Dusty Davidson

In less than three years, grower prices for apples have decreased by 28 percent, while labor costs have increased by 9 percent, and 60 percent over the last decade. This situation has left thousands of growers barely hanging onto their farms, many of which have been family-owned for generations. Today, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an Interim Final Rule to revise the methodology for setting Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWR) and implement essential reforms to the H-2A visa wage system. The proposed changes to the H-2A program reflect many of the reforms that the U.S. Apple Association has long advocated for, including adopting a more market-based system that eliminates the use of the flawed Farm Labor Survey for calculating the AEWR. #farming #labor #apples

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“If you are a dairy farmer and you don’t have labor, you don’t have a business.” As a farmer-owned cooperative, Land O'Lakes, Inc. sees firsthand how essential farmworkers are to our food system and rural communities, especially now when farmer profitability is challenged. Thanks to Liz Fedor at Twin Cities Business for this important conversation.   https://lnkd.in/gnfjQBrE

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“The first thing was to get access to the problem by talking to hundreds of farmers. We would talk to a bunch of ag lenders and they’re like, ‘We drive to the farm, and we put together balance sheets.’” Ambrook CEO Mackenzie Burnett joins John Collison to talk about American agriculture, labor and immigration challenges, building rural resilience, ERPs, the principle of money movement, and carrying 50lbs of fresh pork on Amtrak. She also shares some feedback for Stripe. YouTube: https://lnkd.in/g2E6zhCH  Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gG8C4KM9  Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ggJTdw2p  Full transcript on Substack: https://lnkd.in/gnCviqxD 

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What’s all the hype around reduced stature corn? St. Louis Public Radio looks at what these innovative corn hybrids could mean for the future of farming -- from helping crops withstand strong winds that are becoming more common, to allowing farmers to grow more food without using more land. https://bit.ly/46V7KuL

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Attention Agribusiness Leaders: The Talent Crunch is Coming The agricultural industry is facing a critical talent shortage that's set to intensify. As Rob Fox from CoBank's Knowledge Exchange notes, "The pool of available workers is set to shrink precipitously in the next few years." Key factors: • Declining labor force participation • Falling U.S. fertility rates • Baby boomer retirements • Restrictive immigration policies This perfect storm threatens to impede economic growth, particularly in the Upper Midwest, Corn Belt, and Central Plains. Simply posting job openings on multiple job boards and hoping for applicants won't cut it anymore. Agribusinesses must proactively address current and future talent needs. It's time to: - Invest in technology to offset labor shortages - Develop innovative recruitment strategies - Create compelling retention programs - Build robust talent pipelines Don't wait for the impact to hit. It's time to take action to maintain your competitive edge. The future of your business depends on your ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent. Are you ready for the challenge? #AgTalent #WorkforcePlanning #Ag1Source

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Sobering stats since 2000: Corn yield +35% Farm price +110% Cost to plant an acre +230% That math doesn't work and rural America is feeling the pinch more with each passing day. This week's HOT TAKE takes a look at the not-so-fun reality of farm economics as we embark on a new marketing year. https://lnkd.in/g4km3-43

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WA growers know the value of legumes in their rotations, but achieving reliability and consistent performance can be challenging. In a new GRDC podcast, agVivo agronomist and Moora grower Erin Cahill discusses practical strategies for growing lentils, lupins, and other legumes across the west. This episode is part of a four-part GRDC and Grower Group Alliance series exploring the agronomy, profitability, marketing, and harvesting of legumes in WA. 🎧 Listen here: http://bit.ly/4mRnTHk #GRDCPodcast #LegumeAgronomy #GrainsResearch

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Most of the big ag robotics news of late has come from California. No surprise there but an interesting theme to keep an eye on. Between labor shortages, climate stressors, and rising costs, the state's agriculture sector is struggling (understatement). A lot of folks are banking on robotics and automation to combat these problems. Does this latest slew of fundraises, launches, and M&A mean we're seeing progress, or are ag robotics still a fantasy for most farms? All thoughts welcome in the comments. Meanwhile, here's a refresher of the most recent deals (in California and elsewhere): 🍎 Bonsai Robotics acquired fellow Californian company Farm-ng 🍄 Canada's 4AG Robotics landed a $29 million to expand its autonomous mushroom harvesting tech 🍓 TRIC Robotics closed a $5.5 million seed round to take its autonomous fleet into new strawberry fields in California 🍇 SAGA ROBOTICS // THORVALD raised $11.2 million to expand its fleet in California that uses UV-C light to blast powdery mildew 🌳 Salinas, California-based ag robotics innovation hub RESERVOIR opened for business with the support of Driscoll's, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Taylor Farms, and others 🚜 John Deere announced it would be the hub's exclusive OEM partner 🍉 Deere also acquired California-based GUSS Automation, known for its semi-autonomous sprayer for high-value crops 🎓 UCANR launched registration for the 2026 Farm Robotics Challenge for undergraduate and grad students

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Day 1/30 of Agriculture Problem Solving: Consumer Disconnect According to a University of Minnesota study, less than 25% of adults trust info about where and how their food is produced and in Gen Z that drops to 17%. Clearly we have a lot of work to do as an industry. Let's figure out some solutions. I have discussed a lot of the problems facing Ag here on social media over the last few years, it's time I start talking about some solutions as well. So here's the start of forcing myself to ideate some solutions to tough agriculture problems that we all acknowledge but still haven’t solved completely. Give Atlas AG Media Solutions a follow if you want to see how we are using media to tackle the consumer disconnect issue. If you know anyone tackling these issues well and making headway drop their names / profiles in the comments, let's work as an industry to tackle some of these issues. #agriculture #farming #nextgeneration #problemsolving

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In 2024, beef demand rose 6.7%. That growth played a significant role in supporting: ✔️ 10.2% higher fed cattle prices ✔️ 16.6% higher feeder cattle prices Even with steady production, strong consumer demand helped deliver real value back to the producer. This is why the Beef Checkoff continues to invest in research, education and promotion — helping keep beef the preferred choice for today’s consumer. Learn more about the connection between demand and producer returns: https://bit.ly/47dta84 #BeefCheckoff

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🧭 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳.𝗰𝗼𝗺 — 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗲𝗳.𝗰𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 “𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲” 𝗽𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲. Prediction: one of the Big Four will likely swoop in at the finish line. Here’s the high level snapshot: 𝗠𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝗢𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 Exploring Beef.com as a producer-led authority for trust, traceability, animal welfare, and market education. Among national and global initiatives, this group will also become THE major e-commerce provider in Ranch-to-Table deliverables and subscription services. 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱-𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗚𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 — 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 Positioning Beef.com as a consumer-facing trust portal to showcase product quality, nutrition transparency, and sourcing leadership across the $1T+ global fast-food arena. 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗘-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 — 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 Evaluating Beef.com for a Ranch-to-Table DTC platform (Omaha Steaks generates $900M in annual sales) — built around subscriptions, gifting, and premium offerings. 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘂𝗺 — 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 In step with Saudi Vision 2030 / NEOM and regional food-security goals, as 85% of their food supply is imported. With the Middle East importing a significant share of its food, Beef.com could anchor supply-chain partnerships, certification, and cross-border trade. Potential front-runner at this stage. 5) 𝗨𝗦𝗗𝗔  We have been in several communications with the USDA whereby their ownership of Beef.com would support US Cattle Ranchers and become another key part of “America First” priorities. 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 We have rejected $9.9M offer with terms; we believe a better offer with acceptable terms is forthcoming. Guidance: We’re aligned around a $12M asset sale for the one-of-one category domain. Unlike other 8 figure brands, there are no plurals to address. There is only one Beef.com. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗙𝗶𝘁 (𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗲𝗺𝗽𝘁): Own the category. Control the narrative with customers, producers, media, and policymakers. Capture premium intent. Exact-match type-ins + SEO = lower CAC and durable direct traffic. Platform economics. B2B directories, data subscriptions, consumer education, and crisis-response hub — all under a single, trusted roof. While we are making significant positive progress, traditionally domain brands of this magnitude ultimately end up with one of the industry giants. If you’re senior leadership at JBS, Tyson Foods, National Beef Packing Company LLC, or Cargill, or represent a qualified buyer, let’s talk. 📩 Inquiries (confidential): Fred@GeocentricMedia.com #Beef #Agribusiness #DTC #FoodSecurity #CattleRanchers #Domains Public Investment Fund (PIF)

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