Retail Industry

West Nile Virus Activity Spikes to 20-Year High in the Midwest

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:48:29 GMT

Scouting cornfields now might net you a different problem than the insects you might have anticipated encountering. An Iowa State University researcher says there are “very high levels” of West Nile virus (WNV) trending in Iowa and other Midwestern states currently.

“This week had the highest observed WNV activity at this point in the summer observed in over 20 years. This trend is of serious concern for the next eight weeks when WNV transmission risks are the highest,” writes Erin Hodgson , ISU Extension entomologist specialist.

To date in 2025, there have been 219 cases of WNV reported in 29 states. In 2024, there was a total of 1,466 cases of WNV reported in the U.S., according to Vector Disease Control International.

In Iowa, data is generated from ongoing mosquito surveillance efforts coordinated by Ryan Smith, ISU associate professor and entomologist. Smith has implemented an interdisciplinary approach to examine mosquito immunity and mosquito-borne disease transmission.

Leading Cause Of Mosquito-Borne Disease
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex mosquito, commonly called a house mosquito. It typically picks up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.

In general, people do not spread the infection.

There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people. Fortunately, most people infected with the virus do not feel sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 20% of people who contract the disease will experience mild symptoms like fever, headache, and body aches.

In a small percentage of cases, the virus can cause serious neuroinvasive disease issues, such as encephalitis or meningitis, which can be severe and even fatal, the CDC reports.

People older than 60 and those with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for severe illness.

The CDC offers an interactive site where you can view and track the total number of human infections of WNV reported on a county-by-county basis. See current results in your county here .

Implement The Three Rs
To prevent mosquito bites, the CDC encourages people to practice the ‘Three Rs’:

REDUCE - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.

REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR 3535, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. Your local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

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Could EPA Decision Signal The Beginning Of The End For DEF?

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:25:52 GMT

Mike Berdo has strong words to describe his ongoing experiences using machinery requiring DEF ( Diesel Exhaust Fluid ) on his southeast Iowa farm.

“It has been an absolute nightmare, at least for us. Mechanics make trip after trip to do little stuff that’s very expensive to fix,” said Berdo, who produces grain and beef cattle near Washington. “We had planting delays last spring … little stuff that came from it and just seemed like [an issue to deal with] day after day.”

The ongoing mechanical issues and costs are why Berdo said he is “all for” EPA rescinding the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. The Finding has enabled the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act and, in recent years, and launch requirements such as the use of DEF systems in diesel-powered engines.

EPA Draws A Line In The Sand
On Tuesday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin released a proposal to rescind the 2009 Finding.

If finalized, the proposal would remove all greenhouse gas standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty engines, EPA said in a follow-up press release .

The move would start with EPA’s first greenhouse gas standard set in 2010 for light-duty vehicles and those set in 2011 for medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles and engines.

EPA said the proposal is expected to “save Americans $54 billion in costs annually through the repeal of all greenhouse gas standards, including the Biden EPA’s electric vehicle mandate, under conservative economic forecasts.”

Zeldin made the announcement to rescind the Finding in Indiana, alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and called it the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history.

What The Decision Could Mean To Farmers
Specific to U.S. farmers, the proposal could potentially result in DEF systems no longer being included on new tractors and other heavy equipment using diesel-powered engines, said Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk, during a Farmer Forum discussion on Wednesday.

South Dakota farmer Ryan Wagner told Flory he has a wait-and-see perspective on how or whether the EPA proposal goes into effect. He anticipates that reversing the Finding will take considerable time and effort for EPA to implement.

“It took a long time with the interim engines and things to get into full DEF in the first place,” Wagner said. “I don’t know how long it would take to unwind all that and how quickly manufacturing will just take those systems right off, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens.”

To Wagner’s point, here’s a brief look back at some timing showing when DEF rolled out in agriculture and nonroad equipment and became mandatory . The regulations were phased in over several years based on the type of equipment and engine size:

2008: DEF became required for all new diesel engines with engine sizes over 750 horsepower.

2011: the regulations expanded to include equipment with engine sizes between 175-750 horsepower.

By 2015, all new nonroad diesel engines were required to be Tier 4 compliant and utilize DEF, regardless of equipment type or engine size.

As Wagner considers DEF, he noted its use in diesel engines has provided him with one benefit: “On the plus side, I do like that they don’t make the walls of my shop black. That’s been nice,” he said. “You can run them inside for a short time and not not feel like you’re breathing in a bunch of soot and making everything black.”

Expect Legal Challenges To EPA Decision
A number of environmental groups have already blasted the move by EPA, saying it spells the end of the road for U.S. action against climate change, according to an online article by Reuters .

Legal challenges from various environmental groups, states and lawyers are likely ahead.

That fact wasn’t lost on Flory and the Farmer Forum participants during the AgriTalk discussion on Wednesday.

“If this proposal is finalized, it’s going to start a lot of conversations … and the dominoes are going to start to fall, something that we need to keep track of, no doubt,” Flory said. You can hear the complete Farmer Forum discussion on AgriTalk here:

EPA will initiate a public comment period to solicit input. Further information on the public comment process and instructions for participation will be published in the Federal Register and on the EPA website .

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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:

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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

Chinese Scientist Accused Of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:10:38 GMT

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

The charges against the pair were unsealed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office references Fusarium graminearum online as a “dangerous biological pathogen … which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Fusarium graminearum causes significant diseases in a number of U.S.-grown food crops, including corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and rice.

Diseases caused include Fusarium head blight (scab) in wheat, and two corn diseases Gibberella ear rot and Gibberella stalk rot , which can lower yield and feed quality of silage corn, according to the Crop Protection Network, a partnership of land grant universities.

Toxins the fungus produces can cause vomiting, liver damage, reproductive defects and mycotoxin-induced immunosuppression in humans and livestock, including cattle, hogs, horses and poultry.

One Scientist Arrested, One Returned To China
The 25-page criminal complaint alleges Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DMA) in July 2024, so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked at the time.

Jian had been living in the U.S. and working at the university laboratory since 2022.

The roots of the case involving Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, stretch back to March 2024. That is when Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the U.S.

(The Detroit News and Sanilac County Jail)

According to the criminal complaint, Jian and Liu had both previously conducted work on the fungus in China.

Officials further allege Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Jian, who was arrested by the FBI, remains in federal custody. On Thursday, her detention hearing was adjourned until 1 p.m. June 13 to allow time for a new defense attorney to get up to speed.

Liu was sent back to China last year after changing his story during an interrogation at the Detroit airport about red plant material discovered in a wad of tissues in his backpack, the FBI says.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals,” the university added. “We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

(Michigan News Source)

Boyfriend Spills Intentions To Investigators
An article in The Detroit News said Liu told investigators during an interrogation at the Detroit airport he planned to clone the different strains and make additional samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed, according to the government.

“Liu stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials,” an FBI agent wrote. “Liu confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research in the United States.”

Liu told investigators he planned on using UM’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory to research the biological materials, the FBI agent wrote.

“Liu stated that, while he was in the United States, he would have free access to the laboratory at the University of Michigan on some days, and that other days his girlfriend would give him access to the laboratory to conduct his research,” The Detroit News article reported.

Before preventing Liu from entering the U.S. and sending him back to China, the investigators found messages between the couple that indicate Jian previously smuggled biological material into the U.S., the FBI agent wrote.

The messages are from August 2022 and discuss smuggling seeds into the U.S.

Lawmakers Respond To The Criminal Complaint
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the Justice Department “has no higher mission than keeping the American people safe and protecting our nation from hostile foreign actors who would do us harm.”

“Thanks to the hard work of our excellent DOJ attorneys, this defendant — who clandestinely attempted to bring a destructive substance into the United States — will face years behind bars,” the attorney general says.

“I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.

(FBI)

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian late Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

“This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences … putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon says the criminal charges against Jian and Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate its agricultural economy and cause harm to humans.

“This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners,” says Raybon in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

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5 Reasons Consumer Distrust In Our Food Supply Is Rising

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 22:35:01 GMT

Bread, check. Blueberries, check. As I wheel my grocery cart alongside the deli case, I’m taken aback at what I see. Rather, it is what I don’t see that has me wondering, “What in the world?” This section of my favorite grocery store is now almost completely empty, except for a couple of ham loaves and a renegade block of cheese.

In a slightly distraught tone I ask the worker behind the counter, “What’s going on?” He hesitates for a moment, then replies, “The store is in the process of changing suppliers for our deli products. We should have more of a selection next week.” Then it dawns on me: my favorite brand of deli meat and cheese, Boar’s Head, has officially been blacklisted by my go-to grocery store.

I should not have been surprised. Boar’s Head began its fall from public grace on July 26, 2024, when the company issued a recall for more than 207,528 lb. of product due to potential listeria contamination. The CDC linked the contamination to 61 illnesses and, tragically, 10 deaths. It was the worst listeria outbreak in the U.S. in over a decade.

The outbreak was ultimately traced to a production line at the company’s Jarratt, Va., plant. According to USDA inspection reports, which USA Today had to obtain through a Freedom of Information Act request, 69 reports of non-compliance were recorded at the Jarratt plant between 2023 and 2024. What was in those reports was unsettling. Documentation of insects live and dead, black and green mold, mildew, dripping and standing water, as well as other unsanitary conditions within the plant in the weeks leading up to the July recall. In a move that was too little too late, Boar’s Head announced on Sept. 13, 2024 that the Jarratt plant would be closed permanently.

In 1906, Upton Sinclair published his famous novel “The Jungle,” which exposed the horrific conditions in the meatpacking industry at the time. The writer’s work proved to be an instant bestseller to the masses. The irony is that nearly 120 years later, one might find it hard to discern whether they’re reading a current USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) report or a chapter straight out of “The Jungle.”

Just One Of Many
The Boar’s Head case was only one the high profile food recalls last year. Remember the E. coli contaminated onions on McDonald’s quarter pounders? Then, Costco issued a massive recall on their Kirkland Signature brand of organic eggs because of a threat of Salmonella. And to cap off the year with the scariest illness yet, on Dec. 18, 2024, the CDC confirmed a patient in Louisiana had been hospitalized with the nation’s first severe case of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, aka the “bird flu.”

If it seems that the number of food recalls are coming at us at a more fast and furious pace than ever, then your gut instinct is spot on. The Food and Drug Administration, which reports food and cosmetics together, says 1,908 such products were recalled in the fiscal year that ended in September. That’s the highest number since 2019. Such a constant barrage of warnings is having a serious affect on consumers’ overall psyche — and not in a positive way. According to a September 2024 Gallup report, only 57% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the government to keep food safe. This number is a 27 point decrease since 2019, and is a record low for the Gallup Consumption Habits Poll since its inception in 1999.

This explosion of 20th century foodborne illnesses has me asking the same question I asked the worker behind the deli counter: “What’s going on?”

5 Reasons To Be Skeptical
There are multiple reasons consumers have good reason to be less confident in the safety of their food.

First, there’s the government. Second, more and more of our food is imported, which makes it harder to inspect. Third, you have a growing quest for more natural food, which sometimes circumvents traditional inspection channels. Fourth, industry consolidation means only a handful of players control both the production and processing. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but if something goes wrong, it’s probably going to be big. Finally, we now have the ability, through more technology and data, to find, detect and isolate the specific source of contamination and document it.

Time For An Overhaul
Food safety policy and implementation at the government level is in need of a serious overhaul. There is a chance it could actually happen. In 2018, the previous Trump administration proposed consolidating federal food oversight into a single agency with USDA.

There are so many common sense things that a fully functioning food agency could do. For one, start with better and more noticeable country of origin labeling (COOL) on imported foods. It should be prominent, displaying the country’s flag as the primary indicator of origin. If nothing else, we’ll all get better at geography. Next, companies that embrace new technologies that prevent contamination should be rewarded with tax credits. We do it for electric cars. Why not for safer food?

Finally, the most important change needs to come in the form of accountability and transparency both from the food industry itself and the government that regulates it. That didn’t happen in the case of Boar’s Head, and 10 people lost their lives because of it. In the age of AI and social media, those FSIS plant inspection reports should be posted on platforms such as X and Facebook for the public to see in real time. Without such transparency, we’re no better off than we were back in 1906.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Online Tool Makes It Easier To Find Conservation Programs

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 17:23:14 GMT

Due to the growing number of climate-smart programs that are available to growers, it can be hard to navigate. That’s just what the Conservation Connector was intended to change.

Developed by The Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and its partners (The Nature Conservancy, Houston Engineering and OpenTeam), the Conservation Connector is an online directory that allows users to easily view and sort through the programs relevant to them in one place.

“There’s a huge growth in the number of program offerings out there to help farmers put conservation practices to work on the ground. It’s a little bit confusing for folks, because people don’t necessarily have any single place where they can go to find out what’s really available to them - other than just a generic Google search,” says Dave Gustafson, CTIC conservation connector project director. “The Connector is intended to be a very quick and easy-to-use tool right now that focuses on farmers to find all the programs and providers that are relevant for their location, for their commodities of interest, and for the practices and incentive types that are of interest to them.”

When using the Conservation Connector, growers and their advisers can filter the database by state, county, commodity, practice and incentive type.

(Conservation Technology Information Center)

The Conservation Connector can be found at connector.ag . Gustafson says the programs on the platform have been preloaded by CTIC staff, but there are plans to shift that in the future toward a self-registry process.

“We did our best to get very accurate information, and in many cases, the data resulted from a one-on-one interview between our intern and the program administrator. However, our process going forward is to request that all of those program administrators and service providers do regular quarterly updates to their information.”

And while the majority of programs currently on the platform are located in the upper Midwest, each U.S. state is represented - as well as Puerto Rico. That list will be expanding in the months ahead to also include more livestock offerings.

“We have been in conversation with a number of different partners, such as dairy and other commodity groups, to help make sure our directories are as accurate as possible,” Gustafson says. “The kinds of different conservation offerings that will be available in the connector will broaden significantly over time.”

The team plans to officially launch the farmer-facing side of The Connector sometime toward the end of August. For more detailed information on how to use the directory, check out the CTIC YouTube page .

CoBank: Policy Will Shape Rural Economy In The Year Ahead

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:41:33 GMT

CoBank has released its 2025 outlook report , which outlines the key themes the organization expects to shape agriculture and the rural economy in the coming year. While there are several factors to watch, they mainly stem from one place: federal policy.

“The environment we enter in 2025 hasn’t fully defined itself yet, but many of the policies proposed by the incoming administration would likely have a negative impact on U.S. agriculture,” said Rob Fox, director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “Open access to export markets and labor availability are critically important for agricultural producers and processors. Depending on how policy plays out, those two areas could be big challenges in 2025 and beyond.”

As a new economic era begins, here are the six main forces at play:

Threat of A Trade War
A large focus of President-elect Trump’s campaign was on significant import tariffs. While we don’t know exactly what this policy would look like, it is unlikely to produce a positive outcome for crop or livestock producers.

Fox writes, “These policies could achieve some limited objectives, but it is very hard to paint them as anything but negative for the U.S. farm economy.”

If a trade war was to ensue, it could also be very costly for agriculture. A recent joint study by the national corn and soybean associations estimates the 2018-19 trade war with China cost the U.S. a total of $27 billion in agricultural sales to China over those two years.

Export Competition
Alongside the potential for a trade war, export competition from Russia and South America poses another treat.

According to the report, Russia’s currency is weakening - which is expected to anchor global wheat prices and allow Russia’s wheat to be more competitive.

At the same time, Brazil’s currency is also weakening and exports from the country will be cheaper than those from the U.S. This is coupled with the forecast of record South American corn and soybean crops.

With an abundance of soybeans globally, CoBank is anticipating many U.S. acres to shift from soybeans to corn this year as well.

Labor Challenges
Another likely outcome of the upcoming Trump administration is a decreased labor supply.

The president-elect has proposed deportation and reduced immigration, which could negatively impact the dairy, meatpacking and produce industries by causing labor shortages and driving up costs.

Livestock Sector Investment and Growth
It’s not all bad news for the dairy industry, though. According to the report, the U.S. will see an unprecedented $8 billion in new dairy processing investment through 2026 - and some of those plants will come online in 2025.

The livestock sector as a whole is benefiting from low feed costs, and specifically in the beef industry, a reduced herd size is supporting higher feeder and fed cattle values.

The USDA Economic Research Service projects per capita consumption of chicken, beef, pork and turkey to remain stable or grow up to 2% from 2024 to 2025.

It’s important to note, however, there could be retaliation from potential tariffs placed on major dairy export customers such as Mexico and China.

Tight Margins
Reduced income and tighter margins for the crop industry are expected to continue in 2025.

CoBank anticipates input decisions being driven largely by what provides the greatest return on investment, and farmers may look to switch chemicals to generics.

During this time, it will be critical for ag retailers to provide tailored agronomic advice and technical assistance.

Biofuel Uncertainty
On the biofuel front, headwinds are expected to continue into 2025 - with the Trump administration adding more regulatory uncertainty.

Projections of note include:

A modest increase in biofuel production next year, although ethanol supplies will maintain 2024 production levels of 1.05 million barrels per day, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Renewable diesel production capacity will grow just 100 million gallons from 2024 to 2025 to a total of 5.2 billion and remain steady through 2026, according to an updated analysis from University of Illinois.
Federal and state tax incentives and low carbon fuel policies will drive the future viability of sustainable aviation fuel.

To read the full report from CoBank, click here .

7 Ways To Be A Lifeline For Farmers

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:15:04 GMT

When times are tough is when farmers need their trusted advisers the most, says Greg Martinelli. For the past eight years, he’s coached ag sales professionals specifically in the retail/inputs category.

“When I worked in corporate ag, there was a moment when this idea hit me like a ton of bricks,” Martinelli says. “I was visiting a Midwest row crop farmer in 2011, when corn was $6 and breakeven costs were close to $3.50. He told me, ‘I don’t need you now, I needed you when corn was $3.50.’”

Martinelli says there are opportunities to bring value in this current economic environment. To help refocus your efforts in sales and marketing, he offers seven steps to find success with customers despite the tough economic times of the cycle.

1. Don’t jump into the quick sand with them.
“Farmers love to complain and commiserate about how hard it is. And as sales people we love to commiserate with them on how you understand the farmer’s business,” Martinelli says. “But if you do that, you aren’t doing anything different than what they hear at the coffee shop.”

He equates reiterating the negativity as not throwing them a lifeline but rather jumping into the quicksand with them.

“Farmers are looking for someone with a solution. You show up on the farm with all of your company tools and resources and instead of using them to help, you jump into the quicksand with them. This is where a trusted advisor can set themselves apart,” he says.

2. Keep them moving.
With the magnitude and quantity of factors farmers consider, they can fall victim to analysis paralysis.

“Farmers are seeking ideas but more so clear answers,” Martinelli says “This is where you can—not in a gossipy way—share your insights from other farms. Every day all day you’re on farms. You can share in a professional way what you are seeing and what you are learning.”

This combination of experience and credibility can serve the purpose to keep farmers considering new ideas as well as help prevent someone from going too far or all-in on a risky choice.

3. Provide perspective.
“If you’re lucky enough to be in the middle or late in your career, you’ve gone through downturns before,” Martinelli says. “That means you know things change, and there will be an upturn.”

He cautions sales people from encouraging negativity and rather engaging in a positive way.

“You have to acknowledge what is going on, because the financial pain is real,” he says. “Often as salespeople we can seem like we’re acting like a psychiatrist, and the opportunity is to not let the negativity persist any more in the conversation than it needs to.”

4. Shed light.
“There are places farmers aren’t looking where there are opportunities for you to help them uncover,” Martinelli says.

As an illustrative example, he talks about crop marketing.

“This is a weak area across crop production because there are no right or wrong answers, and the skills required usually mean the oldest person on the farm does the work,” he says. “The thing to do is admit you don’t have the answers, but ask what they are doing with their marketing plan.”

He says many of those conversations unveiled farmers with even 30 years of experience didn’t understand crop insurance, which provided another valuable exploration of additional services.

5. Show them a path.
“Instead of selling an idea, explain why a change of approach is an asset to their business,” he says.

One common trap is to talk broadly about precision agriculture and not detail exactly what product and service fit an individual field.

6. Put your customer on your org chart.
While this may sound a bit off the wall, Martinelli advocates identifying where the customer fits into your business by the simple task of putting them on your company’s organizational chart.

“We all need an org chart to know who manages who, but if you really want to start the engines of the thought process, ask where on your org chart is your customer. Where would you put them.”

This helps illustrate how marketing, accounting and other teams are taking into account what customers are trying to accomplish.

“If things are changing, and times get tough for the customer, it’ll get tough on your agribusiness. How are we organizing around the customer?” he says.

7. Let them know they aren’t completely alone.
“At first, it may not be well received or completely understood that everyone is experiencing this downturn,” Martinelli says. “Farming and making decisions can be a lonely business for our customers. As their trusted adviser, this can be your chance to provide support. Let them know they are not alone in their struggles.”

He says when customers are venting, don’t interrupt them, but rather when they are done ask them with all of the negatively for how things are, what are they going to do different.

With the seven steps, Martinelli coaches advisers to take their three biggest customers, and list the steps they will do in 30, 60 and 90 days.

“Having a plan is certainly better than just showing up on the farm and kicking tires,” he says.

Your Next Read: New Study Looks At The Relationship Between Farmers And Their Advisors

Trade Associations Urge Biden Administration To Act Now To End Port Strike

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 18:11:33 GMT

A coalition of over 270 local, state and federal trade associations have signed a letter urging President Biden and his administration to use all of its authorities to end the port strike, get the ports open and get the parties back to the negotiating table.

Click here to read the full letter.

The associations involved represent:

American manufacturers
Farmers and agribusinesses
Wholesalers
Retailers
Restaurants
Importers
Exporters
Distributors
Transportation and logistics providers
Additional supply chain stakeholders

The Ag Retailers Association (ARA) is among the groups who sent the letter and is encouraging members to let them know how the strike will impact their businesses.

Background:
A port strike along the East and Gulf coasts began on Oct. 1 and will halt the flow of a wide range of goods, potentially leading to shortages and higher costs. According to an estimate from the Anderson Economic Group, a one week strike would cost the U.S. economy about $2.1 billion.

Your Next Read: East and Gulf Coast Dockworkers Now on Strike Over Wage Demands, Halting Key U.S. Cargo Shipments

New Study Looks At The Relationship Between Farmers And Their Advisors

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:40:51 GMT

Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business has released a new study that takes a look at the relationship between farmers and ag professionals.

Participants were asked to report the size of their farm and the frequency of their interactions with advisors such as agronomists, nutritionists, sales reps, processors and lenders. Local ag professionals were found to be the most common resources of not only supplies and services, but also knowledge.

Farmers’ interaction with agribusiness representative over the previous year by farm size

(Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business)

Sales Representatives
The study found producers interact less with sales reps from manufacturers than they do with ones from dealers and retailers. Dealer/retailer sales reps also work less with smaller operations (under $300,000 in yearly revenue), with just 37% reporting interactions. That’s compared to 52% of large operations (over $5 million in yearly revenue) and 42% of commercial operations ($1 million to $5 million in yearly revenue.)

Looking at this information, the study’s authors, Scott Downey and Masie Keshavarz, suggest agribusinesses should prioritize strong sales teams and relationships with these reps to ensure effective supply and service distribution.

Agronomists
Over 80% of row crop farmer-participants shared they work with agronomists. However, smaller operations were less likely to have agronomist interactions – only 43%. That’s compared to 84% of large operations and 81% of commercial ones.

Downey and Keshavarz again conclude this is an area for agribusinesses to invest in and promote.

Nutritionists
Work with dealer/retailer nutritionists is perhaps the most divided between large and small operations. Only half of the livestock producers who participated in the study reported working with a dealer/retailer nutritionist. But at the same time, 48% of livestock producers said they use independent nutritionists in another survey question.

Downey and Keshavarz suspect commercial and large operations hire independent nutritionists and are therefore less likely to work with those at the local dealer or retailer. They recommend agribusinesses provide more customized or independent consulting options to meet the needs of larger farms.

Lenders
Work with ag lenders and loan officers was not largely influenced by an operation’s size, as each group reported frequent interactions. The authors say this emphasizes the importance of offering robust financial support and advisory services to help farmers manage their operations effectively.

Processors
Small farms reported the most processor interactions – 72% compared to 31% for large operations.

Downey and Keshavarz encourage agribusinesses to explore opportunities to enhance processing services tailored to small farms to support their unique needs.

Find the full report here . Purdue’s next study on farmer buying behavior is scheduled for January.

Your Next Read: 4 Areas to Revamp Your Ag Retail Business

The 3 Biggest Updates to USDA's Farm Loan Programs You Need to Know

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 15:40:27 GMT

With commodity prices down and farm returns expected to significantly decline , USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has released three major changes to its farm loan programs in an effort to increase the opportunities farmers and ranchers have to be financially viable.

“The analysis of what has gone into these rule changes is nothing short of tremendous,” says Zach Ducheneaux, FSA administrator. “Our team has poured over hundreds of thousands of loans in our portfolio and really identified some things that FSA can, should, and with this rule, will be doing better to support our producers and their economic viability in the countryside.”

The three most notable policy changes, which will go into effect on Sept. 25, include:

1. A new, low-interest installment set-aside program for financially distressed borrowers
According to Ducheneaux, this program was modeled after the Disaster Set-Aside program, but the difference is a borrower doesn’t have to be affected by a declared natural disaster in order to qualify. However, it’s important to note producers must be in FSA’s portfolio by the time these updates go into effect in order to be eligible.

“Oftentimes, what the producer needs is just a little breathing room,” Ducheneaux says. “We have the ability to do that for producers that are in our portfolio as of Sept. 25.”

The program essentially allows eligible, financially distressed borrowers to defer up to one annual loan installment per qualified loan at a reduced rate.

“When we set that payment aside, instead of accruing interest at the already established rate, it’s going to accrue interest at 1/8 of a percent,” Ducheneaux explains. “We’re really setting aside a payment, and it’s not going to balloon on you in a way it jeopardizes your operation as you’re coming to the end of that term.”

2. Access to flexible repayment terms
Some of these more flexible terms include smaller interest-only payments and longer loan terms. The idea behind this change is to allow producers to increase their working capital and give them the ability to save for education and retirement.

“Having a retirement fund built into this can help ease that generational transfer and help enable us to recruit young farmers and ranchers back to the farm,” Ducheneaux says. “Because FSA can make adjustments to our terms, it might help them step out of that job they’ve got in the town 40 miles away for health insurance and pay for that for their family on their own terms.”

He adds that the concern this could add more interest to the loan over time is valid, the point is to increase available cash flow for the operation.

3. Reduced additional loan security requirements
This update reduces the collateral requirements for direct loans from requiring available security equal to 150% of the loan amount down to 125%. One of FSA’s main goals with this change is to reduce the frequency borrowers need to use their personal residence as additional collateral for a farm loan.

“If you think back to 40 years ago, some of the most heart-wrenching stories you hear are when you’re losing the family home,” Ducheneaux says. “With this rule, if we do not need it to get to a one-to-one security position, we will not take the primary residence as additional security.”

In addition, FSA will release liens on collateral the borrower initially provided as additional security after establishing a history of on-time payments.

Additional improvements include streamlining and automating the Farm Loan Program process with a loan assistance tool, online loan application, online repayment feature and a simplified direct loan paper application.

“We think these changes to the terms are really transformative,” Ducheneaux says. “Any of these three provisions on their own would be a great transformation, but taken as a collective, this really signals a new day in ag finance, where FSA is going to position itself as the leader and the example for how our friends in the lending community might consider doing this.”

Ducheneaux explains a robust training process on the changes is underway for FSA employees and asks for patience and grace as the team comes to understand the new tools they have.

Who Is The Driving Force Buying Farmland?

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 19:21:47 GMT

David Muth of Peoples Company Capital Markets, the Investment platform for Peoples Company, shares how institutional investors have reacted to higher interest rates on their land investments pursuits.

“There’s certainly a significant infrastructure of institutional farmland investment groups that are committed to this to the asset class,” he says. “They’re committed to continue maintaining their portfolios and we’ll continue to see quite a bit of activity from those folks, but certainly there is there is a bit of a changing dynamic in their capital stack overall.”

He says while farmers are buyers in more than 80% of the farmland transactions today, the past 30 years have brought changes in who buys farmland and how it’s bought. What started in the ‘90s with more institutional ownership of U.S. farmland became a structured opportunity at a larger scale in the early 2000s. Today, there are multiple farmland REITs such as Farmland Partners and Gladstone Land Company.

Peoples Company recently released a white paper “The Evolution of Farmland As an Institutional Asset.”

Farmland as an investment has five unique characteristics compared to other options, says Muth:

It’s stable
Investors get cash yield
Its appreciation rate
Has a driven long-term outcome
Zero vacancy rate

Muth discusses the current trends on the Top Producer Podcast:

“Certainly, when we went into the financial crisis in 2008, you started to effectively see a lot of the long-term fixed income types of products go to zero. Then you started thinking about quantitative easing and all of the Fed tools that were deployed formally. It became really appealing for a lot of these funds in this class of investor to look at farmland.”
Muth says a few parameters have emerged for the type and location of land deal most appealing to the institutional investor.

“It’s regional—you see a heavier institutional presence in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Delta,” he says. “These groups target a specific size of deal--$10 million is the threshold typically because of due diligence and overhead costs going into each deal.”

The current interest rate environment has deflated some of the appeal of farmland for this type of investment.

“One significant element is just simply the increasing cost of debt,” Muth says. “A lot of the large institutional farmland buyers will use leverage in order to create a higher IRR (internal rate of return) outcome. And if you go back to when we were really seeing a lot of these funds build right the portfolios built, debt was incredibly cheap.”

Even with higher land rents, Muth says that has not kept up with the service debt costs which have doubled or even tripled in the past several years.

He adds at the same time other investments are showing better annual cash returns from fixed income outcomes and products.

“If you look at farmland values in the Corn Belt, 2% cap rates are pretty common. But you can go out and get fixed income at 5% or 6% with some really stable products these days,” he says.

Muth says farmland investors are still looking for deals—deploying a strategy of looking for distress deals for example in California almond production or Washington state apple production.

New Tools Bring New Investors

Peoples Company has partnered with Acre Trader, which is introducing farm land ownership as a retail investment.

“For folks that maybe don’t have the capacity to go out and buy a farm on their own, for this group or class of investors, Acre Trader enables access to the farmland asset,” Muth says. “They’re representing a movement of retail capital into farmland, and we’ve gotten really interested in working with registered investment advisors and wealth managers.”

New Land Analysis Tool Puts a Twist on Plat Book Concept

Muth shares more on Top Producer Podcast:

Wildfire Battles Continue Over Weekend for Texas, Oklahoma

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:30:27 GMT

After burning for more than six days, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma was only 15% contained Sunday morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Now officially the largest wildfire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek Fire had burned 1.1 million acres. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said 400 to 500 structures had burned and livestock losses were in the thousands. He said he would be asking for federal assistance and he has declared 60 counties disaster areas.

Two people were confirmed dead as a result of the fire. An 83-year-old grandmother was discovered in the remains of her burned home, and an Amarillo woman in her 40s died when she exited her truck while driving in the city of Canadian.

The Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which covers more than 144,000 acres, was 55% contained on Sunday. The Grape Vine Creek fire, at 34,800 acres, was 60% contained. The Magenta Fire in Oldham County, spanning approximately 3,300 acres, was 85% contained. The 2,000-acre 687 Reamer Fire was 10% contained.

Much of the area burned in the Panhandle region is rolling sand hills and the Texas Department of Transporation is now preparing for blowing dust and that can drift onto roads forcing closure.

Oklahoma officials reported at least 14 fires were burning across more than 319,000 acres, much of that spillover from the Smokehouse Creek Fire. The National Weather Service issued a Flag warning—indicating dangerously dry and windy weather—until 9 p.m. Sunday for Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. A cold front was expected to move into the area on Monday and could bring some relief.

Additional information and resources are continually updated and available online at www.tscra.org/disaster-relief-fund .

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation Disaster Relief Fund here.

Related stories:

Smokehouse Creek Fire is Officially the Largest in Texas History

Wildfires Raging in Texas, Oklahoma Panhandle Region Threaten Residents and Livestock

Ag Industry Mourns Death of Bill Northey

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:44:15 GMT

On Monday, February 5 the news of Bill Northey’s passing quickly spread through the agriculture industry, of which he dedicated his professional life to serving.

Most recently as CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI), Northey was also previous Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and served as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at USDA from 2018 to 2021.

Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered flags be flown at half staff.

“Bill was a great leader whose work ethic and passion for Iowa agriculture was unmatched. Iowans and farmers around the country were fortunate to have such a rock-solid advocate and friend,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, “I am in shock at the news of Bill’s unexpected passing. Jaime and I send our deepest and sincerest condolences to Cindy and the entire Northey family. Bill was a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a farmer. He loved Iowa and he loved Iowa agriculture. His curiosity, care for others, and love of learning made him a leader that everyone could admire. Bill brought a farmer’s work ethic to every aspect of his life, and he was tireless in promoting our state, its people and our agriculture.”

Naig continued, “Bill was a friend and mentor to so many people here in Iowa and across the country, including me. This is an incredible loss for our state, for agriculture, and for everybody who knew and loved Bill.”

Northey was a member of the National Association of State Directors of Agriculture, and the organization’s president from 2011 to 2012.

NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said, “Bill Northey was my good friend as he was to so very many others. We have lost a titan in U.S. agriculture. All of NASDA expresses sorrow for his loss and our love and support go out to his wife Cindy and his family. As a lifelong leader in the industry, Bill had an immense depth of knowledge and experience that he shared to benefit all of agriculture.”

Others posted to social media:

American ag lost a tremendous servant and leader today with the passing of @BillAtUSDA. Former Iowa Secretary of Ag Northey dedicated his life to advancing the health and prosperity of family farms and rural communities. We extend our deepest condolences to the Northey family. pic.twitter.com/VwcXDWvWdz
— Corteva U.S. (@CortevaUS) February 6, 2024

All of us at the Renewable Fuels Association were saddened to learn of Bill Northey’s passing, and we offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends. Bill was a passionate and tireless advocate for agriculture and renewable fuels. He dedicated his career… pic.twitter.com/ASFC9DRkPG
— Renewable Fuels Association (@EthanolRFA) February 5, 2024

Agriculture lost a tireless champion, defender and promoter.

Iowa Farm Bureau's statement on the passing of former Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey ⬇️https://t.co/xpCWs8Q8hn
— Iowa Farm Bureau (@IowaFarmBureau) February 5, 2024

From our President & CEO, Matt Carstens:

The State of Iowa and the greater agricultural community lost a true champion of ag, farmers, and rural communities with the untimely passing of Bill Northey. As the Secretary of Agriculture, he advocated for farmers and farm families.…
— Landus (@LandusAg) February 6, 2024

Is Foreign Farmland Ownership Putting The Future At Risk In The ‘Land Of The Free’?

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 23:35:23 GMT

How does a sale of 300 acres of farmland in the middle of nowhere suddenly become a geopolitical flash point between the world’s two superpowers?

The answer is when such land is located just 20 minutes down the road from Grand Forks Air Force Base, which is home to some of the most sensitive U.S. drone technology. The base also houses a new space networking center designed to be the backbone of all U.S. military global communications.

A Name Makes Headlines
If the buyer had been just another farmer, then the news of the sale would not have made it past the local coffee shop. But this buyer was definitely not local. No, the buyer of the land was a Chinese company called the Fufeng Group.

As political goodwill between the U.S and countries such as China and Russia continues to unravel, many are starting to question whether our country’s agricultural assets should remain so accessible to outsiders. This growing concern has become a big enough red flag to make it to the top of even USDA’s flagpole.

In December 2023, USDA started seeking feedback on how foreign investment in American agriculture is reported. The initiative, led by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, centers on enhancing the Agriculture Foreign Investment Disclosure Act report form. Members of the public may submit comments on the matter until Feb. 16, 2024.

Although it is nice to see the federal government finally addressing such concerns, multiple individual states have already been doing something about it. Lawmakers in 36 states have proposed legislation to update restrictions regarding foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. About a dozen have already put new laws in place.

Numbers Behind the Story
Currently, foreign ownership is about 3.1% of all privately held U.S. agricultural land, but it increased 50% during the past decade. According to USDA, Chinese interests account for less than 1% of the nation’s foreign-held agricultural acreage. But it’s because of China’s recent hyperaggressive military, political and economic actions that its ownership has become a growing cause of concern when it comes to such transactions.

Reaction to any type of national security threat by politicians is expected. Patriotic posturing is almost always pure gold at the ballot box. What is rarer is when such posturing is backed up by actual action. Regardless of whether this issue develops into a watershed moment in the history of foreign relations or becomes an obscure footnote tucked somewhere on Wikipedia, Arkansas will be credited as the first to stand its ground in protecting U.S. agricultural assets from foreign interests.

The First to Act
In October 2023, Arkansas officials took steps to force a Chinese government-owned agricultural company to divest 160 acres of Craighead County farmland and pay a $280,000 fine for failing to file timely disclosures to the state. The acreage was being used primarily for seed research.

“Seeds are technology,” says Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Arkansas governor. “China’s state-owned corporations filter that technology back to their homeland, stealing American research and telling our enemies how to target American farms. That is a clear threat to our national security and to our great farmers.”

Tweaking the rules regarding ownership of agricultural land only dances around the elephant in the room. At face value, nothing seems wrong or nefarious about foreign individuals or companies owning U.S. farmland.

However, when those individuals or companies have direct ties to an entity such as the Chinese or Russian government, one starts to wonder what are the true intentions of such transactions? Is this the modern-day version of the Trojan horse playing out before our very eyes?

Recent History Informs the Present
The Arkansas governor was correct. If countries such as China cannot buy the asset out from under our feet, then they’ll steal it right under our noses. Who remembers the great Chinese seed corn caper of 2014? Let me refresh your memory.

In 2014, six Chinese nationals were arrested for attempting to steal genetically modified corn seeds from experiment farms DuPont and Monsanto had at the time in Iowa. The conspirators were employed by Chinese conglomerate DBN and its corn seed subsidiary, Kings Nower Seed.

U.S. prosecutors charged the conspirators with stealing samples of the “parent” seeds that produced the genetically modified seeds and attempting to smuggle them to China. One attempt involved hiding the seeds in a bag of microwave popcorn. At least one of the conspirators was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison.

The U.S. government also confiscated two farms—one in Iowa and one in Illinois—purchased by the conspirators.

Billions, If Not Trillions, of Dollars
Such behavior is just another day at the office for those with ruthless dreams of world domination. A 2017 report from the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property reported Chinese theft of American intellectual property costs between an estimated $225 billion and $600 billion annually.

Considering inflation and China’s accelerated ambitions, the annual number now likely runs well into the trillions.

Whether it is pirating copies of Hollywood’s latest blockbusters, stealing blueprints of the U.S. military’s next-generation jet fighter or smuggling seed intellectual property and technology in microwave popcorn bags, this behavior puts the future of American companies and its people at serious risk.

At the local and state levels, it’s nice to see we’re waking up to the threats such trespasses on our property present. Now, it is time for the federal government to have the same backbone. This move by the USDA to seek comment on foreign land ownership should only be the start to reign in rogue behavior. And it is important that the USDA hears our voice on this matter.

Food Security is National Security
Could this issue result in this generation’s next Cold War? Possibly.

In a world with limited resources and a growing population, food security equals national security. The fight for protecting this value has now come to America’s back 40, which should not be for sale—no matter the price.

Keeping our land in the hands of the American farmer and our nation’s agricultural intellectual property secure are essential to the preservation of American agriculture and our country’s future prosperity. It’s that simple.

New Survey Shows Labor is Serious Challenge for Ag Industry

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:00:19 GMT

A new survey from the Minneapolis Fed found ag bankers rank labor availability as a top concern for their farm clients.

The survey, which was conducted with ag bankers from the ninth district (Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin), found the issue is viewed as a “serious challenge” for 63% of respondents and a minor challenge for the majority of the remaining 37%.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult to obtain the labor needed to operate,” a Minnesota-based banker told the Minneapolis Fed.

The availability of livestock workers was seen as more limited than crop workers and those surveyed also shared that finding long-term help is more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.

As far as how this compares to past conditions, 39% of respondents said labor availability has gotten “much worse” over the past five years and 44% said it’s “a little worse”.

The Minneapolis Fed attributes this challenge to the region’s low influx of migrant workers and aging workforce.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 10% of animal production employees in the area are foreign born, compared to 18% nationally. The number is even lower for crop production with just 5% of workers being foreign born, compared to 32% nationally.

The region also has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S.

(Farm Journal)

At the same time, the median age of workers in the region rose from 51 to 56 in 2021. The number of workers between 45 to 54 has declined over the past decade with a small increase of those between the ages of 25 to 44 and a large increase of those over 55.

(Farm Journal)

John Phipps: Is There Really a Shortage of Truck Drivers?

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 16:07:06 GMT

Cast your mind back to early 2022 and the headline-grabbing Trucker Shortage . My conclusion then was there wasn’t much hard data to substantiate that alarm. There has always been a need for truckers and perversely there seems to have always been ample qualified workers to fill it.

It didn’t take an economics degree to figure out the problem: truckers simply weren’t being compensated enough to entice and keep workers. Now a year and a half later the headline is the demise of one of America’s largest trucking companies – Yellow Trucking – and the end of 30,000 jobs they represent.

(Farm Journal)

Freight companies are struggling now with reduced demand, which threatens even more trucking jobs. At some point most of us begin to wonder about these alleged shortages. Adding to the muddled picture of jobs and pay is the historically low unemployment rate which emphatically illustrates how small the pool of potential employees is.

Related Story: Walmart Will Now Pay Starting Truck Drivers $110,000, Could It Backfire and Make the Nationwide Trucker Shortage Even Worse?

For trucking, which is often a career step up from entry wage employment, increases in the minimum wage by many states has helped low-wage employees keep up.

Since the pandemic, the surprising strength of low wage compensation compared to skilled or managerial wages removes some motivation for workers to consider a trucking job. Note the inversion after the pandemic of which income quintile is seeing greater wage increases.

Trucking companies have long dealt with astonishing turnover rates since the prospective employee pool was large and already qualified. New CDL licenses are issued to about half the current trucker numbers each year. Short-lived shortages are not limited to employees either.

Related Story: SHIP IT Act Could Save Truck Drivers Up to $10,000 and Cover CDL Costs

I started looking back at the numerous “shortages” and dire predictions of the last few years. At least some semiconductor chips, for example, are in now surplus, even a glut. We’ve discovered more new sources for lithium than anyone imagined. Ditto for copper, cobalt, and phosphates.

It appears markets can remedy shortages faster than we have imagined, and the few stubborn scarcities are sidestepped with alternative solutions. Not always, but certainly more than the hysterical headlines suggest.

There will always be warnings about trucker shortages, I suspect, but not from truckers.

Horizon Award Honors Husband-and-Wife Team for Their Drive and Focus

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 16:59:42 GMT

Each year, Top Producer recognizes a producer under the age of 35 who demonstrates excellence in the business of farming, specifically marketing, finance, technology and family and employee relations. Congratulations to Martin Angus, the 2022 recipient of the Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award. Brendan and Elaine Martin were recognized at a ceremony held Feb. 14 during Top Producer Summit in Nashville.

Brendan Martin learned early on that cows equal cash flow. He started building his herd in high school with the goal of one day owning his own farm.

Growing up in the Shenandoah Valley near Mt. Solon, Va., Brendan began building equity and his farming dream through heifers, custom hay bailing and hard work. His reputation attracted the attention of a neighbor who was looking to slow down. The neighbor wanted a young, energetic farmer to purchase his cow herd and lease his 280-acre farm. Brendan stepped up to the plate.

Today, Brendan’s diversified and multi-faceted operation is a team effort with his wife, Elaine. In addition to their 280-acre home base, they lease around 600 acres of pasture and farmland. They raise corn, alfalfa, small grains and hay, and their cattle operation includes a registered Angus and commercial Angus herd, 210 fed cattle and 1,030 feeder calves. In the past couple of years, they have invested in their cattle facilities to increase cow comfort and feeding efficiency.

In 2019, the Martins added Blue Cedar Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef business. They ship beef all over the nation every week of the year. They also do custom mowing and litter spreading and recently added a trucking business. Their team includes two full-time and two part-time employees. Brendan also owns a large animal mobile veterinary practice, Valley Herd Health. Elaine specializes in record keeping, payroll and financial management for the farm, as well as keeping a close eye on the cattle herd.

As the Martins look toward the future, their goal is not to have the most cows or acres. They are motivated by their return on investment and creating generational impact in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

Take a trip to Martin Angus with this video from AgDay.

The Horizon Award is sponsored by Corteva and Pioneer. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to Top Producer Summit; virtual mentoring sessions from Kristjan Hebert, the 2020 Top Producer of the Year; and a DJI Phantom 4 Drone, courtesy of Corteva.

The Online Top Producer Summit is set for Feb. 22-23 and will include live, on-demand and recorded sessions from the event in Nashville. Register now!

How Prop 12 Could Impact Crop and Livestock Producers

Fri, 12 May 2023 15:31:04 GMT

More than half of Californians voted in favor of stricter restrictions on animal confinement, commonly called Prop 12, which took effect on Jan. 1.

The law not only altered its livestock raising standards, but it also banned the sale of animal-derived products that do not comply with statute’s regulations. This means producers in other states cannot sell eggs, veal and pork products in California unless they meet Prop 12’s standards.

Challenged by numerous ag alliances, Prop 12 is scheduled to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Impact for Crop Producers

If the Court rules in favor of California, the legislation will open a door to a much larger arena of regulatory authority. This case should have all producers on high alert, according to John Dillard, principal at OFW Law.

“If California were to win this case in the Supreme Court, there’s nothing stopping the state from saying, for example, you can only sell corn in California if it’s harvested with an electric combine,” he says.

Dillard says the Supreme Court’s ruling could give the green or red light for each state to set its own standards on any and all products that come across state lines.

Jim Wiesemeyer, Profarmer policy analyst told AgriTalk Host Chip Flory that he believes once all Prop 12 arguments are heard on Tuesday, the Court won’t produce a final ruling until next June.

The live court hearing will be available here on Tuesday.

More on Prop 12:

Follow California Proposition 12 SCOTUS Oral Arguments Live
Proposition 12 Will Push Pig Farmers Out of Business, NPPC and Farmers Say
California Proposition 12 Took Effect Jan. 1, But Supreme Court Action Ahead

What Antibiotics Will No Longer be Available OTC?

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 19:10:32 GMT

On June 11, 2023, the FDA’s new directive, “Guidance for the Industry #263,” is slated for implementation, meaning that over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotics will no longer be available through traditional retail channels. Instead, these antibiotics will now require a prescription from a licensed veterinarian.

While livestock producers are continuously working to practice judicious antibiotic usage, no longer having the ability to purchase commonly used antibiotics can throw farmers a curveball. Instead, these antibiotics will only be available with a veterinary prescription and will need to be purchased from a veterinarian or a pharmacy.

The Pennsylvania State University Dairy Extension team lists the following antibiotics that will no longer be available for purchase over-the-counter.

Injectable Products

Penicillins
Tetracyclines
Sulfa Antibiotics
Erythromycin
Tylosin
Lincomycin
Spectinomycin
Gentamicin

Intramammary Products (Mastitis Tubes)

Erythromycin
Penicillin
Dihydrostreptomycin
Novobiocin
Cephapirin
Cephapirin Benzathine

Oral Liquids and Boluses

Dihydrostreptomycin
Sulfa Antibiotics
Tetracyclines
Spectinomycin
Gentamicin

Eye Ointments

Gentamicin
Tetracyclines

Products that will not be impacted by the June 2023 changes include:

Products Under Veterinary Oversight

Prescription Products
Veterinary Feed Directive Products

OTC Animal Health Products

Vaccines
Dewormers
Fly Control
Hormone Implants
Teat Sealants
Ionophore Products

Linda Tikofsky, DVM and senior associate director of dairy professional services at Boehringer Ingelheim, says there are several steps producers should be taking now to prepare for the change.

Take Inventory

“I think the number one thing to do is just take inventory of what you’re using and what you won’t be able to purchase after June 2023,” Tikofsky says. “Go through your drug cabinet, take note of what you’re using and how often you’re using it.”

Know What You’re Treating

It’s hard to know what you need if you don’t know what you’re treating. According to Tikofsky, part of judicious antibiotic use is understanding the diseases on your farm and knowing how to treat them.

“Understanding what you’re up against and how to treat a disease is an important part of animal husbandry,” Tikofsky says. “Very often, antibiotics are not the only avenue when treating an illness or condition. Talk with your veterinarian to better understand when and how to treat when using an antibiotic, and work with them to see if there are other treatment options available.”

Prioritize Preventative Management

The best way to avoid using antibiotics is to prioritize preventative management. Take time to review herd health protocols and work proactively with your veterinarian and other consultants to address health issues within the herd.

Talk With Your Vet

Now is the time to work with your veterinarian to develop a plan to adjust the way your operation will access animal health products.

“Going forward, all prescriptions will need to be provided by a licensed veterinarian with whom the producer has a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship,” Tikofsky says. “This really shouldn’t affect farmers too much, it will just require them to have a good working relationship with their vet, which is always the goal. When it comes to obtaining antibiotics, producers will either need to purchase antibiotics from the veterinarians themselves or use a distributor that has a pharmacy license. Your vet should be able to help you find one of these distributors.”

Assemble Your Team

Surrounding your operation with the best team members should always be top of mind. According to Tifkofsky, now is the time to make sure your entire team is on board with your farm’s animal health objectives.

“It’s important to not only talk to your veterinarian about this, but also your nutritionist, herd managers and employees,” she says. “Make sure you’re assembling the right team to set your operation up for success.”

For a complete list of products impacted by the FDA’s new directive, including manufacturer information, click here.

For more on antibiotics, read:

How the Farm and FFA Shaped Nashville Star Easton Corbin’s Career

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 17:41:17 GMT

Nashville singer Easton Corbin is no stranger to agriculture. Growing up in Florida, raising and showing cattle was engrained from the start, as was FFA.

“FFA is such a great organization — it shapes so many young people’s life for the better,” Corbin says. “You can always tell when you’re around those kids. FFA really teaches kids about hard work and responsibility.”

After high school, Corbin didn’t go straight to Nashville. Instead, he attended the University of Florida and majored in agriculture business. He says that decision was heavily weighted by his grandparents’ desire for him to put education first.

“I was in FFA from middle school to high school, and my grandparents had a big, big hand in raising me,” Corbin says. “My grandpa was a cattle farmer, and he really got me into showing cattle, which was kind of mine and his project. That whole experience, through my grandparents, taught me about hard work, honesty and follow through.”

The #FarmON Benefit Concert airs on MONDAY!

Will you be watching?

Tune in on RFD-TV or https://t.co/FM7uZZu2pp at 7PM to help support the @NationalFFA Foundation pic.twitter.com/S1mmbJxlfF
— AgDay TV (@AgDayTV) September 16, 2021

With a passion for singing and performing, Corbin moved to Nashville after college in 2006. His hard work paid off in 2010 when he released his debut single “A Little More Country Than That.” The hit peaked at No. 1 on the country chart in April 2010, making Corbin the first solo male artist to send a debut single to the top of the charts since Dierks Bentley in 2003.

Corbin performed some of his hits in Colby, Kan., in August during a live #FarmON concert. While the outdoor concert met obstacles with rain and lightning, the event managed to #FarmOn and move indoors for an electric night of entertainment. A portion of those live songs will be featured during the #FarmON Benefit concert Monday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. CST. The concern benefits the National FFA Foundation.

Corbin will be joined by fellow FFA alum Alex Miller , who credits his success as an American Idol contestant to the leadership skills he gained through FFA.

Mark your calendars for the second annual @FarmJournal #FarmON Benefit Concert on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, at 7 p.m. CDT headlined by Easton Corbin with special guest Alex Miller, FFA member.
Learn more here: https://t.co/oWK1N5fi95
Donate here: https://t.co/fUzr8WfcSW pic.twitter.com/cI3PkRqhB7
— National FFA (@NationalFFA) September 15, 2021

Corbin says he’s excited to help give back to an organization that continues to impact the lives of so many students, providing them with perspective and a passion to continue to follow their dreams.

“I really think you can take those lessons you learn on a farm and apply those to life,” Corbin says. “The farm is kind of a small part of a bigger world and all those things really apply, especially about hard work and follow through, and I can’t stress enough just being a good person. It has really helped me in what I do because sometimes it gets hard out on the road and it takes a lot of hard work, and all those things tie together.”

🎶@eastoncorbin can sure put on a concert in a hangar on a farm in the middle of nowhere.

big thanks to @FarmJournal for the #FarmON concert and their support for @NationalFFA 🥳 pic.twitter.com/45An3eoWOv
— Madison Mackley (@madsfarms) August 27, 2021

Join Easton Corbin along with other FFA alum as they bring the energy and entertainment on Monday, Sept. 20. The #FarmON Benefit concert kicks off at 7 p.m. CST. Throughout the event, Farm Journal will raise money for the National FFA Foundation and pay tribute to an organization that continues to support the future of agriculture.

You can register now to join the fun onlin e or watch the concert on RFD-TV.

Texas Tornado Destroys Ag Shop, But Doesn’t Stop FFA Members From Helping Community

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 16:31:02 GMT

A line of storms snaked through north and central Texas on Monday, resulting in several tornadoes along the Interstate 35 corridor. About 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth, an F3 tornado touched down outside of Jacksboro at 3:45 p.m., ripping buildings to shreds, including the local high school, elementary school and ag shop.

“I felt so helpless,” says Kevin Thomas, ag teacher at Jacksboro Independent School District.

Thomas had left school to pick up his truck and trailer at his farm about 12 miles away when the tornado hit.

“I knew it hit my ag shop and there was nothing I could do,” he says. “Two co-teachers and 20 students were in the ag shop practicing for judging contests. All I could do was pray that nothing happened to them. Yes, they were capable, but my nature is to take care of things and when I couldn’t ...”

The Jacksboro High School’s ag shop was torn apart in the tornado that produced 150-mph winds, says ag teacher Kevin Thomas. Video by Kevin Thomas.

Braced for Impact

The tornado ripped off the roof the ag shop and the high school gym. The elementary school also took a major hit with 200 kids inside waiting for buses to arrive.
It’s a miracle no one was seriously injured or killed, Thomas says. Survey teams have confirmed 10 tornadoes hit the area, which might increase as the National Weather Service continues to investigate damage.

“We just didn’t have much warning,” Thomas says. “It developed quickly and was on us so fast.”

Despite the devastation this town of 4,000 experienced, Thomas says he’s grateful. All of his students that stayed after school to practice for FFA contests were safe and none of the elementary school kids or their families were hurt.

A look inside the high school gym at Jacksboro after the tornado struck. Video provided by Kevin Thomas.

The school district has relatively new buildings specially designed and geared for tornadoes, he says.

“Every building has tornado hallways built along concrete structures with emergency gates that slide in place like a bunker. We do drills to prepare us for moments like this,” Thomas adds.

Unfortunately, the ag shop wasn’t quite as equipped, and his co-teachers had to hunker down in the bathrooms with all their students. Once the storm passed and Thomas made it back to the school around 4:15 p.m., his FFA students jumped in his truck, and they headed out into their community to help people one house at a time. They passed out waters and Gatorades and comforted elderly members of their community standing outside their homes in shock.

“There were no emergency workers in sight. We had to drag trees out of roadways and there were power lines down everywhere,” he says. “I brought in my skid steer and helped move trees off houses, living rooms, etc. I just wanted to help give people a little peace of mind. We just talked and worked alongside each other and our FFA kids helped every step of the way.”

(Farm Journal)

FFA members pitch in and help with clean-up after the tornado. Photo by Kevin Thomas.

A Desire to Help

To his knowledge, this is the first tornado to hit their community, or at least since he moved there in the mid-1980s.

“We’ve been through some really rough times as a community, but never a storm like this. With all the turmoil in the world, food and fuel prices, politics, I just looked up yesterday and saw good in people,” Thomas says. “No judgment. Nothing but a desire to help. When things get tough, we lay our differences aside and focus on one mission, one goal. It was about being a good human and helping your neighbor.”

A drone’s view of the damage at Jacksboro Independent School District. Video provided by Kevin Thomas.

The cost of the damage is still unknown. The school farm is wiped out. A week ago, Jacksboro FFA would have lost all the kids’ show pigs for Houston.

“We are starting a new season this week focusing on career development events,” he says. “I can’t imagine what it would have been like if this would have happened last week.

You can’t help but think there’s a man upstairs after driving through the community and seeing all the damage. How did we all make it out of this with hardly a scratch?”

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Is ‘Tornado Alley’ Expanding East?

The Day Derecho Hit Our Farm

Derecho Forces Evacuation of 25,000 Pigs After Winds Rip Barns Apart

Champion Steer Sells For $1 Million in Houston

The Night the Fire Took the Farm

Speechless: The Call That Saved One Hog Producer’s Farm

Our Derecho Story: The Trees Saved Our Pigs

Who's Really Behind All These Record Farmland Sales?

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 15:11:51 GMT

The number of record farmland sales was a major story in 2022. Just when farmers thought a $20,000 per acre farmland sale was rare, a $30,000 farmland sale happened late in 2022, further concreting the idea that 2022 would be a historic year for the land market .

Farmers National Company released its 2023 land values report this week, showing landowners selling property experienced values never-before-seen for their farmland. Land sold at auctions set records in several states with values across Corn Belt states seeing a year-to-year increase between 20% and 34%.

What’s driving the dynamic land auction market? Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations at Farmers National Company says strong commodity prices, along with not enough supply to meet the demand, are the main drivers today.

“I’ve been in this business over 25 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” says Schadegg. “I’ve been through the ebbs and flows of some of these ag cycles and saw land markets come up in the 90s, in the early 2000s, that we thought we’d never see those values again. But we’ve never had everything come together with such strong commodity markets and such strong demand.”

Historic Farmland Auctions

Farmers National Company says it saw record sales volume of $766 million in 2022, which exceeds the previous record set in 2021. The majority of those sales were through auction. Farmers National Company says the auction market brought increases in both total transactions, as well as acres sold, but the hunger from buyers was still more than the land market could produce.

“Our data is showing that nearly 80% of the buyers, the final buyers of land, are still those local owner operators that have been looking to add land to their operation,” Schadegg points out. “But with that being said, the reason that there’s so much competition in the market is that you have these either individual investors or investment groups who are helping to drive that those bids up there. So even though that investor may not have been the buyer, they were part of the equation and cause that operator to bid it up.”

Farmland Outlook for 2023

While not every sale is coming in above $20,000, each region is reporting a slew of record farmland sales, which is a theme that seems to be on track for 2023. Schadegg says his outlook for farmland prices in the new year is one that takes into account the amount of land available and options to reinvest that money somewhere else.

“My thought is that we’re probably going to see, values stay really strong, because there’s still a limited amount of, of land come into the market. We’ve got a lot of landowners that they look at that opportunity to sell at record prices. But then they look at what am I going to do with that money? Where am I going to reinvest that money that is anything better than what I have? And so there’s some that they consider selling, and then they decide, you know, I think I’m going to hold on to this asset,” he says.

The one caveat is the outlook for commodity prices. With higher input prices, inflation, along with the possibility of pressure in the commodity price sector, Schadegg thinks those factors could impact overall farmland values in the new year.

“We’re coming into 2023, similar to what we did 2021 where we’re very cautious about where where’s this land market is going to go,” he says. “One little glitch in commodity markets is we continue to see interest rates rise and we continue to see inflation increase and inputs costing more. We are very cautious about where this land market could go. I don’t think it’s going to drop out of the sky, but I really think we’re going to see some kind of a settling of values just because of all those other factors that weren’t quite as strong and play a year ago.”

5 Eye-Popping Farmland Sales from 5 States

$30,000 Per Acre? Yep, The Details on the Latest Record-Breaking Farmland Sale

Beyond the Buzz: Land Values, Fundamentals and New Services

From Raising Cattle to Now Reindeer, How One Family is Sharing the Magic Of Christmas On Their Farm

Fri, 23 Dec 2022 20:30:01 GMT

“Rudolph the Red-nose Reindeer” is a song that captured kids’ hearts when it first topped the charts in 1949. It then became a television special hit 15 years later, and it’s still a Christmas-hit today.

Unlike the fictional characters in the movie and songs, reindeer at Prescott Family Reindeer Farm are actually real.

“We obviously have our real reindeer, Noel and Tinsel,” says Sara Prescott, owner of Prescott Family Reindeer Farm.

She says the fact reindeer do exist is one of the biggest misconceptions of reindeer today.

“We have people that come up all the time and say, okay, but what are these, and we tell them they are real reindeer,” she says.

Rooted in Family and a Desire to Spread Christmas Cheer

Prescott will tell you the story behind their reindeer farm is magical, but it all starts with family.

“Being on a family farm means a lot of different things,” she says. “To us, it means tradition, it means building something together as a family.”

That’s exactly what the Prescotts do each year as their farm of 240 acres in Vanzandt, Mo. is rooted in a deep desire to give everyone a full Christmas experience.

“They’re very stout, hearty animals,” says Prescott “So, we wanted it not to just be a petting zoo, but we wanted you to be able to fall in love with our animals, just the way that we do.”

The Journey South

It all started three years ago when the Prescotts moved to southern Missouri from central Illinois.

“While we were in central Illinois, we did a ton of educational opportunities for people to come out to the farm and share our story, visit with the animals,” she says. “And when we moved here, we wanted to expand on that.”

The Prescotts were well equipped for raising beef cattle. Afterall, that’s what their family had always done, but when they moved, they decided to venture into something new.

“We didn’t want to impose on other businesses here in our local area. So we really tried to find a different niche market. And honestly, reindeer were perfect,” she says.

The Prescotts love their reindeer. That passion for raising reindeer was a gift during a visit to another farm in Illinois.

“Our reindeer process actually started five years ago in Canton, Illinois when we visited our first reindeer farm, and that was the Snowman’s Reindeer Farm , and they are amazing people and they actually helped us to fall in love with reindeer just on our visit there.”

From Cattle to Reindeer

When the Prescotts moved to Missouri, Sara started researching how to raise reindeer, and she quickly discovered it was a natural fit for their family farm.

“We raise the reindeer very much like we raise the cattle,” she says. “I would say the biggest difference between cows and reindeer are the cattle don’t love it when it’s zero degrees. But the reindeer, that’s their happiest time.”

Cattle and reindeer are both ruminant animals, but reindeer just prefer to eat different treats.

“Our reindeer actually are not on grass. Reindeer actually don’t eat much grass,” she says. “Their main diet out in nature would be a lot more leaves and sticks, that kind of stuff that they’re looking for.”

Her Pampered Pets

Sara calls them her pampered pets, with big fans and pools to play in during the heat of the summer, but as you can imagine, it’s in the winter months that these reindeer really shine.

“We’re super excited that Santa and Mrs. Claus join us each weekend from the North Pole. They come down obviously to visit with the reindeer. We hope that Noel and Tinsel will make the flight team this year and be able to be flying around for Christmas Eve.”

Magical Christmas Experience on the Farm

With both Santa and Mrs. Claus on the farm, plus photo props and other fun activities around the farm, the Prescotts work each winter to bring others an enchanting experience.

“We also have crafts, a gift shop, you can write letters to Santa, hot cocoa, games; basically, all the things that you need to check off your Christmas tradition list,” she says.

This experience isn’t created overnight. The Prescotts and their three kids start decorating for Christmas in July, all in hopes of sharing their passion for raising reindeer and help others make memories in the most magical way.

USMCA as a Framework: New Talks Between U.S., Ecuador, Uruguay

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 19:05:43 GMT

Two senior U.S. senators asked the Biden administration to start trade-agreement talks with Ecuador and Uruguay, using a pact with Mexico and Canada as a template to expand export opportunities with “trusted partners” in Latin America as China’s influence grows.

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, and fellow committee member Rob Portman — a former U.S. trade chief and an Ohio Republican — asked Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to capitalize on the success of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USCMA) and expand relations in the Western Hemisphere.

Odds with Ecuador and Uruguay

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso met with U.S. counterpart Joe Biden Monday at the White House, where the leaders agreed that the countries had made historic progress in strengthening bilateral ties.

Lasso has previously noted that Ecuador is the only nation on the Western Hemisphere’s Pacific Coast that has no free-trade agreement with the U.S.

In Uruguay, President Luis Lacalle Pou has started free-trade talks with China, wooed Turkey and applied to join the 11-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc as he seeks to open markets to for the nation’s goods and services.

More on trade :

U.S. Expands Dairy Clash with Canada Through the USMCA
U.S.'s “Candid” GMO Corn Conversation With Mexico Results In Changes To Looming Trade Dispute

Ag Commodities Transformed into New Bioproducts

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 19:04:50 GMT

USDA announced on Tuesday it will invest $9.5 million in its Bioproduct Pilot Program (BPP) , which will fund three bioproduct manufacturing projects.

The program was authorized under the Infrastructure Invest and Jobs Act in November 2021 in order to “better position” the U.S. for competition in the global economy.

“Adopting a more circular economy ensures that wealth and other economic benefits in the form of jobs and other opportunities are created, and stay, in rural communities,” said Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary. “We must support and incentivize practices like these, because it’s what consumers want — and what farmers, and our planet, need.”

BPP provides USDA the opportunity to invest $5 million each of fiscal year 2022 and 2023. This year, the program will support three awardees that will convert:

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Food waste to bioplastics
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Pig manure and feedstock to an asphalt product
• Soylei Innovations , of Ames, Iowa, Soybean oil to rubber for pavements and shingles

Dr. Dionne Toombs, acting director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) had a hand in administering the awards. She says all three projects have “compelling benefits” to America’s economy.

“Each of the recommended projects includes collaborations with universities and companies that can bridge the gap between invention and the marketplace as well as produce stronger and more effective outcomes,” said Toombs in the press release.

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Invest in Your Farm’s Reputation with Social Media
The Scoop Podcast: Be The Trusted Adviser For Technology, Just Like Agronomy

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How Prop 12 Could Impact Crop and Livestock Producers

Impact for Crop Producers

What Antibiotics Will No Longer be Available OTC?

For more on antibiotics, read:

How the Farm and FFA Shaped Nashville Star Easton Corbin’s Career

Texas Tornado Destroys Ag Shop, But Doesn’t Stop FFA Members From Helping Community

Braced for Impact

A Desire to Help

Who's Really Behind All These Record Farmland Sales?

Farmland Outlook for 2023

Related Stories:

5 Eye-Popping Farmland Sales from 5 States

$30,000 Per Acre? Yep, The Details on the Latest Record-Breaking Farmland Sale

Beyond the Buzz: Land Values, Fundamentals and New Services

From Raising Cattle to Now Reindeer, How One Family is Sharing the Magic Of Christmas On Their Farm

Rooted in Family and a Desire to Spread Christmas Cheer

The Journey South

From Cattle to Reindeer

Her Pampered Pets

Magical Christmas Experience on the Farm

USMCA as a Framework: New Talks Between U.S., Ecuador, Uruguay

Odds with Ecuador and Uruguay

Ag Commodities Transformed into New Bioproducts