🐟 It's O-fish-al + Deere Deal Denied, ASF Vax News, and more...

Good morning.

Or, in case you missed the memo, Happy Porktober.

Speaking of the other white meat, you won’t want to miss the National Pork Board’s awareness campaign with Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family fame.

A comedic actor with a pork-producing upbringing? Hollywood couldn’t write a better script.

News:

Ecto Goes Fishing, Catches $7M
Deere Deal Down; Picket Signs Up
ASF Vax News Whiplash

PS - Don’t forget to let us know if you want to hang out with the Magnetic crew at National FFA Convention! RSVP here.

Ecto has o-fish-ally raised $7M in its Series A funding round—led by Rabobank’s venture fund and Aqua-Spark, with new investor Seventure Partners joining existing investors Yield Lab and Vodia Ventures.

Ecto, a U.S. company founded in 2013, is the creator of software for aquaculture.

Did you know…? For three in seven people, fish is their main protein source. Aquaculture is a $264B/year industry, so Ecto has a real oppor-tuna-ty to help producers.

How it works: Ecto CEO and co-founder Dmitry Kozachenok said this new software is a digital decision support platform that makes production more e-fish-ent and sustainable by using aquaculture industry data, driven by machine-learning algorithms and science-based biological insights.

Diving deeper… Ecto’s software ties in with more than 100 data sources in the value chain and uses multi-generational data to build models for early detection of patterns linked to bio risks. It also considers environmental factors in critical production phases.

Soundbite: “By connecting disparate data, our platform has the ability to discover patterns previously invisible to producers and reduce preventable losses, thereby increasing output without putting any new fish in the water,” Kozachenok said.

Quick Hits

→ The drought lifevest. The USDA revealed a new online planning tool, part of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), to help farmers and ranchers determine feed transportation costs related to production in severe drought areas.

→ Cotton’s heyday. The USDA estimates that the 2021 crop will be up 23% over 2020 output.

→ Sustainable slurry. Norway-based startup N2 Applied snagged $17M in grants to build out its high-electricity machines that convert livestock manure to sustainable fertilizer while trapping greenhouse gas emissions in the process.

→ Brazil sees brittle week ahead. After a week of wet weather, the large grain-growing country will see one of the driest, coolest mid-October weeks it has had in 30 years.

→ 30 SPF for Xmas trees. Oregon, the nation’s leading Christmas tree-growing state, says this year’s crop might have a sunburnt vibe (needles turned red) due to the state’s record-setting heat and drought.

→ Caffeine buzz-killer. Global coffee supplies from Colombia and Nicaragua are expecting long arrival delays to destinations like the U.S., as shipping disruptions and port congestion continue.

Add Deere & Co. workers to the growing labor movement happening in the U.S.—one that’s getting more and more extensive by the day.

90% of the company’s union workers rejected the proposed six-year labor contract: and now it’s time for picket signs

What’s the impact? About 10,000 production and maintenance workers across 14 U.S. facilities. And in case you've been living under a rock: tractor and combine parts are already a little MIA.

The labor union—United Auto Workers—and Deere were surprised the proposed contract was rejected after union members voted in Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas. Deere said it’s committed to reaching a new agreement in a separate statement, but the ETA is still unknown. In an earlier statement, Deere had said its operations would continue as normal.

What was vetoed? Wage hikes between 5 and 6% (then 3% raises in 2023 and 2025)—too little, workers believe, considering Deere’s record profits, plus the actual cost of inflation, overall labor shortages, and the fact that workers have continued showing up for work in the midst of a global pandemic.

Zoom out: The Deere workers join hospital, production, steel, and telecommunications workers, among others, in October labor strikes. The tight labor market means workers have more leverage in their demands.

The more you know: The last worker strike against Deere was 1986 and lasted 163 days. So don’t be surprised if this story continues into 2022…

We’re comin’ at ya with another great startup out of The Combine Incubator program in Nebraska!

Corral Technologies is giving ranchers the ultimate tool: a virtual fencing system.

As a system of cattle wearables proven to be safe and effective, Corral helps ranchers cross-fence virtually any pasture, decreasing the number of rented acres and reducing fencing costs.

So, how does it work?

Track your cows: Be confident that your cows are where they are supposed to be at any time.
Cross-fence anywhere: Anyone with access to a phone, computer, or tablet can create new cross fences on any of their pastures, optimizing pasture utilization.
Move remotely: Move your cows from anywhere using the streamlined software system, saving time for other tasks.

Plus, you can easily create grazing plans, track carrying capacities, and see pasture utilization in real-time.

It’s technology that adds to your bottom line in no time.

Learn more and sign up for Corral Technologies’ waitlist today.

There’s good news and bad news on the global pandemic front, as the virus has made its way to six continents and 50 countries—and is inching closer to the U.S.

And we aren’t talking COVID-19: it’s the other global pandemic making headlines... African swine fever (ASF).

Too close for comfort: For the U.S., ASF could very well stand for Approaching, Stealthy, and Frightening. Puerto Rico is trying to fend it off from the nearby Dominican Republic and Haiti, where the virus was found in September.

Good news-ish: The USDA Ag Research Service published research on a potential vaccine in the pipeline. It provided immunity to 1/3 of swine within two weeks and full protection in all swine within four weeks.

But not so fast... Various strains of ASF will make the vaccine only somewhat effective. Plus, the U.S. doesn't currently have ASF cases, meaning the use of the vaccine could trigger a shutdown of the U.S. export market.

Soundbite: "We simply can’t vaccinate our country and expect to maintain export markets, unless there’s some agreements or monitoring system that everyone is in favor of," noted Scott Dee of Pipestone Veterinary Services.