Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the appointment or reappointment of 55 members to serve on seven agricultural trade advisory committees. A complete roster of members and additional information about the committees is available at www.fas.usda.gov/atacs.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced Dr. Samuel Crowell, Senior Director, International Programs and Policy for the American Seed Trade Association, was appointed to serve on one of seven agricultural trade advisory committees (ATACs).
In preparation for the August Crop Production report, USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will review all available data, including survey data and the latest information from USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency, for planted and harvested acreage for barley, corn, cotton, dry edible beans, oats, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugarbeets, Durum wheat, other spring wheat, and winter wheat. If the data review justifies any changes, NASS will publish updated planted and harvested acreage estimates in the Aug. 12, 2024, report.
As harvest season approaches, the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is encouraging farmers to prepare by filling propane tanks early. Participating in early tank fill programs not only ensures a steady fuel supply but also offers significant cost savings. With early tank fill programs, farmers can benefit by securing propane supply ahead of peak demand. Because propane prices are generally lower before the peak harvest season, farmers can lock in lower rates and avoid potential price increases by purchasing fuel early. Filling tanks ahead of the busy season means farmers have uninterrupted energy access and mitigates the risk of fuel shortages during critical times.
Tim Welsh of Wenatchee, WA, who drew support from throughout the apple industry – including from an unprecedented three past winners – has been named the 2024 American Fruit Grower Apple Grower of the Year. The award is presented by American Fruit Grower magazine, published by Meister Media Worldwide.
Kelly Schwalbe, public relations professional and pioneer, has been named the Agricultural Communicators Network’s (ACN) Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2024. During his 35+ years in the agricultural public relations business, Schwalbe served in corporate, freelance, and agency public relations roles. The late George Rehm, University of Minnesota (U of M) Extension soil fertility specialist, has been posthumously named the Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN) Distinguished Service Award recipient for 2024. Rehm, who passed away in January 2024, was known for both being a skilled educator and a charismatic supporter of Minnesota and Nebraska farmers.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has awarded Michael Hinton a prestigious state of Kansas Proclamation, in connection with the website that he and his daughter Melissa (Hinton) Bledsoe [West Plains, MO], created: www.TalkingTractors.com, which serves as a ‘virtual educational resource’ for those who share a like passion for preserving America’s heritage farm machinery for future generations. Hinton explained the Governor’s Proclamation is both significant and “good for Kansas” for many reasons: The Proclamation is issued by the state of Kansas – Where his family’s story and agriculture heritage resonates; Secondly, it is issued to the people of Kansas – many of whom (if not most), have farming ancestors and/or current relations to farmers. Thirdly, it reflects Hinton’s desire to leave a legacy for tomorrows successors (consistent with the framed print on his home office wall); through the sharing of memories and stories of tractors long ago manufactured and used to farm with during a given era.”
The next Ag Outlook Forum hosted by the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City and Agri-Pulse is scheduled for September 16, 2024 from 8:00 am – 5:30 pm central at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. In-person & virtual registration options are available. Early bird pricing ends August 15.
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) recently announced that Shea McCabe has been promoted to the director of accounting and finance at the organization.
The thirty-sixth annual Georgia Peanut Tour will be held Sept. 17-19, 2024, in Americus, Georgia, and the surrounding area. The tour brings the latest information on peanuts while giving a first-hand view of industry infrastructure from production and handling to processing and utilization. Tour stops will be made in several peanut producing counties in South Georgia.
North Dakota Soybean Processors (NDSP), a joint venture formed by CGB Enterprises, Inc., and Minnesota Soybean Processors, celebrates the completion of its soybean crushing plant near Casselton, North Dakota, with a day of VIP and public events. The organization will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for local, state, and federal representatives. The festivities will include remarks from company leadership and supporting organizations, followed by ground tours of the new facility. Additionally, NDSP is offering tours for local producers in the afternoon, as well as a public open house at 5:00 p.m.
