Benson Hill Acquires Iowa Soy Processing Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

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 ZFS Creston, combined with our proprietary Ultra-High Protein soybean varieties, positions Benson Hill to deliver a portfolio of improved ingredients as an innovative unlock to bottlenecks in the rapidly growing but capacity-constrained plant-based movement,” said Matt Crisp, Chief Executive Officer of Benson Hill. “This acquisition advances our integrated business model as a more efficient route to market with a smaller footprint that better aligns with consumer preferences, enabling us to harness the genetic potential of plants and help scale the growth of plant-based markets.”

The Creston operation is equipped to produce soy meal and oil, as well as food-grade soy white flake, flour, and grits, which can be marketed as ingredients or used as raw material for further production of concentrates, isolates and textured protein products. Acquiring the soy white flake capacity of Creston in lieu of building the capacity through capex investment positions the Company to immediately offer more sustainable ingredients within the broad human food market, which includes plant-based meat, meat extension, bakery, cereal and snack, fermentation and the pet food market. Further, Benson Hill’s identity preservation program leverages deep farmer relationships to provide traceable and more sustainable ingredients for both existing and new customers. The Creston, Iowa facility is also geographically complementary to Benson Hill’s soy crushing facility acquired last year in Seymour, Indiana.

Benson Hill representatives held a conference call to talk about the acquisition. Participating in the call were:
Ruben Mella, Senior Director, Investor Relations; Matt Crisp, Chief Executive Officer; Bruce Bennett, President, Ingredients; and DeAnn Brunts, Chief Financial Officer.

Benson Hill news call (21:09)

Audio, Food, Soybean

Start the New Year Right with Beltwide Cotton

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Cotton Council is pleased to kick off the new year with the 2022 Beltwide Cotton Conferences January 4-6, live and in person at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, Texas.

Three days of individual reports, panel discussions, hands on workshops and seminars are designed to provide attendees with information they need to help producers make key cotton production/marketing-related decisions. A dynamic program, along with the opportunity to network with peers from across the Cotton Belt, separate this conference from all others in agriculture. This conference will be educational, as well as enjoyable.

NCC’s Manager for Marketing & Processing Technology Lauren Krogman provides a preview of the event in this interview.
Interview with Lauren Krogman, NCC (5:30)

Click here for the Beltwide Cotton Conferences Virtual Newsroom

Audio, Beltwide Cotton, Cotton

Animal Ag News 1/3

Carrie Muehling

  • Checkoff foodservice partners continued to grow sales of U.S. dairy foods and more domestic dairy headed into the international marketplace. There also were increased efforts to connect with the valued Gen Z consumer and dairy’s sustainability journey reached new levels. These and other results are some of Dairy Management Inc.’s top checkoff highlights from 2021.
  • 4-H’ers from around the country recently participated in the National 4-H Poultry & Egg Conference at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville. The conference offers the students a variety of opportunities to learn about the poultry and egg industries while also providing an opportunity to interact with industry leaders. The USPOULTRY Foundation is a long-time sponsor of the event, and support for the Conference is made possible in part by a Foundation gift from Amick Farms.
  • United Pork Americas will unite global pork stakeholders to better understand the opportunities and concerns of pork production from every corner of the world. Exhibit, sponsor or attend to take advantage of the opportunity to connect, network and celebrate the people, products and success of pork production across the globe. Join leading global pork production C-level and managers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and consultants, as well as other food system stakeholders April 19 – 21, 2022, in Orlando, Florida.
  • The U.S. Poultry Harold E. Ford Foundation and the Poultry Science Association Foundation announced the jointly sponsored Ph.D. and Vet Student Career Fair, which will be held during the International Production & Processing Expo, scheduled for Jan. 25 – 27, 2022, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 12/31

Carrie Muehling

  • Starting in January, approximately 15,000 agricultural producers across the nation and the various segments of U.S. agriculture will receive an invitation to assist in the online 2022 Census of Agriculture Content Test. The Content Test, which will run through spring, is a critical part of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS’s) preparation for the once-every-five-year Census of Agriculture. Participants in the test will be asked to complete the 2022 Census of Agriculture online questionnaire via a new Respondent Portal aimed to improve the reporting experience for all producers.
  • Minnesota’s premier indoor agriculture trade show is returning to an in-person event in 2022. After a virtual pivot in 2021, MN AG EXPO will once again be held Jan. 19-20, 2022 at the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato.
  • IFAJ contests recognize the world’s best ag journalism. Reflecting the many ways agricultural journalists and communicators reach their audiences around the globe, IFAJ’s contests celebrate excellence in print, photography, audio, video and online media. This year’s application deadline is March 10, 2022.
  • Due to the success of implementing and reporting on marketing activities in previous years, Potatoes USA’s Market Access Program (MAP) funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) increased for the 2022-2023 marketing year. Potatoes USA received $5,242,949 in new MAP funding for the coming marketing year.
  • Clariant announces that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire BASF’s U.S. Attapulgite business assets for USD 60 million in cash, including the signing of a long-term supply agreement for attapulgite-based products to BASF. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in summer 2022.
Zimfo Bytes

Precision Ag News 12/29

Carrie Muehling

  • Peanut growers can maximize their crops’ full yield potential with the newly registered Trebuset® Peanuts seed treatment fungicide from Syngenta, which sets a higher standard for early-season suppression of peanut diseases. Trebuset Peanuts is a pre-mixed formulation of five active ingredients found in the Apron®, Maxim®, Dynasty®, Miravis® and Vibrance® fungicide brands.
  • Amyris, Inc., a leading synthetic biotechnology company accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable consumption through its Lab-to-Market operating platform, announced the completion of a previously announced joint venture agreement with MF 92 VENTURES LLC, a Minerva Foods subsidiary, to develop molecules for the sustainable production and distribution of animal protein.
  • Bartlett, a Savage Company, is pleased to announce the launch of a new sustainability project to reduce environmental impacts of Kansas wheat production, in partnership with Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. The Bartlett Kansas Hard Red Winter Wheat Project will help combat climate change by driving innovation in farming practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil conservation.
  • While many companies claim to focus on innovation, BASF Agricultural Solutions delivered on its promise to farmers and the agriculture industry by launching more than 37 new products and programs in 2021. This growth reinforces BASF’s commitment to invest in research and development and bring new tools to the market.
  • A 40 percent increase in biofuel production capacity, an on-site solar farm and a company roadmap to net carbon neutrality highlighted a year focused on sustainability for POET, the world’s largest biofuel producer.
  • The joint boards of the Equipment Dealers Association (EDA), the Midwest-
    SouthEastern Equipment Dealers Association (MSEDA), the United Equipment Dealers Association (UEDA) and the Western Equipment Dealers Association (WEDA) have voted to move forward with a
    proposal that would consolidate the four associations. This action is the first step towards consolidating which requires a vote by dealer members of each association, which should be completed in spring 2022.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Animal Ag News 12/27

Carrie Muehling

  • As of Dec. 1, there were 74.2 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 4% from December 2020 and down 1% from Sept. 1, 2021, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
  • The National Bison Association and Rocky Mountain Bison Association announce the 2022 National Bison Junior Judging Contest on Friday, Jan. 21 in Denver, in conjunction with the Gold Trophy Show and Sale during the National Western Stock Show. For more information, contact Jim Matheson at jim@bisoncentral.com.
  • In a report issued on retail pork prices, economists with Iowa State University, North Carolina State University and the National Pork Producers Council found that pork prices, not industry profits, are rising. Prices are rising due to increased transportation costs, supply bottlenecks and delays and increased labor costs throughout the pork chain. Those factors, said Iowa State’s Dermot Hayes, NC State’s Barry Goodwin and NPPC’s Holly Cook, were either caused or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Cargill has donated $100,000 to the Kansas Livestock Foundation, the charitable arm of the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA), to help with relief efforts underway for producers impacted by the weather events of December 15. These and other funds will be used to purchase fencing supplies, feed and other priority needs identified by local KLA leadership in counties affected by severe weather and wildfires that burned nearly 400,000 acres. Livestock producers in the hardest hit areas lost fence, livestock and feed resources. Homes and outbuildings also were among the losses.
  • With a rich history built on more than a century of poultry domestication and study, the modern poultry industry continues to expand its knowledge and mastery of avian care and finding innovative areas of research that help increase the overall success of the industry. These research developments and related topics will be discussed at the International Poultry Scientific Forum, held in conjunction with the 2022 International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta.
  • Six women in ranching, and longtime R-CALF USA members, created a successful calendar fundraiser campaign for the organization: Theresa Fox of Hermosa, South Dakota; Delia Johnson of Fairburn, South Dakota; DeLynn Hanson of Fort Pierre, South Dakota; Dawn Schultz of Brewster, Kansas; Brenda Thornsberry of Richland, Missouri; and Candi Chambers of Carrollton, Georgia, form the R-CALF USA Calendar Committee. The committee is currently selling 2022 R-CALF USA calendars with all sale proceeds going toward R-CALF USA’s efforts for U.S. cattle industry reforms.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 12/24

Carrie Muehling

  • The Crop Production report published on Dec. 9, 2021, by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) did not contain forecasted pecan production estimates. Also, NASS will not publish the Pecan Production report in January 2022 that typically contains preliminary acreage, yield, production, price, and value estimates. The costs associated with these estimates in recent seasons have been funded through a cooperative agreement, which was not renewed. As a result, NASS is suspending these estimates. This change does not impact the forecast published in the October Crop Production report or the annual estimates that are included in the Noncitrus Fruits and Nuts Annual Summary, which will be released on May 4, 2022.
  • The National Corn Growers Association and its members are proud to support three scholarship programs for three distinct audiences. Qualified students will receive scholarship funding for the fall 2022 semester. The deadline is January 31, 2022.
  • During the 2020-2021 crop year, California walnut growers and handlers worked together with the California Walnut Board and California Walnut Commission to advance the industry in new ways. Growers produced a record crop of 785,000 tons, a 20 percent gain over the 2019 crop.
  • Dustin Johansen, Director, Business Development Enterprise Solutions, Farm Journal, was elected chairman of the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City at the group’s annual meeting held December 7. Ron Seeber, who serves as CEO Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association, Kansas Grain and Feed Association, and Renew Kansas Biofuels Association was elected vice chairman.
  • Grower groups including the American Soybean Association, National Cotton Council and American Farm Bureau Federation are raising questions about data released Dec. 21 by EPA regarding reported dicamba off-target complaints during the 2021 growing season. Growers are concerned with the potential of significant gaps in the data provided by the agency.
  • Culver’s Thank You Farmers Project has now raised over $3.5 million since its creation in 2013. So far in 2021, the program has raised $500,000 toward its mission of advocating for the positive impact agriculture has on the world.
  • Megan Clark of Grand Mound, Iowa has been named the national winner of the 2022 GROWMARK essay contest for FFA members. The theme of this year’s contest was “What, in your opinion, has changed for the better in the agricultural industry as a result of the pandemic?”
  • Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business will partner again with the American Seed Trade Association to offer the ASTA Management Academy. The program will be Feb. 15-17 on the university’s campus.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is conducting the 2021 Farm Producer Study to improve knowledge and understanding of agricultural producers and help USDA improve services to them. A brief questionnaire will mail this month to approximately 75,000 U.S. agricultural producers across the country. Taking no more than 10 minutes to complete, the questionnaire asks participants for demographic and basic farm information. Producers can respond securely online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. The deadline for response is Jan. 18, 2022.
  • At a time when the advanced biofuel arena is on the cusp of several growing market opportunities, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association is excited to announce Donnell Rehagen, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board as the biofuel keynote speaker at the 2022 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit.
Zimfo Bytes

Merry Christmas from IPSA

Chuck Zimmerman

Merry Christmas from IPSAJust sharing another Christmas greeting.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

We look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis in the New Year for the IPSA Annual Conference!

Be sure to REGISTER before the hotel deadline on January 3, 2022.

WARMEST WISHES,

The IPSA Team

Holiday, Seed

Merry Christmas from the Sisters of Carmel

Chuck Zimmerman

Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred HeartsMany really beautiful Christmas greetings have been showing up in my inbox. I’d love to share them all. Here is one with special meaning for me since I got to know several Carmelite nuns back during the time we lived in Jefferson City, MO. This email came from the Carmelite Monastery of the Sacred Hearts in Colorado Springs, CO. They have a wonderful store of religious articles, many that they make by hand.

Here is an excerpt from their message:

Dear Friends of Carmel,

By the blessing of the good God, we all come to another Christmas season, to renew—and look forward to—the Coming of Our Lord.

As we gather around the manger of Bethlehem, know that you will be in our prayers, for a Blessed and truly Merry Christmas.

In Our Infant King,
Your Carmelite Sisters

Also included in their message is this quote.

May each Christmas, as it comes, find us more and more like Him, Who at this time became a little child for our sake; more simple-minded, more humble, more holy, more affectionate, more resigned, more happy, more full of God.

– Cardinal John Henry Newman

Holiday