He 022014

Lori Potter, The Kearney Hub

KEARNEY The old-fashionedway of raising hogs is payingdividends for about 500 mostlyMidwest farmers who are part of theNiman Ranch Pork Co.

Company founder and managerPaul Willis couldn't have imaginedwhen he bought his first sow about50 years ago that he would lead anenterprise that generates $200million annually for family farmersby selling value-added pork productsto customers that include Ritz

Carlton, Whole Foods Market,Chipotle, Dodger Stadium and theGoogle campus.

"This is true economicdevelopment," Willis said, becausefarmers generally spend their moneylocally.

Speaking at the NebraskaSustainable Agriculture Society'sHealthy Farms Conference inKearney, Willis said that after hecame home to Thornton, Iowa, tofarm, a neighbor offered to sell him asow and add her five pigs for free.

"All of a sudden, I was in the pigbusiness," he said. "Raising fieldhogs was something I alwaysenjoyed."

In a few years, he was producing2,500 to 3,000 a year.

"Then we started to see theindustrialization of the porkindustry rolling in on us," Willissaid.

Producers of pasture-raised pigsinitially were docked as the market

Spring Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8Crop Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11FFA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14, 20-22Triumph of Ag Expo SpecialSection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage Paid

Permit #36OMAHA, NE

POSTAL CUSTOMER

February 20, 2014Volume 18 Issue 4

LLiivveessttoocckk aanndd PPrroodduuccttss,, WWeeeekkllyy AAvveerraaggeeYYeeaarr AAggoo 44 WWkkss AAggoo 22//77//1144

Nebraska Slaughter Steer35-65% Choice, Live Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$124.27 140.46 140.48

Nebraska Feeder Steers, Med. & Large Frame, 550-600# . . . . . . . . . . . .169.76 211.23 209.49

Med & Large Frame, 750-800 # . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142.93 172.88 169.22Choice Boxed Beef, 600-750# Carcass . . . . . . . . . .183.31 210.00 216.30Western Corn Belt Base Hog Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84.77 77.18 82.97Feeder Pigs, National Direct, 50#, FOB . . . . . . . . . . . .* * *Pork Carcass Cutout, 185#, 51-52% Lean . . . . . . . .82.44 83.33 90.15Slaughter Lambs, Ch. & Pr.,Heavy, SD Dir. . . . . . . . .107.50 159.00 160.25Nat. Carcass Lamb Cutout, FOB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .296.00 368.54 369.43

CCrrooppss,, DDaaiillyy SSppoott PPrriicceessWheat, No. 1, H.W. Imperial, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.39 5.96 6.19Corn, No. 2, Yellow, Omaha, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.15 4.21 4.27Soybeans, No. 1 Yellow Omaha, bu . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14.32 12.86 13.08Grain Sorg. No. 2 Yellow, Dorchester, cwt . . . . . . . . .12.00 7.30 7.48Oats, No. 2, Heavy Minneapolis, MN, bu. . . . . . . . . . .4.10 4.21 4.30HHaayy ((ppeerr ttoonn))Alfalfa, Lrg. Sq. Bales Good to Prem., NE Neb. . . . . .247.50 * *Alfalfa, Lrg. Rounds, Good, Platte Valley, . . . . . . . .230.00 130.00 130.00Grass Hay, Lrg. Rounds, Premium, Neb., . . . . . . . . .212.35 107.50 107.50Dried Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284.00 177.50 185.00Wet Distillers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108.00 62.50 61.00* No market.

MARKET GLANCE

Impressive Yield for Ad Research . .11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Grains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Livestock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Lee Pitts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Improving Pivot Irrigation Efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Heartland Cattleman . . . . . . . . . . . 18

House Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Quilt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

For daily agriculture news, updates and local happenings,visit the Heartland Express website at

www.myfarmandranch.com

Government Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Weather

Country Living

The Lighter Side

Markets

Government Report

Ag Management

Livestock News

Production News

Schedule of Events

NNeebbrraasskkaa CCaattttlleemmeennss CCllaassssiicc

Check out our Agstuff Classifieds

Pages 24-27

Continued on page 5

54473

AG & INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT

For more information call 1-800-846-5157 or visit agheaters.com

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February 20, 2014Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Weather

Farm and RanchPPuubblliisshheerrss - Central Nebraska Publications

SSaalleess RReepprreesseennttaattiivveessTodd Smith John Lynott Kimberly Eimer Darlene Overleese

PPrroodduuccttiioonn - Chris Frazer WWeebb DDeevveellooppmmeenntt - [email protected]

Important Notice: The publisher does not assume any responsibility for the contents of any advertising herein, andall representations or warranties made in such advertising are those of the advertisers and not the publishers. Thepublisher is not liable to any advertiser herein for any misprints in advertising not the fault of the publisher, andin such an event the limit of the publishers liability shall be the amount of the publishers charge for such adver-tising. In the event of misprints, the publisher must be informed prior to the printing of the next publication

PPuubblliisshheedd bbyy::Central Nebraska Publications, Inc.

21 W. 21st Street, Ste. 010 P.O. Box 415 Kearney, NE 68847 1-800-658-3191Copyright 2014

Saturday, February 22

High: 34 Low: 18

Chance of Precip: 20% Isolated Snow Showers

Sunrise: 7:36 AM - Sunset: 6:33 PM

Sunday, February 23

High: 34 Low: 18



Monday, February 24

High: 28 Low: 10

Chance of Precip: 30% Scattered Snow Showers


Tuesday, February 25

High: 34 Low: 7

Chance of Precip: 5% Partly Cloudy


Wednesday, February 26

High: 30 Low: 9

Sunny Sunrise: 7:30 AM - Sunset: 6:38 PM

Thursday, February 27

High: 30 Low: 9

Snow Flurries Sunrise: 7:28 AM - Sunset: 6:39 PM

Friday, February 28

High: 7 Low: -8

Snow Sunrise: 7:26 AM - Sunset: 6:40 PM

Saturday, March 01

High: 0 Low: -17

Scattered Snow Showers Sunrise: 7:25 AM - Sunset: 6:42 PM

Sunday, March 02

High: 18 Low: 23

Mostly Sunny Sunrise: 7:23 AM - Sunset: 6:43 PM

Monday, March 03

High: 36 Low: 19



High: 39 Low: 21

Chance of Precip: 10% Partly Cloudy


Sunday, February 23

High: 36 Low: 21



Monday, February 24

High: 30 Low: 14




High: 34 Low: 14

Chance of Precip: 5% Mostly Sunny



High: 34 Low: 18



High: 32 Low: 12


Friday, February 28

High: 10 Low: -2


Saturday, March 01

High: 3 Low: 0


Sunday, March 02

High: 10 Low: 0


Monday, March 03

High: 30 Low: 21

Partly Cloudy Sunrise: 7:05 AM - Sunset: 6:30 PM


High: 36 Low: 19 Chance of Precip: 5%

Partly Cloudy Sunrise: 7:09 AM - Sunset: 6:08 PM

Sunday, February 23

High: 32 Low: 18



Monday, February 24

High: 25 Low: 10




High: 27 Low: 10

Chance of Precip: 10% Mostly Sunny



High: 27 Low: 10



High: 21 Low: 5


Friday, February 28

High: 5 Low: 0


Saturday, March 01

High: 7 Low: 3


Sunday, March 02

High: 18 Low: -4


Monday, March 03

High: 21 Low: 12


Weather OutlookWestern Central Eastern

Ruth Vonderohe, UNL ExtensionEducator in Knox County

Research shows that more than80 percent of us die in a hospital ornursing home. Advances in medicaltechnology can now prolong life asnever before. The quality of thatlife, however, may be greatlyreduced. As a result, manypatients, families, and caregiversface difficult questions about howmuch technology to use when apatient cannot get better. Thismeans most of us will face adecision about whether to use life-sustaining treatments at the end ofour lives. If we cannot speak forourselves at that point, otherpeople will have to make thosedecisions for us. CaringConnections

Since December 1991, thePatient Self-Determination Actpassed by Congress ensures thatpeople know their rights regardingadvance directives. Health careinstitutions are required by law totell adult patients about the legalright to accept or refuse medicaltreatment. The Nebraska Rights ofthe Terminally Ill Act givesNebraskans 19 years of age andolder the right to prepare writteninstructions for their physiciansabout the use of life-sustainingmeasures if their condition isterminal.What are Advance Directives?

Advance directives are writtendocuments stating personal wishesfor medical care in the eventsomeone is unable to communicatesuch desires due to illness orincapacity. The term advancedirectives refers to both livingwills and power of attorney forhealth care. Such documents helpensure that personal wishes aboutmedical treatment are respected.They provide assistance to thosewho must make decisions foranother person, and may namesomeone to make such health caredecisions if a person is unable to doso.

In Nebraska, the most commonadvance directives are a living will(officially called a declaration)and a durable power of attorney forhealth care. Medical directives,including a specific list of medicalprocedures, are often part of eitherdocument. Medical directives allowsomeone to specify the care andprocedures they want, do not want,or are unsure about, and providevaluable information for others tomake decisions.What is a Living Will?

A living will is so named becauseit takes effect while someone is stillliving. This written documentprovides guidance for health careproviders about the type of life-sustaining measures a personwishes to receive or not receivewhen medical professionals havedetermined there is no possibilityfor recovery. Once executed, aliving will cannot be overridden bythe wishes of family members whomight not agree with terms of thedocument.

Life-Sustaining TreatmentsAn important component of the

living will is instructions aboutlife-sustaining treatments (alsocalled life support or life-prolonging treatments). Suchmedical procedures are used toreplace or support a failing bodilyfunction necessary for life. Theyinclude a ventilator, dialysis,artificial nutrition and hydration,and CPR including artificialrespiration, chest compression,electric shock or drugs, and/orfluids or medication given by vein.

To learn more about thebeneficial and negativeconsequences of using life-sustaining treatment, talk with thedoctor or other knowledgeablehealth care professional. Inaddition, publications online fromthe National Hospice andPalliative Care Organizationdiscuss common types of life-sustaining treatment in detail.What is a Power of Attorney for Health Care?

A power of attorney for healthcare allows someone (called theprincipal) to authorize anotherperson to act as their agent orattorney-in-fact. The agent willmake health care decisions for theprincipal when that person isunable to do so, not just at the endof life. What Advance Directives AreNot

A living will is not the same as alast will and testament and/or aliving trust. A last will andtestament and/or living trustdefines property distribution atdeath. The living will providesinstruction for end-of-life, healthcare decision making. A durablepower of attorney for health care isnot the same as power of attorneyfor financial issues. A power ofattorney for health care names anagent to make health caredecisions for the principal. Thepower of attorney used for financialaffairs empowers someone else tomake financial decisions for theprincipal. Are Both a Living Will andDurable Power of Attorney forHealth Care Needed?

While the decision to have eitheror both is a personal one, eachadvance directive offers a distinctadvantage. The living willaddresses end-of-life situationsonly. The durable power of attorneyfor health care appoints someone tomake health care decisions insituations beyond just thoseinvolving end-of-life. In Nebraska,it is possible to do a living willwithin the durable power ofattorney for health care. General Requirements for Advance Directives

An advance directive should bewritten, dated, and completedwhile someone still knows whatthey want and can express theirhealth care wishes. Two witnessesor a notary public must sign thedocument. In Nebraska, anyonelegally married or divorced or at

Make Sure Its Donethe Way You Want:Advance Directives

Continued on page 16

February 20, 2014 Page 3Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Country Living

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THE FARMERS WIFEBy Christy Welch

Past, Present, and FutureOpposite Worlds is a new reality television

program on the SyFy network Ive beenwatching for the past couple weeks.

The premise pretty simple: two teams battle itout each week in the present to see who livesin the luxurious future world or who has to tryto survive in the past cave. Think the real lifeversion of The Jetsons versus The Flintstones.The only catch is that between the two worlds isa glass wall where the players can see eachother.

The show is kind of a neat experiment but italso got me thinking about the past, present,and future of agriculture.

Everytime we talked about combining corn inthe fall, my grandparents would call it pickingcorn.

Since I was not raised on a farm, this termseemed silly to me until I married the farmerand learned that combines are a fairly moderninvention. My grandfather had a two-row pickerthat would gather ears of corn from two rows ofcorn at a time.

Of course, they did not farm thousands ofacres either. Today, farmers can purchase a 12-row combine option. Of course, this doesnt workas well on the hills, or so Ive been told by myhusband.

Not only do they have larger equipment, butits a bit more comfortable too.

My grandpa said he climbed into the chair ofthe open tractor and the two conveyors moved

the corn up on either side of him. Givingsomeone a hands-on education as to how thepicker was run was impossible.

Farming was noisy, dirty, and dangerous.Now the farmers sit high above the corn crop,

in a sometimes air conditioned combine withone or sometimes two comfortable seats, whichmakes teaching the next generation of farmersa lot easier.

Water systems on the farm are a whole loteasier now as well.

Weve had some problems with our well pumpduring the last couple weeks.

Usually this would be an extreme emergencybecause livestock need to have water. However,because we also have rural water to our home,and a way to pump it to our livestock, thislessens some of the concern when the wellbreaks down.

I wonder what my grandparents would thinkabout that system.

For that matter, I wonder what the earlyfarmers of this nation who cut the land withhorses and hand plows would say about ourmodern farm systems.

Would they say we have it to easy, or wouldthey marvel in the possibilities that technologyhas given us?

Either way, I cant think of a better place tolive than in the present.

The Donald A. Gardner Planof the Week is available viaemail and RSS. You canreceive the best of the DonaldA. Gardner design portfoliowhen and where you want it!Each spotlighted homedesign includes house planspecifications, floor plansand images, as well as ahouse plan description. Toreceive a plan for this home,order by phone, Tollfree: (800)-388-7580. Reference plan #W-BING-1248. Online: go towww.dongardner.com.

Susan Hansen, Extension EducatorUNL Extension in Colfax County

Using leftovers is a great way to minimize foodwaste and save time. Larger meals can beprepared when you are less busy and used laterin the week or put in the freezer for use at a latertime.

Leftovers can spoil quickly. Immediately, placeleftovers in a covered container and eitherrefrigerate or freeze. If refrigerated, use withinone to two days. If frozen, use within 2 to 3months.

If your bread, leftover rolls, hamburger or hotdog buns are getting a little dry, consider makingbread pudding topped with fresh fruit. Or letthem dry out so you can make your own breadcrumbs. Use day old bread to make French toast(actually using day old bread makes betterFrench toast than fresh). Use leftover buns tomake garlic bread or cheese bread.

Use leftover pasta in a casserole or salad.Pasta can be frozen for later use in casseroles orsoups. Be aware, though, that the pasta can bemushy when used from the freezer, particularlyif the pasta was overcooked to begin with.

Leftover canned or fresh fruit can be added tosalads or pureed and used as pancake or icecream topping. It can be mixed with yogurt,cottage cheese or pudding. Leftover fruit canalso be used in baked goods such as muffins orquick breads. Overripe bananas can be used tomake banana bread or muffins. Or, freeze theleftover and overripe fruit to make your own fruitsmoothies. Fruit juice can be frozen in ice cube

trays and used for flavoring and chilling fruitdrinks.

Use leftover raw or cooked vegetables in soups,salads, omelets, pasta dishes and casseroles.Leftover baked potatoes can be cut up and friedin a pan or used to make a quick potato casseroleor potato soup. The potato pulp can be scoopedout and used to make twice baked potatoes.Chopped raw onions, celery or green peppers canbe frozen in freezer bags and later used in soups,stews or casseroles. Or dry the raw onions,celery and green peppers. Use leftover bakedbeans in casseroles, chili or sandwich wraps.

Leftover roast meat can be sliced to makesandwiches or shredded to use in tacos,enchiladas, casseroles, or barbequed meat. Theleftover roast can also be cubed to make suchthings as beef and noodles.

Leftover steak or chops could be thinly slicedand used to make fajitas (cook with onions,peppers and fajita seasoning). Top a tossed saladwith sliced steak for a quick meal.

Turkey or chicken that is leftover can be usedin casseroles, soups, tacos or enchiladas. Cubethe meat for turkey/chicken noodle soup.

Make ham and cheese sandwiches out ofleftover ham. Or grind the ham to make hamballs or ham loaf with a pineapple glaze.

Rice that is leftover can be used to make ricepudding or fried rice. Or add the rice tomeatballs, soups or casseroles. One of myfavorite ways to use leftover rice is to top it withleftover barbequed meat, topped with choppedonions, green pepper and cheese.

Makover Your Leftovers

February 20, 2014Nebraska Farm & Ranch - The Lighter Side

I T S T H E P I T T S b y L e e P i t t s B a s e d O n A Tr u e S t o r y ( B e s t O f )

by Lee Pitts

There had been some weird thingshappening at the ranch. One day I had aperfectly straight hay stack and the nextday it had fallen over. I found hay feedersbroken to smithereens and the shop doorwas mysteriously left ajar. All of a suddenwater troughs were overflowing and gateswere left open. There was only one logicalsolution to this mystery.

You might suggest that it was just wildanimals, the Abominable Snowman, or evenperhaps that I may in fact have left theshop door open myself. Or perhaps thewater troughs needed repair after 60 years.

But I had another theory. Youve no doubt heard of the famous Loch

Ness Monster? Well, I just knew I had myown monster running rampant on theranch. Instead of "Nessie", I called mymonster "Messie" because I found littlepiles of trash left everywhere. From thelooks of the cans left behind I assumed thatMessie drank Coors. He or she didn't cleanup after itself either and left droppingsbehind, like shotgun shell casings. Itcouldnt have been hunters because I hadposted No Tresspassing signs.

I knew Messie had to be a bigger thanKing Kong because I would have sworn Iput a 50 pound block of white salt by thewater trough only to find it 100 yardsdownhill the very next day. Now how do you

explain that? I don't think a cow could putit between her teeth and move it. At least Iknew my cows couldn't because most ofthem didn't have any teeth.

Judging by the scat left behind I judgedMessie to be a frame score 37. Could be analien from outer space, my little nephewwondered as we all shuddered in fear.

Ill admit that Messie was clearly a lifeform of higher intelligence. The monsterknew every time I put out supplementbecause it was always gone the next day.Sometimes at night the dog would howl andI would rush out the door to catch aglimpse, but Messie was way too smart forthat. My problem was nobody would believeme because no one had actually seenMessie. The creature was nocturnal anddidn't show itself in the daylight. I knewthat I had to do something because Messiewas doing the Monster Mash on all myfences and was spooking the cattle.

I figured if I could just get a picture ofMessie I could convince the government tosend out the National Guard. So I invitedall my friends over one evening to track themonster down. I wasn't surprised whenneither one of them showed up. Thecowards! So my wife and I forged onahead... she and the dog way out in front.The plan was that we would sneak up onMessie at it's favorite haunting ground and

we wouldn't turn on the flashlight until wegot close enough to take a picture. I said tomy wife in a hushed whisper as we nearedthe haystack, "Look at those hugefootprints."

"Those are mine you idiot. You arefollowing me," she hissed.

We heard it before we saw it. Sureenough, it was munching on the haystack.For one brief second my wife turned on theflashlight for me to snap a photo or two andin that short time I caught a glimpse of themost hideous freak I have ever seen in mylife. The grotesque gargoyle had one eye inthe middle of its forehead, was green, fatand appeared to be clothed in tattered rags.

But my wife insisted I was just seeing areflection of myself in our antique camera.

After snapping a couple pictures we ranback to the house, me in the lead this time,and dead-bolted the door behind us.Because we still use an old Kodak camerawith real film, the next day we had to takethe film down to the photo shop to have itdeveloped. We waited in suspense andneedless to say it was a very anxious week.

The mystery of Messie was solved whenthe man from the photo shop called andsaid, "The pictures of your horse are readyto pick up."

www.myfarmandranch.com www.myfarmandranch.com

myfarmandranch.com

Farm & Ranch . . .Where Agriculture

Is Always A Business

Nebraskas Statewide Ag News Publication

Ag Management Classified

Advertising Country News

The Lighter Side Livestock News Production News Schedule of Events

Weather Weekly Ag-Market

Breakdown Crop Insuranvce

Featured Sections In Every Issue:

Every Issue Features Available News From These Sources:

Features In Upcoming Issues:

FFA

Nebraskaland Days

Beef

Irrigation

Ravenna Tractor Pull

Sandhill Ranch Expo

Rodeo

51886

The Only Publication That Features Statewide FFA Chapter News on a Regular Basis!

AccuWeather Forecasting

Ak-Sar-Ben Associated Press Commodities

Department of Ag Institute on

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Nebraska 4-H

News from All Heartland Coverage Areas

UNL Cooperative Extension

USDA

February 20, 2014 Nebraska Farm & Ranch Page 5

PASTURE-RAISED PORK REAPS PREMIUM UNDER NIMAN BRANDContinued from page 1

Quilt Block of the MonthQuilters can make a mystery

quilt this year. Each month,readers will find directions tomake the block of the month.Each unfinished block willmeasure 12 (or 12 whenfinished). Please refer to theJanuary, 2014 issue forequipment, fabric, and threadsuggestions. For this monthsblock you will need threecontrasting colors (unless you areusing scraps).

Make 4 Hour Glass Blocks forcorners.

1. Cut two 4 squares each ofcolors A and B.

2. Lay Right sides together anddraw a diagonal line on lightestfabric.

3. Sew a scant on both sidesof the line.

4. Cut on drawn line and pressto the dark side.

5. Lay the two half squaretriangles with right sidestogether, with A fabric on the Band B fabric on the A.

6. Draw another diagonal linegoing across the last seam made,sew on both sides as before.

7. Cut on the drawn line andpress towards the dark to maketwo hour glasses with each pair ofA & B. Repeat with the other set.

8. Trim all four hour glasses to3 square. Make 4 Half SquareTriangles of each set of fabrics.

9. Cut four 4 squares of colorsA, B, and C, for a total of twelvesquares.

10. Match the squares into twosets of A & B, 2 sets of A & C, andtwo sets of B & C with the rightsides together.

11. Draw diagonal lines on thelightest in the set and make halfsquare triangles like the firstsection of the hour glasses.Sewing on both sides of the drawnline, cut on the line, and presstoward the dark. Trim all 12 to 3 size.

Assemble your block.12. Layout according to

diagram, keeping the colors intheir correct positions.

13. Sew the square into rowsand the rows into the final block,which should measure 12 unfinished.

14. Now, store this block (andfabric) until the March HeartlandExpress arrives with the nextone!

A

B B

A

A

B B

A

B

A A

B

B

A A

B

C

A

C

B

A

B

B

A

A

C

B

C

C

B

A

B

C

A

B

A

A

C

B

C

Sale tables at $5 and $3.50 to make room for new fabrics. Patterns for $3.50.

Books for 25% off. Notions 15% off. Free Fat Quarter for first 15

customers during March 18-21.Find out about the All Iowa Shop Hop in June!

FAMILY QUILT SHOP

1200 A Street West Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501515-576-0295 familyquiltshop.com

Going to the Sew Its Spring Shop Hop March 18-21? Stop by!This series is being

submitted by Cindy Kaufman of

The Family Quilt Shop in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

If you need assistance,please call her at

515-576-0295.

American Agri-WomenEngages Agri/Washington for Association Management

Washington, DC - American Agri-Womenannounces that Agri/Washington is providingexecutive staffing support for membershipretention, communications, conferenceplanning and development. American Agri-Women is the nations largest coalition offarm, ranch and agribusiness women withmore than 50 state, commodity andagribusiness affiliate organizations.

Agri/Washington is a full-service publicaffairs firm with headquarters in Washington,D.C. The firm offers a unique combination ofagricultural, communications, governmentrelations, trade association and conferencemanagement expertise.

We look forward to working withAgri/Washington, which is the premieragricultural public affairs firms in thecountry, says Sue McCrum, American Agri-Women President. Paul Weller, a well-knownfigure in the ag community, founded the firmwith the intent of helping raise the profile ofagricultural organizations. Andrea Ball,Agri/Washingtons Senior Director, has morethan 15 years of experience of working withagricultural non-profits but also understandsthe unique needs of our members, as she wasraised in rural Kansas. We feel its a perfectblend of continuing our grassroots efforts, yetbringing an additional level of organizationaladministration.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity towork with American Agri-Women, saysAndrea Ball of Agri/Washington. Our staffbelieves in the future of American agricultureand we are excited to collaborate with theAAW leadership to offer them administrativemanagement and help them continue to raiseawareness of issues impacting theirmembers.

swung toward the lean pork from large-scaleoperations that was marketed as "the other whitemeat." Willis said the ads compared pork tochicken "and they were successful in growing porkthat was a lot like chicken tough, dry andtasteless."

He said Friday the alternative is to get fat in theright amount in the right places, which works bestwith Chester White, Berkshire, some types ofDuroc or crosses of those breeds. "It's not at allwhat a commercial pig would be," Willis said.

The idea that his kind of pork still had a futurecame to him when he saw premium prices for free-range chicken in grocery stores and wondered ifthere was a place for free-range pork. He'd beenstudying the idea for five years when he visited afriend in California who raised lambs marketed byBill Niman.

Niman told Willis to send him some pork. WhenWillis called officials at Sioux-Preme Packing inSioux City, Iowa, to do the processing, theythought he was crazy to think anyone would payextra when "a pig is a pig."

Niman shared the Willis pork with someCalifornia restaurant owners. They liked it, andNiman ordered 30 more hogs.

That was in 1995.Willis put together a pig production protocol and

started contacting other farmers who shared hisinterests in caring for animals and producingbetter pork. "I wanted to distance myself as muchas possible from the industrial model. ... I want toget it right for the environment and the animals,"he said.

When he was a producer, Willis used a five-yearrotation of pigs and crops on his 100 acres. Thatmeant there always were pigs on 20 acres ofpasture leaving behind natural fertilizer for thegrain planted the following years.

Niman Ranch criteria includes no antibiotics, nomeat products in feed and no farrowing crates orgestation stalls.

"The cornerstone still is animal welfare," Willissaid. "... and starting small is still something youcan do."

The company gives smaller farmers anopportunity to be part of a brand that is marketedthroughout the country.

Every pig is tattooed with a farm number Willis has 001 and a pig number.

"Consumers want to know their farmer," Willissaid. "If they can't know the farmer, they want toknow a brand that represents something."

Niman Ranch Pork uses field agents to ensureproducers follow the company's protocol.

Pork samples from each week's processing aretested for eating quality. The top 10 producersidentified from those tests receive $100,000 worthof premiums at the company's annual FarmersAppreciation Dinner.

Premiums also are paid to producers who keeptheir pig numbers up during the winter and othertimes of lower natural pig production to ensure asteady supply of hogs ready for processing everyweek year-round.

Most of the company's production of 3,000finished hogs a week go to Sioux-Preme Packingfor special processing runs that preserve thebrand identity. Willis said about 10 percent areproduced in the eastern United States and go to aplant north of Philadelphia.

He's always looking for more farmers to raisehogs for the company. At the NSAS conference, hedistributed copies of a graph showing the higherpremium prices paid to Niman Ranch producerscompared with commodity pork prices.

Willis said the company has a price floor that'snow based on corn and soybeans prices. He notedthat when commodity pork prices plunged to 8cents per pound in 1988, Niman producers werepaid 43.5 cents.

"If we had 20 percent more (hogs), we could sellthem all," Willis told the Kearney Hub.

Niman Ranch Pork Co. still would be a tiny partof a U.S. industry that processes 400,000 hogs aday.

"I think we've made an impact," Willis said, "butwe're still small in the big picture."

Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executiveofficer of the Humane Society of the United States,was to be Friday's keynote speaker but was unableto attend because bad weather on the East Coastprevented him from getting a flight to Nebraska.

Linda Wuebben, The Norfolk Daily News

CROFTON Jeff Steffen of rural Crofton hasimmersed himself in water and the futureconservation.

It came with the territory when he accepted aspot last July as a member of Nebraska's WaterTask Force.

The task force was setup with the passage oflegislative measure, calling for a study of water-related issues, sustainability and conservation inNebraska.

A group of 34 Nebraska residents was formed,including state senators, members of the state'sNatural Resources Commission and appointedmembers from cities, sportsmen, irrigation andpower districts and farm and ranching interests.

"I never realized how well off we are here in thisarea until I started attending these meetings,"Steffen said. "There were farmers on thecommittee from out west which were only allowedsix to eight inches of irrigated water besidesmaybe 18 inches of rain."

Farmers and ranchers in central and westernNebraska have been working on conservationpractices for about 20 years already, but in easternNebraska the work is just beginning, Steffen said.

Residents in the west have taken time to studythe state's underground aquifer, but the issue ofthe large body of water is not as relevant here ineastern Nebraska. Still the sustainability of wateris vital for Nebraska's future.

Steffen said looking south to Texas and Kansaswhere water sustainability in the future is a hugeissue has awakened Nebraska residents to takesustainability here serious while water is stillpresent.

Continued on page 11

Page 6 February 20, 2014Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Spring Irrigation

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LINCOLN Nebraska water users couldhave avoided a Compact Call Year had Kansasand their supporters accepted augmentationprojects in 2013.

A February 13, 2014 letter from BrianDunnigan, Nebraska Department of NaturalResources (NDNR) Director, responded toclaims made by the United States Bureau ofReclamation, the State of Kansas and theother supporters of Kansas in the lawsuitagainst Nebraska. The letter outlines thathad Kansas, and their supporters, acceptedthe augmentation projects in 2013 there wouldnot have been a Compact Call Year and theBureau and its customers in Nebraska(Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District &Bostwick Irrigation District) would have hadaccess to increased water supplies. In 2012,Frenchman Cambridge Irrigation District(FCID) and Nebraska Bostwick IrrigationDistrict (NBID) filed a lawsuit in FederalCourt against the State of Nebraska and theNebraska Cooperative Republican PlatteEnhancement (N-CORPE) to stop the N-CORPE Project. Although the lawsuit wasdismissed in 2013, the court action delayedthe project for a full year. N-CORPE will beoperational in 2014.

The Compact Call Year also adverselyimpacted all groundwater users and the socialand economic wellbeing of the RepublicanBasin. Groundwater irrigators faced increasedregulations reducing pumping by anadditional 50,000 acre-feet. All of this couldhave been avoided if the augmentationprojects could have moved forward in 2013.However, they were delayed by the actions of

the Nebraska surface water irrigationdistricts in the basin and the State of Kansas.

It is very clear that had the supporters ofLB 1074 (FCID & NBID) not filed actionagainst N-CORPE and the state, and alsosided with Kansas in the lawsuit againstNebraska, there would not be a reason tointroduce LB 1074, said Terry Martin, VicePresident of the Nebraska Association ofResources Districts, Upper Republican NRDBoard Chairman and retired water resourcesengineer. The bill would force the reductionof groundwater irrigation state-wide sosurface water irrigators might have morewater. The bill will not assist Nebraska in thelawsuit or compliance; rather it hinders thosegoals and threatens the local economy state-wide, said Martin.

Another bill introduced in 2013 would nothave been necessary either. SenatorChristensen introduced LB 522 to make theState of Nebraska pay $10 million to theFrenchman Cambridge Irrigation District andNebraska Bostwick Irrigation District for notgetting all of the irrigation water they wanted.

The letter from Brain Dunnigan, includingthe other attached documents, clearly outlinethat had Kansas, their supporters and othersthat want LB 1074 worked with Nebraska andthe NRDs, more water would have beenavailable for Nebraska surface waterirrigation in 2013 and the Compact Call yearcould have been avoided. The intent of LB1074 is to declare river basins in the stateover-appropriated and shut down groundwaterirrigation in the State of Nebraska.

Nebraska Water Users Could Have Avoided a Compact Call Year

Serving on State Task ForceBroadens CroftonMan's Perspective

February 20, 2014 Page 7Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Spring Irrigation

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Todd D. WhitneyUNL Hamilton County Extension Educator

Center pivot irrigation water use systemefficiencies vary from 85% to 90%. Althoughpivot manufactures and irrigators havedramatically improved water use efficiency(since the first Nebraska irrigation wells wereinstalled in 1938), water losses still occur whenirrigation water is applied. Irrigation waterlosses can occur in six ways: canopyevaporation; wind droplet drift; dropletevaporation; soil evaporation; field runoff;and/or deep percolation below plant rootingzones. Therefore, the key to improvingirrigation water use efficiency is to minimizeirrigated water losses.

Generally, evaporation and wind droplet driftlosses are over estimated by irrigators.

According to William Kranz, UNL ExtensionIrrigation Specialist, evaporation losses canexceed 20% if the irrigation water dropletshave very small droplet sizes. However, thesprinkler industry has made great progress indeveloping sprinkler devices which controlwater droplet sizes. Most new pivot nozzlesgenerate greater than .04 inch water dropletsfrom smooth nozzle pads and even largerdroplet sizes from the grooved stationary pads.With these new nozzle designs, the evaporationlosses are now less than 3%.

The only concern for applying large drops iswhen irrigating soils with little or no residuecover; or when crop canopy is lacking to protectthe soil. Large drops strike the soil withsignificant amounts of energy that can lead tothe breakdown of the soil structure, especiallyfor silt loam and fine sandy loam soils. The lossof structure can then result in a seal that formson the soil surface; thus reducing the waterinfiltration rates into the soil. If irrigationapplications are delayed until after crop canopydevelops and/or residue cover is providedthrough reduced-tillage systems, evaporationlosses are lower.

Wind, though, can increase evaporationlosses. For example, when wind speeds increasefrom 5 mph to 20 mph, then evaporation lossescan increase from 4% to 6% depending on thetemperature and humidity. To reduce the windeffects on water application uniformity, staggerirrigation pivot start up times. Seek to notirrigate the same pivot location the same timeof day during each irrigation. For example, trynot to always irrigate a certain field location at3:00 pm every time when wind speeds are attheir highest speeds. Further consideradjusting pivot application revolution times to2.5 or 3.5 days between irrigations. This willhelp stagger the irrigation pivot applicationtimes by 12 hours for the time of dayapplications.

Evaporation losses can also be higher forsprinkler irrigation if the frequency ofirrigations are increased. Each time that thecrop canopy is wetted; there is generally anevaporation loss of 0.10 inch per irrigationsession. Therefore, applying more water duringeach irrigation (less frequently) will likelyreduce canopy evaporation losses and increaseefficiency. Irrigation amounts should be higherthan 0.7 inch per application to minimize cropcanopy evaporation based on soil type and soilwater holding capacity.

Derrel Martin, UNL Irrigation & Waterspecialist, recommends the following practicesto further increase irrigation efficiency. First,install adequate water pressure regulationgauges to maintain uniform irrigationpatterns. Secondly, locate sprinkler devicesabove the mature crop canopy. This allows thesprinkler device to take advantage of low-pressure while allowing more uniform waterdistribution. Third, utilize soil moisturesensors and ET gauges to accurately scheduleirrigations. And, finally, check your centerpivot nozzles and make sure that they matchyour pivot sprinkler chart. Proper color-codednozzles should be installed at the correctlocation along your pivot.

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February 20, 2014Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Spring Irrigation

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February 20, 2014 Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Government Page 9

After years of work, frustration, and setbacks, along-term Farm Bill has been passed by both theHouse and Senate, and signed into law by thePresident. This is welcome news for producers andconsumers. Policy certainty will help our farmersand ranchers remain competitive, and the finallegislation includes reforms which will savehardworking taxpayers an estimated $23 billion.

Like any compromise, this legislation is not perfect.There are several trade and livestock provisionswhich are not included in the bill. I appreciate thepatience of Nebraska producers as we continue towork through these issues. And unfortunately, evenafter completion of this Farm Bill, Nebraska farmersand ranchers continue to be threatened byunnecessary regulations which make it more difficultto produce food and fiber for the world.

Recently, I heard reports the Occupational Safetyand Health Administration (OSHA) had begunenforcement action against small farms. Specifically,OSHA regulators were asserting they had theauthority to regulate on-farm grain storage and other

activities they claimed were not directly related togrowing and harvesting. However, Congress hasprohibited OSHA from using funds to regulate farmswith ten or fewer employees since 1976.

In response, I led a bipartisan effort along withRepresentatives Kristi Noem (R-SD), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Mike McIntyre (D-NC) to hold OSHAaccountable for this clear overreach of their statutoryauthority. We organized a letter, which was signedby more than 80 Members of Congress to Secretary ofLabor Thomas Perez demanding OSHA endregulation of small farms. Senator Johanns led asimilar effort in the U.S. Senate.

Our work is paying off. This week, the Departmentof Labor agreed to change course and issue newguidance after working with the U.S. Department ofAgriculture and agriculture organizations.

In Nebraska and other regions of the country, thesignificant rise in the in the cost of propane presentsanother challenge to producers, as well asindividuals and families. Any further reduction insupply threatens to leave many without the fuel

necessary to heat homes, businesses, and livestockand poultry operations.

Several factors have contributed to the shortagesincluding a large, wet harvest, unseasonably coldweather, and transport disruptions. This week,Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN) and I sent aletter to President Obama requesting his attention tothis urgent matter, and offering to help him findreasonable solutions. More than 70 Members ofCongress joined our effort by signing the bipartisanletter. The federal government has already issuedemergency orders to prioritize propane shipments,and companies across the country are makingcontributions, but there is work to be done to bringrelief to families across the country.

Though it seems like such bipartisan efforts are toofew and far between, getting a Farm Bill across thefinish line was one of my top priorities, and is one ofseveral recent examples of Congress workingtogether to benefit hardworking taxpayers. I remaincommitted to finding solutions to provide certainty,grow our economy, and move our country forward.

More Work Needed after Farm Billby Congressman Adrian Smith

Scottsbluff Office416 Valley View Drive, Suite 600

Scottsbluff, NE 69361Phone: (308) 633-6333

Fax: (308) 633-6335

Grand Island Office1811 West Second Street, Suite 105

Grand Island, NE68803Phone: (308) 384-3900

Fax: (308) 384-3902

Washington Office503 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515Phone: (202) 225-6435

Fax: (202) 225-0207

More Delays and More Bad News for Obamacareby Senator Mike Johanns

If you needed any more proof that Obamacare isnot going to work, the last couple weeks shouldcertainly clear the air.

Last week, the President once again unilaterallydelayed Obamacares requirements that businessesprovide health insurance for their employees,effectively ignoring the very law that he haschampioned for much of his tenure. This is thesecond straight year the Administration has put offthe employer mandate, and yet another delay in aseries of delays, extensions and waivers that haveovershadowed Obamacares sputtering launch.

This move clearly shows the President recognizesthe harm this law is causing for businesses, butmany families and individuals are already reelingfrom increased insurance premiums, higher out-of-pocket expenses and the reality that they may not beable to keep their preferred doctor. Cherry pickingwhich parts of the law to ignore is not fair to the folkswho are already coping with its burdens. Anddelaying the pain for others until after the nextelection is no solution.

Ignoring the employer mandate has not alleviatedother problems on the horizon because of the law. Arecent report by the nonpartisan Congressional

Budget Office (CBO) estimates the nations workforcewill reduce by the equivalent of 2.5 million full-timeworkers in just 10 years with Obamacare on thebooks. That figure is nearly three times greater thanCBOs analysis when the law was passed. Its hard tobelieve that in a struggling economy, whenunemployment was hovering around 10 percent,enough lawmakers were ready to support a law thatwould cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. But theserevised estimates paint an even bleaker picture.

The report predicts Obamacare subsidies willreduce incentives to work at a time when oureconomy depends on job growth. Additionally, whenthe employer mandate is fully implemented, thereport predicts the cost of the employer penalty willbe passed onto workers in the form of lower wagesand shrunken benefits. Many workers are alreadytrying to cope with reduced hours as businessesdecrease their full-time payrolls to avoid Obamacarerequirements.

But what about those who are gaining coveragefrom Obamacare? Some of my colleagues arereporting that 10 million have coverage today thatthey wouldnt have absent Obamacare. Non-partisanfact checkers have debunked that talking point,

calling the claim simply ridiculous. Ive heard froma few Nebraskans who are benefitting from the law,but many more will be left without coverage.

CBO estimates 31 million Americans will still bewithout coverage in 2024a decade into the lawsimplementation. Thats roughly one in nineAmericans. CBO also predicts between 6 and 7million fewer Americans will receive coveragethrough their work than would without the law, evenwith Obamacares employer mandate.

All of this begs the question: Is Obamacare worththe $2 trillion investment?

I appreciate and support goals to help our mostvulnerable Americans receive access to health care.This can be accomplished through proposals thatincrease competition and lower costs like expandinghealth savings accounts, having insurers competeacross state lines, and allowing small businesses topool together for lower rates. Its time to scrap thebroken, government-centered Obamacare model andpass these patient-centered reforms that will help usachieve our goal of improving Americas health caresystem.

Kearney Office:4111 Fourth Avenue, Suite 26

Kearney, NE 68845Tel: (308) 236-7602 Fax: (308) 236-7473

Lincoln Office:294 Federal Building 100 Centennial

Mall NorthLincoln, NE 68508

Tel: (402) 476-1400 Fax: (402) 476-0605

Scottsbluff Office:115 Railway Street, Suite C102

Scottsbluff, NE 69361Tel: (308) 632-6032Fax: (308) 632-6295

Omaha Office:9900 Nicholas St., Suite 325

Omaha, NE 68114Tel: (402) 758-8981Fax: (402) 758-9165

Washington, D.C. Office404 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Modern Rules for Modern Technologyby Senator Deb Fischer

Washington D.C. Office825 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510Phone: (202) 224-6551

Fax: (202) 228-1325

Lincoln Office440 North 8th Street, Suite 120

Lincoln, Nebraska 68508Phone: (402) 441-4600

Fax: (402) 476-8753

Omaha Office11819 Miracle Hills Drive, Suite 205

Omaha, Nebraska 68154Phone: (402) 391-3411

Fax: (402) 391-4725

Almost forty years ago, few could have imaginedhow modern technology would change the way welive. Ground-breaking advancements have changedthe way we do business, communicate with oneanother, and feed the world.

One rapidly-growing field is low-risk healthinformation technology (health IT). These products,which pose little threat to human health, range fromelectronic health records and scheduling software tomobile wellness applications. Yet, they can greatlyimprove our quality of life.

Pioneers of low-risk health IT are engineeringtechnologies that improve care, empower consumerswith information, and save lives. Thanks to a $1.99mobile app, an American basketball coach was able todownload a refresher course on how to properlyadminister CPR. Thankfully, he was able to performthe procedure on a player who collapsed in practicethe very next day.

In 2012, the Departments of Defense and VeteransAffairs partnered to release a free Apple and Androidsmartphone app called the Post-Traumatic StressDisorder (PTSD) Coach. The app provides useful andreliable information on the disorder and itstreatments. Since the apps launch, it has beendownloaded more than 100,000 times in 74 countries.

Yet, many of the current regulations governingthese fields havent been appropriately updated to

reflect modern developments. We need updated rulesto help foster continued progress and ensure we staycompetitive.

The current, overly broad definition of a medicaldevice written in 1976 gives the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) authority to regulate a widerange of health information technologies entering themarketplace. The FDA claims it has discretion toregulate things like mobile wellness apps with thesame rules it uses to review complex, invasivemedical machines. This defies common sense.

As a result, many of the products posing little riskto human health fall victim to a long, costlyregulatory process. This stalls progress andunnecessarily burdens inventors and entrepreneurs.

To address this problem, I teamed up with SenatorAngus King (I-Maine) to introduce a bill thatprovides needed regulatory changes. Our legislation,the PROTECT Act of 2014, provides the industrycertainty to promote innovation and encourage jobcreation all while protecting patient safety.

The PROTECT Act offers a more specific, risk-based framework for the FDA by drawing a linebetween low-risk and high-risk technologies. Our billenables the FDA to focus its attention on devices thatpose the greatest risk to human health. The agencyswork to protect people is important, and our bill

makes sure that this oversight continues fordangerous medical devices.

Importantly, our legislation also cuts unnecessaryred tape. Whenever I meet with business ownersacross Nebraska, I hear time and again thatuncertainty, partly due to overregulation, remains anongoing challenge. Lingering uncertainty holds backbusiness expansion and prevents owners from hiring.

Health IT is a thriving sector of our economy. It isfull of enormous growth potential, with opportunitiesfor job creation. For example, the mobile health andmobile application market is expected to exceed $26billion by 2017, and the mobile application economyis responsible for half a million new American jobs.

Congress should be working to help, not hinder,these successful job creators with pro-growthpolicies. The PROTECT Act provides regulatorycertainty and gets government out of the way whereit is not needed. Anyone with ambition and a dreamshould have a shot. Our legislation makes sure theydo. We all benefit from more jobs, new technology,and innovative forms of healthcare.

Im so pleased to work with Senator King andSenator Marco Rubio (R-FL) an original cosponsorof our bipartisan bill to remove bureaucratichurdles stifling economic growth.

February 20, 2014Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Market

Corn

March 2014 Corn (CBOT) - Daily Chart

Open . . .4.532High . . . .4.544Low . . . .4.510Close . . .4.536Change +0.060

Wheat

March 2014 Wheat (CBOT) - Daily Chart

Open . . . .6.196High . . . .6.206Low . . . . .6.114Close . . . .6.150Change .-0.850

Soybeans

Country Grain Prices as of 2/18/14 Location Corn New Corn Beans New Beans Wheat New Wheat Milo New Milo

Aurora $4.26 $4.28 $12.97 $10.72

Bloomfield $3.98 $4.19 $12.92 $10.60

Bruning $4.32 $14.13 $6.78

Chappell $4.30 $4.41 $12.57 $10.42 $6.67 $5.98

Columbus $4.22 $4.54 $12.98 $13.54

Franklin $4.27 $4.25 $12.96 $10.12 $6.69 $5.96 $4.21 $3.78

Fremont $4.37 $13.17

Funk $4.32 $4.32 $13.04 $10.25 $6.69 $5.89 $4.16 $3.78

Gordon *** $4.48 $4.53 $6.85 $6.92

Grand Island $4.36 $4.28 $12.99 $10.72

Grant $4.30 $4.41 $12.57 $10.42 $6.53 $5.98

Hastings $4.32 $4.32 $13.09 $10.75 $6.83 $6.38 $4.36 $3.98

Hemingford $4.48 $4.53 $6.85 $6.92

Holdrege $4.26 $4.33 $13.00 $10.68 $6.13 $6.13

Imperial *** $4.32 $4.41 $12.59 $10.42 $6.57 $6.03

Kearney $4.36 $4.53 $12.89 $10.72

Kimball $4.30 $4.41 $6.67 $5.98

Lexington $4.39 $4.38 $10.82 $11.37

Lincoln $4.26 $4.33 $13.19 $10.92 $7.07 $6.33 $4.29 $3.98

Maywood $4.34 $4.38 $12.78 $10.60 $6.53 $6.08 $4.19 $4.03

McCook $4.33 $4.41 $12.67 $10.42 $6.57 $6.03 $4.19 $3.98

Merna $4.25 $4.27 $12.92 $10.12 $6.61 $5.82

Nebraska City $4.35 $13.17

Norfolk $4.24 $4.28 $13.09 $12.93

North Platte $4.34 $4.38 $12.90 $10.72 $6.60 $6.15 $4.19 $4.03

Ogallala $4.28 $6.54

Ord $4.53 $4.68 $13.54 $11.37

Overton $4.26 $4.35 $12.99 $10.67

Sidney $4.30 $4.36 $6.83 $5.99

St.Paul $4.22 $4.18 $10.57 $11.37

Superior $4.37 $4.34 $13.14 $10.85 $6.88 $6.55 $4.54 $4.33

Waco $4.22 $4.23 $12.99 $10.72 $6.72 $6.28 $4.24 $4.13

Wahoo $4.19 $13.08

Wayne $4.07 $4.12

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is a full service risk management andfutures brokerage firm. A primary focus ofFuturesOne is to provide usefulagricultural marketing advice via daily,weekly, and monthly analysis of the

domestic and global markets. FuturesOne designs andservices individualized risk management solutions andwill also actively manage pricing decisions for agproducers. FuturesOne also provides advice andmanagement services for speculative accounts. Davidand his staff at FuturesOne draw on decades of

marketing, brokerage, farming and ranching experienceto provide customers and readers quality domestic andglobal market analysis, news and advice. FuturesOnehas Nebraska offices located in Lincoln, Columbus andCallawayDes Moines and at the Chicago Board ofTrade. You may contact David via email at [email protected], by phone at 1-800-488-5121 or checkFuturesOne out on the web at www.futuresone.com.Everyone should always understand the risk of loss andmargin needed when trading futures or futures options.

The information contained herein is gathered fromsources we believe to be reliable but cannot beguaranteed. Opinions expressed are subject to changewithout notice. There is significant risk in tradingfutures.

Mar. 14 Dec. 14Support: 432 465Resistance: 449 478

Corn trade continues to push higher ahead of theUSDA Outlook Conference. Heading into ThursdayMarch futures are 9 higher on the week which has us atthe highest level since late October. The Friendly USDAreport last Monday, lowering ending stocks to 1.481 bil-lion bushels, and good demand items have allowed cornto continue to move higher along with light upside chartmomentum. March moved above the previous $4.49 highmoving up near $4.55, the next major moving average tothe upside is $4.75, the 200-day. Export business hasbeen quieter this week and weekly sales are postponed toFriday because of Presidents Day. The US has lost somecompetitiveness, but unrest in the Ukraine and else-where could offset discounts and spur business. Ethanolproduction should improve on the week with betterweather helping production and usage. Stocks shouldbuild a bit more as we come into spring. Producer mar-gins are expected to remain good. The weekly exportinspection number jumped to near 35 million bushels onbetter availability from recent sales. South Americanweather remains a mixed bag for now. USDA baselineacres were pegged at 93.5 million acres, with productionof 14.206 billion bushels, and a carryout of 2.6 billionbushels; this still used a 1.887 carry in, so the actual car-ryover number with these projections is right around 2.2billion. Further projections for this year will come out ofthe USDA conference Thursday or Friday, expectationsare for the carryover to stay around 2 billion. That beingsaid these numbers are projections and not based on sur-veys. We are set up for active trade surrounding theMarch Planting Intentions report at the end of March.The March option expiration is Friday which would sug-gest we want to keep March corn in between $4.40-$4.50.Hedgers call with questions.

Chicago K City MinneapolisSupport: S574 650 641

Resistance 644 715 706

Wheat trade has been able to extend its rally withsupport from the weather and the softer dollar. Theweekly net changes are Chicago 22 higher, KC 16higher, and Minneapolis 18 higher. US origin wheathas lost some competitiveness on the export market,but logistics issues elsewhere should help to keepthings supportive.. World weather has developed con-cerns about planting dryness in Australia, and winterkill in the US, with another cold snap coming afterthe snow has melted off. Baseline wheat acres were57 million acres with production of 2.2 billionbushels, and a carryout of 642 million bushels.Chicago wheat has resistance at $6.43, the 100-day,with support at the $5.95-$6.00 area. The weeklyexport inspections slipped towards 12 millionbushels. Weekly sales are delayed. The trend hasturned higher and a bit overbought but we still havea little upside momentum in the gas tank. Hedgerscall with questions.

Mar. 14 Mar. Meal Mar. OilSupport 1300 434 3837

Resistance 1399 472 4139

March 2014 Soybeans (CBOT) - Daily Chart

Soybean trade hit new highs on strong trade to start theweek, before softening again on Wednesday. For the week,March beans are 17 higher through Thursday. Basis hassoftened a bit with the higher prices moving some bushelsinto town for exporters and crushers. The weekly exportinspections were good coming in around 60 millionbushels. Export sales have been quiet with the mainweekly sales delayed. Export should begin to drop offmore with early Brazilian harvest going fairly well, with25% or so cut already. We should rather say exports needto drop off because we do not have the beans this crop yearwithout squeezing domestic needs. Weather looks good inSouth America as a whole, but enough heat and otherissues have occurred, that we do not expect productionestimates to rise any further, more likely see lightdeclines. A huge South American crop is expected and ourcurrent global carryover estimate is a record for soybeans.On the chart, March has support at $13.38, on the 10-daymoving average, then $13.13 which is the 20-day. Chartresistance is at $13.79. March futures did take a crack atour 2013 and 2014 March contract high up at $13.79, mov-ing over $13.70, on Wednesday morning but we finishedthe day around 20 cents off the high. The acre battle fornew crop should pick up this month, with cotton and othercrops potentially looking more competitive vs row crops onthe fringes of the belt, especially with the recent corngains. The USDA Outlook conference is expected to clari-fy some of the questions from the USDA baseline numbersreleased last week which was 78 million for 2014 beans.Production was listed at 3.480 billion bushels (versus3.258 this past year) and a carryout of 203 millionbushels. The trade expectations are for acreage to bearound 82.5 million and production up nearly another 200million. Hedgers call with any questions or to discussworking with FuturesOne.

Open . . .13.540High . . .13.610Low . . . .13.436Close . . .13.556Change .+0.110

Crop Basis Charts from Reporting Locations as of 2/18/14

Corn Basis Soybean Basis

Wheat Basis Sorghum Basis

WWeeeekk ll yy AAgg MMaarrkkee tt BBrr eeaakkddoowwnn

AG NEWSCOMMODITIES

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February 20, 2014 Nebraska Farm & Ranch - Crop Insurance Page 11

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Omaha World-Herald

For months, public attentionfocused on issues including foodstamps and crop insurance. Thoseare major components, but there'smuch more in the bill.

The new farm bill restartsdisaster assistance for the agsector. This is a direct need for thecattle producers the NebraskaPanhandle hit hard by theblizzard last October, a calamitythat killed more than 2,200 head.

The 900-page, nearly $500billion legislation is to cover fiveyears and contains significantprovisions affecting a wide rangeof additional issues such asconservation and exportpromotion.

Among the bill's lesser-knownprovisions are ideas to promotefarmers markets as well asbiodegradable-based products(items made from corn-basedcomponents, for example).

A disappointing failure was thetroubling decision by a House-Senate conference committee toremove the subsidy limits thatboth houses of Congress hadseparately approved.

The conference committee'saction spurred strongcondemnation from two membersof the Midlands' congressionaldelegation, Rep. Jeff Fortenberry,R-Neb., and Sen. Chuck Grassley,R-Iowa. Both had worked hard toend the federal government'sopen-ended approach to payments,especially to large, high-dollarproducers.

On the positive side, the farmbill put new emphasis on food andwater research. That little-publicized aspect of the bill couldbring important long-termbenefits to the Midlands economyand to the University of Nebraskaand Iowa State University, giventheir wide-ranging involvement inag-science work.

The need for greater attention toagricultural research is strong. Tomeet the food needs of a globalpopulation of 9 billion by 2050, theworld's ag productivity must go upby 70 percent, says U.S. Secretaryof Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Achieving such improvements inagricultural productivity willhinge in large measure on newresearch discoveries: findings thatcan boost plant and animal health,make water use stretch, improveplant yields and help plants betterwithstand drought.

Traditionally, food andagricultural research has tendedto be regarded in the scientificcommunity as something of asecond-tier concern, a mere"stepchild," notes Ronnie Green,vice chancellor for the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln's Institute ofAgriculture and NaturalResources.

Even the USDA devoted lessthan 2.5 percent of its budget forsuch research in recent years.

The mind-set in the scientificcommunity is changing, though,as the importance of agriculturefor global food and water needsbecomes increasingly obvious.

The University of Nebraska ismaking impressive investmentsand organizational changes toraise its food and water studies tothe next level. As a result, NU ispositioned to step up as one of theleading centers on this research.

The farm bill creates a nonprofitfoundation to channel $200million in federal funds into agresearch, with the private sectormatching dollar for dollar. Inaddition, the National ScienceFoundation will direct a portion ofits basic-science grants towardfood and water research.

Such steps are part of aimpressive long-term strategy bythe USDA to boost ag science. Thedepartment also is encouragingthe creation of six large,multidisciplinary researchinstitutes to focus on high-priorityfood and water issues. USDA willprovide competitive grants to theeffort.

Universities such as NU andISU will be encouraged to jointogether and make proposals forpotential institutes.

Green, the UNL vice chancellor,notes that some smaller items inthe new farm bill include fundingrelevant for NU. The NationalDrought Mitigation Center atUNL is likely to benefit from thefederal government's new fundingfor drought-related programs. AndNU should face good odds incompeting for increased federalfunds for research into animalhealth.

Food and water research can nolonger be considered a stepchild inthe scientific community. On thecontrary, it's vital to help theworld meet global needs in thecoming decades.

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A budget of $1 million was set up forthe task force, including much of thatmoney to hire an engineering firm tofacilitate the study.

Olsson Associates, which has astrong background in water andconservation projects, was hired toconduct the study and monitor the 22meetings held across the state fromJuly to December. Public commentwas taken at each meeting.

"Certainly, quantity of water isimportant, but also quality isimportant," Steffen said.

Farming practices in easternNebraska will need to be considered.Timing of certain chemicalapplications like nitrogen on cropsshould be carefully considered.

The Natural Resources Commissionis responsible for distributing fundsfor conservation projects.

"It was a very steep learning curvefor me," said Steffen with a smile. Hehad never served on a NaturalResources District board, so helearned "a ton of stuff."

The goal of the task force issustainability.

Steffen said the NRDs across thestate have done a good job but thereneeds to be a closer look at water,groundwater and futuresustainability.

"We need to do groundwatermapping here in our part of the state,"Steffen said.

The water task force has maderecommendations that will bepresented to the NebraskaLegislature yet this month.

SERVING ON STATE TASK FORCE BROADENS CROFTON MAN'S PERSPECTIVEContinued from page 8

Cedar County FFA

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Page 12 February 20, 2014Nebraska Farm & Ranch - FFA

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Hartington FFA Reporter Riley McCain

Last fall the Hartington FFA harvested theircrop plot. The crop plot is where a piece of landis donated and local seed dealers donate seed toplant. We conducted a residue test when wemulched a part of the field. GrossenburgImplement donated a field connect unit andwith that students could go on the internet andcheck the soil moisture at four different levels.When it was time to harvest students were ableto come to the crop plot and help harvest bydriving the combine, grain cart and going to theelevator. Thank you to all of the people whohelped on the crop plot, it is greatlyappreciated.

Recently the chapter competed at the districtlivestock judging contest. The junior teamplaced 5th out of 11 teams. Students whocompeted on the junior team include MaggieWiebelhaus 6th out of 84, Noah Noecker 12th,Bryce Lammers 33rd, Isaac Stevens 52nd,Brianna Lammers 58th, Taylor Lammers 65th,Megan Leise 70th, and Ashley Kneifl 72nd.There was also a senior team that competed andthey placed 2nd out of 11 teams. Students whocompeted on the senior team include GarrettHeine 1st out of 81, Ty Dybdal 3rd, DustinWeinandt 20th, Austin Koch 24th, Ty Becker39th, Jacob Dickes 42nd, Alex Fischer 50th, andDillon Klug 60th. The top four competitors oneach team will represent Hartington FFA atState in April.

The chapter will be doing many activitiesduring National FFA Week which is February18th thru the 21st, 2014. On Tuesday thechapter officers will present Why I Wear theBlue and Gold Jacket to the elementary

classes. Wednesday is Blue and Gold day /Official Dress day, a Teacher Appreciationbreakfast, and an elementary coloring contest.Thursday is dress like a farmer day, and Friday

is FFA t-shirt day with a state officer visit anda dance at night. Every day there will be FFAtrivia for high school and elementary students.

Hartington FFA Has a Busy Winter Season

The Hartington FFA Officer team watches as the John Deere field connect unit is installed byGrossenburg Implement employees in the crop plot last summer to monitor soil moisture in the residuetest the chapter conducted. L-R: Officers Riley McCain, Travis Burbach, Bobby Reifenrath, EmmaWiebelhaus, Luke Burbach, Tucker Loberg, not pictured Tristan Steffen.

Washington County FFA

February 20, 2014 Nebraska Farm & Ranch - FFA Page 13

The Randolph FFA chapter is continuing tohave a fantastic year. Contest success, NationalFFA Week, and hard work for degrees are justsome of the things we are busying ourselveswith lately. Three chapter members qualifiedfor state and several others are alternates.Mackenzie Lemmons and Leo Haselhorst willbe participating in the Senior Public Speakingevent obtaining first and second in the event atdistricts. Also, Morgan Polenske is the districtExtemporaneous Speaking champion. AdamThompson placed fifteenth in district livestockjudging as well. Mackenzie Lemmons, chapterpresident, applied for her state degree and is faralong her path to being a hopeful state officernext year.

National FFA Week is a busy time for everychapter. The Randolph FFA chapter is noexception. Every day there will be a new dressup day including Western Day, TractorAppreciation Day, Red and Gold Day torepresent the theme Ignite, and the classicBlue and Gold Day. Also, every day will have anew FFA trivia question. At the end of the weekthe boy and girl who participated in the weeksactivities the most are crowned Corn Cob Kingand Queen. The elementary students get toparticipate as well. They get to draw their bestfarm scene on grocery bags which are then usedat the local grocery store. Also, members of thechapter will be taking time to play a trivia gameabout FFA with the younger kids.

Upcoming events include CareerDevelopment Events, or CDEs. The chapter hasa fairly large group of students participating.Study times are being set up and we have a verygood outlook for this years CDE contest. Also,State Convention is coming up and everyonewho is already or will be participating areworking hard to get ready for the contests. TheRandolph FFA chapter is hard at work and isready to end the year with a bang.

The RandolphFFA Chapter

Mike Rossman Vice-PresidentOffi ce: 402-426-9500 [email protected]#1089296

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DodgeCounty FFA

The Scribner Snyder FFA Chapter has been keptvery busy this year so far. The chapter has held apink out night at a varsity Boys and Girlsbasketball game. The goal was to raise funds for alocal community member who is dealing withBreast Cancer. Pink Out Night went very wellsaid Scribner-Snyder Chapter Advisor MichelleRyun. People really enjoyed buying baked goodsfrom a bake sale, raffle tickets for baskets thatwere donated by other schools and localorganizations. The chapter raised over 1,000dollars, and is personally going to donate 300dollars to make a grand total of 1,300 dollars forthe community member! The Scribner-SnyderFFA Chapter President Amber Metschke said weraised more money than we thought and Pink OutNight was a great success!

The Chapter has also been collecting donationsfor the annual FFA Barbecue Auction on March

18, 2014. Donations are used for items on thesilent auction, raffle prizes, or just to help coverthe cost of the food and other activities. Localbusinesses are very generous when they donatesaid Ryun. The chapter will continue to plan forthe Barbecue Auction as well as preparing for FFAWeek which will occur on February 17-21. Its funbecause all my friends get join in on the activitiessaid Metschke. There will be lots of differentactivities for students join in doing even if theyarent in FFA such as answering trivia questions,dressing up on certain days, classroom activitiesfor elementary students, and even a petting zoo!Metschke claimed, FFA week is a great week toget kids involved in Agriculture and possiblyconsider joining FFA Overall the group isextremely excited to get busy with agriculture asthe semester goes on!

FFA Begins Year with Many Activities

Amber Metschke and Dakota Lundry manningthe bake sale at Pink Out Night, in an effort to raisemoney for a local family suffering from breastcancer.

Faith Cole is judging a class of market lambs atDistrict Livestock Evaluation at NortheastCommunity College.

February 20, 2014

Cuming County FFA

Burt County FFA

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