Alltech ONE World Tour Stops in Calgary
The Alltech ONE World Tour continued this week in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ONE Calgary welcomed more than 300 attendees from across Canada to explore collaborative solutions to the greatest challenges facing the agri-food industry, especially as they relate to the Canadian marketplace.
Dr. Mark Lyons, Alltech President/CEO, made remarks to get the party started. Pictured with him are the Calgary Stampede Royalty, Alayiah Wolf Child, 2023 First Nation Princess (left) and Sarah Lambros, Calgary Stampede Princess.
“As our customers and partners continue to face many challenges and uncertainties, we determined that 2023 would be dedicated to meeting them in their market,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, president and CEO. “This special edition of the ONE endeavors to deliver global expertise to locally relevant issues. In the midst of economic and political uncertainties that fuel regionalization, this ONE reflects the responsibility we have as a global company to be a connector of people and ideas, ever advancing our purpose of Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™.”
You can listen in to Mark’s welcome here: Alltech ONE Calgary - Dr. Mark Lyons Remarks
Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this Alltech ONE Word Tour stop in Calgary.
Click here for the Alltech ONE World Tour stop in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Photo Album.
Animal Ag News 7/3
USDA Crop Report Surprises
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Planted Acreage report released Friday surprised many with an estimated 94.1 million acres of corn planted in the United States for 2023, up 6% from last year, while soybean area planted is estimated at 83.5 million acres, down 5% from last year.
“You get a big surprise here I think on the movement around the crops and in particular between corn and beans,” said USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer. “Once one pulls all the pieces apart, it makes a lot of sense.”
The report showed a significant change from the planting intentions survey in March, which indicated farmers would plant just four percent more corn and slightly more soybeans than last year, which Meyer said showed they were “maintaining some flexibility” going into planting.
“You gained acreage sprinkled around in a number of different areas,” said Meyer, including more hay, sorghum, and spring wheat acres.
All wheat planted area for 2023 is estimated at 49.6 million acres, up 9% from last year, with winter wheat 11 percent higher and spring wheat up three percent. All cotton planted area for 2023 is estimated at 11.1 million acres, 19% below 2022. Growers planted 6.81 million acres of sorghum for all purposes in 2023, up 8 percent from last year.
Producers intend to harvest 52.0 million acres of all hay in 2023, up 5 percent from 2022. Alfalfa harvested acreage is expected to be 15.7 million acres, up 5 percent from 2022. All other hay (excluding alfalfa) is expected to be up 5 percent from last year, at 36.3 million acres.
Listen to this soundbite from Meyer from USDA.
USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer comment on planted acreage (1:09)
2023 IFAJ World Congress Concludes
The 2023 IFAJ Congress has concluded and attendees are on there way to post-congress tours, back home or spending more days on their own visiting farms and other parts of Canada. I’m heading back to Calgary for the Alltech ONE World Tour event which starts with a reception tonight and a day of presentations on Tuesday. Then I’ll head home to ZimmComm World Headquarters on Wednesday.
Last night we had the closing Gala Banquet at which awards were presented and all attendees enjoyed dueling pianos and dancing. I have plenty of photos of awards as well as country delegate group photos in the online album. Feel free to share or use however you want. The group you see here is the Canada group who organized this year’s IFAJ Congress. The IFAJ flag has been passed to Switzerland where the Congress will be held in 2024. More to come on that.
Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this year’s IFAJ Congress.
Click here for the IFAJ Congress 2023 Photo Album.
IFAJ at the Panoka Stampede
I participated in the IFAJ Congress rodeo tour for an afternoon at the Panoka Stampede. It is one of the largest rodeos in the world. Many of our attendees had never been to a rodeo and they got a great show. Afterward we had time to do some shopping at a local saddlery and western wear store. We weren’t able to stay for the evening activities which included Chuckwagon Races. However, I spoke with Billy Melville, Chuckwagon Races Historian and working on all things Chuckwagon Races, including commentary for race broadcasts. I spoke with him during our time at the venue: Interview with Billy Melville
Yesterday we had presentations on “Confronting the Reality of Colonial Legacies” and “Celebrating Indigenous Culture.” At the conclusion of the day everyone went outside and learned a circle dance which was led by some special guests. There are some great photos in my IFAJ Congress Photo Album.
The IFAJ Congress concludes tonight with Gala Banquet. We will have awards and a look ahead to the 2024 IFAJ Congress that will be held in Switzerland.
Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this year’s IFAJ Congress.
Click here for the IFAJ Congress 2023 Photo Album.
2023 IFAJ Congress in Full Gear
Hello from Olds, Alberta, Canada. The annual IFAJ Congress is taking place between Calgary and Olds. I missed the opening reception and half of the next day thanks to a flight delay/cancellation in Portland, OR on Tuesday. Sure seems like there are flight problems all over the country based on all the messages I’m seeing and that includes other attendees for this event.
If I was able to be here on time I would have seen Ed White, The Western Producer, receive the Canadian Farm Writer of the Year Award, sponsored by Rabobank Canada. Thank you to Melanie Bernds for sending me a photo and congrats to Ed! Ed was presented the award by Rabobank’s Roxane Lieverse, EVP, Head of Canada.
We have a number of tours taking place. Yesterday I went on the Beef Tour because beef is what is for dinner me very often. We visited a ranch and unique feedlot and then had presentations with the Canadian Cattle Association before eating a prime rib at The Cattle Baron Restaurant. Today, it’s off the Panoka Stampede Rodeo for me. It is a pre-cursor to the Calgary Stampede coming up starting July 7.
I’ve got a lot of photos posted and am getting help from some contributors to add to the album from events I missed or other tours. Tomorrow we’ll learn a lot about the indigenous culture here in Canada and the schedule will conclude with a banquet Sunday where we’ll have IFAJ awards and a passing of the flag to Switzerland where the Congress will be held next year.
Thank you to Alltech for making it possible for me to attend this year’s IFAJ Congress.
Click here for the IFAJ Congress 2023 Photo Album.
Industry Ag News 6/30
NCBA Files Legal Motion to Strike Down Biden WOTUS Rule
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and litigation partners filed a motion this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas asking the court to strike down the Biden administration’s Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA.
“In Sackett v. EPA, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the EPA had overstepped its authority under the Clean Water Act,” said NCBA Chief Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “A full rewrite of the Biden administration’s WOTUS definition is the only path to comply with the Sackett decision. NCBA is seeking summary judgement in our lawsuit against the Biden WOTUS rule and urging the Southern District of Texas to strike the rule from the books.”
The Sackett case was not directly about agriculture, but the plaintiffs in the case were harmed by the EPA’s overregulation on WOTUS. NCBA filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court siding with the Sackett family in their lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers. Ultimately, points raised in NCBA’s brief were incorporated in the justice’s final opinion, demonstrating the importance of NCBA joining the fight on this issue.
Separate from the Sackett case, NCBA and a coalition of litigation partners also filed their own lawsuit against the Biden administration’s WOTUS rule to block it from taking effect. NCBA secured injunctions in 27 states to temporarily halt the rule. Now, NCBA is filing a motion for summary judgement to ask the court to rule on vacating the full Biden administration WOTUS rule based on the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Sackett case.
NCBA Director of Policy Communications Hunter Ihrman provided this interview with Thomas-Hart about the case.
NCBA interview with Mary Thomas-Hart 5:37
Former AgGateway Director Reflects on Progress
Marilyn Hunter has seen AgGateway grow and develop since even before it was formed in 2005 and she reflected on how the organization has changed over the years at the recent Mid-Year meeting.
“I came from a previous organization called Rapid, which morphed into AgGateway,” said Hunter. “At that time we were focused primarily on XML connectivity…Once AgGateway was formed we started crop nutrition and seed connectivity.”
From there, the organization quickly grew into additional segments as precision agriculture grew and the ADAPT tool was developed. “ADAPT changed a lot of things for precision ag,” she said. “That was major and now it’s used for a lot of different technologies.”
It had been over three years since Hunter had been at an AgGateway meeting so she was very happy to see a lot of familiar faces, as well as many new faces within the industry.
Listen to Chuck’s interview with Marilyn at the AgGateway Mid-Year meeting.
2023 AgGateway Mid-Year - Marilyn Hunter, AgGateway retired staff 17:19