The Van Trump Report

Month: November 2024

Limited Holiday Service

***LIMITED SERVICE – The staff and I will be taking off for the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no report on either Thursday or Friday. Full-coverage will resume Monday morning. From our families to yours, we wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

From Eighth-Grade Dropout to Donut King….the Story of Dunkin Donuts

Dunkin Donuts is an American institution that has spawned an untold number of copycats over the years. Since its creation in 1948, the company has grown from one shop in Massachusetts to over 11,000 locations across 37 countries. It was all the brainchild of an 8th-grade dropout named William Rosenberg who noticed that Americans really …

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What You Need to Know About “Enhanced Rock Weathering”

Grind up rocks, throw them on your farmland, and you’ll boost yields while also saving the planet. At least, that’s the message being sold by proponents of “enhanced rock weathering” (ERW), who claim that adding rock dust to soils enhances fertility and removes CO2 from the air. But what exactly is it and what are …

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Agtech Investment Rebound Continues

PitchBook agtech analyst Alex Frederick says that it’s premature to declare a full recovery, “cautious optimism is warranted.” Several factors are driving the uptick in VC funding in agtech, including “stabilizing valuations after the market volatility of recent years, allowing investors and founders to find common ground; a focus on larger investments in companies with …

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McDonald’s, Syngenta, and Lopez Foods Partner on New Incentive Program for Cattle Producers

A new incentive program born of a collaboration between McDonald’s, Syngenta, and Lopez Foods will pay cattle producers to use a special corn designed to reduce gaseous emissions. Syngenta says its “Enogen” corn improves overall feed efficiency and helps cattle put on weight faster, and can even enhance ethanol production. Under the new collaboration, McDonald’s …

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What the Loss of Glyphosate Would Cost American Farmers

The chorus of voices that want to bring radical change to the way American farmers farm seems to be growing louder as they seek to sway sympathetic ears in Washington. Campaigns against pesticide use in particular threaten not only U.S. agricultural output but vital Farm Bill programs that support the ag economy.   Pesticides are …

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Rural America at a Glance 2024 Edition: Population Rebound Continues

The US rural population continues to grow, according to USDA’s 2024 edition of “Rural America at a Glance.” Population gains between 2020 to 2023 occurred in almost all county types regardless of degree of rurality. In total, around 46 million people lived in rural counties in 2023, comprising about 14% of the U.S. population. The …

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