President Joe Biden has nominated Dr. Basil Gooden to serve as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). If confirmed, Dr. Gooden would fill the under secretary position left vacant by Xochitl Torres Small, who was confirmed in July 2023 as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.
At the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Annual Meeting, NASDA members elected the next cohort of officers for 2023-2024. Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur will serve as NASDA’s 2023-2024 President and will host the 2024 NASDA Annual Meeting on Sept. 22-25, 2024.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center (SJVASC) celebrated 100 years of cooperative research with the grape industry that has positively impacted the way the world grows, cultivates and consumes grapes.
Consumers generally remain more optimistic about food prices compared to a year ago. However, individuals self-identified as having liberal political beliefs predict lower food inflation than those who identify as being conservative, according to the August 2023 Consumer Food Insights Report. The report’s authors noted that people who describe themselves as conservative report higher food price inflation over the past year (5.7 percent) than official government estimates (4.9 percent). The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S.
“AgDay,” America’s longest-running nationally syndicated daily agricultural TV news program, hosted by Clinton Griffiths, has been filming on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus over the past week in preparation for its Purdue Agriculture-themed college roadshow.
Syngenta Vegetable Seeds announced the appointment of Juan Pablo López as Territory Head Vegetable Seeds for the United States and Canada.
Iowa State student Quentin Slater will be a member of the Agri-Pulse team of journalists this fall as part of an immersive learning experience provided through the Iowa State University Foundation. He is the second candidate to be selected by ISU for this multiyear educational program. Slater will be based in Washington, D.C., where he will write articles for the Agri-Pulse and Agri-Pulse West newsletters.
The Renewable Fuels Association welcomed its newest producer member, Chief Ethanol, a long-standing leader in Nebraska’s ethanol community. Chief Ethanol’s biorefinery in Hastings, Neb., is that state’s first dry-mill ethanol plant, in production since 1985. Since 2016, Chief has also operated a biorefinery in Lexington, Neb., and the two facilities have a combined production capacity of over 120 million gallons of renewable fuel annually.
National Farm Safety and Health Week is September 17 – 23, and COUNTRY Financial is sharing tips for farmers. COUNTRY Financial is a leading farm insurer with more than 280 farm certified representatives in 10 states.
Kubota Tractor Corporation announced the selection of five new farmer veteran recipients of new Kubota equipment as part of its 2023 “Geared to Give” program in partnership with the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) during a special ceremony with NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain and the Trackhouse Racing team prior to the start of the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
AgCareers.com is proud to open applications for the second annual Feed Your Future Scholarship. The AgCareers.com #FeedYourFuture Scholarship will award $1,000 to a U.S. post-secondary student. AgCareers.com created this scholarship to financially assist a student studying agriculture or intending to pursue a career in agriculture.
FAPRI-MU’s 2023 Baseline Update for U.S. Agricultural Markets is now available on the FAPRI-MU website. This report provides an update of the 2023 FAPRI-MU long-term baseline to reflect information available in mid-August 2023.
