Pork

The Shrinking Slice: Farmers Receive Less Than 6 Cents of Every Food Dollar

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:30:43 GMT

For the past two years, USDA has estimated farmers and ranchers received less than 6 cents of every food dollar. In 2023, that was 5.9 cents, and using the latest data from 2024, it’s 5.8 cents.

“Our oldest data point right now is 2007 [USDA updated the data series] and that’s 14.7 cents per dollar, and now we’re down all the way to 11.8 cents per dollar,” says Faith Parum, economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “So we’ve really seen that decline year after year. It reflects how much of the value of things in the grocery store or when you go out to eat is going to other parts of the supply chain and not necessarily to farmers and ranchers.”

Livestock vs. Crops: A Widening Gap

The aggregate decline masks a widening gap between sectors. While the overall farmer share is down, livestock and crop producers are seeing divergent trends:

Crop Farmers: Share dropped from 2.9 cents to 2.5 cents (a 2.5% year-over-year decrease).
Livestock Producers: Share increased from 3 cents to 3.3 cents.

“Overall, the farmer share is down. But we have those two markets really at odds,” Parum says. “We’ve seen that tale of two farm economies where our livestock producers maybe have seen a little bit of better days than they had had in the past, while our row crop farmers and our specialty crop farmers are really facing strong headwinds in the market.”

Effect at the Farm Gate

As highlighted by USDA, farm finances are quickly strained when farmers/ranchers are capturing a small percentage of the food dollar and even modest swings in commodity prices and/or input prices take place.

Parum adds, “when we talk about the health of our farms and the health of future generations on the farm, and being economically viable and sustainable and being able to keep their operations open, the trends we’re seeing right now are really hard for those farmers. Our ranchers are seeing a little bit of better days right now with high beef prices, but that’s not going to last forever, and with production expenses continuing to increase, we’re really going to see that that question come up of, what is sustainable if, if these dollars we’re spending in the grocery store aren’t making it back to our farmers.”

Where Does the Money Get Distributed?

The key takeaway: farmers produce the raw commodities that make food production, however, the price is clearly more determined by what happens after the products first leave the farm.

The USDA Food Dollar Series tracks how each dollar is spent by consumers and then divides it across the industries contributing to the value in the supply chain, such as farming, food processing, transportation, packaging, wholesaling, retail and food service. As noted by the USDA, with each step in the process, the additional services, labor, transportation and infrastructure add value and increase costs to the final food product.

USDA’s Economic Research Service Food Dollar Series shows in 2024, farmers received 11.8 cents of every dollar spent on domestically produced food, the remaining 88.2 cents of the food dollar went toward the ‘marketing bill’, which includes costs associated with food processing, transportation, packaging, wholesaling, retailing and food service. Over time, this shift illustrates how an increasing share of food spending is driven by services and supply chain activities rather than farm production itself.

Groceries Leave the Most on The Table For Farmers

Farmers’ share of consumer food spending varies widely depending on the type of food purchased. For example, the farm share of the food-at-home dollar was 18.5 cents in 2024, up slightly from 18.4 cents in 2023. But even in this category it means only than one-fifth of what consumers spend on groceries goes back to farmers.

As you may expect, products with minimal processing, require less of the value to be retained in that part of the food system, and therefore return a larger share of the food dollar to producers.

“The highest commodity that gets the most of that food dollar is fresh eggs,” Parum notes. “That’s just because there’s limited labor to process that food.”

Examples include:

Fresh Eggs: 69.1 cents (+6% from 2023)
Beef: 52.2 cents (+4.8%)
Fresh Milk: 50.8 cents (+5.6%)
Pork: 23.7 cents (+7.2%)
Poultry (+3.1%)
Fish (+2.8%)
Tree nuts and peanuts (-1.7%)
Fresh fruits and vegetables (unchanged)
Bakery Products: 4.8 cents (-9.4%)
Soft Drinks/Bottled Water: 1.3 cents (-7.1%)

It’s Time to Break Up with the Bad Employee

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 20:37:32 GMT

Having the right employees on your team is essential to keeping the farm running smoothly. Yet in many cases, workers are hired to fill an urgent labor gap and aren’t given the training or resources they need to succeed. When that happens, even well‑intentioned employees may struggle to fit the role or the team—ultimately leading to a labor “breakup.”

Jorge Delgado, a training and talent development specialist with Alltech, says the reluctance to address these situations is often emotional and more costly than managers realize. In a recent conversation, he compared it to staying in a romantic relationship long after it is clear it is not working.

Why Do Farms Struggle to Let Go?

For many farm owners, the biggest barrier to firing a poor-fit employee is fear.

“One fear that many farmers have is that they are not going to be able to find another employee to replace the person they are letting go,” Delgado explains.

This fear intensifies in specialized roles where skills are harder to find.

“This can especially be true for middle management positions,” Delgado adds. “These are more technical positions, and it can be really hard to find people to fill that role. Sometimes, that makes management hesitate to get rid of that person, even though it’s hurting production and numbers at the farm.”

Family and social ties on the farm add another complication. Delgado says it’s not uncommon for employees to be related, or tightly connected, to others on the crew.

“Sometimes these guys, they have family involved,” he adds. “The owners or managers are afraid that if they let go of oner person, these guys will take their family or friends with them.”

The result is a kind of emotional hostage situation. Even when the employee clearly doesn’t fit the culture or role, management feels stuck, hoping the situation will somehow improve on its own.

Have Clear Expectations

Many employee challenges on farms can be traced back to what did or did not happen on the first day of work. Delgado says problems often begin long before performance issues show up, simply because expectations were never clearly laid out.

“You have to have rules and regulations really clear and established on a far,” Delgado says. “Most of the farmers hire people on the spot, get them trained and get them going. These people don’t necessarily go through a formal onboarding process where they go through the expectations, the rules and regulations, and so they don’t know anything about it.”

When those expectations are never clearly explained, performance conversations and eventual terminations can feel unfair on both sides. Employees feel blindsided, and managers feel frustrated. In many cases, the breakdown started on the first day the employee walked onto the farm.

He also stresses the value of doing basic reference checks before hiring, an often-skipped step in agriculture.

“Sometimes we just hire the individual that is right at the door, and we don’t do any research,” Delgado says. “But that research can be an early sign that this individual is not the right fit for my culture.”

The Three-Strike Approach

Before any tough decision is made, farmers need a clear framework for addressing performance issues. Delgado recommends a structured, professional process—one that gives employees fair warning while protecting the farm.

He suggests a simple three-strike policy:

Verbal warning - Delgado stresses that this first step should be a clear, calm and deliberate conversation. The manager needs to sit down with the employee and explain exactly what behavior or performance issue needs to change, why it matters to the operation and what improvement looks like.

He encourages farmers to avoid vague statements like “you need to do better” and instead focus on specific, measurable expectations. The employee should leave the conversation knowing precisely what needs to change and the timeframe to correct it.

Written warning - If the issue continues after the verbal warning, Delgado says it is time to move to formal documentation. This step should be more structured and intentional, signaling to the employee that the concern is serious and must be addressed.

“You need to sit down with the person and explain what’s going on,” Delgado says. “It becomes more structuralized, because the person and both parties should sign a document saying, ‘Look, this is the second time you did this, and these are going to be the consequences if you do it for the third time.’”

Termination -If the behavior does not change after verbal and written warnings, Delgado says it is time to part ways. By this point, the employee has been given clear expectations, opportunities to improve, and formal notice that the issue is serious.

Delgado encourages farmers to handle this step professionally and directly. The conversation should be private, respectful and brief. The manager should clearly state that the employee is being let go, reference the previous warnings, and avoid turning the meeting into a debate or long explanation.

Watch for Red Flags

Every farm has its own internal culture. Employees work closely together, talk with one another and often recognize problems long before management does.

“In this small circle, things travel fast, especially trouble,” Delgado says. “When there is a person who is not behaving properly or doing something wrong, the team will try to get rid of this person. And the first sign is they will communicate with management.”

Delgado adds that the mistake many managers make is brushing off those early comments or complaints. When multiple employees start raising concerns about the same person, it is often an early warning sign that something is not working and needs attention before it affects the whole crew.

“Many times, the managers avoid these signs,” Delgado say. “They think, ‘Just let it go. Everything’s fine. We’ll take care of this later’ and they totally avoid the problem. By the time they realize it is a big issue, it’s too late.”

Common red flags include chronic lateness, cutting corners, skipping protocols and poor communication. These patterns aren’t only unprofessional, but they can create extra work and frustration for the dependable employees.

“At some point you have to say, ‘What’s going on here?’” Delgado notes. “Don’t ignore the red flags and sweep them under the rug.”

When You Have to Fire on the Spot

Not every situation needs to follow a step-by-step process. Sometimes, inappropriate behavior or actions require immediate dismissal.

“Sometimes you have to get rid of somebody on the spot,” Delgado says. “For example, someone mistreating animals, damaging equipment, mistreating coworkers, stealing or causing serious disruption needs to be let go of immediately. When behavior like drugs, alcohol, sexual harassment or anything else begins to change the culture and environment of the farm, there are no second chances.”

In these cases, keeping the wrong person sends the wrong message to the rest of the team. It makes it look like serious issues can be overlooked or tolerated. It creates frustration for employees who follow the rules, do their jobs well and expect the same standards from others.

Check In, Listen and Make Employees Feel Valued

Preventing tough breakups with employees starts well before any termination talk. Regular check-ins—both formal and informal—can catch small issues before they grow into major problems.

“Formal reviews need to be mandatory,” Delgado says. “But they often aren’t regular. Also, survey your culture. Anonymous surveys usually get people to speak up, and you’ll learn a lot about the reality of your team and the culture.”

One simple question he likes to ask employees is: Would you recommend a friend or family member to work here?

“If the answer is no, something is off,” he adds. “You need to fix that now rather than dealing with the fallout later and having to let too many people go.”

Beyond systems and surveys, many farm employees simply don’t feel valued.

“Ask an employee what their role is, and they often say, ‘I just do ‘fill in the blank’” Delgado says. “They don’t see the big picture, and it’s our job to make them feel relevant.”

That means communicating mission, purpose and appreciation—much like in a healthy marriage.

“If you aren’t telling your spouse you appreciate them, you can’t be surprised when the relationship fails if you only point out the negatives,” he adds

Breaking Up the Right Way

Running a farm isn’t just about managing equipment, crops and livestock. It also means managing people. And while you can’t control every employee’s choice, you can:

Set clear expectations from day one
Document verbal and written warnings
Pay attention to the “inner community” of employees
Use reviews and surveys to monitor morale and culture
Communicate how valuable and relevant your team members are

And when it becomes clear that someone isn’t a fit, you owe it to your business and your team to act.

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:43:25 GMT

The White House delivered a simple but clear message to Americans today: Eat real food.

“We are finally putting real food back at the center of the American diet. Real food that nourishes the body, restores health, fuels energy and builds strength,” says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “This pivot also leans into the abundant, affordable and healthy food supply already available from America’s incredible farmers and ranchers. By making milk, raising cattle and growing wholesome fruits, vegetables and grains, they hold the key to solving our national health crisis.”

In the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades,” the White House released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 . The updated pyramid inverts the 1992 USDA version by prioritizing:

Protein (1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, an increase from 0.8 grams)
Dairy and healthy fats as the foundation
Vegetables (3 servings per day)
Fruits (2 servings per day)

Unlike the old pyramid’s grain-heavy base and processed carbs, new recommendations limit whole grains to 2 to 4 servings per day and added sugars and highly processed oils should be avoided entirely.

Eat More Protein

Rollins says the previous dietary guidelines demonized protein in favor of carbohydrates.

“These guidelines reflect gold standard science by prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods in every meal,” Rollins says. “This includes a variety of animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, in addition to plant-sourced protein foods such as beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.”

To put the new protein recommendations into perspective, Sigrid Johannes, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says for folks who should be consuming 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight that’s a 100% increase in recommended daily protein intake.

Dairy’s Seat at the Table

Dairy emerged in a strong position under the new dietary guidelines, with federal nutrition guidance supporting dairy at all fat levels for the first time.

“One of the key messages they’re telling consumers is eat dairy and eat dairy at all fat levels — that’s whole milk, cheese and butter,” says Matt Herrick of the International Dairy Foods Association. He calls it “a significant watershed moment,” reflecting how many families currently eat and shop today.

Echoing Herrick’s perspective, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud adds by better recognizing both fat and protein, the guidelines give a fuller picture of dairy’s nutritional value.

“Not all fats are created equal, and because the guidelines acknowledge this, dairy’s benefits are better reflected in this iteration of the guidelines,” Doud says.

When it comes to protein, consumer demand is reshaping the category, with cottage cheese at its highest level since the 1980s because of the high-protein trend, Herrick notes.

“Consumers are looking at labels more than ever and trying to find cleaner, less processed foods. Dairy fits that bill. Most products have just a handful of ingredients, and they’re all high in protein. People are turning to protein for growth, energy and overall health, and we’re going to continue to see consumers look to dairy to fulfill their protein and healthy fats needs,” Herrick says.

The processing sector has grown alongside the rising demand for dairy, reflecting both increased production and changing consumer preferences. Roughly $8 billion has been invested in new processing facilities from 2022 to 2025, with another $11 billion expected through 2028.

“We’re going to continue to see investments in processing facilities — new plants, updated lines and more capacity — to meet growing consumer demand for dairy protein and healthy fats,” Herrick notes.

Eat More Meat and Poultry

When it comes to meat and poultry, Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute President and CEO, says Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy’s leadership have simplified the dietary guidelines making it clear meat is a protein powerhouse.

“Robust scientific evidence demonstrates that meat is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential vitamins and highly bioavailable minerals that support human health throughout the lifespan,” Potts says.

Kansas beef producer Marisa Kleysteuber describes the new “commonsense” dietary guidelines as “exciting and refreshing.”

“As beef producers we are blessed to work with a ruminant animal that can utilize Mother Nature’s production of cellulose from rain and sunshine and then convert it to one of the most nutrient rich proteins there is,” she says. “Whether the consumer is desiring an organic, grass fed or corn fed beef product, there are cattlemen and women all over the U.S. who put their heart into raising these cattle to produce a nutritious and delicious product that we have always believed in and now our leaders are standing behind the ranchers and farmers of America.”

Quintessentially American foods such as burgers, steaks, pork chops and Easter hams can remain a staple of American households, and the guidelines go so far as to recommend parents introduce nutrient-dense foods, including meat, early and continue focusing on “nutrient-dense foods such as protein foods” throughout childhood.

“America’s pork producers appreciate the 2025 dietary guidelines putting pork front and center on the plate. They took note of producer concerns and rightly gave pork and other high-protein, nutrient-dense and delicious meats their due when it comes to Americans’ health and dietary habits,” says Rob Brenneman , National Pork Producers Council president-elect and pork producer from Washington, Iowa.

Maddie Hokanson , a Minnesota pork producer and mother of two, says the new dietary guidelines’ strong emphasis on protein is a positive for the pork industry. She believes the new guidelines, paired with pork’s quality nutrition and versatility, bring together the perfect opportunity to increase pork consumption and demand in the U.S.

“As pig farmers, we are proud to produce a meat product that is packed with high-quality protein, while also being nutrient-dense with many essential vitamins and minerals,” Hokanson says. “As a parent to young children, I see both the physical and cognitive benefits of prioritizing protein in the diet at all ages, and I’m excited to see what the short- and long-term effects of this recommendation will be.”

Three Servings of Veggies and Two Servings of Fruit

Dairy and meat weren’t the only items at the top of the new dietary pyramid. Fresh fruits and vegetables were also given top billing.

“Diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs,” says Robert F Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health.

The new dietary guidelines recommend three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day. Like past editions of the dietary guidelines , the new guidelines recommend Americans eat “a variety of colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits” and advises whole produce items be eaten “in their original form.” Though not explicitly stated, the updated guidelines also call out “frozen, dried, or canned vegetables or fruits with no or very limited added sugars” as good options.

“Today’s dietary guidelines reinforce the critical role fruits and vegetables play in overall health,” says Mollie Van Lieu, International Fresh Produce Association vice president of nutrition and health, in the group’s response. “Scientific evidence consistently shows that fruits and vegetables should make up the majority of what people eat. The Administration’s focus on whole foods is an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable intake, as they are the most nutrient-dense foods available.”

Rollins Teases Plan to Expand Real Food Retail Accessibility

There was more than the new dietary guidelines announced at the press event. Rollins mentioned upcoming changes at retail she says would increase the accessibility of whole, healthy foods to those in food deserts.

“Soon, USDA will finalize our stocking standards,” she says, explaining retailers that take SNAP benefits are bound by the stocking standards. “Very soon we will be finalizing that rule that will mandate all 250,000 retailers in America to double the type of staple foods they provide for America’s SNAP households. This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before in our country.”

Grains and Oilseed Industry Focuses on Positives

In terms of grains, in its guidance USDA recommends Americans “focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates.” The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) shared mixed reactions to the changes.

“We appreciate the continued recognition of whole grains as an essential part of Americans’ diets,” said a spokesperson with NAWG in a statement to Farm Journal. “However, we are concerned that some portions of the new guidelines around grains and wheat are unintentionally confusing. Wheat, wheat flour, and foods made from wheat have been nutrient-rich, life-sustaining staples for tens of thousands of years and deserve clear, continued support as a central part of our nation’s diet.”

The American Soybean Association (ASA) focuses on the positives saying it highlights the importance of increased protein consumption, including plant-based proteins, such as soy-based foods. They also emphasize prioritizing healthy fats, including oils rich in essential fatty acids like soybean oil.

ASA says an addendum continues to call into question the process of soybean oil extraction, which it says is scientifically proven to be safe for human health.

“Soybean oil and soy protein play a critical role in the health and nutrition of Americans,” says Scott Metzger, ASA president and Ohio farmer, in a press release. “We remain deeply concerned by the rhetoric and selectively cited studies regarding the health and safety of soybean oil in DGA supporting material.”

Metzger says soybean growers will continue to work with the administration and educate MAHA commission leadership on the health benefits of soy-based foods and soybean oil.

The National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) echoed those concern: “Vegetable oils, or “seed oils” as they’re sometimes referred to, are a significant provider of essential fatty acids and remain a safe and cost-effective source of dietary fats in the American diet, as they are globally,” said a NOPA press release. “However, some appendices rely on a narrow evidence base with limited citations, which is concerning given the administration’s rhetoric questioning the safety of certain vegetable oils despite an established scientific consensus.”

NOPA also argues oilseeds support the production of affordable meat, dairy and eggs as meal produced from oilseeds are a key component of livestock diets.

Rural America is Facing a Mounting Labor Crisis

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:02:49 GMT

The American labor market is reaching a critical turning point that could tighten labor availability in rural industries and slow growth across the U.S. economy. A new quarterly report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange warns that demographic shifts and recent policy changes may start impacting businesses as soon as late 2025.

From livestock and crop operations to food processors and rural cooperatives, this labor shortage is becoming especially noticeable in the heart of America’s farmland. Many producers are already struggling to fill roles, and the challenge is expected to intensify in the coming months.

“Barring an unforeseen change in labor force participation rates or immigration policies, the pool of available workers is set to shrink sharply in the next few years,” says Rob Fox, director of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “The problem will be even more serious in states with slower population growth in the Upper Midwest, Corn Belt and Central Plains.”

Demographic Pressures Mount

Fox says the warning signs have been building for years. Labor force participation has steadily declined, birth rates have dropped and immigration policy has become more restrictive.

Between 2022 and 2024, nearly 9 million immigrants arrived in the U.S., driven by global humanitarian crises and relaxed federal rules. While that influx temporarily eased labor constraints, Fox says it only masked deeper, long-term trends.

U.S. fertility rates have fallen from 2.12 children per woman in 2007 to 1.62 in 2023, meaning fewer young people are entering the workforce just as the last of the baby boomers retire. In addition, labor force participation has slipped from a peak of 67% in 2000 to 62% today. Nearly 2.5 million working-age Americans have left the labor force in the past eight months alone.

“There is no single reason people are stepping away,” Fox explains. “It’s a combination of rising caregiving responsibilities, job skill mismatches, mental health challenges and higher disability rates. These are complex issues that won’t be resolved overnight.”

Shrinking Workforce Hits Agriculture Hard

The effects are already being felt across rural America. Farms, food processors, equipment dealers and cooperatives are struggling to find and keep the workers they need to maintain daily operations. Seasonal labor has become harder to find and full-time positions, especially those requiring specialized skills or long hours, are increasingly difficult to fill.

In regions with slower population growth, such as the upper Midwest and central Plains, the challenge is even more acute. These areas often lack the population inflows that help offset workforce losses elsewhere in the country.

While labor has been tight for several years, Fox warns that conditions are poised to deteriorate further.

“What we are facing is not just a cyclical labor issue; it’s a structural one,” he says.

Border encounters have dropped sharply since August 2024, signaling a steep decline in immigration. Combined with rising political pressure to increase deportations, the agricultural labor pool could shrink even more in the months ahead.

“Immigration has long been a key pillar supporting the rural workforce,” Fox notes. “Without a steady flow of new workers, farms and agribusinesses will have to get creative, either by increasing wages, automating tasks or changing how they manage production.”

Technology Offers a Path Forward

In response, more agricultural businesses are turning to technology to help offset the labor gap.

“The key to addressing labor scarcity always lies in innovation,” Fox says. “AI and robotics are no longer limited to the factory floor. They are increasingly being used in fields, dairies and food plants.”

A recent Gallup poll found that nearly one in five workers already uses artificial intelligence in some form each week. At the same time, the cost of robotics has dropped by nearly half in the past decade, making automation more accessible for a broader range of farms and agribusinesses.

CoBank’s report notes that many farm supply customers are using new tools to increase efficiency, improve decision-making and free up time for employees to focus on higher-value responsibilities.

Planning for What Comes Next

As producers look toward 2026, a combination of labor constraints, volatile input costs and shifting policy landscapes will continue to shape decision-making. Fox thinks adaptability will be essential.

“Technology will be critical to agriculture’s future,” he says. “AI and robotics can help farmers do more with fewer workers, boosting efficiency and margins. But investment decisions must be made carefully, especially in this uncertain economic environment.”

Until clearer policies emerge on trade, labor and energy, rural America will need to prepare for continued pressure.

“This is a pivotal moment,” Fox concludes. “Farms that plan ahead, embrace innovation and stay flexible will be best positioned to succeed.”

Is Food Inflation Heating Up July 4th Grills?

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 17:44:51 GMT

Two industry reports are shining a light on the cost of a July 4^th barbecue.

The economists at Wells Fargo calculate an at-home holiday party for 10 will cost $130. The menu includes chicken breasts, beef sliders, hot dogs, fresh fruit, a vegetable platter, potato salad, corn bread, cake, apple pie, ice cream, beer, wine and soda.

Dr. Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist within Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute, says year-over-year food inflation is 2.2%.

For notable food prices from the July 4^th report, he cites the following:

Ground beef: Up 7.4%
Boneless chicken breasts: Up 1%
Watermelon and strawberries: Down 0.6%
Potatoes: Up 1%
Egg prices: Up 40%
Ice cream (1.5 quart): Up less than 1%

Swanson says beef prices year over year have been running 6% to 8% higher.

“When you talk to somebody who’s a processor or a packer, there’s not a part of the cow that moves independent from the other parts of the cow so it’s all right in that category 6% to 8% on a year over year basis the last couple of months based on CPI,” he says.

He says for cost-savings, chicken offers the greatest opportunities in the protein category.

“When you look at the composite pricing from USDA, it’s right around $2.42 to $2.45 a pound — including everything from wings and breasts,” he says.

As for hot dogs, Swanson says the blend inside the casing will drive the price.

“If you go with the all-beef frankfurters, yes, they’re up substantially. If you look for a sausage or bratwurst that has a blend of pork and beef in it, you’re probably finding a much better bargain. Pork has been pretty flat year over year,” he says.

Swanson says the effects of highly pathogenic avian influenza are still being reflected in higher egg prices for menu items such as deviled eggs and salads.

As for ice cream, Swanson says the increase in cost is being attributed to additional labor expense in production.

“We’re seeing a little bit of inflation in that category, but just very modest. We have a good supply of cream and milk in the country right now. The dairymen are doing wel. So, what that reflects is kind of that cost of transformation,” he says.

Wells Fargo uses NeilsenIQ data for its analysis.

American Farm Bureau Market Basket Survey
Using its annual survey, The American Farm Bureau Federation says this year’s food prices are resulting in the second-highest cost for an at-home July 4^th barbecue since 2013 when the survey began.

“High prices don’t mean more money for farmers, however. Farmers are price takers, not price makers. Their share of the food retail dollar is just 15%. The cost of running their farm is up — from labor and transportation to taxes,” says AFBF associate economist Samantha Ayoub.

Per AFBF, this year’s cost for an Independence Day cookout will cost $70.92 for 10 people. Included in the calculations are cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, potato salad, strawberries and ice cream.

Last year was the highest cost found by the survey at $7.39 per person.

Year-over-year retail price increases in 2025 include:

2 lb. of ground beef: Up 4.4% to $13.33
Pork and beans: Up 20¢ to $2.69
Potato salad: Up 6.6% to $3.54

Notable reductions, compared to 2024, in food prices per the survey were:

3 lb. package of pork chops: Down 8.8% to $14.13
Chips: Down 10¢ to $4.80 a bag
Hamburger buns: Down 2.6% to $2.35

Agriculture in the Bull's-Eye: Raids Reportedly Resume on Farms, Meatpacking Plants

Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:40:22 GMT

After President Donald Trump reportedly ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE ) to pause raids on farms and meatpacking plants last week, new reports say the administration is reversing course again. The on-again, off-again reports regarding ICE raids is sowing confusion for those who rely on immigrant labor and already causing labor shortages due to employees not showing up for work.

There was an update again late Friday, with President Trump saying he’s looking at new immigration policy steps that would allow farms to take responsibility for people they hire.

The Washington Post first reported Monday that ICE officials told leaders representing field offices across the country they must continue to conduct raids at worksite locations, which is a reversal from guidance issued just days earlier.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) wouldn’t confirm the Washington Post’s report, but an agricultural association told Farm Journal the article is accurate based on their discussions with the administration.

Instead, DHS told us this:

“The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbor violent criminals or purposely try to undermine ICE’s efforts,” says DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Worksite enforcement remains a cornerstone of our efforts to safe guard public safety, national security and economic stability. These operations target illegal employment networks that undermine American workers, destabilize labor markets and expose critical infrastructure to exploitation.”

By Friday, there was another update. Reuters reported President Trump said he was looking at immigration policy steps that would allow farms to take responsibility for people they hire.

“We’re looking at doing something where, in the case of good, reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire and let them have responsibility, because we can’t put the farms out of business,” Trump told reporters. “And at the same time we don’t want to hurt people that aren’t criminals.”

According to Farm Journal’s Michelle Rook, the recent ICE raids are already creating absenteeism and labor shortages that could severally disrupt the U.S. food supply. Ag groups are again calling for immigration reform with hopes the issue will finally come to a head.

Ripple Effect of Immigration Crackdown

Joe Del Bosque, owner of Del Bosque Farms in Firebaugh, Calif., is experiencing the rollercoaster with labor, saying the shifting policy strikes fear in farmers and workers.

“There’s so much uncertainty as to what the administration’s going to do,” Del Bosque told Rook on AgriTalk this week.

Del Bosque says the raids on California produce farms are disrupting the harvest of perishable produce.

“They haven’t been really huge sweeps. They’re usually picking up a few people. But it creates a lot of fear, and people don’t show up to work. That’s just as bad as if they were taken away,” he says.

According to an exclusive report by Farm Journal’s The Packer , the ripple effect of Trump’s immigration crackdown on agriculture could be far-reaching — if the administration revives its focus on ag.

Kevin Kelly is the CEO of Emerald Packaging — the largest flexible packaging supplier to the leafy greens industry. Based in Union City, Calif., the company has been in the packaging business for 62 years. Kelly says the immigrant workforce in California is feeling uncertain and afraid.

“We’ve certainly heard folks aren’t turning up to work in the fields, and we’ve seen it in our facility. We verify everybody, so we know everybody in our facility is documented and can legally work in the United States,” Kelly tells Jennifer Strailey, editor of The Packer. “In our case, it’s brothers and sisters being deported, and other family members being afraid. Our employees are staying home to help their family members move, to take care of them or to take them to see an attorney — that kind of thing.”

Dairy operations in several states have also been raided recently. Dairy producers say they rely on immigrant labor to provide a stable year-round work force and to keep the U.S. food supply stable.

“We need these people to take care of our animals so we can produce food. Without animal care, we won’t have milk, cheese, butter — nothing,” Greg Moes, MoDak Dairy in Goodwin, S.D., told Rook.

The recent ICE arrests at Glenn Valley Foods of Omaha, Neb. have also led to absenteeism at meat processing plants.

“At the beginning of the Trump administration, we had this same worry with the crackdown — whether this was going to impact absenteeism and things like that,” says Brad Kooima, Kooima Kooima Varilek in Sioux Center, Iowa. “So, hopefully we can put that in our rearview mirror.”

By the Numbers: A Heavy Reliance on Immigrant Labor
The news this week of the Trump administration putting a pause on raids of farms and meat processors is welcome news for those in agriculture. From dairies and produce farms, to meatpacking plants across the U.S., these sectors rely heavily on immigrant labor.

Immigrant labor makes up a substantial portion of the meat processing workforce, with estimates ranging from 37% to over 50%. However, states like South Dakota and Nebraska have even higher concentrations of immigrant workers in meat processing — reaching 58% and 66%, according to the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute.

And a large portion of U.S. dairy farms rely on immigrant labor, with estimates indicating that over half of all dairy workers are immigrants. Specifically, these workers account for 51% of the total dairy workforce and are responsible for producing 79% of the U.S. milk supply.

Farmworker Justice estimates 70% of the produce industry’s farmworkers are immigrants. USDA’s estimates are lower — closer to 60%.

Food Inflation, Threatened Tariffs: What Is The Effect On Super Bowl Snack Tables?

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 21:08:40 GMT

Whether it’s chicken wings (up 7%) or vegetables for the snack tray (broccoli is down 7%), Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute Economist Dr. Michael Swanson says consumers shouldn’t expect every snack food category to increase their budget for a traditional Super Bowl party. And he doesn’t think President Trump’s latest trade talks with Mexico, Canada and China will have a direct, immediate effect at the grocery store by Sunday’s big game.

“It’s unlikely that changes in tariffs will impact prices headed into the Super Bowl, however, we’ll see how it plays out in the coming weeks. This is certainly the year for consumers to stay food fluent,” Swanson says.

For the past four years, he’s led the team at Wells Fargo to look at popular categories for game day watch parties and analyze the pricing trends. His research aims to help consumers stay “food fluent” to find alternatives, substitutions and bargains when they can.

“We started in 2021 when we saw the first spike in food inflation. And the past three years, everything has been up—it was a question of how much a category was up that year,” Swanson says. “But for 2025, some categories are up, and some are not. Some are way up; and some are way down.”

Swanson says it’s demand keeping prices elevated—not supply.

“Take chicken wings. Did the avian influenza knock out the chicken wings? The answer is, no, it didn’t–it was mainly the egg laying flocks. We have almost more chicken wings than we did last year, but prices are up 7%. Why? It’s consumer demand,” he says.

For dairy products, the Super Bowl is one of the top three demand events.

“Between the nachos, pizzas and sundry cheese-based snacks, the industry knows that and prepares well in advance making sure all the fans have what they need,” he says. “Dairy as a category was up 1.3% from a year ago, but it has been a relatively flat pricing environment for the last 18 months. Consumers and producers have found a good balance overall.

Specific to ongoing trade developments and tariffs discussions, Swanson says the dairy industry is staying keenly aware.

“Exports are a key element for balancing U.S. dairy production and demand. The industry is preparing to see what happens with key markets like Mexico and Canada in the near term,” he says.

He says the same could play out for avocados, which is notable given the tariff discussions on Mexico—our No. 1 source country for avocados.

“The question is, is the supply substitutable. With avocados, we’re seeing a push to grow more in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia,” he says.

While longer-term supplies may be diversified, it takes years for trees to bear fruit. And for now, per the Wells Fargo Super Bowl Report, avocado prices are up over 11%.
Two other vegetables up year-over-year are red bell peppers (up 7.4%) and prepared carrots (up 3.4%)

So what categories went down in year-to-year pricing?

Notably, some vegetables are down including celery (down 8.4), broccoli (down 7.2%) and cauliflower (down 3.8%).

A more robust supply of potatoes has yielded a decline in potato chips prices, which are 5.1% lower. Also when it comes to overall pre-packaged foods, the container prices have come down, so increases in transport costs aren’t being passed along to the consumer as they have been in the past.

If you’re looking for a “bargain” Swanson points to store brand frozen pizzas.

“Some of those carbohydrate-based components are down through competition. Something like frozen pizzas, for example are down from a year ago. And especially you look at those store Brand pizzas are way down. They’re down about 8% versus just 2% for the national brand. So if you really want to save money, competition is your friend.”
As for protein, the biggest price decline has been in shrimp with a 4% lower price this year than last.

Retail beef prices remain elevated.

“It’s not that we have poor supply of beef. We’re doing some interesting dynamics right now, exporting a little bit less, importing, a little bit more, putting more pounds on those cows,” Swanson says. “We have a decent supply of beef, but the price is still up 3.5% to 4% as a category from a year ago. The consumers love it, and they’re going to pay for it.”

His advice overall in this food economic environment is to stay a smart shopper.

“We’re entering a competitive situation right now–we’re seeing things go up and things go down. If a product matters to you, get out the on the web, shop a couple of stores, because one of the things we do find is promotions are back in the game.”

Michigan Producers Find Success With Pasture-Raised Pork

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:29:33 GMT

For Nate and LouAnn Robinson, raising animals isn’t just a job.

“I love pigs, so you have to have passion wherever you farm,” says Nate Robinson, a farmer in Cass County, Mich., selling pasture-raised pork through their business, Jake’s Country Meats . He and his wife LouAnn have seen lots of changes since they started farming in the 1970s.

“Over time, things got bigger, and we didn’t,” says LouAnn. “We had a hard time competing outside with the direction that hog farming was taking at that time.”

She says they didn’t want to give up pasture-raised pork. That’s when they were approached about transitioning to antibiotic-free and decided to do it.

“It seems our herd health now is the best it’s ever been, and we administer no antibiotics for the last, I want to say, 10 years,” she says.

The move to antibiotic-free also forced the family to downsize their operation. “Your management is key if you’re antibiotic-free,” LouAnn says.

She says they found their size, but then the Robinsons also needed to find their customers. “We didn’t even know we had anything unique out here,” Nate says. “Finally someone said, ‘You know, we really like the taste of your pork, and we like how you’re doing things.’”

So, the family tried their hand at local farmers’ markets and found success. “We went from selling part of our herd to selling 100% of our herd through our customer base, without having to go out on the open market with any of our animals,” says LouAnn.

Big City Success for Backyard Business

In the last five years, demand for their product has skyrocketed and their backyard business now sends pork to customers in Chicago and Detroit. “I didn’t think it would grow this quickly,” admits Nate.

He and LouAnn say the thing that keeps customers coming back is the taste of their pork.

“It was good-tasting. It was fattier, but it had a lot of flavor, and people could identify with that,” says LouAnn. “A lot of people say, ‘This is the way pork used to taste.’”

The farm even tailors its products to Chicago flavors. “These are small ones,” explains LouAnn, while showing off a ham. “These go really well in Chicago. Smaller is better.”

Want more video news? Watch it on U.S. Farm Report.

Such success has brought challenges as well.

“We just don’t have enough bacon,” explains Nate. “We have another farmer in Missouri that designs our boars to give us a little bit more bacon on that belly.”

Easter Demand, Grilling Season

Bacon is a mainstay year-round, but during holidays, like Easter, it’s hams that fly off their truck. The National Pork Board says Easter ranks as the second biggest day for ham consumption, trailing Christmas. Since some cultures don’t want traditional hams, the Robinsons are venturing out to meet those food preferences, as well.

“What they said to us was ‘We want a unique ham,’ says Nate. “So, we had to go to a no-nitrate added ham, because they didn’t want that sodium nitrate. So, through trial and error, we’ve hit a home run with it.”

Hams are in high demand now, but in a month, it will switch to the items people can put on the grill. While the Robinsons can’t always keep up with the surge in demand, conventional pork producers are facing near-record pork supplies in cold storage.

“It’s a wet blanket,” says Pro Farmer Editor Brian Grete. “A lot of poultry, a lot of pork, a lot of beef, but what we’ve seen is pork has fared the best of those three and is kind of winning at the meat case, at this point. We’ll see how that transitions as we move into grilling season here.”

Grete says the good news is China could start buying more U.S. pork to help chew through some of that hefty supply, and that boost in demand could help pork prices in the coming months.

“I think we’ve seen the bulk of the run-up here in these spring and summer month contracts,” explains Grete. “I do think that maybe we have a little bit more, but you have to hedge when you have an opportunity to lock in profits, and for almost every single hog producer out there right now, prices are at a profitable level.”

Hog prices rose to a 9-month high and pork bellies are seeing double-digit gains in a matter of months.

Sustainable Pricing

For the Robinsons, the supply and demand situation doesn’t matter: Their prices for their pasture-raised pork stay the same. “We do not go by the open market price at all,” says LouAnn. “We know what our costs are, we set our price, and therefore, our customer isn’t always on this roller coaster with pricing.”

She says they call it their sustainability factor; pork is priced based on what it takes to keep this family farm profitable. But what keeps this family going?

“It’s the desire for the next generation to continue on,” says Nate.

And with the seventh generation already on the farm, and the eighth by their dad’s side, the Robinsons want to fuel a passion that lasts for eight more generations to come.

It’s About Putting a Face to Agriculture and Having a Dialogue

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:43:29 GMT

“It’s about having a dialogue, not just telling a story,” said Cameron Bruett, chief sustainability officer and head of corporate affairs for JBS USA, Inc. at the 2015 Animal Agriculture Alliance Stakeholders Summit. “We have this huge modern disconnect with agriculture; most of the consumers’ interaction with agriculture is the grocery store.”

A disconnect with consumers was a common talking point for all of the first-day Summit speakers noting that the agriculture industry has a great story to tell, but there is a lack of engagement with the audience that couldn’t survive without the farmers and producers. When there is no dialogue and engagement, consumers’ perceptions about our food supply will hinder the move towards a more sustainable and efficient future for everyone.

Another overarching topic was defining what sustainability actually means. “Sustainability means something different for whoever is talking about it,” Bruett said.

“Simply defined, sustainability is responsibility meeting the needs of the present while improving the ability of future generations to responsibly meet their own needs,” Bruett said. He added that it’s more about finding a balance between three things: social responsibility, economically viable and environmentally sound.

John Graettinger, director of food chain affairs at Merck Animal Health discussed the topic of consumer trust on a panel alongside Mandy Hagan, vice president of state of affairs at Grocery Manufactures Association.

“We need to show our face because people like people,” Graettinger said. “If you put that face on our production facilities, we are going to go far.”

Hagan followed by introducing the notion that the agricultural industry needs to make the conversation about the consumers and show how agriculture benefits them, not just the companies, especially when talking about technology in agriculture. Hagan gave the example of GM crops and how adding vitamin A to a developing world’s staple food could save lives.

“Our side of the story is much more complicated,” Hagan said. “If it’s a benefit for the consumer then the dialogue will change. I don’t think it’s too late.”

To close out the first day, two bloggers from the Alliance’s blogger tour took the stage and shared their personal experiences as well as how their new role in the industry can have a positive impact for farmers and consumers.

Ilina Ewen, writer for the blog Dirt & Noise, said that the experience for her was very “eye-opening” and said the agriculture is really about family, people and culture. “Food in this country is something we take for granted and [the tour] made me value our food system,” Ewen said. “The passion that is demonstrated in ag is unparalleled to any other industry.”

Lisa Frame, writer for the blog A Daily Pinch, shared that she came from a farming family and that agriculture is really about “becoming part of a family” and that her experience made her and Ewen a part of the family. “We are vested in your fishbowl now,” Frame said.

Source: Animal Agriculture Alliance

Anaerobic Digester Generates Energy, Reduces Odors

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:27:38 GMT

A flame flares from a torch near a greenhouse. It’s not there for light; it’s biogas from the anaerobic digester within the greenhouse.

The University of Missouri has built a small-scale anaerobic digestion system to produce biogas from pig manure.

“What we want to do is improve and fully utilize all the biogas for energy production,” says Teng Lim, MU associate extension professor of agricultural systems management. The burning torch is part of a system to flare off excess biogas.

Funded by the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, the anaerobic digester consists of three tanks. Manure from the hog barn is stored and mixed in one tank. The other two tanks are where the anaerobic digestion takes place. Bacteria break down the manure in these warm and oxygen-free tanks, creating biogas.

Biogas from manure can be used to generate electricity and heat water. With some further treatment, it can also be stored as a compressed natural gas for heating or even vehicle fuel.

Lim says a larger digester could supply a farm’s energy needs and even provide power to be sold to the grid to provide electricity to the community.

The digested manure is a good fertilizer, and the process produces significantly less odor than traditional means of dealing with pig manure.

“There is still going to be odor,” Lim says, “but it’s going to be much lower and with less fluctuation than the raw manure.”

Lim says industry leaders and scientists believe anaerobic digesters will play a major role on farms in the future, both to mitigate odor and to generate renewable energy. But the price tag is a major obstacle. In a commercial setting, the digester would be 100 times larger than the one at the MU swine farm. The cost can run hundreds of thousands dollars. Currently, fewer than 20 hog farms in the U.S. have anaerobic digesters.

MU researchers are using the scaled-down digester to find ways to make digesters more affordable and easier to manage. The team has been working closely with industry experts from Martin Machinery, a Missouri company that specializes in biogas generators and control systems. They are also using it as an education tool to show producers the potential and what it takes to process the manure, and to train people how to properly run systems like this.

Source: University of Missouri

China to Treat More Animal Waste to Help Clear Rural Pollution

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 03:30:48 GMT

China plans to treat more waste from livestock breeding to improve its rural environment and reduce agriculture pollution in the world’s top pork producer.

Pollution from the country’s livestock breeding is becoming an “outstanding issue” after years of steady development of the sector to ensure meat, eggs and dairy supply, according to a summary of remarks by Vice Premier Wang Yang at a conference on Tuesday. China will increase treatment of animal wastes, encourage more use of bio-gas in the countryside and expand large-size scale farms which are able to treat the waste, he said.

China is tackling soil pollution as part of its nationwide agriculture reforms, with its top legislative body considering tougher penalties for those who pollute water and prohibiting the building of homes or schools in areas with contaminated soil. The country has dealt with problems including cases where crops have been grown in areas contaminated with cadmium. China has more than half of the world’s pigs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farmers favor using chemical fertilizers, which save time and costs, over organic fertilizer, Yu Kangzhen, vice agriculture minister, told a press conference on June 14. That’s seen about 40 percent of China’s 3.8 billion tons of annual animal waste left untreated and unutilized, he said. China is aiming to increase the use of animal waste as fertilizer for fruit, tea and vegetables by as much as 50 percent by 2020.

Some local governments are closing down more pig farms or banning breeding due to pollution concerns, which may threaten supply, said Yu. China’s central government will offer financial support to 500 counties and 200,000 large farms for waste treatment facilities, he said.

Mighty Earth Attacks Crop Farmers to Advance Anti-Meat Agenda

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:48:49 GMT

A report last week from Mighty Earth , a campaign of the Center for International Policy , took a break from criticizing farmers and ranchers that raise livestock for meat, and instead turned their attention to the meat companies and feed suppliers (ie. crop farmers), asking them to provide “pollution-free” feed.

In “ Mystery Meat II: The Industry Behind the Quiet Destruction of the American Heartland, ” Mighty Earth says “Demand for feed crops is driving widespread water contamination across the country, destroying America’s last native prairies, and releasing potent greenhouse gases.” The report claims excess fertilizer and manure washes off fields, contaminating local drinking water and creating algae blooms that cause Dead Zones in the Gulf of Mexico.

While the agricultural industry does have an impact on these issues (see here and here ), the report does little to quantify agriculture’s contribution to the problem versus other industries.

The article calls out Tyson Foods, charging “America’s largest meat company” is in the “regions suffering the worst environmental impacts from industrial meat and feed production—from grassland clearing in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, to manure and fertilizer pollution pouring into waterways from the Heartland down to the Gulf states.”

In a written statement to Farm Journal Media, Tyson responded “We share this group’s concern about the environment but disagree with its misleading characterization of our company. Tyson Foods is not in the business of raising the crops and we own very few livestock farms. Instead, we depend on thousands of independent farmers to raise our chickens or sell us their cattle or hogs. We work closely with our partners from farm-to-fork to identify and deploy new technologies designed to better protect the environment, our workforce, and the communities we serve.”

In an article by the Des Moines Register, Mark Peterson, a farmer near Stanton who has reviewed the report, said it may be impossible to produce “pollution-free feed.” … But farmers can adopt conservation practices — such as no-till or conservation tillage, cover crops, buffers and grass waterways — that reduce nutrient losses.

The negative characterizations of the agriculture industry in the report is a long list. However, it failed to include the fact that crop and livestock production is regulated and monitored by USDA’s Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency. Nor did it mention that many farmers and ranchers participate in quality assurance programs to document animal health and environmentally friendly practices. Tyson discloses its environmental efforts on its website.

Livestock feed is just one use of grain products grown in the U.S. In this chart from USDA, shows the growing market for biofuels, as well as consumer food and industrial uses. Source: USDA

Food Inflation Makes Your Super Bowl Party Cost More

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:14:16 GMT

The economists at Wells Fargo, led by Dr. Michael Swanson, have some insights on how this year’s snacks for the Super Bowl are reflecting the trend of food inflation.

“Food inflation is a hot topic,” Swanson says noting that overall prices in the category are running at 6% higher than a year ago, whereas typically year-to-year food inflation is 1%.

The economists pulled data from USDA, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nielsen data at the supermarkets, and insights from the bigger team at Wells Fargo.

Broadly, the categories more dependent on packaging and general logistical resources show the highest increases comparing at-store prices this year to last year.

By category here are some key takeaways from their findings:

Chips are only up 1%.

“We’re a great potato growing country, and so we have a good supply of potatoes this year. The chip manufacturers are very efficient at turning them into potato chips. And so even though they’ve had challenges with their packaging and their labor and their freight, they’ve kind of kept a lid on the potato chip and chip prices,” Swanson says.

Two popular dips, two different stories.

Guacamole is only up 1%.

“Avocados and guacamole have become really popular. Most people should know but maybe they don’t that most of our avocado is coming from Mexico and Peru. And we’ve seen a lot of expansion down there. They’ve found it profitable to grow avocados and turn them into guacamole,” he says. Salsa is up 6%.

“It wasn’t so much in the tomato and chilies, but it’s the packaging and labor and transportation that caught up with salsa prices,” Swanson says.

Go for bulk packaged vegetables

Swanson shares as a category you can evaluate vegetables as either bulk goods or the pre-package convenience options. He shares to save a bit on the inflationary costs, go with bulk carrots and celery and wash and chop them yourself so you are only exposed to 2 to 3% higher prices. He says the packaged salads and other such products are seeing higher cost increases.

Proteins are more expensive—some showing double digit higher prices

“We’ve seen almost every protein jump up,” Swanson says. “This is where we’re starting to see some double digit, you know, between 15 and 25% type increases depending on what protein and cut you’re talking about. So far pork has really been the bargain, in terms of increases. You can still find some really good values in the pork category,” he says.

And popularity has propelled one poultry product very high.

Wells Fargo economists quote USDA data showing prepared chicken wings are up 14% to 26% (bone-in and boneless respectively). The IQF (individually quick frozen) chickens are up 26%. So IQF wings are $3.57 per pound, and $7.24 per pound is the average for prepared wings.

Double dip on cheese, perhaps

“The American dairy complex and American dairy producers have really stepped up,” Swanson says. “We’re actually seeing about a 7% decline as a cheddar cheese from a year ago. Dairy is a category where it’s actually helping control the budget, without any runaway inflation.”

Some beverage categories quench your thirst with less inflation

(Farm Journal)

Swanson’s team evaluated the costs of soft drinks, beer and wine. The report shows how packaging and logistics have swelled soft drink prices by 14%. However, market dynamics have kept beer and wine inflation more in check. He says beer prices have only increased 4%--mostly due to diversification in the market with more craft breweries in production. Wine prices are up only 3% thanks to a global market supply of products from Australia, Chile, South Africa and Europe.

Looking for Easter Recipe Inspiration? Farm Journal Editors Share Family Favorites

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 19:36:06 GMT

We live hours away from family, so we often don’t spend many holidays at our own home. Admittedly this has its advantages and disadvantages, but mostly advantages. One of the big ones: You get to pop into other people’s kitchens and help make some of your favorite dishes, but the responsibility isn’t all on you to figure out.

This year, we’ll be spending Easter at home. My sister’s family is coming to visit because our busy school-aged kids have a few open days where their schedules are free at the same time.

(Farm Journal)

Last night it hit me that I should probably figure out my menu. Fortunately for this family, it’s not hard to figure out what our main dish will be – ham paired with Grandma Doc’s Mustard Ring.

As yummy as ham and mustard ring are on Easter, I knew I needed a few more ideas so I decided to check in with my colleagues at Farm Journal to find out some of their favorite recipes for Easter. Here are a few of their favorites in case time is slipping by for any of you serving up a meal for the family this Easter.

Grandma Doc’s Mustard Ring

Recommended by Jennifer Shike, Editor of Farm Journal’s PORK

Step one – fix ham. Smoke it, grill it or bake it in the oven. Fix it however you like best and then try this delicious garnish to complement the best meat ever.

Ingredients:
4 well beaten eggs
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. dry mustard
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 envelope plain gelatin
2 tbsp. cold water
½ cup whipping cream

Directions:
1. Combine beaten eggs, sugar, salt, mustard, vinegar and 1/3 cup water in top of double boiler.
2. Dissolve gelatin in the 2 T. cold water, add to egg mixture and cook over hot water until thick and creamy, stirring constantly.
3. Cool.
4. Whip cream and fold into cooled mixture and pour into well-oiled ring (or I just put it in a glass dish).
5. Refrigerate until firm.

Source: Shike Family Cookbook

Best Baked Beans Ever

Recommended by Sara Schafer, Editor of Top Producer

Sara Schafer, editor of Top Producer, says she plans to make these amazing baked beans by The Pioneer Woman. The reason they are so amazing? “It’s simple – bacon,” Schafer says.

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon, halved
1 medium onion, cut into small dice
½ medium green pepper, cut into small dice
3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup distilled or cider vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard or 2 tbsp. Dijon

Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
3. Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Add beans and remaining ingredients bring to a simmer. (If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients).
5. Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan. Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

Source: T he Pioneer Woman

Cracker Barrel’s Hashbrowns Casserole – Copycat

Recommended by Margy Eckelkamp, Editor of The Scoop

Margy Eckelkamp, editor of The Scoop, says hashbrowns casserole is one of her favorite dishes to serve on Easter. “It’s just a tried-and-true favorite,” Eckelkamp says. “Now, this may be controversial, but I don’t like corn flakes on hashbrown casserole – so this recipe is a great way to avoid putting cereal on casserole.”

Ingredients:
2 lb. frozen hash browns
1⁄2 cup margarine or 1/2 c. butter, melted
1 (10 1/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1⁄2 cup onion, peeled and chopped
2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt
1⁄4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 11 x 14 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix the above ingredients together, place in prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until brown on top.

Source: Food.com

Triple-Layer Chocolate Cake

Recommended by Karen Bohnert, Editor of Dairy Herd Management and MILK

“When I tie my apron around my waist, I always find my smile stretching a bit wider, as I think of my late mother, who spent uncountable hours in her farmhouse kitchen, cooking for family and friends. Whenever we had a farmer picnic, family event or holiday, my mother would make her famous chocolate cake,” Bohnert says.

Ingredients:
For the Cake
Softened butter, for the baking pans
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

For the Filling
2 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 T. vanilla extract

For the Frosting
3/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. heavy cream
4 T. butter
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:
1. For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round nonstick cake pans and line the bottoms with waxed paper.
2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until well blended.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the cooled cocoa mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions. Beat until thoroughly mixed.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the centers of the cakes comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire racks. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the pans and gently peel the waxed paper. Let cool completely.
6. For the filling, beat together the powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract until smooth and spreadable. Set aside.
7. For the frosting, combine the chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until melted. Gradually add the powdered sugar and whisk thoroughly. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a large bowl that is partially filled with ice and cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally while cooling to prevent the frosting from becoming too stiff.
8. To assemble the cake, place a layer on a serving plate. (Use a serrated knife to trim the cake layers to a level surface if necessary.) Spread with half of the filling. Add the second layer and spread with the remaining filling. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the cooled frosting on the top and sides of the cake.
9. Serve immediately or cover the cake with a large bowl or cake keeper and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let the cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Source: The Dairy Good Cookbook: Everyday Comfort Foods from America’s Dairy Farm Families

Carrot Cake

Recommended by Margy Eckelkamp, Editor of The Scoop

This carrot cake has been a family favorite for years, Eckelkamp says.

“One year, my sister-in-law and I were making the carrot cake together, and it stuck to the pans,” she recalls. “We glued it back together with icing, and honestly, it looked a bit rough. So, we put it in the fridge on Saturday and then Sunday after church, we took it out of the fridge and it looked perfect. We called it the resurrection cake!”

Ingredients:
2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 ¼ cup oil
4 eggs
½ cup pecans
3 cup grated carrots

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease and flour pans (not Pam! Use Crisco and lots of flour as it sticks easily)
3. Mix dry ingredients in order given. Add oil and eggs and beat until smooth. Add carrots and nuts. Mix well.
4. Bake 30 minutes.
5. Makes three 9-inch layers.

Frosting
Ingredients:
1 8-oz. cream cheese
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick oleo
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans

Directions:
1. Mix together.
2. Spread on cake.

Source: Eckelkamp family recipe

BONUS: What Should You Do with Leftover Ham? Try This

Ham, Cheese, and Potato Casserole

Recommended by Karen Bohnert, Editor of Dairy Herd Management and MILK

“This is a very easy left-over dish. Every time we eat ham, my husband gets excited because he knows I’ll use leftovers to make my mother’s delicious ham, potato and cheese casserole. It’s a crowd favorite around our table,” Bohnert says.

Ingredients:
3-4 cups chopped, cooked ham
5 potatoes, cooked and cut up into bite size
Cheese sauce

Directions:
1. Make cheese sauce.
Melt 3 tsp. flour and 3 tsp. butter and once the rue is made, slowly add 1 ½ c. of milk. Let it thicken up, stirring occasionally. Add 2 cups of shredded cheese of your liking (I personally like Cheddar).
2. Pour mixture over ham/potatoes.
3. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Source: Karen Bohnert

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Most People Think They Eat Healthier Than They Do

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:47:31 GMT

You are what you “think” you eat. A new study says that may not be a good thing for most Americans.

According to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, people are usually wrong when ranking how well they eat, particularly when they think their diet is healthy.

USDA and University of Central Arkansas researchers looked at data from 9,757 American adults who were asked to complete a food survey and rate their diet on a scale from “poor” to “excellent.”

The researchers wanted to find out whether a single, simple question could be used as a screening tool for nutrition studies — to replace or complement the detailed dietary questionnaires commonly used in nutrition research, the American Society for Nutrition reports. Previous studies have found that self-rated health is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality, but there is scant research on whether self-rated diet quality is predictive of the actual quality of one’s diet.

Researchers then evaluated participants’ eating habits and graded them (from A to F) based on the Healthy Eating Index which assigns points for eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein. It also gives points for avoiding processed foods, refined grains and sugar and saturated fat.

Results showed that 85% of participants inaccurately rated their own diet, almost all of them by ranking it as healthier than it really was, the American Society for Nutrition reports.

Lead author of the study Jessica Thomson, a research epidemiologist with USDA, said most adults overrate the quality of their diet, sometimes to a substantial degree.

Meanwhile, 71% of participants ranked their diet as good, very good or excellent. However, only 12% of the participants’ diets ranked that highly in terms of “healthy eating.” The study showed 70% of the participants’ diets were given an F, but only 6% of people self-assessed their diet as such.

What’s Missing?

Researchers said the difference between the ideal healthy diet and what people were actually eating was typically a lack of whole grains, greens, legumes, seafood and plant-based protein, and too much sodium and saturated fat.

But what they were getting right was the importance of protein.

Further research could shed light into what factors people consider when asked to assess their diet quality, Thomson said.

“It’s difficult for us to say whether U.S. adults lack an accurate understanding of the components of a healthful versus unhealthful diet or whether adults perceive the healthfulness of their diet as they wish it to be—that is, higher in quality than it actually is,” Thomson said in a release. “Until we have a better understanding of what individuals consider when assessing the healthfulness of their diet, it will be difficult to determine what knowledge and skills are necessary to improve self-assessment or perception of one’s diet quality.”

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

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Your Fourth of July Picnic Could be 11% More Expensive

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:26:31 GMT

The grill is going to burn a bit hotter this year with overall protein prices up 12 to 15%. That according to the Wells Fargo July Fourth Food Inflation Report, which analyzed popular food categories for the American holiday and showed an overall 11% increase in food costs.

Karol Flynn, an industry advisor with Wells Fargo Food and Agribusiness, says if consumers want to stick to traditional burgers and hot dogs, look for frozen options, which may be lower cost than fresh meats. Also, comparatively, pork remains a value. Flynn gives the example of pork chops, which have only seen an average retail price increase of 3.1%.

Hot dog prices have increased 12%--with poultry based products increasing even more.

Additionally, chicken wing retail prices are up 34% and chicken breasts retail prices are up 24%.
For folks looking to go outside the box on their grill, Flynn offers shrimp as an option.

“There’s a unique situation with shrimp because demand was cut way back during COVID and the restaurant slow down. Also, most shrimp is imported, and with these currency valuation changes, it favors some imports,” she says.

Bread products and buns have also seen increased retail prices up 10% this year. Flynn notes this is a ripple effect from the war in Ukraine and its effect on the global wheat market.

The report’s analysis shows hosting a party of ten for the fourth of July holiday could cost 11% more in 2022 than it would have last year.

Other report highlights:

Retail produce is up 7% year-over-year
- Tomatoes are only up 1%
- Avocados are up 24%, but California production should be increasing overall supply in the near-term
- Lemons are up 9%
Ice cream is up 6%
Sherbet, gelato and popsicles are down 4.5%
Soda is up 13%
Beer is up 25%

Hear the full interview with Flynn from AgriTalk:

The Generational Divide Shows in our Food System, Too

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 12:00:42 GMT

By Elizabeth K. Gardner, Purdue University

Gen Z households are struggling more to put food on the table compared to those of Millennials, Gen X and Boomers, according to the Consumer Food Insights Report .

Thirty percent of Gen Z households report seeking groceries from a food pantry, church or other charity in the last 30 days, compared to 8% of Boomer households, it showed.

The survey-based report out of Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability assesses food security and spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies and trust in information sources.

In addition to the monthly survey, the team analyzed how responses differed between respondents of different age groups. The team studied survey data from January to June of 2022 and divided respondents into the age groups of Gen Z (those born after 1996), Millennials (those born from 1981-1996), Gen X (those born from 1965-1980) and Boomers+ (those born before 1965). The results showed differences in food security, beliefs about their food and food system, shopping habits, policy support and in what information sources they trust.

“Since January, around 30% of Gen Z adults have experienced or are experiencing food insecurity, compared to around 19% of Millennial and Gen X adults and 7% of Boomers,” said Jayson Lusk, the head and distinguished professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, who leads the center. “Those who are younger tend to have lower incomes, so the results aren’t necessarily surprising, but we need to pay attention to it. Food inflation is outpacing salary growth, and it hits those with the lowest incomes the hardest.”

Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S.

Additional key results include:
• 16% of all households are food insecure.
• Most consumers are worried about the impacts of the war in Ukraine on food supplies.
• Food demand and happiness continue to be price insensitive.
• Trust in the FDA dropped more than 20% from last month.
• A Sustainable Food Purchasing (SFP) Index of 70/100.

The survey results show consumers clearly follow current events, Lusk said. Seventy percent of respondents are worried about the Russia-Ukraine war affecting global food supplies, and 58% said the war had impacted the price or availability of their food.

The continuing drop in trust of the Food and Drug Administration also correlates with its recent involvement in controversies, he said.

It is interesting that the rapid rise of food prices does not seem to have yet changed how Americans think or feel about their food, as food satisfaction measures remain strong, said Sam Polzin, a food and agriculture survey scientist for the center and co-author of the report.

“Official government estimates show food prices, like gas prices, dramatically rising over the past year, though not quite as sharply as gas,” Polzin said. “However, consumers report being extremely dissatisfied with gas affordability but feeling neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with food affordability. Perhaps this says more about the unique power gas prices have on the American psyche.”

The Sustainable Food Purchasing Index offers insight into how sustainability and health relate to consumer behaviors. It is a self-reported assessment of how consumer shopping habits correspond with healthy diets from sustainable food systems. The June score was the highest of the survey to date but remains broadly consistent, Polzin said. Millennials scored the highest on the environment, social and nutrition indicators, while consumers in the Boomers+ group scored higher on the taste, economic and security indicators.

Lusk further discusses the report in his blog .

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Congress Can't Ignore the Mental Health Crisis Anymore, Costa Says

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 22:18:51 GMT

More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults live with a mental illness. U.S. Representative Jim Costa (D-CA) says Congress cannot ignore the mental health crisis in America anymore.

Costa, along with Representatives Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Mike Bost (R-IL), and Zach Nunn (R-IA), introduced the bipartisan Farmers First Act , which would expand and improve behavioral health services in rural communities and connect those in times of crisis with trained medical professionals to receive the personalized care that they need.

“Rural farming communities have limited or no access to mental health services – making it difficult for farmers, farmworkers and their families to get the support they need,” Costa said in a release .

The bill is designed to expand vital, life-saving mental health services across rural America.

“Our farmers and producers are the backbone of our nation’s economy; and their job isn’t easy. It’s a stressful business where livelihoods can be impacted by outside – and sometimes uncontrollable – factors, like market conditions, financial pressures and the weather,” Bost said in a release . “It’s important that they have somewhere to turn in times of need. I’m proud to help lead this legislation to expand access to mental health services for our hardworking Americans in rural communities. They need to know they are not alone, and that help is available.”

The Farmers First Act would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) and ensure rural communities have access to certified community behavioral health clinics, critical access hospitals and rural health centers.

“Farmers and farm workers are some of the toughest, hardest working people I know, but farming is a uniquely stressful job and we’ve got to get them the support they need,” Craig said. “I’m working across the aisle to ensure that farmers and rural Americans know that there are resources available to them to help deal with stress and mental health challenges.”

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Some Consumers May Pay More for Sustainable Food

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:34:29 GMT

Source: American Meat Institute

While more than half of respondents (57%) in a recent Mintel survey say they willing to pay more for local and sustainable fare, the majority of those are only willing to pay a mere 1-5% more. Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence.

“Green and sustainable attributes pale in comparison to the leading restaurant decision drivers of menu selection, prices and convenient location,” notes Eric Giandelone, foodservice director at Mintel. “However, these initiatives support the leading attributes to help a restaurant stand apart and will become more important as the green movement continues to progress.”

When deciding where to eat, 74% of patrons based their decision on menu selection followed by pricing and convenient location at 69% and 67%, respectively. Local/organic ingredients and sustainable ingredients lagged severely behind with only 7% of people saying that drove them to a restaurant.

When Mintel respondents were asked to rate their top three corporate responsibility (CSR) initiatives, they named living wages, local ingredients and company-provided medical insurance.

Inflation squeezing food banks and people in need

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 14:21:38 GMT

High food costs are putting an unprecedented squeeze on consumers with limited income and the food banks that serve them.

U.S. food inflation numbers in June reflected grocery prices that were 12% above year-ago levels, the largest yearly jump since April 1979.

Demand for food assistance is way up this year, too, says Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks, Columbus.

“I’ve been doing this work for nearly 30 years now and I’ve been through economic cycles, and I’ve been through some pretty horrid weather conditions,” she said. “But I’ve never seen anything like this, ever.”

In the months of April and May this year, the 12 Ohio food banks and related charities served 1.77 million people, up 26% compared with the 1.41 million served for the same period a year ago.

”I have to believe, based on what I’m seeing, that [assistance numbers] are likely to go up once I get those June numbers,” Hamler-Fugitt said in mid-July. “I would not be at all surprised if that doesn’t jump by another 5% to 10%.”

Part of the reason for the expected increase in need is because April and May numbers were reflective of a period when students were still in school and receiving school meals.

“Once schools recess for the summer months, we have traditionally seen our numbers go up,” she said. What’s more, Hamler-Fugitt said, 30 of Ohio’s 88 counties do not offer the Summer Food Service Program for children, a program that serves free healthy meals and snacks to children and teens in low-income areas.

“We have seen a marked increase in the number of households with children that are turning to us,” she said.

Trying times for seniors

Another “frightening” trend, she said, is an increase in the number of consumers over 60 turning to food banks.

“I just had a food bank respond that, in their latest distribution, they were quite concerned about the number of seniors over the age of 80,” she said. Hamler-Fugitt said seniors are the “canary in the coal mine” for food banks.

“When we see seniors showing up in these kinds of numbers, that gives us pause, because seniors tend to be the last people that join the line because they don’t understand the nature of how our food distribution works,” she said, adding that seniors also tell food banks they try every coping strategy that they can before turning to food banks because they don’t want to take food away from children.

Many seniors in need have low fixed incomes, she said, without pensions or well-funded 401(k) retirement accounts or other supplemental sources of retirement income. Instead, they are attempting to live on Social Security, which Hamler-Fugitt estimated may provide 40% or less of basic needs.

Despite low incomes, many are not participating in other programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

About half of the people who turn to Ohio food banks are not poor enough to qualify for SNAP because they are slightly over income requirements, she said. Seniors in need also often lack a support network, such as family, children or grandchildren.

Without the ability to feed themselves well, seniors may face an inevitable and unwanted path to nursing homes, an outcome which can cost the state of Ohio $65,000 per year per individual, Hamler-Fugitt said.

The lack of senior support in communities is critical and food is the No. 1 issue, she said. Affordable housing, high utility and fuel costs, and costly prescription medication also weigh on older Americans.

“Seniors were already making tradeoffs between food and medicine and food and other basic needs,” she said, and escalating inflation in 2022 has made those choices even tougher.

Hamler-Fugitt said the West Ohio Food Bank, serving 10 rural areas, recently saw 80% of the 200 seniors who came to the food bank for assistance were first-time recipients of food assistance.

A big drop in the donation bucket

Food banks are hurting from a big drop in USDA-sourced food boxes , she said.

Beyond government programs that support food banks, Hamler-Fugitt said industry donations are down because of inflated input costs and markets.

“I know our vegetable growers, and they not going to overproduce when they have got this kind of increase in their input costs,” she said. “When producers have strong markets because of supply chain issues, then [they] are going to sell to those first-line markets first.”

Growers donate when they have a surplus, but lately, that hasn’t happened as often. Donations from farmers, growers and commodity producers, retailers, and other community sources have previously accounted for between 50% to 60% of all the food distributed by food banks, but Hamler-Fugitt said that percentage is declining rapidly.

Ohio food banks benefit from a state-operated agriculture clearance program that can reimburse growers a portion of their picking, packing, processing or production costs. That program yields about 40 million pounds of food a year at about 20 cents per pound.

“That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the production costs and, as the costs go up, we recognize that, while we’ve been very fortunate out of this partnership, our growers have higher input costs,” Hamler-Fugitt said.

Ohio food banks will need to spend more money to get the same amount of product.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing a decline in monetary donations and overall governmental support,” she said, noting that USDA is having a more difficult time purchasing commodities this year because of elevated markets and stiffer competition for goods.

With government programs supplying less volume of commodities, food banks have had to fall back on privately purchased food, Hamler-Fugitt said.

“Food banks have been spending every dime they raise, trying to keep enough food on their shelves since the pandemic began, and we are now in year three,” she said. “We are now seeing the trends in the number of people turning to us as we did at the height of that pandemic.”

Another big concern of those providing emergency food assistance is the significant loss of the number of pounds of food they are receiving.

“We’ll lighten the bag, we’ll lighten the box and ration what food we have,” she said “We, as food banks, can engage in the same activities, initiatives and coping strategies [of] the people that we serve.”

A ‘beyond-brittle’ situation

Hamler-Fugitt said food banks have lived off the generosity and “dark side” of the food industry for a long time.

“We recognize that we were the direct beneficiaries of overproduction of products that were close to code date, surpluses or not Grade A product,” she said. “We recognize that and we were extremely appreciative, but those rules don’t apply anymore.”

The supply chain, now often described as brittle in post-pandemic times, has gone “beyond brittle” to completely broken down, she added.

“Nothing is better; nothing has recovered to pre-pandemic levels as it relates to the supply chain,” she said. “We, in America, have taken for granted for far too long our abundant, relatively inexpensive sources of the variety of food.”

Because of the lack of affordability now, many people are telling food banks that the only time they would be able to access fresh fruit is through emergency feeding networks.

Food banks raise money to purchase food from growers, wholesalers or retailers, but the cost of food purchases has soared, she said.

“Last year, on average in Ohio, we spent 42 cents per pound for purchases statewide; last quarter, the cost was $1.04 a pound,” Hamler-Fugitt said. “I’m having to raise more money just to keep pace with the amount of food that I was able to purchase before.”

Fresh focus

Hamler-Fugitt said Ohio food banks are moving whatever dollars they get to source fresh fruits, vegetables and perishable protein items, such as eggs, cheese and dairy, because those items are less expensive per pound than processed foods.

“Our 12 food banks and 3,600 member charities have been working for decades to move to a minimum of 50% fresh and 50% shelf-stable or frozen,” she said. “We are trying to build up more capacity, more refrigeration units, more reefer units, more point-in-time distributions, so we can get highly perishable food into communities and onto the plates of low-income Ohioans as quickly as possible.”

Looking ahead, Hamler-Fugitt said she hopes growers and emergency food providers can come together and really make an impact on the upcoming farm bill.

“There’s a lot of challenges in front of all of us, and if we don’t have the money to be able to adapt quickly, to especially climate change and extreme weather conditions, and the vulnerability of input costs in these variables, hunger is going to continue to grow in the U.S. and we will quickly become a second-world country.”

Rabobank: Consumers pull back on spending after years of inflation fatigue

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 13:49:21 GMT

Inflation has battered consumers over the past four years, and a Rabobank analysis says U.S. consumers have finally hit the wall.

In a report on the cost of a Fourth of July barbecue, Rabobank analysts said consumers are trading down and eating out less often in response to long-running inflation.

“The consumer is waving the white flag on food inflation,” Tom Bailey, senior consumer foods analyst at Rabobank, said in a news release. “With an added 2% in price hikes in 2024 coupled with the cost disparity between dining out and cooking at home at its widest margin in history, we’re seeing heightened fatigue and frugality.”

The 2024 Rabobank BBQ Index, which measures the cost of staple ingredients for a 10-person barbecue, shows that it will cost $99 to host a cookout on the Fourth of July this year, up from $97 last year and $73 in 2018. Cookout ingredients are 32% higher food costs in 2024 compared with 2019, according to Rabobank.

The index showed that the average U.S. consumer has to work an hour to earn enough money for a six-pack of beer and a burger in 2024, up from 51 minutes in 2019, and they’ll have to work nine hours to pay for a barbecue this year, up 32% since 2019.

Produce prices for the BBQ Index are mostly tame compared with a year ago, Rabobank economists said. California’s drought in 2023 sent lettuce prices to more than $100 a carton, well above the average range of $15 to $20 per carton. Rabobank analysts said lettuce prices have come down significantly in 2024.

“We expect leafy greens to have steady supplies, good quality and decent prices,” Rabobank economists said in the release.

Potatoes, also hit hard by drought last year, have rebounded with greater supply based on expanded acreage harvested in the fall of 2023. Potato prices are about half of year-ago levels, the index showed.

On the other side of the ledger, Rabobank analysts said tomato prices have moved higher in 2024 as dry weather in Mexico has curtailed production and overall availability.

Rabobank analysts said a reported 68% of people polled by Vericast say they are switching from restaurants — where the tab is up 4.4% annually — to grocery stores, which have seen only a 1.1% price.

Consumers are pulling back all purchases because of tight budgets, Rabobank officials said. Retail sales were weaker than expected in May as higher borrowing rates and inflation discouraged purchase decisions, Rabobank economists said.

“Retail sales will likely remain soft throughout 2024,” Bailey said.

Wages have not kept up with inflation. Credit card debt, on average, sits at $10,479 per household in the U.S., up from $8,763 in 2021. Forty-one percent of Americans polled by WalletHub say they have more credit card debt now than they did 12 months ago, the release said.

Government aid, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program emergency payments, the child tax credit, increased unemployment benefits and a suspension of student loan payments have ended, the release said. People under the age of 35 have been hit the hardest; credit card delinquencies in this demographic are at their highest level since 2011, according to the Federal Reserve.

“Fiscal fitness is now more of a focus,” Bailey said. “Saddled with mounting credit card debt, waning savings, and lower real income, consumers are spending less.”

Forecasting the Fate of Fertilizer in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 02:20:19 GMT

Reducing the runoff from plant nutrients that can eventually wash into the Chesapeake Bay could someday be as easy as checking the weather forecast, thanks in part to work by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

One way farmers manage manure from their livestock is by applying it to crop fields, which increases soil levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. But when it rains, the nitrogen and phosphorus in freshly applied manure is much more likely to run off and pollute nearby water sources, which can end up degrading water quality throughout the watershed.

Hydrologist Tony Buda and soil scientist Peter Kleinman with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are contributing to the development of a Web-based “fertilizer forecast.” The scientists want to create a tool that produces 24-hour and 5-day runoff forecasts that are as user-friendly as weather forecasts.

The scientists are based at the ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit in University Park, Pa. ARS is USDA’s primary intramural scientific research agency.

The researchers are using National Weather Service (NWS) predictions of precipitation, soil moisture, and other data to design a simple hydrologic model that indicates the probability of field runoff occurrence. As part of this work, they are analyzing how runoff measurements in different Pennsylvania regions correlate with different NWS data sets for the same areas.

For instance, the scientists have found that soil moisture forecasts are a strong indicator of nutrient runoff potential in fields underlain by fragipans, which are dense subsurface soil layers that can block water movement through soil. But at sites with other soil characteristics, runoff potential is much more strongly associated with other variables, such as forecasts of rainfall amounts.

The team hopes that when their “forecast” is ready, it will give farmers a user-friendly tool that can be used to optimize fertilizer runoff management and enhance water quality.

Keywords: Agricultural, Agriculture, Agrochemicals, Fertilizers, USDA, United States Department of Agriculture-Research, Education, and Economics. This article was prepared by NewsRx Health & Science editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, NewsRx Health & Science via VerticalNews.com .

4 Steps to Save Money and Prevent Food Waste

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 20:35:35 GMT

An average family of four loses nearly $1,500 to uneaten food each year, according to USDA research. Wasted food is wasted money.

Not to mention the food that goes in the trash winds up in a landfill where it creates methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, explains USDA’s Food Loss and Waste Liaison Dr. Jean Buzby .

Buzby offers four easy steps to help prevent food waste.

• Plan ahead.
Before you go to the grocery store or order online, make a list so you don’t buy more than you need.

• Serve smart.
Portion control is good for your waistline, and good for reducing plate waste.

• Love your leftovers.
Pack leftovers in small portions in shallow containers, mark the contents and date, and refrigerate or freeze immediately.

• Compost, don’t trash.
Food in landfills produces harmful methane. You can recycle your food scraps in a home compost bin or at a local compost center.

“With every meal, you can save food, save money and protect the environment,” Buzby says. Learn more about food loss and waste prevention at usda.gov/foodlossandwaste .

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Want Not, Waste Much: 5 Ways to Reduce and Recycle Food Waste

McDonald’s Commits $5 Million to Accelerate Climate-Smart Farming Solutions

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 21:40:34 GMT

McDonald’s USA is committing $5 million and partnering with AgMission, a global collaboration to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agriculture and to develop and implement climate-smart farming solutions over the next five years.

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR), the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), and the World Farmers’ Organization (WFO) established AgMission to unlock agriculture’s potential to reduce GHG emissions, a release said.

Their goal? To make the agriculture sector net-negative for GHG emissions by bringing farmers, ranchers and scientists together to co-create science-based solutions that can be rapidly deployed, increasing on-farm resiliency while mitigating the impacts of climate change.

A Threat to Food Security

“Climate change threatens our environment, food security as well as farmer and ranchers’ livelihoods. We are elated that McDonald’s sees the value of AgMission’s approach and is partnering with us on this unprecedented initiative,” FFAR’s Executive Director Sally Rockey said in a release.

Research and data are fundamental to reaching this goal. Integrated, interoperable data is critical to coordinating this research and accelerating adaptation and adoption of climate-smart solutions that reduce GHG emissions, AgMission said.

“AgMission’s expansive, coordinated effort builds on existing research to coordinate agriculture’s climate-change response, connecting data from one part of the world that could benefit another,” Rockey said.

Although agriculture accounts for 9.9% of GHG emissions in the U.S. and roughly 24% globally, it is the only sector with the natural potential to be net negative for GHG emissions, AgMission said.

“Soil and farmlands already sequester 100 more times carbon than is emitted in a year,” Erin Fitzgerald, CEO of USFRA said in a release. “But farmers and ranchers cannot do it alone. This effort requires a response that rivals the magnitude of the challenge we are overcoming.”

A Thriving Planet

McDonald’s commitment exemplifies the progressive actions the business is taking to help deliver net zero emissions across its global operations by 2050, AgMission said in a release. McDonald’s joins Pepsico as a Founding Partner of AgMission.

“We’re striving to feed more people in increasingly sustainable ways by creating a food system in which communities, animals and the planet thrive,” Marion Gross, McDonald’s senior vice president and chief supply chain officer, North America, said in a release. “It’s been proven time and again that real action comes through convening of partners around steady science-based strategies.”

A Stronger Supply Chain

Companies are understandably concerned when they see less resilience in the food supply chain. Jason Rowntree serves as the C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University, and he works with everyone from farmers to major fast food chains like McDonald’s. He says the decision to invest in climate initiatives in agriculture isn’t something just coming from consumers, as extreme weather is having a direct impact on the food products they source.

“The threats are real. I think we would be naïve to just continue to think that this is a normal,” Rowntree says. “With that said, I think we need to more aptly consider, ‘How does our farm look by the year 2040? And what are the things we have to have in place to add resilience to be able to hand off our farm to the next generation?’ I think it [reducing carbon footprint] needs to be definitely higher up in our priorities. But, I think that should come from policy that is supporting agriculture, and I think it should come from industries that depend on agriculture.”

Read More:

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More than Hangry: What’s Really at Stake in Global Food Insecurity?

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 01:55:33 GMT

Do you remember what a trip to the grocery store was like at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, or thereafter?

Store shelves sat void of product as packers and shippers were unable to keep up with consumer demand. Trade slowed to a pace that led to a bottleneck of ships and trucks at ports and warehouses respectively.

D.C. made note of these supply chain downfalls and tried to pivot with funding, pop-up ports and weakened transportation regulations. While some of those supply chain links have been soldered in the past year, Russia’s war against Ukraine has added new pressure to global food security.

But the pressure doesn’t stop short of the supply chain, according to many government officials.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), someone known to say, “food security is national security,” shared a conversation with Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen, along with a panel of policy, science and agricultural experts in Ames, Iowa, on Thursday to break down what’s really at stake in rising global food security.

Food Fuels Peace

The United Nations estimates that world hunger increased 1.5 percent in 2020 to roughly 800 million people.

With rising world hunger numbers, Ernst points to the war in Ukraine, extreme weather and the COVID-19 pandemic as fuel on the food insecurity fire. Ernst, along with Larry Sailer, an Iowa farmer and a farmer ambassador with Farm Journal Foundation, say these challenges pose an increasing threat to national security.

“Agriculture is the first building block of any economy, so maintaining a vibrant and innovative farming sector is absolutely critical to lift people out of poverty, build strong economies and eliminate hunger,” said Sailer. “A hungry person is not a peaceful person. National security for all countries depends on less hunger.”

Minimizing Global Hunger

The answer, according to Katie Lee, vice president of government affairs at Farm Journal Foundation, is rooted in ag research and development.

“The challenges we are seeing today, and the resulting impact on food prices and global hunger, should be a wakeup call that we need to invest more in agricultural research and development,” said Lee.

Following a tour of Iowa State University’s Seed Science Center , the largest seed lab in the world, Lee shared that ag innovation, like Iowa State’s, will be “vital” as populations continue to grow and natural resources are strained.

Up the Ante

Global hunger has been addressed for decades by groups like United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme. However, attention has been diverted from science, especially in the public sector, according to Wendy Wintersteen, Iowa State University president.

“Agricultural research and innovation like that happening at Iowa State University impacts nearly every major societal challenge, but this area of science has been massively underfunded for decades,” said Wintersteen. “Increasing our national investment in agricultural research is vital to support the public good and ensure our country’s leadership and competitiveness.”

While private sector research has significantly impacted yields for commodity groups like corn and soybeans, the public sector can support early research to “pave the way for long-term innovations,” according to Farm Journal Foundation’s press release of the event.

“The innovative agricultural research happening at Iowa State University is vital to finding the necessary solutions to combat global hunger,” said Ernst. “Ultimately food security is national security.”

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Agencies seek input on food date labeling

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 13:23:23 GMT

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Food and Drug Administration are seeking public input on food date labeling and related food waste issues.

Comments are due Feb. 3, according to a notice .

The agencies are looking for information on industry practices and preferences for date labeling, research results on consumer perceptions of date labeling and any impact date labeling may have on food waste, the notice said.

Some of the questions the agencies are seeking input on include:

Which products contain date labels, and which do not? Why do some products contain date labels and others do not?
What standards or criteria do manufacturers and producers consider when deciding which food date label phrase to use? Are different phrases used for different products or categories of products, and if so, why?
Are there legal or trade requirements or marketing standards that impact which phrases are used (i.e. local or state requirements, industry best practice standards, etc.)? If so, please describe.
What standards or criteria do manufacturers and producers consider when deciding what date to use? Would a particular product have a different date depending on the phrase used (e.g., would the date be the same or different if the phrase were “Best if Used By” versus “Use By” or “Freeze By”)? If so, please explain.
What challenges or limitations do food manufacturers have when establishing or changing food date labels? Are there costs associated with changing the date label phrase or date used in addition to the costs associated with any label change? If so, please explain what those are.
What data is available on the use of certain food date label phrases and cost to manufacturers, retailers or consumers?
How do grocery retailers determine that a food item is no longer sellable? Do the considerations differ depending on the food item? Do the considerations take into account the phrase and/or date on the label, and if so, how?
What studies or data are available on consumer understanding of current date labeling on food that FSIS and FDA regulate, and why are these studies or data important for FSIS and FDA to consider? Are there data and studies that demonstrate that consumers are confused by date labels and think the dates determine whether food is safe?
Are there any available studies or data on whether and how consumers consider food date labels when grocery shopping or when deciding to discard food at home?
What data are available on the most effective ways for presenting food date labels on food items so that consumers can easily access and clearly understand the information?
What studies exist on the factors that should be considered in a national education campaign aimed at reducing consumer confusion about date labels? Please explain the reasoning as to why a study should be considered.
What studies detailing the effects of date labeling on food waste should FSIS and FDA consider, and why?
What factors do firms (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, food banks) and individuals consider when determining which food items to donate or discard? Specifically, do firms or individuals use food date labels to inform decisions to donate or discard food items? Please provide supporting studies or data.
What estimates are available concerning the value of food that is discarded due to date labels, including any studies regarding the value discarded due to confusion of date labels?