Working Off the Farm, But Still in Agriculture

Being a woman in agriculture can extend well beyond the farm itself. Sisters-in-law Jana and Becky Jobman are a great example. Jana Jobman is an ag loan officer with 1st State Bank of Gothenburg. Becky Jobman sells pivot irrigation systems for Landmark Water at its Lexington location. Jana's husband David and Becky's husband Andy are brothers and fifth-generation farmers in Gothenburg, Nebraska. Becky grew up on a small corn and soybean farm in Thayer County. Her parents moved to Nebraska from the East Coast to farm when Becky was an infant. Jana was raised on a six-generation cow-calf ranch on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills near Arnold, living "the cowboy lifestyle" she says.

Becky started working for John Deere while in college and continued full-time after graduating with a degree in agricultural engineering. She also married Andy the year she graduated. During their first nine months as newlyweds, her career took her to Iowa and Kansas. She commuted back and forth on weekends as Andy farmed and operated his agronomic consulting business in Gothenburg. When the opportunity arose for Becky to move back to central Nebraska to work for a local John Deere dealership, she jumped at it.

Jana graduated form the University of Nebraska with a degree in agricultural banking and finance. After working for an Omaha-based bank for a time, her employer agreed to allow her to live and work from home in Gothenburg after she married David. She recently joined 1st State Bank and now works out of the bank offices. Jana enjoys the wide range of agricultural clients she serves--from feedlots to pork operations, from grain elevators to ethanol plants, from ag retailers to individual farming operations. "I love being involved in and keeping a finger on the pulse on the entire industry," she said. "People in agriculture are honest, trustworthy, real people--and I've always appreciated that." In her new position, Jana will also work with community business owners. "Gothenburg is a progressive town that truly understands the meaning of 'community', she said. "I really look forward to being even more involved in our community and contributing to its success."

Some farmers have initially been skeptical of working with a woman to purchase a new pivot irrigation system, but Becky has established credibility thanks to her education in college and on the job. "You don't have to act like you know everything. If you're open-minded and like to learn, you'll succeed," Becky said. "That's been especially important to me as a woman in a nontraditional role." Their off-the-farm responsibilities still allow some time for Jana and Becky to help on the family farm as needed--irrigating, moving cattle, driving a grain cart during harvest or shuffling vehicles from one place to another. Their day jobs also help them contribute to the success of their family farms. "Our entire family is really good at coming together and listening to each other when it comes to making a big purchase or setting direction for the operation," Jana said. "My financial background and insight on the industry as a whole are beneficial when we're making big decisions of this nature."

Jana and Becky believe that there are great careers in agriculture for women, both on and off the farm. "Even a woman who doesn't want to be directly involved in the the agricultural field can still engage with farmers through careers in banking, insurance, healthcare, or law." Jana added. "If it's the right company, they will totally support you regardless of gender," Becky added. "If you're a good fit for the job and you work diligently at it, then it will be a good experience for you. The biggest thing is to stay flexible and know what your unique skills and talents are."

Ethanol fueling Nebraska’s economy, nation’s energy future

Our nation’s dangerous and expensive dependence on imported oil is at the root of many challenges such as national security, economic distress and environmental concerns, said David Nielsen, a farmer from Lincoln and member of the Nebraska Corn Board.

“On top of that, America spends more than $1 billion each and every day on imported oil,” Nielsen said. “That’s money headed out of this country that could be invested right here at home. We need a solution, and ethanol is playing an important role.”

Ethanol provides a domestic, renewable source of clean-burning fuel that provides a market for Nebraska corn, creates local jobs and generates millions in tax revenues.

Of course, ethanol plants aren’t using corn niblets to make ethanol.

More than 99 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. is field corn, not the sweet corn humans eat. Field corn is typically fed to livestock or transformed into ethanol and its co-products such as animal feed and food ingredients. “We’re not turning food into fuel,” Nielsen said. “We’re actually turning corn into fuel, feed and food.”

He explained that ethanol production uses only the starch in the corn kernel. The rest of the kernel, including fiber and protein, then becomes a high value livestock feed called distillers grains, which is widely used in livestock production.

Corn used to be fed in its raw form to livestock, and it still is in many cases.

Over time, however, livestock producers have increased the ratio of distillers grains in rations with significant positive results. “Distillers grains have become a preferred feed across the U.S.,” Nielsen said. “It helps create delicious red meat, poultry and dairy products enjoyed all over the world.”

Strong ag economy brings jobs, opportunity to rural Nebraska

In an article in the Omaha World Herald last Sunday, reporter Henry J. Cordes explored the economic strength of the rural economy today. He talked about the demand for grain and how market fundamentals may have shifted.

Included was a reference to ethanol and distillers grains, the feed ingredient ethanol plants produce, giving livestock producers in the state a nice advantage. 

Cordes visited Central City for the story, pulling together some good information on how everything comes together to benefit rural communities: corn, ethanol, distillers grains and livestock.

He reported that over the course of the recession, Central City actually added jobs every year – overall employment this year is up 2.6 percent – about 50 jobs – from three years ago. (He also pointed out that half of Nebraska's rural counties added jobs over that time.)

From the article:

On main street, one Central City family put up a new Dairy Queen building a year ago and has been so busy they haven't had time to tear down the old one. A new computer repair shop opened up, adding four jobs to town, there's a new bank building, and the Subway sandwich shop has a new building going up. Two small new housing subdivisions have been built in town the last few years, something not often seen in small towns.

Kent Grosshans is the manager of Grosshans Inc., a fifth-generation, family-owned implement dealership in Central City that traces its roots to 1877. But in all those years, the business has seen few times like this.

Grosshans said sales have been about double what they were four years ago, and he's added three new workers in the last year. He'd hire another technician and salesman right now if he could find them.

Click here to read the full story, which takes a much broader look at the rural economy than the few highlights here.

In 2007, the Nebraska Corn Board's Cornstalk newsletter focused on the economic opportunities created by ethanol – from new markets to corn, to jobs to livestock producers taking advantage of distillers grains.

The newsletter centered on one town, Central City, which was an example of how ethanol plants were positively impacting communities all across the state and rural America. It highlighted rural development at its best.

You can download the newsletter here (.pdf).

'Pumped' for new ethanol choices

Story from News 2, North Platte, Nebraska - Watch the video by clicking here.

Nebraska's corn farmers are pumped about the new ethanol choice in southwest Nebraska.

In Ogallala, the first gas station to offer four different blends of ethanol based gasoline offered fuel at a fraction of the cost to its customers today.

For Mike Leitz filling his gas tank for $24.47 was a welcome relief.

He makes a special trip to this gas station in Ogallala from his home in Brule.

He says there are many closer and more convenient stations for him but this is one of the few stations where he can get E-85, an 85 percent blend of gasoline.

“Then that way if the price of E-85 is cheap enough where I can fill up a tank then I will go for it,” said Mike Leitz, Brule.

As petroleum prices surge toward $4 a gallon, the federal government says it's going to provide grants and loans to station owners who install E-85 pumps.

“Ethanol is by nature and in many cases twenty cents below the price of regular fuel. In these days of higher priced petroleum fuel ethanol is that much more of a cost savings to consumers,” said Jon Holzfaster, NE Corn Board.

Those in the industry think government incentives will help ensure more flex fuel pumps are installed across the nation in the coming years.

“You can burn a blend all the way up to E-85 and that would be depended upon what you choose to use depending on your type of driving and the type of vehicle you drive,” said Holzfaster.

That's good news for drivers like Mike.

“You burn a little bit more with E-85 but overall it is a savings,” he said.

Vilsack speaks to producers, Commodity Classic 2010

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, spoke to producers at the 2010 Commodity Classic yesterday. He started his presentation by voicing his admiration for producers and the important jobs they do, while admitting he was a little nervous to be in front of such a significant group!

To hear the podcast of Secretary Vilsack's speach, click here.

Afterwards, Secretary Vilsack was able to talk with producers on the trade show floor at the NCGA booth.

Look for more up-coming posts about Commodity Classic 2010!

State-wide forum on rural jobs set for Friday

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office in Nebraska is holding a statewide video forum on rural jobs and small business credits this Friday - January 8 - from 10 a.m. to noon (CST).

The video conference forum is being at eight locations in the state.

According to information on the meeting, the USDA is leading an effort to hear from rural America on its ideas on what is needed to create jobs and economic development in rural communities across the country. This meeting is one effort to get input from Nebraskans.

While USDA Rural Development Nebraska is the convener of the meeting, co-conveners include a number of Nebraska groups, from banking to colleges. Included on the list is the Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Ethanol Board.

For more information on the meeting, click here.