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September 19, 2023

Good Morning. 

August 2023 nabbed the gold medal for Earth, experiencing the hottest August on record. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded 13% of the world’s surface temperatures reaching their hottest August in records going back to 1951.

Hitting the beach to beat the heat was even useless at times. Sea surface temperatures reached their warmest anomaly in August 2023 (In case you missed it, water temps off of Florida’s coast reached above 90 degrees!).

NOAA officials warned that people may have to keep the sunblock on moving forward as more records are expected to be broken in the coming years.

Stories:

• New Bill Investigates Consolidation

• El Nino Impacts Weather Woes

• Another Disease to Blight the Dust

LIVESTOCK

 Tigress567

"I'm just a bill. Yes, I'm only a bill. And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill…" 

Schoolhouse Rock, anyone?! 

Well, the Livestock Consolidation Research Act recently introduced by representatives Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) is doing just that right now.

Knowledge is power. The legislation would have the USDA ERS study the effects of consolidation in the livestock industry for beef, dairy, pork, and poultry specifically, on farmers and write a report on how consolidation would impact "new market entrants, access to resources, and consumer purchasing power."

Soundbite: "I’m excited to work with Rep. Slotkin to introduce the Livestock Consolidation Research Act to study the impact on our family farms, communities, and businesses of consolidation throughout the meat supply chain. This legislation will help us understand what is truly happening in the industry and root out any discriminatory practices." – Rep. Slotkin 

No child farmer left behind. The legislation’s goal is to ensure that the impact of consolidation is investigated thoroughly and that no farmer, rancher, or consumer is left defenseless. 

On the Senate side, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) are leading the charge for the bill. The pair introduced the Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act earlier this year which would bring "fairness and transparency to the cattle marketplace." 

"And I'll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law…" @schoolhouserock 

→ Petition denied. Environmental groups filed a lawsuit to force the EPA to tighten regulations on large animal feeding operations after the agency denied the groups’ petitions. 

→ Worker safeguards. The Labor Department released a proposal to broaden protections for H2-A workers to combat labor abuses and unfair employment practices. 

→ Expansion on hold. Persistent drought in the U.S. is expected to limit forage supplies, forcing cattle producers to continue herd liquidation and pause expansion. 

→ Red dye whited out. California’s legislature passed a bill banning red dye No. 3 in food and drinks, the first U.S. bill that bans additives approved by the FDA. 

→ Public grazing dispute. Conservation groups filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management, accusing the agency of not regulating livestock grazing on public lands. 

→ Overseas commodity boost. The USDA announced $1.4 billion through the Commodity Credit Corporation to boost overseas commodity marketing. 

INDUSTRY

GIPHY

El Niño forecasts for fall are in - and shedding some light on what farmers can expect through harvest and into winter. 

El Niño events mean more heat and more moisture. This one is looking stronger and longer - forecasters expect it to hang around until spring and maybe even through summer. It’s also starting at an unusual point where sea surface temperatures are at a record high. 

In the U.S. specifically, El Niño’s impacts have tended to hit harder in fall and winter - a wetter Western winter and a stormier Southern one. 

Global view: El Niño typically increases wildfire risk in Australia and Indonesia, brings rainier conditions to drought-prone East Africa, and can bring unusually warm weather to South America. 

Ag impacts: Eric Snodgrass, the Principal Atmospheric Scientist for Nutrien Ag Solutions, says models predict the fall months to be wet in the Midwest. Mississippi River water levels, which have been decreasing since June, could rise with wetter than normal conditions. This could positively impact barge traffic. 

Agritourism is often proposed as a viable route for adding economic value to farms. But is it really profitable?

What percentage of farms involved in agritourism make $10,000 or less each year? 

Answer at the bottom of the email.

FARMING

GIPHY

Researchers are focusing on finding a way to make another disease blight the dust through gene editing. 

A Dutch geneticist discovered how to modify non-functional resistance genes in potato varieties susceptible to late potato blight (Phytophthora infestans). Blight is an oomycete, or mold, that infects healthy plants and significantly reduces yields.

Editing genes through CRISPR/Cas technology allows breeders to introduce blight-resistant traits quicker than traditional breeding. 

History Lesson: In the mid-19th century, potato blight wiped out massive potato populations in Ireland and other European countries. The disease resulted in famine and led to the death of millions. Since then, breeders and governments have worked to encourage crop varieties and better genetics. 

An Arms Race: Centuries later, diseases still tirade potato crops, creating costly yield losses. "There is a continuous ‘arms race’ between the potato plant and Phytophthora,″ says Vivianne Vleeshouwers, a plant scientist at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

Phytophthora brings the guns to the fight as an aggressive invader. So, researchers are dialing in their efforts to equip potato plants to recognize and intercept the disease quicker.  

French-Cut Costs: Gene-editing technologies are not only helping cut fries but production costs as well. Disease-resistant crops could lower the amount of chemicals needed for producing potatoes. 

Food makers also see it as a way to more sustainable food production, attractive to growing consumer markets. 

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42% of farms involved in agritourism make $10,000 or less from those activities. 

Written & Edited by Amelia VanLandegen, Kelsey Faivre, Dawson Schmitt, and Jen Hill 

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