Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - March 2023
/Developments
The Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City will honor two of the region’s leading agricultural figures on May 18 at a luncheon in the Chamber Board Room in Kansas City’s historic Union Station. The honorees will receive the Council’s highest award, the Jay B. Dillingham Award for Agricultural Leadership and Excellence. Agricultural Business Council Chairman Dustin Johansen notes the honorees are champions for agriculture in separate but very key areas in the region. The 2023 honorees are Dr. Marty Vanier, K-State National Agricultural Biosecurity Center, Manhattan, Kansas, and Blake Hurst, owner, Hurst Farms and retired president of Missouri Farm Bureau.
Kansas Corn leaders have cast their support for the Next Generation Fuels Act which was reintroduced earlier this month in the U.S. Senate. If adopted, the legislation would lower fuel prices, reduce carbon emissions and improve the nation’s energy security. Ethanol would play a key role in the clean, high octane fuel standard that would be established by the legislation. Kansas Corn Growers Association CEO Greg Krissek said the legislation has far-reaching benefits. “This bill would benefit consumers with lower fuel prices, and would benefit rural economies by supporting biofuel demand,” Krissek said. “Ethanol is already valued as a low carbon fuel solution, and passage of this bill would help us move toward advanced vehicle engines fueled with higher levels of low-carbon high-octane ethanol fuel.”
The Kansas Corn Growers Association announced a succession process being enacted as a result of the planned retirement of its CEO Greg Krissek. Krissek, who joined the Kansas Corn staff as CEO in 2014 will be succeeded by Josh Roe, who has served as the association’s Vice President of Market Development and Public Policy since 2018. Krissek plans to retire in mid-May. “Like most farms and businesses, it is important for Kansas Corn to have a succession plan,” Krissek said. KCGA President Brent Rogers, said he was confident the CEO transition from Krissek to Roe would ensure consistency as well as continual progress for the organization. The association represents its members in legislative and regulatory issues and provides administrative and program management services to the Kansas Corn Commission. “Greg has been a transformational leader for Kansas Corn, bringing our organizations to a new level,” Rogers said. “Josh has played a critical role in that effort for the past four years. I expect the succession from Greg to Josh to be seamless and very positive for Kansas Corn.
Leawood, Kansas-based Agriculture Council of America (ACA) hosted National Agriculture Day activities on March 21, 2023, marking the 50th anniversary of National Ag Day which is celebrated in classrooms and communities across the country. The theme for National Ag Day 2023 was “Growing a Climate for Tomorrow.” ACA hosted virtual Ag Day events and events in Washington, DC. Additionally, ACA brought college students to Washington “virtually” to deliver the message of Ag Day to the Hill.
National livestock groups have come together to support Congressional efforts to expand opportunities for industry to invest in meat packing capacity. According to a release from Overland Park-based Livestock Marketing Association, it and the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Sheep Industry Association, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Pork Producers Council, and United States Cattlemen’s Association have sent a letter to the chair persons and ranking members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees expressing the groups’ support of legislation to allow livestock market owners and operators to own or invest in small or regional livestock packing facilities. The bipartisan legislation, Expanding Local Meat Processing Act (S. 813), was reintroduced by Sens. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) last week. This is the Senate companion to the Amplifying Processing of Livestock in the United States (APLUS) Act (H.R.530), being led by U.S. Representatives Mark Alford (R-MO), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Dusty Johnson (R-SD). If enacted, these bills would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to update a regulatory prohibition under the Packers and Stockyards Act which bars livestock auction owners from owning or investing in packers. “This is an antiquated rule that does not fit with the current, transparent method of selling livestock at an open auction where sellers can view the transaction either in person or by streaming the auction online,” the letter states. The bills would allow for investment in the packing industry at local and regional levels by those active in the livestock marketing business.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture celebrated the state’s position nationally in agriculture production as part of National Agriculture Week. Missouri is home to 95,000 farms, employs nearly 460,000 people in agriculture, forestry and related industries, and has an estimated economic impact of $93.7 billion. Agriculture remains the state’s number one economic driver, supporting both rural and urban communities from farm to fork. “Agriculture is the backbone of Missouri’s economy, and we celebrate it year-round, especially during National Agriculture Week,” Governor Mike Parson said. St. Louis is home to the world’s largest concentration of plant scientists and the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor represents more than half of total worldwide animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales. Missouri also houses two of the largest river systems in the United States, which allow Missouri commodities to be distributed domestically and internationally. “National Agriculture Week is a great opportunity to highlight the work Missouri farmers and ranchers put in each day,” said Chris Chinn, Missouri Director of Agriculture.
Brentwood, Tennessee-based Tractor Supply Company the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, and the Tractor Supply Company Foundation announced an $850,000 donation to American Farmland Trust in celebration of the company’s 85th anniversary. This announcement came on National Ag Day. The donation will support AFT’s Brighter Future Fund, providing 85 grants of $10,000 each to help farmers improve farm viability; access, transfer or permanently protect farmland; and adopt regenerative agricultural practices. Applicants may include one or more individual farmer(s) or farm families. Grants will primarily be awarded to those who have been historically underserved or lack access to traditional methods of funding. Applications open on July 1.
Missouri University Extension is conducting a short internet survey that will help inform future broadband investments and training efforts. The survey is designed to better understand the internet needs of Missourians. Survey can be completed here.
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $89 billion across the country to finance the startup and expansion of independent meat processors. USDA also announced initial steps it is taking to create a more competitive marketplace for seeds and other agricultural inputs. Secretary Vilsack announced the new investments at the National Farmers Union convention in San Francisco. USDA is providing $89 million in grants under the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program to increase available financing for independent processors, alleviate bottlenecks, and create opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs in rural communities. The investments are being made under the second round of the program. Last fall, USDA awarded $75 million in grants to eight nonprofit lenders in seven states under the first round of MPILP.
U.S. Congressional Representative Tracey Mann, alongside more than 50 of his colleagues, introduced legislation last week recognizing the importance of stepped-up basis in response to the Biden administration’s budget proposal that recommends elimination of the tax provision for agricultural producers and small business owners. The resolution would commit the House of Representatives to supporting the preservation of the provision, opposing any efforts to impose new taxes on family farms or small businesses and recognizing the importance of generational transfers of family-owned operations. Stepped-up basis is a longstanding provision within the tax code that protects people from being forced to pay capital gains taxes on inherited assets such as land, equipment or buildings, allowing the recipients to adjust their cost basis to reflect their fair market value. Its removal would hurt agricultural producers and small business owners by weakening their ability to keep generational assets in the family.
The American Farm Bureau Federation, CNH Industrial brands, Case IH and New Holland, has signed a memorandum of understanding that provides farmers and ranchers the right to repair their own farm equipment. The MOU follows a similar agreement AFBF entered into with John Deere earlier this year. “Our members urged us to find a private sector-solution that gives them access to repair their own equipment and I’m pleased months of discussions have again paid off,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “Farmers and ranchers are more dependent on technology than ever before, so it’s critical they have access to the tools to keep things running on the farm so the food supply chain keeps running, too.” The MOU sets a framework for farmers and independent repair facilities in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico to access CNH Industrial brand manuals, tools, product guides and information to self-diagnose and self-repair machines, as well as support from CNH Industrial brands to directly purchase diagnostic tools and order products and parts.
Southwest Kansas officials have long pushed a moonshot aqueduct project to send Missouri River water across the state to their region, where a $12.5 billion agricultural economy relies on a dwindling underground aquifer, reported Wall Street Journal Mid-USA correspondent Shannon Najmabadi. “While the effort has been dismissed as legally impossible and expensive, the persistence of the idea demonstrates how drought and a steadily shrinking water supply have created broad consensus that water policies need to be overhauled.” In Kansas, where federal data shows that nearly every county was experiencing some level of drought at the end of 2022, water is among the most urgent issues facing the state legislature this year. Proponents of the Kansas aqueduct say it is needed to sustain the economy of the state’s southwest and could sell water to other Western areas that have already taken extreme measures to conserve water or find new water sources. Opponents say the idea is too expensive, and would need to fend off a likely onslaught of lawsuits from states along the Missouri River or landowners whose property would be used to build a canal system.
FYI: The Kansas Beef Council plans, creates and distributes content that is adaptable to every social platform and algorithm. For example, YouTube now is recommending and promoting YouTube Shorts over traditional long-form videos. Adapting to this format has helped KBC content be seen by a larger audience. In February, KBC staff filmed various videos for all their social accounts. The content included a video featuring a corned beef tacos recipe, two videos about how beef can elevate the nutrition of popular vegetable-forward meals and a video on how to make a beef dinner and a dessert all under 500 calories. For more information contact Kansas Livestock Association, 785-273-5115.
People
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has selected 30 high school sophomores to participate in the 2023 Missouri Agribusiness Academy. Selected students will spend a week in June in St. Louis exploring careers in agriculture, building leadership skills and learning more about farming, ranching and food production. “The Missouri Agribusiness Academy is a great experience for high school students interested in agriculture,” said Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn. “Not only do they have the opportunity to explore all Missouri agriculture has to offer, but they also get the chance to network with other students across the state and leaders in the industry.” Since 1988, the Missouri Agribusiness Academy has awarded 1,060 academy opportunities through a competitive application and interview process for high school sophomores interested in pursuing agriculture-related college degrees and careers. More information about which students have been selected and details about the 2023 Missouri Agribusiness Academy are available at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.
Austin Higginbotham is the new deputy chief of staff and communications director for Missouri freshman Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo. He previously worked for Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Tex., as communications director. He replaces Andrew Leppert in Alford's office. Source: Agri-Pulse Communications
Ryan Dalbec has moved to Rep. French Hill’s, D-Ark., office as a legislative assistant covering healthcare, education, workforce, and telecommunications. He previously worked for The Assistance Fund as manager of legislative affairs. Before that, he was a legislative aide to then Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. Source: Agri-Pulse Communications
The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors recently honored its 2022 winners in a special ceremony, according to Gloria Johnson, executive secretary for the Hall of Honors. Tom Oelrichs, Mora, MO, is the recipient of the Dairy Leadership Award. Ridge View Farm, Lancaster, MO, is the recipient of the Distinguished Dairy Cattle Breeder Award. The late Sam and Ethel Messer, Cairo, MO, were recognized with the Pioneer Dairy Leader Award. The Missouri Dairy Hall of Honors Foundation was established Dec. 9, 1988, following the merger of the Association of Missouri Dairy Organizations with the Missouri Dairy Association. The Foundation has two goals: to maintain and perpetuate a Dairy Hall of Honors to recognize outstanding leadership in the Missouri dairy industry.
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., has brought on Eric Slee as a senior professional staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. He will handle the portfolio that includes rural development, credit, energy and transportation. Slee previously was the vice president of government affairs at WISP—Broadband Without Boundaries. Before that, he worked on Capitol Hill for former Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., beginning as a legislative assistant before serving as the office's last legislative director. Source: Agri-Pulse Communications
Events
April is National Soy Foods Month, and the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council is celebrating the benefits of soy foods by hosting two events to highlight this powerhouse commodity. Soy foods range from traditional soy-based foods like tofu, edamame and miso to well-known products including soy milk, soy nutrition bars and soy-based meat alternatives to soybean oil, which is used as both an ingredient and in food preparation. To recognize the national holiday, MSMC is providing free soy lattes to consumers surrounding the state’s Capitol on April 3-7, 2023. Locals can receive their free caffeine at Yanis Coffee Zone, located in downtown Jefferson City. Additionally, the organization will host a food truck event on April 14 at the Center for Soy Innovation from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Food trucks will serve up a delicious menu highlighting dishes such as tacos and pizza, incorporating soy-based ingredients including high oleic soybean oil, edamame, soy sauce and more.
The 2023 World Pork Expo returns to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, from June 7-9. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the annual event focusing on education, innovation and networking within the pork industry. “This is a big anniversary for the World Pork Expo,” National Pork Producers Council board president Terry Wolters said. “We’re looking forward to celebrating the event’s history while continuing to look ahead at the progress the industry continues to make.” The event has seen significant growth over the last three and a half decades to become the world’s largest pork-specific trade show. Last year, more than 10,000 pork producers and ag professionals representing over 400 companies worldwide participated. This year’s event is expected to draw even more industry insiders to the more than 300,000 square feet of exhibit space. Registration information will soon be available on www.worldpork.org for those who plan to attend the 2023 World Pork Expo, June 7-9.
Since 1928, Missouri FFA has been providing opportunities for the growth and success of Missouri’s youth. With that same goal in mind, the Foundation has released its latest initiative to raise funds for the organization and the programs it supports. Support Missouri Agriculture, in partnership with an innovative, small business, was officially launched on March 21, 2023. The mission of the Missouri FFA Foundation is to secure strategic partnerships and financial resources to enhance, strengthen, and support the educational and leadership opportunities that promote premier leadership, personal growth and career success for Missourians in Agricultural Education. More information is available at www.missouriffa.org/foundation.