I hope all of you will be able to look back on the year’s greatness. Put your pencil to paper as you consider all you learned from 2024; some very important lessons were sprinkled in there.

To give time for reflection and enjoyment this holiday season, we will not be sending out our daily emails the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The Morning Ag Clips’ daily email will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025.

There will still be news articles published on our site, so make sure to stay up-to-date by going to morningagclips.com. Every day there will be something new, and there will be an editor watching for breaking ag news every day. But like you, we all need a break, and the only way to get it is to be extremely intentional about it, so we are!

Here’s to you, your family, and a prosperous and healthy New Year! We will see you in 2025!

With love,
Kate

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“Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Interior Department has moved at the pace needed to meet the moment and swiftly grow a robust and sustainable clean energy economy while protecting precious resources in America’s public lands. With an updated Western Solar Plan, created with extensive input from the public, the Department will ensure the responsible development of solar energy across the West for decades to come,” said Secretary Deb Haaland.

“Solar energy is an affordable and fast-growing component of the nation’s modern power supply and is helping the United States build a strong and resilient clean energy economy. The updated Western Solar Plan will ensure that solar project permitting is more efficient and offers clarity for project developers while maintaining flexibility to adapt to local needs and concerns,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Dr. Steve Feldgus.

The Department’s clean energy work on public lands is guided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Since January 2021, the BLM has approved 45 renewable energy projects on public lands and exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025. Overall, the BLM has permitted clean energy projects on public lands with a total capacity of more than 33 gigawatts – enough to power more than 15 million homes. This year, the BLM also issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will lower consumer energy costs and the cost of developing solar and wind projects, improve project application processes, create jobs, and incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands.

The updated Western Solar Plan, developed with substantial public input, builds on this momentum to guide BLM’s management of solar energy proposals and projects on public lands. The plan updates the 2012 Western Solar Plan, which covered six southwestern states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, to include Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. The updated plan uses lessons learned and best practices to guide a strategy for the West — identifying lands near transmission lines and previously disturbed lands as available while excluding sensitive areas like specially protected lands, lands containing important cultural resources, and critical wildlife habitat. Siting projects away from areas where they may conflict with other resources and uses will help ensure responsible development, speed the permitting process, and provide greater predictability to the solar energy industry.

The updated Western Solar Plan identifies the availability of over 31 million acres of public lands across the 11 Western states for utility-scale solar project applications; however, only approximately 700,000 of those acres are anticipated to be developed by 2045 to meet projected demand. The larger available area allows for greater flexibility in considering solar proposals. No solar projects are authorized through this planning effort; all individual proposed projects must still undergo site-specific environmental review with opportunity for public comment before a decision is made on whether to approve them.

This action builds on dozens of executive actions that the Biden-Harris administration has taken to accelerate and improve federal permitting so that we can deliver more projects more quickly. The median time to complete Administration the most complicated reviews is more than six months faster than the prior Administration. In addition, the Biden-Harris administration has permitted twice as many renewable energy projects on public lands compared to the prior Administration.

Approval of the updated Western Solar Plan follows a draft plan published in January 2024 and a proposed plan published in August 2024, reflecting input received from a wide range of stakeholders, governments, and other interested parties along the way. The proposed plan was subject to a 30-day public protest period and 60-day governor’s consistency review before the BLM made the decision to approve the plan.

For more information on the updated Western Solar Plan, please visit the Federal Register Notice webpage or visit the project’s National NEPA Project Register (ePlanning) website.

— Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

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Projects are being financed by the fifth round of the ReConnect Program and are a central part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild the economy.

“Keeping the people of rural America connected with good, reliable high-speed internet brings new and innovative ideas to the rest of our country and creates good-paying jobs,” Secretary Vilsack said. “That’s why USDA’s ReConnect Program is an important part of our partnership with rural communities. Through these investments, we are connecting the most rural and remote communities to a global marketplace and bringing new opportunities within reach.”

USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andy Berke made today’s announcement during a visit to Consolidated Telephone Company in Brainerd, Minnesota, which is receiving a $5,510,933 million loan and a $5,510,933 grant to connect 2,831 people, 67 businesses and 78 farms in Crow Wing and Morrison counties.

The ReConnect Program is specifically designed to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation, which are in the most rural, remote and unserved communities.

Many residents and businesses in rural areas would not have high-speed internet service without the ReConnect Program. The program is a key part of the Administration’s Internet for All initiative to connect everyone in America to high-speed internet by 2030.

Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department has invested approximately $4.4 billion for 360 ReConnect awards that will bring high-speed internet access to more than 680,000 people in the most rural and remote areas of America. More than $2.2 billion of this funding, which will benefit an estimated 341,000 people, was made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

Today’s investments will connect people to high-speed internet in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.

For example:

• In Michigan, Waldron Communication Co. is receiving a $3 million loan and a $3 million grant to provide high-speed internet that will connect 599 people, 18 businesses and 32 farms in Hillsdale and Lenawee counties.
• In Arizona, CoxCom LLC is receiving a $14.7 million grant to connect 6,579 people, 88 businesses, two farms and nine educational facilities in Cochise, Pima and Pinal counties.
• In Washington, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation is receiving a $19.1 million grant to connect 165 people, six businesses and 20 farms across the Colville Reservation in Okanogan County.

Today’s announcement also includes a Broadband Technical Assistance pilot project in Nevada. Valley Electric Association Inc. is receiving a $542,281 Cooperative Agreement to promote the deployment of high-speed fiber networks to the rural areas of Clark, Esmerelda, Lyon, Mineral and Nye counties.

The project will use innovative partnerships with local internet service providers and energy providers to promote the development of mid-mile and last-mile fiber in these remote areas of Nevada. The project will provide solutions for the delivery of products and services that include design, engineering, procurement, permitting, construction, operations, maintenance and repair and regulatory compliance.

The Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) program supports technical assistance projects such as conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs and developing broadband financial assistance applications. Funding is also available to help organizations access federal resources, and to conduct data collection and reporting.

Since the launch of the BTA program in April 2023, the Department has provided more than $16.29 million to support 42 technical assistance projects across 24 states.

A full list of projects from today’s announcement is available online.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and healthcare; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

— USDA Rural Development

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Plant-parasitic nematodes feed on agricultural crops at their roots, reducing yields and profits for producers. In the U.S., soybean producers lose about 11 percent of their crops to soybean diseases, including the southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, or SRKN as it’s commonly known. The nematode forms abnormal growths — or knots — in soybean plant roots that disrupt water and nutrient uptake, essentially starving the plants.

According to the Crop Protection Network, U.S. producers suffered approximately $172 million in damages due to SRKN in 2023. More than half of those damages occurred in Arkansas, where producers lost approximately $95 million.

Caio Canella Vieira, a researcher for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and assistant professor of soybean breeding, is leading a new project to develop resilient soybean plants and prevent SRKN from gaining a foothold in producers’ fields.

“We want to develop soybean lines that are resistant to this pathogen so farmers have effective tools to manage SRKN and protect their crops,” Vieira said.

Vieira received a three-year, $791,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to conduct this research. The experiment station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Moving north

Soybean plants in Southern states have developed some resistance to these microscopic pests over time, Vieira said. However, these nematodes have recently been crawling northward into areas where soybean plants are highly susceptible.

“With changes in climate patterns and how farmers are adopting earlier planting dates and using earlier maturing soybeans, the problem has been expanding,” he said. “There are occurrences of southern root-knot nematode in Illinois, northern Missouri, and Indiana, for example. And this can become a serious threat over the next few years.”

Southern root-knot nematode is the second most destructive soybean pathogen, only behind soybean cyst nematodes.

“Historically, the research community emphasized the soybean cyst nematode because it was more broadly distributed across the country. But now, with southern root-knot expanding, it started to gain attention,” Vieira said.

Soybean plants affected by southern root-knot nematodes will show stunted growth, leaf wilting and discoloration, and deformation of roots. These symptoms can easily be mistaken for abiotic stress, such as drought or nutrient deficiency, leading to misdiagnosis and ineffective management strategies. Vieira says farmers may experience loss without ever seeing any symptoms.

The nematodes’ short life cycle and high reproductive rates also make management a challenge.

The root of the problem

Standard management practices such as crop rotation and chemical treatments have limited efficacy against SRKN, Vieira said.

In crop rotation, most flowering crops can still be hosts to SRKN. Chemical treatments can be expensive, require specialized equipment and can be toxic to the environment. Vieira said that a few options have been banned and the available options haven’t been very efficient.

“There’s no other management source for SRKN,” he said. “Genetic resistance is the most sustainable approach to managing the problem and sustaining soybean production.”

Previous research showed that yield losses in susceptible crops are 25 to 30 percent higher than in resistant crops. If extremely high pressure is present, meaning more nematodes in the soil, it’s a total loss.

But those earlier studies also had good news.

“Genetic resistance works as ‘crop insurance,’” Vieira said. “If nematodes are present, the resistant genes will protect the crop. If no nematodes are present, the yield is unaffected.”

Genetic ‘crop insurance’

Vieira’s research has three main objectives:

• Identify the soybean gene that regulates resistance.
• Search for and identify new genetic sources and different modes of resistance.
• Develop soybean populations with improved genetic resistance by combining multiple sources of resistance.

“We know there is a resistant gene because we use this genomic region in current soybean breeding efforts, but we don’t know exactly what gene this is,” Vieira said. “The first step will be finding the causal gene, understanding its function, and how it interacts with the pathogen.”

The team will screen hundreds of genetically diverse soybean lines worldwide to identify potential new sources of resistance, including from China, South America, Europe, and Russia. They will then develop soybean breeding populations combining different genetic sources of resistance, aiming to create improved soybean varieties resistant to southern knot-root nematodes.

“The goal is to have resistant and high-performing soybean lines,” he said. “We want to expand our knowledge of SRKN but also develop tangible products available for farmers ready to grow.”

Collaborators in this project include the Division of Agriculture’s Travis Faske, extension plant pathologist and professor; Joanna Kud, assistant professor in the entomology and plant pathology department; and Henry Nguyen, professor of plant genetics and biotechnology at the University of Missouri.

This research also relies on the support of the United Soybean Board, the Mid-South Soybean Board, and the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.

This grant is part of the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative from USDA-NIFA. The project award no. is 2024-67014-43275.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

–Jenifer Fouch
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
via EurekAlert!

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“IDFA’s Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards highlight the exceptional efforts of dairy companies to foster a culture where workplace safety is not just a goal, but a shared responsibility,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “Each award represents the success of the innovative and proactive approaches that IDFA members take to improve safety within their processing environments. Consumers and customers of dairy foods companies value how these innovations help to deliver safe, nutritious food to people around the world.”

Each awardee applied by providing their occupational injury and illness performance rates as well as providing a detailed narrative essay on safety and training efforts at the facility and leading indicators, with equal weight given to essays and injury statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Judging this year was conducted by Pete VanDerlyke, PhD, CSP, of Harbor Freight Tools and Danielle Quist of IDFA.

“IDFA’s members continue to expand the use of leading indicators as a key part of a strong safety and health program,” said VanDerlyke. “Implementation of leading indicators that include management commitment and employee engagement, along with traditional lagging indicators enhances a safety and health program and builds a strong safety culture throughout the company. These awards continue to demonstrate the understanding of how and why a strong safety culture is such an integral part of any dairy facility operation.”

A full list of the winners is here.

Criteria for Success

The award program includes categories for both processing facilities and trucking operations in the dairy industry. IDFA issued a total of 23 awards; in addition to 20 Outstanding Facility safety award winners, IDFA recognized 3 companies as Most Improved Facility award winners based on significant decreases in recordable-injury cases and the rate of days away from work, restrictions and transfers (DART) for each of the last two years when compared to all other facilities that applied.

The 2024 winners will also be featured on DairyFoods.com. IDFA will issue a call for nominations for the next Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards competition in mid-2025. To learn more, visit the IDFA industry awards page.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., represents the nation’s dairy manufacturing and marketing industry, which supports more than 3.2 million jobs that generate $49 billion in direct wages and $794 billion in overall economic impact. IDFA’s diverse membership ranges from multinational organizations to single-plant companies, from dairy companies and cooperatives to food retailers and suppliers, all on the cutting edge of innovation and sustainable business practices. Together, they represent most of the milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt and cultured products, and dairy ingredients produced and marketed in the United States and sold throughout the world. Delicious, safe and nutritious, dairy foods offer unparalleled health and consumer benefits to people of all ages.

–International Dairy Foods Association

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Emerging global restrictions on single-use and plastic packaging limit specialty crops’ access to international markets. To accelerate packaging innovation that facilitates market access, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS) has awarded $5 million each to Clemson and FFP to establish the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab, with FFAR partnering in its implementation.

The Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab will provide up to twenty awards between $50,000 and $250,000 for research that leads to the development and commercialization of scalable, sustainable packaging solutions, including replacements for single-use packaging.

Packaging plays an important role in the export of fresh fruits, vegetables and other specialty crops, ensuring that food safely travels from the farm to the consumer’s table and supporting production traceability. Exporters now face increasing demands from foreign regulators and consumers to either avoid packaging or use sustainable alternatives.

“Innovative and sustainable packaging solutions are essential for the future of food and agriculture. They reduce environmental impacts, ensure food safety, extend product shelf life and support global market access,” said FFAR Scientific Program Director Dr. Constance Gewa. “As we face increasing restrictions on single-use plastics, developing alternatives is critical to meeting consumer demands and achieving a more sustainable food system.”

FFAR is hosting an informational webinar about this opportunity on January 13, 2025, from 1-2:30 p.m. EST. Participants must register to attend.

Applications are due February 12, 2025, by 5 p.m. EST. For more information, visit the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab open opportunity webpage.

Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research 

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.

–Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research

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“Specialty crop growers have typically faced higher marketing and handling costs relative to non-specialty crop producers due to the perishability of fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursery crops and herbs,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Through this marketing assistance program, we can expand U.S. specialty crop consumption and markets by providing specialty crop producers the financial support needed to help them engage in activities that broaden and enhance strategies and opportunities for marketing their commodities.”

MASC helps specialty crop producers meet higher marketing costs related to:

• Perishability of specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, floriculture, nursey crops and herbs;
• Specialized handling and transport equipment with temperature and humidity control;
• Packaging to prevent damage;
• Moving perishables to market quickly; and
• Higher labor costs.

MASC Eligibility 

To be eligible for MASC, a producer must be in business at the time of application, maintain an ownership share and share in the risk of producing a specialty crop that will be sold in calendar year 2025.

MASC covers the following commercially marketed specialty crops:

• Fruits (fresh, dried);
• Vegetables (including dry edible beans and peas, mushrooms, and vegetable seed);
• Tree nuts;
• Nursery crops, Christmas trees, and floriculture;
• Culinary and medicinal herbs and spices; and
• Honey, hops, maple sap, tea, turfgrass and grass seed.

Applying for MASC 

Eligible established specialty crop producers can apply for MASC benefits by completing the FSA-1140, Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) Program Application, and submitting the form to any FSA county office by Jan. 8, 2025. When applying, eligible specialty crop producers must certify their specialty crop sales for calendar year 2023 or 2024.

New specialty crop producers are required to certify 2025 expected sales, submit an FSA-1141 application and provide certain documentation to support reported sales i.e., receipts, contracts, acreage reports, input receipts, etc. New producers are those who began producing specialty crops in 2023 or 2024 but did not have sales due to the immaturity of the crop, began producing specialty crops in 2024 but did not have a complete year of sales or will begin growing specialty crops in 2025.

MASC applicants, established and new, must also submit the following information to FSA if not already on file at the time of application:

• Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.
• Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.
• Form CCC-941, Average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Certification and Consent to Disclosure of Tax Information.  
• Form FSA-942, Certification of Income from Farming, Ranching and Forestry Operations, if applicable, for the producer and members of entities.
• A highly erodible land conservation (sometimes referred to as HELC) and wetland conservation certification (Form AD-1026 Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification) for the ERP producer and applicable affiliates.
• Other Documentation if requested by FSA to support reported specialty crop sales.

Most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these required forms on file. However, those who are uncertain or want to confirm the status of their forms or producers who may be new to conducting business with FSA, can contact their local FSA county office.

For MASC program participation, eligible specialty crop sales only include sales of commercially marketed raw specialty crops grown in the United States by the producer. The portion of sales derived from adding value to a specialty crop (such as sorting, processing, or packaging) is not included when determining eligible sales. Further explanation of what is considered by FSA for specialty crop sales as well as an online MASC decision tool and applicable program forms, are available on the MASC program webpage.

MASC Payments 

For established specialty crop growers, those who certify crop sales in 2023 or 2024, FSA will calculate MASC payments based on the producer’s total specialty crop sales for the calendar year elected by the producer. Payments for new producers will be based on their expected 2025 calendar year sales. Payment calculation details and examples are available on the MASC webpage or related questions can be directed to local FSA county office staff.

FSA will issue MASC payments after the end of the application period. If demand for MASC payments exceeds available funding, MASC payments may be prorated, and the payment limitation of $125,000 may be lowered.  If additional funding is available after MASC payments are issued, FSA may issue an additional payment.

Specialty crop producers interested in applying for MASC benefits, are encouraged to review the program fact sheet for detailed information on program eligibility, required documentation, payment calculations and more.

More Information 

Additional information on MASC is available in the Notice of Funding Availability, which went on public inspection in the Federal Register on Dec. 9, 2024.

FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.

–USDA

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Newly appointed members:

• Caroline Collins Barber, Charlotte, N.C.
• Kelly Gupta, Houston, Texas
• Doyle Schniers, San Angelo, Texas

Newly appointed alternate members:

• Daniel Pacheco, Oro Valley, Ariz.
• Martin Schatz, Alameda, Calif.
• Willie Scott, Collins, Ga.
• Chris Matschek, Garden City, Texas

Reappointed members:

• Adam Hatley, Mesa, Ariz.
• Michelle Tarry, Maplewood, N.J.
• Tara Hoffmann, New York, N.Y.
• Julie Davis Holladay, Lubbock, Texas

Reappointed alternate members:

• Nicholas A. Pence, Severna Park, Md.
• Steven J. Bohman, Allen, Texas
• Steven D. Olson, Plainview, Texas

Newly appointed advisor:

• Nicole Tanner, Liverpool, N.Y.

Reappointed advisor:

• Damian Murrieta, Stanfield, Ariz.

Additional appointments:

• USDA appointed five members to fill board vacancies with terms through Dec. 31, 2025:
  • David C. Light, Rolla, Kan., member
  • Carolyn Seeliger, Burden, Kan., alternate member
  • Brad Harrison, Elk City, Okla., alternate member
  • Volkan Tastan, Cherry Hill, N.J., alternate member
  • Elizabeth Cobarrubias, Salem, Ore., alternate member
• USDA appointed two members to fill board vacancies with terms that expire Dec. 31, 2026:
  • Jennifer Pisula, Wilmington, Del., member
  • Shannon Chestnut, Mansfield, Texas, alternate member

The Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 authorized a national cotton research and promotion program that is both industry-operated and funded. More information is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Cotton Board webpage.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils, and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.

–USDA AMS

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Newly appointed members are:

• Arizona – Sine Kerr, Buckeye
• Colorado – Angelina Kelleghan, Loma
• Iowa – E. Michael Holden, Scranton; and Amy Glick, Solon
• Kansas – Evan Lesser, Palco; and Larry Kendig, Osborne
• Louisiana – John M. Thompson, Saint Francisville
• Michigan – Monte J. Bordner, Sturgis
• Minnesota – Bill Post, Chandler
• Mississippi –Janet Gent Parker, Seminary
• Missouri – Mark Anthony Fellwock, Monett
• Nebraska – Becky R. Potmesil, Alliance; Joyce Racicky, Mason City; and Joan Ruskamp, Dodge (2-year term)
• New Mexico – Boe C. Lopez, Springer
• North Carolina – Brian D. Warren, Newton Grove
• Oklahoma – Leanne Robison, Stillwater;
• South Dakota – VeaBea Thomas, Harrold; and Oren L. Lesmeister, Parade
• Tennessee – Gary W. Daniel, Cypress Inn
• Texas – Wesley D. Ratcliff, Oakwood; Amy Kirkland, Vega; Jared K. Ranly, D.V.M., Lott; and David Henderson, Tennessee Colony
• Utah – Mark J. Wintch, Milford
• Wisconsin – Arin Crooks, Lancaster; and Steve Springer, Linden
• Wyoming – Gwen Geis, Gillette
• Mid-Atlantic Unit – Creed Ward, Volga, W.Va.
• Northeast Unit – Warren W. Nop, Middlebury, Vt.
• Southwest Unit – Kristin A. McQueary, Ruby Valley, Nev.; Cindy Tews, Hanford, Calif.; and Carlos Carrillo, Hanford, Calif.
• Importer Unit – Jason Frost, Washington, D.C.; Selwyn Jones, Wimberley, Texas; and Matthew Allan, Washington, D.C.

The board is authorized by the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985 and is composed of 99 members representing 34 states and five units. Members must be beef producers or importers of beef and beef products nominated by certified producer organizations.

More information about the board is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Cattlemen’s Beef Board webpage.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.

–USDA AMS

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Newly appointed members and alternates are:

East States

• Jessica Hanslik, Ridgeland, Miss., member

• Libby Schwab, Hanover, N.H., alternate member

• John Puglisi, Howell, N.J., member

• Mark Sauder, Lititz, Pa., alternate member

• John C. Watson III, Raleigh, N.C., member

• Lake Wagner, Abingdon, Va., alternate member

• Gijs Schimmel, Lexington, Ga., member (1-year term)

Central States

• Thomas Edward Hertzfeld III, Whitehouse, Ohio, member

• Mitch Knapke, Saint Henry, Ohio, alternate member

• Jeffrey Cutler, Fort Recovery, Ohio, member

• Alex Weaver, Versailles, Ohio, alternate member

• Sean Delano, Whitewater, Wis., member

• Melinda Creighton Truex, Warsaw, Ind., alternate member

• Tim Zweering, Holland, Mich., member

• Ted Greidanus, Neosho, Mo., alternate member

West States

• Clint Hickman, Litchfield Park, Ariz., member

• Tracy Ramsdell, Flandreau, S.D., alternate member

• Emily Battilega, Sioux Center, Iowa, member

• Pat Melena, Wayne, Neb., alternate member

• Justin Haats, Spicer, Minn., member (1-year term)

The American Egg Board is composed of 18 members and 18 alternates representing three areas and is authorized by the Egg Research and Consumer Information Act of 1974. More information about the board and list of board members is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) American Egg Board webpage.

Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.

— USDA Agricultural Marketing Service

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