Wednesday January 24 Ag News

 NEBRASKA MILK PRODUCTION

Milk production in Nebraska during the October-December 2023 quarter totaled 328 million pounds, down 8% from the October-December quarter last year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The average number of milk cows was 53,000 head, 4,000 head less than the same period last year.

October-December Milk Production down 0.6 Percent
Milk production in the United States during the October - December quarter totaled 55.6 billion pounds, down 0.6 percent from the October - December quarter last year. The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was  9.36 million head, 16,000 head less than the July - September quarter, and 44,000 head less than the same period last year.

IOWA: Milk production in Iowa during December 2023 totaled 500 million pounds, up 1 percent from the previous December according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Milk Production report. The average number of milk cows during December, at 240,000 head, was 1,000 above last month and up 1,000 from December 2022. Monthly production per cow averaged 2,085 pounds, up 20 pounds from last December.

December Milk Production down 0.1 Percent
Milk production in the 24 major States during December totaled 18.1 billion pounds, down 0.1 percent from December 2022. November revised production, at 17.3 billion pounds, was down 0.6 percent from November 2022. The November revision represented a decrease of 14 million pounds or less than 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate. Production per cow in the 24 major States averaged 2,030 pounds for December, 1 pound above December 2022. The number of milk cows on farms in the 24 major States was 8.90 million head, 17,000 head less than December 2022, but unchanged from November 2023.



Matt Gent named new president of Iowa Pork Producers Association
    
Washington County pig farmer Matt Gent is the new president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). He took over the role during the organization’s annual meeting in Des Moines on January 23. Gent and his family own a farrow-to-finish swine enterprise called Prairie Pork near Wellman. They also grow corn and soybeans.

“I look forward to representing Iowa pork producers while addressing the challenges and opportunities we face in the upcoming year,” Gent said. “Each year brings new opportunities to share our story, to stren gthen our domestic and international relationships, and to share our commitment to grow rural Iowa. “

Gent served as IPPA’s president-elect in 2023. He replaces Trish Cook of Winthrop, who now holds the position of past president on the IPPA Board of Directors. Cook was the first female president in IPPA’s history. Gent praised Cook for her leadership during a very difficult year for pork producers. Both Gent and Cook will serve one-year terms in their new roles.

“It is no secret that our industry is changing and as an organization we need to adapt to the needs of our producers and consumers,” Gent added. “There is no doubt we have our work cut out for us this coming year.”

Matt Gent joined the IPPA Board of Directors in 2018. He was named a Master Pork Producer in 2015 and has served as an IPPA delegate to the National Pork Forum. At the local level, Gent has served on the Washington County Pork Producers Board of Directors since 2010, including stints as president and vice president. He is also a member of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Gent has an agriculture business degree from Kirkwood Community College.

Other changes on the IPPA Board include:
·      Carroll County pig farmer Aaron Juergens was named IPPA president-elect.

·      Bob Webb, from Carroll, was named District 5 director. Webb is a senior finishing supervisor with Iowa Select Farms. He oversees nearly 200 farms and manages a team of 10 finishing supervisors.

·      Chris Bellcock, from Norwalk, was named District 6 director. Bellcock has served as the marketing and logistics director for Prestage Farms of Iowa for the past 16 years. He volunteers at the Iowa State Fair Pork Tent annually.

The board oversees leadership and direction for all IPPA Pork Checkoff programs, public policy, and general direction of the organization.

During the annual meeting, the delegates passed four resolutions:
·      IPPA strongly encourages NPPC to expeditiously work towards a federal solution in the U.S. Congress to address and prevent state propositions and/or laws that restrict producers’ rights to operate freely.

·      That IPPA and National Pork Board (NPB) invest time and checkoff funds to move pork products through the retail channel as quickly as possible and invest checkoff resources to initiate innovation and development of new pork products for consumers as quickly as possible.

·      That IPPA continues to encourage the National Pork Board to further develop and test new food frequency questionnaires and dietary evaluation tools that clearly isolate pork, to better understand impacts of pork on nutrition and health outcomes.

·      That IPPA encourages packers to include producer owner representatives and livestock hauler representatives in the process of setting any new delivery policy at plants, and that all parties improve communications and cooperate to improve unloading times at packing plants.



‘Italian Soul Food’ Wins Chef Event that Kicks Off Iowa Pork Congress

A chef from Iowa State University won this year’s Taste competition, which traditionally kicks off Iowa Pork Congress week in Des Moines.

Joshua Wilkins, Chef de Cuisine with ISU Dining in Ames, claimed first place—or Chef Par Excellence—at the 37th annual Taste contest, hosted by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). This year’s event challenged the nine participating chefs to prepare an entrée featuring boneless pork loin.

Wilkins created a “classic Italian soul food,” which also earned the People’s Choice award by those who attended a tasting reception. To prepare his pork braciole, the pork loin was laid flat, pounded thin, and stuffed with spinach and parmesan polenta, then rolled and braised in tomato sauce. The dish was served with creamy parmesan polenta and basil pistou.

“I wanted to do something that elevated the pork loin, while at the same time being very approachable,” said Wilkins, adding that the dish was a nod to his time working at an Italian family restaurant in New York. He sourced the pork from Beeler’s Pork in Le Mars.

Wilkins earned a plaque for each award, and a total of $1,250.

The judges selected Tanner Killinger, with Des Moines Embassy Club, for second place, or Superior Chef. Killinger offered five-spice brined pork loin sous vide, with whipped butternut squash, parmesan Reggiano and pistachio tuile, calvados sauce, and micro greens. He received a plaque and $500.

Third place—Premier Chef—went to Tony Pelican with Company Kitchen, the food and catering partner of EMC Insurance Companies in Des Moines. He served a boneless pork loin banh mi sandwich with ramen noodle salad. He took home a plaque and $250.

Paul McDermott, of Wildwood in Iowa City, was designated Media’s Choice by invited media professionals. He also won a plaque and $250.

Boneless pork loin, which has never been a featured cut for the competition, is underappreciated but has tremendous value in terms of versatility, according to Kelsey Sutter, IPPA’s marketing and programs director.

“The chefs demonstrated that well,” she said “When I stepped back and looked at all the plates, they were all using the same cut of pork, except they were all completely different dishes with different flavor profiles—everything from Italian to Cajun to Mexican.”

Taste is a Pork Checkoff-funded culinary competition designed to inspire innovative and exciting ways to menu pork in restaurants. The event brings together talented chefs from across the state, and IPPA provided each with a $200 stipend to offset the cost of the pork.



Start of Production of First U.S. Sustainable Aviation Fuel Plant Hits Home Need for Low Carbon Corn Ethanol

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could grow into the largest new market ever seen for U.S. farm commodities thanks to the start of production of SAF at LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels. Without low carbon ethanol, which requires carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), Iowa farmers could miss out on the chance to unlock this new market. No Iowa ethanol plant currently has a carbon intensity score low enough to qualify as a SAF feedstock. Only one plant in the U.S., using CCS, is currently producing SAF-friendly ethanol. By contrast, Brazil produces over 7 billion gallons of ethanol with a carbon score expected to qualify for SAF production.

“Today and every day going forward, American farmers and ethanol producers are losing demand until we get carbon capture and sequestration online,” stated Monte Shaw, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association executive director, who was in Georgia today to witness the LanzaJet grand opening. “LanzaJet is proving that SAF from ethanol is here today. Now it is up to us to produce a qualifying ethanol feedstock. Iowans need to realize that CCS is the key to the new market. Regardless of individual views on carbon policy, our business is making the products our customers want and right now we can’t do that.”

“LanzaJet Freedom Pines Fuels will use a variety of low carbon sustainable ethanol, making this an eye-opening experience to what Iowa corn farmers could expect to be a part of,” said Dan Keitzer, a farmer and Iowa Corn Usage and Production Committee Chair. “However, due to our inability to lower our CI score for ethanol plants here in the state, we will be missing out on a large market for the corn we produce, which is unsettling as we have had larger carryout numbers in recent years."

The new SAF market is potentially massive according to a new study unveiled today by Decision Innovation Solutions (DIS), Iowa’s premier agricultural economic firm. The study found fully maximizing the potential of the SAF production in Iowa will have a generation impact. To meet the demand, DIS projects that Iowa would build:
·      11 new 200-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plants
·      5 new ethanol-to-jet SAF production facilities
·      3 new facilities that convert soybean oil, fats and greases to SAF.

“The construction and ongoing operations of these facilities hold the promise to fundamentally transform rural Iowa in ways even bigger than the current biofuels industry,” stated David Miller, DIS chief economist and report author. “We have the opportunity to set the stage for the next 25 years when corn production will rise to 20-21 billion bushels per year based on current acres. No other market but SAF can utilize that corn. If we do not embrace low carbon ethanol to unlock SAF, we are likely to lose 20 million acres of corn across the Midwest and the $10 billion in farm income those acres create. What will our legacy be?”

According to the study, while building out the SAF infrastructure will cover many years, the cumulative impact in Iowa will:
·      Create over 35,000 jobs over the next 25 years
·      Add almost $2.3 billion to Iowa incomes
·      Boost Iowa GDP by more than $3 billion.

Even more exciting, the ongoing operation of this infrastructure spurs the Iowa economy every year:
·      Generating over 22,000 jobs
·      Increasing Iowa incomes by nearly $1 billion
·      Growing Iowa GDP by more than $2.7 billion.

“The combined economic impact of constructing and operating the expected SAF infrastructure is like nothing the Midwest has ever seen,” said Miller. “And it is coming at just the right time. U.S. corn production is growing at four times the rate that demand is growing. Over the next twenty years, U.S. farmers are looking at producing 5 billion excess bushels of corn from existing acres. Add to that the increase of electric vehicles that reduce ethanol use and the rise of Brazilian corn production, and its not hard to see that we could be in for some tough times. Luckily, SAF is big enough to take all the corn we can grow and then some. The question is simply whether Iowa will do what it takes to be a part of this huge new market.”

Shaw concluded: “We are not in a status quo situation. Only the fourth year of a drought has put off the day of reckoning this long, and even with the long drought we’ve seen corn prices drop two bucks a bushel. The power is in our hands to unlock the massive SAF market. We urge all Iowans to allow farmers and ethanol producers the tools they need to move our great state forward to a time of unprecedented economic prosperity.”



RFA Thanks Senators for Bipartisan Bill Promoting Ethanol for SAF

The Renewable Fuels Association today thanked Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) for the introduction in the Senate of the Farm to Fly Act, which would help sustainable aviation fuels create new markets for America’s farmers. Among its provisions, the bill would affirm a common definition of SAF for USDA purposes, to enable U.S. crops to most effectively contribute to sustainable aviation via renewable fuels like ethanol.

“RFA strongly supports the Farm to Fly Act, and we truly appreciate Sen. Moran—along with cosponsors Sens. Klobuchar and Ernst—and their effort to move forward this important legislation that creates more clarity and stability around the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) made from U.S. crops,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “This bill helps position SAF for takeoff by ensuring the best available science and modeling tools are used to calculate the carbon benefits of homegrown renewable fuels.”



'Farmers' Share Perspectives on Climate Change, Land Rents and Conservation in Latest Iowa Farm Poll

Although they wear many hats, perform many jobs and are referred to using many terms, it turns out the people who grow Iowa’s crops and livestock prefer to be called “farmers.”

The 2023 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll https://store.extension.iastate.edu/product/16908 was released this winter and asked those surveyed what they preferred to be called. Some 75% said they prefer to be called a “farmer.” The term “farm operator” was a distant second, at only 10%, followed by even less popular names like “producer, grower and rancher.”

While the name may not seem like that big of a deal, it’s actually an important part of communicating with “farmers.”

“I work with a lot of people who work with farmers, and I hear them use different terms like ‘grower’ and ‘producer’ to refer to farmers. So I decided to ask farmers what they prefer to be called,” said J. Arbuckle, rural sociologist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and lead author for the poll. “Turns out they prefer to be called farmers, by a long shot. That’s important to know because to communicate effectively with audiences, we need to use terms that resonate with them.”

Some of the issues this year’s poll examines include climate change, soil and water conservation, rented land, woodland ownership and management, and markets for non-GMO corn.

This year’s survey is based on responses from 972 farmers. Nearly all (90%) plant corn or soybeans, and about half (47%) raise livestock.

New this year is a series of questions related to woodland ownership and management.

“Many farms have at least some woodland area, so we wanted to gain a better understanding of how that is being managed and the types of resources landowners are using,” said Billy Beck, forestry specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “These results will help us improve how we work with farmers who have woodlands.

Also new – the poll examines markets for non-GMO corn, in response to countries that have banned the import of GMO corn. Nineteen percent of farmers reported they were interested in contracting to grow non-GMO corn for export, while 54% said they were not and 27% said they were unsure.

Arbuckle said the Farm Poll is a great way for farmers to make their voices heard, while helping to contribute to a better understanding of challenges and opportunities in Iowa agriculture.

“The benefit is that farmers can confidentially share their perspectives on issues that impact their livelihoods, and the results help guide policy and program decisions that keep agriculture vibrant into the future,” he said.

Detailed results from the poll will be examined in future news releases from ISU Extension and Outreach. The full report is available from your ISU Extension and Outreach county office, the ISU Extension Store, the Extension Sociology website or from the authors.



USDA Cold Storage December 2023 Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers were up 4 percent from the previous month but down 9 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 6 percent from the previous month but down 11 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 3 percent from the previous month but down 6 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 16 percent from last month but down 11 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on December 31, 2023 were up 4 percent from the previous month and up slightly from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down slightly from the previous month and down 6 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 20 percent from last month and up 29 percent from December 31, 2022.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on December 31, 2023 were up slightly from the previous month but down slightly from December 31, 2022. Butter stocks were down 6 percent from last month and down 8 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks were down 8 percent from last month but up 4 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 7 percent from last month and down 2 percent from a year ago.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 1/19/2024

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending January 19, ethanol production plunged 22.4% to 818,000 b/d, equivalent to 34.36 million gallons daily and chasing a 3-year low. Output was 19.2% less than the same week last year and 18.5% below the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate declined 6.7% to 996,000 b/d, which is equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.27 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks increased 0.5% to a 44-week high of 25.8 million barrels. Stocks were 2.9% more than the same week last year and 6.3% above the five-year average. Inventories built across all regions except the Midwest (PADD 2) and Rocky Mountains (PADD 4).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, moderated by 4.7% to a 54-week low of 7.88 million b/d (120.80 bg annualized). Demand was 3.2% less than a year ago and 8.0% below the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol followed, shifting 4.4% lower to 798,000 b/d, equivalent to 12.23 bg annualized. Net inputs were 3.9% less than a year ago and the five-year average.

Ethanol exports were estimated at 121,000 b/d (5.1 million gallons/day), or 27.4% above the prior week. There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the 18th consecutive week.



Anhydrous Leads Major Fertilizer Prices Lower

Average retail fertilizer prices continued to be mostly lower in the third week of January 2024, according to sellers surveyed by DTN.

For the fourth consecutive week, six of the eight major fertilizers were lower in price compared to last month while the remaining two fertilizers were slightly higher. DTN designates a significant move as anything 5% or more.

Only one fertilizer had a significant price change compared to last month. Anhydrous was down 5% compared to last month and had an average price of $770 per ton.

The remaining five fertilizers were down just slightly from the prior month. MAP had an average price of $810 per ton, potash $510/ton, urea $530/ton, UAN28 $334/ton and UAN32 $391/ton.

Two fertilizers, meanwhile, were just slightly higher in price compared to last month. DAP had an average price of $727/ton and 10-34-0 $601/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was $0.58/lb.N, anhydrous $0.47/lb.N, UAN28 $0.60/lb.N and UAN32 $0.61/lb.N.

All fertilizers except one are now lower by double digits compared to one year ago. MAP is 6% lower, DAP is 15% less expensive, 10-34-0 is 20% lower, urea is 26% less expensive, potash is 29% lower and anhydrous, UAN28 and UAN32 are all 38% lower compared to a year prior.



January USDA Cattle on Feed Report Assessment
Stephen R. Koontz, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Colorado State University

The USDA Cattle on Feed Report released on January 19 with new information regarding what happened in the cattle feeding sector during December was decidedly neutral. All the main pieces of information were very much in line with pre-report expectations. Placements are the most important piece of information in the Cattle on Feed report. Marketings can be assessed through daily and weekly slaughter information. And on feed inventories are largely the net changes due to these marketings and placements.

Placements were lower than those of the prior year and were exactly as anticipated. Pre-report expectations suggested that placements would be 95.5 percent of the prior year with a range of 91.5 to 98.0 percent. Actual placements during December were 95.5 percent at 1.704 million head. The futures market reacted very modestly lower on Monday with the weakness in the nearby and strength in the deferred contracts. Trading today is likely reflecting simple everyday volatility as opposed to any reaction to the report.

Fed cattle marketings were very modestly softer than anticipated. Pre-report expectations anticipated that marketings would be 99.3 percent of last year with a range of 98.2 to 100.7 percent. Actual marketings during December were 99.1 percent of the prior year at 1.725 million head. The sharply colder winter weather has slowed animal performance and gains. Likewise, the poor packer margins and softening of some beef product prices have not incentivized packers to play catch up.

I have discussed in prior newsletters that cattle on feed inventories would likely continue to tighten from the peaks in 2022. The beginning of January saw an inventory of 11.930 million, modestly larger than the beginning of December's inventory of 11.682 million head. And this was modestly larger than the inventory for the beginning of November. But all of this was as expected. The pre-report survey suggested that the on-feed inventory would be 102.2 percent of last year with a range of 101.4 to 102.5 percent. Actual inventories were 102.1 percent of the prior year. Weather is one cause. The other are the beef prices and downstream margins. Tighter supplies are in this market’s future, but we are not there yet. The changing fundamentals needed for this are strong marketings across several months and improvements in packer margins.

The inventory of cattle on feed over 150 days was down in December but remained sharply larger than that of the prior five years. That strong increase occurred in October and persists. This long feed inventory of animals will certainly impact the fed cattle through the first quarter. Both cattle on feed over 120 days and over 90 days are also sharply higher. And all of these on feed over days are calculated and not in the report. However, the inventory-based outlook appears rather bearish.



Biden-Harris Administration Invests $207 Million in Clean Energy and Domestic Fertilizer Projects to Strengthen American Farms and Businesses as part of Investing in America Agenda

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing $207 million in renewable energy and domestic fertilizer projects to lower energy bills, generate new income, create jobs, and strengthen competition for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers. Many of the projects are being funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis.

Today’s announcement was made by Secretary Vilsack at the 105th annual American Farm Bureau Federation convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. This funding advances President Biden’s Investing in America and Bidenomics agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle-out and bottom up, create jobs and spur economic growth in rural communities by increasing competition in agricultural markets, lowering costs and expanding clean energy.

“President Biden and USDA are ensuring farmers, ranchers and small businesses are not only a part of the clean energy economy, but directly benefitting from it,” Secretary Vilsack said. “The investments announced will expand access to renewable energy infrastructure and increase domestic fertilizer production, all while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money on their energy costs that they can then invest back into their businesses and communities.”

Today, the Department is awarding $207 million in 42 states for projects through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program (FPEP).

Today’s REAP awards total $157 million for 675 projects in 42 states, including more than $94 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The REAP program delivers on the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. These investments will cut energy costs for farmers and ag producers that can instead be used to create jobs and new revenue streams for people in their communities. For example:
    In Colorado’s La Plata County, a grant for $187,000 will install a solar array that, through a power purchase agreement, will benefit a wastewater treatment facility. The facility is expected to save $58,000 per year, bringing down costs for residents. It will replace 652,923 kilowatt hours or 98 percent of the plant’s energy use per year, which is enough energy to power 60 homes.
    A soybean farm in Pennsylvania will install a 1,248 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system that will save $262,000 per year. These funds can be reinvested to grow the business or create more jobs for the local community. It will also save the farm 2,814,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough energy to power 259 homes.
    Sturgis Meats in Meade, South Dakota will install a refrigeration system that will save $32,000 in energy costs per year. It will also save the company 255,000 kilowatt hours per year, which is enough energy to power 23 homes.

Projects financed through FPEP will help U.S. farmers increase independent, domestic fertilizer production. Today’s investments include $50 million in seven projects in seven states. President Biden committed up to $900 million through the Commodity Credit Corporation for FPEP. Funding supports long-term investments that will strengthen supply chains, create new economic opportunities for American businesses, and support climate-smart innovation. For example:
    ARE Properties LLC in Nebraska will build a fully automated fertilizer facility designed to manufacture custom products based on the results of plant tissue and soil samples. All equipment in the facility runs on natural gas with the long-range strategy to retrofit the facility for alternative energy sources in the future.
    Biogas Corporation will purchase and install a new anaerobic digestion facility in Monroe County, North Carolina. This project is expected to create 19 additional positions. The new state-of-the-art facility will produce 50,000 tons of organic fertilizer and ammonium sulfate annually, all available to farming operations or resellers supporting local producers. Through the unique combustion process, the facility projects to generate 55,000 megawatts of clean energy per year to be purchased and distributed through Duke Energy Carolinas.

USDA is making the REAP and FPEP awards in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.



STB issues final emergency service order reforms

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) today issued final rules that strengthen its power to act during rail service emergencies. The final regulations contain several reforms advocated for and supported by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA).

Proposed by the Board in 2022, the regulations for “expedited relief in service emergencies” address several flaws and hurdles in previous emergency service order rules.

Reforms supported by the NGFA and included in the final rules are:

• Removal of the requirement that a shipper’s petition for alternative rail service contains a commitment from another available railroad. “The Board has correctly concluded…that these requirements have posed a nearly insurmountable hurdle to rail shippers who are considering seeking this emergency relief for rail service failures,” NGFA noted.

• A shortened process for petitions for emergency service orders and a date by which a Board decision can be expected. “In most cases, the Board can expect shippers to have attempted to exhaust all available commercial remedies prior to seeking Board intervention, often at significant cost to the shipper,” NGFA stated. “Since an STB emergency service order is typically the ‘last resort’ for a rail shipper before severe damage to its business and customers occurs, a short timeline for submitting the petition and rendering a decision is imperative.”

• An accelerated process to handle acute service emergencies presenting potential imminent harm and threatening potentially severe adverse consequences.

• A continuation of the policy to not include any bright-line prohibition on applying relief to contract traffic.  

“The final emergency service rules issued today demonstrate that the Board has closely studied and thoughtfully considered the comments of industry stakeholders,” NGFA stated. “These changes will advance the efficiency of the U.S. rail system by enabling the Board to order temporary relief in emergencies more quickly and effectively and to more rapidly ensure that localized problems do not spread to other parts of the rail network, while also providing more certainty that acute issues can be resolved.”



John Deere Announces Its 2024 Startup Collaborators

Deere & Company announced the names of six companies chosen for its 2024 Startup Collaborator program. The John Deere Startup Collaborator program was launched in 2019 to enhance and deepen the company’s interaction with startup companies whose technology could add value for ag and construction customers.

“The startup program is mutually beneficial for John Deere and the startup companies that participate,” said Dennis Muszalski, VP, Module & Electrification Systems Engineering. “The program is based on finding benefits for our customers. The goal is to learn together and explore new ways to help customers unlock more value in ways they never thought possible.”  

The companies participating in the 2024 Startup Collaborator include:
    Constellr – a company measuring land surface temperature and water from its own satellites at unprecedented accuracy levels to enable insights for a more sustainable future.

    Geminos – an artificial intelligence company empowering businesses to understand and leverage causality for enhanced decision-making.

    SB Quantum – a quantum sensing company focused on navigation based on a novel quantum magnetometer.

    Fermata Energy – a leader in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) bidirectional charging platform technology.

    goFlux – a Brazil based logistics company focused on digital solutions to connect the ecosystem for freight transactions.

    Cloudscape Labs – a production management software company focused on providing job site visibility across the construction team to help meet production, cost, and safety targets.

“The cohort this year represents a diverse group of solutions that are applicable across a range of challenges and opportunities that our customers face,” said Cody Sorge, Business Development Manager for the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group. “We look forward to working side by side with these companies to learn together regarding their solutions and how they can apply to John Deere customers in agriculture and construction.”