Missouri Department of Agriculture Archives

Southeast Missouri getting $3 million in CARES Act funding to expand rural broadband

August 20, 2020 By Missourinet Contributor

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investing nearly $3 million in the expansion of rural broadband internet service to southeast Missouri. During a Zoom call Wednesday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senator Roy Blunt and Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn announced the federal CARES Act funds are going to Big River Communications for the expansion.

Southeast Missouri getting $3 million in CARES Act funding to expand rural broadband

Chad Rupe, the USDA’s administrator for rural utilities service, says the funding will provide broadband to thousands of Missourians.

“Big River Communications is receiving a $2.9 million award to lay over 53 miles of high-speed fiber broadband to connect 4,839 people,” he says.

Perdue says the funding will help to sustain rural communities.

“We’ve got some wonderful communities out hear in which many people love to live but if they’re disadvantaged and cannot connect to the global marketplace, that’s a real disadvantage,” says Perdue.

Chinn says the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s goal is to have 90% broadband coverage in the state by 2025 and the CARES Act funding will help to speed up the timeline.

Construction is set to start next month, and the first availability of the new broadband is expected by the end of the year.

By Will Robinson of Brownfield Ag News

$20 million in grant funding heading to Missouri’s smaller meat and poultry processors

July 22, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The state Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced a $20 million grant program for Missouri meat and poultry processors on Wednesday, saying it will increase food supply chain resilience in the Show-Me State.

Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn briefs Capitol reporters in Jefferson City on July 22, 2020 (photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The $20 million comes from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) funds. Governor Mike Parson and MDA Director Chris Chinn made the announcement. Chinn tells Capitol reporters that the funds will increase livestock and poultry processing capacity.

“During COVID-19, our food supply was tested from farm to fork,” Chinn says. “Farmers and ranchers saw tight livestock supplies on their farms, while consumers saw their choices of certain cuts of meat shrink or go away.”

Chinn says the cost of meat increased in some cases.

The governor says the grant program for smaller Missouri meat and poultry processors is for plants with less than 200 employees. Parson says it’s aimed at increasing livestock and poultry processing capacity across the state.

The Legislature approved the bipartisan funding in May, which is aimed at helping the plants address supply chain disruptions.

Director Chinn says every part of our food system has been challenged during COVID-19.

“Examples of eligible expenses include but are not limited to capitol improvements that expand capacity, utility upgrades like cold storage, processing equipment, packaging equipment and more,” says Chinn.

Utility upgrades include water, electric, refrigeration and heat. The application deadline is August 31.

Director Chinn describes the grant program as “a win-win” for farmers and consumers. She tells Missourinet that there are hundreds of eligible facilities around Missouri.

“So we have 180 (plants) that are federal or state-inspected, and we have about 300 that are custom exempt inspected,” Chinn says.

State Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla, led the bipartisan legislative effort in May, for the funding.

Beef plant that opened in March in western Missouri now has 175 employees

July 6, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A veteran Missouri lawmaker who serves on the House Agriculture Policy Committee says the newest modern beef processing plant built in the United States now has about 175 employees in western Missouri’s Lone Jack.

The Republic Foods beef facility is located in far western Missouri’s Lone Jack, a town of about 1,000 residents (June 2020 photo courtesy of Rep. Warren Love)

Lone Jack is a small town of about 1,000, and is southeast of Lee’s Summit. It’s located in Jackson County.

State Rep. Warren Love, R-Osceola, tells Missourinet that Republic Foods started operating the plant in March. He says it is processing about 250 head of beef cows per day. Missourinet contacted the company, which confirms the numbers provided by Love.

“These are what you call hamburger cows,” Love says. “They come in, they’re completely deboned, the meat is, then it’s processed into hamburger. They call it lean-trim.”

Love says about 75 percent of the cows are purchased in Missouri.

Love and other state lawmakers toured the plant in June, and were joined by representatives of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA). Love says the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and Missouri Farm Bureau also participated in the tour.

“I think there were eight legislators, seven of them from the House, all serve on the Ag (House Agriculture Policy) Committee,” says Love. “And then we had one senator, Senator Justin Brown from Rolla.”

Senator Brown co-chairs the Joint Committee on Agriculture.

Love, who’s finishing his eighth and final year in the House because of term limits, is a member of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association. He says it’s possible that the Lone Jack plant could receive some of the $20 million in assistance appropriated by the Legislature this year for meat processors dealing with COVID-19.

The $20 million is for plants with less than 200 employees. It’s designed for support, workforce assistance, equipment and capital improvements.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and State Rep. Warren Love, R-Osceola, which was recorded in June 2020:

Lawmakers to hear update on Missouri slaughter facilities and economic impact from COVID-19

May 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

We’ll learn more details next week about the impact of the coronavirus on local slaughter facilities in Missouri.

State Rep. Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 11, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The Joint Committee on Agriculture plans a Thursday morning hearing at the Statehouse in Jefferson City. The committee will meet at 9 a.m.

The committee’s co-chairs are State Rep. Mike Haffner, R-Pleasant Hill, and State Sen. Justin Brown, R-Rolla.

Haffner’s office tells Missourinet that the joint committee will hear a general overview about how production lines at slaughter facilities are influenced by COVID-19, and the responses to it. Haffner’s office says State Reps. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, and Don Rone, R-Portageville, will present the update.

Shaul and Rone plan to discuss the current economic issues that local slaughter facilities are having due to COVID-19 and how that financially impacts Missouri’s cattle industry, according to Haffner’s office.

Shaul also heads the Missouri Grocers Association.

The $35.2 billion operating budget approved by state lawmakers this month contains $20 million for Missouri meat processing facilities, impacted by COVID-19. House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, says it’s for plants with less than 200 employees, for support, workforce assistance, equipment and capital improvements.

The Joint Committee on Agriculture will also hear testimony on Thursday from Missouri commodity groups and agricultural organizations about their economic impact, specifically their contribution to state and local tax revenues.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) plans to present on Thursday, along with B.J. Tanksley of the Missouri Farm Bureau and Casey Wasser of the Missouri Soybean Association. Dr. Scott Brown of the University of Missouri and Tony Clayton of Clayton Agri-Marketing are also scheduled to present, along with the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Task force gets some positive news on Missouri spring flooding potential

February 24, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The National Weather Service says Missouri faces above-average flood risk this spring because soil is still saturated from last spring’s flooding. About 1.2 million acres of Missouri farmland was damaged by flooding in 2019.

Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn (Photo courtesy of Brownfield Ag News)

But, Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn says the Governor’s Flood Advisory Task Force has received a glimmer of good news from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about the potential for spring flooding.

“The reservoirs up north right now have more storage capacity than they did last year at this time. So that’s a positive piece of information that we were really glad to hear,” says Chinn.

Chinn is a member of that task force. She farms in northeast Missouri’s Clarence.

“Last year at this time, we had a really deep freeze in the ground. Right now, we don’t have that,” she says. “So, we’re not going into the spring in the exact same situations that we were last year.”

Chinn says a lot of farm ground is unprotected.

“We do have a lot of levees right now that have not been able to be repaired because the water simply did not recede,” she says.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River are hosting meetings in northwest Missouri March 2nd and 3rd for farmers to meet with state and federal emergency management officials and the USDA’s RMA, FSA and NRCS agencies to ask questions and share their concerns.

Missouri lawmakers draw attention to feral hog issue during budget hearing (AUDIO)

January 28, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Two southern Missouri state lawmakers are unhappy with a letter the state Department of Agriculture (MDA) director has sent to the U.S. Forest Service, in support of their decision to close the Mark Twain National Forest to feral hog hunting.

State Rep. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, speaks at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on August 22, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The issue came up during Monday afternoon’s Missouri House Budget Committee hearing in Jefferson City, when State Reps. Robert Ross, R-Yukon, and Scott Cupps, R-Shell Knob, mentioned the issue to MDA Director Chris Chinn, during her budget presentation.

Chinn testifies that Oklahoma has gone away from an approach Missouri was using, including hunting.

“One of the things that we learned from them (Oklahoma) is that, that above-all approach that we had been taking, they had tried as well and it didn’t work,” Chinn tells Representative Ross.

“Especially not when your (Missouri) Department of Conservation is actively working against the private landowners,” Ross responded.

The above-all approach that Director Chinn is referring to is a policy that some hunters and ranchers near the Mark Twain National Forest want to continue. It involved trapping by Conservation officials, but also hunting by residents.

Ross, who chairs the House Special Committee on Government Oversight, serves on the Budget Committee. He questions Chinn’s letter.

“That’s what really surprised me is that your agency (MDA) would take a position that was in directly in opposition of working with the private landowners, following along with the misguided approach the Missouri Department of Conservation is now pushing,” Ross tells Director Chinn.

Ross says his Texas County constituents support eradicating feral hogs, by hunting. He and Cupps say residents should be allowed to hunt for the hogs on public land.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says allowing residents to hunt feral hogs has increased the number of the animals, along with their range. Conservation agents say there have been illegal releases by people who wanted to hunt feral hogs for recreation.

The Conservation Department has launched a new plan, which aims to eliminate feral hog damage by trapping and killing the hogs themselves.

Director Chinn says feral hogs are a threat to Missouri livestock. She backs the Forest Service’s decision to close the Mark Twain National Forest to feral hog hunting.

Chinn testifies that MDA’s job, through its Animal Health division, is to protect Missouri from diseases. She says if African swine fever were to hit Missouri through the feral hog population, it would be a threat to livestock producers and agribusiness.

“A lot of these livestock eat the corn and the soybean that are raised on many of these farms, and if we should have a disease threat like that hit Missouri, it’s not only going to hurt the livestock industry, it’s going to hit our row crop as well as our grain elevators,” Chinn testifies.

Chinn emphasizes that what’s been done previously isn’t working.

After several minutes of questioning, State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain Grove, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Appropriations for Agriculture, asked Ross and Cupps to save the feral hog discussion for another date, when both MDA and the Conservation Department can attend. Kelly wanted Chinn to have time to present her budget.

The issue has been a big one at the Missouri Capitol. Just last week, about 150 southern Missouri hunters and ranchers protested quietly outside the governor’s office, saying the MDC-federal approach won’t work.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn, which was recorded at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City on January 27, 2020:

Missouri Department of Agriculture gives grants to projects in “food deserts” around state

December 30, 2019 By Ashley Byrd

There are areas of Missouri — both rural and urban — without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

That is called food insecurity and according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, this lack of nutrition affects one in five children in the state. The agency has recognized 12 projects to support and awarded matching grants to:

A Red Circle, St. Louis – contributing to the construction of the North County Agricultural Education Center
Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture, Columbia – purchasing greenhouse supplies to grow to produce for donation to an area food bank
Community Action Agency, St. Louis County – expanding the Seeds of Hope Farm, which will include a caterpillar tunnel kit and other growing supplies
Dirt Beast Farm, Kansas City – clearing unused urban land for vegetable production, and purchasing supplies for irrigation and development of the land
Drew Lewis Foundation, Springfield – constructing a wash and pack facility for produce grown on-site
Green Acres Urban Farm, Kansas City – increasing production of greens and adding shrimp production
Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, Kansas City – assisting with the construction of a commercial kitchen, which will increase access to local food
Jewish Vocational Service Global Gardens, Kansas City – increasing the number of raised beds used by low-income residents to grow food for personal use and sale at farmers’ markets
Lettuce Dream, Maryville – adding lighting, which will allow for an increased growth of hydroponic lettuce that will be donated to a local food pantry
The Fit and Food Connection, St. Louis – purchasing equipment which will increase food delivery to low-income residents through the Food Assistance Program
West Plains Community Garden, West Plains – increasing the number of community garden beds used by low-income residents
Stoddard County Senior Citizens Agency, Dexter – purchasing a walk-in freezer, allowing for an increase in food storage.

The sites were chosen for their potential to grow and sustain the local economies as well as the health of each community.

According to the MDA, the appropriation from the General Assembly totaled $200,000. The cap for each project match was $25,000 maximum.

The projects must be completed by May 1, 2020.

Parson says Missouri pork industry is helping to keep young people on the farm (AUDIO)

October 16, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor says getting young people involved in agriculture is critical to the future, with the average age of a Missouri farmer being 58.

Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Chris Chinn (left) and Governor Mike Parson speak at a ceremony in Jefferson City on October 11, 2019 (photo from Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth)

Governor Mike Parson (R) tells Missourinet the state’s pork industry is helping young people stay on the farm.

“And it’s great that the pork industry is kind of leading the way on that, so hopefully they’re going to have a path forward for other organizations to see how to do that,” Parson says.

During a recent ceremony at the state Department of Agriculture (MDA), Missouri Pork Association Executive Vice President Don Nikodim told the governor the pork industry is growing.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in the pork sector and for young folks getting involved and engaged and come on down the line, I think that says a lot about where we can be down the road,” says Nikodim.

MDA notes the average age of a Missouri farmer is now 58, up from 54 in 1997. By age, the largest number of Missouri farmers are at least 70.

Governor Parson has proclaimed October as “Pork Month” in Missouri, noting the state’s pork industry ranks sixth in the nation and contributes $1.6 billion annually to the state’s economy. He says more than 3.5 million hogs are raised in Missouri.

The governor is urging farmers to “tell their story”, saying that if they don’t, no one will. Parson tells state Department of Agriculture employees that during the 1950’s and 1960’s, 50 percent of Americans were related to farms.

“I mean somebody in your family was a farmer, real McCoy farmer,” Parson says. “Today, less than two percent of the people share that same ability to be able to share with that agriculture.”

MDA Director Chris Chinn, who farms in northeast Missouri’s Clarence, joined Parson at the ceremony.

Click here to listen to Governor Mike Parson’s briefing with Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth, Brownfield’s Julie Harker and KWIX Radio’s Kyle Hill, which took place on October 11, 2019 at the Missouri Department of Agriculture:

Millions of dollars in Missouri state fairground improvements about to begin in Sedalia

October 14, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

About $8 million in new upgrades and repairs will be starting soon at the sprawling state fairgrounds in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia.

State Sen. Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, speaks on the Missouri Senate floor on April 30, 2019 (file photo courtesy of Senate photographer Harrison Sweazea)

Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee Chairman Doug Libla, R-Poplar Bluff, pushed for the repairs and spoke about the issue on the Senate floor, even though his southeast Missouri district is 260 miles away from Sedalia.

“You know I’m from Poplar Bluff, a long ways from here. But we (residents in his southeast Missouri district) take a lot of pride in our state, we take a lot of pride in our state fair. We take a lot of pride in our FFA kids, and our students get to come here (Sedalia) and learn about agriculture,” Libla says.

Senator Libla, who represents eight southeast Missouri counties, tells Missourinet that investing more money in state fairgrounds facilities will pay dividends in the future. He also says the state fair is an opportunity for urban children to hear about farming.

“We need to make sure our farm families are being taken care of, make sure they’re being represented, and this (the state fair) is a good way for the urban kids to also learn about agriculture,” says Libla.

A spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) told Missourinet on Friday that the $8 million in projects at the state fairgrounds are all in various stages of development, with design, bid or construction starting soon.

A complete electrical upgrade to the swine barn is planned, along with a new 150-site campground for exhibitors only. Planned improvements also include a complete renovation to the old sheep pavilion.

Governor Mike Parson and State Fair Director Mark Wolfe say more than 337,000 people attended the State Fair in August.

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, who represents southern Missouri, says the seven Bootheel counties produce more than one-third of the agricultural products for the entire state. Smith represents the eight counties that Libla represents in the Senate.

Pork Place at the Missouri State Fair celebrates 40 years (AUDIO)

August 16, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

SEDALIA, Mo.- A popular restaurant at the State Fair in west-central Missouri’s Sedalia is celebrating its 40th anniversary.

The Pork Place restaurant opened in 1979 at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia (2019 photo courtesy of Missouri Pork Association)

Missouri Pork Association Executive Vice President Don Nikodim tells Missourinet the Pork Place opened in 1979, under a small tent. It’s now in an air-conditioned building, with seating for a few hundred people.

“It’s a cool, clean place to come eat, we’ve got a super crew back here. Bob and Patty Wheeler have managed this thing for years for us, and they do a phenomenal job,” Nikodim says.

The Pork Place menu now includes pork chops, pork burgers, pulled pork, ribs and candy bacon. It also includes a quick service window for those wanting to grab a quick pork burger and drink, on the run.

“We think we’ve got the best food on the (state) fairgrounds, and we think we got the best prices to go with it, so enjoy,” says Nikodim.

He says the Pork Place connects pork producers with consumers, adding that the pork industry contributes $1 billion annually to the state’s economy. Governor Mike Parson says Missouri pork producers raise more than 3.4 million hogs in the state.

Governor Parson and state Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Chris Chinn joined Mr. Nikodim at the Pork Place on Thursday, for a ceremony to mark the restaurant’s 40th anniversary. The celebration included a large cake.

The 2019 State Fair ends on Sunday.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with Missouri Pork Association Executive Vice President Don Nikodim, which was recorded on August 15, 2019 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia: