St. Louis-based food tech company Benson Hill, held a ribbon cutting for its new state-of-the-art headquarters on Monday, joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The 160,000 square foot headquarters will house a diverse and growing team focused on innovation of better food and ingredient options from plant to plate. “Today celebrates a milestone on our journey to move food forward,” …
USDA Announces More Eligible Commodities for CFAP
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added new commodities to the list covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), and is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11th. Additional commodities now eligible for the program include a variety of specialty crops like pumpkins, rutabagas, shallots, tangelos; all types of sheep; aquaculture such as catfish, …
Benson Hill Contracts 30,000 Premium Soybean Acres
St. Louis-based crop improvement company Benson Hill has contracted 30,000 acres to advance its non-GMO soybean varieties through partnerships in the consumer food, animal feed and aquaculture markets. “The consumer food, animal feed and aquaculture markets are demanding innovation that improves the health and sustainability profile of their ingredients,” said Chris Wilkins, Chief Operating Officer of Benson Hill. “Our portfolio …
USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Late Friday U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced a new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. President Trump directed USDA to craft this $19 billion immediate relief program to provide critical support to our farmers and ranchers, maintain the integrity of our food supply chain, and ensure …
President Trump Says Help for Farmers Coming Soon
During the daily White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Thursday, President Donald Trump said help for hurting farmers is coming soon. “We have money going out to our farmers in the pretty near future,” said President Trump. “The farmers got hurt very badly by all of this. People are eating less from the standpoint that there’s no restaurants that …
GROWMARK FS Members Helping Food Banks
Farmers and grain companies in the Midwest are stepping up to help feed those in need. GROWMARK system members FS GRAIN and Gold Star FS have started accepting grain donations which will raise money for food banks across the region in a move they hope will spread nationwide. Mike Schaver, grain department manager with Gold Star FS, says he is …
Senators Stress COVID-19 Relief for Agriculture
Senator John Hoeven (R-ND) led a Senate colloquy Monday to outline the importance of supporting farmers, ranchers and rural America in legislation to provide relief from the impacts of COVID-19. Hoeven worked to include $50 billion in funding authority for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Joining Hoeven …
Farmers and Ranchers Committed to US Food Supply
America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to doing all they can do to maintain the nation’s food supply amid growing challenges posed by COVID-19. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) president Zippy Duvall, along with Chalmers Carr, a peach farmer in South Carolina, and John Boelts, a produce farmer in Arizona, gave an update on how farmers are dealing with the …
Pork Producers Say Impossible Pork is Impossible
Pork producers have a beef with impossible pork. As Impossible Foods debuted its latest plant-based food offering at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) called out the company for violating food labeling laws. Citing law that prohibits the use of words that redefine pork as it has been known by consumers for centuries, Dr. …
Just a Penny More for Thanksgiving Dinner This Year
The cost of this year’s Thanksgiving feast is up a penny per person, but still comes in at under $5.00 each for a party of ten. The American Farm Bureau Federation’s 34th annual survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table indicates the average cost of this year’s feast for 10 is $48.91, or less than $5.00 …