Thanksgiving Costs for Farmers and Consumers

Cindy Zimmerman

Thanksgiving dinner will cost less than it did last year, but still more
expensive than before the pandemic, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey of the average cost of the classic holiday feast for 10, which is $58.08 or about $5.80 per person.

This is a 5% decrease from 2023, which was 4.5% lower than 2022. Two years of declines don’t erase dramatic increases that led to a record high cost of $64.06 in 2022. Despite the encouraging momentum, a Thanksgiving meal is still 19% higher than it was in 2019, which highlights the impact inflation has had on food prices – and farmers’ costs – since the pandemic.

The centerpiece on most Thanksgiving tables – the turkey – helped bring down the overall cost of dinner. The average price for a 16-pound turkey is $25.67. That is $1.60 per pound, down 6% from last year.

Meanwhile, National Farmers Union totaled up the costs of Thanksgiving dinner staples in the grocery store, compared to what farmers receive. NFU apparently shopped at a more expensive store than AFBF – they report a price of $2.42 per pound for a 16-20 lb turkey. But, NFU says the farmer’s share of that Butterball Frozen Turkey is only $0.06 – six cents a pound.

“This Thanksgiving, as we celebrate with friends and family, we must also acknowledge the challenges our food producers face. Family farmers and ranchers deserve a fair share of the consumer dollar,” said NFU President Rob Larew.

AFBF, Farming, Food

Animal Ag News 11/25

Carrie Muehling

  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) is pleased to announce that Lara Moody, the Institute for Feed Education and Research’s (IFEEDER) executive director, has been appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Air Quality Task Force (AAQTF).
  • Livestock Publications Council (LPC) annually inducts one of its distinguished leaders into the Hall of Fame. This honor is reserved for those who have adhered to high standards of professionalism in all aspects of their endeavors. The award is open to anyone who has been listed on the masthead of a LPC member publication or a service member. Contributing editors who come from the ownership organization of a member publication are also eligible. Nominees may be persons who are currently active or those who have moved on to other endeavors. The award is open to persons in sales, circulation, production and editorial.
  • USPOULTRY will host its annual Poultry Market Intelligence Forum at the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Ga. This year’s forum will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, and is complimentary for all registered IPPE attendees. The program will feature economic industry experts offering their insights on the current state of the global poultry industry and their forecasts for 2025.
  • The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) will be hosting an educational program tackling hot topics facing the animal food industry at the upcoming International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), happening Jan. 28-30, 2025, in Atlanta, Ga. The program, “What’s Keeping the Feed Industry Up at Night?” will be held on Jan. 29, 2025, from 10 a.m. – noon ET.
  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) celebrated the U.S. Senate’s unanimous passage of S.759, the Beagle Brigade Act, which provides statutory authority and reliable funding to the National Detector Dog Training Center. The agriculture canine teams (Beagle Brigade) of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection bolster national security by performing critically important inspections at ports of entry. The Beagle Brigade Act will secure and strengthen the program.
  • Anah Higbie of Quenemo, Kansas, is the winner of the 12th annual NCBA National Anthem Contest, sponsored by Norbrook. Higbie will sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
  • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane issued a statement congratulating Brooke Rollins on her nomination as Secretary of Agriculture: “From her time as a college student studying agriculture development to her distinguished career in Texas and Washington, Brooke Rollins has a history of fighting for Main Street and rural America. America’s cattle producers need a Secretary of Agriculture who will protect family farms and ranches, roll back crushing regulations, and stand up for rural values—and we look forward to working with Secretary-Designate Rollins to make it happen.”
  • Established in 2009, the Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame honors the exceptional visionary men and women who have made lasting contributions to the cattle-feeding industry. 2025 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame honorees will be recognized during the 16th annual banquet on Feb. 5 during CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. Hall of Fame inductees for 2025 include Joe Morgan with Poky Feeders in Scott City, Kansas, and Dan May with 4M Feeders in Stratton, Colorado. Tom Jensen of Nebraska will receive the Industry Leadership Award for his decades of banking experience and service to the cattle industry, and George “Frank” Littrell Jr., with Midwest Feeders, Inc., in Kansas, will receive the Arturo Armendariz Distinguished Service Award.
  • Keystone Cooperative is pleased to announce a donation of 1,500 pounds of frozen pork to three food banks serving the northwest, northeast and central regions of Indiana. This contribution reinforces Keystone Cooperative’s commitment to strengthening food security.
  • The dairy checkoff partnered with General Mills to create YoBark, a yogurt-based snack designed to give families a tasty option and expand yogurt’s presence in the snacking category. YoBark is refrigerated and combines the creaminess of yogurt with the crunchy texture of Nature Valley Granola, offering a multi-sensory flavor experience. It is available at Albertson’s, Safeway and Walmart and will reach more retailers nationwide in the coming months.
  • The overall economic impact of Wisconsin’s dairy industry is bigger than ever, and dairy remains the leading sector of Wisconsin agriculture. This newly released data is from the Contribution of Agriculture to the Wisconsin Economy: An Update for 2022, conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Agriculture and Applied Economics.
  • Vogelsang, the inventor of the rotary lobe pump with elastomer-coated lobes, announces the U.S. launch of the XSplit® Separator, an innovative solution that significantly enhances manure management for dairy, cow, and livestock operations. The XSplit Separator efficiently transforms manure into material ideal for animal bedding and simplifies the separation of liquids from solids, boosting overall efficiency.
  • ProEgg, a farmer-owned cooperative of experienced egg producers with farms across the United States, recently named Greg Bilobran as the organization’s new chief executive officer. With more than 22 years of experience in strategic planning, operations, finance, supply chain and logistics, Bilobran will lead the cooperative through improving cash conversion for ProEgg’s members, enhancing logistics and business operations, and creating raving fans through a customer-centric approach.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Ag Secretary Nominee Ready to Make Ag Great Again

    Cindy Zimmerman

    After a fake news rumor late Friday naming a former U.S. Senator from Georgia, President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday nominated Texas native Brooke Rollins, president and chief executive officer of the America First Policy Institute, to become the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

    “As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American Farmers, who are truly the backbone of our Country,” said Trump in a statement, adding that her “commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none.”

    Rollins served in Trump’s previous administration as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council and oversaw the White House Office of American Innovation. She has a degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M University and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

    Rollins thanked Trump on X, saying it will be the honor of her life “to fight for America’s farmers and our Nation’s agricultural communities…WHO’S READY TO MAKE AGRICULTURE GREAT AGAIN?” She also shared congrats from her high school ag teacher and photos of herself in FFA.

    Rollins has played an active role in the Trump 2024 presidential campaign and in work with the transition team. The day before she was nominated, Rollins sat down with talk show host Charlie Kirk to discuss the nomination of Florida’s Pam Bondi as Attorney General. She commented on this Trump presidency being an “inflection point in American history” and the team that he is assembling for his administration.

    “I’m not sure that either one of us could have ever hoped for this sort of team of Game changers, of transformational figures all coming together to meet the moment to live in this miracle that we find ourselves in, the opportunity to really govern and take our country back is remarkable,” she said to Kirk. “We’re living in the middle of history.”

    Brooke Rollins on Charlie Kirk Show (1:28)

    Audio, politics, USDA

    Industry Ag News 11/22

    Carrie Muehling

  • The World Food Prize Foundation announced that Ambassador Terry Branstad will retire as President on January 31, 2025, and Foundation Chief Operating Officer Mashal Husain will become President. In addition, the Foundation will conduct a global search for a newly created chief executive role focused on organizational leadership and global diplomacy.
  • After nearly a decade leading the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, Peter McCornick announced he will step down as executive director in August 2025. He plans to transition to a full-time faculty role in UNL’s Department of Biological Systems Engineering.
  • Farm Foundation and National 4-H Council recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a focus on a deeper collaboration in leadership, education and youth workforce readiness for young people who seek careers in food and agriculture. The organizations’ current partnership on the Farm Family Wellness Alliance (FFWA) provides free access to mental health and wellness services to farm families across the United States, including youth ages 16 and up. Now, the two organizations will align on career exploration, leadership training and skill-building opportunities for youth through Farm Foundation’s Next Generation programs and 4-H’s recently launched Beyond Ready initiative. This collaboration will help strengthen young learners’ interest in food and agriculture career pathways as early as elementary school. Additionally, it will help create a ready pipeline of future leaders as they graduate high school and college.
  • The Farm Credit Administration recently selected Zachary Lund to serve as its deputy chief of staff. In this newly created role, Mr. Lund will support the Office of the Chief of Staff in planning, directing, and overseeing day-to-day control of operations for agency offices in accordance with the operating philosophy and policies of FCA Board Chairman and CEO Vincent Logan and the FCA board.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture has appointed five new farmer-leaders to the United Soybean Board (USB) and reappointed 12 others. In total, 17 USB directors and alternates will begin three-year terms, and one director will begin a two-year term. These U.S. soybean farmers, representing 16 states, will be officially sworn in at the USB December Meeting in St. Charles, Missouri, on Dec. 11, 2024.
  • Seeing a need in the agriculture media community, three women at varying ages and stages in their careers have teamed up to form the non-profit Association of Females in Agriculture Media (A-FAM). With its official launch on December 1, A-FAM seeks to provide networking, professional development, mentoring, and personal support for women in all realms of ag media, including broadcast, print, digital, podcasting, sales, and industry relations.
  • Rural Media Group officially announces the sale of The Cowboy Channel and The Cowgirl Channel to Teton Ridge. This sale allows us to strategically refresh and focus on our flagship network, RFD-TV, as it approaches its 25th anniversary, with the goal to expand our presence across multiple platforms.
  • FS GRAIN plans to upgrade and expand its existing grain elevator in St. Anne, Illinois, by adding a new state-of-the-art shuttle loader with mainline, Class I rail services provided by Union Pacific and CSX railroads.
  • The National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) honored veteran broadcasters Mark Oppold and Curt Lancaster as the 2024 inductees in the NAFB Hall of Fame. Sabrina Halvorson was honored as Farm Broadcaster of the Year. Halvorson, an award-winning, 30-year media veteran, created and implemented California’s first all-agriculture morning news show in 2014. She currently reports for AgNet West, Hoosier Ag Today and Michigan Ag Today. Winning the prestigious Doan Award was Spencer Chase, senior director of communications for the Corn Refiners Association, for his audio report titled “Deep Dive on Farm and Food Policy Drivers” when he was managing editor at Agri-Pulse last year. Stephanie Hoff, Mid-West Farm Report Network, received the Horizon Award, which annually recognizes an outstanding member broadcaster in his or her first five years of professional work.
  • Emergent Connext, Inc., a leading provider of carrier-grade rural IoT connectivity solutions for agriculture and rural communities, is proud to announce the appointment of Andrew J. Weber to its Advisory Board. Weber, who recently retired after 23 years as CEO of Farm Journal, Inc., brings deep expertise in agricultural business innovation, media, and sustainability to Emergent.
  • The Georgia Peanut Commission hosted a photo contest throughout 2024 to fill the pages of the 2025 Georgia Peanut Calendar. Peanut farmers and industry representatives from across Georgia were encouraged to submit their best, high-resolution photo from the farm for a chance to feature the photo in the 2025 calendar.
  • Make plans to attend the 48th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Senate Hearing on Disaster Relief Funding

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The Senate Appropriations Committee held a hearing Wednesday on the $100 billion request for disaster funding from the Biden Administration.

    Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) kicked off the discussion by outlining some of the devastating losses experienced in Georgia by agricultural producers as a results of Hurricane Helene. “Hurricane-force winds and torrential rains destroyed fall crops still in the field, knocked down pecan orchards that growers spent decades cultivating, and damaged a million and a half acres of timberland,” said Ossoff. “Virtually every crop and commodity produced in Georgia has been seriously damaged, including poultry, cotton, timber, beef cattle, blueberries, pecans, peanuts, tobacco, vegetables, citrus, soybeans, nursery crops, and dairy.”

    Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) talked about the tremendous damage that has been felt by farmers and ranchers in his part of the country due to drought. “Drought is something that is so discouraging, so depressing,” said Moran, noting that drought reduced the wheat crop in his state of Kansas by almost 80 percent. “We’ve not had a wheat crop this small since 1961, because we can’t grow a crop.”

    USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small testified on the work the department has been doing to work with farmers and ranchers impacted by disasters. “Due to the level of devastation resulting not only from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but also from historic droughts, flooding, and wildfires over the past several years, USDA needs additional tools and flexibilities to comprehensively address the challenges being experienced across the country,” she said in her prepared testimony. “We urge Congress to work together to quickly provide funding for needed relief to farmers, ranchers, private forest landowners, and rural communities.”

    Senate hearing - Sen. Ossoff (11:11)

    Senate hearing - Sen. Moran (7:09)

    Senate hearing - Dep. Sec. Small (3:53)

    Audio, USDA, Weather

    Precision Ag News 11/20

    Carrie Muehling

  • Global initiatives to enable smallholder farmers to become more climate resilient are having an impact, but more investments are needed to support farmer livelihoods and global food and nutrition security in the face of increasingly volatile conditions, according to a panel organized by Farm Journal Foundation at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Climate-Smart Solutions for Smallholders: Taking Stock of Progress and Future Opportunities in Agriculture, included a fireside chat about growing challenges in agriculture from climate change and how USDA and the U.S. government are helping farmers.
  • Farmers for Sustainable Food, Houston Engineering, Inc. and Peninsula Pride Farms were honored at the Sustainable Agriculture Summit this week as Field to Market’s 2024 Collaboration of the Year for their work on the Peninsula Pride Farms Sustainability Project. The PPF Project is in its fourth year, involved 11 farms managing over 34,000 acres and 40,000 head of dairy cattle in two Wisconsin counties.
  • The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ) webinar season opens on November 26 with ‘Understanding Plant Breeding’, the first in IFAJ’s new ‘Sharing the Knowledge’ initiative. Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel famously laid down the plant breeding framework in the 19th century; 21st century plant breeding still leans heavily on their original ideas. In this webinar, Syngenta’s Uri Krieger and Ian Jepson use the history of plant breeding as a context to better understand its importance in successful crop production, including how we can use it to develop the resilient crops needed to help growers tackle an increasingly volatile climate.
  • CropLife International expressed support for the G20 Leaders’ Declaration issued as the Rio de Janeiro Summit concluded, welcoming the central role of agricultural productivity and food system transformation in the commitments made by the world’s leading economic nations.
  • BASF Agricultural Solutions is introducing Endura® PRO fungicide, the newest broad-spectrum fungicide innovation for potato growers. Endura PRO fungicide provides long-lasting protection against some of the toughest diseases in potatoes, including early blight and white mold, helping farmers improve yield performance.
  • Join the Soil Health Institute on Wednesday, December 4 at 12 p.m. EST to hear U.S. Regenerative Cotton Fund’s Soil Health Educator Jessica Kelton and Texas A&M University Agriculture Conservationist Jodie McVane discuss two fact sheets we developed with Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Rodale Institute. VF Corporation Senior Manager, Global Sustainability Programs Alyse Russel will moderate a Q&A session.
  • Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business Netafim and Bayer announced an expansion of their strategic collaboration, starting with new digital farming solutions for fruit and vegetable growers. By simplifying primary data collection and delivering a system that can generate tailored recommendations from that data, the new solutions aim to help growers maximize crop production and optimize their use of resources, thus minimizing the impact on the environment.
  • Held in Miami, Biostimulant World Congress offered keynote speeches, expert panels, scientific presentations, and networking to attendees. Keynote speaker, Kynetec’s Warrick Steptoe, presented “Insights on biostimulant adoption, market sizing and trends in key crops and geographies”. With 20 years’ experience, Warrick’s expertise allows him to deliver market intelligence that drives positive business decision making.
  • Kubota North America announced it has been recognized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® for its innovation and design excellence earning it a “Best of Innovation” in the CES Innovation Awards® 2025 program for the Kubota KATR, a first of its kind, compact, four-wheeled robot with a stable cargo deck platform with stability control features that allow it to conduct work in demanding off-road agricultural and construction work environments, even on hills and slopes.
  • New research published in Scientific Reports describes a breakthrough in nitrogen fertilizer technology. Conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Purdue University and Pivot Bio, the study shows that gene-edited microbes can fix nitrogen from the air and feed it to cereal plants’ roots, providing the essential nutrient to crops.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Pivot Bio Names North American Distribution Head

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Ag tech company Pivot Bio today named former Bayer Crop Science executive Jason Hoag as head of North American commercial distribution. The role includes development and management of channels and distribution networks, retail expansion and ongoing fostering of commercial partnerships. Hoag will be based in St. Louis and will report to Chris Turner, chief commercial officer for Pivot Bio.

    Hoag most recently served as VP of North America Marketing Lead for retail distributed brands (DEKALB, Asgrow, Deltapine, Crop Protection) for Bayer Crop Science. Previously, he served as vice president regional business lead for the eastern Corn Belt region. He held additional marketing and brand roles at Monsanto and American Cyamamid.

    Hoag received his Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

    AgWired Precision, people, Precision Agriculture, Technology

    Grassley Sounds Off on Senate Farm Bill Proposal

    Cindy Zimmerman

    During his weekly call with farm reporters Tuesday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) gave his opinion on the last minute Farm Bill introduced Monday by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow.

    “The timing of this bill is disappointing and unrealistic,” said Grassley. “It’s a sad commentary that Senate Democrats kept farmers waiting two years before even releasing a bill text, while grain prices fell below the cost of production.”

    Grassley says there clearly is not enough time to pass a bill before the end of the year. “After this week, we only have three weeks before Christmas. So I expect Congress to pass another short term extension.”

    Asked why he thought Sen. Stabenow would make such a move when she is retiring from Congress at the end of the year, Grassley speculated, “One, I think to show that she is willing to show her hand so she can’t be condemned without having at least her ideas put into text. And the second thing may be laying down a gauntlet for Democrats to follow in the next new Congress.”

    Grassley also gave his thoughts on who President-elect Trump should choose for Secretary of Agriculture. “Somebody with dirt under their fingernails, active farming. Nothing in regard to policy that I can think of, because I think those first two things I stated probably speaks for all I need to know about somebody that knows something about agriculture if they’re going to be Agriculture Secretary.”

    Grassley press call 11-19 (11:11)

    Audio, Farm Bill, Farm Policy

    ZimmCast 738 – Reaction to Elections

    Chuck Zimmerman

    ZimmCastHello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

    In this episode I’m going to share some interviews from the NAFB Trade Talk about reactions from the recent presidential election.

    I’m going to include Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta Sr. Manager, Federal Government and Industry Relations; Brian Jennings, ACE CEO; Geoff Cooper, RFA CEO and Ethan Lane, NCBA, VP of Government Affairs.

    Adding to these interviews, Cindy recently interviewed Kip Tom, Indiana farmer and served as the Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture during President Trump’s previous term. You can listen to his reactions here.

    That’s the ZimmCast for now. Please let me know if you have ideas for a future podcast. Just email me at chuck@zimmcomm.biz.

    Listen to the episode here:
    ZimmCast 738 - Reactions to Elections (21:28)

    I hope you enjoyed it and thank you for listening.

    Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

    ACE, Ag Groups, Audio, NCBA, politics, RFA, Syngenta, ZimmCast

    Climate-Smart Soybeans Mark Milestone in U.S. Market

    Cindy Zimmerman

    An Illinois-based processing facility successfully completed its first run of climate-smart soybeans this fall, marking a significant milestone in the
    initiative to bring climate-smart commodities to market. These food-grade soybeans are now poised to enter the soy milk market as part of the Transforming the Farmer to Consumer Supply Chain project (Transform F2C) leads the effort, funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities grant.

    The Scoular processor is the first of five processing facilities expected under the project and it is located at the company’s grain-cleaning facility in Andres, Illinois.

    “The ability to trace and build markets for climate-smart commodities throughout the supply chain has proven to be a barrier to widespread adoption,” said Nick Goeser, co-founder of Carbon A List, which administers the Transform F2C grant. “We’re thrilled that this project is already having success in demonstrating that a traceable approach can work with climate-smart agriculture in the supply chain. And this is only the beginning,” Goeser said.

    The Transform F2C project incentivizes producers to implement climate-smart practices, such as cover cropping, conservation crop rotation and reduced tillage practices. These practices reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote carbon sequestration and improve soil health. The project expects to engage farmers implementing these practices across the Midwest and Great Plains regions, with a goal to exceed the 36,000-acre target set forth at the beginning of the effort.

    Learn more at Transformf2c.com.

    Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, carbon, climate, Sustainability, USDA