FALL HARVESTFALL HARVEST

By TESS GRUBER NELSONManaging Editor/The Valley News

A few months ago, when theoppressively hot summer sun wasbeating down on the area, andthere was no rain for weeks onend, people were very concernedout about how the drought wouldaffect this year’s crops.

And although it’s certainly nota bumper crop by any standards,it appears that Southwest Iowadodged a bullet when it came tothis year’s crop yields – thanks tosome of the best soil around andseed technology.

Aaron Saeugling, an agrono-mist with ISU Extension whocovers Southwest Iowa, said thereare a multitude of factors whySouthwest Iowa even had a cropat all after the summer we had.

“There were a lot of seriousconcerns in August and earlySeptember about corn and soy-bean yield, but that changed aswe actually got into harvest,” said

Saeugling. “For me, I think thenumber one factor is the soil. Ithink growers realize that bettersoils have the ability to produce,no matter what.”

Planting played a little bit of arole as well said Saeugling, say-ing it depended on the moistureconditions when the crops wereplanted and how far a long thecrops were rooted when itbecame driest. Possibly that theearlier planted corn did better.

“Corn with deeper rooting pen-etration had more access to waterto help it hold on a little bitlonger,” he said.

As for beans, Saeugling saidthe later maturing beans got therain in late August that helped.

“When it comes to both crops,it’s very patchy; one area of thefield is great and then not sogreat, but then again, there’s vari-ability every year.”

Gerald Water said his corn andsoybeans were patchy dependingon where they were located, even

within the same field. “Up near Essex it was better

than near Northboro,” Waltersaid. “Regardless, the crops arebetter than what they said. In myopinion, if it weren’t for thegenetics in seed these days, wewouldn’t have a crop at all. I’mthankful for what we have.”

Jackie Reichter, manager atGavilon in Shenandoah the cropsthey’ve seen roll in is better thanwhat was expected in August.

“We’re seeing probably not thebest yields in some areas, andhigher than expected in others,”said Reichter. “We would havehad an awful bean crop if itweren’t for those last two rainswe had in the area that helpedthem bloom again.”

She added that like Walter andSaeugling, the fields are patchywhen it comes to yields.

“The yields on some of theseplaces on phenomenal and somereasonable, but most of the farm-ers are pleased with what they

have gotten.”As for what need to happen in

the late fall and winter to getthings back on track for a goodcrop in 2013, Saeugling said it’sboils down to moisture.

“Snow is kind of a challengebecause it takes more snow togenerate one inch of water andthen the grounds frozen so itdoesn’t soak in.

We’ll need rainfall this fall orin the spring to make it right –typically our soil will hold 8-10inches of plant available water sowe’re quite a bit behind fromwhere we were a year ago,” saidSaeugling.

“I think the good thing is opti-mism prevails in agriculture, butguys need to be cautious this fall.I don’t see people making drasticchanges to their cropping plansbut people need to understandthat if we don’t get measurableprecipitation prior next springthen some of their managementstrategies might change.”

Southwest Iowa crops dodged a bullet

Soybeans bright spot indry, disappointing harvest

By CAROL BROWNIowa State University Extension

AMES, Iowa — As harvest nears itsend, the 2012 growing season may bewinding down – but Iowa’s crop fieldsstill have lessons to share.

Practical Farmers of Iowa is teamingwith Iowa Learning Farms and Iowa StateUniversity Extension and Outreach tohost a series of fall field days in Octoberand November focusing on cover cropsand drought issues.

The first fall field day will take placeFriday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. atthe farm of Pete Crew near Webb, innorthwest Iowa.

Other fall cover crop field days willtake place in Emerson (Tuesday, Oct. 30),Winterset (Wednesday, Oct. 31) andCarroll (Thursday, Nov. 8).

All field days run from 10 a.m. to 1p.m., include lunch and a presentation ondrought considerations for 2013 by ISUExtension field agronomists, and are freeand open to the public.

The Oct. 26 event will begin at 10 a.m.,followed by a cover crop show-and-tell.At 11 a.m. Sarah Carlson, research andpolicy director for Practical Farmers ofIowa, will speak on adding cover crops tocorn and soybeans. At 11:30 a.m., ISUExtension and Outreach field agronomistPaul Kassel will speak about droughtconsiderations heading into 2013. Theevent will conclude with lunch from noonto 1 p.m.

Steve McGrew, who will host a similarfield day on Oct. 30, says he hopes these

cover crop field days will help attendeeslearn more about cover crops, whatworked and what didn’t, from those whohave planted them. “I look forward tohearing from other people about theirexperiences with cover crops. We arewaiting to see what happens to our covercrops that were seeded too early and didnot get rain, compared to seeding later onafter a rain.”

Directions: Pete Crew’s farm is locatedat 4415 290th Ave., about 4 miles north ofWebb and 1.5 miles east of Gillett Grove.To reach the farm from Webb, head northon County Highway M54 and look for ared-and-white machine shed on the left,just before route M54 curves.

To reach the farm from Gillett Grove,go east for 1 mile on route M54 / 440thStreet. Turn right on 290th Avenue andlook for the machine shed on the right.

The list of other 2012 fall cover cropfield days is below. For additional detailsand directions, visit www.practicalfarm-ers.org or call the PFI office at 515-232-5661.

2012 Fall Cover Crop Field DaySchedule Tuesday, Oct. 30 – Farm of Bill,Steve, David and Robert McGrew;Emerson; Address: 38843 Gaston Ave.

Wednesday, Oct. 31 – Farm of MikeHenning; Winterset; Address: northwestcorner of 152nd Street and U.S. Route169 for first half; Madison CountyExtension office, 117 N. 1st Street / JohnWayne Drive, for last half and lunch

Thursday, Nov. 8 – Farm of ArtBehrens; Carroll; Address: 25273Kittyhawk Ave.

By JOHN VAN NOSTRANDPublisher/Clarinda Herald-Journal

For the past months, one result of the drought that hasgripped the Midwest this year is being revealed.

It’s not all doom and gloom.Even though corn harvest yields have dropped com-

pared to previous years, according to the USDA thismonth, soybean production was increased to 2.86 billionbushels as farmers harvest more acres and bring in big-ger crops than expected during the growing season.

Soybeans mature later in the growing season than cornand the plants withstood the drought better. Timely rainshelped too.

“It was a challenging year for Iowa soybean growersdue to the sustained drought. And while some experi-enced very disappointing yields, a common theme hasbeen one of pleasant surprise,” said Aaron Putze, direc-tor of communications and external relations for theIowa Soybean Association.

The strength of the soybean harvest was underscoredby the Oct. 11 USDA crop report that forecast the state’ssoybean total at 399.5 million bushels.

“That is up from the 368.1 million bushels predictedby the USDA in its September report. The performanceof this year’s statewide soybean crop under very chal-lenging conditions is a tribute to the soybean farmers’abilities,” Putze said.

Harvested area was increased to 75.7 million acresfrom 74.6 million acres the month before. The soybeanyield is projected at 37.8 bushels per acre, up from theprevious month's estimate of 35.3 bushels.

Soybean supplies were increased 10 percent to 3.05billion bushels.

Around the world, soybean demand remains highwhile supplies don’t match demand, which likely willkeep prices higher.

Soybeans for November delivery hit a record high$17.89 in early September but declined in recent weeksand were trading at $15.48 a bushel.

Fall cover crop fielddays begin October 26

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FALL HARVESTPAGE2C

By GORDON WOLFOWH News Service

As if farmers didn't have enough challenges this yearwith the drought and low yields, now many of them arebattling green stems as they combine soybeans.

Field Agronomist Clarke McGrath said green stems insoybeans are caused by a reserve of carbohydratesretained by the plant when pods fall off or do not fill dur-ing times of drought and other stress.

A secondary cause is the lower humidity and highertemperatures in fall that dries the grain faster than thestems.

Another factor may be spider mites causing pod shat-ter; carbohydrates would then be stored by the plantinstead of used to develop the beans.

McGrath, who is the crops team co-lead and spendsmost of his time in Shelby, Audubon, Crawford,Harrison and East and West Pottawattamie counties, saidgreen stems in soybeans were dreaded, and expected. Hecommented, "Anytime we see a lot of stress on the beansfrom mid-summer on, we worry a little bit about thepotential for green stem.

"When we have plants that are in good shape early inthe season, and then stress hits them late, like this year,we can guess that some varieties will have the greenstem issues. We never know for sure how many or whichones, but this year it has been a lot of them."

Green stem in soybeans has occurred in other years.McGrath said last year it was pretty common in someareas.

"Some plants were set up by the excellent weather tohave another burst of pods at the top of the plant, andthen we had multiple factors - early frosts, lack of rain-that limited the pod fill of those late pods. So, the carbshad nowhere to go and we had green stem in some of

those plants."Green stem in soybeans does not occur every year but

in five to six years out of 10, McGrath and other fieldagronomists hear a little bit about it.

"Full season beans that get frosted (for example,where cold air pools in bottom fields) can be prettytough to deal with, and this is a form of the green stemsyndrome," he stated.

Green stem in soybeans is a hot topic this yearbecause of the drought and the warm, dry fall.

"Plants just didn't mature properly, and that willinvariably lead to some green stem in a lot of cases," hestated.

Unfortunately, little can be done to set combines tomore easily cut through green stem soybeans, McGrathindicated.

He stated that combine settings are so machine specif-ic field agronomists ask growers to follow the manual ortalk with their machinery technician.

"In reality, there isn't a great answer to green stemsyndrome from an agronomic or combine standpointyet," McGrath stated.

He continued that running well-maintained equip-ment, keeping cutting sections sharp and going slowhelps, but it is still pretty difficult to harvest stemmybeans.

By waiting for a killing frost to dry the stems, produc-ers risk harvesting even fewer bushels per acre.

"Pods can open up before harvest or shatter easily asthe sickle sections cut the stems - and then you havebeans on the ground rather than in the combine,"McGrath explained. "Harvest moisture can drop prettylow as well, so your overall harvested weights will dropsimply from the beans being too dry."

The Denison (IA) Bulletin and Review

Producers battle green stemsas they harvest soybeans

By CHARLES HURBURGHDepartment of Ag and Biosystems Engineering

One key point is that once grain is dry and cold, oreven just cold, the Aspergillus flavus fungus is rarelyable to grow and produce more toxin.

However, at least two problematic situations are aris-ing –bin dryers operated at medium temperatures (below120F) and high variability of moisture within fields.

The optimum temperature for aflatoxin production is75-95F with moistures greater than 18 percent. A bindryer operating with input air below 120F will “store”the grain during drying at these temperatures. If the binis full, drying times of four to six days are not uncom-mon. In this case, grain already containing theAspergillus fungus can experience increased aflatoxinlevels.

The correction is to increase drying air temperaturesbeyond 120F. Some bin drying systems with rapid stir-ring systems can go as high as 160F; others with lessgrain circulation may be limited to around 140F. Halfbatches will also help; shallower grain depth willincrease airflow and cause less grain be held at highermoistures. It would be better in this case to dry two halfbatches instead of one full batch.

The outside air temperatures have fallen enough thatthe corn in the field is now less likely to increase intoxin. Holding it in the field may be preferable to havingit warm in a dryer.

High temperature batch and continuous flow dryersare not susceptible to this problem, but wet corn shouldbe held in high airflow wet holding (to maintain cold

temperatures) or in the field. As an example, today'sconditions of about 80F and 30 percent relative humidi-ty will hold aerated wet grain at about 45-50F becauseof evaporative cooling of dry air.This is below thegrowth conditions for Aspergillus flavus mold, althoughin time other more temperature resistant fungi will growat those temperatures. Low temperature-natural air dry-ing will also work under these conditions because thewet grain will not be warm enough to sustain the fungus.

In some cases, very high ranges of moisture are beingexperienced within the same field, for example 15 per-cent to 30 percent. Dryers will not equalize this moisturein one pass; there will be some wet corn remaining evenafter the average reaches 15 percent. Low temperature isthe only control method for this situation; extra coolingcycles to bring the grain temperature immediately below50F.

Corn will segregate somewhat by moisture if it is dropfilled in a bin; this means that both the high moistureand the fines will collect in the center. It will be veryimportant to remove the center core right away; in largebins (over 50 feet dia), two removals would be advis-able.

Pay attention to the yield monitor moisture output toestimate which fields are likely to be a storage problemfrom moisture variations. Crop insurance will not coverquality issues after harvest.

Charles Hurburgh is a professor in the Department ofAg and Biosystems Engineering. He can be reached at515-294-8629 or e-mail tatry@iastate.edu.

Aflatoxin and grain storage

A drought that plagued most of the United States inthe summer of 2012 decimated soybean and corn cropsacross America's heartland. According to Reuters, dur-ing the drought ratings for corn and soybeans fell to theirlowest since the major drought of 1988 and major farmstates, such as Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Missouri, andKansas, were not able to produce enough crop necessaryto meet food and feed demands. To further exacerbatethe shortage, the United States government still man-dates that 42 percent of this year's crop be turned intoethanol as part of the Renewable Fuel Standard adoptedin 2005, angering some farmers.

Livestock producers who rely on corn for feed areangry that the mandate has not been modified in lieu ofthe record-breaking drought and shortages. Corn pricesalready are at all-time highs, and requiring that 42 per-cent of the yield be relegated to fuel will considerablydrive up the cost of the remaining corn. Not only willlivestock farmers be affected but so will those who enjoycorn in everything from breads to cereals. Consumers onlimited budgets may find corn is simply too expensive.

Ranchers and farmers are not the only ones hurting asa result of the corn shortage. The ethanol plants them-selves are also feeling the crunch. A lack of corn meansthat many plants are remaining idle or not working at

capacity. Some plants are not breaking even in terms ofoperational costs, potentially costing individuals theirjobs.

However, supporters of the ethanol requirement areconcerned that removing the allotted ethanol amountsfrom fuel will further drive up the cost of filling up at thepump. Drivers have already experienced high gas prices,and many are feeling the effect on their wallets. Theresult is a catch-22 where no one wins.

Despite the talks, some economists say that theethanol mandate suspension may do little to lower thecost of corn. Agricultural economist Scott Irwin fromthe University of Illinois says that because of the back-log of demand of corn for fuel, it would be a few monthsbefore any price change would reach the market. Plus,the change would be nominal because it would be hardto implement such widespread changes in corn for fuelconsumption since the country has come to depend on aset amount.

High summertime temperatures combined with histor-ically low rainfall totals this past season devastatedmany corn crops that would be put to use as animal feedand ethanol fuel. The debate over whether or not ethanolmandates should be temporarily ceased is bound to con-tinue until corn supplies are replenished.

Drought affecting corn cropsprompts ethanol debate

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FALL HARVEST PAGE3C

In early October, the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture lowered its projection forthe nation's corn crop for a fourth straightmonth, reflecting expected news about thedrought from the farmers busy harvestingtheir fields.

The USDA predicted farmers will har-vest 10.71 billion bushels of corn thisyear, which would be the smallest amountsince 2006. Last month's estimate was10.73 billion bushels.

Crop estimates change as fields are har-vested and farmers get a better sense ofhow the weather affected yields. The U.S.has been experiencing one of its worstdroughts in decades, and conditions havebeen particularly harsh in many of the keyMidwest and Plains farming states.

Farmers have harvested 69 percent ofthe nation's corn already this year, whichis well ahead of the 28 percent that would

be harvested by this time in a typical year.The average yield is about 122 bushels

per acre, which is down from last month'sestimate of 122.8 bushels. That is the low-est average yield since 1995 and is signif-icantly below last year's yield of nearly153 bushels per acre. Although thedrought dried up the soil in many parts ofthe U.S., the corn harvest was surprisinglygood in some areas, said

In Iowa, for example, the nation's lead-ing corn producer, production will beabout 19 percent lower than last year atabout 1.92 billion bushels. NeighboringNebraska will see production down about15 percent from last year at 1.3 billionbushels. Illinois was hard hit with produc-tion falling 37 percent to 1.22 billionbushels from last year and Indiana's slid28 percent.

Nationally, farmers planted more corn

this year than in any other since 1937, sodespite the widespread drought, the U.S.is expected to produce its eighth largestcorn crop on record.

Farmers planted about 97 million acresin corn, which is far more than just adecade ago when fewer than 80 millionacres were planted. They are expected toharvest about 88 million acres this year.

Corn supply is now estimated at 11.77billion bushels, which is down from lastmonth's estimate of 11.98 billion bushels.

The report is expected to boost pricesfor the next few days as the market reactsto the lower production and tighter supplyestimates, but analysts expect a calming ofthe market now that the harvest is in itsfinal stages and the drought impact isclear.

In mid-October, corn for Decemberdelivery was trading at around $7.71 a

bushel. It had hit a record high of $8.49 abushel in August, but it has since settleddown.

The USDA estimated the season aver-age price for corn now at between $7.10and $8.50 per bushel, about 10 cents loweron both ends of the range from itsSeptember estimate.

Still, prices at that level could have inimpact on grocery bills, mostly meat andeggs since corn is used as a staple inchicken, cattle and pig feed.

Global supplies of corn remain tight andthe major users — livestock farmers, theethanol industry and other countriesimporting it — will be forced to negotiatetheir level of use, a sort of marketrationing that takes place in years of lowsupply.

Information courtesy of the USDA

Drought decreases Midwest corn production

Meetings Highlight Nationaland Local Efforts to IdentifySolutions for Intermediateand Long-Term Drought

Relief

Speaking at the opening session ofthe first of four regional workshopsto outline resources available toassist with drought recovery efforts,Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsacksaid the lack of a new five-yearFood, Farm and Jobs Bill has thepotential to delay and stifle the fed-eral response.

"USDA is doing all we can, butkey programs traditionally madeavailable in times of disaster are inlimbo because Congress has allowedour authority to deliver them toexpire," said Vilsack. "As I travel thecountry, it is clear to me that farmersand ranchers are aware of the gravi-ty of the situation, and the need forCongress to act."

Vilsack indicated that PresidentObama had directed federal agen-cies to take every possible step tohelp farmers and ranchers, business-es, and rural communities recover asa result of one of the country's worstdroughts in decades. USDA is part-nering with local, state and federalpartners to hold the workshops,working closely with theDepartment of Commerce, the SmallBusiness Administration and theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency to facilitate these meetings.

"The U.S. CommerceDepartment's EconomicDevelopment Administration, withits decades of experience helpingregions stricken by natural disasters,will play an important role in this

multiagency Obama administrationeffort to partner with the farmers,ranchers, small businesses, and ruralareas that have been impacted by thedroughts to help get them on a pathto economic recovery," said MattErskine, Acting Assistant Secretaryof Commerce for EconomicDevelopment. "The regional droughtrecovery meetings are timely andoffer a great opportunity to providedetailed information on existing fed-eral resources to support local initia-tives and identify strategies for long-term solutions."

Today's workshop was sponsoredby the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, the NationalAssociation of Counties, and theMayor of Omaha. Among the feder-al officials joining Secretary Vilsackat the session was Thomas Guevara,Deputy Assistant Secretary forRegional Affairs at the EconomicDevelopment Administration.

The next meeting will be at theColorado State Fairgrounds inPueblo on October 15th to be fol-lowed by meetings in Pine Bluff,Arkansas on October 17th and inOhio during the week of October22nd.

At the direction of the President,Secretary Vilsack is helping coordi-nate an Administration-wideresponse that has included: theNational Credit UnionAdministration's increased capacityfor lending to customers includingfarmers; the U.S. Department ofTransportation's emergency waiversfor federal truck weight regulationsand hours of service requirements toget help to drought-stricken commu-nities; increased outreach and emer-

gency lending by the Small BusinessAdministration; and more.

(You can view a White House factsheet outlining efforts by non-USDA Federal agencies here.)

As of Oct. 2, 2012, USDA hasdesignated all or parts of 39 states asnatural disaster areas this year.USDA continues to encourage anyfarmer or rancher with questions tocontact a USDA Service Centeroffice, because even with limitedlegal authority, USDA has workedhard to offer tools to help.

The Obama Administration, withAgriculture Secretary Vilsack's lead-ership, has worked tirelessly tostrengthen rural America, maintain astrong farm safety net, and createopportunities for America's farmersand ranchers. U.S. agriculture is cur-rently experiencing one of its mostproductive periods in American his-tory thanks to the productivity,resiliency, and resourcefulness ofour producers.

A strong farm safety net is impor-tant to sustain the success ofAmerican agriculture. USDA's cropinsurance program currently insures264 million acres, 1.14 million poli-cies, and $110 billion worth of lia-bility on about 500,000 farms.

In response to tighter financialmarkets, USDA has expanded theavailability of farm credit, helpingstruggling farmers refinance loans.Since 2009, USDA has providedmore than 128,000 loans to familyfarmers totaling more than $18 bil-lion. Over 50 percent of the loanswent to beginning and socially dis-advantaged farmers and ranchers.

Information courtesy of the USDA

Secretary Vilsack to participate in the kickoff offour regional workshops on drought response

The Weekly Timesalways has the most current

Ag & Auction Listings.

AG & AUCTION

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced theappointment of 16 members to the United Soybean Board.

"These appointees represent a cross section of the soy-bean industry and I am confident that they will serve thesoybean producers well," said Vilsack.

Appointed Soybean Board members are as follows:James H. Carroll, III, Arkansas; Walter L. Godwin,Georgia; David P. Hartke, Illinois; Mark A. Seib, Indiana;Laura L. Foell, Iowa; Dennis R. Clark, Kentucky;Raymond S. Schexnayder, Jr., Louisiana; James A. Call,Minnesota; Todd A. Gibson, Missouri; Mark Caspers,Nebraska; Morris L. Shambley, North Carolina; Jay M.Myers, North Dakota; John B. Motter, Ohio; Jim Musser,Pennsylvania; David G. Iverson, South Dakota; andRobert W. White, Jr., Virginia.

The 69-member board is authorized by the SoybeanPromotion, Research and Consumer Information Act. TheSecretary selected the appointees from soybean producersnominated by Qualified State Soybean Boards. Allappointees will serve 3-year terms beginning December2012.

Research and promotion programs are industry-funded,authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966, whenCongress passed the Cotton Research and Promotion Act.Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of20 research and promotion boards. They empower farm-ers and ranchers to leverage their own resources to devel-op new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conductimportant research and promotion activities. AMS pro-vides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, whichensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency and fairtreatment of participating stakeholders.

Information courtesy of the USDA

Secretary Vilsackannounces soybeanboard appointments

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Autumn is the seasonwhen pumpkins are ripefor the picking, and thou-sands of people flock tolocal farms and roadsidevendors to select perfectpumpkins. Many pump-kins are turned into decora-tive jack-o'-lanterns forHalloween, only to betossed in the trash comeNovember 1. That could bebecause many people areunaware of the variousways they can put pump-kins to good use.

Pumpkins are gourdsand members of the squashfamily and have beengrown and used for thou-sands of years. Evidencesuggests that pumpkinsdate back to 7000 B.C.,possibly originating inMexico. Today they arewidely used for decoratingaround Halloween, butthere are many other thingsthat can be done withpumpkins.

■ Create a food vessel.Pumpkins can be trans-

formed into bowls to holdsoup, punch, fruit, or evendips. Make sure the pump-kin has been cleaned wellof its pulp and seeds, aswell as the stringy fleshthat is inside. Rub theinside walls of the pump-kin with oil to keep themfrom drying out and cavingin, then fill with your foodof choice.

■ Make pumpkinpuree. Puree from a pump-kin can be used in all typesof recipes, from soups tobaked goods. The pureealso can replace the oil incake recipes. Cut thepumpkin and scoop out theseeds and stringy mem-branes. Then place it cut-side-down in a pan with alittle water in the bottom.Bake at 350 F for around90 minutes. The flesh willbecome tender and easilyremovable. Blend theresulting puree in a foodprocessor and reserve fleshfor recipes. Some pump-kins are sweeter or betterto use as part of recipes.Check the variety you'repurchasing.

■ Whip up a facial.Use some pumpkin puree

with a little brown sugarand a dash of milk to createa vitamin-rich facial mask.

■ Get illuminated.Turn hollowed-out minipumpkins into candles.Melt soy wax, beeswax orthe gel type of candle waxthat can be found at mostcraft stores. Add yourfavorite scent and place awick into the bottom of thepumpkin. Then pour thewax into hallowed-outspace and allow it to hard-en. Try the same thing withbumpy and multi-coloredgourds for added decorat-

ing appeal.■ Turn the pumpkin

into a flower pot. Fill ahollow pumpkin with soil.You may not have to worryabout scraping the pump-kin completely cleanbecause the pulp can beused to help fertilize thepotting soil. Plant yourfavorite fall flowers intothe festive and earth-friendly flower pot. Whenthe pumpkin shows signsof rotting, simply put thewhole thing into a tradi-tional flower pot or bury itdirectly in the ground.

■ Make pumpkinstock. While vegetable ormeat-based stocks may bethe standards, pumpkin canbe used to make stock aswell. Clean out the seedsfrom the stringy guts of thepumpkin and put the gutsinto a pot filled with water.Add celery, carrots or anyother aromatic vegetablesfor extra flavor. Allow toboil for at least 30 minutes.The stock is ready when itbegins to change color.Strain and reserve thestock for use in a variety ofrecipes.

■ Add to compost bins.Pumpkins are rich in zinc,vitamin A and vitamin C,among other nutrients. Youcan add the discardedpumpkins to your backyardcompost bins to furtherreplenish the soil.

■ Turn into a billowingcauldron. Instead of astandard jack-o'-lantern,put a glass jar into thecarved pumpkin, add dishsoap and hot water to thejar and then put in a pieceof dry ice. Bubbles andsmoke will pour out of thepumpkin to create a spook-tacular effect.

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FALL HARVESTPAGE4C

Agriculture Secretary TomVilsack today announced $11.8million in additional financialand technical assistance to helpcrop and livestock producers in22 states apply conservationpractices that reduce the impactsof drought and improve soilhealth and productivity. The U.S.Department of Agriculture'sNatural Resources ConservationService (NRCS) provides thisassistance through its WildlifeHabitat Incentive Program(WHIP) and EnvironmentalQuality Incentives Program(EQIP).

Since early summer, USDAhas announced a variety of assis-tance to producers impacted bythe drought, including openingconservation acres to emergencyhaying and grazing, lowering theinterest rate for emergency loans,and working with crop insurancecompanies to provide flexibilityto farmers. Just a few weeks ago,USDA announced $16 million infinancial and technical assistanceto immediately help crop andlivestock producers in 19 statescope with the adverse impacts ofthe historic drought. In July, theSecretary announced USDAwould allow producers to modifycurrent EQIP contracts to allowfor grazing, livestock watering,and other conservation activitiesto address drought conditions,and also authorized haying andgrazing of WRP easement areasin drought-affected areas wherehaying and grazing is consistentwith conservation of wildlifehabitat and wetlands. Today'sannouncement expands uponthese efforts and brings the totalassistance to nearly $28 million.

"As this drought continues toimpact American farming andranching families, USDA will bethere to help our agriculture sec-tor recover," said Vilsack. "Thisadditional assistance builds on anumber of steps USDA and otherfederal agencies have taken overthe past few months to provideresources and flexibility in ourexisting programs to help pro-ducers endure these hardships.But Congress also needs to act,and the urgency to pass a com-prehensive, multi-year food,farm and jobs bill is greater than

ever." See the additional NRCS

drought assistance received byeach state athttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/?cid=STELPRDB1048818.

Funding from NRCS targetsstates that are experiencing eitherexceptional or extreme droughtconditions. Exceptional droughtcontinues to dominate sections ofArkansas, Colorado, Georgia,Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,Missouri, Nebraska, NewMexico, Oklahoma, SouthDakota, Tennessee, Texas andWyoming, causing widespreadlosses of crops and pastures andwater shortages in reservoirs,streams and wells.

Alabama, Illinois, Indiana,Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada,South Carolina and Utah areunder extreme drought, withaccompanying major losses ofcrops and pasture, widespreadwater shortages and restrictionson water use. Learn more aboutdrought categories athttp://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/.

The additional funding willallow NRCS to address the back-log in applications from the pre-vious drought assistance signup,as well as accept new applica-

tions from producers interestedin applying selected conservationpractices to address drought,including prescribed grazing,livestock watering facilities andwater conservation practices.Producers can also apply forfinancial assistance to re-installconservation practices that faileddue to drought.

At the direction of PresidentObama, Secretary Vilsack ishelping coordinate anAdministration-wide responsethat has included: the NationalCredit Union Administration'sincreased capacity for lending tocustomers including farmers; theU.S. Department ofTransportation's emergencywaivers for federal truck weightregulations and hours of servicerequirements to get help todrought-stricken communities;and the Small BusinessAdministration's pathway forsmall businesses, small agricul-tural cooperatives and non-farmsmall businesses that are eco-nomically affected by thedrought in their community toapply for Economic InjuryDisaster Loans (EIDL).

Since July, USDA hasannounced:

•Intent to purchase up to $170

million of pork, lamb, chicken,and catfish for federal food nutri-tion assistance programs, includ-ing food banks, to help relievepressure on American livestockproducers and bring the nation'smeat supply in line with demand.

•Allowed emergency loans tobe made earlier in the season.

•Intent to file special provi-sions with the federal crop insur-ance program to allow haying orgrazing of cover crops withoutimpacting the insurability ofplanted 2013 spring crops.

•Authorized up to $5 million ingrants to evaluate and demon-strate agricultural practices thathelp farmers and ranchers adaptto drought.

•Granted a temporary variancefrom the National OrganicProgram's pasture practice stan-dards for organic ruminant live-stock producers in 16 states in2012.

•Authorized $16 million inexisting funds from its WHIPand EQIP to target states experi-encing exceptional and extremedrought.

•Initiated transfer of $14 mil-lion in unobligated programfunds into the EmergencyConservation Program (ECP) tohelp farmers and ranchers reha-

bilitate farmland damaged bynatural disasters and for carryingout emergency water conserva-tion measures in periods ofsevere drought.

•Authorized haying and graz-ing of WRP easement areas indrought-affected areas wherehaying and grazing is consistentwith conservation of wildlifehabitat and wetlands.

•Lowered the reduction in theannual rental payment to produc-ers on CRP acres used for emer-gency haying or grazing from 25percent to 10 percent in 2012.

•Simplified the Secretarial dis-aster designation process andreduced the time it takes to desig-nate counties affected by disas-ters by 40 percent.

USDA works with state andlocal governments and privatelandowners to conserve and pro-tect our nation's naturalresources, helping preserve ourland, and clean our air and water.In 2011, USDA enrolled a recordnumber of acres of private work-ing lands in conservation pro-grams, working with more than500,000 farmers and ranchers toimplement conservation prac-tices that clean the air webreathe, filter the water we drink,and prevent soil erosion.President Obama launched theAmerica's Great Outdoors initia-tive in 2010 to foster a 21st cen-tury approach to conservationthat is designed by and accom-plished in partnership with theAmerican people. During thepast two years, USDA's conser-vation agencies—the NaturalResources Conservation Service,the U.S. Forest Service, and theFarm Service Agency—havedelivered technical assistanceand implemented restorationpractices on public and privatelands. We are working to bettertarget conservation investments,embracing locally driven conser-vation and entering partnershipsthat focus on large, landscape-scale conservation.

Producers and landowners areencouraged to visit the NRCSwebsite or stop by their localNRCS office to find out if theyare eligible for this new funding.Learn more about WHIP andEQIP and other NRCS programs.

USDA Expands Drought Assistance to 22 States

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