Expert: 2020's wet weather caused issues for grain farmers - Arkansas Online

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As with many of the state's commodities, Arkansas corn, wheat and other feed grains took 2020 on the chin.

Arkansas corn saw a significant drop-off in acreage, falling from growers' stated planting intentions of 800,000 acres to 620,000 acres planted.

The gap wasn't surprising, given the wet planting conditions that dominated the late winter and spring, and a generally unattractive -- and falling -- market price, said Jason Kelley, extension wheat and feed grains agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Grain sorghum acres had been anticipated to be low -- approximately 10,000 acres -- due to low price prospects as well.

Weather negatively impacted both crops throughout the planting season, he said, as well as the harvest.

"Weather was likely the biggest issue for getting corn and grain sorghum acres planted," Kelley said. "Tropical storms Laura and Beta caused issues in corn."

"We had a later harvest due to later planting," and both Laura and Beta exacerbated the delay, he said.

While 2020 did feature a late-season price bump for corn, the uptick occurred too late to help many Arkansas growers who had already harvested and sold their crop by that point.

"Those who stored their grain at harvest, however, saw a nice increase in price from those available at harvest," Kelley said.

He said the coming year augurs brighter prospects for Arkansas grain farmers than what befell them in 2020.

"The uptick in corn and grain sorghum prices over the last couple months has been welcome," Kelley said.

The current corn contract price, approximately $4.20 per bushel at harvest for next summer, is higher than last year's market offerings, and will probably increase Arkansas corn acreage above the 620,000 acres that was grown in 2020, he said.

Grain sorghum prices have also increased greatly, in part due to renewed purchase activity from China.

"Farmers are currently able to lock in $4.75/bu in the Memphis-area market, which is a very good price for grain sorghum," Kelley said. At those prices he said, the state may see a significant increase in acreage from 2020, especially in nonirrigated acres.

"Wheat prices have also been increasing, and $6/bu wheat was able to be booked for harvest in 2021," he said. "Those prices are attractive and did increase wheat seeding this fall, but acreage will still be below long-term averages."

Ryan McGeeney is with the University of Aarkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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January 03, 2021 at 04:46PM
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Expert: 2020's wet weather caused issues for grain farmers - Arkansas Online

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HIGHLIGHTS: No. 9 Wall bounces back from first loss, cruises past Grape Creek - ConchoValleyHomepage.com

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GRAPE CREEK — No. 9 Wall bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 61-20 victory over Grape Creek in a District 6-3A contest on Friday.

Kylie Phillips scored a game-high 12 points for the Lady Hawks (13-1, 4-0 in district) while Kamryn Williams and Kaitlyn Stephens both added 11 points.

Taigan Rivers led the Lady Eagles (1-9, 1-3) with nine points.

Both teams continue district play on Tuesday. Wall hosts Jim Ned at 6:15 p.m., while Grape Creek goes on the road to face Merkel at 6:30 p.m.

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January 02, 2021 at 11:40AM
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HIGHLIGHTS: No. 9 Wall bounces back from first loss, cruises past Grape Creek - ConchoValleyHomepage.com

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SDSU Extension Invites Growers To Take Coffee Break Online And Talk Corn - Yankton Daily Press

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BROOKINGS — Nearly one out of every $3 generated by South Dakota agriculture starts in a corn field. The state’s most-planted crop, corn is also a strong partner in livestock and ethanol production. In January, SDSU Extension’s Crop Hour webinar series will dedicate a full week to cover everything in corn, from the latest research to best management practices for improved performance and profitability.

“I think the real opportunity that people have this year is they can attend the programs that fit their situation,” says Paul Johnson, SDSU Extension Weed Science Coordinator. “Obviously on corn week, all of the topics are related to growing corn, where SDSU will be talking about all the latest research in the area of corn, whether it's dealing with weeds, insects, diseases or fertility, and we'll give farmers a lot more targeted opportunity to see specific information relating to corn.”

Held just prior to the South Dakota Corn Annual Conference, the SDSU Extension Crop Hour corn week is slated for Jan. 12-15 from 10-11 a.m. CST each day and will cover the following topics:

• Jan. 12: "Updates on Weed Control in Corn," Paul Johnson, SDSU Extension; "Corn Herbicides and Cover Crops," Gared Shaffer, SDSU Extension Weeds Field Specialist

• Jan. 13: "What Insects Do We Manage in Corn?" Adam Varenhorst, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Field Crop Entomologist; "New and Emerging Diseases in Corn," Emmanuel Byamukama, Associate Professor and SDSU Extension Plant Pathologist and Connie Strunk, SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Field Specialist

• Jan. 14: "Corn Nitrogen Update - Tillage and rotation effects," Chris Graham, SDSU Extension Agronomist, Jason Clark, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Soil Fertility Specialist, and Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist; "Testing the SDSU Corn P, K, and S Recommendations," Jason Clark, SDSU Extension

• Jan. 15: "Planting Early Corn Early - What I learned in 2020," Jonathan Kleinjan, SDSU Extension Crop Production Associate; "Corn Costs and Market," Jack Davis, SDSU Extension Crops Business Management Field Specialist

• Each week SDSU Extension’s Crop Hour will cover a different area of agronomic production, from field crops and forages to water and weather. The webinar series begins Jan. 5 and will conclude March 26.

There is no fee to attend but participants will need to register for the weekly webinars on the SDSU Extension Crops page (https://extension.sdstate.edu/agriculture/crops). Confirmation Zoom links and reminders will be emailed to attendees.

Educational credits (CEU’s) will be available for Certified Crop Advisers for each session.

For more information about the webinar series and to view the weekly topics and speakers, visit the Crops page on the SDSU Extension site.

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January 02, 2021 at 09:46AM
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SDSU Extension Invites Growers To Take Coffee Break Online And Talk Corn - Yankton Daily Press

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Vie-Del acquires Constellation's grape lines | News | hanfordsentinel.com - Hanford Sentinel

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FRESNO — Vie-Del Company (Vie-Del), the oldest family-owned grape processor and supplier of bulk juices, concentrates, brandy, wine and spirits in California, announced this week the completion of the acquisition of the Canandaigua Concentrate High-Color Concentrate (HCC) and standard grape concentrate business lines from Constellation Brands U.S. Operations, Inc. (CBUSO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Constellation Brands, Inc. (Constellation). The transaction was approved by the Federal Trade Commission on Dec. 23, 2020. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.      

The acquisition is comprised of the Canandaigua Concentrate MegaNatural HCC, Mega Purple and Mega Red, and standard grape concentrates, which will be incorporated under the Vie-Del Company brand. Additionally, the acquisition included certain intellectual property, inventory, goodwill, interests in certain contracts and other assets.

“The Canandaigua Concentrate acquisition enhances our already expansive lines of grape juice concentrates and takes Vie-Del into the High-Color Concentrate business with immense opportunity for growth,” said Dianne S. Nury, President of Vie-Del. “Our team of specialists will continue to serve our industry partners, existing and new, with quality products to fuel their growth and the same personalized business approach our family-owned company has delivered for the past 70 years.” 

The acquisition expands Vie-Del’s product offerings and solidifies the company as a leading supplier of High-Color and standard grape concentrates in North America. Together with Vie-Del’s existing concentrate business, these new capabilities will further enhance the company’s ability to serve the needs of the marketplace – domestically and internationally, according to a release. This is complemented by Vie-Del’s other products that include wine, brandy, grape and fruit spirits, purée and custom fruit concentrates, natural wine flavors and wine reductions. To support this growth, Vie-Del is embarking on a multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art facility expansion in the heart of California’s agribusiness region, Fresno County. 

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January 02, 2021 at 04:48AM
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From health reform to grapes, here are Georgia laws that will go into effect Jan 1. - WTVM

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]From health reform to grapes, here are Georgia laws that will go into effect Jan 1.  WTVM The Link Lonk


January 02, 2021 at 06:30AM
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From health reform to grapes, here are Georgia laws that will go into effect Jan 1. - WTVM

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Celebrate the Straw with the Corn Starch Version - wpdh.com

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About twice a year I bring up this topic and by now I am hoping that you have joined me in the mission of saying "NO" to the straw that is unless it is reusable or recyclable.

I realize that it is not easy to enjoy a large beverage from you favorite take-out restaurant or for that matter your favorite coffee shop with out using a straw. But before you say yes to the large piece of plastic you are using to enjoy your mocha something, think about the fact that straw is going to be around long after you are gone. Unless is it made from biodegradable material.

A few months back I told you all about my love for corn starch dental picks, trust me when I tell you the corn starch straw is just as amazing and it is biodegradable. That means that once you are done with it you can dispose of it and know that it will be gone eventually unlike the popular plastic version.

Cornstarch straws are a great way to keep your straw habit and not feel like you are adding to the plastic straw problem we have here in America and all over the globe. So when would be a good time to make the switch? I say this Sunday (Jan 3rd) would be the perfect day because it just so happens to be National Straw Day.

People have been enjoying straws according to the National Days Calendar since 1888. I don't expect to get rid of the straw but let's plan on getting rid of the plastic ones responsibly and switch to an alternative. Straws now come in many sustainable materials including glass, metal, paper and my favorite cornstarch.

The Link Lonk


January 02, 2021
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Celebrate the Straw with the Corn Starch Version - wpdh.com

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Scholomiti: Finger Lakes grapes a rare highlight of 2020 - Auburn Citizen

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This year's red aging in oak barrels at CJS Vineyards & Aurelius Winery.

Provided

Chris Scholomiti Special to The Citizen

Happy New Year! Thankfully 2020 is behind us, and we all look forward to a better, healthier and happier 2021. The Finger Lakes grapes from 2020 and the ensuing wines we produced were definitely the highlights of this past year, as the hot, dry summer produced excellent grapes that went on to become fantastic wines. Eternally optimistic, grape growers are looking forward to a good growing season in 2021, and hopefully life will return to normal by mid-year.

Looking back, December weather was all over the place: cold, snow, warm, rain and a little sun. The vineyards are now dormant and large growers will start pruning soon. It’s a job done by hand in the cold weather, and it’s a slow process. So if you have many acres, you need to start now to complete the pruning before the spring, when the vines awaken. Smaller producers like us can wait until March or April, which can be important if we get sub-zero temperatures between now and spring.

The 2021 grape crop is already on the vine in the buds, so they need to survive the winter to produce in the spring and summer. Temperatures below zero Fahrenheit can kill off the buds. Vinifera grapes (Riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet franc) are more sensitive to the cold than the hybrid grapes (Cayuga white, baco noir, seyval blanc and chambourcin). However, when you approach 10 below and colder, they start to be affected as well. The hardiest wine grapes are the University of Minnesota hybrids (Marquette, Frontenac, LaCresent and Itasca). These vines can withstand temperatures to 30 below and still survive and produce grapes.

The most recent year where we saw severe winter damage was on Valentine’s Day 2016, when temperatures in the Finger Lakes dropped below 20. Many of us growers called it the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, since much of the 2016 crop was lost, except for the Minnesota varieties. Let’s hope we don’t see those temperatures again in our lifetimes. If we can wait to prune until late March, most of the sub-zero weather should be behind us, and if we did experience really cold temperatures, we can prune off less to make up for any bud damage, and still be done in time before the vines come back to life.

Looking over 2020, we saw less visitors to the Finger Lakes wineries since our tasting rooms were not permitted to open until mid-June. However, after getting the green light on June 13, we saw lots of visitors right up until a week before Christmas, even with reduced capacity and new COVID-19 restrictions. Local guests and visitors from neighboring states were glad to get out and about and taste some wine.

Chris Scholomiti

The first quarter of the year is typically a quiet time. Our past vintages are comfortably aging in tanks and barrels, giving winemakers and grape growers a chance to think about the future and industry conferences and trade shows to attend. From what I can see, these shows will be all virtual this year. The largest in the United States is the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in California on Jan. 26-29, all online this year. As is the BEVNY (Business, Enology and Viticulture New York) 2021. This is a great conference and trade show put on with Cornell's Extension Enology Lab, the Finger Lakes Grape Program and the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. I’ve attended for many years and find it a great resource for grape growing and winemaking, which has helped the New York wine industry grow and gain global recognition for quality wines. I’ll have more information next month on the topics and program for BEVNY 2021.

Chris Scholomiti is co-owner and winemaker at CJS Vineyards & Aurelius Winery, located at 6900 Fosterville Road, Aurelius. The winery's tasting room is now open by appointment, with tastings on the hour from noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and by appointment on weekdays. The winery also offers curbside pickup and wine shipments. For more information, questions or comments about the column or wine and grape-growing in the Finger Lakes, email wine@cjsvineyards.com, call (315) 730-4619 or find the winery on Facebook.

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January 01, 2021 at 06:45PM
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Scholomiti: Finger Lakes grapes a rare highlight of 2020 - Auburn Citizen

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