Wednesday December 21 Ag News

 Nebraska Women in Agriculture conference registration opens January 3

The 38th Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference will be held Feb. 23-24, 2023, in Kearney at the Holiday Inn Convention Center, 110 Second Ave.

New this year, a pre-conference workshop on the popular financial software, QuickBooks Online, will be held Feb. 22. This training will be provided by Mary Faber, a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor.  

During the conference, attendees can look forward to hearing from keynote speakers Kiah Twisselman Burchett, Paul Stoddard and Anne Meis. There will also be a special live performance of the one-act play, “Map of My Kingdom,” which tackles the critical issue of land transition. The work was commissioned by Practical Farmers of Iowa and written by Mary Swander, a recent poet laureate of Iowa.

In addition to the keynote speakers and play, participants will select from over 20 workshop options that cover the five areas of agricultural risk management: production, market, financial, human and legal. The conference will also offer continuing education credits for veterinary medicine professionals and certified crop advisors.  

“Every year, we look forward to our flagship event,” said Jessica Groskopf, director of the Nebraska Women in Agriculture program. “We are excited to bring industry-renowned workshop and keynote speakers to this year's conference. While this may only be a two-day event, the information and connections gained will be sure to last a lifetime.”

About the speakers
Kiah Twisselman Burchett is a rancher from California who is striving to inspire women to love themselves physically, mentally and emotionally — something she struggled with for years.  

Paul Stoddard works in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also operates an ag real estate business and will provide the latest updates on regional, national and international events and their impact on farm operations now and in the future.   

Anne Meis is a farmer from Elgin, Neb. She previously served as the chair of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance and was involved in constructing the Decade of Ag vision statement. Meis is also currently treasurer for the Nebraska Soybean Board.   

Registration opens Jan. 3. The cost for a two-day registration is $150 for participants who register on or before Feb. 8. The two-day registration fee increases to $175 on Feb. 9. The pre-conference workshop has an additional registration fee and is separate from the two-day conference registration.    

To see all the available registration options, visit the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website at https://wia.unl.edu.  

The Nebraska Women in Agriculture program will award up to 15 scholarships to students to attend the 2023 Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference. Any student attending a four-year college/university, two-year college, a vocational/technical school, or a 4-H or FFA member may apply for a scholarship to attend. Applicants will need to prepare an essay that answers the question: “Why do you want to attend the Nebraska Women in Agriculture Conference?” The essay response is limited to 3,000 characters. Applications must be submitted online by Feb.1.  

More information can be found at https://wia.unl.edu/scholarships.  

This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2020-70028-32728.



Webinar: Preparing for Loan Renewal
With Jessica Groskopf, Agricultural Economist, Nebraska Extension
Jan 5, 2023 12:00 PM

This webinar will focus on preparing balance sheets and cash flows, including details on how to value assets and inventory, refinancing, monthly vs. annual cash flow, operating loans and more.

Presented by the Center for Agricultural Profitability at the University of Nebraska.  More information and registration is available at https://cap.unl.edu/webinars.  



Grain Marketing Workshops in Hastings, Lincoln

Two upcoming Nebraska Extension workshops will help farmers develop grain marketing plans for 2023. Both programs will be presented Jan. 17 in Hastings at the Adams County Fairgrounds, 947 S. Baltimore Ave., and Jan. 18 in Lincoln at the office of Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County, 444 Cherrycreek Road.

Do you ever wonder what analysts are really saying about the grain markets? The first workshop, “Grain Marketing Lingo,” uses real audio and video examples to help participants get the “market talk” decoded. Nebraska Extension educator Jessica Groskopf will discuss basis, bears, bulls, long, short and more.

In the second workshop, “Grain Marketing – Playing the Long Game,” Cory Walters, associate professor in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Agricultural Economics, will explore how grain markets have evolved over time and ways to incorporate this information into your 2023 grain marketing decision making and production cost environment.  

Schedule:
Hastings, Jan. 17
    "Grain Marketing Lingo" 1 to 2:15 p.m.
    "Grain Marketing — Playing the Long Game" 2:30-4 p.m.

Lincoln, Jan. 18
    "Grain Marketing Lingo" 1 to 2:30 p.m.
    "Grain Marketing — Playing the Long Game" 3-4:30 p.m.

The workshops are free to attend, but registration is required by Jan. 16. To register for the Hastings programs, call the Adams County Extension Office at (402) 461-7209. To register for the Lincoln meetings, call the Lancaster County Extension office at (402)441-7180.



Northeast Community College vet tech students work with industry professionals in West Point

Students in one agriculture program at Northeast Community College had the opportunity to work with veterinary services professionals. Veterinary Technician students traveled to NVS Genetix to learn about embryo transfer in livestock.

NVS Genetix is a reproduction center that specialized in embryo collection and transfer in cattle, sheep, and goats. It collects grades, freezes, ships, and implants embryos.

“Experiences like this show students various aspects of veterinary medicine that are different from what we have at the college,” said Dr. Kassie Wessendorf, an instructor in the veterinary technician program.

Dr. Steve Hughes and LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technician) Vanessa Peterson from NVS Genetix showed students how to properly grade embryos, the steps for successful embryo transfer, the differences between in vivo derived embryos and in vitro embryos, and how to prepare recipient cows. Students were able to observe as Hughes implanted an embryo into a recipient cow and had the opportunity to palpate the cow’s reproductive tract before implantation. Peterson discussed how the process differs in cattle compared to sheep and goats and taught the students about surgical embryo collection and transfer in sheep and goats.

“Visiting NVS was an excellent opportunity for me as a vet tech student because I enjoyed learning about the process of artificial insemination and embryo transfer, said student Gicelle Garcia-Barraza, Hastings. “So much so, that I plan to become certified in artificial insemination to increase my knowledge as a veterinary technician.”

The student experience was part of a USDA grant the program received to encourage students to consider entering the food-animal medicine field.



University to add internship incentive to competitive bidding process

As part of a broad effort to expand paid internship opportunities for University of Nebraska students, the NU System will pilot a new program that incentivizes businesses to include internships in their proposals when participating in the university’s competitive bidding process, President Ted Carter announced today.

Beginning in 2023, businesses responding to certain university Requests for Proposals (RFPs) will be awarded bonus points if their plan for delivering the goods or services sought includes paid internships for NU students.

Carter noted that the NU System does $700 million in contracted business every year, engaging thousands of vendors in areas like facilities, business services, information technology, and research and science.

“Imagine the opportunities we will create by formally making internships a part of that conversation,” Carter said. “This is a win for businesses that urgently need more skilled workers, and for Nebraska’s workforce and economy, which depend on the University of Nebraska as a prime source of talent.

“Most importantly, this is a win for students. Adding an internship incentive to our RFP process has the potential to create new opportunities for students in just about every field of study at the University of Nebraska. We’ve made internships a high priority across the university system – this program is one way for us to turn our goal into real action that will make a difference for students and our state.”

Potential vendors will be notified of the opportunity to earn bonus points for offering internships in the RFP issued by the university. Offering internships will remain optional for all bidders, and bidders will continue to be evaluated on a range of factors in accordance with state law and Board of Regents policy.

Recognizing that internships can help students discover their career path as well as strengthen the workforce pipeline in Nebraska, Carter’s strategic plan for the NU System includes a goal to ensure that every student has a paid internship or experiential learning opportunity. All NU chancellors are also working to expand internships and experiential learning on their campuses.



I-29 Moo University Winter Workshop Will Focus on Carbon and Market Access

I-29 Moo University collaborators encourage dairy producers to register for the upcoming I-29 Moo University Winter Workshop. This year’s theme is “Milking the Carbon Cow.” The workshops will take place on Wednesday January 11th at Wilbert Square Event Center, 931 25th Ave., Brookings, SD 57006.

“This workshop will highlight a number of experts who will focus on topics that will help dairy producers understand carbon credits and market access.” explained Fred Hall, dairy field specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach.

The workshop begins at 10 a.m., with registration and refreshments and will conclude at 3 pm.

Registration fees are $10 per person. Pre-registration is requested by Jan. 5 to allow for meal counts and materials. To register, visit https://go.iastate.edu/JKCIXA. 

Workshop topics include:
·         Measuring, Managing and Modeling for the future- FARM ES; Kaitlyn Briggs, Director of Environmental Research, DMI
·         What’s all the Fuss about Carbon: A Soil Perspective, Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist
·         Opportunities and considerations in carbon markets; Leif Fixen, Agriculture Strategy manager, The Nature Conservancy
·         PANEL: Moderator- Jim Salfer (U of MN)
                       Advisors; Leif Fixen (NC), Anthony Bly (SDSU), Kaitlyn Briggs (DMI)
                       Producers: Lynn Boadwine (SD), Grant Post (MN)

For the full agenda, visit the I-29 Moo University events webpage.

I-29 Moo University represents a collaboration of land-grant University Extension specialists from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota and representatives from the dairy industry with complementary expertise and knowledge of dairy production and management in the region.




NEW Cooperative Donates 2,900 Hams to Local Food Pantries

The week of December 12th NEW Cooperative, Inc. held the 6th Annual Hams for Hunger Event. Since 2017, the Hams for Hunger Program has donated thousands of hams to the in-need population. 

“NEW Cooperative members raise grain and livestock to feed the world. We feel it is important to help the in-need population with a ham to ensure a high-quality holiday dinner.” stated Gary Moritz, NEW Cooperative’s Communications Director. “The local food pantries need many items with meat products on top of list. We thank the local pantries for distributing the hams in time for Christmas.” 

The hogs are raised and fed with local corn grown by NEW Cooperative’s farmers. The hams are purchased locally from Webster City Custom Meats. The hams are now feeding our local communities. The perfect example of agriculture coming full circle.”

Throughout the week, NEW Cooperative delivered over 2,900 hams to 27 local food pantries in 21 counties in NEW Cooperative’s trade territory. The area served is from Monona County in western Iowa, north to Dickson County and east to Wright County.



Jason Henderson to Lead Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Programs

Jason Henderson has been appointed vice president of Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach programs.

Henderson, who currently serves as director of extension and senior associate dean for faculty development in the Purdue University College of Agriculture, as well as assistant vice provost for engagement, will join Iowa State on April 3, 2023. He succeeds John Lawrence, who announced his plans to retire in spring 2023.

“Jason Henderson brings a wealth of experience to Iowa State University, both as an agricultural economist and an academic leader,” said President Wendy Wintersteen. “He was raised on a family dairy farm in northeast Iowa. He understands the needs of Iowa’s rural communities and the critical role extension and outreach plays in their vitality and success.”

Henderson holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Central College in Pella and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in agricultural economics from Purdue University. He served in several positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, including vice president and Omaha branch executive, before joining Purdue in 2013 as extension director, associate dean, and assistant vice provost of engagement.

A nationally recognized expert in agricultural and rural issues, Henderson has published more than 80 research articles in academic and Federal Reserve publications on topics such as land values, entrepreneurship, e-commerce in agricultural industries, changing demographics in rural America, and value-added food manufacturing.

“Leading Iowa State’s extension and outreach programs is a tremendous and humbling opportunity,” Henderson said. “As a native Iowan, I am excited for this opportunity to serve my home state, and to work with our team of faculty, staff, and county leaders to maintain a strong Iowa."

In making the announcement, Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert praised Lawrence for his performance in the role, and thanked members of the search committee for their thoughtful consideration of candidates.



Weekly Ethanol Production for 12/16/2022

According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending December 16, ethanol production slowed by 3.0% to 1.029 million b/d, equivalent to 43.22 million gallons daily. Production was 2.1% lower than the same week last year and 1.9% below the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production decreased 0.3% to 1.046 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.04 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks drew down 1.4% to 24.1 million barrels. However, stocks were 16.2% more than a year ago and 8.9% above the five-year average. Inventories tightened across all regions except the East Coast (PADD 1).

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, jumped 5.6% in advance of the holidays to a five-week high of 8.71 million b/d (133.59 bg annualized). Yet, demand was 3.0% less than a year ago and 3.5% below the five-year average.

Conversely, refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol slipped 0.3% to 876,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.43 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.7% less than a year ago and 2.7% below the five-year average.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the second consecutive week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of October 2022.)



Potash Leads Retail Fertilizer Prices Lower

Average retail prices for all but one fertilizer tracked by DTN continued to be lower than a year ago in the third week of December 2022. And for the first time in several months, one fertilizer was significantly lower. DTN designates a substantial move as anything 5% or more.

Potash was 5% less expensive compared to last month with an average price of $807 per ton. Retail prices for six other fertilizers were also slightly less expensive. DAP had an average price of $902 per ton, MAP $939/ton, urea $779/ton, 10-34-0 $750/ton, anhydrous $1,415/ton and UAN28 $579/ton.

The remaining fertilizer, UAN32, was just slightly more expensive than last month with an average price of $682/ton.

On a price per pound of nitrogen basis, the average urea price was at $0.85/lb.N, anhydrous $0.86/lb.N, UAN28 $1.03/lb.N and UAN32 $1.07/lb.N.

Fertilizer prices are now nearly evenly mixed at higher or lower from one year earlier. This week, four fertilizers are lower while the other four are higher. Both anhydrous and UAN28 are now 1% lower, while 10-34-0 is 5% less expensive and urea is 14% compared to last year. Both MAP and potash are 1% higher, while UAN32 is 3% more expensive and DAP is 5% higher compared to one year earlier.



Three Cheers for Taylor Confirmation!

The American Soybean Association is elated that the Senate has, after a prolonged wait, confirmed Alexis Taylor to be USDA’s Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. ASA and myriad other ag groups have pushed Senate leadership for months to prioritize confirmation of Taylor for the USDA Under Secretary position and, likewise, Doug McKalip to serve as Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Taylor is an Iowa native who has directed the Oregon Agriculture Department since 2016. She will oversee USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and trade promotion programs, both components of which are extremely important to the U.S. soy industry.

Farm organizations, in letters supporting Taylor’s confirmation, have outlined her numerous qualifications for the role, including many years working in Congress that contributed to her Obama administration appointment as USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services. At USDA, she helped ensure agricultural stakeholders’ voices were at the table as the U.S. worked to open markets around the globe.

Following her nomination in May, Stephen Censky, CEO of ASA, said of Taylor, "Alexis has a depth of knowledge about agricultural trade and public policy, and her background, experience, and network will serve her well in this post. U.S. soy growers look forward to welcoming her back to USDA and working with her on issues facing soybean exports."

We are extremely hopeful President Biden’s other lingering appointee, Doug McKalip, will likewise be confirmed this week during the final lame duck hours.



NCGA Praises Approval of Alexis Taylor as Undersecretary for Trade and U.S. Agricultural Affairs

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) applauded the U.S. Senate for approving the nomination of Alexis Taylor today as undersecretary for trade and U.S. agricultural affairs at USDA.

“This is an exciting development,” said NCGA Vice President of public policy Brooke S. Appleton. “Getting Alexis’s confirmation through the Senate has been one of our top priorities, as she is someone with a deep understanding of agricultural issues and is widely respected by policymakers on both sides of the aisle. Approval of this nomination comes at a pivotal time for us as we work to address a pending decree that would block biotech corn imports into Mexico.”

Taylor, who most recently served as the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, has worked as a policy expert on ag issues for several members of Congress and managed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.

An Iraq veteran, Taylor grew up in Iowa on her family’s 160-year-old farm.



NCBA Congratulates Alexis Taylor on Confirmation as USDA Under Secretary for Trade

Today, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane released a statement following the confirmation of Alexis Taylor as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

“NCBA congratulates Alexis Taylor on her confirmation as USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. We have worked closely with Ms. Taylor in her previous roles at USDA and on Capitol Hill, and she is a proven advocate for farmers and ranchers. We look forward to partnering with Ms. Taylor to open new markets to American beef and help U.S. cattle producers see even more benefit from trade.”



USMEF Statement on Senate Confirmation of Alexis Taylor

Today the U.S. Senate confirmed Alexis Taylor to serve as USDA under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued this statement:

USMEF thanks the U.S. Senate for its confirmation of Alexis Taylor, who will be a tremdendous asset to USDA and a champion for U.S. agriculture. USMEF had many opportunities to work with Ms. Taylor in her previous roles at USDA and she brings an exceptionally strong background and track record to this key position.



AFBF Statement on Confirmation of Alexis Taylor as USDA Trade Undersecretary

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented on today’s Senate confirmation of Alexis Taylor as USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural services.

“I’m confident Alexis Taylor will do a great job in this important role at USDA and I’m pleased she was finally confirmed. Her previous experience at USDA, on Capitol Hill and leading a state department of agriculture are solid preparation for what will be a big job.

“Trade is critically important to U.S. agriculture, and we need a strong advocate on the world stage and capable leader for the USDA staff who serve as our eyes and ears around the globe. Alexis will be both. Our team at AFBF looks forward to working with her to pursue new and expanded market opportunities for our agricultural products.

“I urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm Doug McKalip as chief agricultural trade negotiator at USTR, too. It’s critical for U.S. agriculture to be well represented in trade negotiations and dispute resolution discussions, and this vacancy puts us at a disadvantage.”



Senate Confirms Taylor As USDA Undersecretary

The U.S. Grains Council offered this reaction to the Senate’s confirmation of Alexis Taylor as USDA Trade Undersecretary:

The U.S. Grains Council welcomes the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Alexis Taylor to serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs.

Alexis has a strong background in agriculture from growing up on a farm in Iowa and also has a deep knowledge of trade issues from her time on Capitol Hill and with USDA in previous roles. We look forward to working with her to promote American agriculture.



Dairy Welcomes Senate Confirmation of Alexis Taylor to Serve as USDA’s Top Trade Official

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) today commended the Senate’s confirmation of Alexis Taylor to the position of USDA’s Under Secretary of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

As the USDA’s top trade official, Taylor will lead a team of negotiators responsible for implementing USDA’s trade policy, accelerating foreign market access, and promoting opportunities for U.S. agriculture. This is an especially important position for America’s dairy farmers, who last year exported over 17% of the milk they produced.

With Taylor’s confirmation today, the Senate sent an unambiguous signal that the interests of the American dairy community will be represented in U.S. trade negotiations.

“We are extremely pleased that the Senate has confirmed Ms. Taylor,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “Her dedication and experience make her the perfect choice to serve American dairy producers and cooperatives’ goals of expanding access to international markets through this crucial role. We look forward to working together in ensuring agricultural export opportunities are included in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and other trade initiatives, in ensuring USMCA is fully and fairly implemented, and in tackling barriers to U.S. dairy exports in markets around the world. ”

Taylor’s confirmation comes during a key time for the U.S. dairy sector. While competitors’ trade agreements and the EU’s aggressive efforts to monopolize common food names pose significant challenges, dairy consumption is growing exponentially in many markets around the world.

“The U.S. dairy industry has an incredible opportunity to meet the rising global demand for sustainably produced dairy products,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “So much of the health of American agriculture and the nation’s dairy community is tied to ensuring that our products can reach consumers around the world. We’re thrilled that Alexis Taylor will help lead this effort and excited to work together to serve the American dairy sector and broader agricultural industry.”

NMPF and USDEC also call on the Senate to quickly confirm Doug McKalip to serve as Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. McKalip has served for decades at the USDA and White House and is a passionate advocate for U.S. agriculture.

“It’s regrettable that filling this important position has been delayed for so long,” lamented Mulhern. “Given the key role of the chief negotiator in advancing U.S. agriculture’s trade agenda, we urge the Senate to confirm Mr. McKalip without further delay.”



Wheat Industry Applauds U.S. Senate Confirmation of Alexis Taylor

The National Association of Wheat Growers and U.S. Wheat Associates welcomes the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Alexis Taylor to serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs. Earlier today, the Senate confirmed Taylor by a voice vote.

“NAWG applauds the confirmation of Alexis Taylor to this key role, and I personally congratulate her for this historic appointment,” said NAWG CEO Chandler Goule. “I have worked with Alexis for over 15 years, and I know the agriculture industry will benefit immensely from her expertise. She is a widely recognized leader on agriculture policy and has the domestic and international experience to help navigate U.S. agriculture through growing global changes and help expand markets for U.S. agricultural products. We appreciate the Senate’s bipartisan support of Alexis and look forward to working with her.”

“Global markets for food and agricultural products like milling wheat are growing, so finally having Ms. Taylor in this position will help re-establish the United States as a leading export market participant,” said USW President Vince Peterson. “After serving as Agriculture Director in Oregon she understands just how important it is to maintain a strong promotional effort in export markets. We look forward to working with her to build overseas markets for U.S. wheat.”

The Trade and Foreign Agriculture Affairs mission area plays a crucial role in developing and implementing USDA’s trade policy, oversees and facilitates foreign market access, and promotion opportunities for U.S. agriculture. The wheat industry looks forward to working with Alexis Taylor to advocate for U.S. wheat farmers and American agriculture.



NCGA CEO Set to Depart Organization at Year’s End

Jon Doggett, a forceful and highly successful advocate for agriculture during his 35-year career as a lobbyist and chief executive, is preparing to depart the National Corn Growers Association at the end of the month.

While Doggett has said it’s not a retirement, he has indicated he will use his free time to explore some of his passions, including spending more time with his grandchildren and kayaking.
 
Those who have worked closely with Doggett say his legacy will live on in the nation’s capital.

“Anyone who knows anything about agriculture and Washington knows that Jon is one of the best lobbyists and leaders in the city,” said NCGA President Tom Haag. “He has left his mark through tremendous policy accomplishments, such as the passage of the Renewable Fuels Standard and through his mentorship of up-and-coming lobbyists and leaders in Washington.”

Doggett began his career in 1987 as a legislative aide to the late Rep. Ron Marlenee (R-Mont.). After an 11-year stint at the American Farm Bureau Federation, Doggett came to NCGA in 2002 as a vice president of public policy. He would later take the helm of the organization, beginning his tenure as CEO in 2018.

The Washington he leaves is very different than the one he entered in the 80s. While the three-martini lunch was long gone at the time, vestiges of the Mad Men era lived on. Offices were still male-dominated, minorities and women rarely held positions of political power and business etiquette still resembled aspects of the 60s. For example, people smoked cigarettes openly in their offices, something unheard of today.

Doggett spent his career working to change much of that culture, throwing his support behind up-and-coming female professionals and working to create an office culture that was friendly to groups that had historically faced discrimination.

“Jon didn’t just push his staff to be better; he pushed NCGA to be better,” said former NCGA staffer Lesly Weber McNitt, who is now senior staff for the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. “He fought for a better maternity leave policy, and I was the first employee to benefit from the improved maternity leave policy when I had my daughter. As a result, I was a better mom and a better employee.”

Those working with Doggett say he is as smart as he is blunt.

“Jon is effective because he is an excellent visionary and tactician,” said Haag. “He also isn’t afraid to tell you what he thinks. You don’t have to worry about groupthink when Jon’s in the room.”

Staffers have noted that Doggett is known for keeping a coffee cup on his desks that reads: “I could agree with you, but then we would both be wrong.”

The agricultural community has benefitted from his direct style. For example, when tariffs were placed on fertilizer imports in 2021 at the behest of two major fertilizer companies, Doggett wrote a scathing op-ed taking fertilizer executives to task for their actions. Publication of the op-ed marked a turning point in the debate on the issue and was a topic of discussion amongst top executives at the fertilizer companies.

He has spent the majority of his career fighting tooth and nail for ethanol. This year, an op-ed by Doggett touting the benefits of ethanol was published on the Fox Business website. In the piece, Doggett highlighted how important ethanol is to America’s energy security.

Doggett was one of the first people to hear from Secretary Vilsack after the USDA leader traveled to Mexico City in late November to meet with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador over a promised decree to end imports of biotech corn. The trip, which was widely applauded by the agricultural community, came after NCGA had called on the Biden administration to act.

“Jon gets things done because he knows people and understands how Washington works,” said Haag. “There will never be another Jon Doggett.”

The search for a new NCGA CEO is underway.



FFAR Grant Tackles Peanut Allergy

Peanuts are an affordable source of proteins and are an important source of beneficial fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Despite its unique nutrient profile and affordability, the peanut is also a primary source of food allergies. Peanuts contain specific proteins that are allergenic, causing dangerous and sometimes life-threatening reactions in peanut-sensitive individuals. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is awarding a $299,922 Seeding Solutions grant to Clemson University to develop reduced allergenic, high-oleic peanut genotypes, essentially reducing the allergens within peanuts while increasing the healthy fats. Clemson University, North Carolina State University and The University at North Carolina at Chapel Hill provided matching funds for a total $609,816 investment.

“This novel research offers a solution to peanut allergy,” said Dr. Saharah Moon Chapotin,  FFAR executive director. “Current remedies for peanut allergy target the human response to the allergens, not the peanut allergens themselves. This project has two main goals: make peanuts less allergenic by reducing the number of allergen-causing proteins, while also increasing the amount of healthy oil.”

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, peanuts, along with tree nuts, are responsible for 90% of allergy-related fatalities. Allergic reactions to peanuts are caused by the allergenic proteins that peanuts contain. Researchers will use a variety of methods, including germplasm screening and gene editing, to reduce the quantity of allergen-causing proteins. The research also will simultaneously increase the amount of high-oleic fatty acids in peanuts, which offer many of the health benefits typically associated with olive oil, including helping to lower bad cholesterol, raising good cholesterol and promoting good overall cardiovascular health.

Clemson University researchers are developing reduced immunogenicity peanut genotypes using conventional plant breeding and genome editing approaches. The team will evaluate peanut genotypes for their protein content and composition using biochemical and immunological assays for their safety for peanut-sensitive individuals. The biochemical assays include electrophoresis, chromatography and mass spectrometry, and the immunological assays include enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and activation tests of basophil immune cells (BAT). Researchers will develop these genotypes in peanuts with high oleic acid content.  

“These genotypes will carry the dual benefit of being non-inducive for sensitive individuals and non-conducive for cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Sachin Rustgi, principal investigator and associate professor at Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center. “In addition, these genotypes will serve as an affordable alternative to recently approved oral immunotherapy, if administered under medical guidance, and will trigger a less severe reaction in peanut-allergic individuals upon exposure. Hence, these genotypes will alleviate the need to create and maintain a peanut-free environment and likely reduce peanut allergy management costs. We are working with producer-driven commodity boards, such as South Carolina Peanut Board and the National Peanut Board, and now with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research; these grants allow for fostering the ties between the research team and the producers, which is vital for the release of these genotypes, their production and consumption.”  

This research has numerous benefits. Consumers will benefit from the readily available and affordable reduced-immunogenicity peanut genotypes. Also, the availability of such peanut genotypes will allow peanut-insensitive individuals to enjoy an allergen-safe variety in public settings such as schools and airplanes, where peanuts and derived products are not served to create accommodation for sensitive individuals. Peanut genotypes with high oleic and low linoleic content will additionally exhibit long shelf-life and tolerance to heat stress, benefiting growers, producers and consumers. These peanut genotypes will create a healthy choice for farmers in low-income countries who farm for sustenance and generally do not have options to switch crops due to soil health, fiscal, political or social reasons.  

The reduced-immunogenicity, high-oleic peanut genotypes and resources developed during this project will be made freely available to public peanut breeding programs in the U.S. and elsewhere.