Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - January 2022
/Developments
Overland Park-based TechAccel sold its majority stake in Covenant Animal Health Partners, an animal health-focused company it co-founded in 2018 with Reliance Animal Health Partners. North Carolina-based NovaQuest Capital Management acquired a 70% stake in Covenant and will retain its four principals. Financial details were not disclosed. “This acquisition gives Covenant access to NovaQuest’s capital, infrastructure, and expertise, while giving NovaQuest another engine for animal health innovation and product development,” said Michael Helmstetter, Ph.D., president and CEO of TechAccel.
In a statement released January 21, Kansas Livestock Association signaled its support for WOTUS recommendations from the EPA Advisory Committee. The EPA’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee (FRRCC) recently issued a report outlining its recommendations regarding WOTUS rulemaking. Representing a diverse group of stakeholders including academia, farmers and ranchers, industry organizations and state and local governments, FRRCC is a federal advisory committee that provides policy advice and recommendations to the EPA administrator on environmental issues impacting agriculture and rural communities. It consists of 32 members from across the U.S. The FRRCC’s recommendations include ensuring EPA compliance with the Clean Water Act and Supreme Court precedent limiting federal jurisdiction over bodies of water; developing a clear definition of WOTUS that is easily interpreted by farmers and ranchers; protecting WOTUS exemptions for common agricultural features, including farm ditches, stock ponds, prairie potholes, prior converted cropland and other small, isolated water features; and reconsidering the EPA roundtable process to ensure all stakeholders have an opportunity to voice concerns on WOTUS rulemaking.
Farm Journal announced last week, the formation of The Carbon Council, comprised of eight farmers and ranchers who actively participate in and advocate for carbon-related programs. Recognizing the need for thought leadership in the carbon market, Farm Journal stepped up to help the industry navigate the carbon space by assembling this group of diverse leaders in agriculture. These charter members bring a range of expertise and the drive to share the financial and ecological benefits of carbon programs. Members of The Carbon Council include: Rick Clark, Williamsport, IN; Meredith Ellis, Roston, TX; Lukas Fricke, Ulysses, NE; P.J. Haynie, Reedville, VA; Trey Hill, Rock Hall, MD; Mitchell Hora, Washington, IA; Kyle Mehmen, Plainfield, IA; Ben Riensche, Jessup, IA.
The American Farm Bureau Federation has announced its support of the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2021, with the exception of the bill’s establishment of mandatory minimums for negotiated purchases. AFBF delegates at its annual meeting earlier this month voted to revise 2022 Farm Bureau policy. AFBF delegates voted to oppose government mandates that force livestock processing facilities to purchase a set percentage of their live animal supply via cash bids. “We are committed to working with the sponsors of the bill to make revisions to ensure it aligns with the priorities outlined by our membership,” said AFBF in a statement.
During a recent education forum put on by the American Hereford Association in Kansas City, Kevin Good, vice president of industry relations for CattleFax, said domestic beef demand is the strongest it has been in three decades. Beef gained about 8% market share over the last two decades, and U.S. beef exports through November 2021 were on a record pace in terms of volume and value. He attributed the growth “grade” and “consistency.” Citing figures from USDA’s Estimated National Grading Summary, Good noted 72.7% of all beef cattle was graded Choice in 2020 and 10.2% graded Prime. Ten years earlier, 60.1% was Choice and 3.4% was Prime. Good expects the quality grade trend to continue. “There will be a time when we produce 20-30% prime in the national herd, and it’s not that far away.”
Pork producers won’t hear before February 18 if the U.S. Supreme Court will allow a challenge to California’s Proposition 12 requirements for sow housing. SCOTUS had been expected to announce this month whether it would hear oral arguments in a case brought by the National Pork Producers Council and the American Farm Bureau Federation.
USDA says it’s making “enormous strides” in filling positions at the Economic Research Service and National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Kansas City. As of January 1, ERS had 266 permanent employees and NIFA had 296. Those numbers are higher than the latest online data but still short of the approximately 700 that the agencies had in total before they were moved to Kansas City. The agencies “have been laser-focused on filling vacancies and building a talented and diverse workforce for the future that will help meet USDA’s mission,” the department said in a statement responding to a report by the Union of Concerned Scientists that said the agencies’ move had a devastating impact on the diversity of the workforce.
USDA has announced a $9 million investment in new Cooperative Extensions and USDA Climate Hubs partnerships to bolster climate research and connect and share climate-smart solutions directly with the agricultural community. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, “This partnership will strengthen climate research efforts and accelerate the development, adoption and application of science-based, climate-smart practices that benefit everyone.” The investment is part of NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, which will provide effective, translatable and scalable approaches to address climate change through regional partnerships, including the USDA Climate Hubs.
A judicial ruling has determined that “gruyere” is a generic style of cheese that can come from anywhere. The decision reaffirms that all cheesemakers, not just those in France or Switzerland, can continue to create and market cheese under this common name. Federal Judge T.S. Ellis III of the Eastern District of Virginia upheld an August decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board that Gruyere is a generic name that can be used by U.S. cheese makers. “The record evidence of common usage and industry practice points clearly to the conclusion that while some individuals understand gruyere to have an association with Switzerland (and, to a lesser degree, France), the term gruyere has come to have a well-accepted generic meaning through the process of genericide and is no longer universally understood to indicate cheese produced in the Gruyère region,” the judge wrote. The Swiss Interprofession du Gruyère and the French Syndicat Interprofessional du Gruyère first applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for exclusive rights to use the name gruyere for their cheeses in the U.S. in 2015.
California’s Port of Oakland will open a new container yard for agricultural exporters struggling with capacity shortages and high freight costs. The 25-acre off-terminal yard at Oakland, the preferred export gateway for California’s agricultural exporters and for refrigerated proteins, “will provide access to equipment and provide faster truck turns without having to wait for in-terminal space,” the port said. The delays at southern California’s ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have resulted in cargo ships bypassing Oakland and heading directly back to Asia to make up for lost time. That’s left agricultural exports on the docks and made them collateral damage in the supply-chain upheaval, said Roger Isom, CEO of the Western Agricultural Processors Association. California grows more than one-third of the U.S.’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, according to the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture. It exported $21.7 billion of agricultural goods in 2019, including almonds, pistachios, dairy and dairy products, wine and walnuts.
American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall commented on the U.S. Supreme Court decision last week to hear Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, which challenges EPA’s overreach of its Clean Water Act jurisdiction. “AFBF is pleased that the Supreme Court has agreed to take up the important issue of what constitutes ‘Waters of the U.S.’ under the Clean Water Act. Farmers and ranchers share the goal of protecting the resources they’re entrusted with, but they shouldn’t need a team of lawyers to farm their land.” Duvall also called for EPA to halt further rule-drafting until there is more guidance on which waters fall under federal jurisdiction.
Tractor sales were up only slightly in December from a year ago, but sales for the year increased 10.3% over 2020, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Sales of self-propelled combines rose about 25% for the month, about the same as the increase for all of 2021. Sales of two-wheel-drive tractors were up 24.1% last year, while sales of 4WD tractors rose 18.3%. Overall a total of 317,897 tractors and 6,272 combine harvesters were purchased in the U.S. in 2021. “Seeing gains in the double digits across North America year-over-year for both tractors and combines is great for equipment manufacturers,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president, industry sectors and product leadership at AEM.
More good news: After years of sharp declines, the western monarch butterfly population is seeing a surprising and welcomed rebound in the western United States. In 2020, fewer than 2,000 butterflies were counted, but the latest survey from the Xerces Society counted 247,237 butterflies across 283 sites in the 25th Annual Western Monarch Tahnksgiving Count. “Last year, we experienced the near-extinction of the western migratory monarch. This year, it’s thrilling to see an increase in the California coast overwintering monarch numbers” said Dr. Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón, chief monarch recovery strategist for the National Wildlife Federation. “While we are eager to celebrate these numbers, this is no time to let up on conservation efforts.” Emma Pelton, the western monarch lead with the Xerces Society, said “We’re ecstatic with the results and hope this trend continues.” Source: Agri-Pulse Communicaions.
Events
Lenexa, Kansas-based Farm Journal is holding its 25th Annual Top Producer Summit – agriculture’s premier educational and networking event – at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, February 14-16. The 2022 Top Producer Summit will feature industry-leading speakers on finance, innovative management practices, human resources, technology and succession planning. To learn more or register for Top Producer Summit, go to www.tpsummit.com.
The World Ag Expo®, February 8-10, 2022 in Tulare, California is back live after its virtual event in 2021. An estimated annual average of 102,000 individuals from 65 countries attend World Ag Expo® each year. The largest annual agricultural show of its kind, World Ag Expo® hosts more than 1,200 exhibitors displaying cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment on 2.6 million square feet of show space. Learn more at www.worldagexpo.com.
Some of the nation’s leading agriculture experts and well-known personalities will be featured on the Main Stage during the 2022 Commodity Classic held March 10-12 in New Orleans. The Main Stage is presented by Successful Farming® and Commodity Classic. Registration and housing for the 2022 Commodity Classic are available at www.CommodityClassic.com. Established in 1996, Commodity Classic is America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience. It is presented annually by the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, National Sorghum Producers, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
Landowners and renters can learn more about farm leases from University of Missouri Extension specialists 6-9:30 p.m. Thursday, February 10. Participants can attend via Zoom or in person at one of six locations across the state, says Joe Koenen, MU Extension agriculture business specialist and longtime presenter on farm leases. For details and registration, go to www.extension.missouri.edu and search for “Missouri Farm Leases.”
The latest information on beef cattle production, marketing, economics, nutrition and forage utilization will be presented at a joint conference of several states, entitled the KOMA Beef Cattle Conference (Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas). This year’s Missouri portion of the conference will be held on February 24, 2022, beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the MU Southwest Research Extension and Education Center in Mount Vernon, Missouri. Register online https://extension.missouri.edu/events2022-koma-beef-cattle-conference.
People
Katie Culleton has joined the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association as the legislative affairs director. Culleton previously worked for Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., as his senior policy adviser.
TechAccel promoted Tina Youngblood, Ph.D, to Chief Enterprise Officer, a new role focusing on capital strategy for accelerated growth. Kansas City-based TechAccel is a technology venture firm investing in scientific breakthroughs to produce healthier plants, animals and foods. Dr. Youngblood joined TechAccel in January 2021 as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer.
Missouri Farm Bureau has hired Dan Engemann to serve as its new director of regulatory affairs. Engemann has worked the last five years in the Missouri Senate, most recently as chief of staff to State Sen. Karla Eslinger and District Director for Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz. Engemann currently serves as an agriculture representative on the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee, a 70-member federal panel advising the Army Corps of Engineers and the Fish and Wildlife Service on the operation of the Missouri River Recovery Program. Engemann succeeds Leslie Holloway, who retired Dec. 31 after 26 years of service to Missouri Farm Bureau.
Sarah Tyree passed away December 30 after a long battle with brain cancer. She was 54. Most recently, Tyree served as vice president for policy and public affairs at CoBank, where she worked for 15 years. She focused on local food, urban agriculture, telehealth, water systems and rural broadband. Earlier in her career Tyree had a leadership role in the Missouri Department of Agriculture.
Cobb-Vantress, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods, has appointed Joyce J. Lee its new president. Lee joins Cobb after serving as executive vice president and president of the $1.5 billion U.S. Pet Health and Commercial Operations portfolio for Elanco. Lee was named one of the 250 most influential people in Kansas City by Ingram’s Magazine in both 2018 and 2019. Lee joined Elanco through its acquisition of Bayer Animal Health in 2020.
Groundswell Strategy, a food and ag consulting firm launched by former administrator of USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service Carmen Rottenberg, has brought on Anna Osterlind Jones as the senior director of government affairs. Most recently, Osterlind Jones was head of government affairs for Zymergen. She also spent time at USDA, where she served as chief of staff both for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs and for the Agricultural Marketing Service and worked on Capitol Hill for Senator Roy Blunt from her home state of Missouri.
At its annual meeting the Missouri Soybean Association elected Matt Wright to serve as the president for 2022. Wright, a soybean grower from Emden, has been a board member for more than 10 years, serving in various other leadership roles including vice-president. This is his first term serving as the Association’s president. Renee Fordyce, a farmer and rural health professional from Bethany, was elected as the Association’s vice-president.