CELEBRATING THE DOLLARS AND SENSE VALUE OF COMMODITY CHECKOFFS.
Raising Awareness and Promoting Progress
Welcome to Ultimate Collaboration, your resource for exploring and celebrating the valuable contributions of farmers and their checkoff programs. Did you know producer-funded checkoffs, also known as agriculture promotion groups, not only support research and promotion benefitting farmers, but also contribute to rural communities and a more vibrant food system? It’s time to shine a spotlight on these stories of progress and raise awareness of the benefits of checkoffs beyond the agricultural community.
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Creating New Opportunities
“The [food] industry probably won’t spend the kind of dollars we do to get a new product launched,” says Ohio soybean grower Keith Kemp. “New market opportunities are huge because as long as we’re selling soybeans, every farmer is making more money.”
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Providing a Necessary Voice
“A lot of the work done through checkoff programs is to make our products more accessible and more valuable,” says Michigan pork producer Dale Norton. “The Pork Board has a program called We Care that reflects [farmers’] desire to be good neighbors. We want to provide a good, safe food supply.”
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An Economic Analysis
“Through analysis we found that the checkoff program and domestic market is very profitable, but the foreign market is also extremely profitable.” says Harry Kaiser of Cornell University.
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Larry McClendon: Cotton Grower Profile
Meet Larry McClendon, a cotton and grain grower in east central Arkansas. Larry has a unique outlook on his 42 plus years of experience, saying, ‘No, not 42 years, 42 different experiences, so I continue to push and learn. Cotton matches up with my land, my soil, my personality really.”
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Renew your Faith in Cotton
Cotton is the food, fiber and material good of the future. Because those soft white fields have always provided one of our most renewable, sustainable resources. One that we have relied upon for centuries to clothe us and provide for our families, and still do today.
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Cotton Board: Larry McClendon Harvest
Larry McClendon, a cotton and grain grower in Lee county Arkansas, takes us to his farm during harvest time and talks us through the importance of Cotton, promotion boards, and advancements in cotton usage in the United States. Renew your faith in cotton.
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Partnerships That Drive Demand
“The Cotton Research Promotion Program is a public and private partnership that allows U.S. cotton producers to pool their resources to fight for more demand for cotton,” explains William Gillon, the Cotton Board president and CEO. Farmers and supporters contribute about $75 billion annually to research that helps make cotton the fabric of our lives.
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Competitive Advantage
Patrick Johnson, a Mississippi cotton farmer, explains the benefits he’s experienced with the cotton checkoff. “It really does give me peace of mind when I think about how my cotton crop will have a place in the world market,” says Johnson. Find out how the Cotton Promotion Board gives U.S. growers a competitive advantage.
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New Uses Create Opportunities
“As a producer, growing cotton has been challenging. We’re seeing some positive things happen now as far as supply and demand. I’m always interested to hear about new uses for cotton and ways to make cotton better,” says Mississippi cotton farmer Patrick Johnson. Learn more about how research is helping create new opportunities for U.S. cotton.
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Supporting Honey Bee Health
The National Honey Board, Almond Board of California, Project Apis m. and CollaborateUp unite to illuminate the symbiotic relationship between honey bees and the agricultural industry in the new documentary “The Job Swap Experiment.” The film puts almond growers and beekeepers in each other’s shoes, and a look at what each industry does to protect bees.
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A More Sustainable Almond
The California almond community is leading the charge for sustainable farming, from recharging aquifers to more precisely managing nutrient inputs. In addition to working with research institutions like University of California, the Almond Board of California is forging unconventional partnerships with organizations like the Environmental Defense Fund to research and develop practices that help growers increase yields and profitability while minimizing environmental impact. To learn more, visit almonds.com/growing-good.
Resources
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"Soybean Checkoff Dollars Did That!"
Soybean checkoff dollars work in many ways, in many different places. These are a few successes you’re likely aware of but may not have known the soy checkoff helped make possible.
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"Success is in Our Genes"
Soybean research has made leaps and bounds in recent years thanks to the advent of new technologies like gene editing. In agriculture, gene editing is the process of changing the DNA of a cell to increase yield; better withstand drought, pests and disease; or improve seed composition.
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"15 Innovations Made Possible by Ag Promotion Groups"
Agriculture Promotion Groups play a critical and large role building awareness and driving demand for their respective checkoffs and associations. Here we highlight and showcase 15 examples throughout the industry.
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The Ultimate Collaborators
We applaud the work of Ag Promotion Groups and those who support them. Click through to learn more.
Industry + Agency
Join the Cause and the Conversation
Do you support farmer-funded checkoffs? Contact us to get involved and learn how you can contribute content to this initiative.