Industry Ag News 8/25
Deltapine® Launches “Committed to Cotton Communities”
Bayer’s Deltapine® cotton seed brand has announced a new program designed to help strengthen rural communities by encouraging cotton growers to nominate local nonprofit organizations for the chance to receive a charitable donation.
“Committed to Cotton Communities” reflects Deltapine’s long-standing commitment to the cotton industry and recognizes the important role growers play in supporting their local communities. Through the program, eligible cotton growers with at least 250 acres of any cotton brand can nominate any qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization they believe is making a meaningful difference in agriculture, education, youth development, community well-being, or other local causes. The plan is to announce winning organizations on World Cotton Day, October 7, 2026.
As part of the program, Deltapine plans to make charitable contributions to selected organizations across three major cotton-producing regions: the Southeast, Mid-South, and Texas/West. The initiative is intended to strengthen connections with cotton growers while creating a positive impact beyond the farm gate.
“Cotton growers are deeply invested in the success of their communities because those communities are where they live, work, raise families, and build their businesses,” said Eric Best, Deltapine Cotton Product Manager. “Committed to Cotton Communities gives growers a chance to support organizations that matter to them while reinforcing the values that have always defined the cotton industry. At Deltapine, we’re proud to stand alongside growers and help create a lasting impact in the communities that help sustain American cotton.”
Growers can learn more about eligibility requirements, submission deadlines, and nomination details through their local Deltapine representative or program communications. To enter today, CLICK HERE or type out https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/MxHs75wvHh
Beef Cattle Industry Reacts to Trump Plan for Imports
NCBA members attended White House celebration of agriculture in March
Blaming the current high beef prices on the previous administration, President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he has “a commitment that this beef will be sold at 25 percent below current market prices. This deal will reduce prices for Americans while giving space for our Great American Beef Herd to grow again.”
As cattle prices moved lower Friday in response to the statement, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Chief Executive Officer Colin Woodall said they were disappointed. “While America’s cattle producers share the goal of keeping groceries affordable for consumers, flooding the market with government-subsidized, below-market beef is not the way to rebuild the American cattle herd,” said Woodall. “This is a critical time of year for cattle producers, as we approach the season where they are making decisions regarding their herds. Cattle farmers and ranchers are responding to strong market signals and historically high demand, and we are already working to rebuild after years of ongoing drought, high input costs and other challenges that have reduced U.S. cattle numbers. Today’s announcement and other market interventions throw cold water on the prospect of herd expansion and sacrifices long-term stability for short term messaging.”
“Farmers and ranchers are extremely disappointed to learn that President Trump plans to flood the American market with hundreds of millions of pounds of foreign-raised beef,” said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. “The U.S. is already importing beef at record levels. This decision would be an unprecedented move and would translate to nearly an additional 60% increase in imports over the next 90 days.”
Duvall notes that, despite high beef prices in grocery stores, prices paid to farmers and ranchers for their cattle have fallen sharply over the past two months, and beef packing plants are shutting down across the U.S. Further undercutting a fragile recovery by swamping markets with foreign products and attempting to manipulate prices threatens to wipe out any progress that has been made. Just a week ago, Tyson Foods announced closure of its beef processing plant in Joslin, Illinois.
Farmers and ranchers overall have been strong supporters of President Trump, but this move has troubled even ranchers like Amanda Radke of South Dakota, who has traveled to Washington D.C. several times to visit with the Trump administration and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. “This was very difficult to read this morning from President Trump. Frustrated and disappointed is an understatement,” Radke wrote on X Friday.
“The U.S. rancher can and will rise to the occasion of the growing demand for beef, but that requires confidence to invest and rebuild the cow herd,” said Radke. “This is a challenge if we are continually getting kicked in the teeth by the government, creating volatility and uncertainty at a time when it should be full steam ahead for producers.”
Radke will be discussing the issue on The Heart of Rural America podcast this weekend.
DWFI Podcast 55 – Food Security and National Security
Food and agriculture are more connected to national security than most people realize. In this episode of the Water for Food Podcast, host Frances Hayes sits down with Meghan Jackson, Director for Food, Agriculture and Environment Security at the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of Nebraska. They discuss how we can protect the nation’s crops, livestock and water systems from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
Meghan shares lessons from her background at high-security biodefense facilities; breaks down real-world examples like New World screwworm and African swine fever; and explains why redundancy and resilience are key to protecting our food supply. The conversation also covers cybersecurity risks; water scarcity; Nebraska’s growing bioeconomy; and how producers and policymakers can strengthen the systems we all rely on.
DWFI podcast episode 55 25:25The Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute (DWFI) at the University of Nebraska was founded with the mission to have a lasting and significant impact on achieving more food security with less pressure on scarce water resources by conducting scientific and policy research, using the research results to inform policy makers, and sharing knowledge through education and communication.
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Veteran Ag Leaders Ramp Up Fight for Agriculture
Veteran agriculture leaders concerned about the future of the nation and its food producers have launched Restore American Agriculture, a new effort formed to press Congress and the Administration for a serious response to the farm crisis.
Jon Doggett, former CEO of the National Corn Growers Association, said they are urging members of Congress to listen to the voices of American farmers and ranchers. “What we’ve done is we’ve put together a website for farmers to speak up…we’re trying to make sure that we provide opportunities for the grassroots out in the countryside that are raising the food that we eat an opportunity to speak up,” said Doggett during a Thursday morning call with reporters.
Doggett had teamed up with other like-minded former ag industry leaders earlier this year to send a letter to members of Congress and the administration sounding the alarm about the current state of the farm economy. After getting no response, they sent another letter in July, which also received no response.
Iowa farmer Pam Johnson, past NCGA president, says they are asking Congress to engage directly with producers to assess the real-world impacts of federal policy decisions. “Let’s look at the consequences of the war. Let’s figure out a way to make sure that farmers’ voices are heard, but also that there are short-term and long-term plans for how we’re going to get through this,” said Johnson. “It’s projected that farmers aren’t going to make any money for the next two years. This is a serious crisis out here.”
Bob Dinneen, past President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, says Congress has abdicated its responsibilities to the American public. “Probably the poster child for Congress’s inability to get anything meaningful done has been on ethanol, on E15. When they failed this year to move an E15 package that EPA says is necessary, it really demonstrated just how inept Congress has become. And they need to get back to it,” said Dinneen.
The group is asking Congress to hold immediate, comprehensive hearings on the current farm economy, something former USDA appointee and Congressional staffer Dawn Riley pointed out is just not being done. “Our representatives are no longer willing to go out and hear people, which makes what we’re doing very, very important for people to be able to tell their stories. I believe Axios reported a week or maybe two weeks ago about how only 11 town halls were scheduled for the entire August recess,” she said.
Asked if they thought agricultural organizations were afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, Doggett said yes. “Had you posed that question to me 15 years ago, I would have thought you were wearing a tin hat.”
Johnson added that she sometimes wonders, “Is this America? Where you have to fear for using your voice to have honest discourse. And to be able to agree to disagree, to sit around and negotiate around the table for the best outcome.”
Dinneen noted that it is a problem on many levels. “It’s not just trade associations, everybody seems to be afraid to speak up these days,including members of Congress.”
Listen to the press call below and check out the website here.
Restore American Agriculture press call 37:21
New “Agriculture Crunch” Podcast From Farm Journal
Great to see Andrew McCrea as the host of this new podcast.
Farm Journal Foundation and Farm Journal Media are launching a new podcast about agriculture for listeners who want to know more about where their food, fiber, and fuel come from.
Agriculture Crunch is a new short-form podcast featuring interesting stories and interviews from across the food and agriculture value chain. Each episode will clock in at about 10 minutes, enabling listeners to take in information on the go. Agriculture Crunch is hosted by Andrew McCrea, a nationally syndicated broadcaster who also hosts the podcast and radio program Farming the Countryside. The podcast is produced in conjunction with Farm Journal Foundation’s Voice of the Farmer Garden, an interactive learning exhibit located at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) headquarters on the National Mall.
“Today’s consumers are more and more interested in where their food comes from, so Agriculture Crunch is meant to tell engaging stories about the journey of food from farm to plate,” said Tricia Beal, CEO of Farm Journal Foundation. “Agriculture is rife with stories, and there are so many different industries, innovations, and issues that consumers, and even some farmers, may not often think about. It’s a truly fascinating industry, and we hope this new podcast helps people gain a greater appreciation as they learn more about it.”
“Agriculture Crunch is a natural extension of what Farm Journal does best – connecting people to agriculture through credible, compelling storytelling,” said Chris Seper, Executive Vice President, Farm Journal Brands and member of the Farm Journal Foundation Board. “By combining the Foundation’s mission to build understanding of agriculture with Farm Journal’s trusted voices and platforms, we can make these stories accessible to a much broader audience and help more people understand the people, innovation, and complexity behind the food they rely on every day.”
Precision Ag News 8/17
Alltech Announces New U.S. Leadership Team
Global animal health and nutrition leader Alltech this week announced new leadership roles within its U.S. specialty ingredients business designed to strengthen Alltech’s ability to serve its customers in an evolving marketplace.
At the helm of the Alltech U.S. leadership team is Andy Rash, vice president (U.S.), specialty ingredients. Rash has a strong background in the ag industry, with more than 20+ years of experience, during which he has navigated the complexity in today’s agriculture value chain, particularly in protein production. He has steered many leadership teams in agriculture across diverse segments, including animal nutrition & health, international business development, and agronomy and grain.
Joining Rash on the leadership team are:
Dr. Luke Miller, general manager, U.S. dairy: Prior to joining Alltech, Miller was the general manager for a 6,000-head, multi-site dairy in central California.
Laurentia van Rensburg, general manager, U.S. beef: With more than 15 years of experience in the livestock and animal science industries, van Rensburg has served in various roles in South Africa, the Netherlands, Latin America and North America.
Dr. Curtis Novak, general manager, U.S. poultry: Prior to joining Alltech, Dr. Novak served as a lead nutritionist and, eventually, as manager of commercial poultry field sales and technical services at Purina Animal Nutrition.
Mark Hulsebus, general manager, U.S. pork: With extensive experience in modern pork production, prior to joining Alltech, Hulsebus spent more than 20 years in senior roles at Cargill, most recently as the commercial director of pork in North America.
CJ Tanderup, general manager, national/regional mills and co-ops: Tanderup first joined Alltech as a regional sales representative in the Dakotas and has served in a variety of roles during his time with the company, including as an on-farm sales specialist. W
Jim Bannerman, director of national accounts: Bannerman brings more than 30 years of experience with Alltech, including leadership roles across diverse company portfolios, from feed to alcohol, as well as building the company’s national accounts portfolio.
ZimmCast 763 – The Presidents of ACN & LPC
Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.
In this episode I’m going to talk with the new presidents of the AgComm Network and Livestock Publications Council. They took over those positions during the recent Ag Media Summit.
I’m going to start with Joel Reichenberger, Senior Editor, DTN, Progressive Farmer, new president of ACN. Then you’ll hear from Anne Kimmey, Founder/CEO, Cultivate Agency, Inc., the new president of LPC.
Listen to the episode here:
ZimmCast 763 - The Presidents of ACN & LPC (17:37)
That’s the ZimmCast for now. I hope you enjoyed it and thank for listening.
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