Washington DC

USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum packs 30 panels and keynotes in 2 days

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:56:45 GMT

Whoever said that hybrid conferences were laid back hasn’t been to the USDA’s Agricultural Outlook Forum. With only two days of programming, the USDA has a jam-packed, choose-your-own-adventure forum that offers insights and updates from the department.

While the event is held in-person at the Crystal Gateway Marriot in Arlington, Va., from Feb. 23-24, attendees can enjoy the full lineup of panels, keynotes and luncheon topics from their laptop. Participants for the 99th annual forum include producers, processors, policymakers, government officials and nongovernmental organizations.

Even delivered online over a livestream, the mood of open collaboration, creative problem-solving and clear-eyed optimism resonated on opening day of the conference.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off the forum on Thursday and participated in panels throughout the first day. Thursday’s forum focused on a range of topics such as labor, climate-smart commodities, trade, data, supply chain challenges, food prices, drought and forestry.

“So, as you know in this big country, we are all connected by food and fuel and materials,” USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small said in opening remarks. “Secretary Vilsack believes that there is a better option than get big or get out. He knows that we can support the folks who’ve been working so hard and answering our call to produce more efficiently by investing in the solutions that they’re already forging on the ground, like more and better markets.”

Related news: Top 10 Charts from the Kickoff of USDA’s Ag Outlook Forum

The second day of the Agricultural Outlook Forum is set to be another packed in day of diverse talks and keynotes. Friday’s panels and tracks include sessions, panels and keynotes on the following topics:

Global agricultural sustainability.
Commodity outlooks.
U.S. trade and foreign investments.
Supply chain challenges.
Climate mitigation and adaptation.
Agroforestry.
Carbon markets.
Climate change.
Pollinators and biodiversity.
Farm bill and farm policy.
Food security.
Nutrition.
Organic outlook.
Organic agriculture research.
Preventing fraud and integrity of the organic seal.
Diversity and equity.
Food safety.

Learn more on the 2023 Agricultural Outlook Forum program site .

United Fresh offers 2020 Smart Pass for industry events

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:14:02 GMT

The United Fresh Produce Association , Washington, D.C., is offering members a 2020 Smart Pass Education package for three events with a single registration fee.

The package also includes a $300 upgrade for additional event registrations and publications, according to a news release.

The $2,400 2020 Smart Pass package includes registration to:

FreshStart 2020: Jan. 14-16, Tucson, Ariz.;
United Fresh 2020 Convention & Expo: June 16-19, San Diego; and
2020 Washington Conference: Sept. 21-23, Washington, D.C.

For $300, eligible programs/publications include:

BrandStorm;
Foreign supplier verification programs training course;
Listeria workshops;
Produce executive development program;
Produce GAPs harmonized standard auditor training;
Produce sales training;
Recall ready program;
USDA produce inspection training;
Produce industry compensation report; and
United Fresh publications library.

The Smart Pass can be used for one individual or for multiple people at a company, including handing out the registrations to customers or industry partners.

Contact Amanda Griffin, vice president of education and program management, for more information at 202-303-3412.

Related news:

Coosemans DC expects strengthening demand this fall

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:36:20 GMT

Coosemans DC is seeing strong demand for both retail and foodservice offerings, said Lolo Mengel, CEO of the Jessup, Md.-based company.

“We anticipate even greater demand as we get into the fall school sessions and people returning to the area from summer vacations,” Mengel said, adding that the company continues to see growth in demand for unique items.

The biggest challenge, Mengel said, is trying to keep costs down with so many increases in labor, transportation and packaging costs, which are climbing higher each month.

Mengel said another challenge is creating the “new normal” following the restrictions of the pandemic. That includes a safe and flexible work environment so that the company can accommodate any revisions in the COVID-19 recommendations while getting operations back to pre-pandemic levels.

In other news at Coosemans, the company has introduced sustainable bags for fresh herbs that use 75% less plastic than clamshells. The packaging represents the most significant step in fresh herb merchandising since the industrywide switches from bunches to clamshells in 2000-02 and to organic herbs in 2006-08, according to Chuck Goodman, vice president of sales for Coosemans Worldwide.

Brighter Bites expands reach in Washington, D.C.

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 22:36:22 GMT

Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit organization that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly to families, is growing its reach within the Washington, D.C., area.

“My students are over-the-moon when Brighter Bites comes to our school! They love being able to interact with and learn about a variety of fruits and vegetables in engaging and creative ways,” Mariah Meads, kindergarten teacher at Browne Education Campus, said in a news release. “Brighter Bites intentionally curates meaningful learning opportunities to educate and teach students how to have a healthy relationship with the food they put in their bodies, and we couldn’t be happier our students are able to learn this firsthand.”

Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschools and summer camp program that uses reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food.

Brighter Bites has served families in Prince George’s County, Md., since 2017 and is now expanding its reach to hundreds of more families in the D.C. Public Schools District. This year, the organization is serving 16 schools in Prince George’s County and two in D.C., including Browne Education Campus and Wheatley Education Campus both located in Washington’s Ward 5.

Related news: Illegally grown grape harvest donated to aid nonprofit

Brighter Bites’ expansion in the region is possible through key partners, including 4P Foods, a weekly grocery delivery service in the communities of Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland.

“We believe that fresh, healthy, delicious food should be the norm, not the exception — a right, not a privilege. Working together with Brighter Bites allows us to build towards that mission with every single delivery,” Tom McDougall, founder and CEO of 4P Foods said in the release. “This program not only provides wonderful food to families that might not otherwise have access to it, but it is showing what’s possible when we rethink what the future food system must look like. It is an opportunity to work with a large network of community leaders, families, farmers, educators, children, and others to build towards a better food system. One that is regional, regenerative, equitable, and delicious. We’re honored to be a part of it.”

Since launching in 2012, Brighter Bites has distributed more than 50 million pounds of produce and hundreds of thousands of nutrition education materials to over 500,000 individuals through schools, after school programs and summer camps in the cities in which it serves, according to the release. Brighter Bites uses a simple formula for introducing healthy lifestyles to families: produce distribution, nutrition education,and a fun food experience that helps to demystify produce and show just how great it can taste.

Apple growers share labor, trade concerns on Capitol Hill

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:33:01 GMT

Apple growers from across the country participated in the U.S. Apple Association ’s Capitol Hill Day, meeting with more than 100 legislative offices on trade, labor and farm bill issues.

More than 90 growers were in Washington, D.C., for the annual event on March 13.

A top priority is the ratification of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, according to a news release. Like its North American Free Trade Agreement predecessor, the USMCA keeps access to Mexico and Canada duty-free. Due to NAFTA, Mexico is the largest export market for U.S. apples, followed by Canada, according to the release.

Exports to those two markets are almost $450 million a year.

The apple industry is also asking the Trump administration to remove tariffs on steel an aluminum, a move that resulted in a 20% retaliatory tariff on apples to Mexico. According to the apple association, that’s caused $300 million in export losses.

“One out of every three apples is exported, and duty-free access to Mexico and Canada has been a tremendous benefit for the U.S. apple industry,” U.S. Apple Association President and CEO Jim Bair said in the release. “Unfortunately, because of the section 232 tariffs, Mexico has unleashed a significant retaliatory tariff on our growers, costing the industry millions of dollars in export losses. It’s imperative that section 232 tariffs are removed and the USMCA ratified.”

Like many groups representing fruit and vegetable growers, the apple association is seeking legislation to provide an “adequate and predictable” supply of labor, and a reformed or replaced H-2A guest worker program.

For social media coverage of the event, follow #USApple19FlyIn.

RJ Andrus elected National Potato Council president

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 20:07:18 GMT

The National Potato Council appointed its 2023 executive committee during its annual Washington Summit Feb. 27 to March 3, and members elected RJ Andrus of Idaho Falls, Idaho, to serve as the council’s president for the next year.

Related news: Photos: National Potato Council’s 2023 Washington Summit

Andrus is a third-generation farmer and an owner of TBR Farms in Hamer, Idaho. He has served on the council’s executive committee since 2019 in roles that include vice president of grower outreach and industry research, according to a news release.

Most recently, Andrus served as vice president of legislative affairs for the council. A 2006 graduate of the Potato Industry Leadership Institute, Andrus is vice chairman of the Potato LEAF Board.

The National Potato Council executive committee for 2023 includes:

President — RJ Andrus, Idaho Falls, Idaho.
First vice president and vice president for environmental affairs — Bob Mattive, Monte Vista, Colo.
Vice president for legislative affairs — Dean Gibson, Paul, Idaho.
Vice president for grower outreach and industry research — TJ Hall, Hoople, N.D.
Vice president for finance — Ben Sklarczyk, Johannesburg, Mich.
Vice president for trade affairs — Ted Tschirky, Pasco, Wash.
Immediate past president — Jared Balcom, Pasco, Wash.

National Potato Council structure and mission

As a grower-led organization, NPC is managed by an executive committee and board of directors, which oversee its operations and provides guidance on its policy activities, according to the release. Board members are appointed by the executive committee from recommendations from state potato grower organizations. Committee members hold office for one calendar year.

NPC is the voice of U.S. potato growers and industry members in the nation’s capital, seeking to protect potato growers’ interests in Washington, D.C., by addressing issues that affect the potato industry, from policy issues debated in Congress to regulatory issues proposed by federal agencies, according to the release.

Related news: New report shows potatoes are a ‘driving force of America’s prosperity’

The NPC’s 2023 Washington Summit is a forum for potato industry members to discuss, define and advocate for the policy priorities impacting their businesses and protecting their ability to farm. Growers and industry stakeholders took the results from NPC’s recently released report, “ Spud Nation: Measuring the Economic Significance of the U.S. Potato Industry ,” to members of Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to advocate for issues such as keeping potatoes in federal nutrition programs, promoting free and fair trade agreements, and protecting tax policies that support the long-term health of family-owned farming operations, according to the release.