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Ag News

Levi’s and McDonald’s Bid Farewell to Russia

Levi's iconic 501 jeans were one of the most highly coveted symbols of dissent in Russia during the Soviet era. And as the USSR began to crumble, McDonald's served as a powerful symbol of integration with the West when the company became the country's first American fast-food restaurant. As both countries now head for the exits, a look back at their ...
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A New Kind of Agriculture at the World’s First Indoor Vertical Saltwater Farm

Thousands of years after it was first introduced, traditional agriculture is seeing some big changes as it tries to overcome years of chemical fertilizer reliance, and in some cases a negative impact on ecosystems. At the same time, the oceans are offering an alternative opportunity to grow food in new ways without many of the downsides of traditional farming. You are ...
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NOAA’s Revised Spring Outlook for Drought and Flooding

NOAA recently released their revised U.S. Spring Outlook and for the second year in a row forecasters predict prolonged persistent drought in the West with below-average precipitation most likely. NOAA is also forecasting above-average temperatures for most of the U.S. from April to June. With nearly 60% of the continental U.S. experiencing minor to exceptional drought conditions, this is the ...
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Thinking About “National Ag Day”!

Today we celebrate "National Ag Day"... With the battle taking place in Ukraine it's a great time to remember just how important our producers our to our nation's food security. It was back in 1973 when the Agriculture Council of America (ACA) created this day to increase the public's awareness of the vital role of the farmer. It's amazing when ...
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Son of Potato Farmer Takes the French Fry Global… and Becomes Billionaire!

Dubbed the 'King of the French Fry' Harrison McCain was a straight-talking son of a potato farmer, who along with his brother Wallace, would create a global commodity and a calling card of American culture, the frozen "French Fry". Until Harrison came along the potatoes grown on land near his home had always been baked or cooked in water or oil ...
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Beef From CRISPR-Edited Cattle Could Soon be in Grocery Stores

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a new genetically modified beef cattle to its growing list of CRISPR-edited foods that are approved for human consumption. The cattle, created by Recombinetics, were bioengineered to have short-hair coat trait known as a "slick" coat. While this is the third genetically modified animal to win FDA approval for human consumption, it ...
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Will Drought Further Curb U.S. Wheat Production?

The intensifying drought across U.S. winter wheat areas is raising more worries about a shortfall in global supplies this season. Currently, 73% of winter wheat production is within an area experiencing some sort of drought, compared to 69% at the beginning of February and 35% this same time last year.The impact of the drought is evident in the poor crop ...
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ADM Highlights Emerging Trends in the Alternative Protein Market

Global agricultural giant Arthur Daniels Midland Company (ADM) released its 2022 Alternative Protein Outlook recently, revealing seven emerging trends the company says are taking shape right now. The findings, based on research from the company’s proprietary Outside Voice consumer insights platform, are a "deeper dive" into what’s next for protein alternatives, which are expected to climb to a staggering $125 ...
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Is the U.S. Sliding Toward a Water Scarcity Crisis?

A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is a 3,675-page deep-dive into the latest climate change research and the potential impacts to human society. While floods, wildfires, and habitat destruction all play a part, IPCC says the biggest impact will be on agricultural systems.    Water scarcity, not surprisingly, features prominently in the report's findings regarding ...
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Current Thoughts on the Extreme Volatility in Wheat, Corn, and Soybeans

Special Guest: Jeffrey McPike from WASEDA Commodities is one of the most respected names in the industry. McPike graduated from Yale University in 1980. After graduating he began a long and successful career in the commodity business. McPike began his career at Continental Grain Company working in North Dakota, Minnesota, and New York, specializing in wheat and feed grains trading. He was with ...
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