Trump Orders Meat Packing Plants to Stay Open

Cindy Zimmerman

President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order Tuesday to keep meat and poultry processing facilities open during the COVID-19 national emergency.

During a Tuesday press availability, President Trump said the order “will solve any liability problems” for the plants. “We’re working with Tyson… and we always work with the farmers. There’s plenty of supply.”

President comments on packing plant order :30

Under the Executive Order and the authority of the Defense Production Act, USDA will work with meat processing to affirm they will operate in accordance with the CDC and OSHA guidance, and then work with state and local officials to ensure that these plants are allowed to operate to produce the meat protein that Americans need.

“I thank President Trump for signing this executive order and recognizing the importance of keeping our food supply chain safe, secure, and plentiful. Our nation’s meat and poultry processing facilities play an integral role in the continuity of our food supply chain,” said Secretary Perdue. “Maintaining the health and safety of these heroic employees in order to ensure that these critical facilities can continue operating is paramount.”

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) CEO Colin Woodall says the action taken by President Trump will help keep the beef supply chain intact, ensure beef remains available to consumers and ultimately provide the food that American consumers will need to reopen the nation.

Audio, Beef, Livestock, Meat, NCBA

Field Notes from Koch Agronomic Services – Episode 3

Chuck Zimmerman

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Field Notes podcast series from Koch Agronomic Services, where we break down the science and technology behind agronomy to help growers do more with less. Crop science experts and others in the agriculture industry will discuss topics ranging from nitrogen loss and soil health to ways growers can increase operational efficiencies.

Retailer Perspectives on Nitrogen Loss

In this podcast, Corey Cables, key account manager for Koch, and Troy Walker, agronomy field sales manager for MKC, discuss nitrogen loss from the perspective of the retailer. Field Notes from Koch Agronomic ServicesHow are they working with growers to develop nitrogen management plans to help them get the highest yields? And in this unprecedented time when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible, they also share what user-friendly tools they’re using to communicate with growers.

You can listen to the program here: Retailer Perspective on Nitrogen Loss

And to make sure you don’t miss an episode, choose an option to subscribe

For Spotify on your computer download the desktop app.

Agribusiness, Audio, Farming, Koch Agronomic Services, Nutrient Management, Podcasts, Soil

NAMA #COVID19 Feedback Survey Results

Chuck Zimmerman

The National Agri-Marketing Association just completed a simple survey of members with questions about their plans/intentions for the coming quarters of the year as well as the rest of the year as a whole. I thought they had great participation with 212 respondents.

Here are a couple of the questions with tidbits from the results. You can see the full document online here.

For the remainder of 2020, how would you characterize marketing budgets for your brands, or your clients’ brands?
80 percent said that budgets are being reduced, shifted to other tactics or both and 20 percent said neither being reduced or shifting to other tactics.

In 2020, what level of planned market budget for new product / offer launches will now be allocated?
65 percent said slightly reduced, significantly reduced, launches cancelled, N/A – no planned launches in 2020 and 36 percent said staying the same, slight increase/

Feel free to add your thoughts or comments on this.

BTW. Here’s information on NAMA’s next webinar.

April 30, A Marketer’s Guide to Podcasting, Stephanie Lynch & Seth Hurd, Brighton

According to Edison research, more than 62 million Americans listen to podcasts at least weekly – a 17% jump from last year – the largest spike since the advent of podcasts in 2013. Along with a steady increase in listenership, there are now more than 800,000 podcast titles to choose from and growing. How can marketers get in the game and utilize podcasts to their best abilities? Join the Brighton Agency team to discuss this unique format and its special storytelling properties. Gain insight on when to launch a brand-owned podcast and why consumers want and need to hear from brands.

Advertising, Ag Groups, Agencies, Agribusiness, Marketing, Media, NAMA, Podcasts, Public Relations

BASF Welcomes 15th Class of Top Cotton Growers

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF recently celebrated 92 cotton growers who achieved four-bale or greater yields by welcoming them to the exclusive FiberMax®One Ton Club™ for their 2019 harvest results. There are 14 first-time members in the group of winners for 2019, bringing total membership to 1,206 cotton growers.

Special awards were presented for:

Most Varieties: Apple Creek Farms of Garden City, Texas, earned the most varieties planted using FM 2334GLT, FM 2398GLTP, FM 2498GLT and FM 2574GLT.
Most Acres: Kitten Land Company of Lubbock, Texas, harvested an average yield of 2,164 pounds per acre on 475 acres with FM 1830GLT and FM 2498GLT.
Highest Loan Value: Micah and Magen Carter of Wellington, Texas, garnered $0.5722 on their qualifying acres with FM 1830GLT.
Highest Yield: Gary Shiflett Farms of Deming, New Mexico, harvested an average yield of 2,796.82 pounds per acre with FM 2498GLT.
Highest Gross Value: Gary Shiflett Farms earned $1,589.71 per acre on their qualifying acres with FM 1830GLT.

Each year, One Ton Club members are entered into a drawing for a two-year lease on a Ford Super Duty F-350 King Ranch® pickup truck. This year’s winner was Blake Fennell of Earth, Texas. Fennell qualified for the One Ton Club with FM 1911GLT.

“It’s been a tough year for cotton growers, but these growers took on the challenge and still accomplished excellent results,” said Rachel Walters, Cottonseed Marketing Manager, BASF. “We’re proud to offer growers advanced genetics that deliver premium fiber quality, high yield potential and up to $159* more per acre than the competition, giving them the economic advantage they need in today’s tight markets and tough growing conditions. We appreciate the opportunity to celebrate their remarkable milestones with the FiberMax One Ton Club.”

BASF, Cotton

Animal Ag News 4/27

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the establishment of a National Incident Coordination Center to provide direct support to producers whose animals cannot move to market as a result of processing plant closures. Additional details are available on the USDA website.
  • R-CALF USA along with some of its members has launched a petition urging the President and Congress to immediately pass Mandatory Country-of-Origin Labeling for beef, pork and dairy products to strengthen national food security and help stimulate economic growth. The petition has gained an unprecedented number of signatures in a very short period of time and continues to gain new signatures rapidly. The petition can be viewed at www.DemandUSABeef.com.
  • The USDA laid out its plan to award contracts to the private sector to purchase meat, dairy and produce for distribution to the nation’s food banks and other nonprofits addressing hunger. The USDA is authorized to spend $3 billion on hunger relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Farm Bureau Federation and Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger relief organization, sent a letter to the USDA requesting a nimble approach to quickly and effectively get food from America’s farms to the nation’s food banks.
  • The newly announced Wisconsin Dairy Recovery Program—a partnership between Hunger Task Force, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection—is in full swing. The first 2,480 gallons of fresh, whole milk were delivered to Hunger Task Force on Friday and has been distributed to local food pantries.
  • For 53 years, World Dairy Expo has been a place of commerce, education, networking and competition that has united and strengthened the global dairy industry. Expo continues to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impact to our show. Out of respect of the heightened economic hardships our industry faces, a final decision to hold or cancel WDE 2020 will be made by the World Dairy Expo Executive Committee on July 1 and communicated extensively.
  • A Wisconsin dairy farm, Rosy-Lane Holsteins, is the winner of a national award for Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability. The ninth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards were announced on April 22 in recognition of Earth Day. The Watertown farm is owned by Lloyd and Daphne Holterman and their partners Tim Strobel and Jordan Matthews and is one of three national winners in its category.
  • Parents nationwide now have access to new ways to keep children learning and engaged during the coronavirus crisis, thanks to free materials developed in conjunction with the Pork Checkoff. The lesson plans and activity information can be found at: http://ymiclassroom.com/lesson-plans/pork-family/.
  • Boehringer Ingelheim is now accepting applications for its fourth annual Producers for Progress Recognition Program. The program commends dairy producers who demonstrate a commitment to the well-being of animals, consumers and the industry through the judicious use of antibiotics. Apply by visiting Producers4Progress.com to fill out the online application form, or contact your local Boehringer Ingelheim representative. Applications are due July 1, 2020.
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health announced the appointment of Randolph Legg as the new Head of U.S. Commercial Business.
AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

Industry Ag News 4/24

Carrie Muehling

  • Register now to virtually attend Farm Journal’s Farm Country Update on Thursday, April 30 at 3:00 pm CDT. Why are producers dumping milk and breaking eggs? We’ll talk directly with producers about the challenges they face in getting products from the farm to the hands of consumers.
  • The House of Representatives passed H.R. 266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, legislation to provide additional COVID-19 response funds for hospitals and small businesses. House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member K. Michael Conaway (TX-11) released a statement after voting in favor of this legislation.
  • Farm Foundation and the USDA’s Economic Research Service have issued a call for papers highlighting empirical data and models that bring cutting-edge thinking on one or more themes related to beginning farmers and ranchers. The Beginning Farmers and Ranchers project is a joint effort of the organizations to examine issues that either hinder or facilitate the entry of beginning farmers into the agricultural sector, as well as the factors that lead to their success or failure. Farm Foundation encourages researchers, farmers and other thought leaders from private industry, government, and non-profits to submit paper proposals.
  • It’s planting season, and USDA is closely following spring planting across the country. Follow the #plant2020 campaign, or even better, send photos of how planting is going on your farm by emailing sharingoursuccesses@usda.gov. Learn more about the #plant2020 campaign by visiting farmers.gov/plant2020.
  • Stress levels are high among America’s soybean farmers, so much so that the terms “stress,” “anxiety,” and “concerns over mental health” were used dozens of times in an informal survey released this week by the American Soybean Association.
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Bette Brand announced that USDA has received 172 applications requesting $1.57 billion in the second round of the ReConnect Pilot Program. The applications seek funding to provide or upgrade rural broadband services across 41 states.
  • Agricultural Retailers Association President and CEO Daren Coppock released a statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army published the Navigable Waters Protection Rule to define “Waters of the United States” in the Federal Register.
  • In an effort to keep essential agriculture employees and customers safe and healthy during this pandemic, GROWMARK/FS is teaming up with the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and Illinois Soybean Association Checkoff Program to help distribute free hand sanitizer to ag retailers.
  • American Agri-Women presented the LEAVEN Award to Jean Goslin of Kansas Agri-Women and Pam Townsend of Maine Agri-Women. The award is presented to those persons who, to an outstanding degree, have acted as “leaven”, a truly feminine concept since “lady” means giver of bread.
  • Register today for a virtual Farm Foundation Forum, April 28 at 9 a.m. CDT, about the challenges facing agriculture due to the COVID-19 pandemic–but also the possible silver linings.
Zimfo Bytes

Southern States Coop Partners with Heliae® Agriculture

Cindy Zimmerman

Southern States Cooperative is partnering with Heliae® Agriculture to bring regenerative agriculture practices that improve yields while enhancing soil health to their farmer owners.

The selective distribution agreement announced today is a model for the future adoption of a ground-breaking approach developed by Heliae – to provide nutrients to growing crops through accelerated microbial growth while improving the health and structure of soils. After years in development, Heliae is carefully selecting a limited number of partners like Southern States Cooperative to introduce its soil microbe food to growers.

Southern States Cooperative is one of the largest farm supply retail and service cooperatives in the country, providing agronomic assistance to growers in Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and bordering states. Heliae® Agriculture is focused on developing microalgae products and bringing them to the market. Its development of PhycoTerra® is considered groundbreaking because its application can simultaneously improve crop yields and soil health by feeding the soil microbes.

“The professional agronomists at Southern States Cooperative know the local crops and soil characteristics,” says Norm Davy, Chief Revenue Officer at Heliae® Agriculture. “In addition, their track record with precision agriculture makes them an excellent partner to lead the adoption of yield-enhancing, soil-building products like PhycoTerra®.”

For more information on PhycoTerra® and how it is driving regenerative agriculture forward visit PhycoTerra.com.

Agronomy, AgWired Precision, Precision Agriculture, Soil

ZimmCast 642 – Conversation with Calyxt

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.

How are y’all doing? We hope you’re well and safe. We also want to see an end to this stay at home situation.

Although the ZimmComm Team has not been traveling, we have been pretty busy. Podcast production, video editing, recording media calls, interviews via phone, sending news releases are part of our stock in trade and we’ve been busy with this work. I want to thank our clients for their support which is so much appreciated during a trying time like this for our country and this industry.

Calyxt LogoIn this week’s program we’re going to learn about Calyxt, a plant science company, doing some very interesting work with new technology. I spoke with Calyxt CEO, Jim Blome, about the work they are doing. He focuses on the future of food and how the types of technology being developed at the company is creating new products to give farmers more options to meet today’s consumer demands.

I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 642 - Conversation with Calyxt

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Agribusiness, Audio, Plant Breeding, ZimmCast

Precision Ag News 4/22

Carrie Muehling

  • In celebration of Earth Day, the Renewable Fuels Association and Renewable Fuels Nebraska announced that Trenton Agri Products (TAP) in Trenton, Nebraska will become the first demonstration site for a new ethanol industry initiative to expand pollinator habitat in key production regions. TAP will establish a 5-acre pollinator plot this spring near the entrance to their facility to increase awareness and encourage local farmers to expand pollinator habitat on private lands. The plot will remain in place for at least three years.
  • The American Soybean Association and other interested parties including the Agricultural Research Association have joined together as intervenors to block a challenge that would toss out the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans to reregister glyphosate. The group filed a joint motion to intervene April 20 in Rural Coalition et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency et al and Natural Resources Defense Council et al. v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support EPA’s decision.
  • NRCS announced that it is investing in 48 partner-driven conservation projects across 29 states through its Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). NRCS will award $206 million for these 48 RCPP projects while leveraging nearly $300 million in partner contributions.
  • Unit sales of agricultural tractors and self-propelled combines in March 2020 fell across the board in the U.S. and Canada according to the latest data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. U.S. total farm tractor sales decreased 15.6 percent in March compared to 2019 while U.S. March self-propelled combine sales fell 11.9 percent. That includes decreases in all segments, with combines and 40-100hp tractors (-15.2 percent) performing the best.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

Farm Credit Update on COVID-19 Impact

Cindy Zimmerman

Farm Credit leaders participated in a media call Tuesday for an update on agricultural credit conditions, COVID-19’s impact on farmers, ranchers and rural communities, and how Farm Credit is helping during this challenging time – including via the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.

Webinar participants:
Todd Van Hoose, President and CEO, Farm Credit Council
Pat Calhoun, President and CEO, AgSouth Farm Credit
Bill Johnson, President and CEO, Farm Credit Mid-America
Tracy Sparks, President and CEO, Yosemite Farm Credit

Farm Credit Update Call (01:04:06)

Audio, Farm Credit