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December 2011
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Click this seal to go to the top of the newsletter |
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NTF Staff
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President
Joel Brandenberger; Ext. 7226
Legislative
Damon Wells; Ext. 7232
Leslee Oden; Ext. 7228
Scientific & Regulatory
Lisa Picard; Ext. 7233
Andrew Bailey; Ext. 7224
Communications
Sherrie Rosenblatt; Ext. 7227
Adrienne Richards; Ext. 7223
Kimmon Williams; Ext. 7234
Membership
Jen Zukowski; Ext. 7229
Clara Sackey; Ext. 7221
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President's Message
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Greetings!
Normally, it's best for a year actually to end before beginning a retrospective on its successes and failures, but 2011 was such an unconventional year that it deserves an early look back.
It was evident when the year began that the industry would face unique challenges. All signs pointed to the federal renewable fuels policy resulting in a renewed tightening of corn supplies and another round of rising food costs. The Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration's (GIPSA) proposed marketing rule had the potential to destroy the basic industry production model and cause great financial harm to growers and processors. EPA's Chesapeake Bay initiative was vastly expanding federal regulatory authority without demonstrably doing anything to improve the environment.
There were many more, of course, but those three alone would have made for a year full of significant challenges.
Then came the three recalls of ground turkey products that created potential regulatory challenges unlike any the industry has ever faced.
On that issue, the Turkey and Salmonella Summit conducted in early September allowed the industry to develop an action plan that, coupled with regular communications with FSIS, should allow companies to continue producing safe, nutritious ground turkey products.
It was an excellent example of the industry and NTF staff working together to address a significant challenge in a proactive way, and it is a story that has replicated itself in the other issues mentioned earlier:
- The ethanol "blender's credit" appears set to expire at year's end (though no one underestimates the ethanol lobby's ability to breathe life back into it) and the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill restricts USDA's ability to fund ethanol infrastructure projects.
- Legislation has been introduced in the House to reform the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).
- The Agriculture Appropriations Bill just passed also prevents USDA from implementing the most harmful provisions in the GIPSA proposed marketing rule.
- The House Agriculture Committee has been taking a harsh look at EPA's initiatives, and NTF is involved in a lawsuit to halt the Chesapeake Bay initiative.
In every instance, NTF member involvement---- whether through participation in the summit, testifying before Congress or old-fashioned grassroots lobbying of legislators ---- has been critical to the industry's success.
Hopefully, December will yield more good news that we can report in January, but regardless 2011 has been one of the most eventful, and successful, in NTF's history.
Sincerely,
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National Thanksgiving Turkey
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President Barack Obama "pardoned" the National Thanksgiving Turkey on Nov. 23 in a White House ceremony, as he and NTF Chairman Rick Huisinga celebrated the 64th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation.
Huisinga presented President Obama with "Liberty" a 19-week old, 45-pound tom. The names of the turkeys were chosen from more than 100 submissions to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association's website that highlighted the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Many of the submissions came from Minneapolis and St. Paul school children who learned this year about the importance of agriculture to the world food supply and to local economies.
 | | NTF Chairman Rick Huisinga presents President Barack Obama with "Liberty" the National Thanksgiving Turkey. |
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Legislative
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President Signs 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, Cuts Funds for Proposed GIPSA Rule: The president recently signed into law the House and Senate approved conference report on the Fiscal Year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which passed by votes of 298 to 121 and 70 to 30, respectively. In the bill, Congress withheld funding for many USDA activities related to its controversial Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) marketing regulations. The bill allows a rule implementing four provisions contained in the 2008 Farm Bill (noted below) to move forward. Most significantly, the final GIPSA rule does not include the fifth provision relating to undue preference. Finally, the appropriations bill prohibits any action on an interim final rule "reforming" the tournament ranking system for compensating poultry growers. The interim final rule had been sent to the White House for approval, but the congressional action prohibits it from moving forward.
House Agriculture Subcommittee Reviews Flawed Chesapeake Bay Model: The House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry on Nov. 3 conducted a public hearing to review the implementation of Phase II of the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Watershed Implementation Plans and their impact on states and rural communities in the watershed. The implementation of the TMDL is complex and far-reaching, affecting communities in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and New York. States are now in the second phase of a three-part process to limit discharge into the bay, and several states have raised concerns about the cost and the regulatory burden they face in meeting the new limits. Witnesses testified that the process is being driven by arbitrary deadlines from the EPA instead of economic and scientific assessments. NTF will continue to work with the impacted states congressional delegations to ensure that livestock and poultry interests are heard as this process moves forward.
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Scientific and Regulatory
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Technical and Regulatory
Technical and Regulatory Committee Develops Turkey Industry Survey: The Technical and Regulatory Committee last month completed work on a Turkey Industry Survey to gather information on industry practices in ground turkey production. The survey was developed as a result of the Turkey and Salmonella Summit. The survey will be sent out early this month to all NTF members who produce ground turkey. The goal is to complete the survey and develop a report of the results that will be presented at NTF's Annual Convention in February.
USDA Issues Notice on Salmonella Control Programs: USDA on Nov. issued "Reviewing Establishment Salmonella Control Programs for Raw Classes of Meat or Poultry Product (Notice 61-11)." This notice replaces Notice 57-11, issued on Nov. 1, because of concerns raised by NTF about the original notice's excessive focus on pre-harvest data. The agency agreed the appropriate focus should be on in-plant activities, and the clarification should help significantly. Please contact NTF's Lisa Picard if you are still getting excessive questions or requests regarding pre-harvest data.
Worker Safety and Health/Human Resources
Post-Offer Employment Testing Webcast: On Dec. 1 at 2:00 p.m. (EST), Foster Farms' Risk Manager Ernie Machado will host a webcast on the results of his company implementing Post-Offer Employment Testing (POET). Foster Farms began POET physical capacity testing three years ago. During the summer Joint Poultry Safety and Health Council meeting, POET was a main topic of discussion. Instructions on joining the webinar are below.
Joint Poultry Safety and Health Council to Meet at IPE: The Joint Poultry Industry Safety and Health Council will meet Jan. 25 at 1:00 p.m. in Atlanta during the International Poultry Expo (IPE). All NTF members of the Joint Council will receive complimentary IPE admission. Please click here for an IPE grower coupon.
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Marketing Communications
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Marketing
NTF Successfully Pitches Turkey Story Ideas at IFEC Conference: NTF met with foodservice editors from six publications, including QSR and Restaurant Business magazine, in Washington during the 55th annual International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) conference, Nov. 7-9. During the meetings, NTF discussed ways turkey products could fit into the foodservice publication's editorial calendar next year, offered food photography and brought up issues such as the Meatless Monday campaign. The first night of the conference featured the "Chef Showcase," where Chef Thomas Elder of Härth Restaurant created Star Anise Braised Turkey Thighs with Scallion Polenta and Sautéed Crimini Mushrooms, and Turkey Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce and Caramelized Cipollini Onions. The turkey product for the dishes was donated by Butterball, LLC, Cargill Meat Solutions and Cooper Farms.
 | | Chef Thomas Elder dished up Star Anise Braised Turkey Thigh during IFEC's 2011 Chef Showcase. |
Blogger Contest Winner Receives Dining Experience: Merry Graham, grand prize winner of NTF's "Upgrade It!" with Turkey Blogger Contest met, cooked and dined on Nov. 11 with Chef Lisa Schroeder of Mother's Bistro and Bar in Portland, Ore. Schroeder led Graham on a detailed tour of her restaurant and then prepared a two-hour tasting menu.
 | | Chef Lisa Schroeder (right), Mother's Bistro and Bar, took blogger contest winner Merry Graham on a tour of her restaurant in Portland, Ore. |
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Tools for a Healthy Family Lifestyle: NTF was featured in ZisBoomBah's November newsletter that was distributed to more than 3,000 consumers. The ZisBoomBah, grand prize winner of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Apps for Healthy Kids," newsletter included NTF's Healthy School Lunch Challenge and information on the federation's "Upgrade It!" campaign to show parents how to make simple "upgrades" in children's meals.
Issues
NTF Partnership Reaches Consumers During Thanksgiving: NTF once again partnered with the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) on a joint release that includes tips and recipes for outdoor Thanksgiving cooking. HPBA cited NTF's statistic that 46 million turkeys will be consumed this Thanksgiving and included a quote from NTF's Sherrie Rosenblatt about adding a new twist on the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. The release was picked up by 283 publications, reaching a total circulation of more than 141 million.
NTF's Thanksgiving Twitter Chat a Success: Using its Twitter account (@turkeygal), NTF's Adrienne Richards participated in a Twitter Chat, a guided conversation that is identified using a particular hashtag. Using the hashtag #turkeychat, NTF, along with the International Food Information Council, conducted the chat a week before Thanksgiving to remind home chefs how they can have a festive, delicious and food-safe celebration. More than 40 people followed or participated in the conversation and extended the reach through their tweets and re-tweets to more than 59,000 individuals. NTF answered a variety of questions ranging from how to properly thaw a turkey to safely storing leftovers.
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Member Services
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NTF Announces Speakers for 2012 Annual Convention General Session: Jeff Simmons, president of Elanco Animal Health, in his keynote address to the more than 500 turkey industry executives expected to attend the NTF Annual Convention, will share his company's research on technology's role in the 21st century to make safe, affordable and abundant food a global reality. NTF's 2012 Annual Convention will be in Tampa, Feb. 15-18, at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. The General Session, Thursday, Feb. 16, will focus on providing the turkey industry an opportunity to look at industry challenges through the perspective of others. For example, Caroline Smith DeWaal, director for food safety programs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, will share her organization's congressional and regulatory food safety agenda, and Tom Elam, president, FarmEcon, LLC, will present his highly anticipated economic outlook for the turkey industry. Finally, NTF will again bestow its Turkey on the Menu (T.O.M.) Award to restaurants that best utilize turkey products.
As in previous years, the Annual Convention will bring together exceptional speakers, committee meetings and networking opportunities. For more information or to register for the 2012 Annual Convention, please visit NTF's "Members' Only" website.
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Giblets
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Kimmon Williams joined NTF on Nov. 28 as the federation's new public relations assistant. Williams is a 2008 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. 
Effective Jan. 1, 2012, Ron Slavnik will be Hybrid Turkeys' Europe managing director.
On Nov. 18, Minn. Gov. Mark Dayton pardoned two turkeys in St. Paul and recognized the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association's donation of $11,200 to Hunger Solutions Minnesota.
Indiana State Poultry Association representatives on Nov. 22 presented a donation to Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, of more than 131,000 pounds of Indiana poultry products for the state's food pantries.
Butterball, LLC on Nov. 16 joined elementary schools in Garner, N.C., with a celebrate turkey art contest to help educate students on the important role of agriculture in the community.
FLS Energy has started construction on a 2,100-panel solar thermal farm for Prestage Foods in St. Pauls, N.C. The system will provide the turkey processing facility an estimated 100,000 gallons of hot water per day for use in operations.
Butterball, LLC was presented the 2011 Governor's Award for Excellence for an Innovative Partnership because of the company's involvement in establishing an ammonia refrigeration program at Sampson Community College in Clinton, N.C. NTF's Sherrie Rosenblatt has been appointed to FSIS' Cook It Safe campaign task force, which focuses on ensuring consumers' pay attention to and read package cooking instructions when preparing frozen or prepared convenience foods containing meat or poultry.
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