AgNet News Hour, Friday, 01-03-25

Sabrina Halvorson and Lorrie Boyer discuss the looming threat of port strikes on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast, with contracts set to expire on January 15th, 2025. They delve into the potential ramifications for agricultural exports, the criticality of timely contract negotiations, and the broader impact on the U.S. economy. Key topics include the role of government, the importance of maintaining international trade relations, and the ongoing debate over automation in port operations. They underscore the significant risk to the agricultural sector and the ripple effects on other industries and consumer prices.

Lorrie talks with Tom Harrington, President of the Colorado Cattlemen's Association, about the impact of wolf reintroduction in Colorado, highlighting issues such as livestock deaths and depredations. He criticized Governor Jared Polis for blaming ranchers and emphasized the need for better preparation and compensation plans. On the second part of the segment, Lorrie is joined by  Evan Holtine from the Illinois Farm Bureau. He discusses a lawsuit against the American Farm Bureau Federation over the termination of Illinois Farm Bureau's membership due to a business decision by affiliate company Country Financial.

Sabrina talks with Galen Beer, the national sales strategy and product management lead for AgroLiquid, about the current state and strategic approaches for the mid-year fertilizer season. He highlights early deliveries for 2025, agronomy meetings reviewing research from the past year, and important considerations for growers on the West Coast and Southeast. Galen emphasizes the necessity of having a detailed fertilizer plan, understanding soil tests, and addressing geographical challenges like sodium in irrigation water in California and nutrient washout in Florida. He advises growers to remove emotion from economic decisions and to consult experts, with AgroLiquid's resources available to assist.

This episode also features an excerpt of the Voices of the Valley podcast.