Missouri Agriculture 2013

mo-agriculture.com

MISSOURI AGRICULTURE • A GUIDE TO THE STATE’S FARMS, FOOD AND EXPORTS •

Planting for the Future Bootheel region’s fertile ground grows more than crops

Best Beef in the Midwest

Cattle traditions run deep in the Show Me state

Brought to you by Missouri Agriculture // MDA.MO.GOV // 2013-14

Jamie and Lisa Cox, a third generation farm family from Martinsburg, Mo. “I am thankful to have the opportunity to involve my children on the farm where they see firsthand the benefits of the hard work their Dad puts in every day.

Missouri Farmers Care is working to defend our way of life so our children’s children can have the same opportunities.” ~ Lisa Cox

Missouri Farmers Care

is a joint effort by Missouri’s agricultural community to defend the hardworking men and women of agriculture through coordinated communication, education and advocacy. Help us stand together and stand up for agriculture.

To sign up and learn more, visit www.mofarmerscare.com.

“Like” us on Facebook.

Follow us on Twitter.

Watch us on YouTube.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

mo-agriculture.com

2013-14

MISSOURI AGRICULTURE • A GUIDE TO THE STATE’S FARMS, FOOD AND EXPORTS •

7 Welcome Letter 8 Missouri Agriculture Overview

Animals & Livestock 10 Best Beef in the Midwest

Cattle traditions run deep in the Show Me State

13 A Royal Affair

American Royal has rich history, bright future

14 Fine Swine

Raising pigs in Missouri is about more than bringing home the bacon

16 Cattle Drive

Missouri livestock markets give farmers and ranchers the power to prosper

17 The Iconic Fox Trotter

Missouri’s horse generates pride, revenue

18 Healthy Growth

Missouri region emerges as an international powerhouse for animal care

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MISSOURI

AGRICULTURE 2013-14 Edition, Volume 1 journal communications inc.

Content Director Jessy Yancey Proofreading Manager Raven Petty Content Coordinator Rachel Bertone Contributing Writers sonja bjelland, beverley kreul, kevin litwin, cathy lockman, kim madlom, chris poore, jillian ranegar, joanie stiers Senior Graphic Designers stacey allis, Laura Gallagher, Jake shores, Kris Sexton, Vikki Williams Graphic Designers erica lampley, kara leiby, kacey passmore Senior Photographers Jeff Adkins, Brian McCord Staff Photographers Martin B. cherry, Michael Conti Color Imaging Technician Alison Hunter Integrated Media Manager Richard kincheloe Ad Production Manager Katie Middendorf Ad Traffic Assistants Krystin Lemmon, Patricia Moisan Accounts Receivable Coordinator Diana Guzman Sales Support Project Manager Sara Quint Sales Support Coordinator Christina morgan Chairman Greg Thurman President/Publisher Bob Schwartzman Executive Vice President Ray Langen Senior V.P./Operations Casey Hester Senior V.P./Agribusiness Publishing KIm Newsom Holmberg V.P./External Communications Teree Caruthers V.P./Agribusiness Sales Rhonda Graham V.P./Sales Herb Harper Controller Chris Dudley IT Director Daniel Cantrell Web Creative Director Allison Davis Photography Director Jeffrey S. Otto Creative Services Director Christina Carden Creative Technology Analyst Becca Ary Distribution Director Gary Smith

Missouri Agriculture is published by Journal Communications Inc. and is distributed by the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

For advertising information or to direct questions or comments about the magazine, contact Journal Communications Inc. at (615) 771-0080 or by email at info@jnlcom.com.

Missouri department of agriculture

TABLE OF CONTENTS

missouri agriculture 2013-14 Crops & Plants

Consumer Protection

20 Rows of Opportunity

36 Beneficial to All

23 Growing Together

39 Protecting a State’s Livestock

Missouri pursues plant science excellence through technology Plant science researchers work to feed the world

Local Food & Agritourism 24 Raise Your Glass

Missouri’s wine industry generates high-quality product

26 Home on the Free Range

Brothers hatch egg business with focus on quality

29 Sweet Attraction

Bees keep Missouri’s economy buzzing

30 Agri-Adventures

Food and fun connect consumers to agriculture

Research & Development

In Missouri, consumer protection means safe food, fair marketplace Missouri’s state veterinarian carries a heavy load

Economic Development 40 For the Love of the Land

Katy Land Trust conserves Missouri farm country

44 Planting for the Future

Bootheel region’s fertile ground grows more than crops

46 Export Giants

Missouri’s international trade gets boost from agribusiness companies

On the Cover Mike Kasten raises high-quality beef cattle on his farm in Millersville, Mo.

34 Ready, Set, Research

University of Missouri research helps make history

Director Jon hagler Communications Director Christine tew Special thanks to all Department staff for their support.

For more information about the Missouri Department of Agriculture, contact: Christine Tew P.O. Box 630 1616 Missouri Boulevard Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 522-3169 or by email at christine.tew@mda.mo.gov No public funds were used in the publishing of this magazine. © Copyright 2013 Journal Communications Inc., 725 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 400, Franklin, TN 37067, (615) 771-0080. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent.

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The Association of Magazine Media Custom Content Council

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TODAY’S CORN AND ETHANOL INDUSTRIES

Fueling Missouri’s Economy Thanks to years of hard work and dedication, Missouri’s corn and ethanol industries now have a multibillion-dollar impact on our state. Corn growers and ethanol producers generated 350 million bushels of corn and nearly 300 million gallons of renewable fuel in 2011. Along with ethanol, more than 825,000 tons of distillers grains are gleaned from the refining process. This is an excellent source of energy and protein for Missouri’s livestock and poultry industries.

GrowinG Jobs In addition to growing a high-quality kernel, cleaner energy and a quality feed ingredient, Missouri corn growers and ethanol producers are manufacturing jobs – nearly 67,000 direct and indirect jobs statewide. rEbuildinG CoMMunitiEs According to a recent University of Missouri study, the state’s corn and ethanol industries yielded $5.4 billion in annual economic output in 2011. These biorefineries also contribute $127 million annually in state and local taxes and $222 million in federal taxes.

Add it all together, and you have stronger communities, more jobs and less dependence on foreign oil. It is a success story that is being shared all across the country. With today’s corn and ethanol industries direct and indirect impacts on Missouri, it’s easy to see why our future is planted in opportunity.

SponSorIng partnerS: Missouri Corn Growers Association

Mid-Missouri Energy – Malta Bend

Missouri Renewable Fuel Association:

POET Biorefining – Laddonia

POET Biorefining – Macon

LifeLine Foods Inc. – St. Joseph

Golden Triangle Energy – Craig

Show Me Ethanol LLC – Carrollton

For More InForMatIon: 3118 Emerald Ln. Jefferson City, MO 65109 (800) 827-4181 www.mocorn.org

Welcome letter

Visit us online at

MO-agriculture.com Agri-

LOCAL FOOd & AGRITOURISM

one oF the greAtest things about Missouri is that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy fresh, local food, and spend time outdoors or at an area farm.

Whether home is St. Louis or St. Charles, Kansas City or Scott City, or anywhere in between, opportunities to connect with agriculture aren’t far away. That isn’t to say everyone in Missouri is a farmer, but if you want to learn about where your food comes from, how it’s grown and what it’s like to live on a farm, the Show Me State is the place to be.

The increasingly important connection between consumers and agriculture can occur through agritourism, a growing sector blending agriculture and tourism, generally defined as touring and participating in agricultural activities. Agritourism has grown rapidly nationwide, manifesting

AdventuReS Food and fun connect consumers to agriculture

itself in U-pick farms, farmers markets, roadside stands, and even the development and expansion of outdoor adventure trails such as those used for horseback riding.

Small businesses and rural economies benefit from the growing trend in Missouri.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the state has grown roughly 10 percent a year over the last decade – to more than 220 in 2012. Wineries, which contribute to an increasingly exciting sector of Missouri’s agritourism market, have grown approximately 50 percent the last five years. Missouri headed into 2013 with 118 wineries.

The priority of connecting consumers to producers is something that simply cannot be overstated by those invested in the success of Missouri agriculture.

Welcome to

Visitors to the Cross Country trail ride in eminence, Mo., enjoy the beautiful scenery and an unforgettable equine experience. photo BY JeFF adKins

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Digital

AGRICULTURE

Edition

optimized for online Each article can be read online, as a web article or in our digital magazine.

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HAVE A BLOG OR WEBSITE? Embed our digital magazine in your website to offer compelling information about Missouri agriculture to your site visitors.

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Edition

The special tablet edition is designed especially for use on iPads and other tablet devices.

2013-14

MISSOURI

AGRICULTURE

Friends of Agriculture, Missouri has a rich and diverse agricultural heritage. Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and as such, our state’s farm families rightly pride themselves in being the economic engine for local communities and for our great state.

Today, under the leadership of Governor Jay Nixon, Missouri is a national leader across a wide spectrum of agricultural production, including beef, cotton, corn, cotton, soybeans, pork, lumber, poultry, wine, horses and black walnuts.

When it comes to cutting edge technology and innovation, Missouri’s research institutions and plant science and animal health companies are shaping the agricultural economy of tomorrow. From the University of Missouri to the Danforth plant science center to the Animal Health Corridor, Missouri is becoming known as the place where agriculture does business.

This publication highlights just a small sample of what Missouri agriculture has to offer. Whether it’s exporting our products abroad or attracting business investment here at home, Missouri stands ready to compete for your business. Our farmers embrace technology, promote partnership and understand the importance of long term investment. Likewise, our state departments and local governments appreciate what agriculture does for our state and support our favorable ag business climate.

In sum, Missouri is prepared to lead the way in feeding, fueling and clothing the world, and we look forward to showing you all our great state and Missouri agriculture has to offer.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jon Hagler Director Missouri Department of Agriculture

Visit us online at

MO-agriculture.com

Visit us online at mda.mo.gov

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overview

Missouri Agriculture

The state’s livestock inventory includes 4.25 million cattle, 3 million hogs, 73,000 sheep and 200,000 equine.

An in-depth look at the state’s most diverse industry From an abundance of

production to agritourism destinations and education, the Show Me State has a great agricultural tradition and a bright future.

Missouri is home to more than 100,000 farms, covering two-thirds of the state’s total land acreage and supporting many of the state’s top agricultural commodities including soybeans, corn, cattle and calves, hogs, and turkeys. On average, Missouri farms are about 269 acres – or about the size of 300 football fields – and nearly all are family owned and operated.

Missouri’s terrain contributes greatly to its agricultural diversity.

Fertile soil, great for growing crops, is plentiful across the state. The Ozark Plateau, the largest part of Missouri, is covered in forested hills and known for its large lakes and clear rivers. In the bootheel region, appropriately named for its distinctive shape, rich farmland supports crops ranging from cotton and rice to corn and soybeans. This varied terrain allows the state to produce many different and unexpected crops including several unique grape varieties that make rich, flavorful Missouri wines.

That fertile land aids in the production of Missouri’s top crops –

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soybeans and corn. In 2011, Missouri soybean production totaled 190 million bushels, with farmers harvesting more than 5.2 million acres. The state ranked seventh in the nation in 2010.

Those crops also support millions of cattle, horses, hogs and other livestock. Missouri is home to more than 200,000 horses and 3 million hogs. The state ranks sixth nationally in overall cattle numbers and second in the number of beef cows with 2.16 million. Within Missouri, there are nearly 68,000 beef or dairy cattle farms, and the beef industry alone contributes $1.5 billion to the state economy.

Agriculture in Missouri goes well beyond agricultural commodities.

Agritourism destinations, including wineries and vineyards, farmers markets, and trail rides, provide educational fun, connect Missourians to how their food is grown and raised, and encourage all to enjoy the outdoors.

Missouri is also home to many agricultural research powerhouses, a leader in agricultural exports and an industry-wide example for consumer protection efforts. All these bring value to the state’s economy and support hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Missouri’s average beef cow herd size is

36 head

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the average dairy herd size is

41 head

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6.25 million tons of hay were produced in Missouri in 2011.

What’s Online Access more agriculture facts at MO-agriculture.com.

2.38 million bushels of grain sorghum were grown on missouri farms in 2011.

The state produces nearly

300 million bushels of corn annually.

The state’s wine industry generates 14,051 jobs and attracts 817,000 tourists to Missouri wineries annually.

Missouri has

121

wineries, representing

1,700

acres of grapes.

Soybean exports account for $1.4 billion in value, with about half of the crop exported each year.

80%

Missouri has approximately 12 million acres of pastureland and more than 4 million acres of hay production.

of Missouri-grown cotton is exported to other countries.

Missouri farmers produce more than

250,000

acres of rice, ranking 3rd nationally.

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animals & livestock

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Best Beef in the Midwest Cattle traditions run deep in the Show Me State

Mike Kasten raises high-quality beef cattle on his farm in Millersville, Mo. He has used artificial insemination for more than 40 years and works to encourage other beef producers to focus more on genetics in their own operations.

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A merica’s Cattle Trails is

Today, producers are taking that emphasis on genetics and nutrition a step farther, adding consumers’ preferences and scientific research to their business decision-making process and finding new ways to be proactive about raising high-quality beef with both the customer and animal in mind.

John Kleiboeker, executive director of the Missouri Beef Industry Council emphasizes that consumers like flavor. Consumers like juiciness.

Consumers like tenderness, he says.

Mike Kasten is a cattle producer and leader of the Missouri initiative to put science into the hands of the state’s producers, and, as a result, put money into cattlemen and women’s pockets. As the program director for Missouri’s Quality Beef by the Numbers program, Kasten works to improve profitability for beef cow-calf operations and boost the production

photography by Jeff Adkins

a famous piece of art and history in the cattle industry, one that many cattlemen and women have hanging proudly in their homes. The print’s criss-cross pattern of colorful lines depicts the path of cattle drives across the West and illustrates the complexity of one of Missouri’s oldest traditions – producing beef.

Those famous trails helped Missouri become a hub for livestock producers and markets, and home to roughly 4 million head of beef cattle today. Missouri’s more than 70,000 livestock producers contribute nearly $1.5 billion to the state’s economy each year.

Raising high-quality beef is a longstanding tradition in Missouri, from the first purebred cattle brought into the state in 1839, to livestock as a top attraction at the first state fair, to the emphasis on genetics and nutrition among producers.

This Angus bull on Mike Kasten’s farm in Millersville is one of his superior sires and used for artificial insemination. Kasten’s herd is known for having outstanding genetics.

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of higher grade beef in Missouri with technology.

Artificial insemination for cattle has been available for the last half century, but less than 10 percent of the nation’s beef cattle are bred using the technology. The Quality Beef by the Numbers program is working hard to raise that percentage.

The University of Missouri’s Thompson Research Farm has been implementing research-driven artificial insemination of its cattle for several years, resulting in multiple generations of cattle bred for premium marbling. The initiative has achieved staggering results: 31 percent of steers graded high choice prime, when the national average for that grade is only 3 percent. Higher grades translate into higher profits for producers.

Scott Brown, an agricultural economist with the University of Missouri, described the Quality Beef by the Numbers program as the opportunity to make certain that your steak is the one being eaten at high-quality restaurants, and that your steak is the one providing consumers a premium eating experience.

Kasten, a lifelong farmer, has been using artificial insemination on his herd of 350 Angus cattle for nearly 40 years and keeps extensive records on his cattle. That emphasis on genetics helped Kasten learn that his most valuable cow, based on the value of her calves, was the result of five generations of artificial insemination from superior sire semen. It also helped him gain recognition among producers as a pioneer in breeding high-quality beef through technology.

“Our niche is producing highquality beef,” Kasten says. “Between the United States and Canada, we produce 94 percent of the high-quality beef in the world. We can do it better than anyone, and that’s our strength.”

Kasten says when you are on top of the world market like Missouri beef is, you have you keep working to stay there.

“This is the perfect opportunity for smaller producers to be able to tap into technologies and new markets,” Kasten says. “If you’re not involved in a program like this, you’re going to find out in the future that you’re way behind the ball.”

A Royal Affair American Royal has rich history, bright future

It began in 1899 as a Hereford show held under a tent in Kansas City, but over the past 113 years the American Royal Livestock show has grown into so much more. Today’s American Royal draws more than 270,000 people to Kansas City and has an economic impact estimated at $60 million.

“We are proud to continue this great tradition of promoting Kansas City, Missouri, the Midwest and this region’s role in agriculture,” says Brant Laue, chairman of the American Royal Board of Directors.

The livestock show in the Kansas City stockyards has now grown into an annual exhibition that draws top livestock owners and breeders, business and agriculture leaders, and animal enthusiasts to Missouri each year.

Highlights of the early September to mid-November event include more than 20 livestock shows, horse shows, the World Series of Barbecue and a rodeo featuring the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

The American Royal is a nonprofit charitable organization whose purpose is to provide education about agriculture with a focus on youth education. The Royal’s organizers understand the importance of involving the younger generation in both the event and in agriculture.

“We take advantage of every opportunity to get the education message out, and not just during the event,” Laue says. “Recently we hosted school tours that allowed 4,000 kids to see a cow milked and to learn where their food comes from. Many of these students were from within Kansas City and had never been near a farm.”

In 2011, American Royal participants received more than $1.4 million in scholarships and educational awards from the organization.

It’s one of the most successful of its types of shows in the country, Laue says.

Given its outstanding tradition and legacy of success, participants, from livestock exhibitors to the barbecue pit masters, would agree.

Vote With Your Fork

… And Spend Your Dollars Locally at Missouri’s Farmers Markets

Healthy and safe food supply Community enhancement Know your farmer Economy booster Less carbon footprint

Put a face to your food and shop at your local farmers market for food you can trust, from faces you know!

Learn more about Missouri Farmers Markets online at www.mofarmersmarkets.com.

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animals & livestock

Fine Swine Raising pigs in Missouri is about more than bringing home the bacon

A s a fifth- generation farmer , P hil

Howerton is proud to carry on the family tradition of raising hogs in Missouri. The family’s operation, J.D. Howerton & Sons Farm, is built around their 1,200 sows.

From those sows, the family raises roughly 26,000 hogs from birth to market weight each year.

The Howerton’s farrow-to-finish operation is one of the 3,000 family farms raising more than 2.7 billion hogs and pigs and providing nearly 25,000 jobs throughout the state. Missouri’s pork producers also contribute more than $1 billion to the state’s economy each year through sales of hogs and pigs.

Missouri pork producers, like the Howertons, also support the state’s corn and soybean farmers, feeding their hogs Missouri-grown corn and soybeans and selling their hogs to Missouri-based processing companies like Kansas City’s Cargill Inc. The state’s producers also support one another, as producers often focus on raising hogs during only a portion of the animal’s life cycle, from farrowing to weanling or from feeder to finish, selling market weight hogs to processors.

While the Howerton’s farrow-to-finish operation is somewhat unique among Missouri operations in the practice of both having sows and raising hogs from birth to market, they are not unique in their efforts to connect with their community and to invest in the long-term health of the family farm.

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The Howerton family has made their home on land outside the town of Chilhowee in Missouri’s rural Henry County and has every intention of continuing the family-run operation. Phil Howerton returned to the farm after graduating college in 1973 and has managed the family operation since 1977. He and his wife Jan raised three children, sons Nick and Paul and daughter Jill, on the farm.

“My father, J.D., had a document from a commodity sale that was transacted by my great grandfather in February 1929,” Howerton says. “We’ve also been able to trace our ancestors on this land back to the Civil War, and now my son Nick works with me to continue the tradition.”

They also have four grandchildren who are learning about life on the farm, setting the stage for the seventh generation of Howertons to raise Missouri pork. Today, Howerton manages the business, as well as seven employees. He’s also a fixture in his community, volunteering with the local pork producers’ organization and serving on the local health and school boards.

With their commitment to keeping the family connected to the farm, the Howertons have continued to invest in their operation. Recently, the family invested in renovations that included new practices for managing waste and changes to the way animals are housed on the farm. Through their changes, the family saw a more than 11 percent increase in the farm’s efficiency.

Nick Howerton and his family have recently invested in renovating the hog barns and waste management systems on their farm in Chilhowee, Mo.

photography by Jeff Adkins

Before beginning any construction, Howerton worked with other producers, the Missouri Pork Association and the University of Missouri to learn about the latest technology for raising hogs and how it could improve their operation.

The farm’s new waste management system allows Howerton and his family to continue using nutrient-rich effluent to irrigate crops on their surrounding 750 acres of farmland. And because the new system is underground, they’ve benefited from reduced odor and waste emissions during the irrigation process.

The Howertons also invested in adding a modern farrowing house to their operation. The new facility protects both the animals, especially the young piglets, and the family members and employees.

The new technology for sows and in the farrowing house includes stalls designed to ensure that all sows receive proper nutrition during their pregnancies and that both sows and piglets are safe through weaning.

“Sows will fight other sows to establish pecking order within their herd,” says Dr. Ron Plain, professor of agricultural economics at the University of Missouri.

“The biggest boss sows would consume most of the feed and water if all the sows were in a group, with the smaller sows getting very little.”

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J.D. Howerton & Sons Farm in Chilhowee, Mo., is a farrow-to-finish swine operation, which means that they raise the pigs from birth up to market weight.

on healthy piglets at birth. Once a sow is ready to give birth, it is transferred to a farrowing house that also has individual stalls.

Inside the farrowing house, the stalls are designed to allow workers to remove the 2 1/2-pound piglets from harm’s way – possibly being crushed by the 300-pound sow. The stalls also allow the Howertons and their employees to more easily check on the animals’ wellbeing, Dr. Plain says.

Making those investments into ensuring the health and safety of sows, piglets and employees is vital to the health and future of Missouri’s pork industry, and the future of pork production in Missouri is bright, according to Dr. Plain. “As long as people enjoy bacon, ham, sausage and other pork products, this industry will thrive,” he says. “Pork is one of the most commonly consumed meats in Missouri as well as the entire world.”

The thousands of family farms raising hogs in Missouri are a testament to that bright future, just as are the hundreds of locally owned, state inspected meat processors, thousands of feed suppliers, veterinarians and marketers supporting Missouri’s pork producers.

Cattle Drive

Missouri livestock markets give farmers and ranchers the power to prosper While few visitors to any livestock barn will forget hearing the powerful auctioneers’ calls pushing buyers to give producers a higher price, visitors to Missouri’s auction barns can expect an especially great time. Not only is the state well known for the Missouri Auction School – the oldest and largest school of its kind in the world – but it is also home to men like Jackie Moore.

Moore and his brother-in-law Steve Owens work together to lead Joplin Regional Stockyards, a cornerstone for livestock marketing in Missouri, as well as nearby states. It is also the second-largest stockyard and largest cow market in the nation.

“We are all about enhancing the health of cattle, so whenever we hear of medical or technological breakthroughs that can bolster the beef industry, we pass that information to the farmers and ranchers,” Moore says.

Perhaps the key to this stockyard’s success is that emphasis on new technology. Joplin Regional Stockyards added their first video auction to its sales lineup in 2002, more than 10 years ago.

“The auction videos stream on our website and offer us another flexible option in our overall marketing strategy,” Moore says.

“Video technology has helped vault us to the forefront of the beef industry because we can market and sell to any part of the country.”

Keeping buyers and sellers engaged with Missouri’s livestock markets is something the team at the Joplin market knows is key to the future as well.

In comparison to some of Missouri’s livestock markets that have more than 125 years of community ties, Joplin Regional Stockyards is a bit of a newbie. The barn began serving farmers and ranchers during the Great Depression and moved to its current Carthage location in 1995.

Today, the facility has 10 acres of covered pens and arenas for cattle sales that are hosted 50 weeks a year, selling nearly 450,000 head of cattle annually.

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In addition to weekly auctions, many of Missouri’s 105 auction barns host special sales throughout the year. Some barns, including Joplin Regional Stockyards, focus on specific breeds or genetic traits in their sales, allowing farmers and ranchers to potentially receive a higher premium for raising beef with specific attention to certain veterinary, nutrition and weaning practices.

Video transactions, along with on-the-ground sales, have helped Joplin Regional Stockyards’ revenues grow to more than $350 million per year.

That growth, along with success at livestock markets throughout the state, has been a driver for Missouri’s entire livestock sector.

Today there are more than 70,000 livestock producers in Missouri, and in 2011, more than 2.5 million cattle passed through Missouri livestock markets, a number that will only continue to climb if men like Moore and Owens have their way.

Missouri’s livestock markets play a great role in that success, ensuring that producers have the “power to prosper,” as Moore says.

The Iconic Fox Trotter

Missouri’s horse generates pride, revenue The Missouri Fox Trotter originated in the early 1800s, and today the horse breed remains a source of pride and economic opportunity for the state.

Just a decade ago, the Fox Trotter became the Official State Horse, and more recently the Missouri legislature named a 12-mile stretch of State Highway 5 the Missouri Fox Trotting Highway. The designated route connects Mansfield and Ava, home to the breed’s registry.

The breed, which includes nearly 100,000 registered horses, brings people from all over the United States and several foreign countries to Missouri.

“I think that tourism is important. We get a lot of visitors who just want to see the grounds at our headquarters,” says Cathy Lansdown, registry manager for the Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association in Ava. “I am amazed at the number of Fox Trotter owners who have moved from other states to Missouri.

It’s a very important part of our state’s history.”

Settlers developed Missouri’s Fox Trotting horse breed in the rugged Ozark hills during the early 19th century while seeking a smooth ride for transportation and cattle work. Now a pleasure horse, the breed’s distinction lies in its gentle demeanor and signature gait. The horse appears to walk with its front feet

and trot with its hind feet. Its diagonal, four-beat fox trot offers a smooth ride, as one foot always is on the ground, says Donna Watson, events and facilities manager for the association. Most other gaited breeds have lateral gaits.

The Missouri Fox Trotting Horse Breed Association was founded in Ava, Mo. in 1948. A group of only 15 men came together to preserve the breed and its genetics. In 2012, the association registered 98,400 horses from the United States and 13 foreign countries.

The Association’s home sits on a large, 130-acre facility in southern Missouri where it was founded more than 60 years ago.

The site includes 17 barns, 850 stalls, five arenas, 334 full-service RV sites and a restaurant. The Association also maintains a museum that displays memorabilia, trophies and photographs of champion Fox Trotters from 1959 to present.

The facility also hosts the Association’s national and world shows including the Three-Year-Old Futurity/Spring Show in June and the Fall Show & Celebration in September.

The Fall Show & Celebration brings on average 500 horses to the Association’s facility. Those horses and their exhibitors combine for a total of as many as 1,600 entries, Watson says. The seven-day show attracts competitors from all over the continental United States and Europe. The breed also generates some agritourism opportunities for Missouri. Besides the shows, the annual Missouri Fox Trotter Stallion Tour attracts in- and out-of-state visitors on a bus trip to tour farms in the state.

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animals & livestock

Healthy Growth

Missouri region emerges as international powerhouse for animal care Kansas City’s livestock legacy dates back to the 1870s and the establishment of the Kansas City Stockyards. At that time, the area was known as “Cowtown” and a hub for cowboys and their cattle.

Today, Kansas City remains a livestock industry hub, although acres of stockyard pens are no longer the largest draw. During the Kansas City Stockyards’ heyday, animal health businesses and companies grew rapidly in the region in an effort to meet the needs of the cattle, horses and other stock moving through the stockyards district.

That growth laid the groundwork for what has become a large economic driver and source of pride for Missouri’s livestock industry – the Animal Health Corridor.

competitive advantages

The Corridor is an invisible-to-the-eye area stretching from Columbia, Mo. to St. Joseph, Mo. and westward into Kansas that is home to the single-largest concentration of animal health companies in the world. Not only does the Corridor include one of America’s top veterinary schools, the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, but it is also within 350 miles of 45 percent of the fed cattle in the U.S. and more than 40 percent of U.S. hogs.

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The Corridor is well positioned to have a logistical competitive edge over other regions. Kansas City sits at the intersection of four major interstate highways and on the largest navigable inland waterway. In addition, the region is at the heart of a rail corridor spanning from coast to coast and home to an international airport.

Annual Events

Beyond those advantages, the board members and employees whose work makes the Animal Health Corridor a reality are committed to staying at the forefront of animal care.

“We don’t sit and wait for the phone to ring,” says Kimberly Young, vice president of bioscience for the Kansas City Area Development Council. “No other region has a board of directors with such strategic priorities to make sure it has assets for new and old businesses to grow and thrive.”

Each year, the team comes together to host the Animal Health Corridor Homecoming and the annual Animal Health Investment Forum.

The Animal Health Corridor Homecoming is a large networking event that promotes industry-wide

collaboration and new company recruitment. During the Homecoming festivities, new and growing companies connect with individuals and businesses who can offer both legal and financial assistance.

“The Homecoming is the main, driving reason Animal Health Training Solutions was able to locate in Kansas City,” says Eric Alsup, ATS president and head coach.

“They go out of their way to help upcoming companies find the resources to finance their startups and serves as a constant resource to help us with connections and communication.”

At last year’s lively hoedown-themed Homecoming, more than 700 animal health leaders dressed in cowboy hats and boots gathered to honor industry veterans and highlight newcomers in the industry.

Early-stage companies also have an opportunity to share their vision and business plan with potential investors during the annual Animal Health Investment Forum. The Forum provides emerging companies the opportunity to connect with investment firms, researchers and large animal health companies. Companies presenting at the forum have raised a total of $60 million since the beginning of the forum, and several have received distribution contracts or licensing agreements.

“The event is a pipeline and a platform for networking,” Young says. “When people think of the growth for any company, it comes from new connections. When new companies are brought in, the economy in the area thrives, and everyone benefits.”

successful recruitment

Over the past six years, 24 animal health organizations have been successfully recruited to the Corridor. These companies have pledged to create more than 1,300 new jobs, $74 million in new payroll and nearly $1 billion in new capital investments.

“We do have a history and a driven focus on animal health, but even with all the assets, we stay competitive and earn our position,” Young says.

The region is now home to more than 220 animal health companies and more than 22,000 employees, drawing on those resources to support collaborative efforts within the animal health industry. In fact, the Corridor is responsible for nearly 32 percent of total sales in the $19 billion global animal health market specializing in animal health and nutrition research, innovation and hands-on livestock production.

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The Animal Health Corridor stretches from Columbia, Mo., to Manhattan, Kan., including many businesses in Kansas City and St. Joseph.

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The Corridor’s centralized location puts it within 350 miles of almost half of all fed cattle in the U.S. and more than 40 percent of U.S. hogs. A top veterinary school is also within the region.

The Corridor represents the singlelargest concentration of animal health companies in the world, creating a significant economic driver for Missouri. In the past six years, 24 companies have been successfully recruited to the region.

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Transportation logistics and geography benefit the region, as well. The region includes four major interstates, a coast-to-coast rail corridor, an international airport and the largest navigable inland waterway in the country.

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crops & plants

Rows of Opportunity

photo by Brian McCord

Missouri pursues plant science excellence through technology

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staff photo

During a visit to just about any grocery

store, it would be easier to pick out the products that don’t contain corn and soybeans than to make a long list of the ones that do. In even the largest supercenter, it would be tough to find an aisle without corn and soybean products.

That’s a positive thought to folks at the Missouri Corn Growers Association and the Missouri Soybean Association. However, that doesn’t mean the leaders of either organization are at ease; both see lots of room for their crops to grow.

One of the biggest areas for that growth – particularly in a river state like Missouri with ready access to those water-based transportation networks – is in exports.

“We think exports will grow as we see more developing countries have larger segments of their population move into what we see as their middle class,” says Dale Ludwig, executive director and CEO of the Missouri Soybean Association. “The first thing they do when they move into middle class is improve their diets, and they do that by adding meat. If you’re growing meat, poultry, swine, then you’re using soybeans.”

Corn producers hope for exports, as well as growth in production, ethanol and other products.

“I think corn production will go up,” says Gary Marshall, CEO of the Missouri Corn Growers Association, speaking to demand for the grain and value-added products like ethanol. “We don’t care where those markets develop. Asia.

China. Indonesia. Wherever it is in the world, we want to pick up that business.”

Missouri farmers produce, on average, more than 350 million bushels of corn a year on 3 million acres, ranking Missouri 10th in the nation in corn production.

The state’s farmers average 114 bushels of corn per acre.

Top: Soybeans grow in a Missouri field. Above: The state serves as a national hub for crop production and biofuels research, including work done by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis.

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Photo courtesy of Missouri Plant Science Center

The Missouri Plant Science Center in Mexico, Mo., was created as a partnership between local government, the University of Missouri and the Missouri Technology Corporation. There, companies will conduct important research on corn and other Missouri-grown crops.

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Missouri’s soybean production set a record in 2009 with 231 million bushels. Missouri farmers also set a record in 2004 with an average of 45 bushels of soybeans per acre, ranking the state sixth in the country.

Those are great numbers, but not enough to have Marshall and Ludwig believing they’ve reached the peak. Both are confident that new and growing farm technologies will help Missouri farmers increase production even more in the future.

No Missouri farmer provides more heartening evidence of that possibility than Kip Cullers.

Cullers, who farms near the southern Missouri town of Stark City, has won prizes for setting world records for both soybeans and corn on his land.

It’s his ability to grow soybeans that has attracted nationwide attention. Cullers holds the world record with 160.6 bushels per acre, nearly four times the national average. The record has made him a bit of a celebrity within the agriculture community and gained him, his crop, and his rural hometown notoriety. Cullers has been featured in Time and numerous other national magazines, as well as many statewide publications.

“What Kip has done is figure out how to increase the management level in growing soybeans,” Ludwig says.

“He’s proven that when there are a number of people out there who claim that we’ve reached the yield barrier ... that’s definitely not true.”

Ludwig says Cullers proves that many of the obstacles preventing higher yields were the result of environmental and management problems.

“He’s mitigated many of the environmental issues with better irrigation and better use of fungicides and insecticides,” Ludwig says.

Cullers also plants several fields with a total up to 100 varieties of corn and soybeans for research, something Ludwig says is rare among soybean farmers who often can’t spend the money, land or time.

Cullers differs a bit from many others growing commodity crops, however, as his early farming years were spent farming vegetables, which require an extreme level of management. Sometimes the difference of two days can mean a failed harvest. That attention to detail – carried over to his corn and soybeans – has helped Cullers spot problems early and find solutions.

“If you’re around him, it’s interesting because he’s half comedian,” Ludwig says. “But he’s a smart guy. And he believes in doing research.”

Cullers’ brand of research bodes well for soybeans and corn, both Ludwig and Marshall say. It also means that yield expectations are likely to continue being shattered by the man from Stark City well into the future.

After all, even with the thousands of other products produced by these two crops, one of the major goals of the industry is feeding more people through feed for livestock and other food-related products. Higher yields will help Missouri farmers be a big part of that.

“I prefer to think there’s a lot of opportunity out there,” Marshall says. “And we’re in the best position in the world to take advantage of the opportunities we’re going to have.”

Crops & Plants

Growing Together

Plant science researchers work to feed the world

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gricultural leaders are preparing to meet the challenge of feeding a global population of more than 9 billion.

Not only will that world population require twice the amount of food, but that food will need to be raised on existing agricultural land.

Ensuring that foods are easy to grow, hardy and nutritious is key to meeting that challenge, and Missouri is home to many of the minds working to solve that puzzle.

The area of Missouri stretching from St. Louis to Columbia is a research hub for plant science.

Within the region, which is home to more plant science Ph.D.s than anywhere else in the world, more than 400 organizations support the work of those researchers.

Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is exploring disease-resistant and drought-tolerant crops, biofuels and ways to make foods more nutritionally complete.

“In developing countries, rice is a vital crop but is low in vitamin A, which is important to good eyesight,” says Sam Fiorello, chief

operating officer. “We have been working with partners at the International Rice Research Institute helping to develop a golden rice crop where beta carotene in vitamin A is added into that food supply.”

Danforth Center researchers are also working with partners in Uganda and Kenya to improve productivity of another food security crop, cassava.

“We want our research to not only benefit the United States, but the entire world,” Fiorello says.

That global emphasis is found in many of Missouri’s plant science resources, including Monsanto, Novus and RIBUS Inc., as well as smaller research and development centers.

About 100 miles west of St. Louis, a partnership between local government, the University of Missouri, and Missouri Technology Corporation brought a research center and business incubator to a town of 11,000.

When the Mexico Plant Science Center opened in 2011, Soy Labs, LLC was the first company in the new facility.

Ryan Schmidt, executive director of Soy Labs, is optimistic for the Mexico Plant Science Center as a launch pad for new researchers and companies.

In Soy Labs’ space at the Center, researchers are exploring opportunities to add more soy protein to mainstream consumer food products.

“Our scientists are focusing on how soy protein can be added to everyday foods to combat obesity, Type II diabetes, prostate issues, osteoporosis and cancer,” Schmidt says.

The Soy Labs team has already seen success in their efforts to feed those in need. Last year, more than $20,000 worth of their soy-based nutritional supplement CareFast went to food banks in St. Louis and southeastern Missouri through a partnership with the Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Farmers’ Care and the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Success stories like those from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the Mexico Plant Science Center are only a small sample of work done in the region.

Open the gate and follow the path to a local favorite.

Sisters Garden Gate Recipes Sweet & Sour Dressing is a signature that has been in the family for years.

P.O. Box 870 • Florissant, MO 63032 314.882.3558 www.sistersggr.com

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local food & Agritourism

Missouri’s wine industry generates a high-quality product while preserving a historic past

Raise Your Glass Just like the complex and

distinctive varieties it produces, Missouri’s wine industry has only gotten better with age. Today, Missouri is home to more than 120 wineries as well as grapes and vintners behind internationally acclaimed red and white wines.

The rich history of Missouri wine dates back to the 1840s, when German immigrants began growing grapes around the small town of Hermann. The Italians and French followed suit in St. James and St. Genevieve, building the foundation for great vineyards and wines.

International Connections

Geography and terrain play important roles in determining the grape varieties that can be grown in a certain area of the state.

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“Missouri has a diverse history with the different ethnic groups of the French, Germans and Italians.

It gives our wines character,” says Jim Anderson, executive director of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board. “It was the Germans who first brought our state grape, the Norton, to Missouri.”

In the late 1800s, Missouri helped save the French wine industry when a dangerous vineyard pest, the

phylloxera louse, destroyed enormous tracts of French vineyards. Missouri State Entomologist, C.V. Riley, discovered that American rootstocks were resistant to the pest and sent them overseas to be grafted with French vine cuttings. With the state’s help, the French industry was back on its feet.

Missouri’s industry faced its own challenges a few decades later. Wine production took a turn for the worse and declined rapidly when Prohibition hit in 1920. Afterward, many agriculturalists turned to different crops and livestock. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Missouri’s wine industry was reborn, with families restoring historic vineyards and planting grapes.

The state’s oldest winery, Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, is one of those that made it through the decades. Founded in 1847, it was re-opened in 1965 by the Held family, who still manage it today.

From original structures to a vineyard restaurant that serves German cuisine, the winery’s history combined with a goal to make the

photography by Jeff Adkins

Shaun Turnbull, winemaker for Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Mo., inspects the quality of his Chardonel wines aging in the cellars. Stone Hill, which was esablished in 1847, is the oldest winery in Missouri and has the largest series of vaulted underground cellars in the country.

highest-quality wine possible sets Stone Hill apart, says Jon Held, vice president and general manager.

Focus on Agritourism

Stone Hill is extremely popular with both visitors and locals, and proudly displays its historic heritage with beautiful underground stone production cellars. Tours of the cellars, the largest series of underground cellars in North America, are very popular.

Tours, tastings and other experiences help Missouri’s wineries serve as a major agritourism pull. Other tourism-based businesses, including restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, and outdoor recreation spots, have started working with wineries to create appealing destinations for guests with varied interests.

“It’s a fun getaway right in your backyard,” says Held, explaining that people enjoy being able to visit where their wine comes from, see it being made and taste it. “I think people have a loyalty to their own state when it comes to food.”

Peter Hofherr of St. James Winery agrees. CEO of the state’s largest winery, Hofherr says wineries bring agriculture and hospitality together and create an environment that goes beyond the wine.

“The wine industry is very good at working together, both at the state and regional level,” Hofherr says.

“There is also a strong influence from family businesses here, which puts a different flavor on the whole thing. There is long-term commitment with a family business.”

Those variables, along with help from the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, are crucial to building the future of the wine industry.

Popular Varieties

St. James differs somewhat from Stone Hill Winery, because St. James has a strong Italian influence, rather than Stone Hill’s German roots, however the Norton variety is widely popular at both wineries.

The extremely disease-resistant Norton grape produces a red wine that lends itself to many different flavor profiles. Hofherr says St. James has five different Norton vineyards, all of which are distinctly different because of the soil and microclimates.

“It’s like an exciting little puzzle figuring out what the flavor profile will be,” he says.

Other unique grape varieties found in the state include the Vignoles, a versatile white grape

that has a sweet, fruity flavor, and Chardonel, a hybrid of the Chardonnay and Seyval grapes that produces a full-bodied wine.

Those unique flavors are an opportunity Missouri’s wine industry is working to share with the world. Though they’re not quite immersed in the international market, Jim Anderson says the Missouri Wine and Grape Board, the state Department of Agriculture, and others are interested in exporting Missouri wines, specifically to Asia.

“It’s been a challenge,” Anderson says. “It will definitely be a learning experience.”

While expanding the international attention paid to Missouri wines may take some more time, vintners in the state continue to develop outstanding vintages. Last year, wines from St. James Winery and Stone Hill were favorites in statewide and international competition, as were bottles from many of the state’s smaller wineries.

As for future growth, Missouri’s flourishing wine industry has nothing to worry about here at home.

“It makes more sense to concentrate on the Midwest,” Held says. “People appreciate regional cuisines and love that it’s grown in their backyard.”

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local food & Agritourism

Home on the Free Range Brothers hatch egg business with focus on quality

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have more than a dream, they have a vision. Their aspirations for tomorrow and beyond probably differ a bit from others, at least in that they generally don’t involve a beach house or yacht.

Even if they did have dreams of oceanfront living, there would most certainly need to be room for more than 8,000 chickens because the brothers don’t venture too far from their brood at home.

The brothers are the owners behind Stanton Brothers Eggs, a family operation in Centralia producing thousands of high-quality, free-range eggs for Missourians to enjoy. In addition to raising cattle and growing soybeans and sorghum, the Stanton family ventured into poultry about 15 years ago with six baby Cornish hens for then-firstgrader Dustin. Caring for them became one of his first jobs on the family farm.

“It was a way for me to learn responsibility and earn an allowance,” Dustin says. “Over the years, I began raising more hens, and Austin jumped in to help, too.

The hens provided more eggs than we needed for our family, so we decided to sell them.”

With help from his parents, Andrew and Judy, and little brother Austin, Dustin’s interest in chickens expanded from a hobby into a small business. Stanton Brothers Eggs now supplies area grocery stores and restaurants, in addition to selling directly to their friends and neighbors in Centralia.

Growing the business means the Stantons had to learn about packaging, transporting and marketing their eggs to meet Missouri’s standards for quality and food safety. Today, Dustin and Austin are among Missouri’s more than 5,200 licensed egg dealers and retailers.

Dustin’s interest in raising poultry and the small business he developed with his family were a great part of his high school experience in the National FFA Organization. While many of his peers were exploring livestock production, ag marketing and plant science, Dustin was expanding his operation by selling his homegrown eggs in surrounding communities. Through his high

school agriculture courses and projects, he learned about caring for the birds as well as what he needed to do to sell the many eggs his hens laid.

In addition to the guidance and encouragement he found within his home chapter, Centralia FFA, Dustin and his younger brother Austin found a network of other producers at local farmers markets.

Through visits to many area farmers markets, they noticed there was nowhere someone could purchase farm fresh eggs to accompany their homemade bread, fresh tomatoes and a variety of vegetables along with other Missouri made products. Before long, they set up a stand at the Columbia Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

As business expanded, the brothers faced many new challenges including managing the responsibilities that grew as quickly as their brood.

There is a lot to take care of on a chicken farm, especially when the birds are in addition to raising cattle, and growing soybeans and sorghum, as the Stanton family does on their diversified farm. And like many of Missouri’s more than 100,000 family

farms, the family is committed to caring for their livestock and land.

The Stantons, including parents Andrew and Judy, are involved with raising their high-quality birds and eggs, controlling the quality of their product from start to finish, using their homegrown and nongenetically modified row crops to provide feed for the chickens, and continuing to improve their facilities on the farm.

“We started with an old chicken coop, and then we converted one of our cattle and hog barns,” Dustin says. “Now we’re in the process of building a 40- by 200-foot barn because the chickens need to be inside when it rains or gets cold.”

When the brothers are finished feeding and watering the hens, gathering, washing and boxing the eggs, they grind feed. And when all those jobs are done, they work on building their barn.

Recently, Dustin began studying agricultural business management at the University of Missouri in Columbia, a half-hour drive from the farm. While Austin was already involved with the business, now that Dustin is in college the two brothers

photography by Jeff adkins

Dustin and Austin Stanton

Austin and Dustin Stanton of Centralia, Mo., operate their own egg business, selling an average of 2,000 dozen eggs per week. They pride themselves on managing every part of the operation themselves, from grinding feed to washing eggs to be sold in grocery stores and used in college cafeterias. .

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really began dividing responsibilities and tending the areas that better suit each of them.

They learned quickly that time management is critical for their longterm success. With the skills Dustin acquired at home, through FFA and at the University of Missouri, he is able to manage the finances and network with other businesses to build relationships and generate sales. Austin prefers to focus most of his attention on caring for the hens and addressing maintenance and other various tasks around the farm.

“The business is a way for me and Austin to get our start in farming and to help pay for our college education without going into debt,” Dustin says. “We want to be able to have families and make a living on the farm. This is an avenue for us to do that.”

The Stanton brothers are one of many examples of young people who want to return to family farms throughout Missouri after receiving their education and are willing to diversify their operations to make

that lifestyle possible. From adding eggs to a cattle and row-crop operation as the Stantons did to incorporating specialty crops like blueberries or opening the farm to agritourism, Missouri’s farm youth have a wealth of opportunities ahead of them.

As Dustin and Austin grew their operation from a small flock of hens into a successful business with a presence in cafeterias at the University of Missouri and Columbia College and in the egg cases at many grocery stores, including Hy-Vee, Patricia’s, Clover’s and Natural Grocers, as well as Prenger Foods in Centralia, the brothers now help others do the same by sharing their story and encouraging others to take the leap into starting their own business.

So, the next time you pick up a package of Missouri eggs, whether from the Stantons or one of Missouri’s other family farms and agribusinesses, know that there is a healthy dose of hard work, dedication and commitment to excellence included with your farm-fresh choice.

Providing a safe, dry house for their hens is of the utmost importance to the Stanton brohters.

Sweet Attraction

Bees keep Missouri’s economy buzzing

Neal Bergman, a beekeeper in the southeastern Missouri town of Kennett, has the largest beekeeping operation in the state – and puts his bees to work across the nation. Bergman ships his bees to other farms through commercial pollination programs for fruit and nut orchards. He has shipped his colonies to neighboring states, including Illinois, as well as to California, Oregon and Washington.

That specialized work contributes to the $14 billion positive impact bees have on U.S. crop production each year through fresh produce and other crops. Those statistics support one of Gillard’s favorite bee facts, as well as the idea that bees and beekeepers will continue to be in high demand well into the future.

“One in every three bites of our food comes from a bee,” he says.

Whether that’s a spoonful of honey, a crisp apple or the corn in a favorite recipe, we can all join Gillard and beekeepers throughout the state in appreciating the hard work of a buzzing bee.

Bees inside the hive

Staff Photo

How do you react when a bee lands on your soda can or picnic table? Some make a beeline for the nearest cover, considering those insects unwelcome guests. But for beekeeper Grant Gillard, that buzzing is sweet music to his ears.

Gillard started beekeeping as a hobby after college and has grown his pastime into a passion. He now has 20 hives, which can contain as many as 60,000 bees.

Gillard, along with many other beekeepers partnered with the Missouri Department of Agriculture in 2012 to launch The Great Missouri Buzz Off, an effort to spread the word of bees’ impact on agriculture and food production and encourage new beekeepers to get started. Starting a colony requires only a modest investment, typically $250 or less, in bees, a hive and protective equipment.

For new beekeepers, finding a mentor is key.

“Bees aren’t compliant creatures,” says Art Gelder, a Mid-Missouri beekeeper. “But if you stick with it, it can be an exceptionally satisfying hobby and an important contribution to agriculture.” Gelder’s farm, Walkabout Acres in Columbia, is home to 80 bee colonies and a full-service kitchen where he and his wife, Vera, have spun and bottled their homegrown honey for the last 20 years.

“We are expanding because there is a large demand for local honey,” Gelder says.

As Missouri’s moderate climate is well suited to beekeeping, Missouri bees produce more than 350,000 pounds of honey per year. On average, a colony produces 60 to 120 pounds.

The state is home to more than 400 different types of bees including common species like the honey bee and carpenter bee, as well as lesser-known types like the blueberry bee.

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local food & agritourism

Adventures Food and fun connect consumers to agriculture

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One of the greatest things

about Missouri is that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy fresh, local food, and spend time outdoors or at an area farm.

Whether home is St. Louis or St. Charles, Kansas City or Scott City, or anywhere in between, opportunities to connect with agriculture aren’t far away. That isn’t to say everyone in Missouri is a farmer, but if you want to learn about where your food comes from, how it’s grown and what it’s like to live on a farm, the Show Me State is the place to be.

The increasingly important connection between consumers and agriculture can occur through agritourism, a growing sector blending agriculture and tourism, generally defined as touring and participating in agricultural activities. Agritourism has grown rapidly nationwide, manifesting

itself in U-pick farms, farmers markets, roadside stands, and even the development and expansion of outdoor adventure trails such as those used for horseback riding.

Small businesses and rural economies benefit from the growing trend in Missouri.

According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers markets in the state has grown roughly 10 percent a year over the last decade – to more than 220 in 2012. Wineries, which contribute to an increasingly exciting sector of Missouri’s agritourism market, have grown approximately 50 percent the last five years. Missouri headed into 2013 with 118 wineries.

The priority of connecting consumers to producers is something that simply cannot be overstated by those invested in the success of Missouri agriculture.

Visitors to the Cross Country Trail Ride in Eminence, Mo., enjoy the beautiful scenery and an unforgettable equine experience. photo by Jeff adkins

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photo by Jeff adkins

AgriMissouri members choose from three levels of participation that include a variety of marketing support, educational training and participation in special events.

AgriMissouri’s offerings – and membership – surged since the program’s redevelopment in 2011, which included a fresh website, new membership structure and a creative marketing plan. Membership grew from about 350 to more than 1,700.

Consumer attention has increased as well. The new AgriMissouri.com website received more than 554,000 visits after its launch in 2011, and continues to provide resources to both producers and consumers.

Whether you are looking for the closest farmers market, fair, U-pick farm or locally made treats, AgriMissouri’s interactive map can provide ideas for exploring your area, help plan a family staycation, and show the many bed-and-breakfasts available to host your guests or special event.

Just remember, wherever your adventure takes you, whether it’s an afternoon with friends, a week with family or realizing a life-long dream, there are great experiences to be had and plenty of opportunity in Missouri.

photo courtesy of the Missouri Division of Tourism

“We continue to look for ways for Missourians to become more connected to agriculture. It is vital for all consumers to know where their food comes from and appreciate the importance that we continue to grow food here at home,” says Dr. Jon Hagler, Missouri’s Director of Agriculture.

Connecting Missourians to the farm families and agribusinesses behind their food, clothing, fuel and fun is a priority for the Missouri Department of Agriculture and its AgriMissouri promotional program, which highlights all things Missourimade and Missouri-grown.

The AgriMissouri program’s more than 1,700 members include a variety of farms, agritourism opportunities and agribusinesses with products ranging from alpaca rugs to fresh meats, cheeses and produce, to home décor and wellness products.

AgriMissouri member Peters Orchards and Market is located just east of the small town of Waverly, Mo. More than 100,000 people visit Peters’ market for apples, peaches, pumpkins and the playground at its seasonal roadside market each year.

The Peters family knows how important connecting with consumers is for bringing people to his rural hometown.

“Today’s consumer doesn’t understand where their food comes from,” says Paul Peters, who, along with four cousins, owns Peters Orchards, a more than 100-year-old family farm spread across 500 acres.

“It’s important to give them a realistic view of what modern agriculture is and how it provides for people.”

The family sells most of its apples wholesale to locations throughout the central and southern United States. Their roadside market sells peaches, apples, squash and pumpkins directly to consumers from mid-July to Halloween.

In addition to word-of-mouth, Peters Orchards depends on AgriMissouri to draw people to that roadside market. The business has taken advantage of social media support and training, graphic design, and other services offered through the program, especially in the last two years.

Missouri’s diverse agritourism industry offers something for every age group, from guided trail rides through the Ozarks to a retail farm store and U-pick operation in Waverly, Mo. For a full list of Missouri agritourism destinations, visit the AgriMissouri website (www.AgriMissouri.com).

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Research & Development

Ready, Set, Research

Faculty in the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources help make history

Photo courtesy of University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Missouri’s agriculture

Researchers at the University of Missouri are currently studying the effects of cyst nematodes on soybeans.

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industry does more than provide a safe, abundant and affordable food supply. It changes lives, alters perspectives and contributes to the well being of the world.

When people gather to talk about agriculture, rarely do matters of cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, lymphocytic leukemia or cardiovascular disease nudge their way into a seat at the table.

However, researchers at the University of Missouri in Columbia are working to change that. In some circles, they have already managed to ensure a place for those topics from now on.

Dr. Randall Prather and his team at the National Swine Resource and Research Center at the University of Missouri, along with Michael Welsh of Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Iowa, have been working diligently to provide a swine model of cystic fibrosis in hopes of developing a cure. For years, studies of the disease were conducted using mice. However in 2008, Prather made the decision to use swine.

“All the mutations in the pigs have exactly mimicked the problems in

Photo courtesy of University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Sciences..

Researcher Dr. Henry Nguyen studies plants in the soybean lab at University of Missouri.

humans born with CF,” Prather says.

“That’s why these new swine models are so important. We can start experimenting in ways that have never been possible.”

Along with Prather’s research to improve treatment of cystic fibrosis, he also studies and practices gene modifications in swine. Through Prather’s efforts, organ transplants from swine to primates have occurred and worked, something that had not been possible before. Prather has also successfully cloned fetal swine cells, exploring their potential to address major health issues including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Prather and his pigs have been recognized on a national and international level for their scientific advancements. In 2011, Prather was the recipient of the Distinguished Agriscience Scientist Award from the Christopher Columbus Foundation, which provided Prather with a grant to support his embryonic research.

Agricultural research at the University of Missouri expands well

beyond Prather’s lab. In fact, in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources alone, researchers study facets of agriculture ranging from economics to livestock production and nutrition, to education, engineering, communications and recreation.

Meteorology, forestry, soil and plant sciences also have thriving programs.

In the plant sciences program, Dr. Melissa Goellner Mitchum is making history with her research on cyst nematodes and their affects on the soybean plant.

Soybean cyst nematodes are a small invasive roundworm species that attack the roots of the soybean plant. The pests are responsible for huge yield losses to soybean farmers worldwide making them an expensive threat.

In October 2012, researchers from the University of Missouri and their partners at Southern Illinois University announced they had not only identified a pest resistant gene associated with the cyst nematode, but they were also able to clone it.

However, the resistant gene wasn’t the only reason to celebrate the reward of years of labor. One of the genes discovered was also associated with spina bifida, leukemia and cardiovascular disease.

“I never imagined it would be this complex,” Mitchum says. “The gene responsible for the nematode resistance was completely unexpected.

It is common in nature and found in humans, and it has been linked to a variety of diseases.”

The potential for these researchers and many others to address not only challenges facing agricultural production, but also public health issues is a source of great optimism for Prather, Mitchum and their colleagues.

Their discoveries have reminded many of the relevance of agriculture on a grand spectrum, and helped ensure that the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the University of Missouri remain educational and research powerhouses well into the future.

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Consumer protection

Beneficial to All

Photo courtesy of Missouri Department of Agriculture

In Missouri, consumer protection means safe food, fair marketplace

An inspector in the Missouri Fuel Quality Laboratory checks samples.

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It has been said that the American consumer enjoys the safest, most wholesome and most affordable food supply in the world. In Missouri, consumers can also count on purchasing food, fuel and services in a marketplace that is fair to both buyers and sellers.

The Missouri Department of Agriculture works to ensure a level playing field among producers, processors and consumers through outreach, training and enforcement. The Department’s efforts include inspecting gasoline for quality, fuel dispensers for safety and scales for accuracy, and raising awareness about food safety for Missouri-grown and Missouri-made items, from fresh produce to pet food.

“From meat, vegetables and grains, to fuel, to the cotton fibers in our clothing, agriculture is working harder than ever to meet Missourians’ needs and those of the world,” says Missouri’s Director of Agriculture, Dr. Jon Hagler. “Every division within the Department works to ensure that we continue to enjoy a safe, wholesome and affordable food supply.”

For the Department’s team, food safety means producing, processing and preparing all foods in ways to prevent food borne illness and disease. The team’s toolkit for ensuring Missouri consumers receive safe food includes public outreach and training activities, as well as inspections and regulations.

Missouri’s agricultural products, from raw ingredients to products ready for consumption, are key to food safety.

Programs within the Department ensure that foods like meat, eggs and fresh produce are handled properly throughout every step of processing and distribution.

Photo courtesy of Missouri Department of Agriculture

Photo courtesy of Missouri Department of Agriculture

The Fuel Quality Laboratory at the Missouri Department of Agriculture inspects the quality of all gasoline sold in Missouri, one of the many services they provide to the state’s citizens. Their inspectors also check fuel pumps across Missouri to make sure they are measuring properly.

Meat Inspections

In meat processing facilities, inspectors from the Missouri Department of Agriculture review sanitation, record keeping and handling practices, and ensure that state-inspected facilities meet or exceed federal standards. In fact, an inspector from the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Meat and Poultry Inspection Program is on hand for each day of processing in Missouri’s 36 plants preparing meat for retail sale.

Officials also make sure that packaged meat is accurately labeled and securely sealed, as required by Missouri and federal laws, and keep producers informed about advancements in biosecurity, animal health and sanitation practices.

In Missouri’s nearly 150 custom exempt processing facilities, which are preparing meat for livestock owners’ personal use, inspectors perform unannounced inspections at least quarterly to ensure workers are using good sanitation and food handling practices.

Egg Inspections

The Department of Agriculture provides inspection services and oversees licensing for egg distributors.

Inspections and licensing requirements include ensuring that eggs are properly packaged, stored and labeled, as well as kept at the appropriate temperature during transportation and while offered for sale. The Department also assists producers with determining the best practices to reduce the chances for food borne illnesses caused by bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli that can be present on the farm but are often harmful to humans.

Beyond programs to help ensure Missourians continue to enjoy safe, wholesome meat and eggs, the Department maintains a voluntary Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Program for producers and processors.

Missouri’s program began offering USDA Good Handling Practices and Good Agricultural Practices inspections in 2011, in addition to certifications for producers who meet or exceed both state and federal standards within their

production, processing and distribution operations. Last year, Department staff inspected more than 150 fresh produce growers, processors and wholesale operations.

Fuel and Weights Inspections

The Missouri Department of Agriculture’s efforts to ensure a safe, fair marketplace for producers, processors, distributors and consumers extends beyond food to include inspection services and regulations for fuels, as well as for meters and scales of all sizes.

The Department’s Weights, Measures and Consumer Protection Division reaches more Missourians on a daily basis than many other state programs, in many cases, through drivers’ fuel tanks.

Team members are responsible for ensuring that Missouri drivers get every gallon shown during a trip to the gasoline pump. Inspectors measure the fuel dispensed, ensuring that pumps are properly calibrated to be both reliable and accurate. Pumps found to be within a 5 percent margin of error are marked with a ‘Tested and Approved’ label from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Inspectors visit stations throughout Missouri, testing stations’ equipment and fuels to ensure that the gasoline, diesel or ethanol shown on the pump, and paid for at the register, make their way into drivers’ tanks.

“It is important for consumers to learn how food, fiber and renewable resource products are produced and marketed, and their value to maintaining a strong economy, vibrant communities and healthy families,” Hagler says. “Protecting a fair marketplace for consumers, producers and sellers is at the core of the Department’s mission and we take our responsibilities for maintaining that marketplace very seriously.”

Ensuring the safety of Missouri’s agricultural products, from grains to milk to fresh produce to meat, will continue to be a top priority for the Department, as a healthy food system begins on the farm and ends with healthy communities.

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Protecting a State’s Livestock Missouri’s state veterinarian carries a heavy load As Missouri’s State Veterinarian, Dr. Linda Hickam is charged with identifying, controlling and eradicating animal disease within the state.

Minimizing the risk of disease among Missouri’s livestock is no small task. The state is home to roughly 4 million cattle and calves and nearly 3 million hogs and pigs, as well as about 200,000 horses and 80,000 sheep. More than 99,000 cattle, 1.1 million hogs and thousands of horses come into Missouri each year for shows, breeding and sales, as well.

“The health of Missouri’s livestock is a leader among states,” Hickam says. “We take the health of our animals very seriously, and continue to invest in protecting our livestock and livestock producers from destructive and costly diseases.”

Hickam also leads the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health, oversees operations at Missouri’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories in Jefferson City and Springfield, and helps to establish regulations and policies affecting Missouri livestock and the farmers and farm families raising those animals.

Nationally, Missouri is a leader in the number of cattle and calves in the state, second only to Texas. Missouri’s cattle

producers are a large part of the success of Missouri’s agriculture industry, one of the state’s major economic drivers.

The heavy load that comes with serving as Missouri’s leading animal health authority and ensuring that Missouri remains competitive in regional, national and international livestock markets is something Hickam sees as an opportunity.

When she was named Missouri’s State Veterinarian in September 2011, she became the first female state veterinarian in the United States, although she wouldn’t tell you that. For her, it’s about the opportunity to serve. A former high school agriculture and math instructor, Hickam graduated from the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. Most recently, she served as Missouri’s deputy state veterinarian and state epidemiologist.

As state veterinarian, Hickam has made raising awareness of diseases and improving testing a priority. She has traveled throughout the state speaking to local agricultural organizations and livestock associations about the risk of disease.

“Missouri is home to some of the most stringent animal health regulations and most rigorous testing,” Hickam says. “As technology continues to improve, we’ll see our tests for disease become even more sensitive and efficient for our veterinarians, producers and all others involved in animal care. It will be exciting to see opportunities and improvements in efficiency and animal health realized through future developments.”

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economic development

Connie and Dan Burkhardt stand at the top of a hill overlooking their property near Marthasville, Mo. The Burkhardts’ land is part of the Katy Land Trust.

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For the Love of the Land Katy Land Trust preserves Missouri farm country

quite compares to the beauty and serenity of the Missouri River Valley.

The river bluffs, the forests, the natural areas and the historic family farms create an oasis where Missourians can enjoy the natural beauty, tranquility and serenity of land unspoiled by development. Their love of the land led them to establish the Katy Land Trust to protect the future of Missouri’s 29 million acres of agricultural land.

Through the Trust, producers can get help with guarding their land from development, even after they’re no longer working the land.

The Burkhardts’ 220-acre farm has been in production for nearly 20 years in their family, and at least 70 years before that with previous owners. Dan and Connie raise cattle, hay and row crops on the property, in addition to a vineyard on the property’s rolling hillsides. The agricultural tradition is part of their land and will be well into the future.

It will never be a golf course or subdivision. That’s because the Burkhardt’s farm is also the first piece of property in the Katy Land Trust.

“We began the Katy Land Trust as a way to provide an option for people who want to preserve the agricultural use of the land long after they’re gone, through a process called conservation easements,” Dan Burkhardt says.

“We had seen how these efforts in other parts of the country were successful in protecting land from development, and we wanted to bring that idea to Missouri. After all, the land

photography by Jeff Adkins

To Dan and Connie Burkhardt, nothing

An old barn remains standing at the Burkhardts’ farm near Marthasville, Mo. Their farm will always be used for agricultural production.

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advertisers Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives www.amec.org Dairy Farmers of America www.dfamilk.com FCS Financial www.myfcsfinancial.com Lincoln University www.lincolnu.edu/web/ college-of-agricultural-andnatural-sciences Missouri Beef Industry Council www.mobeef.com Missouri Corn www.mocorn.org Missouri Equine Council www.mo-equine.org Missouri Farm Bureau Federation www.mofb.com Missouri Farmers Care www.mofarmerscare.com Missouri Farmers Market Association www.mofarmersmarkets.com Missouri Rice Council www.semo.edu/rice Missouri Soybean Association www.mosoy.org Missouri Wine and Grape Board www.missouriwine.org Northwest Missouri State University www.nwmissouri.edu Sisters Garden Gate Recipes www.sistersggr.com

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Southeast Missouri State University Department of Agriculture www.semo.edu/agriculture Truman State University www.truman.edu University of Missouri CAFNR www.cafnr.missouri.edu

cannot protect itself. It depends on the goodwill of its owner to protect it.”

One of the key tools for preserving agricultural land is a conservation easement, a permanent restriction protecting the land from being developed, no matter where the land is sold or inherited. When landowners near the Katy Trail make that commitment, they can be certain that their property will carry on Missouri’s history of focusing on environmental stewardship and agricultural production.

“It provides a way for landowners to guarantee that their properties will be part of the agricultural tradition for generations to come,” says Preston Lacy, program coordinator for the Katy Land Trust.

The Katy Land Trust is not only protecting land in Missouri, it’s also facilitating conversations about conservation among producers that may not otherwise happen and supporting other organizations in similar efforts.

“This is a relatively new discussion in Missouri,” Burkhardt says. “But it’s an especially important one.”

Easements and trusts may seem very complicated and sometimes intimidating to producers. The Katy Land Trust staff reach out to farmers and ranchers to begin that discussion and clear up misconceptions about the terms. They do so through a variety of events that provide a forum to get people thinking and talking.

Though the Katy Land Trust is only two years old, it benefits from the efforts of more than 1,700 land trusts that are working to do the same thing across the country.

In fact, the Katy Land Trust is a project within the Ozark Regional Land Trust, which began in 1984 and has been responsible for protecting more than 25,000 acres of land in the Ozark region of the United States.

The details, including the legal and financial implications of using conservation easements to prevent development on agricultural land, are one of the key areas those organizations work to ensure producers to understand.

One such detail is the stewardship cost, which Lacy describes as the cost of making sure that the landowner’s decision is to protect the property is enforced long after that landowner is gone. That’s another responsibility the Katy Land Trust takes on.

“Generally speaking, it costs $75 to $100 an acre in administrative costs to protect the property,” Burkhardt says.

But the Trust has donors who are willing to offset those costs for landowners who do not have the means to pay them. It’s one more way the Katy Land Trust keeps the conservation conversation going.

“There are lots of spokesmen for commercial development,” Burkhardt says. “We’re spokesmen for conservation. People will have many opportunities to develop their land but only one chance to protect it.”

What’s Online See more photos of Missouri’s picturesque farms at MO-agriculture.com.

Dan and Connie Burkhardt grow grapes on their farm near Marthasville, Mo. The couple have committed their Missouri farm to the Katy Land Trust, which ensures that future generations will have the opportunity to grow agricultural crops on their family’s property in the Missouri River Valley.

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economic development

Planting for the Future

photo by Jeff S. Otto

Bootheel region’s fertile ground grows more than crops

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Fertile land and the abundance of quality water make the bootheel region of Missouri an agricultural powerhouse.

“This is the right area and the right soil type for just about any crop,” says Mike Martin of Martin Rice Company. “It’s unique to the state because it is part of the old Mississippi River Delta. We’ve got rich soil and plentiful irrigation, and that makes it ideal for rice, soybeans, cotton and really most anything people want to farm here.”

In fact, Missouri’s bootheel is the most intensively cropped area in the state, according to the Missouri Census of Agriculture. In addition to Missouri’s traditional top crops of soybeans and corn, bootheel farmers excel in rice and cotton production.

The bootheel is the state’s leader in soybean production with nearly 50 million bushels annually – totaling more than 20 percent of Missouri’s soybean crop. In 2011, DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred opened its

largest soybean production plant in the world in New Madrid County. The $60 million seed production facility’s location near major highway and river transportation routes allows it to serve soybean growers throughout the southeastern United States.

“Seed quality is what we do,” says Nathan Bengston, the New Madrid plant manager. “The Missouri bootheel is a highly productive, highly irrigated area, which makes it ideal for our company. The region is right for our business because of the quality of the soybeans.”

Bengston has confidence in the future of soybeans. “The amount of research dollars being poured into soybeans right now is staggering,” he says. “We have new technologies, biotech, traditional breeding, molecular breeding – all increasing the yield year after year. It’s exciting as we look ahead to successfully feeding the world on fewer acres.”

He also has confidence in the New Madrid plant, which currently

employs more than 65 people. “We see an opportunity for growth, both in terms of personnel and production,” he says. “We are blessed with a large state-of-the-art facility that can run a lot of soybeans. We have just scratched the surface of what we can do in the future.”

The bootheel is home to the state’s rice industry, which is the fifth largest in the nation and is valued at more than $133 million annually.

One of the most recognizable Missouri rice-growing operations, Martin Rice Company’s history dates back more than 50 years ago when Mike Martin’s grandfather purchased 160 acres of land and began farming. Today, the Martins farm more than 4,000 acres and produce long-grain, medium grain and specialty rice varieties. In 2000, the company constructed a rice processing facility and began milling its own rice. Martin Rice Company now mills more than a million bushels of rice per year.

“We’re farmers by trade, and the milling fits with everything else we do,” Martin says. “We still farm and we know how rice is produced, and that knowledge has expanded into

where we can find a niche we can capitalize on.”

For Martin Rice Company, part of that niche is specialty rice, such as jasmine, basmati and arborio, which would normally be imported from other countries. Martin also grows an identity preserved rice for a cereal company that is milled to the company’s specifications. “That’s something we can do, in part because of our size,” he says. “It’s a nice fit.”

Cotton is also a top crop in the bootheel, and it has been an important crop in the region for more than a century – although the fiber is grown in only a handful of Missouri counties.

Over the past several years, two bootheel counties ranked among the top counties in the nation for cotton yield and quality, and that bright future shows no signs of dimming. Bayer Premium Cotton currently has a pilot program to develop a sustainably grown cotton variety with longer, stronger fibers to create a differentiated product specific to Missouri.

Southeastern Missouri’s bootheel region is also one of only two areas in the nation that increased the number of acres of cotton planted in 2012. Corn, soybean and rice production are up, too.

photo by Jeff adkins

Cotton has been a top crop in the Missouri bootheel for more than a century. The area is one of only two areas in the country that increased cotton acreage in 2012.

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economic development

Canada

$431M Missouri’s top export markets

Mexico

$652M Missouri

Export Giants

Missouri’s international trade gets boost from agribusiness companies 46

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Japan

$283M Russia

$101M China

$165M European Union

$102M Countries around the globe rely on

Missouri exports, from corn and soybeans to timber and wood products to wine, meat and other food products– and so does the state’s economy. In fact, exported agricultural products contribute more than $2 billion to the state’s economy each year.

From startup agribusinesses with goals of marketing their product worldwide to international companies exploring new markets, Missouri is home to a wealth of agricultural innovation and growth.

The state’s producers export millions of dollars worth of agricultural products each year, shipping Missouri hardwood and softwood lumber to China, transporting dairy cattle to Mexico and selling soy protein and wine to Taiwan and Vietnam.

As every $125,000 worth of agricultural exports equates to one new job, more than 15,000 Missouri jobs

are directly supported by farmers, farm families and processors sending goods around the world.

Soy export opportunities arise

Among Missouri exports, soybeans are a top crop.

More than half of the state’s harvest is exported each year.

At soy technology company Solae, international exports account for more than half of its sales. Founded in 2003 as a joint endeavor between Pioneer DuPont and Bunge, Solae develops soy-based technologies and has become a global leader in nutrition and health with offices on six continents.

“As the world’s leader in soy-based ingredients, we strive to provide solutions to help feed a growing global population with nutritious, sustainable and affordable ingredients,” says Cornel Fuerer, vice president, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Solae. “It is our MO -AGRICULTURE.COM

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Missouri’s Top 5 Agricultural exports

Soybeans and Products

Live Animals and Meat

Feed Grains and products

responsibility to ensure that your ingredients are safe and of high quality. To achieve this, integrity must be at the core of everything we do.”

The company employs more than 350 people in St. Louis, where they specialize in providing protein meal for the livestock industry and exporting grains, oilseeds and other food products.

Value-Added Agricultural Products

While Solae has seen outstanding growth exporting raw materials and food ingredients, other Missouri companies have found international success with value-added products.

More than a century ago, Italian immigrant John Volpi decided to settle in the city surrounded by the best pork production in his new nation. In 1902, he founded John Volpi & Company Inc. and began selling his signature cured salami. Volpi began exporting globally in the 1990s, and the company has grown more than 15 percent over the past five years.

The company, now in its third generation of family ownership, produces dozens of varieties of all-natural specialty meats including prosciutto, pancetta and sausage. While many things have changed in the business’ more than 110 years, the Volpi family continues to rely on local producers.

“Ninety percent of the meat we use is sourced within 250 miles of our facility in St. Louis,” says Daniela Depke, international sales representative for Volpi & Company Inc. “Our success is due in large part to Missouri farmers.”

Missouri farmers raising the pork, cattle and poultry for the Volpi family may also be making their livestock genetics and breeding stock available to customers around the world. At least, they will if Tony Clayton has his way.

Clayton leads Clayton Agri-Marketing Inc., a company helping producers export their livestock. Clients around the world rely on the Jefferson City company for livestock, feed, equipment and supplies.

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Cotton and Linters

Rice

Customers can expect Clayton Agri-Marketing to help facilitate exports and imports from beef and dairy cattle to goats, horses, sheep and swine. The company’s services include helping buyers navigate export and import regulations, livestock selection, health testing and transportation of the precious cargo.

While travel can sometimes be stressful for livestock, the company ensures that accommodations for its animals keep health and comfort in mind, whether traveling by land, air or sea.

“They travel really well,” Tony Clayton, chief executive officer, says after transporting more than 200 hogs to South Korea. “They have enough room to lie down, enough room to walk and get water. They travel better than some of us people in the economy class.”

Clayton Agri-Marketing has found success exporting to many countries in South America and Asia including the Bahamas, Ecuador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Peru and the Philippines. They’ve also worked in Europe facilitating exports to Russia.

A Unified Effort

Sustaining the growth these companies and thousands of other businesses like them have seen in exports requires a concerted effort among companies, ag organizations, and state and federal agencies.

Trade missions have helped many agriculture and business leaders find success in developing new export commitments. International trade missions led by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler and other top officials have recently taken Missouri companies to Mexico, China, Russia and Vietnam, among others.

Missouri businesses have the opportunity to benefit from state-supported international trade offices around the world, including Mexico, Taiwan, Europe, China, Japan and South Korea, and many financial assistance programs available to assist those exploring new markets.