Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - September 2021

Developments 

Merck Animal Health has announced the release of a new podcast series called Driven By Prevention. The series will explore some of the swine industry’s biggest issues and trends, and address important topics including immunology, vaccinology, influenza and management practices with swine industry leaders and influencers. Each episode is from the Merck Animal Health Science Talks webinar series hosted by The National Hog Farmer. The series also will include new content featuring swine industry experts. New episodes will be released every two weeks and can be found on all major podcast platforms, including Spotify, Google Podcast, RadioPublic, Breaker and Anchor. To listen to the series, click here. Learn more here.

In a late August press conference at the Missouri State Fair hosted by the Missouri Farm Bureau, Governor Mike Parson announced plans to deploy more than $400 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to increase broadband internet access, adoption, and assistance statewide. In addition to the $400 million plan, the Department of Economic Development also submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Infrastructure Program requesting an additional $56 million for broadband deployment. If approved by NTIA, this funding could support up to 19 projects, connecting more than 17,000 households, businesses, and other institutions.

National Farmers Union vice president Patty Edelburg recently provided remarks during a public stakeholder meeting hosted by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the agencies’ intention to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act (CWA): “As the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA start writing rules to achieve sound environmental goals, we also ask that you consider the needs farmers and ranchers have for those rules to be clear, easy to interpret, and economically practical. We also strongly encourage the agencies to continue to conduct outreach, to listen carefully to the concerns of farmers and ranchers, and to understand the unique challenges they face on their land.” 

On September 1, Kansas City, Missouri, pledged to start replacing city fleet vehicles with electric cars, trucks and buses as their gas-powered counterparts age out. City manager Brian Platt approved a new policy stating that "all new municipal fleet vehicles shall be zero emission battery electric vehicles (BEVs) where available and if a suitable option exists." The city's fleet currently consists of around 3,500 vehicles, ranging from sedans and SUVs to busses and firetrucks. KCMO has already purchased several electric cars. Earlier this year the city also purchased two electric busses. City leaders noted electric vehicles have dropped in price significantly in the past few years, enough to justify the purchase. Mayor Quinton Lucas said it was important for Kansas City to make lowering carbon emissions a priority." 

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced that funding for the Urban Agriculture Matching Grant Funding Program will award grants of up to $10,000 for reimbursement of expenses associated with urban agriculture. Eligible projects include urban agricultural projects that introduce a new crop or product to an area, expand the use of an agricultural product or add value to agricultural products. For more information about grant opportunities available through the Missouri Department of Agriculture, visit the Department at  www.agriculture.Mo.Gov. 

The Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority introduced the Biofuel Infrastructure Incentive Program to increase the distribution and use of biofuels in the state of Missouri. Funds will be awarded to fuel retailers, fuel distributors, terminal companies or fleet operations that dispense, or will soon store or dispense, ethanol blends of E15 or higher or biodiesel blends of B6 or higher. Applications are due Oct. 29, 2021, and projects receiving funds will be notified no later than Nov. 30, 2021. The maximum award per category (ethanol or biodiesel) to any single entity is 50% of eligible costs, or $250,000, whichever is less.

The National Pork Producers Council and American Farm Bureau Federation have entered a petition to the Supreme Court of the U.S. to review the decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District regarding California’s Proposition 12, the state’s animal housing law. NPPC and AFBF are disputing the Ninth Court’s finding that Prop 12 does not violate the “dormant Commerce Clause” that mandates housing requirements for pork produced outside California (and then shipped to into the state).  According to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute, the dormant Commerce Clause “refers to the prohibition, implicit in the Commerce Clause, against states passing legislation that discriminates against or excessively burdens interstate commerce.” (Reported by Agri-Pulse Communications, September 28, 2021).   The petition, reported Agri-Pulse, says the law “substantially burdens interstate commerce.” It also noted that California residents consume 13% of the nation’s pork, while 99.9% of pork sold in the state comes from sows raised out-of-state. “A previous attempt to get the issue before the court failed in June, said Agri-Pulse, when the court turned down a petition filed in a separate case by the North American Meat Institute.

Ohio-based Midmark Corporation, a clinical environmental point-of-care design firm in the animal health space has acquired Shor-Line, a 74-year-old manufacturer of animal cages and veterinary tables.  Shor-Line, which is headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas, and is officially named Schroer Manufacturing Co., also specializes in scales, surgery tables, anesthesia machines and lights. According to Midmark, Shor-Line has “a long history of customer service, innovation and high-quality equipment.

Kansas native Eric Stonestreet, former pig farmer and Emmy Award-winning actor, is redefining commonly misunderstood phrases as they relate to modern pig farming. In a new Rural Dictionary series of five new videos released by the Pork Checkoff, Stonestreet says: “Modern pig farmers embrace new technology every day with apps that control barn climate. They use cleaning robots, AI, and they're even developing facial recognition with the intention of raising healthy animals.” True to form, Stonestreet uses humor to drive home important truths about modern pig farming in a way that people can relate to and understand. Watch Rural Dictionary at https://pork.org.

People

Kansas Corn recently spotlighted KaCee James, an agriculture education teacher at Jayhawk-Linn High School, for the roles she has in the Kansas Corn STEM program. She has participated in the program as a Lesson Author and a member of the Teacher Advisory Board. James is an enthusiastic supporter of Kansas Corn STEM curricula that cover numerous content areas, all while being tied to corn.  She has started her 13th year of teaching the science and art of agriculture and food production.

The American Sugar Alliance promoted Robert Johansson to director of economics and policy analysis. Johansson joined ASA in January 2021 as the associate director of economics and policy analysis. Before joining ASA, Johansson served as the chief economist at the Department of Agriculture.

Brian Reuwee has joined the team at Rabo AgriFinance as senior vice president of marketing and communications. Reuwee previously was vice president at Fleishman Hillard in St. Louis. 

Mitch Baker has joined Kansas U.S. Representative Tracey Mann’s staff as a legislative assistant armed forces, national security, foreign trade, international finance, veterans and international affairs. Baker previously worked for Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., as a legislative correspondent. Before that, he worked at USDA under the Trump Administration in the office of partnerships and public engagement. 

Katherine Thomas has joined Senator Ben Sasse’s staff as legislative assistant covering the agriculture and food, commerce and foreign trade issues. Thomas previously worked for Rep. Tracey Mann, as the deputy legislative director and for Senator Pat Roberts on the Senate Ag Committee 

Kylie Bohman is working for Senator Josh Hawley as a legislative correspondent, working on the agriculture and energy portfolio.

Senn Boswell is a legislative aide in the office of Senator Roy Blunt.  He will be involved in immigration, labor and employment, and small business portfolio issues.

Former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has joined the recently formed research group America First Policy Institute. He will be the chairman of the Center for American Trade. Source: Agri-Pulse Communications.

Events 

Farm Journal’s MILK Business Conference, the only event that focuses exclusively on every business aspect of dairy operations, is set for November 30 through December 2, 2021, at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. The event will offer educational and networking opportunities for dairy industry leaders, live and in person, and will take place prior to the start of the National Finals Rodeo. The MILK Business Conference agenda highlights include: Five Mega Trends in 2022 and Beyond; How to Become the Employer of Choice; Turning Manure into Money; an expert session on mental health; a traceability session on beef and dairy. “We are thrilled to be hosting the MILK Business Conference in person in Las Vegas this November,” said Cliff Becker, senior vice president of livestock for Farm Journal. “A dairy’s greatest asset in 2035,” he added, “might not be their cows. Register and attend to find out what it will be.”  Click here for more information.

Kansas City Southern will release its third quarter 2021 financial results on Tuesday, October 19, 2021, before the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. KCS will also hold its third quarter 2021 earnings conference call on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 8:45 a.m. eastern time. Shareholders and other interested parties are invited to participate via live webcast or telephone. To participate in the live webcast and to view accompanying presentation materials, log onto www.Investors.kcsouthern.com immediately prior to the presentation. To join the teleconference, call (844) 308-6428 from the U.S., or (412) 317-5409 from all other countries.

The Kansas Beef Council is hosting a Beef Insights webinar on October 6. The program will feature NCBA Executive Director of Nutrition Research Shalene McNeill. During the presentation, McNeill will discuss new research on the benefits of eating beef and why some consumers choose to include it in their diet, while others limit their intake. She also will highlight the checkoff’s efforts to reach physicians and nutrition experts and provide an update on the work being done to keep beef at the center of the plate for consumers. The webinar is free and will be held from noon to 1:00 p.m. Registration is required to participate.

Kansas grain commodity groups will host the Kansas Commodity Tailgate 2021 gathering before the K-State vs Iowa State football game on October 16, 2021. It will take place at the IGP Institute, 1980 Kimball Avenue, Manhattan. IGP will provide a fall outlook session at the tailgate. Registration is available here. The event starts three hours before kickoff.

Missouri and Kansas produce growers can enroll in free workshops to meet training requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. Both in-person and online workshops are scheduled for the next several months. FSMA includes standards related to water quality, use of manure and compost, and worker health and hygiene, says Londa Nwadike, food safety specialist with University of Missouri Extension and Kansas State Research and Extension. The standards are intended to reduce the risk of contamination from E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella and other disease-causing microbes. For more information and registration, visit their website or contact Londa Nwadike at 816-482-5850.

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 at www.agriculture.mo.gov.

Registration is open for the 2021 Kansas Livestock Convention, which will be held December 1-3 in Wichita. The Wichita Hyatt, which is convention headquarters, is sold out. However, rooms still can be reserved at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview at (800) 325-0720 (group number 2431364) and Fairfield Inn & Suites Downtown at (316) 201-1400. Be sure to tell the hotel you’re with KLA to receive the convention room rate. Learn more here.

Registration is now available for the 2021 Missouri Conservation Partners Roundtable virtual event, October 13-14. This link will take you to the conference website where you can watch a short video introduction, check out the schedule and register for this free virtual event here. The program explores various definitions, connections and relationships with nature and the outdoors that can influence wellness, one-health, and agency relevancy. See the conference website for a full description. Contact Amy Buechler with any questions: amy.buechler@mdc.mo.gov