Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow will join more than 60 members of the Farm Bill Now coalition on Capitol Hill Wednesday for the Farm Bill Now rally. The rally will unite the diverse and rapidly-growing coalition on the national stage just after Congress returns from the August recess for a short eight day working period. The idea is to encourage passage of a farm bill before the programs established in the 2008 bill begin to expire at the end of the month.

American Soybean Association President Steve Wellman and First Vice President Danny Murphy will be on hand. Wellman spoke on behalf of ASA and the Farm Bill Now coalition at the Farm Progress Show in Iowa. He said the coalition represents a broad cross-section of agriculture and is extraordinarily varied in its policy priorities. But while some of the coalition partners may differ on some of the individual aspects in different titles of the farm bill – Wellman said they share a commitment first and foremost to getting a bill done.

More information on the Farm Bill Now coalition and Wednesday’s event is available at www dot FarmBillNow dot com (www.FarmBillNow.com).

Business organizations from around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation region – including the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP – joined together on the eve of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Russia to urge the completion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. The organizations would like to see the completion of a comprehensive agreement that holds to the ambitious aims set for the final agreement as soon as possible in 2013.

The U.S. Business Coalition for TPP is a broad-based and cross-sectoral group of U.S. companies and associations – including the American Soybean Association – that have joined together to promote the U.S. negotiation of a comprehensive, high-standard and commercially meaningful TPP agreement with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. Canada and Mexico are joining the negotiations next month

Because of drought, yield and quality might be below normal this year, but the stakes are as high as ever in the annual Kansas Soybean Yield and Quality Contests this fall. Thanks to the Kansas Soybean Commission, the highest dryland and irrigated yields in the state each will receive a $1,000 award. In each district, first place will win $300, second will earn $200, and third will receive $100. No-Till on the Plains will supply additional awards for the no-till districts.

Managed by the Kansas Soybean Association, the contests are open to anyone involved in farming, but there is a limit of only one entry per field. Farmers may enter multiple categories – conventional or no-till, dryland or irrigated. All entries must be entered in the same district, however.

Farmers may enter the quality contest without entering the yield contest.

A complete set of rules is available on the Kansas Soybean website (www.KansasSoybeans.org), from the Kansas Soybean office (877-KS-SOYBEAN) and in K-State Extension offices statewide.

K-State Research and Extension is a contests sponsor. Gary Kilgore, an emeritus professor of agronomy, coordinates the project. He encouraged everyone to consider competing.

“Maintaining yield and quality in a drought year will go a long way toward U.S. food security,” he said, “and Kansas soybean farmers are using the technologies that help accomplish that. They deserve recognition for their efforts, and the Kansas Soybean contests provide just that.”

The Kansas Soybean Commission, headquartered in Topeka, includes nine volunteer farmer-commissioners who oversee investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all Kansas soybean farmers. KSC invests checkoff funds in research, consumer information, market development, industry relations and farmer outreach to improve the profitability of all Kansas soybean farmers.

The Kansas Soybean Association, also headquartered in Topeka, is the voice and advocate for soybean farmers on local, state, national and international issues of importance. Founded in 1973, its advocacy efforts are made possible through the voluntary memberships of nearly 500 farmers. It also is the primary contractor to the Kansas Soybean Commission.

Field testing began Monday for Radio Coverage for Troop-A of the Highway Patrol.

Troop-A covers the Kansas City region, including Platte County.

The survey’s are typical to test the effectiveness of current or improved radio systems for the Highway Patrol.

The testing will be for the entire coverage area of Troop-A. The public is asked to watch-out for slow moving unmarked cars, particularly on rural routes. The vehicles will be occupied by a current or retired trooper and a Motorola employee.

The testing is expected to last until December of this year.

USDA has reached its goal of funding 250-million dollars in smart grid improvements. President Obama’s goal was met Friday as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced that nine rural electric cooperatives and utilities in 10 states will receive loan guarantees to make improvements to generation and transmission facilities and implement smart grid technologies. Vilsack says grid modernization and deployment of smart grid technology will increase the reliability and efficiency of electric power generation. He says providing reliable, affordable electrical service contributes to stronger rural economies and is the backbone for a prosperous rural America.

According to Vilsack – the 250-million dollar investment in loan funds for smart grid technologies means infrastructure investment at virtually no cost to the taxpayer. These technologies will facilitate the integration of renewable sources of electricity into the grid, help avoid blackouts and restore power quicker when outages occur and reduce the need for new power plants. What’s more – the funds have further enabled rural utilities to make efficiency improvements to the electric grid that will help consumers lower their electric bills by reducing energy use in homes and businesses.

Several national agriculture organizations are urging Senate leaders to refrain from supporting any legislation that resembles the disaster bill approved by the House ahead of the August recess. They say support for such a measure would detract from the larger mission of passing a long-term farm bill. According to a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – passing the House disaster bill as a quick fix would do more harm than good to farmers and ranchers. The group states that completing a five-year farm bill would deliver assistance to eligible livestock producers nearly as quickly as a disaster bill and would provide certainty for future years. Further – the groups note the farm bill is paid for in both the House and Senate versions. The House disaster bill carries a 600-million dollar price tag – which the groups say would clearly impact funding available for long-term agriculture needs.

The letter concludes that the Senate and the House Agriculture Committee produced reform-minded, bipartisan bills that address many of the core principles the ag organizations believe are important. They say they remain committed to attempting to pass a five-year farm bill as soon as possible – including the long-term provisions it includes that would help alleviate the emergency conditions currently seen across the country.

The American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Barley Growers Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Farmers Union, National Milk Producers Federation, National Sunflower Association, Northarvest Bean Growers Association, United Fresh Produce Association, U.S. Canola Association, USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council and Western Growers signed the letter.

To avoid a food crisis – the three U.N. food agencies have urged governments to take action to curb rising prices of corn, wheat and soybeans. The heads of the U.N. World Food Program, Food and Agriculture Organization and International Fund for Agriculture Development warn that the sharp rise in food prices in recent months threatens to make life more difficult for tens of millions of people. The next global food price index from the FAO is expected today (Thursday). The last report showed global prices – after three months of decline – had increased six-percent in July. This was due in part to the U.S. drought and the impact of dry weather on Russia’s wheat harvest. Among other things – the U.N. food agencies suggested countries should adjust biofuel production requirements when food supplies become scarce.

The National Corn Growers Association has signaled its support for retaining the existing standard for coarse particle pollution – known as PM10 – in comments submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency. In the comments – NCGA President Garry Niemeyer states the group believes the current standard is sufficiently protective of air quality in agricultural and rural communities. He adds that dust is a fact of life in rural America – and creating more stringent regulations could cause many rural counties to fall into nonattainment. According to the comments – that would shift additional costs to agricultural producers with minimal environmental benefit.

Niemeyer notes that states have the option of incorporating conservation management practices into PM10 implementation plans to address air quality concerns. States can also choose to add monitoring sites in counties with populations of less than 100-thousand people – even while EPA focuses on urban and suburban areas. According to Niemeyer – this federal and state partnership is an effective way of mitigating health impacts from dust.