September 19, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, valley, This is aglife. My name is Bob Quinn,
with you for the next hour talking about agriculture production
here in the valley and all across the country. Well, friends,
what are considerations both farm equipment operators and motorists should
have regarding farm safety? Well Rod Bain takes a look.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
In the midst of harvest season. While some crops like
wheat and rice are near to completely harvested, others such
as cord and soybeads will soon be. No matter if
your role is a producer driving a cobbine, a driver
holly grade to the local elevators, or a motorist on
country roads surrounded by farmland, safety needs to be kept
in mind.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
All gets going. The days are getting shorter, so you're
going to see these big pieces of equipment out onto
the roadway later into the evening. We're getting darker earlier
in the evening, so the chances that agg equipment is
going to meet with the motor in public is pretty
good this time of year.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Dannenan of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety says
both farm equipment drivers ab motorists needs safety rebders they
are on the road this time of year.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
So left turns on the farmsteads is something that we
need to talk about. Equipment will be making turns into
farmsteads modern public, you have to obey the law and
you can only pass farm equipment in passing zones. You
can't pass it in no passing zones. But we see
a lot of collisions that occur between the motoring public
and the farming community when the tractors and the combines
are turning left into farmsteads about the same time that

(01:24):
the motoring public is trying to pass. So there needs
to be that awareness out there and to share the road.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Meanwhile, farmers need to make safety checks of machinery and
have personal protection and safety equipment available prior to the
start of harness for the season.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
For each day, we always want to take a look
at the fire extinguishers that are in the shed and
in the combine. Are they charged? Are they ready to go?
The first aid kits? Do you have a farm first
aid kit that's stocked and ready to go?

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Need in ads If a grower's area uses nine one
one signs for emergency notification.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Have a notebook in every vehicle, combine, tractor, pickup truck,
minivan that might go from farmstead to farmstead because farmers
are now renting more property than ever before, that would
have that nine one one sign. So if you have
an emergency that you can get that nine one one
sign and be able to give them that nine one
one number right away, which is going to tell the
dispatcher what fire department, what ambulance, what law enforcement agency

(02:20):
to be able to respond.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
And even though most cell phone customers pay a nine
one one fee that allows vectoring to find GPS location.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
Back takes time and in an injury or in a
cardiac event, timeless muscle, or we need to shorten up
that time from the time that we dial nine one
one till the time that we can get medical resources
there to be able to help.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Rod Bain, reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington,
d C.

Speaker 1 (02:45):
Farm US Ahead, you are listening to aag life. Bob
Quinn back with some farm news This morning, friends, The
National Corn Growers Association announced the winners of their Consider
Corn Challenge.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
Mike Davis as that story. Chad Eppler is a Kansas
corn come member and chair of ncga's Research and New
Uses Action Team. He says the conference is a great
place to incubate ideas.

Speaker 5 (03:09):
It really gives people a really neat, one on one
way of discussing things that are happening in the biospace.
And certainly those of us that have not been here,
those of us that are corn farmers, we see a
natural fit right here because of the role that corn
can play and is playing in the bio based industry

(03:29):
right now.

Speaker 4 (03:30):
Eppler says. This year's consider Corn Challenge winners are.

Speaker 5 (03:34):
Air Terra, which is a company that is producing air filters.
So what they're doing is they're taking the core chemical
polyactic acid PLA and they're using a biopolymer from feel corn.
Another winner was Teragea. They enable cost effective biological conversion
of cellulastic biomass to fuels and products, so potentially we're

(03:56):
looking at a ten percent increase in ethanol production, higher
protein DGGs at more corn oil. The third winner is
Arizona State University, so what they're looking at is developing
a new corn derived corrosion inhibitor for crude oil pipelines.

Speaker 4 (04:11):
Epler ads these efforts are all building more interest and
credibility for corn based bioproducts.

Speaker 5 (04:18):
The three winners. Consider Corn Challenge five. We're talking about
sixty six million bushels of possible corn grind. Okay, so
when you compare those things, that's a big difference. However,
when you take this sixty six million here and then
you add fifty million over here, and then maybe bring
in another seventy here, you really start to add those
pieces together. So we've got to find ways to utilize

(04:39):
corn in any capacity. And here at Bioinnovations Midwest, all
these people are looking to do that very thing.

Speaker 4 (04:45):
I'm Mike Davis.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
It's important, regardless of commodity, growers focus on what they
can control. Trevor Sullens with Wilbur Ellis says specialty crop
rollers can stay on track for the rest of the season,
enhancing their ROI, all while improving the bottom line. As
Sullen says, knowing the story of your soil is the
best place to start and then scout early and often.

Speaker 6 (05:07):
Bile stimulant type products are very They're they're gaining popularity,
They're they're they're gaining speed in the marketplace. There's a
lot of great stuff around. Those products show a lot
of really good results, you know, help them plants mitigate
those stresses and things like that. But if you're going
to use those products, you can't always go out and
reverse a stress or reverse you know the damage of

(05:29):
a pathogen or we'll just say an abiotics stress something
like that. You know, you need to be ahead of it.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
Sullans says, it's important to have that proactive philosophy regardless
the size of the operation.

Speaker 6 (05:40):
We really try to help support our growers in crop
load management, making sure that there is a right amount
of crop or you know, not too much crop on
those trees, to help reduce the labor costs, to help
you know, increase fruit size, fruit quality, things like that.
You know, if you think about a grower, they've got
you know, a thousand things on the list think about

(06:00):
every day. So we weirdly worked to make efficient programs.

Speaker 1 (06:04):
And Solin says it's important for growers to take tissue
samples and not just guests friends of dairy herd Nebraska
latest to test positive for high path avian influenza or
bird flu. Doctor Roger Dudley, state veterinarian for Nebraska, says
testing confirmed the virus came from dairy cows in California
that moved into that state.

Speaker 7 (06:25):
We are able to tell that the strain did originate
in California. I think that's really important. And the other
thing that I think is really important is that the
milk from the affected cows that they're showing symptoms of
the avian influenza, that those the milk from those cows
don't go into the bulk tank to be for human consumption.

Speaker 1 (06:49):
He reminded dairy farmers to keep biosecurity measures front and center.

Speaker 7 (06:54):
And biosecurity is important, should be important every day to
dairy producers and other lifetime producers, but certainly during times
like this where we know there's an additional threat. Monitoring
the people on and off site, making sure that you
know where people have been before they come to your

(07:15):
farm and where they're going after your farm. Isolating animal,
new animal, new arrival animals to the farm are all
important things.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
Dudley says. The infected herd is under close supervision as
it works through the illness. Farm use. This morning, you're
listening to wag Life.

Speaker 8 (07:33):
It's another agnews update. Ethanol production climbs while exports surge Midsummer.
More after this.

Speaker 9 (07:43):
Here's farmer and landowner John prue.

Speaker 10 (07:46):
We purchased the land about three years ago and there
was an old farmstead on there with trees, and we're
going to clear the lands so we could farm through it.
We thought we knew where the pipe was, so we
didn't call to get it located. The work on our
property led to the damage of a light crude pipeline.
Fortunately no one was hurt, but it could have been
much worse.

Speaker 9 (08:03):
Never assumed the location or depth of underground lines. Always
call eight one to one or visit clickbefore youdig dot
com before you start work, a message from the pipeline
operators for egg safety campaign.

Speaker 8 (08:14):
Ethanol production rose to a six week high for the
week that ended July twenty fifth, reaching one point one
million barrels per day. That's one point seven percent higher
than the previous week and two point one percent above
the three year average, and that's according to EIA data
analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. Though output slightly below

(08:37):
last year's level, the four week average now stands at
an annualized rate of sixteen point seven to one billion gallons.
Stocks climbed the twenty four point seven million barrels highest
since mid May, while gasoline supplied used to measure fuel
demand rose two point one percent to nine point one

(08:58):
five million barrels day. Blender inputs ticked up slightly, as
did ethanol exports, which jumped forty two point six percent,
now an estimated one hundred and fifty four thousand barrels
per day. For contexts, US ethanol exports topping one billion
gallons just halfway through the new marketing year, USDA expects

(09:20):
a record one point eight five billion gallons in exports
by year in Meanwhile, no ethanol imports recorded for over
a year. It's another agnews update.

Speaker 11 (09:35):
If this were just any door, and this were just
any ignition connected to just any transmission in just any vehicle,
then perhaps it would be okay to buy it from
just anyone. But this is not just any car. It's
a certified PRIO in Mercedes Benz. Every detail has been
inspected and road tested by highly skilled Mercedes Benz technicians,

(09:56):
and it's all backed by an unlimited mileage warranty for
up to five years, which makes the decision of where
to buy one simple. If you authorized, we saves ben Steel.

Speaker 8 (10:05):
American Cattle News. Major changes coming to USDA will have
more after this.

Speaker 9 (10:15):
Here's farmer and landowner John Prue.

Speaker 10 (10:18):
We purchased the land about three years ago and there
was an old farmstead on there with trees, and you're
going to clear the lands. We could farm through it.
We thought we knew where the pipe was, so we
didn't call to get it located. The work on our
property led to the damage of a light crude pipeline.
Fortunately no one was hurt, but it could have been
much worse.

Speaker 9 (10:35):
Never assumed the location or depth of underground lines. Always
call eight one to one or visit clickbefore youdig dot
com before you start work. A message from the pipeline
operators for egg safety campaign.

Speaker 8 (10:46):
What could you do with four billion dollars? What could
USDA do for four billion dollars? USDA's Deputy Secretary Stephen
Vaden before the Senate ad Committee on their reorganization plan.

Speaker 12 (11:05):
We do have an estimate, Senator, regarding how much, at
a minimum, we expect to save once costs are taken
into account, and that's approximately four billion dollars. How did
we get to that number. We got to that number
by looking into account the head count reductions as a
result of the deferred resignation program. Those alone will save
the Department of Agriculture approximately one point nine billion dollars net.

(11:28):
You've mentioned the state of our buildings, and you are
unfortunately correct, particularly when it comes to the National Capital Region,
and you're looking at the four buildings that the Secretary's
memorandum proposes to vacate. The value of the deferred maintenance
on those buildings. A liability on USDA is two point
two billion, with a B dollars hard to conceive, but

(11:50):
that is the calculation when you add those four buildings
together of how much maintenance they need to bring them
up to modern standards. And so when you add those
two together of expected savings, you're starting out with more
than four billion dollars. That is before we take into
account the lower cost of living for employees, the lower

(12:12):
lease rates that we will have to pay in the
five hubs. Of course, the full value of that will
only know when the plan is finalized after consultation with Congress,
but we start out at a baseline of four billion
dollars worth of savings.

Speaker 8 (12:27):
Many will relocate to Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Sport Collins,
and Salt Lake City. American Cattle News.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
This is Dairy Radio Now.

Speaker 13 (12:43):
Doctor Mike Hutchins, Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois. Hello, Mike, Welcome.

Speaker 14 (12:48):
To today's peform and our topics will be looking at
our felfus value from field to the feedbok. This was
recently presented at the Four State Nutrition Conference. Looking at
the the pluses on alfalfa, certainly, we know that it
has a very reduced emission of carbon, which is always
going to be a plus here if you look here

(13:10):
at the future. It can improve soil structure. Alfalfa will
actually sequester nitrogen in the ground, so therefore it reduces
nitrogen and requirements and subsequent crops. Reduces losses of water
and wind erosion on farms as well, allows for impenetration
of nutrients, reducing leeching or running off here as well,

(13:32):
and it certainly can improve the microbial activity in the
soil as well. However, there's been a decline in the
use of alfalfa, and part of that is related to
yields compared to other crops, specifically corn silage. As well.
We also know alfalfa can have some scratch effects with
some of the newer varieties coming out as well as

(13:52):
in increased rumination in the program. The amount of nutril
detergent fiber will have a fill factor that can be
a plus or a minus in terms of rate of
passage here. And another plus for alfalfability is that it's
about ten percent pectant, so it's a very siluble fiber
source that is a converted body in microbes or to
acetate and beautat as fire as that goes. As well,

(14:15):
another factor would be a fragility and that is how
quickly that product is breaking down based on its buoyancy
there in the digestive track as well, and therefore effects
it has on cut chewing and particle size as well.
And one advantage that alfalfa has compared to grasses is
that it has a higher NDF digestibility out there in

(14:37):
the in the feeding program. So they also went to
a second part of this, and that was looking at
the research on it. And there were two major studies
that we looked at. One was coming from the Minor
Institute of New York doctor by doctor Grant, and they
looked at combinations of alfalfa at corn silage from one

(14:57):
hundred percent alfalfa to one hundred percent corn silage and
then thirty seventy fifty to fifteen seventy thirty and conducted
this with one hundred and five cows at the Minor
Institute and they found that an intermediate level of a
blend and there the winning one was going to be
either a thirty percent to fifty percent alfalfa, and of

(15:19):
course the reciprocal being corn silenced as well. And they
also found that with the higher corn science dies they
had a lower milk reunited in which meant a better
capture of the ammonia and also increased the dino synthesis
which means a mammary glend nore made a more milk
fat as well. Another study from the University of Wisconsin

(15:41):
was doctor Glenn Brodick. Here they had a very sim
type study and they also found that an intermediate level
of alfalfa was optimal there and they saw a little
higher level of milk production protein with the intermediate levels
as well. So our takeo messages Bill today will be
that certainly there are advantages and disadvantages of alfalfa. Take

(16:03):
a look and it look appears like the blended of
the fealth and cornside is a night complimentary fit and
find the economics, land slope rotation. These are all factors
that play to those decisions on the melal falfa being
raised on your farm. Well, that completes a program for today. Thanks, Hey,
I have a great date.

Speaker 13 (16:21):
Thanks Mike. That's doctor Mike Cutchins, Professor emeritus from the
University of Illinois, featured every Friday here on our feed
forum Friday on Dairy Radio.

Speaker 2 (16:29):
Now, as US Mexico joint efforts continue with new World
screw ward prevention and eradication to protect catalog both sides
of the border.

Speaker 15 (16:38):
Many have said that our partnership with Mexico right now
is as strong and as transparent as it has been
in decades.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rawlins at a recent visit to Oklahoma,
she told an audience that above the increased collaboration between
the two countries to address at WUS.

Speaker 15 (16:54):
We are conducting almost weekly and daily audits of Mexico's
screwworm response and help develop a more risk based trapping plan.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
Audio courtesy of the Radio Oklahoma AGG Network. Another example
of US Mexico EDWS prevention, detection and eradication partnership.

Speaker 15 (17:12):
We are working especially in Vera, Cruz and along the border.
Mexico currently deploys about one hundred and fifty traps in
the high risk areas alongside our own one hundred and
eight traps along the border, demonstrating a partnership that we
believe will be very, very important moving forward.

Speaker 2 (17:25):
I'm Rod Bayan, reporting for the US Department of Agriculture
in Washington, d C.

Speaker 13 (17:30):
Coming up on Monday, we'll check the markets with Lee
Milkie on our Milky Monday. I'm Bill Baker Dary Radio.

Speaker 16 (17:37):
Now research helping walnut growers who are facing low prices
with low input weed control. I'm Patrick Havana with the
California Tree Nut Report, part of the vastag Information Network
Collapsic Consolve. This is a UCA and R farm advisor
for Lake and Mennesito Counties. Talks about walnut mulching with

(17:59):
the leaves and sometimes with the shells. It looks effective
and it's not very expensive.

Speaker 17 (18:04):
The low input strategy that we try implement. It's not
something new growth they've been try using the past and
not only use leaves, but also use the shelf of
the nut because there is some study done in the past.

Speaker 16 (18:19):
And Z says there's potential biochemicals in those leaves and
shells and possibly suppress weeds. And besides those potential biochemicals.

Speaker 17 (18:28):
The plant actually have, i'ld say, like some essential oil
that a lot of plant can.

Speaker 16 (18:34):
Have that's a physical barrier to those wheels when you
use that leaf cover.

Speaker 17 (18:39):
In this case, I use only the leaves, but I
have been looking for other studies on the past that
people may try use the shell actually, but for this
particular one that I've been conduct those trouts last year
and I'm going to repeat this year again this fall.
Actually I use only the leaves because it's much more
easy for the growers. They can use the same equipment
they harved. The croppy they can use to swipe believes

(19:02):
to close to the tree line, and it's kind of
like they don't have a lot of expansive farm.

Speaker 18 (19:08):
Work is tough, and so it's staying safe on a
road every year. Accidents happen when tractors and traffic share
the same space, whether you're behind the wheel of a
tractor or a car.

Speaker 19 (19:17):
Here's what you need to remember.

Speaker 18 (19:19):
Tractors move slower, be patient, don't pass on hills or curves. Farmers,
make sure you're slow moving vehicles, signs and lights are
visible and everyone's sailor, especially on rule roads.

Speaker 17 (19:30):
One moment a.

Speaker 18 (19:31):
Caution can save a life. Let's work together to keep
our roads and are farms safe. This message was brought
to you by the AG Information Network.

Speaker 20 (19:39):
The best place to reach a farmer with a farming
solution message is when they're well farming. It's easy to
find them during the day, as most farmers are behind
the wheel of the pickup truck or farm equipment with
the radio on, listening to this station for the AG
Information Network of the West News. So reach real farmers
right here, right now as they listen what's important to

(20:00):
their farm operation. Give us a call and we'll connect
you with our local farming community. They trust us, so
they'll trust you with the AG Information Network. I'm Patrick Cavanaugh.

Speaker 2 (20:12):
The return of Ladinia later this year, as USDA b
urologist Brad Rippy.

Speaker 21 (20:17):
Notes back on August fourteenth, the National Weather Service issued
a La Ninia watch for the possibility, and we're looking
at about a sixty percent likelihood of this happening of
La Ninia forming sometime later this autumn or into the
winter month.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
And while the forecast is for a week add short
lived Ladidia if that comes the past.

Speaker 21 (20:38):
If it does occur, it will be the fifth time
in the last six winters that we have seen either
La Ninia or Lyaninia like conditions across the central and
eastern Equatorial Pacific Ocean.

Speaker 2 (20:50):
So what are the potential impacts for our country if
Laudidia becomes established later this fall or winter.

Speaker 21 (20:57):
One of the impacts is to see drought tending to spread,
particularly in the western and southern part of the United States.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
Not news most of the extremely dry western US wants
to hear regarding a potential future weather forecast. You might
remember Brad Rippy mentioning earlier about Ladidia established or Ladidia
like conditions. Five of the past six winters.

Speaker 21 (21:22):
Going back to the winter of twenty twenty twenty one
and extending through the winter of twenty twenty two to
twenty three, we saw what we call a very rare
triple dip linina, where we had La Nina for three
consecutive winters. In records going back to the mid twentieth century,
we have only seen that two other times. Then we
followed that a single year with El Nino that lasted

(21:45):
from twenty twenty three into twenty twenty four, and then
during the winter of twenty twenty four to twenty five,
we saw conditions that got very close to the scientific
threshold for defining Linina.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
Add that triple dip Ladidia period to begive the deck
continues to impact sub western states.

Speaker 21 (22:03):
We're still trying to claw our way out of that
drought as we move through twenty twenty five. During that
triple dip Lininia, we saw a two and a half
year period from late twenty twenty into early twenty twenty
three where we saw more than forty percent of the
contiguous United States experiencing drought. You get that cool water,
it tends to cut off some of the tropical atmospheric

(22:24):
moisture from reaching the United States, and that is one
of the big reasons we tend to see increases in
drought coverage in the western and Southern United States during
La Nina. Meanwhile, then as we move into the Southern
United States, concerns there as we move on to the
winter months would be impact on rangeland pastures, speed for cattle,
as well as the upcoming winter wheat crop. So certainly

(22:46):
Lininia does come with its set of risks for agriculture
yet to.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Rip your reminds us it is only a La Nina watch,
not a fully developed Ladedia climate pattern.

Speaker 21 (22:57):
There is a likelihood of Lnini formation, but certainly we
are nowhere near that point yet. We're just starting to
see some signs of things happening in Equatorial Pacific, pointing
us in the direction of La Nina.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
Broadbane reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, DC.

Speaker 22 (23:18):
This is the Agricultural Law and Tax Report. I'm Roger Mcowen.
Citizens arrest is a concept where a non law enforcement
individual apprehends someone who has committed a crime or is
suspected of doing so. But it's not legal everywhere, and
if it is in your state, should you make one.
I'll be back in a moment to discuss.

Speaker 23 (23:37):
Improve nutrient efficiency and maximize your valuable fertilizer investment with
research from Helena, an exclusive low dust humic granule. Visit
Helena agri dot com to learn more For the latest
in farm income taxation and farmer state and business planning
for your operation. Subscribe to mcowenagg lawantax dot substack dot com.

(23:59):
You'll find video, those articles and the monthly rural practice digest.
That's mcowen aglointax dot substack dot com.

Speaker 22 (24:07):
About thirty five states allow some form of citizens arrest,
but the laws vary significantly from state to state. Some
states require that a felony be committed in your presence,
In other states, a felony is not required, and still
other states simply a reasonable belief that either a felony
or misdemeanor has been committed is enough. Some states allow
it for any breach of the peace committed in your presence,

(24:28):
and some states don't have any statutes, relying instead on
case law. But remember, in about fifteen states, a citizen's
arrest is not allowed at all. So if your state
allows it and you're sure that you know the particular rules,
should you make a citizen's arrest. If you do, be
careful and make sure to report the arrest to the
appropriate authority such as the police department or sheriff's office,

(24:49):
for example, as soon as possible. Also, be prepared to
testify in court and provide evidence of the arrest and
the circumstances surrounding it. And always think about your personal
safety and those in the area of the arrest, so
you might be able to make a citizens arrest. But
should you? That's your call. This has been the Agricultural
Law and Tax Report. I'm Roger McGowan.

Speaker 24 (25:16):
It's time for California today on the ag Information Network.
I am Haley's ship. Thinking about school or a foot
in the door with California's beef community. The California Cattleman's
Association has two chances that might be worth the jumping on.
First up CCAS twenty twenty five scholarships. In twenty twenty four,

(25:36):
the association awarded more than fifty one thousand dollars to
students studying agriculture, and the next round is open now.
Any young regular or feeder member is eligible to apply.
Awards and quantities change year to year end. Past recipients
can apply again. Completed typed applications are due by Wednesday,

(25:57):
October first, eleven fifty nine pm Pacific. And then also
open internships for the CCA's annual convention that is coming
up December third through the fifth. Interns help with registration,
put in folks where they need to go, and then
keep that merchandise table humming and more. It is a
hands on way to meet industry leaders, sit in on

(26:17):
select meetings and general sessions and explore the trade show
with complimentary registration. Applications are accepted through Friday, October tenth,
again eleven fifty nine pm Pacific time. Young, regular and
feeder members are all eligible, and past interns can reapply.
If those sound like your next step, you can visit

(26:39):
calcattleman dot org to get started.

Speaker 18 (26:42):
Farm Work is tough, and so is staying safe on
a road. Every year, accidents happen when tractors and traffic
share the same space, whether you're behind the wheel of
a tractor or a car, here's what you need to remember.
Tractors move slower, be patient, don't pass on hills or curves. Farmers,
make sure you're slow moving vehicles and lights are visible,
and everyone's sailor, especially on rule roads. One moment of

(27:05):
caution can save a life. Let's work together to keep
our roads and are firm safe. This message was brought
to you by the ag Information Network.

Speaker 20 (27:13):
For over forty years, the AG Information Network has been
providing news and information for the most important industry in
the world, agriculture. The egg Information Network gives you worldwide
updates from local producers to regional organizations from major crops
like wheat and corn, to animal agriculture to specially crops
like apples, almonds, and cherries. We report on stories that

(27:35):
mean the most to you online at aginfo dot net.
The AGG Information Network trusted and transparent journalism lasting for
the next generation.

Speaker 24 (27:43):
With California AGG. Today on the AG Information Network, I
am Haley's ship.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Bob Gwenn back with some farm news this morning, friends,
The National Corn Growers Association announced the winners of their
Considered Corn Challenge.

Speaker 4 (27:56):
Mike Davis as that story. Chad Eppler is a Kansas
Corps Commission member and chair of ncga's Research and New
Uses Action Team. He says the conference is a great
place to incubate ideas.

Speaker 5 (28:09):
It really gives people a really neat, one on one
way of discussing things that are happening in the biospace.
And certainly those of us that have not been here,
those of us that are corn farmers, we see a
natural fit right here because of the role that corn
can play and is playing in the bio based industry

(28:30):
right now.

Speaker 4 (28:30):
Eppler says, this year's Consider Corn Challenge winners are.

Speaker 5 (28:34):
Air Terra, which is a company that is producing air filters.
So what they're doing is they're taking the core chemical
polyactic acid PLA and they're using a biopolymer from field corn.
Another winner was Teragea. They enable cost effective biological conversion
of cellulostic biomass to fuels and products. So potentially we're

(28:56):
looking at a ten percent increase in ethanol production, higher
protein DGGs, more corn oil. The third winner is Arizona
State University, So what they're looking at is developing a
new corn derived corrosion inhibitor for crude oil pipelines.

Speaker 4 (29:12):
Eppler ads. These efforts are all building more interest and
credibility for corn based bioproducts.

Speaker 5 (29:18):
The three winners consider Corn Challenge five. We're talking about
sixty six million bushels of possible corn grind. Okay, so
when you compare those things, that's a big difference. However,
when you take this sixty six million here, and then
you add fifty million over here, and then maybe bring
in another seventy here, you really start to add those
pieces together. So we got to find ways to utilize

(29:39):
corn in any capacity, and here at Bioinnovations Midwest, all
these people are looking to do that very thing.

Speaker 1 (29:45):
I'm Mike Davis, Well, friends, Today we're looking at the
long run evolution of the soybean crush with Joe Jensen
from the University of Illinois. As you'll hear from Todd Gleeson,
the agg economist says, the research covers interesting changes.

Speaker 19 (30:02):
When you crush a sixty pound bushel of soybeans, the
standard calculation assumes you get eleven pounds of soybean oil,
forty four pounds of soybean meal, four pounds of holes,
and one pound of waste. But when Illinois Jansen looked
at the data, he found a slightly different story. Those
proportions aren't as fixed as one might think, he says,

(30:24):
and the difference is reshaping the nature of soybean demand.

Speaker 25 (30:28):
Let's start with our key finding. We straights in soybean
processing have declined by forty four percent since the nineteen sixties.
We're talking about going from two point seven percent waste
down to just one point five percent today. Essentially, the
industry figured out how to extract a percentage point more
value out of every single soybean. This might seem small,

(30:49):
but when you're processing billions of bushels, these small improvements
add up to significant gains.

Speaker 19 (30:54):
Here's the important part of that change. While waste was
going down, soybean oil extraction rate we're going up.

Speaker 25 (31:01):
Not only were crushers ringing more output out of each bushel,
but the composition of that output was changing. Back in
the mid nineteen sixties, a typical bushel yielded at about
eighteen percent oil. Today it's nearly twenty percent. That means
each bushel of soybeans produces about ten percent more oil
than it did sixty years ago. Importantly, the gains in

(31:24):
oil output were larger than the decline in waste, so
the composition of the crush was changing.

Speaker 19 (31:29):
Now, why does this matter into the renewable diesel boom?
Starting around twenty twenty, demand for soybean oil is a
bial fuel feedstock exploded, and if you're a soybean processor,
you'd like to dial up oil production while leaving meal
production fixed. The problem, of course, is that soybeans come
in fixed packages. You can't make more oil without making

(31:50):
more meal. But the data since twenty twenty suggest it
is possible to extract more of the oil that is
already in the bean.

Speaker 25 (32:00):
Since twenty twenty, right when renewable diesel took off soybean
oil extraction rates have been consistently above their sixty year
trend line. This suggests the market is adapting in real time.
The changes aren't huge. Changing the composition of the crush
is like turning an ocean liner. It doesn't occur instantaneously,
but there is some evidence of a response.

Speaker 19 (32:21):
It seems then, that the soybean industry may have a
little bit more flexibility than the standard board crush margin
suggest When the market conditions change, producers processors can adapt
by tweaking extraction and improving efficiency. It's not instantaneous and
it's not unlimited, but it is happening, says Joe Janssen.

Speaker 25 (32:42):
So what does this all mean. First, those standard industry
calculations about crush ratios, the one that assume exactly eighteen
point three percent oil content, might need updating. It seems
that the soybean industry might have a little bit more
flexibility than the standard board crush margin suggests. Last, this
has implications for farmers who prices and fuel markets. When
processors can squeeze more oil out of the same amount

(33:04):
of soybeans, it changes the economic equation.

Speaker 19 (33:06):
I'm you of by extensions. Todd Gleeson Farm US.

Speaker 1 (33:08):
This morning, you're listening to ag Life.

Speaker 26 (33:13):
From the AED Information Network. This is your agribusiness update.

Speaker 10 (33:17):
Well.

Speaker 26 (33:17):
The West Coast is a critical region for the production
of fresh fruits and vegetables, but growers are increasingly faced
with changing weather events. Without a full cherry crop in
six years, growers in Canada's Okanagan Valley are looking for
ways to adapt. With government research centers now building trial sites,
growers will get a better understanding of how a retractable

(33:37):
roof system that responds automatically to changing weather impacts their revenue.
The Trump administration is making another run at reforming the
WAYH two A minimum wage rates are set that could
provide some relief to farmers. A big question is whether
the administration will follow the strategy they tried to implement
as President Trump was leaving office in twenty twenty, or
come up with a new method of setting the ad

(34:00):
effect wage rates. Farm groups con tend wage levels in
the USDA survey led to unsustainable increases for H to
A workers. A new report from the International Association Affairs
and Expositions shows agricultural affairs generated nearly fifty two billion
dollars in economic impact across the US, President and CEO
David Grindle says the twenty twenty five Economic Impact Study

(34:22):
highlighted the financial contributions from fourteen hundred fares. Grendle tells
Brownfield these events generate year round income that are bringing
tourism dollars in. Grendall says more than sixty percent of
the US population at tended affair in twenty twenty four.

Speaker 20 (34:37):
You've probably been told that to reach a millennial farmer
you have to go digital. Hmm, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn,
and online publication or maybe a podcast hmm, but which one?
Oh on how receptive is this age group to your
sales pitch during non work social time. Maybe the best

(34:59):
place to reach a FA farmer with a farming solution
message is when they are well, quite frankly farming. You know,
it's easy for us to find them during the day,
as most farmers are behind the wheel of a pickup
truck or farm equipment with the radio on. Listening to
this station for the ag Information Network of the West News.

(35:20):
If you'd like to deliver information about your terrific product
or service, give us a call and we'll connect you
directly with our community of loyal farmer listeners reach real
farmers right here, right now as they listen to what
is important to their farm operation. They trust us, They'll trust.

Speaker 26 (35:37):
You From the Egg Information Network. I'm Bob Larson with
today's agribusiness update.

Speaker 1 (35:43):
Bob Quinn back to wrap up Aglie for today friends.

Speaker 4 (35:46):
Well.

Speaker 1 (35:46):
A Western Kentucky family business combines the tradition of canning
foods with nostalgia. Rod Bain wraps us up.

Speaker 2 (35:54):
It's a site at various farmers markets across the country.
A booth Wick Cad food goods, pickled jelly, did other
delectable fare and in the case of Western Kentucky entrepreneur
Robert Gross spelled Grosz, his business was developed by a
case of accidental discovery.

Speaker 27 (36:12):
Because we were doing farmer's market.

Speaker 28 (36:14):
We were buying and selling Amish vegetables and I was
on my way to go to the auction to go
get some vegetables. The wheel literally passed me on the
highway because my son didn't tighten it down right. So
I pulled over and said to my wife, I said,
we're not going to make the market today. She said,
but I promised Miss Martha, So Kentucky just hasked their
cottage laws and.

Speaker 27 (36:29):
Allowed us to be able to make from home.

Speaker 28 (36:31):
So we made forty jars of jams and jellies, and
then we made fifty, and then we made a hundred.
Now we do somewhere between six and eight hundred a week.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
A growing business. Indeed, inside his home with two and
a half people making all these goods. He provides illustrations
of his Artsia business, Whiskey Ridge Farm.

Speaker 28 (36:48):
The nice thing is that even though we don't grow
what we put in jars, all my local farmers know
what I want and they'll go out of their way
to make sure. And they'll call me and say, look,
I'm picking okra on Tuesday, do you want some? And
I'll go get a one hundred pounds of okre. Or how
I've got a kid that just grows all my peppers
for me. So it's nice to be able to go,
especially with having those relationships, to be able to take
stuff that is bulk and put it into a value

(37:09):
added product that can now not only be in the
United States, but we can also ship and we can
be in stores internationally, and that helps everybody because all
boats rise in a rising tide.

Speaker 2 (37:17):
Part of the business involves the creation of products from
recipes that will provide both nostalgia and variation. For instance,
a corn cob jelly recipe obtained during an eighteen hundreds
re enactimate event.

Speaker 27 (37:30):
They call it poor Man's honey.

Speaker 28 (37:31):
So you take dried corn cobs, after you remove everything
from it, you boil it in the tea and you
make a honey out of it. And the cool thing
is is you're able to take something that's been around
for generations and show that kids. In the old days,
we didn't have Walmart to run down and go get
something sweet.

Speaker 27 (37:44):
We had to make it.

Speaker 28 (37:45):
And the other one that we do a pear honey
that's made with pear. You cook it right, it tastes
like honey. It allows you to sweeten that hard tack
biscuit that you might have in the eighteen hundreds.

Speaker 2 (37:53):
In other words, it's not just about the canny.

Speaker 28 (37:56):
Bringing back those traditions like what I got at Grandma's house,
like Dilly Bean's. There are the people that have a
little gray hair like me that really look forward to that.

Speaker 27 (38:03):
I have a lemon jelly. It's made with all the
different kinds of.

Speaker 28 (38:06):
Lemons, and those of you that in the sixties and seventies,
you'll be able to look and go, I remember that
little lemon drop thing in the brown wrapper that I
just grew up with. Or like a Christmas pickle, which
is a cucumber that tastes like a cinnamon red hot.
It takes forever to make, but it's a wonderful product
and it brings back the memories that we all have
from long ago.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
And yes, it is a dich market Grows attempts to attract,
although he says he has a built in value it
value added in that.

Speaker 28 (38:30):
With canning, my product will last two years on a shelf,
so I don't have to worry like a baker that
it's going to rot next week. So I can make
it when the fresh fruits come in and make as
much as I need.

Speaker 27 (38:39):
So if it's opra season, I'm gonna do Okra.

Speaker 28 (38:42):
If it's pickling cucumber season, I'm gonna make as many
pickles as I can that I can afford to make
so that I can sell them throughout the year.

Speaker 2 (38:48):
I'm broad bad reporting for the US Department of Agriculture
in Washington, d C.

Speaker 1 (38:53):
With that friends amount of time for today. Thanks for
joining us back Monday morning with another addition of AG
Life