Farm Bill Extension and Funding Reaction
Congress this week passed a continuing resolution that includes an extension of the 2018 Farm Bill until Sept. 30, 2024. Agriculture groups and companies at the NAFB Convention gave their reactions to the move and what it will mean for negotiations next year.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) praised the government funding package that also extends the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program until January 19, 2024.
NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane says the continuing resolution splits funding packages into two different expiration dates next year, January 19 and February 2. “It give everybody in DC a little bit more of a spread out range of targets,” said Lane. “By and large really good news.”
2023 NAFB Trade Talk - Ethan Lane, NCBA 3:24
Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta Federal Government and Industry Relations, says Congress is just kicking the can down the road on everything. “On the farm bill, on approps, on not shutting the government down… it’s a real question on whether those things will get done in 2024,” she said.
Thatcher, who has working on many farm bills over the years, says the farm bill extension through next September may make passage even tougher. “The Congressional Budget Office is going to tell us what kind of numbers do we have to work with in the funding of the farm bill… and there’s better than a 50 percent chance there’s less money then we have now.”
2023 NAFB Trade Talk - Mary Kay Thatcher, Syngenta 4:14Thanksgiving Meal Costs Less Than Last Year
The American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) 38th annual survey says the average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving feast is $61.17. That’s less than $6.20 per person, down 4.5 percent from last year’s record high prices.
The survey accounts for the cost of a meal for 10 people including turkey, stuffing mix, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, peas, dinner rolls, sweet potatoes, a veggie tray, fresh cranberries, and other miscellaneous ingredients.
The cost of the meal’s main course fell by more than five percent, thanks to supplies rebounding after last year’s challenges with avian influenza.
“Traditionally, the turkey is the most expensive item on the Thanksgiving dinner table,” said AFBF Senior Economist Veronica Nigh. “Turkey prices have fallen thanks to a sharp reduction in cases of avian influenza, which have allowed production to increase in time for the holiday.”
While consumers will welcome lower prices than they saw last year, inflation continues to be a factor as this year’s holiday meal still costs 25 percent more than it did in 2019.
Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford on First TIME100 Climate List
Land O’Lakes, Inc. President and CEO Beth Ford was included on the inaugural TIME100 Climate list announced this week, recognizing the 100 most innovative leaders driving business climate action.
The list was curated from nominations and recommendations made by industry leaders and partner organizations, assessing the candidates on a variety of factors, including recency of action, measurable results, and influence.
“Thank you, TIME, for including Land O’Lakes on the list. It’s an important recognition that agriculture can be a powerful climate solution,” said Beth Ford, Land O’Lakes President and CEO. “Our Truterra team is doing incredible things alongside our farmer-owners.”
The news of the Land O’Lakes honor came as Josiah McClellan, Head of Carbon Assets for Land O’Lakes Truterra, was at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Kansas City doing interviews about some of the work Truterra has been doing to help farmers transitioning to regenerative practices. “We’ve had $9 million that we’ve been able to deliver to farmers over the last two years for sequestering 462,000 tons of carbon and aligning that with corporate sustainability goals is something that was recognized by TIME,” said McClellan.
Learn more in this interview.
2023 NAFB Trade Talk - Josiah McClellan, Truterra 3:32
Gateway to Ag Careers Students Excel at Annual Meeting
Eight outstanding college students were able to attend the AgGateway Annual Conference this week in Nashville through the Gateway to Ag Careers program, sponsored by the AgCIO Roundtable.
The eight students represented a variety of different disciplines and academic institutions from across the country. In order of appearance in the photo, they are:
• Clara Cobb, Mississippi State University
• Jake Dempsey, Arizona State University
• Kelsey Vourazeris, Arizona State University
• Cole Byers, University of Georgia
• Fei Xyza Asuncion, Kansas State University
• Justin Allange, Purdue University
• Ryanna Tiejie, The Ohio State University
• Phillip Lanza, Cornell University
The students made individual presentations during a special session during the conference to share their work, ambitions, and interests in the agriculture industry and all of them made a positive impression on the attendees with their active involvement and willingness to network and learn. Here is a brief interview with them as a group:
2023 AgGateway interview with GTAC students 10:56AgGateway Awards
In addition to the President’s Award, there were several other very special awards presented at the AgGateway annual meeting this week in Nashville.
Ann Vande Lune (2nd from left) with AgGateway CEO Brent Kemp, Ron Farrell’s daughter Kelly and wife Judi
Ann Vande Lune of Key Cooperative was honored to be the first recipient of the award, which included a replica of Ron’s Attitude pin presented to her by his wife Judi and daughter Kelly. “That is the one thing I remember about him was that pin and the attitude that he had towards the industry,” Ann said. “It was his desire and ability to talk to anybody about the industry and pushing it forward that inspires me to continue that work.”
2023 AgGateway interview Ann Vande Lune, Key Cooperative 3:55
Stuart Rhea, Syngenta, accepts Ron Storms award from AgGateway’s Jeremy Wilson
Dave Craft, SSI, accepts In Action award on behalf of the company
Precision Ag News 11/15
MyLand Welcomes Bill Mennell as Principal of Strategy and Analysis
Soil health company MyLand has announced the addition of Bill Mennell to the company’s leadership team as Principal, Strategy and Analysis, to identify and pursue new business opportunities for MyLand’s unique Soil as a Service (SaaS) solution. Mennell began his role in May 2023.
Mennell focuses on partnership expansion, natural asset strategies, and identifying the agriculture sectors where the MyLand System® can have the greatest impact for growers and oversees the Algae, Ag Science, and Data teams, where he aims to advance MyLand’s technical expertise. He reports to Dane Hague, MyLand CEO and Co-founder,
“Bill is uniquely qualified to take MyLand forward in our growth and sustainability efforts, and his expertise will help us better serve our customers and stakeholders,” says Hague. “With his background and understanding of soil, water, climate, and agriculture’s influence on each, Bill will play a crucial role in our company’s future.”
Mennell’s contributions will further the company’s efforts to increase grower ROI from MyLand’s proprietary Soil as a Service® solution. Water savings, nutrient reduction, improved nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and credit application all drive economic returns to the farmer beyond yield improvement. His role will directly impact MyLand’s efforts to increase growers’ productivity, economic security, and profitability.
Pivot Bio Presents Abstracts on Breakthrough Technology at Research Conference
Sustainable agriculture company Pivot Bio presented abstracts on its breakthrough crop nutrition technologies at the 2023 International Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy (ASA), the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA), and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). The company’s researchers and independent scientists shared their findings across 14 abstracts, highlighting the latest pre-publication research verifying the mode of action and performance of Pivot Bio’s microbial nitrogen.
The research presented focused on Pivot Bio’s PROVEN ®40, a breakthrough product offering a microbial source of nitrogen specifically designed for corn crops. The week-long event served as a platform for sharing research studies demonstrating the efficacy of Pivot Bio’s PROVEN ® 40 in enhancing nitrogen fixation in plants during critical growth phases, maintaining yield, and reducing environmental impacts – crucial metrics in today’s agricultural landscape.
Key insights presented included research on the mechanism of action behind PROVEN® 40, revealing how two generations of synthetic biology improvements in diazotrophic N-fixation inoculants can potentially decrease reliance on synthetic N fertilizers in corn; analyses of hundreds of plant samples indicating enhanced plant nitrogen status even when synthetic N was reduced by up to 40 pounds per acre; yield stability and environmental impact reduction.
During the conference, Pivot Bio hosted over 25 researchers, graduate students, and collaborators from various universities and institutions at its state-of-the-art Product Success Center in St. Louis. Attendees engaged in in-depth discussions about the latest findings and best practices for working with PROVEN® 40, focusing on the application of microbial nitrogen and its integration into current agricultural systems.
Truterra Appoints Jamie Leifker as New President
Truterra has announced Jamie Leifker as its new president, bringing over 25 years of experience in agriculture through his track record in leadership at WinField United, Land O’Lakes, Inc.’ crop inputs and insights business, in addition to previous industry experience.
“Jamie’s career spans the spectrum of applicable experience that make him the perfect choice to help Truterra reach the next level as a leader in agricultural sustainability,” said Brett Bruggeman, Chief Operating Officer at Land O’Lakes, Inc. “His background in agronomy plus his experience working with both local ag retailers and customers is in lock step with Truterra’s mission and go-to-market approach.”
Most recently in his role as vice president of New Markets and Growth Services at WinField United, Leifker was responsible for working with ag retailers to provide risk management services, as well as downstream companies to deliver on customizable supply chain needs. Prior to that, he led the Agronomy and Product Development team delivering products and services to help retailers and farmers be more profitable, productive and sustainable. This included leadership of the WinField United Innovation Center dedicated to cutting-edge agronomic research and product development.
“As a farmer myself, I understand the challenges livestock and crop producers face and the value sustainability can bring to the agriculture industry,” said Leifker. “I look forward to channeling my experience to further Truterra’s focus on productivity and profitability.”