- Registration is now open for the Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau’s 59th Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held February 8-10, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs, FL.
- GROWMARK, Inc. announced the election of a new Chairman to its Board of Directors. Kevin Malchine of Waterford, Wisconsin will serve as chairman effective immediately. Malchine previously served as a vice chair on the GROWMARK Board of Directors, in addition to operating a corn and soybean farm with his wife Kelly, and his brother and nephew. He has served on the Board since 2012.
- A new survey of more than 150 equipment manufacturing companies released today by the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) warns that U.S. equipment manufacturers continue to face supply chain issues and a persistent labor shortage nearly three years after the onset of the pandemic.
- The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), US Cotton Trust Protocol, Manulife Investment Management, and Forum for the Future announce the launch of an Eco-Harvest pilot project in Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee. This project will work with cotton farmers to generate high quality carbon and greenhouse gas credits on over 2,300 acres.
- After five years of outreach and education by farm groups, a new poll shows increased awareness and willingness to talk about the opioid crisis among rural adults, compared to 2017. Sixty percent say adults in their community are more aware of the crisis than they were five years ago, and nearly 8 in 10 adults (77%) report feeling comfortable having a conversation about opioids. However, survey results also reveal that more rural adults believe there is a higher rate of opioid misuse in rural communities than in the rest of the country (urban and suburban areas), compared to five years ago. The percentage of rural adults who say they know someone who is or has been addicted to opioids or prescription painkillers remains close to half. To help increase awareness of mental healthcare resources, American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union have consistently worked to publicize and compile useful material to help address rural stress, mental health challenges and opioid misuse.
- The American Soybean Association announced Melanie Fitzpatrick will join its senior management team Jan. 3. Fitzpatrick, who most recently worked as vice president of The Center for Food Integrity and Look East Public Relations, will fill the vacancy of Bill Schuermann, who retired this month after 15 years serving soy in the role.
