Usag Usag16

2016 EDITION
CIRCLE
IN THE
SQUARE
50 + YEARS OF
CENTER-PIVOT IRRIGATION PLUS:
New Old
Cattle for the
SOYBEANS
WORLDWIDE CONSUMPTION ON THE RISE
American
Southwest
HISTORY
HEART
PURPOSE
VISION
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WATER MANAGEMENT
MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT

FEED THE WORLD USING LESS WATER
WATER WARS WHOA NELLY, THATS A LOT
52
What we know for sure:
Competition and demand Acres of irrigated
for water will continue to MIL cropland in the U.S.*
be fierce
Water supply is decreasing
79 BIL
You can be pro-active Gallons of water used
about water every day for irrigation*
Thats like covering

the state of Texas
with nearly 6 inches
of water each year!
BOTTOM LINE:
Growers need to improve crop yields
while using less water and energy
WHAT YOU CAN DO: UTILIZE IRRIGATION CHEMISTRY
INFILTRATION HYDRATION
SURFACTANTS & SURFACTANTS
ANNUAL AUDITS CAN
SAVE 1015%
ON IRRIGATION COSTS
Audit your
irrigation system Breaks down Holds water in
surface tension the root zone
Follow good Reduces evaporation Maintains
agronomic practices and run-off water content
Moves water Reduces plant stress
Use innovative uniformly throughout
irrigation chemistries the root zone
Precision Laboratories Can Help

We believe improved water management can change the world and
are committed to doing our part through education and innovation.
Visit PrecisionLab.com today to learn

more about our new irrigation chemistries.
*2013 data from the USDA Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey 2015, Precision Laboratories, LLC
USDA photo by Lance Cheung
Soybeans growing in a field. Soybeans are

the United States second-largest crop.
Innovation
Innovation is creativity with a
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Foreword
For many decades, American agriculture has grown, evolved, and improved,
and while it continues to do so today, outside pressures are greater than ever and
challenges are multiplying as the 21st century progresses. The effects of climate
change, a growing global population with increasing food demands, and a dwindling
number of farmers are just a handful of the issues facing U.S. agriculture today.
Though the challenges are many, the nations agriculture sector is working to
address them. In this edition, we look at the continuing growth of soybean harvests
second only to corn in the United States and how the crop is being used increas-
ingly within the food chain rather than as a fuel source. We describe the efforts
of the USDA and state and local programs to find and nurture a new generation
of farmers who will be instrumental in growing food to meet domestic and global
demand. We examine Californias continuing drought and water crisis, and how
farmers are coping.
Technological breakthroughs will no doubt be imperative to dealing with some of

the problems facing agriculture today, and growing numbers of agriculture profes-
sionals with advanced degrees will likely be at the forefront of such discoveries. Still,
its worth keeping in mind that sometimes tradition trumps tech: case in point, a
rediscovered Old World breed of cattle that is more adaptable to semi-arid condi-
tions and scrubby rangeland than more popular breeds and can thrive on much
less water in a drier American Southwest.
American agriculture will continue to progress and prosper through a mixture

of tradition and technology that has served it well throughout the nations history,
and will continue to ensure its success in a challenging future.
fast protection.
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS
USDA and Agriculture Update .................................10
By J.R. Wilson
Circle in the Square .................................................. 20

More than a half-century ago, center-pivot irrigation
systems changed the way the world farms.
By Eric Seeger
Higher Learning ....................................................... 24

Advanced degrees and the future of agriculture
By J.R. Wilson
Weathering the Drought.............................................30

How Californias farmers have adapted to dwindling
water supplies for now
By Craig Collins
New Farmers Needed ............................................... 38

By Craig Collins
Olney Texas USA
airtractor.com
U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 5
Introducing...
The first of its kind

is a
community-based website
designed and created
for producers with large
commercial farming
operations.
features articles
relevant to your operation's
need, a verified forum for you
to discuss and interact with
Down on the Farm, Up on the Hill.......................... 46 other growers,
Who are the agricultural experts in Congress today? plus a social community to
By Jan Tegler facilitate engagement among
the community.
Agricultural Pollution Control ............................... 52
By David A. Brown
New Old Cattle for the American Southwest ...... 58

The Raramuri Criollo
By Craig Collins
American Dairy Producers: Going Organic ........ 66

By Craig Collins
Soybeans.................................................................... 72
Worldwide consumption on the rise
By J.R. Wilson Read
The Role of Animal Health Care Products
Learn
and Pharmaceuticals in Agriculture...................... 76
By Gail Gourley
Discuss
Interact
Farm Safety................................................................ 82
By David A. Brown
Product Showcase .................................................... 88
U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 7 Click to watch video

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Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2016

2016 EDITION
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EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief: Chuck Oldham
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Contributing Writers:
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Gail Gourley, Eric Seeger
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USDA AND AGRICULTURE UPDATE
USDA and
Agriculture
Update
By J.R. Wilson
T
he size of global agriculture has grown dramati-
cally in recent years, in terms of both production
and market value, the result of a combination of
technology and growing demand for both feed and food
grains, meat, and vegetables. Those results have not been
evenly distributed, however.
The U.S. has had more growth in agricultural production
since 2000 than Europe, but China, on the other hand, has
seen more rapid growth than the U.S. in that same time, as
has Brazil, especially in grains, oilseeds, and livestock, said Pat
Westhoff, Ph.D., director of the Food and Agricultural Policy
Research Institute (FAPRI) at the University of Missouri.
A crude indicator is the value of agriculture sales, which was
$192 billion in 2000 and $378 billion in 2015 for the U.S.,
which is a sizeable increase, even when adjusted for inflation.
Part of that is due to higher prices, but also greater production.
For example, we have tripled the volume of corn produced in
that time, while prices have roughly doubled.
The types of crops grown have changed little in recent
decades, but the share of production has, with a greater
percentage of corn and soybeans than in 2000, but less
wheat, cotton, rice, and other commodities. Those changes
were driven by increased demand, both domestic and interna-
tional, although the reason for that demand also has changed.
Until 2010, a lot of the growth in corn and soybeans was due
to ethanol, but since then, it has been an increase in livestock
feed production, both domestic and export. For soybeans,
China has been importing ever larger volumes in recent years.
The number of acres planted in four major crops and yields
have mirrored that: In 2000, U.S. corn plantings totaled about
80 million acres; in 2015, it was 88 million, having peaked at
97 million in 2012. Soybeans rose from 74 million acres in
2000 to 83 million in 2015. Wheat acreage dropped from 63
million to 55 million, and cotton from 15 million to 8 million.

For the 14 crops charted by FAPRI, the total U.S. acreage
planted rose from 253 million in 2000 to 260 million in 2015.
The cotton industry has very severe challenges going
forward, he added. Yields vary a lot from year to year 2015,
as of December estimates, showed 768 pounds per acre
10 U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK

A 12-row corn harvester transfers feed corn to a 450-bushel grain cart during
the feed corn harvest at the John N. Mills & Sons farm, a family-owned
business located in the Hanover and King William counties of Virginia, on
Sept. 20, 2013. Corn plantings were up to 88 million acres in 2015.

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Left, top: Peoples Republic of China General

Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) officials
take samples of U.S. soybeans at the Port
of Dalian. Left, bottom: Agriculture Deputy
Secretary Krysta Harden examines ripe
cocoa pods and tours the WCF African
Cocoa Initiative farm in Ghana on Nov. 16,
2015. The ability of Africa to feed itself will be
critical to its future.
harvested, which is abnormally low. In

2014, it was 838 pounds per acre and
about 630 pounds in 2000. We just hit
a plateau the past few years, with cotton
at 880 pounds or so in 2012.
Weather and other factors have a
very significant impact for almost all
major commodities, with year-to-year
variability. In the case of corn, the
long-term trend has been an increase
of a bit more than 1 percent per year,
as has been the case with both wheat
and soybeans.
That variability also appears for
exports. In 2014, the last year for which
USDA/FAS photo by Mark Rasmussen
full data are available, the United States

exported 1.864 billion bushels and
production was 14.216 billion bushels.
Exports were about 13 percent of
production, but about 14 percent in
terms of total use, adjusting for what
went into storage. The share has
declined in both measurements since
2000, when both use and production
were at 20 percent.
For soybeans, exports in 2000
accounted for 36 percent of total
use and production, compared to 47
percent of production and 48 percent
of use in 2014 largely due to China,
which allowed both the United States
and Brazil to increase exports. Those
numbers only account for raw soybeans;
when oil and meal are included, more
than half of U.S. production was
exported. For wheat, 2014 exports were
42 percent of use and production, down
sharply from 48 percent of production
and 44 percent of use in 2000.
Significant changes also were seen in
USDA photo
meat, milk, and milk-product production

and exports.

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Dry land cotton grows on a farm in Navasota, Texas, on Aug. 23, payments. In 2000, government payments were more than
2013. Over the past 15 years, cotton acreage planted has dropped by 10 percent of total farm income. Over time, its more common
almost half. for crop receipts to exceed livestock receipts; there was an
anomaly for a few years, but were getting back to more tradi-
Beef production was 27 billion pounds in 2000 and 24 tional comparisons today.
billion pounds in 2015, the decline in part due to drought- The rapid and extensive growth of technology, crops, and
related herd reductions. Pork was 19 billion pounds in 2000 markets is expected to continue, at least through the next
and 25 billion pounds in 2015, and chickens 30 billion pounds 20 years, as will foreign competition in export markets and
in 2000, shooting up to 40 billion pounds in 2015, reaching domestic production in some nations and further reductions in
record levels as the nation largely moved past the effects of the number of U.S. farms involved in significant crop plantings
the drought by 2015. and yield and livestock production. At the 2015 Agricultural
Milk production also has increased sharply since 2000, from Outlook Forum Plenary Panel on Innovation, Biotechnology and
167 billion pounds to 208 billion pounds in 2015, despite a Big Data, Robert Fraley, Ph.D., Monsantos executive vice presi-
drop in per capita U.S. consumption from 212 pounds in 2000 dent and chief technology officer, outlined just how dramatic
to 180 pounds in 2015, most of that in the last five years. Part that growth will be.
of that was due to competition from other products, such as Theres never been a more interesting or more important
soy and almond milk, fewer children as a share of the popula- time for agriculture. Im sure you all know the challenges:
tion, and adults drinking less milk. Cheese consumption, on World population growing, world wealth increasing, and
the other hand, has risen from 30 pounds per capita in 2000 demand for food continuing to skyrocket, he said. Between
to 35 pounds today. U.S. dairy exports also have changed now and 2050, we need to double the worlds food supply.
significantly, with the nation moving from a net overall importer, A big part of that is going to be increased production, some
especially of cheese, to a net exporter by 2014. will be reduced waste which will be really important some
Recent and soon-to-be-implemented U.S. government policy could be improved diets. But putting it into perspective, we
changes are not having a significant impact on production, have to produce more food in the next 35 years than we have
although they are important to farmers incomes, according in the entire history of the world.
to Westhoff. I believe that by 2050 well see doubling the yields of the
We are now under the 2014 Farm Bill for the second year, major crops we produce in North and South America, but
USDA photo by Bob Nichols
which significantly changed government support for the even that will not provide adequate food security unless we
farm sector, but still has not had a big impact on what were see dramatic yield gains across Asia and Africa, as well. It will
growing, he said. Government payments are a relatively small be really critical that Africa has the capacity to feed itself in the
share of farmers income these days. future. I see Africa today much of how I would have viewed
In 2015, farmers earned $192 billion selling crops, $187 Brazil 30 years ago in terms of its potential, and I think innova-
billion selling livestock, and received $11 billion in government tion will make that difference happen.

Cheese rounds that have been inoculated with mold and are curing
in the aging room to produce Chapels Country Creamery Bay
Blue cheese. The dairy produces hand-crafted artisanal cheeses
with fresh raw milk produced on the dairys Grade A dairy farm
in Easton, Maryland. In the United States, per capita cheese
consumption has risen significantly.
Fraley predicts those innovations phenomenal advances in

biology that enable gene-by-gene recombinations of corn and
tomato seeds and the ongoing infusion of data science and
information technology will create the next green revolution
while improving productivity and yields.
A lot will be a continuation of ongoing trends, with ever-
increasing farm productivity, Westhoff agreed. New tech-
nologies will be developed and adopted. But there also are
some countervailing trends in organic and local [yields] to
reach markets that are skeptical of traditional agriculture. There
may be cases, especially fruits and vegetables, where green-
houses and vertical marketing may grow with respect to local
consumer outlets for high-value products, but I dont think it
will be a significant part of the whole.
Its always easier to think in evolutionary terms, although
that means you may be overlooking a revolution that will then
take you by surprise. I think we will learn how to use big data
information and precision farming will become more and more
prominent. But Im not sure that will be a revolution. We have
been part of global agriculture since the beginning of the
United States, so its not really a new thing; what happens on
the other side of the world can have significant impacts on
U.S. agriculture production and sales.
In October 2015, the U.S. Department of Agricultures
National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced
grants of nearly $3 million under the agencys Critical
Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE) program to to the way it was in the 1950s and before, when people
develop the science to address critical issues affecting plants had little farms and raised what they needed and could sell
and animals. to their neighbors, she said. Im finding it challenging to
It is essential to promote partnerships between researchers, understand what people think about agriculture. There is
extension experts and producers to ensure the success of a real disconnect between what they think they want and
American agriculture, NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy, what we can do.
Ph.D., said. The CARE program is centered on the swift iden- People began thinking what was labeled as organic was
tification of problems, creation of solutions, and prevention of better. I talk to lay groups about this all the time because it is
interruptions or issues that impact farmers ability to provide a real misconception about what food is and how we grow
a safe and abundant food supply for our nation. it and what is feasible. Everyone in agriculture today realizes
Ruth MacDonald, Ph.D., chair of Food Science and Human we still have problems to resolve, but there is no simple fix.
Nutrition at Iowa State Universitys School of Agricultural and Were not going to throw out high-tech agriculture and solve
Biosystems Engineering, said that kind of partnership with these problems by going back to some ancient way of doing
the inclusion of consumers is critical, not only for the develop- things. We need to come together and stop trying to paint this
ment of future technologies and techniques, but also as part or that technology as evil. We need to use the tools we can
of an effort to better explain the nature of modern agriculture adopt, but also realize technology has advantages that can
and food production to the general public. solve problems in a much more efficient manner. And I dont
Its an interesting dynamic right now. Nationwide we are know if that conversation is being had.
seeing a perception that what we call Big Ag has ruined That disconnect, if it grew to levels now seen in Europe,
our food system and created environmental disaster, so could significantly affect U.S. agricultures domestic as well
there is a sort of idealistic perception we should go back as international markets.

DAVE STAHELI
Staheli West
His first designs were with pencil
and paper, and with the help
of Southern Utah University
professors Dave Staheli created
the DewPoint, a revolutionar y
machine steaming up the world of
farming. Staheli has experienced
1500% growth since 2010.
SUU.EDU
An export ship loads rice dockside at the Bunge Grain Facility in developments, advanced machine operation, and health and
Destrehan, Louisiana, on Sept. 1, 1996. U.S. rice exports were up 18 other factors related to improving the total production system.
percent over 2014. But using feedback from users has made it a heck of a lot
easier to integrate the technologies they can use to actually
go do the work.
We have to be able to work together to open up the system
For the past 50 years, our society has evolved to take and be able to make it easy to integrate at the local level. That
away the question of our food you no longer have to will require not just great machines, not just great technolo-
think about the safety of your food or how to prepare it, gies, but services from a lot of companies that can go help that
you can be pretty sure you will get the nutrients you need integration occur, he said.
and wont get sick from the food you buy at a grocery The drivers are simple its environmental, its economic
store, MacDonald said. But now people are blaming food and every one of those producers just wants the ability to
processing for obesity and other problems. If we all went compete on an open market. They want the ability to compete
back to not eating processed foods and making our own on their efficiency. Its my belief that the biggest thing we can
food, would that really solve the problem? do is make it easier to integrate.
Its typical to look for the most obvious answer to any Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack added another challenge
problem in this case, Big Ag. And it certainly has had a role, for agriculture: defining who is a farmer.
but hardly the only role. A number of food processing technolo- We have a fairly expansive definition: Anyone who produces
gies have significantly improved food quality and availability. more than $1,000 worth of product constitutes, in our census,
Not that its perfect, but this whole idea of throwing everything a farmer. We have roughly 2.3 million folks who do that
out because we think it is bad is not going to be a solution we roughly 2.2, 2.3 million. Of that number, 1.3 million are folks who
really want. have something in the back yard or in the back 40 that they do
Because of its success, she noted, U.S. agriculture has been because they want to do it. Maybe theyre retired, maybe they
taken for granted, which has had a negative impact on public enjoy it, maybe its something for the grandkids to do, he said.
attitudes toward something they no longer understand and to That leaves about a million; of [those,] roughly 700,000
which they have no direct connection. produce less than $250,000 worth of merchandise, and
I dont know where that will end up, but I am concerned those are the people that I have deep concern about [they]
about messages being conveyed to consumers, especially are greatest at risk because they have smaller operations
about the whole organic thing coming from big chain stores and are trying to compete in a commodity-based market
and restaurants. The end result of saying youre only going to where its very, very difficult. Thats why we have made local
USDA photo by Bill Tarpenning
buy organic will be to drive up prices, forcing organic producers and regional food systems a priority; its why we see the
to get bigger, MacDonald said. value-added proposition of organic being something that
Corey Reid, senior vice president of the Intelligent Solutions should be available. So youre really dealing with commer-
Group at John Deere, told the Agricultural Outlook Forum one cial-sized operations a balance of [about 300,000] [who]
of the barriers but also opportunities faced by the agricul- produce 85 percent of what we grow. So it is important for
tural industry is making it easier to integrate complex genetics people to understand that.

CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE
Circle in the Square

More than a half-century ago, center-pivot irrigation
systems changed the way the world farms.
By Eric Seeger
W
hen Coloradan-turned-Nebraskan Frank Zybach By 1949, Zybach had refined
started piecing together his first experimental his system well enough to apply
center-pivot irrigation system in 1947, he was on for a patent for the Zybach Self-
the cusp of nothing short of starting an agricultural revolution. Propelled Sprinkler Apparatus.
The rickety contraption was basically a span of pipes only a few Three years later, he won the
feet off the ground, suspended by guy wires, driven by metal patent and started plans to
wheels, and dragged over the ground by skids. It looked like a produce it with the help of a
Rube Goldberg device for wetting soil. financial backer. But the system
Only about a half-century earlier, mechanized pumping encountered skeptics. Not only did
helped pull irrigation practices out of the Dark Ages. The Zybachs system look contrived,
process of filling irrigation ditches with vast amounts of ground- it only stood a few feet off the
water meant that farmers were no longer tethered to streams ground (not helpful for crops of
and ponds, or at the mercy of rainfall, to keep their crops alive. meaningful height) and its circle
But irrigation ditches are wasteful and imprecise, flooding some pattern left more than 20 percent
portions of field while leaving others dry. of a square field dry.
In the early 20th century, inventors began demonstrating the The first two years of production
first spray irrigation systems. They were cumbersome contrap- were slow-going, so Zybach and
tions of linked pipe that had to be connected to a wellhead, his partner licensed the design
with long spans to set up and operate. Then the whole system to Valley Manufacturing (known
had to be manually moved farther down the field and reset. today as Valmont Industries),
It was hard and muddy work, but it represented the first time which was then a relatively young farm equipment company
that farmers were able to irrigate rather large swaths of field based in Nebraska. With the help and occasional conten-
at a single time. tion of Zybach, Valley made improvements on the systems
Still, when Zybach whom history remembers more fondly original design: raising the pipes and sprinklers and developing
for his success as an inventor than a farmer saw a demonstra- an electrical drive system. Adding the center pivot irrigation
tion of an early irrigation system at work, he decided it could system to its lineup of known farm equipment probably helped
be done better. A major limiting factor of those systems was legitimize it in buyers minds, too.
that they were constantly moving in relation to their wellhead Prior to this pathbreaking invention, few had understood
hookups. Zybachs elegantly simple but technically compli- how irrigation could change the lives of Nebraskans, the book
cated solution would be to use a rotating coupling at the top Nebraska Moments summarizes Zybachs invention. Before
of the well to supply water to a single arm of pipes that swung 1850 there was little interest in settling Nebraska beyond
in a circle around its water source. the 100th meridian because the limited rainfall and lack of
His first iteration used water to drive the wheels. As with any trees suggested the area could not support agriculture. The
swing-arm mechanism, the farthest end of the irrigator traveled book notes that the states number of wells increased tenfold
much faster than the end at the center, so the system had to between 1950 and 1990.
Photo by Samuel M. Beebe, Ecotrust
regulate its speed. It did so by using the guy wires to control The same explosion occurred in many other states where
the water valves that drove the wheels. If one section got too center pivot irrigation opened up new land to farming. Today,
far ahead or behind the rest, the tension on the guy wires massive crop circles are visible from space in places like South
would adjust the valves to turn the wheels faster or slower. Africa and Saudi Arabia.
And since the outer end of the swing arm was moving faster, According to Western Farm Press, U.S. farming employs
more water had to be sprayed at one end of the apparatus roughly 150,000 center pivots across the country covering
than from the other. more than 20 million acres.

Above: Center-pivot irrigated fields along the Columbia River in

Washington state. Right: A center-pivot irrigation system uses low
pressure and high uniformity to water a cover crop mix that includes
daikon radish in OBrien, Florida.
While the development of irrigation technology like the

center pivot system unquestionably transformed modern agri-
culture, that prosperity has not come without its side effects.
Today, farming irrigation accounts for about two-thirds of all
groundwater use in the Unites States. And in recent years,
farmers (especially in the West) have seen the levels of their
wells start to drop.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), many of the
nations aquifers are seeing water withdrawn by human use When farm wells are drilled, they are typically rated for how
USDA NRCS photo by Doug Ulmer
faster than nature can put it back. Nowhere in the country is many acre-feet of water they can produce over a given period.
this effect more pronounced than over the Ogallala Aquifer, That number, said Charles Corey, executive director of the
which spans the High Plains from Texas to South Dakota. Many Irrigation Research Foundation based in Yuma, Colorado, went
counties have seen their average well levels drop by more than largely ignored by most farmers, who watered their crops as
20 feet in only 20 years some areas have lost an average of they saw fit for decades.
more than 40 feet of water according to analysis of USGS As states like Colorado have come to realize the finite nature
data conducted by the Gannett Company. of their water supplies, they have started metering wells to

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USDA photo
Above: Low energy precision application (LEPA) center-pivot

sprinkler systems meet a 96 percent efficiency rating while
providing efficient watering applications to the plant. Right: Two
USDA researchers download data about the movement of a center-
pivot irrigation system to reconstruct the amount of water and time it
took to irrigate an area.
track usage and restrict overpumping. That has created a situ-

ation where farmers need to look for improved efficiency in
their irrigation systems. The calculus of watering starts with
getting the appropriate nozzle height and drop size to minimize
evaporation and maximize absorption in the soil, and then it
gets complicated (smarter) from there. brand fertilizer system that can insert variable amounts of fertil-
The nonprofit Irrigation Research Foundation partners with izer into the irrigation zones. As the irrigation rates shift within
manufacturers to test new farming technologies i.e. seeds, each zone, so does the amount of fertilizer placed into the water
software, pump systems, nozzles, etc. on experimental and stream. We are able to control the fertilizer in parts per million
commercial fields to learn how to do more with less water, per flow (per gallon per minute), said Corey.
said Corey, whose research is aimed at helping manufacturers While all new technologies come with their costs, farmers
provide better information to their customers in the Ogallala. ideally will be spending less on pumping, fertilizer, and pesti-
Thats our concern: to prevent overpumping and keep this cides, while maximizing crops yields.
water resource viable for many years. As farmers learn their new systems, they are changing
The biggest single change to irrigation strategy has been some very basic methods of irrigation. For instance, a recent
adding the ability to control volume at the nozzles of center- Farm Journal article describes how Ken Ferrie, the publica-
pivot systems. In the past, farmers could adjust the speed of tions field agronomist, achieved better absorption in sloping
the pivot to increase or lessen the amount of water they applied terrain by using multiple field passes at lower flow rates. By
to the fields. That strategy created huge watering zones that allowing smaller amounts of water time to absorb into the soil
looked like slices of pie if viewed from above. between passes, the process was able to get better penetration
Todays new systems give farmers control of nozzles that can by avoiding runoff and ponding in the fields problem areas.
release water at varying rates. Now irrigation systems can roll This goes to illustrate the level of complexity with which
at a constant speed but change volume of output depending farmers will need to understand their fields and equipment in
on the fields needs. the future. As the technology allows more precise dispersion
You might have a pack of 134 nozzles, but you get control of resources, Corey predicts, the industry will see regular use
of every three nozzles, explained Corey. Each of those groups of consultants to test soil, crops, and other conditions, and to
of three becomes a zone in that pivots rotation. The impor- develop irrigation and fertilizer prescriptions customized to
USDA photo by Scott Bauer
tant part is that once you have that control, then you can get each field and crop.
creative with protocol, which consists of formulation, meaning As Zybachs invention changed farming over the last 55
fertilizers, pesticides, and other applications. years, it will become the future of irrigation entering its next
Last season, the foundation tested a pivot system by Reinke phase where yields will continue to be strong, but no drop
that used variable rate irrigation mated with a new Agri-Inject can be wasted.

HIGHER LEARNING
Higher Learning
Advanced degrees and the future of agriculture
By J.R. Wilson
U
ntil World War II, the United States was still a largely In some respects, the MS degree today is playing the
rural, agriculture-based nation, although the percentage role that the BA/BS [bachelors] degree did decades ago.
of the population involved in farming already was on Because there are so many students graduating from under-
decline from its high of around 70 percent a century ago. Today, graduate programs, students need to differentiate themselves
farming accounts for only about 2 percent of the U.S. workforce, and employers can be choosier about whom they hire. Both
yet food production has never been higher. of these factors promote growth in MS programs, he said.
But also at a record level is the general publics lack of under- Ph.D. programs are different. I cant say one way or the
standing of how modern agriculture works and what is required other about what will happen to the trend in Ph.D. programs,
of farmers and others in related fields to make it happen. [although] I think there will be a lot of growth in programs
Most people today dont know anyone who is a farmer, that offer interdisciplinary training.
which is a major contributor to not understanding our food I dont see specific disciplines disappearing economics,
system, according to Ruth MacDonald, Ph.D., chair of Food sociology, chemistry, etc. But many of the problems we are
Science and Human Nutrition and Assistant Dean of Graduate facing in agriculture and society are extremely complex. It is
Programs at Iowa State Universitys School of Agricultural and not possible for scholars within their individual disciplinary silos
Biosystems Engineering. to make a meaningful contribution to solving these problems.
That lack of acquaintanceship has helped maintain the public Genetic engineers need to work with economists who need to
image of farmers as ill-educated hicks who live isolated from work with rural sociologists and anthropologists who need to
technology, or more recently, as minions of giant corpora- work with plant and animal scientists. We need greater respect
tions Big Ag that have gobbled up the majority of family for what scholars in other disciplines can bring to the table.
farms of all sizes and are filling grocery stores and restaurants Academic programs that foster this kind of interdisciplinary
with dangerous genetically modified food. Neither image is collaboration will succeed.
accurate, as explained by Pat Westhoff, Ph.D., director of the A major emphasis in American education in recent years,
Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at the from grade school through grad school, has been raising the
University of Missouri. level of STEM education science, technology, engineering,
Agriculture has changed a lot since 1900. Obviously, and mathematics. Universities are heavily promoting those,
the level of technology is much higher now, as is the need gaining status and funding when one of their Ph.D.s makes
for sophistication, he said. A much higher proportion of a noteworthy breakthrough.
commercial scale operators today have college and even But there needs to be equal consideration [of] the social
graduate degrees; back then, few went to college. The median sciences. Science does not develop in a vacuum. Problems we
family household income now is even with or slightly higher face in society are not merely technical ones requiring technical
than the average U.S. household. So where farmers may solutions. In fact, more often than we like to admit, technical
once have been considered very poor, thats no longer the solutions end up creating new problems, James said. We
case, in general. need to understand better how science connects with the
The actual number of people classified as farmers today is in human and non-human world.
the same ballpark as 15 years ago, but that is very misleading This is why the science disciplines have to work with
because it includes a rapid growth in hobby farms. The official and respect the social sciences. When universities and
USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture] definition of a farm is employers realize we live in a social rather than technical
a place that sells $1,000 in crops or livestock each year, but world, demand for agricultural economists, rural sociologists,
thats still not a lot of people. anthropologists, and other social sciences will increase. So
Harvey James, Ph.D., professor and director of graduate I would like to see a more visible association between the
studies in the Department of Agricultural and Applied hard and social sciences.
Economics at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, While providing better educated employees for the
Food and Natural Resources, has seen a growing interest in increasingly high-tech U.S. industrial sector including
and demand for masters (MS) degrees in agriculture. agriculture-related R&D, manufacturing, and processing

HIGHER LEARNING
the STEM focus also is attracting more foreign students, Brittany Hazard, a University of California-Davis doctoral
both undergrad and graduate. student conducting wheat and resistant starch research,
The U.S. has one of the best graduate educational systems collects samples from a wheat field for analysis at UC
in the world. We are seeing continued interest from interna- Davis Dubcovsky Lab. As agriculture continues to turn to
tional students in our program, which is roughly an equal split technology for solutions to challenges presented by growing
between U.S. and international graduate students, but there populations and climate change, well-educated people
are differences in the MS and Ph.D. programs. Most of our U.S. capable of making breakthroughs will be essential.
students are in the MS program, while less than one-third of
Ph.D. candidates are U.S. students, he continued.
Students from outside the U.S. have farm and rural back-
grounds. That is becoming less common in students from the to agriculture. Thats not going to change, MacDonald said.
U.S. That does not mean there is not a lot of interest in agricul- And as we continue to face growing populations with less
tural economics; [indeed], I find it intriguing that students from farm land and all the issues associated with climate change,
urban settings want to complete an MS degree in agricultural technology will play a bigger and bigger role in how we do
economics. There also is definitely an increase in the number of agriculture. And having well-educated people to make break-
women pursuing graduate degrees. Our current mix is roughly throughs in technology will be essential.
50-50, but that ratio seems to be changing in favor of women. Westhoff said he isnt sure if the demand for advanced
University ag school officials agree that advanced degrees degrees is growing or leveling off, but much of it is coming
are essential to the future of American agriculture. While from foreign students focusing on agriculture business and
knowledge can be acquired outside of educational institu- economics, especially the latter.
tions and experience can be a great teacher, acquiring in-depth We probably could fill our entire masters and Ph.D. programs
and intensive interdisciplinary formal training is predicted to with students from China alone, he noted. The vast majority
become even more important in the future. of people getting advanced degrees [go to] work for industry
I do believe agriculture is driven by technology, which or academia, not on working farms. But in other countries,
USDA Flickr
has been the trend in the U.S. since the end of World War such as China and India, you are expected to have educational
II, when we really started applying technological solutions credentials, and a degree from abroad is highly valued.

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HIGHER LEARNING
A Virginia Tech student participates in the online animal breeding involved. As we look forward, on the animal side, we recently
graduate program. While some of those who earn masters or got approval of a genetically engineered salmon that grows
doctoral degrees in agriculture-related fields do plan to work on more quickly on less food per pound of gain. Here at Missouri,
farms, many pursue employment in academia or industry. an animal scientist recently announced developing a pig that
is resistant to serious pork diseases, he said. There have
been some grocery stores and restaurants that have said
Despite concerns about a shortage of STEM degrees they will not buy GMOs.
among U.S. citizens, MacDonald said the foundation on With a technology utilization level second only to the
which Americas high technology leadership has depended Pentagon, American agriculture has become a magnet for
remains in place within the nations universities. That applies graduate degree students, most of whom are not from rural
to the relatively new world of high-tech agriculture as well backgrounds and few of whom plan to work on farms. Iowa
as it does to space exploration, physics, biotechnology, and State University offers an insight into where those with new
computer science. advanced degrees are going about 33 percent into industry
The U.S. is considered to be at the top in training people and 25 percent into academia, with a substantial proportion
for higher degrees, so those graduating from good schools continuing their educations to further develop their research
internationally want to come here to pursue their masters or skills, in both academia and industry.
Ph.D. degrees, she said. A lot of factors have played a role in increasing interest in
Agriculture is committed to using new technologies to higher degrees, including the higher technologies associated
expand productivity, such as autosteer on tractors, variable-rate with the agriculture and life-science sector, which covers a
applications of chemicals on crops, the use of GPS and, with wide range of disciplines. More interest and drive for research
increasing importance, unmanned aerial vehicles, Westhoff in agriculture have led to opportunities for people with higher
said, adding there also is some concern about being over- degrees, MacDonald said. We also see a substantial number
whelmed by big data and who controls and uses it. of students with bachelors degrees getting very good jobs. I
One of the most controversial issues for American agriculture also see a new trend happening with business education, with
is genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While only a handful more people already employed pursuing masters degrees.
of crops overall have GMO variants, more than 90 percent of So I anticipate there will continue to be growth in demand
combined planted acreage in corn, soybeans, and cotton is for higher degrees in agriculture. I dont see technology
genetically engineered. Given the size of U.S. exports, Westhoff declining but continuing to become important in all aspects
Ron Lewis, Virginia Tech
said, there obviously are customers out there. There are no of agriculture and life sciences, with a higher expectation for
American GMO wheat or rice products, although some non- people with skills needed to pursue new solutions for problems,
commercial work has been done on both. which is what a Ph.D. does. Leadership positions and levels
Consumer acceptance is a huge issue with GMOs, espe- of higher responsibility have an expectation you will continue
cially overseas, so there is a lot more than just science your education. The whole technology issue in agriculture

Welcome to Your Future
Undergraduate Degree Graduate Degree
Concentrations Concentrations
Agribusiness Agribusiness Management

Agricultural and and Analysis
Extension Education Agricultural and Extension
Animal Science/ Education
Pre-Veterinary Medicine Animal Science
Biotechnology Food Marketing and
Food Technology Supply Chain Mgmt
Plant and Soil Science Plant and Soil Science
PSM in Applied GIS
Ph.D. with Biotechnology Concentration
www.tnstate.edu/agriculture
HIGHER LEARNING
Christina Walters, Ph.D., Plant

Germplasm Preservation
Research Unit research
leader at the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA)
Agricultural Research
Service (ARS) National
Center for Genetic Resources
Preservation (NCGRP), speaks
to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack
about the seed-quality research
her team of international
scientists is doing. Many Ph.D.s
find positions with the USDA.
drives some of that, so

you need people who can
think in a new way in order
to advance the company
or the systems on which
they are working.
A lot of students grad-
uating with bachelors
degrees do plan to go
into farming, but some
of those are expected to
pursue masters degrees,
such as the online degree
Iowa State offers in seed
management.
A pretty wide range of
industries will hire masters
students, from produc-
tion to management to
research. The food sector
is a very strong employer,
as is the ag industry in
general large manufac-
turing companies such as
Monsanto and ADM. We
also see a lot of Ph.D.s
going into genetics and
government positions with the USDA, she said. opportunities for graduate student financial support. We fund
In an eerie parallel to a recent warning by the Chief of Naval graduate students through research, where dollars come from
Operations about the narrowing technology gap between the the U.S. government and industry, she said.
United States and nations such as China, MacDonald voiced In the past, government funding provided salaried funding
concern the United States cant maintain its leadership in agri- for graduate assistantships, but that has shrunk with the
culture if sufficient American students are not educated to use reduced budget for overall research, so we have fewer oppor-
increasingly complex technologies to solve problems. Thus the tunities to bring on students with financial support. That is a
need to maintain a very strong education program in agriculture. major concern for all of us in higher education that we are
Personally, I think we are potentially at risk of losing some of losing the ability to bring more students into these advanced
our advantages in agriculture because of the somewhat chal- areas and so are not making the advancements we need to
lenging economic situation we are in in the U.S., with fewer make. Its a downward spiral.

WEATHERING THE DROUGHT
Weathering
the Drought
How Californias farmers have adapted
to dwindling water supplies for now
By Craig Collins
A
century-and-a-half ago, Tulare Lake was about 500 to
700 square miles of water more than three times the
size of Lake Tahoe, depending on how much rain or
snow fell in a given year. It was the largest freshwater lake west
of the Mississippi, the end of the continents southernmost
Chinook salmon run, and home to one of the most prosperous
native tribes in California.
Today there is no lake. Its Sierra Nevada tributary waters
were long ago diverted for irrigation, beginning after the Civil
War and finally ending with five major water projects built
in the 1930s. The area the lake once occupied the Tulare
Basin, in the southwest quadrant of Californias Central Valley
is home to some of the states most fertile farmland. Its also
among the states most arid regions.
This contradiction has never been lost on Californians. Over
decades, theyve engineered a byzantine system of water
capture, diversion, and redistribution that has transformed
the Central Valley with its Mediterranean climate, rich soils,
and steady supply of Sierra Nevada snowmelt into one of good rainfall, his dairy received a surplus of water. But its
the most productive agricultural regions in the world. California been downhill since. In 2012, we had about 80 percent of our
produces more than half the nations fruits and vegetables. normal allocation; in 2013, we had about 50 percent. Then in
Since its inception, the system has suffered periods of notice- 2014, we had 11 percent. And this year we didnt get a single
able strain. Before the dry spell that began in 2012 the third- drop. We received absolutely no surface water.
worst on record so far, a drought that has caused the price There was little surface water to go around. By spring 2015,
of irrigation water to spike in some districts by a factor of 10 the Sierra snowpack, which supplies about a third of the states
Californias farmers and ranchers had already become some useable water, was at 5 percent of its average, an all-time low.
of the nations most careful stewards of water. Brian Medeiros, Gov. Edmund Gerald Jerry Brown Jr. had recently issued his
a dairyman who raises 2,500 cows on 1,400 acres at the second executive order to the states municipalities to cut their
northern edge of the former Tulare Lake, near the town of water use by 25 percent, and for the second year in a row,
Hanford, has always had to conserve. We use a good chunk the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that most Central
of water on the dairy to cool the cows, wash the cows, cool Valley farmers south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River
the milk down, clean the areas where the cows are milked, and Delta would receive no water from the federal Central Valley
then also clean their housing. All that water at the end of the Project. By August, the State Water Project was delivering
day turns into irrigation water. Medeiros estimates that about about 20 percent of its promised allotment.
100 to 200 acre-feet are captured every summer, treated, and In August 2015, the Center for Watershed Sciences at
recycled into irrigation water. the University of California-Davis released an analysis of the
Over the past four years, however, Medeiros has had increas- economic impact the drought was likely to have on California
ingly less water to capture. He and his neighbors purchase agriculture. Among its conclusions: The direct and indirect
water from a private ditch operator that distributes through losses to all economic sectors would be as high as $2.74
a canal system. In 2011, he said, when the state received billion, with a net loss of nearly 21,000 jobs. The total surface

An irrigation ditch runs dry near Grizzly Island

Road in Suisun City, California, Sept. 18, 2014.
water shortages, virtually all of them suffered by Central Valley was most prevalent, Sumner said, in the San Joaquin, where
farmers, would amount to nearly 8.7 million acre-feet. commodity crops such as cotton or corn silage are grown.
Given such grim numbers, how have farmers and ranchers Growers of alfalfa, a water-intensive silage crop, have been able
like Medeiros managed to stay in business? Its worth pointing to keep farming but as Sumner explained, thats because its a
out that many California farmers and ranchers were more ready grassy legume: You water, you mow it, you water, you mow it.
than most people expected to adapt to a prolonged drought. You can cut alfalfa up to seven or eight times a year. This year,
But even so, nobody thinks the solutions being used in the alfalfa growers have scaled their cuttings back to about four.
Central Valley today each of which involves its own costs Obviously, one of the most significant changes to the way
are going to be sustainable over the long term. Central Valley farmers are operating in the drought is their
sourcing of water. Many farmers have found it more profitable
A SHOW OF RESILIENCE to transfer their allotments to others, in districts where its
permissible. According to the UC-Davis report, the 2015 price
One of the simplest responses to the drought has been to for irrigation water averaged about $650 per acre-foot, making
let land go fallow. According to the UC-Davis report, about it more profitable for traditional growers of thirsty crops, such
540,000 acres of California farmland went unplanted in 2015 as Sacramento Valley rice farmers, to simply sell their water,
because of the drought. The rest of the country was up, said often to farmers farther south.
Daniel Sumner, Ph.D., professor of agricultural and resource Determining how much water is allotted to growers in
economics at UC-Davis and co-author of the report. So thats California is complicated, a maze of different public and
Photo by Florence Low
a sign that this wasnt a national phenomenon driven by price. private adjudications that date to the mid-19th century. But
The Central Valley is often discussed as two distinct regions: Dave Puglia, executive vice president of the Western Growers
the Sacramento Valley, north of the Delta, and the more arid Association, a trade association of California, Arizona, and
San Joaquin Valley, which stretches south to Bakersfield. Idling Colorado farmers founded in 1926, said that Central Valley

Above: Peters Drilling & Pump Service works to tap into The UC-Davis report projected that the 2015 shortage of
groundwater at Meade Hill Vineyard and Winery in Smartsville, 8.7 million acre-feet would be mostly offset by a 6 million
California Department of Water Resources photo by Kelly M. Grow
California, on May 26, 2015. Farmers are increasingly turning to acre-feet increase in groundwater pumping over the 2011
groundwater use to offset surface water shortages. pre-drought baseline. In addition to the declining quality of this
Below: Comparison aerial views showing Browns Ravine Marina at water, this surge in extraction involves other costs: According
Folsom Lake with low water (drought) conditions (right image) on to Josu Medelln-Azuara, a senior researcher at the UC-Davis
Jan. 16, 2014, and with some water (left image), March 2, 2015. Center for Watershed Sciences, farmers will pay 77 percent
more $600 million this year simply to pump water out of
the ground. Another related problem is land subsidence, or the
growers generally relied on surface water to the greatest extent sinking of land overlying aquifers as water is pumped out. In
possible. August 2015, scientists with NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory
In any event, no matter how much surface water youre released a report, based on satellite imaging, that showed
able to cobble together, said Puglia, if youre in the San significant recent subsidence. A site near Corcoran, in the
Joaquin Valley, youve probably turned more heavily to Tulare Basin, sank 13 inches over eight months. A stretch of the
groundwater. You may have dropped new wells. You may California Aqueduct, the main artery of the State Water Project,
have deepened existing wells. Youre pumping much more sank 8 inches over four months. Sections of the Delta-Mendota
water from much greater depth than you ever have before Canal, which supplies much of the San Joaquin Valley, have
and in many cases, the quality of that water is worsening buckled and had to be propped back up.
because as a rule, the deeper you go, the saltier the water The idea that pumping groundwater could help wreck the
coming up. states surface water infrastructure is a grim irony, but many
Photos by Paul Hames/DWR Photography

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farmers dont have much choice. With no surface water avail- cotton, and rice, and more toward higher-value crops such as
able, Medeiros has had to rely on groundwater to produce fruits, nuts, and vegetables. In the past year, California news-
forage for his dairy cows. To ease the demand for water, hes papers have featured multiple stories of farmers switching,
replacing corn and wheat with sorghum and a drought-hardy say, from cotton to almonds now one of the states most
wheat/rye hybrid called triticale. valuable crops.
As Puglia pointed out, the water Medeiros uses is likely to Puglia said San Joaquin growers have taken this shift a step
become more saline as the water table drops. The risks associ- further: Youve got a lot of growers who have reduced their
ated with groundwater pumping are serious enough that the plantings of processing tomatoes or cantaloupes or broccoli,
state finally passed its first groundwater management bill last and theyre now growing almonds and pistachios and walnuts
fall, ordering local jurisdictions to draw up regulations but and grapes, he said. And thats understandable. Those crops
the earliest deadline for establishing most of those regulations are more lucrative. You get more dollars per acre, but youre
isnt until 2020. Meanwhile some jurisdictions including taking some risk that you wont be able to stop watering
the Sacramento Valleys main rice-growing counties, Glenn in times of scarcity, because youll lose the investment. So
and Colusa have set temporary moratoriums on permits for those folks are pinched. Theyre the ones who are spending
new wells. upwards of $1,250, all the way up to $2,000 an acre-foot,
One of the drought-adaptation strategies often mentioned for water on the market.
in news reports crop switching is difficult to quantify, for Puglia believes that after a certain point, theres not much
several reasons. First, Sumner pointed out, its not a new more farmers can do to conserve water and meet demand
strategy. Its been going on for 50 years, he said. Did it for their crops and he believes the drought is only part of
accelerate a bit because of the drought? We actually dont California agricultures problem, a symptom of a much larger
know, because there were a lot of market things going on systemic failure thats occurred over the past few decades.
as well. In those 50 years, California farmers have tended A series of lawsuits, regulations, and court actions have
to drift away from annual commodity crops such as corn, gradually shifted water away from the agricultural budget. A

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Above: Clouds threaten rain while a patch of light shines through

Photo by Florence Low
the dry landscape on the west end of Lancaster, California, on May

8, 2015. Californians are hoping El Nio will bring desperately
needed rain and snowfall. Right: Water, a precious commodity,
irrigates a field in the southern San Joaquin Valley.
commonly cited statistic is that agriculture uses 80 percent of

the states water but thats only when human uses of water
are accounted for. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC)
sorts out the total, roughly, as follows: 50 percent of the states
surface water is used to comply with environmental laws and
regulations; 40 percent of it is used by agriculture; and 10
percent is consumed by urban areas.
Its not simply that agricultures share of the states surface
water has shrunk overall, Puglia said; its that existing laws and grounds for recharge of basins, or pumped south of the Delta
regulations prevent farmers from banking more water in times and captured in one of our biggest reservoirs in the state, San
of plenty, even when all other requirements and environmental Luis Reservoir near Los Banos. Under federal environmental
compliances have been satisfied. Its an inefficient and inflex- laws, the reservoirs pumping facilities cant be operated at full
ible system that hed like to see reformed. Interestingly, he capacity, even in times of flood.
said, water managers in California are starting belatedly right Beyond this winter, Puglia hopes for structural fixes to a
now to talk about not missing the opportunity that El Nio system that has Central Valley farmers, especially those in the
might provide this winter. If we do get heavy precipitation, south, caught in a vicious cycle: Because California farmers
especially if it comes in the form of rain and not snow in the have become so efficient at irrigating over the years, theres
Sierras, were going to see floodwaters coming down into the very little water seeping beneath the root zone into aquifers.
valley. And you see people at PPIC and UC-Davis sort of ringing While youre causing less water to be sent back into the
the alarm bell and saying, if that water shows up, weve got to groundwater basin, said Puglia, youre increasing their reli-
find farms to flood and allow groundwater basins to recharge. ance on groundwater, because youve cut off surface water.
Photo by John Chacon
Hes not optimistic that theres enough time, however, for Its really distressing. Unless we regain some balance in the
the bureaucratic gears to turn: I think what were going to see way we manage water, were probably looking, over time,
this year is millions of acre-feet of water channeled out under- at a much-reduced level of agricultural activity in the San
neath the Golden Gate that could have been either spread on Joaquin Valley.

NEW FARMERS NEEDED
New Farmers Needed

By Craig Collins
L
ike many idealists, George Macros thought life as a According to the USDAs 2012 Census of Agriculture, the
teacher sounded good. At the Brooklyn school where average age of the American farmer continues to climb
he started his career, he ranked lowest in seniority. I steadily, and is now at 58.3 years old. About a third of the
was given the classroom none of the other science teachers nations 2.1 million farmers are at least 65 years old; they
wanted, he said. It had a greenhouse attached to it, and the outnumber young farmers by a ratio of 6-to-1.
greenhouse was filled with dead plants. But it was his class- According to a 2014 USDA survey, about 10 percent of
room, so he thought hed try to resuscitate the greenhouse U.S. farmland, or about 91.5 million acres, is expected to
and he kept at it, until he found himself leaving in time to change hands by 2019.
get to work by 6 oclock in the morning. I would come in as Only about 6 percent of American farmers are under 35
soon as the school building opened, he said, to spend more years old, and the number of young farmers only increased
time with the plants. by about 1,220 from 2007-2012. Estimates of the number
It was the beginning of an odyssey that would eventually take of farmers needed to replace the retiring generation over
him to the West Coast, where he volunteered on organic farms the next two decades range from 700,000 to a million.
from Washington to California until he discovered the place
he wanted to settle down: the rolling hills outside the town MONEY AND LAND
of Sebastopol in western Sonoma County, a coastal climate
where greens could be grown year-round. There is a sliver of hope in these statistics: The 6 percent
Macros did some substitute teaching while he learned more figure represents a slight increase in young farmers since the
about the area and worked on farms part time until, he said, I 2007 Census of Agriculture, which reported that 4.1 percent
decided: Hey, Im going to have a really large vegetable garden. of American farmers were younger than 35. This increase
Its going to be either a great hobby and Ill have tons of stuff may be due, at least in part, to a growing network of public
to give to my friends, or restaurants and customers will take and private organizations dedicated to pooling resources and
an interest and well take it from there. connecting young farmers with opportunities in their states
In Northern California, where wine grapes are grown in and local communities.
abundance, agricultural land is pricy out of reach, really, Aside from the many other things that attract people to agri-
for a substitute teacher. With the help of California FarmLink, culture, theres a lot of money to be made in the nations $167
an organization established in 1999 to help new farmers billion farming industry but several challenges confront new
get started, Macros connected with an older couple, goat farmers. The National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), estab-
ranchers who leased him a fenced half-acre plot and let him lished in New York states Hudson Valley in 2009, conducted
use their tools. a survey of beginning farmers in 2011 that identified a lack
Today, Macros farms full time on a -acre plot he calls of capital (78 percent) and access to affordable farmland (68
Earthworker Farm. I do two farmers markets and a little bit percent) as the two primary obstacles they faced.
of wholesale, he said, and I only grow salad greens and edible According to Holly Rippon-Butler, NYFCs Land Access
flowers. So Im growing high-value crops that have a maximum program director, access to affordable farmland is one of the
return for square footage. organizations top priorities: Something like two-thirds of our
While the news in recent years seems to include many stories agricultural land is owned or managed by a farmer who is 55
like Macros stories of young, educated people, many without or older, she said. So in the next 20 to 25 years, two-thirds
money or land or much experience farming, who nevertheless of our land is going to need a new farmer. Much of Rippon-
opt for a career in agriculture the available data indicates Butlers work is devoted to linking farmers and land trusts to
it isnt much of a trend. But the United States needs it to be: make sure farmland remains in agriculture.
Seventy years ago, nearly 40 percent of Americans Several state programs, such as California FarmLink, mirror
grew up on family farms; today, according to the U.S. this effort. Iowa State Universitys (ISU) Beginning Farmer
Department of Agriculture (USDA), that number is less Center operates a program known as Ag Link, which matches
than 3 percent. landless beginners with retiring farmers who dont have heirs

NEW FARMERS NEEDED
Holding an oregano seedling and soil, Calvin Riggleman is a former

Marine who served in Iraq. Now he serves his community farm fresh
organic produce and food products made by his Bigg Riggs Farm team.
Bigg Riggs Farm sells under the Homegrown for Heroes label.

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NEW FARMERS NEEDED
USDA photo
Top left: A disabled veteran of Operation Desert Shield, Edward

Avegalio stands in front of his farm in American Samoa on June 6,
2012. Avegalios farm provides locally grown fresh produce to area
schools, local restaurants, and stores through the first hydroponic
farm in American Samoa that was redesigned to allow him to
actively work the land. Left: Marilyn and Erik Simpson returned to
the Navajo Reservation in Torreon, New Mexico, to help Marilyns
aging parents and to expand their own farming operation to
benefit their family. The Simpsons applied for a U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) microloan to
improve their farm. Above: Evan Premer, an Army veteran, inspects
USDA photo
aeroponically grown greens at his family-owned Aero Farm in

Denver, Colorado.
to continue the family business. David Baker, the centers farm

transition specialist, said the program was launched during the over that inertia of the cost of startup, then theyve got a good
farm crisis of the 1980s, when the state began to suffer whats chance to succeed. FSA offers microloans of up to $50,000
known as the grain drain the exodus of farmers children to beginning farmers. Another FSA program, the Transitional
out of agriculture into other sectors that assured a steadier Incentive Program (TIP), encourages retiring farmers who have
paycheck. Now, said Baker, were reversed. I think we have land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to
a large segment of young people who are interested in where cede that land, through sale or lease, to beginning or socially
their food comes from, and in the quality of the food. disadvantaged farmers. Since 2009, TIP has facilitated 2,305
These talented young people, of course, are more likely to contracts for more than 384,000 acres of expiring CRP land.
transition into smaller operations, such as a modest family dairy According to Rippon-Butler, a significant remaining obstacle
or hog-raising operation, rather than a vast tract of commodity for young farmers is student loan debt. Our big campaign right
crops such as corn or soybeans. And Baker usually likes to work now, she said, is to get farmers added to the Public Service
with people who are educated and have spent some time in the Loan Forgiveness Program. NYFC partnered with the office
workforce: I dont work with too many 20-year-olds, he said. of U.S. Congressman Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., in writing the Young
I want them to get through college. I want them to experience Farmer Success Act of 2015, which would add farmers to
real work before they start trying to run a business. the list of professionals, such as civil servants, teachers, and
The task of finding programs like California FarmLink and Ag nurses, who, after making 10 years of income-driven student
Link can be overwhelming for beginning farmers. NYFC has loan payments, will have the balance of their loans forgiven.
several Resources portals on its website (www.youngfarmers. We were really, really excited to see that bill introduced,
org), including Credit and Capital and Land and Jobs, linking said Rippon-Butler, and are working hard now to get co-spon-
beginning farmers with opportunities at the federal, state, and sors and get people excited about it across the country.
local levels.
While the USDA considers itself a lender of last resort, KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING
many of its programs, particularly those administered by the
Photo credit: M. Kunz
Farm Service Agency (FSA), are aimed specifically at beginning Farming is a business, and no amount of land or capital
farmers. According to Kent Politsch, FSAs public affairs chief, guarantees success for beginning farmers. Along with the
the programs range from crop insurance incentives to direct vast acreages of farmland that will transition into new hands in
loans: We know that if we can get them started and get them the coming decade, said Rippon-Butler, There will be a large

Your TEACHER
EXTENSION AGENT
E M B R Y O L O G I S TD I E T I T I A N
future VETERINARIAN
PL ANT MANAGER
ENGINEER
is ahead
A D M I N I S T R A T O R
FINANCIAL ANALYST
C O N S U L T A N T A D V O C A T E
SCIENTIST
Takes
You
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin,
age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal and, where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individuals
There!
income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department.
(Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.) If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also
write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing,
1005 STATE UNIVERSITY DR
or have speech disabilities and wish to file either an EEO or program complaint please contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339 or (800) 845-6136 (in Spanish).
Persons with disabilities who wish to file a program complaint, please see information above on how to contact us by mail directly or by email. If you require alternative means of F O R T VA L L E Y, G A 310 3 0
478-825-6320
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) please contact USDAs TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, based on the passage of the Food & Agricultural Act of 1977 on September 29, 1977, and in cooperation with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Mark Latimore Jr., Interim Assistant Vice President for Land-Grant Affairs for the Office of Academic Affairs, College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology, Fort
Valley State University, a State and Land-Grant Institution, University System of Georgia.
AG.FVSU.EDU
Fort Valley State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, masters and educational
specialist degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Fort
Valley State University.
Fort Valley State University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate against applicants, students or employees on the basis of race, gender,
ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or marital or veteran status.
Its time to reclaim industrial hemp as

a domestic agricultural commodity.
Farmers in Canada, Europe and China grow hemp for the
US market (estimated at $620 million in 2014). Tell your
Senators to allow commercial hemp farming once again.
Take action at votehemp.c om/takeaction
Manitoba, Canada
Photo by Hemp Oil Canada
NEW FARMERS NEEDED
Above: Patriot Farmers of America (PFA) staff participant Ned

King (red shirt and tan pants) describes the soil-based farm
training he is receiving to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) Deputy Under
Secretary Karis T. Gutter (dark blue shirt), the current and first
USDA Military Veterans Agricultural (MVA) Liaison at the future
USDA photo by Tom Witham
PFA facility site at the Hill and Dale Farm in Berryville, Virginia,
July 7, 2015. Right: Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden
and USDA New and Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development
Program Coordinator Lila McFarland host a USDA employee-only
webinar on recent new farmer announcements. Bottom right: The
USDA is encouraging a new generation to become farmers through
several programs including the Beginning Farmer and Rancher
Development Program.
amount of knowledge and skill and knowledge and skill thats

particular to the pieces of land being passed on necessary
to facilitate that transition.
Many of the organizations originally established to facili-
tate access to land and capital including NYFC, California
FarmLink, and the ISU Beginning Farmer Center have also
formed programs and partnerships designed to give beginning
farmers the knowledge and training theyll need to make a
success out of their new ventures. NYFC supports farmer-to-
farmer training initiatives and recently partnered with FarmLink established the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development
to conduct a series of California workshops. Program (BFRDP), administered by USDAs National Institute
Meanwhile, as Congress has worked to expand financial of Food and Agriculture. The BFRDP is a competitive grant
resources for beginning farmers, it has provided additional program, explained Jill Auburn, its national program leader:
resources for training and education. The 2008 Farm Bill We fund collaborative networks and partnerships of

NEW FARMERS NEEDED
FARMING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS

In recent years, a host of programs many of them been awarded to veterans with some type of
run by former veterans or private organizations disability rating.
have sprung up to provide veterans with opportuni- Combat Boots to Cowboy Boots, a program
ties to turn their weapons into plowshares, including: launched in 2010 by the University of Nebraskas
The Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) (www.farm- College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA), helps
vetco.org). A nationwide nonprofit based in young farmers compose a business plan and launch
California, FVC hosts career fairs and educational a farming or ranching enterprise with coursework
retreats, matches individual veterans with mentors and low-interest loans. Students graduate with a
in their areas of interest, and sponsors a fellow- business partnership and an associate degree.
ship program to help launch the food and farming One of the NCTAs partners in the Combat Boots
careers of veterans. to Cowboy Boots program is the U.S. Department of
The Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training Agriculture (USDA), which has numerous initiatives for
Program (VSAT) is an intensive six-week course young ranchers and farmers but until the 2014 Farm
offering trainees instruction in hydroponics, Bill had implemented few veteran-specific programs.
drip/micro irrigation, soil biology, environmental Thats begun to change: Many of the programs autho-
control, and business development. Originally rized by the 2014 Farm Bill, including the Beginning
launched near San Diego at Archis Acres Inc. Farmer and Rancher Development Program, are
(archisacres.com), a veteran- owned farm, required to spend a share of their funding on projects
the training is conducted in partnership with that serve military veterans.
California Polytechnic University, Pomona. In November 2014, USDA named its first military
Veterans Farm, established by Iraq veteran Adam veterans agricultural liaison, a position created by the
Burke, is an all-volunteer farm on 13 acres near 2014 Farm Bill, to educate veterans about farming, work
Jacksonville, Florida. Veterans from northeast to connect them with agricultural training programs, and
Florida and southern Georgia serve a six-month advocate for them at USDA.
fellowship, learning the skills and knowledge USDAs New Farmers website has a portal
needed to establish their own farming careers. (newfarmers.usda.gov/veterans) devoted specifically
Open to anyone who has served two years, the to veterans interested in exploring opportunities in
fellowship, begun in August 2011, has most often agriculture.
organizations that then do actual training, technical assistance, rural villages in countries such as Laos or Burundi, to find them
and mentoring programs for new farmers. access to small lots and provide for their families and perhaps
California FarmLink is among several of the BFRDPs recent sell some produce at the Des Moines Farmers Market, which
grantees, which include a broad range of agricultural interests, is visited by about 20,000 people every weekend throughout
from an urban agricultural training program administered by the summer.
the Chicago Horticultural Society to a modular instructional Baker is himself a farmer who, nearing the end of his career,
series, provided through the University of Arkansas, in the hopes to give back to his community and encourage as many
basics of farm safety, business development, poultry, and live- people as possible to connect to the land thats given him so
stock production. much. If youre a farm community and youre not trying to
The array of federal programs and other resources available bring young people into your community through opportuni-
to beginning farmers is increasingly numerous and can be ties and jobs in the farming industry, he said, youre a dying
difficult to sort through but fortunately, USDA has set up a community.
one-stop portal that offers new farmers a step-by-step guide This isnt what farmers, young or old, want for Americas
through the process: newfarmers.usda.gov. rural communities. Said NYFCs Rippon-Butler: We want to
In Iowa, the Beginning Farmer Center conducts seminars, make farming a viable career in America. With help from
offers consultation, and publishes manuals for beginning a widening network of public and private partners, the
farmers. Through Lutheran Services of Iowa, Baker also works industry may be on the verge of growing a new generation
with immigrants in the Des Moines area, many of them from of family farmers.

DOWN ON THE FARM, UP ON THE HILL
Down on the Farm,

Up on the Hill
Who are the agricultural experts in Congress today?
By Jan Tegler
T
he question posed above is trickier to answer than it
might appear particularly when coupled with the
notion that the occupational makeup of members of
the U.S. Congress today has transitioned almost completely
away from agriculture.
Intuitively, one would assume that the proportion of members
of the House and Senate with agricultural expertise or direct
agricultural experience has declined precipitously since the
very first U.S. Congress (1789-1791). After all, despite a thriving
trade in fur, whaling, and fishing in New England, and exposure
to the early throes of the Industrial Revolution, the American
economy of the late 18th century was largely agrarian.
But a look at the occupational composition of the first
Congress reveals that of its 91 members, only 12 were
planters/farmers. Thats about 13 percent. By contrast, the for rural America and those who choose to make their liveli-
Congressional Research Service lists 29 individuals as pres- hoods in small towns and farming communities, he said.
ently being or having been employed as farmers, ranchers, or So where does representation for agriculture in Congress
cattle farm owners (four in the Senate, 25 in the House) among stand today and how has it changed? To understand why the
the 540 members of the 114th Congress (2015-2016). This nature of support is different today than it was two centuries
amounts to a little more than 5 percent. ago, we must account for the changes detailed above.
That drop, from 13 percent to 5 percent over 226 years, isnt
nearly as large as might be expected. The truth is, agriculture AGRICULTURE & THE NATIONAL ECONOMY
has never enjoyed the direct representation in Congress that
occupations including public service/politics, business, law, When colonial America became the United States, agricul-
education, and the military have. ture was the primary livelihood for 90 percent of the popula-
Nevertheless, agricultural interests have enjoyed significant tion. Immigration, industrialization, and the opening of new
support from the House and Senate historically. Its the nature lands to cultivation through the first half of the 19th century
of the support that has changed, reflecting the decrease in greatly increased the number of U.S. farms even as looming
American agricultures share of GDP (gross domestic product) gains to productivity and the growth of other industries began
and its proportion of the labor force; consolidation in the to decrease agricultures share in the national labor force.
industry; changes in proportional representation (apportion- According to 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data, the number
ment) in Congress; and changes to legislative districts and to of American farms grew from 1.4 million in 1850 to 4 million
the committee system. in 1880, reaching 6.4 million by 1910. Thereafter, the total
Debate about the clout of the modern farm lobby and the number of American farms began to decline, dropping to 5.6
committees that have jurisdiction over agriculture policy is million in 1950 and 2.2 million in 2008. The most recent
plentiful. But as Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, one of only two Census of Agriculture from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
active farmers in the Senate currently, affirms, theres little (USDA) lists the number of farms at 2.1 million for 2012.
doubt that the more remote agriculture becomes from the Important though the total number of farms is, two metrics
nations legislative branch, the harder it is to represent. agricultures share of the nations GDP and the number of
Fewer legislators coming to Congress with firsthand knowl- people working in agriculture as a percentage of the total labor
edge of farming makes it more challenging to serve as a voice force are even better indicators of the industrys changing

Opposite: Congressional representation of agricultural interests

has evolved in response to changes in American demographics and
the economy. Left: A 1790 Census enumerator record. Population
data from the census has been used to determine states number
of representatives in the House since the days of the Constitutional
Convention. Above: A Census worker interviews a farmer for the
1940 Census. The total number of American farms had begun to
decline by this time as people moved to more urban areas.
U.S. Census Bureau photos
That, in turn, contributed to changes in the nations political

landscape, the form of public representation in Congress, and
support for agricultural interests.
Certainly, the makeup of Congress is different than it was
100 years ago, Grassley said. But that also reflects the shift
in U.S. demographics as the population migrates toward metro-
role in the U.S. economy. Looking back nearly 150 years, Philip politan hubs. This rural-urban divide is reflected in the repre-
Pardey, a professor at the University of Minnesota, illustrated sentatives elected to serve in Congress, especially in the U.S.
the change in both measures in his 2006 book Agricultural House of Representatives.
R&D in the Developing World: Too Little, Too Late?
In 1869, agriculture accounted for 37.5 percent of GDP APPORTIONMENT, DIRECT ELECTION,
while the U.S. farm population constituted 46.3 percent (18 AND THE HOUSE-SENATE CONTRAST
million) of the total U.S. population of 38.9 million. By 1916,
32.5 million people were working in agriculture. But due to the From its inception, the Constitution specified a means for
overall increase in the American population (to 102 million) and the apportioning representation in the bicameral legislature
the growth of competing industries, agricultures share of the we know as Congress. Membership in the House was to be
American labor force fell to 31.9 percent of total population. determined by state population while representation in the
In 2006, agricultures share of GDP was just 0.8 percent. Senate was established at two members per state.
Today, agriculture accounts for just over 1 percent of total The Constitutional Convention determined that a census
GDP, with direct on-farm employment amounting to 2.6 million of the population conducted every 10 years would enable
Americans, according to the USDA. the House to adjust the distribution of its membership on a
In summary, far fewer Americans are working in agricul- regular basis. Taxation also figured in representation, with
ture than in the historic past. Gains to productivity stimu- states contributing to the national government based on local
lated by technology, agricultural science, efficient business taxes or flat poll taxes on each citizen in the period before
practices, and industry consolidation have resulted in greatly federal income taxes. Constitutional framers debated the rela-
diminished numbers of farms and farm employees even as tionship between representation and taxation with a number
American agricultural output is high. These factors, along of delegates arguing that geographic size or useable farmland
with other external forces, have transformed the labor force were better measures of state wealth than mere population.
over two centuries, sending Americans from the fields to In the end, proportional contributions were based on popula-
city streets. tion, mirroring the process of apportioning the number of state

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Population concentration shifts from rural farm areas (left) to urban

centers (above) and changes in how members of Congress are
elected have affected how and how much agricultural interests
are represented in Washington, D.C.
the national desire for the election of members to Congress

by popular vote (direct election) had gathered critical mass.
Elected by the people of the states rather than state legisla-
representatives in the House by population size. Over time, tures, congressmen and senators were compelled to represent
this has had direct implications for the interests of agriculture broader interests. Accordingly, their loyalty to party and the
in the House. narrow priorities of the legislature became less acute. As rural
As the Industrial Revolution took hold and the national interests moved out of the spotlight, directly elected members
economy transformed itself from a model based on agricul- of the House and Senate become more independent, focusing
ture and natural resources to a manufacturing-based format in their attention on a wider range of issues. Again, this diluted
the 20th century and the service-based economy of the 21st the power of agriculture in Congress.
century, population concentration shifted away from rural areas Additional nuances include a contrast in the manner in which
to cities and suburbs. Nationally, states with greater population members of the House and Senate consider issues before
gained more representation. them. As outlined, the effects of apportionment in the House
The obvious result is that members of Congress gradually dictated by shifts in population led most state representatives
transitioned away from representing the farming constituency to focus more specifically on urban-suburban interests in their
they once had to concerning themselves chiefly with the inter- respective districts. By contrast, the two senators representing
ests of the urban and suburban electorate. each state are required to represent the whole of their geog-
Modern legislative districting has further diluted direct agri- raphy. This is the rural-urban divide to which Grassley refers.
cultural representation as sparsely populated rural districts
have increasingly been re-drawn to include areas with heavy WHERE ARE TODAYS AGRICULTURAL
urban populations. Not surprisingly, members representing EXPERTS? IN COMMITTEE!
these districts in Congress spend far more energy on the inter-
ests of their numerous urban constituents. Of the 100 U.S. senators currently serving in the 114th
Another change in national governance and representa- Congress, [Democratic] Sen. Jon Tester, of Montana, and I are
tion that affected agriculture was the 17th Amendment also the only two active farmers, Grassley said.
known as direct election. Enacted in 1913, the amendment The fact that just 2 percent of the Senates current member-
was the outcome of a decades-long effort to change the elec- ship has any direct agricultural experience is attention-getting.
tion of members to the House and Senate from its original form Slightly more surprising is that only Grassley serves in the
wherein state legislatures were responsible for nominating Senates primary vehicle for addressing and supporting the
(usually by party) and electing representatives. interests of agriculture: the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition
Inconsistency in the processes employed by state legisla- and Forestry.
tures to elect representatives along with widespread corruption Grassley is also chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
and deadlocks (which left some seats unoccupied) provided and serves on four more committees while Tester serves on
the impetus for reform. By the first decade of the 20th century, the Veterans Affairs Committee; Appropriations Committee;

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Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden testifies on the The senior senator from Iowa who grew up and worked on
agriculture industrys role in combating global hunger before the a farm in New Hartford, still operated by his sons today, adds
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. that members of Congress learn about agriculture by making
a study of it.
Although I bring real life experience to the agriculture
policymaking tables in Washington, D.C., and some farm dirt
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; Homeland underneath my fingernails, other members learn about federal
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; and the Indian farm policy by studying policy and hearing and learning from
Affairs Committee. Their varied roles are typical of the practice the experiences of others in various agriculture specialties,
in Congress wherein expertise in areas including agriculture said Grassley.
resides primarily in the committees and subcommittees that Members of the agriculture committees cultivate a deeper
populate the House and Senate not specifically among indi- understanding of the issues facing American agriculture and
vidual members. Rural America, including soil and water ecosystems, risk manage-
Established in 1820 and 1825, respectively, the House ment, income security, financial markets, food safety, transporta-
Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on tion and Internet infrastructure, and regulatory regimes.
Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry have long been the centers for In answer to the question Who are todays agricultural
agricultural knowledge in Congress. Charged with the reporting experts in Congress? we can safely conclude that theyre to
of agricultural legislation to each of their respective legislatures be found on the committees that address this unique industry.
and holding jurisdiction over matters including commodity price And, despite the apparent contradiction of a very low number
and income supports, trade, research, food safety, nutrition, and of members of the 114th Congress having direct agricultural
conservation, the agriculture committees (and their subcom- experience at a time when the output and impact of American
mittees) conduct hearings, some public and some in executive agriculture globally (the USDA FY 2016 forecast for agriculture
session, to consider various legislative proposals. exports stands at $131.5 billion) is high, agricultural represen-
These hearings are held before representatives of farm orga- tation is still significant.
nizations, consumer groups, and ordinary citizens. Committee As Grassley acknowledged, given the interconnected nature of
members and other members of the House and Senate also agriculture with global trade, nutrition, and foreign policy, perhaps
receive input from subject-matter experts on their staffs and its best that todays agricultural experts have varied backgrounds.
are lobbied by interests including the American Farm Bureau. As geopolitical instability causes even more uncertainty
The committees also conduct oversight and confirmation in the world, its more important than ever to advance poli-
hearings. The House and Senate agriculture committees were cies that help farmers and ranchers maintain U.S. food secu-
instrumental in the favorable reports that led to the establish- rity and feed a growing world population in the 21st century.
ment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture on May 15, 1862. That includes trimming the heavy-handed tax and regulatory
In 1889, Congress elevated the department to Cabinet level. excesses that make it harder for farmers to maintain produc-
Much of the agricultural expertise is concentrated on the tivity and prosperity, get their farm goods to market, and pass
House and Senate agriculture committees, Grassley said. Other on the family farm to the next generation.
members have farming backgrounds, including Sen. Joni Ernst For those of us with a passion for American agriculture,
[R-Iowa], who grew up on a hog farm in southwest Iowa. The it is vital to continue to educate ourselves, other members of
committee system allows the 535 members of Congress to Congress, and the taxpaying public about the issues confronting
develop a more thorough, specialized understanding of public American agriculture. From farm to fork, Americans from all
policy by creating opportunities to dive into the details of their walks of life have a vested interest in maintaining an affordable,
committees legislative and oversight authority. abundant, and safe food supply.

AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION CONTROL
Agricultural
Pollution Control
By David A. Brown
T
he earth provides a tremendous bounty of resources Stewardship Certification Program itself on crop productivity
the very essence and existence of the agriculture and profitability, water quality, and perceptions of growers,
industry as we know it. Properly managed, these nutrient service providers, and residents in the WLEB.
resources can be made sustainable for generations to come. Following a similar path, the Water Environment Research
The key, of course, is an ongoing commitment to environmental Foundation, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA),
stewardship. and the United Soybean Board (USB) have worked together
Indeed, mans harvest must be a two-way street a mutually to include agricultural best management practices (BMPs)
beneficial relationship that requires significant attention to what in the International Stormwater Best Management Practices
goes into the ground, air, and water. Thats a complex equa- Database. The goal of this collaborative effort is the clarity
tion with many dynamic parts, but we find significant impacts necessary to implement more cost-effective and environmen-
through the key areas of pollution control, recycling, and reuse. tally sound methods for managing agricultural runoff.
Ever the moving target, environmental responsibility grows In many of the nations watersheds, effective reductions of
and develops with the industrys needs. Ideally, the two pollutant loading are reached through understanding of both
advance in lockstep, with equal emphasis on growing the crops urban and agricultural BMPs. Populating the Agricultural BMP
and protecting the land. Database, the collaborating entities will draw upon existing
Heres a look at some of the ways the agricultural world and research conducted by various federal and state agencies,
its stakeholders are making strides. university researchers, and other related contributors.
POLLUTION PLAN (NOT) INTO THIN AIR
For evidence of serious investments in mitigating the envi- Elsewhere, early December 2015 saw Kellogg Company
ronmental impacts of agricultural fertilizers, we look to a Nature intensify its commitment to climate action by announcing a
Conservancy program inspired by concerns over nutrient runoff new plan for ambitious science-based greenhouse gas (GHG)
from the Western Lake Erie Basin (WLEB). Comprising Ohio, emission targets, which includes a focus on helping its agricul-
Michigan, and Indiana, this region is one of the nations richest tural suppliers cut their emissions in half by 2050.
growing areas; however, ag nutrients often enter the Great Kellogg is more than a business. We care about nourishing
Lakes and its inflows, where harmful algal blooms increase people with our foods, feeding those in need, nurturing our
water treatment costs and negatively affect the areas lake- planet, and living our founders values, Kellogg Company
related tourism industry. Chairman and CEO John Bryant stated in a company news
To help remedy this situation, The Nature Conservancys 4R release. People care about their food, where it comes from,
Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program unites the agri- the people who grow and make it, and that theres enough
cultural industry, state agribusiness associations, Ohio State for everyone. We must live our values and communicate with
University, Michigan State University, state farm bureaus, state transparency to earn our seat at millions of tables every day.
agencies, and other stakeholders. The objective: Encouraging With a well-founded game plan, Kellogg bases its new goals
agricultural nutrient service providers to adopt proven best on the Science Based Targets, a joint initiative by CDP, the
practices through the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship. That formula United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute,
means using the Right Source of Nutrients at the Right Rate and WWF, which encourages corporate ambition toward GHG
and Right Time in the Right Place. emissions reduction through targets consistent with decarbon-
This voluntary program guides the nutrient providers with ization levels necessary to limit global warming to less than
a consistent, recognized standard. The program outlines 41 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial temperatures.
criteria to be implemented, staggered over a three-year period, To help bolster its GHG initiative, Kellogg Company has
with annual evaluation by a private, third-party auditor. committed to supporting 15,000 smallholder growers by
Considering the balance between planet, people, and 2020 to increase adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture
profit, The Nature Conservancy is aiming to evaluate the (CSA). The company further plans to support the livelihoods of
specific impacts of the adoption of practices associated with 500,000 farmers through partnerships, research, and training
4R Nutrient Stewardship, and the impact of the 4R Nutrient on CSA by 2030.

An algae bloom in Lake Erie, July 2015. The Nature Conservancy, polytwine, feed and pellet bags, irrigation tubing, nursery
area agricultural industry, farmers, agribusiness associations, pots, bee hive frames, packaging, etc. While farmers are
universities, and others are working to reduce agriculture runoff to allowed to burn brush and other organic agricultural wastes
avoid such blooms. that are generated onsite within a designated property size,
environmental laws prohibit discarding man-made waste
items by fire. Not only do large trash fires pose high risks of
wildfires, theyre also a woeful source of harmful emissions,
We recognize the interconnected and inter-reliant nature of which threaten air quality, personal health, and agricultural
our business with suppliers, farmers, customers, consumers, food crops.
and governments, said Bryant. These types of commitments So, what does a farmer do with all that waste material? A
require cooperation across the full supply chain. That is the good place to start is the local agriculture extension office,
only way we can truly be successful. where farmers often find advice on handling this material, if
not a well-structured program to facilitate the objective.
RECYCLING Case in point, the Cornell University Cooperative Extension is
now partnering with the New York state Recycling Agricultural
Even the smallest of farms generates significant quanti- Plastics Project (RAPP) to help farmers recycle agricultural plas-
NASA photo
ties of waste material from sources such as horticultural tics. Each county staffs a RAPP local educator, like Chenango
mulch film, drip tape, dairy bunk silo covers, bale netting, Countys Emily Anderson, who coordinates with farmers to

Having a holistic
approach to dealing
with agricultural
plastics and other
agricultural waste
products on your
farm is essential
to having a more
sustainable practice
on your location.
White plastic-wrapped bales of pasture grass and alfalfa ferment Its almost like a change in lifestyle once you decide, Hey,
for months to create sweet silage that stores well and can be used to were going to recycle all these agricultural plastics. You have
feed cattle at varying amounts all year long. The state of New Yorks to commit to it and be dedicated. Otherwise, it becomes Oh,
Recycling Agriculture Plastics Project (RAPP) is helping farmers well get to that later, and then it all just piles up.
to recycle agricultural plastics rather than dispose of them in more RAPP has developed markets to recycle most of these prod-
environmentally harmful ways. ucts if the plastic is prepared for recycling appropriately. For
example, some of these recycled materials end up as land-
scape pavers, decking, and boat dock planks or raw materials
share recycling information much of which remains relevant exported to foreign manufacturing markets.
to agricultural operations nationwide. Since 2009, RAPP has collaborated with local agencies,
If you think about the environment, as a whole, theres a organizations, businesses, and farmers across New York state
big push for environmental sustainability, especially on a farm, to collect more than 1 million pounds of used plastic. Without
Anderson said. So, having a holistic approach to dealing with this effort, much of that waste material would have been sent
agricultural plastics and other agricultural waste products on to landfills, left behind in fields, or burned.
your farm is essential to having a more sustainable practice In New York, farmers can obtain more information about
on your location. recycling from their local RAPP representative, who will visit the
Thats a substantive point given the estimation that a small farm to evaluate particular needs for the types and quantities
dairy farm that uses an average of one large wrapped feed bale of plastic waste and coordinate a recycled-item removal plan.
each day will generate approximately 1,000 pounds of plastic There are best management practices, but then its a matter
each season. Expand that figure for larger operations and of working out a plan of whats going to work on your individual
multiply by the number of farming operations spread across farm, Anderson said.
the United States, and its easy to understand the emphasis that In many cases, farmers can obtain information on recycling
Anderson and her regional counterparts place on this topic. programs from their local agriculture extension office. Farmers
Its unlikely that many farmers would flatly oppose the logic also can reach out to the Ag Container Recycling Council
of recycling, but daily demands for time and effort often dim (ACRC) (www.acrecycle.org/) an industry-funded nonprofit
the interest. Moreover, Anderson points to weather and storage organization that safely collects and recycles a broad array of
options as common impediments that she and other industry agricultural waste materials.
educators must strive to overcome. The ACRC administers member funding for cost-effective
Last winter in New York, we had seven months of snow on programs that improve public health and safety, environmental
the ground, so trying to take a piece of bale wrap or an ag bag, protection, resource conservation, and end-user convenience.
getting it dried, and rolled up into a nice pillow [stackable form] The organization also invests in significant research to identify
and then placing that into covered storage for a long period of acceptable end uses for recycled container plastic.
time until you can move it to your countys ag plastics recycling Supporting state-level container collection programs, ACRC
location becomes a difficult task. works closely with the Environmental Protection Agency, state
Difficult but not impossible; and thats a key point environmental regulatory agencies, and departments of agri-
Anderson stresses. culture and natural resources. ACRC also directly coordinates

USDA POLLUTION CONTROL
Kitayama Brothers, Inc. (KBI) hydroponic greenhouses with The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) empha-
micro irrigation have been in use for years in its operation sizes this point by telling us that irrigated agriculture in
in Watsonville, California. Sterile reclaimed and recharge the United States accounts for 60 percent of crop market
water from the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency values, but does so on less than 20 percent of farmlands.
(PVWMA) flows through micro irrigation tubes and emitters The takeaway: Irrigation stands essential for the ag indus-
at each plant. As stresses on water supplies mount, the use of trys most highly productive, intensely managed, and inter-
reclaimed and recycled water is also bound to increase. nationally competitive sectors.
But lets play this out a little further. Farms need increasing
supplies of water to remain productive and competitive,
but rising competition for fresh water resources creates a
dilemma for farmers nationwide how do you continue to
with contractors to granulate and transport flaked containers improve productivity when your No.1 natural resource draws
from state-approved sites. increasingly higher demand?
Among the other notable examples of recycling programs, That question, no doubt, keeps many brilliant minds
Virginias Dinwiddie County has provided a plastic pesticide passionately engaged with potential solutions such as maxi-
container-recycling program to local farmers since 1993. mizing the use of urban effluents. To this point, an ARS project
Since its inception, this award-winning program has properly spanning January 2012 to January 2017 has been seeking
recycled nearly 70,000 containers. to develop new and innovative water quality indicators
Dinwiddie County also conducts an annual waste oil biological and chemical to assess the quality of reclaimed
collection program that helps farmers dispose of motor and water and judge its viability for agricultural irrigation.
hydraulic oil from various pieces of agricultural equipment. Central to this research is the careful analysis of the contami-
Working in conjunction with Appomattox River Soil and nants, pathogens, and nutrients found in treated wastewater
Water Conservation District, the countys collection efforts used for crop irrigation. Two key areas here are the develop-
have accounted for more than 35,000 gallons of oil properly ment of small on-site treatment systems to minimize the bad
recycled from local farms. stuff and the establishment of research-based regulations for
how these effluents are managed.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Through this and other reuse innovations, such as agri-
cultural waste products (pecan shells, wood debris, etc.)

In closing, a natural segue off the recycling discussion is used for environmentally sound biofuels, respect and
one of reuse both in terms of directing resources to and appreciation for the nations natural resources grows. The
from agricultural operations. Waters intrinsic role across focus is more than the land and what the soil yields; its
the agricultural spectrum keeps it at the forefront of the a far-reaching vision of sustainability through responsible
innovative efforts. management.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: A HEALTHIER WORLD
A Healthier World
The College of Agriculture, Food and
Natural Resources (CAFNR) at the
University of Missouri works to solve some
of the most important issues facing our
world today, including human health and
environmental sustainability.
FIGHTING CANCER MORE

EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY
To a lay person, Raghuraman Kannans work can seem extremely

complex, so he breaks it down to a highly relatable topic: the fight
against cancer. The goal is to send more drugs to a cancer without
putting patients lives in jeopardy through high amounts of toxicity ELIMINATING A HEALTH AND
from the drugs themselves. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXIN
A regular injection of a traditional cancer drug may only affect 1-2
percent of the actual targeted area in the body, whereas if you put a A joint project between Judy Wall, professor of biochem-
drug in a nanoparticle, it can carry thousands of drugs to a specific istry, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (published in
cancer tumor without actually drugging the patient, says Kannan, Science magazine) looks to address the major threat to
who works as an associate professor in bioengineering, among his human health by environmental mercury.
other roles. Walls work details the production of methylmercury,
One of his recent projects has focused on a gold nanorod-based its impact on the environment and on the humans who
histochemistry (GNR-HC) platform that can help identify and quantify consume it. Methylmercury is a neurotoxin created from
an array of target biomarkers in tumor tissues in superior ways than mercury by bacteria that can only live in the absence of
previous methods. air. In wetlands, streams and lakes, methylmercury accu-
These nanoplatforms represent the biggest scientific breakthrough mulates in aquatic organisms and the fish that eat them.
in all of Kannans projects because we can use it for any cancer type The primary source of contamination of humans is
of choice and it can be used for all cancer patients across the world. through eating fish and seafood. Methylmercury in the
In an effort also related to the fight against cancer, a group of organs and tissues causes birth defects and disorders of
researchers being led by Michael Petris, associate professor of the brain, reproductive system, immune system, kidney,
biochemistry, is currently working to address why certain chemo- and liver when ingested at toxic levels.
therapy drugs lose their effectiveness the second time around when Walls team is continuing to work to identify the parts
a cancer comes back following remission. of the proteins involved in the catalytic reactions that turn
The groups focal point of research is cisplatin, an anti-cancer drug mercury (released into the environment from burning coal
that has been particularly effective against testicular cancer. The drug and by volcanic eruptions) into methylmercury.
is imported and exported from cancer cells via copper transporters. It All of the contributions that were making are to provide
is the hope of Petris and his team to be able to perturb the copper the tools needed to be able to evaluate the potential of
transporters to be able to eliminate the acquisition of chemotherapy our environments to produce this neurotoxin so that
drug resistance or reduce the extent to which thats a problem by we can then model the overall production, Wall said.
combining it with drugs that have been designed to change the abun- The research will help to limit the effects of mercury
dance of copper transporters. Similar combinatorial-type approaches contamination.
have proven to be very effective with human immunodeficiency virus She reminds people to be aware that local health depart-
(HIV) treatment, Petris said. ments, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The double advantage of working on copper transporters is that it and Food and Drug Administration, issue warnings on fish
seems that they intersect the pathways for cancer growth as well as consumption due to mercury contamination. Local warn-
chemotherapy drug resistance, so there seems to be a commonality ings are more applicable to local waters, which Walls
when you look at copper biology between those two areas, Petris said modeling work will aid by determining which bodies of
of the research, which is being funded by a grant from the National water are more or less susceptible to the production of
Cancer Institute. methylmercury.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: A HEALTHIER WORLD
SUSTAINABLE CAMPUS COLLABORATIONS
The University of Missouri, in 2015, received a gold rating for sustain-

ability efforts from the Sustainability Tracking and Rating System. CAFNR
partners with campus on various sustainability projects, using faculty
expertise to solve energy and waste issues.
Forestry Professors Francisco Aguilar and Hank Stelzer have worked with
the MU Power Plant to develop a system for the procurement of materials
for a 100-percent biomass-fueled boiler to heat campus perhaps the
biggest on-site sustainable energy undertaking on any major American
university campus. This process could shrink the facilitys greenhouse gas
emissions by almost 50 percent by 2019.
Stelzer and other forestry experts established research plots to test
various species of trees as energy crops, while developing guidelines to
protect the sustainability and health of the forests. Forestry faculty helped
too with researching the optimum fuel and recommended stable sources
for the new boiler. Aguilar surveyed other co-fired utilities in the U.S. to
determine best practices and partnered with colleagues at the United
Nations to make this a state-of-the-art system.
Like a small city, the University of Missouri trucks in tons of food each Opposite page: Tim Reinbott, Bradford Research Center
day to feed thousands of people. At the end of the day, all of the food waste superintendent, holds compost made via a closed-loop
was dumped in the Columbia landfill. With more than 8,500 meals served system, in which food waste from University of Missouri
per day, and an average of 4.5 ounces wasted each meal, more than 250 dining halls is trucked out to the center; compost made with
tons of food waste ended up in the landfill each year. that waste then goes to fertilize fresh vegetables for student
To Tim Reinbott, superintendent of the MU Bradford Research Center, meals. Top: Francisco X. Aguilar, associate professor of
a unit of CAFNR, this process was inefficient. Hes created a closed-loop forestry, and Hank Stelzer, associate teaching professor
system where food grown at Bradford is served by Campus Dining. Then, and forestry department chair, at the University of Missouri
that food waste travels back to Bradford to make compost to fertilize the Power Plant on campus. As part of their research, the
crops grown there. The new food, including tomatoes, peppers and squash, power plant has coverted a biomass boiler to use grass and
then goes to Campus Dining, starting the cycle anew.
Photo by Kyle Spradley
wood chips. Above: Raghuraman Kannan, bioengineering

professor, stands in front of dry erase boards, which contain
notes from each of his nearly 20 current research projects.

NEW OLD CATTLE FOR THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST
New Old Cattle for the

American Southwest
The Raramuri Criollo
By Craig Collins
A
few years ago, like most Arizona beef cattle ranchers, Canyon region of Chihuahua, Mexico. Moroney, something
Dennis Moroney, the owner of Cross U Cattle of an amateur cattle scholar, was intrigued. As soon as he
Company, had a herd composed of several mixed was home, he hitched his trailer and took off for Las Cruces.
breeds primarily Hereford crosses, with a little bit of every- He returned with about 15 heifers and he hasnt looked
thing else thrown in. And like most Arizona cattlemen, he found back since.
these cattle, with centuries-old lineages tying them to the misty Today, the only bulls Moroney uses for breeding on 47
British Isles, werent exactly suited for life in the Sonoran Desert Ranch, about 18 miles north of the Mexican border in south-
region. They tended to stick close to water sources, trampling eastern Arizona, are Criollos, and about half his herd are pure-
the rangeland in concentrated islands of erosion. They got sick bred Criollo cattle. About one-fourth are Criollo crosses. For
a lot and required constant vaccination and medication. They a number of reasons which hell gladly explain he hopes
needed lots of supplemental nutrition and minerals. Every to phase out the other bloodlines and manage a nearly pure
year, Moroney said, we would buy a semi-truckload of a Criollo herd.
supplement, a cooked molasses product ... that was sorghum
based with trace minerals and a little bit of salt in it. It would AT HOME IN THE DESERT
be a $12,000 to $16,000 purchase every year.
Moroneys a restless soul, a tinkerer, and he began to wonder For the last decade or so, the beef business has been rough
whether there wasnt a better way of doing things than raising on nearly everyone in the West; it wasnt until last year that the
and marketing English breeds in the same way as everyone else USDAs numbers began to indicate the nations beef herd was
basically, selling them at auction. The two big themes for on the rebound from years of drought. Livestock is notoriously
me over the last 25 years or so have been how to reduce over- thirsty, and beef is the thirstiest: According to a 2012 study
head or operating costs, and how to increase returns so that by Dutch scientists, it takes about 145,000 gallons of water
we could stay in business, he said. And weve been through to produce a ton of beef.
some really deep valleys, where we owed a lot of money to According to the USDA, the number of cattle and calves
the banks, had a lien on our cattle, and were basically facing raised in New Mexico fell for the fourth year in a row, to
imminent foreclosure. fewer than 1.3 million head, as of January 2014. The inven-
Moroney began to experiment with the Texas Longhorn a tory of cattle available for slaughter dropped to 387,000
more drought-tolerant breed directly descended from the first head at the same time, the lowest inventory on record.
New World cattle. He brought in a pair of Longhorn bulls to Lack of water is one of the problems being studied at
cross with his heifers and cows. He liked the marbling and the Jornada Experimental Range, but according to Rick
tenderness of the beef these crosses produced and began Estell, a USDA animal scientist, the primary issue is the
to market them directly. About 10 years ago, at a conference overall degradation of fragile desert rangelands, dating to
in Colorado, he met an old friend who was working at the a post-World War II era in which cheap and abundant feed
Jornada Experimental Range, a 230,000-acre field research supported huge herds. They just kind of made pavement
laboratory for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with out of the desert, said Estell. So now theres a great
headquarters on the campus of New Mexico State University interest in the more sustainable and more environmen-
in the town of Las Cruces. tally friendly uses of these landscapes, and thats what
At the Jornada, his friend told him, animal research scien- our focus is.
tists were building a herd from a relatively obscure New World A history of overgrazing, accompanied by drought, allowed for
breed: the Raramuri Criollo (cree-o-yo), from the Copper the invasion of much shrubbier plants into New Mexicos ranges,

A Criollo steer with Navajo Churro sheep. Criollo cattle are uniquely northward from where theyd come ashore in the Americas,
suited to the semi-arid landscapes of the American Southwest. cross-breeding and morphing into biotypes such as the Texas
Longhorn, the Pineywoods cattle, and the Florida Cracker
cattle. The biotype found on the Copper Canyon floor and
literally nowhere else has lived in relative isolation, gener-
compounding the challenge of keeping cattle fed, and Jornadas ally untouched by beef ranchers. Its known simply as the
researchers began looking around for breeds that would work. Raramuri Criollo.
About a decade ago, Jornada researcher Alfredo Gonzalez took a These animals can use these poorer lands, said Gonzalez.
colleague to Copper Canyon, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, They are known to survive where other breeds cannot. They
to look more closely at a species that appeared to live indepen- have the ability to browse. Browsing, as opposed to grazing,
dently off the desert. They saw these animals everywhere, on refers to eating leaves, shoots, bark, or fruits in other words,
rough and seemingly inaccessible ridges up to 11,000 feet Criollos eat like goats, not cows. Gonzalez has seen them
above sea level, and on the canyon floor, where they browsed eat just about everything, from prickly pear to mesquite to
on scrub or lounged under the clotheslines of the natives the chamiso sometimes called by its less-appetizing name,
Tarahumara, or Raramuri people. We decided, said Gonzalez, fourwing saltbush.
to get this animal that lived way down on the bottoms, where After unraveling a mile of red tape, Gonzalez, Estell, and
Photos courtesy of Dennis Moroney
the temperatures are a little warmer. their colleagues were allowed to bring some animals north
The animals were descendants of the first cattle brought to build their own herd and see how the cattle lived on the
to the New World by the Spanish conquistadors, known Jornada Experimental Range, a place named for the inhospi-
collectively, like their human counterparts in South or Central table basin in which it lies the Jornada del Muerto, rough
America, as Criollo. Different varieties descendants of North translation: dead mans day-trip. According to Gonzalez, the
African desert cattle brought across the Strait of Gibraltar Jornada Criollo herd now numbers around 500, with about
during the Moors 8th century conquest of Spain spread 250 mother cows. Its big enough to study and to help Jornada

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Dennis Moroney (right), pictured here with Heloise Duchene, added Both Gonzalez and Estell warn that research on Criollo has
a few Criollo cattle to his herd about 10 years ago. Today, the only just begun, and its too early to draw conclusions. But there
bulls Moroney uses for breeding are Criollos, and about half his is some preliminary data, and observations from herdsmen
herd are pure-bred Criollo cattle. such as Moroney, to support the idea that Criollo may be
at least as good a choice, if not better, for ranchers in the
Southwest:
Criollo are easier on the landscape. As browsers, they dont
researchers begin to make the business case for Criollo cattle need as much forage. Estell has fitted several animals with
in the desert Southwest. GPS trackers and observed that, unlike traditional cattle,
which tend to congregate and trample the range around
MARKET RESEARCH water sources, Criollo travel farther and into a greater
variety of areas. Because theyre smaller and lighter, they
In order to make the case for the Criollo, Jornada scien- cause less damage in their travels.
tists and to a lesser extent the handful of ranchers, such Because they browse, they dont need additional feed.
as Moroney, who have begun to build their own herds from Supplementation tends to be a huge cost for beef ranchers
Jornada breedstock must prove that its advantages outweigh and it costs nearly zero for Criollo, both at the Jornada
its disadvantages. and on Moroneys ranch. During the cow/calf operations,
From a ranchers perspective, the Criollo has a few strikes Gonzalez said, they really dont need supplementation
against it. Compared to traditional breeds, such as the 1,000- because they eat the shrubs, and those shrubs have
to 1,200-pound Angus, the Criollo is small, topping out at enough protein and energy for their requirements. At
about 800 pounds. We know, said Estell, the big packers 47 Ranch, Moroney supplies a little salt for his Criollos,
are not going to want small animals. Because they spend but no extra feed.
their entire lives on the open range, Criollo also take longer They are drought resistant. The fact that Criollo can thrive
to finish as beef up to 30 months, compared to 18 months in the Jornada, which averages just over 9 inches of rain
for an Angus steer. A third major drawback is simply cultural, a year, means theyre less susceptible to fluctuations
Estell said: Theres the traditional mindset that these animals in precipitation. These cycles are killers for ranchers,
are kind of like goats. Theyre not really the classic, traditional Estell said. If you have two or three of these [drought
beef cattle people are used to seeing. years] in a row and you have to destock, you know, it

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A mixed group of Criollo and crossbred cattle that are being some cattle wander freely and in close contact with the
finished on native rangeland pasture. With the exception of trace Tarahumara in some cases, in their homes.
mineral salt, Moroney no longer administers any supplement or In Arizona where the federal and state governments
additional feed to his cattle. are collaborating on the reintroduction of Mexican wolves
to their historic range traditional cattle breeds typically
abandon calves to predators. But Moroney has seen the
takes generations to build the herd back up. What weve Criollos launch counter-attacks. The bulls and the big
found with conservative stocking is that we havent had steers, and even some cows, will charge predators and
any death droughts. In the last few years, we havent hook them and throw them, he said.
had to destock at all. Many retail customers prefer Criollo beef and are willing
They dont get sick as often. I only vaccinate for the to pay a premium for it. While cattle that remain on the
Clostridium perfringens organism at branding time, said Jornada are typically finished with hay, some have been
Moroney, and we give our replacement heifers the BRD sent elsewhere to South Dakota, for example to be
[Bovine Respiratory Disease], basically to give them a grass-finished. These animals end up with a finished
lifetime immunity for some reproductive issues. But we weight of 1,000 pounds or more. As you might imagine,
dont do any insecticides. No wormers, no implants, no an animal that lives mostly off prickly pear and mesquite
antibiotics in feed, or anything like that. We have abso- tastes different from a corn-fed Hereford, but many prefer
lutely zero sickness. the Criollos leanness and more complex flavor, which
Theyre docile around people, but defend fiercely against Gonzalez compares to bison.
predators. Just because they have horns, Gonzalez said, If we were to take these cattle to auction, Moroney said,
everyone thinks theyre wild. In Copper Canyon, he saw we wouldnt do that well, because theres still a lot of bias

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Though the Criollo is smaller and takes more time to finish than the the profits of a Criollo beef operation might compare to tradi-
more commonplace Angus-Hereford cross, it has an overall return tional breeds.
that is nearly identical due to lower costs for feed, medication, and The numbers weve put together are preliminary and
insect control. based on the Jornada herd, said Torell. At a meeting on
the Range last year, he revealed his preliminary analysis:
Despite its smaller size and longer finishing period, the
overall return for the Criollo is almost identical to the
regarding cattle that look like Longhorns or that have spots or Southwests traditional Angus-Hereford cross, due to its
horns. But his direct-marketing customers ask for Criollo beef lower costs for feed, medication, and insect control. Given
by name. They prefer Criollo because the amount of marbling its other advantages, the Criollo may be a better choice
and the tenderness is just noticeably better. Gonzalez is for some ranchers.
spreading the word and drumming up interest among specialty So far, very few ranchers in the Southwest are convinced,
retailers organic markets and health food stores throughout but Moroney is one of them, and hes all in. It seems like
the Southwest. Criollo beef will probably never be a mass- we spent a lot of years kind of forcing cattle to fit the envi-
market commodity and thats fine with its sophisticated, ronment that we were in, he said. And now we have cows
niche-market customers. that really evolved genetically to thrive in this environment.
While the anecdotal evidence is strong, it will fall to agricul- Were really enthusiastic about the breed and I honestly
tural economists such as Alan Torell, a professor of agricultural feel theyre going to be a game-changer for ranching in
economics at New Mexico State University, to turn these costs this kind of semiarid desert grassland. Im very thankful
and benefits into numbers and give ranchers an idea of how that Ive had the privilege of getting to work with them.

AMERICAN DAIRY PRODUCERS: GOING ORGANIC
American Dairy
Producers:
Going Organic
By Craig Collins
B
y the time Albert Straus had earned his degree in
dairy science and returned to his family farm near
the town of Marshall, on the shore of Tomales Bay in
Californias Marin County, hed already acquired a deep regard,
even reverence, for the land and the food it produced. His
parents, Jewish immigrants who had escaped Europe after
Hitler rose to power, established their dairy farm in 1941 with
23 Jersey cows, each named after a family member or close
friend. Straus learned a love of farm work from his father, Bill,
who worked tirelessly happy, Albert has speculated, to have
a place of his own in the world, where he knew he wouldnt
have to run anymore. Straus mother, Ellen, was a founder of
the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which protects 69 ranches
and dairies covering 44,000 acres in Marin County. no-till farming to reduce soil erosion and cut fuel costs. By the
In 1977, when Straus returned to Marshall with his univer- end of the decade, he had completely eliminated the use of
sity degree and a bigger share of responsibilities, he found chemical fertilizers.
the dairy industry undergoing a seismic shift: Dairies were These practices didnt improve the market position for
getting bigger and more efficient, and the arcane system the Strauses milk if anything, they raised their produc-
of federal price supports, which regulated the price of milk tion costs and Straus reached the conclusion that if he
but not the volumes produced or processed, was making wanted to continue farming, and to treat his land and
it difficult, if not impossible, for smaller family dairies to animals the way he wanted them treated, a radical step
survive. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture was necessary: He announced he was converting the dairy
(USDA), there were 4.6 million dairy farms in the United farm to 100 percent organic production, the first organic
States in 1940; that number has been consolidated to dairy west of the Mississippi and rather than try to hunt
around 45,000. Many of these larger producers efficien- down buyers for its milk, the dairy would establish its
cies were achieved through methods Straus was reluctant own creamery. In February 1994, Straus Family Creamery
to adopt: heavy use of chemical fertilizers, purchased feed, became the first certified 100 percent organic creamery
and, beginning in the early 1990s, the use of engineered in the United States.
hormones such as bovine somatotropin (bST). Hindsight has proved Straus to be prescient: In Marin County
For his parents, Straus said, the dairy business had never today, more than 80 percent of the dairies are certified organic,
been about making a killing: My father started the dairy in along with more than 75 percent of the dairies operating in
1941 as a conventional dairy I think back then most people its agricultural neighbor to the north, Sonoma County. But 21
didnt even actually look at farms as a business. They looked at years ago, his move was widely dismissed as risky, a one-man
them as a way of life because no way would you want a farm rebellion against the entrenched system of producing and
Courtesy of Straus Family Creamery
as a business. When I came back, the co-ops and the regional marketing milk in the United States. He would price himself
processors were selling milk at a price that didnt cover the cost out of the market, his neighbors warned.
of production. Feed and all these other costs kept going up That was the whole point, said Straus: Hed had enough of
and up year after year, and the price of milk essentially stayed that market. So he decided to create his own. Today, the retail
stagnant for decades. price for Straus milk is nearly twice that of conventional milk,
To practice better land stewardship, the Strauses had already and his customers gladly pay it and gladly pay a premium for
stopped using herbicides. In the early 1980s, Straus went to the butter, sour cream, yogurt, and ice creams produced by

Opposite: Bottles of Straus cream top milk on the line. Above: Cows industry executive, detailed a series of missteps by the dairy
on pasture at the Straus Family Creamery in Marshall, California. industry: From 1970 to 2006, while the number of U.S. dairy
cows declined by a quarter, the milk output per cow more than
doubled. By the 1980s, Americans were consuming more
soft drinks than milk. One of the primary reasons consumers
his creamery. Organic production works to ensure economic continued to choose milk its perceived status as a healthier,
viability to farmers, he said, because the price paid is intended more nutritious option was weakened in the 1990s when
to cover the true costs of producing high-quality products that advocates began to question its nutritional value and the use
sustain land, animals, and community. of hormones and antibiotics. The decline in demand for milk,
Cardello wrote, illustrates the dangers of focusing on just
MORE THAN MILK: BUILDING A MARKET one highly commoditized product, ignoring market trends,
and trying valiantly to sell what you make rather than to make
A look at recent trends in the U.S. dairy market is enough what people want.
to make anyone want to escape it: According to the USDA, What Straus and other organic dairy producers around
Americans drink about 37 percent less milk today, on average, the country have figured out is that when consumers
than they did in 1970. The reasons for this plummeting choose their products, theyre choosing a set of values.
Courtesy of Straus Family Creamery
demand are complex, rooted in changing consumer prefer- Straus milk is unhomogenized, topped with a thick layer
ences and socioeconomic factors, but the response by the of cream, and sold in thick glass bottles with a $2 deposit
dairy industry has been pretty simple: to produce more milk, on each, allowing the creamery to average four to six
more efficiently. uses per bottle. It may seem quaint to think consumers
In How the Milk Industry Went Sour, and What Every of organic milk are consciously lending support to Straus
Business Can Learn From It, an opinion piece published in ethic of sustaining land, animals, and communities but
Forbes magazine two years ago, Hank Cardello, a former food their money is plenty real.

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Left: Chapels Country Creamery, a dairy farm that produces artisan

cheeses in Easton, Maryland, starts with fresh raw milk produced
on the familys Grade A dairy farm. Above: Cows on Pleasantview
Farm, an Ohio certified organic dairy farm.
conventional producers can only work if youre able to reach

enough consumers willing to pay that price. Again, Straus had
a built-in advantage: His creamery is a relatively small, regional
business, with an affluent and environmentally conscious
Northern California clientele. While unique, it has several
analogues around the country but an increasing number of

organic producers have opted to simply sell their milk to large
processors, such as Horizon Organic , Stonyfield, or Aurora
Organic Dairy, and others have joined forces in regional or
national cooperatives.
The largest organic dairy cooperative in the United States,
Organic Valley, was launched by a handful of family farmers in
Consumer demand for organic milk and value-added prod- southwestern Wisconsin who joined forces in 1988 to market
ucts such as organic yogurt and ice cream, mirroring demand organic produce, and soon realized the demand for organic
for organic produce of all kinds, has continued a steady climb. dairy products. Today, its a cooperative of 1,779 farm families
The USDAs 2014 Organic Survey estimated that sales from from New England to California, who combine their resources
organic farms have increased 72 percent since 2008, and the and processing capabilities to produce milk, cheese, butter,
Organic Trade Association, an industry lobbying group, claims eggs, juices, meats, produce, and soy beverages under the
the organic dairy sectors 2014 sales were $5.46 billion, an Organic Valley label. Each of these families is an equity-sharing
11 percent increase over the previous year and the biggest member of the cooperative. They periodically elect a national
percentage increase for that category in six years. board of directors and voice their opinions through regional
Despite these gains, of course, most of the U.S. dairy market executive committees.
remains unchanged. When Straus went organic, there were While the cooperative is a national entity, Organic Valley
about 3,000 organic milk cows in the United States; today spokesperson Sasha Bernstein said the markets remain
there are more than 250,000, according to the USDA but this regional. The milk were drinking in the Bay Area comes from
is still only about 3 percent of all U.S. dairy cows. While its a Petaluma or other regional farms, she said. Were not getting
growing market, theres a good reason for the inertia: Becoming milk from Wisconsin.
organic isnt easy. To earn organic certification, a dairy farms Aside from the obvious benefit of expanded market access
USDA photo courtesy of Pleasantview Farm
land must be without banned chemicals pesticides, herbi- and profit sharing, Organic Valley members enjoy other forms of
cides, and synthetic fertilizers for three years. The cows must mutual support: technical and other assistance with production,
then undergo a year without hormones, antibiotics, or synthetic certification, farm planning, supplemental feed sourcing, veteri-
feeds and remain free of these chemicals for the remainder nary consultation, and more. In summer 2015, when many of the
of their lives. These changes cost money, but for Straus, they drought-stricken Western members had trouble raising enough
were relatively easy; hed already made most of them by the pasture and forage for their cows, the cooperative stepped in to
time hed made his decision to go organic. offer a premium price a dollar or two more per hundredweight
Another obstacle to becoming organic is the size and (100 pounds, the basic wholesale unit of milk in the United
reach of the existing market. Charging twice as much as States) to help these farmers absorb the associated costs.

A concrete watering trough utilized in grazing pasture on a it. So I either had to get out or do something different. And
northeast Ohio organic farm. the consumers were really what drove my choice.
Low demand isnt a problem for the New York organic dairy
market, Benson said; theres currently a shortage of organic
Such fellowship has proven invaluable to organic milk, and he and his colleagues have put together a webinar
producers, but Straus points out that the regional struc- designed to help guide farmers through the transition. When
ture of the organic dairy market has built-in stability. milk prices are good, the farmers arent interested in transi-
Essentially the only way that small-scale family dairy farms tioning to organic, he said. And now that the conventional
can survive, he said, is to be certified organic, because prices of milk have dropped, weve had a big influx of people
the conventional business is so volatile. You cant really starting their transition.
farm with all that volatility and run a business I think Benson said probably the biggest obstacles to this transition
the agricultural system in this country, the way the pricing remain the up-front costs and individuals fears of changing
system has worked for the last 50, 60, 70 years, has not established practices. The transition can be financially painful,
allowed for family farms to profit as a business and be he said, because youre usually operating at a lower produc-
passed on to the next generation. tion level while youre starting to learn a new style of farming.
Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Its not terribly different, but your inputs are different, and youre
BREAKING DOWN MARKET BARRIERS still receiving a conventional price and with lower production.
An increasing number of small dairy farmers, however, are
For many conventional producers, significant barriers to measuring one pain against another.
the organic market persist, but a network of resources is Its not until theyre really uncomfortable where theyre at,
growing around them to help with the transition. In New Benson said, that theyre willing to take the chance to try a
York state, where milk is the leading agricultural product, new market.
former dairyman A. Fay Benson helped to establish the Straus thinks that for many family dairy farms, it may be a
Organic Dairy Initiative at Cornell University in 2004. last chance. He started his creamery to save his own farm,
Benson had been one of the first New York dairymen to he said, but that mission has evolved: Our mission now is to
go organic, in 1997. It was a struggle to compete against sustain organic dairy farms in Marin and Sonoma County and
the large, efficient dairies, he said. When most of the large help revitalize the rural community, he said. The people who
producers began using bST in the 1990s to become even thought I was crazy 21 years ago are certified organic now. Or
more efficient, he opted out. I didnt want to be a part of theyre not in business.

SOYBEANS
Soybeans
Worldwide consumption on the rise
By J.R. Wilson
P
rior to World War II, about the only connection most But China is not the only nation seeing increasing demand for
Americans, including farmers, had to soybeans was soybeans. After China, the worlds largest soybean importers
the soy sauce on their chop suey. Little more than a are Europe, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Turkey, Thailand,
half-century later, soybeans are the nations second-largest crop Egypt, and South Korea.
and some believe they ultimately may replace corn as No. 1. Asia is a huge user of soybeans; a lot of those climates are
Weve been neck and neck with corn for a couple of decades not suited for soybean production and have large populations
and since 2000 only slightly behind. Last year, corn had 90.4 with a lot of demand for meat, and so need livestock feed. In
million acres and we had 82 million, Stephen Censky, CEO some countries, you have the direct use of soy as a food. In
of the American Soybean Association (ASA), said. I wouldnt Indonesia, they use a lot of their soybeans in a traditional dish
necessarily predict we will overtake corn, but I believe acreages called tempeh, Censky said.
will be very competitive looking out into the future. India has been a soybean producer and exporter, as well,
In the past couple of decades, soybeans have gone through sending meal to China and Southeast Asia, but we also have
an unusual demand cycle that carried them to the top ranks. In been working within India to develop their own demand and
the first decade of the 21st century, that was due to the use of have seen tremendous growth in Indian consumption of their
soybeans to produce ethanol, a demand that faded after 2010. own soybean meal. In the mid-2000s, their exports exceeded
But it almost immediately was replaced by a new and far larger consumption by 2-to-3 times, but today consumption exceeds
market: China, the worlds No. 4 producer, which has become exports by more than tenfold.
the No. 1 importer since the 1990s, when they went from a U.S. domestic demand also has been on the rise, largely for
net exporter of soybeans to a net importer. livestock feed including fish farms but also in consumer
When that happened in 1995, Chinas total soybean imports products such as soy milk and tofu.
could have been met by just two Illinois counties McLean We saw use go down some during the economic crisis
and Livingston according to the Department of Agricultural in the late 2000s, with people eating out less, and demand
and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois. Only for poultry and pork declined. But that has now rebounded
25 years later, Chinas estimated demand, beyond its own and weve seen demand come back, Censky added. The
substantial production, will be only 5 million metric tons less consumption of soy beverages and foods has been increasing,
than the worlds total soybean exports in 2014. but that is still a relatively small portion of our total use. More
In 2015, China imported about 80 million metric tons more than 90 percent of soy use is for livestock feed, cooking oil,
than the rest of the world combined. U.S. exports to China and biodiesel.
during that time, which were more than half the nations total The American Soybean Association was created in 1920 to
soybean exports and a quarter of production, accounted for represent soybean farmers on state and national policy issues
about 30 million. and communications. In the 1990 Farm Bill, ASA worked with
Brazil is the largest exporter to China, followed by the Congress to establish the Soybean Checkoff, which created
United States; in 2014, it exported 33 million metric tons to the United Soybean Board to oversee funding and investments
China. According to The Nature Conservancy, China, where for research and market development and expansion. About
the soybean originated, could be responsible for up to 90 15 years later, those two jointly formed a new organization
percent of Brazils exports by 2020, even as that nation plans called the U.S. Soybean Export Council, which carries out
to substantially increase soybean production. international market development activities on behalf of both
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates organizations.
Chinese imports will reach 112 million metric tons by 2023, On the processing side of the industry, the National Oilseed
a 40 percent increase in only eight years. In addition to nearly Processors Association represents major soybean processors;
all of Chinas own production and Brazils exports, the United SoyFoods Association of North America represents companies
States is expected to see Chinas share of American exports involved in the soy food business and the National Biodiesel
rise, as well, to meet the Asian giants seemingly insatiable Board, formed by soybean farmers and in which the soy
demand. industry is a key part.

SOYBEANS
Above: Soybeans growing in a field. The nations second-largest

crop is seeing increasing demand. Right: While demand for
soybeans in the first decade of the 21st century mainly was due to
their use as an important oil-producing plant for biodiesel fuel, today

the crop is used primarily as a food source.
Other soybean organizations include the National Center

for Soybean Biotechnology at the University of Missouri, the
National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of
Illinois, major research programs at several other land grant
universities, and USDAs Agriculture Research Service, which
does a lot of soybean research through its network of institutions.
The largest U.S. producers, which go neck and neck each
year, are Illinois and Iowa, followed by Minnesota, Indiana,
Nebraska, and Missouri. Overall, about 30 states produce
soybeans, mostly east of a line from North Dakota to Texas.
One potential problem for U.S. soybean exports, especially
to Europe, is opposition to genetically modified organisms
(GMOs). The United States is the worlds largest proponent of
GMOs, including nearly all soybean plantings.
We make extensive use in the soybean industry of biotech-
enhanced breeding and seed stock. About 94 percent of the
soybeans we produce are biotech soybeans enhanced to be over the top, you dont have to till as much, so you dont deplete
resistant to herbicides used to control weeds, to improve the oil nutrients or degrade the soil, Censky said.
profile, increase yield, and theyre working on drought-resistant Activists, particularly in Europe, have caused some chal-
soybeans. Farmers have adopted biotech soybeans because lenges on the public acceptance side. What we have seen
they make economic sense, allowing them to produce more there and its still a very large market, our No. 2 market behind
while being better for the environment. By spraying for weeds China is most soybeans shipped there are used as livestock

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SOYBEANS
USDA photo
Photo by Danumurthi Mahendra, U.S. Embassy, Jakarta
Above: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (right) listens to Peoples

Republic of China Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengweis
remarks at a signing agreement held at the Department of
Agriculture. In 2015, China imported more soybeans than the rest of
the world combined. Above right: Acting Under Secretary for Farm
and Foreign Agricultural Services Michael Scuse takes a handful
of U.S. soybeans used at a tempeh/tofu village production site in
East Jakarta, Indonesia. Right: Sheyenne soybean seeds for Afghan
farmers being shipped as part of the Food for Progress program.
feed. Because of Europes labeling policies and pressure from

activists, biotech elements were removed from consumer-
ready products. Were working to have a dialog with consumers
and others to explain what biotech is and is not. We need
biotech if we are to feed a growing population. petroleum-based and soy-based artificial grass now going
But it is China that will continue to dominate the global into football stadiums.
market for soybeans as incomes continue to rise and the Its a very vibrant, growing industry. Certainly we face
demand for meat and overall improvements in diet also grow. challenges typical of agriculture, going from undersupply to
That includes aquaculture, which also uses a lot of oversupply. Right now, we have both record production in
soybean meal, as well as chickens and pork. Weve been the U.S. and Latin America and have temporarily overpro-
working with the Chinese Fisheries Institute and showing duced compared to demand, but in the long run, I think the
farmers how floating fish foods made with soybean meal future is bright based on growing population and income
are much more productive than traditional feeds. Lots of growth, Censky said.
feedmills have been built to produce fish food from soybean There is a tremendous amount of research into using renew-
meal and we have seen that grow from zero to 8 million able soybean oils and proteins as a replacement for petroleum
metric tons since the turn of the century, Censky said. products in paints, plastics, cosmetics, and all of the oil that
Since the mid-90s, China has experienced a 10 percent goes into electrical transformers, using it for hydraulic fluids.
annual growth, individual incomes grew, China joined the So there is a growing list of potential uses in the future.
WTO [World Trade Organization], and we fought hard for Soy is in most food products consumers eat, but is not
no quotas on soybean exports to China. a major ingredient, except in soy milk or soy protein bars.
New non-food/feed markets also are opening for the Soy flour and oil are used in the baking industry and flour
versatile soybean. Those include continuing development of in meat processing. Yet it remains relatively unknown to
biodiesel, made from soybean oil, which already accounts for the general public.
about 20 percent of domestic use; printing inks, glues, resins, There really hasnt been a lot of direct human promotion,
etc. Soybean Checkoff is making significant investments to although we do work closely with the major users of soy, just
find other alternative uses. not directly with consumers, Censky said. Probably the closest
That group also has been working closely with paint manu- we got was on some policy actions we did more than a decade
facturers, with Ford Motor Company to make foam for car ago with the soy foods industry to submit proof on soybean
USDA photo
seats and upholstery, with John Deere to make parts of the health claims to the FDA [Food and Drug Administration],
tractor and combine chassis out of soy-based resins, and to saying a diet containing 25 grams of soy protein a day is heart
further development of soy-based carpet backing to replace healthy and part of a diet low in cholesterol and fats.

THE ROLE OF ANIMAL HEALTH CARE PRODUCTS AND PHARMACEUTICALS
The Role of Animal

Health Care Products
and Pharmaceuticals
in Agriculture
By Gail Gourley
A
s a key element in meeting the protein needs of as it moves on through the production phase. In the case of the
growing populations, a range of significant efforts beef calf, moving from being on its mother to being weaned, or
is being directed toward enhancing the health of moving from the ranch to the feed lot, we want to prepare that
Americas livestock. Within the context of heightened media calf for those next steps. With vaccination and good manage-
attention and consumer awareness about the issue of anti- ment, we can make that transition much, much smoother and
biotic resistance, and the U.S. government taking action to improve that calfs well-being.
change the way in which antibiotics are used in livestock as While those measures provide an excellent foundation for live-
described in the 2015 National Action Plan for Combating stock health, vaccines and antibiotics also continue to support
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, the entire industry is adjusting that effort.
to new regulations in this regard. Increased focus on animal Vaccines are really a cornerstone to preventing many of
disease prevention, technological advances, and new alterna- the animal diseases, Jones said. I think we need to keep in
tive products, combined with responsible use of antibiotics, mind that preventive medicine also helps us address many
all play a role in maintaining a healthy food supply, according other important issues. When we prevent disease, we reduce
to industry experts. the need for antibiotics, and at the same time, we promote
Vaccines and antibiotics play a key role in prevention and animal well-being. Its a win-win for everyone the animal, the
treatment of disease for anyone involved in raising livestock, producer, and customers on down the line.
said Craig Jones, D.V.M., MS, director, Cattle Professional Addressing the changing landscape concerning use of antibi-
Services at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). But otics, Jones said, The livestock industry, whether were talking
I think we need to keep in mind that keeping animals healthy producers, veterinarians, the animal health industry, all of us
involves a much greater, more holistic view than just vaccines recognize the consumer concerns about the use of antibiotics
or pharmaceuticals/antibiotics. Weve got to focus on proper in food-producing animals. I think we have to keep in mind that
nutrition, genetics, housing, other basic animal care and just like people, animals get sick. We have to have antibiotics
husbandry practices. Animal health care products are a tool theyre very important and necessary tools for treating disease
for helping us produce healthy animals, but by themselves, and improving the health of that animal When animals get
theyre not going to be nearly as effective. We have to have sick, we need to treat them.
good animal husbandry, in addition. Jones emphasized, Everyone involved in the care of animals
This philosophy supported the 2012 launch of the Prevention says we need to make sure were using them judiciously and
Works initiative by the BIVI cattle division. The initiative empha- responsibly so that theyll continue to be efficacious, as far as
sizes disease prevention as a preferable way to maintain antibiotics go. That means working with our veterinarians to
animals well-being, rather than just treating diseases as they determine a diagnosis, selecting an antibiotic that is effective
arise, and to reduce the number of animals that require disease for the condition to be treated, and any product that we use,
treatment. We have a real focus around preventive medicine, using it as its labeled and/or prescribed.
said Jones. We believe that with good management and a The use of antibiotics has been the subject of recent
well-designed vaccination protocol, many of the diseases can government action. Specifically, the U.S. Food and Drug
be prevented, or at least minimized. Administration (FDA) Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) final rule
Speaking from a cattle perspective, Jones explained that aims to eliminate the use of medically important antibiotics
the goal is promoting those measures early in the calfs life, in for growth promotion and feed efficiency, and brings their
order to enhance immunity and prepare that calf for challenges remaining therapeutic uses in feed and water under licensed

With the U.S. government taking action to change the way antibiotics for their animals properly and treating them when needed,
are used in livestock, disease prevention, new technologies, and giving them respect and proper care, to ensure their health
alternative products are playing a larger role. and well-being.
Jones said that BIVIs vaccine research and development
veterinarians supervision. Jones said that although BIVI doesnt efforts focus on trying to monitor diseases and disease trends
market any products that are affected by the new VFD rules, to help us better understand what challenges are out there,
it does represent a change for producers and veterinarians. how theyre affecting the industry, and from there, is there a
I believe the producers will rely on their veterinarian vaccine that is needed or not? He also acknowledged chal-
extensively to help them gain the necessary information, lenges in developing both new vaccines and medications like
to better understand these regulations, and to help them, antibiotics, including cost and the lengthy time required to
if needed, implement them in their operations, he said. develop new products and gain regulatory approval, as well
Theyve got to learn what these [regulations] are and work as risk that some will not succeed.
with their veterinarian to determine how they can implement Summarizing his message, Jones reiterated, Vaccines
them when needed. are a key component of maintaining a healthy herd and
I think consumers should know that the livestock industry, antibiotics are an important tool for us when we have sick
from animal health companies to veterinarians to livestock animals. Were committed to trying to provide safe and
USDA photo
producers, we all work hard to provide food that is healthy efficacious vaccines and antibiotics to ensure that the
and safe, Jones stressed. Producers are committed to caring animals that we care for are healthy, and that consumers

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protect them from predators, direct sunlight, and wind on Nicks for individual herds or flocks, Harris said, but to also tackle
Organic Farm in Adamstown, Maryland. Some major producers newly emerging diseases more responsively than traditional
have started eliminating the use of antibiotics in their chicken feed, vaccine technology with the ability to rapidly develop new
following the lead of organic farms. candidate vaccines in a period of weeks instead of months or
years. For example, he said, We were the first company to
commercialize and get USDA [U.S. Department of Agriculture]
have a safe and healthy food supply and protein source approval for [a vaccine for] porcine epidemic diarrhea, which
to choose from. entered the U.S. in 2013 [and killed up to 8 million pigs], and
Joel Harris, head of sales and marketing at Harrisvaccines, Inc., the first company to get an avian influenza vaccine approved
echoed some of those concepts regarding the role of vaccines by the USDA and a subsequent stockpile order by the U.S.
in agricultural animal health. Especially as people look toward government. Both of these scenarios are very similar. When a
alternatives to antibiotics, vaccines can be used as a preventive new disease or a foreign animal disease comes into the U.S.
[measure], he said. I think that its an important role in miti- and there isnt a product on the market, were able to answer
gating disease issues that come up, but it is a tool. I think that you that need.
have to have a comprehensive strategy that includes biosecurity I think at Harrisvaccines were kind of at the forefront of
and animal welfare for a vaccine to really be effective. the newer technologies being more accepted in the animal
Harris explained that the company is unique in that it utilizes health industry, said Harris, adding that as they move forward
advanced molecular technology to develop and produce and improve production, it becomes more affordable, and
custom, herd-specific vaccines. A sample from an infected we can try to address these diseases on the agricultural side
animal is sent to a lab where the RNA gene sequence of that that do matter and have an economic and emotional impact
specific viral strain is identified, and forwarded electronically to when something like bird flu comes in and wipes out 50
the Harrisvaccines production facility. With that precise genetic million birds.
information, the custom vaccine is synthesized to address the With a growing population and a need for more protein and
specific organism in a herd. The vaccines can also contain having to raise more animals, there is going to be a need to
more than one viral strain. And, this process takes as little as protect the food supply from the next bird flu epidemic or foot
four weeks, a time frame Harris indicated theyre attempting and mouth disease, or something that can really put pressure
to further reduce. on the food supply, he said.
We know that if you match the vaccine 100 percent to Looking ahead, Harris believes Harrisvaccines, which
the strain thats affecting the herd, youll have an impact on recently entered into an agreement to be acquired by Merck
production, meaning youll have a positive impact on mortality Animal Health, is unique in how the company is positioned
rates and performance, Harris said. to react first when a new disease enters into the U.S.

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Lysozyme, an antimicrobial enzyme, could replace antibiotics for

promoting pig health.
agricultural system, whether its in poultry, swine, or other

livestock. The paradigm shift with us is that were more of
a responsive role, so that when an outbreak happens, we
can develop candidate vaccines in as little as four weeks,
[and] we can bring them to the field and start evaluating
their effectiveness, he said, instead of what I think the
standard has been for the last hundred years, which is if a
foreign animal disease comes in, we kill all the animals and
try to stomp it out, or we develop vaccines by guessing
whats going to happen next.
Harris said that theyre trying to instill in the industry a shift
away from that way of thinking. I think its important, he
stressed. You have to have effective vaccine tools in order
to eradicate disease without killing all the animals to try to
stomp it out.
Along with an increased role of vaccines and continued use
of antibiotics to treat animal diseases, Randy R. Simonson,
Ph.D., former CEO and president of Grazix Animal Health,
Inc., also sees an important emerging role of alternative, poly-
phenol-based products.
Reflecting on more than three decades in the animal health
business, Simonson, a veterinary microbiologist, identifies
technology as one area of amazing change. Now we can
do complete genetic sequencing in a day. That goes a long
way in terms of diagnostics, it goes a long way in terms of treatment necessarily going down, and that the industry is
developing the proper vaccine, and [it] also works on the responding appropriately. He observed that additional record
pharmaceutical side. keeping and compliance could be an issue for producers, with
In his former position at Grazix, Simonson worked to intro- a potential impact on cost of production.
duce the new, polyphenol-based products, which he said are Concerning replacement products, Simonson said, Were
extracted from green tea and pomegranate and composed of seeing more and more science come out about probiotics and
a wide range of chemicals, to the swine market. prebiotics, enzymes theres a lot more data out there. I think
Antibiotics are directed at a certain group of bacteria, that is looking very good, in addition to the antibiotic alternative
typically the gram-negatives or the gram-positives, and such as the Grazix products I worked with.
vaccines are targeted at a particular bacteria or virus, he As vaccine use increases, one of the issues Simonson indi-
said. These polyphenol-based [products] seem to have cated concern about is the cost of developing new products
a lot broader mechanism. The work I see in the scien- that has changed so much over the years. When I started
tific literature is that theyre antiviral, theyre antibacterial, my career, we could get a USDA-licensed vaccine, once
theyre antiparasitic, and theyre also anti-inflammatory. you had the initial discovery research done, in about 24
The information is coming out stronger and stronger on months, at a cost of about $500,000, somewhere in that
how these work. range. Today, that same vaccine will take over five years
Simonson added that research shows that polyphenols dont and several million dollars, he said. I see some impact on
seem to be harmful to the normal, helpful bacteria in the gut, that side of it.
but are detrimental to the pathogens. And they also have a Simonson said he sees more and more research looking at
positive effect on the immune system, augmenting the animals alternative products that can be used more naturally to make
ability to withstand infection. the animals healthier and be able to withstand stress as they
Grazix products for pigs and calves were getting some good are in the production system.
traction, Simonson said, and users were seeing good results. Regarding the industrys future, he said, There are definitely
He noted that another company, Jaguar Animal Health, is also going to be changes, and its already started. I think the tech-
using botanical extracts in its alternative products. nologies to replace some of these products are coming. The
USDA photo
Regarding the new regulations about use of antibiotics, science is very strong. We have technologies today that are
Simonson said, I dont see the use of antibiotics as far as just amazing.

FARM SAFETY
Farm Safety
By David A. Brown
I
ts a simple concept with profound implications: Ignoring We get that week where we can pinpoint and get that
hazards magnifies their potential danger, while acknowl- information out, but we really hope that people take it to heart
edging threats and embracing their reality empowers and make it a daily thought process, Neenan said. Its about
individuals to be proactive in their efforts to prevent accidents. thinking every day how to make our jobs safer.
So, what does that require? For agricultural workers, a
heaping dose of brutal honesty one steeped in optimism MECHANICAL MENACE
and seasoned with a solid sense of self-preservation is a great
start. Pragmatically, its the realization that solid data show Farming safety hazards lurk in a wide range of areas, but
that farming remains one of the most dangerous occupations according to the National Ag Safety Database, tractor acci-
nationwide. dents particularly rollovers are the single deadliest form
Consider these stats from the U.S. Department of Labors of farming accident. NIOSH backs up that assertion with this
2013 study: Farming accounted for 500 fatalities, or 23.2 sobering statistic: Each year, approximately 250 farm workers
deaths per 100,000 workers. In terms of injuries, data from the perish in tractor rollover accidents.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Tragically, most of these fatalities could have been prevented
show that about 167 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work- with rollover protective structures (ROPS), which form a frame
time injury every day. One in 20 of those injuries will leave around the tractor operator to minimize an accidents impact.
permanent impairment. Reminding us of the farm tractors deep list of safety consid-
As daunting as these numbers seem, the U.S. agricultural erations, Neenan points out that, while hilly and uneven terrain
network continues to thrive, due, in large part, to an ever- generally present operational challenges for tractor operators,
increasing awareness of the jobs inherent risks and an ever- adding wet weather and muddy ground creates a situation
growing commitment to holding these hazards at bay. Safety ripe with rollover risk. ROPS-equipped tractors give operators
starts with knowledge, but endures through diligent attention a better chance of escaping serious injury, but snapping those
to protocols and procedures designed to maintain a buffer safety belts is an absolute must.
between farm workers and the many sources of imperilment. Traveling with an implement that is heavier than what the
tractor was designed for can create a safety hazard, Neenan
LIVE SAFELY said. Yes, the tractor with the diesel engine is strong enough
to get it going, but the big problem is stopping.
That truth takes center stage the third week of September If youre trying to slow down to take a turn, that implement
as National Farm Safety and Health Week continues a tradition might push you forward and into a ditch and roll you over. So
dating back to 1944. The 2015 celebration notched up the we really have to make sure that the implement is the correct
emphasis with the real-world message intended to motivate size for the tractor with which were using it.
everyone who plants, grows, picks, and packs to integrate Neenan makes a key point that speaks to the dangerous
safety into their daily duties. trade-off between safety and haste. Bypass starting the act
Indeed, the 2015 theme, Ag Safety is not just a slogan, its of starting a tractor with means other than the normal starting
a lifestyle, espouses a prudent mindset. It serves to remind system while standing outside the operators position might
local and rural communities that, while agricultural work pres- save time on a cool morning, but this creates an extraordinary risk.
ents a perpetual atmosphere of risk, that neednt impede their We never want to bypass start a tractor, he said. A tractor
ability to earn a living in this occupation so vital to Americas will bypass start while its in gear and if you bypass start it,
domestic food supply. youre typically right in front of the rear tire and several farmers
Promoted annually by the National Education Center for are injured or killed each year doing this. Getting the starter
Agricultural Safety (NECAS), the late summer event has been rebuilt or replaced is definitely the safest route.
recognized by a proclamation by each sitting U.S. president
since Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the original documentation ROADWAY SAFETY
more than seven decades ago. While the annual focus brings a
spike in attention, NECAS Director Dan Neenan said he hopes A year-round concern throughout the entire United States,
the wisdom of points made will resonate year-round. proper lighting, marking, and slow-moving vehicle emblems are

FARM SAFETY
Photo courtesy of Linda Blades
Above: Emergency workers treat farmer Kent Blades after he was

severely injured in a tractor accident on a roadway in 2006. While
ensuring farm equipment is well marked and visible helps to prevent
such accidents, Blades and his family urge drivers to slow down and be
watchful of farmers on the road during spring planting season. Right: A
small Kubota B 7610 tractor with a rollover protective structure (ROPS)
in South Bend, Indiana. Rollover protection and always wearing a seat-
belt are important to operator safety.
critical to maintaining visibility for motorists with whom farming

equipment and vehicles often share the roadways. Particularly
during mornings and afternoons, the generally rushed demeanor
of most commuters can turn an annoyance into a tragedy.
Turning left into farmsteads, Neenan said, amplifies the risk,
as motorists attempting to pass may not be aware of the intent. Neenan offers this example: Removing a tractors power
Farm workers can help prevent accidents by maintaining clear take-off (PTO) shield exposes a shaft thats spinning at about
windows and mirrors, but Neenan also notes the motorists 540 rpm a dangerous snare for loose-fitting clothing, jacket
role in this interaction. drawstrings, or long hair.
Getting behind a piece of farming equipment is no different Theres only about 6-7 inches between the PTO shaft and
than coming into a traffic signal, so slow down, he said. We the draw bar, and its going to try and fit that person through
need to make sure that when we pass them, we pass safely. there at 540 times per minute, which isnt going to have a good
From the farming aspect or from the rural roadway side, a outcome, Neenan said. Also, if we take the safety [guarding]
collision is going to be a lose-lose. off another piece of equipment, like, say, a grain mill, it has
Theres going to be some injuries; theres going to be some the same potential to grab someone, especially little kids, if
equipment that will have to go out of service. So, if we can its down at their level.
take a little bit more time, we can hopefully prevent an incident No one knows this better than Missouri farmer Brian
from happening. Fleischmann, who lost part of his right arm during a farming
accident he described as fully preventable. Speaking in an
DANGER CLOSE educational video for the Missouri Department of Labor,
Fleischmann recounted the fateful day when he was harvesting
The tools of the agricultural worker are often intended to corn with a one-row picker and found his header jammed
perform arduous tasks with processes rife with dangerous with stalks.
potential. As Neenan explained, farm workers often remove Taking the tractor out of gear and locking the brake addressed
Photo by Shannon Ramos
machinery guarding to repair a non-working part, but fail to a common tractor risk, but against the farm training he credits
replace the safety devices because theyre in a hurry to get to 20 years of his fathers teaching, Fleischmann left the PTO
back to work. This creates the potential for catastrophic injury running. Attempting to clear the choking stalks led to a life-
when workers become exposed to moving parts intended to altering injury that he now uses to illustrate the need for farm
remain shielded. safety awareness.

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FARM SAFETY
Grain bins can be potentially hazardous, but being aware of possible

dangers and taking precautionary measures goes a long way toward
preventing an accident.
event in which you lose your ability to think and your hand-eye
coordination [diminishes].
That being said, the importance of regularly scheduled
breaks cannot be overstated. From maintaining a medicinal
regimen to simple nutrition and hydration, healthy bodies
promote the alertness that is vital in this potentially hazardous
work environment.
Heat Hazards: Throughout much of the growing season,
We get into bad habits and we never think about having an long hours of outside labor put farmers at risk of heat-related
accident its always someone else, Fleischmann said. But it maladies. OSHA breaks this down into two levels of severity.
can happen to you and Im a living example of that. Heat exhaustion brings these symptoms:
From brush hogging, to pulling tillage equipment or hay Headache, dizziness, or fainting
wagons, Fleischmann points to the tractor as the central piece Weakness and wet skin
of equipment for most farming operations. Its this familiarity, Irritability or confusion
he said, that allows danger to infiltrate the work day. Thirst, nausea, or vomiting
We get careless with the tractor because weve used it so Heat stroke symptoms include:
much we get lax on using it, he said. When people see, in Confusion, inability to think clearly
person, the life-changing injury that I have had, it makes them Passing out, collapsing
think about safety. Seizures
I tell people that the life you knew ends the day of [such] an Increased sweating or may stop sweating
accident. Even though some have done dangerous things, they When in doubt, seeking medical attention for the afflicted
realize they could be next. I hope that the image of [my injury] is the right move, but in most instances, following OSHAs
will stay with them and make them act safely and not just talk it. recommended practices water, shade, rest provides suffi-
cient remedy.
HAZARDS ELSEWHERE Electrocutions: The National Safety Council reports an
average of more than 40 such fatalities annually directly related
Heres a look at some of the other safety risks found on farms: to farming operations. Electrocutions most often result from
Crop-specific Risks: Green Tobacco Sickness, essentially damaged or improperly operated hand tools and contact with
nicotine poisoning from handling tobacco leaves, occurs when electric power lines and utility poles.
rain, dew, or sweat allow the chemical to pass through the Grain Hazards: The main concerns here are grain entrap-
workers skin and enter the blood stream. ment, combustible dust, and dangerous equipment presenting
In some cases, workers may suffer a less obvious safety pinch points.
concern with delayed impacts. Of the grape industry, Other agricultural risks include slips and falls, chemical expo-
Neenan said: sure, and hearing damage/loss due to excessive noise.
You may not have the initial trauma to start with, but you
have that repetitive motion injury that youre dealing with. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
The bending over when youre working with those plants
can cause that. Being aware of potential dangers and planning ahead can
In these cases and others, proper safety procedures such make a tremendous difference in the event of an accident or
as hand protection and cleaning and ergonomically correct emergency, as Neenan explained using the example of safety
movements can minimize such hazards. in the context of grain bins.
Personal Health: Many of the daily medications indi- You should never enter a grain bin or a manure pit alone;
viduals must take are food dependent. Under normal meal there should always be somebody there with [you], he said.
schedules, thats a non-issue. However, when the workload That attendant is paying attention to what happens to the
pushes a farmer to maximize daylight, such otherwise manage- person inside, and if that person becomes trapped or unre-
able medical conditions may quickly spiral into potentially sponsive, that attendants job is not to go in after them, but to
dangerous situations. call 911 and to be there when the [first responders get there].
If they take their medicine and theyre right in the middle of Unfortunately, if they try to help, and they may become
spring planting season, they may not take their breaks and eat trapped and unresponsive, theyre not helping that primary
as normal, Neenan said. That can cause a low blood sugar person out of danger.

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FARM SAFETY
YOUNG AT HEART
Maybe its familial bonding, or perhaps its simply
the labor benefit brought by another set of hands;
in any case, children commonly end up closely
involved in farming operations. Notwithstanding
the long-term value of early training and traditions,
an inverse relationship exists between a childs
age and agricultural danger.
Despite the best efforts of older family members,
children may encounter unexpected hazards
throughout the course of seemingly routine chores.
Paramount to minimizing such risks, a parent or
guardian must understand the childs ability to
comprehend and respond to such hazards.
Children may encounter hazards in the course of routine farm To this point, Marshfield Childrens Clinic in
chores, so making sure they have an understanding of the potential Wisconsin has created the North American
dangers on a farm is imperative for their safety.
Guidelines for Childrens Agricultural Tasks
(NAGCAT), which helps adults assign age-appro-
Additionally, Neenan pointed out that, because many small priate tasks for children aged 7 to 16 that live on
farmers are now operating on rented property, quickly identi- farms and ranches. Understanding of childhood
fying their location for first responders may not be as simple growth and development, agricultural practices,
as stating a home or business address a location that actu- principles of childhood injury, and agricultural and
ally may be a considerable distance from their worksite. In occupational safety form the basis of the guidelines.
the event of an emergency, this could cost valuable time for Elsewhere, Farm Safety for Just Kids (www.
emergency personnel arrival.
farmsafet y forjustkids.org) promotes a safe
Its important for [farm workers] to know the 911 address or
farm environment with the goal of preventing
the physical address of the farm, Neenan said. As 911 centers
are being consolidated, you cant dial 911 and say, Im at the health hazards, injuries, or fatalities among kids.
old Joe Smith farm. Ten years ago, you could do that and the Founded by an Iowa farm wife whose 11-year-
dispatcher would know where the old Joe Smith farm was, old son died in a gravity flow grain wagon, the
but thats not an expectation any more. international nonprofit serves millions of rural
Everyone pays $1 a month for the 911 fee on their cell families with educational outreach and various
phone, and from that, we can use GPS to figure out where safety resources.
you are. But that takes time, and in an emergency, we may
Finally, the International Society for Agricultural
not have that time.
Safety and Health (ISASH) is supporting the next
Easy fix: Write down the farms physical address, along with
911 and leave a copy in every vehicle, tractor, or combine. If generation of safety and health professionals by
the unthinkable occurs, this information will ensure the fastest offering 10 scholarships for interested youths to
emergency response possible. attend its June 2016 conference in Lexington,
Referring to a previously discussed element of tractor safety Kentucky.
ensuring that lighting and markings on farm equipment are The 2015 National Farm Safety and Health Week
visible to other roadway users to illustrate the wisdom of theme, Ag Safety is not just a slogan: its a lifestyle,
proactive safety practices, Neenan offered this closing thought:
is best served by everyone working together to build
Its taking that safety-first thought process and applying it
a safer and healthier agricultural workplace, ISASH
to every day. Unfortunately, we get into a hurry, and when we
get in a hurry, we think its not a big deal. But if that motorist President Marcel Hacault said in a prepared state-
behind cant see us in time to react or slow down in time, an ment. No matter their field of study, these students
injury can occur. might find a career in ag safety.
Similar wisdom, no doubt, applies across the spectrum of
agricultural jobs.

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The E.S.S. by Marcus Construction
Economical Storage Solutions

The E.S.S. by Marcus Construction is new to the market and offers diversied options for new greeneld construction, additions
or replacement of old facilities. These new solutions have been engineered and designed specically for economical demand.
Flexible bin sizes
Larger bins are unobstructed
Smaller bins use strategically designed
and placed bracing
Various micro bin options
Natural light panels at both the alley
way and conveyor levels
Pre-construction services from site
selection through facility start up
Unlimited expansion capabilities
Common Alternates:
Door variety
Alley way width
In-oor heating in alley way
Covered receiving & loadout
Impregnation room
Contact us to visit about this new product to the market!

800-367-3424
info@marcusconstruction.com | www.MarcusConstruction.com
FRUITS NUTS BERRIES

The perfect Complete root-zone Improve fruit quality
irrigation solution coverage and yield
96 Call orOUTLOOK
U.S. AGRICULTURE email today for samples: 800-881-6294 sales@maxijet.com

has been helping farmers achieve higher yields and profits,

has to offer.
TM
TM
w w w . n a c h u r s . c o m or call: 800.622.4877 x 254

2015. NACHURS ALPINE SOLUTIONS. All rights reserved.

Americas Ranches are Our Showroom,
Classic Panels and

Bow Gates
and have been for generations.

If you want to get a look at some Powder River Equipment, there is a good chance you dont need to go further than your nearest
pasture. The fact is, Powder River has been making livestock handling equipment longer than anyone else out there. We
revolutionized cattle working equipment by introducing the first all steel cattle equipment in 1938. Today we are still the brand
of choice by livestock producers around the world. From the strongest gates in the industry, to the latest in squeeze chute
innovations. Powder River is committed to quality, value, and efficient livestock equipment.
Call for a free catalog

800-453-5318 www.powderriver.com

Crop Cart
- Use in multiple crops year round

Potatoes, Grains, Corn, Carrots, etc.
- 700 Sack, 1400 Bushel, 35 Ton capacity
- Available in a smaller 20 Ton machine
Spudnik.com
INDUSTRIAL HEMP:
CROP OF THE FUTURE
Last year, hemp was planted on 4,000 acres in
the United States in accordance with the Farm
Bill of 2014. Now is a great time to explore
the industry and learn about hemp as a
commodity. As the oldest and most
established national trade organization
dedicated to industrial hemp, HIA offers
an extensive network and resources to
its members.
SHOWCASE
P
R
O
D
U
C
Spotlight on
T Education

Offering research and Extension
opportunities in a top aquaculture program.
The Division of Aquaculture offers many
education options at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels.
Discover us today at: www.kysu.edu/CAFSSS and www.ksuaquaculture.org

College of Agriculture, Food Science, and Sustainable Systems
College isnt
only studying
theories and
cramming for
tests; its about
discovering
passions.
Southern Utah University
allows its students
opportunities not available
at metropolitan mega-
schools. SUUs brand
new Equestrian Center
is a perfect example.
The indoor arena allows
for classes to be held
year-round, supporting
the Universitys popular
equine studies degree. SUU.EDU
Continuing the
Legacy...
Through effective in-state, national and global partnerships, we continue our legacy of innovation and excellence in the
education of students; fundamental and applied research; sustainable agriculture agribusiness growth and development;
and conservation of our environment and natural resources. We give special focus to enhancing production, marketing
profitability and sustainability of small, historically disadvantaged and underserved farmers; preventive health through
nutrition education and research; and youth and rural community development.
Much of Tuskegees rich agricultural history is rooted in the works of George Washington Carver, with many brilliant
men and women to follow. Tuskegee University continues to play an important role as a leader in producing minority
graduates.
Points of Distinction
Ranked #1 in producing African American graduates in Agriculture, Agriculture Operations and Related Sciences
Ranked #1 in producing African Americans with Professional Doctoral degrees in Veterinary Medicine
Approximately 50% of African Americans enrolled in veterinary schools today across the country are graduates
of the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Animal and Veterinary Sciences undergraduate
program
College of Agriculture, Environment and Nutrition Sciences

George Washington Carver Experiment Station
1890 Cooperative Extension
Carver Integrative Sustainability Center
Black Belt Market Innovation Center
7th
Creating and Sustaining
Small Farmers and Ranchers
SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2016

SEPTEMBER 2022, 2016
VirginiA BeACh, VA
Virginia Beach Convention Center Virginia Beach, VA
Learn about strategies for creating and sustaining small farmers and ranchers for enhanced farm income and
improved quality of life. Hear success stories from small farm activities. Discover innovative ideas in research,
Registration will open in early 2016. extension and outreach to strengthen collaboration and partnership among state specialists who work to ensure that
small farmers and ranchers not only survive but thrive in todays economy.
Call (804) 524-5626 or email The 7th National Small Farm Conference will serve as a forum to discuss the results of research geared toward
NSFC2016@vsu.edu addressing challenges facing small farmers and ranchers. Short courses, presentations, exhibits and educational
Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University,
tours within the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake Bay regions are being planned.
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments.
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open Dont miss this exciting opportunity to learn and network with local and national experts in agriculture and
to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity,
gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, farming practices!
sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other
basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action
employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State
University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia
Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension
Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg.
A Criollo cow and calf. The Criollo breed of
cattle fares well in dry desert landscapes.
Photo courtesy of Alfredo Gonzalez

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2016 EDITION

MAKE EVERY DROP COUNT

WATER WARS WHOA NELLY, THATS A LOT

Thats like covering

WHAT YOU CAN DO: UTILIZE IRRIGATION CHEMISTRY

Precision Laboratories Can Help

Visit PrecisionLab.com today to learn

Soybeans growing in a field. Soybeans are

Click to watch video

Technological breakthroughs will no doubt be imperative to dealing with some of

American agriculture will continue to progress and prosper through a mixture

Circle in the Square .................................................. 20

Higher Learning ....................................................... 24

Weathering the Drought.............................................30

New Farmers Needed ............................................... 38

The first of its kind

New Old Cattle for the American Southwest ...... 58

American Dairy Producers: Going Organic ........ 66

Product Showcase .................................................... 88

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 7 Click to watch video

Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2016

Published by Faircount Media Group

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

OPERATIONS AND ADMINISTRATION

FAIRCOUNT MEDIA GROUP

million to 55 million, and cotton from 15 million to 8 million.

10 U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 11

www.agriculture.vsu.edu (804) 524-5961

Click to watch video

Left, top: Peoples Republic of China General

harvested, which is abnormally low. In

full data are available, the United States

meat, milk, and milk-product production

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 13

Click to watch video

Dry & Liquid Fertilizer, Liquid Chemical

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 15

Fraley predicts those innovations phenomenal advances in

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 17

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 19

Circle in the Square

20 U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK

Above: Center-pivot irrigated fields along the Columbia River in

While the development of irrigation technology like the

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 21

Above: Low energy precision application (LEPA) center-pivot

track usage and restrict overpumping. That has created a situ-

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 23

24 U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 25

Extension provides practical education to help people,

In nature, plants and microbes interact to

microbial growth and provide strategic

125 Years of Service

Our expertise in microbiology and glyphosate

Contact us and find out we help you with

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 27

Agribusiness Agribusiness Management

Christina Walters, Ph.D., Plant

drives some of that, so

U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK 29

30 U.S. AGRICULTURE OUTLOOK