Wednesday September 28 Ag News

U.S. Farm Economy Slumps into the Fourth Quarter
Nathan Kauffman, KC Fed Reserve Assistant Vice President and Omaha Branch Executive

The U.S. farm economy weakened further in the third quarter despite an upward revision to farm income projections. Following a brief rebound in crop prices in the second quarter, profit margins for crop producers deteriorated in August and September. Profit margins also remained poor in the cattle and dairy sectors. Agricultural credit conditions have weakened further as loan repayment problems have picked up steadily, and bankers throughout the Tenth Federal Reserve District have expressed increasing concerns about the softening farm economy spilling over to Main Street business activity in rural areas.

Farm Income
In August, expectations for 2016 farm income were revised up modestly from the February forecast, but income was still expected to decline notably from a year ago. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s August revision can be interpreted as both positive and negative for the farm sector. On the positive side, farm income expectations for 2015 and 2016 were revised up by 43 percent and 31 percent, respectively. On the negative side, however, the expected decline in farm income from 2015 to 2016 widened from 3 percent earlier in the year to 11 percent in the most recent report. Essentially, farm income was higher than initially forecasted, but the deterioration from a year ago is now believed to be sharper than expected.

The improvement in farm income expectations was largely due to downward revisions in production costs for the farm sector as revenue expectations continued to weaken. Whereas cash receipts in the crop sector generally were expected to remain unchanged in February, the revision in August pointed to a decline of about 4 percent from a year ago. Similarly, in the livestock sector, the August report predicted a 10 percent drop in cash receipts from a year ago, slightly more than expected in February. Production costs for 2016, however, were also revised lower and more than offset the more pessimistic outlook for revenue. Total production expenses in the farm sector were anticipated to be more than 7 percent less than expected earlier in the year, with much of this adjustment coming from a reduction in capital outlays.

Profit Margins
Although U.S. farm income expectations were revised up in August, profit margins for many producers of major U.S. agricultural commodities weakened significantly in the third quarter. In the crop sector, the range of average monthly prices throughout 2016 has left very few opportunities for producers to sell at a profit (Charts 4a – 4d). Since 2013, profit margins have dropped precipitously for corn, soybeans, wheat, and cotton, and both wheat and corn prices were hovering at or near 10-year lows in September.

Profit margins in the livestock sector have also dropped sharply over the past few years. In the cattle sector, losses at feedlots have persisted in 2016, following extreme losses toward the end of 2015. Profit margins have also remained weak in the dairy sector, and have narrowed considerably in the cow/calf sector following two consecutive years of strong profits. Among the major livestock markets, only profit margins in the hog sector generally have been positive in 2016, although prices were near breakeven toward the end of the third quarter.

Credit Conditions and Spillovers
The downturn in the agricultural economy has continued to affect credit conditions in the sector. From 2010 to 2014, borrowers had few problems repaying loans. Since 2014, though, bankers in the Tenth Federal Reserve District have consistently reported an increase in the severity of loan repayment problems. As of the second quarter of this year, Tenth District bankers indicated that more than 7 percent of their agricultural loans were experiencing either “major” or “severe” repayment problems, an increase from just 4 percent in 2015.

Bankers in the Kansas City Fed District also continued to point to spillover effects from the softening farm economy to Main Street business activity. As the downturn in the farm economy began in earnest in 2014, only 40 percent of District bankers indicated that the downturn was having a negative effect on their broader business environment at that time. Halfway through 2016, however, more than 80 percent of District bankers had indicated the downturn was causing ripple effects on Main Street in their rural lending area.

Conclusion
The outlook for the farm economy has continued to worsen through 2016, despite some occasional rebounds in income and profit margins. As 2016 winds down, there will be increasing focus on the outlook for 2017 and likely more questions about the ability of some producers to continue to operate after experiencing losses for multiple consecutive years. Many producers have relied more heavily on short-term financing and restructured debt to get through 2016, but if the outlook for cash flow remains poor during the next loan renewal season, some producers may need to consider more aggressive alternatives to shore up depleted working capital.




Top companies worldwide recognized for beef excellence

Chef and consumer demand for great-tasting beef continues to rise, and companies around the globe are intent on satisfying their needs with delicious, nutritious beef. At this year’s Certified Angus Beef® Annual Conference, held in Tucson, these beef companies were honored for dedication to excellence. The packers, processors and distributors gathered with family Angus cattle ranchers to nurture their focus on delivering premium beef.

“We are proud to partner with these companies and congratulate their ongoing successes,” says John Stika, the beef brand’s president. “Every time they recommend the Certified Angus Beef® brand, they embrace our family ranching heritage and dedication to quality from farm to table.”

    Greater Omaha Packing, Omaha, Neb., was recognized with the Fabricator Proficiency Award for most pounds of beef sold per certified carcass during the year. A longtime leader in carcass utilization, Greater Omaha works with customers worldwide to supply their beef product needs. Newly added capabilities for ground beef production helps further improve utilization, and simplifies logistics for customers. Greater Omaha also assists the brand in educating chefs and retailers by hosting plant tours.

    National Beef Packing Company, based in Kansas City, Mo., was named the Packer Marketer of the Year. While a company-wide 27% increase in sales this year reflects National Beef’s focus on the Certified Angus Beef ® brand, behind-the-scenes dedication makes it possible. This team procures high-quality cattle with Angus influence and sets weekly records for carcasses certified and product sold. Top-down leadership supports the brand, which includes offering Certified Angus Beef ® brand Prime and helping educate the brand’s customers through in-plant video footage and research. National Beef Dodge City, Kan., was recognized as the Top Sales Volume Fabricator and achieved Four Million Head Certified since the location began offering the brand of beef.

    JBS-USA, based in Greeley, Colo., received the honor of International Packer Marketer of the Year. Through its global perspective, JBS-USA takes an active role in customer success. One example is JBS’s support of the Certified Angus Beef ® brand product launch at Calimax, a retailer in Mexico. JBS and Calimax leaders participated in a marketing planning session at the brand’s culinary center in Wooster, Ohio, and introduced single-packed culottes in stores. Billboards and product demonstrations led customers to the meat case and added to the company’s success in Mexico and beyond. JBS USA-Greeley received a Top Sales Volume Fabricator award and was honored for Three Million Head Certified since it first began offering the brand of beef. JBS-USA Dumas, Texas, was recognized for One Million Head Certified.

    Cargill Meat Solutions, Wichita, Kan., is the Top Sales Volume International Packer. Cargill continued to excel in sales worldwide, with the majority of products going to restaurants and stores in Canada, the Certified Angus Beef ® brand’s top destination outside of the United States. Through the team’s understanding of growth potential in Mexico, Cargill also hosted a plant tour for customers and participated in distributor events. Cargill Meat Solutions - Schuyler, in Nebraska, was named a Top Sales Volume Fabricator and achieved Four Million Head Certified since it first began offering the brand of beef.
    Schweid and Sons, Carlstadt, N.J., received the Value-added Products Marketer of the Year. The family-run company continues to expand focus into the retail meat case with Certified Angus Beef ® brand ground beef and burgers. Schweid and Sons helps sponsor events like the New York City Burger Week and the Boston and New York Battle of the Burger to bring focus to the brand. The company also highlights the brand in trend reports and weekly podcasts. Active social media and their “This is not a Hamburger Cookbook” also inform consumers about top-quality burgers and preparation tips.

    Wolverine Packing Company, Detroit, Mich., remains the Top Sales Volume Ground Beef Processor. Wolverine is an expert at serving chains and worked closely with the brand to pursue new business. Energized marketing and new resources made an impact at food shows. The team also attended in-depth training and supported customer and chef education.

    Freedman Meats, The Colony, Texas, received two awards: Top Sales Volume Processor and Top Processor Sales Volume Increase. Customers of Freedman Meats know that Certified Angus Beef ® brand fajita meat is always in season. Freedman pursued business with restaurant chains and delivered seasoned cuts to foodservice distributors throughout the country to achieve a 50% gain in sales. Staff participated in educational programs to bring new menu ideas to restaurants and health services.

    Macgregors Meat & Seafood, Toronto, Ontario, received the International Value-added Products Marketer of the Year award. Macgregors’ 44th Street product line made with Certified Angus Beef ® brand product is popular in Canada, where pot roast became the brand’s top-selling value-added item in the market this year. The branded beef logo is prominently featured on packaging and in radio spots. Macgregors enjoyed a 30 percent increase in sales, marking its 25th year offering Certified Angus Beef ® brand products.

    Sysco International Food Group, Jacksonville, Fla., earned the Top Sales Volume Exporter recognition. The Sysco International Food Group made key connections with restaurants and chefs in global markets. The team featured Certified Angus Beef ® brand fresh-cut steaks and boxed beef at the Gulfood Show and held a training session for the local distributor’s sales team. Through the company’s focus in the Middle East, educational programs were also held for distributors, and numerous restaurant accounts were visited to discuss beef quality and best cuts.

    Alyasra Food Company, in Sufat, Kuwait, was named the International Distributor Marketer of the Year. Alyasra focuses on leading the Middle East market as a food solutions provider. Educational programs help the staff and customers better understand beef quality and choose the best cuts for menus. Alyasra also hosted a Certified Angus Beef ® brand cook-off and encouraged participation in the brand’s International Chef Summit with leading chefs from around the world. Comprehensive marketing strategies also raise brand recognition among customers and consumers.

    Atlantic FS S.A.S., Medellin, Colombia, received the International Commitment to Integrity award. Atlantic serves premier restaurants in the market and helps them menu premium beef that receives acclaim. The staff works closely with customers to clearly identify the Certified Angus Beef ® brand on the menu, and is a world leader in ensuring the brand’s genuine quality.



Iowa State, Chevron to Develop Pilot Plant, Advance Biofuels

Iowa State University's Lysle Whitmer walked the length of the bio-oil production line -- from the 55-gallon solvent tank to the twin-screw extruder with its mixing, chopping, heating and pressurizing functions to the reactor in the middle and then to the product separators and the solvent recycling system.

Whitmer, the senior thermochemical research engineer for Iowa State's Bioeconomy Institute, said it takes special expertise to make all those operations work together.

"This is the culmination of everything we've learned about building pilot plants in the past 10 years," he said. "This is really a gem that represents everything we've learned thus far."

This latest pilot plant at Iowa State's BioCentury Research Farm is a joint project with Chevron U.S.A. University engineers are using the pilot plant to develop and demonstrate an advanced biorenewables technology called solvent liquefaction. The technology converts biomass such as quarter-inch wood chips into a bio-oil that can be processed into fuels or chemicals and a biochar that can enrich soils.

The project is supported by a four-year, $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Biomass Research and Development Initiative, obtained by Iowa State.

The Chevron-Iowa State collaboration began in 2013 when the company moved its $1.4 million Small Continuous Liquefaction Unit from Houston to the research farm just west of Ames. The company was looking for a research partner to develop the plant for continuous production and to build a system for recycling solvent back into the production process.

As part of the agreement, Chevron has donated the pilot plant to Iowa State.

"Our modular approach to the plant design allowed for a fair amount of prototyping and proof-of-concept experiments along the way," said Martin Haverly, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and the lead design engineer for the project. "The system is a blend of commercially available products and custom solutions, all tied together at an industrially relevant scale. All of these efforts helped us end up where we are now, with a safe and functioning pilot plant."

"Chevron's internal and university-partnered R&D activities have been very successful in obtaining fundamental knowledge that enabled us to rapidly climb the biofuels learning curve," said Rick Powell, general manager of Downstream & Chemicals, Fuels and Products Strategy. "Programs such as the one with Iowa State help Chevron map the competitive landscape, deselect technically or economically unfeasible feedstock and technology options, and identify preferred paths for commercial collaboration."

"This pilot plant is like a mini commercial system," said Robert C. Brown, the director of the Bioeconomy Institute and an Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering. "A good pilot plant has all of the unit operations that take biomass to a product. It's a big engineering challenge to tie all the steps together and have them operate in concert."

The solvent liquefaction technology used in the pilot plant was initially developed by Chevron. The process begins with a proprietary solvent that's mixed with wood chips or other solid biomass. The mixture is processed under moderate temperatures and pressures and the resulting slurry is extruded into a reactor.

After heating in the reactor, production is split into two processing streams: The upper handles gases and vapors, the lower handles liquids and small amounts of solids. A series of filters and separators along both streams recovers bio-oil, small amounts of biochar and solvent for recycling.

The process produces a bio-oil that is low in oxygen and therefore more stable than other bio-oils.

"With the work Chevron did, this looked like it could be a very cost-effective method for producing biofuels," said Ryan Smith, the deputy director of the Bioeconomy Institute's Thermochemical Research Group. "But many of the unit operations hadn't been tested, so the team has been working to design and optimize these operations."

Whitmer said the engineers have now demonstrated the viability of every one of the pilot plant's operations. They're still working to efficiently and simultaneously run all the operations.

The pilot plant operates about once a week, Whitmer said. It can process about a pound of biomass every hour and typically runs for 15 to 18 hours at a time.

Brown said the project's next steps could include working with new feedstocks to create high-value, biorenewable chemicals.

Project leaders said they're pleased with the pilot plant's progress so far.

"Our collaboration with Chevron has been extremely productive," Brown said. "Our previous experience in thermochemical processing of biomass combined with Chevron's expertise in process engineering and upgrading of oils has allowed us to meet the several challenges of developing a new technology."



ADDITIONAL FUNDS AVAILABLE THROUGH “FUELING OUR FUTURE 100” INITIATIVE

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that approximately $350,000 in uncommitted funds are now available through the “Fueling Our Future 100” initiative.  Interested retailers in Iowa can apply for cost share funding to assist with the purchase and installation of blender pumps and underground storage tank (UST) infrastructure for higher blends of ethanol.

Applications must be received at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s office by 4 p.m. on Friday, October 14, 2016.  Pumps and tanks funded through this round of funding for the program are required to be operational by the end of the federal fiscal year on September 30, 2017.

“Iowa retailers have shown a willingness to invest in infrastructure to deliver renewable fuels and customers have shown they are interested in choosing to increase the amount of clean burning, homegrown renewable fuels they use.  Through this program we have supported the installation of more than 200 blender pumps and 16 underground storage tanks and now have some additional funds to add even more,” Northey said.

Iowa received a $5 million competitive grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership (BIP) program to support the initiative.  These funds must be matched by non-federal funds, including $2.5 million from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP).  The fueling sites applying for assistance will also be required to provide a minimum of $2.5 million.

Pumps and tanks funded through this program are required to be in operations for the intended purpose of dispensing higher blends of ethanol for at least 5-years from the date they enter service.

More information about the program, a copy of the application and other materials can be found on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov under “Hot Topics.”

This program is a partnership across state government, including collaboration between the Governor’s office, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Transportation, and Iowa Economic Development Authority.



EIA: Ethanol Stocks Build, Output Up

The Energy Information Administration said Wednesday U.S. ethanol stocks increased last week from a nine-week low and domestic plant production unexpectedly rose while blending demand tumbled to a near four-month low.

EIA's Weekly Petroleum Status Report showed domestic fuel ethanol inventories jumped 600,000 barrels (bbl), or 2.8%, to 20.6 million bbl during the week-ended Sept. 23 that boosted a year-over-year surplus to 1.8 million bbl or 9.6%.

Plant production climbed 8,000 barrels per day (bpd), or 0.8%, to 989,000 bpd last week, while up 46,000 bpd, or 4.9%, versus a year earlier. Trade sources expected output to fall due to autumn maintenance. For the four weeks ended Sept. 23, domestic ethanol production averaged 993,000 bpd, 43,000 bpd or 4.5% above the comparable year-ago period.

Net refiner and blender inputs of ethanol, a measure for demand, eased for the third straight week last week, falling 13,000 bpd, or 1.4%, to 907,000 bpd during the week-ended Sept. 23, the lowest blending rate since June 3 when inputs averaged 904,000 bpd.

Year over year, refiner and blender inputs are up 26,000 bpd or 3.0%. The four-week average blender input rate through Sept. 23 is up 34,000 bpd or 3.8% year-over-year at 921,000 bpd.



Proposed Estate Tax Regulations Threaten Family Businesses

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association along with more than 3,800 organizations and family-owned enterprises sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew adamantly opposing and asking for withdrawal of the newly proposed estate tax regulations by the Department of Treasury. The proposed regulations under section 2704 of the Internal Revenue Code would permanently change estate planning for families that own a controlling interest in a privately-held entity.

“The proposed guidance is one of the most sweeping changes to estate tax policies in the last 25 years and would be detrimental to active enterprises and family-owned businesses that employ millions of workers throughout the nation,” the letter reads. “In particular, these rules would impose significant new tax costs on family-owned businesses, diverting capital from business investment, costing jobs and threatening the ability of families to pass businesses on to the next generation of owners.”

Danielle Beck, NCBA director of government affairs, said the regulations would eliminate or greatly reduce available valuation discounts for family-related entities, which in turn increase the tax associated with common transfers including inheritance.

“These proposed regulations would eliminate or greatly reduce marketability for family related entities, effectively discouraging families from continuing to operate or grow their businesses and pass them on to future generations,” said Beck. “Producers are often forced into selling land or cattle in order to pay the tax, and in some cases, are put out of business. The Administration is causing unnecessary economic harm to family businesses.”

NCBA urges the Department of Treasury to withdraw the proposed estate tax regulations.



Fertilizers Come Back to Earth

As has been the trend in recent weeks, retail fertilizer prices continued to decline the third week of September 2016, according to retailers tracked by DTN. All eight of the major fertilizers are lower compared to last month.

Leading the way lower again this week is 10-34-0. The starter fertilizer is 6% lower compared to a month earlier and averaged $470 per ton.

The remaining fertilizers were all lower compared to a month ago, but the move was slight. UAN28 averaged $225/ton, UAN32 averaged $271/ton, DAP averaged $443/ton, MAP $453/ton, potash $319/ton, urea $323/ton and anhydrous $494/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.35/lb.N, anhydrous $0.30/lb.N, UAN28 $0.40/lb.N and UAN32 $0.42/lb.N.

All retail fertilizers are lower compared to a year earlier.

10-34-0 is now down 20% while DAP, MAP and UAN32 are all 21% lower. Both anhydrous and UAN28 are now 24% lower, urea is down 25% and potash is 30% lower compared to a year prior.



Statement from U.S. DDGS Organizations On China Preliminary Determination in Countervailing Duties Investigation

A statement from the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), Growth Energy and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA):

“We are disappointed that the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) has issued a preliminary determination claiming U.S. dried distiller’s grains with or without solubles (DDGS) are being unfairly subsidized by U.S. government entities and have caused injury to the China’s DDGS industry.

“U.S. DDGS have not caused any injury to China’s DDGS producers. This announcement is not a surprise given MOFCOM’s treatment of the U.S. DDGS industry last week.

"U.S. DDGS play an important role in protecting Chinese feed producers and households against unpredictable swings in global commodity prices.

"We will continue cooperating fully with these investigations, and we remain hopeful that MOFCOM will find in its final determination that continued access for U.S. DDGS is in China’s interest."



Biodiesel Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple’s Carbon Emissions

The City of New York has taken another significant step in reducing the region’s carbon footprint by passing legislation today that incrementally displaces 20 percent of the heating oil sold within the city with cleaner-burning, sustainable, biodiesel.

“New York City is once again setting an example for the rest of the Northeast to follow by ensuring consumers are provided with the nation’s cleanest heating oil,” said Donnell Rehagen, Chief Operating Officer of the National Biodiesel Board. “Not only does biodiesel dramatically reduce carbon emissions, it reduces other harmful pollutants as well as smog, making New York’s air healthier to breathe.”

The bill, which was passed today by a 47-3 vote and is expected to be signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio, will increase the amount of biodiesel in heating oil in the City from the current two percent level to five percent October 1, 2017. The blend level then moves to 10 percent in 2025, 15 percent in 2030, and 20 percent in 2034.

A wide variety of organizations supported this important effort including the heating oil industry, labor organizations, and environmental stakeholders in the City.

“The New York Oil Heating Association has played a vital and vocal role in advocating for the increased use of Bioheat® fuel,” said Rocco Lacertosa, CEO of the New York Heating Oil Association (NYOHA). “We applaud the City Council for passing legislation that will reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in New York City and we commend our partners in the environmental and labor community for their dedication to this issue. Heating oil in New York City is already, by far, the cleanest heating oil sold anywhere in the United States. The new Bioheat requirement, starting at B5 and eventually going up to B20, is a necessary next step to promote a more sustainable fuel that will reduce our contribution to climate change while enhancing green job creation, encouraging energy independence and supporting local businesses.”

It is estimated that the increase from a two percent biodiesel blend to a five percent blend in the City would reduce the emissions equivalent to taking 45,000 cars off the road with the increase to 20 percent the equivalent of removing more than a quarter of a million cars.

Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as soybean oil, recycled cooking oil and animal fats, biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement fuel. It is the first commercial-scale fuel produced across the U.S. to meet the EPA’s definition as an Advanced Biofuel - meaning the EPA has determined that biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50 percent when compared with petroleum diesel.

The heating oil market isn’t New York’s only experience with biodiesel.

In 2013, New York City planned for their 9,000 diesel-powered municipal fleet vehicles to use biodiesel blends. It began with the Parks Department, which found compliance so easy it soon increased its biodiesel use to B20 in its vehicles. Other departments followed suit, including the Department of Sanitation, which began using biodiesel in all of its fleet vehicles. With Sanitation consuming 80 percent of New York City’s fleet fuel, its move to biodiesel has paid dividends. The City has experienced a 19 percent reduction in carbon emissions since 2005, on track to reach an 80 percent reduction by 2050.



Most Consumers Say They Lack Access to Information about Food, CFI Research Shows

More of today’s consumers crave information about food and how it’s produced – but the latest consumer trust research from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI) shows that most are hungry for more.  

Only 28 percent – or slightly more than one in four – strongly agree with the following statement: “I have access to all the information I want about where my food comes from, how it’s produced and its safety.”

“Having posed this question for eight straight years, we see that food system efforts are paying off as the long-term trend shows more consumers agreeing, but the overall number must rise if the goal is to earn consumer trust,” according to Charlie Arnot, CEO of CFI. “The industry still has work to do.”  

“Consumers have a right to know what is in their food and where it comes from,” said Deb Arcoleo, director of product transparency at The Hershey Company. Hershey is one company that has stepped up its transparency efforts, including being the first company to begin executing the new SmartLabel™ program last year. “What’s clear from CFI’s research is that transparency is the key to earning trust. It’s about creating an authentic dialogue and meeting consumers where they are.”

The results show that consumers want transparency in very specific areas, including impact of food on health, food safety, animal well-being and the environment.  

So how do the food and agriculture industries satisfy their appetites?

Consumers are crowdsourcing knowledge and relying on various sources, said Arnot, so there really is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Using a variety of ways to reach consumers consistently and for the long haul is important – through websites, social media, promotional campaigns and videos. The key is to make the information accessible and easy to understand, and to actively engage.

“If a consumer has to click several times to get to important information on your website, for example, if it’s too complex or if you fail to respond to consumer questions quickly, you’re falling short of their expectations.”

In other words, if consumers can’t easily access the information they’re looking for in language they understand, it may appear that either you don’t have a positive story to tell or you have something to hide.

“They simply want balanced, credible information so they can decide for themselves,” Arnot said.

Specifically, consumers want to see concrete examples of “practices,” which the research shows are most important to demonstrating transparency. Practices are a reflection of internal motivation, demonstrating values in action, and CFI’s trust model shows that demonstrating shared values is the foundation for building trust.

Consumers also want to know about challenges and corresponding efforts for continuous improvement. “They want the good, the bad and the ugly, and to know that you’re working to resolve issues important to them,” said Arnot.

The research shows that highlighting third-party verification is important, particularly when it comes to animal well-being and food safety. “Consumers feel a higher level of comfort knowing that a credible, objective third-party confirms your practices,” said Arnot.    

To satisfy consumers’ growing appetites, examine your communication and engagement strategies to determine if they are consistent, values-based and honest, and promote timely engagement. It’s an approach that has a powerful influence on your ability to earn consumer trust.

For more detailed information on transparency and trust, download CFI’s latest research: “A Clear View of Transparency and How it Builds Trust.” To learn how your organization can apply CFI’s research, contact CFI at learnmore@foodintegrity.org.



 Milbank Launches New Quick-Install Irrigation Pedestal to Save Operators Time and Money

Milbank Manufacturing, a U.S.-owned and operated energy management company known for high quality enclosures, has launched a new product line of irrigation pedestals designed specifically to address the needs of farm operators, large and small.

Feedback from operators showed that irrigation pedestal installations were often very time consuming and costly. Milbank's irrigation pedestal products solve both of those problems. First, pedestals can be installed quickly and simply – in a fraction of the time typically needed for strut farm and other installation setups. Milbank's pedestal takes less than an hour to install and can often be completed by a single technician. Because the pedestal is pre-wired, the installer simply lays the concrete slab, drops in the pedestal using the lifting eyes pre-installed, hooks the wires onto the lug landings and runs the wires out from the motor starter. What's more, the motor starter and disconnect are in the same enclosure, so all the controls are housed in a safe, lockable enclosure, saving space and protecting against vandalism and energy theft. Second, because of the pre-wiring from Milbank and the easy install, operators stand to save considerably on the install costs.

"Milbank's irrigation pedestal was built specifically based on operator's input. From the pre-wiring, to the size and shape of the enclosure, to the standard slab that comes as part of the package – it's built to be easy and provide a great return-on-investment," said Jay McMullen, senior product line manager for Milbank. "The standard pedestal also includes an extra two knockouts for mounting additional push buttons as well as 20-30 amp or 3-pole 480V class CC fuses so operators can wire in anything additional they'd like in that secure enclosure including technology that allows the operator to control the system via smart phones remotely. There's plenty of extra room in the box."

See how easy the Milbank irrigation pedestal is to install in this time-lapse video, read more here Irrigation Pedestal Brochure or visit http://milbankworks.com/commercial-and-industrial/enclosed-controls/commercial-pedestals.aspx.