Will Epperly, from Dunlap, Iowa, was named the 2022 World Livestock Auctioneer Champion (WLAC) at the 58th annual competition held at Shipshewana Auction & Trading Place, Shipshewana, Ind. This past Saturday’s event was presented by the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA). “It was such a powerful moment,” Epperly said. “I thought to myself, ‘this can’t be real,’ and the emotions that came over me …
AFBF and NPPC Tell Supreme Court Proposition 12 is Unconstitutional
The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 12. The state law seeks to ban the sale of pork from hogs that don’t meet the state’s arbitrary production standards, even if the pork was raised on farms outside of California. AFBF and …
April Beef, Lamb Exports Up, Pork Down
The latest red meat export report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show beef exports maintained a remarkable pace in April, topping $1 billion for the third time this year. USMEF Meat Export Federation (USMEF) President and CEO, Dan Halstrom, offers insight into what continues to drive global demand for U.S. beef. Beef exports totaled 124,408 metric tons (mt) in …
Investing in Farm & Ranch Land
We told you last week that stronger land prices during late 2021 continued higher through the first five months of this year. That was partially helped by investors looking for a low-risk inflation hedging investment. And Mark Oppold reports wealthy investors are turning to farm and ranch land. According to Farmers National Company, prices for good quality cropland are up 20 …
Farmers National Company: Land Prices up 20%
The stronger land prices of late 2021 continued higher through the first five months of 2022. After a calm period at the start of the year with prices steady, prices took another jump up as a result of the outbreak of war in Ukraine and ongoing inflation fears. Farmers saw higher commodity prices, and investors wanted a low-risk inflation hedging …
Key Policy Issues Lead NPPC Strategic Agenda
Wednesday, a panel led by National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) experts at World Pork Expo discussed the pork industry’s current policy priorities that are vital to producers’ livelihoods and the future success of the industry. As part of the pork industry’s long-range strategic planning process, the Pork Industry Visioning Task Force prioritized international trade, foreign animal disease and labor as key policy …
Stay Safe During the Summer Grilling Season
Stay safe during the summer grilling season. That’s today’s This Land of Ours. With summer officially here, it’s that time again when a lot of us will be gathering around the grill. Millions of people get sick each year because of a lack of food safety while grilling, but you don’t have to be one of them. The USDA offers …
Billion-Dollar Livestock Facility Planned for Western South Dakota
Plans are in development to construct a $1.1 billion next-generation livestock processing facility in western South Dakota. The one-million-square-foot facility will process beef and include a specialty bison line. Kingsbury and Associates and Sirius Realty of Rapid City, South Dakota, are currently in the research and development phase of the project. “We aim to restore competition in American meat processing,” …
Georgia State Veterinarian on HPAI Confirmation
Thursday, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial, backyard flock located in Toombs County, Georgia. Samples were taken on May 29th after the flock owners reported sick birds and an increased rate of mortality. After testing for the H5N1 avian influenza virus, …
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Confirmed in a Backyard Flock in Georgia
(ATLANTA/June 2, 2022) — The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) have confirmed Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a non-commercial, backyard flock (non-poultry) located in Toombs County, Georgia. This is the first confirmation of HPAI in Georgia. Avian influenza does not pose a risk to the …