July 16, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Valley. This is aglife. My name is Bob Quinn.
With you for the next hour. We're talking about agricultural
production here in the valley and all across the country.
Well friends. USDA researchers are using innovations such as artificial
intelligence to locate microbes in irrigation surface water contaminants that
could cause a food borne illness. Rod Bain starts us off.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
A connection between irrigation surface water at potential bycrobial contabinants
that could create a food born illness. Cases of such
bacteria are leafy vegetables. Almost fifty years ago found irrigation
water providing pathways for microbes. But as USDA researcher Yakov
Pachevski recalls, congressional and federal establishment of standards for microbes

(00:46):
from a food safety perspective led to questions such as.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
How to presentative is the small sympol that we can
take for the big source of water like edigition, bone,
tradditional lake, And then these questions were most critical for
surface water. Surface water is more susceptible to microdo pollution
and if there are any technologists to potential help answer
these question The.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Tech question stemming from desires for both data at cost efficiencies.
So Pachetski and colleagues at the USDA Agricultural Research Station
at Beltsville, Maryland, began studies incorporating artificial intelligence.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
Remote sensing in proximal sensing, including artificial intelligence to process
results of measurements.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Sensors admitting light waves both in water sources and through
aerial drones collect data. Artificial intelligence crunching this data creates
maps to break down contabinets at microbial levels. Pochetski says,
while technology provides broader sources and breakdowns of information, the
human element at the farm level continues to be an

(01:49):
essential factor.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
We work with real farms because the ir irrigation happens
on the real farms. Farmers in Georgia and farmers of
Maryland were most supportive for us, and we are in
also these people who allowed us to do the measurements
and to discuss.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
Things with them.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
The result of incorporated innovations of micropial detection and surface
irrigation water more effective, cost efficient, and quicker methods of
detection of potential contabinants and Potchevski says, these technologies are
approaching broader use and application.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
All the components that we are looking now are commercially available,
so it's just a matter of companies or consultants or
groups of enthusias just taking this thing, combining them together,
and beginning to use.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
Recently, Patchevski was honored for his work, receiving the Samuel J.
Hayman's Service to America Medal the Savvy for his contributions
as a civil servant to the public. I'm Broad Baine,
reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington, d C.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
Farm News Ahead. You're listening to Aglife, Bob, when here
were some farm news this morning, friends. Well, the second
round of assistants for specialty crop growers is now being
received by farmer around the country, just days after the
July one activation. Cam Quarrel's CEO of the National Potato Council,
says these funds will have a major impact on specialty

(03:10):
crop growers overall.

Speaker 5 (03:11):
This most recent round of these mass payments, which is
the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program, this most recent
round is one point three billion of a total of
two point six five billion overall.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
And these second round payments are already being received.

Speaker 5 (03:30):
They are not just announced, but we've received reports from
across the country that growers are getting those payments, they're
seeing them in their bank accounts, So that's a great.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
Thing and much needed. Quarrel says after a challenging few years.

Speaker 5 (03:44):
It's amazing how this is still the supply chain trying
to correct itself after slamming shut five years ago. Now
you've had over corrections and then over corrections on top
of those initial moves, and it's really freaked havoc with
these family farm across the US.

Speaker 1 (04:01):
Quarrels says, the timing couldn't have been better.

Speaker 5 (04:03):
These funds are incredibly important. They're showing up at the
right time, but when you compare it to the overall
size of the risk that these farmers have in the marketplace,
it is still comparatively small.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
Now, the program helps specialty crop gowers address rising input
cost and expand in domestic markets. Well Friends Summers scams
aim at older Americans, including those living in rural areas.
Chad Smith has our story.

Speaker 6 (04:30):
The latest information from the FBI says older Americans reported
almost four point nine billion dollars stolen through fraud last year.
The average loss per instance is eighty three thousand dollars,
a stunning forty three percent more than last year. Sean
Vas School, Oklahoma state director for AARP, says older Americans

(04:51):
submitted the most complaints of any age group.

Speaker 7 (04:54):
A built sixteen. Olders submitted more than one hundred and
forty seven thousand complaints to the FBI. Americans of all
ages reported at record sixteen point six billion dollars stolen
through fraud, with the average loss at just over nineteen
thousand dollars. The fact that the overall average loss is
so much less than the average loss reported by older

(05:15):
people underscores the fraud affects people of all ages, though
when it happens to older Americans, the impact is often castrophic.

Speaker 6 (05:23):
Times have changed with new technology. Instead of money transfers
or gift cards, the use of cryptoatms is on the rise.

Speaker 7 (05:31):
Recent FTC data paints a trebling picture. Scammers successfully convinced
individuals to deposit over sixty five million dollars into cryptoatms
in the first half of twenty twenty four. Alarmingly, older
adults have emerged as primary targets, with reports suggesting they
are more than three times more likely than younger individuals

(05:52):
to be targeted by these scams.

Speaker 6 (05:53):
Criminals are successful because they are great manipulators. Voscoll said,
if you feel like you're getting brought up in a
threat or opportunity, make sure to remember three words.

Speaker 7 (06:04):
Pause, reflect, and protect. We arrived at three elements most
common scams unexpected contact, the surge of emotion, and a
sense of urgency. Once we teach that these three elements
are triggers, then they can learn a safe response called
the active pause.

Speaker 6 (06:20):
Learn more Wednesday night at six thirty pm Central Time
on RFDTV or online at AARP dot org, forward Slash
AARP Live. Chad Smith reporting the.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
US cattle industry gathered in San Diego for the Cattle
Industry Summer Business Meeting. A couple of the more important
topics included global beef trade and the US industry's efforts
to expand exports even in a challenging trade environment. US
Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom notes that
despite tariffs and other trade obstacles, producers were upbeat at

(06:57):
the meeting and excited about robust demand for USB both
domestically and abroad.

Speaker 8 (07:02):
Here in San Diego's I think a very upbeat tone. Obviously,
with producer profits being a really good sign compared to
a few years ago. Another thing that was talked about
quite a bit this week was demand, global demand, but
not only global US demand as well. We have the
opportunity to present to the International Marketing Committee here and
this is one of the main points that we continue

(07:24):
to strive and relay to them that the demand around
the world is growing, but it's not just the established markets,
it's emerging markets like a Central American region for example.

Speaker 1 (07:34):
Farmer US. This morning, you're listening to wag Life.

Speaker 9 (07:38):
It's another at news update. The one big Beautiful bill
has passed and has been signed in the law. What's
in it? We're after this.

Speaker 10 (07:47):
This is Shaquille O'Neill reminding you that anytime is a
good time for the cooling drying freshmen of gold bond
powder spray like after.

Speaker 11 (07:54):
The gym grab elevator ride, went.

Speaker 10 (08:00):
For a hard day's work, Stay cool with gold bond
pod of spreads.

Speaker 9 (08:06):
Tax law specialist Roger McGowen with Washburn University.

Speaker 4 (08:11):
Currently bonus appreciation is forty percent. It would be twenty
percent next year if nothing changes, and then it goes
to zero and then also expense by the depreciation that
would be doubled under this legislation, and that those are
big in terms of spurring investments. That's going to be
big for agri business and selling machinery and equipment. That's
just huge all the way up and down the scale.

(08:33):
And there are other provisions in there that are also important.
We've got some interest deductibility issues, We've got some cashu
therey loss provisions that are in there, a whole host
of provisions that are important for farmers and ranchers. But
one that's very broad and not just tailored to farmers
and ranchers is what would happen to income tax rates
the bracket amounts. Those rates would go up for every

(08:55):
taxpayer category except the ten percent category if Congress does nothing.
So that's huge when you put all this together. Plus
the one I don't want to forget to mention on
the business side of things is the qualified Business Income
Deduction of one ninety nine, a deduction that would go
away at the end.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
Of this year.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
That's twenty percent deduction on your business income. So if
I'm a farmer and I have two hundred thousand dollars
of business income, that's a forty thousand dollars deduction I
get this year, which would be zero next year, so
my effective tax rate would be much higher.

Speaker 9 (09:27):
Tax law specialist with Washburn University, Roger McCowen. It's another
AT News update.

Speaker 12 (09:33):
Here's farmer and businessman James Wood.

Speaker 13 (09:35):
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 work and it resulted on
a track on a natural Guys popular Fortunately no one
was hurt, but it could have been much worse.

Speaker 12 (09:51):
Never assumed the location or depth of underground lines. Always
call eight one one or visit click before you Dig
dot com before you start work. A message from the
pipeline operator for agg safety campaign.

Speaker 9 (10:02):
American Cattle News. What's happening in the ground beef sector.

Speaker 12 (10:09):
More after this, here's farmer and businessman James Wood.

Speaker 13 (10:14):
We 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 work and it resulted on
a strike on a natural gas pipeline. Fortunately no one
was hurt, but it could have been much worse.

Speaker 12 (10:30):
Never assumed the location or depth of underground lines. Always
call eight one one or visit clickbefore you dig dot
com before you start work a message from the pipeline
operators for agg safety campaign.

Speaker 9 (10:40):
Oklahoma State Livestock Marketing economists doctor Darryl Peel.

Speaker 14 (10:45):
If you look at the ground beef market, first ninety
percent trimmings are at record high levels, and what we
saw in the second quarter was a sharp increase in
the fifty percent lean trimmings, which comes from fed cattle.
And so when you put those together into whatever common
of ground beef you might want, if you do a
five to one ninety to fifty percent trimmings ratio, that

(11:06):
gives you about an eighty three percent lean combination, or
if you do a seven to one nineties to fifties,
that gives you an eighty five percent lean ratio. But
the bottom line has been with both of those trimmings
both the nineties and the fifties jumping up. Those prices
are at record levels for that combo. If you think
of that as kind of a standard combination for ground beef,

(11:28):
the fifty percent trimmings price jumped sharply. It's exceeded in
history only by two weeks during the worst of the
packing plant closed downs in May of twenty twenty. But
other than that, it's a record high fifties price. The
nineties have been at a record high price for some
time here. So the ground beef market's just been very high.
And if you look at the broader cutout value, of

(11:50):
course it jumped, it really increased steadily through the last
few weeks of the second quarter. And if you look
at the individual cuts, pretty much across the board, with
very few exceptions, almost all all of the wholesale cuts,
whether it's in meats or middle meets, almost all of
them strengthen again partly on that supply pressure from reduced
fed beet production. So I think as long as we

(12:11):
go forward here, we don't see any indication of real
consumer demand weakness at all. So we're likely to continue
to see these higher prices continue and probably build a
little more as supply continues to Titan.

Speaker 9 (12:23):
American Cattle News.

Speaker 11 (12:27):
This is Dairy Radio Now with Bill Baker.

Speaker 15 (12:33):
We go to the next level with special guest contributor
Peggy Coffee, the host of the podcast Up Level Dairy,
with the topic this week dairy expansion and managing new
teams and Peggy's guest on this up Level Dairy podcast
is Bridget Shilling from Shilling Farms in Darlington, Wisconsin.

Speaker 16 (12:50):
Shilling Farms is one that is long associated with excellence
and in fact, back in my vegazine editor Today's I
used to watch their team be recognized annually as one
of the top reproherds in the nation had the Dairy
Cattle Reproduction Council annual meeting. They had about six hundred cows,
a top notch team. Well two years ago, the opportunity
came up for them to purchase a second site with

(13:10):
fifteen hundred cows, and it was forty miles away in
the town of Montfront. That also meant taking on a
dozen more employees who stayed with the dairy through the buyout.
And it was during this time of transition that Bridget
stepped back from her twelve year nursing career to join
her husband Brian, his brother Andy, and Andy's wife Sarah
on the dairies. And while the partners and the dairy

(13:31):
were figuring out new systems moving cows commuting back and forth,
Bridget could see their hustle to get the cows and
operations dialed in yet she couldn't help but ask one
really important question, who is supporting the employees through this
time of change?

Speaker 17 (13:46):
Just a lot of the logistical stuff. So then I
felt like, well, how are we supporting these employees because
it's scary for them. What's it going to be like
with a new boss and making sure everybody's on the
same page. It was given take on both parts. We
had to trust them and they had to trust us.

Speaker 16 (14:01):
Just like the night shift and the nursing floor. Bridget
knew that connecting with every employee dirty every shift matters,
even if that meant paying a visit to the parlor
at eleven PM.

Speaker 17 (14:10):
Spending time in the parlor and knowing what they're doing.
It's different on every shift. You have different personalities, you
work differently together. I want them to know that I'm
a part of the team just as much as them.
We have different roles. It doesn't make anybody less or
more important. I think working alongside somebody is different than
working above somebody. It's not perfect by any means. I

(14:33):
never want to pretend like it's perfect, because there's definitely
tough conversations and things that are constantly evolving, and you
just have to work through those things.

Speaker 16 (14:41):
Bridget has also brought structure and consistency to the communications
with the Montfort team, and what she's about to tell
you right here has been one of the highest impact actions.
It's one on one meetings with each employee three times
a year.

Speaker 17 (14:55):
I do it every four months and just to sit
down with them one on one. We talk about, you know,
I usually ask them what they're grateful for or what
do they value. We talk about what's one thing you
can improve in your job role, what do you what
do you like about working at the dairy. I just

(15:17):
try to find like four or five questions that we
can just have a one on one conversation. And I
always close with what can I do differently as a leader?
What support can I give you? Because, as we know,
with anything, people don't just come to work and just
have work to deal with. They might have other things
going on in their life and I want them to
know I will support them or I have resources.

Speaker 16 (15:39):
From working alongside employees on the night shift to opening
conversations and following through to regularly schedule one on one
employee meetings, Bridget has been able to see shifts in
the level of trust with the new team and that's
helped get them on front dairy running effectively and efficiently.

Speaker 17 (15:54):
That's the other thing. And I did this as a nurse.
I don't stand and preach. I sit down at a
tea and we talk together. I don't stand in front
of them. That's not my style.

Speaker 16 (16:05):
Step number one, she and the ownership team got on
the same page and opened up their own communications before
she ever set foot in the barn. Next, she built
a foundation of trust by bringing in translator that could
be shoulder to shoulder with her as she worked alongside
employees in the parlor and in the barn, asking them questions,
following through offering support. And number three, she's brought structure

(16:28):
to ongoing communications with the scheduled one on one meetings
every four months where she sits down, looks people in
the eye, and asks key questions like how can I
support you, what do you need to be able to
do your job easily? And what can I do differently
as a leader, And then she listens and follows through.

(16:50):
And these steps have accelerated the new team to the
high standard. Chilling Farms is known for.

Speaker 15 (16:56):
Our thanks to Peggy coffeeing post of the Up Level
Dairy podcas Cast and her guest Bridget Shilling from Shilling
Farms in Darlington, Wisconsin. For more podcasts from Up Level Dairy,
simply go to upleveldairy dot com. Thanks for listening to
dairy Radio now.

Speaker 18 (17:14):
The tree nut industry is using biologicals a seat of
conventional materials. I'm Patrick Kavanaugh with the California tree Nut Report,
part of the vastag Information Network. David Haviln is a
UCA and R farm advisor anomologist based in Kern County.
He noted that those mating disruption materials that cause confusion

(17:35):
for the naval orange worm trying to find a mate
can't find it, which reduces the numbers significantly.

Speaker 19 (17:40):
David Haveln, Essentially, you're taking a biological product from an insect,
a pheromone, and mass producing it and releasing it. So, yes,
it absolutely fits under the you know, the biologicals umbrella
within the subcategory semiochemicals. But yeah, those are a little
different than the bavarias or metaurrisiums or you know viralruses
that have direct toxicity when you spray them on a pest,

(18:04):
and you know viruses they're they're used more for like
codly mock and walnuts. Those products exist so insect larvae
can get viruses and fungal infections and things just like
you're just like we get the flu Insects can get
nuclear polyhedrosis and other types of viruses. So those products
are out there and use. They're actually used quite a
bit in backyard situations for overcount of the products for

(18:25):
an apple tree or a pear tree in your backyard.
But yeah, they have a fit there. And then there's
of course some fungicides that are microbialum and you know,
and then there's just other plant growth regulators.

Speaker 20 (18:35):
At YOUC farm Advisor David Havlin, 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? Oh,
and how receptive is this age group to your sales
pitch during non work social time. Maybe the best place

(18:59):
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
station for the AG Information Network of the West News.
If you'd like to deliver information about your terrific product

(19:21):
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 with the AG Information Network. I'm Patrick Cavanaugh.

Speaker 21 (19:39):
The Canadian Marketplace is a major buyer of US produced pickups.
Dennis Guy has more.

Speaker 22 (19:46):
Pickups are extremely popular in Canada and make up an
outsized portion of new vehicle sales, but with the exception
of GM's Sierra models assembled in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada imports
its pickup trucks mostly from the US. On Wednesday, Prime
Minister Mark Carney hosted a meeting with the Canadian CEOs

(20:07):
of Ford, General Motors and Stilantis. With trade talks having
resumed and facing a July twenty first deadline, the Prime
Minister was looking for input from the Canadian heads of
the Big three North American car manufacturers. Stephen Beattie, an
automotive industry consultant and the former corporate vice president of

(20:27):
Toyota Canada was surprised that no Japanese or Korean car
representatives were at the Ottawa meeting, as they represent the
majority of new vehicles sold today. Stephen Beattie said that
President Trump is correct when he says that Americans don't
need Canadian cars because the market share for the big

(20:48):
three automakers vehicles has been shrinking for years.

Speaker 23 (20:52):
If you look at the companies were represented in the room,
they produced a little less than thirty percent of the
vehicles produced in Canada last year, Honda and Toyota and
the other seventy plus percent. Donald Trump was right in
one aspect. He says that the US doesn't need our cars,
and is absolutely true. The size of the US market
has been shrinking over the last couple of decades, so
what they're looking for is assurance that there's not going

(21:13):
to be a disruption to the Canadian marketplace. The US
does need one thing from Canada, and that is our market.

Speaker 22 (21:18):
When it comes to full size pickup trucks, the top
sellar across North America continues to be the Ford F
one fifty and its super duty models, followed by the
Dodge Ram and GM's Sierra pickup models. With a shrinking market,
the last thing the Big three automakers need is tariffs
and resulting counter tariffs crippling the sales of their full

(21:41):
size pickup trucks. Canada is a big buyer of full
size pickup trucks, so, according to Steven Beattie, Donald Trump
is not correct when he says that Canada does not
have any cards. The Detroit based Big Three automakers are
well aware that Canada is by far it's largest export market.

Speaker 23 (22:01):
There is exactly one good export market for the US
and that's Canada. If, for example, one hundred and thirty
four thousand F series pickup trucks aren't going to be
sold next year in Canada because of terrace on our side,
their industries in trouble. You can't think of any other
market around the world that would accept the number of
full sized pickup trucks that Canada purchases every year.

Speaker 22 (22:20):
Stephen Beattie is a Canadian automotive industry consultant and the
former corporate vice president of Toyota Canada. Reporting from Canada,
I'm Dennis Guy.

Speaker 21 (22:30):
The USDA has rated more than eighty percent of the
corn crop in three of the top eighteen corn growing
states as good to excellent, but Mike Davis report that
there is variability among the top crops.

Speaker 24 (22:42):
Those states include Pennsylvania, Iowa, and to North Carolina, which
has eighty two percent rated good to excellent. Zach Webb
is a Beyer technical agronomist and says in his region
of North Carolina, growers are set up to have an
outstanding crop.

Speaker 25 (22:57):
We had tyley rainfall when we needed. We did have
a hot spell in there where the temptry got pretty high,
and that can affect pollination to some degree. But I
think people forget that if you've got good moisture, well,
the heat can be a negative. It's not as bad
as it is. Like last year we were so dry
and we got heat that killed our pollination. This year

(23:19):
we had heat, but we had good moisture.

Speaker 24 (23:22):
On the other hand, Web says soybeans are all over
the board.

Speaker 25 (23:25):
Early planet beings are growing off and looked really well.
We've had some tough conditions during playing time for soybeans.
A lot of places had too much water, and then
we've got dry in some places. Especially now we're getting
a little dry in places double crop beans. So double
crop beings looked pretty rough. So the soybeans are They're
truly a mixed bag. Because you may be one guy

(23:48):
who planted early May has a beautiful crop beans. The
guy who planned a week later had a hard time
getting a stand. It was beat down. Just a very
very variable.

Speaker 24 (23:59):
Right now, the cotton crop in the Carolinas has been
tough from the start.

Speaker 25 (24:04):
The guys who planned late April have got a phenomenal
crop run. Now it looks beautiful. But May, as you
may remember, was very wet and we and cotton plan
does not go together. So we got off to a
rough start with cotton. But you know, we've had a
lot of heat, which cotton loves. We've had ample morture,
and I'm telling books now cotton is starting a little

(24:26):
lot cotton again.

Speaker 21 (24:27):
I'm Mike Davis.

Speaker 26 (24:29):
It's time for California AGG Today on the AG Information Network.
I am Haley Ship. California cattle ranchers and livestock producers
are invited to join a free online webinar. It's happening
on Tuesday, July twenty second, at one pm Pacific. What
are we talking about? Well hosted by the California Cattleman's Association.
This one is going to be a collaborative conversation focused

(24:52):
on what kind of help is available for those dealing
with livestock losses due to wolf attacks. Individuals from the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service into the California Department of
Fish and Wildlife will be on hand to talk through
the tools and support their agencies can offer, especially when

(25:12):
it comes to legal non lethal waste to help keep
wolves away.

Speaker 5 (25:16):
From your hurt.

Speaker 26 (25:17):
When you register, you're going to be asked to submit
any question that you have about wolf deterrence. Organizers say
they'll try to cover those questions during the main presentation
and then that'll leave more time for open discussion at
the end. There is absolutely no cost to attend, but
you do need to register ahead of time. That's how
they're going to get you to actually join in. The
zoom link will be sent once you are approved. You

(25:39):
can find the registration link now at aginfo dot net.
Again a wolf webinar put on by the California Cattleman's Association.
It's happening Tuesday, July twenty second, one o'clock on a.

Speaker 27 (25:51):
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(26:11):
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Speaker 28 (26:20):
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(26:41):
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Speaker 26 (26:48):
With California agg today on the AG Information Network, I
am Haley's ship Bob.

Speaker 1 (26:53):
When here are some farm us this morning, friends. While
the second round of assistance for specialty crop growers is
now being rested by farmers around the country, just days
after the July one activation, CAM Quarrel's CEO of the
National Potato Council says, these funds will have a major
impact on specialty crop growers overall.

Speaker 5 (27:12):
This most recent round of these mass payments, which is
the Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops program, this most recent
round is one point three billion of a total of
two point six five billion overall.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
And these second round payments are already being received.

Speaker 5 (27:30):
They are not just announced, but we've received reports from
across the country that growers are getting those payments. They're
seeing them in their bank accounts. So that's a great thing.

Speaker 1 (27:41):
And much needed. Quoro says, after a challenging few years.

Speaker 5 (27:44):
It's amazing how this is still the supply chain trying
to correct itself after slamming shut five years ago. Now
you've had over corrections and then over corrections on top
of those initial moves, and it's really freaked havoc with
these family farms across the US.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Quarrels says, the timing couldn't have been better.

Speaker 5 (28:04):
These funds are incredibly important. They're showing up at the
right time.

Speaker 19 (28:07):
But when you.

Speaker 5 (28:08):
Compare it to the overall size of the risks that
these farmers have in the marketplace, it is still comparatively small.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
Now, the program helps specialty crop growers address rising input
cost and expand in domestic markets well friends, the Trump
administration is taking steps to enhance food security and in turn,
national security, Mike Davis as our story.

Speaker 24 (28:31):
Last week, AG Secretary Brook Rawlins, along with other Cabinet
members and elected officials, announced steps to prohibit the ownership
of American farmland by adversaries, including China. Rawlin said her
department is implementing a multi step.

Speaker 29 (28:46):
Approach, actively engaging at every level of government to take
swift legislative and executive action to ban the purchase of
American farmland by Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries, standing
on the shoulders of great governors, three of whom are
standing behind me, who have already been leading the way
on this issue, and at the federal government level, working

(29:06):
to do everything within our everything within our ability, including
presidential authorities, to claw back what has already been purchased
by China and other foreign adversaries.

Speaker 24 (29:18):
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the plan will ultimately
help provide for enhanced military preparedness.

Speaker 30 (29:25):
Food security, just like energy resilience, just like where we
get our water. That's all national security, especially in a contingency.
So we would be asleep at the wheel if we
were not fully a party to an effort like this
to ensure that our nation had the food supply it needs,
but specifically our troops have what they need on our basis,
so that in those moments you can rely on us

(29:48):
here in the United States to provide that security.

Speaker 24 (29:50):
Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed the emphasis on national security.

Speaker 31 (29:55):
We're so happy to be here today to protect our farmers,
our ranchers, and our ag community. Under President Trump, we
are probably putting our farmers first again. Thank you to
our Congress, our governors, all of the great people who
have gathered here today. My job is to make America
safe again, which includes protecting our farmers who feed our families.

Speaker 24 (30:14):
Cabinet members were joined by several Republican governors, as well
as House AG Chairman GT.

Speaker 21 (30:20):
Thompson. I'm Mike Davis.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
The US cattle industry gathered in San Diego for the
Cattle Industry's Summer Business Meeting. A couple of the more
important topics included global beef trade and the US industry's
efforts to expand exports even in a challenging trade environment.
US Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom notes
that the spiked tariffs and other trade obstacles, producers were

(30:46):
upbeat at the meeting and excited about robust demand for
US beef both domestically and abroad.

Speaker 8 (30:52):
Here in San Diego's I think very upbeat tone, obviously,
with producer profits being a really good sign compared to
a few years ago. Another thing that was talked about
quite a bit this week was demand, global demand, but
not only global US demand as well. We have the
opportunity to present to the International Marketing Committee here and
this is one of the main points that we continue

(31:14):
to strive and relay to them that the demand around
the world is growing, but it's not just the established markets,
it's emerging markets like a Central American region, for example.

Speaker 1 (31:24):
Farm US. This morning, you're listening to ag Life.

Speaker 32 (31:29):
From the Egg Information Network. This is your agribusiness update. Well,
Canada canceled that digital service tax on US tech companies
in order to preserve trade talks with President Trump, but
agriculture could be a bigger thorn in the ongoing negotiations.
Analysts say ditching the digital service tax was politically easy
for Prime Minister Mark Carney compared to discussing Canada's supply

(31:49):
management system that's tightly controlled supplies of dairy, eggs and
poultry since the nineteen seventies. They're aiming for a new
economic agreement by July twenty. First of new world screwworm
appeared last week, only one hundred and sixty miles from
the Mexico US border. The new case raises significant concerns
into the US and compromises the outlined port reopening schedule

(32:11):
for five ports in the southern US that began July seventh.
In order to protect American livestock and the nation's food supply,
ex Secretary Brook Rawlins has ordered the closure of livestock
trade through southern ports of entry. Over forty US agricultural groups,
including the National Corn Growers Association, sent a letter to
President Trump asking him to quickly nominate a chief agricultural

(32:31):
negotiator in the US Trade Representative's office. The groups say
the nomination is critical to prioritizing the needs of American
agriculture amid the ongoing reciprocal trade negotiations. The role is
responsible for conducting and overseeing international negotiations related to the
trade of agricultural products.

Speaker 27 (32:49):
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(33:12):
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Speaker 33 (33:17):
For the last forty years, the ag Information Network has
been the source of news for farmers and ranchers.

Speaker 27 (33:23):
Yet we have never.

Speaker 33 (33:24):
Seen such an assault on farming and our food supply
as we do today. From fuel to fertilizer. Farmers are
facing unprecedented economic challenges. This is why agriculture news that
farmers receive comes from the ag Information Network, reaching coast
to coast, deep roots and farming. In decades of reporting,
the AGG Information Network trusted and transparent journalism for generations.

Speaker 11 (33:46):
From the Egg Information Network. I'm Bob Larson with today's
agribusiness update. Bob Quinn back to wrap up Aglie for
to they friends. While a combination of weather factors culminated
in sudden, heavy rains and a deadly flood event in
south central Texas during the July fourth holiday period. Rod
Main takes a look at that in this report.

Speaker 2 (34:08):
The weather anata bee of a deadly storm system one
leading to hundreds of fatalities in south central Texas during
the independent stay period. USDA meeorologist Brad Rippey says it
was not just one factor, but a combination of several
behind the sudden rain, deluge and flash flooding.

Speaker 34 (34:28):
First, A lot of times with these flash floods, what
you see is some component of tropical moisture being injected
into a weather system. We saw a unique combination of
factors that included remnant moisture from Tropical Storm Berry. We
had had Hurricane Flossie into Pacific a few days before,
and some of that tropical moisture had been drawn northward
by the North American monsoon circulation. So we effectively had

(34:50):
this pool of tropical moisture, both from the Atlantic and
Pacific basins parked over Texas.

Speaker 2 (34:55):
To create the heavy precipitation behind the Texas hill Country floods.
He says the pool of tropical boisture needed a climate
element to rig the raid out.

Speaker 34 (35:05):
We had a disturbance, a little spin in the atmosphere
along with the remnants of old cold front that was
stalled just north of the region. That upper level disturbance
moving through created a slow moving thunderstorm complex on the third,
lingering into the overnight hours of the fourth.

Speaker 2 (35:20):
Perhaps unique about the flash flooding event is what it
resembled from a disaster perspective.

Speaker 34 (35:26):
A lot of times when you see events like this,
it involves a dam breaking or bursting, or some type
of dam failure. Unfortunately, in this event, it almost mimicked
what you would see in a dam failure. It just
unleashes it quickly within minutes.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
With sub accounts noting that cascading wall of water rising
as much as two stories high during the flash flood event.
Brad Rippy says another weather factor that may have contributed
to the nature of the flooding is drought.

Speaker 34 (35:52):
This particular area of Texas has been dealing with significant.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
Drought for about three years.

Speaker 34 (35:57):
So if you look at Kerr County where most of
the flood mentalities occurred, that area has seen either D
three or D four in that county for more than
three years, with the exception of four weeks in the
fall of twenty twenty four, so you go all the
way back to March of twenty twenty two. Part of
Kerr County has been in either extreme or exceptional drought
ever since.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
And in some cases a protracted drought.

Speaker 34 (36:19):
That can change the character of the soils. Sometimes the
soils can be compacted and almost take on a concrete
like consistency, and so one of the things that may
have contributed to the really flashy and rapid runoff in
some of the canyons leading to the Guadalupe River is
that those hillsides were baked to a consistency of almost concrete,

(36:39):
the soils become less receptive to water retention, and so
that may have contributed to increased runoff when that rain
came down so heavily.

Speaker 2 (36:47):
Broad Bane reporting for the US Department of Agriculture in Washington,
d C.

Speaker 1 (36:53):
With that, friends, r out of time for today, Thanks
for joining us back tomorrow morning with another edition of
bag Life