News Update

May 27, 2015

Marketing to Millennials

A government report issued last fall showed millennials equal one-third of the population and will be an important economic engine for the future.

Jeff Fromm, co-author of Marketing for Millennials, says targeting that group will be an important focus for businesses in the coming years, including the food industry. He adds that the more food producers understand consumer culture the better they will be able to meet their customer’s needs.

Fromm says consumers want healthy choices, fresh choices, ingredients they can pronounce, and they want it all at a price that is probably unreasonable, but that’s what they want.

“The most unique brands, the most innovative brands, the most authentic brands, the most meaningful brands tend to, time and again, be brands that people love,” he says. “At the end of the day, people who are responsible for food-related production have to be close to consumer culture, because they’re going to sell their producs to another business that’s ultimately going to be really focused on that consumer.”

To view more of the interview watch this week’s The Angus Report online or tune to RFD-TV at 5 p.m. CDT this evening, 1:30 p.m. CDT on Saturday or 7:30 a.m. CDT each Monday morning.

— Adapted from The Angus Report.

Farmers’ Market Resource Available

Many of us have wandered through a farmers’ market and envisioned ourselves selling produce, baked goods or other foods. They are a great way for food producers and value-added food processors to directly connect with their customers, increase sales and get feedback from customers.

An updated 2015 guide is available to help new, as well as veteran farmers’ market vendors in Kansas navigate the best practices to ensure the safety of various types of food offered at what for many of us marks the real spring season.

Kansas State University (K-State) Research and Extension, along with the Kansas Department of Agriculture, recently updated Food Safety for Kansas Farmers’ Market Vendors: Regulations and Best Practices, which helps to clarify regulatory requirements and lists recommended best practices to ensure the safety of the types of food offered at farmers’ markets. It is available for free download online.

Some of the important requirements for food producers selling at farmers’ markets include that you should cook, transport and hold foods at the proper temperatures to prevent rapid bacterial growth. Hot prepared foods must be held at 135° F or higher, cold perishable foods at 41° F or less, and frozen foods must be kept frozen.

See more tips on proper food handling for Kansas farmers’ markets in the full news release.

— Adapted from a release by Mary Lou Peter, K-State Research and Extension News.

Avian Influenza Concerns Iowa’s Egg and Turkey Farmers

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, along with Kevin Petersburg of the USDA’s Animal and Poultry Health Inspection Service (APHIS), invited key Iowa leaders — Iowa Governor Terry E. Branstad and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey — to join them in a face-to-face meeting with a diverse group of farmers and related industry leaders severely affected by the avian influenza outbreak.

The meeting at the Iowa Poultry Association in Urbandale, Iowa, demonstrated the depth of concern and joint commitment regarding the avian influenza (AI) outbreak in the state. Iowa is the state considered hardest hit with an estimated 27 million chickens, turkeys and ducks infected by avian influenza since April. Considered the worst outbreak of avian influenza on record, four states, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, have declared states of emergency.

Representatives in the meeting explained to the federal and state officials the scope of their losses, the ripple effect it will have on the U.S. economy, and how certain markets could be lost permanently.

Bob Riley of Feed Energy Group says there is a major ripple effect throughout the industry. “Feed business will be lost, which will potentially result in many jobs lost not only in our industry but clear through to the retail level.”

For more information, please view the full release online.

— Adapted from a release by the Iowa Poultry Association.

New Nutrient Management Certification Offered

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) and the International Certified Crop Adviser (ICCA) program announced a new specialty certification in 4R Nutrient Management Planning (NMP).

Environmental and resource management concerns require farmers have access to advanced knowledge in improved water quality and environmental stewardship. The ICCA Program 4R Nutrient Management Planning (4R NMP) Specialty Certification meets this demand.

The 4R NMP Specialty Certification is currently available in six states — Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin — with plans to expand in the near future. Certified crop advisers (CCAs) are eligible to apply for this certification.

Nutrient management is an integrated process that considers the agronomic aspects of soil and crop nutrition, as well as the social, economic and environmental relationships with the management system. It centers on the goal of building a nutrient management plan that puts the right nutrient sources, at the right rate, in the right place and at the right time — the 4Rs of nutrient management. The first exam is on Aug. 7. Performance objectives and registration materials are available online.

For more information about the nutrient certification program, view the full news release.

— Adapted from a release by the American Society of Agronomy.

Demeter Award Nominations Sought
for Outstanding Women in Ag

Nominations are now being accepted for consideration for the Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, which acknowledges the outstanding achievements of women in the ag sector. The awards will be presented at the fourth annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, hosted by HighQuest Group, this year in Minneapolis, Minn., Sept. 28-30 at the Hyatt Regency.

The Women in Agribusiness Demeter Award of Excellence, so named for Demeter, the goddess of the harvest from ancient Greek mythology, will be given in three categories. The categories reflect the mission of Women in Agribusiness Initiatives, which is to help develop leaders, increase industry knowledge and inspire action for women in the agribusiness sector. They are: Leader of the Year, Innovator of the Year and Company/Organization of the Year.

Nomination forms, which are due no later than July 10, and guidelines for submission are available on the Women in Agribusiness Summit website under Initiatives. There is no limit to the number of entries in each award category, though there will be only one award recipient in each category. When submitting nominations, any given individual can be nominated for only one category. A person or company may self-nominate.

Learn more about the Demeter award in the full news release.

— Adapted from a release by HighQuest Group.

— Compiled by Paige Nelson, field editor, Angus Journal.