December 13 at Lincoln South Rotary

On Friday, December 13 we heard from Steve Martin of the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN).

The presentation started with PDG Julie O'Hara introducing Steve . . . you see . . . Steve is Julie's brother. It was an honor to have Julie at our meeting.

Steve shared photos of his new puppies - 4 male and 3 female. A diversion from the topic - but we enjoyed it.

AFAN's brand - Expand-Connect-Grow. https://becomeafan.org/

Since 2005 the AFAN has been working one-on-one with Nebraskans who want to add livestock production to their business or to expand an existing livestock operation. AFAN promotes responsible livestock production as a way for farmers and the communities in which they live to increase their opportunities for greater prosperity. Agriculture expansion is a critical part of sustaining and growing Nebraska's rural communities.

AFAN works with everyone and anyone - large or small - all markets. One of the important services is one-on-one consulting. People may need to talk with someone other than a salesperson when making decisions. AFAN has connections with various organizations to help individuals make decisions. They also help farmers understand the opportunities and work through regulatory compliance.

Some rankings of the industry . . .Nebraska is . . . 

#1 in cattle on feed, red meat, popcorn
#2 All Cattle and Calves, All Hay, Ethanol, Distiller Grains
#3 Corn
#4 Beef Cows
#5 Pork, Soybeans, Alfalfa
#25 Dairy Production – milk
 
In Nebraska 1 in 4 jobs in Nebraska is related to agriculture.
$21 billion Industry Annually - $12 billion livestock, $9 billion in crops
 
There are 45.2 million acres in farms and ranches in Nebraska. 23 million of those acres are in the sandhills which is mostly good for livestock - not crops.
 
Growing the cattle industry is a focus of AFAN. With crop production, you raise the crop, then sell it - often out of state. That supports only only producer. With the livestock industry, the grain can stay in Nebraska and support the next producer - cattle. The cattle can then support the meat processing industry - greatly expanding on the number of families impacted.
 
The great resources we have in Nebraska:
Water – well managed by NRDs and DEE
Feed – excellent quality and quantity with a surplus that can be leveraged
Land – fertile land and sandhills grazing
Space – We have open space where livestock can be placed
People – large food processing sector, well trained workforce
 
With regard to water, Steve commented that the Ogallala aquifer has 3 times more water than Lake Erie. If it was poured over the whole state it would be 38 feet deep.
 
Steve shared the 2019 Annual Report of AFAN - click here.

 

BIO:

Steve grew up on a diversified farm in Southwest Iowa.  They raised row crops, alfalfa, cattle and hogs.  He went to college at Colorado State University and has a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Business as well as a teaching degree from Buena Vista University. 

Steve has worked in the swine industry, taught high school business classes, coached wrestling, managed an assembly lines in a factory, been a freelance writer, and worked for the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and is now the executive director with the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (AFAN) and We Support Ag (WSA)

Steve lives on a small farm south of Lincoln, NE with his wife, Renae, and two sons where they raise row crops, cattle, hogs, and Vizsla hunting dogs.