Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - June 2022

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DEVELOPMENTS

Vytelle announced the release of the Top 150 Proven Bulls. Together, with more than 30 of their network partners, Vytelle is sharing high accuracy bulls that have risen to the top of more than 94,000 animals of 25 different breeds and more than 289,000 RFI EPDs. Vytelle curates the world’s largest multi-breed database. Each phenotyped animal strengthens the database providing producers insight to make profit-bearing decisions. “Cattle producers need to be able to replicate the right genetics now,” said Kerryann Kocher, CEO for Vytelle. “Through Vytelle’s integrated technology platform, the reality of making reliable data-driven decisions is now. Vytelle and our network partners, are publishing this list of feed efficient bulls to assist cattle producers globally in driving a more accurate mating selection decision.” To find the full listing of the 2022 Top 150 Proven Bulls, visit their website.

Caterpillar is relocating its global headquarters to Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Caterpillar said the move from its current base in suburban Chicago would help it grow, and that it wasn’t getting any economic or tax incentives related to the headquarters move. The move is expected to affect about 230 corporate employees at Caterpillar’s headquarters, reported the Wall Street Journal (June 15, 2022), and is the latest in a series of recent relocations that have drawn major manufacturers and Silicon Valley tech giants closer to corporate and government customers in Texas. Manufacturers have increasingly turned to the Southwest as a destination for new factories, drawn by available space, appealing tax policies and an expanding technology workforce. Cheaper real estate and bigger potential workforces have led companies including Tesla, Oracle and Hewlett Packard to move their corporate offices over the last two years

Smithfield is closing a harvesting and processing facility in Vernon, California, in early 2023, citing the rising costs of conducting business in the state. Pork production in California has been under the microscope recently with the passage of Proposition 12, a measure that sets housing requirements for pork sold in the state. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case later this year.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12. The state law seeks to ban the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet the state’s arbitrary production standards, even if the pork was raised on farms outside of California. AFBF and NPPC argue Proposition 12 violates the constitution’s Commerce Clause, which restricts states from regulating commerce outside their borders.

Agoro Carbon Alliance has distributed more than $9 million in payments to U.S. farmers and ranchers in its first year. Agoro Carbon’s focus on education and grower support helps farmers and ranchers understand the benefits of regenerative practices on soil health, which drives carbon sequestration. Farmers and ranchers interested in carbon farming or conservation practices should visit their website.

FYI: Research from AllAboutGardening, a digital publication produced by seasoned gardening experts, has listed the potato as America’s favorite vegetable. Its conclusion is based on data collected from Google Trends over the last five years, comparing search volume for the query “How to grow……..” for various vegetables in all U.S. states. Potatoes were the most-searched-for vegetable in 14 states. Seven states searched the most for info on growing cucumbers. Beetroots came in third with six states citing it. Carrots and zucchinis were fourth. Fifth place went to onions, bell peppers and squash. Since you asked: Kansans like carrots and Missouri favors lettuce.

The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) offers payments to eligible livestock owners for deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions, which can include extreme heat. Producers must file a notice of loss within 30 days of the loss becoming apparent and file an application for payment within 60 days of the end of the year. Although livestock owners can apply for LIP in the county in which the loss occurred, it is recommended they apply in the county that maintains their Farm Service Agency records.  It also is recommended that producers document the loss and provide a statement from a veterinarian verifying it was due to heat. Documentation of the temperature, heat and humidity from a local weather station leading up to and through the loss event also should be provided. More information at Kansas Livestock Association and USDA’s Livestock Indemnity Program.

Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer dropped to its lowest level since April 2020, down 22 points in May to a reading of 99. Agricultural producers’ perceptions regarding current conditions on their farms, as well as their future expectations, both weakened this month. The Index of Current Conditions dipped 26 points to a reading of 94, and the Index of Future Expectations fell 21 points to a reading of 101. The Ag Economy Barometer is calculated each month from 400 U.S. agricultural producers’ responses to a telephone survey. This month’s survey was conducted May 16-20. “Despite strong commodity prices, this month’s weakness in producers’ sentiment appears to be driven by the rapid rise in production costs and uncertainty about where input prices are headed,” said James Mintert, the barometer’s principal investigator and director of Purdue University’s Center for Commercial Agriculture. “That combination is leaving producers very concerned about their farms’ financial performance.” Full report available here.

 

EVENTS

National Dairy Month celebrated and recognized the importance of milk as a global food and celebrates the dairy industry. This year’s theme focused on sustainability to showcase dairy’s commitment to reducing the sector’s environmental footprint. More information available here.

As farmers and producers plan the second half of 2022, MU Extension agricultural business specialist Wesley Tucker recommends scheduling three types of farm meetings. Blocking time on your calendar for these meetings can improve your farm’s communication and increase its productivity.

  • Operating meetings. Schedule operating meetings every week or every day to create agendas and set goals for each farm employee.

  • Family business meetings. At regularly scheduled family business meetings, include everyone involved in day-to-day farm operations. Meet at an off-site venue, and use the time to clarify responsibilities and roles within the business, create a culture of group decision-making and plan for the future.

  • Family council meetings. Host an annual family council meeting to allow all family members — even those who work and live off the farm — to learn about the family business and issues that affect the family.

Tucker explains more about these types of meetings and other family business communications in a Family Meetings video at  www.muext.us/FamilyMeetings.

Kansas State University-Olathe is offering a webinar presentation July 13 at noon: Animal Health Regulatory Affairs Certificate.  The certificate combines the knowledge of animal science and veterinary medicine with skills needed to navigate governmental processes and regulations throughout a product's lifecycle. Info at https://olathe.k-state.edu.

The Angus Foundation invites golf and Angus enthusiasts to enjoy a day on the green at its annual Golf Tournament, held in conjunction with the 2022 National Junior Angus Show in Kansas City, Missouri. The event, which will help further the Foundation’s mission of supporting Angus youth, education and research, will be held on Tuesday, July 5 at the Shiloh Springs Golf Club in Platte City, Missouri. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m. Sponsorship options are available to state and regional Angus associations, individuals, businesses, farms and ranches. There are different promotional opportunities at eight sponsorship levels. The sponsorship deadline is June 3. Player registration is open until June 20. Adult registration is $100, and National Junior Angus Association (NJAA) member registration is $75. More details available here.

 

PEOPLE

U.S. Congressional Representative Sharice Davids, D-Kan., has joined the House Agriculture Committee as its newest member, alongside fellow Kansan, Rep. Tracey Mann (R-Kan.). Rep. Davids is currently serving her second term in Congress and also is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure and Small Business committees.

Eric Atkinson, whose career in agricultural broadcasting began nearly four decades ago, has signed off the popular Agriculture Today program. Atkinson retired June 10 after hosting the program – which airs from Kansas State University -- since 1983. “One of the neat things about this job is the amazing cross-section of talented, smart and engaging people that you get to work with,” Atkinson said. Samantha Bennett, who recently earned a master’s degree in animal sciences with a focus in agricultural issues communications from Auburn University, takes over as host of Agriculture Today, which currently reaches 80 counties in Kansas, the northern third of Oklahoma, eastern Colorado and southern Nebraska.

Baxter Black – the cowboy poet, philosopher, large-animal veterinarian and longtime NPR Morning Edition commentator – died at age 77 on June 10. He is being remembered for his witty and insightful analysis on a wide range of issues always from the perspective of a Western farmer and rancher. "He was sort of a Will Rogers kind of a character and that he saw things clearly and he knew how to say them in a humorous and nonthreatening way," recalls folklorist and musician Hal Cannon, who was friends with Black for more than 30 years. Black was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1945 and grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was a senior class president and National FFA Organization president, and also rode bulls throughout high school and college.  After graduating from veterinary school at Colorado State University in 1969 Black went on to practice as a large-animal veterinarian.