Ag Economy Recession & Manure Sustainability

This week, we learned about how many Ag economists believe that the U.S. is in a recession, that McDonald's had a deadly E.Coli outbreak, the history of pumpkins, and the work people are doing to save the Monarch Butterflies.

Read on to learn what else the week had to offer.

Ag Economy Is in a Recession

More than half of the 70 agriculture economists surveyed in?Farm Journal’s Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor believe that the United States agriculture economy is in a recession, while 75% of those economists surveyed think the ag economy is on the brink of a recession. “Farmers are seeing heightened volatility in commodity prices as the harvest season progresses,” Farm Journal’s Tyne Morgan reported. “The latest Ag Economists’ Monthly Monitor from Farm Journal showed a slight rise in optimism compared to the previous month, but economists remain worried about the current state of the agricultural economy when compared to last year.” Read more about it in our Ag Economy Is in a Recession, Says Majority of Ag Economists article.

McDonald's E.Coli Investigation

McDonald’s worked Wednesday to reassure customers that its U.S. restaurants are safe as federal investigators tried to pinpoint the cause of a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to the?fast-food giant’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers. McDonald’s pulled Quarter Pounders from one-fifth of its?U.S. stores Tuesday as a result of the outbreak, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said had sickened at least 49 people in 10 states. One person died and 10 were hospitalized, according to?the CDC. Read more about it in our Quarter Pounders off the Menu at 20% of McDonald’s as E. Coli Investigated article.

Oh My Gourd! The Incredible History of Pumpkins

As the crisp autumn air settles in and leaves begin to change, one unmistakable symbol of the season takes center stage—the pumpkin. Its bright orange hue and round, familiar shape adorn porches and doorsteps across America, signaling the arrival of fall festivities. From intricately carved jack-o’-lanterns to the comforting flavors of pumpkin pie and roasted seeds, this humble gourd has become an integral part of American culture. But beyond its festive allure, the history of pumpkins has deep agricultural roots and remains a valuable crop for farmers across the country. Read more about it in our Oh My Gourd! The Incredible History of Pumpkins article.

Sustainable Agriculture

Livestock manure has the potential to be an income-generating resource for farmers, and if managed properly, can contribute to sustainable farming. Today, though, it accounts for nearly 10% of all methane emitted by human activities in the United States, with nearly half of that potent greenhouse gas coming from dairy farms. Transitioning to more sustainable manure management practices could help farmers reduce methane emissions, as well as enhance nutrient cycling, improve air quality, reduce water contamination, improve soil health, and increase revenue. However, more scientific information is needed to help farmers adopt these sustainable manure management practices. Read more about it in our FFAR Aims to Help Farmers Manage Manure More Sustainably & Profitably article.

In other news, in 2017, Sáenz-Romero and colleagues gathered seeds from cones from eight stands of sacred fir?in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) in Mexico, at altitudes between 3,100 and 3,500 meters. They grew seedlings from these, at first for two years in a shade-house at 1,900 meters altitude, and then for another year in a nursery at 3,000 meters. In July 2021, they transplanted the seedlings to four sites along an elevational gradient on the northeast slope of Nevado de Toluca. Read more about it in our Scientists Create New Overwintering Sites for Monarch Butterflies article.

Also, Gabe Brown has been on a mission to share the good news in healthy soil for decades. And since co-founding the non-profit Soil Health Academy (SHA) in 2017, Brown has traveled the globe teaching other farmers and ranchers the life-promoting principles of regenerative agriculture. Thanks to his recent TED Talk in New York City, Brown’s inspirational message regarding the basics and benefits of soil health-improving regenerative agriculture is now reaching a new audience of consumers throughout the world. Read more about it in our New TED Talk 'Talks' Regenerative Ag article.

Crop and Food World

Photosynthesis, the chemical reaction that enables almost all life on Earth, is extremely inefficient at capturing energy—only around 1% of light energy that a plant absorbs is converted into chemical energy within the plant. In a perspective paper published October 23 in the Cell Press journal Joule, bioengineers propose a radical new method of food production that they call “electro-agriculture.” The method essentially replaces photosynthesis with a solar-powered chemical reaction that more efficiently converts CO2 into an organic molecule that plants would be genetically engineered to “eat.” Read more about it in our With "Electro-Agriculture," Plants Can Produce Food in the Dark article.

In other news, Outbreaks of foodborne illnesses are pretty rare for well-known restaurant chains, but they do happen. This week, an outbreak of E. coli food poisonings linked to?McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including one person who died and 10 who were hospitalized. Here’s a brief history of some of the recent incidents that sickened customers, roiled businesses, and sometimes changed how food safety is regulated in the U.S. Read more about it in our A Look at Food-Related Illnesses at Restaurants Over the Years article.

Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the cancellation of all products containing the pesticide dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal) under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In making this decision, EPA relied on the best available science, which included robust studies demonstrating thyroid toxicity. Read more about it in our EPA Finalizes Cancellation of the Pesticide Dacthal article.

Finally, it’s easy to assume a corn hybrid and/or disease is to blame for a poor performance, but it’s often more complicated than that. LG Seeds Agronomist Justin Schneider urges farmers to go a little deeper and investigate whether nutrient deficiencies or imbalances factored into any shortfalls in their fields this fall. Read more about it in our What’s Your Corn Field Hiding? article.

Farming Economy/Policy

Rabobank’s RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness (F&A) team in North America announced the publication of the North American Agribusiness Review. This report includes an analysis and summary of market conditions and trends across North American agriculture issued every other month. Read more about it in our RaboResearch Publishes North American Agribusiness Review article.

In other news, Mexico’s new president announced an agriculture plan Tuesday that could make the country’s food production and distribution look a lot more like it did in the 1980s when meals in Mexico were dominated by tortillas, beans, instant coffee, and cheap hot chocolate. Four decades ago, the ingredients for those meals were often bought at government stores that stocked a few basic goods. President Claudia Sheinbaum pledged Tuesday to revive those often shabby, limited government stores and continue efforts to achieve “food sovereignty.” Read more about it in our Mexico Announces Food and Agriculture Plan That Could Take the Country Back to the 1980s article.

USDA Update

This week, the USDA made Acreage Reporting More Flexible for Urban Producers, awarded $1.5 billion to Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture, and invested $46M in Efforts to Address Food and Nutrition Security.

Other Top Stories

The end of the year is a good time to assess your health and financial situation and plan for the year ahead. An important part of this planning is reviewing your health insurance needs and making any necessary changes. If you are considering working with a new insurance provider, these steps can help you find a plan that is right for you, your family, and your operation. Read more about it in our Six Steps to Determining the Right Insurance Plan article.

In other news, on a farmer’s field in southwest England, Staples and six friends had found a hoard of more than 2,500 silver coins that had lain in the ground for almost 1,000 years. Valued at 4.3 million pounds ($5.6 million) and now bound for a museum, they will help shed light on the turbulent aftermath of the?Norman conquest of England. Read more about it in our Hoard of 1,000-Year-Old Coins Unearthed in a Farmer’s Field Sells for $5.6M article.

Also, American Farmland Trust (AFT) will collaborate with Real Farmer Care (RFC) as the fiscal sponsor to support and advance farmer and rancher self-care and well-being. Founded in January 2020, Real Farmer Care’s founding mission is to support farmers’ self-care needs and allocated donated funds directly to farmers and ranchers as $100 self-care awards. Self-care is defined as the practice of taking an active role in protecting and improving one’s own well-being and happiness, particularly during times of stress. Read more about it in our AFT Collaborates With Real Farmer Care to Support Farmer Well-being article.

Finally, Although smell has historically played an important role in the fight against diseases such as the plague and tuberculosis, the human nose is generally not sensitive enough to be used as a reliable diagnostic tool. However, a new artificial ‘nose’ inspired by our sense of smell could now make it possible to detect undiagnosed disease, hazardous gases, and food that is starting to spoil. Read more about it in our Artificial Nose Can Sniff out Damaged Fruit and Spoiled Meat article.

Come Back Next Week!

Be sure to check in next week for our?weekly?national news roundup, and?don't?forget to follow us on all our socials! We?can't?wait to see what next week holds for agricultural news.