USDA Awards More Processing Plant Grants

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Thursday more than $35 million in grants to 15 independent meat processors in 12 states to increase processing capacity, the final installment in the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) launched in 2022. Over $325 million total investment in 74 independent meat and poultry processing projects have been awarded.

Joining Sec. Vilsack in making the announcement were Carl Cushing, Vermont Livestock Slaughter & Processing; Zach Fine, Holly Poultry; and Walter Schweitzer, Montana Premium Processing Cooperative and President of Montana Farmers Union.

USDA announcement 9-19-24 13:03

Reporters’ questions to Secretary Vilsack included asking for his thoughts on getting a farm bill done yet this year as farmers are struggling with lower income. “What producers want and need, I think is certainty and what they need and want is for the House and the Senate to conclude the work on getting a farm bill done.. I think it is obviously a positive sign that folks are talking about getting a farm bill done before the end of the year,” said Vilsack.

USDA press call questions 9-19-24 18:31

AgWired Animal, Audio, Beef, Farm Bill, Meat, Poultry, USDA

Precision Ag News 9/19

Carrie Muehling

  • The next webinar in the CropLife Industry Innovation Series will define what biostimulants are and how they work. Attendees can also expect to learn more about the different kinds of beneficial biology and the biochemical mechanisms that enable soil microbes to benefit crops. Register here.
  • EOS Data Analytics, a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics, has enhanced EOSDA Crop Monitoring, an online satellite-based precision agriculture platform for field monitoring, by introducing the VRA Map Builder feature. This update allows farmers and agronomists who use smart machinery to create detailed Variable Rate Application (VRA) maps by integrating data from various sources, including satellite imagery and machinery files. The feature is now available to users using EOSDA Crop Monitoring on a Professional plan.
  • Biotalys, an Agricultural Technology company developing protein-based biocontrols for sustainable crop protection, announced that it obtained patents for its first biofungicide, EVOCA, from both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
  • LandScan, the global leader in digital twins in agricultural technology and precision farming solutions, is proud to announce the grant of its latest patent, (US 12,092,625), titled “Precision Site Characterization Using Digital Twin”. This groundbreaking patent marks the first of its kind in the agriculture sector, involving the use of digital twin technology to revolutionize site characterization and precision farming practices.
  • Renovo Seed will offer eight elite alfalfa varieties and three of their famous AlfaGrass mixes in their 2025 product lineup. The products, which are tested in multi-year, multi-harvest plots prior to release, are poised to fit the specific forage needs of farmers and ranchers.
  • The joint membership of the North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) and the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association (NEDA) have voted overwhelmingly in favor of moving forward with a merger of these two associations. It is anticipated that the merger will be consummated in October 2024. The vote by the members of each organization was overwhelmingly in favor of this merger.
  • Nufarm Americas Inc. announced that Jeff Wagner has been appointed VP Sales – US Crop Protection who will assume the role as Ken Barham becomes Regional General Manager on October 1.
  • Radicle Growth is announced the four finalists selected for the highly anticipated Radicle Corn Value Chain Challenge Sponsored by US Corn Farmers, set to take place on October 22, 2024, in San Francisco. After an intensive review process, these standout finalists have emerged from a competitive pool of applicants, each showcasing innovative ideas and exceptional entrepreneurial spirit.
  • The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the American Soybean Association (ASA) expressed frustration with a recently released recommendation by the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose preliminary countervailing duty rates on imports of the herbicide 2,4-D.
  • ASTA’s Forage, Turf, and Conservation Seed Conference returns to Kansas City Oct. 27-31 for another year of programming in partnership with the Western Seed Association Annual Meeting. This year’s program features experts in conservation policy, agency professionals from both USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service and National Resources Conservation Service, and a panel discussion surrounding future trends in the seed industry.
  • Shell Rotella is pleased to announce the fourth annual SuperTractors competition, coinciding with National Farmer’s Day. Launched in 2021, this virtual event encourages farmers to showcase their impressive tractors, drawing inspiration from Shell Rotella SuperRigs, which recently celebrated 42 years of recognizing the best-looking working trucks in North America. From September 16-26, farmers across North America can enter their unique farm equipment in the SuperTractors competition for a chance to win $250, 10,000 MyMilesMatter points, and a custom Shell Rotella-branded Carhartt jacket. To participate, farmers can submit a photo along with a brief explanation of why their tractor deserves to win at super-tractors.mymilesmatter.com/peopleschoice.
    • AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes, Precision Agriculture

    Trump Pledges to Help Farmers in Michigan

    Cindy Zimmerman

    During a campaign rally town hall in Flint, Michigan on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump was cheered when he talked about helping American farmers after being asked about high grocery prices.

    “We gotta work with our farmers. Our farmers are being decimated right now,” said Trump. “One of the reasons is we allow a lot of farm product into our country. We’re gonna have to be a little bit like other countries. We’re not gonna allow so much come. We’re gonna let our farmers go to work … I love the farmers.”

    Farm income is estimated to be nearly $40 billion lower this year compared to 2023, down more than 25% due to lower prices paid to farmers for crops and livestock, and increased costs for supplies.

    Trump, who had frequent meetings with farmers while president, talked about one farmer who told him they didn’t want any subsidies from the government. “It was amazing, he said, almost tears in his eyes. We don’t want a subsidy. We just want a fair level playing field….All he wanted was to be able to compete fairly.”

    The former president recently participated in a written questionnaire from American Farm Bureau that covered topics such as crop insurance, taxes, labor, regulatory reform, international trade, sustainability, energy, and biotechnology.

    Trump in Michigan 1:27

    Audio, Farming, Food, politics

    USDA Working on Tracking Carbon Intensity

    Cindy Zimmerman

    USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie is confident that sustainable aviation fuels hold great promise for American agriculture if we can get the rules right.

    “This is a real opportunity for American agriculture to create a marketplace that will reward them from the for the stewardship they have been doing and the stewardship they are and will be doing,” said Bonnie on Monday at the 10th annual Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City.

    Bonnie says traceability of commodities through the supply chain is important in establishing carbon intensity scores. “In June, you saw a request for information around biofuels from USDA that sought to get responses from the public about creating a system to actually track carbon intensity completely through the supply chain. We think that could be really important for sustainable aviation fuels and biofuels more broadly,” Bonnie said. “We’re convinced that if we get good rules in the US and then if those rules are are similar across the globe, that US agriculture is going to be really, really good at producing sustainable aviation fuels through through low carbon commodities.”

    Farmers and ethanol producers are anxiously awaiting guidance for the 45Z clean fuel production tax credit authorized in the Inflation Reduction Act. “As we look to 45 Z, we’ve got to apply provide more flexibility, more crops and more ability to essentially use a menu approach to choosing which climate,” Bonnie said.

    USDA is working to implement the Growing Climate Solutions Act which authorizes the establishment of a voluntary Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Certification Program to help reduce entry barriers into voluntary environmental credit markets for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners.

    Listen to Bonnie’s remarks here:
    Ag Outlook Forum - USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie 25:28

    Agri-Pulse, AgWired Precision, Audio, Biofuels, carbon, climate, USDA

    LandScan Secures First Precision Ag Digital Twin Patent

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Precision ag technology company LandScan announces the industry’s first digital twin patent, involving the use of digital twin technology to revolutionize site characterization and precision farming practices.

    The advent of digital twin technology in agriculture represents a significant leap forward in how farmers, agronomists, and researchers understand and manage cropping systems. Digital twins are virtual models that accurately replicate physical objects and/or environments, allowing for in-depth analysis, simulation, and modeling without interfering with real-world operations. By applying this technology to agriculture, LandScan is empowering decision support to optimize precision farm management, improve crop yields, and objectively and quantitatively measure the outcomes of regenerative agricultural practices.

    “We are thrilled to have secured this patent, which solidifies our position as the pioneer in agricultural digital twin technology,” said Dan Rooney, CEO of LandScan. “Our technology for precision site characterization and analysis will provide unprecedented insights into agricultural environments, helping farmers make more informed decisions, reduce resource use, increase productivity, and provide objective metrics for soil health and sustainability baselining and monitoring”.

    Rooney says the newly patented technology leverages a combination of advanced and unique soil and remote sensing technologies, machine learning and AI, and simulation techniques to create a virtual and objective representation of an agricultural site and farming system.

    “We see this patent as just the beginning,” he adds. “Our goal is to further develop and integrate digital twin technology across all aspects of farming, creating a fully connected and intelligent agricultural ecosystem.”

    Click here to read more about this new technology.

    For more information about LandScan visit www.landscan.ai or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/landscan/.

    AgWired Precision, AI, Precision Agriculture, Technology

    Grants Available for Climate Smart Sheep Producers

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The American Lamb Board (ALB) is offering grants for 150 sheep producers to participate in its Climate Smart Sheep program.

    Producers enrolled in the program will be paid up to $7,000 to develop and implement Climate Smart Sheep management practices and measure and report emissions and life cycle analysis. Examples of Climate Smart practices to be implemented include prescribed grazing, cover crop planting, range planting, tree or shrub enhancement, silvopasture, cross-fencing and brush and pest (weed) management.

    Producers will work with a technical assistance provider to establish operational plans, implement recommended changes and organize farm data necessary to estimate emissions using the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator developed by Michigan State University and ALB. Along with the on-farm portion of the program, Climate Smart Sheep utilizes a USDA Climate-Smart Commodities Grant to quantify the impacts of targeted sheep grazing at four universities on four sites in California, Texas, Montana and North Carolina. The university studies will monitor the impact of prescribed sheep grazing related to carbon sequestration, soil health, and other ecosystem factors. At least one site will be a solar grazing site.

    ALB Sustainability Director Camren Maierle, PhD, leads the organization’s research and producer education initiatives, including developing and maintaining a nationally recognized solar grazing education program, cultivating other contract grazing opportunities, and working with industry partners to improve American Lamb sustainability. Maierle will also manage many aspects of the Climate Smart grant.

    The producer program application can be found online at LambBoard.com. The application period ends on December 1. Accepted producers will be notified by December 15, and the program will begin on January 1, 2025.

    AgWired Animal, American Lamb Board, Animal Agriculture, Animal Health, climate, Sheep, USDA

    Animal Ag News 9/17

    Carrie Muehling

  • The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) will host the 14th Annual Antibiotics Symposium in Denver, Colorado at the Colorado State University’s SPUR Campus from November 19-21, 2024. Led by NIAA’s Antibiotics Council co-chairs, Dr. Heather Fowler and Dr. Alexandra Medley, the planning team is preparing a Symposium program that continues to lead animal agriculture’s work in a One Health approach to antimicrobial stewardship and combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The 2024 Symposium will focus on Combatting AMR Together: Shared Commitment, Shared Success.
  • The Meat Institute submitted comments documenting the many flaws and costs of the latest proposed rules change to the Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) by the Biden Administration. In the proposed rule, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) attempts to circumvent Congress and the courts to reverse the longstanding legal standard that a plaintiff must demonstrate harm to competition to sue and win under the Packers and Stockyards Act Section 202(a) or (b).
  • U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in calling on the Biden administration to protect America’s dairy industry and ensure that plant-based imitation products are not equated in upcoming dietary guideline changes. Baldwin, joined by Senators James Risch (R-ID), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Peter Welch (D-VT), urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carefully consider any changes to the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) that could add plant-based imitation products into the dairy category, despite their nutritional differences.
  • The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) announced their strong support for the ESA Amendments Act of 2024, introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA) and Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR). This legislation would reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to provide more timely conservation efforts on America’s rangeland.
  • Certified Angus Beef seeks driven college students to support the brand’s marketing and communication efforts through its 2025 summer internship program. Applications are accepted through October 27, 2024.
  • Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Senator John Boozman (R-AR) met with 120 pork producers at the National Pork Producers Council’s (NPPC) Fall Legislative Action Conference, discussing prospects for a 2024 Farm Bill and a federal solution to California’s Proposition 12.
  • The U.S. poultry industry is focused on improving protein conversion to ensure a more sustainable future. The USPOULTRY 2024 Poultry Protein & Fat Seminar, organized by a committee of leading experts in the rendering industry, will provide attendees with valuable insights into leadership, cutting-edge technology and best practices for safety and foreign material detection in rendering. This seminar offers a prime opportunity for rendering professionals to learn about modernizing their operations and improving efficiency. Sponsored by USPOULTRY and the Poultry Protein & Fat Council (PPFC), the event is scheduled for Oct. 16-17 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Downtown in Nashville, Tenn.
  • Industry safety professionals recently gathered in Destin, Fla., for the National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry. The conference, sponsored by the Georgia Tech Research Institute/ATRP and the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), brought together leaders who provided valuable insights into critical safety best practices.
  • Amp Americas, a leading dairy methane capture and renewable natural gas (RNG) company, announced that its projects have reduced more than 2,000,000 metric tons (MT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions since 2012 – equivalent to the emissions of more than five natural gas-fired power plants in one year.
  • The Wisconsin Dairy Products Association (WDPA) announced the Grand Champion winners of the 2024 World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. Three Grand Champions were named in the categories of Cheese and Butter, Grade A, and Ice Cream, Sherbet, Frozen Yogurt, and Gelato.
    • AgWired Animal, Animal Agriculture, Animal Bites

    Fall Ahead to the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference

    Chuck Zimmerman

    2024 NAMA Fall ConferenceWe’re counting down the days to the NAMA Fall Conference and can’t wait to see you there! Be sure to book your room at the Lofton Hotel in Minneapolis by October 1 to secure the best rate. Rooms are expected to sell out, so don’t miss the savings.

    Got your room booked? Now all that’s left to do is gear up for the exclusive agribusiness insights, exciting experiences and valuable connections awaiting you at this year’s Fall Conference!

    • Speakers to Inspire and Spark New Ideas
    • Keynote sessions to teach you to refine your brand, embrace modern leadership and master the art of impactful leadership
    • Panel discussions on how ag industry leaders are pioneering AI technology and transforming their companies for the future
    • Breakouts to Tackle Your Toughest Questions

    Today’s agri-marketers juggle many challenges in crafting effective strategies and adapting to new technologies. Breakout sessions dive into a variety of crucial topics to help you stay ahead, including:

    • A How-To Training for ChatGPT
    • Q&A Sit-Down with Ag Influencer Brandi Buzzard
    • Utilizing Proprietary AI Apps — Panel Discussion
    • Marketing Case Study: Minnesota Pork & the Paris Olympics

    From start to end, #NAMAFALL24 will serve up must-have ag insights, leadership tips and agribusiness best practices.

    Register for the 2024 NAMA Fall Conference today!

    Sponsorship Opportunities at Fall Conference – Take advantage of sponsorship opportunities available for Fall Conference! For more information, please contact Jenny Pickett at (913) 491-6500.

    NAMA

    CIRB Announces Tenth Class of Emerging Leaders

    Cindy Zimmerman

    The Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB) has named 19 industry professionals to its 2024-2025 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) class.

    The 2024-2025 CIRB Emerging Leaders Program class includes:

    Anthony Kubik, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services
    Sara Hamm, American Farm Bureau Insurance Services
    Tanner Schroder, AgriSompo North America
    Shay Foster, AgriSompo North America
    Craig Fenster, Aon
    Carissa Lozier, COUNTRY Financial
    Luke Aupperle, COUNTRY Financial
    Kasey Engel, Farm Bureau Financial Services
    Candy Magee, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
    Billy Meade, Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Company of Iowa
    Connor Scharfe, Gallagher Re
    Brian Johnson, Great American Insurance Group
    Sarah McEachern, Guy Carpenter
    Mike Weber, Hudson Crop
    Ronnetta Rountree, Hudson Crop
    Landon Svennes, Precision Risk Management
    Jon Clarke, Rural Community Insurance Services
    Sandy Johnson, Rural Community Insurance Services
    Kyle Jore, Watts and Associates

    The ELP is designed to build the next generation of crop insurance and reinsurance leaders through a year-long program where they receive media training, learn strategies for effective advocacy for the crop insurance industry, and have the opportunity to build their professional network by joining CIRB Executive Committee Meetings.

    The 2023-24 ELP class boasted 20 members and all of them were able to attend the annual meeting earlier this year in Scottsdale.

    CIRB, Crop Insurance

    AgGateway Annual in Austin

    Cindy Zimmerman

    Registration is underway for the 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference, November 11-13, at the Downright Austin Hotel in Austin, TX.

    This event combines real working sessions on advanced initiatives, meet-ups and committee gatherings to discuss new and longer-term projects, and a host of conference sessions designed to create discussion and infuse enthusiasm for the AgGateway Mission. Along with learning and working sessions, the conference features multiple networking breaks and receptions, as well as a welcome luncheon for first-time attendees.

    Annual Conference attendees include leading agribusiness managers, IT professionals, and other representatives from the entire crop production channel, including input and equipment manufacturing, software and data service providers, ag retailers and distributors, in addition to professionals in precision ag, academia, agricultural organizations, students, and ag media.

    The 2024 AgGateway Annual Conference will discuss work being done on Environmental Reporting and provide experts and outside perspectives on programs and initiatives that have put Environmental Reporting in the spotlight.

    AgGateway Executive Vice President Jeremy Wilson talked about some of the organization’s current priorities in this interview from Tech Hub LIVE in July.

    2024 THL Jeremy Wilson, AgGateway 4:56

    ag retailers, AgGateway, Agribusiness, AgWired Precision, Audio