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Governor Mike Parson proclaims June as Dairy Month

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Today [June 23, 2022], on behalf of Missouri dairy farmers and processors throughout the state, Governor Mike Parson proclaimed June to be Dairy Month in Missouri. Governor Parson presented the proclamation at Hiland Dairy in Springfield. Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn, dairy farmers and industry partners joined the Governor for the proclamation.

“The Missouri dairy industry is an important part of Missouri agriculture,” Governor Mike Parson said. “The First Lady was raised on a dairy farm, and the dairy industry remains dear to her heart and mine. Missouri dairy farmers work hard to produce milk that is delicious and nutritious on its own, and equally delicious when it is turned into fan favorites like ice cream and cheese. We are proud to recognize the dairy industry and all of the hard-working producers across our state.”

“My grandparents had dairy cows and I clearly remember their hard work and dedication when helping them in the barn,” Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn said. “Milk from Missouri dairy animals feeds the world through fluid milk and other products. Many operations are multi-generation, which shows the commitment and the dedication our producers have to being good stewards of the land to raise a quality product.”

Hiland Dairy is a regional network of plants and distribution centers, founded in 1938. Hiland Dairy prides itself on fresh products, bring milk and dairy products from farm to store in an average of 48 hours. Milk, ice cream, cheese and butter are just a few of the dairy products found under the Hiland brand.

Missouri is home to 332 Grade A dairy farms and 151 dairy manufacturing locations. The Missouri dairy processing industry provides $2.2 billion in economic value to the state’s economy and creates more than 22,250 jobs.

For more information about the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its programs, visit the Department online at Agriculture.Mo.Gov.

To learn more about the dairy industry in Missouri, visit Modairy.org.

— Missouri Department of Agriculture

2022 Kernza® Field Days announced

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SALINA, Kan. — Throughout the summer, farmers and research partners are hosting in-person Kernza field days across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Kansas.

Kernza, the first commercially available perennial grain in the United States, prevents erosion, encourages water retention and sequesters carbon on farms. Supply chain partners are cleaning and processing Kernza, and food companies across the country are turning Kernza into tasty products for consumers, including pasta, beer, bread and baked goods. The following schedule of field days covers a range of topics, including Kernza breeding, production, processing, economics, ecosystem services and market development.

You can find information on currently confirmed field days below. More field days will be confirmed throughout the summer; updates will be posted on www.kernza.org as they become available.

July 6 – Harmony, MN

Join the Land Stewardship Project for a tour of Niagara Cave. Local farmer and Vice President of the Minnesota Caving Club Martin Larsen will discuss the connection between agricultural practices, caves, and water quality; Will Varela from Mystery Cave will discuss geology and its impact on trout streams, and a Kernza presenter will speak about Kernza’s impact on water quality and soil health. Registration and more information available here.

July 7 – Madison, MN

A-Frame Farm is hosting a field tour for growers, processors, businesses, and policymakers to gain firsthand knowledge and connect with experienced Kernza stakeholders who will provide insight on best practices for harvesting, post-harvest handling, cleaning and marketing the nation’s first perennial grain. More information and registration available here.

July 21 – Castle Rock, MN

A field day hosted by Kurt Kimber and Clean River Partners will highlight Kernza interseeded with legumes, organic Kernza production, harvest method and timing, and a market update. More information available here.

August 4 – East Troy, WI

The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) is hosting a field day featuring the KernzaCAP experiments and production fields as well as pollinator strips. Contact MFAI for more information or visit their website here.

August 18 – Westport, MN

The Rosholt Research Farm is hosting a field day focused on Kernza and water quality. More information will be available later this summer.

August 23 – St. Joseph, MN

AURI is hosting a showcase event for growers, processors, and product developers at Milk + Honey Ciders in St. Joseph, MN. This showcase will focus on major product advancements in the past year. More information available here.

August 28 – Salina, KS (unconfirmed)

Sustain-a-Grain will host a Kernza field day for growers and researchers to highlight Kernza intercropping and management practices. More information will be available later this summer.

August – Arlington, WI (unconfirmed)

The University of Wisconsin, in collaboration with the Arlington Agricultural Research Station, will feature Kernza at their annual field day. More information will be available later this summer.

“Field Days are a unique opportunity for learning, exploring and connecting, especially for a new crop like Kernza,” says Dr. Nicole Tautges of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in Wisconsin, “Researchers, growers, millers, bakers, brewers, chefs, and processors are rapidly expanding their Kernza knowledge every year and these field days are a dynamic and immediate way to exchange that knowledge. We encourage anyone who is interested to come out and learn more about the economic, environmental and community benefits of Kernza.”

Al Kraus of Clean River Partners in Northfield, Minnesota, says, “I’ve been working with Kernza growers from across Southeast Minnesota for over five years. They are seeing the soil health and economic value that Kernza brings to their rotations. These field days are an excellent opportunity for growers to learn how Kernza adds farm profitability, while it also improves soil and protects water. This is extremely important where groundwater is at risk.”

We encourage the public to register for a Kernza field day this summer to see this new crop, try products featuring Kernza, and see what growers, industry, and researchers are doing to expand this new perennial grain on the landscape.

The KernzaⓇCAP project is supported by AFRI Sustainable Agricultural Systems Coordinated Agricultural Program (SAS-CAP) grant no. 2020-68012-31934 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The project supports over 80 researchers, students, business leaders, nonprofit professionals, and farmers across the country to demonstrate the viability of new perennial cropping systems. More information can be found at kernza.org/kernzacap.

— Kernza CAP

Can farms produce to the max and still reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

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WASHINGTON — Decarbonizing agriculture is critical for the U.S. to reach net zero emissions by 2050. A new data-driven approach looks at practices that are good for the earth and profitable for farmers.

The world relies on American farmers to do much more than set its tables. In addition to producing food for people and animals, American farmers produce feedstocks for biofuel production.

In the process of doing this, the agricultural industry contributes about 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Because the amount of land dedicated for agriculture is limited, farmers need to find more ways to operate efficiently, sustainably and profitably while also reducing GHG emissions. With new practices, farmers can make farms a net sink of CO2, helping the U.S. reach its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

“We want to give farmers, regional planners and others in agricultural management a tool to calculate how to use land sustainably and get the most value out of the land, which furthers both profitability and environmental goals.” — Troy Hawkins, group leader of fuels and products in Argonne’s Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis division

Sustainable intensification is a two-prong approach many think could help. It tries to optimize land use and management practices for maximum farmland productivity at the same time it tries to minimize associated environmental impact. The trick is finding the right balance between the two objectives.

Scientists who specialize in agroecosystems modeling and life-cycle analysis (LCA) from Colorado State University (CSU) and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory took a new analytic approach to the issue in a recent study of corn and soy farming in Iowa. They co-authored an article, ​“A multi-product landscape life-cycle assessment approach for evaluating local climate mitigation potential,” in the June 20 issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production.

“The concept of sustainable intensification of farming was applied into more broadscale landscape application,” said one of the article’s co-authors, Hoyoung Kwon, a principal environmental scientist in Argonne’s Energy Systems and Infrastructure Analysis (ESIA) division. ​“We considered productivity and GHG emissions, attempted to optimize land management tactics and products, and investigated different trade-offs that improve the land and land productivity.”

For example, farmers can clear and repurpose corn crop residue (or ​“stover”) for biofuel, but a percentage of stover can remain in the soil for valuable nutrient and carbon sources for future crops. Farmers can plant cover crops during the winter (or ​“fallow”) season, to supplement removed stover. The authors took into account energy, which has an emissions cost of planting of cover crops to holistically address net benefits of stover removal and cover crop planting. Farmers can also reduce how much land they till after a growing season ends, which lessens decay and reduces the amount of CO2 that emanates from the soil. However, the farmer has to till some of the land to be ready for the next growing season.

While some farmers already follow one or even all three of these practices, the scientists from Argonne believe a better understanding of their impact will motivate more to do so, for real benefit.

“Our approach gives a holistic perspective and looks at the perspective of the farmer: What are all the products that can be produced on the land and what are the sustainability benefits?” said co-author Troy Hawkins, group leader of fuels and products in Argonne’s ESIA division. ​“Farming can be a risky, low-margin exercise. Profitability will always be a primary focus. However, sustainability has value that may be unrecognized. How can we put all that together with changes to land management practices to make farming more sustainable and improve farmers’ costs?”

The scientists looked at the trade-offs and synergies between sustainable intensification and carbon-sequestering conservation measures in a real-world scenario. They used two models — DayCent and the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies (GREET) LCA — to evaluate a farming area upstream of Des Moines, Iowa.

The DayCent model represents daily flows of carbon, nitrogen and water between the atmosphere, vegetation and soil in natural and agricultural ecosystems. The scientists relied on it to evaluate GHG emissions in corn ethanol production and the effects of residue harvest.

They used GREET to account for emissions associated with farm operations and the use of harvested corn grain, soybean and corn stover as feedstocks for biofuel production. GREET is widely used across industries to evaluate energy consumption, GHG emissions, air pollutant emissions and water consumption associated with biofuel supply chains and other transport and energy technologies. Fellow co-author Michael Wang, Argonne’s interim division director for energy systems and Infrastructure, is a primary architect of GREET.

According to the study, harvesting 30% of the corn stover for biofuel production would increase farm revenues, double net profitability and increase overall biofuel production from the landscape by 17–20%. Removal of the stover would also mitigate GHGs somewhat, but it reduced the baseline amount of good carbon in the soil by 40%. In comparison, integrated approaches that include winter cover cropping and/or tillage intensity reduction would increase carbon in the soil, improve farm profitability and mitigate more GHGs.

“We focused on corn and soy but our approach could be extended to other crops,” said Hawkins. ​“Many farms today are large, industrial farms that are high-tech and rely much more on high resolution data. We want to give farmers, regional planners and others in agricultural management a tool to calculate how to use land sustainably and get the most value out of the land. This will further both profitability and environmental goals.”

The work was supported, in part, by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) mission is to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment of technologies and solutions to equitably transition America to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050, and ensure the clean energy economy benefits all Americans, creating good paying jobs for the American people — especially workers and communities impacted by the energy transition and those historically underserved by the energy system and overburdened by pollution.

Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://​ener​gy​.gov/​s​c​ience.

–Argonne National Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science
via EurekAlert!

Shellfish attitude in lobster land: Maine oysters boom

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BRUNSWICK, Maine (AP) — Maine is producing more oysters than ever due to a growing number of shellfish farms that have launched off its coast in recent years.

The state’s 2021 oyster harvest was the largest and most valuable in its history, according to recent data from the Department of Marine Resources in Maine. The state’s haul of oysters, the vast majority of which are from farms, grew by more than 50% last year to more than 6 million pounds.

Maine’s growing oyster business has made the state a bigger player in the national industry that grows the valuable shellfish, which were valued at more than $187 million in 2020. The growth has also raised questions from members of other marine industries about whether the oyster business is growing too fast.

Maine oysters were worth more than $10 million at the docks last year, a decade after they were worth less than $1.3 million. They’re now the fourth most valuable marine resource in the state, where lobster is still by far the most important seafood.

The presence of more farms has led to criticism from some lobster fishermen, who fear losing access to productive fishing grounds. The state needs a comprehensive plan for the future of shellfish farming or it will lose its coast, said Crystal Canney, executive director of Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation.

“We are seeing people treating this like a Wild West gold rush, and it’s irresponsible,” she said.

On the other hand, the growth of oysters is great news for a state that has been trying to diversify marine industries, said Dan Devereaux, one of the owners of Mere Point Oyster Company in Brunswick.

“As Mainers, we take advantage of the fact that we are up here and the seafood is so coveted outside the state,” he said.

The growth of Maine oysters is happening at a time when the national oyster industry is diversifying. A decade ago, about 60% of the value of U.S. oysters came from Washington and Louisiana, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Now, those states make up 27% of the value, and industries have grown in states including Texas, Virginia, Massachusetts and California, NOAA data said.

Maine’s harvest made up less than 1% of the nation’s oyster value in 2011 and it was 3% in 2020. Oyster farms, which typically grow oysters in cages in coastal waters, have grown in Maine in that time. There were less than 600 acres of shellfish farm leases in Maine in 2010 and there are now about 1,000 acres, state records show.

The state remains a relatively small producer in the national oyster industry, but oysters from Maine tend to be more valuable than those from elsewhere, said Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association. Maine oyster farmers typically get paid 10-15% more than those from other states, he said.

“The demand for Maine oysters is incredibly strong, and has been for the last 10 years or so, but it seems like it’s getting stronger and stronger,” Belle said.

–By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation recognizes 2022 Retail Value Steer Challenge winners

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LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation (NCF) Retail Value Steer Challenge (RVSC) winners were honored at the NC Foundation lunch on June 10, 2022, during the Nebraska Cattlemen Midyear Meeting in Valentine.

The Retail Value Steer Challenge raises money to support youth and adult educational programs, scholarships, research and infrastructure projects, history preservation, and collegiate judging teams across Nebraska.

Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation President, Ryan Loeske stated, “We are proud to announce this year’s winners of the 2022 Retail Value Steer Challenge and appreciate all participants who went out of their way to help our next generation of beef cattle producers in their educational pursuits. We would especially like to thank our partners at Darr Feedlot of Cozad who make the administration and feeding of our competing steers possible.”

The Retail Value Steer Challenge is divided into three categories including, Average Daily Gain, Carcass Value, and Total Value. The 2022 RVSC winners with the best performing steers in each category are as follows.

Average Daily Gain
1st – Trotter Inc. of Arcadia
2nd – Faessler Farms of Bridgeport
3rd – Huss Livestock Market, LLC and Lexington Livestock Market

Carcass Value
1st – A steer owned by Rhea Farms, Rhea Cattle and Abiwill, LLC of Arlington
2nd – Benjamin Feedlot of Cozad
3rd – A steer owned by George and Barb Cooksley (Anselmo) and Jay and Kathie Martindale (Brewster)

Total Value
1st – Pandorf Land and Cattle of Callaway
2nd – Reynolds, Inc. of Lexington
3rd – Equitable Bank of North Platte

The 2023 Retail Value Steer Challenge will begin this fall. The Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation welcomes steer donations by individuals, businesses, groups of individuals or businesses, and NC affiliates. Donors can donate their own steer or purchase one from the Foundation. Donors do not have to own the whole steer with options to own 1/4, 1/3 or 1/2 available. To donate, or for more information concerning the NC Foundation, contact Lee Weide, Nebraska Cattlemen Foundation Secretary at (402) 475-2333, lweide@necattlemen.org  or Jana Jensen, NC Foundation Fundraising Coordinator at (308) 588-6299, janajensen@nebcommfound.org.

Background
Established in 1968, the NC Foundation mission is to advance the future of Nebraska’s Beef industry by investing in research and education programs. As the NC Foundation grows, expands, and moves forward in its mission to raise funds for educational and scientific activities that benefit the state’s beef producers – the board asks you to consider investing in your industry through the Foundation.

— Nebraska Cattlemen

Off-season cattle grazing to help control fire danger from invasive cheatgrass

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RENO, Nevada — Cheatgrass, an invasive annual grass that has invaded Nevada rangelands, is responsible for much of the increasing wildfire danger in the Intermountain West. However, scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno have discovered that fire danger can be reduced through the application of targeted cattle grazing in the dormant growing season by attracting the cattle with stations containing protein feed supplements.

“Our work establishes that protein feed supplements in the fall and early winter can attract cattle to locations dominated by cheatgrass, significantly reducing the standing fine-fuel biomass by more than 50%, while making room for native grasses to grow,” Barry Perryman, professor of rangeland sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno said. “This research builds and affirms other studies that show dormant season grazing helps control the dominance of cheatgrass,”

One of the greatest ecological threats to ecosystems of the Intermountain West has been and will continue to be invasive annual grasses. The non-native cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is the most problematic invasive annual grass at regional spatial scales. It is estimated that cheatgrass covers 11,000 square miles of the Great Basin, and it is the ecologically dominant species on more than 20% of the sagebrush steppe.

Strategic supplementation provides a valuable tool to target cattle grazing at specific locations within cheatgrass-invaded systems to reduce fine fuel buildup during the dormant season, according to the study published in Elsevier’s journal Rangeland Ecology and Management.

“It is difficult to concentrate animals in one place during spring for long enough periods of time to be of any use,” Perryman, in the University’s the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, said. “However, cattle can be concentrated on cheatgrass during the fall, using supplementation as a tool. Reducing the amount of cheatgrass fuel carryover may effectively reduce the amount of total fuel available during the next year’s fire season. If several hundred pounds per acre of cheatgrass can be removed during the fall, through cattle grazing, that is several hundred pounds that will not be added to the next year’s fuel load.”

Managing supplement station placements and cattle grazing distribution near or bordering areas with high ecological value or social importance provides options for land managers to reduce fine fuels at targeted, manager-defined locations. Strategically placed supplements can reduce the cost of developing fence infrastructure, decrease fence and wildlife conflicts, and provide greater flexibility to change management locations depending on fluctuations in precipitation, cheatgrass biomass availability and management goals.

Perryman and the team of scientists used liquid protein supplements in October and November from 2014 to 2017 at a production scale working ranch with a herd size that ranged from 650 to 1,200 head of cattle. The study pasture was a mixture of rangeland and abandoned farmland heavily invaded by cheatgrass after farming ended there in the late 1970s. Vegetation on the site was dominated by cheatgrass with some areas also having a combination of cheatgrass and greasewood.

Where the cattle grazed along the transect line of the supplemental feeding stations, consumption of cheatgrass averaged 48% to 81%, with no differences detected between the closest and farthest supplement stations from water.

“While more research is needed to fully understand the extent of how far protein supplements can successfully attract cattle away from water in large pastures, our research indicates this distance can be up to two and a half miles on relatively flat cheatgrass-invaded areas during fall and early winter in northern Nevada,” Perryman said.

Under a scenario of near monocultures of cheatgrass, fall cattle grazing is a logistically viable tool to reduce the amount of carryover fine fuels in large pastures.

“With strategic placement of supplements, we can direct this grazing to effectively create a linear fuel break,” Perryman said. “Cheatgrass can provide an important forage resource for cattle in much of the Great Basin and Intermountain West during the dormant season, and this can help during the fire season.”

Flexible grazing management options will facilitate the use of targeted grazing fuel reduction projects at strategic times, such as fall or winter, on rangelands of the Intermountain West and provide more opportunities to better match livestock production and vegetation management objectives in a “win-win” situation within annual grass−invaded systems, the authors conclude.

In earlier studies, a highly controlled, small-scale targeted spring grazing research project found that 80% to 90% reduction of above ground biomass reduced flame length and rate of fire spread during the following October. On sagebrush and native perennial grass plant communities, it was reported in another study that 40% to 60% reductions in biomass through winter grazing reduced flame height, rate of spread and area burned compared with an ungrazed control area.

Perryman and colleagues have two large demonstration projects underway in southeast Oregon and a similar study, without supplementation, in the Vale District, Oregon. The research operations also found benefits for cattle ranchers, and the rebounding of native grasses.

“Every operation is different,” Perryman said about ranchers adopting the idea. “It will benefit some and be of no utility for others. It has saved significant hay costs in our eastern Oregon demonstration projects.”

Perryman, who is also part of the University’s Experiment Station, said it appears native grasses are able to repopulate the areas where the cheatgrass has been reduced, whether from seeding or naturally.

“There was a major seeding effort on the study sight in 2018-19 by the operator (it was located on private land),” Perryman said. “In some instances areas may be seeded, while in other instances there are enough existing perennial grasses to respond. There are some published studies now showing increases in perennial grasses after about four to six years. Kirk Davies, a co-author of this study, has led that research.”

Authors of the journal article, Strategic Supplementation to Manage Fine Fuels in a Cheatgrass Invaded System, are Perryman, who is the chair of the Department of Agriculture, Veterinary & Rangeland Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources; lead author Mitchell Stephenson, who was a post-doctoral student of Perryman’s during the study and is now a range management specialist, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Brad Schultz, professor and Extension educator, University of Nevada, Reno; Chad Boyd, Kirk Davies and Tony Svejcar, rangeland scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture −Agricultural Research Service in Burns, Oregon.

–University of Reno, Nevada
via EurekAlert!

MDARD’s McFarlane celebrates Dairy Month

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BATH, Mich. — Last week, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Chief Deputy Director Ken McFarlane joined representatives from Michigan’s dairy industry to celebrate National Dairy Month. The group visited several dairy businesses in Mid-Michigan, including, K & K Dairy, Michigan Milk Producers Association, and Park Lake Creamery.

“I’m excited to celebrate Michigan’s thriving dairy industry this month! Michigan is home to nearly 1,000 dairy farms, and several popular dairy foods, like milk, cheese, and yogurt, are made right here and are full of nutrient-rich vitamins,” said McFarlane. “Businesses like Park Lake Creamery and K & K Dairy show the positive and robust impact the dairy industry has on Michigan’s economy.”

Since 1939, National Dairy Month has encouraged families to celebrate milk as their beverage of choice based on its nutritional value. Dairy’s rich history continues with communities, companies and people from across the region observing National Dairy Month in a variety of ways.

K & K Dairy is a fourth-generation Westphalia farm, home to 250 dairy cows and 1,900 acres of crops. They are committed to providing consumers with the freshest, most wholesome milk. Most of the crops grown on their land are fed to their cows. Cow care is a top priority at K & K Dairy Farms.

“Michigan has some of the most progressive dairy farmers in the country. Every day they go above and beyond to care for their cows and provide nutritious and delicious dairy foods,” said Dwyer Williams, CEO of United Dairy Industry of Michigan, which works on behalf of all Michigan dairy farmers. “Because of this commitment to continuous improvement, Michigan ranks number one in milk production per cow.”

Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) was established in 1916, as a milk marketing cooperative and processor owned by dairy farmers in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. MMPA operates two Michigan manufacturing plants in Ovid and Constantine. These plants produce high-quality dairy products to be sold to food manufacturers.

Park Lake Creamery is a gourmet chocolate, ice cream and coffee shop located on a lake in Bath, Michigan. They proudly make their products from scratch, utilizing simple wholesome ingredients. The creamery serves a full selection of premium chocolates, ice cream desserts and unique coffee drinks. Park Lake Creamery even allows guests to enjoy an ice cream while being able to rent a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddle board to explore the surroundings more.

Throughout 2022, MDARD Director Gary McDowell and other members of MDARD are meeting with Michigan’s food and agricultural businesses having conversations focused on how they can continue to thrive in Michigan’s new economy and how best MDARD can assist their continuous development.

— Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

Ag groups express concern over SEC’s proposed rule on climate-related disclosures

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WASHINGTON — Editor’s note: The following organizations have issued statements concerning the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s proposed rule, “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” The rule would would require registrants to provide certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports.

American Farm Bureau Federation
Proposed SEC Rule Requirements Nearly Impossible for Family Farms

The American Farm Bureau Federation warned the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today about the consequences to rural America of the SEC’s proposed rule, “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors.” The proposal would require public companies to report on Scope 3 emissions, which are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by a publicly traded company but contribute to its value chain. While farmers and ranchers would not be required to report directly to the SEC, this regulation would impose additional burdens as they provide almost every raw product that goes into the food supply chain.

The comments were filed on behalf of AFBF and 10 other agriculture organizations. The organizations state, “Our organizations and our members are committed to transparency in climate-related matters to inform our stakeholders in a manner consistent with existing practices in the agriculture industry. However, without changes and clarifications, the Proposed Rules would be wildly burdensome and expensive if not altogether impossible for many small and mid-sized farmers to comply with.”

AFBF President Zippy Duvall said, “Farmers and ranchers are committed to feeding America’s families while protecting the resources they’ve been entrusted with. We’re doing this through voluntary, market-driven incentives, but this proposed rule threatens that progress.

“Family farms don’t have teams of compliance officers and attorneys to respond to Wall Street. Higher costs could keep small farms from doing business with publicly traded companies, which could lead to more consolidation and fewer farmers at a time when the world is increasingly calling on rural America to meet the needs of hungry families.”

Recommendations to the SEC include:

  • Removing the “value-chain” concept from the proposed rules;
  • Removing or substantially revising the Scope 3 emissions disclosure requirement to include an explicit exemption for the agricultural industry;
  • Removing the requirement that registrants provide disclosures pertaining to their climate-related targets and goals;
  • Revising the proposed rules so that disclosures of GHG emissions operate in unison with existing federal emissions reporting programs;
  • Ensuring the final rules do not include location data disclosures for GHG emissions, which may inadvertently disclose the private information of family farms.

Read the full comments here.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association
Cattle Industry Fights Controversial SEC Climate Rule

Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) filed comments on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) controversial proposed greenhouse gas disclosure rule. The rule would require publicly traded companies to disclose their direct (scope 1), energy/electricity consumption (scope 2), and supply chain emissions (scope 3), creating a burden on cattle producers who supply beef to publicly traded processors, restaurants, and retailers.

“With cattle producers facing record inflation, rising input costs and labor shortages, another bureaucratic rule from Washington is a burden we cannot afford,” said NCBA President Don Schiefelbein, a cattle producer from Kimball, Minnesota. “Policymakers should be focused on lowering costs and solving the real problems facing farmers and ranchers, not creating more complex rules that require a team of lawyers to understand.”

While the proposed rule is aimed at public companies, mandating the disclosure of scope 3 emissions would place a burden on cattle producers who supply beef to public entities. Additionally, the federal government has acknowledged that accurately calculating emissions on the farm or ranch level is impossible, while industry-wide metrics are already collected by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at a level that should satisfy federal regulators.

“Cattle farmers and ranchers are America’s original conservationists. Thanks to decades of innovation and continuous improvement, cattle account for just 2% of overall U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,” said NCBA Environmental Counsel Mary-Thomas Hart. “Cattle producers have a proven track record of sustainable practices and should not be penalized with overreaching rules from an agency with no expertise in agriculture.”

In addition to submitting technical comments, individual cattle producers submitted over 6,700 letters to the commissioners of the SEC and members of Congress to inform them of the widespread unintended sequences this rule would have on the cattle and beef industry.

NCBA’s technical comments were filed with a coalition of agricultural organizations including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Pork Producers Council, National Cotton Council, National Corn Growers Association, National Potato Council, American Soybean Association, Agricultural Retailers Association, National Association of Wheat Growers, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. Numerous NCBA state and breed affiliates submitted comments as well.

BACKGROUND

The SEC is a Wall Street regulator, not an environmental or agricultural agency. This proposed rule goes far outside the SEC’s primary jurisdiction and places an unreasonable burden on private small businesses, farms, and ranches. NCBA has urged the SEC to limit the proposed rule to publicly traded companies—the agency’s actual jurisdiction.

For agriculture specifically, this rule would force private entities to release confidential information. Court decisions like American Farm Bureau Federation v. EPA have solidified the right to producer data privacy. Industry-wide emissions data is already collected through the annual EPA Greenhouse Gas Inventory and USDA Life Cycle Assessments, which should satisfy any requirement for supply chain emissions data.

National Milk Producers Federation
Given Dairy’s Progress, NMPF Voices Concern with Proposed SEC Climate Rule

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed rule mandating extensive climate disclosures from publicly traded companies could undermine the dairy industry’s progress toward its sustainability goals and create far-reaching technical and financial challenges for American dairy farmers and their cooperatives, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) said in comments submitted today.

“Dairy farmers are on the frontlines confronting the many challenges associated with climate change and remain committed to making progress to reduce the industry’s environmental impact,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “The SEC rule, as written, could hamper our ability to make progress through the industry’s robust, voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment program, and jeopardize our goal of reaching GHG neutrality by 2050.”

U.S. dairy farmers have been leading environmental stewards for decades, tending their animals, land and water with great care. Thanks to improvements in productivity, new technologies and evolving best management practices, the environmental impact of producing a gallon of milk requires less water, less land and has a smaller carbon footprint than ever before. Still, the industry remains committed to its continued progress, devoting resources to programs, research and services that advance its 2050 goals to achieve industrywide neutral or better greenhouse gas emissions, optimize water usage and improve water quality.

To track progress and reach these important environmental goals, the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Program in 2017 launched the Environmental Stewardship (ES) platform. The program provides a comprehensive estimate of GHG emissions and energy use on dairy farms with a suite of tools and resources for farmers to measure and improve their environmental footprint. FARM ES is the dairy community’s platform for a consistent, unified approach to GHG measurement that is free and accessible to all dairy farmers. Currently, over 80 percent of U.S. milk is handled by cooperatives and processors participating in FARM ES.

SEC’s proposed rule, “The Enhancement and Standardization of Climate Related Disclosures for Investors”, would require public companies to disclose GHG emissions, including emissions from upstream and downstream activities in its value chain, known as Scope 3. NMPF cautioned SEC that the inclusion of Scope 3 emissions disclosure within the rule is premature, and risks undermining the extensive efforts the dairy industry has made toward developing trust and buy-in for its voluntary GHG assessment program.

NMPF also emphasized the significant financial burden the proposed rule would have on dairy farmers and their cooperatives related to the collection and aggregation of on-farm GHG data.

National Pork Producers Council
Pork Industry Asks The SEC To Reconsider Climate Disclosure Rules For Farmers

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) filed comments today to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding its controversial reporting requirements proposal on climate-related disclosures for investors.

In its comments, NPPC and other agricultural groups requested that the SEC reconsider its application of burdensome and unnecessary climate disclosure requirements under Scope 3 of the proposed rules. As currently drafted, these requirements would overly burden American farmers, forcing them to take on costly and expensive reporting that will set back farm environmental performance, and would be in violation of federal law. These requirements will ultimately be neither accurate nor serve any useful purpose.

“The U.S. pork industry represents a mere one-third of 1% of U.S. climate emissions. Despite this, American pig farmers have managed to shrink their GHG footprint by over 21% over the last three decades while at the same time, the industry has increased its production of affordable pork for consumers 77%,” said Michael Formica, assistant vice president and general counsel, NPPC. “This demonstrates not only the commitment of farmers to address long-term sustainability challenges we all face, but also that voluntary, market-based incentives have helped make real progress on climate change.”

NPPC submitted comments in conjunction with ten other agricultural organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and various crop and livestock organizations. Among the seven recommendations made, NPPC asked the SEC to consider removing the “value chain” concept, removing or substantially revising the Scope 3 emissions disclosure requirement and revising the proposed rule to ensure alignment of GHG emissions disclosures with existing federal emissions reporting programs and federal law protecting livestock farmers from costly, inaccurate and unduly burdensome GHG emissions reporting. Read the full comments here.

“American pig farmers are committed to transparency in climate-related matters and believe in doing this in a manner consistent with existing practices,” Formica said. “Costs associated with the proposed rule would be significant, especially for small to mid-sized farms and would lead to industry consolidation and further impact not just rural communities where those farms are located but the ability of every American to enjoy bacon with breakfast.”

Startup competition to award $3M from Grow-NY

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ALBANY — Empire State Development (ESD)  announced that the application window is now open for the 2022 Grow-NY food and agriculture competition. Grow-NY, a unique initiative which connects innovators and investors in the food, beverage and agriculture sectors locally and around the globe, has already resulted in economic growth and entrepreneurial opportunity in Upstate New York.  The Grow-NY region, a 22-county area spanning Central New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier, has already seen hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars of follow-on investment as a result of the competition. Grow-NY attracts high-growth food and agriculture startups to compete for $3 million in total prize money each year and supports 20 finalists through a business development phase that connects them with the region’s resources. Governor Kathy Hochul included funding for three additional rounds of this impactful competition in her FY 2023 budget.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Hope Knight said, “This fourth round of Grow-NY will further build on the success of earlier competition winners, whose entrepreneurial ideas are fueling economic growth Upstate. These innovative companies have attracted significant investment and are seeding the ground for even more innovation, both throughout the Grow-NY region and around the world.”

Winners are required to commit to operating in at least one of the 22 Grow-NY counties for at least 12 months and must agree to “pay-it-forward” provision in the form of an equity agreement. One finalist will receive a top prize of $1 million; two others will be awarded $500,000 prizes, and four more will be given $250,000 prizes. Winners will also receive tax incentives and publicity support to announce their achievements across the Grow-NY region and in their home regions. Funding for the program comes through Empire State Development from the Upstate Revitalization Initiative’s three regional entities, CNY Rising, Finger Lakes Forward, and Southern Tier Soaring, and is administered by Cornell’s Center for Regional Economic Advancement.

Ronald P. Lynch, Dean of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Benjamin Z. Houlton, said, “Cornell is proud to support the Grow-NY competition, which plays a vital role in catalyzing food and agriculture start-ups and entrepreneurship across our region. By partnering across the public and private sectors, Grow-NY is critical to scaling new technologies and innovations needed to meet our state’s goals for more sustainable food systems that provide healthy, nutritious food to all.”

The startup competition begins its fourth year with impressive momentum, having garnered applications and interest from over a thousand businesses in 32 unique states and 37 other countries over the last three years. In all, 59 finalists have been selected to date, with 21 winners sharing $9 million in startup funding as well as the invaluable mentorship and networking benefits which the program delivers to finalists.

In addition to emphasizing innovation and scalability, the Grow-NY program is focused on drawing more diverse leaders to the region by reaching communities that have historically been left out of the innovation economy.  In 2021, 51% of the 330 applicants included a founder from an underrepresented minority group, and 44% included a female founder.

“We are looking for food and ag innovators that operate at any point in the agrifood system that demonstrate a value to customers, an ability to grow quickly and sustainably, and diversity within their founding team,“ said Grow-NY program director Jenn Smith.

Applications must be submitted by Friday, July 1. In August, up to 20 finalists will be assigned mentors and enter the business development phase. All finalists will receive bespoke entrepreneurial support and valuable regional introductions, additional training to hone their live pitches, and an expenses-paid, three-day business development trip to the region for up to two team members.

The selected  finalists will present their business plans during the Grow-NY Summit, Tuesday and Wednesday November 15-16, alongside a symposium of panel conversations and keynotes, a showcase of agencies, companies, research groups, and other organizations that serve startups working in food and ag, and a student stage where middle- and high school aged New Yorkers will pitch their ag- and food tech ideas.

Judges will base award decisions on the following five criteria:

  • Viability of Commercialization and Business Model – the potential for the entrant to generate revenue and maintain a cost structure that allows for a competitive and sustainable business, demonstrate technological readiness or innovate to fulfill its value proposition;
  • Team – Demonstration of a level of cohesion, completeness, diversity, and readiness within the team of founders, employees, and advisors; inclusion or plans for inclusion of employees and advisors from communities that have historically been excluded from the innovation economy, such as women and minorities;
  • Customer Value – the degree to which the entrant is providing something for which customers are willing to pay, and addressing a substantial market;
  • Food and Agriculture Innovation – the extent to which the entrant is pushing what’s considered state-of-the-art in the food and agriculture industries, and contributing to Upstate NY’s status as a global leader in innovation in these markets;
  • Regional Job Creation – the potential for creating high-quality jobs in the Grow-NY footprint and relevance to the existing food and ag ecosystem; and

The Grow-NY region, which hosts over 40 percent of New York’s 33,438 farms, includes an abundance of vibrant, fertile lands along with such major urban centers as Rochester, Syracuse, Ithaca and Binghamton. It is a 22-county region comprised of the following three areas:

  • Finger Lakes – Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Orleans, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates
  • Central New York – Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego
  • Southern Tier – Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “Through three rounds, the Grow-NY competition has highlighted New York’s agricultural and food industry partners and helped to foster tremendous innovation. I’m excited that this fourth round will continue to build on that success, further showcasing the strength and diversity of our agriculture and food businesses and attracting exciting, cutting-edge companies that are creating the ag technologies and jobs of the future while supporting our local farms.”

Central New York Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chairs Randy Wolken, President & CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, and Dr. Linda LeMura, President of Le Moyne College, said, “New York State continues to experience unprecedented growth in the agriculture and food industries. The globally renowned Grow-NY competition represents yet another exciting investment in our community that will further bolster regional job growth and further support our agricultural base throughout Central New York ensuring the region continues to rise.”

Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Co-Chair Bob Duffy, President and CEO, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, and Denise Battles, President SUNY Geneseo, said, “The regional council is again proud to support round three of the innovative Grow-NY competition. Our agricultural and food industries are truly world- class and both their products and innovations are huge economic drivers for our state and region. Connecting the cutting-edge ideas of these entrepreneur teams with local industry partners supports the multi-pronged approach laid out in the Finger Lakes Forward Upstate Revitalization Initiative, which is working to create a thriving regional economy.”

Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council Co-Chair Judy McKinney Cherry, Executive Director, Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development (SCOPED), and Broome Community College President Kevin Drumm, said, “New York’s agriculture industry is one of the most prestigious and productive in the nation.  This initiative, with its focused investment in the region, adds great value to the Southern Tier’s continued economic success in the ag sector. The Grow-NY competition enables innovative and competitive businesses to showcase their strengths and will further our efforts to bolster the regional economy ultimately helping the Southern Tier to soar.”

To learn more about the Grow-NY competition, visit: www.grow-ny.com.

To learn more about the Cornell Center for Regional Economic Advancement, visit: http://crea.cornell.edu/

–Empire State Development

The meteoric rise of North Carolina blueberries

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RALEIGH, N.C. — The next time your tastebuds delight in a fresh, succulent North Carolina-grown blueberry, you might thank a meteor that slammed into the earth more than 12,000 years ago.

Or perhaps some guy from New Jersey.

Blueberry season in North Carolina begins in early to mid-May, peaks toward the middle of June, and continues into July with some late-blooming cultivars (cultivated varieties), which means there are plenty of fresh berries currently available throughout the state.

Related: Find a Pick-Your-Own Farm Near You

“It’s a very accessible crop because it exists at several levels,” said Bill Cline, who helps producers big and small grow the best possible crop in his role as NC State Extension blueberry specialist. “You have a big commercial industry placing berries in retail stores, and then you’ve also got folks who have an acre or two, selling pick-your-own fruit from smaller plantings all around the state. The third tier, the smallest tier, is backyard gardeners who grow their own.”

If that delicious North Carolina blueberry came from a grocery store, chances are it came from the southeastern part of the state. And chances are it was grown in a Carolina bay, which, according to a popular theory, was formed by a meteor or comet slamming into the planet thousands of years ago.

About 90% of the state’s commercial crop is harvested in southeastern North Carolina. Nearly 6,000 of the 10,000 planted acres are in Bladen County. Neighboring Pender is next with 2,100, followed by Sampson (1,000) and Duplin (500).

The reason is simple: the highly acidic soil there is perfect for growing blueberries.

“The naturally-occurring blueberry sites in Bladen and nearby counties are sand-based, high-organic soils – white sand and black organic matter. The pH is naturally low, and blueberries grow well there without growers having to do a lot of amending of the soil prior to planting,” said Cline, who is based at the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Castle Hayne. “In the early days, a lot of the fields weren’t even irrigated because they have a water table so close to the surface. They grow really well without a lot of added soil amendments, unlike in other areas where lots of pine bark or other organic amendments have to be added to the soil in order to grow blueberries successfully.”

Mark Seitz keeps a jar of the perfect-for-blueberries soil in a jar on a bookshelf in his office. Seitz is the director of the Extension center in Pender County, where the annual North Carolina Blueberry Festival is held. This year’s event is June 18 in Burgaw.

“The ideal soil for blueberries is this black, sandy loam,” he said. “We’ve got pockets of it in Pender County.”

Related: Research center tours offered to people attending the blueberry festival 

Carolina bays are most numerous in Bladen County. There are hundreds of them, all oriented in a northwest-to-southeast direction, usually with a sand rim on the southeast edge.

“You look at the satellite view or the aerial view of those bays and they are all oriented in the same direction,” Cline said. “They all have this white sand berm on the southeast end as though a shower of large objects hit the earth at an angle. It’s really striking.”

Some still hold water (notably Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County) and some are completely dried up, but many became pocosins with deep, acidic, sandy peat soil.

“Over the years the organic matter grew up and water settled in there and that combination created this swampy, mucky soil,” Seitz said.

In the 1950s, geologist William Prouty put forth the theory that the bays were created by a meteor or comet colliding with the Earth more than 12,000 years ago. While it’s fun — and a little scary — to think of a massive heavenly body striking the planet an eon or so back, there’s now considerable debate about whether it really happened. Other theories posited include ice fragments from a meteor impact in the Hudson River basin, peat fires, winds blowing in the same direction over hundreds of years, and even the tail-fanning of a huge prehistoric fish.

While there are multiple theories about what caused Carolina bays, there’s much less debate over the next phase of North Carolina’s emergence as a blueberry-producing state.

Blueberries were first domesticated early last century, when New Jersey farmers selected bushes out of the wild, planted them in rows, and produced a commercial crop.

“Dr. Frederick Coville did a lot of  good work there, and his findings are still applicable today,” Cline said. “It must have been very exciting times, to domesticate a crop like that.”

Farmers were able to tame the wild blueberry, but they couldn’t do anything about the weather. The fruit thrives in warm to hot conditions, so harvest season in New Jersey doesn’t begin until early July. With an eye toward expanding the market, they began looking south where summer arrives earlier. Thanks to the meteor — or the ice shards, or the peat fires, or the wind, or the humongous fish — they found the perfect soil in southeastern North Carolina.

The first blueberry farm was established in 1936 in Pender County.

“Harold Huntingdon from New Jersey came to the area and bought 1,300 acres of land along the Black River,” Seitz said. “He thought the land looked the same as in New Jersey and planted 100 acres of blueberries. Burgaw was a 24-hour train ride from New York City so he could put them on a train and get them to NYC markets within a day. That’s what helped the county’s fruit and vegetable industry get started.”

Related: Extension staff and volunteers donate hundreds of pounds of blueberries to a local food bank

Today, the state’s commercial production is primarily in Bladen and surrounding counties where naturally occurring blueberry soils are most common.

“Maybe 90% of the crop is large commercial operations,” Cline said. “The business model that makes the most sense is a 100-acre model. It’s a really specialized crop to grow. That economy of scale comes into play when you start buying harvesters and building air-conditioned sheds and packing lines to handle the fruit.”

While most of the blueberries in stores come from southeastern North Carolina, there are plenty available elsewhere in the state, sold directly to consumers at farmers markets, on pick-your-own farms and at roadside fruit stands.

“There’s a blueberry patch in every county, I think,” Cline said. “It’s one of those fruit crops you can grow anywhere in the state if you prepare the soil and select the site correctly.”

Site preparation is a lot harder away from the ideal conditions of southeastern North Carolina. That’s where Extension plays a starring role. Cline and agents and specialists throughout the state are always ready to assist current and future blueberry producers.

“We have a lot of expertise that we’ve built up over the years, so when it comes to pest control, disease control, weed control, how to prune the blueberries, what cultivars to grow, that’s all coming out of Extension,” Cline said. “That educational aspect and helping people assess the risk or the chance of success for their site is a key part of what we do. There’s continual crop improvement going on through research at NCSU with blueberries, resulting in  higher yields, better fruit quality, and locally-adapted cultivars with superior flavor and shelf life. Our job in Extension is to take those advancements, that information, and make it available to the public.”

Watch: Cutting-edge research proves the health benefits of berries

There is a wealth of information available at the Extension blueberry website, including pest management and tips for home gardeners. Often, the assistance is hands-on.

“When a grower wants to put blueberries in, they will call their county agent or me and very often we’ll go out and look at the site with them, dig a few holes and tell them, ‘OK, plant blueberries.’ But it can be just as important to tell a prospective grower, ‘Wait, this is not the best site for blueberries.’ Site selection is the most important decision a grower will make, and we try to make sure they do not invest a lot of money in a site that will not be successful,” Cline said. “We also do blueberry pruning workshops around the state. I probably do 12 or 13 of them every February in support of new county agents who are learning on the job, and some experienced county agents do them as well. That’s a fun part of the job, when we get to go all around the state and provide hands-on expertise, teaching people how to prune and care for blueberries.”

Homegrown: The Sweetest Summertime Blues: N.C. Blueberries

Blueberry Facts

  • The North Carolina blueberry crop had a production value of $55 million in 2021, ranking in the top 10 nationally.
  • The two main species  are highbush (southern and northern) and rabbiteye. In the coastal plain, southern highbush varieties are low-chill types that are ready to be harvested early in the season. Rabbiteye varieties are better adapted to Piedmont soils and ripen later  in the season. In the mountains, only northern highbush types are reliably cold-hardy at higher elevations.
  • North Carolina is primarily a fresh-market producer (75% of the crop). Harvest begins in early to mid-May and continues through July. Fresh prices decline over time, so volume is stacked early in the season with most of the crop picked in late May and early June.
  • Blueberry plants usually take six to eight years to reach full production. Yields increase most rapidly in years 3-5, then plateau as the bushes reach year 7-8. Years 7-15 are the most productive, then yield begins to decline.
  • Blueberries are a good source of vitamin C, in addition to vitamin A, iron, potassium and magnesium. Blueberries are also a good source of carbohydrates and fiber. Discover more blueberry health benefits.
  • Blueberries are pollinator dependent! A pollinating insect must visit each flower, or a berry will not form.

–Simon Gonzalez, N.C. State University