Good morning.
When it comes to fast food, nothing is quite as polarizing as the McRib.
Delicious? Gross? Your go-to, or you've never touched one? There's not much in between.
But with the McRib "farewell tour" set to begin, what many don't know is the much-maligned food item's history. Researchers within the University of Nebraska's Meat Sciences Department were the ones to actually create the McRib. The guy responsible, Roger Mandigo, actually got inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for inventing "restructured meats."
A hot-button pop culture topic getting tied back to our ag researcher friends? We're lovin' that.
The News:
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Tension Rising on the Black Sea Grain Initiative |
Cesar Okada from Getty Images Signature
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Ukraine ag exports are a mixed bag. On one hand, Ukraine ag exports are back to near pre-war levels. On the other hand, more than 165 cargo ships filled with Ukrainian grain are backlogged in the Black Sea—and that number is growing.
Traffic jam: Kyiv blames Russia for deliberately delaying the shipments, and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry says it has reason to believe politics are to blame for the delay.
Russia has its own complaints about the destinations for the grain exports. And the U.N. says "urgent" steps need to be taken to get the shipments moving again.
How did we get here? In July, Ukraine and Russia came to an agreement brokered by the U.N. and Turkey. The Black Sea Grain Initiative opened the Ukrainian ports back up for grain exports after the Russian invasion, and Russia received guarantees for its grain and fertilizer exports.
The cargo ships to and from Ukraine are inspected by teams organized by the four-party Joint Coordination Center.
But the deadline for extension of the deal is Nov. 19. Ukraine wants it renewed, but Russia is unhappy with the implementation..
Where this goes: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says "corrections" to the grain deal won’t happen until they get answers on the destinations and end-users of the grain.
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→ Cows lose to chickens and pigs. A new USDA report predicts that global production of chicken and pork will increase in 2023, while beef production is set to decline.
→ Flying into the Corn Belt. The first case of highly pathogenic avian flu has been confirmed in Dallas County, Iowa within a non-commercial backyard flock.
→ Water on the move. To prove the viability of transporting water from moist regions to arid ones, an agency in Kansas will truck 6K gallons of water from the Missouri River to both Wichita County (Kansas) and Colorado.
→ Low water, high losses. According to an AccuWeather forecast, the U.S. economy could be looking at $20B in losses because of the slow (or completely halted) barge traffic on the historically shallow Mississippi River.
→ Lettuce hope for more supply. Prices in the lettuce market are sky-high, thanks to a demand that exceeds the current supply of California Iceberg, Romaine, and leaf lettuce.
→ Trade changes? Questions remain about how the U.S. ag export trade market with China will look in the future, now that Xi Jinping will begin another 5-year term.
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Seed Funding for Tree-Planting Startup |
VirginiaSerra from Getty Images
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Ag startup Propagate is in the business of planting seeds.
And now, they get to enjoy what’s sprouted: $10M in Series A funding. The agroforestry platform will use the funds to hire more people, expand its software, and… well, plant more seeds.
Helping farmers branch out: At the root of agroforestry is the integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming. But traditionally, farmers have struggled to get started (or manage their tree-planting) because of financing concerns, issues with farm design, and/or crop implementation.
The Propagate platform offers tools to help with all these and make it simpler for farmers to figure out where to plant, as well as how to start and manage the process.
Soundbite: "Our software products are aimed at going from a design on a computer screen to actually implementing and managing an agroforestry farm and all of the technical services and resources required along that journey." – Propagate co-founder and CEO, Ethan Steinberg
The size of the forest: Propagate currently advises 20K+ acres of agroforestry, including 760K trees and shrubs.
Bird’s-eye view: Propagate’s funding is one example of a recent commitment nationwide to trees’ regenerative power—particularly to improve biodiversity, diversify farmers’ income, and integrate more climate-smart ag practices.
The USDA recently planted $60M with The Nature Conservancy and multiple partners (including Propagate) for a 5-year project advancing agroforestry in 38 states.
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Protecting Our Most Precious Resource: Soil
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FDR once said: "The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself."
With less land to go around and more food needed to feed a growing population, caring for the soil is more important now than ever. As harvest progresses and wraps up, it’s time to take steps to get it ready for the next growing season.
First things first: It’s time to test! Soil testing is critical for quantifying nutrients in the soil, focusing mainly on phosphorus, potassium, and micronutrients.
With testing complete, soil scientists can make recommendations on additional fertilizer coverage to boost crop yields.
Fun Fact: Most of the nutrients in our food come from the soil. While plants require 17 essential nutrients to function, three are found in the air and water (H, C, and O); the final 14 must come from the soil.
How do we know what the soil contains? We don’t. That’s why soil testing is invaluable.
Keeping your soil test records is nearly as important as the testing itself. It’s the only way to know how your farm has evolved.
According to Farm Journal Field Agronomist Missy Bauer, soil pH, fertility, and uniform soil density are the largest issues in restoring soil health.
No-till until you have to: "Even some of our best no-tillers own vertical tillage equipment because they might have to go in and fix a field," Bauer said.
Cover crops can be a great tool in preventing erosion, preserving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and keeping weeds, pests, and diseases at bay. They can make things a bit more complicated, as they’re planted after harvest and must be killed before the cash crops are planted.
It’s also worth noting that cover crops are not a band-aid and should be implemented after field issues are addressed.
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You’ve probably heard of charcuterie boards, but what about butter boards? The latest "viral inflation hack" involves accents like honey, herbs, bacon bits, edible flours, and nuts to name a few. Served over a base of soft butter on bread or crackers, they’re all the rage these days. And despite butter’s near all-time high prices, they’re still cheaper to make than a charcuterie board.
Can you complete the following headline that’s been chasing butter boards?
Butter Boards: ________ or ___________?
Answer at the bottom of the email.
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Your link:
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Butter Boards: Gross or Great?
While proponents love the endless possibilities, the lower cost than traditional charcuterie boards, and the allure of serving something new, there are definitely food safety risks. Having everyone dip into the same soft butter is an invite for bacteria (Who invited them to the party?!).
Never fear, there are safer ways to serve. Use a plastic board that can be disinfected, give each guest a knife to serve themselves, or even make smaller boards and give guests their own butter.
Oh and this: An anticipated butter shortage is on the horizon for this winter. Maybe butter boards will be a short-lived fad?
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Written & Edited by Rachel Robinson, Ashley Scoby, Amelia VanLandegen, and Travis Martin
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P.O. Box 7292
Greenwood, IN 46142-6423
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