Gathering around the table for a Thanksgiving dinner won’t take as much of a toll on your pocketbook this year compared to 2022, but the meal still reflects historically high costs. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 38th annual survey provides a snapshot of the average cost of this year’s classic holiday feast for 10, which is $61.17 or less than $6.20 per person.
National Farmers Union (NFU) released the updated Farmer’s Share of the food dollar for items typically served during the Thanksgiving holiday. These figures reflect how much family farmers earn compared to the amount consumers pay at the grocery store.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced next steps in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s efforts to bolster U.S. agricultural trade, including the department’s planned trade missions for 2024 and the opening of a public comment period for the new Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP). These efforts will help to support further growth in U.S. agricultural exports and introduce high-quality U.S. agricultural products to new markets.
Syngenta Group announced financial results for the first nine months and third quarter of 2023. Group sales for the first nine months of 2023 were $24.3 billion, down six percent year-on-year. Sales of Syngenta Crop Protection and ADAMA were lower compared to the exceptionally strong first three quarters of the prior year. The Seeds business grew three percent to $3.3 billion sales in the first nine of months of 2023.
Stuart Woolf, President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing, will serve as Chair of the Western Growers Board of Directors for a two-year term. Woolf was first elected to the Western Growers Board in 2015.
Syngenta announced Val Dolcini, U.S. Head of Sustainability and Government Affairs was unanimously elected to the American Farmland Trust Board of Directors by its members and will support their efforts to promote sound farming practices while protecting and keeping farmers on the land.
The Soy Scholarship is a $7,000, one-time award presented to a high school senior who plans to pursue agriculture as an area of study at any accredited college or university in the 2024-25 academic year. The scholarship is managed by American Soybean Association and made possible through a grant by BASF Corporation. High school seniors may apply online Oct. 31-Dec. 31, 2023. Click here to apply.
National Sorghum Producers (NSP) announced the hire of Greg Ruehle as its new Executive Director. Ruehle brings a wealth of experience in agriculture and association management to his new role, and his leadership comes at a pivotal time as NSP continues to grow and expand its impact on the sorghum industry.
Join the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association (MSGA) and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) for the 2024 MN Ag Expo Jan. 17-18 at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato. Registration for the free conference is now open at mnagexpo.com/attendee-registration/.
The National Grange is celebrating a second straight year of fraternal membership gain. This is a feat that has not happened for nearly 70 years, and the National Grange is extremely proud of our local Granges and their membership gains. National Grange President Betsy E. Huber unveiled the National Grange theme for 2024 and 2025: “Grange: The Trusted Voice of Rural America” in her opening address of the 157th Annual Convention of the National Grange in Niagara Falls, New York.
America’s largest seafood trade association continues to grow. With 22 new members in just the last 12 months, National Fisheries Institute illustrates why it’s known as the leading voice of the seafood industry.
Potato retail sales remained strong for the quarter from July to September 2023, up 9.5 percent from the same period a year ago. All categories of potatoes saw increases in dollar sales.
Meyocks, a branding and marketing agency, announced that Kelly Ferguson, a member of the firm’s executive team, will acquire a majority interest in the company and become its president, effective January 1, 2024. With this transition, Rachel Allinson, also a member of the executive team, will acquire a minority interest in the agency. Meyocks’ current owner and president, Doug Jeske, is retaining a minority interest in the company.
