The agenda for the 2022 Agri-Pulse Food and Agriculture Issues Summit in Sacramento July 11 is shaping up to include some of California’s most prominent policy makers. State Senator Melissa Hurtado, the youngest woman ever to be elected to the California State Senate and a representative of a new generation of Latina political leaders, will be the opening keynote speaker …
USDA Announces Framework to Transform the Food System
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced details of a “framework to transform the food system to benefit consumers, producers and rural communities by providing more options, increasing access, and creating new, more, and better markets for small and mid-size producers.” Vilsack said the framework “builds on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain disruptions caused by Russia’s war …
SISC and CropTrak Release Stewardship Calculator 2.0
Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops (SISC) and CropTrak® are announcing the public release of Stewardship Calculator 2.0 to help growers measure a wide-range of on-farm data for better crop management and help brands more easily aggregate that data for sustainability and ESG reporting. “Following a robust pilot program with leading brands and growers, we are now offering this online calculator …
Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 11
The Daugherty Water for Food Podcast is back after a brief hiatus to bring you a new episode focused on ensuring water and food security for our growing world. Matt Foley is program director for The Combine AgriFood Incubator, a part of Invest Nebraska, which supports early stage agtech companies in row crop, animal health, digital agriculture and sustainability. The …
Biden Announces Actions for Farmers to Address Food Costs
President Joe Biden and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited the family farm of Jeff and Gina O’Connor in Kankakee, Illinois Wednesday to discuss new efforts to give farmers the tools and resources they need to boost domestic food production. Specifically, the actions include: Increase the number of counties eligible for double cropping insurance Cut costs for farmers by increasing …
New Agri-Pulse Newsmakers Spotlights Nutrition
The newest episode of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is now live and the focus this week is on nutrition and food policy. Congress has funded a White House conference on nutrition, hunger and health, setting the stage for the first such gathering since 1969. The issue has been a longtime priority for House Ag Committee member and Massachusetts Democrat Jim McGovern, who …
Preview of 2022 Ag & Food Policy Summit
The annual Ag & Food Policy Summit, powered by Agri-Pulse, is coming up soon. It is live and virtual this year. I talked with Agri-Pulse President, Sara Wyant, to learn what is on the program this year. You can register here. Interview with Sara Wyant, President, Agri-Pulse: (5:17) In these uncertain times, here’s your chance to gain insight and analysis …
Tony Romo to Speak for Beef
From play by play to plate by plate, celebrity athlete and former NFL quarterback Tony Romo has been named the new spokesperson for the iconic “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” brand, managed by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and funded by the Beef Checkoff. The new partnership, which was announced at the opening general session of the 2022 Cattle …
UPFIELD GROUP Announces New Vice President
The UPFIELD GROUP, owners of Cooler Management, are pleased to announce their new Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Melissa Malcolm-Cullison. Malcolm-Cullison most recently served as Director, National Sales and Field Marketing at the Milk Processors Education program (MilkPEP), responsible for the national got milk? campaign. In this previous role for 12 years, she oversaw industry relations, retail partnerships and the …
Benson Hill Acquires Iowa Soy Processing Plant
Benson Hill, Inc. today announced the acquisition of ZFS Creston, LLC, an established food grade white flake and soy flour manufacturing operation in southwest Iowa for approximately $102 million. The investment fulfills a final step in Benson Hill’s ability to convert its proprietary soybeans into value-added soy protein ingredients for the underserved human and pet food categories. “The acquisition of …