Animal Ag News 5/23

Carrie Muehling

  • Swine industry leaders from across the globe will take part in the United Pork Americas Pre-Event Symposium titled “Global Markets: The Americas Opportunities for Future Advancements in Exports, Quality, Health and Profitability.” The session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25, at 9 a.m. CDT. Registration is open and free to all industry stakeholders.
  • The Animal Agriculture Alliance recently hired Abby Kornegay as manager, issues and engagement. Kornegay assumed her new role on May 9. In this role, Kornegay is responsible for shaping the Alliance’s issues management and crisis communications strategy.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) condemned the unfunded and duplicative Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act of 2022, which was marked up recently by the House Agriculture Committee.
  • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is celebrating 75 years of service to the poultry and egg industry. Formed in May of 1947 in Atlanta, the organization was originally known as the Southeastern Poultry & Egg Association and was created to help its members meet the challenges of the ever-changing poultry and egg industry. The organization’s name was changed to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) in 1996 to reflect the Association’s national scope.
  • National Dairy Council’s Dr. Greg Miller, who serves as chief science officer, Global Dairy Platform’s nutrition sector lead, and special counsel to the CEO on global nutrition affairs, has been recognized with four prestigious awards and honors.
  • The Beef Alliance announced the second annual Startup Challenge to be held on September 28, 2022. This will be a virtual pitch competition for entrepreneurial innovators and early-stage companies with solutions related to the cattle feeding industry. The 2022 event is specifically seeking innovation and technologies that can help cattle feeders enhance sustainability in feedyard operations and meet industry sustainability goals.
  • The stakes are high, as talented young chefs bring out their aprons and return to the kitchen on the hit culinary competition series MASTERCHEF JUNIOR airing Thursdays (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. This week, the seven remaining junior chefs test their culinary knowledge of different cuts of steak. In the first challenge of the night the young chefs will have just 45 minutes to create an egg dish. The winner of the steak challenge will get his or her recipe published on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com and win a trip to a cattle farm.
  • Join cattle industry leaders in Reno at this year’s Summer Business Meeting for updates on current issues and planning for 2023 and beyond. The 2022 Cattle Industry Summer Business Meeting in Reno, Nevada, will be July 25-27, 2022.
  • The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) called on the U.S. government to levy retaliatory tariffs on Canada after Ottawa made clear that it refuses to meet its signed treaty obligations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) concerning dairy market access.
  • The American Feed Industry Association’s (AFIA) Board of Directors met in Arlington, Va., this week for their annual spring meeting, where they advocated for key industry priorities on Capitol Hill and conducted other official business, including approving new Board leadership and members. The AFIA Board of Directors recognized outgoing Board chair Mike Schuster, of Laidig Systems, Inc., for his leadership over the past year and installed Mike Gauss, of Kent Nutrition Group, Inc., as its new chair effective through the end of AFIA’s fiscal year April 30, 2023.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 5/20

Carrie Muehling

  • Recently the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) presented Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Sen. Todd Young of Indiana with its Legislator of the Year Award. The award is an annual ARA tradition that serves to recognize one or more legislators who have championed issues that impact agricultural retailers and the entire agriculture industry.
  • From farm to frontline, the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC) is taking another giant leap forward to highlight environmentally friendly investments from the soybean checkoff. MSR&PC, which directs the state’s soybean checkoff resources, is launching the Stepping Up campaign to amplify farmer profitability and promote the value-added uses of the “miracle bean” while making community connections.
  • Approximately one in four farmers struggle with mental health issues. National Corn Growers Association asks farmers, their families, and the people they do business with to look for signs. NCGA’s Member and Consumer Engagement Action Team (MCEAT) distributed a short, one-minute video asking our industry partners to assist in this effort.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses.
  • After two years of offering a hybrid program, the GROWMARK/FS System is pleased to welcome its newest class of interns back in-person for the complete immersive experience. Seventy-four interns were selected during a rigorous application process and are now working hands-on at GROWMARK and FS-company locations across North America.
  • The U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol announced that grower participation for the 2021/22 crop doubled since the program’s pilot last year. The Trust Protocol’s mission is to bring quantifiable and verifiable goals and measurement to the key sustainability metrics of U.S. cotton production.
  • Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 Maryland Farm Bureau Ambassador program, a scholarship and leadership development initiative for Maryland’s Farm Bureau member-families. After receiving entries from the county Farm Bureaus, the state Farm Bureau will choose one female and one male ambassador to represent Maryland Farm Bureau and the importance of agriculture’s role in the state from December 2022 – December 2023.
  • With many countries around the globe relaxing restrictions and showing signs of recovery from the pandemic, demand for U.S. potato exports is strong in many markets. During the first three quarters of the marketing year (July 2021-March 2022), overall U.S. potato and potato product exports increased from the same period one year earlier.
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Agri-Pulse Newsmakers – USDA’s Emergency Relief Program

Cindy Zimmerman

Episode 15 of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers is out with a focus on USDA’s Emergency Relief Program announced this week and how that impacts the crop insurance program.

The Department of Agriculture rolled out a $6 billion program aimed at helping producers who suffered disasters in 2020 and 2021. USDA’s Gloria Montaño Greene joins the program to discuss what producers should know about how they might receive assistance and takes a look at the broader risk management portfolio under the federal government’s umbrella.

Then, Tom Sell with Combest, Sell & Associates and Tara Smith with Michael Torrey Associates discuss the implications of disasters on the crop insurance program, the prospects of permanent disaster relief legislation and their concerns about actuarial soundness.


Agri-Pulse, Video

Precision Ag News 5/18

Carrie Muehling

  • Syngenta Crop Protection’s Seedcare business is proud to unveil VICTRATO®, a novel technology with a powerful combination of nematode and disease control for growers looking to increase the quality and yield of their crops and support the long-term health of their soil.
  • The Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) announce the launch of ESMC’s ecosystem services market program, Eco-Harvest, to reward agricultural producers for beneficial environmental outcomes from regenerative agriculture. ESMC generates and sells credits for increased soil carbon, reduced greenhouse gases, and improved water quality from agricultural production systems.
  • Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops and CropTrak® announced the public release of the 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.
  • Rob-See-Co, an independent seed company located in Elkhorn, Neb. acquired the Rupp-brand grain and forage division of Rupp Seeds, an Ohio-based seed company. The acquisition enables Rob-See-Co to expand its market and product offering to Rupp Seeds dealers and growers.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

SISC and CropTrak Release Stewardship Calculator 2.0

Cindy Zimmerman

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 of the SISC metrics to help standardize ways to create and maintain measurement across tier one supply chains. The updated tool enables consistent communication of aggregated data – the key ingredient users said would help improve transparency and adoption of more sustainable practices,” said Alison Edwards, Director, SISC.

Powered by CropTrak’s cloud technology platform, the Stewardship Calculator 2.0 is used to track broad regenerative ag practices including resource and nutrient management; on-farm energy/GHG; as well as biodiversity, food waste and water use efficiency. Developed in collaboration with retailers and suppliers such as Walmart and Del Monte, the SISC calculator helps inform sustainability reporting for brands and their suppliers, as well as to improve production plans and supply chain management practices.

Western Growers Association will be subsidizing costs for all members to use this new SISC calculator for its initial two year roll out. Interested users can sign up for the Stewardship Calculator 2.0 here.

To find out more about this exciting announcement, listen to this interview with SISC Director Alison Edwards and CropTrak Sales/Engineering Lead Shawny Marsden.

Full interview with Edwards and Marsden 16:47

AgWired Precision, Audio, Food, Precision Agriculture, specialty crops, Sustainability

Michelle Rook Joins Farm Journal Broadcast Team

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm Journal announces Michelle Rook has joined the company’s broadcast team, serving as the lead field correspondent for the nationally syndicated television shows AgDay and U.S. Farm Report, as well as agriculture’s top-rated national radio show AgriTalk.

Rook is an award-winning journalist that most recently led the farm department at WNAX Radio in South Dakota. She has reported on agriculture from the nation’s capital to the soybean fields of Brazil and has interviewed countless newsmakers, including President Barack Obama and several U.S. agriculture secretaries. Rook has worked as a reporter and anchor for Agweek Television and has served as a meteorologist and reporter for KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls and KTIV-TV and KMEG-TV in Sioux City, Iowa.

She is a member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) and in 2006 served as the organization’s President. Rook grew up on a dairy and crop farm in eastern South Dakota and her parents are still involved in the operation. She has bachelor’s degrees in dairy manufacturing and ag journalism and a master’s degree in journalism from South Dakota State University. She also earned her broadcast meteorology degree from Mississippi State University.

Farm Journal

Animal Ag News 5/16

Carrie Muehling

  • As the 55th World Dairy Expo approaches, Expo is searching for college students who are passionate about the dairy industry to be part of the 2022 media team. Four students have the opportunity to spend WDE as media interns giving them an intimate look at the storied event. Students should visit World Dairy Expo’s website, www.worlddairyexpo.com, and select “Careers” under the “About Us” tab for the complete job description and all pertinent application details.
  • The Alltech ONE Conference unites changemakers and thought leaders in a collaborative exploration of solutions within agri-business and beyond. With virtual registration, you have access to live-streamed keynote presentations and select on-demand track sessions. Join the excitement of the Alltech ONE Conference, launching virtually beginning Monday, May 23, 2022.
  • This summer’s World Pork Expo is only a month away! Join media professionals and thousands of pork producers at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 8-10 for the world’s largest pork-specific event.
  • The Russian invasion of Ukraine has upended global food supply chains, raised prices for inputs, energy, and finished food products, and exacerbated nutrition insecurity in countries around the world. Following a meeting in the Washington, D.C. offices of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), leaders of the European Dairy Association (EDA) and IDFA issued this joint statement.
  • USPOULTRY approved approximately $119,000 in funding for a new research grant for a risk assessment comparing alternative approaches to regulating Salmonella in poultry through the Board Research Initiative program. The topic and request for proposal were selected by the USPOULTRY board of directors. The research was made possible in part by donations to the USPOULTRY Foundation. The grant is titled “Risk Assessment Comparing Alternative Approaches to Regulating Salmonella in Poultry by Public Health Impact Factors” and being conducted at the University of Illinois, made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cooper Farms.
  • March pork exports were the largest so far this year but were well below the record totals posted in March 2021, according to data released by USDA.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 11

Cindy Zimmerman

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 incubator supports founders of these companies through go-to market support, producer connections and seed funding. Matt also assists in portfolio management for the venture fund.

In this episode, guest host Ankit Chandra, DWFI program coordinator, sits down with Matt to discuss which ag innovations he’s most excited about, where gaps and challenges exist in the agtech ecosystem and more.

Listen to the podcast here:
Daugherty Water for Food Podcast Episode 11 16:48

The 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.

How to subscribe:

Farming, Food, Podcasts, Technology, Water, Water for Food

Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: Climate, Immigration, Inflation

Cindy Zimmerman

Climate, immigration and inflation are the key issues for this week’s edition of Agri-Pulse Newsmakers.

New figures this week showed inflation is still impacting American consumers, but some slight moderation was also observed. There was also news on interest in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Program, leading to questions about the ability for the program to satisfy the existing demand with its present resources.

This week’s video also features thoughts on immigration and the future of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act from Chuck Conner with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Allison Crittenden with the American Farm Bureau Federation, Dave Gagner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Cal Poly’s Ricky Volpe.

Newsmakers is also available as a podcast and/or you can sign up to get free access to Newsmakers.


Agri-Pulse, Video

Industry Ag News 5/13

Carrie Muehling

  • Register for the all new American Seed Trade Association Leadership Summit by Thursday, May 26 to take advantage of early registration rates and ASTA’s room blocks. The ASTA Leadership Summit is June 25-29 in Indianapolis, IN.
  • The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced its first city transit tires made with a sustainable soybean oil compound. The majority of Goodyear Metro Miler G152 and G652 tires will now use soybean oil to displace petroleum while delivering the same performance benefits. The announcement marks the fifth commercially available soy-biobased tires resulting from the United Soybean Board’s soy checkoff research investment with Goodyear.
  • IFAJ members can enjoy a 15% discount on registration fees for the 2022 Women in Food and Agriculture Summit in Frankfurt on June 14-15. The summit promotes inclusion and diversity in the food and agriculture industry. Sessions cover management, data analytics, sustainability and innovation, and the program includes networking opportunities with more than 300 industry leaders from around the world. Contact the IFAJ Global Office at globalcoordinator@ifaj.org for the discount code you will need when you register.
  • Farmers, ranchers, and agribusiness in territories across the U.S. will have a stronger partner to help them build their operations for the future, with Farm Credit of New Mexico announcing its intent to merge into American AgCredit.
  • Farmer Veteran Coalition announced $470,000 given in awards and equipment to veterans across the country through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. It’s the largest amount awarded in program history. The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides direct assistance to veterans involved in agriculture by awarding them equipment and small grants in the amount of $1,000 to $5,000 to purchase items they have identified will make a crucial difference in the launch of their farm business.
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