Retail Industry

The New Survival Skill: Build Like a Polymath, Lead Like a CEO

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:15:55 GMT

Have you been concerned about jobs being eliminated because of artificial intelligence (AI)? My exhortation is that, now more than ever, if you want to protect your position in the market, your company and your role, you must become more innovative and entrepreneurial with and through AI.

To lead, not just survive but thrive, you must become an AI-driven entrepreneurial polymath.

Some entrepreneurs dedicate their lives to building and scaling a single enterprise, but the most impactful among them — entrepreneurial polymaths (or serial entrepreneurs) — never stop creating. They build multiple ventures, innovate across disciplines and contribute to both industry and society.

Polymath comes from the Greek “polymathēs” — “having learned much.” Historically, polymaths like Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin applied mastery across multiple fields. In an entrepreneurial context, a polymath entrepreneur blends adaptability and insatiable curiosity with the commercial instincts to turn knowledge and innovation into enterprises.

Where the typical entrepreneur may invest all energy into one idea, the polymath entrepreneur has a restless drive to solve problems repeatedly. With AI, this isn’t just easier; it has become essential for survival.

The question for you is: Are you a maintainer, a one-venture wonder, or do you have the capacity for ongoing leadership and innovation across multiple pursuits?

Leverage for Leaders

Over my career I have interacted with thousands of CEOs, hundreds of whom have been clients and many who have become friends. The most fascinating and fruitful among them have always been the polymath entrepreneurs.

Whether they wear the title of CEO, founder or simply manager, they are the true engines of progress. They see opportunities others overlook, and in an age of technological disruption and AI, they often find it easy to reinvent industries.

But vision and creativity alone are not enough. As Peter Drucker reminds us, “Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice.”

Entrepreneurs often have blind spots in the disciplines of management, strategy, innovation management, implementation, culture, resource allocation, productivity and sustainable value creation. Without these, even a polymath’s brilliance can stall.

One shortcut is leverage: Partner with external strategists who’ve implemented AI-driven innovations across many businesses, so you’re not learning everything the expensive way, through delays, misfires and internal politics.

When partnered with strong functional leadership, however, the polymath entrepreneur becomes nearly unstoppable. Their power multiplies when aligned with:

Operations leadership (chief operating officer/VP of operations) to translate vision into scalable systems.
Financial leadership (chief financial officer) to ensure disciplined capital allocation and risk management.
Specialized expertise (e.g., internal full-time or external consulting or fractional chief marketing officer, chief information officer or chief strategy officer) to deepen customer, technology or domain execution.

As Michael Porter taught: “The essence of strategy is choosing what not to do.” The polymath thrives because they can choose across domains, letting go of the old to seize the new. And as Joseph Schumpeter argued in “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy,” the entrepreneur is the true agent of “creative destruction.” The polymath entrepreneur embodies this, not just once, but repeatedly, breaking down old models and building new ones.

Unlike the myth that entrepreneurship is a product of personality or charisma, whether Steve Jobs at Apple, Richard Branson at Virgin or Elon Musk with his many ventures, Drucker insisted that entrepreneurship is a discipline. It can be studied, replicated and managed. What separates polymath entrepreneurs is their repeated ability to master this discipline across domains.

Bottom line: The most successful will be those who will be applying the fast-evolving tools of AI to not just innovate and add new value through the optimization of your organization but also to create new solutions for your customer/market that innovate your industry — and often will create a new sustainable business faster and more value-creating than ever before.

Mark Faust (513-621-8000, mark@em1990.com) works with owners, CEOs and sales managers who want to grow their businesses. You can schedule a free profit improvement session with Mark by visiting calendly.com/markfaust . Read more ideas from him here .

Iowa Farmer Battles Today's Pests While Eyeing Tomorrow's 'Mean Sixteen' Threats

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:31:41 GMT

For Worth County, Iowa, farmer Sarah Tweeten, the list of high-priority agronomic threats isn’t a political abstract — it’s a harsh reality she deals with every season.

Farming with her parents, Brian and Julie, and her uncle Roger, Tweeten has been steering the partnership toward more resilient cropping practices since joining the operation in 2021. This includes shifting from conventional tillage to strip tillage and splitting nitrogen applications.

The changes are part of a broader mindset: Protecting yields today from weeds, disease and insects while aggressively preparing for the next generation of agronomic threats. This forward-thinking approach is what led Tweeten to Washington, D.C., earlier this week as a Farm Journal Foundation farmer ambassador to help introduce a new report: “ The Mean Sixteen: Major Biosecurity Threats Facing U.S. Agriculture and How Policy Solutions Can Help. ”

Today’s Battles and Tomorrow’s Warnings
Researched and developed by Stephanie Mercier, PhD, the report takes an in-depth look at 16 significant pest issues U.S. farmers face now or could realistically in the future.

Tweeten is already battling a couple of the problems that underpin the urgency behind the research. For example, Palmer amaranth (pigweed) is gaining ground in her fields and across Iowa. The pervasive broadleaf weed can drastically reduce yields, with studies showing corn yield reductions between 11% and 91% and soybean yield reductions of 17% to 68%.

“We’ve struggled with pigweed as it continues to establish more resistance to our herbicides in our toolkit,” Tweeten says.

Two additional agronomic issues the report details include:

1. Asian Soybean Rust. First detected in the U.S. in Louisiana in 2004, this fungal disease has spread to southern states like Georgia and Mississippi. Scientists warn that warming winters could enable its migration to the Midwest, adding to existing disease pressures.

2. Corn Ear Rot. It can lead to aflatoxin production, making corn unmarketable and posing risks to humans and livestock. Aflatoxin is an issue Pickens County, Ala., farmer Annie Dee says is an ongoing problem for corn growers in her area.

“If we have aflatoxin, it can be impossible to sell the corn,” says Dee, also a Farm Journal Foundation Farmer ambassador.

A more recent threat she references is the impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) on local poultry farms.

Since January 2022, HPAI has been confirmed in a commercial or backyard poultry flock in all 50 states.

(USDA)

“An important market for us is poultry feed meal, so that’s a constant worry. The trickle-down effect is if we can’t move our corn then we can’t meet our financial obligations,” Dee adds.

Despite agricultural R&D offering a high ROI — $20 in benefits for every $1 spent — the Farm Journal Foundation report notes public funding for ag research has been declining over the past two decades.

“Farmers urgently need sustained support for aflatoxin research and prevention because these risks threaten our yields, our markets and the trust consumers place in American agriculture,” Dee says.

U.S. public spending on ag research and development has been falling for two decades.

(USDA-ERS)

African Swine Fever Has ‘Devastating Potential’
Looking to the future, Tweeten says she is concerned about African swine fever (ASF) and its potential to impact crop farmers as well as hog producers. The highly contagious swine disease hasn’t been detected in the U.S. mainland, but it isn’t far away. ASF has been confirmed in the Caribbean countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, roughly 700 miles from Miami, Fla.

“Being a farmer from Iowa, where we have probably eight times the amount of pigs as we do people, an outbreak of ASF would be just devastating to our state,” Tweeten says.

Hogs are among the biggest customers for the corn and soybeans Tweeten and her family grow. If African swine fever were to shut down hog production or exports, it wouldn’t just be a blow to livestock producers – it would hurt the entire agricultural community, she contends.

Read about 5 livestock diseases that could impact U.S. food security and economic stability.

Food Security Is National Security
When it comes to justifying funding for ag research, Tweeten knows there’s competition for every federal dollar. But she believes agriculture deserves a front-row seat — not only because of its economic weight and impact on farmers, but because of its role in national security.

“There’s that argument that food security is national security,” she says. “If there’s one thing COVID made us aware of, it’s that a disruption to our food chain can be terrifying, quite frankly.”

The pandemic made consumers and policymakers more aware of supply chain vulnerability. In 2020, the shock to the supply chain came from a human disease and logistical bottlenecks.

(Sarah Williams Photography)

Next time, Tweeten says, the disruption could just as easily come from animal or plant disease — whether African swine fever in hogs, Asian soybean rust or some other pathogen in crops. She worries about scenarios where farmers could face a fast-moving disease or crop pest while critical tools are still hung up in regulatory delays.

Her message: Farmers need a full toolbox, not one that’s half-built by the time a threat arrives.

“Ag needs to be in a good position when these sorts of emerging diseases and pests come into the country,” she says, “to have the tools in our toolbox ready for farmers to pull out.”

About the Farm Journal Foundation
The Farm Journal Foundation is a farmer-centered, non-profit, nonpartisan organization established in 2010. It works to advance agricultural innovation, food and nutrition security, conservation, and rural economic development.

West Nile Virus Activity Spikes to 20-Year High in the Midwest

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 22:08:01 GMT

Scouting cornfields now might net you a different problem than the insects you might have anticipated encountering. An Iowa State University researcher says there are “very high levels” of West Nile virus (WNV) trending in Iowa and other Midwestern states currently.

“This week had the highest observed WNV activity at this point in the summer observed in over 20 years. This trend is of serious concern for the next eight weeks when WNV transmission risks are the highest,” writes Erin Hodgson , ISU Extension entomologist specialist.

To date in 2025, there have been 219 cases of WNV reported in 29 states. In 2024, there was a total of 1,466 cases of WNV reported in the U.S., according to Vector Disease Control International.

In Iowa, data is generated from ongoing mosquito surveillance efforts coordinated by Ryan Smith, ISU associate professor and entomologist. Smith has implemented an interdisciplinary approach to examine mosquito immunity and mosquito-borne disease transmission.

Leading Cause Of Mosquito-Borne Disease
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a Culex mosquito, commonly called a house mosquito. It typically picks up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the continental United States.

In general, people do not spread the infection.

There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people. Fortunately, most people infected with the virus do not feel sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 20% of people who contract the disease will experience mild symptoms like fever, headache, and body aches.

In a small percentage of cases, the virus can cause serious neuroinvasive disease issues, such as encephalitis or meningitis, which can be severe and even fatal, the CDC reports.

People older than 60 and those with weakened immune systems are at highest risk for severe illness.

The CDC offers an interactive site where you can view and track the total number of human infections of WNV reported on a county-by-county basis. See current results in your county here .

Implement The Three Rs
To prevent mosquito bites, the CDC encourages people to practice the ‘Three Rs’:

REDUCE - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.

REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a light-colored, long-sleeved shirt, and apply an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR 3535, para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. Your local health department or city government may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito larvae.

Your next read: Southern Rust Has Infected Iowa Corn in ‘Likely Every County’

Could EPA Decision Signal The Beginning Of The End For DEF?

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 16:26:25 GMT

Mike Berdo has strong words to describe his ongoing experiences using machinery requiring DEF ( Diesel Exhaust Fluid ) on his southeast Iowa farm.

“It has been an absolute nightmare, at least for us. Mechanics make trip after trip to do little stuff that’s very expensive to fix,” said Berdo, who produces grain and beef cattle near Washington. “We had planting delays last spring … little stuff that came from it and just seemed like [an issue to deal with] day after day.”

The ongoing mechanical issues and costs are why Berdo said he is “all for” EPA rescinding the 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding. The Finding has enabled the agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under Section 202 of the Clean Air Act and, in recent years, and launch requirements such as the use of DEF systems in diesel-powered engines.

EPA Draws A Line In The Sand
On Tuesday, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin released a proposal to rescind the 2009 Finding.

If finalized, the proposal would remove all greenhouse gas standards for light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and heavy-duty engines, EPA said in a follow-up press release .

The move would start with EPA’s first greenhouse gas standard set in 2010 for light-duty vehicles and those set in 2011 for medium-duty vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles and engines.

EPA said the proposal is expected to “save Americans $54 billion in costs annually through the repeal of all greenhouse gas standards, including the Biden EPA’s electric vehicle mandate, under conservative economic forecasts.”

Zeldin made the announcement to rescind the Finding in Indiana, alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and called it the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history.

What The Decision Could Mean To Farmers
Specific to U.S. farmers, the proposal could potentially result in DEF systems no longer being included on new tractors and other heavy equipment using diesel-powered engines, said Chip Flory, host of AgriTalk, during a Farmer Forum discussion on Wednesday.

South Dakota farmer Ryan Wagner told Flory he has a wait-and-see perspective on how or whether the EPA proposal goes into effect. He anticipates that reversing the Finding will take considerable time and effort for EPA to implement.

“It took a long time with the interim engines and things to get into full DEF in the first place,” Wagner said. “I don’t know how long it would take to unwind all that and how quickly manufacturing will just take those systems right off, but it’ll be interesting to see what happens.”

To Wagner’s point, here’s a brief look back at some timing showing when DEF rolled out in agriculture and nonroad equipment and became mandatory . The regulations were phased in over several years based on the type of equipment and engine size:

2008: DEF became required for all new diesel engines with engine sizes over 750 horsepower.

2011: the regulations expanded to include equipment with engine sizes between 175-750 horsepower.

By 2015, all new nonroad diesel engines were required to be Tier 4 compliant and utilize DEF, regardless of equipment type or engine size.

As Wagner considers DEF, he noted its use in diesel engines has provided him with one benefit: “On the plus side, I do like that they don’t make the walls of my shop black. That’s been nice,” he said. “You can run them inside for a short time and not not feel like you’re breathing in a bunch of soot and making everything black.”

Expect Legal Challenges To EPA Decision
A number of environmental groups have already blasted the move by EPA, saying it spells the end of the road for U.S. action against climate change, according to an online article by Reuters .

Legal challenges from various environmental groups, states and lawyers are likely ahead.

That fact wasn’t lost on Flory and the Farmer Forum participants during the AgriTalk discussion on Wednesday.

“If this proposal is finalized, it’s going to start a lot of conversations … and the dominoes are going to start to fall, something that we need to keep track of, no doubt,” Flory said. You can hear the complete Farmer Forum discussion on AgriTalk here:

EPA will initiate a public comment period to solicit input. Further information on the public comment process and instructions for participation will be published in the Federal Register and on the EPA website .

Your next read: Right To Repair Granted? John Deere Launches Digital Self-Repair Tool for $195 Per Tractor

Chinese Scientist Accused Of Smuggling ‘Potential Agroterrorism Weapon’ Into the U.S.

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:10:37 GMT

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with trying to smuggle a fungus, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud.

The charges against the pair were unsealed in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, on Tuesday.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office references Fusarium graminearum online as a “dangerous biological pathogen … which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Fusarium graminearum causes significant diseases in a number of U.S.-grown food crops, including corn, wheat, barley, soybeans and rice.

Diseases caused include Fusarium head blight (scab) in wheat, and two corn diseases Gibberella ear rot and Gibberella stalk rot , which can lower yield and feed quality of silage corn, according to the Crop Protection Network, a partnership of land grant universities.

Toxins the fungus produces can cause vomiting, liver damage, reproductive defects and mycotoxin-induced immunosuppression in humans and livestock, including cattle, hogs, horses and poultry.

One Scientist Arrested, One Returned To China
The 25-page criminal complaint alleges Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DMA) in July 2024, so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked at the time.

Jian had been living in the U.S. and working at the university laboratory since 2022.

The roots of the case involving Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, stretch back to March 2024. That is when Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the U.S.

(The Detroit News and Sanilac County Jail)

According to the criminal complaint, Jian and Liu had both previously conducted work on the fungus in China.

Officials further allege Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Jian, who was arrested by the FBI, remains in federal custody. On Thursday, her detention hearing was adjourned until 1 p.m. June 13 to allow time for a new defense attorney to get up to speed.

Liu was sent back to China last year after changing his story during an interrogation at the Detroit airport about red plant material discovered in a wad of tissues in his backpack, the FBI says.

The U.S. does not have an extradition treaty with China, which makes Liu’s arrest unlikely unless he returns.

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals,” the university added. “We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”

In a statement released on June 3, the University of Michigan said it condemns “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.”

(Michigan News Source)

Boyfriend Spills Intentions To Investigators
An article in The Detroit News said Liu told investigators during an interrogation at the Detroit airport he planned to clone the different strains and make additional samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed, according to the government.

“Liu stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials,” an FBI agent wrote. “Liu confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research in the United States.”

Liu told investigators he planned on using UM’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory to research the biological materials, the FBI agent wrote.

“Liu stated that, while he was in the United States, he would have free access to the laboratory at the University of Michigan on some days, and that other days his girlfriend would give him access to the laboratory to conduct his research,” The Detroit News article reported.

Before preventing Liu from entering the U.S. and sending him back to China, the investigators found messages between the couple that indicate Jian previously smuggled biological material into the U.S., the FBI agent wrote.

The messages are from August 2022 and discuss smuggling seeds into the U.S.

Lawmakers Respond To The Criminal Complaint
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that the Justice Department “has no higher mission than keeping the American people safe and protecting our nation from hostile foreign actors who would do us harm.”

“Thanks to the hard work of our excellent DOJ attorneys, this defendant — who clandestinely attempted to bring a destructive substance into the United States — will face years behind bars,” the attorney general says.

“I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday.

(FBI)

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian late Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter.

“This case is a sobering reminder that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences … putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon says the criminal charges against Jian and Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate its agricultural economy and cause harm to humans.

“This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners,” says Raybon in a prepared statement. “I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

Your next read: Surveillance State: Game Wardens Sued for Secret Private Land Intrusions in Alabama

Global Power Balance: Do BRICS+ Countries Still Need U.S. Agriculture?

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 20:52:38 GMT

The good news: BRICS+ is still a net ag importer.

The bad news: all signs are pointing toward the alliance of countries moving away from the U.S. and the West.

Who are the BRICS+ countries?

First formed as an alliance in the early 2000s, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa were the original countries which then expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. In addition to the official members, there are partner and observer states as well as a long of countries who have applied for membership—so in all more than 30 countries.

Together, this alliance totals more than 30% of the global GDP, and 64% of the world’s population.

What should U.S. agriculture be focused on?
After hearing questions from farmers, Matt Clark, an economist at Terrain, published a report to answer those inquiries about the next world superpowers: BRICS+.

Clark says there are three questions he had repeated from farmers across the countries regarding the BRICS+ alliance.

Can they dethrone the U.S. dollar?
How much U.S. debt do they own?
Can they avoid buying U.S. commodities?

Clark’s responses are centered on a handful of observations and data about the BRICS+ countries.

With more than 30 countries involved, while it’s a large group in terms of scale it’s also difficult to have all countries agree on policy.

“The difficulty of coordinate is enhanced by the fact that the countries in BRICS+ are historically less ‘economically open,’” Clark says.

He adds the group meets annually, and directionally, they have been outspoken on creating their own monetary system and being less connected to the West.

However, in Clark’s analysis, the countries aren’t self-sufficient to feed their own population, and for the foreseeable future they can’t move completely away from U.S. agriculture.

“The group has the economic size and population base to wield global influence,” Clark says. “However, the influence of BRICS+ is likely to play out over the long term due to the relative youth of the group and lack of coordination between many countries that are geographically and geopolitically diverse. In the immediate term, BRICS+ is unlikely to displace the U.S. dollar as the standard-bearer of global currency, nor can BRICS+ produce enough agricultural goods to be a self-sufficient trade bloc.”

Measures of agricultural growth.

Anderson Nacaxe, CEO and Co-Founder of Oken Finance released analysis of the global crop protection market showing Brazil in the No. 1 spot.

Brazil’s market for crop protection products reached $14.3 billion in 2024.

The U.S. was in the second-place spot at $13.3 billion.

China is third with $10.8 billion.

Other countries showing growth and increases in use of crop protection and ag technologies included Argentina and India.

5 Things You Need To Know About The H-2 Programs

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 22:07:11 GMT

As labor shortages persist in the ag industry, many farms might be looking at using the H-2A and H-2B programs. Megan Wright, senior director of business expansion at másLabor, recently joined an Ag Retailers Association (ARA) webinar to explain the key aspects you need to understand to be successful.

1. Know the Specific Type of Labor You Need
While it might seem obvious farmers would need seasonal, agricultural labor, it’s important to think through exactly what tasks those employees will be completing. This determines if you need to hire H-2A or H-2B labor.

“The H-2A program is designed for all temporary or seasonal agricultural labor needs. On the flip side of that coin, we have the H-2B program — that’s also temporary and/or seasonal but for non-agricultural labor needs,” Wright explains. “Maybe some of the job duties that you have labor needs for take place on on the farm, but heavy tractor trailer drivers would be construction workers, or maybe you need to build a new farm building. What if you have manufacturing-style job duties?”

The H-2A program is uncapped because agriculture is considered a matter of national security, but the H-2B program does have a finite number of visas available each fiscal year.

2. Start the Process Early
Once you’ve decided whether you need H-2A or H-2B workers, the legal process can start. Wright recommends beginning these conversations 180 days before labor is needed for the H-2B program and 120 days for the H-2A program.

“There are an infinite number of H-2A visas, and the filing process itself is also just shorter,” she says. “The true nuts and bolts again of the process takes 75 days in a normal scenario, and I say normal because first-time program users can actually qualify for what’s called an emergency filing at no extra cost. That allows us to shrink that down and have workers arrive in as little as 45 days.”

3. Prepare for Housing and Transportation Requirements
The H-2A program does require employers to provide free housing.

“We always recommend to think of housing solutions as the the first thing you do when considering the H-2A program,” Wright says.

And though the H-2B program doesn’t require housing, it can still be an opportunity to ease the process.

“We still have folks coming into the country, potentially for the first time, who wouldn’t know the first place to look for housing. As an employer, if you wanted to take that extra step to provide a housing solution for the H-2B workers, you would then be allowed to deduct rent. So, we actually do find that a lot of our employers go ahead and do that knowing that they can recoup funds spent again through those payroll deductions.”

Travel expenses are another area some employers might be surprised by. That’s because it encompasses more than just the gas or plane fees.

“Both H-2A and H-2B employers are responsible for inbound and outbound travel, aka getting them from their front door to your front door and then back home again at the end of the contract period. I think what some folks tend to forget is that this isn’t just the literal transportation itself. It also includes a daily sustenance. It also includes potential motel stays,” Wright explains.

4. Be Willing to Hire Domestic Labor Also
If you want to hire international employees, you must be open to hiring domestic ones as well, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

“The U.S. Department of Labor is in charge of the certifying process, and they’re clearly going to want to make sure that we’re not discriminating against U.S. workers by participating in these programs. You have to engage in positive U.S. recruitment,” Wright says. “As an employer, you need to be willing to hire a qualified, willing, available and able U.S. or domestic worker.”

The U.S. worker would need to have your minimum skill requirements and agree to the terms of the H-2 contract.

“If they come to you and they meet those requirements during this overall approval process, you absolutely have to interview them, and in that case, you would have to hire them on as well,” Wright says.

5. Stay Informed on President Donald Trump’s Immigration Reform Policies
Because H-2 workers have a lawful presence in the U.S., Trump’s deportation policies should not apply to them.

“It’s always important to note that Trump himself participates in both H-2 programs at Mar-a-Lago and at the Trump winery in Virginia,” Wright says. “But there might be misunderstandings, and there might be miscommunications. We might need to keep in mind that law enforcement may not be familiar with the H-2 programs overall.”

She recommends these best practices for avoiding any discrepancies with H-2 employees and law enforcement:

1. Your workers should have possession of copies of their legal documents, their passport, their visa, and are carrying those copies with them — especially if they leave the work site.
2. Make sure they have an emergency contact who can be reached at all times.
3. Create a document explaining the employee’s legal status in the U.S. and their rights (másLabor has these available).

5 Reasons Consumer Distrust In Our Food Supply Is Rising

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 14:13:15 GMT

Bread, check. Blueberries, check. As I wheel my grocery cart alongside the deli case, I’m taken aback at what I see. Rather, it is what I don’t see that has me wondering, “What in the world?” This section of my favorite grocery store is now almost completely empty, except for a couple of ham loaves and a renegade block of cheese.

In a slightly distraught tone I ask the worker behind the counter, “What’s going on?” He hesitates for a moment, then replies, “The store is in the process of changing suppliers for our deli products. We should have more of a selection next week.” Then it dawns on me: my favorite brand of deli meat and cheese, Boar’s Head, has officially been blacklisted by my go-to grocery store.

I should not have been surprised. Boar’s Head began its fall from public grace on July 26, 2024, when the company issued a recall for more than 207,528 lb. of product due to potential listeria contamination. The CDC linked the contamination to 61 illnesses and, tragically, 10 deaths. It was the worst listeria outbreak in the U.S. in over a decade.

The outbreak was ultimately traced to a production line at the company’s Jarratt, Va., plant. According to USDA inspection reports, which USA Today had to obtain through a Freedom of Information Act request, 69 reports of non-compliance were recorded at the Jarratt plant between 2023 and 2024. What was in those reports was unsettling. Documentation of insects live and dead, black and green mold, mildew, dripping and standing water, as well as other unsanitary conditions within the plant in the weeks leading up to the July recall. In a move that was too little too late, Boar’s Head announced on Sept. 13, 2024 that the Jarratt plant would be closed permanently.

In 1906, Upton Sinclair published his famous novel “The Jungle,” which exposed the horrific conditions in the meatpacking industry at the time. The writer’s work proved to be an instant bestseller to the masses. The irony is that nearly 120 years later, one might find it hard to discern whether they’re reading a current USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) report or a chapter straight out of “The Jungle.”

Just One Of Many
The Boar’s Head case was only one the high profile food recalls last year. Remember the E. coli contaminated onions on McDonald’s quarter pounders? Then, Costco issued a massive recall on their Kirkland Signature brand of organic eggs because of a threat of Salmonella. And to cap off the year with the scariest illness yet, on Dec. 18, 2024, the CDC confirmed a patient in Louisiana had been hospitalized with the nation’s first severe case of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, aka the “bird flu.”

If it seems that the number of food recalls are coming at us at a more fast and furious pace than ever, then your gut instinct is spot on. The Food and Drug Administration, which reports food and cosmetics together, says 1,908 such products were recalled in the fiscal year that ended in September. That’s the highest number since 2019. Such a constant barrage of warnings is having a serious affect on consumers’ overall psyche — and not in a positive way. According to a September 2024 Gallup report, only 57% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence in the government to keep food safe. This number is a 27 point decrease since 2019, and is a record low for the Gallup Consumption Habits Poll since its inception in 1999.

This explosion of 20th century foodborne illnesses has me asking the same question I asked the worker behind the deli counter: “What’s going on?”

5 Reasons To Be Skeptical
There are multiple reasons consumers have good reason to be less confident in the safety of their food.

First, there’s the government. Second, more and more of our food is imported, which makes it harder to inspect. Third, you have a growing quest for more natural food, which sometimes circumvents traditional inspection channels. Fourth, industry consolidation means only a handful of players control both the production and processing. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but if something goes wrong, it’s probably going to be big. Finally, we now have the ability, through more technology and data, to find, detect and isolate the specific source of contamination and document it.

Time For An Overhaul
Food safety policy and implementation at the government level is in need of a serious overhaul. There is a chance it could actually happen. In 2018, the previous Trump administration proposed consolidating federal food oversight into a single agency with USDA.

There are so many common sense things that a fully functioning food agency could do. For one, start with better and more noticeable country of origin labeling (COOL) on imported foods. It should be prominent, displaying the country’s flag as the primary indicator of origin. If nothing else, we’ll all get better at geography. Next, companies that embrace new technologies that prevent contamination should be rewarded with tax credits. We do it for electric cars. Why not for safer food?

Finally, the most important change needs to come in the form of accountability and transparency both from the food industry itself and the government that regulates it. That didn’t happen in the case of Boar’s Head, and 10 people lost their lives because of it. In the age of AI and social media, those FSIS plant inspection reports should be posted on platforms such as X and Facebook for the public to see in real time. Without such transparency, we’re no better off than we were back in 1906.

CoBank: Policy Will Shape Rural Economy In The Year Ahead

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 15:43:07 GMT

CoBank has released its 2025 outlook report , which outlines the key themes the organization expects to shape agriculture and the rural economy in the coming year. While there are several factors to watch, they mainly stem from one place: federal policy.

“The environment we enter in 2025 hasn’t fully defined itself yet, but many of the policies proposed by the incoming administration would likely have a negative impact on U.S. agriculture,” said Rob Fox, director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “Open access to export markets and labor availability are critically important for agricultural producers and processors. Depending on how policy plays out, those two areas could be big challenges in 2025 and beyond.”

As a new economic era begins, here are the six main forces at play:

Threat of A Trade War
A large focus of President-elect Trump’s campaign was on significant import tariffs. While we don’t know exactly what this policy would look like, it is unlikely to produce a positive outcome for crop or livestock producers.

Fox writes, “These policies could achieve some limited objectives, but it is very hard to paint them as anything but negative for the U.S. farm economy.”

If a trade war was to ensue, it could also be very costly for agriculture. A recent joint study by the national corn and soybean associations estimates the 2018-19 trade war with China cost the U.S. a total of $27 billion in agricultural sales to China over those two years.

Export Competition
Alongside the potential for a trade war, export competition from Russia and South America poses another treat.

According to the report, Russia’s currency is weakening - which is expected to anchor global wheat prices and allow Russia’s wheat to be more competitive.

At the same time, Brazil’s currency is also weakening and exports from the country will be cheaper than those from the U.S. This is coupled with the forecast of record South American corn and soybean crops.

With an abundance of soybeans globally, CoBank is anticipating many U.S. acres to shift from soybeans to corn this year as well.

Labor Challenges
Another likely outcome of the upcoming Trump administration is a decreased labor supply.

The president-elect has proposed deportation and reduced immigration, which could negatively impact the dairy, meatpacking and produce industries by causing labor shortages and driving up costs.

Livestock Sector Investment and Growth
It’s not all bad news for the dairy industry, though. According to the report, the U.S. will see an unprecedented $8 billion in new dairy processing investment through 2026 - and some of those plants will come online in 2025.

The livestock sector as a whole is benefiting from low feed costs, and specifically in the beef industry, a reduced herd size is supporting higher feeder and fed cattle values.

The USDA Economic Research Service projects per capita consumption of chicken, beef, pork and turkey to remain stable or grow up to 2% from 2024 to 2025.

It’s important to note, however, there could be retaliation from potential tariffs placed on major dairy export customers such as Mexico and China.

Tight Margins
Reduced income and tighter margins for the crop industry are expected to continue in 2025.

CoBank anticipates input decisions being driven largely by what provides the greatest return on investment, and farmers may look to switch chemicals to generics.

During this time, it will be critical for ag retailers to provide tailored agronomic advice and technical assistance.

Biofuel Uncertainty
On the biofuel front, headwinds are expected to continue into 2025 - with the Trump administration adding more regulatory uncertainty.

Projections of note include:

A modest increase in biofuel production next year, although ethanol supplies will maintain 2024 production levels of 1.05 million barrels per day, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Renewable diesel production capacity will grow just 100 million gallons from 2024 to 2025 to a total of 5.2 billion and remain steady through 2026, according to an updated analysis from University of Illinois.
Federal and state tax incentives and low carbon fuel policies will drive the future viability of sustainable aviation fuel.

To read the full report from CoBank, click here .

7 Ways To Be A Lifeline For Farmers

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 14:12:10 GMT

When times are tough is when farmers need their trusted advisers the most, says Greg Martinelli. For the past eight years, he’s coached ag sales professionals specifically in the retail/inputs category.

“When I worked in corporate ag, there was a moment when this idea hit me like a ton of bricks,” Martinelli says. “I was visiting a Midwest row crop farmer in 2011, when corn was $6 and breakeven costs were close to $3.50. He told me, ‘I don’t need you now, I needed you when corn was $3.50.’”

Martinelli says there are opportunities to bring value in this current economic environment. To help refocus your efforts in sales and marketing, he offers seven steps to find success with customers despite the tough economic times of the cycle.

1. Don’t jump into the quick sand with them.
“Farmers love to complain and commiserate about how hard it is. And as sales people we love to commiserate with them on how you understand the farmer’s business,” Martinelli says. “But if you do that, you aren’t doing anything different than what they hear at the coffee shop.”

He equates reiterating the negativity as not throwing them a lifeline but rather jumping into the quicksand with them.

“Farmers are looking for someone with a solution. You show up on the farm with all of your company tools and resources and instead of using them to help, you jump into the quicksand with them. This is where a trusted advisor can set themselves apart,” he says.

2. Keep them moving.
With the magnitude and quantity of factors farmers consider, they can fall victim to analysis paralysis.

“Farmers are seeking ideas but more so clear answers,” Martinelli says “This is where you can—not in a gossipy way—share your insights from other farms. Every day all day you’re on farms. You can share in a professional way what you are seeing and what you are learning.”

This combination of experience and credibility can serve the purpose to keep farmers considering new ideas as well as help prevent someone from going too far or all-in on a risky choice.

3. Provide perspective.
“If you’re lucky enough to be in the middle or late in your career, you’ve gone through downturns before,” Martinelli says. “That means you know things change, and there will be an upturn.”

He cautions sales people from encouraging negativity and rather engaging in a positive way.

“You have to acknowledge what is going on, because the financial pain is real,” he says. “Often as salespeople we can seem like we’re acting like a psychiatrist, and the opportunity is to not let the negativity persist any more in the conversation than it needs to.”

4. Shed light.
“There are places farmers aren’t looking where there are opportunities for you to help them uncover,” Martinelli says.

As an illustrative example, he talks about crop marketing.

“This is a weak area across crop production because there are no right or wrong answers, and the skills required usually mean the oldest person on the farm does the work,” he says. “The thing to do is admit you don’t have the answers, but ask what they are doing with their marketing plan.”

He says many of those conversations unveiled farmers with even 30 years of experience didn’t understand crop insurance, which provided another valuable exploration of additional services.

5. Show them a path.
“Instead of selling an idea, explain why a change of approach is an asset to their business,” he says.

One common trap is to talk broadly about precision agriculture and not detail exactly what product and service fit an individual field.

6. Put your customer on your org chart.
While this may sound a bit off the wall, Martinelli advocates identifying where the customer fits into your business by the simple task of putting them on your company’s organizational chart.

“We all need an org chart to know who manages who, but if you really want to start the engines of the thought process, ask where on your org chart is your customer. Where would you put them.”

This helps illustrate how marketing, accounting and other teams are taking into account what customers are trying to accomplish.

“If things are changing, and times get tough for the customer, it’ll get tough on your agribusiness. How are we organizing around the customer?” he says.

7. Let them know they aren’t completely alone.
“At first, it may not be well received or completely understood that everyone is experiencing this downturn,” Martinelli says. “Farming and making decisions can be a lonely business for our customers. As their trusted adviser, this can be your chance to provide support. Let them know they are not alone in their struggles.”

He says when customers are venting, don’t interrupt them, but rather when they are done ask them with all of the negatively for how things are, what are they going to do different.

With the seven steps, Martinelli coaches advisers to take their three biggest customers, and list the steps they will do in 30, 60 and 90 days.

“Having a plan is certainly better than just showing up on the farm and kicking tires,” he says.

Your Next Read: New Study Looks At The Relationship Between Farmers And Their Advisors

Trade Associations Urge Biden Administration To Act Now To End Port Strike

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 18:11:32 GMT

A coalition of over 270 local, state and federal trade associations have signed a letter urging President Biden and his administration to use all of its authorities to end the port strike, get the ports open and get the parties back to the negotiating table.

Click here to read the full letter.

The associations involved represent:

American manufacturers
Farmers and agribusinesses
Wholesalers
Retailers
Restaurants
Importers
Exporters
Distributors
Transportation and logistics providers
Additional supply chain stakeholders

The Ag Retailers Association (ARA) is among the groups who sent the letter and is encouraging members to let them know how the strike will impact their businesses.

Background:
A port strike along the East and Gulf coasts began on Oct. 1 and will halt the flow of a wide range of goods, potentially leading to shortages and higher costs. According to an estimate from the Anderson Economic Group, a one week strike would cost the U.S. economy about $2.1 billion.

Your Next Read: East and Gulf Coast Dockworkers Now on Strike Over Wage Demands, Halting Key U.S. Cargo Shipments

“Technical Debt” Continues To Grow Rapidly In The Agriculture Industry

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 02:17:54 GMT

Last December Southwest Airlines was forced to cancel more than 15,000 flights during the peak holiday season. It wasn’t weather, mechanical issues, or even striking airline workers that caused the chaos. Instead, the real reason for the grounding was the weight of the company’s overall “technical debt” had become too much too bear. In short, the company’s antiquated systems and technology broke down at the worst possible time.

Could the same thing happen in agriculture? Absolutely. In fact, the agricultural industry as a whole, at both the macro and micro levels are ripe for such technical tsunamis. That’s not just Chicken Little talking, such warnings are echoed by a recent McKinsey Global Institute study that placed agriculture dead last in terms of the industry’s state of digitization.

Is too much “technical debt” putting your farm’s future at risk? To answer that question you must first understand what technical debt means and how it affects your overall business.

Technical debt — or tech debt — is the implied cost incurred when businesses do not fix problems that will affect them in the future. Accruing technical debt causes existing problems to get worse over time. The longer the debt builds up, the more costly it becomes to rectify.

Learn more about the risk of technical debt at the 2024 Top Producer Summit. Register online today!

Farmers have been on the agricultural treadmill for the better part of two centuries now. It was JFK’s Chief Agricultural Economist Willard Cochrane that coined the phrase “technology tread-mill” to describe the race to adopt new technologies in order to remain cost competitive. From the Industrial Revolution to the Green Revolution, to the Biotech Revolution, to now the Information Age, it feels like Cochrane’s treadmill has accelerated to warp speed.

Assessing your farm’s technical debt is not as simple as evaluating risks from financial debt. There is not a clear formula, like a debt ratio, that measures total debt to total assets. Addressing technical debt involves taking inventory of the technology on the farm today and evaluating the short-term and long-term risks to your overall operation if one or more of those technologies fail.

That’s just the first layer of the onion when it comes to knowing your true technical debt. The exercise should also involve answering various questions about your farm’s overall technical health. Questions like — What technology is missing that I need today, or even tomorrow? What equip-ment should immediately be put out to pasture or parked in the digital fencerow? Are my technology pieces compatible? In other other words, do they play nice together and talk to each other? And finally — are you really using the technology you already have and the data that comes with it?

In the real world those questions might sound something like this — Do I need to digitize and record more of my field activities, like anhydrous or crop protection product application, in order to increase my farm’s future carbon market value? Is my yield monitor so old that they don’t even make memory card readers to download the data? Will my John Deere tractor display talk to my new Kinze planter? Do I religiously use technology to implement actionable agronomy practices like variable-rate seeding and crop removal recommendations?

Just like financial debt, not all technical debt is bad. Just like regular debt, it must be managed and serviced on a regular basis. The most important way to turn technical debt into a positive is to simply have a technology plan. What do you want your technology to do for you and does it align with the other overall future goals for your farming operation?

Tech debt cannot be eliminated by geeking out and going on a technology buying spree. Investment in tech should not be considered just a fair weather proposition, nor should it be considered when you’re behind the eight-ball like in the case of Southwest. Since the dawn of precision farm-ing, the industry’s pervasive mentality has been that technology falls into more of a luxury category than treating it as the capital expense it should be.

The agricultural treadmill has always been unforgiving. The recent rise of technical debt has only ratcheted up the intensity. If you are not proactive, you will likely spend all your time putting out fires. That leaves little time or energy left for planning. And as Winston Churchill once said: “He who fails to plan is planning to fail.”

Learn more about the risk of technical debt at the 2024 Top Producer Summit. Register online today!

Expert Shares What Could Spark Progress On The Farm Bill

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 17:54:13 GMT

John Newton, former Senate Ag Committee economist and now executive head at Terrain, shares what will move the Farm Bill out of the Senate Ag Committee and toward finalization.

“Chairwoman Stabenow could release bill text whenever she’d like. On the Republican side, I was happy to be part of that team and we released our framework earlier this year,” Newton says. The ball is obviously in the chairwoman’s court to do something on the Senate side.”

In addition to no bill text on the senate side, there’s no floor vote scheduled in the house. But Newton highlights three priorities and a time frame for a final farm bill:

More “Farm” in the Farm Bill: “I was part of a team that put together a Republican Farm Bill framework based on feedback we have received from over 23 states that Senator Bozeman visited. And in every single one of those states, what farmers and ranchers said is we need more farm in the Farm Bill,” Newton says.
Improved Safety Net: “There are real needs in agriculture to make safety net tools better,” Newton says. He sees the need to enhance crop insurance and cites how many reference prices are more than a decade old.
Bipartisan effort: “I would hope that there would be a bipartisan agreement in the Senate to move a farm bill that recognizes the challenges farmers and ranchers are facing right now. Net farm income is down over $50 billion over the last two years, net cash farm income is seeing the steepest two years’ decline of all time,” he says.

As for when the farm bill could make progress, Newton expects next month’s campaign trips home to help with some momentum.

“Folks are going to go home during October, and they’re going to hear from farmers and ranchers on what their needs are,” he says. “I think they’ll come back motivated to get something done, whether that’s a short term bridge or whether that’s a full five-year farm bill over the finish line. I think members can be motivated to do that when they get back in November.”

Hear more from Newton on ARC and PLC programs as well as the nutrition and conservation titles in this AgriTalk segment:

Your next read: Ag Economist John Newton Named Executive Head of Terrain

New Study Looks At The Relationship Between Farmers And Their Advisors

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 21:13:26 GMT

Purdue University’s Center for Food and Agricultural Business has released a new study that takes a look at the relationship between farmers and ag professionals.

Participants were asked to report the size of their farm and the frequency of their interactions with advisors such as agronomists, nutritionists, sales reps, processors and lenders. Local ag professionals were found to be the most common resources of not only supplies and services, but also knowledge.

Farmers’ interaction with agribusiness representative over the previous year by farm size

(Purdue University Center for Food and Agricultural Business)

Sales Representatives
The study found producers interact less with sales reps from manufacturers than they do with ones from dealers and retailers. Dealer/retailer sales reps also work less with smaller operations (under $300,000 in yearly revenue), with just 37% reporting interactions. That’s compared to 52% of large operations (over $5 million in yearly revenue) and 42% of commercial operations ($1 million to $5 million in yearly revenue.)

Looking at this information, the study’s authors, Scott Downey and Masie Keshavarz, suggest agribusinesses should prioritize strong sales teams and relationships with these reps to ensure effective supply and service distribution.

Agronomists
Over 80% of row crop farmer-participants shared they work with agronomists. However, smaller operations were less likely to have agronomist interactions – only 43%. That’s compared to 84% of large operations and 81% of commercial ones.

Downey and Keshavarz again conclude this is an area for agribusinesses to invest in and promote.

Nutritionists
Work with dealer/retailer nutritionists is perhaps the most divided between large and small operations. Only half of the livestock producers who participated in the study reported working with a dealer/retailer nutritionist. But at the same time, 48% of livestock producers said they use independent nutritionists in another survey question.

Downey and Keshavarz suspect commercial and large operations hire independent nutritionists and are therefore less likely to work with those at the local dealer or retailer. They recommend agribusinesses provide more customized or independent consulting options to meet the needs of larger farms.

Lenders
Work with ag lenders and loan officers was not largely influenced by an operation’s size, as each group reported frequent interactions. The authors say this emphasizes the importance of offering robust financial support and advisory services to help farmers manage their operations effectively.

Processors
Small farms reported the most processor interactions – 72% compared to 31% for large operations.

Downey and Keshavarz encourage agribusinesses to explore opportunities to enhance processing services tailored to small farms to support their unique needs.

Find the full report here . Purdue’s next study on farmer buying behavior is scheduled for January.

Your Next Read: 4 Areas to Revamp Your Ag Retail Business

Will The Collapse Of The Baltimore Key Bridge Impact Agriculture?

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:21:53 GMT

Early Tuesday morning, a cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing it to collapse. The Port of Baltimore later announced all vessel traffic in and out of the port is suspended indefinitely.

pic.twitter.com/VUDcNw0z5T
— Port of Baltimore (@portofbalt) March 26, 2024

Mike Steenhoek, executive director at the Soy Transportation Coalition, joined the AgriTalk podcast shortly after to share what this devastating event could mean for shipping and the agriculture industry.

“[The Port of Baltimore] doesn’t accommodate a lot in terms of agricultural exports,” he says. “Sugar would be No. 1, then soybeans No. 2, grain products including corn and wheat are No. 3 and then coffee and grocery items.”

According to Steenhoek, the Port of Baltimore exports around 200,000 metric tons of soybeans. In comparison, the Mississippi Gulf near New Orleans is the No. 1 export region for soybeans and exports 35 million metric tons.

He shares the port is a larger importer and exporter of automobiles and light trucks, but the supply chain can have a ripple effect.

“It’s all a part of this big issue that when it comes to supply chains: don’t put all of your eggs in one basket,” Steenhoek says. “The more you can spread your eggs across multiple baskets, the better you are, and the more resilient you are. So, we take real concern when you’ve got a major disruption at one of our ports.”

During a press conference, Maryland transportation secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld said it’s too early to tell how long the port will be closed.

Climate and Tech Expected to Affect Ag Most This Year

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 19:43:28 GMT

Farm Journal’s Smart Farming Week is an annual week-long emphasis on innovation in agriculture. The goal is to encourage you to explore and prioritize the technology, tools and practices that will help you farm smarter. Innovation today ensures an efficient, productive and sustainable tomorrow.

Every year before the ball drops in Times Square, it seems everyone wants to pull out a crystal ball and prophesize what the new year will bring. And the ag industry loves a good prophet.

Before 2023 became history, Forbes Magazine took its shot at predicting agriculture’s highlights for 2024. So before Father Time turns the predictions stale, I thought it might be insightful, or at least entertaining, to provide some color commentary on the article, which focused on the following five areas where change in agriculture could be the greatest.

1. Farmland Holds the Key to Carbon Management
No different from last year or the prior year, agriculture has a bull’s-eye on its back when it comes to carbon intensity. According to the USDA Economic Research Service, U.S. agricultural operations are responsible for 10.6% of the nation’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Climate scientists and Al Gore have told us this for years now. Expect the barrage of white papers and warnings to continue in 2024.

The good news, according to the pundits, is it will become increasingly clear this year that farmland is the key to carbon management. By default, nature has been seen as the most scalable way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. What is becoming more obvious to those outside the sphere of agriculture is that farmland is the best place to store it.

Look to see more announcements at the consumer packaged goods level regarding programs and collaboration across industries and sectors to foster regenerative practices at the production level. Companies such as Walmart, PepsiCo and General Mills are seeking programs able to scale such practices across millions of acres.

2. Alternative Proteins Will Recover From Their Sophomore Slump
Last year, the stock market and the population’s tastes soured on meatless burgers and chickpea chicken nuggets. Beyond Meat’s market cap plummeted from an all-time high of $14.2 billion to just more than $500 million at the turn of this year.

But don’t count out the alternative protein industry yet. Those quoted in the Forbes article anticipate 2024 to be a renaissance year for animal-based product substitutes.

The reason for such renewed hope is a tactical marketing change adopted by the second wave of alternative protein startups. Instead of taking full-blown consumer-ready products direct to the grocery store shelf and the fast food drive-through lane, they are focusing on selling alternative protein products as ingredients.

For example, the Every Company is touting that “the world’s first liquid egg made without the hen” could replace real eggs in thousands of processed food items. Rue the day these eggs find their way into my favorite lemon meringue pie.

3. Forget Counting Calories. Count Carbon
A new diet seems to be on the table every new year. This year, paring down the amount of carbon in your life may be as important as limiting your calories. Just like requirements for disclosing calories through food labels, the social, political and regulatory environment is forcing food companies to be fully transparent about their carbon footprints.

Instead of carbon credits, experts say carbon insets are needed to move the climate needle. With recently passed climate disclosure legislation, such as California’s SB 253, expect more food companies looking to measure, report and reduce their carbon emissions.

This switch will put pressure on producers as food companies off-load the burden of carbon reduction on them. Look for additional emphasis on cutting methane emissions from livestock through innovative feeds and carbon-capture techniques and improving soil health through biotech innovation, data and artificial intelligence.

4. Technology Will Make Ag More Hip and Exciting
Agriculture has long been characterized in literature, and even nursery rhymes, as boring and depressing—think Grapes of Wrath and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Well, technology is continuing to turn this industry on its head.

Specialty crop operations’ use of automation will grow quickly as ag labor shortages persist. Meanwhile, the food prep industry is transforming as food- and medicine-focused companies take root. Think HelloFresh and Blue Apron meet your medical dietician. Companies such as ModifyHealth are tailoring chef-inspired medical meals to support consumers’ specific health needs, and companies such as Farmer’s Fridge allow you to select a green goddess salad or Thai noodle bowl instead of a Snickers bar from a vending machine.

5. Capital Investment in Ag Will Be Even More Deliberate and Disciplined
Once viewed as the hot new space for disruption, the ag tech sector is now weeding out the venture capital investors who entered it with hopes of quick wins. That culling really started in earnest two years ago and is predicted to continue this year.

But all is not gloom and doom in the ag startup arena. Investors see the market stabilizing and valuations returning to more realistic levels. Quality companies that are scaling, have good economic fundamentals and growing customer demand will likely find the capital they are seeking in 2024, but expect no more free lunches.

So there you have it. This recaps the Forbes take on agriculture in the new year: climate, carbon, technology, money and a world with eggs but no chickens.

If you think that’s weird, then just wait. The year has only begun. In agriculture, nearly anything can happen. Just wait a day.

How Today's Economy is Shaping the Business-Savvy Farmer

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 21:44:47 GMT

Looking toward the year ahead, Alan Hoskins, president of American Farm Mortgage, says there’s a long road to get inflation under control.

“Just because we hear there will potentially be rate reductions, I don’t think that’s something we need to be carving on a stone tablet,” he said during a recent appearance of AgriTalk. “I think sometimes we believe numbers are numeric only. The numbers create emotions, and that’s ultimately what drives the economy is the emotion of the American consumer.”

And while higher interest rates have mitigated some sales around the ag industry, Hoskins says it’s also created a more business-savvy farmer.

“Folks are being more mindful of the long-term effect of their decisions. The rise in interest rates have allowed producers to do a much better decision-making process before they pull the trigger,” he says. “It’s causing them to make sure that’s really a good long-term acquisition for their operation.”

One of the factors he thinks is being used to determine if something is a good purchase for an operation is its ability to solve the ongoing labor issue.

"[Labor] is something I think has become much more in the mindset of producers over the past five to seven years,” Hoskins says.

As for the state of the ag economy, Hoskins believes ag lending institutions are in a good position moving forward. He credits part of that to who is operating them.

“The people that are financing agriculture today have a very savvy knowledge of the industry. That allows them to make better decisions for the banks,” Hoskins says.

To hear more from Hoskins, listen to this episode of AgriTalk.

Ag Industry Mourns Death of Bill Northey

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:44:15 GMT

On Monday, February 5 the news of Bill Northey’s passing quickly spread through the agriculture industry, of which he dedicated his professional life to serving.

Most recently as CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI), Northey was also previous Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and served as Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at USDA from 2018 to 2021.

Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered flags be flown at half staff.

“Bill was a great leader whose work ethic and passion for Iowa agriculture was unmatched. Iowans and farmers around the country were fortunate to have such a rock-solid advocate and friend,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said, “I am in shock at the news of Bill’s unexpected passing. Jaime and I send our deepest and sincerest condolences to Cindy and the entire Northey family. Bill was a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a farmer. He loved Iowa and he loved Iowa agriculture. His curiosity, care for others, and love of learning made him a leader that everyone could admire. Bill brought a farmer’s work ethic to every aspect of his life, and he was tireless in promoting our state, its people and our agriculture.”

Naig continued, “Bill was a friend and mentor to so many people here in Iowa and across the country, including me. This is an incredible loss for our state, for agriculture, and for everybody who knew and loved Bill.”

Northey was a member of the National Association of State Directors of Agriculture, and the organization’s president from 2011 to 2012.

NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said, “Bill Northey was my good friend as he was to so very many others. We have lost a titan in U.S. agriculture. All of NASDA expresses sorrow for his loss and our love and support go out to his wife Cindy and his family. As a lifelong leader in the industry, Bill had an immense depth of knowledge and experience that he shared to benefit all of agriculture.”

Others posted to social media:

American ag lost a tremendous servant and leader today with the passing of @BillAtUSDA. Former Iowa Secretary of Ag Northey dedicated his life to advancing the health and prosperity of family farms and rural communities. We extend our deepest condolences to the Northey family. pic.twitter.com/VwcXDWvWdz
— Corteva U.S. (@CortevaUS) February 6, 2024

All of us at the Renewable Fuels Association were saddened to learn of Bill Northey’s passing, and we offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends. Bill was a passionate and tireless advocate for agriculture and renewable fuels. He dedicated his career… pic.twitter.com/ASFC9DRkPG
— Renewable Fuels Association (@EthanolRFA) February 5, 2024

Agriculture lost a tireless champion, defender and promoter.

Iowa Farm Bureau's statement on the passing of former Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey ⬇️https://t.co/xpCWs8Q8hn
— Iowa Farm Bureau (@IowaFarmBureau) February 5, 2024

From our President & CEO, Matt Carstens:

The State of Iowa and the greater agricultural community lost a true champion of ag, farmers, and rural communities with the untimely passing of Bill Northey. As the Secretary of Agriculture, he advocated for farmers and farm families.…
— Landus (@LandusAg) February 6, 2024

2024 Ag Economy: What's Causing Rural Bankers To Be Pessimistic

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:01:36 GMT

Creighton University has released its January Rural Mainstreet Index – a survey of bank CEOs living in rural communities across a 10-state region.

This month’s survey marks the fifth-straight month where the index has been below the growth neutral mark.

Ernie Goss, PhD, Jack A. MacAllister Chair in regional economics at Creighton University’s Heider College of Business, shares the continued pessimism from the rural bankers surveyed can be attributed to a few different things.

“We’re talking about somewhat weaker agricultural commodity prices and likewise, the higher interest rates are beginning to cut into what’s going on at the farm,” Goss shared on the AgriTalk podcast. “Also, the global economic slowdown – whether that’s in China, Asia or Europe – is having some impacts on the farm economy. That’s what bankers are telling us.”

Attitudes toward the economy, however, may be on the rise. While the January survey was still below growth-neutral with a reading of 48.1, it was actually up from December’s reading of 41.7. The index ranges between 0 and 100, with a reading of 50.0 representing growth neutral.

Goss says the long-term outlook for agriculture is still very positive, with little issues in the short-to-intermediate-term outlook – especially for ag retailers.

“Delinquencies are up a bit, but less than one percentage point – so that’s the good news. I think it’s more to do with what’s going on in rural main street businesses,” he says. “That will be the retailers and the farm equipment sellers. They’re seeing some slowdowns and that’s what bankers are seeing reporting on.”

Echoing Goss’ point is the survey’s farm equipment-sales index. In January, it dropped to a reading of 47.9 from December’s reading of 49.5 –marking the seventh time in the past eight months the number has been below growth neutral.

A Bright Spot
More optimistic areas of the survey revolved around farmland. This includes the farmland price index, which read 64.0 and has been growth neutral every month since November 2019, as well as the outlook for farmland transition.

When asked about the share of farm clients facing generational transition, the bankers expected 53.8% to transfer ownership to heirs and 42.3% to sell to other farmers in the area.

“In my judgment, there’s too much hype about the sales going to the Chinese and sales going to others outside [of the country],” Goss says. “It’s mostly within the community, and that’s good in my judgment. That bodes well in the long term for the agricultural sector.”

To hear more from Goss, listen to this episode of AgriTalk .

Iowa Study: Soil Conservation Practices On The Rise

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 20:02:40 GMT

Beginning in the 2017 growing season, The Iowa Nutrient Research & Education Council (INREC) has worked over the past six years with Iowa State University and local ag retailers to study the progress of conservation practices used on the state’s crop acres.

The survey uses records from ag retailers to measure the use of cover crops, nutrient management and conservation tillage and no-till by Iowa growers. When comparing their latest data from the 2022 growing season with 2017’s records, researchers found a significant increase in the adoption of these practices – most notably in the number of cover crop acres planted.

“Iowa cover crop planting has skyrocketed to a record 3.8 million acres over the first decade of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, and that clearly demonstrates that Iowa farmers and landowners are taking on the challenge of improving Iowa’s water quality by accelerating this important conservation work,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “With the help of ag retailers and other conservation professionals, as well as both public and private sector partners, programs, and incentives, I know our farmers and landowners will continue to push these statewide cover crop numbers ever higher.”

In 2022, Iowa growers planted 3.8 million acres of cover crops – which is 16.6% of all corn and soy acreage. This is compared to 1.6 million acres of cover crops in 2017, or 6.9% of acres. Rye accounted for 81.2% of the cover crops planted over the past 6 years.

The survey also looks at nutrient management practices such as timing, rate, source and placement. It found 45% of nitrogen applications have occurred in the spring before planting, followed by fall-only applications at 20%.

As for phosphorus applications, there has been a notable increase in growers applying the nutrient only when the soil is at or below optimum levels for it – increasing from 74.3% of applications in 2017 to 95.4% in 2022.

The number of no-till acres in the state has remained relatively steady throughout the duration of INREC’s survey, averaging 35.8% of fields. It does, however, account for more overall corn and soy acres in the state than conventional tillage and conservation tillage practices.

INREC is currently preparing for its seventh year of the survey, which will be conducted this winter, and the Iowa State University Center for Survey Statistics & Methodology has randomly selected 150 ag retail locations to participate.

To review the data from each of the six current surveys, click here .

Federal Court Upholds Iowa ‘Ag Gag’ Laws: A Win for the Country, Gov. Reynolds Says

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 13:39:59 GMT

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of two of Iowa’s trespass laws on Jan. 8.

“Today’s Court rulings are a landmark victory for Iowa farmers and property owners. Not only are Iowa farmers the backbone of our state, but they provide critical food and fuel that propel the rest of the country forward,” Iowa Attorney General Briana Bird said in a statement. “For too long, our farmers have battled with trespassers, people lying to get jobs, and hidden recording devices. But not any longer. With today’s win, we will enforce Iowa’s agriculture trespass laws, strengthen security, and put those fears to rest.”

In the past 12 years, Iowa has passed four laws that seek to protect farmers by making it illegal for animal activists to gain access or employment to agricultural production facilities with the intent to cause physical injury or economic harm.

The first, second and fourth laws had been struck down by courts as unconstitutional. The third law has been upheld in court. On Monday, the Eighth Circuit Court overturned the orders staying the second and fourth laws, reports the Des Moines Register .

717A.3B and 727.8A effectively make it illegal for a person to trespass on an agricultural property and record images or data. The laws had been subject to debate, after a federal judge struck down the laws in 2022, KCRG News reports. In 2019 and 2021, the Iowa Legislature passed the laws as a way to stop animal welfare groups from secretly filming livestock on the properties.

“I’m extremely pleased that the Eighth Circuit lifted a lower court injunction and paved the way for Iowa’s two trespass laws – Iowa code sections 717A.3B and 727.8A – to be enforced,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. “This is a win for both Iowans and the country. Iowa farmers feed and fuel the world and are an essential part of the global food supply chain. No longer will people be able to gain access or employment to agricultural production facilities with the intent to cause physical injury or economic harm. We will always stand up for the security and safety of our farmers and their land.”

Read More:

NC Attorney General Urges SCOTUS to Take Up Ag-Gag Law

Kansas’ ‘Ag-Gag’ Law Denied a Revisit by Supreme Court

“Targeted” Law in Iowa Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal Judge

7 Essential Strategy Considerations

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 15:51:50 GMT

Mark Faust works with owners, CEOs and sales managers who want to grow their businesses.

He says strategy should be like a laser, which can become sharper, more intense, brighter and more effective. And he recommends business managers review their strategy on a quarterly basis.

“Routinely sharpening your strategy gives clarity to your vision to be intensified with greater detail,” Faust says. “What gives you competitive advantage, your points of divergence from the competitive alternatives, can be intensified as well.

How and where you invest your resources, your strategic focus, can be intensified by strategically abandoning weak markets, customers, products and practices and reallocating resources to areas with higher return.”

Faust says objectives must be set in seven key areas:
1. Marketing
2. Innovation
3. Culture
4. Resource requirements
5. Productivity
6. Community, industry and social responsibility
7. Profitability requirements

Semi-Annual Review of Role Focus

The frequency of the strategy recalibration is key, and it’s a must to involve your team.

“When recalibrating your business’s targets quarterly and setting new objectives, it should be done with your team,” he says. “The more this rhythm takes hold, the more your team will contribute innovations and improvements through new objectives.”

He suggests all managers should have one-on-one realignment meetings with each direct report semiannually.

“There are tools to help to illuminate constraints and opportunities for an organization’s management team as well as keep everyone focused on dedicating an appropriate amount of time and focus to the appropriate objectives, projects and priorities,” he says.

Accountability Tools
Faust says business leaders point to their boards, advisers and customers for input.

“We all have blind spots, and having growth advisers and some type of board sharpens your leadership, strategy and execution,” he says. “Quarterly in-depth interviews with customers are one of the most commonly missed steps involved in developing strategy. These interviews should be a requirement.”

Faust has seen how having a third-party interview a sample of customers every quarter brings innovation and new opportunities. He credits this idea to the founder of strategy, Peter Drucker, who said if you’re not listening to the customer regularly, then you’re not doing strategy.

Growth Is Relative
Not all businesses can experience exponential growth.

“But odds are you know right now what type of and how much potential growth your company could have if you execute accordingly,” Faust says. “The key is to use the best practices above and get all you can out of all you’ve got.”

He encourages farmers to see how executing strategy as a quarterly process within their teams will uncover more and more hidden opportunities that facilitate business growth.

Here more from Mark Faust at the upcoming Top Producer Summit. Click here to register.

New Survey Shows Labor is Serious Challenge for Ag Industry

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:00:19 GMT

A new survey from the Minneapolis Fed found ag bankers rank labor availability as a top concern for their farm clients.

The survey, which was conducted with ag bankers from the ninth district (Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin), found the issue is viewed as a “serious challenge” for 63% of respondents and a minor challenge for the majority of the remaining 37%.

“It’s becoming more and more difficult to obtain the labor needed to operate,” a Minnesota-based banker told the Minneapolis Fed.

The availability of livestock workers was seen as more limited than crop workers and those surveyed also shared that finding long-term help is more difficult than temporary help due to the seasonal nature of the ag industry.

As far as how this compares to past conditions, 39% of respondents said labor availability has gotten “much worse” over the past five years and 44% said it’s “a little worse”.

The Minneapolis Fed attributes this challenge to the region’s low influx of migrant workers and aging workforce.

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, 10% of animal production employees in the area are foreign born, compared to 18% nationally. The number is even lower for crop production with just 5% of workers being foreign born, compared to 32% nationally.

The region also has some of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S.

(Farm Journal)

At the same time, the median age of workers in the region rose from 51 to 56 in 2021. The number of workers between 45 to 54 has declined over the past decade with a small increase of those between the ages of 25 to 44 and a large increase of those over 55.

(Farm Journal)

More Traffic Slowdowns At The Panama Canal

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 19:08:20 GMT

Low water levels continue to plague the Panama Canal after what’s reported as its driest October on record.

Daily ship transits through the Panama Canal will be cut in half this winter. Via the Wall Street Journal, Daily reservations slots will be cut to 25 this month, 22 next month, 20 in January and 18 in February. Last month the canal had 32 daily transits. On a normal day, the canal can handle 40 transits.

A prolonged period of elevated temperatures and limited rainfall had led to a significant drop in the water level of Gatun Lake, which supplies water to the canal’s locks.

Around 70% of vessels using the Panama Canal require a draft of 44 feet, which is the current limit, down from 50 feet at the beginning this year. If the draft is lowered further, most ships won’t be able to transit with full loads.

The Panama Canal handles approximately 7% of all global seaborne trade. Canal authorities say about 98 vessels are waiting to cross at both sides of the canal. It’s noted containerships that have fixed schedules and booked slots months in advance aren’t facing serious delays, but crude and gas tankers calling on short notice can be trapped for weeks.

Important Differences Between Today and the 1980s Ag Economy

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 18:07:57 GMT

Indiana ag lender Joe Kessie graduated from Purdue University in 1983 with a degree in ag finance – during the height of the 1980s farm crisis.

“I think only about 25% of the graduates in the ag school had jobs at the time of graduation,” he says.

Though it was a tough time to be starting out in the industry, Kessie (who is now retired) is grateful to have experienced so much early on in his career.

“I always tell people I was fortunate to start when I did because I got to see everything that could go wrong in banking and ag finance during that farm crisis,” he says. “It was a little easier to be objective because I hadn’t made those original loans and was working with the clients to get through that.”

He was also able to help customers make the best of their situations.

“In the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, there were tremendous opportunities to take advantage of. Ground was down to $1,000 an acre or less in our area,” Kessie says. “I had some operations that were making adequate money even though their net worth still might have been going down with deflation. I helped them take advantage of some of those opportunities and I formed long term relationships.”

Insights on What’s to Come
Though inflation is currently high, Kessie doesn’t expect a repeat of what he experienced in his early career for three main reasons.

“Back in the ‘70s or early ‘80s, all the farm rates were all variable. When rates skyrocketed, basically all the debt on the balance sheet went up,” he says. “Today, about any kind of term debt is fixed at pretty attractive rates. The higher rates today are affecting operating and if you make a new purchase, but the other debt on the balance sheet is not affected.”

He also shares the overall farm balance sheet and management level is in better shape than it has previously been.

“The farm balance sheet was pretty leveraged in the ‘70s versus now it’s not,” Kessie says. “Overall, the management level is definitely better today than it would have been in the 70s. A lot of the inefficient operations, unfortunately, didn’t make it.”

Investment funds are another reason the state of the current ag economy differs from the 1980s.

“There’s a lot of farm cash buyers but then there’s also a strong interest in investors and investor funds,” Kessie says. “None of that was there in the ‘80s to support the market. The sales we’ve seen in real estate this year continues to go up, and demand is very strong.”

To hear more about Kessie’s reflections and expectations, check out this episode of the Top Producer podcast.

Winter Weather: Find Out What's in Store for Agriculture

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 18:52:06 GMT

The upcoming winter is shaping up to look a bit different than the past several years. The shift to a different weather pattern, El Nino, is in the works – resulting in a very strong subtropical jet stream and a weakened polar jet stream.

Brad Rippey, USDA meteorologist, shares the predictable changes to North American weather those involved in the agriculture industry should be on the lookout for.

Northern Weather Will Be Drier
One of the common changes Rippey shares is unusually mild weather across the northern tier of the U.S. The mild weather is a result of the weak polar jet stream and affects areas stretching all the way from the Pacific Northwest to New England.

“That of course has implications for winter crops,” Rippey says. You don’t get as much establishment of a snow cover, but at the same time, you don’t have a whole lot of cold weather to deal with and there’s less concern for winter kill. So, it’s kind of a tradeoff there.”

(Farm Journal)

Along with the milder temperatures, northern states are also predicted to see drier conditions this winter.

An outlook published by NOAA in late September shows between a 33 to 50% chance of below average precipitation for a portion of the northern U.S between November and March. The areas NOAA expects the largest impact are the Pacific Northwest and Great Lakes region.

(Farm Journal)

The dry, warm conditions have the potential to make this planting season an early one.

“It all depends on how the snow falls, but generally speaking, soil temperatures will likely not be as cold as they were in the spring of 2023,” Rippey says. “Given the mild, dry forecast, there may be a fairly quick planting season in the north for spring 2024.”

The Story for Southern States is Much Different
“The enhanced subtropical jet stream tends to bring stronger storms across the southern tier of the United States,” Rippey says. “Sometimes that affects Southern California but it’s more likely along the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic coast.”

NOAA’s predication maps show the highest probability of above average rainfall – 50 to 60% – for states along the Gulf and southern Atlantic coasts.

The increased precipitation in those areas is something Rippey says could help with low water levels from the summer’s drought.

“As we get deeper into autumn and the heart of winter, the odds most definitely increase we will see wetter conditions in places like Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi where we’ve got not only low water levels impacting navigation, but also the saltwater intrusion from the Gulf,” he says. “It may take a while but eventually as the winter proceeds, we should see relief especially in the southern part of the basin.”

The Wild Card to Watch For
A less clear aspect for this winter’s forecast could be due to elevated oceanic temperatures, which have the potential to keep global temperatures high through the winter and into 2024.

The high oceanic temperatures produce blocking high pressure systems, which Rippey says can be blamed for Canada’s wildfire season and recent heat waves and fires in Europe.

“If some of the oceanic temperatures continue to induce weird blocking patterns, that can lead to extremes like heat, cold, droughts and floods that’s generally independent from El Nino,” he says.

Effects on South American Production
El Nino has different implications for growers in South America.

Key production agriculture areas such as southern Brazil and Argentina are just moving into their spring growing season and the El Nino weather patterns are expected to create more favorable conditions for their crops than La Nina.

“From a crop production standpoint, I would expect improving conditions in some of the areas that have been impacted by drought over the last few years,” Rippey says. “As you move northward into the Amazon basin, El Nino can trigger drought. That’s a concern from an ecological standpoint and that drought often extends into places like Mexico and the Caribbean for as long as El Nino persists.”

KENT to Celebrate Grand Opening of Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex at Iowa State

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 19:17:38 GMT

KENT Corporation will celebrate the grand opening of the Iowa State University KENT Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex on Sept. 8. The family-owned company gave the lead $8-million gift.

“The contribution celebrates a 100-year commitment to the success of generations of people engaged in livestock production and agriculture,” Gage Kent, KENT Corporation Chairman and CEO, said in a release. “KENT is proud to partner with those working to advance new technologies in the feed and grain markets. This complex is a hands-on platform to further advance innovation and sustainability for future leaders in feed and grain processing.”

The 47,000-square-foot complex includes a warehouse and an educational building with an analytical laboratory, pilot plant, a 100-foot-tall concrete milling tower, a 40-foot-tall pelleting plant and 220,000 bushels of steel grain storage with handling and drying systems.

“It is incredibly rewarding to have been part of this project because we at KENT Nutrition Group know it will provide an authentic, challenging and fun learning environment for students and industry professionals,” Mike Gauss, President of KENT Nutrition Group, said in a release. “This industry is intrinsically linked to our everyday lives; teaching that, in this real-world way, will be meaningful to all involved.”

The Iowa State University KENT Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex will help prepare the next generation of workers in related technological advances in efficiency and safety, the release said. A dedication and ribbon cutting at the site of the new facility will begin at 3 p.m. in Ames on Sept. 8.