Here Comes the Corn

Corn planting started to come to an end this week with reports that 96% of this years crop has been planted. Emerged corn jumped to 61% which is still well behind last year’s 94%. Farmers are starting to become fearful however that any remaining corn will not be planted by June 1 because of the rain we have been receiving all week. This could cause fields to be switched from corn to soybean production.  

The corn is growing taller each day!



This corn plant is growing fast thanks to the rain.



With all this progress in corn planting we also continued to see progress in soil moisture levels. Moisture accumulations through Sunday totaled an inch or more across much of Nebraska. Topsoil moisture supplies rated 30% short to very short and 65% adequate. Subsoil moisture is 70% short or very short with 29% being considered adequate. We can expect to see these numbers continue to change due to the added moisture we are experiencing. Statewide producers had 4.8 days considered suitable for fieldwork. Farmers are now having to take into consideration replanting due to storm damage and flooding of fields. This is a big change from last year. Even with the potential damage it is nice to finally see some moisture in the soil. 



To view all photos submitted this week please visit our Flickr page!





Podcast: Ethanol's Role in Lowering Gas Prices

In this podcast, David Merrell, farmer director on the Nebraska Corn Board from St. Edward, shares about ethanol's role in lowering gas prices.

In many areas around the state, gas is now over four bucks a gallon—and nobody can really explain the rapid price increase over the past couple of weeks. But we do know that, without ethanol in the fuel supply, we'd be paying even more at the pump.

That's one reason why corn producers and other ethanol advocates have been promoting the use of higher ethanol blends such as E15. More ethanol in our fuel supply helps soften the price shocks of oil and gasoline.

E15 is approved for use in more than 75% of the consumer vehicles on the road today. If you drive a standard car, SUV or pickup that is model year 2001 or newer, you can use E15. And if you drive a Flex Fuel Vehicle—and one in ten Nebraskans do—you can use any blend of gasoline and ethanol up to E85.

Listen for more!

Nebraska Corn Kernel podcasts are also available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

Wordless Wednesday

Photo curtiousy of Chase County High School. Please post your #grow13 photos to our Facebook or Tweet them to us!

Life Through the Eyes of an Intern: Busy Start to the Summer

By: Lauren Ibach, Communications and Outreach Intern

Well…there it goes, week two of my internship complete! I must say time is really flying by this summer. It seems like just yesterday I was walking into the office for the first time. I have accomplished a lot over the past two weeks. I can now answer the phone and transfer calls like a pro!

I have three main projects that I am currently working on. The first one is developing info graphics to use on our social media outlets. So far I have created four pictures that can be used for various promotions and social media. I must say that creating these pictures is harder than I had imagined. I am not a very creative person so designing a format for words to be placed in is a challenge for me; the other confounding factor is that I have only had minimal experience with Photoshop prior to my internship. I’m still no pro at “Photoshop Pro” but I am slowly becoming more confident in my abilities.

The second project that I am working on right now is putting together a brochure for a mission to Japan that the Corn Board is supporting through U.S. Meat Export Federation. This brochure will have a photo of all the delegates attending and a paragraph explaining their role in the mission.

Finally I am putting together an activity for PrarieLand Dairy Days on June 22nd. This is the project that I am most excited about. With this project I am able to experience every part of planning an activity for an event. From the researching and ordering supplies all the way to attending the event and proctoring the activity, I get to do it all.

Some future projects I will be working on are developing videos to post on the Corn Boards Youtube page and attending outreach activities with staff members. Needless to say they are keeping me busy here at the Corn Board, so busy in fact that I slept for 12 hours the other night. Despite the lack available nap time in my days I am enjoying every minute of my internship so far!

Pain at the Pump

By: Kim Clark, Director of Biofuels Development

We are all feeling the pain at the pump and reaching deeper into our pockets to pay for that tank of gas.

Over the last couple of weeks gas prices have jumped significantly and are over $4.00 per gallon. Ouch! If you have a mid-sized vehicle it may take 15 gallons to fill up and will cost you at least $60.

Is there a benefit to these high gas prices? Yes! Flex fuel vehicle drivers can fill up for a lot less when they use E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. The price of E85 varies across Nebraska ranging anywhere from $0.60 less per gallon up to $1.30 per gallon-an average savings of $0.95 per gallon.

Even with reduced fuel mileage of E85, today’s gas prices make it economical to use in flex fuel vehicles. Let’s say the same mid-sized vehicle is flex fuel and fills up with E85. 15 gallons at $3.05 per gallon is a cost of $45.75. Wow what a savings! $14.25 on one fill up.

One in ten Nebraskans drives a flex fuel vehicle and can fill up with E0, E85 and anything in between. If you are one of the lucky owners of a flex fuel vehicle you have flexibility. Vehicle owners can determine if they are driving a flex fuel vehicle by:

      • Looking for the flex fuel emblem on the body of the vehicle

      • Checking the gas cap

      • Checking the owners manual  

      • Visit E85Vehicles.com

There are more than 80 locations across Nebraska that offer E85 and other ethanol fuel blends such as E20 and E30. There are several good websites that list station locations with E85 and other ethanol. E85Prices.com is one of the better sources that is most current. If you have a smartphone, you can download a flex fuel locator app, too.

Why use ethanol fuel? Ethanol fuel is a homegrown, locally produced fuel that reduced greenhouse gas emissions, creates jobs and tax revenues, provides energy independence, reduces dependence on imported oil, and much more.

Next time you pull up to the pump, fill your flex fuel vehicle with E85 and save money at the pump.

Podcast: World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates

In this podcast, Scott Merritt, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, discusses USDA's newest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates—better known as the WASDE report.

After last year's record drought—and record corn prices—it's no surprise to see the WASDE report projecting a larger corn crop and lower prices. Corn production for 2013-14 is projected at 14.1 billion bushels. That's up 3.4 billion from last year.

Listen for more!

Nebraska Corn Kernel podcasts are also available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

Wordless Wednesday

Photos courtesy of Ashley Zeisler and Jennifer Rees. Please continue to share your images with us at Facebook.com/NebraskCornBoard or tweet photos to @NECornBoard.

Agribusiness Virtual Roundtable–John Campbell

*The Business Leaders "Virtual Roundtable" discussion was gathered for the Spring 2013 CornsTalk publication. The responses of these business associates were consolidated for the publication, but you can find the full responses through this blog series.

John Campbell, Senior Vice President, AGP (Omaha)

How does Nebraska's strength in agriculture—and corn, livestock and ethanol specifically—influence your business/organization? How does the fact that you are located in Nebraska provide a competitive advantage or growth opportunities for you?
AGP has invested heavily in Nebraska due to our position in the growing Western grain region, rail access to export markets and irrigated crops.

What should Nebraska do to leverage its strength in agriculture to enhance economic vitality across the state—and position the state for long-term success in meeting global demand for food, feed and fuel?
Nebraska lost our pork production industry while neighboring states grew. The economic losses to the state were substantial. If Nebraska is to take full advantage of our crop production capacity we must also value add through a vibrant and growing livestock sector that includes pork and dairy operations.

What do you think Nebraska consumers—especially those in urban areas—need to better understand about Nebraska agriculture and your organization's relationship to agriculture?
The consumer is constantly being hit with misinformation about the food that they eat. Almost any food can be unhealthy if not consumed in moderation. The food agenda it being formed by people and organizations that are well meaning but miss the most important point. Our most pressing food health problem is not one kind of food or another. The biggest problem is overconsumption of total calories coupled with lack of exercise.

How important is it that Nebraska corn farmers continue to invest in the future of their industry through their checkoff?
The corn check-off provides a collective voice for corn farmers to communicate with consumers and others about what they do and how they do it. A shockingly high number of consumers think that all the corn growing in the fields of Nebraska is for corn on the cob. They do not know that corn goes to feed animals that in turn provide meat.

What concerns you most about the future of agriculture in Nebraska? And what will it take to address those concerns?
Nebraska’s ace-in-the-hole is our underground water resources. Nobody likes regulation but both water quantity and water quality will suffer – perhaps irreversibly if water is not responsibly managed by both the local water authorities and by the State.

Any other comments or perspectives regarding Nebraska agriculture that you wish to share.
Biofuels have propelled a rural renaissance in Nebraska and allowed the State to thrive even through a deep and lasting National recession. It is critical that Nebraskans understand their connection not only to agriculture but agriculture’s connection to biofuels.

First week on the internship with US Grains Council

By Bryce Vaughn, U.S. Grains Council intern

I am happy to announce that I have completed my first week of my last internship of my college career at the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in Washington D.C. I was assigned to work primarily for the Global Programs department which is directed under the leadership of Kim Karst.

During my first week I have had the opportunity to assist the team with completing the 2014 Unified Export Strategy (UES). The UES is the USGC’s strategy for the following year which is presented to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service. The UES proposal is submitted every year and provides the funding for the USGC to carry out their market development efforts. This is a major project for the office since the UES is due at the end of the month and the funding requested for the following year totals close to $15 million.

In addition to working on the UES, I have also been engaged in program coordination. In June, USGC staff and members will travel to Panama for the Latin America Co-Products conference. I have been assisting in the preparation of travel briefs for staff and consultants that will be traveling on behalf of the Council.

The main project for my internship will likely be working on two trade mission programs. A Taiwanese DDGS and corn team will travel to Minnesota, Illinois and Washington, and a Korean Biotech Team will travel to Washington, D.C. and Iowa. Both teams will travel to the U.S. in July, so this will give me the opportunity to participate in efforts from step one to the conclusion of their mission.

Interns chosen for Nebraska Corn Board programs

The Nebraska Corn Board is proud to select and support five college students as interns starting this summer.

Four of the five interns will be hosted by national cooperators of NCB: National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) in St. Louis, MO and Washington, D.C., the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) in Denver, CO. The internship program in the NCB office in Lincoln is a year-long internship and has been engaging students for over 25 years.

“The cooperators of the Corn Board are very pleased with the college student interns that come out of Nebraska, which is why they are requested year after year,” said Don Hutchens, executive director for the Nebraska Corn Board. “Our board has observed the educational and career advantages that internships provide and consider internships as an investment into Nebraska’s agricultural future. Plus, it is great work experience for these Nebraska students.”

The NCB office in Lincoln welcomed Lauren Ibach of Sumner, Neb. for a year-long internship. Lauren will be a junior in agriculture education at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. As part of her internship, she will oversee crop progress report placement, contribute to communication and outreach programs and help with education and promotion activities.

The National Corn Growers Association office in Washington, D.C. will host Kyle McGinn of Lincoln, Neb. as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and NCGA. Kyle is a student in at the University of Nebraska-College of Law. He will be involved with a variety of agricultural issues related to environmental regulations, transportation, free trade agreements, biotechnology, ethanol and energy.

The National Corn Growers Association headquarters office in St. Louis, Mo. will host Casey Campbell of Santa Fe, New Mexico as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and NCGA. Casey will be a junior in agricultural education at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. She will be assisting with membership and communication programs, as well as participating in committee meetings.

The U.S. Grains Council will host Bryce Vaughn of Alliance, Neb. as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and USGC. Bryce is a senior in agriculture economics with a focus in public policy and a minor in international studies at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He will be working with policy, assisting with international trade teams and helping to develop promotions and international relations.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation will host Michael Chao of Lincoln, Neb. as their summer intern supported by a partnership between NCB and USMEF.  Michael is a graduate student in meat science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He will be assisting with beef and pork specific projects, as well as promotions and international relationship opportunities.

Interns were hosted for an Intern Orientation on May 3rd to go over their program and learn about the relationship between the Nebraska Corn Board and our cooperators. Mark Jagels, Jon Holzfaster and Alan Tiemann, board members, made the effort to share their roles on the national level with each of these cooperators, and to encourage the interns before starting their new endeavors.

Watch for updates from each intern this summer on the blog.

Life Through the Eyes of an Intern

Hello, My name is Lauren Ibach and this year I will be serving the Nebraska Corn Board as their Communications and Outreach Intern. I am from Sumner, Nebraska and I am a junior studying Agriculture Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. My family farm consists of a 450 head cow/calf operation, 35 head flock of sheep, and about  1,300 acres of irrigated crop land which is usually planted to corn or soybeans, this year though we have had to plant some fields to grass to help make up for the lack of pasture due to last year’s drought.  Some other activities I am involved in on campus are Alpha Chi Omega Sorority, Nebraska Agricultural Youth Council, Nebraska Human Resource Institute, and Alpha Zeta honors fraternity. Needless to say this upcoming school year is going to be very busy for me.

I started my internship with the Nebraska Corn Board on Monday May 13^th here at on the 4^th floor of the State Office Building. Before this summer I had spent all of my summer breaks working on my family’s farm and assisting my dad with jobs which usually meant I was doing chores and cleaning barns, so as you can imagine living in the big city instead of the country is going to take some getting used to. So far my biggest adjustment has been remembering to lock my car every time I get out of it and not forgetting the keys inside! I must admit this city living has some advantages though, for example I can get from place to place in 10 minutes now instead of having to plan an afternoon to go to town to shop or get groceries. Despite these advantages though I would still prefer to be a little further out of the city limits than I will be this summer but I guess my city house will have to do for a while.

Some activities I have been exposed to while at the office include reading blogs from various websites to help keep me informed about current agriculture happenings, video editing, washing the corn van, and answering the phone. I know answering the phone seems like one of my simpler tasks but I am yet to master the art of transferring calls. Hopefully I will get over my nerves soon. With the exception of my personal endeavors with the office phone I am fully enjoying my “office job” and am looking forward to the rest of my year working with the staff here at the Nebraska Corn Board and the corn producers of Nebraska.

Farm Bill….now?

By Kelly Brunkhorst, director of research

Déjà vu…but let’s hope that this time we have a different ending.

Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee marked up and passed their version of a 2013 Farm Bill. The bill will now head to the full Senate for debate that is expected to happen in the next couple of weeks.

Like the National Corn Growers Association on their statement following passage, we are pleased to see action being taken on a new Farm Bill. Although it will be a long process, a critical first step has been accomplished and awaits full Senate action, while in the House Agriculture Committee, they working on their version of a new 5-year Farm Bill.

Providing farmers with certainty was one of our key points this past year as we pressed hard for a Farm Bill Now. You can catch past blogs here, here and here. Ultimately we were disappointed when the full House did not take action on a Farm Bill, even though it had passed the House Agriculture Committee and we settled on a last minute extension of the current Farm Bill.

Additionally, just as import as domestic demand is international demand and providing certainty, yet again, for our cooperators such as the U.S Grains Council and U.S. Meat Export Federation who utilize Foreign Market Development and Market Access Program funds was critical. Both FMD and MAP funding are part of the Farm Bill.

So as the House Agriculture Committee works through advancing their version of the Farm Bill, our hope is that will happen swiftly and then action can be taken on both bills in their respective Senate and House chambers. Then eventually through conference to work out differences in a bipartisan fashion…an action that we hope will be different than last year.

UPDATE:  Late into the evening on Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee approved their version of new Farm Bill.  Our expectations are the full Senate will take action next week followed by the House in the early part of June.  

And through the entire process, your voice is important! Call your Representative and Senators and ask them to support a new five year Farm Bill that will provide you certainty on your operation.

Wordless Wednesday

Sunsets in Nebraska are one of a kind.

Rain isn't slowing this farmers planting progress.

Photos courtesy of @JayBehrends and @Rusty_Bill. Post your photos to Nebraska Corn Board or Tweet to @NECornBoard to share your planting progress with us!

2013 Crop Progress In Full Swing

Corn planting this spring continues to be well behind last year thanks to the unseasonably late snow and continual moisture. However, after last year it's hard to complain about the spring showers. As of now 43% of this year’s corn crop is in the ground compared to last year’s average of 89%. Thankfully due to technology advances farmers are able to plant more acres at a faster pace, so don't fret yet about getting the seeds in the ground. Corn planting was active during the early part of the week until a mid week rain slowed progress leaving only 4.7 days considered suitable for planting. Precipitation continues to be 25-50 percent above normal, and average temperatures were again lower than normal with lows below freezing in some areas. Hopefully as the spring progresses we will start to see more normal temperatures.

Soil temperatures as of Sunday were 55 degrees and higher throughout the state. These will continue to rise as the average daily temperatures increase. Statewide topsoil moisture levels rated 39% very short or short while subsoil moisture rated 82% very short or short. So despite the showers we are still running low on soil moisture and fighting to recover from last year. As of this week we have 2% of planted corn emerged which is well behind last year’s 52%. 

Here are some photos from this last week that were sent in by FFA chapters around the state. More photos are available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/necornboard/sets/72157633436384370/

This field was scheduled to be planted by now, but because of unseasonably cold weather and the precipitation, it will have to wait a few more days.

You can see some weeds are starting to emerge in this photo. A pre-emergence herbicide is set to be applied as well as fertilizer.

Podcast: Agricultural Biotechnology Trade

In this podcast, Carl Sousek, farmer from Prague and Chairman of the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, shares about modern technology and Agricultural Biotechnology Trade.

Last week, the United States and several other nations announced their intention to work together to remove global barriers to the trade of agricultural biotechnology. These nations have also agreed to promote science-based, transparent and predictable regulatory approaches.

Ag production in these six nations is a major contributor to global food security. They produce the vast majority of the world's corn and soybean supply in international markets. Farmers in these countries are using modern technology—including biotech plants—to grow more with less.
Listen for more!

Nebraska Corn Kernel podcasts are also available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

Farmers Feed US announces Nebraska winners

Omaha and Hastings residents have been selected as the two lucky grand prize winners of “Free Groceries for a Year” in the Nebraska Farmers Feed US sweepstakes. Nebraska farmers sponsored the grand prizes, which are valued at $5,000* – the average amount spent on groceries annually per person. The winners are:

· Jeff Dunn, Omaha, Neb., who was presented $5,000 in Super Saver gift cards by Nebraska farmers during an in-store presentation earlier this week

· Marcie Hendricks, Hastings, Neb., who was presented $5,000 in Russ’s Market gift cards by Nebraska farmers during an in-store presentation earlier this week

Following the three month sweepstakes, the names of the two winners were drawn at random from more than 131,000 online registrations submitted by Nebraskans from across the state.

Supporting Nebraska agriculture groups include the Alliance for the Future of Agriculture in Nebraska (A-FAN), Nebraska Soybean Board, Nebraska Pork Producers, Nebraska Corn Board, Midwest Dairy Association, and B&R Grocery.

*Based on Food Marketing Institute figures, a $5,000 value

Nebraska Corn Board awards Block & Bridle Scholarship

Students are key partners to success in agriculture because of their desire to gain more knowledge and seek opportunities to partner in the industry.

The Nebraska Corn Board is proud to partner with UNL’s Block & Bridle Club this year to provide a $500 scholarship to an outstanding student member. This opportunity was created to show the partnership of the corn industry for future leaders in agriculture. 

Students qualifying for the scholarship over the past year had to meet the certain criteria for club involvement, academic excellence and professional development. Many applications were submitted, but four finalists were chosen and interviewed. These finalists were recognized recently at the Block & Bridle Annual Banquet by Board director, Bob Dickey - a past honoree of Block & Bridle.

The finalists were:

• Hannah Kesterson, freshman in Food Science and Technology from Alliance 
• Valerie Matulka, sophomore in Agribusiness from Thedford 
• Laura Gorecki, freshman in Animal Science from Farwell 
• Kolin Scheele, freshman in Animal Science from Odell

  

  (l to r): Kolin Scheele, Laura Gorecki, Valerie Matulka, Hanna Kesterson

The recipient of the Nebraska Corn Board scholarship is Laura Gorecki. Congratulations!

Podcast: Exhibits across the state promote agriculture

In this podcast, Don Hutchens, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board shares about two highly visible projects that will reach hundreds of thousands of people each year promoting agriculture in the state.

The new building at the Nebraska State Fair that was recently announced will feature Nebraska agriculture in a big way. The Nebraska Building will have a 25,000-square-foot exhibit space that will highlight the technology, innovation and producers that make Nebraska a global leader in agricultural production.

The other project is Centennial Mall in Lincoln, which connects our unique State Capitol building with our land grant university—so it is the perfect place for Nebraska agriculture to have a strong presence.

Listen for more!

Nebraska Corn Kernel podcasts are also available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

iPad Grant Winners Announced

The Nebraska Corn Board recently chose the winners for their iPads for Agriculture Education grant.

The Nebraska Corn Board received a $5,000 DuPont Pioneer grant for an iPad for agriculture education project and the board matched these funds for a total of $10,000 to purchase iPads.

From January 1 to February 28, 2013 the Nebraska Corn Board accepted applications for their iPad grant program. Teachers completed an application and then submitted an essay, photo or video explaining why they should receive an iPad for their classroom.  In total over 50 applications were received.

Applications were received from across Nebraska including Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Hastings, St. Edward, Blue Hill, Bertrand, David City, Holdrege, Randolph, Madison, and many more. 

“We were excited and overwhelmed by all the applications we received,” said Mark Jagels, District two director for the Nebraska Corn Board.  “We know agriculture education is lacking in the classroom and our goal is to reach more students and allow teachers to feel comfortable with agriculture material.”

“Narrowing down the applications to the top twenty was very difficult.  It is unfortunate we were not able to award each applicant with an iPad at this time,” said Jagels.

Schools in Kearney, Holdrege, Bertrand, Norfolk, Murray, Curtis, Plainview, St. Edward, Omaha, David City and Crofton will be receiving iPads this fall. 

Here is one of the winning videos from Meadowlark Elementary's Kindergaren class:

The Nebraska Corn Board will provide a list of agriculture apps, suggest webpages to bookmark, will go into the classroom two times per school year, and will send out a monthly eAgletter as part of the iPad program. 

If your school would like to be added to the monthly eAgletter, email ncb.info@nebraska.gov.

Several videos that were part of the applications can be found on our Cob Squad YouTube page.

Corn Belt turns to ‘Snow Belt’

“What early spring?” asked Drovers CattleNetwork. As it turns out, famed forecaster Punxatawney Phil was wrong this year – very wrong.

During a month better known for grilling and shorts weather, a spring-time winter storm fueled by a powerful cold front is setting up to produce rare weather conditions across much of the western Corn Belt – snow.

The National Weather Service forecast up to two feet of snow in the Rockies with several inches of snow expected in a band that stretches from Texas to Wisconsin, according to NBC News.

Snow is only half of the equation. In parts of Texas, the front is expected to bring wild temperature swings. On Tuesday, the mercury in Amarillo reached a balmy 97 degrees. Less than 48 hours later, on Thursday morning, meteorologists anticipate a 67-degree drop.

“By tomorrow morning we have … Amarillo at 30 and probably snowing,” Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said.

Just how rare is this May snowstorm? Wunderground.com looked at other notable May snowstorms:

• Amarillo recorded than 7 inches of snow on May 6, 1917, and on May 2, 2005 the city saw nearly 5 inches of snow.   
• Minneapolis, Minn., has seen just six snow days in May since 1975, the top being May 11, 1946 when 2.8 inches fell.
• Chicago has only had two one inch snow events in May since 1884.
• Omaha, Neb., has recorded four days with measurement snow in May since 1881.
• Des Moines, Iowa, had two separate snows in 1907 on May 4 and May 15. It also snowed on May 3, 1917.
• Kansas City, Mo., reported one measurement snow in May on May 3, 1907 when 1.7 inches fell on the city.

Click here for other May snow facts.

"It is very difficult to get a major snowstorm in the lower elevations of the U.S. in May," said Weather Channel meteorologist Nick Wiltgen. "Even on May 1 you're only seven weeks away from the summer solstice, and with that comes strong sun and long days adding heat to the atmosphere.

How is this affecting corn planting in Nebraska? Well, it’s halted right now for sure. The freeze and heavy moisture brings with it even more anxious farmers. Last Monday, Henderson, Nebraska farmer, Michael Bergen posted this picture on Facebook as he was excited to get into the field.

Henderson is a different sight today with snow and ice. Just done the road from Bergen, Curt Friesen tweeted this picture.