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Rise in Protein, Ag Stories Making National News and Land Disputes
51 Plays6 days ago
BEEF, and chicken, and pork, and eggs, well PROTEIN, it's what's for dinner. Braeden and Savannah breakdown The Power of Meat Report and some positive news for the protein sector.
- Headline Story: https://www.drovers.com/news/industry/consumer-meat-sales-are-higher-ever
As always, the pair covered some fun and real stories through quick hits and live reactions. You can expect to learn more about energy funding, more tariff talk, agriculture's social media presence and more.
Other resources mentioned in the episode:
- Food Business News: https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/27933-some-consumers-confused-about-what-organic-means
- AgWeb Poll: https://www.agweb.com/news/policy/politics/poll-results-more-half-u-s-farmers-say-they-dont-support-trumps-use-tariffs
- Farm Policy News: https://farmpolicynews.illinois.edu/2025/03/usda-releasing-frozen-rural-energy-funds-with-stipulations/
About Magnetic Ag - Ears Edition
Your ag news just got an upgrade. Magnetic Ag - Ears Edition isn’t your grandpa’s farm report — it’s fast, unfiltered and actually fun. It’s your quick weekly update on what’s happening in the world of food and ag.
Subscribe to the Magnetic Ag twice-weekly news letter: https://magnetic-ag.com/subscribe/
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Transcript
Introduction to Magnetic Ag Year's Edition
00:00:01
Speaker
ranch-flavored soda, April Fool's joke, or new product offering. Meat? Well, it's never going out of style. Ag social media has been blowing up around the nation. All this and more on today's edition of Magnetic Ag.
AFA Event Experience and Call to Action
00:00:18
Speaker
I'm Brayden. And I'm Savannah. Welcome to Magnetic Ag, Year's Edition, where we bring you weekly ag news fast. Just how you like it.
00:00:30
Speaker
Savannah, let me tell you about being tired from a great professional development experience. um Shameless plug for an AFA event, um Alliance X and Cowtown down in Fort Worth last week.
00:00:42
Speaker
A great time. We had fun, learned lots of things, but I'm still recovering, I think. Yeah, I heard so many fun stories out of that. Kind of had some FOMO. I know. I think everyone in the industry should give it a chance. Look us up for next year and come join us. you got to be there.
00:00:58
Speaker
You got to be there. That was a good shameless plug. Well, should we get into ah new episode of Magnetic Ag Year's Edition? I think we should. Awesome,
Consumer Confusion on 'Organic' Labels
00:01:07
Speaker
let's go. a new survey suggests some consumers feel confused about what organic actually means.
00:01:13
Speaker
I mean, don't we all? According to a survey of 2,500 US consumers done by the Organic Trade Association, consumers are familiar with the label claims of local, natural, and organic, but place stock in single attribute claims.
00:01:29
Speaker
So think no added hormones or raised without antibiotics. Even in this economy, people of all generations are still willing to pay more for certified organic food products.
00:01:40
Speaker
Why are some consumers still so passionate about organic foods? The survey suggests the number one reason people shop organic is the perceived health benefits.
Farmers' Views on Tariffs
00:01:50
Speaker
Turns out not all farmers are on board with Trump's tariff tactics. A recent AgWeb poll found 54% of farmers don't support using tariffs as a negotiation strategy, though the margin wasn't necessarily overwhelming.
00:02:04
Speaker
Meanwhile, economists are even more skeptical, with 92% believing tariffs won't benefit U.S. agriculture long term, according to the Ag Economist monthly monitor. Why does this matter?
00:02:15
Speaker
Tariffs often mean retaliation, and that can put American exports at risk, costing farmers market access and profitability. But while some say tariffs are a blunt instrument in trade deals, others argue they're necessary bargaining chip.
00:02:29
Speaker
With new tariffs hitting April 2nd, the big question is, will farmers see relief or just more uncertainty?
Dairy Cattle Numbers and Milk Production
00:02:36
Speaker
Things are about to get cheesy as dairy cattle numbers are on the rise.
00:02:40
Speaker
From December 2024 to February 2025, the number of milk cows on farms has increased 88,000 head in the 24 major dairy states.
00:02:51
Speaker
That brings the total milk cow numbers to a whopping 8.96 million. On the leaderboard of this growth is South Dakota, who has seen a 117% increase in the last decade.
00:03:05
Speaker
Despite this tremendous growth, book production saw a 2.6% decrease from this time last year, but still managed to be 0.9% above on the year. Industry reports credit this decrease in production to the decrease in pounds per cow produced.
00:03:21
Speaker
which was recorded to be down 66 pounds from last February. Still, let's cheers a glass of milk to encourage the future of the dairy industry.
USDA Energy Grants and Policy Changes
00:03:30
Speaker
Energy funding is back, but with a plot twist.
00:03:33
Speaker
The USDA just lifted its freeze on clean energy grants, but awardees only have 30 days to scrub climate and DEI considerations from their proposals. In other words, the new rules are hitting undue on the Inflation Reduction Act's approach and realigning with the Trump administration's energy priorities, programs like REAP,
00:03:53
Speaker
New Era, and PACE, which have funneled billions into rural renewable energy, must now shift focus to increasing U.S. energy production minus the quote-unquote green buzzwords.
00:04:05
Speaker
Some in ag are celebrating this move as a win for energy independence, while others see it as a major setback for sustainability. Either way, rural America is at the center of this policy shift, and the ag industry is watching closely.
Meat Sales and Consumer Trends
00:04:19
Speaker
Lots of things already happening in the world of food and ag this week, Braden. It's wild and it just keeps coming. Savannah, are you ready to get into our main headline of the week? I'm so excited about this one.
00:04:30
Speaker
Me and you both. Before we get to that topic, have I ever told you what my favorite pop song of all time is? No. Well, it's style by Taylor Swift, which is convenient for today. knew it was going to be Taylor Swift.
00:04:44
Speaker
So ironically enough, meat has never gone out of style in my household. And it looks like it was in lots of style across the United States in 2024. I'm assuming that's a line from the song.
00:04:55
Speaker
We never go out of style. Yeah. but Okay. I love your creativity and kicking this thing. We've got we've got to really work on your Taylor Swift knowledge.
00:05:07
Speaker
I think I'm okay. But meat has also always been a staple on my table. So, super fun topic this week. Consumer meat sales are higher than ever, according to the Power of Meat report released on March 24th.
00:05:22
Speaker
It revealed some major wins for the livestock and poultry industries. So I think we should dig into what the Power of Meat report is. it is an annual update from FMI and the Foundation for Meat and Poultry Education and Research on shopper habits regarding meat and poultry pre-trip, in-store, and at home.
00:05:40
Speaker
This research helps the food industry identify how meat purchasing habits are changing to inform business strategy and better meat consumer needs. So lots of big highlights that stood out in the in this article, but here's the highlight reel.
00:05:53
Speaker
Meat sales hit a record high of $104.6 billion dollars and pounds sold increased in just a year. lots of proteins That's a lot of beef and chicken and pork and protein on tables, which we love for American.
00:06:09
Speaker
Lots of protein on tables. The Meat Institute president and CEO, Julie Anna Potts, gave a really great quote on this matter. um With most Americans, 74% to be exact, so confident in meat as a nutrient powerhouse that is top of mind for protein needs, it's no surprise people are buying more meat than ever.
00:06:28
Speaker
Yeah, I think we see this. I've been seeing this trend a lot on my TikTok people just really focusing on high protein diets and how can they get their protein in. that' So love that they are turning to the best source of protein, in my opinion, meat.
00:06:41
Speaker
So let's break down where we're seeing such big increases. The report suggests that the top three protein rich foods from hit consumer point of view is eggs, chicken and beef.
00:06:52
Speaker
But when they go to the grocery store, they are most commonly picking out to purchase beef, chicken and pork. work. I don't know about you, Savannah, but that's pretty normal in our house. I think we buy a family pack of chicken breast just about every time we go to the grocery store and it's not regular staple, but Amber and I were fortunate enough to grow in families that both raise beef and we're always have continuous access to beef. And I really love that, that even at the grocery store, people are having these options and obviously picking it out to wrap up this topic. Here's a few quick takeaways from the power of meat report on average, Americans shop for meat 54 times per year and spend $16 12 cents per trip. Americans prepare dinners per week
00:07:35
Speaker
and ninety percent include some sort of meat I love to see those numbers. Very encouraging for beef, poultry, pork, people that are raising a great protein.
00:07:46
Speaker
We love a protein source.
FFA Social Media Success
00:07:48
Speaker
Should get into our favorite segment of the podcast, our live reactions? Brayden, you have a really fun one. Kick us off. I have a really fun one. Yes, I do. So I don't know if you've noticed it's been popping up on my reels on Instagram, my TikTok, all the fun things. You know, I'm an FFA kid at heart.
00:08:07
Speaker
So these kind of things pop up for me. I don't know about all of you, but the Washington State FFA officer team social media has been popping off. I'm shocked I haven't seen these. Like, I probably will now that we're talking about this, but I have not seen them.
00:08:21
Speaker
Yeah, now that we're talking about it, because your phone's listening. So I really think they would win like, don't if National FFA would give an award, a national convention for best social media presence from a state association, Washington would win for this sole purpose.
00:08:34
Speaker
So they've got their really digging into their reels and storytelling powerhouse. So anything from chapter visits to leadership tips, some road trip fun, they're proving that ag really belongs in this digital spotlight.
00:08:49
Speaker
So they've... partnered up with sunrise livestock services to be behind the camera for them and they have videos that have hit over 2.5 million views it's absolutely wild what kind of things are they like showcasing i know if there's so much in ffa i want to deep dive into these There's so much in FFA and they're really, and then I'm going to 2.5 million people. They're really showing off to a big audience too. So it's kind of this, it's a really good balance of like fun. So like road trip antics, like we've all been there in the van doing fun things. You know, you're in your jacket, we're getting ice cream.
00:09:22
Speaker
fun dance videos, some trending audios, but they've also been really, as you can tell, they're really preparing for their state convention coming up soon. And it's really lots of prep for that, lots of highlights of things about that. They're also being really informative about the FFA program, Washington specific and on the national level.
00:09:41
Speaker
So they're talking about scholarships and SAE opportunities and really how impactful agriculture and FFA can be to students. That's so cool. I'm definitely going to binge all of these TikToks tonight.
00:09:52
Speaker
That's so fun. I know. I need to i need to binge them and you know maybe steal some ideas from our own social media accounts. You never know.
Federal Land Dispute and Ranchers' Charges
00:09:58
Speaker
Ooh. Crazy. Okay, not to go from really fun topic to a lot more serious topic, but du du du that's what we have.
00:10:09
Speaker
So in South Dakota, a major property line dispute is going on. Family ranchers Charles and Heather Maude were indicted of charges on theft for federal property, which was in the BLM land.
00:10:21
Speaker
After a fence line set over 75 years ago was not actually set right, and approximately 25 acres of federal land was fenced in with their property.
00:10:32
Speaker
Interesting. I think I've seen this a little bit. um There's been some political leaders and ranching groups speaking out in defense of this couple, including Senators Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, Congressman Harriet Hagman, Republican from Wyoming. It's really interesting.
00:10:47
Speaker
Tell me a little bit more about what's going on. Basically in June, the couple was served by US Attorney Allison Ramsdell. They're both served separately, which means they yeah are going through the process basically on their own.
00:11:01
Speaker
They both have to have their own lawyers. They are could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and fined $250,000 for this incident.
00:11:11
Speaker
Quick fact, they will go to court in April, so kind of towards the end of the month, see what happens. But to me, it's just like really crazy that this fence line has been set for many generations and people like with the federal land has been bought and kind of moved ownership before the government had purchased it many times before. And they didn't catch it until one random hunter had gone out and noticed that a little place where it said that he could hunt was actually fenced off. And that's kind of what turned them in and got started this ball rolling. That's really interesting. Yeah.
April Fool's Collaboration - Ranch-Flavored Soda
00:11:45
Speaker
So moving on to our next topic, some of you may know we are currently recording on April Fool's Day. Whoop, whoop. Always a good April Fool's joke. But something I always think is interesting from like a marketing and like ag and food marketing lens, especially is how food manufacturers and like companies do crazy things.
00:12:06
Speaker
This might be absolutely wild. So Hidden Valley's April Fool's collaboration, for example, links Olipop to tap into consumer demand for prebiotic sodas.
00:12:19
Speaker
That sounds disgusting. i don't know who would fall for this. So this gets it gets better. Better for you soda maker Olipop is playing a joke on its fans with a fictional collaboration with Clorox's cult favorite salad dressing Hidden Valley Ranch. So they unveiled these ranch lover soda flavors. um This pack includes original ranch flavor, jalapeno ranch flavor, garlic ranch, and hot honey ranch flavor.
00:12:44
Speaker
Yum. Now, I've been known to drink ranch. Like... I mean, Ranch's biggest fan, but as a carbonated drink, I don't think I can. As a carbonated drink, I don't think I do it. And it wouldn't, like, it's not the texture of it. I mean, you'd be, like, drinking soda water that tastes like ranch. And milky and, like, creamy. Maybe would gag me. Well, see, I don't know. i'm I'm assuming it's just, like, flavored. I'm assuming the texture and stuff is still like a soda.
00:13:14
Speaker
But with ranch flavor, I think you would it would scare me, to be honest. I don't know. But if someone wanted to sell um canned Texas Roadhouse Ranch for people to drink out of their fridge, I think I would pay money that.
00:13:28
Speaker
I don't think I could be convinced there either. All right. To celebrate a few big wins to wrap up.
Temple Grandin's Recognition
00:13:35
Speaker
episode a few big wins in agriculture that have seen some national headlines this week lots of exciting ones so we all know and love temple grandin if you live under a rock she is a distinguished professor of animal sciences at colorado state university and dr grandin was recently recognized as the usa today colorado women of the year which is an award that recognizes women from each state across the country so pretty cool to have
00:14:03
Speaker
a big advocate for animal agriculture up among the ranks. I know. I think that she's considered a living legend for sure. um Someone with an animal science degree and grew up in agriculture and FFA. Temple Grandin is my Roman Empire or one of them.
00:14:18
Speaker
I just think it's really interesting that when I stepped into my first animal science class at Oklahoma State that the research and teaching that she's done over the years is like the foundation of animal husbandry practices and the teaching and things that are being taught in animal science departments all across the country. So well-deserved honor.
00:14:36
Speaker
Yeah, and lots of good things coming towards towards that direction. And if you haven't watched her movie if you haven't watched the movie, watch the movie. I think every FFA kid has watched her movie at some point in their lives, but you should watch it. It's good.
00:14:49
Speaker
Good plug.
Karis Dadson's Rise to Fame
00:14:50
Speaker
Okay, second big fun story headline win for the week is the stare that broke the internet. So Karis Dadson was really trending on TikTok for, i don't know months now, I would say, with her very fierce stare as she entered the show ring.
00:15:07
Speaker
um Her and her family show Pigs. And just super intense from a young little girl that really just caught the attention of everybody on TikTok. But she was recently featured in a New York Times article. So another big news station that the show pig industry just had reached a lot of eyes. Yeah, I think that's really, i saw that on circling on social media. And of course, I knew who they were. i had seen all the videos, I'd seen the things.
00:15:33
Speaker
And I just think it's really great for agriculture as a whole. And yeah the dadson family, they have two kids that show livestock. um They've been really active on TikTok. They've been advocating for our way of life and educating the public really well, which has been awesome. I see them commenting, interacting with people all the time. It's just such a fun way to use social media and a good use for it to really share their knowledge because they're doing good with their show pigs and helping others too.
00:15:58
Speaker
All right, well, I don't have anything else. Brandon, do you have any other fun, great wins? I don't think I have anything else. I think we are all newsed out for the day.
Conclusion and Social Media Engagement
00:16:10
Speaker
ah Well, that was a fun episode. That was a great episode. Go team. Thank you all for listening to magnetic ears edition, and we will catch you again on the flip side. and Follow us on social for friends, cut content and more headlines.
00:16:24
Speaker
It's magnetic egg on Tik TOK, Instagram, and Facebook, and LinkedIn.