Retail - General

As Grocery Prices Rise, Shoppers Change Their Habits

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 12:34:29 GMT

Consumers are changing how they shop as grocery prices continue to climb. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food-at-home prices rose 2.7% in 2025 compared to last year, with beef up nearly 14%, pork up about 1% and fresh produce increasing nearly 3% in late summer.

Amid that pressure, new data from Algolia’s consumer survey shows 73% of U.S. shoppers are stressed about grocery bills this year, and it’s influencing what lands in their carts. Nearly 40% have tried private-label products for the first time, seeking lower prices and better value.

“We’re seeing a huge lift in store brand customers,” says Nate Barad, vice president of product marketing for Algolia. “Customers may have been hesitant before, but both the quality of the store brands and the deals have come up. It’s become a win-win situation.”

Algolia’s survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, both in-store and online shoppers, found that 60% participate in grocery loyalty programs, and 70% enjoy using grocery app games or ‘adventures’ that offer discounts or new product trials. Nearly half (46%) said they want personalized deal recommendations based on their carts or past purchases.

Barad says these findings align with what Algolia sees from retailers using its AI-powered search and personalization tools.

How Fresh Fits Into the New Grocery Equation

While some analysts suggest shoppers are trading fresh for frozen, Barad says Algolia’s data shows something different: Consumers are rethinking how they plan meals and use ingredients, not necessarily abandoning fresh food.

“We haven’t seen a spike in frozen versus fresh,” he says. “What we’re seeing is how people come about it. They’re looking to use the same ingredients multiple times — like making chicken Parmesan pasta one day and a chicken Caesar salad the next. It’s about meal planning and stretching ingredients.”

This shift toward intentional meal planning means fresh produce remains a key component of shoppers’ baskets, but AI and search tools are changing how consumers discover what’s available and affordable.

“In produce, inventory is now part of the search,” Barad says. “Retailers are using product freshness, shelf life and inventory data to influence what shows up first when consumers search for items like tomatoes or romaine. The AI can prioritize produce that needs to move now, which helps reduce waste and improve margins while still meeting consumer demand.”

The ability to surface nearby, in-stock and discounted produce options also helps grocers manage tight margins while keeping “fresh” accessible to price-conscious customers, Barad says.

Tech-Driven Grocery Shopping

According to the Algolia survey, shoppers view AI as a means to assist them in their grocery hauls and inspire them to create healthy meals. Specifically, consumers are eager to leverage AI agents for the following use cases:

Real-time alerts about restocked items (58%).
Suggest foods/meals based on dietary needs (56%).
Organizing meal prep (51%).

Algolia’s AI-driven “virtual shelving” feature, which builds a personalized shelf view from a shopper’s list, has been especially popular, Barad says. Shoppers can upload a handwritten or voice-generated grocery list, and the AI populates comparable items by price, availability and brand.

“You can see all the romaine, all the pasta, all the chicken and all the cheeses,” Barad says. “From there, you decide if you want the organic chicken or the store-brand version. The AI helps you do more with less, finding the best cost on the products you actually want.”

He notes that while many consumers are cautious about AI (with 50% of survey respondents saying they don’t fully trust AI agents to shop for them), most see its potential for convenience and savings. Nearly 60% believe AI will make grocery shopping easier, and 56% are interested in AI tools that suggest foods or meals based on dietary needs.

Fresh Meat, Dairy and Repeat Buys

Although the survey didn’t break down results by protein or dairy category, Barad says Algolia’s retail data shows repeatable staples, such as milk, ground beef, lettuce and cheese, are key drivers of online cart growth.

According to the Algolia survey, nearly half of consumers (46%) want grocery retailers to offer deal recommendations tailored to their current cart or past purchases. This number rises to 51% for millennials and 52% for Gen X.

“When those essentials are automated, when shoppers don’t have to manually add things like hamburger or milk each week, we see up to a 50% lift in average order value,” Barad says.

He adds that for many retailers, securing those repeat fresh-item purchases is the key to building long-term loyalty.

Consumers’ growing comfort with AI-assisted shopping, combined with their stress over grocery bills, is accelerating a new kind of grocery economy: one where affordability, personalization and freshness converge.

Grocery / Fresh Price Trend Data, 2025

Overall groceries (food at home)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the food at home index (grocery store purchases) rose 2.7% over the 12 months ending August 2025.
More broadly, food (all food including home + away) increased ~3.2% year over year as of the same period.

Produce (fruits & vegetables / fresh produce)

The BLS index for fruits and vegetables rose 1.3% year over year in September 2025.
Earlier, for the 12 months ending August 2025, the fruits and vegetables index rose 1.9%.
On the retail side, the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) reported that in the first six months of 2025, retail prices for fresh vegetables fell about 2% compared to a year earlier.

Meat (beef, overall meats and poultry)

For the broader category “meats, poultry, fish, and eggs,” the BLS reports a +5.2% year-over-year increase in September 2025.
Beef and veal retail prices rose 2.7% from July 2025 to August 2025, and were 13.9% higher in August 2025 than in August 2024.
Also, herd supply remains tight, which contributed to upward pressure on cattle/beef supply.

Dairy

The BLS reports dairy and related products’ prices at grocery stores were up 0.7% year over year in September 2025.
In August 2025, the dairy and related products index rose about 1.3% over the prior 12-month period.

Searing Temperatures In Store For the Week

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 12:51:33 GMT

Something is missing in eastern Nebraska that Dave Warner says is usually available in abundance – and then some – on his farm in mid-July: sunshine and dry weather conditions. Warner refuses to complain, though, given how dry his soils were at corn planting time in May. Still, he would be happy if Mother Nature would ease up on the moisture deliveries just a tad.

“We’ve had a lot of rain; in the last 30 days, we probably had 18.5 inches. We had an inch overnight again last night,” he said on Thursday. “We are inundated with moisture.”

Weather Outlook Just Ahead

Warner’s weather scenario might or might not change this weekend, given his area is on the cusp of a new forecast. It’s one meteorologists believe will deliver high temperatures and dry conditions to parts of the central Plains, the Upper Midwest and the Mid-Atlantic by Tuesday.

(NOAA)

But first, the National Weather Service (NWS) says those regions will have to endure strong to severe thunderstorms and heavy rains this weekend. Then, those regions will see a heat dome start to build.

“We are keeping a very, very close eye on a heat dome that will be building up after this weekend,” says Meteorologist Jack Van Meter. “It’s going all the way through Wednesday, bringing sweltering hot temperatures to most.”

(BAM Weather on X, formerly Twitter)

Jonathan Erdman, senior meteorologist at weather.com, says temperatures could reach dangerously high, searing levels next week. He says, in summary:

By mid-week, temperatures in the 90s will have spread from the South into the lower Midwest. By late in the week, at least some 90s are possible in the Northeast.

Parts of the South could see triple-digit highs for several days in a row, including Texas, Oklahoma, northern Louisiana, Arkansas and Missouri.

Overnight lows in the middle to upper 70s will become increasingly common as the heat wave builds. That won’t allow much heat relief at night.

Michael Clark, with BAM Weather, says he has concerns about a lack of moisture in three states, in particular.

“If there’s a spot where we want to talk about there needing to be some moisture, it is Illinois, Indiana and Michigan,” he told U.S. Farm Report’s Tyne Morgan this past week. “They are running about 25% to 50% of the normal. Despite what anyone is saying right now, it needs to rain there.”

Warmer nighttime lows are not particularly ideal for corn production, notes Clark. But he offers farmers some encouragement as he evaluates the potential impact of current weather trends on yield projections.

“In my opinion, we are tracking close to three years – 2005, 2021 and 2024. In 2005 and 2021 we had above-trend yields, and 2024 was very big,” he says, adding for 2025: “Indications are the weather is doing what it needs to do for a very large crop to come from it overall.”

Your next read: Grains Surge Friday: Was it Weather and Did it Bottom the Market?

250-Plus Ag Groups Ask Trump Administration To ‘Correct’ MAHA Commission’s ‘Activities’

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:01:08 GMT

Four weeks have passed since the Make Our Children Healthy Again: Assessment (MAHA report) was released. Since that time, the report has drawn criticism from farmers and various state and national agricultural groups that are focused on crop and livestock production.

One overarching concern the various groups and farmers cite, is what actions and practices will the MAHA Commission recommend in their follow-up report, which is due for release by Aug. 12, 2025.

Ag Groups Ask For A Course Correction

Concern about the MAHA report led 250-plus agriculture groups to ask the Trump administration to “correct” the direction of its Make America Healthy Again goals, in a letter dated June 13. The letter was addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.’

Groups signing the letter included: American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association and the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

In the letter, the groups criticized the MAHA Commission’s “lack of transparency” in creating the report, adding it also did not allow any opportunity for public engagement.

“As a result, the report contained numerous errors and distortions that have created unfounded fears about the safety of our food supply,” the letter says. “Your leadership is greatly needed to correct the Commission’s activities, as well as create processes for greater transparency and input.”

In an article published by NOTUS, a digital news outlet, reporters noted the MAHA report contained a number of citation errors and “false claims” that could have been avoided with better industry input ahead of the commission’s report release.

Farmers Say ‘Use Some Common Sense’

The MAHA report, with regard to the use of crop protection products, specifically calls out atrazine, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate.

Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, executive director of Modern Ag Alliance, says the commission’s decision to call out specific chemistries, while no surprise, is concerning nonetheless.

“I think that’s something that every farmer, regardless of what part of agriculture you’re involved in, should be concerned about,” she told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory on Thursday.

Albert Lea, Minn., farmer, Brad Nelson, says he is concerned about the future of crop protection products but hopes “common sense” will prevail. He describes the finger-pointing at glyphosate, in particular, as bogus.

“We have used Roundup in the Midwest, myself personally, for 40-some years, and the retailers around me have done the same. And you know what, there’s no cancer,” Nelson says. “If it was a problem, it would be rampant. Hopefully common sense will rule the day, and the studies that have gone on for years and years and years will finally get believed.”

Burns-Thompson says she wonders whether the people involved in developing the MAHA report action plan understand how the chemistries in question have helped modernize farming practices – in some cases even helping reduce farmers’ reliance on pesticides and contributing to conservation farming efforts.

Her recommendation to other farmers at this point: talk with your local, state and federal government officials. Educate them on how the targeted chemistries support food production and consumers’ well-being.

“It’s important that we are reaching out to these individuals all the way up and down the political hierarchy, and inviting them out to our farms, talking to them about why we do things, and making it very practical, so that they understand not only the what, but the why and the how,” she says.

Where To From Here?

The 250 ag groups, in the June 13 letter to Kennedy, Rollins and Zeldin, have asked the Commission to hold a public comment period for all of its future reports and activities.

“… We urge the administration to formally include farmers, ranchers, and food producers in a collaborative stakeholder process throughout all future work of the Commission. We also advise the administration to create the opportunity for public comment on all future reports and activities of the Commission.”

For her part, Burns-Thompson wants more farmers at the table, able to share their perspective on what kind of practices the action plan should detail.

“What’s the voice of the farmer in all this? It needs to be part of this, right? It’s one thing to have the Department of Agriculture at the table, but I think there’s no such thing as too many farmer voices,” she says.

Catch the AgriTalk discussion with Burns-Thompson here:

Your next read: Is Food Inflation Heating Up July 4th Grills?

July Weather Outlook: Goodbye Rain, Hello Heat

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 22:13:00 GMT

The Pacific Jet Stream has been going strong since early spring, sending heavy rains down through the Ohio River Valley, delaying farmers’ planting efforts there, then more recently, moving large amounts of moisture into the central Corn Belt.

“Nobody would have thought three months ago that we were going to have this much rain occurring across key crop areas, especially in the southern half of the Plains and in the Delta and Tennessee River Basin,” says Drew Lerner, president and senior agricultural meteorologist of World Weather.

But be advised, the engine driving that jet stream is about to turn off, says John Hoomenuk of EmpireWeather.com . He anticipates that by early July, some farmers will see those heavy rain events turn into a trickle.

Weather outlook for early July.

(BAM Weather)

Weather Brewing For July

“As we get into the second week of July or so, we’ll see the ridge push a little further north, and we’ll see some drier forecasts starting to appear, starting in Kansas and Nebraska, and then spreading a little bit into southwestern and central Iowa at times as well,” Hoomenuk says.

“That’s really caught our attention, because we just haven’t seen that [pattern] so far this year, and it’s a pretty big change compared to where we’ve been,” he adds.

As July goes on and August nears, Hoomenuk says the weather data indicate the jet stream will go up into Canada and drop into the Great Lakes.

If that occurs, he says farmers in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio are likely to get some precipitation dropping on the east side of the ridge. But across the Central Plains, Kansas, Nebraska, Dakotas, and maybe even into parts of Iowa, farmers will see their conditions trend a little drier.

“I think that’s not a huge concern just yet, but it’s a pretty big change up compared to where we’ve been the last couple of weeks,” Hoomenuk told AgriTalk host, Chip Flory, on Tuesday.

Drought Risks Remain In Place

The outlook for drier weather in July is not a surprise, based on the patterns some meteorologists saw shaping up last winter.

“The central United States is at about a 60% drought risk. Some of the best weather forecast models we have out there are trying to put the epicenter of that drought somewhere between Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and southern Minnesota by the time we get into July and August,” says Eric Snodgrass, principal atmospheric scientist for Nutrien.

Much of the western U.S. has been enduring dry, hot conditions already this year. Much of the central Midwest is about to experience the same.

(The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.)

“When you think about those particular states, developing drought from spring to summer in any year is somewhere in the neighborhood of 28% to 38%,” he says. “Essentially, the risk is doubled this year.”

Snodgrass explains the canary in the coal mine for a drought will come from a combination of the Gulf of Alaska ocean temperatures and the Bermuda high, which is an area of high pressure that can influence weather patterns and tropical systems. If the Gulf of Alaska ocean temperatures begin dropping this summer, that’s a sign moisture will be lacking.

The silver lining, Hoomenuk says, is many farmers have either had excess or sufficient moisture this spring, so no alarm bells have been ringing yet for corn and soybean crops that are now in rapid growth.

His concern is the current weather patterns will stagnate, causing temperatures to rise.

“Most of the long-range data we’re seeing, if you look at July as a whole, is showing some pretty substantial [temperature] numbers in the Central Plains. We’re talking somewhere between four and five degrees above normal in some areas of Kansas and Nebraska, two or three degrees above normal for the month on average, surrounding that in parts of southwestern Iowa and the Dakotas,” he says.

As for states further east, such as Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, Hoomenuk says farmers there will likely see temperatures “closer to normal” for July, based on data he’s reviewed.

“The thing I keep seeing is temperatures looking to be about normal, maybe slightly warmer than normal – just a couple days of heat followed by a cool down and some rain, which is is pretty ideal,” he says. “It doesn’t seem like we’ll get into that long-term heat there in those eastern regions of the U.S, so the concern level out there is pretty low right now heading into July.”

Your next read: Crop Quality in the Midwest: Most States Soar, Some Flounder

U.S. Ag Trade Deficit Hits Record High In First Four Months Of 2025

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:00:00 GMT

Three years and counting – that’s how long U.S. agriculture has been in an agricultural trade deficit – reports Faith Parum, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist.

“From January through April, the United States imported $78.2 billion in agricultural products while exporting just $58.5 billion. This $19.7 billion deficit is the largest ever recorded for the first four months of a year and signals that the 2025 deficit could surpass previous records,” Parum says in a new AFBF report .

(AFBF Calculations; USDA FAS)

In early June, the USDA raised its forecast of the U.S. agriculture trade deficit for fiscal-year 2025 to $49.5 billion, from the $49 billion it previously forecast in February.

Imports of high-value food items, such as fruits and vegetables, have driven the growing deficit, according to Parum, who says they represent the largest trade deficit category.

Have The Deficit Numbers Already Peaked?

While the forecast is concerning, Stephen Nicholson, Rabo AgriFinance global sector strategist for grains and oilseeds, says he is hopeful the agricultural trade deficit for 2025 has already reached its peak.

“My expectation is that we should see that trade deficit in agriculture come back a little because we have all this product, food, in our warehouses now, ready for consumers,” Nicholson told Farm Journal.

(USDA FAS GATS, USDA ERS Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade: May 2025)

Essentially, Nicholson says, many buyers made and imported larger food purchases than usual this spring to get those products into the U.S. ahead of potential trade tariffs the Trump administration announced would be imposed on Liberation Day, April 2.

“You know, when we saw that chart (from President Trump on the planned tariffs), I think a lot of us were pretty taken back by some of the eye-popping numbers we saw there. And then, of course, we came back a week later and they were cut in half.”

No One Knows ‘The Rules Of The Road’

Nicholson says the lack of certainty on tariffs, and other factors – ranging from conflict in the Middle East to high input costs and interest rates – has created challenges for all agricultural industries and farmers, including livestock producers.

“No one knows the rules of the road today,” he says. “Right now, no one wants to plan or invest or expend capital for plants, for expansion, because we don’t know what the economic environment is going to look like as we go six months to a year down the road.”

At the core of the problem is a rapidly evolving global marketplace that the U.S. appears increasingly ill-equipped to navigate, according to an article by Pro Farmer editors .

From shifting supply chains to aggressive trade strategies by key competitors like Brazil, Australia, and the EU, the landscape for ag exports is changing fast — and the U.S. is falling behind, they contend.

“We have no plan — none — to deal with this growing trade gap,” one senior industry executive says. “It’s not just bad policy; it’s no policy at all.”

Trade Deals Could Help The Situation

Farm groups continue to urge the White House to prioritize new trade deals that open markets for ag products.

But some industry insiders say the administration is too focused on broad tariff threats and “reciprocal tariffs,” while neglecting granular trade promotion and technical access issues that matter most for ag commodities, Pro Farmer reports.

At the grassroots level, Nicholson encourages corn and soybean to stay focused on market opportunities that could come up in the next week, given the weather conditions across the U.S.

“We’re in this very hot weather across the Corn Belt right now. If this forecast doesn’t quite pan out for the rest of the week, and more hot weather, and more rain or no rain, the market may react. Be prepared for those rallies in the market, and reward those rallies,” he encourages.

Your next read: Lift the Fog: 4 Drivers of Farm Profitability To Watch in 2025

Virginia Farmer Was Stranded After His Tractor Ran Over Him; What Happened Next Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 22:17:14 GMT

Winding across a hilly, gravel road in Crockett, Virginia, is where you’ll find Allen Dix every day of the week except Sunday.

“This is part of my 75-mile mail route that I travel six days a week,” he says.

As a USPS rural mail carrier, it’s a route he knows by memory, and one he traveled just like any other mail day in early March.

Part of his daily routine as a mail carrier, it’s that same road where John Moody is also a regular.

“Well, I’ve lived here on this farm almost my whole life. This was my grandparents’ farm,” says Moody, who raises cattle in the remote area of Virginia.

For 31 years, John worked for the county USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), even serving as the county executive director, but now retired, owning cattle for more than 40 years means John never slowed down. And on March 4th, the day just after John had turned 70 years old, his day started as it normally would as he loaded up to feed his cattle.

“I had a hay bale here on the front, and I had a hay bale on the back,” John remembers.

With bales in tow, John stopped to open the gate to feed his cows, the same way he’s done for decades.

“I just pulled off the side road and pulled off in the ditch and let it idle over there, and then I go across the road, open the gate and come back and get on tractor,” says John. “Well, I did that, and I wasn’t paying any attention, but when I turned around and started back toward the tractor, I looked up, and here came the tractor.”

The Accident

His first instinct was to try to jump on to the tractor to stop it, but as he did, John slipped off.

“My right leg got caught under the back tire, and it just pulled me under,” he remembers.

(Farm Journal)

The tractor, with the two hay bales still in tow, ran straight over John, crushing his lower body.

“Luckily, when it ran over me, when it got to my hips, it just turned to the side and went on off into the fence,” John says.

After the tractor charged across him and landed in the fence, John couldn’t move. And John says just seconds after it happened, he was in shock.

“I thought I was paralyzed,” says John. “I couldn’t move either one of my legs.”

But hearing a steady stream of hooves heading straight for the gate still wide open, still unable to walk, in true farmer fashion, it was more than survival on John’s mind.

“So, I crawled over and got the gate shut,” says John. “And I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can pull myself up and get on the tractor.’ So, I pulled myself up on the gate. But I couldn’t take a step or nothing. So, I just laid back down.”

The Rural Route Rescue

By that time it was mid-morning, when the rural road isn’t traveled much. So John knew the best chance of someone rescuing him was to lie in the ditch.

“I kept thinking well, sooner or later the mailman would come, and I laid there about an hour,” he remembers.

And sure enough, Dix, who travels the road daily, pulled up right on time.

“But as I got closer, I noticed the tractor was across the road and it was into the fence, and the tractor was still running,” remembers Dix.

The route and frequent stops are ones Dix knows by heart. And as he pulled off to the side of the road, he quickly realized something wasn’t right.

“I actually found John in the ditch right here along the edge of the road,” he says. “I was kind of approaching him rather cautiously. And, I said, ‘John, are you okay?’ And he said, ‘No, actually, the tractor ran over me.’”

And that’s when Dix immediately called 911.

“911, do you have an emergency,” asked the 911 operator.

“Yes, I’m on Zion Church Road,” you can hear Dix say on the call.

“Is he out of the roadway,” the operator then asked.

“Yes. I’m a mail carrier and I want to stay here with him until someone gets here,” answered Dix.

But after he hung up, John had a call he needed to make.

“John doesn’t have cell phone. He’s old school. So, I gave him my cell phone,” says Dix.

“He called the rescue squad, and I called my wife,” John remembers with tears in his eyes.

“The first thing he said was, ‘What are you doing?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m working.’ And he said, ‘Could you meet me at the hospital?’ And then I had to sit down,” remembers Debbie Moody, John’s wife. “And I said, ‘What’s happened?’ He said, ‘Well, my tractor ran over me.’ And then I really started to panic.”

She says Dix then took the phone back and explained what had happened as Debbie says she was still in shock.

“When John told me his tractor ran over him, of course. I imagined the worst,” she says.

With Dix still there, the ambulance arrived and rushed John to a local hospital, but it was there the staff realized John’s injuries were too severe.

“They sent me to Wake Forest Baptist in North Carolina, and they flew me down there by a helicopter and they took me to the trauma center, and then they operated the next day on my leg,” he says.

Repairing a hole where gravel had burrowed into his skin, John also had three pins placed where the tractor fractured his pelvis. And it was during surgery the severeness of John’s accident also sunk in.

“The surgeon said, ‘You know, he shouldn’t be alive,’” Debbie remembers. “And I cried. I knew it was bad. But when she put it in those words, I cried and said a little prayer.”

John spent a total of 15 days at the hospital with rehab continuing when he got home. Debbie was a natural at being a nurse, but she was also John’s biggest cheerleader as he worked to walk again.

“It was hard on him because he would be tired and sometimes frustrated,” she says. “But he did very well and pushed hard and did what he had to do.”

Steady Stream of Support

As the recovery process was just starting, it was when the Moody’s returned home they saw support and help from family and friends.

“When we came home one of my neighbors they’d built a ramp for me,” says John. “Another one had brought a hospital bed for me, and I was in that hospital bed for about three months that we set up in the living room.”

And the generosity didn’t stop, as the kindness seemed to keep pouring in.

“I had one neighbor that came and fed my cattle for the rest of the winter, and then I had another one come in vaccinate all my calves,” John remembers.

But it wasn’t just those neighbors who continued to check on John. You see, Dix didn’t just rescue John on March 4th. Right after Dix found John in the ditch, he jumped right in to mend what needed fixed on the farm, as he waited with John for help to arrive.

“I was able to move the tractor off of the fence, get it back to the barn was able to mend the fence,” says Dix.”

Even then, Dix says his job still wasn’t finished.

“And he needed some personal things from the house. I went to his house and got those. After all that was finished, I finished my mail route.”

And for Dix, that’s just what you do.

“We take care of each other out here. We look after each other,” he says.

Rural Route Hero

But from finding John and calling 911, to then repairing the fence and gathering items John needed for his hospital stay, what Dix did on March 4, 2021 extended far beyond his day job, something for which he was recognized recently.

“They actually surprised me with the presentation at the post office. I had absolutely no idea that it was going on,” says Dix.

That surprise and presentation wasn’t just for any award, but the USPS’ Hero Award.

“I’m a little uncomfortable with the ‘hero’ title, because, John and Debbie are the heroes for surviving the accident, her giving him care through this whole thing. And it’s been an emotional six months for them, and for me, too.”

(Farm Journal)

A Humble Hero

With his name now engraved at the USPS headquarters in Washington, D.C., Dix still doesn’t like being called a hero. But to John and Debbie, a hero is exactly what he is.

“Allen is truly a hero. He will always be a hero to the Moody family, because of his quick thinking,” says Debbie. “In this area, people do take care of each other and look after each other, and that was just second nature to him.”

“He saved me from a lot of suffering getting there when he did, or I don’t know when somebody would have got there that day,” says John.

While Dix typically delivers mail, that day, Allen Dix proved to be a rural route hero by delivering an unforgettable rescue. As John and Allen share a new bond, it’s one of which John will be forever thankful.

(Farm Journal)

A New Chapter

As for John, his recovery has been a year in the making.

“I had been thinking about cutting back on my cattle; a third this year, a third next year, and then a third next year and going out of the cow-calf operation and then buying calves in the spring and selling them in the fall,” explains John. “Well, while laid there I thought well, this might be a good time just sell all them. So that’s what I did once I got better.”

However, the accident wasn’t the end of John’s story, as John recently started a new chapter. Nearly a year after John survived the tractor accident and sold off all his cattle knowing he couldn’t care for them at the time, he just purchased 19 head of cattle to graze again. As the cattle returned to the farm in March 2022, it’s affirmation that when you have enough heart and passion, it’s a way of life that not even tragedy can take away.

Freight Costs To Remain High Through Winter, Analyst Says

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 20:58:48 GMT

Freight costs are likely to remain elevated through the winter, despite the recent decline in crude oil prices, says Altin Kalo, senior economist at Steiner Consulting Group.

The U.S. Energy Administration’s recent update put inventories of diesel and heating oil at just 106 million barrels, well below the five-year range and also at the low end of the range for the last 40 years.

“Tight inventories continue to underpin diesel and heating oil prices,” Kalo said. “The average heating oil price for the week was pegged at $5.704/gallon, up 68% compared to a year ago.”

The severity of the winter weather this year will determine the trajectory of fuel oil prices. While diesel prices seemed to ease a bit towards the end of the summer, Kalo noted they have started to climb again. For the most current week the average price of diesel fuel in the US was $5.341 per gallon, up 9.2% in the last four weeks and 44% higher than last year. For diesel, the Gulf coast was the low point at $4.987 per gallon, while California was the high price at $6.331 per gallon.

“There is a wide range of diesel prices around the country, reflecting regional supply availability and tax structure,” Kalo said. “Normally the price of diesel will track with crude oil prices since it is the biggest contributor to its production cost. Last year crude oil accounted for about 49% of the overall cost of diesel fuel. Distribution and marketing was 20.2%, federal and state taxes made up 17.4% and refining costs accounted for 13.5%.”

But the spread of diesel vs. crude has widened significantly this year as the market has been unable to bolster supply quickly enough to match up with demand.

“Inventory depletion means that higher prices are needed in order to limit the quantity demand even though crude prices may be down,” Kalo said.

In its October outlook EIA noted that diesel prices for 2022 will be up about $1.7 per gallon vs. the previous year and only $0.7 of the increase is due to higher crude oil prices. The rest has gone to a larger wholesale and retail margin.

“Diesel fuel affects the entire food supply chain, from the tractors and pickup trucks on the farm to the trucks that deliver grains and livestock to plants and the vehicles that move meat products and finished goods to processing plants and retail stores,” Kalo said. “Diesel fuel is a key component for freight costs but it is not the only one. Labor, equipment and overhead are an important consideration, too. According to an index of freight trucking from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, freight costs have been rising at a slower rate. But keep in mind that they are still rising. In September the freight PPI was up 20% compared to the previous year. Earlier in the year costs were up as much as 37.5% y/y. But cost is still up and it is now 49% compared to January 1, 2020 before the start of the pandemic.”

Higher labor and other costs are already baked in, Kalo noted, and those costs will continue to flow through into the various products traded and ultimately paid for by the US consumer.

Biden Says He Will Not Immediately Remove Phase 1 Trade Deal With China

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 02:56:41 GMT

(Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Joe Biden has said that he will not immediately act to remove the Phase 1 trade agreement, which President Donald Trump inked with China, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

In an interview with a Times columnist, Biden said that the United States needed to get leverage back to use in negotiations with China.

“I’m not going to make any immediate moves, and the same applies to the tariffs,” Biden said. “I’m not going to prejudice my options.”

“In my view, we don’t have (leverage) yet,” he added.

The United States needs to develop a bipartisan consensus and increase government-led investments in research and development, infrastructure and education to better compete with China, according to the president-elect.

“I want to make sure we’re going to fight like hell by investing in America first,” Biden said.

Under the Phase 1 agreement signed earlier in the year, China agreed to increase purchases of American products and services by at least $200 billion over 2020 and 2021.

The deal also leaves in place 25% tariffs on a $250-billion array of Chinese industrial goods and components used by U.S. manufacturers, and China’s retaliatory tariffs on over $100 billion in U.S. goods.

Biden’s team will pursue policies targeted at China’s “abusive practices,” including “stealing intellectual property, dumping products, illegal subsidies to corporations” and forcing “tech transfers” from U.S. companies to their Chinese counterparts, according to the interview.

On Iran, Biden said he stood by his views that his administration would lift sanctions if Tehran returned to “strict compliance with the nuclear deal.”

Last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had said Iran would fully implement its 2015 nuclear deal if Biden lifts sanctions, which Zarif said could be done swiftly through “three executive orders”.

“In consultation with our allies and partners, we’re going to engage in negotiations and follow-on agreements to tighten and lengthen Iran’s nuclear constraints, as well as address the missile program,” Biden added.

(Reporting by Aakriti Bhalla and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Sam Holmes and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Farm Journal Announces 365-Day Extension of Farm Journal Field Days

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:57:31 GMT

The success of Farm Journal’s inaugural Farm Journal Field Days TM has led to a 365-day expansion of the event, giving agricultural suppliers and service providers timely access to target audiences while also providing farmers, ranchers and growers with the critical information they need for upcoming seasons.

“When we looked back at the opportunities we were able to create for both Farm Journal Field Days attendees and industry partners who engaged with the event, the direction we needed to go was clear — we needed to expand it,” said Andy Weber, CEO of Farm Journal.

In a post-event survey, more than 87 percent of farmers, ranchers and growers that attended said the event met or exceeded their expectations, and 85 percent planned to participate in another Farm Journal online event.

“At the same time, we provided higher quality leads at a fraction of the cost of other farm shows to exhibitors, and we will continue to deliver valuable leads to those that continue to engage in this 365-day approach,” said Weber. “Bringing these groups together in the Farm Journal Field Days platform is a win-win for the industry.”

The 365-day approach will include seasonal “special edition” events delivering what farmers, ranchers and growers need to know right now, including a Harvest Edition kicking off October 19, followed by an Equipment Edition starting in December and going through February 2021. In March, a Planting Edition will launch followed by a Hay, Forage & Cattle Handling Edition in June. Then in August, the 2021 Pro Farmer Crop Tour TM, Farm Journal Field Days Summer Showcase and another #FarmONTM Benefit Concert will round out the summer. Each edition will feature live and on-demand content, networking, new pavilions and featured products and resources in exhibitor booths as well as in-person events and programming.

(Farm Journal)

Farm Journal Field Days Harvest Edition will kick off with new stories, videos and other resources being added to the platform every day while pavilion hosts and exhibitors will be updating content around harvest topics. A new Harvest Pavilion will feature content relevant to farmers during the harvest season, and new exhibitors are expected to join as well. The search for farm locations to host in-person events is ongoing through Farm Journal’s Top Producer Network with plans to cover multiple geographies across the country.

“The landscape of agriculture events is changing, and Farm Journal is excited to offer a marketing alternative that allows our industry partners to get in front of their key accounts and prospects,” said Charlene Finck, president of Farm Journal. “We have built a successful platform, and farmer response is positive, as they see the value of online education and ag industry networking. Farm Journal Field Days is a celebration of learning and entertainment for all of agriculture, and we are proud to be leading the industry in these efforts.”

Farm Journal launched the New American Farm ShowTM experience in August with the 2020 Pro Farmer Crop Tour, the launch of Farm Journal Field Days and its first #FarmON Benefit Concert. All content from these events is still available for on-demand viewing, plus Farm Journal editors are continually pushing new content to the platform. All pavilions are still open as well as exhibitor booths and the networking lounge.

Registration for Farm Journal Field Days is free. To learn more or register, go to www.farmjournalfielddays.com .

COVID-19 Surge Slices U.S. Demand for Big Thanksgiving Turkeys

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:57:13 GMT

CHICAGO (Reuters) - All summer, Greg Gunthorp slaughtered and froze 15- to 24-pound turkeys on his northeastern Indiana farm for Thanksgiving sales to retailers, restaurants and families across the Midwest.

But as surging COVID-19 cases prompted U.S. cities and states to urge Americans to stay home just weeks before the holiday, customers swapped out orders for whole birds for smaller turkey breasts.

As a last-minute shift toward small-scale celebrations upends demand for the star of Thanksgiving tables, turkey producers and retailers are scrambling to fill orders for lightweight birds and partial cuts.

“It was very stressful,” Gunthorp said. “It cut our numbers on being able to fill customer sizes that they wanted for turkeys - way too short.”

Gunthorp raised and sold nearly 7,000 pasture-raised turkeys this year, up 75% from a year ago. Restaurants and meat shops in major Midwestern cities, his primary clients, cut orders by 10% to 20%, but Gunthorp has made up the difference by partnering with online retailers, shipping turkeys as far away as Los Angeles.

Suppliers need to be nimble as about half of Americans plan to alter or skip traditional festivities due to local health advisories against big gatherings, according to market research firm Nielson. About 70% are planning a Thanksgiving with fewer than six people, compared with 48% last year.

Demand for smaller birds will trim turkey production to 1.445 billion pounds in the last quarter, down five million pounds from previous expectations, according to a Nov. 17 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“We have seen our supply chain adjust to market disruptions and shifting consumer needs,” said Beth Breeding, spokeswoman for the industry group National Turkey Federation. “Like the rest of the country, it has been a challenging year for turkey production.”

While best known for beef, Nebraska-based Omaha Steaks this year offered 3-pound turkey breasts for the first time to cater to smaller Thanksgiving gatherings, said Nate Rempe, president and chief operating officer. The pre-cooked product sold out online, as some consumers are avoiding grocery stores.

Omaha Steaks also sold out of 10-pound turkeys earlier than usual, Rempe said.

“The number of individual Thanksgiving meals being prepared ... is going to be much higher because of the separation of gatherings,” he said.

Butterball, the largest U.S. producer of turkey products, shipped 1,900 truckloads of whole turkeys to grocers in the past two weeks, said Al Jansen, executive vice president of marketing and sales. Many major chains booked orders in the first quarter before the coronavirus outbreak, he added.

Retailers have slashed whole-turkey prices by about 7% to an average of $1.21 per pound, the lowest since 2010, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. That cuts the average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for 10 people by 4% to $46.90, Farm Bureau said.

The decline is welcome news for the nearly 24 million households facing empty cupboards due to COVID-19-related job losses. Food insecurity has nearly tripled since the pandemic began, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

“Thanksgiving will not be a holiday that all Americans can enjoy this year,” said Joseph Llobrera, research director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “Alarming levels of food hardship will last through the holidays and beyond unless policymakers immediately provide robust COVID relief.”

Some Americans who had relied on others to cook on Thanksgiving are ordering part or all of their meals from restaurants for the first time. Others simply do not want the hassle of preparing a feast for just a few guests.

“Thanksgiving is going to look very different this year, and we know there’s a lot of cooking fatigue out there right now,” said Tracy Hostetler, a vice president for Perdue Farms. The company launched turkey “ThanksNuggets” as an alternative to traditional turkey dinners.

In Houston, independent marketing consultant Anh Nguyen, 50, will dine with about 10 relatives on a smoked turkey from a local restaurant. Normally, three times as many of her family members gather to gobble up two 20-pound turkeys cooked at home.

“It’s a little weird,” said Nguyen. “Thanksgiving has been historically just one of the holidays where everybody is together.”

(Reporting by Christopher Walljasper and Tom Polansek; Editing by Richard Chang)

Smithfield Foods Prepares for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution to U.S. Employees

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:56:53 GMT

Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork processor, said on Wednesday it has medical capabilities at U.S. facilities and is actively preparing for COVID-19 vaccine distribution to employees.

Meatpacking workers were among the groups hit hardest by the new coronavirus last year, as U.S. slaughterhouses became hot spots for outbreaks in the spring, helping spread the virus around rural America.

More Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday than at any time since the pandemic began, as the historic public vaccination effort lagged.

Smithfield, owned by China’s WH Group, declined to provide details of its vaccination plans and said they vary from state to state. The company said all of its employees will be eligible to receive vaccines.

A day earlier, the governor of the U.S. state of Nebraska said undocumented immigrants who work in meat plants would likely not get vaccinated due to immigration status.

The Washington-based Migration Policy Institute estimates that 10% of meatpacking workers nationwide are unauthorized immigrants. Smithfield said it does not employ undocumented immigrants.

The company last month offered to help U.S. health officials distribute COVID-19 vaccines and store them in ultra-cold freezers that are in high demand to support the public vaccination campaign.

The U.S. Labor Department and a state workplace safety regulator in California separately cited Smithfield last year for failing to protect employees from COVID-19 and other violations during the pandemic. The company has contested the findings.

Smithfield and other meatpackers also came under fire last year as U.S. pork exports to China soared while U.S. processors warned of domestic meat shortages due to COVID-19 outbreaks at slaughterhouses.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek Editing by Chris Reese and Nick Zieminski)

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Worker Absenteeism in Packing Plants is No Surprise

Trouble Shipping Grain And Feed Via Rail Far From Over, Concerns Now Growing About Possible Worker Strike At Harvest

Mon, 18 Jul 2022 20:00:15 GMT

Rail retains a vital role in the transportation of goods across the U.S., but this year, the 140,000- miles worth of railroad tracks across the country haven’t been immune to the supply chain chaos plaguing U.S. transportation sectors.

Now, a potential stoppage on the nation’s railways this fall is spurring concern, even after President Joe Biden signed an executive order Sunday to keep the nation’s rail traffic on track.

“What I’m hearing from our members is fewer equipment issues,” says Mike Seyfert, president and CEO of the National Feed and Grain Association (NFGA) . “The equipment and engines don’t seem to be breaking down, but the amount of time it’s taken to get the trains and the reliability of receiving them have.”

With more than 1,000 members today, NFGA represents everything from grain buyers and handlers to transportation companies who ship the grain.

“It seems to be most severe right now in the West, or for those who are trying to ship west on those lines that are going into the western part of the country,” says Seyfert. “Either for feed purposes, processing purposes, or export purposes to the western side.”

What’s Driving the Issues Shipping Via Rail?

Today’s rail issue centers around labor and the amount of time it’s taking to receive shipments via rail.

“The velocity to deliver trains is getting more and more difficult. You’re having challenges with having enough locomotives in different locations,” says Ken Erikson, senior vice president at S&P Global Fuels, Chemicals and Resource Solutions Group . “You have challenges with crews who may have been hit by weather, who may be hit by diversions, some of the rail crews timeout or they don’t have enough locomotive engineers in the right position.”

Eric Wilkey of Arizona Grain, Inc . is seeing the issue firsthand. Area farmers were in the middle of harvest, and Wilkey still hadn’t received the rail cars he needed.

“We’ve got a whole harvest that’s basically been received, and we haven’t been able to ship anything,” Wilkey told U.S. Farm Report at the end of June.

Wilkey says rail cars that were supposed to arrive in early May started to finally trickle in during the first part of July, but that was two months behind schedule.

“We never stopped the farmers from harvesting, so we have created some really large inventories and that has significant cash-flow impacts on us,” adds Wilkey.

Hearing Hints at Complexity of Issue

In April, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) stepped in, holding a hearing to get to the root of the rail issues. The hearing was full of differing opinions and pointed questions.

Just prior to the hearing, Landus Coop, which represents 7,000 farmer-owners in Iowa, submitted testimony saying rail issues meant they were only able to load half the number of shipments necessary, and the backlog meant farmers trying to haul grain to the coop were being turned away. The letter stated:

Landus is only able to load half the rate of shipments necessary today. With 450,000 bushels loaded in each train, this impact multiplies daily.
Farmers trying to haul grain to us today are getting turned away because we cannot make the inventory space for them. This is an important and optimal window of time when farmers must haul remaining old-crop inventory in preparation for harvest.
Disruption to inventory flow has led to increased handling costs and reduced customer service throughout Landus. We are experiencing lost business daily due to the disruption.
Grain bushels are getting “trapped” in pockets of surplus supply, while shipping destinations are experiencing a growing deficit in access to supply.
Our soy processing facility has experienced a 10% decrease in production over the past six months due to rail performance alone. This is in turn further impacting profitability and our ability to access markets where soybean meal is in highest demand.
Trucking is not a viable alternative transportation mode today due to labor shortages.

The letter went on to say “If this situation is not resolved quickly, we risk the potential for livestock producers in California and other states potentially running out of feed.”

Concerns About Labor Issues Growing Worse at Harvest

Rail carriers and unions are in the middle of labor negotiations right now. The collective bargaining process made headlines last week, as Biden had until Sunday, July 17, to create a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). The move was an essential step in keeping the collective bargaining process on track, as well as keeping the nation’s railways operating.

“We are pleased that President Biden has taken an important step by creating a PEB to help all parties find a reasonable path forward,” says Association of American Railroads (AAR) president and CEO Ian Jefferies. “An agreement that allows both our hardworking employees and the industry to thrive into the future remains possible.”

AAR points out the Railway Labor Act governs collective bargaining for the rail industry, which aims to help parties reach an agreement without work stoppages or disruptions to U.S. freight rail movements.

While a crisis was averted with the president’s executive order, the collective bargaining process is far from over. Now, there are fresh concerns the ongoing labor dispute could come to a head just as harvest arrives in the Midwest this fall.

“Once we get into mid-September, there’s also a risk of some labor issues, even labor stoppage on some of the rail lines,” says Seyfert. “And so getting these things addressed now, and all of us working together before we get particularly into that fall harvest timeframe is essential. We’ve really never been in a situation where a reliable and resilient rail service is more important than it is now.”

Tense Labor Negotiations?

The April hearing in front of the STB gave a hint to just how tense those labor negotiations could continue to be. Rail carriers pointed out just how severely impacted they’ve been from what’s been dubbed the “Great Resignation,” and the issues getting labor back up to speed. Certain rail carriers also outlined the plans in place to get labor back to necessary levels to operate efficiently and smoothly.

However, rail workers place blame on the railroads, saying there’s more to the story. Mark Wallace, locomotive engineer, and vice president of Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), which is North America’s oldest rail labor union, testified during the STB hearing in April.

“Since 1984, 40 railroads have been reduced to seven class one carriers, now largely controlled by speculators and hedge fund investors,” he stated. “This culture of profits over safety, customer service and the lives of railroad workers is now exposed as this industry is network fails on a daily basis.”

“Now, they signaled to us in meetings publicly and otherwise they are having some success in hiring again and getting crews successfully through training,” says Wilkey. “For the Midwest, there’s a little bit of time, but for us, there’s no time. We’re in harvest right now. And I don’t have time to wait another three months for crews to be trained.”

It’s not just the hearing that hinted toward prolonged trouble with train transportation. Grain handlers like Wilkey says current rail bids point to problems persisting into fall.

“These car values would be somewhere north of $1,000 per car this fall,” says Wilkey. “And so that’s the market sending signals that there’s going to be tightness, there’s going to be concerns.”

Typically, Wilkey says those bids would be around $100 per car.

Congress Urges STB to Take Action

In late June, 51 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter and sent to the STB regarding issues with the rail system in the U.S.. The letter asked STB to continue to work through the current rail issues with all stakeholders in order to address short-term challenges and find a resolution.

“On behalf of our constituents and farmers around the country, we write regarding poor rail service, which has limited fertilizer shipments, among other essential agricultural inputs and commodities, including grain and feed,” the letter stated.

“At a time when global fertilizer supplies and global crop production are highly disrupted, imposing shipping curtailments on fertilizer inputs and grain, as recently proposed by Union Pacific, will cause major supply chain disruptions, hurt American farmers, and exacerbate the food crisis considerably. We must ensure critical commodities reach essential industries and workers, such as America’s farmers, who are essential to feeding our nation and the world. Food is a national security issue, and we must treat it as such,” the 51 members wrote in the letter.

The Senate sent a similar letter to the STB in May.

Wait Times Cause Economic Pain

As the labor battle plays out, the short-term issues are causing grain handlers economic pain.

“There have been significant economic impacts,” says Wikley. “I would estimate since the first of the year, today, there’s been in the order of $100 million paid out by the industry to solve this logistics problem that’s developed. And that’s just outside of the bounds of normal.”

The battle over labor seems to have a long tail, as those in the grain industry try to work together to make sure this major shipping vein doesn’t buckle.

Is Surging Inflation the Shock That Will Slash Consumers' Record Appetite for Meat?

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 19:29:18 GMT

Inflation levels are now at levels the U.S. hasn’t seen in decades. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a 6.2% spike over the past 12 months, the biggest increase in nearly 30 years.

The CPI shows it’s not just food items costing consumers more. From fuel to new vehicles, prices are surging with the year-to-date totals meaning U.S. shoppers haven’t experienced a price surge like this since 1990.

(Farm Journal)

The latest CPI this week revealed the following price increases:

Gas up 49%
Fuel oil up 59%
Used cars and trucks up 26%, the largest jump ever
Retail pork prices up 14%
Retail chicken up almost 9%
Retail beef up 20%

“Meatflation”

The dramatic rise in meat prices was dubbed as “meatflation” by Bloomberg this week. And while consumers are seeing spiking prices, livestock producers aren’t benefiting from the price increase. In fact, pork producers have seen hog prices plummet as input prices have spiked.

Experts say the rising prices for consumers are all thanks to a mix of rampant demand, raw material shortages from processors and choke points along global supply chains.

Cutting into Consumers Record Demand?

So, what could the price pain at the store mean for consumers’ appetite of meat? So far this year, domestic demand has reached record levels. One Ohio State University agricultural economist doesn’t expect the prices to be a major hit on that overall demand picture yet.

“It might change some consumer demand in the long term, but overall, as people get adjusted, they try something they haven’t tried before, like curbside pickup and online grocery shopping, it has changed how shoppers are buying. But meat continues to be very popular product. So i mean, i don’t think that we’re going to see huge swings in that,” says Zoë Plakius, Agricultural and Food Systems economist, The Ohio State University.

Others aren’t sold on the fact higher prices won’t change consumers taste. In fact, if meat prices continue to climb, some think consumers may be forced to change their eating habits.

“What that means is that people are not going to be eating as well. They’re certainly not going to be eating out as much. They’re not going to be buying expensive items in the grocery. And you know, food, fuel, rental prices: these are what most people spend most of their money on,” says Rana Roroohar, Global Business Columnist and Associate Editor, Financial Times.

Outlook

Some economic analysts say relief could come if the pandemic eases significantly and more people get back to working in stores and offices.

As for the high prices and shortages of cars, experts say that will probably take longer to solve due to the computer chips used to make them are so specialized, and there’s just not enough of them getting to the U.S.

Project Supports Nebraska Regenerative Agriculture

Fri, 15 Oct 2021 20:16:24 GMT

The Nature Conservancy, McDonald’s, Cargill and Target are coming together to launch a new five-year, $8.5 million project aimed at working with Nebraska farmers to advance proven soil health practices to help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and help farmers adapt to climate change. Overall, this effort has the potential to sequester 150,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over the course of the project – equivalent to removing over 32,000 cars from the road in one year.

Nebraska is one of the top states for U.S. beef production and among the top three states for corn production, a key ingredient for cattle feed. This project will work with interested farmers to reach 100,000 acres of land and provide them with the technical and financial assistance to scale the implementation of regenerative soil health practices, including cover cropping, reduced tillage and diversified crop rotation.

“Mitigating climate change is a top priority for our organizations. We know we cannot tackle this alone,” said Heather Tansey, sustainability leader for Cargill’s protein and animal health businesses. “I’m so proud of this effort to not only promote carbon sequestration in the beef feed supply chain but also support the resilience of agricultural communities.”

Implemented practices will help store carbon in the soil versus the atmosphere, revitalizing the health of agricultural lands, which benefits farmers and the environment. This work will help unlock one of agriculture’s greatest opportunities to mitigate climate change.

“We know that healthy cropland soils boost fertility, improve water quality, and stabilize global climate,” said Dr. Hannah Birge, The Nature Conservancy’s director of agriculture in Nebraska and project director. “This project will leverage private and public resources to amplify the good work of Nebraska farmers as they scale up beneficial soil practices.”

“At Target, we’re committed to using resources responsibly and making our supply chain more sustainable,” said Ivanka Mamic, vice president of responsible sourcing and sustainability at Target. “It’s collaborative efforts like this that will help create and drive the change needed across the industry. We’re excited to begin this work, supporting farmers with proven soil health practices to help mitigate climate change together.”

As an Ecosystem Services Market Consortium pilot, the program works to connect farmers to private sector payments for societal climate and water benefits.

“Big companies are looking to improve their environmental footprints in measurable ways,” said Debbie Reed, director of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium. “Farmers who adopt soil health practices can provide those improvements. The Consortium connects the two and creates a way to pay farmers for beneficial environmental outcomes.”

This connection, along with $4.4 million in support from a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service grant through their Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) , provides a way to further scale adoption of regenerative agriculture.

The initiative is also part of Cargill’s BeefUp Sustainability initiative which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the company’s beef supply chain by 30 percent by 2030, measured on a per pound of beef basis against a 2017 baseline. Earlier this summer, Cargill launched a grassland restoration effort to support this goal. Similarly, this program is another step toward Target’s climate goals , approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative, to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent below its 2017 baseline by 2030.

This investment also furthers McDonald’s progress toward meeting its Science Based Targets Initiative approved goal to reduce supply chain greenhouse gas emissions by 31 percent (per ton of food and packaging) across its supply chain by 2030 from 2015 levels. Through projects like this and other actions, McDonald’s expects to prevent 150 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere by 2030. This is the equivalent of taking 32 million passenger cars off the road for an entire year or planting 3.8 billion trees and growing them for 10 years.

“We are proud to partner with the Nebraska farming community to scale regenerative agricultural practices, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the sustainability of food for future generations.” said Marion Gross, senior vice president, Chief Supply Chain Officer, McDonald’s North America. “This initiative will ultimately help mitigate impacts of climate change in the beef supply chain, a goal central to McDonald’s and our continued efforts to meet our science-based climate target.”

About Cargill
Cargill’s 155,000 employees across 70 countries work relentlessly to achieve our purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. Every day, we connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients, and people and animals with the food they need to thrive. We combine 155 years of experience with new technologies and insights to serve as a trusted partner for food, agriculture, financial and industrial customers in more than 125 countries. Side-by-side, we are building a stronger, sustainable future for agriculture.

About McDonald’s
McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with over 38,000 locations in nearly 120 countries. Approximately 93% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local businessmen and women. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com .

About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests at nearly 1,900 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5% of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 79 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit www.nature.org .

Related stories:

Feral Swine Eradication: USDA invests $11.65 Million to Expand Program

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:04:27 GMT

An $11.65-million investment by the USDA will help agricultural producers and private landowners trap and control feral swine as part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program. This new investment will fund 14 projects to expand the pilot program in Alabama, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.

This program is a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). This second round of funding is for partners to carry out activities as part of the identified pilot projects in select states, USDA said in a release.

“These awards enable landowners to address the threat that feral swine pose to natural resources and agriculture,” NRCS Acting Chief Kevin Norton said. “The projects we have identified will be key to addressing the feral swine problem.”

NRCS will provide funding to partners who will provide financial assistance, education, outreach and trapping assistance to participating landowners in pilot project areas, USDA said. All partner work will be closely coordinated with the APHIS operations in these areas. Between the first and second round of funding, there will be a total of 34 active projects across 12 states for the life of the 2018 Farm Bill. Learn more here .

USDA said new pilot projects and areas were selected in coordination with NRCS state conservationists, APHIS state directors and state technical committees based on areas in greatest need of assistance due to high densities of wild pigs.

The three coordinated components of the projects include feral swine removal by APHIS, restoration efforts supported by NRCS and assistance to producers for feral swine control provided through partnership agreements with non-federal partners. Projects will be completed by the end of September 2023.

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Western States Unite to Keep Feral Pigs from Crossing U.S.-Canada Border

Can You Really Trap Feral Pigs with Your Cell Phone?

Feral Swine: USDA Monitors World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species

How Colorado Eliminated Feral Hogs

Feral Hog Stomachs Tell Story of Destruction

Montana Puts Plan in Place to Keep Canadian Feral Hogs Out

Texas Community Hires Consultant to Fight Feral Hog Problem

What’s Next for Animal Activism in 2021 and What Can We Do About It?

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 21:14:41 GMT

By Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Animal Agriculture Alliance

2020 has taken me so off guard that I am a little hesitant to even attempt to look into my crystal ball and make predictions for 2021. A year ago, I certainly would not have guessed that events and travel would come to a halt in March or that phrases like “mask up” or “social distancing” would be part of our daily conversations. As much as the past year has shown us that being flexible and adaptable is just as valuable as having thorough predictions and plans, I still believe there is merit to taking a moment to reflect on some of the trends we’ve seen this past year and consider how they may impact us moving forward.

The Animal Ag Alliance has remained focused on monitoring animal rights activism this year, and activist groups have not skipped a beat in their efforts to damage the reputation of animal agriculture. Some organizations believe the COVID-19 pandemic is the “tipping point” they need for their messages to go mainstream, and that concept combined with activists trying to take advantage of a new incoming administration means that 2021 could be an even more intense year for activism.

I think we should all be preparing for a few continued trends:

• Activist messaging involving public health and animal agriculture. Activist groups have long claimed that animal agriculture is a threat to public health and the COVID-19 pandemic has added fuel to that fire (despite there not really being any merit to attempting to tie the current outbreak to food production). Unfortunately, this narrative seems to be gaining steam with calls to “reform the food system” to prevent future pandemics. I think we are going to see more and more references to farms as “breeding grounds” for future disease outbreaks and should be focused on debunking that narrative.

• Renewed focus on sustainability. Conversations about the environmental impact of animal agriculture took a backseat for much of 2020, but in the past few months that discussion is heating back up. Restaurant chains like Panera and Chipotle have announced new labeling programs to communicate the environmental footprint of their menu options and we’re starting to hear more about the UN Food Systems Summit coming up in 2021 with an action track focused on “shifting to sustainable consumption patterns.” The animal agriculture community will need to make sure we’re continuing to communicate about our sustainability efforts as we settle into the “new normal.”

• Large-scale protests and demonstrations, including at private homes. Activist groups seem to be upping the ante in terms of protests this year, likely believing that they need to be more and more extreme to get attention. We’ve seen continued protests (despite restrictions on gatherings) everywhere from farms and plants to public health offices, with some involving trespassing and interfering with daily operations. Animal rights activist organizations have also held several protests at the private homes of animal agriculture company and organization leaders, which is a troubling new trend. These continued incidents illustrate that we cannot let farm security slip down our priority list in 2021.

Despite whatever challenges 2021 may bring, know that the Alliance team is here and has your back. Happy New Year!

Read more from Hannah Thompson-Weeman:

Things Animal Rights Activists Say: 2020 Edition

Activists Set Sights on 4-H and FFA Despite Fewer Fairs

Communication Strategy is Critical Part of Crisis Planning

COVID-19 Crisis: Rural Hospitals Have Nowhere to Send Critical Patients

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 21:26:59 GMT

The surge of COVID-19 cases across America is creating a challenge as hospitalizations are now at a record level. The crisis is hitting rural hospitals especially hard, as many aren’t equipped to handle critical patients.

Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association , says rural hospitals are designed for primary care and general surgery, not for pandemic surges.

“Standard protocol is once you need a ventilator and ICU treatment, you are transferred to a larger facility,” says Morgan. “We’re [in] really uncharted territory now, from a rural standpoint.”

As rural hospitals try to navigate the crisis, many are coming up with a plan to care for patients in their facility, as urban hospitals are also at capacity.

“Already, a lot of our members are putting in plans, knowing that they won’t be able to transfer patients to urban hospitals,” he says. “You have to understand it’s not even just about the pandemic anymore. We still have farm accidents, car accidents, motorcycle accidents. The need for trauma services continues. The need for ICUs continues. But now we have this pandemic, just making it [a] non-sustainable situation.”

One hospital seeing the situation worsen is Regional Health Services of Howard County, located in Cresco, Iowa. The one hospital is the only ambulance service, public health department and hospice care for the entire county. The facility includes 19 beds, and sends its sickest patients to larger hospitals, but now, that’s in jeopardy.

“The biggest concern in the last week is when we call and ask for them to help to take care of our patients who are maybe sicker than we’re used to taking care of, they don’t have beds for us and so that’s where the strain really comes on,” says Dr. John Kammerer, Family Medicine, Regional Health Services of Howard County.

Morgan says the rise in cases means hospitals are at a crisis point. Earlier this year, he says the hotspots in rural America were limited. He says today, the situation is reaching a crisis level across the entire country.

“The story has changed so much now from where it was back in April,” says Morgan. “Back in April, we were dealing with hotspot surges in Indiana, in the South in Florida, and we were able to redeploy staff and actually be able to ship in supplies as needed from regional areas. The problem we have right now is staffing.”

Morgan says when every region is seeing a surge of COVID-19 cases, redeploying staff is no longer an option.

“That’s where we’re getting the real problem,” says Morgan. “You can always add more beds, but you are limited by the amount of staff you can actually throw at this.”

Morgan says that while all areas are seeing more COVID cases, the upper Midwest and Midwest are getting hit the hardest, which includes Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.

“Those are the places where it has gotten so bad in many of these communities, that they’re not able to refer patients to adjacent urban communities,” says Morgan. “And when you do that, you really run the risk of having your mortality rates increase to really an unacceptable amount.”

Let’s Talk Turkey, Thanksgiving and Traditions

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 19:08:33 GMT

Thanksgiving may look different in 2020, but farmers are still the focus

As the frantic pace of harvest winds down, we can reflect on another season of abundant effort. The vital work of farmers and ranchers is not always easy — as we saw in 2020. Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to remember despite challenges, we all have many reasons to be grateful.

For many, Thanksgiving 2020 will stray from tradition. Nearly 70% of Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving differently this year, according to a recent consumer survey by research firm Numerator. Big gatherings will likely be broken into several smaller ones, which should still mean healthy demand the country’s turkey producers, says Beth Breeding, National Turkey Federation vice president of communications and marketing.

“There’s something very comforting about that Thanksgiving meal with the turkey at the center of the table,” she says. “There could even be an increase in turkey sales because of additional gatherings.”

The change in the size of gatherings could cause demand for smaller turkeys or cuts or parts such as whole breasts. Breeding says the popularity of kitchen tools such as Instant Pots and air fryers have already increased consumer demand and familiarity with these forms of turkey.

“We also expect to see a lot more first timers this year, who have never prepared the Thanksgiving meal before, have a go at preparing turkey,” Breeding says. “Everyone is cooking so much more at home.”

As you prepare for your Thanksgiving celebration, brush up on your knowledge about the traditional holiday dishes:

Turkeys: The U.S. is No. 1 in global turkey production.
Potatoes: The U.S. ranks fifth in global potato production. North Carolina is the leading sweet potato producing state, while Idaho grows the most white potatoes.
Cranberries: The U.S. is No. 1 in global cranberry production. Wisconsin leads the U.S. in production.
Pecans: The U.S. is No. 1 in global pecan production. New Mexico leads the U.S. in pecan production.
Pumpkins: The U.S. is fifth in global pumpkin production. Illinois leads the U.S. in pumpkin production.

Sources: USDA, National Turkey Federation

Join AgDay and U.S. Farm Report on Thanksgiving as they pay tribute to the amazing work and stories throughout America’s countryside in the annual “Harvest of Thanks” special.

#FarmON Concert is Tonight: Watch Live at 7 Central

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:56:56 GMT

Lee Brice, Martina McBride, Rodney Atkins and Justin Moore along with a host of other country stars will take the virtual stage at 7 p.m. Central for the #FarmOn virtual concert to benefit the 4-H FOURWARD Fund.

Watch live in the player below:

The concert will raise donations for the 4-H FOURWARD Fund to ensure young people across all communities, with or without internet access, continue to have access to the necessary resources and meaningful learning opportunities to help them thrive. The event will feature images of 4-H members working on their project in a year when many livestock shows and 4-H fairs were cut back or cancelled due to the pandemic.

The #FarmON concert is the final event of Farm Journal Field Days, the New American Farm Show, a three day farm show that combined live, in-person and virtual events hosted on farms in Iowa and Ohio.

US--Election 2020-Rural Democrats

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:22:37 GMT

2020 Democrats try to make inroads in rural America 2020 Democrats try to make inroads in rural America By BILL BARROWAssociated Press The Associated Press DENMARK, S.C. DENMARK, S.C. (AP) — Deanna Miller Berry doesn’t often see presidential candidates. So when New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker recently came to Bamberg County, South Carolina, she was primed to unload about a contaminated water system.

“What is your plan to fix it?” Berry asked, her eyes narrowed.

Booker, former mayor of Newark, the largest city in the most densely populated state, assured Berry he cares about the 3,000 residents of Denmark, South Carolina. “This is a time in America where too many people are feeling left out, left behind, not included,” he said, promising “a massive infrastructure investment” targeting “forgotten” places.

The exchange highlights the effort by Democratic presidential candidates to make inroads in rural America. With the first contests unfolding next year in South Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire, small-town voters will play a critical role in choosing the next Democratic nominee. And the early attention could help the eventual nominee be more conversant on rural issues and compete for votes in places that gave President Donald Trump his most intense support in 2016.

“Organizing in every precinct is the key to winning both the caucus and the general election in Iowa,” Iowa Democratic Chairman Troy Price said.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders lamented rural decline during an Iowa swing this weekend.

“All over America, we have tragically seen more and more young people leave the small towns they grew up in, the small towns they love, because there are no decent-paying jobs in those towns — we intend to change that,” Sanders said, drawing cheers at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

At the same time, California Sen. Kamala Harris was in small-town South Carolina advocating more spending on telemedicine, broadband internet and infrastructure. Booker used his two-day rural swing last month to talk health care, housing, infrastructure and criminal justice, among other issues. New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was the first candidate who ventured to rural northern New Hampshire. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has already visited a tiny town in Wisconsin, which will be a general election battleground.

Several candidates plan to attend a March 30 rural issues forum at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa — population 10,600.

The approach matters most immediately because the delegates necessary to become the nominee are awarded in part from primary and caucus results in individual congressional districts, even the most rural and Republican-leaning. But investing there also could narrow Republicans’ general election margins, by increasing turnout among Democratic-friendly constituencies like rural black and Latino voters or peeling off white voters or both.

That could flip states like Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina — even Florida — that propelled Trump to an Electoral College majority. Besides helping win the presidency, rural gains would be necessary for Democrats to have the muscle on Capitol Hill to enact the kinds of sweeping policy changes they are advocating on many fronts.

“So much of this is about the margins,” Iowa’s Price said.

Beyond the politics, candidates say rural outreach is required of anyone who wants to govern a diverse nation.

“Folks want to be seen,” Harris said. “They want their issues to be heard. ... They could care less about half the stuff that gets covered on cable news networks.”

In Wisconsin, Klobuchar said, it’s “about knowing the issues that matter to people whether they’re Democrats, Republicans and independents — and in rural areas it’s not just about the farm bill.”

The 2018 midterms demonstrated Democrats’ tough realities beyond metro areas, but still offered some bright spots.

AP VoteCast, a national survey of more than 115,000 voters, found rural and small-town residents cast 35 percent of midterm ballots; 56 percent of those voted for Republican House candidates, compared to 41 percent for Democrats. The advantage was wider among small-town and rural whites: 30 percent of the electorate, tilting 63-35 for Republicans. Correspondingly, Democrats’ net 40-seat gain in the House was driven mostly by previously GOP-leaning suburban districts, while Democratic nominees fell short in more rural areas.

There’s no consensus on whether rural success for Democrats is about policy or personality or some combination. Some winners establish a personal brand at odds with the national party — West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin defending the coal industry, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown opposing much of U.S. trade policy, Montana Sen. Jon Tester playing up his rancher credentials.

But that won’t necessarily work for a presidential candidate looking to become the face of a party with a decidedly liberal base. None of the declared candidates deviates from Democratic orthodoxy supporting abortion rights and LGBTQ civil rights and opposing Trump’s hard line on immigration — all positions that run afoul of rural and small-town voters who collectively are more culturally conservative than urban dwellers.

Sanders struggled with that balance in 2016 when Hillary Clinton hammered him for some Senate votes against gun measures that most Democrats backed. Sanders noted that many Vermonters, as in the rest of rural America, view guns differently than most big-city residents, but Clinton successfully used the issue against Sanders, particularly with black women.

Would-be Democratic presidents are left to mix economic arguments with biography.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee grew up in Seattle, but he often mentions that he spent his early adult years in central Washington. He touts his signature issue — combating climate change — as a boon for the “heartland” economy by growing the clean-energy industry.

Klobuchar, a Twin Cities-area native, points to her work on the Senate Agriculture Committee and notes she’s won every congressional district in Minnesota during her Senate career. Sanders, who still speaks with his native Brooklyn inflection, drew roars in Iowa when mentioned using antitrust law to limit corporate power.

Harris notes that California — caricatured in Middle America as a bastion of coastal liberalism — has the nation’s biggest agricultural output. And in South Carolina, she said she heard a lot about jobs and state Republicans’ refusal to expand Medicaid insurance.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren notes that long before her Harvard law career, she was a child in Norman, Oklahoma, where her family’s working-class struggles shaped her liberal approach to consumer, labor and finance law.

After hearing Booker, Kenneth Belton, a 63-year-old resident of struggling Fairfield County, South Carolina, said a president doesn’t have to come from his walk of life. Belton just wants the person in the Oval Office to understand him — and then to help.

“It just feels like they’ve been ignoring us,” he said.

Berry, the clean water activist, agreed, crediting Booker and others for what she describes as first steps.

“I’ve heard enough to be inspired,” she said, pausing before adding, “enough to want to hear more.”

___

Associated Press writers Sara Burnett in Chicago, Alexandra Jaffe in Des Moines, Iowa, Meg Kinnard in North Charleston, South Carolina, and Hannah Fingerhut in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Barrow on Twitter at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP.

Retail - General

As Grocery Prices Rise, Shoppers Change Their Habits

How Fresh Fits Into the New Grocery Equation

Tech-Driven Grocery Shopping

Fresh Meat, Dairy and Repeat Buys

Grocery / Fresh Price Trend Data, 2025

Searing Temperatures In Store For the Week

250-Plus Ag Groups Ask Trump Administration To ‘Correct’ MAHA Commission’s ‘Activities’

July Weather Outlook: Goodbye Rain, Hello Heat

U.S. Ag Trade Deficit Hits Record High In First Four Months Of 2025

Virginia Farmer Was Stranded After His Tractor Ran Over Him; What Happened Next Will Restore Your Faith in Humanity

The Accident

The Rural Route Rescue

Steady Stream of Support

Rural Route Hero

A Humble Hero

A New Chapter

Freight Costs To Remain High Through Winter, Analyst Says

Biden Says He Will Not Immediately Remove Phase 1 Trade Deal With China

Farm Journal Announces 365-Day Extension of Farm Journal Field Days

COVID-19 Surge Slices U.S. Demand for Big Thanksgiving Turkeys

Smithfield Foods Prepares for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution to U.S. Employees

Trouble Shipping Grain And Feed Via Rail Far From Over, Concerns Now Growing About Possible Worker Strike At Harvest

Read More: U.S. Rail Strike Averted For Now As Biden Steps In Before Sunday’s Deadline

What’s Driving the Issues Shipping Via Rail?

Read More: Livestock Producers Report Being Just Days Away From Running Out of Feed Due to Shipping Rail Issues

Hearing Hints at Complexity of Issue

Concerns About Labor Issues Growing Worse at Harvest

Tense Labor Negotiations?

Congress Urges STB to Take Action

Wait Times Cause Economic Pain

Is Surging Inflation the Shock That Will Slash Consumers' Record Appetite for Meat?

“Meatflation”

Cutting into Consumers Record Demand?

Outlook

Project Supports Nebraska Regenerative Agriculture

Feral Swine Eradication: USDA invests $11.65 Million to Expand Program

What’s Next for Animal Activism in 2021 and What Can We Do About It?

COVID-19 Crisis: Rural Hospitals Have Nowhere to Send Critical Patients

Let’s Talk Turkey, Thanksgiving and Traditions

Thanksgiving may look different in 2020, but farmers are still the focus

Join AgDay and U.S. Farm Report on Thanksgiving as they pay tribute to the amazing work and stories throughout America’s countryside in the annual “Harvest of Thanks” special.

#FarmON Concert is Tonight: Watch Live at 7 Central

US--Election 2020-Rural Democrats