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MD Grower announced as a National Winner of 2016 Corn Yield Contest
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The National Corn Growers Association and Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board would like to congratulate Drew Haines of Middletown, MD for being named a national Winner of the 2016 National Corn Yield Contest. Haines placed second in the non-irrigated division of the contest with a yield of 324.9316 bushels per acre. He used the DEKALB DKC58-83RIB variety to achieve this high yield. This variety has been an all-time favorite of Haines, who has found it to be very successful over the past five years.
Maryland state winners in the national corn yield contest are as follows –
- Non-irrigated: Drew Haines of Middletown (32.4.9 bu/a), Jarod Smith of White Hall, Bruce Bartz of Denton, Brad Rill of Hampstead, Edward Appenzeller Jr of Millington, and Gregory Dell of Westminster;
- No-till/strip till, non-irrigated: Drew Haines of Middletown (315.6 bu/a), Brad Rill of Hampstead, Tom Walsh of Hampstead, and Ed Lippy of Hampstead.
- No-till/strip till, irrigated: Bruce Bartz of Denton (311.6 bu/a), Edward Appenzeller Jr of Millington, Michael Bostic of Church Hill, and Gary King of Princess Anne; and
- Irrigated: Randall Willin Jr of Seaford (289.6 bu/a), Bruce Bartz of Denton, Michael Bostic of Church Hill, and Dan Dulin of Queen Anne.
More on Haine’s Accomplishment
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Bartenfelder Urges Farmers to Monitor MD Bills
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With Maryland’s General Assembly reconvening this week, Maryland’s Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder urges farmers to closely monitor bills affecting their operations. “There is only one active farmer currently in the legislature, which underscores the need for us to help our lawmakers better understand agriculture,” he said in a recently published blog.
What he called “likely topics” included: legislation that would negatively affect poultry and dairy farmers, initiatives to place additional regulatory burdens on poultry producers through taxes, and take away from current cost share programs like the manure transportation program. Other legislation that Maryland Grain Producers staff will be tracking involve renewable energy and nutrient trading. We are expecting another tough session this year, and encourage members to come to Annapolis and testify on bills relevant to them.
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State of the Bay Report 2016
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The Chesapeake Bay Foundation released its biyearly report card last week and gave the Bay’s health a grade of C-minus or a 34 on a 100-point scale, a two-point jump over the foundation’s last report card issued in 2014. Nitrogen saw a one-point improvement from 2014 and phosphorous saw a three-point improvement. This was credited to less-then-average precipitation and possibly the benefits of pollution management practices, including those applied to agriculture.
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China DDGS Final Determination
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On Tuesday, China’s MOFCOM issued a final determination in the anti-dumping and countervailing investigations against U.S. DDGS. MOFCOM has assigned producers of U.S. DDGS antidumping rates ranging from 42.2- 53.7 percent and CVD rates ranging from 11.2-12 percent, which will likely stop trade of DDGS to that market.
This decision comes just weeks after the Chinese government announced it would dramatically increase tariffs on imported U.S. ethanol from 5 to 30 percent as of Jan. 1, and as another year has passed without new approvals of biotech corn events, which inhibit trade of ethanol and corn, respectively.
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USDA Analysis: Ethanol Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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Corn ethanol achieves a 43 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared to the 2005 baseline for gasoline, according to a new
analysis released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Based on current trends in crop production and ethanol production efficiency, the study projected that by 2022, corn-based ethanol will achieve a 50 percent reduction in GHG emissions compared to the gasoline baseline. The report also demonstrates the added GHG benefits of on-farm conservation practices including reduced tillage, nitrogen stewardship and cover crops.
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Congrats to "The Foodie Farmer"
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Congratulations to MGPUB President, Jennie Schmidt (also known as
The Foodie Farmer), whose blog post ranked second on the most popular GMO Answers Forbes blogs of 2016. The post, titled
A Farmer’s Letter to a Concerned Student about GMOs, addressed concerns raised by a student about the cost of GMO labeling and identity preservation based on some readings they had done in class. “Responding to the letter gives me the opportunity to welcome further discussion and if I’m lucky, host them on my farm. As time consuming as it is, I have found the most effective means to communicate about agriculture and help consumers understand what farming practices mean and what their implications are, is to have people visit. I hope the student and teacher take me up on the offer,” says Schmidt.
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Upcoming Agronomy Meetings
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University of Maryland Extension has announced dates for this year’s crop production meetings that will be conducted around the state between December and March. The most recent research, information and data will be shared at these meetings and will help make 2017 growing decisions for agricultural crops. The meetings are open to all interested in agronomy, forage, vegetables and fruit. Private pesticide applicator and nutrient management credits will be offered. Be sure to call your local Extension office for further details and to get registered. If you need special accommodations please call one week prior to the event.
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- Carroll County Mid-Winter Farm Meeting
February 9 2017. 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Carroll County Ag Center, Westminster, Md.
Register by calling the Carroll County UME Office at 410-386-2760.
- Harford County Agronomy Day
February 14, 2017. 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Deer Creek Overlook at Harford 4-H Camp
Register by calling the Harford County UME Office at 410-638-3255 or emailing akness@umd.edu with your name and phone number.
- Caroline County Agronomy Day
February 22, 2017. 4:30 p.m.
Caroline County 4-H Park
Register by calling the Caroline County UME Office at 410-479-4030
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- Montgomery-Howard-Frederick Agronomy Day
February 22, 2017. 9 a.m. – 3p.m.
Urbana Fire Hall
Register by calling the Montgomery County UME Office at 301-590-2809.
- Queen Anne’s Agronomy Day
March 3, 2017. 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Queen Anne’s County 4-H Park
Register by calling the Queen Anne’s County UME Office at 410-758-0166.
Visit the University of Maryland's website for a complete listing of upcoming dates.
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