Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Race Already Most Expensive in U.S. History

Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court race has already become the most expensive in U.S. history, with a group backing conservative Daniel Kelly going up with its first post-primary buy and liberal Janet Protasiewicz’s campaign dramatically upping its spending. The campaign of Protasiewicz, who placed first in the four-way primary on Feb. 21, told WisPolitics.com last week it was reserving more than $2 million through the April 4 election. Monday, the campaign said it has now reserved more than $6.5 million on broadcast, cable and satellite TV. MORE

Farm Bill Looking Increasingly Less Likely In 2023

Writing a new farm bill can be difficult under the best of circumstances but passing an ag law in the 118th Congress in 2023 or 2024 could prove to be especially challenging. For openers, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s commitment to allow each of the government’s appropriation bills to be considered individually rather than in an omnibus spending resolution could take up a large portion of 2023. “If you assume you can do two bills a week – and some bills may take a week by themselves – you’re going to spend a lot of time with appropriations bills on the House floor,” said Shipman, principal, and director for Cornerstone Government Affairs. MORE

Source: MBS

CBO Releases Farm Bill Baseline

The Congressional Budget Office released its farm bill baseline funding estimates on Wednesday. The CBO’s baseline estimates the cost of the current farm bill for the next 10 years. The baseline sets the parameters for what Congress will be able to spend on the new farm bill unless other funding sources can be found, which is unlikely. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the largest program in the farm bill with an estimated cost of approximately $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years. CBO estimates SNAP will increase by 8.4% compared to last year’s estimate. CBO assumes USDA will increase benefits by updating the Thrifty Food Plan. A House Agriculture Committee analysis of CBO’s estimates indicates commodity program support is expected to decline by 12%; conservation program spending will increase by 19%; and crop insurance will increase by 26%. MORE

Source: MBS

Biggest U.S. Farms Get Bigger

The largest farms, with sales of $1 million or more, operate nearly 26% of U.S. farmland — six percentage points more than they did a decade ago, although the number of farms has changed little, said the USDA. In its annual Farms and Land in Farms report, the USDA estimated there were 2.003 million farms in the nation in 2022, a decline of 0.5 percentage points from 2012. Some 88,660 farms, or 3.9% of the total, had sales of at least $1 million, said USDA. A decade ago, 3% of farms fit in that category. The average size of the largest farms, by sales, was 2,927 acres, or 4.6 square miles, in 2022. In 2012, farms with $1 million in sales were an average 2,481 acres. MORE

Source: MBS

Beef Coming Down from Record Highs

After a noteworthy year of record-breaking highs in beef exports in 2022, a new report from Rabobank suggests that 2023 will entail softened consumer sentiment and weaker beef prices. The Global Beef Quarterly report for the first quarter of 2023 notes a couple major developments in the global beef market to look out for. “Consumer sentiment weakened in late 2022, leading to a softening in beef pricing that has flowed through into early 2023,” said Angus Gidley-Baird, senior analyst of animal protein at Rabobank. “While the supply of beef should remain favorable for prices, consumer confidence will continue to be a key factor in determining beef returns.” MORE

Source: Constitution Partners

No Cow Needed: Oat and Soy Can Be Called Milk, FDA Proposes

Soy, oat, almond and other drinks that bill themselves as "milk" can keep using the name, according to draft federal rules released Wednesday. Food and Drug Administration officials issued guidance that says plant-based beverages don't pretend to be from dairy animals - and that U.S. consumers aren't confused by the difference. Dairy producers for years have called for the FDA to crack down on plant-based drinks and other products that they say masquerade as animal-based foods and cloud the real meaning of "milk." MORE

Source: MBS

Still Time - Advertise Your Business with the

Midwest Food Products Association in 2023 - Click HERE or Below!

How The FDA Stopped the Momentum for CBD In Food and Drink

Cannabis products were poised as the next big thing. The segment attracted interest from a variety of CPGs such as Constellation Brands — which bet $4 billion on the growth potential of cannabis — and Molson Coors, both of which announced partnerships with cannabis producers in 2019. The companies debuted products in Canada and parts of the U.S. where cannabis products are legal, such as Colorado, with a goal of capitalizing in each state once they became legal to sell nationwide. Brands debuted products, from soda to jelly beans, that infused the drug in different ways. MORE

Source: MBS

Michael Best Lobbyists Strike Out on Their Own

A trio of lobbyists at Michael Best Strategies, the Wisconsin-based law and lobbying firm whose staff includes former RNC Chair Reince Priebus, former Rep. Steve Israel, former Sen. Cory Gardner and former Texas land commissioner George P. Bush, have launched their own lobbying shop, including Denise Bode and Patrick Firth. MORE

Source: WisPolitics

Dietitians Say: Value and Affordability Displace Immunity

An annual survey of dietitians finds that, for the first time since the pandemic, value and affordability have displaced immunity as the top purchase driver of foods and beverages. Also, for the first time in 11 years of the survey, the entire top 10 list of “superfoods” can fit into a plant-based diet. And fermented foods rank No. 1 on that list. Those are among the findings of the “What’s Trending in Nutrition” survey, undertaken by Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian magazine. The 11th annual survey, conducted in November/December of 2022, got responses from 757 dietitians. The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a focus on food as medicine. But “After years of keeping immune health and comfort top-of-mind during the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are back to prioritizing affordability and convenience when shopping for food” – at least that’s what the dietitians believe. MORE

Source: FoodProcessing.com

Cereal, Pasta, and Other Food Companies Blast the FDA For a Too-Strict Definition of Healthy

General Mills, Kellogg's, and the rest of the country's cereal makers are mad at the FDA. So are the packaged food companies, the pasta industry, and the pickle lobby (yes, it exists). The companies behind America's favorite culinary indulgences are worried their products wouldn't be considered "healthy" under a recent Food and Drug Administration proposal - and they're urging regulators to reconsider. MORE

Source: MBS

MWFPA Will Join F&B Industry 4.0 Experts in Chicago

MWFPA is delighted to be partnering with the Smart Manufacturing for Food & Beverage Summit on 28 March 2023 in Chicago, IL.

Gain the necessary tools to develop an industry 4.0 roadmap to overcome current challenges and accomplishes business objectives. Find out more and register here.

Use PARTNER15 to save 15% on your pass.

www.smartmanufacturingfb.com info@amg-world.co.uk

TOMRA Names New Regional Sales Director in North America

TOMRA Food has named a 17-year industry veteran to a regional sales position in the company’s largest market. Sean Slevin is the company’s new regional sales director of TOMRA Processed Food in North America. This follows the 2021 appointment of Michael Ehr as regional sales manager of TOMRA Processed Food for North America, which is TOMRA’s biggest market. MORE

Source: ProduceProcessing.net

Fairchild Equipment Becomes Nine-time MVP

Fairchild Equipment has been awarded the prestigious MVP (Most Valuable Partner) Award for their accomplishments in 2022. For the ninth consecutive year, Fairchild Equipment has earned the MVP Award from the industry’s trade association, MHEDA (Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association). Award recipients must satisfy a rigorous set of criteria with less than 10% of the association’s membership earning the award. As a 2023 MVP, Fairchild Equipment has successfully demonstrated a commitment to business excellence, professionalism, and good stewardship. MORE

Hydrite® Wins Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award

Hydrite®, an integrated manufacturer and supplier of chemicals and related services, was recognized as a Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Grand Award winner – presented by Baker Tilly, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce – in the Mega Category for outstanding achievements in manufacturing. Hydrite President Kevin Honkamp commented, "My grandfather R.C. Honkamp said, 'All of this is possible with the excellence of our people, Hydrite's greatest asset, who are the foundation and driving force of our success and our future.' For this reason, I dedicate the award to my grandfather and our employees.” MORE

Source: WMC

If You're Not Digitizing Production Data, it's Time to Start

You can hardly go a day without reading a story on digitization in the food and beverage industry. Digital transformation came to marketing and R&D years — and for some, decades — ago, but more recently, we've seen increasing digitization across the F&B supply chain, from tracking inputs to real-time visibility of consumer products on store shelves. MORE

Source: CLFP

Food Safety Priorities for 2023

Heavy metals, other chemicals in food, a radically new FDA and a war on salmonella: Those appear to be the food safety priorities for 2023. Now that we can put COVID, at least as a pandemic, behind us, food safety has pretty much returned to the old normal. Do credit the pandemic for some permanent changes — for example, more automation, more space for plant-floor workers and more use of remote technologies. MORE

Source: CLFP

Medicaid for Food Draws Mixed Reviews

Advocates, analysts and policymakers are giving mixed reviews to the Biden administration's move to let states use Medicaid funds for food. Some are glad that Medicaid will be available as an additional tool to address food insecurity and diet-related health conditions, but others see expanding programs like SNAP as the priority ahead of a looming hunger cliff. "Medicaid already covers many life-long drugs and therapies. It should pay for food the same way it pays for statins, insulin, and other lifetime medications," Adam Shyevitch, chief program officer at Boston-based healthy food nonprofit About Fresh, tells Axios…. The Medicaid pilots could be a new source of relief as pandemic-era SNAP expanded food benefits expire across the country — but that shouldn't be used as an excuse by policymakers seeking SNAP cuts, according to Parker Gilkesson, a senior policy analyst at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). MORE

Source: Constitution Partners

A Tariff on Tin Mill Could Add to Existing Cost Pressures

According to Consumer Brands' analysis of January's producer price index, costs for food manufacturing increased 9.9% over last year. A proposed tax increase on tin mill products, being considered by the International Trade Commission, would compound existing price pressures for the consumer products industry. MORE

Source:  CBA

Here Comes the Sun: New Solar Projects Landing on WI Farmlands - Not Everyone is Happy

Since 2019, there have been 30 new solar projects proposed or brought online statewide, according to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Eight are operational while 11 are under construction. Another three have been approved by state regulators. Eight projects are being considered or expected to be proposed for state approvals. ... Wisconsin ranks 23rd among U.S. states for solar energy generating 1.6% of the state's electricity ... [SEIA] projects 4,243 MW of solar power to join Wisconsin's power grid in the next five years -- 11th most among U.S. states. By comparison, solar energy generates 27.3% of California's power. The Golden State ranks first in SEIA's solar rankings. Invenergy's Litchfield, MREA's Hylla, Columbia Supv. Carr, Sierra Club's Ferber, Alliant's Palese comment. MORE

Source: WisPolitics

March 2 - Free Natural Gas Webinar

https://mwfpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Natural-Gas-Webinar-3-2-23.pdf

March 9 - FREE LEADING THROUGH THE GENERATIONS LUNCH ‘N’ LEARN Green Bay, Wis.

Register here

March 9 - MWFPA Human Resources Committee virtual meeting - 10 AM

March 16 - MWFPA/WCMA Environmental Committee Meeting with WI DNR

Registration link HERE

Hilton, Sun Prairie

March 23 - Energy Management Seminar

Glacier Canyon Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells

https://mwfpa.org/events/energy-management

March 29 - Raw Products Committee Voters Meeting, MWFPA office

March 31 - MWFPA Scholarship applications due

https://mwfpa.org/scholarships

April 20 - Friday/Weckel Scholarship applications due

https://mwfpa.org/scholarships

April 27 - Sanitation Seminar

Glacier Canyon Conference Center, Wisconsin Dells

May 31 - NFPA 70E Electrical & Arc Flash Training - Kalahari, Wisconsin Dells

May 31 & June 1 - MWFPA Annual Summit & Scramble

Trappers Turn, Wisconsin Dells

https://mwfpa.org/events/golf-2023

October 10 - Sporting Clays Classic

Woods & Meadow Hunting Preserve

Warrens, Wisconsin

https://www.woodsandmeadow.com

November 28 - 30 - 2023 Convention & Processing Crops Conference

Kalahari Resort & Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells

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PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION

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