Agri-Pulse Kicks Off 2nd Great Tomato Challenge
2024 Great Tomato Challenge winner California Assembly member Reggie Jones-Sawyer with Agri-Pulse Publisher Sara Wyant, Bayer tomato breeder Chad Jorgensen, Chef P.J. Mulvaney, and Bayer’s Jenny Maloney.
The competition is open to members of the California Senate and Assemblymembers and their staff members, who are picking up their tomato plants for the challenge today. The winner will be announced prior to the Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Issues Summit in Sacramento on June 10.
Agri-Pulse will make a $1,000 donation to the winner’s choice of a California Food Bank, as well as a $500 donation to a California food bank in honor of the 2nd place winner.
“Thanks to Senator Melissa Hurtado’s leadership and our generous sponsors, we are offering a fun competition that educates participants about the challenges of growing delicious tomatoes in the Golden State while also helping those most in need of fresh, local food,” said Agri-Pulse Founder Sara Wyant.
The Great Tomato Challenge is made possible by a collaboration between Agri-Pulse and several sponsors who are involved with growing and processing fresh fruits and vegetables, including Vegetables by Bayer, Bonnie Plants, California Women for Agriculture, DiMare Fresh, and Morning Star.
The idea for the challenge came out of Wyant’s desire to inspire people to raise a tomato plant while learning something new about food production and helping those most in need of fresh, local food. In the early 1900’s, Sacramento was the heart of the state’s canning industry and nicknamed “The Big Tomato.” Tomatoes are grown in 20 California counties and growers produce an average of 50,800 tons, creating a big economic impact across the state.
“We can’t wait to see how the Vegetables by Bayer Seminis® brand Early Girl variety performs with the California State Assembly and Senate and staff,” noted Jenny Maloney, Global-Americas Strategic Accounts Manager at Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds.
Last year, California Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer was the winner of the first Great Tomato Challenge with a tomato plant his staff affectionately named Stanley.
Industry Ag News 4/4
Southern Peanut Growers to Meet in Panama City
Peanut farmers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi will be heading back to Panama City Beach for the 26th Annual Southern Peanut Growers Conference, July 23-25 at the Edgewater Beach Resort Conference Center with the theme “Riding Out the Storm.”
The three-day event provides farmers with information about peanut production, legislative issues, marketing and promotions. Visit the conference blog to see speaker and sponsor interviews as well as photos from past conferences. Watch the video below for a preview of the conference.
Precision Ag News 4/3
President Trump Targets Tariffs to Help Farmers
Announcing reciprocal tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners Wednesday, President Donald Trump stressed the importance of fairness in export markets for agriculture.
“With today’s actions, we’re also standing up for our great farmers and ranchers who are brutalized by nations all over the world, brutalized,” said Trump, singling out countries such as Canada for its tariffs on dairy products, the European Union for barriers to U.S. poultry, Australia for beef, and Japan for rice. “When you look a little bit, it’s not a pretty picture, and we don’t like it and it’s not fair. It’s not fair to our farmers. It’s not fair to our country…And I say, why are we doing this? Why are we doing this? I mean, at what point do we say you’ve got to work for yourselves and you’ve got to, this is why we have the big deficits.”
President Trump announces reciprocal tariffs - agriculture 3:15National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane attended the president’s announcement at the White House. “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world,” said Lane. “President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef. NCBA will continue engaging with the White House to ensure fair treatment for America’s cattle producers around the world and optimize opportunities for exports abroad.”
Becky Rasdall Vargas, senior vice president of trade and workforce policy at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), qualified their support for the President’s actions. “IDFA supports the Trump Administration’s efforts to hold trading partners accountable and expand market access for U.S. dairy. However, broad and prolonged tariffs on our top trading partners and growing markets will risk undermining our investments, raising costs for American businesses and consumers, and creating uncertainty for American dairy farmers and rural communities. We urge the administration to engage directly with dairy stakeholders and swiftly pursue resolutions with our trading partners that strengthen U.S. dairy’s global competitiveness.”
President Trump announced a 10% tariff baseline and will impose an “individualized reciprocal higher tariff on the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits” effective April 9.
Registration Open for 2025 Ag Media Summit
Registration opened today for the Agricultural Media Summit, July 27-30, 2025 in Rogers, AR. You can find it here.
Got questions? Here are some FAQs for you. Stay at the Embassy Suite Northwest Arkansas Hotel, Spa & Convention Center.
THE AGRICULTURAL MEDIA SUMMIT began in 1999, and is the largest gathering of the agriculture industry’s top writers, editors, photographers, publishers and strategic communicators in the U.S. Providing opportunities for professional development and industry networking, Ag Media Summit is brought to you by the Livestock Publications Council (LPC), the Agricultural Communicators Network (ACN), and the Connectiv Ag Media Council.
Arizona Cotton Urges Use of AF36 Against Aflatoxin
With the growing season underway, the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council (ACRPC) is urging farmers to take action against aflatoxin contamination by applying AF36, a biological solution backed by over 25 years of research and field success that reduces risks in crops, feed, and food production.
ACRPC is launching a nationwide campaign highlighting AF36’s success and urgency during the critical pre-harvest period to further extend the reach of this vital information.
ACRPC Director Mark Killian, former head of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, emphasized the significance of AF36 in protecting Arizona’s food supply and economy. “Aflatoxin contamination is a serious issue that affects not just individual farms but the entire supply chain,” said Killian. “AF36 is not just a solution, it’s a necessity for farmers looking to protect their crops, their herds, and their livelihoods”
Crops most susceptible to aflatoxin include cotton, corn, figs, and tree nuts such as almonds and pistachios.
Aflatoxin contamination is a persistent issue for growers and dairy producers, as it can severely impact feed quality, milk safety, and overall food supply integrity. Aflatoxin is a major concern for corn silage production, especially in hot, dry regions where contamination levels often exceed regulatory limits. Recent USDA research confirms that field-applied biocontrol strains, including AF36, effectively displace aflatoxin-producing fungi from soil to harvest and beyond, significantly reducing contamination risk in dairy feed. The study found that treated fields maintained aflatoxin levels below 10 ppb, reinforcing AF36’s value in long-term, area-wide aflatoxin management.
Pistachio growers in Arizona—the nation’s second-largest producer—are particularly vulnerable during peak fungal growth periods between June and August. AF36 functions by introducing a non-toxic strain of Aspergillus flavus that naturally outcompetes harmful aflatoxin-producing fungi, reducing contamination levels in soil and crops.
To learn more about AF36, contact the Arizona Cotton Research and Protection Council at 602-438-0059 or visit https://cotton.az.gov/af36-program.
Animal Ag News 4/1
Ag Secretary Visits Iowa
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited Iowa Monday, starting the day at an ethanol plant where she was joined by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig.
Rollins also toured a hog farm, and met with soybean producers and agriculture leaders from across Iowa, before capping off the day by delivering the keynote speech at the Iowa Ag Leaders Dinner.
Rollins’ main announcement was that USDA will release obligated funding under the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP) for 543 projects totaling $537 million in 29 states. The funding had been included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
In a press availability at the Elite Octane ethanol plant in Atlantic, Iowa, Rollins addressed a number of issues including trade policy, the farm bill, and avian flu. Gov. Reynolds, Elite Octane CEO Nick Bowdish, Sen. Ernst, Rep. Nunn and Rep. Miller-Meeks also make comments in the press conference.
USDA Sec. Rollins at Elite Octane 16:17