- American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on EPA’s issuance of yet another Waters of the United States Rule, which will replace the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. “AFBF is extremely disappointed in the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ new Waters of the United States Rule. Farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the nation’s waterways, but they deserve rules that don’t require a team of attorneys and consultants to identify ‘navigable waters’ on their land.
- The American Farm Bureau Federation will present its highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award and the Farm Bureau Founders Award, to former AFBF Executive Vice President Dale Moore and former North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten, respectively, during the 2023 American Farm Bureau Convention, Jan. 6-11 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- The International Federation of Agricultural Journalism (IFAJ) and Alltech have opened nominations for the 2023 IFAJ/Alltech Young Leaders program. The deadline to apply is January 30, 2023.
- EOS SAT-1, the first imaging satellite to be built by Dragonfly Aerospace, has lifted off from SpaceX’s launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida as part of the Transporter-6 mission. The satellite is the first of a seven-satellite constellation in low Earth orbit for customer EOSDA (EOS Data Analytics). The remaining six satellites of the constellation will be deployed over the next three years.
- ADM is bringing forward authentic stories of producers and their crucial role in our nation’s food supply chain through a new video series titled “Faces of Food.” Each episode features a different farm family, their unique operation, challenges they’ve faced, and how local community support has been a factor in their growth, innovation and success.
- The Alabama Peanut Producers Association seeks eligible peanut producers who are interested in serving on the National Peanut Board. The Alabama Peanut Producers Association will hold a nominations election to select two nominees each for member and alternate to the National Peanut Board during a meeting on February 2, 2023, following the Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show. All eligible peanut producers are encouraged to participate. Eligible producers are those who are engaged in the production and sale of peanuts and who own or share the ownership and risk of loss of the crop.
- Applications are now available for the 16th annual “We Believe in Growing” scholarship, presented by E.M. Tharp and World Ag Expo. The scholarship was created to support agriculture education and encourage students from the Central Valley to pursue a career in agriculture. High school seniors from Madera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties are eligible for the scholarship. To apply, students must plan to attend a four-year college or university with a focus on pursuing an agricultural career. Two students will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship and the funds will be disbursed over four years at $2,500 per year. The deadline to apply is January 13, 2023.
- Following a two-month decline and a year of weak sentiment, the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer closed out the year on a more positive note, rallying 24 points in December to a reading of 126. U.S. farmers were more optimistic about both their current situation and expectations for the future. The Current Conditions Index jumped 37 points to a reading of 135, while the Future Expectations Index increased 18 points to a reading of 122. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 U.S. agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone survey. This survey was conducted from December 5-9.
- Registration for the 34th Independent Professional Seed Association (IPSA) Annual Conference closes January 9. The IPSA conference will be held January 24-26 in Tucson, Arizona.
