December 17, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Valley, This is aglife. My name is Bob Quinn,
with you for the next hour talking about agricultural production
here in the valley and all across the country. Well friends,
this morning a look at regenerative agriculture and producing nutrient
dense foods. Rod Bain starts us off.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
A connection between regenerative agricultural practices like cover crops, a
no till, improving soil nutrients and water quality, and production
of more nutrient dense foods to approve our nation's health.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Junior,
believes so. They provided us models for how to do
this and how to do it in a way at

(00:37):
vertically integrates.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
That preserves profit margins and dramatically reduces inputs.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
HHS research is under way of that regard. It coincides
with the recent Agriculture Department announcement of a new regenerative
agriculture pilot program.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
In order to continue to be the most productive and
most efficient.

Speaker 5 (00:54):
Growers in the world, we.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
Must protect our top soil from unnecessary erosion and boos
the microbiome of the soil.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Agriculture Secretary Brook rawledd says the seven hundred million dollar
Farmer First Pilot program is designed to be a streamlined,
outcome based approach to encourage producers who wish to transition
to regenerative AG to do so.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
Whole farm planning is the centerpiece, ensuring that all resource
concerns such as soil, water, and natural vitality are addressed together,
not one.

Speaker 6 (01:24):
Piece at a time.

Speaker 4 (01:26):
Producers will benefit from a single application, reducing red tape
and making conservations heer to access and are programs more impactful.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service will oversee the Regenerative AG
Pilot program, one that will utilize existing at our CS offerings,
the Environmental Quality Incentives Program ad Conservation Stewardship Program.

Speaker 4 (01:48):
Each producer's results will be measured and credited back to
the farmer through an outcomes report, recognizing and rewarding improvements
they achieve on their own land.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yet a key piece is not only the pilot program,
by federal government efforts to boost consumer education of soil
and water quality with better nutrition and health. As explained
by the Secretary.

Speaker 4 (02:08):
Using the Sustains Act, we will bring corporate label and
supply chain partners directly into partnership within ourcs supporting regenerative
agriculture adoption, farmer recognition, and consumer education. Because success depends
on strong partnerships, we will expand work through our technical
service providers and local organizations to meet demand.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Also, the Office of Urban agg and Innovative Production under
NRCS purview will.

Speaker 4 (02:32):
Extend regenerative priorities into cities and urban areas and urban communities.

Speaker 6 (02:36):
And many of those.

Speaker 4 (02:37):
Places are those that are facing the most severe crisis
regarding nutritious foods and access to nutritious foods.

Speaker 2 (02:43):
I'm Broadbane, reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington,
d C.

Speaker 1 (02:48):
Coming up Whole Milk another step closer to being part
of the school lunch program that stories ahead on today's
edition of Aglife Bock When you were some farm news
this morning, friends. We will to keep the use of
legislation aimed at growing healthier kids in American classrooms took
a big step toward becoming law. Chad Smith has the details.

Speaker 7 (03:09):
Both legislative chambers have now passed the Home Milk for
Healthy Kids ACKed, meaning the bill is nearly across the
finish line. Danny Munch, an economist for the American Farm Bureau,
Federation says the legislation takes an important step toward offering
children more choice in their school lunch.

Speaker 8 (03:26):
It would amend the National School Lunch Acts so that
schools may offer home milk, two percent milk, one percent milk,
fat free, milk, flavored or unflavored, and the change doesn't
mandate home milk. It simply restores the option for schools
to serve that if they choose, and it also expands
demand for butterfat in the dairy industry, which boosts prices
during a time of acute need.

Speaker 7 (03:42):
The bill still has to make it across the President's desk,
but then the Department of Agriculture will get to work
on implementation.

Speaker 8 (03:49):
Once the bill assigned, the USDA, through its Food and
Nutrition Service, will issue updated guidance and regulations that reflect
the new statutory authority. Individual school districts will then decide
if and when to offer home milk or two percent
milk in their cafeteria menus. Many school districts adjust those
menus between semesters on an annual cycle, so adoption could
occur within the start of the new year or months

(04:10):
later when they set up for next year.

Speaker 7 (04:12):
This legislation also brings very good news for dairy farmers.

Speaker 8 (04:15):
For dairy farmers, that benefits will mirror how many districts
adopt whole or two percent milk. The more that do,
the higher demand for butterfat, which builds positive price pressure
for milk prices. We are really excited to get this
cross finish line. This is something Farm Bureau has been
pushing for since these changes were made to school lunch programs.

Speaker 7 (04:30):
You can learn more by searching whole Milk at FB
dot org. Chad Smith, Washington.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
A new law requires employers to give a sixty day
notice when laying off workers to help with their transition.
John Devaney, president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association,
says it's referred to as the Mini Warn Act, intended
for full time permanent workers.

Speaker 9 (04:52):
There was a bill that our legislature passed to do
that at the state level and provide sixty days warning
of a closure unless it's for really disaster kind of
unforeseen circumstances.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
Which makes sense for some people.

Speaker 9 (05:05):
What they did not do is exclude seasonal natured work
like agriculture, and so there is the possibility and we
think it should be interpreted that way. That the seasonal
and weather related nature of harvest should exempt a lot
of our farms from having to provide notices that really
aren't necessary.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
The VANNI says, that's not really a secret.

Speaker 9 (05:24):
The idea of a warren notices to let workers who
thought their employment was permanent know that a layoff is coming,
but it's not news to farm workers that work ends
at the end of harvest.

Speaker 1 (05:33):
The VANNIE says. Packers and growers have been advised to
fill out the layoff notices until they hear otherwise.

Speaker 9 (05:40):
We don't have that clarification yet, but it has raised
some eyebrows because those notices are public. Is people hear
about mass layoffs in our industry, But of course it
is just the usual end of season expectation.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Again. Washington State Tree for Association President John Devaney with
US this morning. Well Friends. The USDA's Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service announced that hp AI has been found
in the milk from a wisconsindary herd. Randy Romanski, Wisconsin's
Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, says it's the
first known case of high path in cattle in Wisconsin.

Speaker 10 (06:12):
As you know, Dad CAP has been participating in the
national milk testing strategy since May of twenty twenty five,
working with the industry partners farmers. The state has been
involved in the testing strategy since then. Back in September,
we achieved gold or unaffected status, which is the direction
that we had hoped that we would trend. Since May

(06:34):
at Tanao, we have tested more than twenty four thousand
milk samples and high path Avian influenza was not detected
in any of those PCR tests.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
The state has been part of USDA's national milk testing
strategy for several months. Adam Brock, administrator of the Wisconsin
Division of Food and Recreational Safety, sets that's how officials
found the sample containing HPAI.

Speaker 11 (06:56):
There was a milk sample that tested positive for high
path av and NS influenza. That test result was on
December eleventh, Thursday, through the WVDLS our Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostics Lab.
Another sample was pulled from that farm on Friday, December twelfth,
tested again positive. In terms of the farm history looking back,
this farm has been sampled five times since we started

(07:18):
testing in the national milk testing strategy in May. All
samples to this point were negative or non detectable for HPAI.
The most recent test her negative result was October sixteenth.

Speaker 1 (07:30):
The Wisconsin State Veterinarian says a quarantine is in place
around the farm farm us. This morning, you're listening to
WAG Life.

Speaker 12 (07:38):
It's another AG news update. Producers watching exports signals closely.
Is Shanna steps back into the sorgum market more after this?

Speaker 2 (07:48):
Hi.

Speaker 13 (07:49):
I'm Debbie Childress, director of the Grayson County Alliance, a
food pantry in rural Kentucky. Thanks to a local farmer,
we recently received a twenty five hundred dollars donation from
Americas Farmers Growth Communities sponsored by the Montanto Fund, a philanthropic.

Speaker 9 (08:03):
Arm of Bear.

Speaker 13 (08:03):
As a result, we expanded a classroom where we teach
families about nutrition and personal finance. I encourage all farmers
to general for a chance to direct a twenty five
hundred dollars donation to a local nonprofit. Visit Growcommunities dot com.

Speaker 12 (08:17):
USDA's latest export inspection showing mixed grain movement last week,
but China's first sorgham shipment of the season stands out
as a potential demand shift heading into December. Total sorghum
inspections one point eight million bushels. China listed as an
interior sourced buyer. It's a development that historically drives basis

(08:40):
changes across Kansas and the Texas Panhandle. Corn led overall
volumes at fifty five point nine million bushels, but slip
from the prior week, while soybean inspections fell sharply to
thirty three point eight million bushels. Wheat held near fourteen
point one in Derry. US Milk production continues to climb

(09:04):
up three point six percent from August through October, as
both cow numbers and per cow output improved, but Class one, three,
and four prices all posting deep year over year declines,
tightening margins ahead of twenty twenty six, and globally, WTO's

(09:25):
latest Goods trade barometer signal slower growth for AG raw materials.
It's another AG news update.

Speaker 14 (09:33):
Here's farmer and businessman James Wood.

Speaker 15 (09:36):
We f farm about thirty five hundred acres. There's pipelines everywhere.
The contractor working on my property did not have the
lines located before he began murk, and it resulted on
a strike on a natural gas pipelin. Fortunately no one
was hurt, but it could have been much.

Speaker 14 (09:51):
Worse, never assumed the location or depth of underground lines.
Always call eight one one or visit clickbefore youdig dot
com before you start work. A message from the Pipeline
Operation for agg Safety Campaign American Cattle News Today highlights
from a recent beef Reproduction task Force meeting.

Speaker 12 (10:10):
More after this.

Speaker 13 (10:12):
Hi. I'm Debbie Childress, director of the Grayson County Alliance,
a food pantry in rural Kentucky. Thanks to a local farmer,
we recently received a twenty five hundred dollars donation from
Americans Farmers Grow Communities, sponsored by the Mon Sando Fund,
a philanthropic arm of Bear. As a result, we expanded
a classroom where we teach families about nutrition and personal finance.

(10:32):
I encourage all farmers to enroll for a chance to
direct the twenty five hundred dollars donation to a local nonprofit.
Visit Grow Communities dot com.

Speaker 12 (10:40):
Doctor Sandy Johnson is a Kansas State beef reproduction specialist.

Speaker 6 (10:47):
One of the tools that we began working with IOWA
stayed on shortly after the group was formed is what
we called the Estrosynchronization Planner. In the original version that's
still available is an Excel spread sheet version, and it
tries to step you through choices you might make in
deciding what synchronization protocol is best for you. And one

(11:09):
of the things we wanted to do for years is
to be able to you know, as we've got smartphones
and electronic calendars, is to put that directly on a
phone calendar. And so we've recently worked with a group
that's helped us get over the hump to get that completed.
So we now have an online version that allows you

(11:30):
to make those choices, and you make your choices and
then you can send that iCal file to your computer
or a phone and it adds it to your phone.
Now it doesn't have the cost comparison and perhaps all
the other helps that we have in our Excel versions
of the Synchronization Planner, but for many people that will

(11:51):
be all they need is what date is it going
to be? If I'm going to read cows on such
and such a date. And so we hope with those
multiple versions you find one that's useful to you. The
other version that I would mention is that this is
such a sketchy name, is the multi in group version.
And what it would allow you to do is if

(12:11):
you are scheduling. You have both cows and heiferser trying
to schedule in one breeding season, and it would allow
you to put those on the same calendar.

Speaker 12 (12:19):
Kansas State Beef Reproduction Specialist Sandy Johnson, American Capital News.

Speaker 16 (12:27):
This is Dairy Radio Now with Bill Baker, with.

Speaker 3 (12:33):
Doctor Ryan Leiderman, Director of Technical Services, with Crystal Creek
and Ryan. On this month's Ask the Vet, we reach
into the mailbag and ask you how much do you
know about calves?

Speaker 17 (12:44):
Really, my passion when it comes to the dairy industry
lies in a couple areas, one of which is calf physiologies.
So I just kind of want to talk about what
I think are one of the most amazing creatures on
the planet. That's dairy cow's and of course every dairy
coyle came from a calf. Just a couple interesting things
that I thought maybe farmers know, but anybody who might
not be real familiar with agriculture might find these facts interesting.

(13:07):
Calves are born with baby teeth, just like humans have
baby teeth that fall out. Calves are not born with
their permanent set of teeth erupted. They're born with their
baby teeth erupted. And they will lose them, just like
baby humans do, and then their permanent teeth will come in.
So you can use the dental pattern eruption happens at

(13:30):
a relatively common age range to actually age animals based
on how different permanent incisors erupt. You can get a
rough age on an animal based on their teeth, just
like humans. I think the difference is, you know, calves
probably don't get the tooth fairy come into their place
every time they lose a tooth. Recently had a friend's
kid tell me he lost a tooth, got five dollars

(13:52):
for the tooth. By the way, I don't know what
inflation's doing, but I got a quarter. I put my
tooth when I was little in a shot glass and
if I was lucky, I got a quarter in there.
And apparently five bucks is the going rate for kids nowadays,
I see. Anyways, moving on, they're also born with no
teeth on the front top of their mouth, and so
where our incisors would be on the upper jaw, they

(14:15):
don't have anything. It's called the dental pad. It's completely smooth.
So I actually told that to a farmer and he's like,
there's no way I fay calves my whole life and said, well,
did you ever look and he said, I always see
their teeth on the bottom and I said, oh, no,
pull up their lip on the top, and sure enough,
it's just a smooth area called the dental pad. And
they never have teeth up there. They're born without them
and they don't develop them as adults. Cowls, I think,

(14:38):
as we know, are very social creatures. Calves are no different.
Cows are a herd based animal. They like being together.
They're very social. And there's some research that's not so
new anymore, it's maybe ten years old or more that
looked at calves and social bonding and they found some
really interesting things. So they found that calves that are
raised in payers, so instead of individual housing where each

(15:00):
calf is by itself, kind of a new thing. It's
called the buddy system. Calves are typically raised individually for
the first two to three weeks of life when certain
illnesses are very prevalent, and then once they get over
those illnesses, they'll be putting groups of two and they're
called a buddy. There's some research out there it shows
that if you really track these two calves that were
buddies and paired together in their first month of life,

(15:22):
that when they become adults, you will oftentimes find them
laying in freestylls next to each other, standing right next
to each other in the part of they're getting milked,
or if they're outside grazing, you will find them grazing
next to each other. They literally make friends for life
and tend to hang out in these groups that were
established when they were very young. Again, I guess that's

(15:43):
probably not a whole lot different than humans, right, I mean,
sometimes we maintain friendships from school long after we've been
out of school. From a metabolic standpoint, what calves do
as far as their nutrition and growth rates, I think
is some of the most fascinating things. So the average
hole steen today born is born around ninety pounds. Most

(16:05):
calves on a modern aggressive feeding plane can double their
weight within the first sixty days of life, and many
calves will even do more than that. So calves can
go from ninety pounds the day they're born to one
hundred and eighty to even two hundred pounds within the
first two months of life. So when you think about
that and you take that as a ratio, so I

(16:25):
weigh one hundred and eighty pounds a little more, and
that would be like me essentially gaining four pounds a
day for two months straight. Right, Because if a calf
can go from let's say ninety to one hundred and
eighty pounds, they're average over sixty days, they're averaging somewhere
around a pound and a half of gain a day,
and some caves will even get two pounds of gain

(16:46):
to day.

Speaker 9 (16:46):
Right.

Speaker 17 (16:47):
So if they're half my size getting two pounds of
gain a day, that would be like me, as an
adult man, gaining four pounds a day. I mean that
takes a tremendous amount of calories and metabolic activity to
lay that kind of weight on.

Speaker 1 (17:00):
Thank you, Ryan.

Speaker 3 (17:01):
That's doctor Ryan Leiderman, director of Technical Services with Crystal Creek.

Speaker 16 (17:05):
If you have a question relating to calf help and housing,
email doctor Litaman at Ask the Bet at Crystalcreeknatural dot com.

Speaker 18 (17:14):
The recent Almand conference in Sacramento was all about cultivating
a healthy future. I'm Patrick Kavana with the California Trina Report,
part of that Bastag Information Network. Clarice Turner is the
President and CEO of the Alma Border California.

Speaker 19 (17:31):
We did our best to pack fifty pounds into a
five pound bag, and you know, present what we thought
was most relevant to the industry. So it's exciting times
really in the almond industry. So I will stick to
just the most important points, because again I get so
excited about stuff, I could talk about it for.

Speaker 20 (17:50):
A long time.

Speaker 19 (17:50):
But the strategic investments that you probably heard about over
the course of the sessions and research, global market development, innovation,
environmental stewardship has been our focus in the last year,
ensuring that California almonds retain their reputation for not on equality,
but consistent supply around the world.

Speaker 18 (18:07):
And that's very important because you don't want to run
out of this quality product.

Speaker 19 (18:12):
Right, especially if you're a big CpG trying to make
chocolate bars or granola bars or whatever you're trying to make.
You need to have a consistent supply and quality you
can rely on. And that's what California is known for,
which is great. So part of our job is a
make sure that does not change.

Speaker 18 (18:26):
That's Clarice Turner, president and CEO THEYMA Border California. We'll
have many more reports from this big Almond conference in
Sacramento things on production and marketing and thriving for the future.

Speaker 21 (18:41):
You've probably been told that to reach a millennial farmer
you have to go digital hmmm, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest,
LinkedIn and online publication or maybe a podcast hmm, but
which one?

Speaker 22 (18:55):
Oh?

Speaker 21 (18:55):
And how receptive is this age group to your sales
pitch during non work social time. Maybe the best place
to reach a farmer with a farming solution message is
when they are well, quite frankly farming. You know, it's
easy for us to find them during the day, as
most farmers are behind the wheel of a pickup truck
or farm equipment with the radio on. Listening to this

(19:18):
station for the AG Information Network of the West News.
If you'd like to deliver information about your terrific product
or service, give us a call and we'll connect you
directly with our community of loyal farmer listeners. Reach real
farmers right here, right now, as they listen to what
is important to their farm operation. They trust us, They'll
trust you.

Speaker 23 (19:38):
Welcome to AG Life. I'm Dwayne Murley with your farm news.
Mike Davis reports that Tyson's announcement to permanently close its
five thousand head per day plant in Lexington, Nebraska, sink
cattle futures limit down and raises critical questions for producers
in Nebraska and beyond.

Speaker 16 (19:57):
On a University of Nebraska webinar Craig You, a cattle
feeder there in Dawson County and president elect of the
Nebraska Cattleman Board of Directors, said the plant closure leaves
a big hole for nearby producers.

Speaker 24 (20:10):
We've been working with this plant since it was since
its inception, and even before it was here, We've always
had packing capacity right here in Dawson County. So Tyson
came along, we had plants like Corland and at the
time we had a Cargio plant, and they shut down
when this plant took over.

Speaker 16 (20:30):
Uden says there are options, but they're limited.

Speaker 25 (20:33):
We think we can make up part of our lost
revenue by increasing the premium. We may get back.

Speaker 24 (20:41):
On some grids that it's going to cost us, probably
not twenty twenty dollars on average to move his cattle
to any other majors that we might pursue.

Speaker 16 (20:51):
He adds he's concerned about smaller ranchers absorbing those added costs.

Speaker 26 (20:56):
I worry about some of my smaller producers that have
become very comfortable with marketing right here at this location
because they do not have the same relationship with some
of these other majors. So they could create a business
opportunity or partnering with some of those guys that want
to feed at home.

Speaker 25 (21:15):
Maybe they'll grow them at home and feed them with us,
or we'd be able to help market those kinds.

Speaker 16 (21:21):
I'm Mike Davis.

Speaker 23 (21:23):
The International Fresh Produce Association is a trade group with
a mission of helping businesses at every step along our
food supply chain. Now Surprisingly, the International Fresh Produce Association
President of Nutrition and Health, Molly Van Lou says their
goal is simple to increase.

Speaker 27 (21:42):
Consumption of fruits and vegetables and improve business prosperity for
our members. And part of increasing consumption is really focusing on.

Speaker 23 (21:51):
Nutrition programs and to do that, Van Lou says will
take more education.

Speaker 27 (21:56):
There's definitely a change in food awareness. Any part of
that is social media and just access to more information,
which sometimes is good, sometimes is bad because there's no
regulation of whether that information is accurate.

Speaker 23 (22:08):
And fresh will be a focus when you.

Speaker 27 (22:11):
Look at the actual consumption data fruit and vegetable consumption
is flat, so that's why we really need to continue
to focus on strategies that will increase Now we don't
have a definition of ultra process foods, but the general
concept of them. The estimates are that the American diet
is somewhere between sixteen and seventy percent. So that is
definitely something that we need to work on and it's

(22:33):
been a core kind of goal of the MAHA movement.

Speaker 23 (22:36):
Again, that is International Fresh Produce Association President of Nutrition
and Health Malli Van lu Molli went on to say,
while we have increased access to more fresh fruits and vegetables,
there's a difference between what people have access to and
what they're buying. The trade relationship between the United States
and China remains critically important for American agriculture. Dave Salvinson,

(23:02):
Senior director of Government Affairs for the American Farm Bureau Federation,
says there's been some progress between the two nations recently.

Speaker 28 (23:09):
President Trump and President she of China came to a
deal back in October thirty first for one year, going
to delay any new tariffs. They reduced some tariffs by
about ten percent of several purchase commitments by China for
US ag products and those port fees which had gone
to effect fairly recently, those were delayed a year.

Speaker 23 (23:28):
Farm Bureau recently submitted comments to the US Trade Representative's
office encouraging further discussions regarding previous agreements with China, which.

Speaker 28 (23:38):
Means they look into the issue, they gather information, and
at the end of the day they could decide we
can use this when we're having continuing negotiations. And we
pointed out that China did not fulfill that Phase one
agreement that was signed in twenty They didn't remove all
of the non teariff trade barriers. We let them know
that those were things that needed to continue to be

(23:58):
worked on.

Speaker 23 (23:59):
Salvinson's There's been some positive developments over the last several weeks.

Speaker 28 (24:03):
It's a multi year commitment headed off by soybeans. So
they said for twenty twenty five they would purchase up
to twelve million metric tons of soybeans, and they have
been purchasing some and for the next three years they
said they will purchase twenty five million metric tons a year.

Speaker 23 (24:19):
Again, that is Dave Salmonson, Senior Director of Government Affairs
for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Speaker 29 (24:26):
It's time for California add today on the AG Information Network,
I am Haley's ship. You know what's helping lamb prices
beef prices. That's right, that's saying a rising tide lifts
all ships. Is proving true for California lamb. Low Dial
Lamb producer John Alogarai says the shift is noticeable, saying
that maybe the consumers are eating more lamb because beef

(24:50):
prices are high. A recent AG alert from the California
Farm Bureau backs up that hunch, reporting that interest from
higher income shoppers and consumers reacting to record high beef
prices is helping to drive demand for lamb. Economists say
demand is doing much of the heavy lifting. Livestock Marketing
Information Center director Tyler Cousins reports slaughter lamb prices climbed

(25:14):
sharply this year, topping two dollars twenty five cents per
pound in the third quarter, while retail lamb cut values
moved past five dollars per pound. Demand is stepping up,
Cousin said, fueled by urban consumers and strong ethnic markets
tied to holidays like id and rash Hashanah. The American

(25:34):
Lamb Board also reports double digit growth in sales and
volume even as prices rise. Challenges remain, including imports and
rising costs, but for now demand is giving lamb producers
some welcome breathing room.

Speaker 30 (25:48):
Increasing your alman yield can seem like a tough nut
to crack, but it doesn't have to be. Protect your
crop with Maravon Funge's side a bloom, braded resiliency against frost,
long lasting, broad spectrum disease control, and proving yield results.
See that wouldn't tough at all. Miravon Fune, just side

(26:09):
number one in Bloom for all the right reasons, always
reading follow labeled directions.

Speaker 21 (26:15):
For over forty years, the ag Information Network has been
providing news and information for the most important industry in
the world, agriculture. The Egg Information Network gives you worldwide
updates from local producers to regional organizations, from major crops
like wheat and corn, to animal agriculture to specially crops
like apples, almonds, and cherries. We report on stories that

(26:36):
mean the most to you online at aginfo dot net.
The AGG Information Network trusted and transparent journalism lasting for
the next generation.

Speaker 29 (26:44):
With California AGG Today on the AG Information network. I
am Haley's ship.

Speaker 1 (26:49):
Bock when you were some farm news this morning, friends.
While a key piece of legislation aimed at growing healthier
kids in American classrooms took a big step toward becoming law,
Chad Smith has the details.

Speaker 7 (27:01):
Both legislative chambers have now passed the Home Milk for
Healthy Kids Act, meaning the bill is nearly across the
finish line. Dannymunch, an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation,
says the legislation takes an important step toward offering children
more choice in their school lunch.

Speaker 8 (27:18):
It would amend the National School Lunch Act so that
schools may offer home milk, two percent milk, one percent milk,
fat free, milk, flavored or unflavored. And the change doesn't
mandate home milk. It simply restores the option for schools
to serve that if they choose, And it also expands
demand for butterfat in the dairy industry, which boosts prices
during a time of acute need.

Speaker 7 (27:35):
The bill still has to make it across the President's desk,
but then the Department of Agriculture will get to work
on implementation.

Speaker 8 (27:42):
Once the bill assigned the USDA through its Food of
Nutrition Service, will issue updated guidance and regulations that reflect
the new statutory authority. Individual school districts will then decide
if and when to offer home milk or two percent
milk in their cafeteria menus. Many school districts adjust those
menus between semesters on an annual cycle, so adoption could
occur within the start of the new year or months

(28:02):
later when they set up for next year.

Speaker 7 (28:04):
This legislation also brings very good news for dairy farmers.

Speaker 8 (28:08):
For dairy farmers that benefits will mirror how many districts
adopt whole or two percent milk. The more that do,
the higher demand for butterfat, which builds positive price pressure
for milk prices. We are really excited to get this
cross finish line. This is something Farm Bureau has been
pushing for since these changes were made to school lunch programs.

Speaker 7 (28:23):
You can learn more by searching whole Milk at FB
dot org. Chad Smith, Washington.

Speaker 1 (28:29):
The USDA recently announced twelve billion dollars available for a
farmer bridge assistance program, and the first deadline for getting
signed up for the financial assistance is this week. Richard FORDYCE,
USDA Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation. So the first
thing farmers need to do is submit an acreage report.

Speaker 22 (28:49):
So the first component of this is making sure that
folks that have not submitted an acreage support get that done.
That's when we're locking down acres reporting on December nineteenth.
Once we have that and knowing the formulas that we
are going to use, so we're going to use production
cost models USDA production cost models, We're going to use
the laws D not completely sure which one depending on

(29:11):
timing from a price standpoint. The twenty twenty five planet acres,
so we will be announcing by crop the payment rate
by crop around December twenty second.

Speaker 1 (29:22):
The goal is to help farmers struggling with high input cost,
low commodity prices, and retaliatory tariffs due to trade disputes.

Speaker 22 (29:30):
I don't know how many factors would go into what
an economic loss would be. You know, certainly we know
that inputs are high, margins are slim to negative. Certainly
a lot of things affect that, and I guess we
wouldn't know necessarily what percentage of that is related to
which one. There's certainly several of those that contribute. But
this is an economic loss.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
Programmed USDA Undersecretary Richard Fordyce this morning, Well, friends, African
swine fever has been detected in Spain. We have a report.

Speaker 31 (29:58):
Spain has announced its first case African swine fever since
nineteen ninety four. US Meat Export Federation Vice President of
Economic Analysis Aaron Bohr explains the impact on global pork trade.

Speaker 32 (30:09):
So, Spain is a top global exporter of pork and
they are also the largest producer of pork within the EU.
Spain's production was about twenty seven percent of EU production
thus far this year. That's about three point eight eight
million metric tons produced in January through September, and that
production is actually on a record pace, so up six

(30:30):
point six percent.

Speaker 31 (30:31):
Because of regionalization agreement, Spain will be able to continue
the majority of its pork exports.

Speaker 32 (30:36):
The intra EU trade continues and they have obviously regionalization
and that trade is practically unimpacted. So what's important is
the third country trade, and there I think Spain is
really a success story and something that the US industry
should aspire to because they were very quickly regionalized.

Speaker 6 (31:00):
Regionalization.

Speaker 32 (31:00):
Spanish authorities and EU authorities agreeing on that regionalization literally
within days. Only about a third of Spain's exports to
third country markets are fully suspended, so that means the
majority of their trading partners have accepted EU regionalization, at
least the majority based on volumes. As we look at
the big impacts those countries that have suspended Spain's fork,

(31:25):
so their second largest destination after China's Japan, and Japan
is a full suspension, there should be some opportunities for
US pork into Japan, thinking mostly frozen loins for Malaysia,
I am optimistic again the potential for kind of a
mix of cuts and just given the limited facilities eligible
globally to supply that market, there should be some incremental

(31:46):
business for the US.

Speaker 31 (31:47):
For the US ME and Export Federation. I'm John Harris
farm US this morning.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
You're listening to WAG Life.

Speaker 33 (31:54):
From Bag Information Network. I'm Bob Lurson with your agribusiness update.
Even with recent federal support flowing to agricultural producers, many
farmers say deeper problems persist in rural farm economies. Producers
say recent bridge payments are welcome, but inadequate to counteract
prolonged trade pressures and weak prices. Many producers cite ongoing
concerns about rising input cost and supply chain challenges. Rural

(32:17):
leaders say long time solutions like expanded export markets and
strengthened domestic agricultural demand are essential to improving form livelihoods.
A bipartisan group of senators called on the USDA to
expedite development of a comprehensive bird flu vaccination strategy amid
rising infections in commercial flocks. Whilemakers warned that outbreaks of
highly pathenogenic avian influenza have killed millions of birds, threatening

(32:39):
poultry producers coping with many challenges. While USDA announced plans
to pursue a vaccine, senators say the lack of a
clear timeline and implementation leaves farmers without a dependable tool
to protect flocks. The Farm Credit Administration received its quarterly
report on economic conditions affecting agriculture and an update on
the overall performance of the form credit system. Despite a

(33:00):
turbulent year with tariffs and trade, the US economy is
expected to end twenty twenty five hundred relatively stable footing
In agriculture, producers face a mixed outlook. Bumper crops have
created marketing challenges amid a fluid trade environment and a
shortage of storage.

Speaker 30 (33:15):
Increasing your almond yield can seem like a tough nut
to crack, but it doesn't have to be. Protect your
crop with Maravon Funge's side a Bloom for added resiliency
against frost, long lasting, broad spectrum disease control, and proven
yield results. See that wasn't tough at all. Maravon Funge

(33:35):
a side number one in Bloom for all the right reasons.
I always read and follow labeled directions.

Speaker 34 (33:43):
Today we're talking with aphids and white flies about sofena
insecticide from basf We just.

Speaker 12 (33:48):
Get nailed with it.

Speaker 34 (33:49):
So tell us how you feeling really really weird and
you still wanted tovour this field?

Speaker 18 (33:55):
No way way, bro.

Speaker 30 (33:57):
There you have it, folks.

Speaker 34 (33:58):
Safena insecticide is specifically engineered to disorient aphis and wi
flies so they can't eat, and when they can't eat,
they can't destroy.

Speaker 35 (34:05):
He'll protect your alfalfa from aphids with sophena insecticide. Always
read and follow label directions, get the equipment and trucks
so you need at Richie Brothers a Los Angeles auction,
December eighteenth and nineteenth. This absolute unreserved auction is open
to the public and registration is free. For more details,
visit rbauction dot com.

Speaker 1 (34:24):
Bob Quin back to Wrappa Baglie for today friends, a
look at corn exports. Todd Gleeson, our reporter.

Speaker 5 (34:30):
We're now joined by Joe Jansen, agricultural economist on the
Urbana Champaign campus of the OV to discuss the December
world agricultural supply and demand estimates. These are the S
and D tables, not only for the United States, but
for the world. We're going to deal with the United States.
There weren't very many changes, in fact none in the
sapin numbers. Corn number did change. One hundred and twenty

(34:52):
five million extra pushels were added to the export figure.
What does that bring it to and why do you
suppose it happened?

Speaker 20 (34:59):
Yeah, we're looking at it. An incredibly strong year for
US corn exports. Now three point two billion bushels at
corn exports estimated for this marketing year twenty five twenty six.
That's a really strong pace. Kind of the adjustment that
USDA made kind of checks out with where we're at
in terms of corn exports thus far. We're well ahead
of last year's pace, and the number basically reflects the

(35:22):
increase that we've already seen. That's kind of the good
news in the report. Nothing else really changed on the
corn balance sheet, so obviously that meant that, you know,
it looks like corn supplies are getting tighter in the
United States. But I think we've got to think about
what other changes might be made to this balance sheet
as we look forward into the new year.

Speaker 5 (35:38):
What kinds of changes might be reflected in the future,
do you suppose, Yeah, so a couple of things.

Speaker 20 (35:43):
I think a lot of people are expecting that when
USDA and National Like Statistics Service reconciles their final production
numbers for twenty twenty five, we're going to see a lower,
a smaller, slightly smaller corn crop than is currently on
the books.

Speaker 5 (35:57):
So that's part of it.

Speaker 20 (35:58):
And then I think the other part is lower US
feed use.

Speaker 5 (36:01):
Do you suppose that those changes, if the feed and
residual number is actually lowered, if the yield also is lower,
would offset to some extent the exports that have been
increased and leave us in that two billion bushel carryout range.

Speaker 20 (36:17):
That's kind of yeah, where my default thinking lies thus far.
I mean, we could, you know, something else could change
in the time between now and then. We've got a
month until that January report, but I would kind of
expect that we're going to see, you know, a roughly
two billion bushel carry out, and that's what's keeping corn prices.
You know. In spite of all the good news on
the expert front, we really have not seen a lot

(36:38):
of action in the futures market. A little bit of
tightening in terms of both bases and spreads, but nothing
that would suggest this corn market is expected to pop
off here anytime soon.

Speaker 5 (36:51):
I'm the University of Illinois Extensions Todd Clason.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
With that friends, arount of time for today, thanks for
joining us back tomorrow morning with another edition A Bag
Life