Tuesday December 20 Ag News

 Oakland Meat Processing to host open house at new facility Dec. 31

Employees at the Oakland Meat Processing (OMP) plant have double the reason to celebrate this New Year’s Eve and they are inviting the community to join them.

The company will host an open house at its new facility, 300 S. Logan Ave. in Oakland, from 3 to 6 p.m., Dec. 31. The event will include a ribbon cutting, hosted by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce.

The open house is the culmination of a challenging two years for employees, who have been working around the clock as the family-owned business outgrew their former location. As operations at the country’s largest packing plants were interrupted during the pandemic, producers and consumers alike turned to local alternatives like OMP. What looked like a temporary spike in demand for their services has become the new norm.

Anna Zeleny said the company has received tremendous support from residents and customers in Oakland and the surrounding area.

“The open house is a chance for us to thank our family and friends and the customers who have become family and friends,” she said.

In addition to the community’s support, OMP was the recipient of grant funding from the Independent Processor Assistance Program (IPAP).

The Nebraska Legislature, led by Sen. Tom Brandt, unanimously approved the creation of IPAP in 2021, with the passage of Legislative Bill 324. The first round of grants were awarded in September after lawmakers approved $10 million in funding as part of the state’s allotment of recovery funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

Zeleny and Owner Mike Boell both testified in support of Legislative Bill 324 and the funding as part of hearings in 2021 and this year.

Johnathan Hladik, policy director at Center for Rural Affairs, notes this legislative advocacy made a considerable impact.

“The team at Oakland Meat Processing became strong advocates for the industry, and played an essential role in securing legislative support for the Independent Processor Assistance Program,” he said. “We are excited to see this hard work pay off and encourage everyone to lend their support.”



ADM Introduces “Faces of Food” Video Series

ADM (NYSE: ADM) is bringing forward authentic stories of producers and their crucial role in our nation’s food supply chain through a new video series titled “Faces of Food.”

Each episode features a different farm family, their unique operation, challenges they’ve faced, and how local community support has been a factor in their growth, innovation and success.

“We work with producers on a daily basis and, for most, their work is their life and their legacy,” said Doug Roose, vice president of Producer Marketing for ADM’s Ag Services and Oilseeds business. “Their role in our food chain as the critical starting point is often misunderstood and criticized. The goal of our new series is to create a better understanding and appreciation of life on the farm.”

Three episodes of “Faces of Food” are currently available to view on ADMadvantage.com, and each provides a compelling look into the hard work and passion producers have for growing crops, raising livestock and land conservation for future generations. Below is an overview of each episode:

    Episode 1: Spring Blizzard – Clark Coleman, co-owner of the D.J. Coleman Farm of Baldwin, North Dakota, reflects on the harrowing spring blizzard that caused him to fear for his son’s safety and the devastating loss of calves. The Coleman farm is a diversified operation with 8,000 acres of crops and 500 head of beef cows.

    Episode 2: Lifeblood of Rural America – Bob and Eric Beckman are row-crop farmers in Pender, Nebraska. Their love of farming and close ties to the local community have been instrumental in keeping their operation going strong after Eric was in a life-changing accident.

    Episode 3: Gateway to the World – RH Habbe IV is a fifth-generation farmer in southern Illinois near St. Louis. He’s always finding new ways to improve his operation and preserve his family’s way of life for the next generation – his daughter and son.

Trusted Relationships
Along with family support, producers surround themselves with community partners, like ADM, for assistance with crop production, grain marketing, insurance, financial planning, crop inputs and other areas of their operation.

In “Faces of Food,” viewers see ADM representatives Guy Christensen, Eric Leisy, Don Bergschneider and Mary Liz Brown, who are business partners to the producers featured in the initial episodes.

Producer Clark Coleman has sold sunflowers, soybeans, wheat and canola to ADM for more than a decade. He has built a trusting relationship with Christensen, who says Clark is always looking to improve and innovate his farming practices.

“Clark is the first guy to volunteer to have somebody out to the field to show what he’s doing, show the results of his work, and share that with the public,” Christensen says.

Producer Eric Beckman turns to ADM for help marketing corn and soybeans. With the markets constantly changing, he says it’s hard to know when to sell.

“They’re really good people to work with. I talk to them probably three to four times a week,” Beckman notes. “You have to have a plan, and ADM has helped us a lot in the marketing end.”

Producer RH Habbe values his relationship with Don Bergschneider. “It doesn’t have to be just grain marketing he helps me with,” Habbe explains. “Sometimes it's just family stuff and he's helped me work through some issues there as well.”

Upcoming Episodes
ADM plans to produce more episodes in 2023 to continue sharing the real, authentic look into the lives and work of producers and those who support their operations. ADM is seeking more stories and welcomes submissions from producers across the country.

To learn more about the series, watch the current episodes and submit ideas, go to ADMadvantage.com.



SNOW FOR ALFALFA
– Samantha Daniel, NE Extension

For alfalfa, snow is a winter gift, and the large winter storm that recently impacted most of western Nebraska brought anywhere from several inches to a few feet of the white stuff.

Snow helps alfalfa survive the winter. Plain and simple. A warm fall will allow some alfalfa to winterize very well and prepare for consistent cold temperatures. They do this by putting high concentrations of nutrients in the roots and crown to withstand temperatures down to 5 degrees.

Air temperature is colder than soil temperature. So even if the air is well below zero degrees, the soil will not be. With a layer of snow acting as insulation on the soil surface, the soil and roots of the alfalfa will be much warmer than bare soil and the air temperature. This layer of snow also protects the moisture in the roots and soil from being lost to evaporation. This is especially important with new seedings of alfalfa or alfalfa and grass mixtures which need to maintain root moisture.  If the soil does dry out, desiccation, frost heaving, and greater swings in soil temperature can result in higher levels of winterkill across a stand.

Having some stubble at the end of the growing season is a great way to catch this much-needed snow.  If a late season harvest is unavoidable, cut high to ensure snow trapping stubble can still function. In an ideal situation, this snow insulation, winter hardy variety selection, and this is so important, alfalfa given the chance to properly winterize in the fall, will keep winter kill to a minimum.

Snow is a great insulator and can help alfalfa and grasses survive winters. Even if you aren’t dreaming of a white Christmas, your alfalfa probably dreams for it every year.



2022 Census of Agriculture underway in Nebraska

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mailed the 2022 Census of Agriculture paper questionnaires to all known agriculture producers across the nation. Last month, producers received their survey codes with an invitation to respond online. Any Nebraska producer who did not respond online now has the option to complete the ag census at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. Producers who have already responded to the 2022 Census of Agriculture online do not need to respond again. The deadline for response is Feb. 6, 2023.

“For producers in Nebraska, the Census of Agriculture is their opportunity to show the value and importance of Nebraska agriculture. Producers, policy-makers, and business leaders all use Census data to make informed decisions that will shape the future of the industry,” said NASS Northern Plains Regional Director Nicholas Streff. “Responding to the Census is more convenient than ever before. The online version is fast, user-friendly, and secure. Thank you to those producers that have already responded.”

The Census of Agriculture remains the nation’s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county, and U.S. territory. Farm operations of all sizes, urban and rural, which produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022, are included in the ag census. The Census of Agriculture is the producer’s voice in the future of American agriculture.

Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required by law under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the ag census in early 2024.

To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus. Follow @usda_nass for the latest information.



NEBRASKA U CLINIC BOOSTS STATE’S SECURITY AGAINST PLANT DISEASES, PESTS

Big stakes are involved in keeping plants safe from disease and pest assault. Each year in the United States, the damage and control costs from non-native plant pathogens total an estimated $21.5 billion. Meanwhile, the volume of plants entering the U.S. via ports is staggering — an estimated 2.8 billion arriving yearly.

At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic provides inspections vital to protecting the state from plant- and insect-related threats. In 2021, the clinic received more than 1,700 physical samples involving plant diseases, insect infestation or nematodes. Phone and email questions to the clinic totaled 674.

Samples to the Husker diagnosticians cover a remarkable range. On one day, the clinic may receive corn leaves from a multimillion-dollar agribusiness needing to meet a tight sales deadline. On another day, a worried homeowner may bring in his struggling tomato plant. Some inspections are needed under regulations from the Nebraska Department of Agriculture; others, for a business order to proceed.

The clinic’s work makes a difference in multiple ways. Once the findings are complete, Nebraska farmers can make informed decisions on pesticide use. Large-scale plant shipments can move forward to meet business deadlines. Nebraska export sales can proceed to foreign markets. Nebraska agencies can be alerted to potential encroachment of plant diseases and destructive insect pests from other states. And a homeowner can receive answers about the leaf blight on her strawberry plants.

“I have a great group of scientists I work with,” said Kyle Broderick, the clinic’s coordinator and an assistant extension educator in plant pathology working out of Plant Sciences Hall. “It’s very important that I have a network I can reach out to,” given the need for specialized knowledge in scrutinizing particular samples.

The clinic’s transdisciplinary team includes Broderick in plant pathology; Kyle Koch, entomology; Chris Proctor, weed science; Terri James, horticulture; and Cheryl Dunn, UNL Herbarium. In addition, the clinic works with Nebraska Extension specialists and Husker scientists, including Tom Powers for nematode identification and Hernan Garcia-Ruiz for virus detection.

A webpage for the clinic describes the requirements for appropriate samples to be submitted. Another webpage has information about the submission form as well as the standard $20 fee and fees for specialized testing.

The Husker clinic is part of the National Plant Diagnostic Network, made up of a set of regional groupings. Nebraska is in the Great Plains Diagnostic Network, which includes an area from Montana south to Oklahoma. But because Nebraska’s environment varies so significantly from west to east, Broderick also stays in contact informally with the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, which includes an area from Iowa eastward to Ohio.

“While not an official member of the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network, I’m invited to sit in on a lot of their conference calls,” he said. “When they say, ‘Hey, we're seeing this disease in corn show up,’ I know to be on the lookout for it.”

An example is tar spot, which afflicts corn. The disease was first identified in 2017 in Indiana and has been moving west across the nation’s Corn Belt.

“Because I was hooked up with the North Central Network, I was better able to track some of that movement and talk to the different diagnosticians about where it is found,” Broderick said. “Last year, we finally confirmed it in Nebraska, and I was able to reach out to my counterparts at Iowa State. I told them: ‘This is what I'm seeing under the microscope. I really think this is tar spot. Can you confirm?’ They were very quickly able to say, yes, it is.”

Another important monitoring tool are the samples of insect pests collected via Nebraska Department of Agriculture surveys. The clinic’s analysis of the samples helps determine Nebraska’s potential for new plant disease encroachment. For example, Nebraska does not yet have any confirmed instances of thousand cankers disease, a serious fungal threat to black walnut trees, but the Department of Agriculture’s pest traps have provided insects the Husker clinic has identified as the vector leading to the disease.

The majority of samples sent each year to the clinic are relatively straightforward crop-related items, such as spotted leaves on corn or soybean. But that still leaves room for occasional surprises. Sometimes requests arise from heartfelt personal concerns.

Years ago, a man brought the clinic large branches from cherry trees that were in bad shape and near the end of their lifespan. Broderick was struck by the man’s intense dedication to the plants. The man explained why: During the late Soviet era, he had fled Ukraine in the middle of the night. In one suitcase, he included three seedling trees.

“He smuggled these trees out of Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe into the United States and planted them,” Broderick said. “They were one of the few things that he had from back home.”

Another time, a woman brought in a rhubarb plant suffering from bacterial soft rot. The woman had received the rhubarb from her grandmother.

“It was from her grandmother's rhubarb patch that had been going for probably over 60 years,” Broderick said.

The struggling plant “was one of the few things she had left from her grandmother.”

The diagnostic lab not only connects to Nebraska’s economy. It also can connect to Nebraskans’ hearts.



NEBRASKA CHICKENS AND EGGS

All layers in Nebraska during November 2022 totaled 7.22 million, down from 8.21 million the previous year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Nebraska egg production during November totaled 165 million eggs, down from 198 million in 2021. November egg production per 100 layers was 2,277 eggs, compared to 2,416 eggs in 2021.

IOWA: Iowa egg production during November 2022 was 1.02 billion eggs, down 4 percent from last month and down 19 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.  The average number of all layers on hand during November 2022 was 40.6 million, down 1 percent from last month and down 18 percent from the same month last year. Eggs per 100 layers for November were 2,511, down 4 percent from last month and down 1 percent from last November.

November Egg Production Down 5 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.87 billion during November 2022, down 5 percent from last year. Production included 7.62 billion table eggs, and  1.25 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.16 billion were broiler-type and 92.1 million were egg-type. The average number of layers during November 2022 totaled 375 million, down 4 percent from last year. November egg production per 100 layers was 2,369 eggs, down slightly from November 2021.
                                    
Total layers in the United States on December 1, 2022 totaled 374 million, down 5 percent from last year. The 374 million layers consisted of 308 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 62.0 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.74 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on December 1, 2022, averaged 79.0 eggs per 100 layers, down 1 percent from December 1, 2021.



Iowa Pork Congress will Celebrate 50 Years at 2023 Event

The 2023 Iowa Pork Congress will be held Jan. 25 and 26 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. It will be the 50th pork congress that involves a trade show, educational sessions, and the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) annual meeting, which will be held Jan. 24. IPPA organizes the event, which is North America’s largest winter swine trade show and conference.

IPPA President Kevin Rasmussen of Goldfield said pork producers from around the country have attended many of the Iowa Pork Congress events through the years. “I first attended as an FFA student when I was in high school,” he noted. At that time, his supervised ag experience project was a purebred swine operation, and he took the opportunity to try his sales pitch on other producers.

Through the years, Rasmussen noted, “My wife Lisa and I have made great friends and strengthened business relationships at the Iowa Pork Congress. Many of these professionals have been mentors to us as we established and grew our operation.”

In addition to the great networking opportunities and the large trade show, the Iowa Pork Congress includes several educational sessions, including keynote presentations for each day. On Wednesday, Jan. 25, Elizabeth McCormick, a former Black Hawk Helicopter Pilot, will talk about building a team approach on your farm, and teach you how to fly a helicopter!

Other educations sessions on Wednesday will cover economic outlook on crops and hogs for 2023; pork marketing success in retail and foodservice channels; and legal challenges pig farmers and the pork industry have been through recently, including an update on the Proposition 12 case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Wednesday will conclude with the Master Pork Producer Awards banquet.

On Thursday, Jan. 26, David Horsager, a well-known business author, will be the keynote speaker. He will talk about how top leaders and businesses drive successful results by building trust.

Other educational sessions on Jan. 26 are a swine health panel that will give an overview of six swine health topics that producers should be aware of, and an update on measuring sustainability efforts on farms and why the marketplace cares about those.

On both days, there will also be certification sessions for Pork Quality Assurance Plus with the Thursday session being conducted in Spanish. On Wednesday, Transportation Quality Assurance certification training will also take place.

Registration
Pre-registration to attend the Iowa Pork Congress is available online. IPPA members can attend the trade show and conference at no cost by using their registration code which has been emailed to them.

Non-IPPA members pay just $5 for online registration up until the day of the show. Early online registration is highly encouraged to provide a quick and easy check-in to the event.

For more information about events and registration, contact IPPA at (800) 372-7675 or visit www.iowaporkcongress.org.



USDA Invests $9.5M to Develop New Bioproducts from Agricultural Commodities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced an investment of $9.5 million to support the scale-up of sustainable bioproduct manufacturing in the United States. Three successful projects are funded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Bioproduct Pilot Program, which funds research and development of value-added products from agricultural commodities.

Authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Bioproduct Pilot Program presents a unique opportunity to spur economic activity in the nation’s rural areas while lowering commercialization risks associated with bringing biobased products to market. The program’s exploration into bioproducts accelerates USDA’s efforts to develop circular bioeconomies, where agricultural resources are harvested, consumed, and regenerated in a sustainable manner. This pilot program also supports the objectives outlined in President Biden’s recent Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy.

“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 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “We must support and incentivize practices like these, because it’s what consumers want — and what farmers, and our planet, need.”

The three awardees are:
    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, for a project that proposes to convert food waste into biodegradable, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based bioplastics that can be used for a variety of consumer plastics, including flexible and rigid packaging and containers for food and beverages.
    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, for a project that proposes to convert swine manure and other organic feedstocks into biobinders for asphalt that increase the quality of recycled asphalt pavements. If commercialized, benefits include reduced landfill waste, reduced disposal costs for asphalt and food waste, and low-cost products.
    Soylei Innovations, of Ames, Iowa, for a project that proposes to transform high oleic soybean oil into thermoplastic rubber for pavements, which has the potential to extend repair longevity for existing surfaces. Low-cost paving solutions are particularly important in rural and underserved communities where road paving and maintenance budgets are underfunded due to a reliance on local tax revenues.

“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 Dr. Dionne Toombs, acting director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the agency administering the awards. “All three of them also have compelling benefits that advance environmental justice and spur economic opportunity for underserved communities.”



Purdue University Study Shows Soybean Oil for Biofuels Has Limited Impact on Overall Food Prices

Whether buying Christmas presents, purchasing a new car or shopping for food, everyone is feeling the pinch of inflation. Grocery prices have increased 21% (from January 2020 to August 2022), and retail fat and oil prices have increased 30% — with soybean oil a key ingredient in frying and baking, including its use in margarine, cooking oils and salad dressings. Pair its foodservice popularity with how soy oil is used for biofuel production, which has quadrupled over the past decade, and it’s no wonder soy oil is a hot topic right now. But a new study only adds to evidence that U.S.-grown soybeans are well suited for people looking to cook, fuel up or find other sustainable solutions.

The United Soybean Board partnered with Purdue University on a Food and Fuel study to evaluate whether the increased use of soybean oil in biofuels has contributed to the rising retail prices of food products for consumers.

One key element missing from this equation is that only one-fifth of the soybean is oil: the vast majority of the soybean is meal used as a high-quality protein in animal diets. This expanded crush for oil to meet biofuel demand creates increased availability for meal, driving down the price of animal protein products. This partially offsets the growth of oil and bakery prices, leaving the overall "food at home" portion of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) essentially unchanged. This can be attributed to meat prices representing a larger share of the CPI than fats and oils.

“The economic model we created links the farm supply of soybeans to retail demand for various food products. What we found, after assessing the impact of rising soybean oil demand on prices at the grocery store, was little change to the CPI,” said Jayson Lusk, food and agricultural economist at Purdue University. “While the increased demand for biofuels pushed up retail prices for oil between 0.16% and 4.41% across different categories, retail animal product prices for dairy, beef, pork, chicken and eggs declined between -0.01% and -0.16%.”  

A 20% increase in the quantity of soybean oil demanded for use in biofuels generates the following price impact breakdown (all else equal):
    Soybean oil increase of 0.16% in retail price for frying and baking, 0.82% in retail margarine price, 4.41% in salad/cooking oil and 0.16% in other oil-containing food items.
    Animal protein decrease of 0.16% in retail egg prices, 0.13% in retail chicken prices, 0.06% in retail pork prices, 0.02% in retail dairy prices and 0.01% in retail beef prices.
    Additionally, farm-level soybean prices increased 0.73%, farm revenue for soybean producers increased 0.92% and overall crude soybean oil prices increased 8.17%.

“Research continues to support our industry philosophy that U.S. Soy has the unique ability to solve two existential challenges: food security and renewable energy. Further, this study shows the increase in biofuels has had limited impact on inflation at the grocery store,” said Mac Marshall, USB vice president of market intelligence. “It’s also important to keep in mind many factors contribute to rising food prices, such as energy and transportation costs, higher wage rates and supply chain disruptions, not to mention drought in the Western U.S. and the Russia-Ukraine war.”

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service estimates that for every $1 consumers spend on food, only about $0.14 is a result of the cost of raw farm commodities, implying $0.86 is a result of other post-farm factors such as transportation, processing, packaging and retail costs.



CFTC Orders CHS Hedging LLC to Pay $6.5 Million for Various Violations

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced today it has issued an order simultaneously filing and settling charges against registered futures commission merchant (FCM) CHS Hedging LLC, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, for anti-money laundering (AML), risk management, recordkeeping, and supervision violations. These violations are primarily a result of CHS Hedging failing to implement an adequate AML program, particularly as applied to a futures and options trading account controlled by one of its customers. In addition, CHS Hedging failed to implement risk-based limits concerning trading by that customer.

The order requires CHS Hedging to pay a civil monetary penalty of $6.5 million and to undertake certain remedial measures relating to the violations.

“The Commodity Exchange Act and accompanying regulations require FCMs to have and actually implement adequate AML and risk management policies and procedures,” said Acting Director of Enforcement Gretchen Lowe. “These are critical components to ensure customers are protected from fraud, and the CFTC will not hesitate to take action and require significant sanctions and remediation.”

Case Background
The order finds that from January 2017 through December 2020, one of CHS Hedging’s customers (Customer A) owned and controlled a ranching company and other related businesses, and engaged in speculative trading that sustained millions of dollars in losses in the ranching company’s account at CHS Hedging. Customer A and the ranching company made net margin payments of more than $147 million to CHS Hedging over the course of those four years. According to the order, CHS Hedging accepted the margin payments from Customer A without adequately investigating the source of Customer A’s funds or reporting Customer A’s transactions in a Suspicious Activity Report to the Department of the Treasury.

The order finds that Customer A’s trading losses were facilitated by CHS Hedging’s failure to impose and enforce appropriate trading limits on his account. The trading limits CHS Hedging imposed on Customer A’s account were inconsistent with Customer A’s financial resources and hedging needs. Customer A frequently exceeded his trading limits. CHS Hedging, at times, raised those limits, which allowed Customer A to continue his speculative trading and sustain more losses.

Moreover, the order finds that CHS Hedging failed to maintain certain required records for pre-trade communications and failed to produce certain required records promptly or in the form requested by CFTC staff.



U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Pave the Way in Climate Change

Since launching in June 2021, Agoro Carbon Alliance and participating farmers and ranchers have made significant contributions to mitigate climate change.

With more than $12 million in payments distributed, Agoro Carbon has made a real impact on farmers’ and ranchers’ bottom lines. Together, Agoro Carbon and partners are also making a big difference in global sustainability and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. The acres currently enrolled in Agoro Carbon’s program have the potential to sequester approximately 3.5 million tons of carbon in the soil over the next 10 years. That’s equivalent to removing the amount of carbon emitted from driving approximately 10 billion miles, or 40,390 trips around the world.

“Our goals for impact, supported by our long-standing expertise in agronomy to help guide the purposeful action of U.S. farmers and ranchers, differentiates Agoro Carbon in the rapidly-growing carbon farming market,” said Elliot Formal, CEO of Agoro Carbon Alliance. “We’re guided by transparency, security and collaboration, and are committed to supporting farmers and ranchers in their own long-term sustainability goals.”

The Outlook is Bright
Continued growth of acres enrolled is the next step for Agoro Carbon to reach ambitious impact goals within the agricultural sector. Agoro Carbon remains committed to farmer and rancher success through implementation of existing practices and thorough research and review of additional practices.

Driving innovation and adoption of new, novel management practices with strong, scientific validity will be critical in expanding Agoro Carbon’s offering to more farmers and ranchers in the coming years. The company will continue to invest and partner to progress these initiatives in 2023.

The U.S. is a key market for Agoro Carbon, due to the importance of American farmers and ranchers as leaders in world agriculture. Strong partnerships with producers are the cornerstone of Agoro Carbon’s business, supporting farmers and ranchers with a new revenue stream and an economically viable way to ensure a sustainable future of farming and ranching.

Investing in Tomorrow
Agoro Carbon, along with partners including the California Walnut Board and Commission and GO Seed, was recently awarded a USDA Climate-Smart Commodities grant of $3.8 million to incentivize establishment of cover crops in orchards. Agoro Carbon is also a partner on two other projects, which include supporting tribal farmers to grow cover crop seed into wheat fallow systems and creating climate-smart commodities through enhanced rock weathering, an emerging carbon capture technology. More information will be shared on Agoro Carbon’s plans for the USDA Climate-Smart Commodities grants early next year.

Reversing the effects of climate change won’t happen by chance. Farmers and ranchers committing to practices that improve the soil and sequester carbon play a critical role in positively improving the climate, and Agoro Carbon is eager to support them in their transition. This past year’s progress validates the growth potential of carbon markets in agriculture and signals that the market is here to stay.

To learn more about carbon farming and opportunities available for farmers and ranchers, visit www.agorocarbonalliance.com.



Tidings of Joy for Soy from Several Omnibus Provisions

Santa is not the only one who pitter patters overnight in December; Congress was at work in the wee morning hours of Dec. 20, hammering out an omnibus appropriations bill that, if passed by the Friday midnight deadline, will keep the government funded through Sept. 2023 and support selected programs. Just as jolly ol’ St. Nick is known to deliver much-anticipated packages, Congress too has delivered a package that includes several provisions pleasing to soy growers.

The omnibus package includes a revised Growing Climate Solutions Act—the bipartisan bill that first cleared the Senate back in June 2021. ASA has supported that legislation, which establishes a USDA technical assistance and registration program to assist producers and forest owners seeking to take part in voluntary carbon markets.

“We are happy to see the Growing Climate Solutions Act get some air in the omnibus,” said ASA president and Illinois soybean farmer Daryl Cates, who explained, “The premise of Growing Climate Solutions is farmers can voluntarily adopt practices—like cover crops or no till—that pull carbon from the atmosphere and store, or ‘sequester,’ it in the soil. This, in turn, helps supply chain partners, private companies, and even governments shrink their carbon footprints. We appreciate Congress supporting USDA with authority to help interested farmers engage with private markets designed to reduce the rate of climate change caused by high carbon emissions.”

Connected to Growing Climate Solutions is the Sponsoring USDA Sustainability Targets in Agriculture to Incentivize Natural Solutions Act, or SUSTAINS Act. SUSTAINS encourages private sector partnerships for agriculture sustainability by allowing businesses to invest in conservation practices in geographic regions of their choice—and allows USDA to match those funds.

Other omnibus provisions with which soy is pleased:
• Pesticides: Reauthorization of the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act, or PRIA, which imposes fees for maintenance and registration of active ingredients. PRIA would boost registration and maintenance fees 30% in 2023 and allow EPA to raise fees 5% in 2024 and 2026. It would require EPA to perform a workforce assessment of the Office of Pesticide Programs. The bill also extends the re-registration deadline for certain chemistries and incorporates a requirement that EPA consult with the Secretary of Agriculture when conducting essential pesticide registration reviews.

• Army Corps Emergency Funding: $1.48 billion is included on top of annual appropriations funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to make necessary emergency repairs and navigation improvements needed after extreme weather events, including the ongoing low-water event on the Mississippi River.

• Agricultural Disaster Aid: $3.7 billion is earmarked for disaster aid for losses of “revenue, quality or production losses of crops” in 2023. USDA would get an additional $27 million for the Emergency Forest Reserve Program and $925 million for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.

• Agricultural research: Ag research funding would increase by $175 million to $3.45 billion in 2023, including monies for Agricultural Research Service, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, and Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.

• Rural Development: USDA's ReConnect loan and grant program for rural broadband would get $348 million for fiscal 2023.

ASA continues to review the full document.



AFBF Comments on Incorporation of Sustainability Support and Disaster Aid in 2023 Omnibus

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented today on the unveiling of the 2023 omnibus bill, which contains several pieces of legislation that will help farmers and ranchers meet sustainability goals.

“AFBF commends lawmakers for including several important pieces of legislation in the 2023 omnibus bill to support the role farmers and ranchers play in sustainability and recognize the hardships caused by natural disasters.

“The revised versions of the Growing Climate Solutions Act and the SUSTAINS Act will help farmers work with USDA on climate-smart practices for voluntary, market-driven programs. Additionally, reauthorizing the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act will ensure a framework remains in place allowing farmers to continue growing healthy crops while using fewer natural resources.

“Much needed disaster relief is also included and will provide important aid to farmers whose crops and livestock have been devastated by severe weather including drought, wildfires and hurricanes.

“Farm Bureau stands ready to continue working with both parties on the many other critical issues facing farm and ranch families.”



NMPF Lauds Bipartisan Ag Climate Measures in Appropriations Package

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) today commended Congress for including the Growing Climate Solutions Act and the SUSTAINS Act in its final fiscal year 2023 budget package. These measures will help dairy farmers seek additional sustainability opportunities as they work to fulfill the dairy sector’s voluntary, producer-led goal of becoming greenhouse gas neutral or better by 2050.

“Environmental markets and conservation programs have the potential to meaningfully assist dairy producers as they work to meet their 2050 environmental stewardship goals,” said NMPF president and CEO Jim Mulhern. “The Growing Climate Solutions Act and the SUSTAINS Act will strengthen these important tools.”

The Growing Climate Solutions Act, authored by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-MI, and Senator Mike Braun, R-IN, passed the Senate last June on a bipartisan vote of 92-8. The legislation would enable USDA to register technical service providers that help farmers implement stewardship practices that can generate credits on environmental markets. In turn, producers will be better positioned to participate in these important markets. Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-VA, and Don Bacon, R-NE, have introduced companion legislation in the House.

The SUSTAINS Act, authored by House Agriculture Committee Chairman-elect Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-PA, passed the House Agriculture Committee in May on a bipartisan voice vote. The measure would allow private sector funds to supplement existing funding for farm bill conservation programs, which are continuously oversubscribed. The bill is an innovative approach to boosting funding for USDA conservation programs, which provide important technical assistance to dairy farmers for a variety of stewardship practices.

In addition to the sponsors of both bills, committee leaders Rep. David Scott, D-GA, and Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, also played important roles in finalizing the bipartisan package.

“We commend the leaders of the Agriculture Committees – Senators Debbie Stabenow and John Boozman and Reps. David Scott and GT Thompson – for working together to fashion this bipartisan agreement on agricultural climate legislation,” Mulhern said. “We look forward to working with them and their colleagues to build on this progress in the new year.”



U.S. Dairy Salutes USTR’s Pursuit of Canadian USMCA Compliance

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) commend the U.S. Trade Representative’s announcement today that it is filing a new request for dispute settlement consultations with Canada in order to expand the scope of the second U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) dairy dispute to include additional elements necessary to ensure that Canada fully complies with its USMCA obligations.

The initial USMCA dispute panel, launched by the United States in May 2021, found Canada in violation of USMCA’s tariff-rate quota (TRQ) provisions by reserving most of its preferential dairy TRQs for Canadian processors. In March 2022, Canada released its revised approach to USMCA TRQs, which still violated the USMCA, by providing inequitable advantages to Canadian dairy processors and failing to administer TRQs in a manner to ensure full use of TRQs as intended by USMCA. This prompted USTR to request formal consultations with Canada over the measures, the first step in bringing a second case before a USMCA dispute settlement panel.  

Today’s actions are the culmination of months of painstaking work to evaluate the strongest basis for the United States’ case and find the best approach to bring Canada into compliance given its persistent violations.

“We thank USTR and USDA for their diligence in working to ensure that American dairy producers have the market access promised under USMCA. NMPF is committed to doing everything it can to support the case,” stated Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “At the end of the day, if Canada continues to flagrantly flout its obligations, the U.S. government has to be ready with retaliatory measures that make the Canadian government reconsider its actions.”

“It is deeply unfortunate that Canada simply refuses to honor the full terms of our agreement,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “USMCA is a fair deal that was thoroughly negotiated and agreed to by the Canadian government. The U.S. dairy community is thankful the administration and Congress have taken Canada’s violations seriously and are fighting for full export benefits that the American dairy industry earned.”



Trademark Registration Increases Cost of Misusing the USDA Organic Seal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) today announced that it has registered the USDA organic seal trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

The USDA seal trademark is specifically described in the Organic Foods Protection Act (OFPA) and is currently protected by federal regulation. Registration of the organic seal grants additional intellectual property rights to further restrict the use of the trademark or a confusingly similar one, by uncertified farms and businesses. The trademark registration works in conjunction with OFPA and the organic regulations, providing another enforcement tool against misuse of the seal.

“While we have always had the authority to enforce against fraudulent use of the organic seal, registering the seal with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office significantly increases the cost of fraud and helps us better protect U.S. consumers and farmers” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt.

As the trademark owner, USDA can seek additional civil remedies such as injunctive relief and monetary damages under the Lanham Act. Operations trafficking in counterfeit organic goods or otherwise willfully misusing the USDA organic seal may be subject to fines and imprisonment under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act. This also means the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can now detain, reject, or re-export imported products confirmed to be fraudulently using the USDA organic seal. Trademark authority and penalties for misusing the seal are in effect regardless of whether the ® is included.

Certified organic operations are authorized to use the organic seal to identify the composition of their products and receive a premium for those products. For consumers, the organic seal registration is just another way USDA is protecting the organic brand and strengthening organic enforcement.

Certified organic operations are not required to change their labels to include the registration mark ® of the seal, and certified organic products currently in the marketplace still meet the requirements of certification. Operations may choose either version of the seal and existing labels do not need to be revised or discarded.

If operations choose the updated version of the organic seal with the registration mark ®, it is available for download in multiple file formats on the AMS website. As always, certified operations are to seek approval from their certifier before making any product label changes.



Windsor Livestock Auction Co., Inc. to host 2023 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship Qualifying Event

The final of three qualifying events for the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) will be hosted by Windsor Livestock Auction Co., Inc. in Windsor, Mo., on January 4, 2023.  

Opening ceremonies will commence at 12:00 p.m. (CT), with the awards presentation following the competition. A total of 48 contestants will compete for a top 10 placing, granting them a spot in the semifinals for the 2023 WLAC at Arcadia Stockyard in Arcadia, Fla.  

Each qualifying event is a live sale where each contestant auctions at least 8 drafts of livestock (traditionally cattle) to actual bidders. Contestants are judged on clarity and quality of their chant, professionalism, ability to catch bids/conduct the sale and how likely the judge would be to hire the auctioneer.

Contestants competing are Cinch Anderson, John Day, Ore.; Jared Anstine, Holden, Mo.; Jeremy Anstine, Holden, Mo.; Chris Arnaman, Cameron, Mo.; Neil Bouray, Webber Kan.; Leon Caselman, Long Lane, Mo.; Spencer Cline, Kingston, Ark.; Gary Crawley, Kiowa, Okla.; Cody Davis, Garnett, Kan.; Ryan Dean, Roland, Okla.; Eric Drees, Caldwell, Idaho; Dean Edge, Rimbey, Alberta; Steve Goedert, Dillon, Mont.; Cody Hanold, Brighton, Ill.; Jacob Hills, Ridgeway, Wis.; Travis Holck, Lake Crystal, Minn.; Joshua Houston, Bell Buckle, Tenn.; Michael Imbrogno, Turlock, Calif.; Brennin Jack, Virden, Manitoba; Tanner Jessup, Iola, Kan.; Rex Lasyone, Winnfield, La.; Kyle Layman, North Platte, Neb.; Cody Manspile, Lexington, Va.; Jacob Massey, Petersburg, Tenn.; Tilon Mast, Auburn, Neb.; Justin Mebane, Bakersfield, Calif.; Daniel Mitchell Cumberland, Ohio; Justin Moore, Barnesville, Ohio; Lee Morris, Pikeville, Tenn.; Kyle Mueller, Cassville, Wis.; Bill Nance, Sheldon, Mo.; Mark Oberholtzer, Loyal, Wis.; Sixto Paiz, Portales, N.M.; Ross Parks, New Concord, Ohio; Mason Plumly, Somerton, Ohio; Austin Schaben, Dunlap, Iowa; Jim Settle, Arroyo Grande, Calif.; Barrett Simon, Rosalia, Kan.; Robert Strickler, Banco, Va.; Lonnie Stripe, Humeston, Iowa; J.R. Sullivan, Quitman, Ark.; Andrew Sylvester, Wamego, Kan.; Clayton Taylor, Washburn, Mo.; Brooks Thompson, Prague, Okla.; Marshal Tingle, Nicolasville, K.Y.; Benjamin Weber, Lone Jack, Mo.; Tim Yoder, Montezuma, Ga.; and Zack Zumstein, Marsing, Idaho.  

The public may attend the livestock auction and competition free of charge. It will also be streamed live on the Livestock Marketing Association’s Facebook page.

Qualifying events are balanced across LMA membership. The World Livestock Auctioneer Championship will be held in conjunction with the LMA Annual Convention June 7-10, 2023. More details can be found on lmaweb.com/Events/WLAC/2023-wlac-event.