Tuesday April 11 Ag News

Tasting Beef Like Never Before at Dietetics Food & Culinary Conference

Registered Dietitians and other professionals participate in a blind tasting of beef plates at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Culinary Professionals 2023 Culinary Workshop.

Think about this for a moment. You’re sitting in a crowded restaurant. Flatware clatters…glasses clink…laughter punctuates the low thrum of conversations coming from other tables. In the midst of all this, your server appears and sets your meal, steaming hot, in front of you.    What do you do?    Likely, you will look at your plate. But then, almost without thinking about it, you will close your eyes as you inhale deeply.      

How many different senses did we employ in this scenario? Hearing, most certainly, as we set the scene with the restaurant noise. Sight, as we looked at the plate set before us. Smell, as we closed our eyes and inhaled the aroma of our meal. We’ve taken in a lot of information, all before we’ve tasted anything. All of the information gathered through your senses-from your surroundings to the aroma of the food--builds your perception of what you are about to taste, and your anticipated enjoyment of it.    

Now, remove one sense…sight. What does that do to your perception of the food? How do you perceive flavors and judge a meal if you can’t see it?    That’s what more than 50 registered dietitians and other professionals in the nutrition world experienced when they attended "Shed New Light on Flavor," a pre-conference workshop produced by the California Beef Council (CBC) in partnership with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), and the Kansas and Nebraska Beef Councils. The pre-event workshop was offered to attendees of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Culinary Professionals 2023 Culinary Workshop in California’s Napa wine country.   

The workshop, held at the beautiful Gambonini Family Ranch in Petaluma, was designed and led by Dr. Hoby Wedler, a Ph.D. chemist and sensory expert who walked attendees through a "Tasting in the Dark" experience. With his highly-trained palate and acute sensory insight, Wedler, who has been blind since birth, talked to attendees about what it means to acquire sensory literacy by opening themselves to all the sensory input around them.

"Our understanding and perception is highly dependent on a multitude of sensory and psychological inputs," Wedler said. "We use vision so much that we’re more literate in that sense than in our other senses, so you need to practice using those other senses."    

Blindfolded attendees sampled four dishes, all including beef in plant-forward meals, all completely unknown to them: a slider that included a beef, bean and mushroom patty; a cold quinoa, fig and goat cheese salad with beef strips; a beef and veggie wrap; and a fajita-style beef street taco that included peppers, squash, tomatoes and onions. Wedler then led them in a still-blindfolded discussion of what they were tasting, what those flavors meant to the dish, how the flavors and textures made them perceive each dish, and what employing their other senses meant to their enjoyment and understanding of the different foods they were eating.   

 "These pre-event workshops are a way for nutrition and dietetics professionals to add an enrichment component to their conference experience," said Kori Dover, RD, Director of Food & Nutrition Outreach for the CBC. "We presented Dr. Wedler’s blindfolded food exercise because we wanted to provide nutrition professionals the opportunity to experience how beef’s flavor profile can help increase fruit, vegetable and whole grain consumption."    

Wedler’s concept of gaining insight into the non-visual senses provides an opportunity for participants to pay closer attention to details they may not have been aware of when it comes to food. Focusing on aroma, texture, flavor profiles, layering flavors and other concepts can have an impact on nutrition, he notes, as enjoyment of food plays heavily in whether or not a person consumes all the nutrients their body needs.    

 "This type of experience is especially valuable to those who work in various areas of clinical nutrition," Dover said. "When we have patients whose diets are restricted, the loss of food enjoyment can have an impact on their overall nutrition. Thinking about flavors and textures combined with highly-nutritious ingredients can make a difference."   

In addition to the pre-event workshop, Dover, along with meat scientist Dr. Phil Bass, provided a conference keynote session called "Raising the Steaks-Exploring Beef’s Versatility." This lively, interactive session provided attendees with practical ways to get the most value from various beef cuts, included cookery tips, looked at flavor profiles, and provided insights into beef’s role in healthy and sustainable diets.

Find more information on nebeef.org.



CONTROLLING WINTER ANNUAL WEEDS
– Todd Whitney, NE Extension Educator

Now is the time to control winter annual weeds in alfalfa. Thinned alfalfa stands combined with open soil and adequate moisture can result in weed pressure. So, prior to alfalfa dormancy break and early green-up, assess winter annual weeds populations such as: pennycress, downy brome, mustards, cheatgrass, and shepherd’s purse. Left unchecked, these weeds can lower first cutting hay quality and palatability. Excessive weeds can also extend dry-down time and lengthen harvest time.

However, before applying any herbicide, scout fields and determine current and potential weed pressure. Verify that fields have enough weeds to justify herbicide spray applications and then determine the best management options.

If alfalfa fields are still dormant, Sharpen®; Metribuzin®; and Gramoxone® herbicides can still be applied. Pre-emergent herbicides such as Warrant®; Chateau®; and Prowl H2O® can be applied soon after green-up, but these chemicals will not control weeds which have already germinated. Aim® herbicide will control early growing broadleaf weeds, but it will not control grassy weeds. Poast® herbicide will control most growing weedy grasses but not downy brome. Pursuit® and Raptor® herbicides will control growing weeds during early alfalfa green-up, but control weeds best when air temperatures are warmer. Glyphosate (Roundup Weathermax®/Powermax®) will control growing weeds too but must be used with Roundup-Tolerant varieties.

Other labelled products for new alfalfa include: Arrow®; Select Max®; Velpar®, Karmex®, Sinbar®; Pursuit®, and Raptor®. Our UNL Extension publication, EC 130, ‘Guide for Weed, Disease, and Insect Management in Nebraska’ may provide additional options.

Winter annuals can quickly establish in hay fields, so early season weed control is important for quality hay production. Since timing is essential, control winter annuals before alfalfa breaks dormancy and before weeds render economic losses.

 

Ida County's Volkert Family to be given the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig will present the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to the Volkert family during an event at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 13, at the Cobblestone Inn in Holstein.

Owned and operated by brothers Lane and the late Larry Volkert and their families, “Volkert Brothers” started in 1970 upon Lane and Larry’s return from service in the Vietnam War. The brothers grew up on the family farm, which has been in the family for 117 years. The farm received its Century Farm recognition in 2006. Lane and Lori are the parents of three daughters and have seven grandchildren. Larry, who passed away in 2020, and Janet have two daughters and four grandchildren.

“The Volkerts have not only been good stewards of their land and livestock, but they have demonstrated a deep commitment to their community and an admirable record of service to our country,” said Secretary Naig. “Iowa is blessed to have great farm families like the Volkerts and I am pleased to present them with the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award.”

The Volkerts raise corn, soybeans and hay while also feeding cattle and hogs. They incorporate conservation into all aspects of their operation by utilizing terraces, no-till, minimum till, grassed waterways and headlands. They have built retaining walls in the cattle yards, which work in coordination with a catch basin and a filter strip.

The family members have demonstrated a high level of care for their animals and take pride in ensuring consumers can enjoy delicious and nutritious protein on their dinner tables. They utilize cornstalk bales for bedding and have put in place modern working facilities with tubs, hydraulic chutes and animal-friendly loading facilities.

The Volkerts have been longtime members of the Ida County Cattlemen, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. They also have belonged to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Holstein where they have served in various positions on the church council and committees. The brothers both belonged to the American Legion Post 225. Lane served on the Galva-Holstein School Board for six years, the Ida County Farm Bureau Board, and the Ida County Planning and Zoning Commission. Prior to his passing, Larry served on the Holstein Cooperative Elevator Board for six years and was a Trustee in Battle Township for many years.

Larry and Lane were named “Outstanding Young Farmers” in 1980 by the Jaycees. In 1990, they were named the winners of the Ida County Conservation Award in the Quad States Conservation Awards Program.

The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in caring for the environment and their livestock and have demonstrated a commitment to their community. The award is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a long-time WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.




Iowa Beef Checkoff-Funded Study Aims to Find Optimal Marketing Endpoints for Cattle Feeders

The Iowa Beef Center's Erika Lundy-Woolkfolk is an Iowa native, Iowa State University alumni and fellow cattle producer poised on helping other Iowa beef producers find solutions to support sound decision making and ultimately, the opportunity to add value to the bottom line.

Does it pay to feed cattle longer to try and hit greater marbling premiums? If you are asking this question, you are not alone.  “With today’s higher feed costs, this has become a common question we are hearing from producers across Iowa,” said Erika Lundy-Woolfolk, beef specialist with Iowa State University (ISU) Extension.  The question is what led Lundy-Woolfolk and Dr. Dan Loy, Director of the Iowa Beef Center, to create a new study. They will evaluate animal performance, carcass traits and more by marketing a group of steers at varying times. In-state research to find answers for producers wouldn’t be possible without your checkoff. “It’s nice to have checkoff dollars so we can do some of this production-based research that needs to be done,” Lundy-Woolfok commented. “Hopefully we can get some good data and help answer this question for producers.”

How the study will work
The study kicked off this March and is expected to conclude in the fall of 2023. It will be done in two parts: A live animal performance assessment An economic analysis For the animal performance part, 108 purebred Angus steers from the ISU McNay Research Farm are being fed and monitored at the ISU Armstrong Research Farm. “We chose Angus because this group of cattle has been selected for marbling for over 20 years,” Lundy-Woolfolk explained. “It is not uncommon for them to go 45 to 50% prime.” Growth-promotion implants will also be monitored in the study. The steers will be started on two different implants: one of a lower dose and another more aggressive. Lundy-Woolfolk said both are typical for industry standards. Another part of the performance assessment will be looking at feed conversion differences. “At the Armstrong Research Farm, we have two pens with bunks that can monitor individual intakes,” Lundy-Woolfolk said. “We’ll have half the cattle in those pens, and the other half in an open bunk system.”

Using Back Fat as a Market Indicator
After being fed a certain number of days, the steers will go to slaughter at three different times. “Based on carcass ultrasound, we’ll use back fat thickness as an indicator of when we’ll market the steers,” Lundy-Woolfolk stated. She estimates that the market timings will be the following: Group 1 in May at 0.50-inch back fat Group 2 in June at 0.65-inch back fat Group 3 in July at 0.80-inch back fat “This will separate the degree of finish on those steers to really give us three different categories of carcass data to look at for the economic analysis,” Lundy-Woolfolk explained.

What The Economic Analysis will Cover
Using data collected during the animal assessment, the economic analysis will evaluate the best market endpoints based on varying feed costs, premiums and discounts.  “We are going to put numbers together using rolling averages based on grid premiums over the last few years,” Lundy-Woolfolk explained. “We’re trying to answer things like, ‘What do premiums look like for calves that graded high choice versus prime?’” “Our hope is this will be a powerful tool for cattle feeders to determine what’s best for their operation,” Lundy-Woolfolk continued. “Seeing some of these economic numbers may be an eye-opener. Hopefully, they can use them to make marketing decisions that have a positive financial impact on their farm.” Final results will be shared in a white paper and Iowa Beef Center articles. You can find all checkoff-funded production research at iabeef.org/cattlemens-corner/production-research.

Iowa State Beef Checkoff Research Program
Overall, since 2018 the Iowa State Checkoff program has funded a total of 14 studies for $740,026 ($52,859/study). In fiscal year 2023, the Board of Directors elected to fund five additional studies totaling more than $853,000 dollars. We are excited to support Iowa's extensive network of subject matter experts through applied research initiatives that highlight the vast array of institutional resources found at Iowa State University. Collectively, the research program is poised on highlighting the best of Iowa's beef industry: our beef producers, researchers, university and extension and the high quality beef product raised in Iowa.



Midwest Compost School to Be Held June 20-22

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host the 2023 Midwest Compost School on June 20-22 at the Iowa State Dairy Farm and Composting Facility near Ames.

This is a specialized, three-day course for compost facility operators and composting professionals. Topics covered include feedstock selection, recipe development, operations, analysis, monitoring, odor and runoff management, and marketing strategies. An emphasis is on food residuals composting. Each day includes a combination of hands-on training, lecture, discussion and problem solving.

“Participants will receive hands-on experiences and hear from composting facility managers and other experts about techniques that will give them a competitive edge,” said Kapil Arora, agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the course coordinator.

The program is approved by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for compost facility operator certification as specified under the Iowa Administrative Code.

The school features instructors from Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin and Illinois State University and is presented in collaboration with the Iowa Composting Council and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Early registration is $450 and must be made prior to midnight, June 9. Late registration is $475 and the registration deadline is midnight, June 14. Pre-registration is required and space is limited for this program. Registration includes course materials and meals listed on the program. For additional information and to register online, visit www.aep.iastate.edu/compost.



Soybean Research and Information Network (SRIN) Provides Valuable Insights for 2023 Planting Season, Offers Free Research Newsletter

As the spring planting season has started in some areas and is approaching in others, the Soybean Research and Information Network (SRIN) is providing soybean farmers valuable insights, timely information and infographics to help them optimize profit. While maximizing yields is always connected to additional revenue, SRIN is also focused on other research funded by the soy checkoff to drive additional value opportunities to U.S. soybean farms.

According to Cate Newberg, manager of the SRIN program, those research areas can range from offering a soybean planting date guide to research about soil management, pest control and seed selection.

“Soybean farmers know that successful soybean planting is about far more than dropping seeds in the ground and hoping for rain,” Newberg said. “Thanks to farmer-funded research, a number of other factors are coming into focus, including soil health, the use of cover crops, reducing tillage, using biologicals and adding organic matter. Today’s research is showing that great soybean crops have their roots in a holistic approach to managing the crop, starting at and before planting season.”

Research highlighted on the SRIN website (www.soybeanresearchinfo.com) and in the free weekly SRIN email newsletter also is focused on threats to the soybean crop, including pests such as soybean aphids, spider mites, nematodes and whiteflies.

“The SRIN website and newsletter give farmers like me a wealth of information that allows us to anticipate challenges as we head into planting season,” said Mike Schlosser, a soybean farmer leader from North Dakota. “These timely insights give us information on what to look for, what to monitor and how we can take proactive steps to prevent pest and disease damage to our soybean crops.”

Seed selection is another critical factor for soybean farmers. The SRIN’s research has shown that choosing the right seed can make a significant difference in yield potential. Farmers should consider factors such as disease resistance, maturity, and yield potential when selecting soybean seeds, according to Newberg.

The monthly SRIN newsletter helps soybean farmers stay up-to-date on the latest research in which they invest through the soy checkoff. A subscription to the free newsletter can be requested by visiting the SRIN Website—https://soybeanresearchinfo.com/check-in-on-checkoff-research.

“We are excited to provide soybean farmers the latest research designed to drive value back to their farms,” Newberg said. “Our goal is to provide farmers with the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions and achieve greater success in their soybean farming operations.”

About Soybean Research and Information Network
The Soybean Research and Information Network (SRIN) highlights results, provides resources, and promotes the importance of soybean research. SRIN is administered by NCSRP and is supported in part by United Soybean Board and other state and regional soybean boards.



America’s Soybean Farmers Reach 30,000 Families at White House Easter Egg Roll

As a 145-year-old tradition, the White House Easter egg-rolling race across the lawn with a wooden spoon dates back to 1878. This year, the “EGGucation” roll theme included egg decorating, egg hunting and interactive farm experiences. The 30,000 families that attended learned about soy as a high-quality and sustainable ingredient fed to poultry (broilers, laying hens and turkeys), which is U.S. Soy’s No. 1 customer.

The American Egg Board organized the Easter egg roll with the farm field trip experience co-sponsored by the United Soybean Board (USB) and Elanco. Soy checkoff farmer-leaders participated in the event and interacted with families, sharing how the nation’s 515,000 soybean farmers are committed to animal agriculture.

“There’s something special about people bonding over Easter traditions, and this event broke down barriers between urban and rural America,” said Meagan Kaiser, USB Chair and farmer from Missouri. “One of the biggest takeaways from my interactions was kids’ genuine interest in knowing where their food comes from and the novelty of meeting a real-life farmer.”

Different stations in the farm field trip showcased the journey of an egg from being transported on a truck to being cooked into a delicious breakfast. Parents and children from the Washington, D.C., metro and beyond learned about how an egg travels from hen to home. The stations allowed soybean farmers a platform to discuss USB’s investments in nutrition and health research that support animal health.

At the event, a Q&A about soybeans included:
    Q: What do hens eat? A: Hens are fed a balanced diet of sorghum, corn, cottonseed and/or soybean meal – depending on where the hen lives and which grain is most available.
    Q: How much soybean meal do chickens eat each year? A: More than 500 million bushels of soybean meal is used for chicken feed in the U.S. each year.

“To further the reputation of U.S. Soy, it’s critical that we interact with consumers about how soy can provide sustainable solutions to every life, every day,” said Steve Reinhard, USB Vice Chair and farmer from Ohio. “With chickens being our biggest customer, anything we can do to ensure a vibrant poultry and egg industry remains a priority for U.S. soybean farmers.”



NPB Names First Chief Sustainability Officer

The National Pork Board announced today it has named its first Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) by appointing an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in sustainability and environmental program leadership.

James “Jamie” Burr took the role of National Pork Board CSO on March 27. Burr leads the sustainability team of five public health, animal welfare and environmental experts tasked with advancing the pork industry’s sustainability goals and metrics announced last year.

“Jamie’s input has been invaluable to several key producer-funded initiatives for more than a decade,” said Bill Even, National Pork Board CEO. “He’s served on and chaired several Pork Board environmental and sustainability committees and task forces, so his leadership has already helped shape the industry’s sustainability vision. “Establishing a CSO position and adding Jamie to the team continues to demonstrate our industry’s strong commitment to advancing pork sustainability.”

Burr comes to the Pork Board from Tyson Foods where he recently served as director of environmental compliance and was the environmental lead for all of Tyson’s live-animal production businesses. Prior to that role, he led several environmental, safety, health and sustainability teams since joining the company in 1999. Notably, he led the development of Tyson’s greenhouse gas science-based target, its deforestation and land-stewardship targets.

Burr earned a Master of Science degree in Soil Science and Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from Missouri State University. But before his formal education, he gained valuable experience for his new role, growing up on a hog farm and in a sale barn in southern Missouri.

“It’s an honor for me to lead this team and take on the responsibility of shaping and sharing the industry’s sustainability story,” said Burr. “We have bold goals and metrics that producers have laid out for us, and I look forward to working with the staff and the board to meet and report on those efforts.”

Burr’s previous experience puts him in a unique position to be an advocate to producers and for the industry, Even noted.

“The CSO role serves as a conduit between producers, our supply chain partners, Wall Street investors and consumers,” said Even. “Jamie knows and has worked with all of these audiences. He understands business, he understands the consumer, and knows the importance of building relationships among all stakeholders along the supply chain.”



Growth Energy Aims to Ensure RFS Compliance in Latest Case against EPA

Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuels trade association, filed its opening brief today in its challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) failure to enforce compliance under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In Growth Energy v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Growth Energy argues against EPA’s decisions to allow refiners not to comply with their RFS obligations even though EPA previously denied their petitions to be exempt from them. If upheld, these decisions would reduce the amount of renewable fuel in the marketplace by about 1.63 billion gallons.

"Refiners have been trying to dodge compliance with the RFS since it was first enacted. Unfortunately, EPA’s ‘alternative compliance’ doublespeak facilitates refiners’ ability to shirk the responsibilities that EPA itself has explicitly concluded they have. As such, ‘alternative compliance’ is merely another term for unlawful ‘non-compliance,’” said Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor. “Growth Energy is pressing the court to undo EPA’s overreach to ensure that refiners meet their RFS obligations as Congress intended. The RFS remains America’s single most successful clean energy policy and Growth Energy will continue to use every tool at its disposal to hold EPA accountable, and to protect the RFS from those who seek to undermine its benefits."

Background
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires that refineries annually use at least the specified amount of renewable fuel in the transportation fuel they distribute. It also allows EPA to exempt individual refineries from their RFS obligations for a given year under limited circumstances. EPA initially granted thirty-one “small refineries” thirty-four exemptions from their 2016-2018 RFS obligations, but two lawsuits were promptly filed challenging the standard EPA applied in granting those exemptions. Eventually, after courts ruled against the exemptions, EPA complied and restored the refineries’ 2016-2018 RFS obligations.
 
However, EPA concurrently issued the “alternative compliance” actions at issue in this case. Despite their name, these actions do not facilitate the refineries’ compliance with their now-unmet 2016-2018 RFS obligations, but rather absolve them from those obligations. Thus, EPA’s “alternative compliance” actions reduced the net amount of renewable fuel that must be used by about 1.63 billion gallons.  Although 2016-2018 have passed, the refineries could still meet their unmet obligations by using extra renewable fuel (or buying credits from others that used extra renewable fuel) in the future. But EPA refused to require that, instead issuing the “alternative compliance” actions because of asserted concerns about imposing obligations “retroactively.”  

Growth Energy filed a suit against EPA and its “alternative compliance” actions in response, arguing that the actions are unlawful for multiple reasons. More broadly, the “alternative compliance” actions are just the latest in a troubling pattern of EPA delaying the imposition or restoration of RFS obligations and then invoking the specter of “retroactivity” to neuter those obligations anyway. Through “retroactivity,” EPA has given itself the power to negate the RFS program itself, in defiance of Congress’s express will.  



E85 in California: Lowest-Cost, Fastest-Growing Liquid Fuel Option for Drivers
    
It comes as no surprise that the lowest-cost fuel in California is also the state’s fastest-growing liquid fuel, the Renewable Fuels Association said Tuesday at an event in Sacramento spotlighting the importance of the lower-carbon E85 Flex Fuel blend, which hit a record 103.5 million gallons sold in the state in 2022.

“Gas prices are on the rise again in California, and drivers are seeking out options at the pump that are both more affordable and better for the environment; E85 definitely checks both of those boxes,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “American-made E85 is a low-carbon, low-cost liquid fuel that is growing in popularity and availability. The fuel substantially reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline and helps insulate our nation’s fuel supply from the whims of the OPEC cartel and Russia. The record sales volume for E85 in 2022 clearly shows that, when the blend is made available and effectively promoted, FFV drivers will absolutely respond.”

RFA was joined at the busy suburban station by Propel Fuels, which provides E85 at many locations in the area. “Propel launched E85 in the Sacramento region in 2007,” said Rob Elam, Propel Fuels CEO. “It's been an incredible journey to see E85 go from zero gallons sold to over 100 million gallons in 2022. It's now the fastest-growing fuel in California. We expect to see exponential growth as Propel expands its E85 wholesale offering across the west coast and beyond.”

This week’s gas price update from the Energy Information Administration shows that prices for regular gasoline averaged $4.68 per gallon in California last week, up more than $0.50 per gallon since the beginning of the year.

E85 typically sells for 25 to 40 percent less in California. At the location where the Tuesday news conference was held, lower-carbon E85 sold for $2.99 per gallon, compared to $4.69 for regular unleaded. The blend is now available at more than 340 locations across the state, and more than 1.2 million vehicles on the road in California are flex-fuel.



U.S. Trade Performance and Position in Global Meat, Poultry, and Dairy Exports
USDA Economic Research Service

The United States is one of the top global producers and a key exporter of meat and dairy products. However, in recent years, several other competitors have also capitalized on growing demand for these products. A complex global trade environment, characterized by bilateral and multilateral trade agreements, sanitary and phytosanitary trade barriers, trade sanctions, trade disputes, and Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-induced production disruptions, created both opportunities and threats to the competitiveness of the United States and other major exporters in animal products trade.

What Did the Study Find?
The United States remains a top competitor in the trade of animal products, though the global market is shifting to create opportunities and threats to U.S. competitiveness. Total U.S. animal product exports reached over $36 billion in 2021, representing more than 18 percent of U.S. agricultural trade. U.S. competitiveness is strong in East Asian, Southeast Asian, and North American markets, supported by multilateral trade agreements and strong exports despite pandemic disruptions to domestic industries. The United States is a leading global competitor in the four major animal agricultural commodity markets analyzed in this study: beef, pork, chicken, and dairy. However, global competitors continue to pose a challenge to U.S. export performance across the four major animal commodities:

• Beef: The United States leads the world in beef production and since 2006 has been among the top three global beef exporters by value, exporting over $9.4 billion of beef in 2021. Compared with major competitors, including Australia and New Zealand, U.S. beef trade performance is heavily influenced by high domestic consumption. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has historically posed risk, since U.S. access to foreign markets can be lost if BSE is discovered on U.S. operations, as well as opportunity for U.S. beef trade, as sporadic foreign cases limit competitors’ market access.

• Pork: The United States is the second largest exporter of pork behind the European Union. East Asian markets (e.g., Japan, China, and South Korea) support strong U.S. pork exports. Non-tariff trade barriers and the threat of African swine fever (ASF) pose risks to strong U.S. pork trade performance, though opportunities may arise for U.S. pork producers as competitors also face the threat of ASF.

• Chicken: U.S. chicken exports have more than doubled since 2000, exceeding $4.4 billion in 2021. U.S. chicken exports and destinations have experienced much volatility since 2000, with trade barriers, trade disputes, and the impacts of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Current major markets for U.S. chicken include China, Mexico, and Canada. The top competitor for chicken exports is Brazil.

• Dairy: The United States is a top dairy producer in several major categories, exporting over $4.7 billion in major milk and dairy commodities in 2021. The United States has steadily grown over the last two decades to be a strong net exporter of dairy products, with the European Union and New Zealand as primary competitors supported in part by strong exports of cheese and dry whole milk powder, respectively. U.S. competitiveness in dairy products is category-dependent, with strong performance in cheese and dry skim milk product exports.

Read the full report here: https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/106277/err-312.pdf?v=9156.5.  



CH4 Global Launches Methane Tamer™ Beef Feedlot, first of the new formulations in the Methane Tamer™ line

CH4 Global, Inc., today announced a new proprietary methane reducing digestive aide feed formulation for beef feedlot cattle called Methane Tamer™ Beef Feedlot. The product is the first in a line of products for a full suite of ruminant animals and farming approaches being development under the Methane Tamer™ brand and will initially be commercially available to partners in Australia with global expansion coming in future years.

[On an urgent mission to bend the climate curve, CH4 Global, Inc., brings to market innovative products that enable partners to radically reduce GHG emissions. (PRNewsfoto/CH4 Global, Inc.)]

With our patented innovations in operational efficiencies and formulation, CH4 Global has developed the highest quality, lowest cost and most efficacious product designed for and with the end user. This natural product includes the entire Asparagopsis plant, as used in independent peer reviewed animal feed studies, and is not a synthetic replication of only one of the active ingredients or an extract from Asparagopsis.

The new formulation reduces formation of methane in the animal rumen, thanks to our star ingredient, Asparagopsis seaweed. When processed correctly, Asparagopsis has been scientifically proven to reduce methane emissions in cattle by up to 90% without negative effects on animal welfare or beef quality taste or texture. Our proprietary formulation contains superior-quality Asparagopsis and other natural ingredients to support intake by feedlot cattle and easy inclusion in the feeding regimen. Benefits:
    Up to 90% reduction of enteric methane emissions from beef feedlot cattle.
    Supports feed efficiency and weight gain.
    Aids in digestion.

Our product will  be made available to our existing commercial partners CirPro and Ravensworth, along with other partnerships currently under negotiation with commercial scale feedlots and food producers o radically reduce the methane footprint without altering the production process, and the opportunity to deliver premium, low-methane food. Learn more.

"As we validate the business model with our initial partners – both the business model for us and for the farmers, we will expand to our next group of partners… Those that enable scaling in our launch market and initial expansion into new geographic markets. The key to our model, and what we uniquely do, is to drive a cost structure that not only enables, but also encourages usage of our product because it makes both economic and environmental sense to do so. It is also how we will achieve gigatonne scale impact before 2030." – Chris Rose, Chief Business Development Officer

"What we have developed over the last four years is a platform that can quickly scale and be highly profitable. In fact, this new approach, plus our filed IP's on novel ways to dramatically drive down costs of growing and processing Asparagopsis, while preserving bioactivity of the final product, has ensured that we now have, without question, the lowest cost product on the market while maintaining the highest quality, natural/non-synthetic, product." – Steve Meller, CEO

About Methane Tamer™
Methane Tamer™, a CH4 Global brand, is natural feed supplement line that solve the urgent problem of animal emissions from cattle and other ruminant livestock. Food producers use Methane Tamer to minimize their carbon footprints and deliver premium, low-methane foods. The star ingredient in Methane Tamer is our high-quality Asparagopsis seaweed, nutrient rich and designed to deliver the highest methane-reducing benefits available. Our targeted formulations are species specific and designed for the unique requirements of food producers in multiple types of operations.



If Your Corn Stands Aren’t Uniform, You’re Likely Leaving Yield on the Table

Farmers have countless options when it comes to products and techniques promising yield bumps, but AgriGold Agronomist Joe Stephan says farmers’ first priority should be uniform stands. “Getting a uniform stand is the closest thing to a silver bullet we have,” he says.   

Stephan conducted emergence trials during 2022 with a group of farmers who were focused on achieving higher yields. The study results prompted those farmers to rethink yield potential and some of their methods.  

Poor performance can often be traced back to poor emergence
“An uneven stand is the biggest yield-limiting factor in my area of the eastern Corn Belt where tight soils mean we often fight wet, cold conditions that delay emergence,” Stephan explains. “It can take several days to reach desired populations, and in some years, partial stands force replant decisions.”  

Disappointing results can often be traced back to the day a corn crop was planted or the weather that came right after, according to Stephan, who defines an even stand as all plants emerging within a 24-hour period. “If you have that, the sky is the limit on yield.”

Stephan encouraged trial participants to grade themselves on whether they got the planter and seedbed conditions needed for a good stand. “My goal isn’t to tell farmers they’re doing a great or a poor job,” he says. “My goal is they grade themselves on how they’re doing with their investments and help them find solutions to reduce those yield-limiting factors.”  

Emergence impacts kernel counts and kernel weight
During the wet 2022 growing season, farmers in Stephan’s area planted much of the corn crop during the second and third week of May. Consequently, farmers were scrambling to get seed in the ground and, in some cases, were unable to wait for ideal conditions. The corn crop generally emerged quickly, but even among those first to emerge, Stephan reports variability in ear size and consistency from the less-than-ideal soil conditions as well as fodder in the root zone with some of the corn-on-corn acres.  

For one farmer who planted in wet conditions and had uneven stands, the variance between plants that emerged first versus those that emerged three days later was particularly striking. The field still performed well with an average yield topping 250 bushels an acre, so his perception was wet conditions had a limited impact on yield. But Stephan’s emergence trials signaled otherwise.  

Stephan shelled and weighed the dried kernels and found an actual yield of 392.7 bushels per acre for the plants first out of the ground. “In this case, the first day to emerge took less than 58,000 kernels to make a bushel,” he details. On the other hand, Day 4 emergers yielded 198.1 bushels per acre and took over 96,000 kernels to make a bushel. Stephan says the dramatic difference shows “it’s not only kernel count that’s better when crops emerge uniformly, but also the kernel weight.”  

The farmer was blown away by the dramatic difference in kernel size and yield between the first-emerging corn plant and the late emerger that indicated yield was left on the table. While waiting for better conditions may not have been in the cards, Stephan says the data shifted his perception about what the field should yield and drove home the significance of uniform emergence.  

Tips for achieving even stands
To achieve even stands, Stephan says, “It’s important to realize your capabilities and try to do the best you can.” That includes recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of your planter and tillage equipment and investing to ensure they are operating properly.  

“Pay attention to genetic families and hybrids with strong emergence ratings and have a plan in place for placing those hybrids on the right acre,” Stephan advises, adding an AgriGold agronomist can be a helpful resource. He plans on diving deeper this season and breaking kernels per bushel down by their Field GX™ families.   

“Monitor weather forecasts and field conditions and understand the capability of your soils,” he continues. “If you must plant in less-than-ideal conditions, recognize and adjust for those penalties.”