The concept of fetal programming has been evolving in the beef industry for several decades as more research is done.

“Fetal programming is the time when tissues and organs are created during embryonic and fetal development,” says Jason Sewell, Ph.D., cattle nutritionist with Purina Animal Nutrition. “During this time, improper nutrition can permanently alter various metabolic and physiological functions of the fetus as it grows into an adult.”

Recently, Purina Wind and Rain mineral was featured in a gestational nutrition research study by North Dakota State University. The study aimed to illustrate the importance of providing minerals and vitamins during gestation and its impact on fetal programming.

Replacement heifers were synchronized and bred with sexed semen to create heifer calves. The resulting heifer calves were grown to a breeding age of 15 months upon conclusion of the study.

“The only difference between groups was in the gestational nutrition of the dams, where Wind and Rain mineral was fed to the study group at a rate of 4 ounces per head per day. The control group didn’t receive any supplemental mineral during gestation,” says Sewell.

Throughout the study, both groups of dams were fed a basal diet of silage, hay, and dried distillers grain to gain 1 pound per head per day. The basal diet wasn’t deficient in minerals compared to National Research Council requirements for cattle. Liver biopsies of both the control and study heifers were adequate for trace mineral profiles.

“Following calving, both the study and control groups received mineral supplementation,” says Sewell.

The supplementation of Wind and Rain minerals significantly increased colostrum volume and weight compared to the control heifers. The dams supplemented with Wind and Rain minerals produced 50 percent more colostrum than the control dams. Because of the increased volumes, the test calves received 1.5 times more trace minerals via colostrum, helping ensure they would get off to a good start.

At weaning, the heifer calves born from dams receiving Wind and Rain minerals had larger ribeye area, chest, and abdominal circumferences than the controls. Weaning weights for the study calves were 36 pounds higher.

“It can be theorized that the calves from dams fed Wind and Rain mineral could be more reproductively mature because of those improvements,” says Sewell.

Additionally, the study calves carried out the weight advantage from weaning until the study stopped at 15 months of age.

“An advantage in weight gain and ribeye area could also be expected if those calves had been utilized for terminal production, yielding more pounds of beef produced,” says Sewell.

Third-party university research is vital to help validate the findings from Purina’s own research at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center and on-farm or ranch research done with producers. Purina didn’t sponsor this particular study, but there have been many other university research studies Purina has sponsored to help verify findings.

“The significance of mineral and vitamin supplementation is often overlooked. Something as small as feeding 4 ounces of a mineral and vitamin product per head per day profoundly impacts the offspring’s performance and productivity,” says Sewell. “This study does a fantastic job of quantifying the benefits of feeding a mineral and vitamin supplement during a critical development period.”

This piece was submitted by Purina.

For more than 50 years, thousands of FFA members from across the country have converged in our nation’s capital each summer to engage with legislators, hone civic engagement and leadership skills, and create community impact projects to take back to their cities and towns.

The National FFA Organization’s Washington Leadership Conference will take place from June 6 to July 22 at the Omni Shoreham, with six weeklong sessions for FFA members to choose from. More than 2,000 FFA members from throughout the country are expected to attend the 2023 conference, the second-largest student experience that the National FFA hosts each year, only behind the National FFA Convention & Expo that draws more than 70,000 attendees.

FFA members will spend the week under the guidance of agricultural and leadership professionals, facilitators, and FFA staff who will guide them through workshops, seminars, small group activities, and visits to national landmarks such as the National Mall, Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian Museums, and the U.S. Capitol. Each day of the conference focuses on a different principle taught through the context of our nation’s capital: exploration, encouragement, advocacy, and service.

FFA members will have the unique opportunity to participate in congressional visits during the week with legislators from their states. Members can share concerns and challenges from their communities and discuss agricultural-related legislation.

Living to Serve

The capstone of the conference is the development of a Living to Serve Plan, a civic engagement project that participants will implement in their communities after returning home.

To develop this Living to Serve Plan, members are asked to analyze the needs of their communities before attending WLC. Students can lean on their FFA chapter advisors to implement the plan upon returning home. Examples of projects in recent years include promoting agricultural literacy, bringing attention to abuse, collecting and distributing shoes to individuals in Haiti, and creating a hunger awareness plan.

Nadia Walker shares her WLC success

Nadia Walker, an officer of the Nicholas County FFA in the Licking River Region in Kentucky, attended WLC in the summer of 2022. During her time in Washington, D.C., she created her Living to Serve Plan around establishing a food pantry after her community was hit by a devastating flood, the worst natural disaster to hit the area in recorded history.

“I always knew I wanted to make a difference, but I never truly knew how,” says Walker. “When I attended WLC, I saw that even I could make a change. After attending WLC, The Hive Pantry came to life.”

Walker’s pantry was placed in the lowest income area of the county and prioritized providing nutritional, preservable food.

Another student who attended WLC in 2022 was Natalee Bray, an officer of the Pike Valley FFA in Kansas. Her Living to Serve Plan was to create a Safety Day with her local elementary school in partnership with Progressive Ag, where she taught more than 150 students about agricultural and farm safety.

The 2023 Washington Leadership Conference is sponsored by Merck Animal Health, Syngenta, Farm Credit, PepsiCo, Rabo AgriFinance, and Growth Energy. 

»Related: FFA members wrap up Washington Leadership Conference

Debates linking food aid for needy families with crop subsidies for American farmers could hinder the renewal of a comprehensive agricultural policy law — the next modernized farm bill.

Concerns that the delay could push Congress to postpone action on the $1.5 trillion proposal mean America’s farmers and ranchers are in a holding pattern, counting on Congress to make the next move and pass the farm bill.

Kevin is a third-generation farmer from Hawthorne, Florida, where he and his wife operate a dairy farm and serve as members of Florida Farm Bureau. “The future of American dairy farming depends on investment in the next generation. By increasing access to credit and enhancing risk management programs, we can ensure that the next generation of farmers have the tools and resources we need to thrive,” Lussier told lawmakers. “I urge the committee to consider these vital programs and to take action to support young farmers across the country by passing a bipartisan farm bill this year. Young farmers like us cannot afford continued delays by Congress.”

Lussier emphasized the importance of affordable credit for young and beginning farmers. He credits USDA-backed loans and grants for enabling him to grow his business during difficult times.

“Traditional lending institutions often view agriculture as a high-risk industry. When you combine that with the limited or zero credit history many young farmers and ranchers have, it makes it difficult for them to secure loans through private lending institutions on favorable terms. Programs like the FSA’s Guaranteed and Direct Farm Ownership and Operating Loans have been invaluable to the success of our farm and to many other young farmers and ranchers,” he said.

Lussier advocated for improvements to risk management programs, like Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC). Suggested enhancements include increasing the cap on Tier 1 coverage above 5 million pounds, providing a premium discount for farmers who choose to enroll in DMC for the life of the farm bill, and restoring the “higher of” formula for the class I mover. “Strengthening and expanding the DMC program will help young dairy farmers like myself manage the inherent risks in agriculture and ensure a more stable, predictable income,” Lussier said.

Another member, representing the Mississippi Farm Bureau, also testified yesterday. Christian Good and his wife operate a corn and soybean farm in Macon, Mississippi. Good is speaking on needed farm bill improvements to reference prices, crop insurance eligibility, rural broadband, and increased funding for conservation programs.

In recent years, billionaires like Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and others have taken an interest in farmland and food production. Of those, the charity run by Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Bezos’ charity has zeroed in on plant-based and lab-grown meat alternatives. 

Most recently, Bezos’ charity awarded North Carolina State University $30 million, to be divided over five years to create a Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein. 

In a news release, NC State says that the center will become a “biomanufacturing hub for dietary proteins that are environmentally friendly, healthy, accessible and affordable.”

NC State says that the new center will collaborate with academic and industry partners to revolutionize the production of protein alternatives.

The Research and Development team will focus on innovating the materials used in protein extraction and fermentation. They aim to enhance manufacturing processes for sustainable protein products, making them more efficient and cost-effective using advanced biotechnology and manufacturing methods. Additionally, the team will train faculty and students on innovation, intellectual property, and commercialization strategies, facilitating the transfer of new technologies to the industry.

“Alternative proteins are unlikely to displace animal proteins,” said Bill Aimutis, co-principal investigator on the grant and co-director of the new center who has experience working with sustainable protein producers and start-up companies. “It is difficult to create an alternative protein product that rivals the flavor and texture of meat and that is also appealing and affordable for consumers. This center is more interested in growing the sustainable protein industry as another option for consumers rather than displacing animal proteins.”

This isn’t the only facility Bezos hopes to open at universities to improve meat alternative options — in total, Bezos’ philanthropic arm, Bezos Earth Fund says it will donate $60 million to establish research centers. In March, Bezos Earth Fund Vice Chair Lauren Sánchez indicated that the Bezos Centers for Sustainable Protein was just part of the Bezos Earth Fund’s $1 billion commitment to food transformation.

“We need to feed 10 billion people with healthy, sustainable food throughout this century while protecting our planet. We can do it, and it will require a ton of innovation,” said Sánchez. “Our world is poised for transformation, for a future not constrained by compromise. Solutions to our greatest challenges often come from the quiet persistence of those willing to question, reimagine, and innovate.”

Bezos is one of the wealthiest people in the world, with a net worth of over $194 billion, ranking third on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaire List. The fact that Amazon has owned the Whole Foods Market grocery store chain since 2017 reinforces his intent to have a stake in America’s food supply.

Still, the investment in alternative proteins seems an odd contrast to Bezos’ upbringing. The billionaire credits his resourcefulness to working on his grandparents’ South Texas ranch every summer. 

Bezos also owns the Corn Ranch, a repurposed 165,000-acre spread located north of Van Horn, Texas, that serves as the base site for Blue Origin, the aerospace company that Bezos founded in 2000. 

Despite his ag-rooted past, the Bezos Earth Fund claims that its commitment to alternative proteins centers around unsustainable food systems, stating that, “Food is the second largest cause of climate change, and agriculture is the primary driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss.”

»Related: Facebook’s Zuckerberg gets into the cattle game on Hawaii ranch