Premium 4x4, Hemi, Sport hood, Park sense, Chrome20's, Very Sharp, 20k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$3180011 1500 Quad Outdoorsman 4x4, Luxury grp, Possi, Travel comp, Remote

start, Fog lamps, 7k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2990010 1500 Crew Laramie 4x4, Rambox, Back camera . . . . .$3488510 1500 Crew Big Horn 4x4, Hemi, Pwr seat, Remote start, Touch screen,

Cool Vanilla w/ cool chrome pkg, Head turner, Well Loaded, 20k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$30900

10 1500 Crew Big Horn 4x4, Hemi, Pwr seat, Keyless, Bluetooth, Travel comp, HD tow, 20" Alum mags, Sharp, 14k mi . . . . . .$28900

09 1500 Crew SLT 4x4, Pwr seat, Remote start, Prem sound, Navigation, R video, Dlx travel comp, Possi, Loaded Executive, 15k mi . . .$28900

08 1500 Quad Big Horn 4x4, Hemi, Pwr seat, Remote start, Travel comp,Cool Vanilla w/ cool chrome pkg, 30k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25700

07 3500 Cab/ Chassis Dually 4x4, Cummins, 6-spd Auto, HD workhorse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23800

USED CHEVY/FORD/ NISSAN PICKUPS11 Chevy Ext cab 4x4 Silverado 4x4, 5.3v8, Pwr seat, 2-zone, Bluetooth,

Traction cont, Travel comp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2840010 Nissan Titan Crew LE 4x4, 5.6v8, 2-pwr htd leather, 6-CD Rockford

Fosgate sound, 24k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2980008 Ford F150 Supercrew FX4 Off Road 4x4, SUNROOF, Chrome tubes, Alum

20", Sharp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2578597 Ford 150 Ext cab 2wd Lariat, 3dr, Pwr seat,

Leather, Keyless, Solid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$488595 Chevy 3500 Crew 4x4 LB, Silverado, 7.4v8, Auto,

HD pull, 142k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5850*NEW & USED MINI-VANS

CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRYS & DODGE GRANDCARAVANS

12 Chry T/C Touring, 3.6v6, Pwr seat, Tri-zone a/c, Blind spot detect,

Rainsense, Back camera, 9" R video, 29k pkg, List $30830Now $2789512 Chry T/C Touring, 3.6v6, Pwr seat, Tri-zone a/c, Blind spot,

Rainsense, Back camera, 29k pkg, List $29435 . . . . . .Now $2695312 Dodge Grand SXT, Stow-go, 3.6v6, HD cooling, Super

console, Remote start, Security grp, List, $27725 . . . . .Now $2520511 Chry T/C Limited, GPS NAV, Rear video, Cross path detection, Smartbeam,

2-pwr htd seats, Rear htd seats, SUNROOF . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34800Add removable 2nd row seats, Another decked executive, 11k mi$33800

11 Chry T/C Touring, Pwr seat/door/liftgate/pedals, Blind spot detect,

Rainsense, Smartbeam, Back-up camera,14k mi . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2378511 Dodge Mainstreet, Pwr doors/liftgate . . . . . . . . . . . .$2288509 Dodge SXT, 4.0, 2-pwr htd leather seats, New $42800, 3k mi$27900

Club Car carts to be stored in thebasement. Eventually, Messingsaid he would like to see the club-house operating as a weekendsteakhouse, as well.

One thing you won’t find there isalcohol. Golfers of legal age are al-lowed to bring it with them, if theyabide by a couple rules.

“We just ask them to be responsi-ble,” Messing said, “responsible fortheir litter and responsible fortheir actions.”

On the course, locust trees havebeen planted as windbreaks on thehilltops and bluegrass is starting toovertake parts of the native grassfairways. The bentgrass greens aresmall, making them a challenge tohit for nearly any golfer.

When they’re not farming, theMessings can spend up to 10 hoursa day mowing, watering and main-taining Kyote Run.

The other employees are all fam-ily members, because “If theywant to play golf, they have towork,” Messing said.

Messing knows his course isn’tPebble Beach. There are no swankyhomes overlooking its edges.

Kyote Run is golf in its rawestform, and it’s challenging, he said.

Among the nine holes are a 500-yard par 5 that requires players tocross three separate draws and apicturesque No. 6 that snakesthrough the valley offering a tightfairway to eye from the elevatedtee.

A lake is in play on three differ-ent holes, with a second water haz-ard reachable for those unfortu-nate enough to hit a snap hook offNo. 9.

The encouraging news for poten-tial players is the 178-yard par 3was already aced last year.

Messing plans to add a drivingrange and bunkers in the future.

“I’m waiting for all the divots toshow up, then I know where to putthe sand traps,” he said.

It’s about location when playingKyote Run, Messing said, whetherthat means strategically placingyour drive or simply enjoying thequiet, nature-filled country atmos-phere.

There have been plenty of deer,ducks, turkey, geese and even astray cow to keep players enter-tained.

While Messing admits the finan-cial investment he’s made at KyoteRun has crossed his mind a time ortwo, he’s not concerned about theall too common struggles golfcourses can face.

“I can always have my own per-sonal golf course,” he said with asmile.

Kyote Run Golf Course, 13528 TRoad, is open March 31 to Oct. 31.

GOLFfrom Page D10

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The mildwinter that has given many Northernfarmers a break from shoveling and a wel-come chance to catch up on maintenancecould lead to a tough spring as many peststhat would normally freeze, have not.

Winters are usually what one agricul-ture specialist calls a “reset button” thatgives farmer a fresh start come plantingseason. But with relatively mild tempera-tures and little snow, insects are surviv-ing, growing and, in some areas, alreadymunching on budding plants.

Almost every state had a warmer-than-usual January, according to the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion. In Albany, N.Y., for example, the aver-age high in January was 37 degrees, whenit’s usually less than freezing, according tothe National Weather Service. In Tulsa,Okla., the average high last month wasabout 57 degrees, 9 degrees higher thannormal.

The Upper Midwest, Great Plains and afew other areas were “much above nor-mal” in temperature, NOAA said.

Dawn Allen, who has an 89-year-old,family-run bog in Freetown, Mass., saidher family will likely start sweeping bogswith a contraption similar to a butterflynet in April to catch winter moth caterpil-lars, instead of waiting until mid-May,when they typically start. The wintermoth caterpillars are aggressive and eatbuds, potentially ruining a crop for awhole year.

“It’s a big stress factor that gets us outon the bog early,” said Allen, whose farmsells cranberries for juice and pulp con-verted into cranberry vitamins.

Martha Sylvia, a research technician atthe University of Massachusetts cranber-ry station, said growers should expect tostart spraying earlier and more often be-cause there’s “definitely an upswing” inwinter moths, she said.

“We just know we’re in for it,” Sylviasaid.

Tim Tucker, a beekeeper in Niotaze,Kan., said he saw flies in February when“all flies should be gone” and bumble beesthat usually don’t appear until May orJune. The warm weather hasn’t been en-tirely good for beekeeping, though. Usual-ly, queen bees won’t lay eggs in the cold,but this year, his hives have been active.

“This year, we have some hives thatraised bees all winter,” Tucker said. “Idon’t think they ever stopped.”

Because so many bees are being raised,Tucker has had to buy supplemental food,such as sucrose, so they don’t eat all thehoney he wants to sell.

While bees are good for pollination,many of the insects that are survivinghave a destructive bent, such as the beanleaf beetle that targets soybeans, corn fleabeetle that damages corn, and the alfalfaweevil. Those insects live close to the sur-face of the ground so the mild tempera-tures give them a head start, said Christ-ian Krupke, a Purdue University entomol-ogist.

“Winter is like a big reset button for theMidwest,” Krupke said. “It wipes out lotsof insects usually.”

However, the warmer temperatures gen-erally don’t affect insects that spend theirwinters burrowed deep into the ground,he said. And some insects may be threat-ened by a lack of snow.

Erin Hodgson, an entomologist at IowaState University, said a drought there dueto a lack of snow could threaten boxelderbugs and beetles, who will die if food failsto emerge. And insects that pass the win-ter in dormancy above ground could die of

dehydration or starvation without the in-sulating cover of snow, she said.

“Making predictions about overall in-sects surviving or not can be kind oftricky,” Hodgson said.

But the warmer weather hasn’t been allbad, said Henry Talmage, executive direc-tor of the Connecticut Farm Bureau. Hecompared this winter with last year, whensouthern New England endured back-to-back snow storms and an ice storm. Inearly February 2011, farmers in Connecti-cut lost nearly 150 barns and other struc-tures as feet of snow accumulated. Thosein Massachusetts and upstate New Yorkalso struggled with roof collapses.

This year, farmers were able to spendthe winter working outside, maintainingequipment and buildings, Talmage said.

“Instead of shoveling snow, farmers cando something more productive,” Talmagesaid. “Nobody is complaining. We’re allhappy at this point it’s been as mild as ithas been.”

Warm winter may mean more bugsBut unusually warmweather’s effect onpests not yet certain

File photo


The 'Fix it, Replace it, Make it run again guys'

The 'Fix it, Replace it, Make it run again guys'

Twin River Diesel & Auto2721 Rodeo Rd • North Platte, NE

308.532.6316

PROUDLY SUPPORTSTHE

AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY.

AVg

alleyCO-OP

We are conveniently located to serve ourfarmers and ranchers in 20 Southwest

Nebraska and Northern Kansas locations.

Salutes Agriculture

Including

For more information on the area nearest you!

North Platte1-800-303-7636

Maywood1-800-233-4551

Edison1-800-228-1352

Holbrook1-308-493-5496

Grain • Feed & Farm Supplies • Agronomy


The Nebraska Water BalanceAlliance sees the state approach-ing another watershed momentin which decisions made nowwill have great impact on wateravailability in the future. Pro-ducers and agribusinessmen at-tended a Feb. 2 informationalsession presented by Lorre McK-eone to learn more about the ap-proach that the Nebraska WaterBalance Alliance would like totake toward sound groundwatermanagement.

McKeone noted watershedmoments of the past that haveadvanced the water manage-ment practices of Nebraska.The first came during the 1890sin the midst of a 10-yeardrought. It was at that time thatsurface water diversion wasstarted. In 1899, surface waterrights were established by the“1st in time, 1st in right” waterlaw. The second came after the“Dustbowl years.” In the 1930s,public power districts werelargely involved in putting insurface reservoirs to supply acanal system with water foragricultural purposes. MomentNo. 3 came in the 1950s whenproducers began to tap into un-derground water. The number ofwells drilled per year went from500 to 16,600.

Each of these moments has al-lowed us to do things we didn’tdo before, and Nebraska pros-pered,” said McKeone.

There are four events that aredriving concern that water maybecome an endangered commod-ity in the future. n The interstate compact with

Kansas that restricts Nebraska’swater use in order to provide theproper allocation to Kansas. n The Platte River Recovery

has established target flows toassist in improving and main-taining habitat for targetspecies. n LB 962 states that the Platte

River is over-appropriated forwater usage, considering thatsurface water and ground waterare coexisting supplies. n There are worries about the

depletion of the aquifer. “We need to find a way to have

healthy working streams and ap-propriate ground water levels,”said McKeone.

The historical approach to wa-ter management has been tomake adjustments in how manimpacts the stream. It has con-

sidered stream flow as a meas-ure of water supply and that at-tributes two thirds of water con-sumption to irrigation. This ap-proach has led to metering andallocations.

The Nebraska Water BalanceAlliance presents the Water Bal-ance Approach as a way to con-sider the collective supply of allsources of water; reservoirs,aquifers, precipitation, and in-flow. That supply is compared tothe collective consumption ofwater. Through research, it wasconcluded that only 10-percentof the total water supply actual-ly goes to irrigation, and 85-per-cent is consumed by evapora-tion, invasive species, nativevegetation, and dryland farm-ing.

Their research and goals arefocused around developingmethods to increase the amountof water in storage.

“We need to do a better job ofcapturing water in excess yearsto store for short years,” saidMcKeone.

In a typical year, Nebraska re-ceives 90 million acre feet of pre-cipitation. With a water inflowfrom Wyoming of 2 million acre-feet, there is essentially 92 mil-lion acre feet of water received.On the consumption side, up to10 million acre feet is used by ir-rigation and 9 million acre feetexit by stream flow out. A sizingup of the math results in 73 mil-lion acre feet that can be ac-counted for as consumed by nat-ural vegetation, dryland farm-ing, invasive species and evapo-ration.

Historical wisdom might sug-gest more controls on irrigation.One such solution would be tak-ing irrigated acres out of pro-duction. Research has indicatedthat the negative influence onNebraska’s economy due to re-duced production and reducedincome to businesses that servecrop production would far out-weigh the actual benefit to thewater supply. It is a figure calcu-lated into the billions of dollars.

“There is a significant impactwhen we take good irrigatedacres out of production,” saidMcKeone. “Nebraska is still cre-ating wealth through that agri-cultural production.”

Land reclassificationReclassification of land would

also impact the tax base and theamount of revenue receivedthrough real estate taxes.

The Nebraska Water Balance

Alliance has generated some al-ternatives to water managementthat would conserve water. Theconstruction of manmade lakesand canals that could be used torecharge the ground water isone option. This network couldmore effectively handle floodwa-ters due to a more extensive sys-tem for water outflow. This planwould utilize the present canaland ditch system with possibleplans for expansion.

Another option that ispresently in a research phasestrives for the reduction of evap-oration while increasing waterpercolation into the soil profile.One trial done has tested the ef-fect of digging a 4 foot deeptrench in the terrace bottom ofterraced dryland fields. Prelimi-nary results showed that thearea with the trench had a sig-nificant loss of standing watercompared to the untrenched ar-eas of the terrace bottom. In-creased water absorption intothe soil was credited rather thanevaporation, because the waterlevels in untrenched terraces re-mained higher.

A third option would be to en-gage producers in more prac-tices that conserve water. Use ofmoisture probes would providefeedback for accurate measure

of soil moisture. Those readingswould help producers make irri-gation decisions that meet theneeds of the crop without ex-travagant water use.

Specialists at the West CentralResearch and Extension Center(WCREC) have been actively in-volved in researching practicesthat will conserve water. Tillagepractices such as non-till or re-duced-till farming leave morecrop residue that keeps moremoisture in the soil due to re-duced evaporation.

“Residues greatly reduce theevaporation from the surface,”said Simon Van Donk, WCRECIrrigation specialist. “The dif-ference in water savings on theaverage is 3-4 inches, and that isa significant amount.”

That difference contributesgreatly to the productivity ofthe crop and improved yields, es-pecially if a farmer is restrictedby irrigation allocations. Whenthere are no limitations, thenthat captured soil moistureequates to reduced costs becausethe need to irrigate has been de-creased.

In the past 5 years, VanDonkhas seen the use of moistureprobes increase. Technology hasmade monitoring soil moisturewith moisture probes more user

friendly. Many current systemshave the capability of beingchecked from a home computeror even a smart phone.

Any ground with vegetationgrowing on it will lose moistureto supply the needs of the crop,but there are plants that havebeen developed to be moredrought tolerant. Many of theseimproved varieties have betterrooting systems for efficient up-take of soil moisture. Othershave been improved for plant re-sponse during various growthprocesses.

First National Bank has takena role in sponsoring informa-tion sessions to increase aware-ness of water managementquestions that could affect fu-ture generations. According toGreg Wilke, vice president ofFirst National Bank, they valuethe proactive approach to seek-ing solutions for improved wa-ter management.

As long as there are waterconservation questions, therewill always be those seeking so-lutions. The Nebraska WaterBalance Alliance is workingproactively to seek water man-agement solutions that will pre-vent circumstances that resultin limited reactive choices.

Is Neb. reaching a ‘watershed moment’in water budgeting?

Lorre McKeone of the Nebraska Water Balance Alliance talks with those who attended a informationalsession held on Feb. 2. The program sponsored by First National Bank presented a proactive approachto new water management strategies.

Courtesy photo


By ROBERT PORE


GRAND ISLAND —Members of the NebraskaCorn Board were in GrandIsland this past week sup-porting legislation in-creasing the state’s corncheckoff program.

Currently, the corncheckoff rate is one-quar-ter of a cent per bushel. Ithas been at that rate since1988. Under legislation be-fore Nebraska lawmakers,LB1057, the checkoffwould be allowed to in-crease to one-half of acent per bushel with a capof 1 cents per bushel. Cur-rently, the checkoff raisesabout $3.5 million.

According to Alan Tie-mann, chairman of theNebraska Corn Board, thecorn checkoff programwas implemented in 1978at one-tenth of a cent perbushel, but the NebraskaLegislature gave authorityto increase that rate toone-quarter of a cent perbushel.

Past attempts to in-crease the rate since 1988have not succeeded be-cause of lack of supportfrom the Nebraska gover-nor, who, Tiemann said,has felt it would be equiva-lent to a tax increase. Thegovernor has the authori-ty to deny or allow an in-crease in the corn checkoffprogram.

Earlier this week, Gov.Dave Heineman said therequest to increase thecorn checkoff rate hasmerit, but “I haven’t madea judgment yet whether Iam willing to support thatincrease or not. I want towatch and listen to theconcerns that the Legisla-ture will address and thenwe will see if the bill getsto my desk.”

But, Heineman said,“I’m always concernedwhen there is an attemptto raise a fee or a tax. Iwant to make sure that itis the right thing to do.”

He said checkoff pro-

grams, such as for corn,beef and soybeans, are“different mechanismsthan what I would argueas standard tax situationsthat we go through and feesituations.”

“This is a little bit differ-ent and that is why I havehad several meetings todiscuss that and what theywant to do with thosemonies, particularly asthey relate to research,such as for ethanol,”Heineman said.

The growth of theethanol industry hashelped to push corn pricesup for the last six years.Last month, the USDA re-ported that Nebraska’scorn crop had a total valuelast year of $9.37 billion,an increase from $7.48 bil-lion in 2010 and $5.64 bil-lion in 2009. The averageprice of corn in Nebraska,according to the USDA,went from $3.58 per bushelin the 2009 marketing yearto $6.10 per bushel in the2011 marketing year.

With an increase ofnearly $1 per bushel in theaverage marketing yearprice of corn between 2010and 2011, Nebraska farm-ers produced 1.54 billionbushels, which was 5 per-cent more than the previ-ous year and the secondlargest harvest on record.

Corn is Nebraska’s dom-inant crop. Last year,farmers harvested 9.6 mil-lion acres of corn forgrain, 8 percent more thanin 2010 and the largest har-vest since 1933.

Tiemann said the in-crease is needed, especial-ly as corn prices havetripled since the last timethe corn checkoff was in-creased in 1988, becausethe value of the checkoffis now less than half whatit was the last time theprogram was increased inNebraska.

“While we have in-creased acres and bushelsto get our budget higher,our spending power has

still not kept up,” Tiemannsaid.

Corn checkoff dollarsare primarily spent in Ne-braska to help in corn re-search, livestock produc-tion, consumer outreachand communication, ex-panding and defendingmarkets and youth andleadership development.Much of the checkoff dol-lars are invested in re-search and developmentprograms at the Universi-ty of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Tiemann said the Ne-braska Corn Board re-ceives more than $1 mil-lion per year in researchfunding requests fromUNL.

“Should we get an in-crease, we see a lot moreopportunities,” he said.“We will get bigger andbetter research projectsthat we can fund.”

An important researcharea that the NebraskaCorn Board is funding iswater efficiencies pro-grams that will help cornproducers during times ofwater shortages, alongwith developing new mar-kets for the distillers grainby-product from ethanolproduction.Tiemann saidmany of those programshave helped to increasecorn production and devel-opment of value-addedprograms.

According to Tiemann,the proposed increase inthe corn checkoff pro-gram will still keep thatcheckoff program “equalto the bottom tier ofcheckoff programs acrossthe nation.”

Nebraska is the third-leading corn-producingstate in the U.S. and thesecond-leading ethanol-producing state, withnearly 600 million bushelsof corn used to producedmore than 2 billion gallonsof ethanol and 6 milliontons of feed distillersgrain.

“We are the lowest cornmarketing board in theU.S.,” Tiemann said.

Producers group seeks increasein Nebraska’s corn checkoff rate


Commercial red meat pro-duction for the United Statestotaled 4.12 billion pounds inJanuary, up 2 percent fromthe 4.04 billion pounds pro-duced in January 2011.

Nebraska’s commercialred meat production was593.7 million pounds.

Beef production, at 2.11 bil-lion pounds, was slightly be-low the previous year. Cattleslaughter totaled 2.72 millionhead, down 1 percent fromJanuary 2011. The averagelive weight was down 1pound from the previousyear, at 1,300 pounds.

In Nebraska, 593,700 headwere slaughtered in January,with an average live weightof 1,370 pounds.

Pork production totaled1.99 billion pounds, 5 percentabove the previous year. Hogslaughter totaled 9.54 millionhead, 5 percent above Janu-ary 2011. The average liveweight was unchanged fromthe previous year at 278pounds.

In Nebraska, 673,200 headof hogs were slaughteredduring January, with an av-erage live weight of 278pounds.

Farmers, rancherstally contribution of nearly 13 millionmeals for hungerprogram

The farm and ranch fami-lies of Farm Bureau last yearraised more than $556,273and donated more than 10million pounds of food to as-sist hungry Americans aspart of Farm Bureau’s Har-vest for All program throughFeeding America. Combined,the monetary and food dona-tions provided nearly 13 mil-lion meals.

Members of Farm Bu-reau’s Young Farmers andRanchers program spear-head Harvest for All acrossthe country, but all facets of

Farm Bureau contribute tothe effort.

Aside from raising foodand funds for the initiative,farmers and ranchers tallied10,159 volunteer hours assist-ing hunger groups throughHarvest for All in 2011.

Since Harvest for All waslaunched nine years ago,Farm Bureau families havegathered more than 49 mil-lion pounds of food, loggednearly 60,000 volunteer hoursand raised more than $1.8million in donations. Com-bined, the food and moneydonations amount to morethan 55 million meals.

U.S., Canada cattle inventorydown 2 percent

All cattle and calves in theUnited States and Canadacombined totaled 103.3 mil-lion head on Jan. 1, down 2percent from the 105.1 mil-lion on Jan. 1, 2011. All cowsand heifers that have calved,at 44.3 million head, weredown 2 percent from a yearago.

All cattle and calves in theUnited States as of Jan. 1 to-taled 90.8 million head, 2 per-cent below the 92.7 million onJan. 1, 2011. All cows andheifers that have calved, at39.1 million head, were down2 percent from a year ago.

All cattle and calves inCanada as of Jan. 1 totaled12.5 million head, up 0.5 per-cent from the 12.5 million onJan. 1, 2011. All cows andheifers that have calved, at5.21 million, were down 1 per-cent from a year ago.

All sheep and lambs in theUnited States and Canadacombined totaled 6.17 millionhead on Jan. 1, down 2 per-cent from the 6.29 million onJan. 1, 2011. Breeding sheep,at 4.61 million head, weredown 2 percent from a yearago and market sheep andlambs, at 1.57 million head,were down 1 percent fromlast year.

All sheep and lambs in theUnited States as of Jan. 1 to-taled 5.35 million head, 2 per-cent below the 5.48 millionhead on Jan. 1, 2011.

Breeding sheep, at 3.98 mil-lion head, were down 3 per-cent from a year ago, whilemarket sheep and lambs, at1.37 million head, were down2 percent from last year.

All sheep and lambs inCanada as of Jan. 1 totaled829,000 head, up 2 percentfrom last year’s number of813,000. Breeding sheep, at631,000 head, were up 1 per-cent from last year. Marketsheep and lambs, at 198,000head, were up 5 percent froma year ago.

Record year forAmerica’s ethanolindustry in 2011

In a turbulent year forAmerica’s economy, domes-tic ethanol production was ashining light of hope for hun-dreds of thousands of Amer-ican families all across thenation in 2011.

According to analysis com-missioned by the RenewableFuels Association (RFA), theproduction of an estimated13.9 billion gallons of ethanoldirectly employed 90,200Americans. An additional311,400 Americans foundwork in industries indirectlyaffiliated with ethanol pro-duction.

These 401,600 jobs helpedcreate nearly $30 billion inhousehold income and, as aresult of record ethanol pro-duction, contributed $42.4billion to the national grossdomestic product (GDP).

The record ethanol produc-tion also helped displace arecord 485 million barrels ofimported oil worth $49.7 bil-lion.

“Our nation’s ethanol in-dustry is a perfect example ofa domestic, homegrown in-dustry that is harnessingAmerican innovation to cre-ate jobs, improve the envi-

ronment, and help secureour energy future for genera-tions to come,” said RFAPresident and CEO Bob Din-neen.

Rainwater BasinJoint Venture presents wetlandstewardship awards

The Rainwater Basin JointVenture presented three Wet-land Stewardship Awardsduring its annual Informa-tional Seminar on Feb. 8. Theaward recognizes significantcontributions to wetland con-servation in the RainwaterBasin region of south Cen-tral Nebraska. Angie Biesterand the late Gary Biester ofClay County were recipientsof the Landowner WetlandStewardship Award. RogerHammer, a retired soil scien-tist for the Natural ResourcesConservation Service, re-ceived the Agency WetlandStewardship Award. GeneMack of Kearney was projectleader for the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service’s RainwaterBasin Wetland ManagementDistrict from 1996 until hisretirement in 2011.

The Rainwater Basin JointVenture is a public-privatepartnership of organiza-tions, government agenciesand individuals working co-operatively to conserve wet-lands and habitat in theRainwater Basin Region ofsouth-central Nebraska.More information is atwww.rwbjv.org.

Neb. leads in red meat production

CALL

532-6007FOR TIME

AND TEMP

World-Herald News service

Nebraska Pheasants Forever ishosting CRP Landowner Workshopsthis month to inform farmers, ranch-ers and conservationists about theConservation Reserve Program Gen-eral Sign-up 43. The sign-up, whichruns from March 12 through April 6,is crucial to Nebraska’s ring-neckedpheasant population.

At the workshops, landowners canlearn from Pheasants Forever farmbill wildlife biologists how to improvethe chances of their land being ac-cepted in the competitive CRP Gener-al Sign-up 43. Pheasants Forever willalso be informing producers on howconserving marginal lands throughCRP can prove mutually beneficial forwildlife and agriculture production.

Grassland habitat in Nebraska hashelped maintain the state’s status asone of the nation’s top pheasant-pro-ducing states, but Nebraska has facedcontinued loss of critical CRP acres inrecent years. Subsequently, Nebras-ka’s pheasant population dropped 27percent last year.

“These meetings are designed tohelp landowners understand the con-servation program options availableto them with CRP as well as a host ofadditional conservation programsand incentives,” said Pete Berthelsen,Pheasants Forever senior field coordi-nator. “Even in a time with significantcommodity prices, there are oftengreat opportunities where conserva-tion programs can be used to increasefarm and ranch income.”

Workshops scheduled in the area in-clude: March 13, 9-11 a.m., LegionClub, Burwell. March 13, 7-9 p.m.,Goodrich Building, Greeley. March 13,4-6 p.m., Community Center, LoupCity. March 13, noon to 2 p.m., LowerLoup NRD, Ord. March 15, 7-9 p.m.,The Gathering Place, St. Paul.

For more information regardinglandowners workshops, contact PeteBerthelsen at 308-754-5339.

Neb. PheasantsForever hostingCRP landownerworkshop series

Date post:	24-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	telegraph-webmaster
View:	214 times
Download:	0 times

In the Field 2012

Documents