Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - May 2021

Developments

Chambers USA, a ranking and research firm, recognized 43 Husch Blackwell attorneys in its recently released 2021 Guide. Chambers also ranked Husch Blackwell in 18 areas, including Banking & Finance, Cannabis Law, Corporate/Commercial, Corporate/M&A, Environment, Government Contracts, Healthcare, Intellectual Property, Labor & Employment, Litigation: General Commercial, and Real Estate.

The second stage of the Kansas Livestock Association’s 2021 Young Stockmen's Academy was held May 10-12. The group of young producers spent three days touring various segments of the beef and dairy industries in Kansas. Merck Animal Health is the sponsor of the YSA program. Tour and briefing stops included Hildebrand Dairy near Junction City, Tiffany Cattle Company near Herington, Creekstone Farms Premium Beef packing plant in Arkansas City, During, Sproul Ranch near Sedan, McCabe Genetics near Elk City and Locke Cattle Company in El Dorado.

Farm Journal Media, Lenexa, Kansas, released findings from its research initiative Farmer Perspectives on Data, conducted with The Sustainability Consortium. Key insights from the survey of over 600 farmers in 42 states include these:

• There is a significant digital gap: 62% do not rely of farm management information systems (FMIS). 

• Trust issues are significant: 73% do not trust private companies with their data, and 58% do not trust the government.

• Satisfaction with FMIS data output is mediocre:  Less than half (47%) of FMIS users report being entirely satisfied.

Kansas City Southern board of directors terminated the $25 billion merger agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway to pursue Canadian National Railway’s $33.6 billion offer. KCS president and CEO Patrick Ottensmeyer said the KCS/CN combination will provide customers access to new single-line transportation services at the best value for their transportation dollar and increase competition among the Class 1 railroads. KCS paid CP a termination fee of $700 million, which will be reimbursed by the CN.

In a conversation last week with Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve System, and Gina Raimonda, secretary of the Department of Commerce, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran urged them to take action to stem rising costs of products, especially for lumber. Record-high lumber prices are putting the American dream of home ownership just out of reach for hundreds of thousands of potential home buyers, noted Sen. Moran. “I’ve also heard from Kansans who need to make home improvements but the high price of lumber has made it unaffordable. By eliminating tariffs on Canadian lumber, we can help relieve the burden on American families looking to build new homes and create new jobs in construction.”

Western Equipment Dealers Association announced in late May its partnership with SiteDocs, whose safety management software helps companies streamline operations with digital forms ensuring compliance with real-time monitoring and advanced analytics. More information available here.  

Merck Animal Health has partnered with the American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) since 2013 to provide scholarship support to hundreds of veterinary students. This month the company announced that 54 veterinary students from around the world received scholarships through the Merck Animal Health Veterinary Student Scholarship Program. The selected second- and third-year students pursuing careers in companion animal or large animal medicine will each receive a $5,000 scholarship to support their educational endeavors. Ryan Swanson and Lulia Osipova of Kansas State University’s veterinary school are local beneficiaries of the scholarship program this year.

Boehringer Ingelheim celebrated its 50-year anniversary in the U.S. by committing $450,000 in employee-directed funds to strengthen communities and address unmet needs. The company’s approximately 8,500 employees have been encouraged to direct a one-time $50 donation from BI Cares to one of more than 40 eligible nonprofit causes in its Matching Gifts Program. “We are excited to invest in our communities to help people and animals in need,” said Jean-Michel Boers, president and CEO, Boehringer Ingelheim USA.  

USDA’s Kansas City-based NIFA invested $14.5 million in two key programs awarded through its Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. NIFA also awarded $8.6 million for 18 economics, markets, and trade projects and another $5.9 million to 12 environmental and natural resources projects. “These investments will help our nation better promote agricultural products and maximize export markets and opportunities,” said NIFA director Dr. Carrie Castille. “This research will help U.S. farmers provide a safe, nutritious, secure food supply, while enhancing rural prosperity and economic development.”

The Missouri Department of Agriculture has awarded $16.7 million in CARES Act funding to nearly 150 Missouri small and medium sized businesses. As a direct result of the reimbursement grant, more than 40 businesses were assisted in initiating or expanding their level of meat processing through a new grant of inspection or custom exempt inspection status. Chris Chinn, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, said, “Our local meat processors were the backbone of our food supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, our team doubled the amount of red meat under state inspection, so we know the demand is there. We are proud to say that this grant has helped bring 27 businesses into state inspection status, also doubling the number of state inspected facilities in Missouri.”

American Farm Bureau Foundation’s On The Farm STEM training event in Nashville, Tennessee, this August aims to further agriculture education in classrooms across the country. Teams made up of classroom teachers, administrators and specialists will engage with experts in both science education and the scientific community to design lessons and classroom materials that use agriculture to contextualize science. “The On the Farm STEM experience is an incredibly important component of our program to connect students to agriculture through STEM education,” said Daniel Meloy, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. The professional development opportunity, co-created by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture and NextGenScience with funding from the Beef Checkoff Program, was designed to bring science to life for participants with the help of American beef cattle ranchers, researchers, geneticists, nutritionists and veterinarians. More information is available here.  

Events

On July 20-22, NAMA returns to Kansas City for its 2021 Agri-Marketing Conference. Registration is now open. On the agenda are discussions about how companies are moving forward in a post-COVID-19 world and how customer behaviors are shifting. More information, including registration, is available here.

Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Animal Facilities Inspection group will host a free informational webinar series on small animal facilities virtually on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout June. For more information contact Michelle Florence at Michelle.O.Florence@ks.gov; or 785-564-6605.

The 2021 World Pork Expo will take place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa. Professionals in the pork industry can expect three days of networking, education, and innovation from June 9-11. National Pork Producers Council will continue to monitor developments in COVID-19 guidelines (local, state, federal) for the World Pork Expo to ensure the health and safety of all participants. NPPC will provide guidance to exhibitors and attendees. Registration information and more are available online.

The Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture is coming back to Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri, this fall for its 49th celebration of agriculture.  Missouri Department of Agriculture has set the conference dates for November 18-19, 2021. Missouri farmers, ranchers, agribusiness leaders and aspiring agriculturalists are invited to enjoy the packed program that will include a commodity outlook, Missouri Agriculture Awards luncheon and nationally recognized speaker line-up. More information is available here.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture will host its sixth annual Kansas Governor's Summit on Agricultural Growth on August 26, 2021 in Manhattan, Kansas. The Summit hosts Kansas farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses and invites them to work together in a collaborative setting to discuss growing the agriculture industry in Kansas. The event kicks off with a social event on the evening of August 25. Details regarding the Summit are still being worked out, but more information is available here.

People

After 38 years with Bayer and the Monsanto Company, Brett Begemann has announced he will retire as chief operating officer for crop science. Begemann was the featured speaker at the Council’s April 2021 meeting. Rodrigo Santos will succeed Begemann, effective June 8. Mauricio Rodrigues, currently head of finance for crop science, Latin America, will replace Santos as the new head of crop science's commercial operations for Latin America. Source: Agri-Pulse Communications.

Sarah Henry has joined the staff Kansas’ U.S. Congressman Tracey Mann.  She will be the new district agriculture representative. Henry previously worked at the National Corn Growers Association as the manager of public policy and regulatory affairs.

Cameron Bradshaw has joined Cargill as a policy associate. Bradshaw previously served as a field representative for U.S. Senator Roger Marshall’s, campaign. 

Samantha Davis joined Bayer Crop Science as the Industry Affairs Lead for Oilseeds and Selective Herbicides, Davis joins Bayer from the Missouri Corn Growers Association where she led their Public Policy Division. Previously, she worked for the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Source: Agri-Pulse Communications.

Scott Stump takes over the helm as head of the National FFA Organization and Foundation. Earlier in his career Stump served on the National FFA staff. Most recently he was an assistant secretary of career, technical and adult education for the Department of Education. “I know from personal experience as a student and as a parent the positive difference FFA makes in the lives of students across this nation,” he said. “I look forward to working with FFA’s talented national staff, committed board members, state and local leaders and supporters to advance and expand our collective impact.” 

Annie Deckey, a student at Claremont McKenna College with a background and interest in agribusiness and farm policy, is the newest member of the Agri-Pulse team. Deckey, a native of Yuma, Ariz., will focus on ag and food policy issues in Washington and across the country. “Annie brings a wealth of curiosity and talent to our team,” said Sara Wyant, Agri-Pulse founder and president. “Her experience and knowledge of western agriculture issues and passion for learning more about all the things we cover will be a valuable resource as she produces stories that will be important to our readers.”  Source: Agri-Pulse Communications.

Veteran Iowa farm broadcaster Von Ketelsen was presented the Honorary Iowa FFA Degree at the 2021 Iowa FFA Leadership Conference in Des Moines earlier this month. Ketelsen has been a fixture in Iowa farm radio, having served as a farm broadcaster at such Iowa farm radio stations as KOEL, WMT, KWMT, and currently at Carroll Broadcasting in Carroll, Iowa. Ketelsen produces a radio program called “FFA Today.” The weekly feature spotlights current FFA students as well as prominent FFA alumni. Source: National Association of Farm Broadcasting.