The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute this week kicked off its “Water for Food Global Forum,” a virtual series of events convening international experts, growers, and organizations to focus on achieving global water and food security. The event features both on-demand and live virtual events and the first live panel Thursday discussed the need for change in global food …
House Ag Committee Hearing on Livestock Industry
The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing Thursday to address the current state of the livestock industry, meat processing, production and supply. Among the witnesses testifying were Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Vice President Todd Wilkinson of South Dakota, and François Léger of FPL Food, on behalf of the North American Meat …
Syngenta Seeds Creates COVID Connections with Customers
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to make larger, in-person gatherings a challenge across the world, Syngenta Seeds has come up with more personal ways of working with farmers and resellers that could remain beyond the pandemic. For example, NK Seeds hosted 400+ customer events during the course of the 2021 season, five times the amount they normally host in a …
Mizzou Students Help Support NAMA Foundation
University of Missouri students Kate Thompson and Sophia Liefer are enjoying their time this week at the National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Fall Conference in St. Louis while helping out the NAMA Foundation. “The best thing about NAMA is that we are all super competitive,” said Thompson, who talked about the foundation fundraiser they were doing at the conference. “It’s a …
SD Senator Speaks Out on Policy Impacting Agriculture
Sen. John Thune (R-SD) spoke out on the Senate floor this week about Democrat policies that he says are harmful to farmers and ranchers. “For starters, I’m worried that Democrats’ bill could mean the end of some family farms thanks to the bill’s expansion of the death tax,” said Thune. “Death should not be a taxable event.” Sen. Thune also …
New NCGA President Meets the Media
Chris Edgington of St. Ansgar, Iowa, became president of the Corn Board of the National Corn Growers Association as of October 1. Edgington raises corn and soybeans along with his dad, brother and son. Chris and his wife, Vanessa, have two children, Alex and Elizabeth. In addition to his row crop operation, he gains insight into livestock through a small …
Administration Plans to Press China on Trade Agreement
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai delivered remarks Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) “outlining the Biden-Harris Administration’s new approach to the U.S.-China bilateral trade relationship.” Ambassador Tai said they will begin by having discussions with China about its performance under the Phase One Agreement and commitments made “that benefit certain American industries, including agriculture, that …
Long Time Dairy Checkoff CEO to Retire
The dairy checkoff program will be under new management shortly for the first time pretty much since its inception. Tom Gallagher this week announced his retirement as CEO of Dairy Management Inc., which was created in 1995 to run the dairy promotion and research program approved by Congress in 1983 and finalized with a producer referendum in 1993. Gallagher has …
Vilsack Announces Investment Package and Climate Initiative
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a comprehensive set of investments by USDA during a speech at Colorado State University’s Salazar Center’s Virtual International Symposium for Conservation Impact. Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA is preparing $3 billion in investments that will support drought resilience and response, animal disease prevention, market disruption relief, and purchase of food for school nutrition programs. …
Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 10
This episode of the Daugherty Water for Food podcast features Amy Wu, an award-winning journalist, filmmaker and the creator of From Farms to Incubators. From Farms to Incubators is a multimedia platform that uses documentary, video, photography and the written word to tell the stories of women leaders and innovators in agtech. It has a mission of highlighting women in food, farming, and …