DEI Expert Addresses Ag Biz Council and AFA

Corey Flournoy, cofounder and principal of Creative Outreach Consulting, provided Council members and ag student attendees at AFA’s Annual Leaders Conference with an energetic overview of how companies can introduce Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives that foster personal growth for their individuals and profits for their businesses.  Flournoy has more than 30 years of experience in strategy development, executive coaching and employee engagement. But his career path has taken an interesting route.

For one thing, Flournoy grew up on the south side of Chicago, not on a family farm, and he had no agricultural knowledge or experience. Yet not only was he the first national FFA president to come from an urban area but he was also the first African-American to do so. At the time, in the 1990s, fewer than five percent of FFA members were African-American. He garnered attention from major news outlets like The New York Times and USA Today.

Although he is no longer directly employed in agriculture, Flournoy is an FFA life member and still makes time to speak at FFA leadership conferences and to lead agriculture-related workshops each year. He is a keynote speaker for various agriculture organizations when his schedule allows. He says he also makes a point to personally reach out to minority leaders in FFA, offering them encouragement and pieces of advice he has picked up along the way.

In his talk at KC Ag Business Council’s November breakfast meeting at the Sheraton Crown Center, Flournoy focused on Five Lessons About Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  DEI must start with developing empathy from within, [Lesson #1], he said. “Take time to learn about the person, group, or culture,” he advised.  “Start with authentic conversations with others; move beyond the fear; seek to understand then be understood.” Empathy starts with connections and relationships [Lesson #2] but requires personal work first [Lesson #3], Flournoy added. Lesson #4, warned Flournoy, is that change in a company or organization must be transformational, not transactional.  “Do things that count; avoid easy fixes,” he said.

As for Lesson #5 – the business case for investing in workplace DEI: Many business institutes, schools and publications back up Flournoy’s claim that DEI bolsters the bottom line. Forbes Business Development Council is one that espouses the idea (see 11 Ways DEI In The Workplace Can Boost A Company’s Bottom Line).

Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - October 2022

DEVELOPMENTS

According to the latest Ag Economy Barometer from Purdue University and the CME Group, input prices are still the top concern identified by producers, but the number of respondents placing it at the top of their list is shrinking. Interest rates are now top of mind in farm country. Last month 44% chose higher input prices as their top concern, down from 53% in the previous month’s report; by contrast, interest rates were the prime issue for 23% of respondents, up from 14% previously.

More than 16,000 farmers and agricultural organizations representing corn, citrus, grain sorghum, sugar cane, and other crops recently united against EPA’s proposed revision to its 2020 atrazine registration review decision, submitting comments calling for the agency to base decisions on credible scientific evidence. Efforts to help farmers speak out against the proposal were coordinated by the Triazine Network, a diverse coalition of state and national agricultural groups across the nation that rely on atrazine and other triazine herbicides to control weeds. A founding member of the Triazine Network, the Kansas Corn Growers Association has been involved in regulatory issues surrounding atrazine for over 25 years. KCGA CEO Greg Krissek is co-chair of the Triazine Network.  “Our growers are frustrated with the repeated attacks on atrazine, one of the safest and most studied herbicides in history,” Krissek said. “Kansas Corn and the organizations who work with the Triazine Network have been fighting this fight for over 25 years. We have science on our side, but EPA continues its attempts to rework the discredited research to reach its own conclusions. We look forward to participating in the upcoming Scientific Advisory Panel.”

Together with the U.S. Livestock Genetics Export, Inc. and the Beefmaster Breeders United, the Kansas Department of Agriculture hosted an inbound trade team in mid-October 2022, ahead of the annual Beefmaster Breeders United convention. Trade mission participants were Beefmaster breeders representing six countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua and Vietnam. “The Beefmaster cattle were the first American composite breed (a combination of Brahman, Hereford and Shorthorn bloodlines). The breed was developed by selecting cattle with economically important traits such as resistance to heat, drought and insects,” said Suzanne Ryan-Numrich, KDA international trade director. “Especially in the hotter, more tropical climates, like those represented on this trade mission, those are very important traits for cattle to have.” KDA Secretary Mike Beam said, “Trade mission participants represented some of the top Beefmaster breeders from around the world—they have a progressive operation and are continually working to improve their breed through imported genetics. It was an honor for KDA to host them in Kansas.”

Farm Journal’s Trust in Food ™ released its inaugural “Ready or Not? Ag Carbon Markets and U.S Farmers” report, highlighting perspectives from 500 U.S. row crop producers on pathways and barriers to participating in carbon ecosystems. The majority of farmers surveyed report serious concern about overcoming technical and financial roadblocks to success in carbon markets. In addition to more fundamental warning signs, producers fear that costs will outweigh benefits; that ongoing compliance will require too high a burden; that existing conservation ag practices will not be compensated fairly; that data will not be handled appropriately or will be difficult to collect; or that upfront investments will be a barrier to entry. More than half of farmers surveyed labeled each respective concern a significant challenge to carbon market entry. “Our initial findings suggest that even the most carbon-curious farmers are signaling that their participation under current market conditions would require prohibitive investments of time, effort and resources without fair financial and market returns,” said Amy Skoczlas Cole, executive vice president of Trust In Food. “Unless the carbon market value chain takes producers’ perspectives seriously, we fear a critical tool for addressing climate change and increasing farm resilience will fall seriously short of its potential.”

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has identified a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a backyard flock in Shawnee County. This is the third confirmed case of HPAI in Kansas this fall; there were six cases in March and April for a total of nine counties across the state affected so far in 2022. “The widespread nature of the positive premises in Kansas is proof that all counties are susceptible to HPAI because the risk is from the wild birds traveling across the state,” said Dr. Justin Smith, Kansas Animal Health Commissioner. “If you have not yet taken steps to protect your backyard flocks, now is the time to take this threat seriously.”

Livestock Marketing Association members and staff traveled to Washington D.C. September 18-20, 2022, for the LMA D.C. Fly In. This was the first LMA D.C. Fly In hosted by the association since spring of 2020. Over the course of two days, approximately 50 LMA members and staff met with Senators, U.S. Representatives, Congressional staff people, and USDA officials.  Chelsea Good, LMA vice president of Government and Industry Affairs & Legal, said, “Participants made an important commitment not only for their own businesses but our industry as a whole. Developing personal relationships with legislative offices, building a base understanding of the livestock marketing industry, and discussing current issues are all key to making sure livestock market interests are well represented in federal policy.”

A new trade report analyzing the effects of beef imports and exports highlights the strong economic value of the U.S. beef industry’s participation in the global marketplace. The report  Assessing Economic Impact That Would Follow Loss of U.S. Beef Exports and Imports, published by Oklahoma State University Extension, was prepared by Glynn Tonsor, professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University and livestock marketing specialist Derrell Peel, OSU Extension. “The U.S. is a relatively mature market in terms of where we are with beef demand, but there’s a lot more potential in the global market, broadly speaking,” Peel said. “Potential growth in the industry is going to rest more and more with the trade sector, and we highlight the fact that the marketplace has grown a lot in the last 20 to 30 years.” Peel and Tonsor’s research shows that a 10% reduction in beef imports and exports over a 10-year period would result in a $20 billion impact to cattle producers.

University of Missouri’s National Swine Resource and Research Center has been granted $8 million from the National Institutes of Health to expand the research facility on MU’s campus and speed up the scientific discoveries that can help treat humans who are suffering from the same diseases shown in the genetically modified pigs. “We undertake projects for things that have failed in studies with mice but are much better suited for pigs,” said Randall Prather, Ph.D., a Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “For example, you can’t take a mouse’s heart and transplant it into a human, it’s not going to work, but pigs are far more genetically and physiologically similar to a human, so they are very good biomedical models to study diseases that impact humans. The cardiovascular systems are very similar between pigs and humans, and baby pigs are also great for studying infant nutrition, as their nutritional requirements and the way they absorb nutrients is very similar to humans.” In total, the NSRRC has made more than 90 different genetic modifications in pigs to study different diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy and cystic fibrosis, the most common genetic mutation affecting Caucasian adolescents in North America. While the NSRRC is mainly focused on biomedical research, Dr. Prather’s research also has agricultural applications, such as making pigs that are resistant to certain diseases, which has implications for both agriculture and human medicine.

With the Department of Energy’s announcement to release 15 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the National Corn Growers Association called on policymakers to advance ethanol as a solution to increase the nation’s fuel supply and lower prices for American consumers at the pump. NCGA also highlighted a new report that found nationwide E15 sales would save drivers over $20 billion in annual fuel costs. “We welcome the administration’s continued focus on energy security, but we can’t lose sight of the need for long-term solutions,” said NCGA Vice President of Public Policy Brooke Appleton said.

Nearly 60% of the contiguous U.S. is experiencing drought, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in a report released this week. Drought hasn’t been this widespread in the nation in about a decade, said the U.S. Drought Monitor. Over 80% of the country is at least experiencing abnormally dry conditions, a first in the Drought Monitor’s 22-year history.  “In the past two decades, this is one of the largest coverages of drought for two reasons,” said Brad Pugh, a meteorologist at NOAA. “There’s a long-term drought that’s been no stranger to the West and a short term drought that’s developed across the Midwest and Southeastern U.S.”

EVENTS

Missouri Pork Association announced their 2022 Kansas City Taste of Elegance to be held on Tuesday, November 1 at the Harrah’s North Kansas City. RSVP to Dawn Hough (dawn@mopork.com) for your complimentary registration to this tasting event featuring several outstanding Kansas City Chefs.

CattleFax CEO Randy Blach will be a featured speaker at the Kansas Livestock Association Convention,November 30 through December 2 in Wichita. He will identify factors driving the cattle and beef markets during his presentation, sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of Kansas.  Blach will assess where the industry stands on cowherd numbers and what that means for beef supplies in 2023. He also will offer cattle price projections, taking into consideration grain prices, energy costs, beef exports, competing meat supplies and consumer demand. He will factor drought conditions, increasing interest rates and high input costs into his comprehensive forecast as well.  Registration and hotel information have been sent to KLA members and can be found online under the Events & Meetings tab at www.kla.org.

Plans for the 2023 Commodity Classic are well underway as America’s largest farmer-led agricultural and educational experience returns to Orlando, March 9-11, 2023. The theme for the 2023 show is Preparing for the Next Generation.   Registration and housing for the 2023 Commodity Classic will open in mid-November 2022. Attendees can sign up now to receive email updates at CommodityClassic.com.

PEOPLE

TechAccel LLC, Kansas City-based technology and venture development company investing in scientific breakthroughs for healthier plants, animals and foods, has named Steven Meyer CEO of its subsidiary RNAissance Ag LLC. Meyer most recently was chief operating officer at Lucy Scientific Discovery Inc., British Columbia. Prior to this role, he was the co-founder and CEO of Heya Wellness, St. Charles, Missouri. a vertically integrated medical cannabis firm. The primary focus of RNAissance Ag is the development of sprayable RNAi pesticides against pests such as the Diamondback Moth, Fall Armyworm and several others.

In celebration of 50 years in the Hereford business, four Hereford breeder ranches were honored as Golden Breeders during the American Hereford Association (AHA) Annual Membership Meeting and breakfast in Kansas City, Missouri, October 22. This year’s Golden Breeders are Snedden Ranch, Maricopa, California; Mill Creek Ranch, Alma, Kansas; Reed Farms, Green Ridge, Missouri; K7 Herefords, Lockridge, Iowa.

The Missouri Corn Merchandising Council and the Missouri Corn Growers Association announced a new slate of officers, the appointment of recently elected board members, and national committee assignments. The following MCMC leaders assumed their new roles Oct. 1: Chairman– Brent Hoerr, Palmyra (District 3); Vice Chairman– Matt Lambert, Laclede (District 2); Secretary– Ryan Meyerkorth, Rock Port (District 1); Treasurer– Patrick Seyer, Oran (District 7).

Craig Meeker of Kansas has been elected as the new chairman of the National Sorghum Producers board of directors, succeeding Kody Carson of Texas. Selected to serve as vice chair is Amy France of Kansas. Newly elected to the board are Garrett Love from Kansas and Kent Martin from Oklahoma. Larry Richardson of Texas was re-elected to the board.

Kansas City Rising

Kansas City continues to grow at a rapid rate since the start of a major revitalization initiative in 2004, reported KSHB 41’s JuYeon Kim recently.  “After billions of dollars in investment, downtown Kansas City now welcomes over 10 million visitors a year,” she wrote.

Twenty years ago that number was just 225,000. John Monke, president of Power and Light, and one of the visionaries behind Kansas City’s growing skyline, says the rejuvenation began with the opening of the district. Now over 32,000 thousand people live, work and play downtown.  “Moncke’s vision is to build an ecosystem,” Kim noted, explaining that it would be a community of people who invest in each other. “That all starts with creating jobs and places to live, including three luxury apartments Kansas Citians have surely seen.”

“The Power and Light District was really a catalytic project,” says Moncke. Sixty percent of the people moving into the district now are actually coming from outside of the market. These are people who never lived in Kansas City before.  “And they are choosing to move here because of these kinds of projects,” he points out.

Matt Jansen, a project director with JE Dunn Construction that is building Three Light – a $140-million-dollar luxury apartment complex that broke ground in June 2021 – told Kim, “Currently we’re working on level 16 of the concrete,” said Jansen. “Times have substantially changed over the course of several years since my last project. Material pricing — escalation, inflation has been a big item to work through. And material of available workers has also been a challenge.” But progress is being made. Even with pandemic-induced challenges, Kim said, workers are turning over each floor in about nine working days. “Interior framing for mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire sprinklers have started this month and elevators are set to be put in starting Oct. 31.”

Further proof that a renaissance is taking place in Kansas City was the announcement in September that the Kansas City Current of the National Women’s Soccer League was building an 11,000 seat state-of-the-art soccer stadium at nearby Berkley Riverfront.  It will be ready for the 2024 season and is expected to be an anchor of ongoing riverfront development projects undertaken by the Port of Kansas City. Team officials claim the construction of such a facility signals its commitment not only to the athletes and fans  but also to Kansas City itself. 

By the way, the upstart women’s soccer team– in only its second year of existence – will be playing in the NWSL’s championship final against the Portland Thorn, Saturday, October 29. The game will be televised on CBS and Paramount + at 7 pm Central from Audi Field in Washington D.C.

Digging Deeper...

About 50 years ago, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell released “Big Yellow Taxi,” which remains an enduring anthem for nature preservationists. The song’s refrain  – “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” – has been a rallying cry for everyone concerned about the environment. But it also just happens to be a great song that everyone likes.  Among a litany of honors the iconic Mitchell has earned since taking the stage in 1963 is the Kennedy Center’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award. More than half a century later Mitchell’s plaint is still generating concern.  Dennis McLaughlin, McLaughlin Writers LLC – Sources: American Farmland Trust, Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future, Hunter, M., A. Sorensen, T. Nogeire-McRae, S. Beck, S. Shutts, R. Murphy, June 2022; Agri-Pulse Communications, Webinar Presentation, June 29, 2022

Farms Under Threat

A new report from American Farmland Trust (AFT) claims America is still paving over agricultural land at a rapid pace. From 2001–2016, the U.S. lost or compromised 2,000 acres of farmland and ranchland every day. That amounted to 11 million acres.  If this trend continues, noted John Piotti, AFT president, 18.4 million more arable acres will disappear between 2016 and 2040. According to the report (Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future), Some 6.2 million acres will be converted to urban and highly developed land uses such as commercial buildings, industrial sites, and moderate-to-high-density residential development. The remainder, 12.2 million acres, will be converted to low-density residential areas, which range from large-lot subdivisions to rural areas with a proliferation of scattered houses. During a webinar presented by Agri-Pulse Communications on June 29, 2022, Piotti said, “We can’t keep developing open fields just because it’s easy or convenient; once a farm is chopped up or paved over, it is gone forever.”

New development will always occur as population grows, but most farmland conversion to industry and commercial purposes will be inefficient as developers use more land than necessary to comfortably house and support an influx of new residents. “This poorly planned development undermines global food security, local food systems, and the environment that we all depend on,” say the report’s authors.

There are other consequences, unseen or unintended. For example, greenhouse gas emissions increase as commute distances lengthen.  Reclaiming farmland for commercial, industrial and residential development can place untenable burden on local government, as costs for providing public services outpace tax revenues. Accelerating this rural sprawl over the next 25 years will be soaring housing prices in metro areas and new opportunities for remote work. If this happens, the report points out, 24.4 million acres of farmland and ranchland could be paved over, fragmented, or compromised by 2040.

What To Do

If AFT’s description of the situation is dire, it is by no means presented without solutions and a way forward. “If policymakers and land-use planners across the country embrace more compact development, explained Piotti, “they could slash conversion and keep up to 13.5 million acres of irreplaceable farmland and ranchland from being turned into big-box stores, sprawling subdivisions, and large-lot rural residences.” He and his organization suggest building better cities that will secure “an abundant future” for Americans and the rest of earth’s denizens. This initiative – Better Built Cities –  introduced by AFT calls for implementation of these recommendations: 

• Embracing smart-growth principles to improve land-use planning.

• Permanently protecting agricultural land to secure a supply of land in perpetuity.

• Advancing smart solar to boost both renewable energy and farm viability.

• Support farmland access to create opportunities for a new generation of farmers, particularly historically marginalized producers.

However, if policymakers and land-use planners focus on reducing sprawl by promoting compact development, agricultural land conversion could be cut by 7.5 million acres compared to business as usual—saving an area larger than the state of Maryland. At the same time, conversion of nationally significant land would decrease by 42%, taking the pressure off 3.7 million acres of our best land for growing healthy food. And a Better Built Cities future would spare over half the farmland that would be converted in our Runaway Sprawl scenario—13.5 million acres. That is enough land to support over 82,000 urban-edge farms, produce $7.9 billion in annual agricultural output, and provide 184,000 on-farm jobs. The vast majority of this land is located near cities and towns, providing the indispensable foundation for resilient, local food systems.

What It Will Be

AFT maintains that without proactive policymaking and land-use planning, “the relentless march of business as usualdevelopment across the American landscape will continue or accelerate into runaway sprawl.” The consequences will be local, global,and even atmospheric. Consumers will have fewer local farms to turn to the next time a pandemic or supply chain disruption leaves grocery store shelves bare. The global food supply will be further pinched, compounding crop losses due to climate change and putting millions more people at risk of severe hunger across the globe. And low-density sprawl will drive up greenhouse gas emissions, while undermining opportunities to sequester soil carbon on farms and ranches.

However, if policymakers and land-use planners band together with farmers, ranchers, and concerned citizens to choose Better Built Cities, it will save millions of acres of farmland and ranchland. This means following smart-growth principles and prioritizing agricultural land in land-use policies. It will also require supporting the farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers who bring in the bounty and keep pantries full, including by helping the next generation access land.

If Americans choose abundance, Piotti explains, then they will have embraced smart growth and minimize sprawl, secured the most productive land in perpetuity, implemented a smart transition to renewable energy, and ushered in a new generation of farmers and ranchers. He adds, “We will feel the benefits beyond our dinner tables.”

The AFT report concludes all Americans can help in eliminating the threat to farms: “Developers can choose to revitalize urban spaces and build compact communities. Citizens can promote local land-use decisions that protect farmland and ranchland. Individuals can support local land trusts, buy locally produced food, and choose to live in compact neighborhoods.”

Kansas State-Olathe Updates NBAF

Photo courtesy of K-State Olathe. (L to R) Dr. Ben Wolfe, Dr. Ken Burton, Steve Witte, Bob Petersen, Dr. Rich Linton

It was a day to tout all things Kansas State University, and the majority Wildcat alumni in attendance did just that at the Ag Business Council’s October luncheon meeting held (where else) on the Olathe campus of KSU, October 13. Council members were also updated on the progress of what could be considered the state’s jewel-in-the-crown of its agricultural roots and identity – the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.

Council Executive Director Bob Petersen introduced Benjamin Wolfe, Ph.D., recently installed as Dean and CEO of K-State Olathe last June. Dr. Wolfe noted the Olathe campus aims to develop the region as the ‘front door’ for the Next Generation of Agriculture and a “pioneer in making food.” A particular focus, he said, would be breaking new ground for innovative urban food systems.

Kansas State University President Richard Linton was also on hand to talk about challenges facing the university as well as its advances and progress. Challenges include building back student enrollment, which declined 21% over the past eight years. But Dr. Linton is encouraged that fundraising efforts have been fruitful. He said K-State earlier this year received a $25 million grant from the Kansas Legislature, and the school is currently engaged in an effort to raise $75 million in private gifts to qualify for a supplemental 3:1 match from the state. So far the university has raise $51 million toward that goal. The funds would be used to upgrade the College of Agriculture facilities, renovating two buildings and adding another.

Speaking of new buildings and facilities on or around Kansas State’s campus, Dr. Kenneth Burton, Deputy Director, USDA/ARS, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, said the U.S. currently does not have a laboratory with maximum biocontainment levels (BSL-4) to study high-consequence zoonotic diseases affecting large livestock. But not for long.

NBAF – replacing the Plum Island Animal Disease Center located off Long Island, New York – is almost fully constructed. It operates on a secure federally-owned site on the northeast corner of the KSU campus, adjacent to KSU’s Biosecurity Research Institute in Pat Roberts Hall. The facility is scheduled for official commissioning in March 2023. “Construction is essentially complete,” Dr. Burton said, noting, too, that 80% of the staff has been hired.

NBAF will be the first laboratory facility in the U.S. to provide BSL-4 laboratories capable of housing cattle and other large livestock. NBAF also will feature a Biologics Development Module (BDM) for the pilot scale development of vaccines and other countermeasures, augmenting laboratory research and accelerating technology transfer to industry partners. NBAF’s location in Manhattan, Kansas, places it within the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world.

U.S. Meat Industry Gets A Boost From College Football

So said Kansas State University livestock economist Glynn Tonsor, PhD. “It’s possible,” he reported earlier this month, noting that consumer’s demand for proteins – beef, chicken and pork – is holding steady in large part due to a surge in the food service industry. “The demand for dinner meals away from home was up from July to August,” Tonsor said, while demand for grocery store retail meat was down in August.

Prior to August, food service purchases (largely recognized as purchases away from home) represented a weakness in the U.S. meat market, but August’s figures indicate an increase in demand for lunch and dinner. “Foot traffic is up in restaurants,” said Tonsor, “and the trend was particularly strong in southern states like Florida and Texas.” He hopes the increase in demand for proteins eaten away from home offsets what was a little bit of a pull-back in retail demand.

Dr. Tonsor said he was joking about the football connection with America’s meat industry, during his weekly podcast on Agriculture Today.  “But that’s possibly what is going on here. It’s said that in the SEC (Southeast Conference), celebrations start way before Saturday. I think people are having many more evening meals out; plus there are other dynamics, such as the population is growing everywhere, especially in those southern states.”

Dr. Tonsor reported that consumer’s purchases at merchandisers and club stores also rose in August, a possible response to inflation. This is an indication that folks are shifting where they buy protein, and probably buying a bigger volume.  “They may have a more expensive trip to the store,” he said, “but I think they’re finding ways to get the price per pound lower by buying larger quantities, then taking it home and cutting it up.”

Latest News & Updates in KC Agriculture - September 2022

DEVELOPMENTS

American families can expect to pay record high prices at the grocery store for turkey this upcoming holiday season, thanks to the impacts of the bird flu and inflation. American Farm Bureau Federation economists analyzed turkey and egg costs in their latest Market Intel. The retail price for fresh boneless, skinless turkey breast reached a record high of $6.70 per pound in September, 112% higher than the same time in 2021 when prices were $3.16 per pound. The previous record high price was $5.88 per pound in November 2015, during the 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. Inflation is adding to the price hikes. All retail food prices were 11.4% higher in August compared to the same time last year. Despite the higher prices, there should be enough turkeys available for the Thanksgiving demand.

U.S. farm households increasingly rely on off-farm income, notes a report from University of Missouri Extension. On average, 82% of farm household income comes from outside the farm. More than half of the principal operators of farms have primary jobs off the farm, said Alan Spell, MU assistant extension professor and a co-author of the report. The Importance of Off-Farm Income to the Agricultural Economy highlights the growing interdependence of rural and urban economies over the past several decades, Spell said.  Download the report here.   

The Longhorned tick causes the loss of millions of dollars in agricultural revenue to cattle producers worldwide is now in northern Missouri, discovered for the first time by researchers at the University of Missouri. Longhorned tick infestation can lead to significant loss in weight gain for cattle, similar to an already widely prevalent disease called anaplasmosis. So far, the threat from this species in Missouri remains low. However, researchers emphasize that the discovery of the Longhorned tick in the state increases the need for more vigilance towards ticks in general.

The four largest U.S. railroads are optimistic about their plans to recruit more workers needed to move the fall grain crop to market, but Surface Transportation Board chairman Martin Oberman is expressing concern about whether the railroads will be ready for the harvest. The annual meeting of the board's Grain Car Council took place in Kansas City on August 25, bringing together railroad industry leaders, grain shippers and private rail car owners to discuss issues affecting grain transportation. The STB prefaced this year’s event with a letter to the council’s Class I railroad members expressing concerns over whether they will have “sufficient crew, locomotive, equipment and capacity resources along key corridors supporting domestic and international markets.” Max Fisher, the chief economist of the National Grain and Feed Association and one of the meeting’s attendees, said the railroads were optimistic about their worker recruitment. Railroad executives noted that the current period is a downtime for freight rail demand for grain, which has smoothed some of the shipping snarls they had previously experienced.  Source: Agri-Pulse Newsletter, August 31, 2022.

The Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council (MSMC) is partnering with Missouri FFA to introduce the Soy Innovation Challenge to high school agricultural education classes. The Soy Innovation Challenge aims to engage FFA members in creating valuable exhibits and ideas based on the soy value chain to display at Missouri Soybeans’ Center for Soy Innovation. The Soy Innovation Challenge is a two-part contest. Participating chapters will design and develop an exhibit for the Center and submit proposals.

USDA has introduced its Fertilizer Product Expansion Program (FPEP), providing grants to help eligible applicants increase or otherwise expand the manufacturing and processing of fertilizer and nutrient alternatives and their availability in the United States. Entities are eligible regardless of legal structure and may include, but are not limited to, Tribes, Tribal Entities, for‐profit entities, corporations, non‐profit entities, producer‐owned cooperatives and corporations, certified benefit corporations, and State or local government entities. Private entities must be independently owned and operated. According to USDA, $500 million in grants through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program will be offered to “support independent, innovative and sustainable American fertilizer production to supply American farmers.” More information is available here.  

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has partnered with Grow with Google to train 2,000 teachers on digital skills, to reach 200,000 students in rural communities by the end of the 2023 school year. As part of that effort, the Foundation is bolstering agricultural education curriculum through the Farm Bureau Foundation Fellows Program, a unique fellowship that will allow educators in rural or agricultural regions to teach students where their food comes from. More information is available on the Foundation’s webpage.

Farmers’ outlook improved last month despite lingering concerns about high input prices and prospects for weaker prices in 2023, according to the monthly Purdue-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer. The index rose 14 points to 131 in August but remained well below its level a year earlier. The index is based on a survey that was conducted Aug. 15-19, after USDA released its closely watched Crop Production report and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates. Separate measures of farmer attitudes toward current conditions and their future expectations both increased in August. "Producers this month were less worried about their farm’s financial situation than in July, although they remain concerned about a possible cost/price squeeze,” according to a summary of the survey. Some 53% of the farmers who were surveyed said higher input costs were their biggest concern heading into 2023. More than half the producers said they expect crop input prices to increase by as much as 20% in 2023. About four in 10 producers expect inputs to stay the same or decline by as much as 10%. USDA forecasts that net cash farm income will reach its highest level in a decade this year, although producers in some sectors are going to do much better than in others, due in part to increases in input costs. Net cash farm income is forecast at $168.5 billion in 2022, an increase of 15.1% over 2021.  Source: Agri-Pulse Communications

Select session recordings from the Animal Agriculture Alliance’s 2022 Stakeholders Summit, held May 11-12 in Kansas City, Missouri, are now publicly available on the organization’s YouTube channel. The first in person Summit since 2019, themed Come Together for Animal Ag: Be Informed, Be Ready, Be Here, attracted an audience of more than 260 attendees and included an additional 125 registered virtual attendees. “Each sector of the food supply chain came together for animal ag at the Alliance’s most recent Stakeholders Summit,’ said Hannah Thompson-Weeman, Alliance president and CEO. “While nothing compares to attending the event live, there’s a vast array of key insights and action items to glean from session recordings led by subject matter experts.” All available session recordings from the 2022 Summit can be viewed here. To read a condensed overview of insights shared at the event, check out the highlights reports on their website.

A third installment of the Kansas Livestock Association’s Young Stockmen's Academy program was held September 19-21. The group of young producers spent three days touring various segments of the beef and dairy industries in central and western Kansas. Merck Animal Health is the exclusive sponsor of the YSA program.   El Dorado Livestock Auction was the first tour stop. The group heard from co-owner Josh Mueller about the modern facility, where more than 50,000 head of cattle are sold per year. Frank Harper hosted the class for a tour of his new backgrounding facility near Sedgwick, where both home-raised and purchased calves are grown before being sent to a feed yard. During a stop near Lindsborg, Erik Peterson explained how they use high-accuracy sires and cow families at Smoky Valley Angus to raise bulls that meet the needs of their commercial cow-calf customers. Sam Hands and Marissa Kleysteuber, managing partners of Triangle H, gave the group an inside look into their fifth-generation operation, which consists of a cow-calf, stocker and cattle feeding program, as well as a farming business. 

Missouri Department of Agriculture celebrated Farm Safety and Health Week, which has been recognized during the third week of September since established by President Roosevelt in 1944. This year’s theme, coined by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), was Protecting Agriculture’s Future. Each day had its own theme: Monday was Tractor Safety and Rural Roadway Safety; Tuesday was Overall Farmer Health; Wednesday was Safety and Health for Youth in Agriculture; Thursday was Confined Spaces; and Friday was Safety and Health for Women in Agriculture. Missouri is home to 95,000 farms and employs nearly 460,000 people in agriculture, forestry and related industries. Agriculture remains the state’s number one economic driver, supporting both rural and urban communities from farm to fork. In turn, farm safety and health is of utmost importance throughout the state.  “The safety of our farmers and ranchers remains a top priority for my team each year,” Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn said.

PEOPLE

Randy Dickhut is retiring from Farmers National Company where he spent 20 years. FNC has promoted Paul Schadegg to succeed Dickhut as the senior vice president of real estate operations. Schadegg currently serves as the Western area sales manager and is a member of the Ag Business Council’s Board of Directors.

Riley Pagett has been promoted to deputy chief of staff for U.S. Representative Tracey Mann. He previously served as Mann’s legislative director and counsel. Before that, Pagett worked at USDA as the chief of staff in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement during the Trump administration.

Kansas Corn has brought Nicki Fisher on board as part of its grower services team. She will serve as Programs Manager, Western Grower Services, and will focus on the western half of the state and the unique challenges growers in that area face. Nicki attended Kansas State University and received her bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness. While in college, Nicki was a graduate of Class 5 of Kansas Corn’s Collegiate Academy.

EVENTS

The University of Missouri will host a free webinar for agricultural lenders, credit managers, rural land appraisers, congressional staffers, county commissioners and ag service providers 10:30 a.m.-noon Friday, October 7. The Zoom webinar will focus on “Monetary Policy and Farm Income Outlook for Missouri’s Ag Lenders.” Register online. Hosted by the University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI), the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center and the MU Extension, the webinar will provide an overview of Missouri farm income portfolios; deliver an outlook on Missouri cash receipts, expenses and net farm income; and focus on areas of concern in Missouri’s farm and rural sector.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson has proclaimed October 2-8 as National 4-H Week in Missouri. 4-H State Council President Emily Taylor, Vice President Lynn Dyer and council adviser Erin Stanley received the proclamation at the governor’s office from Lt. Governor Mike Kehoe.

Plans for the 2023 Commodity Classic are well underway as America’s largest farmer-led agricultural and educational experience returns to Orlando March 9-11, 2023. The theme for the 2023 show is Preparing for the Next Generation.   Registration and housing for the 2023 Commodity Classic will open in mid-November 2022. Attendees can sign up now to receive email updates at CommodityClassic.com.

Kansas State University-Olathe is offering several agriculture-related workshops, forums and symposia this Fall.

• October 12-13: Pesticides workshop will provide a practical approach to getting pesticide products approved and keeping them in the market post approval, while avoiding common pitfalls and challenges faced along the way. The workshop is designed to be interactive with case studies, and an opportunity for participant interaction and networking.

• December 8: Ag Supply Chain has become a heightened challenge over the last few years and many have accepted delayed deliveries as part of the new way of things. Are there processes that can anticipate delays or overcome these challenges? Particularly in the animal health industry, where are delays happening and what can be done by organizations to plan ahead to avoid supply chain issues? This half-day seminar will be a discussion on how to best navigate the supply chain and still get products to market in a timely manner, amidst ever-changing barriers.

Contact Lauren Raki at laurenracki@ksc.edu or 913-307-7340 for more information.

Digging Deeper...

In the food bank community, September is recognized as Hunger Action Month. It was established in 2008 by Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States with a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs. In 2021 Feeding America helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need. Kansas City-based Harvesters is a member of the Feeding America network, serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 620 nonprofit agencies including food pantries, community kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes and others. As a food bank, Harvesters acquires, stores and distributes food to its grid of nonprofit agencies so they can provide direct service to families, children and seniors in need. And, just so you know, in 2011 Harvesters was “Feeding America’s Food Bank of the Year.”

By Dennis McLaughlin, McLaughlin Writers LLC. Resources, commentary and insight for this article were provided by Karen Siebert, Advocacy and Public Policy Advisor, Harvesters – The Community Food Network, Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas Department of Agriculture; Missouri Farmers Care Foundation.

Food Banks Took Some Punches
… But Never Went Down For The Count

Over the last two years, Harvesters – like every other industry, business, organization, school, hospital, institution, government agency, most families and you name it – got clobbered  by a “perfect storm” of events brought on by  COVID-19. The pandemic shutdown disrupted just about everything. “We’ve heard that perfect storm analogy so often it’s become tiresome,” says Karen Siebert, Harvesters’ Advocacy and Public Policy Advisor.

So, here’s another comparison. What happened to food banks – without too much exaggeration – was the equivalent of getting into a sparring ring with Mohammad Ali. And George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather. All at the same time.  When the pandemic hit, food banks took it on the chin. Social distancing, quarantines, lockdowns were akin to a fighter’s jabs, uppercuts and crosses. Harvesters got roundly pummeled. The food bank’s food donations evaporated and volunteer help was scarce at the same time the need skyrocketed.

Just as supply disruptions and shortages of everything were proving to be routine and sort of manageable, other health, world and economic events almost threw the old one-two knockout punch at food banks. The pandemic came up with new virus variants, inflation soared, household evictions were rampant, and a major war broke out in Ukraine.  

And while all this was happening, worldwide demand for food bank services was expanding. In the U.S. more than 53 million Americans received help from food banks in 2021, according a report from Feeding America. That was 30% more than before the pandemic. But Karen Siebert says communities in Kansas and Missouri’s food bank coalition “came through.” 

How It Works

Speaking at KC’s Agricultural Business Council meeting in August, Siebert reminded members that Harvesters is not a food pantry. Rather, it is a food bank, which is a large food collection and distribution facility. “We have a fleet of more than 20 trucks and 275,000 square feet of warehouse space between our two distribution centers in Kansas City, Missouri, and Topeka, Kansas,” she said.  From those two centers food is distributed to a vast network of nonprofit food pantries, kitchens and shelters located in churches, community centers and other faith-based organizations across a 26-county service area in Kansas and Missouri.

Harvesters mission is to acquire, warehouse and transport large quantities of food, to member pantries that focus on putting food on the tables of those who need it.  “To give you an idea of the scope of our network’s impact,” Siebert explained, “last year Harvesters distributed more than 68 million pounds of food to our network of more than 760 agencies. Together, those pantry partners serve more than 226,000 people every single month.”

But like other food banks around the country, Harvesters has felt the brunt over the last two years of COVID-19 and the disruption, disorganization and discouragement it left in its wake. It washed over every aspect of the nation’s economic, educational, governmental and agricultural institutions and systems. During the pandemic, government foods accounted for more than a quarter of Harvesters’ distribution. “When COVID hit, we had to close our warehouse to volunteers, our food donations plummeted and the food supply chain seized up—all at the same time the need soared,” said Siebert.

Harvesters saw much of its operational model upended by the pandemic, she added. And that’s saying something. Two years ago, this column, Digging Deeper, described the complexity, expanse and sophistication of Harvesters’ operational footprint:  “One can easily see Harvesters being touted in a classic textbook case-study about properly managing all the components of its business model – logistics, transportation, networking, financing, fundraising, community relations, distribution and compliance with federal and local regulations.”

At the August meeting Karen Siebert indicated membership in the Agricultural Business Council is  important to Harvesters. “The conversations we have here and the partnerships we build help us achieve both aspects of our mission – ‘to feed the line and shorten the line.’ ”

According to Harvesters, feeding the line is parlance for providing food to those who are in immediate need of food. “We work on partnering with farmers, processors, distributors, retailers, community members – everyone along the food system chain – to acquire food so that food insecure families can get the nutritious food they need to eat today.”  Many of those partners, she noted, are part of Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City.

Shortening the line describes Harvesters’ efforts to ensure that people can feed their own families and don’t need to turn to the charitable sector for help. One of the ways Harvesters does that is to advocate for the federal nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps). SNAP provides funds for low-income families and seniors so they can purchase groceries themselves at their local grocery store.

Going Forward

On May 9 Harvesters’ board of directors issued it Strategic Plan for FY2023 –FY2025, with a statement of the organization’s vision of a healthy, thriving community where no one is hungry. To realize that objective, Harvesters plans to mobilize the power of its community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger.

The plan encompasses the following high-level aspirational key intentions for Harvesters’ path forward:

• Refining its mission and vision statements, to more explicitly express Harvesters’ focus and distinction in addressing food insecurity.

• Explicitly clarifying of its values.

• Defining an "aspirational" path, with explicit strategies, that will further advance its mission,  guiding how Harvesters will advance nutrition, in both food acquired and distributed, while ensuring food is desirable and culturally appropriate.

• Intentionally identifying paths for addressing root causes and impact of hunger.

• Articulating how Harvesters will be an even more effective organization in 2025 than it is today, after this strategic plan is implemented.

• Ensuring the integrity and quality of an agile strategic oversight process, a new policy and procedure codifies a process for ongoing plan progress tracking, reporting, and adjustments

In a statement introducing the strategic plan, Harvesters’ recently retired President and CEO Valerie Nicholson-Watson focused on five strategic imperatives that would serve as key pillars:

• Nourish: Acquire and distribute a diverse mix of nutritious food and household products that are distributed through accessible, efficient, and safe distribution methods. Nutrition receives significant focus in this plan. Harvesters will work to increase awareness of and access to healthier food options in the food it distributes and the programs it supports. This will include focus on quality product, culturally appropriate food, and real time demographic data from neighbors to better inform programs.

• Break Down Barriers/Develop Pathways: Work to break down barriers and develop pathways to food security through intentional collaborations, partnerships, and advocacy. This imperative encompasses the second portion of the mission to address the root causes and impact of hunger”, focusing on health, economic mobility and lived experience.

• Engage the Community: Educate, engage, and influence stakeholders to take positive action to advance our mission. This advances Harvesters’ community relations and advocacy in alignment with the mission focus around root causes and impact of hunger.

• Inspire a Culture of Excellence: Create and maintain a culture of excellence by supporting and inspiring highly qualified and diverse employees and board, reflective of the communities we serve. This imperative elevates Harvesters’ organizational culture and people to acknowledge the tremendously important role staff and board play in sustaining and increasing Harvesters’ impact in the community.

• Sustain Operational Excellence: Drive organizational excellence in all areas of business and stakeholder operations to further the mission, sustainability, and overall success of the organization. This imperative focuses on financial stability, organizational health, and infrastructure investment.

Real Time Action

As Harvesters rolls out its strategic plan over the next several years, the food bank is engaged in efforts to address current circumstances.  “We advocate for robust federal nutrition programs, including a strong nutrition title in the Farm Bill,” Karen Siebert told the AgBiz Council.  That would include funding for SNAP, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP, or senior food boxes). “And we advocate for other important federal nutrition programs in the USDA outside of the Farm Bill such as a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children), the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program and the School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.”

Siebert went on to explain the reason the Farm Bill commodity programs are especially important to Harvesters is that it distributes those foods to pantries on behalf of the government. “In a normal year, commodity foods account for about 12-13% of our total distribution,” she noted.  “However, during the pandemic, government foods accounted for more than a quarter of our distribution.”

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Kansas & Missouri Join USDA in Hunger Fight

Earlier this summer Governor Laura Kelly was joined by USDA Undersecretary Jenny Moffitt and Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Mike Beam to introduce a new program to purchase and distribute locally grown, produced, and processed food to food insecure Kansans. KDA has been awarded a $2.5 million cooperative agreement from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service as part of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreement Program. These funds will be used to purchase and distribute Kansas-grown and -processed foods to underserved communities and families across Kansas through the state's existing distribution network of food banks. 

“This common-sense partnership will make progress on two challenges facing our state: Food insecurity, and the fact that though more than 50 million pounds of food was distributed across Kansas last year, very little was locally grown,” said Governor Kelly. “Our farmers and ranchers feed the nation – and this agreement will help them also feed their neighbors.”

KDA will work with agricultural stakeholder groups to develop a network of producers, establish a tiered purchasing standard that gives preference to socially disadvantaged farmers to expand their businesses, and ensure that food purchased by the grant is widely distributed across rural and urban communities impacted by food insecurity. 

“USDA is excited to partner with Kansas to promote economic opportunities for farmers and producers and to increase access to locally sourced, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food in underserved communities,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “The Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement Program will improve food and agricultural supply-chain resiliency and increase local food consumption around the country.”

The local food purchased through this agreement will be distributed through the state’s existing distribution network of Feeding America food banks: Kansas Food Bank, Harvesters — The Community Food Network, and Second Harvest Community Food Bank. Just Food, part of Harvesters’ network, is the food bank of Douglas County, supplying more than 29 partner agencies with fresh produce, dairy products, meat, bread and pantry staples.

 “Together our three Feeding America food banks serve the food insecure in every one of Kansas’ 105 counties,” said Stephen Davis, newly installed President & CEO of Harvesters. “In a time of increased need and decreasing food donations, we are grateful for these healthy, locally grown foods that we can share with our neighbors in need throughout the state.” Source: Kansas Department of Agriculture.

Across The State Line

At the Missouri State Fair last month, Missouri Farmers Care Foundation announced that resources were raised to provide 2.4 million meals to help feed food-insecure children across the state through the “2022 Drive to Feed Kids.”

“Partners in the Drive to Feed Kids generously respond to address the stark reality that 1 in 7 Missouri children regularly face hunger,” said Executive Director of Missouri Farmers Care Foundation, Ashley McCarty. Missouri’s agricultural youth programs again partnered with the Drive to raise meals for communities across the state. Missouri 4-H members donated 264,000 meals during their 4-H Feeding Missouri campaign which ran January-April 2022 and packed an additional 3,000 meal boxes for veterans at the Missouri State Fair. On Aug. 16, hundreds of Missouri FFA Association members and agricultural leaders came together at the Missouri State Fair to pack 152,000 family meals for the Missouri FFA Food Insecurity Day.

The sixth annual Missouri FFA Food Insecurity Day was held Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Missouri State Fair in partnership with the Missouri Farmers Care Drive to Feed Kids. Together, hundreds of FFA members and agricultural leaders packed 152,000 family meals to feed families in need. The meals were distributed to Missouri’s regional food banks across the state through a partnership with Feeding Missouri.  Governor Mike Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson, along with Missouri elected officials and agricultural leaders, joined the cause in August,  packing 300 emergency boxes that will provide nourishment to central Missouri families in need.        Source: Missouri Farmers Care Foundation

Ag Economy On Solid Ground

From left to right, top to bottom: Sara Wyant, Jeff Simmons, Seth Meyer, Monica Massey

The overall sentiment of ag economists speaking at the 8th Annual Ag Outlook Forum, presented by Agri-Pulse Communications and the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City, is that the farm economy appears durable going into 2023.  Farm income is high despite high input costs and loan delinquencies are low noted Nathan Kauffman, vice president and Omaha branch executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. “Conditions are stronger,” he said, “but we’re starting to see risks.” Inflation concerns, though, are dampening optimism.  

USDA chief economist Seth Meyer said global demand is key to a prospering U.S. ag industry in the near future, and pointed to China’s “strong” return as an importer in 2021.  While noting shipping dynamics are somewhat better, he wondered what could happen if “FOB” rates rise. Erin Borror, U.S. Meat Export Federation’s vice president economic analysis, observed that China’s growing preference for beef has allowed the American beef cattle industry to extract higher beef prices from Japan and Korea. 

“Short-term profits are still looking good,” she said. “The challenge is that typically input costs don’t come down quickly, but commodity prices do. You could envision an environment where we get a couple good years of harvests and commodity prices pull back, but input costs might not because those tend to be stickier.” Continuing supply-side deficiencies, said Kanlaya Barr, director of corporate economics at John Deere, “is making it look like we’re still in recovery” from the global pandemic and its aftermath. She also has her “eye-on” the energy situation in Europe as winter approaches and on  China’s Zero Covid policy that could close more plants. 

Keynoters

Jeff Simmons, Elanco Animal Health’s president and CEO, provided a provocative address during lunch, calling on the ag industry to “provoke a discussion” about farming and environmental sustainability. He said in a survey of over 1,000 participants, Elanco found that two out of five people who avoid consuming meat believe animal agriculture is the biggest creator of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the U.S., contributing more than any other industry. “But that’s just wrong,” stated Simmons. “The farm is the starting point,” he said for creating a sustainable environment. “It’s time for a true farm-to-table approach where animal agriculture experts can bring their expertise to these global conversations so we can successfully collaborate to make a difference.” Simmons is bullish on the prospects for animal protein, saying demand for alternative meat protein has eroded and currently accounts for only 1% of the market. He also claimed that Generation Z (born in late 1990s to 2010) is becoming a promising market segment for meat-based protein.

Syncing with Simmons’ claim that the concept of sustainability began on the farm, Monica Massey called dairy farmers the “original sustainability scientists.” Massey, executive vice president at Dairy Farmers of America, focused her remarks on how challenges for an industry should be regarded as opportunities and investment in innovation as a sure way to grow a company and an industry. Massey offered an interesting observation to the effect that “industry used to drive the market, now consumers drive it.”

Aaron Annable, Chicago-based acting consul general, Consulate General of Canada in Chicago, described the vital partnership that exists between Canada and the U.S. He also joined ranks with the other Forum speakers in recognizing that “farmers are on the front line” in adapting climate-smart technology to cleanup and reduce Green House Gases.

Black Sea Turmoil

As moderator of the panel discussing the situation in Ukraine and its impact worldwide,  Kip Tom, CEO, Tom Farms LLC, implied some policies, crafted in the fog of war, may have contributed to food insecurity – rather than relieving it. Tom recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture. From 2019 to 2021, he was chief of the U.S. Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome. He pointed out that the lingering Covid pandemic also exacerbated food insecurity.

Daniel Whitley, Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service, said the Memorandum of Understanding signed this summer by the U.S. and Ukraine could be a step toward easing disagreements. The MOU calls for a consistent exchange of information and expertise regarding crop production, emerging technologies, climate-smart practices, food security, and supply chain issues to boost productivity and enhance both agricultural sectors. Whitley added that attitudes of some  U.S. trading partners around the world needed to change. “We hear too often comments like this:  ‘If you don’t do it our way, we’ll cut imports’,” he said.

Christine Cochran, CEO, SNAC International, an international trade association for the snack food industry, indicated that the war has brought on shortages of key ingredients such as sunflower oil. She mentioned that in some cultures snack foods are considered dietary staples, not simply treats. Arlan Suderman, Chief Commoodities Economist, StoneX Group, Inc., said if the war were to end “today” it would take years to restore ag infrastructure.

Farm Bill 2023

Blake Hurst, Hurst Farms, former president of Missouri Farm Bureau, and Collin Petersen, former U.S. Congressional Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, engaged in a lively conversation. Farm policy is getting better, they agreed, because of better crop insurance provisions.  Both favored further improvements in crop insurance rather than larger emergency allocations. While both are apprehensive about “all the money coming into ag,” Petersen staunchly advocates for keeping SNAP benefits linked to farm programs. The nutrition title is the largest of the 12 titles covered in the 2018 Farm Bill, and SNAP accounts for 95% of that nutrition spending. Overall, nutrition spending makes up 80% of the Farm Bill’s total budget. Off the cuff, the two noted that 95% of all Congressional reps and senators do not understand farming or farm bills.  And no Democrats represent farm production areas.  Petersen observed that when he was ag committee chair there were only 26 Democrats on the Senate and House ag committees. “But I was the only one who wanted to be.”

Digging Deeper...

Learning to grow and cook healthy food is just part of what young men learn through their participation in BoysGrow, a nonprofit youth-development organization that teaches entrepreneurship to at-risk boys. Since its founding in 2010, BoysGrow has ‘grown’ into a positive, affirmative educational program. Its success was recently spotlighted nationally on the “Eye on America” segment of CBS Evening News (August 11, 2022).  Dennis McLaughlin, McLaughlin Writers LLC – Sources: Interviews with John Gordon, Jr., BoysGrow founder and executive director; Sydnee Shive, Kansas Living, Kansas Farm Bureau, July 30, 2022; Seattle Times, 2012; Pitch Magazine, 2012.

BoysGrow: Hands-On Education On The Farm

Each  summer 30 boys from the greater Kansas City area – ages 14 to 16 – commit to a two-year program during which they learn how to work together and develop core vocational skills that are applicable to a variety of career paths including culinary arts, construction, marketing and entrepreneurial enterprises. As the program’s name suggests, farming constitutes the heart of BoysGrow. “Through farming and agriculture,” says founder John Gordon, the boys gain pride, identity, discipline and an understanding of the business world.”

The program accepts eighth-grade boys to work on a 10-acre farm in South Kansas City, where, over a period of  two years, they learn the ins and outs of agriculture, producing food that will go on to stock Kansas City restaurant kitchens and stores. During the summer, the boys work three days a week. They also have a chance to choose learning tracks that align with their interests. Track options include farming and agriculture, construction, culinary arts, graphic design and even public speaking. The youth join at least two of these teams, where they work with mentors and staff to learn certain disciplines for particular lines of work.

And they receive a paycheck. “Often, it’s the first one they’ve earned,” Gordon notes. During the summer term, the boys are bussed to the farm where they work and attend training sessions and classes three days a week. During their regular school year they meet two days a month. “They’ll have two years of applied learning and a hands-on introduction to what it means to work in those different fields,” says Gordon. 

Learning to Lead

Eclipsing all the positive skills and experience the youngsters develop during their two years at BoysGrow is leadership. Learning how to be a leader is something kids don’t often get in other programs and even in many grade and high schools, says Gordon. “For the second-year boys here there is no option but to be a leader; once a kid reaches his second year, the expectation is to be a leader.” 

Besides learning about agriculture, cooking, carpentry and construction, they boys are exposed to interpersonal amenities, like shaking hands with people, looking a person in the eye. “We mentor them not only on how to create and develop an enterprise or project, but we also teach them how to pitch their ideas and concepts, Gordon explains. “I think when you’re 15 years old, it’s kind of hard to get that experience.” A lot of leadership traits are cultivated through practical hands-on activities. For example, BoysGrow stages several social, entertainment and fundraising events each year.  But the boys run the show, forming small teams to manage every aspect of the event.

Seeds Of Success 

On the farm, the boys grow a broad range of produce, including garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, blackberries and raspberries and raise turkeys and chickens as well. More importantly, perhaps, are purposeful life-lessons embedded in the boys themselves. BoysGrow helps participants build camaraderie, discipline and business skills that will serve them throughout their lives. “We take this opportunity of having the boys for two years to give them vocational training as well as personal development,” Gordon says, “that will allow them to successfully get the next job once they graduate from high school.”  Public school systems offer an array of academic basics and intellectual pursuits, explains Gordon, but soft skills sometimes fly under the radar.  “We talk to the young men about the importance of soft skills – especially since more and more employers are emphasizing them as a key component of their hiring process.” 

In addition to a curriculum intended to provide vocational background and training in agriculture, construction and marketing, BoysGrow offers a syllabus of what it calls The Basics: 

• Communication – Professionally expressing oneself; listening; public speaking.

• Courtesy – Manners; etiquette; graciousness; respectfulness.

• Flexibility – Adaptability; willingness to change.

• Integrity – Honesty; ethics; morals; incorruptible.

• Interpersonal Skills – Personable and social; sense of humor; friendliness; patience.

• Positive Attitude – Optimistic; enthusiastic; confident; encouraging.

• Professionalism – Business-like; good judgement; appropriately dressed.

• Responsibility – Punctual; reliable; resourceful; self-disciplined; common sense.

• Teamwork – Cooperative; compatible; supportive; helpful; collaborative. 

• Work Ethic – Hardworking; loyal; self-motivated; initiating; timely. 

BoysGrow appears to have hit a sweet spot with the youngsters. Although the agenda is physically demanding, intellectually rigorous and ground-breaking for the boys relative to their lived-experience in an urban setting, most of them stick with the program. Gordon says the retention rate is 90%; and he points out applicants for the program run 30% over the number BoysGrow can accept.

Down To Business

Those entering the program have the chance to specialize in curriculum tracks that align with their interests. Options include three primary endeavors – farming/agriculture, construction and culinary arts. Instruction in graphic design and public speaking is also available.  Boys who join the construction team usually come to the program with some skills or interest in carpentry, according to staff.  They are led by a construction crew leader and are often seen around the farm repairing or building things. But agriculture is the primary focus. Students learn about conventional farming as well organic growing practices – from planting seeds to harvesting and packaging produce. 

The culinary arts team uses fresh produce from the farm and learns how to turn harvests into meals that are served to fellow students and staff during the summer. The science and art of food preparation is a skill set the boys can readily transform into a satisfying career. The curriculum includes learning the tricks-of-the-trade from local chefs who volunteer to instruct and mentor the kids. Notable among these chefs has been Lidia Bastianich of Lidia’s Kansas City.  The culinary program has really taken off, touts Gordon. Recently, BoysGrow dedicated a modern 3,200 square foot culinary center to a house certified kitchen and canning operations as well as updated equipment and systems.   

"The addition of the Farm Kitchen has been a game changer for us,” says Gordon. “We have better amenities for teaching our classes and washing our produce, and it doubles as an event space.  We can host events out here on our beautiful 10 acre farm, this helps us generate another revenue stream but also assists us in reaching a new audience of people who may believe in our mission.”

Gordon points out that the new Farm Kitchen has been the venue this year for private dinners hosted by the American Angus Association and the National Institute of Animal Agriculture as well as for a private Board Retreat of the Kansas Farm Bureau.  

Such development requires a good deal of funding. But sustaining donors and benefactors seem charmed with the organization’s mission, objectives and the resulting success in molding at-risk kids into confident, accomplished and professional young managers and entrepreneurs. Several years ago, Eric Keller, principal project manager for Cargill’s grain and oilseeds North America supply chain business at the time, heard about BoysGrow, and learned that it was raising money to buy a farm. Keller approached Cargill Cares Committee about helping out. 

The Cargill committee met with Gordon and the boys and reviewed the organization’s multi-year plan. “What impressed us was its vision and direction,” recalls Keller. “They had a good strategic plan. We also liked that BoysGrow hits on all three of the primary focus areas that Cargill corporately and locally contribute to – health and nutrition, education and the environment.”

Along with many individual donors and contributors, BoysGrow is financially backed by more than 30 family and business foundations, as well as the United States Department of Agriculture. Major players in agriculture, banking, health, crop, food and meat processing and packaging are among the supporters:  Kemper Foundation, Sunderland Foundation, The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, Seaboard Foundation, Smithfield, Boulevard Brewing Company, Health Forward Foundation, Cargill, Kansas City Lidia’s, Hallmark, Missouri Bank, Cabela’s, H&R Block, Gray Family Foundation, Commerce Bank, and Kauffman Foundation.

How BoysGrow Grew

The seeds for BoysGrow were sown in California, New Mexico and at a Kenpo karate dojo in the early 2000s. The sensei at a California karate school invited student John Gordon to a New Mexico wilderness retreat. Called Fathers, Sons & Brothers, the three-week workshop helped men explore the relationships with the males in their lives with a goal of improving communication and self-esteem. 

The workshop was just what he was looking for, Gordon told the Seattle Times during a 2012 interview with the newspaper after he had founded BoysGrow. The New Mexico workshop improved his communication skills and bolstered his confidence.  By his fourth year at the event, he had become a staff member.  At that point the workshop’s leader offered Gordon a job with a social service agency working with young people in Chico, California.

There he met Paco, a 12-year-old boy who changed his life. “He was like Harry Potter living underneath the stairs,” Gordon recalls. “Nobody wanted him.” Paco was enthralled with a gang and involved in theft and other crimes.  That’s when social services arranged to have him taken under the wing of a farm family. Paco’s new guardians gave him plenty of responsibilities, Gordon says, noticing a quick and obvious change in the youngster.  “He went from this sunken kid who was wearing the weight of the world on his shoulders — aggravated and hard to talk to — to a young man who had a purpose.” Gordon was inspired. He moved back to Kansas City in 2008 and created BoysGrow in 2010.