News Update
August 30, 2011
Fast-Casual Burger Segment Continues to Grow
The fast-casual boom continues, with more than half of the Top 75 hamburger chains now fast-casual brands, according to a recent survey by foodservice research firm Technomic.
The Top 75 limited-service burger chains saw their sales grow 1.6% last year, reaching $65 billion. The survey found that even as burger restaurants were opened, the segment’s rate of expansion continued to slow. Unit counts increased .2%, but the growth from the past three years was .5%, .7% and .9%, respectively. However, the segment’s expansion has consistently outpaced the limited-service industry as a whole, as well as the restaurant industry.
“Better burger” concepts are benefiting from focused menus, as many quick-service chains in the segment are expanding their menus to include breakfast, specialty coffee and broader entrées. At the same time, fast-casual burger chains that offer adult beverages are successfully competing against casual-dining chains, at a lower price point.
McDonald’s is the clear driver of sales growth within the category, offsetting declines by other large burger chains, while unit growth is primarily coming from emerging brands as they continue to take share from both limited-and-full-service restaurants.
For more information, go to www.technomic.com.
Webinar to Address Flood Recovery for Cropland
As waters recede from farmland that has been covered for several months by Missouri River flooding, Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension are jointly planning a workshop for Monday, Sept. 12, to address cropland issues. The workshop will be conducted via webinar at several viewing sites in both states from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Extension agriculture staff will host the workshop sites and facilitate questions to the panel.
Topics to be covered during the webinar and extension presenters include sedimentation and debris removal, Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension ag engineer; managing post flooding soils — flooded soil syndrome, Mahdi Al-Kaisi, ISU Extension soil specialist; cover crops for soil health, Paul Jasa, UNL Extension engineer; and leases and crop insurance on flooded land, William Edwards, ISU Extension farm management specialist. Rick Koelsch, UNL associate dean of extension, will moderate the panel.
“It is important for us to share information with those tasked with caring for farmland post flooding, but it is also important for Extension to hear the concerns and specific issues these folks have on their land,” said Shawn Shouse, extension ag engineer and planning committee member. “There is science that we can apply to this situation, but there is much that comes from farmer experience.”
Physical damage to farm ground may include obvious things like erosion and sand deposition. But some effects are invisible, having to do with the loss of soil microbes and soil structure. Land managers need to start planning and acting as the waters recede so that the soil can be productive again for next year.
“Using webinar technology helps us reach the most people on both sides of the river without having them travel great distances,” said John Wilson, UNL Extension educator and event co-chair. “It also allows for informal discussion at each site among those who have been most affected by the flood and with extension staff.”
In Iowa, the workshop will be at the following ISU Extension offices: Fremont County in Sidney, Harrison County in Logan, Mills County in Malvern and Monona County in Onawa. ISU Extension in West Pottawattamie County is hosting the session at the Lied Multipurpose Center, 3501 Harry Langdon Blvd., Council Bluffs and Woodbury County Extension is hosting at a site to be determined. Nebraska viewing sites will be in Auburn at a site to be announced, in Blair at the Blair City Hall Council Chambers, in Dakota City at the USDA Service Center, in Falls City at the Courthouse, in Omaha at the Douglas/Sarpy Extension Office and in Tekamah at the City Auditorium. The Extension agriculture educator hosting the workshop at each location will be available after the webinar to address additional questions and concerns, if needed.
The webinar also will be available in South Dakota at the Davison County Extension Complex in Mitchell and in Kennebec at the Lyman County Courthouse. Further information on the Flood Recovery for Cropland Workshop, including additional sites and information as it becomes available, is available on ISU and UNL extension websites at www.extension.iastate.edu/topic/recovering-disasters and flood.unl.edu.
Agriculture Event Will Help Farmers
Brush Up on Financial Know-How
Experts predict strong demand for crops will continue to warrant record-high prices over the next decade and increased net returns in the livestock industry. And, consumers’ continued demand for agricultural products, despite the country’s economic state, has proven agriculture as more financially stable than other sectors of the U.S. economy. “Farmers will play a key role in getting the country back on track,” said Luther Tweeten, Emeritus Andersons Professor in Ohio State University’s Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics (AEDE).
While he’s optimistic, Tweeten warns that farmers should continue to be cautious due to recent financial upheavals that have boosted worries about foreclosures on property, equipment and personal assets.
Tweeten is one of several presenters at the 49th annual Farm Science Review who will lead financial programs geared toward the professional farmer. Tweeten’s seminar, “Income and Employment,” is geared specifically to larger farming operations and will take place Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 11:30 a.m. on the stage in the OSU area on Friday Avenue.
“The positive agricultural economy yields opportunities for farms to become more profitable and financially stable,” said Chuck Gamble, Farm Science Review manager. “At the same time, farmers will have to be more diligent than ever in their planning and preparation to ensure they get the most out of advantageous market conditions and invest in the right technologies for their operations.”
The 2011 Farm Science Review, Sept. 20-22, will provide financial strategies, tools and resources to help farmers achieve stability and success in the agricultural industry. Other sessions include:
- Barry Ward, Ohio State University Extension leader in production business management and assistant professor in AEDE will share his insight of farm production management in “Crop Input Costs” Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 11:15 a.m. and “Working Your Farm Budget” on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 12:40 p.m., both in the OSU area on Friday Avenue.
- Other farm finance sessions, “Income and Employment,” Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 11:30 a.m., and “Estate Planning and Transfer,” Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 9:45 a.m., will provide farmers with valuable insight in preparing their operations for the future. Both also take place on Friday Avenue.
- For farmers who run small operations, OSU Extension educator Bruce Clevenger will present “Useful Farm Recordkeeping Strategies for Small Farms” Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m. This presentation will take place in the Center for Small Farms on Corn Avenue.
“Whether you are simply looking to make your production more cost efficient or you are hoping to increase your net profit of crop sales, learning from leading professionals and innovators can improve the financial stability of any farm production,” said Gamble.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.
Farm Science Review preshow tickets are now on sale for $5 at all OSU Extension county offices. Tickets will also be available at local agribusinesses. Tickets are $8 at the gate. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20-21 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 22.
For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu. For the latest news and updates, follow Farm Science Review on Twitter or on Facebook.
Farm Liability Insurance: Do You Have Enough Coverage?
Do you have enough insurance coverage for your farm? Insurance is only one, but perhaps the most common, tool in your risk management arsenal, according to Ken Bolton, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Center for Dairy Profitability.
Although a commonly held belief may be that liability insurance covers claims not covered by other policies, liability insurance serves two main purposes: 1) to make payments on your behalf to an injured party; and 2) to defend you against alleged liability by a third party within the scope of the coverage. The extent of your coverage is limited by requirements of the policy, stated exclusions and defined dollar limits. Moreover, for an insured individual to be covered by liability insurance, they must be deemed liable for the damage or injury occurring from a negligent action or lack of action.
“Most farm liability policies cover only liability that occurs in the ordinary course of a farm business,” Bolton said. “Therefore, supplemental coverage may need to be purchased for coverage pertaining to agritourism, culture labs, custom farm work, direct market stands off the farm premise, contamination of others’ milk by your own, pick-your-own customers and product liability claims.”
UW-Extension, Cooperative Extension, Center for Dairy Profitability and The National Agricultural Law Center have released a publication, Farm Liability Insurance (A3917), that covers risk management, liability coverage, negligence, strict liability, insured individuals, exclusions, legal issues affecting liability, and supplemental coverage. It also includes many case examples to illustrate legal concepts and a glossary of common liability insurance terms.
Legal issues affecting a person’s liability concerning fence law, nuisance, the Good Samaritan Law, users of your land and an employer’s responsibility for their employees are also addressed.
Farm Liability Insurance (A3917) is available from your county UW-Extension office at http://YourCountyExtensionOffice.org or from Cooperative Extension Publishing. To order, call toll-free 1-877-947-7827 (WIS-PUBS) or visit the website at http://learningstore.uwex.edu/.
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