SD Senator Speaks Out on Policy Impacting Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) spoke out on the Senate floor this week about Democrat policies that he says are harmful to farmers and ranchers.

“For starters, I’m worried that Democrats’ bill could mean the end of some family farms thanks to the bill’s expansion of the death tax,” said Thune. “Death should not be a taxable event.”

Sen. Thune also criticized Democrats for focusing on electric vehicles at the expense of biofuels when it comes to climate policy and manipulating farm policy.

“Democrats are extending farm programs without bipartisan input and without real involvement from many in the agriculture community,” Thune said. “And of course they’re not extending all farm bill programs. They’re not, for example, extending – or providing money for – the farm safety net. Instead they’re targeting money at programs that they feel will allow them to advance their climate agenda.”

Sen. John Thune (R-SD) floor speech (7:50)

Audio, politics

New NCGA President Meets the Media

Cindy Zimmerman

Chris Edgington of St. Ansgar, Iowa, became president of the Corn Board of the National Corn Growers Association as of October 1.

Edgington raises corn and soybeans along with his dad, brother and son. Chris and his wife, Vanessa, have two children, Alex and Elizabeth. In addition to his row crop operation, he gains insight into livestock through a small business run by his son. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from Iowa State University.

As NCGA President, he also serves as president of the National Corn Growers Association Foundation, an executive committee member of NCGA’s Allied Industry Council, and as the association’s delegate to the U.S. Grains Council. He also serves as the liaison to the Agriculture Markets Advisory Council and the Renewable Fuels Association.

Edgington held a Zoom call with members of the media Tuesday to discuss issues of importance to corn growers.

NCGA president Chris Edgington, Iowa (18:18)

Audio, Corn, NCGA

2021 NAMA Fall Conference Underway

Chuck Zimmerman

2021 NAMA Fall ConferenceThe National Agri-Marketing Association is holding it’s 2021 Fall Conference in St. Louis, MO. Attendance is normal for this conference and everyone seems to really be enjoying being in-person!

After a reception last night, sessions are underway this morning, starting with the General Session with Karen Post, Turn Chaos into Competitive Edge. There are a number of breakout sessions and networking breaks throughout the day. At the end of the day a reception will be held offsite at Brighton.

Of course you can see photos here and on the NAMA Flickr account and the session audio is being recorded for attendees to listen to after the conference is over.

2021 NAMA Fall Conference Photo Album

NAMA

Administration Plans to Press China on Trade Agreement

Cindy Zimmerman

United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai delivered remarks Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) “outlining the Biden-Harris Administration’s new approach to the U.S.-China bilateral trade relationship.”

Ambassador Tai said they will begin by having discussions with China about its performance under the Phase One Agreement and commitments made “that benefit certain American industries, including agriculture, that we must enforce.”

USTR Katherine Tai comments related to agriculture (5:46)

During a press availability Monday, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was asked about the administration’s “new approach” and the ambassador’s characterization of China’s market as “unpredictable” for U.S. farmers and ranchers.

USDA Secretary Vilsack comments on trade approach to China (4:00)

Audio, Exports, Trade, USDA

Animal Ag News 10/4

Carrie Muehling

  • The MILK Business Conference, the only event that focuses exclusively on every business aspect of dairy operations, is set for Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2021, at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. The event will offer educational and networking opportunities for dairy industry leaders, live and in person, and will take place prior to the start of the National Finals Rodeo.
  • The National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take their case against California’s Proposition 12, which would ban the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet the state’s “arbitrary” production standards.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship. Ten scholarships of $1,500 each will be awarded to outstanding students pursuing careers in the beef industry.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual per-capita dairy consumption data and the story, despite major shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, remains America’s growing love for dairy products of all shapes and sizes. The information from USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) adds 2020 data to an accounting of per capita dairy consumption dating back to 1975 when the average American consumed just 539 pounds of dairy foods per year. Last year, the average American consumed 655 pounds of dairy in milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, butter, and other wholesome and nutritious dairy foods, demonstrating a resilient and growing love for all things dairy. The 2020 figure represents an increase of 3 pounds per person over the previous year.
  • The Public Lands Council honored individuals who have demonstrated an exceptional dedication to the industry and partnership with public lands ranchers during PLC’s 53rd Annual Meeting.
  • Attendee registration and general housing for the 2022 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) opens Monday, Oct. 4. With more than 520,000 square feet of exhibit space and 1,046 exhibitors, the IPPE trade show floor continues to grow with four months remaining to the Expo. Be sure to register online to receive a discounted price of $75 through Jan. 7, 2022. Beginning Jan. 8, the registration rate will increase to $125.
  • GEA unveiled six new products at the 2021 World Dairy Expo. GEA is one of the world’s largest systems suppliers for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. The international industrial technology group specializes in machinery and facilities as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 10/1

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will hold its biannual Data Users’ Meeting virtually Oct. 13 and 14 from noon-3 p.m. ET. The meeting is free and open to the public.
  • ResponsibleAg, a voluntary and industry-led safety and stewardship initiative, reached another major milestone when the 4,000th facility audit was completed at Rutherford Farmers Cooperative in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, a Tennessee Farmers Cooperative-affiliated facility.
  • The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced that Division of Market Oversight (DMO) Director Dorothy DeWitt will step down from her role as Director. Ms. DeWitt has led DMO since joining the agency in September 2019.
  • StilL 630 of St. Louis took top honors with their Monon Bell Bourbon Cask Strength at the Heartland Whiskey Competition held in Louisville, KY, earlier this summer. The distillery’s ‘cornfield to glass’ creation was named Missouri’s top craft whiskey in a blind judging competition, sponsored in part by the Missouri Corn Merchandising Council, which drew entries from 17 states.
  • Tillable, Inc. and Compeer Financial have partnered to launch a new online loan application, enabling anyone to purchase or refinance farmland directly from a smartphone.
Zimfo Bytes

ZimmCast 678 – Preview of the 2021 ARC Annual Meeting

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

It is #InternationalPodcastDay today. A lovely day to publish a podcast. This will be the second podcast we’ve published an episode of today!

In this program we’re going to get a preview of the 2021 Agricultural Relations Council Annual Meeting. Providing the details is Kristy Mach, Corner Window Communications and Executive Director of ARC.

2021 ARC Annual MeetingKristy walks us through the program and speakers as well as the annual business meeting and awards program. The second day will be tour day to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Colonial Williamsburg. There will be lots of networking opportunities as well.

The meeting if for agricultural public relations professionals of all kinds and levels of experience. You can get registered here. Hotel early price deadline is October 3 btw.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 678 - Preview of the 2021 ARC Annual Meeting (11:58)

In case you didn’t know it you can find more podcasts we produce in all your favorite podcast apps. That includes the Golden ZimmComm Mic Podcast, The Ethanol Report, Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services and the Daugherty Water for Food Podcast. We hope you enjoy listening to them.

Want to sponsor the ZimmCast? Just let me know and we can talk through ideas for your company. I’m AgriBlogger on Twitter or just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

ARC, Audio, Public Relations, ZimmCast

Long Time Dairy Checkoff CEO to Retire

Cindy Zimmerman

The dairy checkoff program will be under new management shortly for the first time pretty much since its inception.

Tom Gallagher this week announced his retirement as CEO of Dairy Management Inc., which was created in 1995 to run the dairy promotion and research program approved by Congress in 1983 and finalized with a producer referendum in 1993. Gallagher has been involved since the beginning, overseeing the evolution of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, National Dairy Council, and much more.

Barbara O’Brien, President of DMI and CEO of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, has been named by the board of directors as the next CEO. The board leadership, Gallagher and O’Brien will work on a transition plan and Gallagher has committed his support through the transition timeframe. O’Brien’s knowledge and experience with the dairy industry provide a seamless transition and a steady continuation of the checkoff’s value to dairy farmers.

“I am proud of the success of the checkoff during the past 30 years and the steady foundation it created for future impact, and I am leaving with complete confidence that Barb will continue to drive this success forward in new ways,” Gallagher said. “My work for America’s dairy farmers will always be the highlight of my career.”

Ag Groups, Dairy

Vilsack Announces Investment Package and Climate Initiative

Cindy Zimmerman

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a comprehensive set of investments by USDA during a speech at Colorado State University’s Salazar Center’s Virtual International Symposium for Conservation Impact.

Secretary Vilsack announced that USDA is preparing $3 billion in investments that will support drought resilience and response, animal disease prevention, market disruption relief, and purchase of food for school nutrition programs. The support will be made available via the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).

The investments include $500 million to support drought recovery and encourage the adoption of water-smart management practices; up to $500 million to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF); $500 million to provide relief from agricultural market disruption; and $1.5 billion to help schools respond to supply chain disruptions.

He also announced a new initiative to finance the deployment of climate-smart farming and forestry practices to aid in the marketing of climate-smart agricultural commodities. USDA will support a set of pilot projects that provide incentives to implement climate smart conservation practices on working lands and to quantify and monitor the carbon and greenhouse gas benefits associated with those practices. The pilots could rely on the Commodity Credit Corporation’s specific power to aid in expansion or development of new and additional markets.

Vilsack announcements Colorado State University 34:00

Audio, USDA

Precision Ag News 9/30

Carrie Muehling

  • The United Soybean Board has joined the leadership of the Coalition for Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture, a group of leaders in food, agriculture and science collaborating around the vision of global acceptance and support for gene editing. The coalition is facilitated by The Center for Food Integrity.
  • The Mid America CropLife Association presented the Industry Vision of the Year and Dean Roy Achievement awards during their virtual annual meeting. This year’s Industry Vision of the Year recipient is Brad Reed, Kova Fertilizer, of Greensburg, Indiana. The Dean Roy Achievement Award went to Michael Lehman, AMVAC.
  • AgriCapture‘s project listing is the second-ever greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction project in the Climate Action Reserve’s Soil Enrichment Protocol. Founded by landowners for landowners, AgriCapture works to increase the profitability and value of land through sustainable land management practices while simultaneously advancing agriculture in becoming a natural solution to climate change.
  • USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is investing $75 million for 15 partner-led projects to address natural resource concerns on private lands. This year, projects funded by the Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s Alternative Funding Arrangements focus on climate-smart agriculture and forestry and other conservation priorities as well as improving access for historically underserved producers.
  • According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, the ag retailer of the future has an opportunity to earn more income from precision agronomy services and emerging sustainability management programs, in addition to traditional crop input sales. The report suggests the current operating environment provides a timely opportunity for ag retailers to invest in new technologies and position themselves for success in a marketplace that is evolving rapidly.
  • Meristem Crop Performance is offering a first of its kind soybean replant program – part of Meristem’s continuing effort to treat farmers fairly and bring more innovative thinking to the crop input supply chain. Mitch Eviston, Meristem Founder and CEO, announced the offer during the Farm Science Review in London, Ohio.
  • Hybrid seed production is labor-intensive and results in higher costs for farmers. To circumvent this production bottleneck, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research awarded a $600,000 Seeding Solutions grant to University of California, Davis to develop hybrid plants which produce seeds that are genetic clones of the parent plant, substantially reducing their climatic impact and farmers’ bottom lines.
  • The Bureau of Land Management recognized two ranches with federal grazing permits for their outstanding work to restore, enhance, and protect vital Western ecosystems. The 2021 Rangeland Stewardship and Sagebrush-Steppe Awards were presented during the 2021 Public Lands Council Annual Meeting. Honorees include the Dugout Ranch in Utah, Bruneau-Owyhee Sage-Grouse Habitat Project in Idaho, Reverse JL Bar Cattle Company in Colorado, and Nature Conservancy Great Basin Ecoregion.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture