Industry Ag News 11/8

Carrie Muehling

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking nominations to the Advisory Committee on Agriculture Statistics. Members of this Committee advise the Secretary of Agriculture on the scope, timing and content of periodic agricultural censuses, as well as surveys of agriculture and other related industries. The committee also makes recommendations on the content of agricultural reports and represents the views and data needs of suppliers and users of agricultural statistics.
  • The U.S. agriculture workforce is vital to making our food system consistent, cost-efficient, and reliable. However, as costs skyrocket and the number of laborers willing to take on the challenges of farm work rapidly decreases, many producers fear that the lack of a reliable workforce will bring about the end of their operations. For the United States to remain competitive in producing fruit, vegetables, and other labor-intensive commodities, both private and government institutions must accelerate their adaptation to the evolving landscape of farm labor. Farm Foundation will host its next virtual Forum, Growing Together: Trends and Transformation in U.S. Agriculture Labor on Tuesday, November 19, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Central. The Forum will highlight some of the findings from a recent multi-day symposium that explored the future of the U.S. agricultural workforce.
  • The call for nominations for the 2025 Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellowship is now open. The 2025 fellowship is focused on the bioeconomy and related fields of applied economic research. Nominations will be accepted through November 18, 2024. Now in its fifth year, the Farm Foundation Agricultural Economics Fellow program is designed to nurture a promising leader in the field and provides a post-Ph.D. agricultural economist with expertise in the bioeconomy field to connect with researchers in the USDA and other agencies, publish their research, network across the industry, and attend conferences and events.
  • In 2023, crop insurance protected more than 540.6 million acres of farm and ranchland across the country. That is more land than the gross area of the entire United States in 1788 when the famous Founding Father first had his big idea to help farmers manage their risks. Added coverage for America’s ranchers and improvements for specialty crop growers through Whole Farm Revenue Protection and other crop-specific insurance products account for much of the additional acreage. Congress can continue to make progress by passing a new Farm Bill that further strengthens the public-private crop insurance system.
  • 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.
  • The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) recently announced the addition of Lisa Stafl as the association’s first in-house General Counsel.
  • In honor of those who served, Kubota Tractor Corporation announced a new partnership with Boot Campaign to support the organization’s work to restore the lives of veterans and military families through individualized, life-improving care. The company kicks off its program with Boot Campaign on Veterans Day with a series of activities that run through Military Appreciation Month in May of 2025.
  • A newly established award recognizes veterans or service members for excellence in farming or agriculture and positively impacting local communities. Retired Army Col. Joe Ricker of Indiana is the first recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation with support from Farm Credit.
  • Meyocks, a leading branding and marketing agency, announced the appointment of two new vice presidents of creative to its leadership team: Chad Baker and Johnny Mackin. Together, Baker and Mackin bring a combined 60 years of industry experience.
  • The 2024-25 National FFA Officer Team was elected during the final session of the 97th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. Students from Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, California, Georgia and Wisconsin were elected by National FFA Delegates to serve as 2024-25 National FFA Officers. They will lead the organization for the next year.
  • VANE, a leading provider of specialty agricultural insurance, is expanding its agricultural risk management portfolio to offer insurance coverage for agricultural financing and lending institutions.
    • Zimfo Bytes

    Golden Harvest Golden Advantage Offers 0% Extended Terms

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Heather Volpe at 2024 Farm Progress Show

    As farmers continue to be faced with challenging financial pressures heading into the next production season, Golden Harvest is pleased to offer 0% extended terms on Golden Harvest® corn and soybean seed and qualified Syngenta Seedcare products through Golden Advantage℠.

    Heather Volpe, Golden Harvest marketing manager, says Golden Advantage reinforces their commitment to farmers, providing a financial edge as they begin planning for the new season. “And it’s a little bit different than a traditional loan. So farmers can still use their other credit lines for other farm inputs and utilize our 0% extended terms for the Golden Harvest corn and soybeans.”

    Applications for use in the 2025 planting season must be submitted by May 2, 2025. Payment for Golden Harvest seed and Syngenta Seedcare products purchased for the 2024-2025 season is due in full on or before December 5, 2025.

    Both seed and qualified seed treatment can be applied to a Golden Advantage account. Seed treatment applied by a local Seed Advisor downstream can also be applied to a Golden Advantage account.

    Learn more in this interview with Volpe from the 2024 Farm Progress Show
    FPS24 - Interview with Heather Volpe, Golden Harvest 2:21

    Audio, Corn, Farm Progress Show, Golden Harvest, Seed, Soybean, Syngenta

    Kip Tom Reflects on Trump Election

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Indiana farmer Kip Tom is one of several names being floated as possible Secretary of Agriculture in the new Trump Administration. Tom runs a successful international farming operation and served as Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture during President Trump’s previous term.

    “When I think about President Trump and comparing 45 to 47, my perception is he’s a lot more prepared this time to lead our nation, to make sure he is able to expedite the employment of good personnel around him and I think he’s working hard to make sure that day one that they’re going to be leading and making sure that he can deliver on the promises he made to our nation,” said Tom in an interview Thursday. “I would tell you I would be honored if asked to serve and I would serve at the pleasure of the President in any role that he would offer to me at that time, but right now I’m a farmer and I just want to help represent agriculture.”

    Tom has served as co-chair of Farmers and Ranchers for Trump 47 and he believes the rural vote made the difference in the election. “I think it was a mandate on Tuesday. You look at how Americans voted and especially rural America, nearly 75% of rural America, agriculture and ranchers voted for Donald Trump. That was asking for a change,” said Tom.

    In this interview, Tom talks about his reaction to the Trump victory, what he sees as priorities for the new administration in farm and energy policy, his thoughts on RFK Jr.’s potential influence in farm policy, and what kind of role he personally would like to play on the new Trump team. In addition, he gives his reflections on what it was like to be in Butler, Pennsylvania the day President Trump was nearly assassinated.

    Interview with Kip Tom, Tom Farms 26:01

    AgWired Animal, AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Policy, politics, USDA

    Precision Ag News 11/7

    Carrie Muehling

  • There were 212,714 farms with 53.1 million irrigated acres, which included 81 million acre-feet of water applied in the United States, according to the 2023 Irrigation and Water Management Survey results, published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). In 2018, the irrigation survey results showed that there were 231,474 farms with 55.9 million irrigated acres, which included 83.4 million acre-feet of water. The results show that the number of farms irrigating, the amount of land irrigated, and the total water used for irrigation decreased between 2018 and 2023.
  • The 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Summit is coming up November 20-21 in Minneapolis. Bringing together farmers, suppliers, processors, brands, academia, conservation organizations and the public sector, the Sustainable Agriculture Summit is the premier sustainability event for agriculture and by agriculture, convening the collective food and agriculture value chain to learn, develop and advance a shared vision for a sustainable and resilient U.S. food system.
  • Tractors from iconic agriculture brands Case IH and STEYR have been honored with 2025 EIMA Tractor of the Year awards. This contest is a prestigious fixture for exhibitors at the International Exhibition of Agricultural and Gardening Machinery (EIMA) held in Bologna, Italy. The jury is formed of a panel of farm machinery journalists from across Europe.
  • What is the value of seed treatments to U.S. soybean farmers, and how do they feel about alternatives to seed treatments? A recent survey conducted by the American Soybean Association and the United Soybean Board sought to determine just that. The survey was conducted in July 2024 and gathered 491 online responses from farmers growing at least 150 acres of soybeans during the 2023 season across the 17 largest soybean-producing states in the United States. On average, 90 percent of soybean acres in the ASA/USB survey were planted with treated seeds. Only three percent of respondents had never planted any treated soybean seeds. Because seed treatments are so widely used by farmers, the technology impacts farms across the United States.
  • Syngenta Crop Protection, a global leader in agricultural innovation, and Maersk, a global integrator of logistics, announced the extension of their fourth-party logistics (4PL) partnership for an additional five years. This renewed collaboration underscores both companies’ commitment to responsible logistics through continuous supply chain optimization and innovation.
  • Rivulis, the leader in innovative irrigation solutions, introduced its D4000 PC drip irrigation system at the Irrigation Association Show on November 4. This revolutionary thin-wall pressure-compensated drip line is designed to make drip irrigation possible on land previously inaccessible for drip irrigation, allowing growers to maximize their productivity and profitability.
  • The National Wheat Yield Contest announced the 26 national and 94 state winners for 2024-the ninth year of the contest. This year’s contest had 516 entries, the most ever.
  • A Michigan State University researcher has received a $325,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a yeast-based biopesticide that targets spotted wing drosophila (SWD), an invasive pest of berries and tree fruits. Julianna Wilson, an assistant professor in the Department of Entomology and tree fruit specialist with MSU Extension, leads the multistate team. Partnering on the project is Molly Duman Scheel, a professor of medical and molecular genetics at Indiana University.
  • Vertiberry, a leader in sustainable indoor strawberry farming, has chosen Sollum‘s LED lighting solution for its new facility in L’Assomption, Québec. Expected to be operational by the end of 2024, the indoor/TCEA facility will serve as a test bed for Vertiberry’s innovative growing methods, which include both strawberry propagation and production.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Farm Groups Welcome Trump

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Agriculture organizations began sending congratulatory messages to President-elect Donald Trump early Wednesday, led by the American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall.

    ““Now that the American people have spoken, it’s time to put politics aside and begin the work of ensuring families nationwide can prosper,” said Duvall. “Among the most pressing issues in rural America is the need for a new, modernized farm bill. The two-year delay is unacceptable. The new administration must also address the impending tax hikes, which would crush many of America’s farmers and ranchers when stacked on top of inflation, high supply costs and market instability.”

    Trump spoke at three Farm Bureau national conventions during his previous presidency.

    National Farmers Union (NFU) President Rob Larew also offered his congratulations to President-elect Trump. “This transition to a new administration comes at a pivotal time for agriculture and rural America. At NFU, we believe that strong support for family farmers and ranchers is essential for vibrant rural communities and resilient economies… We stand ready to work with the incoming administration to build a future where agriculture can thrive, our food systems are resilient, and rural communities are supported.”

    National Corn Growers Association President Kenneth Hartman Jr. said they look forward to working with the new administration and members of Congress to advance policy that is important to corn farmers. “We especially appreciate President Trump’s recognition that homegrown fuels, like ethanol, are important for our nation’s energy security and rural economies. We are also eager to work with his administration and Congress to enact improved farm policies and programs, expand market opportunities and build on the tax policies enacted during President Trump’s first term that are beneficial to corn farmers as they face a challenging financial outlook with low prices and high costs.”

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane said they are excited to work with the President-Elect to “undo the harm which cattle producers have endured under four years of “Bidenomics” and restore the free-market principles which have made U.S. cattle and beef the finest and safest in the world. Despite cattle prices soaring to record highs over the previous years, producers have been squeezed by exceptionally high input costs, record inflation, and the Biden Administration’s so-called competition agenda. This is the perfect opportunity to execute a hard reset on all of these failed policies.”

    AFBF, NCBA, NCGA

    Grassley Says Lame Duck Farm Bill Unlikely

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) believes getting a farm bill through during the lame duck session of Congress is unlikely.

    “I haven’t heard of any movement during the month of October,” Grassley told reporters during a weekly call on Tuesday. “We have two weeks before Thanksgiving, we have three weeks before Christmas, and the way Schumer runs the Senate that’s only two and a half days a week so I don’t see how you can get it done.”

    Grassley says there are some bills that have to get done before the end of the year but, “I don’t hear much about agriculture.” However, he does expect to see a one year extension of the current 2018 Farm Bill.

    As far as next year’s deliberations on a farm bill, Grassley said there will definitely be pressure to cut spending until a Trump administration. If Republicans control both the House and Senate as well, he thinks it will be easier to get a farm bill but the Democrats will still fight against any food stamp reductions.

    Grassley press call 18:45

    Audio, Farm Bill, Farm Policy

    ASTA Wraps Up Forage, Turf and Conservation Seed Conference

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) wrapped up its annual Forage, Turf and Conservation (FTC) Seed Conference in Kansas City, Missouri last week.

    The meeting, held on October 29 in conjunction with the Western Seed Association Annual Meeting, gathers over 800 attendees in the conservation and grass seed sector to learn about the latest industry news, share the obstacles and the strategies to mitigate them, and explore business opportunities for the seed industry. Given the momentum surrounding conservation-related efforts, the U.S. forage, turf, and conservation sector has long been at the forefront of promoting seed as the solution for environmental initiatives.

    “There is tremendous excitement surrounding the future of the seed industry…in the forage, turf, and conservation seed space,” said ASTA Chairman Dan Foor. “To that end, ASTA has been working to provide information on cover crop demand to support its members in making real-time business decisions to supply seed to farmers and landowners.”

    The FTC Seed Conference included a full day of programming featuring speakers from the private and public sectors, offering the latest updates on cover crops, conservation programs, federal policy, and more. During closing remarks, Rob Wendell of the Native Seed Group was recognized for his four years of service as Chair of ASTA’s Environment and Conservation Seed Committee. Al Holleman of Agassiz Seed and Damon Winter of L&H Seeds were welcomed as the Committee’s new Chair and Vice Chair.

    Coming up next month is ASTA’s 2024 Field Crop Seed Convention December 10-13 in Orlando, and registration is already open for the 64th Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference, January 31 – February 4, also in Orlando.

    ASTA, cover crops, Seed, specialty crops

    ALMDA Asks USDA to Delay Animal Disease Traceability Rule

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The American Livestock Markets and Dealers Association (ALMDA) has formally requested that USDA-APHIS delay the implementation or enforcement of the final rule on Use of Electronic Identification Eartags as Official Identification in Cattle and Bison (ADT Rule), scheduled to become effective today, November 5.

    In a letter to USDA-APHIS, ALMDA requested that the implementation or enforcement of the ADT Rule be delayed at least 180 days ensure USDA, state animal health officials, veterinarians, tag manufacturers, and the entire industry are fully prepared support the ADT Rule in a way that does not reduce industry traceability, slow speed of commerce, or increase costs for livestock markets and dealers.

    ALMDA, working alongside livestock markets, dealers, order buyers, veterinarians, and state animal health officials, has identified numerous gaps in the implementation plan and communicated these to USDA officials. In September, ALMDA provided USDA with data that illustrated potential issues with the ADT Rule. As the implementation date has approached, the issues ALMDA identified are becoming a reality.

    “ALMDA understands the need to protect the U.S. livestock industry and the intent of the ADT Rule to make the traceability process faster and more accurate,” said ALMDA Chair Brian Forester, a livestock market owner from Texas. “We have been transparent with USDA and shared data from member livestock markets across the U.S. which illustrate the complexity and challenges associated with implementing the ADT Rule. At this time, livestock producers, tag suppliers, and state animal health officials have acknowledged they are not prepared to implement the rule so we believe it is in USDA and the industry’s best interest to delay rule implementation or enforcement.”

    AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, Beef, Livestock

    Animal Ag News 11/4

    Carrie Muehling

  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) confirms there is no food safety concerns about the nation’s pork supply after the detection of H5N1 influenza in swine on a small backyard farm in Oregon. NPPC continues to work closely with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services and pork industry stakeholders on disease surveillance programs.
  • The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is accepting 2025 Lois Britt Memorial Pork Industry Scholarship applications. Ten $2,500 scholarships are awarded annually to college students who intend to pursue a career in the pork industry with aspirations to become industry leaders. CME Group and the National Pork Industry Foundation sponsor the scholarships. Please note the new application deadline for this year: December 13, 2024. Full eligibility and application requirements can be found here.
  • PSB Industries, a specialist in the design and fabrication of systems for dehydrating and purifying gasses and liquids, highlights the reliability and efficiency of its Deoxo and TSA Dryer Package for the livestock sector. This system provides an unparalleled solution for removing moisture and oxygen from gas streams, addressing critical purification challenges in livestock applications such as biogas production from manure digesters.
  • U.S. dairy farmers are remaining resilient in the face of H5N1 influenza outbreaks while advancing in policy areas including nutrition and milk pricing, said National Milk Producers Federation Chairman Randy Mooney at the organization’s annual meeting held in Phoenix Oct. 21-23.
  • The International Dairy Federation (IDF) awarded the International Dairy Foods Association’s (IDFA) Women in Dairy network with the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards for Innovation in Women Empowerment. The awards celebrate the global dairy sector’s commitment to innovation, showcasing forward-thinking initiatives that enhance efficiency and align with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Becky Rasdall, senior vice president of trade and workforce policy for IDFA, accepted the award at the IDF World Dairy Summit.
  • iGENDEC is an advanced software tool designed to help cattle producers understand and improve their herd’s genetics. By utilizing known genetic relationships among traits, breed differences, and a producer’s own knowledge about their herd, iGENDEC provides detailed insights into how different traits should be emphasized when selecting herd bulls. With this information, producers can make more informed breeding decisions, leading to healthier, more productive herds. Using iGENDEC can boost long-term profitability by optimizing genetic potential, improving herd quality, and increasing operational efficiency. Join the next Cattlemen’s Webinar Series to hear more about what this updated rule means for you.
  • Denali, the nation’s leading recycler of organics, revealed it transformed over 10 billion pounds of organic byproducts into natural fertilizers, according to its newly released third annual sustainability report that details findings from 2023. Additionally, the report highlights that the company collected 1.7 billion pounds of food waste of which more than 75 percent was recycled into organic, nutrient-rich animal feed or uniquely curated into customized formulations by Denali’s environmental team to address dietary concerns farmers have about their cattle.
  • The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers have released an updated economic impact study that highlights the positive impact the poultry industry has on jobs, wages, and federal and state revenue in the United States. A dynamic and integral part of the national economy, the U.S. poultry industry provides 2,012,560 jobs, $132.7 billion in wages, $663.6 billion in economic activity and $54 billion in government revenue.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Industry Ag News 11/1

    Carrie Muehling

  • Farm Foundation has added a book award to its prestigious roster of annual awards. The Farm Foundation Book of the Year Award is open to a non-fiction English language work focused on food and/or agriculture published within the last 24 months.
  • International development and research investments create benefits on multiple fronts, including improving climate resilience, food trade, infrastructure, farmers’ access to finance, and global nutrition, particularly for women, according to speakers at the event on Wednesday, hosted by Farm Journal Foundation on the sidelines of this year’s World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. The event, titled Avoiding a Collision: How We Can Both Nourish and Preserve Our World, covered the tension between how farmers and the agricultural industry can continue to nourish a growing global population while also helping to mitigate climate change.
  • The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) announced the 2024 Rising Stars, a group of top-performing emerging leaders in the agricultural retail industry, and a new Fan Favorite social media challenge. The ARA Rising Stars award program, sponsored by Atticus, is a meaningful way for ARA member companies to recognize employees for their work in front of hundreds of industry professionals at the annual ARA Conference & Expo and to explore new ways to hone leadership skills. This year’s award theme is Empowering Leadership through the Next Frontier, which guides the videos created by each Rising Star.
  • Four outstanding agriculture advocates were recently announced by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The 2024 GO Teamers of the Year are Laura Haffner from Kansas, Julie Hardy from Georgia, and Renee McPherson and Linda Pryor from North Carolina. These outstanding individuals have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advocating for farmers and ranchers through a variety of impactful activities.
  • Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler were honored as the 2024 World Food Prize Laureates for their work in preserving and protecting the world’s heritage of crop biodiversity and mobilizing this resource to defend against threats to global food security. Over the past 50 years, their combined efforts have succeeded in engaging governments, scientists, farmers and civil society towards the conservation of over 6,000 species of crops and culturally important plants.
  • The Charleston Orwig Collective excitedly shares its president and CEO, Marcy Tessmann, has been named a 2025 Wisconsin Titan 100 by The Titan 100 program. The Titan 100 gives this prestigious award to Wisconsin’s Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives.
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing payments to agricultural producers impacted by natural disasters, including $143 million in crop insurance indemnities for Florida producers impacted by Hurricane Milton and more than $92 million for livestock producers, nationwide, who faced increased supplemental feed costs as a result of forage losses due to 2022 qualifying drought and wildfire. The payments for Milton-impacted Florida producers are for those who have Federal crop insurance coverage through the Hurricane Insurance Protection-Wind Index (HIP-WI) endorsement and the Tropical Storm (TS) option.
  • Syngenta Group announced financial results for the third quarter and the first nine months of 2024. Sales for the third quarter 2024 were $6.8 billion, flat compared to the prior year period. Syngenta Crop Protection sales were 16 percent lower at $9.5 billion in the first nine months of 2024. Seeds sales were $3.2 billion in the first nine months of 2024, down two percent year-on-year.
  • Ken Bader, longtime head of the American Soybean Association, died November 26 in Chesterfield, Missouri at the age of 90. Bader led ASA for 16 years, from 1976 to 1992, and his work led to the creation of the national soy checkoff and United Soybean Board.
  • Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award. The state winner will be announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Tifton, Georgia. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF.
  • The United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP) announces the members of Leadership Sorghum Class VII. This program, hosted by the USCP, is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders and advocates for the sorghum industry. The first session will take place Dec. 10-12, 2024, in Lubbock, Texas, during the United Sorghum Checkoff Program Board meeting.
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