IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION AND OUTREACH—NORTHWEST REGION JANUARY 2018 ISSUE

Often livestock buildings are designed to withstand a 20 to 30 year expected life. The evaluations of a building’s foundation, structure, roof and materials will determine if and where repairs need to be made. Well-built and maintained livestock buildings can operate effectively for at least twice as long as their standard life expectancy.

This year, ISU Extension and Outreach specialists Kris Kohl, Agricultural Engineering Specialist, and Dave Stender, Swine Field Specialist, will share lessons learned from over 60 years of combined experience. They will reveal secrets to extending the longevity of building life and improving swine profitability and productivity. Workshops will provide tips on evaluation of concrete slats, beams, foundations, and trusses. This in-person training and materials provided will also help participants extend the life of their buildings by detailing repair options before it is too late.

The Swine and Facility Management Workshops will be held at various locations across Northwest Iowa. A complete list of dates and locations is below. Each workshops will take place from 11:30am to 2:00pm, following a Manure Applicator Certification course. One exception to that is in Primghar where the workshop will be held at 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. prior to the Manure Applicators Certification training.

Registration fee for the Swine and Facility Management Workshop is only $20 and includes training materials and lunch. Registration and fees will be collected at local ISU Extension and Outreach offices or by contacting Dave Stender at 712-261-0025 or dstender@iastate.edu.

∙ January 18: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Cherokee

∙ January 22: Osceola Community Hospital, Sibley

∙ January 29: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Orange City

∙ January 30: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Rockwell City

∙ February 2: Forster Community Center, Rock Rapids

∙ February 5: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Ida Grove

∙ February 6: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Primghar

∙ February 7: Public Library, Estherville

∙ February 8: Farmer’s Cooperative Basement, Sioux Center

∙ February 9: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Sac City

∙ February 12: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Spencer

∙ February 13: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, LeMars

∙ February 15: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Pocahontas

∙ February 27: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Orange City

∙ February 28: ISU Extension and Outreach Office, Storm Lake

A Note from Family Finance Specialists:

Knowing if your financial information was compromised by the latest Equifax Data

Breach directs your next consumer actions.

ISU Extension and Outreach has developed a public

website with resources and a checklist (“Equifax Data

Breach: Steps to Protect”) so consumers can see how the

breach affects them, and discover steps they can take to

protect their information from being misused.

https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/moneytips/security-breach/

Websites for your Reference:

Ag Decision Maker www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/

Iowa Beef Center www.iowabeefcenter.org/

Manure Management www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/

Iowa Pork Center www.ipic.iastate.edu/

ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Team www.extension.iastate.edu/dairyteam

In this Issue:

Swine and Facility Management Workshops scheduled for Jan.—Feb. — Kris Kohl

Feedlot Forum Features Industry “On the Move” — Beth Doran

Market Update — Gary Wright

Changes in Agriculture — Joel DeJong

2017 Wrap-Up & Planning for 2018 — Gary Wright

Swine and Facility Management Workshops scheduled for Jan.-Feb.

Kris Kohl, Agricultural Engineering Specialist kkohl1@iastate.edu 712-732-5056

Feedlot Forum Features Industry “On the Move” Beth Ellen Doran, Beef Program Specialist doranb@iastate.edu 712-737-4230

Change is occurring everywhere, and the beef industry is no exception. To learn about these changes and how to stay current, producers and agri-business professionals are invited to Feedlot Forum 2018. The forum is set for January 16, 2018, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., at the Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center.

To help you decide whether you should register for the forum, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you know what you need to do to keep operating if there is a Foot and Mouth outbreak? If you answered NO, come hear Danelle Bickett-Weddle, associate director for the Center for Food Safety and Public Health at ISU, explain a plan they have designed to keep you in business.

2. Would the beef from your cattle qualify for export to China? The opening of China to U.S. beef has been a hot topic, but not all U.S. beef will be eligible for this market. To learn what you must do to meet the specifications for an international market, Dan Halstrom of the U.S. Meat Export Federation will focus on the specifications various international countries will require of U.S. cattle producers to market their beef.

3. Are you raising high quality, safe, wholesome beef? Doug Bear, director of Beef Quality Assurance for the Iowa Beef Industry Council, will share results from the 2016 National Beef Quality Audits for market steers and heifers and market bulls and cows. Learn about how U.S. beef and organ meats stack up.

4. Do you know how the Iowa Beef Checkoff is going to be used? Chris Freland and Steve Rehder will report on special projects the Iowa Beef Industry Council will launch in 2018. This is a great opportunity to see what is planned and to offer suggestions about how these funds are allocated.

5. If someone asked you what was going to drive agriculture in 2018, what would you say? Mike Pearson, host of Market to Market, will share his insights about what’s ahead, market outlook, and how to meet these drivers.

But that’s not all that will happen at Feedlot Forum 2018. Updates on the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and District 1 ICA will be presented, and the event trade show features 25 sponsors displaying new products and services to enhance feedlot production. Other special highlights include a steak dinner and a $10 beef certificate for each attendee.

Registration is $25 per person, with a special reduced rate of $10 for students and is due January 11 to the ISU Extension and Outreach - Sioux County Office. A brochure with the agenda, list of sponsors and registration form can be accessed at www.iowabeefcenter.org or contact Beth Doran at 712-737-4230 or doranb@iastate.edu. Hope to see you there!

Please Complete Your Census of Agriculture – The census is the only uniform, comprehensive and objective information about agriculture for every county in the U.S. Not only does it show the nation the importance of agriculture, but it is also used in federal budget support for agriculture. Do your part!

New Publications – available from www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/

Hay Storage Options: How Do They Stack Up? (A2-37, November 2017)

Deductible Livestock Costs for Adjusting 2017 Income Tax Returns (B1-15, November 2017)

Market Update Gary Wright, Farm and Agribusiness Management Specialist gdwright@iastate.edu 712-223-2574

As I prepare this, the first full week in December comes to a close and winter seems to have set into Northwest Iowa. This morning, the markets continue to trade in a fairly narrow range, lacking any real bullish/bearish news. Though the USDA, as is customary, will not be adjusting final crop production numbers until January, 2017 crop yields are being reported at below-record, but still very strong.

Additionally, on the supply side, the markets are looking toward South America for any weather news that to-date is being described as slightly dry. Our U.S. dollar continues to show some softening, which is presently making U.S. meat, corn, beans and wheat a “good buy.” Any positive export news is very welcome in light of projected carryovers. Tighter margins make marketing important, so I encourage your diligent research and staying current, including the watch for basis moves, as local users chase after needed bushels for ethanol or feed.

Joel DeJong, Field Agronomist jldejong@iastate.edu 712-546-7835

On one wall of my office I have a picture of an Amish couple hand-harvesting corn. Next to that picture is hanging the thumb hook my

father used to harvest corn when he first started farming. Surrounding all of that are cloth seed sacks from companies, some with original

seed tags from the World War II years. On my computer I have an aerial photo of the NW Research Farm taken with an unmanned aerial

vehicle (UAV). Why? I want to remind myself of what my role in agriculture is – to help get new research-based technologies that improve

our industry implemented on Northwest Iowa farms. Knowing where we came from and knowing we are working to create new information

for the future motivates me to continue my work.

Change in agriculture seems to be coming at us at a more rapid pace every year. Challenges come with change, but contrary to what some

people seem to think, change isn’t always bad. Do we adopt new technologies? Which ones? What “baggage” comes with it? I believe it is

more important than ever to be certain we take time as a part of our careers to learn, because our industry is changing and we need to know

more about these new technologies in order to make good decisions about the value of adopting some of them.

Winter is one of my busiest seasons of the year because that is when I, and many others in ISU Extension and Outreach, are working to share

some of that new information for Iowa’s ag producers. Pesticide applicator meetings started in early December, and other conferences are in

the works. Included in that list is the Crop Advantage Series across Iowa. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists will

travel to 14 locations around Iowa from Jan. 3-26, providing updated management options and recommendations on current and future crop

production issues. Continuing educations credits for Certified Crop Advisers and pesticide safety recertification also will be offered as part

of the day. There is no other program in our crop production education year that we are able to bring this many extension specialists together

to individual sites across the state like we are able to do for these crop advantage meetings.

In NW Iowa, locations include Sheldon on January 3, Okoboji on January 4, Storm Lake on January 9, and Le Mars on January 23. Each site

has a slightly different agenda, so check with your local Extension office for location details, or go to www.cropadvantage.org . Key issues

for 2018 will be presented, with two morning keynote speakers, followed by several optional workshops to choose from during the

afternoon. A registration price discount is available if registering at that web page at least a week in advance of the conferences.

If you are an ag producer, take advantage of learning opportunities this winter! The world changes, so be prepared to make wise decisions.

Changes in Agriculture

2017 Wrap-Up and Planning for 2018 Gary Wright, Farm and Agribusiness Management Specialist gdwright@iastate.edu 712-223-2574

Final 2017 Financial Records: Whether self-financed or working with a trusted lender, now is the time to finalize the records that document this last year’s operations. This net income result will contribute to the statement of cash flows, and eventually to the key balance sheet ratios. Then, that critically-important, year-over-year comparison to liquidity (working capital) and solvency (net worth) can be summarized to determine annual progress in CY 2017.

I will sound like a broken record – but, this means not a “50K-foot flyover,” but, a by-enterprise analysis of the operation. Knowing your break-even, to a detailed level of rented (vs. owned), livestock (vs. corn/ soybeans), etc. will enable you to make best management decisions.

2018 Planning: Knowing the 2017 enterpr ise results (or better yet - the last 2 to 3 years) are important to your 2018 production and marketing planning processes. Now is the time to put together that 1-2-3 scenario, pro forma operating statement.

Building upon the 2017 positives (revenues from higher yields, even with lower prices) is proactive, financial management. In light of tighter cash flows, it is good to communicate with your lender(s) and tax preparer early on, if not already. With adequate solvency, near-term solutions may take the form of re-structuring the balance sheet to regain depleted working capital (which ultimately may show up in the form of late fees, higher accrued interest on unpaid liabilities, or expensive credit card charges, when not paid off monthly).

Research says a marketing plan, when developed and adhered to, may result in a better, bottom-line result. Attention should now focus upon marketing those larger corn and soybean bushels, especially if stored in commercial storage or if limited forward contracting was used. If on-farm storage, the FSA low-interest loan may be a reasonable option to help with cash flows, plus on-farm storage affords more flexibility to shop-around for better prices. Finally, with the larger 2017 production, the astute grain merchandiser should already be (a) looking for improvement to the wider harvest-time basis once away from this burgeoning volume; and (b) be considering Fall/2018 grain storage solutions.

If you need help analyzing these farm management decisions, please give me a call and let us discuss alternatives.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call 800-795-3272 (voice) or 202-720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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UPCOMING DATES: CROP ADVANTAGE SERIES January 23, 2018 Le Mars Convention Center

PRIVATE PESTICIDE TRAININGS February 2, 2018 - 9:30 AM, Hinton March 6, 2018 - 1:30 PM, Le Mars and 7:00 PM, Le Mars

COMMERICAL MANURE CERTIFICATION January 18, 2018 - 8:30AM Plymouth County Extension and Outreach Office

CONFINEMENT MANURE CERTIFICATION February 13, 2018 - 9:00 PM Plymouth County Extension and Outreach Office

ROTH IRA VS TRADITIONAL IRA Floyd Valley Healthcare Conference Room #1 January 31, 2018 - Noon - 1PM How do you know which Individual Retirement Annuity (IRA) is best for your personal situation? Discover the difference between a Roth versus a Traditional IRA