World Food Prize Awarded for Enhanced Food Security

Kelly Marshall

Sir_Fazle_Hasan_AbedSir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh has been awarded the 2015 World Food Prize, the most prominent award for individuals whose achievements alleviate hunger and promote global food security.  The announcement was by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack who made remarks at an event by the U.S. State Department.

“I offer my sincerest congratulations to Sir Fazle and appreciation for the progress he has made in improving people’s lives, alleviating hunger, and providing pathways out of poverty. Sir Fazle’s and his organization’s recognition that engaging women in STEAM fields—science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math—benefits our local and global communities is a vision that we share at USDA.” said Vilsack.

World Food Prize1Awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation, the $250,000 prize honors Sir Fazle’s unparalleled achievement in building the unique, integrated development organization BRAC, which is headquartered in Bangladesh and operates programs in 10 other countries around the globe. Since he created it over 40 year ago, Sir Fazle’s organization has provided the opportunity for nearly 150 million people worldwide to improve their lives, have enhanced food security and follow a pathway out of poverty through its dynamic and effective development programs.

BRAC, which was formally known as Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, has been hailed as the most effective anti-poverty organization in the world. Its agricultural and development innovations have improved food security for millions and contributed to a significant decline in poverty levels through direct impacts to farmers and small communities across the globe. Today BRAC operates 18 financially and socially profitable enterprises, across health, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, education, green energy, printing and retail sectors, and has been responsible for extraordinary advancements in the poultry, seed, and dairy industries in Bangladesh and other countries in which it operates in Africa.

“At a time when the world confronts the great challenge of feeding over nine billion people, Sir Fazle Abed and BRAC, the organization he founded and leads, have created the preeminent model being followed around the globe on how to educate girls, empower women and lift whole generations out of poverty. For this monumental achievement, Sir Fazle truly deserves recognition as the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate,” commented World Food Prize President, Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn.

This announcement comes on the heels of applause for Bangladesh by the United Nations for meeting the Millennium Development Goal, to halve hunger by the year 2015.

Sir Fazle will receive his award at a ceremony at the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines, Iowa on October 15, 2015.  The celebration is part of a international symposium to discuss issues in global food security. Also included in the World Food Prize events is the three-day Global Youth Institute, which includes 400 participants from the U.S. and abroad and is designed to inspire the next generation of high school students to explore careers in agriculture and fighting hunger.

USDA

Florida’s Agritourism Soars

Kelly Marshall

University_of_Florida_logoIf you think “tourism” in Florida you’ll likely bring to mind images of sunny beaches, Disney characters, or movie-themed rides, but from October to November agritourism abounds.  Families line up for Sweet Season Farms’ eight acre corn maze in Milton and spend weekends at Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery.

“It used to be, even just 20 years ago, that all that Florida offered in agricultural tourism was u-pick farms where visitors could pick their own fruits,” said Taylor Stein, associate professor of ecotourism in the School of Forest Services and Conservation, part of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “Now, we have small, family-owned farms offering fall festivals, corn mazes tours, wine tastings and other activities. Agritourism in Florida is growing every year.”

“Florida’s top two industries are tourism and agriculture,” said Edward “Gilly” Evans, associate professor and associate director of IFAS Global. “It just made sense to combine the two to create an even bigger economic impact for farmers and the state, reduce the friction between farmers and urban dwellers by demonstrating how agriculture can conserve natural resources, and provide more recreation for the public,” he said. “Farmers can no longer concentrate on only growing crops; they also have to think about how to grow their revenues.”

The future of agritourism in Florida is bright, Evans said. “When we first studied agritourism, we truly underestimated the success that would come,” he said. “Now, it’s anyone’s guess on how much of an economic impact this will make on the state and on local farmers. All the necessary components are there to help farmers keep their land, help the public understand the importance of locally grown food and help the state increase revenue.”

Agribusiness, University

Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Ron Kind

John Davis

Agri-Pulse Open Mic this week features Rep. Ron Kind.

open-micAs a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the Wisconsin Democrat supports free trade and explains why it was such a difficult vote for many Democrats, who largely opposed President Obama. Kind shares his thoughts for the Obama administration in the latter stages of the TPP negotiations, especially in regard to his home state’s dairy industry. He also discusses EPA’s proposed waters of the U.S. rule. As a long-time farm bill critic, he also talks about further changes he’d like to see in crop insurance and other farm programs.

Click here to listen to Agri-Pulse Open Mic with Rep. Ron Kind.

Agri-Pulse, Audio

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

Zimfo Bytes

  • National Sorghum Producers is pleased to announce StollerUSA has committed as a Bronze Level sponsor of the National Sorghum Producers through its Industry Partner program.
  • Buddy Deimler of Salt Lake City, Utah; Jason Hughes of Ravenswood, W.Va; and Jonathan Ulmer of Lubbock, Texas have recently been named to the National FFA Board of Directors.
  • Land O’Lakes, Inc. and United Suppliers, Inc. of Ames, Iowa announced their intent to merge their crop inputs businesses.
  • Dr. Rajiv Shah, former head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, has joined The Chicago Council on Global Affairs as a Senior Advisor to the Council.
Zimfo Bytes

New Holland Appoints New VP of North America

Jamie Johansen

Bret Lieberman_headshotNew Holland is excited to announced the appointment of Bret Lieberman as Vice President of North America. Bret will be based in New Holland and will assume the role of Vice President immediately.

Bret has an accomplished resume at CNH Industrial and New Holland spanning 25 years in various roles which will bring a multi-faceted perspective and a passion from within to the brand’s top leadership position. Most recently, Bret has held the position of head of North America Manufacturing, where he has been responsible for all agricultural and construction manufacturing plants since 2009.

Bret joined the company in 1990 with a position in service parts. Bret continued to expand his experience with various roles in purchasing, human resources, quality management and haytools production.

“Bret has brought strong leadership to each role he has held and has a deep understanding and passion for New Holland and the equipment that makes us a world-class leader in agriculture and construction,” said Brad Crews, COO of CNH Industrial NAFTA. “We are focused on the future and given Bret’s proven ability we see a great opportunity for continued growth through close partnerships with our dealers and customers.”

“I am excited for this new opportunity to lead the brand as I have spent a significant portion of my career here on the New Holland campus,” said Bret. “I deeply understand the importance of the quality and performance of the equipment that our dealers and customers rely on everyday for their success.”

Bret Lieberman holds a Master Degree in Business Management from Saint Francis College in Loretto, Pa. and received his Bachelor’s degree in Business, Management and Administration from Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pa. He currently resides in Lititz, Pa. where he enjoys spending time with his three children as well as a variety of outdoor sports such as bicycling, snowboarding and motorcycling.

Agribusiness, New Holland

A Different Approach to Nutrient Management

Jamie Johansen

Michelle redGrowers who are interested in reducing crop inputs and increasing profits can learn more about a program to achieve both from Crop Health Labs. This nutrient management tool is plant sap analysis and they are hosting webinars throughout July to educate growers about this different approach to very common nutrient management problems.

I spoke with Crop Health Labs Executive Director, Michelle Gregg, to learn more about the benefits of plant sap analysis and whats sets it apart from traditional methods. “Plant sap analysis differs from traditional tissue analysis in that we are collecting the liquid portion of the plant instead of the structure of the plant. By collecting a ‘blood sample’ of the plant we are able to detail and predict nutrient deficiencies three to four weeks prior to traditional tissue analysis.”

Growers can then proactively apply nutrients instead of waiting until visible signs of the plant suffering are apparent. Gregg said that from what they have collected from real users of the technology, growers have reduced their total input costs between 15-40%.

RedingGaryPicGary Reding, Crop Consultant for Advancing Eco Agriculture, a distributor for Crop Health Labs, also spoke with me about the 21 different nutrient parameters for testing in a lab environment. Crop Health Labs is the only company that offers this, along with a customized analysis for each grower’s operation.

He shares an example of one of the most common parameters tested. “The potassium and calcium ratio is one of the 21 data points. We look at the parts per million of potassium in the plant sap and then how much calcium is in the plant sap and then we look at the relationship between the two.”

Listen to my complete interview with Michelle and Gary to learn more about the webinars they are offering and how your operation could benefit from plant sap analysis. Interview with Michelle Gregg & Gary Reding, Crop Health Labs

Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Science, Nutrition

Biggest Hot Dog Holiday to Kick Off Hot Dog Month

Kelly Marshall

hero_bumperAmericans are expected to eat more than 150 million hot dogs over the July 4th weekend, appropriately kicking off July as National Hot Dog month.  Independence Day will be celebrated with fireworks and more hot dogs than any other time of the year– enough to stretch from D.C. to L.A. more than five times.

“There’s no better way to celebrate America’s birthday than with the all-American hot dog,” said Janet Riley, National Hot Dog and Sausage Council president and ‘Queen of Wien.’ “No matter how you top it, the hot dog is the food that everyone craves to make the Independence Day weekend complete.”

To celebrate the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (NHDSC) is offering fans and chance to win hot dogs and other prizes by creating a bumper sticker slogan.  Hot Dog enthusiasts can submit up to three clever slogans to contest@hot-dog.org by Junly 10.  Finalist slogans will be featured on the Facebook page, where fans will vote for their favorite.  The winner will be announced on July 22, National Hot Dog Day.

“Hot dogs aren’t just great for backyard barbecues, they’re also great road trip food, so we decided to combine these two American pastimes,” said Riley. “With the bumper sticker, people can share their hot dog love wherever they go.”

The person who submits the best bumper sticker slogan will win a $100 gift card for their favorite hot dogs plus a Curl-A-Dog spiral hot dog slicer. Second place wins a $50 gift card for their favorite hot dogs. The top three choices will all win NHDSC t-shirts and a bumper sticker with the winning slogan. Full contest guidelines and rules are available at http://www.hot-dog.org/media/contests.

To see how hot dogs are made, review an etiquette guide, read hot dog history, and learn trivia visit the website.

Agribusiness, Food

‘Shark Tank’ Investor to Address AFBF Annual Convention

John Davis

sharkFarmers certainly know a lot about investing their money… and if the rain doesn’t stop in the Midwest, they might be swimming with the sharks, figuratively and literally! Seems only appropriate that the American Farm Bureau Federation will have “Shark Tank” investor Barbara Corcoran give the keynote address at the group’s 97th Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 11, 2016.

Corcoran, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country, turned a $1,000 loan into a $5 billion real estate business. She is currently an investor on ABC’s No. 1 show on Friday night, “Shark Tank” and has helped more than 30 entrepreneurs succeed in their respective industries.

“We are excited to have Barbara Corcoran as one of our keynote speakers,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman. “American Farm Bureau is extremely supportive of rural entrepreneurs. Providing our members the opportunity to learn from one of the most successful businesswomen in the nation is a great fit with our Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge.”

The challenge provides an opportunity for individuals to showcase ideas and business innovations being cultivated in rural regions of the United States. Nearly $145,000 is up for grabs to help competitors finance their business ventures. Finalist teams for the 2016 competition will be announced Oct. 15.

Farm Bureau members can register for the 97th AFBF Annual Convention and IDEAg Trade Show through their state Farm Bureaus or online through AFBF at http://annualconvention.fb.org starting in September.

AFBF, Ag Groups, Agribusiness

New FAPRI Report Shows ARC, PLC Picks

John Davis

fapri-logoA new report from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute at the University of Missouri (FAPRI-MU) shows how many farmers are using Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) plans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Highlights from the report, titled, “U.S. crop program fiscal costs: Revised estimates with updated participation information,” include:

· The FAPRI-MU baseline anticipated that most corn and soybean producers would elect ARC, because average ARC payments were projected to exceed PLC payments for those crops. Election results show that even more corn and soybean producers chose ARC than had been expected.

· For wheat, we expected a more even split, with 60 percent choosing PLC, given a closer balance of projected payments. Instead, a narrow majority chose ARC.

· As expected, given projected payments, the vast majority of long grain rice and peanut producers chose PLC, as did smaller majorities of sorghum and barley producers.

· The reallocation of base acreage resulted in more base acres for corn, rice and peanuts, crops that have larger projected ARC or PLC payments than most other crops.

Based on this new information, FAPRI expects increased outlays associated with the 2014 and 2015 crops, especially for corn. In 2017 and 2018, outlays are expected to drop.

Agribusiness, ARC, USDA

Record Beans, Lower Corn in New Acreage Report

Cindy Zimmerman

USDAThe U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates 85.1 million acres of soybeans planted in the United States this year, up two percent from last year and setting a new record high. In contrast, growers planted an estimated 88.9 million acres to corn, the lowest corn acreage since 2010.

Record high soybean planted acreage is estimated in Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. However, planting delays in Missouri may change the numbers and USDA is planning to resurvey. The latest crop progress report shows Missouri soybean planting is only 62 percent complete, about 30 percent behind average. Planting is also behind in Arkansas and Kansas. To ensure accurate final estimates for all crops, NASS will resurvey growers in these states and if the new data shows any changes to the current estimates, NASS will publish updated estimates in its Crop Production report on August 12.

All cotton planted area for 2015 is estimated at 9.0 million acres, down 18 percent from last year and the lowest cotton acreage in the United States since 1983. A significant percentage of cotton acres also remained to be planted due to weather in Texas, which representing 58 percent of total U.S. acreage.

All wheat planted area for 2015 is estimated at 56.1 million acres, down one percent from 2014.

Louise Gartner of Spectrum Commodities analyzed both the Planted Acreage report and the Grain Stocks report in today’s Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) crop report conference call. MGEX crop report commentary call

Audio, Corn, Cotton, Soybean, USDA, Wheat